cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Central venous catheter–associated complications in infants with single ventricle: Comparison of umbilical and femoral venous access routes

Objective:Among infants with single-ventricle heart disease who require surgical palliation, central venous access is routinely obtained via the umbilical or femoral veins. Both routes are associated with potential complications, including thrombosis. We sought to analyze the clinical outcomes of pa
The Relationship between Job Stressors and Job Involvement among Correctional Staff: A Test of the Job Strain Model

Much of the research on correctional staff over the past two decades has focused on how the job environment and demographic variables influence job stress and job satisfaction. The issue of job involvement has largely been ignored. As correctional employees are such an important part of corrections, understanding how job stressors affect job involvement is essential. An analysis of survey data from a private correctional facility in the US Midwest examined the effects of the relationship between the job stressors of role conflict, role ambiguity, role overload, and perceived dangerous of the job with job involvement. Multivariate analysis with ordinary least squares (OLS) regression indicated that role conflict and dangerousness of the job had significant effects on job involvement, but role ambiguity and role overload did not. It is hoped that this study will spark further research in the area.
Development and Verification of a Gender-Role Stereotyping Index for Physical Activities:

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument to measure the extent to which parents, teachers, and children (4 1/2 to 7 yr.) label physical activities according to gender. The research involved two phases, (a) development/validation of the instrument and (b) assessment of reliability and stability. Participants for the development/validity assessment were 12 experts in motor and psychosocial development of children; they were divided into two groups of six judges (three women and three men). Both groups of judges rated 45 research-based, gender-specific and gender-neutral physical activities according to the extent to which each activity involved each of 14 research-based, gender-specific physical activity characteristics. Based on the ratings of Group I judges, 24 physical activities, representative of 8 male, 8 female, and 8 gender-neutral items, were combined to make up the preliminary questionnaire. To assess the construct validity of the instrument, two steps were taken. P...
Scared to death

Phillips et al report a “Hound of the Baskervilles effect” among Chinese-Americans andJapanese-Americans, who have abnormally high cardiac mortality on the fourth day of each month because they think the number 4 is unlucky.1 Is it plausible that the number 4 is regarded with the same terror that the fictional Charles Baskerville felt as he was pursued in the dark by a huge hound “with its flaming jaws and blazing eyes”? We encounter the number 4 every day. Could one more 4, the fourth day of a month, be fatal? A natural test is to compare deaths on the third, fourth, and fifth days of each month. A longer horizon is flawed because a systematic cycle that causes deaths to peak near day 4 may show statistical significance that reflects a bulge near …
Time-trends and congener profiles of PBDEs and PCBs in California peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus).

High levels (μg/g lw) of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in peregrine falcon eggs from California (n = 90 eggs from 52 birds, 38 nest sites, collected 1986−2007, ΣPBDEs median = 4.53, range = 0.08−53.1). Over the past 22 years, PBDE levels more than tripled each decade in the eggs, whereas PCB levels had no significant changes. PBDE levels were highest in eggs from major California cities (“Big Cities”), whereas PCBs showed no difference across the regions. For PBDEs, Big City eggs had markedly different patterns from Coastal eggs: BDE-209 and the higher brominated PBDEs (hexa−nona) were dominant congeners in Big City eggs, while BDE-47 and -99 were dominant in Coastal eggs. In many of the birds that gave multiple eggs over time (“time series”), PBDE patterns changed over time: the high proportions of BDE-209 and higher brominated PBDEs (short half-lives) in young birds contrasted with increasingly higher proportions of BDE-153 (long half-life) and...
Stepwise hydration of ionized acetylene trimer. Further evidence for the formation of benzene radical cation

Abstract We report the thermochemistry of the stepwise hydration of the acetylene trimer ion ( C 2 H 2 ) 3 + using the drift tube technique. The binding energies and entropy changes for the addition of 1–7 water molecules to ( C 2 H 2 ) 3 + are identical to the corresponding values for the hydration of the benzene radical cation. The ( C 2 H 2 ) 3 + ion undergoes proton transfer within the ( C 2 H 2 ) 3 + ( H 2 O ) n clusters with n ⩾ 4. The proton affinity (211 kcal/mol) of the radical generated by the deprotonation of the ( C 2 H 2 ) 3 + ion is similar to that of the phenyl radical ( C 6 H 5 ) . Thus, the formation of the benzene ion is further confirmed in the ionized acetylene clusters.
The National Cancer Data Base report on gastric cancer.

