cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The ordering and relaxation times of water adsorbed on collagen fibers.

Abstract The spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation times of proton and deuteron in water adsorbed on collagen fibers decrease with the decrease of water content. By comparing these changes with the change in the quadrupolar splitting of heavy water, it is concluded that shorter relaxation times correspond to higher degree of ordering for water in collagen.
Structural and Magnetic Behavior of the Kinked Chain Cu(hfac)2(tan) and Its Relevance to Cu(NO3)2(tan) (hfac = Hexafluoroacetylacetonate; tan = 1,4,5-Triazanaphthalene)

When stoichiometric amounts of Cu(hfac)2·H2O and 1,4,5-triazanaphthalene (tan) were combined in methanol, green crystals of Cu(hfac)2(tan) were formed. Its structure was determined at low temperature (P21/c; a = 8.3308(4) A, b = 14.8945(7) A, c = 18.3046(10) A, β = 99.298(2)°, V = 2241.5(3) A3) and found to consist of a novel kinked-chain arrangement where N atoms on opposite sides of the tan ligand bridge Cu(hfac)2 moieties together. Long axial Cu−N bonds lead to rather weak (J/kB = −0.06(5) K) antiferromagnetic interactions according to a Bonner−Fisher fit of the magnetic susceptibility data. The magnetic behavior demonstrated by Cu(hfac)2(tan) contrasts markedly with that of Cu(NO3)2(tan), as reported by Hatfield and co-workers, and is attributed to the differing orientations of the Cu dx2-y2 magnetic orbital.
The impact of the Australian High Court on elite opinion

Institutional theory suggests that policy views of a Court in democratic regimes are never far out of line for long with the policy views of the dominant lawmaking majorities because of relatively regular turnover in the membership of the Court. The result is the Court may provide legitimacy to majoritarian policies and can sometimes influence elite preferences. The authors develop and test a theory of legitimation using a data set administered to all candidates running for a seat in both houses of the Australian National Parliament. Using methods originally developed in public opinion research, they explore whether political elites respond to decisions made by the High Court in the area of governmental regulation of work environments. Their findings indicate that the High Court was able to effect a structural change in elite opinion.
A selectivity study of 2,4-pentanediol hydrogenolysis combining experiments and computer simulation

Abstract In the current work, the process of 2,4-PD hydrogenolysis is studied in a combined effort of experiments and computer simulation, to understand the mechanism and factors controlling the C–C vs. C–O bond cleavage selectivity of this process. It is expected that the results from this study will be useful in control of the selectivity of sugar hydrogenolysis, as the bond cleavage mechanism in sugar hydrogenolysis is the same as in 2,4-pentanediol hydrogenolysis. In this capacity, the effects of reaction conditions, including temperature, base concentration, hydrogen pressure, catalyst amount and catalyst type, on the C–C vs. C–O bond cleavage selectivity of 2,4-pentanediol hydrogenolysis are investigated both experimentally and via simulation. The simulation study strengthens the experimental investigation in several aspects. It allows the process to be explored in a larger range of reaction conditions, the mechanism and factors controlling the selectivity to be understood at a deeper level, and the features of catalysts critical to improving the selectivity to be identified. However, the experimental data are useful in providing a baseline for the simulation results to be compared.
GA‐based design of artificial magnetic ground planes (AMGS) utilizing frequency‐selective surfaces for bandwidth enhancement of microstrip antennas

In this paper, we present a novel approach to improving the bandwidth of microstrip antennas using frequency-selective surfaces (FSSs) as an artificial magnetic ground plane (AMG). The micro-genetic algorithm (MGA) is employed to derive an optimal FSS element configuration that achieves the zero-phase condition for the reflection coefficient of an artificial surface at the desired frequency band. Two AMG configurations for single- and tri-band applications are designed by using the MGA, and their performances are compared with those of PEC ground-plane cases after integrating the AMGs with microstrip antennas. It is demonstrated that the use of such a surface, in lieu of the conventional PEC ground plane, leads to an improvement in the bandwidth of planar antennas that are placed above the surface. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 44: 6–13, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20532
Video quality assesment using M-SVD

Objective video quality measurement is a challenging problem in a variety of video processing application ranging from lossy compression to printing. An ideal video quality measure should be able to mimic the human observer. We present a new video quality measure, M-SVD, to evaluate distorted video sequences based on singular value decomposition. A computationally efficient approach is developed for full-reference (FR) video quality assessment. This measure is tested on the Video Quality Experts Group (VQEG) phase I FR-TV test data set. Our experiments show the graphical measure displays the amount of distortion as well as the distribution of error in all frames of the video sequence while the numerical measure has a good correlation with perceived video quality outperforms PSNR and other objective measures by a clear margin.
Introduction to the law.

