cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Three-dimensional finite element analysis in cylindrical coordinates for nonlinear solid mechanics problems

Abstract A formulation for three-dimensional nonlinear finite element analysis in cylindrical coordinates in presented. The elements are isoparametric with the same interpolation functions used to represent the geometry and the physical displacement components. The elements can be used for general three-dimensional analysis, but they are most effective for cases when the geometry and the response are best described in cylindrical coordinates. In contrast to formulations in Cartesian coordinates, the foregoing formulation allows the exact representation of a circular shape. For structures with circular geometries, the improved accuracy of the elements can provide better finite element predictions and reduce the number of elements needed in the circumferential direction. The reduction in the number of elements can result in a significant recuction in computer resources needed for large three-dimensional analyses, particularly in the presence of nonlinearities. Whereas the elements may, for some problems, be less efficient than semianalytic elements, the generality of the interpolation provides greater flexibility in modeling different shapes and responses. The mathematical formulation of the three-dimensional finite element equations in cylindrical coordinates is first described for finite strain and deformation. The advantages and additional complexities associated with the cylindrical coordinate formulation are discussed, and the implementation into finite element codes is described. Numerical studies are then presented for two static nonlinear three-dimensional problems: a pneumatic tire in contact with a rigid pavement and the skew bending of a stiffened annular plate. The finite element predictions of the cylindrical coordinate formulation are compared to experimental data and to the predictions from a commercial code using isoparametric finite elements developed in Cartesian coordinates.
Direct Effects of Medroxyprogesterone Acetate on Testes: Possible Mechanisms Examined by Testicular Perfusion

The uptake of 3H-testosterone by the nuclear androgen receptor of rat testis was studied using a perfusion system which was adapted for the simultaneous perfusion of 8 testes. Following perfusion with 3H-testosterone, the major nuclear steroid in the testis of hypophysectomized rats was testosterone rather than one of its 5α-metabolites. The accumulation of 3H-testosterone in testicular nuclei was saturable, inhibited by perfusion with excess testosterone or 4 progestins (including medroxyprogesterone acetate, MPA) which are known to bind to the androgen receptor. Saturation of testicular androgen receptors with 3H-MPA could not be demonstrated due to the high non-specific binding of this non-polar steroid. However, specific binding of 3H-MPA was demonstrated by fractionation of salt-extractable testicular nuclear receptor on sucrose gradients. Perfused rat testes were also used to examine the direct effects of MPA on testosterone secretion. When testes were perfused with MPA, 20 μg/ml (but not 1 μg/ml) both basal and hCG induced testosterone secretion were inhibited 30 % and 60 %, respectively. In conclusion, MPA could exert a direct effect on testis via the androgen receptor as it docs in other androgen responsive tissues. Another direct effect of this progestin on the testis could be by inhibiting testosterone secretion. 7his response requires high levels of MPA in the perfusion medium suggesting that this might be a pharmacological effect of this pregestin.
Composition changes and empirical models

Empirical model descriptions of the response of the neutral thermosphere to magnetic activity have become increasingly sophisticated over the last two decades. The latest CIRA model (MSIS-86) includes a dependence of the thermospheric response to magnetic activity on altitude, latitude, local time, season, longitude, UT, and time history of magnetic activity. A primary assumption is that density changes are directly related to the measured magnetic activity and the goal is for the model to be representative of the typical or average response for any given level of magnetic activity under specified ancillary conditions. Unfortunately, available measurements for the larger storms are too sparse to give good averages and storm response may not be uniquely represented by current magnetic indices. Point by point comparisons with the MSIS-86 model have standard deviations of 20 percent for 0 and 30 percent for N2 and He at high latitudes during storm conditions.
Sacral neuromodulation and cardiac pacemakers

Introduction and hypothesis Potential for cross-talk between cardiac pacemakers and sacral neuromodulation remains speculative.
Joint Alpharma-Beef Species Symposium: considerations on puberty in replacement beef heifers.

