cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
More long arguments

Evolution Extended: Biological Debates on the Meaning of Life. Edited by Connie Barlow. MIT Press: 1994. Pp. 333. $24.95, £22. 50.
The impact of globalization on human resource management and employment relations in the US automobile and banking industries

Globalization clearly affects employment relations, and we expect that it has a differential impact across ‘varieties of capitalism’. In addition, the way globalization influences employment relations is industry specific. In this article, we examine recent changes to four employment relations practices – remuneration systems, job security, work organization and enterprise governance – in the US automotive and banking industries. We compare the changes in these two key industries and consider whether they correspond to the categorization of the US as a liberal market economy (LME). We find evidence of diverse employment relations practices, many of which are not at all typical of LMEs.
Chronic pain associated with spinal cord injuries: A community survey

Abstract Turner JA, Cardenas DD, Warms CA, McClellan CB. Chronic pain associated with spinal cord injuries: a community survey. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2001;82:501-8. Objective: To investigate, in a community sample of people with spinal cord injuries (SCIs), chronic pain prevalence, associated factors, sites, characteristics, interference with daily functioning, treatments received, and treatment helpfulness. Design: Postal survey. Setting: Community. Participants: Three hundred eighty-four individuals aged over 17 years with SCIs. Main Outcome Measures: Chronic Pain Grade questionnaire, Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, pain sites, and treatments. Results: Current pain was reported by 79% of respondents and was significantly more common in less highly educated persons, and individuals not employed or in school. Most common locations of current pain were the back (61%), hips and buttocks (61%), and legs and feet (58%). Upper extremity pain was experienced by 76% after the injury and by 69% currently. Individuals with tetraplegia were significantly more likely to have neck and shoulder pain than were those with paraplegia. On average, respondents reported a high level of pain intensity and a moderate level of pain interference with activities, and rated treatments received for pain as being only somewhat helpful. Conclusion: Most individuals with SCI experience chronic pain that is refractory to medical treatment. Further research is needed to delineate the causes of, and optimal treatments for, the various pain problems in this population. © 2001 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
MPEG-2 encoded VoD series over fixed wireless channels using ARQ schemes

In this paper, we investigated the possibility and effectiveness of applying ARQ schemes to the transmission of MPEG-2 encoded video streams over fixed wireless links in B- FWANs in video-on-demand services. Simulations were conducted to evaluate the overall system performance, which is then compared to a scheme using FEC with cell interleaving. Important metrics relevant to the broadband video services are analyzed, including the quality of the reconstructed video sequences, the excess delay and delay variation introduced by the ARQ scheme, the throughput, and the required average channel bandwidth. A hidden Markov model was also introduced to model the variation of the wireless channel.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Reliability and validity of Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

This study examined the reliability and validity of the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (M-PTSD) in a sample of Vietnam combat veterans with PTSD (n = 101) and substance-abusing patients without combat-related PTSD (n = 102)
Magnetic performance and tribology of sputter-textured thin film disks

A novel method for fabricating thin film disk media with controlled surface roughness via sputter deposition is described. This technique uses the deposition of a metal nitride such as AlN on a polished substrate to create discrete spherical features. The Cr or Cr alloy interlayer, the magnetic layer and the carbon overcoat are then deposited onto the AlN. The magnetic and mechanical performance of thin film disks fabricated with this technique Is presented and compared to that of a disk made with conventional mechanical texture. It is shown that the disks fabricated with this technique have no texture-induced noise, excellent magnetic performance, and tribological characteristics which make them suitable for high density recording applications.
The Impact of Reading Expressiveness on the Listening Comprehension of Storybooks by Prekindergarten Children

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of oral reading expressiveness on the comprehension of storybooks by 4- and 5-year-old prekindergarten children. The possible impact of...
A correct proof of Huang's theorem on stability

A correct proof of Huang's theorem on the stability of two-dimensional causal recursive digital filters is developed using a maximum modulus theorem for algebraic functions.
Fiber-based endoscopes for 3D combustion measurements: View registration and spatial resolution

Abstract This work investigated the application of fiber-based endoscopes (FBEs) in combustion and flow measurements, especially for multidimensional and quantitative measurements. The use of FBEs offers several unique advantages to greatly reduce the implementation difficulty and cost of optical diagnostics. However, the use of FBEs requires registering the locations and orientations of the FBEs carefully for quantitative measurements, and degrades the spatial resolution of the images transmitted. Hence this work conducted a series of controlled tests to quantify the accuracy of the view registration process and the spatial resolution degradation for FBEs. The results show that, under the conditions tested in this work, the view registration process can be accurate within ±0.5 0 and the FBEs can resolve spatial features on the order of 0.25 mm. The combined effects of such view registration uncertainty and spatial resolution degradation are reflected in the re-projection error, which was shown to be within ±0.5 pixels under typical conditions used in this work. Finally, based on these understanding, experiments were conducted to obtain instantaneous measurements of flame structures at kHz rate using FBE, demonstrating the capability of resolving flame features on the order of 0.2–0.3 mm in three-dimensional.
Pilot Procedure-Following Behavior During Closely Spaced Parallel Approaches

