cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interpolation biases in assessing spatial heterogeneity of outdoor air quality in Moscow, Russia

Abstract Air quality monitoring is challenging in countries where public access to data is not enabled by government agencies along with open access policies. This is especially true for Russia, where the Federal environmental monitoring network is outdated, and those systems operated by municipalities are generally under-funded. In fact, only three municipal agencies in Russia make real-time information on pollutant concentrations available online. Utilizing data from MosEcoMonitoring, we structure analytical models to infer spatial heterogeneity of nitrogen dioxide in Moscow. Model results are validated using non-governmental air quality data. The developed approach represents an open-source analytical framework for air quality evaluation and population exposure assessment on a city and district level. Both visualizations and predictive performance suggest governmental data is biased in a number of ways, highlighting the importance of ancillary data in uncovering socio-environmental implications.
Individual Traits and Entrepreneurial Intentions: The Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy and Need for Cognition

INDIVIDUAL TRAITS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL SELF-EFFICACY AND NEED FOR COGNITION By Chao Miao, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Business at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015 Major Director: Ronald H. Humphrey, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Management The field of entrepreneurship is rapidly advancing and matures as a discipline that receives substantial amount of attention. One popular area of research in the discipline of entrepreneurship is to investigate one’s intent to start a business, which is entrepreneurial intention. This is an important construct that warrants ongoing research because entrepreneurial intention is not only a great predictor of entrepreneurial behavior but also an important step in the process of becoming an entrepreneur. The present study, based on a sample of 321 subjects along with 264 observers, makes five contributions to the entrepreneurship literature. First, I examined the psychometric property of entrepreneurial take-over intention and found that it is a construct different from entrepreneurial start-up intention. Second, the results demonstrated that risk propensity and proactive personality are positive predictors of entrepreneurial start-up and take-over intentions, whereas cognitive ability is a negative predictor of entrepreneurial start-up ix and take-over intentions. Rebelliousness is a positive predictor of entrepreneurial take-over intention and also has an inverted U-shaped relationship with entrepreneurial take-over intention. Third, entrepreneurial self-efficacy mediates the relationship between three individual traits (i.e., emotional intelligence, risk propensity, and proactive personality) and entrepreneurial start-up and take-over intentions. Need for cognition mediates the relationship between two individual traits (i.e., cognitive ability and proactive personality) and entrepreneurial start-up intention. Fourth, 2D:4D ratio (a proxy measure for prenatal testosterone exposure level) negatively predicts risk propensity. There also exist two two-step mediations from 2D:4D ratio to both entrepreneurial start-up and take-over intentions through risk propensity and entrepreneurial selfefficacy. Fifth, the results suggest that observer ratings of individual traits only contribute modest incremental validity above and beyond self-reported ratings of them in predicting entrepreneurial start-up and take-over intentions. I discuss implications, limitations, and future directions informed by the present study.
Project Planning Game for Foundation Excavation

A computerized game used to simulate the competition among several subcontractors bidding and planning for the foundation of a building construction project subjected to the imposed constraints of the environment is described. The entire process includes three periods representing three different types of decisions, namely: (1) Contract bargaining; (2) preliminary engineering investigations; and (3) planning and scheduling. The game will be played according to computerized procedure composed of a collection of subroutines which has a prescribed sequence of access. The performance of the players is evaluated on the basis of a scoring system reflecting the consequences of the decisions made by the players.
Does Information Sensitivity Make A Difference? Mobile Applications' Privacy Statements: A Text Mining Approach

Privacy policies are widely applied for the assurance of information privacy practices. This research investigates how dimensions of personal information privacy are different within privacy statements of different mobile apps when information is more sensitive. A text mining approach examined the differences between six key personal information privacy dimensions on privacy statements of two mobile app categories (health and game). The results indicated that three key privacy dimensions (collection, improper access, and error) are treated significantly different when sensitive personal information is involved. Also, we found control and awareness for secondary use of both mobile app categories treat the personal information similarly.
PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN JAPAN AND AMERICA

Comparative research on the police in Japan and in the United States is largely based on qualitative or participatory observation techniques. These studies in general seem to suggest that the Japanese public has a higher evaluation of their police than the Americans. The present study uses quantitative data from both countries and attempts to test the hypothesis that the Japanese public has higher confidence in their police than does the American public. Preliminary findings in the multivariate analysis indicate, surprisingly, that the Japanese have significantly lower confidence in their police compared to Americans.
Azathioprine (Imuran) and pregnancy

