cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transvaginal sacrospinous rectopexy: initial clinical experience

There is a wide range of surgical procedures available to treat rectal prolapse that differ in approach as well as in principle. The current perineal approaches available involve mucosal or full thickness resection. There are currently no accepted procedures combining rectal fixation without resection using the perineal approach. We present our initial report of transvaginal sacrospinous rectopexy for the treatment of rectal prolapse. A longitudinal incision was made in the posterior wall of the vagina. The rectum and sacrospinous ligament were identified. Two sutures were placed in the sacrospinous ligament and brought through a piece of Surgisis® mesh previously anchored to the anterior surface of the rectum. This was performed bilaterally. These sutures were tied to complete the rectal suspension, and the posterior wall of the vagina was closed. Transvaginal sacrospinous rectopexy was performed in all seven cases. In the first two cases, a Delorme procedure was performed concurrently. Two patients had rubber band ligation for symptomatic internal hemorrhoids, one patient had a sphincter plication, and one patient had an anal encirclement procedure with Surgisis®. Six of the seven patients had concomitant urologic procedures. The average operative time was 163 min, and the average blood loss was 107 mL. None of the cases required conversion to an open procedure. There was one full thickness recurrence at 18 weeks. Transvaginal sacrospinous rectopexy is a safe, minimally invasive, technically feasible technique for the treatment of rectal prolapse.
Diffusion of water in rhyolite glass: diffusion–reaction model

Abstract Experimental measurements of diffusion profiles for water in rhyolite glass (obsidian) from previous publications [J.R. Delaney, J.L. Karsten, Earth and Planet Sci. Lett. 52 (1981) 191; J.L. Karsten, J.R. Holloway, J.R. Delaney, Earth and Planet Sci. Lett. 59 (1982) 420; K.E. Lapham, J.R. Holloway, J.R. Delaney, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 67 (1984) 179; Y. Zhang, E.M. Stolper, G.J. Wasserburg, Geochim. Acta, 55 (1991) 441; Y. Zhang, E.M. Stolper, P.D. Ihinger, Am. Min. 80 (1995) 593] are compared with calculated profiles from a diffusion–reaction model. Good agreement between experiments and the model is found. In this model dissolved molecular water diffuses in the glass and reacts with the glass network to form immobile OH groups. Diffusion coefficients for molecular water have an activation energy of about 84 kJ/mol from 400°C to 950°C, for both local equilibrium and non-equilibrium. Profiles of OH groups and of molecular water fit those predicted by the model.
The Effects of Radiative Heat Transfer Upon the Melting and Solidification of Semitransparent Crystals

Employing the assumptions of one-dimensional energy transfer, equilibrium phase change, and negligible convection in liquid regions, the time-dependent conservation of energy equation is formulated for the general situation of n semitransparent contiguous liquid and solid phases. The dimensionless parameters governing phase change are identified and the effects of their variation are ascertained by a finite difference solution of the rigorously formulated energy and radiative transfer equations. The chief conclusions of this investigation are that for the range of parameters encountered in the melting and solidification of many optical materials, radiant transfer has a significant effect, and that during solidification, radiation can force the temperature profile within the liquid phase to assume a shape which leads to unstable interfacial growth.
Cognitive Tools for Writing: Scaffolding the Performance of Students through Technology

Abstract. This study entailed the implementation and evaluation of a Web-based technology designed to support the writing performance of fourth- and fifth-grade students with learning disabilities (LD). The technology, Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments on the Web (TELE-Web), was implemented in a resource room setting involving 12 students with LD in the upper elementary grades. To evaluate the effects of the scaffolds on performance, students wrote personal news stories in three conditions: Scaffolded Personal News, Unscaffolded Personal News, and paper and pencil. The results revealed that the scaffolding condition significantly improved writing performance, particularly with respect to students' abilities to produce organized texts.
Absence of functional alternative complement pathway alleviates lupus cerebritis

The complement inhibitor, Crry, which blocks both the classical and alternative pathways, alleviates CNS disease in the lupus model, MRL/MpJ-Tnfrsf6lpr (MRL/lpr) mice. To understand the role of the alternative pathway, we studied mice deficient in a key alternative pathway protein, complement factor B (fB). Immune deposits (IgG and C3) were reduced in the brains of MRL/lpr fB-deficient (fB-/-MRL/lpr) compared to fB-sufficient (MRL/lpr) mice, indicating reduced complement activation. Reduced neutrophil infiltration (22% of MRL/lpr mice) and apoptosis (caspase-3 activity was reduced to 33% of MRL/lpr mice) in these mice indicates that the absence of the alternative pathway was neuroprotective. Furthermore, expression of phospho (p)-Akt (0.16+/-0.02 vs. 0.35+/-0.13, p<0.03) was increased, while expression of p-PTEN (0.40+/-0.06 vs. 0.11+/-0.07, p<0.05) was decreased in fB-/-MRL/lpr mice compared to their MRL/lpr counterparts. The expression of fibronectin, laminin and collagen IV was significantly decreased in fB-/-MRL/lpr mice compared to MRL/lpr mice, indicating that in the lupus setting, tissue integrity was maintained in the absence of the alternative pathway. Absence of fB reduced behavioral alterations in MRL/lpr mice. Our results suggest that in lupus, the alternative pathway may be the key mechanism through which complement activation occurs in brain, and therefore it might serve as a therapeutic target for lupus cerebritis.
Spectra of Deoxygenated Hemoglobin in the Soret Region

