cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Demosthenes and democracies: Regime‐types and arbitration outcomes

Recent empirical research has found that democracies almost never wage war against each other. One explanation for this finding is that when given the same opportunities, joint‐democracy dyads are more willing than other types of dyads to entrust third parties with judicial competence to settle their disputes with binding arbitration. But while joint‐democracy dyads show a greater propensity than other pairs of states to use international arbitration, little research has been done on the success of these efforts. In order to determine whether there are any differences in the outcomes of arbitrations among different types of dyads, 221 cases of international arbitration were analyzed. No support was found for the hypothesis that joint‐democracy dyads experience significantly greater success using arbitration than other types of dyads. Joint democracy is an important predictor of whether states will choose a binding method of third‐party conflict resolution, but it does not predict whether a salient outcome...
Downregulation of GAUT12 in Populus deltoides by RNA silencing results in reduced recalcitrance, increased growth and reduced xylan and pectin in a woody biofuel feedstock

The inherent recalcitrance of woody bioenergy feedstocks is a major challenge for their use as a source of second-generation biofuel. Secondary cell walls that constitute the majority of hardwood biomass are rich in cellulose, xylan, and lignin. The interactions among these polymers prevent facile accessibility and deconstruction by enzymes and chemicals. Plant biomass that can with minimal pretreatment be degraded into sugars is required to produce renewable biofuels in a cost-effective manner. GAUT12/IRX8 is a putative glycosyltransferase proposed to be involved in secondary cell wall glucuronoxylan and/or pectin biosynthesis based on concomitant reductions of both xylan and the pectin homogalacturonan (HG) in Arabidopsis irx8 mutants. Two GAUT12 homologs exist in Populus trichocarpa, PtGAUT12.1 and PtGAUT12.2. Knockdown expression of both genes simultaneously has been shown to reduce xylan content in Populus wood. We tested the proposition that RNA interference (RNAi) downregulation of GAUT12.1 alone would lead to increased sugar release in Populus wood, that is, reduced recalcitrance, based on the hypothesis that GAUT12 synthesizes a wall structure required for deposition of xylan and that cell walls with less xylan and/or modified cell wall architecture would have reduced recalcitrance. Using an RNAi approach, we generated 11 Populus deltoides transgenic lines with 50 to 67% reduced PdGAUT12.1 transcript expression compared to wild type (WT) and vector controls. Ten of the eleven RNAi lines yielded 4 to 8% greater glucose release upon enzymatic saccharification than the controls. The PdGAUT12.1 knockdown (PdGAUT12.1-KD) lines also displayed 12 to 52% and 12 to 44% increased plant height and radial stem diameter, respectively, compared to the controls. Knockdown of PdGAUT12.1 resulted in a 25 to 47% reduction in galacturonic acid and 17 to 30% reduction in xylose without affecting total lignin content, revealing that in Populus wood as in Arabidopsis, GAUT12 affects both pectin and xylan formation. Analyses of the sugars present in sequential cell wall extracts revealed a reduction of glucuronoxylan and pectic HG and rhamnogalacturonan in extracts from PdGAUT12.1-KD lines. The results show that downregulation of GAUT12.1 leads to a reduction in a population of xylan and pectin during wood formation and to reduced recalcitrance, more easily extractable cell walls, and increased growth in Populus.
A general framework for modeling equipment aging

For many types of devices and systems, age is not well described by duration of ownership. The most obvious example of the distinction between age and clock time occurs when a device may be turned off or is not used continuously. More interesting cases are those in which age is accumulated at a variable rate as a consequence of the operational profile the device experiences. In this paper, we develop a general model that permits the analyst to portray three specific features of equipment use in the calculation of age accumulation. The three features are (1) variation in intensity of use, (2) variation in ambient operating conditions and (3) changes in device technology associated with different vintages of the equipment. The general model allows for any or all of these aspects of aging to be represented. Several analytical examples are constructed and analyzed. The analysis shows that the model provides greater sensitivity to operating profiles than previously used aging models and also that those previous models can be obtained as special cases of the model developed here. Thus, previous models are approximations for the model defined here. It is shown that an important implication of the more precise computation of equipment age is the ability to construct more effective preventive maintenance plans.
Nitrous oxide sources and sinks in coastal aquifers and coupled estuarine receiving waters