Abstract The results of treatment of pregnant Swiss-Webster mice with various doses of azathioprine are described. Skeletal anomalies, cleft palate, and apparent decrease in thymic size were noted in the fetus when the drug was administered during the embryonic period of development. Equally significant, hydrops fetalis, anemia, and severe hematopoietic depression in the absence of significant maternal hematopoietic depression were observed after administration of the drug in certain phases of fetal development. Fertility of male and female animals was not affected by the dose used, nor was the estrus cycle changed. The possible effects of this drug on the embryo and fetus should be considered whenever it is used for immunosuppression among human females of childbearing age.
Lattice effects in magnetoresistive manganese perovskites

The discovery of spectacularly large magnetoresistive responses in a class of metallic manganese oxides has raised hopes that these compounds might be of practical utility. But regardless of whether this promise is realized, these materials provide an ideal system in which to elucidate the properties of metals in which electron–lattice interactions play a key role.
Detecting a Terrestrial Biosphere Sink for Carbon Dioxide: Interannual Ecosystem Modeling for the Mid-1980s

There is considerable uncertainty as to whether interannual variability in climate and terrestrial ecosystem production is sufficient to explain observed variation in atmospheric carbon content over the past 20-30 years. In this paper, we investigated the response of net CO2 exchange in terrestrial ecosystems to interannual climate variability (1983 to 1988) using global satellite observations as drivers for the NASA-CASA (Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach) simulation model. This computer model of net ecosystem production (NEP) is calibrated for interannual simulations driven by monthly satellite vegetation index data (NDVI) from the NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) at 1 degree spatial resolution. Major results from NASA-CASA simulations suggest that from 1985 to 1988, the northern middle-latitude zone (between 30 and 60 degrees N) was the principal region driving progressive annual increases in global net primary production (NPP; i.e., the terrestrial biosphere sink for carbon). The average annual increase in NPP over this predominantly northern forest zone was on the order of +0.4 Pg (10 (exp 15) g) C per year. This increase resulted mainly from notable expansion of the growing season for plant carbon fixation toward the zonal latitude extremes, a pattern uniquely demonstrated in our regional visualization results. A net biosphere source flux of CO2 in 1983-1984, coinciding with an El Nino event, was followed by a major recovery of global NEP in 1985 which lasted through 1987 as a net carbon sink of between 0.4 and 2.6 Avg C per year. Analysis of model controls on NPP and soil heterotrophic CO2 fluxes (Rh) suggests that regional warming in northern forests can enhance ecosystem production significantly. In seasonally dry tropical zones, periodic drought and temperature drying effects may carry over with at least a two-year lag time to adversely impact ecosystem production. These yearly patterns in our model-predicted NEP are consistent in magnitude with the estimated exchange of CO2 by the terrestrial biosphere with the atmosphere, as determined by previous isotopic (delta (sup 13 C) convolution analysis. Ecosystem simulation results can help further target locations where net carbon sink fluxes have occurred in the past or may be verified in subsequent field studies.
Summary of NASA research on thermal-barrier coatings

A durable, two-layer, plasma-sprayed coating consisting of a ceramic layer over a metallic layer was developed that has the potential of insulating hot engine parts and thereby reducing metal temperatures and coolant flow requirements and/or permitting use of less costly and complex cooling configurations and materials. The investigations evaluated the reflective and insulative capability, microstructure, and durability of several coating materials on flat metal specimens, a combustor liner, and turbine vanes and blades. In addition, the effect on the aerodynamic performance of a coated turbine vane was measured. The tests were conducted in furnaces, cascades, hot-gas rigs, an engine combustor, and a research turbojet engine. Summaries of current research related to the coating and potential applications for the coating are included.
Stein-rule least squares estimation: A heuristic for fallible data

Abstract For fallible data, ‘errors-in-variables’, a Steinian estimation of the independent variable yields a consistent and potentially unbiased estimator of the regression coefficient. This estimator suggests a heuristic for economic research and is illustrated by the permanent income hypothesis.
Impact of the Global Crisis on Sub-National Governments’ Finances

In this paper, Ter-Minassian and Fedelino assess the impact of the 2008-09 global financial crisis on sub-national government (SNG) finances. The crisis affected sub-national budgets both directly (via the decline in own revenues and upward pressure on cyclically-sensitive spending programs) and through the involvement of SNGs in the implementation of the national fiscal stimulus packages. To mitigate the impact of the crisis, central governments in a number of countries increased general-purpose and especially special-purpose transfers; in some cases their support also took the form of a temporary relaxation of fiscal rules and borrowing constraints, or a direct provision of loans. Thanks to this support, and by using their own available "fiscal space", some SNGs could enact counter-cyclical responses. However, in most cases it was not possible to avoid pro-cyclical revenue increases or expenditure cuts. Based on this evidence, the authors challenge the traditional view that excludes any role of SNGs in fiscal stabilization. Consistently with the ongoing decentralization of spending, inter-governmental fiscal arrangements should facilitate sub-national counter-cyclical policies, including through sub-national fiscal rules that ensure a build-up of adequate reserves and reduce the risk of pro-cyclicality. The introduction of institutional mechanisms for coordination across government levels would also help minimize adverse inter-jurisdictional spillover effects and improve the credibility of the overall fiscal strategy.
Correlating Internal Parameters and External Performance: Learning Soccer Agents