Many important changes occur through- out reproductive development in beef heifers, including during the prenatal, early postnatal, and peripubertal periods. Wave-like patterns of follicular development have been observed in heifer calves as early as 2 wk of age. Some dramatic changes occur from about 2 to 5 mo of age, most notably the transient increase in LH secretion. Most components of the hypothalamic-pitu- itary-ovarian axis are fully competent by approximately 5 to 6 mo of age. Peripubertal changes include increases in LH secretion, estradiol production, follicular devel- opment, and reproductive tract size. Eventually, the process reaches the point that the initial ovulation is achieved. Heifers that reach puberty and experience multiple estrous cycles before the onset of their initial breeding season have a greater probability for early conception and optimal lifetime productivity. Attain- ment of puberty typically occurs at around 12 to 14 mo of age in beef heifers but varies greatly. Genetic differ- ences and environmental factors contribute to this vari- ation. In typical U.S. cow-calf operations, calves are generally weaned at approximately 200 d of age. The impact of postweaning management on age at puberty in heifers has been demonstrated, and there is consid- erable fl exibility in the timing of gain from weaning to breeding. However, even when heifers are grown to the desired BW before the start of breeding, there remains a pronounced variation in the timing of puber- ty, which impacts pregnancy rates. Less attention has been focused on the impact of preweaning management on age at puberty. Heifer calves with increased growth rates from birth to weaning have reached puberty at ear- lier ages. Precocious puberty has also been induced in a majority of heifers with early weaning and feeding a high-concentrate diet. Nutritional control during early maturation in heifers exerts a substantial infl uence on the timing of puberty. Understanding the mechanisms involved in reproductive development increases our ability to effectively manage replacement beef heifers for optimal reproductive performance.
SMOOTH: a simple way to model human mobility

In addition to being realistic, a mobility model should be easy to understand and use. Unfortunately, most of the simple mobility models proposed thus far are not realistic and most of the realistic mobility models proposed thus far are not simple to use. The main contribution of this work is to present SMOOTH, a new mobility model that is realistic (e.g., SMOOTH is based on several known features of human movement) and is simple to use (e.g., SMOOTH does not have any complex input parameters). We first present SMOOTH. We then validate that SMOOTH imitates human movement patterns present in real mobility traces collected from a range of diverse scenarios. In addition, we compare SMOOTH with the other mobility models developed based on these mobility traces. Thus, with SMOOTH, we provide researchers with a tool that allows them to leverage the statistical features present in real human movement in a simple and easy to understand manner.
Designing Random Allocation Mechanisms: Theory and Applications

Randomization is commonplace in everyday resource allocation. We generalize the theory of randomized assignment to accommodate multi-unit allocations and various real-world constraints, such as group-specific quotas (“controlled choice”) in school choice and house allocation, and scheduling and curriculum constraints in course allocation. We develop new mechanisms that are ex ante efficient and fair in these environments, and that incorporate certain non-additive substitutable preferences. We also develop a “utility guarantee” technique that limits ex post unfairness in random allocations, supplementing the ex ante fairness promoted by randomization. This can be applied to multi-unit assignment problems and certain two-sided matching problems. (JEL C78, D82)
Imaging white matter in human brainstem

The human brainstem is critical for the control of many life-sustaining functions, such as consciousness, respiration, sleep, and transfer of sensory and motor information between the brain and the spinal cord. Most of our knowledge about structure and organization of white and gray matter within the brainstem is derived from ex vivo dissection and histology studies. However, these methods cannot be applied to study structural architecture in live human participants. Tractography from diffusion-weighted MRI may provide valuable insights about white matter organization within the brainstem in vivo. However, this method presents technical challenges in vivo due to susceptibility artifacts, functionally dense anatomy, as well as pulsatile and respiratory motion. To investigate the limits of MR tractography, we present results from high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) of an intact excised human brainstem performed at 11.1T using isotropic resolution of 0.333, 1, and 2 mm, with the latter reflecting resolution currently used clinically. At the highest resolution, the dense fiber architecture of the brainstem is evident, but the definition of structures degrades as resolution decreases. In particular, the inferred corticopontine/corticospinal tracts (CPT/CST), superior (SCP) and middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP), and medial lemniscus (ML) pathways are clearly discernable and follow known anatomical trajectories at the highest spatial resolution. At lower resolutions, the CST/CPT, SCP, and MCP pathways are artificially enlarged due to inclusion of collinear and crossing fibers not inherent to these three pathways. The inferred ML pathways appear smaller at lower resolutions, indicating insufficient spatial information to successfully resolve smaller fiber pathways. Our results suggest that white matter tractography maps derived from the excised brainstem can be used to guide the study of the brainstem architecture using diffusion MRI in vivo.
Periodic Variability in the Large-Scale Southern Hemisphere Atmospheric Circulation

Periodic behavior in the climate system has important implications not only for weather prediction but also for understanding and interpreting the physical processes that drive climate variability. Here we demonstrate that the large-scale Southern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation exhibits marked periodicity on time scales of approximately 20 to 30 days. The periodicity is tied to the Southern Hemisphere baroclinic annular mode and emerges in hemispheric-scale averages of the eddy fluxes of heat, the eddy kinetic energy, and precipitation. Observational and theoretical analyses suggest that the oscillation results from feedbacks between the extratropical baroclinicity, the wave fluxes of heat, and radiative damping. The oscillation plays a potentially profound role in driving large-scale climate variability throughout much of the mid-latitude Southern Hemisphere.
The budgetary role of the media specialist in the restructured school

