cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phonetics and speaking machines: on the mechanical simulation of human speech in the 17th century.

SUMMARY This paper shows that in the 17th century various attempts were made to build fully automatic speaking devices resembling those exhibited in the late 18th-century in France and Germany. Through the analysis of writings by well-known 17th-century scientists, and a document hitherto unknown in the history of phonetics and speech synthesis, an excerpt from La Science universelle (1667[1641]) of the French writer Charles Sorel (1599–1674), it is argued that engineers and scientists of the Baroque period have to be credited with the first model of multilingual text-to-speech synthesis engines using unlimited vocabulary. RESUME Cet article montre que la construction des automates parlants similaires a ceux presentes au public au XVIIIe siecle en France et en Allemagne fut tentee par plusieurs inventeurs un siecle auparavant. A travers l’analyse des extraits d’ouvrages scientifiques bien connus du dix-septieme siecle et d’un document encore inconnu dans l’histoire de la phonetique et de la synthese de la parole, un extrait de La Science universelle (1667[1641]) de l’ecrivain francais Charles Sorel (1599–1674), il est suggere que l’invention de la synthese vocale multilingue a vocabulaire illimite est due aux ingenieurs et aux scientifiques de l’Âge classique. ZUSAMMENFASUNG Der vorliegende Aufsatz weist nach, das im 17. Jahrhundert eine Reihe von Versuchen unternommen worden sind, eine automatische Sprechmaschine zu bauen, die solchen ahnelt, die in Frankreich und Deutschland im spaten 18. Jahrhundert der Offentlichkeit vorgestellt wurden. Mithilfe der Analyse von Schriften bekannter Wissenschaftler des 17. Jahrhunderts sowie eines in der Geschichte der Phonetik und Sprachsynthese bisher nicht bekannten Dokuments, einem Auszug aus La Science universelle (1667[1641]) des franzosischen Autors Charles Sorel (1599–1674), wird die These untermauert, das Ingenieuren und Forschern der Barockzeit das Verdienst zukommt, als erste Modelle von multilingualen, synthetischen Sprechmaschinen entwickelt zu haben, die ein unbegrenztes Vokabular verwendeten.
Reconstruction of coronary artery anomaly in an infant using the internal mammary artery: 10-year follow-up

We report a case of tetralogy of Fallot with an unsuspected anomalous left anterior descending coronary artery arising from the right coronary artery and crossing the right ventricular outflow tract in a 16-month-old infant. During operation, the anomalous artery was severed. Successful repair of the intracardiac anomalies was performed, including left anterior descending-internal mammary artery reconstruction of the anomalous artery. This case illustrates the importance of delineation of coronary artery anatomy and even selective coronary arteriography in patients with tetralogy of Fallot, since anomalous coronary arteries occur most frequently in association with other cardiac anomalies. Arteriography 10 years later revealed a patent anastomosis to the left anterior descending artery, proving the durability of the internal mammary artery in a patient we believe to be the youngest to have undergone bypass with this particular conduit.
Concepts and applications of backup coverage

Backup coverage, the second coverage of a demand node, is suggested as a decision criterion in modelling the location of emergency services on a network. The efficient handling of stochastic demand by vehicles which can respond to only one call at a time may require backup coverage in areas of high demand as a means to maintain a more uniform level of service. This new criterion is applied in the context of the classic covering models, the Location Set Covering Problem and the Maximal Covering Location Problem. First coverage as defined in these models is traded off against backup coverage in the present work. Other efforts which incorporate additional levels of coverage are reviewed. We also show how to extend these models to third as well as subsequent coverage. Based on an example problem we show that significant levels of backup coverage may possibly be provided within a system without substantial loss of first coverage.
Capitation financing of public mental health services for the chronically mentally ill

In the 30 years since deinstitutionalization began the public mental health system has experimented with a variety of financing and management models in the delivery of care to the chronically mentally ill. Currently, capitation methods of payment for public mental health services to the chronically mentally ill are being tested as an alternative to fee-for-service reimbursement. Proponents suggest that capitation will increase service flexibility and produce a variety of better coordinated, more cost efficient services. Opponents believe that capitation will result in reduced care given the absence of treatment protocols and the financial incentives for cost containment. This paper discussed the impact of financing mechanisms and organizational structure on the delivery of mental health care for the chronically mentally ill, provides a review of the pertinent literature, and describes demonstration projects currently underway. Questions are raised as to the potential impact of capitation on the mental health system.
Doctoral programs and the labor market, or how should we respond to the “PhD glut”?

