cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The thermodynamics of Maxwellian materials

Abstract In this paper, we study the thermodynamics of a class of nonlinear dissipative materials frequently called Maxwellian materials. Using the Clausius-Duhem inequality, we establish the restrictions on the constitutive equations and show that in non-equilibrium situations the stress behaves in a manner similar to an internal state variable. We further show that the stress relaxation function for the material must satisfy a dissipation inequality, and that, if all equilibrium states of the material are asymptotically stable, the stress relaxation function is an odd function of the overstress σ − ∗*, where ∗* is the equilibrium stress. In addition, we consider the instantaneous and equilibrium responses of the material and prove that in these situations both the stress and the temperature are deriveable from the internal energy function. Finally, we consider briefly an example of a specific constitutive model and close with a discussion of an alternative formulation of the general theory in which the roles of stress and temperature are interchanged.
Widespread Presence of Naturally Occurring Perchlorate in High Plains of Texas and New Mexico

Perchlorate (ClO4-) occurrence in groundwater has previously been linked to industrial releases and the historic use of Chilean nitrate fertilizers. However, recently a number of occurrences have been identified for which there is no obvious anthropogenic source. Groundwater from an area of 155 000 km2 in 56 counties in northwest Texas and eastern New Mexico is impacted by the presence of ClO4-. Concentrations were generally low (<4 ppb), although some areas are impacted by concentrations up to 200 ppb. ClO4- distribution is not related to well type (public water system, domestic, agricultural, or water-table monitoring) or aquifer (Ogallala, Edward Trinity High Plains, Edwards Trinity Plateau, Seymour, or Cenozoic). Results from vertically nested wells strongly indicate a surface source. The source of ClO4- appears to most likely be atmospheric deposition. Evidence supporting this hypothesis primarily relates to the presence of ClO4- in tritium-free older water, the lack of relation between land use and ...
Gas flow in ultra-tight shale strata

We study the gas flow processes in ultra-tight porous media in which the matrix pore network is composed of nanometre- to micrometre-size pores. We formulate a pressure-dependent permeability function, referred to as the apparent permeability function (APF), assuming that Knudsen diffusion and slip flow (the Klinkenberg effect) are the main contributors to the overall flow in porous media. The APF predicts that in nanometre-size pores, gas permeability values are as much as 10 times greater than results obtained by continuum hydrodynamics predictions, and with increasing pore size (i.e. of the order of the micrometre), gas permeability converges to continuum hydrodynamics values. In addition, the APF predicts that an increase in the fractal dimension of the pore surface leads to a decrease in Knudsen diffusion. Using the homogenization method, a rigorous analysis is performed to examine whether the APF is preserved throughout the process of upscaling from local scale to large scale. We use the well-known pulse-decay experiment to estimate the main parameter of the APF, which is Darcy permeability. Our newly derived late-transient analytical solution and the late-transient numerical solution consistently match the pressure decay data and yield approximately the same estimated value for Darcy permeability at the typical core-sample initial pressure range and pressure difference. Other parameters of the APF may be determined from independent laboratory experiments; however, a pulse-decay experiment can be used to estimate the unknown parameters of the APF if multiple tests are performed and/or the parameters are strictly constrained by upper and lower bounds.
Transitional Care Clinic for Uninsured and Medicaid-Covered Patients With Diabetes Mellitus Discharged From the Hospital: A Pilot Quality Improvement Study

Transitioning from the inpatient to outpatient setting is often a problematic aspect of diabetes mellitus (DM) care. Different factors during hospitalization may adversely affect glycemic control in patients, who are frequently discharged on regimens that differ markedly from prehospitalization outpatient regimens. Moreover, the discharge recommendations may not have been tested adequately during a relatively short hospital length of stay and pose a significant threat to patient safety upon discharge. Our pilot study evaluated the effect on hospital utilization of the transitional care clinic (TCC), where patients with DM are seen within 2 to 5 days of hospital discharge. One hundred patients with DM, who were either medically indigent (no insurance or Medicaid and no primary care providers) or covered by Medicaid, and who did not have a primary care provider, were randomized into either a control or an intervention group upon discharge from the hospital. Subjects from the intervention group (n = 50) were seen in the TCC. All subjects were contacted 90 days after discharge to collect information about emergency department visits and readmissions. Thirteen subjects from the control group and 13 from the intervention group visited the emergency department within 90 days of discharge. Fourteen control subjects (28%) and 10 intervention patients (20%) were rehospitalized for various medical conditions during the follow-up period (P = not significant). Among patients originally admitted for DM-related issues, 6 of 14 in the control group (42.9%) and 2 out of 16 in the intervention group (12.5%) were readmitted during follow-up (P < 0.05). We conclude that the TCC may be effective for the prevention of rehospitalizations in indigent patients admitted for DM-related problems and who did not have primary care providers. The benefit of the TCC was not seen when patients with DM were admitted for other medical problems. Larger randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm this preliminary finding.
Proflavine–DNA Binding Using a Handheld Fluorescence Spectrometer: A Laboratory for Introductory Chemistry

