cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stillness and motion: An empirical investigation of mindfulness and self-actualization

The primary aim of this study was to promote an empirically-based dialogue between Western psychology and Buddhism. To this end, we explored one type of Western psychology (Humanistic Psychology, based on Rogers and Maslow) and one type of Buddhist tradition (a Westernized interpretation of Theravada). Even more specifically, we explored the empirical relationship between mindfulness and self-actualization (SA), exemplars of each discipline. A cross-sectional design was employed to assess correlations among study variables. Participants were 204 students attending midsize Eastern (Fordham) or Western (Boise State) US universities. Participants completed general measures of mindfulness (Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)) and SA (Short Index of Self-Actualization (SISA)). They also filled out multifaceted measures of each construct: the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS) and the Brief Index of Self-Actualization – Revised (BISA-R). A demographic form was also administered. While mind...
Tectonic Evolution of a Forearc Terrane, Southern Scotia Ridge, Antarctica

One cannot help but get a sense of excitement and admiration from the accounts of geologic studies that are carried out under difficult conditions in remote regions. The data alone from such endeavors are invaluable additions to our knowledge of global geology, and often they provide unique insights to processes not so clearly recognized closer to home. Ian Dalziel' s work in the sub-Antarctic islands certainly qualifies as one of those exciting endeavors and provides one of the first geologic syntheses of the setting and evolution of the far-flung islands along the southern Scotia Ridge. The thesis of this volume is that rocks of the southern Scotia Ridge represent various elements of a Mesozoic to early Cenozoic forearc, developed along a west-facing convergent margin, before the breakup of Gondwanaland and continuing for sometime thereafter.
Vulnerable plaque : Definition, detection, treatment, and future implications

Atherosclerosis continues to account for significant morbidity and mortality in most of the world. The major proportion of atherosclerosis mortality is related to atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, yet there still is not an optimal method for making the diagnosis of vulnerable plaque in vivo. The search for such an undefined method, along with studies on amelioration of currently available technology, gains special significance when the association between the qualitative definition of lesions in an individual and cardiovascular risks are considered. We, therefore, start by defining the critical lesion of coronary atherosclerosis and review the advantages and potential for clinical use of various methods to detect the vulnerable plaque and comment on possible future implications in this field.
The Role of Imaging in Chronic Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation

Chronic degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR) is a complex problem, which requires an integrated assessment of etiology, pathophysiology, and severity to enable informed clinical decision-making. A multidisciplinary approach is required, with input from the clinician, imager, and surgeon. This review begins with a discussion of essential echocardiographic and surgical mitral valve (MV) anatomy, which dictates suitability for repair when indicated. The echocardiographic and Doppler principles, which underlie the quantitation of MR severity, are summarized in the next section, followed by a critical examination of left ventricular systolic function in this disorder. A brief discussion of the important role of imaging in the developing field of percutaneous MV repair is included. The methodical and objective noninvasive assessment of degenerative MR herein reviewed is intended to help guide management decisions for patients with this challenging valve lesion.
Development of a new technique for reducing pressure pulse generation during 308-nm excimer laser coronary angioplasty

Despite expectations that excimer laser ablation would result in a low incidence of coronary dissection, studies have documented a 15-20% incidence of dissection (including a 4-6% incidence of clinically significant dissection) during excimer interventions. This investigation sought to determine if pressure pulses produced by the exposure of fluid phase media (blood and contrast) to 308-nm excimer radiation might contribute to untoward outcomes. Pressure pulses generated in these media were quantitated to be > 100 atm. In vitro ablation of porcine aorta in the presence of blood or contrast resulted in tissue dissection, while ablation in pure crystalloid did not. Next, a "flush and bathe" technique designed to replace all blood and contrast with crystalloid was applied to a pilot population of 57 consecutive patients. There were no rhythm disturbances or laser-related clinically significant dissections in this group, and the clinical success rate was 95%. In summary, this report quantitates a potential etiology for excimer dissection and suggests that replacement of blood and contrast with crystalloid might improve procedural and clinical success rates.
Development of carbon-derived vacuum micro- and nano-electronic devices

Vacuum field emission electronic devices need improved novel cold cathode materials for better and more reliable performance. The superb material properties of carbon-derived materials, the presence of low electron affinity of diamond and the high aspect ratio of carbon nanotubes (CNT), coupled with practical chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processing of deposited nanocrystalline diamond and CNT on a variety of substrates, have promoted further interest in the use of these carbon-derived materials as field emitters. Experimentally, nanodiamond and CNT emitters have been observed to emit electrons at relatively low electric fields and generate useful current densities. In this work, nanocarbon-derived vacuum electronic devices, viz., the nanodiamond lateral triodes and transistors and the CNT integrated differential amplifiers are examined. The material properties, device structure and fabrication process, and the electrical performance of these devices are presented.
On the Estimation of the Distance to Uncontrollability for Higher Order Systems

