cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mid‐Jurassic through mid‐Cretaceous extension in the Central Graben of the North Sea ‐ part 2: estimates from faulting observed on a seismic reflection line

We present an interpretation of the structure and faulting of an industry multichannel line across the Central North Sea Graben. We observe substantial faulting between the mid-Jurassic and mid-Cretaceous and on the base Zechstein (salt) reflector. To estimate the extension from these faults we consider movement along both planar and curved faults. We demonstrate that summing the heave (the horizontal displacement) overestimates the time measure of elongation for planar, ‘domino-type’, faulting. However, for high-angle normal faults and up to 70% extension (β= 1.7) the heave only overestimates the extension by 13%. In the absence of other information, summing the heave provides a useful estimate of extension in the case of domino-type faulting. For curved ‘listric’ faults the heave is only a true measure of the elongation if the antithetic faulting which removes the voids is vertical. Antithetic movement along inclined shear planes implies significantly more extension. We used the two models; of faulting to introduce progressively greater amounts of internal deformation in the crustal rocks and sediments to attempt to reconcile the estimate of extension necessary to give the observed subsidence and that given by analysing the faults visible on the seismic line. Estimates of extension obtained by allowing antithetic faulting along inclined shear planes are consistent with the range of estimates necessary to account for the post-mid-Jurassic subsidence. The estimates for the prior mid-Jurassic faulting are still substantially less than those necessary to explain the subsidence. However, this is not of major concern as there are many reasons as to why analysis of the faulting should underestimate the pre mid-Jurassic extension. Our interpretation of the seismic line implies curved faults bottoming in the lithologically weak Zechstein salt. These faults are decoupled from the region below and, hence, do not reflect the geometry of the faulting in the basement.
Feedback Design for Saturated Polynomial Nonlinear Systems via Higher Order Lyapunov Functions

In this work, we develop a new control design approach to deal with saturated polynomial nonlinear systems by using higher order Lyapunov functions. By combining power transformation with Sum-of-Squares (SOS) techniques, we can augment the systems with more state variables representing higher order combinations of the original ones. Then, the search of higher order Lyapunov functions for original systems can be recast to the design of quadratic Lyapunov functions for augmented systems. By computing for higher order Lyapunov functions using norm-bounded differential inclusion (NDI) LMI conditions, the flexible representations of augmented systems can help us to achieve better performance than quadratic based method. Two examples illustrate the improvements to enlarge the region of attraction and to improve the ℋ∞ performance for nonlinear systems subjected to saturation nonlinearity, respectively.© 2012 ASME
An improved method for isolation of mitochondria from chick breast muscle using Nagarse

Abstract An improved procedure to isolate mitochondria from chick pectoralis muscle is described. The muscle is digested with the proteinase Nagarse and homogenized using a Teflon pestle. Mitochondria are isolated by differential centrifugation. These organelles are able to utilize a variety of substrates with a higher degree of respiratory control than mitochondria isolated without Nagarse. Contrary to previous reports, mitochondria isolated by this method from chick pectoralis muscle (αW fibers) are able to oxidize the substrate β-hydroxybutyrate with good respiratory control.
A Coalition of Coalitions: International Cooperation Against Terrorism

The term “coalition against terror” is commonly used, but is fundamentally misleading. Multiple coalitions against terror exist in different issue areasincluding military, financial, law enforcement, intelligence, and reconstruction. These coalitions are independent of each other, and yet inextricably linked, both enabling and constraining each other's actions. Actions taken by the military coalition can undermine the intelligence coalition, for example, by destroying documents and other information during attacks. Overlapping membership may also cause challenges, for countries who disagree with the approach of one coalition many restrict their cooperation with the others. A successful counterterror strategy must account for the interactions of the various coalitions, understanding how actions taken in one area may cause tradeoffs and unintended consequences in others.
DNA microarray analysis of anaerobic Methanosarcina barkeri reveals responses to heat shock and air exposure

Methanosarcina barkeri is a methanogenic archaeon that can digest cellulose and other polysaccharides to produce methane. It can only grow under strictly anoxic conditions, but which can survive air exposure. To obtain further knowledge of cellular changes occurring in M. barkeri in response to air exposure and other environmental stresses, we constructed the first oligonucleotide microarray for M. barkeri and used it to investigate the global transcriptomic responses of M. barkeri to air exposure and heat shock at 45°C for 1 h. The results showed that various house-keeping genes, such as genes involved in DNA replication recombination and repair, energy production and conversion, and protein turnover were regulated by environmental stimuli. In response to air exposure, up-regulation of a large number of transposase encoding genes was observed. However, no differential expression of genes encoding superoxide dismutase, catalase, nonspecific peroxidases or thioredoxin reductase was observed in response to air exposure, implying that no significant level of reactive oxygen species has been formed under air exposure. In response to heat shock, both Hsp70 (DnaK-DnaJ-GrpE chaperone system) the Hsp60 (GroEL) systems were up-regulated, suggesting that they may play an important role in protein biogenesis in M. barkeri during heat stress.
The Growth of Producer Services Industries: Sorting Through the Externalization Debate

