cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Habitat effects on second-order predation of the seed predator Harpalus rufipes and implications for weed seedbank management

Abstract Seed predators provide a valuable ecosystem service to farmers by reducing densities of weed seeds, and, in turn, densities of weed seedlings they must manage. The predominant invertebrate weed seed predator in Maine, USA, agroecosystems is the carabid beetle Harpalus rufipes DeGeer. Pitfall trapping has shown that H. rufipes prefers sites with vegetative cover to fallow sites, preference speculated to be driven by predator avoidance behavior. To test this hypothesis, ‘second-order predation assays’ were developed, in which live H. rufipes prey were presented to second-order predators. Field experiments were conducted to determine foremost if H. rufipes was subject to second-order predation, and secondly, whether (a) vegetative cover affords H. rufipes protection from second-order predators, and (b) high rates of second-order predation correspond with decreased invertebrate seed predation rates. Two 72-h experiments were conducted (mid August and September 2012) at crop and non-crop sites across a 28 ha diversified farm in Stillwater, ME, USA. Second-order predation was 2.8% per day. Based on images from motion-sensing cameras, H. rufipes’ predators included birds and small mammals. Neither a relationship between second-order predation and vegetative treatment, nor an empirical relationship between second-order predation and invertebrate seed predation were detected. However, a simulation model predicted that 2.8% per day second-order predation could increase the number of seeds entering the seedbank by more than 17% annually. Additionally, complex habitats supported higher rates of second-order predation than did simple habitats.
II. On a new method of measuring the mean height of the ozone in the atmosphere

The purpose of this paper is to present the results obtained by applying a new method i of measuring the " m e a n he ight" of the atmospheric ozone. Par t I by John Strong" treats the background and the theory of the method, and describes the appara tus and some of the results obtained. Here, his paper will be designated JS-I. Briefly, the method requires three sets of determinat ions; namely, measurements of the total thickness of ozone in the atmosphere between the observer and the sun, of the total thickness of water vapor between the sun and the observer, and of the atmospheric absorption of solar radiation in the 9.6 u ozone band. All three measurements are involved directly in the computa t ion of the mean height of ozone in such a way tha t the accuracies of all must be emphasized. The essential feature of the method is the measurement of the 9.6 u ozone band by a residual ray appara tus 3 which yields th.e pressure effect ~b).2 on the absorption band. From the "ave rage" total pressure under which the ozone exists one may deduce the average height of the atmospheric ozone. The effect of pressure on the 9.6 # ozone band has been determined in the laboratory over a sufficient range to furnish a calibration for the absorption of atmospheric ozone--covering the range of total thickness of ozone and of the total pressure. Of course, the ozone concentrat ion and tempera ture are different for the case of the laboratory measurements. Numerous individual measurements are desirable to obtain curves of these measurements in order to s tudy the changes in ozone height th roughout the day; accordingly, it has been our purpose to simplify the manipulat ion of the ins t ruments and also the computa t ion whenever convenient ly possible.
Nanophotonic interconnection networks for multicore embedded computing systems

Today's microprocessors are driven in performance by increases in the number of on-chip parallel computational cores rather than by the sheer acceleration of transistor speeds. These emerging chip multiprocessors (CMPs) are fundamentally different from traditional unicore microprocessors with architectures that essentially resemble highly parallel computing systems on-chip. Achieving maximum utilization of compute resources as the number of functional parallel units scales, falls increasingly on the efficiency of the information exchange among those resources. In this new communication-bound paradigm, the realization of a system-wide scalable communications infrastructure that can meet the enormous bandwidths, capacities, and stringent latency requirements in an energy efficient manner is a key goal for scaling future computation performance. We explore how recent advances in nanoscale silicon photonic technologies can be exploited for developing optical interconnection networks that address the critical bandwidth and power challenges presented for CMP computing systems.
Coronary vasospasm during an adenosine stress test.

test the natu thou reac with com seco ofte of m stre dise coro infu of S in p Case presentation. A 44-year-old man with no history of coronary artery disease was referred for cardial stress testing. He presented to the emergency artment with a single episode of exertional rightd chest pain associated with breathlessness. He had a ative helical computed tomography scan to evaluate pulmonary embolism and was ruled out for myocarinfarction by serial cardiac biomarkers as well as ing electrocardiograms (ECGs), which showed no ges diagnostic for ischemia. Two weeks before this entation, he had undergone abdominal surgery for a ll bowel obstruction, which was complicated by a nd infection. Because of his nonhealed abdominal nd, he was scheduled for a pharmacologic myocarperfusion test with adenosine infused at 140 g · 1 · min . He tolerated the 4.5-minute infusion of osine with only mild atypical chest pain and no ECG ges. He had received a 559-mBq (15.1-mCi) injecof technetium 99m sestamibi 1.5 minutes into the osine infusion. Three minutes after the end of osine infusion, severe, substernal chest discomfort ciated with profound diaphoresis suddenly develd. The ECG at that time showed ST elevations riorly with reciprocal ST depressions laterally ure 1A). He was treated with sublingual nitroglyc, aspirin, and oxygen. His chest pain resolved within inutes, and his ECG reverted back to baseline ure 1B). The patient was admitted and taken to the cardiac eterization laboratory. Coronary angiography reed a right-dominant coronary tree without any evice of atherosclerosis (Figure 2). Left ventriculograperformed in orthogonal views demonstrated no onal wall motion abnormalities. As a result of the rvening catheterization, the patient’s nuclear imaging
Significance of Nonsagittal Power Terms in Analysis of a Dynamic Elastic Response Prosthetic Foot

