cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Nafcillin and Cefazolin for the Treatment of Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia.

ABSTRACT Background Traditionally, the antibiotic of choice for Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus related blood stream infections (MSSA-BSI) are the antistaphylococcal penicillins. Cefazolin is considered an alternative agent, with recent evidence showing similar clinical efficacy. This study further evaluates the utility of nafcillin versus cefazolin in MSSA bacteremia including high disease burden sources of infection and its impact on treatment failure. Methods This retrospective study included patients admitted to Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare adult hospitals from 2011 to 2016. Patients were included if they received at least 3 days of either nafcillin or cefazolin and had a positive blood culture for MSSA. The primary objective was to evaluate rates of treatment failure between groups. Secondary outcomes included clinical and microbiological cure, MSSA-BSI associated readmissions, identification of risk factors for treatment failure including disease burden, in-hospital and 90 day mortality. Results A total of 277 patients were included (nafcillin n = 126; cefazolin n = 151). Treatment failure and microbiologic cure were similar between nafcillin and cefazolin (20.6% vs. 16.6%; 91.2% vs. 87.2%, respectively). Clinical cure was significantly higher in the cefazolin treatment arm (93.4 vs. 83.3%; P = 0.012). However, the total number of patients with high disease burden was greater in the nafcillin group (54.8% vs. 39.1%; P = 0.011). Higher rates of in-hospital mortality were observed in the nafcillin group (15.1% vs. 6%; P = 0.016). Conclusions Our study observed significantly higher rates of clinical cure and reduced in-hospital mortality in patients who received cefazolin. Further analysis is warranted to evaluate the effectiveness of these agents and identifying predictors of treatment failure.
Comparison of component categorizations used in international total cost of fire estimates

Abstract Key cost components forming the total cost of fire used in a selection of previous international studies have been identified and compared, with a future focus of revisiting the Canadian context. The potential influence of several factors on the selection and categorization of cost components was considered along with novel contributions to analysis approaches. End-user priorities (e.g. fire service, policy makers or insurance industry) may have an effect on the categorization approach due to specific interests, potential increased ease of access to data and intended applications of results. Selection of inputs may also be influenced by contextual aspects, including considerations of the local region (e.g. demographics, organization of the fire services or extent of insurance coverage) and timing (e.g. recent events, emerging fire safety challenges or trends). The availability, quality or lack of data then influences what estimation methodology may be best suited, as well as the categorization approach. Such examples of influencing factors make direct comparison of cost-of-fire estimates difficult; however, understanding the effects of these factors will contribute to developing an updated analysis that is applicable to the intended context and may include comparability to other studies or components of these, if useful.
Which Variables Predict Osteochondral Allograft Failure

Objectives:Osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation is a valuable treatment option for chondral and osteochondral lesions of the knee. Understanding the impact of clinical variables on the out...
Guest-Based Photoactive Porous Materials Based upon Zn-Carboxylate Metal Organic Frameworks

Metal organic framework (MOF) materials are attractive candidates for the development of solar energy applications due to the modularity of design, high porosity, and ease of functionalization of these materials. The encapsulation of photoactive guests into porous MOFs is a particularly attractive strategy for the development of photosensitive MOFs. This chapter is focused on the encapsulation of Ruthenium polyimine-type complexes into MOFs due to their high stability, robust photophysical properties, and excited state tuneability. It has now been demonstrated that Ru(II)tris(2,2′-bipyridine) (RuBpy) can exhibit a templating effect in the formation of the resultant metal organic framework (MOF) materials. A number of new topologies have now been synthesized using Zn(II) ions and carboxylate ligands in which the encapsulated RuBpy clusters exhibit unique photophysical properties. In this chapter, the relationship between MOF cavities and the RuBpy photophysical properties is reviewed. Two polyhedral MOFs (RuBpy@HKUST-1(Zn) and RuBpy@USF2) and five RuBpy templated MOFs (RWLC-1,-2,-3,-5 and -6) are discussed in terms of cavity influence on excited state population and decay pathways.
Cranial Settling Causing Intracranial Hemorrhage Through Violation of the Skull Base by Cervical Spine Instrumentation

Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory polyarthropathy that affects many synovial joints favoring the hands, knees, and vertebral articulations. Joint laxity manifests as subaxial instability, atlantoaxial instability, and cranial settling (CS). Case Description A 70-year-old woman with past medical history of RA, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, osteoporosis, history of C1-2 fusion for instability 15 years prior, with subsequent revision cervicothoracic fusion for degeneration, and trauma 2 years prior presents with new onset headache, nausea, and vomiting of 36-hour duration. Neurologic examination was only notable for mild right dysmetria. Workup revealed acute hemorrhage in the posterior fossa with migration of the right rod implant and screw tulip, as a result of CS. The patient underwent occipital-cervical fusion with removal of the migratory hardware. Conclusions Intracranial rod migration and hemorrhage secondary to CS is a rare complication that must be brought to the attention of surgeons operating on patients with RA.
Making Meaning through Play: Psychoanalytic Intervention in a Pre-School Child with Global Developmental Delay

