cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Minimal incision living donor nephrectomy: improvement in patient outcome

Abstract Objectives. To analyze the minimal incision living donor (MILD) nephrectomy and compare it with the standard open donor (SOD) nephrectomy with respect to incision size, operative time, complication rate, length of hospital stay, and recipient creatinine. Methods. Forty-five consecutive patients who underwent MILD nephrectomy were compared with 13 patients who had previously undergone SOD nephrectomy. The MILD nephrectomy was performed through a minimally invasive incision using a modified, anterolateral, retroperitoneal approach without a rib resection. The incision length, operative time, complication rates, length of hospital stay, and recipient creatinine were analyzed. Results. The average incision length in the MILD group was 8.6 cm compared with 21.8 cm in the SOD group ( P >0.005.) The operative times (209 minutes in the MILD group versus 191 minutes in the SOD group) were not significantly different. Four postoperative complications were encountered in the SOD group and seven in the MILD group. The average hospital stay for the MILD patients was 2.5 days compared with 4.6 days in the SOD group, and as the procedure was refined, the length of stay was reduced to 1 day in 3 patients. The recipient creatinine at 1 and 6 months was 1.39 and 1.4 mg/dL in the MILD group, respectively. Conclusions. The MILD nephrectomy allows the patient to undergo a less morbid procedure with a more aesthetic incision. Patients have fewer complications, minimal anesthesia exposure, and short hospital stays.
Quality Assurance Issues Raised by Proposed Limited-Service Rural Hospitals

This article explores quality assurance issues that are likely to arise related to limited-service rural hospitals, an institutional alternative to existing rural hospitals. In exploring these issues, we use as an example, the Montana Medical Assistance Facility, a limited-service rural hospital model about to be implemented by the Health Care Financing Administration as a demonstration. While such medical assistance facilities will need to meet licensure and certification requirements, it is not reasonable to expect them to meet regulations that are designed for large hospitals. Also, because of their limited resources, medical assistance facilities will likely need outside help from a larger institution to perform quality assurance activities, particularly peer review activities. A key challenge for the medical assistance facility will be to define the nature of this relationship, while retaining ultimate responsibility for quality of patient care. Assuring quality of care is a particularly important issue for medical assistance facilities since community acceptance and financial viability will depend critically on establishing a record for quality of care that is at least comparable to existing small, rural hospitals.
Characterization of captopril sublingual permeation: Determination of preferred routes and mechanisms

Although sublingual captopril has been used clinically to treat hypertensive emergencies, a mechanistic understanding of sublingual permeation will facilitate the optimization of drug delivery. A correlation of sublingual steady-state flux with donor captopril concentration in a porcine model showed the absence of saturability and suggested a passive diffusion permeation mechanism. A simultaneous evaluation of permeability and partition coefficient demonstrated that the paracellular route is the predominant pathway for sublingual permeation. The enhancement factors of specific ion permeabilities in the presence of tight junction perturbants indicated that although the paracellular pathway is preferred by the ionized species of captopril, the lipophilic transcellular pathway is preferred by the neutral, un-ionized species. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmaceutical Association J Pharm Sci 90:1868–1877, 2001
Lattice Monte Carlo Simulations of Vacancy-Mediated Diffusion and Aggregation using Ab-Initio Parameters

The lattice Monte Carlo method with parameters from recent first-principle calculations 1 , 2 are used to investigate dopant diffusion in silicon. In the simulations, vacancy hopping on a silicon lattice is biased by changes in system energy, including interactions up to the sixth-nearest neighbor. We find that vacancy-mediated diffusivity increases dramatically above 10 20 cm −3 , in agreement with experimental observations 3 and previous calculations. 4 However, for very long simulation times, arsenic diffusivity is reduced due to formation of As x V complexes, with clustering more pronounced at high doping levels. As suggested by Ramamoorthy and Pantelides, 5 we find that As 2 V complexes are mobile, and although they diffuse much more slowly than AsV pairs, they appear likely to have a significant role in high concentration diffusion due to their much higher numbers. We also investigated dopant fluxes in a vacancy gradient. For dopants like As for which pair diffusion is limited by the dissociation to third-nearest neighbor distances, the dopant flux is less than that predicted by pair diffusion models, with greater difference at higher temperatures. In contrast, for phosphorus/vacancy pairs, whose diffusion is limited by dopant/vacancy exchange, the dopant flux is close to the predictions of pair diffusion.
Growth response of stocks with different growth rates to thiouracil.

