cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corallite size and spacing as an aspect of niche‐partitioning in tabulate corals of Silurian reefs, Racine Formation, North America

Tabulate corals are common in reefs of the Silurian (Wenlockian) Racine Formation in Wisconsin and Illinois, North America. Variation in size and spacing of corallites in this fauna represents an aspect of niche-partitioning that is probably related to feeding. Corallite morphospace, represented by a plot of corallite diameter versus number of corallites per square cm, is characteristically partitioned among favositines, alveolitines, halysitines, syringoporids, and heliolitines, usually with minimal overlap between these major taxonomic groups. Within all groups except alveolitines, morphospace occupied by each major taxon is partitioned further between forms with small corallites and forms with larger corallites. This is probably related to differences in feeding, with ­larger corallite forms specializing in tentacular capture of larger prey, and smaller ­corallite forms specializing in smaller prey involving capture by cilia-directed sheets of mucus as well as by tentacles. Feeding-based differences among tabulates augmented niche-partitioning effected by colony form and relation to substrate. Cerioid, cateniform, coenenchymal, and fasciculate colony types in the Racine fauna were primarily adapted to a soft substrate. Ragged edges of colonies indicate growth during episodic sedimentation, and colonies were partially buried during life. Most tabulates are ­scattered through wackestone and packstone and were not major contributors to reef growth.
A diagnostic procedure based on local influence

Cook's (1986) normal curvature measure is useful for sensitivity analysis of model assumptions in statistical models. However, there is no rigorous approach based on the normal curvature for addressing two fundamental issues: to assess the extent of discrepancy between an assumed model and the underlying model from which the data are generated, and to identify suspicious data points for which the discrepancy is most evident. Our purpose is to establish a theoretically sound procedure for resolving these issues for case-weight perturbation under the framework of independent distributions. We show that the local influence measure, Cook's distance and likelihood distance are asymptotically equivalent. A diagnostic procedure, based on local influence, is proposed for evaluating model misspecification and for detecting influential points simultaneously. We analyse two real datasets.
The relation of the speaker to his audience

(1916). The relation of the speaker to his audience. Quarterly Journal of Speech: Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 39-45.
Event-related brain potentials and subjective probability in a learning task.

In a paired associate learning task, subjects responded to each presentation of a nonsense syllable by typing both a three-letter associate and a rating of their confidence that this response was correct or incorrect. Average event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by the subsequent presentation of the actual paired syllable varied with the interaction of confidence and trial outcome. A larger amplitude P300 was elicited by syllables that informed subjects that they were correct when they thought they were incorrect or that they were incorrect when they thought they were correct than by syllables that confirmed subjects expectations. That this average ERP result was indeed an effect on P300 amplitude, and not an artifact of single-trial variability in P30O latency, was confirmed with a trial-by-trial latency adjustment procedure. Consistent with findings from other tasks, P300 amplitude varied inversely with the subj ective probability of the ERP-eliciting events.
A Follow-Up Study of Spring, 1966, High School Graduates in the State of Utah

This study presents some of the results of a study of youth potential and youth opportunity in the State of Utah. The findings suggest that the immediate post high school plans of high school seniors, when stated during the spring prior to graduation, are relatively accurate indicators of actual post high school activities, but plans stated during the preceding fall are relatively unrealistic; also unrealistic are estimates of years of college attendance by first-quarter freshmen. The findings also reveal that while practical considerations weigh most heavily in the choice of a college, colleges in Utah have images which likely influence prospective students' choices.
Treatment of Guillain-Barré syndrome induced by cyclosporine in a lung transplant patient.

We report the case of a 58-year-old man with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who developed acute quadriparesis during the post-operative period following bilateral lung transplantation after receiving cyclosporine for immunosuppression. Electromyography with nerve conduction study and cerebrospinal fluid analysis supported a diagnosis of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which improved upon the discontinuation of cyclosporine, replacement with tacrolimus, and initiation of plasmapheresis. We propose the discontinuation of cyclosporine and initiation of plasmapheresis as a treatment for cyclosporine-associated Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Educational Reform and Social Change

Most contemporary societies view the educational system as a powerful tool of social change. This paper argues, however, that the schools will always be used to reproduce society rather than to modify it. It contends that educational reform can never be used as an independent force for changing social, economic, and political relationships and that attempts at reform have always failed when they violated the tenets of the policy.
Apparatus for Measurements of the Electrical Conductivity of Rainwater with High Resolution in Space and Time

