cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trends in Firearm Injury and Motor Vehicle Crash Case Fatality by Age Group, 2003-2013

Importance If changes over time in trauma care apply to both firearm injuries and motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) similarly, differences in mechanism-specific case-fatality trends may suggest changes over time in injury severity. Objectives To analyze national trends in case-fatality percentages at levels I and II trauma centers for injuries due to MVC, firearm assault, self-inflicted firearm injury, and unintentional firearm injury by age and to analyze trends in injury severity scores (ISSs) and the percentage of out-of-hospital deaths by mechanism. Design, Setting, and Participants From November 15, 2017, to July 4, 2018, repeated cross-sectional measures analysis of 1 335 044 patients treated at level I or II trauma centers from January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2013, was conducted using 2 data sources: the National Trauma Data Bank National Sample Program, with survey weights to estimate annual median ISS, total injuries and total deaths at levels I and II trauma centers, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research for percentages of out-of-hospital deaths. Main Outcome Measures The main outcome was annual case-fatality percentage (total died/total injured), calculated by mechanism across 3 age groups (15-34 years, 35-54 years, and ≥55 years) and 5 categories of ISS (1-15 [mild] 16-24, 25-40, 41-66, and 67-75 [severe]). Linear regression was performed to estimate annual trends in case-fatality percentage by mechanism, age group, and ISS. Annual trends in percentages of out-of-hospital deaths and median ISSs by mechanism were estimated. Sensitivity analyses included the Durbin-Watson statistic for autocorrelation and Prais-Winsten regression models. Results Among 1 335 044 patients treated at level I or II trauma centers, self-inflicted firearm injury had a case-fatality percentage of 42.8%, and assault with a firearm had a case-fatality percentage of 11.1%, the 2 highest of the injuries studied. The injury case-fatality percentage was lower each year for MVCs but did not change for any firearm intent overall or for any age group. Overall, median ISS increased annually for firearm suicide (0.31; 95% CI, 0.00-0.61). The annual percentage of out-of-hospital deaths was lower each year for MVCs (−0.24; 95% CI, −0.43 to −0.05) but not for any firearm intents. In sensitivity analyses, the annual percentage of out-of-hospital deaths for MVCs no longer showed a decline. Conclusions and Relevance Stagnant case-fatality percentages for firearm injuries juxtaposed to improvements for MVCs across age-groups and ISS categories suggests worsening severity of firearm injuries over the study period.
Financing Ventures: Some Macroeconomics

The relationship between venture capital and growth is examined using an endogenous growth model incorporating dynamic contracts between entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. At each stage of financing, venture capitalists evaluate the viability of startups. If viable, venture capitalists provide funding for the next stage. The success of a project depends on the amount of funding. The model is confronted with stylized facts about venture capital; viz., statistics by funding round concerning the success rates, failure rates, investment rates, equity shares, and IPO values. Raising capital gains taxation reduces growth and welfare.
Thirty years of followup in 3 patients with familial polyarteritis nodosa due to adenosine deaminase 2 deficiency

Three sisters of Northern European descent provided an opportunity to examine the longterm course and possible familial aspects of a rare disease, polyarteritis nodosa (PAN). Approval and consent was obtained from each patient. The sisters have been cared for in the Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center for the past 3 decades. At age 7, the first sister developed rash, fever, lethargy, and a deviated right eye and was treated empirically for tuberculosis. At age 8, these symptoms recurred along with abdominal pain, hypertension, and stroke. Renal angiography demonstrated microaneurysms and a skin biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of PAN. She was initiated on prednisone and azathioprine (AZA). Within the following year, she developed 2 bowel perforations with pathology demonstrating PAN and was treated with cyclophosphamide (CYC). By age 17, methotrexate was added for abdominal pain in the context of worsening mesenteric angiography. At age 19, she developed mononeuritis multiplex, and acute abdominal pain led to discovery of a ruptured renal aneurysm and upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleed, necessitating gastrectomy. She was treated with prednisone, CYC, and total parenteral nutrition. From ages 19 to 25 years, she had 8 hospitalizations for abdominal angina and GI bleeding and 1 for stroke. Angiography during this period showed 95–99% stenosis of the celiac artery and diffuse changes of PAN in the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries as well as active skin lesions. … Address correspondence to Dr. J. Liebowitz, Johns Hopkins University, Division of Rheumatology, 5200 Eastern Ave., MFL Bldg., Center Tower, Suite 4100, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA. E-mail: jliebow3{at}jhmi.edu
Harvest weed seed control of Italian ryegrass [Lolium perenne L. ssp. multiflorum (Lam.) Husnot], common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.), and Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson)

