cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Miastenia gravis juvenil

Juvenile myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune disorder which occurs when serum antibodies combine with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors at the muscle membrane of the motor endplate imparing the neuromuscular transmission. It results in early muscle fatigability with progression to a complete paralysis during repetitive muscle contraction (movements) or steady muscle contraction (postures), and less common persistent paralysis at rest. The cranial nerves, mainly the one innervating the extraoccular and palpebral levator, are the most susceptible to permanent weakness and paralysis at rest. Initial clinical presentations are generalized, ocular and respiratory forms. The diagnosis is suspected through medical history of abnormal fatigability and corroborated by physical examination, repetitive nerve stimulation of an affected but not complete paralyzed muscle, correction of fatigability by the intravenous administration of acetylcholine esterase inhibitors, and by the presence of serum acetylcholine receptors antibodies (ACRA). The long term treatment is symptomatic (acetylcholine inhibitors) and etiopathogenic (immunosupresor drugs, plasmapheresis, intravenous gamma globulin and thymectomy. Spontaneous or post symptomatic and etiopathogenic treatment remissions occur from 1 to 10 years. Fatality is rare but children are at high risk during myasthenia crisis.
Variation in Discharge, Precipitation and Temperature in Po River and Tributaries Basins

This report provides a preliminary analysis of discharges, precipitation and temperature data since 1923 for 18 closure sections of Po river and its tributaries. First we have investigated the consistency of the data, evaluating the inter-basin correlations, and the relationship between precipitation and discharge timeseries. This analysis provides a coherent picture, suggesting that the data used are reliable. Then we have explored the variation in temperature, precipitation and discharge in each sub-basin. While temperatures show a clear positive trend, precipitation and, generally discharge series did not show any trend at annual scale. Greater changes have been observed at monthly scale, with discharge increasing in May and October. However, the higher values of interannual variability (estimates with the standard deviation of the series), compared to these variations, suggest care in interpreting these results.
On decision making without likelihood judgment.

Abstract Subjective expected utility, prospect theory and most other formal models of decision making under uncertainty are probabilistic: they assume that in making choices people judge the likelihood of relevant uncertainties. Clearly, in many situations people do indeed judge likelihood. However, we present studies suggesting that there are also many situations in which people do not judge likelihood and instead base their decisions on intuitively generated, non-probabilistic rules or rationales. Thus, we argue that real-world situations are of two types. In situations eliciting a probabilistic mindset, people rely on judgments of likelihood. In situations eliciting a non-probabilistic mindset, they neglect judgments of likelihood. We suggest three factors that may influence the tendency towards either probabilistic or non-probabilistic mindsets. We also outline how extant probabilistic theories may be complemented by non-probabilistic models.
Neurologic impairment following closed head injury predicts post-traumatic neurogenesis.

Abstract In the mammalian hippocampus, neurogenesis persists into adulthood, and increased generation of newborn neurons could be of clinical benefit following concussive head injuries. Post-traumatic neurogenesis has been well documented using “open” traumatic brain injury (TBI) models in rodents; however, human TBI most commonly involves closed head injury. Here we used a closed head injury (CHI) model to examine post-traumatic hippocampal neurogenesis in mice. All mice were subjected to the same CHI protocol, and a gross-motor based injury severity score was used to characterize neurologic impairment 1 h after the injury. When analyzed 2 weeks later, post-traumatic neurogenesis was significantly increased only in mice with a high degree of transient neurologic impairment immediately after injury. This increase was associated with an early increase in c-fos activity, and subsequent reactive astrocytosis and microglial activation in the dentate gyrus. Our results demonstrate that the initial degree of neurologic impairment after closed head injury predicts the induction of secondary physiologic and pathophysiologic processes, and that animals with severe neurologic impairment early after injury manifest an increase in post-traumatic neurogenesis in the absence of gross anatomic pathology.
Suspended sediment flux through a salt marsh drainage basin

Abstract The net transport of total suspended sediment (TSS), inorganic suspended sediment (ISS), and organic suspended sediment (OSS) has been determined for a Charleston Harbor tidal creek during 25 randomly selected tidal cycles. The results indicate that the salt marsh basin exports OSS and imports ISS. Export of TSS and OSS occurs preferentially in the summer, whereas in winter, there is import of TSS and ISS and a general balance of OSS transport. On a seasonally adjusted basis the yearly budgets for TSS, ISS, and OSS are respectively −393 g m −2 year −1 , +280 g m −2 year −1 , and −673 g m −2 year −1 . Turbidity monitoring through tidal cycles indicates that import of TSS and ISS may occur at any time of the year when wind conditions maintain high suspensate concentrations in the final stage of flood flow. Otherwise, under normal tidal and weather conditions, there is balance of TSS, ISS, and OSS transport in the winter and export of TSS, ISS, and OSS in the summer. The supply of river-borne sediment to South Carolina estuaries and the rate of ISS import are compared to the theoretical sedimentation rate required for vertical marsh growth to keep pace with coastal submergence. OSS export is compared to the estimated above-ground production of Spartina for South Carolina marshland. Correspondence between these rates are significant but should not be interpreted too literally because of the assumptions and uncertainties involved in the extrapolation of data from a single sampling location to large areas. More data is needed to substantiate the quantities of sediment transport and relationships reported here. However, the results of this study are sufficiently accurate to identify major seasonal patterns of sediment transport. Turbidity monitoring through tidal flow also provides important insight into the processes and conditions of transport that lead to sediment import or export.
High power injection seeded optical parametric oscillator