Cost-benefit analysis may be used as a heuristic framework for rationalizing the often confused thinking surrounding academic planning at the multicampus system and governmental levels. To illustrate the utility of this approach and to contrast it with prevailing approaches to academic program review and analysis, it is applied to the issue of the appropriate number, size and location of doctoral programs at the nine-campus University of California. The analysis indicates (though the evidence can only be summarized here) that, at the margin, some important benefits of doctoral programs have generally been understated. At the same time marginal costs with respect to doctoral enrollments (and thus potential savings from enrollment reductions) have tended to be exaggerated by higher education policymakers in recent years. Further, it is argued that, if funding criteria are properly designed, under current circumstances program and enrollment decisions can safely be left in the hands of the institutions without sacrificing accountability, thus preserving the advantages associated with managerial and political autonomy.
Statistical model for delocalized π bonding in the C60 molecule

Abstract We present a model for the C 60 molecule in which the σ bond energy is given by pairwise Morse potentials and the π bond energy is given by a statistical model. Good results for the binding energy and equilibrium sphere radius are obtained when exchange and correlation energies are included in the model, whereas poor results are obtained when these effects are neglected.
Distributing processing without DPEs: design considerations for public computing platforms

1 PUBLIC COMPUTING PLATFORMS: INTRODUCTION AND MOTIVATION What is a Public Computing Platform? A Public Computing Platform is a system of hardware and software which provides a computing environment for a number of paying customers, some of whom may be competing with each other for business. Typically these customers will be providers of Internet services, who are themselves generating revenue from their service (for example, by charging end users or providing advertising) and paying the provider of the Public Computing Platform to host their service. The work described in this position paper rests on a number of assumptions. The first is that Public Computing Platforms will become a reality. The second, more interesting, assumption is that there will be a compelling business case for such platforms to host many more services than there are physical computers making up the platform. Systems that host services with at least one processing node per application are relatively simple to build and are in widespread deployment today. Designing, building, and operating Public Computing Platforms clearly poses a number of engineering challenges. For one thing, the platform must be highly available and reliable: businesses will depend on it for their revenue. It must also provide excellent scalability: the market for services is expected to grow, and like any other computer applications we can expect the resource demands of individual Internet services to grow also. The platform must therefore scale in performance in two dimensions, both to handle a potentially large number of services at once, and also scale over time as the resource demands of a given set of services increase. This introduces a new requirement of incremental deployment: it must be possible to add capacity to the platform without interrupting service. Two further requirements set Public Computing Platforms apart from more traditional systems: security, and resource isolation. The platform must support many services, not all of which can be equally trusted, and some of which may even be competing with each other. This implies that the state of one service must be secured from unauthorised access or modification by another service. Additionally, a service must not be permitted to use resources allocated to, required by, and paid for by, another service. A Public Computing Platform can be contrasted with what is sometimes called an Enterprise Computing Platform. An Enterprise Computing Platform (of which there are many in deployment) is designed to run a single application (or a very small number) on behalf of a single enterprise with high capacity (throughput, etc.) and availability. Examples of such platforms are web portals, search engines, transaction processing systems, database servers, mail servers, media servers, etc. We can identify two different kinds of players involved with Enterprise platforms:
Stability of phase-separated microstructure in LPE-grown InGaAs epitaxial layers

Abstract Phase-separated In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As epitaxial layers were grown by liquid phase epitaxy on (001) InP substrates. To investigate the stability of the microstructure, two types of Zn addition experiments were carried out: Zn in-diffusion anneals, and growth of Zn-doped layers followed by annealing (pre-doping experiment). The in-diffusion anneal resulted in a homogeneous microstructure, indicating that the phase-separated microstructure is not the ground state in as-grown InGaAs layers. However, annealing of the pre-doped layer has little effect on the microstructure. Arguments have been developed to rationalize these observations.
A non-uniform friction distribution model for partial slip fretting contact

In partial slip fretting contact, the coefficient of friction (CoF) is often assumed to be constant along the contact surface. The literature shows that the CoF is related to the relative slip, which varies in the slip region of a partial slip contact. This study develops a methodology to consider the effects of non-uniform CoF distribution in the slip region. Two cases were investigated. In the first case, the axial stress on the substrate (specimen) was absent, while the axial stress was present in the second case. In both cases, the CoF was assumed to be static, kept constant in the stick zone, and varied linearly in the slip region. A closed form solution was developed to determine the stick/slip region size and the equivalent constant CoF for the no-axial stress case, and it was supplemented with finite element analysis. In the second case, where an axial stress was applied on the specimen, the stick/slip region size and the equivalent constant CoF were determined by finite element analysis. The equivalent constant CoF with an axial stress was slightly greater than that without the axial stress due to the larger slip zone size. The stress state in the contact region based on the equivalent constant CoF was comparable to its counterpart from the linearly varying CoF case.
Oral versus written feedback in medical clinic

