cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermal destruction of CH3Cl under lean postflame conditions

Abstract The thermal destruction of CH 3 Cl in the lean postflame region of a nonisothermal turbulent combustor has been studied experimentally and modeled numerically. Conditions were chosen to simulate the destruction of waste in the postflame zone of a hazardous-waste incinerator, the process believed to be responsible for the bulk of incinerator emissions. Residence times were between 0.23 and 0.28 s, and equivalence ratios were between 0.49 and 0.67. The maximum temperature in the combustor varied from 1215 to 1417 K; temperatures declined from the maximum by several hundred degrees centigrade over the reaction zone. The transition from poor to thorough destruction of CH 3 Cl was observed experimentally when T max = 1220 K. The major products of CH 3 Cl destruction were CO 2 , H 2 O, and HCl. In addition to these compounds, the following byproducts were observed: C 2 H 4 , C 2 H 2 , C 2 H 3 Cl, and CO. The maximum level of the C 2 species was less than 2% of the initial CH 3 Cl level; CO was present at a maximum level of about 20 percent of the initial CH 3 Cl level. Numerical modeling of chemical kinetics was performed using a mechanism based on that of Karra et al. [ Combust. Sci. Technol. 60: 45–62 (1988)]. The modeling underpredicted the destruction of CH 3 Cl, but predicted the same species as byproducts. According to the model, the C 2 byproducts were formed by recombination of chloromethyl radicals, which, in turn, had been formed by H abstraction from CH 3 Cl by radicals. Discrepancies between model and experiment may be due to inaccuracies in modeling the initial composition or temperature history, or may indicate that the mechanism must be modified before it can make accurate predictions for fuel-lean conditions.
Lactoferrin: nuclear localization in the human neutrophilic granulocyte?

Conditions were established whereby nuclear or cytoplasmic immunocytochemical localization of lactoferrin was observed in the human peripheral blood granulocyte. A positive nuclear staining reaction was obtained when cells were either not fixed or treated with most fixatives. However, treatment of blood smears with formaldehydeacetone prior to the immunocytochemical localization gave a cytoplasmic staining reaction. A method was developed that allowed us to examine proteins obtained from granulocyte nuclei isolated from fixed cells. Only a trace amount of lactoferrin was detected in the electrophoretically separated nuclear proteins obtained from granulocytes treated for 1 min with formaldehyde-acetone. However, lactoferrin was major protein component in nuclei isolated from untreated cells, cells treated with other fixatives, or cells preincubated in buffered saline prior to formaldehyde-acetone fixation. formaldehyde-acetone treatment of nuclear materials containing lactoferrin did not extract lactoferr...
CONTROL OF ENDOTHELIAL CELL GENE EXPRESSION BY FLOW

The vessel wall is constantly subjected to, and affected by, the stresses resulting from the hemodynamic stimuli of transmural pressure and flow. At the interface between blood and the vessel wall, the endothelial cell plays a crucial role in controlling vessel structure and function in response to changes in hemodynamic conditions. Using bovine aortic endothelium monolayers, we show that fluid shear stress causes simultaneous differential regulation of endothelial-derived products. We also report that the downregulation of endothelin-1 mRNA by flow is a reversible process, and through the use of uncharged dextran supplementation demonstrate it to be shear stress- rather than shear rate-dependent. Recent work on the effect of fluid shear stress on endothelial cell gene expression of a number of potent endothelial products is reviewed, including vasoactive substances, autocrine and paracrine growth factors, thrombosis/fibrinolysis modulators, chemotactic factors, surface receptors and immediate-early genes. The encountered patterns of gene expression responses are classified into three categories: a transient increase with return to baseline (type I), a sustained increase (type II) and a biphasic response consisting of an early transient increase of varying extent followed by a pronounced and sustained decrease (type III). The importance of the dynamic character of the flow stimulus and the magnitude dependence of the response are presented. Potential molecular mechanisms of shear-induced gene regulation, including putative shear stress response elements (SSRE), are discussed. These results suggest exquisite modulation of endothelial cell phenotype by local fluid shear stress and may offer insight into the mechanism of flow-dependent vascular remodeling and the observed propensity of atherosclerosis formation around bifurcations and areas of low shear stress.
Lighting Up the Lizard Brain: The New Necessity of Theater

The paper seeks to identify criteria that digital communication would have to satisfy in order to serve the functions for which theater is necessary in human cultures.
Environmental impact of modern biomass cogeneration in Southeast Asia

Abstract Southeast Asia enjoyed, until recently, one of the fastest economic growth in the world. This economic growth has caused both a surge in energy demand and a degradation of environmental resources in the region. Modern biomass cogeneration technologies can help to satisfy increasing energy needs while preserving the environment. This study presents estimates of the change in air emissions that would be associated with wide spread adoption of modern biomass cogeneration technologies by the food and agro-industries in Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines and Thailand. Results suggest that wide spread adoption of biomass cogeneration technology would result in a significant reduction in both greenhouse gas and criteria pollutant emissions.
Adaptive spectral factorization

