cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Jupiter's Great Red Spot as a Shallow Water System

Most current models of Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS) are cast in terms of a two-layer model, where a thin upper weather layer, which contains the vortex, overlies a much deeper layer, which is meant to represent the neutrally stratified deep atmosphere. Any motions in the deep layer are assumed to be zonal and steady. This two-layer model is dynamically equivalent to a one-layer model with meridionally varying solid bottom topography, called the reduced-gravity model. Specifying the motions, or lack thereof, in the lower layer of the two-layer model is equivalent to specifying the bottom topography, and hence the far-field potential vorticity, in the reduced-gravity model. Current models of the GRS start by guessing the deep motions and then proceed to study vortices using the implied bottom topography. Here, using the GRS cloud-top velocity data, we derive the bottom topography, up to a constant that depends on the unknown radius of deformation (or equivalently, the product of the reduced gravity and the mean thickness of the upper layer). The bottom topography is inferred from three quantities derived from the velocity data—Bernoulli streamfunction, kinetic energy per unit mass, and absolute vorticity—all of which are functions only of horizontal position in the reference frame of the vortex. Far from the vortex, potential vorticity versus latitude is calculated from the observed cloud-top zonal velocity and the derived bottom topography. The results show that the deep atmosphere is in differential motion and that the far-field potential vorticity gradient changes sign at several latitudes. Numerical shallow water experiments are performed, using both the derived bottom topography and the bottom topographies prescribed by current models. The results of three published studies are reproduced in our numerical experiments. Each of these models is successful in maintaining a long-lived, isolated vortex, but only the present model yields absolute vorticity profiles along streamlines that agree with those observed for the GRS by Dowling and Ingersoll. In all the models, large vortices form by merging with smaller vortices. In the present, observationally based model, and in one other published model, the smaller vortices arise spontaneously because the observed cloud-top zonal velocity profile is unstable. These two models require an additional momentum source to maintain the upper-layer zonal velocity profile. In the other two models, the bottom topography stabilizes the zonal velocity profile. If dissipation is present, the latter two models require an additional source of smaller vortices to maintain the larger one. A crucial unanswered question for the present model, and for Jupiter itself, is how the cloud-top zonal velocity profile is maintained in its present unstable state.
A direct test of the unequal-variance signal detection model of recognition memory.

Analyses of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) almost invariably suggest that, on a recognition memory test, the standard deviation of memory strengths associated with the lures (σlure) is smaller than that of the targets (σtarget). Often, σlure/σtarget ≈ 0.80. However, that conclusion is based on a model that assumes that the memory strength distributions are Gaussian in form. In two experiments, we investigated this issue in a more direct way by asking subjects to simply rate the memory strengths of targets and lures using a 20-point or a 99-point strength scale. The results showed that the standard deviation of the ratings made to the targets (starget) was, indeed, larger than the standard deviation of the ratings made to the lures (slure). Moreover, across subjects, the ratioslure/starget correlated highly with the estimate of σlure/σtarget obtained from ROC analysis, and both estimates were, on average, approximately equal to 0.80.
Interactions Between Floral Resources and Bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in Commercial Alfalfa Seed Fields

We monitored flower resources around 9 Megachile rotundata (F.) bee shelters in 7 commercial seed fields of alfalfa, Medicago sativa L. (Leguminosae) seed fields to understand better the interactions between floral resources and bee pollinators. A composite pattern of floral resource availability demonstrated an initial burst of bloom, followed by a linear decline in total flowers per raceme and an exponential decline in numbers of racemes with open flowers over the season. Open flowers per raceme declined exponentially at a more rapid rate than did total flowers per raceme, and standing crop of nectar sugar declined even more rapidly. Thus, floral resources available to bees declined to low levels within 3–4 wk of bee introduction. Pollinator activity was relatively constant within a week or 2 of release of bees into the fields. Numbers of open flowers and nectar availability declined more rapidly close to bee shelters than at a distance from them. We interpret the rapid decline in floral resources partly as a result of steady pollination over time. The decline in floral resources may contribute to poor bee yields in alfalfa seed fields.
Likelihood, causes, and consequences of focused leakage and rupture of U.S. natural gas transmission pipelines

The safety of pipelines that transport energy (particularly natural gas transmission pipelines) has become an important and controversial issue with the general public. This study provides strong evidence that the US transmission pipeline network is safer than many believe. Published estimates of risk of pipeline failure are typically in the range 1.210-4 to 6.110-4 per kmyr. Risk of pipeline failure differs significantly with diameter, with fatality rates of 4.610-6 per kmyr for larger pipelines and 2.410-6 per kmyr for smaller transmission pipelines. The average injury rate was 1.910-5 per kmyr for smaller pipelines, compared to 5.910-6 per kmyr for larger transmission pipelines. The failure rate for large diameter transmission pipelines is larger, the older the pipeline segment. The joint impact of pipeline diameter and wall thickness on failure rate reveals that increased wall thickness is effective in mitigating risks. Overall, natural gas transmission pipelines have significantly lower fatality rates than do truck or railway transport of hazardous materials. For larger transmission pipelines, the estimated rates for serious injuries (3.010-6 per kmyr) and fatalities (6.310-7 per kmyr) for the public, are at a level generally considered acceptable by most countries. 2014 Elsevier Ltd.
Shopping for the Nation: Women's China Collecting in Late-Nineteenth-Century New England