The development of a theory for explaining why firms externalize producer services functions is critical to gaining a better understanding of why the producer services industries have enjoyed robust growth within the United States, Canada and the European Community. Scholars of the service economy have attempted to develop explanations for the externalization of producer services functions. These explanations constitute “the externalization debate” since there has been a lack of consistency and agreement as to how and why externalization is taking place. None of the explanations for externalization approach what could be termed a theory of producer services externalization, since they consist of empirical generalizations that are not deductively connected. This paper attempts to move one step toward the development of such a theory by constructing a more comprehensive and systematic conceptual approach to analyzing the extemalization of producer services functions. The motivating factors for externalization that are proposed in the externalization debate are systematically examined. The insights of the transaction cost and production subcontracting literatures are then discussed and the implications of these literatures for producer services externalization are examined. A synthesis of the insights provided by these research literatures is then used to develop a more comprehensive analytical framework for examining producer services extemalization.
Microtrauma to Rat Superficial Masseter Muscles Following Lengthening Contractions

Repetitive lengthening contractions have been predicted as a mechanism causing injury, pain, and delayed soreness in the hyperactive masticatory muscle. This mechanism was examined by the mechanical lengthening of the contracted superficial masseter (SM) muscle in anesthetized rats. Repetitive stimulation of the left SM to tetanic tension was followed by mechanical lengthening, which stressed contracted muscle. The contralateral muscle was passively lengthened repetitively. Contractile tension in response to a varying frequency of stimulation was measured in pre- and post-lengthened SM muscles. A selective loss of force at all frequencies up to 100 Hz occurred in the muscles subjected to lengthening contractions. Low-frequency fatigue did not occur in SM muscles passively lengthened. All animals recovered without loss of weight or dehydration. They were killed at 24 or 72 h post-lengthening. The SM muscles were collected, and no significant differences were found in mean weight, length, or cross-sectional...
Single rotation vs coppice systems for short-rotation intensive culture plantations—optimality conditions for volume production

Abstract Short rotation intensive culture plantations can be managed under a single rotation or coppice system. This paper shows the optimality conditions that must exist in order to maximize volume production of short rotation coppice stands. The results indicate the importance of equating the current annual increment of the stand to its mean annual increment whether managing with a single rotation or a series of coppice rotations over a cycle of time. The mathematical conditions for having the coppice system rather than the single rotation for volume production are also derived. These conditions indicate the average of the mean annual increments for the coppice harvests must be greater than the maximum mean annual increment of the single rotation. Finally, an example illustrates an application of the optimality conditions to a set of hypothetical data.
Statistical estimators for relational algebra expressions

Present database systems process all the data related to a query before giving out responses. As a result, the size of the data to be processed becomes excessive for real-time/time-constrained environments. A new methodology is needed to cut down systematically the time to process the data involved in processing the query. To this end, we propose to use data samples and construct an approximate synthetic response to a given query.In this paper, we consider only COUNT(E) type queries, where E is an arbitrary relational algebra expression. We make no assumptions about the distribution of attribute values and ordering of tuples in the input relations, and propose consistent and unbiased estimators for arbitrary COUNT(E) type queries. We design a sampling plan based on the cluster sampling method to improve the utilization of sampled data and to reduce the cost of sampling. We also evaluate the performance of the proposed estimators.
An in vitro evaluation of plate luting using osteotomized equine third metacarpal bones with a limited contact-dynamic compression plate

Objectives— To evaluate the effects of plate luting on the biomechanical properties of a broad limited contact-dynamic compression plate (LC-DCP) fixation to repair osteotomized equine 3rd metacarpal (MC3) bones. Study Design— In vitro biomechanical testing of paired cadaveric equine MC3 with a mid-diaphyseal osteotomy, stabilized by LC-DCP fixation, with 1 of the pair luted with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). Animal Population Ten pairs of adult equine cadaveric MC3 bones. Methods— Ten pairs of equine MC3 were divided into 2 test groups (5 pairs each) for (1) palmarodorsal 4-point bending single cycle to failure testing and (2) palmarodorsal 4-point bending cyclic fatigue testing. The LC-DCP (8 hole, 4.5 mm) was applied to the dorsal surface of each pair of MC3 bones. All plates and screws were applied using standard AO/ASIF techniques. All MC3 bones had mid-diaphyseal osteotomies. One of the matched pairs of LC-DCP-MC3 constructs were randomly chosen to be luted with PMMA. Mean test variable values for each method were compared using a paired t-test within each group; significance was set at P<.05. Results— Mean palmarodorsal 4-point bending yield bending moment, failure bending moment of the LC-DCP fixation with luting was not significantly different (P>.05) than those of the LC-DCP fixation without luting. Mean cycles to failure for palmarodorsal 4-point bending was significantly (P<.0003) greater, with a 7.2-fold increase, for the LC-DCP fixation with luting compared with the LC-DCP fixation without luting. Conclusion— Luting the broad LC-DCP with PMMA in the fixation osteotomized equine MC3 bones increases the fatigue life of cyclic loading for palmarodorsal 4-point bending under the in vitro conditions studied. Clinical Relevance— The cyclic fatigue data supports the conclusion that luted broad LC-DCP fixation is biomechanically superior to the non-luted broad LC-DCP fixation in osteotomized equine MC3 bones.
Ultrafast dynamic compression technique to study the kinetics of phase transformations in bismuth.