An on-line spectral factorization algorithm is used to devise a globally convergent self-tuning identifier that does not suffer from restrictions that amount to knowledge of the true system (e.g. the positive real condition). The method developed uses two ideas. One idea, an old one which might be called the method of split recursions, is used to estimate the parameters in blocks. Thus, one block might get the transfer function parameters while the other gets the noise parameters. The other idea is to use spectral factorization to estimate moving average parameters. The algorithm does have its own weaknesses (e.g. transient behavior may not be good, and it relies on a condition that is only generically true), but it does not need a positive real condition to be satisfied for global convergence. >
The Performance of Adult Female Japanese Quail on Linoleic Acid Deficient Diets

Abstract THE utility of the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) as an experimental animal in investigations concerned with physiological, genetic and nutritional studies has been aptly demonstrated. The present study was to determine if linoleic acid deficiency had the same effects on reproductive performance of the Japanese quail as those observed in the chicken. MATERIAL AND METHODS Eight-week-old female quail, which had been fed a 24% protein quail starter diet for 4 weeks and a 20% protein breeder diet for 4 weeks preceding the experimental period, were used in these studies. Twenty birds each were randomly assigned to two experimental treatments for a period of 12 weeks and housed, 1 bird per cage, in a quail breeder battery with wire mesh floors. One treatment received the basal linoleic acid deficient laying diet described by Calvert (1967), and the other received the same diet supplemented with safflower oil to furnish 3.0% linoleic…
Using the WMS-III to Detect Malingering: Empirical Validation of the Rarely Missed Index (RMI)

To detect malingering during memory assessment, we evaluated item response biases to the Logical Memory Delayed Recognition (LMDR) subtest of the WMS-III. In a sample of 50 healthy volunteers who were completely naive to the content of the Logical Memory stories, 6 LMDR items were correctly endorsed above chance probabilities. These 6 rarely missed items significantly discriminated 51 patients with neurological impairment from 36 volunteers who attempted to feign head injury and poor cognitive performance. A weighted combination of the 6 items was summed to form a single Rarely Missed Index (RMI). The RMI accurately classified over 98% of participants and demonstrated high sensitivity (97%) and specificity (100%) in discriminating between analog malingerers and patients. Because the RMI is calculated directly from the LMDR items, it has the advantage of requiring no additional administration time or materials, and thus may serve as a quick screen for dissimulation that can be obtained without additional testing.
Implementing Evidence-Based Psychotherapies in Settings Serving Older Adults: Challenges and Solutions

This Open Forum addresses challenges—insurance limitations, staff and setting limitations, and training and sustainability issues—in the implementation of psychotherapy interventions in settings serving older adults and provides solutions for ensuring that they have access to effective mental health services. There is considerable movement toward developing the geriatric mental health workforce, and it is important that these efforts include a discussion of implementation issues with regard to evidence-based psychotherapies as they are provided in services for aging populations. (Psychiatric Services 63:605–607, 2012; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201100078)
Analysis on Surface Temperature Field of Ultra-High Speed Grinding

In this paper a theoretical model of grinding force in Ultra-high speed grinding (UHSG) is deduced. Considering the strength decreasing and softening of workpiece material after it is heated, the theoretical formulae for calculating grinding force are established. Qualitative analysis is proceeded on the proportion coefficient changing with the increase of grinding speed. At last, some simulative calculations are proceeded according to grinding temperature model and some useful conclusions are obtained.
Individual differences in novelty- and cocaine-induced locomotor activity as predictors of food-reinforced operant behavior in two outbred rat strains

A goal of the current study was to determine if individual differences in cocaine-induced locomotion, which has been shown in outbred Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats to be correlated with differential function of dopamine transporters, were also evident in Long-Evans (LE) rats. Another objective was to determine if differences in locomotion following exposure to novelty or cocaine predicted food-reinforced behavior. Between-strain comparisons of open-field activity revealed similar effects of 10 mg/kg cocaine, although increases in rearing were prominent in LE rats. Both strains exhibited robust individual differences in cocaine-induced locomotion, with nearly identical ambulatory behavior observed in low and high cocaine responders (LCRs and HCRs, respectively) from the two strains. In a cued-discrimination operant task, LE rats learned the contingency in fewer sessions, whereas SD rats obtained more food pellets at fixed ratio 10 and maintained higher progressive ratio (PR) breakpoints. HCRs from both strains also tended to maintain higher PR breakpoints; low and high responders to novelty (LR and HR, respectively) had no consistent differences in food-reinforced behavior. Overall, these studies suggest that wide individual differences in cocaine-induced behavior are common to SD and LE strains and certain differences in food-reinforced behavior are associated with HCRs compared to LCRs.
Structure-Based Engineering of Internal Cavities in Coiled-Coil Peptides

