cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parks, people, and conservation: A review of management issues in nepal's protected areas

Human encroachment and many management problems affect Nepals protected areas despite conservation activities governmental support and legal protection. Some problems of the Kosi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in the subtropical Terai region include illegal grazing illegal wood and fodder cutting wildlife mortality from monsoon floods and densely populated boundary areas. 4 small villages exist within the Parsa Wildlife Reserve in the Terai region and illegal timber cutting is common. Chitwan National Park lies within Chitwan District which has the greatest population growth in Nepal (3.5%/year vs. 2.7%/year for the whole country) which has resulted in considerable park/people management problems including rising numbers of tourists. Shivapuri Wildlife Reserve in the middle hills of Nepal houses various watershed projects since it provides most of the drinking water for Kathmandu Valley. The creation of this reserve has curbed overgrazing and deforestation activities. The Makalu-Barun National Park/Conservation Area is uninhabited and 1 of the only unexploited areas in the mountains. Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park has received >10000 foreign tourists and 2500 people (chiefly Sherpa) live in it. This puts much strain on existing forests. A proposal exists for integrated conservation and development including maximum participation and management by the local people for the Annapurna Conservation Area--a highly visited area of Nepal. Overgrazing by domestic stock is a main problem of the Dhor Patan Hunting Reserve. 650 mostly Thakuri residents of 2 villages in Rara National Park were relocated to Barida District in the Terai where many have died. Population pressure from population growth and tourism affect the protected areas of Nepal. Conservation specialists need to develop ways to introduce incentives for local people to diminish park/people conflicts and better conservation strategies.
Simulation of the Influence of Interface Charge on Electron Emission

Several materials are promising candidates for electron sources. For diamond, a tunneling interface at the back contact limits injecting charge into the conduction band, but a purely geometric model of internal field emission is inadequate to explain experimental data. The presence of a defect, modeled by a coulomb charge, within the tunneling barrier region significantly enhances transmission and, in concert with a geometrical model, may better account for observed current levels. Charge has been suggested to play a similar role in the SiO2 covering on a single tip silicon field emitter to explain experimental data. The tunneling theory in both cases is similar. In the present work, a general method for estimating electron transport and energy distributions through potential profiles, which describe both semiconductor interfaces and field emission potential barriers when a charged particle modifies the tunneling barrier, is developed. While the model is intended for treating a metal-semiconductor interface, it is cast here in terms of in a thin SiO2 coating over a silicon field emitter tip to enable qualitative comparisons with experimental data. Tunneling probabilities are found by numerically solving Schrodinger's Equation for a piece-wise linear potential using an Airy Function approach. A qualitative comparison to experimental energy distribution findings is possible by utilizing an analytical model of the field emitter tip from which current-voltage relations may be found.
Interaction between a Neutral Atomic or Molecular Beam and a Conducting Surface

The deflection of a beam of neutral atoms by an uncharged conducting surface has been observed. This deflection is a result of the attraction between the instantaneous electric dipole moment of an atom in the beam and the image dipole induced in the metal. The measured deflections agree in form and magnitude with those predicted from theoretical interaction potentials. Changes in the geometry of the deflecting surface give results that are in agreement with predictions. The deflection of a beam of polar molecules by metal and dielectric surfaces has also been observed. It can be explained by the interaction between the surface and the total instantaneous electric dipole moment of the molecule, including one characterized by motion at the frequency of molecular rotation, and one by motion at electronic frequencies.
Thermal relaxation near phase transitions

We consider a phenomenological approach to thermal relaxation processes near phase transitions.
Domestic Ceramic Production and Spatial Organization: A Mexican Case Study in Ethnoarchaeology

List of illustrations List of tables Acknowledgments 1. Introduction Part I. Ceramic Production and Consumption in Los Tuxtlas: 2. The ceramic production environment 3. Ceramic production in Los Tuxtlas 4. Ceramic consumption in Los Tuxtlas Part II. Ceramic Production and Spatial Organization: 5. Archaeological approaches to ceramic production 6. Spatial organization and ceramic production 7. Disposal patterns within production houselots Part III. Application and Implication: 8. Ceramic production organization in archaeological perspective 9. Conclusions Bibliography.
Comporting ourselves to the future: Of time, communication, and nuclear waste