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether residents perceived oral, face-to-face feedback about their continuity clinic performance as better than a similar, written version.
Determination of pore mobility during sintering

The mobility of pores being dragged by grain boundaries has been modeled in terms of shape-independent microstructural parameters measurable by stereological means. The derived mobility is expressed with respect to the amount of porosity per unit area of grain boundary and the driving pressure for grain boundary and pore motion,i.e., as velocity per unit driving pressure. The resultant mobility for pore surface diffusion-controlled motion is found to be inversely proportional to the mean-pore intercept, regardless of pore shape and volume fraction. Solutions for lattice and vapor transport yield mobilities independent of pore size but inversely proportional to pore volume fraction. Computed pore mobilities, assuming surface diffusion-controlled motion, during final-stage sintering of copper and tungsten are shown to decrease with densification. In one case, mobility was found to increase during early densification, prior to the final stage. These results are explained with reference to the simultaneous changes occurring in grain boundary and pore surface areas during densification.
Century-scale climate forcing of fire regimes in the American Southwest

Interannual time-scale associations between fire occurrence and drought indices, the Southern Oscil- lation, and other synoptic patterns demonstrate that large-scale, long-term atmospheric features are precursors to regional fire activity. However, our knowledge of fire-climate relations over longer (century) timescales is fragmentary because of the rarity of comparable climate and fire time-series with sufficient resolution, length and regional extent. In this study, we develop reconstructions of wildfire occurrence from tree-ring data col- lected from northwestern New Mexico to compare with a millennium-length dendroclimatic reconstruction of precipitation. Reconstructions of both wildfires and climate show simultaneous changes since ad 1700 that indicate climate forcing of wildfire regimes on interannual to century timescales. Following a centuries-long dry period with high fire frequency (c. ad 1400-1790), annual precipitation increased, fire frequency decreased, and the season of fire shifted from predominantly midsummer to late spring. We hypothesize that these shifts in fire regimes reflect long-term changes in rainfall patterns associated with changes in synoptic-scale atmospheric circulation patterns and the Southern Oscillation. Our evidence supports century-scale climate forcing of fire regimes in the American Southwest, providing a useful analogue of future wildfire regimes expected under changing global climate conditions.
Effect of sequentially combining methanol and acetic acid on the performance of biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal.

Abstract A sequentially combined carbon (SCC) source using methanol and acetic acid was investigated for biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal in a wastewater treatment process consisting of an anoxic zone, an oxic zone and a final settling tank. The anoxic zone was divided into two separate anoxic zones to feed methanol in the first anoxic zone and acetic acid in the second anoxic zone. Methanol and acetic acid, each as the sole carbon source, were also tested for comparison. The use of SCC was superior in nitrogen removal with all combined COD ratios of methanol/acetic acid tested, yielding 95.8–97% efficiency (less than 1 mg N/l in the final effluent). The highest phosphorus removal of above 92% (final effluent concentration of 0.12 mg P/l) was achieved when only acetic acid was used at a quantity equivalent to 50 mg COD/l. However, when SCC was used, the acetic acid dosage of 50 mg COD/l could be reduced down to 20 mg COD/l when 30 mg COD/l was replaced by methanol; this resulted in a final effluent phosphorus concentration of 0.6 mg P/l. Additional benefits of SCC included the excellent sludge settling properties compared to the use of methanol or acetic acid alone.
The evolution of autoaugmentation gastrocystoplasty

Routine bladder augmentation results in gastrointestinal tract mucosa coming into contact with urine, which is now recognised to be associated with a number of complications. A historical review of the techniques for creating a urothelial-lined reservoir is presented, highlighting the evolution of the recently developed autoaugmentation gastrocystoplasty.
Improvement of Poppet Valve Injection Performance in Large-Bore Natural Gas Engines

Poppet valves have been used as fuel delivery mechanisms in internal combustion engines due to their excellent sealing characteristics. For example, in large-bore stationary natural gas engines, gas is directly injected by a poppet valve into the engine cylinder. The objectives of this paper are to show that a significant amount of stagnation pressure is lost during the gas flow through a conventional poppet valve and to suggest design improvements to obtain more efficient poppet valves with reduced stagnation pressure loss. In this paper, simple converging-diverging nozzles are incorporated into the poppet valve configuration to reduce the stagnation pressure loss originating from compressible flow structures. Numerical simulations of the gas flow through various poppet valve geometries were performed. Both push and pull poppet valve geometries with nozzle were studied. The stagnation pressure losses, momentum delivery downstream and downstream flow characteristics of the jets from conventional poppet valves and the modified valves were compared. A pressure-based valve injection efficiency was defined and used to compare the valve injection performance. A mixing fraction parameter was also defined to compare valve performance in a moving piston simulation. The results indicate that a conventional poppet valve is an inefficient mechanism to deliver momentum to the fuel-air mixture. Comparison of the results indicates that it is possible to make significant improvements of injection performance in momentum delivery by incorporating well-designed nozzles into the poppet valve geometry.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
PTEN-mediated Akt/β-catenin/Foxo1 signaling regulates innate immune responses in mouse liver ischemia/reperfusion injury.

The phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) regulates innate immune responses inversely with phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and its direct downstream target gene, Akt. The Forkhead box O (Foxo) transcription factors are essential in the regulation of tissue development, immune homeostasis, and cell survival. This study was designed to investigate the role of PTEN-mediated Akt/β-catenin/Foxo1 signaling in the regulation of in vivo and in vitro innate immune responses in a mouse model of hepatic inflammatory injury induced by 90 minutes of liver partial warm ischemia followed by 6 hours of reperfusion. We found that knockdown of PTEN with small interfering RNA (siRNA) promoted Akt/β-catenin/Foxo1 signaling, leading to resistance against liver ischemia/reperfusion (IR) damage, local enhancement of antiapoptotic function, and downregulation of innate Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expression. A specific PI3K blockade inhibited Akt/β-catenin signaling, increased Foxo1-mediated TLR4-driven local inflammation, and recreated cardinal features of liver IR injury. Moreover, knockdown of PTEN in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated mouse bone marrow–derived macrophages enhanced β-catenin activity, which in turn provided a negative regulatory feedback to the Foxo1 function, leading to the inhibition of TLR4 and NF-κB, with ultimate depression of proinflammatory cytokine programs in vitro. Conclusion: Our novel findings identify the PTEN-mediated Akt/β-catenin/Foxo1 axis as a key regulator of innate inflammatory response in the mouse liver. By identifying molecular mechanisms of PTEN-mediated Akt/β-catenin/Foxo1 signaling in TLR4 innate immune regulation, our study provides a rationale for therapeutic approaches to manage inflammation injury in IR-stressed liver. (HEPATOLOGY 2013)
Therapy of acute myelogenous leukemia

There has been a rapid improvement in the overall prognosis for patients with acute myelogenous leukemia. The major determinant for this change is a progressive increase in the frequency of inducing complete hematological and clinical remissions from low levels to levels in excess of 50% of patients. The prognostic factors present prior to treatment which predict for a poor probability of response are advanced age, particularly in excess of 60 years, the presence of acute leukemia superimposed on a pre-existing preleukemic syndrome and the association of inevaluable cytogenetic studies. Further improvements in the probability of response requires both the development of better methods of supportive therapy for the host and a better understanding of the treatment of the oligoblastic or unusual leukemic patterns in elderly patients. The duration of remission has not significantly improved for the average patient being somewhere between 10 and 18 months. Analysis of those factors which predict for duration of remission indicate that entirely different variables are involved. Thus, the strategy of treatment for the patient in remission will almost certainly need to be different treatment of the patient with frank disease. Although remission duration has not been significantly prolonged for the average patient, it is observed that an increasing proportion of patients have prolonged remission duration. Careful analysis of duration of remission in patients indicates that the risk of relapse decreases progressively the longer a patient remains in this first remission. In a pilot study, it has been demonstrated that late intensification chemotherapy administered after patients are in remission for a year is associated with an even more favorable remission duration free of disease and free of continued chemotherapy. In this pilot study, there appears to be not only a progressive decrease in the risk of relapse the longer a patient is free of disease but relapse occurring after two years following the late intensification therapy has been very unusual. The small, but progressively increasing proportion of patients with prolonged survival is consistent with the pattern of survival seen in other malignant diseases where we now have convincing evidence of a detectable cure rate. These data support the concept that a small, but detectable, portion of the patients may have been rendered free of their disease. When it is considered that significant improvements in the treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia have only begun within the last 12 years, the rapid rate of change in prognosis for the majority of patients with acute leukemia and the prolonged survivorship observed in a small fraction of the patients provide important grounds for being optimistic about the possibility of long-term control of this disease.
Online learning for network optimization under unknown models

We consider the shortest path problem in a communication network with random link costs drawn from unknown distributions. A realization of the total end-to-end cost is obtained when a path is selected for communication. The objective is an online learning algorithm that minimizes the total expected communication cost in the long run. The problem is formulated as a multi-armed bandit problem with dependent arms, and an algorithm based on basis-based learning integrated with a Best Linear Unbiased Estimator (BLUE) is developed.
Consumer Food Prices from the Ground Up

Large-scale econometric models attempt to capture a significant amount of detail with respect to their applicable industry sector coverage. They do require a substantial commitment of resources in both monetary and temporal scales. It is possible, in developing this level of detail, to make comments on a number of issues of importance to decision makers, but at the same time the detail involved can generate enough trees to make it difficult to recognize the economic forest. This paper examines the performance of the modeling system maintained at the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri and its ability to estimate consumer food prices and expenditures. The paper also examines the implied marketing margin behavior incorporated into the structure of the system. There is substantial detail in the modeling complex. Although each level of the model is developed with attention to predictability and economic theory, relatively few studies have looked at the overall performance of the model in a marketing margin context.
Reducing joint destruction due to septic arthrosis using an adenosine2A receptor agonist.

