cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A failure analysis case study of a radio transmission tower

Abstract A 107m tall FM radio transmission tower that had been in service for more than 25 years was found to contain extensive cracking in two of its three vertical columns. Contiguous crack segments extending for more than 5m were found in the midspan section. The failure investigation that follows describes the physical evidence observed and the engineering analysis relating to the causes for failure.
Comparison of T c 's and phase relationships of Nb 3 Ge films deposited on A15 Nb 3 Ir and Al 2 O 3 substrates

Nb-Ge films containing approximately 25 at% Ge were simultaneously d.c. sputtered on both sapphire and A15 Nb 3 Ir substrates. The films were analyzed using Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and low temperature resistance measurements. X-ray diffraction data showed that the films deposited on A15 Nb 3 Ir remained single phase up to a higher concentration of Ge than those deposited on sapphire. Superconducting transition temperatures of films deposited on A15 Nb 3 Ir were almost always lower than those of films deposited on sapphire under identical conditions. Annealing at 750°C decreased T c 's for films deposited on Al 2 O 3 , while it increased T c 's for those deposited on A15 Nb 3 Ir substrates. Under optimum conditions, T c onsets greater than 20 K were obtained for both as-deposited and annealed Nb-Ge films sputtered on Nb 3 Ir substrates.
DDT inhibits Na + , K + , Mg 2+ -ATPase in the intestinal mucosae and gills of marine teleosts

SODIUM-potassium-activated, magnesium-dependent, adenosine triphosphatase (Na+, K+, Mg2+-ATPase) is widely accepted as an essential factor in sodium transport1 and observations on fish substantiate this view. There are concurrent increases, for example, of both Na+, K+, Mg2+-ATPase activity and osmoregulatory sodium transport2, in the intestinal mucosae3,4 and the gills3,5 of euryhaline teleosts during adaptation to seawater. Furthermore, the gills of stenohaline seawater teleosts, which actively secrete sodium, exhibit higher Na+, K+, Mg2+-ATPase activity than the gills of stenohaline freshwater teleosts, which do not actively secrete sodium3,5. Na+, K+, Mg2+-ATPase therefore seems to be important in maintaining tissue osmolarity well below that of seawater. It is disquieting to report therefore that Na+, K+, Mg2+-ATPase activity in the intestinal mucosae and gills of marine teleosts is inhibited by the organochlorine insecticide DDT. This observation may help to clarify the unexplained sensitivity of teleosts to DDT6.
Trait-mediated assembly processes predict successional changes in community diversity of tropical forests

Interspecific differences in relative fitness can cause local dominance by a single species. However, stabilizing interspecific niche differences can promote local diversity. Understanding these mechanisms requires that we simultaneously quantify their effects on demography and link these effects to community dynamics. Successional forests are ideal systems for testing assembly theory because they exhibit rapid community assembly. Here, we leverage functional trait and long-term demographic data to build spatially explicit models of successional community dynamics of lowland rainforests in Costa Rica. First, we ask what the effects and relative importance of four trait-mediated community assembly processes are on tree survival, a major component of fitness. We model trait correlations with relative fitness differences that are both density-independent and -dependent in addition to trait correlations with stabilizing niche differences. Second, we ask how the relative importance of these trait-mediated processes relates to successional changes in functional diversity. Tree dynamics were more strongly influenced by trait-related interspecific variation in average survival than trait-related responses to neighbors, with wood specific gravity (WSG) positively correlated with greater survival. Our findings also suggest that competition was mediated by stabilizing niche differences associated with specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC). These drivers of individual-level survival were reflected in successional shifts to higher SLA and LDMC diversity but lower WSG diversity. Our study makes significant advances to identifying the links between individual tree performance, species functional traits, and mechanisms of tropical forest succession.
Dosimetry of wedged fields with asymmetric collimation.

Shaping of wedged fields with asymmetric collimators (independent jaws) produces dosimetric effects which need to be taken into account when calculating isodose distributions and accelerator monitor units. These effects were studied using ion chamberdosimetry in a water phantom. Wedged fields of 30° to 60° wedge angles were shaped by an asymmetric collimator. A system of dose calculation was developed to take into account the changes in dose in the open portion of the field. The formalism utilizes regular symmetric field parameters (e.g., S c , S p , and TPR). Calculated point doses and profiles agreed well with the measured data.
Floorplanning with pin assignment

A hierarchical technique is presented for floorplanning and pin assignment of general cell layouts. Given a set of cells with their shape lists, a layout aspect ratio, relative positions of the external I/O pads and upper bound delay constraints for a set of critical nets, the authors determine shapes and positions of the cells, locations of the floating pins on cells and a global routing solution such that a linear combination of the layout area, the total interconnection length and constraint violations for critical nets is minimized. Floorplanning, pin assignment and global routing influence one another during the hierarchical steps of the algorithm. The pin assignment algorithm is flexible and allows various user specified constraints such as pre-specified pin locations, feedthrough pins, length-critical nets and planar net topologies. Placement, timing and floorplanning results for a Xerox general cell benchmark are reported. >
Impact of dispersion fluctuations on 40-Gb/s dispersion-managed lightwave systems