Abstract We have demonstrated the feasibility of an infrared optical parametric oscillator (OPO) without frequency control elements that produces near transform limited 120 MHz bandwidth, 10 ns pulses via injection seeding. The experimental threshold for injection seeding at 1.5 μm is only a few μW, and the OPO cavity is easily locked to the seed laser. Using a poor spatial quality 540 Hz YAG laser as a pump source, we have obtained 1.5 μm pulse energies of 3 mJ/pulse (>10% energy conversion). However, at present, the OPO gain falls below threshold after continuous operation for ∼ 1 hour, due to reversible degradation of the LiNbO3 crystal. A small frequency shift between seed and output frequencies is observed and possible mechanisms are discussed.
Author Guidelines for Reporting Scale Development and Validation Results in the Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research

Peter Cabrera-Nguyen Washington University in St. Louis Reliable and valid measurement is critical for advancing social work research and evidence-based social work practice. However, the quality of available evidence is largely determined by the study designs used in intervention research. A well-designed intervention study includes optimal sampling techniques, data analysis using appropriate statistical methods, steps to enhance internal and external validity, and psychometrically sound assessment instruments. Ensuring intervention studies include assessment instruments with strong psychometric properties may, ultimately, enable practitioners to assess client target problems with greater precision. Further, increasing the availability of instruments with demonstrated reliability and validity may also help practitioners select evidence-based interventions that best match the needs of their clients. Therefore, it is important for social work researchers engaged in scale development and validation to conduct their research and report their findings in a reliable manner that allows other researchers to replicate those findings. The guidelines presented in this article are intended to assist
Phase behavior and arrangement of molecular species in mixtures of a mixed chain and a symmetric phosphatidylethanolamine in the gel and fluid phases

1-Octadecanoyl, 2-decanoylphosphatidylethanolamine (C(18:0)C(10:0)PE) has been reported to exhibit mixed interdigitated gel-phase packing of the phospholipid acyl chains (Mason, J.T. and Stephenson, F.A. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 590-598). In contrast, ditetradecanoylphosphatidylethanolamine (C(14:0)C(14:0)PE) packs without significant interdigitation of the phospholipid acyl chains across the bilayer center. In this report, the gel-fluid transition temperatures of C(18:0)C(10:0)PE and C(14:0)C(14:0)PE in multilamellar dispersions were determined by fluorescence anisotropy of cis-parinaric acid and trans-parinaric acid with a descending temperature scan rate of 0.67 degrees C/min. The transition mid-points detected for C(18:0)C(10:0)PE with cis-parinaric acid were 19 degrees C in water, 18 degrees C at pH 8.1, and 14 degrees C at pH 10. The phase diagram for C(14:0)C(14:0)PE and C(18:0)C(10:0)PE at pH 10 suggests complete mixing in the fluid phase and considerable immiscibility in the gel phase. Cross-linking of equimolar mixtures of C(14:0)C(14:0)PE and C(18:0)C(10:0)PE with dimethylsuberimidate at pH 10 revealed a random arrangement of the two species in the fluid phase, confirming the notion that C(18:0)C(10:0)PE and C(14:0)C(14:0)PE are miscible in the fluid phase, as determined from the phase diagram. In contrast, cross-linking of the equimolar mixture of C(18:0)C(10:0)PE and C(14:0)C(14:0)PE in the gel phase at 0 degrees C revealed a non-random arrangement, demonstrating and confirming immiscibility in the gel phase.
The origin of the long-wavelength fluorescence emission band (77°K) from photosystem I

Abstract Isolated photosystem I (PSI)-110 particles, prepared using a minimal concentration of Triton X-100 [ J. E. Mullet, J. J. Burke, and C. J. Arntzen (1980) Plant Physiol.65, 814–822 ] and further subjected to short-term solubilization with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), were resolved into four pigment-containing bands on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). We have identified these in order of increasing electrophoretic mobility as being (a) CPIa, (b) CPI, (c) the light-harvesting complex of photosystem I (LHC-I), and (d) a free pigment-zone. LHC-I had an absorption maximum in the red at 668–669 nm and a shoulder at 650 nm, which was resolved by its first-derivative spectrum to indicate the presence of chlorophyll b. LHC-I exhibited a 77 °K fluorescence emission maximum at 729–730 nm. The 77°K fluorescence emission maxima of CPIa and CPI, excised from the gel, were at 729 and 722 nm, respectively. The LHC-I band, excised from the gel and rerun on dissociating SDS-PAGE, was resolved into two polypeptide doublets of 24-22.5 and 21-20.5 kDa. The CPIa band under similar conditions was resolved into polypeptides of 68, 24, 22.5, 21, 20.5, 19, 15, and 14 kDa; on the contrary, CPI contained only the 68-kDa polypeptide. When intact thylakoids were subjected to “nondenaturing” SDS-PAGE, LHC-I comigrated with an oligomeric form (dimer) of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b pigment-protein that preferentially serves photosystem II (LHCP-II). When this combined LHC-I/ LHCP-II pigment-protein band was prepared by SDS-PAGE from isolated stroma lamellae, it exhibited a long-wavelength fluorescence band near 730 nm at 77 °K. When a similar preparation was obtained from sucrose density gradients containing SDS [ J. Argyroudi-Akoyunoglou and H. Thomou (1981) FEBS Lett.135, 171–181 ], it was found to be enriched in a 21-kDa polypeptide. The data suggest that the 21-kDa polypeptide of LHC-I is the chlorophyll-containing polypeptide responsible for the long-wavelength fluorescence of LHC-I; other polypeptides in the complex (20.5, 22.5, and 24 kDa) presumably bind chlorophyll and also serve an antennae function.
Separability between pedestrians in hyperspectral imagery