Dynamic elastic response prosthetic feet generally utilize a solid ankle, limiting dominant motion to the sagittal plane. However, researchers often use total rotational ankle joint power in the analysis of these feet. This investigation measured joint power terms in each plane for the Carbon Copy High Performance prosthetic foot. The significance of the frontal and transverse plane terms was assessed. Addition of these terms to the dominant sagittal power term revealed only slight differences, indicating that the sagittal power term is likely sufficient.
Limited molecular heterogeneity of plant histones.

Abstract 1. 1. The histones of pea-bud chromatin have been fractionated and purified by ion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography and by preparative disc electrophoresis. 2. 2. Four of the purified histone components are single molecular species as judged by the criteria of chromatographic behavior, disc electrophoresis, N- and C-terminal amino acids and number of tryptic peptides. 3. 3. Two further histone fractions contained pairs of electrophoretically separable components. Each of these fractions appears by the above criteria to represent only two molecular species. 4. 4. Thus pea-bud histone contains only eight molecular species. 5. 5. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the major types of pea-bud and mammalian histones.
Are there gender differences in what drives customer delight

Purpose – This paper aims to understand how male and female hotel guests become delighted customers. It aims to present the similarities and differences along with respective implications for theory and application. Design/methodology/approach – During a period of three months, tourists were interviewed at an upscale Florida hotel. A total of 208 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The script for the interviews was based on an interview protocol used by Crotts et al. Adapted from a previous customer delight study (Torres and Kline), a codebook was developed to determine the salient themes that emerged during the interview process. Interviews were coded independently by three experienced reviewers using the process of content analysis. Findings – The results demonstrated that while men and women agreed on most aspects of the service experience that led them to feel delighted, there were other aspects of the delight experience that seemed to vary by gender. More specifically, female guests were more ...
Semiconductor quantum-dot based wideband emitter for optical sensors

We report a novel broadband superluminescent diode using InGaAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum-dots heterostructure. The three sections superluminescent diode consists of index-guided ridge-waveguide section (4 mum wide) butt-connected to a broad-area photon absorber (50 mum wide) to minimize optical feedback and to suppress lasing action. The fabricated device produces low ripple spectrum under continuous wave operation (20 degC) with wavelength peak at ~1210 nm. The spectral bandwidth can be tuned from 71 to 94 nm by electrically addressing the individual section of device
Gun orientation in self-inflicted craniomaxillofacial gunshot wounds: risk factors associated with fatality

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether orientation of a firearm predicts survival, and to identify risk factors associated with fatality in subjects with self-inflicted craniomaxillofacial gunshot wounds. A retrospective cohort study design was used. The primary predictor variable was orientation of the weapon, defined as in the coronal (lateral) or sagittal (anterior-posterior) trajectory pattern. The primary outcome variable was death for subjects on arrival or during their hospital stay. Other covariates measured include demographic, firearm-related, and psychosocial variables. Risk factors for fatality were identified using multivariate logistic regression. Of the 92 subjects that met study inclusion criteria, 47 (67.2) held the firearm in the coronal position. In the full multivariate model, coronal gun orientation (OR=7.7, 95% CI: 2.0, 30.1, p=0.003) and the absence of a psychiatric diagnosis were associated with an increased risk of fatality (OR=0.1, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.5, p=0.002). Coronal firearm orientation was associated with an increased risk of fatality following self-inflicted craniomaxillofacial gunshot injuries. A patient with a documented psychiatric disorder was not found to be more likely to succumb to this type of injury.
VARIATION OF PKA'-VALUES OF TETRACYCLINES IN DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE-WATER SOLVENTS.