Objectives: To provide an introduction to the legal concepts that are involved in negligence suits involving oncology nurses. Data Sources: Medline, Lexis, Westlaw, legal literature and texts. Conclusions: To avoid liability and guard against negligence or malpractice suits, the oncology nurse must be aware of the legal responsibilities of each aspect of the nursing role. Implications for Nursing Practice: Protecting yourself against medical malpractice begins by understanding terms and concepts that are essential in instituting legal action against the nurse and incorporating the appropriate risk reduction practices into daily practice.
Low-delay MPEG-2 video coding

High-quality and low-delay MPEG-2 video coding can be achieved by avoiding the use of intra (I) and bidirectional prediction (B) pictures. Such coding requires intra macroblocks refreshing techniques for channel error propagation resilience and for compliance with the accuracy requirements of the MPEG-2 standard. This paper describes some of these techniques and presents software simulation results of their performance in terms of image quality and their robustness of transmission channel errors.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Fundamentals of Social Intervention: Core Concepts and Skills for Social Work Practice, by Frank M. Loewenberg. Columbia University Press, New York, 1977. $12.50. 374 Pp.

(1978). Fundamentals of Social Intervention: Core Concepts and Skills for Social Work Practice, by Frank M. Loewenberg. Columbia University Press, New York, 1977. $12.50. 374 Pp. Journal of Education for Social Work: Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 125-126.
Determination of unknown elastoplastic properties in signorini problem

Abstract The problem of recovering the plasticity function of non-linear Lame equation from the knowledge of penetration diagram is considered. Mathematical modelling of the identification problem leads to an inverse Signorini problem for a non-linear operator with a non-local additional condition (measured data). Using a variational method coefficient stability in H1 is proved. Then based on this result, the existence of a quasisolution is obtained in a physically admissible class of coefficients. The numerical method and examples are also presented.
Self-tuning control of a coal-fired fluidized bed combustor

This paper investigates the temperature control of a two-bed fluidized combustor using a self-tuning control algorithm to vary secondary air flow rate. The controller consists of a recursive least-squares parameter estimator, and observer, and a linear optimal control design procedure. This combination enables the controller to estimate the system parameters and update the feedback gains when necessary. Further, this study addresses the tracking form of optimal control, accomplished by augmenting the state vector with an integrator. The self-tuning control algorithm was compared with a simple PI controller, which was tuned using the Ziegler-Nichols method. In this study, self-tuning control provided improved performance over classical control. Compared with conventional, constant-gain control, self-tuning control reduced steady-state variance by a factor of 6.67 while maintaining good tracking characteristics.
Serious toys: teaching the binary number system

The binary number system is the lingua franca of computing, requisite to myriad areas, from hardware architecture and data storage to wireless communication and algorithm design. Given its significance to such a broad range of computing topics, it is not surprising that the binary number system plays a prominent role in K-12 outreach efforts. It is even less surprising that the topic is often viewed as a dreary introduction to the discipline. Motivated by these observations and the potential of binary arithmetic to connect future students to a wide spectrum of computing topics, we have developed a new approach to teaching binary arithmetic in the K-12 curriculum. The approach relies on the use of a "serious toy", an embedded hardware platform designed to teach the binary number system while engaging visual and kinesthetic learners. We describe the design of the curriculum module and the supporting toy and detail our experiences using the approach in three independent outreach efforts. The results are largely positive, supporting our supposition that teaching the binary number system can achieve strong content understanding and improved attitudes toward the discipline.
Purification and Functional Characterization of SET8, a Nucleosomal Histone H4-Lysine 20-Specific Methyltransferase

Background Covalent modifications of histone N-terminal tails play fundamental roles in regulating chromatin structure and function. Extensive studies have established that acetylation of specific lysine residues in the histone tails plays an important role in transcriptional regulation. Besides acetylation, recent studies have revealed that histone methylation also has significant effects on heterochromatin formation and transcriptional regulation. Histone methylation occurs on specific arginine and lysine residues of histones H3 and H4. Thus far, only 2 residues on histone H4 are known to be methylated. While H4-arginine 3 (H4-R3) methylation is mediated by PRMT1, the enzyme(s) responsible for H4-lysine 20 (H4-K20) methylation is not known. Results To gain insight into the function of H4-K20 methylation, we set out to identify the enzyme responsible for this modification. We purified and cloned a novel human SET domain-containing protein, named SET8, which specifically methylates H4 at K20. SET8 is a single subunit enzyme and prefers nucleosomal substrates. We find that H4-K20 methylation occurs in a wide range of higher eukaryotic organisms and that SET8 homologs exist in C. elegans and Drosophila. We demonstrate that the Drosophila SET8 homolog has the same substrate specificity as its human counterpart. Importantly, disruption of SET8 in Drosophila reduces levels of H4-K20 methylation in vivo and results in lethality. Although H4-K20 methylation does not correlate with gene activity, it appears to be regulated during the cell cycle. Conclusions We identified and characterized an evolutionarily conserved nucleosomal H4-K20-specific methyltransferase and demonstrated its essential role in Drosophila development.
Cutting sphere algorithm

We present a generalization of the conventional cutting plane algorithm for the solution of nonconvex optimization problems with nonsmooth inequality constraints. The cuts are effected using spheres rather than hyperplanes.
Effect of calcium, (2-chloroethyl) phosphonic acid and ethylene on bean leaf abscission.