A higher order dynamical system of order $k$ is called controllable if the trajectory of the system as well as its first $k-1$ derivatives can be adjusted to pass through any given point at a finite time by choosing the input appropriately. The distance to uncontrollability is the norm of the smallest perturbation yielding an uncontrollable system. We derive a singular value minimization characterization for the distance to uncontrollability and present a trisection algorithm exploiting the singular value characterization. The algorithm is devised for low accuracy and depends on the extraction of the imaginary eigenvalues of even-odd matrix polynomials of degree $2k$ and size $2n$ with $n$ denoting the size of the system. The well-studied first order distance to uncontrollability can be recovered as a special case.
Polarographic behavior of the bis(2,2′,2″-terpyridine) iron(II) cation

Abstract The polarographic reduction of Fe(terpy)22+ in aqueous solution was studied, using AC and DC techniques. One diffusion controlled wave was observed, preceded by a small adsorption wave. The principal wave was seen to be the result of a reversible two electron reduction. A zero-valent iron terpyridyl complex is postulated as the electrode reduction product. Values are obtained for the heterogeneous rate constant and the transfer coefficient for the principal wave.
Stress Signals Activate Natural Killer Cells

The mechanisms that regulate NK cell function as a first line of defense against infection and transformation have exceeded our expectations in terms of their sophistication and complexity. Quiescent, circulating NK cells can be activated by either soluble mediators, such as interferons and
Practical three-hour and two-hour cylinder-plate assays for penicillin.

IN the course of experiments designed to study cytochemical changes which occur in susceptible cells under the influence of penicillin, we applied various stains and reagents to agar plates prepared as for the standard F D A cylinder-plate assay, which is essentially similar to that recommended by Schmidt and Mover1. The technical procedures employed and the cytochemical observations are being reported in detail elsewhere, and are interpreted in terms of an equilibrium between sulphhydryl and disulphide groups2. It will suffice here to state that thresholds for a number of chemical groupings were shown to exist at the boundaries of zones of inhibition on plates seeded with Staph. aureus NRRL. strain No. 313, or with the rough form of B. subtilis NRRL. strain No. B-558, and afterwards exposed to penicillin. It is well known that these test organisms are most sensitive to penicillin when they are in the logarithmic phase of growth. Therefore, we found it advantageous to pre-incubate the seeded plates for three hours before adding the solutions to be tested3. When this is done, a secondary incubation period of three hours for Staph. aureus or of two hours for B. subtilis is sufficient for the minute colonies developed during primary incubation to react to the diffusion of penicillin so that the thresholds can be located clearly by suitable techniques.
HOLISTIC STRESS TEST: STRESS AND COPING CORRELATES OF AGE, EDUCATION, AND SEX'

The Holistic Stress Test has subscales reflecting sources of stress and coping styles identified in the literature. This study presents associations of demographic variables with measures of stress and coping style in univariate fashion for 191 men and 61 women.
Beiträge zur Chemie der Si-N-Bindung, XI [1] polymere 1, 3-diaza-2-sila-cyclopentane

Aus Dimethyldichlorsilan und Athylendiamin werden endstandig-chlorfunktionelle Oligo-[1,3-diaza-2-sila-cyclopentane] dargestellt, in denen sich das Halogen durch Butyl-, Phenyl-, Diathylamino- oder Triorganosiloxy-Reste ersetzen lasst.
Mechanistic investigations of lipoic acid biosynthesis in Escherichia coli: Both sulfur atoms in lipoic acid are contributed by the same lipoyl synthase polypeptide

Lipoyl synthase catalyzes the final step in the de novo biosynthesis of the lipoyl cofactor, which is the insertion of two sulfur atoms into an octanoyl chain that is bound in an amide linkage to a conserved lysine on a lipoyl-accepting protein. We show herein that the sulfur atoms in the lipoyl cofactor are derived from lipoyl synthase itself, and that each lipoyl synthase polypeptide contributes both of the sulfur atoms to the intact cofactor.
A taxonomy of reconfiguration techniques for fault-tolerant processor arrays

Focuses on the characterization and classification of reconfiguration techniques. The techniques are differentiated according to the type of redundancy (time or hardware), allocation of redundancy (local or global), replacement unit, (processor or a set of processors), switching domain (global or local), and switching implementation (switching element, bus, or network). Typical techniques from four major classes-set switching, processor switching, local redundancy, and time redundancy-are reviewed. The proposed taxonomy can be used as a guide for future research in design and analysis of reconfiguration schemes. >
Performance ratings and personality factors in radar controllers.

