cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diagnosing Cardiac Amyloidosis: From Heart Failure to Electrical Storm

Cardiac amyloidosis is a condition when amyloid fibers are deposited in the extracellular space of the heart causing tachyarrhythmias, heart failure, or sudden cardiac death. We present a 71-year-old woman presenting with dyspnea on admission. Echocardiogram revealed diastolic heart failure and left ventricular hypertrophy with strain pattern concerning for an infiltrative process. She was discharged with diuretic therapy and scheduled for a cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. One week after discharge, she was readmitted with progressive shortness of breath and syncope. She was found to be in shock and had multiple episodes of cardiac arrest with both ventricular tachycardia and pulseless electrical activity. She developed electrical storm and eventually passed within 24 hours. Autopsy revealed gross cardiomegaly and left ventricular hypertrophy with Congo red staining revealing amyloid fibrils with apple-green birefringence. This case demonstrates the rapid progression of cardiac amyloidosis from acute-onset diastolic heart failure to uncontrollable ventricular tachycardia, and eventually death. We review the literature regarding multiple diagnostic modalities that facilitate the confirmation of cardiac amyloidosis.
Equitable partnerships between scientists and persons living with spinal cord injury will strengthen research scope, quality, and outcomes.

Purpose of review Partnerships across all stakeholders in the research process strengthen the outcomes and ultimate usability of research. The purpose of this review is to discuss the current level of inclusion of people living with spinal cord injury (SCI) in the research process, the science of engagement and benefits of partnerships in research, and emerging resources available to help promote ethical and effective partnerships in SCI research. Recent findings Significant strides have been made in interacting with people living with SCI to help identify the problem(s) that are important to study (i.e. the first step in the research process). The SCI research field is lagging in partnering with people living with SCI throughout the rest of the research process despite a plethora of evidence-based principles and strategies for effective partnerships in the broader context of research. There are several emerging resources specific to SCI to help researchers and the community begin to build meaningful partnerships throughout the entire cycle of research. Summary The SCI research field already values partnerships with clinicians and promotes the concept of 'bench-to-bedside and back again'. Now is the time to take it a step further to 'bench-to-bedside-to-community and back again'.
Big-Data Industry and Personal Information: The Organization of the Market for a Better Distribution of Wealth in the Global Digital Economy

The law is essentially a conservative process of socio-cultural identities. The big data industry on personal information is no exception. Absent an international system of rules to govern cross-border data flows, different approaches for the definition of a data flow regime characterize the three biggest digital markets in the world: United States, China and the European Union. Starting from the assumption that the regulatory framework must protect the model of a free market economy in data flow across countries, these notes analyze and compare the three regimes by taking into account their effects on freedom of choice for consumers and free competition - i.e. the hendiadys of the free market economy - and the increase of inequality in the distribution of the wealth generated by the industry.
Fluid: An Asynchronous High-level Synthesis Tool for Complex Program Structures

Current high-level synthesis (HLS) tools that generate synchronous logic construct a state machine that schedules program operations in each clock cycle. Rather than this centralized approach, we are developing an HLS methodology tailored to high-performance asynchronous dataflow circuits building on prior work in dataflow synthesis. We propose a new solution to dataflow circuit generation needed when translating real-world programs with complex control flow. We implement our approach in the LLVM compiler framework, and show that our generated circuits achieve better performance in throughput and energy compared to a number of existing HLS tools. We also quantify the benefits of dataflow graph optimizations on the quality of the generated circuits.
Justice, Law, and the Educative Power: Revisiting ‘Force of Law’

This paper examines Jacques Derrida's analysis of Walter Benjamin's ‘Critique of Violence’ in the context of their respective theories of the university. Whereas Derrida foregrounds the complex way...
Everything is dirt. reevaluating the place of cultural status in producing aesthetic attachment

The historic insularity of the Colon, in comparison to other cultural institutions, can be better understood if one look to how little the opera house changed during the years of the military process that governed the country from 1976 to 1983. This chapter tackles the questions are: How do fans cope with this breach? What forces do they identify as destabilizing the insularity of the Colon? What strategies do they use to try to link the world of the past with the current condition of opera productions? The chapter also tackles those questions and undertakes a theoretical interrogation of the link between a particular social world and the dispositions of its inhabitants through concepts like habitus and embodiment. It shows how the fans identify corruption, dirt, the hyper-politicization of art and the consequent lack of vocation as forces invading the house and dissolving their long term held attachment. Keywords: aesthetic attachment; breach; corruption; cultural status; dirt
Caring from Afar: Asian H1B Migrant Workers and Aging Parents.

