cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comment on “Unusual magnetic transitions and nature of magnetic resonance spectra in oxide glasses containing gadolinium”

In a recent paper, Kliava et al. Phys. Rev. B 71, 104406 2005 reported on magnetization versus temperature measurements of several gadolinium-based glasses. A ferromagnetic transition model involving Gd ion clusters is suggested to explain their 55 K magnetization peak. In this comment, we propose a different interpretation for this particular peak, namely, an oxygen paramagnetic-to-antiferromagnetic transition.
Are Two Heads Better Than One? Team versus Individual Play in Signaling Games

Abstract We compare individuals with two-person teams in signaling game experiments. Teams consistently play more strategically than individuals and generate positive synergies in more difficult games, beating a demanding “truth-wins” norm. The superior performance of teams is most striking following changes in payoffs that change the equilibrium outcome. Individuals play less strategically following the change in payoffs than inexperienced subjects playing the same game. In contrast, the teams exhibit positive learning transfer, playing more strategically following the change than inexperienced subjects. Dialogues between teammates are used to identify factors promoting strategic play.
Excess Gibbs Energy of Mixing for Organic Carbonates from Fitting of Their Binary Phase Diagrams with Nonideal Solution Models

The excess Gibbs energies of mixing in the liquid state were evaluated for all the ten binary combinations of these five organic carbonates: ethylene carbonate (EC), propylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate (DMC), ethyl methyl carbonate, and diethyl carbonate by fitting their measured binary phase diagrams with thermodynamic nonideal solution models based on the regular solution model. Using the results of these model fits, activity coefficients of the components in the solvent mixtures were calculated for the binary series containing EC and DMC as the common component, and the composition-averaged excess Gibbs energies of mixing were calculated by integrating the energy in the whole composition range for all the binaries. The results showed the excess Gibbs energy of mixing, and therefore the intermolecular forces, to be responsible for the changes in the phase diagrams, in the activity coefficients, and in the composition-averaged excess energy for the different binary solution combinations.
A prevalence survey for zoonotic enteric bacteria in a research monkey colony with specific emphasis on the occurrence of enteric Yersinia

Transmissible pathogenic and opportunistic zoonotic enteric bacteria comprise a recognized occupational health threat to exposed humans from non-human primates (NHPs). In an effort to evaluate the occurrence of selected enteric organisms with zoonotic and biohazard potential in a research colony setting, we performed a prevalence study examining 61 juvenile and young adult rhesus macaques participating in a transplant immunology project. Primary emphasis was directed specifically to detection of pathogenic enteric Yersinia, less well-documented and reported NHP pathogens possessing recognized significant human disease potential. NHPs were surveyed by rectal culture during routine health monitoring on three separate occasions, and samples incubated using appropriate media and specific selective culture methods. Enteric organisms potentially transmissible to humans were subcultured and identified to genus and species. Significant human pathogens of the Salmonella/Shigella, Campylobacter, and enteric Yersinia groups were not isolated throughout the survey, suggesting prevalence of these organisms may generally be quite low.
The reversible reaction of tobacco mosaic virus ribonucleic acid and mercuric chloride.

Abstract We have found that the ribonucleic acid of tobacco mosaic virus reacts with HgCl 2 and have studied the reaction by means of the ultraviolet spectra of the products. The spectra exhibit an isobestic point at 263.5 mμ for all values of r ,0.05 r ≦ 1.0 where r is the ratio of the number of moles of HgCl 2 added to the moles of nucleotides. The reaction products can be divided into three main classes on this basis. We have also shown that the reaction can be reversed by the addition of reagents which complex Hg(II) and, in a preliminary experiment, that some infectivity is retained by the RNA.
A comparative study of mitosis in amoebae and plasmodia of the true slime mold Didymium nigripes.

SYNOPSIS. Studies comparing mitosis in amoebae and plasmodia of the true slime mold Didymium nigripes reveal that at the time of differentiation pronounced changes occur in the mitotic process. Not only does the amount of time required for division of the 2 stages differ, but plasmodial mitosis is characterized by persistence of the nuclear membrane and the apparent lack of centrioles. The origin of multinucleate plasmodia from uninucleate cells which have already undergone cytoplasmic differentiation is described. Division time in a population of amoebae becomes more uniform after those cells which are destined to form plasmodia have differentiated. The observations and data presented indicated that differences in mitotic behavior also occur between amoebae of 3 stocks with differences in plasmodial structure and behavior. Comparison of mitosis in the plasmodia of these 3 stocks revealed no significant differences.
Neuromuscular monitoring and clinical applications: What to do, when, and why?