Abstract : The purpose of the study was to determine whether primary or second-order personality questionnaire factors were related to job performance ratings on the Employee Appraisal Record in a sample of 264 radar controllers. A Pearson correlation matrix was computed based on 19 variables which included EAR part II and part IV, a motivational distortion score and the primary factors measured by the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire. A principal axis factor analysis was completed with varimax rotation which yielded eight second-order factors which were identified as follows: I. Anxiety-versus-Dynamic Integration; II. Subduedness-versus-Independence; III. Criterion; IV. Cortertia-versus-Pathemia; V. Exvia-versus-Invia; VI. Intelligence; VII. Obsessive-Compulsive; VIII. Rebelliousness. While all of these second-order factors have been identified previously, the criterion variables were not related to any of the personality measures. (Author)
Detecting health disparities among Caucasians and African-Americans with epilepsy

Abstract Objective The aim of the study was to determine whether African-Americans and Caucasians who receive care at a tertiary epilepsy center can be distinguished on a variety of demographic, clinical, and psychosocial variables. Methods We surveyed 111 consecutive patients followed at a tertiary epilepsy center. Results On univariate analysis, African-Americans had significantly more seizures (P = 0.03), lower scores on the Beliefs About Medicines Questionnaire—Specific (Necessity minus Concerns) (BMQ-S) (P = 0.01), and higher scores on the BMQ—General (BMQ-G) (P = 0.02). In binary logistic regression with race as the target variable, higher seizure frequency remained significantly associated with being African-American (P = 0.04). After ordinal regression with seizure frequency as the target variable, being African-American (P = 0.04) and higher BMQ-G scores (P = 0.02) remained significantly associated with increased seizure frequency. Conclusion Compared with Caucasians, African-Americans have higher seizure frequency and scores on the BMQ indicating a higher mistrust of medications. Aside from race, attitudes toward medications are also independently associated with seizure control.
Net job creation in the US economy: lessons from monthly data, 1950–2011

This article studies the monthly net job creation (NJC) at the aggregate and the sectoral levels in the United States over the period 1950 to 2011. The article has few important findings. First, NJC did not show a significant trend over the last six decades, which led to a fall in the NJC rate. Second, NJC was very volatile and it could change course even in the span of 1 month. Third, there was no clear pattern about the co-movement between NJC and the change in the unemployment rate. Fourth, the averages of total NJC and private NJC since late 2010 were significantly higher than their respective historical averages and the volatility in NJC since the end of the Great Recession was not unusual by historical standards. Fifth, while the evidence about the effects of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on employment is inconclusive, some sectors appeared to benefit from it. Finally, the most frequent drop in the unemployment rate was by 0.1%, and drops of more than 0.2% should not be highly expe...
Exercise and diabetes have opposite effects on the assembly and O-GlcNAc modification of the mSin3A/HDAC1/2 complex in the heart

Exercise causes physiological cardiac hypertrophy and benefits the diabetic heart. Mammalian switch-independent 3A (mSin3A) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) 1 and 2 regulate hypertrophic genes through associations with the DNA binding proteins repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor (REST) and O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT). O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is a glucose derivative that is chronically elevated in diabetic hearts, and a previous study showed that exercise reduces cardiac O-GlcNAc. We hypothesized that O-GlcNAc and OGT would physically associate with mSin3A/HDAC1/2 in the heart, and that this interaction would be altered by diabetes and exercise. 8-week-old type 2 diabetic db/db (db) and non-diabetic C57 mice were randomized to treadmill exercise or sedentary groups for 1 or 4 weeks. O-GlcNAc was significantly higher in db hearts and increased with exercise. Db hearts showed lower levels of mSin3A, HDAC1, and HDAC2 protein, but higher levels of HDAC2 mRNA and HDAC1/2 deacetylase activity. Elevated HDAC activity was associated with significantly blunted expression of α-actin and brain natriuretic peptide in db hearts. In sedentary db hearts, co-immunoprecipitation assays showed that mSin3A and OGT were less associated with HDAC1 and HDAC2, respectively, compared to sedentary C57 controls; however, exercise removed these differences. These data indicate that diabetes and exercise oppositely affect interactions between pro-hypertrophic transcription factors, and suggest that an increase in total cardiac O-GlcNAc is a mechanism by which exercise benefits type 2 diabetic hearts.
Optimal partitioning of random programs across two processors

B. Indurkhya et al. (1986) concluded that the optimal partitioning of a homogeneous random program over a homogeneous distributed system either assigns all modules to a single processor or distributes the modules as evenly as possible among all processors. Their analysis rests heavily on the approximation that equates the expected maximum of a set of independent random variables with the set's maximum expectation. The author strengthens this result by providing an approximation-free proof of this result for two processors under general conditions on the module execution time distribution. It is found that additional rigor leads to a different characterization of the optimality points. The author also shows that under a rigorous analysis one is led to different conclusions in the general P-processor case than those reached using B. Indurkhya et al.'s approximation. >
Rotational excitation of symmetric-top molecular ions by electron impact

