cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analyzing Pressure Interference Between Horizontal Wells During Fracturing

Abstract During stimulation in fractured horizontal wells, offset well pressure measurements have been used to characterize hydraulic fractures. Past work has modeled this pressure interference between wells using static fractures as a proxy for fracture propagation. In this paper, we show that to accurately interpret the pressure response observed in a fractured monitor well during treatment of a nearby well, one needs to explicitly model the fractures and their propagation as a compliant discontinuity in the reservoir. A fully-coupled 3-D fracture-reservoir simulator which models fractures explicitly as open and compliant channels has been developed to simulate pressure interference between hydraulic fractures in a multi-well pad. Using this model, we simulate fracture propagation from the treatment well while monitoring pressure in the monitor well. We study the mechanical stress interference (elastic interaction) between the propagating treatment well fracture and the open (compliant) monitor well fracture. The model is then used to simulate and analyze the pressure interference observed in a pair of wells in the Permian Basin and estimate hydraulic fracture geometry. Simulation results indicate that hydraulic fracture propagation towards the monitor well results in stress alterations around the monitor well fracture. Closure and opening of the monitor well fracture is manifested directly as an increase/decrease in pressure in the monitor well fracture. We show that for these elastic responses, the pressure change observed in the monitor well is primarily because of the propagating treatment well fracture mechanically squeezing the monitor well fracture (not by fluid communication). Representation of the propagating hydraulic fracture and the monitoring well fracture as compliant discontinuities in the reservoir is shown to be essential to capture the pressure response observed in the field. Such pressure interference analysis can provide operators with a quantitative estimate of hydraulic fracture geometry, relatively inexpensively.
Acquiring, Processing, and Deploying: Voice of the Customer

The World of VOC Company and Customer Focus Collecting VOC Interpretation and Translation of VOC Structuring Customer Data Quantifying Structured VOC VOC Integration Deploying VOC Tracking VOC into the Future The VOC System-A Seasoned Perspective Appendix A: VOC Forms Appendix B: Kano Collection and Interpretation Method Appendix C: Customer Oriented Product Concepting (COPC) Appendix D: VOC Example (3-hole punch) Appendix E: Bibliography, Quality Function Development
Why a Group Needs a Leader: DecisionMaking and Debate in Committees

I develop a model of group decision-making, in which a committee generates proposals and holds open discussions, but the ultimate decision is either taken by a leader (decision by authority) or by majority vote. Optimal communication processes are studied that combine both cheap talk statements (proposals) and costly state verification (discussions). I show that by favouring one particular agent - the leader - authoritative decision-making reduces rent-seeking discussions and often results in a higher decision-quality relative to majority decision-making. Institutions which guarantee a right to voice by separating the roles of decision maker and discussion leader may further improve efficiency.
Approximate pruning in tabled logic programming

Pruning provides an important tool for control of nondeterminism in Prolog systems. Current Tabled Prolog systems improve Prolog's evaluation strategy in several ways, but lack satisfactory support for pruning operations. In this paper we present an extension to the evaluation mechanism of Tabled Prolog to support pruning. This extension builds on the concept of demand to select tables to prune. In particular, we concentrate on systems based on SLG resolution. A once operator is described, which approximates demand-based pruning, providing for an efficient implementation in the XSB system.
PRODUCTS OF CONSTANT CURVATURE SPACES WITH A BROWNIAN INDEPENDENCE PROPERTY

The time and place Brownian motion on the product of constant curvature spaces first exits a normal ball of radius E centered at the starting point of the Brownian motion are considered. The asymptotic expansions, as E decreases to zero, for joint moments of the first exit time and place random variables are computed with error 0(E10). It is shown that the first exit time and place are independent random variables only if each factor space is locally flat or of dimension three.
Characterization of myelin basic protein thyroid hormone response element and its function in the context of native and heterologous promoter

In this report we have characterized further the myelin basic protein (MBP) gene thyroid hormone response element (TRE) by functional and binding analysis. Mutation and deletion experiments revealed that this TRE, confined to the sequences -184 to -167 of the MBP promoter, is able to function as a classical regulatory element in the context of the native and a heterologous promoter. It is comprised of two regions, containing a motif that is highly conserved among other TREs: AGGACA, arranged as an inverted palindrome. Any mutation within the footprinted region impaired receptor binding and function. Moreover, the deletion of sequences outside of the receptor footprinted region (MBP-TRE-18) resulted in a higher triiodothyronine responsiveness and a concomitant increase in receptor-dependent, hormone-independent repression. Results of transfection assays showed that both receptors alpha and beta elicit indistinguishable triiodothyronine responses when the MBP-TRE functions as a regulator of a heterologous promoter activity. However, a preferential beta receptor transactivation was observed when the MBP-TRE was placed in the context of its native promoter.
The 21-nucleotide let-7 RNA regulates developmental timing in Caenorhabditis elegans

