cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Entropy generation in the ocean by small-scale mixing

Abstract An expression that includes salt diffusion was developed and evaluated for the rate of entropy production σ in the ocean. The evaluation was done for mixing events produced by turbulent overturns and double diffusion. Temperature and salinity profiles from four representative oceanic regimes were used in the evaluation. For typical mid- or low-latitude profiles thermal diffusion is the main component of σ in upper-ocean turbulent events; in abyssal waters, viscous dissipation is the principal component. The depth of transition from dominance by σt to dominance by σv depends upon the depth dependence of mixing intensity, which has not been determined. Salt diffusion plays a major role only in a few locations where salinity strongly dominates the density field; the most prominent example is the shallow arctic halocline. Elsewhere, the effect of salt diffusion, However, when the viscous dissipation within the well-mixed layers above and below salt-fingering interfaces is also considered, viscous dis...
Brief Intervention for Problem Drug Use in Safety-Net Primary Care Settings: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Although brief intervention is effective for reducing problem alcohol use, few data exist on its effectiveness for reducing problem drug use, a common issue in disadvantaged populations seeking care in safety-net medical settings (hospitals and community health clinics serving low-income patients with limited or no insurance). Objective To determine whether brief intervention improves drug use outcomes compared with enhanced care as usual. Design, Setting, and Participants A randomized clinical trial with blinded assessments at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months conducted in 7 safety-net primary care clinics in Washington State. Of 1621 eligible patients reporting any problem drug use in the past 90 days, 868 consented and were randomized between April 2009 and September 2012. Follow-up participation was more than 87% at all points. Interventions Participants received a single brief intervention using motivational interviewing, a handout and list of substance abuse resources, and an attempted 10-minute telephone booster within 2 weeks (n = 435) or enhanced care as usual, which included a handout and list of substance abuse resources (n = 433). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcomes were self-reported days of problem drug use in the past 30 days and Addiction Severity Index–Lite (ASI) Drug Use composite score. Secondary outcomes were admission to substance abuse treatment; ASI composite scores for medical, psychiatric, social, and legal domains; emergency department and inpatient hospital admissions, arrests, mortality, and human immunodeficiency virus risk behavior. Results Mean days used of the most common problem drug at baseline were 14.40 (SD, 11.29) (brief intervention) and 13.25 (SD, 10.69) (enhanced care as usual); at 3 months postintervention, means were 11.87 (SD, 12.13) (brief intervention) and 9.84 (SD, 10.64) (enhanced care as usual) and not significantly different (difference in differences, β = 0.89 [95% CI, −0.49 to 2.26]). Mean ASI Drug Use composite score at baseline was 0.11 (SD, 0.10) (brief intervention) and 0.11 (SD, 0.10) (enhanced care as usual) and at 3 months was 0.10 (SD, 0.09) (brief intervention) and 0.09 (SD, 0.09) (enhanced care as usual) and not significantly different (difference in differences, β = 0.008 [95% CI, −0.006 to 0.021]). During the 12 months following intervention, no significant treatment differences were found for either variable. No significant differences were found for secondary outcomes. Conclusions and Relevance A one-time brief intervention with attempted telephone booster had no effect on drug use in patients seen in safety-net primary care settings. This finding suggests a need for caution in promoting widespread adoption of this intervention for drug use in primary care. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT00877331
Efficacy of 1% Hydrogen Peroxide Wash in Decontaminating Apples and Cantaloupe Melons

Efficacy of 1% hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in decontaminating apples and contaloupes containing human pathogens was investigated. Apples inoculated with Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) were washed with 1% H 2 O 2 at 20 or 40°C for 15 or 30 min. Population reductions approaching 3 logs were obtained with all treatments. Comparable reductions were obtained with apples inoculated with 3 strains of E. coli 0157:H7, associated with cider outbreaks and a 5-strain cocktail. The 1% H 2 O 3 treatment was ineffective against E. coli 766 (ATCC 9637; similar to Salmonella. Poona) on inoculated cantaloupes. Treatment of apples with 1% H 2 O 2 was carried out successfully in a wet dump tank.
Low-cost circular-polarized millimeter-wave scanning antenna

This paper presents a new low-cost circular-polarized scanning antenna. Over 43/spl deg/ of beam steering is demonstrated at 32.5 GHz with an axial ratio less than 1 dB across the entire scan range. The design should have commercial and military applications in emerging millimeter-wave mobile communication and radar systems.
Grounding in the image of causation

Grounding is often glossed as metaphysical causation, yet no current theory of grounding looks remotely like a plausible treatment of causation. I propose to take the analogy between grounding and causation seriously, by providing an account of grounding in the image of causation, on the template of structural equation models for causation.
Is quality of health care a meaningful guide

Health care consumers are beginning to learn that "what you don't know can hurt you." Though consumers consistently rank quality of care as an important attribute, "quality of care" does not appear to be particularly useful in decision making. The quality of health care is difficult to measure, communicate, and interpret. Yet if consumers are to make efficient choices including both value and cost in their decisions, quality information must be available to them. This paper outlines a scheme to conceptualize quality of care and suggests some ways to operationalize measures of quality that could provide empirically based indices of quality of care to facilitate health care consumer decision-making.
GENESIS OF THE ELECTROCARDIOGRAM IN ATRIAL SEPTAL DEFECT.

Abstract Vectorcardiographic and ventricular activation studies were conducted in dogs in which atrial septal defects had been produced surgically. All animals developed large left-to-right shunts (65 to 81 per cent of total pulmonary blood flow). Quantitative vectorcardiographic analysis demonstrated no significant QRSŝE-loop changes in the control surgical group. In dogs with atrial septal defects, there was a twofold to threefold increase in the magnitude of the S loop, which was displaced superiorly. A comparison of the patterns of ventricular activation in the normal dog and in the dog with an atrial septal defect revealed that: (1) the total ventricular activation time increased in the group with the atrial septal defects; (2) the pattern of activation was similar for both groups initially, with double envelopment of the septum and invasion of the ventricular free walls; (3) the later period of activation in the normal dog (25–35 msec.) was attributed to excitation of the basal interventricular septum and left ventricle, whereas during this time interval in the dogs with atrial septal defects, excitation occurred in the high right ventricular free wall and crista supraventricularis in addition to the basal septum; and (4) activation of the high right ventricular free wall occupied the final period of excitation in the group with atrial septal defect, and accounted for the prolongation of the total ventricular activation time. Hypertrophy of the right ventricular free wall accounted for the prolonged activation time, with excitation occurring at a normal speed through the increased muscle mass. There was no interference with the transmission of the electrical impulse through the right bundle branch, peripheral conduction system, or right ventricular muscle. Correlation of the sequence of ventricular activation with QRSŝE-loop changes in the group with atrial septal defects showed that the excitation wave fronts of the crista supraventricularis and high right ventricular free wall accounted for the displacement of the S loop in a superior direction. The terminal portion of the QRSŝE loop was attributed to completion of activation of the high right ventricular free wall.
Bandwidth Extrapolation Through Iterative Deconvolution

In this paper we explore the application of a new iterative algorithm to super resolve one and two-dimensional signals that have been corrupted by zero mean, white, Gaussian noise. This is an example of solving a set of ill-posed linear equations subject to constraints. We demonstrate the superior performance of this algorithm over another proposed algorithm on simulated data. The simulations demonstrate that the algorithm leads to less noise amplification without a concommitant loss in convergence rate. Other applications of the technique are discussed.
Cardiac Improvement During Mechanical Circulatory Support A Prospective Multicenter Study of the LVAD Working Group

Background— Myocardial recovery after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support has been reported. The LVAD Working Group Recovery Study was a prospective multicenter trial to assess the incidence of myocardial recovery in patients bridged to cardiac transplantation. Methods and Results— After LVAD implantation, patients were evaluated with the use of rest echocardiograms with partial LVAD support and cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Dobutamine echocardiography with hemodynamic measurements was performed in those patients with left ventricular ejection fraction >40% during resting studies. Histological analysis was performed on myocardial samples taken at LVAD implantation and explantation. Sixty-seven LVAD patients with heart failure participated in the study. After 30 days, significant improvement occurred in left ventricular ejection fraction (17±7% versus 34±12%; P<0.001) and reductions in left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (7.1±1.2 versus 5.1±1.1 cm; P<0.001) and left ventricular mass (320±...
Physician-patient co-construction of illness narratives in the medical interview.

Researchers and medical educators in the area of physician-patient communication encourage physicians to elicit patient narratives during medical encounters to facilitate data collection, rapport building, and patient satisfaction. These scholars, however, provide little information about the nature of the narrative, especially in the context of the medical interview. This article reviews the multidisciplinary literature on narrative and reports the results of a narrative analysis of 21 physician-patient interviews. A set of criteria for defining narrative is derived from the literature and applied to these interviews, demonstrating the limitations of previous conceptions of narrative and suggesting an expanded definition. This expansion emphasizes the notion that narratives are co-constructed through the interaction of both participants in the conversation in which they occur. Application of the expanded definition to the same interviews reveals 3 new narrative forms: narratives that emerge through the c...
Historical changes in trace metals and hydrocarbons in nearshore sediments, Alaskan Beaufort Sea, prior and subsequent to petroleum-related industrial development: Part II. Hydrocarbons

Composition and concentration of hydrocarbons (normal and isoprenoid alkanes, triterpenoids, steranes, and PAHs) in nearshore surface sediments from Elson Lagoon (EL), Colville Delta-Prudhoe Bay (CDPB) and Beaufort Lagoon (BL), Alaskan Beaufort Sea, were assessed for spatio-temporal variability. Principal component analysis of the molecules/biomarkers concentrations delineated CDPB and BL samples into two groups, and cluster analysis identified three station groups in CDPB. Overall there was no geographic distribution pattern in the groups. The diversities between groups and individual samples are attributed to differences in n-alkanes and PAHs contents, which are influenced predominantly by sediment granulometry and sitespecific fluvial input. The predominant hydrocarbon source is biogenic, mainly terrigenous, with hardly any contribution from natural oil seeps, oil drill effluents and/or refined crude. The terrigenous source is corroborated by δ(13)C, δ(15)N, and OC/N of sediment organic matter. Time interval (1976-1977, 1984 and 1997) changes in hydrocarbon compositions and concentrations in CDPB are not significant.
Trans-unsaturated lipid dynamics: modulation of dielaidoylphosphatidylcholine acyl chain motion by ethanol.

Acyl chain dynamics of the trans-unsaturated lipid, dielaidoylphosphatidylcholine (DEPC), were studied by conventional and saturation transfer electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy of aqueous dispersions of DEPC spin labeled with lecithins having doxyl groups at positions 5, 10, and 14 on the sn-2 chain. The gel to liquid crystalline transition is concerted with simultaneous increases in rotational motion about the long axis of the acyl chain (libration) and in gauche-trans conformational interconversions (wobble). Relative to saturated lecithins at similar reduced temperatures the double bond (a) slowed libration by an order of magnitude in both phases, while wobble motions were several times slower, and (b)-produced a pronounced stiffness of the acyl chain near the double bond. Ethanol (0–1.6 M), in addition to its well-known colligative effect on the phase transition, was found to decrease the bilayer order in a concentration-dependent manner. This effect was smaller in the gel than in the liquid crystalline phase, most pronounced next to the double bond, and weakest deep in the bilayer. Ethanol affected slow motions little in the gel phase but wobble and libration correlation times were markedly decreased in the liquid crystalline phase.
Daily melatonin injections inhibit short-day-induced testicular regression in hamsters.

Daily injections of melatonin were found to retard testicular regression in hamsters exposed to LD 10:14, if the injections occurred in the morning (i.e., 0.5 h after lights on), but not if they occurred in the afternoon (i.e., 6 h after lights on). These results indicate that appropriately timed injections of melatonin can at least partially block the inhibitory effects of short days on gonadal activity in the photoperiodic hamster.
The Poetics of Silence in Maria Chapdelaine

Situated in rural Quebec in the early twentieth century, Louis Hemon’s Maria Chapdelaine is a narrative of consciousness in which descriptions abound and dialogues are scarce. This essay examines the various elements that constitute narrative silence in the novel: description of space and nature, psycho-narration, visual communication, and the relationship between death and silence. Also discussed are the difference between the narrator’s and the protagonist’s discourses, and the narrator’s predominant role in filling the gaps and shaping the narrative. The study concludes that doing (faire) rather than saying (dire) is a principal characteristic of communication in the culture portrayed in the novel.
Coaxial Line Technique to Measure Constitutive Parameters in Magnetoelectric Ferrite Materials

In this letter, a technique is presented to measure the constitutive parameters of magnetoelectric ferrite materials in the presence of high dc voltages. The traditional coaxial line design has been modified in a manner that it allows for the introduction of high dc voltage (≤ 1000 V) and also it minimizes electromagnetic radiation loss via connections to the magnetoelectric sample. The modified coaxial line is verified through the theoretical calculation and experimental measurements for 50 MHz to 3 GHz frequency range.
Simulation of spin diffusion in a disordered system

We simulated the effect of dilution on the transport of magnetization between classical gyromagnets, coupled by a dipole-dipole interaction in a high external magnetic field, on a simple cubic lattice for a system with quenched disorder. We studied the dependence of the spin-diffusion coefficient on the concentration of dipoles on the lattice for various system sizes. For small concentrations we find that the diffusion coefficient depends linearly on concentration. We extrapolated the simulation results to the thermodynamic limit, i.e., to the limit of large system sizes and wavelengths. We also tested the consequences of a strong exponential cutoff of the dipole interactions. In this case our results show indications of a percolation transition at a finite value of the concentration. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Two-dimensional simulations of steady perforated-plate stabilized premixed flames

The objective of this work is to examine the impact of the operating conditions and the perforated-plate design on the steady, lean premixed flame characteristics. We perform two-dimensional simulations of laminar flames using a reduced chemical kinetics mechanism for methane–air combustion, consisting of 20 species and 79 reactions. We solve the heat conduction problem within the plate, allowing heat exchange between the gas mixture and the solid plate. The physical model is based on a zero-Mach-number formulation of the axisymmetric compressible conservation equations. The results suggest that the flame consumption speed, the flame structure, and the flame surface area depend significantly on the equivalence ratio, mean inlet velocity, the distance between the perforated-plate holes and the plate thermal conductivity. In the case of an adiabatic plate, a conical flame is formed, anchored near the corner of the hole. When the heat exchange between the mixture and the plate is finite, the flame acquires a...
Development of a fritless packed column for capillary electrochromatography-mass spectrometry.

Abstract A novel procedure was developed for the fabrication of a fritless packed column for the coupling of capillary electrochromatography (CEC) to mass spectrometry (MS). The process involved the formation of internal tapers on two separate columns. Once the internal tapers are formed and the columns are packed, the untapered ends of each column were joined together by a commercially available connector. Several advantages of the fritless columns are described. First, the design used here eventually eliminates the need for any frits thus reducing the possibility of bubble formation seen with fritted packed columns. In addition, this is the first report in which the internal tapers are formed at both the inlet and outlet column ends making the fritless CEC–MS column more robust compared to only one report with externally tapered counterparts. Second, a comparison of internally tapered single frit packed CEC–MS (previously developed in our laboratory) column versus fritless CEC–MS column reported here shows that the latter provides better efficiency, suggesting no dead volume with equally good sensitivity and chiral resolution of (±)-aminoglutethimide. The fritless column procedure is universal and was used to prepare a series of columns with a variety of commercially available packing material (mixed mode strong cation exchange, SCX; mixed mode strong anion exchange, SAX; C-18) for the separation and MS detection of short chain non-chromophoric polar amines, long chain nonchromophic anionic surfactant as well as oligomers of non-chromophoric non-ionic surfactants, respectively. The fritless columns showed good intra-day repeatability and inter-day reproducibility of retention times, chiral and achiral resolutions and peak areas. Very satisfactory column-to-column and operator-to-operator reproducibility was demonstrated.
Social Affinity Among Top Managerial Executives of Large Corporations in Korea

Korea is a society subject to quite diverse social forces. Modernization “should” encourage reform, but the yoke of tradition restrains this tendency. This paper examines the patterns of preferential treatment of executives, based on family, school, and regional ties, by the owners of large “Jaebol” corporations in Korea. We found that about 21% of the total number of executive positions in the large corporations were occupied by individuals who had some type of “family tie” with the owners of the corporations. Also, there is a strong tendency of corporation owners to employ the executives of the same regional origin of birth as their own, but the affinity based on school ties was not as strong as that of regional origin. The findings of this study seem to support the arguments of previous studies that claimed a “trust” factor as a main cause of social similarity and affinity between the owners and executives in corporations.
Semaphorin III is needed for normal patterning and growth of nerves, bones and heart

The expression patterns of the recently discovered family of semaphorin genes suggests that they have widespread roles in embryonic development. Some seem to guide neuronal growth cones, but otherwise their functions are unknown. Semaphorin III is a membrane-associated secreted protein with a developmentally dynamic pattern of expression, including particular domains of the nervous system, the borders of developing bones, and the heart. In vitro, semaphorin III causes growth-cone collapse, and repels cutaneous sensory axons from the ventral spinal cord. Mutants in the Drosophila gene semaII, which encodes a related semaphorin, die after eclosion, but no responsible abnormality is evident. We have generated mice mutant in the semaIII gene by homologous recombination. Here we show that in the mutants, some sensory axons project into inappropriate regions of the spinal cord where semaIII is normally expressed. The cerebral cortex of homozygous mutant mice shows a paucity of neuropil and abnormally oriented neuronal processes, especially of the large pyramidal neurons. Certain embryonic bones and cartilaginous structures develop abnormally, with vertebral fusions and partial rib duplications. The few mice that survive more than a few days postnatally manifest pronounced and selective hypertrophy of the right ventricle of the heart and dilation of the right atrium. Thus, semaphorin III might serve as a signal that restrains growth in several developing organs.
Self-starting of additive-pulse modelocked laser using novel bonded saturable Bragg reflector

The authors present the design and modelocking results of a self-starting additive-pulse modelocked (APM) NaCl:OH-laser, using a novel saturable Bragg reflector (SBR) as the starting mechanism. This new SBR/APM laser produces /spl sim/200 fs pulses without dedicated dispersion compensating optics, and maintains a stable pulse train even without active cavity length stabilisation.
Salvaging their normal lives: a qualitative study of patients with recently diagnosed advanced colorectal cancer.

Purpose/objectives To describe the experiences of patients living with newly diagnosed stage III or IV colorectal cancer. Research approach Qualitative; inductive coding methods were used to identify open codes that were analyzed, compared, and grouped into categories. Setting An urban ambulatory cancer center in the northeastern United States. Participants 14 patients newly diagnosed with stage III or stage IV colorectal cancer. Methodologic approach Semistructured interviews were recorded on audiotape. Interviewers asked participants to describe their experiences with the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer. Content analysis with inductive coding was used to code the transcribed interview data. Categories were reviewed and organized into larger groupings, from which the core category was derived. Main research variables Experiences of living with a diagnosis of colorectal cancer, impact on daily living, quality of life, coping strategies used, level of preparedness, and impact on children. Findings The coded interview data yielded six domains: feeling life is disrupted, experiencing physicians, feeling unprepared for everything, rethinking parenting, wondering "why me?," and dealing with it. The core category that explained study participants' experiences with recently diagnosed colorectal cancer was "salvaging their normal lives." Conclusions The dominant experience of the study participants focused on four aspects of their illness experience: (a) framing it in ways that enabled them to recreate a semblance of normalcy or of their preillness state, (b) trying to tell children about the illness in stabilizing ways, (c) generating or maintaining a positive outlook no matter what, and (d) concretely managing the distress of the illness and its symptoms. Interpretation Targeted assessment is important in the six dimensions of the study domains. Clinicians who work with patients with cancer should offer support as patients search for meanings to explain this potentially devastating life event. Teaching active coping strategies as patients with advanced cancer struggle to come to terms with the demands of the disease while attempting to live their lives as fully and as normally as possible is important.
Serum Mac‐2BP does not distinguish men with high grade, large volume prostate cancer from men with benign prostatic hyperplasia

BACKGROUND Mac-2 binding protein (Mac-2BP) is a secreted protein that has been used as a serum prognostic marker for several types of cancers. A previous study showed that serum Mac-2BP was significantly higher (∼2-fold) in men with prostate cancer compared to healthy men. We investigated whether serum Mac-2BP could distinguish men with high grade, large volume prostate cancer from men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS A commercially available ELISA kit was used to measure Mac-2BP in paired pre- and post-prostatectomy sera from 10 men with high grade, large volume prostate cancer, in pre-operative sera from 50 untreated men with high grade, large volume prostate cancer, and in sera from 50 men with clinical symptoms of BPH and biopsy-negative for prostate cancer. Results were analyzed by Student's t-test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS Levels of Mac-2BP did not decrease in post-prostatectomy sera, and Mac-2BP values were not significantly different in the sera of men with prostate cancer versus those with BPH. CONCLUSION Serum Mac-2BP does not appear to originate in the prostate and it is unlikely that Mac-2BP can be used for the differential diagnosis of prostate cancer versus BPH. Prostate 71: 26–31, 2011. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Extinct 10Be in Type A calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions from CV chondrites

We have found clear evidence of live 10Be in five normal Type A Calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), one normal Type B CAI, and one FUN Type A CAI, all from CV3 chondrites. The (10Be/9Be)0 ratios range from ∼0.36 × 10–3 to ∼0.77 × 10–3 and are similar to those found by previous workers. The (10Be/9Be)0 ratios do not correlate in a temporal fashion with (26Al/27Al)0, suggesting that 10Be and 26Al were produced by different mechanisms. An examination of possible sources for the short-lived radionuclides indicates that production of 10Be was almost certainly by particle irradiation, possibly within the solar system, and was probably accompanied by significant production of 41Ca and 53Mn. In contrast, all of the 60Fe, most of the 26Al, and some of the 53Mn were probably produced in stars and were imported into the solar system within presolar dust grains.
Demetalation of Dicarbonyl(π-allyl)[hydridotris(pyrazolyl)borato]molybdenum Complexes via Lactonization

Demetalation of dicarbonyl(π-allyl)[hydridotris(pyrazolyl)borato]molybdenum complexes can be achieved via lactonization. A carboxylic acid moiety is installed via addition of methyl phenylsulfonylacetate enolate to a diene−Mo(CO)2Tp complex, followed by desulfonylation and hydrolysis, so that the subsequent lactonization can be effected by CO/NO+ exchange or with iodine to give decomplexed products from cyclic and acyclic complexes.
Shear Strength of a Thermal Barrier Coating Parallel to the Bond Coat

The static and low cycle fatigue strength of an air plasma sprayed (APS) partially stabilized zirconia thermal barrier coating (TBC) is experimentally evaluated. The shear testing utilized the Iosipescu shear test arrangement. Testing was performed parallel to the TBC-substrate interface. The TBC testing required an innovative use of steel extensions with the TBC bonded between the steel extensions to form the standard Iosipescu specimen shape. The test method appears to have been successful. Fracture of the TBC was initiated in shear, although unconstrained specimen fractures propagated at the TBC-bond coat interface. The use of side grooves on the TBC was successful in keeping the failure in the gage section and did not appear to affect the shear strength values that were measured. Low cycle fatigue failures were obtained at high stress levels approaching the ultimate strength of the TBC. The static and fatigue strengths do not appear to be markedly different from tensile properties for comparable TBC material.
Experience of a specialist centre in the management of anastomotic sinus following leaks after low rectal or ileal pouch-anal anastomosis with diverting stoma

Aim The natural history and appropriate management of anastomotic sinus has not been clearly defined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence, management and outcomes of anastomotic sinus. Method The medical records of all patients who underwent a low anterior resection (LAR) or an ileal pouch– anal anastomosis (IPAA) with a diverting loop ileostomy (LI) and with contrast enema performed before planned stoma closure between 2001 and 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. The radiological features of the sinus tract, treatment and outcome of anastomotic sinus were studied. Results Twenty patients (8.2%) were found to have anastomotic sinuses out of the total of 244 patients who had undergone LAR (n = 146) or IPAA (n = 98) with LI. Of these, 13 (65%) had prior symptomatic leaks, while seven did not. Twelve patients (60%) were found to have simple sinus tracts, while eight had complex sinuses (associated with either pelvic cavities or severe strictures). Five patients with simple tracts were treated with observation alone. Fifteen patients underwent surgical interventions. Overall, with a median follow-up of 28 (6–73) months, 16 patients (80%) had resolution of their sinuses. All of 12 patients (100%) with simple sinus tracts and four of eight patients (50%) with complex sinuses underwent successful stoma reversals after 8 (3.5–24) months following the initial surgery (P = 0.01). Conclusion Patients with simple tracts are significantly more likely to have complete resolution of sinuses than patients with complex sinuses. Persistent sinus associated with either a pelvic cavity or severe stricture despite surgical intervention is likely to lead to a permanent
Prediction of ferromagnetic correlations in coupled double-level quantum dots.

Numerical results for transport properties of two coupled double-level quantum dots (QDs) strongly suggest that under appropriate conditions the dots develop a novel ferromagnetic (FM) correlation at quarter filling (one electron per dot). In the strong coupling regime (Coulomb repulsion larger than electron hopping) and with interdot tunneling larger than tunneling to the leads, an $S=1$ Kondo resonance develops in the density of states, leading to a peak in the conductance. A qualitative ``phase diagram,'' incorporating the new FM phase, is presented. In addition, the necessary conditions for the FM regime are less restrictive than naively believed, leading to its possible experimental observation in real QDs.
Rubella virus: Nucleic acid studies using 5 iodo 2′-deoxyuridine

Summary Rubella virus reproduction was not inhibited by 5 iodo 2′-deoxyuridine. This constitutes presumptive evidence that rubella is an RNA virus.
The effects of aerobic exercise on premenstrual symptoms in middle-aged women: A preliminary study

The effects of aerobic exercise and strength training on premenstrual symptoms were evaluated in 23 healthy premenopausal women. Premenstrual symptoms were assessed at baseline and following 3 months of exercise participation. Women who engaged in aerobic exercise significantly increased their aerobic capacity, while the women who participated in non-aerobic exercise did not. Results showed that while participation in both exercise conditions was associated with general improvement in many premenstrual symptoms, subjects in the aerobic exercise group improved on more symptoms, especially premenstrual depression.
Trust, Moral Responsibility, The Self, and Well-Ordered Societies: The Importance of Basic Philosophical Concepts for Clinical Ethics

Although the work of clinical ethics is intensely practical, it employs and presumes philosophical concepts from the central branches of philosophy, including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and political philosophy. This essay introduces this issue in the Journal on clinical ethics by considering how the papers and book reviews included in it illuminate four such concepts: trust, moral responsibility, the self and well-ordered societies.
Activation of the systemic and adipose renin-angiotensin system in rats with diet-induced obesity and hypertension

In obesity-related hypertension, activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been reported despite marked fluid volume expansion. Adipose tissue expresses components of the RAS and is mark...
Historical development of vegetarianism

Vegetarianism pursued for reasons of physical health is a recent practice historically. Before the 19th century, avoidance of animal food was justified with moral and metaphysical arguments. During the early 1800s, however, an intensified desire for improved health combined with the ascendance of science to a position of cultural authority helped to promote the formulation of physiological arguments for vegetarianism. Theories of the nutritional superiority of a vegetable diet were nevertheless shaped by moral convictions, giving vegetarian spokesmen such as Sylvester Graham and John Harvey Kellogg the appearance of being dietary fanatics. Only as nutritional science expanded from the mid-20th century onward did vegetarianism acquire general recognition as a healthful dietary alternative. But because that alternative is still often selected for moral or other nonscientific reasons, nutritional education of vegetarians remains an essential activity.
Visual analysis of dimensionality reduction for exploring bat flight kinematics in a virtual environment

We present an experiment to study two approaches for modeling complex skeletal motion of a bat in flight. Both the domain-enhancement approach and the data-fidelity approach use proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) to study animal locomotion. The motion was displayed in a fishtank virtual environment (VE) with a threedimensional user interface (3D UI) that supports flight comparison. The UI design was evaluated by biologists and engineering scientists, who explored the linear combinations of individual components described by POD and subsequently uncovered and verified patterns in animal locomotion using the two approaches. Our experimental results suggest that displaying experimental kinematics data in an interactive 3D visualization system gave the scientists an intuitive biological interpretation of biomechanical patterns of animal flight. In particular, feedback from experts who compared this environment with traditional two-dimensional (2D) graphs stressed the advantage of seeing inherently 3D data in a VE, letting them concentrate more readily on particular aspects of data analyses. Subsequently, they were able to notice new motion patterns as well as differences and similarities in flight behaviors. Comparison of the two modeling methods shows similarities in the types of motions presented.
Constraints on the utility of MnO2 cartridge method for the extraction of radionuclides: A case study using 234Th

[1] Large volume (102–103 L) seawater samples are routinely processed to investigate the partitioning of particle reactive radionuclides and Ra between solution and size-fractionated suspended particulate matter. One of the most frequently used methods to preconcentrate these nuclides from such large volumes involves extraction onto three filter cartridges (a prefilter for particulate species and two MnO2-coated filters for dissolved species) connected in series. This method assumes that the extraction efficiency is uniform for both MnO2-coated cartridges, that no dissolved species are removed by the prefilter, and that any adsorbed radionuclides are not desorbed from the MnO2-coated cartridges during filtration. In this study, we utilized 234Th-spiked coastal seawater and deionized water to address the removal of dissolved Th onto prefilters and MnO2-coated filter cartridges. Experimental results provide the first data that indicate (1) a small fraction of dissolved Th (<6%) can be removed by the prefilter cartridge; (2) a small fraction of dissolved Th (<5%) retained by the MnO2 surface can also be desorbed, which undermines the assumption of uniform extraction efficiency for Th; and (3) the absolute and relative extraction efficiencies can vary widely. These experiments provide insight on the variability of the extraction efficiency of MnO2-coated filter cartridges by comparing the relative and absolute efficiencies and recommend the use of a constant efficiency on the combined activity from two filter cartridges connected in series for future studies of dissolved 234Th and other radionuclides in natural waters using sequential filtration/extraction methods.
Indigenous Environmental Knowledge and Its Transformations: Critical Anthropological Perspectives.

Indigenous Environmental Knowledge and Its Transformations: Critical Anthropological Perspectives. Roy Ellen, Peter Parkes, and Alan Bicker, eds. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers, 2000. vii + 356 pp., maps, plates, tables, index.
Optimal design and steady-state operation of micro power generation employing fuel cells

This paper presents a methodology for the optimal design and operation of man-portable power generation devices based on fuel cells. To illustrate the methodology, we focus on a simple process that consists of a fuel processing reactor, a solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and two burners in a stack. Hydrogen is produced from ammonia decomposition, while butane is catalytically oxidized to produce heat and maintain the stack at a sufficiently high temperature. First, a model is formulated for predicting the steady-state performance of the process, which relies on intermediate fidelity modeling assumptions. Subsequently, this model is used as a basis to study and determine the optimal design and operation of the overall system. The optimization problem is formulated so that the specific energy density of the fuels (ammonia and butane) is maximized, while meeting a specified power demand, maintaining the stack at its thermal equilibrium, and satisfying tight constraints in regard to the emission of both ammonia and nitric oxide gases. The effects of the operating temperature and nominal power demand on the performance of the system are analyzed thoroughly, with emphasis placed on several counter-intuitive results that provide insight into the design. Finally, a parametric study is presented, which considers the effect of uncertainties in the heat loss coefficients and the exchange current densities, as well as that of the electrolyte thickness, on the optimal design and operation of the process.
Forest floor fuel dynamics in mixed-oak forests of south-eastern Ohio

Silvicultural treatments alter fuel dynamics in forested systems, which may alter fire regime. Effects of thinning and prescribed fire on forest-floor fuels were studied in mixed-oak forests of south-eastern Ohio to examine fuel dynamics over time. Fuel characteristics were measured before, immediately after, and 3 years following fire and thinning treatments along 20-m transects (n = 432) following Brown's planar intersect method. Measurements were taken to determine litter, duff, 1-h, 10-h, 100-h, and 1000-h sound (1000S) or rotten (1000R) fuel mass. Coarse woody debris (CWD) was sampled on 432 additional 80-m 2 belt-transects. Repeated-measures analysis of variance with post-hoc Bonferonni comparisons was used to analyse the change in the fuels over time. The specific effects of silvicultural treatments varied over time with changes in larger, sound fuels (1000S and CWD) persisting longer than changes to finer (litter, duff, 1-h, 10-h, and 100-h) or less-sound (1000R) fuels, which appear to be more transient. Unlike in western North America where fuels accumulate over time, decomposition and productivity appear comparable in eastern mixed-oak forests. Aside from their impact on decomposition or productivity rates, silvicultural treatments appear to have little impact on fine-fuel loading in these systems.
Mono‐O‐isopropylidine derivatives of digitoxin, digoxin, and ouabain

The mono- O -isopropylidene derivatives of digitoxin, digoxin, and ouabain have been prepared. In the case of digoxin, this derivative was more lipid soluble than the parent compound and more water soluble than digitoxin or acetyldigitoxin. All derivatives were less active than the parent glycosides when they were assayed intravenously in cats. Mono- O -isopropylidene digoxin was 50 per cent absorbed when administered orally.
The importance of being `Indian': Identity centrality and work outcomes in an off-shored call center in India

Existing studies of identity dynamics have shown that employees embody multiple social identities, and have multiple foci of identifications at work that shape their attitudes and behaviors. However, limited research has examined these frameworks in the new, emerging contexts of global workplaces. In this article, we focus on one such significant example of contemporary globalization: transnational service work in the international call center industry in India. Our findings indicate that national identity centrality is indeed negatively associated with employee performance and positively associated with intention to leave. Furthermore, national identity centrality also moderates the relationship of organizational identification with performance and burnout. While we reinforce the importance of organizational identity and occupational identity centrality, we highlight the hitherto ignored consequences of national identity centrality in our study context.
Are Plant Populations Seed Limited? A Critique and Meta‐Analysis of Seed Addition Experiments

We examine the relative importance of processes that underlie plant population abundance and distribution. Two opposing views dominate the field. One posits that the ability to establish at a site is determined by the availability of suitable microsites (establishment limitation), while the second asserts that recruitment is limited by the availability of seeds (seed limitation). An underlying problem is that establishment and seed limitation are typically viewed as mutually exclusive. We conducted a meta-analysis of seed addition experiments to assess the relative strength of establishment and seed limitation to seedling recruitment. We asked (1) To what degree are populations seed and establishment limited? (2) Under what conditions (e.g., habitats and life-history traits) are species more or less limited by each? (3) How can seed addition studies be better designed to enhance our understanding of plant recruitment? We found that, in keeping with previous studies, most species are seed limited. However, the effects of seed addition are typically small, and most added seeds fail to recruit to the seedling stage. As a result, establishment limitation is stronger than seed limitation. Seed limitation was greater for large-seeded species, species in disturbed microsites, and species with relatively short-lived seed banks. Most seed addition experiments cannot assess the relationship between number of seeds added and number of subsequent recruits. This shortcoming can be overcome by increasing the number and range of seed addition treatments.
Slow Wave Structures for Miniature Antennas

Engineered materials, such as new composites, electromagnetic bandgap, and periodic structures have attracted considerable interest in recent years due to their remarkable and unique electromagnetic properties. Among this class of media are the magnetic photonic (MPC) and degenerate band edge (DBE) crystals. These periodic media have the concurrent characteristics of wave slow down and impedance matching at their dielectric interface. The first allows for miniaturization, and the latter is equivalent to radiation efficiency. Overall these properties are a consequence of the anisotropic nature of the periodic media, allowing for internal phase shifting that leads to ray collimation for best aperture utilization. To a degree, they emulate zero index materials, and thus (planar) layers of the material serve the same purpose as a reflector dish. This important property of the MPC and DBE structures will be discussed at the meeting. The main focus of this work is two-fold: 1. The realization (in terms of material availability and fabrication) of the proposed periodic media, and their theoretical and measured performance for antenna applications. Specifically, we will pursue feed arrangements, impedance matching and metallizations/printings for maximum aperture efficiency. 2. Introduction of a concept that allows for emulation of the anisotropic properties of MPC/DBE media using a novel coupled line printed approach. This concept allows for the realization of the wave slow-down and impedance matching within a printed microwave structure, leading to new design methodologies for microwave components, including couplers, filters and printed antenna devices.
Performance and Capacity of HSUPA in Lab Environment

This paper analyzes the performance of HSUPA based on test results from a UMTS lab trial network. Different aspects from the technology have been studied in a controlled lab environment, including latency reduction by HSUPA, power control efficiency and capacity. HSUPA (high speed uplink packet access) is the next logical step following the deployment of HSDPA to offer a truly 3G high speed data service with higher throughputs and reduced latency. Despite the similarities with HSDPA (such as HARQ, short TTI, NodeB scheduling), HSUPA is fundamentally different because of the use of a dedicated channel per user, called E-DCH. This results in a very different treatment of radio resources management scheme, with UL power control instead of link adaptation, or a more challenging scheduling system. The traffic scheduling is rather random in HSUPA since all data users are not synchronized with each other, and therefore a common pipe cannot be established by the network for all users as it does for the downlink. The only common resource the system can control is the uplink noise rise. In a typical UMTS network, under interference limited condition, downlink is the bottleneck. However, with the introduction of E-DCH, it is important to understand its impact to the uplink performance and capacity, especially under conditions with mixed voice and data services on one carrier. The results from our study shows a good data performance of HSUPA in data only scenarios, however there is a significant degradation on the voice service when they share the same carrier.