cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hybridization wave as the "hidden order" in URu2Si2.

A phenomenological model for the ``hidden order'' transition in the heavy-Fermion material ${\mathrm{URu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ is introduced. The hidden order is identified as an incommensurate, momentum-carrying hybridization between the light hole band and the heavy electron band. This modulated hybridization appears after a Fano hybridization at higher temperatures takes place. We focus on the hybridization wave as the order parameter in ${\mathrm{URu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ and possibly other materials with similar band structures. The model is qualitatively consistent with numerous experimental results obtained from, e.g., neutron scattering and scanning tunneling microscopy. Specifically, we find a gaplike feature in the density of states and the appearance of features at an incommensurate vector ${Q}^{*}\ensuremath{\sim}0.6\ensuremath{\pi}/{a}_{0}$. Finally, the model allows us to make various predictions which are amenable to current experiments.
Beyond calcium and vitamin D

The role of calcium and vitamin D in the prevention and management of osteoporosis is widely accepted by clinicians. However, the importance of other vitamins and minerals for bone health has not been clearly defined. This article reviews available information for several vitamins (vitamins A, C, E, and K) and miscellaneous minerals (fluoride, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium), and their potential effects on bone health.
Dendrochytridium crassum gen. et sp. nov., a taxon in Chytridiales with unique zoospore ultrastructure

A water culture of detritus collected from an Australian tree canopy yielded multiple isolates (designated JEL 352, JEL 353, JEL 354) of an unidentified chytrid that grew on pollen bait and encysted spores of a Dictyuchus sp. oomycete. Morphological information from JEL 352 and genetic information from JEL 354 of this unidentified chytrid have been in several publications but the organism has not been named. Because isolates JEL 352 and JEL 354 are no longer viable, we sequenced partial SSU and LSU rDNA of isolate JEL 353, documented its thallus morphology with light microscopy and determined its zoospore ultrastructure via transmission electron microscopy. DNA evidence placed JEL 353 in Chytridiaceae, and its genetic composition was identical to that of JEL 354. Thallus morphology of JEL 353 was similar to that of JEL 352. Its zoospore ultrastructure is less complex compared to other members of Chytridiaceae. In pure culture, the rhizoidal system differed from other members of the family in being unevenly broad and not tapering to fine tips. Based on genetic, morphological and ultrastructural evidence, we place this chytrid in a new genus in Chytridiaceae and describe it as the new species Dendrochytridium crassum.
A Partition Function Approximation Using Elementary Symmetric Functions

In statistical mechanics, the canonical partition function can be used to compute equilibrium properties of a physical system. Calculating however, is in general computationally intractable, since the computation scales exponentially with the number of particles in the system. A commonly used method for approximating equilibrium properties, is the Monte Carlo (MC) method. For some problems the MC method converges slowly, requiring a very large number of MC steps. For such problems the computational cost of the Monte Carlo method can be prohibitive. Presented here is a deterministic algorithm – the direct interaction algorithm (DIA) – for approximating the canonical partition function in operations. The DIA approximates the partition function as a combinatorial sum of products known as elementary symmetric functions (ESFs), which can be computed in operations. The DIA was used to compute equilibrium properties for the isotropic 2D Ising model, and the accuracy of the DIA was compared to that of the basic Metropolis Monte Carlo method. Our results show that the DIA may be a practical alternative for some problems where the Monte Carlo method converge slowly, and computational speed is a critical constraint, such as for very large systems or web-based applications.
Hollow fiber contained liquid membrane pervaporation system for the removal of toxic volatile organics from wastewater

A novel configuration of a hollow fiber contained liquid membrane (HFCLM) pervaporation system was used to separate organic solutes such as trichloroethylene and toluene from water. In this system the highly selective organic liquid membrane is contained in the shell side between two sets of hollow fibers packed in a shell-and-tube heat exchanger arrangement. Wastewater is fed into one set of hollow fibers and vacuum is applied in the other set of hollow fibers. The separation factors and solute recoveries for the HFCLM system were higher and water fluxes lower than in a conventional pervaporation system based on silicone rubber with vacuum applied outside the silicone rubber hollow fibers. The effluent concentration data for the HFCLM were satisfactorily correlated with a material balance where the mass flux was expressed in terms of an overall mass transfer coefficient based on resistances-in-series model.
Performance of finned-tube heat exchangers under frosting conditions: II. Comparison of experimental data with model

Abstract This paper presents some comparisons of the experimental data obtained with the analytical model presented in part 1 of this paper. The comparisons are made in terms of frost growth, airside pressure drop and energy transfer coefficient. It was found that the model typically underpredicted the experimental results by 15 to 20%. Reasons for the discrepancies between the frost model and the experimental data are discussed and it is postulated that better frost thermal properties and heat transfer data under frosting will help to improve the model.
Optical image processing by an atomic vapour