T imes they are a changing, and nowhere will this be more evident than in the public schools of the new century and in the roles of the people who occupy those schools, including school media specialists, who will be allocated an expanded role in the budgetary process as schools search for means to more efficiently utilize the available education dollar. Two phenomena are bringing about this change: restructuring and the declining school dollar.
A model for extraction of diagnostic information from laser induced fluorescence spectra of human artery wall

Abstract We have developed a method of analyzing fluorescence signals from optically thick tissue, which can be used to extract important clinical information about tissue type and chemical composition. Our model describes the composite tissue spectrum in terms of contributions from fluorophores and absorbers which modulate the intrinsic fluorescence spectrum. Scattering is included empirically in the model by describing absorbing species with ‘attenuation spectra’, which include contributions from both absorption and scattering. We present an analysis of laser induced fluorescence data obtained from normal and atherosclerotic human artery wall in vitro . We show that the model can be used to separate effects due to fluorescence and absorption, and to deconvolute contributions from individual chromophores, extracting information about their relative concentrations. This information can be utilized to diagnose tissue type more accurately than empirical algorithms, and may potentially prove to be useful in determining the chemical composition of atherosclerotic lesions in vivo .
The London Police and the Holy War: Ritualism and St. George's-In-the East, London, 1859-1860

In 1859-60 Londoners were treated to the unusual and alarming spectacle of disturbances in the East End Anglican church of St. George's-in-the-East. The cause of the disorder was Ritualism, the introduction of High-Church rituals into the Sunday services. At St. George's it was hardly a learned dispute among theologians, but a weekly brawl that pitted the Ritualist rector against a largely hostile and disruptive congregation trying to restore the simpler traditional forms. The vexatious problems of public order at St. George's amplified the issue and brought it before the public in a strident way. This not only made obvious the tensions within the parish in question, but also the growing liturgical differences within the Church of England as well. The latter problem had been a knotty one for the Anglican Church officials (who had been unhappy about the innovations from the start), and also for the civil authorities— especially the police—who found themselves legally limited in trying to deal with the disorders. St. George's brought the police into a situation in which the law limited their actions, leaving them with a series of irritating disturbances to deal with as best they could. The result was some loss of public support, mainly from the working classes who saw the police as enforcers of unwelcome religious changes. The Reformation had pushed the focus of religious activity from the altar to the pulpit, but the Tractarianism of the 1840s and the resulting Ritualist movement were a reversal of this. As a movement within the Church of England, Ritualism was nourished both by ritual innovations at Oxford and especially Cambridge, and by the general historical revival of the age. The effects were increasingly manifest in the diversity in the conduct of Anglican services in the 1840s and 1850s.1
Surface Chemistry and Interfacial Bonding of Benzyl Isocyanide on Cu(111)

The adsorption, thermal chemistry and interfacial electronic structure of benzyl isocyanide (BzNC, C6H5CH2NC) dosed on Cu(111) at 160 K have been studied using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). During TPD, BzNC dissociates above 280 K, leading to desorption of C6H5CH3, H2, and HCN. Intact BzNC also desorbs with local rate maxima at four different temperatures247, 285, 340, and 455 Kdenoted β1−β4. The major peak (β1, 455 K) is present for all doses. The other three β peaks grow in together and appear as β1 approaches saturation. The β2 peak at 247 K is very narrow and is attributed to BzNC desorption from crowded 2D islands accompanied by a stabilizing rearrangement of the remaining BzNC. Reflecting a strong permanent dipole that is oriented perpendicular to the surface, adsorption of 1 monolayer (ML) of BzNC on Cu(111) lowers the work function by 2.35 eV. The XPS and UPS results for this saturation coverage at...
The molecular weight of the polypeptide chains of yeast phosphofructokinase

Summary When proteolytic artifacts were prevented, yeast phosphofructokinase was found to contain six polypeptide chains each having a molecular weight of 10 5 .
Methionine synthesis from 5-methylthioribose in apple tissue

Abstract The primary fate of 5-methylthioribose in apple tissue is the formation of methionine. Using dual labeled 5-methylthioribose, it was shown that both the CH 3 S- group and the ribose portion of 5-methylthioribose were equally incorporated into methionine. Thus, the pathway involves modification of the ribose portion of 5-methylthioribose into the 2-aminobutyrate portion of methionine. This pathway functions to recycle methionine for continued synthesis of ethylene in fruit tissues. The methionine cycle in relation to ethylene biosynthesis is presented.
Engineering and evolvability

Comparing engineering to evolution typically involves adaptationist thinking, where well-designed artifacts are likened to well-adapted organisms, and the process of evolution is likened to the process of design. A quite different comparison is made when biologists focus on evolvability instead of adaptationism. Here, the idea is that complex integrated systems, whether evolved or engineered, share universal principles that affect the way they change over time. This shift from adaptationism to evolvability is a significant move for, as I argue, we can make sense of these universal principles without making any adaptationism claims. Furthermore, evolvability highlights important aspects of engineering that are ignored in the adaptationist debates. I introduce some novel engineering examples that incorporate these key neglected aspects, and use these examples to challenge some commonly cited contrasts between engineering and evolution, and to highlight some novel resemblances that have gone unnoticed.
Presidential address: Evidence-based decision making: What will it take for the decision makers to care?

