cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
System analysis of Phycomyces light-growth response in single and double night-blind mutants

The sum-of-sinusoids method of nonlinear system identification has been applied to the light-growth response of the Phycomyces sporangiophore. Experiments were performed on the Phycomyces tracking machine with the wild-type strain with single and double mutants affected in genes madA, madB, and madC. The sum-of-sinusoids test stimuli were applied to the logarithm of the light intensity. The log-mean intensity level was 10-1 Wm-2 and the wavelength was 477 nm. The system identification results are in the form of first- and second-order frequency kernels, which are related to temporal kernels that appear in the Wiener functional series. The first-order kernels agree well with those obtained previously by the white noise method. In particular, the madA madB and madB madC double mutants show very weak responses. With the superior precision of the sum-of-sinusoids methods, we have achieved sufficient resolution to measure and analyze their second-order kernels. The first- and second-order frequency kernels were interpreted by system analysis methods involving a nonlinear parametric model. In addition a nonparametric hypothesis concerning interactions of gene products was tested. Results from the interaction tests confirm the earlier conclusion that the madB and madC gene products interact. In addition, with the enhanced precision and with the extension to nonlinear analysis, we have found evidence of interaction of the madA gene product with the madB and madC gene products. Thus all three genes appear to have mutual interactions, presumably because of their close physical association in a photoreceptor complex.
Dysrhythmia in the suprachiasmatic nucleus inhibits memory processing

Chronic circadian dysfunction impairs declarative memory in humans but has little effect in common rodent models of arrhythmia caused by clock gene knockouts or surgical ablation of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). An important problem overlooked in these translational models is that human dysrhythmia occurs while SCN circuitry is genetically and neurologically intact. Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) are particularly well suited for translational studies because they can be made arrhythmic by a one-time photic treatment that severely impairs spatial and recognition memory. We found that once animals are made arrhythmic, subsequent SCN ablation completely rescues memory processing. These data suggest that the inhibitory effects of a malfunctioning SCN on cognition require preservation of circuitry between the SCN and downstream targets that are lost when these connections are severed.
An approximate method for non-repairable systems based on oppurtunistic replacement policy

Abstract An opportunistic replacement policy for a multi-unit system with various failure rates is developed. The objective function is to minimize the total maintenance cost due to preventive and failure replacement. Failure rate is used as replacement criterion for each unit. Units are replaced at failure or at a failure rate limit, L, whichever occurs first. A unit is also replaced at replacement time of another unit if its failure rate falls in a preventive replacement interval, (L-u, L). A solution method to obtain the value of and u is presented. The solution procedure is demonstrated through an algorithm followed by a numerical example.
Recommendations for nutrient management plans in a semi-arid environment

Abstract A nutrient management plan (NMP) field experiment was conducted to investigate the fate of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and salts in a semi-arid environment (San Jacinto, CA). Our mechanistic approach to study NMP performance was based on comprehensive measurements of water and N mass balance in the root zone. A cereal crop rotation (wheat-rye hybrid to sorghum, Triticum aestivum L.–Secale cereale L. to Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) that does not fix atmospheric N was employed during 2007, whereas a legume crop (alfalfa, Medicago sativa L.) that forms nodules to fix N was used in 2008. Blending (2007 and 2008) and cyclic (2007) dairy wastewater (DWW) application strategies (no statistical difference in 2007) were implemented to meet crop water and N uptake. The high content of salts in DWW and accurate application of water to meet evapotranspiration (ET) yielded salt accumulation in the root zone. Leaching these salts after the fallow period resulted in the flushing of nitrate that had accumulated in the root zone due to continuous mineralization of soil organic N. This observation suggested that a conservative NMP should account for mineralization of organic N by (i) leaching salts following harvests rather than prior to planting and (ii) maintaining soils with low values of organic N. For the wheat-rye hybrid–sorghum rotation, losses of nitrate below the root zone were minimal and the soil organic N reservoir and P were depleted over time by applying only a fraction of the plant N uptake with DWW (28–48%) and using DWW that was treated to reduce the fraction of organic N (3–10%), whereas K accumulated similar to other salts. Conversely, with alfalfa approximately 15% of the applied N was leached below the root zone and the soil organic N increased during the growing season. These observations were attributed to fixation of atmospheric N, increased root density, and applying a higher fraction of plant N uptake with DWW (76%). Collectively, our results indicate that NMPs should accurately account for water and nutrient mass balances, and salt accumulation to be protective of the environment.
Inventing Annihilation: Comments on Lynn Eden's Whole World on Fire: Organizations, Knowledge, & Nuclear Weapons Devastation