With the growth in engineering/technology industries, the United States has seen an increase in the arrival of highly skilled temporary migrant workers on H1B visas from various Asian countries. Limited research exists on how these groups maintain family ties from afar including caring for aging parents. This study explores the experiences and challenges that Asian H1B workers face when providing care from a distance. A total of 21 Chinese/Taiwanese, Korean, and Indian H1B workers participated in in-depth qualitative interviews. Key findings indicate that despite distance, caring relationships still continue through regular communications, financial remittances, and return visits, at the same time creating emotional, psychological, and financial challenges for the workers. Findings highlight the need for further research in understanding how the decline of aging parent’s health impacts the migrants’ adjustment and health in the United States.
The Dynamics of Bubble/Particle Attachment and the Application of Two Disjoining Film Rupture Models to Flotation.: I. Nondraining Model

Abstract A model of disjoining film rupture is presented in the context of bubble/particle flotation with viscous, surface tension, London–van der Waals dispersion, and hydrophobic attraction forces considered. Evolution equations are derived for three types of boundary conditions: (1) free bubble surface, (2) tangentially immobile bubble surface, and (3) nonconstant surface tension. Examples are shown where the film disjoins (stabilizes) and where the film drains and ruptures. A critical film height is related to the interaction parameters and the characteristic perturbation wavelength. Film rupture times are calculated in terms of both the magnitude of the hydrophobic attraction and the characteristic wavelength. An argument is given for associating the characteristic wavelength with particle dimension: the model predicts particles of intermediate sizes are preferentially floated, as observed in many flotation systems.
Structure, Function and Biogenesis of Peroxisomes

Peroxisomes comprise a family of organelles that are found in virtually every eukaryotic cell; they contain a single membrane enclosing a dense matrix. Crystalloid cores may also be present. While the functions of peroxisomes in some organisms and tissues can be highly specialized, most peroxisomes perform crucial reactions in the biogenesis and degradation of lipids. Many metabolic reactions within peroxisomes are catalyzed by flavin oxidases that generate hydrogen peroxide (thus the name “peroxisome”); catalase and other antioxidants exist in the matrix to protect the cell from oxidative damage. While isolated cells can survive without peroxisomes, animals and plants require them. Peroxisomes provide substrates for several developmental programs. Defective peroxisomes cause serious disease and early death in humans. Peroxisomes can arise from fission of preexisting organelles, as well as from a less understood de novo pathway that originates in the endoplasmic reticulum. Most matrix proteins fold and assemble in the cytosol and then are targeted to peroxisomes via chaperones and shuttling receptors. Great progress has been made in understanding protein import into peroxisomes, but important mysteries remain. Keywords: Extended Shuttling Model; Glycosome; Glyoxysome; Microbody; mPTS; PBD; Peroxin; Peroxisome; PEX Gene; PTS; Zellweger Syndrome
HRQL and severity of brain ultrasound findings in a cohort of adolescents who were born preterm.

Abstract Purpose: To determine whether health-related quality of life (HRQL) in a cohort of adolescents who were born prematurely is related to the severity of brain ultrasound examination findings during the newborn period. Methods: This study uses a historical, prospective methodology to investigate the 84 members of a cohort of infants born prematurely ( Results: A statistically significant difference was obtained between the two ultrasound groups (grades 0–2 IVH, no PVL vs. grades 3–4 IVH and/or PVL) among the HRQL variables (Wilks' λ = .764, df=5, p The relative contribution of dependent variables (HRQL1, HRQL2, HRQL3, HRQL4, DISAB) to the group separation was assessed through the interpretation of discriminant function-variable correlation. HRQL1 and DISAB made the largest discriminant between groups, which is supported by results from univariate Student's t -tests. Study subjects with grades 3–4 IVH and/or PVL ultrasound findings obtained much lower HRQL1 scores (better overall estimation of HRQL) and much higher DISAB scores than subjects with grades 0–2 IVH, no PVL ultrasound findings. Conclusions: It appears that the lower an adolescent's score on overall HRQL (HRQL1), (i.e., the better the self-perceived overall quality of life), the more likely he or she displayed the higher severity of brain ultrasound examination findings during the NICU hospitalization. A larger study of premature infants who are followed into adolescence is required to better understand the factors that determine the association of IVH and PVL with HRQL.
The View from Rapunzel's Tower

The fairy tale Rapunzel has captured the imagination of numerous writers and illustrators, particularly in recent years. Complex in origins and rich in possibilities, the tale has been interpreted in diverse ways that emphasize authentic issues relating to mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, love, longing, temptation, maturation, and responsibility. Poets, novelists, short-story writers, musicians, and illustrators have all found inspiration in Rapunzel. This essay concentrates in particular on the interpretations of three picture book artists, Felix Hoffmann, Trina Schart Hyman, and Paul Zelinsky, in an attempt to better understand both the significance of the tale and the ways in which artists interpret and illuminate stories.
A VACNT integrated handheld device for label-free virus capture, detection and enrichment for genomic analysis

A portable carbon nanotube (CNT) integrated microfluidic device is presented to capture virus by physical size-based isolation. The device contained porous CNT array made of nitrogen-doped CNT on a fused silica substrate. The biocompatible nitrogen-doped CNT was synthesized by aerosol-assist chemical vapor deposition (AACVD). Avian influenza virus (AIV) H5N8 subtype was captured from chicken swab samples and detected by reverse-transcriptase real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).
The evaluation of racemic epinephrine in the treatment of infectious croup.

