cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unity quantum efficiency and nanosecond response time photodetector using porous silicon film

ABSTRACT A highly sensitive photodiode was fabricated with a metal-porous silicon-silicon-metal structure. The porous silicon film was found to be an excellent light trap and antireflection coating for the photodiode. Itwas demonstrated that close to unity quantum efficiency could be obtained in the wavelength range of630 to900 nm. The detector response time is about 2 ns for a 9 volts reverse bias. It was also demonstrated that a relative sensitivity ofhigher than 90% could be obtained with incident angles of4O°, 80° and 58° for s-, p- and randomly-polarized light. The uniformity and stability of the photodiode were also studied. Porous siliconfilms can also be used as solar cells to improve the acceptance angle of the sunlight. Possible mechanisms to this photodiode and roles ofthe porous silicon film are discussed. 2. INTRODUCTION Much attempt has been made to improve the light trapping probability and hence the efficiency ofopto-electronic devices such as photodiodes and solar cells. Multilayer antireflection coatings are still themost popular choice. The disadvantages are that both the spectral bandwidth of maximum transmission andthe acceptance angle are limited'. In some cases, simple refractive index matching was used. Here a surfacecoating subdivided one large refractive index discontinuity into two small index steps2. However, with thistechnique alone, the improvement is very limited. Textured surfaces formed by micro-lithographic techniquewere used to solve the above probIems. But the price of such a device increases dramatically. Therefore,
CALCULATION METHODS FOR POWER CIRCUITS USING ELECTRON TUBES

This is the third and last of a series of articles which Admiral Robinson has contributed to the Journal in successive numbers, covering the extension of electron tube development to power generation and transmission—a field so novel and revolutionary that the author properly suggests that it may well be called the “New Electricity.” This article is of particular importance to the design engineer, and not to the random reader, for in it are derived the formulae upon which mutator machinery may be built and studied. While the development is only now emerging from a laboratory stage, it should be understood that a power transmission line embodying its principles has already been completed, and small electrical machines have been built to turn the theory into practicality.
Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships among Macrolide Antibacterial Agents: In Vitro and in Vivo Potency against Pasteurella multocida

Quantitative structure−activity relationships have been found among macrolide antibacterial agents in their potencies against the bacterial pathogen Pasteurella multocida both in vitro and in mouse...
Distributed charging control of electric vehicles using regret minimization

This paper presents an electric vehicle (EV) charging algorithm based on regret minimization. While many distributed algorithms for EV charging have been proposed, many of them implicitly assume low-latency two-way communication between the distribution company and the EV customers. This assumption is limiting at present. Furthermore, transmission of information about total load and planned charging schedules also raises concerns of security and privacy. The proposed algorithm resolves these issues at the expense of slower convergence to the optimal solutions. The algorithm considers a relaxation of the problem in the sense that the charging profiles are sought to be optimized over the set of profiles that do not vary from one day to the next. The proposed method only requires communication in the form of the distribution company publishing the pricing profiles implemented for the previous days. We provide convergence results for the algorithm and illustrate the results through numerical examples.
Socioeconomic characteristics of the population eligible for obesity surgery.

Abstract Background Obesity is increasing in the American population in epidemic proportions. Weight reduction surgery results in sustained weight loss for morbidly obese individuals—a group of patients refractory to nonsurgical obesity treatment. Surgical indications were outlined in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) consensus conference published in 1991. Using the NIH criteria, we compared the socioeconomic characteristics of the population eligible for these operations to those receiving them. Methods The 2000 National Health Interview Survey database was examined to identify how many individuals in the American population were eligible for obesity operations. Socioeconomic characteristics for those individuals were then assessed. The Healthcare Cost and Utility Project and National Hospital Discharge Survey databases were queried to determine how many gastric bypass operations were performed and what the patient's socioeconomic characteristics were. Results There are 5,324,123 people, or 2.8% of the American population, who are eligible for obesity surgery. Of these, a disproportionate number were black, poorly educated, or impoverished, and 38% rely on Medicare or Medicaid for their health insurance. Of the 28,590 gastric bypass operations performed in 2000, only 13% of patients used Medicare or Medicaid to pay for the operation. Fewer than expected operations were performed on blacks. Regional differences were observed with disproportionately more operations performed in the Northeast and fewer in the Midwest than would be predicted from the surgery-eligible population living in these regions. Conclusions A significant fraction of the American population could potentially benefit from obesity surgery. However, many of those individuals are black, poorly educated, and impoverished. Public assistance programs need to account for these patients. Centers performing bariatric operations need to accommodate the educational and financial constraints these patients have when planning long-term postoperative care.
Prevention of street virus infection by vaccine.