Comporting Ourselves to the Future: Of Time, Communication, and Nuclear Waste Ten Thousand Years of Solitude In 1989 I was contacted by an official at Sandia Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which seemed a bit improbable. The House of Representatives had handed down a requirement for the Department of Energy. They wanted a panel of experts to consider a nuclear waste repository, and assess the risks that somebody might accidentally intrude on it over a ten thousand year period. An impossible task, of course. So it came to be that a few months later I descended in a wire-cage elevator, clad in hard hat with head lamp, goggles, and carrying on my belt an emergency oxygen pack. I had a numbered brass tag on my wrist, too-“For identification,” the safety offir had said. “Why?” I had asked. She looked uncomfortable. “Uh, in case you, uh . . . * “In case my body can’t be identified?” “Well, we don’t expect anything, of course, but you know rules.” We rattled downward for long minutes as I pondered the highest risk here: a flash fire that would overwhelm the air conduits, smothering everyone working in the kilometer- long Waste Isolation Pilot Plant outside Carlsbad, New Mexico. We clattered to a stop 2150 feet down in the salt flat. The door slid aside and our party of congressionally authorized experts on the next ten thousand years filed out into a bright, broad corridor a full thirty-three feet wide and thirteen feet high. It stretched on like a demon- stration of the laws of perspective, with smaller hallways branching off at regular intervals. Huge machines had carved these rectangular certainties, leaving dirty-gray walls which felt cool and hard (and tasted salty; I couldn’t resist). Flood lights brought everything into sharp detail, like a 1950s science fiction movie--engineers in blue jump suits whining past in golf carts, helmeted workers with fork lifts and clip boards, a neat, professional air. Gregg Bdotd, Department of Physics, Univenity of California, Irvine, CA 92717. Journal of Social and Ewlufionary Sysrem 17(1).91-113 ISSN: 0161-7361 Copyright 0 1994 by JAI Pnxs, Inc. All rights of reproduction in my fotm nsmrtd.
Predicting Product Lethality in Hydrostatic Retorts

The spore inactivation potential associated with diminishing cooling water temperature and gradient pressure conditions characteristic of the exit water legs of commercial hydrostatic retorts was investigated. Ball's formula for relating process temperatures to lethality failed to exploit this component of the hydrostatic regimen. Hayakawa's computer method, employing theoretical jc/fc parameters (i.e., jc= 2.04 and fc= fh,), more nearly approximated the total hydrostatic process sterilization value. A numerical heat transfer model, based on retort thermocouple data and documented factory sterilizer temperature profiles, accurately predicted the complementary lethality attending the changing environmental temperature events of the hydrostatic cooling process. The ordered pressure decline imposed by the exit leg delayed but did not eliminate product convection currents. Our conduction model did not account for this phenomenon and thus occasionally overstated total lethality by 7.5 to 8.6%.
Stability and movement of a one-link neuromusculoskeletal sagittal arm

The stability and point-to-point and rhythmic movements of a one-link sagittal arm are studied. The system is highly nonlinear. Its major physiological characteristics are simultaneous activation of a pair of nonlinear muscle-like actuators for control purposes, existence of nonlinear spindle-like sensors, and actions of gravity and loading. Transmission delays are included in the afferent and efferent neural paths to account for a more accurate representation of the reflex loops. An algorithm for computation of the actuator forces and the feedback signals in the system is provided. It automatically renders positive forces and positive neural signals. The positiveness of the forces represents the unidirectional character of muscular forces. The positiveness of the neural signals implies that these signals can correspond to firing rates. The system is designed to perform stable point-to-point movement. The effects of presetting the input signals, of the nonlinearities in the dynamics, actuators, and feedback signals, and of the delays and gain in the feedback loops in destabilizing the system, and the consequent undesirable oscillations, are studied by simulation. >
Work‐Oriented Design of Computer Artifacts

Work-Oriented Design of Computer Artifacts. Pelle Ehn Stockholm: Almqvist and Wiksell International for Arbetslivcentrum, 1988. 496 pp.
Dynamic Surface Activity by Folding and Unfolding an Amphiphilic α-Helix

We describe a rationally designed peptide with tunable surface activity, where the dynamics of surface activity are an outcome of helical folding. Our rationally designed model peptide is surface-active only as an α-helix. We apply circular dichroism to show that the folded population can be controlled with changes in electrolyte concentration, and we apply pendant bubble tensiometry to explore dynamic surfactant activity. This study shows a peptide that responds to environmental stimuli with dynamic folding and surface activity. Extending this concept to selective binding peptides will lead to new tools, where dynamic surface activity is coupled to targeted binding.
The ‘Standerd’ Has Already Happened

Evidence from United States refutes allegations of the impracticability of commodity-based units of account. Nicolaus Tidemon, Professor of economies at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, supports Professor Hayek's praposal with a ‘real-life’ example of its implementation.
Down-regulation of viral replication by lentiviral-mediated expression of short-hairpin RNAs against vesicular stomatitis virus ribonuclear complex genes

Abstract Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) causes great economic impact to livestock industry and is a prototype for studying non-segmented negative-stranded RNA (NSNR) viruses. In this study, we evaluated the antiviral potential of unique short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting genes that form the ribonuclear protein (RNP) complex of VSV serotype Indiana (VSIV). We used lentiviral vectors to construct cell lines that stably expressed one of seven shRNAs targeting the RNP genes of VSIV, namely nucleocapsid (N), phosphoprotein (P), or polymerase (L). We reported two N-shRNA sequences targeting the 5′ or 3′ end of N that significantly reduced N, P, and L viral transcripts ( p p 0.01). When we analyzed the sequence diversity in the target region of this N-shRNA from two field isolates, we detected a single base substitution outside the seed region. We also reported five other shRNA sequences targeting components of the viral RNA that significantly reduce N, P, and L viral transcripts ( p
Summary of the Workshop on Issues in Risk Assessment: Quantitative Methods for Developmental Toxicology