The effectiveness of racemic epinephrine in the treatment of croup was evaluated by a retrospective review, a prospective protocol, and a controlled study. Although the majority of children who were treated with racemic epinephrine and evaluated prospectively had significant immediate clinical improvement, the therapeutic regimen did not seem to affect the overall duration of hospitalization or the incidence of tracheotomy during the study period. Ten of the 20 children who participated in the double-blind controlled study had significant improvement; five received racemic epinephrine and five received the placebo. These findings suggest that the apparent effectiveness of racemic epinephrine might be due to the nebulization of moisture rather than a direct effect of the drug. The present study points out the critical need for controlled studies in the evaluation of therapeutic procedures in the treatment of croup.
Traditional DDBE Architectures

This chapter contains sections titled: Applying Our Taxonomy to Traditional DDBE Architectures The MDBS Architecture Classifications Approaches for Developing A DDBE Deployment of DDBE Software Integration Challenges Schema Integration Example Example of Existing Commercial DDBEs The Experiment Summary Glossary References Exercise
Minimum Stream Power: Theory

Variational formulations of the equations of motion applicable to irrotational, nonaccelerating, as well as gradually varied open channel flows are presented. It is shown that there exists a suitable functional, J, from which the equation of motion can be obtained as the condition of minimization with respect to the velocity profile. Minimization of J is shown to be equivalent to the minimization of the total rate of energy loss, E, providing that the discharge, Q, and the total head, H, at upstream and downstream ends of the river is known. Furthermore, if the speed of the movement of the river bed is small, then the total rate of energy loss is shown to be equal to the total stream power. Thus, under certain restrictive conditions the hydraulic problem reduces to the problem of minimizing total stream power. The minimization theory presented here is somewhat similar to the second writer's theory of minimum unit stream power.
Anesthetic Care of a Child With Propionic Acidemia

Propionic acidemia (PA), an autosomal recessive inborn error of metabolism, is one of the most frequent organic acidurias. The primary defect is deficiency of the mitochondrial enzyme, propionyl-CoA carboxylase which plays a key role in the final catabolism of the branched chain amino acids, the end-products of the beta-oxidation of fatty acids, and the metabolism of the cholesterol side chains. Derangements in these pathways result in the accumulation of toxic metabolites which result in progressive end-organ dysfunction. Clinical manifestations include episodes of severe metabolic ketoacidosis, intercurrent infection, vomiting, hypotonia, convulsions, developmental delay with central nervous system involvement, gastroesophageal reflux, osteoporosis, pancreatitis, and cardiomyopathy. We present a 14-year-old girl with PA who required anesthetic care for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the thoracolumbar spine. Previous reports of anesthetic care for these patients are reviewed, the end-organ involvement is discussed, and options for anesthetic care are presented. J Med Cases. 2015;6(9):420-425 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2263w
Liberalism, Imperialism, and the Historical Imagination: Imagining a Greater Britain: the Macaulays and the liberal romance of Empire

In England we can have no other feeling than that of respect for men who stood up in bad times to maintain the independence of their country against unjust aggression … No greater calamity could have befallen England than if, for want of such men [William Wallace and Robert Bruce] she had been able to place on Scotland the yoke she abhorred, and to have her, even down to this time perhaps, a conquered nation … I say it would have been a happy thing for the British Empire if Ireland had her Wallace and her Bruce, if it had not in those dark ages come by conquest under the arbitrary yoke of England, but had like Scotland gradually amalgamated with England by pacific measures. T. B. Macaulay, toast to Calcutta Scottish Society, Dec. 1, 1834, quoted in S. C. Sanial, “Macaulay in Lower Bengal,” Calcutta Review , 244 (1906), 306 We are trying … to give a good government to a people to whom we cannot give a free government … We have to engraft on despotism those blessings which are the natural fruits of liberty … It may be that the public mind of India may expand under our system till it has outgrown that system; that by good government we may educate our subjects into a capacity for better government: that having been instructed in European knowledge, they may in some future age, demand European institutions. Whether such a day will ever come I know not. […]
Calcite twinning strain constraints on the emplacement rate and kinematic pattern of the upper plate of the Heart Mountain Detachment

