cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Ultramodern Condition: On the Phenomenology of the Shadow as Transgression

The ultramodern condition represents the “third wave” in postmodernist-inspired philosophy and cultural practice. Two of ultramodernism’s critical theoretical components are the human/social forces, flows, and assemblages that sustain transgression; and the human/social intensities, fluctuations, and thresholds that make transcendence possible as both will and way. In the ultramodern age, then, transcendence is about overcoming and transforming the conditions (i.e., forces, flows, and assemblages) that co-produce harm-generating (i.e., transgressive) tendencies. This manuscript problematizes transgression by way of ultramodern theory. This critical investigation represents “the phenomenology of the shadow,” or the ultramodern philosophy of harm. To contextualize this phenomenology and philosophy, the intellectual history of ultramodern thought is recounted. This includes a review of the shadow construct by way of its prominent socio-cultural, psychoanalytic, and political-economic currents; and a chronicling of the reification process (regarding risk, captivity, and harm) since the modernist era (i.e., the industrial revolution). The article concludes with some very speculative observations concerning “the phenomenology of the stranger,” or the ultramodern philosophy of transcendence as both will and way.
Comparison of two doses of endotracheal epinephrine in a cardiac arrest model.

Study objective: The objective of this study was to measure plasma catecholamine levels and the cardiovascular response before and after endotracheal administration of epinephrine in a swine cardiac arrest model. Design: Prospective, controlled laboratory investigation. Type of participants: Twenty-one swine weighing 10 to 12 kg, anesthetized with ketamine and α-chloralose and ventilated with room air. Interventions: Ventricular fibrillation was induced with 90 V of 60 Hz current delivered to the right ventricle by transvenous pacemaker. Blood samples for epinephrine were drawn before arrest and every two minutes thereafter. At five minutes, external mechanical cardiac compressions were initiated. Nine animals received no further therapy and served as controls. Two groups of six animals received either 0.01 mg/kg or 0.1 mg/ kg of epinephrine through the endotracheal tube at ten and 20 minutes. Blood samples were assayed for epinephrine. Measurements: Arterial blood pressure, lead II ECG, and plasma epinephrine. Main results: Swine receiving epinephrine 0.01 mg/kg had an increase in epinephrine levels after drug administration, but these were not significantly different from control levels. The 0.1-mg/kg dose group had a significant increase in plasma epinephrine levels compared with controls and the 0.01-mg/kg dose group after receiving epinephrine at ten and 20 minutes. These increases were from 14 ± 3 to 215 ± 40 ng/mL (± SEM) at 12 minutes after arrest and from 151 ± 56 to 402 ± 80 ng/mL at 22 minutes after arrest. Conclusion: These data suggest that standard dosing of epinephrine through the endotracheal tube during arrest does not produce significant increases in plasma catecholamines or blood pressure. Epinephrine 0.1 mg/kg produces a significant increase in plasma epinephrine levels, but it is not sufficient to produce a significant change in blood pressure.
Survivable IP network realization in IP-over-WDM networks under overlay model

The next generation Internet will employ an IP-over-WDM architecture where the links interconnecting the routers in an IP network are realized by lightpaths in a WDM optical network. We consider the survivable IP network realization problem in IP-over-WDM networks under the overlay model where the IP network and the WDM network are managed by different entities. The problem is stated as follows: given an IP network topology, the types and costs of the lightpath services provided by the WDM network, determine the lightpath services needed to realize the IP links so that the IP network remains connected under any single fiber failure and the cost of the IP network is minimized. A previous algorithm called SLA1 [12] solved the problem assuming three lightpath services (Protected, Unprotected, and Dual-Homed) are provided by the WDM network. In this paper, we propose three new lightpath services and present an algorithm that effectively utilizes the new lightpath services to compute survivable IP network realization. Simulation results show that our algorithm can greatly reduce the solution cost compared with SLA1.
Role of electron–phonon coupling in thermal conductance of metal–nonmetal interfaces

We theoretically show that the thermal conductance associated with electron–phonon coupling in a metal near a metal–nonmetal interface can be estimated as hep=Gkp, where G is the volumetric electron–phonon coupling constant and kp is the phonon or lattice thermal conductivity of the metal. The expression suggests hep≈1/T at temperatures comparable to the Debye temperature of the metal. The predicted values of hep fall within the range of conductance values experimentally observed (0.3–1 GW/m2 K), suggesting that it cannot be ignored, and could even play a dominant role at high temperatures. Predictions of the total thermal conductance, that include both electron–phonon and phonon–phonon interfacial conductances, show reasonable agreement in its temperature dependence with experimental data for TiN/MgO interfaces.
Fatigue analysis of cracked anisotropic plates subject to stochastic loads