In the 1980s the pediatrician Helen Caldicott, the Billy Graham of the antinuclear movement, went from city to city in Ronald Reagan’s America to do what she called ‘the bombing run’. Seeking to counteract the delusional qualities of government statements that nuclear war could be limited and winnable, and blending the intensity of an activist with the dispassionate authority of a doctor, Caldicott evoked the effect that a 1-megaton bomb would have if dropped on the city where she was speaking, specifying how many people would be burned, crushed, blinded, maimed, and irradiated. As a young activist for the Nuclear Freeze Campaign, I watched the extraordinary effect Caldicott had on audiences, many members of which would silently weep as she spoke. Lynn Eden opens her fine book, Whole World on Fire (2004), with her own version of the bombing run. Chapter 1 (‘complete ruin’) is, at 20 pages, a meticulously detailed, dispassionate, and precise account of the damage she would expect from a 300-kiloton bomb dropped over Washington DC. It sets forth in straightforward language exactly the range and dynamics of such a weapon’s blast and fire effects, and specifies the damage we could expect to landmarks in and around the nation’s capital. The point of this chapter and of the book as a whole is to argue that US war planners have tended to underestimate the damage nuclear weapons would cause and that, in particular, they have done so because they have paid little attention to the fire effects of a nuclear explosion. Eden argues that US war planners brought from World War II to the atomic age a cognitive predisposition to figure bombing damage in terms of blast effects rather than fire effects. Eden calls this the ‘blast frame’, and she shows how it led US war planners to develop what she calls ‘knowledge-laden routines’ – algorithmic practices for predicting the damage particular weapons would inflict on particular targets. These routines bracketed damage from fire, which was seen as unpredictable. This distortion became even more pronounced with the development of hydrogen bombs, since fire effects
Change of Pore Helix Conformational State upon Opening of Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels

Abstract The structure of the pore region of the α subunit of the bovine rod cyclic nucleotide-gated channel was probed using cysteine-scanning mutagenesis and hydrophilic sulfhydryl-reactive methanethiosulfonate (MTS) reagents. A region homologous to the pore helix in the X-ray crystal structure of the KcsA K + channel showed a helical pattern of reactivity with externally applied MTS reagents. Surprisingly, three out of four of the reactive residues, all on one face of the pore helix, only reacted with MTS reagents in the closed state. A residue on the opposite face of the helix only reacted with MTS reagents in the open state. These results indicate that the pore helix (or its surroundings) undergoes a change in conformation, perhaps involving a rotation around its long axis, that opens a gate localized to the selectivity filter of the channel.
Strangers in the Night: An Application of the Lifestyle-Routine Activities Approach to Elderly Homicide Victimization

This study employs multinomial logistic regression to examine the circumstances surrounding elderly homicide victimization from an integrated lifestyle-routine activities approach. It is hypothesized that although the elderly's overall risk of victimization is relatively low due to the private nature of their lifestyle and routine activity patterns, their risk of theft-related homicide victimization may be relatively high because they are more likely than younger persons to lack capable guardianship and to be perceived as suitable targets. Analyses of Chicago homicide data (1975-1981) largely support the authors' hypotheses by indicating that the risk of theft-related homicide victimization increases with advanced age and is more likely among socially distant victims and offenders.
Fast Block-Size Selection Using Residual Texture for VC-1

The SMPTE Standard 421M, commonly known as VC-1, is a slate-of-the-art video compression format that provides highly competitive video quality, from very low through very high bit rates, at a reasonable computational complexity. VC-1 has many differences, one of which is adaptive block size transforms, from previous standards such as MPEG-2 and H.264/AVC. In this paper, we propose an algorithm that is aimed to speed up the choice of the appropriate block size in inter-frame coding. Instead of using the data from the image, we look at data after the residual texture has been calculated. The residual texture of each block is small and uniform, allowing for simplified calculations and faster block choices. Motion estimation is the first step in the process; this is followed by partitioning the residual data. Then we calculate the residual texture, and make a choice of block size using the constraints set forth. The algorithm speeds up block size selection without harming the compression ratio.
Enzymic reactions of fatty acid hydroperoxides in extracts of potato tuber II. Conversion of 9- and 13-hydroperoxy-octadecadienoic acids to monohydroxydienoic acid, epoxyhydroxy- and trihydroxymonoenoic acid derivatives

1. Crude extracts and partially purified enzyme preparations from potato tubers catalyse, at pH 5-7, the conversion of linoleic acid hydroperoxides to a range of oxygenated fatty acid derivatives. 2. 9-D- and 13-L-hydroperoxide isomers are converted at similar rates to equivalent (isomeric) products. 3. The major products from the 13-hydroperoxide isomer were identified as the corresponding monohydroxydienoic acid derivative, threo-11-hydroxy-trans12,13-epoxy-octadec-cis9-enoic acid and 9,12,13-trihydroxy-octadec-trans10-enoic acid. The corresponding products from the 9-hydroperoxide were the monohydroxydienoic acid, 9,10-epoxy-11-hydroxy-octadec-12-enoic acid and 9,10,13-trihydroxy-octadec-11-enoic acid. 4. No separation of activities forming the different products was achieved by partial purification of enzyme extracts. 5. Product formation was unaffected by EDTA, CN-, sulphydryl reagents or glutathione but was reduced by boiling the extracts. 6. This system is compared with the 9-hydroperoxide-specific enzymic formation of divinyl ether derivatives by potato extracts.
Frequency–magnitude distribution of debris flows compiled from global data, and comparison with post-fire debris flows in the western U.S.