ATOMIC vapours can exhibit large optical nonlinearities1. When laser light is tuned in resonance with an atomic transition, the absorption cross-section of the atom can become very large, typically seven orders of magnitude larger than the cross-sectional area of its electron cloud2. Because of these strong nonlinearities, different laser beams can interact with one another in an atomic vapour, even at intensities as low as a few milliwatts per cm2. This raises the question1 of whether atomic vapours can be used as nonlinear optical elements for parallel optical image processing. A well-known example of an all-optical image processor is the optical correlator: laser beams with imprinted images interact in a nonlinear medium to produce a signal beam, the intensity distribution of which is related to the correlation integral of (and hence the degree of similarity between) the input images. Here we demonstrate the use of a caesium-atom vapour as the active medium in such an optical correlator. We show that this system compares favourably with others currently in use, particularly with regard to its power requirements.
Practical ambiguities during calculation of energy ratios and their impacts on life cycle assessment calculations

The energy ratio metrics are increasingly important means of assessing the efficiency of energy production for emerging biofuels platforms, making comparisons among multiple alternatives, and formulating policies to foster commercialization of sustainable energy systems. However, these metrics are susceptible to inadvertent or meaningful mathematical manipulation, whereby the same dataset can be used to compute dramatically different values of energy return on investment (EROI). In this study, previously published life cycle assessment (LCA) data for algal biofuels, corn ethanol, and switchgrass ethanol are used to demonstrate how seven seemingly reasonable EROI formulations give rise to a wide range of output values. It is then demonstrated that production of bioelectricity, and to a lesser extent, other co-products, significantly increases EROI ambiguity. Overall, the EROI results are used to illustrate how EROI ambiguity makes it difficult to properly assess the energetic favorability of a particular energy system or to make accurate comparisons among multiple systems. It is then recommended that all future biofuels studies restrict themselves to usage of “EROI1”, which documents all input and outputs as explicit terms, to mitigate EROI ambiguity and improve policy decision-making.
Evaluating efficiency of self-reconfiguration in a class of modular robots

In this article we examine the problem of dynamic self-reconfiguration of a class of modular robotic systems referred to as metamorphic systems. A metamorphic robotic system is a collection of mechatronic modules, each of which has the ability to connect, disconnect, and climb over adjacent modules. A change in the macroscopic morphology results from the locomotion of each module over its neighbors. Metamorphic systems can therefore be viewed as a large swarm of physically connected robotic modules that collectively act as a single entity. What distinguishes metamorphic systems from other reconfigurable robots is that they possess all of the following properties: (1) a large number of homogeneous modules; (2) a geometry such that modules fit within a regular lattice; (3) self-reconfigurability without outside help; (4) physical constraints which ensure contact between modules. In this article, the kinematic constraints governing metamorphic robot self-reconfiguration are addressed, and lower and upper bounds are established for the minimal number of moves needed to change such systems from any initial to any final specified configuration. These bounds are functions of initial and final configuration geometry and can be computed very quickly, while it appears that solving for the precise number of minimal moves cannot be done in polynomial time. It is then shown how the bounds developed here are useful in evaluating the performance of heuristic motion planning/reconfiguration algorithms for metamorphic systems. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Some problems with pro-competition reforms

Abstract As the search for effective cost-containment policies continues, health care reform along pro-competition lines has gained considerable backing in the United States. By offering market competition to achieve allocational efficiency and vouchers and tax credits to achieve distributional equity, pro-competition reforms appear to satisfy what many believed were incommensurable goals. A critical review of this strategy reveals two practical difficulties, however. The first concerns the ambiguity arising from the proposals' reliance on the concept of equal access to some basic level of health care as it distributional objective and the second concerns the ethical dilemma arising from the proposals' reliance on physicians as rationers of health care. In considering the distributional goal of guaranteeing access to a basic minimum of health care, we argue that, despite its theoretical attractiveness, there exists no acceptable way of determining or justifying its content, and without a clear definition of the basic minimum there is no guarantee that any equity objective will be achieved under the pro-competition strategy. With regard to the use of physicians and other providers as society's gatekeepers, we point out that this role is in direct conflict with traditional responsibilities that patients expect providers to assume. Requiring doctors to ration services in response to market incentives may further erode the trust relationship between physicians and patients, and clearly puts the more seriously ill at a disadvantage.
C/ATF, a member of the activating transcription factor family of DNA-binding proteins, dimerizes with CAAT/enhancer-binding proteins and directs their binding to cAMP response elements.