This report summarizes the proceedings of a conference on quantitative methods for assessing the risks of developmental toxicants. The conference was planned by a subcommittee of the National Research Council's Committee on Risk Assessment Methodology4 in conjunction with staff from several federal agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, and Health and Welfare Canada. Issues discussed at the workshop included computerized techniques for hazard identification, use of human and animal data for defining risks in a clinical setting, relationships between end points in developmental toxicity testing, reference dose calculations for developmental toxicology, analysis of quantitative dose-response data, mechanisms of developmental toxicity, physiologically based pharmacokinetic models, and structure-activity relationships. Although a formal consensus was not sought, many participants favored the evolution of quantitative techniques for developmental toxicology risk assessment, including the replacement of lowest observed adverse effect levels (LOAELs) and no observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) with the benchmark dose methodology.
Laser processing and in-situ diagnostics for crystallization: from thin films to nanostructures

Recent work on laser-induced crystallization of thin films and nanostructures is presented. Characterization of the morphology of the crystallized area reveals the optimum conditions for sequential lateral growth in a-Si thin films under high-pulsed laser irradiation. Silicon crystal grains of several micrometers in lateral dimensions can be obtained reproducibly. Laser-induced grain morphology change is observed in silicon nanopillars under a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) environment. The TEM is coupled with a near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) pulsed laser processing system. This combination enables immediate scrutiny on the grain morphologies that the pulsed laser irradiation produces. The tip of the amorphous or polycrystalline silicon pillar is transformed into a single crystalline domain via melt-mediated crystallization. The microscopic observation provides a fundamental basis for laser-induced conversion of amorphous nanostructures into coarse-grained crystals. A laser beam shaping strategy is introduced to control the stochastic dewetting of ultrathin silicon film on a foreign substrate under thermal stimulation. Upon a single pulse irradiation of the shaped laser beam, the thermodynamically unstable ultrathin silicon film is dewetted from the glass substrate and transformed to a nanodome. The results suggest that the laser beam shaping strategy for the thermocapillary-induced de-wetting combined with the isotropic etching is a simple alternative for scalable manufacturing of array of nanostructures.
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and the stress response

Abstract Background: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder whose three main symptoms are impulsiveness, inattention, and hyperactivity. Researchers have proposed that the central deficit in ADHD is one of poor response inhibition. The present studies were designed to look at the functioning of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis in response to mental stress in aggressive ADHD subjects participating in a longitudinal study of various psychosocial treatments. Methods: Pretest and posttest morning salivary samples for cortisol determination were collected from subjects given a battery of tests. Results: The study shows that ADHD subjects who maintained their diagnosis over the first year of the study had a blunted response to the stressor in comparison to those ADHD subjects who no longer retained the disorder 1 year later. Conclusions: The data suggest that an impaired response to stress may be a marker for the more developmentally persistent form of the disorder.
Identifying risk factors for renal failure and myocardial infarction following colorectal surgery.

Background The development of acute renal failure and myocardial infarction (MI) following colectomy prolongs recovery and is associated with worse outcomes. The purpose of this study is to identify perioperative factors that predispose patients to an adverse cardiac or renal complication. Materials and Methods We conducted a retrospective review of colectomies from 2001 to 2009. Patients were evaluated based upon the electronic inpatient record and followed to determine the incidence of acute renal failure (creatinine elevation over 50% of baseline) and myocardial injury. Results A total of 339 inpatient records were reviewed, of which 134 were female (40%) and 205 male (60%). The mean age was 61.96 ± 16.2 years with 39.5% right hemicolectomies, 22.7% sigmoidectomy, 13.9% Left hemicolectomy, 11.5% total abdominal colectomy, and 6.2% for ileocectomy and transverse colectomy. Within the cohort, 13.9% had baseline renal insufficiency (Cr > 1.4), 7.1% sustained anastomotic leak, 23.9% required postoperative intubation, 15% sustained postoperative sepsis, 11.2% postoperative MI, and 5% clinically significant acidosis. Excluding patients with an anastomotic leak, postoperative intubation, and sepsis, we found that the need for blood product transfusion was associated with postoperative acute renal failure (OR= 7.15 [2.4–20.7]). Preoperative creatinine > 1.5, limited functional capacity, and preoperative systolic blood pressure Conclusion This study demonstrates that several potentially modifiable preoperative and intraoperative factors exist that predispose patients to postoperative cardiac and renal dysfunction in the absence of major surgical complications.
The potential role of ridge-flank hydrothermal systems on oceanic germanium and silicon balances

