cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High Frequency ZVT Converter for Variable DC-Link in Electric Vehicle Traction Drive

A bi-directional synchronous Buck/Boost DC/DC converter with easy interleaving capability is proposed with a simple soft-switching mechanism. The use of wide bandgap, high voltage SiC switches as well as zero voltage switching transitions allows for high efficiency operation even at high switching frequencies and high temperatures. Experimental results from a scaled-down hardware prototype is used to validate the performance of the proposed approach. With soft-switching, converter efficiencies over 98% are achieved for a wide load range of operation with 250 kHz switching frequency.
Transport of Critically Ill Patients

After studying this chapter you should be able to do the following: Interhospital patient transport Reasons for interhospital transport Legal requirements governing interhospital transport Methods of interhospital transport Logistics of interhospital transport Intrahospital patient transport Reasons for intrahospital transport Risks and complications during intrahospital transport Logistics of intrahospital transport Avoiding complications during intrahospital transport Equipment needs and guidelines for intrahospital transport Critical care during intrahospital transport
Attachment of Proteins to a Hydroxyl-Terminated Surface Eliminates the Stabilizing Effects of Polyols.

The physics of proteins interacting with surfaces can differ significantly from those seen when the same proteins are free in bulk solution. As an example, we describe here the extent to which site...
Food Insecurity Among Adolescents and Emerging Adults

Food insecurity has been shown to adversely affect all populations, but the experience for adolescents and emerging adults is somewhat different from other groups through the life course. This chapter outlines the definition of food insecurity, how food insecurity is measured, the prevalence of food insecurity, and the effects of food insecurity on young people, and interventions to address food insecurity. The chapter discusses differences in how food insecurity impacts adolescents and emerging adults.
Using Flow Guidelines During Noninvasive Ventilation to Decrease Mask-Related Pressure Injuries

Background: Device related pressure injuries cause pain, disfigurement, morbidity and mortality. Reducing respiratory device related pressure injuries is one of our hospitals operating plan goals. The rate of pressure injuries in January 2018 was 12.46 per 1,000 noninvasive days or 0.70 per 1,000 patient days. A recent study done at our facility revealed a correlation between NIV patient mask leak and pressure injury. Specifically our research identified that there was a correlation with higher patient leaks and pressure injuries. After placing the minimum and maximum patient leaks on the same graph it was noted that there was less pressure injuries in the group with patient leaks >25 L/min and max leaks
Magnetic detwinning and biquadratic magnetic interaction in Eu Fe 2 As 2 revealed by Eu 153 NMR

In the nematic state of iron-based superconductors, twin formation often obscures the intrinsic, anisotropic, in-plane physical properties. Relatively high in-plane external magnetic fields ${H}_{\mathrm{ext}}$ greater than the typical laboratory-scale magnetic fields 10--15 T are usually required to completely detwin a sample. However, recently a very small in-plane ${H}_{\mathrm{ext}}\ensuremath{\sim}0.1$ T was found to be sufficient for detwinning the nematic domains in ${\mathrm{EuFe}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$. To explain this behavior, a microscopic theory based on biquadratic magnetic interactions between the Eu and Fe spins has been proposed. Here, using $^{153}\mathrm{Eu}$ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements below the ${\mathrm{Eu}}^{2+}$ ordering temperature, we show experimental evidence of the detwinning under small in-plane ${H}_{\mathrm{ext}}$. Our NMR study also reveals the evolution of the angles between the Eu and Fe spins during the detwinning process, which provides experimental evidence for the existence of biquadratic coupling in the system.
"It's Worked Well for Me": Young Women's Reasons for Choosing Lower-Efficacy Contraceptive Methods.

Abstract Study Objective To understand the diverse reasons why some young women choose contraceptive methods that are less effective at preventing pregnancy, including condoms, withdrawal, and emergency contraception pills, even when more effective contraceptive methods are made available to them. Design In-depth interviews with young women at family planning clinics in July-November 2016. Interview data were thematically coded and analyzed using an iterative approach. Setting Two youth-serving family planning clinics serving predominantly Latinx and African American communities in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Participants Twenty-two young women ages 15-25 years who recently accessed emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy. Interventions None. Main Outcome Measures Young women's experiences using different methods of contraception, with specific attention to methods that are less effective at preventing pregnancy. Results Young women reported having previously used a range of higher- and lower-efficacy contraceptive methods. In interviews, they described affirmative values that drive their decision to use lower-efficacy methods, including: a preference for flexibility and spontaneity over continual contraceptive use, an emphasis on protecting one's body, and satisfaction with the method's effectiveness at preventing pregnancy. Some young women described using a combination of lower-efficacy methods to reduce their pregnancy risk. Conclusion Young women make contraceptive decisions on the basis of preferences and values that include, but are not limited to, effectiveness at preventing pregnancy. These reasons are salient in their lives and need to be recognized as valid by sexual health care providers to ensure that young women receive ongoing high-quality care.
Nucleation limits the lengths of actin filaments assembled by formin.