Abstract A three-phase method is developed for finding the reliability of cracked anisotropic plates subject to dynamic random excitations. First, the crack trajectory is estimated based on an extension of the maximum energy release rate theory. Second, a random process describing the location of the crack tip on the trajectory is defined by using a generalized Paris-Erdogan model. Third, the probability (reliability) that crack size does not exceed a critical value is calculated. Numerical results are obtained for a thin plate with a crack of initial length 2a0 that is subject to a stationary white Gaussian load. They show that the plate reliability is sensitive to the anisotropic fracture characteristics of the material.
Induction of matrix metalloproteinase-2 in human immunodeficiency virus-1 glycoprotein 120 transgenic mouse brains

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 can invade the brain and cause degeneration of the central nervous system, resulting in a host of cognitive and motor impairments. HIV-1 glycoprotein 120 (gp120), has been implicated in the neurodegenerative effects of HIV infection. Here, gp120's neurotoxic potential is demonstrated in both transgenic mice and cultured cells. We observed that gp120 causes an induction of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 activity and protein in transgenic mouse brains and in transfected C6 cells. We propose that induced MMP-2 may contribute to a neurodegenerative environment by degrading extracellular matrix (ECM) fibronectin and type IV collagen.
Thermal studies on oxalate complexes. II. Complexes of iron (III) and chromium (III)

Abstract The decomposition of solid K3[Fe(C2O4)3] · 2 H2O and K3[Cr(C2O4)3] · 3 H2O has been studied using TGA and DSC. After dehydration, the chromium compound was found to decompose by the loss of CO in two steps, the loss of CO2 and additional CO, and finally the loss of CO2. The final product appears to be either K3CrO3 or the mixed oxides of chromium and potassium. Kinetic parameters and enthalpy data are presented for these reactions. In the case of K3[Fe(C2O4)3] · 2 H2O, dehydration is followed by the loss of CO2 and CO, CO2 alone, and finally CO. The final product appears to be a basic carbonate of the type K3[FE(O)2(CO3)]. Kinetic and thermal data are presented for most of these decomposition reactions.
Cyclic AMP intoxication of macrophages by a Mycobacterium tuberculosis adenylate cyclase

With 8.9 million new cases and 1.7 million deaths per year, tuberculosis is a leading global killer that has not been effectively controlled. The causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, proliferates within host macrophages where it modifies both its intracellular and local tissue environment, resulting in caseous granulomas with incomplete bacterial sterilization. Although infection by various mycobacterial species produces a cyclic AMP burst within macrophages that influences cell signalling, the underlying mechanism for the cAMP burst remains unclear. Here we show that among the 17 adenylate cyclase genes present in M. tuberculosis, at least one (Rv0386) is required for virulence. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the Rv0386 adenylate cyclase facilitates delivery of bacterial-derived cAMP into the macrophage cytoplasm. Loss of Rv0386 and the intramacrophage cAMP it delivers results in reductions in TNF-alpha production via the protein kinase A and cAMP response-element-binding protein pathway, decreased immunopathology in animal tissues, and diminished bacterial survival. Direct intoxication of host cells by bacterial-derived cAMP may enable M. tuberculosis to modify both its intracellular and tissue environments to facilitate its long-term survival.
Leach rate expressions for performance assessment of solidified, low-level radioactive waste

Abstract Exact, analytical expressions for the diffusive leach rate of radioactive species from low-level, cylindrical, and rectangular-shaped wasteforms are obtained based on typical assumptions about the wasteform as are codified in the American National Standards Institute/American Nuclear Society ANSI/ANS 16.1 leachability standard of 1986. The new expressions are entirely analytical and model both the axial and the radial (for the cylindrical geometry) leach rate as a function of time, wasteform dimensions, diffusion coefficient of the species under study, and decay constant. Improved leach rate expressions for implementation in performance assessment codes of disposal sites are also provided along with an analysis of the associated errors. The numerical analysis utilizes parameter values applicable to strontium and faster-leaching nuclides from full-size, cement wasteforms under disposal conditions. With the decay constant set equal to zero, all the proposed expressions also apply to stabilized hazardous wastes and their disposal sites.
Isoperoxidase changes in soluble and particulate fractions of sweet potato root resulting from cut injury, ethylene and black rot infection

Abstract Black rot infection, ethylene (100 parts/106) exposure and cut injury of sweet potato roots all lead to increased peroxidase activity in soluble and ionic-bound fractions with little change in covalent-bound peroxidase. The relative intensities of constitutive isoperoxidases changed and some new isoperoxidases appeared as a result of all treatments. The relative proportions of isoperoxidases were different in infected slices than in cut-injured or ethylene-treated tissue. No inductive isoperoxidase appeared to be specifically associated with black rot infection. The data do not support the view that a specific isoperoxidase functions as an elicitor of stress metabolite biosynthesis in sweet potato root.
Computation of Equilibrium Over Transportation Networks: The Case of Disaggregate Demand Models