Abstract Sediment pore-water samples and warm spring fluids from three ridge flank hydrothermal systems (40–75°C) were analyzed for Ge, Si, and Mg to quantify the contribution of these systems to oceanic Ge and Si balances. These warm hydrothermal fluids have elevated concentrations of Ge and Si relative to bottom seawater, indicating that these systems are net sources of Ge and Si to the oceans. End-member Ge:Si molar ratios range from 12 to 34 μmol/mol, which is similar to, but elevated relative to, the average ratio from high temperature (350°C) midocean ridge hydrothermal systems. The source for this Ge and Si is suggested to be a combination of seawater reaction with basalt and diffusive exchange with overlying basal pore waters, which are in pseudo equilibrium with amorphous silica. Because the Ge:Si molar ratio in both basalt and sediment is much less than those measured in the dissolved phase, a net preferential removal of Si relative to Ge must occur within basaltic basement. As suggested for high temperature hydrothermal systems, we suggest that this removal mechanism is likely a consequence of quartz precipitation and the formation of secondary clays (i.e., smectite). We estimate that ridge flank hydrothermal systems likely provide ∼10% of the Ge and Si fluxes to the oceans.
Spatial and mnemonic properties of visual images

It is argued that mental images represent the layout of perceived space, in J. J. Gibson's sense, rather than being “mental pictures.” This suggests that images in which a key object is concealed within or behind another should be just as effective for mnemonic purposes as those in which the relation between the objects is picturable, even though subjects may describe the Concealed images as less “vivid” than the Pictorial ones. Both types of images should be more effective mnemonically than Separate images in which there is little or no interaction between the imagined objects. These hypotheses were confirmed in two independent experiments.
Effects of the back pressure and the temperature on the finite layer thickness of the adsorbed phase layer in supercritical fluid chromatography

The excess adsorption isotherm of ethanol from liquid carbon dioxide on a silicagel column was determined in a range of back pressures and temperatures. The retention patterns of minor disturbance peaks were mapped and their dependences on the applied back pressure and column temperature measured. The analysis of the linear decreasing part of the excess isotherm around its inflection point provided the finite layer thickness of the adsorbed phase. Our results show that increasing the temperature and decreasing the back pressure result in a thicker layer of the layer of enriched organic solvent above the silicagel surface.
Myelination in the jimpy mouse in the absence of proteolipid protein

A point mutation in the gene for proteolipid protein (PLP) has been suggested to account for the dysmyelination seen in the jimpy mouse mutant. Despite the absence of PLP, the major integral membrane protein of central nervous system (CNS) myelin, this study shows that there are many scattered myelinated fibers present in the spinal cord of this murine mutant which are immunocytochemically positive for myelin basic protein (MBP), yet negative for PLP. This lack of PLP results in an abnormal compaction of the extracellular leaflets of the myelin sheath and the formation of an abnormal intraperiod line. These results are similar to those seen in another X-linked myelin mutant, the myelin-deficient rat (Duncan et al.: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 84:6287-6291, 1987), and show that a multilamellar membrane can be formed in the absence of its major integral membrane protein.
Infrared Spectroscopic Investigation of CO Adsorption on Silica-Supported Nickel Phosphide Catalysts

The surface chemistry of CO on reduced and sulfided Ni2P/SiO2 catalysts has been investigated with infrared (IR) spectroscopy. There are four different νCO absorbances observed for adsorbed CO on reduced and sulfided Ni2P/SiO2 catalysts with the following assignments: (1) CO terminally bonded to cus Niδ+ (0 < δ < 1) sites (2083−2093 cm-1); (2) CO adsorbed on Niδ+ (0 < δ < 1) bridge sites (1914 cm-1); (3) CO terminally bonded to P (∼2200 cm-1); and (4) formation of Ni(CO)4 (2056 cm-1). At 298 K, CO terminally bonded to cus Niδ+ (0 < δ < 1) sites on reduced Ni2P/SiO2 catalysts exhibited a characteristic νCO absorbance at 2083 cm-1, while treatment of Ni2P/SiO2 catalysts with a 3.03 mol % H2S/H2 mixture shifts this νCO absorbance to 2093 cm-1. The enthalpy of adsorption (ΔHads) of CO on the Ni2P/SiO2 catalysts was estimated by using a van't Hoff plot: ΔHads = −31.4 ± 1.5 and −30.5 ± 1.5 kJ/mol for reduced and sulfided Ni2P/SiO2 catalysts, respectively. The IR spectroscopic data for the adsorption of CO on ...
How should physicians view heart failure? The philosophical and physiological evolution of three conceptual models of the disease