Herbicide resistance is a major problem in United States and global agriculture, driving farmers to consider other methods of weed control. One of these methods is harvest weed seed control (HWSC), which has been demonstrated to be effective in Australia. HWSC studies were conducted across Virginia in 2017 and 2018, targeting Italian ryegrass in continuous winter wheat as well as common ragweed and Palmer amaranth in continuous soybean. These studies assessed the impact of HWSC (via weed seed removal) on weed populations in the next year's crop compared with conventional harvest (weed seeds returned). HWSC reduced Italian ryegrass tillers compared with the conventional harvest at two locations in April (29% and 69%), but no difference was observed at a third location. At wheat harvest, HWSC at one location reduced Italian ryegrass seed heads (41 seed heads m-2) compared with conventional harvest (125 seed heads m-2). In soybean, before preplant herbicide applications and POST herbicide applications, HWSC reduced common ragweed densities by 22% and 26%, respectively, compared with the conventional harvest plots. By soybean harvest, no differences in common ragweed density, seed retention, or crop yield were observed, because of effectiveness of POST herbicides. No treatment differences were observed at any evaluation timing for Palmer amaranth, which is attributed to farmer weed management (i.e., effective herbicides) and low weed densities making any potential treatment differences difficult to detect. Across wheat and soybean, there were no differences observed in crop yield between treatments. Overall, HWSC was demonstrated to be a viable method to reduce Italian ryegrass and common ragweed populations.Nomenclature: Common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. AMBEL; Italian ryegrass, Lolium perenne L. ssp. multiflorum (Lam.) Husnot LOLMU; Palmer amaranth, Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson AMAPA; soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr.; winter wheat, Triticum aestivum L.
An introduction to the special issue

Abstract The author provides a short introduction to the special issue, honoring the work of Louis P. Bucklin, including discussion and comments on Bucklin's major contributions to distribution channel theory.
Combined temperature and density series for fluid-phase properties. II. Lennard-Jones spheres.

In Paper I [J. R. Elliott, A. J. Schultz, and D. A. Kofke, J. Chem. Phys. 143, 114110 (2015)] of this series, a methodology was presented for computing the coefficients of a power series of the Helmholtz energy in reciprocal temperature, β, through density series based on cluster integral expansions. Previously, power series in β were evaluated by thermodynamic perturbation theory (TPT) using molecular simulation of a reference fluid. The present methodology uses cluster integrals to evaluate coefficients of the density expansion at each individual order of temperature. While Paper I [J. R. Elliott, A. J. Schultz, and D. A. Kofke, J. Chem. Phys. 143, 114110 (2015)] developed this methodology for square well (SW) spheres, the present work extends the methodology to Lennard-Jones (LJ) spheres, where the reference fluid is the Weeks-Chandler-Andersen potential. Comparisons of TPT coefficients computed from cluster integrals to those from molecular simulation show good agreement through third order in β when coefficients are expressed with effective approximants. Notably, the agreement for LJ spheres is much better than for SW spheres although fewer coefficients of the density series (B2–B5) are available than for SW spheres (B2–B6). The coefficients for Bi(β) of the reference fluid are shown to follow a simple relationship to the virial coefficients of hard sphere fluids, corrected for the temperature dependency of the equivalent hard sphere diameter. This lays the foundation for a correlation of the second virial coefficient of LJ spheres B2(β) that extrapolates to infinite order in temperature. This correlation of B2(β) provides a basis for estimating the low density limit of TPT coefficients at all orders in temperature, facilitating a recursive extrapolation formula to estimate TPT coefficients of fourth order and higher over the entire density range. The applicability of the resulting equation of state is demonstrated by computing the thermodynamic properties for LJ spheres and comparing to standard simulation results.
WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO AGGREGATE CONCENTRATION IN THE U.S. ECONOMY IN THE TWENTY‐FIRST CENTURY?

This paper extends earlier data series on aggregate concentration in the U.S. economy—the percentage of aggregate economic activity that could be attributed to the largest “X” companies—into the first two decades of the twenty‐first century. We find that there has been a moderate but continued increase in aggregate concentration since the mid‐1990s. This increase appears in data on employment and payrolls that have been compiled by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, as well as employment and profits data that are drawn from the annual “Fortune 500” lists. This increase does not, however, appear to have raised aggregate concentration above the levels of the early 1980s. (JEL L10, L11, L19)
YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ Nano-SQUIDs Fabricated by Focused Helium Ion Beam Direct Writing

We successfully fabricated high-transition temperature $(\mathrm{high}-T_{C})$ nano-scale superconducting quantum interference devices (nano-SQUIDs) by using a 32-keV focused helium ion beam (FHIB). The $\sim 0.5$ nm beam of the FHIB was used to disorder the crystaline lattice of YBa2Cu $3\mathrm{O}_{7-\delta}$ (YBCO) causing disorder that converts the material from superconductor to insulator at high dose. The SQUID loop size was 400 nm x 400 nm, with 200-nm wide Josephson junctions. Devices operated over a wide range of temperatures from 50 to 4 K and exhibited large voltage modulation with magnetic field as high as 500 $\mu \mathrm{V}$ .
Blunt Adrenal Injury: Results of a State Trauma Registry Review