Fluorescence spectrometers are expensive instruments and fluorimetry is rarely used in undergraduate teaching curricula, especially in the first year. The experiment described utilizes handheld spectrometers capable of measuring absorbance and fluorescence to introduce students to drug binding to DNA. Students monitor the changes that occur in fluorescence intensity when proflavine binds to DNA in the presence and absence of sodium ions. The goals of this experiment are to illustrate principles of electronic structure, noncovalent interactions, and spectroscopic techniques. The handheld device utilized in this experiment is inexpensive and the ease of operation makes fluorescence spectroscopy accessible and exciting to first-year undergraduates.
Heavy-ion-induced production and physical preseparation of short-lived isotopes for chemistry experiments

Abstract Physical separation of short-lived isotopes produced in heavy-ion-induced fusion reactions is a powerful and well-known method and often applied in investigations of the heaviest elements, called the transactinides ( Z ⩾ 104 ). By extracting these isotopes from a recoil separator, they can be made available for transport to setups located outside the heavily shielded irradiation position such as chemistry setups. This physical preseparation technique overcomes many limitations currently faced in the chemical investigation of transactinides. Here we describe the basic principle using relatively short-lived isotopes of the lighter group 4 elements zirconium (Zr) and hafnium (Hf) used as analogs of the lightest transactinide element, rutherfordium (Rf, element 104). The Zr and Hf isotopes were produced at the LBNL 88-Inch Cyclotron using a cocktail of 18 O and 50 Ti beams and the appropriate targets. Subsequently, the isotopes were physically separated in the Berkeley Gas-filled Separator (BGS) and guided to a Recoil Transfer Chamber (RTC) to transfer them to chemistry setups. The magnetic rigidities of the reaction products in low-pressure helium gas were measured and their identities determined with γ-spectroscopy. Using preseparated isotopes has the advantages of low background and beam plasma free environment for chemistry experiments. The new possibilities that open up for chemical investigations of transactinide elements are described. The method can readily be applied to homologous elements within other groups in the periodic table.
A NEW EXPLORATION OF THE LEBESGUE IDENTITY

We introduce a new combinatorial proof of the Lebesgue identity which allows us to find a new finite form of the identity. Using this new finite form we are able to make new observations about special cases of the Lebesgue identity, namely the "little" Gollnitz theorems and Sylvester's identity.
A study of the reliability of a no disease progression conclusion.

Concluding that the clinical attachment level at a periodontal site is stable, while in reality it is progressing at a clinically relevant rate, is an example of a falsenegative conclusion. No guidelines are currently available to evaluate the likelihood for false-negative conclusions in periodontal clinical trials that monitor disease progression by means of clinical attachment levels. The goal of this study was to estimate the amount of linear disease progression in clinical attachment levels that cannot reliably be detected, when it is truly present. This rate is called the critical linear rate; rates equal to or below this critical linear rate cannot reliably be detected. An equation for determining the critical linear rates for various clinical situations is presented and may provide a rule-of-thumb guideline for the interpretation of negative conclusions. If the critical linear rate for a study is larger than what is considered a clinically relevant disease progression rate, negative conclusions sho...
Phase Separation under Shear of Binary Mixtures Containing Hard Particles

We simulate the phase separation of binary mixtures under shear in the presence of solid, mobile particles. We combine cell dynamical equations for the binary mixture with Langevin dynamics for the particles and carry out the simulations in two dimensions. One of the components preferentially wets the surface of the particles. In the initial stages of the evolution of the microstructure, the morphology of the domains is isotropic. At later times, the domains grow faster in the shear direction than in the perpendicular direction. For sufficiently large particle densities, however, this anisotropic growth is destroyed by the randomly moving particles, and the domains are isotropic in shape even for large shear strains. Thus, solid additives can be used to tailor the morphology of the mixture and thereby control the mechanical integrity of the composite.
Introducing Intellectual Property in an Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum

An exercise that introduces undergraduate chemistry majors to concepts associated with intellectual property is outlined. The assignment includes an introduction to the terminology associated with starting a company based on intellectual property and to nondisclosure agreements. After this, the students write a draft patent application. With over 150,000 United States patents issued annually, the role of intellectual property is prominent and becoming increasingly important in current corporations and in the formation of new businesses, as well as in government and academic settings.
The 150‐Hour Requirement and Changes in the Supply of Accounting Undergraduates: Evidence from a Quasi‐Experiment

The number of accounting graduates has declined sharply following the near universal adoption of the 150‐hour requirement for licensing and as a condition for membership in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). This decline has led many observers to conclude that the 150‐hour requirement was a mistake. Our study investigates the extent to which the 150‐hour requirement (rather than other causes) is responsible for the decline in the number of accounting graduates during the 1990s. We document that approximately 38 percent of the decline can be attributed to the requirement. The other 62 percent of the decline remains unexplained. Our study underscores the importance of considering other factors such as noncompetitive compensation, unattractive working conditions, inappropriate student counseling, and inadequate curriculum among others when trying to understand the decline in accounting enrollments.
A global view of epistasis.

