cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photovoltaic String Sizing Using Site-Specific Modeling

One key design decision for photovoltaic (PV) power plants is to select the number of PV modules connected in series, also called the string size. Longer strings typically lower total system costs, but the string size must still meet relevant electrical standards to ensure that the maximum system voltage remains less than the design voltage. Traditional methods calculate string size using the temperature coefficient of open-circuit voltage assuming that the coldest expected temperature occurs simultaneously with a full-sun irradiance of ${\text{1000}}\,{\text{W/m}}^{\text{2}}$ . Here, we demonstrate that this traditional method is unnecessarily conservative, resulting in a string size $\sim$ 10% shorter than necessary to maintain system voltage within limits. Instead, engineers may determine string size by modeling open-circuit voltage over time using historical weather data, a method consistent with the 2017 National Electric Code. For bifacial systems, we derive a simple additive term that predicts the additional voltage rise. We demonstrate that this site-specific modeling procedure predicts open-circuit voltages in close agreement with data from field measurements. We further perform a comprehensive sensitivity analysis to identify an appropriate safety factor. By using site-specific modeling instead of traditional methods, we estimate a $\sim$ 1.2% reduction in levelized cost of electricity, a significant improvement to PV power plant economics. The method is provided as an easy-to-use web tool and as an open-source Python package.
High-precision equation of state data for TiO 2 : A structural analog of SiO 2

The high-pressure response of titanium dioxide (${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$) is of interest because of its numerous industrial applications and its structural similarities to silica (${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$). We used three platforms---Sandia's Z machine, Omega Laser Facility, and density-functional theory-based quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations---to study the equation of state (EOS) of ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$ at extreme conditions. We used magnetically accelerated flyer plates at Sandia to measure Hugoniot of ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$ up to pressures of 855 GPa. We used a laser-driven shock wave at Omega to measure the shock temperature in ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$. Our Z data show that rutile ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$ reaches 2.2-fold compression at a pressure of 855 GPa and Omega data show that ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$ is a reflecting liquid above 230 GPa. The QMD simulations are in excellent agreement with the experimental Hugoniot in both pressure and temperature. A melt curve for ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$ is also proposed based on the QMD simulations. The combined experimental results show ${\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$ is in a liquid at these explored pressure ranges and is not highly incompressible as suggested by a previous study.
Perilaku Ekonomi Sosial Nelayan Di DesaPaminggir Seberang Kecamatan Paminggir Kabupaten Hulu Sungai Utara Kalsel

Tulisan ini bermaksud memberikan gambaran tentang aktivitas yang dilakukan oleh masyarakat nelayan. Pada umumnya masyarakat nelayan terutama yang tinggal di daerah pesisir terindikasi sebagai masyarakat yang hidup serba substantif. Masyarakat nelayan yang menjadi subyek penelitian adalah nelayan yang beroperasi di daerah perairan darat seperti sungai dan daerah rawa di Desa Paminggir Seberang. Pada masyarakat seperti ini menimbulkan pertanyaan bagaimana mereka mengelola perilakunya dalam memenuhi kebutuhan. Oleh masyarakat setempat sebutan nelayan adalah meiwak . Aktivitas meiwak tergantung pada musim. Musim kemarau adalah musim dimana paiwakan berpesta dengan hasil yang melimpah. Meiwak dilakukan dalam rangka pemenuhan kebutuhan ekonomi keluarga. Saat melakukan aktivitas inilah tampak jalinan relasi sosial antar sesama paiwakan , antar paiwakan dengan pemakelar ikan dan juga dengan sesama tetangga sebagai konsumen.
Waterborne functionalization of cellulose nanofibrils with norbornenes and subsequent thiol-norbornene gelation to create robust hydrogels

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) produced through processes involving oxidation (e.g. TEMPO oxidation) present reactive groups that allow for straightforward modification in aqueous suspension. CNFs fabricated through mechanical refinement alone can be challenging to modify for subsequent reactions due to only having hydroxyl groups present on the surface. To address these issues, CNFs with only hydroxyl groups present were functionalized with norbornene groups in their native aqueous suspension to achieve up to 10% functionalization per anhydroglucose unit. Since quantification of surface functionalization of CNFs is challenging through most methods, a degradation and subsequent nuclear magnetic resonance analysis method was developed to quantify norbornene functionalization. The norbornene functionalized CNFs (nCNFs) were cross-linked through UV and thermally initiated thiol-ene click reactions to create robust CNF hydrogels. By varying the reaction conditions, hydrogels made from nCNFs and a dithiol cross-linker could achieve compression modulus values up to 25 kPa. The materials were stable in aqueous suspensions and the cross-linked hydrogels still exhibited shear thinning behavior with high recovery, which demonstrated that even though effective cross-links were formed, a complete network was not. Through this study, thiol-norbornene crosslinking of CNFs could create robust hydrogels and improve aqueous stability that could have applications in sustainable materials and biomaterials.
The Ecosystem of Learning: Admission and Diversity in Christian Higher Education