Abstract Apparatus has been designed and constructed for real-time measurements of the electrical conductivity of rainwater. It utilizes a spinning disk that centrifuges and collects the rainwater failing on it A micro conductivity cell is employed, which consists only of electrodes, and needs no embodiment to sustain the rain sample during measurement. Instead the liquid is retained between the electrodes by its own surface tension. Only the order of a microliter of rain water is needed to obtain a inclement. The system's response time is about a second. Test runs during thunderstorms and frontal rains reveal that variations in conductivity by up to a factor of 5 occur during a storm event. Maximum conductivities of up to 160 μS cm−1 usually occurred at the beginning of the storms. In one thunderstorm rainwater conductivity as low as 5 μS cm−1 was measured for a duration of a few minutes.
X‐Point Heating, Potentials, and Temperature Asymmetries in Edge Plasmas

Three-dimensional simulations of turbulence in the boundary plasma of a diverted tokamak indicate strongly localized heating and radial currents on closed flux surfaces in the vicinity of he X point, and overall burstiness. We apply a long-mean-free path theory of par icle and energy exchange between passing and potential-trapped electrons to show that these turbulent phenomena combined with natural fueling asymmetries may lead to electron temperature, density and potential maxima in this region. Such maxima have been observed on the DIII-D tokamak.
A peridynamic model of flow in porous media

Abstract This paper presents a nonlocal, derivative free model for transient flow in unsaturated, heterogeneous, and anisotropic soils. The formulation is based on the peridynamic model for solid mechanics. In the proposed model, flow and changes in moisture content are driven by pairwise interactions with other points across finite distances, and are expressed as functional integrals of the hydraulic potential field. Peridynamic expressions of the rate of change in moisture content, moisture flux, and flow power are derived, as are relationships between the peridynamic and the classic hydraulic conductivities; in addition, the model is validated. The absence of spacial derivatives makes the model a good candidate for flow simulations in fractured soils and lends itself to coupling with peridynamic mechanical models for simulating crack formation triggered by shrinkage and swelling, and assessing their potential impact on a wide range of processes, such as infiltration, contaminant transport, and slope stability.
Prediction of sustained virological response in liver transplant recipients with recurrent hepatitis C virus following combination pegylated interferon alfa-2b and ribavirin therapy using tissue hepatitis C virus reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction testing

The optimal duration of therapy for pegylated interferon combined with ribavirin in recurrent Hepatitis C virus (HCV) following liver transplantation is not known. We wanted to determine if testing for HCV in liver tissue by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was superior in predicting sustained virological response (SVR) in comparison to standard HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) detection in the serum. All recipients received combination pegylated alpha-2b interferon (1.5 mcg/kg) and ribavirin (200-600 mg/d) therapy for at least 48 weeks of therapy and were found to have nondetectable HCV RNA by PCR serum testing at the end of therapy. Sustained virological response (SVR) was defined as nondetectable serum HCV RNA at 6 months post treatment withdrawal. Ten liver transplant recipients were included in the study; mean time from transplantation was 29.2 months. All had nondetectable serum HCV RNA by RT-PCR. In hepatic tissue 7/10 patients HCV RNA was found to be positive by RT-PCR while 3/10 had nondetectable HCV RNA in their liver by RT-PCR. SVR was attained in all 3/10 that were hepatic tissue HCV PCR negative after 12 months of combination therapy. In conclusion, direct detection of HCV RNA by RT-PCR of liver tissue appears to more effectively predict SVR following pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy than the conventional use of serum.
Applications of immunomagnetic capture and time-resolved fluorescence detection for Salmonella enteriditis in liquid eggs

An immuno sandwich method was evaluated for the detection of Salmonella in liquid eggs. Liquid eggs spiked with different out-break strains of Salmonella were mixed with proper enrichment media and incubated at 37 C for 4 to 20 h. After enrichment, immunomagnetic beads (IMB) coated with anti Salmonella antibodies were used to capture the bacteria. Samarium (Sm) labeled anti Salmonella antibodies were then used to form sandwiched complexes with IMB captured bacteria. Sandwiched Salmonella were then treated with Sm-chelator to allow the measurement of the released Sm by time-resolved fluorescence (TRF). The processes ranging from IMB capture to Sm chelation were performed using an automated KingFisher apparatus. With this approach, the presence of ~ 1 CFU of outbreak strains of Salmonella Enteritidis per egg (~50 g of liquid eggs) could be detected after enrichment for 20 h at 37 C. For higher levels of Salmonella Enteritidis contamination, e.g., 10 CFU per 50 g of liquid eggs, the enrichment time could be reduced to 5 h at 37 C. The results demonstrated that a combination of IMB capture and TRF measurement could be a rapid and sensitive method for Salmonella Enteritidis detection in liquid eggs.
The Eruption of the Sordid: Cormac McCarthy's Resistance to Modern Ideology

