cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of heparin on the extent of inhibition of thrombin by heparin cofactor

Abstract A heparin preparation obtained by gel chromatography is compared to unfractionated heparin with respect to the effects of heparin on the reaction between thrombin and heparin cofactor. Whereas both preparations enhance the rate of inhibition of thrombin by heparin cofactor, the extent of inhibition is decreased by the unfractionated, but not by the fractionated heparin. The decreased extent of inhibition is accounted for by residua of unreacted and undegraded heparin cofactor and thrombin, as demonstrated by gel electrophoresis in dodecyl sulfate. However both heparin preparations enhance the rate of degradation by thrombin of the thrombin·heparin cofactor complex.
Stroke after Alzheimer disease I have more bad news

A rather dark joke has it that a doctor is speaking with his patient, Mr. Jones, after examining him.
Four Questions in Psychological Development

This paper deals with four major issues in developmental psychology: the preservation of structures over time, the mechanisms of change in development, the psychological growth functions for emergent competences, and the determinants of individual variation in psychological development. We emphasize the role of the maturation of the central nervous system on the emergence of cognitive competences during early development and question the traditional doctrine on the preservation of the products of early experience.
Lehmann spectral representation for anti-de Sitter quantum field theory.

The O(3,2) invariance properties of field theories in a background anti--de Sitter space-time are used to derive a nonperturbative Lehmann spectral representation for two-point functions of scalar operators. A suitable integral transform is defined and the transform of a two-point function is shown to satisfy a dispersion relation in a variable which is the eigenvalue of the Casimir operator of O(3,2).
Pattern of response to prednisone in idiopathic, minimal lesion nephrotic syndrome as a criterion in selecting patients for cyclophosphamide therapy.

Twenty-three children with idiopathic, relapsing minimal lesion nephrotic syndrome were dividedaccording to their pattern of response to prednisone: (1) steroid dependent, if the relapse occurred while the dosage of prednisone was being decreased; and (2) frequent relapser, if the relapse occurred at variable periods of time (one week to two months) after discontinuing prednisone therapy. All patients received cyclophosphamide for eight weeks in a single daily dose of 2 mg/kg, in order to prolong the length of the remission. The percentage of patients who continued in remission at the end of the first year and thereafter was greater in the frequent relapser group ( P =0.05). This study suggests that the pattern of response to prednisone may be another criterion for the selection of patients who will benefit from cyclophosphamide therapy.
Flame synthesis of molybdenum oxide whiskers

The spectacular growth of molybdenum oxide hollow and solid whiskers with rectangular and circular cross-section is reported. The synthesis is performed using molybdenum probes inserted in an opposed-flow methane oxy-flame. The solid rectangular and circular whiskers with characteristic cross-sectional dimensions from 100 nm to 4 μm and hollow rectangular channels with wall thickness from 50 to 100 nm are grown on 1-mm diameter probes inserted at the high temperature zone on the oxidizer side of the flame front. The shape and structural parameters of grown whisker materials strongly depend on the flame position (temperature) and probe diameter. Well-defined elongated crystal structures with a large number of facets and complex symmetry were grown on the probes with a diameter of 0.25 mm.
Imperial Subscriptions and the Administration of Justice

Scholars have given much attention to the procedure for submitting private petitions to the Roman emperor.1 Literary sources suggest that emperors spent a lot of time answering petitions from private individuals, and papyri and inscriptions offer tangible evidence that this was so. But our richest evidence is provided by the Roman legal sources, which preserve over 2,500 of the replies written by the emperors, at least in theory, beneath the petitions themselves. The sheer quantity of these subscriptions, and the fact that some of them were addressed to petitioners of relatively humble status, have suggested that the emperors attended to their subjects in a surprisingly personal way.2 Even more important is the fact that subscriptions in our legal sources consist almost entirely of formulations of principle; it has been assumed that they were issued to clarify the law, for private petitioners who had questions about it.3 It seems to be generally agreed that the subscriptions themselves were actually written by the emperor's subordinates; even the most conscientious emperors had better things to do than find the right language for formulations of legal doctrine.4 In my view, furthermore, it is unlikely that by the second century emperors were often aware of the decisions taken in their names; it is easier to believe that the chanceries were maintaining a legal fiction than that massive numbers of often trivial questions were entirely dependent on one man.5 But even if they had nothing to do with the emperor himself, the notion that imperial subscriptions were issued to give advice about the law is a difficult one. Without discounting entirely the professional commitment which could motivate Roman jurists, we should be reluctant, I think, to conclude that the Roman government functioned in quite such an enlightened way. This paper will argue that the subscriptions in our legal sources cannot be taken at face value. Numerous though they are, they represent only a fraction of the subscriptions actually issued by the Roman government, and they do not provide a representative sample. The subscriptions in the law books certainly formulate legal principles, and often sound as though they were explicitly aimed at intellectual difficulties. But the lawyers had a particular interest
Epistemic utility and theory acceptance: Comments on Hempel

