cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Gas Research Institute Perspective on Inorganic Synthesis of Gaseous Fuels

The incentives, concepts and status for research on light-driven synthesis of gaseous fuels from inorganic materials are discussed from the viewpoint of a basic research program at the Gas Research Institute. The investigation of these systems has an important role to play in the effective development of new energy supply technologies. However, significant technical advances will be required for their implementation. The key issues for discrete and integrated photovoltaic-electrochemical systems, for which hydrogen production is technically feasible, concern cost, relationship to solar-electric power distribution, and extension to methane production. The key issues for electrolyte junction and photocatalytic concepts concern the ability to demonstrate technical feasibility and the characterization of low-cost photochemical reactors.
Separating Restriction Fragments of Genomic DNA by Horizontal Agarose Gel Electrophoresis

Electrophoresis is a separation method that functions because charged particles or molecules migrate through a solution under the influence of an electric field. DNA fragments are charged molecules and bear a net negative charge because of the phosphate backbone. Therefore, DNA fragments will migrate towards the positive electrode (anode). The viscosity provided by the agarose allows the DNA to separate according to the molecular size and conformation during electrophoresis. DNA fragments ranging in size from 0.5–30 kilobases (kb) can be separated using agarose electrophoresis. Agarose gels are widely used in the electrophoretic separation of DNA fragments. Agarose is a highly purified and uncharged polysaccharide derived from agar. It dissolves in boiling water and remains liquid at temperatures over 40°C and becomes a stable gel at lower temperatures. The concentration of the agarose can be varied to obtain the suitable pore size. The higher the agarose concentration, the smaller the pore size. An agarose concentration of 0.6–0.7% is generally used in the electrophoretic analysis of DNA. In this experiment, the smaller DNA fragments resulting from the restriction endonuclease digestion of genomic DNA of rhizobia are separated by horizontal gel electrophoresis. The DNA fragments are stained with ethidium bromide (EtBr) and the banding patterns of the rhizobia are visualized by 302 nm UV illumination.
Increased postoperative glucose variability is associated with adverse outcomes following orthopaedic surgery.

Aims The aim of this study was to examine the association between postoperative glycaemic variability and adverse outcomes following orthopaedic surgery. Patients and Methods This retrospective stu...
Space Shuttle Issues: Round One

How best to take advantage of the shuttle program’s successes while also dealing with its problems and with the shuttle’s appropriate role in the nation’s space efforts would continue to be a continuing theme in Reagan administration space policy. NASA had to deal with the increasingly evident gap between the promises that had accompanied the shuttle’s approval and its actual performance. It continued to press to increase the shuttle’s flight rate and to market the shuttle to fare-paying customers, even as there were some “close calls” on specific missions. The price for a shuttle launch was adjusted to reflect early experience but also to keep the shuttle competitive with the European Ariane. This action threatened the viability of a U.S. commercial ELV industry. A decision was made to fly nonastronaut citizens on the shuttle, first of all a teacher. The national security community began to express its doubts regarding the wisdom of making the space shuttle the sole means of U.S. access to space for critical national security payloads.
Understanding the Socioeconomic Trajectory of Chavín de Huántar: A New Radiocarbon Sequence and Its Wider Implications

This article proposes a new 14C chronology for the three-phase ceramic chronology from the settlement of Chavin de Huantar based on the AMS dating of collagen extracted from faunal remains recovered during my 1975 excavations. The chronometric estimates for the Chavin de Huantar ceramic chronology are as follows: Urabarriu Phase (950–800 cal BC), Chakinani Phase (800–700 cal BC), and Janabarriu Phase (700–400 cal BC). The new measurements confirm the sequence of the ceramic phases and indicate that the site was established around 950 cal BC and was abandoned by 400 cal BC. The results are consistent with the earlier hypothesis that the major developments at Chavin de Huantar largely postdate the Initial Period fluorescence of early coastal civilization during the second millennium BC, but they cast doubt on some current interpretations of the site's founding and cultural apogee.
What Works: Learning Outcomes Due to Design Variations in Community College Student Success Courses.

Background/ContextBased on well-established evidence that certain student success skills and college knowledge are closely associated with academic achievement, persistence, and completion, communi...
Role of neurotrophins and neurotrophin receptors in the in vitro invasion and heparanase production of human prostate cancer cells