Over the past 10 years, there has been a growing emphasis on evidence-based policy and practice throughout in the United States and elsewhere around the world. This should be music to the ears of the APPAM membership, as most of us entered our professions, in no small part, to feed our personal interests in helping make the world a better place. The field of public policy research has changed enormously in the 26 years since the founding of APPAM in ways that have improved the quality of evidence that can be produced, expanded the breadth of questions addressed, and broadened avenues for communicating findings. Still, we are far from a world in which evidence is routinely and smartly produced and integrated into decision making. APPAM’s mission is to “[improve] public policy and management by fostering excellence in research, analysis, and education.” Yet, much of the research we produce is ignored or misused for three main reasons. First, some of the research produces results that lack credibility. We know how to judge the credibility of study findings and should be vigilant in doing so. Second, much research addresses questions that have intrinsic interest and value, but yield results that are not helpful to policymakers and practitioners and, indeed, may be misinterpreted by them. We should sift and sort the information we direct to the policy and practitioner communities to promote proper interpretation and application of evidence. Third, there are many terrific examples of valuable syntheses of evidence on particular issues. However, there also are many examples of nonsystematic (and, in some cases, biased) reviews of evidence. There are well-established, but poorly disseminated methods for systematically synthesizing evidence on particular questions in ways that provide clear guidance regarding what we do and do not know with a particular degree of confidence. Three personal experiences that have occurred during the course of trying to provide policy-relevant answers to important questions illustrate some challenges in using research for the development and management of public policy and to guide practice. Experience 1. The question is: Are there things that could or should be done to improve the neighborhoods where children live? Three evidence-based answers are: Yes, No, and Maybe. 1 This talk reflects much that I have learned from my colleagues in APPAM and elsewhere, including those who have been my collaborators, my teachers, my mentors, and my students. There are too many of you to name individually. But you know who you are. One or more of you deserves credit for any true insight that may be lurking in this talk. I am grateful to Phoebe Cottingham, Stuart Kerachsky, Lauren Scher, and Matthew Stagner for very useful comments on an early draft of this talk. I alone am responsible for any errors or omissions.
Serous Adenofibroma of the Testicle Case Report and Review of the Literature

Testicular cancer represents the most common malignancy among males between 15 and 34 years of age. 1 Tumors of spermatogenic origin constitute to 95% of testicular neoplasms and are almost always malignant. Non-germ cell primary tumors, including those arising from supporting elements such as Sertoli and Leydig cells, are more often benign. Nonprimary tumors such as lymphoma, leukemia, and metastases can also manifest as testicular masses, usually in older individuals. 1 Rarely, primary testicular tumors resembling mullerian epithelial or stromal tumors of the ovary have been reported. 2-9 Here, we report the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features of a testicular serous adenofibroma.
HOW DOES TORT LAW AFFECT CONSUMER AUTO INSURANCE COSTS

Although proponents of tort reform argue that it will benefit consumers through lowered insurance premiums and increased insurance availability, to date there is limited empirical evidence linking tort law to consumer outlays. Using data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey and a differences-in-differences research design, this article examines whether any of several common state-level modifications to tort law affect consumer costs for auto insurance. Expenditures on auto insurance fall by 12 percent following no-fault repeal and 6 percent following relaxation of collateral source restrictions, but are not measurably affected by bad faith reform, modifications to joint and several liability, or noneconomic damage caps. None of the modifications to tort law generate measurable increases in auto insurance take-up. There is little variation in the impact of the reforms across income, education, and age groups, but no-fault repeal and collateral source reform do disproportionately benefit consumers with lower cost policies.
Hybrid fuzzy-Boolean automata for ontological controllers

This paper introduces a hybrid fuzzy-Boolean finite state machine (HFB FSM) model for ontological control. Ontological control is a novel type supervisory control that deals with the problems of error detection and recovery in complex control systems. The HFB FSM is used as a specification method for the problem of recovery when an autonomous control system encounters unexpected changes in its environment. The method allows a controller B (the ontological controller) to trigger a recovery operation on controller A when B has the recovery specification of A. The approach has important potential applications in industry.
Happy 25th birthday to the International Journal of Cardiology.