Abstract Sources and sinks of the atmospherically reactive gas nitrous oxide (N 2 O) were determined in the heavily nutrient loaded Childs River in Cape Cod, MA. Surface waters were supersaturated and bottom waters were depleted with N 2 O throughout the system. In apparent septic effluent plumes, N 2 O concentrations reached 3 orders of magnitude above atmospheric equilibrium. Because nitrate and N 2 O concentrations correlated in groundwater entering the estuary, septic tank effluent appeared responsible for the supersaturated concentrations of N 2 O in surface waters. A hyperbolic function fit nitrate and N 2 O concentrations in the water column of the estuary with a maximum supersaturation of approximately 60 nM. From surface water supersaturation we predicted a release of 480 nmol N 2 O m −2 h −1 to the atmosphere in the summer. Property plots of salinity vs. bottom-water N 2 O suggested a benthic sink of N 2 O. Consistent with this trend, sediments consumed rather than released N 2 O in most flux measurements. Nutrient loading did not directly alter benthic N 2 O flux, potentially because stratification limited exposure of sediments to nitrate-rich surface waters, but macroalgal cover increased benthic N 2 O consumption. Sediment N 2 O consumption averaged 111 nmol N 2 O m −2 h −1 and correlated with oxygen uptake. Losses from the system to the atmosphere and sediments exceeded inputs of N 2 O contaminated groundwater, which suggests missing N 2 O sources.
Allendeite (Sc4Zr3O12) and hexamolybdenum (Mo,Ru,Fe), two new minerals from an ultrarefractory inclusion from the Allende meteorite

During a nanomineralogy investigation of the Allende meteorite with analytical scanning electron microscopy, two new minerals were discovered; both occur as micro- to nano-crystals in an ultrarefractory inclusion, ACM-1. They are allendeite, Sc_4Zr_3O_(12), a new Sc- and Zr-rich oxide; and hexamolybdenum (Mo,Ru,Fe,Ir,Os), a Mo-dominant alloy. Allendeite is trigonal, R3, ɑ = 9.396, c = 8.720, V = 666.7 A^3, and Z = 3, with a calculated density of 4.84 g/cm^3 via the previously described structure and our observed chemistry. Hexamolybdenum is hexagonal, P6_3/mmc, ɑ = 2.7506, c = 4.4318 A, V = 29.04 A^3, and Z = 2, with a calculated density of 11.90 g/cm^3 via the known structure and our observed chemistry. Allendeite is named after the Allende meteorite. The name hexamolybdenum refers to the symmetry (primitive hexagonal) and composition (Mo-rich). The two minerals reflect conditions during early stages of the formation of the Solar System. Allendeite may have been an important ultrarefractory carrier phase linking Zr-,Sc-oxides to the more common Sc-,Zr-enriched pyroxenes in Ca-Al-rich inclusions. Hexamolybdenum is part of a continuum of high-temperature alloys in meteorites supplying a link between Os- and/or Ru-rich and Fe-rich meteoritic alloys. It may be a derivative of the former and a precursor of the latter.
The complexities of measuring naturalization rates in advanced industrialized countries

To acquire, protect and promote their rights and interests, aliens naturalize, marry or are born into citizenship in Westernized countries. This article examines how much major receiving countries (that is, 18 countries from Europe, America, Australasia and Japan) accept foreigners as citizens into their societies over 35 years. This involves five issues about measuring naturalization rates and other assessments of nationality: (i) measuring the number of people who go through the naturalization process to become citizens (a narrow focus); (ii) measuring the number of people who are born of foreign parents and gain nationality through jus soli rules (a wide focus); (iii) determining the categorization of naturalization for foreigners who have special integration privileges; (iv) specifying the base upon which naturalization should be standardized – stocks of foreign population, stocks of foreign-born population or the population as a whole; and (v) considering other rates that may measure citizen integration (for example, rejection, cohort and group-specific rates). The main controversy involves whether researchers want a concept of naturalization that stays narrowly focused on a strictly definable process or a concept that opens up more widely to all the ways that immigrants become citizens.
Comparisons of factor structures in separate consumer behavior studies

Abstract Three methods of comparing factor structures among separate factor analytic studies are examined. Examples are developed for each of the three methods, illustrating typical uses in different research settings. Major characteristics of the methods are compared and summarized. The article is essentially a non-technical and nonexhaustive overview of comparison methods directed to researchers not fully acquainted with the function and utility of these comparatively new techniques. The examples used are developed from a large-scale consumer study, but applications obviously extend to a much broader group of business research situations.
New Method for Computing Performance of Choked Reacting Flows and Ram-to-Scram Transition

An improved method has been developed to compute the thrust of a dual-mode scramjet, which is an engine with a combustor that operates both subsonically and supersonically. This strategy applies to any internal flow that can be modeled one-dimensionally. To handle the mathematical singularity at the location of thermal choking, the simple Shapiro method is expanded to create a new method that includes finite-rate chemistry and high-temperature gas properties. A forward shooting method is employed to find appropriate initial conditions for integration of the governing equations, which results in a unique transonic (choked) condition capable of reaching a supersonic state at the end of the domain. Solutions of the governing equations are computed using the propulsion code MASIV, which has been integrated into a hypersonic vehicle flight dynamics code. Computations for both ram-mode and scram-mode operations are compared to experimental results. Predictions are made for flight conditions of a hypersonic vehi...
Pediatric Hospitalizations for Croup (Laryngotracheobronchitis): Biennial Increases Associated with Human Parainfluenza Virus 1 Epidemics