Preheated Bi (296--532 K) was ramp compressed with 15--35 ns rise times to a peak stress of $\ensuremath{\sim}11\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GPa}$ to explore structural phase-transformation kinetics under dynamic loading conditions. At high strain rates, $\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \textperiodcentered \fi{}}{\mathbit{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}}g5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{6}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, deviation from equilibrium phase boundaries suggests that compression time scales are comparable to the new phase incubation period. The dependence of $\ensuremath{\Delta}P/kT$ on $\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \textperiodcentered \fi{}}{\mathbit{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}}$ is consistent with a thermally activated transformation.
Microtropia: clinical findings and management for the primary eye care practitioner.

Abstract Background Microtropia is a small-angle strabismus with a highly developed degree of binocular cooperation. It is a unilateral comitant horizontal deviation less than 5 prism diopters (PD) in the presence of anomalous retinal correspondence (ARC), amblyopia, some motor fusion, and reduced stereoacuity. Case report A 7-year-old white girl presented for a second opinion concerning unexplained vision loss in the left eye. Visual acuities were 20/20 in the right eye and 20/200 in the left eye. Ocular evaluation found normal eye health with a 4-PD constant left esotropia at near and a 3-PD constant left esotropia at distance on unilateral cover test. A diagnosis of steady nasal eccentric fixation microtropia without identity with strabismic amblyopia in the left eye was made. Over the follow-up period, visual acuity improved but the alignment did not. Conclusion Microtropia can defy detection, resulting in a reduced chance of achieving near-normal visual potential in children. It is important for clinicians to understand the possible etiologies, related entities, proper testing, differential diagnoses, and the goals of treatment. This case report reviews the clinical findings, diagnoses, and management of patients with microtropia.
Residual force enhancement during voluntary contractions of knee extensors and flexors at short and long muscle lengths

Abstract Residual force enhancement (RFE) is a term describing the observation that muscle tension during a contraction that includes a stretch and hold remains above that during an isometric contraction at the hold length. RFE has been observed during in vitro and in vivo experiments, but results involving voluntary contractions are mixed, particularly with respect to large muscles. The purpose of this study was to determine if RFE can be observed in large muscles such as knee extensors and flexors at joint configurations corresponding to the ascending and descending limbs of the muscle force–length curve. Two groups of twenty participants (ten males and ten females per group) performed maximum voluntary contractions on a Biodex machine in purely isometric conditions and in isometric conditions immediately following eccentric stretch. Knee extension trials were performed at 40° (short muscles) and 100° (long muscles) flexion from full extension (0°), and knee flexion trials were performed at 70° (short muscles) and 10° (long muscles) flexion. Stretch-isometric trials terminated at these angles following 30° of eccentric motion at 30°/s. Statistically-significant RFE was observed for both tasks at long-muscle joint configurations, but was not observed for either task at short-muscle joint configurations. Passive torque enhancement was also observed following muscle relaxation at long-muscle joint configurations for both tasks, but for only knee flexion at short-muscle joint configurations. These results reinforce for voluntary contractions of large muscles the RFE behavior observed in smaller muscles, and provide further evidence that RFE occurs primarily on the descending limb of the muscle force–length curve.
Nitro Group as a Means of Attaching Organic Molecules to Silicon: Nitrobenzene on Si(100)-2 × 1

This paper will present the computational and experimental infrared studies of the reactions of nitrobenzene on a Si(100) surface, a prototypical model reaction for understanding the behavior of bifunctional molecules on semiconductor surfaces. The initial reaction of nitrobenzene with the Si(100)-2 x 1 occurs via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of the nitro group to the silicon surface dimer. Computational exploration of the initial adsorption configurations suggests that two stable structures can be formed: one with the phenyl ring essentially perpendicular to the surface; the other one with the tilt angle of approximately 113 degrees with respect to the surface normal. The barrier for converting the latter into the former, more stable by approximately 13 kJ/mol, is 19.1 kJ/mol. Further thermal reactions are analyzed, and the reaction pathways are compared for the computational models with fixed vs relaxed subsurface silicon atoms. While all the surface species resulting from nitrobenzene transformations on the Si(100)-2 x 1 surface studied here are thermodynamically stable, most of the reaction pathways can be ruled out on the basis of the analysis of the transition states leading to these species and on the comparison of predicted and measured vibrational spectra. As a result, the exact adsorption configurations can be pinpointed.
Incorrect allergy injections: Allergists' experiences and recommendations for prevention