Epistasis is a phenomenon whereby the effects of a given gene on a biological trait are masked or enhanced by one or more other genes. A new study documents epistasis among 890 metabolic genes in yeast, providing one of the largest data sets of its kind in any model organism.
GDNF mRNA expression in normal postnatal development, aging, and in weaver mutant mice

Abstract Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has been demonstrated to enhance the survival and process outgrowth of mesencephalic dopamine neurons. A nuclease protection assay was utilized to determine whether GDNF mRNA is expressed in the ventral mesencephalon and/or striatum during normal mouse postnatal development. While no GDNF mRNA was detected in the ventral mesencephalon expression was detected in the striatum throughout postnatal development and maturity with the peak of expression being in the second postnatal week. In the process of normal aging no change in the levels of GDNF mRNA was observed in the striatum while a 10-fold increase in glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) mRNA was detected in 24-month-old relative to either 4.5- or 11-month-old mice. Further analysis addressed whether there are changes in GDNF gene expression associated with the neurodegeneration of dopamine neurons that occurs in the weaver mutant mouse. A transient 65% increase in the expression of GDNF mRNA was observed in weaver mutant striatum on postnatal day 22. The results of this study suggest that GDNF could provide target derived dopaminergic neurotrophic support and stimulate fiber outgrowth during development and that decreased levels of GDNF expression are not responsible for either aging-associated decreases in dopaminergic neuronal plasticity or neurodegeneration in the weaver mutant mouse
Identification of a palmitoyl acyltransferase required for protein sorting to the flagellar membrane.

Protein palmitoylation has diverse effects in regulating protein membrane affinity, localization, binding partner interactions, turnover and function. Here, we show that palmitoylation also contributes to the sorting of proteins to the eukaryotic flagellum. African trypanosomes are protozoan pathogens that express a family of unique Ca2+-binding proteins, the calflagins, which undergo N-terminal myristoylation and palmitoylation. The localization of calflagins depends on their acylation status. Myristoylation alone is sufficient for membrane association, but, in the absence of palmitoylation, the calflagins localize to the pellicular (cell body) membrane. Palmitoylation, which is mediated by a specific palmitoyl acyltransferase, is then required for subsequent trafficking of calflagin to the flagellar membrane. Coincident with the redistribution of calflagin from the pellicular to the flagellar membrane is their association with lipid rafts, which are highly enriched in the flagellar membrane. Screening of candidate palmitoyl acyltranferases identified a single enzyme, TbPAT7, that is necessary for calflagin palmitoylation and flagellar membrane targeting. Our results implicate protein palmitoylation in flagellar trafficking, and demonstrate the conservation and specificity of palmitoyl acyltransferase activity by DHHC-CRD proteins across kingdoms.
Binge ethanol-drinking potentiates corticotropin releasing factor R1 receptor activity in the ventral tegmental area.

Background Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and urocortin play an important role in many stress responses and also can regulate ethanol (EtOH) intake. Adaptations in CRF signaling in the central amygdala promote EtOH consumption after long-term EtOH intake in dependent animals and also after brief periods of binge EtOH intake. Thus, even brief episodes of EtOH consumption can alter the function of the CRF system, allowing CRF to regulate EtOH intake. Here, we examined whether brief binge EtOH consumption leads to CRF receptor adaptations within the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a structure involved in signaling rewarding and aversive events and important in the development and expression of drug and alcohol addiction. Methods We utilized a mouse model of binge drinking known as drinking in the dark (DID), where C57BL/6J mice drink approximately 6 g/kg in 4 hours and achieve blood EtOH concentrations of approximately 100 mg/dl, which is equivalent to binge drinking in humans. We used ex vivo whole-cell recordings from putative VTA dopamine (DA) neurons to examine CRF regulation of NMDA receptor (NMDAR) currents. We also examined the impact of CRF receptor antagonist injection in the VTA on binge EtOH intake. Results Ex vivo whole-cell recordings from putative VTA DA neurons showed enhanced CRF-mediated potentiation of NMDAR currents in juvenile mice that consumed EtOH in the DID procedure. CRF-induced potentiation of NMDAR currents in EtOH-drinking mice was blocked by administration of CP-154,526 (3 μM), a selective CRF1 receptor antagonist. Furthermore, intra-VTA infusion of CP-154,526 (1 μg) significantly reduced binge EtOH consumption in adult mice. These results were not due to alterations of VTA NMDAR number or function, suggesting that binge drinking may enhance signaling through VTA CRF1 receptors onto NMDARs. Conclusions Altered CRF1 receptor-mediated signaling in the VTA promotes binge-like EtOH consumption in mice, which supports the idea that CRF1 receptors may therefore be a promising pharmacological target for reducing binge drinking in humans.
Influence of high abundances of aerosols on the electrical conductivity of the Titan atmosphere