The effects of CaCl2, (2-chloroethyl) phosphonic acid (Ethephon) and ethylene on leaf abscission of debladed and intact bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were studied. Ethephon (1000 μg/l) and ethylene (8 μl/l) induced abscission in debladed and intact plants in 24–72 h whereas IAA (10-5M), cycloheximide (10-5M) and CaCl2 (0.068M) delayed abscission in debladed plants. CaCl2 completely inhibited the abscission-enhancing effect of Ethephon in intact bean leaves. When CaCl2 and Ethephon were applied simultaneously to separate halves of the leaf blade, leaves with Ethephon applied closest to the pulvinus abscised rapidly; when CaCl2 was applied closest to the pulvinus, abscission was prevented. Calcium pre-treatment prior to ethylene (8 μl/l) treatment of debladed plants delayed abscission as compared to those treated with ethylene alone.
Effects of sublethal concentrations of zinc and benzene on striped bass, Morone saxatilis (Walbaum), infected with larval Anisakis nematodes

Young of the year striped bass, Morone saxatilis, were exposed to sublethal concentrations of zinc and benzene and infected with larval Anisakis nematodes to determine the effects of these stressors on various physiological parameters. Results indicated that both pollutants and parasites significantly decreased haematocrit values. Parasites alone increased the liver somatic index, decreased haematocrits and, in the initial phase of the experiment, lowered antibody titres. Pollutants alone did not appear to significantly affect antibody titres, nor was there any difference in zinc and benzene uptake in the livers of infected and non-infected fish.
Heating of magneto-rheological fluid dampers: a theoretical study

This paper focuses on a theoretical model that predicts the temperature increase of Magneto-rheological (MR) fluid dampers experiencing a sinusoidal input motion. A theoretical model is developed to estimate the temperature rise based on the non-linear behavior of the MR fluid damper. This model is solved numerically, and the numerical solution is compared with a known linear solution and experimental result in order to validate the accuracy of the model. Also, a non-dimensional form of the governing equations are developed to examine the key parameters. The non-dimensional terms show the effect of external and internal parameters on the trends of heat dissipation as well as heat generation within the MR fluid damper.
Concomitant etodolac affects neither the unbound clearance nor the pharmacologie effect of warfarin

Potential interactions between the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory etodolac and the anticoagulant warfarin were studied in 18 healthy subjects by use of a randomized, three-period crossover design. Each treatment lasted 2 1/2 days and consisted of warfarin, etodolac, or both drugs. Prothrombin time was determined daily during each warfarin period to measure pharmacologic effect. Total serum concentration and unbound fraction of both drugs were determined over the dose interval after the last dose of the study drug(s). Concomitant etodolac did not affect the prothrombin time response or the unbound clearance of warfarin. During concomitant etodolac administration, the median peak concentration of total warfarin was significantly decreased by 19% (p = 0.005), median total clearance was significantly increased by 13% (p = 0.0123), and the unbound fraction tended to increase (median unbound fraction of warfarin, 1.245% with etodolac and 1.045% without etodolac; p = 0.0979; not statistically significant). These observations suggest a small displacement of warfarin from serum protein by etodolac or a metabolite of etodolac. No etodolac pharmacokinetic parameter was significantly affected by concomitant warfarin administration. Thus etodolac does not appear to alter the unbound clearance of warfarin or augment its pharmacologic effect. Nevertheless, it is prudent that clinical monitoring be done for individuals taking these two compounds concomitantly.
Hearing Thresholds, Minimum Response Levels, and Cross-Check Measures in Pediatric Audiology.

Purpose Pediatric audiologists must identify hearing loss in a timely manner so that early intervention can be provided. In this article, the methods important for differentiating between a hearing threshold and minimum response level (MRL), important for an accurate diagnosis, are described. Method Operant conditioning procedures, used during visual reinforcement audiometry and conditioned play audiometry, are reviewed. Case examples are provided that demonstrate the importance of using evidence-based procedures, evaluating the success of such procedures, and using cross-check measures for interpreting responses as thresholds or MRLs. Results Behavioral-hearing thresholds can be obtained when operant conditioning procedures are successful and cross-check measures corroborate the audiometric results. When MRLs are obtained, cross-check measures are critical in determining the likelihood of hearing loss and making follow-up recommendations. Conclusions Early diagnosis of hearing loss is important so that i...
LIGHT AND TEMPERATURE AS FACTORS REGULATING SEASONAL GROWTH AND DISTRIBUTION OF ULOTHRIX ZONATA (ULVOPHYCEAE)1