A flight simulator experiment was run to examine pilot procedure-following behavior during closely spaced parallel approaches. Such approaches are being considered under the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) to increase the capacity of runway systems, possibly without the need to increase the footprint of airports. Pilots flying these approaches utilized a simple heuristic to fly the procedure consistently, despite the heuristic being suboptimal for any of the three conditions. Moreover, procedure compliance was relatively low, but noncompliance itself was not unsafe unless accompanied by situation awareness problems. In some cases, noncompliance could be shown to be a better choice than compliance. These results have implications for assumptions regarding procedure-following by pilots utilizing novel procedures in NextGen.
Police officer support for quasimilitary stress training and orientation toward outsiders and nonlaw enforcement functions

This paper is about the meaning of police officers' support for the traditional socialization model of the quasi-military stress academy and its effects on their attitudes toward outsiders and non-law enforcement functions. More specifically, it examines consequences of quasi-military training on attitudes toward civilians in police departments, on serving minority groups and the community, and on criticality ratings of job functions such as mediation, crime prevention and community policing. Based on part of a larger job task survey conducted under the auspices of a state criminal justice training council, it includes over 70 percent of all patrol officers and their first-line supervisors in a rural New England state.
A radar cross-section model for power lines at millimeter-wave frequencies

The knowledge of radar backscatter characteristics of high-voltage power lines is of great importance in the development of a millimeter-wave wire detection system. In this paper, a very high-frequency technique based on an iterative physical optics approach is developed for predicting polarimetric radar backscattering behavior of power lines of arbitrary strand arrangement. In the proposed scattering model the induced surface current is obtained using the tangent plane approximation in an iterative manner where the first-order current, obtained from the incident wave, is used as the source for the second-order current and so on. The approximation is valid for frequencies where the cable strand diameter is on the order of or larger than the wavelength. It is shown that the copolarized backscatter is dominated by the contribution from the first-order PO currents, whereas the cross-polarized backscatter is generated by the second- and higher order PO currents. Using this model, the effects of radar antenna footprint, surface irregularities, and cable sag (when suspended between towers) on radar backscatter are studied. To verify the validity of the proposed model, theoretical results are compared at 94 GHz with experimental results and are found to be in good agreement.
Human Complete Androgen Insensitivity with Normal Dihydrotestosterone Receptor Binding Capacity in Cultured Genital Skin Fibroblasts: Evidence for a Qualitative Abnormality of the Receptor*

Complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS), or so-called testicular feminization, results from the lack of androgen action on target organs. Within this syndrome, two major variants have been described. In the first variant, the specific intracellular androgen receptors are undetectable (CAIS, AR), whereas normal levels of androgen receptors are measured in the second variant (CAIS, AR+). From studies with cultured labial skin fibroblasts of three CAIS, AR+ patients from the same family, we have demonstrated that their androgen receptors present qualitative differences when compared to normal receptors: 1) the apparent affinity constant (Kd) of 5αdihydrotestosterone for the receptor is higher than normal; 2) the in vitro dissociation rate of the receptor-steroid complex is faster than normal: 3) the cellular androgen receptor is more thermolabile than normal when cells are exposed to superphysiological temperatures; and 4) the relative binding affinity of the androgen receptor for progesterone is gre...
Intraepithelial carcinoma of the anus in homosexual men.

Anal warts (condylomata acuminata) from seven homosexual men revealed intraepithelial carcinoma (carcinomain situ) within the condylomatous tissue or in adjacent anal mucosa. All lesions displayed morphologic evidence of papillomavirus infection and two of the seven revealed histologic changes characteristic of herpes simplex infection. This association of viral infection with malignant transformation indicates that persistent or recurrent anal warts should be excised and thoroughly examined by histologic techniques. Since four of the seven patients had histories suspicious for or diagnostic of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), we further suggest that homosexual men with persistent or recurrent perianal lesons be evaluated for the presence of the syndrome.
Student Socio-Economic Status and Counselor Contact in Junior High School

Cumulative records over 3 years for 196 junior high school sophomores were analyzed to assess the effect of socio-economic status of students on counseling exposure. Statistical significance was found between socio-economic status of the student and both the frequency with which he was referred to the counselor and the problem areas discussed. Frequency of counselor contact was not significantly associated with student socio-economic status. Where the counselors initiated the interviews, they apparently did so only in keeping with administrative policies. The differences that did occur arose when parents or, less frequently, the students themselves, initiated the interviews. Here, socio-economic status appeared to play a crucial and singular role.
Qualitative analysis: The art of building bridging relationships:

In a recently published special issue of Qualitative Inquiry, the opening editorial entitled, ‘‘Qualitative data after coding’’ sets out the issue’s premise, dealing with the gap between theory and methodology (St. Pierre and Jackson, 2014). The title’s reference to ‘‘after coding’’ does not mean after—as in following the activity of coding—but rather after, as in an era post-coding in which coding is no longer touted as the building block of qualitative analysis. Reminding us of Patti Lather’s characterization of qualitative analysis as a ‘black hole’, the issue’s co-editors, Elizabeth St. Pierre and Alecia Jackson, argue that this black hole is so difficult to ‘‘describe and explain to the non-positivist’’ that ‘‘we have resorted to equating qualitative data analysis with coding.’’ (p. 715). St. Pierre and Jackson trace the coding problem to decades of defending interpretative qualitative inquiry against critiques stemming from ‘‘scientifically based research’’ which confounded already ‘‘confused epistemological and ontological commitments.’’ The end result, they conclude, is ‘‘a social science approach that claims to be interpretive supports a positivist, quasi-statistical analytic practice—coding data’’ (St. Pierre and Jackson, 2014 p. 715). It is a custom that is Qualitative Social Work 2015, Vol. 14(2) 145–153 ! The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1473325015571210 qsw.sagepub.com
Internal stress measurments during the saturation fatigue of polycrystalline aluminum

Abstract The internal stress and the effective stress were measured using stress relaxation techniques for 99.988% purity polycrystalline aluminum containing a well-defined cellular dislocation microstructure characteristic of large amplitude low cycle fatigue. Room temperature stress relaxation measurements were carried out after cyclic saturation at constant plastic strain amplitude and constant total strain rate as a function of location within a particular hysteresis loop. Measurements of stress relaxation at the tensile and compressive hysteresis loop tips show the dependence of internal and effective stress on plastic strain amplitude and strain rate. Both the internal stress and the effective stress were found to exhibit cyclic behavior representable by a hysteresis loop on each strain reversal. The internal stress was insensitive to strain rate while the saturation stress and the effective stress showed significant rate dependences. Both the internal stress and the effective stress increased with strain amplitude. The stress sensitivity exponent of the strain rate was determined from the variation in the effective stress with rate both during a given hysteresis loop and during strain rate changes and was found to decrease with increasing strain amplitude. The findings are discussed in the context of dislocation velocity and mobile dislocation density contributions to the strain rate sensitivity from which it is suggested that the mobile dislocation density decreases with increasing strain amplitude and strain rate. Plastic strain changes during stress relaxation suggest that the mobile density during saturation fatigue is equivalent to one mobile dislocation segment per dislocation cell.
Trajectory optimization for domains with contacts using inverse dynamics

This paper presents an algorithm for direct trajectory optimization in domains with contact. Since contacts and other unilateral constraints may introduce non-smooth dynamics, many standard algorithms of optimal control and reinforcement learning cannot be directly applied to such domains. We use a smooth contact model that can compute inverse dynamics through the contact, thereby avoiding hybrid representation of the non-smooth contact state. This allows us to formulate an unconstrained, continuous trajectory optimization problem, which can be solved using standard optimization tools. We demonstrate our approach by optimizing a running gait for a 31-dimensional simulated humanoid. The resulting gait is demonstrated in a movie attached as supplementary material. The optimization result exhibits a synchronous motion of the arm and the opposite leg, eliminating undesired angular momentum; this is a key feature of bipedal running, and its emergence attests to the power of the optimization process.
Fatty acid profiles of phospholipids in rabbit and bovine dental pulp.

Abstract The fatty acid profiles of purified phospholipids were similar in dental pulp from rabbit and bovine teeth. The characteristic fatty acid profile of each phospholipid was similar to that found in several other mammalian tissues. The ethanolamine phosphoglycerides had high levels of arachidonic acid and docosapolyenoic acids. Phosphatidylserine and phosphatidic acid contained high amounts of stearic acid and low levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin contained high amounts of palmitic acid and low levels of C20 and C22 unsaturated fatty acids, and sphingomyelin contained C24 fatty acids. Phosphatidylinositol contained mainly stearic, oleic, and arachidonic ACIDs. The fatty acid compositions of the purified pulp phospholipids are markedly different from those reported for dentin lipids which have been reported to contain little or no arachidonic acid and docosapolyenoic acids. The possible significance of the polyunsaturated fatty acids and phospholipids in tooth formation and maintenance is discussed.
The force of change in the management of squamous-cell cancer of the anal canal.