Professor Hempel has sketched a number of turns in the problem of induction, showing us in the process that the traditional problem of justifying inductive inference is inextricably bound up with problems concerning rational criteria of hypothesis and theory acceptance. In taking us through these various turns he surveys, and provides us valuable insights into, several of the guiding trends of a vast and often highly technical literature. In the interests of highlighting this valuable feature of his paper and to provide some focus for our subsequent discussion, I shall briefly review some of these turns, placing emphasis on what Hempel notes as the central relevance of certain questions raised by Richard Rudner concerning the character of scientific criteria of hypothesis acceptance. There are a number of, to my mind unsettled, issues concerning the task of the scientist qua scientist-particularly, the range of considerations that figure in the acceptance of hypotheses, and, indeed, how such "acceptance" is to be construed and I shall direct the latter part of my commentary to these issues. In his opening remarks, Hempel correctly points out that adequate solutions to the problem of justifying the method of inductive ac ceptance, or MIA, depend on a clear characterization of the proposed method and the rules of inference that comprise it. Unlike the relatively unproblematic cases of deductive validity, when we apply an inductive rule to a premise such as 'All examined instances of A have been B\ it is not clear what we mean when we say that 'All A are B' inductively follows from it. We cannot, of course, say this con clusion follows invariably, nor can we make the initially more plaus ible-sounding claim that when this sort of premise is true it is rational to accept the conclusion, or to act as if it were true: for adherence to the rule, thus construed, can lead us to the reductio predicament of "rationally" accepting logically incompatible conclusions that are supported by the same body of evidence. One way to avoid this problem, and thus bring us a step closer to
The propagation speeds of calcium action potentials are remarkably invariant

This paper critically compiles all published cases of established or putative calcium action potentials (or ultrafast calcium waves) where their speeds are known and are not limited by intercellular delays. The 127 cases include data from neurons or nerve nets within systems that range from cnidaria, ctenophores, molluscs, crustaceans, worms, echinoderms and tunicates up to mammalian brains; from muscle cells within organisms that range from Beroe, Cestum, moths, a crab, molluscs, a tunicate, frogs, chick embryos and turtles up to mammalian hearts; from epithelia in cnidaria and tunicates; even from a dinoflagellate and an insectivorous plant as well as reconstituted heart strands. They reveal a restriction to values of about 10-40 cm/sec at 20 degrees C and comparable restrictions at other temperatures. Moreover--unlike the speeds of sodium action potentials--the speeds of calcium ones are unrelated to cell diameter, at least over the available range of about 0.1 to 30 microns. Why do calcium action potentials have such fixed propagation speeds? Perhaps evolution has driven them to be the fastest waves of calcium influx which avoid subsurface poisoning.
Recombinant interferon γ1b immune enhancement in 20 patients with hematologic malignancies and systemic opportunistic infections treated with donor granulocyte transfusions

BACKGROUND The response to antifungal therapy alone often is suboptimal in patients with cancer who have therapy-refractory neutropenia, and even donor-derived granulocyte transfusions (GTX) are not always successful. The authors evaluated the safety and efficacy of immune enhancement using recombinant interferon γ1b (rIFN-γ1b) in patients with cancer who received GTX for refractory, systemic, opportunistic infections. METHODS Twenty recipients of high-dose donor GTX (≈5.5 × 1010 neutrophils per transfusion) who had received concurrent rIFN-γ1b between October 2001 and December 2004 were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS The median age (± standard deviation [SD]) was 45 ± 17 years. Ten patients (50%) were men, 17 patients (85%) had leukemia, and 3 patients (15%) had myelodysplastic syndrome. The median ± SD Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was 15 ± 4 (range, 7-22). Most patients (n = 18 patients; 90%) had recurrent or refractory cancer. In 6 patients (30%) who received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, GTX plus rIFN-γ1b was given a median ± SD of 26 ± 100 days (range, 12-372 days) after transplantation. Seventeen patients (85%) had neutropenia during GTX therapy. Five patients (25%) had possible invasive fungal infection, 3 patients (15%) had probable invasive fungal infection, and 11 patients (55%) had proven invasive fungal infection. One patient (5%) had refractory Pseudomonas aeruginosa sepsis. Eight patients (40%) received corticosteroids during GTX plus rIFN-γ1b therapy. Patients received a median ± SD of 8 ± 7 GTX doses (range, 4-28 doses) and 9 ± 7 rIFN-γ1b doses (range, 1-28 doses), for a mean ± SD cumulative dose (CD) of 400 ± 2621 μg. Other concomitant cytokines were granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (12 ± 3 doses; CD, 6720 ± 4721 μg) in 15 patients (75%) and granulocyte-macrophage–colony stimulating factor (12 ± 9 doses; CD, 4750 ± 4410 μg) in 14 patients (70%). Four patients (20%) developed fever, and 2 patients (10%) developed skin rashes. Reversible liver dysfunction (n = 3 patients; 15%) and tachycardia (n = 1 patients; 5%) were considered rIFN-γ1b-associated adverse reactions; whereas, in 1 patient (5%), transient dyspnea was attributed to GTX. Four weeks after therapy started, 9 patients (45%) had complete or partial resolution of infection; and, in another 3 patients (15%), the invasive fungal infection had become stable. CONCLUSIONS The current results indicated that no serious adverse events were associated with rIFN-γ1b immune enhancement in patients with systemic opportunistic infections who received donor GTX therapy. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
CXC chemokines function as a rheostat for hepatocyte proliferation and liver regeneration.