The policies, priorities, and productivity of postsecondary admission offices are under a great deal of scrutiny. The current realities range from the pressures of tuition-driven institutions to de...
Impact of Altered Gut Microbiota and Its Metabolites in Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common lethal, multisystemic genetic disorder in Caucasians. Mutations in the gene encoding the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) protein are responsible for impairment of epithelial anionic transport, leading to impaired fluid regulation and pH imbalance across multiple organs. Gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations in CF may begin in utero and continue throughout the life, resulting in a chronic state of an altered intestinal milieu. Inherent dysfunction of CFTR leads to dysbiosis of the gut. This state of dysbiosis is further perpetuated by acquired factors such as use of antibiotics for recurrent pulmonary exacerbations. Since the gastrointestinal microbiome and their metabolites play a vital role in nutrition, metabolic, inflammatory, and immune functions, the gut dysbiosis will in turn impact various manifestations of CF-both GI and extra-GI. This review focuses on the consequences of gut dysbiosis and its metabolic implications on CF disease and possible ways to restore homeostasis.
Predominantly Persistent Subretinal Fluid in the Comparison of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials

Objective To describe predominantly persistent subretinal fluid (SRF) in eyes receiving ranibizumab or bevacizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration and to compare visual acuity (VA) to eyes with nonpersistent SRF. Design Cohort within randomized clinical trial. Participants Comparison of Age-related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials patients assigned to pro re nata treatment. Methods Graders evaluated monthly OCT scans for SRF. Predominantly persistent SRF through week 12 was defined as SRF at baseline and weeks 4, 8, and 12. Predominantly persistent SRF through 1 or 2 years was defined as SRF in 80% or more of visits by years 1 or 2, respectively. Linear regression models including baseline predictors of VA and predominantly persistent intraretinal fluid (IRF) were used to evaluate mean differences in vision outcomes. Primary Outcome Measures Predominantly persistent SRF through year 1, adjusted VA score and VA change, and foveal SRF thickness. Results Among 406 eyes with baseline SRF, SRF persisted in 108 eyes (26.6%) through week 12, in 94 eyes (23.2%) through year 1, and in 77 eyes (19.0%) through year 2. Adjusted VA means at year 1 were similar between eyes with predominantly persistent versus non persistent SRF by week 12 (68.1 vs. 70.2 letters; P = 0.18), year 1 (67.6 vs. 70.2 letters; P = 0.11), and year 2 (71.4 vs. 70.9 letters; P = 0.78). Adjusted changes in mean VA at year 1 were similar between eyes with predominantly persistent versus nonpersistent SRF by week 12 (6.3 vs. 7.6 letters; P = 0.38), year 1 (5.5 vs. 7.8 letters; P = 0.14), and year 2 (8.1 vs. 7.7 letters; P = 0.78). Among eyes with predominantly persistent SRF through year 1, foveal SRF was absent in 46 eyes (48.9%), thickness was 1 to 200 μm in 48 eyes (50.0%) and more than 200 μm in 1 eye (1.1%) at year 1. Conclusions Eyes with predominantly persistent and nonpersistent SRF through week 12, year 1, or year 2 showed similar VA outcomes after adjustment for baseline covariates and persistent IRF. At the foveal center, predominantly persistent SRF was most commonly absent or present in small quantities.
The Effect of Entry of Hospital Specialty Units: the Case of Cardiac Care

In this study we measure the effect of changes in specialty service offerings on treatment intensity, clinical outcomes, and cost. If entry leads to better outcomes and lower costs social welfare is improved. We first measure the effect of entry on the type of procedures delivered to patients within the cardiac major diagnostic category. In contrast to previous research we control for the endogeneity of entry. We do so as follows. First, we calculate the probability a patient in a given zip code is admitted to the unit that opens using a grouped conditional logit model with drive time as the sole independent variable. In other words, we create a measure based solely on the location of the unit relative to the population of patients. Thus for patients in zip codes close to the unit, the probability of admission will be high; whereas patients in zip codes across town the probability of admission will be relatively low. This probability represents an index of the degree to which the treatment decision of a patient is affected by the entry or exit unit. This index is endogenous in an analysis with, for example, the probability a patient gets a procedure (e.g. CABG or Cardiac Cath) because units will enter markets where the expected growth in procedures is high. Failure to control for this endogeneity will lead researchers to erroneously conclude that the entry of the unit caused the growth in the number of procedures. Thus we instrument for the index using zip code and health care referral region (HRR) level demographic data including population; change in level of per capita income; and the CON status of the State. We expect entry to be more likely in growing markets with less stringent CON and within a market likely to be proximate to zip codes where the income growth has taken place. Our identifying assumption is that these variables will not effect the probability a given patient gets a procedure. We estimate the models using ten years of data (1995-2004) data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-State Inpatient Database of six states, the Medicare Cost report data, and the American Hospital Association's Annual Survey. We find that entry of both is associated with increased treatment intensity across several major treatment conditions. This increase remains after controlling for endogeneity. More intensive treatment does not explain variation in HRR-level costs for cardiac care. Though this result is likely due to the small sample at the HRR-level. The results at the zip code level are not robust to different specifications.
Identifying Opportunities in COPD Disease Management