The role of the neurotrophins (NTs) and their corresponding receptors (NTRs) TrkA, TrkB, TrkC, and p75NTR in neoplasia has received relatively little attention. However, because malignant cell migration within the prostate occurs predominantly by direct extension around prostatic nerves, the presence and possible upregulation of NTs from autocrine/paracrine sources and NTR expression within prostate epithelial tumor cells may be important in metastasis. We have been addressing their expression and interactions in human prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP, PC-3, and DU145) and their role in prostate cancer invasion. In this study, we demonstrated that nerve growth factor (NGF), the prototypic NT, and NT-4/5 increased in vitro invasion through a reconstituted basement membrane and induced time- and dose-dependent expression of heparanase, a heparan sulfate-specific endo-beta-D-glucuronidase, an important molecular determinant of tumor metastasis. The NT effects were most marked in the DU 145 brain-metastatic cells and were detected at NT concentrations sufficient to fully saturate both low- and high-affinity NTRs. Additionally, we characterized the molecular expression of NT high-affinity (Trk) and low-affinity (p75NTR) receptors in these cell lines by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. These lines had negligible trkA and trkC expression, although trkB was expressed in the three prostatic tumor cell lines examined. The brain-metastatic DU 145 cells were also positive for p75NTR. Our data showed that the NTs and NTRs are important in metastasis and that their expression coincides with transformation to a malignant phenotype capable of invasion along the perineural space and extracapsular metastasis to distant sites. These findings set the stage for more research into this area as related to prostate cancer evolution and may improve therapy for prostate cancer metastasis.
Contracting under uncertainty: Groundwater in South India

To quantify contracting distortions in a real‐world market, we develop and structurally estimate a model of contracting under payoff uncertainty in the south Indian groundwater economy. Uncertainty arises from unpredictable fluctuations in groundwater supply during the agricultural dry season. Our model highlights the tradeoff between the ex post inefficiency of long‐term contracts and the ex ante inefficiency of spot contracts. We use unique data on both payoff uncertainty and relationship‐specific investment collected from a large sample of well‐owners in Andhra Pradesh to estimate the model's parameters. Our estimates imply that spot contracts entail a 3% efficiency loss due to hold‐up. Counterfactual simulations also reveal that the equilibrium contracting distortion reduces the overall gains from trade by about 4% and the seasonal income of the median borewell owner by 2%, with proportionally greater costs borne by smaller landowners. Hold‐up relationship‐specific investment subjective probabilities structural estimation L14 Q15
Machine learning-based real-time monitoring system for smart connected worker to improve energy efficiency

Abstract Recent advances in machine learning and computer vision brought to light technologies and algorithms that serve as new opportunities for creating intelligent and efficient manufacturing systems. In this study, the real-time monitoring system of manufacturing workflow for the Smart Connected Worker (SCW) is developed for the small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs), which integrates state-of-the-art machine learning techniques with the workplace scenarios of advanced manufacturing systems. Specifically, object detection and text recognition models are investigated and adopted to ameliorate the labor-intensive machine state monitoring process, while artificial neural networks are introduced to enable real-time energy disaggregation for further optimization. The developed system achieved efficient supervision and accurate information analysis in real-time for prolonged working conditions, which could effectively reduce the cost related to human labor, as well as provide an affordable solution for SMMs. The competent experiment results also demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating machine learning technologies into the realm of advanced manufacturing systems.
Cybernetics and Digital Whiteness: Exposure to Radicalization through Feedback Loops

This paper focuses on ongoing digital ethnographic work studying the links between Internet culture, algorithmic logics, and extremist white supremacy as they collaborate in the radicalization of young people. In my previous work, I became interested in the ways feedback loops and cybernetic experience affect Internet users. Through this research I developed a theory of “cybernetic animism,” which (briefly put) argues that the existence of non-human bots, algorithms, and AI systems in the Internet creates a fully social environment regardless of the presence of other humans. This current research applies the same concept to user experience specifically to uncover the ways “whiteness” and “white identity” are constructed and deployed in the process of radicalization. To study this process, I examine Internet practice across spaces such as Wikipedia, Google Search, Facebook, and Gab, with particular focus on the phrases “It's Okay to Be White” and “White Lives Matter.” My hope in this work is to trace the ways feedback loops create space for and encourage extremism, so we may work towards mitigating their consequences.
Mechanisms of Argon Plasma Decay Between High Voltage, High Repetition Rate Nanosecond Pulses

Plasmas generated by repetitive high-voltage nanosecond pulses are promising for a number of applications due to their efficient ionization and production of excited species. In this work, we describe experimental studies of plasmas generated by 800 V, 2 ns, 10–100 kHz pulses in argon at pressures of 1–3 Torr in a parallel-plate electrode configuration. To study these plasmas, time-resolved microwave interferometry measurements of the spatially-averaged electron number density were conducted.
How Sex, Native Language, and College Major Relate to the Cognitive Strategies Used during 3-D Mental Rotation

Eighty college students mentally rotated 3-D shapes while maintaining a concurrent verbal or spatial memory load to investigate how sex, native language, and college major relate to the cognitive strategies employed during mental rotation (MR). Males were significantly better than females at MR, whereas native language was not related to MR ability or preferred strategy. A significant Sex × Major × Load interaction was found such that males majoring in the physical sciences performed better when primed by a concurrent spatial load as compared with a no-load or verbal load, suggesting their use of a spatially mediated MR strategy. In contrast, males majoring in the social sciences performed better when primed by a concurrent verbal load as compared with a no-load or spatial load, suggesting their use of a verbal/analytic MR strategy. The potential origins of these differences in strategy are discussed in the context of individual differences in brain organization. the ability to create and use effective strategies for solving visuospatial problems such as mental rotation (M
Sulfate-Dependent Interspecies H2 Transfer between Methanosarcina barkeri and Desulfovibrio vulgaris during Coculture Metabolism of Acetate or Methanol

