cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Applying the Delphi Method to Define a Focus for the National Outcomes Registry for Tracking the Hand (NORTH)

Surgical registries have provided reliable, generalizable, and applicable clinical data that have shaped many fields. Broad collection of defined data can answer clinical questions with greater numbers of patients and more ability to generalize to routine clinical care than randomized trials. National hand surgical registries exist outside the United States. Before the pursuit of a registry, the focus of such an effort must be defined to ensure that registry goals are feasible. This article presents the consensus process conducted by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand’s Registry Task Force exploring potential diagnoses for a hand registry.
Spontaneous chronic subdural hematoma due to cerebral cortical artery rupture: First case report and review of pertinent literature.

IntroductionChronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is generally attributed to pathological changes in the dural arterial system, which has led to growing utilization of middle meningeal artery (MMA) embo...
Methodological Issues in the Assessment of Landscape Quality

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of contemporary landscape-quality assessment methods. Several reviews of the pertinent literature are available (Arthur, Daniel, & Boster, 1977; Brush, 1976; Fabos, 1971; Feimer, 1983; Palmer, 1981; Redding, 1973; Wohlwill, 1976). However, research and application in landscape assessment is a very active field and new issues and methods appear frequently. Furthermore, the field has matured to a point where several different underlying conceptual models can be identified as a means for organizing and evaluating the growing number of specific methods and techniques.
'Undead' Wartime Cases: Stare Decisis and the Lessons of History

References to the “lessons of history” are ubiquitous in law. Nowhere has this been more apparent than in recent debates over U.S. counterterrorism policy. In response to the Bush Administration’s reliance on World War II-era decisions - Johnson v. Eisentrager, Ex Parte Quirin, Hirota v. MacArthur, and In re Yamashita - opponents have argued that these decisions have been rejected by the “lessons of history.” They argue that the history of wartime cases is one marked by executive aggrandizement, panic-driven attacks on civil liberties, and overly quiescent courts - none of which should be repeated.But what does it really mean to invoke the lessons of history? Is it merely a rhetorical device or should it have some role in determining the stare decisis effect of these old wartime cases? The fact that each of the four cases cited by the Bush Administration has since been set aside by the Supreme Court raises questions about whether stare decisis ever applied to them at all. Can the lessons of history answer those questions? This Article explores the potential legal meanings of the “lessons of history.” It distinguishes and weighs a number of possible models for how history might be used: (1) history as facts complicating or undermining prior decisions; (2) history as precedent-replacement, with the judgments of Congress, the Executive, or others taking the place of that of judges; and (3) history as a vehicle for constitutional principles, like a fear of Executive aggrandizement in wartime or a belief that “the Constitution is not a suicide pact.” Using the four key cases here as examples - Quirin, Eisentrager, Yamashita, and Hirota - the Article examines the benefits and pitfalls of allowing courts to engage in each of these types of analysis. The result is a clearer understanding not only of how history should affect the fate of old wartime cases, but of the roles history can play more generally.
Privatization, Property Rights and Development Potential: Lessons from Poland and Russia

The privatization process in Russia necessitates a reexamination of one of economics' most sacred tenets. Under the wrong circumstances, private property rights can become a destructive force, not the constructive force for economics growth and political stability that economists have always taken for granted. In Poland, a carefully crafted privatization effort was set in motion only after the essentials of a market infrastructure with checks and balances had been instituted. As a consequence, Poland escaped the oligarchic capitalism, corruption, and massive theft schemes such as "Loans for Shares" that haunts Russia today and discredits and undermines the entire reform effort. The paper also explains why it was that in the absence of a system of economic and legal checks and balances, those few who took the opportunity to seize state property of set up cooperatives and banks could become so rich so quickly.
Labor Market Competitiveness and Poverty

How does labor market competitiveness frame the impact of greater labor productivity and lower inequality on poverty? Specifically, does greater competitiveness increase the impact of higher labor productivity and lower inequality on poverty reduction? In a simple model, we show that there is complementarity between competitiveness and productivity – the greater is one, the larger is the impact of the other. This suggests that improving labor market competitiveness is worthwhile not only for its own sake, but because it improves the transmission mechanism from productivity increases to poverty reduction. We also derive precise conditions under which there is a similar complementarity between equality and competitiveness in poverty reduction.
Digital current-mode controller for DC-DC converters

This paper introduces a digital average current-mode controller architecture based on a low-resolution current A/D converter and a simple digital controller realization. The proposed approach combines advantages of practical digital realization and current-mode control for DC-DC converters operating at high switching frequencies. An experimental test circuit includes an experimental prototype current A/D converter, a controller implemented on an FPGA, and a 6 V-to-1.8 V, 10 A synchronous buck power stage operating at 200 KHz. Experimental verification results are described.
Oxytocin Inhibits Aggression in Female Syrian Hamsters