Abstract Observations of optical depth and scattering by instrumentation onboard the Huygens probe have been used by Tomasko et al. [Tomasko et al., 2005. Rain, winds and haze during Huygens probe's descent to Titan's surface. Nature 438 (8), 765–778] to deduce that the size and abundance of Titan aerosols could be nearly independent of altitude. Here we show that by assuming a constant mass flux with altitude and using the measured optical depth as a constraint, we obtain more realistic size and abundance distributions. In particular, the calculated abundance decreases from 3.5×107 m−3 at 100 km to 8×106 m−3 near the surface while the particle radius varies from 0.25 μm at 150 km to 1.1 μm at the surface. These distributions are consistent with the reported measurements for these quantities. Our results are then employed to compute electron and ion densities and conductivities for various solar UV photoelectron emission thresholds. Our model shows that to get agreement with the published (preliminary) conductivity measurements, photoemission cannot be an important source of electrons and ions. To get agreement with the electron and ion conductivity observations, both an additional population of aerosol embryos above 50 km and a trace amount of an electrophillic molecular species below 50 km are needed.
A non-stiff boundary integral method for 3D porous media flow with surface tension

We present an efficient, non-stiff boundary integral method for 3D porous media flow with surface tension. Surface tension introduces high order (i.e., high derivative) terms into the evolution equations, and this leads to severe stability constraints for explicit time-integration methods. Furthermore, the high order terms appear in non-local operators, making the application of implicit methods difficult. Our method uses the fundamental coefficients of the surface as dynamical variables, and employs a special isothermal parameterization of the interface which enables efficient application of implicit or linear propagator time-integration methods via a small-scale decomposition. The method is tested by computing the relaxation of an interface to a flat surface under the action of surface tension. These calculations employ an approximate interface velocity to test the stiffness reduction of the method. The approximate velocity has the same mathematical form as the exact velocity, but avoids the numerically intensive computation of the full Birkhoff-Rott integral. The algorithm is found to be effective at eliminating the severe time-step constraint that plagues explicit time-integration methods.
From Professionals to Potential First Ladies: How Newspapers Told the Stories of Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama

This research project examined 151 articles from three prominent newspapers published in the United States, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, to analyze the coverage of Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama during the 2008 presidential election. A content analysis was conducted to investigate the quantity of and common frames and themes found in articles related to the two potential first ladies. Among the major findings of this project were the common references made in the newspaper articles to controversies related to McCain and Obama, raising the question of whether increased coverage of controversies is one of the prices paid for “having it all,” both personally and professionally, as a presidential candidate’s spouse.
Prolactin binding sites in the uterus of the mink

The present study was conducted to determine if specific binding sites for prolactin (PRL) are present in the uterus of the mink. Uteri of anestrous mink were homogenized and subjected to differential centrifugation into three paniculate fractions, 1500, 15000 and 50000 × g. Binding of [125I]oPRL to membranes in an aliquot (200–400 μg protein) of the 50 000 × g paniculate fraction was quantified. Time and temperature for optimal binding were 18 h at 25°C. Scatchard plot analysis revealed a single set of binding sites for PRL with a Kd of 8.25 × 10-11±0.68 M. The maximum amount of [125I]oPRL bound was 28 fmoles/mg protein. Prolactin binding sites were detected in both the uterus and kidney of mink, but not in skeletal muscle, spleen, diaphragm or lung. These data indicate that uterine cell membranes of the mink contain sites that bind prolactin with high affinity.
Mortality after Periprosthetic Femur Fractures

Periprosthetic femur fractures are becoming more frequent, as the prevalence of hip and knee arthroplasties keeps increasing and our population continues to age. Although the vast majority of literature on periprosthetic fractures has centered on radiographic and functional outcomes, only limited information is available on mortality. Patients with periprosthetic femur fractures are at a similar or higher mortality risk than hip fracture patients. Furthermore, periprosthetic femur fractures carry a significantly higher mortality risk than hip or knee arthroplasty or operative fixation of native distal femur fractures. Advanced patient age and underlying comorbidities increase the risk of mortality. Factors related to the injury itself and treatment method may play an additional role, especially during the short postoperative period.
Developmental and genetic characterization of a short leaf mutant of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. (Moench.))