We have developed a Soccer simulator in Java, which allows us to evaluate agent behavioral strategies for effectively collaborating with other team members while countering threats posed by the opposing team. Whereas action selection mechanisms to decide when to shoot, pass, dribble, guard opponent, tackle, etc. are important from a player's viewpoint, learning the capabilities of individual opponents from repeated encounters can provide critical information for the success of a team. Each agent is described by a set of skill levels for different soccer skills. A soccer agent uses its incomplete perceptions, model of the changing environment, knowledge of the skill levels of its own team players, and estimated skill levels of the opponent team players to select the most prudent action. In this paper, we identify learning opportunities for soccer agents, and investigate some of these possibilities in detail. Initial experimental results demonstrate the advantage of learning agents.
Comparison of Ln0.6Sr0.4CoO3 − δ (Ln = La , Pr, Nd, Sm, and Gd) as Cathode Materials for Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Ln 0.6 Sr 0.4 CoO 3-δ (Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Gd) perovskite oxides have been synthesized and compared as cathode materials for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). Both the electrical conductivity and the oxide ion vacancy concentration decrease from Ln = La to Gd, which leads to a decrease in the electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction in SOFC. However, the thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) decreases favorably from Ln = La to Gd due to a decreasing ionicity of the Ln-O bond and a suppression of the tendency to lose oxygen from the lattice with increasing temperature. Therefore, Ln 0.6 Sr 0.4 CoO 3-δ cathodes with an intermediate lanthanide ion such as Nd 3+ or Sm 3+ offer a trade-off between electrocatalytic activity and TEC. Also, the differences in dependence of the properties of the Ln 1-x Sr x CoO 3-δ and Ln 1-x SR x MnO 3 systems on the Ln 3+ ions are discussed.
Clinical trials: are they a good buy?

PURPOSE: Concern that clinical trials may be too costly has been used to justify traditionally restrictive insurer policies regarding clinical trials. Additionally, fear of insurer reimbursement denial can be a significant barrier to clinical trial participation. In this study, we reviewed the empirical data on costs of clinical trials versus standard care and summarized the current status of policy initiatives related to clinical trial insurance reimbursement. METHODS: Electronic and print data sources were searched for studies on the costs of oncology clinical trials. Information on policy initiatives for clinical trial reimbursement was obtained from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology, and the Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups and from searches of World Wide Web sites. RESULTS: Five pilot studies provided information for 377 patients on phase II/III clinical trials matched with controls on standard care. Cost estimates ranged from 10% lower to 23...
Early magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers to predict local control after high dose stereotactic body radiotherapy for patients with sarcoma spine metastases

Abstract Background Context Recent advances in image guidance and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) have resulted in unprecedented local control for spinal metastases of all histologies. However, little is known about early imaging biomarkers of local control. Purpose This study aimed to identify early magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers to predict local control after SBRT for patients with sarcoma spine metastases. Study Design/Setting This study used a retrospective case series at a large tertiary cancer center. Patient Sample From 2011 to 2014, 9 consecutive patients with 12 metastatic sarcoma lesions to the spine were treated with SBRT and underwent evaluation with dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) both pre- and post-SBRT. Outcome Measure Changes in perfusion metrics, including the wash-in rate constant (Ktrans), plasma volume (Vp), composite multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) score, bi-dimensional tumor size, and a graded response assessment were performed and correlated to local control. Methods All measurements were independent and blinded by two neuroradiologists. R 2 statistics were performed to document correlation, and two-tailed t tests were used to compare groups. p Results The median time from SBRT until posttreatment MRI was 57 days. Local failure developed in one lesion (8.3%) 10 months after SBRT. The Vp mean, Ktrans mean, Vp max, and Ktrans max were significantly decreased post-SBRT as compared with pre-SBRT (58.7%, 63.2%, 59.0%, and 55.2%; all p-values 2 =0.84). The mpMRI score had 100% accuracy in predicting local control at time of last follow-up. There was no apparent correlation with size changes compared with the mpMRI score change post-SBRT (R 2 =0.026). Conclusions We report the first analysis on the utility of DCE-MRI for metastatic sarcoma spine metastases treated with SBRT. We demonstrate that early assessment at 2 months post-SBRT using size and subjective neuroradiology impressions is insufficient to judge ultimate disease progression, and that a combination of perfusion parameters provides excellent correlation to local control.
CVD growth of carbon nanotube bundle arrays