Abstract A study was conducted to investigate the relationships of feed consumption, growth rate and feed efficiency to the level of thiouracil restriction in stocks of diverse genetic backgrounds. Two nonselected control populations and two stocks selected for rapid juvenile growth rate were fed control and thiouracil containing diets under both floor and battery environments. Supplementation of diets with 0.09 and 0.10 percent thiouracil restricted the four week body weights of populations previously selected for growth rate by 33 to 45 percent, while comparable restrictions of 19 to 25 percent were observed in nonselected control lines. Dissimilar restrictions in growth were found not to be due to increased feed consumption and consequent higher total intake of thiouracil in selected lines. Differential responses to thiouracil challenge did not appear to be a function of overall size of the stocks. These data indicate that the growth depressing forces of dietary thiouracil are dependent on genetic backgrounds of stocks.
Molecular structure of and exchange coupling in a bis(semiquinone) complex

The first example of a structurally characterized, rationally designed, triplet ground-state bis(semiquinone) complex is presented; the intramolecular exchange coupling is ferromagnetic with J = +209 cm−1.
Factors contributing to falls in elderly men living in the community

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate factors related to falls in elder men and the differences between those who fall and those who do not. A convenience sample (n = 71) of men age 65–87 was interviewed, and their activity levels, mental status, mobility status, and weight were evaluated. Most men (73%) had fair to good mental status, minimal (35%) to moderate (56%) activity levels, and average (30%) or high (49%) weight. Fifty-two percent reported falling in the past 2 years: 43% of these men fell once, 19% fell two or three times, and 38% fell four or more times. Only two variables were significant ( P P =.0512. In ambulatory elderly men, those who were underweight with slow gait time and poor balance were most at risk for falling. ( Geriatr Nurs 2002;23:250–6)
The irreversible denaturation of bacteriophage deoxyribonucleic acid

Abstract Some aspects of the irreversible denaturation of bacteriophage DNA, equivalent to strand separation, have been studied by the density-gradient technique using CsCl. The anomalous loss of denaturated DNA observed when this technique is used has been attributed to adsorption on to solid particles and on to the walls of the container. Two main conclusions have been obtained: (1) the irreversible denaturation of DNA becomes more cooperative as the ionic strength of the solvent is increased; and (2) when denaturation is achieved by the action of formamide, a certain amount of the DNA stays resistant to denaturation. This result has been explained by assuming that the two strands are held together by small amounts of residual protein. This residual protein could be relevant to the understanding of the unique regions recently found in some bacteriophage DNA molecules.
Randomized Controlled Studies and Alternative Designs in Outcome Studies Challenges and Opportunities

This article reviews several decades of the author’s meta-analytic and experimental research on the conditions under which nonrandomized experiments can approximate the results from randomized experiments (REs). Several studies make clear that we can expect accurate effect estimates from the regression discontinuity design, though its statistical power is lower, it estimates a different parameter than the RE, and its analysis is considerably more complex. For other nonrandomized designs, the picture is more complex. They may yield accurate estimates if they are prospectively designed to include comprehensive and reliable measurement of the process by which participants selected into conditions, if they use large sample sizes, and if they carefully select control groups that are from the same location and with the same substantive characteristics. By contrast, we have little good reason to think that nonrandomized experiments using archival data without comprehensive selection measures are likely to yield ...
Content and Relative Bioavailability of Phosphorus in Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles in Chicks

Abstract Total phosphorus analysis was performed on 20 samples of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and three experiments were conducted to determine the bioavailability of P in different samples of DDGS varying in Lys digestibility and heat processing (autoclaving). Relative bioavailability of P was estimated from tibia ash using the slope ratio method after chicks were fed a P-deficient corn-soybean meal diet supplemented with 0.05 or 0.10% P from KH2 PO4 or supplemented with 2 levels of the test DDGS (7 to 25%). The mean total P value for the 20 DDGS samples was 0.73 ± 0.04% (SD), with an average dry matter value of 88 ± 0.8% (SD). In experiment 1, the bioavailability coefficient for P in a random sample of DDGS relative to KH2 PO4 was 69%. In experiment 2, the relative bioavailabilities of P in low digestible Lys DDGS 1, low digestible Lys DDGS 2, and high digestible Lys DDGS 3 were 102, 82 and 75%, respectively (P
Stimulation of oligonucleotide binding of estradiol receptor complexes by accessory proteins

Abstract During purification of E2R using oligo(dT)-cellulose chromatography, a receptor accessory factor (RAF) was identified in the cytosol of mouse kidney. This factor stimulates the binding of purified E2R to oligo(dT)-, oligo(dC)-, and oligo(dA)-cellulose as well as to DNA cellulose. It is a heat-stable, trypsin-resistant protein with an apparent molecular weight of between 10 and 30,000 daltons. Although structurally unrelated, similar stimulation of oligonucleotide binding was seen with calf thymus histones and, to a lesser extent, egg white lysozyme. Individual histones, especially H2a, H2B, and H3, also facilitate rebinding of purified E2R to oligo(dT)-cellulose, while H1 is less effective. Furthermore, histones stabilize the holoreceptor during sedimentation at 4 degrees and 12 degrees C. The N- and C-terminal half molecules of H2b were generated by cyanogen bromide-mediated cleavage and the N-terminal half was found to duplicate the effects of the parent molecule, both in binding and holoreceptor stabilization. These data suggest that the in vivo binding of E2R to DNA can be modulated by accessory proteins of cytosol and nuclear origin.
Investigations of the reinstatement of extinguished fear