Abstract Members of the C/EBP family of basic-leucine zipper (bZip) transcription factors form heterodimers and bind to the CAAT box and other sequence-related enhancer motifs. Using a 32P-labeled protein probe consisting of the bZip domain of C/EBP beta, we isolated a clone encoding C/EBP-related ATF (C/ATF), a bZip protein that heterodimerizes with C/EBP-like proteins but belongs to the CREB/ATF family. C/ATF homodimers do not bind to typical C/EBP DNA sites. Instead they bind to palindromic cAMP response elements such as that of the somatostatin gene. In addition, C/ATF-C/EBP beta heterodimers bind to a subclass of asymmetric cAMP response elements exemplified by those in the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and proenkephalin genes. Transient transfection studies indicate that interactions between C/ATF and C/EBP beta are the basis for a functional cross talk between these two families of transcription factors that may be important for the integration of hormonal and developmental stimuli that determine the expression of subsets of genes in specific cellular phenotypes.
'Conflicts of interest': an ethical dilemma for the nurse researcher.

More nurse researchers are turning to industry as a possible source of funding to support their scientific work. Corporations may be very interested in particular projects because of the fit that exists between the investigator's interest and the company's product. However, researchers need to be cautious since accepting funding from and entering into a financial relationship with industry may lead to "conflicts of interest." The purpose of this article is to discuss the ethical issues when there are conflicts of interest. The author presents recommendations designed to help nurse researchers avoid and address this potential ethical problem.
Analysis and Comparison of Birefringent Fibre Ring Resonator Types

Abstract We present a theoretical model that can be used to determine the output of fibre ring resonators made with birefringent fibre, and with different types of polarization-selective or polarization-insensitive couplers. We derive tolerances for the coupler polarization crosstalk, splice alignment, and input polarization mode purity necessary for optimum operation of each type.
Bioaccumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls in juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) outmigrating through a contaminated urban estuary: dynamics and application

A field study was conducted to examine bioaccumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) for hatchery-raised and naturally reared (wild) ocean-type juvenile chinook salmon outmigrating through the Lower Duwamish Waterway (LDW), a contaminated urban estuary in Seattle, WA, USA. These results show differences in bioaccumulation of PCBs over time and space in this estuary, which may also occur for any contaminant that is distributed heterogeneously in this system. Highly mobile, outmigrating salmon accumulated ~3–5 times more PCBs on the east side of the LDW than fish on the west side, which is supported by an almost identical difference in mean sediment concentrations. The tPCB concentration data suggest that for most of the spring and early summer, juvenile chinook were likely segregated between the east and west side of the LDW, but may have crossed the channel later in the year as larger fish. Additionally, we used biota-sediment accumulation factors to assess the relative degree of bioaccumulation and explore these factors as potential metrics for predicting adverse sediment concentrations. These results highlight the importance of time and space in sampling design for a highly mobile species in a heterogeneous estuary.
An analysis of thep-version of the finite element method for nearly incompressible materials

In this paper we analyze the behavior of the so-calledp-version of the finite element method when applied to the equations of plane strain linear elasticity. We establish optimal rate error estimates that are uniformly valid, independent of the value of the Poisson ratio,v, in the interval ]0, 1/2[. This shows that thep-versiondoes not exhibit the degeneracy phenomenon which has led to the use of various, only partially justified techniques of reduced integration or mixed formulations for more standard finite element schemes and the case of a nearly incompressible material.
(Babylonian) Lions, (Asian) Tigers, and (Russian) Bears: a statistical test of three rivalrous paths to conflict

Structural theories of international relations anticipate no meaningful differences of kind, as opposed to capabilities, among states. Empirical investigations of enduring and strategic rivalries hint at a distinction, however, between states that see themselves as potential rivals and those that do not. Constructivists go further, suggesting that the roles adopted by states during their interactions are the result of varying underlying images of threat. This paper develops the theoretical claim that three different images of threat may produce distinct kinds of rivalry and thereby three paths to militarised interstate conflict. Each image of threat is rooted in a different normative context: strategic threats are associated with violations of the enforcement of Hobbesian cooperative security arrangements; competitive threats are associated with violations of fairness or reasonableness standards in Lockean exchange relationships; and institutional threats are associated with violations of the basis for commitment to Kantian communities of peace. A logistic regression analysis of Correlates of War data, combined with other data relevant to the three threat images, provide empirical support for each of these rivalrous paths to conflict.
Drug facilitation of memory in rats

Rats from the RCL and RDL strains were administered strychnine each day after either the first or second of four trials on a delayed alternation problem. With long intertrial delays the strychnine injected Ss performed significantly better than control Ss on the trials following the injection.
Superiority of two-dimensional measurement of aortic vessel diameter in doppler echocardiographic estimates of left ventricular stroke volume