The transportation planning forecasting process has been traditionally performed on a sequential, disconnected, heuristic basis, using different methodologies for each one of the stages. In an attempt to improve this situation, a first step toward developing a unified transportation forecasting methodology is described in this paper. This is done by showing how many, seemingly different, problems can be cast as analogous route choice problems on abstract networks and studied with the same methodology. As a consequence of this analogy, it is possible to perform equilibrium analyses and to study several problems simultaneously, by choosing an adequate topology for the abstract network. The bulk of this paper is devoted to presenting an algorithm within which many of these transportation equilibrium analyses can be carried out. The conditions of equilibrium are identified and defined, and an efficient algorithm for the solution of the equilibration problem is introduced. The solution method, which uses the multinomial probit model for allocation of flow to routes, can increase the accuracy and reduce the cost of many transportation equilibrium analyses.
An individual bioequivalence criterion: regulatory considerations†

Over the years, concerns have been raised regarding the appropriateness of using the average bioequivalence approach for evaluation of comparability between formulations. In lieu of average bioequivalence, scientists from academia, industry and regulatory agencies have spent considerable effort and time in exploring the concepts of population and individual bioequivalence, and developing the statistical methods to assess the bioavailability metrics using these approaches. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a preliminary draft guidance entitled 'In vivo bioequivalence studies based on population and individual bioequivalence approaches'. The concept of prescribability and switchability underscores the difference between the population and individual bioequivalence approaches. The most important consideration for individual bioequivalence, the focus of this paper, rests on the assurance that products deemed bioequivalent can be used interchangeably in the target population (switchability). In addition to the comparison of averages, the individual bioequivalence approach compares within-subject variabilities and assesses subject-by-formulation interaction. The proposed criterion represents substantial departure from the current practice and thus has resulted in extensive public discussion. In contrast to the current average bioequivalence procedure, the proposed individual bioequivalence approach offers flexible equivalence criteria based on the individual therapeutic window and variability of the reference drug product. The proposed criterion rewards manufacture of less variable drug products, allows scaling criteria for highly variable/narrow therapeutic range drugs, and promotes the use of subjects from the general population in bioequivalence studies. The FDA is currently considering various approaches for resolution of issues raised from the public debate on the subject-by-formulation interaction term, statistical methods and resource implications.
Esophageal Carcinoma with Airway Invasion: Evolution and Choices of Therapy

In order to define the evolution of airway invasion by esophageal cancer, we reviewed 53 patients presenting with (group A) or without (group B) tracheoesophageal fistulae. Patients in group A were treated by esophageal bypass (4), esophageal diversion (4), expectant therapy (4), or esophageal prosthesis (1). The median survival was 4 months. Group B patients were treated by esophageal resection (18), esophageal bypass (4), or radiation therapy (13), depending on the extent of local disease. Bronchoscopy was a valuable tool for predicting resectability. Surgical resection, when possible, yielded better palliation. There were 4 long-term survivors in group B.
Proactive aging management in heterogeneous NoCs through a criticality-driven routing approach

The emergence of power efficient heterogeneous NoCs presents an intriguing challenge in NoC reliability, particularly due to aging degradation. To effectively tackle this challenge, this work presents a dynamic routing algorithm that exploits the architecture level criticality of network packets while routing. Our proposed framework uses a Wearout Monitoring System (to track NBTI effect) and architecture-level criticality information to create a routing policy that restricts aging degradation with minimal impact on system level performance. Compared to the state-of-the-art BRAR (Buffered-Router Aware Routing), our best scheme achieves 38%, 53% and 29% improvements on network latency, system performance and Energy Delay Product per Flit (EDPPF) overheads, respectively.
Implementing the voluntary contribution game: A field experiment

Abstract Recent laboratory experiments, together with anecdotal evidence, suggests that it is possible to design fund raising experiments that can overcome well-known problems with the private provision of public goods. This paper reports on an attempt to fund a lobbyist for higher education through voluntary contributions. The experiment suggests that laboratory conditions are difficult to match in natural settings and raises some fundamental questions about the applicability of the voluntary contribution mechanism.
Commentary on"understanding the motivations for recreational marijuana use among adult Canadians"

This essay provides many important insights about reasons that adult Canadians give for regularly consuming marijuana. What is most interesting to this American reviewer is the author's citations o...
Application of the Vertical Seismic Profile to the Piper Field

The technique of vertical seismic profiles (VSP) now is being used as part of a successful approach to optimal development of a major North Sea oil field. The information obtained is applied both in the deconvolution of surface seismic data and in the direct delineation of subsurface structure.
Alcoholic liver disease and the potential role of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and fibrin metabolism