Global developmental delay (GDD) is defined as significant delay in two or more developmental domains, including motor, speech and language, cognition, social/personal and activities of daily livin...
The Plasmodium NOT1-G Paralogue Acts as an Essential Nexus for Sexual Stage Maturation and Parasite Transmission

Abstract Productive transmission of malaria parasites hinges upon the execution of key transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory events. While much is now known about how specific transcription factors activate or repress sexual commitment programs, far less is known about the production of a preferred mRNA homeostasis following commitment and through the host-to-vector transmission event. Here we show that Plasmodium parasites have taken the unique approach to duplicate the NOT1 scaffold protein of the CAF1/CCR4/Not complex in order to dedicate one paralogue for essential transmission functions. Moreover, this NOT1-G paralogue is central to the sex-specific functions previously associated with its interacting partners, as deletion of not1-g in Plasmodium yoelii leads to a comparable or complete arrest phenotype for both male and female parasites. We show that, consistent with its role in other eukaryotes, PyNOT1-G localizes to cytosolic puncta throughout much of the Plasmodium life cycle. PyNOT1-G is essential to both the complete maturation of male gametes and to the continued development of the fertilized zygote originating from female parasites. Comparative transcriptomics of wild-type and pynot1-g- parasites shows that loss of PyNOT1-G leads to transcript dysregulation preceding and during gametocytogenesis, and shows that PyNOT1-G acts to preserve mRNAs that are critical to sexual and early mosquito stage development. Finally, we demonstrate that the tristetraprolin-binding domain, which acts as the typical organization platform for RNA decay (TTP) and RNA preservation (ELAV/HuR) factors is dispensable for PyNOT1-G’s essential blood stage functions but impacts host-to-vector transmission. Together, we conclude that Plasmodium has created and adapted a NOT1-G paralogue to fulfill the complex transmission requirements of both male and female parasites.
Current management of aerodigestive foreign bodies in children

Foreign bodies ingestion or aspiration events in children can be a source of morbidity and mortality. In most cases, removal by a coordinated endoscopy can be performed when there is the availability of equipment and support staff for pediatric care. Close communication with the anesthesia, surgeon and operating room support staff is essential and rehearsing with a facsimile of the foreign body is useful. In certain cases, such as sharp foreign bodies or button batteries the endoscopy should be performed immediately.
Sudden Position Guide to Cataloging and Metadata (ALCTS Sudden Position Series #1): edited by Jeremy Myntti. Chicago: Association for Library Collections & Technical Services, 2019. xii, 167 p. ISBN 978-0-83894-857-6. $30.50.

As part of the Sudden Position series published by ALCTS (now known as Core), Sudden Position Guide to Cataloging and Metadata aims to introduce the fundamental principles, practices, and challenge...
Upstream Money and Downstream Money: The Hidden Flow of Funds

In school privatization there is upstream money and there is downstream money but it all flows in one stream and below ground. We’ll follow the hidden flow of funds that passes through nonprofits organized under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4). Privatizing philanthropists are expertly coached on how to use their wealth, often with a large tax deduction to themselves, to alter public policy. To do politics with 501(c)(3) private foundations and donor-advised funds, they pour money into organizations that can crawl right up to the line that prohibits nonprofits from being involved in politics. When that line is about to be crossed the money is diverted to 501(c)(4) fronts that can engage in political battles while preserving the privatizers coveted ends—the secrecy of their identities.
The Institutional Case for Partisan Gerrymandering Claims