Attempts to measure left ventricular stroke volume utilizing the Doppler aortic flow method have found varying correlations between invasive thermodilution and noninvasive Doppler methods. Because stroke volume is the product of the Doppler flow velocity integral (that is, the area under the flow velocity curve) and the cross-sectional area of the vessel through which blood flows, both variables are potential sources of error. Previous studies have shown that the Doppler flow velocity integral can be measured with acceptable reproducibility in the ascending aorta. Consequently, in this study an attempt was made to determine empirically the optimal method for measuring aortic diameter and area. The diameter of the ascending aorta was measured utilizing four Mmode and seven two-dimensional echocardiographic conventions. Doppler aortic flow velocity patterns were recorded with a 2.25 MHz M-mode echocardiographic transducer from the suprasternal notch by mapping the ascending aorta until aortic peak flow velocity was recorded. In 19 adult patients undergoing cardiac catheterization for clinical indications, Doppler stroke volume estimates utilizing the various echocardiographic conventions for measuring aortic root diameter and area were compared with simultaneous measurements of stroke volume by the thermodilution technique. The best correlation (r = 0.87) with thermodilution stroke volume was obtained by estimating aortic area from the two-dimensional parasternal long-axis images with the aortic dimension measured distal to the aortic sinuses from the inner to inner wall. The data were related by the equation: Thermodilution stroke volume = ( 0.73 ) × ( two-dimensional Doppler stroke volume ) + 17 cc . M-mode echographic measurements of aortic diameter resulted in Doppler estimates of left ventricular stroke volume that correlated poorly (r
State Migrant-Exporting Schemes and their Implications for the Rise of Illicit Migration: A Comparison of Spain and the Philippines

The purpose of this article is to explore the connection between state-sponsored exporting of labour and the rise in human smuggling and trafficking. The cases of Spain and the Phillippines are analysed. We delineate how and why each state engaged in labour export and what the corresponding ramifications have been. In the case of Spain, we examine the creation and operation of the Instituto Espanol de Emigracion (Spanish Institute of Emigration) from 1956–1973. In the Philippine case we investigate the country’s “overseas employment program” instituted in 1974 under the Labour Code. This policy later evolved into the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). In this study we use a historical comparative framework to demonstrate how state migrant exporting schemes can lead to the same outcome: illicit migration. Although we can make no definitive conclusions on the size and scope of state influence on illicit migration, we nonetheless find the conceptualization of states as possible agents for human smuggling or trafficking relevant in terms of theory generation and policy implications.
Minimal Feedback Realizations of Sequential Machines

In this note we define the amount of feedback in a realization of a sequential machine M, give a simple algorithm to compute the minimal amount of feedback which has to be present in any realization of M, and give a canonical realization of M which uses the minimal amount of feedback.
Derivation of efficient color-space conversion formulae for n-dimensional interpolation

Conversions from one color-space to another are frequently used in image processing. Many conversion methods have been described mathematically, a few of which have been elevated to be international standards. However, for some conversions, purely mathematically based methods have been found wanting, and the method of measurement and interpolation has been used to produced more accurate results. Nowhere is this method more prevalently used than in dealing with colors resulting from combinations of inks or toners applied to paper. Although ink or toner colors of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black are most commonly used, the use of a larger number of inks or toners that expand the color gamut is becoming more important for high fidelity color printing. The subject of this paper is the derivation of true n-dimensional linear interpolation formulae that are much more efficient than "tri-linear" or "quad-linear" and that can be used to convert from one n -dimensional color-space to another of equal, fewer or greater dimensions. The mathematical principle to be used for deriving the formulae is called axiom based induction . An interesting application of these formulae might be the conversion of a seven-dimensional color-space to a four dimensional color-space that would allow a seven-color master image to be "re-purposed" for printing by a less costly four-color method. Another application might be the use of a seven-dimensional interpolation, applied iteratively to produce a "corner turn," that could allow the direct mapping of three-dimensional color into seven-dimensional ink densities. An example of interpolation errors resulting from round-trip conversion of three to four and back to three dimensions will be given.
Effects of GABA receptor blockade on the ventilatory response to hypoxia in hypothermic newborn piglets.

Hypothermic newborn piglets have a depressed ventilatory response to hypoxia, and this may be due to an increase in CNS γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels. To evaluate the effects of GABAA receptor blockade on the ventilatory response to hypoxia in hypothermic piglets, 31 anesthetized paralyzed mechanically ventilated newborn piglets (2–7 d) were studied at a brain temperature of 38.5 ± 0.5°C [normothermia (NT), n = 15] or 34 ± 0.5°C [hypothermia (HT), n = 16]. The central respiratory output was evaluated by measuring burst frequency and moving time average area of phrenic nerve activity. Measurements of minute phrenic output (MPO), arterial blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen consumption, and arterial blood gases were obtained at room air and during 20 min of isocapnic hypoxia [fraction of expired oxygen (Fio2) = 0.10]. After 10 min of hypoxia, a bolus injection of 20 μL of bicuculline methiodide (BM; 10 μg) or Ringer's solution was administered into the cisterna magna over a 1-min period, and the piglets remained in hypoxia for an additional 10 min. There was an initial increase of 50 ± 6% in MPO during the first minute of hypoxia followed by a decrease to values 24 ± 8% above baseline at 10 min in the NT group. In contrast, in the HT group, the initial increase in MPO with hypoxia was eliminated, and, at 10 min, there was a decrease to a mean value 35 ± 4% below baseline level (NT versus HT, p < 0.03). After administration of BM, a significant increase in MPO with hypoxia was observed in both groups compared with their placebo groups (p < 0.002 in NT-BM group, p < 0.0001 in HT-BM group). However, the magnitude of the increase in MPO during hypoxia was significantly greater in the HT group after administration of BM (NT versus HT, p < 0.0001). Changes in oxygen consumption, arterial blood pressure, heart rate, pH, partial pressure of oxygen (Pao2), and base excess with hypoxia were not different between NT and HT groups before and after the administration of BM. The cardiorespiratory response to hypoxia was not modified after administration of Ringer's solution to NT and HT placebo groups. These data suggest that the depression in hypoxic ventilatory response produced by HT is in part modulated by an increased CNS GABA concentration.
Program for a New Chicago School