There are several reports of fatalities caused by allergen immunotherapy and skin testing. Patients have been reported who have received incorrect allergy injections. These could put them at risk for anaphylactic reaction and a possible fatality. We performed a survey to determine allergists' experiences with incorrect injections and to identify opportunities for prevention. This study was endorsed by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and the Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. We conducted an e-mail survey of 1717 allergists, asking whether they knew of an incorrect injection administered within the last 5 years in their offices. An incorrect injection is an injection given to the wrong patient or a correct patient receiving an injection of an incorrect dose. Fifty-eight percent of responders reported an event in which a patient had received an injection meant for another patient. Seventy-four percent of responders reported that patients had received an incorrect amount of vaccine. The effect on patients ranged from local reactions to one fatality. Specific reasons given for the incorrect injections were patient name similar to that of another patient with incorrect name check and nurse error resulting in an incorrect dose. We conclude that allergy injections are a potential safety concern. There are a variety of prevention strategies that could be implemented to reduce or eliminate this risk, such as improved nurse training in the administration of allergy injections and compliance with the recommendations in the "Allergen Immunotherapy: A Practice Parameter" for use of patient-specific vials, standardized dosage sheets, and implementation of triple-checking of identity to make sure the correct patient is receiving the correct injection.
Xenopus Gq alpha subunit activates the phosphatidylinositol pathway in Xenopus oocytes but does not consistently induce oocyte maturation.

Abstract We cloned the Xenopus laevis form of Gq alpha subunit to study its effects on oocyte maturation. Injection of Xenopus Gq alpha mRNA into stage 6 oocytes activated the phospholipase C/phosphatidylinositol pathway. The oocyte membrane became permeable to calcium ions and was able to generate transient inward currents (T(in)), due to the opening of Ca(2+)-dependent Cl- channels. The T(in) amplitude developed over several hours and disappeared by 24 hr. Diacylglycerol levels were found to parallel the appearance and disappearance of the T(in). The concurrent decline of T(in) values and diacylglycerol was not due to a failure in the synthesis of Gq alpha protein, which was produced continuously for > 24 hr. After Xenopus Gq alpha mRNA injection, germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) was variable (0-100%) in stage 6 oocytes, whereas none of the stage 4 oocytes underwent GVBD. In contrast, stage 6 oocytes injected with mRNA encoding the Go alpha G protein consistently underwent GVBD but did not acquire T(in). Our results show that activation of phospholipase C is not an absolute requisite for the induction of maturation, although in oocytes of some frogs phospholipase C activation can trigger a pathway to GVBD.
ULTRASONOGRAPHIC DETECTION OF FOREIGN BODIES IN SOFT TISSUES USING TURKEY MUSCLE AS A MODEL

Foreign bodies in the soft tissues are frequent problems in both veterinary and human medical practice. Radiography has been the principle tool for diagnosis, but is unable to define many foreign bodies. This study was undertaken to compare the sonographic and radiographic visualization for a variety of foreign bodies. Fresh turkey muscle (pectoral and thigh) with skin was used as the soft tissue model. Assorted foreign bodies were introduced 1 cm into the muscle. Materials examined were small wood fragments, steel wire, glass, nails, graphite, rock, BB pellets, and polystyrene plastic. Following introduction of the foreign bodies radiographs were obtained and the specimens were studied sonographically at 5.0 mHz and 7.5 mHz. All foreign bodies were visible with sonography. A bright echo with either acoustic shadowing or reverberations was present for all specimens. Radiographically metallic foreign bodies were visible but wood, some graphite, and plastic were not seen. We conclude that radiography should remain the primary imaging modality for foreign body detection because of its general availability and low cost. If radiography is negative ultrasound can detect and guide the removal of radiolucent foreign bodies.
The Greying Periphery—Ageing and Community Development in Rural Romania and Bulgaria

The impact of ageing on community well-being has been part of the policy discourse in the West, but it is a relatively new problem for the post-socialist countries in Eastern Europe. This study focuses on the patterns of ageing in rural Romania and Bulgaria, offering a holistic view of vulnerabilities, including persistent rural disadvantages, ageing in the countryside and the post-socialist transformation. Aggregate statistics and community case studies reveal the links between demographic processes and community development. This paper contributes to the country-specific analysis of the ageing European periphery in the context of social cohesion as a fundamental European goal.
Disparity tuning of cyclopean visual mechanisms