Croup is a common manifestation of respiratory tract infection in children, and human parainfluenza virus 1 (HPIV-1) is the agent most commonly associated with croup. In the United States, HPIV-1 produces a distinctive pattern of biennial epidemics of respiratory illness during the autumn months of odd-numbered years. National Hospital Discharge Survey data for croup hospitalizations among patients <15 years old between 1979 and 1993 were examined along with laboratory-based surveillance data on HPIV-1 activity in the United States. The mean annual number of croup hospitalizations was 41,000 (range, 27,000-62,000/year). Ninety-one percent of hospitalizations occurred among children <5 years of age. Minor peaks in croup hospitalizations occurred each year in February, and major peaks occurred in October of odd-numbered years, coincident with peak HPIV-1 activity. Each biennial epidemic of HPIV-1 was associated with 18,000 excess croup hospitalizations nationwide.
Impact of Atropine Injection on Heart Rate Response During Treadmill Exercise Echocardiography:A Double‐Blind Randomized Pilot Study

We evaluated the effect of atropine on the heart rate (HR) response during treadmill exercise echocardiography. A potential limitation of treadmill exercise echocardiography is the requirement for postexercise imaging. Rapid recovery of HR and wall motion abnormalities may decrease test sensitivity. A double-blind randomized study was performed at a tertiary care center. Fifty-two patients (age, 63 +/- 9 years) with known or suspected coronary artery disease were injected with either 0.5 mg of atropine or saline before treadmill exercise echocardiography. HR response during and after exercise was recorded. Atropine resulted in a greater increase in HR before exercise (increase of 15 +/- 9 vs 5 +/- 7 beats per minute, P < 0.0001) and a higher HR rate during the first 5 minutes of exercise (P < 0.05). In recovery, there was an exponential decrease in HR in both atropine and control groups. However, at the end of image acquisition (66 +/- 15 seconds), the HR was higher in the atropine group (128 +/- 21 vs 115 +/- 19 beats per minute, P = 0.02) and remained higher throughout the 10-minute recovery period (P = 0.0015). Dry mouth was more common after atropine injection (P = 0.005); other side effects were similar. The extent and resolution of myocardial ischemia were comparable in both groups. Atropine injection before treadmill exercise echocardiography results in a higher HR during the acquisition of echocardiographic images; whether atropine could affect the diagnostic accuracy of tread mill exercise echocardiography requires further study.
Mixed-width instruction sets

Encoding a program's computations to reduce memory and power consumption without sacrificing performance.
Numerical evaluation of a symmetric potential function

We discuss the numerical evaluation of a symmetric potential function which arises naturally in applications. We present a method designed to accurately and efficiently compute this integral, and compare the performance of this method with two other popular techniques. This method requires considerably fewer function evaluations than all other techniques we tested. and is applicable to any integral which can be expressed in terms of complete elliptic integral.
The “Power” Brow Lift: Efficient Correction of the Paralyzed Brow

Purpose. To describe a novel approach to brow ptosis correction and evaluate its long-term efficacy in patients with facial-paralysis-associated brow ptosis. Methods. Twenty-two patients aged from 50 to 90 years underwent “power” brow lifting, involving 3 intrabrow stab incisions and suture suspension of the brow to the frontal calvarium via titanium miniplate. Long-term results of the operation were assessed retrospectively. Pre- and postoperative photographs were measured with FACE-gram software to evaluate efficacy of the procedure. Results. Seventeen patients who underwent “power” brow lift were available for postoperative evaluation. Among them, follow-up length ranged from 12 to 448 days. The average post-operative change in brow height was 5.7 mm, which was statistically significant (). There were no complications. Conclusions. The “power” brow procedure can help to restore upper facial symmetry and visual fields and improve periocular hygiene. The operation is easily performed in an office setting, under local anesthesia, and appears to provide reliable long-term results. The time required to perform the procedure is far less than that required for a standard direct brow lift; there is no risk of postoperative forehead hypesthesia, and there is no superciliary scar.
Sulfate reduction and methanogenesis in marine sediments

Methanogenesis and sulfate-reduction were followed in laboratory incubations of sediments taken from tropical seagrass beds. Methanogenesis and sulfate-reduction occurred simultaneously in sediments incubated under N2, thereby indicating that the two processes are not mutually exclusive. Sediments incubated under an atmosphere of H2 developed negative pressures due to the oxidation of H2 by sulfate-respiring bacteria. H2 also stimulated methanogenesis, but methanogenic bacteria could not compete for H2 with the sulfate-respiring bacteria.
Assessing Information Alignment in Production Organizations