We compared the metabolism of methanol and acetate when Methanosarcina barkeri was grown in the presence and absence of Desulfovibrio vulgaris. The sulfate reducer was not able to utilize methanol or acetate as the electron donor for energy metabolism in pure culture, but was able to grow in coculture. Pure cultures of M. barkeri produced up to 10 μmol of H2 per liter in the culture headspace during growth on acetate or methanol. In coculture with D. vulgaris, the gaseous H2 concentration was ≤2 μmol/liter. The fractions of 14CO2 produced from [14C]methanol and 2-[14C]acetate increased from 0.26 and 0.16, respectively, in pure culture to 0.59 and 0.33, respectively, in coculture. Under these conditions, approximately 42% of the available electron equivalents derived from methanol or acetate were transferred and were utilized by D. vulgaris to reduce approximately 33 μmol of sulfate per 100 μmol of substrate consumed. As a direct consequence, methane formation in cocultures was two-thirds that observed in pure cultures. The addition of 5.0 mM sodium molybdate or exogenous H2 decreased the effects of D. vulgaris on the metabolism of M. barkeri. An analysis of growth and carbon and electron flow patterns demonstrated that sulfate-dependent interspecies H2 transfer from M. barkeri to D. vulgaris resulted in less methane production, increased CO2 formation, and sulfide formation from substrates not directly utilized by the sulfate reducer as electron donors for energy metabolism and growth.
M. H. Hunt, The American Ascendency: How the United States Gained and Wielded Global Dominance

How did the United States become, to quote Congressman Tom DeLay, the “super-duper power” of the world? Michael H. Hunt answers this question by taking an insightful tour of America's road to globa...
Parallel computational fluid dynamics: implementations and results

The present volume on parallel CFD discusses implementations on parallel machines, numerical algorithms for parallel CFD, and performance evaluation and computer science issues. Attention is given to a parallel algorithm for compressible flows through rotor-stator combinations, a massively parallel Euler solver for unstructured grids, a fast scheme to analyze 3D disk airflow on a parallel computer, and a block implicit multigrid solution of the Euler equations. Topics addressed include a 3D ADI algorithm on distributed memory multiprocessors, clustered element-by-element computations for fluid flow, hypercube FFT and the Fourier pseudospectral method, and an investigation of parallel iterative algorithms for CFD. Also discussed are fluid dynamics using interface methods on parallel processors, sorting for particle flow simulation on the connection machine, a large grain mapping method, and efforts toward a Teraflops capability for CFD.
Integrating Catholic Social Teaching into Undergraduate Accounting Courses

The world of work that students enter after graduation will not mirror the straightforward world portrayed by their textbooks. They will be required to make decisions that will affect more than the bottom line. Faculty at Catholic business schools can integrate the components of Catholic social teaching (CST) into the classroom to help equip students with the tools necessary to discern appropriate courses of action when confronted with ethical decisions during their careers. This article discusses the reasons why business faculty should embrace the opportunity to incorporate CST into their classrooms and provides specific examples of how this can be done in introductory financial and intermediate accounting courses.
Cardiovascular disease risk factors and body composition: A review

Abstract A limited review is presented of articles published between 1982 and 1993 that deals with the association of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and body composition. The risk factors included in this article are blood pressure, and lipids and lipoproteins. Body composition variables included were obtained from anthropometry, bioelectric impedance, body density, and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Specific attention is paid to the various definitions of obesity, regional fat distribution, and their cross-sectional and longitudinal associations with risk factors. In addition, we address issuses of tracking of risk factors and of body composition from childhood into adulthood. Relative risks of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality for elevated body fat and adverse fat distribution are explored also. The review is summarized extensively in tables to assist the reader in making his/her own interpretation and conclusion. Areas of future research are suggested.
Tonsillar Hypertrophy, Airway Obstruction, Alveolar Hypoventilation, and Cor Pulmonale in Twin Brothers

Twin brothers suffering from severe alveolar hypoventilation secondary to tonsillar hypertrophy are presented. The ventilatory abnormalities were more severe in the child with greater degree of upper airway obstruction. Pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure developed only in the latter twin thus confirming a cause-effect relationship between upper airway obstruction and the cardiac complications. The cardiac abnormalities were completely relieved after tonsillectomy, but not after adenoidectomy in the child who had both procedures. The procedure of cardiac catheterization was complicated by considerable respiratory difficulty and cardiac arrest in the twin with larger tonsils. When the right heart catheter was left open to air for a short time, large quantities of air were sucked into the heart causing near fatal air embolism. This danger should be kept in mind when patients with upper airway obstructions are catheterized. There seems to be a definite place for tonsillectomy when the tonsils are sufficiently large to interfere with ventilation.
8.3: Design of a Compact Light Engine for FLCOS Microdisplays in a p-HMPD System