Abstract The variation of pKa'-values for several tetracycline antibiotics with per cent dimethylformamide (DMF) in per cent DMF-per cent H20 solvents (v/v) is given. Quantitative expressions for the pKa' dependence on per cent DMF for the various functional groups have been obtained. This information is utilized in the assignment of pKa'-values to functional groups.
Neural circuit activity in freely behaving zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Examining neuronal network activity in freely behaving animals is advantageous for probing the function of the vertebrate central nervous system. Here, we describe a simple, robust technique for monitoring the activity of neural circuits in unfettered, freely behaving zebrafish (Danio rerio). Zebrafish respond to unexpected tactile stimuli with short- or long-latency escape behaviors, which are mediated by distinct neural circuits. Using dipole electrodes immersed in the aquarium, we measured electric field potentials generated in muscle during short- and long-latency escapes. We found that activation of the underlying neural circuits produced unique field potential signatures that are easily recognized and can be repeatedly monitored. In conjunction with behavioral analysis, we used this technique to track changes in the pattern of circuit activation during the first week of development in animals whose trigeminal sensory neurons were unilaterally ablated. One day post-ablation, the frequency of short- and long-latency responses was significantly lower on the ablated side than on the intact side. Three days post-ablation, a significant fraction of escapes evoked by stimuli on the ablated side was improperly executed, with the animal turning towards rather than away from the stimulus. However, the overall response rate remained low. Seven days post-ablation, the frequency of escapes increased dramatically and the percentage of improperly executed escapes declined. Our results demonstrate that trigeminal ablation results in rapid reconfiguration of the escape circuitry, with reinnervation by new sensory neurons and adaptive changes in behavior. This technique is valuable for probing the activity, development, plasticity and regeneration of neural circuits under natural conditions.
Crystal structures of substrate-free and nitrosyl cytochrome p450cin: implications for o(2) activation.

The crystal structure of the P450cin substrate-bound nitric oxide complex and the substrate-free form have been determined revealing a substrate-free structure that adopts an open conformation relative to the substrate-bound structure. The region of the I helix that forms part of the O2 binding pocket shifts from an α helix in the substrate-free form to a π helix in the substrate-bound form. Unique to P450cin is an active site residue, Asn242, in the I helix that H-bonds with the substrate. In most other P450s this residue is a Thr and plays an important role in O2 activation by participating in an H-bonding network required for O2 activation. The π/α I helix transition results in the carbonyl O atom of Gly238 moving in to form an H-bond with the water/hydroxide ligand in the substrate-free form. The corresponding residue, Gly248, in the substrate-free P450cam structure experiences a similar motion. Most significantly, in the oxy-P450cam complex Gly248 adopts a position midway between the substrate-free a...
Benefits, Barriers and Enablers of University—Community Research Collaboration: Input from Health and Social Service Agencies

Increasingly, it has become clear to social marketers and others that partnerships among organizations are needed to accomplish behavior change and achieve social objectives. While many still take an organization- centered approach, there has been a marked increase in the number of community-based collaborative research endeavors connecting academics and community agencies in mutual investigation of salient problems.Currently, much of the literature on these efforts is reported by academicians and reflects their perspectives or perceptions of agency viewpoints. More input is needed from the agency perspective to ensure a more balanced understanding of the significant role community partners play in the development and implementation of research that leads to improved health status of communities and other social objectives.To this end, focus groups were conducted to give community-based agencies the opportunity to share their insights and give their perspective regarding the benefits and barriers to effec...
Biology and clinical significance of virulence plasmids in Salmonella serovars

Non-typhoid Salmonella strains containing virulence plasmids are highly associated with bacteria and disseminated infection in humans. These plasmids are found in Salmonella serovars adapted to domestic animals, such as Salmonella dublin and Salmonella choleraesuis, as well as in the widely distributed pathogens Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis. Although virulence plasmids differ between serovars, all contain a highly conserved 8-kb region containing the spv locus that encodes the spvR regulatory gene and four structural spvABCD genes. Studies in mice suggest that the spv genes enhance the ability of Salmonella strains to grow within cells of the reticuloendothelial system. The spv genes are not expressed during exponential growth in vitro but are rapidly induced following entry of Salmonella strains into mammalian cells, including macrophages. Transcription of the spv genes is controlled by the stationary-phase sigma factor RpoS, and mutations in RpoS abolish virulence. These studies suggest that the ability of Salmonella strains to respond to starvation stress in the host tissues is an essential component of virulence.
THE APPLICATION OF HRTEM TECHNIQUES AND NANOSIMS TO CHEMICALLY AND ISOTOPICALLY CHARACTERIZE GEOBACTER SULFURREDUCENS SURFACES

Bioprecipitated minerals are typically at the nanometer scale, hydrous, and beam-sensitive (i.e., can recrystallize during analysis), making them diffi cult to characterize using standard spectroscopic or electron-beam techniques. We have combined the ion-imaging capabilities of nanoscale secondary-ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) and advanced high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) in order to characterize the surfaces of Geobacter sulfurreducens and the bioprecipitated uranium phases. Our results reveal the association between nutrient uptake and precipitation of uranium minerals. Biosequestration of uranium is enhanced by addition of nutrients such as acetic acid, and uranium is precipitated on the surface of the bacteria as nanocrystals of uraninite (UO2). The bioprecipitation of this anhydrous U-rich phase is signifi cant; although UO2 is thermodynamically stable over a range of pH values (2 to 12) and oxidizing conditions [Eh 0.2 to –0.2, or log f(O2) of approximately –50 to –125], thermodynamic models of inorganic systems suggest that U 6+ oxyhydroxide minerals should be stable. Our results suggest that the biofi lm shielded the UO2 from re-oxidation and that bacteria can immobilize uranium for extended periods, even under relatively oxidizing conditions in the subsurface.
A different view of the climatic effect of CO2 - Updated