Recent discovery of enhanced field emission current intensity from arrays of bundles of carbon nanotubes (CNT) has prompted this investigation of the growth of CNT bundle arrays by metal-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition (CVD), in order to understand and control the growth of these arrays. CNT bundle array growth has been characterized as a function of array geometric parameters: the CNT bundle diameter and inter-bundle spacing. We find that CNT bundle array growth varies significantly with bundle size and spacing, which we suggest is due to the formation of a volatile molecular byproduct of ethylene decomposition that enhances CNT growth in areas with high concentrations of metal catalyst. We have also studied and optimized CNT growth with respect to a variety of CVD process parameters, in order to control the length of the resultant CNT bundles. We find that the length of the CNT can be reliably controlled by varying either the reaction time or the gas pressure. Such control over CNT bundle length will be crucial in the incorporation of these bundle arrays into high-intensity electron field emission devices.
Adaptive secure software architecture for electronic commerce

As Internet business exponentially grows, a need for the high security level categories that identify a group of connections or an individual transaction is manifest. Recently the development of efficient and secure software architecture has been in high demand. In this paper, we propose adaptive secure software architecture to support secure e-commerce transactions. Our adaptive secure software architecture dynamically adapts security classes based on the nature and sensitivity of interactions among participants. Four security classes incorporate security levels of cryptographic techniques with a degree of information sensitivity. We have done extensive experiments on the performance of the proposed adaptive secure software architecture. Experimental results show that our adaptive secure software architecture provides e-commerce transactions with high-quality security services. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic mucosal resection for rectal cancers and villous adenomas

The prognosis for patients with cancer of the colon or rectum is strongly correlated with the pathologic stage at the time of diagnosis. For these tumors, optimal management of the carcinoma is predicated on curative resection of the primary tumor. It is here, however, that treatment of these two lesions differ. Unlike more proximal colonic tumors, rectal neoplasms may be resected by a wide variety of surgical techniques associated with disparate rates of postoperative morbidity. Superficial lesions may be resected transanally or by endoscopic mucosal resection. Alternatively, more advanced lesions generally require extensive resection. Transmural tumors superior to the peritoneal reflection may potentially be treated with sphincter-sparing, low-anterior resection, whereas more distal tumors may require abdominoperineal resection. In addition, advanced lesions may also be considered for neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Thus, unlike more proximal colon cancer, the optimal method of resection for rectal carcinoma is critically dependent on accurate preoperative staging of the disease. It is precisely for this reason that endoscopic ultrasound has become an important addition to the preoperative evaluation of rectal lesions.
Do Tax Havens Really Flourish

That tax haven policies contribute to favorable economic growth in tax haven countries is commonly accepted. Empirical investigations, however, do not substantiate this assertion and are subject to...
Observation of intense low energy autoionization lines in the wings of the forward peak from fast ion-atom collisions

In the ejected electron spectra from collisions of C2+, O4+ and Si10,11,12+ with argon toms at energies of 2–4 MeV/amu, a series of intense lines has been observed, which originates from doubly excited autoionizing states of Belike projectiles. These lines correspond to electron energies between 2 and 20 eV in the projectile frame. For kinematic reasons these lines can only be detected near the forward direction.
On block induction

This paper generalizes a result of Okuyama [4, Theorem 31 on the situation wherein a block of a subgroup of a finite group induces to a block of the group (in the classical sense of Brauer; see [ 1, p. 1361). Our generalization, which comprises Lemma A and Theorem B, is proved mainly by observing that Okuyama’s arguments hold under less stringent hypotheses. Our results are applied in Theorem C to establish a necessary and sufficient condition for when a block of defect zero of a subgroup induces to a block of the group. Another application is Theorem D, which concerns block induction from a normal subgroup. Throughout the paper, H denotes a subgroup of an arbitrary finite group G and p is a fixed prime rational integer. Let R be the ring of integers in a p-adic number field K of characteristic zero, let rt be a generator of J(R), and set R = R/rcR. If M is an RG-module, i@ denotes M/nM. Assume that K and R are splitting fields for all subgroups of G. Let v denote the p-adic valuation on K, scaled so that v(p) = 1. Let v( / G I) = a and r( 1 H 1) = m, so that IGJP=p”, /I1l,,=p”‘. Let B, h denote fixed p-blocks of G (resp. H), where B has defect d Let Irr (B) (resp. Irr(b)), denote the set of ordinary irreducible characters in B (resp. h). If 0 is a rational integral combination of Brauer characters of G, let 8 denote the generalized character of G defined by [ 1, IV.1.21,
Institutionalization of a management science innovation in police departments