Background Our previous in vitro studies have demonstrated dose-dependent effects of CXCR2 ligands on hepatocyte cell death and proliferation. In the current study, we sought to determine if CXCR2 ligand concentration is responsible for the divergent effects of these mediators on liver regeneration after ischemia/reperfusion injury and partial hepatectomy. Methods Murine models of partial ischemia/reperfusion injury and hepatectomy were used to study the effect of CXCR2 ligands on liver regeneration. Results We found that hepatic expression of the CXCR2 ligands, macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) and keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC), was significantly increased after both I/R injury and partial hepatectomy. However, expression of these ligands after I/R injury was 30-100-fold greater than after hepatectomy. Interestingly, the same pattern of expression was found in ischemic versus non-ischemic liver lobes following I/R injury with expression significantly greater in the ischemic liver lobes. In both systems, lower ligand expression was associated with increased hepatocyte proliferation and liver regeneration in a CXCR2-dependent fashion. To confirm that these effects were related to ligand concentration, we administered exogenous MIP-2 and KC to mice undergoing partial hepatectomy. Mice received a “high” dose that replicated serum levels found after I/R injury and a “low” dose that was similar to that found after hepatectomy. Mice receiving the “high” dose had reduced levels of hepatocyte proliferation and regeneration whereas the “low” dose promoted hepatocyte proliferation and regeneration. Conclusions Together, these data demonstrate that concentrations of CXC chemokines regulate the hepatic proliferative response and subsequent liver regeneration.
Baseline susceptibility of persea mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) to abamectin and milbemectin in avocado groves in Southern California.

Persea mite, Oligonychus perseae Tuttle, Baker, and Abatiello, susceptibility to abamectin and milbemectin was evaluated in 2003 to determine baseline susceptibility levels in avocado groves in San Diego and Ventura Counties (California, USA) where more than 70% of the state’s avocado production is concentrated. Milbemectin has yet to be used in avocado production in California and abamectin has been available for use since 1999. Baseline susceptibility ratios (in relation to the most susceptible population) of five persea mite field strains to milbemectin varied 2.1- to 2.8-fold at the LC50 and LC90, respectively. The susceptibility of seven field strains to abamectin varied slightly more (2.1- to 3.5-fold) with one strain subjected to seven sprays over the past 4 years showing slight but significant separation of LC50 and LC90’s from the most susceptible strain, which is suggestive of the early stages of resistance to this product. Based on these data, baseline susceptibility levels are proposed that might be used to monitor for future persea mite resistance to these chemicals as their use in California avocado production continues.
Optimal tuning of analog self-interference cancellers for full-duplex wireless communication

Self-interference is the primary obstacle to full-duplex wireless communication on a single frequency band. This paper presents a novel convex reformulation for tuning the attenuation and phase shift parameters of a multiple-tap analog self-interference canceller. The standard optimization formulation for a multiple-tap analog canceller is non-convex, causing gradient descent algorithms to converge to local optima. By exploiting the architecture of an ideal analog canceller, an analytical solution for the global optimum is derived that minimizes mean-square error between the canceller and negative channel frequency responses. Multiple taps are necessary to emulate practical antenna coupling channels over a broad bandwidth. Simulated and measured results are presented that achieve significant wideband cancellation in multipath channel environments.
Statistical Inference for the Odds Measure of Qualitative Variation

The large-sample distribution of the odds measure of qualitative variation (OQV) is given. The results may be used for testing hypotheses and constructing confidence intervals for OQV. Numerical da...
A simple model for deep tissue attenuation correction and large organ analysis of Cerenkov luminescence imaging

Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI) is an emerging cost effective modality that uses conventional small animal optical imaging systems and clinically available radionuclide probes for light emission. CLI has shown good correlation with PET for organs of high uptake such as kidney, spleen, thymus and subcutaneous tumors in mouse models. However, CLI has limitations for deep tissue quantitative imaging since the blue-weighted spectral characteristics of Cerenkov radiation attenuates highly by mammalian tissue. Large organs such as the liver have also shown higher signal due to the contribution of emission of light from a greater thickness of tissue. In this study, we developed a simple model that estimates the effective tissue attenuation coefficient in order to correct the CLI signal intensity with a priori estimated depth and thickness of specific organs. We used several thin slices of ham to build a phantom with realistic attenuation. We placed radionuclide sources inside the phantom at different tissue depths and imaged it using an IVIS Spectrum (Perkin-Elmer, Waltham, MA, USA) and Inveon microPET (Preclinical Solutions Siemens, Knoxville, TN). We also performed CLI and PET of mouse models and applied the proposed attenuation model to correct CLI measurements. Using calibration factors obtained from phantom study that converts the corrected CLI measurements to %ID/g, we obtained an average difference of less that 10% for spleen and less than 35% for liver compared to conventional PET measurements. Hence, the proposed model has a capability of correcting the CLI signal to provide comparable measurements with PET data.
Universals and existents

