cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Public Participation in Environmental Policy Implementation: Case of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act

Environmental legislation enacted in the last two decades contains many provisions and mechanisms for public participation. However, little systematic information is available on actual use of different mechanisms of participation in different stages of policy implementation. This study describes the use of various mechanisms by participants in one major environmental policy, the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA). Our data indicate that the enforcement stage of policy implementation generates most individual citizen involvement, and citizen complaints are the most widely used mechanism for citizen participation. However, our aggregate data indicate that overall citizen participation in the implementation of SMCRA has been modest. The paper concludes with thoughts on why extensive legislative provisions for citizen participation are nevertheless justified.
Modelling the effects of price competition on the utilization of health manpower.

Abstract The introduction of diagnosis related groups (DRGs) and resource utilization groups (RUGs) for implementing prospective reimbursement is virtually certain to increase the cost-consciousness of hospital and nursing home administrators. One potential area for cost reduction is in nurse staffing. In this paper, we describe a model which identifies minimum cost nurse staffing patterns subject to contraints on patient needs, mandated staffing requirements, and labor availability, and which is also sensitive to quality considerations. We use the model to predict shifts in nursing patterns at an upstate New York nursing home. To the degree to which this model and this nursing home are typical, we foresee general reductions in the numbers of RNs and LPNs, compensated for by an increase in the number of Aides, and cost savings in the 5–10% range. We also demonstrate that the magnitudes of these changes will depend on the tradeoff between quality and cost considerations, and will certainly vary across facilities.
17β-Estradiol and Estrone Concentrations in Plasma and Milk During Bovine Pregnancy

Estrone (E1) and 17beta-estradiol (E2) are present in milk, but the mechanism(s) that regulate their appearance in milk are not known. The objectives of this study were to determine the impact of stage of pregnancy on the concentrations of E1 and E2 in plasma and milk and to determine the correlations between plasma and milk E1 and E2 and with milk components throughout pregnancy. Blood and milk samples were collected from 13 cows every 28 d throughout pregnancy. The E1 and E2 were quantified in plasma and milk using RIA after organic solvent extractions and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Plasma E1 concentrations averaged 0.8, 16.9, and 41.8 pg/mL in trimesters 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The respective E1 concentrations in milk averaged 0.6, 7.9, and 27.1 pg/mL. The E2 concentrations in plasma averaged 0.5, 0.9, and 2.0 pg/mL; milk E2 averaged 0.3, 0.9, and 5.0 pg/mL. Plasma and milk E2 concentrations were greater in trimester 3 compared with trimesters 1 and 2. The E1 concentrations in milk were significantly correlated with plasma E1 concentrations (r = 0.77), percentage of milk fat (r = 0.50), and milk yield (r = -0.43). The E2 concentrations in milk were significantly correlated with plasma E2 concentrations (r = 0.93), percentage of milk protein (r = 0.63), and milk yield (r = -0.57). The milk-to-plasma ratio of E2 increased from 0.4 during trimester 1 to 2.2 in trimester 3, which suggested that the mechanism(s) regulating the appearance of E2 in milk may change over the course of pregnancy.
Exploiting Service Usage Information for Optimizing Server Resource Management

It is often difficult to tune the performance of modern component-based Internet services because: (1) component middleware are complex software systems that expose several independently tuned server resource management mechanisms; (2) session-oriented client behavior with complex data access patterns makes it hard to predict what impact tuning these mechanisms has on application behavior; and (3) component-based Internet services themselves exhibit complex structural organization with requests of different types having widely ranging execution complexity. In this article we show that exposing and using detailed information about how clients use Internet services enables mechanisms that achieve two interconnected goals: (1) providing improved QoS to the service clients, and (2) optimizing server resource utilization. To differentiate among levels of service usage (service access) information, we introduce the notion of the service access attribute and identify four related groups of service access attributes, encompassing different aspects of service usage information, ranging from the high-level structure of client web sessions to low-level fine-grained information about utilization of server resources by different requests. To show how the identified service usage information can be collected, we implement a request profiling infrastructure in the JBoss Java application server. In the context of four representative service management problems, we show how collected service usage information is used to improve service performance, optimize server resource utilization, or to achieve other problem-specific service management goals.
SU‐GG‐T‐604: GPU‐Accelerated KV/MV Dose Computation