The International Journal of Cardiology was born in 1981 [1] and celebrated its 25th birthday this year. I have personally witnessed its growth from its inception and wish to congratulate its editors, past and present, and its publisher Elsevier for their remarkable accomplishments. In a true sense, the International Journal of Cardiology was not really a new journal [1]. Its predecessor, the European Journal of Cardiology, was founded by the same publisher in 1973 [2]. In 1980, the officers of the European Society of Cardiology and the publisher discussed the proposal that the European Journal of Cardiology became the official journal of the European Society of Cardiology. Because of failure to reach an agreement, the European Society of Cardiology decided to publish a new journal, the European Heart Journal, that was to be owned by the European Society of Cardiology and printed by another publisher. Elsevier decided on an international role for the cardiology journal and named it the International Journal of Cardiology with a new editor and a new editorial board [2]. Similar happenings took place with some other cardiology journals over the years. American Heart Journal was the official journal of the American Heart Association starting in 1925; and between 1925 and 1950, it was the only medical journal devoted to cardiology that was published in the United Stated [3]. However, American Heart Journal was not owned by the Association. So the leaders of the Association decided in 1950 to create a new journal, and named it Circulation as the official journal of the American Heart Association which the Association owned [3]. In the meantime, the American Heart Journal continued its publication independent of the American Heart Association, with a different editor and a different editorial board.
Object-oriented crop classification using multitemporal ETM+ SLC-off imagery and random forest

The utility of Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) has been diminished since the 2003 scan-line corrector (SLC) failure. Uncorrected images have data gaps of approximately 22% and gap-filling schemes have been developed to improve their usability. We present a method to classify a northeast Montana agricultural landscape using ETM+ SLC-off imagery without gap-filling. We use multitemporal data analysis and employ an object-oriented approach to define objects, agricultural fields, with cadastral data. This approach was assessed by comparison to a pixel-based approach. Results indicate that an ETM+ SLC-off image can be classified with better than 85% overall accuracy without gap-filling.
Molecular status of the dusky Canada goose (Branta canadensis occidentalis): A genetic assessment of a translocation effort

Until recently, the dusky Canada goose (Branta canadensis occidentalis) was managedas one breeding population from the CopperRiver Delta (CRD), Alaska. Population numberson the CRD have declined precipitously over thelast three decades, due in part to changes inhabitat. In 1981, a pair of Canada geese,presumably B.c. occidentalis, wasreported nesting on Middleton Island (MID), inthe Gulf of Alaska. Numbers of Canada geese onthe island increased in the decade subsequentto a translocation of geese from CRD to MID,but it is unclear whether the increase isattributable to the translocation effort. Weused genetic data derived from three classes ofgenetic markers to clarify relationships ofCanada geese breeding in south-coastal Alaska. Geese were sampled from 5 populations: CRD,MID, Anchorage (ANC), Admiralty Island (ADM) insoutheastern Alaska, and Green Island (GRN) inPrince William Sound (PWS). Mitochondrial DNAanalyses demonstrate Canada geese from MID arenearly monomorphic for a unique haplotype fixedon GRN but not found in CRD or any otherbreeding population. Furthermore, nuclearmarkers consistently cluster MID with GRN tothe exclusion of CRD. We suggest the currentpopulation on MID is not derived from birdstranslocated from CRD, but rather that MID wasmost likely colonised by birds inhabiting otherisland habitats within the PWS. Furthermore,since geese from the CRD share mtDNA haplotypeswith geese from other breeding locales, theyapparently share recent common ancestry and/orgene flow with populations representing othersubspecies. Our genetic data raise questionsabout the validity of current management unitsof Canada geese.
Hole-Rich Host Materials for Blue Phosphorescent OLEDs

Stable and efficient organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) are an integral part of the future of lighting and displays. The hole accumulation at the hole transport/emissive layer interface in such devices is considered to be a major pathway for degradation and efficiency loss. Here we report the design and synthesis of two charge-transporting host materials, based on the phosphine oxide (PO) moiety, engineered to improve hole transport of the emissive layer. The compounds are an extension of a molecular design strategy already explored and reported by our team which incorporates a hole transporting moiety and an electron transporting moiety. These novel materials were designed with two hole transport moieties (HTms) to further improve hole transport, compared to the first generation host materials that were designed with one hole transport functional group. The triplet exciton energy was maintained at a level greater than that of FIrpic (2.7 eV) to prevent exciton quenching. The EHOMO and ELUMO of the two classes of molecules (i.e., one HTm vs. 2 HTms) were similar, however their device performance varied greatly. Emission zone experiments were conducted to further understand the differences between molecules.
ASSURE: automated support for secure and usable requirements engineering