Michael Dear's (2001) L.A. School builds on a critique of the old Chicago School. This essay extends the discussion by incorporating broader theories about how cities work, stressing culture and politics. New Yorkers lean toward class analysis, production, inequality, dual labor markets, and related themes—deriving for some from a secular Marxism. L.A. writers are more often individualist, subjectivist, consumption-oriented; some are also postmodernist. Chicago is the largest American city with a heavily Catholic population, which heightens attention to personal relations, extended families, neighborhoods, and ethnic traditions. These in turn lead observers to stress culture and politics in Chicago, as these vary so heavily by subculture. Seven axial points for a New Chicago School are proposed.
Word-Formation In Pakistani English

The article discusses patterns of word-formation which are specifically characteristic of Pakistani English, providing ample documentation from a variety of indigenous sources. In particular, attention is paid to compounding, affixation, conversion, back-formation, clipping, abbreviation/acronyms, and blends. Also, results of an acceptability test of select word-formations are reported.
Antarctic sea ice parameters from AMSR-E data using two techniques and comparisons with sea ice from SSM/I

We use two algorithms to process AMSR-E data in order to determine algorithm dependence, if any, on the estimates of sea ice concentration, ice extent and area, and trends and to evaluate how AMSR-E data compare with historical SSM/I data. The monthly ice concentrations derived from the two algorithms from AMSR-E data (the AMSR-E Bootstrap Algorithm, or ABA, and the enhanced NASA Team algorithm, or NT2) differ on average by about 1 to 3%, with data from the consolidated ice region being generally comparable for ABA and NT2 retrievals while data in the marginal ice zones and thin ice regions show higher values when the NT2 algorithm is used. The ice extents and areas derived separately from AMSR-E using these two algorithms are, however, in good agreement, with the differences (ABA-NT2) being about 6.6 x 10(exp 4) square kilometers on average for ice extents and -6.6 x 10(exp 4) square kilometers for ice area which are small compared to mean seasonal values of 10.5 x 10(exp 6) and 9.8 x 10(exp 6) for ice extent and area: respectively. Likewise, extents and areas derived from the same algorithm but from AMSR-E and SSM/I data are consistent but differ by about -24.4 x 10(exp 4) square kilometers and -13.9 x 10(exp 4) square kilometers, respectively. The discrepancies are larger with the estimates of extents than area mainly because of differences in channel selection and sensor resolutions. Trends in extent during the AMSR-E era were also estimated and results from all three data sets are shown to be in good agreement (within errors).
Loosely-coupled GPS/INS state estimation in precision projectiles

A state estimation method for gun-launched precision projectiles using affordable technologies is presented. Navigation algorithms were developed to incorporate flight dynamic models with measurements from inertial sensors and, if available, GPS. GPS is used to estimate an inertial sensor bias which can then be used if GPS is lost later in flight. This novel technique allows GPS to continue to benefit the flight after it is unavailable and allows noisy, low cost sensors to provide a useful state estimate. Simulations were conducted to assess algorithm performance over a range of conditions. These results indicated that the algorithm with only 10 seconds of GPS availability yields a position error of less than 35 m over a 30 s flight. This effort shows that navigation error using coupled GPS/INS is sufficient to increase system accuracy for munitions even if GPS should become unavailable during flight.
The identification of accelerated coagulability

Abstract This report describes a new method for comparing overall clotting characteristics between normal individuals and those with proven malignancy. Native whole blood thrombelastography and celite activated thrombelastography were performed on the same blood collection in 90 normals and 90 patients with new malignancies and the results used to derive a discriminate equation. This equation classified correctly all 90 normals and 80/90 cancer patients. The formulation was verified with an additional 82 patients with only one incorrect classification in the 31 cancer subjects. These results demonstrate a new analysis for accelerated coagulability based on comparative clotting data. Identification of accelerated coagulability in asymptomatic populations may identify occult problems, including cancer.
Evidence for a Ligand Receptor System Mediating the Biologic Effects of Glycated Albumin in Glomerular Mesangial Cells