We have designed a compact light engine for a ferroelectric Liquid-crystal-on-Silicon (FLCOS) microdisplay used in a polarized head mounted projection display (p-HMPD). In the light engine, the polarization of the light is manipulated in order to achieve a compact structure and a mirror based tapered light pipe is designed to improve the light efficiency and image uniformity. The performance of the light engine is analyzed based on the simulation results using LightTools.
Housing Aspirations of Southern Appalachian Families1

The purposes of this study were to: (1) characterize specific dimensions of life styles in Southern Appalachia, (2) describe current housing conditions, and (3) examine housing aspirations of samples of rural and urban families of the region. In 1969 interviews were conducted with 274 rural and 227 urban families who lived in low-income areas of Southwest Virginia. In the analysis, answers to questions developed around 10 housing characteristics were used to construct a suburban modern/mountain traditional summed scale. Findings suggest that for the most part the mountain respondents desired new or relatively new single-family houses with modern equipment, quite similar to houses desired by mainstream Americans. We concluded that the respondents had relatively high aspirations but that implementation had been constrained by low income and lack of education.
The role and performance of physical, dynamic models in the hydrocarbon processing industries

Physical, first principles, dynamic models play an important role today in improving performance in the hydrocarbon industry. Recent technology advances have made it possible to use the same core dynamic model for multiple functions including both online and off-line control, engineering and training. Multiple use of the same dynamic model spreads initial cost over several applications and results in lower long-term maintenance costs. The performance of online systems over widely varying operating conditions has been demonstrated accompanied by high service factors and low maintenance. This paper focuses on the online application of physical dynamic models and the use of the same core technology as applied off-line.
Cycloheximide-sensitive [35S]methionine labeling of proteins in goldfish retinal ganglion cell axons in vitro.

Abstract Polypeptides of retinal ganglion cell axons of the goldfish, regenerating in culture, were labeled by [ 35 S]methionine after decentralization from the explant. Microscopic samples, composed of isolated axonal fields, were analyzed by SDS ultramicroelectrophoresis and autoradiography. Of the several proteins exhibiting cycloheximide-sensitive labeling, β-tubulin and actin were consistently and prominently labeled, although the possibility of a labeled α-isoform with a lower mol. wt. could not be ruled out.
Constitutive models of a power-law matrix containing aligned penny-shaped cracks☆

Abstract Constitutive equations for a power-law incompressible isotropic matrix containing penny-shaped cracks are presented. Applications are directed to a description of polycrystalline materials which develop grain boundary facet cracks when subjected to load at elevated temperatures. The tensorial nature of such damage notwithstanding, the adoption of a framework for isotropic materials is central to the paper. The main goal of the work is to develop three-dimensional constitutive relations for this class of materials and microstructural damage which are both physically sound and straightforward to implement into a finite element program. Certain important features of the structure of such relations are emphasized. The paper is concluded by a numerical example within the context of the differential self-consistent scheme.
Second-order nonlinear optical properties and molecular conformation

The relationship between the second-order nonlinear optical properties of a number of organic compounds and the conformations of those compounds was examined using WIZARD and MOPAC. A strong relationship was found to exist between molecular conformation and nonlinear optical response. The ratios of the calculated hyperpolarizabilities of different conformations ranged from 2.3 in the case of 4-methoxybenzaldehyde to over 240 in the case of n-hexane. This demonstrates the need to consider molecular conformation when calculating nonlinear optical effects.
Confronting problems of method in the study of sustainability

Methodological challenges have confounded studies of the commons for much of its recent history. These problems range from a large number of potentially influential variables, difficulties in capturing and measuring these variables, and large sets of interacting and mediating factors. With respect to quantitative methods, a specific dilemma is their use at or beyond their methodologically accepted limits. More specifically, this paper explores the potential implications of applying multinomial logistic regression techniques in small samples. It does so by drawing upon published data from the International Forestry Resources and Institutions (IFRI) program to explore potential problems of method from prominent research findings in the literature on forest commons. A subset of the results is then compared to a similar study of tropical deforestation. The results point to considerable inconsistency in the sign of parameter estimates, and a large number of type II errors. However, they also suggest that type I errors are relatively rare. As a whole, this paper demonstrates the general reliability of multinomial logistic regression in small samples by showing that statistically significant parameters are unlikely to lead policymakers in the wrong direction. Nevertheless it also suggests that this approach is likely to overlook several influential factors, posing potential dilemmas for the development of a theory of sustainability.
Recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor treatment improves macrophage suppression of granulocyte and macrophage growth after burn and burn wound infection.

