cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiation heat transfer in ablating boundary layer combustion theory used for hybrid rocket motor analysis

Abstract Marxman theory is often used for developing correlations of fuel regression rate for hybrid rocket motor analysis. Effects of radiation are accounted for in this theory as a perturbation to the non-radiating blowing limit allowing for the leading order effects of blowing blockage from radiation heat transfer to influence convective heat flux. The theory does not, however, account for the non-linear changes in radiative gas absorption properties to allow for tightly coupled descriptions of heat transfer and surface blowing. In this study, Marxman theory is expanded in a new fully coupled approach, employing Schvab-Zeldovich coupling functions, unsteady heat transfer response of the fuel, and solution of the gas-phase radiation heat transfer. To develop this theory, Marxman’s theory is generalized to allow for expanded functional forms of friction coefficient and account for changes in gas properties. To validate the modeling approach, measurements from a simplified slab burner experiment are conducted. Paraffin wax is used as the fuel and relatively low oxidizer fluxes are employed so the dominate effects of radiation heat transfer can be understood. Measurements of temperature, soot volume fraction, and fuel radiative heat flux rely on two-color pyrometry analyses using high-speed camera color images. Comparisons of model predictions to data indicate the new tightly coupled approach provides good predictions of regression rate, temperature, and radiative heat flux to the fuel surface over the range of oxidizer flow rates considered. Model sensitivity studies reveal commonly used one-way coupling strategies may result in significant over prediction in fuel regression rate that are most likely compensated for by errors in simplified treatments of radiation heat transfer.
Parameter estimation for terrain modeling from gradient data

A method is developed for modeling terrain surfaces for use on an unmanned Martian roving vehicle. The modeling procedure employs a two-step process which uses gradient as well as height data in order to improve the accuracy of the model's gradient. Least square approximation is used in order to stochastically determine the parameters which describe the modeled surface. A complete error analysis of the modeling procedure is included which determines the effect of instrumental measurement errors on the model's accuracy. Computer simulation is used as a means of testing the entire modeling process which includes the acquisition of data points, the two-step modeling process and the error analysis. Finally, to illustrate the procedure, a numerical example is included.
Enhanced Response to Drug-Induced QT Interval Lengthening in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction.

ABSTRACT Background Patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction demonstrate enhanced response to drug-induced QT interval lengthening and are at increased risk for torsades de pointes. The influence of HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) on response to drug-induced QT lengthening is unknown. Methods and Results We administered intravenous ibutilide 0.003 mg/kg to 10 patients with HFpEF and 10 age- and sex-matched control subjects without HF. Serial 12-lead electrocardiograms were obtained for determination of QT intervals. Demographics, maximum serum ibutilide concentrations, area under the serum ibutilide concentration vs time curves, and baseline Fridericia-corrected QT (QTF) (417 ± 14 vs 413 ± 15 ms, P = .54) were similar in the HFpEF and control groups. Area under the effect (QTFvs time) curve (AUEC) from 0 to 1.17 hours during and following the ibutilide infusion was greater in the HFpEF group (519 ± 19 vs 497 ± 18 ms·h, P= .04), as was AUEC from 0 to 8.17 hours (3576 ± 125 vs 3428 ± 161 ms·h, P = .03) indicating greater QTF interval exposure. Maximum QTF (454 ± 15 vs 443 ± 22 ms, P = .18) and maximum percent increase in QTF from baseline (8.2 ± 2.1 vs 6.7 ± 1.9%, P = .10) in the 2 groups were not significantly different. Conclusions HFpEF is associated with enhanced response to drug-induced QT interval lengthening.
The new contadini: transformative labor in Italian vineyards

Contadini—peasant farmers—are central figures of belonging in a Northern Italian winegrowing community. The skills and languages in which contadini are fluent and who is recognized as one of them organize the values attached to various roles in this world. I show how the immigrant vineyard workers who maintain local landscapes engage with this identity, producing new selves through the labor of caring for vines. Earning the title of contadino allows some immigrants to cross social boundaries usually policed by strict ethnic lines in Italy, generating recognition and benefits unavailable from the state. At the same time, Italian employers’ relation to the land changes as they hand off ways of knowing and doing to categorical outsiders. ‘Traditional’ labor and products are what pull these two groups into a collaborative encounter, but rather than simply keeping the past in practice, immigrants and Italians also generate new forms of personhood and value.
Robust Indexing - Optimal Codes for DNA Storage

The channel model of encoding data as a set of unordered strings is receiving great attention as it captures the basic features of DNA storage systems. However, the challenge of constructing optimal redundancy codes for this channel remained elusive. In this paper, we solve this open problem and present an order-wise optimal construction of codes that correct multiple substitution errors for this channel model. The key ingredient in the code construction is a technique we call robust indexing: instead of using fixed indices to create order in unordered strings, we use indices that are information dependent and thus eliminate unnecessary redundancy. In addition, our robust indexing technique can be applied to the construction of optimal deletion/insertion codes for this channel.
Reactor performance and safety characteristics of two-phase composite moderator concepts for modular high temperature gas cooled reactors