Tuned mechanisms or `channels' have been demonstrated in many aspects of human vision, and their characteristics span a continuum from a small set of broadly tuned channels (as in the spectral tuning of cone mechanisms) to a large array of narrow channels (as in the spatial tuning of cone mechanisms). The optimal number and tuning widths of channels for a given dimension depends on a trade-off between an economy of processor resources and the avoidance of metamerism. A small number of broad channels requires a small investment in processor resources and can support fine discriminations but is subject to metameric confusions. A large number of narrow channels requires a greater investment in processor resources but allows for the representation of multiple values on the tuning dimension (e.g., transparency). In the context of stereopsis and vergence control, single unit recordings have provided evidence that disparity tuned mechanisms cover the range from closely spaced, narrow channels (`tuned' cells) to widely spaced, broad channels (`near/far' cells). In principal, near/far mechanisms should be sufficient to control vergence and allow for fine stereoacuity right around the horopter. Tuned mechanisms might be required for fine disparity discriminations off the horopter and for the perception of stereo transparency. We have investigated the disparity tuning characteristics of binocular visual mechanisms which mediate (1) the psychophysical detection of surfaces in dynamic noise stimuli and (2) the involuntary oculomotor vergence responses to such surfaces. We have found evidence that both perceptual and oculomotor systems involve a large set of narrowly tuned mechanisms with inhibition between neighboring channels. A model is developed which clarifies the nonobvious relationship between measured tuning functions and characteristics of underlying channels.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Exports and Japanese economic development

Abstract The Granger causality test used in this paper indicates that Japanese growth in the prewar period was caused by the growth of the labor force and improvements in agricultural productivity. In the postwar period, growth in exports, labor force, and agricultural productivity caused output growth.
OP10.04: Trans‐abdominal multifetal pregnancy reduction‐related fetal loss is similar in monochorionic and dichorionic twin pairs

Objectives: To determine whether the risk of fetal loss following trans-abdominal multifetal pregnancy reduction (TA-MFPR) of a monochorionic twin pair is similar to the one in dichorionic pairs. Study Design: A retrospective review of all TA-MFPR performed in our institution (1999–2007) was conducted. The procedurerelated fetal loss, defined as pregnancy loss prior to completion of 24 weeks, in pregnancies involving reduction of a monochorionic pair i.e. ‘‘Mono group’’ was compared to the loss rate in all other TA-MFPR i.e. ‘‘Non-mono group’’. This comparison was further stratified according to the specific pre and post reduction number of fetuses. Additionally, association between the number of needle insertions performed and the procedure related fetal loss was sought. Results: 394 TA-MFPR were eligible for analysis and an overall loss rate of 2.5% (10 of 394) was detected. The procedure related loss in the ‘‘Mono’’ and ‘‘Non-mono’’ groups as well as the impact of the pre and post reduction number of fetuses on the fetal outcome is displayed in table 1. Information regarding number of needle insertions was available on 182 TA-MFPR of which in 22 ‘‘Nonmono’’ and 16 ‘‘mono’’ cases the same needle insertion was used to reduce more than a single fetus. The loss rate for single, two and three needle insertions was 3/165, 0/11 and 1/6 respectively (pnon significant). Conclusions: Fetal loss following TA-MFPR is independent of the chorionicity of the pair reduced. Additionally, we noted a trend suggesting an increased risk for fetal loss with increased number of needle insertions. Since monochorionic twins carry an increased pregnancy-related complication rate, it is our practice to attempt reduction of such pairs, preferably by using a single needle insertion. This can be achieved by a careful selection of the needle pathway to reach both fetuses.
Prostaglandin activity in human cutaneous inflammation: detection by radioimmunoassay.

Abstract A prostaglandin-specific radioimmunoassay capable of detecting 10 pg of PGE 2 is described. Using this assay we were able to demonstrate prostaglandin activity in dermal perfusates from five of eight patients with contact dermatitis and in blister fluid from four volunteers with contact dermatitis and four volunteers with cantharidin blisters. The prostaglandin activity had a definite time relationship to inflammatory activity of the skin. Dermal perfusates from normal skin or psoriatic skin and blister fluid from noninflammatory (suction) blisters were without activity. The data suggest that prostaglandins may be a common denominator in cutaneous inflammation.
NIS08-5: Effectiveness of Rate Control in Slowing Down Worm Epidemics

Rate control is an automated defense to slow down a worm outbreak to buy time for conventional defenses to take effect. In this study, we apply the community of households model from biological epidemiology to evaluate rate control strategies. We find that rate throttling of outbound worm traffic, implemented in the network or hosts, can be effective in slowing down a new worm outbreak given sufficient coverage of hosts. An outbreak is slowed down exponentially as the fraction of protected hosts is increased. We also find that throttling both inbound and outbound traffic can be much more effective than rate throttling only outbound traffic.
Combination Therapy in Liver Transplant Recipients with Hepatitis B Virus Without Hepatitis B Immune Globulin