Changes in plant architecture, specifically conversion to compact canopy for cereal crops, have resulted in significant increases in grain yield for wheat (Triticum aestivum) and rice (Oryza sativa). For sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench.) a versatile crop with an open canopy, plant architecture is an important feature that merits strong consideration for modification. Here, we report the genetic, developmental, and physiological characterization of a sorghum genetic stock, KFS2061, a stable mutant (in the Western Black Hull Kafir background) which exhibit short and erect leaves resulting in compact plant architecture. Genetic study of an F2 population derived from the cross of KFS2061 to BTx623 showed that the short leaf is recessive and appeared to be controlled by a single gene. The expression of the short leaf trait commenced with the 3rd leaf and is propagated through the entire leaf hierarchy of the canopy. The short leaf mutant exhibited consistent steep leaf angle, 43° (with the main culm as reference), and greener leaves than wild type. Biochemical analyses indicated significantly higher chlorophyll and cellulose content per leaf area in the mutant than wild type. Histological studies revealed reduction in cell length along the longitudinal axis and enlargement of bulliform cells in the adaxial surface of the mutant leaf. Further evaluation of agronomic traits indicated that this mutation could increase harvest index. This study provides information on a short leaf genetic stock that could serve as a vital resource in understanding how to manipulate plant canopy architecture of sorghum.
Design of household sample surveys to test death registration completeness.

This paper studies the design effect of counting rules, for linking deaths to housing units where they are enumerated in the survey, on the sampling variance of dual system and single system estimators of death registration completeness. It investigates estimators based on conventional rules that uniquely link each death to a single housing unit as well as estimators based on multiplicity rules which permit deaths to be linked to more than one housing unit. Sampling variance formulas are derived containing parameters that reflect the efficiency of the counting rule. Estimates of these parameters for different counting rules are compared utilizing information that was collected in a mortality survey experiment. Finally, the design of a national death registration test is considered and the sample size implications of different counting rules arc compared.
The Man Who Molded Mao: Yang Changji and the First Generation of Chinese Communists

The article examines the important role that the Hunan First Normal School and the changing Chinese elite, especially Yang Changji, played in fostering and shaping the careers and thoughts of so many radical intellectuals (including Mao) who became the founding figures of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and later the leaders of China. Deeply rooted in neo-Confucianism, but also well known as a man of Western learning, Yang stressed an ethical framework very much oriented toward social change. The students who looked to this mentor for intellectual guidance absorbed a strong sense of responsibility to society, with an emphasis on education and morality that took on a spiritual dimension. The article also looks at how the new school system and the scholars like Yang who taught in it helped to nurture study societies such as the Xinmin xuehui that were of central importance to the formation and growth of the CCP.
Splendid symmetry: crystallization of an unbridged isomer of Co2(CO)8 in Co2(CO)8·C60

Cocrystallization of Co2(CO)8 with C60 traps the cobalt carbonyl molecule as the D3d isomer that otherwise is not available for crystallographic analysis.
Mutually unbiased bases, spherical designs, and frames

The principle of complementarity lies at the heart of quantum mechanics. In finite dimensional quantum systems this principle is captured by pairs of observables which are given by mutually unbiased bases (MUBs). Two orthonormal bases B and C of C d are mutually unbiased if | b | c >| 2 = 1/ d holds for all vectors b ∈ B and c ∈ C . This implies that whenever we are given a vector from one of these bases and perform a measurement with respect to any other of the bases, then there is no information gained from this measurement. A basic question about MUBs is how many of them can be found in a given dimension d . While constructions of maximal sets of d +1 such bases are known for system of prime power dimension d , it is unknown whether this bound can be achieved for any non-prime power dimension. We review the known constructions of MUBs and demonstrate that maximal sets of MUBs come with a rich combinatorial structure by showing that they actually are the same objects as the complex projective 2-designs with angle set {0,1/ d }. Furthermore, we address the problem of constructing positive operator-valued measures (POVMs) in finite dimension d consisting of d 2 operators of rank one which have an inner product equal to uniform or very close to uniform. This is motivated by the related question of constructing symmetric informationally complete POVMs (SIC-POVMs) for which the inner products are perfectly uniform. We also give a simple proof of the fact that symmetric informationally complete POVMs are complex projective 2-designs with angle set {1/( d +1)}. Moreover, we show that MUBs and SIC-POVMs form uniform tight frames in C d .
Integer linear programming-based synthesis of skewed logic circuits

We present an integer linear programming-based approach for solving the logic reconvergence problem in skewed logic circuits with minimal logic duplication cost. A simplification technique is applied to reduce the complexity of the ILP problem greatly so that the run time is more affordable. Experimental results show that an average of 18% of original gates are duplicated in skewed logic circuits, whereas 65% in Domino logic circuits are duplicated. The average power saving over Domino logic circuits is 40.9%.
Inverse relationship between cotton plant density and verticillium wilt incidence and severity: evidence for an alternative hypothesis

The relationship between cotton plant density and verticillium wilt incidence and severity in a greenhouse study was investigated. A negative relationship between verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahliae Kleb.) incidence and cotton (Gossypium hirsulum L.) plant density has been observed by other investigators and in this study as well. However, previous authors attributed this negative relationship to the declining probability of infection with increasing plant density. In this study, each plant was inoculated through a severed root and thus did not have the potential to ‘escape’ infection; none the less, it was found that more crowded plants showed fewer disease symptoms. The observed result was therefore attributed to a decline in host suitability with increasing host density.
Power flow analysis of radial and weakly meshed distribution networks

With increasing penetration of distributed generation, and the evolution of predominantly radial distribution systems into weakly meshed networks, it has become necessary to suitably update power flow solution techniques. This paper presents an unbalanced three-phase power flow solution method that is effective in the analysis of modern active distribution networks. The proposed approach is based on the development of a Branch-Current Matrix (BCM), and uses it in conjunction with the line Primitive Impedance Matrix (PIM) to obtain the power flow solution. This approach is initially applied to radial networks and then modified to include the case of weakly-meshed networks. The presented approach takes into account most of the special features of the distribution networks and uses neither LU-decomposition, nor Y-bus formulation/factorization and hence it is computationally efficient. The proposed method is tested on 13-node and 76-node unbalanced networks. Results of the proposed method are compared with some other methods presented in the literature.
Biomechanical Stability of Four Cranial Cruciate Ligament Repair Techniques in the Dog

Four commonly used cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) repair techniques were compared biomechanically in canine cadaver stifles by assessment of immediate postoperative laxity (cranial drawer) and stiffness. Each joint was tested nondestructively before repair, with the CCL intact and with the CCL excised. The cranio-caudal laxity after each repair was expressed as a percentage of the laxity in the same stifle after CCL excision. The stiffness of a repair was expressed as a percentage of the same intact joint's stiffness at an equivalent displacement. Repaired stifles were tested three consecutive times to the same maximum load (180 N) and the comparative laxity and stiffness in each test were determined. Fibular head transposition resulted in significantly increased stiffness, less laxity, and less decay per test than the other repairs. Lateral imbrication resulted in significantly less laxity on all tests, and significantly greater stiffness than the fascial strip or patellar tendon on the second and third tests to maximum load. The fascial strip resulted in significantly less laxity on all tests than the patellar tendon, but it was not significantly greater in stiffness. These data suggest that, of the reconstructive methods tested, fibular head transposition has biomechanically superior properties in the immediate postoperative period.
Higher order volume and surface integral equation modeling of 3-D scattering and radiation problems

The method of moments (MoM), as one of the most powerful and versatile general numerical tools for electromagnetic-field computations based on discretizing integral equations in electromagnetics, has been especially effectively used for full-wave three-dimensional (3-D) solutions to open-region (e.g., scattering and radiation) problems in the frequency domain. In the MoM analysis in conjunction with the volume integral equation (VIE) approach, the volume equivalence principle is invoked to represent a scattering or radiation structure containing linear dielectric materials of arbitrary inhomogeneity and complexity by a distribution of volume electric (polarization and conduction) currents (the real currents) radiating in free space, and the resulting VIE, with the total volume current density vector, or another vector proportional to it, as unknown quantity, is discretized by the MoM. The analysis of composite dielectric and metallic radiation/scattering structures can be performed combining the VIE for dielectric parts and the surface integral equation (SIE) based on the boundary condition for the electric field intensity vector for metallic parts, with surface electric currents (again, the actual currents) treated as an unknown quantity. This gives rise to a hybrid VIE-SIE or VSIE formulation, which solves simultaneously for the volume currents throughout the dielectric domains and the surface currents over the metallic surfaces.
Applications of fusion energy: A comparative analysis of their potentials

Nuclear fusion is usually viewed as a future technology for generating electric power. However, a number of non-electric-generating applications are also possible. The most important are: generation of fissile fuel for fission reactors, production of synthetic fuel, and production of heat for process and space-heating applications. The technical means of accomplishing these objectives are reviewed, along with corresponding features of alternate technologies to achieve the same objectives. It is concluded that the greatest barriers to be overcome in these commercial applications of fusion are: (1) timing, in that fusion is still a distant possibility and fission breeders are nearer commercial exploitation; and, (2) fossil carbon deposits are still so abundant that radical shifts away from fossil fuels will be difficult.
Politique du cinema iranien: de l'ayatollah Khomeyni au président Khatami

Politique du cinema iranien: de l'ayatollah Khomeyni au president Khatami, Agnes Devictor, Paris: CNRS Editions, 2004, ISBN 2-2710-6255-1, 310pp. The “Iranian new wave” of the 1990s continues to pr...
A Question of Duration: Do Patients with Early-Stage Breast Cancer Need More Than Five Years of Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy?