For voters hoping the Supreme Court’s 2017 Term brings relief from partisan gerrymandering, the end of the 2016 Term was inauspicious. In Cooper v. Harris, the majority assumed the legitimacy of “partisan advantage” arguments while the dissent — including Justice Kennedy — warned about the “serious institutional and federalism implications” of judicial intervention in the redistricting process. If past is prologue, this concern for institutional and structural interests does not bode well. This Essay challenges an assumption at the core of that concern: the alleged tension between strong intervention and strong institutions. The Constitution’s structural principles were designed not only to prevent arbitrary and tyrannical rule, but to protect individual liberties and provide institutional accountability as well. The Court pays these principles no respect by standing silent when politicians insulate themselves from popular dissent and consolidate their grip on power through the violation of individual constitutional rights. As Justice Kennedy once wrote, “Abdication of responsibility is not part of the constitutional design.” By mistaking inaction for neutrality and avoidance for deference, the Court fails to fulfill its own role in the constitutional scheme and destabilizes the institutions it seeks to protect. To honor structural principles, respect state legislators, and maintain judicial integrity, this Essay proposes a return to the Court’s traditional tools of principled neutrality: clear rules and coherent doctrine. Clear rules would distinguish general partisan intent (which is the intent to win voters’ political preferences and is legitimate even to an extreme degree) from invidious partisan intent (which is the intent to suppress voters because of their political preferences and is illegitimate regardless of degree). Meanwhile, the effects question in dilution cases should not be “how much" suppression is too much suppression, but rather whether the opportunity of a targeted group to elect its preferred candidate was adversely impacted by the invidious state action or decision. Coherent doctrine could also be established in the coming term if the Court affirms in Gill v. Whitford and reverses in Harris v. Cooper. Doing so would end the “legal arbitrage” between racial and political redistricting law; harmonize the treatment of racial and political “advantage” arguments across equal-population, dilution, and sorting case law; and bring redistricting law into closer alignment with the Court’s broader equal-protection and First Amendment jurisprudence. The Court may fear that judicial intervention will be too disruptive or that legislative compliance will be too difficult. These concerns are misplaced, overstated, and underestimate the institutional and structural consequences of the Court’s inaction or exit from the field. Instead, a precise and predictable jurisprudence provides what the Court, the Constitution, and the country all require: strong, accountable institutions, and a forceful defense of individual rights.
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE Bills of Indictment: Limit Presentations to Grand Jury

The Act limits to two the number of times a prosecutor can offer a true bill of indictment to a grand jury for the same offense where the indictment was previously quashed by a court. July 1, 1987
THE STRUCTURE OF GENERALIZED MANIFOLDS HAVING NONMANIFOLD SET OF TRIVIAL DIMENSION

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the structure of generalized manifolds having non-manifold set of trivial dimension. Generalized homology manifolds seem to have been first introduced and studied extensively by R.L.Wilder in his program of extending planar results such as the Jordan Curve Theorem and Schoenflies Theorem to higher dimensions. The chapter presents a theorem that states that if Y demotes a generalized manifold of dimension n ≥ and if the nonmanifold set N(Y) of Y has dimension k in the trivial range 2 k +2≥ Then Y is a cell-like decomposition space of an n-manifold-without-boundary. Generalized manifolds as geometric objects have arisen in at least three major settings in recent years, such as, in taming theory, in the double suspension problem, and in the resolution problem.
Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) flow‐field design for improved water management

Channel blockage in the form of liquid water or ice can result in severe degradation of fuel cell components. Thus, the durability of PEM fuel cells is dependent upon effective water management. Many mechanisms affect water management. The mechanism responsible for liquid plug formation is capillarity. Water does not appear in the channels in the form of a plug, rather water enters the channel as a drop through the diffusion media. Capillarity is responsible for the transition from a drop or a film of water into a plug which occludes the channel. The purpose of this chapter is to review the destabilization mechanisms responsible for plug formation in the flow channels. We also discuss analytical and computational tools that may be used to predict the behavior of the liquid water in the flow-field channels. These tools may also be used to design channel features that can improve water management in the flow field. Keywords: bipolar plate; water management; capillarity; contact angle; Surface Evolver; Concus–Finn condition; two-phase flow
On Cognitive and Social Values: A Reply to My Critics.

This article is a response to six critics of my article, “Scientific Understanding and the Control of Nature,” published as the lead article in this issue: Douglas Allchin, Roger C. Cross, William Herfel, Seng Piew Loo, Peter Machamer & Heather Douglas, and Ernan McMullin. It clarifies themes in the earlier article, responds to criticisms, and reaffirms the significance of distinguishing between cognitive and social values for the sake of gaining a better grasp of scientific understanding.
Biomedical applications of time-frequency analysis

Spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) provides an estimate of sympathetic and parasympathetic influences on heart rate without drugs or other invasive procedures. However, there are many situations where heart rate changes rapidly over time and the control of those changes is of considerable interest. Time-frequency analysis was utilized to expand the concept of spectral analysis of HRV to describe changes in vagal tone and sympatho-vagal balance as a function of time. There were two major advantages in using time-frequency analysis. First, vagal tone and sympatho-vagal balance were described as functions of time. Hence, a better understanding was attained about autonomic control of rapidly changing signals. Second, the rate of increase or decrease of vagal tone and sympatho-vagal balance was quantified. As a result of this methodology, pathophysiological conditions of paramount importance, such as arterial hypertension, myocardial ischemia, sudden cardiac death, and heart failure might soon undergo a novel scrutiny with practical implications. >
Cellular vs humoral immunity