An update is given of a previous paper by the same title, an explanation is given of the way greenhouse gases operate to raise the surface temperature of a planet. The paper in general is designed to be understandable to a wide range of disciplines. The argument is advanced that the role of radiative transfer has been overemphasized relative to other climatological processes and, in particular, that the roles of deep convection in the tropics and of evaporation from tropical oceans have been underemphasized and inadequately modeled in our calculations of climatic effects of increased CO 2 to date.
Hagar’s Child: Theology, Ethics, and the Third Party in Emerging Reproductive Technology

Every gesture is a moral gesture, and every moral gesture, every decision creates a narrative that is at once personal and public, at once unique and taken within a tradition of human moral activities. Nowhere is this more true than in reproductive medicine, and no tradition stronger or more closely held than traditions of religious practices. Thus, emerging reproductive technology has become one of primary ethical attention and concern for religion. For the three Abrahamic religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the story of Hagar, the young slave used as a surrogate mother to Abraham’s firstborn son Ishmael, is the shared ground for the first family of faith, and it is fully of drama and tragic necessity. In the Hebrew Scripture, as noted above, the effort to create a child outside of the usual narrative of marriage does not go happily, and for Muslims, the plight of Hajar (Arabic for Hagar) is central to the Hajj, the required pilgrimage to Mecca, in which her frantic search for water to maintain her son, after they are cast out and left in the desert, is one in which she runs back and forth seven times between two peaks, Al-Safa and Al-Marwah. This physical act of desperation is replicated, as thus, the pilgrim must use his/her body to re-enact the seven circuits in the desert heat, running up and down the hills. The drama of the third party is repeated, reenacted, and respoken so powerfully in these traditions that it clearly raised the question, “Why?” Especially as recounted of an historical era in which disempowered slave women were commonly seen as property, why is the text so attentive to the problem of the use of these women as mothers? It is a core question for scholars who seek to understand the positions of contemporary religious traditions and contemporary third-party reproductive projects, for such core foundational narratives capture both the desperation, frustration, and infinite yearning of infertility, and the ethical problems with the use of the body of another in the service of so central a human activity as childbirth. This chapter will briefly review some of the ethical and theological concerns of a number of traditions as they considered third-party reproduction.
What do we know about adenovirus in renal transplantation

Adenoviruses are common pathogens that have the potential to cause opportunistic infections with significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised hosts. The significance of adenoviral infection and disease is incompletely known in the setting of kidney transplantation. Reported adenovirus infections in renal transplant recipients have typically manifested as hemorrhagic cystitis and tubulointerstitial nephritis, less severe diseases than often seen in other solid organ transplant recipients (i.e. pneumonia, hepatitis and enteritis). The prevalent adenovirus subgroups associated with cystitis and nephritis are B1 and B2 with the serotypes 7, 11, 34, 35. However, disseminated or severe adenovirus infections, including fatal cases, have been described in renal transplant recipients. There is uncertainty regarding monitoring of and treatment of this virus. Although not supported by randomized clinical trials, cidofovir is used for the treatment of adenovirus disease not responding to reduction of immunosuppression.
Is the increasing policy use of impact assessment in Europe likely to undermine efforts to achieve healthy public policy

Health impact assessment (HIA) has been seen as a promising tool for integrating health considerations into other policies. Both the scientific community and international expert bodies (eg, World Health Organization) in the field of public health have advocated its implementation given the promising findings of its usefulness. However, ensuring that it is systematically implemented in routine daily decision making has been especially difficult, especially at the local level (see eg, Nilunger Mannheimer et al ,1 Wismar et al ,2 Collins and Koplan,3 and Metcalfe and Higgins4). Undoubtedly, one reason for the difficulties in implementing and institutionalising HIA is the vast number of competing impact assessments—for example environmental, social, economic, business, sex, sustainability, human rights and child. All these are expected to be implemented by officials preparing proposals for decision makers. As a solution, in the context of the European Union, an integrated EC Impact Assessment was presented in 2002 as a comprehensive assessment procedure, only 1 year after the Directorate General for Health …
Maximum Likelihood Elevation Angle Estimates of Radar Targets Using Subapertures