Two models that address the emplacement rate of the upper plate of the Heart Mountain Detachment (HMD) have been advanced. These are the catastrophic tectonic denudation model and the slow, incremental continuous allochthon model. We compared the two models by analyzing upper and lower plate rocks for a detachment-related overprint of the older, layer-parallel Laramide–Sevier calcite twinning strain fabric. Lower plate Pilgrim Limestone samples, even those collected a few meters below the detachment, show no evidence of a detachment-related twinning strain overprint (negative expected values, NEVs, avg. 8.3%) of the Laramide–Sevier layer-parallel fabric. The allochthonous upper plate carbonate rocks preserve the layer-parallel Laramide–Sevier shortening strain, but the shortening axis (e1) for each block occurs in different, non-EW and both subhorizontal and non-subhorizontal orientations. For the six upper plate blocks that preserve chaotic shortening axis orientations, no evidence of any detachment-related twinning strain overprint (NEVs avg. 7.5%) was found. In the absence of any HMD-related twinning overprint, the upper plate allochthon motion must have been rapid enough to be accommodated by fracturing of upper plate rocks without additionally twinning any calcite. We conclude that the emplacement of the upper plate of the HMD was not accompanied by an overprint of the Laramide–Sevier twinning fabric and that models that require catastrophic, rather than slow, incremental emplacement rates are best supported by these data.
Pericentric and centromeric transcription: a perfect balance required

The pericentromere and centromere regions of the genome have previously been considered tightly compacted and transcriptionally inert. However, there is mounting evidence that these regions not only actively produce transcripts but that these pericentric and centromeric transcripts are also vital to maintaining genome stability and proper cell division. In this review, we define the pericentromere and centromere of eukaryotic chromosomes in terms of their histone modifications and their nascent transcripts. In addition, we present the currently known roles these transcripts play in heterochromatin formation, development, and differentiation, as well as their interaction with centromeric proteins, and ultimately centromere function. Recent work has added considerable complexity to the theoretical framework defining the innate requirement for pericentric and centromeric transcription. It is clear that maintaining a fine balance of transcriptional output is critical, as deviations from this balance result in centromere disfunction and genomic instability.
Interfacial resistance between ceramic superconductor and silver

Abstract New applications in ceramic superconductor technology require long superconducting bars that carry large currents. Electrical contacts to the bars can be made by sintering silver to the ceramic. Contact resistance arises from the silver and the interfacial zone. A large resistance coupled with high currents could result in power losses that would reduce the benefits of the superconductor. To determine the resistance between the silver and ceramic, 0.5 cm 2 lap-joint connections were subjected to four-point electrical tests with pulsed currents greater than 100 A. Results show that the interfacial resistivity between the silver and ceramic at liquid nitrogen temperature was less than 10 −7 Ωcm 2 .
A study of electronic shorting in IBDA-deposited Lipon films

Abstract Because a near term goal of our research is to obtain optimal performance LiCoO 2 /lithium phosphorus oxynitride (Lipon)/C thin film batteries, and due to the major importance of the electrolyte in any battery, we have recently been attempting to better understand the causes of electronic shorting in our Lipon electrolyte films. After studying the residual and temperature-dependent stress of these films and observing cracking after they had undergone a temperature change from 300°C to room temperature, we adopted a model in which the thermal expansion coefficient mismatch between Lipon and our glass substrates accounted for the cracking and therefore led to the shorting. This model was also supported by evidence that Al films (which had thermal expansion coefficients close to that of Lipon and proved to act as “buffer layers” by preventing cracking of Lipon when glass/Al/Lipon structures were cooled from 300°C to room temperature) were successfully used to produce short-free Al/Lipon/Al devices.
Dysphagic Independent Feeders' Justifications for Noncompliance with Recommendations by a Speech-Language Pathologist.

The purpose of this study was to examine the various ways in which independent-feeding patients with dysphagia justified their noncompliance with swallowing recommendations suggested by a speech-la...
Central nervous system infections in patients with cancer. Changing patterns.

Central nervous system infections in patients with cancer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center from 1971 to 1974 were surveyed and compared with a previous survey from 1955 to 1970. The two periods were similar in that: 1) There was a high incidence of CNS infection in patients with lymphoma, leukemia, and head and spine tumors, 2) specific organisms tended to infect patients with certain primary neoplasms, and 3) fungal infections were common and difficult to diagnose. The two periods differed in that: 1) the overall incidence of CNS infection was lower in 1971 to 1974, 2) there was a decreased incidence of cryptococcal meningitis, and 3) there was an increase in Listeria monocytogenes meningitis. Early recognition of CNS infection and aggressive therapy appears to increase survival. Cancer 40:268–274, 1977.
Binocular neurons of the rabbit's visual cortex: receptive field characteristics.