In the past, injuries to the adrenal glands due to blunt trauma were considered rare, and were reported to be associated with high Injury Severity Scores (ISSs) and high mortality. Recent reports have reported a much high incidence associated with lower ISS and lower mortality. The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of adrenal gland injuries due to blunt trauma in a large state trauma registry and determine whether these injuries are associated with a higher ISS and increased risk for mortality. A retrospective review was performed on the New York State Trauma Registry comparing blunt injured adults with adrenal injuries to those who did not. Concurrent organ injuries, ISS, and inhospital mortality were compared. Three hundred thirty-nine patients with adrenal gland injuries were identified. Concurrent liver and kidney injuries were more prevalent in the adrenal injured group, and concurrent injuries to the small and large intestine and spleen were more prevalent in the nonadrenal injured group. There was no difference in ISS or mortality between the adrenal injured and nonadrenal injured populations. The results of this study are consistent with recent smaller studies which identified incidence rates which were higher than previously reported and that ISS and mortality risk were unchanged by the presence of blunt adrenal gland injuries. Adrenal gland injuries due to blunt trauma are not uncommon, with an incidence rate of 0.61 per cent. Adrenal gland injuries are not associated with higher ISS or an increased risk of mortality.
Metabolic syndrome and P-wave duration in the American population.

Abstract Purpose Metabolic syndrome has a high prevalence in the United States. P-wave duration is a valuable indicator for atrial electrical conduction. Abnormalities in atrial electrical conduction can predispose to atrial fibrillation. Our objective was to estimate the effect of metabolic syndrome on P-wave duration in a nationally representative sample. Methods We included 6499 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (1988–1994). We estimated the effect of metabolic syndrome and its components on P-wave duration after adjusting for confounders such as demographic and lifestyle variables. We stratified the analyses by gender. Results Irrespective of gender, participants with metabolic syndrome had a longer P-wave duration than that of those without it. In addition, we observed a positive linear dose–response relation between metabolic syndrome components and P-wave duration. Conclusions Patients with metabolic syndrome had a longer P-wave duration. They might have been at a higher risk for atrial fibrillation and mortality; they need to be periodically checked by their health care providers. However, the results of this study should be confirmed in prospective studies.
Generalization and Discrimination of Molecularly Similar Odorants in Detection Canines and the Influence of Training.

Abstract Operationally-deployed canine detectors are often trained on one or a limited number of materials representing a single target odor, and training frequently occurs using materials of a high purity grade in controlled scenarios with minimal other background odors. Conversely, in the field, canine detectors are expected to generalize and identify variations of the target odor, while discriminating from similar extraneous or background odors. This exemplifies the balance between generalization and discrimination required for effective canine detectors. This research explored the tendency for detection canines to generalize or discriminate between similar odorants. Two groups of related odorants were used in two separate studies; (1) odorants of similar functional groups with differing carbon chains, and (2) odorants of similar carbon chain length but differing functional groups. Within each odorant set, the effect of training was addressed by incrementally increasing the number of odorants each canine was trained to detect. Initially, discrimination increased with increasing molecular dissimilarity in both odorant groups. After further training on additional related odorants, generalization increased across the set of odorants of the same carbon chain length, but there were no significant changes in either generalization or discrimination across the set of odorants of the same functional group. The results suggest that the canines in this study were more likely to generalize across compounds of the same chain length with differing functional group than across compounds of the same functional group, but differing chain lengths. Furthermore, some variation in performance between individual canines indicated that the tendency to generalize differed with experience, breed, and other factors affecting olfaction.
The Boers and the Breaker: Bruce Beresford’s Breaker Morant Re-Viewed

Este ensayo es una revision del film Consejo de guerra (Breaker Morant, 1980) desde perspectivas como la del Nuevo Cine Australiano, la guerra de los boers, la Federacion Australiana, el genero del drama en una corte marcial y la trayectoria del realizador Bruce Beresford. El autor argumenta que la pelicula no es un simple melodrama sobre la injusticia militar, como todavia es ampliamente considerado por muchos, sino una dramatizacion excelente de uno de los episodios mas controvertidos en la historia colonial australiana. El director afirma, ademas, que Breaker Morant es tambien una excelente instancia de "telescopio", en el que la accion de la pelicula, ambientada en el pasado, pretende ser una referencia al mundo del presente, en este caso es el de una guerra de guerrillas del siglo XX conocida como el "conflicto" de Vietnam.
Functional and Structural Characterization of OXA-935, a Novel OXA-10-family β-lactamase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Resistance to antipseudomonal penicillins and cephalosporins is often driven by the overproduction of the intrinsic {beta}-lactamase AmpC. However, OXA-10-family {beta}-lactamases are a rich source of resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. OXA {beta}-lactamases have a propensity for mutation leading to extended spectrum cephalosporinase and carbapenemase activity. In this study, we identified isolates from a subclade of the multidrug-resistant (MDR) high risk clonal complex CC446 with resistance to ceftazidime. Genomic analysis revealed that these isolates harbored a plasmid containing a novel allele of blaOXA-10, named blaOXA-935, which was predicted to produce an OXA-10 variant with two amino acid substitutions: an aspartic acid instead of glycine at position 157 and a serine instead of phenylalanine at position 153. The G157D mutation, present in OXA-14, is associated with resistance to ceftazidime. Deletion of blaOXA-935 restored sensitivity to ceftazidime and susceptibility profiling of P. aeruginosa laboratory strains expressing blaOXA-935 revealed that OXA-935 conferred ceftazidime resistance. To better understand the impact of the variant amino acids, we determined the crystal structures of OXA-14 and OXA-935. In OXA-14, one of two monomers contained the canonical carbamylated lysine-70 (K70). In contrast, both monomers of OXA-935 were decarbamylated at K70, and the F153S mutation conferred increased flexibility to the omega ({Omega}) loop. Compared to OXA-14, the catalytic efficiency of OXA-935 for nitrocefin was significantly reduced. Amino acid changes that confer extended spectrum cephalosporinase activity to OXA-10-family {beta}-lactamases are concerning given rising reliance on novel {beta}-lactam/{beta}-lactamase inhibitor combinations such as ceftolozane-tazobactam and ceftazidime-avibactam to treat MDR P. aeruginosa infections.
Energy Analysis for Environmental Impact Assessment