The popularity of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in remote sensing continues to lead to it being adapted in novel ways to overcome challenging imaging problems. This paper reports on research efforts exploring the phenomenology of using HSI as an aid in detecting and tracking human pedestrians. An assessment of the likelihood of distinguishing between pedestrians based on the measured spectral reflectance of observable materials and the presence of noise is presented. The assessments included looking at the spectral separation between pedestrian material subregions using different spectral-reflectance regions within the full range (450–2500 nm), as well as when the spectral content of the pedestrian subregions are combined. In addition to the pedestrian spectral-reflectance data analysis, the separability of pedestrian subregions in remotely sensed hyperspectral images was assessed using a unique data set garnered as part of this work. Results indicated that skin was the least distinguishable material between pedestrians using the spectral Euclidean distance metric. The clothing, especially the shirt, offered the most salient feature for distinguishing the pedestrian. Additionally, significant spectral separability performance is realized when combining the reflectance information of two or more subregions.
EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND PARENTING CONCERNS OF KOREAN-AMERICAN PARENTS

The purpose of this study was to examine the educational concerns of Korean-American parents in selected cities in California. Of the 363 participants 47% indicated concerns on a questionnaire about their lack of knowledge or understanding of the American educational system and the curricula. Another concern was their lack of time to help their children with school work. 28% of the respondents were concerned about their children's limited proficiency in Korean, 23% about lack of respect for their parents (elders), and 23% about rebellious behaviors. 14% expressed concern about their children's low academic achievement, 15% expressed concern about financing their children's educations, and 1.3% suspected that their children might be using drugs or alcohol.
Development of a microreactor for the production of hydrogen from ammonia

Abstract This paper describes the development of a structured aluminum-anodized alumina microreactor that exhibits high catalytic activity for the decomposition of anhydrous ammonia to nitrogen and hydrogen at moderate temperatures. Modifications such as adjustments to the geometry of the microreactor features, surface area enhancement of the anodized catalyst support, choice of Ru precursor, and application of a catalyst promoter are each shown to affect the reactor performance to varying degrees. The reactor converts 99% of ammonia at 600 °C into the equivalent of 60 W of hydrogen. These numbers are sufficient for to merit serious consideration for use in practical applications, particularly in mobile devices fueled by hydrogen where monolithic structures are advantageous.
Interaction of anxiety and sex-role identification characteristics in American male sex-role behavior.

Summary.-This study examined the interacuon between anxiety and sexrole identification as these variables contribute to the determination of differences in individual male sex-role behavior. The relationship between manifest anxiety and sex-role identification was explored through measurements on 223 college males and through subseq~enr measurement of their attitudes toward hair spray, a feminine classified product. Significant interaction occurred between the three levels of anxiety; less positive attitudes were associated with the more highly anxious males. Though both manifest anxiety and sex-role identificacion have been considered major determinants of sex-role behavior, no previous empirical study has investigated the possible influences of the interaction between these two variables in determining sex-role behavior. That was the purpose of this study. Several studies (Brown, 1958; Lynn, 1966, Miller & Swanson, 1966) concerned with sex-role identificacion and related behavior have encompassed the influence of interpersonal encounters as a source of both behavioral models and soc~al censure. The study of che latter form of influence, involving social punishment for inappropriate sex-role behavior and contributing to the development of anxiety in individuals, has created an important theoretical bridge becween anxiety and sex-role identification. In a study by Heilbrun ( 1964), the theory of ego identity was explored by relaring the masculinity-femininity to perceived social-role consistency, one criterion of identity. The Role Consistency measure, 20 self-descriptive adjectives and descriptions of eight interpersonal situations, was used to determine behavioral consistency across these situations. This measure was interpreted as an index of adjustment in adolescence. Heilbrun further found that male adolescents whose behavior tended to conform to cultural stereotypes of masculinity showed a high Role Consistency. This finding is in line with his hypothesis that social reward for conformity should tend to strengthen interpersonal habits, whereas social punishment for nonconformity should weaken them. Further, Heilbrun's findings are consistent with his earlier study which showed a relationship between Role Consistency of late adolescents and both the degree of father's nurturance and father's masculine identification. He indicates that greater nurturance by a father with an appropriate masculine identification is related to a higher role consistency in the son. If the father lacks adequate
Defect structure of epitaxial CrxV1 − x thin films on MgO(001)