This essay examines Cormac McCarthy's antipathy toward modern ideology, or the ideas that when taken together enable the process of top-down social transformation called “modernization.” The essay argues that McCarthy employs a formal device we may call “the eruption of the sordid” to create spaces for the representation of more organic ways of living. This article further focuses on the double bind McCarthy's approach creates, whereby he can upset the logic of modernization but does not induce from the lives of his characters a shared alternative to this logic.
Cord Blood H- and L-Ficolin Concentrations in Term Pregnancies with Normal and Restricted Fetal Growth

Cord Blood H- and L-Ficolin Concentrations in Term Pregnancies with Normal and Restricted Fetal Growth
Defect classification using machine learning

Laser-induced damage growth on the surface of fused silica optics has been extensively studied and has been found to depend on a number of factors including fluence and the surface on which the damage site resides. It has been demonstrated that damage sites as small as a few tens of microns can be detected and tracked on optics installed a fusion-class laser, however, determining the surface of an optic on which a damage site resides in situ can be a significant challenge. In this work demonstrate that a machine-learning algorithm can successfully predict the surface location of the damage site using an expanded set of characteristics for each damage site, some of which are not historically associated with growth rate.
Cigarette smoking, physiological arousal, and emotional response: Nesbitt's paradox re-examined

Nicotine's paradoxical effects on arousal and mood are poorly understood. An experiment by Nesbitt suggested that smokers behave more relaxed as their smoking-induced physiological arousal increases. The present study attempted to replicate Nesbitt's Paradox. In smoking and sham-smoking sessions, 10 smokers were administered a series of progressively stronger electric shocks. Pain thresholds and MAACL Anxiety scores measured emotional arousal while heart rate increases served as indices of physiological arousal. All measurements were taken automatically in order to minimize experimenter-subject interaction. Smoking increased heart rate but had no effect on thresholds or MAACL scores. Emotional and physiological arousal showed a significant positive relationship (r = .65), contradicting Nesbitt's report of an inverse relationship. This suggests that Nesbitt's Paradox may not be a robust phenomenon.
Clinical characteristics and catheter ablation of left ventricular outflow tract tachycardia.

Left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) tachycardia is an uncommon form of idiopathic ventricular tachycardia (IVT). The underlying mechanism of this arrhythmia appears to be cyclic AMP-medicated triggered activity. The tachycardia occurs in the absence of structural heart disease and is generally benign, presenting commonly as palpitations and presyncope. It can manifest either a right or left bundle branch block morphology with an inferior axis. Subtle variations in the QRS morphology in leads I, V1, and V2 can help in localizing the anatomic site of origin (SOO). The arrhythmia is typically responsive to a variety of pharmacologic agents (β-blockers, calcium channel blockers, Class I and II agents). Radiofrequency catheter ablation of LVOT tachycardia SOO as determined by pace mapping is quite efficacious (success rates of 90%). Magnetic electroanatomic mapping augments this by permitting three-dimensional catheter mapping and reproducible localization of the SOO. Catheter ablation should be considered relatively early in patients who experience severe symptoms with their arrhythmia and have failed, or are reluctant to take medications for the disorder.
Valence bond ground states in a frustrated two-dimensional spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet

We study a class of two-dimensional spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnets, introduced by Klein [1], in which the nearest-neighbor term is supplemented by next-nearest-neighbor pair and four-body interactions, producing additional frustration. For certain lattices, including e.g. the hexagonal lattice, we prove that any finite subset which admits a dimer covering has a ground state space spanned by valence bond states, each of which consists only of nearest-neighbor (dimer) singlet pairs. We also establish linear independence of these valence bond states. The possible relevance to resonating-valence-bond theories of high-temperature superconductors is briefly discussed. In particular, our results apply both to regular subsets of the lattice and to subsets with static holes.
Genome sequence of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

The parasite Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for hundreds of millions of cases of malaria, and kills more than one million African children annually. Here we report an analysis of the genome sequence of P. falciparum clone 3D7. The 23-megabase nuclear genome consists of 14 chromosomes, encodes about 5,300 genes, and is the most (A + T)-rich genome sequenced to date. Genes involved in antigenic variation are concentrated in the subtelomeric regions of the chromosomes. Compared to the genomes of free-living eukaryotic microbes, the genome of this intracellular parasite encodes fewer enzymes and transporters, but a large proportion of genes are devoted to immune evasion and host-parasite interactions. Many nuclear-encoded proteins are targeted to the apicoplast, an organelle involved in fatty-acid and isoprenoid metabolism. The genome sequence provides the foundation for future studies of this organism, and is being exploited in the search for new drugs and vaccines to fight malaria.
Mechanical loading increases detection of estrogen receptor-alpha in osteocytes and osteoblasts despite chronic energy restriction

Estrogen receptor-α (ER-α) is an important mediator of the bone response to mechanical loading. We sought to determine whether restricting dietary energy intake by 40% limits the bone formation rat...
Microstructural Studies of β-NiAl and α-Re Composites Produced by Eutectic Solidification