Purpose: To develop a comprehensive GPU‐accelerated, superposition/convolution based dose calculation engine supporting both a modern dual‐source MV model and an analytical kV source model Method and Materials: An analytical kV source model was developed for use with the Small Animal Research Radiation Project (SARRP), which analytically calculated the fluence to every voxel. The MV source model contains a traditional primary and an enhanced extra‐focal algorithm that efficiently accounts for leaf‐height effects. The spectral and attenuation effects of static beam modifiers were integrated into each source's spectral function. The total energy released per unit mass (TERMA) computation used back‐projection with optional exact multi‐spectral attenuation. Superposition/convolution was implemented using the inverse cumulative‐cumulative kernel and exact radiological path ray‐tracing with optional kernel tilting. Two superposition variants were implemented and benchmarked. Multi‐resolution superposition approximates true, solid angle ray‐tracing. Arc superposition increases the relative temporal TERMA sampling. Results: The kV source model performance was integrated into the TERMA computation, increasing performance in a volume resolution and collimator size dependent manner. MV source model performance was <9ms (data dependent) for a high resolution (4002) field using an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280. Our TERMA GPU implementation was improved, doubling performance. Our GPU Superposition implementation was improved by ∼18% to 0.058 s and 1.186 s for 643 and 1283 water phantoms; a speed‐up of 80–142x over the highly optimized Pinnacle3 (Philips‐Madison, WI) implementation. Pinnacle3 times were 8.3 s and 94 s, respectively, on an AMD Opteron 254 (2 cores, 2.8GHz). Extensive accuracy benchmarks indicated that Arc Superposition increases dose computation efficiency and that Multi‐Resolution Superposition slightly under estimates MV intra‐patient scatter. Conclusions: We have completed a comprehensive, GPU‐accelerated dose engine in order to provide a substantial performance gain over CPU based implementations.
Chemical Interplay in the Mechanism of Partial Agonist Activation in α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid Receptors†

α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors, one subtype in the family of ionotropic glutamate receptors, are the main receptors responsible for excitatory signaling in the mammalian central nervous system. Previous studies utilitizing the isolated ligand binding domain of these receptors have provided insight into the role of specific ligand−protein interactions in mediating receptor activation. However, these studies relied heavily on the partial agonist kainate, in which the α-amine group is constrained in a pyrrolidine ring. Here we have studied a series of substituted and unsubstituted willardiines with primary α-amine groups similar to that of the full agonist glutamate whose activation can be varied depending on the size of the substituent. The specific ligand−protein interactions in the mechanism of partial agonism in this subtype were investigated using vibrational spectroscopy, and the large-scale conformational changes in the ligand binding domain were studied with flu...
New Biomarkers for Monitoring the Levels of Isothiocyanates in Humans

Isothiocyanates (ITCs) found in cruciferous vegetables have demonstrated cancer preventive activity in animals, and increased dietary intake of ITCs has been shown to be associated with a reduced cancer risk in humans. ITCs exert their cancer chemopreventive action by multiple mechanisms, for example, by modulating the activities of phase I and phase II drug metabolism enzymes, by inhibiting the cell cycle and histone deacetylase, and by causing apoptotic cell death. In cells, protein adducts account for most of total cellular ITC uptake at 4 h after treatment. The time course of this protein binding correlates well with the inhibition of proliferation and the induction of apoptosis. Animal studies have shown that glutathione conjugates are the major products of ITCs. The major urinary excretion products of ITCs in human are N-acetyl cysteine conjugates. Urinary metabolites might provide the exposure history of the last 24 h, if the urine of the full next day is collected. However, this is not feasible in...
EXAMINING THE CONDITIONAL NATURE OF THE ILLICIT DRUG MARKET-HOMICIDE RELATIONSHIP: A PARTIAL TEST OF THE THEORY OF CONTINGENT CAUSATION

Recently, Zimring and Hawkins (1997) have suggested that drug markets are a “contingent cause” of the increase in homicide rates. That is, where structural conditions known to produce violence are already in place, the drug distribution-homicide link may be exacerbated. This analysis uses hierarchical linear modeling to investigate two key research questions: (1) Is within-city variation in illicit drug market activity positively associated with within-city variation in homicide rates during the 1984–1997 period? (2) Is the illicit drug market-homicide association contingent on preexisting violence conducive socioeconomic conditions? Using three measures of drug market activity, analyses provide affirmative evidence on both questions. Theoretical and research implications of these findings are discussed.
High-resolution optically-detected magnetic resonance imaging in an ambient magnetic field.

Abstract Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in an ultralow magnetic field usually has poor spatial resolution compared to its high-field counterpart. The concomitant field effect and low signal level are among the major causes that limit the spatial resolution. Here, we report a novel imaging method, a zoom-in scheme, to achieve a reasonably high spatial resolution of 0.6 mm × 0.6 mm without suffering the concomitant field effect. This method involves multiple steps of spatial encoding with gradually increased spatial resolution but reduced field-of-view. This method takes advantage of the mobility of ultralow-field MRI and the large physical size of the ambient magnetic field. We also demonstrate the use of a unique gradient solenoid to improve the efficiency of optical detection with an atomic magnetometer. The enhanced filling factor improved the signal level and consequently facilitated an improved spatial resolution.
Metastable A15 phase Nb3Si synthesized by high dynamic pressure