Abstract Epitaxial thin films of Cr x V 1 − x over the entire composition range were deposited on MgO(001) by molecular beam epitaxy. The films exhibited the expected 45° in-plane rotation with no evidence of phase segregation or spinodal decomposition. Pure Cr, with the largest lattice mismatch to MgO, exhibited full relaxation and cubic lattice parameters. As the lattice mismatch decreased with alloy composition, residual epitaxial strain was observed. For 0.2 ≤ x ≤ 0.4 the films were coherently strained to the substrate with associated tetragonal distortion; near the lattice-matched composition of x = 0.33, the films exhibited strain-free pseudomorphic matching to MgO. Unusually, films on the Cr-rich side of the lattice-matched composition exhibited more in-plane compression than expected from the bulk lattice parameters; this result was confirmed with both x-ray diffraction and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry channeling measurements. The effect of thermal expansion mismatch on strain in the heterostructure was estimated. High resolution transmission electron microscopy was utilized to characterize the misfit dislocation network present at the film/MgO interface. Dislocations were found to be present with a non-uniform distribution, which is attributed to the Volmer–Weber growth mode of the films. The Cr x V 1 − x /MgO(001) system can serve as a model system to study the fundamentals of defect formation in bcc films.
O-(alkyl- and aryl-oxythiocarbonyl) sugar derivatives☆

Abstract Bis(1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-3-O-thiocarbonyl-α- d -glucofuranose) disulfide (1) in pyridine undergoes a fragmentation reaction when treated with excess methyl, ethyl, propyl, or butyl alcohols, or phenol, to give the corresponding O-oxythiocarbonyl derivatives (2–6). A faster reaction and higher yield result when iodine is included in the pyridine solution. The oxythiocarbonyl compounds are stable when distilled (near 190°) under diminished pressure. Selective, acid hydrolysis of 3-O-(ethoxythiocarbonyl)-1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-α- d -glucofuranose (3 gave 3-O-(ethoxythiocarbonyl)-1,2-O-isopropylidene-α- d -glucofuranose (10), which rearranged, on standing in triethylamine, to 1,2-O-isopropylidene-α- d -glucofuranose 5,6-thionocarbonate (12). Oxidation of 3 with lead tetraacetate or silver nitrate gave the corresponding 3-O-ethoxycarbonyl derivative (8), whereas reduction of 3 with Raney nickel gave 3-O-(ethoxymethylene)-1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-α- d -glucofuranose (11).
Current Controversies Regarding Body Checking and Tackling in Youth Sports

Head and spinal injuries in collision sports such as American football, ice hockey, and lacrosse affect millions of youth and adolescent athletes in the USA. Strategies to reduce sport-related concussion and catastrophic spinal cord injuries have increased over the past few decades, with rule changes limiting body checking at younger levels of youth ice hockey and bans on spear tackling in American football. Until recently, sports medicine communities have focused their efforts on providing consensus statements and guidelines pertaining to the detection, evaluation, and management of sport-related concussion. Many of these recommendations have extrapolated data from adult studies as limited research is available on youth athletes. There is a movement among sports medicine clinicians and researchers to collaborate with youth sports organizations to provide scientific data and answers to questions pertaining to youth collision sport injury. Changes and advances in protective equipment have not resulted in a dramatic decline in collision sport head injuries. But several strategies hold promise, such as teaching proper body checking and tackling technique; establishing and enforcing rules that limit head contact and intent-to-harm hits to vulnerable players; implementing participation strategies determined by age, size, and physical maturity level; and introducing injury prevention strategies to reduce head injuries. By administering these interventions collectively, a safer environment for our youth and adolescent collision sport athletes to engage in healthy competition can be provided. In addition, evaluation of our collective intense sport culture is needed as societal pressures are also likely contributing to injuries and unintended consequences. Pediatricians play a vital role in advocating for the safety of youth collision sport athletes as medical providers, parents, coaches, and as board members and in advisory positions of youth sports organizations.
Structure of tropical variability from a vertical mode perspective