Using standard electrophysiological techniques, 130 neurons were recorded from the binocular region of the paralysed, unanesthetised rabbit's visual cortex. Their receptive fields were categorised into 5 major classes: stationary, motion sensitive, direction selective, double-direction selective and indefinite. The majority of the preferred directions of all direction and double direction selective receptive fields were located within±10° of horizontal or vertical. Of the 130 neurons studied, 104 (79%) were binocular and 50% of these binocular neurons had non-identical receptive fields on the two retinae. The dominance distribution for these binocular neurons revealed a strong tendency toward contralateral dominance, and no ipsilateral monocular neurons were found. The retinal locations of the receptive fields of these binocular neurons extended from 51° to 84° posterior to the optic disc. The ranges of relative horizontal and vertical “disparity” were calculated for all well-defined binocular receptive fields and found to be 24.5° and 21°, respectively. No evidence of “columnar organisation” was seen for the visual cortex of the rabbit. These data are contrasted to similar data on the binocular visual system of the cat, and are also interpreted as evidence of the need for interactions among large populations of neurons within the visual cortex of the rabbit.
Measurements of rotational transitions and hyperfine structure in PH2D

Abstract New rotational transition frequencies and measurements of hyperfine structure on two transitions are reported for PH 2 D. All observed transitions are Q branch (Δ J = 0) so only two independent rotational constants are obtained. These are A - C = 46 593.44 ± 0.67 MHz and κ ( A - C ) = 2 B - A - C = −34 545.9 ± 1.3 MHz. Nine transitions were fit to these parameters and the distortion parameter D JK to obtain D JK = 4.30 ± 0.04 MHz. Hyperfine structure due to spin-rotation interactions was observed on the 1 10 ← 1 11 transition at 6 024.645 MHz and on the 4 14 ← 4 04 transition at 20 815.334 MHz. Spin-rotation tensor components obtained are (M aa + M bb ) 2 = (M aa + M cc ) 2 = −98 ± 3 kHz .
Dynamics of the geometrically non-linear analysis of anisotropic laminated cylindrical shells

Abstract A general approach, based on shearable shell theory, to predict the influence of geometric non-linearities on the natural frequencies of an elastic anisotropic laminated cylindrical shell incorporating large displacements and rotations is presented in this paper. The effects of shear deformations and rotary inertia are taken into account in the equations of motion. The hybrid finite element approach and shearable shell theory are used to determine the shape function matrix. The analytical solution is divided into two parts. In part one, the displacement functions are obtained by the exact solution of the equilibrium equations of a cylindrical shell based on shearable shell theory instead of the usually used and more arbitrary interpolating polynomials. The mass and linear stiffness matrices are derived by exact analytical integration. In part two, the modal coefficients are obtained, using Green's exact strain–displacement relations, for these displacement functions. The second- and third-order non-linear stiffness matrices are then calculated by precise analytical integration and superimposed on the linear part of equations to establish the non-linear modal equations. Comparison with available results is satisfactorily good.
Targeting Intermediaries to Recruit Older Women for Qualitative, Longitudinal Research

Crafting a comprehensive recruitment plan for qualitative, longitudinal research requires consideration of many issues, particularly when a culturally diverse sample of older women is to be recruited for interviews conducted in their homes. The development of a detailed recruitment plan for a phenomenological investigation of older widows' experience of home care is described. The plan's two inter-related foci (targeted intermediaries and sequential phases) are presented. Strategies used to recruit participants through each targeted intermediary are explained, and the implementation of the sequential phases of the recruitment process is described. Successes and difficulties are considered in relation to the literature on recruiting older adults for research.
Teacher as imperfect test: Reconceptualizing the referral process

A decade of public policy in special education has failed to yield suitable definitions, identification and assessment procedures, or reliable prevalence estimates of mild handicapping conditions, such as learning disabilities, mild mental retardation, and mild emotional disturbance. In the absence of professional agreement and compelling empirical evidence, federal and state policies represent a “consensual theory”; of special education for the mildly handicapped, based primarily on several psychometric‐oriented assumptions. Recent research has failed to support these assumptions and has provided evidence which is interpreted to show the overarching importance of teachers’ decision‐making — specifically decisions to refer a child for special education. This article argues the need for a rethinking of basic assumptions in special education for the mildly handicapped. Specifically, we recommend the design of: (a) new identification procedures at the school site level and (b) a program of research aimed at ...
Optimizing effective interaction of systems analysis, user services and operations groups within a computer installation

The purpose of this paper is to assess the relationship between the three divisions of an installation -- Systems Analysis, User Services and Operations -- and to examine ways in which their combined resources can be better utilized in the realization of common goals.Clearly defining the common goals is the first step which must be made. This is done by first examining the evolution of the three separate groups and defining their separate strengths and contributions.After examining the organizational structure of a computer installation, a study is made of the relationships that exist between the separate divisions. What is the relationship between User Services and Systems Analysis, between Operations and User Services and between Systems Analysis and Operations? In what way do these relationships cause the needs of the end users to be lost in the shadow of internal conflict or misunderstanding?This paper attempts to draw some conclusions about communication with a computer installation. Why is communication necessary? How does the physical layout of the center contribute to or hinder effective, open communication? Is there such a thing as too much interaction, too much communication?Finally, this paper examines the conclusions made about internal relationships within a computer installation of this day and age in view of the dynamic nature of computer science. How are the changing needs of the user population going to affect the roles of the three groups this paper is examining? What can be done today to prepare for the needs of tomorrow?
Pathogenic agents in freshwater resources