Summary There are many reasons for monitoring the neuromuscular function, including 1. There is a wide variability in onset and recovery times with various relaxant regimens. 2. When clinical means of assessment are used exclusively, the incidence of residual curazidation remains unacceptably high. 3. Infusion techniques of both depolarizing and nondepolarizing agents are notoriously difficult to titrate accurately in the clinical setting 4. The development of phase 2 block after succinylcholine requires the use of a nerve stimulator for its diagnosis. 5. The newer nondepolarizing agents with short half-lives (especially mivacurium) may have such rapid offset that minitoring is needed to assure adequate intraoperative relaxation. 6. Patient response to muscle relaxants is difficult to predict accurately in certain disease states (myasthenia gravis, Eaton-Lambert syndrome, hypothermia, and hypokalemia). 7. The pharmacokinetic parameters of relaxants are altered in the elderly, those with renal or hepatic impairment, and in patients with atypical or reduced pseudocholinesterase levels. 8. Drug interactions between neuromuscular agents and inhalational anesthetics, nitrous oxide, local anesthetics, antiarrhythmics, aminoglycosides, and calcium channel blockers can modify the response to both relaxants and reversal agents. 9. In the ICU setting or when patients require prolonged neuromuscular relaxation, monitoring and titration of NMBs based on evoked responses prevents NMB overdosing and reduces the incidence of persistent paralysis/myopathy.
Androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer: long-term safety and patient outcomes

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) constitutes the first-line treatment for patients with locally advanced tumors, recurrent or metastatic disease. Given its widespread use, clinicians should be familiar with common side effects of this treatment. This review focuses on common side effects of ADT and available treatment options to control the side effects. Also, it briefly compares continuous ADT with other therapeutic approaches for androgen deprivation in prostate cancer patients. Similar to hormonal medications, newer non-hormonal therapeutic options including gabapentin and acupuncture have at best moderate effect in controlling hot flashes in patients on ADT. Supervised and/or home exercise programs significantly improve ADT-related fatigue, metabolic/cardiovascular side effects, and cognitive dysfunction. Denosumab, a human monoclonal antibody against RANK-L, is more effective than bisphosphonates in preventing skeletal-related events in patients with metastatic or castrate-resistant prostate cancer and unlike bisphosphonates, it can also reduce the risk of vertebral fractures in men receiving ADT for non-metastatic prostate cancer. Toremifene, a selective estrogen receptor inhibitor, has dual beneficial effects on ADT-related osteoporosis and metabolic dysfunction. Metformin coupled with lifestyle modification is also a well-tolerated treatment for metabolic changes during ADT. While producing similar oncological outcomes, intermittent ADT is associated with higher quality of life in patients under ADT by improving bone health, less metabolic and hematologic complications, and fewer hot flashes and sexual dysfunction events.
Long nonlinear waves in resonance with topography

The evolution of periodic long surface waves over a periodic bottom topography resonant with the waves is studied. Coupled Korteweg–de Vries equations are derived and describe the evolution in terms of interaction between right- and left-traveling waves. The coupling arises from the cumulative effect of wave scattering. We discuss the various conserved quantities of the system and compute solutions for the initial value problem and for the time-periodic problem of fluid “sloshing” in a tank. Some three-dimensional extensions are discussed.
Zur algebraischen Geometrie. IX

Es ist prinzipiell wichtig, geometrische Gebilde durch Koordinaten darstellen zu konnen. Ist das namlich fur eine bestimmte Art von Gebilden G einmal geschehen, so hat es einen Sinn, von einer algebraischen Mannigfaltigkeit oder einem algebraischen System von Gebilden G zu sprechen und die gesamte Theorie der algebraischen Mannigfaltigkeiten (Zerlegung in irreduzible, Dimensionsbegriff, Begriff der allgemeinen Elemente einer irreduziblen Mannigfaltigkeit) darauf anzuwenden. Erwunscht ist dabei, das die Gesamtheit aller Gebilde G der betrachteten Art (eventuell nach Hinzufugung von geeigneten Grenzgebilden) eine algebraische Mannigfaltigkeit darstellt, also durch algebraische Gleichungen in den Koordinaten charakterisiert werden kann.
Despite its homology to angiostatin apolipoprotein(a) does not affect angiogenesis

Apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] contains a kringle domain(IV) homologous to that of angiostatin, a natural angiogenic inhibitor. Because of this structural similarity we suspected that apo(a) could be an inhibitor of angiogenesis. The possible role of apo(a) in microvascular proliferation was studied in an in vivo quantitative model, the disc angiogenesis system (DAS) and compared to angiostatin. Apo(a) and other test compounds were placed in the center of a polyvinyl alcohol foam disc that was implanted subcutaneously in mice. After 14 days, the disc was removed and vascular growth into the disc was measured. Apo(a) did not affect spontaneous vessel growth into the disc, while angiostatin suppressed this growth and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) increased it. Additionally, apo(a) did not modify the vascular growth induced by bFGF. Transgenic mice expressing the human apo(a) gene were used to study the systemic effect of apo(a): neither an increase nor a decrease in vascular growth was detected. Our results suggest that apo(a) is unlikely to play a significant role in the control of angiogenesis. Furthermore, our experiments confirm the inhibitory effect of angiostatin not only on induced angiogenesis but also on baseline, spontaneous angiogenesis.
Determination of potassium ion-small-molecule potentials from total cross section measurements

Abstract Total cross sections have been measured for K+ ions scattered by N2, CO, CO2, CH4, C2H4, C2H6, CF4, and SF6 in the range EθR = 5-100 eV deg. Here E is the laboratory energy of the K+ beam, and θR is the resolution angle of the apparatus. A procedure has been developed to determine the spherically symmetric part of the intermolecular potential from the cross sections, and the procedure has been tested against realistic trial data. Estimates of the potentials in the region of the potential well are obtained and compared with other theoretical and experimental work on these systems.
DECENTRALIZED STABILIZATION OF INTERCONNECTED SYSTEMS USING OUTPUT FEEDBACK.