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is a major player in fibrinolysis due to its classical role of inhibiting plasminogen activators. Although increased fibrinolysis is common in alcoholic cirrhosis, decreased fibrinolysis (driven mostly by elevated levels of PAI-1) is common during the development of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). However, whether or not PAI-1 plays a causal role in the development of early ALD was unclear. Recent studies in experimental models have suggested that PAI-1 may contribute to the development of early (steatosis), intermediate (steatohepatitis) and late (fibrosis) stages of ALD. For example, fatty liver owing to both acute and chronic ethanol was blunted by the genetic inhibition of PAI-1. This effect of targeting PAI-1 appears to be mediated, at least in part, by an increase in very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) synthesis in the genetic absence of this acute phase protein. Results from a two-hit model employing ethanol and lipopolysaccharide administration suggest that PAI-1 plays a critical role in hepatic inflammation, most likely due to its ability to cause fibrin accumulation, which subsequently sensitizes the liver to ensuing damaging insults. Lastly, the role of PAI-1 in hepatic fibrosis is less clear and appears that PAI-1 may serve a dual role in this pathological change, both protective (enhancing regeneration) and damaging (blocking matrix degradation). In summary, results from these studies suggest that PAI-1 may play multiple roles in the various stages of ALD, both protective and damaging. The latter effect is mediated by its influence on steatosis (i.e. decreasing VLDL synthesis), inflammation (i.e. impairing fibrinolysis) and fibrosis (i.e. blunting matrix degradation), whereas the former is mediated by maintaining hepatocyte division after an injury.
Pain and the blood-brain barrier: obstacles to drug delivery

Delivery of drugs across the blood-brain barrier has been shown to be altered during pathological states involving pain. Pain is a complex phenomenon involving immune and centrally mediated responses, as well as activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Mediators released in response to pain have been shown to affect the structure and function of the blood-brain barrier in vitro and in vivo. These alterations in blood-brain barrier permeability and cytoarchitecture have implications in terms of drug delivery to the central nervous system, since pain and inflammation have the capacity to alter drug uptake and efflux across the blood-brain barrier. An understanding of how blood-brain barrier and central nervous system drug delivery mechanisms are altered during pathological conditions involving pain and/or inflammation is important in designing effective therapeutic regimens to treat disease.
Matching and price competition: would personalized prices help?

We analyze the generalized deferred-acceptance algorithm when preferences are known with an error. This algorithm incorporates personalized salaries and is considered as a replacement for the current algorithm for National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Maintaining Bulow and Levin’s (in Am Econ Rev 96(3):652–668, 2006) assumption on preferences, we show that an error in preferences of a worker propagates through the algorithm, leading to a change in the salary of every more productive worker. Thus, relatively small individual errors accumulate toward the top and may lead to highly distorted salaries for top workers the same way as mild compression translates into highly compressed salaries on the top in the Bulow and Levin study of the current NRMP algorithm.
Synergistic effects of ultraviolet radiation, thermal cycling and atomic oxygen on altered and coated Kapton surfaces

The photovoltaic (PV) power system for Space Station Freedom (SSF) uses solar array blankets which provide structural support for the solar cells and house the electrical interconnections. In the low earth orbital (LEO) environment where SSF will be located, surfaces will be exposed to potentially damaging environmental conditions including solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation, thermal cycling, and atomic oxygen. It is necessary to use ground based tests to determine how these environmental conditions would affect the mass loss and optical properties of candidate SSF blanket materials. Silicone containing, silicone coated, and SiO(x) coated polyimide film materials were exposed to simulated LEO environmental conditions to determine their durability and whether the environmental conditions of UV, thermal cycling and oxygen atoms act synergistically on these materials. A candidate PV blanket material called AOR Kapton, a polysiloxane polyimide cast from a solution mixture, shows an improvement in durability to oxygen atoms erosion after exposure to UV radiation or thermal cycling combined with UV radiation. This may indicate that the environmental conditions react synergistically with this material, and the damage predicted by exposure to atomic oxygen alone is more severe than that which would occur in LEO where atomic oxygen, thermal cycling and UV radiation are present together.
Augmented stretch activated adenosine triphosphate release from bladder uroepithelial cells in patients with interstitial cystitis.

Purpose: Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has been shown to mediate inflammation and nociception and, therefore, it may have a role in symptoms associated with interstitial cystitis. We theorized that the bladder uroepithelium releases ATP in response to stretch and, furthermore, this process is augmented in interstitial cystitis.Materials and Methods: We quantitated ATP using the luciferin-luciferase assay. Urinary ATP levels were compared in 35 patients with interstitial cystitis and in 33 normal controls after pH correction. Cultured interstitial cystitis and normal urothelial cells from the bladder biopsies of 5 patients each were stretched with the Flexcell 2000 machine (Flexcell International Corp., McKeesport, Pennsylvania) and supernatant ATP concentrations were measured.Results: Mean urinary ATP plus or minus standard error of mean was significantly higher in patients with interstitial cystitis than in controls (L value 985 ± 161 versus 377 ± 27, p = 0.0007). Supernatant ATP released by...
CyroSat-2 mission provides better data for Antarctic ice loss

Scientists depend on satellites orbiting Earth to observe the Antarctic and take measurements on the rate at which ice sheets lose mass as climate warms. Although many of these satellites are spatially limited, the CryoSat-2 mission was designed to overcome these limitations and has provided 96% coverage of the Antarctic ice sheets.
Insights into gaining access to export financing: Understanding export lenders’ ideal exporter profile

Abstract Gaining access to financial resources is a key condition for export success. This study employs the concept of ideal profile and examines exporter strategic orientation, past performance, and resource allocation in relation to gaining access to export lending. Results, derived from data from export lenders, indicate that the ideal exporter profile is characterized by an analyzer strategic orientation, past financial performance and financial resources. The results extend the current literature by increasing our understanding of factors influencing export lending, as well as providing guidance to export managers as to how to enhance their potential of gaining access to financial resources.
Feasibility of percutaneous transabdominal portosystemic shunt creation.