Numerous pathogenic agents have been found in freshwaters used as sources for water supplies, recreational bathing and irrigation. These agents include bacterial pathogens, enteric viruses, several protozoans and parasitic worms more common to tropical waters. Although infected humans are a major source of pathogens, farm animals (cattle, sheep, pigs), animal pets (dogs, cats) and wildlife serve as significant reservoirs and should not be ignored. The range of infected individuals within a given warm-blooded animal group (humans included) may range from 1 to 25%. Survival times for pathogens in the water environment may range from a few days to as much as a year (Ascaris, Taenia eggs), with infective dose levels varying from one viable cell for several primary pathogenic agents to many thousands of cells for a given opportunistic pathogen. As pathogen detection in water is complex and not readily incorporated into routine monitoring, a surrogate is necessary. In general, indicators of faecal contamination provide a positive correlation with intestinal pathogen occurrences only when appropriate sample volumes are examined by sensitive methodology. Pathways by which pathogens reach susceptible water users include ingestion of contaminated water, body contact with polluted recreational waters and consumption of salad crops irrigated by polluted freshwaters. Major contributors to the spread of various water-borne pathogens are sewage, polluted surface waters and stormwater runoff. All of these contributions are intensified during periods of major floods. Several water-borne case histories are cited as examples of breakdowns in public health protection related to water supply, recreational waters and the consumption of contaminated salad crops. In the long term, water resource management must focus on pollution prevention from point sources of waste discharges and the spread of pathogens in watershed stormwater runoff.
An assessment of the technique of simultaneous cooling in conjunction with microwave heating for organic synthesis

Abstract In the light of the controversy in the area and since reports using simultaneous cooling in conjunction with microwave heating are appearing in the literature, we were keen to assess the methodology, looking at temperature measurement issues as well as the use of the technique in three classes of reaction, namely a Heck coupling, a Diels–Alder cycloaddition and a Michael addition. We present our initial findings here.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the unidentified infrared emission bands - Auto exhaust along the Milky Way

The unidentified infrared emission features (UIR bands) are attributed to a collection of partially hydrogenated, positively charged polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This assignment is based on a spectroscopic analysis of the UIR bands. Comparison of the observed interstellar 6.2 and 7.7-micron bands with the laboratory measured Raman spectrum of a collection of carbon-based particulates (auto exhaust) shows a very good agreement, supporting this identification. The infrared emission is due to relaxation from highly vibrationally and electronically excited states. The excitation is probably caused by UV photon absorption. The infrared fluorescence of one particular, highly vibrationally excited PAH (chrysene) is modeled. In this analysis the species is treated as a molecule rather than bulk material and the non-thermodynamic equilibrium nature of the emission is fully taken into account. From a comparison of the observed ratio of the 3.3 to 11.3-micron UIR bands with the model calculations, the average number of carbon atoms per molecule is estimated to be about 20. The abundance of interstellar PAHs is calculated to be about 2 x 10 to the -7th with respect to hydrogen.
Automatic abstracting and indexing. II. Production of indicative abstracts by application of contextual inference and syntactic coherence criteria

Together with the increasing shortage of qualified abstractors, the factors of time, cost and value have lent impetus to a trend toward the automatic generation of abstracts and indexes. This trend has caused increased emphasis to be placed on the abstract as the locus of data for automatic retrieval systems. This necessitates the creation of high quality abstracts. It is the purpose of this paper to report on the development of techniques for the automatic production of high quality abstracts from the full text of the original document. It is necessary to analyze the conditions under which various methods of sentence selection are successful, in order to develop criteria for selecting sentences to form an abstract. But clearly, an abstract can also be produced by rejecting sentences of the original which are irrelevant to the abstract. As will be seen, it is this point which is perhaps the most significant contribution of this paper. Methods of sentence selection and rejection are discussed. These include contextual inference, intersentence reference, frequency criteria, and coherency considerations. The automatic abstracting system we have developed consists basically of a dictionary, called the Word Control List, and of a set of rules for implementing certain functions specified for each WCL entry. The abstracts we have obtained so far are of sufficiently good quality to indicate that large-scale testing of the methods of the automatic abstracting system is warranted.
EMCyberSchool: an evaluation of computer-assisted instruction on the Internet.