Dominant subordinate relationships are formed as the result of social conflict and are maintained at least in part by communication. At this time, little is known about the neural mechanisms that are responsible for coordinating the social behaviours (e.g. aggression) that occur in association with the formation and maintenance of these relationships. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of oxytocin (OXT) within the medial preoptic anterior hypothalamic continuum (MPOA-AH) in the control of aggression in female hamsters. OXT injected into the MPOA-AH immediately before testing significantly reduced the duration of aggression in a dose-dependent manner. Injection of an OXT antagonist 30 min before testing significantly increased the duration of aggression. In contrast, the duration of aggression was not altered when hamsters were tested either 30 min after injection of OXT or immediately following injection of an OXT-antagonist. These data support the hypothesis that OXT release within the MPOA-AH regulates social behaviours important in the formation and maintenance of dominant subordinate relationships in female hamsters.
Calculation of the fragmentation of UO/sub 2/ by capacitor discharge: nonequilibrium model. [LMFBR]

A model based on phase-space considerations is developed to describe the fragmentation of UO/sub 2/ by capacitor discharge, i.e., to predict such quantities as the amount of gas and liquid produced, the number of liquid fragments, the number distribution of the molecules in the liquid fragments, the kinetic-energy distribution of the gas and liquid fragments, etc. This model cannot give a unique numerical prediction of all of these quantities based only on the initial-state specification, but it does enable all of these quantities to be expressed in terms of the average internal energy of a gas molecule in the final state, the average binding energy of a UO/sub 2/ molecule in a liquid fragment in the final state, and the average number of molecules in a liquid fragment in the final state.
Communication-efficient 2-round group key establishment from pairings

In a recent preprint, Vivek et al. propose a compiler to transform a passively secure 3-party key establishment to a passively secure group key establishment. To achieve active security, they apply this compiler to Joux's protocol and apply a construction by Katz and Yung, resulting in a 3-round group key establishment. In this paper we show how Joux's protocol can be extended to an actively secure group key establishment with two rounds. The resulting solution is in the standard model, builds on a bilinear Diffie-Hellman assumption and offers forward security as well as strong entity authentication. If strong entity authentication is not required, then one half of the participants does not have to send any message in the second round, which may be of interest for scenarios where communication efficiency is a main concern.
The relationship between complaints of night‐time heartburn and sleep‐related gastroesophageal reflux

This study investigated whether the complaint of night-time heartburn (NHB) as opposed to daytime heartburn (DHB) is a reliable reflection of actual sleep-related reflux events. Three groups of individuals were studied: individuals with complaints of NHB at least twice per week (n = 24), individuals with complaints of DHB (n = 23), and normal participants without any complaints of regular heartburn during the day or night (n = 25). All three groups were studied on one occasion with combined pH monitoring and polysomnography, and subjective questionnaires about sleep disturbance and sleep quality were given to all participants. The NHB group had significantly more sleep-related reflux events compared with both DHB and control groups (P < 0.01). DHB subjects had significantly (P < 0.05) more sleep-related reflux events than normal controls. Total acid contact time (ACT) was significantly (P < 0.05) elevated in the NHB group compared with both the DHB and control group. Sleep-related ACT was also significantly (P < 0.05) elevated in the NHB group compared with the other two groups, while upright (daytime) ACT was not significantly different. The NHB group was significantly (P < 0.05) worse regarding measures of both objective and subjective sleep quality. Subjects with exclusively DHB do have sleep-related reflux that is greater than normal controls. Subjects with NHB have significantly more sleep-related reflux, and both objective and subjective sleep abnormalities compared with normal controls. Complaints of NHB reflect sleep-related reflux events and may be indicative of a more clinically significant condition.
Measuring tumor burden: comparison of automatic and manual techniques

The reproducible measurement of tumors is critical to assess therapy response in oncology patients. Our purpose was to develop an automated technique of measuring tumor burden and compare the results with radiologists. 15 patients with pulmonary metastases were evaluated by 3 independent, blinded radiologists. Each radiologist identified and measured the 5 largest pulmonary metastases for each patient. A computerized method for automated detection and measurement of pulmonary nodules was developed. This included automatic detection of lung nodules using a local density maximum algorithm and accurate delineation of the nodules with a multi-criterion automated algorithm. Five largest nodules from each patient were determined using this method. The cross-product measurement was calculated as the greatest diameter and greatest perpendicular for each of the nodules automatically and by each radiologist. The mean cross-product size of the pulmonary metastases was 3.6 cm 2 (range 0.6 to 12.2 cm 2 ). All 3 Radiologists identified the identical 5 metastases as "largest" in only 5 (33%) of cases. They identified the same metastases 54/75 (72%) and at least 2 Radiologists identified the same metastases 66/75 (88%) of the time. Of the 54 metastases identified by all 3 Radiologists, the computer calculated 52 of these to be the largest. The difference in cross-product measurement was significant for 2 (p=.006, p= .003) of the 3 Radiologists. There was no significant difference in cross-product measurement for the automatic measurement as compared to any of the Radiologists. Automated measurement of tumor burden generates more reproducible measurements especially compared with the manual techniques used by one or more Radiologists.
Model-based high-frequency matched filter arcing diagnostic system based on principal component analysis (PCA) clustering

