cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surgical treatment for closed thoracic aortic injuries.

Eighteen patients with acute aortic tear secondary to nonpenetrating thoracic trauma and seven with chronic tears have been operated upon. Of the patients with acute injury, 28 per cent had normal chest x-ray on admission. The diagnosis of acute aortic tear was made by aortography in all patients. Two patients died from causes unrelated to the aortic injury. In the group of 18 patients in which some method of perfusing the distal aorta was used, two developed paraplegia; in the group of 7 treated with simple aortic cross-clamping none occurred. The average length of operation was 6Vz hours and 3¾ hours in the two groups, respectively, average aortic cross-clamp time 69 and 23 minutes, respectively, and average blood administration 3,139 and 1,700 ml., respectively. We conclude that the diagnosis of acute aortic tear cannot be reliably made on clinical grounds, and that with properly trained personnel the method of choice is usually simple aortic cross-clamping during repair.
Following Scale with Profits: Explaining Fino's Unlikely Success

It’s tough being a business correspondent (BC) to banks in India. In a survey of India’s leading BCs by Microsave, a financial inclusion consultancy, about 70% of BCs reported that they currently either do not meet costs or operate at a loss.The impetus behind this model is the RBI’s financial inclusion agenda which makes it a prerogative for banks to show progress on several inclusion metrics ranging from opening a number of no-frills accounts to increasing the number of bank branches established in rural areas. However, a recent Microsave study shows three main problems with the BC model: working capital, operating margins, and cross-selling financial services. Despite this challenging environment, Mumbai-based FINO (Financial Inclusion Network and Operations) Paytech Ltd has found success where few others have. Founded in 2006, FINO is India’s largest BC with a network of over 33,000 customer service points, or ‘bandhus’, and a customer base of over 60 million people. Its relentless focus on achieving scale has begun to pay off. After growing close to 300% per year between 2008 and 2010, FINO’s gross revenues grew 85% in 2011 and 34% in 2012. Though growth has slowed, profitability has improved significantly. FINO recorded its first profitable year in 2011 with a profit margin of 0.8% and improved on this performance in 2012 when its profit margin rose to 4.8%.
Underwater Optical Communication Link Using Wavelength Division Multiplexing, Polarization Division Multiplexing and Orbital Angular Momentum Multiplexing

We report on the direct modulation of blue laser diodes for underwater optical communication utilizing wavelength, polarization and space division multiplexing. Using this scalable architecture, we demonstrate an effective data rate of 10 Gbit/s.
IBM gears up to gene challenge

In 1999 IBM embarked on an ambitious $100m project to build, by 2005, a super-computer to simulate the folding of proteins. The computer is known as Blue Gene–after IBM's nickname Big Blue, which originated in the 1960s thanks to the blue covers on its mainframe machines and other products.
ISOLATION AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE ACTIVE SITE OF A LYMPHOCYTE Fc RECEPTOR

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the isolation and chemical characterization of the active site of a lymphocyte Fc receptor. Receptors for IgG are found on the surface membranes of a number of cell types. Many lymphoid cells, B cells, and a subpopulation of T cells have receptors for aggregated IgG. Normal human peripheral mononuclear cells have a surface receptor for aggregated IgG of 60,000 molecular weight with a possible dimeric form of 120,000. In a study described in the chapter, mononuclear cells were isolated from heparinized, peripheral blood of normal donors using Ficoll–Isopaque density gradients. Suspensions of 2–4 × 10 7 peripheral mononuclear cells or cultured human T cells were enzymatically radioiodinated and lysed by Nonidet P-40. It was found that using affinity chromatography, a 23,000-molecular-weight surface structure with the ability to block rosette formation between mononuclear cells and anti-D coated human red blood cells could be isolated from the lysates of peripheral mononuclear cells. This 23,000-molecular-weight component may be a proteolytic fragment of the Fc receptor, which bears the immunoglobulin Fc recognition site.
Universal Selective Dispersion of Semiconducting Carbon Nanotubes from Commercial Sources Using a Supramolecular Polymer

Selective extraction of semiconducting carbon nanotubes is a key step in the production of high-performance, solution-processed electronics. Here, we describe the ability of a supramolecular sorting polymer to selectively disperse semiconducting carbon nanotubes from five commercial sources with diameters ranging from 0.7 to 2.2 nm. The sorting purity of the largest-diameter nanotubes (1.4 to 2.2 nm; from Tuball) was confirmed by short channel measurements to be 97.5%. Removing the sorting polymer by acid-induced disassembly increased the transistor mobility by 94 and 24% for medium-diameter and large-diameter carbon nanotubes, respectively. Among the tested single-walled nanotube sources, the highest transistor performance of 61 cm2/V·s and on/off ratio >104 were realized with arc discharge carbon nanotubes with a diameter range from 1.2 to 1.7 nm. The length and quality of nanotubes sorted from different sources is compared using measurements from atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The tran...
Decarboxylases Brain Glutamate Decarboxylase as a Model