Abstract Formins stimulate actin polymerization by promoting both filament nucleation and elongation. Because nucleation and elongation draw upon a common pool of actin monomers, the rate at which each reaction proceeds influences the other. This interdependent mechanism determines the number of filaments assembled over the course of a polymerization reaction, as well as their equilibrium lengths. In this study, we used kinetic modeling and in vitro polymerization reactions to dissect the contributions of filament nucleation and elongation to the process of formin-mediated actin assembly. We found that the rates of nucleation and elongation evolve over the course of a polymerization reaction. The period over which each process occurs is a key determinant of the total number of filaments that are assembled, as well as their average lengths at equilibrium. Inclusion of formin in polymerization reactions speeds filament nucleation, thus increasing the number and shortening the lengths of filaments that are assembled over the course of the reaction. Modulation of the elongation rate produces modest changes in the equilibrium lengths of formin-bound filaments. However, the dependence of filament length on the elongation rate is limited by the number of filament ends generated via formin’s nucleation activity. Sustained elongation of small numbers of formin-bound filaments, therefore, requires inhibition of nucleation via monomer sequestration and a low concentration of activated formin. Our results underscore the mechanistic advantage for keeping formin’s nucleation efficiency relatively low in cells, where unregulated actin assembly would produce deleterious effects on cytoskeletal dynamics. Under these conditions, differences in the elongation rates mediated by formin isoforms are most likely to impact the kinetics of actin assembly.
Calibration of a Wideband Autocorrelation Radiometer (WiBAR) Enhanced with a Comb Filter in Time Domain Mode

This paper presents calibration procedure for time domain and frequency domain mode of wideband autocorrelation radiometry, (TD-WiBAR) and (FD-WiBAR), enhanced with a comb filter for RFI mitigation. WiBAR is a novel microwave method for measuring the thickness of low-loss layers, such as snow and ice packs. The time domain mode is faster than the FD-WiBAR, but requires its own calibration. We investigated a WiBAR enhanced with a comb filter in the laboratory with a data collected from a simulation circuit using a Keysight Spectrum Analyzer. The data are further post-processed for the time and frequency domain calibration. The comb filter is provided to mitigate radio frequency interference (RFI). RFI increases the noise floor and results in a decreased signal to noise ratio (SNR) delay peak in the autocorrelation function of the WiBAR from which the snow depth is extracted.
Validation of MOPITT Version 5 thermal-infrared, near-infrared, and multispectral carbon monoxide profile retrievals for 2000-2011

[1] Validation results are reported for the MOPITT (Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere) “Version 5” (V5) product for tropospheric carbon monoxide (CO) and are compared to results for the “Version 4” product. The V5 retrieval algorithm introduces (1) a method for reducing retrieval bias drift associated with long-term instrumental degradation, (2) a more exact representation of the effects of random errors in the radiances and, for the first time, (3) the use of MOPITT's near-infrared (NIR) radiances to complement the thermal-infrared (TIR) radiances. Exploiting TIR and NIR radiances together facilitates retrievals of CO in the lowermost troposphere. V5 retrieval products based (1) solely on TIR measurements, (2) solely on NIR measurements and (3) on both TIR and NIR measurements are separately validated and analyzed. Actual retrieved CO profiles and total columns are compared with equivalent retrievals based on in situ measurements from (1) routine NOAA aircraft sampling mainly over North America and (2) the “HIAPER Pole to Pole Observations” (HIPPO) field campaign. Particular attention is focused on the long-term stability and geographical uniformity of the retrieval errors. Results for the retrieved total column clearly indicate reduced temporal bias drift in the V5 products compared to the V4 product, and do not exhibit a positive bias in the Southern Hemisphere, which is evident in the V4 product.
Activity choice: A new approach to economic behavior☆

Abstract An individual's work and consumption behavior is modeled as the outcome of an optimal choice among activities at each moment within a ‘day’. The model describes the time-shapes of his demand for goods and services, labor supply, and activities within the day and it allows the analysis of choices in which unusually complex motivations are incorporated. It is applicable to questions of job satisfaction, peak demands, shift working and capital utilization, estimation of ‘the value of time’, goal and process utilities, intrinsic and extrinsic satisfactions, ‘labor’ versus ‘labor power’, and to the issues of compulsive consumption and self-control.
Mobility: a VPN perspective [mobile computing]

Mobile computing is becoming increasingly important due to the rise in the number of portable computers and the desire to have continuous network connectivity to the Internet irrespective of the physical location of the node. Mobile IP, the more popular global mobility solution, was designed to support mobility of a single host. Even though the same protocol can be applied in the case of network mobility, providing connectivity to mobile networks introduces many issues related to the scalability, security and QoS. Instead, a mobile network can be cited as a remote site, trying to establish secured communication with the home network. This view of mobile network solves many issues related to QoS, security and scalability. The objective of this paper is to explore the possibility of using different VPN techniques to provide connectivity for mobile networks and measure the corresponding end-to-end performance of real time traffic and best effort traffic patterns.
Public Action and Rational Choice in Classical Greek Political Theory