Background: Therapies beyond inhaled medications have been demonstrated beneficial in patients with advanced COPD with history of exacerbations. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) benefits COPD patient healthcare quality-of-life and dyspnea, while PDE-4 inhibitors (eg, roflumilast) and prophylactic macrolide (most commonly azithromycin) use may offer benefits in reducing exacerbations. Typically, referrals to PR or additions of PDE-4 inhibitors and macrolides are considered and implemented by pulmonologists and/or those with subspecialty expertise in the treatment and management of COPD. Methods: Three clinicians retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical record (EMR) of 96 patients hospitalized in 2019 with a diagnosis of COPD. Reviewers wanted to glean whether there were opportunities to improve care in patients who were primarily hospitalized for an exacerbation of their COPD. Reviewers evaluated hospital admission diagnosis, diagnostic testing, and therapies aimed at reducing exacerbations, and referrals or visits to outpatient pulmonary clinics, PR, and palliative care. Exemption was obtained through the University of California, Davis IRB #1759094-1. Results: Of the 96 reviewed charts, 19 were excluded (20%) due to an incorrect COPD diagnosis and 12 (12%) were excluded due not having a PCP within the health system, leaving an N = 65. Of these 65 patients, 28 (45%) had a least one COPD-related admission in 2019. Two (7%) of the 28 COPD related admission patients had been prescribed roflumilast or chronic azithromycin treatments for the prevention of exacerbations. Four (14%) of the patients had been previously referred to PR, with 3 (11%) of them reaching and completing the program. Nine (32%) patients had at least one pulmonary outpatient visit in 2019. None of the hospitalized patients had been referred to palliative care. Conclusions: Multiple opportunities for exacerbation prevention were missed in our cohort of the highest risk COPD patients. Guidelines recommend timely interventions to reduce the risk of COPD disease progression and exacerbations, but these often do not penetrate the sickest population of patients frequently admitted. Referrals to programs and disease specific clinics should be considered early in COPD but especially in patients with history of exacerbations.
Studies of onion root respiration: III. Ampereometric titration as a method for the measurement of respiratory overshoot☆

Abstract The method of amperometric titration for oxygen, using the dropping mercury electrode, has been adapted for measuring the respiratory overshoot in segments of onion roots. The change in concentration of oxygen with time is followed continuously in the solution around the roots when an aerobic medium replaces one that is anaerobic. The period of electrical instability is limited to 150 sec, including the time required for changing the solutions. Data so obtained are amenable to kinetic treatment and reproducibility from experiment to experiment is good. The advantages and limitations of this method over those previously used are discussed.
Comparing The Color of Fear and Evolutionof a Group: A Pilot Study

This article compared two films: (a) The color of fear and (b) Evolution of a group using the Multicultural Awareness Knowledge and Skills Survey and the Counselor Skills and Personal Development Rating Form. The results indicated significant differences in multicultural counseling skills evidenced by the leader of The color of fear when compared with those skills of the leaders of Evolution of a group [t(6) = 3.43, p<.001].
The submicroscopic morphology of Gaucher cells.

The large cells characteristically found in the bone marrow and other organs in Gaucher’s disease have been reinvestigated with the electron microscope, as well as with phase contrast and polarizing microscopes and by standard staining methods. The cytoplasm was filled with a number of dense elongate or crescent shaped bodies. Each of these fibrils was in turn seen with the electron microscope to be bounded by a single dense limiting membrane, and to contain a homogeneous appearing matrix in which were embedded numerous tubular-appearing subunits. These tubular elements measured approximately 130 A in diameter, and were of very great length. It is suggested that these submicroscopic tubular structures could represent the molecular kerasin or lipoprotein units known from biochemical and histochemical evidence to be present in Gaucher cells. Some details about the appearance of the ectoplasm in spread cells, and the area near the cell border in cells fixed in situ, are reported. Electron micrographs revealed a complex cell border which was extended into many small pseudopodia and ridge-like projections. Numerous microvesicles about 600 A in diameter were found in the area near the cell membrane. This is taken as possible evidence of transport of some substance across an active cell membrane. An attempt is made to correlate these morphologic findings with the clinical and biochemical findings of ourselves and others on Gaucher’s disease.
Profiles of Anticipated Support: Religion's Place in the Composition of Americans’ Emotional Support Networks

In this article we analyze the role of religion in the composition of Americans’ networks of anticipated emotional support. Drawing on data from the National Survey of Religion and Family Life, which contains information on multiple sources of potential emotional support, we use latent class analysis to uncover four different anticipated support profiles, which are organized along two dimensions of variation: religiosity and breadth. We label these profiles religious, secular, broad, and limited. Our analyses demonstrate associations between these anticipated support profiles and a person's gender, family status, age, race, socioeconomic status, and religious involvement. For instance, we find that Catholics are more likely than non-Catholics to have secular rather than religious support profiles, and African Americans tend to have profiles that are either religious or limited. Finally, we show that these profiles have implications for well-being. We contribute to research on religion and emotional support by describing how religious and secular sources combine into overall anticipated support profiles. Our conclusion addresses the implications of these findings for current scholarship on religion and emotional support networks.
Defects in irradiated silicon: EPR of the tin-vacancy pair