(1986). Universals and existents. Australasian Journal of Philosophy: Vol. 64, No. 1, pp. 1-14.
Comparative studies of the Ag/aqueous electrolyte interface by photoacoustic and non-linear optical techniques

Abstract The optical properties of a silver electrode surface biased in aqueous electrolytes have been examined by photoacoustic methods. The results are compared with the optical second harmonic response observed for these electrochemical systems under identical conditions. This comparison provides new insight into questions which have arisen in previous SH studies regarding optical enhancement mechanisms, potential induced changes in the nonlinear optical response, and the presence and sensitivity to various electro-chemically formed surface species.
Grain Boundary Energies in NaCl in the Rigid Lattice Approximation

Grain boundary energies are computed for twist boundaries in NaCl with the assumption that there is no relaxation of the lattice at the boundary. The energy is 573 ergs/cm2 and is independent of angle over the range studied. Comparison is made with recent experimental results for twist boundaries in KCl.
Measurement of Dispersive Properties of Electromagnetically Induced Transparency in Rubidium Atoms

The dispersive properties of the atomic transition in the rubidium ${D}_{2}$ line ($5{S}_{\frac{1}{2}}\ensuremath{-}5{P}_{\frac{3}{2}}$) at 780.0 nm are measured with a Mach-Zehnder interferometer when an additional coupling field at 775.8 nm is applied to an upper transition ($5{P}_{\frac{3}{2}}\ensuremath{-}5{D}_{\frac{5}{2}}$). This ladder-type system is observed to exhibit electromagnetically induced transparency together with a rapidly varying refractive index. A reduction in group velocity for the probe beam (${v}_{g}=\frac{c}{13.2}$) is inferred from the measured dispersion curve with 52.5% suppressed absorption on resonance.
Medical-examiner-reported fatal occupational injuries, North Carolina, 1978-1984

Fatal occupational injuries are a major public health problem in the U.S. Utilizing a medical examiner database from North Carolina, 1,233 fatal work-related injuries were identified in a 7-year time period. Twelve percent of these deaths were in out-of-state residents. For men, highest risk industries were forestry/fishery, agriculture, trade, and transportation/public utilities/communications. Only 4% of deaths occurred in women. The most common manner of death in women was homicide. Highest-risk industries for women were agriculture, trade, and transportation/public utilities/communications. Of 902 decedents tested, alcohol was found in 11%, and 7% had levels at or above 100 mg%. Because of its completeness, the North Carolina Medical Examiner System is a useful tool to use in the surveillance of fatal occupational injuries.
SNOW CRYSTALS AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE NUCLEI IN THE NORTHERN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Abstract Snow crystals are born at high altitudes and grow into various forms while falling through the atmosphere. In this research work, the relations observed among snow crystals were crystal form, nucleus, and temperature and humidity of the mother cloud based on radiosonde sounding data. Almost all crystal forms which are shown in “Snow crystals” by Nakaya (1954) were observed in a winter season at Houghton (Keweenaw Field Station), Michigan which is situated on a small peninsula along the southern shore of Lake Superior. The factors that influence snow-crystal form are mainly the air temperature and the humidity at which the crystal grows. Previously there have been no data for the formation of pyramid-shaped snow crystals in natural conditions. However, in the observations of Houghton, it was found that the pyramid shaped crystals were formed in the clouds at temperatures between −6C and −1OC. This coincides with the condition of growth of artificial snow crystals of the cup and scroll type. Needle...
Orientation of in situ stresses in the oceanic crust

Two in situ measurements of principal stress directions have been made in DSDP Holes 504B, south of the Costa Rica Rift on the Nazca plate, and 597C, west of the East Pacific Rise on the Pacific plate. In both cases, the orientations of in situ principal stresses determined from borehole breakouts are consistent with the stress directions inferred from intraplate earthquakes located near the sites.
Approximation of Worst Case Crosstalk at High Frequencies

Predicting system-level crosstalk problems early in the design process is increasingly important to today's automotive industry. Closed-form estimates of worst or nearly worst case crosstalk can be useful in system analysis, since these estimates can quickly identify problem areas that require close inspection and they show a clear relationship between design parameters and crosstalk that allows intelligent modification of the system. In this paper, simple formulas are derived to estimate worst case crosstalk between circuits for weak coupling at high frequencies (i.e., where the length of the circuits is comparable to or greater than the wavelengths of the signals of interest). Derivations are based on transmission line theory for general (inductive, capacitive, or resistive) sources and loads, assuming losses at the terminations dominate losses in the transmission lines. Formulas are verified with bench-top and in-vehicle experiments and are shown to predict maximum crosstalk levels within about 6 dB.
Universal Linear Least-Squares Prediction in the Presence of Noise