Abstract During the last 50 years, physicians have developed three distinct conceptual models of heart failure that have provided a rational basis for the treatment of the disease. In the 1940s through the 1960s, physicians regarded heart failure principally as an edematous disorder and formulated a cardioorenal model of the disease in an attempt to explain the sodium retention of these patients. This model led to the widespread use of digitalis and diuretics. In the 1970s and 1980s, physicians viewed heart failure principally as a hemodynamic disorder and formulated a cardiocirulatory model of the disease in an attempt to explain patients' symptoms and disability. This model ted to the widespread use of peripheral vasodilators and the development of novel positive inotropic agents. Now, in the 1990s, physicians are beginning to think about heart failure as a neurohormonal disorder in an attempt to explain the progression of the disease and its poor long-term survival. This new conceptual framework has ted to the widespread use of converting-enzyme inhibitors and the development of β bockers for the treatment of heart failure. Which conceptual model most accurately describes the syndrome of heart failure and leads physicians to utilize the most effective treatment? This paper critically reviews the available evidence supporting and refuting the validity of all three models of heart failure. We conclude that, to varying degrees, all three approaches provide useful, but incomplete, insights into this physiologically complex and therapeutically challenging disease.
A griffith crack problem for an inhomogeneous elastic material

This paper examines the problem of a Mode I crack in a nonhomogeneous elastic medium. It is assumed that the shear modulus varies exponentially with the coordinate perpendicular to the plane of the crack. The problem is reduced to a Fredholm integral equation and in terms of its solution the normal components of stress and displacement are described. Expressions are also derived for the stress intensity factor and the crack energy. The effect of the inhomogeneity is examined and comparisons made with the corresponding results for the homogeneous material.
An evaluation of rate data for the reactions of atomic Oxygen (O3P) with methane and ethane

This review presents in tabular and graphical form rate data on the reactions of atomic oxygen (O3P) with methane and ethane. The reliability of these data is discussed and suggested values of the rate constants are given over specified temperature intervals. Specific values are given for 298 and 1000°K.
The Reinstatement of Teleology

The question about the whence and whither of the drift of our cosmic weather is an old one and cannot be lightly brushed aside. It is both a forced and a momentous issue. It is a forced issue, because we cannot help taking an attitude towards it, whether we make it explicit to ourselves or not. It is momentous, because such an attitude is a serious index of our deepest practical faith as regards the value of life, and cannot help determining our conduct. There have been three distinct types of theory in the past as regards this drift—Mechanism, Finalism, and Vitalism.
Permeability behavior of liposomes prepared from fatty acids and fatty acid methyl esters

The permeability properties of liposomes prepared at pH 8.7 from a fatty acid and either methyl oleate or methyl elaidate, with or without cholesterol, were investigated. The fatty acids used were oleic acid, elaidic acid, and the selenium-containing fatty acids 9-selenaheptadecanoic acid and 13-selenaheneicosanoic acid. The liposomes trapped sucrose and carboxyfluorescein. Their volume change resulting from osmotic shock was directly proportional to the change in absorbance (light scattering). Liposomes prepared from oleic acid and either methyl oleate or methyl elaidate underwent osmotic swelling much more slowly than liposomes prepared from elaidic acid and either methyl oleate or methyl elaidate. Incorporation of cholesterol decreased the initial rate of erythritol permeation, especially in liposomes containing methyl oleate. The swelling rates of liposomes prepared with the selenium-containing fatty acids indicated that incorporation of methyl elaidate gave more tightly packed bilayers than did incorporation of methyl oleate. The effect of cholesterol on the initial rate of erythritol influx was greater in oleic acid and elaidic acid liposomes than in selenium-containing fatty acid liposomes, indicating that the large bulk of the selenium heteroatom suppresses the ability of cholesterol to interact with the hydrocarbon chain.
Improving the performance of vehicular networks in high traffic density conditions with cognitive radios

Vehicular ad hoc networks offer safety and travel efficiency by sharing information between vehicles and roadside units. The performance of current proposed standard can suffer when there is a large amount of spectral congestion. Spectral congestion can result when there is high vehicle density such as traffic jams. In this paper, we propose a cognitive radio system to spatially and temporally add additional channels to VANETs. This additional spectrum can increase the throughput and decrease the probability of packet collisions.
Sticky Knowledge: Barriers to Knowing in the Firm

The article presents a review of the book “Sticky Knowledge: Barriers to Knowing in the Firm,” by Gabriel Szulanski.
Heparin‐binding growth factor isolated from human prostatic extracts

Prostatic tissue extracts from patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatic carcinoma were fractionated using heparin-Sepharose chromatography. The mitogenic activity of eluted fractions on quiescent subconfluent Swiss Albino 3T3 fibroblasts was tested employing a tritiated-thymidine-incorporation assay. Two peaks of activity were consistently noted—one in the void volume and a second fraction which eluted with 1.3–1.6 M NaCl and contained the majority of the mitogenic activity. Both non-heparin- and heparin-binding fractions increased tritiated thymidine incorporation into a mouse osteoblast cell line (MC3T3), while only the heparin-binding fractions stimulated a human umbilical vein endothelial cell line (HUV). No increased uptake of thymidine was seen using a human prostatic carcinoma cell line (PC-3). Sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS/PAGE) of lyophilized active fractions showed a persistent band at 17,500 daltons. The purified protein demonstrated angiogenic properties using the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. Western blot analysis using antibodies specific to basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) or acidic FGF (aFGF) demonstrated that the former, but not the latter, bound to prostatic growth factor (PrGF), and inhibited its mitogenic activity as well. It appears that PrGF shares homology with basic fibroblast growth factors.
1989 U.S. cesarean section rate steadies--VBAC rate rises to nearly one in five.