The C. elegans heterochronic gene pathway consists of a cascade of regulatory genes that are temporally controlled to specify the timing of developmental events1. Mutations in heterochronic genes cause temporal transformations in cell fates in which stage-specific events are omitted or reiterated2. Here we show that let-7 is a heterochronic switch gene. Loss of let-7 gene activity causes reiteration of larval cell fates during the adult stage, whereas increased let-7 gene dosage causes precocious expression of adult fates during larval stages. let-7 encodes a temporally regulated 21-nucleotide RNA that is complementary to elements in the 3′ untranslated regions of the heterochronic genes lin-14, lin-28, lin-41, lin-42 and daf-12, indicating that expression of these genes may be directly controlled by let-7. A reporter gene bearing the lin-41 3′ untranslated region is temporally regulated in a let-7-dependent manner. A second regulatory RNA, lin-4, negatively regulates lin-14 and lin-28 through RNA–RNA interactions with their 3′ untranslated regions3,4. We propose that the sequential stage-specific expression of the lin-4 and let-7 regulatory RNAs triggers transitions in the complement of heterochronic regulatory proteins to coordinate developmental timing.
Retinoic acid: A general overview

Abstract Much has been learned in the past decade about thespecific retinoid-binding proteins and methodological advances have resulted in the identification of several metabolites of retinoic acid. This article will review retinoic acid history. its relation to other biological forms of vitamin A, absorption and transport. metabolism and some factors which mediate the intracellular binding protein.
Nitrous oxide for pain management of first trimester surgical abortion -- a randomized controlled pilot study.

Abstract Objective The objective was to determine feasibility of a study comparing mean pain scores between women randomized to nitrous oxide/oxygen (NO) versus oxygen+oral analgesics for trimester surgical abortion. Study design Pilot randomized controlled trial comparing NO ( n =10) versus oxygen+oral analgesics ( n =10). Feasibility of subject recruitment, and pain and satisfaction scores on a visual analog scale were evaluated. Results Fifty-seven percent of eligible women participated. Mean pain scores were similar between groups, and mean satisfaction scores were higher for the NO group (77.5 vs. 46.7, P =.048). Conclusions The majority of eligible women agreed to participate in this study evaluating an uncommon pain control intervention.
Knuckle‐walking anteater: A convergence test of adaptation for purported knuckle‐walking features of african Hominidae

Appeals to synapomorphic features of the wrist and hand in African apes, early hominins, and modern humans as evidence of knuckle-walking ancestry for the hominin lineage rely on accurate interpretations of those features as adaptations to knuckle-walking locomotion. Because Gorilla, Pan, and Homo share a relatively close common ancestor, the interpretation of such features is confounded somewhat by phylogeny. The study presented here examines the evolution of a similar locomotor regime in New World anteaters (order Xenarthra, family Myrmecophagidae) and uses the terrestrial giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) as a convergence test of adaptation for purported knuckle-walking features of the Hominidae. During the stance phase of locomotion, Myrmecophaga transmits loads through flexed digits and a vertical manus, with hyperextension occurring at the metacarpophalangeal joints of the weight-bearing rays. This differs from the locomotion of smaller, arboreal anteaters of outgroup genera Tamandua and Cyclopes that employ extended wrist postures during above-branch quadrupedality. A number of features shared by Myrmecophaga and Pan and Gorilla facilitate load transmission or limit extension, thereby stabilizing the wrist and hand during knuckle-walking, and distinguish these taxa from their respective outgroups. These traits are a distally extended dorsal ridge of the distal radius, proximal expansion of the nonarticular surface of the dorsal capitate, a pronounced articular ridge on the dorsal aspects of the load-bearing metacarpal heads, and metacarpal heads that are wider dorsally than volarly. Only the proximal expansion of the nonarticular area of the dorsal capitate distinguishes knuckle-walkers from digitigrade cercopithecids, but features shared with digitigrade primates might be adaptive to the use of a vertical manus of some sort in the stance phase of terrestrial locomotion. The appearance of capitate nonarticular expansion and the dorsal ridge of the distal radius in the hominin lineage might be indicative of a knuckle-walking ancestry for bipedal hominins if interpreted within the biomechanical and phylogenetic context of hominid locomotor evolution. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A constant factor approximation algorithm for a class of classification problems

In a traditional classification problem, we wish to assign labels from a set L to each of n objects so that the labeling is consistent with some observed data that includes pairwise relationships among the objects. Kleinberg and Tardos recently formulated a general classification problem of this type, the “metric labeling problem”, and gave an O(log jLj log log jLj) approximation algorithm for it. The algorithm is based on solving a linear programming relaxation of a natural integer program and then randomized rounding. In this paper we consider an important case of the metric labeling problem, in which the metric is the truncated linear metric. This is a natural non-uniform and robust metric, and it arises in a number of applications. We give a combinatorial 4-approximation algorithm for this metric. Our algorithm is a natural local search method, where the local steps are based on minimum cut computations in an appropriately constructed graph. Our method extends previous work by Boykov, Veksler and Zabih on more restricted classes of metrics.
Vitamin D and Kidney Disease. What we know and what we do not know