A decentralized control scheme is proposed for stabilization of a class of interconnected systems using local output feedback. The scheme is robust with respect to uncertainties in parameters and non-linearities in the interactions among the subsystems.
Assessing the training and staff development needs of mental health professionals

The authors report on the development and field testing of a multimethod needs assessment framework to identify the training needs of mental health professionals. The frame-work consisted of three different methods to identify training needs in relation to (a) clinical work, (b) prevention and consultation, and (c) administration.
International vital statistics: a resource guide

While the concept of vital statistics is rich in meaning, standardization of these valuable data has eluded governments, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), non‐governmental organizations (NGOs), and demographic researchers. Primarily due to discrepancies of sociopolitical systems and availability of resources, international vital statistics are diverse and variant in terms of vital classification and registration and data processing and reporting. That said, birth, death, marriage, and divorce data are generally included in reported vital statistics. In recent decades, research institutes, universities, IGOs particularly the United Nations (UN), and NGOs have been working hard to organize, collect, and disseminate vital statistics from developing countries. This article analytically presents an overview of global patterns of vital registrations and numerations. It examines the major resources of international vital statistics, including registers, surveys, and print and digital materials. This literature presents a selection of surveys, monographs, serials, periodicals, databases, portals, and homepages based on their relevancy to information and scholarship related to international vital statistics.
ADVANCES IN BUILDING ENERGY SIMULATION IN NORTH AMERICA

Abstract Recent advances in building energy simulation in North America are reviewed. Six innovative programs — HVACSIM + , GEMS, ENET, TARP, BESA, and BEVA — are described and important new simulation techniques in the areas of functional input, moisture absorption and desorption, interzone airflow, daylighting, and automatic optimization are discussed.
Intrapartum Detection of a Maerosomie Fetus: Clinieal Versus 8 Sonographic Models

The purpose of this study was to determine whether clinical or sonographic models have 1) the highest accuracy in differentiating newborns with birth-weights > or = 4,000 g (macrosomia) versus < or = 3,999 g, and 2) among macrosomics which method of predicting birth-weight has the lowest percentage error. Prospectively, 602 consecutive parturients at term had a clinical estimate of birth-weight followed by sonographic measurement of fetal parts. The sonographic prediction of birth-weight was derived using 8 different models that utilize either 1 measurement or a combination of 2 to 4 parameters. The incidence of macrosomia was 11.1% (67 of 602). Analysis of ROC curves indicated that clinical predictions (w = 0.85) were significantly better than 4 of the 8 sonographic models. The mean standardized absolute error among macrosomic newborns is significantly lower when predictions are derived clinically (99 +/- 70 g/kg) than using 1 or 2 fetal parts. Sonographic assessment of birth-weight is not significantly more accurate in the detection of a macrosomic fetus than clinical predictions.
The Gravitational Lens B1608+656. I. V-, I-, and H-Band Hubble Space Telescope Imaging

We present a multiwavelength analysis of high-resolution observations of the quadruple lens B1608+656 from the Hubble Space Telescope archive, acquired with WFPC2 through filters F606W (V band) and F814W (I band) and with NIC1 in filter F160W (H band). In the three bands, the observations show extended emission from the four images of the source in a ringlike configuration that surrounds the two resolved, ensing galaxies. B1608+656 was discovered as a double-lobed radio source and later identified as a poststarburst galaxy in the optical. Based on photometry and optical spectroscopy we estimate that the stellar population of the source has an age of ~500 Myr. This provides a model for the spectrum of the source that extends over spectral regions where no observations are available and is used to generate Tiny Tim point-spread functions (PSFs) for the filters. Deconvolutions performed with the Lucy-Richardson method are presented, and the limitations of these restorations are discussed. V-I and I-H color maps show evidence of extinction by dust associated with one of the lensing galaxies, a late-type galaxy presumably disrupted after its close encounter with the other lens, an elliptical galaxy. The extinction affects the two lens galaxies and two of the four multiple images. The diagnostic of wavelength-dependent effects in the images shows that corrections for contamination with light from the lenses, extinction, and PSF convolution need to be applied before using the extended structure in the images as a constraint on lens models. We will present the restoration of the images in a subsequent paper.
Non-commutative geometry and string field theory