Universal linear least squares prediction of real-valued bounded individual sequences in the presence of additive bounded noise is considered. It is shown that there is a sequential predictor observing noisy samples of the sequence to be predicted only, whose loss in terms of the noise-free sequence is asymptotically as small as that of the best batch predictor out of the class of all linear predictors with knowledge of the entire noisy sequence in advance.
Throughput maximization for energy harvesting two-hop networks

In wireless networks, management of harvested energy is important due to limited and stochastic energy sources. In this paper, throughput maximization for energy harvesting two-hop communication with half-duplex relays is considered. Optimal transmission policies are found for one relay and two parallel relays under the assumption of known energy arrivals at the source and the relays. For each case, a convex optimization problem is formulated to efficiently solve and identify properties of the optimal transmission policies. Performance comparisons are provided to investigate the impact of multiple relays and energy harvesting.
Feedback control circuit for biased AC electroosmosis micropump

We have developed an integrated Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) feedback circuit for the control of micropump velocity. The whole concept is to develop a signal processing unit which is accomplished with a current-to-frequency converter circuit. The operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) was used as an amplifier, which retrieve the small current from the biased micropump and convert it to voltage. The main goal is to get a digital output corresponding to the micropump velocity which will control the integrated micropump. The signal processing unit with lower power consumption is fabricated in the 0.35 mum process. The micropump for lab-on-a-chip applications is also fabricated with MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems)-compatible semiconductor micro-fabrication.
Retrospective conversion of serials: The RLIN experience

Colorado State University Libraries (CSUL) received an RLG grant in 1985 to convert approximately 18,000 monographic and serial bibliographic records into machine-readable form in selected RLG conspectus categories in Social Sciences and Agriculture. Of these 2,790 were serials records. This article will concentrate on the retrospective conversion of serials on RLIN, though some of the general guidelines and procedures that are discussed also applied to the retrospective conversion of monographs. Emphasis will be placed on some special features of RLIN that are useful for searching, editing adaptive (derivative) records, and cataloging for retrospective conversion of serials. Cataloging standards are discussed.
Hybrid analysis/design method for active integrated antennas

The paper presents a new hybrid analysis/design scheme where electromagnetic full wave and nonlinear circuit solvers are used in conjunction with an improved Kurokawa (1969) analysis. The full wave solver is the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method and is used to extract the scattering parameters (S-parameters) of all passive components and to predict the radiation patterns. The extracted S-parameters are then used in a CAD nonlinear circuit solver to characterise the device line and find an operation point. Note that the effects of the higher order harmonics on the operation point of this active antenna are taken into account by means of the harmonic balance algorithm. To validate the proposed method, an oscillator-type active antenna working at 2.019 GHz is fabricated and tested. It is shown that the calculated and measured results, such as operation frequency and radiation patterns, agree very well.
Reliability of temperature determination from curve-fitting in multi-wavelength pyrometery

Author(s): Ni, P.A. | Abstract: Abstract This paper examines the reliability of a widely used method for temperature determination by multi-wavelength pyrometry. In recent WDM experiments with ion-beam heated metal foils, we found that the statistical quality of the fit to the measured data is not necessarily a measure of the accuracy of the inferred temperature. We found a specific example where a second-best fit leads to a more realistic temperature value. The physics issue is the wavelength-dependent emissivity of the hot surface. We discuss improvements of the multi-frequency pyrometry technique, which will give a more reliable determination of the temperature from emission data.
Can ENaC regulate ICF as well as ECF volume? Focus on “Osmotic pressure regulates αβγ-rENaC expressed inXenopus oocytes”

in the current article in focus, Ji et al. (Ref. [5][1], see p. C1182 in this issue) present evidence that osmotic pressure can acutely regulate activity of the amiloride-sensitive epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) expressed in oocytes. Given the restricted tissue distribution of ENaC, is it plausible
Progression of methanogenic degradation of crude oil in the subsurface