Hunting for china in rural New England was more than a shopping expedition; it was a patriotic act, a tribute to America's commerce, and a form of historic preservation. Against the backdrops of na...
Our Separate Ways: Black and White Women and the Struggle for Professional Identity

The article reviews the book "Our Separate Ways: Black and White Women and the Struggle for Professional Identity," by Ella L.J. Edmondson Bell and Stella M. Nkomo.
Evolutionary design of a fuzzy knowledge base for a mobile robot

Abstract This paper presents a learning method which automatically designs fuzzy logic controllers (FLCs) by means of a genetic algorithm (GA). A messy coding scheme is proposed which allows a compact and flexible representation of the fuzzy rules in the genotype. It reduces the complexity and size of the rule base, through which the GA is able to solve the design task even for FLCs with a large number of input variables. A dynamically weighted objective function is proposed for control problems with multiple conflicting goals, which prevents the GA from premature convergence on FLCs that are specialized exclusively in the easier subtasks. In order to achieve a robust control behavior for a broad spectrum of control states, a second GA coevolves a set of training situations to evaluate the performance of the FLCs. We employed the method to train an FLC which implements a behavior of a mobile robot. The robot obtains the task of reaching an aiming point and avoiding collisions with obstacles on its way. It perceives its environment by means of ultrasonic sensors, which provide the measured distances to objects as input to the FLC. The knowledge base of the FLC is learnt in a simulation based on a simplified model of the sensors and the environment. The adapted control behavior is tested afterwards in real world experiments with the mobile robot.
Structure and effectiveness of The Citation Identifier, an operational computer program for automatic identification of case citations in legal literature

A computer program for automatic identification of “full form” case citations in legal literature (e.g., Rutherford v. Geddes, 4 Wall. 220, 18 L. Ed. 343; Southland Industries, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission, 1938, 69 App. D.C., 82, 99 F.2D 117) has been developed by this group and is now operational. The level of performance of this program known as “The Citation Identifier” is high. In a recent computer run, The Citation Identifier scanned the full texts of 191 randomly selected decisions of U.S. Court of Appeals (some 400,000 words of running text) and located correctly 2,220 full-form citations out of a total of 2,227 (that is, better than 99% of the total). Only seven misses and three false drops occurred. Of 2,220 full-form citations located correctly, 1944 (87%) were identified perfectly. In addition, there were 276 partial identifications containing two types of errors: (1) partial identifications in which some citation terms were mistakenly lopped off by the program (“short hits”); and (2) partial identifications that contained words improperly included in the citations (“long hits”). Both types of errors are, for the most part, easily correctible and can be largely eliminated by suitable changes in the program. The Citation Identifier operates rather rapidly. In a recent test run, the total time required to process some 400,000 running words of text was approximately 151/2 minutes. This speed could be further increased by suitable changes in the computer program. An extension of The Citation Identifier to reduced-form citations (e.g., “the Geddes decision”, “the Southland Industries case”) is now in preparation.
Credibility of Protection and Incentives to Innovate

In recent trade policy debates it is often argued that temporary protection stimulates innovation. This paper shows that the validity of the argument depends on the perceived credibility of protection policy. If it is suspected that temporary protection will be removed early should innovation occur before its terminal date, the protected firm invests less in R&D than it does under free trade. If it is expected that protection will be extended should no innovation have occurred by its terminal date, investment falls below the free-trade level, and eventually to zero, as the terminal date is approached.
A Multi-Stage Slotted Blade Axial Flow Pump

A multi-stage axial flow pump offers the possibility of savings in space and weight and permits a compact arrangement. The use of slotted blades results in a high pressure rise per stage, thus reducing the necessary number of stages. Analysis of a single-stage pump, with regard to many potential effects of cavitation and flow analysis of the liquid passing through the slot, was made. The same unit was also analyzed with regard to performance both in water and air at respectively lower Reynolds numbers. Subsequently, a nine-stage pump was designed, built, and tested. In this arrangement an evaluation of blade numbers in both stators and impeller was analyzed. The test data showed an unusual phenomenon of increased pressure coefficient as compared with single-stage data.
Environmental structure and the perceived similarity‐satisfaction relationship: Traditional and alternative schools1