Alignment is defined as the proper positioning or adjustment of resources in relation to each other. Organization alignment involves aligning many different levels of an organization and its business segments to allow more accurate predictability of organization performance. To align an organization requires consideration of many different levels of vertical and lateral alignment of processes, resources, and information. Alignment research involves interaction implications, level of coordination implications, and geographic implications as well as resource and information need, and resource and information generation. One of the challenges of alignment is directly connecting deficiencies to their underlying issues. This is due to the weak link between organization metrics of performance and alignment factors. This study discusses issues that alignment alleviates in reference to process efficiency, procedure errors, operator errors, knowledge loss, and forecasting.
A supergame-theoretic model with consumer loyalty

Abstract The paper shows in a supergame theoretic framework how the relative market power firms achieve by having loyal consumers, hinders collusion. Furthermore, increasing concentration decreases the sustainability of the agreement.
Mantle heterogeneity and crustal recycling in Archean granite-greenstone belts: Evidence from Nd isotopes and trace elements in the Rainy Lake area, Superior Province, Ontario, Canada

Crustal evolution in the Rainy Lake area, Ontario is studied in terms of geochemical characteristics. The Nd isotope data are examined for heterogeneity of the Archean mantle, and the Sm/Nd depletion of the mantle is analyzed. The Nd isotope systematics of individual rock suites is investigated in order to understand the difference between crust and mantle sources; the precursors and petrogenetic processes are discussed. The correlation between SiO2 content and Nd values is considered. Rapid recycling of crustal components, which were previously derived from depleted mantle sources, is suggested based on the similarity of the initial Nd isotopic composition for both mantle-derived and crustally-derived rocks.
Influence of pericardiectomy on cat right ventricular function after pulmonary arterial constriction

Abstract Although the results of mitral valve replacement in patients with mitral valve disease and pulmonary arterial hypertension are usually gratifying, persistent right ventricular decompensation occasionally occurs despite successful insertion of a mitral prosthesis. It is possible that when pulmonary hypertension is slow to resolve, the loss of an intact pericardium incurred by the operative intervention allows right ventricular dilatation to occur acutely. In some cases, the latter might lead to chronic irreversible right ventricular failure. To test this hypothesis, right ventricular hypertension and failure were produced in 62 cats by pulmonary arterial banding. Thirty-two of these cats had a total pericardiectomy, and in 30 the pericardium was reconstituted. The mortality rates for each group were similar. Right heart catheterization was performed in the surviving animals 4 to 145 days later. There were no significant differences in the degree of right ventricular failure between cats with and without an intact pericardium. Isometric contractile function of papillary muscles was measured with each muscle at the peak of its length-tension curve (L max ). Active tension, rate of tension development, time to peak tension and the contractile response of the papillary muscles to norepinephrine were similar in each group. Thus, the absence of a pericardium does not seem to affect the degree of experimental right ventricular failure induced by a chronic pressure stress on the right ventricle.
Thromboxane A2 Generation, in the Absence of Platelet COX-1 Activity, in Patients With and Without Atherothrombotic Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND Aspirin's therapeutic action is via inhibition of platelet cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1) thromboxane A2 (TxA2) production. The aim of this study was to evaluate TxA2 production, in the absence of platelet COX-1 activity, in coronary atherosclerotic heart disease patients with and without atherothrombotic myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS AND RESULTS TxA2 production, in the absence of platelet COX-1 activity, was evaluated in 44 patients taking aspirin on 3 commercially available assays that detect metabolites of TxA2 in the urine. Two assays measure urine 11-dehydro-thromboxane B2 (TxB2) alone and 1 measures urine 11-dehydro-TxB2 plus 11-dehydro-2,3-dinor-TxB2. Platelet COX-1 inhibition was confirmed on <10% platelet aggregation in response to ≥1 mmol/L arachidonic acid. Median urine 11-dehydro-TxB2 was no different in those with and without a diagnosis of atherothrombotic MI (325 vs. 311 pg/mg creatinine, P=0.59 via polyclonal ELISA) and (312 vs. 244 pg/mg creatinine, P=0.11 via LC-MS/MS). Median urine 11-dehydro-TxB2 plus 11-dehydro-2,3-dinor-TxB2, however, was higher in those with vs. those without a diagnosis of atherothrombotic MI (1,035 vs. 606 pg/mg creatinine, P=0.03 via monoclonal ELISA). CONCLUSIONS Differences in TxA2 production, in the absence of platelet COX-1 activity, between those with vs. without atherothrombotic MI were not observed when TxA2 generation was assessed on 11-dehydro-TxB2 production alone (polyclonal ELISA or LC-MS/MS), but differences were observed when TxA2 generation was assessed using 11-dehydro-TxB2 plus 11-dehydro-2,3-dinor-TxB2 (monoclonal ELISA). These findings highlight important differences between different commercially available assays for TxA2 generation and suggest that 11-dehydro-2,3-dinor-TxB2 may be critical to the biology of atherothrombosis.
Stability of Gentamicin in Serum