The theory for the rotational excitation of symmetric-top molecular ions by electron impact is formulated within the Coulomb-Born approximation. Analytical expressions are derived for the rotational transitions induced by dipole and by quadrupole interactions. The cross sections are large and finite at threshold and decrease with increasing electron-impact energy. The validity of the present theory for the description of lowenergy collisions is examined. Numerical calculations are reported for the excitation of the hydronium H, O+ ion.
Penetrative and Dislodgeable Residue Characteristics of 14C-Insecticides in Apple Fruit

Infinite- and finite-dose laboratory experiments were used to study the penetrative and dislodgeable residue characteristics of 14C-insecticides in apple fruit. The differences in dislodgeable and penetrated residues of three radiolabeled insecticides (14C-thiamethoxam, 14C-thiacloprid, and 14C-indoxacarb), applied in aqueous solution with commercial formulations, were determined after water and methanol wash extractions. The rate of sorption and extent of penetration into the fruit cuticles and hypanthium of two apple cultivars were measured after 1, 6, and 24 h of treatment exposure, using radioactivity quantification methods. For all three compounds, 97% or more of the treatment solutions were found on the fruit surface as some form of non-sorbed residues. For indoxacarb, sorption into the epicuticle was rapid but desorption into the fruit hypanthium was delayed, indicative of a lipophilic penetration pathway. For the neonicotinoids, initial cuticular penetration was slower but with no such delay in de...
Technological initiatives for social empowerment: design experiments in technology-supported youth participation and local civic engagement

Never in history has the world seen so much discrepancy in wealth, power and living conditions. Believing that information and communication technologies can help address this issue, governments and funding organizations have been investing in bringing computers and internet connectivity to underserved communities. Unfortunately, many of those initiatives end up privileging the community residents who were the most visible, literate or active, leaving behind those who would need additional support and reinforcing even more the status quo. In order to foster a more democratic and participatory society, it is important to create initiatives that are more inclusive and empower individuals to control their own development. In this thesis, I propose a framework for the design and analysis of technological initiatives for social empowerment and I apply the framework in the implementation of two initiatives that focus primarily on youth participation and local civic engagement. In the Young Activists Network initiative, I worked with youth technology centers from different parts of the world organizing young people to become agents of change in the places where they live. In spite of the localized successes, the Young Activists Network approach required so much effort from our partner community organizations and volunteers that it would be virtually impossible to sustain it over time and scale it to other sites. Based on the lessons learned, I started the What's Up Lawrence project, an initiative that aimed at building a self-reinforcing, city-wide network to help young people in the organization of personally meaningful community events. In order to support such a network, I built What's Up, a neighborhood news system that combines the power of the telephone and of the web to make it easier for young people to share information, promote community events, and find out what is happening in their region. This thesis provides a detailed description of these initiatives. It also highlights the main technical, educational and organizational elements that have to be considered in the implementation of technological initiatives for social empowerment and suggests the creation of a special organization to help in the adoption and refinement of such initiatives. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Mitochondrial–Nuclear Interactions: Compensatory Evolution or Variable Functional Constraint among Vertebrate Oxidative Phosphorylation Genes?

Oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), the major energy-producing pathway in aerobic organisms, includes protein subunits encoded by both mitochondrial (mt) and nuclear (nu) genomes. How these independent genomes have coevolved is a long-standing question in evolutionary biology. Although mt genes evolve faster than most nu genes, maintenance of OXPHOS structural stability and functional efficiency may involve correlated evolution of mt and nu OXPHOS genes. The nu OXPHOS genes might be predicted to exhibit accelerated evolutionary rates to accommodate the elevated substitution rates of mt OXPHOS subunits with which they interact. Evolutionary rates of nu OXPHOS genes should, therefore, be higher than that of nu genes that are not involved in OXPHOS (nu non-OXPHOS). We tested the compensatory evolution hypothesis by comparing the evolutionary rates (synonymous substitution rate dS and nonsynonymous substitution rate dN) among 13 mt OXPHOS genes, 60 nu OXPHOS genes, and 77 nu non-OXPHOS genes in vertebrates (7 fish and 40 mammal species). The results from a combined analysis of all OXPHOS subunits fit the predictions of the hypothesis. However, results from two OXPHOS complexes did not fit this pattern when analyzed separately. We found that the dN of nu OXPHOS genes for “core” subunits (those involved in the major catalytic activity) was lower than that of “noncore” subunits, whereas there was no significant difference in dN between genes for nu non-OXPHOS and core subunits. This latter finding suggests that compensatory changes play a minor role in the evolution of OXPHOS genes and that the observed accelerated nu substitution rates are due largely to reduced functional constraint on noncore subunits.
Long-Chain Carboxychromanols Are the Major Metabolites of Tocopherols and Tocotrienols in A549 Lung Epithelial Cells but Not HepG2 Cells