As several of the chapters in this volume point out (especially Depew and Ludwig), Thomas Hobbes’s bleak view of humans as naturally solitary and motivated by fear of death was not shared by classical Greek theorists. Yet joint action at scale remained a problem. How could a large and diverse ‘‘public’’ come into being? How could a public perform actions with substantial effects? These were difficult questions because Greek theorists regarded human beings not only as social (group-forming) and communicative (language-using) animals, but also as rationally self-interested and strategic. Individuals are capable of distinguishing between what is good for themselves from what may be good for others, and acting strategically on that knowledge. Recognizing that humans were sometimes, although not invariably, motivated by expected utility maximization, Greek theorists sought to specify the conditions under which people might be expected to act more or less selfishly.
Monte Carlo Simulation Experiments for Engineering Optimisation

Design of Experiments (DoE) is widely used in design, manufacturing and quality management. The resulting data is usually analysed with multiple linear regression to generate polynomial equations that describe the relationship between process inputs and outputs. These equations enable us to understand how input values affect the predicted value of one or more outputs and find good set points for the inputs. However, to develop robust manufacturing processes, we also need to understand how variation in these inputs appears as variation in the output. This understanding allows us to define set points and control tolerances for the inputs that will keep the outputs within their required specification windows. Tolerance analysis provides a powerful way of finding input settings and ranges that minimise output variation to produce a process that is robust. In many practical applications, tolerance analysis exploits Monte Carlo simulation of the polynomial model generated from DoE’s. This paper briefly describes tolerance analysis and then shows how Monte Carlo simulation experiments using space-filling designs can be used to find the input settings that result in a robust process. Using this approach, engineers can quickly and easily identify the key inputs responsible for transferring undesired variation to their process outputs and identify the set points and ranges that make their process as robust as possible. If the process is not sufficiently robust, they can rationally investigate different strategies to improve it. A case study approach is used to aid explanation and understanding.
Pediatrician Participation in Medicaid: 1978 to 1989

Optimal pediatrician participation in the Medicaid program is essential if the full benefits of recent eligibility expansions are to be realized. A 1989 national survey of the members of the American Academy of Pediatrics (n = 940), designed as a follow-up to similar studies conducted in 1978 and 1983, was an examination of the factors that influence pediatrician participation. Between 1978 and 1989: (1) basic participation (treating any Medicaid beneficiaries) declined to 77% from 85%; (2) limited participation (seeing only some Medicaid beneficiaries who request care) increased from 26% to 39.4%; and (3) extent of participation (the percentage of a pediatrician9s patients who are Medicaid beneficiaries) increased from 15.7% to 19.4%. A dichotomous conceptualization of participation (restricted or unrestricted) was developed. By this definition, only 56% of pediatricians allowed comparable access to their practices for both Medicaid and private patients. Low reimbursement and slow payments discouraged participation. Medicaid reimbursement to pediatricians was approximately equal to their overhead costs. However, a high degree of willingness to care for Medicaid children remains if fees are increased to within 11% to 16% of the private market level. Policy options to enhance participation are discussed.
Impact of Pulsatility and Flow Rates on Hemodynamic Energy Transmission in an Adult Extracorporeal Life Support System

This study investigated the total hemodynamic energy (THE) and surplus hemodynamic energy transmis- sion (SHE) of a novel adult extracorporeal life support (ECLS) system with nonpulsatile and pulsatile settings and varying pulsatility to define the most effective setting for this circuit. The circuit consisted of an i-cor diagonal pump (Xenios AG, Heilbronn, Germany), an XLung mem- brane oxygenator (Xenios AG), an 18 Fr Medos femoral arterial cannula (Xenios AG), a 23/25 Fr Estech RAP femoral venous cannula (San Ramon, CA, USA), 3/8 in ID × 140 cm arterial tubing, and 3/8 in ID × 160 cm venous tubing. Priming was done with lactated Ringer's solution and packed red blood cells (HCT 36%). The trials were conducted at flow rates 1-4 L/min (1 L/min increments) under nonpulsatile and pulsatile mode, with differential speed values 1000-4000 rpm (1000 rpm increments) at 36°. The pseudo patient's mean arterial pressure was kept at 100 mm Hg using a Hoffman clamp during all trials. Real- time flow and pressure data were collected using a custom- based data acquisition system. Mean pressures across the circuit increased with increasing flow rates, but increased insignificantly with increasing differential speed values. Mean pressure did not change significantly between pulsa- tile and nonpulsatile modes. Pulsatile flow created more THE than nonpulsatile flow at the preoxygenator site (P < 0.01). Of the different components of the circuit, the arterial cannula created the greatest THE loss. THE loss across the circuit ranged from 24.8 to 71.3%. Still, under pulsatile mode, more THE was delivered to the pseudo patient at low flow rates. No SHE was created with nonpulsatile flow, but SHE was created with pulsatile flow, and increased with increasing differential speed values. At
Polymorphic CA repeats in the IGF-I gene and breast cancer.

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I is a potent mitogen for breast cancer cells and may play a role in the disease. Although the involvement of IGF-I phenotype in breast cancer has been studied extensively, little is known about IGF-I genotype in relation to the disease. The IGF-I gene contains a polymorphic region composed of multiple cytosine-adenine dinucleotides (CA repeats). Studies of other genes indicate that the CA-repeat region in the promoter of a gene may affect transcription activity and that the length of the repeat is inversely correlated with transactivation. To examine if the IGF-I polymorphism is associated with breast cancer, we compared the length of CA repeats in the IGF-I gene between 53 breast cancer patients and 53 controls. Genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood was used to determine the number of CA repeats through PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. Associations between CA repeats and breast cancer were assessed using unconditional logistic regression analysis. The results showed that the median number of CA repeats was 19, ranging from 15 to 23, and that compared to women without 19 CA repeats, women with 19 CA repeats were more likely to be breast cancer patients (OR = 2.87, 95%CI: 1.16–7.06) after adjusting for age, race, menopausal status, age at menopause, and alcohol use. The study also suggested possible synergistic interplay between IGF-I genotype and phenotype as women with 19 CA repeats and high plasma IGF-I had a much higher odds ratio for breast cancer (OR = 5.12, 95%CI: 1.42–18.5) than those with only one of the conditions. If our observations can be confirmed in larger studies, the findings will provide further evidence to support the role of IGF-I in breast cancer and the link between genetic polymorphism and cancer susceptibility.
Bison foraging responds to fire frequency in nutritionally heterogeneous grassland

Foraging decisions by native grazers in fire-dependent landscapes modulate the fire–grazing interaction. Uncovering the behavioral mechanisms associated with the attraction of grazers to recently burned areas requires understanding at multiple spatial scales in the ecological foraging hierarchy. This study focused on feeding in the area between steps in a foraging bout, the feeding station, as forage chemistry and vegetation architecture play central roles in these fine-scale, feeding-station decisions. The forage maturation hypothesis (FMH) uses the temporal dynamics of forage quality and quantity in grasslands to explain the distribution of large herbivores, but does not address herbivore responses to inter-patch variation caused by fire-induced nutrient increases of forage quality. Using an experimental setting with contrasting fire treatments we describe the effects of variable burn history on foraging kinetics by bison at Konza Prairie Biological Station (KPBS). We assessed the potential to link the ...
SU-C-9A-04: Alternative Analytic Solution to the Paralyzable Detector Model to Calculate Deadtime and Deadtime Loss

Purpose: Some common methods to solve for deadtime are (1) dual-source method, which assumes two equal activities; (2) model fitting, which requires multiple acquisitions as source decays; and (3) lossless model, which assumes no deadtime loss at low count rates. We propose a new analytic alternative solution to calculate deadtime for paralyzable gamma camera. Methods: Deadtime T can be calculated analytically from two distinct observed count rates M1 and M2 when the ratio of the true count rates alpha=N2/N1 is known. Alpha can be measured as a ratio of two measured activities using dose calibrators or via radioactive decay. Knowledge of alpha creates a system with 2 equations and 2 unknowns, i.e., T and N1. To verify the validity of the proposed method, projections of a non-uniform phantom (4GBq 99mTc) were acquired in using Siemens SymbiaS multiple times over 48 hours. Each projection has >100kcts. The deadtime for each projection was calculated by fitting the data to a paralyzable model and also by using the proposed 2-acquisition method. The two estimates of deadtime were compared using the Bland-Altmann method. In addition, the dependency of uncertainty in T on uncertainty in alpha was investigated for several imaging conditions. Results: The results strongly suggest that the 2-acquisition method is equivalent to the fitting method. The Bland-Altman analysis yielded mean difference in deadtime estimate of ∼0.076us (95%CI: -0.049us, 0.103us) between the 2-acquisition and model fitting methods. The 95% limits of agreement were calculated to be -0.104 to 0.256us. The uncertainty in deadtime calculated using the proposed method is highly dependent on the uncertainty in the ratio alpha. Conclusion: The 2-acquisition method was found to be equivalent to the parameter fitting method. The proposed method offers a simpler and more practical way to analytically solve for a paralyzable detector deadtime, especially during physics testing.
Convolution in a Pulse Biased ZnO-SiO2-Si Saw Device

A monolithic SAW device consisting of an rf sputtered ZnO film on a thermally oxidized silicon substrate has been shown to be useful for several signal processing and optical image scanning applications. The device efficiency and sensitivity can be varied greatly by employing any of several biasing techniques, both dc and pulsed. We report new effects related to a pulse biasing method which exploits surface states at the SiO2-Si interface. The increased optical sensitivity obtained by this technique makes the device an attractive optical scanner and optically programmed adaptive convolver.
Molecular weight distribution of a polyester

Combined solvent composition and column temperature gradients were employed to effect the efficient fractionation of a polyester into several molecular weight fractions in about 16 hr. Mixtures of methyl ethyl ketone and cyclohexane were used as eluents for the fractionation which was conducted in a copper column packed with glass beads. In previously reported polymer fractionations with solvent and temperature gradients the temperatures at all points in the column have been either above or below the melting point of the polymer. This study demonstrates that hexanediol–succinic acid polyester may be efficiently fractionated by using a column temperature range which brackets the melting point of the polymer.
Stereoselective synthesis of cis-2,5-disubstituted tetrahydrofuran-3-ones via an acyl radical cyclization

Treatment of the acyl selenide 7 with triphenyltin hydride and triethylborane generates the acyl radical which undergoes 5-exo trigonal cyclization to afford the 2,5-disubstituted tetrahydrofuran-3-ones 10a/b in 97% yield as a 94:6 mixture of diastereoisomers.
“Total” Therapy for Small Cell Carcinoma of the Lung

Seventy-one consecutive patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung were treated with an integrated approach between November, 1974, and May, 1977. The regimen included radiotherapy to the primary site, relatively brief (6 to 12 weeks) although intensive chemotherapy, and prophylactic cranial irradiation. Complete responses were achieved in 75% and 40% of patients with limited and extensive disease, respectively. Modest prolongation of survival (median, 10 months) was realized by patients with extensive disease, but prolonged relapse-free survival was not observed. In contrast, one-half of the patients with limited disease who achieved a complete response have remained clinically free of disease without further treatment for a mean of 18 months (range, 6 to 33 months). Since all relapses to date have been noted within the first year following cessation of treatment, this experience suggests there may be a potential for cure in those survivors who are now relapse free for intervals exceeding two years.
Reverse current pulse method to restore uniform concentration profiles in ion-selective membranes. 2. Comparison of the efficiency of the different protocols.

The membrane potential of ion-selective electrodes is measured at zero current in traditional potentiometric analysis. Recently, pulsed potentiometric methods have gained importance. In pulsed potentiometric methods, the voltage measured at the end of a current pulse is usually the analytical signal. The applied current alters the concentration profiles inside the sensing membrane. For reproducible voltage measurements the original concentration profiles must be restored in the membrane between current pulses. The simplest restoration method is the zero-current relaxation. Unfortunately, the zero-current method is very slow, which limits the frequency of measurements. In analytical practice the controlled voltage restoration method is most commonly used, but the controlled voltage method has no adequate theoretical description. This paper presents a finite element model of the controlled voltage method to predict its efficiency. The model demonstrates for the first time that increasing membrane resistance...
Surface bone histology of the occipital bone in humans and chimpanzees

Human and chimpanzee occipital bones are thought to grow and develop in distinctly opposite bone remodeling patterns. Preliminary research examining growth-remodeling fields (GRFs) from the surfaces of the occipital bone in modern humans and chimpanzee indicates this may not be entirely correct. By using vinyl/resin-casting techniques, coupled with scanning electron and reflected-light microscopy, GRF profiles from a cross-sectional sample of humans and chimpanzees have documented the ongoing histological activities that reflect developmental processes through which taxon-specific ontogenetic trajectories alter bone morphology. Surface bone profiles aid in explaining how the posterior skull takes shape, thereby aiding in our understanding of the developmental processes that may contribute to the morphological variation in the posterior skull in humans and chimpanzees.
Cerebral salt wasting syndrome in brain injury patients: A potential cause of hyponatremia

Hyponatremia is a common neuromedical problem seen in survivors of central nervous system injury. The etiology of this hyponatremia is often diagnosed as syndrome of inappropriate diuretic hormone (SIADH). Fluid restriction is usually the first line of treatment. However, this can exacerbate vasospasm and produce resultant ischemia. Cerebral salt wasting is a syndrome of renal sodium loss that may occur commonly after central nervous system injury, yet remains unrecognized. Treatment of cerebral salt wasting consists of hydration and salt replacement. This article uses a case report to discuss the importance of recognition of this syndrome, and treatment concerns are reviewed.
Model composition in product lines and feature interaction detection using critical pair analysis

Software product lines (SPL) are an established technology for developing families of systems. In particular, they focus on modeling commonality and variability, that is, they are based on identifying features common to all members of the family and variable features that appear only in some members. Model-based development methods for product lines advocate the construction of SPL requirements, analysis and design models for features. This paper describes an approach for maintaining feature separation during modeling using a UML composition language based on graph transformations. This allows models of features to be reused more easily. The language can be used to compose the SPL models for a given set of features. Furthermore, critical pair analysis is used to detect dependencies and conflicts between features during analysis and design modeling. The approach is supported by a tool that allows automated composition of UML models of features and detection of some kinds of feature interactions.
Performance Appraisal Systems: Matching Practice With Theory