The maximum likelihood estimates of the elevation angles of two closely spaced targets within the beamwidth is considered. For an array divided into three subapertures, a simple, closed form solution is found whose accuracy compares favorably to the maximum likelihood estimate which uses all the individual elements. Simulation results are presented for the case of a radar target located over a smooth reflecting surface.
Rapid integration of CAE analysis programs using a blackboard approach

This paper presents an approach for rapidly integrating CAE analysis programs into complex engineering methodologies. The blackboard technique has been adopted in the implementation of this approach, especially for the process scheduling, monitoring, and potentially, diagnosis. This approach has now been implemented and tested in prototyping projects on several engineering methodologies involving multiple analysis programs. >
Lack of association between serum magnesium and the risks of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Background Experimental studies have linked hypomagnesemia with the development of vascular dysfunction, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. Prior clinical studies have yielded conflicting results but were limited by the use of self-reported magnesium intake or short follow-up periods. Methods We examined the relationship between serum magnesium concentration and incident hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and mortality in 3,531 middle-aged adult participants in the Framingham Heart Study offspring cohort. Analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards regressions, adjusted for traditional CVD risk factors. Results Follow-up was 8 years for new-onset hypertension (551 events) and 20 years for CVD (554 events). There was no association between baseline serum magnesium and the development of hypertension (multivariable-adjusted hazards ratio per 0.15 mg/dL 1.03, 95% CI 0.92-1.15, P = .61), CVD (0.83, 95% CI 0.49-1.40, P = .49), or all-cause mortality (0.77, 95% CI 0.41-1.45, P = .42). Similar findings were observed in categorical analyses, in which serum magnesium was modeled in categories ( 2.2 mg/dL) or in quartiles. Conclusions In conclusion, data from this large, community-based cohort do not support the hypothesis that low serum magnesium is a risk factor for developing hypertension or CVD.
Variation Impact on SER of Combinational Circuits

Increasing variability not only affects the behavior of contemporary ICs but also their vulnerability to transient error phenomenon especially radiation induced soft errors. Such variations in device parameters are caused by static process variations, dynamic variations in power supply and temperature and slow degradation of individual devices due to phenomena like hot carrier injection (HCI) and negative bias temperature instability (NBTI). In this paper, the authors analyze the impact of such variations on the soft error rates (SER) of combinational logic circuits. Other contributions of this work also include tools that model threshold degradation of NMOS due to HCI and PMOS due to NBTI in logic circuits. Results were obtained for custom designed circuits and ISCAS-85 benchmarks. A detailed analysis of effect of threshold variations on SER is also presented with interesting observations
The operation of junction transistors at high currents and in saturation

The lumped-model characterization for junction transistors has been extended to current ranges where the transistor operation may no longer be considered linear. A number of effects are considered which contribute to the nonlinear behavior. In all cases it is shown that the self-bias cutoff effect plays an important part in the deterioration of performance at high currents. In alloy transistors, both normally and inversely biased, an exact solution for the form of the current gain as a function of collector current is given for the case where the injected density is small compared with the equilibrium base majority-carrier density. This solution is shown to be applicable to normally biased diffused-base units. A decrease in current gain is predicted due to the self-bias effect. The sources of lateral base current are bulk recombination and injection into the emitter, the relative amount being immaterial since both are proportional to the injected density. In the small-area alloy devices, it is seen that the injected density becomes large compared with the base majority-carrier density before the transistor performance is appreciably degraded. In such cases the lateral base current is seen to be normally dominated by non-unity emitter efficiency. In all cases, surface recombination is assumed to be the dominant source of total base current, and the first-order correction to the linear theory is shown to exhibit a 1/(1 + Ki_c) dependence. At higher currents all cases follow the observed 1/i_c proportionality. The effect of nonlinear phenomena on saturation voltage is considered in some detail. The saturation voltage is shown to increase with drive current, again emphasizing the importance of avoiding large overdrive currents. The use of alloy transistors as low-level signal switches is discussed, indicating the necessity for high values of β and low values of K.
Brillouin Scattering Study of the Ferroelectric Phase Transition of KH2 PO4

The ferroelectric phase transition of potassium dihydrogen phosphate, KDP, which occurs at 122°K, is generally considered to result from the ordering of protons which occupy double minima potential wells [1]. Blinc and Kobayashi[2] have included the effects of interaction between the tunnelling protons and lattice distortion to predict a collective excitation having the Cochran behavior ω2 221d T-To; we shall henceforth refer to it as the ferroelectric soft mode.
Verified correctness and security of OpenSSL HMAC

We have proved, with machine-checked proofs in Coq, that an OpenSSL implementation of HMAC with SHA- 256 correctly implements its FIPS functional specification and that its functional specification guarantees the expected cryptographic properties. This is the first machine-checked cryptographic proof that combines a source-program implementation proof, a compiler-correctness proof, and a cryptographic-security proof, with no gaps at the specification interfaces. The verification was done using three systems within the Coq proof assistant: the Foundational Cryptography Framework, to verify crypto properties of functional specs; the Verified Software Toolchain, to verify C programs w.r.t. functional specs; and CompCert, for verified compilation of C to assembly language.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm: overview of stent-graft devices.