SummaryGuinea pigs inoculated intramuscularly with street virus can be protected by mustard inactivated fixed virus injected at the same time or 24 hours later, provided the virus has a high immunizing titer. These results give experimental proof that vaccine will protect after infection and also provide a test that could be used in evaluating vaccines for human use. If non-protecting amounts of vaccine or fixed virus are injected, the incubation period may be shorter and the death rate slightly higher than in the control animals receiving only street virus.
Striga angolensis (Scrophulariaceae), a new witchweed from Angola

Revisionary study in the genus Striga (Scrophulariaceae) has distinguished a new species from Angola in the section Pentapleurae. Restricted to swampy areas, the plant has not been collected for more than fifty years, and its current status is not known.
Aortic Endograft Infection With Aortoduodenal Fistula Associated With Adjacent Vertebral Body Mycobacterial Osteomyelitis (Pott's Disease)

Aortoenteric fistulas (AEFs) are a rare complication of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. They occur in <1% of aortic grafting procedures, result from graft defects, foreign bodies, and trauma, and are associated with a high mortality rate. We report a complex AEF associated with vertebral body osteomyelitis, likely secondary to tuberculous infection. A 78-year-old man presented with a 2-week history of abdominal pain, fever, and anemia. Past surgical history is significant for open repair of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm followed later by an endovascular repair of a proximal para-anastomotic aneurysm. Computed tomography angiography revealed air in the aneurysm sac, without evidence of endoleak. The posterior aspect of the aneurysm was noted to be in continuity with a destructive osteomyelitis of the second lumbar vertebral body and an adjacent psoas abscess. Percutaneous drainage revealed purulent fluid containing mixed enteric flora. With fluoroscopic guidance, injection of contrast in the aortic sac drainage catheter demonstrated complex fistulous communications from the aortic sac to the overlying small intestine. After a course of drainage, antibiotic therapy, and parenteral nutrition, the patient underwent a transperitoneal repair of the AEF with duodeno-duodenectomy and wide debridement of the aortic sac and Dacron graft. Pathology revealed giant cell granulomas, highly suggestive of tuberculosis.
Molecular cytogenetic analysis of a medulloblastoma with isochromosome 17 and double minutes.

Abstract Cytogenetic analysis of a medulloblastoma revealed two abnormal cell lines of 48,XY,+8,+8,−14,+der(14)t(1;14)(q11;p11),i(17q) and 51,XY,+5,+6,+8,+8,−14+20,+der (14)t(1;14)(q11;p11),i(17q),+dmin. The finding of double minute chromosomes in some medulloblastomas has been associated with amplification of the c-myc or N-myc oncogenes. We were unable to detect gene amplification with these probes by Southern blot analysis.
A study of solar irradiation data for six sites

Abstract Measurements of hourly direct normal solar radiation and total hemispherical solar radiation on ahorizontal surface for Albuquerque, New Mexico; Fort Hood, Texas; Livermore, Calif.; Marynard, Mass.; and Raleigh, North Carolina and measurements of hourly total hemispherical and diffuse radiation on a horizontal surface for Highett, Australia have been studied. The relationships between total and diffuse radiation and distributions and mean values associated with these quantities are considered.
Fructose-bisphosphate aldolases: an evolutionary history

Two mechanistically distinct forms of fructose-bisphosphate aldolase are known to exist. It has been assumed that the Class II (metallo) aldolases are evolutionary more primitive than their Class I (Schiff-base) analogs since the latter had only been found in eukaryotes. With the identification of prokaryotic Class I aldolases, we present here an alternative scheme of aldolase evolution. This scheme proposes that both aldolase classes are evolutionarily ancient and rationalizes the observed highly variable expression of both enzyme types in contemporary file forms.
A scientific garden in a public space: the New York botanical garden, 1900-10

Abstract In November 1888, The New York Herald published a list of noteworthy botanic gardens, ranking Russia's St Petersburg garden as the ‘best in Europe’, ahead of such notable Old World landscapes as the Jardin des Plantes in Paris and the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew. In sharp contrast to these European showpieces, The Herald lamented, stood a meager set of us institutions, and of these, only Shaw's Garden in St Louis deserved comparison with horticultural and scientific masterpieces. Clearly, the Editors maintained, a great new American garden was needed, and New York City, a metropolis whose population approached one million, was just the setting for a new public space adorned with imposing structures of beauty. The new ‘floral study ground’ would in turn foster the ‘softening, civilizing education of both rich and poor’ within the city, The Herald predicted.1
A behavioral analytic approach

This paper offers a comprehensive conceptualization of an 8-year-old African American female through consistent application of learning principles. Using a behavioral analytic approach, focused hypotheses are explored without losing scope of broad clinical issues: traditional diagnostic formulations, therapeutic relationship factors, the prospect of pharmacotherapy, and family system variables. This approach investigates multiple contingencies believed to shape and maintain maladaptive behaviors. Emphasis is placed on identifying ways to reinforce adaptive behavior across domains of functioning in supporting environments. Hypothesis testing is a key component of behavioral assessment and behavior therapy recommendations. Integrating the case's complexity, this approach offers a dynamic view of the evolving therapeutic contract.
Shock-tube determination of absorption cross sections and A 2 Delta - X 2 Pi band transition moments of SiH

Abstract The overall absorption cross sections and electronic transition moments of the A 2 Δ − X 2 Π band system of SiH have been determined by using an absorption technique with a shock tube at temperatures of 2600–3800 K over the wavelengths of 150–650 nm. Absorption cross sections are shown to be dominated by continua. The possible contributions to the overall cross sections by a low-lying 4 Σ - and a high-lying 4 Σ - state are discussed. At 200, 228, 340, 405, and 550 nm, the continuum cross sections are (2.9±1.0)×10 -17 , (2.0±0.5)×10 -17 , (3.2±0.6)×10 -18 , (3.8±0.6)×10 -18 , and (1.8±0.8)× -18 cm 2 , respectively. The overall emission intensity and the Si+H→SiH+ hv radiative recombination rate are (6.7± 2.3)×10 -35 (3500/ T ) 0.7 ( Si )( H ) watt - cm -3 and (1.3±0.4)×10 -17 (3500/ T ) 1.1 ( Si )( H ) cm -3 - s -1 , respectively. The A − X transition moments are 0.12±0.04a.u. for the (0, 0) and (1, 1) bands. The intensity of each branch in the A − X (0, 0) band follows approximately the prediction based on the Honl-London factors of Kovacs. The data are applied to the study of the flow field around a spacecraft entering the Jovian atmosphere.
Provision of Contraceptive Services to Women with Diabetes Mellitus

BACKGROUND Women with diabetes mellitus who delay pregnancy until glycemic control is achieved experience lower rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Sanctioning corporate crime: How do business executives and the public compare?

Previous literature on attitudes toward the punishment or seriousness of criminal behavior has largely neglected to focus systematically upon five issues: (1) public perceptions of corporate illegality rather than perceptions of street crime or other forms of white-collar lawlessness; (2) how evaluations are conditioned by the degree of culpability and harm an offense involves; (3) the circumstances under which citizens will support the use of legal sanctions against an individual executive as opposed to a corporate entity; (4) the public's willingness to support criminal as opposed to civil intervention into various kinds of illegal corporate activities; and (5) how business executives' attitudes toward corporate legal sanctioning compare to those held by the general public. Through a survey of residents and business executives in a midwestern metropolitan area, an attempt was made to shed light on these issues. The analysis revealed a pervasive willingness among the sample to embrace the use of civil sanctions against corporations regardless of the circumstances surrounding the conduct being rated. By contrast, advocacy of civil remedies against executives and criminal penalties against either the corporation or its executives was found to vary considerably according to the culpability and harm manifested by a given illegal act. Also, public support for sanctioning corporate behavior was consistently higher than the support evidenced by executives, especially where the sanctions were directed at individual corporate managers.
Pornography, Normalization, and Empowerment

Opponents and proponents of erotic representations (referred to hereafter as “pornography”) have described the effects of pornography from their perspective. Little, however, has been done in the way of research to investigate these claims from the consumer’s point of view. This especially has been so regarding the positive impact of such consumption on a person’s sex life. Using a study group of 245 college students, we examined this question in a framework of scripting theory. We wanted to see whether viewing pornography appeared to expand sexual horizons through normalization and facilitate a willingness to explore new sexual behaviors and sexual relationships through empowerment. The data supported this viewpoint and further showed the effects to be mediated by gender and sexual preference identity. They suggested, however, that established scripts were extended rather than abandoned. We conclude with connections between our findings and the widespread viewing of pornography in contemporary society.
Response of breathing pattern to flow and pressure in the upper airway of rats

Abstract The effects of upper airway (UAW) flows and pressures on breathing pattern and respiratory muscle activities were studied in anesthetized rats breathing through a tracheostomy. A steady flow (∼1000 ml/kg/min) of cold dry air, or cold wet air, or warm wet air was passed through the UAW, in the expiratory direction for approximately 20 sec (20–40 sec). In other trials positive or negative pressure was applied to the isolated UAW for a similar duration. There was a marked prolongation of the expiratory duration and decreases in peak inspiratory flow, tidal volume, and peak diaphragm electromyogram (EMG) activity in response to cold dry airflow. The responses to cold wet air were reduced but still significant. Warm wet air had no effect on breathing. These responses show that UAW cooling and drying depress breathing in the rat and that cooling itself could cause the inhibition of breathing. Negative pressure induced substantial increases in genioglossus and laryngeal inspiratory activity while positive pressure caused a decrease in genioglossus activity. Positive pressure also increased expiratory time while negative pressure increased inspiratory time. These results confirm the functional role of the UAW dilating muscles in preventing UAW from collapse in rats.
Laser Targeting Considerations In Redundant Memory Repair

Selection of alignment targets for memory redundancy repair is a design step that critically affects the yield of the device repair process. Assuming accurate laser beam positioning and energy density control, the ability of the system to reliably identify a reference on each die will result in a high fix-to-attempt ratio on repairable memories.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Infrared studies of drawn polyethylene part I. Changes in orientation and conformation of highly drawn linear polyethylene

Abstract Infrared spectroscopy is applied to discuss the orientation, the crystallinity, and the conformation of chain segments in the amorphous regions in drawn high-density polyethylene. The orientation of the crystals as well as the crystallinity are derived from the dichroism and the absorbance, respectively, of the band at 1894 cm-1. The orientation and some aspects about the conformation of the chain segments in the amorphous regions can be obtained from the bands in the 1400-1300 cm-1 region (gauche) and at 1078 cm-1 (gauche and trans). The dichroic studies show a high degree of orientation increasing with draw ratio λ for the chain segments in the crystals, but a low orientation reaching saturation at λ between 5 and 10 for those in the amorphous regions. The experiments indicate a change in crystallinity during the drawing process which depends on the thermal treatment of the undrawn sample. In the amorphous regions the number of CH2 groups in gauche conformations decreases up to λ between 10 and...
Distinction between nitrosating mechanisms within human cells and aqueous solution.

The quintessential nitrosating species produced during NO autoxidation is N2O3. Nitrosation of amine, thiol, and hydroxyl residues can modulate critical cell functions. The biological mechanisms that control reactivity of nitrogen oxide species formed during autoxidation of nano- to micromolar levels of NO were examined using the synthetic donor NaEt2NN(O)NO (DEA/NO), human tumor cells, and 4,5-diaminofluorescein (DAF). Both the disappearance of NO and formation of nitrosated product from DAF in aerobic aqueous buffer followed second order processes; however, consumption of NO and nitrosation within intact cells were exponential. An optimal ratio of DEA/NO and 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazole-1-oxyl 3-oxide (PTIO) was used to form N2O3 through the intermediacy of NO2. This route was found to be most reflective of the nitrosative mechanism within intact cells and was distinct from the process that occurred during autoxidation of NO in aqueous media. Manipulation of the endogenous scavengers ascorbate and glutathione indicated that the location, affinity, and concentration of these substances were key determinants in dictating nitrosative susceptibility of molecular targets. Taken together, these findings suggest that the functional effects of nitrosation may be organized to occur within discrete domains or compartments. Nitrosative stress may develop when scavengers are depleted and this architecture becomes compromised. Although NO2 was not a component of aqueous NO autoxidation, the results suggest that the intermediacy of this species may be a significant factor in the advent of either nitrosation or oxidation chemistry in biological systems.
Evaluation of an Evolving Virtual High School

A recent major trend in distance education is the emergence of K‐12 virtual schools. This evaluative case study looked at the issues encountered and lessons learned by one school district during the first year of a virtual high school program. The purpose of the evaluation was to examine what happened when the school district initiated its virtual high school. It addressed such questions as why did the district establish the program, what challenges were faced when the program was implemented, how did the program change, and what types of issues need to be considered for the future. Auswertung des Entstehens einer virtuellen high school Ein neuer weit verbreiteter Trend im Fernunterricht ist die Ausbreitung von virtuellen K‐12 Schulen. Diese evaluative Fallstudie untersuchte die Vorgange und Ergebnisse, die sie in einem Schulbezirk wahrend des ersten Jahres eines virtuellen High‐School programms festgestellt hat. Der Zweck der Auswertung war, zu prufen, was geschah, als der Schulbezirk seine virtuelle Hig...
Siting noxious facilities under uncertainty

Abstract In this paper we address the stochastic capacitated hazardous materials facility location problem in which demands and variable production and transportation costs are uncertain. We introduce a robust optimization model for the siting of noxious facilities under uncertainty. The problem is formulated as a nonlinear program. Plans developed in the model will be both solution robust and model robust. In other words, the optimal solution from the model is `close' to being optimal for any realization of the model scenarios, and the optimal solution has `close' to no error with respect to uncertain parameters. In order to show that the model works in a real world application, we used our model to plan facility siting decisions for the Albany, New York region.
Canalicular Export Pumps Traffic with Polymeric Immunoglobulin A Receptor on the Same Microtubule-associated Vesicle in Rat Liver

Basolateral to apical vesicular transcytosis in the hepatocyte is an essential pathway for the delivery of compounds from the sinusoidal blood to the bile and to traffic newly synthesized resident apical membrane proteins to their site of function at the canalicular membrane front. To characterize this pathway better, microtubules in a hepatocyte homogenate were polymerized by addition of taxol, and associated membrane-bound vesicles were isolated. This fraction was enriched in polymeric immunoglobulin A receptor and contained apical membrane proteins. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated that polymeric immunoglobulin A receptor was localized predominantly on vesicles ranging from 100 to 160 nm and that the multidrug resistance protein 2 and the bile salt export pump co-localized on these vesicles. The minus-ended microtubule motor, dynein, was highly enriched in the fraction, and its intermediate chain could be released effectively by incubation with 1 mM ATP or GTP. However, the association of the transcytotic vesicles with the microtubules was not sensitive to hydrolyzable or non-hydrolyzable nucleotides. This study characterizes a fraction of microtubule-associated vesicles from rat hepatocytes and demonstrates that several resident apical membrane transport proteins and the polymeric immunoglobulin A receptor traffic on the same vesicle.
Pitch Discrimination and Tonal Memory Abilities in Adult Voice Patients

Measures of pitch discrimination and tonal memory, subtests of the Seashore Measures of Musical Talents, were administered to 30 adult patients with hyper-functional voice disorders and to 30 match...
Formal Education, Credential, or Both: Early Childhood Program Classroom Practices

Research Findings: This study is intended to widen the debate around the bachelor's degree (BA) as preparation for early childhood teaching when head teachers possess various levels of credentials and education. We examined classroom quality and teacher involvement in 231 classrooms sponsored by 122 different agencies, staffed and supervised by teachers and program directors who had varying levels of credentials within the California Child Development Permit. We found that not only teachers' education and credential level but also the credential level of the program director as well as auspice predicted classroom quality. In private, nonprofit programs as well as Head Start/general child care programs, teacher BAs did predict classroom quality, but when classrooms were sponsored by school districts and the state, preschool program teacher BAs were not as predictive of classroom quality. Practice or Policy: These findings point to the importance of considering not only teachers' education but also the effe...
A modern Cinderella story: a comparison of viewer responses to interactive vs linear narrative in solitary and co-viewing settings

Interactive narratives are increasingly technologically possible and are expected to become an everyday form of entertainment, but for now actual implementations are rare. This 2 × 2 experiment compared dyadic (co-viewing) vs solitary emotional reactions watching either a linear or an interactive version of a seven-minute digital video narrative, Modern Cinderella. Eighty subjects were randomly assigned to each of the four conditions. People who watched the interactive version of Modern Cinderella reported higher enjoyment than those who watched the linear version. Story involvement, arousal and connection were not different across conditions. Those who experienced the interactive version were enthusiastic about being able to make choices. Interactive narratives appear to fall in-between high and low involvement. Co-viewing of the interactive narrative was different to solitary viewing. Those watching with another person thought less carefully about the choices and paid less attention. Solitary viewers we...
Immediate protection of swine from foot-and-mouth disease: a combination of adenoviruses expressing interferon alpha and a foot-and-mouth disease virus subunit vaccine.

We have previously shown that swine inoculated with recombinant, replication-defective human adenovirus type 5 containing the porcine interferon alpha gene (Ad5-pIFN) are completely protected when challenged 1 day later with virulent foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). In the current study, we examined the duration of protection afforded swine by Ad5-pIFN and the ability of a combination of Ad5-pIFN and a FMDV subunit vaccine delivered by Ad5-A24 (an Ad5 vector containing the capsid coding region of FMDV serotype A24 Cruzeiro and the 3C proteinase coding region of FMDV serotype A12) to induce immediate as well as long-lasting protection against homologous FMDV challenge. Groups of swine were inoculated with Ad5-pIFN and challenged with virulent FMDV A24 1, 3, 5, and 7 days postinoculation (dpi) or 1 day preinoculation. All animals challenged 1 and 3 dpi were completely protected from disease. The animals in the remaining groups had either no clinical signs of disease or clinical signs were delayed and less severe compared to the control group. Swine inoculated with a combination of Ad5-pIFN and Ad5-A24 and challenged 5 dpi were all completely protected from disease and developed a significant FMDV-specific neutralizing antibody response. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Leadership for Self-Managing Work Teams: A Typology and Integrative Model

Many organizations are currently implementing self-managing work teams. Supervision of these teams is particularly challenging in that leaders are expected to lead others to lead themselves. Grounded primarily in the positivistic paradigm of research, a typology of leadership approaches is thus developed to explain team leader behaviors and their impact on team self-management. A model incorporating leader and organizational characteristics is then presented to illustrate antecedents of team leader behavior.
A New Genus and Species of North American Exosternini Associated with Cavity-Nesting Owls and a Reassignment of Phelister simoni Lewis (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Histerinae)

Abstract We describe Strigister Caterino, Tishechkin, and Proudfoot new genus (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Histerinae: Exosternini) for Strigister tecolotito Caterino, Tishechkin, and Proudfoot new species and for Strigister simoni (Lewis, 1889) new combination. These species are excluded from Phelister Marseul based on several unique characters, especially transverse slits on the prosternal keel and a single v-shaped annulus on the antennal club, and the genus is suggested to be more closely related to Baconia Lewis. Strigister tecolotito has been found exclusively in association with nests of the ferruginous pygmy-owl (Glaucidium brasilianum (Gmelin)) and the Eastern screech-owl (Megascops asio (L.)) in extreme southern Texas, USA. Strigister simoni is known only from the type specimen, lacking ecological data, from Venezuela.
The South Asian Summer Monsoon and Its Relationship with ENSO in the IPCC AR4 Simulations

Abstract In this paper the extensive integrations produced for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) are used to examine the relationship between ENSO and monsoons at interannual and decadal time scales. The study begins with an analysis of the monsoon simulation in the twentieth-century integrations. Six of the 18 models were found to have a reasonably realistic representation of monsoon precipitation climatology. For each of these six models SST and anomalous precipitation evolution along the equatorial Pacific during El Nino events display considerable differences when compared to observations. Out of these six models only four [Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Climate Model versions 2.0 and 2.1 (GFDL_CM_2.0 and GFDL_CM_2.1), Meteorological Research Institute (MRI) model, and Max Planck Institute ECHAM5 (MPI_ECHAM5)] exhibit a robust ENSO–monsoon contemporaneous teleconnection, including the known inverse relationship between ENSO and rainfall variatio...
Paraplegia after intercostal neurolysis with phenol

In patients with advanced stages of cancer, severe pain is commonly encountered and is very difficult to treat. It affects the quality of life of the patient and the families involved. Pain can be managed using analgesics and adjuvant therapy. However, studies have shown that at least 10%-15% of patients fail to control pain adequately and will experience severe pain. We discuss the case of a 66-year-old female with metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma of the left submandibular gland and developed paraplegia following intercostal neurolysis with phenol. After a successful diagnostic T6 to T12 intercostal nerve block, the patient was scheduled for an intercostal neurolytic block. We injected 2 mL of 10% aqueous phenol at each level on the left from the T6 to T12 ribs. One hour after the procedure, the patient developed bilateral lower extremity weakness with difficulty moving. A physical examination showed the absence of sensation to pinpricks and vibration from T10 to S5 and an absence of anal sphincter tone and sensation. Magnetic resonance images of the thoracic and lumbar spine showed leptomeningeal metastatic disease and myelitis. We postulate that the paraplegia could be from phenol diffusing along either the spinal nerves or the paravertebral venous plexus into the subarachnoid space. This case report points to the risks involved with phenol neurolysis close to the spine, and we propose alternative methods to minimize neurological complications.
A survey of software functional testing techniques

The authors survey several technical articles in the area of software testing and provide a cross section of software functional testing techniques. In particular, they focus on the systematic methodologies because such methodologies demonstrate the absence of unwanted erroneous functions and divide the testing effort into manageable pieces for automating the testing effort into manageable pieces for automating the testing process. The authors also discuss the empirical approach to assessing software validation methods and focus on the static and the dynamic techniques used to characterize this approach. Several techniques were found to be very useful for discovering different types of errors. For instance, the symbolic evaluation can be used to prove the correctness of a program without executing it by symbolically evaluating the sequence of the assignment statements occurring in a program path. Structured walkthroughs and design inspections result in substantial improvements in quality and productivity through the use of formal inspections of the design and the code. >
Efficacy of Methylprednisolone in Preventing Lung Injury Following Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy

Background We sought to determine the efficacy and safety of perioperative treatment with methylprednisolone on the development of lung injury after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy. Methods This was a randomized, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 98 adult patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension who were undergoing pulmonary thromboendarterectomy at a single institution. The patients received either placebo (n = 47) or methylprednisolone (n = 51) (30 mg/kg in the cardiopulmonary bypass prime, 500 mg IV bolus following the final circulatory arrest, and 250 mg IV bolus 36 h after surgery). The primary end point was the presence of lung injury as determined by two independent, blinded physicians using prospectively defined criteria. The secondary end points included ventilator-free, ICU-free, and hospital-free days and selected levels of cytokines in the blood and in BAL fluid. Results The incidence of lung injury was similar in both treatment groups (45% placebo, 41% steroid; P = .72). There were no statistical differences in the secondary clinical end points between treatment groups. Treatment with methylprednisolone, compared with placebo, was associated with a statistically significant reduction in plasma IL-6 and IL-8, a significant increase in plasma IL-10, and a significant reduction in postoperative IL-1ra and IL-6, but not IL-8 in BAL fluid obtained 1 day after surgery. Conclusions Perioperative methylprednisolone does not reduce the incidence of lung injury following pulmonary thromboendarterectomy surgery despite having an antiinflammatory effect on plasma and lavage cytokine levels.
Candida glabrata Intra-Abdominal Candidiasis Is Characterized by Persistence within the Peritoneal Cavity and Abscesses

The pathogenesis of Candida glabrata infections is poorly understood. We studied the pathogenesis of intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC) in mice that were infected intraperitoneally with C. glabrata and sterile feces. C. glabrata BG2 (5 × 10(8) CFU) caused a 100% mortality rate. Sublethal inocula of BG2 (1 × 10(8) or 1 × 10(7) CFU) caused peritonitis that progressed to abscesses. Three clinical C. glabrata strains (5 × 10(8) CFU) caused 80 to 100% mortality rates, while a fourth (strain 346) caused a 29% mortality rate. Following sublethal inocula (1 × 10(7) CFU), the intra-abscess burdens of virulent strain 356 were ∼1 log greater than those of strain 346. A C. glabrata Δplb1-2 mutant (phospholipase B genes disrupted) killed mice as well as BG2 did. When sublethal inocula were used, however, the Δplb1-2 mutant was associated with more rapid abscess resolution and lower intra-abscess burdens; these findings were reversed by PLB1 and PLB2 reinsertion. The Δplb1-2 mutant was also more susceptible than BG2 to killing by human neutrophils in vitro. BG2 and the Δplb1-2 mutant were indistinguishable during hematogenously disseminated candidiasis. C. albicans SC5314 was more virulent than C. glabrata BG2 during IAC, causing a 100% mortality rate following a challenge with 5 × 10(7) CFU. In contrast, a sublethal inoculum (1 × 10(7) CFU) of BG2 caused less neutrophil infiltration and greater burdens in peritoneal fluid than SC5314 did and abscesses that persisted longer and contained greater burdens. In conclusion, a mouse model of C. glabrata IAC mimics disease in humans and distinguishes the relative virulence of clinical and gene disruption strains. C. glabrata differed from C. albicans during IAC by being less lethal and eliciting dampened neutrophil responses but resulting in more persistent peritonitis and abscesses.
Evolution of chemical bonding during HCN HNC isomerization as revealed through nuclear quadrupole hyperfine structure.

The making and breaking of bonds in chemical reactions necessarily involve changes in electronic structure. Therefore, measurements of a carefully chosen electronic property can serve as a marker of progress along a reaction coordinate and provide detailed mechanistic information about the reaction. Herein, we demonstrate through high-resolution spectroscopic measurements and high-level ab initio calculations that nuclear quadrupole hyperfine structure (hfs), an indicator of electronic structure, is highly sensitive to the extent of bending excitation in the prototypical HCNQHNCisomerization system. Thus, measurements of hfs show how the nature of a chemical bond is altered when a vibration that is coupled to the isomerization reaction coordinate is excited. Nuclear quadrupole hfs arises from the interaction of a nuclear electric quadrupole moment with the gradient of the electric field at that nucleus. This interaction causes rotational levels to split into multiple components. The magnitude of the splitting is determined by eQq, in which e is the proton charge, Q is the quadrupole moment of the nucleus, and q is the gradient of the electric field (@ 2 V/@z 2 ) at the nucleus. The electric quadrupole moment Q is a measure of the departure of the nuclear charge distribution from spherical symmetry and is nonzero for nuclear spins I � 1. Although Q is constant for a particular nucleus, q can (and generally does) vary in different molecules. These values of q (and hence eQq) report on the local electronic environment of the nucleus, in contrast to Stark effect measurements of the electric dipole moment, [1]
Ethnic-Specific Weight-Loss Interventions for Low-Income Postpartum Women: Findings and Lessons

Promoting weight loss among overweight low-income postpartum women has proven difficult. The study's aims were to pilot-test ethnic-specific weight-loss interventions using randomized control-group designs for White/Anglo (n = 23), African American (n = 25), and Hispanic low-income postpartum women (n = 23) and draw lessons from psychosocial data and follow-up interviews. Interventions lasting 13 weeks were offered in group settings in the community. Similar to other randomized trials with low-income mothers, weight changes between intervention and control groups were nonsignificant in each ethnic group; however, changes correlated significantly with self-efficacy (Spearman r = .50) for White/Anglo women and self-efficacy (Spearman r = -.48) and perceived stress (Spearman r = .48) for African American women. In follow-up interviews, women felt interventions gave a good foundation for weight loss, but program and situational factors affected participation and weight loss. Control groups (mailed interventions later) were generally more pleased with their assignment than intervention groups.
Investigation of Crossflow Shocks on Delta Wings in Supersonic Flow

In the study described, a finite difference approach to solving the rotational Euler equations, explicitly fitting shocks as a boundary, is applied to a variety of geometrical shapes in the lower supersonic Mach number regime. It is shown how special techniques based on the physics of the flow can be used to circumvent a variety of numerical difficulties encountered with the conical flow problem that are primarily associated with the initial value characteristics of the hyperbolic scheme, causing embedded shock-induced entropy and crossflow layers to develop on the body surface. UMEROUS investigations over the past several decades have dealt with the problem of supersonic flow over thin wings. Many of the earlier methods used linearized potential flow theory and slender body assumptions to obtain solutions. The failure of linearized potential flow solutions for flows where significant supersonic crossflow regions exist is fairly well known (e.g., Refs. 1-3). More recently, nonlinear methods, such as the method of characteristi cs4 and the method of lines, 5 were developed which were adequate at small angles of attack and simple, but not very thin, cross- sectional shapes. Nevertheless, these nonlinear methods did not broach the topic of crossflow embedded shocks which occur on thin bodies, even at relatively small angles of attack. Under certain geometric and flow conditions, a large ex- pansion occurs around the leading edge, causing an embedded region of supersonic crossflow to occur on the leeward side of the body. Since the supersonic region has no advance warning of the symmetry plane crossflow stagnation condition, an embedded shock forms, causing the crossflow to become subsonic and capable of satisfying this boundary condition. A shock-capturing finite-difference approach was developed and applied to complex shapes with embedded shocks in the high supersonic to hypersonic Mach number regime.6'7 This shock-capturing approach uses the con- servation form of the Euler governing equations in order to resolve the embedded shocks with a minimal amount of numerical instability. In contrast to the aforementioned nonlinear methods in- tegrating the rotational form of Euler equations, a technique was developed to integrate the irrotational equations for supersonic conical flow. A relaxation method was applied to the conical full potential flow equation in Ref. 3 that relied heavily on numerical transonic techniques. Numerical solutions were computed successfully for circular/elliptic cones and thin winglike cross sections from low to high in- cidence at freestream Mach numbers between 1.2 and 3. This method captures the shocks over a few mesh points, ap- parently without numerical instabilities. Using the nonlinear
Use of risk assessment analysis by failure mode, effects, and criticality to reduce door-to-balloon time.

Study objective The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services currently endorses a door-to-balloon time of 90 minutes or less for patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Recent evidence shows that a door-to-balloon time of 60 minutes significantly decreases inhospital mortality. We seek to use a proactive risk assessment method of failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis (FMECA) to evaluate door-to-balloon time process, to investigate how each component failure may affect the performance of a system, and to evaluate the frequency and the potential severity of harm of each failure. Methods We conducted a 2-part study: FMECA of the door-to-balloon time system and process of care, and evaluation of a single institution's door-to-balloon time operational data using a retrospective observational cohort design. A multidisciplinary group of FMECA participants described the door-to-balloon time process to then create a comprehensive map and table listing all process steps and identified process failures, including their frequency, consequence, and causes. Door-to-balloon time operational data were assessed by "on" versus "off" hours. Results Fifty-one failure points were identified across 4 door-to-balloon time phases. Of the 12 high-risk failures, 58% occurred between ECG and catheterization laboratory activation. Total door-to-balloon time during on hours had a median time of 55 minutes (95% confidence interval 46 to 60 minutes) compared with 77 minutes (95% confidence interval 68 to 83 minutes) during off hours. Conclusion The FMECA revealed clear areas of potential delay and vulnerability that can be addressed to decrease door-to-balloon time from 90 to 60 minutes. FMECAs can provide a robust assessment of potential risks and can serve as the platform for significant process improvement and system redesign for door-to-balloon time.
Alterations in fiber cell membranes of Emory mouse cataract: A morphologic study

Morphologic alterations in cortical fiber cell membranes of the developing Emory mouse cataract were studied with scanning, transmission and freeze-fracture electon microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the extensive formation of prominent ridges on the surfaces of normal-appearing fibers, greatly enlarged degenerating fibers and globular structures in the relatively superficial cortical regions of the cataractous lenses where such a surface pattern was not found in the normal controls. Transmission electron microscopy showed undulating 13 nm pentalamellar structures, which were thinner than 17 nm heptalamellar (or pentalamellar) structures of gap junctions, were distributed within the cell membranes having ridge patterns. Some globular structures were encircled by repeated undulating 13 nm pentalamellar structures and multi lamellar membranes. Freeze-fracture studies demonstrated that 13 nm pentalamellar structures consisted of square crystalline arrays of 6 nm intramembrane particles whereas...
Relationship Between Pseudocompressible and Unsteady Compressible Flow at Low Mach Numbers

Conclusions A close comparison of numerical predictions with experimental results for contraswirling jets in a suddenly expanding confinement leads to the following conclusions: 1) Theoretical predictions for the axial component of the velocity have closer agreement with the experimental values for weak swirls. The agreeement becomes poorer with the increase in the intensity of swirl. 2) Theoretical predictions for the circumferential component of velocity when compared with the experimental values show a reverse trend. 3) The LPS correction introduced to account for the streamline curvature improves the results of the prediction technique. The predictions are not satisfactory for high streamline curvatures caused by high swirl intensity and flow expansion. 4) The limitations of the turbulence model is also exposed in the zones having steep velocity gradients and in its inability to pick up the central recirculation zone (case A3).
America's Crisis of Values: Reality and Perception

America's Crisis of Values: Reality and Perception. By Wayne E. Baker. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006. 328p. $18.95. Wayne Baker's America's Crisis of Values: Reality and Perception offers a recent addition to a growing literature in political science that examines the perception and, perhaps, reality of the polarization of American politics around cultural and moral issues. In this book, Baker sets out to provide an empirical examination of three aspects of America's perceived crisis of values. The first of these is the trend hypothesis: In recent decades, America has experienced a significant decline in its commitment to traditional moral values. The second is the comparison hypothesis: Moral values in the United States have declined relative to most other nations. Third and finally is the distribution hypothesis: Americans have become increasingly polarized in their commitment to traditional moral values.