Introduction: Conventional therapy to prevent HBV recurrence in liver transplant (LTx) recipients consists of Hepatitis B Immune Globulin (HBIg). The aim of this review is to investigate the safety and efficacy of converting HBIg and LAM therapy to ADV and LAM therapy. Methods: A retrospective review involving all liver transplant patients with HBV maintained on HBIg and LAM therapy. Results collected included: gender, age, HBV serological and DNA status (COBAS AmpliScreen PCR-based testing). Serologic testing was done every three months. Patients were followed for drug reactions, therapy compliance, and immune suppression compliance. A cost benefit analysis was done for drug comparisons using United States currency values. Results: Patient demographics included: Male (n=6), Female (n=4), mean age 44 years (range 33 to 65). The mean length of follow up since therapy conversion (from HBIg and LMV to ADV and LMV) was 21 months (range 16 to 25 months). Serological status at time of conversion revealed that DNA status remained negative in all patients, HBsAg negative in 10/10, HB eAg (+) (5/10) and HBeAb (+)(5/10). None of the patients experienced an increase in transaminases while on dual ADV and LAM therapy. All patients were maintained on immune suppression monotherapy (tacrolimus) at 7–9 ng/mL. All patients reported compliance with the dual therapy and that they experienced no drug related side effects. Mean yearly costs for ADV and LAM was 7,235.00 United States dollars (range 6,550.00 to 8,225.00); while mean monthly costs for HBIg and LAM; 9225.00 (range 7205.00 to 12005.00). Conclusion: The above results demonstrate beneficial effects of ADV and LAM in place of the current standard of HBIg and LAM therapy. Safety and short term results show nucleoside therapy is adequate at preventing HBV viral recurrence. Lastly, the economic benefit for ADV and LAM vastly outweighed the HBIg and LAM group.
Reconstitution of apo-porphobilinogen deaminase: Structural changes induced by cofactor binding

Abstract Expression of porphobilinogen deaminase in a hemB − strain of E. coli has permitted the isolation of the apoenzyme, i.e. deaminase lacking the porphobilinogen-derived dipyrromethane cofactor. Incubation of purified apoenzyme with porphobilinogen resulted in reconstitution of the covalently attached dipyrromethane cofactor, indicating no additional cofactors or enzymes are required for biosynthesis of holoenzyme. Electrophoretic and 13 C-NMR spectroscopic analyses demonstrate that the apoenzyme exists in a conformationally unstable form which is converted to a highly stable tertiary structure on covalent attachment of the dipyrromethane cofactor.
Influences of light and temperature on chlorophyll composition in submersed freshwater macrophytes

Abstract In three submersed freshwater macrophyte species grown in a greenhouse over broad experimental ranges of light and water temperature, total chlorophyll ( a + b ) increased with decreasing irradiance and, in two of the three species, with increasing temperature. In contrast, light and temperature had only minor and inconsistent influences on chlorophyll a : b in these species. From results of this and other investigations involving experimentally-controlled light conditions, it appears that total chlorophyll in submersed macrophytes is inversely related to irradiance above photon flux densities minimally required for plant growth. However, the general applicability of this statement to the species investigated here (or others) is uncertain, because thermal gradients in macrophyte dominated littoral zones may promote gradients in macrophyte total chlorophyll with depth in a direction opposite to that expected solely in response to light.
R-curve behavior in zirconia-reinforced molybdenum disilicide composites

R-curves for hot-pressed 20 vol% ZrO{sub 2} (2.5-YPSZ) and (8-YPSZ) reinforced MoSi{sub 2} composites were evaluated using the indentation/bend technique. Results included in this paper indicate a modest increase in the material toughness for both composites. Experimental R-curves were compared with theoretically predicted R-curves to evaluate the critical transformation stress for the partially stabilized ZrO{sub 2} composite. A high critical transformation stress value obtained was indicative of the inhibition of transformation toughening effects due to microstructural inhomogeneity in the partially stabilized ZrO{sub 2}-MoSi{sub 2} composites.
What's Not Converging? East Asia's Relative Performance in Income, Health, and Education

This paper discusses East Asia's performance in terms of per capita gross domestic product growth rates over the past 40 years and compares that performance to progress primarily on measures of health. It also compares the region to the rest of the world on a set of broader development measures. It looks at the evidence of East Asian regional and global convergence in health and education, alongside evidence from the region matching global evidence of a comparatively weak link between income growth and health and education growth. This finding is echoed by available within-country evidence from the region. This paper discusses what might be behind these results, suggesting the importance of a few simple supply-side interventions coupled with the spread of demand for health and education services as sufficient to drive quality-of-life convergence.
Milia en Plaque of the Eyelids in Childhood: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Milia en plaque is a rare type of primary milia. Most of the reported cases have occurred around the ears in adults. We report milia en plaque in a 10-year-old girl who presented with symmetrical erythematous plaques studded with milia on the eyelids. Histopathology revealed milia surrounded by a dense lymphocytic infiltrate. Administration of minocycline and manual expression of the milia successfully treated this condition.
Turbulent flow field in tangentially injected swirl flows in tubes