Arc-melted alloys of stoichiometric β-NiAl with additions of up to 1.5 atomic percent Re were examined to determine the nature of the quasi-binary phase diagram. Analysis of the Re segregation during solidification confirmed the eutectic nature. Solubility of Re in the β-NiAl structure was limited to approximately 0.5 atomic percent and precipitation of α-Re was observed in the hypoeutectic alloys. An orientation relationship with (101)β // (0001)α and [111]α // [1210]βwas determined for these rod-like precipitates.
Advanced clustering with frequency sweeping (ACFS) methodology for the stability analysis of multiple time-delay systems

A novel methodology, Advanced Clustering with Frequency Sweeping (ACFS), is introduced for the stability analysis of the most general class of linear time-invariant (LTI) time-delay systems (TDS) with multiple delays. Different from the literature, ACFS does not impose any restrictions in system order, the number of delays and the ranks of the system matrices in the LTI-TDS considered. An unmatched strength of ACFS is that it can achieve to directly extract the 2D cross-sections of the stability views in the domain of any of the two delays. ACFS owes this superiority to an elegant way of cross-fertilizing the resultant theory, frequency sweeping technique, and the root clustering paradigms. ACFS also proposes a new formula that can compute the precise lower and upper bounds of the only parameter, the frequency, that it sweeps. Case studies that are prohibitive to analyze with the existing methods are presented to demonstrate the strengths of ACFS.
Categorization influences illusory conjunctions.

Illusory conjunctions (ICs) provide evidence for a binding problem that must be resolved in vision. Objects that are perceptually grouped are more likely to have their features erroneously conjoined. We examined whether semantic grouping, determined by category membership (letter vs. number), also influences illusory conjunction rates. Participants were instructed to detect an “L” or a “7” among briefly presented character strings and to report its color. Despite high shape discrimination accuracy, participants often made color conjunction errors, reporting instead the color of a distractor character, “O”. This distractor could be ambiguously interpreted as a letter or a number. The status of the “O” was determined by other noncolored flanker characters, which were either letters or numbers. When both the target and flankers were of the same category, participants made more ICs than when the target and flankers were of different categories. This finding demonstrates that alphanumeric categorization can precede and subsequently influence binding.
Numerical Solution of the Ideal Magnetohydrodynamic Equations for a Supersonic Channel Flow

A fourth-order modified Runge-Kutta scheme augmented with total variation diminishing (TVD) models have been developed to solve the two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic equations for supersonic flows. Several limiters for each TVD model have been extensively investigated. The numerical scheme is proven to be accurate with the ability to capture strong shocks, expansion waves, reflective waves, and other physical phenomena occurring in the flowfield without any or with minimum oscillations in the solution. The numerical scheme has been formulated in generalized coordinates and is applied to a supersonic flow within a channel including compression and expansion corners. The effect of magnetic field on the flowfield has been investigated with the application of several externally applied magnetic fields. The solutions indicate changes in the wave strength and the formation of secondary waves.
Heat resistance of Talaromyces flavus ascospores as determined by a two phase slug flow heat exchanger.

Abstract Heat resistance of Talaromyces flavus was determined using two methods. Standard thermal death time vials were used to determine the heat resistance of T. flavus ascospores, from 80 to 90 °C with a decimal reduction time D 90 of 6.2 min. A continuous two-phase slug flow heat exchanger System with heating, holding and cooling sections was used to determine the heat resistance from 90 to 100 °C. Inoculated heating medium was pumped through 1.85 mm ID tubing in ‘slugs’ separated by air bubbles to interrupt laminar flow. Varying pump speed, length of tubing in the heating bath and temperature allowed collection of data under varied heating conditions. D 90 with the slug flow heat exchanger system was 6.4 min, indicating the two methods were comparable, z values were 6.7 and 6.4 °C, respectively. The slug flow heat exchanger system permits rapid determination of heat resistance over a range of temperatures. Because of minimum come-up time the slug flow heat exchanger can be used at temperatures near the upper limit of heat resistance for the microorganism being tested.
Software tools for micro-analysis of programs

The paper proposes and describes several tools enabling their user to estimate the efficiency of Pascal or C-like programs. The approach consists of generating symbolic formulas expressing the efficiency of the programs being analyzed. The formulas are applicable to a variety of compiler-machine configurations. The actual numeric values of the variables in the symbolic formula are determined using linear programming techniques. The proposed approach reduces considerably the amount of benchmarking needed to analyze programs. Several examples are presented showing the applicability of the tools. The effort necessary to implement them is considerably reduced by the combined usage of Prolog and a symbolic formula manipulation package (Maple).
Vitamin E induces morphological differentiation and increases the effect of ionizing radiation on neuroblastoma cells in culture.