Mesangial cells cultured with albumin modified by Amadori glucose adducts exhibit decreased proliferation in association with increased elaboration of Type IV collagen. To test the hypothesis that this modulation of mesangial cell biology is linked to ligand binding, we examined renal glomerular mesangial cells for the expression of receptors that interact with Amadori-modified albumin. Murine mesangial cells bound glycated albumin in a dose-dependent and saturable manner, displaying high and low affinity binding sites. Binding of glycated but not nonglycated albumin was inhibited by monoclonal antibodies that specifically react with albumin containing fructosyllysine groups. LDL containing Amadori glucose adducts did not compete with glycated albumin for binding. These results are consistent with ligand selectively of the binding sites for an Amadori-modified sequence within an albumin domain and suggest that a ligand receptor system mediates the effects of glycated albumin on mesangial cell proliferation and matrix production.
Iron loading: a risk factor for Whipple's disease?

Because of impairment of microbial iron acquisition ability, some potential pathogens can cause disease only in iron loaded hosts. Tropheryma whippelii, the etiologic agent of Whipple's disease, is a possible example. Whipple's disease is non-contagious, occurs mainly in middle-aged white males, and displays many, but not all, of the complications of hereditary haemochromatosis. Tropheryma whippelii is a gastrointestinal commensal that causes disease in persons who have a Th1-Th2 imbalance. Host susceptibility may be exacerbated by iron loading. Consideration should be given to have patients evaluated for levels of interferon-gamma and interleukin-4 as well as for serum ferritin and transferrin iron saturation.
Computer science and bioinformatics

In barely half a century computer science has grown from infancy to maturity. Employment in computer science was assured until a few years ago. Today, however, like in the 1960s, when demand for physicists waned, computer scientists are eager to explore new possibilities in promising fields. Biology and its related disciplines like bioinformatics are at the top of the list.
Vibrational predissociation from different asymmetric rotor levels: full dimensional quantum dynamics for ArI2 with total angular momentum J = 10

Abstract Full dimensional wavepacket calculations were carried out on ArI 2 vibrational predissociation with total angular momentum J = 10. For five different values of initial I 2 excitation, we consider the 21 lowest energy levels, corresponding roughly to the 2 J + 1 asymmetric rotor levels superimposed on the zero-point motion of the Van der Waals degrees of freedom. In spite of the increased number of available states as J increases, fragmentation occurs via a sparse limit intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution mechanism involving passage through a few intermediate dark states. In addition, averaging over the rotor states does not negate or even decrease vibrational specificity.
Electrophysiologic studies on Wenckebach structures below the atrioventricular junction.

Abstract Recent clinical reports have suggested that conduction disturbances of the Wenckebach type occur below the atrioventricular junction. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate this type of conduction delay within the canine specialized Purkinje fiber system and human ventricular tissue. Conventional microelectrode techniques were utilized in these experiments. Wenckebach periods with 4:3 conduction occurred within the His bundle in response to hyperkalemic (10.8 mEq/liter) Tyrode infusion. Impalement into the false tendons of the right and left bundle demonstrated typical 5:4 and 3:2 interelectrode Wenckebach periods after administration of nicotine. Similar studies were performed in the distal specialized conducting system where microelectrodes were impaled in a terminal Purkinje cell and ventricular cell. With the administration of acetylstrophanthidin and subsequent development of automaticity, beats conducted in orthograde fashion demonstrated typical 3:2 Wenckebach conduction while maintaining 1:1 stimulated retrograde conduction. When human ventricular tissue was exposed to Tyrode solution containing 4 × normal potassium (10.8 mEq/liter), conduction times from the stimulating to recording electrodes demonstrated 4:3; 3:2 and, finally, 2:1 Wenckebach conduction. These experiments demonstrated the electrophysiologic evidence for Wenckebach structures at all levels of the canine His-Purkinje system and human ventricular muscle.
Acute viral myocarditis in the ED pediatric patient: three case presentations.

April 2004 30:2 T he majority of acute viral myocarditis cases are subclinical and self-limiting in both adults and children. The patient may present with symptoms as common as respiratory distress with tachypnea, retractions, and grunting, or, in its most severe presentation, a seemingly healthy patient can suddenly exhibit a rapidly progressive heart failure, cardiogenic shock, or complex ventricular dysrhythmias. These severe cases are a challenge for the most experienced ED nurse, but when the presentation is in a pediatric patient, the situation takes on aspects that are not faced often in the pediatric setting. Thus, these cases remind us why we need to be prepared to expect the unexpected when caring for a pediatric patient.
Toward a better understanding of help seeking behavior: An evaluation of help mechanisms in two IR systems