An examination of the history of the cellular–humoral dispute illustrates several interesting points. It provides the historian of ideas with yet another example of how earlier and even outmoded concepts help to determine the structure and content of future thought, and how the intransigent commitment to a scientific dogma often prevents timely and rational compromise. It also provides to the sociologist of science yet another striking example of the way in which non-scientific events that contribute importantly to both the direction and the velocity of scientific development. Finally, it provides to the modern immunologist the sobering caution that the triumph of one concept in such a dispute may for many decades stifle developments dependent upon the other concept, to the detriment of the scientific discipline. The theory of a cellular basis for immunity and the violent opposition that it created arose not in a scientific and cultural vacuum, but in an environment, which largely defined the nature and direction of the subsequent debate. Among the determinants of the battle over the central nature of immunity, some appeared only with the development of a true medical science and of Virchow's new pathology in the mid-nineteenth century, while some, were founded on the international politics and nationalistic rivalries of the contemporary era.
Comparing Theories of Media Learning: Cognitive Mediation, Information Utility, and Knowledge Acquisition from Cancer News

Determining what factors predict media learning is an important avenue of research for the field of mass communication. The present study provides a comparative investigation of two models of media learning: the cognitive mediation model and the information utility model. Participants (N = 1,076) read a news article related to scientific discoveries relevant to cancer prevention and responded to all constructs of the two models. Recognition and comprehension were used to measure knowledge acquisition. Results generally support previous predictions of each model, though predicted variance remains small. In addition to testing the existing models, a modified cognitive mediation model using a key construct related to information utility—perceived relevance—was tested. The refined cognitive mediation model offered a more nuanced understanding of certain causal mechanisms but did not result in a meaningful change in predictive power of the model. Implications of the theoretical comparison and integration are d...
Evaluation of the performance of tests for spatial randomness on prostate cancer data

Spatial global clustering tests can be used to evaluate the geographical distribution of health outcomes. The power of several of these tests has been evaluated and compared using simulated data, but their performance using real unadjusted data and data adjusted for individual- and area-level covariates has not been reported previously. We evaluated data on prostate cancer histologic tumor grade and stage of disease at diagnosis for incident cases of prostate cancer reported to the Maryland Cancer Registry during 1992–1997. We analyzed unadjusted data as well as expected counts from models that were adjusted for individual-level covariates (race, age and year of diagnosis) and area-level covariates (census block group median household income and a county-level socioeconomic index). We chose 3 spatial clustering tests that are commonly used to evaluate the geographic distribution of disease: Cuzick-Edwards' k-NN (k-Nearest Neighbors) test, Moran's I and Tango's MEET (Maximized Excess Events Test). For both grade and stage at diagnosis, we found that Cuzick-Edwards' k-NN and Moran's I were very sensitive to the percent of population parameter selected. For stage at diagnosis, all three tests showed that the models with individual- and area-level adjustments reduced clustering the most, but did not reduce it entirely. Based on this specific example, results suggest that these tests provide useful tools for evaluating spatial clustering of disease characteristics, both before and after consideration of covariates.
Effects of natural estrogens on L strain fibroblasts in tissue culture.

SummaryThe effect of the 3 natural estrogens on L strain fibroblasts was studied. Estrone and 17β-estradiol at a concentration of 3.5 × 10-5 M in medium 199 supplemented with 0.5% bactopeptone completely inhibit the synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid and protein in L strain fibroblasts. Estriol is not an inhibitor of L cell growth at the same concentration; in fact, DNA and protein synthesis occur at rates similar to control cultures. The extent of suppression of fibroblast growth can be related to the external concentration of estrone or estradiol below the level of 3.5 × 10-5 M, and a direct relationship exists between degree of inhibition and external concentration to 10-7 M; below this level there is no inhibition. Morphological observation has shown that the initial reaction involves a reduced cellular adhesiveness, which is followed by a rounding up of the cells in the population; these cells eventually fall off the glass surface. Swelling of the fibroblasts has not been observed. The reaction is re...
Australian Catholics and the Abyssinian War

L'archeveque catholique de Brisbane, James Duhig, prit position sur la guerre d'Abyssinie en 1935 en comparant cette guerre a l'occupation coloniale anglaise en Australie. Une controverse s'ensuivit. Les catholiques australiens, surtout d'ascendance irlandaise, n'avaient pas d'opinion claire sur l'intervention italienne en Abyssinie, a cause de l'eloignement et a cause de la complexite de la situation internationale.
System for automatic generation of fuzzy rules and membership functions

In this paper we wish to present an algorithmic technique for the generation of Fuzzy system rule bases and composite membership functions. This technique is based on data taken from a representative system either under classical control or the control of a human operator (i.e., an expert). The algorithm may be automated as a computer program which accepts control system input-output pairs. Such an automated process could ease Fuzzy control system design and implementation. Such an automated process may be used to construct Fuzzy systems which can 'learn'.
Use of the emergency department observation unit in the treatment of acute asthma

Because asthmatics have the highest utilization rate (11%) in our emergency department (ED) observation unit (OU), we conducted a study correlating predictors of the need for OU therapy to initial disposition (ID) and final disposition (FD) using chart audit of treated asthmatics. Twenty-four clinical variables (historical, physiological, laboratory, therapy response) were examined utilizing chi-square and Student's t tests. Forty-six asthmatics were treated during a four-month period in 1980. The ID breakdown was as follows: 1) home, 17; 2) OU, 23; and 3) admit, 6. Twenty-seven (59%) of the patients received treatment in the OU at some point in their attack (initial or rebound); 18 (39%) were definitively treated in the ED, and nine (20%) were admitted. The mean OU stay was 19 hours at a cost that was 34% of that incurred for a hospital admission. The FD differed from the ID in 14 of 46 (30%): 1) home, 12; 2) holding, observation, and short-term therapy, 18; therapy based on ID and FD were historical: symptoms > 24 hours, prior OU admissions, and prior hospitalizations. We conclude that the OU is appropriate, safe, and less expensive than admission; is not used for procrastination in decision making; and decreases the hospitalization rate. Historical data correlated significantly with both ID and FD, while clinical variables were of little predictive value.
Effects of Unimodal and Multimodal Cues About Threat Locations on Target Acquisition and Workload

Two studies were conducted to examine the effects of unimodal and multimodal cueing techniques for indicating the location of threats on target acquisition, the recall of information from concurrent communications, and perceived workload. One visual, two auditory (i.e., nonspatial speech and spatial tones [3-D]), and one tactile cue were assessed in Experiment 1. Experiment 2 examined the effects of combinations of the cues assessed in the first investigation: visual + nonspatial speech, visual + spatial tones, visual + tactile, and nonspatial speech + tactile. A unimodal, “visual only” condition was included as a baseline to determine the extent to which a supplementary cue might influence changes in performance and workload. The results of the studies indicated that time to first shot and the percentage of hits can be improved and workload reduced by providing cues about target location. The multimodal cues did not yield significant improvements in performance or workload beyond that achieved by the uni...
The role of observations in probabilistic open systems

Abstract This paper considers a logic, based on the modal mu-calculus, for describing properties of probabilistic open distributed systems and develops a model-checking algorithm for determining whether or not states in finite-state probabilistic systems satisfy formulas in the logic. The central contribution of the paper is a semantics that distinguishes between observations, the meaning of a temporal formula, and its measure. The ensuing model-checking problem reduces to the calculation of a (particular) solution to a system of non-linear equations.
Behavioral and mind/body interventions in headache: unanswered questions and future research directions.

Background Many unanswered questions remain regarding behavioral and mind/body interventions in the treatment of primary headache disorders in adults. Methods We reviewed the literature to ascertain the most pressing unanswered research questions regarding behavioral and mind/body interventions for headache. Results We identify the most pressing unanswered research questions in this field, describe ideal and practical ways to address these questions, and outline steps needed to facilitate these research efforts. We discuss proposed mechanisms of action of behavioral and mind/body interventions and outline goals for future research in this field. Conclusions Although challenges arise from the complex nature of the interventions under study, research that adheres to published study design and reporting standards and focuses closely on answering key questions is most likely to lead to progress in achieving these goals.
Dual effects of calcium on the oxidation of fatty acids to ketone bodies in liver mitochondria.

Abstract The addition of calcium ions (Ca2+) to rat liver mitochondria, under conditions of rapid accumulation of 10–40 nmol Ca2+/mg protein, inhibited the oxidation of long and medium chain fatty acids to ketone bodies, whereas higher quantities of Ca2+ activated the process. The mitochondrial NADH:NAD ratio exhibited corresponding depression and elevation. Both inhibitory and stimulatory actions of Ca2+ were operative in liver mitochondria from fed and fasted rats and appear to be localized in the mitochondrial inner membranematrix region. These observations may signify involvement of Ca2+ in the regulation of fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis.
Impacts of airtightening retrofits on ventilation rates and energy consumption in a manufactured home

Abstract A retrofit study was conducted in an unoccupied manufactured house to investigate the impacts of airtightening on ventilation rates and energy consumption. This paper describes the retrofits and the results of the pre- and post-retrofit assessment of building airtightness, ventilation, and energy use. Building envelope and air distribution systems airtightness were measured using fan pressurization. Air change rates were measured continuously using the tracer gas decay technique. Energy consumption associated with heating and cooling was monitored through measurement of gas consumption by the forced-air furnace for heating and electricity use by the air-conditioning system for cooling. The results of the study show that the retrofits reduced building envelope leakage by about 18% and duct leakage by about 80%. The reduction in the house infiltration rates depended on weather conditions and the manner in which the heating and cooling system was controlled, but in general these rates were reduced by about one third. The energy consumption of the house for heating and cooling was reduced by only about 10%, which is relatively small but not totally unexpected given that infiltration only accounts for a portion of the heating and cooling load.
Momentum widths of heavy-ion reaction products at 27.4 MeV/nucleon

The inclusive energy spectra of $^{6,\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}7}\mathrm{Li}$ ejectiles from the reaction $^{9}\mathrm{Be}$ + Au at 27.4 MeV/nucleon have been measured. The quasielastic peaks for $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ and $^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ have reduced momentum widths ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{0}$ of 65 and 60 MeV/c, respectively. When plotted in conjunction with similar measurements, these new results clarify the behavior of the reduced momentum width in the important region between 10-100 MeV/nucleon.NUCLEAR REACTIONS $^{9}\mathrm{Be}+\mathrm{Au}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{6,7}\mathrm{Li}+X$. $E(^{9}\mathrm{Be})=27$ MeV/nucleon. Measured momentum widths of $^{6,\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}7}\mathrm{Li}$ ejectiles. Deduced reduced width ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{0}$. Discuss ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{0}$ over energy range 10-2000 MeV/nucleon.
Size effect on reliability indices and safety factors of quasibrittle structures

Abstract Many modern engineering structures are made of brittle heterogenous (quasibrittle) materials, such as concrete, composites, and tough ceramics. Recent studies have shown that the strength distribution of quasibrittle structures varies from a Gaussian distribution modified by a power-law tail to a Weibull distribution as the structure size increases, and such size dependence can be well captured by a finite weakest link model. This paper investigates the implication of the size-dependent strength distribution on the reliability-based analysis and design of quasibrittle structures by considering a linear failure limit state. The size effect on the statistical properties of structural strength directly leads to a size-dependent Cornell index, which could give a reasonable estimation of the failure risk in some cases. To improve the prediction of the structural failure risk, the size dependence of the strength distribution is further incorporated into the computation of the Hasofer–Lind index, where it is shown that the transformation method for the non-Gaussian random structural strength is dependent on the structure size and geometry. By assuming that the applied load follows a Gaussian distribution, approximate size effect equations are developed for the central and nominal safety factors through asymptotic matching. The proposed formulation of the size effect on reliability indices and safety factors is applied to analyze the failure of the Malpasset arch dam.
Recombinant Mouse Bcl-2(1-203): TWO DOMAINS CONNECTED BY A LONG PROTEASE-SENSITIVE LINKER

Bcl-2 is a cytoplasmic integral membrane protein with potent anti-apoptotic activity but whose mechanism of action is poorly understood. The purpose of this paper was to obtain large amounts of soluble Bcl-2 protein for structural and functional studies. Mouse Bcl-2(1-203) (missing the COOH-terminal hydrophobic tail) was produced in bacterial inclusion bodies, solubilized in guanidine, and refolded by dialysis. The resulting protein was monomeric in nondenaturing solution and was active in protecting mouse T hybridoma cells from glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis. Refolded Bcl-2(1-203) showed no tendency to homodimerize by gel filtration or analytical ultracentrifugation. Limited proteolysis experiments identified a region between the BH3 and BH4 homology domains of Bcl-2(1-203) which was extremely susceptible to digestion by several common proteases, but not by a cell extract known to contain CPP-32-like (interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme family) protease activity. The protease-sensitive sites were located within a 50-residue stretch that contained most of the nonconserved and proline residues of Bcl-2(1-203). Trypsin-cleaved Bcl-2(1-203) eluted in the same position as the undigested protein on gel filtration in nondenaturing solution, indicating that the two portions of the molecule connected by the protease-sensitive region associate stably and noncovalently. The solution properties of Bcl-2(1-203) suggest that it consists of two noncovalently associated domains connected by a long protease-sensitive linker and that its structure is similar to that of Bcl-xL, which has been determined by x-ray and NMR analysis.
Experimental analysis of coding processes

The first part of the paper reports an investigation of the effects of the concreteness-imagery (C-I) value of stimuli and responses on the long-term retention of paired-associate lists. With degree of learning equated, the measures of retention after a 1-week interval showed a significant interaction of Stimulus by Response C-I: When the responses had a high value, recall was substantially better with low than with high stimuli; when the responses were low, there was no reliable difference as a function of stimulus value. Recall was best when abstract stimuli were paired with concrete responses. The second part of the paper is addressed to some current issues in the analysis of coding processes. Major emphasis is placed on the experimental and theoretical differentiation of encoding and decoding processes.
Template Synthesis and Optical Properties of Small Metal Particle Composite Materials: Effects of Particle Shape and Orientation on Plasmon Resonance Maxima

An electrochemical method for the preparation of nanoscopic gold particles which allows for the control of particle size, shape and orientation is described. The UV/visible/near-ER spectra of Au/alumina and Au/polyethylene composites are described and shown to be in accord with the predictions of Maxwell-Garnett theory. The applications of such composites to surface enhanced spectroscopy are also discussed.
Toward computer-supported concurrent software engineering