ABSTRACT: The 25 years of rising cesarean delivery rates in the United States may have finally run their course. In 1989 the rate of 23.8 cesareans per 100 deliveries was not significantly different from 24.7 in 1988, 24.4 in 1987, or 24.1 in 1986. The 1989 primary rate of 17.1 first cesareans per 100 women with no previous cesarean was also not significantly different from 17.5 for 1988, or 17.4 for 1987 and 1986. The percentage of vaginal births after cesarean section per 100 deliveries showed a remarkable rise between 1988 and 1989—from 12.6 percent in 1988 to 18.5 percent in 1989. Data are from the National Hospital Discharge Survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control.
Rifaximin for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome

Introduction: Few therapeutic options are available for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Lubiprostone is approved by the FDA for IBS with constipation, and alosetron in IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D). It has been proposed that alterations in the bowel microflora may play a role in the pathophysiology of IBS, and that modulation of the microflora holds therapeutic potential. Rifaximin is a nonsystemic antibiotic that has shown efficacy in IBS. Areas covered: This narrative review covers the treatment options available for IBS-D and focuses on rifaximin. Rifaximin pharmacodynamics, clinical pharmacology and results of clinical studies from proof of concept to the latest Phase III and retreatment studies in IBS are summarized. Challenges to rifaximin use, safety issues and regulatory data are also discussed. Expert opinion: The evidence supports rifaximin as an emerging treatment for IBS. Strategies for appropriate patient selection need to be further developed, and continued efficacy of rifaximin over repeated tr...
Design Optimization and Reliability Estimation with Incomplete Uncertainty Information

Existing methods for design optimization under uncertainty assume that a high level of information is available, typically in the form of data. In reality, however, insufficient data prevents corre ...
Exploring proteasome complexes by proteomic approaches

The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) represents a major pathway for intracellular protein degradation. Proteasome dependent protein quality control participates in cell cycle, immune response and apoptosis. Therefore, the UPS is in focus of therapeutic investigations and the development of pharmaceutical agents. Detailed analyses on proteasome structure and function are the foundation for drug development and clinical studies. Proteomic approaches contributed significantly to our current knowledge in proteasome research. In particular, 2-DE has been essential in facilitating the development of current models on molecular composition and assembly of proteasome complexes. Furthermore, developments in MS enabled identification of UPS proteins and their PTMs at high accuracy and high-throughput. First results on global characterization of the UPS are also available. Although the UPS has been intensively investigated within the last two decades, its functional significance and contribution to the regulation of cell and tissue phenotypes remain to be explored. This review recapitulates a variety of applied proteomic approaches in proteasome exploration, and presents an overview of current technologies and their potential in driving further investigations.
Modernization and Centralization in Northern Thailand, 1875–1910

As recently as 1875 Thailand had an extremely decentralized political system in which regional and local authorities enjoyed considerable autonomy from the central government. By the end of King Chulalongkon‘s reign in 1910, however, a very centralized political system had emerged in Thailand. This rather remarkable transformation from decentralization to centralization has usually been explained in terms of Western diplomatic and economic pressure upon the Thai government in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and the reforms which the government undertook to meet this pressure. Earlier studies by scholars such as Walter Vella, D. G. E. Hall, and John F. Cady have strongly emphasized the importance of Western pressure and advisers for the transformation of the Thai political system. More recent studies, in particular those of David Wyatt, have emphasized the importance of domestic factors in this process of change and stressed the creativity of the Thai response to the West. All of these studies have in common, however, an emphasis upon the importance of national level politics in the process of centralization. It will be the argument of this paper that it is also necessary to examine provincial-level politics in the period from 1875 to 1910 to understand why centralization in Thailand was so thoroughgoing and why it proceeded so rapidly. For this purpose the paper will focus on northern Thailand in the area which is now covered by the provinces of Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Phrae, and Nan.
Recombinant cDNA Clones for Immunodiagnosis of Strongyloidiasis

Because diagnosis of strongyloidiasis by stool examination is unreliable and because of the potential for serious disease in Strongyloides infections, there is need for improved diagnostic aids to facilitate recognition and treatment of this parasitic infection. Serologic testing, when available, requires antigen preparation from infected primates or dogs that can be difficult to maintain. Several recombinant clones from a cDNA library prepared from the infective stage of Strongyloides stercoralis were characterized. Serologic results indicate that the recombinant proteins were equally or more reactive than the larval somatic antigen. No cross-reactivity with recombinant antigen 5a was found with sera from patients with filarial or intestinal nematode infections. Recombinant antigens 5a and 12a detected parasite-specific IgE and IgG4 antibodies in Strongyloides-infected patients. Sequence analysis showed these antigens to be rich in proline and charged amino acids. Lack of homology from database searches suggests that the antigens are unique. These recombinant antigens should be useful in diagnostic and epidemiologic studies of strongyloidiasis.
Optimal policy for label switched path setup in MPLS networks