Abstract We assessed the efficacy of a new adenosine A2A agonist ATL146e, a potent inhibitor of white blood cell chemotaxis, to reduce cartilage damage in the treatment of septic arthrosis. A live septic arthrosis model was created using Staphylococcus aureus in rabbit knees. Animals were divided into five treatment groups: (1) untreated infected control, (2) antibiotics control, and antibiotics plus ATL146e for (3) 24, (4) 48, or (5) 72 h and assessed at 1, 4, and 7 days. Knees in all ATL146e treated animals exhibited no detectable effusion, and histologic examination revealed near normal cartilage and diminished synovial inflammatory response. Synovial WBC counts decreased with the addition of ATL146e when compared to infected and antibiotic controls. Histologic grading of osteochondral specimens demonstrated improved scores for animals treated with ATL146e compared to infected (p Addition of an adenosine A2A agonist to antibiotic therapy decreases joint inflammation and articular cartilage destruction without compromising bacterial clearance in rabbit knees following intraarticular bacterial infection. The use of adenosine agonists selective to the A2A receptor to augment conventional treatment of joint sepsis may be chondroprotective and ultimately help prevent arthrosis.
ATTENTIONAL FUNCTION IN CHILDREN WITH MATHEMATICS WEAKNESS. † 74

Objective: The present study explores the hypothesis that sustained attention to task and detail is an important component in the accurate and rapid computation of mathematics problems.
Feminism versus minority group identity: Not for black woman only

An analytical review of the literature revealed four basic hypotheses that have been adopted by researchers investigating Black women and their relationships. The hypotheses have been identified by the author as follows: The “weakening” hypothesis, the “double whammy” hypothesis, the “Black matriarchy” hypothesis, and the “Black racism” hypothesis. In addition, a discussion of the implication that the hypotheses have for Black and White researchers was given. Finally, suggestions for new approaches and directions that future research should take were included.
Higher education for our time

Public higher education is currently experiencing a decline in financial support from state governments, an acceleration of enrollment growth, and a shift from a transformational to a transactional student relationship. Private institutions are also struggling with increasing operational costs, and decreases in revenue from endowments and fund-raising, all of which have dictated record high tuition rates. Institutional leaders faced with rising costs and falling resources have fewer options from which to choose in order to maintain the fiscal health of their institutions. Outsourcing provides the benefits of services provided by specialists with expertise, and the availability of the economies of scale to reduce the cost side of an institutional ledger. If institutional mission is clearly defined, and the academic program delivered is directly linked to this mission and approved by the faculty, online courses and those drawn from open educational resources can provide counters to the fiscal challenges of the twentyfirst century.
Real-Time Support of Pediatric Diabetes Self-Care by a Transport Team

OBJECTIVE The study seeks to improve access for underserved patients via novel integration of Pedi-Flite (a critical care transport team) and to validate whether this safely enhances diabetes care and effectively expands the endocrine workforce. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The study retrospectively analyzed pager service use in a cohort of established diabetic patients (n = 979) after inception of Pedi-Flite support. Outcomes included incidence and severity of recurrent diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and cost savings generated from reduced referrals to the emergency department (ED) and on-call endocrinologist. We generated descriptive statistics to characterize the study population and ED visits for DKA and constructed logistic regression models to examine associations of pager use and likelihood of ED visitation and nonelective inpatient admission from an ED for DKA. RESULTS Pager users comprised 30% of the patient population. They were younger but had more established diabetes than nonusers. While pager users were 2.75 times more likely than nonusers to visit the ED for DKA (P < 0.0001), their visits were less likely to lead to inpatient admissions (odds ratio 0.58; P < 0.02). More than half (n = 587) of all calls to the pager were resolved without need for further referral. Estimates suggest that 439 ED visits and 115 admissions were avoided at a potential cost savings exceeding 760,000 USD. CONCLUSIONS Integration of a transport service provides a novel, cost-effective approach to reduce disparities in diabetes care. Advantages include scalability, applicability to other disease areas and settings, and low added costs. These findings enrich an emerging evidence base for telephonic care-management models supported by allied health personnel.
Relationship between stream temperature, thermal refugia and rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss abundance in arid‐land streams in the northwestern United States