The relationship between perceived self-environment similarity and satisfaction with the environment was tested in two differing kinds of organizational structures. It was hypothesized that the perceived similarity-satisfaction relationship was mediated by the salience or importance of the particular reference group involved. Two kinds of public high schools—traditional and alternative—were selected as examples of organizations where the same reference groups (e.g., teachers and students) play differentially salient organizational roles. Using a semantic differential technique, 46 traditional school students and 40 alternative school students rated various reference groups and school satisfactions. Differing patterns of perceived similarity and satisfaction found in the two schools support the notion that organizational structure—as embodied in organizational roles—causes the perceived similarity-satisfaction relationship to be different in different settings. The relationship of the findings to prior research is discussed and the importance of evolving more sophisticated notions of person-environment relationships is stressed.
Improved Face Model Fitting on Video Sequences

Active Appearance Models (AAMs) represent the shape and appearance of an object via two low-dimensional subspaces, one for shape and one for appearance. AAMs for facial images are currently receiving considerable attention from the computer vision community. However, most existing work focuses on fitting AAMs to a single image. For many applications, effectively fitting an AAM to video sequences is of critical importance and challenging, especially considering the varying quality of real-world video content. This paper proposes a hybrid model to address this problem. Both a generic AAM and a subject-specific model are employed simultaneously in the proposed fitting scheme. Experimental results from outdoor surveillance video sequences demonstrate the improved image registration across video frames and faster fitting convergence.
Patient orientated research and clinical trials

The time is now ripe for the ALS community in the United States to set up a national ALS Study Group. NIH and other granting agencies should fund a program to set up and run the ALS Study Group for five years renewable. This program should result in a competitive request for applications. The benefits likely to derive from a national ALS Study Group would include cheaper and more cost‐effective clinical therapeutic trials, the development of better techniques for pilot trials, an increased number of potential new drugs brought from bench to bedside for ALS trials, increased research on biological and surrogate markers of disease, and increased physician‐initiated research.
Effectiveness of government enforcement in driving restrictions: a case in Beijing, China

During the Olympic Games in 2008, a driving restriction based on vehicle license plate numbers was implemented in Beijing to mitigate air pollution and traffic congestion. Following the Games, the restriction was modified several times. This paper investigates the effects of two policy changes: a weakening policy change due to a shorter restricted time period, and a strengthening policy change due to a higher penalty for violators and the complementary car purchasing restriction. By employing a regression discontinuity design in a Tobit model, I find that the weakening policy change led to more pollution and the strengthening policy change improved air quality in restricted areas. Several robustness checks confirm the results. I also provide suggestive evidence that driving restrictions increased the use of public transportation and alleviated traffic congestion.
STUDIES OF THE HEMOLYSIS OF RED BLOOD CELLS BY MUMPS VIRUS : II. THE RELATIONSHIPS OF HEMAGGLUTINATION, VIRUS ELUTION, AND HEMOLYSIS

The relationship between hemagglutination and hemolysis by the mumps virus has been studied under conditions which affect (a) the receptors of chicken red cells and (b) the adsorption and subsequent elution of the virus from these cells. The results show that the hemolytic action of the virus appears to involve some of the same receptor areas of erythrocytes that are implicated in hemagglutination. Materials such as allantoic fluid, egg white, and red cell extract, which inhibit the agglutination of chicken red cells by mumps virus, also interfere with its hemolytic activity. Of these inhibitors, egg white and red cell extract, which are readily destroyed by the virus during incubation at 37°C., exert a greater antagonistic effect on hemagglutination than on hemolysis. Heated mumps virus or unheated influenza virus interferes with the hemolysis of red cells by untreated mumps virus. Though hemolysis takes place during elution of the virus after its adsorption on the red cell, the processes are apparently distinct. The hemolytic activity is easily affected by certain conditions of pH and temperature which have no effect on the ability of mumps virus to adsorb on and elute from red cells.
Alcohol fermentation of sweet potato. I. Acid hydrolysis and factors involved

Factors affecting acid hydrolysis of sweet potato powder (SPP) to fermentable sugars were examined. These include HCl concentration, temperature, time, and levels of SPP. Maximum reducing sugar, reported as dextrose equivalent (DE), was detected after 24 min hydrolysis (1% SPP) in 0.034N HCl heated at 154/degree/C. These samples also had 3.43% hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) based on dry weight. A high level of HMF (9.2%) was detected in 1% SPP heated at 154/degree/C in 0.10N HCl for 18 min. The lowest concentration of HMF formed (1.8%), at maximal DE of 61%, was established in samples containing 5% SPP and heated at 154/degree/C in 0.034N HCl for 48 min. Aqueous extracts of uncured SPP, examined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography, contained glucose, fructose and sucrose, but degraded SPP had only glucose and fructose. Products of degraded SPP, Under appropriate conditions, could be used for alcohol fermentation. 18 refs.
Application of a method for approximating extremals of functionals to compressible subsonic fluid flows