Patients' sera were divided into three portions when the initial gentamicin level was determined and were stored at -20, 4, and 25 degrees C in plastic or glass tubes. Gentamicin levels were repeated after 1 and 2 days of storage at the respective temperatures. There was no significant difference in gentamicin levels among portions, except those from a patient in renal failure with high serum concentrations of carbenicillin.
Inspection of high-aspect ratio layers at sub 20nm node

High aspect ratio defects are more critical at sub 20nm design rule. The impact of these defects in the FEOL module is very critical as it leads to gate leakage which directly translates to yield loss at sub 20nm devices. Image 1a) and 1b) shown below is one such example of a high aspect ratio protrusion seen during the HiK stack for gate last process on a sub 20nm device. False and nuisance defects detected by optical inspection tools, degrade the inspection sensitivity of the tool to real and critical defects[1]. The intention of this paper would be to target two critical FEOL layers post Litho and post etch to detect these critical yield impacting defects using KLA-Tencor 2905 broadband brightfield inspection system for early development learning. In this paper we will discuss the DOE on all the different inspection points to intentionally generate these defects and summarize all the findings.
Telephone surveillance in call centers: prescriptions for reducing strain

– The purpose of this study is to examine telephone surveillance in call centers and the role that job control plays in reducing the strain associated with the practice., – Supervisory practices influencing job control – a form of worker empowerment – were viewed by the study as a key variable mitigating the long‐standing relationship between telephone surveillance and work strain. As part of a field experiment, a sample of 163 service representatives completed a questionnaire measuring strain, perceived degree of surveillance, and job control., – Correlational and path analyses indicated that the strain associated with telephone surveillance could be explained by a loss of perceived control, even though service representatives had no direct control over the surveillance process itself., – These findings support previous research emphasizing the importance of task control during service encounters and suggest that supervisory practices that empower service workers may also reduce job strain. The immediate findings may be limited to the call center environment but recent research suggests that the control construct may be robust in other settings., – This project is one a few studies that outlines specific management practices that could reduce strain associated with telephone surveillance.
Dimensionality of Measures for Severe Unilateral Ankle Arthritis

Objective To analyze the dimensionality of 2 self-report outcome measures (Foot/Ankle Disability Index [FADI] and Short-Form [SF]-36), 3 biomechanical measures (stance and step symmetry measures, gait speed, and step width), 2 physical-performance measures (timed get-up and go [TUG] and 4-square step test [4SST]), and 1 clinician-report outcome measure (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society [AOFAS] Hindfoot Scale) in a patient population with unilateral ankle arthritis. These measures captured the following functions: mobility and speed, pain and its relationship to function, social integration, and symmetry and efficiency of gait. Design Case series design. Setting Biomechanical research laboratory adjacent to a busy orthopedic clinical practice. Patients Seventy-nine consecutive patients with unilateral traumatic arthritis who were candidates for a total ankle replacement. Methods An exploratory factor analysis with oblimin rotation was performed to determine the dimensions of the physical performance, biomechanical, self-report, and clinician-report measures. Main Outcome Measurements Outcomes measures included the SF-36 and pertinent subscales, gait speed, the 4SST, the TUG, the FADI, the AOFAS Hindfoot Scale, and biomechanical measures of step width, step symmetry, and stance symmetry. Results Four distinct dimensions were captured during factor analysis. Factor 1 included the TUG, gait speed, the 4SST, and step width; factor 2 included the FADI, the SF-36 bodily pain score, and the SF-36 physical function score; factor 3 included the biomechanical scores of stance symmetry ratio and the step symmetry ratio; and factor 4 included SF-36 social functioning and the AOFAS Hindfoot Scale. Conclusions Findings suggest that various outcome measures for the ankle capture different dimensions and should be considered when evaluating the presence of disability or long-term change in outcome.
Overexpression in Escherichia coli of 12 Vitamin B12 Biosynthetic Enzymes

The first 12 enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of vitamin B12 from its five-carbon precursor, aminolevulinic acid, have been overexpressed in recombinant strains of Escherichia coli. The activity of each enzyme has been demonstrated by the biosynthesis of hydrogenobyrinic acid from aminolevulinic acid.
Display of spatially-registered Doppler spectral waveforms and three-dimensional vein graft geometry

A method has been developed to display Doppler spectral waveforms in lower extremity vein grafts in conjunction with 3-D vessel geometry. Doppler spectral waveforms and cross-sectional images of the vein graft are collected with a custom 3-D ultrasound imaging system. Computer processing generates a display of the Doppler sample volumes registered in 3-D space with a surface reconstruction of the vein graft lumen. An interactive computer interface displays spectral waveforms at user-selected sites in the graft. Summary displays combining spectral waveforms, maximum velocity and cross-sectional area provide a pictorial record of the state of the vein graft along its full length. The method is demonstrated for two patient studies, each at two time points after graft revisions. The graphic display of both hemodynamics and geometry allows rapid assessment of vein graft changes over time.
Diaphragmatic repair through fetal tissue engineering: a comparison between mesenchymal amniocyte- and myoblast-based constructs