Determining the environmental input to the economy can be viewed as a process of evaluating different kinds of energy inputs, and then converting them into an equivalent amount of the energy of a common type, the solar equivalent. Evaluation of environmental impacts is aided by energy analysis method. This procedure is used to evaluate quantitatively the proposed changes in environmental conditions and distinguish between alternatives. A hypothetical power plant siting problem is chosen to illustrate the evaluation of the environmental impacts on different types of land. Two objectives are used for ranking the various land use alternatives. The energy embodied in environmental flows is used as a measure of potential contribution to the economy; and the energy removed from environmental storages is considered as the energy required for replacement. Results of the quantitative assessment shows that the preferable choice of plant location, based on economic potentials and depletion of natural resources is different.
Gains from Trade: Lessons from the Gaza Blockade 2007-2010

This paper uses detailed household expenditure and firm production data to study the welfare consequences of the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip between 2007 and 2010. Using the West Bank as a counterfactual, I find that being removed from world markets reduced welfare by 17%-28% on average. Moreover, households with larger pre-blockade expenditure levels experienced disproportionally larger welfare losses. These effects are substantially larger than the predictions of standard trade models. I show that this large decline in welfare may be due to a combination of resource reallocation and reduced productivity. Using firm level data I find that the blockade triggered reallocation of workers across firms and sectors, especially from manufacturing to services, and from industries that use imported inputs intensively, or export. In addition, labor productivity fell sharply by 23%. This decline was however significantly higher in manufacturing (39%) than in services (5%). These findings suggest that access to world markets did not only determine the location of the Gaza economy on a given Production Possibility Frontier, but also determined the shape of this PPF.
A Crack-Closure Model for the Fatigue Behavior of Notched Components

Newman's Dugdale strip-yield model for crack closure was used to estimate the crack-closure behavior of cracks emanating from notches. The estimated effective stress-intensity ratio U(a) = ΔK e f f (a)/ΔK(a) obtained usingNewman's model did not exhibit the frequently observed "dip" presumably caused by the notch plasticity. To incorporate the effects of notch plasticity into the Newman model, the plastic stretches caused by the notch were superposed on the plastic stretches caused by the crack tip. A finite element procedure was used to calculate the magnitude of the notch plastic stretches. It was found that the magnitude of the notch plastic stretches was much larger than that of the crack-tip plastic stretches and that the notch plastic stretches were the main source of the plastic wake when the crack tip was within the notch plastic zone. The validity of the proposed modification of Newman's Dugdale strip-yield model was verified by comparing the predicted results with the published experimental data for various notched components. The effects of the notch-plastic zone on U(a) were found to be significant for stress ratio R ≥ 0 but to be unimportant for R ≤ -1.
Why does peacekeeping succeed or fail? Peacekeeping in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone

Why do some UN peacekeeping missions succeed and others fail? Why did the mission in Sierra Leone produce peace and the mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) did not? These two UN missions have had unambiguously divergent outcomes. In 1999, Sierra Leone was in the midst of a brutal civil war that had killed or displaced about half its population. But by 2002, three years after the UN deployment, violence had ended in Sierra Leone. By 2005, the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) had exited the country, leaving behind self-enforcing peace, and becoming a peace-enforcement success story.1 In contrast, seven years into the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC), the UN’s Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs still equated the Congo with “the killing fields of our times”.2 The prospect of MONUC exiting and leaving a self-enforcing peace is remote.3
Measuring Funds of Knowledge: Contributions to Latina/o Students’ Academic and Nonacademic Outcomes

Background/ContextThe educational performance of Latina/o students in the United States is becoming a central concern in education policy and reform. In an attempt to explain variation in the acade...
Growing teratoma syndrome: Clinical and radiographic characteristics