Abstract Forecasting debris flow hazard is challenging due to the episodic occurrence of debris flows in response to stochastic precipitation and, in some areas, wildfires. In order to facilitate hazard assessment, we have gathered available records of debris flow volumes into the first comprehensive global catalog of debris flows ( n = 988). We also present results of field collection of recent debris flows ( n = 77) in the northern Rocky Mountains, where debris flow frequency increases following wildfire. As a first step in parameterizing hazard models, we use frequency–magnitude distributions and empirical cumulative distribution functions (ECDFs) to compare volumes of post-fire debris flows to non-fire-related debris flows. The ECDF of post-fire debris flow volumes is significantly different (at 95% confidence) from that of non-fire-related debris flows, suggesting that the post-fire distribution is composed of a higher proportion of small events than that of non-fire-related debris flows. The slope of the frequency–magnitude distribution of post-fire debris flows is steeper than that of non-fire-related debris flows, corroborating evidence that small post-fire debris flows occur with a higher relative frequency than non-fire-related debris flows. Taken together, the statistical analyses suggest that post-fire debris flows come from a different population than non-fire-related debris flows, and their hazard must be modeled separately. We propose two possible non-exclusive explanations for the fact that the post-fire environment produces a higher proportion of small debris flows: 1) following fires, smaller storms or effective drainage areas can trigger debris flows due to increased runoff and/or decreases in root strength, resulting in smaller volumes and increased probability of failure, and 2) fire increases the probability and frequency of debris flows, causing their distribution to shift toward smaller events due to limitations in sediment supply.
MHD effects on liquid metal film flow

Abstract In this paper a stability analysis is carried out for a liquid metal film flowing over an inclined nonconducting chute with coplanar toroidal magnetic field. A successive expansion technique is employed to investigate the nature and growth rate of the MHD instability caused by the long wavelength perturbations. In the unmagnetized limit, the derived result reduces to the well-known stability criterion for the non-conducting fluid case. It is found that for a sufficiently thick, moderately fast film, the stability criterion can be satisfied. However, if considerably higher flow speed is required (for example, to avoid eruptions of hydrogen bubbles formed during the film's exposure to the charged particle bombardment) then the flow can be MHD-wise unstable. Chutes of very narrow width have to be employed in order to achieve stability, which may not be structurally desirable.
RELATION OF VARICELLA TO HERPES ZOSTER II. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATIONS.

Experiments and clinical observations dealing with the identity of the viruses of varicella and herpes zoster were presented. The results indicate that the etiological agents concerned with these two diseases are in the majority of instances not identical.
The Organization of Cerebellar and Basal Ganglia Outputs to Primary Motor Cortex as Revealed by Retrograde Transneuronal Transport of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1

We used retrograde transneuronal transport of herpes simplex virus type 1 to map the origin of cerebellar and basal ganglia "projections" to leg, arm, and face areas of the primary motor cortex (M1). Four to five days after virus injections into M1, we observed many densely labeled neurons in localized regions of the output nuclei of the cerebellum and basal ganglia. The largest numbers of these neurons were found in portions of the dentate nucleus and the internal segment of the globus pallidus (GPi). Smaller numbers of labeled neurons were found in portions of the interpositus nucleus and the substantia nigra pars reticulata. The distribution of neuronal labeling varied with the cortical injection site. For example, within the dentate, neurons labeled from leg M1 were located rostrally, those from face M1 caudally, and those from arm M1 at intermediate levels. In each instance, labeled neurons were confined to approximately the dorsal third of the nucleus. Within GPi, neurons labeled from leg M1 were located in dorsal and medial regions, those from face M1 in ventral and lateral regions, and those from arm M1 in intermediate regions. These results demonstrate that M1 is the target of somatotopically organized outputs from both the cerebellum and basal ganglia. Surprisingly, the projections to M1 originate from only 30% of the volume of the dentate and <15% of GPi. Thus, the majority of the outputs from the cerebellum and basal ganglia are directed to cortical areas other than M1.
Selective arterial embolization for the control of lower gastrointestinal bleeding

background Transcatheter embolization is accepted as a safe method for treating acute bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal (Gl) tract. Hesitancy persists using this technique below the ligament of Treitz, based on the belief that the risk of intestinal infarction is unacceptably high, despite mounting clinical evidence to the contrary. methods A series of 17 consecutive patients with angiographically demonstrated small intestinal or colonic bleeding was retrospectively reviewed. The success and complication rate of subselective embolization was assessed. results Bleeding was stopped in 13 of 14 patients (93%) in whom embolization was possible, and in 13 of 17 patients (76%) where there was an intention to treat. Sufficiently selective catheterization to permit embolization could not be achieved in 3 patients. No clinically apparent bowel infarctions were caused. conclusion Subselective embolization is a safe treatment option for lower Gl bleeding, suitable for many patients and effective in most. Careful technique and a readiness to abandon embolization when a suitable catheter position cannot be achieved are important.
Secure Communications Over Wireless Broadcast Networks: Stability and Utility Maximization