Abstract : A combination variational integral-finite difference technique for extremizing functionals numerically is applied to a fundamental, nonlinear subsonic flow problem. Not only is the flow pattern constructed, but estimates of the critical Mach number, speed, acceleration, and pressure are also obtained. The method is also applied to mark the emergence of a supersonic bubble in problems where this phenomenon occurs. (Author)
The lipooligosaccharide (LOS) of Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup B Strain NMB contains L2, L3, and novel oligosaccharides, and lacks the lipid-A 4′-phosphate substituent

The complete structure of the lipooligosaccharide (LOS) from Neisseria meningitidis strain NMB (serotype 2b:P1.2,5), a serogroup B cerebrospinal fluid isolate, was determined. Two oligosaccharide (OS) fractions and lipid-A were obtained following mild acid hydrolysis of the LOS. The structures in these fractions were determined using glycosyl composition and linkage analyses, N spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. One oligosaccharide fraction (OS1) consists of a molecule having a glycosyl sequence identical to that previously reported for the LOS from immunotype L2 N. meningitidis [A. Gamain, M. Beurret, F. Michon, J.-R. Brisson, and H.J. Jennings, J. Biol. Chem.,267,(112) 922-925] i.e., a lacto-N-neotetraose is attached to heptose I (Hep I), with terminally linked N-acetylglucosaminosyl and glucosyl residues attached to Hep II of the inner core. Approximately 70% of this structure is acetylated at O-6 of the terminally linked alpha-N-acetyl-glucosaminosyl residue. As with the L2 structure, the NMB LOS contained phosphoethanolamine (PEA) at O-6 or O-7 of the Hep II residue. The second oligosaccharide fraction (OS2) contains a a mixture of three different molecules, all of which vary from one another in their glycosyl substitution patterns of the Hep II residue. The most abundant molecule in OS2 has a structure identical to that of OSI, i.e., it has the L2 glycosyl sequence. A second molecule (OS2a) lacks the terminal glucosyl residue at O-3 of Hep II; i.e., it has a glycosyl sequence identical to that of the mild acid released oligosaccharide of N. meningitidis immunotype L3, L4, or L7 LOSs. The third molecule (OS2b) is a novel structure that lacks the terminal N-acetylglucosaminosyl residue linked to O-2 of Hep II. Overall, 76% of OS released from NMB LOS has the L2 structure, 15% is OS2a (L3), and 9% is OS2b. A portion (20%) of the molecules in the NMB LOS preparation also contained terminally linked sialic acid attached to O-3 of the lacto-N-neotetraose galactosyl residue, which is also consistent with the L3, or L4 LOS structures. In contrast to the previously reported structure of N. meningitidis lipid-A [V. A. Kulshin, U. Zahringer, B. Linder, C.E. Frasch, C-M. Tsai, B.A. Dmitriev, and E.T Rietschel, J. Bacteriol., 174, (1992)1793-1800], only 30% of the lipid-A from NMB LOS possesses 4'-phosphate. Comparison with the lipid-A of LOS purified from an isogenic acapsulate mutant, M7, revealed that the 4'-position was almost completely occupied with phosphate. These data emphasize the structural heterogeneity of the OS and phosphate substituents of Hep II, and 4'-phosphorylation of lipid-A of meningococcal LOS.
Control of cell growth by the SCF and APC/C ubiquitin ligases

The ubiquitin–proteasome system plays key roles in the control of cell growth. The cell cycle, in particular, is highly regulated by the functions of the SCF and APC/C ubiquitin ligases, and perturbation of their function can result in tumorigenesis. Although the SCF and APC/C complexes are well established in growth control pathways, many aspects of their function remain unknown. Recent studies have shed light on the mechanism of SCF-mediated ubiquitination and new functions for the SCF complex and APC/C. Our expanding understanding of the roles of the SCF and APC/C complexes highlight the potential for targeted molecular therapies.
Married Fathers and Caring Daddies: Welfare Reform and the Discursive Politics of Paternity

This article analyzes the paternal politics underlying contemporary welfare reform in the United States. Current research on U.S. welfare reform tends to focus on the redefinition of women's responsibilities and social conceptions of motherhood. We contribute to this scholarship by explicating the ways in which reform politics also advance powerful conceptions of fatherhood. Through a discourse analysis of national-level policy debates surrounding new fatherhood legislation, we deconstruct policymakers' views on what constitutes fatherhood. We then compare their discourses to those articulated in interviews with 51 low-income, African American women. From the comparison, we argue that these groups' conceptions of fatherhood diverged in critical ways. Policymakers' constructions prioritized the form of men's paternal relations over the content of those relations—defining fatherhood in terms of men's biological, institutional, or financial connection to their children. By contrast, the low-income women we interviewed prioritized the content of men's paternal relations over their form—conceptualizing fatherhood in terms of men's identification with and participation in paternal activities. By juxtaposing these discourses of fatherhood, our analysis complements feminist research on how ideologies of motherhood influence welfare policies. And by theorizing the differences between these groups' conceptions of fatherhood, we hypothesize about the policy implications of this conceptual divergence.
An Assessment of the Demographic Transition in China

Many Chinese scholars hold the view that demographic transition in China has been completed. Some even argue that the country has already entered a “post-demographic transition period.” Inspired by...
Assessment of Rotator Cuff Tendon Integrity with Single Detector PS-OCT

A clinical need exists for superior technologies to assess the tendon intraoperatively. Polarization sensitive OCT imaging of human rotator cuff tendon can be utilized to assess tendon microstructure. PS-OCT Assessments are highly correlated with histopathology.
Association of bowel rest and ketorolac analgesia with short hospital stay after laparoscopic donor nephrectomy.