Intervention for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) dates back centuries; amazingly, early approaches were endoluminal. In 1684, Moore attempted to induce thrombosis of an aneurysm by introducing large masses of intraluminal wire. Corradi modified this technique in 1879 by passing electrical current along the intraluminal wires, and in 1915 Colt further developed endoluminal approaches when he introduced a selfexpanding wire umbrella into an aneurysm using a delivery system similar in many ways to the endovascular systems in current use. Blakemore and King revived these concepts in 1938 when they proposed electrothermic coagulation of aortic aneurysms through intraluminal wiring, a technique that was used until graft replacement was introduced in 1953. The era of operative repair dawned early in the 20th century, beginning with aortic ligation, which was first performed successfully by Matas in 1923, and aortic wrapping, which was described by Rea in 1948. Resection and homograft replacement was first performed by Dubost and colleagues in 1951. Endoaneurysmorrhaphy with intraluminal graft replacement, leaving the aneurysm sac in situ, was described by Creech in 1966, and this remains the standard for conventional operative repair today. With advances in preoperative evaluation and surgical, anesthetic, and critical care management, elective repair of AAA with conventional surgical technique has become much safer. Well-trained vascular surgeons can treat a majority of AAA patients with an operative mortality of less than 5%. In addition, the risk of late complications and the need for longterm surveillance are relatively small. Nonetheless, the drive for less invasive procedures with quicker recuperation and less pain and the needs of medically unfit patients who are at high risk in major surgery have propelled the development of endovascular approaches to exclude AAA using catheterbased techniques. Balko and colleagues reported the first experimental use of a stent-graft combination for treatment of aneurysmal disease in 1986. In 1991, Parodi and colleagues reported the first clinical application of transfemoral endovascular grafting to exclude AAA. During the last decade, numerous aortic endografts have been developed worldwide. Two of them (Ancure by Guidant, Menlo Park, CA, and AneuRx by Medtronic AVE, Sunrise, FL) received FDA approval in September 1999; several other aortic stent-grafts are now commercially available outside of the USA or in clinical trials in this and other countries (Table 1).
A SYNOPTIC CLIMATOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF SUMMERTIME PRECIPITATION INTENSITY IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES

The spatial patterns of precipitation frequency and intensity over the eastern United States for summer from 1961 to 1990 are analyzed using a recently developed continental-scale air mass-based synoptic classification. This procedure, the spatial synoptic classification (SSC), is based on “seed” day identification of synoptic events and discriminant analysis to group together days that are within the same air-mass type. Results show differences in the types of precipitation associated with different air masses. Two air masses in particular-Moist Tropical and Moist Temperate-appear to be highly correlated with a majority of the precipitation, particularly in the southeast. The synoptic characteristics, daily intensity of rainfall, and radiosonde soundings during prevalence of these two air masses suggest that convective rainfall is common during Moist Tropical, and stratiform-type rainfall occurs during Moist Temperate. A simple stratification scheme based upon a synoptic-based air-mass delineation may be...
Communist Revolution as the Origin of the Capitalism in the Red China: The Political Economy of the Private Economy in Zhejiang Province

This research explores the political factors that determined the spatial variations of the private economic development of Zhejiang province in China after 1949. I argue that even in an authoritarian country, when political elites are divided into competing groups and there are fierce political struggles between them, this opens the opportunity to potential private entrepreneurs because certain elite groups may provide protection, in order to win over entrepreneurs’ support and gain the upper hand in the political competition. My hypothesis is that if guerrilla forces were strong in a particular locality prior to 1949 (here I am referring to a county), then after 1949 the local cadre group, the weak side in the post-1949 strife between the elites, had greater incentives and capabilities to protect and promote private economy than their counterparts in the places where the guerrilla forces were weak before 1949. The empirical evidence strongly supports the hypothesis. The theoretical framework developed here can be effectively applied to other provinces in China, revealing similar patterns of the interrelation between local cadres and private entrepreneurs.
Plasma catechol amines in psychiatric patients.