An attempt is made to interpret the interactions of bosonic open strings as defining a non-cummulative, associative algebra, and to formulate the classical non-linear field theory of such strings in the language of non-commulative geometry. The point of departure is the BRST approach to string field theory. A setting is given in which there is a unique gauge invariant action, whose linearized approximation reproduces the conventional Veneziano spectrum. A derivation of conventional Veneziano model amplitudes from this gauge invariant action is sketched. Some brief comments are made about attempts to extend these results to open superstrings and to closed strings.
An Exploratory Survey in Collaborative Software in a Graduate Course in Automatic Identification and Data Capture

TECH 621 is a graduate level course in Automatic Identification and Data Capture at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Typically, it is offered to a cohort of students in a weekend masters program. The course meets on campus three times a semester for two four-hour periods; the course is updated each semester. In the fall of 2006, the instructor decided to incorporate a project component in the course that would show first semester graduate students the potential research opportunities available to them. However, in the planning phase of the projects, the scope grew, and one project took on an international component (with one group working with a university in South Korea), and the others involved working with on-campus undergraduate students. Thus, there was a need to manage the communication of all individuals involved, to provide it in the cheapest possible way, and to make sure that the technology did not fail and hinder the progress of the projects. Furthermore, a collaborative working environment was needed so that each student’s contribution could be monitored. There was also a need to make sure that individual’s didn’t work on different document versions. This paper explains the process of choosing the appropriate technology, its limitations, and the results of student opinions of the technology. It provides a framework for further examination of on-line collaborative tools and study in this area. Important to the course development was determining effective and appropriate pedagogy to meet student needs.
The rectal culture as a test of cure of gonorrhea in the female.

If a single culture specimen is used as a screening test for gonorrhea, the cervical site is preferred. Culturing the anal canal in addition to the cervix significantly increases the number of cases diagnosed. The rectal and cervical sites were compared as test of cure in 908 female patients who had gonorrhea. After treatment, positive cervical or rectal cultures (or cultures of both sites) were found in 10.6% of the patients. Thirty percent of the therapeutic failures would have been missed if only the cervical site had been tested. It was also found that antibiotic therapy is more likely to fail if Neisseria gonorrhoeae infects both the cervix and rectum. If antibiotic therapy is adequate, rectal gonorrhea is no more difficult to cure than cervical gonorrhea.
Oxygen consumption in cattle in relation to rate of increase in environmental temperature.

IN determining the responses of cattle to high, controlled temperatures, one of two procedures has usually been employed. Either the cattle were exposed for periods up to 7 hr. to temperatures ranging up to 110° F. (ref. 1), or they were exposed initially to lower temperatures which were increased progressively by small steps at 2-week intervals2. As there was some doubt as to whether cattle would react similarly to these two procedures, it was decided to subject the same animals to both types of heat exposure. It was hoped that this comparison would clarify any difference in the reactions of the animals produced by acclimatization or stress effects.
The plant-derived hallucinogen, salvinorin A, produces κ-opioid agonist-like discriminative effects in rhesus monkeys

Rationale Salvinorin A is the active component of the hallucinogenic plant Salvia divinorum. The potential mode of action of this hallucinogen was unknown until recently. A recent in vitro study detected high affinity and efficacy of salvinorin A at κ-opioid receptors. It was postulated that salvinorin A would produce discriminative stimulus effects similar to those of a high efficacy κ-agonist (U69,593) in rhesus monkeys.
Reversible and irreversible unfolding of eukaryote chromosomes by force

We have carried out studies of metaphase chromosomes in primary explant cultures of newt lung epithelia, using in situ microsurgery and force measurement. The chromosomes are elastic over a five-fold range of extension, with a force constant of about one nanonewton (nN). For larger extensions, chromosomes are permanently elongated; if stretched beyond 30 times, their cross-sectional diameter is increased after relaxation. Fluorescence studies indicate that histone proteins are not being removed. We conclude that we are first unfolding and then breaking chromosome-folding proteins by extension.
The Effect of Aluminum on the Formation of Orthorhombic Plates in the Nb-Ti-Al Ternary System

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to study the phase transformation in an alloy containing 33Ti-27Nb-40Al (at.%). The results showed that the BCC {beta} phase was present at high temperatures, which ordered to the B 2 phase, and finally was martensitically transformed to a plate microstructure during quenching. The plates possessed an orthorhombic crystal structure and a substructure that consisted of both coarse and fine anti-phase domain boundaries (APDBs). These APDBs were consistent with three sublattices that were derived from the inherited site occupancy of the B2 matrix and a subsequent disorder to order transition. The CBED analysis of the plates showed that the site occupancy of this orthorhombic phase was consistent with the Al{sub 2}NbTi stoichiometry with Al occupying the 8g, Nb the 4cl, and Ti the 4c2 Wyckoff sites.
Substrate concentration constraints on microbial decomposition