Cavities and clefts are frequently important sites of interaction between natural enzymes or receptors and their corresponding substrate or ligand molecules and exemplify the types of molecular surfaces that would facilitate engineering of artificial catalysts and receptors. Even so, structural characterizations of designed cavities are rare. To address this issue, we performed a systematic study of the structural effects of single-amino acid substitutions within the hydrophobic cores of tetrameric coiled-coil peptides. Peptides containing single glycine, serine, alanine, or threonine amino acid substitutions at the buried L9, L16, L23, and I26 hydrophobic core positions of a GCN4-based sequence were synthesized and studied by solution-phase and crystallographic techniques. All peptides adopt the expected tetrameric state and contain tunnels or internal cavities ranging in size from 80 to 370 A(3). Two closely related sequences containing an L16G substitution, one of which adopts an antiparallel configuration and one of which adopts a parallel configuration, illustrate that cavities of different volumes and shapes can be engineered from identical core substitutions. Finally, we demonstrate that two of the peptides (L9G and L9A) bind the small molecule iodobenzene when present during crystallization, leaving the general peptide quaternary structure intact but altering the local peptide conformation and certain superhelical parameters. These high-resolution descriptions of varied molecular surfaces within solvent-occluded internal cavities illustrate the breadth of design space available in even closely related peptides and offer valuable models for the engineering of de novo helical proteins.
Saturation photodimerization of thymines in DNA.

Acetophenone sensitizes the uv photodimerization of adjacent thymines in nucleic acids and under steady state irradiation induces irreversible saturation dimerization. Monte Carlo and analytical techniques are used to calculate the saturation dimerization limits for various nucleic acids, under the assumption that acetophenone-sensitized dimerization occurs by a random irreversible process. A comparison of these calculated results with experimental values indicates that sensitized dimerization occurs by an effectively random process only in single-stranded DNA or in native DNA of very high A.T content. In general, nucleation phenomena operate in native DNA that serve to stereochemically restrict saturation dimerization limits below those expected for random dimerization.
Artificial Intelligence and Law: How to Get There from Here

. This paper offers a survey of the current state of Artificial Intelligence and Law, and makes recommendations for future research. Two main areas of investigation are discussed: the practical work on intelligent legal information systems, and the theoretical work on computational models of legal reasoning. In both areas, the knowledge representation problem is identified as the most important issue facing this field.
Analysis of maternal-offspring HLA compatibility, parent-of-origin and non-inherited maternal effects for the classical HLA loci in type 1 diabetes.

Aim: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a complex trait for which variation in the classical human leucocyte antigen (HLA) loci within the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) significantly influences disease risk. To date, HLA class II DR-DQ genes confer the strongest known genetic effect in T1D. HLA loci may also influence T1D through additional inherited or non-inherited effects. Evidence for the role of increased maternal–offspring HLA compatibility, and both parent-of-origin (POO) and non-inherited maternal HLA (NIMA) effects in autoimmune disease has been previously established. The current study tested hypotheses that classical HLA loci influence T1D through these mechanisms, in addition to genetic transmission of particular risk alleles. Methods: The Type 1 Diabetes Genetics Consortium (T1DGC) cohort was of European descent and consisted of 2271 affected sib-pair families (total n = 11 023 individuals). Class I genes HLA-A, Cw and B, and class II genes HLA-DRB1, DQA1, DQB1, DPA1 and DPB1 were studied. The pedigree disequilibrium test was used to examine transmission of HLA alleles to individuals with T1D. Conditional logistic regression was used to model compatibility relationships between mother–offspring and father–offspring for all HLA loci. POO and NIMA effects were investigated by comparing frequencies of maternal and paternal transmitted and non-transmitted HLA alleles for each locus. Analyses were also stratified by gender of T1D-affected offspring. Results: Strong associations were observed for all classical HLA loci except for DPA1, as expected. Compatibility differences between mother–offspring and father–offspring were not observed for any HLA loci. Furthermore, POO and NIMA HLA effects influencing T1D were not present. Conclusions: Maternal–offspring HLA compatibility, POO and NIMA effects for eight classical HLA loci were investigated. Results suggest that these HLA-related effects are unlikely to play a major role in the development of T1D.
The "prostaglandin step", a bottleneck in the activation of the uterus.

Abstract Uterine strips were excised from post partum rabbits, mounted in vitro and stimulated electrically to sustain cyclic tension at a maximal value. Within 10–15 minutes after exposure to 1.5–2.0 mg/ml Naproxen (a derivative of propionic acid and an inhibitor of PG-synthesis) uterine tension decreased to less than 25% of the original value. The effect of Naproxen (N), also observed in spontaneously active (unstimulated) uteri, was suspended by removing N through washing the strips with mammalian Krebs' solution. When suppressed by N, uterine tension could be restored by exogenous PG F2α but not by oxytocin, in spite of a 1000 fold increase in that oxytocin concentration which effectively stimulated the normal uterus (unexposed to N). This failure of oxytocin in promoting activation, when the PG-synthesis of the uterus was blocked, suggest that endogenous PGs participate in a critical step of the sequence of events which provoke myometrial activity.
Energy-Aware Scheduling for Aperiodic Tasks on Multi-core Processors