Research on performance appraisal systems provides many conceptual prescriptions, but little evidence exists about how well organizations adhere to these prescriptions. This article provides an emp...
Palmart's "Reportorium de Pravitate Haereticorum"

Pincus discusses the Library's acquisition of "Reportorium de Pravitate Haereticorum," which was printed in Valencia in 1494, and is dated in the colophon September 16.Â It is a manual of the Inquisition in the form of a dictionary and valuable both as a text and as an incunabulum.
Delayed rectifier K currents have reduced amplitudes and altered kinetics in myocytes from infarcted canine ventricle

Objective: The rapid ( I Kr) and slow ( I Ks) components of delayed rectifier currents play an important role in determining the cardiac action potential configuration. Abnormalities in their function may contribute to arrhythmogenesis under pathological conditions. We studied the effects of myocardial infarction on I Kr and I Ks in canine ventricular myocytes and their molecular basis. Methods: Infarct zone myocytes (IZs) were isolated from a thin layer of surviving epicardium overlying an infarct 5 days after a total occlusion of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. Normal myocytes (NZs) were isolated from the corresponding region of control hearts for comparison. Currents were recorded under the whole-cell patch clamp conditions. Results : Both I Kr and I Ks current densities were reduced in IZs versus NZs. Kinetic analysis further suggests an acceleration of I Kr activation and I Ks deactivation. RNase protection assays were used to quantify the mRNA levels of I Kr and I Ks channel subunits (dERG, dIsK and dKvLQT1) in tissue immediately adjacent to the region where myocytes were isolated. mRNA levels of all three subunits were reduced 2 days after LAD occlusion (by 48±9%, 68±5%, and 45±4% for dERG, dIsK and dKvLQT1, respectively, n = 8 each). By day 5, the dKvLQT1 message returned to control while those of dERG and dIsK remained reduced (by 52±7% and 76±6%, respectively). Conclusions: The decrease in I Kr and I Ks amplitudes and changes in their kinetics in infarcted tissue might be due to a decrease in functional channels and/or changes in their subunit composition. Heterogeneous changes in I Kr and I Ks in infarcted hearts may impact on the effects of varying heart rate or neurohumoral modulation on repolarization.
Role of mermithid nematodes in biological control of mosquitoes.

Mermithid nematodes have been reported from at least 63 species of mosquitoes from all over the world, but until recently they have received little attention. Such nematodes are prime candidates as biological control agents because they have adapted to the life cycle of the host; are host specific; produce high levels of parasitism; kill the hosts; are easily handled; have a high reproductive potential; are free swimming and can be disseminated easily in the infective stage; and can be used in an inundative or inoculative manner to control mosquitoes. Nevertheless, with the exception of one mermithid species, little is known about factors that influence parasitism in mosquitoes. Also, only one species of mermithid has been successfully mass cultured to date. The exception is the mermithid Reesimermis nielseni. With this mermithid, high levels of parasitism can be obtained in natural populations of mosquitoes at reasonable dosages; preparasitic nematodes can be applied easily by using many of the standard techniques used to apply insecticides; and R. nielseni can establish itself in many of the sites in which it is released. The same potentials exist for mermithids of other aquatic insects.
Early experience with adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in the modern era

Abstract In 1980 we stopped using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for adults because only 1 of 20 patients treated between 1973 and 1979 survived. In October 1988 we returned to adult extracorporeal life support (ECLS) with a modified protocol including venovenous access when possible, large oxygenators for CO 2 clearance, activated clotting time of 180 to 200 seconds, and case selection based on 90% mortality (30% transpulmonary shunt). Of 19 patients referred, 14 met criteria for ECLS Three of these 14 patients with isolated respiratory failure died before ECLS could be started, and 1 patient refused ECLS and died. Ten were placed on ECLS for 2 to 24 days. Indications were pneumonia (3), post-cardiac operation (2), and adult respiratory distress syndrome (5). Five recovered and 5 died. The cause of early death was progressive pulmonary injury (3), hemorrhage (1), and ventricular arrhythmia (1). One late death occurred at 3 months secondary to intraabdominal complications related to liver transplantation. In conclusion, 10 adult patients with severe respiratory failure were treated with extracorporeal life support; 5 patients recovered lung function and 4 of these patients survived and were discharged to home. Surviving patients were typically younger and were placed on ECLS early in their disease process, emphasizing that early intervention is one key factor to a successful outcome.
High-resolution rovibrational spectroscopy of jet-cooled phenyl radical: the ν19 out-of-phase symmetric CH stretch.

Author Institution: JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Boulder, CO 80309
Gene replication in the presence of aphidicolin.