Objectives To present an overview of our surgical experience in the management of growing teratoma syndrome. Methods A retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy between November 2005 and February 2012 revealed 15 patients who met the criteria for growing teratoma syndrome. Their clinical data, imaging characteristics, and surgical and oncological outcomes were reviewed. Results The median age at diagnosis was 23 years. Primary testis tumors included non-seminomatous germ cell tumor in 12 of 15 patients, seminoma in two of 15 patients and hemorrhagic mass in one patient. Mature teratoma was present in just six (40%) of the orchiectomy specimens. All patients received preoperative chemotherapy. On imaging, the median size of the largest retroperitoneal mass was 7 cm (range 3.9–24.5 cm). The median rate of linear growth was 0.5 cm/month (range 0.03–2.9), and the increase in volume was 9.2 cm3/month. All tumors were found to have cystic and necrotic components. Median operative time was 6.2 h (range 4.2–15.2 h). Estimated blood loss was 600 mL (range 100–7000 mL), and median length of stay was 5 days (range 3–19 days). Four patients required resection of non-retroperitoneal growing teratoma masses after post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy to achieve tumor-free status. There were two minor (Clavien I–II) and two major postoperative complications (Clavien ≥III). All patients are alive and disease free with a median duration of follow-up of 8 months (range 1–64 months). Conclusions Growing teratoma syndrome tumors vary in their growth rate, but they all appear to have cystic features with necrosis elements on radiographic evaluation. Aggressive surgical excision is associated with excellent outcomes.
EXAMINING FLOOD INSURANCE CLAIMS IN THE UNITED STATES: SIX KEY FINDINGS

We undertake the first large-scale analysis of flood insurance claims in the United States, analyzing over 1 million claims from the federally managed National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) over the period 1978–2012. Using fixed effects regressions and other statistical analyses, we test several hypotheses about the nature and drivers of flood claims (e.g., the impact of flood zone, characteristics of the house, individual and collective mitigation, and repetitive loss properties), as well as uncover quantitative relationships on the determinants of claims payments. We also examine how claims are distributed across time and space. Our findings, several surprising, provide a quantitative basis for exploring the challenges associated with low insurance demand and also can contribute to more informed policy decisions regarding reform of the NFIP, as well as flood insurance markets around the world.
Nonconventional Terror—The Anesthesiologist's Role in a Nerve Agent Event

The structure and biologic action of nerve agents is similar to organophosphates, commonly used as insecticides. Acetylcholine accumulation and binding to the cholinergic receptor site stimulates the affected organs producing a predictable set of clinical symptoms. Treatment of the affected patients will include decontamination, respiratory and hemodynamic support, as well as specific antidotes. The multiple casualties that may be expected present additional logistical and organizational problems. The specific skills of anesthesiologists will make them invaluable members of the care team in such a chemical mass casualty event.
Respiratory Adaptations in Marine Mammals

This paper is a discussion of some of the possible structural and functional modifications of the lung which represent adaptations in mammals living in the sea. Lung capacities of marine mammals seem to be larger than terrestrial mammals especially if they are compared on a lean weight basis. It is proposed that at least in some this represents an important increase in buoyancy which enables these mammals to rest at sea. The importance of the lung as an O2 store during dives is considered, and it seems that it would be important only to those species that have a low breath-hold tolerance. In their case the O2 present in the fully inflated lung is from four times to equal that in the blood. In those species with a large breath-hold tolerance the lung O2 store is a small fraction of blood stores. Several experiments are discussed which indicate that during dives to depth gas exchange between the blood and lungs is low. One of the reasons suggested is compression collapse of the alveoli. This occurs because of the apparent rigidity of the airways which even in the terminal segments possess an unusual amount of muscular or cartilaginous support. The reinforcement insures that during compression the airways will not occlude and trap gas in the alveoli. In fact, in some species, especially otariids and cetaceans, the airways seem overly strong and an additional function is suggested. Studies of mechanical properties of sea lion and whale lungs show that they may be capable of high expiratory flow rates at low volumes. This feature of the lung would make possible an exchange of a large gas volume in very short periods. Such an ability is consistent with the ventilatory behavior of many marine mammals.
The "Feng," "Ya," and "Song" in Pre-Qin Poetry (Shi) Studies

(2008). The 'Feng,' 'Ya,' and 'Song' in Pre-Qin Poetry (Shi) Studies. Contemporary Chinese Thought: Vol. 39, No. 4, pp. 61-69.
Compression-compatible fragile and semifragile tamper detection

In this paper, we present two tamper-detection techniques. The first is a fragile technique that can detect the most minor changes in a marked image using a DCT-based data hiding method to embed a tamper-detection mark. The second is a semi-fragile technique that detects the locations of significant manipulations while disregarding the less important effects of image compression and additive channel noise. Both techniques are fully described and the performance of each algorithms demonstrated by manipulation of the marked images.
Analysis of the effects of herbicides on cotton yield trends