An EPR spectrum, labeled Si-G29, is identified as a lattice vacancy trapped by substitutional tin. The resulting tin-vacancy pair is observed in its neutral ground state with S = 1. Results of studies on wavelength of illumination indicate that it has a donor level at approximately E/sub v/ + 0.35 eV. Analysis of the EPR spectrum leads to a model in which the tin atom resides in a position halfway between two normal silicon atom sites (D/sub 3d/). It is stable to approximately 500$sup 0$K. (auth)
An Eulerian model for scavenging of pollutants by raindrops

An Eulerian model for simulating the coupled processes of gas-phase depletion and aqueousphase accumulation of the pollutant species during a rain event has been formulated. The model is capable of taking into account any realistic vertical profile of pollutant species concentrations and time-dependent initial aqueous-phase concentrations at the cloud base. The model considers the processes of single species absorption and dissociation in the aqueous phase. The coupled partial differential equations constituting the model are discretized into a set of ordinary differential equations by using the Galerkin method with chapeau functions as the basis functions. These equations are solved to obtain the pollutant concentrations of the gas phase and raindrops as well as the pH of raindrops as a function of time and distance below cloud-base. Simulations are performed for scavenging of gaseous HNO3, H2O2, SO2, formaldehyde and NH3. For the case of highly soluble HNO3 and H2O2, raindrops are far from equilibrium with the gas phase and their capacity for absorption of these gases is undiminished even as they reach ground level. The gas-phase concentrations for these species decrease exponentially with time and the washout is determined primarily by the rain intensity and mass-transfer coefficient of the gaseous species to the raindrops. The pollutant species concentrations in raindrops are an almost linear function of the distance below the cloud base. For the simulation conditions considered in this study, the half-life periods of these gases for removal from the atmosphere range from 15 to 40 min. For SO2 and formaldehyde, the aqueous-phase concentrations approach equilibrium as the drops fall to ground level and the gas-phase concentrations show large gradients in the vertical. Half-life periods for SO2 range from 1.3 to 13 h depending on the initial raindrop pH and rain intensity. For formaldehyde, the half-life ranges from 19 to 63 min. Solubility of NH3 is a strong function of the raindrop pH. As NH3 is absorbed, the raindrop pH increases and NH3 solubility decreases. For pre-acidified drops (pH = 4.6), ammonia solubility is very high and the drops are far from equilibrium with the gas phase throughout the falling period. The half-life for ammonia ranges from 11 min to over 3 h in our simulations.
Amelogenin control over apatite crystal growth is affected by the pH and degree of ionic saturation.

Structured Abstract Authors – Habelitz S, DenBesten PK, Marshall SJ, Marshall GW, Li W Objective – To study the mechanisms which promote the interactions of amelogenin proteins with the forming mineral to establish suitable conditions for the biomimetic synthesis of enamel in vitro. Design – Saturated calcium phosphate solutions were used in conjunction with recombinant amelogenin proteins to induce mineral formation on glass-ceramics substrates containing oriented fluoroapatite crystals (FAP). The height of mineral layers formed on these substrates within 24 h was measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Experimental Variables – The effect of protein concentration, pH and degree of saturation (DS) on the growth of apatite mineral was evaluated. Mineralization experiments were performed at 0, 0.4 and 1.6 mg/ml amelogenin concentrations. Mineralization solutions were used at pH values of 6.5, 7.4, 8.0 and 8.8 and DS of calcium and phosphate between 9 and 13. Outcome Measure – Height and morphology of mineralized layer formed on glass-ceramic substrates as determined from AFM measurements. Results – Homogeneous nucleation and crystal growth of thin layers on the FAP were observed, when calcium and phosphate ions were added. The height of these layers grown on (001) planes of FAP was strongly dependent on the protein concentration and pH. At concentrations of 0 and 0.4 mg/ml crystal grew 5–15 nm on the FAP, while they grew approximately to 200 nm at 1.6 mg/ml. The enhanced crystal growth was observed only at pH 6.5, 7.4 and 8.0, while layers only 20 nm thick were obtained at pH 8.8. An increase in DS resulted in uncontrolled growth of calcium phosphate mineral covering large areas of the substrate. Conclusions – Protein concentration, pH and the saturation of the mineralizing solution need to be considered carefully to provide suitable conditions for amelogenin-guided growth of apatite crystals.
A Characterization of the Optimal Management of Heterogeneous Environmental Assets under Uncertainty

The application herein involves the optimal management of renewable and nonrenewable resources within the context of a stochastic model of optimal control. By characterizing the two dimensional Bellman solution, three rules with respect to resource management are established. Within the context of coastal development, this analysis may help to explain why renewable resources may become increasingly vulnerable to random external shocks as nonrenewable resources are depleted. Although existence of an optimal closed form solution to the multi-sector Bellman model remains an open mathematical question, this analysis offers a characterization which can be applied to other scenarios in economics or finance in which two assets following stochastic processes interact.
URBAN COGO: a geographic-based land information system