The adoption of management science models has typically been studied in time frames of less than two years. Recommendations of government decisionmakers for improving the likelihood of successful model development, diffusion, and adoption have been based on these studies. Yet some factors important to the use of models do not emerge in the short term. This study examines model use over a longer time frame, and draws some policy implications. A survey was taken of 17 police departments live years after they implemented PCAM, the Patrol Car Allocation Model. Utilization extent of use and institutionalization extent of organizational adaptation were evaluated. Overall, there were few signs that use of PCAM had a major impact on the state of police patrol allocation. PCAM was found to be operational in six departments, and fully institutionalized in two. Based on patterns of use and nonuse, recommendations are made to enhance the long-term impact of future modeling projects. Among them are to survey user needs and give them a larger role in model development, to design models capable of an expanded range of tasks and of running on personal computers, and to include performance evaluation and feedback in all model-building projects. A structured approach to development is suggested to anticipate implementation and institutionalization problems, and to produce integrated solutions.
“Stable” selenenic acids

Abstract Two of the stable selenenic acids reported in the literature are actually other materials.
A synthetic oligonucleotide probe encoding for atrial natriuretic peptide detects specific mRNA transcripts in rat heart but not brain using in situ hybridization histochemistry.

In situ hybridization histochemical techniques were used in an attempt to demonstrate atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) messenger RNA (mRNA) in the rat brain. A synthetic oligonucleotide derived from previously reported ANF cDNA sequence was used as a probe. Northern blot analysis of total RNA isolated from rat heart demonstrated that the oligonucleotide recognized a single species of RNA (0.9 kb), a size consistent with previous reports. Rat heart sections revealed dense accumulations of ANF mRNA in the cardiac atria and lesser densities in the ventricles. Rat brain sections hybridized with the same oligonucleotide did not label ANF mRNA accumulations in any neuronal cell bodies. A possible explanation for this latter observation is either sparcely distributed expressing neurons or low expression and high turnover of ANF mRNA in brain.
Predictors and causes of unplanned re-operations in outpatient plastic surgery: a multi-institutional analysis of 6749 patients using the 2011 NSQIP database

AbstractUnplanned re-operations carry significant implications for healthcare services, surgical outcomes, and patient safety. However, there has been a paucity of large scale, multi-centre studies that evaluate the predictors and causes of unplanned re-operation in outpatient plastic surgery. This study retrospectively reviewed the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) and identified all plastic surgery outpatient cases performed in 2011. Multiple logistic regression analysis was utilised to identify independent risk factors and causes of unplanned reoperations. Of the 6749 outpatient plastic surgery cases identified, there were 125 (1.9%) unplanned re-operations (UR). Regression analysis demonstrated that body mass index (BMI, OR = 1.041, 95% CI = 1.019–1.065), preoperative open wound/wound infection (OR = 3.498, 95% CI = 1.593–7.678), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class 3 (OR = 2.235, 95% CI = 1.048–4.765), and total work relative value uni...
Injected Beam Chopper System for the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source Accelerator System

A new chopper system has been designed and built to allow versatile manipulation of the H- beam for the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source (IPNS) accelerator system. The beam is chopped at an energy of 750 keV, just before injection into the 50 MeV linear accelerator. The system consists of a high speed logic control system, a high power pulse amplifier and a travelling wave beam deflection electrode. The control system allows for up to four concurrently operable functions. The first mode is dedicated to personnel and equipment protection interlocking. The second is for low frequency pulse shaping. The third is a high frequency chop mode for RF synchronized injection of the 50 MeV beam into the Rapid Cycling Synchrotron (RCS). The fourth mode allows width and/or time modulation of the RF synchronized chopping to control the loading of the RF bucket area in the RCS.
Transgenic mouse models of self-tolerance and autoreactivity by the immune system

TOLERANCE AND FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITY OF MAJOR fll STOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX ANTIGEN-PRESENTING MOLECULES 498 Transgenic Class I Genes 498 Transgenic Class II I-Erx Genes 498 DEVELOPMENT OF T CELLS SHOWING BOTH MHC RECOGNITION AND SELF-TOLERANCE.... 500 Positive Selection for TCR Recognition of MHC and Determination of T Cell Fate 502 Negative Selection Against Thymocytes Recognizing Self-Antigens 507
Acute peritoneal dialysis in the newborn period: a 7-year single-center experience at tertiary neonatal intensive care unit in Turkey.