Soil organic carbon is chemically heterogeneous, and microbial decomposers face a physiological challenge in metabolizing the diverse array of compounds present in soil. Different classes of polymeric compounds may require specialized enzymatic pathways for degradation, each of which requires an investment of microbial resources. Here we tested the resource allocation hypothesis, which posits that decomposition rates should increase once substrate concentrations are sufficient to overcome biochemical investment costs. We also tested the alternative hypothesis that mixing different substrates increases resource acquisition through priming effects involving generalist enzymes. Using a microcosm approach, we varied the soil concentration of seven distinct substrates individually and in mixture. We found that the percent carbon respired from starch, cellulose, chitin, and the mixture was significantly reduced at the lowest substrate concentration. The activities of b-glucosidase and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase that target cellulose and chitin, respectively, were also significantly lower at the lowest concentrations of their target substrates. However, we did not observe parallel declines in enzyme activity with starch or the mixture. Some enzymes, such as b-xylosidase, were consistent with specialist strategies because they showed the highest activity in the presence of their target substrate. Other enzymes were more generalist, with activity observed across multiple substrates. Together, these results suggest that the costs of biochemical machinery limit microbial decomposition of substrates at low concentration. The presence of enzymes with low substrate specificity was not sufficient to overcome this constraint for some substrates. Concentration constraints driven by microbial allocation patterns may be common in mineral soil and could be represented in new biogeochemical models based on microbial physiology.
Respiratory-driven lung tumor motion is independent of tumor size, tumor location, and pulmonary function.

Abstract Purpose: To determine whether superior-inferior lung tumor motion is predictable by tumor size or location, or pulmonary function test results. Methods and Materials: Superior-inferior tumor motion was measured on orthogonal radiographs taken during simulation of 22 patients with inoperable lung cancer diagnosed by orthogonal radiographs. Results: The tumor size averaged 5.5 ± 3.1 cm (range 1.5–12 cm). Seven of 11 central tumors demonstrated some motion compared with 5 of 11 peripheral tumors. Four of 5 upper lobe tumors moved compared with 8 of 17 tumors that were either middle or lower lobe lesions. The mean fourth rib motion was 7.3 ± 3.2 mm (range 2–15). The mean FeV1 was 1.8 ± 1.2 (range 0.55–5.33. The mean diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide was 14.0 ± 6.5 (range 7.8–21.9). The mean total lung capacity was 6.5 ± 1.2 (range 3.3–8.4). None of these parameters correlated with tumor motion. Although lateral tumor motion could not be consistently determined, 1 tumor moved 10 mm anterior-posteriorly. Conclusions: Lung tumors often move significantly during respiration. Tumor motion is not predictable by tumor size or location, or pulmonary function test results. Therefore, tumor motion must be measured in all patients. Measurement in three dimensions will likely be necessary to maximize the irradiated lung volumes or choose beam arrangements parallel to the major axis of motion.
High calcium and dobutamine positive inotropy in the perfused mouse heart: myofilament calcium responsiveness, energetic economy, and effects of protein kinase C inhibition.

In perfused hearts, high calcium-induced inotropy results in less developed pressure relative to myocardial oxygen consumption compared to the β-adrenergic agonist dobutamine. Calcium handling is an important determinant of myocardial oxygen consumption. Therefore, we hypothesized that this phenomenon was due to reduced myofilament responsiveness to calcium, related to protein kinase C activation. Developed pressure was significantly higher with dobutamine compared to high perfusate calcium of 3.5 mM (73 ± 10 vs 63 ± 10 mmHg, p < 0.05), though peak systolic intracellular calcium was not significantly different, suggesting reduced myofilament responsiveness to intracellular calcium with high perfusate calcium. The ratio of developed pressure to myocardial oxygen consumption, an index of economy of contraction, was significantly increased with dobutamine compared to high perfusate calcium (1.35 ± 0.15 vs 1.15 ± 0.15 mmHg/μmoles/min/g dry wt, p < 0.05), suggesting energetic inefficiency with high perfusate calcium. The specific protein kinase C inhibitor, chelerythrine, significantly attenuated the expected increase in developed pressure when increasing perfusate calcium from 2.5 to 3.5 mM (3.5 mM: 64 ± 8 vs 3.5 mM + chelerythrine: 55 ± 5 mmHg, p < 0.05), though had no effects on dobutamine, or lower levels of perfusate calcium (1.5 to 2.5 mM). By measuring intracellular calcium, developed pressures and myocardial oxygen consumption in perfused mouse hearts, these results demonstrate that high perfusate calcium positive inotropy compared to dobutamine results in reduced myofilament responsiveness to intracellular calcium, which is associated with energetic inefficiency and evidence of protein kinase C activation.
The β-decay of tritium