COGO, a geometric problem solving system, has been in existence for ten years in its basic form and for four years in its more advanced form. COGO provides a command-structured language and a set of processing routines to define and describe such geometric objects as points, curves, courses, chains, and vertical profiles, and to perform geometric computations such as locations and intersections to find new point coordinates. It also includes file capabilities to enable users to gradually derive problem solutions over a period of time as well as to provide the ability for different users to try different problem solutions against the same set of data. It provides dynamic memory management and dynamic program management as a subsystem of the ICES System.
Effects of Inhalation of 100 Per Cent Oxygen on the Pulmonary Blood Volume in Patients with Organic Heart Disease

The effect of breathing 100 per cent oxygen on the pulmonary blood volume, pulmonary arterial pressure, left atrial pressure, and pulmonary vascular distending pressure was studied during cardiac catheterization in eight patients with organic heart disease. In half of the patients, a significant decrease in pulmonary blood volume was observed. This decline in pulmonary blood volume in the face of a decrease or no change in the pulmonary distending pressure is interpreted as evidence for a passive mechanism of action for 100 per cent oxygen. The effects of hyperoxia are compared to those of acetylcholine, which works by actively dilating the pulmonary vascular bed.
Downregulation of smooth muscle α-actin expression by bacterial lipopolysaccharide

Objective: Smooth muscle α-actin (SMA) is a cytoskeletal protein characteristic to vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), and it serves to facilitate cell contraction and migration. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a major mediator of septic shock secondary to infection, is known to directly affect VSMC. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of LPS on the expression levels of SMA in VSMC. Methods: This study was performed on cultured VSMC derived from human aorta, human coronary artery, or rat aorta. Results: We show that SMA expression in VSMC, induced by endothelin-1 (ET1) or transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), is potently inhibited by a LPS. This parallels a decreased migration of VSMC after LPS treatment. Downregulation of SMA by LPS is not a result of altered signaling of ET1 or TGF-β receptors, and it is not mediated by canonical (for LPS) mechanisms, such as production of prostaglandins or nitric oxide, or secretion of other endocrine factors. On a molecular level, downregulation of SMA expression by LPS occurs at the level of transcription, as both SMA mRNA levels and SMA promoter activity are inhibited by LPS. The SMA promoter is controlled largely by two major regulatory elements—CArG boxes activated by serum response factor (SRF), and TGF-β control elements (TCE). LPS does not affect the activity of SRF, but it potently inhibits both basal and inducible TCE activation. Conclusion: We show for the first time that LPS attenuates SMA transcription and protein expression in VSMC likely through inhibition of a TCE element on the SMA promoter.
What Plato Knew About Enron

This paper applies Plato’s cave allegory to Enron’s success and downfall. Plato’s famous tale of cave dwellers illustrates the different levels of truth and understanding. These levels include images, the sources of images, and the ultimate reality behind both. The paper first describes these levels of perception as they apply to Plato’s cave dwellers and then provides a brief history of the rise of Enron. Then we apply Plato’s levels of understanding to Enron, showing how the company created its image and presented information to support that image, and how the public eventually emerged from the cave to realize the truth about Enron’s actual accounting practices and financial state, which led to the corporation’s downfall. We find Plato’s allegory both useful in analyzing the relationship between Enron and the public and instructive about the power and moral responsibility of Enron’s executives.
A controlled trial of piracetam in intellectually impaired patients with Parkinson's disease

Twenty patients with Parkinson's disease and marked intellectual impairment or dementia participated in a double-blind placebo controlled trial of the nootropic, piracetam. A standardized neurological examination, a neuropsychological test battery, and a functional scale, The Sickness Impact Profile, were completed for all patients. They were then assigned by blind randomization to drug or placebo conditions receiving 3.2 g of piracetam or an identical amount of placebo for 12 weeks. The dose was increased to 4.8 g for an additional 12 weeks. Neurological, psychological, and functional measures were rated as improved, unchanged, or worsened in comparison to baseline performance. Twenty-five percent of the patients did not complete the trial for reasons unrelated to the medication. Although there was a significant improvement on one subtest of the functional scale, no significant effects were demonstrated in cognitive or neurological measures.
Construction of a large-insert yeast artificial chromosome library of the rat genome.

(MATer, ura3 trpl ade2-101 canl-lO0 leu2-3, 112 his3-6). The quality of the library was monitored during construction in two ways. Initially, the presence of rat DNA in the transformants was assessed by a rapid PCR assay to detect the rat B2 repeat element. This element is highly homologous to the murine B2 (denDunnen and Schoenmakers 1987). The assay and primers used are described by Kusumi and associates (1993) and Haldi and colleagues (1996). Five percent of the transformants from each ligation were screened, and typically greater than 95% of the clones yielded a PCR product visible by agarose gel electrophoresis with ethidium bromide. The insert sizes of the YACs were determined by pulsed field gel electrophoresis as described by Haldi and coworkers (1996). Approximately 1.5% of the YACs from each ligation were examined. Figure 1 shows the distribution of YAC sizes in the 631 clones tested. The mean size is 820 kb, and the median size in 815 kb. Based on the estimated length of the rat genome as 3 billion bp, this library provides 11-fold coverage. Were there not systematic cloning biases in YAC libraries, this would correspond to a probability of 99.995% of a given locus being represented in the library. Thus, any gaps in coverage are likely to be due to cloning biases. Our experiences with human YAC libraries (Hudson et al. 1995) suggest the actual coverage is likely to be 98% of the gehome.
Relationship between Critical Supersaturation and Cloud Droplet Size: Implications for Cloud Mixing Processes