Objectives Because of the shortage of cadaveric kidneys for allograft transplantation, laparoscopic donor nephrectomy is becoming a more feasible option. Several large published series have reported hospital stays as long as 3.3 days. We report the positive effect of preoperative bowel rest and the use of ketorolac for postoperative analgesia on reducing the hospital stay after laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. Methods From 2000 to 2005, 300 patients underwent laparoscopic donor nephrectomy at our institution by a single surgeon (P.G.S.). All patients underwent a bowel preparation regimen involving a clear liquid diet beginning 2 days before surgery. Furthermore, two bottles of magnesium citrate were taken orally the day before surgery, and all patients fasted after midnight before surgery. Patients self-administered one Fleets enema the evening before surgery. Postoperatively, the patients received ketorolac 30 mg intravenously every 6 hours for a maximum of 48 hours, with additional narcotics if necessary for analgesia. Results The mean operative time was 180 ± 55 minutes. Typically, patients were admitted the day of surgery and discharged the next postoperative day. The mean donor hospital stay was 1.1 days (range 1 to 3) with no readmissions. More than 97% of our patients were able to tolerate a clear liquid diet, pass flatus, and ambulate the day after surgery. Conclusions With implementation of a strict bowel preparation regimen and the use of ketorolac for postoperative analgesia, the donor length of stay was markedly improved from previously published results. We attribute the shorter hospital stay to the quicker return of bowel function and to less postoperative discomfort.
Fate and transformation of thiocyanate and cyanate under methanogenic conditions

The fate of thiocyanate (SCN−) and cyanate (OCN−) under methanogenic conditions was investigated at 35 °C. Thiocyanate and cyanate were added to mixed methanogenic cultures along with an organic mixture. Thiocyanate was stable under these conditions, and had no adverse effect on methanogenesis at a concentration as high as 2.5 mM. In contrast, cyanate at a concentration as low as 0.3 mM initially inhibited methanogenesis but, after the complete removal of cyanate, methanogenesis gradually recovered. The inhibitory effect of cyanate on methanogenesis became more profound with repeated additions of cyanate. The transformation of cyanate followed the hydrolytic route to ammonia and bicarbonate under anaerobic conditions and its hydrolysis rate was enhanced by microbial activity. Cyanide was not detected as a cyanate transformation product under the methanogenic conditions of this study.
Time-harmonic boussinesq problem for a continuously non-homogeneous soil

An analytical solution is presented for the response of a non-homogeneous, compressible, elastic half-space to a time-harmonic vertical point load on its surface. The shear modulus is assumed to increase continuously with depth. The model is chosen so as to describe uniformly deposited cohesionless soils. Expressions for displacements and stresses in the interior of the half-space medium are derived by means of Hankel transforms and contour integration.
Hospital and Geographic Variability in Two Colorectal Cancer Surgery Outcomes: Complications and Mortality After Complications

Background The purpose of this study was to describe hospital and geographic variation in 30-day risk of surgical complications and death among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and the extent to which patient-, hospital-, and census-tract-level characteristics increased risk of these outcomes.
Oscillatory associative memory network with perfect retrieval

Abstract Inspired by the discovery of possible roles of synchronization of oscillations in the brain, networks of coupled phase oscillators have been proposed before as models of associative memory based on the concept of temporal coding of information. Here we show, however, that error-free retrieval states of such networks turn out to be typically unstable regardless of the network size, in contrast to the classical Hopfield model. We propose a remedy for this undesirable property, and provide a systematic study of the improved model. In particular, we show that the error-free capacity of the network is at least 2 e 2 / log n patterns per neuron, where n is the number of oscillators (neurons) and e the strength of the second-order mode in the coupling function.
Nicardipine as a Ca2+ channel blocker in single barnacle muscle fibers.