Objective To evaluate the underlying causes and outcomes of neonates who underwent acute peritoneal dialysis (APD). Study Design This report describes a 7-year experience with APD in 77 neonates. Results Underlying causes requiring APD were acute tubular necrosis (ATN; n = 53), inborn error of metabolism ( n = 18), bilateral renal vein thrombosis ( n = 3), obstructive uropathy ( n = 2; posterior urethral valve and neurogenic bladder), and bilateral renal artery thrombosis ( n = 1). Fifteen of the 53 patients developed post–cardiac surgery ATN. The mean dialysis duration was 6.2 ± 10.7 days (range 1 to 90 days). Complications of procedure were hyperglycemia ( n = 35), leaking of dialysate ( n = 13), peritonitis ( n = 10), catheter obstruction ( n = 3), bleeding when inserting the catheter ( n = 3), exit site infection ( n = 2), and bowel perforation ( n = 1). There were 57 deaths (74%) in this high-risk group due to underling causes. Of the 20 survivors, 16 patients showed a full renal recovery, but mild chronic renal failure developed in 1 patient and proteinuria with/without hypertension in 3 patients. Conclusion Peritoneal dialysis is an effective means of renal replacement therapy in the neonatal period in the management of metabolic disturbances as well as renal failure. Although major complications of procedure are not so common, these patients have high mortality rates due to the serious nature of the primary causes.
Comparative Environmental Policy: Market‐type Instruments in Industrialized Capitalist Countries

This paper examines experiences of five industrialized capitalist countries in using effluent charges, tradable permits, and subsidies as tools of environmental regulation and compares their programs to economists’models of the market approach. Observed disparity between theory and practice suggests that advantages of the market approach are not as significant as proponents contend. Reasons are identified, and differences in national characteristics of public administration are considered toward explaining differences in how countries have applied market instruments.
Polar codes in a QKD environment

Polar coding is the most recent encoding scheme in the quest for error correction codes that approaches the Shannon limit, has a simple structure, and admits fast decoders. As such, it is an interesting candidate for the quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol that normally operates at high bit error rates and requires codes that operate near the Shannon limit. This paper describes approaches that integrate Polar codes into the QKD environment and provides performance results of Polar code designs within the QKD protocol.
Application of equation regulation method to the solution of inverse problems in multiphase materials

Abstract In this paper, we propose a new method of determining local material properties of multiphase composites given the experimentally measured displacements and known traction boundary conditions. In the proposed method, an “observation” term is added to the original differential equation, and the modified equation is solved in terms of a regulation parameter. We call this approach the equation regulation (ER) method. By appropriately adjusting the value of the regulation parameter based on the noise level in the input data, we get faster convergence and improved stability than prevailing methods of solving the inverse problem in elliptic ordinary differential equations. Several numerical examples to the solution of this non-linear problem with continuous and discontinuous coefficient functions are given to show the accuracy and reliability of the proposed method.
Giant vein graft pseudoaneurysm with pulmonary hemorrhage.

From the Divisions of Cardiac Surgery and Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass. Disclosures: Authors have nothing to disclose with regard to commercial support. Received for publicationMarch 13, 2012; revisions received April 10, 2012; accepted for publication May 7, 2012; available ahead of print June 4, 2012. Address for reprints: Patrick O. Myers, MD, Division of Cardiac Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115 (E-mail: pmyers1@partners.org). J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2012;144:e14-6 0022-5223/$36.00 Copyright 2012 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcvs.2012.05.001
The role of impurities in superplastic flow and cavitation

Superplasticity refers to the ability of fine-grained materials (d 0.5 T m , where T m is the melting point). An important characteristic of the deformation, behavior of micrograin superplastic alloys is the experimental observation that the relationship between stress and steady-state creep rate is often sigmoidal. Such sigmoidal behavior is characterized by the presence of three regions: region I (the low-stress region), region II (the intermediate-stress region or the superplastic region), and region III (the high-stress region). Recently, the effects of impurity level and type on the sigmoidal relationship reported for superplastic alloys have been studied in detail. Some of the results of these studies are reviewed with particular emphasis on creep behavior, boundary sliding, and cavitation.
Enhanced Superconductivity in Layered Metallic Films

We have observed large increases in the transition temperature ${T}_{c}$ of thin, quenched composite films consisting of alternating layers of dissimilar metals. We estimate the regions of the film which experience the greatest increase to be within a few monolayers of the metal-vacuum or metal-metal surfaces. A possible explanation for the increased ${T}_{c}'\mathrm{s}$ is the shift in the electron-phonon coupling to larger values due to the lowering of the phonon frequencies.
Effects of Rice Bran, Cottonseed Meal, and Alfalfa Meal on pH and Zooplankton

Abstract Rice bran (RB), cottonseed meal (CSM), and alfalfa meal (ALF) were compared as organic fertilizers for their effects on pH and zooplankton abundance in limnocorrals that lacked fish. The weight (W) and nitrogen (N) content of CSM, which served as the control, were used to determine the other applications (RB-N, RB-W, ALF-N and ALF-W). Temperature, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a, ammonia nitrogen, and zooplankton densities were monitored for 8 weeks to simulate the average period for phase 1 production of striped bass Morone saxatilis (38–50 mm). Rice bran promoted better water quality than ALF or CSM when application rates were based on nitrogen content. The pH was lowest for RB-N, intermediate for ALF-N, and highest for CSM. Chlorophyll a was a function of nitrogen input, and the high-nitrogen applications (CSM, ALF-N, and RB-N) supported similar phytoplankton standing crops that were 38–62% greater than the corresponding low-nitrogen applications (ALF-W and RB-W). Water temperature and dissolv...
Training prison inmates as paralegals: An experimental project