Abstract Graphite moderators have an extensive historical performance record, but also feature inherent challenges for modular High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors (mHTGRs). Challenges with graphite include non-uniform expansion and contraction under irradiation and build-up of potential energy during the bombardment of high energy neutrons that results in a large energy release under annealing. These challenges have led to the investigation and development of alternative moderators to be utilized in mHTGRs, including beryllium- and hydride-based concepts with compositions selected for favorable moderating power and the potential for improved in-service lifetime as compared to graphite. The proposed moderators are fabricated as two-phase composites with magnesium oxide, MgO, as the radiation-stable host matrix and beryllium metal, Be, beryllium oxide, BeO, or zirconium hydride, ZrHx=1 (to account for hydrogen loss from the hydride phase during processing), as the entrained moderating phase. Here, we evaluate the reactor performance and safety characteristics of these moderator concepts relative to a graphite reference using a Ft. Saint Vrain-style fuel block. We assessed the cycle length, discharge burnup, natural resource utilization, neutron flux spectra, moderating power, moderating ratio, critical size, moderator and fuel temperature feedback, fuel cycle cost, spent nuclear fuel and high level waste radioactivity per unit energy generated, and environmental impact per unit energy generated. The results demonstrate that the advanced moderators have the potential for comparable or enhanced cycle performance to that of the graphite reference case with significantly improved performance for an optimized moderator-to-fuel ratio design. These advanced moderators are also assessed from a reactor safety standpoint for Design Basis Accidents (DBAs) including Pressurized Loss of Forced Cooling and Depressurized Loss of Forced Cooling accidents for a 350 megawatt thermal prismatic-type mHTGR. The full core thermohydraulic analysis of DBAs show that the high volumetric heat capacity of the beryllium-based moderator grants them a greater margin to fuel failure in these analyses than a conventional graphite moderated system, but the lower thermal conductivity of the beryllium-based moderators leads to longer times at elevated temperatures.
Esophageal Foreign Bodies

Esophageal foreign bodies represent a common clinical challenge for pediatric surgeons. These children often present with chest pain, dysphagia, and inability to swallow. Both rigid and flexible esophagoscopy are acceptable techniques. Recent investigative work has focused on cost of care and consideration for advancement of the foreign body into the stomach. Most of these cases are performed under general anesthesia. The anesthesia team should be alerted to the increased possibility of tooth injury or accidental endotracheal tube dislodgement during the procedure. Complications are increased with children suffering from esophageal food impaction or button battery ingestion. These children are best served with early intervention. Surgeons should have a host of techniques available for successful intervention.
Digital Goods and Markets: Emerging Issues and Challenges

This research commentary examines the changing landscape of digital goods, and discusses important emerging issues for IS researchers to explore. We begin with a discussion of the major technological milestones that have shaped digital goods industries such as music, movies, software, books, video games, and recently emerging digital goods. Our emphasis is on economic and legal issues, rather than on design science or sociological issues. We explore how research has been influenced by the major technological milestones and discuss the major findings of prior research. Based on this, we offer a roadmap for future researchers to explore the emergent changes in the digital goods arena, covering different aspects of digital goods industries such as risk management, value chain, legal aspects, transnational and cross-cultural issues.
Puzzle-based parking

Abstract In a common parking lot, much of the space is devoted not to parking but to lanes in which cars travel to and from parking spaces. Lanes must not be blocked for one simple reason: a blocked car might need to leave before the car that blocks it. Self-parking and intelligent communication capabilities of autonomous vehicles introduces an opportunity to overcome this constraint, and therefore to achieve much higher storage capacity of cars. We show how to maximize the number of cars in a parking lot that assumes interfering cars could be moved out of the way by a centralized controller. We provide optimal results for small lots with a single entry point, and we offer heuristic methods for larger lots. Improvements in parking capacity of 80 percent is possible.
Population-Specific Correlates of Sexual Arrangements and Communication in a National Sample of Latinx Sexual Minority Men

While the literature on sexual arrangements has expanded considerably, less is known about sexual arrangements among ethnically diverse populations, particularly Latinx sexual minority men (LSMM). Relationship research may overlook culturally salient correlates (e.g., ideals of masculinity or immigration-related factors) of sexual arrangements. The current study explored relationship-related factors (i.e., sexual arrangements, sexual communication, and relationship functioning) as well as Latino-specific factors, including dominant cultural views of masculinity (machismo/caballerismo) and immigration among partnered LSMM. Participants were recruited nationwide through social media and geo-location dating apps. All participants were aged 18 or older, cisgender male, lived in the U.S., including Puerto Rico, were able to read in either English or Spanish, and indicated they were currently in a relationship with a cismale partner. Multinomial regression was used to calculate the odds of being in an open or monogamish arrangement relative to a monogamous arrangement. Multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted to examine factors related to sexual communication. Language spoken with partner, adherence to more general heteronormative beliefs (genderism), and substance use were associated with specific sexual arrangement groups. The findings also suggested that birthplace, language spoken with partner variables, and machismo were associated with specific sexual arrangements and with sexual communication. This study highlights that factors associated with sexual arrangements and sexual communication may be population specific. The current study points to a complex interplay between culturally relevant ideals of masculinity and sexual arrangements as well as sexual communication among partnered Latinx sexual minority men.
Estimates of presumed population immunity to SARS-CoV-2 by state in the United States, August 2021