International Society of University Colon and Rectal Surgeons. In the past, these articles have been published as they were received. In this issue, we have p u t together a number of these articles and, in the future, will place articles f rom this meeting in one issue. We are doing this in an attempt to more clearly define the source of these articles for the readers. The Editorial Board hopes you will f i nd this helpful.
Conditions for circularly polarized plane wave propagation in a linear bianisotropic medium

Derived here are four conditions that must be satisfied by the constitutive parameters of a linear, homogeneous, bianisotropic medium for it to support the propagation of a circularly polarized plane wave along a fixed axis.
WATER QUALITY AFTER LOGGING SMALL WATERSHEDS WITHIN THE BULL RUN WATERSHED, OREGON

ABSTRACT: Road building, clearcutting 25 percent of the watershed, and slash disposal by broadcast burning or by natural decomposition caused changes in water quality of two small streams in the Bull Run Watershed in Oregon, which supplies water to the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area. Concentrations of suspended sediment increased slightly, primarily owing to construction of a permanent logging road that crossed streams. Changes in nutrient cycling occurred due to logging and slash disposal in both watersheds where cutting was done. NO3-N concentrations, which increased most where logging residue was left to decompose naturally, increased more than sixfold and commonly exceeded 100 pg/i during the October-June high-flow season for seven years after logging. Where logging slash was broadcast burned, NO3-N concentrations increased roughly fourfold, but rarely exceeded 50 μg/l, and increases had mostly disappeared six years after slash burning. Changes in outflows of cations and other anions were not apparent. Annual maximum stream temperatures increased 2–3°C after logging, but temperature increases had mostly disappeared within three years as vegetation regrowth shaded the streams.
Commentary on "a roadmap for the prevention of dementia II. Leon Thal Symposium 2008." Recruitment of participants for Alzheimer's disease clinical trials: the role of trust in caregivers, clinical researchers, regulatory authorities, and industry sponsors.

A major barrier to progress in Alzheimer's disease treatment research is the increasingly difficult task of recruiting elderly participants into clinical trials. We conducted an anonymous online survey of 676 adults (average age, 50 years) to examine perceived trust in different components of our healthcare-delivery and clinical-research systems, as well as willingness to participate in clinical trials. Respondents indicated the greatest amount of trust in family members, followed by family physicians. Only 3% of respondents “completely” trusted clinical researchers, whereas 62% of respondents trusted them “somewhat” to care for them during the course of a clinical trial. Trust in clinical researchers was modestly negatively correlated with income (r = −0.165, P < .001), but was not significantly related to sex, race, or education. Respondents indicated the least amount of trust in industry sponsors, followed by regulatory authorities.
The serum sensitivity, colonial morphology, serogroup specificity, and outer membrane protein of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from several clinical sites.

Abstract Ninety-three strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa , isolated from 68 patients hospitalized with respiratory tract infections, burns, urinary tract infections, and other illnesses, were examined for: 1) sensitivity to the bactericidal activity of fresh normal human serum (FHS); 2) colonial morphology; 3) serogroup designations; and 4) outer membrane protein (OMP) profile. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was any relationship between any of these microbial characteristics and the propensity of this microorganism to infect a specific clinical site or tissue. The results of this study can be summarized as follows: 1) slime-producing strains were generally more serum-sensitive than non-slime producers, although serum sensitivity was not related to slime production per se; 2) CF strains were much more serum-sensitive than non-CF strains; 3) the clinical isolation site appeared to be the predominant determinant of a strain's sensitivity to FHS; 4) the ability of P. aeruginosa to colonize/infect a specific clinical site or resist the bactericidal activity of FHS was generally unrelated to serogroup specificity; and 5) whereas the OMP profile of a particular strain does not appear to correlate with its response to the bactericidal effect of FHS, it does appear to be related to its clinical isolation site.
Investigating regional mobility in the southern hinterland of the Wari empire: Biogeochemistry at the site of Beringa, Peru

Empires have transformed political, social, and environmental landscapes in the past and present. Although much research on archaeological empires focuses on large-scale imperial processes, we use biogeochemistry and bioarchaeology to investigate how imperialism may have reshaped regional political organization and regional migration patterns in the Wari Empire of the Andean Middle Horizon (ca. AD 600-1000). Radiogenic strontium isotope analysis of human remains from the site of Beringa in the Majes Valley of southern Peru identified the geographic origins of individuals impacted by the Wari Empire. At Beringa, the combined archaeological human enamel and bone values range from (87)Sr/(86)Sr = 0.70802 - 0.70960, with a mean (87)Sr/(86)Sr = 0.70842 ± 0.00027 (1σ, n = 52). These data are consistent with radiogenic strontium isotope data from the local fauna in the Majes Valley and imply that most individuals were local inhabitants, rather than migrants from the Wari heartland or some other locale. There were two outliers at Beringa, and these "non-local" individuals may have derived from other parts of the South Central Andes. This is consistent with our understanding of expansive trade networks and population movement in the Andean Middle Horizon, likely influenced by the policies of the Wari Empire. Although not a Wari colony, the incorporation of small sites like Beringa into the vast social and political networks of the Middle Horizon resulted in small numbers of migrants at Beringa.
Getting Foxy: Invoking Different Magesteria in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Higher education has seen an increase in the number of faculty conducting scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). Unfortunately, the momentum of this movement is somewhat thwarted by debates over which methodology should take center stage. The discussion often pitches quantitative experimentation against qualitative approaches and mistakenly represents each method as characterizing the domains of social science and the humanities, respectively. Does one methodology reign supreme? In this article I argue that not only are the humanities and the social sciences misrepresented, but both methodologies have a lot to contribute to SoTL. The social sciences and humanities, in fact, share many methodologies although they are each sometimes characterized as separate magisteria. I enumerate specific reasons why stereotypical social science methodology and that of the humanities are both useful for SoTL. I draw special attention to the time and place for statistical analyses and advocate for a ‘fox-like’ strategy to SoTL, one that involves utilizing mixed-methods research designs, and the collection of both quantitative and qualitative evidence.
Endothelial factors in the regulation of renin release.