Human lung type II cell derived A549 epithelial cancer cells and HepG2 hepatocytes constitutively express cytochrome P4504F2, a P450 we previously identified as a tocopherol-omega-hydroxylase. To determine if A549 cells would metabolize tocochromanols via the omega-hydroxylase pathway, we compared the metabolism of tocopherols (alpha-, gamma-, delta-TOH) and tocotrienols (alpha-, gamma-, delta-T3) in these 2 cell lines. Cultures were incubated with alpha-, gamma-, or delta-TOH, or the analogous T3s, and synthesis of their metabolites quantitated by GC-MS. A549 cells metabolized all tocochromanols 2-3 times more extensively than HepG2 cells (P < 0.001) except alpha-TOH, a difference not related to cell uptake of substrate but rather was reflective of greater microsomal TOH-omega-hydroxylase enzyme activity. Notably, 9'-carboxychromanols were the major metabolites of all gamma- and delta-TOHs and T3s in A549 cultures, whereas 3'- and 5'-carboxychromanols predominated in HepG2 cultures. Accumulation of 9'-carboxychromanols in A549 cultures was due to their inefficient conversion to 7'-carboxychromanols relative to HepG2 cells. Sesamin inhibited tocochromanol metabolism in both cells types, and neither cell type exhibited evidence of alternative (sesamin-insensitive) pathways of metabolism. TOH-omega-hydroxylase activity was undetectable in rat primary lung type II cells, suggesting that expression of activity was associated with transformation of normal type II cells to cancer cells. Long-chain carboxychromanol metabolites of gamma-TOH and other forms of vitamin E can be biosynthesized in A549 cultures for assessment of their biological activity, including their potential inhibition of synthesis of inflammatory mediators.
Effective population size is strongly correlated with breeding pond size in the endangered California tiger salamander, Ambystoma californiense

Maintaining genetic diversity and population viability in endangered and threatened species is a primary concern of conservation biology. Genetic diversity depends on population connectivity and effective population size (Ne), both of which are often compromised in endangered taxa. While the importance of population connectivity and gene flow has been well studied, investigating effective population sizes in natural systems has received far less attention. However, Ne plays a prominent role in the maintenance of genetic diversity, the prevention of inbreeding depression, and in determining the probability of population persistence. In this study, we examined the relationship between breeding pond characteristics and Ne in the endangered California tiger salamander, Ambystoma californiense. We sampled 203 individuals from 10 breeding ponds on a local landscape, and used 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci to quantify genetic structure, gene flow, and effective population sizes. We also measured the areas of each pond using satellite imagery and classified ponds as either hydrologically-modified perennial ponds or naturally occurring vernal pools, the latter of which constitute the natural breeding habitat for A. californiense. We found no correlation between pond area and heterozygosity or allelic diversity, but we identified a strong positive relationship between breeding pond area and Ne, particularly for vernal pools. Our results provide some of the first empirical evidence that variation in breeding habitat can be associated with differences in Ne and suggest that a more complete understanding of the environmental features that influence Ne is an important component of conservation genetics and management.
Modelling of wind direction signals in polarimetric sea surface brightness temperatures

A preliminary geophysical model function, relating the sea surface brightness temperatures to ocean surface wind speed and direction, was developed using the data acquired at 45/spl deg/, 55/spl deg/, and 65/spl deg/ incidence angles by Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) aircraft 19- and 37-GHz polarimetric radiometers in 1994 and 1995. Radiometric temperatures from all polarization channels under cloud-free conditions showed clear dependence on surface wind direction. When there were stratus or scattered clouds, T/sub /spl nu// and T/sub h/ were significantly influenced by the radiation from cloud water, but the polarimetric channel U was found to be insensitive to clouds. The Fourier harmonic coefficients of the wind direction signals were derived from experimental data and related to the wind speed and direction, incidence angle and frequency. In general, all harmonic coefficients increase from low to moderate wind speeds, except the sin 2/spl phi/ component of U at 65/spl deg/ incidence, which peaked at low winds with a peak-to-peak amplitude of 0.6 to 1 Kelvin at about 3 m/s winds. At moderate wind speeds, 45/spl deg/ incidence angle exhibits larger second harmonic signals, but smaller first harmonic signals, than higher incidence angles. Wind direction signals were similar in 19 and 37 GHz channels, but the 37 GHz channel showed a slightly stronger wind direction sensitivity than the 19 GHz channel. The results suggest promising applications of passive microwave radiometers to ocean wind vector measurements.
Stock Repurchases And False Signals