Our results show that subsurface crude-oil degradation rates at a long-term research site were strongly influenced by small-scale variations in hydrologic conditions. The site is a shallow glacial outwash aquifer located near Bemidji in northern Minnesota that became contaminated when oil spilled from a broken pipeline in August 1979. In the study area, separate-phase oil forms a subsurface oil body extending from land surface to about 1 m (3.3 ft) below the 6–8-m (20–26 ft)-deep water table. Oil saturation in the sediments ranges from 10–20% in the vadose zone to 30–70% near the water table. At depths below 2 m (6.6 ft), degradation of the separate-phase crude oil occurs under methanogenic conditions. The sequence of methanogenic alkane degradation depletes the longer chain n-alkanes before the shorter chain n-alkanes, which is opposite to the better known aerobic sequence. The rates of degradation vary significantly with location in the subsurface. Oil-coated soils within 1.5 m (5 ft) of land surface have experienced little degradation where soil water saturation is less than 20%. Oil located 2–8 m (6.6–26 ft) below land surface in areas of higher recharge has been substantially degraded. The best explanation for the association between recharge and enhanced degradation seems to be increased downward transport of microbial growth nutrients to the oil body. This is supported by observations of greater microbial numbers at higher elevations in the oil body and significant decreases with depth in nutrient concentrations, especially phosphorus. Our results suggest that environmental effects may cause widely diverging degradation rates in the same spill, calling into question dating methods based on degradation state.
Influence of H2O on NOx Sensors

Highly sensitive and accurate NOx sensors are required to manage the complicated aftertreatment systems that will enable fuel-efficient lean burn engine systems to meet future emissions standards. Several automotive suppliers have developed sensors capable of measuring ppm levels of NOx in the exhaust stream of a vehicle. The response of these highly sophisticated sensors is determined in part by the electrochemistry occurring at the electrode, electrolyte, and interfaces of the various pumping cells comprising these devices. Water, in particular, shows evidence of a complex behavior resulting in both increased and decreased response in the sensor output depending upon the concentration level and operating conditions. This study examines these effects and provides some insight into possible mechanisms responsible for this behavior.
Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for cancer: techniques and outcomes

Open partial nephrectomy is the gold standard nephron-sparing treatment for small renal tumors. Technical aspects of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy have evolved considerably, and the technique is approaching established status at our institution. Over the past 4 years, the senior author has performed more than 400 laparoscopic partial nephrectomies at the Cleveland Clinic. Herein we present our current technique and review contemporary outcome data.
Does therapeutic use of tapentadol cause false-positive urine screens for methadone or opiates?

To the Editor: Tapentadol (Nucynta®, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Titusville, NJ) is a synthetic analgesic approved in the US in 2008.1 Although mechanisms of action include mu opioid receptor agonism ...
Automatic formation and analysis of multi-agent virtual organization

Virtual organization refers to the temporary teaming of enterprises. By sharing physical, human and knowledge resources via information technologies, a virtual organization enables member enterprises to share skills, costs, access to one another’s markets and, at the same time decrease the risk of investments. To realize this new generation of business model, the ability to form and operate virtual enterprise is very important. The paper describes our experience gained by implementing a multiagent system that simulates an artificial marketplace, for which we have derived several decision-making mechanisms in various stages of a virtual organization. We presented a negotiation protocol and a bid selection algorithm for agents to form a virtual organization. We adopted the Motivational Quantities framework to support the agent’s local reasoning process. In order to better understand the organizational problem, we adapted a statistical model that predicts the expected rewards of individual agents and the performance of the virtual organization. The comparison and analysis of the results from both the simulation and the model prediction are also presented in this paper.
Symbolic dynamic techniques for trellis group codes

In this paper, we use symbolic dynamics to describe and analyze the class of geometrically uniform trellis codes. We introduce the notion of group systems and image systems, which establish the connection between symbolic dynamics and trellis coding. We define several properties of general symbolic dynamic systems, and provide a complete classification of group systems and image systems under this framework. We also provide a complete description of all group systems based on the cyclic group and dihedral group, and point out its implications for rotationally invariant trellis group codes based on MPSK signal constellations. >
Papilla Formation in Response to Computer-Assisted Implant Surgery and Immediate Restoration

This retrospective analysis was undertaken to evaluate the effect of immediate implant restoration using a computer-assisted technique in partially edentulous sites on interimplant and intertooth bone level stability and papilla formation. Nine partially edentulous patients received a total of 23 implants that supported immediately placed implant restorations. Planning was accomplished using a radiographic guide, which allowed visualization of the emergence profile from the platform of the implant to the cervical of the planned restoration. Guided implants were placed according to the manufacturer's instructions, and restorations were screw retained directly to the implant. Multiple implants were splinted at surgery with autopolymerizing resin. Measurements were made at a mean of 545 days (range 288–958) postoperatively on the basis of radiographs and photographs. Measures were: (1) distance from bone crest to platform, (2) bone crest to contact point, (3) interimplant distance at the outer diameter of th...
Monitoring neutron generator output in a mixed neutron-gamma field using a plastic scintillator

Quantitative neutron-induced gamma-ray spectroscopy employing neutron generators (NGs) entails monitoring them for possible fluctuations in their neutron output. We accomplished this using a plastic scintillator and recording a spectrum from which we selected a neutron region- of-interest (nROI) to discriminate between neutrons and the accompanying high-energy gamma-rays. We show that the selected nROI is insensitive to changes in the gamma-ray background, thus allowing satisfactory normalization of the gamma-ray spectra of an in-situ system for analyzing soil carbon.
Multisystem Manifestations of Benign Ovarian Teratomas