Abstract Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) measurements within stratus clouds that have involved droplet separation have revealed a clear preference for droplet activation on the nuclei with the lowest critical supersaturations (Sc). When droplets of various sizes were separated from a sample, a consistent relationship between cloud droplet size and nucleus Sc was discovered—large droplets tend to grow on large (low Sc) nuclei and vice versa. Interpretation in terms of various modes of mixing between clouds and the dry environment demonstrates a preference for the homogeneous mixing process.
SOLVABLE MODEL OF A METAL-INSULATOR TRANSITION

A solvable model of d = 1 spinless fermions at half-filling which exhibits a Mott transition is studied in detail. Many response functions are computed: at zero and nonzero temperatures, in the insulating and metallic sites, at the transition, and at q ≃ 0, 2kF. Some quantities are computed exactly, others only upto a scale factor. Some results are old, but mentioned here for completeness. Some are rederived using new tools such as conformal invariance. The rest are new. Next, the effect of randomness on the Mott state is explored. It is found, on the basis of Imry-Ma type arguments that no matter how large the gap is, the Mott insulator turns into an Anderson insulator immediately.
An assessment of readiness for behaviour change in patients prescribed ocular hypotensive therapy

An assessment of readiness for behaviour change in patients prescribed ocular hypotensive therapy
An extension of pythagorean and isosceles orthogonality and a characterization of inner-product spaces

Abstract A new orthogonality relation in normed linear spaces which generalizes pythagorean orthogonality and isosceles orthogonality is defined, and it is shown that the new orthogonality is homogeneous (additive) if and only if the space is a real inner-product space.
A new look at the concept of style in film: the origins and development of the problem–solution model

This paper presents a history of the development of a ‘neoformalist’ tool for researching the history of film style: the problem–solution model of style explanation. The significance of this model can be seen in the knowledge it yields into the innovation by filmmakers of stylistic devices at the ‘textual’ level and in its insight into the broader question of how the history of style should be told. In this account, I draw on rarely discussed writings by key proponents of this research program to highlight the stages of refinement of this aspect of the concept of ‘film style’, and ultimately trace the origins of the problem–solution model to art historian E.H. Gombrich, who championed it in a period of meta‐critical debate in art history in the mid‐twentieth century. The story of the model's emergence in film studies reveals that art historical methods are just as critical to contemporary cine‐stylistics as those of French theory and Russian Formalism. Our concept of style, it is claimed, while apparently...
EFFECTS OF A GABA B RECEPTOR BLOCKER (CGP-35348) ON THE VENTILATORY RESPONSE TO HYPOXIA IN NEWBORN PIGLETS

EFFECTS OF A GABA B RECEPTOR BLOCKER (CGP-35348) ON THE VENTILATORY RESPONSE TO HYPOXIA IN NEWBORN PIGLETS
Modeling CO2 chemistry, δ13C, and oxidation of organic carbon and methane in sediment porewater: Implications for paleo-proxies in benthic foraminifera

I present a numerical diffusion–advection-reaction model to simulate CO2 chemistry, δ13C, and oxidation of organic carbon and methane in sediment porewater. The model takes into account detailed reaction kinetics of dissolved CO2 compounds, H2O, H+, OH−, boron and sulfide compounds. These reactions are usually assumed to be in local equilibrium, which is shown to be a good approximation in most cases. The model also includes a diffusive boundary layer across which chemical species are transported between bottom water and the sediment–water interface. While chemical concentrations and δ13CTCO2δ13CTCO2 at these locations are frequently assumed equal, I demonstrate that they can be quite different. In this case, shells of benthic foraminifera do not reflect the desired properties of bottom water, even for species living at the sediment–water interface (z = 0 cm). Environmental conditions recorded in their shells are strongly influenced by processes occurring within the sediment. The model is then applied to settings in the Santa Barbara Basin and at Hydrate Ridge (Cascadia Margin), locations of strong organic carbon and methane oxidation. In contrast to earlier studies, I show that a limited contribution of methane-derived carbon to porewater TCO2 in the Santa Barbara Basin cannot be ruled out. Simulation of methane venting shows that at oxidation rates greater than FCH4∼50μmolcm-2y-1, the δ13C of porewater TCO2 at z > 1 cm is depleted by more than 15‰ relative to bottom water. Depletions of this magnitude have not been observed in living benthic foraminifera, even at methane vents with much higher oxidation rates. This suggests that foraminifera at these sites either calcify at very shallow sediment depth or during times when oxidation rates are much lower than ∼50 μmol cm−2 y−1.
Reversible Polymerization and Cis−Trans Isomerization Equilibria in [PdCl2{Ph2P(CH2CH2O)4CH2CH2PPh2-P,P‘}] Metallacrown Ethers