Vitamin D deficiency is common in the chronic kidney disease (CKD) population. CKD has been recognized as a significant public health problem and CKD patients are at increased risk of total and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. There are increasing epidemiological data suggesting that vitamin D deficiency may play a role in overall morbidity and mortality associated with CKD. The vitamin D hormonal system is classically implicated in the regulation of calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism but there is ample evidence to support the claim that extra renal conversion of 25(OH)D to 1.25(OH)2 has significant biological roles beyond those traditionally ascribed to vitamin D. Based on the current state of evidence this review intends to give an update on novel biological and clinical insights with relevance to the steroid hormone vitamin D specifically in patients with kidney disease.
Monetary returns to academic ability in the public teacher labor market

Abstract Previous research has established the returns to academic ability in the general labor market, and this paper investigates such returns in the teacher labor market. Using a nationally representative sample of public school teachers, I find that teachers who graduate from the most selective undergraduate institutions have salaries that are between 7% and 14% higher than those who graduate from the least selective colleges. An empirical investigation of the source of these returns reveals that the majority of this difference is due to high-ability teachers sorting into higher paying districts, though a non-trivial amount arises from within-district deviations from the salary schedule.
Endothelial progenitor cell mobilization and increased intravascular nitric oxide in patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation.

PURPOSE We investigated whether cardiac rehabilitation participation increases circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and benefits vasculature in patients already on stable therapy previously shown to augment EPCs and improve endothelial function. METHODS Forty-six of 50 patients with coronary artery disease completed a 36-session cardiac rehabilitation program: 45 were treated with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) therapy > or = 1 month (average baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol = 81 mg/dL). Mononuclear cells isolated from blood were quantified for EPCs by flow cytometry (CD133/VEGFR-2 cells) and assayed in culture for EPC colony-forming units (CFUs). In 23 patients, EPCs were stained for annexin-V as a marker of apoptosis, and nitrite was measured in blood as an indicator of intravascular nitric oxide. RESULTS Endothelial progenitor cells increased from 35 +/- 5 to 63 +/- 10 cells/mL, and EPC-CFUs increased from 0.9 +/- 0.2 to 3.1 +/- 0.6 per well (both P < .01), but 11 patients had no increase in either measure. Those patients whose EPCs increased from baseline showed significant increases in nitrite and reduction in annexin-V staining (both P < .01) versus no change in patients without increase in EPCs. Over the course of the program, EPCs increased prior to increase in nitrite in the blood. CONCLUSIONS Cardiac rehabilitation in patients receiving stable statin therapy and with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol at goal increases EPC number, EPC survival, and endothelial differentiation potential, associated with increased nitric oxide in the blood. Although this response was observed in most patients, a significant minority showed neither EPC mobilization nor increased nitric oxide in the blood.
A Cohort Study of STMN1 Expression in Colorectal Cancer: Body Mass Index and Prognosis

Objectives STMN1 (stathmin or oncoprotein-18) destabilizes microtubules and reorganizes cytoskeleton, and functions in cell cycle progression and cell migration. STMN1 activity is influenced by p53, p27, and the PI3K/AKT pathway. However, its prognostic significance in colon cancer is uncertain. Methods Utilizing 546 colorectal cancers (stage I-IV) from two independent prospective cohort studies (the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study), STMN1 expression was detected in 297 (54%) tumors by immunohistochemistry. Cox proportional hazard models computed hazard ratios (HRs) of mortality, adjusted for clinical and tumoral features, including microsatellite instability (MSI), CpG island methylation phenotype (CIMP), LINE-1 hypomethylation, KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, p53, p21, p27, cyclin D1, beta-catenin, fatty acid synthase, FASN, and COX-2. Results Five-year colorectal cancer-specific survival was 78% in STMN1-positive patients and 76% in STMN1-negative patients (log-rank P=0.30). STMN1-positivity was not significantly associated with cancer-specific survival in univariate analysis with HR of 0.82 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.59-1.14), which became significant in multivariate analysis (adjusted HR=0.60; 95% CI, 0.41-0.87; P=0.0078). Notably, the prognostic effect of obesity (body mass index, BMI> or =30 kg/m2) significantly differed by STMN1 (P(interaction)=0.005). Obesity was associated with high cancer-specific mortality among STMN1-positive patients (adjusted HR=2.36; 95% CI, 1.18-4.69), whereas obesity was not associated with high mortality among STMN1-negative patients (adjusted HR=0.51; 95% CI, 0.24-1.07). Conclusions STMN1 overexpression in colorectal cancer is independently associated with improved survival. The adverse prognostic effect of obesity was limited to patients with STMN1-positive tumors. Our findings suggest the presence of a tumor (STMN1)-host (BMI) interaction that potentially determines clinical outcome.
Errors in text.