We study numerically the impact of random dispersion fluctuations on the performance of 40-Gb/s dispersion-managed lightwave systems designed using either the chirped return-to-zero or the soliton format and employing backward-pumped distributed Raman amplification. We consider two-section dispersion maps with /spl beta//sub 2/=/spl plusmn/4 and /spl plusmn/8 ps/sup 2//km and show that the Q parameter decreases rapidly in both cases as the nonlinear effects become stronger. The impact of dispersion fluctuations can be reduced by lowering the average input power, but the system length is then limited by amplifier noise.
Evidence for another factor in the regulation of corticosterone biosynthesis by ACTH

Abstract The capacity of rat adrenals to produce corticosterone, as determined by in vitro superfusion with ACTH, has been shown to decay after hypophysectomy with a half-life period of approximately 6–7 hours. The decay cannot be attributed to any of the known factors under ACTH regulation. It is postulated that this new factor may be a m-RNA.
A descriptive Internet survey on menopausal symptoms: five ethnic groups of Asian American university faculty and staff.

The purpose of this Internet study was to describe menopausal symptoms, perceived causes of the symptoms, and management strategies for the symptoms among five ethnic groups of Asian American women. Sixty-two university faculty and/or staff members aged 40 to 60 years who self-reported as Asian Americans and could read and write English were recruited through the Internet. An Internet survey was conducted, and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The most prevalent symptoms were “worrying about body,” “aches in back of neck and skull,” and “weight gain.” Most of the women perceived “aging” as the main cause of their symptoms and chose not to manage their symptoms. The findings strongly suggest that women’s own explanation of their symptoms is frequently different from that of health care providers.
Large-eddy simulation of curved-geometry flows using contravariant components of velocity

The current large-eddy simulation (LES) research makes use of the contravariant components as the dependent variables on a staggered grid system for the discretisation of the governing equations in curvilinear coordinates. This technology provides a possibility to investigate efficiently turbulent flows in complex geometries. To test and validate the recently developed in-house LES code, LESSGA (Large-Eddy Simulation on a Staggered Grid Arrangement), numerical simulations were performed for turbulent flows in a concentric annular pipe and transitional flows past an airfoil. In this article, the computed results of flows in a concentric annular pipe with a radius ratio of a = Rinner/Router = 0.5 at [image omitted] and flows past an SD7003 airfoil at Rec = 60,000 and angle of attack α = 4° are compared with available experimental and DNS data. Technical difficulties experienced are also discussed.
Possible mineral sources of magnetic anomalies on Mars

At the end of the last millennium, numerous (USSR and U.S.) spacecraft were sent to Mars to begin exploration of that planet. Mars Global Surveyor (1997 onward) is one of the successful missions that provided a detailed map of the topography and high resolution images of the surface, and also discovered unusually large remanent magnetism of the crust (up to 20 times larger than terrestrial standards).
Complexity, climate change and soil carbon: A systems approach to microbial temperature response

A proliferation of data gathered to predict a critically important, urgent and social-policy related question often leads to debate and divergent model results. This classic feature of complex systems is currently being evidenced in assessing a potentially serious feedback response of soil respiration with increased temperatures due to global climate change. Here we apply soft systems modelling (SSM) for a detailed analysis of the ‘‘soft’’ aspects of the topic. Supported by a literature review, we conclude that that varied perspectives on the system’s dynamics and its web of controlling factors have led to seemingly conflicting results. We present a simplified hierarchy organizing the comprehensive universe of interacting controls across scales. This model is implemented as a relational database, including relationships between factors such as nesting and feedbacks. We conclude that although this model is currently limited to pairwise interactions, it provides a useful tool to assess potential interactions and factors of interest. Copyright # 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the Mechanism of Thrombolysis by Plasmin

I131-labeled purified human fibrin clots were introduced into the circulation of dogs at various time intervals after an infusion of human plasmin. One hour later, the clots were removed and incubated in saline at 37 C. In most cases, at the time when these clots were in the circulation, there was no significant "free" plasmin activity demonstrable in the blood. Nevertheless, the clots removed from these animals exhibited in vitro lysis upon incubation. Plasmin-antiplasmin complexes were formed in vitro with no demonstrable caseinolytic activity. These complexes were as effective in dissolving fibrin clots in vivo as the same amounts of plasmin were alone. The activator (streptokinase) alone used to activate plasminogen to plasmin was significantly less effective than streptokinase-activated-plasmin, alone or in complex form with antiplasmin. These experiments were interpreted as pointing toward the ability of fibrin to compete effectively with antiplasmin for plasmin. Thus, antiplasmin may serve as a transport form or reservoir of plasmin, releasing it when fibrin clots are available, but protecting other plasma proteins from its proteolytic effect. Other phenomena apparently confirming this hypothesis have been mentioned.
Optical interference pattern resulting from excitation of surface mode with diverging beam

We predict the existence of an unexpected interference pattern in the profile of light reflected from a multilayered surface under the conditions for excitation of a waveguide mode or surface plasmon. Observation of the interference effect is shown to require passage of the incident light through a lens or pinhole to produce a spread of incident angles on either side of the resonance angle. The effect has possible application to enhancement of the sensitivity of measurements of changes in the index of refraction of substrate materials.
Decibel levels during extracorporeal lithotripsy for salivary stones.