A wireless broadcast network model with secrecy constraints is investigated, in which a source node broadcasts K confidential message flows to K user nodes, with each message intended to be decoded accurately by one user and to be kept secret from all other users (who are thus considered to be eavesdroppers with regard to all other messages but their own). The source maintains a queue for each message flow if it is not served immediately. The channel from the source to the K users is modeled as a fading broadcast channel, and the channel state information is assumed to be known to the source and the corresponding receivers. Two eavesdropping models are considered. For a collaborative eavesdropping model, in which the eavesdroppers exchange their outputs, the secrecy capacity region is obtained, within which each rate vector is achieved by using a time-division scheme and a source power control policy over channel states. A throughput optimal queue-length-based rate scheduling algorithm is further derived that stabilizes all arrival rate vectors contained in the secrecy capacity region. Moreover, the network utility function is maximized via joint design of rate control, rate scheduling, power control, and secure coding. More precisely, a source controls the message arrival rate according to its message queue, the rate scheduling selects a transmission rate based the queue length vector, and the rate vector is achieved by power control and secure coding. These components work jointly to solve the network utility maximization problem. For a noncollaborative eavesdropping model, in which eavesdroppers do not exchange their outputs, an achievable secrecy rate region is derived based on a time-division scheme, and the queue-length-based rate scheduling algorithm and the corresponding power control policy are obtained that stabilize all arrival rate vectors in this region. The network utility maximizing rate control vector is also obtained.
Rural—Urban Differences in Privatization: Limits to the Competitive State:

Despite two decades of experience with privatization, US local government use of contracting in public service delivery remains relatively flat. Market approaches to public goods provision emphasize the competitive state, and attribute limited degree of privatization to bureaucratic resistance. Rural development theory emphasizes the uneven impact of market solutions in rural communities. Using national data on US local government service delivery from 1992 and 1997, we analyze differences in local government service-delivery patterns by metropolitan status. Discriminant analysis suggested that structural features of markets are more important than the managerial capacity of government leaders in explaining lower rates of privatization among rural governments. These structural constraints limit the applicability of competitive approaches to local government service delivery. Our results suggest that cooperation, as an alternative to privatization at the local level and as a source of redistributive aid at...
Resident efficiency in a pediatric emergency department.

Objectives: To measure the hourly rate of patients evaluated and treated by resident physicians in an academic pediatric emergency department (PED) and examine differences in the rate by subspecialty and year of training. Methods: For all residents rotating in an academic, urban children's hospital FED, the rate of patients seen per hour over the course of their rotation was calculated using an electronic tracking system, EmSTAT, for calendar year 2000. Rates are reported as the mean number of patients seen per resident hour worked. Mean differences are reported for resident subspecialties (emergency medicine, pediatrics, and family practice) and postgraduate year (PGY1-PGY3), and subclass comparisons were made with an analysis of variance test with Tukey's post hoc analysis. Results: A total of 153 residents (63.4% pediatric, 18.9% family practice, and 17.7% emergency medicine) saw 24,414 patients during the study period. The makeup of the group by training year was as follows: PGY1, 20.9%; PGY2, 41.2%; and PGY3, 37.9%. For all residents, the mean rate was 1.02 patients seen per hour (pph). Significant differences in the mean number of patients seen per hour by subspecialty existed, with emergency medicine residents seeing a mean of 1.12 pph, pediatrics residents seeing 1.02 pph, and family practice residents seeing 0.93 pph (mean difference, p < 0.05 for all comparisons). Rates increased by year of training, with PGY1 seeing a mean of 0.95 pph, PGY2 seeing 0.99 pph, and PGY3 seeing 1.09 pph (mean difference, p < 0.05 for all comparisons except PGY1 vs. PGY2). Conclusions: Significant differences in the rate of patients evaluated and treated in the PED exist by resident subspecialty and year of training. Knowing these rates is helpful in evaluation of resident performance, because it allows comparison with peers. Additionally, such information may be useful for residency program evaluators to gauge the amount of patient exposure for residents.
Fair scheduling in optical burst switching networks

Optical Burst Switching (OBS) is a promising switching technique that has received much attention in recent years. A fair scheduling algorithm can ensure fair bandwidth allocation among different users and isolate ill-behaved users from normal users in a network. However, fair scheduling in OBS networks is difficult to implement due to lack of inexpensive and large buffers in optical domain. In this paper, we propose a new scheme to provide fairness in OBS scheduling by considering the time-slotted version of OBS, the Slotted OBS or SOBS. We give a fair scheduling algorithm with O(1) time complexity called the Almost Strictly Proportional Fair Scheduling (ASPFS). Our simulation results demonstrate that by applying the algorithm to the control packets (CP) at the end of each time slot, fair scheduling can be achieved. The scheme significantly improves the fairness among different flows compared to other scheduling algorithms in OBS such as LAUC-VF and Pipeline with VST. We also give an approach to supporting Quality of Service (QoS) in OBS based on the proposed scheme.
A method for the direct measurement of electronic site populations in a molecular aggregate using two-dimensional electronic-vibrational spectroscopy