It is curious that a respected medical journal would publish this discussion of GM food and other GM products (JRSM 2008;101:290–298) without at least some oversight related to the validity of the content.1 I view the promotion of GM food as directly analogous to the promotion of a new pharmaceutical product without any testing for safety. The only difference is that GM food could alter the health of a much larger population, and without any element of product choice. I will address three specific errors of fact and logic-there are many more. ‘GM plants undergo extensive safety testing’. This is absolutely false. In the US, while the GM food plants must go through the FDA for approval, there is NO REQUIRED safety testing: it is up to the producer, and if anything is done it is minimal. These has been essentially no long term animal toxicology on any GM product, something the medical community should be concerned about.2,3 ‘GM crops consumed… with no reported ill effects’ – therefore they are safe. This statement is illogical and the conclusion is not valid. There is no assay and there is no epidemiology. If any GM food product did cause harm it would be impossible to pick up within the constant background of disease, particularly since in the USA, the biggest consumer, there are no labelling requirements. For an example of the necessary data to make a conclusion of harm, see Schubert.4 ‘Increased yields’: there have been none with the current GM crops.5
Mutual diffusivity, network dilation, and salt bath poisoning effects in ion-exchanged glass

Abstract Chemically strengthened glass produced via the ion exchange process has found many interesting applications due to its high strength and damage resistance. It is known that salt bath poisoning has a strong effect on mutual diffusivity during the ion exchange process. Salt bath poisoning occurs when cations previously in the glass contaminate the molten bath nominally consisting of a larger substituting cation. In this work, we introduce a simple two-level model describing the impact of salt bath poisoning on the mutual diffusion coefficient. The model is compared to experimentally measured values of mutual diffusivity over a wide range of salt bath poisoning and glass composition. The model is shown to agree well with the experimental data. We also quantify the dependence of the activation energy for mutual diffusivity on the initial concentration of the substituting cation in the base glass composition. Finally, we address the issue of network dilation during ion exchange, showing that the magnitude of the “network dilation anomaly” is lower for aluminosilicate glasses as compared to soda lime float glasses, enabling them to achieve closer to their ideal values of strength.
Molecular Characterization of Haemophilus ducreyi Strains from Jackson, Mississippi, and New Orleans, Louisiana

Chancroid, a sexually transmitted disease caused by Haemophilus ducreyi, is one of the most common genital ulcer diseases in developing countries. In the United States, while less common, the disease has been associated with outbreaks in inner cities, particularly among persons who engage in sex for drugs or money. Two outbreaks of chancroid were recently studied in the United States, one in New Orleans (from 1990 to 1992) and one in Jackson, Mississippi (from 1994 to 1995). By use of ribotyping, plasmid content, and antibiotic susceptibility, the chancroid cases in New Orleans were found to be due to a limited number of strains, consistent with a limited introduction of H. ducreyi into this community. The H. ducreyi isolates from New Orleans and Jackson had different ribotype patterns, suggesting that the two outbreaks were probably not linked.
Effect of blood pressure lowering on markers of kidney disease progression

Hypertension remains a common comorbidity and cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD). As the number of patients with CKD grows, so does the need to identify modifiable risk factors for CKD progression. Data on slowing progression of CKD or preventing end-stage renal disease with aggressive blood pressure control have not yielded definitive conclusions regarding ideal blood pressure targets. Shifting the focus of antihypertensive therapy to alternative markers of end-organ damage, specifically proteinuria, has yielded some promise in preventing the progression of CKD. Nevertheless, proteinuria and decline in estimated GFR may represent an irreversible degree of injury to the kidney that limits the impact of any therapy. The identification and use of novel markers of kidney injury to assess the impact of antihyper tensive therapy may yield clearer direction with regard to optimal management of hypertension in the setting of CKD.
Hypergraph-based multilevel matrix approximation for text information retrieval

In Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI), a collection of documents is often pre-processed to form a sparse term-document matrix, followed by a computation of a low-rank approximation to the data matrix. A multilevel framework based on hypergraph coarsening is presented which exploits the hypergraph that is canonically associated with the sparse term-document matrix representing the data. The main goal is to reduce the cost of the matrix approximation without sacrificing accuracy. Because coarsening by multilevel hypergraph techniques is a form of clustering, the proposed approach can be regarded as a hybrid of factorization-based LSI and clustering-based LSI. Experimental results indicate that our method achieves good improvement of the retrieval performance at a reduced cost
Predictors of diagnosis and survival in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and connective tissue disease-related usual interstitial pneumonia