Methemoglobin is easily formed during the deoxygenation of hemoglobin. It can be removed with methemoglobin reductase. The Soret spectrum of pure deoxyhemoglobin is reported. Comparison of these data with the published spectra shows that some of these are incorrect since they must represent mixtures of deoxy-and methemoglobin.
System reliability analysis of transmission lines

Abstract Structural system reliability analysis of transmission lines is a useful tool in designing new lines and in evaluating or updating existing lines. This paper describes a practical approach to estimate the system reliability of existing lines. The problem is divided into two components: firstly, obtaining the reliability of typical supporting structures; and secondly obtaining the reliability of the complete line. The first step may be carried out using standard structural system reliability analysis methods. A number of computer programs are currently available for structural system reliability analysis; those programs which are specifically designed for the reliability analysis of transmission structures are briefly described. It is shown that the reliability of every supporting structure in the line need not be obtained. Only the reliabilities of typical structures are needed. Once this is accomplished, the second step is to estimate the reliability of the entire line. This can be carried out using a simple approximate relationship between the reliability of a fully-utilized supporting structure and the reliability of the complete line. Two numerical examples are used to illustrate how the reliability of a complete line may be estimated.
Quantification of swash flows using video-based particle image velocimetry

Understanding of fluid flows and sediment transport in the foreshore has been severely hampered by the difficulty of obtaining swash flow velocity measurements in this dynamic and extremely shallow region. We present a digital imaging method, known as particle image velocimetry (PIV), to quantify the horizontal flow structure of swash. This technique exploits similar patterns of image intensity in multiple images sampled sequentially to identify spatial offsets corresponding with maximum correlations between image subregions. These offsets are used in conjunction with the sampling interval to derive velocity vectors describing the horizontal flow structure. Pre-processing methods to geo-rectify oblique imagery to a planar surface and post-processing methods of correcting spurious vectors are described. The PIV method overcomes many of the limitations of in situ sampling of swash flows and is shown consistent with results from a previously tested remote sensing technique for measuring swash edge velocities. In general, this technique provides a unique capability for spatially extensive and well-resolved quantification of swash flows.
Select Mortality and Cancer Incidence Among Residents in Various U.S. Communities that Received Asbestos-Contaminated Vermiculite Ore from Libby, Montana

In response to the significantly elevated asbestosis mortality rates found in Libby, Montana, in 2000, this analysis evaluated whether other communities throughout the United States that received asbestos-contaminated vermiculite ore from Libby experienced similar excess rates of asbestos-related diseases. Standardized mortality ratios were calculated using state death certificates, and standardized incidence ratios were calculated using cancer registry records for populations living near facilities that processed or received Libby vermiculite. This analysis focused primarily on diseases that are directly associated with asbestos exposure (e.g., asbestosis; cancer of the peritoneum, retroperitoneum, and pleura, including mesothelioma; and mesothelioma). Lung cancer and cancers of the digestive system, also associated with asbestos exposure, were not included in the analysis because they have additional risk factors for which exposure information was not available. Data from 70 unique sites in 23 states were evaluated. No statistically significant excesses of asbestosis mortality similar to those in Libby were noted; however, 11 sites (plus a state with 6 pooled sites that were counted as 1 site) had excess rates of mesothelioma and cancer of the peritoneum, retroperitoneum, and pleura. Further investigation should be conducted at these sites with excess rates of mesothelioma and cancer of the peritoneum, retroperitoneum, and pleura by participating state health departments to determine whether exposure to Libby vermiculite might have been a contributing factor.
Impact and Prestige of Kinesiology-Related Journals1:

Abstract This study documented the major factors of scholarly influence of kinesiology journals: impact and prestige. Four citation-based biblometric indicators were extracted for kinesiology journals from three databases: Thompson-Reuters Journal Citation Reports, SCImago Journal and Country Rank, and Eigenfactor.org. Two metrics (Eigenfactor™ and Hirsch index) estimated journal prestige, while SCImago Journal Rank and the Impact Factor estimated impact. Correlations and curve fits confirmed the impact and prestige structure in kinesiology journals that has been reported in other fields. Combined impact and prestige scores showed some journals with high influence, but about twenty percent of the journals with ratings of either impact or prestige higher (0.5 SD) than the other. Kinesiology journals may make different contributions to the knowledge generation and storage roles of scholarly publications.
The effects of infant mortality on fertility revisited: new evidence from Latin America.