Granulocyte and macrophage production after burn injury or burn wound infection is significantly reduced and further compromised by endotoxin (ET). Moreover, the macrophage seems to be the major source of this bone marrow suppression. We sought to determine if recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF), a hematopoietic growth factor that is capable of improving survival after experimental burn wound sepsis, altered postburn macrophage-mediated marrow suppression. Groups of male BDF1 mice (n = 6 to 10) receiving a 15% total body surface area burn ± infection (B or B + I) with Pseudomonas aeruginosa were injected with 100 ng rhG-CSF twice daily. On day 3, peritoneal-elicited macrophages (5 x 10 6 cells/mL) from either rhG-CSF-treated or control (5% dextrose in water) mice were incubated ± ET (300 ng/mL). The resultant macrophage supernatant was added to cultures of target marrow granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells (GM-CFC) at a volume of 1 :10. The GM-CFC growth as a percentage of cultures not containing macrophage supernatant were compared and reductions in the number of GM-CFC taken as an index of marrow suppression. Macrophages obtained from B and B + I animals reduced target GM-CFC growth, compared with macrophages from normal animals (B vs. normal animals p < 0.05). In addition, ET-stimulated macrophages induced further bone marrow suppression for all three groups (p < 0.01). Macrophages from granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-treated animals caused significantly less bone marrow suppression, compared with untreated animals for all groups (p < 0.05 to 0.01). Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administration postburn, in addition to serving as a direct bone marrow stimulant, also alters the macrophage secretory profile and ameliorates macrophage-induced bone marrow suppression.
The place of the stadium: English football beyond the fans

This paper looks at the way in which perceptions of English football stadiums and the practices that occur in and around them have transformed since the 1980s. Rather than looking at these changing ideas from the perception of the football supporters, the author thinks through these changes from the point of view of the 62% of British adults who do not follow football. She argues that if we are to fully understand the role of sport in society (rather than society in sport) we need to consider those for whom football is central but fandom is optional. To this end she uses the concept of Utopia to analyse the tension between the placeness and placelessness of the stadium for this sector of society. Analysing ideas around hooliganism and the impact of the Hillsborough disaster, this paper argues that the stadium (and by extension football) has been transformed in the public imagination from a dystopic hell to a utopic promise for the future.
Hospital Strategies for Insulin Therapy with Rapid-Acting Insulin Analogs:

This article presents strategies on how to meet the challenges presented by the use of insulin in the hospital setting and describes trends seen in current hospital practice. Insulin provides the greatest flexibility in the hospital setting to achieve optimal blood glycemic control in patients with known type 2 diabetes, thereby reducing complications and death. Important challenges include implementing protocols for use of subcutaneous insulin injection (including optimal use of insulin pens), conversion from continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion or intravenous infusion to subcutaneous administration by multiple injections, and dosing of insulin in patients receiving corticosteroids. One important trend is a move away from the use of sliding-scale insulin to the use of correction-dose insulin as an adjunct to basal/bolus insulin. In this approach, insulin treatment is closely tailored to changing levels of glycemia, and a protocol is put in place for administration of a correction dose of rapid-acting...
The effect of edge cracks on the distribution of stress in an elastic strip

Abstract The problem of determining the stress distribution in an infinite strip of finite width with symmetrically located edge cracks is considered. The crack problem is reduced to finding the solution of a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. The numerical solution when the applied pressure is constant is considered and quantities of physical interest are expressed in terms of this solution.
How Do Other Countries Measure Up to the Mathematics Achievement Levels on the National Assessment of Educational Progress

In this study, we mapped achievement levels from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) onto the score scales for selected assessments from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Program for International Student Achievement (PISA). The mapping was conducted on NAEP, TIMSS, and PISA Mathematics assessments in 2003. A focus of the study was on whether the NAEP achievement levels were set too high. The results indicated that students from many other countries had substantially larger percentages of students meeting NAEP mathematics achievement levels. In general, the findings suggest the NAEP standard for Advanced is high, but not too high when considered within an international context. With respect to the NAEP standard of Proficient, none of the top-performing countries approached 100% proficient, which seems to underscore the different conceptualizations of “Proficient” in NAEP and No Child Left Behind.
A Romance kharja in context

This article examines what reading two related Romance kharajāt in the context of their muwashshaḥāt entails. The kharajāt appear in muwashshaḥāt by Ibn Baqī and Yehudah Halevi, with Halevi's muwashshaḥ being a mu‘āraḍa or imitation of Ibn Baqī's poem. By context, I refer only to “poetic context,” namely, reading the kharajāt in their respective muwashshaḥāt, with focus on two issues, one paleographic and editorial, and the other concerning the meaning of the kharajāt. The first issue is not unique to these kharajāt, but has important consequences in the present case: problematic sections of Ibn Baqī's kharja are typically completed with readings from Halevi's kharja, a separate poetic context. The second issue, about which it is impossible to arrive at a definitive conclusion, is whether the Romance word pashkah connotes the same festivity in both muwashshaḥāt or whether the distinct poetic settings imbue the word with a different meaning.
Holoprosencephaly in Children: Diffusion Tensor MR Imaging of White Matter Tracts of the Brainstem—Initial Experience