– Warm stream temperatures may effectively limit the distribution and abundance of Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. in streams. The role of cold thermal refugia created by upwelling groundwater in mediating this effect has been hypothesized but not quantitatively described. Between June 21 and September 15, 1994, rainbow trout O. mykiss abundance within 12 northeast Oregon (USA) stream reaches was inversely correlated with mean ambient maximum stream temperatures (r=−0.7, P 22°C) persisted from mid-June through August, and on average 10–40% of rainbow trout were observed within thermal refugia during periods of midday maximum stream temperatures. Frequency of cold-water patches within reaches was not significantly associated with rainbow trout density after accounting for the influence of ambient stream temperature (P=0.06; extra sum of squares F-test). Given prolonged high ambient stream temperatures in some reaches, the thermal refugia available in the streams we examined may be too small and too infrequent to sustain high densities of rainbow trout. However, these refugia could allow some rainbow trout to persist, although at low densities, in warm stream reaches.
A theoretical analysis of equity and its relationship to student evaluation

It is inevitable that students will at some time during a course of instruction discuss the “fairness” of classroom grading. Although the “fairness” of grading is endemic to student evaluation, lit...
Applied sport psychology: Issues and challenges

(1989). Applied sport psychology: Issues and challenges. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology: Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 181-195.
Cell death: Fatal induction in plants

The recent molecular characterization of three plant genes in which mutations cause phenotypes that mimic disease responses has provided interesting new insights into cell death in plants, but many questions remain about the nature and physiological importance of the process.
“Name your price” – online auctions and reference prices

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the presence of varying price points on the impact of product valuations in both English and reverse auctions on potential bidders, that is, those not yet engaged in the auction. Internet auctions, both English style and reverse, constitute one of the success stories of digital commerce. Design/methodology/approach – As its method of research, this paper uses an experimental approach to explore the effects of multiple reference prices. Findings – While previous research has done well to show that a lower initial price decreases barriers to entry and can lead to a higher final price in English-style auctions, this research shows that such a strategy may harm potential bidders’ product perceptions due to multiple reference prices. The authors explore situations of multiple reference prices in the context of reverse auctions, where both higher and lower reference prices are shown to be able to increase product valuations. Research limitations/implications – Additional...
Meta-analysis of the effects of smokefree laws on acute myocardial infarction: an update.

There have been 8 published studies (Sargent et al., 2004; Barone-Adesi et al., 2006; Bartecchi et al., 2006; Cronin et al., 2007; Juster et al., 2007; Khuder et al., 2007; Cesaroni et al., 2008; Lemstra et al. 2008) evaluating the immediate effects of smokefree policies on hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction since the first report of such a drop in Helena, Montana (Sargent et al. 2004). This brief report updates an earlier meta-analysis of the first four studies (Dinno and Glantz, 2007). Pooling all the available estimates of this effect using the Stata 9.2 metan procedure in a random effects meta-analysis yields a pooled estimate of an immediate 19% (95% CI 14% to 24%) reduction on AMI admission rates associated with these laws (Fig. 1). Fig. 1 Summary of studies of the effects of smokefree laws on acute myocardial infarction in Helena, Montana (Sargent et al., 2004), Pueblo, Colorado (Bartecchi et al., 2006), Piedmont, Italy (Barone-Adesi et al., 2006), Bowling Green, Ohio (Khuder et al., 2007 ... The fact that the studies from Italy (Barone-Adesi et al., 2006; Cesaroni et al., 2008) and Ireland showed smaller drops in AMI admissions than in the American locations may reflect lower levels of compliance with the law than in the US. In Italy and Ireland, implementation of the law was associated with 64% (Valente et al., 2007) and 69% (Mulcahy et al., 2005) reductions, respectively, in levels of secondhand smoke exposure, compared to an 84% reduction in the US (Travers et al., 2004). In addition to these 8 published studies, this analysis does not include two studies for which confidence intervals are not available: a small study of Monroe County, Indiana (Seo and Torabi, 2007) which found a significant drop in AMI and a study of Scotland (Moss, 2007) presented at a conference that reported a 17% drop, but which has not yet been published. The fact that many studies from so many locations around the world provide consistent findings of a substantial drop in AMI's associated with the implementation of smokefree laws increases the confidence that we can have that smokefree policies have immediate and substantial benefits in terms of reducing acute myocardial infarctions.
Microstructural Changes Due to Process Conditions in Sol-Gel Derived KNbO3 Thin Films

KNbO 3 thin films have been deposited from K(OMe)/Nb(OMe) 5 sols onto (100) MgO substrates. Microstructural changes were observed relative to stoichiometry, aging, and the hydrolysis temperature. The production of single phase, oriented films has been demonstrated, and was found to be strongly dependent on process conditions. The films were characterized by XRD, TEM, SEM, EDS, and Raman spectroscopy.
"An ecological perspective": the value of species comparisons.