In this paper, we examine empirical evidence for a relation between infant and child mortality and fertility in Latin American countries from 1920 to 1990. We investigate the relation at several levels of aggregation and evaluate the extent to which evidence at one level is consistent with evidence at other levels. Wefirst examine aggregate cross-country information over several decades, a type of data typically used in past research on the topic. We also examine yearly series of births, deaths, infant deaths, and socioeconomic indicators for selected countries to track the association between short-term fluctuations in fertility and infant mortality. Finally, we use micro-level data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) to assess the relation between fertility and child mortality from individual reproductive histories. The evidence we assemble from these different data sets is remarkably consistent and suggests small positive effects of infant mortality onfertility. These effects, however, may be too small to support the hypothesis that changes in child mortality are of more than modest importance in the process offertility decline in Latin America in the late twentieth century.
The interaction of quaternary ammonium compounds with hyaluronic acid

Abstract The interaction of d -tubocurarine (curare) and stilbamidine with hyaluronic acid has been investigated at pH 7.5, ionic strength 0.1. Curare fails to bind to the polysaccharide while strong binding of stilbamidine is observed. This observation, in conjunction with others, support the view that this acidic polysaccharide is not essential for the pharmacological effects of curare on nerve impulse conduction. Considerable binding of curare and other quaternary ammonium compounds is observed in distilled water and is evidently due to the Donnan effect. Lack of binding of curare to hyaluronic acid may be due to the fact that unlike stilbamidine the inter-quaternary distance is not complementary to the inter-anionic distance of the polysaccharide. Since stilbamidine and curare have been considered to have the same interquaternary distance—14 A—the present findings raise the question whether current views on the configuration of the curare molecule may have to be revised.
CDKs Give Cdc6 a License to Drive into S Phase

The accumulation of Cdc6 promotes the initiation of DNA replication. In this issue of Cell, Mailand and Diffley (2005) show that phosphorylation of Cdc6 by cyclin-dependent kinases prevents its destruction by the anaphase promoting complex (APC). This simple mechanism explains how the APC simultaneously spares Cdc6 while targeting for destruction suppressors of DNA replication during the transition from quiescence to cell cycle reentry.
Conflict types and strategies in violent marriages

This study examines conflict in violent versus nonviolent marriages, while controlling for level of marital distress. Seventy-eight married couples participated in a structured interview, an open-ended interview, and a series of six telephone interviews designed to gather behavioral self-report data. This study had three objectives. First, the association between conflict and violence was tested using two different measures of conflict. Results indicate that the relationship between conflict and violence appears to be mediated by the distress level of the marriage. Second, a typology of marital conflict was developed, based on spouses' behavioral self-report descriptions of their daily conflicts. Five types of conflict were identified through cluster analysis; there were significant differences between groups (nondistressed-nonviolent, nondistressed-violent, distressed-nonviolent and distressed-violent marriages) in the occurrence of “problem solving,” “squabbles,” and “stable heated arguments.” Third, conflict strategies used in a typical disagreement were assessed in the open-ended interview. Significant differences were found between groups of marriages in use of negotiation, initiation of the discussion, verbal attack, anger, withdrawal, apology, and no resolution. The volatility of the distressed-violent marriage, and differences between violent and nonviolent marriages are discussed.
Vasoactive exposures, vascular events, and hemifacial microsomia.

Background Based on experimental evidence and clinical observations, hemifacial microsomia (HFM) is one of several structural anomalies that are postulated to result from vascular disruption. We collected data in a case-control study to identify whether vasoactive exposures or vascular events during early pregnancy affect the risk of HFM. Methods Cases with a diagnosis of HFM were identified at craniofacial centers in 26 cities across the United States and Canada, from 1996 to 2002. Controls were matched to cases by age and pediatrician practice. Mothers of 230 cases and 678 controls were interviewed about pregnancy events and exposures. Case and control mothers were compared for early pregnancy use of vasoactive medications, cigarettes, and alcohol; singleton or multiple gestation; and diabetes, hypertension, or vaginal bleeding in the first half of pregnancy. Results Odds ratios (ORs) were significantly increased for vasoactive mediation use (OR, 1.9 overall; OR, 4.2 among smokers), multiple gestations (OR, 10.5), and diabetes (OR, 6.0). Vaginal bleeding in the second trimester and heavy alcohol intake were associated with increased risks, but the estimates were based on small numbers and, therefore, are unstable. No associations were observed for cigarette smoking without vasoactive medication use, hypertension, and vaginal bleeding in the first trimester. Conclusions The increased risks of HFM associated with vasoactive medication use, multiple gestations, diabetes, and second trimester vaginal bleeding appear collectively to support the hypothesis that vascular disruption is one etiology for HFM, because each of these factors is related to effects on blood vessels.
Spray characteristics of aerated-liquid pressure atomizers

The atomizing performance of a novel type of injector is investigated. Essentially, the injector comprises a plain-orifice atomizer with means for injecting air or gas into the liquid upstream of the final discharge orifice. Measurements of mean drop size and drop-size distribution are made using a Malvern spray analyzer. The liquid employed is water, and all tests are carried out at normal atmospheric pressure. Water injection pressures are varied from 34.5 to 690 kPa (5 to 100 psid) and air/liquid ratios from 0.002 to 0.022 by mass. The results obtained with injector orifice diameters of 0.8,1.6, and 2.44 mm show that good atomization can be achieved using only small amounts of atomizing gas at injection pressures down to 34.5 kPa (5 psi). The system appears to have considerable potential for practical applications in which the available gas and liquid pressures are low and in which small holes and flow passages cannot be employed owing to the risk of plugging by contaminants in the liquid.
Experiments in group decision making, 3: disinhibition, deindividuation, and group process in pen name and real name computer conferences

Abstract This field experiment focused on the effect of using pen names (a form of anonymity)_in computer conferences for group decision making in choice dilemma tasks. The subjects were peer groups of managers in a large, conservative corporation with a well developed “corporate culture”. It was hypothesized that pen name conferences might exhibit more disinhibited and deindividuated behavior than conferences in which comments were signed with the real name of the contributor. There was actually little disinhibited behavior in either mode of computerized conferencing. Pen name conferences showed consistent, but statistically insignificant tendencies toward less disagreement about the final group choice, more participation, and greater equality of participation. The final group choices are significantly more conservative in pen name computer conferences within this conservative subculture. This may be interpreted as providing support for the hypothesis that there is more deindividuation in the pen name condition. In sum, problem-solving techniques using software structures that employ forms of anonymity appear to be helpful options in future group decision support systems built within computer-mediated communication systems.
Use of Data from Electronic Health Records for Pharmacoepidemiology

The increased availability of digital data from electronic health records (EHR) systems has created heightened interest in their use in pharmacoepidemiology. Sources of such data have been somewhat restrictive and not generally accessible to scientists because of institutional policies. However, these data-access restrictions appear to be diminishing. The recent thrust by the Institute of Medicine and other policy-influencing groups to establish learning health systems has argued for broader use of digital data from health systems for the growing needs of researchers who seek out best evidence in health care. Pharmacoepidemiologists are especially well poised to contribute to this new era because of their long-standing use of digital data in their research. While EHR data will increase in terms of volume, it is important for investigators to spend time understanding the data, including verifying format and quality. Unlike claims data that often follow a standard format, EHR data, particularly from disparate health systems such as contained in health information exchanges, often vary in terms of completeness, format, and quality. It is therefore helpful for investigators to work closely with individuals who are tuned into each data source being considered for research. EHR data are at the core of the exciting new thrust to analyze big healthcare data for pharmacoepidemiology.
Process and temperature robust voltage multiplier design for RF energy harvesting

Abstract Process and temperature invariant voltage multiplier performance has been examined. The analytical predictions of ripple voltage and frequency response are in good agreement with ADS simulation results. In addition, a threshold voltage compensation scheme is investigated to improve the output voltage sensitivity against process variations and temperature fluctuation. The threshold voltage compensation technique effectively reduces the temperature and process variability on the voltage multiplier performance.
A Gerschgorin theorem for difference equations—II

Abstract It is shown that the bounded solutions of the difference equation x ( m + 1) = A ( m + 1) x ( m ) arise as fixed points of a contraction mapping when A ( m ) satisfies a diagonal dominance condition on {0, 1, 2,…}.
Considerations in vacuum tribology (adhesion, friction, wear, and solid lubrication in vacuum)

The success of many tribological products used or tribological systems operated in vacuum depends on adequate control of adhesion between two or more materials. Adhesion (e.g., in adhesive bonding) is the mechanical force or strength required to separate the surfaces in contact. This foreword is concerned with adhesion, which has greatly contributed, and should continue to contribute, to tribological problems, such as high friction, solid-state welding, scuffing or scoring, high wear, and a short lubricant life, in vacuum.
Detonations in hydrocarbon fuel blends

A study of detonations in high-molecular weight hydrocarbon fuels of interest to pulse detonation engine applications was performed in a 280-mm diameter, 7.3-m long facility. Detonation pressure, wave speed, and cell width measurements were made in JP-10 mixtures and in mixtures representative of the decomposition products of JP-10. Experiments were performed in vapor-phase JP-10 mixtures at 353 K over a range of equivalence ratios (0.7 ≤ φ ≤ 1.4), nitrogen dilutions (fuel-oxygen to fuel-air), and initial pressures (20–130 kPa). The cell widths of the JP-10 mixtures are found to be similar to those of propane mixtures. A fuel blend representative of thermally decomposed JP-10 was studied at 295 K. This blend consisted of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, acetylene, ethylene, and hexane with varying fractions of oxygen and nitrogen. The measured cell width of the fuel blend-air mixture is about half that of JP-10-air. The addition of components of the fuel blend (acetylene, ethylene, and methane) to JP-10 in air at 353 K was characterized. Nitrogen diluted mixtures of stoichiometric hexane-oxygen were studied and the cell widths for hexane-air and JP-10-air are found to be comparable. The addition of lower molecular weight fuels (hydrogen, acetylene, ethylene, and carbon monoxide) to hexane-air was investigated. The measured cell width decreases, indicating increased sensitivity to detonation, with increasing fraction of hydrogen, acetylene, and ethylene, in order of effectiveness. The addition of a small fraction of carbon monoxide produces a small decrease in the cell width, but addition of more than about 75% (by fuel mass) carbon monoxide results in a significant increase in cell width. Carbon monoxide is a principal intermediate product of hydrocarbon combustion yet there are relatively little cell width data available. Cell width measurements were made in carbon monoxide-air mixtures with the addition of hydrogen or hydrocarbons (acetylene, ethylene, and hexane). A linear relationship is found between the cell width and the reaction zone length when it is defined as the location of the peak in hydroxyl mole fraction.
Marked flare in hepatic aminotransferases during treatment with pegylated interferon for chronic hepatitis C, genotype 2: a case report.

Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease and is the leading cause of liver transplantation in the United States [1, 2]. It is a progressive disease that can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, hepatocellular carcinoma, and death [1, 2]. Hence, it is very important that the disease be treated in its early stages, with the goal of obtaining sustained virologic response, which will effectively reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with this disease. The currently approved therapy for CHC is pegylated interferon plus ribavirin for 24 weeks or 48 weeks, based upon genotype [3]. The use of pegylated interferon and ribavirin combination therapy is associated with many side effects, and close monitoring of patients is required while they are on the therapy. We report an unusual case of marked flares in hepatic aminotransferases during each of two consecutive courses of pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy for CHC genotype 2. There are very limited published data on the hepatotoxicity or liver enzyme flares associated with interferon therapy. In earlier data from a large retrospective study performed on 11,241 patients with chronic viral hepatitis (80% being CHC) treated with alfa interferon, only four patients had fatal side effects due to liver failure, and all four patients demonstrated a significant rise in aminotransferase levels [4]. It is possible that large, prospective, clinical trials may have revealed individual cases similar to our case but were not individually reported. Interferon maintenance trials, such as Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-term Treatment Against Cirrhosis (HALT-C) and Colchicine versus Peg-Intron Long-Term (COPILOT) may ultimately demonstrate transient alanine aminotransferase (ALT) flares, but these include predominantly nonresponder subjects and have not yet been published. Moreover, natural flares of serum ALT values in CHC patients are not very well-defined.
Psychosexual Development in Adolescents With Chronic Medical Illnesses

The author provides a literature review and developmental formulation, with the goal to assist clinicians working with medically ill adolescents with psychosexual issues. MEDLINE and PsychINFO database searches of English-language medical journal articles published between 1986 and 1997 for articles related to medical illness and psychosexual development in adolescence were done. The author found that little systematic research on the psychosexual implications of medical illnesses for adolescents has been undertaken, but existing studies suggest that psychosexual development is negatively affected by medical illness. A three-phase model of adolescent psychosexual development is presented, with specific psychosexual tasks associated with each phase. Impediments to progressing through adolescent psychosexual phases due to medical conditions are identified, and case examples are provided. The author concludes that clinicians working with adolescents with medical conditions should attend to the possibility of psychosexual impediments in these adolescents and use developmentally appropriate methods for assessing and treating these difficulties when they arise.
Utilization of PARAFAC-Modeled Excitation-Emission Matrix (EEM) Fluorescence Spectroscopy to Identify Biogeochemical Processing of Dissolved Organic Matter in a Northern Peatland

In this study, we contrast the fluorescent properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in fens and bogs in a Northern Minnesota peatland using excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy with parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC). EEM-PARAFAC identified four humic-like components and one protein-like component and the dynamics of each were evaluated based on their distribution with depth as well as across sites differing in hydrology and major biological species. The PARAFAC-EEM experiments were supported by dissolved organic carbon measurements (DOC), optical spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and compositional characterization by ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectroscopy (FT-ICR MS). The FT-ICR MS data indicate that metabolism in peatlands reduces the molecular weights of individual components of DOM, and oxygen-rich less aromatic molecules are selectively biodegraded. Our data suggest that different hydrologic and biological conditions within the larger peat ecosystem drive molecular changes in DOM, resulting in distinctly different chemical compositions and unique fluorescent fingerprints. PARAFAC modeling of EEM data coupled with ultrahigh resolution FT-ICR MS has the potential to provide significant molecular-based information on DOM composition that will support efforts to better understand the composition, sources, and diagenetic status of DOM from different terrestrial and aquatic systems.
Nanoscale calorimetry of isolated polyethylene single crystals

We used thin-film differential scanning calorimetry to investigate the melting of isolated polyethylene single crystals with lamellar thicknesses of 12 ± 1 nm. We observed the melting of as few as 25 crystals. Over a wide number of crystals (25-2000 crystals), the heat of fusion was 40% larger than the bulk value. The melting temperature of the isolated single crystals was 123 ± 2 °C, 9 °C lower than that of the bulk material. We also measured the heat of fusion of quenched crystals (±15%) over a wide range of heating rates (20,000-100,000 K/s). Annealing the quenched crystals resulted in shifts in the endotherm peak by as much as 15 °C.
Iron repressible outer membrane proteins of Moraxella bovis and demonstration of siderophore-like activity.

Moraxella bovis (strain Epp 63), grown in RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with desferrioxamine mesylate (0.05 mg/ml) resulted in cell free culture supernatants with an increased chromeazurol-S response indicating the presence of high affinity iron binding ligand(s). Supernatants of cultures where growth occurred in tryptic soy broth, RPMI 1640, or RPMI 1640-desferrioxamine supplemented with ferrous sulfate (10 μg/ml) were negative on the chromeazurol-S test. Growth of M. bovis in RPMI 1640 or RPMI 1640-desferrioxamine medium induced the expression of previously unrecognized outer membrane proteins whose expression was repressed when the medium was supplemented with iron and which were not produced when growth occurred in tryptic soy broth.
Serotonergic Attenuation of the Reinforcing and Neurochemical Effects of Cocaine in Squirrel Monkeys

Preclinical studies have documented that serotonin (5-HT) can modulate the behavioral effects of cocaine. The present study examined the ability of 5-HT to attenuate the reinforcing and neurochemical effects of cocaine in nonhuman primates. In squirrel monkeys trained to self-administer cocaine (0.1 and 0.3 mg/injection) under a second-order schedule of i.v. drug delivery, the 5-HT uptake inhibitor alaproclate (3.0 and 10.0 mg/kg) and the 5-HT direct agonist quipazine (0.3-1.0 mg/kg) decreased response rates at doses that had no significant effect on behavior maintained by an identical schedule of stimulus termination. The neurochemical bases of the observed drug interactions on behavior were investigated further using in vivo microdialysis techniques in a separate group of awake monkeys to monitor drug-induced changes in extracellular dopamine (DA). Cocaine (1.0 mg/kg) elevated the concentration of DA in the caudate nucleus to approximately 300% of basal levels. Pretreatment with alaproclate or quipazine attenuated cocaine-induced increases in extracellular DA at the same pretreatment doses that decreased cocaine self-administration. The results obtained suggest that increasing brain 5-HT activity can attenuate the reinforcing effects of cocaine, ostensibly by decreasing the ability of cocaine to elevate extracellular DA in brain areas that mediate the behavioral effects. These findings extend those reported previously for the behavioral-stimulant effects of cocaine and identify a potential neurochemical mechanism underlying drug interactions on behavior.
A grid for recording the weight of premature infants

Summary A grid is presented showing expected weight curves for premature infants of varying birth weights. Its usefulness and limitations are discussed.
The Motion of Bubbles and Drops in Reduced Gravity

Part I. Introduction: 1. The role of gravity and interfacial tension in the motion of bubbles and drops 2. The governing equations Part II. The Motion of Isolated Bubbles and Drops: 3. Motion driven by a body force 4. Thermocapillary motion Part III. Interactions of Bubbles and Drops: 5. General solutions 6. Interactions when motion is driven by a body force 7. Interactions when motion is driven by thermocapillarity Part IV. Related Topics: 8. Mass transfer between a bubble or drop and a continuous phase 9. Motion driven by the interface in a body of fluid References.
Repeated perfusion with elevated potassium in in vivo microdialysis—A method for detecting small changes in extracellular dopamine

As a great deal of variability between subjects is often seen when using the microdialysis technique to measure the effects of depolarizing agents on extracellular neurotransmitter levels, we have developed a technique to account for the variability inherent in this method. High potassium (50 or 100 mM) artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF), perfused through the probe for 10 min, significantly increased extracellular dopamine (DA) concentration during both an initial and second perfusion, and the two responses were highly correlated. However, extracellular DA returned to normal following the first perfusion with 50 mM K+ but not 100 mM K+ perfusion. The slope of the regression line obtained by plotting the response of the second K+ perfusion as a function of the first K+ perfusion for all K+ concentrations was 1.03 (not significantly different from unity). Similarly, when the time between two 50 mM potassium perfusions was varied from 30-150 min, the responses were highly correlated. This technique was used to demonstrate an interaction between N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and 50 mM K+. Perfusion of 0.1 mM NMDA alone had no effect on extracellular DA, but NMDA paired with a 50 mM K+ perfusion significantly increased extracellular DA over that increase by 50 mM K+ alone. We propose that a first stimulation with 50 mM potassium may characterize an individual animal's responsiveness to a depolarizing stimulus, and may be used as a control for testing drug effects by coupling drug treatments with a second 50 mM potassium stimulation to give a more accurate measure of small changes in extracellular dopamine.
Partial oxidation of methane to syngas at high space velocities over Rh-coated spheres

Abstract The effect of space velocity on the partial oxidation of methane using different support geometries has been studied. While on a foam alumina monolith syngas selectivity drops as space velocity is increased above 4×10 5 h −1 , the use of non-porous alumina spheres as the support allows high reactant conversions and syngas selectivities even at space velocities of 1.8×10 6 h −1 . The differences between monoliths and spheres are discussed in order to understand why spheres give superior results. It is suggested that differences in heat transfer within the two support geometries may play a major role in the different results between spheres and monoliths. A convective heat transfer model suggests that higher rates of convection in a monolith will lead to lower front temperatures than in a sphere bed, a trend that becomes important at high space velocities in leading to blowout and lower syngas selectivities.
Making Sense of Distributed Leadership: Exploring the Multiple Usages of the Concept in the Field

Background: The term distributed leadership is now widely used among scholars and practitioners in the field of educational leadership. Major actors in the nonprofit sector promote and financially support the development of distributed leadership. Unfortunately, there is confusion and ambiguity about what distributed leadership means, and there is no strong link between distributed leadership and two primary goals of the educational leadership field: school improvement and leadership development.Purpose: The author inventories usages of distributed leadership and exposes some of the key fault lines between these meanings and the implicit disagreements that underlie them. The author's objective in this exercise is to catalyze discussions about how to keep research around distributed leadership both theoretically anchored and connected to problems of practice central to the field.Findings: There are four common usages of the term distributed leadership, which include the original descriptive theoretical len...
Performance of Li-ion secondary batteries in low power, hybrid power supplies

Small, portable electronic devices need power supplies that have long life, high energy efficiency, high energy density, and can deliver short power bursts. Hybrid power sources that combine a high energy density fuel cell, or an energy scavenging device, with a high power secondary battery are of interest in sensors and wireless devices. However, fuel cells with low self-discharge have low power density and have a poor response to transient loads. A low capacity secondary lithium ion cell can provide short burst power needed in a hybrid fuel cell–battery power supply. This paper describes the polarization, cycling, and self-discharge of commercial lithium ion batteries as they would be used in the small, hybrid power source. The performance of 10 Li-ion variations, including organic electrolytes with LixV2O5 and LixMn2O4 cathodes and LiPON electrolyte with a LiCoO2 cathode was evaluated. Electrochemical characterization shows that the vanadium oxide cathode cells perform better than their manganese oxide counterparts in every category. The vanadium oxide cells also show better cycling performance under shallow discharge conditions than LiPON cells at a given current. However, the LiPON cells show significantly lower energy loss due to polarization and self-discharge losses than the vanadium and manganese cells with organic electrolytes.
Relative Performance of Incentive Mechanisms: Computational Modeling and Simulation of Delegated Investment Decisions

This paper evaluates the relative performances of several well-known and widely-used incentive mechanisms under controlled experimental conditions. The scenario utilized is a delegated investment setting where effort and risk aversions contribute to moral hazard among fund managers. Analytical intractability of the problem requires a computational modeling approach to simulate comparative solutions for specific contracts under different parametric settings. Through a simulation exercise, we consider multiple agents who decide their investment strategy over several consecutive periods. Agents learn about estimation and market uncertainty through repeated realizations of investment returns. In each sequence of periods, a number of different incentive mechanisms based on the agent's communication and/or outcome are considered. Results of the computational experiments are presented. Our results overwhelmingly show the efficacy of the incentive contracts in improving the welfare of the investors. In the presence of an estimation risk, when agents learn from their past performances, the market volatility interacts with the estimation risk that makes risk-sharing arrangements such as limited liability overly important. Paying the agent to assume the risk may no longer lead to the best performance incentives.
The atmosphere of the primitive earth and the prebiotic synthesis of organic compounds

The prebiotic synthesis of organic compounds using a spark discharge on various simulated prebiotic atmospheres at 25 degrees has been studied. Methane mixtures contained H2 + CH4 + H2O + N2 + NH3 with H2/CH4 molar ratios from 0 to 4 and pNH3 = 0.1 torr. A similar set of experiments without added NH3 was performed. The yields of amino acids (1.2 to 4.7% based on the carbon) are approximately independent of the H2/CH4 ratio and the presence of added NH3, and a wide variety of amino acids are obtained. Mixtures of H2 + CO + H2O + N2 and H2 + CO2 + H2O + N2, with and without added NH3, all give about 2% yields of amino acids at H2/CO and H2/CO2 ratios of 2 to 4. For the H2/CO and H2/CO2 ratios less than 1, the yields fall off drastically to as low as 10(-3)%. Glycine is almost the only amino acid produced from CO and CO2 atmospheres. These results show that the maximum yield is about the same for the three carbon sources at high H2/carbon ratios, but that CH4 is superior at low H2/carbon ratios. In addition, CH4 gives a much greater variety of amino acids than either CO or CO2. If it is assumed that amino acids more complex than glycine were required for the origin of life, then these results indicate the need for CH4 in the primitive atmosphere. The yields of cyanide and formaldehyde parallel the amino acid results, with yields of HCN and H2CO as high as 13% based on the carbon. Ammonia is also produced from N2 in experiments with no added NH3 in yields as high as 4.9%. These results show that large amounts of NH3 would have been synthesized on the primitive earth by electric discharges. The amount of ammonia formed by hydrolysis of HCN and various nitriles may have exceeded that formed directly in electric discharges.
Levels of Education and Support for Direct Democracy

Conventional wisdom based on public opinion surveys suggests that voters are generally supportive of direct democracy. Recent research has shown that perhaps public support for direct democracy may...
Reinstatement of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis after transperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy.

Abstract Objectives To assess the early reinstatement of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) after transperitoneal radical nephrectomy. Methods The medical records of the 3 patients who were using CAPD before laparoscopic radical nephrectomy were retrospectively reviewed. All 3 were reinstated on CAPD during the second postoperative week. Results In these 3 patients, the mean hospital stay was 6 days (range 3 to 9), and CAPD was reinitiated 12.7 days (range 10 to 14) after laparoscopic surgery. During the interim between surgery and reinstituting CAPD, all 3 patients underwent hemodialysis (HD) in the hospital and were discharged to local outpatient HD centers. No difficulties were associated with the transition to CAPD, and no complications had occurred after the reinstatement of regular CAPD regimens at a mean follow-up of 11 months (range 10 to 13) in this group of patients. Conclusions The results of this study have shown that CAPD can be reinstated within 2 weeks of laparoscopic transperitoneal radical nephrectomy without short-term complications.
Surface Electromagnetic Waves in Laser Material Interactions

Transient ripple formation in pulsed laser annealing of semiconductor materials is shown to arise from amplified surface polariton scattering. The permanent ripple patterns are frozen in after transverse thermal and material diffusion during the laser-annealing process. The model is in good agreement with time-resolved measurements of the ripple formation in 1.06-µm laser annealing of Ge. Dispersion of the ripple wavevector in the UV spectral region is discussed.
Corrigendum: ‘On certain algebraic curves related to polynomial maps, Compositio Math. 103 (1996), 319–350’

An argument is given to fill a gap in a proof in the author’s article On certain algebraic curves related to polynomial maps, Compositio Math. 103 (1996), 319–350, that the polynomial Φn(x,c), whose roots are the periodic points of period n of a certain polynomial map x→f(x,c), is absolutely irreducible over the finite field of p elements, provided that f(x,1) has distinct roots and that the multipliers of the orbits of period n are also distinct over . Assuming that Φn(x,c) is reducible in characteristic p, we show that Hensel’s lemma and Laurent series expansions of the roots can be used to obtain a factorization of Φn(x,c) in characteristic 0, contradicting the absolute irreducibility of this polynomial over the rational field.
Not all systolic velocities indicate obstruction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a simultaneous Doppler catheterization study.

A 43-year-old man with the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy presented with symptoms of dyspnea on exertion. Magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiography showed severe hypertrophy but no evidence of outflow tract obstruction at rest, by either visualization of systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve or turbulent high-velocity jets (Figure 1 and Movie 1). On physical examination, he had no murmur at rest or with provocative maneuvers. Because the clinical symptoms were out of proportion to the noninvasive findings, a cardiac catheterization study with simultaneous transthoracic Doppler echocardiography was undertaken to determine whether a dynamic outflow tract obstruction was present. A high-fidelity micromanometer catheter advanced through a transseptal approach was used to measure the left ventricular (LV) pressure at the base and the apex with a simultaneous central aortic pressure recording. There was no catheter pressure gradient between the aorta and LV apex either at rest or after provocation with isoproterenol (Figure 2). There was no SAM of the mitral valve. Despite the absence of pressure gradient and SAM, there was a systolic late-peaking velocity of 4 m/s on continuous wave Doppler interrogation from the apical window during the isoproterenol infusion (Figure 3). The LV pressure catheter was confirmed to be in the LV apex by 2-dimensional echocardiography during these recordings (Figure 4 and Movie 2).
A GRAPHICAL METHOD FOR DETERMINING THORNTHWAITE CLIMATE CLASSIFICATIONS

ABSTRACT This paper presents procedures whereby the symbolization of Thornthwaite's climatic classification may be quickly and accurately determined by use of graphs and nomograms. Potential evapotranspiration adjusted for months and latitude of the station is accomplished graphically. Soil water storage, soil water deficiency, and soil water surplus are determined by the Thornthwaite accounting procedure and, once determined, the symbolization for the complete climatic designation of the station is obtained by further graphical means.
Light diffraction by Bleustein-Gulyaev surface acoustic waves in gallium arsenide and other piezoelectric cubic crystals

An analytical solution to the boundary value problem for the existence of a Bleustein-Gulyaev piezoelectric surface wave in GaAs and other piezoelectric cubic crystals is developed. Numerical solutions for Bleustein-Gulyaev waves in a number of crystals of 43 m and 23 symmetry classes are presented. These include commonly used materials such as GaAs, GaP, InSb, InAs, Bi/sub 12/GeO/sub 20/, and Bi/sub 4/Ge/sub 3/O/sub 12/. The results are then used to investigate light diffraction by Bleustein-Gulyaev waves in GaAs. Cases of both plane-wave acoustooptic and guided optical-wave interaction are considered. A numerical solution for a guided-wave acoustooptic collinear interaction in a GaAs-GaAlAs waveguide is presented and discussed. >