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is one of the major hormonal systems involved in the long-term regulation of blood pressure. The release of renin is the rate limiting step in the activation of this system. As a result, it is important to understand the factors involved in the regulation of renin release to extend our knowledge of the role of this system in cardiovascular regulation. Extensive research has revealed that renin release may be affected by many local and circulating factors. Rather than review this vast literature, the reader is directed to several recent reviews of this topic [1–5]. This review focuses on the regulation of renin release by local factors that are formed by the endothelial cells of blood vessels and forwards the hypothesis that endothelial factors are important in the control of renin release. Renin is synthesized and released from the juxtaglomerular cells [1, 5]. These cells are modified smooth muscle cells and are located in the media of the afferent arteriole. The endothelial cells which line the lumen of the afferent arteriole are in close anatomical proximity to the juxtaglomerular cells and may release local hormones which alter juxtaglomerular cell function. Specifically, in recent years, it has become apparent that endothelial cells release a number of vasoactive hormones, growth factors and other soluble mediators which may affect juxtaglomerular cells and renin release [6, 7]. Some of these factors include eicosanoids such as PGI 2 and PGE 2 , endothelial derived relaxant factors (EDRF) which may include nitric oxide, endothelial-derived constrictor factors including endothelin, endothelial-derived growth factor, procoagulant factors, tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor. Additionally, endothelial cells form a barrier between the blood and the renin secreting cells so circulating hormones must first interact with the endothelial cells before reaching the juxtaglomerular cells. This raises the possibility that the action of circulating hormones on renin release may be mediated by a direct action on the juxtaglomerular cell or through stimulation of an endothelial factor then affects renin release. Furthermore, several endothelial hormones as PGI 2 and EDRF are released in response to stretch or shear stress [8, 9]. These hormones may function as the chemical mediators of the changes in renin release caused by these mechanical forces. Thus, the available information suggests that the endothelium may play a pivotal role in the regulation of renin release. Several of the endothelial-derived hormones with effects on renin are discussed in sequence below.
Adrenal function during prolonged lactation.

SummaryAdrenal corticosterone content and concentration decreased linearly from days 16 to 32 of lactation. Peripheral plasma concentrations of corticosterone in lactating rats were higher than the resting levels measured in virgin rats. However, corticosterone concentrations in plasma did not change significantly between days 16 and 32 of lactation. Rats killed at day 32 of lactation had a greater plasma corticoid binding globulin (CBG) activity than rats killed at days 16 and 24. Adrenal corticosterone content was correlated significantly with mammary gland RNA, DNA, and litter weight gain. The data support the concept that adrenal secretions may be rate limiting to milk synthesis during prolonged lactation.
The free and buried tyrosyl and histidyl groups in bovine fibrinogen.

Abstract Bovine fibrinogen has been examined by chemical modification techniques using N-acetyl imidazole and 1-H-diazonium tetrazole to determine the free and buried tyrosyl and histidyl residues in the molecule. The data indicates that bovine fibrinogen contains 6 to 8 buried histidyl and 20–21 buried tyrosyl residues. Reaction of bovine fibrinogen with N-acetyl imidazole indicated that 35 tyrosyl groups are exposed in the molecule. At lower urea concentrations this value increases to 80 tyrosyl groups. The remaining tyrosyl groups are inaccessible to the reagent at urea concentrations up to and including 8 M.
Long-Term Risk of Aortic Events Following Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients With Bicuspid Aortic Valves