SummaryVitamin E increased the expression of morphological differentiation in mouse neuroblastoma (NBP2) cells in culture, but it did not produce a similar effect in glioma cell culture (C-6). The extent of vitamin E-induced changes on NB cells was dependent upon cell density, drug concentration, and the frequency of change of growth medium and drug. Neuroblastoma cells were more sensitive to vitamin E than glioma cells for the criterion of growth inhibition (due to cell death and reduction in cell division). The combination of vitamin E and X-irradiation produced an additive effect on both NB and glioma cells for the criterion of growth inhibition; however, it produced an additive effect for the criterion of morphological differentiation only on NB cells.
The kinetic properties of beef pancreatic L-asparagine synthetase.

Abstract 1. 1. Beef pancreatic l -asparagine synthetase was resolved into its α-(113,000) and β-(57,000) forms. 2. 2. Kinetic properties of a crude pancreatic extract and the enzyme resolved into its components are described. 3. 3. K m values for aspartate, ATP and glutamine for the α-form are 1.1, 1.0 and 0.4 mM and for the β-forms are 0.6, 25.0 and 3.1 mM, respectively. 4. 4. These results are discussed in terms of the regulation of tumor and normal cell asparagine biosynthesis.
Estimation of LWR vessel loads from postulated, in-vessel steam explosions

Abstract An analysis is presented of the vessel loads resulting from postulated steam explosions during light-water-reactor core-melt sequences. The purpose was to construct a technically supportable assessment that incorporated dynamic rate processes, two-dimensional fluid dynamics, a mechanistic link to the experimental data base, and a spectrum of postulated initial conditions and core-melt configurations. The analysis suggests: (1) potentially strong differences are present between reactor and experimental steam explosion transients, (2) shallow-pool fluid dynamics exerts a strong influence on vessel loads, (3) a tolerable maximum exists in upwardly-directed pool kinetic energy resulting from the vessel lower-head rupture threshold and two-dimensional fluid dynamics, and (4) less severe molten core-water interactions pose the maximum missile threat to the containment building.
Relation of plain chest radiographic findings to pulmonary arterial pressure and arterial blood oxygen levels in patients with acute pulmonary embolism.

Abstract Abnormalities of the plain chest radiograph of 123 patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and no prior cardiac or pulmonary disease were related to the pulmonary arterial mean pressure, the partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood, and the alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient. Patients with either a prominent central pulmonary artery or cardiomegaly had higher pulmonary arterial mean pressures than did patients with atelectasis, a pulmonary parenchymal abnormality or pleural effusion (p
Synaptic plasticity and addiction

Addiction is caused, in part, by powerful and long-lasting memories of the drug experience. Relapse caused by exposure to cues associated with the drug experience is a major clinical problem that contributes to the persistence of addiction. Here we present the accumulated evidence that drugs of abuse can hijack synaptic plasticity mechanisms in key brain circuits, most importantly in the mesolimbic dopamine system, which is central to reward processing in the brain. Reversing or preventing these drug-induced synaptic modifications may prove beneficial in the treatment of one of society's most intractable health problems.
Ethical issues in MS clinical trials.

For many years, the placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial has been the touchstone for clinical studies aimed at the development of effective disease treatment. Indeed, the success of this approach has led to the approval by various regulatory agencies and the subsequent widespread use of five disease-modifying agents for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the past 12 years. Ironically, this very success now threatens the development of better therapeutic modalities. Considerable controversy swirls over the ethical legitimacy of placebo-controlled trials. This continues despite a 2001 note of clarification by the World Medical Association about its revision in 2000 of the Declaration of Helsinki, stating that the use of placebos “may be ethically acceptable, even if proven therapy is available . . . where for compelling and scientifically sound methodological reasons its use is necessary to determine the efficacy or safety of a prophylactic, diagnostic, or therapeutic method” (Declaration of Helsinki). Nonetheless, virtually all ethicists agree with Temple and Ellenberg (2000) that “placebo controls are clearly inappropriate for conditions in which delay or omission of available treatments would increase mortality or irreversible morbidity in the populations to be studied.” The concept of equipoise provides the ethical underpinning for the randomized clinical trial (RCT). This term may be used, in the construct of Miller and Weijer (2003) “as the full set of answers to the question, ‘When may a physician legitimately offer RCT enrollment to her patient?’ ” As originally described by Charles Fried in 1974, equipoise required that an individual researcher be genuinely uncertain about the relative merits of the treatment alternatives in a clinical trial before offering enrollment to a patient. Freedman (1987) later defined clinical equipoise as a state in which “honest, professional disagreement among expert clinicians about the preferred treatment” exists and leads to the institution of a clinical trial “with the aim of resolving this dispute.” Both authors have sought to provide a sound moral framework for the RCT. The former assured satisfaction of the physician’s “duty of care,” whereas the latter offered guidance to guarantee “overarching social approval” (Miller and Weijer 2003) of the trial. As Miller and Weijer conclude, Fried’s equipoise (FE) and Freedman’s clinical equipoise (CE) complement one another by addressing different aspects of moral concern. By satisfying the demands of the requisite fiduciary relationship between physician and patient, FE protects individual patients who are either potential or actual subjects in clinical trials. This is critically important because informed consent alone, while supporting the principle of patient autonomy as stated in the famous Belmont Report (1978), does not guarantee the protection
Bargaining Over EMU Vs. EMS: Why Might the ECB be the Twin Sister of the Bundesbank?