Arcing in high-energy systems can have a detrimental effect on the operational performance, energy efficiency, life cycle and operating and support costs of a facility. In can occur in motors, switching networks, and transformers and can pose a serious threat to humans who operate or work around the systems. To reduce this risk and increase operational efficiency, it is necessary to develop a capability to diagnose single and multiple arcing events in order to provide an effective measure of system performance. This calculated parameter can then be used to provide an effective measure of system health as it relates to arcing and its deleterious effects. This paper details the development of a model-based matched filter for an antenna that recognizes single and/or multiple arcing events in a direct current motor and calculates a functional measure of activity and a confidence factor based on an estimate of how well the data fit the matched filter model parameters. A principal component analysis is then performed on the descriptive statistics calculated from the model's input data stream to develop cluster centers for classifying non- arcing and arching events that are invariant to system operation set point. This approach also has a deployment benefit in that the PCA decreases the computational load on the classifier system by reducing the order of the system.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Neuropathic pain: Early spontaneous afferent activity is the trigger

Intractable neuropathic pain often results from nerve injury. One immediate event in damaged nerve is a sustained increase in spontaneous afferent activity, which has a well-established role in ongoing pain. Using two rat models of neuropathic pain, the CCI and SNI models, we show that local, temporary nerve blockade of this afferent activity permanently inhibits the subsequent development of both thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia. Timing is critical—the nerve blockade must last at least 3–5 days and is effective if started immediately after nerve injury, but not if started at 10 days after injury when neuropathic pain is already established. Effective nerve blockade also prevents subsequent development of spontaneous afferent activity measured electrophysiologically. Similar results were obtained in both pain models, and with two blockade methods (200 mg of a depot form bupivacaine at the injury site, or perfusion of the injured nerve just proximal to the injury site with TTX). These results indicate that early spontaneous afferent fiber activity is the key trigger for the development of pain behaviors, and suggest that spontaneous activity may be required for many of the later changes in the sensory neurons, spinal cord, and brain observed in neuropathic pain models. Many pre-clinical and clinical studies of pre-emptive analgesia have used much shorter duration of blockade, or have not started immediately after the injury. Our results suggest that effective pre-emptive analgesia can be achieved only when nerve block is administered early after injury and lasts several days.
An Arginine-Agmatine Antiporter Optimized for Extreme Acid Resistance in Enteric Bacteria

Enteric bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella species can maintain cytoplasmic pH in the extremely acidic gastric environments by consuming intracellular protons for arginine decarboxylation. This reaction is kept energetically favorable by an APC (amino-acid-polyamine-organocation) family antiporter AdiC, which imports arginine while pumping out the decarboxylated product agmatine in a 1:1 exchange stoichiometry. To characterize AdiC's transport behavior in extreme acid conditions, we developed an oriented reconstituted liposome system able to hold a 3-unit transmembrane pH gradient. Our work reveals two unique functional properties by which AdiC maximizes its effectiveness in conferring acid resistance. First, AdiC possesses a pH-sensing mechanism that permits maximal transport activity only under intra- and extracellular pH conditions of bacteria experiencing strong acid stress (i.e., outside pH 2-3; inside pH 4.5-5.5). Second, we demonstrate that AdiC mainly catalyzes electropositive exchange between extracellular arginine (50% Arg+, 50% Arg2+, pH2.2) and cytoplasmic agmatine (Agm2+, pH5.5) - the exchange is strongly inhibited by the imposition of negative membrane potentials. Thus, at gastric pH, AdiC selectively imports the less common Arg+ against the useless α-carboxyl protonated Arg2+, whose deprotonation upon entry into the cytosol would cancel out the proton-removing effect of arginine decarboxylation. We are currently investigating the underlying mechanisms for this second feature of AdiC. Preliminary results from testing various arginine analogues suggest that AdiC differentiates Arg+ and Arg2+ based on their difference in valence number rather than the protonation status in the α-carboxyl.
Fluctuation dominated Josephson tunneling with a scanning tunneling microscope.

We demonstrate Josephson tunneling in vacuum tunnel junctions formed between a superconducting scanning tunneling microscope tip and a Pb film, for junction resistances in the range $50--300\mathrm{k}\ensuremath{\Omega}$. We show that the superconducting phase dynamics is dominated by thermal fluctuations, and that the Josephson current appears as a peak centered at small finite voltage. In the presence of microwave fields ( $f\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}15.0\mathrm{GHz}$) the peak decreases in magnitude and shifts to higher voltages with increasing rf power, in agreement with theory.
Recommendations for Teaching Team Behavior to Human Factors/Ergonomics Students

