cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Life cycle inventory and performance analysis of phase change materials for thermal energy storages

Solar energy is a renewable energy that requires a storage medium for effective usage. Phase change materials (PCMs) successfully store thermal energy from solar energy. The material-level life cycle assessment (LCA) plays an important role in studying the ecological impact of PCMs. The life cycle inventory (LCI) analysis provides information regarding the material and energy requirements and economy of PCMs. This work presents an estimated LCA and LCI values in order to reveal all the mentioned effects of PCMs on storing thermal energy generated by concentrated solar thermal power plants. The goal of this study was to provide guidance for PCM system design based on a matrix that considers the performance, costs, and environmental impact. The ecoinvent global database (version 3) was used for the life cycle inventory analysis. For this study, PCMs were selected based on physical and chemical properties as well as state and melting temperatures (300–500 °C) that are suitable for charging and discharging a large amount of thermal energy. The performance of PCMs was determined based on their thermal effusivity. Results indicate that compared to other PCMs, sodium nitrate (100%) used less heat energy, but when comparing the amount of electricity usage for PCM compounds, potassium nitrate (65.31%) + potassium carbonate (34.69%) used less electricity. From the emissions data for PCMs from raw materials to factory gate (cradle-to-gate), Na2CO3 produced the lowest emissions to air, although harmful emissions to water. The performance of PCM mixtures was better, with thermal conductivity almost 3.5 times higher than that of individual PCMs. However, the cost of PCM mixtures was three times higher than that of individual PCMs. This comprehensive compilation of PCM data can be very helpful in the selection of a suitable PCM while offering a fine balance between cost and performance.
Groundwater Origin Determination in Historic Chemical Datasets Through Supervised Compositional Data Analysis: Brines of the Permian Basin, USA

Data from historic water quality databases often lack critical measurements necessary for focused investigations, such as determining the origin of the water. The U.S. Geological Survey produced waters database contains nearly 7,000 data of good quality for the Permian Basin, the single largest oil-producing province in the United States. However, fewer than 350 of those points contain enough geochemical data (Br concentration or δ18O and δ2H composition) to determine whether the origin of the samples is meteoric water or paleoseawater. Three supervised methods were applied to isometric and pairwise log-ratio transformed major ion data from a subset of samples of known origin but where the Br concentration and δ18O and δ2H composition were excluded to predict origin: linear discriminant analysis (isometric only), support vector machines (isometric and pairwise), and random forests (pairwise only). Error rates from validation, using data of known origin (excluding Br concentration and δ18O and δ2H composition) that were not used in model development, found that no method performed exceptionally well. An ensemble approach of only assigning classification when all three methods provide the same classification reduced the error rate of the validation data to 11% but failed to classify 28% of the data. This latter approach was applied to the nearly 7,000 samples which only contained concentrations of major ions (Cl, Ca, HCO3, Mg, Na, and SO4). Spatial mapping of these newly classified data generated insight on distribution and flow of meteoric and paleoseawater across the basin.
Nonvolatile switching in In2Se3-silicon microring resonators

We investigate the phase transition in molecular beam epitaxy grown crystalline In2Se3 and observed nonvolatile switching in hybrid integrated silicon photonic resonator.
Preserved Cerebral Oxygenation with Worsening Global Myocardial Strain during Pediatric Chronic Hemodialysis.

Background Cerebral and myocardial hypoperfusion occur during hemodialysis in adults. Pediatric patients receiving chronic hemodialysis have fewer cardiovascular risk factors, yet cardiovascular morbidity remains prominent. Methods We conducted a prospective observational study of pediatric patients receiving chronic hemodialysis to investigate whether intermittent hemodialysis is associated with adverse end organ effects in the heart or with cerebral oxygenation (regional O2 saturation [rSO2]). We assessed intradialytic cardiovascular function and rSO2, using noninvasive echocardiography to determine myocardial strain and continuous noninvasive nearinfrared spectroscopy for rSO2. We measured changes in blood volume and central venous oxygen saturation (mCVO2) were pre-, mid-, and post-hemodialysis. Results The study included 15 patients (median age, 12 years; median hemodialysis vintage 13.2 [9, 24] months were included. Patients were asymptomatic. The rSO2 did not change during hemodialysis, whereas mCVO2 decreased significantly, from 73% to 64.8 %. Global longitudinal strain of the myocardium worsened significantly by mid-hemodialysis and persisted post-hemodialysis. The ejection fraction remained normal. Lower systolic blood pressure and faster blood volume change were associated with worsening myocardial strain; only blood volume change was significant in multivariate analysis (β coefficient, -0.3; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], -0.38 to -0.21; P=0.0001). Blood volume change was also associated with a significant decrease in mCVO2 (β coefficient 0.42; 95% CI, 0.07 to 0.76; P=0.001). Access, age, hemodialysis vintage, and ultrafiltration volume were not associated with worsening strain. Conclusion s Unchanged rSO2 suggested that cerebral oxygenation was maintained during hemodialysis. However, despite maintained ejection fraction, intradialytic myocardial strain worsened in pediatric hemodialysis and was associated with blood volume change. The effect of hemodialysis on individual organ perfusion in pediatric versus adult patients receiving hemodialysis might differ.
Photovoltaics in the built environment: A critical review