Abstract Nb3Si in the majority Ti3P-type tetragonal phase was subjected to high dynamic pressures of 0.82, 0.96, and 1.04 Mbar. Dynamic pressures were generated by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's two-stage light-gas gun. This technique produces dynamic pressures of up to a Mbar and temperatures of up to a few thousand degrees Kelvin with high quench rates. High dynamic pressures induced a partial phase change to the cubic A15-type phase in our specimens. The synthesis of this phase is supported by X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, electrical resistivity, specific heat, and ac magnetic susceptibility data. The midpoint of the resistive transition to the superconducting state occurs at 17.5 K in the specimen shocked to 0.96 Mbar. Upper critical magnetic field and the dependence of Tc on pressure have also been measured, yielding slopes of −1.20 tesla/K and — 3 × 10−5, respectively. The specific heat data indicate that about 67% of the specimen shocked to 1.04 Mbar was converted to the A15 ...
Total body electrolyte composition and distribution of body water in uremia

Total body electrolyte composition and distribution of body water in uremia. Total body sodium and chloride were measured by neutron activation analysis, and total body potassium was measured by whole body counting in ten male patients with end-stage renal disease requiring chronic maintenance hemodialysis. The extracellular fluid volume was estimated from the simultaneously measured volume of distribution of bromine 77 and sodium 24. Total body water was estimated from the volume of distribution of tritiated water. Total body sodium and chloride were significantly increased above normal measured values, but total body potassium was not significantly different from normal. The increase in total body sodium could be attributed to an increase in exchangeable sodium because no significant change in the nonexchangeable portion of total body sodium could be detected. Extracellular fluid volume, estimated from three different techniques (total body chloride, sodium 24, and bromine 77), and total body water were increased significantly above normal values. Extracellular fluid volume was correlated with exchangeable sodium, and total body water was closely correlated with total cation content (exchangeable sodium and total body potassium). The calculated intracellular fluid volume was decreased and was closely correlated with total body potassium. Despite adequate control of uremia by chronic maintenance hemodialysis, body electrolyte composition and the distribution of body water remain significantly different from normal. Contenus corporels en electrolytes et distribution de l'eau au cours de l'uremie. Le sodium et le chlore totaux ont ete mesures par activation neutronique et comptage corporel total chez dix malades de sexe masculin atteints d'insuffisance renale chronique avancee et soumis a l'hemodialyse chronique. Le volume extra-cellulaire a ete evalue a partir du volume de distribution de bromine 77 et sodium 24. L'eau totaux a ete evalue a le volume de distribution de l'eau tritiee. Le sodium et le chlore totaux etaient significativement superieurs aux valeurs normales alors que le potassium total n'etait pas significativement different de la valeur normale. L'augmentation du sodium total a pu etre rapportee a une augmentation du sodium echangeable puisqu'il n'a pas ete observe de modification significative de la fraction non echangeable du sodium total. Le volume extracellulaire, evalue de trois facons differentes (chlore, sodium 24, et bromine 77), et l'eau totale etaient significativement superieurs aux valeurs normales. Le volume extra-cellulaire etait correle au sodium echangeable alors que l'eau totale etait etroitement correlee au contenu total en cations (sodium echangeable et potassium total). Le volume intracellulaire calcule etait augmente et etroitement correle au potassium total. Malgre un controle adequat de l'uremie par l'hemodialyse chronique, les contenus electrolytiques et la distribution de l'eau totale sont differents de ceux du sujet normal.
Subdynamics and nonintegrable systems

Work on the application of Poincare's theorem to large classical or quantum systems with a continuous spectrum is continued. In situations where it is applicable, Poincare's theorem prevents the construction of a complete set of eigenprojectors which would be hermitian as well as analytic in the coupling constant. In contrast, the theory of subdynamics as developed by the Brussels group permits the construction of a unique set of projectors П(ν)(for t > 0), giving up the requirement of hermiticity which is replaced by “star-hermiticity”. The theory of subdynamics is presented in a new self-contained way, starting from the commutation relation П(ν) LH=LH П(ν), where LH is the Liouvillian. This presentation is far more direct, and avoids some of the lengthy discussions associated with previous presentations (based mainly on the resolvent of the Liouvillian). Subdynamics appears to be of interest from many points of view. It generalizes the concept of spectral representation while permitting to retain all the degrees of freedom present in the unperturbed Hamiltonian. In contrast, degrees of freedom are lost when going to the spectral representation (e.g. in the Friedrichs model). Subdynamics permits us to solve the initial value problem associated with the Liouville equation retaining the “non-Markovian” contributions which appear in the standard presentation. Finally, it introduces a classification of large dynamical systems, classical or quantum, into integrable and nonintegrable ones. It is therefore of direct interest for a number of basic problems which belong to the class of nonintegrable dynamical systems, such as the interaction of matter with light. The applications of this technique to these problems will be worked out in subsequent papers.
From Detention Camps of Thailand to Freedom in the Foothills of North Carolina: One Family’s Remarkable Story