Abstract Purpose We have previously shown that fetal tissue engineering is a preferred alternative to diaphragmatic repair in a large animal model. This study was aimed at comparing diaphragmatic constructs seeded with mesenchymal amniocytes and fetal myoblasts in this model. Methods Neonatal lambs (n = 14) underwent repair of an experimental diaphragmatic defect with identical scaffolds, either seeded with labeled autologous cells (mesenchymal amniocytes in group 1 and fetal myoblasts in group 2) or as an acellular graft (group 3). At 1 to 12 months postoperatively, implants were harvested for multiple analyses. Results Repair failure (reherniation or eventration) was significantly higher in group 3 than in groups 1 and 2, with no difference between groups 1 and 2. Seeded fetal myoblasts quickly lost their myogenic phenotype in vivo. All grafts contained cells with a fibroblastic-myofibroblastic profile. Elastin concentrations and both modular and ultimate tensile strengths were significantly higher in group 1 than in groups 2 and 3. There were no differences in glycosaminoglycans and type I collagen levels among the groups. Conclusions Diaphragmatic repair with a mesenchymal amniocyte–based engineered tendon leads to improved structural outcomes when compared with equivalent fetal myoblast–based and acellular grafts. The amniotic fluid is a preferred cell source for tissue-engineered diaphragmatic reconstruction.
The Transcriptional Form of the Phosphoprotein of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Is a Trimer: Structure and Stability

The phosphoprotein (P) of vesicular stomatitis virus was previously shown to assemble into a homomultimer upon phosphorylation by casein kinase II. It thus acquired transcriptional activity, including the ability to bind to the other two transcriptional components, the polymerase L and the N-RNA template. This multimer has now been found to be a trimer using a His-tag dilution method. Trimer stability was assessed using a variation of this method, by measuring the rate of exchange of monomers between preformed tagged and untagged trimers at different values of pH and ionic strength. Exchange rates increased with increasing ionic strength and were similar at pH 6, 8, and 10, but the trimer was completely dissociated at pH 4. This suggests that the trimer is stabilized by electrostatic interactions, probably involving carboxylate and guanidino groups. Addition of viral L protein stabilized the P trimers, completely preventing subunit exchange under transcription conditions. The association constants (Kass) for trimerization of partially active D and A substitution mutants were also determined by His-tag dilution and found to correlate well with transcriptional activity, further confirming that the active species is the trimer. Circular dichroism spectra were identical for phosphorylated and unphosphorylated wild-type P protein and for D and A mutants known to be predominantly trimeric and monomeric, respectively.
Rifapentine for the Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Rifapentine is a recently approved antituberculosis drug that has not yet been widely used in clinical settings. Clinical data support intermittent use of rifapentine with isoniazid during the continuation phase of tuberculosis treatment. Patients with culture-positive, noncavitary, pulmonary tuberculosis whose sputum smear is negative for acid-fast bacilli at the end of the 2-month intensive treatment phase are eligible for rifapentine therapy. Rifapentine should not be used in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients, given their increased risk of developing rifampin resistance with currently recommended dosages. Rifapentine is not currently recommended for children aged <12 years, pregnant or lactating women, or individuals with culture-negative or extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Rifapentine (600 mg) is administered once weekly with isoniazid (900 mg) during the continuation phase of treatment. This combination should only be given under direct observation. As with rifampin, drug-drug interactions are common, and regular patient monitoring is required. Ease of administration makes this regimen attractive both for tuberculosis-control programs and for patients.
Chaos-enhanced transport in cellular flows

Examples of chaos-enhanced transport in cellular (lows are presented. Illustrations span from boundary and jet induced motions within cavities to separated flows; chaotic adveetion is generated by time-modulation of walls, variation of angle of impingement of laminar jets, and naturally occurring oscillations in the velocity field as the Reynolds number is increased. Tools include manifold structure, the Melnikov technique, as well as eulerian and lagrangian descriptions of transport. A range of Peclet numbers is explored; the amount of transport enhancement over the nonchaotic case is exemplified in terms of heating of a fluid and the removal of a diffusive tracer; the enhancement over the non chaotic case can be as large as 40%.
A standard format for data files

Abstract A proposal is made for a standard file format to be used at US synchrotron sources. This standard format encompasses all data structures likely to be needed and will improve transferability of analysis programs. The proposed data format is a limited implementation of “ISO/DP8211 — Specification of a data descriptive file for information interchange”.
Anger management training for law enforcement personnel

Law enforcement personnel experience conflictual police-citizen encounters and criminal acts that may be anger-provoking and that may lead to maladaptive reactions by police officers. An anger management training module was developed to help police officers manage their anger more effectively. A pretest, posttest, and follow-up design was used to assess the effectiveness of this training. Ninety-two officers were randomly selected and assigned to a training or control group. The Spielberger State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, the Profile of Mood States, and performance-related scores were used as outcome measures. Regression analyses yielded limited support for the training; however, a trend toward greater reductions in use of force arrests was found in trained officers. Differences in anger management patterns for male and female officers were found. Recommendations for training modifications and future research in sex differences in anger management for law enforcement personnel are made.
Development and validation of the anger rumination scale