Abstract In two experiments, fear was conditioned to the situational cues in one compartment of a hurdle-jumping apparatus and was then extinguished. Subsequently, either one shock (Experiment 1) or three or nine shocks (Experiment 2) were given in a situation distinctively different from that in which conditioning and extinction had taken place. Although some associative strength between the situational cues and fear was shown to have remained after extinction, in neither experiment did the postextinction-shock treatment increase the fear elicited by these cues: Escape-from-fear performance was no better in the shocked groups than in control groups given no additional shock. Thus, the nonassociative hypothesis which postulates that inflating the value of the representation of the UCS with shock-alone presentations can reinstate the extinguished fear of a stimulus was not supported. Rather, the results showed that, after extinction, an increase in fear of a simulus depended on further conditioning to that stimulus. The data also indicated that the nonvisual components of the situational cues predominated over the visual component.
Efficiency distribution and the cost frontier

Efficiency measures derived from data envelopment analysis models are employed here to estimate the parametric forms of the efficiency distribution. Possible uses of this method in evaluating cost efficiency in a stochastic framework are also discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
New phenotypes associated with the swallow gene of Drosophila: evidence for a general role in oocyte cytoskeletal organization.

During oogenesis in Drosophila, several mRNAs and proteins are localized to discrete regions of the developing oocyte, resulting in a mature oocyte with a well-defined anterior–posterior axis. The product of the swallow (sww) gene is required for the localization of two different mRNAs during oogenesis, bicoid (bcd) and Adducin-like/hu-li tai shao (hts). We initiated a detailed characterization of the phenotypes associated with each of eight sww alleles as a means of investigating the role of sww in oogenic patterning. RNA localization defects in various sww mutants were examined by radioactive in situ hybridization to paraffin sections. Using this technique, several previously unreported RNA localization defects have been observed. Although bcd RNA localization is often lost completely in sww oocytes, in a high proportion of cases, bcd RNA is localized inappropriately along the periphery of the mature oocyte. In several sww mutants, a portion of the bcd mRNA population becomes concentrated at the posterior pole of the oocyte during late oogenesis. Several sww mutations also result inoskar RNA localization defects, consistent with a global role for sww in cytoskeletal regulation or organization. A detailed temporal and spatial analysis of hts RNA localization in sww mutants and in drug-treated ovaries reveals many similarities to bcd RNA localization, and implies the two independent localization events are accomplished by the same mechanism.
Process Modelling under Uncertainty: Simulation Analysis of Indian Steel

The process model of the Indian iron and steel industry is presented, with particular focus on energy use and conservation possibilities. Uncertainty problems in the industry are analysed by using probabilistic Monte-Carlo simulations, where model parameters are assumed to be stochastic and distributed normally. Instead of the usual random sampling methods for generating inputs into the simulations, a stratified (Latin hypercube) sampling method is used. Statistical analysis of the output results shows that, for the steel industry in India, energy-conservation technologies would have insignificant impact on performance. A further contribution of the paper is the use of a microcomputer for large-scale Monte-Carlo simulations.
Interview with Dean Giustini, Biomedical Branch Librarian at the University of British Columbia

This interview with Dean Giustini of the University of British Columbia (UBC) describes his interest in various topics including Web 2.0, Web 3.0, grey literature, open access, and teaching and learning.
Diamond-derived ultramicroelectrodes designed for electrochemical analysis and bioanalyte sensing

Two configurations of boron-doped diamond ultramicroelectrode arrays (D-UMEAs) with microband (2 μm wide × 80 μm long) geometry and different interelement spacings (20 μm and 100 μm) were fabricated using steps of silicon processing technology combined with selective area diamond deposition (SAD) to yield ultramicro-voltammetric electrodes. Cyclic voltammetry measurements showed that with sufficient interelement separation, the D-UMEAs displayed sigmoidal pseudo-steady-state cyclic voltammograms characteristic of microband electrodes. The D-UMEAs displayed higher faradaic current per unit area, than either conventional planar diamond electrodes or glassy carbon electrodes. This work also reports on the sensing of DA in a chemically controlled solution at physiological pH where the use of patterned D-UMEAs provided better voltammetric resolution without further surface modification or surface functionalization of the working electrode.
Aspirin in stroke prevention in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and stable vascular disease: an era of new anticoagulants

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major cause of ischemic stroke, especially in the elderly. There are currently enough data to support the notion that anticoagulation with warfarin or dabigatran is far superior to aspirin in the prevention of stroke or systemic embolism in AF. Aspirin is the preferred modality in patients who are either not candidates for anticoagulation, such as patients with increased risk for bleeding, low-risk patients based on the CHADS2 score or patients who have difficulty in maintaining a therapeutic international normalized ratio. There is no dispute on the recommendations regarding stroke prevention in high-risk patients (CHADS2 risk score of 2 and beyond) with AF. However, there is some controversy regarding the appropriate strategy (anticoagulation vs aspirin) for stroke prevention in low-risk patients (CHA2DS2-VASc score of 0-1). Novel oral anticoagulant drugs (direct thrombin inhibitors and Factor Xa inhibitors) might further diminish the role of aspirin for stroke prevention in AF due to their superior efficacy, lack of need for monitoring of therapeutic effects and lower bleeding risk when compared with warfarin, especially in patients with stable vascular disease.
High prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in a United Kingdom urban morbidly obese population: implications for testing and treatment.