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is associated with ascending aortopathy predisposing to aneurysmal dilatation and dissection, even after successful aortic valve replacement (AVR). There is, however, scant evidence on which to make recommendations for prophylactic replacement of the ascending aorta at the time of AVR. The medical records of patients who underwent AVR for BAV without aortic replacement or repair from 1960 to 1995 were reviewed. Follow-up was by review of the medical record and postal questionnaire. Among 1,286 patients, the mean age at operation was 58 ± 14 years. During the follow-up interval (median 12 years, range 0 to 38), there were 13 documented aortic dissections (1%), 11 ascending aortic replacements (0.9%), and 127 documented cases of progressive aortic enlargement (9.9%). Fifteen-year freedom from aortic dissection, enlargement, or replacement was 89% (95% confidence interval [CI] 87% to 91%) and was lower in patients with documented aortic enlargement at the time of AVR (85%, 95% CI 81% to 89%) compared to those whose aortic dimensions were normal (93%, 95% CI 90% to 96%) (p = 0.001). Multivariate predictors of aortic complications included interval (subsequent) AVR (hazard ratio [HR] 3.5, 95% CI 2.3 to 5.4, p <0.001), concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (HR 2.6, 95% CI 1.7 to 4.0, p <0.001), enlarged aorta (HR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3 to 2.6, p = 0.001), and history of tobacco abuse (HR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2 to 2.6, p = 0.003). Aortic dilatation did not predict mortality. In conclusion, despite a true risk for aortic events after AVR for BAV, the occurrence of aortic dissection was low. Any incremental surgical risk imposed by prophylactic replacement of the ascending aorta must be equally low.
Severe restrictive lung disease in systemic sclerosis

Objective We sought to identify risk factors for developing severe restrictive lung disease and to determine the time of onset and rate of progression in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods Using the University of Pittsburgh Scleroderma Databank, we grouped patients according to their lowest forced vital capacity (FVC) value: > 75% predicted, 50-75% predicted, and Results Of 890 SSc patients, 60% (n = 531) never had an FVC Conclusion In SSc patients, black men with early disease who have cardiac involvement are the most likely to have factors associated with the development of severe restrictive lung disease (which is increasingly becoming a major cause of death). Disease subtype (diffuse versus limited cutaneous) and serum anti-topoisomerase I antibody do not differentiate between moderate and severe restrictive disease. Careful monitoring of pulmonary function early in the disease, when the greatest loss of lung function occurs, may help identify patients likely to respond to new therapy.
Informed Consent: A Critical Part of Modern Medical Research

Informed consent is one of the great puzzles of modern medical research and practice. As Professor Henderson has argued in her article, there is ample reason to be concerned that many, and maybe all, of the goals announced for informed consent law and ethics have not been reached. In this article, I will review the goals that theorists and judges have assigned to the doctrine and discuss some of the evidence concerning the difficulties of meeting those goals. Finally, I will suggest some of the reasons that might account for our continued commitment to informed consent despite its difficulties.
Characterization of human brain nicotinamide 5′-mononucleotide adenylyltransferase-2 and expression in human pancreas

NMNAT (nicotinamide 5'-mononucleotide adenylyltransferase; EC 2.7.7.1) catalyses the transfer of the adenylyl group from ATP to NMN to form NAD. We have cloned a novel human NMNAT cDNA, designated hNMNAT-2, from human brain. The cDNA contains a 924 bp open reading frame that encodes a 307 amino acid peptide that was expressed as a histidine-patch-containing thioredoxin fusion protein. Expressed hNMNAT-2 shared only 35% amino acid sequence homology with the human NMNAT enzyme (hNMNAT-1), but possessed enzymic activity comparable with hNMNAT-1. Using human genomic databases, hNMNAT-2 was localized to chromosome 1q25 within a 171 kb gene, whereas hNMNAT-1 is on chromosome 1p32-35. Northern blot analysis revealed highly restricted expression of hNMNAT-2 to brain, heart and muscle tissues, which contrasts with the wide tissue expression of hNMNAT-1; different regions of the brain exhibited differential expression of hNMNAT-2. Substitution mutations of either of two invariant residues, His-24 or Trp-92, abolished enzyme activity. Anti-peptide antibody to a unique epitope within hNMNAT-2 was produced, and immunohistochemical analysis of sections of normal adult human pancreas revealed that hNMNAT-2 protein was markedly expressed in the islets of Langerhans. However, the pancreatic exocrine cells exhibited weak expression of hNMNAT-2 protein. Sections of pancreas from insulinoma patients showed strong expression of hNMNAT-2 protein in the insulin-producing tumour cells, whereas acinar cells exhibited relatively low expression of hNMNAT-2 protein. These data suggest that the unique tissue-expression patterns of hNMNAT-2 reflect distinct functions for the isoforms in the regulation of NAD metabolism.
THE RELATION BETWEEN RATE OF TRANSPIRATION AND RATE OF ABSORPTION OF WATER IN PLANTS