Decarboxylases are a group of diverse enzymes that catalyze the decarboxylation of amino acids, keto acids, and others. They have been described in bacteria, plants, and animals.1,2 Although some of their functions remain unknown, it is clear that several of the decarboxylases have biosynthetic functions; e.g., ornithine and adenosylmethionine decarboxylases are required for the synthesis of polyamines,3 and aspartic acid β-decarboxylase and diaminopimelic acid decarboxylase provide one of the biosynthetic routes to alanine and lysine, respectively, in bacteria. Other functions that have been determined for decarboxylases are as follows. First, they are involved in the production of energy; e.g., glycine decarboxylase is involved in the overall conversion of glycine to acetate.4,5 Second, histidine decarboxylase appears to be involved in several physiological processes, e.g., gastric secretion, peripheral circulation, allergic reactions, and certain types of rapid growth.6–8 Third, glutamate decarboxylase (GAD)9,10 and dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) decarboxylase are of primary importance in the nervous system because GAD is the rate-limiting enzyme for the biosynthesis of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an important inhibitory neurotransmitter, and DOPA decarboxylase is involved in the biosynthesis of several neurotransmitters, e.g., serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine.10,11
A review on design and performance of thermomagnetic devices

Abstract Thermomagnetic energy harvesting technology has not received significant attention despite great potential for generating electricity from low thermal gradient near room temperature. This review summarizes the findings reported in literature covering the broad topical areas within thermomagnetic energy harvesting and provides perspective on the potential applications of this technology. The information has been organized chronologically in order to provide systematic understanding of the concepts and evolution of the device designs. Both, active and passive types of thermomagnetic energy harvesters have been included in the paper. The selection of suitable thermomagnetic material is key towards achieving an efficient energy generation device. Therefore, various material compositions have been discussed and their thermomagnetic behavior has been elucidated to provide guidance for their implementation in future devices.
Serum chemokine CXCL7 activity after resection of breast cancer.

e22182 Background: The chemokine CXCL7 is associated with tumor migration, invasion and angiogenesis and is a ligand for CXCR2. The purpose of the study is to measure changes in serum chemokine CXCL7 from resectable breast cancer patients between preoperative and postoperative blood samples. Methods: With IRB approval, we prospectively collected serum samples from patients undergoing breast cancer surgery immediately preoperatively and at least one week postoperatively. Serum CXCL7 protein concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using human CXCL7/NAP-2 Duo set ELISA Development System (R and D Systems, Minneapolis, MN) according to manufacturer’s instructions. Measurements were performed in duplicate with three separate experiments. Results were analyzed using unpaired and paired Student’s t-Test. Demographic and clinical information were collected. Normal donor samples were from ProteoGenex. Results: Twenty-three matched serum samples were analyzed. The mean age was 52 y...
The ACTIVE conceptual framework as a structural equation model.

Background/Study Context: Conceptual frameworks are analytic models at a high level of abstraction. Their operationalization can inform randomized trial design and sample size considerations.Method...
SURV: A system for massive urban data visualization

With the increasingly widespread use of embedded sensor technology within cities, there is an abundance of heterogeneous spatio-temporal data, such as vehicle trajectories, points of interests, etc. It is challenging to visualize and analyze those data for more effective urban planning. The purpose of this project is to develop SURV, a Smart URban Visualization system. SURV is a framework built using HTML and CSS along with Mapbox.js and CARTO.js JavaScript libraries to create interactive maps and dynamic visualizations. Python is also used within the system for its high-quality data processing. SURV provides a web interface where a user can interact with data animation and three-dimensional (3-D) visualizations to provide better data analysis.
Inclusion of Students With Learning, Emotional, and Behavioral Disabilities Through Strength-Based Approaches:

As more and more students with learning disabilities (LD) and emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) find themselves in an inclusive, general education setting, there is a need to find ways to...
The Influence of Lead Hyperaccumulators on the Uptake of Lead by Vegetables

Lead is a persistent soil pollutant present in many urban environments. In 2003, a 27 square mile region in Omaha NE became the newest addition to the National Priorities List for lead contamination. This large area encompasses 15,000 residential properties as well as an urban community garden. Previous work performed at the urban garden detected the presence of lead in produce. Research has shown that vegetation grown in these contaminated soils can bioaccumulate lead and become a pathway for exposure in humans. Although the relationship between soil concentration and plant uptake is unknown, it has been demonstrated that plants exhibit differential uptake. This study focused on the possible role of metal-hyperaccumulating plants to minimize the uptake of lead in adjacent vegetation. To conduct this study, soil contaminated with lead was used to grow tomatoes, carrots, and amaranth alongside sunflowers and mustard greens, the hyperaccumulators of interest. Samples of both the soils and produce were taken in triplicate and processed with nitric acid. Lead concentrations were then determined using atomic adsorption spectroscopy. The resulting data showed higher concentrations of lead in the hyperaccumulators and suggested that the presence of the hyperaccumulators may have had an impact on the amount of lead available to surrounding vegetation. Further research may provide additional tools in reducing human exposure to lead from produce grown in urban gardens.
Neural processing of food cues in pre-pubertal children.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Neuroimaging investigations of brain pathways involved in reward and motivation have primarily focused on adults. This study sought to identify brain responses to visual food cues and explore its relationships with adiposity and sex in pre-pubertal children. METHODS Brain responses to palatable food vs. non-food cues were measured in 53 children (age: 8.18 ± .66 years; sex: 22 boys, 31 girls) after an overnight fast. Whole-brain analysis (cluster-correction Z > 2.3, P < .05) was performed to examine brain food cue reactivity and its relationships with adiposity and sex. RESULTS Greater brain activity in response to food vs. non-food cues was observed in regions implicated in reward (orbital frontal cortex, striatum), taste (insula, postcentral gyrus), appetite (hypothalamus), emotion (amygdala), memory (hippocampus), visual processing (occipital cortex) and attention (parietal cortex). A negative association was found between percent body fat and food cue reactivity in the medial prefrontal cortex and lateral orbital frontal cortex adjusting for age and sex. Boys compared with girls had increased food cue reactivity in right hippocampus and visual cortex. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that body fat and sex are important moderators of brain food cue reactivity in children.
A New Stress Test for Knee Joint Cartilage.

Cartilage metabolism—both the synthesis and breakdown of cartilage constituents and architecture—is influenced by its mechanical loading. Therefore, physical activity is often recommended to maintain cartilage health and to treat or slow the progression of osteoarthritis, a debilitating joint disease causing cartilage degeneration. However, the appropriate exercise frequency, intensity, and duration cannot be prescribed because direct in vivo evaluation of cartilage following exercise has not yet been performed. To address this gap in knowledge, we developed a cartilage stress test to measure the in vivo strain response of healthy human subjects’ tibial cartilage to walking exercise. We varied both walk duration and speed in a dose-dependent manner to quantify how these variables affect cartilage strain. We found a nonlinear relationship between walk duration and in vivo compressive strain, with compressive strain initially increasing with increasing duration, then leveling off with longer durations. This work provides innovative measurements of cartilage creep behavior (which has been well-documented in vitro but not in vivo) during walking. This study showed that compressive strain increased with increasing walking speed for the speeds tested in this study (0.9–2.0 m/s). Furthermore, our data provide novel measurements of the in vivo strain response of tibial cartilage to various doses of walking as a mechanical stimulus, with maximal strains of 5.0% observed after 60 minutes of walking. These data describe physiological benchmarks for healthy articular cartilage behavior during walking and provide a much-needed baseline for studies investigating the effect of exercise on cartilage health.
‘A Cracked Sheet-Glass Mirror’: Conditions of Collaboration at the 1945 P.E.N. All-India Writers’ Conference

This article examines how P.E.N., an organisation born in imperial Britain, endeavoured in some cases and floundered in others to create conditions for collaboration between Indian and British writers. Drawing on the P.E.N. archives at the Harry Ransom Center (HRC), I examine communication among and between Indian and British writers in P.E.N.'s orbit during the World War II era and leading up to the Indian Independence Act of 1947. As a forum for collaboration among writers internationally not only to develop writing and editing projects together, but also to forge a unifying conception for the modern era of the relationship between literature and political freedom, P.E.N. aimed to create opportunities for exchange among Indian and British writers. Analysing Indian writers' articulation of the necessary conditions for cross-imperial collaboration, I consider how mutuality was compromised under political conditions of imperialism hinging on hierarchal notions of culture.
Freehand drawing system using a fuzzy logic concept

A pen-based drawing system using a fuzzy logic concept has been developed. The Fuzzy Freehand Drawing System (FFDS) can infer human drawing intentions and generate the corresponding geometric primitives and smooth B-spline curves. FFDS is a pen-based real time drawing system. On the basis of drawing position, speed, and acceleration information, FFDS establishes geometric primitives. Unintentional points are eliminated using fuzzy filtering rules. FFDS analyses the drawn curve with reference models, and obtains the corresponding possibilities. Fuzzy inference rules are used to recognize the correct model. Finally, the correct geometric primitives are drawn automatically.
Electro-mechanical characterization of a piezoelectric energy harvester

Abstract Energy harvesting consists of capturing untapped ambient energy of various forms, such as mechanical, thermal or solar, and converting it into electrical energy. A significant unexploited source of mechanical energy is from vehicle movement on roadways. This paper presents the development of a piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) capable of converting mechanical energy from roadways into electricity and uses an electro-mechanical model for characterizing it. The PEH consists of a stack of piezoelectric (PZT) elements connected in parallel. Its electro-mechanical properties were characterized by subjecting it to dynamic loads with peaks ranging from 1.1 to 11 kN and loading frequencies ranging from 2.5 to 62 Hz. The model constants were estimated by fitting a model to experimental data through an error minimization routine. This model is capable of converting load input (N) to voltage output (V) and vice-versa. Its quality of fit was successfully tested in the laboratory using different load amplitudes and frequencies. For an external resistance of 500 kΩ and sinusoidal loads with peaks of 1.1 and 11 kN applied at 66 Hz, the maximum voltage output of one of the PZT stacks was 95 V and 1190 V and the corresponding root mean square power output was 9 mW and 1400 mW, respectively. This model provides the background for the development of a self-powered axle load sensing system for roadway vehicles.
DEVELOPMENT OF ABSORBENT TECHNOLOGY FOR OIL SPILL RECOVERY AND CLEANUP IN ARCTIC ENVIRONMENT

ABSTRACT 2017-076 In this paper, we discuss a new class of i-PetroGel oil-superabsorbent technology that has shown a potential solution to the oil spill recovery and cleanup in arctic environments,...
Using Simulation to Estimate and Forecast Transportation Metrics: Lessons Learned

In recent years transportation planners and engineers have begun to utilize traffic simulation models to estimate and forecast new transportation operations and reliability metrics. For example, the Highway Capacity Manual, Sixth Edition: A Guide for Multimodal Mobility Analysis (HCM-6) has recently adopted 1) passenger car estimation methods that are based on the microsimulation model VISSIM, and 2) urban arterial reliability estimation methods that are based on a Monte Carlos simulation technique. The advantage to simulation methods is that the metrics, which may be based on central tendency (e.g. mean, median), dispersion (variance, percentile), or even a combination of other metrics (e.g. reliability index), may be easily calculated and/or estimated. For this reason, the number of metrics developed and used has continued to increase. As one example, many researchers over the past decade have focused on developing and estimating metrics related to network reliability and resilience. However, it is an open research question on when and where these simulation approaches are appropriate to use. This paper will discuss a number of issues related to using simulation for estimating transportation metrics with a focus on model assumptions and model calibration. Specific examples from realworld test beds will be provided. Lastly, the paper will provide an overview of lessons learned and areas of future research.
Ground Penetrating Radar in the Northern Great Lakes: A Trial Survey of a Contact Period Occupation in Marquette County, Michigan

ABSTRACTTiming, inclement weather, and limited budgets can obstruct archaeological survey efforts. Here, we ameliorate some of these with use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) at the Goose Lake Out...
Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Pilot Investigation of the Safety of a Single Dose of Rapid-Acting Intranasal Insulin in Down Syndrome.

Individuals with Down syndrome are likely to develop clinical and neuropathological brain changes resembling Alzheimer’s disease dementia by the ages of 35–40 years. Intranasal insulin is a potential treatment for neurodegenerative disease that has been shown to reduce amyloid plaque burden and improve verbal memory performance in normal as well as memory-impaired adults. Investigations have shown that rapid-acting insulins may result in superior cognitive benefits compared with regular insulin. The primary objective of this study was to measure the safety and feasibility of intranasal rapid-acting glulisine in subjects with Down syndrome. Secondarily, we estimated the effects of intranasal glulisine on cognition and memory in Down syndrome. A single-center, single-dose, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over pilot study was performed to test the safety of intranasal glulisine vs placebo in 12 subjects with Down syndrome aged ≥ 35 years. Intranasal administration utilized the Impel NeuroPharma I109 Precision Olfactory Delivery (POD®) device. The primary outcomes were the occurrence of any or related adverse and serious adverse events. Secondary post-treatment cognitive outcome measures included performance on the Fuld Object-Memory Evaluation and Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test. Intranasal glulisine was safe and well tolerated in the Down syndrome population. No adverse or serious adverse events were observed. Further investigations are necessary to better evaluate the potential cognitive-enhancing role of intranasal insulin in the Down syndrome population. NCT02432716.
The research progress of newly discovered respiratory viruses in children

Respiratory tract infection is a common disease in childhood.Virus plays an important role in respiratory disease.With the progresses in molecular technologies in these years, newly discovered viruses have been identified including human metapneumovirus, human coronaviruses, human Bocavirus, polyomaviruses, new enterovirus and rhinovirus strains.These viruses have been identified to cause childhood respiratory infection.This review overviews the newly recognized respiratory viruses and seek to focus on their contribution to infection and co-infection in respiratory tract infection in childhood. Key words: Respiratory virus; Children; Co-infection
Correcting a fundamental mistake in radiation physics shows how the middle atmosphere plays the primary role in determining how effectively earth is heated by sun

The thermal and chemical structure of the middle atmosphere is determined by molecules of air absorbing high-energy, solar, ultraviolet radiation. The dominant photochemical reaction for forming th...
SAVMA virtual white coating and graduation tool kit

This is a guide that may be used by student leadership of SAVMA veterinary colleges to initiate a conversation on conducting a White Coat and/or Graduation Ceremony online for veterinary students scheduled to receive their White Coats or Graduate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The safety and health of students, families, faculty, and staff are paramount during this incredibly difficult and precarious time. However, we feel that it is important to take time to recognize the time, dedication, and emotional strength it took for students to reach these points in their veterinary careers. We hope that providing an easy toolkit that explains how this can be done effectively will encourage administrations to host a virtual event to honor students.
Invasive therapy improved angina health status in patients with high-risk stable coronary disease and more frequent angina.

SOURCE CITATION Spertus JA, Jones PG, Maron DJ, et al. Health-status outcomes with invasive or conservative care in coronary disease. N Engl J Med. 2020;382:1408-19. 32227753.
Straw wars: Pro-environmental spillover following a guilt appeal

Abstract As straw reduction campaigns have become ubiquitous, some have worried that adopting the relatively easy behavior of refusing plastic straws will detract from arguably more impactful and important pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) and policy support. The present study utilized a guilt appeal to encourage reducing straw use (PEB1) and tested spillover effects to a wide range of household and travel PEBs (PEB2s) as well as support for plastic policies and climate change policies. 234 Mturk participants (34% women) completed Time 1 including a survey assessing current PEB practices and policy support and were randomly assigned to the guilt appeal or a control condition and then completed a follow up survey one week later (Time 2) with the same measures. 184 participants also completed an identical survey three months later (Time 3). Results showed evidence of positive relationships between straw use reductions and all PEB2s at Time 2, with several PEB2s showing indirect effects through environmental identity, though no relationships with policy support were found. The guilt manipulation had no effect on straw use and limited our ability to test for spillover effects. By Time 3, many positive relationships between PEB1 and PEB2s had faded. The results underscore the importance of environmental identity in PEB spillover research and also suggest that concerns about negative spillover may be unwarranted.
Mentor/Coach: The Most Effective Curriculum to Foster Each Student's Professional Development and Formation

Law schools must give more attention to fostering each student’s growth toward both ownership of the student’s own continuous development and the relationship skills that clients and legal employers need. A fast-growing number of law schools (almost a third of all law schools) are moving in this direction and experimenting with required professional development and formation curriculum in the 1L year to respond to concerns about bar passage, post-graduation employment outcomes, and student well-being. Since many disadvantaged students in particular need help to grow toward later stages of both ownership of professional development and relationship skills, law schools considering a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative should give attention to required professional development and formation curriculum as part of the initiative. These skills are also important for initiatives to foster student wellbeing. Part II of the article outlines the principles supported by empirical research that can guide curriculum development for these new student professional development and formation initiatives. The principles point toward a one-on-one continuous mentoring/coaching model as the most effective curriculum to foster each student’s growth toward later stages of these two foundational learning outcomes. Part II analyzes why combining themes from the mentoring literature and from the coaching literature to create a mentor/coach model makes the most sense to foster growth toward these outcomes. Part III outlines the principles that should inform the mentor/coach interaction with the mentee/coachee students. Part IV provides important considerations in mentor/coach selection and training. Part IV also considers how to minimize the budgetary impact of a continuous mentor/coach model for each student by gradual steps in a long-term strategic plan.
Accretion of low angular momentum material onto black holes: 2D hydrodynamical inviscid case

We report on the first phase of our study of slightly rotating accretion flows onto black holes. We consider inviscid accretion flows with a spherically symmetric density distribution at the outer boundary, but with spherical symmetry broken by the introduction of a small, latitude-dependent angular momentum. We study accretion flows by means of numerical 2D, axisymmetric, hydrodynamical simulations. Our main result is that the properties of the accretion flow do not depend as much on the outer boundary conditions (i.e., the amount as well as distribution of the angular momentum) as on the geometry of the non-accreting matter. The material that has too much angular momentum to be accreted forms a thick torus near the equator. Consequently, the geometry of the polar region, where material is accreted (the funnel), and the mass accretion rate through it are constrained by the size and shape of the torus. Our results show one way in which the mass accretion rate of slightly rotating gas can be significantly reduced compared to the accretion of non-rotating gas (i.e., the Bondi rate), and set the stage for calculations that will take into account the transport of angular momentum and energy.
‘Hypothesis non-fingo’ resolved with ‘Gill’s Electronic Theory of Magnetism 1964’

Applying Gill’s electronic theory of magnetism 1964 to planet Earth and relating it to the electron dependant negative force (-e) and the proton dependant positive force (+e) of atoms of any object close to the surface of the Earth, it will be explained mathematically how objects close to the Earth fall towards the Earth with a combination of these two forces. In the northern and southern magnetic hemispheres of the Earth, equations based on known physics laws are offered for objects falling towards the Earth. Dot-product vector equations will explain why a pendulum will accelerate least at the equator and this lateral acceleration keeps on increasing as we move the same pendulum from the equator towards the magnetic poles of the Earth as has been seen experimentally. As the object O gains height above the surface of the Earth, the two negative and positive extra-terrestrial forces become effective and O starts losing weight with increasing height. At a certain greater height above the Earth where the two negative and positive forces from the Earth balance with the two negative and positive extra-terrestrial forces, the object O will start behaving as a satellite. The bigger object O will become a satellite at a greater height. A brief discussion at the end on why this presentation is more accurate as compared to Sir Isaac Newton’s universal law of gravitation which resulted in the incorrect third force concept of gravity in 1687 in Physics. As the asymmetry between the magnetic force and the electrical forces is resolved with Gill’s electronic theory of magnetism 1964, Albert Einstein’s ‘Special Relativity theory 1905’ which was presented to deal with the asymmetry issue becomes unnecessary along with his ‘General Relativity theory 1916’ where he tries to justify the gravitational force.
Ethylene Polymers, LLDPE

Ziegler–Natta-catalyzed linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) was first commercialized in the late 1970s. Unlike low density polyethylene (LDPE) produced in the high pressure process, Ziegler–Natta LLDPE has no long-chain branching and has a narrower molecular weight distribution. LLDPE offers improved mechanical properties relative to LDPE. Metallocene-catalyzed LLDPE(mLLDPE) resins, commercialized in the 1990s, are more compositionally homogeneous than LLDPE and have narrower molecular weight distributions. mLLDPE resins offer improved toughness properties relative to LLDPE. LLDPE resins are used in film, injection molding, blow molding, rotational molding, tubing, and wire and cable coating applications. Keywords: polyethylene; linear low density polyethylene; LLDPE; mLLDPE; Ziegler–Natta; metallocene; low pressure polymerization process
History, Subversion and Low-Intensity Conflict in the Soviet Union

© 2003 Robert Owen Krikorian All Rights Reserved The copyright for individual articles in both the print and online version of the Anthropology of East Europe Review is retained by the individual authors. They reserve all rights other than those stated here. Please contact the managing editor for details on contacting these authors. Permission is granted for reproducing these articles for scholarly and classroom use as long as only the cost of reproduction is charged to the students. Commercial reproduction of these articles requires the permission of the authors. During the last years of the Soviet Union, a lowintensity conflict erupted between Armenians and Azerbaijanis over the region of NagornoKarabakh. The conflict began in February 1988, shortly after the Armenian majority in NagornoKarabakh called for unification with the Armenian SSR. It escalated dramatically within weeks in the wake of the anti-Armenian pogrom in Sumgait, Azerbaijan. From this time until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh were unofficially in an effective state of war against both Baku and Moscow. The massacre at Sumgait, and subsequent pogroms in other Azerbaijani cities, such as Baku and Kirovabad brought back to the Armenians painful historical memories of genocide, massacre and deportation. These historical memories were then used to legitimize the formation of Armenian volunteer units to defend Karabagh.
Rights: Legal Aspects

The language of legal rights generally connotes potentially enforceable claims of entitlement to certain freedoms, goods, or conditions. Rights traditionally have been identified with Western liberal constitutional regimes, but non-Western foundations and international human rights conventions have become increasingly salient in contemporary world politics. This article reviews a wide range of perspectives about how rights are conceptualized and critically assessed by legal philosophers, jurisprudential analysts, and empirical social scientists.
Electronic access to tinnitus data: The Oregon Tinnitus Data Archive☆☆☆★★★

The recently published Oregon Tinnitus Data Archive can be viewed by anyone with Internet access and World Wide Web browser software. A dynamically changing document to be amplified and upgraded in future versions, at present the Archive summarizes records from 1630 patients with tinnitus seen between 1982 and 1992 at the Tinnitus Clinic of the Oregon Health Sciences University. The Archive has many features of standard journal publications but also has added advantages of extensive appendixes and other background information, as well as the ease of use and flexibility offered by hypertext documents. The data in the Archive can be used for a variety of clinical and research purposes such as development of prevalence estimates for medical conditions or etiologic circumstances associated with tinnitus, testing of clinical impressions and other hypotheses, and efforts to identify risk factors and possible causal agents for tinnitus.
Red Cell Metabolism, Normal and Abnormal Implications for Red Cell Aging