A study has been made of the efficacy of nicardipine as a Ca2+ channel blocker by determining the magnitude of its effect on the stimulatory response of the ouabain-insensitive Na+ efflux in single barnacle muscle fibers to 100 mM external K+. The results show that nicardipine (at pH 6.5) is a potent inhibitor, the minimal effective concentration being approx. 10−7 M and the IC50 about 5 · 10−6 M. Nicardipine, however, is not as potent as verapamil (at pH 6.5) on an equimolar basis. This is explained by assuming that the number of dihydropyridine receptors in the t-tubule membranes of barnacle fibers is not high or that verapamil is able to block the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release channel in addition to the voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels.
Determination of theophylline and its metabolites in rat liver microsomes and human urine by capillary electrophoresis

A capillary electrophoretic (CE) method has been developed for the determination of theophylline and all of its identified and potential metabolites. The method is rapid, resolves all metabolites to baseline, and requires extraction of only some biological fluids. It has been applied to the analysis of theophylline metabolism by hepatic microsomes from rats treated with a variety of inducing agents for different forms of P450 enzymes which metabolize theophylline, and to human urine spiked with theophylline and its metabolites, and concentrated by solid-phase extraction.
A Program for Enhancing the Sexual Relationship of Normal Couples

Research in the area of sexual dysfunction has occasionally resulted in development of sex therapy techniques that are applicable and beneficial for nondysfunctional couples as well. The Semans pause technique for extending ejaculatory control or the squeeze technique of Masters and Johnson, for example, have often been recommended as a means of increasing pleasure for nondysfunctional couples who just want their sexual experiences to last longer.
Intent-to-treat analysis of stage Ib and IIa cervical cancer in the United States: radiotherapy or surgery 1988-1995.

Objective: To estimate the patterns of care and outcome of women with early cervical cancer in the United States based on surgical or radiation intent-to-treat principles. Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 1995 public-use file was the data source. Subjects between the ages of 15 and 80 years at diagnosis who were treated for stage Ib or IIa cervical cancer were identified. The 1039 women who comprised the study group were stratified according to age at diagnosis (40 years or less, older than 40 years), primary treatment intent (surgery, radiotherapy), tumor size (4 cm or less, over 4 cm), registry site, and ethnicity. Survival analyses included 784 women who had at least 2 years of follow-up. Results: There were 276 cancers (26.5%) over 4 cm, and 586 (56%) women were older than 40 years at diagnosis. There were 741 (71%) subjects in the surgical intent-to-treat group, and the remainder (298) were in the radiation intent-to-treat group. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated a 5-year survival advantage for women with tumors 4 cm or less who were in the surgical intent-to-treat group compared with the radiation intent-to-treat group (86% and 71%, P < .001). Treatment group was not prognostic for cervical cancers over 4 cm (surgical intent-to-treat compared with radiation intent-to-treat; 72% and 68% survival, respectively). Multivariable analysis confirmed a survival advantage for women with surgical intent-to-treat and tumors of 4 cm or less. Conclusion: In the United States there is a survival advantage for surgical intent-to-treat compared with radiation intent-to-treat for women with tumors 4 cm or less, independent of ethnicity, adjuvant therapy, or age.
War and Economic Crisis: What Would Veblen Say?

The nation’s recent experience with war and economic crisis would hardlyshock Thorstein Veblen. America’s most original radical voice, Veblen has much to teach us about the common predatory origins of war and finance and the tragic consequences of their pursuit. This brief survey of the contemporary relevance of Veblen’s observations about war and economic collapse emphasizes the political foundation of his critical theory. Though widely regarded as an economic thinker, Veblen’s critique of modern business enterprise and its alliance with government rests on an essentially political dissection of what he termed barbaric exploit, the ancient root of war, power politics, the state, and latter day financial conquest. For Veblen, barbarism did not end with the coming of liberal democracy, rule of law or capitalism; its habits of exploit, waste and destruction go marching on.
Computer-assisted Doppler monitoring to enhance detection of air emboli.

Currently, two of the most sensitive clinical approaches commonly used to monitor for venous air embolism, i.e., precordial Doppler audio and capnography, require the attention of the anesthesiologist's eye or ear, which is a distraction from other aspects of care. To assess the feasibility of allowing the computer to relieve the necessity for continuous human monitoring, we developed a computer algorithm for monitoring the precordial Doppler audio. This algorithm extracted (1) the amplitude of certain higher-frequency components of the Doppler audio, (2) a measure of the average value of the envelope of Doppler audio, and (3) the ratio between the average value of the Doppler envelope and the amount of envelope signal variation at heart rate frequency and its multiples. These three features were monitored by an adaptive pattern recognition algorithm that compared each new value for each feature with the previously developed mean and standard deviation for that feature. If the changes in the three features exceeded a detection threshold, an alarm (indicating suspected air embolism) was activated. Implemented as a prototype system, the algorithm was given preliminary testing in 2 dogs and activated alarms at levels of air well below those reported to cause clinically significant hemodynamic changes in dogs. While decreasing the distraction for the anesthesiologist, this early prototype alarm system alerts its user to the need for analysis of the Doppler signals when it senses an air embolus.
Complications of cutaneous surgery in patients taking clopidogrel-containing anticoagulation