A 26-year-old woman presented with acute onset of right-sided pelvic pain and had a medical history significant for migraine headaches and polycystic ovarian disease. Ultrasonography demonstrated bilateral ovarian tumors, and the patient underwent laparoscopic removal of bilateral cystic teratomas. A literature review focused on similar presentations of teratomas revealed isolated cases of migraines and polycystic ovarian disease associated with teratomas and an increased risk for ovarian torsion. Our patient experienced complete resolution of her acute abdominal pain, as well as her long-standing headaches and hormonal symptoms, after removal of the teratomas.
Neutralizing antibodies in multiple sclerosis: a complex impact on interferon responses, magnetic resonance imaging findings and clinical outcomes

Interferon beta (IFN-β) therapy reduces relapse rate, MRI lesion development, and delays the progression of disability in relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. As with other protein therapies, som...
CYP17 promoter variant associated with prostate cancer aggressiveness in African Americans

Androgens play an important role in the etiology of prostate cancer. The CYP17 gene encodes the cytochrome P450c17α enzyme, which is the rate-limiting enzyme in androgen biosynthesis. A T to C polymorphism in the 5′ promoter region has recently been associated with prostate cancer. However, contradictory data exists concerning the risk allele. To investigate further the involvement of the CYP17 variant with prostate cancer, we typed the polymorphism in three different populations and evaluated its association with prostate cancer and clinical presentation in African Americans. We genotyped the CYP17 polymorphism in Nigerian (n = 56), European-American (n = 74), and African-American (n = 111) healthy male volunteers, along with African-American men affected with prostate cancer (n = 71), using pyrosequencing. Genotype and allele frequencies did not differ significantly across the different control populations. African-American men with the CC CYP17 genotype had an increased risk of prostate cancer (odds ratio, 2.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.0–7.4) compared with those with the TT genotype. A similar trend was observed between the homozygous variant genotype in African-American prostate cancer patients and clinical presentation. The CC genotype was significantly associated with higher grade and stage of prostate cancer (odds ratio, 7.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.4–36.1). The risk did not differ significantly by family history or age. Our results suggest that the C allele of the CYP17 polymorphism is significantly associated with increased prostate cancer risk and clinically advanced disease in African Americans.
Effects of dissolved calcium and phosphorous on osteoblast responses.

Abstract The dissolution behavior of hydroxyapatite (HA) and its effect on the initial cellular response is of both fundamental and clinical importance. In this study, plasma-sprayed HA coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Calcium (Ca) and inorganic phosphorous (Pi) ions released from plasma-sprayed HA coatings within 3 weeks were measured by flame atomic absorption and colorimetrically molybdenum blue complex, respectively. To investigate the effect of dissolution of HA coatings on osteoblast response, additional Ca and Pi were added into the cell culture media to simulate the dissolution concentrations. Human embryonic palatal mesenchyme cells, an osteoblast precursor cell line, were used to evaluate the biological responses to enhanced Ca and Pi media over 2 weeks. Osteoblast differentiation and mineralization were measured by alkaline phosphatase–specific assay and 1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D3 stimulated osteocalcin production. The coatings exhi...
Fracking, Drilling, and Asset Pricing: Estimating the Economic Benets of the Shale Revolution

We use evidence from asset price data to quantify the contribution of shale oil to the U.S. economy. Equity market valuations of rms engaged in shale oil extraction reect the market’s expectations about the future growth in shale oil supply and its potential for raising aggregate productivity in the U.S. economy. We use returns on an index of shale oil producers orthogonalized with respect to oil prices and industry-wide return controls to extract an empirical measure of shale-specic productivity innovations. This hedged strategy explains roughly 10% of the increase in aggregate U.S. equity market capitalization since 2010.
Periodic Density Functional Theory Study of VOn Species Supported on the CeO2(111) Surface

We model monomeric vanadia adspecies on the CeO2(111) surface of composition VOn·Ce12O24 (n = −1, 0, ..., 4) using the DFT+U approach and statistical thermodynamics. At low oxygen pressure (10−9 atm), VO4 is the most stable species below 400 K; in the 400−900 K range, VO2 is stable; and above 900 K, VO becomes stable. In all of these systems, vanadium is stabilized in the +5 oxidation state. Using the energies of hydrogenation and oxygen vacancy formation as reactivity descriptors, we predict an enhanced reactivity of the vanadia/ceria system in Mars−van Krevelen-type oxidation reactions. At the origin of this support effect is the ability of ceria to stabilize reduced states by accommodating electrons in localized f states. We also calculate the frequencies of the normal vibrational modes of the supported VOn species and their infrared intensity.
A puzzle about the demands of morality