ABSTRACT Background Information is needed to monitor progress toward a level of population immunity to SARS-CoV-2 sufficient to disrupt viral transmission. We estimated the percentage of the United States (US) population with presumed immunity to SARS-CoV-2 due to vaccination, natural infection, or both as of August 26, 2021. Methods Publicly available data as of August 26, 2021, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were used to calculate presumed population immunity by state. Seroprevalence data were used to estimate the percentage of the population previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, with adjustments for underreporting. Vaccination coverage data for both fully and partially vaccinated persons were used to calculate presumed immunity from vaccination. Finally, we estimated the percentage of the total population in each state with presumed immunity to SARS-CoV-2, with a sensitivity analysis to account for waning immunity, and compared these estimates to a range of population immunity thresholds. Results Presumed population immunity varied among states (43.1% to 70.6%), with 19 states with 60% or less of their population having been infected or vaccinated. Four states have presumed immunity greater than thresholds estimated to be sufficient to disrupt transmission of less infectious variants (67%), and none were greater than the threshold estimated for more infectious variants (78% or higher). Conclusions The US remains a distance below the threshold sufficient to disrupt viral transmission, with some states remarkably low. As more infectious variants emerge, it is critical that vaccination efforts intensify across all states and ages for which the vaccines are approved. Summary As of August 26, 2021, no state has reached a population level of immunity thought to be sufficient to disrupt transmission. (78% or higher), with some states having remarkably low presumed immunity.
A Review of “Qualitative Housing Analysis: An International Perspective: Studies in Qualitative Methodology, Volume 10”

In the statement ‘Building Rigorous Evidence to Drive Policy,’ published on 8 June 2009, 1 Peter Orszag, Director of the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB), argues for more evidence-based pol...
Competitive Informational Lobbying in Congress: Can Citizen Groups Compete on New Policy Issues?

An important question to interest group scholars is whether citizen groups can effectively compete with industry groups in legislative arenas for influence (i.e. Holyoke 2008, Berry 1999). This paper compares the use of information by industry and citizen groups in Congressional hearings between 1985-2004 in two new issue areas (computer technology, biotechnology) and two older issue areas (agriculture, chemical regulation). While technology industry groups have a significant asymmetric information advantages over citizen groups and congressional committees when the technology is new, over time citizen groups can counter this informational advantage by providing policy and political information to Congressional hearings that counteracts the industry's informational arguments. This project is part of a larger project that examines the strategic contexts interest group information plays in lobbying and how this changes as political and policy circumstances change. This research project advances our understanding of the role that policy and political changes over time play in interest group informational lobbying strategies and the relative distribution of influence over time in the interest group system.
Edge reinforcement using parametrized relaxation labeling

The problem of reinforcing local evidence of edges while suppressing unwanted information in noisy images is considered using a form of relaxation labeling. The methodology is based on parameterizing a continuous set of edge orientation labels using a single vector. A sigmoidal thresholding function similar to that used in artificial neural networks to bias neighborhood-influence and insure convergence to meaningful stable states is also utilized. A global optimization function is defined, and a decentralized parallel algorithm is derived that uses a steepest-gradient-descent approach to arrive at the optimal point on the functional surface, corresponding to desirable edge-reinforced and noise-suppressed labelings. In addition, a modification to the functional is presented which incorporates a thinning operation to insure that each edge is marked by only a single-pixel-wide response. Results from several image data sets indicate that the algorithm performs as well as or better than other relaxation labeling methods, and with improved computational efficiency. >
Gracefully Degradable Processor Arrays

A new approach to the design of gracefully degradable processor arrays is discussed. Fault tolerance and graceful degradation are achieved by simultaneously reconfiguring the processor array and the algorithm in execution. Two types of algorithm reconfigurability are considered, namely, row reconfigurability (RR) and row-column reconfigurability (RCR). correspondingly, two array reconfiguration schemes are discussed, i.e., successive row elimination (SRE) and alternate row-column elimination (ARCE). It is shown that the computations of any algorithm executable in a processor array can always be (re) organized so that the resultant algorithm has the RR and/or RCR properties. Upper bounds on the increase in execution time of an algorithm due to reorganization of computations for reconfigurability are derived. Detailed analysis of performance and reliability is done for both SRE and ARCE reconfiguration schemes. These reconfiguration techniques are applicable to any processor array and suitable for VLSI technology.
The Effects of the E-Rate Internet Subsidies in Education