Abstract Background Current recommendations suggest universal screening of vitamin D status before bariatric surgery to identify individuals at risk for postoperative deficiency. However little is known about the magnitude or severity of vitamin D insufficiency in the morbidly obese population awaiting bariatric surgery in the United Kingdom. The purpose of this prospective observational study was to assess the prevalence and determinants of vitamin D insufficiency in an urban multiethnic U.K. population awaiting bariatric surgery. Methods Consecutive patients attending a morbid obesity service were comprehensively assessed using a recognized obesity staging tool. Data collected included 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], parathyroid hormone (PTH), corrected calcium (Ca2+), body mass index (BMI), and the presence and severity of obesity associated co-morbidities, including type 2 diabetes (T2 DM), cardiovascular disease (CVD), depression, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and functional limitation. Results Of the 118 patients assessed, 79% were female, and 21% were male, with BMI of 52.6±9.4 kg/m2 (mean±standard deviation) and mean age of 44±11 years. Twenty-four percent had T2 DM, 28% CVD, 31% OSA, and 21% depression. Vitamin D insufficiency was found in 90% of the population, with a median serum 25(OH)D of 8.8 ng/mL. Secondary hyperparathyroidism was present in 43% of those with vitamin D insufficiency. Risk was not influenced by ethnicity, age, or gender. However severe functional limitation was associated with lower vitamin D status. Conclusion Regardless of ethnicity, vitamin D insufficiency appears to be typical among this clinic population; therefore, routine vitamin D supplementation is suggested for all individuals awaiting bariatric surgery rather than testing vitamin D status in an attempt to identify high-risk individuals.
Energy-conserving norms for the solution of hyperbolic systems of partial differential equations

The hyperbolic system of partial differential equations with a real constant square coefficient matrix A is considered. The problem of finding an energy conserving norm for the solution of the system is reduced to the problem of characterizing those matrices appearing in the boundary conditions which satisfy two specific matrix equations. Necessary and sufficient conditions on the coefficient matrix A and the matrices appearing in boundary conditions are derived for an energy conserving norm. The conditions serve as criteria on a given system which determine whether or not the solution will have its energy conserved in some norm. Examples of specific systems and boundary conditions are also provided.
Zoosporic fungi of Oceania. VI. Species with biflagellate zoospores

Several species of the Plasmodiophoraceae, Olpidiopsidaceae and Lagenidiaceae were isolated on various substrata from the soils of Oceania. Among these were two parasites of rotifer eggs,Lagenidium septatum andMyzocytium fijiensis. The former species is characterized primarily by septation of the thallus into segments which develop into resting spores without sexual fusions.Mycozytium fijiensis resembles somewhatM. zophthorium but differs from it by smaller zoospores which are delimited outside of the sporangium.
In vitro study of directly bioprinted perfusable vasculature conduits

The ability to create three dimensional (3D) thick tissues is still a major tissue engineering challenge. It requires the development of a suitable vascular supply for an efficient media exchange. An integrated vasculature network is particularly needed when building thick functional tissues and/or organs with high metabolic activities, such as the heart, liver and pancreas. In this work, human umbilical vein smooth muscle cells (HUVSMCs) were encapsulated in sodium alginate and printed in the form of vasculature conduits using a coaxial deposition system. Detailed investigations were performed to understand the dehydration, swelling and degradation characteristics of printed conduits. In addition, because perfusional, permeable and mechanical properties are unique characteristics of natural blood vessels, for printed conduits these properties were also explored in this work. The results show that cells encapsulated in conduits had good proliferation activities and that their viability increased during prolonged in vitro culture. Deposition of smooth muscle matrix and collagen was observed around the peripheral and luminal surface in long-term cultured cellular vascular conduit through histology studies.
THEORY OF CARCINOGENIC ACTIVITY OF AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS

The carcinogenic activities of aromatic hydrocarbons correlate with electronic parameters of K and L regions calculated by graph-theoretical techniques based upon the simplest variation of valence-bond theory (resonance theory limited to Kekule structures). The correlation coefficient between calculated and experimental carcinogenicity (Iball index) for ten well-studied compounds is 0.94. Iball index values for 42 other compounds are calculated with results in satisfactory agreement with experiment. The K, L-region hypothesis is supported by the described results.
Potential importance of physiologically diverse benthic foraminifera in sedimentary nitrate storage and respiration

[1] Until recently, the process of denitrification (conversion of nitrate or nitrite to gaseous products) was thought to be performed exclusively by prokaryotes and fungi. The finding that foraminifera perform complete denitrification could impact our understanding of nitrate removal in sediments as well as our understanding of eukaryotic respiration, especially if it is widespread. However, details of this process and the subcellular location of these reactions in foraminifera remain uncertain. For example, prokaryotic endobionts, rather than the foraminifer proper, could perform denitrification, as has been shown recently in an allogromiid foraminifer. Here, intracellular nitrate concentrations and isotope ratios (δ15NNO3 and δ18ONO3) were measured to assess the nitrate dynamics in four benthic foraminiferal species (Bolivina argentea, Buliminella tenuata, Fursenkoina cornuta, Nonionella stella) with differing cellular architecture and associations with microbial endobionts, recovered from Santa Barbara Basin, California. Cellular nitrate concentrations were high (12–217 mM) in each species, and intracellular nitrate often had elevated δ15NNO3 and δ18ONO3 values. Experiments including suboxic and anoxic incubations of B. argentea revealed a decrease in intracellular nitrate concentration and an increase in δ15NNO3 and δ18ONO3over time, indicating nitrate respiration and/or denitrification within the foraminifera. Results illustrate that nitrate reduction occurs in a range of foraminiferal species, including some possessing endobionts (including a chloroplast-sequestering species) and others lacking endobionts, implying that microbial associates may not solely be responsible for this process in foraminifera. Furthermore, we show that benthic foraminifera may represent important reservoirs of nitrate storage in sediments, as well as mediators of its removal.
Analytic dimensions of a prescription-medication benefit in medicare

Abstract Background Many analysts believe that the lack of coverage for outpatient prescription medications represents a conspicuous deficiency in the Medicare benefits package. Objective This paper uses insurance theory to design and estimate the costs of a Medicare catastrophic-medication outpatient benefit. Results For efficiency and equity purposes, and to accommodate the tradeoff between the cost to the federal government and the insurance value of such a benefit to Medicare enrollees, we favor a benefit that would be means-tested by employing deductibles, coinsurance rates, and catastrophic limits, all of which would be progressively graduated for 7 household income classes. For equity reasons, we propose that the government's share of the medication benefit be financed from the general tax fund, using the progressive income tax. Another source of potential savings within the Medicare program that could pay for a medication benefit would be elimination of fraud, waste, and abuse. Conclusions Because our proposal addresses both the efficiency and equity dimensions of a Medicare outpatient medication benefit, we believe it is worthy of serious consideration by both policymakers and Congress.
Integrating heterogeneous local mail systems

A description is given of the Heterogeneous Mail System. This environment is inexpensive to implement. It is also inexpensive to integrate a new mail system into the environment and to use its services effectively. Diverse classes of mail systems can be integrated into the environment. The system model is examined, with particular attention to the mail semantic managers, the system server, mail submission and delivery, accommodating new systems, security and authentication, and scalability. Experiences with an experimental prototype are reported. >
Berry’s conjecture and information theory

It is shown that, by applying a principle of information theory, one obtains Berry’s conjecture regarding the high-lying quantal energy eigenstates of classically chaotic systems.
The effect of stimulus compounding in paired-associate learning

Summary This experiment was undertaken to determine whether or not empirical summation or compounding would occur in paired-associate verbal learning. To this end, seven groups of 22 S s were run on a nine-unit paired-associate list in which the stimuli consisted of colors, nonsense syllables, or both, and the responses were high-frequency words. The two experimental groups were given five trials on nonsense syllables (colors), then five trials on colors (nonsense syllables), and then were tested to the combined stimuli (nonsense syllables + colors). Two control groups were trained in the same fashion and were then tested to the most recent single stimulus. Two other control groups were given ten trials to nonsense syllables or colors alone and were then tested to their appropriate single stimulus, while a third group was given ten trials to the compound stimulus and was tested to that compound. The results showed that a definite advantage was gained by the groups that received the compound on the final test after having been trained to each of its elements. This was evidenced by the fact that the experimental groups did not show the decrement from the end of training to the final test that all other groups showed, and by the fact that they differed significantly from the control groups that received comparable training but were tested to a single stimulus. The results also showed that this advantage was almost as great as that gained through receiving a single stimulus for ten trials, and, finally, that learning is facilitated by the presence of two cues in the stimulus as opposed to one cue. A pattern analysis of the data indicated that the concept of summation could not account for the advantage gained by the experimental groups, and that the most likely alternative explanation is that the advantage is gained simply by having more than one cue available to recall the response. Finally, the facilitation of learning by the presence of more than one cue in the stimulus was discussed. It was suggested that the superior performance of the dual-stimulus group could be accounted for in a similar manner, namely, that the S selects one or the other stimulus dimension for a particular response and thus produces his own functional stimulus.
FILM CONDENSATION ON A HORIZONTAL ISOTHERMAL SURFACE

This paper concerns an analytical study of laminar film condensation on horizontal isothermal surfaces. The flow that arises on a surface of finite length is studied to determine the temperature field and the local heat transfer to the surface. The study considers both transient and steady laminar flow. The governing nonlinear equations are also considered for the circumstance when the surface tension effects are included. The profiles in the condensate film, for steady laminar flow, are found to be strongly dependent on the edge conditions and on the length of the horizontal condensing surface. The dependence on vapor properties and on the surface temperature is also determined. The surface tension effects are found to be negligible, even for quite small values of the Bond number, for a surface terminated by a round fall. The results for transient, laminar, flow show that the transient effects are large for highly viscous condensing fluids and for low gravity fields. An expression for the local Nusselt n...
Observations on the fine structure of vole spermatozoa with particular reference to cytoskeletal elements in the mature sperm head

Epididymal spermatozoa from two species of vole demonstrate cytoskeletal structures closely associated with the plasma membrane. Microtubule-like elements (2O–24 nm in diameter) form a parallel sheath radiating from the posterior ring to the inferior acrosomal margin just beneath the plasma membrane. Fine filaments (5–8 nm in diameter) are associated with the cell surface, especially in the region of the concave curvature of the acrosomal hook. Both of these elements may aid in stabilizing these respective areas and it is suggested that microtubule-like and filamentous structures may serve important cytoskeletal roles in the mature sperm head.
Complete repair of Ebstein anomaly in neonates and young infants: A 16-year follow-up

Objective The purpose of this study was to review the long-term outcome of patients with Ebstein anomaly who underwent complete repair as neonates and young infants. Methods Between March 1994 and May 2010, 32 patients (23 neonates and 9 young infants) underwent surgery for Ebstein anomaly. Mean weight was 3.9 ± 2.0 kg (range, 1.9–8.6 kg). The Great Ormond Street Echocardiography score was greater than 1.5 in 22 of the 23 neonates and greater than 1.0 in all infants. All associated cardiac defects were repaired including pulmonary atresia in 15 and ventricular septal defect in 4. Primary outcome measures included (1) early and late survival, (2) freedom from reoperation, (3) durability of tricuspid valve repair, and (4) functional status. Results Early survival was 78.1% (25/32). There was 1 late death. Fifteen-year survival estimate was 74% ± 8%. For patients with pulmonary atresia, early and late survival was 60% ± 12% (9/15) versus 94.1% (16/17) ( P P = .06), respectively. The mean follow-up was 5.9 ± 4.5 years (0.1–16 years). A biventricular repair was achieved in 90.6% (29/32) patients. Median preoperative tricuspid regurgitation was 4/4 and at late follow-up, 1/4. Freedom from reoperation at 15 years was 74% ± 10% for patients undergoing biventricular repair. All survivors are in New York Heart Association class I or II. Conclusions Biventricular repair of Ebstein anomaly in symptomatic neonates is feasible with good early and late survival, especially in those without pulmonary atresia. Tricuspid valve repair is durable, and functional status is excellent.
Performance evaluation of fragmented structures: A theoretical study

Abstract Modern computers with hard-disk storage and networks with dynamic spectrum access illustrate systems having a resource R that allows fragmented allocations. We model R as a sequence of M > 1 units for which requests are made by items in a FIFO queue; each request is for a desired amount of R , the item size, and the residence time during which it is needed. So long as there are enough currently available units of R , an item at the head of the queue can be divided into fragments accommodated by the gaps in R formed by these units. Under the key assumption that allocations given to items cannot be changed prior to their departures, fragmentation in the form of alternating gaps and allocated resource builds up randomly as items come and go. The improvements in resource utilization created by fragmentation are acquired at a processing cost, so how fragmentation evolves is an important performance issue. We define a probability model specifying distributions for item sizes and residence times, and then analyze the system operating at capacity. If M is much larger than the maximum item size, then as the fragmentation process approaches equilibrium, nearly all of the allocated items are completely fragmented, i.e., the occupied units are mutually disjoint. In a suite of four theorems, we show how this result specializes for certain classes of item-size distributions. However, as a counterpoint to these rather intimidating results, we present the findings of extensive experiments which show that the delays in reaching the inefficient states of nearly complete fragmentation can be surprisingly long, and hence that even moderately fragmented states are usually of no concern.
The Soviet myth of the Great Fatherland War and the limits of inclusionary politics under Brezhnev: the case of Chalmaevist literature

Influential scholarship on the Brezhnev era has described the instrumental official support for Russian nationalist themes and pre-socialist imagery in public discourse as a deliberate “politics of inclusion,” designed to co-opt certain nationalist intellectuals and the sympathies of the state's core of ethnic Russians for the purpose of popular mobilization. How this policy related to and interacted with the ubiquitous official commemoration and mythologization of the Great Fatherland War during this period, however, has remained unexplored. Based on a number of the most important Russophilic publications in the censored press – the writings of the so-called “Chalmaevists” – this article contends that despite unambiguously russocentric, single-stream readings of history in general, when it came to the war in particular, nationalist intellectuals tended to muffle their russocentrism through opaque language or an avoidance of the war's larger significance, or conformed to the war's official (supra-ethnic, ...
Linking quality strategy with management control systems: Empirical evidence from Japanese industry☆

Abstract Normative theory suggests that management control systems should be designed to complement management's objectives and strategies. Few empirical studies, however, have focused on how management control systems have been modified to complement new manufacturing techniques, such as total quality control and zero defect strategies. This study relates quality strategies with the management control information provided for quality in 26 Japanese automotive and consumer electronics firms. Quality strategy was measured by a set of eight attitude questions addressing whether the managers adhered to a traditional economic conference level (ECL) quality management strategy or a “zero defect” quality management strategy. The relationship of quality strategy to the type and frequency of quality goal and feedback information was then measured. The results indicate that the management control systems supporting a zero defect quality strategy are more likely to include regular goal-setting and more frequent feedback relating to quality than those supporting an ECL quality strategy. Widespread use of quality cost targets and feedback is also related to a zero defect strategy. The results provide empirical evidence to support the normative argument that Japanese companies following a zero defect quality strategy have modified their management control systems to encourage the continuous quality improvements that are key to this strategy.
Sulfonic acid-functionalized mesoporous silica: Synthesis, characterization, and catalytic reaction of alcohol coupling to ethers

A propanesulfonic acid-derivatized mesoporous SBA-15 catalyst was synthesized, characterized in terms of surface properties, and shown to have high selectivities for alcohol coupling to form ethers, specifically from methanol and isobutanol coupling to form methyl isobutyl ether with no detectable formation of butenes at temperatures <400 K. Kinetic analysis was consistent with competitive adsorption of the two alcohols onto Bronsted acid sites, with isobutanol being more strongly adsorbed on the acid sites than the methanol.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ADVOCACY ADVERTISING RELATIVE TO NEWS COVERAGE

The use of advocacy advertising by corporations and special interest groups attempting to influence social policy has increased dramatically in the past decade. Yet little research has been conducted to gauge the effectiveness of advocacy advertising relative to other forms of mass communication. Conventional wisdom suggests that because advocacy material presented in the form of an advertisement is inherently paid-for communication, it will be less effective than the same information appearing in news columns as a published news release. This study uses a factorial design to examine the impact of format (advertisement versus news article) and source (commercial versus noncommercial) manipulations on the effectiveness of advocacy messages.
Heterobimetallic complexes with dppm-bridged Ru/Pd, Ru/Pt, Ru/Au and Ru/Cu centers

The heterobimetallic Ru/Pd, Ru/Pt, Ru/Au and Ru/Cu complexes Cp(PPh3)Ru(μ-I)(μ-dppm)PdCl2 (4), Cp(PPh3)Ru(μ-Cl)(μ-dppm)Pd(CH3)Cl (5), Cp(PPh3)Ru(μ-I)(μ-dppm)PtCl2 (6), Cp(PPh3)Ru(μ-I)(μ-dppm)PtI2 (7), Cp(PPh3)RuI(μ-dppm)AuI (8), Cp(PPh3)RuBr(μ-dppm)AuCl (9), Cp(PPh3)RuCl[μ-PPh2(CH2)4PPh2]AuCl (10), Cp(PPh3)RuCl(μ-Ph2PNHPPh2)AuCl (11) and Cp(PPh3)Ru(μ-I)(μ-dppm)CuI (12) were prepared by the reactions of CpRu(PPh3)(η1-Ph2PQPPh2)X [Q = (CH2)n (n = 1, 4), NH; X = Cl, Br, I, Me] with Pd(COD)Cl2, Pt(COD)Cl2, Pt(COD)I2, Au(PPh3)Cl, AuI, AuCl and CuI, respectively. The structures of compounds 4, 5, 10 and 12 were determined by X-ray crystallography. Cyclic voltammetry of the halide-bridged complexes revealed shifts in the redox potentials of the metals, as compared to mononuclear model compounds. The shifts are consistent with electron donation between the metals through the halide bridge. Ru/Au complexes 8–11, which are bridged only by the bidentate phosphine, exhibited minimal electronic effects between the metal centers. This limited interaction between the metal centers in 8–11 is corroborated by UV/vis spectroscopy.
Maternal perceptions of the infant: relationship to maternal self-efficacy during the first six weeks postpartum

Mothers' perceptions of their infants and their own levels of self-efficacy contribute to developing maternal-infant attunement. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the associations between maternal perceptions of their own infants relative to other infants and maternal self-efficacy in a group of ethnically diverse, low-income, first-time mothers during the first six weeks postpartum. By employing a structural equation model approach, we explored relationships between the predictor (maternal neonatal perceptions) and dependent variable (maternal self-efficacy). Changes in maternal perceptions of their own infants significantly contributed to self-reported levels of self-efficacy while controlling for concurrent self-esteem. Maternal perceptions of her infant as less difficult than the average infant at six weeks postpartum predicted increased levels of maternal self-reported self-efficacy. The present study supports further exploration of the first six weeks postpartum as a sensitive period for targeting intervention and support, particularly for mothers and infants at highest risk.
Molecular Basis of Calmodulin and Ca2+ interaction with thermoTRP channels

The TRP (transient receptor potential) family of proteins are relatively nonselective cation channels, most of which are highly permeable to Ca2+. They participate in many sensory and physiological processes, and subdivided into seven major subfamilies: TRPV, TRPA, TRPC, TRPM, TRPP, TRPML, and TRPN. They are predicted to have six transmembrane domains per subunit, intracellular N- and C-termini, and form tetrameric assemblies. Several TRP channels have been proposed to be regulated by intracellular Ca2+, and/or Calmodulin (CaM). Immunoprecipitation of TRP channels expressed in cultured cells suggests that CaM forms complexes with some of them, but questions remain about whether full-length TRP channels bind CaM directly or through some intermediary protein(s), and about the affinity and kinetics of complex formation. We have used fluorescence emission anisotropy of Alexa 488-labeled CaM to measure binding of CaM and Ca2+-CaM to full-length TRP channels expressed in yeast and purified to homogeneity in detergent solution. At nanomolar concentrations, CaM bound rapidly to TRPA1 and to purified ryanodine receptor used as a positive control. CaM binding was enhanced by Ca2+, but not strictly dependent on it, and binding of labeled CaM was antagonized by addition of unlabeled CaM. Dissociation of the complex occurred much more slowly than association. Under conditions in which TRPA1 and ryanodine receptor bound Ca2+-CaM with high affinity, no binding of Ca2+-CaM was observed for TRPV1 or TRPV2.
DISTRIBUTED SPANNERS WITH BOUNDED DEGREE FOR WIRELESS AD HOC NETWORKS

In this paper, we review some new distributed algorithms that construct sparse subgraphs with bounded degree of the unit disk graph efficiently for wireless ad hoc networks. They maintain a linear number of links while still preserving power-efficient routes for any pair of nodes. It was open whether the Yao plus reverse Yao graph and the symmetric Yao graph are spanners. We show that the Yao plus reverse Yao graph has a bounded power stretch factor 2 in civilized unit disk graph. In addition, we review a recent example by M. Grunewald et al. [6] to show that the symmetric Yao graph does not have a constant bounded stretch factor. Finally, we conduct simulations to study the practical performances of these structures. All structures have small power stretch factors for randomly generated unit disk graphs in our experiments.
The Module Isomorphism Problem Reconsidered

Abstract Algorithms to decide isomorphism of modules have been honed continually over the last 30 years, and their range of applicability has been extended to include modules over a wide range of rings. Highly efficient computer implementations of these algorithms form the bedrock of systems such as GAP and Magma , at least in regard to computations with groups and algebras. By contrast, the fundamental problem of testing for isomorphism between other types of algebraic structures – such as groups, and almost any type of algebra – seems today as intractable as ever. What explains the vastly different complexity status of the module isomorphism problem? This paper argues that the apparent discrepancy is explained by nomenclature. Current algorithms to solve module isomorphism, while efficient and immensely useful, are actually solving a highly constrained version of the problem. We report that module isomorphism in its general form is as hard as algebra isomorphism and graph isomorphism, both well-studied problems that are widely regarded as difficult. On a more positive note, for cyclic rings we describe a polynomial-time algorithm for the general module isomorphism problem. We also report on a Magma implementation of our algorithm.
EEG Biofeedback Treatment Improves Certain Attention and Somatic Symptoms in Fibromyalgia: A Pilot Study

Fibromyalgia (FMS) is a chronic, painful disorder often associated with measurable deficiencies in attention. Since EEG biofeedback (EEG-BF) has been used successfully to treat attention problems, we reasoned that this modality might be helpful in the treatment of attention problems in FMS. We also speculated that improvement in central nervous system (CNS) function might be accompanied by improvement in FMS somatic symptoms. We studied fifteen FMS patients with attention problems, demonstrated by visual and auditory continuous performance testing (CPT), while completing 40 or more EEG-BF sessions. Training consisted of a "SMR protocol" that augmented 12-15 Hz brainwaves (sensory motor rhythm; SMR), while simultaneously inhibiting 4-7 Hz brainwaves (theta) and 22-30 Hz brainwaves (high beta). Serial measurements of pain, fatigue, psychological distress, morning stiffness, and tenderness were also obtained. Sixty-three FMS patients who received standard medical care, but who did not receive EEG-BF, served as controls. Visual, but not auditory, attention improved significantly (P < 0.008). EEG-BF treated subjects also showed improvement in tenderness, pain and fatigue. Somatic symptoms did not change significantly in controls. Visual attention parameters and certain somatic features of FMS appear to improve with an EEG-BF SMR protocol. EEG-BF training in FMS deserves further study.
Specific heat of the high-Tc superconductors (La, M)2CuO4 and YBa2Cu3O7 in magnetic fields☆

Abstract The specific heats, C , of the high- T c superconductors YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 , La 1.85 Ca 0.15 CuO 4 and La 1.85 Sr 0.15 CuO 4 have been measured from 0.4 K to above the superconducting transition temperature in magnetic fields, H , from 0 to 7 T. From measured changes in C with H , values of γ( H ) = [ C ( H )/ T ] T =0 and Δ C / T c = [( C s − C n )/ T ] T = T c have been evaluated. These results have been used to estimated the normal state γ, the fraction of the sample that is superconducting in zero field, | s , and the value of the upper critical field, [ H c2 ] T =0 .