Various authors argue that the European Central Bank (ECB) closely resembles the Bundesbank because of similarities in the legal status and in the behaviour of the two institutions. That ‘twin-sister hypothesis’ (TSH) contrasts with theoretical analyses that often assume a ‘symmetric’ ECB. We propose a model where countries bargain over the ‘type’ of the ECB, defined as the set of relative weights attached to individual preferences in the joint objective function of the bank. We find the conditions under which the TSH is a Nash bargaining equilibrium. The model emphasises the potential impact of the relative weight held by each country in the European Monetary System (EMS).
Treatment of unstable bladder.

Abstract We present our experience with 2 spinal-injury patients tested for urinary incontinence via implanted sacral nerve electrodes. In each patient, spinal injury occurred at the T-I2 level, with presentation of spontaneous detrusor activity. Associated weakness of the voluntary sphincter mechanism was evident urodynamically. Neurostimulation via wire electrode in the S 3 foramen produced good sphincter closure. Voiding secondary to spontaneous detrusor triggering could thereby be suppressed, eliminating embarrassing incontinence without interfering with the patient's ability to empty the bladder at regular intervals. The therapeutic principles of neurostimulatinn. annhrahle to patients with spastic bladders are underscored by these 2 cases.
Emission Detected Circular Dichroism from Long-Lived Excited States: Application to Chiral Eu(III) Systems

The measurement of the difference in intensity of luminescence following excitation with left and right circularly polarized light for racemic terdentate Eu(III) complexes with 2,6-pyridine dicarboxylic acids perturbed by the addition of (+)-dimethyltartrate and for tris chiral complexes of Eu(III) with (R,R)-N,N'-bis(1-phenylethyl)-2,6-pyridine-dicarboxamide are presented. The experimental technique used for these measurements is identical in design to fluorescence detected circular dichroism spectroscopy, but is referred to in this manuscript as emission detected circular dichroism (EDCD) because of the long lifetime of the Eu(III) excited state requiring specialized instrumentation. These measurements required relatively slow modulation of the incident circular polarization, which was accomplished with a liquid crystal polarizer. The results are compared with conventional CD measurements, and additional characteristics and potential applications of EDCD are presented.
The Impact of Grey Literature in Advancing Global Karst Research: An Information Needs Assessment for a Globally Distributed Interdisciplinary Community

A survey of the global karst community was conducted in 2006. The survey was distributed via the World Wide Web to known karst researchers. The instrument was designed to generate an initial inventory of core grey information types, to assess levels of usage of grey information by the respondents, and to gauge the karst community's willingness to participate in building and expanding both this collection and the associated controlled vocabularies.
Computerized analysis of lesions in US images of the breast.

Rationale and Objectives. Breast sonography is not routinely used to distinguish benign from malignant solid masses because of considerable overlap in their sonographic appearances. The purpose of this study was to investigate the computerized analyses of breast lesions in ultrasonographic (US) images in order to ultimately aid in the task of discriminating between malignant and benign lesions. Materials and Methods. Features related to lesion margin, shape, homogeneity (texture), and posterior acoustic attenuation pattern in US images of the breast were extracted and calculated. The study database contained 184 digitized US images from 58 patients with 78 lesions. Benign lesions were confirmed at biopsy or cyst aspiration or with image interpretation alone; malignant lesions were confirmed at biopsy. Performance of the various individual features and output from linear discriminant analysis in distinguishing benign from malignant lesions was studied by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results. At ROC analysis, the feature characterizing the margin yielded A z values (area under the ROC curve) of 0.85 and 0.75 in distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions for the entire database and for an “equivocal” database, respectively. The equivocal database contained lesions that had been proved to be benign or malignant at cyst aspiration or biopsy. Linear discriminant analysis round-robin runs yielded A z values of 0.94 and 0.87 in distinguishing benign from malignant lesions for the entire database and for the equivocal database, respectively. Conclusion. Computerized analysis of US images has the potential to increase the specificity of breast sonography.
Polymer conformation in mixed aqueous-polar organic solvents