Aging of the human erythrocyte consists of changes in its structure and function beginning at birth and culminating in its demise. This is commonly regarded as a chronic process, progressing inexorably in small increments to senescence and ultimate death and its time frame for the normal red cell averages about 120 days. However, this transition can be greatly accelerated by intrinsic cellular defects or extrinsic environmental influences. Among many others, the latter include trauma to the red cell as in the microangiopathic hemolytic syndromes, autoimmune disorders where the erythrocyte may be an innocent victim, and the individually varying effects of infection, diet, medications and exposure to hazardous substances in the environment. Red cell life span also may be dramatically shortened by genetically determined birth defects whose impact in some instances can be substantially ameliorated by calculated interventions. Witness the nearnormal survival of the hereditary spherocyte after splenectomy, in contrast to that of the same cell circulating in a subject with an intact spleen. Witness the shortened red cell life span accompanying primaquine medication in some glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficient individuals.
Organic Carbon and Dissolved Oxygen Budgets for a Commercial-Size, In-pond Raceway System

Intensive production of ictalurid catfish in the USA has increased over the past several years, and a better understanding of the amount of organic carbon (OC) and dissolved oxygen (DO) in these culture environments is needed. Budgets for OC and DO were estimated over a production season (March to November) for an in-pond raceway system for channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, and hybrid catfish (channel catfish × blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus), with co-culture of paddlefish, Polyodon spathula, and Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Feed input ranged from 45 to 263 kg/ha/d with an overall average of 80 kg/ha/d. Production of each kilogram of live catfish required 1.5 kg of feed and released into the water 0.70 kg of OC, and led to the synthesis of an additional 3.36 kg of OC by photosynthesis. Consequently, production of 1 kg of live catfish resulted in 4.06 kg OC, and harvest of catfish accounted for only 29.5% of OC applied from the feed. Removal of OC increased to 34.3% with the additional harvest of paddlefish and tilapia. OC was consumed in respiration, and some OC accumulated in sediment. Total respiration within the system exceeded the DO produced by photosynthesis, while diffusion and mechanical aeration aided in maintaining suitable DO levels for fish production.
Flame spread over a flat, combustible, thermally thick solid in an opposed oxidizer shear flow

In this article we examine the spread of a flame along a flat, combustible, thermally thick solid against an opposed shear flow resembling a fluid-dynamic boundary layer. The model of [7, 8] is reexamined to produce a correlation formula, with all parameters fixed and determined. The parameters of the correlation substantially corroborate previous results. The flame-spread models considered here assume infinitely fast kinetics; these are called heat transfer models. The implications for the general problem with finite-rate chemistry are discussed.
Regulation of Murine Plasma Phospholipid Transfer Protein Activity and mRNA Levels by Lipopolysaccharide and High Cholesterol Diet

Plasma phospholipid transfer protein mediates the net movement of phospholipids between lipoproteins and between lipid bilayers and high density lipoprotein. In this study, the mouse phospholipid transfer protein cDNA was cloned by reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions based on the cDNA sequence of human phospholipid transfer protein. The predicted amino acid sequence of mouse phospholipid transfer protein shows the protein to be 476 amino acids long and to have a sequence identity of 83% with that of human phospholipid transfer protein. Mouse plasma phospholipid transfer protein activity is 1.5-2 times that of human plasma phospholipid transfer protein activity. As in humans, mouse peripheral tissues displayed a higher abundance of phospholipid transfer protein mRNA than observed in central organs. The order of phospholipid transfer protein mRNA expression was as follows: lung > adipose tissue, placenta, testis > brain > muscle, heart, liver. We examined the regulation of phospholipid transfer protein expression by dietary cholesterol and by bacterial lipopolysaccharide. A high fat, high cholesterol diet caused a significant increase (35%) in plasma phospholipid transfer protein activity and a significant increase (18%) in high density lipoprotein phospholipids. This increased activity was accompanied by ∼100% increase in phospholipid transfer protein mRNA in lung. After lipopolysaccharide injection, plasma phospholipid transfer protein activity was decreased by ∼66%. This decrease in activity was associated with a similar decrease in phospholipid transfer protein mRNA in lung, adipose tissue, and liver. The decrease in plasma phospholipid transfer protein activity was also associated with a significant increase (17%) in high density lipoprotein phospholipid concentration. The opposite changes in phospholipids levels with lipopolysaccharide treatment and dietary cholesterol despite similarly increased high density lipoprotein phospholipids levels indicate that high density lipoprotein phospholipids levels are likely determined both by phospholipid transfer protein levels and by gradients of phospholipids concentration between high density lipoprotein and other phospholipids sources.
The natural history of the Tigris according to the Sumerian literary composition Lugal.

WITH his edition of Lugal, J. van Dijk has provided us with an authoritative textual basis for the task of interpreting this important text, the longest Sumerian narrative known to date.' In the following pages, I want to contribute to this task my understanding of the central mythological theme: the creation of mountains and the yearly flood of the Tigris. The reason for working out a new interpretation of this theme is based on my conviction that van Dijk's interpretation, as stated in the introduction to his edition, cannot be correct. He believes that human observation of the changing environment before, during, and after the last ice age was kept alive and eventually recorded in the text of Lugal, in other words, that the text contains remembrances of human experiences during that time-span. His principal evidence is a phrase in line 335 containing the words "ice," "accumulating," and "to melt." Up to this mysterious phrase, the text can be summarized as follows. It opens with a ritual setting, a scene from a festival of Ninurta, presumably in his temple E'ume'a in Nippur: Ninurta sat "widely" and happily on his throne. An and Enlil were present and consumed beer; Bau presented the prayers of a king, and Ninurta decided destinies (11. 18-21). A simple "on that day" switches back into the mythical past, and the story begins: Ninurta's weapon Multitude Flattener (s'r-uir), who "had his eye on the Kur,"2 told his master about Asag: "An impregnated green earth. Earth gave birth to a fearless hero," Asag, who, without being nursed or educated, grew up in the Kur where it3 eventually produced widespread offspring. Its members called themselves by the names of different stones and organized themselves into a society with king and warriors (ghr-ra-du-um). Asag seated itself on a throne and judged the land, "a lord like you" as the weapon Multitude Flattener told Ninurta (26-38). The latter, awakening to the challenge, "said Uh! Ah! An shook, set earth to his feet (i.e., went up to heaven) . . . . Enlil became bewildered, disappeared (?) in Ekur" (70-71). Then, he arose, reaching heaven in the process, and rode eight winds to
Impact of bilirubin-induced neurologic dysfunction on neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Summary Bilirubin-induced neurologic dysfunction (BIND) is the constellation of neurologic sequelae following milder degrees of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia than are associated with kernicterus. Clinically, BIND may manifest after the neonatal period as developmental delay, cognitive impairment, disordered executive function, and behavioral and psychiatric disorders. However, there is controversy regarding the relative contribution of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia versus other risk factors to the development of later neurodevelopmental disorders in children with BIND. In this review, we focus on the empiric data from the past 25 years regarding neurodevelopmental outcomes and BIND, including specific effects on developmental delay, cognition, speech and language development, executive function, and the neurobehavioral disorders, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism.
A model for the indentation-induced splitting ice floe experiments

Abstract A particular case of indentation-induced damage in ice where the micro-cracked zone directly beneath the indenter takes the shape of an isosceles triangle, and the overall failure characterized by an unstable propagation of an apex crack, is considered. Both the failure criterion and the related size effect are derived and compared to the results of both the laboratory and basin studies on freshwater ice in the literature. Although the above failure mode is typical in low velocity indentation experiments with nominal strain rates between 0.2 and 0.34 s −1 and with the indenter width-ice sheet thickness ratio measuring less than 5, the derived scaling law is applicable to other experimental conditions too, as long as the above deformation profile is maintained. Applicability of the scaling law to saline ice is also discussed.
Case Management and Preventive Services Among Infants from Low‐Income Families

To determine the impact of an experimental approach to case management on use of child health clinic and immunization services, a nonequivalent control group with covariate measures design was employed in a sample of 98 infants from low-income families. The innovative pattern of care featured continuity of care; a single public health nurse (PHN) provided child health care to an infant by integrating case management and preventive services. In contrast, the customary pattern of child health care was characterized by fragmentation of services. Case management was segregated from preventive services, and multiple PHNs delivered care to an infant. As predicted, experimental-group infants (44%) were more likely to achieve adequate child health clinic services than control-group infants (8%) (p < 0.001). Moreover, the cost-effectiveness (C/E) ratio (dollar cost per effective intervention) for adequate child health clinic visits in continuous care ($523) was one-fifth of that in fragmented care ($2,900). The C/E ratio related to adequate immunization was 8% less in continuous care ($359) than in the fragmented approach ($386), although the difference in rates of adequate immunization was nonsignificant (experimental group, 64%; control group, 60%). These findings suggest that continuous PHN care with integrated case management is a more effective, cost-efficient approach to critical child preventive services than the customary, segregated case-management approach.
Stachybotrys, a Mycotoxin-Producing Fungus of Increasing Toxicologic Importance

AbstractBackground: Stachybotrys as a fungus has been implicated as a source of mycotoxins. While the toxicity of several well-known mycotoxins (aflatoxins) is well documented, recent studies on Stachybotrys have raised the question that mycotoxins produced by this fungus may be responsible for the health effects of occupants in water-damaged buildings. Methods: Published articles regarding Stachybotrys-related mycotoxins were reviewed with particular focus on human toxicity. Results: A critical review of papers, reports, and studies on Stachybotrys mycotoxins revealed only descriptive reports of suspected animal and human poisoning secondary to consumption of mold-contaminated food products. No studies of good toxicologic and epidemiologic designs answer whether airborne mycotoxins produced by Stachybotrys could produce specific human toxicity. Conclusions: Current data on the toxicology of mycotoxins produced by Stachybotrys demonstrate that this group of mycotoxins is capable of producing immunosuppres...