Women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer continue to be at risk for recurrence and mortality for many years after diagnosis. Previous clinical trials established 5 years of endocrine therapy as a standard of care for both premenopausal and postmenopausal women, resulting in long-lasting benefit over shorter durations of treatment. Until recently, trials testing durations of tamoxifen longer than 5 years have not shown additional benefit, but the ATLAS (Adjuvant Tamoxifen, Longer Against Shorter) trial, reported in 2007, showed a small but significant reduction in risk of recurrence with 10 compared with 5 years of tamoxifen therapy. Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) improve relapse-free survival (RFS) in postmenopausal women when they are used sequentially with, or replace, tamoxifen for a total of 5 years of therapy. Extension of endocrine therapy to 10 years in the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group MA.17 trial demonstrated that 5 years of letrozole therapy following 5 years of tamoxifen therapy results in an improvement in RFS, but not overall survival, in postmenopausal women. Trials testing durations of AI therapy for longer than 5 years are ongoing. Selection of candidates for extended endocrine therapy should balance recurrence risk, toxicity of treatment, and comorbidities that might impact life expectancy and risk of side effects.
BEHIND THE CORPORATE HEDGE: INFORMATION AND THE LIMITS OF “SHAREHOLDER WEALTH MAXIMIZATION”

The article begins by setting out three alternative conceptions of the corporate objective function. Relying on this framework, it shows that legal analyses tend to neglect conflicts between the interests of the corporate entity and the interests of shareholders over the amount of corporate risk-taking. Financial analyses tend to ignore both constraints on managerial discretion imposed by law and a fundamental ambiguity the author identifies in the “shareholder wealth maximization” assumption that underlies such analyses. This ambiguity arises in part from market “frictions”–particularly, the investor uncertainty and heightened price volatility that stem from informational “asymmetry.” Such an information gap between management and outside investors (along with market “irrationality”) can cause material disparities between the actual trading price and the intrinsic value (or what the author calls the “blissful price”) of a company's shares. As a consequence, corporate hedging that maximizes actual share values may not maximize intrinsic values (and vice versa), thus giving rise to a managerial dilemma. Previous analyses have also failed to give adequate consideration to the expectations of shareholders. If, for example, the shareholders of a natural resource company are seeking a relatively “pure play” on that resource–in part because they believe the company's management has no comparative advantage in managing price risks–corporate hedging that increases shareholder wealth may re-duceshareholder welfare. In this sense, the usual “shareholder wealth maximization” directive is not only ambiguous, but also incomplete. These problems stem not only from informational asymmetry, but from other institutional realities (such as the “political” taint associated with reported derivative losses of any kind) that raise the information costs of using derivatives. The article concludes with some suggestions for improving disclosure of corporate risk management “philosophy.” Better disclosure may not only help reduce such information costs, but could also encourage corporations to find–and stick to–their derivatives niche.
Pulmonary hypertension associated with sarcoidosis

Pulmonary involvement is common in sarcoidosis, an immune-mediated inflammatory disorder that is characterized by non-caseating granulomas in tissue. Sarcoid patients with advanced pulmonary disease, especially end-stage pulmonary fibrosis, risk developing pulmonary hypertension (World Health Organization group III pulmonary hypertension secondary to hypoxic lung disease). Increased levels of endothelin (ET)-1 in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage of some sarcoid patients suggest that ET-1 may be driving pulmonary fibrosis and sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary hypertension. Although a relationship between raised levels of ET-1 and clinical phenotype is yet to be identified, early evidence from studies of ET-1 blockade with drugs such as bosentan is encouraging. Such therapy possibly could be combined with standard anti-inflammatory agents to improve outcome.
Performance and Microbial Diversity of a Trickle‐Bed Air Biofilter under Interchanging Contaminants

A trickle-bed air biofilter (TBAB) was evaluated under conditions of interchanging the feed volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the sequence methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), toluene, methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), styrene, and then back to MEK. The obtained performance results revealed that the biofilter provided high removal efficiency within the critical loading of each VOC, which was previously defined in the non-interchanging VOC fed biofilter. The biofilter easily acclimated to the oxygenated compounds (MEK and MIBK), but re-acclimation was delayed for the aromatic compounds (toluene and styrene). Ratios of the molar mass of CO2 produced per molar mass of VOC removed were investigated. It has been found that the ratios for the aromatic compounds closely resembled the theoretical complete chemical oxidation based ratios while larger differences were encountered with the oxygenated compounds. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of 16S rRNA genes was used to assess the impact of interchanging VOCs on the bacterial community structure in the biofilter. The results from denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) showed that the structure of the microbial community in the biofilter was different after each interchange of VOCs.
Gas-phase uranyl-nitrile complex ions