Abstract In this manuscript we review research on the feedback mechanisms between photovoltaic energy production and the urban environment, with an emphasis on synthesizing what is known, while drawing attention to limitations, and indeed errors in, the literature on this topic. We include in our analysis studies on photovoltaic (PV) systems in urban settings – on buildings, as shade structures, or as stand-alone arrays within an urban environment. We further limit the review to studies that investigate how the urban setting affects the performance of PV systems or how PV systems affect their surrounding urban environment. Our review is based on a systematic search of the literature, which revealed 116 unique articles that addressed the underlying questions in a meaningful way. While there are conflicting results reported across this body of literature, our review and synthesis reveal two key findings: (1) PV can significantly warm the city during the day, provide some cooling at night, and potentially increase energy use for air conditioning of buildings in some climates and building types; and (2) placing PV in an urban setting can adversely affect PV efficiency, reducing overall power production up to 20% in comparison to PV applications in rural settings. It is recommended that future developments of PV technologies focus both on increased efficiency and the need to increase reflection of wavelengths of energy not converted to electricity by the PV cells. Furthermore, designs for urban PV systems should explicitly consider the effects of elevated urban temperatures, pollution, and shading on system performance.
Searches for new physics in collision events using a statistical technique for anomaly detection

This paper discusses a statistical anomaly-detection method for model-independent searches for new physics in collision events produced at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The method requires calculations of $Z$-scores for a large number of Lorenz-invariant variables to identify events that deviate from those expected for the Standard Model (SM).
Abstract 176: Largest United States Pipeline Case Series After PUFS: Feasability, Technique, and Complications

Largest US Pipeline Case Series After PUFS: Feasability, Technique, and Complications Object: Endovascular coil embolization is an established method of treatment for intracranial aneurysms. Incomplete occlusion and recanalization are potential pitfalls of this treatment, particularly in large, complex aneurysms. The pipeline embolization device(PED) is a low-porosity endovascular stent designed to reconstruct the parent artery and prohibit blood flow into the aneurysm. The resulting stasis in the aneurysm, which leads to thrombosis, and the subsequent endothelial incorporation of the stent is meant to provide curative protection from aneurysmal rupture. Following the FDA approval of the PED, the authors report the first case series of 25 patients who have undergone such embolization and examine feasibility, technique, early results, and complications. Methods: Twenty-five patients underwent PED placement for aneurysm at Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience from October 2010 to July 2011. Clinical charts were reviewed for demographics, details of presentation, procedure, hospital course, and outcome. Results: Twenty-five patients with 31 aneurysms were treated in the series(2 male; 23 female; ages 34-82; mean age 60.9 years). All of the aneurysms were located in segments of the internal carotid artery(1 petrous, 1 lacerum, 13 cavernous, 2 clinoid, 12 ophthalmic, 2 superior hypophyseal). Patients presented with headache, cranial nerve palsy, TIA, recurrence, or as incidental findings. Four of the patients presented with recurrence after coil embolization; one patient was treated with PED after attempted coil embolization; one was treated for recurrence after prior PED placement. PED placement was successful in all patients. The number of stents used per patient ranged from 1 to 5, with most patients being treated with 1(n=6) or 2(n=13) PEDs. One aneurysm was treated with both PED and coil embolization. A postoperative complication or combination of complications were witnessed in 20%(n=5) of patients. These complications included intracerebral hemorrhage(n=3), dissection(n=1), stroke(n=2), and death(n=1). Follow-up angiograms have been performed for five patients, on average 31 days after embolization, with 1 of those 5 patients suffering from incomplete aneurysmal occlusion. Conclusion: This is the largest reported case series in the United States following the PUFS trial. Treatment of simple or complex intracranial aneurysms with PEDs alone or in conjunction with coil embolization is technically feasible with low chance of intraoperative complication. However, major perioperative adverse events must be studied. Respect for the indications of the procedure is crucial to justify the risk.
Glaucoma care and conformance with preferred practice patterns. Examination of the private, community-based ophthalmologist.