Abstract A program to train inmates as paralegals was established at a large state prison in the Midwest. Qualified inmates were randomly assigned to the training or to a control condition. Both groups were administered measures assessing legal knowledge, the use of legal knowledge, attitudes about the criminal justice system, and self-perceptions before and after training. The trainee group showed a significant increase in its amount of legal knowledge after training. Members of the trainee group also reported a significant increase in the number of other inmates requesting aid from them on legal problems. In addition, interviews were conducted with two random samples of the general inmate population, before and after the paralegal training program. These interviews revealed strong support for the training program, and this support increased over the period of the program. Limited data on longer-term effectiveness of the paralegal's performance in the prison legal aid clinic and in paralegal jobs following parole supported the positive, shorter-term results.
High-speed full-spectrum interrogation of fiber Bragg gratings for composite impact sensing

This paper presents a means for the high repetition rate interrogation of fiber Bragg gratings (FBG's). The new system highlights a method that allows a tradeoff between the full spectrum capture rate and the wavelength range and/or the spectral resolution of the technique. Rapid capture of the entire reflection spectrum at high interrogation rates shows important features that are missed when using methods that merely track changes in the peak location of the spectrum. The essential feature of the new system is that it incorporates a MEMs tunable filter driven by a variable frequency openloop sinusoidal source. The paper demonstrates the new system on a laminated composite system under impact loading.
Use of dexmedetomidine for sedation in critically ill mechanically ventilated pediatric burn patients

Dexmedetomidine has previously been used only for short-term, procedural sedation in children. The purpose of this review was to describe the dosing, safety, and efficacy of dexmedetomidine for sustained sedation in intubated pediatric burn patients. The authors reviewed acutely burned children treated between 2005 and 2008 who were intubated during their course of care and who received dexmedetomidine for sedation. Patients served as their own controls using the time periods when they received sedatives other than dexmedetomidine. Eleven patients with 17 dexmedetomidine treatment courses were identified. The median patient age was 7 years (range 1.6-17 years), and median burn size was 30.5% TBSA (range 6-59%). Patients were ventilated for a median of 9 days (range 4-46 days). The median initial dose of dexmedetomidine was 0.39 μg/kg/hr (range 0.10-1.16 μg/kg/hr), with a median infusion dose of 0.57 μg/kg/hr (range 0.11-1.17 μg/kg/hr) and median treatment duration of 40 hours (range 1-356 hours). None of the patients received dexmedetomidine loading dose. Patients achieved more appropriate Riker scores while treated with dexmedetomidine than while being treated with other sedatives (3.8 vs 3.3, P = .003). The incidence of hypotension and/or bradycardia while on dexmedetomidine was not greater than when it was not being used. Clinically significant rebound hypertension and tachycardia were absent on discontinuation of dexmedetomidine. No unplanned extubations were observed. Median length of hospital stay was 49 days (range 7-118 days). Dexmedetomidine seems to be safe and effective for sedation of pediatric burn patients on mechanical ventilation with close cardiovascular monitoring.
Biodegradation of Atrazine Under Denitrifying Conditions

Anaerobic biodegradation of atrazine by the bacterial isolate M91-3 was characterized with respect to mineralization, metabolite formation, and denitrification. The ability of the isolate to enhance atrazine biodegradation in anaerobic sediment slurries was also investigated. The organism utilized atrazine as its sole source of carbon and nitrogen under anoxic conditions in fixed-film (glass beads) batch column systems. Results of HPLC and TLC radiochromatography suggested that anaerobic biotransformation of atrazine by microbial isolate M91-3 involved hydroxyatrazine formation. Ring cleavage was demonstrated by 14CO2 evolution. Denitrification was confirmed by detection of 15N2 in headspace samples of K15NO3-amended anaerobic liquid cultures. In aquatic sediments, mineralization of uniformly ring-labeled [14C]atrazine occurred in both M91-3-inoculated and uninoculated sediment. Inoculation of sediments with M91-3 did not significantly enhance anaerobic mineralization of atrazine as compared to uninoculated sediment, which suggests the presence of indigenous organisms capable of anaerobic atrazine biodegradation. Results of this study suggest that the use of M91-3 in a fixed-film bioreactor may have applications in the anaerobic removal of atrazine and nitrate from aqueous media.
Computational modeling of direct neuronal recruitment during intracortical microstimulation in somatosensory cortex.