Electrospray ionization was used to generate doubly charged complex ions composed of the uranyl ion and nitrile ligands. The complexes, with general formula [UO2(RCN)n]2+, n = 0−5 (where RCH3-, CH3CH2-, or C6H5-), were isolated in an ion-trap mass spectrometer to probe intrinsic reactions with H2O. For these complexes, two general reaction pathways were observed: (a) the direct addition of one or more H2O ligands to the doubly charged complexes and (b) charge-reduction reactions. For the latter, the reactions produced uranyl hydroxide, [UO2OH], complexes via collisions with gas-phase H2O molecules and the elimination of protonated nitrile ligands.
PSA Doubling Time as a Predictor of Clinical Progression After Biochemical Failure Following Radical Prostatectomy for Prostate Cancer

Objectives To characterize the clinical progression of disease in men who have undergone prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer and have postoperative biochemical failure (elevated prostate-specific antigen [PSA] level) and to identify predictors of clinical disease progression, including the possible effect of PSA doubling time (PSADT). Patients and Methods Between 1987 and 1993, 2809 patients underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy for clinically localized (≤T2) disease. In our database, all patients with postoperative biochemical failure (PSA level ≥0.4 ng/mL) were identified. The PSADT was estimated using log linear regression on all PSA values (excluding those values determined after administration of hormonal therapy) within 15 months after biochemical failure. All patients had regular PSA measurements from the time of surgery through the follow-up period. Systemic progression (SP) was defined as evidence of metastatic disease on a bone scan. Local recurrence (LR) was defined on the basis of digital rectal examination, transrectal ultrasonography, and biopsy. The SP-free survival and LR/SP-free survival (survival free of both LR and SP) after biochemical failure was estimated with use of the Kaplan-Meier method. Patients with prostate cancer treatment after biochemical failure had their follow-up censored from this study at the time of treatment. Results Postoperative biochemical failure occurred in 879 men (31%). The mean follow-up from time of biochemical failure was 4.7 years (range, 0.5–11 years). The mean time to biochemical failure was 2.9 years (median, 2.4 years). The overall mean SP-free survival from time of biochemical failure was 94% and 91% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. The mean LR/SP-free survival was 64% and 53% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. By using univariate analysis on the 587 patients with PSADT data, significant risk factors for SP were PSADT ( P P =.005); for LR/SP, significant risk factors included PSADT ( P P P P Conclusions For patients who have undergone radical prostatectomy, a rising PSA level suggests evidence of residual or recurrent prostate cancer. Many men remain free of clinical disease for an extended time after biochemical failure following radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer. The PSADT appears to be an important predictor of SP and also of any clinical progression (local or systemic). These data may be useful when counseling men regarding the timing of adjuvant therapies.
Gangliosides of T lymphocytes: evidence for a role in T-cell activation.

This review will discuss the structure and possible functions of gangliosides, with an emphasis on ganglioside expression on T lymphocytes.
When using spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section after the epidural has failed, the normal dose of spinal anaesthetic should be used.

The safe, effective management of intrathecal anaesthesia for emergency caesarean section in the presence of an epidural block that is inadequate for surgery, remains a clinical challenge, even for the experienced obstetric anaesthetist. The indications to persist with a regional technique are as compelling as in any maternal intervention in labour. Spinal administration following epidural failure, however, may be associated with unpredictable final block height, hence the vigorous debate on the matter of optimum intrathecal dose. In support of using a normal intrathecal dose, I maintain that the evidence for high block with normal doses of intrathecal local anaesthetic is not robust enough to change universal anaesthetic practice. There is persuasive evidence for the safety of spinal anaesthesia with normal intrathecal doses, while reassuring studies demonstrate that any risk can be easily offset with meticulous attention to anaesthetic technique. It is worthwhile considering the causes of inadequate or failed epidural block. It must be carefully defined, since it is pertinent to the conclusions that may be drawn from studies of these mechanisms. For the purposes of the debate, a failed epidural will be considered one that will not provide an adequate height or density of anaesthesia for surgery after an appropriate dose of local anaesthetic has been administered; this is distinct from an epidural that has ceased to function at all. The causes of inadequate block may be broadly cate
Graphene Oxide: Surface Activity and Two‐Dimensional Assembly

Graphene oxide (GO) is a promising precursor for preparing graphene-based composites and electronics applications. Like graphene, GO is essentially one-atom thick but can be as wide as tens of micrometers, resulting in a unique type of material building block, characterized by two very different length scales. Due to this highly anisotropic structure, the collective material properties are highly dependent on how these sheets are assembled. Therefore, understanding and controlling the assembly behavior of GO has become an important subject of research. In this Research News article the surface activity of GO and how it can be employed to create two-dimensional assemblies over large areas is discussed.