Abstract The turbulent flow field in a tube has been experimentally studied when fluid is injected tangentially. The experiments were conducted by injecting air through injectors placed on the periphery of an 88.9 mm inside diameter and 1.5 m-long acrylic tube. Four injectors of 15.88-mm inside diameter and six injectors of 22.23-mm inside diameter were used in the two sets of experiments. Tangential to total momentum flux rate ratio of 7.84 and 2.67 respectively were obtained in the two sets of experiments. Using a single rotated straight hot wire and a single rotated slanted hot wire anemometer, profiles for mean velocities in the axial and tangential directions, as well as the Reynolds stresses were obtained. Axial velocity profile shows existence of a flow reversal region in the central portion of the tube and an increased axial velocity near the wall. Tangential velocity profiles have a local maximum, the location of which moves radially inwards with distance. Turbulence intensities are increased by swirl motion significantly due to the destabilizing distribution of angular momentum in the free vortex zone and the large shear stress near the boundary of the reversed flow. Reynolds stress data show an anisotropy in eddy viscosity. Turbulence energy and maximum axial velocity have been correlated with local swirl intensity.
Enhanced repair of benzo(a)pyrene-induced DNA damage in human cells treated with thymidine dinucleotides

The small DNA fragment thymidine dinucleotide (pTpT) stimulates photoprotective responses in mammalian cells and intact skin. These responses include increased melanogenesis (tanning) and enhanced repair of DNA damage induced by ultraviolet (UV) light. Here we show that pTpT treatment of human keratinocytes enhances their repair of DNA damaged by the chemical carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene (BP), as determined by increased expression of a transfected BP-damaged reporter plasmid containing the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene. The pTpT-enhanced repair of this BP-damaged plasmid is accomplished at least in part through activation of the p53 tumor suppressor protein and transcription factor, because p53-null H1299 cells showed enhanced repair only if previously transfected with a p53-expression vector. To elucidate the mechanism of this enhanced DNA repair, we examined the expression of p21 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), proteins known to be regulated by p53, as well as the XPA protein, which is mutated in the inherited repair-deficient disorder xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) group A and is necessary for the recognition of UV-induced DNA photoproducts. The p53, PCNA and XPA proteins were all up-regulated within 48 h after the addition of pTpT. Taken together, these data demonstrate that pTpT-enhanced repair of DNA damaged by either UV irradiation or chemical mutagens can be achieved in human cells by exposure to small DNA fragments at least in part through the activation of p53 and increased expression of p53-regulated genes.
Fighting behavior in female mice following chronic androgen treatment during adulthood.

Abstract Daily injections of either 200 μg or 500 μg testosterone propionate (TP) elicited aggressive behavior from adult, ovariectomized, female mice following 2–6 weeks of treatment. Daily administration of 10 μg TP did not produce a significant increase in the number of females that fought. A second experiment showed that adult, ovariectomized mice chronically treated with 500 μg TP attacked olfactory bullbectomized males but not intact females.
Impacts of Participatory Strategic Planning on Advancing Innovation at the Volpe Center

Strategy and innovation are critical in ensuring the continued success of research organizations in the face of rapid economic, technological, political, and social changes. In 2010, the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe), a fee-for-service research organization in existence for more than 40 years in the U.S. Department of Transportation, embarked on a participatory strategic planning process. This paper presents a case study of this process, which used crowdsourcing as a tool for staff engagement. In addition, the paper evaluates the effectiveness of Volpe's strategic planning efforts through the lens of the literature on strategic planning and innovation. Employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, the paper examines two questions. First, has the participatory strategic planning process strengthened Volpe's ability to carry out its purpose of advancing transportation innovation for the public good? Second, does the employee engagement and crowdsourcing approach used by...
The Uncertain Role of the Neutrophil in Increased Permeability Pulmonary Edema

The intrapulmonic accumulation of neutrophils is a relatively common finding in certain animal models of increased permeability pulmonary edema and in humans with the adult respiratory distress syndrome. The release of toxic oxygen radicals from these cells can result in acute lung injury. Whether these cells mediate the increased permeability in all models of increased permeability pulmonary edema remains controversial. This review will examine the role of the neutrophils in various models of increased permeability pulmonary edema.
MASS-SPRING VS. FINITE ELEMENT MODELS OF ANISOTROPIC HEART VALVES: SPEED AND ACCURACY

Heat valve dysfunction can lead to heart failure and death, and surgery is the standard treatment. Valve repair surgery is performed under cardiopulmonary bypass making it difficult for the surgeon to know if a surgical modification will be effective when blood flow is restored. A surgical planning system has been proposed to improve surgical outcomes by allowing a surgeon to explore valve repair strategies on a computer model of a patient’s valve (1). Many groups have published computational models of heart valves based on the finite element (FE) method, but they are prohibitively slow for simulating valve mechanics in an interactive setting. Mass-spring (MS) networks have been used as an alternative to FE methods for modeling deformable bodies, trading off accuracy for speed.© 2010 ASME
Molecular features of neural stem cells enable their enrichment using pharmacological inhibitors of survival-promoting kinases