Evaluation of the anatomic feasibility of the percutaneous transabdominal puncture of selected portal and hepatic veins in patients with cirrhosis was performed. This approach would become the framework for an image-guided robot-assisted needle drive mechanism for use in transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation. Retrospective analysis of 10 CT and 14 MRI axial abdominal studies was carried out to determine whether single simultaneous transabdominal puncture of portal and hepatic veins was possible. A necessary modification of the TIPS procedure was tested in an ex vivo porcine model under fluoroscopy. Eighteen of 24 patients (75%) had intrahepatic vascular anatomy amenable to a single transabdominal puncture. Successful catheterization of portal and hepatic veins using a modified approach for TIPS was accomplished in two ex vivo porcine livers. A suitable anatomic approach for modified TIPS is present in a majority of patients with cirrhosis. Feasibility of the technique using this anatomic approach was confirmed in two ex vivo porcine models. This study serves as an initial step in a novel technical approach to TIPS using a new anatomic approach for this procedure. The French version of this article is available in the form of electronic supplementary material and can be obtained by using the Springer LINK server located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00276-002-0040-7.
Cross-validation of the Gordon SIV.

peer-ratings and the failure to validate the Independence scale were presented. It was argued that the self-ratings provided more meaningful criteria for validating the SIV than peer-ratings. In developing his test, the Survey of Interpersonal Values (SIV), Gordon has used both peer- and self-ratings among his criteria for validating scales. The major validation study in the 1960 manual used self-ratings obtained from college students. A perusal of the SIV Manual supplement (Gordon, 1961) indicated that the scales have discriminatory value for many samples. This study attempted to compare both self- and peer-ratings as criteria for tests in the area of values. The SIV is composed of six scales: S~~pport, Conformity, Recognition, Independence, Benevolence, and Leadership. To form a basis for comparison wich the data presented in the SIV manual (Gordon, 1960) a sample of college men were asked to serve as Ss. Both self- and peer-ratings were obtained from them. METHOD Ss were residents of the third floor of one of the men's dormitories at a private midwestern university. At the time the research was performed, Ss had lived on that floor of the dormitory for at least 2 mo. Half the group was asked to take the SIV first and then to fill out the rating booklet; the other half completed the racing booklet first and then took the SIV. Complete data were obtained for 41 Ss. The rating booklet was composed of a front page containing instructions, a floor list, and a separate page for rating each of the values. Each value definition, adapted from the manual definition but unnamed, was presented together wich an 11-point rating scale. The scale had points 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 anchored with the qualifying modifiers: very little, little, some, much, and very much. S
Fighting fire with fire: Endogenous retrovirus envelopes as restriction factors

A considerable portion of vertebrate genomes are made up of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). While aberrant or uncontrolled ERV expression has been perceived as a potential cause of disease, there is mounting evidence that some ERVs have become integral components of normal host development and physiology. Here, we revisit the longstanding concept that some of the gene products encoded by ERVs and other endogenous viral elements may offer to the host protection against viral infection. Notably, proteins produced from envelope (env) genes have been shown to act as restriction factors against related exogenous retroviruses in chickens, sheep, mice, and cats. Based on the proposed mode of restriction and the domain architecture of known antiretroviral env, we argue that many more env gene-derived restriction factors await discovery in vertebrate genomes, including the human genome.
Analysis of Galerkin Methods for the Fully Nonlinear Monge-Ampère Equation

This paper develops and analyzes finite element Galerkin and spectral Galerkin methods for approximating viscosity solutions of the fully nonlinear Monge-Ampere equation det?(D 2 u 0)=f?(>0) based on the vanishing moment method which was developed by the authors in Feng and Neilan (J. Sci. Comput. 38:74---98, 2009) and Feng (Convergence of the vanishing moment method for the Monge-Ampere equation, submitted). In this approach, the Monge-Ampere equation is approximated by the fourth order quasilinear equation ??Δ2 u ? +det?D 2 u ? =f accompanied by appropriate boundary conditions. This new approach enables us to construct convergent Galerkin numerical methods for the fully nonlinear Monge-Ampere equation (and other fully nonlinear second order partial differential equations), a task which has been impracticable before. In this paper, we first develop some finite element and spectral Galerkin methods for approximating the solution u ? of the regularized problem. We then derive optimal order error estimates for the proposed numerical methods. In particular, we track explicitly the dependence of the error bounds on the parameter ?, for the error $u^{\varepsilon}-u^{\varepsilon}_{h}$ . Due to the strong nonlinearity of the underlying equation, the standard error estimate technique, which has been widely used for error analysis of finite element approximations of nonlinear problems, does not work here. To overcome the difficulty, we employ a fixed point technique which strongly makes use of the stability property of the linearized problem and its finite element approximations. Finally, using the Argyris finite element method as an example, we present a detailed numerical study of the rates of convergence in terms of powers of ? for the error $u^{0}-u_{h}^{\varepsilon}$ , and numerically examine what is the "best" mesh size h in relation to ? in order to achieve these rates.
Musings on genome medicine: the slow but inexorable process of medical care reform in the United States

The current healthcare system in the United States is unsustainable, but any attempts at improvement must be carefully managed to avoid weakening the country's contribution to biomedical science research and the future of genome medicine.
Recognizing ADHD in Adults with Comorbid Mood Disorders: Implications for Identification and Management

AbstractThe objective of this study was to assist those in psychiatric clinical practice in the identification and management of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults, with an emphasis on ADHD in the presence of comorbid mood disorders in adults. PubMed was searched to identify relevant studies and critical reviews published in English between 1988 and 2008 on the prevalence, persistence, and consequences of ADHD in adults. Additionally, relevant studies and critical reviews pertaining to the treatment of adults with ADHD and the relationships between ADHD and mood disorders with regard to overlapping symptom profiles, comorbidity, and treatment options were identified. The symptoms of ADHD persist into adulthood for a high proportion of children with this disorder. Among adults, the estimated prevalence of clinician-assessed ADHD in the general population is 4% to 5%. Untreated ADHD can adversely affect school and work achievements, diminish self-esteem, damage interpersonal relations...
Pharmacological activation of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 by Alda-1 reverses alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis and cell death in mice

Background & Aims Effective therapies for alcoholic liver disease are currently unavailable. The present study tested the efficacy of Alda-1, a specific aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) activator, in treating alcoholic liver disease. Methods Male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to alcohol for a time-course study on aldehyde metabolism. The specificity and efficacy of Alda-1 on activating hepatic ALDH2 and aldehyde clearance were determined by acute treatments. Then, mice were fed alcohol for 8weeks with Alda-1 administration for the last 10days to test the therapeutic potential of Alda-1. Lastly, H4IIEC3 cells were treated with ethanol, acetaldehyde, or 4-hydroxynonenal to define the link between aldehydes and hepatotoxicity. Results Alcohol feeding for 8weeks induced hepatic ALDH2 dysfunction and aldehyde accumulation. One dose of Alda-1 administration elevated hepatic ALDH activity, which was blocked by the specific ALDH2 inhibitor, daidzin. Alda-1 accelerated acetaldehyde clearance after acute alcohol intoxication. Alda-1 treatment in the 8-week alcohol feeding model reversed liver damage along with reduction of hepatic aldehydes. Alda-1 re-activated transcription factors, upregulated fatty acid oxidation enzymes, and reversed steatosis. Alcohol-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptotic cell death were also attenuated by Alda-1. Acetaldehyde or 4-hydroxynonenal treatment to H4IIEC3 cells inactivated transcription factors and induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis, while ethanol per se showed limited effects. Conclusions Pharmacological activation of ALDH2 by Alda-1 reversed alcoholic steatosis and apoptosis through accelerating aldehyde clearance. This study indicates that ALDH2 is a promising molecular target and Alda-1 has therapeutic potential for treating alcoholic liver disease.
MR of the normal neonatal brain: assessment of deep structures.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE MR imaging is a powerful tool for studying the anatomy of and the developmental changes that occur in the brain. The purpose of this project was to determine which structures can be distinguished on standard spin-echo MR sequences of a normal neonatal brain and with what frequency they can be identified. METHODS The T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo MR images of 12 term neonates, all of whom had normal neonatal courses and were neurologically and developmentally normal at age 12 months, were reviewed retrospectively. All structures that differed in signal intensity from unmyelinated gray matter and unmyelinated white matter were recorded. RESULTS In general, myelinated gray matter structures, such as cranial nerve nuclei and other nuclei of the brain stem and deep cerebrum, were the structures best seen on T2-weighted images. Most of these nuclei were seen in 75% to 100% of our subjects on T2-weighted images. They were seen less well on T1-weighted images. Myelinated white matter structures, particularly axonal tracts, were the structures best seen on T1-weighted images. The medial and lateral lemnisci, median longitudinal fasciculus, optic tracts, superior and inferior cerebellar peduncles, and the posterior limbs of the internal capsules were seen in 75% to 100% of our subjects on T1-weighted images. Except for the posterior limbs of the internal capsules, these structures were seen less well on T2-weighted images. CONCLUSION A large number of small structures, such as the nuclei of the brain stem and deep cerebral nuclei, can be routinely identified on standard spin-echo MR imaging sequences. A knowledge of these structures is essential to proper interpretation of imaging studies in neonates and infants.
Lectin binding of mouse blastocysts: appearance of Dolichos biflorus binding sites on the trophoblast during delayed implantation and their subsequent disappearance during implantation.

Mouse blastocysts were recovered from the uterus during experimental delay of implantation and following reactivation by estradiol and progesterone. The blastocysts were exposed to 7 different ferritin-conjugated lectins and then processed for electron microscopy. Binding of the lectins to the surface of the trophoblast was assessed by visualization of the ferritin particles using transmission electron microscopy. All lectins that have been previously shown to bind to trophoblast of predelay blastocysts also bound to blastocysts during delay and after reactivation from delay. The lectin from Dolichos biflorus (DBA), which does not bind to predelay blastocysts (Chavez and Enders, 1981) began to bind to blastocysts as early as 24 h after ovariectomy and bound consistently throughout the duration of delay (5 days). Between 18-22 h after the administration of estradiol-17 beta and progesterone for reactivation (given on the 5th day of delay, i.e., Day 10 postcoitus [p.c.]) DBA binding sites disappeared from the surface of the trophoblast as the blastocysts became adherent to the uterine epithelium. Binding of DBA to delayed blastocysts was inhibited by N-acetylgalactosamine (NACGal) and also by treatment with N-acetylgalactosaminidase prior to exposure to the lectin. This indicates that NAcGal becomes available for DBA binding during delayed implantation and is subsequently cleaved off the glycocalyx or masked by the acquisition of other molecules that prevent binding of DBA following reactivation and during subsequent implantation of the mouse blastocysts. Since DBA binding was observed before the blastocysts became completely dormant and also after they became metabolically reactivated, DBA binding is probably not directly related to the state of implantation delay. However, the abolition of DBA binding occurred coincident with the blastocyst's adherence to the uterine epithelium and may be associated with the acquisition of adhesiveness.
Computer-automated symbolic modeling of dynamics of robotic manipulators with flexible links

Dynamic equations are developed in nonrecursive symbolic form for chain-structured robotic manipulators with compliant links. A program is developed in REDUCE to automate the symbolic expansion of these equations for any given chain-structured manipulator. The symbolic nonrecursive form of the dynamic model is particularly suitable for controller synthesis and real-time control implementations. >
"I´m Tired. You clean and Cook." Shifting Gender Identities and Second Language Socialization.

Drawing on a multisite ethnographic study that spans educational, domestic, and workplace contexts in the United States and Laos, this article investigates the interplay between gender identity shifts and second language socialization, documenting the process by which working-class Lao women and men redefine gender identities in the United States. Lao women in the United States experience increased opportunities for enacting their gender identities through expanded leadership roles and wage labor, but Lao men experience a narrowing of opportunities because they have lost access to traditional sources of power. Language learning both influences and is influenced by these changing identities. The author considers the impact of gender identity shifts on access to second language resources, with particular focus on workplace and domestic language events as venues for second language socialization, and discusses implications for ethnographic research on gendered second language socialization. This study highlights the need for ESL practitioners to investigate and address the complexity of the everyday language events in which adult ESL learners are engaged and raises questions regarding how adult ESL classrooms can become spaces for discussing, interpreting, and responding to gendered lives in a new land and a new language.
Trace element removal during in vitro and in vivo continuous haemodialysis

Background. Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) increasingly is being used to treat critically ill patients with renal disease. CRRT removes waste products but also nutrients. Our understanding of trace element CRRT clearance has been limited by poor assay sensitivity. The development of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS) allows for the measurement of CRRT trace element removal. Methods. Continuous venovenous haemodialysis (CVVHD) transmembrane clearances of trace elements and urea were assessed using a bovine blood-based in vitro model using two different haemodialyser types. These findings were validated in 10 critically ill adult patients receiving continuous venovenous haemodiafiltration (CVVHDF). Calculated daily trace element loss was compared with a typical dose of daily trace element supplementation.
Random Sparse Linear Systems Observed Via Arbitrary Channels: A Decoupling Principle

This paper studies the problem of estimating the vector input to a sparse linear transformation based on the observation of the output vector through a bank of arbitrary independent channels. The linear transformation is drawn randomly from an ensemble with mild regularity conditions. The central result is a decoupling principle in the large-system limit. That is, the optimal estimation of each individual symbol in the input vector is asymptotically equivalent to estimating the same symbol through a scalar additive Gaussian channel, where the aggregate effect of the interfering symbols is tantamount to a degradation in the signal-to-noise ratio. The degradation is determined from a recursive formula related to the score function of the conditional probability distribution of the noisy channel. A sufficient condition is provided for belief propagation (BP) to asymptotically produce the a posteriori probability distribution of each input symbol given the output. This paper extends the authors' previous decoupling result for Gaussian channels to arbitrary channels, which was based on an earlier work of Montanari and Tse. Moreover, a rigorous justification is provided for the generalization of some results obtained via statical physics methods.
On the detection and classification of quadrature digital modulations in broad-band noise

Optimal and suboptimal decision rules for the detection of constant-envelope quadrature digital modulations in broadband noise are derived and analyzed. The effect of various stochastic models for the carrier phase is examined in detail, while no epoch or frequency uncertainty is assumed. The delay-and-multiply type of detector is considered. A new binary/quadrature phase shift keying (BPSK/QPSK) classifier is compared to the more traditional ad hoc techniques of a square-law classifier and a phase-based classifier (weighting on the phase histogram). The new classifier is derived by approximating the likelihood-ratio functionals of phase-modulated digital signals in white Gaussian noise, hence is named the quasi-log-likelihood ratio (qLLR) rule. It is shown analytically that its performance is significantly better than that of intuitively designed phase-based rules or the conventional square-law classifier. >
Use of Clumped-Isotope Thermometry to Constrain the Crystallization Temperature of Diagenetic Calcite

We describe an approach to estimating the crystallization temperatures of diagenetic calcites using clumped-isotope thermometry, a paleothermometer based on the ^(13)C–^(18)O-bond enrichment in carbonates. Application of this thermometer to calcified gastropod shells and calcite cements in an early Eocene limestone from the Colorado Plateau reveals a record of calcite precipitation and replacement at temperatures varying from 14 to 123°C. The early Eocene host sediments were never deeply buried, but they experienced a significant thermal pulse associated with the emplacement of a late Miocene basalt flow. The combination of independent constraints on thermal history with clumped-isotope thermometry, petrographic (including cathodoluminescence) observations, and oxygen isotopic data provides an improved basis for estimation of the temperature and timing of diagenetic events and fluid sources. The petrography and calcite δ^(18)O values, taken alone, suggest that the aragonite-to-calcite transformation of gastropod shell material occurred simultaneously with early formation of cements and lithification of the matrix in the same sample. However, addition of clumped-isotope thermometry demonstrates that this phase transformation of shell material occurred at temperatures of 94–123°C in a highly rock-buffered microenvironment (i.e., with the isotopic composition of fluid buffered by coexisting carbonate), millions of years after lithification of the matrix and formation of initial low-temperature (14–19°C) calcite cements within shell body cavities. Clumped-isotope temperatures in excess of reasonable Earth-surface conditions recorded by later-formed cements demand that cement growth occurred in association with the lava emplacement. Our results illustrate the potential for clumped-isotope thermometry to constrain conditions of diagenesis and guide interpretations that would not be possible on the basis of conventional stable-isotopic and petrographic data alone, and demonstrate how petrographic characterization of clumped-isotope thermometry samples can benefit paleoclimate studies.
A closed-loop assessment framework for integrated product and process development implementations

Abstract An assessment framework for identifying and measuring the impacts of Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD) implementations is presented. This framework considers the four major areas of commercial enterprise; the external environment, business strategy, IPPD, and implementation, which together form a closed-loop relationship. The holistic nature of the assessment framework make it a useful educational tool for understanding the influence of activities undertaken to re-engineer the various business processes and how this impacts the customer.
Scytophycin Production by Axenic Cultures of the Cyanobacterium Scytonema ocellatum

Nonaxenic clones prepared from the cyanobacterium Syctonema ocellatum Lyngbye ex Bornet et Flahault strain FF-66-3 exhibited a high degree of heterogeneity with respect to tolytoxin titer. Thirty-four of 114 clones (29.8%) isolated by fragmentation of Scytonema filaments did not produce detectable amounts of tolytoxin in culture. One clone (designated SO127) produced approximately twice as much tolytoxin as the parental culture and continued to produce tolytoxin after repeated subculture. Three axenic clones were prepared from SO127 by a combination of antibiotic treatment and mechanical separation. Although axenic cultures yielded slightly greater biomass, tolytoxin content did not significantly differ between axenic and nonaxenic cultures, indicating that bacteria do not play a role in tolytoxin biosynthesis. Bacterial cultures derived from S. ocellatum did not produce detectable amounts of tolytoxin.
Inexact solves in interpolatory model reduction

We investigate the use of inexact solves for interpolatory model reduction and consider associated perturbation effects on the underlying model reduction problem. We give bounds on system perturbations induced by inexact solves and relate this to termination criteria for iterative solution methods. We show that when a Petrov–Galerkin framework is employed for the inexact solves, the associated reduced order model is an exact interpolatory model for a nearby full-order system; thus demonstrating backward stability. We also give evidence that for H2-optimal interpolation points, interpolatory model reduction is robust with respect to perturbations due to inexact solves. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of direct use of inexact solves in optimal H2 approximation. The result is an effective model reduction strategy that is applicable in realistically large-scale settings.