Proper testing is an essential and critical part of any development effort. However, software testing is a complex undertaking, especially in the midst of today's security threats. Hackers, social engineering scams, and unaware users, are just a few potential threats that developers must consider not only during development, but more importantly during testing. There are significant reputation and financial losses related to security aspects that could have been addressed during requirements specification. While a variety of approaches to security requirements specification have been proposed, there is a tangible lack in the support that they offer during testing. In this paper we describe the tool support of a new security requirements engineering technique called SURE-Secure and Usable Requirements Engineering. ASSURE - Automated Support for Secure and Usable Requirements Engineering -, is a system developed to aid in the mapping of security requirements into testing artifacts. This support goes beyond mapping and aids also in the management of users and projects.
Synchronization mechanisms on modern multi-core architectures

While the semiconductor industry has provided us with powerful systems for personal supercomputing, how to efficiently harness the computing power of these systems still remains a major unsolved problem. This challenge must be approached by simultaneously solving the synchronization problem and the parallel programmability problem. This paper reviews the synchronization issues in modern parallel computer architectures, surveys the state of the art approaches used to alleviate these problems, and proposes our Request-Store-Forward (RSF) model of synchronization. This model splits the atomic synchronization operations into two phases, thus freeing the processing elements from polling operations. Finally, we show how we could learn from nature and improve the overall system performance by closely coupling peripheral computing units and functional units.
Matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity in the cerebrospinal fluid and serum of dogs with acute spinal cord trauma from intervertebral disk disease

Objective—To detect matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 in serum and CSF and determine relationships between MMP activity and severity of disease, duration of clinical signs, and duration of hospitalization in dogs with acute intervertebral disk disease (IVDD). Animals—35 dogs with acute IVDD and 8 clinically normal control dogs. Procedure—CSF and serum were collected from affected and control dogs. Zymography was used to detect MMP-9. Results—Activity of MMP-9 in CSF was detected in 6 of 35 dogs with IVDD; activity was significantly more common in dogs with duration of signs < 24 hours. Paraplegic dogs were more likely to have MMP-9 activity in the CSF than non-paraplegic dogs. No significant difference in hospitalization time was detected in dogs with IVDD between those with and without activity of MMP-9 in the CSF. Serum MMP-9 was detected more frequently in dogs with IVDD than in control dogs. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Data were consistent with results of experimental rodent spinal cord injury s...
Obstetric Nephrology: Pregnancy and the Kidney—Inextricably Linked

This issue's Moving Points highlights the challenges and victories of a subspecialty within nephrology, obstetric nephrology. This article presents an overview of the renal physiology of normal pregnancy and exciting new developments in the understanding of both common renal disorders, such as lupus nephritis, diabetic kidney disease, and preeclampsia, and less common but life-threatening disorders, such as thrombotic microangiopathies.
Effects of Inadequate Driveway Corner Clearances on Traffic Operations, Safety, and Capacity

Inadequate driveway corner clearances can result in traffic operational, safety, and capacity problems. These problems can be caused by blocked driveway ingress and egress movements, incomplete turning maneuvers, conflicting intersection turning movements, confusing right-turn signal indications, insufficient weaving and merging section lengths, and various other conflicts. The effects of driveway corner clearances on safety cannot be examined easily through safety records given the current condition of the available crash and system inventory data. This provides incentives for applying theoretical traffic conflict analysis. A simple conflict analysis showed an increase in merging and crossing conflict points for driveways situated near intersections. Inadequate corner clearance can have a capacity-reducing effect. Driveway capacity may be reduced by (a) vehicles on the arterial blocking driveway egress movements and (b) a decreased opportunity for left-turn egress movement on arterial streets designed for platoon progression. Intersection capacity can also be reduced by a decrease in saturation flow rates due to driveway ingress and egress movements.
Self-quenching, Forward-bias-reset for Single Photon Avalanche Detectors in 1.8V, 0.18µm process

We present a fully integrated, Single Photon Avalanche Detector (SPAD) using only standard low-voltage (1.8V) CMOS devices in a 0.18µm process. The system requires one high-voltage AC signal which alternately reverse biases the SPADs into avalanche breakdown and then resets with a forward bias. The proposed self-quenching circuit intrinsically suppresses after-pulse effects, improving signal to noise ratio while still permitting fine time resolution. The required high-voltage AC signal can be generated by resonant structures and can be shared across arrays of SPADs.
Mobile phones as mediators of health behavior change in cardiovascular disease in developing countries.