Abstract A measurement of the high-energy part of the β-spectrum of tritium is made using a magnetic spectrometer. The present work incorporates a cooled Si(Li) detector to determine the energy of the β-rays after momentum selection by the magnetic spectrometer. This “energy signaturetechnique” effectively discriminates against background and scattered electrons. The calibration of the spectrometer is accomplished by recording the 195Pt K99 (20.5 keV) and the 195Pt LI31 (17.0 keV) internal conversion lines. These two lines bracket the end-point energy of tritium. The present value of 18.578 ± 0.040 keV for the tritium end-point energy agrees with a recent measurement by Bergkvist but disagrees with several other measurements. The data are consistent with assigning a zero rest mass to the electron's antineutrino and allow an upper limit of 100 eV c 2 to be set, assuming that effects due to degenerate Fermi seas of neutrinos and antineutrinos are negligible. On the other hand, assuming a zero rest mass for the electron's antineutrino, the data allow an upper limit of 150 eV to be set for the Fermi energy Ef of a degenerate sea of neutrinos; and the data are consistent with EF = 0 eV.
Stars on Double Duty: Probing Cool Gas in Galaxies at Z ∼ 0.6 with Stellar Light

The luminous components of galaxies can act as powerful probes of halo gas in foreground galaxies along the sightline. We use Keck/LRIS absorption-line spectroscopy of a luminous, blue background galaxy at z = 0.69 to study Mg II halo gas in the outskirts ( ρ = 11.1 h −1 kpc) of a massive, poststarburst galaxy in the foreground at z = 0.47. The foreground absorber shows signs of recent merger activity and is host to a low-luminosity AGN. The halo absorption we observe is extremely strong ( W r (2796) = 4.0 ± 0.1A) and is indicative of a large Mg II gas velocity width (> 400kms −1 ). We briefly discuss the possible origins of this absorption, including multiphase cooling of hot halo gas and galactic winds/outflows.
Dominant transmission of imperforate hymen

Abstract Objective: Imperforate hymen is an uncommon anomaly of the reproductive tract, occurring in approximately 0.1% of newborn females. The familial occurrence of imperforate hymen in a child, her mother, and her mother's monozygotic twin is reported. Design: Case report. Setting: Academic medical center. Patient(s): Three affected family members. Main Outcome Measure(s): Karyotype and pedigree analysis. Result(s): The proband, presenting with peritonitis, was evaluated at age 12 for imperforate hymen because this condition was diagnosed in her mother at age 14. At age 14, the mother's monozygotic twin was asymptomatic except for primary amenorrhea and was also demonstrated to have imperforate hymen. No other reproductive system abnormalities were known to be present in the remaining family members. Chromosomal structural analysis confirmed that the mother of the proband had no chromosomal abnormalities. Conclusion(s): The occurrence of imperforate hymen in two consecutive generations of a family is consistent with a dominant mode of transmission, either sex-linked or autosomal. Previously reported examples of siblings with imperforate hymen suggested a recessive mode of inheritance. Taken together, these cases suggest that imperforate hymen can be caused by mutations in several genes. This case highlights the importance of evaluating all family members of affected patients. Familial examples of other developmental anomalies of the female reproductive tract also suggest a multifactorial genetic etiology.
Evaluation of diastolic function by three-dimensional volume tracking of the mitral annulus with cardiovascular magnetic resonance: comparison with tissue Doppler imaging.

Background: Measurement of mitral annulus (MA) dynamics is an important component of the evaluation of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function; MA velocities are commonly measured using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). This study aimed to examine the clinical potential of a semi-automated cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) technique for quantifying global LV diastolic function, using 3D volume tracking of the MA with conventional cine-CMR images. Methods: 124 consecutive patients with normal ejection fraction underwent both clinically indicated transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and CMR within 2 months. Interpolated 3D reconstruction of the MA over time was performed with semi-automated atrioventricular junction (AVJ) tracking in long-axis cine-CMR images, producing an MA sweep volume over the cardiac cycle. CMR-based diastolic function was evaluated, using the following parameters: peak volume sweep rates in early diastole (PSRE) and atrial systole (PSRA), PSRE/PSRA ratio, deceleration time of sweep volume (DTSV), and 50% diastolic sweep volume recovery time (DSVRT50); these were compared with TTE diastolic measurements. Results: Patients with TTE-based diastolic dysfunction (n = 62) showed significantly different normalized MA sweep volume profiles compared to those with TTE-based normal diastolic function (n = 62), including a lower PSRE (5.25 ± 1.38 s �1 vs. 7.72 ± 1.7 s �1 ), a higher PSRA (6.56 ± 1.99 s �1 vs. 4.67 ± 1.38 s �1 ), a lower PSRE/PSRA ratio (0.9 ± 0.44 vs. 1.82 ± 0.69), a longer DTSV (144±55msvs. 96±37 ms), and al onger DSVRT50 (25.0 ± 11.0% vs. 15.6 ± 4.0%) (all p <0.05). CMR diastolic parameters were independent predictors of TTE-based diastolic dysfunction after adjusting for left ventricular hypertrophy, hypertension, and coronary artery disease. Good correlations were observed between CMR PSRE/PSRA and early-to-late diastolic annular velocity ratios (e′/a′) measured by TDI (r= 0.756 to 0.828, p <0.001). Conclusions: 3D MA sweep volumes generated by semi-automated AVJ tracking in routinely acquired CMR images yielded diastolic parameters that were effective in identifying patients with diastolic dysfunction when correlated with TTE-based variables.
Liver transplantation in the mouse: Insights into liver immunobiology, tissue injury, and allograft tolerance