DNA replication in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells is restricted to the S phase of the cell cycle, and different genes are duplicated at specific times, according to a well-defined temporal order. We have investigated whether activation of initiation sites, in proximity to genes that are replicated in different portions of the S phase, could be detected when synchronized 10T1/2 cells were maintained in aphidicolin (APC), an inhibitor of DNA polymerases alpha and delta. Cells released from confluence arrest into medium containing 2 micrograms/mL APC progressed into the S phase, and nascent DNA accumulated during incubations of 24 and 32 h. Exposure to APC for 40 or 48 h resulted in growth of the radiolabeled DNA into larger molecules. Replicating DNA was isolated in CsCl gradients and probed with 32P-labeled gene probes for early-replicating genes (e.g., Ha-ras, mos, and myc) and a late-replicating gene (VH Ig). DNA replicated during the 24-h incubation in APC was enriched in Ha-ras gene sequences. The VH Ig gene did not replicate in cells incubated for as long as 56 h with APC. The myc and the mos genes were detected after 32 and 40 h in APC, respectively. The myc gene is replicated in 10T1/2 cells after Ha-ras but before mos. Therefore, the order of activation of these genes was conserved in the presence of APC. The delay in replication of myc and mos correlated well with the slowing of DNA replication by APC.
Rapid Genotyping of Soybean Cultivars Using High Throughput Sequencing

Soybean (Glycine max) breeding involves improving commercially grown varieties by introgressing important agronomic traits from poor yielding accessions and/or wild relatives of soybean while minimizing the associated yield drag. Molecular markers associated with these traits are instrumental in increasing the efficiency of producing such crosses and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) are particularly well suited for this task, owing to high density in the non-genic regions and thus increased likelihood of finding a tightly linked marker to a given trait. A rapid method to develop SNP markers that can differentiate specific loci between any two parents in soybean is thus highly desirable. In this study we investigate such a protocol for developing SNP markers between multiple soybean accessions and the reference Williams 82 genome. To restrict sampling frequency reduced representation libraries (RRLs) of genomic DNA were generated by restriction digestion followed by library construction. We chose to sequence four accessions Dowling (PI 548663), Dwight (PI 597386), Komata (PI200492) and PI 594538A for their agronomic importance as well as Williams 82 as a control. MseI was chosen to digest genomic DNA based on predictions that it will cut sparingly in the mathematically defined high-copy-number regions of the genome. All RRLs were sequenced on the Illumina genome analyzer. Reads were aligned to the Glyma1 reference assembly and SNP calls made from the alignments. We identified from 4294 to 14550 SNPs between the four accessions and the Williams 82 reference. In addition a small number of SNPs (1142) were found by aligning Williams 82 reads to the reference assembly (Glyma1) suggesting limited genetic variation within the Williams 82 line. The SNP data allowed us to estimate genetic diversity between the four lines and Williams 82. Restriction digestion of soybean genomic DNA with MseI followed by high throughput sequencing provides a rapid and reproducible method for generating SNP markers.
The Militarization of Urban Marginality: Lessons from the Brazilian Metropolis

Neoliberal penalty is paradoxical in that it purports to deploy ‘more state’ in the realm of the police, criminal courts and prisons to remedy the generalized rise of objective and subjective insecurity which is itself caused by ‘less state’ on the economic and social front in the leading countries of the First World. It reaffirms the omnipotence of Leviathan in the restricted domain of public-order maintenance, symbolized by the running battle against street delinquency and clandestine immigration that has everywhere surged to the forefront of the civic stage, just when the state claims and proves to be incapable of stemming the fragmentation of wage labor and of bridling the hypermobility of capital that converge to destabilize the entire social edifice. And, as I showed elsewhere (Wacquant 1999; 2001a), this is no mere coincidence: it is precisely because the governing elites, having converted to the new ruling ideology of the all-mighty market radiating from the United States, relinquish the state’s prerogatives in socioeconomic matters that they must everywhere enhance and reinforce its mission in matters of domestic ‘security’1 after having abruptly reduced the latter to its sole criminal dimension, and furthermore to festering lower-class crime in the streets as opposed to mounting upper-class lawbreaking in corporate suites.
High speed Tilted white-light Scanning Interferometry system for package bumps inspection

Tilted white-light Scanning Interferometry(TSI) is oriented from Vertical Scanning white-light interferometry(VSI). TSI is optimized for lateral scanning; it's possible that scanning object with only one axis movement while VSI have to move more than two axis to scan a object lager than its Field Of View(FOV). This paper introduces implemented system for package bumps scanning using TSI with our own developed high speed camera.
Applied optical illusions: a simulation model of eye response helps improve visual scene simulation

Modifications made to improve results in computer generated images (CGI) for visual scene simulation provided results better than anticipated. Understanding is essential to effective use of any technique. In this investigation, the response characteristics of the eye were simulated with a computer model. The tonal patterns resulting from CGI processing were applied as the stimulus, and the subjective eye response was obtained. This explained the experimental results and provided guidance for application of the technique.
Myometrial contractile strain at uteroplacental separation during parturition.