Since 1998, US schools and libraries have received $2.25 billion annually to provide internet access. The average estimated effect on educational outcomes for Texas high school outcomes are modest both for measures related to college preparedness and for subject area standardized test scores. Educational outcome improvements were greater at the low-income schools targeted by the program, but the difference in impacts are also small.
Trajectory control of robot manipulators with closed-kinematic chain mechanism

The authors consider the problem of Cartesian trajectory control of a closed kinematic-chain-mechanism robot manipulator, recently built to study the assembly of NASA hardware for the future space station. The study is performed by computer simulation and experimentation for tracking of three different paths: a straight line, a sinusoid and a circle. Linearization and pole placement methods are used to design controller gains. Results show that the controllers are robust and there are good agreements between simulation and experimentation. They also show excellent tracking quality and small overshoots. >
Radiofrequency Ablation of Osteoid Osteoma

Percutaneous radiofrequency treatment of osteoid osteoma has been performed for more than 10 years. It is the preferred method of treatment for most patients in those centers that offer it, and has been shown to be a safe, effective, and cost-effective alternative to operative treatment (1–5). However, many patients continue to be subjected to the increased risks and lengthy recovery of open surgery or to the prolonged discomfort and risks associated with medical therapy. This is presumably because of lack of awareness of the technique or benefits of percutaneous treatment. This chapter provides a detailed description of proper patient selection, technique, and follow-up for those wishing to perform this therapy.
Il mestiere della guerra: l’organizzazione della violenza e del lavoro maschile in Sierra Leone e in Liberia

The fighting that spread across the Mano River Union countries of West Africa (Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea) from 1989 until 2003 were evidence for many observers that the region lay outside the global economy and marked a return to primitive tribal violence. In reality, the Mano River War was the most “postmodern” of conflicts. Ethnographic fieldwork among militia fighters on both sides of the border illustrates that a complex political economy of violent labor made work on the region’s battlefield part of a continuum that included mining diamonds and gold deep in the rainforest, tapping rubber on regional plantations and campaigning for local politicians in these countries’ major cities. Far from a reversion to some pre-modern state, the dynamics of assembling and deploying labor for the work of war suggest that this region was, and remains, a laboratory for the future of capitalism.
Fabry - Perot interference in a nanotube electron waveguide

The behaviour of traditional electronic devices can be understood in terms of the classical diffusive motion of electrons. As the size of a device becomes comparable to the electron coherence length, however, quantum interference between electron waves becomes increasingly important, leading to dramatic changes in device properties. This classical-to-quantum transition in device behaviour suggests the possibility for nanometer-sized electronic elements that make use of quantum coherence. Molecular electronic devices are promising candidates for realizing such device elements because the electronic motion in molecules is inherently quantum mechanical and it can be modified by well defined chemistry. Here we describe an example of a coherent molecular electronic device whose behaviour is explicitly dependent on quantum interference between propagating electron waves-a Fabry-Perot electron resonator based on individual single-walled carbon nanotubes with near-perfect ohmic contacts to electrodes. In these devices, the nanotubes act as coherent electron waveguides, with the resonant cavity formed between the two nanotube-electrode interfaces. We use a theoretical model based on the multichannel Landauer-Buttiker formalism to analyse the device characteristics and find that coupling between the two propagating modes of the nanotubes caused by electron scattering at the nanotube-electrode interfaces is important.
Casimir interaction between holes in a plate

eld theory which lives on the two holes. The interaction energy is proportional to Q1Q2=r 7 at large separation r, where Q1 and Q2 are certain charges associated with the holes. We compute these charges for round and rectangular holes. We show that the 1=r 7 behavior is universal for separations large compared to the linear dimensions of the holes, irrespective of the spin or interactions of the bosonic eld. We also study the interaction between two long thin slits, for which the energy falls o as 1 =r 6 .
Stabilizing intergovernmental transfers in Latin America : a complement to national/subnational fiscal rules?

The traditional theory of fiscal federalism assigns the role of macroeconomic stabilization to the federal government. In addition to this long-standing theoretical result, there is empirical observation that federal governments in developing countries typically have cheaper and more stable access to capital markets, relative to subnational governments. Drawing on the recent experience of four large federal countries in Latin America-Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico--the authors examine how intergovernmental transfers affect the division of the burden of stabilization across the levels of government, when the nation as a whole faces economic fluctuations. Imposing stabilizing rules on federal transfers that protect subnational governments from fluctuations in the business cycle can serve two purposes. During boom periods, stabilizing rules prevent subnational governments' tendency to increase inflexible expenditures. And during downturns, stabilizing rules place the burden of borrowing at the federal level-the level most appropriate for macroeconomic stabilization and often the level with superior access to credit. Despite the logic of these rules, recent experience of the four countries reveals that these rules can be risky, particularly in the face of high GDP volatility. Protection against falling revenues in the downturn constitutes a contingent liability for the central government. Argentina's stabilizing rule contributed to fiscal and political tensions during its ongoing crisis. Colombia is beginning to implement similar rules. Meanwhile, Brazilian and Mexican transfers do not implement such rules and fiscal and economic results do not appear to have fared any worse for this absence. The authors draw on the country experience to establish that certain conditions should be in place before establishing a stabilization rule to federal-to-subnational fiscal transfers-in particular the elimination of long-term structural fiscal imbalances, either within levels of government or across levels of government.
Miranda and the Media: Tracing the Cultural Evolution of a Constitutional Revolution

Law’s interplay with popular culture is fascinatingly multifaceted, and nowhere has the complexity of the relationship played out more fully than with the media’s treatment of Miranda v. Arizona.1 Not only did television make the Miranda warnings famous,2 its adoption of Miranda as an icon of criminal procedure may be the main reason Miranda is good law today. At least, one can extract that claim from the Court’s decision in Dickerson v. United States.3 The Dickerson Court declined the opportunity to overrule Miranda and return interrogation law to its pre-Miranda status, it said, largely because “Miranda has become embedded in routine police practice to the point where the warnings have become part of our national culture.”4 Pop culture thus saved Miranda. But why? What, if any, link is there between the procedures that constitute “routine police practice” and the fact that Miranda has become a part of the national culture? To the extent that there is a link at all, I suspect it is quite attenuated. Delivery of Miranda warnings to a suspect prior to custodial interrogation is only one of many routine police practices, most of which—say, the search-incident-to-arrest
Animal abolitionism meets moral abolitionism : cutting the Gordian knot of applied ethics.

The use of other animals for human purposes is as contentious an issue as one is likely to find in ethics. And this is so not only because there are both passionate defenders and opponents of such use, but also because even among the latter there are adamant and diametric differences about the bases of their opposition. In both disputes, the approach taken tends to be that of applied ethics, by which a position on the issue is derived from a fundamental moral commitment. This commitment in turn depends on normative ethics, which investigates the various moral theories for the best fit to our moral intuitions. Thus it is that the use of animals in biomedical research is typically defended by appeal to a utilitarian theory, which legitimates harm to some for the greater good of others; while the opposition condemns that use either by appeal to the same theory, but disagreeing about the actual efficacy of animal experimentation, or by appeal to an alternative theory, such as the right of all sentient beings not to be exploited. Unfortunately, the normative issue seems likely never to be resolved, hence leaving the applied issue in limbo. The present essay seeks to circumvent this impasse by dispensing altogether with any moral claim or argument, thereby cutting the Gordian knot of animal ethics with a meta-ethical sword. The alternative schema defended is simply to advance relevant considerations, whereupon “there is nothing left but to feel.” In a word, motivation replaces justification.
Insulin binding and insulin response of adipocytes from rats adapted to fat feeding.

The effect of fat feeding on adipocyte insulin binding was examined to expand a study of adaptive changes in plasma membrane functions. Cells from rats fed a high fat (L) diet for five to seven days bound less insulin and showed a decreased response to insulin (glucose oxida- tion) compared to those from rats fed a high glucose (G) diet. Both high and low affinity sites were influenced; the extent of the binding difference increased as increasing con- centrations of insulin were present in the assay medium. Diet did not change hormone degradation or the capacity of phos- pholipase C to increase binding. Concanavalin A effects on fat cells were also decreased by L diet both in inhibition of insulin binding and its insulin-like effect on glucose oxidation. Spermine, which had no effect on insulin bind- ing, also had a smaller insulin-like effect on glucose oxida- tion by L cells than by G cells. Serum insulin was signifi- cantly lower (30 * 3.7 pU/ml) in L than in G (43 f 3.1 pU/ml) groups. Dietary fat produces alterations in fat cells that decrease insulin binding as a part of a complex overall adaptation to the diet.
Properties of a Variant of Streptococcus mutans Altered in Its Ability to Interact with Glucans

After continuous subculture of Streptococcus mutans GS-5, the resultant organism, GS-5var, was found to be altered in its ability to undergo dextran- and sucrose-induced cell agglutination and to adhere to smooth surfaces in the presence of sucrose. Both GS-5 and GS-5var cells possessed the serotype c polysaccharide antigen, displayed similar growth kinetics, appeared to have similar metabolic and biosynthetic capabilities, and produced similar amounts of cell-associated and extracellular glucosyltransferase activity in chemically defined medium. GS-5 cells which had bound exogenous glucosyltransferase enzymes from either cell type were able to undergo sucrose-dependent adherence to smooth surfaces, whereas GS-5var cells which had bound comparable levels of glucosyltransferase activity were unable to adhere. In contrast to GS-5var cells, GS-5 cells were also able to adhere to preformed glucan deposits. In addition, [14C]glucan binding studies demonstrated that GS-5 cells were able to bind fourfold-greater levels of [14C]glucan relative to GS-5var cells having similar cell-associated glucosyltransferase activity. Further study of GS-5 cells also suggested the existence of a glucan binding site, distinct from the cell-associated glucosyltransferase activity, which is important in dextran-induced agglutination and sucrose-dependent adherence to smooth surfaces. These results are discussed in terms of the alteration of the GS-5var cells and their possible relationship to the putative receptors for glucosyltransferase enzymes and glucans on the cell surface of S. mutans.
Dissecting tumor and vascular biology using multi-photon laser scanning microscopy

Intravital multi-photon laser scanning microscopy and sophisticated animal models have provided unprecedented molecular, anatomic and functional insight into tumors as well as blood and lymph vessels, their responses to therapy, and suggested novel treatment approaches.
Fertility of Lactating Dairy Cows Treated with Ovsynch after Presynchronization Injections of PGF2α and GnRH

Synchronization of ovulation (Ovsynch) using GnRH and PGF2 alpha allows control of follicle growth, corpus luteum regression, and ovulation, but resulting pregnancy rates vary. This study examined whether presynchronization to allow initiation of Ovsynch during diestrus would improve pregnancy rates at timed artificial insemination (AI). Lactating dairy cows (n = 427), 69 to 75 d postpartum, were randomly assigned to two groups by parity. Control cows received Ovsynch (GnRH, d 0; PGF2 alpha, d 7; GnRH, d 9; timed AI 16 h after second GnRH). Treated cows received presynchronization injections of PGF2 alpha and GnRH, 10 and 7 d, respectively, before starting Ovsynch. Pregnancy diagnoses were performed 36 d after AI. Progesterone (P4) concentrations from a subset of cows (n = 84) were determined in serum samples collected on d 0, 3, and 7 of Ovsynch. Presynchronization increased the percentages of cows with > or = 1 ng/ml serum P4 compared with control cows at first injection of GnRH (d 0; 93 vs. 56%) and on d 3 (90.7 vs. 51.2%) during Ovsynch. On day of PGF2 alpha, d 7 during Ovsynch, percentages of cows with > or = 1 ng/ml serum P4 were similar (95.3%, treated vs. 82.9%, control) but more treated cows had > or = 2 ng/ml serum P4 (95.3 vs. 63.4%). However, pregnancy to timed AI was similar between treated (41.5%) and control cows (38.3%). Cows with above-average milk production had greater pregnancy rate (45.8 vs. 33.8%) compared with lower producing cows. Although presynchrony increased the proportion of cows with luteal function at onset of Ovsynch, pregnancy rate to timed AI was not improved. Cows with above-average milk production had greater fertility at timed AI than herdmates with lower milk production.
Evidence for a crossover from multiple trapping to percolation in the high-temperature electrical conductivity of Mn-doped LaCrO3.

We explain the deep electrical conductivity minimum near {ital x}=0.05 in the perovskite-type ceramic LaCr{sub 1{minus}{ital x}}Mn{sub {ital x}}O{sub 3} as a crossover between two different regimes of hopping conduction. At low Mn concentrations the diffusion of small polarons among Cr ions is limited by multiple trapping at energetically lower Mn sites. At higher concentrations a percolating path of Mn sites forms and direct transport between Mn ions dominates the conduction process.
IDIOPATHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY, AGE, AND SUPPRESSOR-CELL DYSFUNCTION AS RISK DETERMINANTS OF LYMPHOMA AFTER CARDIAC TRANSPLANTATION

Abstract A review of lymphomas developing in recipients of cardiac allografts has yielded significant risk factors. Frequency varied strikingly according to original cardiac disease: lymphoma developed in 6 of 37 patients with prior idiopathic cardiomyopathy (I.C.M.) but in none of 54 patients with prior coronary-artery disease (C.A.D.). All patients who developed lymphomas were aged under 40. Combination of both risk factors (I.C.M. and age
Cost utility of sequential adjuvant trastuzumab for HER2/Neu-positive breast cancer.

Trastuzumab is often featured as a prototype for future cancer treatments. It is a rationally designed biologic agent that targets the intracellular and extracellular domains of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). The safety and efficacy of trastuzumab were first demonstrated in patients with metastatic breast cancer as monotherapy [1,2] or in combination with chemotherapy [3–5]. More recently, trastuzumab has demonstrated efficacy as adjuvant therapy after surgery in patients with HER2positive early breast cancer. For this indication, at a cost of $50,000 for 1 year of treatment, expenditures will approach an expected $1 billion in the United States alone [6]. Thus, any economic evaluation of the use of trastuzumab in adjuvant settings deserves careful scrutiny. In this issue of Value in Health, Skedgel et al. [7] report a cost-effectiveness analysis of sequential adjuvant trastuzumab using updated 2-year results from the Herceptin Adjuvant (HERA) trial, a multinational study of 5102 women with HER2positive early breast cancer. After a median of 1 year of followup, patients who received trastuzumab had significantly greater disease-free survival compared with patients who did not receive trastuzumab (hazard ratio [HR], 0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.43–0.67) [8]. After 2 years of follow-up, Smith et al. [9] found that the HR for disease-free survival was 0.64 (95% CI 0.54–0.76) and the HR for overall survival was 0.66 (95% CI 0.47–0.91). One year of sequential trastuzumab therapy costs approximately Canadian $50,000. Assuming that the efficacy of trastuzumab extends to 5 years, Skedgel et al. estimated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) to be $70,292 (95% CI $28,606–$139,657) per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). The ICER increased to $127,862 per QALY when they assumed the duration of benefit was 3 years. These results are a departure from the conclusions of several previous cost-effectiveness analyses conducted using the 1-year results from the HERA trial and from other trials of adjuvant trastuzumab administered alongside standard chemotherapy (see Table 1) [10–21]. Given that Skedgel et al. report ICERs exceeding the often-cited thresholds of $50,000 and $100,000 per QALY, the results are unlikely to go unnoticed by decisionmakers. Therefore, a close examination of the study assumptions and methodological issues is warranted. Based on findings from previous studies, the parameters that are most likely to influence the results include (1) the cost of the treatment, (2) the duration of the benefit, and (3) the magnitude of the benefit. Cost of Treatment
(Un)covering the Ideal: Investigating Exemplary Language Arts Teachers' Beliefs and Instruction of English Language Learners.

This study examined the self-reported strategies of exemplary language arts teachers during their day-to-day interactions with second language learners. Descriptive, case study methodology was used to reveal those strategies employed by exemplary secondary language arts teachers working in mainstream classrooms with limited English proficient students (LEPs). Essentially, we were interested in discovering if the strategies or approaches which exemplary language arts teachers believe are demonstrated as they interact with English language learners (ELLs) during classroom instruction. It is important to note that the teachers in this study had no LEP/ELL training or coursework during their teacher education programs but were deemed “exemplary” language arts teachers in their schools. The results of this study are significant for numerous stakeholders, including teacher education programs, local education agencies, state leaders, and surrounding communities and families of ELLs.
Centroid-moment tensor solutions for January–March 1997

Abstract Centroid-moment tensor solutions are presented for 162 earthquakes that occurred during the first quarter of 1997. The solutions are obtained using corrections for aspherical earth structure represented by a whole mantle shear velocity model SH8/U4L8 of Dziewonski and Woodward [Dziewonski, A.M., Woodward, J.H., 1992. Acoustic imaging at the planetary scale. In: H. Emert, H.-P. Harjes (Eds.), Acoustical Imaging. Plenum, New York, 19, 785–797]. A new model of anelastic attenuation of Durek and Ekstrom [Durek, J.J., Ekstrom, G., 1996. A radial model of anelasticity consistent with long-period surface wave attenuation, Bull Seismol. Soc. Am., 86, 144–158] is used to predict the decay of the waveforms.
Strategic investments by US firms in transition economies

Studies in international business have considered both theoretical and empirical analyses of investment strategies by multinational firms in transition economies. However, there is scant research on the impact of firm-specific factors on the likelihood, timing, and mode-of-entry decisions in these economies. We provide evidence on three aspects of the strategic decisions by US firms to invest in transition economies. First, we find that firms entering the region have greater advertising intensity and sales growth than industry peers that did not enter the region, suggesting that market-seeking considerations motivate expansion. Second, we find that earlier entry is undertaken by firms with fewer industry competitors and higher sales growth, suggesting that the desire to secure market share ahead of competitors motivates entry timing. Finally, we investigate the choice of entry mode into the region, and find that firms from concentrated industries are more likely to enter the region with high-equity commitment, consistent with market-seeking motives. We also find that firms incorporate the degree of progress with market-oriented reforms in making decisions concerning entry timing and mode.
Studies on conditioned responses in fishes. Part II.

It has been shown by experiments formulated upon the conditioned response principle that the blenny, Blennius gattorugine, is able to perceive and to profit by very small changes in its environment. This fish is able to form conditioned motor responses using food as unconditioned stimulus, towards a momentary increase of 0-4C, or more, in the temperature of the surrounding water.It is also able to form similar conditioned motor responses towards a momentary decrease in the salinity of the surrounding water, of as little as 3 parts per 1000, or towards a change of greater magnitude (up to 37 parts per 1000).Conditioned responses have been established in the wrasses, Crenilabrus inelops and Labrus bergylta, towards visual stimuli of varying kinds. It appears that these fishes can discriminate after differential training between one or two sources of light, and between monochromatic red, green, yellow, or violet light, but not readily between even comparatively large differences in intensity of a luminous source. These results are those obtained upon dark-adapted fishes. More extensive experiments will be necessary before a final statement is made upon their capacity for colour discrimination.
Gene expression profiling in ecotoxicology.