The surgically demanding mouse orthotopic liver transplant model was first described in 1991. It has proved to be a powerful research tool for the investigation of liver biology, tissue injury, the regulation of alloimmunity and tolerance induction, and the pathogenesis of specific liver diseases. Liver transplantation in mice has unique advantages over transplantation of the liver in larger species, such as the rat or pig, because the mouse genome is well characterized and there is much greater availability of both genetically modified animals and research reagents. Liver transplant experiments using various transgenic or gene knockout mice have provided valuable mechanistic insights into the immunobiology and pathobiology of the liver and the regulation of graft rejection and tolerance over the past 25 years. The molecular pathways identified in the regulation of tissue injury and promotion of liver transplant tolerance provide new potential targets for therapeutic intervention to control adverse inflammatory responses/immune-mediated events in the hepatic environment and systemically. In conclusion, orthotopic liver transplantation in the mouse is a valuable model for gaining improved insights into liver biology, immunopathology, and allograft tolerance that may result in therapeutic innovation in the liver and in the treatment of other diseases.
Change is time: a comment on "Physiologic time: a hypothesis".

Before Einstein imagined bending a beam of light, he understood that ultimately time is relative and the interval is the proper measure of the space–time continuum. The physiological time hypothesis offers a similar proposal for biological systems. It views state transitions as dependent on rate-limiting relational transactions, rather than a systemindependent timekeeper. The target article proposes a scaling distribution to characterize body mass fluctuations. Moreover, the section of West and West [1] on Stochastic Ontogenetic Mass Growth (SMOG) represents a very general entry point into many biological, social, and other so-called “open” systems. The SOMG model falls squarely into a class of stochastic “birth–death” models described by the following equation:
History of the development of oral rehydration fluids.

The development of oral rehydration fluid for the treatment of cholera and other diarrhoeal diseases has been regarded as one of the most important medical advances of the last century. This article summarises information on how this achievement was made possible. The development is traced from the historical empiric use of oral fluids for treating diarrhoea to physiologic studies in animals that defined how glucose and sodium were coupled in absorption by the small intestine and finally to the use of this knowledge in developing the simple effective solutions that were adopted by WHO as the mainstay of diarrhoeal therapy worldwide. (excerpt)
Parallel Worlds: A Sideways Approach to Promoting Indigenous - Ionindigenous Trade and Sustainable Development

What can be done in future trade negotiations to facilitate sustainable development? And how can indigenous peoples become a vital part of such negotiations? Given that the United Nations General Assembly has finally adopted the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, these questions become particularly acute. This article attempts to answer both questions by examining the openings in pre-Declaration international economic law for indigenous forms of sustainable development. It outlines some of the more crucial capacity-building that indigenous peoples and their allies will need as well as discusses the importance of indigenous peoples themselves recreating their own strong legal interpretative communities in the face of over-reliance on the market economy and consumerism in surrounding societies. It concludes with a summary of the most important steps that indigenous peoples will need to make to implement their own global economy as well as how to confront the resistance that they may expect from some powerful sectors within settler society.
The Political Economy of Program Design: Overcoming Principal–Agent Goal Disparities Between Congress and the Executive Using Grants to States

When programs are grants to states, federal funds will be used to meet both the national objectives and the local priorities of the state or local government recipients. This article examines the decision to design new federal programs as either a grant to states or as administered by federal agencies. We predict that Congress will choose either the states or the federal bureaucracy based on which agent is more likely to manage the program consistent with the preferences of the Congressional majority. We examine the political and economic conditions present in the year before Congress created a program. We find that Congress’s perception of a government agency’s partisan orientation matters: A perceived divergence in partisan orientation between the Congress and federal agency increases the likelihood of a grant design. In addition, we see evidence that a grant design is preferred when the president is not a co-partisan of Congress.
Facilitated Assignment of Large Protein NMR Signals with Covariance Sequential Spectra Using Spectral Derivatives

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies of larger proteins are hampered by difficulties in assigning NMR resonances. Human intervention is typically required to identify NMR signals in 3D spectra, and subsequent procedures depend on the accuracy of this so-called peak picking. We present a method that provides sequential connectivities through correlation maps constructed with covariance NMR, bypassing the need for preliminary peak picking. We introduce two novel techniques to minimize false correlations and merge the information from all original 3D spectra. First, we take spectral derivatives prior to performing covariance to emphasize coincident peak maxima. Second, we multiply covariance maps calculated with different 3D spectra to destroy erroneous sequential correlations. The maps are easy to use and can readily be generated from conventional triple-resonance experiments. Advantages of the method are demonstrated on a 37 kDa nonribosomal peptide synthetase domain subject to spectral overlap.
Age Differences in Information-Seeking among Cancer Patients:

Studies examining patient populations have found that information-seeking decreases with age. However, researchers usually define information-seeking as involving only the medical establishment, while they neglect other sources of information. The present study examined the use of two types of information sources, non-medical establishment (newspaper, television, and friends) and medical establishment (doctors and nurses), among seventy-five cancer patients aged eighteen to eighty-one years. Patients responded to questionnaires asking about information-seeking, desire for more cancer information, self-perception of their knowledge about cancer, and actual knowledge of facts about cancer. For the medical establishment source, information-seeking decreased with age; however, no age differences existed for seeking non-medical establishment information. In individuals with high levels of desire for information, older adults reported more information-seeking from non-medical sources than did younger adults.
Materials Science and Processing, the Foundation of Packaging

Electronic package systems for information processing include the functions of electrical interconnection, cooling and physical support for the sets of IC chips plus other components in electronic systems. There are several distinct packaging technology worlds, ranging from that of the large high performance mainframe systems to that of the supermini and to that of the small workstation or home computer. In all cases, the package system is a major cost factor; for high performance systems, it is also a major performance factor.
Increasing Molecular Mass in Enzymatic Lactone Polymerizations

Using a model developed for the enzyme-catalyzed polymerization and degradation of poly(caprolactone), we illustrate a method and the kinetic mechanisms necessary to improve molecular mass by manipulating equilibrium reactions in the kinetic pathway. For these polymerization/degradation reactions, a water/linear chain equilibrium controls the number of chains in solution. Here, we control the equilibrium by adding water-trapping molecular sieves in the batch polymerization reactions of e-caprolactone. While ring-opening rates were mostly unaffected, the molecular mass shifted to higher molecular masses after complete conversion was reached, and a good agreement between the experimental and modeling results was found. These results provide a framework to improve the molecular mass for enzyme-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of lactone.
Degradation of Transmission of Silica Glass on Excimer Laser Irradiation

The effects of prolonged irradiation of KrF (248nm) and ArF (193nm) lasers on the optical properties of silica glass were studied, with a glass made from a high purity silicon tetrachloride by the oxy-hydrogen flame hydrolysis method for sample. Experiments were conducted as an acceleration test for services in excimer laser apparatuses, and the results were examined in terms of solarization, i.e., degradation in transmission, T, or increase in the absorption coefficient at 5.8eV, k2, as a function of the per pulse laser energy density, e. It was found that k2 was related to e as in: for KrF excimer laser: k2=2.38×10-7⋅e3.15(e⋅p)1.31, and for ArF excimer laser: k2=8.71×10-8⋅e1.42(e⋅p)1.45, where p is the number of shots. It was demonstrated that these formulas were precise enough to make reasonable estimates of the service lifetime for silica glass in industrial excimer laser apparatus, where the intensity of the laser would be much smaller.
Modified Roman Sandal: a more effective and reliable surgical drain anchoring technique

Displacement of surgical drains from their intended attachment location can lead, in some cases, to a secondary operation in order to avoid recovery complications. Displacements are usually due to the loosening of a drain's anchoring. The common practice of drain anchoring involves the Roman Sandal technique. This manuscript compares the mechanical behaviour of this conventional drain suturing technique to the modified Roman Sandal technique developed herein. Identical mechanical cyclic tests mimicking breathing action were conducted on both suturing techniques to determine which is more reliable. The obtained results revealed that the modified Roman Sandal technique is a much more reliable when compared to the Roman Sandal technique.
On the Measurement of Randomness (Uncertainty): A More Informative Entropy

As a measure of randomness or uncertainty, the Boltzmann–Shannon entropy H has become one of the most widely used summary measures of a variety of attributes (characteristics) in different disciplines. This paper points out an often overlooked limitation of H: comparisons between differences in H-values are not valid. An alternative entropy H K is introduced as a preferred member of a new family of entropies for which difference comparisons are proved to be valid by satisfying a given value-validity condition. The H K is shown to have the appropriate properties for a randomness (uncertainty) measure, including a close linear relationship to a measurement criterion based on the Euclidean distance between probability distributions. This last point is demonstrated by means of computer generated random distributions. The results are also compared with those of another member of the entropy family. A statistical inference procedure for the entropy H K is formulated.
Epidemiological Characteristics of Influenza A(HINI) in Ningde City during 2009-2010

[Objective]To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of influenza A(H1N1),provide the basis for future control and prevention measures.[Methods]The epidemic surveillance data were statistically analyzed by EpiInfo software.[Results]From May 2009 to April 2010,a total of 401 cases of influenza A(H1N1) were reported in Ningde city,and the reported incidence was 11.93 / lakh.The first case of imported influenza A(H1N1) was reported during the middle ten days of July 2009,the case number reached a peak during first ten days of December,had decreased significantly since January 2010,and there was no new case after April 2010.[Conclusion]Before October 2009,there were mainly imported influenza A(H1N1) in Ningde city,and the control and prevention strategy was " blocking external importation and preventing internal spreading".After November 2009,the epidemic of influenza A(H1N1) was in community outbreak and epidemic stages,the health departments adjusted the control strategy,strengthened the management of outbreaks in schools and communities,and the stage winning of control and prevention for influenza A(H1N1) was achieved.