As the performance of modern multi-core processors increases, the energy consumption in these systems also increases significantly. Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) is considered an efficient scheme for achieving the goal of saving energy. In this paper, we consider scheduling a set of independent aperiodic tasks, whose release times, deadlines and execution requirements are arbitrarily given, on DVFS-enabled multi-core processors. Our goal is to meet the execution requirements of all the tasks, and to minimize the overall energy consumption on the processor. Instead of seeking optimal solutions with high complexity, we aim to design lightweight algorithms suitable for real-time systems, with good performances. By applying a subinterval-based method, we come up with a simple algorithm to allocate tasks' available execution times during a heavily overlapped subinterval based on their desired execution requirement during that subinterval. Based on the allocated available execution times, we further consider the final frequency setting and task scheduling, which guarantee that all tasks meet their execution requirements, and tries to minimize the overall energy consumption. Extensive simulations for various platform and task characteristics and evaluations using a practical processor's power configuration indicate that our proposed algorithm has a good performance in terms of saving processor energy, though it has low complexity. Besides, the proposed algorithm is easy to be implemented in practical systems.
Neurodegeneration and neuroprotection in the epileptic brain

It was back in the 19th century when pathologists observed hippocampal damage in autopsy studies of patients with epilepsy. In the 1970s it was demonstrated that status epilepticus can cause neuronal degeneration in experimental animal models of recurrent seizures. Currently known mechanisms that underlie epileptic brain injury include acute passive excitotoxic neuronal death as well as active cell death processes triggered by excessive glutamate in the extracellular space, oxidative stress or inflammatory mediators.
Reactivity and reaction intermediates for acetic acid adsorbed on CeO2(1 1 1)

Abstract Adsorption and reaction of acetic acid on a CeO2(1 1 1) surface was studied by a combination of ultra-high vacuum based methods including temperature desorption spectroscopy (TPD), soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (sXPS), near edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (NEXAFS) and reflection absorption IR spectroscopy (RAIRS), together with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. TPD shows that the desorption products are strongly dependent upon the initial oxidation state of the CeO2 surface, including selectivity between acetone and acetaldehyde products. The combination of sXPS and NEXAFS demonstrate that acetate forms upon adsorption at low temperature and is stable to above 500 K, above which point ketene, acetone and acetic acid desorb. DFT and RAIRS show that below 500 K, bridge bonded acetate coexists with a moiety formed by adsorption of an acetate at an oxygen vacancy, formed by water desorption.
Gas-Phase Dynamic NMR Study of the Internal Rotation in N-Trifluoroacetylpyrrolidine

The barrier to the internal rotation around the C−N bond in N-trifluoroacetylpyrrolidine (TFAPYR) was characterized using dynamic NMR spectroscopy. Kinetic parameters, ΔG⧧298 = 71.4(1.2) kJ mol-1, ΔH⧧ = 67.9(1.4) kJ mol-1, and ΔS⧧ = −11.8(4.0) J mol-1), were found to be lower in the gas phase than in solution. The pyrrolidine ring substituent in TFAPYR reduces the bulkiness around the C−N amide bond, stabilizing the ground state and increasing the value of the internal rotation barrier, ΔG⧧298, compared to N,N-dimethyl- and N,N-diethyltrifluoroacetamide. The magnitude of ΔG⧧298 in TFAPYR is also comparable to that found in primary amide bonds in peptides, emphasizing the importance of having a relatively small energy difference between cis and trans conformations in proline's role as a switch in protein signaling.
Recovery from 6 weeks of repeated strain injury to rat soleus muscles.

Recovery from chronic strain injury (50 strains daily, five times weekly for 6 weeks to hyperactive soleus muscles) was followed for 3 months in female rats after cessation of chronic hyperactivity induced by pretreatment of the plantar flexor muscles with tetanus toxin. After 6 weeks of repeated strains, muscle mass decreased by 62%, myofiber areas were reduced by 87%, and noncontractile tissue expanded dramatically by 222%. Collagen content increased by almost ninefold (control 40 ± 3 μg/mg, chronic injury 392 ± 53 μg/mg), whereas the molar ratio of collagen (pyridinoline) crosslinks to collagen remained the same (control 0.20 ± 0.01, chronic injury 0.16 ± 0.01). After 3 months of ambulation, muscle mass returned to normal but myofiber areas remained smaller by 21%, noncontractile tissue was still markedly elevated by 18% with increased collagen content (107 ± 15 μg/mg), and the molar ratio of crosslinks to collagen increased by 75% during recovery. Thus, rat soleus muscles recovered very slowly and incompletely from chronic strain injuries that produced muscle fibrosis, highlighting the necessity of devising preventative strategies for repeated strain injuries. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 23: 1819–1825, 2000
Strategic intent and performance: The role of resource allocation decisions