Each year many firms repurchase shares of their common stock. Research evidence shows that when firms announce the repurchase of common stock, their share prices typically rise. Numerous studies attribute these increases to a signaling effect. But some firms that announce their intention of repurchasing shares of common stock either repurchase no shares at all or repurchase fewer shares than initially announced. Although the practice of firms intentionally announcing the repurchase of more shares than they expect to repurchase is illegal, the expected increase in share prices may give firms an incentive to make such false announcements. This study surveys top financial executives to learn the extent that firms repurchase fewer shares than announced, identify the reasons for this activity, and learn how managers view this activity. We surveyed 642 firms that conducted common stock repurchases from January 1998 to September 1999. Based on 218 responses, we find that while managers are uncertain about the legality of this activity, they believe that the intentional repurchase of fewer shares than announced is unethical, sends a false signal to the market, and damages the firm’s credibility with its stockholders. Managers also believe that firms repurchasing fewer shares than announced should publicly reveal both the reason for not repurchasing all shares and the amount by which the repurchase fell short of the firm’s announced intentions. Despite these beliefs, managers report that repurchasing fewer shares than announced is a common practice.
La Banque du Canada était-elle nécessaire?

Traditional historiography has inferred that the Canadian government has failed to exercise control over the issue of high powered money during the interwar gold standard period. From this, it was concluded that the Canadian monetary constitution required modifications through the establishment of a central bank. This paper provides new evidence that the Canadian government did exercise monetary control during the period of the interwar gold standard regime and that Canada's record of adherence to the gold standard rules compares favourably with the performance of several other countries.
Plane Thermal Stress Analysis of an Orthotropic Cylinder Subjected to an Arbitrary, Transient, Asymmetric Temperature Distribution

A closed-form, analytical solution is presented for the transient, plane thermal stress analysis of a linearly elastic, homogeneously orthotropic hollow cylinder subjected to an arbitrary temperature distribution. The thermoelastic solution, obtained by a stress function approach, can be used as the basis for the corresponding thermoviscoelastic solution for thermorheologically simple viscoelastic materials by invoking the viscoelastic Correspondence Principle. This solution can also be directly extended to the class of weakly inhomogeneously orthotropic cylinders using perturbation methods. The transient asymmetric temperature field is characterized by Fourier-Bessel eigenfunction expansions. The analytically derived stress function satisfies a linear, fourth-order inhomogeneous partial differential equation and the Cesaro integral conditions, which assure the existence of a single-valued displacement field. The corresponding thermal stresses are then computed by the stress-stress function relations. A key feature of the analytical solution is that the hoop, radial, and shear stresses, due to the transient arbitrary temperature distribution, are expressed explicitly in terms of the scalar temperature field. A polymer composite example is presented to validate the current method and to qualitatively illustrate the distribution of thermal stresses due to an asymmetric temperature distribution. Numerical results are presented for the thermally driven hoop, radial and (interlaminar) shear stresses in a hollow, hoop-wound glass/epoxy cylinder. This analysis demonstrates that potentially debilitating interlaminar shear stresses can develop in laminated composites when subjected to an even modest transient asymmetric temperature distribution. Their magnitudes depend on the severity of the spatial and temporal thermal gradients in the circumferential direction. While still relatively low compared to the hoop stress, the shear stress may cause thermal failure due to the typically low interlaminar shear strengths of laminated composite materials. ©2002 ASME
Transport of Nanoparticles in Gases: Overview and Recent Advances

Nanoparticles play a major role in industrial processes and natural phenomena in a variety of fields including chemical engineering, chemistry, physics, public health and biology. Nanoparticles are suspended in fluids during production, handling, processing, and by unintentional and/or undesirable release to the environment. In many cases the suspending fluid is a gas, as for example in large scale production, air pollution, clean room applications and many more. The small size of nanoparticles makes it possible to compare their transport properties to the fluid itself. Brownian particle diffusion is one of the most important mechanisms leading to significant transport rates. Diffusion is well known in mass transfer, however, differences arise because of the wide spectrum of nanoparticle sizes and their morphology (aggregate structure) − a concept understood in particle science and technology but needed in many diverse fields of nanoparticle applications. Nanoparticle transport can be controlled by external force fields because these forces may act exclusively on the nanoparticles and have negligible effects on fluid molecules. These include thermophoresis and forces in electrical fields.
Meganucleases Revolutionize the Production of Genetically Engineered Pigs for the Study of Human Diseases

Animal models of human diseases are critically necessary for developing an in-depth knowledge of disease development and progression. In addition, animal models are vital to the development of potential treatments or even cures for human diseases. Pigs are exceptional models as their size, physiology, and genetics are closer to that of humans than rodents. In this review, we discuss the use of pigs in human translational research and the evolving technology that has increased the efficiency of genetically engineering pigs. With the emergence of the clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) protein 9 system technology, the cost and time it takes to genetically engineer pigs has markedly decreased. We will also discuss the use of another meganuclease, the transcription activator-like effector nucleases , to produce pigs with severe combined immunodeficiency by developing targeted modifications of the recombination activating gene 2 (RAG2).RAG2mutant pigs may become excellent animals to facilitate the development of xenotransplantation, regenerative medicine, and tumor biology. The use of pig biomedical models is vital for furthering the knowledge of, and for treating human, diseases.
cGMP and Ca2+ regulation of ion transport across the isolated porcine distal colon epithelium