Abstract Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) yields have declined since 1965 despite improvements in technology and introductions of higher yielding cultivars. Cotton scientists have been unable to identify exact causes of the yield reduction. As part of the effort to examine possible causes for the yield reduction problem, the cotton crop simulation model, GOSSYM, was used to analyze the effects of root damage caused by herbicides on cotton yield trends. Weather, soil and cultural input data taken at five locations for over 20 years were acquired for this study. Simulations were completed for crops grown at the cotton breeder's variety trial locations at Florence, SC; Stoneville, MS; College Station, TX; Phoenix, AZ; and Fresno, CA. The simulated adverse effects of the herbicides on cotton yields varied from location to location due to their interactions with soil, plant and atmospheric variables. Cooler temperatures in Stoneville, MS, intensified herbicide damage, while the long growing season and warm climate in Fresno, CA, reduced the adverse effects of herbicide damage. Increased N and water shortages were apparent with herbicide induced root pruning. The effect of the herbicides on simulated cotton yield reduction was highest at Stoneville, MS, showing a decrease of 137 kg ha −1 . The lowest yield reductions (14 kg ha −1 ) were observed at Fresno, CA, due to herbicidal action on cotton roots. The effect of herbicides on cotton yield reduction was found to be greater under unfavorable weather conditions like cooler temperatures during the boll-opening period.
Peripheral atropinization does not change meal size controlled by prepyloric mechanisms

To investigate the role of gastric contractility in the prepyloric control of meal size, we administered atropine methyl nitrate (3 mg/kg,ip) or saline prior to 30-min tests on 3 separate days in which 0.8 M sucrose was ingested by rats after 1 h of food deprivation. Ingested 0.8 M sucrose accumulated in the stomach and did not empty into the small intestine during the test because the pylorus of each rat was closed by inflation of a chronic pyloric cuff. Atropine methyl nitrate had no significant effect on 30-min intake or on the pattern of intake observed at 3-min intervals during the test on any of the three test days. Thus, neither acute nor repetitive experience with atropine methyl nitrate changed the pattern or volume of intake. These results suggest that gastric contractile responses elicited by the intragastric accumulation of 0.8M sucrose during ingestion are not necessary for the control of meal size by prepyloric mechanisms.
Light for Art Conservation

Abstract High-intensity light from lasers is used for the surface treatment of works of art to bring about a cleaning or divestment, stabilization, sterilization, and renewed activation. The use of conservation techniques of laser divestment for textiles, leather, paper, pottery, bronze, glass and concrete have all been achieved and some are here described in detail. The author believes that through this type of work, science is repaying a debt to art, saving works of art from deterioration and ultimate destruction.
Oxidative phosphorylation defects and Alzheimer's disease.

Abnormalities in cellular bioenergetics have been identified in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) as well as in patients with other neurodegenerative diseases. The most commonly reported enzyme abnormalities are in the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, the α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex, and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Although genetic evidence supporting primary OXPHOS defects as a cause for AD is weak, functionally important reductions in OXPHOS enzyme activities appear to occur in AD and may be related to β-amyloid accumulation or other neurodegenerative processes. Since reduced neuronal ATP may enhance susceptibility to glutamate toxicity, OXPHOS defects could play an important role in the pathophysiology of AD.
Comparative sequence analysis of the N-terminal region of rat, rabbit, and dog haptoglobin β-chains

Abstract 1. 1. Quantitative sequence analysis of a 40-residue segment of the amino-terminal region of the β-chain of haptoglobin isolated from sera of rat, rabbit, and dog was undertaken. 2. 2. All three haptoglobin β-chains aligned precisely with human β-chain with no evidence of deletions or insertions. 3. 3. The % difference in amino acid residues between the haptoglobin β-chains was comparable to that reported for the β-chains of hemoglobin from identical mammalian sources. 4. 4. Human and dog haptoglobin β-chains had carbohydrate attached to asparagine at residue-23 whereas rat and rabbit did not.
Lateral Center-edge Angle on Conventional Radiography and Computed Tomography

Background Lateral center-edge angle (LCEA), originally described and validated on AP radiographs, has been used increasingly in CT-based studies, but it is unclear whether the measure is reliable and whether it correlates with that on AP radiographs.
Barriers to technological adoption in Spain and Portugal

Since 1945, both Spain and Portugal have experienced significant market transformations. These countries were both led by dictators for many years until the mid 1970s when each moved toward more democratic governments and more open markets. As a result, each experienced significant changes in output with Spain’s becoming a model for proper market based transformations. Although Portugal’s transformation has been less impressive it experienced improvements too. This paper uses a Parente and Prescott (J Polit Econ 102(2), 298–321, 1994; 2000) type model to investigate the recent transformations in each of these countries and quantify the extent to which barriers to technological adoption may have played for these two development experiences. Our results indicate that from 1945 to 2003 these barriers have fallen considerably but remain high, and are somewhat higher in Portugal than in Spain.
DNA Base Composition of Toxoplasma gondii grown in vivo