Two dimensional electronic spectroscopy has proved to be a valuable experimental technique to reveal electronic excitation dynamics in photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes, nanoscale semiconductors, organic photovoltaic materials, and many other types of systems. It does not, however, provide direct information concerning the spatial structure and dynamics of excitons. 2D infrared spectroscopy has become a widely used tool for studying structural dynamics but is incapable of directly providing information concerning electronic excited states. 2D electronic-vibrational (2DEV) spectroscopy provides a link between these domains, directly connecting the electronic excitation with the vibrational structure of the system under study. In this work, we derive response functions for the 2DEV spectrum of a molecular dimer and propose a method by which 2DEV spectra could be used to directly measure the electronic site populations as a function of time following the initial electronic excitation. We present results from the response function simulations which show that our proposed approach is substantially valid. This method provides, to our knowledge, the first direct experimental method for measuring the electronic excited state dynamics in the spatial domain, on the molecular scale.
The Argus prototype: aggregate use of load modules as a high‐density supercomputer

SUMMARY This paper describes the ARGUS prototype, a high-density, low-power supercomputer built from an IXIA network analyzer chassis and load modules. The prototype is configured as a diskless distributed system that is scalable to 128 processors in a single 9U chassis. The entire system has a footprint of 0.25 m 2 (2. 5f t 2 ), av olume of 0.09 m 3 (3. 3f t 3 ) and maximum power consumption of less than 2200 W. We compare and contrast the characteristics of ARGUS against various machines including our on-site 32-node Beowulf and LANL’s Green Destiny. Our results show that the computing density (Gflops ft −3 ) of ARGUS is about 30 times higher than that of the Beowulf and about three times higher than that of Green Destiny with a comparable performance. Copyright c � 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Received 21 April 2005; Revised 8 September 2005; Accepted 24 September 2005
Cellular Mechanisms by Which Oxytocin Mediates Ovine Endometrial Prostaglandin F2α Synthesis: Role of Gi Proteins and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases

Abstract Oxytocin stimulates a rapid increase in ovine endometrial prostaglandin (PG) F2α synthesis. The overall objective of these experiments was to investigate the cellular mechanisms by which oxytocin induces endometrial PGF2α synthesis. The objective of experiment 1 was to determine whether Gi proteins mediate oxytocin-induced PGF2α synthesis. Uteri were collected from four ovary-intact ewes on Day 14 postestrus. Caruncular endometrial explants were dissected and subjected to in vitro incubation. Pertussis toxin, an inhibitor of Gi proteins, had no effect on the ability of oxytocin to induce PGF2α synthesis (P > 0.10). The objective of experiment 2 was to determine whether any of the three mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), extracellular signal regulated protein kinase (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal/stress-activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK), or p38 MAPK, mediate oxytocin-induced PGF2α synthesis. Eleven ovary-intact ewes were given an injection of oxytocin (10 IU; i.v.; n = 5) or physiological sa...
Optimal design of pressure-based, leakage detection monitoring networks for geologic carbon sequestration repositories

Abstract Monitoring of leakage at geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) sites requires the capability to intercept and resolve the onset, location, and volume of leakage in a timely manner. Pressure-anomaly monitoring represents one of the few monitoring technologies that possess such capabilities. To fully leverage the strength of pressure monitoring while meeting cost constraints, optimization of network design is necessary. This study presents an optimization method for designing cost-effective GCS monitoring networks under model and parameter uncertainty. A binary integer programming problem (BIPP) is formulated to minimize both the total volume of leakage and the number of uncovered potentially leaky locations. The BIPP is demonstrated for selecting optimal monitoring locations in both homogeneous and heterogeneous formations. The sensitivity of monitoring design to a number of model and design parameters is investigated, while model structure and parameter uncertainties are incorporated through user-specified scenarios. Results suggest that the BIPP is a viable approach for identifying optimal sensing locations even when the number of design variables is relatively large (∼105). The BIPP is general and can be readily used to facilitate the design of performance-based GCS monitoring networks.
National Attitudes and International Order: The National Studies on International Organization

In 1952 the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace initiated a series of national studies on international organization which were to be carried out by private groups and individuals in more than twenty countries. They were to provide an appraisal of the national experience of these countries in international organizations, especially the United Nations, ten years after the San Francisco conference. Fourteen volumes in the series have now been published. Three more will be published soon, including the two final volumes which summarize and discuss the conclusions of the individual studies. These two works have been written, respectively, by Maurice Bourquin, Professor of International Public Law at the University of Geneva, and by Robert MacIver, Lieber Professor Emeritus of Political Philosophy and Sociology at Columbia University. Other national studies have been completed and were available to Professors Bourquin and MacIver, but they have not been published yet; this reviewer has not seen them and will therefore limit his own remarks to the reports which have been or are soon to be published. I will examine first the questions which the national studies were supposed to answer and the way in which the various authors have tried to answer them; then I will present some general comments about the national attitudes toward international organization, as they emerge from the series; finally I will discuss the role of the UN in present world politics, as it can be interpreted on the basis of the national reports.
Evidence-Based Nursing Resources