The global burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is becoming a growing problem in developing countries. Successful self-management of CVD is dependent on a multitude of factors including social support communication with health care providers careful monitoring and other determinants. The growing market penetration and the communication properties of mobile phones create opportunities for innovation in promoting CVD self-management through support of lifestyle and behavior modification. Mobile phones support various modes of communication and interaction have fewer adoption barriers and are more prevalent than other available technologies in developing countries. However mobile phone interventions are not without many challenges such as mobile infrastructure electric infrastructure access to mobile devices and appropriate user interfaces for interaction. In this paper we discuss current evidence as well as research opportunities to explore the role of mobile phones in supporting behavior modification in developing countries.
Emergency department crowding: A national perspective

Study objectives: Our objective in this study is to profile diurnal variability in hourly emergency department (ED) census using the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS). Methods: A secondary analysis of ED visits in the NHAMCS survey for 2001 was performed. A sample of 34,546 ED visits was used to profile diurnal variability of hourly ED census. A hot-deck method was used to impute missing visit length and arrival time data. The hourly ED census was calculated from the time of arrival and visit length, using survey estimates that incorporated population weights. Results: The census varied 2.8-fold over the course of the day. The census was 1.8 times higher on days and 2.1 times higher on evenings than between midnight and 7:59 am . Thirteen and a half percent of ED patients were admitted. Their visit length averaged 74% longer than the average for ED patients who were discharged. Admitted patients constituted 20% to 31% of the hourly census. The highest percentage was during the morning hours. Walkout rates increased from 0.87% in the lowest quartile of census to 1.66% in the highest quartile. Conclusion: Diurnal variability in ED crowding can be profiled nationally by calculating hourly ED census. ED crowding varies significantly over the course of the day, and admitted patients contribute disproportionately to crowding.
The Nature of Science as a Foundation for Teaching Science: Evolution as a Case Study

This chapter presents the approach applied in several inservice institutes for secondary school biology teachers with a focus on evolution and the nature of science. Here we present the rationale, review the pedagogical strategies and several of the lessons, and provide the evidence that the institutes made a major difference in how teachers taught both the science of evolution and the nature of science. In this chapter we will provide sufficient detail so that others can evaluate and adapt our approach in working with inservice and preservice high school teachers. The combination of evolution and the nature of science is particularly effective in addressing many of the core issues within the nature of science. We feel that it is essential to present evolution in the context of the nature of science — specifically, to present it as the better choice of those so far proposed for explaining whole classes of facts in biology and anthropology. This allows teachers to emphasize that explanation is the central task of science and otherwise to explain the nature of science and the criteria used in science for selecting among alternative theories. It is important to help teachers and students understand that this exemplifies the nature of science generally. In addition, the teaching of evolution and related topics remains perhaps the single greatest content -related problem that high school science teachers must confront. Since evolution is the central organizing theory for all of biology, this problem is most severe in secondary school biology, but it also affects much of the rest of the science curriculum.
Redemptive Lawyering: The First (and Missing) Half of Legal Education and Law Practice

I have found over the years that law students instinctively sense that something fundamental is missing in legal education and law practice. They seem to ask: "Where is the rest of my attorney role? Where is the part where I show others how to shore up the ‘front-end' of day-to-day social interaction and community building so that there are fewer matters to construct and process using formal legal skills on the ‘back-end’? Who are we as lawyers before we are reduced to ‘second-half’ problem solvers?”The current obstacle to such experimentation with the lawyer role is that legal education and law practice do little to fulfill attorneys as complete people. Once people are convinced that attorneys can and ought to enter the picture much sooner to redeem people and not simply solve problems, society can expect legal professionals to address the underlying source of so many difficulties – the lack of recognition of the inherent value and worth of supportive relationships – and not merely treat the latest symptoms.This article explains how this can and does already happen in law school classes and clinical experiences. In Part II, I discuss how legal education can promote redemptive lawyering. To that end, I describe two in-class exercises that enable law students to recognize and correct their gross under-utilization of the gifts brought to legal study and the practice of law: the Updated Personal Statement exercise and the Selection of Team Field Projects. These exercises, along with the clinical skill of critical reflection that is introduced at the same time, provide a pattern for students to follow as they serve as "first-half" redemptive lawyers, improving community life inside the classroom, throughout the law school, and in the neighborhood.In Part III there is an extended account illustrating first-half lawyering in action, from clumsy missteps on the part of the students, to amazing personal and social progress on everyone's part.There is no escaping the urgent need to address the alienation most Americans feel in relation to the legal system in general and lawyers in particular. All law schools should be duty bound to teach creative ways that lawyers can employ to decrease the demand for legal services – e.g., by getting involved beforehand and practicing redemptive lawyering, thereby helping the people themselves construct inexpensive, user-friendly methods for consensus building as the first option.
Invited commentary on meta-analysis of epidemiologic data: the case of calcium intake and blood pressure.