Background. Previous Commission on Cancer studies from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) have examined time trends in stage of disease, treatment patterns, and survival for selected cancers. The most current (1991) data for gastric cancer are described here. Methods. Three Calls for Data have yielded a total of 16,992 case reports of gastric cancer for 1985, 1986, and 1991, from hospital cancer registries across the U.S. Results. Gastric cancer was the 15th most frequent cancer reported to the NCDB. The proportion of all reported cancers that were gastric in the two time intervals studied were essentially the same. In 1991, 20.8% of the cases were reported in minorities. Only 46% of gastric cancer cases were staged by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) system in 1985 to 86, compared with 77% in 1991. More advanced stages were reported for younger patients, but less advanced stages were noted in the Asian population. Of all patients reported, 41.4% had no reported cancer-directed surgery, 41.1% had partial or hemigastrectomy, and 6.7% had total gastrectomy. More extensive surgery was associated with patients with Stage III disease than with Stages I and II, as might be expected. Survival after treatment remained poor (5-year relative survival; 43% for Stage I, 37% for Stage II, 18% for Stage III, and 20% for Stage IV). Conclusion. Improvements in treatment will emerge allowing survival to serve as a better guide for the quality of care in the future. In the interim, the frequency of American Joint Committee on Cancer staging in patient charts and the fraction of patients with Stages I and II as opposed to Stages III and IV disease (as a measure of prompt diagnosis) may serve as measure of how quickly these cancers are being diagnosed. Cancer 1995;75:1734-44.
Symmetries of excessive measures of Markov processes

Our goal in this article is to study one aspect of a classical problem in Markov process theory: namely, when is a function Ψ(Y t ) of a Markov process Y t once again a Markov process? We discuss an algorithm for constructing a large class of such functions Ψ, based upon the potential theory of Y t . We study the symmetries of the excessive measures of Y t . From the results it is clear that a large amount of the structure of the process Y t is embedded in the algebraic structure of the symmetries
Exploring the Effectiveness of Various Patterns in an Extended Pattern Search Layout Algorithm

Automated synthesis of product layout has the potential of substantially reducing design cycle time while allowing for quick check of interference, clearance, scale and fit prior to the building of physical prototypes. The search for optimal positions and orientations of parts in the layout typically requires a huge number of iterations. An extended pattern search layout algorithm based on coordinate search was introduced in an earlier paper and shown quite effective over the previous state-of-the-art. Coordinate search is a simple and straightforward way of implementing the extended pattern search method in the layout problem. However, it is not taking advantage of the wide variety of heuristics admissible in pattern search methods for identifying promising search directions. By introducing various search patterns and exploring their effectiveness in the layout problem, the question of whether complex tactics can do better than the basic coordinate pattern search is addressed. This paper presents four different heuristics for generating pattern directions in the extended pattern search layout algorithm: the conjugate direction method, the modified gradient method, the rank ordering method, and the simplex method. These heuristics are utilized to identify promising search directions and update the set of pattern directions used in the algorithm over iterations. The performance of the different heuristics is compared to that of the basic coordinate extended pattern search layout approach.
743 Preoperative radiation dose escalation ± chemotherapy for advanced rectal cancer

Purpose To assess the influence of preoperative radiation does escalation ± concurrent chemotherapy in patients with advanced rectal cancer. Methods Patients with clinical T3/T4 rectal cancer received preoperative XRT ± chemotherapy, followed by surgery. 74 patients received 45 Gy XRT (low-dose group). 82 patients received 55.8 Gy XRT (high-dose group). 33 patients received 55.8 Gy XRT with concurrent 5-FU chemotherapy (CRT group). The 3 groups were compared with respect to post-radiation pathologic stage, local tumor control (LC), disease-specific survival (DSS), freedom from distant metastasis (FDM), and acute toxicity. Results The high-dose XRT and CRT groups had significantly fewer pT3/4 tumors relative to the low-dose XRT group (53% and 51%vs. 70%, respectively, P 0.005, x2) Conclusions The addition of 5-FU chemotherapy to preoperative XRT results in greater downstaging of clinically fixed tumors than XRT alone. The acute toxicity of CRT is greater than that of XRT alone. Patients with clinically fixed rectal cancer benefit most from preoperative CRT.
Propagation Delay Measurements from a Timing Sampler Intended for Use in Space

This paper describes a 3-?m CMOS timing sampler which is a test circuit designied inito the JPL CRRES chip to be flown on the Coombined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES). The timing sampler consists of 64 inverter-pair stages with sampling latches anid decoder circuitry. The sampler is used to measure inverter-pair propagation delays, which are nominally 2.5 nanoseconds, with a resolutioni of 100 picoseconds. A simple model was developed to explain the radiation-induced inverter-pair delay shifts in terms of radiation-induced MOSFET-threshold voltage shifts and effective nodal capacitances. The magnitude of the shift in pair delay with radiation was estimated at the point where the n-MOSFET threshold voltage became zero. For a 0.7-volt threshold shift, the pairdelay increased from its preradiation value by 360 picoseconds for a rising step iniput and decreased by 190 picoseconds for a falling step input.
Rod outer segment birefringence bands record daily disc membrane synthesis.

Abstract To test the hypothesis that the birefringence bands seen in frog rod outer segments correspond to the daily synthesis and displacement of new disc membranes, open discs at the proximal end of the outer segment were labeled twice with fluorescent dye. The number of birefringence bands between the resulting fluorescent bands equaled the number of days between dye injections. Birefringence bands are therefore a simple and reliable measure of disc synthesis.
Empirical Models Based on Data from Several Experiments

A procedure is described for calculating empirical models based on the combined data collected in a series of sequential experiments. A hypothetical example involving ten independent variables is used to illustrate these procedures. Issues related to the comparability of data from several experiments, the use of both continuous and discrete variables in the model, the specification of additional data needed to calculate a second-order polynomial, and the procedure for determining the optimal combination of variables are discussed. Necessary rules for combining data from several studies are suggested. Mathematical criteria of efficiency, variance of coefficients, and orthogonality are used to evaluate this procedure.
"Nocturnal Habits and Dark Wisdom": The American Response to Children in the Streets at Night, 1880-1930

From the 1880s through the 1920s, American cities created a new legal and institutional framework to control children's access to the nighttime city. The development of boys' clubs, child labor laws and juvenile curfews all aimed to limit the presence of children in city streets after dark. Such reforms were motivated in part by the moral uncertainty of modern urban night, at a time when the increase in nocturnal work and leisure activities brought more people into contact with the dubious activities that had long characterized hours of darkness. Many urban Americans worried about the presence of corruptible children in the public spaces of the new nocturnal city. Middle-class social reformers and government officials feared that premature exposure to sexual knowledge would disrupt proper child development. The boys' clubs, child labor laws, and juvenile curfews did not succeed in forcing children off the streets in the period before 1930. Their significance was primarily educational and symbolic. Further, by attempting to bring order to the use of urban time, these reforms echoed simultaneous attempts to bring order to the use of urban space.
Hormone-independent activation of adenylate cyclase in large steroidogenic ovine luteal cells does not result in increased progesterone secretion.

The role of cAMP in controlling steroidogenesis in small and large ovine luteal cells was examined. Corpora lutea collected from superovulated ewes (9–11 days postovulation) were dissociated, and the two cell types were purified by elutriation. Both cell types were incubated for 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 h at 37 C with ovine LH (100 ng/ml), cholera toxin (100 ng/ml), or forskolin (50 μm). At each time point, progesterone levels were measured in the medium. Adenylate cyclase activity and cAMP concentrations in the cells and incubation medium were also determined. Progesterone secretion by small cells was significantly stimulated by ovine LH (up to 7.3-fold), cholera toxin (up to 4.2-fold), and forskolin (up to 4.5-fold) during the 4-h incubation. Intracellular levels of cAMP were significantly elevated in the small cells by ovine LH (up to 2.5-fold) and forskolin (up to 5.6-fold). Accumulation of cAMP in medium after incubation of small cells was also significantly stimulated by ovine LH (up to 215-fold), cholera t...
New insights into the regulation of inflammation by adenosine

Adenosine, long known as a regulator of cardiovascular function, has recently been identified as a significant paracrine inhibitor of inflammation that acts primarily by activation of A2A adenosine receptors (A2AARs) on lymphoid or myeloid cells. In this issue of the JCI, Yang et al. describe a proinflammatory phenotype resulting from deletion of the gene encoding the A2B adenosine receptor (A2BAR) in the mouse, suggesting that activation of the A2BAR can also have antiinflammatory effects (see the related article beginning on page 1913). Nevertheless, the role of the A2BAR remains enigmatic since its activation can either stimulate or inhibit the release of proinflammatory cytokines in different cells and tissues.
A comparison of reciprocal inhibition and experimental extinction in the psychotherapeutic process

Abstract Three matched groups of rats were formed on the basis of a CER: Group I was desensitized by the presentation of a CS which successively approximated the original ; Group II (reciprocal inhibition) received the same treatment with the addition of food as a stimulus for a response incompatible with fear; Group III (controls) experienced only the passage of time. Relearning trials were administered following extinction. The results indicated that the reciprocal inhibition technique was faster than desensitization in eliminating a fear response. The relearning data were equivocal.
Magnetic behaviour of La7Ru3O18

Rhombohedral La7Ru3O18 can be considered to be nearly geometrically frustrated due to its close structural similarity to the strongly geometrically frustrated compound La4.87Ru2O12. The magnetic ordering of La7Ru3O18 was explored using a combination of dc and ac magnetic susceptibility measurements. The magnetic phase diagram shows two different ordering regimes. A low-field magnetic phase occurs at applied fields of 0–3 T and temperatures below 10 K, while a high-field phase is found at fields of 3–5 T and temperatures below 9 K.
Optimum operation of oxidative coupling of methane in porous ceramic membrane reactors

Abstract This paper presents analysis of oxidative coupling of methane on Li/MgO packed porous membrane reactor (PMR) by the fixed-bed reactor (FBR) model with reliable reaction kinetic equations. PMR can improve the selectivity and yield by controlling the oxygen feed to the catalyst bed through manipulating the feed pressure. At a fixed methane feed rate there is an optimal oxygen feed pressure that will achieve the highest yield. With a commercial ultrafiltration ceramic membrane, theoretical analysis shows that PMR can achieve, by operating with both side pressures at 1 bar at 750 °C, a maximal 30% yield at 53% selectivity. The maximal yield achieved in the FBR of identical dimension and temperature is 20.7% at 52.5% selectivity. Parametric study shows that lowering the membrane permeability improves the performance. Higher oxygen feed pressure will reduce the yield as well as the selectivity. Homogeneous reactions at high shell-side pressure can have adverse effect on the performance due to the fact that homogeneous reaction rates are strongly pressure dependent. The shell (oxygen feed) side volume must be minimized to reduce the homogeneous reactions. The results of PMR model calculation fit the published experimental result unexpectedly well.
Diurnal variations on Jupiter and Saturn

Abstract We observed four hydrogen quadrupole absorption lines in the Equatorial Zones of Jupiter and Saturn. No asymmetry between morning and evening side could be detected. Upper limits for an asymmetry of equivalent widths are 2 and 3% for Jupiter and Saturn, respectively. This is in contradiction to the 5–15% asymmetry seen by Cunningham et al. (1988) on Jupiter. The different results can be fully explained by the use of an improved solar spectrum for the reduction of the data reported here. Our observations indicate that the ortho to para ratio of hydrogen is near equilibrium, in agreement with Cunningham et al. (1988). Also, Doppler shifts in our spectra imply a wind speed for Saturn's equatorial jet which is consistent with that obtained by tracking cloud features in Voyager images.
V/STOL Aircraft Gas Turbine Requirements

The gas turbine requirements for V/STOL aircraft are strongly influenced by the type of airplane and the mission to be performed. For pusposes of this paper, the gas turbine requirements are established in several propulsion-system concepts which encompass the majority of engine requirements necessary to the V/STOL airplanes. General requirements are explored which are common to gas turbines regardless of mission or airplane type. Specific requirements for the air-superiority fighter airplane, the subsonic fighter attack airplane, and the transport-cargo type of airplane are discussed. These three types of airplanes are propelled by propulsion systems incorporating lift turbojet engines, turbofan engines, fans with remote gas generators, and turboprop engines.Copyright © 1967 by ASME
Sow housing: opportunities, constraints, and unknowns

As Webster has stated, we have real opportunities to provide incremental improvements to a whole range of welfare factors. We need a disciplined approach that takes into account the skills of farmers, veterinarians, and the whole range of other specialists involved in animal agriculture. Improvement is best based on a model of discovery, transparency, and dialogue. Combative models impede discovery and dialogue, and the animals are the most likely to suffer when we create such a scenario. Veterinarians have a real opportunity to aid swine farms in identifying opportunities and allowing for a transparent portrayal of activities on the farm.
A quantitative method of morphological assessment of hybridization in the U. S. Negro-White male crania†

The study develops a morphological method of assessing the amount of parental components in a U.S. Negro-White Hybrid sample and tests to what extent a multivariate discriminant analysis actually reflects the morphological pattern of hybridization. To formulate norms of description for the parental and hybrid populations, a seventeenth century London Farringdon Street series of 94 crania was selected to represent the British White ancestral component and the data on the cadaverand-skeletal series in the T. W. Todd collection of Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, were used in the selection of 115 Unmixed Negro and 115 Negro-White Hybrid male crania. The conclusions are: (1) the morphological scores of the Negro-White Hybrid series shows a biological overlap with the two parental series in the proportion of 1:3 (i.e., 25% White to 75% Negro). This overlap reflects the probable porportion of ancestral mixture in the ratio of one-fourth White to three-fourths Negro in the Negro-White Hybrid sample; and (2) the morphological approach to the assessment of the parental components with multivariate discriminant analysis as a tool, proves to be highly reliable in providing a biologically meaningful index of relationship.
Theoretical seismogram constraints on some crustal velocity models in the central United States

Earthquake investigations in the central United States require a realistic crustal model for accurate location of seismic events, for the determination of earthquake source parameters, and for theoretical ground motion prediction for an assumed earthquake source. A number of crustal models have been proposed which were based on first arrival refraction data obtained from artificial and natural seismic sources. The reflectivity method for generating realistic theoretical seismograms is used together with recently acquired refraction survey data to distinguish among several of the proposed crustal models. The data used in this study preclude a definitive statement about the nature of the lower crust in the region. However, a crust with two or more layers in the upper 20 km immediately below the basement is preferred. The absence of prominent near yertical reflections suggests that the layers may be separated by rapid velocity gradients rather than by sharp discontinuities.
EFFECTS OF ANGULAR MOMENTUM IN THE DECAY OF SAMARIUM COMPOUND NUCLEI

We have measured excitation functions for a series of neutron-emitting compound nucleus reactions leading to the product ${\mathrm{Sm}}^{142}$. By using heavy-ion (HI) beams as bombarding projectiles, it was possible to produce compound nuclei with the same excitation energies but with differing angular momenta. Nine reactions of the type ($\mathrm{HI},xn$), where $x=4 \mathrm{to} 8$, were studied, spanning a region of excitation energies from 40 to 105 MeV. The cross-section maxima are all in the vicinity of 500 mb and occur at energies above threshold corresponding to 4.8-6.3 MeV per emitted neutron. For the same compound nuclei, the effects of increasing angular momentum are to shift the excitation-function peaks toward higher energies and to considerably broaden their width. With increasing number of neutrons emitted, the apparent (extra-polated) threshold energies become increasingly displaced from the true thresholds. Both these displacements and the positions of the excitation function peaks correlate with angular momentum, but it is not possible to distinguish linear relationships from quadratic ones.
The Transition from Insulin Infusions to Long-Term Diabetes Therapy: The Argument for Insulin Analogs

After cardiac surgery, it is medical mismanagement to place an order for sliding scale insulin at the time of transitioning from intravenous insulin. Use of basal-prandial-correction therapy with insulin analogs constitutes a suitable transitioning regimen for inpatient management of hyperglycemia after heart surgery, to be ordered before interruption of intravenous insulin infusion, in conjunction with a program of blood glucose monitoring before meals, at bedtime, and midsleep. In the ambulatory setting, in comparison to neutral protamine Hagedorn, long-acting insulin analogs reduce hypoglycemia. In comparison to regular insulin, rapid-acting insulin analogs reduce hypoglycemia and improve postprandial control. A standardized approach to order entry for basal-prandial-correction therapy enhances safety and staff familiarity while preserving individualization of patient care. Proposed predictors of successful transition are described. Dose requirements during intravenous insulin infusion can be used to guide initial dose assignments of basal insulin therapy. As the patient approaches discharge, the total daily doses of subcutaneous insulin and basal insulin dose are decreased, and the proportion of prandial insulin approaches or exceeds 50% of the total daily dose as the absolute amount of prandial insulin increases. Before discharge, hyperglycemic patients not known to have diabetes should be advised of the need for outpatient reassessment, and those known to have diabetes but requiring intensification of therapy should participate in decision-making concerning their options for intensified treatment.
Modeling Motivated Misreports to Sensitive Survey Questions

Asking sensitive or personal questions in surveys or experimental studies can both lower response rates and increase item non-response and misreports. Although non-response is easily diagnosed, misreports are not. However, misreports cannot be ignored because they give rise to systematic bias. The purpose of this paper is to present a modeling approach that identifies misreports and corrects for them. Misreports are conceptualized as a motivated process under which respondents edit their answers before they report them. For example, systematic bias introduced by overreports of socially desirable behaviors or underreports of less socially desirable ones can be modeled, leading to more-valid inferences. The proposed approach is applied to a large-scale experimental study and shows that respondents who feel powerful tend to overclaim their knowledge.
Changes in Gonadotropins and Steroids Associated with Unilateral Ovariectomy of the Rat

To study the mechanism of compensatory ovarian hypertrophy (COH) in rats, unilateral ovariectomy (ULO) or sham operations were done on the morning of metestrus, and the concentrations of LH, FSH, prolactin, progesterone, 17β-estradiol and estrone were measured in serum at various times in the immediate and the third subsequent estrous cycle. A series of experiments also were done to determine the source of the acute elevation of estrone and progesterone in serum after surgery and the possible role of these steroids in COH. These experiments included effects of adrenalectomy, surgical “stress” and dexamethasone suppression on estrone and progesterone. Also, estrone and progesterone were measured in adrenal venous blood 1 h after ovariectomy. Other experiments assessed the effect of surgical “stress,” estradiol replacement before ULO and estradiol binding by antisera in intact rats on FSH levels at 11 or 12 h after treatment. ULO resulted in a surge of FSH lasting from the 6th to 18th h after surgery. The p...
Hemodynamic response to brachiocephalic and common carotid artery occlusion. 1.

SummaryTen anesthetized dogs were used to compare the hemodynamic responses to bilateral common carotid occlusion with that produced by occlusion of the brachiocephalic artery. Arterial blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output minus coronary flow, femoral artery flow, total peripheral resistance, and hind limb vascular resistance were measured following occlusion of both common carotid arteries and following occlusion of the brachiocephalic artery. The mean values obtained for these six variables were compared using a paired t test. No significant difference was demonstrated between the values obtained using these two different experimental procedures for producing endosinusal hypotension. It can be concluded that the occlusion of the brachiocephalic artery may be used in experiments in which endosinusal hypotension has to be produced but where the occlusion of the common carotid arteries becomes impractical.
Denitrification and N2 fixation in the Pacific Ocean

We establish the fixed nitrogen budget of the Pacific Ocean based on nutrient fields from the recently completed World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE). The budget includes denitrification in the water column and sediments, nitrogen fixation, atmospheric and riverine inputs, and nitrogen divergence due to the large-scale circulation. A water column denitrification rate of 48±5 Tg N yr −1 is calculated for the Eastern Tropical Pacific using N* [Gruber and Sarmiento, 1997] and water mass age tracers. On the basis of rates in the literature, we estimate sedimentary denitrification to remove an additional 15±3 Tg N yr−1. We then calculate the total nitrogen divergence due to the large scale circulation through the basin, composed of flows through a zonal transect at 32°S, and through the Indonesian and Bering straits. Adding atmospheric deposition and riverine fluxes results in a net divergence of nitrogen from the basin of −4±12 Tg N yr−1. Pacific nitrogen fixation can be extracted as a residual component of the total budget, assuming steady state. We find that nitrogen fixation would have to contribute 59±14 Tg N yr−1 in order to balance the Pacific nitrogen budget. This result is consistent with the tentative global extrapolations of Gruber and Sarmiento [1997], based on nitrogen fixation rates estimated for the North Atlantic. Our estimated mean areal fixation rate is within the range of direct and geochemical rate estimates from a single location near Hawaii [Karl et al., 1997]. Pacific nitrogen fixation occurs primarily in the western part of the subtropical gyres where elevated N* signals are found. These regions are also supplied with significant amounts of iron via atmospheric dust deposition, lending qualitative support to the hypothesis that nitrogen fixation is regulated in part by iron suppy.
Phloroglucinol as a Synergist in Browning Catalyzed by Apple Polyphenol Oxidase

Abstract When phloroglucinol and chlorogenie acid in equimolar concentrations were tested for browning activity the phloroglucinol-chlorogenic acid showed greater absorbancy than chlorogenic acid alone. This might be explained by a condensation product being formed by phloroglucinol and chlorogenic acid which browns to a greater degree than chlorogenic acid. Tests in which the concentration of chlorogenic acid was held constant and phloroglucinol varied, further demonstrated that phloroglucinol participates in the browning reaction. The differences in browning rates with variation of concentration became more apparent as the reaction proceeded indicating a possible condensation of the compounds.
An improved rhodopsin/EGFP fusion protein for use in the generation of transgenic Xenopus laevis.

Previous studies by Papermaster and coworkers introduced the use of rhodopsin–green fluorescent protein (rho–GFP) fusion proteins in the construction of transgenic Xenopus laevis with retinal rod photoreceptor cell-specific transgene expression [Moritz et al., J. Biol. Chem. 276 (2001) 28242–28251]. These pioneering studies have helped to develop the Xenopus system not only for use in the investigation of rhodopsin biosynthesis and targeting, but for studies of the phototransduction cascade as well. However, the rho–GFP fusion protein used in the earlier work had only 50% of the specific activity of wild-type rhodopsin for activation of transducin and only 10% of the activity of wild-type in rhodopsin kinase assays. While not a problem for the biosynthesis studies, this does present a problem for investigation of the phototransduction cascade. We report here an improved rhodopsin/EGFP fusion protein in which placement of the EGFP domain at the C-terminus of rhodopsin results in wild-type activity for activation of transducin, wild-type ability to serve as a substrate for rhodopsin kinase, and wild-type localization of the protein to the rod photoreceptor cell outer segment in transgenic X. laevis.
Conducting real-time multiplayer experiments on the web

Group behavior experiments require potentially large numbers of participants to interact in real time with perfect information about one another. In this paper, we address the methodological challenge of developing and conducting such experiments on the web, thereby broadening access to online labor markets as well as allowing for participation through mobile devices. In particular, we combine a set of recent web development technologies, including Node.js with the Socket.io module, HTML5 canvas, and jQuery, to provide a secure platform for pedagogical demonstrations and scalable, unsupervised experiment administration. Template code is provided for an example real-time behavioral game theory experiment which automatically pairs participants into dyads and places them into a virtual world. In total, this treatment is intended to allow those with a background in non-web-based programming to modify the template, which handles the technical server–client networking details, for their own experiments.
A New Approach to Solvent Dyeing with Non-Ionic Dyes:

In solvent dyeing of polyester with non-ionic dyes, diffusion and partition coefficients can be controlled through choice of the solubility parameters of the the solvent.
Letter by Sengupta et al regarding article, "Mechanisms of preejection and postejection velocity spikes in left ventricular myocardium: interaction between wall deformation and valve events".

To the Editor: We read with great interest the article by Remme et al.1 Although the study implies a strong association between the preejection and postejection phases and velocity spikes, we believe there are several aspects of heterogeneity in myocardial mechanics that merit further discussion. In the experiments, the creation of acute mitral regurgitation reduced the preejection spike. However, left ventricular (LV) pressure was also reduced (eg, from >80 mm Hg to about <40 mm Hg, as shown in Figure 1 of the article by Remme et al). Therefore, the marked reduction in the preejection velocity spike may reflect reduction in preejection pressure …
Recall of Text: Differences between First and Second Language Readers.