Abstract The conformation of the common polysaccharide dextran has been investigated in mixed solvents at two different temperatures using viscosity measurements. In particular we considered binary mixtures of water with the polar organic solvents glycerol, formamide, dimethylsulfoxide, or ethanol. The intrinsic viscosity of dextran T500 in the different systems has been determined, and the solvent effects, as manifested in variations of the dextran intrinsic viscosity and coil radius, have been correlated to the surface tension and the fractional solubility parameters of the solvent mixture. The coil dimension changes observed in the different solvent mixtures are consistent with expectations from water–cosolvent–dextran interactions, especially as they pertain to hydrogen bonding.
Organizing and searching the world wide web of facts -- step two: harnessing the wisdom of the crowds

As part of a large effort to acquire large repositories of facts from unstructured text on the Web, a seed-based framework for textual information extraction allows for weakly supervised extraction of class attributes (e.g., side effects and generic equivalent for drugs) from anonymized query logs. The extraction is guided by a small set of seed attributes, without any need for handcrafted extraction patterns or further domain-specific knowledge. The attributes of classes pertaining to various domains of interest to Web search users have accuracy levels significantly exceeding current state of the art. Inherently noisy search queries are shown to be a highly valuable, albeit unexplored, resource for Web-based information extraction, in particular for the task of class attribute extraction.
Postsynaptic membrane folds of the frog neuromuscular junction visualized by scanning electron microscopy.

Abstract We have used a scanning electron microscope to study the morphology of the postsynaptic folds in frog muscle. These folds were exposed by digesting muscles in collagenase or osmium tetroxide. During digestion the connective tissue and basement lamina were removed and the presynaptic nerve terminal pulled away from the muscle surface to reveal one or more concave junctional grooves, within which the folds in the postsynaptic membrane could be clearly seen. In places the folding patterns were more complex than could be inferred from single thin-section electron micrographs. The ease with which the postsynaptic folds of vertebrate muscles can be directly observed using this technique now makes it possible to investigate subtle changes in their structure during synaptogenesis, denervation or disease.
Development of decision rationale in complex group decision making

This study explores the characteristics of rationale development in a complex group decision making task and considers design implications for better supporting rationale development in group decision making. Twelve three-person, multi-role teams performed three instances of a collaborative decision making task with physical maps. We used rhetorical structure theory to analyze the structure of their decision making discourse. We found that groups begin their reasoning processing by stating and relating information and finish their reasoning through a point-counterpoint discussion. We also found that established groups reduced their need to analyze information during the last moments of a decision. Implications for the design of group decision support systems to encourage rationale development are presented.
Mycoplasma contamination of animal cell cultures: a simple, rapid detection method

Abstract Animal cell cultures infected with mycoplasma exhibit high levels of uridine phosphorylase activity. A simple chromatographic technique has been devised to measure this enzymatic activity, and, thus, detect contaminated cell cultures.
Laboratory Methods to Remove Surface Layers from Cereal Grains Using a Seed Scarifier and Comparison with a Barley Pearler

ABSTRACT The distribution of nutrients and undesirable components within a cereal seed is heterogeneous, and many of the valuable nutrients are located in the outer layers. Efficient laboratory methods to remove these layers will allow for the experimental production of value-added products. A seed scarifier (SS) was used to abrade barleys, and factors affecting abrading performance and the quality of end fractions including sample charge size, mode of operation, motor speed, and cereal species were investigated. Results showed that the level of surface removal decreased as the sample charge size increased. Compared with a continuous abrading mode (only one abrading cycle per sample), a successive abrading mode (multiple abrading cycles per sample) not only provided a means to collect different fractions of outer layers and remaining kernels, but also minimized kernel breakage and gave more uniform removal of outer layers among seeds. Reduction in motor speeds tended to decrease removal efficiency but sig...
Effect of residual acrylamide monomer from two-dimensional gels on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization peptide mass mapping experiments.

Residual acrylamide can cause severe suppression of signal intensity during matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) peptide mass mapping experiments. This suppression phenomenon can compromise the ability to detect low picomole and subpicomolar amounts of peptides extracted from two-dimensional gels. A rapid and simple method that exploits the use of pipette tips incorporating C18 packing materials for the enhancement of MALDI signal intensity is presented. The utility of the method is demonstrated with peptide solutions incorporating residual acrylamide and/or gel monomer components. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Role of hydrogen bonding in organic cation discrimination by gallbladder epithelium.

THE main route of ion permeation across some epithelia, including that of the gallbladder, is by the so-called ‘tight’ junctions between adjacent cells1. In the case of the gallbladder, this pathway is much more permeable to cations than to anions, and it also discriminates markedly among different inorganic cations2,3. We have extended selective permeability measurements to a series of small amines in the form with one positive charge (compare ref. 4). The rationale behind these experiments is that permeability differences among cationic amines may help to identify the chemical nature and arrangement of ion-selective sites, as well as the possible existence of steric restraints in the permeation channel. The results indicate that gallbladder ‘tight’ junctions contain proton-acceptor sites which distinguish more markedly among cationic proton donors than does water.
Shunt complications in the first postoperative year in children with meningomyelocele.