An experimental software engineering environment called the flexible environment for collaborative software engineering (Flecse), which supports concurrent software engineering, is discussed. Flecse features tools designed to surmount collaboration problems that software engineers are increasingly encountering. The implementation of five important themes of concurrent software engineering in Flecse tools, concepts, life cycles, integration, and sharing, is examined. >
The Dystopic Theme Park: The Role of Lorelei in Marcelo Cohen's El oído absoluto

The purpose of this article is to analyze the function of theme-park design in Argentinean author Marcelo Cohen's novel El oido absoluto. Cohen's work takes place in a fictitious theme park in a not-so-distant future that serves the double duty of utopia for entertainment and consumption as well as reformatory for social deviants posing a danger to greater society. The article examines the parallels between the theories at the heart of the design of modern-day theme parks, such as Disney World, and the dystopic theme park in Cohen's novel. The shared ideology behind the design of these dystopic spaces demonstrates how the theme-park designers manipulate architectural spaces to facilitate consumption and the homogenization of global culture as a response to social fragmentation and disintegration in a postindustrial world.
Visual Short-Term Memory Compared in Rhesus Monkeys and Humans

Change detection is a popular task to study visual short-term memory (STM) in humans [1-4]. Much of this work suggests that STM has a fixed capacity of 4 ± 1 items [1-6]. Here we report the first comparison of change-detection memory between humans and a species closely related to humans, the rhesus monkey. Monkeys and humans were tested in nearly identical procedures with overlapping display sizes. Although the monkeys' STM was well fit by a one-item fixed-capacity memory model, other monkey memory tests with four-item lists have shown performance impossible to obtain with a one-item capacity [7]. We suggest that this contradiction can be resolved using a continuous-resource approach more closely tied to the neural basis of memory [8, 9]. In this view, items have a noisy memory representation whose noise level depends on display size as a result of the distributed allocation of a continuous resource. In accord with this theory, we show that performance depends on the perceptual distance between items before and after the change, and d' depends on display size in an approximately power-law fashion. Our results open the door to combining the power of psychophysics, computation, and physiology to better understand the neural basis of STM.
Analysis of the Acceleration Region in a Circulating Fluidized Bed Riser Operating above Fast Fluidization Velocities

In commercial circulating fluidized bed (CFB) processes the acceleration zone greatly contributes to solids mixing, gas and solids dispersion, and particle residence times. A new analysis was developed to describe the relative gas-solids concentration in the acceleration region of a transport system with air as the fluidizing agent for Geldart-type B particles. A theoretical expression was derived from a drag relationship and momentum and continuity equations to describe the evolution of the gas-solids profile along the axial direction. The acceleration zone was characterized using nondimensional analysis of the continuum equations (balances of masses and momenta) that described multiphase flows. In addition to acceleration length, the boundary condition for the solids fraction at the bottom of the riser and the fully developed regions were measured using an industrial scale CFB of 0.3 m diameter and 15 m tall. The operating factors affecting the flow development in the acceleration region were determined for three materials of various sizes and densities in core annular and dilute regimes of the riser. Performance data were taken from statistically designed experiments over a wide range of Fr (0.5-39), Re (8-600), Ar (29-3600), load ratio (0.2-28), riser to particle diameter ratio (375-5000), and gas to solids densitymore » ratio (138-1381). In this one-dimensional system of equations, velocities and solid fractions were assumed to be constant over any cross section. The model and engineering correlations were compared with literature expressions to assess their validity and range of applicability. These expressions can be used as tools for simulation and design of a CFB riser and can also be easily coupled to a kinetics model for process simulation.« less
In-plane free vibration and stability of rotating annular discs:

AbstractThe in-plane free vibration in an elastic, isotropic, rotating annular disc is investigated on the basis of the two-dimensional linear plane stress theory of elasticity. An analytical solut...
Circadian specificity in exercise training

The purpose of this study was to determine whether metabolic and cardiorespiratory adaptations to exercise training are greater at the time of day of training than at another time. Twenty-seven subjects performed cycle ergometer tests in the morning (AM) and in the afternoon (PM) before and after a 6-wk period during which ten subjects trained regularly in the morning, seven subjects trained in the afternoon, and ten did not train. Training caused decreases in HR, VE, and rating of perceived exertion during submaximal exercise; a 7.7% increase (p less than 0.01) in VO2 max; and a 9.1% increase (p less than 0.01) in performance time. Adaptations (training effects) were independent of time of day of training for all variables except VO2 at the ventilatory threshold. Compared with each other, subjects who trained in the morning had relatively higher post-training thresholds in the morning, while subjects who trained in the afternoon had relatively higher values in the afternoon (p less than 0.05). This is evidence of circadian specificity in training and supports the notion of planning physical preparation to coincide with the time of day at which one's critical performance is scheduled.
Solving the jigsaw puzzle problem in linear time

Abstract We introduce an algorithm that efficiently matches (fits together) parts of boundaries of two-dimensional objects in order to assemble apictorial jigsaw puzzles. A rotation-independent shape encoding allows us to find the best (longest) match between two shapes in time proportional to the sum of the lengths of their representations. In order to find this match, we use Weiner's string matching technique combined with compact position trees to find, in linear time, the longest shared pattern between two strings. The shape matching procedure is then used by two greedy algorithms to assemble the apictorial jigsaw puzzles.
Heterogeneity of early intermediates in cell-liposome fusion mediated by influenza hemagglutinin.