Two thought experiments are provided which elicit whatappear to be opposing judgments about the demands of morality.One Unger-inspired thought experiment suggests that a personmust give up four decades of earnings just to save a singlelife. The other evokes the contrary intuition that onedoesn't have to labor forty years without compensation inorder to prevent the death of an individual. However,considerations of consistency do not demand that weabandon one of our intuitive responses. This is becausethere is a morally significant difference between thetwo burdens that the people suffer in the respectivethought experiments. The difference is a result of humanpsychology being such that it is easier to bear theaftermath of an event that renders one's earlier effortsfutile than it is to suffer identical efforts goingunrewarded in the future. A conclusion that can bedrawn from this temporal asymmetry is that while moralityis not quite as demanding as Unger and many consequentialistsmaintain, it is much more demanding than many of their opponents realize.
Study of TiC+TiN Multiple Films On Type of 316L Stainless Steel

In this paper, the synthesis process of TiC+TiN multiple films on super-low-carbon stainless steels is reported. The TiC layer is coated as the first layer in the multiple film, the change of growth rate of the film on the 316L Stainless steel is not same as the one on carbides substrates, while the mole ratio of CRi to TiCLi (mCH/TiCl4) is changed from 1.2 to 2.0. The Ti [C, N], as a kind of inter-layer between TiC and TiN layers, is helpful to improve the adhesion between the TiC and TiN layer. The cooling rate greatly influences the quality of the adhesion between the TiC+TiN film and substrates.
Reactive Power Control Strategy for Shanghai Multi-Infeed DC System

Conventional stability analysis method is used to distinguish the type of voltage stability problems existing in Shanghai multi-infeed DC system,which is employed as the research object.By means of the approaches such as static var compensator(SVC),synchronous condenser(SC),dynamic reactive power compensation equipments as well as reactive power control inside converter station and DC reactive power modulation,the ability of resisting serious faults occurred in receiving end AC system and DC bipolar block is enhanced,and system damping characteristics is improved,thus an integrated reactive power control method for multi-infeed DC system is formed.Simulation results validate the correctness and effectiveness of the control strategy.
Study on the chemical gas detecting system by CO_2 DIAL

The technique of gifferential absorption lidar(DIAL) is applicable for probing chemical polluted gas.The basic principle of DIAL was introduced.The main parts of our specially designed DIAL as well as its working flows were also described.The emulation and simulation results of the lidar system were obtained.These results indicate that the performance of TEA CO2 laser source has much influence on the capabilities of the DIAL.
Effect of Temporary Ovarian Suppression on Chemotherapy-Induced Amenorrhea, Pregnancy, and Outcome.

group (hazard ratio [HR], 1.28 [95% CI, 0.98-1.68]; P = .07; ageadjusted HR, 1.48 [95% CI, 1.12-1.95]; P = .006). Eight pregnancies (5-year cumulative incidence estimate of pregnancy, 2.1% [95% CI, 0.7%-6.3%]) occurred in the LHRHa group and 3 (5year cumulative incidence estimate of pregnancy, 1.6% [95% CI, 0.4%-6.2%]) in the control group (HR, 2.56 [95% CI, 0.689.60]; P = .14; age-adjusted HR, 2.40 [95% CI, 0.62-9.22]; P = .20). Five-year DFS was 80.5% (95% CI, 73.1%-86.1%) in the LHRHa group and 83.7% (95% CI, 76.1%-89.1%) in the control group (LHRHa vs control: HR, 1.17 [95% CI, 0.72-1.92]; P = .52).
Side Effects of Intrauterine Devices

Problems in determining and quantifying side effects of intrauterine device (IUD) use are reviewed. The types and incidences of major side effects are discussed, as well as methods of treatment. The author concludes that IUD use remains a safe and effective method of family planning.
Maternally Inherited (Mitochondrial) Diabetes

Within the family of mitochondrial disorders, specific mutations and phenotypes are more commonly associated with endocrine manifestations. The most common endocrinopathies seen in mitochondrial disorders include diabetes, hypoparathyroidism, growth hormone deficiency, hypogonadism (premature gonadal failure), hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone, and abnormal adipose tissue (lipomas). Because diabetes mellitus is such a common condition, endocrinologists and other clinicians should recognize key multisystemic symptoms, such as early-onset hearing loss and neuromuscular disease, or short stature with developmental delay, which would suggest an underlying mitochondrial disorder as a unifying diagnosis. In previous studies, it is reported that up to 5% of diabetes mellitus is secondary to a mitochondrial mutation (both mitochondrial- or nuclear-encoded inheritance). The highly suspicious cases having an underlying mitochondrial disease presenting with diabetes are short, have a low body mass index, and have early-onset deafness. They tend to have a younger age at presentation of type 2 diabetes, a combination of insulin deficiency and insulin resistance, and have higher rates of end-organ involvement such as neuropathy and nephropathy. The two mitochondrial disorders that are highlighted in this chapter most commonly associated with diabetes mellitus are Kearns–Sayre syndrome and mitochondrial encephalomyopathy and lactic acidosis with stroke-like episodes (MELAS)/maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD).