cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Good Line Cutting: Towards Accurate Pose Tracking of Line-Assisted VO/VSLAM

This paper tackles a problem in line-assisted VO/VSLAM: accurately solving the least squares pose optimization with unreliable 3D line input. The solution we present is good line cutting, which extracts the most-informative sub-segment from each 3D line for use within the pose optimization formulation. By studying the impact of line cutting towards the information gain of pose estimation in line-based least squares problem, we demonstrate the applicability of improving pose estimation accuracy with good line cutting. To that end, we describe an efficient algorithm that approximately approaches the joint optimization problem of good line cutting. The proposed algorithm is integrated into a state-of-the-art line-assisted VSLAM system. When evaluated in two target scenarios of line-assisted VO/VSLAM, low-texture and motion blur, the accuracy of pose tracking is improved, while the robustness is preserved.
Vocal Health Education in Undergraduate Performing Arts Training Programs

SUMMARY Purpose Vocal health is taught in multiple formats and to varying degrees across undergraduate training programs. The aim of the study is to identify what methods of instruction lead to a better self-perception of vocal health in order to more adequately prepare graduates for the extreme demands of the performing arts industry. Method A survey investigating how vocal health and vocal injury are being taught was administered to students within 5 years of graduation. This study looked at what type of information is taught, when information is presented, how prepared students feel they are to handle their health and injuries upon graduation, the prevalence of injuries while in school and during the first 5 years of postgraduation, and students’ suggestions to improve their overall vocal health education. The survey compares vocal health education between the various disciplines of classical voice, musical theatre, and acting. Results Students learn more about general vocal hygiene than voice disorders in their undergraduate programs. Classical voice and musical theatre majors learn more about vocal health than acting majors, yet acting majors report a higher incidence of vocal injury within the first 5 years of graduation. Students also retain more vocal health knowledge when presented with information multiple times in their education. Conclusions Creating a more specific, consistent vocal health curriculum for all voice-related performing arts programs will improve self-efficacy regarding vocal health upon graduation.
The Influence of Environmental Variables on the Distribution and Abundance of Three Elasmobranchs in Tomales Bay, California

We tested the hypothesis that temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen affect elasmobranch distribution and abundance in Tomales Bay, California, with monthly longline samples over a 20 month period. We used a Poisson regression under generalized least squares and found that temperature and salinity were the most important factors determining the distribution and abundance of the three most common elasmobranch species, bat ray, Myliobatis californica, leopard shark, Triakis semifasciata, and brown smoothhound shark, Mustelis henlei. Females of all three species were more abundant than males throughout the Bay, and were most abundant in the warmer, more saline inner bay. All three species apparently left Tomales Bay in late fall as water temperatures in the bay decreased to 10° C. Three of 257 bat rays tagged in Tomales Bay were recaptured, all within 1 km of their tagging location despite having been free for up to 583 d.
How accurate is the soft tissue prediction of Dolphin Imaging for orthognathic surgery

Summary Purpose The purpose of this retrospective study is to evaluate the accuracy of soft tissue prediction models with Dolphin Imaging. Materials and Methods Preoperative and 1-year postoperative Lateral cephalograms (LCG) of patients undergoing Le Fort I, bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) or bimaxillary osteotomy (Bimax) between 2006 and 2009 were retrospectively collected. A hard tissue virtual surgery was performed on the preoperative LCG to match the hard tissue of the 1-year postoperative LCG. The soft tissue changes were then modelled by Dolphin Imaging (version 11.5b) and the differences in x- and y-coordinates of 11 hard tissue and 14 soft tissue landmarks between the predicted model and 1-year postoperative LCG were determined. Statistical analyses were performed using a one-tailed, one-sample t-test for both soft- and hard tissue differences, and a Bland-Altman plot for interobserver bias. Results A total of 108 patients were included, the mean age was 30 years and 23% were male. The virtual treatment was considered accurate; all hard tissue landmark differences were less than 1 mm. The soft tissue model by Dolphin Imaging showed significant differences of more than 2 mm for several landmarks, including the vertical positioning of Stomion Inferius (P = 0.007), Lower lip (P = 0.005) and Pogonion (P = 0.03) in the Bimax group and horizontal positioning of Stomion Inferius (P Conclusions Dolphin Imaging gives reasonable predictions of postoperative outcome. There is, however, room for improvement, especially regarding the vertical prediction in the lower lip region.
Regulation of Vasopressin Release by Neurotransmitters, Neuropeptides and Osmotic Stimuli

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the regulation of vasopressin (AVP) release from the neurohypophysis and the known effects of afferents to the supraoptic nucleus (SON). The signals regulating AVP release from the neurohypophysis for the maintenance of these functions involve osmoreceptive mechanisms located primarily in the hypothalamus and signals relayed from the cardiovascular volume and baroreceptors. AVP release is also altered by the changes in emotional states, pain, exercise, and the act of drinking. The AVP neurone itself is osmosensitive, in which increases in the osmolarity of the extracellular fluid cause depolarization of the membrane and a resulting sensitization of the neurone to other excitatory inputs. However, this inherent osmosensitivity is inadequate to generate firing of the neurone and subsequent AVP release by itself. The ability of osmotic stimulation to override noradrenergic inhibition emphasizes the prominent role of the osmotic control of AVP release and is consistent with the postulated role for the noradrenergic innervation in conveying signals from the cardiovascular baro- and volume-receptors. The interaction between noradrenaline and osmotic stimulation in determining AVP release would fit with a role for noradrenaline in transmitting cardiovascular information as the osmotic regulatory mechanisms can override the effects of noradrenaline. However, the information conveyed by the other chemically identified afferents to the SON remain to be established, and the mechanisms, which integrate all of these signals to achieve a rate of hormone release appropriate to the physiological circumstances, remain to be elucidated.
Mucinous Cystic Neoplasms

Mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCNs) are uncommon neoplasms of the pancreas that are characterized by a distinctive-type ovarian stroma. They tend to occur in the distal pancreas in middle-aged women. The majority of MCNs are slow growing with the prevalence of invasive carcinoma ranging from 3.9% to 34.4%. The preoperative diagnosis of MCNs is based on a multimodal approach comprising clinical features, tumor markers, imaging findings, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with fine needle aspiration, and cyst fluid analysis. As per the 2012 Fukuoka consensus guidelines, surgical resection is recommended for all surgically fit patients with MCNs. Although surgical resection has been the traditional management for MCNs, conservative management options are being increasingly explored. This chapter will discuss various aspects of MCNs including the clinical features, imaging findings, pathologic features, molecular genetics, and treatment and prognosis.
Coherence-enhanced diffusion filtering applied to partially-ordered fluids

Due to the increased interest in directly visualising partially-ordered fluids, there is a need for techniques that enable determining the associated director field from intensity images in robust ...
The hidden impacts of the ICC: An innovative assessment using Google data

Commentators now regularly declare that the International Criminal court (ICC) – and international criminal law as a whole – is in crisis. It is certainly the case that the ICC faces a number of operational challenges, and that these challenges worry its defenders. However, one unexamined rationalist assumption is that the Court’s inability to deliver consistent outputs will mean waning influence. This article explores an alternative constructivist theory that the ICC produces diffuse social impacts that are not necessarily tied to its operating effectively. This theory is tested statistically using Google Trends data. Specifically, the article examines whether ICC intervention in a country is associated with more internet search for ‘human rights’. Taking this to be a measure of changing discourse in countries, the article finds that some types of ICC involvement are associated with a far higher interest in human rights, and that this interest only increases as ICC involvement extends in time. In short, despite its disappointments, evidence suggests that the ICC still serves a socio-pedagogical function. Though it does not fit well within a rational evaluation framework, this kind of information should be considered in ICC performance reviews.
Unmet financial burden of infertility care and the impact of state insurance mandates in the United States: analysis from a popular crowdfunding platform.

Objective To examine infertility-related fund-raising campaigns on a popular crowdfunding website and to compare campaign characteristics across states with and without legislative mandates for insurance coverage for infertility-related care. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Online crowdfunding platform (GoFundMe) between 2010 and 2020. Patient(s) GoFundMe campaigns in the United States containing the keywords “fertility” and “infertility.” Intervention(s) State insurance mandates for infertility treatment coverage. Main Outcome Measure(s) Primary outcomes included fund-raising goals, funds raised, campaign location, and campaigns per capita. Result(s) Of the 3,332 infertility-related campaigns analyzed, a total goal of $52.6 million was requested, with $22.5 million (42.8%) successfully raised. The average goal was $18,639 (standard deviation [SD] $32,904), and the average amount raised was $6,759 (SD $14,270). States with insurance mandates for infertility coverage had fewer crowdfunding campaigns per capita (0.75 vs. 1.15 campaigns per 100,000 population than states without insurance mandates. Conclusion(s) We found a large number of campaigns requesting financial assistance for costs associated with infertility care, indicating a substantial unmet financial burden. States with insurance mandates had fewer campaigns per capita, suggesting that mandates are effective in mitigating this financial burden. These data can inform future health policy legislation on the state and federal levels to assist with the financial burden of infertility.
Gleichheit und das Problem der Rivalität

John Gardner stellte in seinem Buch “Excellence”1) die Frage, ob wir eine Gesellschaft der Gleichen und gleichzeitig der Vollkommenen sein konnen. Diese Frage kann man den Fuhrungskraften der Wirtschaft direkt stellen. Da die Wirtschaftswelt immer mehr wachst und immer mehr die Wesenszuge der Bruokratie mit ihren sogenannten rationellen Managementverfahren annimmt, mus man sich fragen, ob es dabei noch moglich ist, hervorragende Leistungen anzuerkennen und zu belohnen, ohne Gedanken an Ungleichheit und besondere Privilegien hervorzurufen.
Physiology of the Liver, Gallbladder and Pancreas: “Getting By” with Some Help from Your Friends

This chapter focuses on the roles of the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas in gastrointestinal physiology. The liver contains three main cell types that are described. The formation and function of bile acids and salts are explored further considering how they aid in the formation of micelles that facilitate the absorption of lipids. Recirculation of bile salts from the ileum is considered by discussion of enterohepatic circulation. Finally the roles of both acinar and ductal cells in pancreatic exocrine secretion are explained.
Creating and Maintaining Databases

Biometric enrollment is a serious biometric research topic because it asks an individual to give out even more private information (e.g., fingerprint) about his or herself. However, enrollment is just a process directed by some enrollment policy. This policy needs to be acceptable to the public, since (almost by definition) policies are public documents and at least must be understood by the public. Obviously, part of the enrollment process should be a clear statement of how, where, and when this private information will be used.
Chapter 32. Antiradiation Agents

Publisher Summary Advancement in the knowledge of the effects of ionizing radiation on biological systems, particularly in regard to enzymes, proteins, and nucleic acids, has undergone a remarkable stride. Discussion in this chapter is concerned primarily with the development of new radio protective agents for mammalian cells. Several recent reviews have been mentioned in the chapter, which are concerned with radiobiological effects of interest to the medicinal chemist. These include the radiation chemistry of proteins and enzymes, electron spin resonance and the effects of radiation on biological systems, and the chemical, physical, and biological aspects of energy transfer in radiation processes. Chemical modification of the MEA structure continues to be worthwhile in the synthesis of new radio protective agents, and some highly active derivatives have been reported. Substitutions of either carbon, sulfur, or nitrogen have provided active products, and introduction of other functional groups, generally containing sulfur, has also been made. In a few examples, including the condensation product of carbon disulfide with cysteine, an improvement over the toxicity of MEA or MEG has been found. An increased amount of antiradiation testing has been observed for naturally occurring compounds, and those compounds known to be physiologically active.
Semilocal convergence theorems for a certain class of iterative procedures

We provide semilocal convergence theorems for Newton-like methods in Banach space using outer and generalized inverses. In contrast to earlier results we use hypotheses on the second instead of the first Frechet-derivative. This way our Newton-Kantorovich hypotheses differ from earlier ones. Our results can be used to solve undetermined systems, nonlinear least square problems and ill-posed nonlinear operator equations.
CHAPTER 1 – Introduction to Data Acquisition

This chapter focuses on data acquisition, which is the process of collecting information from the real world. These data are mostly numerical and are usually collected, stored, and analyzed with a computer for the engineers and scientists. The use of a computer automates the data acquisition process, enabling the collection of more data in less time with fewer errors. The book illustrates that the utility of automated data acquisition is measuring the temperature of a heated object versus time. An automated data acquisition system can easily record information for very small time intervals. Once the data are stored in a computer, they can be displayed graphically, analyzed, and manipulated. In today's world, software plays an important role in data acquisition systems. Inefficient software can waste the usefulness of the most able data acquisition hardware system. Data acquisition software not only controls the collection of data, but also its analysis and eventual display. Ease of data analysis and presentation is one of the major reasons behind using computers for data acquisition in the first place. Nowadays, many new products allow people to perform remote data acquisition using the Internet. It is now fairly simple to monitor and control a data acquisition system located nearly anywhere in the world as well as share the data with a large group of colleagues.
DAC mismatch shaping for quadrature sigma-delta data converters

An intuitive yet mathematically rigorous procedure for arriving at a DAC element rotation algorithm (ERA) from a given general mismatch transfer function (MTF) is presented for sigma-delta data converters. The approach is validated by deriving low-pass and high-pass ERAs from the corresponding MTFs. Using the proposed approach the ERA for a quadrature sigma-delta ADC is then derived from a quadrature MTF. Simulations show that the new low-complexity quadrature ERA performs better than previously proposed quadrature ERAs of similar complexity. A gain calibration technique is further proposed that works in conjunction to the quadrature ERA to alleviate the image-folding due to mismatches between the quadrature DAC elements.
Superconductivity in epitaxial thin films of Fe 1.08 Te:O x

Superconducting thin films of ${\text{Fe}}_{1.08}\text{Te}:{\text{O}}_{x}$ have been epitaxially grown on ${\text{SrTiO}}_{3}$ substrates by pulsed-laser deposition in controlled oxygen atmosphere. Although the bulk ${\text{Fe}}_{1.08}\text{Te}$ is not superconducting, thin films with oxygen are superconducting with an onset and a zero resistance transition temperature around 12 and 8 K, respectively. Oxygen was found to be crucial to the superconducting properties of these films, suggesting that the oxygen incorporation can induce superconductivity in FeTe thin films. A metal-insulator transition is found at about 60 K, lower than that of bulk $(\ensuremath{\sim}70\text{ }\text{K})$. From magnetoresistive measurements, we obtained the irreversibility line and the upper critical field.
Synthesis, relaxation properties and in vivo assessment of a carborane-GdDOTA-monoamide conjugate as an MRI blood pool contrast agent

The synthesis, relaxivity measurements and in vivo assessment of a carborane-GdDOTA-monoamide (CB-GdDOTA-MA) amphiphilic conjugate as a blood pool contrast agent (BPCA) is reported. This BPCA exhibited excellent binding (87.4%) with human serum albumin (HSA) and showed a higher relaxivity value (r1 = 6.8 mM−1 s−1, 7 T) as compared to the clinically used BPCA, MS-325 (r1 = 5.1 mM−1 s−1, 9.4 T) in PBS. The blood pool contrast enhancement (CE) capability of CB-GdDOTA-MA was evaluated by performing MR angiography (MRA) in CF1 mice (n = 4) at a Gd dose of 0.1 mmol per kg body weight. The significant CE of blood vessels persisted for about 3–4 min post-injection (p.i.) and quickly diminishes over time. The significant CE of the bladder for up to 3 h p.i. indicated that the renal system is the primary clearance pathway for CB-GdDOTA-MA. However, the CE of liver tissues and intestine (up to 24 h p.i.) is suggestive of a significant hepatic uptake of the CB-GdDOTA-MA.
The Information in Governmental Annual Reports: A Contemporaneous Price Reaction Approach

Considerable evidence exists that governmental accounting numbers are related empirically to bond risk and return measures. However, prior research does not preclude the possibility that accounting numbers merely reflect unobserved factors such as economic and political attributes impounded in bond measures. This study considers whether governmental annual financial reports convey new information directly to the bond market. Changes in bond prices during the period around the release date of governmental annual reports were examined to assess market responses to the reports. No significant evidence was obtained to suggest that municipal bond investors use the information in the annual report at the time of its release to adjust bond prices. In contrast, new bond issues and bond rating announcements were associated with significant market reactions. Thus, these results indicate that, while issuer-specific accounting information may be used by bond investors in conjunction with decisions involving new issues and rating evaluations, investors do not appear to impound the information directly into secondary market prices at the time the information is released.
Assessment of Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Activity in Biological Samples by Receptor Internalization and Adherens Junction Formation

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive lipid mediator involved in many biological actions, including vascular homeostasis and immune cell trafficking. S1P activity is mediated by specific G protein-coupled receptors, leading to multiple physiological responses including adherens junction formation in endothelial cells. Here, we describe bioassays for rapidly assessing S1P activity in biological fluids based on ligand-induced receptor internalization in transfected HEK293 cells and consequent adherens junction formation of vascular endothelial cells.
Batch transfer of microstructures using flip-chip solder bump bonding

This paper describes a novel method for transfer and assembly of microstructures using sacrificial-layer micromachining and flip-chip bonding. The technique is performed at room temperature (cold weld) and at the back end of the process flow, and may thus provide a commercially viable alternative to monolithic integration and costly hybrid packages. The transfer is achieved using break-away tethers and by cold welding electroplated indium solder bumps to thick electroplated copper pads. Both high aspect ratio MEMS devices as well as surface micromachined devices have been successfully transferred using this method with no observable misalignment between moving and stationary parts. The ultimate tensile and shear strength of the solder bond is measured to be 11/spl plusmn/3 MPa and 9/spl plusmn/1 MPa respectively. The contact resistance is measured to be of the order of 1.5 m/spl Omega/ for a 65 /spl mu/m/spl times/65 /spl mu/m/spl times/4 /spl mu/m indium bump.
Mathematical formulation of provisioning of connections with advance reservation in metro WDM ring networks using reconfigurable OADMs (ROADMs) with tuning constraint

Optical add/drop multiplexers (OADMs) can significantly reduce the cost of metro optical wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) ring networks by allowing traffic to bypass intermediate nodes without expensive opto-electro-opto (O-E-O) conversion. Some traditional OADMs, called fixed OADMs (FOADMs), can only add/drop traffic on a specific wavelength. Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexers (ROADMs) are emerging, which can add/drop traffic onto/from different wavelengths at different time. ROADMs provide desirable flexibility, enable fast provisioning of dynamic traffic, and save capital expenditure (CapEx) and operational expenditure (OpEx). In order to be cost-effective, some ROADMs employ architectures that tune the ROADM continuously from one wavelength to another, crossing through all the wavelengths in-between, which may cause interference to the connections, if any, on those wavelengths being crossed. In order to prevent existing connections from being interrupted, a constraint needs to be imposed that ROADMs cannot cross working wavelengths when tuning. In this study, the design and the benefits of metro optical WDM network architectures using ROADMs and the impact of this tuning constraint on the performance of the network are investigated. Mathematical formulation of the problem of provisioning of connections with advance reservation, in which the arrival time and departure time of all the connections are known in advance, is presented, and results for a small network are shown.
Simultaneous assay of ornithine decarboxylase and polyamines after central nervous system injury in gerbil and rat

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is considered the rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis. An increase in putrescine (a natural polyamine) synthesis after central nervous system (CNS) injury appears to be involved in blood-brain barrier dysfunction, development of vasogenic edema and neuronal death. An improved method is described to determine the ODC activity as well as polyamine levels from the same brain tissue. The polyamine results showed no significant differences from data obtained with the conventional assay. The advantages of this method are to: (1) minimize the number of animals needed for the study, and (2) eliminate any internal inconsistencies resulting from use of two independent groups of animals for ODC and polyamine measurements. Using this method, ODC activities and polyamine levels were measured in cortices and hippocampi from global transient ischemia of gerbils and traumatic brain injury (TBI) of rats.
On the validity of the aluminum equivalent approximation in space radiation shielding applications

Abstract The origin of the aluminum equivalent shield approximation in space radiation analysis can be traced back to its roots in the early years of the NASA space programs (Mercury, Gemini and Apollo) wherein the primary radiobiological concern was the intense sources of ionizing radiation causing short term effects which was thought to jeopardize the safety of the crew and hence the mission. Herein, it is shown that the aluminum equivalent shield approximation, although reasonably well suited for that time period and to the application for which it was developed, is of questionable usefulness to the radiobiological concerns of routine space operations of the 21st century which will include long stays onboard the International Space Station (ISS) and perhaps the moon. This is especially true for a risk based protection system, as appears imminent for deep space exploration where the long-term effects of Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) exposure is of primary concern. The present analysis demonstrates that sufficiently large errors in the interior particle environment of a spacecraft result from the use of the aluminum equivalent approximation, and such approximations should be avoided in future astronaut risk estimates. In this study, the aluminum equivalent approximation is evaluated as a means for estimating the particle environment within a spacecraft structure induced by the GCR radiation field. For comparison, the two extremes of the GCR environment, the 1977 solar minimum and the 2001 solar maximum, are considered. These environments are coupled to the Langley Research Center (LaRC) deterministic ionized particle transport code High charge (Z) and Energy TRaNsport (HZETRN), which propagates the GCR spectra for elements with charges (Z) in the range 1 ⩽ Z ⩽ 28 (H–Ni) and secondary neutrons through selected target materials. The coupling of the GCR extremes to HZETRN allows for the examination of the induced environment within the interior of an idealized spacecraft as approximated by a spherical shell shield, and the effects of the aluminum equivalent approximation for a good polymeric shield material such as generic polyethylene (PE). The shield thickness is represented by a 25 g/cm2 spherical shell. Although, one could imagine the progression to greater thickness, the current range will be sufficient to evaluate the qualitative usefulness of the aluminum equivalent approximation. Upon establishing the inaccuracies of the aluminum equivalent approximation through numerical simulations of the GCR radiation field attenuation for PE and aluminum equivalent PE spherical shells, we further present results for a limited set of commercially available, hydrogen rich, multifunctional polymeric constituents to assess the effect of the aluminum equivalent approximation on their radiation attenuation response as compared to the generic PE.
Women's Pathways to Participation and Leadership in the Family-Owned Firm

A study of 702 women in family-owned firms in Canada has identified paths to participation and leadership taken by women in family-owned firms. Some of the key factors contributing to participation and leadership are presented in a descriptive framework. Implications of this study for practice and research are presented. firms by examining the factors that affect women’s participation in the family firm, the paths they are taking to leadership, and their characteristics and those of their firms. What follows is an overview of the current thinking and research about women in family-owned firms.
Just Out of It

Modernity seems to have done nothing to weaken our desire to be part of a group. If anything, it seems to have strengthened it. The Web extra at http://youtu.be/DfPyRnP8KOw is an audio recording in which author David Alan Grier reads his Errant Hashtag column, discussing how modernity seems to have done nothing to weaken our desire to be part of a group. If anything, it seems to have strengthened it.
Monte Carlo comparison of quasielectron wave functions

Variational Monte Carlo calculations of the quasielectron and quasihole excitation energies in the fractional quantum Hall effect have been carried out at filling fractions $\ensuremath{\nu}=1/3,$ 1/5, and 1/7. For the quasielectron both the trial wave function originally proposed by Laughlin and the composite-fermion wave function proposed by Jain have been used. We find that for long-range Coulomb interactions the results obtained using these two wave functions are essentially the same, though the energy gap obtained using the composite-fermion quasielectron is slightly smaller, and closer to extrapolated exact-diagonalization results.
Periodic Health Examination

Periodic health examination is a common and important part of office practice. Its purpose is the detection of asymptomatic illness and the prevention of disease before irreversible pathological changes occur. There are many questions about the content and efficacy of this type of examination.1 Which conditions are preventable? Which diagnostic tests are useful for screening and case finding? Is this type of prevention cost-effective? Will patients and third parties pay for this type of health care?
Unconventional approaches to cardiac pacing in patients with inaccessible cardiac chambers

Abstract Background . Transvenous endocardial implantation can be impossible or contraindicated in patients with inaccessible right cardiac chambers. These patients usually undergo epicardial implantation, which has been associated with frequent rising thresholds and limited lead survival. We have used the following two alternative approaches in these patients: (1) transatrial puncture and passage of pacing leads for patients with no access to the right atrium and (2) ventricular pacing from the coronary sinus or its tributaries for patients with inaccessible ventricles. Methods . We retrospectively reviewed our experience in 9 patients who had those procedures. Five patients had pacing from the coronary sinus, and 4 by transatrial puncture. Results . Seven of the 9 patients had DDD pacing. Low acute pacing thresholds and satisfactory sensing levels were obtained with both approaches. One instance of high stimulation threshold (20%) occurred in the coronary sinus group and none in the transatrial puncture group. One patient in the transatrial puncture group died from unrelated causes. No malignant arrhythmias, pneumothorax, diaphragmatic pacing, or infectious complications have been observed. Conclusion . These unconventional approaches are safe, relatively simple, and reliable. Although the short-term follow-up is favorable, long-term follow-up is necessary to ascertain the relative merit of these approaches.
Factors related to milk loss in quarters with low somatic cell counts.

Relationship between milk production and milk composition was studied through comparisons of udder halves within cow. Cows were milked by milking unit for separate quarters of udder. Six trials had six cows per trial. Trial length was 3 d, and milkings were at 12-h intervals. Foremilk samples were taken aseptically for bacterial analysis. Milk weights by quarter were recorded, and samples by quarter were analyzed for concentrations of lactose, somatic cells, and chloride. Milk cell differential counts and N-acetyl-B-D-glucosaminidase activity also were determined. Eighty-four percent of quarter milk samples contained less than 400,000 cells/ml. Differences between right and left udder halves with respect to all measurements were computed. For halves of udders within-cow correlation coefficients for differences between production and log(base 2) somatic cell count, lactose, chloride, bacterial presence, neutrophil percent, lymphocyte percent, macrophage percent, and N-acetyl-B-D-glucosaminidase activity were -.16, .23, -.31, .09, .12, .01, -.14, and -.41. Regression coefficients of milk production (kg) on somatic cell count log(base 2) cells per milliliter, lactose (%), chloride (mg/100 ml), and N-acetyl-B-D-glucosaminidase (nmol/min per ml) were -.12, .57, -.05, and -.46. From negative correlations between production and concentrations of chloride, somatic cells, and N-acetyl-B-D-glucosaminidase activity, differences between udder halves in production may be related to changes of the blood-milk barrier, leukocyte diapedesis, and loss of integrity of secretory cells.
Copper Toxicosis in Suckling Beef Calves Associated with Improper Administration of Copper Oxide Boluses

chronic copper poisoning in 4to 12-week-old single-suckled calves. Agri-Pract 17:36–40. 14. Sullivan JM, Janovitz EB, Robinson FR: 1991, Copper toxicosis in veal calves. J Vet Diagn Invest 3:161–164. 15. Suttle NF: 1981, Effectiveness of orally administered cupric oxide needles in alleviating hypocupraemia in sheep and cattle. Vet Rec 108:417–420. 16. Suttle NF: 1987, Safety and effectiveness of cupric oxide particles for increasing liver copper stores in cattle. Res Vet Sci 42:224–227. 17. Suttle NF, Valente E: 1981, Species differences in the retention of orally administered cupric oxide ‘needles’ in the alimentary tract. Proc Nutr Soc 40 (2):70A. 18. Viejo RE, Casaro AP: 1993, Suplementacion parenteral con cobre en vacas gestantes. Arch Med Vet 25:89–94. 19. Whitelaw A, Fawcett AR, Macdonald AJ: 1984, Cupric oxide needles in the prevention of bovine hypocuprosis. Vet Rec 115: 357.
Granulocyte accumulation in ischemic/reperfused myocardium: Assessment with a technetium-99m-labeled antigranulocyte monoclonal antibody in the dog

This study tested the usefulness of technetium-99m-labeled antigranulocyte monoclonal antibody BW250/183 (AGMAb) for identifying granulocyte accumulation in ischemic/reperfused canine myocardium. In dogs with 90 minutes coronary artery occlusion and 180 minutes reperfusion (n=8), ischemic/reperfused myocardial samples demonstrated 8.5±2.4 times more Tc-99m-AGMAb accumulation than nonischemic samples. Dogs given Tc-99m-labeled nonspecific human immunoglobulin instead of Tc-99m-AGMAb (n=3) had about half as much accumulation (4.5±1.6, P<.05). Ex vivo myocardial imaging of Tc-99m-AGMAb demonstrated marked uptake in infarcted regions identified by absent triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining. The amount of uptake was inversely related to the severity of ischemia (determined by radioactive microspheres) and directly correlated with tissue myeloperoxidase activity, a specific marker of granulocyte accumulation. No increase in Tc-99m-AGMAb uptake occurred in dogs with 90 minutes ischemia and no reperfusion (n=3) or 15 minutes ischemia and 180 minutes reperfusion (n=2). In conclusion, Tc-99m-AGMAb is taken up in reperfused infarcted myocardium by both nonspecific and specific mechanisms. Because the amount of uptake reflects myocardial granulocyte accumulation, Tc-99m-AGMAb combined with nuclear imaging techniques may be useful for studying inflammatory processes in the heart in experimental animal models and human beings.
Computer modeling of combustion in a longwell jet-stirred reactor

Recent emphasis on air pollution control requires that detailed knowledge of the flow field and species distribution inside steady flow, high-intensity combustors be obtained. In this study, a computer program was developed which solves chemically reacting turbulent flows using detailed chemical kinetics and a two-equation turbulence model with the complete, compressible, elliptic steady-state fluid flow equations in spherical-polar coordinates for a Longwell jet-stirred reactor. The procedure can describe combustion processes which are controlled by both mixing and chemical kinetics rates when both rates are finite, and converges to a solution for all reaction mechanisms and operating conditions considered. Radiation heat transfer and finite-rate micromixing (molecular diffusion) were not considered in this application. Results are presented for stoichiometric one-atmosphere combustion of methane and air, utilizing a 34-reaction mechanism with 19 species, including NOx formation. In all, 25 transport equations were solved simultaneously by two different numerical algorithms: one suitable for the mildly non-linear differential equations of continuity and momentum (fluid flow equations), and the other for the non-linear energy and highly non-linear chemical species equations (thermochemical equations). The fluid flow equations, together with the “k-d” turbulence model of Launder and Spalding, were solved by reformulating an existing hydrodynamic computer code by Gosman and Pun in spherical-polar coordinates, while the thermochemical differential equations were solved for a given reaction mechanism by a new computational procedure developed by the authors. The resulting two sets of equations are solved by “super-iteration” between the two procedures until convergence is achieved. The limited experimental results available compare favorably with the predictions obtained. The results of this research are the development of an analytical tool which should facilitate the prediction of pollutant production in steady-flow, high-intensity combustion devices, and a computational framework for further study of complex turbulence models, reaction mechanisms and heat transfer.
Modes of action of carrot and peach exopolygalacturonases

Abstract Exopolygalacturonases from carrots and peaches were extracted and partially purified. The enzymes differ in molecular weight, pH optimum and response to cations. Neither enzyme, however, completely hydrolyzed citrus pectate and polygalacturonates and the limits of degradation were similar. Cleavage of digalacturonate was very slow by both enzymes, but the rates of hydrolysis increased with substrate size. Rates of cleavage were maximum for polygalacturonate with a degree of polymerization of 20. The peach exopolygalacturonase exhibited greater affinity for the substrates, but the extent of binding to both enzymes increased with substrate chain length.
Macro-element analysis of skewed and triangular orthotropic thin plates with beam boundaries

Abstract A generalized macro-flexibility analysis of stiffened orthotropic skewed and triangular thin plates with beam stiffened boundaries subjected to bending and stretching is presented. The proposed method accounts for minimized number of elements in a domain, i.e. the element size is independent of the final results. This is accomplished by satisfying the equilibrium and compatibility conditions along the nodal lines interconnecting contiguous elements. The solution form and shape functions of element shapes are a combination of Fourier series and polynomials with undetermined coefficients. To obtain a solution of a general domain, the orthotropic triangular and parallelogram macro-plate elements with edge beams, satisfying moment and shear equilibrium conditions along nodal lines, were assembled and analyzed by utilizing compatibility of deflection and slope. The results from the proposed methodology were compared to the ones from the finite element method. Also, the convergence was checked by increasing the number of harmonics. The study indicates that good convergence is observed within the first four harmonics.
Severe intrahepatic cholestasis in patients treated with recombinant interleukin-2 and lymphokine-activated killer cells.

Immunotherapy with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) and lymphokine-activated killer cells (LAK) has become a new form of therapy that has been shown to induce remissions in patients with renal cell carcinoma and melanoma. Despite encouraging results, this form of therapy has been associated with increasing toxicity, often requiring therapy in an intensive-care unit. In this report severe intrahepatic cholestasis occurred in two patients receiving rIL-2 and LAK cells. This form of cholestasis appeared to be directly related to rIL-2 administration at a doses of 2×106 U/m2 and 3x106 U/m2 t.i.d. A liver biopsy showed moderate hepatocellular bile stasis, with lobular and portal inflamation. All other studies for potential cause of this cholestasis were negative, including studies for metastatic disease. When therapy was discontinued, evidence for cholestasis and bile stasis resolved. We conclude that rIL-2 is a drug with a potential to induce severe hepatic injury that is reversible upon cessation of therapy with rIL-2. Further care should be exercised when rIL-2 is administered to patients with abnormal liver function.
Stability analysis of an adaptive system with unmodelled dynamics

Stability bounds for fast and slow adaptation are derived for a simple adaptive system with one unmodelled (‘parasitic’) pole which is approximated by a right half-plane zero. In fast adaptation the product of the adaptive gain and power of the reference input must be smaller than the parasitic pole. In slow adaptation most of the input signal energy must be in the frequency range lower than the square root of the parasitic pole. It is shown that a plant bypass ensures a global stability property by making the linear time-invariant part of the adaptive loop strictly positive real (SPR). The price paid is an increase of the tracking error at very low frequencies and with slow adaptation when the equilibrium of the system without bypass is exponentially stable.
Antagonism between Listeria monocytogenes and lactococci during fermentation of products from ultrafiltered skim milk.

Abstract Tyndallized samples of unfiltered skim milk and retentate (concentrated fivefold or twofold by volume) and permeate from UF skim milk were inoculated with 5.5 × 10 3 to 1.5 × 10 5 cfu/ml of Listeria monocytogenes strains California or V7 together with 4 × 10 7 to 2.3 × 10 8 cfu/ml of mesophilic lactic acid bacteria. Numbers of L. monocytogenes (McBride Listeria agar) and lactic acid bacteria (all purpose Tween agar) were determined after 0, 6, 12, 24, 30, and 36h of incubation at 30°C. Lactic acid bacteria significantly inhibited or inactivated L. monocytogenes in all three products. Inactivation was greater in permeate (6.77 orders of magnitude) than in unfiltered skim milk (3.67 orders of magnitude) or in retentate (4.21 orders of magnitude). Degree of inactivation in retentate was related to the extent of concentration. Inactivation was not complete, and L. monocytogenes survived in these products during fermentation for up to 36h. When fermented products were refrigerated (4°C), L. monocytogenes survived for 4 to 6 wk in skim milk, 3 to 5 wk in retentate, and 1 wk in permeate. At refrigeration temperature, length of survival was dependent on type of product and strain of the pathogen.
PAN AIR modeling studies. II - Sideslip option, network gaps, three-dimensional forebody flow, and thick-trailing-edge representation

PAN AIR is a computer program that calculates linear potential flow about arbitrary configurations at both subsonic and supersonic Mach numbers. This paper is a follow-on of another paper entitled 'PAN AIR Modeling Studies', in which several studies were presented that exhibited PAN AIR's versatility for modeling diverse configurations. Results from four modeling studies of interest in modeling realistic aircraft shapes are presented. The topics addressed are (1) half-geometry option in sideslip, (2) network gaps, (3) three-dimensional forebody flows, and (4) trailing-edge representation.
Free-operant compounding of high- and low-rate discriminative stimuli: An interresponse time analysis

Abstract This experiment examined the behavior resulting when high- and low-rate discriminative stimuli (S D s) are compounded. Five rats were trained on a multiple schedule containing variable-ratio (VR) 45 and differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate (DRL) 25-sec contingencies of food reinforcement, as well as an extinction component signaled by the simultaneous absence of VR and DRL S D s. Subsequently, after all S s exhibited stable differential control to the VR and DRL S D s, a compounding test was administered that contained unreinforced block-randomized presentations of the VR S D , the DRL S D and the simultaneous presentation of both S D s (VR + DRL). Four of the five S s clearly averaged to VR + DRL, emitting a total number of responses to this compound that was somewhere intermediate between the number of responses they emitted to the high-rate VR and the low-rate DRL S D s individually presented. Examination of test cumulative records, as as well as an interresponse time analysis revealed few characteristics of responding during the compound test condition that were not also observed during the individual presentation of VR and DRL test stimuli. Therefore, merely averaging responses over time presents a distorted description of the behavior emitted during the compound.
Apparatus of capture: Fiscal state formation in the republic of Georgia

Abstract How did the rate of central government tax revenue more than triple in the (post-Soviet) Republic of Georgia over 2004–2007? This paper investigates fiscal state formation in Georgia using ethnographic fieldwork to document how the reformist government brought to power by the 2003 “Rose Revolution” impelled tax compliance using a set of tactics of anti-corruption, anti-tax evasion, individual accountability, and compromising information collected through extra-legal surveillance. The use of ethnographic methods to examine the recent and rapid process of state formation in Georgia is a departure from much of the extant literature on state formation, which is dominated by historical scholarship that examines relatively long-term processes of political and economic change culminating in the present state. In contrast, the approach taken here uses the Deleuzian concept of assemblage to examine how the state is a process of continuous formation. The fast emergence of a historically unprecedented scale of tax compliance in Georgia was the result of the application of particular techniques of government that assembled micro-subjective dispositions into a macro-institutional process of revenue capture.