Intact epithelium from the porcine distal colon was stripped of serosal muscle and mounted in Ussing chambers to investigate the regulation of Na, Cl, and K transport by guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) and elevations in intracellular [Ca2+]. Under voltage-clamped conditions cGMP (250 microM) produced an increase in tissue short-circuit current (Isc) that reached a maximal value within 10-20 min and remained elevated > 40 min. This response was associated with an inhibition of NaCl absorption and stimulation of Cl and K secretion. In the absence of Cl the Isc also slowly increased but returned to baseline values within 20 min. Bicarbonate removal from both serosal and mucosal solutions or serosal bumetanide (20 microM) reduced the effect of cGMP on Isc by approximately 40%. When performed simultaneously, these conditions reduced the cGMP response by approximately 60%. Transepithelial Na and Cl flux measurements indicated that serosal bumetanide blocked increased Cl secretion without effecting changes in NaCl absorption. In contrast, mucosal amiloride blocked the effects of cGMP on NaCl absorption but not Cl secretion. The cGMP Isc response was potentiated in the presence of 1 mM, but not 10 microM, amiloride. Moreover, 1 mM amiloride inhibited Isc under control conditions but was ineffective in the presence of cGMP. The Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin (3 microM) produced a transient increase in the Isc that was also associated with a decrease in transepithelial NaCl absorption and an increase in Cl and K secretion. In contrast to cGMP, the ionomycin Isc response was eliminated after Cl removal from the bath.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Unanticipated Ankle Inversions Are Significantly Different From Anticipated Ankle Inversions During Drop Landings: Overcoming Anticipation Bias

Few ankle inversion studies have taken anticipation bias into account or collected data with an experimental design that mimics actual injury mechanisms. Twenty-three participants performed randomized single-leg vertical drop landings from 20 cm. Subjects were blinded to the landing surface (a flat force plate or 30° inversion wedge on the force plate). After each trial, participants reported whether they anticipated the landing surface. Participant responses were validated with EMG data. The protocol was repeated until four anticipated and four unanticipated landings onto the inversion wedge were recorded. Results revealed a significant main effect for landing condition. Normalized vertical ground reaction force (% body weights), maximum ankle inversion (degrees), inversion velocity (degrees/second), and time from contact to peak muscle activation (seconds) were significantly greater in unanticipated landings, and the time from peak muscle activation to maximum VGRF (second) was shorter. Unanticipated landings presented different muscle activation patterns than landings onto anticipated surfaces, which calls into question the usefulness of clinical studies that have not controlled for anticipation bias.
A possible significance of the Cammidge reaction

Smolenski1 attributes the Cammidge reaction to saccharose. This led us to think of some intestinal lesion as a possible source of the Cammidge reaction. Two possibilities seem to be evident (1) absorption of saccharose as such, (2) reversible action of intestinal saccharase.To test this view the Cammidge test was made on urines in cases of “chronic intestinal disturbance.” Twelve cases, only one of which showed a clinical suspicion of a pancreatitis, were studied. Five gave a positive Cammidge reaction. The case showing probably the most pronounced reaction failed to give the Cammidge test after 48 hours'starvation. During the twelve hours following the starvation period a liberal quantity of milk sweetened with levulose was given. This did not lead to a positive Cammidge.From the experiments made thus far it seems probable that in cases showing a positive Cammidge there may be some relationship between the amount of cane sugar ingested and the intensity of the Cammidge reaction.
Wetting of Carbonaceous Fuel Particles by Molten Alkali Metal Hydroxide and Carbonate Electrolytes

The method of capillary rise in a random bed of particles, as measured by the rate of mass increase of packed beds of sample particles, was applied to measurements of the relative wetting character...
Epidural placement does not result in an increased incidence of venous thromboembolism in combat-wounded patients

BACKGROUNDPatient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) decreases the amount of systemic opioid required for adequate analgesia and decreases the rate of opioid-induced adverse effects. Given the location of catheters required to deliver analgesics and the potential for epidural hematoma, the America
The International Criminal Court in Light of Controlling Factors of the Effectiveness of International Human Rights Mechanisms

The international community has for more than six decades experience with international institutions that deal with human rights and the International Criminal Court (ICC) is the most recent of these institutions. If we take stock of the international community’s experience we can identify common conditioning factors that have either strengthened or weakened the effectiveness of the mechanisms established by the international community to deal gross violations of human rights. And the study of these conditioning factors can teach invaluable lessons for new institutions such as the ICC. This study identifies three types of determining factors that will affect the effectiveness of the ICC: Determining factors that are constitutional to the ICC, those that depend on the agency of the people running the ICC and factors external to but that can potentially be rectified by actors both inside and outside of the ICC.
Toward a dietary prevention of cancer