Background: Practice guidelines are becoming more prominent in the provision of medical care. A previous study demonstrated a high rate of conformance with recommended patterns of care for patients with open-angle glaucoma in an academic, public clinic setting. This study seeks to examine conformance within the private, communitybased setting in which the vast majority of healthcare is delivered. Methods: One-hundred ninety-three charts (average, 24 charts each from 8 different practices) of patients who received diagnoses for at least 2 years of open-angle glaucoma were evaluated retrospectively for conformance with recommendations from the American Academy of Ophthalmology's Preferred Practice Pattern (PPP) for primary openangle glaucoma. The criteria were evaluated in three areas: (1) the performance of specified examination steps at the initial visit; (2) the performance of specified examination steps at follow-up; and (3) the time interval between follow-up visits. Results: In 56.4% of patients who had stable moderate to severe glaucomatous damage, documentation of examination findings on the initial visit ranged from 39.4% for a pupil examination to 100% for intraocular pressure. At the initial visit, visual fields were obtained or scheduled in 90.2% of eyes, gonioscopy was performed in 51.3%, and the disc/nerve fiber layer status was noted in 97.9%. On follow-up, 44% of patients had documentation concerning the status of their glaucoma, but only 23.3% of patients had an optic nerve head drawing or photograph within 15 months of the most recent visit. In addition, the authors found that 37.8% of patient charts had neither an optic nerve head drawing nor a photograph documented after the initial visit. Finally, although 92.2% of patients with glaucoma were scheduled for follow-up within the time intervals recommended by the PPP, patients with uncontrolled or unstable glaucoma were the least likely to be followed up within PPP-recommended time intervals. Conclusions: Chart reviews from private, community-based ophthalmologists show that some initial examination steps such as gonioscopy and pupil examination are performed to widely varying degrees. While patients are generally likely to be scheduled for follow-up within PPP-recommended intervals, patients with unstable glaucoma are the least likely to be so scheduled. In addition, the visual appearance of the optic nerve is recorded for a relatively low percentage of patients. Additional data are needed from other geographic areas and other practice settings and for other patterns of care to more fully assess provider behavior relative to PPPs.
Black Spot, Black Death, Black Pearl: The Tales of Bacterial Effectors

Research in my lab centers around elucidating the biochemical activity of virulence factors used by bacteria to manipulate eukaryotic signaling machinery. My lab approaches the analysis of host sig...
Microstructural Evolution on Crystallizing the Glassy Phase in a 6 Weight % Y2O3-Si3N4 Ceramic

X-ray diffraction and analytical electron microscopy have been used to study the crystallization of the grain-boundary glass in a 6 wt pct Y2O3-Si3N4 ceramic. Upon crystallization, high densities of dislocations formed in the Si3N4 grains and remained after 5 h at temperature. However, prolonged holds at the crystallization temperature effectively annealed out the dislocations. Other features present in the microstructure are characterized.
A smart control system for electric vehicle batteries

A smart control system for electric vehicle (EV) batteries was designed and its performance was evaluated. The hardware for the system was based on the Motorola MC68HC11ENB micro controller. A zinc bromide (Zn/Br{sub 2}) battery was chosen since it is a good candidate as an EV battery and has a large number of user variable parameters that affect its performance. The flexibility of the system arises from the fact that the system can be programmed to do a wide variety of jobs. The use of real time interrupts and other features makes the system safe for use along with the battery systems. Test data indicates that real time control of the different parameters can increase the performance of the battery by 15%. In addition to optimizing the performance of the battery the control system incorporates essential safety features.
Analysis of free estrone and 17β-estradiol in plasma by tritiated sodium borohydride reduction

Abstract A method for the determination of free estrone and 17β-estradiol in the plasma of nonpregnant and pregnant women is described. The method is a double isotpe derivative procedure in which tritium-labeled sodium borohydride is utilized as the labeling agent, and experiments designed to demonstrate its validity are presented. The results obtained when the method was applied to blood samples from two normal women throughout a normal menstrual cycle are given. The data show that there is a pronounced midcycle peak in the concentration of 17β-estradiol in these subjects.
Durkheim’s Sign Made Flesh: The “Authentic Symbol” in Contemporary Holocaust Pilgrimage

Synthesizing Durkheim’s notion of “sacred symbol” with Walter Benjamin’s theorization of “authenticity,” this paper proposes the theoretical construct, “authentic symbol,” to account for the symbolic function of Holocaust relics in contemporary Holocaust pilgrimage. The symbolic function of four kinds of relics (the sites, witness/survivors, human bodily remains and accessories) is examined and compared in three different contexts: The March of the Living Holocaust tours organized for Diaspora Jewish teenagers, the Masa tours organized for Israeli and practical aims of the tours and displays teenagers and the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. Different ritual experiences are found to predominate in each of the three contexts, which significantly correlate with how symbols are processed by participants and the different ideological.
PEGylation as a strategy for improving nanoparticle-based drug and gene delivery

Coating the surface of nanoparticles with polyethylene glycol (PEG), or "PEGylation", is a commonly used approach for improving the efficiency of drug and gene delivery to target cells and tissues. Building from the success of PEGylating proteins to improve systemic circulation time and decrease immunogenicity, the impact of PEG coatings on the fate of systemically administered nanoparticle formulations has, and continues to be, widely studied. PEG coatings on nanoparticles shield the surface from aggregation, opsonization, and phagocytosis, prolonging systemic circulation time. Here, we briefly describe the history of the development of PEGylated nanoparticle formulations for systemic administration, including how factors such as PEG molecular weight, PEG surface density, nanoparticle core properties, and repeated administration impact circulation time. A less frequently discussed topic, we then describe how PEG coatings on nanoparticles have also been utilized for overcoming various biological barriers to efficient drug and gene delivery associated with other modes of administration, ranging from gastrointestinal to ocular. Finally, we describe both methods for PEGylating nanoparticles and methods for characterizing PEG surface density, a key factor in the effectiveness of the PEG surface coating for improving drug and gene delivery.
Development of an Improved Methodology to Assess Potential Unconventional Gas Resources

Considering the important role played today by unconventional gas resources in North America and their enormous potential for the future around the world, it is vital to both policy makers and industry that the volumes of these resources and the impact of technology on these resources be assessed. To provide for optimal decision making regarding energy policy, research funding, and resource development, it is necessary to reliably quantify the uncertainty in these resource assessments. Since the 1970s, studies to assess potential unconventional gas resources have been conducted by various private and governmental agencies, the most rigorous of which was by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS employed a cell-based, probabilistic methodology which used analytical equations to calculate distributions of the resources assessed. USGS assessments have generally produced distributions for potential unconventional gas resources that, in our judgment, are unrealistically narrow for what are essentially undiscovered, untested resources. In this article, we present an improved methodology to assess potential unconventional gas resources. Our methodology is a stochastic approach that includes Monte Carlo simulation and correlation between input variables. Application of the improved methodology to the Uinta–Piceance province of Utah and Colorado with USGS data validates the means and standard deviations of resource distributions produced by the USGS methodology, but reveals that these distributions are not right skewed, as expected for a natural resource. Our investigation indicates that the unrealistic shape and width of the gas resource distributions are caused by the use of narrow triangular input parameter distributions. The stochastic methodology proposed here is more versatile and robust than the USGS analytic methodology. Adoption of the methodology, along with a careful examination and revision of input distributions, should allow a more realistic assessment of the uncertainty surrounding potential unconventional gas resources.
The Korean Crisis: What Did We Know and When Did We Know It? What Stress Tests of the Corporate Sector Reveal

The objective of this paper is to provide a retrospective assessment of our ability to have predicted the impact of the 1997 crisis on the Korean corporate sector. We perform some simple stress tests on the aggregate balance sheets and income statements of the corporate sector to determine what could have been foreseen before the onset of the crisis. Our results show that data available in mid-1997 clearly showed that the corporate sector was very sensitive to various shocks, particularly interest rate shocks. Had stress tests been performed at the time, they would have revealed that the corporate sector was highly vulnerable to adverse economic developments. Our findings suggest that close surveillance of corporate sector balance sheets can play a useful role in understanding potential financial vulnerabilities.
Computer simulations of fluid flow over catalytic surfaces for water splitting

Abstract Interfacial phenomena arising at solid/fluid interfaces depend upon the nanoscale structural and dynamical properties of the system. The presence of active sites on the solid surface that can bind with reactants in the fluid enables the investigation of reaction kinetics and its effect on multi-scale transport processes. We develop a coarse-grained particle-based model of the flow of reactants over a solid surface composed of close packed particles with embedded active sites. We investigate the role of the adsorption of the reactants onto these sites on the transport phenomena via the coarse-grained molecular dynamics technique. Our objective is to understand the role of nanoscale interfacial phenomena on the structural and dynamical properties of the system through the measurement of diffusion coefficients, velocity profiles, radial distribution functions, and mean residence times. We have investigated these properties as a function of the active site density, coarse graining effects and interaction strengths. Our results can potentially be used for future studies on multi-scale phenomena driven by reaction kinetics at solid/fluid interfaces, such as artificial photosynthesis cells.
Activation of the NLRP3 Inflammasome in association with Calcium Oxalate crystal-induced Reactive Oxygen Species in kidneys

Purpose: We investigated the association of hyperoxaluria and calcium oxalate crystal induced production of reactive oxygen species with activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.Materials and Methods: Eight-week-old male rats were given hydroxy-L-proline to induce hyperoxaluria. A group of rats on the hydroxy-L-proline diet also received apocynin, an antioxidant and nonspecific inhibitor of NADPH oxidase. At 28 days the rats were sacrificed and the kidneys were extracted. Microarray analysis was done with the BeadArray™ Reader. Gene ontology and gene pathway analyses were done with the DAVID (Database for Annotation, Visualization of Integrated Discovery) enrichment analysis tool. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical staining were performed to confirm microarray results.Results: Analysis of 22,226 genes revealed that 20 and 24 pathways were highly significant in the cortex and medulla, respectively. In the cortex extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, complement and coa...
New research and new markets

Abstract The following report summarizes the highlights of the 20th Anniversary Conference of the Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA) held in Honolulu, HI, 11–14 June 1989. As in previous years, the TTRA again served as the major international forum for tourism researchers, educators and practitioners to consider latest findings in travel and tourism research.
Magnetic Field Suppression of Flow in Semiconductor Melt

One of the most promising approaches for the reduction of convection during the crystal growth of conductive melts (semiconductor crystals) is the application of magnetic fields. Current technology allows the experimentation with very intense static fields (up to 80 KGauss) for which nearly convection free results are expected from simple scaling analysis in stabilized systems (vertical Bridgman method with axial magnetic field). However, controversial experimental results were obtained. The computational methods are, therefore, a fundamental tool in the understanding of the phenomena accounting during the solidification of semiconductor materials. Moreover, effects like the bending of the isomagnetic lines, different aspect ratios and misalignments between the direction of the gravity and magnetic field vectors can not be analyzed with analytical methods. The earliest numerical results showed controversial conclusions and are not able to explain the experimental results. Although the generated flows are extremely low, the computational task is a complicated because of the thin boundary layers. That is one of the reasons for the discrepancy in the results that numerical studies reported. Modeling of these magnetically damped crystal growth experiments requires advanced numerical methods. We used, for comparison, three different approaches to obtain the solution of the problem of thermal convection flows: (1) Spectral method in spectral superelement implementation, (2) Finite element method with regularization for boundary layers, (3) Multiquadric method, a novel method with global radial basis functions, that is proven to have exponential convergence. The results obtained by these three methods are presented for a wide region of Rayleigh and Hartman numbers. Comparison and discussion of accuracy, efficiency, reliability and agreement with experimental results will be presented as well.
A strongly antigenic synthetic polypeptide

A linear polypeptide of L -glutamic acid, l -lysine and l -tyrosine in the proportions of 2·8 : 2·6 : 1·0 has been synthesised and found to behave as a strong antigen giving precipitin, agar diffusion and ring tests comparable to typical proteins. The polypeptide has a molecular weight of 49,000 (370 residues) and appears to have no significant helical structure at pH 10·7 where the immunological tests were made. The bands in the gel diffusion tubes and the precipitin curve showed several maxima suggesting the presence of several different antibodies.
Use of computer simulation to explore analytical issues in nested case-control studies of cancer involving extended exposures: Methods and preliminary findings

Abstract A Monte Carlo simulation program has been designed to generate case—control study data from hypothetical cohorts of individuals exposed to one or more carcinogens at intensities which vary over time. Exposure distributions are specified by such parameters as the probability of any exposure, the distributions of age at first and last exposure, the distribution of intensity as a function of time, and the correlations between exposures. Within subcohorts generated in this way, age-specific cancer rates are computed based on the multistage model of carcinogenesis (other models will be considered in the future). Age and possibly exposure-dependent censoring rates are also computed. Cancer cases are randomly generated from the resulting age and cause of death distribution and age-matched controls are drawn by sampling from the survival distribution. The “true” exposure histories, used to generate the cases and controls, are then corrupted by various random and systematic sources of error. The resulting case—control data are fitted to simple exposure indices as well as more sophisticated models of carcinogenesis. In preliminary simulations of a single carcinogen, it appeared that exposure indices derived from the multistate model could correctly estimate the stage at which the carcinogen acted when exposure is limited to a constant intensity over time, even when that intensity was measured with considerable error. These indices also fitted substantially better than simple duration, average intensity, or cumulative exposure. Further investigations will assess such issues as the additional information obtained by appropriately exploiting a time-dependent history, the effect of time-dependent exposure measurement errors, and the robustness of inferences when the assumed model is incorrect.
Simulation of Tensile Behavior in Friction Stir Welded and Superplastically Formed-Titanium 6Al-4V alloy

A hybrid numerical and experimental study was undertaken to evaluate the performance of friction stir welded (FSW) and superplastically formed friction stir welded (SPF-FSW) titanium joints. This paper presents the numerical models which were developed to simulate mechanical response of FSW and SPF-FSW joints. The simulation results were compared to experimentally determined behavior characteristics of the joints to assess the validity of the modeling approach. It was found that numerical modeling have simulated successfully the tensile behavior of a FSW joint agreeing with the experimental results. This method also adequately simulated the tensile behavior of a SPF-FSW joint, but due to geometrical influences, there are discrepancies between the numerical results and experimental observations.
Diagnostic Disclosure to HIV-Infected Children: How Parents Decide when and what to Tell:

The objective of this study was to assess parental decision-making about illness disclosure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children. This is a cross-sectional study of 51 children with HIV infection based on parent interviews, child cognitive testing, clinical assessments and medical records. Only 43% of children had been told their HIV diagnosis. Qualitative analysis of parental decision- making about illness disclosure varied by child developmental level. Factors influencing parental decision to disclose the child’s HIV status including parental communication style, parental illness, child’s rights, treatment adherence, child questions and provider pressures, whereas concerns about HIV stigma and potential emotional distress were most frequently identified as reasons for non- disclosure. Central decision-making factors for parental HIV disclosure and reported outcomes of disclosure are described. Pediatric HIV disclosure represents a complex task for parents caring for the HIV-infected c...
Coupling and decoupling theory and its application to the MRI phased array

In classical MRI phased-array design, optimal coil overlapping is used to minimize coupling between nearest-neighbor coils, and low input impedance preamplifiers are used to isolate the relatively weak coupling between non-nearest neighbors. However, to make the complex sensitivities of phased-array coils sufficiently distinct in parallel spatially-encoded MRI, it is desirable to have no overlapping between coils. Also, if phased arrays are used as transmit coils in MRI, one can no longer rely on the low input impedance of the preamplifiers for decoupling. Here a coupling and decoupling theory is introduced to provide a better understanding of the relations between coupled and uncoupled signals in the MRI phased array, and to offer a new method for decoupling phased-array coils without overlapping the nearest coil pairs. The new decoupling method is based on the assumption that any n-element phased array can be decoupled by a 2n-port interface system between phased array and preamplifiers. The detailed analysis and the experimental results show that a four-port interface can be used to decouple a two-element phased array. Furthermore, the four-port interfaces can serve as building blocks to construct a 2n-port decoupling interface. This new method allows one to place the coil elements anywhere that could optimize parallel spatial encoding without concern for coupling between the coils. The method can also be used for phased-array transmit coils.
INTERACTIONS BETWEEN pH AND MALIC ACID CONCENTRATION ON THE INACTIVATION OF LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES

The effects and interactions of malic acid concentration and pH on the inactivation kinetics of a three strain mixture of Listeria monocytogenes was studied in brain heart infusion broth (BHI). The medium was supplemented with malic acid and monosodium malate to achieve pH levels of 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5. 0, 5.5, 6. 0, 6.5 or 7.0 in conjunction with concentrations of 0.0, 0.1, 0. 5, 1.0 and 2. 0 M. Duplicate 20-mL portions of each pH/malate level were inoculated (ca. 10 8 cfu/mL), stored aerobically at 28C, and assayed periodically for viable counts by plating on BHI agar. Survivor curves were generated by fitting data to a linear model that includes a lag term and used to calculate D-values and times to 4-D inactivation . Inactivation rates were dependent on both the pH and malic acid concentration. At the higher pH levels, malic acid appeared to provide some degree of protection compared to control cultures where the pH was adjusted with HCl. At lower pH values and at higher malic acid concentrations, a concentration-dependent anion effect was observed. The results indicate that malic acid is a relatively benign organic acid. Its antimicrobial characteristics are similar to those of citric acid and is substantially less bactericidal than lactic or acetic acids.
Errors of omission and their implications for computing scientometric measures in evaluating the publishing productivity and impact of countries

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to explore the extent of the absence of data elements that are critical from the perspective of scientometric evaluation of the scientific productivity and impact of countries in terms of the most common indicators – such as the number of publications, the number of citations and the impact factor (the ratio of citations received to papers published), and the effect these may have on the h‐index of countries – in two of the most widely used citation‐enhanced databases.Design/methodology/approach – The author uses the Scopus database and Thomson‐Reuters' (earlier known as ISI) three citation databases (Science, Social Sciences and Arts & Humanities), both as implemented on the Dialog Information Services (Thomson ISI databases) and on the Web of Knowledge platform, known as Web of Science (WoS). The databases were searched to discover how many records they have for each year, how many of those have cited references for each year, and what percentage of the records have...
Activity of CNS depressants related to hydrophobicity

SEVERAL theories of general anaesthesia account for the depression of neuronal excitability as a depression of membrane mechanisms underlying axonal conduction1–4 or synaptic transmission5–16. The latter is more likely since general anaesthetics depress transmission in concentrations which do not block axonal conduction6,7,11,15,18. In vertebrates, excitatory postsynaptic potentials (epsps) are invariably depressed12,15–20, while under the same conditions inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (ipsps)4,21–23 and excitatory presynaptic potentials (resulting in presynaptic inhibition) are preserved (and prolonged)24–27. Using invertebrate preparations we found28 that (1) pentobarbital selectively and reversibly depresses Na+-dependent epsps without affecting either Cl−- or K+-dependent ipsps, and (2) pentobarbital and other central nervous system (CNS) depressants selectively and reversibly depress postsynaptic excitation (induced by application of putative transmitters) which is coupled primarily to an increase in Na+ conductance without affecting postsynaptic inhibition (induced by application of putative transmitters) which is coupled to either Cl− or K+ conductance increases. Selective depression of postsynaptic excitation would presumably lead to a decrease in the ratio of epsps to ipsps and thus account for much of the generalised decrease in neuronal activity during general anaesthesia. The observations by Meyer29 and Overton30 that general anaesthetic potency is directly proportional to the oil/water partition coefficient have prompted me to investigate the correlation between depressant activity and hydrophobicity. I report here that (1) depressant activity on invertebrate postsynaptic membranes is quantitatively correlated with hydrophobicity (r=0.982), and (2) analysis of published data from a vertebrate preparation indicates that the ratio of drug concentrations depressing axonal conduction and synaptic transmission equally is also quantitatively correlated with hydrophobicity (r = 0.96).
Octanoic acid-induced coma and reticular formation energy metabolism

The medium chain fatty acid octanoic acid was injected i.p. into 20-22 g Swiss-Albino mice at a dose of 15 mumol/g. This dose produced a reproducible response consisting of a 3-4 min period of drowsiness, followed by coma. These mice as well as suitable controls were sacrificed by rapid submersion in liquid N2, or by microwave irradiation in a 7.3 kW microwave oven. Tissue from the reticular formation and the inferior colliculus was prepared for microanalysis of the energy metabolites glucose, glycogen, ATP and phosphocreatine. Results from this study showed a selective effect on energy metabolism in cells of the reticular formation. Both glucose and glycogen were elevated in the coma and precoma state. In addition, ATP and phosphocreatine were decreased in the reticular formation during coma. These results show a selective effect of octanoic acid on energy metabolism in the reticular formation both in the precoma stage, and during overt coma. The selective vulnerability of the reticular formation to metabolic insult may act in a beneficial manner to the animal by inducing coma. This lowers the overall demand for energy, thereby placing the animal in a milieu in which there is an increased chance for correction of the perturbation.
DOES OUR LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION CONFUSE BEGINNING READERS

ABSTRACT The author assesses students’ understanding of several print‐related concepts toward the conclusion of one year of formal reading instruction. There may be some need for teachers to alter their language of instruction so as to eliminate specialized terms that create confusion among beginning readers.
Educational Choice in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union: A Review Essay

This paper explores the question of school choice with particular reference to politics in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, and how these have been viewed by Glenn, in particular.
The N-terminus of the regulatory chain of Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamoylase is important for both nucleotide binding and heterotropic effects.

X-ray crystallographic studies indicate that the N-terminal region of the regulatory chain in Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamoylase resides close to the effector binding site. The proximity of the N-terminal region to the binding site suggests it may be important for nucleotide binding and, therefore, the heterotropic mechanism. The N-terminal region of the structure is not well-defined since the electron density in this region is weak, indicating a flexible and mobile region. Furthermore, alanine scanning mutagenesis of residues 2−7 indicated that the N-terminal region may be involved in nucleotide binding and the heterotropic mechanism, especially, UTP recognition [Dembowski, N., and Kantrowitz, E. R. (1994) Protein Eng. 7, 673−679]. In order to investigate further the role of the N-terminal region in the heterotropic mechanism, the first 10 N-terminal residues of the regulatory chain were deleted using site-specific mutagenesis. This mutant enzyme was compared to the wild-type enzyme, and both s...
The rise of trees and their effects on Paleozoic atmospheric CO2 and O2

Abstract The rise of large vascular plants during the mid-Paleozoic brought about a major increase in the rates of weathering of silicate minerals that induced a drop in the level of atmospheric CO 2 and contributed, via the atmospheric greenhouse effect, to global cooling and the initiation of the most long lived and a really extensive glaciation of the past 550 million years. Sedimentary burial of the microbiologically resistant remains of the plants resulted during the Permo-Carboniferous in both further lowering of CO 2 and in elevation of atmospheric O 2 . Evidence of changes in CO 2 and O 2 are provided by mathematical models, studies of paleosols, fossil plants, fossil insects, and the effects of modern plants on silicate weathering, and by laboratory studies of the effects of changes in O 2 on plants and insects. To cite this article: R.A. Berner, C. R. Geoscience 335 (2003).
Evidence-Responsiveness and Autonomy

It is plausible to think that part of what it is to be an autonomous agent is to adequately respond to important changes in one’s circumstances. The agent who has set her own course in life, but is unable to recognize and respond appropriately when evidence arises indicating the need to reconsider and perhaps adjust her plan, lacks an important form of personal autonomy. However, this “evidence-responsiveness” aspect of autonomy has not yet been adequately analyzed. Most autonomy theorists ignore it altogether and the few who have addressed it have failed to give a satisfactory account. In this paper, I first examine an evidence-responsiveness condition proposed by Arneson. I argue there that while Arneson’s condition provides a valuable framework in which to examine evidence-responsiveness, there are several crucial issues that it either fails to address at all or else fails to adequately resolve. That condition is therefore in need of further elaboration and refinement. I then examine a recent article in this journal by Bloser, Schopf, and Willaschek which develops an account of autonomy that I argue can usefully be understood as employing and elaborating upon the general framework offered by Arneson. I argue that while the elaboration Bloser and her co-authors provide Arneson’s condition is instructive, it is inadequate in several important ways which indicate the form a more satisfactory evidence-responsiveness condition will take. I go on to develop such a condition and conclude by highlighting the advantages to be gained by including that condition in a complete theory of autonomy.
Hydrotris(indazolyl)borates: Homoscorpionates with Tunable Regiochemistry

A series of hydrotris(indazolyl)borates containing diverse substituents on the indazole ring and representing two types of regiochemistries have been synthesized. Indazoles with a 7-alkyl substituent or a 6,7-fused benzo ring formed ligands with boron bonded to the less hindered N-2 (=Tp3Bo), while those with alkyl or aryl substituents in any other position yielded ligands with boron bonded to the more hindered N-1 (=Tp4Bo), thus being the first example of homoscorpionates with 4,5-substituents. Octahedral homo- and heteroleptic complexes of Co, Fe, and Zn have been prepared and characterized, as well as complexes of the types [M(L)(NCS)], [Mo(L)(CO)2(η3-CH2CMeCH2)], [Rh(L)(COD)], and [Rh(L)(CO)2]. X-ray crystallography provided structures of the complexes [Rh(HB{3-methylindazol-1-yl}3)(COD)], 1 (space group P21/n; a = 11.766(2), b = 16.189(2), c = 15.149(2) A; β = 92.51(1)°; Z = 4; R = 0.0306 for 4318 independent reflections), [Co(HB{7-methylinazol-2-yl}3)(HB{3-neopentylpyrazol-1-yl}3)], 2 (space group P...
Styles of pledging allegiance: Practicing youth citizenship in the United States

Abstract This article examines the meaning of pledging state and national allegiance at a multiethnic public school in Texas. An analysis of students’ metapragmatic discourses about various ‘styles of citizenship’ illustrates how female ‘preps’ typically viewed the Pledge as a seamless part of their white, middle-class, neoliberal lifestyles, thus positioning themselves, in accordance with institutional definition, as lawful and patriotic citizens. Yet institutional conflations of patriotic , lawful , and neoliberal citizenship styles were challenged by non-preps, who valued alternative transnational , dissenting , and cool styles of political membership. At the same time, hegemonic modes of belonging were not wholly dismantled; alternative citizenship styles sometimes complemented, rather than conflicted with, students’ patriotic stances.
Diaphragmatic Contraction during Assisted Mechanical Ventilation

Indirect evidence from airway pressure recordings in mechanically ventilated patients suggests that the diaphragm exhibits contractile activity beyond that required to trigger a ventilator-assisted breath. We used the diaphragmatic EMG to provide direct evidence of persistent contractile activity and studied the effects of alterations in ventilator-delivered flow rate and tidal volume on the duration of diaphragmatic contraction. The duration of contraction was expressed in terms of inspired volume. During a single breath, diaphragmatic force generation ceases at the point of peak electromyographic activity; hence, the inspired volume at peak EMG is the volume at the diaphragmatic off-switch (Voff). Ventilator-delivered flow rate and tidal volume were varied during assisted (patient-initiated) and controlled (ventilator-initiated) breaths while diaphragmatic EMG and inspired volume were recorded simultaneously in ten patients with a variety of illnesses requiring mechanical ventilation. Spontaneous ventilator-unassisted breaths were also recorded for comparison. We found that (1) during assisted breaths, diaphragmatic activity continued after the ventilator was triggered, (2) Voff was usually close to spontaneous tidal volume, (3) Voff increased significantly as ventilator-delivered flow rate increased, and (4) controlled breaths may also be associated with phasic electromyographic activity. The data have implications for resting patients on assisted ventilation.
The costs of war: patriotism, price-fixing and the Australian Press at the outbreak of war, 1914.

When war came to Australia in August 1914 the business community assured the public that they too were keen to play a role in the coming drama. Indeed, retailers and wholesalers promised that there would be no pursuit of undue profit while the crisis continued. Such a notion was not only unpatriotic, they argued, but simply inconceivable given that the Empire itself was in jeopardy. Prices, however, did rise. The rapid increase in the basic costs of living sparked a dramatic and often vitriolic public backlash against what was simply seen as war profiteering. Significantly, such complaints crossed social boundaries. In a battle fought out in the Australian press, government and unions united with business owners eager to distance themselves from ‘unpatriotic’ behaviour to oppose what appeared to be the pursuit of excessive profit during a time of crisis. The debate calls into question the idea that Australia was united in its enthusiasm for the Empire’s war. This essay won the Max Kelly Medal 2008. It has been revised for publication and peer-reviewed.