George Collier is known for promoting the incorporation of an ecological framework into the study of feeding behavior. He has tirelessly reminded psychologists and physiologists that the animals they study are members of species designed by evolution to solve problems of acquiring, handling and storing energy in particular ways. A less-appreciated contribution is the comparative approach within his laboratory. George and his students used laboratory simulations of foraging, but ranged far beyond the laboratory rat to examine the responses of a variety of species representing different dietary needs and foraging strategies. Species comparisons enhance our ability to test the generality of responses to challenges, apply ecological theory to the explanation of behavior, and incorporate the feeding strategy of a species in the study of its ingestive behavior.
Incidence and prognostic factors for seroma development after MammoSite breast brachytherapy

Abstract Purpose Describe the incidence and identify risk factors for seroma development after MammoSite breast brachytherapy (MBT). Methods and Materials MBT patient data were prospectively recorded into a quality assurance database. Departmental and electronic records were reviewed to extract patient-, treatment-, and outcome-specific data. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with development of any seroma including the subset of clinically significant seroma (CSS). CSS was defined as a symptomatic seroma requiring multiple aspirations, biopsy, and/or excision. Variables analyzed included age, weight, number of excisions, time from resection to catheter placement, placement technique, balloon volume, dosimetric factors, and postbrachytherapy infection. Results MBT was performed in 109 patients, of whom 97 had minimum 6 months (median, 36) post-MBT follow-up or earlier development of seroma. All patients received 34 Gy to 1 cm depth from balloon surface, delivered twice daily in 10 fractions. Seroma developed in 41% of patients at a median of 3 months (range, 0.1–25) post-MBT. One-third of seromas (13% of all patients) were CSS. The only factor identified as statistically significant for development of any seroma was catheter placement on day of resection vs. ≥1 day later (59% vs. 33%; p = 0.0066). Post-MBT infection was highly statistically significant for development of CSS (64% vs. 7%; p Conclusions The incidence of CSS after MBT is low. Post-MBT infection is statistically significantly associated with CSS development, the incidence of which is reduced with prophylactic antibiotics.
A Dual Affinity Tag on the 64-kDa Nlt1p Subunit Allows the Rapid Characterization of Mutant Yeast Oligosaccharyl Transferase Complexes ☆

Oligosaccharyl transferase catalyzes the glycosylation of selected asparagine residues of nascent polypeptide chains as they are translocated into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. To date, this enzyme has been purified from a number of eukaryotic organisms. Purification of transferase activity has yielded polypeptide complexes of three to six subunits depending on the source organism. Here we present the purification of an affinity-tagged version of the enzyme complex from a membrane protein fraction of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A yeast strain was created in which the essential 64-kDa glycoprotein Nlt1p subunit of the oligosaccharyl transferase was modified by the addition of a 22-residue carboxy-terminal affinity tag; the tag included both an 8-residue FLAG epitope and a 6-residue histidine motif. Facile purification of the oligosaccharyl transferase was achieved using affinity chromatography media specific for each segment of the tag. The enzyme was purified as a heteromeric complex of five subunits in agreement with previously reported characterizations of the yeast transferase. Yeast strains bearing affinity-tagged enzyme subunits allow the rapid characterization of native and mutant transferase complexes.
Decay of 34P and 34mCl

Abstract The decay of 12·4 sec 34P and 32·0 min 34mCl were studied using a GeLi spectrometer and β- and γ-ray scintillation detectors. Approximately 40 per cent of the total decay of 34mCl was determined to decay through the 145·7 keV isomeric transition to 1·56 sec 34gCl. The ground state to ground state β branching of 34P was measured to be 85±2 per cent. Decay schemes are presented and discussed.
Forcing of Flow Reversal along the Windward Slopes of Hawaii

Abstract Hawaii is an island approximately 4 km high, the lower portion of which is immersed in an easterly trade-wind layer that is typically 2 km deep. Blockage of the trade wind combined with diurnal, thermally driven circulations, leads to a general flow stagnation along the windward slopes and to a reversal of flow at night. This westerly downslope flow is confluent with the incoming trade wind and usually extends offshore. From observations in the Hawaiian Rainband Project, this flow is examined to determine if it is primarily driven by blocking dynamics or thermal forcing. It is determined that the westerly downslope flow is principally a thermally driven circulation and that it closely resembles a density drainage current. This flow is normally initiated by evaporative cooling, principally from orographic rainfall, but perhaps also from evapotranspiration. Under less cloudy and precipitation-free conditions, downslope flow can be initiated and maintained by radiative cooling of the land surface, b...
A note on internal merging