THE MOST FIUNDAMENTAL phase of plant water relations in respect to effect on growth is the internal water balance or degree of saturation of the tissues. This is determined by the relative rates of absorption and transpiration. The ratio of absorption to transpiration is therefore more important than the absolute rate of either process. Rapid transpiration may not be harmful in itself if accompanied by sufficiently rapid absorption so that no long-continued saturation deficit or loss of turgidity results. On the other hand, very moderate transpiration may be injurious if the rate of absorption is very slow, as in frozen soil, and a serious saturation deficit is developed in the plant. In spite of recognition of the importance of the ratio between transpiration and absorption, very few simultaneous studies of the two processes have been made on plants rooted in soil. Vesque (1878), who seems to have carried out the first careful investigation of this problem, observed the behavior of bean and Ner-iwm plants by placing their roots in water in a potometer. He found that absorption was not always proportional to transpiration, but that usually near mid-day transpiration much exceeded absorption. If transpiration was decreased or increased by varying environmental conditions, corresponding changes in absorption soon occurred. Vesque concluded that his results supported the view that transpiration is instrumental in bringing about the absorption of water. By the use of potometers MVlontfort (1922) and Lachenmeier (1932) investigated the relative rates of absorption and transpiration of plants growing in liquid media, but they obtained rather contradictory results. Montfort found that transpiration tended to exceed absorption, while Lachenmeier found that over a period of time, both in light and in darkness, absorption exceeded transpiration. Werner (1936) developed a technique for growing plants in such a manner that the shoots could be weighed independently of the roots. He reported variations in weight of the shoot in the course of a day, which were ascribed to changes in water content resulting from inequality in rates of transpiration and absorption. The relation between absorption and transpiration of cut branches has been studied by several investigators. Lloyd (1912) reported that the transpiratio.n of cut branches of Fouqueria splendens exceeded absorption during the day, but absorption exceeded transpiration at night. Stefanoff and Stoickoff (1932) compared absorption and water loss of cut branches of a number of tree species and found that absorption lagged considerably behind transpiration in some species, but very little in others. They ascribed the variation to differences in efficiency of the conducting systems. Measurements made on cut
TEST OF CURRENT-DEPENDENT ELECTRIC FIELDS

Abstract The possibility that the motion of conduction electrons is the source of a second-order electric field proportional to the square of the charge-carrier velocity ν has been discussed over the years. In order to examine this possibility a beam-power radio tube with all of its related power supplies and circuitry was placed within a Faraday cage. An electric field produced by the motion of the electrons would manifest itself outside the cage as if the cage had become charged with a magnitude proportional to kv 2 c 2 where k is a constant dependent upon theoretical parameters. The current in the tube was pulsed while monitoring the electric potential between the cage and ground. No pulse-correlated potential change was observed. The upper limit on |k| is determined to be 0.013.
Bandwidth requirement and state consistency in three multiplayer game architectures

Multiplayer games become increasingly popular, mostly because they involve interaction among humans. Typically, multiplayer games are organized based on a Client-Server (CS) or a Peer-to-Peer (PP) architecture. In CS, players exchange periodic updates through a central server that is also responsible for resolving any state inconsistencies. In PP, each player communicates with every other player while state inconsistencies are resolved through a distributed agreement protocol.In this paper, we first examine these architectures from two perspectives: bandwidth requirement at the server and players, and latency to resolve any player state inconsistencies. Our results are based on both analysis and experimentation with an open-source game called "BZFlag". The CS architecture is not scalable with the number of players due to a large bandwidth requirement at the server. The PP architecture, on the other hand, introduces significant overhead for the players, as each player needs to check the consistency between its local state and the state of all other players. We then propose an architecture that combines the merits of CS and PP. In that architecture, called Peer-to-Peer with Central Arbiter (PP-CA), players exchange updates in a peer-to-peer manner but without performing consistency checks. The consistency of the game is checked by a central arbiter that receives all updates, but contacts players only when an inconsistency is detected. As a result, the central arbiter has a lower bandwidth requirement than the server of a CS architecture.
The HLA polymorphism and susceptibility to disease.

. Remarkable differences were observed when 1,465 healthy Caucasian individuals and 128 healthy Negro individuals were compared for the genetic distribution of 25 different HLA antigens. Caucasians had a significantly higher frequency of A1, A3, B8, and Bw16, and Negroes of A28 and Aw30. The haplotype which had the highest incidence as well as the greatest positive linkage disequilibrium was A1-B8 among Caucasians and A2-B12 among Negroes. Genetic distance between the two races was 0.0592. The 89 Caucasian patients with renal failure did not demonstrate any significant deviations in phenotype frequencies (PF) of various antigens, when compared with healthy Caucasians; however, 48 similar Negro patients had twice as high an incidence of Bw17 as the healthy Negroes. No significant deviation in PF was observed in 77 Caucasian patients who had leukemia; however, 32 Caucasian patients who had back pain (24 also had back stiffness) due to spondylitic, arthritic or disc syndrome, had a significant increase of Bw16 and of B27, and a decrease of B12, when compared to Caucasian controls.
Expression of hepatic insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 genes is transcriptionally regulated in streptozotocin-diabetic rats.

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF-binding protein-1 (BP-1) are critical cell regulators, with regulation and action in endocrine, paracrine, and autocrine modes. Although IGF-I and BP-1 are thought to be modulated mainly at the level of synthesis, underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. To examine regulation by insulin, we used run-on assays to measure IGF-I and BP-1 gene transcription rates in nuclei isolated from the livers of normal and diabetic rats. Streptozotocin (STZ)-treated rats exhibited 20-25% weight loss, a 2.5- to 3-fold increase in serum glucose, and a 50-60% fall in circulating IGF-I levels (all P less than 0.001). Diabetic animals also had a 45% reduction in hepatic IGF-I mRNA and over 400% increases in BP-1 mRNA (both P less than 0.005); all parameters were restored toward normal after treatment with insulin. Metabolically responsive IGF-I gene transcription was evaluated effectively with a 3.2-kilobase BglII/EcoRI genomic probe located down-stream from all initi...
High Temperature Broadband Dielectric Properties Measurement Techniques

This paper discusses theoretical and practical aspects of the development and implementation of various measurement techniques for high-temperature broadband microwave characterization of materials at the University of Utah. Objectives include materials measurements in the frequency range from 45 MHz to 12 GHz and for temperatures as high as 1000°C.
Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung report of a case.

The case history of a male child is reported. At the ages of five and fifteen months he suffered attacks of left upper lobar pneumonia. When nineteen months old, he underwent a lobectomy because of persistent air trapping in this lobe, accompanied by mediastinal displacement to the right side. He has since made a good recovery. From the pathological findings, congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation was diagnosed. Various aspects of this rare condition are discussed.
A Multilevel Latent Growth Curve Approach to Predicting Student Proficiency.

Value-added models and growth-based accountability aim to evaluate school’s performance based on student growth in learning. The current focus is on linking the results from value-added models to the ones from growth-based accountability systems including Adequate Yearly Progress decisions mandated by No Child Left Behind. We present a new statistical approach that extends the current value-added modeling possibilities and focuses on using latent longitudinal growth curves to estimate the probabilities of students reaching proficiency. The aim is to utilize time-series measures of student achievement scores to estimate latent growth curves and use them as predictors of a dichotomous outcome, such as proficiency or passing a high-stakes exam, within a single multilevel longitudinal model. We illustrated this method through analyzing a three-year data set of longitudinal achievement scores and California High School Exit Exam scores from a large urban school district. This latent variable growth logistic model is useful for (1) early identification of students at risk of failing or of those who are most in need; (2) a validation or/and adequacy of student growth over years with relation to distal outcome criteria; (3) evaluation of a longitudinal intervention study.
The effects of bubble size on microflotation

Abstract Microflotation has been shown to be an efficient process for the removal of various colloidal sized impurities from water and waste water. Laboratory studies have shown that for this purpose very small bubbles are required. This study is to determine the effects of concentration of frother (ethanol) and collector (lauric acid) upon bubble size and upon efficiency of humic acid removal. Bubble sizes were measured photographically and humic acid removals determined spectrophotometrically. Ethanol was varied from 0.25 to 7.50 ml l −1 and lauric acid from 0 to 100 mg l −1 concentration. Initial humic acid concentration was 50 mg l −1 and 0.0005 m aluminum sulfate was employed as a coagulant. All experiments were conducted at an adjusted pH of 7.5 in a 400 ml batch flotation cell. Ethanol produced a greater effect on bubble size than lauric acid; small additions of ethanol (ml l −1 ) reduce bubble size drastically. The investigation showed a rapid decrease in microflotation removal efficiencies when bubble diameters exceed 55–60 μm. Efficient separations are extremely rapid, being essentially complete in 30 60 s.
Differences in the Percentage of Illustrations Showing Males Versus Females in General Medicine and General Surgery Textbooks

This study aimed to assess differences in the percentage of illustrations showing males versus females in textbooks of general medicine and general surgery, two areas that constitute a focus of the traditional medical school curriculum. Illustrations showing 3447 individuals and/or external body parts from all general medicine (n = 13) and general surgery (n = 2) books listed in the “essential purchase titles” section of Doody’s Core Titles list (2013) were assessed. Sex was determined based on depictions of faces, chests, and the genital region. One thousand one hundred fifty-three individuals and/or external body parts could be clearly identified as either male (58.28 %) or female (41.72 %), yielding a difference of 16.57 %. The difference in the percentage of identifiable males and females depicted was smaller in general surgery books (6.43 %) as compared to general medicine texts (20.84 %). Differences were noted in the percentage of male and female body parts shown by anatomical site. Of all faces that could be clearly identified as either male or female, 78.04 % were male, while 21.96 % were female. By contrast, 55.93 % of genital regions that could be classed as either male or female showed men, while 44.07 % showed women. These results suggest that illustrations in medical textbooks may continue to depict more males than females. Students may have more exposure to illustrations of the male than the female body during their training.