Background Most anticoagulants are not associated with increased risk of severe complications during cutaneous surgery, but no data exist on clopidogrel. Objective We sought to determine frequency and severity of perioperative complications in patients taking clopidogrel-containing anticoagulation. Methods This was a retrospective review of medical records of patients undergoing Mohs micrographic surgery at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, while taking clopidogrel-containing anticoagulation between 2004 and 2008, compared with control subjects taking aspirin monotherapy or no anticoagulants. Results In all, 220 patients taking clopidogrel-containing anticoagulation underwent 363 surgical procedures on 268 occasions. Severe complications occurred in 11 of 363 surgical sites in 10 cases. Clopidogrel-containing anticoagulation was 28 times more likely than no anticoagulation and 6 times more likely than aspirin monotherapy to result in severe complications after Mohs procedures ( P P = .022, respectively). Severe complications were 8 times more likely after Mohs procedures in patients taking both clopidogrel and aspirin than in control subjects taking aspirin monotherapy ( P = .009). No statistically significant difference was found between patients taking clopidogrel monotherapy and control subjects not taking anticoagulants ( P = .15). Patients experiencing severe complications were more likely to have larger postoperative surgical sites ( P Limitations Retrospective nature of study, possible recall bias as a result of telephone contact, and small number of severe complications were limitations, which reduced study power. Conclusion Cutaneous surgery in patients taking clopidogrel-containing anticoagulation is associated with an increased risk of nonlife-threatening severe complications.
Geology and geochemistry of the Rainy Lake Area

Abstract Major stratigraphic units in the Rainy Lake area include graywackes (Coutchiching), mafic and felsic volcanic rocks (Keewatin), and conglomerates and associated finer-grained clastic rocks (Seine), Tonalites (Laurentian) intruded the Coutchiching and Keewatin, and, following a period of folding, contributed clasts to the younger Seine sediments. Granitic plutosn (Algoman) were emplaced during a younger igneous and metamorphic event. Radiometric dating places all of the major rock-forming events between 2700 and 2600 Ma ago. Uplift and stabilization 26000 to 2400 Ma ago resulted in widespread retrograde metamorphism and local cataclasis. Compositional differences between the Coutchiching gneisses in Rice Bay and the lower grade graywackes in the Bears Passage belt reflect different source terranes. Major rock types in the Keewatin are massive and pillow basalts of tholeiitic composition, and felsic rhyodacites with quartz phenocrysts; intermediate rocks are uncommon. Gabbroic sills were emplaced in the Keewatin as the volcanic pile thickened, and anorthosite cumulates reflect differentiation of larger bodies of magma. Sills of leucotonalite and leucogranodiorite are abundant at Rice Bay as slightly discordant bodies in the Coutchiching gneisses and in the overlying Keewatin volcanic rocks. Laurentian intrusions are highly sheared and altered tonalites and granodiorites. Algoman intrusions are less deformed, elliptical-shaped plutons of granodiorite and quartz monzonite. The Ottertail Lake Pluton, the largest body, is zoned from biotite-hornblende granodiorite at the margin to leucocratic quartz monzonite at the center. Angular inclusions of Keewatin rocks are abundant at the margin. These decrease in size and angularity inward where they are last recognized as small mafic clots and schlieren in quartz monzonite. The diversity and general bimodal character of the major igneous rocks units have resulted from different source materials, degrees of melting, and the crustal history of the magmas — fractional crystallization and contamination. Keewatin volcanic rocks evolved through differentiation of tholeiitic magmas, and similarities between the rhyodacites and the Laurentian tonalites suggest that these may be related. Leucocratic sills abundant in Rice Bay are not genetically related to the Keewatin rocks but have some similarities to the Algoman rocks. Marked variations in the Ottertail Lake stock probably resulted from both contamination and differentiation. The origin of these magma is not clear but deviation from the same source as the Keewatin rocks is unlikely. With the development and thickening of the crust, a greater diversity of material became available for magmatic recycling.
Strong covalent hydration of terephthalaldehyde

Spectrophotometric and electroanalytical studies indicate that one of the formyl groups of terephthalaldehyde in aqueous solution is present in about 23% as a geminal diol. Stronger covalent hydration of CHO in terephthalaldehyde than in p-nitrobenzaldehyde is attributed to a strong resonance interaction between the two formyl groups.
Reconfigurable Digital/Analog Processor Array for the Simulation of Gene Regulatory Networks

Simulating gene regulatory networks can be very computationally intensive, especially with complex models and large systems. Simple custom circuits, built from passive and active semiconductor devices, can be used to efficiently model and simulate complex networks using a mix of analog and digital computation. Here we present and demonstrate a prototype of an efficient platform which combines a general FPGA architecture with fairly simple, specialized and configurable computational elements. We show how the prototype can be configured to simulate two simple example networks.
Existence of Negative Activation Energies in Simple Bimolecular Metathesis Reactions and Some Observations on Too-Fast Reactions

A large number of reactions of the type R• + HX and R• + X2 have been reported as having negative activation energies (X = I, Br, Cl). These reactions have none of the behavior of reactions that ar...
Phenotypic variation in seedlings of a “keystone” tree species (Quercus douglasii): the interactive effects of acorn source and competitive environment