PURPOSE: To evaluate the dimensions of specific white matter tracts in the brainstems (region of brain thought to be least affected) of children with holoprosencephaly by using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and to correlate these abnormalities with forebrain malformation severity and neurologic deficit severity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirteen patients with holoprosencephaly underwent diffusion tensor MR imaging, with which white matter color maps were generated. Type of holoprosencephaly was correlated with presence or absence of specific brainstem white matter tracts. Furthermore, patient rank based on cortico-ponto-spinal tract (CPST) and middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP) dimensions was correlated with holoprosencephaly type and neurodevelopmental score by using Spearman rank correlation analysis. RESULTS: Two patients had alobar holoprosencephaly, five had the semilobar type, one had the lobar type, and one had the middle-hemisphere-variant type. Four patients were excluded from anal...
Uniqueness for weak flow of H—systems with dirichlet boundary conditons

It is proved that the weak flow of H—system with a Dirichlet boundary condition is unique and regular up to the time of energy concentration. Moreover, if the global weak solution satisfies certain energy inequality, then it is unique for all the time and is regular with the exception of finitely many points
Photoreceptors and Regulation of Flowering Time

One of the most important environmental factors affecting flowering time is the daily duration of light, the photoperiod, which was first discovered by Garner and Allard in the 1920s ([Thomas and Vince-Prue, 1997][1], and refs. therein). Plants in which flowering occurs or is accelerated in short
Epidemiology of Thyroid Cancer

Cancer of the thyroid is a relatively rare cancer accounting for approximately 1% of all cancers in the United States (1). While the absolute incidence rates and breakdown by histologic subtypes show a marked international variation, international comparisons also show striking similarities in the age distribution and female excess of this cancer site.
Possible role of an iron-oxygen complex in 4(S)-4-hydroxyochratoxin a formation by rat liver microsomes

Rat liver microsomes were examined for their ability to oxidize the mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) to 4(R)-4-hydroxyochratoxin A [(R)-4-OH-OTA] and 4(S)-4-hydroxyochratoxin A [(S)-4-OH-OTA] and to induce OTA-dependent lipid peroxidation. Microsomes isolated from rats pretreated with pregnenolone-16 alpha-carbonitrile greatly induced both (R)-4-OH-OTA and (S)-4-OH-OTA formation whereas isoniazid pretreatment primarily induced (S)-4-OH-OTA. (R)-4-OH-OTA and (S)-4-OH-OTA formation showed significant differences with respect to pH optima, effect of antioxidants, and iron chelators. (R)-4-OH-OTA showed a pH optimum of 6.5 and was not inhibited by the antioxidants butylated hydroxyanisole or N,N-diphenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine or the iron chelators. Desferal or bathophenanthrolinedisulfonic acid. In contrast, both (S)-4-OH-OTA and lipid peroxidation showed a pH optimum of 7.0 and both activities were sensitive to inhibition by the above antioxidants and iron chelators. Lipid peroxidation was not involved in (S)-4-OH-OTA formation since addition of linoleic acid hydroperoxide to microsomes did not give rise to (S)-4-OH-OTA. Cytochrome P450 appeared to be essential since other hemoproteins like horseradish peroxidase and hemoglobin were ineffective in metabolizing OTA in the presence of hydroperoxides. The results suggest that (R)-4-OH-OTA is formed by normal mixed-function oxidation but that (S)-4-OH-OTA formation may involve free iron. It is likely that an active Fe2(+)-oxygen complex, formed via NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase and cytochrome P450-dependent reduction of free Fe3+ followed by oxygen binding, serves as the species inducing lipid peroxidation and at least part of (S)-4-OH-OTA formation.
Effect of donor age and sex on the outcome of liver transplantation

We correlated donor and recipient factors with graft outcome in 436 adult patients who underwent 462 liver transplants. Donor variables analyzed were age, gender, ABO blood group, cause of death, length of stay in the intensive care unit, use of pressors or pitressin, need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, terminal serum transaminases, and ischemia time. Recipient variables analyzed were age, gender, primary diagnosis, history of previous liver transplant, ABO blood group, cytotoxic antibody crossmatch, United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) status, and waiting time (except for the cross-match results, they were all known at the time of the operation). The endpoint of the analysis was graft failure, defined as patient death or retransplantation. Using multivariate analysis, graft failure was significantly associated with donor age, donor gender, previous liver transplantation, and UNOS 4 status of the recipient. The effect of donor age became evident only when they were older than 45 years. Livers from female donors yielded significantly poorer results, with 2-year graft survival of female to male 55% (95% CI, 45% to 67%); female to female, 64% (95% CI, 54% to 77%); male to male, 72% (95% CI, 66% to 78%); and male to female, 78% (95% CI, 70% to 88%). The only donors identified as questionable for liver procurement were old (> or = 60 years) women in whom the adverse age and gender factors were at least additive. However, rather than discard even these livers, in the face of an organ shortage crisis, their individualized use is suggested with case reporting in a special category.
Association of polymorphisms in cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 with coronary and carotid calcium in the Diabetes Heart Study