The Anger Rumination Scale was constructed to measure the tendency to focus attention on angry moods, recall past anger experiences, and think about the causes and consequences of anger episodes. Principal axis analysis demonstrated a four factor structure of the scale, which was also supported with a subsequent confirmatory factor analysis. The Anger Rumination Scale was demonstrated to have adequate internal consistency and one month test-retest reliability. The convergent and discriminant validity of the scale were supported by an expected pattern of correlations between the Anger Rumination Scale and the measures of anger experience, anger expression, negative affectivity, emotional attention, satisfaction with life, and social desirability. Normative data is provided for a sample of 408 college-age men and women.
Linear-nonequilibrium thermodynamics theory for coupled heat and mass transport

Abstract Linear-nonequilibrium thermodynamics (LNET) has been used to express the entropy generation and dissipation functions representing the true forces and flows for heat and mass transport in a multicomponent fluid. These forces and flows are introduced into the phenomenological equations to formulate the coupling phenomenon between heat and mass flows. The degree of the coupling is also discussed. In the literature such coupling has been formulated incompletely and sometimes in a confusing manner. The reason for this is the lack of a proper combination of LNET theory with the phenomenological theory. The LNET theory involves identifying the conjugated flows and forces that are related to each other with the phenomenological coefficients that obey the Onsager relations. In doing so, the theory utilizes the dissipation function or the entropy generation equation derived from the Gibbs relation. This derivation assumes that local thermodynamic equilibrium holds for processes not far away from the equilibrium. With this assumption we have used the phenomenological equations relating the conjugated flows and forces defined by the dissipation function of the irreversible transport and rate process. We have expressed the phenomenological equations with the resistance coefficients that are capable of reflecting the extent of the interactions between heat and mass flows. We call this the dissipation-phenomenological equation (DPE) approach, which leads to correct expression for coupled processes, and for the second law analysis.
Sub-shot-noise correlation of total photon number using macroscopic twin pulses of light.

We have measured whole-pulse photon statistics of macroscopic twin pulses of light generated by coherently seeding a two-mode optical parametric amplifier equally in each mode. We are able to produce 300 ps, near-transform-limited twin pulses (\ensuremath{\sim}${10}^{6}$ photons) with a difference photon number having a variance measured to be 73% below the shot-noise level. We have measured probability distributions of the photoelectron difference number, which are the only photoelectron distributions in the macroscopic regime which cannot be explained using standard semiclassical detection theory.
Generation and detection of high-energy phonons by superconducting junctions

It is demonstrated that phonons with energy greater than the superconducting gap escape Sn junction generators in sufficient number to be detected by Pb superconducting junctions. The phonon transconductance signal, observed with high generator bias, can be largely understood in terms of the relaxation of injected quasiparticles which emit high-energy phonons. The high-energy phonons are in turn reabsorbed to form secondary high-energy quasiparticles and phonons. These processes are repeated until some form of quasiparticle-phonon equilibrium is reached. Certain features of the transconductance signal indicate that phonons of frequency at least as high as 1.31 THz escape the Sn junction. Sharp onsets observed in the signal require that the high-energy phonons are produced by relaxation of the quasiparticle distribution injected into the Sn generator junction, and not by a thermalized distribution of quasiparticles. Apparently, the presence of quasiparticles produced thermally plays a major role in the escape of phonons from the generator. An observed dependence of the transconductance signal on the total thickness of the generator suggests that the injected quasiparticle distribution, not the high-energy phonons, transport the excitation energy across the generator junction.
Estimation of the Real Area of Contact in Sliding Systems Using Thermal Measurements

The objectives of this paper are to develop a means to estimate the real area of contact in sliding systems using thermal measurements and to provide experimental design guidance for optimal sensor locations. The methods used are a modified cellular automata technique for the direct model and a Levenberg–Marquardt parameter estimation technique to stabilize inverse solutions. The modified cellular automata technique enables each piece of physics to be solved independently over a short time step, thus reducing a complicated model to a sequence of simpler problems. Overall, the method proved successful. The major results indicate that appropriately selected measurement locations can determine the contact distribution accurately. The best measurement location is found to be just downstream of the nominal contact zone in the moving body. This is significant since direct access to the contact zone is usually impossible. Results show that it is best to locate a sensor in the moving body. However, placing the sensor in the static body can also provide a reasonable image of the contact distribution. This is useful because the static body is easier to instrument than a moving body. Finally, the estimation method worked well for the most complex model utilized, even in a suboptimal measurement location
Effects of Varying Weight Ratios of Large and Small Wheat Starch Granules on Experimental Straight-Dough Bread

ABSTRACT One commercial bread wheat flour with medium strength (11.3% protein content, 14% mb) was fractionated into starch, gluten, and water solubles by hand-washing. The starch fraction was separated further into large and small granules by repeated sedimentation. Large (10–40 μm diameter) and small (1–15 μm diameter) starch fractions were examined. Flour fractions were reconstituted to original levels in the flour using composites of varying weight percentages of starch granules: 0% small granules (100% large granules), 30, 60, and 100% (0% large granules). A modified straight-dough method was used in an experimental baking test. Crumb grain and texture were significantly affected. The bread made from the reconstituted flour with 30% small granules and 70% large granules starch had the highest crumb grain score (4.0, subjective method), the highest peak fineness value (1,029), and the second-highest elongation ratio (1.55). Inferior crumb grain scores and low fineness and elongation ratios were observ...
Durable Goods Pricing in the Presence of Volatile Demand

Lead time and demand volatility affect manufacturer production and pricing decisions. A manufacturer must make production decisions based on economic forecasts of demand. After the production is complete and economic conditions are better understood, a monopolistic manufacturer can choose to dynamically adjust prices to react to the revealed demand. Durable goods monopolists face an additional complication -- the cannibalization of sales via the second-hand market. Using a model of an infinite horizon game between a monopolistic durable goods manufacturer and heterogeneous consumers, we investigate how lead time and demand volatility affect the monopolist's production and pricing decisions, as well as his expected profit and consumer welfare.
Thrombophilia and fetal loss: Lessons from gene targeting in mice

Inherited thrombophilia is recognized as one of the causes of recurrent fetal loss. Yet, the risk of fetal loss in women with thrombophilia is far from absolute. Other risk modifiers are clearly involved, but remain to be identified. The mechanism that translates maternal thrombophilia into pregnancy disorder is also not understood. Genetically engineered mice have led to the development of new insights into the etiology and pathogenesis of thrombophilia-associated fetal loss. These insights are the focus of this review.
Large-eddy substitution via vortex cancellation for wall turbulence control

A system of co-rotating longitudinal vortices was used to introduce streamline (as opposed to wall) curvature into a turbulent wall flow. Two methods of vortex cancellation, unwinding and self-annihilation, were tested as a means of removing the vortices once they had processed most of the incoming turbulent boundary layer. Vortex unwinding, which uses vorticity of the opposite sign, was shown to be a viable method for cancelling the co-rotating vortices. Vortex self-annihilation, caused by interference effects resulting from a close initial spanwise vortex spacing, eliminated the vortices within 60 delta downstream. In each case, reductions in boundary layer entrainment were found once the vortices were cancelled.
The immune status of a population at the termination of a severe epidemic of poliomyelitis.

In 1952, seventy-four cases of poliomyelitis, about half of which were paralytic, were reported to the Alaska Department of Health from Ketchikan, a community with a population of approximately 6000. Since the attack rate exceeded 1000 per 100,000, this was clearly a severe epidemic. The present study was carried out in order to determine the immune status of a population at the time when a severe epidemic of poliomyelitis was terminating. More than 40 years ago Frost (1913) noted that poliomyelitis epidemics invariably decline in any limited area, as a single city or county, within a few months. Since in nearby communities the epidemic may start and continue to a later date, he concluded that 'the characteristic decline appears not to be due to exhaustion of sources or vehicles of infection nor to be dependent altogether upon seasonal conditions. It is difficult to account for on any hypothesis other than that of exhaustion of susceptible material in any population.' If one accepts this concept, it follows that the immune status of a population, at the time when an epidemic is terminating, may provide an indication of the proportion of immune persons required to constitute an effective barrier to free spread of virus under the circumstances prevailing in that community. Information as to the immune status of a population at the end of an epidemic may also assist in resolving the further question as to why poliomyelitis virus of the same antigenic type will spread through a community causing relatively few cases of diagnosed poliomyelitis in one year, whereas in another year it will cause a severe epidemic. Probably the explanation most favoured by interested scientists at this time is that the virus prevalent during a severe epidemic is 'more virulent', implying that it produces paralytic disease in a higher than usual proportion of those infected. One might also suggest that it reaches a larger proportion of the susceptible population due to greater infectivity or to environmental conditions unusually favourable for spread of the virus. If epidemics are due to unusually great spread of virus, the proportion of immune persons should be higher at the end of an epidemic than at the end of a period of prevalence without an epidemic of paralytic cases. * City Health Officer, Ketchikan, Alaska.
Human Digit Partially Consumed by a Canine During Sleep in a Patient with Neuropathy and Diabetes

A traumatic amputation of a digit as a result of canine mastication and ingestion occurred in a 48-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes and peripheral neuropathy. The injury occurred during sleep and was not felt by the patient. The dangers of sleeping with one's canine for those with neuropathic wounds are presented, and the literature is reviewed.