SummaryThe concentrations of catechol amines with fluorescent absorption spectral characteristics similar to epinephrine and norepinephrine were determined in patients and hospital personnel in a psychiatric hospital. No significant differences were found in blood levels of catechol amines in these two groups. There were also no significant differences observed in the catechol amine levels among the various diagnostic categories within the patient group. L dihydroxyphenylalanine, tyramine, and 5 hydroxytryptamine do not appreciably interfere with the ethylenediamine method. 3 hydroxytyramine had a fluorescent potential equivalent to that of epinephrine and norepinephrine when these compounds were compared in the ethylenediamine method.
Rationality analysis on current validity period of preparations in medical institutions

The rationality of current validity period of the preparations in medical institutions was analyzed. Based on the discussion of the main functions of the validity period in administration admission and the essential principles for the reasonable enactment of the validity period, author suggested that the validity period should be amended as 5 years in order to exert more effectively on administration admission of the preparation of medical institution.
Monotherapy with lanreotide depot for acromegaly: long-term clinical experience in a pituitary center

Long-acting somatostatin analogs are one of the main classes of medical therapy used for acromegaly and most patients require ongoing treatment. Few studies have evaluated the long-term efficacy and safety of lanreotide depot beyond 2 years. The goal of this study was to provide a long-term longitudinal assessment of efficacy and safety of lanreotide depot in lanreotide responders compared to a surgically cured control group. In this retrospective longitudinal case-control study, patients with acromegaly receiving lanreotide depot monotherapy continuously for at least 24 months (N = 24) and surgically cured patients (N = 39) were compared. Serum IGF-1, pituitary MRIs, lanreotide dose, co-morbidities and adverse effects were assessed longitudinally. In the lanreotide group, IGF-1 remained normal and unchanged over 6 years; comparable to the surgery only group. There was no difference in prevalence of normal IGF-1 between the lanreotide and surgery only groups at 6 months (100 vs. 97 %), 6 years (89 vs. 90 %) and at last follow-up (96 vs. 92 %). Tumor size remained stable (79 %) or decreased (21 %) in the lanreotide group. In the surgery only group, tumor size remained unchanged in all patients. Hemoglobin A1C did not differ between lanreotide and surgery only groups (baseline 5.8 vs. 6.1 %; last follow-up 6.0 vs. 5.7 %). Two (8 %) of the lanreotide and none of the surgery only group developed new diabetes mellitus. Lanreotide depot maintains normalization of IGF-1 in 89 % of responders after 6 years, comparable to surgically cured controls, and controlled tumor size in all without significant adverse effects.
Simulation on the Response Speed of Main Distributing Valve

The response speed model of main distributing valve of hydraulic turbine governor was established using hydraulic simulation software, and the influence of underlap、area of control piston、radial clearance of spool and valve sleeve were analyzed by simulation. The conclusions are drawn that the speed response is inverse proportional to underlap and area of control piston, while it is proportional to radial clearance of spool and valve sleeve. The response speed can be improved by reducing underlap and area of control piston under the premise of ensuring static characteristics.
Epidemiological Features of Injuries among Primary Schools Students in Haizhu District of Guangzhou City

[Objective]To understand the injury status,the cause and influencing factors among primary school students in Haizhu district. [Methods]A cluster sampling study was adopted to conduct epidemiological feature analysis on the injuries of students of 6～19 years old from 13 primary schools in May 2007.[Results]Total incidence rate of injuries was 50.26%,male (52.39%) was higher than female (47.77%). The first 5 causes were falling (33.32%),kinds of bunging up and bumping (20.97%),throat injuring by sharp bone blocks (14.04%),traffic accidents (13.22%) burning (10.21%). [Conclusion]With the age growing,the rate of injuries among students shows a decreasing trend. Different types of injuries are caused by different reasons; it is affected by many factors such as parents' education level and occupation,whether the only child or not. The challenge of accidental injuries in primary school students was serious. Comprehensive preventive measures should be taken actively.
P-32 Helping families approach medical decisions through clarifying goals of care

Background Worldwide more people are living long enough to die in old age. This trend brings challenges associated with dying in the context of multiple advanced chronic illnesses. In the USA, some frail elders live in nursing homes (NH). While paid staff are available, many family members remain involved in the elder’s daily life. Aim Describe a conceptual model of how family members arrive at the main goal of care for elders and state obstacles to arriving at and communicating the goal. Methods Qualitative data from family of 54 NH residents in the USA were collected over 6 months. Content analysis helped to identify patterns in the data. Results Families weigh four factors when approaching medical decisions: the elder’s medical status/prognosis, available options, the elder’s preferences, and their own expectations of what a “good” daughter or spouse would do. This latter factor is seldom reported in the literature and yet can be powerful, especially if information about the other factors is lacking. Discussion Health professionals can increase their skill in engaging family members and elders in important conversations about goals of care. The family needs information from the health professional, who will need information from the elder and family in order for everyone to understand and accept the goals of care. Conclusion Many families are bewildered when facing medical decisions. Information and emotional support can assist them in understanding options in the context of resident preferences, goals of care, and their own sense of how a “good” family behaves.
Improving the fidelity of the Tatarskii Cn2 Calculation with inclusion of pressure perturbations

Optical Cn 2 can be calculated from temperature, pressure and wind, but generally the pressure is only used to quantify air density; Cn 2 is primarily inferred from CT 2 . This paper shows that pressure perturbations must be considered in neutrally buoyant layers.
Tracing Multiple Solution Branches for Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations: Chebyshev and Fourier Spectral Methods and a Degree-Increasing Spectral Homotopy [DISH]