Abstract The notion that a firm's strategic intent can affect its performance through managerial actions has become prominent in the organization literature. In this research, we propose that strategic aggressive firms will foster decisions that favor holding low levels of slack and low levels of R&D investments, resulting in increased firm ROI, and that a firm's risk preference will moderate the indirect effect of strategic intent on performance. Findings from moderated mediation analyses on data from 130 firms in manufacturing industries support our hypotheses. Specifically, the indirect effect of a firm's strategic intent on a firm's performance is moderated by its risk aversion, such that when risk aversion is high, the indirect effect of strategic intent on performance through slack is strengthened. Similarly, the indirect effect of strategic intent on firm performance through R&D investments is strengthened, when risk aversion is high.
Spectral line-scan imaging system for high-speed non-destructive wholesomeness inspection of broilers

A spectral line-scan imaging system was developed for automated online wholesomeness inspection of broilers and evaluated in a commercial chicken processing plant. Real-time online hyperspectral images acquired by the system on a 140 bird-per-minute processing line were analyzed to optimize Region of Interest (ROI) size and location and to determine key wavebands by which to implement online high-speed multispectral inspection. Multispectral imaging algorithms were implemented to automatically recognize individual carcasses entering and exiting the field of view, to locate the ROI on the bird, and to determine the condition for each carcass as being wholesome or unwholesome. The high accuracy obtained from the in-plant evaluation results showed that the system can effectively perform food safety inspection tasks on high-speed processing lines. The system is being adapted for commercial use in pre-sorting chicken during initial processing operations, to help poultry processors improve production efficiency and satisfy increasing consumer demand for poultry products.
PITUITARY-ADRENAL CORTICAL CONTROL OF LYMPHOCYTE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION AS REVEALED BY EXPERIMENTAL X-RADIATION1

A LYMPHOPENIA and profound alterations in lymphoid tissue were among the earliest described physiological effects of Roentgen radiation. Indeed, the lymphocyte has been shown by many investigators to be the most radiosensitive of body cells (Dunlap, 1942). The extensive literature describing the effects of radiation on lymphoid tissue has been summarized by Murphy (1926) and, more recently, by Selling and Osgood (1938). The similarities between the described changes produced in lymphoid tissue by Roentgen radiation and those seen following a single injection of either pituitary adrenotrophic hormone or adrenal cortical preparations (Dougherty and White, 1945) suggested that pituitary-adrenal cortical secretion might be a normal, physiological mechanism concerned with certain of the physiological actions of X-rays.
Global effect of auroral particle and Joule heating in the undisturbed thermosphere

From the compositional variations observed with the neutral atmosphere composition experiment on OGO 6 and a simplified model of thermospheric dynamics, global average values of non-EUV heating are deduced. These are 0.19-0.25 mW/sq m for quiet days and 0.44-0.58 mW/sq m for ordinary days.
Improved separation of lipid esters by thin-layer chromatography.

Abstract Methods for the separation of ethyl- and 2-chloroethyl esters of fatty acids using argentation thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and linear and circular reversed-phase TLC are described. An argentation TLC method for the separatio nof cholesterol esters is also described. The separation is based on the degree of unsaturation in the fatty acid moiety. In all instances good and reproducible resolution was achieved by unidirectional single developments at room temperature with reduced analysis times (9 min for argentation TLC, 7 min for circular reversed-phase TLC).
Low serum selenium concentrations are associated with poor grip strength among older women living in the community

Aging is associated with a loss of muscle strength, and, in turn, loss of muscle strength has been associated with increased risk of frailty, disability and mortality. The factors that contribute to loss of muscle strength with aging have not been well characterized. Selenium is important in normal muscle function because of its role in selenoenzymes that protect muscle against oxidative damage. We hypothesized that low serum selenium concentrations were associated with poor grip strength. We examined the association between serum selenium and hand grip strength among 676 moderately to severely disabled community-dwelling women in the Women's Health and Aging Study I in Baltimore, Maryland. After adjusting for age, race, body mass index, Mini-Mental Status Examination score, current smoking, hypertension, congestive heart failure and depression, serum selenium was associated with grip strength (P=0.04). This study supports the idea that selenium is important to muscle strength in older women.
Information processing interpretation of errors in college science learning

This article begins with a brief summary of mental models from the information processing perspective. A model of prototypical college learning is then presented. Next, some of the links between mental models and cognitive errors are examined. Finally, studies of one category of cognitive errors, misconceptions and preconceptions of college science students are reviewed. Six factors contributing to error production are identified: four involve spontaneous cognitive mechanisms (strong word associations; non-verbal, intuitive knowledge; tendency to minimize mental effort; untimely triggering of natural language processing mechanisms) and two involve imperfect knowledge (alternative belief systems; fuzzy concepts).
Evolution of the Management of Anomalous Left Coronary Artery: A New Surgical Approach