THE nature and taxonomy of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii are uncertain. A relationship to Besnoitia and Sarcocystis has been suggested1 and classification with Sporozoa has been proposed2,3. The problems have been discussed in detail4.
Illogical Thinking and Thought Disorder in Maltreated Children

Objective To examine illogical thinking in children from low-income families with and without histories of child maltreatment. Method Maltreated (n = 91) and nonmaltreated (n = 43) school-age children individually participated in a story game designed to elicit speech samples. Children were instructed to listen to two recorded stories and prompted to retell the story; they then were asked to create their own story from possible topics. Child behavior ratings on the Child Behavior Checklist were completed by research assistants following 35 hours of observation. Results Maltreated children exhibited more illogical thinking than did nonmaltreated children, and the level of illogical thinking in maltreated children was in the clinically pathological range. The occurrence of multiple subtypes of maltreatment and the chronicity of the maltreatment also were associated with illogical thinking. Dissociation did not differ between groups, although it was related to illogical thinking. Conclusion The ability to formulate ideas and communicate them logically is compromised in children who have been maltreated. These results extend prior research on selective attentional processes and negativity biases in maltreated children.
Central banking in a monetary union: reflections on the proposed statute of the European Central Bank☆

Abstract European countries are currently ratifying amendments to the Treaty of Rome to allow the creation of a single European currency and a European Central Bank. If the amendments come into effect, Europe (or a subset) will have a new, single currency by 1999 at the latest. This paper discusses the statutes of the central bank from the perspective of the theory of central banking. First it describes the institutional framework. Then it discusses separately the issues relating to monetary policy and banking policy. The paper concludes that the ECB is unlikely to maintain low inflation. Also, the presence of a variety of financial systems and institutions in the EC member countries is not compatible with the establishment of a single currency managed by a single central bank.
Characterization and in vitro cytocompatibility of piezoelectric electrospun scaffolds

Abstract Previous studies have shown that electrical charges influence cell behavior (e.g. enhancement of nerve regeneration, cell adhesion, cell morphology). Thus, piezoelectric scaffolds might be useful for various tissue engineering applications. Fibrous scaffolds were successfully fabricated from permanent piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride–trifluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE) by the electrospinning technique. Scanning electron microscopy and capillary flow analyses verified that the fiber mats had an average fiber diameter of 970 ± 480 nm and a mean pore diameter of 1.7 μm, respectively. Thermally stimulated depolarization current spectroscopy measurements confirmed the piezoelectric property of the PVDF-TrFE fibrous scaffolds by the generation of a spontaneous current with the increase in temperature in the absence of an electric field, which was not detected in the unprocessed PVDF-TrFE powder. Differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results showed that the electrospinning process increased the crystallinity and presence of the polar, beta-phase crystal compared with the unprocessed powder. Confocal fluorescence microscopy and a cell proliferation assay demonstrated spreading and increased cell numbers (human skin fibroblasts) over time on PVDF-TrFE scaffolds, which was comparable with tissue culture polystyrene. The relative quantity of gene expression for focal adhesion proteins (measured by real-time RT-PCR) increased in the following order: paxillin
Power Combining Tunnel Diode Oscillators using Metamaterial Transmission Line at Infinite Wavelength Frequency

This paper presents power combining methods for tunnel diode oscillators using the infinite wavelength phenomenon observed in composite right/left-handed (CRLH) metamaterial lines. At this frequency, the electrical length of the transmission line is zero degrees corresponding to an infinitely long wavelength. The first combining scheme uses a series combiner composed of zero degree lines. Each oscillator output port is connected directly to the line and combined in-phase. This circuit is able to equally combine the power in phase regardless of the position and the number of ports along the CRLH transmission line (TL). It is also possible to mode lock the different oscillating modes together through nonlinear interactions among the mode fields (York and Compton, 1991). In the second approach a section of zero degree transmission line was used to implement a stationary wave resonator where the wave amplitude and phase are constant along the line. In this case the oscillators are loosely coupled to the resonator. The resonant characteristics are used to reduce the combine oscillator phase noise. A maximum power combining efficiency of 131% is obtained with the zeroth order resonator with 2 tunnel diodes oscillators at 2 GHz
Remarks on whitham dynamics

A number of formulas are displayed concerning Whittham theory for a simple example of pure N = 2 susy Yang—Mills (YM) with gauge group SU(2). In particular this serves to illuminate the role of Λ amd T 1 derivatives and the interaction with prepotentials Fsw (Seiberg-Written) and F:W (Whitham).
Laser photo-CIDNP NMR of pyridoxal phosphate and pyridoxyllysine residues: An extrinsic probe for non-aromatic amino acid residues in proteins

Summary The proton on C-6 of the pyridine ring of pyridoxal phosphate gives rise to a prominent emission in the photo-CIDNP NMR spectrum upon irradiation of a flavin-containing solution at an appropriate wavelength. When pyridoxal phosphate is covalently bound to bovine pancreatic ribonuclease by sodium borohydride reduction of a mixture of the two compounds, the CIDNP emission from H-6 is considerably more intense than that from H-3, 5 of the tyrosines, and can be observed readily even with low light intensity. The signal is a composite of several lines, demonstrating that the pyridoxyl groups of the modified lysines retain useful information in the form of chemical shift dispersion.
Beyond the locality approximation in the standard diffusion Monte Carlo method