Blue oak (Quercus douglasii) is a deciduous tree species endemic to California that currently exhibits poor seedling survival to sapling age classes. We used common garden techniques to examine how genetic variation at regional and local scales affected phenotypic expression in traits affecting oak seedling growth and survival. Between-population variation was examined for seedlings grown from acorns collected from a northern, mesic population and a southern, xeric population. Within-population variation was examined by comparing seedlings from different maternal families within the mesic population. Acorns were planted into neighborhoods of an annual dicot (Erodium botrys), an annual grass (Bromus diandrus), and a perennial bunchgrass (Nassella pulchra). By varying the species composition of herbaceous neighborhoods into which acorns were planted, the interactive effects of competition and acorn germplasm source on phenotypic expression could also be examined. Potential maternal effects, expressed as variation in acorn size, were assessed by weighing each acorn before planting. Probability of seedling emergence increased significantly with acorn size in the xeric population but not in the mesic population. Similarly, the effect of acorn size on seedling leaf area, stem weight, and root weight was also population-dependent. At a within-population level, acorn size effects on seedling traits varied significantly among maternal families. In addition to acorn size effects, rates of oak seedling emergence were also dependent on an interaction of population source and competitive environment. Interactions between maternal family and competitive environment in the expression of seedling leaf characters suggest the possibility of genetic variation for plasticity in traits such as specific leaf area. Using carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) as an index of relative water-use efficiency (WUE), higher water use efficiency was indicated for oak seedlings grown in the annual plant neighborhoods compared to seedlings grown in the bunchgrass neighborhood. This trend may represent an adaptive plastic response because, compared to the bunchgrass neighborhood, soil water depletion was more rapid within annual plant neighborhoods.
Resonant Topographic Response of Nearshore Currents to Wind Forcing

Abstract Model calculations and current meter observations are analyzed in the spectral domain and in the time domain to investigate effects of topographic waves on the response of nearshore currents to wind. The spectral response is computed for a shelf forced by a progressive atmospheric wave, and effects of friction and alongshore depth variations are considered. Comparisons are made with results for standing atmospheric waves and with the response of closed basins forced by winds uniform in space and periodic in time. It is found that coastline curvature is rather unimportant for the scales under consideration, and that the alongshore wind component represents the crucial forcing. Spectral model results are then compared with current meter spectra to show the resonant topographic wave character of the response of currents to wind. Time series of observed and computed nearshore currents are compared, and the alongshore momentum balances are considered for models with and without topographic wave effect...
Partial purification of nuclear protein kinase from small dense nuclei of mouse brain and the effect of chronic morphine treatment.

: To deduce whether or not the nuclear protein kinase activity may be responsible for the change in phosphorylation of chromatin proteins during morphine tolerance-dependence, the nuclear protein kinases from small dense nuclei of mouse brain have been partially purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and phosphocellulose column chromatography. Two peaks of cyclic AMP-independent nuclear protein kinase activity are eluted from the phosphocellulose column by a linear NaCl gradient. During morphine tolerance-dependence, the specific activity of peak I, but not of peak 11, is increased significantly relative to placebo controls. This increase in nuclear protein kinase activity may partially account for the elevated chromatin protein phosphorylation in small dense nuclei of mouse brain seen during morphine tolerance-dependence.
Vascular Tissues Are a Primary Source of BMP2 Expression during Bone Formation Induced by Distraction Osteogenesis

Prior studies showed that bone regeneration during distraction osteogenesis (DO) was dependent on vascular tissue development and that inhibition of VEGFR signaling diminished the expression of BMP2. A combination of micro-computed tomography (μCT) analysis of vascular and skeletal tissues, immunohistological and histological analysis of transgenic mice containing a BAC transgene in which β-galactosidase had been inserted into the coding region of BMP2 and qRT-PCR analysis, was used to examine how the spatial temporal expression of the morphogenetic signals that drive skeletal and vascular tissue development is coordinated during DO. These results showed that BMP2 expression was induced in smooth muscle and vascular endothelial cells of arteries and veins, capillary endothelial cells, hypertrophic chondrocytes and osteocytes. BMP2 was not expressed by lymphatic vessels or macrophages. Separate peaks of BMP2 mRNA expression were induced in the surrounding muscular tissues and the distraction gap and corresponded first with large vessel collateralization and arteriole remodeling followed by periods of angiogenesis in the gap region. Immunohistological and qRT-PCR analysis of VEGF receptors and ligands showed that mesenchymal cells, lining cells and chondrocytes, expressed VEGFA, although PlGF expression was only seen in mesenchymal cells within the gap region. On the other hand VEGFR2 appeared to be predominantly expressed by vascular endothelial and hematopoietic cells. These results suggest that bone and vascular tissue formation is coordinated via a mutually supporting set of paracrine loops in which blood vessels primarily synthesize the morphogens that promote bone formation while mesenchymal cells primarily synthesize the morphogens that promote vascular tissue formation.