To explore early intermediates in membrane fusion mediated by influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) and their dependence on the composition of the target membrane, we studied lipid mixing between HA-expressing cells and liposomes containing phosphatidylcholine (PC) with different hydrocarbon chains. For all tested compositions, our results indicate the existence of at least two types of intermediates, which differ in their lifetimes. The composition of the target membrane affects the stability of fusion intermediates at a stage before lipid mixing. For less fusogenic distearoyl PC-containing liposomes at 4°C, some of the intermediates inactivate, and no intermediates advance to lipid mixing. Fusion intermediates that formed for the more fusogenic dioleoyl PC-containing liposomes did not inactivate and even yielded partial lipid mixing at 4°C. Thus, a more fusogenic target membrane effectively blocks nonproductive release of the conformational energy of HA. Even for the same liposome composition, HA forms two types of fusion intermediates, dissimilar in their stability and propensity to fuse. This diversity of fusion intermediates emphasizes the importance of local membrane composition and local protein concentration in fusion of heterogeneous biological membranes.
Entrepreneurs' capital accumulation behavior and long-run equilibrium

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to derive some interesting results on long-run equilibrium by considering entrepreneurs' capital accumulation behavior explicitly. Our framework is a two class, two production sector model in order to analyze the dynamic stability properties in the cases of Kaldor's saving assumption and Pasinetti's saving assumption. We shall introduce a further adjustment mechanism: the speeding up (slowing down) of capital accumulation in that sector in which the rate of profit is higher (lower).
An environment for integrated development and evaluation of real-time distributed database systems

Real-time database systems must maintain consistency while minimizing the number of transactions that miss the deadline. To satisfy both the consistency and real-time constraints, there is the need to integrate synchronization protocols with real-time priority scheduling protocols. One of the reasons for the difficulty in developing and evaluating database synchronization techniques is that it takes a long time to develop a system, and evaluation is complicated because it involves a large number of system parameters that may change dynamically. This paper describes an environment for investigating distributed real-time database systems. The environment is based on a concurrent programming kernel that supports the creation, blocking, and termination of processes, as well as scheduling and interprocess communication. The contribution of the paper is the introduction of a new approach to system development that utilizes a module library of reusable components to satisfy three major goals: modularity, flexibility, and extensibility. In addition, experiments for real-time concurrency control techniques are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the environment.
Feeding behavior and general ecology of several spionid polychaetes from the Chesapeake Bay

The feeding behavior of six species of spionid polychaetes (Paraprionospio pinnata (Ehlers), Polydora ligni Webster, Scolecolepides viridis (Verrill), Spiophanes bombyx (Claparede), Spio setosa Verrill, and Streblospio benedicti Webster) from the Chesapeake Bay was studied. All species fed on both suspended (including resuspended) and deposited particles and increased their feeding rate, as indicated by fecal production, in the presence of a current transporting suspended particles. Although all six species have the same anatomical structures for food gathering, a wide variety of food particle collection behaviors was observed. Palp movement patterns varied from species to species as well as with the size, the habitat type of collection, and the presence of suspended particles. Factors not directly related to feeding are probably as important in understanding the observed distributional patterns. Food availability and competitive interactions affected small-scale movements of individuals.
Interaction of copper with DNA and antagonism by other metals

Copper [Cu(II)] has been shown to enhance DNA damage in several biological systems. Binding of copper to DNA may be a key step in producing these lesions. The results of this study indicate that the DNA double helix contains at least two kinds of binding sites for copper. One site is present once every four nucleotides, has high affinity, and shows a cooperative effect. The other is an intercalating site for copper that is present in every base pair. This site is saturable, has a dissociation constant (Kd) for Cu(II) of 41 microM. In single-stranded DNA, we found an average copper binding site every three nucleotides with lower affinity than in dsDNA. The binding of copper to DNA shows an unexpected high specificity when studied in the presence of other metallic ions. The relative efficacy of several divalent cations to antagonize Cu(II) binding was: Ni = Cd = Mg much much greater than Zn = Hg greater than Ca greater than Pb much much greater than Mn, while Cr(VI) enhanced Cu(II) binding to DNA. We hope this study will broaden the understanding of copper-DNA interactions, particularly as they relate to treatment modalities for diseases associated with disruption of copper homeostasis and potential development of copper antitumor agents.