Taken together, the paper by Cappuccio et al. (1) and the comments by Birkett (2) in this issue on a 1995 meta-analysis of the relation between dietary calcium intake and blood pressure provide an excellent case study of the strengths and weaknesses of meta-analysis in epidemiology. The two papers illustrate how (and how not) to extract data from published papers, to review the calculations for extraordinarily influential studies to include or for overlapping results to exclude, and to combine results with an appropriate concern for heterogeneity. They also show why experienced epidemiologists have made some of their recommendations about good practices in meta-analysis, and they illustrate the strengths and limits of using metaanalysis to analyze public health policy. Cappuccio et al. (1) summarized the statistical association between dietary calcium intake and blood pressure by identifying 23 epidemiologic studies that included regression coefficients and standard errors for the relation between dietary calcium intake and blood pressure. Birkett's (2) major contribution is to note that eight of these 23 estimates were incorrect; making the corrections strengthens the evidence of an association. The biggest difference is seen in the systolic blood pressure readings for men. In the original analysis, the estimated regression slope was —0.010, with a 95 percent confidence interval of —0.017 to —0.003. Depending on which studies were included, Birkett provides estimates ranging from —0.38 (95 percent confidence interval (CI) —0.44 to -0.25) to -0.31 (95 percent CI -0.41 to -0.21). Although both sets of results are qualitatively similar in that the confidence intervals are entirely below 0.00, the relation and the evidence for it are much stronger in Birkett's analysis than in the analysis of Cappuccio et al.
Preemptive Rate-based Batching Approach in Data Stream System

A preemptive rate-based batching approach is proposed based on the characters of the data stream.A query plan is a sequence of operators.Operators in a query plan are divided into different operator units,which are given different priorities in the scheduling strategy.To improve the efficiency of the continuous query,the approach is preemptive and operator units’ priorities are changed while the system factors alter.Some experiments prove that the approach can not only improve the system’s performance,but also decrease the average latency time of tuples and improve the output rate of tuples greatly.
THE PREDICTING METHOD OF THE LITHOLOGICAL RATIO IN CARBONATE STRATA

In the practical operation, especially to the carbonate strata, predicting lithological ratio of the object layer between wells or in no-wells regions is realized with seismic velocity information. This article proofreads the systematic errors between the dip and the seismic-acoustic velocity of the velocity spectrum, and so, the interval velocity information of the original seismic sequence can be dependably gained. On the basis of this, several models are established: lithological predicting models, interval velocity model of the seismic sequence, compaction model of the high and low velocity layers, geological model, equivalence model, mathematical model. The lithological ratio of the studied layers is quantitatively predicted with these models. On the basis of the studied layer being finally divided into many layers, and according to the number of different lithological types, stratigraphical lithology is simplified to binary structure that is calculated and proofread. Carbonate lithological ratio can be gained in corresponding high velocity layers. The predicting effects are very good to Carboniferous strata in southwest Tarim basin.
Design of air conversion device for three-operating conditions conversion test of solid-fuel ramjet

An air conversion device,which can control air conversion between overflow and non-overflow,has been designed according to the sequence request of solid-fuel ramjet three-operating conditions conversion test.According to the test results and the analysis,the working pressure of cylinder is between 0.5 MPa and 0.8 MPa.The cylinder need not be cooled under 4 kg/s flow rate and 550 K temperature due to because the good insulation and sealing effect of asbestos gasket.But it need be cooled under 6 kg/s flow rate and 625 K temperature.The air conversion device meets the requirements of test and pasesses the advantages of reasonable structure and simple operation.
Study the relativity of appraisal target to eliminates the iodine deficiency disorders

Objective Study the relativity of newborn umbilical blood and neonate heel blood TSH level with its matrix gestation period urine iodine level in iodine nutrition sufficient condition. Methods The iodine nutrition sufficient area was selected where the civilian' s house salt iodine met the standard rate 20 mg/kg ,8～10 year old children median urinary iodine≥100 mg/L and goiter prevalence of children 5% determined by B-ultrasound. Urine specimens of different time point of the pregnant woman were collected and determined. TSH level of the newborn umbilical blood and the neonate heel blood was measured the TSH level using enzyme immunity analysis (EIA) and radiation immunity analysis (RIA). Results In 956 pregnant women urinary iodine of different period was averaged 256.4μg/L,with a minimum value of 32.6μg/L and a maximum value of 2 153μg/L. In 289 samples of newborn umbilical blood collected,the TSH averaged 2.32 mU/L,while in 246 samples of the newborn heel blood, TSH averaged 1.22 mU/L. The TSH result had significant difference (t = 2.645,P 0.01) between umbilical blood and the heel blood. In pregnant mother with a urine iodine level more than 100μg/L, less than 3% of the neonates had a blood TSH level greater than 5 mU/L in umbilical blood as well as in heel blood TSH. Conclusions The good iodine nutrition in pregnant period is a guarantee for TSH level in newborn umbilical blood to achieve the standard and keeps salt iodine, urinary iodine, goiter rate and newborn umbilical cord blood TSH in good correlations. Neonatal cord blood TSH level is a sensitive indicator reflecting crowd iodine nutritional state.