The authors analyze the incidence of early mechanical and infective CSF shunt complications and various factors that might be correlated with the incidence in a series of 170 children affected by hydrocephalus and meningomyelocele (MM), with the aim of finding specific risk factors related to this particular type of hydrocephalus. Factors investigated for correlation with CSF shunt malfunction are the following: level of the spinal malformation, age of the patient at MM repair, age at diagnosis of hydrocephalus, degree of the ventricular dilatation, age at CSF shunt implantation, modality of the surgical procedure, characteristics of CSF at operation. In the first postoperative year following CSF shunting, 45.9% of the patients presented one shunt malfunction, three-quarters of which were due to mechanical causes, and one quarter to infection. Age of the patient at diagnosis of hydrocephalus and at CSF shunt operation did not significantly influence shunt patency, nor did the surgical modality (programmed vs emergency procedure). On the other hand, MM level did influence the outcome of CSF shunting: a higher percentage of malfunctions (and in particular of infective complications) was observed among the patients with “high level” MMs than in the group with more caudal location of the spinal defect. Similarly, the degree of ventricular dilatation correlated with the incidence of complications (more severe ventricular dilatation was associated with the highest incidence of complications). The order in which MM repair and CSF shunting were carried out and the age of the patients at MM repair did not affect the occurrence of mechanical complications, whereas they had a significant effect on the incidence of infective complications. In fact, the rate of overall complications, and of infective complications in particular, was proportional the age at MM repair. Furthermore, the group of children who underwent to MM repair and CSF shunting simultaneously scored the lowest percentage of complications, although these were mainly infections; the highest incidence of complications (and in particular of infective ones) was observed in the children who underwent CSF shunting first. The most striking correlation, however, was found with the characteristics of CSF. While normal CSF values correlated with an overall incidence of complications of 39.2%, abnormal CSF values were correlated with a rate of complications of 90.9%; in particular, the rates of infective complications were 2.7% and 77.3%, respectively. On the grounds of these observations a protocol is proposed of temporary CSF external drainage in children requiring prompt relief of increased intracranial pressure but at risk for the presence of a leaking spinal defect or of a MM left unrepaired for more than 48 h.
EQUIVALENCE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DIFFUSE RADIATION FIELDS FOR FINITE SLABS BOUNDED BY A PERFECT SPECULAR REFLECTOR AND A PERFECT ABSORBER

Abstract As part of a study of computational methods in radiative transfer problems, we present some simple algebraic relationships between source functions, as well as transmitted, reflected, and internal intensities, for a finite slab bounded by a completely absorbing layer and the same slab bounded by a perfect specular reflector. The paper also provides numerical checks on these equivalence relationships.
Predictive Evolution of Fuel From a Liquid Pool Fire: Phenomenology Identification and Ranking Exercise

A liquid pool fire evaporates the liquid fuel at a rate that is governed by heat and mass transport. Predictive evolution of vaporized fuel from a pool can be obtained only by applying the correct boundary conditions and modeling the significant physics of the pool. However, pool fires can occur in a variety of configurations, and the significant physics of a fire change depending on the environment of the fire. Sandia National Laboratories has invested in fire experiments and modeling for a wide variety of scales and configurations over the last 40 years, and an accumulation of this knowledge can be applied to assessing the relative importance of various phenomena. This paper consolidates existing knowledge in the context of phenomena identification and ranking in order to guide future efforts aimed at improving the quantitative predictive capabilities of liquid fuel pool models. Ultimately, the intent is to converge to a predictive model of a liquid pool fire that can be implemented in a CFD model and confidently applied to risk assessment studies.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Sovereignty and science: revisiting the role of science in the construction and erosion of medical dominance.

��� In the opening pages of The Social Transformation of American Medicine (1982), Paul Starr writes of the central place of science in building medicine’s dominance as a social institution in twentieth-century America. Science, it seems, provided one essential element —a crucial pillar of intellectual and social authority bolstering the growing status of American medicine. In Starr’s telling, even if new sciences such as bacteriology did not determine the rise of the profession, they lent enormous cultural legitimacy to medicine. Moreover, such sciences provided a new unity to an enterprise that had been — throughout the nineteenth century — fragmented by sectarians and lacking cultural credibility. Science, in short, underwrote the social transformation and emerging sovereignty of modern medicine in the twentieth century. Historians have long been fascinated by, and somewhat skeptical of, the neatness of this narrative. The following pages reexamine the role of sciJournal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, Vol. 29, Nos. 4‐5, August‐October 2004. Copyright © 2004 by Duke University Press.