Many Human Factors/Ergonomics specialists are members of work teams. To prepare students for teamwork, the students' education should include team building exercises and experiences. During both the 2004 and 2005 HFES meetings panel sessions were held on teaching team behavior to human factors/ergonomics students. The first panel identified general approaches and areas requiring study, whereas the second panel focused on how to form and develop effective teams and how to collect and use peer ratings. This document integrates the information obtained from these panels, teaching resources, and audience input. Teaching outcomes, various forms used to effectively teach with teams, and additional references are provided. These complete recommendations are posted at: http://etg.hfes.org.
Legal aspects of the crimes committed in insolvency proceedings – comparison of Czech and Austrian legislation

The subject of this paper is to compare the Czech and Austrian legislation considering offenses which entrepreneurs and other entities (natural person) may commit within the insolvency proceedings or which are related to the insolvency. Emphasis is placed on the comparison of Czech and Austrian legislation with regard cross-border relationships within the business environment and living between the Czech Republic and Austria.Czech entrepreneurs and natural person in Austria can get into a situation where their debtor is located in Austria and finds himself insolvent or vice versa. Also the Czech entrepreneurs and natural person may do their bussines or live in Austria and may get into such a situation when they are close to the situation which can lead to their decline. This paper would be for them a practical recommendation on how to avoid potential criminal liability.
Reassessment of a Newborn Transitional Care Unit

When the Providence Lying-in Hospital opened its Transitional Care Unit in October 1969, those individuals concerned agreed on the necessity of providing an area for observation and care of the newly delivered infant, where signs and symptoms of impending trouble could be found and early and proper treatment could begin. The effectiveness of this unit and its value to the hospital was reassessed in a study by the Department of Nursing.
Degradation of phosphonates. breakdown of soman (O‐pinacolyl‐methylphosphonofluoridate in wheat plants

The fate of pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate (Soman) in wheat has been studied. Using wheat grown in hydroponic culture and applying the compound Soman via the culture solution, it has been shown that Soman is rapidly hydrolysed in the plants and that the resulting pinacolyl hydrogen methylphosphonate is further degraded to methylphosphonic acid.
Parasitism-linked block of host plasma melanization

When parasitized by the Ichneumonid parasitoid Campoletis sonorensis, larvae of the Noctuid moth, Heliothis virescens, are unable to mount an effective immune response against parasitoid eggs. Defensive melanization of plasma and cellular encapsulation of parasite eggs are dramatically inhibited by infection with the symbiotic immunosuppressive C. sonorensis ichnovirus (CsIV). This study demonstrates that the CsIV-mediated inhibition of melanization is associated with reduction in the enzymatic activity and protein titer of key enzymes in the melanization pathway, phenoloxidase, dopachrome isomerase, and DOPA decarboxylase. Inhibition of the synthesis of key melanization enzymes leads to reductions in the melanization substrates l-dihydroxyphenylalanine, N-acetyldopamine, and N-beta-alanyl dopamine from millimolar to nanomolar levels in parasitized larvae. By contrast, concentration of a precursor catecholamine, dopamine, rises fourfold in these larvae. Thus in CsIV-infected larvae, enzymatic deficiencies in the melanization pathway lead to reduced concentrations of specific enzyme substrates, causing failure of melanization in parasitized insects.
Effective S -wave π NN interaction in nuclei

We show that virtual pion rescattering in a nuclear medium gives rise to an effective $S$-wave $\ensuremath{\pi}\mathrm{NN}$ interaction Hamiltonian. The first few terms in the density expansion of the strength parameter are estimated and shown to be appreciable in nuclear matter.
Herpes gestationis: Clinical and histologic features of twenty-eight cases

We have studied 28 patients with well-documented herpes gestationis (HG) to determine the frequency of complications and to review the histopathology, immunopathology, and clinical parameters of disease. The frequency of miscarriages and other maternal complications in our series was not extraordinary. Fetal complications were similarly limited. Less than 5% of infants had cutaneous lesions, and no other untoward fetal complications were apparent. Although the clinical features of our patients largely paralleled those typically reported for patients with HG, several variants of disease were noted. We report one woman with immunofluorescence-confirmed HG who had no clinical disease during a subsequent pregnancy. We also identified cases in which the characteristic vesiculobullous lesions of HG never developed, Instead, four women had urticarial papules or plaques throughout their clinical courses. HG was verified in these four women by typical immunofluorescent findings and by recurrent, classical disease during subsequent pregnancies in two. In addition, two women were identified with recurrent HG during pregnancies by different husbands.
Development of a widely tunable narrow linewidth RF generator using a hybrid silicon photonic platform

We have developed a system for generating widely tunable, narrow-line RF signals from a pair of injection-locked lasers. Here we focus on the design and implementation of an integrated module and analysis of the produced RF.
1D and 2D metal-organic frameworks functionalized with free pyridyl groups