A composite mesoscale precipitation event and a convectively coupled Kelvin wave produced by a diabatically accelerated cloud resolving model are compared. Special emphasis is placed on the vertical structure of density and moisture perturbations and the interaction of these perturbations with the composited dynamical fields. Both composites share the same general features, a gradual deepening and strengthening of convection followed by deep convection and a stratiform region, quite similar in character to observations and some recent idealized models. Composited frozen moist static energy (FMSE) perturbations are several times larger than virtual temperature perturbations, suggesting moisture is a dominant regulator of convection. An empirically derived two vertical mode decomposition of the dynamical and moisture fields is found to reproduce both composites quite well. The leading vertical modes of FMSE and virtual temperature variability are strongly correlated with the modes of vertical velocity variability; these correlations are strongest at near-zero time lags. Deep convection is associated with moistening in the lower and middle troposphere, while shallow convection is associated with a moist lower troposphere and dry middle and upper troposphere. To the extent that our numerical model is realistic, the empirical modal decomposition provides support for the use of two-mode idealized models for convective interaction with large-scale circulations and guidance for formulating feedbacks between convection and the thermodynamic profile in such models. The FMSE budget leads to an interpretation of the convective life-cycle as a recharge–discharge mechanism in column-integrated FMSE. The budget analysis places diabatic forcing, surface and radiative fluxes into the moist energetic framework. In particular, these fluxes are seen to prolong active convection, but play a passive role in its initiation. The modally decomposed FMSE budget highlights the dynamical importance of the second baroclinic mode in moistening the lower and middle troposphere before convective onset (recharging), and then discharging stored FMSE in the stratiform region.
Novel digital control of conventional electric motor drives for home appliances

Research has been done on developing advanced control strategies for industrial DC motor drives. However, there is little advancement in the controllers designed for small appliance motors, which still use old and inefficient methods of control. The old methods of appliance motor control are the triac control and the PWM control. These methods are cheap and easy to implement, but they have a drawback – not regulating the controlled quantity properly and fast enough. The only reason they still persist in the appliance market is because of their cost of implementation. Appliance markets are very sensitive to cost changes; therefore, everything for an appliance motor is optimised for low cost. In this paper, we present a new control strategy for appliance motors, which is inherently digital in nature. 'The pulse adjustment method' can be used to control the speed of appliance motors very effectively. The implementation is easy and the cost of implementation is also low; yet, this method gives better results as compared to the PWM and triac control. The said performance of the pulse adjustment method is proven through simulations.
Caspase-4 may play a role in loss of proximal tubules and renal injury in nephropathic cystinosis

Nephropathic cystinosis is characterized clinically by generalized proximal renal tubular dysfunction, renal Fanconi Syndrome and progressive renal failure. Glomerular–proximal tubule disconnection has been noted in renal biopsies from patients with nephropathic cystinosis. In vitro studies performed in cystinotic fibroblasts and renal proximal tubular cells support a role for apoptosis of the glomerulotubular junction, and we have further extended these studies to human native cystinotic kidney specimens. We performed semi-quantitative analysis of tubular density in kidney biopsies from patients with nephropathic cystinosis and demonstrated a significant reduction (p = 0.0003) in the number of proximal tubules in the kidney tissue of patients with cystinosis compared to normal kidneys and kidneys with other causes of renal injury; this reduction appears to be associated with the over-expression of caspase-4. This study provides the first quantitative evidence of a loss of proximal tubules in nephropathic cystinosis and suggests a possible role of caspase-4 in the apoptotic loss of proximal tubular cells. Further work is needed to elucidate if this injury mechanism may be causative for the progression of renal functional decline in nephropathic cystinosis.
Functions of GSK-3 signaling in development of the nervous system

GSK-3 is central to multiple intracellular pathways including those activated by Wnt/beta-catenin, Sonic Hedgehog, Notch, growth factor/RTK, and G protein-coupled receptor signals. All of these signals importantly contribute to neural development. Early attention on GSK-3 signaling in neural development centered on the regulation of neuronal polarity using in vitro paradigms. However, recent creation of appropriate genetic models has demonstrated the importance of GSK-3 to multiple aspects of neural development including neural progenitor self-renewal, neurogenesis, neuronal migration, neural differentiation, and synaptic development.
Is Sustainable Capitalism Possible

Abstract The subtitle of Joel Kovel's The Enemy of Nature (Zed Books, 2007) states his thesis bluntly: The End of Capitalism or the End of the World? . Kovel thinks we need a revolution—although he is fully cognizant as to how remote that prospect seems. Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins and Hunter Lovins also think we need a revolution, but of a different sort than the one envisaged by Kovel. Natural Capitalism (Little, Brown, 1999) is subtitled Creating the Next Industrial Revolution . Then-President Clinton is reported to have called it one of the five most important books in the world today. Hawken and the Lovins’ agree with Kovel that the current model of capitalism is problematic, but they do not see the problem as residing in capitalism itself. They distinguish among four kinds of capital, all necessary for production: human capital, financial capital, manufactured capital and natural capital. The problem with the current form of capitalism, they argue, is its radical mispricing of these factors. Current market prices woefully undervalue—and often do not value at all—the fourth factor: the natural resources and ecological systems “that make life possible and worth living on this planet.” This defect can be corrected, however, by appropriate taxes, subsidies and other governmental policies that direct the creative energy of capitalism toward ecological ends. This paper critically evaluates these two contrasting perspectives. It contrasts Kovel's contention that “grow or die” is an imperative of capitalism that renders sustainable capitalism impossible with the claim implicit in Natural Capitalism that either capitalism is compatible with a steady-state, non-growing economy or an economy can grow indefinitely without consuming more energy and natural resources than it can sustainably reproduce. It argues that Kovel overstates his case but is closer to the truth than are advocates of “natural capitalism.” The paper then sets out schematically a form of democratic market socialism that is well positioned to implement most of the Hawken-Lovins’ proposals, but does not require ever-expanding consumption for stability. I will draw out some implications of this analysis for an economy such as China's, for which growth remains an important objective.
The sufficiency of product and variable costs for production-related decisions when economies of scope are present