Although usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) appears to portend better survival when associated with connective tissue disease (CTD-UIP), little is known about the presenting clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features that differentiate pathologically confirmed UIP with CTD from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). In patients with atypical radiologic and clinical features, what specific findings predict underlying IPF vs. CTD-UIP diagnosis and their respective long term survival? A large retrospective cohort analysis was done of consecutive patients seen from 1995 through 2010 with biopsy confirmed UIP completed or reviewed at our institution. CTD-UIP was defined by independent rheumatology consultation with exclusion of all other secondary causes of lung fibrosis. Primary clinical data was collected and compared for IPF and CTD-UIP along with logistic regression performed for predictors of disease likelihood and Cox proportional hazards analysis for predictors of survival. Six hundred and twenty five patients were included in the study of which 89 had diagnosed CTD-UIP representing 7 disease entities. Survival was better among those with CTD-UIP except in UIP associated with rheumatoid arthritis, which had similar presenting features and survival to IPF. Predictors of underlying CTD included female gender, younger age, positive autoimmune serology, and inconsistent presenting radiologic findings. Only age and forced vital capacity corrected for a priori covariates were predictive of survival in CTD-UIP. UIP pathology occurs frequently among patients with atypically presenting clinical and radiologic features, and may represent IPF or CTD-UIP with improved prognosis if underlying CTD is diagnosed. Presenting radiologic and pathologic features alone are not predictive of underlying secondary cause or survival between the two groups.
Parallel polynomial operations on SMPs: an overview

Abstract SMP-based parallel algorithms and implementationsfor polynomial factoring and GCD are overviewed. Topics include polynomial factoring modulo small primes, univariate and multivariate p -adic lifting, and reformulation of lift basis. Sparse polynomial GCD is also covered.
An Unexpected Spotlight

On 22 March 1948, Life magazine ran an article titled “Genius school,” about Hunter College Elementary School, then the only special elementary school in New York City for “gifted” children. Accompanying the article was a photograph of a 7-year-old boy with a chemistry book in hand, standing in front of a blackboard covered in chemistry equations. That little boy was me. I had not thought about my brief moment of childhood fame in decades, when recently I received an e-mail from an elementary school friend, Judith Shulman Weis. From Judith, I learned that my 7-year-old self had earned a second moment of glory: Science magazine had run a version of the Life magazine photograph on the cover of the 23 April 2010 issue on Science, Language, and Literacy. Upon seeing this snapshot of the past, I couldn't help thinking about my years at Hunter and how the school may have affected the path my life has taken. The photograph seems to imply that I learned those chemical equations at school. This was not the case. The staff at Hunter did not teach me advanced chemistry, but they did provide something even more important: an environment that encouraged independent learning and rewarded interest in science. With support from my teachers, I taught myself the chemistry displayed in the photograph by reading the high-school review book shown in my hand. My father had given me the book; he was a high school graduate but had always been interested in chemistry and was one of the smartest people I have ever known. ![Figure][1] CREDIT: JOHN SOLEM/UMASS AMHERST Throughout my childhood, I dreamed of being another Beethoven, but when reality set in, I turned back to my interest in chemistry. I majored in chemistry at the University of Michigan and then earned a master's degree in chemistry from Harvard. However, because of the way chemistry was taught at the time, I became frustrated with the subject. Even after my first year of graduate school, I did not understand what a chemist did. I changed course again and returned to the University of Michigan to get a master's in mathematics and a Ph.D. in psychology. In the years since, my primary research has been measuring eye movements to gain insight into the reading process. I have also been involved in funded research on the understanding and misunderstanding of statistics, and more recently I have studied driving and driving safety, also using eye movements as a primary variable of attention. I am still active in all three areas at age 70. I like to think that the inquisitive little boy that graced the cover of Science last year is still a part of me. [1]: pending:yes
Improving Diagnosability of Hybrid Systems through Active Diagnosis

Abstract Fault diagnosis is key to ensuring system safety through fault-adaptive control. This task is difficult in hybrid systems with combined continuous and discrete behaviors because mode changes make diagnosability hard to achieve. Including additional sensors can improve diagnosability, but that is not always feasible. An alternative strategy is active diagnosis, where we improve the diagnosis result by executing or blocking controllable events. We present a qualitative, event-based approach to active diagnosis of hybrid systems, where we automatically synthesize event-based diagnosers for hybrid systems that can determine if the system is diagnosable through passive or active diagnosis. We apply our active diagnosis scheme to a real-world electrical power distribution system.
Dialkyltriazaniumsalze, 3. Mitt.: Die IR- und1H-NMR-Spektren von Dimethyl-, Diäthyl- und Cyclotetramethylentriazaniumchlorid

Die IR- und1H-Kernresonanzspektren von Dimethyl-, Diathyl- und Cyclotetramethylentriazaniumchlorid werden mitgeteilt und diskutiert. Die spektroskopischen Daten sind in ubereinstimmung mit der Annahme, das es sich bei den untersuchten Verbindungen um 2,2-Dialkyltriazaniumchloride handelt.1H-NMR Messungen in d6-Dimethylsulfoxid und Wasser bei verschiedenen Konzentrationen deuten auf starke inter- und intramolekulare Wasserstoffbruckenbindungen hin.
Excitation and damping of compressional hydromagnetic waves on a magnetized, high‐pressure plasma column