Abstract We show that a molecule constructed from an organic solid-state synthesis, namely, rctt-1,3-bis(2-pyridyl)-2,4-bis(4-pyridyl)cyclobutane (ht-2,4′-tpcb) upon reaction with Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions gives one- (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) of composition [Cu(hfac)2(2,4′-tpcb-ht)]∞ (where: hfac=hexafluoroacetylacetonate) (1) and [ Zn ( 2 , 4 ′ ‐ tpcb ‐ ht ) 2 ( H 2 O ) 2 ] ∞ 2 + (2). Each MOF possesses uncoordinated, or free, 2-pyridyl groups that decorate the walls of each extended structure.
In-medium hadronization in the deconfined matter at RHIC and LHC

We study the mechanism and probability of in-medium hadronization in the deconfined medium produced in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC and LHC. We show the likelihood of color-neutral objects to be formed inside the partonic fireball and the probability of these states to escape the medium with reduced interaction strength and energy loss. We will suggest specific measurements that are sensitive to the early degrees of freedom and show predictions for these measurements at RHIC and the LHC.
Associative structure of quantifiers

Forty nonevaluative adverbs and other “quantifiers” belonging to six discrete a priori classes were used as stimuli to elicit a single free association from each of 78 S s. By using Deese's associative overlap technique, the intersection between every pair of stimuli was obtained, and the rectangle of overlap coefficients was factored and rotated to several Varimax solutions. The results (a) do not indicate general overlap among the six classes of quantifiers; (b) support certain “discrepancies” observed in earlier, independent, word-combination studies; and (c) demonstrate that the degree of associative overlap among the members of discrete classes of adverbial quantifiers is a function of the comparative multiplying values of these members.
Comparison of Effective and Ineffective Target Sites That Demonstrate Concealed Entrainment in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease Undergoing Radiofrequency Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia

Background Concealed entrainment has been useful in guiding catheter ablation of monomorphic ventricular tachycardia in patients with coronary artery disease. However, not all sites with concealed entrainment result in successful ablation of the targeted ventricular tachycardia. The purpose of this prospective study was to identify factors at sites that demonstrate concealed entrainment that differentiate effective from ineffective target sites. Methods and Results In 14 consecutive patients with hemodynamically stable monomorphic ventricular tachycardia and coronary artery disease, radiofrequency ablation of 26 ventricular tachycardias was performed. Ablation was attempted at 46 sites that demonstrated concealed entrainment. Twenty-five of the targeted ventricular tachycardias (96%) were successfully ablated. The positive predictive value of concealed entrainment for successful ablation was 54%; it increased to 72% in the presence of a stimulus-QRS interval/ventricular tachycardia cycle length ratio of ≤...
Tumors of the liver: pathologic features

Primary tumors of the liver infrequently develop in patients with a normal liver or in those who have not been exposed to one of several tumor-producing compounds. Hepatocellular adenoma was one of the rarest liver tumors prior to the use of oral contraceptives (OCs). Now the annual incidence in longterm users is estimated at 3-4/100000. An adenoma that follows OC use is one that often regresses with discontinuation. Focal nodular hyperplasia is a nonencapsulated solitary lesion that has a fibrotic stellate center in which large thick-walled arteries are the source of the blood supply and occurs most often in women during the menstrual age and there is no evidence that OCs have increased their frequency. Adenomatous hyperplasia occurs occasionally in patients with submassive necrosis and also in those with cirrhosis. Liver cysts present most often in middle aged women and the ratio of females to males is 4:1. In the US metastatic carcinoma of the liver is some 18-20 times more frequent and about 85% of these arise in a cirrhotic or precirrhotic liver. Malignant mesenchymal tumors have been associated with exposure to vinyl chloride of injection of Thorotrast. Signs and symptoms of liver disease occur in about 50% of patients with hepatic metastases with hepatomegaly being the most common physical sign. Metastatic carcinoma most often produces multiple umbilicated nodules that involve the liver uniformly. Portal hypertension may be associated with a hepatic neoplasm.
GDM Intrusion Into Reactant Gas Channels and the Effect on Fuel Cell Performance

This paper reports on the study of gas diffusion media (GDM) intrusion into reactant gas channels and its effect on the performance of the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. The PEM fuel cell under consideration consists of a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) sandwiched between two layers of gas diffusion media commonly made of carbon paper or cloth. The GDM/MEA/GDM assembly is then compressed between two adjacent bi-polar plates. In this configuration, the compression pressure is transmitted under the lands of the reactant gas flow-field onto GDMs on which the portion over the channels remain unsupported. Because of the relatively low bending and compressive stiffness, it is found that GDMs can easily intrude into the reactant gas channels. The direct consequence of GDM intrusion is the pressure drop increase in the reactant gases in the intruded channels. This is further compounded by cell-to-cell or channel-to-channel variation in GDM thickness and mechanical properties, which results in non-uniform reactant gas flow distribution and ultimately negatively impacts the fuel cell performance. In this study, we have developed a GDM intrusion model based on the finite element method (FEM. We have also devised an experimental setup to measure the GDM intrusion, in which we found good agreement between the model prediction and experimental measurement. Combining the FEM based intrusion model and a flow redistribution model we have investigated the effect of GDM channel intrusion on the reactant flow distribution and the impact on the fuel cell performance. It is found that a 20% reduction of reactant flow can be induced with a 5% additional blockage in channels by GDM intrusion. Based on the findings from the current study, we attribute the significant performance variation in a 30-cell fuel cell stack to the variation in reactant flow induced by the variation in GDM intrusion. The results from the analytical study and fuel cell testing both suggested that the product variations in GDM would need to be significantly reduced and the stiffness of the GDM would need to be increased if the PEM fuel cells of high power density were to be used reliably at a relatively low stoichiometry.Copyright © 2006 by General Motors Corporation
Interaction of solar radiation with plant systems

Abstract The interaction of solar radiation with plant systems is described in terms of a modified form of the Kubelka-Munk model for light transmission through scattering media. This model is used to predict upward and downward radiation flux densities in plant systems as a function of leaf optical properties, depth in the system, and reflectance of the soil surface. The model can be used for monochromatic radiation or wavebands of desired width. The results of the Kubelka-Munk model are incorporated into a set of simultaneous energy budget equations in order to predict the profile of leaf temperature within plant systems. Measurements testing the reliability of the above theoretical treatment are discussed.
Endovascular Repair of Thoracic Aortic Lesions Using Infrarenal Devices: Lessons Learned and Continued Applications

The application of endovascular devices for the treatment of a variety of thoracic aortic lesions has flourished worldwide over the past decade. Until physicians become facile with recently approved thoracic devices and these devices are immediately available even in emergency situations, the use of endovascular abdominal components offers physicians more options in managing thoracic lesions. We evaluated the safety, efficacy, and outcomes of commercially available, infrarenal endovascular graft components for managing lesions of the thoracic aorta. Nineteen patients were treated outside of a clinical trial using commercially available endovascular devices. The indications for treatment included acute traumatic lesions (n = 7), symptomatic ulcers (n = 4), focal aneurysms or pseudoaneurysms (n = 7), and symptomatic type B dissection (n = 1). The endovascular components included Excluder Aortic Cuffs (n = 9), AneuRx Aortic Cuffs (n = 5), Zenith Aortic Cuffs (n = 2), Zenith Aortic Tube Grafts (n = 2), and graft combinations (n = 1). Seventeen patients (89%) underwent successful endovascular treatment of their thoracic lesion. One patient required elective surgical conversion, and a second patient had a dissection that was not completely sealed endovascularly. There was no periprocedural mortality, and the major complication rate was 16% (3/19). Two patients had asymptomatic troponin leaks, and one patient developed an iliac rupture at the device introduction site, hypotension, and paraplegia. At a mean follow-up of 12.3 months, all successfully treated patients continue to have complete exclusion of the treated lesion. Infrarenal endovascular graft components can be very useful in the treatment of selected patients with amenable thoracic lesions until thoracic devices are available in all necessary sizes, readily accessible to treating physicians, and cost-effective.
Interactive Classification and Practice in the Social Sciences: Expanding Ian Hacking's Treatment of Interactive Kinds

This paper examines the ways in which social scientific discourse and classification interact with the objects of social scientific investigation. I examine this interaction in the context of the traditional philosophical project of demarcating the social sciences from the natural sciences. I begin by reviewing Ian Hacking’s work on interactive classification and argue that there are additional forms of interaction that must be treated.
Modification of the effectiveness of fission neutrons versus 60co gamma radiation in barley seeds by oxygen and seed water content

Conger B. V. and Carabia J. V. Modification of the effectiveness of fission neutrons versus 60Co gamma radiation in barley seeds by oxygen and seed water content. Radiation Botany 12, 411–420, 1972.—Himalaya barley seeds (caryopses) were adjusted to different water contents ranging from 2·2 to 32·0 per cent. Seeds ranging from 2·2 to 13·0 per cent were irradiated in vacuo with varying doses of 80Co γ radiation or unmoderated fission neutrons and then soaked in oxygen- or nitrogen-bubbled water for ~18 hr at 0°C. Seeds ranging from 19·7 to 32·0 per cent water contents were irradiated without oxygen control at ~5°C and soaked in air-bubbled water after irradiation. The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of fission neutrons compared to 80Co γ radiation for seedling growth reduction varied depending on the water content of the seeds and the post-irradiation soaking atmosphere. Fission neutrons were 54–60 times more effective than y radiation in seeds 2·2 to 13·0 per cent water soaked in nitrogen-bubbled water after irradiation. For seeds soaked in oxygen-bubbled water after irradiation, fission neutrons were 7·6 times more effective than γ radiation in seeds of 2·2 per cent water content. As the seed water content was increased to 13·0 per cent the RBE increased to almost 60. As the seed water content was increased still further to 19·7, 24·5 and 32·0 per cent, the RBE decreased so that at the highest water content, fission neutrons were only 7·5 times more effective than · radiation. Nuclear volume also increased with increasing seed water but probably not enough to account for the large increase in radiosensitivity. The additional water per se, especially that in the embryo, may be the most important factor influencing radiosensitivity, especially to γ radiation.
Reducing Soot Emissions in a Diesel Series Hybrid Electric Vehicle Using a Power Rate Constraint Map

This paper considers a diesel series hybrid electric vehicle (SHEV) and proposes the utilization of an engine–generator power rate constraint map to reduce soot emissions without a significant compromise in fuel economy. Specifically, model predictive control (MPC) is used to split the vehicle power demand between the engine–generator unit and the battery. To achieve a reduction in soot, the engine–generator power rate is constrained. Unlike existing strategies, the power rate limit is not a fixed value but varies, depending on the power level, resulting in a map. This constraint map is designed by formulating the soot emission reduction problem as an optimization problem, which is solved through a three-step offline discrete optimization process. The optimization relies on a quasi-static soot emissions map that captures the trends, even during transients, but underestimates the magnitudes. Therefore, to evaluate the performance of the MPC-based power management with the power rate constraint map, experiments are conducted through an engine-in-the-loop simulation framework. Experimental results show that compared with a constant power rate constraint, soot emissions can be reduced by 44.5% while compromising fuel economy by only 0.3% through the proposed approach. As a tradeoff, the ampere-hour (Ah) processed in the battery, which is a variable that has been shown to correlate with battery capacity loss, increases by 5.5%.
Plasmid DNA adsorption on silica: kinetics and conformational changes in monovalent and divalent salts.

A quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) is used to determine the adsorption rate of a supercoiled plasmid DNA onto a quartz surface and the structure of the resulting adsorbed DNA layer. To better understand the DNA adsorption mechanisms and the adsorbed layer physicochemical properties, the QCM-D data are complemented by dynamic light scattering measurements of diffusion coefficients of the DNA molecules as a function of solution ionic composition. The data from simultaneous monitoring of variations in frequency and dissipation energy with the QCM-D suggest that the adsorbed DNA layer is more rigid in the presence of divalent (calcium) cations compared to monovalent (sodium) cations. Adsorption rates are significantly higher in the presence of calcium, attaining a transport-limited rate at about 1 mM Ca2+. Results further suggest that in low ionic strength solutions containing 1 mM Ca2+ and in moderately high ionic strength solutions containing 300 mM NaCl, plasmid DNA adsorption to negati...
Cloning of the Rat Ecotropic Retroviral Receptor and Studies of Its Expression in Intestinal Tissues

A long-term goal of our laboratory is to establish a rat model to study the feasibility of using the intestinal tract as a site for somatic gene therapy. As a step toward that goal, the current study reports the cloning of the rat ecotropic retroviral receptor (EcoR) cDNA and the study of various aspects of its expression in the intestinal tissues. The cDNA for rat EcoR was cloned by screening a size-selected rat intestinal cDNA library with mouse EcoR cDNA. A clone of approximately 7 kb, designated MP10, was obtained. Partial sequencing of MP10 from the 5' end revealed a level of similarity of 92% compared with mouse EcoR. The presence of a 5' untranslated region and a 3' poly(A) tract, together with the overall size of the cDNA, suggest that is very close to being a full-length cDNA for this large transcript. Northern blots with MP10 showed an RNA of approximately 7.9 kb present along the entire length of the small intestine and somewhat less abundant in the colon. Developmental studies showed high levels of EcoR in fetal rat intestine, a decline in the early postnatal period, then a gradual rise to adulthood. Caco-2 cells were used to assess the expression of EcoR in proliferating compared with differentiated intestinal epithelial cells. EcoR mRNA was found to be very much more abundant in nondifferentiated cells and declined to low levels as the cells underwent spontaneous differentiation. These patterns of EcoR expression indicate that ecotropic retroviruses should be suitable vectors with which to attempt gene transfer into the intestinal epithelium. In addition, since the endogenous role of EcoR is as the y+ cationic amino acid transporter, these data have significance for understanding patterns of amino acid transport in the intestinal epithelium.
The Promise and Perils of CNS Drug Delivery: A Video Debate

Neurodegenerative and infectious disorders related to host genetics, aging, and environment are rapidly increasing. Drugs, vaccines, or regenerative proteins offer “real” possibilities for positively affecting disease outcomes but are limited by access across the blood-brain barrier. New developments in nanomedicine and cell based drug delivery are becoming available. These discoveries can lead to improved neurological disease outcomes. Such obstacles include the toxicities inherent in the delivery systems de novo such as immuno- and neurological dysfunctions and perturbations of blood-brain barrier function. This debate by leading experts in the field highlights the promise and perils of CNS drug delivery. Click on Supplemental HTML to watch the streaming video.
Endodontic Treatment of Concomitant Extraoral and Intraoral Draining Sinus Tracts: Report of Case

A patient was seen who had extraorally and intraorally draining sinus tracts from the same area of pathosis in the apical region of the mandibular incisor teeth. Root canals were filled and periapical surgery was performed.
Rates of protein, chromosome and morphological evolution in four genera of rhombomyine gerbils☆

Abstract Electrophoretic, G- and C-band chromosomal, and morphological characters were examined in relation to evolutionary change for Desmodillus auricularis, Psammomys obesus, Sekeetamys calurus, Meriones shawi , and M. unguiculatus . Chromosomal evolution in these genera was complex and comparable to that found in the previously studied genera Tatera and Gerbillurus . Examination of 33 isoenzyme loci assayed by starch gel electrophoresis showed only three monomorphic loci and alternate allelic fixation occurring primarily at the generic level. Morphological, chromosomal, and electrophoretic data sets were found to be concordant in a cladistic arrangement of genera. However, the rates of fixation of electrophoretic and chromosomal characters in each lineage were not equal. The specialized morphology of Sekeetamys calurus coupled with extensive chromosomal rearrangements apparently has not been accompanied by a correlated rate of protein (genetic) evolution. The numbers of measured protein substitutions as judged by electrophoresis since divergence from a common ancestor for this and three other genera of gerbils were not significantly different from equality. This suggests that different parameters affect chromosomal and protein evolution in gerbils or the magnitude of effect varies for these parameters.
Tiers of clonal organization in the epidermis: the epidermal proliferation unit revisited

As one of the most proliferative tissues in adult mammals, the epidermis is a good example of the precise regulation necessary between stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. The epidermis is derived from ectodermal progenitor cells and contains three distinct classes of cells: epidermal stem cells which are capable of infinite rounds of cell division; their immediate descendants, transient amplifying cells, which are capable of numerous but finite rounds of cell division; and finally, non-dividing, differentiating cells (Aberdam in Cell and Tissue Research 331:103–107, 2008). This proliferative hierarchy must be tightly regulated both temporally and spatially during epidermal development and homeostasis in order to prevent uncontrolled growth leading to hyperproliferative states and/or tumorigenesis. Historically, the most basic unit of epidermal proliferation has been described as the epidermal proliferation unit (EPU). The EPU, as originally characterized by Christophers, Potten and Mackenzie, is a proliferation unit consisting of approximately 10 basal cells with a clonogenic cell in the center and overlaid by the suprabasal and corneocyte progeny (reviewed in Potten, C. S. (1974). The epidermal proliferative unit: the possible role of the central basal cell. Cell and Tissue Kinetics, 7(1), 77–88). Numerous researchers have identified this classical EPU structure, consisting of approximately 20 cells, in a variety of mammalian skin sources. Recently however, lineage analyses have provided evidence for much larger clonal epidermal units consisting of hundreds to thousands of cells. Furthermore, cutaneous mosaicism as well as a variety of cutaneous pathologies indicate that clonal areas extend to whole patches of mammalian skin many centimeters across. In this review we revisit four decades of experimental evidence and put forward a model of clonal units derived from multiple classes of epidermal progenitors ranging from the largest and most primitive units, clonal ectodermal units, to epidermal stem cell units, and finally, to the most basic structural unit, the EPU.
Measuring optical phases of Kerr frequency combs

We present two methods for measuring the optical phases of the spectral lines of microresonator-based frequency combs, and use these phase sensitive measurements to study novel phase-locked comb states.
Delayed response performance by rhesus monkeys with midprincipalis lesions

Four rhesus monkeys were trained on delayed response in the WGTA and subjected to lesions of the middle third of sulcus principalis. Two monkeys were very severely impaired in postoperative retention tests; two Ss manifested milder deficits in postoperative performance. It was concluded that the middle third of sulcus principalis is important for the mediation of delayed response as well as delayed alternation and that the two tasks probably are equivalent measures of the same supramodal learning process.
Anthropogenic influences on hydrocarbon contents of sediments deposited in eastern Lake Ontario since 1800

The amounts and types of extractable hydrocarbon components in sediment cores from the Rochester Basin of eastern Lake Ontario provide a record of environmental changes that have accompanied the settlement and population growth of the surrounding land areas. Sediments deposited prior to the mid-1800s contain low concentrations of hydrocarbons that are dominated by land-plant wax components. Concentrations begin to rise in the late 1800s as erosion of soil and nutrients from watershed areas accelerated. This pattern continues into modern times. Episodes of enhanced aquatic productivity are sometimes recorded in twentieth-century sediments by the dominance of algal hydrocarbons, but land-plant components typically predominate. Petroleum residues begin to appear in sediments deposited in the late 1800's but remain minor constituents of the hydrocarbon contents of modern sediments in the Rochester Basin.
Logic Model Checking of Time-Periodic Real-Time Systems

In this paper we report on the work we performed to extend the logic model checker SPIN with built-in support for the verification of periodic, real-time embedded software systems, as commonly used in aircraft, automobiles, and spacecraft. We first extended the SPIN verification algorithms to model priority based scheduling policies. Next, we added a library to support the modeling of periodic tasks. This library was used in a recent application of the SPIN model checker to verify the engine control software of an automobile, to study the feasibility of software triggers for unintended acceleration events.