Purpose: To determine the decibel sound pressure levels generated during extracorporeal lithotripsy for salivary stones, and if such lithotriptor noise levels have the potential for acoustic trauma. Patients and materials: Minilith SL-1 salivary gland lithotriptor, sound level meter; five patient survey. Methods: Decibel measurements were conducted on the lithotripter-generated sounds, using a sound level meter at specific distances from the active element. In addition, a patient survey was conducted as a cross-reference, to enable comparison of predicted results with actual human perception of sound levels. Results: Sound levels ranged between 68 and 80 dB during treatment sessions, for both the lithotriptor operator and the patient. Conclusion: During routine use, no acoustic trauma is incurred by either the lithotriptor operator or the patient.
Mark-release-recapture of males of Bactrocera cucurbitae and B. dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) in two residential areas of Honolulu.

Abstract This paper describes a mark-release-recapture study involving males of two economically important tephritid fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae), Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) and B. dorsalis (Hendel), conducted over a 2-year period in Honolulu, Hawaii. In each of two residential neighborhoods, we placed two traps, one baited with cue lure and the other with methyl eugenol (male attractants for B. cucurbitae and B. dorsalis, respectively), in a single tree. Dyed, mature males from recently established laboratory colonies were released 100 or 500 m from the traps along the four compass directions in both winter and summer seasons. In each neighborhood, a total of 5,600 flight-able males of each species were released 100 m from the traps (14 dates × 4 directions × 100 males/release) and 56,000 flight-able males of each species were released 500 m from the traps (14 dates × 4 directions × 1,000 males/release). Within each study area, the number of males trapped did not vary significantly with direction or season for either species for either the 100- or 500-m releases. Significantly higher numbers of B. dorsalis males were captured than B. cucurbitae males for both the 100-m (16 versus 8 males/release) and 500-m (7 versus 2 males/release) releases (average values computed over both study areas). Also, following their release, B. dorsalis males were, in general, trapped more quickly than B. cucurbitae males. Given the strong attractancy of methyl eugenol, trap captures for B. dorsalis were lower than expected, and possible explanations are discussed.
Activation of cAMP Dependent Protein Kinase during Surfactant Release from Type II Pneumocytes

Release of surfactant from pulmonary type II epithelial cells was stimulated by the β-adrenergic agonist terbutaline and the diterpene forskolin. Cytosolic cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) concentrations increased significantly following exposure to terbutaline or forskolin and reached maximal levels within 5 min after treatment, Terbutaline and forskolin had a synergistic effect on cytosolic cAMP levels when added simultaneously. cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity was identified in cytosolic preparations of type II pneumocytes by phosphorylation of the peptide substrate Kemptide (Leu-Arg-Arg-Ala-Ser-Leu-Gly) and binding of 3H-cAMP to the regulatory components of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Type I and type II regulatory subunits of the cAMP-dependent kinase were present in approximately equal concentrations in type II cell cytosol. Activation ratio of cAMP-dependent protein kinase in cultured type II cells increased significantly in the presence of terbutaline, forskolin, or terbutaline plus f...
Material Emission Parameters Obtained Through Regression

Diffusion coefficients (D) and partition coefficients (K) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from 20 dry building materials were obtained by fitting the predictions using a simplified diffusion model with small-scale chamber data. The materials analysed included 6 carpets, 3 particle boards, 3 plywood boards, 3 gypsum boards, 2 orient stranded boards, 2 acoustic ceiling tiles and 1 under pad. The types of VOCs studied included alkanes, alkenes, alkynes and benzene group compounds, with carbon number ranging from 1 to 15. The regression results include the optimal values and a sensitivity range of D and K. For the 4 alkanes emitted from 6 different carpets, a correlation trend was observed between the D, K and VOC properties (molecular weight and vapour pressure). However, the emission parameters in general are suggested to be related to both the molecular structure of compounds and material properties.
A mechanistic study on the enhancement of corneal penetration of phenylephrine by flurbiprofen in the rabbit

The effect of flurbiprofen on the corneal penetration of phenylephrine was investigated using isolated albino rabbit corneas mounted in the Ussing diffusion chamber. The corneal penetration of phenylephrine was increased 5–11 times by 4–16 mM flurbiprofen. Such an increase in the corneal penetration of phenylephrine by flurbiprofen appeared to correlate with the increase in the lipophilicity of phenylephrine by flurbiprofen due to ion pair formation. The magnitude of increase at 16 mM flurbiprofen was 2.4 times less than that afforded by 0.5% EDTA and 16.3 times less than that afforded by deepithelizing the cornea. Since flurbiprofen also increased the corneal penetration of benzoic acid and sorbitol with which it cannot form ion pairs, increased lipophilicity of phenylephrine due to ion pair formation with flurbiprofen was unlikely to be the only mechanism that enhanced corneal penetration. An additional mechanism under our experimental conditions of prolonged exposure of the cornea to the phenylephrine-...
Molengineered material solutions for today's opportunities in photonic-microelectronic integration

Molecularly engineered materials provide a bridge for monolithic active and passive photonic-microelectronic integration. This paper updates work on molengineered materials that span material and process gaps across conventional techniques from CMOS microelectronics to polymer photonics.
Responding to the Americans with disabilities act: Contributions of interpersonal communication research and training

Abstract The enactment of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), has resulted in considerable misinformation and resistance, especially when ablebodied individuals and persons with disabilities interact. This essay reviews contributions of interpersonal communication researchers who address the challenges persons with disabilities face when communicating with ablebodied others, suggesting ways to mitigate communication discomfort and to reduce problems in helping situations. The authors suggest foci for future research and training which can contribute to the acceptance and effectiveness of ADA and to facilitate communication between ablebodied persons and persons with disabilities.
Tapasin Interacts with the Membrane-spanning Domains of Both TAP Subunits and Enhances the Structural Stability of TAP1·TAP2 Complexes

The transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) proteins are involved in transport of peptides from the cytosol into the endoplasmic reticulum. Two subunits, TAP1 and TAP2, are necessary and sufficient for peptide binding and peptide translocation across the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. TAP1 and TAP2 contain an N-terminal hydrophobic membrane-spanning region and a C-terminal nucleotide binding domain. Tapasin is an endoplasmic reticulum resident protein that has been found associated with the TAP subunits and shown to increase expression levels of TAP. Here we investigated TAP-tapasin interactions and their effects on TAP function in insect cells. We show tapasin binding to both TAP1 and TAP2 and to the corresponding nucleotide binding domain-exchanged chimeras as well as to a truncated TAP1·TAP2 complex containing just the membrane-spanning regions of TAP1 and TAP2. However, tapasin interactions with either the truncated TAP construct containing just the nucleotide binding domain are not observed. Tapasin is not required for high affinity peptide binding to TAP1·TAP2 complexes, and in fact, the presence of tapasin slightly reduces the affinity of TAP complexes for peptides. However, at near physiological temperatures, both tapasin and nucleotides stabilize the peptide binding site of TAP1·TAP2 complexes against inactivation, and enhanced thermostability of both TAP subunits is observed in the presence of tapasin. The enhanced structural stability of TAP1·TAP2 complexes in the presence of tapasin might explain the observations that tapasin increases TAP protein expression levels in mammalian cells.
Potential implications of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in assessment and treatment of coronary artery disease.

Background: Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, a member of the MMP superfamily is consistently implicated in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and plaque rupture, the most common mechanism responsible for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Aim: To summarize the role of MMP-9 in atherosclerosis and its potential implications in assessment and treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: We reviewed the PubMed database for relevant data regarding the role of MMP-9 in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. In the light of these data, we postulate potential implications of MMP-9 in the management and treatment of CAD. Results and conclusions: Existing data strongly support the role of MMP-9 in plaque destabilization and rupture. Based on the current knowledge, MMP-9 can potentially serve as a diagnostic biomarker in ACS and a prognostic biomarker in ACS and chronic CAD patients. MMP-9 is reduced by therapies that are associated with favourable outcome in atherosclerosis and thus may serve as a surrogate biomarker of treatment efficacy. However, large morbidity and mortality trials are still required to confirm that MMP-9 reduction is associated with improved outcome independent of the traditional risk factors (i.e. low-density lipoprotein cholesterol). Given its role in plaque rupture, inhibition of MMP-9 may promote plaque stabilization and consequently reduce cardiovascular events. Yet, the efficacy and safety of MMPs inhibitors should be first studied in preclinical models of atherosclerosis.
Flexibility in peptide molecules and restraints imposed by hydrogen bonds, the Aib residue, and core inserts

The first segments of this article review some of the early crystal structure determinations of beta-bends, gamma-bends, large conformational changes in cyclic peptides upon complexation with metal ions, and both the stability and drastic change in conformation as a function of the solvent used for growing crystals. More recent structure analyses have concerned helical peptides containing the Aib and/or Dpg residues and associated conformational problems such as 310-/alpha-helix transitions, helix aberrations, reversals, severe curving of the helix, unfolding, and hydration of backbone. Ion channels occurring in three crystal forms of zervamicin and possible ion transport and gating mechanisms are described. Finally, hydrogen bonding patterns are presented in supramolecular assemblies of retropeptides with core inserts consisting of oxalyl, adipoyl, suberoyl and polymethylene moieties.
Regulation of Connective Tissue Synthesis in Systemic Sclerosis

Excessive connective tissue deposition in the skin and other organs is the pathologic hallmark of systemic sclerosis (SSc), and fibrosis accounts for much of the chronic morbidity of this disease. Unregulated production of collagen in SSc skin fibroblasts has been demonstrated both in vivo and in vitro, and is considered to be a critical process in the development of fibrosis. In addition to collagen, other components of the extracellular matrix are also overexpressed in SSc fibroblasts, and may be important in the functional alterations of connective tissue. The transcriptional activity of several genes coding for matrix macromolecules is upregulated in SSc fibroblasts. The pleiotropic signaling molecule transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) is likely to be intimately involved in initiating and perhaps perpetuating the fibrotic response in SSc. TGFβ, a potent profibrotic cytokine, is highly expressed in endothelial cells, in fibroblasts near blood vessels, and in perivascular inflammatory cells in involved...
Distributions of experimental protein structures on coarse-grained free energy landscapes.

Predicting conformational changes of proteins is needed in order to fully comprehend functional mechanisms. With the large number of available structures in sets of related proteins, it is now possible to directly visualize the clusters of conformations and their conformational transitions through the use of principal component analysis. The most striking observation about the distributions of the structures along the principal components is their highly non-uniform distributions. In this work, we use principal component analysis of experimental structures of 50 diverse proteins to extract the most important directions of their motions, sample structures along these directions, and estimate their free energy landscapes by combining knowledge-based potentials and entropy computed from elastic network models. When these resulting motions are visualized upon their coarse-grained free energy landscapes, the basis for conformational pathways becomes readily apparent. Using three well-studied proteins, T4 lysozyme, serum albumin, and sarco-endoplasmic reticular Ca2+ adenosine triphosphatase (SERCA), as examples, we show that such free energy landscapes of conformational changes provide meaningful insights into the functional dynamics and suggest transition pathways between different conformational states. As a further example, we also show that Monte Carlo simulations on the coarse-grained landscape of HIV-1 protease can directly yield pathways for force-driven conformational changes.
Body Mass Index and Uncontrolled DM Impact On Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Outcomes

Abstract Background The incidence of obesity is increasing worldwide and is associated with numerous adverse health outcomes. Obesity was associated with more toxicity and worse prognosis in pediatric AML patients. On the other hand diabetic patients diagnosed with AML have multiple complications related to infection organ failure and chemotherapy side effects, Previous epidemiological studies in children have shown significant correlations in incidence between AML and DM in children. Aim To study Body-Mass Index (BMI) and uncontrolled DM impact on clinical outcome of adult AML pts. Methods A total of 187 adult pts with AML between 2002-2011 were enrolled. Retrospective data included demographics, labs, cytogenetics and outcome. LeukemiaNET Standardization (LNS), complete remission (CR), overall survival (OS) and relapse free survival (RFS) were obtained (Dohner E, Blood 2010). BMI of 30 as obesity. On the other hand Fasting blood glucose and Hemoglobin A1c were measured, DM severity was classified according to guidelines, as non diabetics (A1c) 6.5. Fischer's and Wilcoxon tests were used for comparatives between groups, cox proportional hazards and logistic regression for associations for OS/RFS and CR, Kaplan-Meier test for OS and RFS estimates via JMP software V9.0. IRB approval was obtained according to Helsinki declaration. Results The median age was 70 years, with 98 (52%) were men. 45 pts (24%) had complex cytogenetics, 28 pts (15%) had AML progressed from MDS. Median BMI was 28.7 (range 14.8-51.4). 10 (5%) were underweight, 34 (18%) had normal BMI, 59 (32%) were overweight, and 84 (45%) were obese. 149 pts (80%) were not Diabetic, 12 pts (6%) had high risk for DM, 26 pts (14%) uncontrolled DM. Overall Median OS was 23 weeks; 46 weeks in normal BMI, 30 weeks in overweight, 14 weeks in obese, 15 weeks in underweight, A according to DM subgroups; 24 weeks non-diabetics, 15 weeks had high risk for DM, 37 had uncontrolled DM. At diagnosis, BMI or Hemoglobin A1c classes were not associated with age, sex, white blood count (WBC), platelets, blasts, ECOG status, LNS; nor treatment toxicities. Even though median survival in weeks was lower in obese and underweight pts, Median OS and RFS were not different in univariate or across BMI subgroups (p=0.32 and 0.22) or Hemoglobin A1c subgroups (p=0.19 and 0.71) Conclusions BMI and uncontrolled DM did not show statistically significant correlation with LNS, relapse rates, OS or RFS. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare. Download : Download high-res image (86KB) Download : Download full-size image Download : Download high-res image (80KB) Download : Download full-size image
Inclusive Legal Positivism

While the Separability Thesis implies that there are no necessary moral criteria of legal validity, it leaves open the question of whether there are possible moral criteria of validity. Inclusive legal positivists (also known as soft positivists and incorporationists) believe there can be such criteria; that is, they believe there are conceptually possible legal systems in which the criteria for legal validity include (or incorporate) moral principles. Exclusive legal positivists (also known as hard positivists) deny there can be moral criteria of validity. Exclusive positivists claim the existence and content of law can always be determined by reference to social sources. This essay is an overview of the distinguishing commitments of positivism and inclusive positivism; it describes and evaluates some of the most influential criticisms of inclusive positivism.
Mesenchymal stem cells enhance lung recovery after injury, shock, and chronic stress.

Background Normal lung healing is impaired when lung contusion (LC) is followed by hemorrhagic shock (HS), and chronic stress (CS). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are immunomodulatory, pluripotent cells that are under investigation for use in wound healing and tissue regeneration. We hypothesized that treatment with MSCs can reverse the impaired healing seen after LC combined with HS and CS (LCHS/CS). Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 6/group) underwent LCHS with or without a single intravenous dose of 5 × 10 6 Sprague-Dawley rat MSCs after resuscitation. Thereafter, rats were subjected to 2 hours of CS daily on days 1–6 and were humanely killed on day 7. Lung histology was scored according to a well-established lung injury score (LIS) that included interstitial and pulmonary edema, alveolar integrity, and inflammatory cells. Scoring ranges from 0 (normal lung) to 11 (most severely injured). Whole blood was analyzed for the presence of CD4 + CD25 + FoxP3 + T-regulatory cells (Treg) by flow cytometry. Results Seven days after isolated LC, LIS had returned to 0.8 ± 0.4; however, after LCHS/CS healing is significantly delayed (7.2 ± 2.2; P P P P > .05). Treatment with MSCs significantly increased the Treg population compared with LCHS/CS alone (11.7 ± 2.7% vs 6.7 ± 1.7%; P Conclusion In this model, severe impairment of wound healing observed 1 week after LCHS/CS is reversed by a single treatment with MSCs immediately after resuscitation. This improvement in lung healing is associated with a decrease in the number of inflammatory cells and lung edema and a significant increase in peripheral Tregs. Further study into the timing of administration and mechanisms by which cell-based therapy using MSCs modulate the immune system and improve wound healing is warranted.
Which Comes First in Development-State Capacity or Economic Growth?

The Political Economist is a newsletter of the American Political Science Association Political Economy Section.
Biting Lice of Goats: Control with Dichlorvos-Impregnated Resin Neck Collars

Resin strips containing 5 or 10% dichlorvos (by weight) fitted as neck collars on Angora goats controlled the Angora goat biting biting louse. Bovicola limbatus (Gervais), and the hairy goat louse. B. crassipes (Redow), within 5 weeks. Control lasted 22 weeks when newly shorn goats were isolated in outside pens, hut with unshorn goats a, low level of infestation persisted throughout the 26 weeks of the test. Also. when 36 mixed Angora and Spanish-type goats infested with B. limbatus, B. crassipes, and possibly the goat biting louse, B. caprae (Gurlt). were treated with 20% collars, no lice were detected between the 4th and 9th week of the test, though 4 untreated goats were allowed to mingle with the herd, However when an infested male goat was introduced for breeding at the 9th week, reinfestation of treated goals occurred though it remained at a low level until the goats were shorn, the 22nd week of the test.
EFFECT OF CONCENTRATION GRADIENT ON PHASE STABILITY.

A feature of thin film reaction that is different from the reaction in bulk samples is the tendency to form a single intermetallic compound rather than all of them which are allowed according to the equilibrium phase diagram. For example, in thin film silicide formation, Pd2Si has been found to form alone and to grow as a layer between Pd and Si.[1,2] The silicide is stable over a wide temperature range of 100 to 700°C. The phenomenon of single intermetallic compound growth is not unique to silicide formation between transition metal films and silicon, but is also commonly observed in reactions between bimetallic thin films.[3] The phenomenon indicates phase stability.
A new strategy for synthesizing polymer-ceramic nanocomposites

New polymer-ceramic nanocomposites are being developed by exploiting the unique intercalation and self-assembling characteristics of layered ceramics. Although quite ubiquitous in nature, self-assembly has only been recently recognized as a viable approach to synthesize nanoscale materials. The observed physical and mechanical properties of the resulting nanocomposites are attributed to the molecular features and the synergism between the individual components.
Some Thoughts on the Advertising Process

The marketing concept has important consequences for advertising research and for judging advertising effectiveness. An attempt is made in this article to show the possibility of several complement...
Optical sources: A laser for complex spatial modes

A cavity design that makes it possible to directly generate Laguerre–Gaussian modes on demand looks set to benefit applications in microscopy and data communications.
Bacteriology and Clinical Analysis of Severe Pneumonia in Infants and Young Children in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Objective To explore the value of sputum bacterial culture in treatment of severe pneumonia in infants and young children.Methods Two hundred and seventy infants and young children with severe pneumonia of pediatric intensive care unit(PICU) were collected.Lower respiratory tract sputum was sucked by disposable sterile suction tube in underpressure,and eligible sputum samples were detected by bacterial culture and sensitivity analysis.Results One hundred and sixty-seven bacterial strains were obtained from sputum culture,with a positive rate of 61.85%,Gram-positive cocci in 81 strains(48.50%),Gram-negative bacilli in 79 strains(47.31%),fungi in 7 strains(4.19%);Suppurative Streptococcus and Klebsiella pneumoniae were primary pathogens,in 41 strains(24.55%) and 39 strains(23.35%),respectively.Escherichia coli was the next one,in 24 strains(14.37%);Gram-positive cocci had a high resis-tance rate for penicillin,erythromycin and clindamycin,but the resistance rate for vancomycin and rifampicin was low;Gram-negative bacilli had a high resistance rate for Ampicllin sulbactam and Cefalotin,but the resistance rate for imipenem,ciprofloxacin was low.Compared to negative groups,positive sputum culture group had no significant difference in age-sex distribution,organ dysfunction,and account of WBC and leukocytotic cases(Pa0.05);Compared to Gram-negative bacilli group of sputum culture,Gram-positive cocci group had significant diffe-rence in the incidence of gastrointestinal dysfunction and microcirculatory disorders(Pa0.05);Antibiotics used at admission were divided into 3 groups including sensitive,non-detected,resistive groups according to the results of sputum culture.Comparing in three groups,there were significant difference in the effect of treatment(Pa0.01).Antibiotics of patients with poor effect were adjusted by the results of sputum culture,then 82.6% of patients improved after 3 days.Conclusions Imipenem can be the preferred antibiotics for those patients with serious lung infection,especially those already receives third-generation cephalosporins but without effect,if necessary,we can select vancomycin;Gram-negative bacilli maybe the pathogen of infection when patients are complicated with gastrointestinal dysfunction and microcirculatory di-sorders.It is difficult to distinguish bacterial infections from non-bacterial infections for severe pneumonia only by clinical symptoms,leukocyte count,X-ray characteristics etc;High detection rate of sputum bacterial culture can clew the pathogen of lung infection in a certain extent.And sputum bacterial culture is an important technique to detect the pathogens of bacteroidal pneumonia.
Is early starvation beneficial for the critically ill patient

Purpose of review Anorexia is a preserved evolutionally response that may be beneficial during acute illness. Yet current clinical practice guidelines recommend early and targeted enteral nutritional support. However, the optimal timing of the initiation of enteral nutrition and the caloric and protein requirements of critically ill patients is controversial. Recent findings Starvation promotes autophagy and this may play a key role in promoting host defenses and the immune response to intracellular pathogens. Because of the perceived benefits of early enteral nutrition and the lack of clinical equipoise, randomized controlled trials comparing short-term starvation to targeted normocaloric enteral nutrition have until recently not been performed. The results of the recently reported PYTHON trial (Pancreatitis, Very Early Compared with Selective Delayed Start of Enteral Feeding) dispel the notion that short-term starvation is harmful. Furthermore, six recent randomized controlled trials that compared trophic and permissive underfeeding to normocaloric goals, failed to demonstrate any outcome benefit from the more aggressive approach. In addition, recent evidence suggests that intermittent enteral nutation may be preferable to continuous tube feeding. Summary Limiting nutrient intake during the first 48-72 h of acute illness may be beneficial; in those patients who are unable to resume an oral diet after this time period intermittent enteral nutrition targeting 20-25 cal/kg/day is recommended.
Radiofrequency lumbar sympatholysis. The evolution of a technique for managing sympathetically maintained pain.

Background and Objectives To develop lumbar radiofrequency sympatholysis for the relief of pain in patients with neuropathic pain who had previously responded to sympathectomy or sympathetic blocks. Methods The technique described by Sluijter was modified to attempt to obtain long lasting pain relief in each patient. No one technique was universally applicable. The variations in technique are illustrated by the case reports. The basic technique that evolved is as follows: a 20-gauge 15-cm insulated needle with a 5-mm active tip was inserted in the direction of an x-ray beam (C arm). The initial target was slightly cephalad to the middle of the L3 vertebra. Contrast medium was injected to confirm the location of the needle. The temperature of the tip of the needle was controlled at 80°C for 90 seconds. Results Thirty-eight procedures were performed on 20 patients. Reproduction of the pain for which the sympatholysis was undertaken, induced dysesthesia, spread of dye, rapidity of temperature rise in the legs, and increase in pulse volume of the toes were useful guides to proper placement of the needle. Five patients continue to be pain free 5 months to 3 years after the last radiofrequency sympatholysis. Fifteen had temporary relief or no relief at all. The procedure was temporarily complicated by an excessively hot, swollen foot, and postsympathectomy neuralgia in a few cases. Conclusions A single technique of radiofrequency sympatholysis does not appear to be applicable to all patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy or sympathetically maintained pain. Despite early successful sympathetic block with radiofrequency, as confirmed by a warm foot, long lasting pain relief was difficult to obtain. The author concludes that individualized patient management is necessary when considering radiofrequency sympatholysis in the treatment of patients with sympathetically maintained pain.
Function Point Analysis for Software Maintenance