Azimuthally symmetric (m=0) radio‐frequency (rf) waves for zero and for finite axial wavenumber k are investigated in a low‐compression linear theta pinch. The (k=0) modes occur spontaneously following the implosion phase of the discharge. For the k≠0 modes, a novel 100 MW, 1 MHz current drive is used to excite the plasma column in the vicinity of the lowest fast magnetoacoustic mode at various filling pressures. Phases, amplitudes, and radial mode structure are studied for both the k=0 modes and the externally driven (k≠0) modes. In the first case, the damping is determined from the e‐folding time of the decaying oscillations. In the latter case, the phases and amplitudes indicate a broad resonance structure, from which we extract the damping constant. The energy deposition of the externally driven rf wave leads to a radial expansion of the plasma column, as observed by axial interferometry and by excluded flux measurements. These experimental results are compared with the predictions of two MHD‐like ion‐kinetic models. The characteristic and resonant frequencies, as well as the oscillatory radial mode structure, can be understood within the ideal MHD description. It is found that the viscous kinetic model overestimates the observed k=0 damping by at least an order of magnitude, while both this and the ion Landau‐damping model (with and without ion‐cyclotron effects) underestimate the (k≠0) damping by at least an order of magnitude. The experimentally observed damping and wave‐energy deposition are consistent with the magnitude of the rf oscillations. The efficiency of the rf energy deposition is at least 27%.
Thiophene desulfurization by Co/carbon catalysts synthesized by reaction of Co(C5H5)2 and the carbon support

Abstract Catalysts were synthesized using a displacement reaction of cobaltocene (Co(C 5 H 5 )2) with high surface area carbon to form a strongly bound metal surface complex and free cyclopentadiene. At loadings above 3 wt.%, the surface complexes polymerize to form metallocene sandwich polymers. Unlike pure unsupported cobaltocene, the supported metal complexes are stable up to 300°C in helium. X-ray diffraction analysis of the catalysts indicate the cobalt is highly dispersed with no cobalt-containing crystalline phases present. Thiophene desulfurization measurements find a high selectivity for cis -2-butene and 1-butene. A mechanism for desulfurization by these catalysts is proposed in which 2,3-dihydrothiophene and 2,5-dihydrothiophene intermediates undergo rapid hydrogenolysis/ desulfurization reactions to form 1-butene and cis -2 butene, respectively. Selectivities for butane were below 2%, indicating the catalyst is a very poor hydrogenation catalyst.
Spirituality in the academy: Reintegrating our lives and the lives of our students

American educational institutions were founded on the development of the spirit as well as the intellect, a concept that was ended by the Enlightenment. Now, research conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), reveals that most students want their college or university to help them develop spiritually. Are their institutions ready?
Comparison of short-term mortality risk factors for valve replacement versus coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Abstract Background Risk factors for 30-day operative (short-term) mortality following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG only) procedures are well established. However, little is known about how the risk factors for short-term mortality following valve replacement procedures (with or without a CABG procedure performed) compare with CABG only risk factors. Methods Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) records (65,585 records) were collected from October 1991 through March 2001 and analyzed. Risk factors for short-term mortality were compared across three subgroups of patients: CABG only surgery (n = 56,318), aortic valve replacement (AVR) with or without CABG (n = 7450), and mitral valve replacement (MVR) with or without CABG (n = 1817). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to compare the relative magnitude of risk for 19 candidate predictor variables across subgroups. Results Only three patient baseline characteristics differed significantly in magnitude of risk between the procedure groups. Partially or totally dependent functional status significantly increased the risk of short-term mortality for AVR patients (odds ratio [OR] 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29–2.09) and MVR patients (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.48–3.30), but not for CABG only patients (OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.93–1.16). Conversely, previous heart surgery and New York Heart Association functional class III or IV symptoms conferred greater magnitude of risk for CABG only patients compared with the valve subgroups. Conclusions Overall, the risk factors for short-term mortality following valve replacement and CABG surgery appear to be relatively consistent. However, clinicians should be aware of the importance of preoperative functional status as a unique predictor of mortality following valve surgery.
Could There Be a Science of Economics

Much scientific thinking and thinking about science involves assumptions that there is a deep and pervasive order to the world that it is the business of science to disclose. A paradigmatic statement of such a view can be found in a widely discussed paper by a prominent economist, Milton Friedman (a paper which will be discussed in more detail shortly): A fundamental hypothesis of science is that appearances are deceptive and that there is a way of looking at or interpreting or organizing the evidence that will reveal superficially disconnected and diverse phenomena to be manifestations of a more fundamental and relatively simple structure. (1953/1984, p.231) On the other hand, the person sometimes described as the father of modern science, Francis Bacon, wrote: The human understanding is of its own nature prone to suppose the existence of more order and regularity in the world than it finds. And though there be many things in nature which are singular and unmatched, yet it devises for them conjugates and relatives which do not exist. (1620/1960, p. 50).
Large unit red cell cryopreservation with hydroxyethyl starch.