The first study of metallacrown ethers with kinetically labile metal centers is reported. The reaction of Ph2P(CH2CH2O)4CH2CH2PPh2 with PdCl2 in an acetonitrile−dichloromethane solution yields an equilibrium mixture of cyclic n-mers and monomers with the empirical formula [PdCl2{Ph2P(CH2CH2O)4CH2CH2PPh2-P,P‘}]. Both cis and trans coordination geometries are observed for the palladium(II) in these complexes, with the trans being the more abundant. The solution equilibria in both chloroform-d and acetonitrile-d3 were studied using 31P{1H}, 13C{1H}, and 1H NMR spectroscopy. A model has been developed relating the product distributions at various concentrations, obtained from integration of quantitative 31P{1H} NMR spectra, to a cis−trans equilibrium constant and equilibrium constants for the dimerization and n-merization reactions of the trans monomer. The concentration and temperature dependence of the equilibrium constants obtained from this model are consistent with the thermodynamics of cis−trans isomeri...
Single-incision pediatric endosurgical Nissen fundoplication.

Abstract Background: Single-incision pediatric endosurgery (SIPES) is gaining popularity for routine ablative operations such as appendectomy and cholecystectomy in a number of centers. We have employed this technique for Nissen fundoplication for the first time as a major reconstructive procedure. This study describes the technical evolution of SIPES fundoplication at our center, discusses the challenges, and evaluates the outcome. Materials and Methods: After IRB approval was obtained, data were prospectively collected on all SIPES fundoplications performed in our hospital from September 2009 through August 2010. The surgical techniques, operative times, blood loss, complications, conversion rates, and outcomes were recorded. Results: SIPES fundoplication was attempted in 10 children (ages 3 months to 11 years, median 21 months; weight 3.45–51 kg, median 9 kg). Fundoplication was performed as the sole procedure in 4, and combined with a gastrostomy in 6 patients in which case the gastrostomy was used as...
The effect of cohesive-law parameters on mixed-mode fracture

Abstract Cohesive-zone models of fracture provide a framework that allows a smooth transition between a strength-based approach to fracture and an energy-based approach. At the heart of these models are traction–separation laws that are described by a cohesive strength and toughness. These cohesive-law parameters can be used to define a cohesive-length scale that, when compared to physical length scales in the problem, gives an indication of whether failure is controlled by strength or energy considerations. Mixed-mode fracture is described by a phase angle that provides a measure of the partition of the deformation energy into shear and normal components. It is shown that this phase angle can be calculated for a cohesive-zone model, and that, if the cohesive length is small enough, the phase angle agrees with the value predicted by linear-elastic fracture mechanics, irrespective of the shape of the cohesive-laws. It is further shown that the cohesive length derived from the cohesive parameters can be used to rationalize the concept of a phase angle for interfacial fracture in the presence of a modulus mismatch. In particular, the length scale required to define a phase angle for interfacial fracture can be identified with the cohesive length of a cohesive-zone model. This phase angle shifts with changes in the cohesive length in accordance to the predictions of linear-elastic interfacial fracture mechanics.
Minimum cross-entropy methods in image superresolution

In medical imaging applications, the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm is a popular technique for obtaining the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) of the solution to the inverse imaging problem. The Richardson/Lucy (RL) method, derived under different assumptions, is identical to this particular EM algorithm. The RL method is commonly used by astronomers in image deconvolution problems from astronomical data. A closely related algorithm, which we shall refer to as the Poisson MLE, was proposed recently in the context of image superresolution. These algorithms can be grouped under minimum Kullback-Leibler distance methods (minimum cross-entropy methods) as opposed to the standard least-squares methods. The purpose of this paper is twofold. In the first part we explore a common underlying conceptual similarity in the algorithms, even though they were derived under varying assumptions. In the second part, we empirically evaluate the performance of this class of algorithms via experiments on simulated objects, for the image superresolution problem. One set of experiments examines the data consistency performance of the algorithms. A second set of experiments evaluates the performance on the addition of simple constraints on the estimate.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
B-Rep model simplification by automatic fillet/round suppressing for efficient automatic feature recognition

Abstract The CAD models of real-world mechanical parts usually have many fillets and rounds that are essentially important to ensure the manufacturability and assembability. In feature-based modeling, fillets and rounds are often referred as secondary features that are used to modify the local details of the primary features such as holes, slots and pockets. Although the major shape of the primary features may not be affected, fillets and rounds can greatly change the geometric and topological patterns of the primary features. The geometric and topological variations can result in inefficient feature semantics classification in feature recognition. When feature interactions occur, it may become even worse to identify the regular patterns of the primary features. In addition, the fillets and rounds consist of no-linear surfaces such as cylindrical surfaces, spherical surfaces and toroidal surfaces, which bring the difficulties in volumetric feature extraction by half-space partition. In order to facilitate volumetric feature extraction and feature semantics classification, we pre-process the input B-Rep models by suppressing fillets and rounds before the feature recognition. Thus the input B-Rep models can be simplified without altering the major shapes of primary features, the targets of the feature recognition. The B-Rep simplification can be viewed as the reverse process of the edge blending in feature-based design. In this paper, several issues on fillet/round suppressing are discussed and a relatively general and robust approach is proposed to suppress blendings in B-Rep models of mechanical parts before the surface feature recognition and volumetric feature extraction.
Single-particle dynamical symmetry breaking in fermion SU(3) theories of collective motion