Help-seeking can be viewed as a multi-dimensional information behavior which often overlaps with both information seeking and searching. Within IR, though, there has been little research devoted to understanding how people learn to use help functionalities effectively. Research reported in this paper addresses this gap. After searching in two IR systems, fifty participants completed a self-administered questionnaire which described the ways they learned to use the help mechanisms; difficulties associated with this learning process; their general evaluation of the help mechanisms, with specification of features that they liked and disliked; specific aspects of the help mechanism that assisted participants in the search process; and their evaluation of the interaction between the searcher and the help mechanisms. The results show that people prefer specific help, visual help, and help with demos instead of general help, text help, and help with description. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are further discussed.
Periodic rib-reinforced silicon nitride scan mirrors

Uniaxial scan mirrors measuring 1500 um in diameter were fabricated from a 1.4 um thick rib-reinforced silicon nitride film. The structurally enhanced film minimized surface deformation due to internal stress and inertial effects during actuation
Indian Reservations in the United States: Territory, Sovereignty and Economic Change . By Klaus Frantz. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1999. Pp. xxvi, 370. $25.00, paper.

As its title indicates, American Indian reservations are the subject of this book. In particular, this book deals with issues pertaining to the economic conditions of federally recognized reservations, of which there are 314. It does not address the special circumstances of Alaska Native communities or those of reservations established or recognized only by state governments.
Maximizing hotspot temperature: Wavelet based modelling of heating and cooling profile of functional workloads

Localized heating leads to generation of thermal hotspots that affect performance and reliability of a chip. Functional workloads determine the locations and temperature of hotspots on a die. Programs are classified into phases based on program execution profile. During a phase, spatial power dissipation pattern of an application remains unchanged. In this paper we present a systematic approach for developing a synthetic work load which is formed by a combination of phases extracted from functional work load which maximizes the temperature of a hotspot. Hotspot temperature is determined not only by the current activity in that region, but also by the past activities in the surrounding regions. Therefore, if the surrounding areas were “pre-heated” with a different workload, then the target region may become hotter due to slower rate of lateral heat dissipation. In this paper a wavelet-based canonical power dissipation model is developed to capture the temporal and spatial behavior of the power traces. This is followed by an Integer Linear Programming approach which is used to determine the sequence of these program phases in order to create a worst case temperature at the Hotspot. The novel contributions of this paper are (i) wavelet based technique to model spatio-temporal power variation for the phases in the functional workload and a (ii) linear programming scheme that arranges program phases to create the worst case temperature.
Testosterone excretion and production rate in normal adults and in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

The specific hormone which causes virilization in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia is not known. Since testosterone is the most potent androgen known, its excretion and production was measured in 5 papatients with this disorder. The urinary metabolite used for the production rate determinations was testosterone glucuronide. The contribution of other compounds to this urinary mstabolite is discussed. It is concluded that testosterone is produced in this disorder in amounts greater than normal and accounts for the virilization in these patients.
Implicit transitive inference and the human hippocampus: does intravenous midazolam function as a reversible hippocampal lesion?

Recent advances have led to an understanding that the hippocampus is involved more broadly than explicit or declarative memory alone. Tasks which involve the acquisition of complex associations involve the hippocampus whether the learning is explicit or implicit. One hippocampal-dependent implicit task is transitive inference (TI). Recently it was suggested that implicit transitive inference does not depend upon the hippocampus (Frank, M. J., O'Reilly, R. C., & Curran, T. 2006. When memory fails, intuition reigns: midazolam enhances implicit inference in humans. Psychological Science, 17, 700–707). The authors demonstrated that intravenous midazolam, which is thought to inactivate the hippocampus, may enhance TI performance. Three critical assumptions are required but not met: 1) that deactivations of other regions could not account for the effect 2) that intravenous midazolam does indeed deactivate the hippocampus and 3) that midazolam influences explicit but not implicit memory. Each of these assumptions is seriously flawed. Consequently, the suggestion that implicit TI does not depend upon the hippocampus is unfounded.
Influence of Mu-Opioid Receptor Variant on Morphine Use and Self-Rated Pain Following Abdominal Hysterectomy

Abstract A common variant in the mu-opioid receptor gene ( OPRM1 ) has been associated with response to opioid analgesia. Our previous data revealed significantly higher amounts of morphine self-administered by patients carrying the 118G allele compared to those with the 118A allele after elective cesarean section. In this study, the association of this genetic variation with pressure pain, postoperative pain scores, and amount of morphine used was investigated in 973 patients undergoing scheduled total hysterectomy under general anesthesia. Preoperative pressure pain threshold and tolerance were also measured for most patients. For pressure pain, OPRM1 genotype was not significantly associated with either pain threshold or pain tolerance. Statistically significant associations were found for postoperative pain and the total amount of morphine used, with the GG group reporting higher pain scores and using the most morphine. When analysis was stratified by ethnic group, differences in weight-adjusted morphine for the 3 genotypic groups were also significant for the Chinese and Asian Indians. These results extend our previous finding on the association of higher self-reported pain and morphine use for acute postoperative pain with OPRM1 118G to patients who had total hysterectomy under general anesthesia. Perspective In a large cohort of patients undergoing hysterectomy, we found large variability in the self-rated pain scores and the amount of morphine required for pain relief. Both are associated with OPRM1 genotypes and preoperative experimental pressure pain threshold. Experimental pressure pain tolerance is also associated with postoperative pain.
The Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Program: provider performance on core and menu measures.