Abstract Full units of red blood cells frozen with 14% hydroxyethyl starch (HES) yield cell recoveries near 97% and saline stabilities greater than 80%. Potassium leaves the cells during the freeze-thaw cycle and increases the extracellular concentration of this ion to near 35 meq/l. Unwashed cells (those with plasma present) and saline washed cells yield similar results. Storage of the thawed red cells at 4 °C for up to 48 hr causes little change in the cells. Examination by electron microscopy of samples from thawed units reveals some red cells with portions of their membrane missing. We believe this represents damage from the freeze-thaw cycle and also that all free supernatant hemoglobin does not arise from completely lysed cells.
What's the matter?

The Problems of Evolution. By Mark Ridley. Oxford University Press: 1985. Pp.159. Hbk 12.50, 19.95; pbk 3.95, 8.95.
Radiation Effects On Solar Cells

The present knowledge of radiation damage effects in spacecraft solar cells is reviewed. The photovoltaic effect and the effects of particle radiation on photovoltaic materials and devices is described for the more useful semiconductors, viz. silicon and gallium arsenide. The improvements in silicon solar cells since their development in 1954 have resulted in steady improvements in photovoltaic conversion efficiency, voltage, current density, and radiation hardness, and an increasing compendium of solar cell performance as a function of environmental factors such as temperature, light intensity, and radiation fields has been developed. However, as new technology constantly develops, there is a continuing need to study radiation effects in new solar cell structures and to attempt to understand fully the basic mechanisms of radiation interactions at the atomic level in order to explain their effects on solar cell performance at the macroscpoic level.
A shorter proof of the ramanujan congruence modulo 5

A partition of a natural number n is a way of writing n as an unordered sum of natural numbers. The partition function p(n) counts the number of partitions of n. For example, p(4) = S, with 4,3 + 1,2 + 2,2 + 1 + 1,1 + 1 + 1 + 1 being the five partitions of 4. The extraordinary Ramanujan at first noticed, then proved, some very interesting congruence properties of p(n) modulo the primes S, 7, and 11. In fact, he generalized them to congruences modulo powers of those primes. For the prime S, Ramanujan's congruence is the following:
On the nature of features seen by tem in fast neutron irradiated Al2O3

Abstract High fluence fast neutron irradiation of Al 2 O 3 at 1000 K has been shown to produce ordered arrays of 45 A objects as observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These can be postulated to be voids, high pressure oxygen inclusions, or aluminum colloids. Knight shift NMR and O 2 gas release measurements suggest (by elimination) that the features are voids, containing respectively less than 10% of the aluminum and 1% of the oxygen predicted by the alternative models. The implications of this conclusion in terms of production mechanisms are discussed.
Tandem arrangement of the clathrin and AP-2 binding domains in amphiphysin 1 and disruption of clathrin coat function by amphiphysin fragments comprising these sites.

Amphiphysin 1 and 2 are proteins implicated in the recycling of synaptic vesicles in nerve terminals. They interact with dynamin and synaptojanin via their COOH-terminal SH3 domain, whereas their central regions contain binding sites for clathrin and for the clathrin adaptor AP-2. We have defined here amino acids of amphiphysin 1 crucial for binding to AP-2 and clathrin. Overexpression in Chinese hamster ovary cells of an amphiphysin 1 fragment that binds both AP-2 and clathrin resulted in a segregation of clathrin, which acquired a diffuse distribution, from AP-2, which accumulated at patches also positive for Eps15. These effects correlated with a block in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. A fragment selectively interacting with clathrin produced a similar effect. These results can be explained by the binding of amphiphysin to the NH2-terminal domain of clathrin and by a competition with the binding of this domain to the β-subunit of AP-2 and AP180. The interaction of amphiphysin 1 with either clathrin or AP-2 did not prevent its interaction with dynamin, supporting the existence of tertiary complexes between these proteins. Together with previous evidence indicating a direct interaction between amphiphysin and membrane lipids, these findings support a model in which amphiphysin acts as a multifunctional adaptor linking the membrane to coat proteins and coat proteins to dynamin and synaptojanin.
Dynamics of molecular diffusion of rhodamine 6G in silica nanochannels

We describe a method to study diffusion of rhodamine 6G dye in single silica nanochannels using arrays of silica nanochannels. Dynamics of the molecules inside single nanochannel is found from the change of the dye concentration in solution with time. A 10(8) decrease in the dye diffusion coefficient relative to water was observed. In comparison to single fluorescent molecule studies, the presented method does not require fluorescence of the diffusing molecules.
Simultaneous analysis and design for eigenvalue maximization