Abstract Evidence-based medicine and, more generally, evidence-based practice (EBP), is the integration of the best available patient care evidence and clinical expertise—guided by and sensitized to patient values—into a patient-oriented decision-making process. It is increasingly clear that all health professions neither equally value nor draw upon the same pool of evidence. Although there are areas of overlap between evidence-based nursing and medicine, for example, there are important differences as well. Accordingly, this selective list of Web-based evidence-based nursing (EBN) resources attempts to capture the broader scope and practice of nursing in terms of its focus, subject matter, and research methods.
Evaluation of Progesterone Supplementation in a Prostaglandin F2α-Based Presynchronization Protocol Before Timed Insemination

Abstract The objective of the study was to determine the effects of treatment with a controlled internal drug-release (CIDR) insert containing progesterone in a PGF 2α -based presynchronization protocol on pregnancy rates at first service in lactating Holstein cows. A total of 1,318 (656 treatment and 662 control) cows from 5 farms were used in the analysis. Cows received a CIDR insert as part of the presynchronization protocol of 2 PGF 2α injections given 14 d apart. The CIDR insert was applied during 7 d before the second PGF 2α injection, whereas control cows received no CIDR insert. Serum progesterone concentrations were measured in samples collected at 37±3 d in milk (DIM; 7 d after the first PGF 2α injection) and at 58±3 DIM, just before initiation of the Ovsynch protocol. According to serum concentrations of progesterone, cows were classified as having either high (≥1 ng/mL) or low ( 2α injection, and consequently improper timing of initiation of the Ovsynch protocol, could have negatively affected fertility in the CIDR-treated cows.
Aeroelastic Design Considerations of a Clamped Ballute for Titan Aerocapture

This research performs aeroelastic analysis of a clamped, thin-film ballute on a Titan aerocapture trajectory of suitable fidelity for conceptual design work. Static deformed shapes and stresses are computed along a Titan Aerocapture trajectory, and an engineering estimate of unsteady hypersonic flow is used to determine if the ballute flutters at the peak dynamic pressure point. Static solutions along a Titan aerocapture trajectory indicate that stress and displacement are correlated to dynamic pressure above 1 Pa. For lower dynamic pressures, the aerodynamic loading is insucient to fully overcome initial material shape, indicating that spacecraft re-contact is possible, and leading to a recommendation to include supports for the torus. Dynamic analysis of the clamped ballute using a first-order engineering estimate of unsteady aerodynamics indicates that flutter will not be a problem at the peak dynamic pressure point on the trajectory.
Complementary Deoxyribonucleic Acid Cloning of an mRNA Encoding Transforming Growth Factor- β2 from Chicken Embryo Chondrocytes

AbstractUsing a simian transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2) cDNA probe, we have isolated chicken cDNA clones for TGF-β2 from a chicken embryo chondrocyte cDNA library. The predicted precursor protein of chicken TGF-β2 is 412 amino acids long, two amino acids shorter than the human form to which it shows 90% identity. Cleavage of the chicken TGF-β2 precursor at a pentabasic Arg-Arg-Lys-Lys-Arg site would produce a 112-amino acid processed peptide differing by only one amino acid from the human TGF-β2 peptide. In contrast to TGF-β3 and 4 mRNAs, TGF-β2 mRNA is expressed in both cultured and non-cultured chicken embryo chondrocytes and at higher levels in chicken embryo fibroblasts. In chondrocytes and fibroblasts, the 3.9- and 4.3-kb TGF-β2 mRNAs are both expressed at higher levels than the 8-kb TGF-β2 mRNA; however, in developing chicken embryos, the level of expression of the 8-kb mRNA is higher than that of the 3.9- and 4.3-kb mRNAs.
On Common-Mode Skewed-Load and Broadside Tests

Two-pattern tests for delay faults in standard scan circuits can be of one of two types: skewed-load or broadside. Each type of tests creates different conditions during test application due to the different way in which scan mode and functional mode are interleaved. Therefore, tests that are applicable both as skewed-load tests and as broadside tests are useful for comparing the two types of tests with respect to properties such as defect coverage or overtesting. In this work we investigate the possibility of generating tests that are applicable under both test application schemes. We refer to two-pattern tests that are applicable as both skewed-load and broadside tests as common-mode tests. We show that most benchmark circuits have sufficient numbers of common-mode tests to make them an interesting class of tests. Moreover, we show that the use of multiple scan chains increases the number of common-mode tests.
Modeling of simultaneous heat and mass transfer within passive down-draft evaporative cooling (PDEC) towers with spray in FLUENT