This article examines the differences between first and second language readers' recall of a written English passage. First, the hierarchical content-structure analysis developed by Meyer (1975a) is presented and then discussed in terms of the selected English expository prose text. Next, the results of a reading experiment are presented. In this experiment, adult students from three different language backgrounds, English, Japanese, and Spanish, read the passage and wrote immediate recalls. The comparison of the students' recall protocols with the hierarchical content-structure analysis of the passage revealed that the native English speakers in the sample outperformed the students of English as a second language (ESL) in terms of total recall. Yet, unexpectedly, there was no significant difference between these groups in the recall of the high-level ideas of the text. Finally, the article discusses discourse features in the recall protocols, such as “perspective” and “pragmatic condition,” which are not included in Meyer's system. Recommendations for future research are suggested, and implications for reading instruction are presented.
Seasonal Adaptation of Vegetation Color in Satellite Images for Flight Simulations

Automatic vegetation identification plays an important role in many applications including remote sensing and high performance flight simulations. This paper proposes a novel method that identifies vegetative areas in satellite images and then alters vegetation color to simulate seasonal changes based on training image pairs. The proposed method first generates a vegetation map for pixels corresponding to vegetative areas, using ISODATA clustering and vegetation classification. The ISODATA algorithm determines the number of clusters automatically. We then apply morphological operations to the clustered images to smooth the boundaries between clusters and to fill holes inside clusters. Six features are then computed for each cluster and then go through a feature selection algorithm and three of them are determined to be effective for vegetation identification. Finally, we classify the resulting clusters as vegetation and non vegetation types based on the selected features using a multilayer perceptron (MLP) classifier. We tested our algorithm by using the 5-fold cross-validation method and achieved 96% classification accuracy based on the three selected features. After the vegetation areas in the satellite images are identified, the proposed method then generates seasonal color adaptation of a target input image based on a pair of training images and, which depict the same area but were captured in different seasons, using image analogies technique. The final output image has seasonal appearance that is similar to that of the training image. The vegetation map ensures that only the colors of vegetative areas in the target image are altered and it also improves the performance of the original image analogies technique. The proposed method can be used in high performance flight simulations and other applications.
Record Superplastic Ductility in a Magnesium Alloy Processed by Equal‐Channel Angular Pressing

The Mg-5.5 % Zn-0.5 % Zr alloy exhibits large superplastic elongations after processing by Equal-Channel Angular Pressing and these are strongly dependent on the number of passes through the die. Grain refinement improves the elongations up to a peak of 3050 % after 2 passes but grain growth limits ductility after larger numbers of passes.
Beyond eddy diffusivity: an alternative model for turbulent dispersion

Turbulent dispersion proceeds not only much faster but also in a qualitatively different manner than molecular diffusion. Yet, the majority of hydraulic, oceanic and atmospheric models rely on the concept of an eddy diffusivity. It is shown here that an alternative model can be developed to exhibit observed behavior. The new term in the diffusion equation, which is non-local, may be interpreted in terms of the probability density function (pdf) of the turbulent velocity. Different assumptions about this distribution lead to a family of models, one of which is the model proposed here and another, the classical Fickian model of diffusion. A connection is also made with models using fractional calculus.
A random multiple-access algorithm for the dependent feedback error channel

A noisy slotted channel is considered. It is assumed that channel feedback might be misinterpreted due to the existence of noise on the channel. Furthermore, this disturbance is dependent on the channel state (either good or bad) which varies from slot to slot according to a Markov chain. Consequently, the occurrence of a channel feedback error is dependent on previous occurrences of errors (i.e., with error memory). Under this assumption, the throughput performance of a random multiple-access algorithm (called a two-cell algorithm) is analyzed, and the result is compared with the throughput of the J. Capetanakis (1979) tree splitting algorithm operating over the same channel. It is shown that the two-cell algorithm retains positive throughputs for all possible values of channel state parameters, and for all practical purposes, it outperforms the Capetanakis algorithm in terms of insensitivity to channel feedback errors. >
A New Approach to Preanesthetic Site Verification After 2 Cases of Wrong Site Peripheral Nerve Blocks

Objective We discuss the importance of a “preanesthetic site verification” and highlight 2 significant modifications to a policy developed at our institution in 2003. Case Report The report describes 2 cases of wrong site peripheral nerve blocks that initiated protocol amendments to address shortcomings of the original policy. Two specific limitations were identified to improve upon. First, the practitioner must not overlook the site verification as it is essential prior to every block. Second, time delays between the verification and block performance should be minimized. Conclusions The “preanesthetic site verification” is an integral part of preventing wrong site block and surgery. To ensure that it is carried out before every peripheral nerve block, a unique multidisciplinary approach was adopted in which the block needles were removed from anesthesia carts and transferred to a separate container in the area of the circulating nurse. The anesthesiologist must now request a block needle from the circulating nurse immediately prior to block performance and confirm the site at that time. This safety process emulates the presurgical site verification that takes place before a scalpel is passed to a surgeon. Furthermore, the circulating nurse must remain at the bedside until block initiation to make sure that delays between site verification and block performance do not impinge on correct site placement.
Isolation and characterization of an oxygen-evolving Photosystem II reaction center core preparation and a 28 kDa Chl-a-binding protein

An oxygen-evolving Photosystem II reaction center complex was characterized by using both biophysical and biochemical techniques. A low-temperature EPR study of this preparation has revealed that cytochrome b-559 has been converted to its low-potential form(s); although in the presence of Ca 2 + and CI- the PS II reaction center complex shows high rates of oxygen-evolution activity, cytochrome b-559 is not converted to its high-potential form. The same study also demonstrated that Ca 2+ and Cl-, not the 17 and 23 kDa proteins, are the cofactors required for the generation of the multiline signal which is associated with the S 2 state. Further solubilization of the PS II reaction center complex, followed by gel filtration chromotography, resulted in the isolation of a purified oxygen-evolving PS II reaction center core and a 28 kDa Chl-a-binding protein. The purified oxygen-evolving preparation contains polypeptides with molecular masses of 47, 43, 32, 30 and 9 kDa as well as the extrinsic 33 kDa polpeptide. These proteins, along with manganese, chloride and calcium, appear to form the simplest structure thus far reported to retain the enzymatic activity necessary for oxidation of water to molecular oxygen.
Reproducibility and Validity of an Expanded Self-Administered Semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire among Male Health Professionals

The authors assessed the reproducibility and validity of an expanded 131-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire used in a prospective study among 51,529 men. The form was administered by mail twice to a sample of 127 participants at a one-year interval. During this interval, men completed two one-week diet records spaced approximately 6 months apart. Mean values for intake of most nutrients assessed by the two methods were similar. Intraclass correlation coefficients for nutrient intakes assessed by questionnaires one year apart ranged from 0.47 for vitamin E without supplements to 0.80 for vitamin C with supplements. Correlation coefficients between the energy-adjusted nutrient intakes measured by diet records and the second questionnaire (which asked about diet during the year encompassing the diet records) ranged from 0.28 for iron without supplements to 0.86 for vitamin C with supplements (mean r = 0.59). These correlations were higher after adjusting for week-to-week variation in diet record intakes (mean r = 0.65). These data indicate that the expanded semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire is reproducible and provides a useful measure of intake for many nutrients over a one-year period.
The Rise of the Region in Global Environmental Politics

This essay examines some of the reasons for the upsurge in interest in regional approaches to global environmental challenges. One reason is a growing sense of obstruction and drift at the global level. With the rate of formation of new global environmental agreements lagging, with many existing agreements seemingly stalled, and with the momentum of global summitry having faded, regions may seem a more pragmatic scale at which to promote the diffusion of ideas, the development of institutions, and social mobilization for change. Beyond political pragmatism, there are also conceptually interesting—if still debatable—arguments that regions hold promise for strengthening global environmental governance. The regional scale may offer superior conditions to the global for common-property resource management—although the historical track record seems mixed at best, and formidable barriers to collective action remain. Regions may be more conducive to promoting norm diffusion—although the causal direction appears ...
Investigating the antioxidant properties of oxo-sulfur compounds on metal-mediated DNA damage

The organosulfur compounds allicin, methionine and methylcysteine protect against metal-mediated oxidative DNA damage, but few studies have determined the antioxidant behaviour of the oxo-sulfur derivatives of these compounds. Gel electrophoresis experiments were performed to determine the ability of MetSO, MeCysSO, MMTS, MePhSO and Me2SO2 to inhibit copper- and iron-mediated DNA damage. Under these conditions, MetSO and MeCysSO significantly inhibit DNA damage, MePhSO and Me2SO2 have no effect and MMTS promotes DNA damage. For iron-mediated DNA damage, significantly less antioxidant or pro-oxidant behaviour is observed for these compounds. To determine whether metal coordination is a mechanism for the antioxidant activity of these oxo-sulfur compounds, UV–vis spectroscopy and gel electrophoresis experiments using [Cu(bipy)2]+ or [Fe(EDTA)]2− as the metal source were also performed. Results of these experiments indicate that metal coordination is a significant factor for their antioxidant activity, but an...
Systems Ball - a creative capstone design experience

This paper describes a design competition called Systems Ball that has been successfully used in the Systems Engineering design course sequence at the United States Naval Academy. In the Systems Ball competition, student teams build remotely operated vehicles that partake in a combative version of basketball. Systems Ball has been found to be an effective and fun way to guide multiple student teams through the design process while stimulating their creativity.
Simplified Method for Efficient Intravascular Inoculation of Chicken Embryos

The simple syringe-stabilizer unit described in this note provides a means for rapid intravascular inoculation of embryonated chicken eggs with minimal embryonic death from vascular trauma.
Global talent and innovation

In his groundbreaking 2002 bestseller The Rise of the Creative Class, economist Richard Florida identified the 3 Ts of economic development: Technology, Talent, and Tolerance. Now, with The Flight of the Creative Class, Florida is back - and he's gone global. How does the movement of talented people across borders affect regional growth? What do tighter immigration, faltering education systems, and strong international competition mean for U.S. growth? Who are the up-and-comers in the global creative economy? Florida takes on these questions and more as he charts a course for creativity in the 21st century - and explains what the impact will be for countries, cities, and companies the world over.