Abstract Objective: A simplified geometric model of the uterine wall during the second and third stages of labor was created to estimate the magnitude of myometrial strain associated with the initiation of placental separation. Study Design: The uterine wall was modeled as an isovolumetric, incompressible spherical shell whose overall radius decreased and mural thickness increased on uterine muscle contraction after delivery of the fetus. Either a 3.5-MHz or a 5-MHz ultrasonography probe was used to measure the change in uterine mural thickness of 14 healthy patients from just before delivery to the time of initial separation of the placenta. The measured change in uterine wall thickness was then used to calculate its average radial and circumferential strain with a simple mathematic model. Results: Placental separation occurred at radial and circumferential strains (mean ± SD) of 450% ± 182% and –75% ± 11%, respectively. These strains are consistent with the known maximal contractile strains achievable by smooth muscle. Conclusion: Placental separation is likely associated with maximal myometrial contractile strain. Before birth the presence of the fetal and amniotic fluid volumes usually renders such contractile strains unachievable, thereby helping to guard against premature placental separation. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;183:156-9.)
Step-driven surface segregation and ordering during Si-Ge MBE growth

An important role of type S{sub B} step edges in determining the as-grown microstructure of Si-Ge superlattices and alloys is implicated from direct Z-contrast images of as-grown structures. A variety of different ordered phase variants can arise at each Si on Ge interface as a result of vertical segregation during superlattice growth. A new monoclinic-ordered structure is predicted to arise as a result of lateral segregation during alloy growth.
Pressurized testing of a planar solid oxide fuel cell stack

Abstract Gas leakage often occurs in planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks due to small pressure differentials (2–3 psi) between the process flows and external pressure. This gas leakage can initiate localized burning and degradation mechanisms, which result in lower stack efficiency, reduced stack lifetime, and higher overall cost. A more durable planar SOFC design that can accommodate higher operating pressure would contribute to higher efficiency and more versatile SOFC system integrations. This manuscript examines the performance of a 60-cell, planar SOFC stack up to 45 psia. SOFC stacks can be successfully operated at elevated pressure by containment in a pressure vessel and equalization of the vessel pressure to the process pressure (i.e. anode and cathode gas flows). SOFC stacks display pressure-dependent voltage in accordance with theory, suggesting that an absolute efficiency gain of 2–3% by operating at 45 psia versus ambient pressure (15 psia) is achievable.
The relation of parent and provider characteristics to vaccination status of children in private practices and managed care organizations in Maryland.

OBJECTIVES This study sought to identify provider practices and policies in private pediatric settings that relate to vaccination status, controlling for the characteristics of the children served. METHODS Vaccination data came from the medical records of 709 randomly selected 2-year-old children at 18 private practices and managed care organizations in Maryland, family data from 466 telephone interviews with the children's parents, and provider characteristics from 18 site questionnaires and 42 individual physician and nurse practitioner questionnaires. Logistic regression and generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the relation of provider characteristics to vaccination status. Three age-appropriate (AA) and two up-to-date (UTD) vaccination status variables characterized successful vaccination. RESULTS Approximately 70% of the study children were up-to-date by age 2 years for the full vaccination series, excluding hepatitis B vaccine. Family demographic characteristics were the strongest correlates of undervaccination. Neither parents' knowledge and attitudes about immunization nor the children's insurance coverage was statistically related to vaccination status. Site reminder or follow-up systems and provider perceptions about appointment scheduling and receipt of vaccine information from health departments were positively related to vaccination. Concern for liability was associated with a reduced odds of age-appropriate and up-to-date vaccination. CONCLUSIONS Family demographics strongly correlate with vaccination status; however, they are generally not modifiable. This study's findings encourage providers to operate a tracking system, to remain current on immunization recommendations, to use all clinical encounters to screen and vaccinate children, and to ensure the availability and convenience of vaccination services.
Diagnostic Classification of LD: Research and Ethical Perspectives as Related to Practice:

This is the second in a two-part series focusing on the major purposes and concerns related to diagnostic practices. Part 1 discussed the importance and necessity of diagnostic procedures and the d...
The ubiquity of C-H bond breaking by MeV ion irradiation

Hydrocarbons are inadvertently present on the surfaces of most materials, and hydrogen is a major contaminant in amorphous carbon. These C-H bonds are easily broken by the electronic excitation induced by the passage of an energetic (MeV) ion, as seen, for example, in the registration of ion damage tracks in many organic materials. In this session of the conference we shall see that, when the C-H bonds are broken, structural modification of the material occurs. These structural changes include, for example, not only the loss of hydrogen, but also involve graphite formation in amorphous carbon and hydrocarbons, and surface or interface atom rearrangement in other materials. This effect is important not only in interactions with “dirt” but also as a phenomenon that can be exploited for the modification of material properties. We speculate herein that the effects observed can be accounted for by a model of the process based on damage induced by secondary electrons arising along the path of the beam ion. The simultaneous breaking of several adjacent C-H bonds by a number of these electrons allows stronger C-C or C-substrate atom bonds to form, which in turn produce atomic rearrangement. The freed hydrogen atoms eventually combine to form H_2 which diffuses from the material.