Abstract PDEC applications have rarely been integrated in buildings despite the fact that some have achieved significant energy savings. However, efforts have not been appropriately made to find relevant solutions that overcome deficiencies of PDEC tower systems and to identify potential problems with PDEC towers. This study was thus designed to understand the fundamentals of the down-draft evaporative cooling process so that they will be considered as a viable solution for improving sustainability in buildings. Computational modeling using FLUENT has been performed to properly model the main physical phenomenon of simultaneous heat and mass transfer as well as turbulent flows. A computational model dealing with turbulence and wall-bounded flows has been developed and various case studies have been performed. As a result, the unique characteristics of air flows within PDEC towers were determined, and down-draft evaporative cooling processes in various situations were explained.
Antigen-specific therapy against Type 1 diabetes: mechanisms and perspectives

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an immune-mediated disease that occurs when the insulin-producing β‑cells of the pancreatic islets are destroyed by an inflammatory process perpetuated by cells of the immune system. The logical approach to suppress T1D is to inactivate or eliminate the lymphocytes responsible for inducing inflammation and targeting the β‑cells. Antigen-specific approaches have been devised and were able to target inflammatory lymphocytes and induce apoptosis or block trafficking to pancreatic islets. Lack of costimulation, expansion of Tregs and bystander suppression are likely mechanisms by which antigen-specific treatments modulate pathogenic T cells. This strategy, however, while prevents the onset of T1D, could not overcome overt T1D, perhaps because of collateral damage to the islet vascular network. Recent developments indicate that donor endothelial stem cell precursors can repair the islets' vascular niche and assist antigen-specific therapy against overt T1D.
Comparison of Hemolysis Between CentriMag and RotaFlow Rotary Blood Pumps During Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the hemolysis levels for patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) incorporating two different rotary blood pumps (CentriMag [CMAG] and RotaFlow [RF]) in identical circuits otherwise. The difference between the two pumps is the cost. One is 20-30 times less expensive than the other. A retrospective analysis of all patients placed on ECMO from June 2008 through May 2012 was done to evaluate hemolysis. Daily plasma hemoglobin (pHb), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and lactate levels were collected on all patients. Values were compared between those patients who received a CMAG and those who received an RF. Patients had to be on ECMO for more than 2 days to be included in the study. Linear mixed effects models were fit to the data to assess differences over time for each continuous outcome. Forty patients were placed on ECMO incorporating CMAG, whereas 40 patients received an RF. There were no significant statistical differences between CMAG and RF groups when comparing days on support (8.7 ± 5.0; 8.4 ± 5.7), age (44.8 ± 18.3; 46.1 ± 16.0), body surface area (2.03 ± 0.36; 1.96 ± 0.31), gender (male: 58%, female: 42%; male: 55%, female: 45%), etiology, type of support (veno-arterial [VA)]: 78%, veno-venous [VV)]: 22%; VA: 82%, VV: 18%) and pre-ECMO LDH levels (4004.0 ± 3583.2; 3603.7 ± 3354.1). There were also no significant differences between the CMAG and RF groups when comparing the mean values for daily pHb levels (5.7 ± 3.6; 5.7 ± 4.2), lactate levels (2.8 ± 1.9; 3.0 ± 2.1), and LDH levels (2656.3 ± 1606.8; 2688.6 ± 1726.1) or daily lactate, LDH, and pHb levels for the first 10 days of support. From our investigation, there is no difference between the CMAG and the RF blood pumps in regard to the creation of hemolysis during ECMO. The difference in cost of the devices does not correlate with the performance and outcomes.
Ready to leap to neo-creationism

Like the master puppet makers of the classic folk tales, artificial intelligence (AI) engineers have built some marvelous machines. The first 50 years of AI focused on programming computers to perform tasks that previously only humans could do tasks such as speech, driving, planning, problem solving and vacuuming. The principal challenges have been to create suitable language systems and inference engines and then to more or less manually stuff those with sufficient facts, heuristics and algorithms to perform well-defined tasks. To get there, we need a singularity of artificial neo-creationism, where we launch artificial beings into the world that can adapt, learn and evolve themselves. The term neo-creationism means an intentional effort to populate the world with intelligent entities initially engineered by humans. The biblical story of Genesis, the heart of creationism, provides an apt foil for understanding the goals and scope of the R&D program advocated here. To reach the goal reasonably quickly, we should equip these creatures with as much capability and knowledge as possible.
Medullary thyroid cancer in a 9-week-old infant with familial MEN 2B: Implications for timing of prophylactic thyroidectomy

Patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2) are at high risk of developing aggressive medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in childhood, with the highest risk in those with MEN type 2B (of whom >95% have an M918T RET proto-oncogene mutation). Metastatic MTC has been reported as young as 3 months of age. Current guidelines recommend prophylactic thyroidectomy within the first year of life for MEN 2B. We report a 9-week-old infant with MTC due to familial MEN 2B. A full-term male infant, born to a mother with known MEN 2B and metastatic MTC, had an M918T RET proto-oncogene mutation confirmed at 4 weeks of age. He underwent prophylactic total thyroidectomy at 9 weeks of age. Pathology showed a focal calcitonin-positive nodule (2.5 mm), consistent with microscopic MTC. This case highlights the importance of early prophylactic thyroidectomy in MEN 2B. Although current guidelines recommend surgery up to a year of life, MTC may occur in the first few weeks of life, raising the question of how early we should intervene. In this report, we discuss the risks, benefits and barriers to performing earlier thyroidectomy, soon after the first month of life, and make suggestions to facilitate timely intervention. Prenatal anticipatory surgical scheduling could be considered in familial MEN 2B. Multidisciplinary collaboration between adult and pediatric specialists is key to the optimal management of the infant at risk.
Compartmental and Data-Based Modeling of Cerebral Hemodynamics: Linear Analysis

Compartmental and data-based modeling of cerebral hemodynamics are alternative approaches that utilize distinct model forms and have been employed in the quantitative study of cerebral hemodynamics. This paper examines the relation between a compartmental equivalent circuit and a data-based input-output model of dynamic cerebral autoregulation (DCA) and dynamic CO2-vasomotor reactivity (DVR). The compartmental model is constructed as an equivalent circuit utilizing putative first principles and previously proposed hypothesis-based models. The linear input-output dynamics of this compartmental model are compared with the data-based estimates of the DCA-DVR process. This comparative study indicates that there are some qualitative similarities between the two-input compartmental model and experimental results.
What to do in case of an unthinkable chemical warfare attack or accident

Successful management of casualties in a toxic chemical attack or accident depends on planning, preparation, and training. In many communities, physicians join other emergency rescue personnel to take part in periodic exercises and drills. In case of a large-scale attack or accident, all medical care providers will be needed to care for casualties. Chemical warfare agents are generally considered to be highly toxic, exotic materials, but most are not. Nerve agents are similar to, although more potent than, commonly used insecticides; cyanide and phosgene are widely available; the incapacitating agent BZ has effects identical to those of scopolamine; and most physicians with knowledge of chemotherapy are familiar with the effects of mustard. Although a chemical attack might be perceived as an uncontrollable disaster, the guidelines for successful management are the same as for any toxic chemical accident. Medical care of casualties depends on knowledge of the agent and timely intervention, and those responsible for such care must be ready. Language: en
Calculations of potential energy surfaces in the complex plane

We calculate the energies of the 2∑+ and 2Π states of the HF+ system by the ab initio restricted Hartree-Fock method at a number of real and complex values of the internuclear separation. The energies of the associated spin-orbit states are calculated via a semiempirical scheme. The complex intersection point of these energy curves, an integral component of a semiclassical theory of electronic transitions, is determined by the ab initio calculations. The intersection point is also determined, for comparative purposes, by other methods of analytic continuation, i.e., Gaussian and rational-fraction fits to the real-valued energy calculations. Semiclassical dynamical calculations of the cross section for the process F(2 P 3/2)+H+ → F(2 P 1/2)+H+ using the various intersection points yield differences up to 20%.
Increased requirement for pteroyl glutamic acid during lactation.

SummaryThe inclusion of succinyl sulfathiazole in the diet of maternal rats during pregnancy depresses lactation. Relatively high levels of pteroylglutamic acid are required to maintain lactation. Higher levels of pteroylglutamic acid appear to be required during lactation than are required during pregnancy.
Kilohertz-Rate, Collision-Free, Gas-Phase Thermometry with Femtosecond CARS

Fs-laser-based time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectroscopy of nitrogen is used to measure temperature at 1 kHz. The first few ps of the time-resolved CARS signal are free of collisions for pressures up to 20 bar. (Laser Applications to Chemical, Security and Environmental Analysis, 2008)
Host specificity of chewing lice on pocket gophers : A potential mechanism for cospeciation

Pocket gophers (Rodentia: Geomyidae) and their ectoparasitic chewing lice (Phthiraptera Trichodectidae) have congruent phylogenies and show evidence of cospeciation. We examined a potential mechanism that could generate the observed pattern of cospeciation by testing the ability of lice to survive and reproduce on hosts other than their own. Our tests were conducted at the subspecific, specific, and generic levels relative to the natural host. Although lice established successful colonies at each level, colonization of new hosts diminished with increasing phylogenetic distance from the natural host of each louse. We suggest that the pattern of cospeciation results primarily from lack of opportunity for lice to colonize new hosts. However, in rare cases where lice disperse to new hosts, survival may be difficult on hosts that are not closely related to the natural host, which would reinforce the pattern of cospeciation.
An approach to hypotonia in children.

Hypotonia, a common pediatric symptom, results from either diffuse disease of the central nervous system or involvement of the peripheral nervous system. Central hypotonia should be suspected when there is a history of neonatal trauma, infection, or previous maternal illness or drug exposure. It also is associated with some metabolic and chromosomal abnormalities. In peripheral hypotonia, electromyography will differentiate between myopathic and neurogenic diseases, and muscle biopsy will establish the specific diagnosis.