In the 1980s, a number of Hmong families relocated from Thailand detention camps to the United States. This research explores one such family. The family became the key informant in snowball sampling for a larger, ongoing study. Following a series of interviews, qualitative narrative life stories were created and themes of family preservation, survival, and perpetuation of Hmong culture began to emerge. Importantly, parental concerns about how to keep the family intact despite different levels of acculturation surfaced during the process. The purpose of this research was to examine one family’s attempts to preserve the oral history of the Hmong culture and to promote understanding across generations and community members from different cultural backgrounds. The interviews gave the family a forum to expose and discuss their secret journey along with their sacrifices and triumphs. Significantly, the sense of urgency to blend the Hmong and American cultures was profound.
Prognostic value of delayed enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance in patients with sarcoidosis

Methods Consecutive patients with biopsy proven extracardiac sarcoidosis or suspected isolated cardiac sarcoidosis were prospectively recruited. Patients with history of cardiac surgery, heart transplant, documented coronary artery disease, congenital heart disease were excluded. Of the 251 meeting criteria, 231 participants were enrolled (18 declined consent, 2 were minors) underwent CMR, and followed for 2.7±2.2 years for major adverse cardiac events (cardiac death, appropriate defibrillator shock, pacemaker placement, or heart transplantation). CMR images were analyzed by a consensus of two experienced readers who where blinded to all other data.
Biosynthesis of type I and type III collagens by cultured uterine smooth muscle cells.

Cells derived from human endometrium were grown in culture. Over 90% of the cells in the culture were identified as smooth muscle cells, similar to those found in the endometrial junction. Cells grown to confluency after the 10th population doubling level, 4th passage, were incubated for 24 h at 37°C with 10 μCi per flask of l -[2,3- 3 H]proline, and the radiolabeled collagens thus synthesized were characterized. Collagen plus procollagen (“collagen”) in the culture medium contained about 82% of the total radioactivity incorporated into proteins. In the cell layer, however, “collagen” accounted for only about 30% of the total radioactivity in proteins. About 64% of the “collagen” in the medium was identified as Type I collagen and 36% as Type III collagen. In the cell layer, 74% of the radioactivity was in Type I collagen and 26% in Type III collagen. About 50% of the total Type I “collagen” was isolated from the culture medium and indeed was recovered as collagen, that is very little procollagen was present. In contrast, of the total Type III “collagen” in the culture medium, about 60% was isolated and that fraction was almost all in the form of Type III procollagen. These differences in the amounts of Type III and Type I procollagens isolated from the culture medium suggest possible differences, in culture, of the activities of procollagen peptidases. The biosynthetic ratio of Type I to Type III collagen (3/1) obtained in this study is similar to that reported for smooth muscle cells from human aorta. The uterine cell culture system may offer an excellent model for the exquisitely controlled regulation by hormones of collagen metabolism of the uterus.
Development of microsatellites for genetic analyses and population assignment of the cat flea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae).

Cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouche) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), are common ectoparasites of companion animals that negatively impact their hosts directly by causing dermatitis and blood loss during feeding and indirectly through the potential transmission of disease causing agents. We isolated and characterized seven novel microsatellite loci from a partial genomic library of the cat flea enriched for di-, tri-, and tetranucleotide repeats. We screened these loci in cat fleas from two laboratory colonies and one wild-caught population collected at a temporary animal shelter (Parker coliseum) in Baton Rouge, LA. Six loci were polymorphic, with two to 15 alleles per locus and an average observed heterozygosity of 0.21 across populations. Although the two laboratory cat flea colonies were isolated from each other for many years, they did not significantly differ in their genotypic composition. The cat flea population from Parker coliseum was genetically different from the laboratory colonies, but also showed high degrees of inbreeding. Multilocus genotypes of the polymorphic loci were sufficient to assign over 85% of cat fleas to their population of origin. Genetic markers for flea population identity will allow further studies to examine the origins and movement of cat fleas with important genetic traits such as insecticide resistance or pathogen susceptibility. The use of microsatellites also could determine if there are host-specific strains of cat fleas and add insight into the development of the different subspecies of C. felis.
Model Wall and Recovery Temperature Effects on Experimental Heat-Transfer Data Analysis

Basic analytical procedures are used to illustrate, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the relative impact upon heat transfer data analysis of certain factors which may affect the accuracy of experimental heat transfer data. Inaccurate knowledge of adiabatic wall conditions results in a corresponding inaccuracy in the measured heat transfer coefficient. The magnitude of the resulting error is extreme for data obtained at wall temperatures approaching the adiabatic condition. High model wall temperatures and wall temperature gradients affect the level and distribution of heat transfer to an experimental model. The significance of each of these factors is examined and its impact upon heat transfer data analysis is assessed.
Bulk Breakdown in Rexolite for Non-Uniform Field Geometries and Single Polarity Pulses < 10 μs /sup */