Twelve patients with anomalous left coronary artery (LCA) from the pulmonary artery were treated surgically. Mean age was 13 months and mean weight, 7.7 kg. One of the following techniques was used in 8 patients: suture obliteration of the coronary orifice, ligation of the anomalous LCA and grafting of the internal mammary artery to the distal LCA, aortic reimplantation of the anomalous LCA, creation of an aortopulmonary window, and direct anastomosis to the right subclavian artery. In 4 patients, a new technique to establish a two-coronary artery system involved tube extension of the anomalous LCA with pulmonary artery wall and then anastomosis to the right subclavian artery using cardiopulmonary bypass without aortic cross-clamping. There were two hospital deaths (17%) and one late death. The condition of the 9 long-term survivors was improved at late follow-up. Postoperative assessment showed smaller Q wave on the electrocardiogram, reduced cardiac size, and good left ventricular function. All patients in whom the repair was done using the new technique were free from postoperative cardiac complications, had shortened hospital stays, and were alive with a patent two-coronary artery system at late follow-up. We believe this approach is a safer method for establishing a two-coronary artery system in infants and small children with an anomalous LCA arising from the pulmonary artery.
Utilization of hepatitis B core antibody-positive donor liver grafts

Background The inclusion of hepatitis B core antibody-positive (HBcAb+) liver donors is a strategy utilized to increase organ availability. This study examined HBcAb+ transplantation practices to identify specific factors influencing outcomes.
A comparative study of discriminative training using non-uniform criteria for cross-layer acoustic modeling

This work focuses on a comparative study of discriminative training using non-uniform criteria for cross-layer acoustic modeling. Two kinds of discriminative training (DT) frameworks, minimum classification error like (MCE-like) and minimum phone error like (MPE-like) DT frameworks, are augmented to allow the error cost embedding at the phoneme (model) level respectively. To facilitate this comparative study, we implement both augmented DT frameworks under the same umbrella, using the error cost derived from the same cross-layer confusion matrix. Experiments on a large vocabulary task WSJ0 demonstrated the effectiveness of both DT frameworks with the formulated non-uniform error cost embedded. Several preliminary investigations on the effect of the dynamic range of error cost are also presented.
Intracrine role of progesterone in fibronectin production and deposition by chicken ovarian granulosa cells in vitro: effect of extracellular calcium.

The role of extracellular Ca 2+ in progesterone-induced fibronectin production and deposition by hen granulosa cells was studied. Granulosa cells isolated from preovulatory follicles of the chicken ovary were incubated in Ca2+-deficient or Ca2+-containing medium 199, and the amount of total fibronectin produced (fibronectin deposited in the matrix, secreted into the medium, or associated with cells) was measured by ELISA. The quantity of fibronectin deposited as well as the total amount of fibronectin produced in the presence or absence of exogenous progesterone was suppressed in Ca2+-deficient medium. It required greater concentrations of exogenous progesterone to significantly increase fibronectin production in Ca2+-deficient medium than in Ca2+-replete medium. Cyanoketone, an inhibitor of progesterone synthesis, suppressed total fibronectin produced by unstimulated cells both in the absence and presence of Ca2+. However, the inhibitory effect of cyanoketone was significantly less in Ca2+-replete medium than in Ca2+-deficient medium. Exogenous progesterone reversed completely the inhibitory effects of cyanoketone. In the presence of cyanoketone, progesterone caused a greater (3-fold) increase in fibronectin production in Ca : +replete medium than in the absence of Ca2 +. Thapsigargin, an agent that mobilizes Ca2+ from internal stores, suppressed basal and progesterone-induced fibronectin production in the absence and presence of cyanoketone. However, the inhibitory effect of thapsigargin was significantly reduced in Ca2+-replete medium. It is concluded that endogenous progesterone stimulates fibronectin production by chicken granulosa cells, probably in an intracrine manner, and that extracellular Ca2+ plays a key role in this process.
Effect of electromigration on intermetallic compound formation in Pb-free solder-Cu interfaces

The polarity effect of electromigration on intermetallic compound (IMC) formation at the cathode and the anode in solder lines has been investigated. The lines were formed by flowing molten lead-free solder SnAg/sub 3.8/Cu/sub 0.7/ into V-grooves etched on [001] silicon wafers, and two copper wires were used as electrodes. The V-groove solder line samples, with width of about 100 /spl mu/m and length of 600-800 /spl mu/m, were used to study the changes in thickness and morphology of IMC forming at the cathode and the anode in the SnAg/sub 3.8/Cu/sub 0.7//Cu system under different current density and temperature settings. The current densities were in the range of 10/sup 3/ to 10/sup 4/ A/cm/sup 2/ and the temperature settings were 150/spl deg/C and 180/spl deg/C. We found that the same IMCs of Cu/sub 6/Sn/sub 5/ and Cu/sub 3/Sn formed at solder/Cu interfaces with or without the passage of electric current. IMC growth has been enhanced by electric current at the anode and inhibited at the cathode, compared with samples without applied current. With a high current density of 10/sup 4/ A/cm/sup 2/, IMC growth at the anode obeys the parabolic growth rule, which was not predicted previously. We observed that the IMC forming after the initial reflow had a scallop-type morphology, and it transformed into layer-type morphology in current stressing. This is similar to the result of solid state aging without passage of current. However, how it transforms from scallop-type into layer-type morphology is different from the cathode to the anode, which is also different from the way it goes in solid state aging. This is because of the polarity effect of electric current and the existence of local current crowding due to the scallop-type morphology of the IMC.
CIRCADIAN REGULATION OF METABOLISM