Abstract The SU3 symmetry of the fermion dynamical symmetry model is shown to be essentially unbroken, even by highly nondegenerate spherical single-particle energies. Thus, it is expected that symmetry-limit results obtained in the FDSM will survive the inclusion of realistic single-particle energies for both normal and superdeformation.
Blood flow changes in chicken brain stem auditory nuclei following cochlea removal

Abstract Cochlea removal results in rapid and persistent metabolic and morphological changes in avian brain stem auditory nuclei. Because such changes in the central nervous system are often associated with changes in local blood flow, we examined blood flow in second-order auditory nucleus magnocellularis (NM) and third-order nucleus laminaris (NL). The diffusible tracer [ 14 C]-iodoantipyrine was infused intravenously into 20- to 26-day-old chickens either 30 min or 6 h after unilateral cochlea removal. This tracer rapidly equilibrates between blood and tissue in proportion to local blood flow. Unoperated animals served as controls. Thirty seconds after tracer infusion, brains were removed and frozen. Cryostat sections were prepared for quantitative film autoradiography. Blood flow in normal and deafferented areas within NM and NL was compared. Nucleus magnocellularis receives its only excitatory input from the ipsilateral cochlea via the eighth nerve. Axons from NM bifurcate and project to the ipsilateral dorsal dendritic region of NL (NLd) and the contralateral ventral dendritic region of NL (NLv). Thirty minutes after cochlea removal, blood flow in ipsilateral NM decreases by 30%. This decrease persists at 6 hours. Blood flow in NL does not change in accordance with the pattern of afferent input from NM. Rather, blood flow in NLd and NLv ipsilateral to cochlea removal is significantly decreased 6 h post lesion. These results are in contrast to the pattern of morphological and metabolic changes observed in NL after cochlea removal.
" Regia Victoria " o Más acá del fantasma (encuentros con lo real en La pesquisa

En La pesquisa (1994) de Juan Jose Saer el lector reencuentra algunas de las coordenadas reconocibles de su universo ficcional y el repertorio de personajes que recurren a lo largo de su obra. El relato se focaliza en Pichon Garay quien, despues de veinte anos de ausencia, vuelve a la “zona” y se hace cargo de un relato, el de los parisinos crimenes de la plaza Leon Blum y de la investigacion conducida por el inspector Morvan. Llamativo en este relato de corte policial (cuyos hechos, segun Pichon, “transcurrieron en mi barrio” y “salieron en todos los diarios”)1 es la abundancia de frases de tenor evaluativo sobre la sociedad parisina en la que este reside y en la que transcurre la historia que refiere: “bien al abrigo en los anocheres de invierno [...] los que en otras epocas habian nacido para ser personas y ahora se habian transformado en meros compradores, en unidad de medida de los sistemas trasnacionales de credito, en fracciones de los puntos de audiencia de la television y en blanco sociologica y numericamente caracterizados de las tandas publicitarias [...] confundian el mundo con un archipielago de representaciones electronicas y verbales” (32). Recordemos que la investigacion de Morvan se desarrolla en visperas de Navidad, una fecha que arroja un dato esencial sobre la cuestion del sentido y la de su busqueda (“encarnacion del Verbo en el hombre”) y que, si bien la critica de la sociedad de consumo
Injuries resulting from bicycle collisions.

OBJECTIVE: To review all bicycle crash-related injuries reported to the Oregon Injury Registry for 1989 to compare patterns of injury and other features in adults vs children and adolescents. METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted using data from the Oregon Injury Registry. For 1989, this registry included all injury-related deaths and approximately 75% of hospital admissions of 24 hours or more for injury in the State of Oregon. Deaths, helmet use, neurologic injuries, and concurrent ethanol use were evaluated for all patients and for the two age groups. RESULTS: There were 311 bicycle-related injured patients in the registry for 1989; 122 (40%) were adults (age > or = 21 years) and 189 (60%) were children/adolescents (age
Strength and ductility enhancement in high-strength confined concrete

Twenty-five prismatic concrete specimens with 125 × 125 mm (5 × 5 in) square cross-section and 400 mm (16 in) height made with normal-weight high-strength concrete were tested under quasi-static axial compressive loading to investigate the effect of various parameters on the strength and deformation characteristics of confined high-strength concrete. 20 specimens were confined by circular and square continuous spirals and provided with a protective concrete cover. This transverse reinforcement alone provided confinement for the concrete specimen, i. e. there was no longitudinal reinforcement. In addition to the confined specimen, five plain concrete specimens were tested to assess the actual characteristics of the unconfined concrete. The main parameters considered were compressive strength of the concrete and the amount and yield strength of the transverse steel. The primary purpose of the confinement was to increase the maximum strength, corresponding strain and toughness of the confined high strength c...