. Objectives: To test the hypothesis that integration of the EMCyberSchool, a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) tool available on the Internet, into the curriculum of a senior medical student subinternship in emergency medicine (EM) would improve exam scores and course satisfaction. Methods: Students were prospectively randomized, by four-week blocks, into a CAI group and a no-CAI group. All students were surveyed on previous computer experience and their use and opinion of the EMCyberSchool. Results: Completed data were obtained from 100 of 120 students. Sixty-five percent of the students said they wanted CAI as an adjunct to their course curricula; only 28% actually used the educational tool. The students who used the site rated it useful (4.2/5), easy to use (4.4/5), and easy to access (4.1/5). Of the students who had access, and chose not to use the EMCyberSchool, 77.8% reported not having enough time as the reason for not using the site. The mean exam scores were 72.8% for the students in the CAI group and 68.2% for those in the no-CAI group (p = 0.058). In the CAI group, 77.5% (31/40) of the students rated the course as outstanding or excellent; compared with 66% (33/50) in the no-CAI group (p = 0.23). Conclusions: Although desired, it remains unclear whether CAI on the Internet is a useful adjunct for teaching EM to medical students.
An instrument for collecting discrete large-volume water samples suitable for ecological studies of microorganisms

Abstract Microbiological investigations utilizing molecular genetic approaches to characterize microbial communities can require large volume water samples, tens to hundreds of liters. The requirement for large volume samples can be especially challenging in deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments of the oceanic ridge system. By and large studies of these environments rely on deep submergence vehicles. However collection of large volume (>100 L) water samples adjacent to the benthos is not feasible due to weight considerations. To address the technical difficulty of collecting large volume water samples from hydrothermal diffuse flow environments, a semi-autonomous large-volume water sampler (LVWS) was designed. The LVWS is capable of reliably collecting and bringing to the surface 120 L water samples from diffuse flow environments. Microscopy, molecular genetic and chemical analyses of water samples taken from 9°N East Pacific Rise are shown to demonstrate the utility of the LVWS for studies of near-benthos environments. To our knowledge this is the first report of virioplankton abundance within diffuse-flow waters of a deep-sea hydrothermal vent environment. Because of its simple design and relatively low cost, the LVWS should be applicable to a variety of studies which require large-volume water samples collected immediately adjacent to the benthos.
Modeling and inversion of net ecological exchange data using an Ito stochastic differential equation approach

A system of stochastic differential equations is studied describing a compartmental carbon transfer model that includes uncertainties arising in the model from environmental and photosynthetic effects as well as initial conditions. Justification is given for the modeling of observed times series as Weiner processes. The solution of the resulting system is obtained as a stochastic process, a formulation is given appropriate for obtaining continuity and differentiability with respect to model transfer coefficients, and numerical approximation results are given. Estimation results of coefficients from NEE data are obtained using quasi-Monte Carlo techniques. The error resulting in NEE stochastic models is observed to be approximately Gaussian. This result is used to construct a joint probability density defined on a sample space of transfer coefficients. Finally, the joint probability density function is used with quasi-Monte Carlo to obtain information on transfer coefficients and predicted carbon pools. This information is compared with a priori results obtained without the benefit of NEE data.
A practical equalizer for cooperative delay diversity with multiple carrier frequency Offsets

Cooperative transmission in wireless networks provides diversity gain in multipath fading environments. Among all the proposed cooperative transmission schemes, delay diversity has the advantage of needing less coordination and higher spectrum efficiency. However, in a distributed network, the asynchrony comes from both carrier frequency and symbol timing between the cooperating relays. In this paper, a minimum mean square error fractionally spaced decision feedback equalizer (MMSE-FS-DFE) is developed to extract the diversity with large multiple carrier frequency offsets, its performance approaches the case without multiple carrier frequency offsets. The front end design for the receiver in this scenario is discussed, and a practical frame structure is designed for carrier frequency offsets and channel estimation. A subblock-wise decision-directed adaptive least squares (LS) estimation method is developed to solve the problem caused by error in frequency offset estimation. The purpose of this paper is to provide a practical design for cooperative transmission (CT) with the delay diversity scheme.
Sequentially Deciding between Two Experiments for Estimating a Common Success Probability

Abstract To estimate a success probability p, two experiments are available: individual Bernoulli (p) trials or the product of τ individual Bernoulli (p) trials. This problem has its roots in reliability where either single components can be tested or a system of τ identical components can be tested. A total of N experiments can be performed, and the problem is to sequentially select some combination (allocation) of these two experiments, along with an estimator of p, to achieve low mean squared error (MSE) of the final estimate. This scenario is similar to that of the better-known group testing problem, but here the goal is to estimate failure rates rather than to identify defective units. The problem also arises in epidemiological applications such as estimating disease prevalence. Information maximization considerations, and analysis of the asymptotic MSE of several estimators, lead to the following adaptive procedure: use the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) to estimate p, and if this estimator is b...
A cost model for forest-based biofuel production and its application to optimal facility size determination