I have attempted to address in brief fashion the question as to whether we can recommend a dietary prevention of cancer. This same question was explored in hundreds of pages recently by the large number of advisors assembled by the National Academy of Sciences to assess the animal, cell culture, and human data with regard to diet and cancer (52). My brief assessment has resulted in recommendations to the scientific community not unlike those of the National Academy, but without their clear-cut recommendation against dietary fat. It is obvious that we need a great deal more research on the factors evaluated here, that is, fiber, ascorbic acid, retinoids, the cruciferae, nitrates, alcohol, coffee, saccharine, alpha-tocopherol, aflatoxins, selenium, and saturated and polyunsaturated fats. These factors need assessment not only as they might affect the incidence of any single cancer, but also in relationship to at least the incidence of the cancers that frequently occur in humans. The human epidemiologic inquires have barely begun. We have a few studies of cancer of the colon and of cancer of the lung, and only one or two studies of such important sites as cancer of the larynx, oropharynx, stomach, and breast. Not only have the studies of specific sites been lamentably too few, but only a small number of nutrients have been evaluated. To make matters worse, we have little notion as to the competing risk of different cancers and of other diseases associated with various nutrients. There may be factors that enhance the risk of some diseases at the same time they reduce the risk of others. It is not outside the realm of possibility that the relationship discovered to date with regard to serum cholesterol, heart disease, and cancer may continue to be replicated and may be found related to ingestion of dietary fats. If such should be the case, and the potential is there, we would need to weigh the risks associated with reducing dietary fats for cancer as well as for coronary disease. Questions will need to be answered. For example, what is the optimum level of serum cholesterol to lower the risk of heart disease and at the same time not to enhance the risk of cancer. The same may be said for the association of alcohol with the risk of coronary disease compared to the risk of cancer of the upper alimentary tract.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Combining biologic and phototherapy treatments for psoriasis: safety, efficacy, and patient acceptability.

Author(s): Farahnik, Benjamin; Patel, Viraat; Beroukhim, Kourosh; Zhu, Tian Hao; Abrouk, Michael; Nakamura, Mio; Singh, Rasnik; Lee, Kristina; Bhutani, Tina; Koo, John | Abstract: Background:The efficacy and safety of biologic and phototherapy in treating moderate-to-severe psoriasis is well known. However, some patients may not respond well to biologic agents or phototherapy on their own and may require combination therapy. Skillfully combining a biologic agent and phototherapy may provide an additive improvement without much increase in risks. Objective:To summarize the current state of evidence for the efficacy and safety of combining biologics with phototherapy in the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Methods:We conducted an extensive search on Pubmed database for English language literature that evaluated the use of a combination of biologic and phototherapy for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis through January 2016. The search included the following key-words: psoriasis, etanercept, adalimumab, infliximab, ustekinumab, biologics, phototherapy, and combination therapy. Results:The primary literature included randomized controlled trials, a head-to-head study, open-label controlled and uncontrolled trials, case series, and case reports. Etanercept was used in over half of the reported cases, but other biologic agents used included ustekinumab, adalimumab, and infliximab. The vast majority of phototherapy was narrowband ultraviolet B (NBUVB) radiation. Most cases reported enhanced improvement with combination therapy. Serious adverse events throughout the study duration were reported in l3% of the patients. Long-term adverse events cannot be excluded. Conclusion:Combination of biologic and phototherapy appears to be a viable clinical strategy in the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis not responsive to monotherapy, despite limitations in the data available. NBUVB in combination with biologics appears to be especially effective. However, the long-term impact of these combinations is yet to be determined.
Cleidocranial Dysplasia with 6p21.1-p12.3 Microdeletion: A Case Report and Literature Review

Objective: The aim of this article is to publish a literature review and report on a new case of cleidocranial dysplasia syndrome with 6p21.1-p12.3 microdeletion. Design: A PubMed search using “cleidocranial dysplasia syndrome (CCD)” or “6p microdeletion” was performed. Articles with information relevant to our case were obtained for review. A new case of cleidocranial dysplasia syndrome is presented to describe and discuss clinical manifestations, pathogenesis, clinical progression of cleidocranial dysplasia syndrome, and management. Results: There were 22 articles with reports of cleidocranial dysplasia syndrome or 6p microdeletion. Cleidocranial dysplasia syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, documented to have an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern and caused by caused by mutations of the transcription factor RUNX2. RUNX2 has been mapped to chromosome 6p21. The anomalies in cleidocranial dysplasia syndrome can involve not only the clavicle and skull but the entire skeleton because the membranous as...