Ulothrix zonata (Weber and Mohr) Kutz. is an unbranched filamentous green alga found in rocky littoral areas of many northern lakes. Field observations of its seasonal and spatial distribution indicated that it should have a low temperature and a high irradiance optimum for net photosynthesis, and at temperatures above 10°C it should show an increasingly unfavorable energy balance. Measurements of net photosynthesis and respiration were made at 56 combinations of light and temperature. Optimum conditions were 5°C and 1100 μE·m−2·s−1 at which net photosynthesis was 16.8 mg O2·g−1·h−1. As temperature increased above 5° C optimum irradiance decreased to 125 μE·m−2·s−1 at 30°C. Respiration rates increased with both temperature and prior irradiance. Light-enhanced respiration rates were significantly greater than dark respiration rates following irradiance exposures of 125 μE·m−2·s−1 or greater. Polynomials were fitted to the data to generate response surfaces. Polynomial equations represent statistical models which can accurately predict photosynthesis and respiration for inclusion in ecosystem models.
Case Report: Persistent erectile dysfunction in a man with prolactinoma

Erectile dysfunction has been explored as a condition secondary to elevated prolactin; however, the mechanisms by which elevated prolactin levels cause erectile dysfunction have not yet been clearly established. We here present a patient with a history of prolactinoma who suffered from persistent erectile dysfunction despite testosterone supplementation and pharmacological and surgical treatment for the prolactinoma. Patients who have had both prolactinemia and erectile dysfunction have been reported in the literature, but we find no report of a patient with persistent erectile dysfunction in the setting of testosterone supplementation and persistent hyperprolactinemia refractory to treatment. This case provides evidence supporting the idea that suppression of erectile function occurs in both the central and peripheral nervous systems independent of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.
Bacterial endocarditis in cirrhosis

The frequency of bacterial endocarditis at autopsy in cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients was examined. A total of 2352 autopsies were performed during a 30-year period during which bacterial endocarditis (BE) was found in 14 patients (0.59%), and cirrhosis was present in 342 patients (14.5%). Two of the 342 cirrhotic patients had BE (0.58%) and 12 of the 2010 noncirrhotic patients had BE (0.59%), which is not statistically significant.
Photolysis of azomethane adsorbed on Pd(111)

Abstract The photolysis of azomethane (CH 3 NNCH 3 ) adsorbed on Pd(111) has been studied under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) has been employed as an analytical tool to study the photolysis products and their thermal behavior, using line of sight sampling by the mass spectrometer. Both the chemisorbed monolayer and the condensed multilayer have been investigated. No photolysis is observed in the monolayer. In the multilayer, photolysis breaks the CN bond of azomethane, producing ·CH 3 radicals and N 2 , a process analogous to that observed for gaseous azomethane. The N 2 desorbs directly during photolysis at 87 K, as do some of the ·CH 3 radicals which scavenge hydrogen and desorb as methane. For an initial azomethane coverage of 1–3 monolayers, these ·CH 3 radicals also scavenge H atoms during TPD from thermally decomposing azomethane and desorb as methane above 150 K. Above an azomethane coverage of 3 monolayers, the ·CH3 radicals are observed to combine during TPD, desorbing as ethane. The reaction of photolytically generated ·CH 3 radicals with chemisorbed deuterium atoms on Pd(111) has been observed to produce CH 3 D below 150 K. At photon energies above 4.0 eV, the mechanism of photolysis is probably electron transfer from the substrate to the multilayer azomethane. At photon energies between ~ 3.1 and 4.0 eV, the photolysis mechanism could be either electron transfer or intra-adsorbate excitation.
Does the age-related “anterior shift” of the P3 reflect an inability to habituate the novelty response?

Abstract Old adults often generate larger anterior neural responses than young adults when carrying out task requirements. A common finding in the ERP literature is an “anterior shift” of the P3b to targets. Utilizing principal component analysis (PCA), we recently demonstrated that rather than the P3b moving anteriorly, old adults generate a large P3a that temporally overlaps with their P3b. A dominant hypothesis for the age-related increase in anterior P3 is the failure to habituate the brain's novelty response to rare targets. We tested this hypothesis in young and old adults by comparing the amplitude of the PCA factor representing P3a to targets presented in the first versus last of eight blocks of a visual oddball task. If, unlike young adults, old adults are unable to habituate a novelty response, one would expect (1) the P3a amplitude to decrease between the first and last blocks for young, but not old subjects and (2) the difference in P3a amplitude between young and old subjects to be greater in the last than the first block. Our results indicate the amplitude of the P3a was larger in old adults than young adults. However, this effect was not modulated by block. These findings argue against the hypothesis that an age-related increase in the P3a to targets reflects an inability of old subjects to habituate a novelty response. An alternative hypothesis is that the augmented P3a indexes the increased utilization of frontal executive functions to provide compensatory scaffolding to carry out a task.
The RF Thermoseed-A Thermally Self-Regulating Implant for the Production of Brain Lesions

Telethermocoagulation is a neurosurgical technique that is now entering the phase of practical clinical application. In this system brain lesions are produced by heating implanted metallics by an external RF electromagnetic field.
Paying physician group practices for quality: A statewide quasi-experiment

This article presents the results of a unique quasi-experiment of the effects of a large-scale pay-for-performance (P4P) program implemented by a leading health insurer in Washington state during 2001-2007. The authors received external funding to provide an objective impact evaluation of the program. The program was unique in several respects: (1) It was designed dynamically, with two discrete intervention periods-one in which payment incentives were based on relative performance (the "contest" period) and a second in which payment incentives were based on absolute performance compared to achievable benchmarks. (2) The program was designed in collaboration with large multispecialty group practices, with an explicit run-in period to test the quality metrics. Public reporting of the quality scorecard for all participating medical groups was introduced 1 year before the quality incentive payment program's inception, and continued throughout 2002-2007. (3) The program was implemented in stages with distinct medical groups. A control group of comparable group practices also was assembled, and difference-in-differences methodology was applied to estimate program effects. Case mix measures were included in all multivariate analyses. The regression design permitted a contrast of intervention effects between the "contest" approach in the sub-period of 2003-2004 and the absolute standard, "achievable benchmarks of care" approach in sub-period 2005-2007. Most of the statistically significant quality incentive program coefficients were small and negative (opposite to program intent). A consistent pattern of differential intervention impact in the sub-periods did not emerge. Cumulatively, the probit regression estimates indicate that neither the quality scorecard nor the quality incentive payment program had a significant positive effect on general clinical quality. Based on key informant interviews with medical leaders, practicing physicians, and administrators of the participating groups, the authors conclude that several factors likely combined to dampen program effects: (1) modest size of the incentive; (2) use of rewards only, rather than a balance of rewards and penalties; (3) targeting incentive payments to the group, thus potentially weakening incentive effects at the individual level.
Changing ethical issues in the treatment of spina bifida: A personal odyssey

The ethical issues to be considered when assisting a family in making decisions about a child with spina bifida have varied in different geographical locations and over the past decades. Although now, in the United States, most infants are detected in utero and most detected pregnancies are terminated, the process by which such decisions should be made rarely seems to meet the standards of a good decision-making process. The small numbers of infants born with spina bifida require careful decision-making by the physician-parent-healthcare team. These decisions must be made in light of conflicting interpretations of current health care regulations and court rulings. MRDD Research Reviews 1998;4:302–307. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Burn patient registries in the United States: a survey.

The Committee on Organization and Delivery of Burn Care of the American Burn Association conducted a survey among burn care facilities to determine the extent of interest in development and maintenance of computerized patient registries. Initial questionnaires were mailed to 178 burn care facilities. Responses were obtained from 112 (62.9%). Eighty-seven (77%) of the responders indicated that they have some form of registry. Thirty-five of these registries were in the form of handwritten logbooks, while 43 were personal computers with a wide variety of hardware and software. Uses of these registries include patient census and reports (64% of responders), clinical research (62%), patient care (61%), and, less common, quality assurance and education. Twenty-five facilities stated that they do not maintain a registry, but 22 (88%) of them indicated interest in developing one. It seems unlikely that a single system could be designed to fill the needs of all facilities, nor is it likely that existing registries can be "networked" successfully. This is due not only to the diversity of data in the existing registries, but also to the important differences in the way basic terminology is used in different facilities. For burn care facilities interested in developing their own registry, a selected list of successful representative registries is provided. Language: en
Using the Case Method to Develop Clinical Reasoning Skills in Problem-Based Learning

Clinical reasoning is increasingly recognized as a crucial component of the occupational therapy process. Different types of clinical reasoning used by occupational therapists have been identified, including scientific, procedural, interactive, narrative, conditional, and pragmatic reasoning. This article describes the use of the case method in the University of New Mexico undergraduate occupational therapy curriculum to facilitate development of occupational therapy students' problem-solving and reasoning abilities. The case method is a component of problem-based learning that emphasizes small group work to solve clinical problems that are presented as case studies. Students are presented with a variety of case formulas including paper or written cases, videotape cases, simulated client cases, and real client cases to promote the development of specific types of clinical reasoning. Problem-based learning may also hold promise as an educational strategy for fieldwork students and clinicians.
Applicability of ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for heroin profiling

Abstract The applicability of ultra- performance liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) for heroin profiling is described. The coupling of the high separation power of UPLC with the highly selective and sensitive detection of MS/MS is well suited for heroin profiling. An Acquity UPLC BEH C18 1.7 μm particle column (100 mm × 2.1 mm) with binary gradients containing 1% formic acid (pH 2.0) or 10 mM ammonium bicarbonate (pH 10.0)/acetonitrile mixtures was investigated for the profiling. For MS/MS detection, an atmospheric pressure positive electrospray source was employed with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). MRMs for individual basic impurities were generated for heroin profiling using low and high pH mobile phases, while MRMs for neutral impurities were generated using a high pH mobile phase. Compared to a pH 2.2 mobile phase, the use of a pH 10 mobile phase allowed for significantly greater sample loading, major selectivity differences, and lower MRM sensitivity. UPLC-MS/MS allowed for the highly selective and sensitive detection of many of the targeted solutes in seized heroin exhibits. Basic impurities detected included morphine, codeine, noscapine, papaverine and the previously unreported solutes reticuline, reticuline monoacetate (2 products), reticuline diacetate, narceine, codamine, laudanidine, cryptopine, laudanosine, and norlaudanosine. Neutral impurities found included N ,3,6-triacetylnormorphine, N -acetylnorcodeine, N -acetylnornarcotine, 3,6-dimethoxy-4-acetyloxy-5-[2-( N -methylacetamido)]-ethylphenanthrene, and cis - n -acetylanhydronornarceine. The detection of these impurities, at levels as low as 10 −6 % w/w should allow for greatly enhanced heroin profiles.
Diagnostic laparoscopy and preoperative planning in ischiopagus tripus conjoined twins: a surgical first, with detailed demonstration of the complex anatomical relationships

Background Diagnosis and management of conjoined twins are constantly evolving [1]. New imaging techniques provide important anatomic details and help in planning the separation procedure [2, 3]. Despite these technological advances, however, the complex arrangement of conjoined organs is somewhat difficult to interpret, leaving unresolved questions at time of surgery. The authors present a video demonstrating laparoscopy as an adjunct in the preoperative planning of separation of ischiopagus tripus conjoined twins as well as illustrating the complex anatomy in a combination of video, drawings, and radiologic imaging. To date, this is the first time that laparoscopy has been used in preoperative assessment of conjoined twins.
The Bethe ansatz, periodic boundary conditions and relations between various models

Abstract The expression for the periodic boundary conditions obtained in the diagonalization of (1 + 1)-dimensional field theories by the Bethe ansatz is used to relate various models. These include two space-dimensional lattice models, mixed boundary value and random walk problems.
Sex-specific effects on spatial learning and memory, and sex-independent effects on blood pressure of a <3.3 Mbp rat chromosome 2 QTL region in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.

Epidemiological studies have consistently found that hypertension is associated with poor cognitive performance. We hypothesize that a putative causal mechanism underlying this association is due to genetic loci affecting both blood pressure and cognition. Consistent with this notion, we reported several blood pressure (BP) quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that co-localized with navigational performance (Nav)-QTLs influencing spatial learning and memory in Dahl rats. The present study investigates a chromosome 2 region harboring BP-f4 and Nav-8 QTLs. We developed two congenic strains, S.R2A and S.R2B introgressing Dahl R-chromosome 2 segments into Dahl S chromosome 2 region spanning BP-f4 and Nav-8 QTLs. Radiotelemetric blood pressure analysis identified only S.R2A congenic rats with lower systolic blood pressure (females: −26.0 mmHg, P = 0.003; males: −30.9 mmHg, P<1×10−5), diastolic blood pressure (females: −21.2 mmHg, P = 0.01; males: −25.7 mmHg, P<1×10−5), and mean arterial pressure (females: −23.9 mmHg, P = 0.004; males: −28.0 mmHg, P<1×10−5) compared with corresponding Dahl S controls, confirming the presence of BP-f4 QTL on rat chromosome 2. The S.R2B congenic segment did not affect blood pressure. Testing of S.R2A, S.R2B, and Dahl S male rats in the Morris water maze (MWM) task revealed significantly decreased spatial navigation performance in S.R2A male congenic rats when compared with Dahl S male controls (P<0.05). The S.R2B congenic segment did not affect performance of the MWM task in males. The S.R2A female rats did not differ in spatial navigation when compared with Dahl S female controls, indicating that the Nav-8 effect on spatial navigation is male-specific. Our results suggest the existence of a single QTL on chromosome 2 176.6–179.9 Mbp region which affects blood pressure in both males and females and cognition solely in males.
Direct photons in PHENIX at the RHIC

PHENIX results on direct photon production in p+p, d+Au, Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions are presented. Direct photon yield at high pT is consistent with NLO pQCD calculations in all systems. In heavy ion collisions at low pT direct photons exhibit an order of magnitude exponential shape enhancement consistent with thermal emission from quark gluon plasma (QGP). The thermal nature of this enhancement is further confirmed by the large elliptic flow of direct photons below pT ~ 5 GeV/c.
Synopsis of Verbesina sect. Ochractinia (Asteraceae).

A taxonomic revision ofVerbesina sect.Ochractinia is presented. 40 species plus 7 additional infraspecific taxa are recognized. A table of the distribution of the species, key to the species and synonymy are included. Relationships to other sections ofVerbesina and species relationships within sect.Ochractinia are discussed.
Globalization, liberalization, and national capitalisms

Abstract In an era of rapidly expanding international trade, investment, and capital flows, the capacity of national authorities to exercise meaningful coordination of the economy is being called into question. One interpretation is that globalization is putting an end to nationally-distinct capitalisms: globalization is driving liberalization, liberalization is eroding sovereignty, and the final outcome is convergence on some kind of Anglo-Saxon, deregulated form of capitalism. This paper offers an alternative understanding of the relationship between globalization, liberalization, and nationally-rooted capitalisms. It puts forward three basic propositions: (1) that the turn towards a discourse of liberalizing reform stems as much from political and institutional considerations as from international economic pressures; (2) that liberalization generally entails a transformation of the purposes and forms of public coordination of the economy, as opposed to their eradication; and (3) that convergence is precluded both by intellectual disagreement as to the virtues of the Anglo-Saxon model and by differential institutional and political capacity to emulate this model. Taken together, these propositions suggest that rather than mechanically translating international pressures into the domestic arena, liberalization is itself defined and refracted by the political and institutional context into which it is imported.
Cultural institutions and adult education

This chapter explores cultural institutions (libraries, museums, zoos, natural places) as sites of adult education. As places of learning outside formal educational settings, they have long been overlooked as teaching resources and as viable sites for fostering civil societies and social change.
Long-term survival in systemic lupus erythematosus. Patient characteristics associated with poorer outcomes.

Objective. To investigate the associations of age, sex, race, and socioeconomic status with long-term survival in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods. We examined survival in an inception cohort of 408 patients with SLE. The cohort included 177 black females, 162 white females, 49 white males, and 20 black males. The median duration of followup was 11 years (range 0.1-22 years). Results. One hundred forty-four patients died during the study. The 5-, 10-, and 15-year survival estimates for the entire cohort were 82%, 71%, and 63%, respectively. In univariate analyses, mortality rates increased with age and were higher among males, blacks, those without private medical insurance, and those living in census tracts with lower household incomes. In multivariate analyses, age, sex, and both socioeconomic indicators were associated with total mortality (mortality from any cause), while race was not. Lower socioeconomic status and increased age were also associated with higher rates of death from SLE. Conclusion. Socioeconomic status, but not race, is associated with mortality in SLE. SLE-related mortality also tends to increase with age, which suggests that SLE may not be less severe when it occurs later in life.
Bernoulli's principle of insufficient reason and conservation of information in computer search

Conservation of information (COI) popularized by the no free lunch theorem is a great leveler of search algorithms, showing that on average no search outperforms any other. Yet in practice some searches appear to outperform others. In consequence, some have questioned the significance of COI to the performance of search algorithms. An underlying foundation of COI is Bernoulli's Principle of Insufficient Reason1(PrOIR) which imposes of a uniform distribution on a search space in the absence of all prior knowledge about the search target or the search space structure. The assumption is conserved under mapping. If the probability of finding a target in a search space is p, then the problem of finding the target in any subset of the search space is p. More generally, all some-to-many mappings of a uniform search space result in a new search space where the chance of doing better than p is 50–50. Consequently the chance of doing worse is 50–50. This result can be viewed as a confirming property of COI. To properly assess the significance of the COI for search, one must completely identify the precise sources of information that affect search performance. This discussion leads to resolution of the seeming conflict between COI and the observation that some search algorithms perform well on a large class of problems.
The Activation-induced Deaminase Functions in a Postcleavage Step of the Somatic Hypermutation Process

Activation of B cells by antigen fuels two distinct molecular modifications of immunoglobulin (Ig) genes. Class-switch recombination (CSR) replaces the Igμ heavy chain constant region with a downstream constant region gene, thereby altering the effector function of the resulting antibodies. Somatic hypermutation (SHM) introduces point mutations into the variable regions of Ig genes, thereby changing the affinity of antibody for antigen. Mechanistic overlap between the two reactions has been suggested by the finding that both require the activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). It has been proposed that AID initiates both CSR and SHM by activating a common nuclease. Here we provide evidence that cells lacking AID, or expressing a dominant negative form of the protein, are still able to incur DNA lesions in SHM target sequences. The results indicate that an intact cytidine deaminase motif is required for AID function, and that AID acts downstream of the initial DNA lesions in SHM.
Rupture process and stress-drop of the Great 1989 MacQuarie Ridge Earthquake

On May 23, 1989, a great (Mw=8.1) earthquake occurred in the Macquarie Ridge complex, south of New Zealand. The earthquake is one of the largest in the Macquarie Ridge complex this century, and represents the right-lateral strike-slip component of the motion between the Pacific plate and the Australian plate. Subduction initiation appears to be presently occurring in the Macquarie Ridge complex, and it has been suggested that plate boundary strike-slip earthquakes in a transitional tectonic environment have a high stress-drop. We have investigated the source rupture process of the 1989 earthquake, using teleseismic P and SH waves. The best point source depth is 12 km below the ocean bottom. The deconvolved source time function is dominated by a single pulse with a large moment release (1.8×1021 Nm) and a short duration (20 s). The moment rate increases slowly in the first 10 s of the rapture process, and is suddenly truncated at 20 s. There is no resolvable directivity to this sharp truncation, which given the temporal resolution of the data set, means that the spatial location of the sharp truncation is within approximately 50 km of the epicenter. The stress-drop and average displacement may be as high as 370 bars and 36 m. These values are unusually high, and strongly support the suggestion that high stress-drop earthquakes are characteristic for transitional tectonic environments.
Average exit time for volume-preserving maps

For a volume-preserving map, we show that the exit time averaged over the entry set of a region is given by the ratio of the measure of the accessible subset of the region to that of the entry set. This result is primarily of interest to show two things: First, it gives a simple bound on the algebraic decay exponent of the survival probability. Second, it gives a tool for computing the measure of the accessible set. We use this to compute the measure of the bounded orbits for the Henon quadratic map.
Majority Voting by Independent Classifiers Can Increase Error Rates

The technique of “majority voting” of classifiers is used in machine learning with the aim of constructing a new combined classification rule that has better characteristics than any of a given set of rules. The “Condorcet Jury Theorem” is often cited, incorrectly, as support for a claim that this practice leads to an improved classifier (i.e., one with smaller error probabilities) when the given classifiers are sufficiently good and are uncorrelated. We specifically address the case of two-category classification, and argue that a correct claim can be made for independent (not just uncorrelated) classification errors (not the classifiers themselves), and offer an example demonstrating that the common claim is false. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.
Genome skimming identifies polymorphism in tern populations and species

Terns (Charadriiformes: Sterninae) are a lineage of cosmopolitan shorebirds with a disputed evolutionary history that comprises several species of conservation concern. As a non-model system in genetics, previous study has left most of the nuclear genome unexplored, and population-level studies are limited to only 15% of the world's species of terns and noddies. Screening of polymorphic nuclear sequence markers is needed to enhance genetic resolution because of supposed low mitochondrial mutation rate, documentation of nuclear insertion of hypervariable mitochondrial regions, and limited success of microsatellite enrichment in terns. Here, we investigated the phylogenetic and population genetic utility for terns and relatives of a variety of nuclear markers previously developed for other birds and spanning the nuclear genome. Markers displaying a variety of mutation rates from both the nuclear and mitochondrial genome were tested and prioritized according to optimal cross-species amplification and extent of genetic polymorphism between (1) the main tern clades and (2) individual Royal Terns (Thalasseus maxima) breeding on the US East Coast. Results from this genome skimming effort yielded four new nuclear sequence-based markers for tern phylogenetics and 11 intra-specific polymorphic markers. Further, comparison between the two genomes indicated a phylogenetic conflict at the base of terns, involving the inclusion (mitochondrial) or exclusion (nuclear) of the Angel Tern (Gygis alba). Although limited mitochondrial variation was confirmed, both nuclear markers and a short tandem repeat in the mitochondrial control region indicated the presence of considerable genetic variation in Royal Terns at a regional scale. These data document the value of intronic markers to the study of terns and allies. We expect that these and additional markers attained through next-generation sequencing methods will accurately map the genetic origin and species history of this group of birds.
Characterizing the trade of wild birds for merit release in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and associated risks to health and ecology

Demand for captive wild animals for the purposes of religious or ‘merit’ release has led to establishment of a large commercial trade in many parts of East and South Asia. The practice is associated with a number of risks to the integrity of wild populations including establishment of non-native species, introduction of pathogens and unsustainable rates of harvest. This study describes the sale of birds for merit release in Phnom Penh, Cambodia over a 13 month period. Birds were available throughout the year with an estimated annual turnover of 688,675 individuals. A total of 57 species were observed, all of which were considered native to Cambodia. Health surveys detected 43/415 (10.36%) birds carrying influenza A virus, 1/97 (1.03%) carrying Chlamydophila psittaci, and 4/97 (4.12%) carrying Mycobacterium genavense. Tests for Mycobacterium avium were unable to detect the bacterium. The zoonotic potential of each of these agents presents a risk both to public health as well as to wild populations. Without estimates of pre- and post-release mortality the impact of wild harvests for merit release cannot be assessed with certainty. However, 12,751 individual observations of the globally Near Threatened Asian golden weaver (Ploceus hypoxanthus), represents a significant portion of the estimated global population and is a cause for concern. Also of conservation concern are the low numbers of red avadavat (Amandava amandava) and yellow-breasted bunting (Emberiza aureola), both species that have undergone heavy declines due to historical over-exploitation, the latter now being classified as globally Vulnerable.
A multiband/scalable reconfigurable antenna for cognitive radio base stations

A four-band MEMS-based reconfigurable antenna is designed and tested. Future work would focus on the reduction of the effect of second harmonic resonances. Due to the highly scalable nature of the design, this topology can be a good basis for building future cognitive base stations that could provide higher bandwidth, large number of bands and multi-standard support for end users and the communication backbone.