An important aspect in designing a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network is to determine an initial topology and to adapt it to the traffic load. A topology change in an MPLS network occurs when a new label switched path (LSP) is created between two nodes. The LSP creation involves determining the route of the LSP and the according resource allocation to the path. A fully connected MPLS network can be used to minimize the signaling. The objective of this paper is to determine when an LSP should be created and how often it should be re-dimensioned. An optimal policy to determine and adapt the MPLS network topology based on the traffic load is presented. The problem is formulated as a continuous time Markov decision process with the objective to minimize the costs involving bandwidth, switching, and signaling. These costs represent the trade-off between utilization of network resources and signaling/processing load incurred on the network. The policy performs a filtering control to avoid oscillations which may occur due to highly variable traffic. The new policy has been evaluated by simulation and numerical results show its effectiveness and the according performance improvement. A sub-optimal policy is also presented which is less computationally intensive and complicated.
An Unsupervised Diagnosis for Process Tool Fault Detection: The Flexible Golden Pattern

The flexible golden pattern (FGP) algorithm uses a patented technology of empirical scoring to detect abnormal behavior for semiconductor processing equipment or a specific processing chamber during wafer production. This algorithm does not entirely rely on manual extraction of features from data acquired on each tool. It is able to automatically select good pattern indicators from raw (temporal) signal traces. It is able to diagnose unusual behavior disregarding specificity proper to a recipe or even a chamber or even a tool if the algorithm is calibrated for such a purpose. The algorithm does not need any complicated parameter settings; the diagnosis is established by comparison of the normal process behavior to the abnormal one.
Godforsakenness as the End of Prophecy: A Proposal from Schleiermacher's Glaubenslehre

The rationalist Johann Friedrich Rohr makes a passing but telling comment in his 1823 review of Schleiermacher's then recently published Glaubenslehre, when moving on from the doctrines of redemption and reconciliation: “We can pass over the explanation of the ecclesial doctrine of the prophetic, high priestly, and kingly office of Christ. More important is the doctrine of justification.” Rohr's disinterest has, in large part, been retained by more recent theological considerations of Schleiermacher. Despite ample recognition of the fact that Schleiermacher rejuvenated the doctrine of Christ's threefold office after a period of general neglect, extended reflection upon the actual implications of Schleiermacher's understanding of Christ as prophet, priest, and king for the rest of his system, and his doctrine of redemption in particular, has been lacking. In both editions of the Glaubenslehre, however, four complete sections are devoted to the threefold office, which with two preceding sections on the redeeming and reconciling activity of Christ make up Schleiermacher's doctrinal heading “Of the Work of Christ” within his division on Christology.
In vitro and in vivo affinity microdialysis sampling of cytokines using heparin-immobilized microspheres

Heparin-immobilized microspheres were included in microdialysis sampling perfusion fluids under both in vitro and in vivo conditions to improve the recovery of different cytokines, acidic fibroblast growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (or CCL2), and regulation upon activation normal T cell express sequence (or CCL5). Different strategies to dissociate captured CCL2 and CCL5 from the immobilized heparin were attempted, and both cytokines could be quantitatively eluted from the beads using a phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) containing 25% (v/v) acetonitrile which did not interfere with the subsequent detection of cytokine using an ELISA assay. Using these heparin-immobilized microspheres, a two to fivefold increase of microdialysis relative recovery (RR) was achieved for the four cytokines from a quiescent solution. Enhanced microdialysis RR of CCL2 using the heparin-immobilized microspheres from microdialysis probes implanted into the peritoneal cavity of a rat was performed to test the in vivo application. This work suggests that the heparin-immobilized microspheres provide an alternative affinity agent to the previously used antibody-immobilized microspheres for enhanced microdialysis sampling of cytokines.
Innate Immune Signaling in the Pathogenesis of Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a challenging disease to treat, and caring for patients afflicted by it remains both frustrating and difficult. While NEC may develop quickly and without warning, it may also develop slowly, insidiously, and appear to take the caregiver by surprise. In seeking to understand the molecular and cellular processes that lead to NEC development, we have identified a critical role for the receptor for bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) in the pathogenesis of NEC, as its activation within the intestinal epithelium of the premature infant leads to mucosal injury and reduced epithelial repair. The expression and function of TLR4 were found to be particularly elevated within the intestinal mucosa of the premature as compared with the full-term infant, predisposing to NEC development. Importantly, factors within both the enterocyte itself, such as heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), and in the extracellular environment, such as amniotic fluid, can curtail the extent of TLR4 signaling and reduce the propensity for NEC development. This review will highlight the critical TLR4-mediated steps that lead to NEC development, with a focus on the proinflammatory responses of TLR4 signaling that have such devastating consequences in the premature host.
The use of evidence in the change making process of computer science educators