Abstract Background Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among Americans. Inflammation is a hallmark of the development of atherosclerosis and is mediated by prostaglandins, catalyzed by cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. We sought to determine if variants in the COX-2 gene were associated with subclinical measures of cardiovascular disease in a primarily type 2 diabetic population. Methods Eight polymorphisms in COX-2 were genotyped and vascular calcified plaque measured in the coronary, carotid, and aortic arterial beds in 977 Caucasian siblings (83% with T2DM) from 369 Diabetes Heart Study families. Tests for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and haplotypic association were performed using SOLAR and quantitative pedigree disequilibrium test (QPDT), respectively (results adjusted for age, gender, diabetes affection status, smoking, and use of lipid altering medications). Results All eight SNPs genotyped were found to be in strong pair-wise linkage disequilibrium ( D ′=1.0). Three SNPs (rs689466, rs2066826 and rs20417) are associated with either coronary or carotid calcified plaque. Subjects carrying the G allele of rs689466 ( n =31) or the A allele of rs2066826 ( n =16) had significantly lower coronary calcified plaque ( P =0.02 and 0.04, respectively). Subjects homozygous for the C allele of rs20417 ( n =22) or the A allele of rs2066826 ( n =16) had increased carotid calcified plaque ( P =0.011, P =0.014). In addition, multiple two-SNP and three-SNP haplotypes were associated with CorCP with P -values ranging from P =0.002 to P =0.035. Conclusions Polymorphisms in COX-2 were associated with significant changes in coronary and carotid calcified plaque. Diabetic individuals with these variants may be at higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease.
Dimensions of disengagement among black and white rural elderly.

This paper delineates the various dimensions of disengagement that have been suggested in the gerontological literature and tests hypotheses derived from three competing theoretical perspectives of aging (role, activity, and disengagement). Data used in the analysis come from a sample of 384 elderly respondents in rural Georgia county. None of the theoretical models successfully explained the relationships analyzed.
The absorption and reradiation of radio waves by oxygen and water vapor in the atmosphere

This is a brief review paper on the interaction of radio waves with oxygen and water vapor in the atmosphere. It is the first of a series of mini-reviews sponsored by the Wave Propagation Standards Committee of IEEE and is intended primarily for those persons who have not had occasion to study extensively in the subject.
Impact craters on Venus

Calculations are made to determine the sizes of stony and iron meteoroids which could penetrate the atmosphere of Venus and cause hypervelocity impact craters on the planet's surface. Using scaling relationships based on kinetic energy, impact crater size is related to meteoroid size. Finally, it is determined that the smallest impact craters that might exist on Venus are on the order of 150 to 300 meters in diameter.
Alterations of HLe-1 (T200) fluorescence intensity on acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells may relate to therapeutic outcome

Abstract Quantitative differences in HLe-1 expression were studied on normal lymphocytes and lymphoblasts of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). A relationship was found between quantitative antigen expression and therapeutic outcome. Alterations in fluorescence intensity (FI) were demonstrated using quantitative flow cytometric methods and the monoclonal antibody (MoAb) anti-HLe-1 (T200). Lymphoblasts from patients with ALL produced FI peaks ranging from channel 17 to 112 (mean 68; n = 28), while normal lymphoid cells were at Fl channel 127 ± 3 (n = 121). Patients with the dimmest-staining lymphoblasts (channels 17–50) responded better to therapy than those with brighter-staining cells (channels 50–100). Data from this pilot study suggests that the FI of malignant lymphoblasts has implications in the clinical response to therapy.
Investigation of Oxide-Removal of Various Metal Particles for Fabricating MEMS-Based Corrosion Sensor

Recently, our research group has proposed a MEMS-based solid state corrosion sensor, which is based on embedding metal particle into elastomeric polymers to form a composite-based sensing material. The chemical and dimensional properties of the metal particles and polymer matrix will provide the tailorability in sensor sensitivity, selectivity, time response, and operating life-span. However, the oxidization of metallic particles prior to embedding is adverse for electrical transduction of such sensor. This paper will be based on the investigation of chemical etching protocols used to remove the oxide coating from metal particles without adversely alter the particle itself. The etching process must also be compatible with common MEMS fabrication processes and not limited by the wide range of particle sizes used (30nm–100um). More specifically, metal particles such as Titanium, Aluminum, Nickel, and Stainless Steel are currently being used and investigated.© 2009 ASME
Psychiatry and the new dynamics