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, a component of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, establishes incentive programs to encourage the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) by Medicare and Medicaid providers (Steinbrook 2009; Blumenthal and Tavenner 2010; Marcotte et al. 2012). These dual incentive programs will provide up to $27 billion in incentive payments over the next 10 years to eligible providers (EPs) (Blumenthal and Tavenner 2010). EPs can receive up to $44,000 through Medicare or $63,750 through Medicaid for adopting a certified EHR. In addition to implementing a certified EHR, providers must utilize a range of prespecified EHR functions that demonstrate “meaningful use” of the system (Blumenthal and Tavenner 2010; Jain, Seidman, and Blumenthal 2010; Porter 2010; Stark 2010). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently made a public use data file with the results of attestations in the CMS Medicare EHR Incentive Program. The purpose of this study was to examine the progress of the Medicare program based on these data and identify salient patterns that might inform the administration of both Medicare and Medicaid incentive programs in the future.
Artificial dielectric polymeric waveguides: metallic embedded films

Novel characteristics are found for dielectric waveguides when thin (less than 2 nm) layers of conductive material (guest material) are sandwiched between two polymeric films (host material) to form an artificial dielectric polymeric waveguide. We fabricated such waveguides and analyzed and measured their characteristics.
Evolving multi-modal behavior in NPCs

Evolution is often successful in generating complex behaviors, but evolving agents that exhibit distinctly different modes of behavior under different circumstances (multi-modal behavior) is both difficult and time consuming. This paper presents a method for encouraging the evolution of multi-modal behavior in agents controlled by artificial neural networks: A network mutation is introduced that adds enough output nodes to the network to create a new output mode. Each output mode completely defines the behavior of the network, but only one mode is chosen at any one time, based on the output values of preference nodes. With such structure, networks are able to produce appropriate outputs for several modes of behavior simultaneously, and arbitrate between them using preference nodes. This mutation makes it easier to discover interesting multi-modal behaviors in the course of neuroevolution.
Stochastic contributions to latex polydispersity

Particle size distributions are modified during the growth process by means of two classes of mechanisms. Deterministic contributions result from formation during an extended period of time and from dependence of growth on size. Stochastic broadening can be a consequence of the discrete nature of any of the participating steps. This process was suggested to play a role in emulsion polymerizations by Ewart and Carr and by Brodnyan but has not been treated quantitatively. This work employs specific, familiar models to obtain explicit distributions and variances. For moderately large particles the stochastic contribution should be significant if the ratio of propagation to termination rate constants is greater than about 1:10. The predicted and observed distributions are compared for vinyl acetate. The initial development from monodisperse micelles is followed in detail.
Reoperations after initial repair of complete atrioventricular septal defect.

Background Excellent surgical results have been reported after repair of complete atrioventricular septal defects (CAVSD); however, 5% to 10% require reoperation. We examine causes leading to reoperation and evaluate long-term outcome. Methods Between 1972 and 2007, 50 patients (26 male) underwent reoperation at our institution after initial repair of CAVSD (median interval, 15 months; range, 3 days to 29 years). Median age at first reoperation was 4.5 years (range, 53 days to 38 years). Indications for first reoperation included left atrioventricular valve (LAVV) regurgitation in 41 patients, subaortic stenosis in 5, and LAVV stenosis, residual atrial septal defect (ASD), pulmonary artery (PA) stenosis, and aortic coarctation in 1 each. Results The first reoperation included LAVV repair in 21 patients and replacement in 21, modified Konno procedure in 3, septal myectomy in 2, and PA reconstruction, coarctation repair, and ASD re-repair in 1 each. After LAVV repair (n = 21) 5 patients required a second reoperation, and after LAVV replacement (n = 21) 6 patients required a second reoperation. Overall freedom from further reoperation after the first reoperation was 63%, 48%, and 42% at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. There were 2 early deaths (4%) after first reoperation, and none after subsequent reoperations. During late follow-up (median 10.7 years, maximum 30 years), actuarial overall survival was 91%, 91%, and 86% at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. Conclusions The most common indication for reoperation after CAVSD repair is LAVV regurgitation. LAVV re-repair offers good durability, and LAVV replacement does not preclude additional reoperations. Long-term survival is very good despite need for multiple reoperations in some.