This paper explores the issue of what kind of evidence triggers changes in the teaching practice of Computer Science educators, and how educators evaluate the effectiveness of those changes. We interviewed 14 Computer Science instructors from three different institutions. Our study indicates that changes are mostly initiated from instructors' intuition, informal discussion with students, and anecdotal evidence.
Air Traffic Simulation: An Object Oriented, Discrete Event Simulation on the Intel iPSC/2 Parallel System

A discrete event simulation model of air traffic flow within the United States has been written and executed on the Intel iPSC8/2 parallel system. The simulation program was written in an object oriented manner using the Interwork IITM Concurrent Programming Toolkit. This simulation demonstrates how object oriented programming can simplify the design of complex simulations and can simplify the effort to distribute and balance the processing load on distributed memory, parallel architectures, such as the iPSC/2. It also demonstrates the capacity of these architectures to solve very large simulation problems.
An experimental investigation of the stability of the circular hydraulic jump

We present the results of an experimental investigation of the striking flow structures that may arise when a vertical jet of fluid impinges on a thin fluid layer overlying a horizontal boundary. Ellegaard et al. (Nature, vol. 392, 1998, p. 767; Nonlinearity, vol. 12, 1999, p. 1) demonstrated that the axial symmetry of the circular hydraulic jump may be broken, resulting in steady polygonal jumps. In addition to these polygonal forms, our experiments reveal a new class of steady asymmetric jump forms that include structures resembling cat's eyes, three- and four-leaf clovers, bowties and butterflies. An extensive parameter study reveals the dependence of the jump structure on the governing dimensionless groups. The symmetry-breaking responsible for the asymmetric jumps is interpreted as resulting from a capillary instability of the circular jump. For all steady non-axisymmetric forms observed, the wavelength of instability of the jump is related to the surface tension, σ, fluid density p and speed U v of the radial outflow at the jump through λ = (74 ± 7)σ/(ρU 2 ν ).
Stable partial Pad&#233; approximations for reduced-order trnsfer functions

While the Pade approximation can often be used to produce good reduced-order transfer functions, the method suffers from the disadvantage that a stable reduced order-model is not always obtained for an original model that is stable. A method is described for obtaining stable partial Pade approximation reduced-order models. The method permits the determination of the effect of changes in the coefficients in the partial Pade approximation on the poles of the reduced-order transfer function by means of standard root locus plots.
Consultation with the Specialist: Treatment of Adrenocortical Insufficiency

1. Gilbert P. August, MD* 1. 2. *Chairman, Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Children’s National Medical Center; Professor of Pediatrics, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. The adrenal cortex secretes three types of hormones: mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids, and androgens. Acute or chronic deficiencies of aldosterone, the primary mineralocorticoid, or of cortisol (hydrocortisone), the primary glucocorticoid, can rapidly become life-threatening. Adrenocortical insufficiency can be primary or secondary (Table 1⇓ ). The most common causes of adrenocortical insufficiency today are congenital adrenal hyperplasia in the newborn and failure to provide adequate stress doses of glucocorticoids to patients receiving long-term treatment with these agents. View this table: Table 1. Etiology of Adrenocortical Insufficiency The symptoms of adrenocortical insufficiency depend on whether cortisol or both cortisol and aldosterone are deficient (Table 2⇓ ). Pure aldosterone deficiency is rare, but does occur in children who have a defect in the enzyme complex corticosterone methyl oxidase. Pseudohypoaldosteronism produces similar symptoms but presumably is due to a defect in the aldosterone receptor. Hyporeninemic hypoaldosteronism is even rarer. Patients who have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) can develop a mineralocorticoid deficiency without concurrent cortisol deficiency. View this table: Table 2. Signs and Symptoms of Adrenocortical Insufficiency Hyperpigmentation, a sign of cortisol deficiency, develops over time and is seen most easily on the backs of the hands, elbows, and knees; in the creases of the hands; and on the buccal …
Design analysis of a novel hot-electron microbolometer

The authors propose a novel antenna coupled microbolometer which makes use of the weak coupling between electrons and phonons in a metal at low temperatures. The radiation is collected by a planar lithographed antenna and thermalized in a thin metal strip. The resulting temperature rise of the electrons is detected by a tunnel junction, where part of the metal strip forms the normal electrode. The active area of the bolometer is thermally coupled by its small volume, by the thermal resistance between the electrons and phonons in the strip, and by the reflection of quasi-particles at the interface between the strip and the superconducting antenna. Design calculations based on a metal volume of 2 mu m*6 mu m*0.05 mu m at an operating temperature of 100 mK give an NEP of about 3*10/sup -19/ WHz/sup -1/2/, a time constant of about 10 mu s, and a responsivity of about 10/sup 9/ V/W. The calculated sensitivity is almost two orders of magnitude higher than that of the best available direct detectors of millimeter and submillimeter radiation operated at the same temperature. >