A simple technique for conserving storage and operations when merging streings internally is presented. An analysis of the increase in efficiency obtained with this methos is given. The technique lends itself to iterative usage in algorithms.
Organizational longevity and technological change

Serves as an introduction to the special issue on organizational longevity published in the Journal of Organizational Change Management. The issues of researching and writing about organizational longevity are described and the content of the special issue is related to a theoretical perspective that focuses on the nature of technological, environmental and cultural change.
Simple Clothoid Paths for Autonomous Vehicle Lane Changes at the Limits of Handling

This paper demonstrates that an autonomous vehicle can perform emergency lane changes up to the limits of handling through real-time generation and evaluation of bi-elementary paths. Path curvature and friction limits determine the maximum possible speed along the path and, consequently, the feasibility of the path. This approach incorporates both steering inputs and changes in speed during the maneuver. As a result, varying path parameters and observing the maximum possible entry speed of resulting paths gives insight about when and to what extent a vehicle should brake and turn during emergency lane change maneuvers. Tests on an autonomous vehicle validate this approach for lane changes at the limits of handling.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Solubility of Vitamin E (α-Tocopherol) and Vitamin K3 (Menadione) in Ethanol−Water Mixture

Phase behavior of vitamins in aqueous solutions is important in chemical processing and medical and dietary applications. Solubility is reported for two fat-soluble vitamins, vitamin E (α-tocopherol) and vitamin K3 (menadione), in aqueous mixtures containing ethanol at 33 °C. Both vitamins have very low solubility in pure water owing to hydrophobic repulsion. Addition of ethanol in the water results in a large increase in solubility, mostly due to nonpolar attractive interactions between ethanol and vitamin molecules. For example, by addition of 70 mass % ethanol, vitamin E solubility increases 450-fold and vitamin K3 solubility increases 170-fold. The enhancement is more pronounced with vitamin E because it is more hydrophobic than vitamin K3.
Synthesis of carbohydrate‐linked poly(polyoxometalate) poly(amido)amine dendrimers

Mannose-functionalized and ethoxyethanol-functionalized poly(amido)amine dendrimers bound multiple vanadate-substituted polyoxotungstate Wells–Dawson-type polyoxometalates (POMs). Dendrimers incorporating 10–30 POMs were characterized with NMR, transmission electron microscopy, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry techniques. The number of metal clusters per dendrimer molecule varied according to the dendrimer generation and the nature of the surface functional groups. Efforts aimed at using the poly(polyoxometalate) dendrimers as oxidation catalysts are also described. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 3059–3066, 2005
Creation of Human Alkyltransferases Resistant to O6-Benzylguanine

O 6-benzylguanine (BG), an inhibitor of O 6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase, is being tested clinically for its ability to chemosensitize tumors to alkylating agents. Although this drug may increase the killing of tumors that express high levels of alkyltransferase, it would also be expected to reduce the already low alkyltransferase levels of hematopoietic stem cells and, thus, exacerbate the dose-limiting side effect of myelosuppression. One way to overcome this problem would be to transduce hematopoietic stem cells with a gene encoding a BG-resistant alkyltransferase prior to BG/alkylation treatment. We used the technique of random mutagenesis followed by positive genetic selection to create such a mutant gene. A pool of 6.5 × 106 human alkyltransferases that were randomly mutated at six amino acids near the alkyl-accepting cysteine was transformed into alkyltransferase-deficient Escherichia coli . Five mutants were selected based on their ability to provide the bacteria with resistance to both N -methyl- N′ -nitro- N -nitrosoguanidine and BG. One mutant, V139F/P140R/L142M, not only had the highest BG resistance (50% inhibitory concentration, >500 µm) but also offered E. coli the best protection from N -methyl- N′ -nitro- N -nitrosoguanidine and, thus, is a promising gene therapy candidate.
What is the purpose of launching the World Journal of Nephrology

The launch of the World Journal of Nephrology (WJN) has distinct purposes. Its main purpose is to incorporate the fields of diabetes, hypertension, urology, cardiology and neurology, which are related to kidney disease, and to make all of our readers, contributors and allied health professionals feel at home with the WJN. The WJN aims to rapidly report new theories, methods and techniques for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and nursing skill in the field of nephrology. The WJN will cover diagnostic imaging, disorders of kidney development, renal obstruction, atrophy and regeneration, kidney tumors, renal pharmacology and therapy, renal replacement therapies including transplantation, and Chinese herbal medicine. The WJN issues will include an editorial, frontier, invited review of articles and commentaries in addition to original articles submitted. The WJN will solicit articles from investigators in areas of diabetes and hypertension, and high priority will be given to those articles with an emphasis on the prevention of dialysis. Final decision for publication will be based on the merit of the article, language and lucidity.