We present a way to include nonlocal potentials in the standard diffusion Monte Carlo method without using the locality approximation. We define a stochastic projection based on a fixed node effective Hamiltonian, whose lowest energy is an upper bound of the true ground-state energy, even in the presence of nonlocal operators in the Hamiltonian. The variational property of the resulting algorithm provides a stable diffusion process, even in the case of divergent nonlocal potentials, like the hard-core pseudopotentials. It turns out that the modification required to improve the standard diffusion Monte Carlo algorithm is simple.
Risk of High Dietary Calcium for Arterial Calcification in Older Adults

Concern has recently arisen about the potential adverse effects of excessive calcium intakes, i.e., calcium loading from supplements, on arterial calcification and risks of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in older adults. Published reports that high calcium intakes in free-living adults have relatively little or no beneficial impact on bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture rates suggest that current recommendations of calcium for adults may be set too high. Because even healthy kidneys have limited capability of eliminating excessive calcium in the diet, the likelihood of soft-tissue calcification may increase in older adults who take calcium supplements, particularly in those with age or disease-related reduction in renal function. The maintenance of BMD and bone health continues to be an important goal of adequate dietary calcium consumption, but eliminating potential risks of CVDs from excessive calcium intakes needs to be factored into policy recommendations for calcium by adults.
Some Notes on Nonrenormalizable Field Theory

Some nonrecoil, derivative coupling theories, which are exactly soluble, are analyzed in order to discover what it is that produces the nonrenormalizable behavior typical of derivative coupling. This behavior is found to arise as the result of an essential singularity which the operators of the derivative theories possess at the origin in coordinate space and the resulting branch point the Fourier transforms of these operators possess at the origin in the complex coupling constant domain. This branch point causes the breakdown of the expansion of the Fourier transform of the operators in powers of the coupling constant and introduces the nonrenormalizable infinities. It is shown that a coordinate space coupling constant expansion is possible, and that a Fourier transform of the operators of the derivative theories may be defined by analytic continuations and made finite by renormalization.
Endoscopic forehead and face-lift: Step by step

The technique of endoscopy in facial rejuvenation is a new approach that has fascinated surgeons and patients for their ability to do face-lifting without removing skin. The combination endoforehead-endomidface lift is very appealing for the younger individual with sagging of the brows and midface. Typically, the operation starts with the midface dissection via lower blepharoplasty incisions. The endoforehead is performed using five slit incisions. A fascicular dissection of the supratrochlear nerve is mandatory to avoid damaging this nerve and to assure an accurate excision of the corrugator muscles. The midface subperiosteal-deep fascial pocket is connected with the temporal pocket through the splitting of the intermediate temporal fascia. Anchoring and suspension are done in a step-ladder fashion starting with the canthopexy, proceeding with the suborbicularis oculi fat suspension to the temporal fascia proper, and superficial temporal fascia to temporal fascia proper suspension. The frontal scalp is suspended to a percutaneous self-tapping screw post using skin staples. All the slit incisions are closed without removing skin except the lower blepharoplasty, that in most cases, skin muscle excision is required. The operation is finished with well-applied frontal and midface taping.
Compositions of immiscible liquids in volcanic rocks

Immiscible liquids, preserved as chemically distinct, glassy globules, (Si-rich and Fe-rich) occur in many tholeiitic basalts and some alkaline and calcalkaline lavas. The glasses typically form part of a dark mesostasis containing skeletal magnetite crystals. In thick flows, the Si-rich liquid may crystallize to granophyric patches, and the Ferich one to aggregates of hedenbergite, magnetite, and accessory phases. The mesostases containing these immiscible phases constitute from 20% of a primitive olivine tholeiite (MgO=7.5%) to 50% of a highly fractionated quartz tholeiite (MgO=2.8%), but may be less if the rock is oxidized. Abundant ferric iron promotes early crystallization of magnetite and prevents the iron enrichment necessary to reach the immiscibility field; thus, aa flows rarely exhibit immiscibility, whereas the more reduced pahoehoe ones do.
Generation of submicron monodisperse aerosols in electrosprays

Abstract Glycerol seeded with NaI is electrosprayed in air, and the droplets generated are sampled into either a variable-speed impactor or a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) for size and charge measurement. Under some conditions, the aerosol sampled is highly monodisperse, with particles in the range of 0.1 μm carrying some 1000 elementary charge units. An idealized model provides a rough scaling law for the droplet size (Eq.7) in agreement with our measurements and with data for much larger droplets. Although earlier evidence on the monodispersity of electrosprayed aerosols was available in the size range of tens of micrometers and also in the region of single metal ions, this seems to be the first report on highly monodisperse submicron aerosols generated by atomization.