Self-organizing and self-tuning neural networks are conceptualized as nonlinear dynamical systems. It is shown that biological psychiatry can be encompassed within this nonlinear dynamical framework, where it becomes coherent with trends in cognitive science. A state space representation that is a hyperspace with an energy topology and a fractal dimension is utilized. The state space representation provides a unifying framework for the classification of mental disorders. Clinical phenomena in schizophrenia can be explained in terms of nonlinear dynamics. The framework is also productive of psychiatric research. These results motivate the development of a nonlinear dynamical psychiatry.
Transmission and reflection of electrons by foils

Abstract This paper describes Monte Carlo calculations pertaining to the penetration of electron beams through foils. The method of calculation is validated by comparisons with experimental transport data at energies between 50 keV and 1 MeV. New data are presented on the transmission and reflection of electrons through beryllium, mylar, aluminum, and titanium foils, for incident beam energies between 100 and 400 keV. The results given include transmission and reflection coefficients and the energy spectra and angular distributions of transmitted electron beams.
Models of multifactorial inheritance: III, calculation of covariance of relatives under selective assortative mating☆

Abstract A hierarchy of kinship covariance calculations is elaborated within a framework of an extended selective mating mechanism. These include explicit determinations for first- through third-degree family relationships and correlations of adopted with natural children. A critique of several explicit and implicit assumptions in the classical procedures is contained in Section 2.
Semiparametric Modeling and Estimation of Instrumental Variable Models

We apply Bayesian methods to a model involving a binary nonrandom treatment intake variable and an instrumental variable in which the functional forms of some of the covariates in both the treatment intake and outcome distributions are unknown. Continuous and binary response variables are considered. Under the assumption that the functional form is additive in the covariates, we develop efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo-based approaches for summarizing the posterior distribution and for comparing various alternative models via marginal likelihoods and Bayes factors. We show in a simulation experiment that the methods are capable of recovering the unknown functions and are sensitive neither to the sample size nor to the degree of confounding as measured by the correlation between the errors in the treatment and response equations. In the binary response case, however, estimation of the average treatment effect requires larger sample sizes, especially when the degree of confounding is high. The methods are...
Comparative Cases of Conscience: Teaching Josiah Royce’s Philosophy of Loyalty in China

This essay first describes the distinctively American character of the life and thought of Josiah Royce, conceiving of Royce as equal parts Puritan and pioneer. Next, the author’s recent experience teaching Royce’s philosophy of loyalty in China is discussed, highlighting pedagogical challenges encountered and techniques employed to navigate these hurdles. A summary of Royce’s philosophy of loyalty is given, incorporating examples used in the classroom. It is shown that upon applying Royce’s philosophy of loyalty to real life situations, resonances between classical Chinese (Confucian) and classical American moral philosophies emerge. It is argued that Royce’s philosophy of loyalty cuts across cultural lines, serving as a viable and valuable theoretical resource for negotiating contemporary moral dilemmas, irrespective of geographical location.
Physiologic and Physical Factors that Govern the Clinical Appreciation of Cardiac Thrills

Palpable cardiac thrills have been considered valuable diagnostic findings. The present study indicates that they add little information to that obtained by careful evaluation of auscultatory findings, and that the quality of cardiac murmurs is a much safer guide in diagnosis than are the palpable vibrations produced by the same mechanism.
Selective heterogeneous palladium-catalyzed hydrogenations of watersoluble alkenes and alkynes

Abstract Treatment of water-soluble alkenes or alkynes with palladium(II) acetate and triethoxysilane at room temperature afforded the corresponding hydrogenated products in high yields. Simple introduction of a stoichiometric amount of hydrogen is accomplished by using triethoxysilane as the hydrogen source.
Fatal multiple deer tick-borne infections in an elderly patient with advanced liver disease.

We present a case of a 66-year-old woman with decompensated alcoholic liver cirrhosis and poorly controlled non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus who was admitted with a 1 day history of altered mental status, high-grade fevers, worsening jaundice and generalised malaise with subsequent development of hypotension requiring intensive care. She was diagnosed with severe babesiosis with high-grade parasitaemia. She was also found to have Lyme disease coinfection. Despite aggressive therapeutic measures including appropriate antibiotics and multiple exchange blood transfusions, she developed septic shock and fulminant multiple organ failure with eventual demise. In this article, we highlight multiple tick-borne illnesses in a vulnerable host, in this case an elderly patient with liver cirrhosis, as risk factors for severe morbidity and potentially fatal outcomes.
Adaptive optics without a wavefront sensor

This paper illustrates continuing theoretical and simulation work examining the use of different methods to control a deformable mirror in an adaptive optics system without a wavefront sensor. Two independent techniques, stochastic optimization, or SPGD, and a newly developed functional approximation method, are discussed. Specific results from simulation work performed at SAIC are presented.