Although there is much written in regards to voltage breakdown of polymeric insulators under AC and DC conditions, much less is written involving Rexolite©(1422), non-uniform field geometries, and impulse conditions. Yet, in order to design optimized pulsed power systems with some desired degree of reliability, understanding the behavior of this type of insulating system is needed. Specifically, Sandia National Laboratory's ZR project, which will use anode plugs in the vacuum stack (thus increasing the electrical stress in the Rexolite insulators), needs to be able to estimate the reliability of these vacuum stack insulators. In an effort to estimate the insulator's lifetime small scale testing is in progress. Nine samples have been tested so far and at least ten more will be tested. Results from the current testing suggest that the Rexolite "ages" from pulse to pulse, that there is some volume dependence on breakdown strength, and that the electrode-vacuum- insulator interface has an affect on the insulator lifetime.
Hyperammonemic Encephalopathy in Urinary Diversion With Urea-Splitting Urinary Tract Infection

• We present two cases of hyperammonemic encephalopathy secondary to urea-splitting urinary tract infection with urinary diversion. One patient had a ureterosigmoidostomy, the other an ileal loop diversion. Neither patient had significant underlying liver disease, but both had considerable muscle atrophy that may have predisposed them to develop hyperammonemia. Medical therapy did not provide long-term control of symptoms. In both cases, hyperammonemic encephalopathy resolved after revision of their urinary diversions. The probable mechanism of the metabolic derangements produced by urea-splitting urinary tract infections is reviewed. We suggest that patients with urinary diversion who develop hyperammonemic encephalopathy secondary to a urea-splitting urinary tract infection be treated with surgical revision of the urinary system to improve drainage and decrease bowel contact time. ( Arch Intern Med. 1990;150:2389-2392)
On the Question of Mode-Specificity in Unimolecular Reaction Dynamics

Unimolecular decomposition following state-specific laser excitation is considered. If the transition state for the unimolecular reaction possesses any geometrical symmetry, then it is shown that this can lead to mode-specificity in the decay rates (i.e., different states with essentially the same total energy and angular momentum react at significantly different rates). This is illustrated for a model problem of two coupled oscillators (the Henon–Heiles potential) and also for the unimolecular dissociation of formaldehyde, H2CO→H2
Dietary selectivity in the field and food preferences in the laboratory for two herbivorous fishes (Cebidichthys violaceus and Xiphister mucosus) from a temperate intertidal zone

Diets and food selectivity of two stichaeid fishes (Cebidichthys violaceus and Xiphister mucosus) from the rocky intertidal zone of the central California coast (USA) were studied at each season of the year by gut content analysis and abundance measurements of potential macrophyte food items. Both fishes, after reaching a standard length of about 44 mm, were almost exclusively herbivorous. The bulk of the diet consisted of 8 to 10 species of chlorophytes and rhodophytes. These main dietary components were chiefly annual seaweeds with high surfaceto-weight ratios (sheetlike forms or small, highly branched forms). Perennial seaweeds were eaten in relatively large amounts only during the winter. Macrophytes eaten in only trace amounts included about 20 species of chlorophytes, chrysophytes, phaeophytes, rhodophytes and a spermatophyte. The small amount of animal material in the diet (never more than 2% by weight) could well have been ingested incidentally while the fishes were feeding on seaweeds. Food preference tests with up to 19 macrophyte species in the laboratory revealed that both fishes chose to eat three annual rhodophytes (Smithora naiadum, Porphyra perforata and Microcladia coulteri) in preference to Ulva lobata, an annual chlorophyte that was more abundant in the diets of field-caught specimens.
Communication during public health emergencies.

(2003). Communication During Public Health Emergencies. Journal of Health Communication: Vol. 8, No. sup1, pp. 144-145.
Implementing public private partnerships during challenging economic times: Case study of the 495 Express Lanes on the Virginia portion of the Washington Capital Beltway Project (USA)

This case study examines the implementation of the 495 Express Lanes – a major public–private partnership (P3) project in the Commonwealth of Virginia outside of Washington, DC. The project was approved by the Virginia legislature in December 2007 and construction was begun in the shadow of the 2008 Economic Crisis. This paper examines the enactment of P3 legislation in Virginia; the role that it played in the design, financing, and construction of this highway project under harsh economic conditions; and its impact on the evolution of P3 policy in the United States.
Search to 25 kbar for a transition in sodium chloride

Abstract This paper presents strong evidence that no structural changes are induced in sodium chloride by hydrostatic pressures up to 26 kbar at room temperature. Dielectric and elastic constant measurements on single crystal sodium chloride were made and no anomalies were observed to suggest the presence of a phase transition.
A new direction for computer architecture research

In the past few years, two important trends have evolved that could change the shape of computing: multimedia applications and portable electronics. Together, these trends will lead to a personal mobile-computing environment, a small device carried all the time that incorporates the functions of the pager, cellular phone, laptop computer, PDA, digital camera, and video game. The microprocessor needed for these devices is actually a merged general-purpose processor and digital-signal processor, with the power budget of the latter. Yet for almost two decades, architecture research has focused on desktop or server machines. We are designing processors of the future with a heavy bias toward the past. To design successful processor architectures for the future, we first need to explore future applications and match their requirements in a scalable, cost-effective way. The authors describe Vector IRAM, an initial approach in this direction, and challenge others in the very successful computer architecture community to investigate architectures with a heavy bias for the future.
Equilibrium existence results for simple dynamic games