Nonlinear differential and integral equations often have multiple solution branches. Reliable sofware to find all roots of a system of polynomial equations, as generated by standard discretizations for differential equations with polynomial nonlinearity, are now widely available. It is now feasible to pursue a global, all-branches attack on differential and integral equations. Unfortunately, both the number of solutions and computational cost grow exponentially fast with N, the number of degrees of freedom. And what if the nonlinearity is not polynomial? And how to continue from small-N to large N? Here, we show that Chebyshev and Fourier Petrov---Galerkin methods are "N-minimizing", but especially with exploitation of cryptoperiodicity, parity and other symmetries, basis recombination, and unconventional Gegenbauer polynomial Petrov---Galerkin weights. We also show that Chebyshev---Pade technology is efficient at "polynomializing" transcendental nonlinearity. If the small-N solution is sufficiently accurate, continuation to larger N is a simple matter of initializing Newton's iteration for large N with the solution for small N ("modal persistence"). When this fails, we introduce Newton-DISH: a Degree-Increasing Spectral Homotopy which is slower but more resilient. The major limitation is that present-day all-branches polynomial system solvers are limited, due to both operation count and memory storage, to rather modest N, typically 4---20, which we dub $$N_{feasible}$$Nfeasible. If the interesting branches can be resolved at least crudely by $$N_{feasible}$$Nfeasible degrees of freedom, then the solutions can be refined to high accuracy by DISH. However, solution branches that demand $$N > N_{feasible}$$N>Nfeasible for even a poor approximation lie outside the scope of the strategy described here. Our theme is not that the "all-roots" strategy is universally applicable, but rather that its domain of usefulness is greatly expanded by using spectral methods in lieu of low order finite differences and finite elements. We demonstrate the power of the polynomial-solver and Chebyshev partnership by finding a hitherto unsuspected second branch (smooth and real-valued) of the Sag-Haselgrove nonlinear integral equation, which has been studied for more than half a century.
Voices from the Unheard: Perceptions of HIV among Middle Class Black Women in Atlanta

Black women have higher HIV risk than women of other ethnic groups. While literature on Black women and HIV risk is extensive, it mostly focuses on “traditional risk groups” like low-income, low-education, or drug users. Little research exists on HIV risk in college-educated, middle class women. Based on ethnographic research in Atlanta, Georgia, this study explores middle class Black women's HIV risk perceptions, knowledge, and sexual behaviors. Using a womanist framework, this article explains how race, gender, and class interact to shape HIV risk in this underrepresented population. Some middle class Black women perceive their HIV risk as low based on social status, whereas structural factors related to Black women living in urban settings weaken the protective influence of class and increases HIV risk. Research findings inform prevention strategies for Black women who fall outside “traditional risk groups” and contributes to our knowledge of anthropological HIV research.
Renal infarction due to ergotamine

Learning points for clinicians A 54-year-old Caucasian male non-smoker presented to the Emergency Department with severe left loin pain of sudden onset for the last 3 h. He reported frequent migraines for the last 20 years, for which he had been taking occasional ergotamine 1 mg/caffeine tablets, obtained over-the-counter overseas. The migraines had worsened recently, attributed to stress at work and therefore he had been taking the ergotamine almost daily. On the day prior to admission, he had taken three tablets over 24 h, and reported increasingly severe episodes of loin pain occurring about 1 h after administration of the second …
Agreement and Updating For Self-Locating Belief

In this paper, I argue that some plausible principles concerning which credences are rationally permissible for agents given information about one another’s epistemic and credal states have some surprising consequences for which credences an agent ought to have in light of self-locating information. I provide a framework that allows us to state these constraints and draw out these consequences precisely. I then consider and assess the prospects for rejecting these prima facie plausible principles.
The mechanical properties of as-grown noncubic organic molecular crystals assessed by nanoindentation

Organic molecular crystals are often noncubic and contain significant steric hindrance within their structure to resist dislocation motion. Plastic deformation in these systems can be imparted during processing (tableting and comminution of powders), and the defect density impacts subsequent properties and performance. This study measured the elastic and plastic properties of representative monoclinic, orthorhombic, and triclinic molecular crystalline structures using nanoindentation of as-grown sub-mm single crystals. The variation in modulus due to in-plane rotational orientation, relative to a Berkovich tip, was approximately equal to the variation of a given crystal at a fixed orientation. The onset of plasticity occurs consistently at shear stresses between 1 and 5% of the elastic modulus in all three crystal systems, and the hardness to modulus ratio suggests conventional Berkovich tips do not generate fully self-similar plastic zones in these materials. This provides guidance for mechanical models of tableting, machining, and property assessment of molecular crystals.