Abstract This article examines the usefulness of product and variable costs for pricing, product mix, and capacity expansion decisions when economies of scope are present. A numerical example demonstrates that the sufficiency of product and variable costs are diminished when economies of scope are present, even under economic conditions that are the most conducive for product and variable costs to lead to an optimal decision. Further analysis of production-related decisions with hard constraints indicates that the usefulness of variable costing incorporating the effect of a bottleneck activity is also diminished when economies of scope are present. Since economies of scope are one of the primary conditions necessary for firms to produce multiple products in a competitive economy [Panzar, J., Willig, R., 1981. Economies of scope. American Economic Review 71 (2), 268–272], the findings of this article bring into question the sufficiency of product and variable costs for production-related decisions.
Fatal prolonged foreign body aspiration following an asymptomatic interval

Patients with nondiagnosed foreign body aspiration usually have persistent symptoms and occasionally die. We are reporting two patients with histories suggestive of foreign body aspiration who were not definitively studied because of resolving symptoms. Both children became asymptomatic but subsequently developed acute, total airway obstruction and died. These cases demonstrate the difficulty of diagnosing aspiration and the necessity of timely intervention.
Chronic Tyrosinemia Associated with 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase Deficiency with Acute Intermittent Ataxia and without Visceral and Bone Involvement

Chronic Tyrosinemia Associated with 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase Deficiency with Acute Intermittent Ataxia and without Visceral and Bone Involvement
Synthesis and reactions of directly bonded zirconiumruthenium heterobimetallic complexes

Abstract The directly bonded zirconiumruthenium heterobimetallic compounds Cp2(X)ZrRu(CO)2Cp ( X = Cl, OCMe3, CH3, CH2CH3) were synthesized by reaction of Cp2(X)ZrCl with K+ Cp(CO)2Ru−. The zirconiumdiruthenium compound Cp2Zr[Ru(CO)2Cp]2 (21) was synthesized by reaction of Cp2ZrI2 with K+Cp(CO)2Ru−. Reaction of 21 with a variety of ligands led to expulsion of Cp(CO)2RuH and formation of C5H4-Zr products or intermediates. Reaction of 21 with CO produced Cp2(CO)Zr(μ-η1,η5- C5H4)Ru(CO)2 (22), with PMe3 produced Cp2Zr(μ-CO)(μ-η1,η5-C5H4)Ru(CO)(PMe3) (23), and with CH2CH2 produced Cp2Zr(μ-CH2CH2C5H4)Ru(CO)2 (26). All three of these reactions proceeded at the same rate which was independent of incoming ligand concentration. All three reactions are proposed to involve rate determining formation of the reactive intermediate Cp2Zr(μ-η1,η5-C5H4)Ru(CO)2 (I). The reaction of CO adduct 22 and H2 led to hydrogenolysis of the ZrC5H4 bond and to the formation of Cp2Zr(μ-CO)(μ-OCH)Ru(CO)Cp (32). Labelling studies demonstrated that reversible formation of both zirconium formyl and ruthenium formyl intermediates occurs during the reduction of 22 to 32.
Nonvagal tachypnea following α2-adrenoceptor stimulation in awake goats

To assess the influence of vagal afferent feedback in the development of respiratory instabilities induced by alpha2-adrenoceptor (alpha2-AR) stimulation in the goat, we examined the ventilatory effects of clonidine, an alpha2-AR agonist, in awake tracheostomized goats before and after bilateral mid-cervical vagotomy. Prior to vagal section, systemic administration of clonidine (0.5-3.0 microg kg(-1)) induced a highly dysrhythmic pattern of breathing in all animals that was characterized by alternating episodes of tachypnea and slow irregular breathing patterns including prolonged and variable expiratory time (TE) intervals. Periods of apnea were commonly observed. Bilateral vagotomy resulted in a slower deeper breathing pattern and abolished the tachypnea evoked by intravenous administration of phenylbiguanide (PBG; 20-50 microg kg(-1)), a selective serotonin type 3 (5-HT3) receptor agonist. However, respiratory disturbances associated with alpha2-AR stimulation (including tachypnea) persisted after vagal section and were qualitatively and quantitatively similar to pre-vagotomy data demonstrating that vagal afferent feedback is not necessary for the development of respiratory disturbances induced by clonidine. The results suggest that respiratory dysrhythmias caused by alpha2-AR agonists in the goat are mediated by alpha2-ARs in the CNS.
Antiapoptosis chemicals prolong productive lifetimes of mammalian cells upon Sindbis virus vector infection.