In association with sleep-wake and fasting-feeding cycles, organisms experience dramatic oscillations in energetic demands and nutrient supply. It is therefore not surprising that various metabolic parameters, ranging from the activity status of molecular energy sensors to circulating nutrient levels, oscillate in time-of-day-dependent manners. It has become increasingly clear that rhythms in metabolic processes are not simply in response to daily environmental/behavioral influences, but are driven in part by cell autonomous circadian clocks. By synchronizing the cell with its environment, clocks modulate a host of metabolic processes in a temporally appropriate manner. The purpose of this article is to review current understanding of the interplay between circadian clocks and metabolism, in addition to the pathophysiologic consequences of disruption of this molecular mechanism, in terms of cardiometabolic disease development.
Growth, Stability, and the Urban Portfolio

Local governments provide infrastructure improvements, guarantee loans, and offer tax incentives to lure new businesses and keep old ones. This is usually done with one objective in mind—maximizing economic growth. Application of investment portfolio theory to historic data on metropolitan growth rates suggests that there are clear costs to this strategy in the form of increased volatility in growth rates. In addition, most cities are economically inefficient in the sense that the volatility in growth rates is greater than it would be if their economies were better diversified. The extent of this inefficiency, referred to here as avoidable risk, is an effective performance measure for local economic development activities. Local officials should consider this measure and the objective of diversification when making economic development decisions.
New Technique for Stability Check of Flight Dynamic Models with Uncertain Parameters

It is well known that the aircraft flight dynamics in linear range are typically described by linear state space models involving dimensional stability derivatives evaluated at a given flight condition and the stability of the model at the given flight condition is checked by the standard eigenvalue test (i.e. the eigenvalues having negative real part). However, majority of the times the aerodynamic and geometric parameters involved in the dimensional stability derivatives are uncertain, whose values are generally known to vary within some given interval ranges. In that situation, we obtain an ‘interval parameter matrix family’ for the description of the flight dynamics. Clearly checking the stability of this ‘matrix family’ is of importance for flight control purposes. Towards this direction, this paper presents a new technique as a solution to the problem of checking the stability of families of matrices described by convex combinations of Hurwitz stable ‘vertex’ matrices. The convex combinations resulting from the interval parameter matrix family are labeled as ‘structured’ convex combinations to distinguish them from the so called ‘unstructured’ convex combinations which are convex combinations of ‘arbitrary’ Hurwitz stable vertex matrices. New insight is provided on the importance of computational awareness in the problem formulation and the resulting dierences in the vertex algorithm, which was originally provided under ideal, conceptual problem formulation. Examples illustrating the application of the new ‘computationally aware vertex algorithm’ are given and the scenarios in which computational awareness becomes important are highlighted.Finally, some conclusions are drawn along with future research directions.
Parental Attitudes Toward Obesity and Overweight Screening and Communication for Hospitalized Children

Objective: Many studies have evaluated BMI screening, communication, and follow-up recommendations in the outpatient setting. However, few studies have examined parental attitudes toward using the inpatient setting as a time to screen and counsel families regarding their child’s BMI. We sought to study parental attitudes about overweight and obesity screening in the inpatient setting. Methods: Parents (N = 101) of children aged 2 to 18 years admitted to a general pediatric hospital or surgical service were queried regarding their attitudes about screening and counseling for overweight and obesity. Children’s age, gender, height, weight, and diagnosis codes were extracted from electronic medical records and billing databases. BMI was calculated, plotted, and categorized according to standard Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts and expert recommendation. Results: Fourteen percent of children in the study were overweight, and 17% were obese. Parents of overweight and obese children underestimated their child’s weight status 68% of the time. The majority believed admitted children should always have their BMI calculated. Almost all parents (90%) indicated that their inpatient physician should inform them if their child were overweight or obese and that primary care providers should be informed of the results of BMI screening. Conclusions: Parents of children admitted to the hospital believed their children should have their BMI screened. If their child was overweight or obese, parents believed they should be informed, and counseling should be initiated. These findings support using the inpatient time to screen and communicate BMI.
The Staged Realism of Michael Haneke’s Caché

Michael Haneke’s style can best be described as staged realism, a cinematographic approach of presenting diegetic events as overtly staged and modelled in order to connect them to real social issues. In Cache (2005), this results in a short-circuit between the on-screen narrative and the viewer’s act of watching, as a result of which the viewer is created both as a guilty subject and as a co-investigator. Through a juxtaposition of Haneke’s staged realism with the neo-realist documentary mode of filmmaking advocated by Andre Bazin, this article argues that Cache is the current apex of Haneke’s realist project. However, by staging the real killing of animals, the film simultaneously troubles that project’s self-generated limits.
Research in Youth Culture and Policy: Current Conditions and Future Directions

Doria, the fictional main character in Faiza Guene’s (2006/2004) acclaimed novel, Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow , is an immigrant teenager growing up in the Paris projects. In the novel, Doria struggles to find her place in a society which seems to offer little hope for the future of the poor, black immigrants whose presence in France defines the postcolonial moment (Dimitriadis and McCarthy 2001). While Doria’s parents and those of her friends and classmates long for home, Doria and her generation know only France, despite the difficulties and hardships life there presents. For them, there is only forward movement into a decidedly hybrid future, one in which their identities are in perpetual translation, as they negotiate constantly changing temporal and spatial registers (Hall 2002). In the U.S. context, JoAnn D’Alisera reflects on her study of Sierra Leonean communities in the Washington, D.C. area, as she writes, “These children, for their part, often describe themselves as simultaneously Sierra Leonean, Muslim, and American. In naming themselves, they more comfortably blur boundaries that their parents struggle to maintain in their own and in their children’s lives” (p.126).
Comorbid psychiatric disorders in depressed outpatients: Demographic and clinical features

Abstract Background This study evaluated the clinical and sociodemographic features associated with various degrees of concurrent comorbidity in adult outpatients with nonpsychotic major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods Outpatients enrolled in the STAR*D trial completed the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ). An a priori 90% specificity threshold was set for PDSQ responses to ascertain the presence of 11 different concurrent DSM-IV Axis I disorders. Results Of 1376 outpatients, 38.2% had no concurrent comorbidities, while 25.6% suffered one, 16.1% suffered two, and 20.2% suffered three or more comorbid conditions. Altogether, 29.3% met threshold for social anxiety disorder, 20.8% for generalized anxiety disorder, 18.8% for posttraumatic stress disorder, 12.4% for bulimia, 11.9% for alcohol abuse/dependence, 13.4% for obsessive–compulsive disorder, 11.1% for panic disorder, 9.4% for agoraphobia, 7.3% for drug abuse/dependence, 3.7% for hypochondriasis, and 2.2% for somatoform disorder. Those with more concurrent Axis I conditions had earlier ages at first onset of MDD, longer histories of MDD, greater depressive symptom severity, more general medical comorbidity (even though they were younger than those with fewer comorbid conditions), poorer physical and mental function, health perceptions, and life satisfaction; and were more likely to be seen in primary care settings. Limitations Participants had to meet entry criteria for STAR*D. Ascertainment of comorbid conditions was not based on a structured interview. Conclusions Concurrent Axis I conditions (most often anxiety disorders) are very common with MDD. Greater numbers of concurrent comorbid conditions were associated with increased severity, morbidity, and chronicity of their MDD.
RAPTORS REHABILITATED IN IOWA DURING 1986 AND 1987: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

A retrospective study was conducted on 60 raptors representing 13 species treated at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine during 1986–1987. Eight species (31 individuals) were Falconiformes and five species (29 individuals) were Strigiformes. Seventy-five percent of all injuries were due to trauma and 65% of these were injuries arising from human activity, including car collisions (28%), shooting (17%) and trapping (11%). Thirty-four percent of all raptors admitted were treated and released, 25% were permanently crippled and 41% died during treatment or were euthanized. Data from this study implicate trauma resulting from human activity as a major reason for injury in free-ranging raptors presented for treatment in Iowa.
Laparoscopic revisional hepaticojejunostomy for biliary stricture after open repair following common bile duct injury: a case report.

Introduction. Incidence of bile duct injury has been reported more frequently following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Case Report. A 43-year-old female with a past medical history of laparoscopic c...
The Material Roots of the Suspended African State: Arguments from Somalia

In this historical conjuncture of profound socio-economic disorders, the condition of the peoples of the so-called periphery is as desperate as it has ever been. Understanding the making and nature of their predicament is certainly one of the most basic conundrums in development studies in general, and the study of Africa in particular. A useful way of looking at the continent's dilemma is to focus on two broad factors: structural constraints and subjective conditions. The first speaks to the complex of historical circumstances, habits, and rules bequeathed by the past – ‘the grid of inheritance’, to borrow from E. P. Thompson – and the overbearing logic of the contemporary global systems of production, exchange, and information. The second signifies political choices that are made as the battle with the past, the present, and for the future continues.
Feasibility studies for extracting an Input Function for Quantitative Positron Emission Tomography using a Wrist Scanner

Tracer kinetic modeling techniques for quantitative Positron emission tomography (PET) require an accurately measured radiotracer concentration in arterial blood as a function of time as an input to the model (arterial input function). Since the input function (IF) is derived from blood samples from the wrist arteries, a scanner is begin devised to detect radioactivity in the wrist as a function of time and extract an IF. A prototype using two detector pairs has been evaluated. The spatial resolution, sensitivity and the masking of the arterial signal by the surrounding wrist tissue radioactivity are determined. The results show that the detector was able to discriminate the arterial and venous flows from each other using planar coincidence images. MicroPET images of the wrist show that the radioactivity from the tissue does not interfere with the arterial signal. Minimization of venous and tissue interference, optimal number and placement of the detectors are being evaluated. The two detector pair prototype was used in a routine PET study.