The investigation of equilibrium existence in a salient class of multistage games is simplified and generalized by reducing them to singlestage games which correspond also to competitive economies. Thus, economic theory provides much of the motivation as well as method for the study. Working in locally convex topological vector spaces, a fixedpoint theorem of Fan is applied to show the existence of the Nash equilibria studied. En route, but also as a matter of interest in itself, certain topological foundations of the equilibrium analysis used are laid out. A particular feature of generality of the dynamic games studied is that the feasible control regions of individual players are allowed to depend on the past state-history and control-history. Another such feature is that the next-state map is allowed certain nonlinearities.
Proton magnetic resonance spectra and assignments of neostrychnine and 18-oxostrychnine

Abstract The 1H NMR spectra of 18-oxostrychnine and neostrychnine in CDCl3 at 250 MHz were obtained and assigned by means of isotopic substitution, double-resonance techniques. and computer simulation of NMR spectrum. The 1H NMR s spectrum of neostrychnine in 20% C6D6−80% CDCl3 at 250 MHz was obtained in order to collect data on solvent shifts which aided in the spectral assignments. Accurate values for the coupling constants and chemical shifts are reported. The relative stereochemistries of neostrychnine and 18-oxostrychnine have been confirmed.
Relationship of chemical structure to in vitro lipolytic activity of peptides occurring in adrenocorticotropic and melanocyte-stimulating hormones.

Abstract The in vitro lipolytic activities of several peptides related to adrenocorticotropin have been determined with both rabbit and rat adipose tissue. A pentapeptide His.Phe.Arg.Try.Gly was found to have a definite but very low lipolytic activity in the rabbit, and there was a gradual increase in activity as this pentapeptide was lengthened by adding amino acids to give sequences corresponding to the NH2-terminal portion of the ACTH molecule. The melanocyte-stimulating hormones were found to be potent lipolytic agents in the rabbit but comparatively weak ones in the rat. Rat adipose tissue was in general less responsive to the peptides studied than was rabbit tissue, although this was not so with ACTH, which was equally potent on adipose tissue from either species.
Repetitively Negative Changing T Waves at 24-h Electrocardiographic Monitors in Patients With the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Left Ventricular Dysfunction in a Cohort

This study surveys the occurrence of repetitively negative to flat T waves, alternating with normal upright T waves in 24-h electrocardiographic recordings from a subspecialty infectious diseases outpatient practice during the years 1982 to 1990. Patients with normal resting electrocardiogram in the assayed leads, but with repetitively inverted to isoelectric abnormal T waves at Holter monitors, were considered to have abnormal readings. A total of 300 patients had undergone a 24-h Holter monitor. This group included 24 individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). This population was restricted to individuals 50 years old or younger, and the patients with CFS are compared with the patients without CFS. One of the more striking differences between the two groups was the difference in abnormal Holter readings. The patients with CFS all had abnormal Holter readings, while 22.4 percent patients without CFS had abnormal readings (p
What does the 2011 Japanese tsunami tell us about the nature of the global economy

At 14:46 local time on 11 March 2011, a massive earthquake occurred about 100 miles off the east coast of the island of Honshu, Japan. Initially thought to measure 8.9 on the Richter scale but late...
Evaluation of the ruminal effects of supplemental fat in lucerne hay and maize silage rations using rumen evacuation and ruminal metabolite concentrations

Abstract Four mature, rumen-cannulated Hereford × Brahman yearling steers (455 kg) were used in two 4 × 4 Latin square design experiments. Dietary treatments consisted of 3.5 kg per animal day −1 (dry matter basis) of maize silage (Experiment 1) or medium quality lucerne hay (Experiment 2) supplemented with either a maize-soyabean meal control (CON), 5% added fat as rolled whole soyabeans (WSB), 10% added fat as rumen-protected fat (RPF), or 5% added fat as WSB + 5% added fat as RPF (WSB-RPF). After 9-day dietary adjustment periods, the rumen of the steers were completely evacuated 24 h after feeding and samples of rumen liquor collected 3 and 24 h after feeding. In both experiments, steers fed CON generally had less total dry matter (DM) and fiber components remaining in the rumen 24 h after feeding than steers fed supplemental fat. However, the degree of apparent inhibition of ruminal fermentation seemed to depend upon forage type. Steers fed maize silage supplemented with fat (Experiment 1) had 43% more DM remaining in the rumen compared with those supplemented with CON. In contrast, steers fed lucerne hay supplemented with fat (Experiment 2) had only about 5% more DM remaining than those supplemented with CON. Furthermore, although the acetate:propionate ratio was reduced when fat was added to maize silage rations, supplemental fat seemed to have little effect on the acetate:propionate ratio when steers were fed lucerne hay. The RPF source used in these experiments seemed to be only partially inert and negatively affected ruminal fermentation. Based on rumen evacuation and ruminal acetate:propionate ratios, when WSB and RPF were fed together (WSB-RPF) the deleterious effects of RPF on rumen fermentation seemed to decline. Overall, the data are interpreted to suggest that single-time-point complete rumen evacuation represents a viable means for assessing the effects of source and level of supplemental fat on ruminal fermentation.
Computed tomography and blunt abdominal injury: patient selection based on examination, haematocrit and haematuria