Viral expression systems allow for the rapid production of large amounts of recombinant protein in cell culture. In particular, Sindbis virus vectors now exist that make possible the expression of a variety of heterologous proteins in mammalian culture systems. Unfortunately, infection of cultured cells with Sindbis virus vectors typically results in apoptotic cell death, as demonstrated in the current study by DNA laddering and fluorescence microscopy. Fortunately, it has recently been demonstrated that apoptosis can be inhibited in vitro by certain chemical reagents that are capable of blocking specific steps during the cell death cascade. In this study, a rat prostate carcinomal cell line, AT3-neo, was infected with a Sindbis virus vector containing the gene for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (dsSV-CAT) in the presence of several representative antiapoptotic chemicals and analyzed for cell viability as well as recombinant protein production. N-acetylcysteine (NAC), pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), bongkrekic acid (BA), and N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone (Z-VAD.fmk) all exhibited the capacity to limit apoptosis in the infected cells. In fact, after just 1 day, percentage viabilities of the cells exposed to chemical reagents were between 72% and 91%, compared with 44% for the untreated controls. Furthermore, cells maintained on these agents were able to survive the infection from 1 to 3 days longer than the control samples. In addition to providing gains in cell viability, chemical treatment allowed for higher levels of recombinant protein production in most cases. Maximum chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) productivities in cells maintained on BA, NAC, and Z-VAD.fmk were 1.7-, 2.2-, and 3.9-fold higher than those obtained from the untreated cultures. Consequently, the addition of chemical reagents to culture media as a means of inhibiting apoptosis may be a valuable tool in the cell culture industry, where cell death severely limits productivity levels and adds significantly to production costs.
Terminator 2: Library Education; The Issue That Wouldn’t Die

The profession remains keenly interested in education-related issues. Recent statements by groups like the California Library Association and the Special Libraries Association provide a strong link between the profession and its educational programs.
Making the Invisible More Visible: Home Literacy Practices of Middle‐Class and Working‐Class Families

Through interviews with eight families, the author found that the amount of literacy materials, nature of the materials and goals for using literacy differed between middle‐class and working‐class families. Yet, all the families in the study both explicitly and implicitly expressed value for literacy activities. The middle‐class families drew on more resources to find out information about the child's classroom than did the working‐class families. However, there were not major differences in the amount or nature of the knowledge that families had about their children's classrooms. This study challenges the popular myth that working‐class families do not value literacy nor understand the nature of the activities in their children's classrooms. ∗Correspondence: Tel: (512) 471‐4041 (Off.); (512) 451‐2875 (Res.); Fax: (512) 471‐8460; Email: Mccarth@mail.utexas.edu
Stochastic simulation of residence time distribution curves

Abstract A stochastic approach, namely a Markov chain, has been employed to generate the residence time distribution (RTD) curves of various flow models. This technique is shown to be efficient and useful in modeling complex flow systems which consist of ideal mixing cells, plug flow zones, split streams, recycle streams and any combination of these for which the mathematical description is extremely difficult if not impossible. The expressions for the mean and variance of the residence time distributions for a flow system are elucidated from the stochastic viewpoint. Two examples have been simulated numerically; the agreement between the RTD's derived from the exact statistical treatment and those based on the present Markov chain approach appears satisfactory. The technique proposed in this study enables us to generate the RTD curve for any flow system and to match it to the experimental data. Furthermore, the applicability of the Markov chain approach for generating the cycle time distribution curve for a circulating system is discussed.
KAPPA OPIATE AGONIST RU 51599 INHIBITS VASOPRESSIN GENE EXPRESSION AND OSMOTICALLY-INDUCED VASOPRESSIN SECRETION IN VITRO

Abstract Kappa (κ) opioid agonists induce a water diuresis and inhibit vasopressin (AVP) secretion. Hypothalamic and neurohypophysial sites have both been implicated in the response. The present study was designed to ascertain if κ-agonist inhibition of osmotically-stimulated AVP secretion is associated with parallel changes in AVP gene expression. Experiments were performed using the selective κ-agonist RU 51599 (RU) in compartmentalized hypothalamo-neurohypophysial expiants. When added to either the hypothalamus or the neural lobe, RU dose dependently inhibited osmotically-induced AVP secretion that was reversed by the highly selective κ-antagonist nor -binaltorphimine ( nor -BNI) only at the hypothalamic, not the neurohypophysial level. AVP mRNA content paralleled the changes in AVP secretory rate induced by hypothalamic κ-agonism. AVP mRNA levels were unaltered when RU was applied to the neural lobe. Neurohypophysial AVP content did not change. These data indicate that hypothalamic κ-agonism inhibits osmotically induced AVP secretion and that a non-κ 1 opiate receptor mediates posterior pituitary opioid inhibition of AVP release. Neural or receptor inputs to the hypothalamus or magnocellular cell body may downwardly modulate AVP mRNA content by altering AVP gene transcription and/or message stability. Inhibition of AVP release directly at the neurohypophysis can be uncoupled from the cellular mechanisms that generate changes in AVP mRNA content.
Was the black death in India and China

Firsthand accounts of the Black Death in Europe and the Middle East and many subsequent historians have assumed that the pandemic originated in Asia and ravaged China and India before reaching the West. One reason for this conviction among modern historians is that the plague in the nineteenth century originated and did its worst damage in these countries. But a close examination of the sources on the Delhi Sultanate and the Yuan Dynasty provides no evidence of any serious epidemic in fourteenth-century India and no specific evidence of plague among the many troubles that afflicted fourteenth-century China.
Delay in diagnosis of breast cancer: A professional liability risk

This article notes that liability claims of failure to diagnose breast cancer are increasing in number and seventy, at least in part because women understand that early diagnosis improves survival. Legal cases are presented that illustrate particular liability risks, and risk management recommendations are made.
Serum fructosamine level and the risk of hip fracture in elderly women: a case-cohort study within the study of osteoporotic fractures.