Objective. Electrical stimulation of cortical tissue could be used to deliver sensory information as part of a neuroprosthetic device, but current control of the location, resolution, quality, and intensity of sensations elicited by intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) remains inadequate for this purpose. One major obstacle to resolving this problem is the poor understanding of the neural activity induced by ICMS. Even with new imaging methods, quantifying the activity of many individual neurons within cortex is difficult. Approach. We used computational modeling to examine the response of somatosensory cortex to ICMS. We modeled the axonal arbors of eight distinct morphologies of interneurons and seven types of pyramidal neurons found in somatosensory cortex and identified their responses to extracellular stimulation. We then combined these axonal elements to form a multi-layered slab of simulated cortex and investigated the patterns of neural activity directly induced by ICMS. Specifically we estimated the number, location, and variety of neurons directly recruited by stimulation on a single penetrating microelectrode. Main results. The population of neurons activated by ICMS was dependent on both stimulation strength and the depth of the electrode within cortex. Strikingly, stimulation recruited interneurons and pyramidal neurons in very different patterns. Interneurons are primarily recruited within a dense, continuous region around the electrode, while pyramidal neurons were recruited in a sparse fashion both near the electrode and up to several millimeters away. Thus ICMS can lead to an unexpectedly complex spatial distribution of firing neurons. Significance. These results lend new insights to the complexity and range of neural activity that can be induced by ICMS. This work also suggests mechanisms potentially responsible for the inconsistency and unnatural quality of sensations initiated by ICMS. Understanding these mechanisms will aid in the design of stimulation that can be used to generate effective sensory feedback for neuroprosthetic devices.
Electrochemical studies of quinone oxygen

Asphaltenes are a chemically complex mixture of aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds. This material contains oxygen in various functional groups. The distribution includes esters, carboxylic acids, phenolic and most probably quinone type oxygen functionalities. The present work details the complete electrochemical behaviour of quinone type oxygen. The method is quinone specific. A condensed aromatic quinone, 9,10-anthraquinone, was selected as representative of complex quinones. By this method quinones can be determined in the presence of other oxygen functional groups, alcohols, carboxylic acids, ethers, and other carbonyls.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Microscopy of Atheroma in Human Coronary Arteries

The purpose of this study was to use direct nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) microscopy to quantitate and image accumulations of atheroma lipids in human coronary arteries and to validate the results by comparison with histologic preparations. NMR microscopy was performed on a superconducting experimental NMR imaging system operating at 2 Tesla with a probe designed for short echo time (TE), strong B1 field strength, and small samples. Data acquisition used multiple-offset chemical encoding with offsets based on the thermotropic spectral signature of atheroma lipids within the human arterial vessel wall. Three separate channels of image data yielded color axis display of atheroma within the vessel walls. Atheroma location by histology was identified by rarefaction of stroma, as the lipids are extracted in the process of embedding in paraffin. Perimeters, areas, and a shape index (perimeter2:4 pi area) of lumen, atheroma, and outer wall were determined and compared for NMR vs histology. There was no significant difference in the measurements with the exception of luminal shape indices, which were uniformly larger by histology, attributable to flattening of the vessels during histologic preparation. NMR measurement of atheroma content of coronary artery walls agreed well with histology (r = 0.996). NMR microscopy with color axis display proved able to quantitate and image atheroma in coronary arteries, obviating the distortions and lipid removal associated with fixation, embedding, and sectioning for histology.
Radiation treatment of heterotopic bone formation in the temporomandibular joint articulation

Abstract Purpose : The efficacy and toxicity of radiation therapy used for preventing re-formation of heterotopic bone involving the temporomandibular joint are assessed. Methods and Materials : Ten patients (15 TMJs) with bony ankylosis of the TMJ were referred after reconstruction with costochondral graft, gap arthroplasty, or debridement of heterotopic bone. Treatment consisting of 10 Gy was delivered early postoperatively to a field encompassing the TMJ with adequate margin. Response to therapy was assessed by comparison of routine roentgenograms obtained preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and at last follow-up; the Turlington-burr grading system was used. Median duration of postoperative follow-up was 19 months. Results : Radiation therapy prevented ectopic bone re-formation in 10 (69%) of 15 TMJs with prior bony ankylosis. Of the 15 TMJs, 13 (87%) had improvement in their Turlington-Durr scores compared with the preoperative scores. Development of ectopic bone formation was prevented in 9 (90%) of 10 TMJs rendered Turlington-burr grade 0 postoperatively. Eight of the 10 patients have remained asymptomatic. Treatment was well tolerated. The only complication experienced was parotitis in three patients. Conclusion : Radiation therapy is useful for prevention of heterotopic bone redevelopment after TMJ operation. We recommend 10 Gy in 5 fractions beginning early postoperatively for high-risk patients. This strategy appears beneficial in this young patient population, who suffer significant pain and functional impairment in the TMJ articulation.