A simultaneous analysis and design approach to the maximization of buckling or vibration eigenvalues is presented. Both unimodal and bimodal optimum solutions are considered. A discretization of the structure and response is used to obtain sets of nonlinear algebraic equations which are solved numerically. The formulation is applied to the solution of the optimum design of a beam-column supported by an elastic foundation for maximum buckling load. Two cases are considered: the optimum design of the column for a given foundation and the optimum design of the foundation for a given column. Results are compared to published solutions when possible.
The butyllithium-initiated polymerization of methyl methacrylate

Abstract The kinetics of the polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by n -butyllithium in toluene solution have been studied at −30°C and to a lesser extent at −5°C. Measurements were made to determine the effect of monomer and initiator concentrations on the rate of polymerization, on the quantity of low molecular weight product, and on the molecular weight and microstructure of the high molecular weight polymer. A complete explanation of the results has not been possible but it seems that the differences between initiation by butyllithium and by other organometallic compounds may be due in part to a side reaction of butyllithium with ester groups.
Two-dimensional linearized moisture flow with water extraction

Abstract Steady-state solutions are developed for two-dimensional sink—source combinations. Linearization is attained by assuming the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity is exponentially related to the pressure head. Surface boundary conditions are specified as one of three types: (1) flow velocity, (2) matrix flux potential, or (3) flow velocity proportional to the matrix flux potential. Plant uptake is assumed to decrease exponentially with depth and with lateral distance. To a first approximation, the results are similar to a source without the sink, but having a strength equal to the net water added.
Distinctive Topologies of Partner-switching Signaling Networks Correlate with their Physiological Roles

Abstract Regulatory networks controlling bacterial gene expression often evolve from common origins and share homologous proteins and similar network motifs. However, when functioning in different physiological contexts, these motifs may be re-arranged with different topologies that significantly affect network performance. Here we analyze two related signaling networks in the bacterium Bacillus subtilis in order to assess the consequences of their different topologies, with the aim of formulating design principles applicable to other systems. These two networks control the activities of the general stress response factor σ B and the first sporulation-specific factor σ F . Both networks have at their core a “partner-switching” mechanism, in which an anti-sigma factor forms alternate complexes either with the sigma factor, holding it inactive, or with an anti-anti-sigma factor, thereby freeing sigma. However, clear differences in network structure are apparent: the anti-sigma factor for σ F forms a long-lived, “dead-end” complex with its anti-anti-sigma factor and ADP, whereas the genes encoding σ B and its network partners lie in a σ B -controlled operon, resulting in positive and negative feedback loops. We constructed mathematical models of both networks and examined which features were critical for the performance of each design. The σ F model predicts that the self-enhancing formation of the dead-end complex transforms the network into a largely irreversible hysteretic switch; the simulations reported here also demonstrate that hysteresis and slow turn off kinetics are the only two system properties associated with this complex formation. By contrast, the σ B model predicts that the positive and negative feedback loops produce graded, reversible behavior with high regulatory capacity and fast response time. Our models demonstrate how alterations in network design result in different system properties that correlate with regulatory demands. These design principles agree with the known or suspected roles of similar networks in diverse bacteria.
Politicizing Priority Departments: Presidential Priorities and Subcabinet Experience and Loyalty

Presidents have the power to nominate the top ranks of the executive branch and they use it toward their own goals. Presidents need a mixture of experienced and loyal officers to promote bureaucrat...
Framing Controversial Actions: Regulatory Focus, Source Credibility, and Stock Market Reaction to Poison Pill Adoption

We contribute to the research on organizational accounts by examining the role of different framing languages and the credibility of the frame articulator on justifying controversial organizational actions. Drawing on regulatory focus theory and the literature on source credibility, we develop novel arguments as to how a gains-versus-nonlosses framing and the perceived credibility of the speaker influence stakeholder responses, as well as how the effectiveness of these aspects is influenced by context. We test our arguments using data on the framing of the adoption of "poison pills" by U.S. firms between 1983 and 2008. Using content analysis and an event study, we find that a gains framing aligned with the dominant institutional logic leads to a positive stock market reaction, while statements emanating from speakers with potentially self-serving interests negatively affect the stock market reaction. Our findings further show that the effectiveness of framing and source credibility are dependent on contextual attributes such as speaker visibility, prior performance, and practice prevalence
APPLICATIONS OF A DISCRETE DYNAMIC MODEL OF STEEL INGOT TEMPERATURE BEHAVIOR TO SOAKING PIT OPERATIONS

Abstract A discrete, linear, time-variant, state equation model of the heat transfer processes involved has been applied to describe the behavior of steel ingots during teeming, prior to and following stripping, during soaking pit heating and on extraction. This model gives accurate representations of the solidus formation and of the transient temperature behavior of the ingot while in the molds and while in the soaking pit furnaces. A major application of the resulting model has been to the charging of ingots with partially liquid cores into the soaking pits with a resulting substantial reduction in the energy requirements for the soaking pit operation and a correspondingly large increase in soaking pit throughput or productivity.