Abstract The criteria for ordering abdominal CT scans in the secondary survey of stable bluntly injured patients was examined. A patient population at high risk for having intra-abdominal injury (IAI) was identified by physical examination, a fall in haematocrit, and haematuria. A total of 444 patients receiving abdominal CT scans at a large urban trauma centre were reviewed. IAI was diagnosed in 49 (11 per cent), by radiographic and/or intra-operative findings. Abdominal tenderness was present in all 17 patients who underwent surgery. The sensitivity and specificity of abdominal CT scanning was 90 per cent and 99 per cent, respectively. The abdominal exam had a sensitivity of 63 per cent and a specificity of 65 per cent. A fall in haematocrit ≥5 was not statistically significant. The combined abdominal exam and haematuria yielded a specificity of 93 per cent with a negative predictive value (NPV) of 93 per cent. Early CT scanning of stable patients who had sustained blunt injuries is an effective screen for IAI. The benefit of a CT scan for patients without abdominal tenderness or with an isolated fall in haematocrit is questionable. Serial abdominal examinations should remain the most timely and cost-effective method for identifying IAI in stable patients. The specificity and NPV of abdominal tenderness combined with haematuria approaches that of CT.
Specificity of renal vasodilation with captopril: saralasin prevents the response in the DOCA-treated, salt-loaded rabbit.

Abstract A prominent action of converting enzyme inhibitors, such as captopril, is a reduction in angiotensin II formation, but interpretation of responses has been complicated by the potential for such agents to reduce bradykinin degradation and promote prostaglandin release. To assess the specificity of the action of captopril, we pretreated rabbits with desoxycorticosterone and a high sodium intake, to suppress the renin-angiotensin system and thus maximize the renal vascular responses which might be unrelated to angiotensin II. Captopril was infused intravenously in graded dosage from 10 to 3,000 μg/kg, and renal blood flow measured with an electromagnetic flowmeter. Despite suppression of the renin system, captopril increased renal blood flow from 3.7 ± 0.5 to 5.3 ± 0.8 ml/g/min (p
Surgical gastrostomy for pancreatobiliary and duodenal access following Roux en Y gastric bypass.

Pancreatobiliary access following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) is challenging. We reviewed 32 cases of surgical gastrostomy for complex transgastric upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Retrospective review of prospectively collected database of patients with history of RYGBP that had surgical gastrostomy for pancreatobiliary and duodenal access at a single institution from 2004–2008. Indication for procedure, surgical findings, successful cannulation, and complications are reported. Thirty patients (25 female), with age ranging from 27 to 72, underwent 32 procedures. The indications to access the gastric remnant were sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (13), pancreatitis (six), common bile duct stone/obstruction (five), cholangitis (three), pancreatic mass evaluation (two), gastrointestinal bleed (two), and cystic duct leak after cholecystectomy (one). Mean operative time was 200 min (98–338) and estimated blood loss (mean) 85 cc (10–500). Laparoscopic gastrostomy was attempted in 28 cases with one conversion to open (3.6%). Four planned open procedures were also performed. All 30 patients underwent successful endoscopy and 28 had an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, all with successful cannulation of the pancreatobiliary tree (100%). Surgical gastrostomy is an effective means to gain access to the upper GI tract and pancreatobiliary tree following RYGBP. This technique should be considered when traditional endoscopic approaches are impossible.
Two neuron CNN for hypothesis testing

The two neuron continous time cellular neural network is used to define a statistic in the classical hypothesis testing problem. The proposal is based on a generalisation of the linear Fisher discriminant. The procedure to set the cellular neural network parameters is described and the performance shown on two examples with gaussianly distributed hypothesis. This technique might also be applied to probabilistic classification problems or pattern recognition.
A full electromagnetic simulation of a ground penetrating radar: theory and experiment

Ground penetrating radars (GPRs) are electromagnetic systems used for detecting buried objects in the earth. The electromagnetic analysis of GPRs is complicated by the close proximity of the transmitting and receiving antennas, the surface of the earth and the buried object. Because of this close proximity, separate models for each of the elements when isolated, e.g., one of the antennas in free space, often cannot be combined to analyze the complete system. Other complicating factors are the dissipation and dispersion for the electromagnetic signals in the earth and the clutter caused by buried rocks, roots, etc. A full electromagnetic simulation of a GPR is described which uses the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) numerical method. Results from the simulation are compared with measurements previously made on a one-third size, scale model for the GPR.
Quantification of Total Organic Carbon Content in Shale Source Rocks: An Eagle Ford Case Study