Abstract With continued concerns regarding the use of fossil fuels and energy security, there is increasing interest in biofuels. However, owing to worries over the use of agricultural feedstocks for biofuel, forest biomass as a feedstock has been investigated for some time and appears to be a promising alternative. Current corn-based ethanol facilities range in size from a few million to over 380 million liters (100 million gallons) per year with associated construction costs near $117 million for the latter sized capacity. On the other hand, the economics for forest biomass to biofuel facilities are different and there appears to be a lack of understanding about the cost optimal size for the processing facility and the associated investment. With this in mind, a mathematical model is developed to describe the total annual costs of a forest biomass to biofuel facility using the Upper Peninsula of Michigan as the case study area. The model includes terms associated with forest resource harvesting and collection, transportation, storage, and facility construction and operation costs. The model is used to establish a relationship for the optimal size of a production facility, that is, the facility size that provides the minimum unit cost. The effect of various factors on the optimal facility size and the associated biofuel unit cost are examined, especially transportation cost rate and equivalent yield. The results indicate these two factors do impact optimal size and unit cost.
Missionary Expertise, Social Science, and the Uses of Ethnographic Knowledge in Colonial Gabon

Missionary ethnographers provided expert knowledge during the formative years of nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century anthropology, but are generally relegated to the footnotes of academic anthropology. Colonial missionaries were, nevertheless, crucial producers of cultural practices, knowledge, and texts in the particular locations where they worked. Missionary linguists, for example, contributed to the standardization of regional variations through the production of writing systems and the teaching of reading in mission schools. Missionaries also interacted with literate Africans in mission stations to produce cultural descriptions that then filtered back into local practices or auto-ethnographic representations, to be discovered anew by later anthropologists. At the same time, of course, as many missionaries themselves recognized, there was inherent tension between the scientific study of African cultural practices and the evangelizing project that sought to induce radical cultural change.To examine the often contentious relationship between missionary expertise, social science, and ethnographic knowledge in colonial Gabon, I look comparatively at the fieldwork experiences and writings of the American Presbyterian, Robert Hamill Nassau (1835-1921), and the French Spiritan, Henri Trilles (1866-1949). Nassau worked in present-day Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Cameroon from 1861 to 1906, while Trilles spent three extended stays in Gabon between 1893 and 1907. Both men claimed expert ethnographic understanding based on long-term, firsthand daily contact with Africans, fluency in African languages, and empa-thetic understanding of Africans, while at the same time expressing standard missionary shock and awe at African customs, fetishism, and cannibalism. Both learned African languages, traveled in the interior of present-day Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, clashed with fellow missionaries, and wrote prolifically, especially after their definitive departures from Africa. Although each man's personality, experiences, and approaches to ethnography were unique, together they nonetheless exemplify the broader uses and challenges of missionary ethnography.
A physically based constitutive model for a V–4Cr–4Ti alloy

Abstract A constitutive model for low-to-intermediate temperatures, strains, and strain rates is developed for the program heat of V–4Cr–4Ti. The basic form of the model is derived from more general dislocation-based models of yield stress and strain hardening. The physically based forms are fit to a database derived from tensile tests carried out over a wide range of temperatures and strain rates. Yield and post-yield strain-hardening contributions to the flow stress are additive. The yield stress has both thermally activated and athermal components. The former is described by a two-mechanism activated dislocation slip model, with contributions that appear to arise from both lattice friction (at lower temperatures) and dislocation pinning by interstitial impurities (at higher temperatures). The yield stress data can be correlated using a strain rate-compensated temperature. The model uses a temperature-weighted average of the two mechanisms. Post-yield strain hardening was found to be approximately athermal. Strain hardening is fit to a two-component modified Voce-type saturating flow stress model. The constitutive model is also used to determine the flow stability limits as estimates of uniform tensile strains. The relatively compact, but mechanism-based, semi-empirical model has a number of both fundamental and practical advantages that are briefly outlined.
Synthesis of the Yellow Pteridine, Isosepiapterin

ISOSEPIAPTERIN is the name given to a yellow pteridine which occurs in Drosophila melanogaster, accumulates in the sepia mutant, and has been isolated in relatively large amounts from the blue-green alga, Anacystis nidulans1. Its structure (I, R = CH2CH3) and that of a closely related compound, sepiapterin (I, R = CHOH·CH3), have been elucidated chiefly by the work of Nawa2 and Forrest et al.3.
Regulatory policy toward domestic crude oil production

Government policy toward domestic crude oil production has been justified in the past in reference to economic theory of regulation. Regulatory approaches have depended upon prevailing attitudes toward the price of crude oil. Imposition of price controls in 1971 represented a watershed in this area, although the future course of regulation remains uncertain.