Abstract PURPOSE: While a high serum fructosamine level may be an indicator of undiagnosed diabetes, a low level may be indicative of poor nutrition or frailty. As malnutrition is a risk factor for osteoporosis, low serum fructosamine levels may be associated with an increased risk of osteoporotic fracture. We examined the association between serum fructosamine levels and the risk of subsequent hip and vertebral fracture. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We performed a case-cohort study within the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. Subjects were elderly, ambulatory, community-dwelling, Caucasian, women. Fructosamine levels were measured in baseline serum. Incident vertebral fractures were identified by comparing baseline spinal radiographs to those obtained an average of 3.5 years later. Hip fractures were confirmed by radiograph. We randomly selected 101 women who suffered a hip fracture, 100 women who developed a vertebral fracture, and 276 controls. We compared fructosamine levels in women with subsequent osteoporotic fractures to controls. All analyses were adjusted for age, weight, and use of estrogens. RESULTS: Women with fructosamine levels in the lowest decile (≤223 μmol/L) had a three-fold increase in the risk of hip fracture (95% confidence interval 1.4–6.4), compared with all other women. Adjustment for markers of frailty, including smoking, functional status, and serum albumin levels, reduced the strength of this association. No clear association was observed between serum fructosamine level and the risk of vertebral fracture. CONCLUSION: Low serum fructosamine levels, which likely reflect frailty or malnutrition, may be a useful clinical tool to identify women at risk for hip fracture.
Lump-sum taxation and the superneutrality and optimum quantity of money in life cycle growth models

Abstract The question of superneutrality and the optimum quantity of money is addressed in a model where money services enter the utility function and where individuals have finite lives. It is demonstrated that the existing result in the literature regarding a positive relationship between money creation and the steady-state capital intensity and welfare is not due to monetary policy per se. On the contrary, this is shown to arise because of the intergenerational wealth effects embedded in the manner in which money is created. Assuming that preferences are separable between consumption goods and real balances and that the consumption goods are normal, it is proved that (i) money is superneutral and (ii) any other money supply rule is Pareto inferior to the Chicago Rule provided that the government also embarks on a policy of wealth redistribution across generations through the imposition of appropriate lump-sum taxes and transfers.
Defect analysis of (Hg0.6 Cd0.4)1-y Tey

The values of p-n and PHg} for metal-saturated Hg0.60}Cd0.40}Te are fit by a simple model of a non-degenerate semiconductor containing doubly-ionized native donors and acceptors, and foreign donors in the 1–4 x 1015}cm−3 range. The parameters obtained are consistent with present values for the room temperature energy gap and intrinsic carrier concentration as well as with the high degree of compensation necessary to account for the calculated ionized impurity scattering. The parameters are log10}ni} =-1118/T + 13.76+ 1.5 logT} log PHg} (int) =-4850/T + 7.926 log k1/2}s} =-4032/T + 21.52
Long-Acting Calcium Antagonists in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract Background The use of calcium channel blockers (CCBs) in patients with coronary artery disease remains controversial, with reports of increased risk of myocardial infarction and all-cause mortality. Short-acting CCBs have an unfavorable hemodynamic profile. The role of long-acting CCBs in patients with coronary artery disease is unknown. Methods MEDLINE/CENTRAL/EMBASE database were searched from 1966 to August 2008 for randomized controlled trials of long-acting CCBs in patients with coronary artery disease with follow-up for at least 1 year. We extracted from the studies the baseline characteristics and 6 outcomes: all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, angina pectoris, and heart failure. Results Of the 100 randomized controlled trials of CCBs in patients with coronary artery disease, 15 studies evaluating 47,694 patients fulfilled our inclusion criteria. When compared with the comparison group (including placebo), CCBs were not associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (relative risk [RR] 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94-1.05), cardiovascular mortality (RR 1.03; 95% CI, 0.95-1.11), nonfatal myocardial infarction (RR 0.96; 95% CI, 0.87-1.06), or heart failure (RR 0.86; 95% CI, 0.71-1.05), and with a 21% reduction in the risk of stroke (95% CI, 0.70-0.89) and 18% reduction in the risk of angina pectoris (95% CI, 0.72-0.94). When compared with placebo, CCBs resulted in a 28% reduction in the risk of heart failure (95% CI, 0.73-0.92). The results were similar for both dihydropyridines and nondihydropyridine CCBs. Conclusions In patients with coronary artery disease, long-acting CCBs (either dihydropyridines or nondihydropyridines), were associated with a reduction in the risk of stroke, angina pectoris, and heart failure, with similar outcomes for other cardiovascular events as the comparison group.