Gene expression profiling is a powerful new end point for ecotoxicology and a means for bringing the genomics revolution to this field. We review the usefulness of gene expression profiling as an end point in ecotoxicology and describe methods for applying this approach to non-model organisms. Since genomes contain thousands of genes representing hundreds of pathways, it is possible to identify toxicant-specific responses from this wide array of possibilities. Stressor-specific signatures in gene expression profiles can be used to diagnose which stressors are impacting populations in the field. Screening for stress-induced genes requires special techniques in organisms without sequenced genomes. These techniques include differential display polymerase chain reaction (DD PCR), suppressive subtractive hybridization PCR (SSH PCR), and representational difference analysis. Gene expression profiling in model organisms like yeast has identified hundreds of genes that are up-regulated in response to various stressors, including several that are well characterized (e.g., hsp78, metallothionein, superoxide dismutase). Using consensus PCR primers from several animal sequences, it is possible to amplify some of these well characterized stress-induced genes from organisms of interest in ecotoxicology. We describe how several stress-induced genes can be grouped into cDNA arrays for rapidly screening samples.
Daya Bay reactor anti-neutrino experiment

The Daya Bay Reactor Anti-Neutrino Experiment is a neutrino oscillation experiment designed to observe and measure the neutrino mixing angle θ13. The sensitivity goal is 0.01 in sin 22θ13 at the 90% confidence level, a significant improvement over the current limit. This will be accomplished by measuring the relative rates and energy spectra of reactor electron antineutrinos with multiple detectors positioned at different baselines. Civil construction is currently under-way as detector designs and planning near completion. Commissioning activities should be completed by the end of 2010, followed by a three-year run.
Analysis of K Inactivation and TEA Action in the Supramedullary Cells of Puffer

Under the voltage clamp condition, the K inactivation was analyzed in cells bathed in the isosmotic KCl Lophius-Ringer solution. After conditioning hyperpolarization, the cells respond to depolarizations with increased K permeability, which in turn is decreased during maintained depolarizations. The steady-state levels of the K inactivation as a function of the membrane potential are related by an S-shaped curve similar to that which describes the steady-state Na inactivation in the squid giant axon. TEA reduced the K conductance by a factor which is independent of the potential, and without a shift of the inactivation curve along the voltage axis. The rapid phase of the K activation is less susceptible to TEA than the slow phase of the K activation. Hyperpolarizing steps remove the K inactivation, the rate of the removal being faster the larger the hyperpolarization from the standard potential of about -60 mv.
Dioxins not detected in effluents from coal/refuse combustion

Abstract No 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin was detected in effluents from a power plant burning coal supplemented with processed municipal wastes. These negative findings, in contrast with the many reports of the presence of dioxins from waste incineration, are proposed to be due to the high temperature of ∼1200°C for the combustion of small pieces of refuse with adequate oxygen for times sufficient to insure complete oxidation.
RangeModel: tools for exploring and assessing geometric constraints on species richness (the mid‐domain effect) along transects

RangeModel is a computer application that offers animated demonstrations of the mechanism behind the mid-domain effect. The program also provides analytical tools for the assessment of geometric constraints in empirical datasets for one-dimensional domains (transects). The mid-domain effect (MDE) is the increasing overlap of species ranges towards the center of a shared, bounded domain due to geometric boundary constraints in relation to the distribution of range sizes, producing a peak or plateau of species richness towards the center of the domain. Domains may be spatial, temporal, or functional. RangeModel is a stand-alone, graphical-interface, freeware application for PC and Mac OS platforms.
Observations of broad-band micro-seisms during reservoir stimulation

During hydrocarbon reservoir stimulation such as hydraulic fracturing, the cracking and slippage of the formation results in the emission of seismic energy. The objective of this study was to determine the properties of these induced micro-seisms. A hydraulic fracture experiment was performed in the Piceance Basin of Western Colorado to induce and record micro-seismic events. The formation was subjected to four processes; breakdown/ballout, step-rate test, KCL mini-fracture, and linear-gel mini-fracture. Micro-seisms were acquired with an advanced three-component wall-locked seismic accelerometer package, placed in an observation well 211 ft offset from the well. During the two hours of formation treatment, more than 1200 micro-seisms with signal-to-noise ratios in excess of 20 dB were observed. The observed micro-seisms had a nominally flat frequency from 100 Hz to 1500 Hz and lack the spurious tool-resonance effects evident in previous attempts to measure micro-seisms. Both p-wave and s-wave arrivals are clearly evident in the data set, and hodogram analysis yielded coherent estimates of the event locations. This paper describes the characteristics of the observed micro-seismic events (event occurrence, signal-to-noise ratios, and bandwidth) and illustrates that the new acquisition approach results in enhanced detectability and event location resolution.