Quantification of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) content in a source rock is essential to assess the development potential of an unconventional reservoir. Although TOC value greater than 1.0-1.5 wt. % is considered as an indicator of a good quality source rock, this information alone is not sufficient. Adequate convertible in-situ organic carbon content is required to generate hydrocarbons that would be commercially producible. The generation index of hydrocarbon is obtained by additional screening processes to determine the level of maturity (LOM) and organic matter type. Together, these processes give further assessment of the potentiality of an unconventional reservoir. Utilization of high resolution log derived data of the reservoir can contribute to overcome most of the constraints of core sampling and provide real time in-situ reservoir characterization. TOC in potential source rocks significantly influences the response of the well-logs collected for the characterization and monitoring purposes. Over the last two decades, several methods/models have been developed to quantify TOC from logs. They are based on measurements of gamma ray, resistivity, density, sonic, neutron, as well as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tools. Several of the well-log derived TOC quantification methods are indirect measurements and require empirical correlations of the log data and geochemical characteristics of the cores while other methods are based on direct measurements from the logs. The accuracy of empirical correlations and quantification methods depends on several factors including the specific characteristics of the organic-rich shale source rock. In this paper, various TOC quantification methods utilizing well-log data are introduced using Eagle Ford shale source rock data. An evaluation and comparison of these methods have been made.
Design inside the Chinese Room

The Chinese Room paradox is about the role of intentionality and consciousness in human decision making. Here I reflect on the possibilities opened up by this paradox in the world of design and its continuous computerization.
Improving Substructure Identification Using Structural Control with Limited Sensor Measurements

Substructure identification is a structural health monitoring technique that identifies a reduced-order model of structural behavior using local vibration measurements. The authors’ prior research on this inherently decentralized technique demonstrated that substructure identification can detect and localize stiffness changes in a shear building. However, identification performance varies from story to story, with parameters of a few stories not satisfactorily identified. To overcome this limitation, the authors and colleagues showed that a structural control device can be used to temporarily change the dynamics of the structure to improve identification performance; however, prior studies assumed full-state feedback, which is not achievable in full-scale implementations. This paper investigates structural control using limited sensor measurements to improve substructure identification. The substructure method is first summarized, followed by an error analysis that can predict a priori the level of error in story parameter estimates. Then, a novel controlled substructure identification procedure is introduced with constraints to ensure that the controlled responses improve substructure identification while reducing overall structural response. State feedback is utilized, with a Kalman filter to estimate states using various sets of acceleration sensor measurements to understand the performance trade-offs. The implementation methodology using an object-oriented programing paradigm is explained; a 3.66-m (12-ft) four-story single-bay steel structure model, subject to low levels of ground motion, is the test bed used for numerical simulations to demonstrate the proposed methodology. The control strategies that include a sensor measuring ground acceleration are shown to be nearly as effective in estimating stiffnesses as the full-state feedback control and all controlled strategies perform better than the uncontrolled case.
The Hierarchical Network Design Problem: A New Formulation and Solution Procedures

In this paper we develop a new heuristic for the hierarchical network design problem. The heuristic is based upon Lagrangian relaxation of a reformulation of the problem. In addition, we develop a branch and bound algorithm to identify the optimal solution for the 5% of the test problems for which the new heuristic failed to do so. This algorithm proved to be very efficient due to the tight bounds generated by the heuristic.
An Experiment Study of Wall Slot Jets Pertinent to Trailing Edge Cooling of Turbine Blades

An experimental study was conducted to quantify the flow characteristics of wall jets pertinent to trailing edge cooling of turbine blades. A high-resolution stereoscopic PIV system was used to conduct detailed flow field measurements to quantitatively visualize the evolution of the unsteady vortex and turbulent flow structures in cooling wall jet streams and to quantify the dynamic mixing process between the cooling wall jet streams and the main stream flows. The detailed flow field measurements are correlated with the adiabatic cooling effectiveness maps measured by using pressure sensitive paint (PSP) technique to elucidate underlying physics in order to improve cooling effectiveness to protect the critical portions of turbine blades from the harsh ambient conditions.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Use of the ThinPrep® Imaging System does not alter the frequency of interpreting Papanicolaou tests as atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance

Automated screening of Papanicolaou tests (Pap tests) improves the productivity of cytopathology laboratories. The ThinPrep® Imaging System (TIS) has been widely adopted primarily for this reason for use on ThinPrep® Pap tests (TPPT). However, TIS may also influence the interpretation of Pap tests, leading to changes in the frequency of various interpretive categories. The effect of the TIS on rates of TPPT interpretation as atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) is of concern because any shift in the frequency of ASC-US will alter the sensitivity and specificity of the Pap test. We have sought to determine whether automated screening of TPPT has altered ASC-US rates in our institution when compared with manual screening (MS) of TPPT.