Context: Software maintenance is required to fix defects, adapt to changes in the environment, and meet new or changed user requirements. The effort of these tasks need to be estimated to track progress, manage resources, and make decisions. Most widely used cost models use source lines of code (SLOC) as the software size input measure, due to its quantifiability and high correlation with effort. Estimating the SLOC of a project is very difficult in early stages of the software lifecycle. Function Points (FPs) represents software size by functions or modifications to functions, making them easier to calculate early in the lifecycle for new development projects or maintenance tasks. Several cost estimators use FPs to estimate the SLOC of a project to take advantage of existing cost models. Goal: Through empirical analysis, the authors want to determine whether FPs can effectively estimate maintenance tasks, as a better alternative to using SLOC as a software size metric. Additionally, the authors will demonstrate that FPs to SLOC ratios add uncertainty to effort estimates. Method: The empirical analysis will be run on Unified Code Count (UCC)'s dataset, a software tool maintained by University of Southern California (USC). Results: The analyses found that separating projects adding new functions from those modifying existing functions resulted in improved estimation models using FPs. The effort estimation model for projects adding functions to UCC had high prediction accuracy statistics, but less impressive results for projects modifying existing functions in UCC. The effort estimation accuracy became unsatisfactorily low when using a FPs to SLOC ratio. Conclusions: Cost estimators should not use FPs to SLOC ratios for effort estimation due to low prediction accuracy. FPs is only an effective size measure for a portion of UCC's maintenance tasks - specifically for the projects adding new functions to UCC. Another size measure may need to be considered that might be more effective independently or in conjunction with FPs for all of UCC's maintenance tasks.
The Role of Report Comparison, Analysis, and Discrepancy Categorization in Resident Education

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to show the value of automated radiology report comparison and analysis in resident education by providing qualitative and quantitative feedback on the discrepancies between preliminary and finalized reports. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Anonymous surveys on dictation practices and the process of reviewing reports were completed by consenting radiology residents and faculty. All 277 reports obtained across all modalities during the 4-week study were retrieved from the dictation server in both their preliminary and finalized states, for a total of 544 reports. Disparities between these reports were automatically compared side by side and were categorized according to clinical relevance, report quality, or report structure. The frequency of report corrections was compared between junior (postgraduate years [PGYs] 2 and 3) and senior (PGYs 4 and 5) residents. Residents were surveyed regarding the usefulness of the feedback. RESULTS. Eighty-six reports (31%) were verified as...
Flexible crystalline InP nanomembrane LED arrays

Flexible electronic and photonic structures which can be used to bend, expand and manipulate electronic and photonic devices are of great scientific and engineering importance. Such devices have their applications ranging from flexible imaging/displays, sensors, solar cells and conformal electronic/photonic integrated systems to potential integration into artificial muscles or biological tissues. Most flexible electronics research so far is based on organic, polymer, and/or amorphous semiconductor material systems.
A wafer level encapsulated FBAR chip molded into a 2.0 mm /spl times/ 1.6 mm plastic package for use as a PCS full band Tx filter

A high performance 2.0 mm /spl times/ 1.6 mm /spl times/ 1.0 mm full band filter is demonstrated. The small filter size is achieved by: 1) encapsulating the die in a chip scale hermetic package; and by 2) molding that chip scale package into a plastic chip-on-board package. This new packaging scheme reduces the filter cost and allows for further size reduction. The filter has a minimum insertion loss of /spl sim/ 1 dB, is guaranteed to have a 3.5 dB worst-case insertion loss in the Tx band (1850-1910 MHz), and typically exhibits 35 dB of rejection in the Rx band (1930-1990 MHz). The filter comprises high-Q FBAR resonators that enable it to make a sub-10 MHz transition from the pass to stop band. Hence the required rolloff within the 20 MHz (1%) guard band can be achieved while accounting for both manufacturing variations and operating temperature drifts. The filter achieves /spl sim/ 25 dB of rejection at the second harmonic (3700-3820 MHz) and typically 15 dB of rejection at the third harmonic (5550-5730 MHz).
Meibomian gland dysfunction. I. Keratin protein expression in normal human and rabbit meibomian glands

The expression of keratin proteins from meibomian glands and their correlation with skin epidermal keratins were determined. Keratin proteins were localized in both human and rabbit meibomian glands by indirect immunofluorescence using mouse monoclonal antibodies AE1, AE2 and AE3, which are known to react with human epidermal keratins as well as with keratins from other sources. Keratin proteins from rabbit meibomian glands were further isolated and characterized by SDS-PAGE and immunoblot using mouse monoclonal antibodies AE1 and AE3. Meibomian glands from human and rabbit showed similar immunofluorescent staining with each monoclonal antibody. AE1 antibody, which stains human basal epithelial cells of skin, stains all duct epithelial cells in the human but only the superficial duct epithelial cells in the rabbit meibomian gland. AE2 antibody, which stains human suprabasal epithelial cells of skin and is a marker for fully keratinized epithelia, stains the suprabasal epithelial cells of the central duct and ductules in both the human and rabbit meibomian gland. AE3 antibody, which stains all human epithelial cells of skin, stains all epithelial cells of the duct and ductules, as well as the basal epithelial cells of the acinus in both the human and rabbit meibomian gland. Keratins isolated from whole rabbit meibomian glands contained a 65-67 kD and 58 kD AE3-positive, and a 56.5 kD and 50 kD AE1-positive keratin protein. Expression of 65-67 kD/56.5 kD keratin proteins, and the immunofluorescent staining of the duct epithelium by the AE2 antibody, indicate that the meibomian gland duct epithelium is committed to the process of keratinization.
The computer and Continuing Engineering Education

The computer is the first tool in history to enhance the capabilities of the mind in a major way. Developing the skills needed for its productive use is an ongoing task in the life of the contemporary engineer. We discuss why that is so, and how educational programs can help in that endeavour.