Isolating a pure population of neural stem cells (NSCs) has been difficult since no exclusive surface markers have been identified for panning or FACS purification. Moreover, additional refinements for maintaining NSCs in culture are required, since NSCs generate a variety of neural precursors (NPs) as they proliferate. Here, we demonstrate that post-natal rat NPs express low levels of pro-apoptotic molecules and resist phosphatidylinositol 3′OH kinase and extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 inhibition as compared to late oligodendrocyte progenitors. Furthermore, maintaining subventricular zone precursors in LY294002 and PD98059, inhibitors of PI3K and ERK1/2 signaling, eliminated lineage-restricted precursors as revealed by enrichment for Nestin+/SOX-2+ cells. The cells that survived formed neurospheres and 89% of these neurospheres were tripotential, generating neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Without this enrichment step, less than 50% of the NPs were Nestin+/SOX-2+ and 42% of the neurospheres were tripotential. In addition, neurospheres enriched using this procedure produced 3-times more secondary neurospheres, supporting the conclusion that this procedure enriches for NSCs. A number of genes that enhance survival were more highly expressed in neurospheres compared to late oligodendrocyte progenitors. Altogether, these studies demonstrate that primitive neural precursors can be enriched using a relatively simple and inexpensive means that will facilitate cell replacement strategies using stem cells as well as other studies whose goal is to reveal the fundamental properties of primitive neural precursors. Neural stem cells resist death effectors, which contributes to their longevity. We demonstrate that primitive Subventricular Zone neural precursors express low levels of pro-apoptotic molecules and resist PI3K (PD98059) and ERK1/2 (LY-294002) inhibition. By contrast, progenitors expressed higher levels of cell-death signaling molecules. Using combinations of PI3K and ERK1/2 inhibitors, cultures highly enriched in tripotential neural precursors were produced.
Comments on the reactivity of low-rank coals in liquefaction

Abstract This communication discusses the subject of the relative reactivities of low-rank and bituminous coals in liquefaction. Accounts given by several researchers have provided seemingly contradictory results. An explanation is presented to reconcile these opposing views.
Channel assignment in multi-rate 802.11n WLANs

As the latest IEEE 802.11 standard, 802.11n allows a maximum physical data rate as high as 600Mbps, making it a desirable candidate for wireless local area network (WLAN) deployment. In WLANs, access points (APs) are often densely deployed, and thus neighboring APs should be assigned with orthogonal channels to avoid performance degradation caused by interference. It is challenging to find the optimal channel assignment strategy, as the number of channels is very limited. Many channel assignment schemes have been proposed for WLANs in the literature. However, most of them were not designed for 802.11n WLANs, and did not consider the challenges from the new channel bonding and frame aggregation mechanisms. Moreover, the impact of multi-rate clients on channel assignment is not fully investigated yet. In this paper, we study channel assignment in multi-rate 802.11n WLANs, aiming at maximizing the network throughput. We first present a network model and an interference model, and estimate the client throughput based on them. We then formulate the channel assignment problem into a throughput optimization problem. As the formulated problem is NP-hard, we propose a distributed channel assignment algorithm to provide practical solutions. We have conducted extensive simulations to evaluate the proposed algorithm and the results show that the network throughput can be significantly improved compared with existing schemes.
Predicting temperature effects on chemical protective clothing permeation.

Although the polymer literature contains many references to the effects of temperature on diffusion coefficients of gases and vapors, little attention has been paid to the effect of temperature on permeation of liquids in either the polymer or industrial hygiene literature. Nevertheless, it is an important problem in the selection and use of chemical protective clothing (CPC) because most permeation tests are conducted at 20–25°C, but actual polymer/solvent systems are often at higher temperatures in field use. A simple relationship between temperature and permeation rate does not exist; this may be the reason that little effort has been made at factoring temperature into CPC selection and use. In this study, five polymer/'solvent systems were tested at 25,37, and 50°C. An Arrhenius relationship was used to relate temperature and permeation for these and 11 other data sets from the literature. Constants from the Arrhenius equations were calculated with excellent correlation and were used to construct equa...
Effects of an Inner Helmholtz Layer on the Dielectric Dispersion of Colloidal Suspensions

An inner Helmholtz layer model is proposed for the low-frequency dielectric dispersion of aqueous suspensions of submicron size colloidal particles. It is assumed that the ions in this layer are mobile but isolated from the outer layers (the outer Helmholtz layer and the diffuse layer). For relaxation frequencies of the inner Helmholtz layer much lower than those of the outer layers, the polarization of the inner Helmholtz layer is simulated using a random walk method. A Debye-type relaxation is obtained. Using parameters consistent with the range of experimental conditions, an excellent fit to data on suspensions of amphoteric latex particles is obtained, whereas the standard electrokinetic theory of diffuse double layers and the dynamic Stern layer model have both been unsuccessful in this regard. It is predicted that the polarization of the inner Helmholtz layer will become nonlinear and will saturate with applied fields at high field strength.