cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Empirical models to predict the volumes of debris flows generated by recently burned basins in the western U.S.

Abstract Recently burned basins frequently produce debris flows in response to moderate-to-severe rainfall. Post-fire hazard assessments of debris flows are most useful when they predict the volume of material that may flow out of a burned basin. This study develops a set of empirically-based models that predict potential volumes of wildfire-related debris flows in different regions and geologic settings. The models were developed using data from 53 recently burned basins in Colorado, Utah and California. The volumes of debris flows in these basins were determined by either measuring the volume of material eroded from the channels, or by estimating the amount of material removed from debris retention basins. For each basin, independent variables thought to affect the volume of the debris flow were determined. These variables include measures of basin morphology, basin areas burned at different severities, soil material properties, rock type, and rainfall amounts and intensities for storms triggering debris flows. Using these data, multiple regression analyses were used to create separate predictive models for volumes of debris flows generated by burned basins in six separate regions or settings, including the western U.S., southern California, the Rocky Mountain region, and basins underlain by sedimentary, metamorphic and granitic rocks. An evaluation of these models indicated that the best model (the Western U.S. model) explains 83% of the variability in the volumes of the debris flows, and includes variables that describe the basin area with slopes greater than or equal to 30%, the basin area burned at moderate and high severity, and total storm rainfall. This model was independently validated by comparing volumes of debris flows reported in the literature, to volumes estimated using the model. Eighty-seven percent of the reported volumes were within two residual standard errors of the volumes predicted using the model. This model is an improvement over previous models in that it includes a measure of burn severity and an estimate of modeling errors. The application of this model, in conjunction with models for the probability of debris flows, will enable more complete and rapid assessments of debris flow hazards following wildfire.
Question-asking strategies for Horn clause systems

An expert system applies the deduction rules in its knowledge base to a set of initial data to reach a conclusion. When the initial data are insufficient, the expert system may ask the user for additional information. This paper analyzes effectiveness and efficiency of question-asking strategies in expert systems with Horn clause knowledge bases. An effective strategy reaches a conclusion after asking as few questions as possible. An efficient strategy can be computed quickly. We prove that effective strategies are, unfortunately, not efficient. However, we present a somewhat less effective but very efficient strategy. It employs an algorithm which simultaneously performs deduction and question selection in log-linear time.
Ion Distribution and Force between Two Charged Plates: A Variational Solution of the Three Point Extension Hypernetted Chain Equations

Abstract We have employed a variational method for the solution of the three point extension hypernetted chain/mean spherical approximation (HNC/MSA) equations for the distribution of ions between two charged plates of infinite extent, a system of great interest in colloid physics. We have previously shown, for the case of a single charged plate, that this method of solution has several features which make it convenient for use in applications. The calculated electrolyte structure within this model slit pore can be used to find the net pressure between the two plates. Comparisons are made throughout the paper with the classical Verwey-Overbeek theory of interacting electrical double layers. Additionally we will compare our theoretical results with experimental clay swelling pressure data. Finally, some results for hard sphere fluids confined to an uncharged pore are presented.
Bureaucrats in business: The roles of privatization versus corporatization in state-owned enterprise reform☆

Abstract This article provides evidence from a sample of 12 developing countries that countries which improved state-owned enterprise performance the most followed a comprehensive strategy of reforms, including a combination of privatization and corporatization. Further evidence that corporatization works better in combination with ownership and other reforms is provided through an analysis of government contracts with public managers, private managers and private owners. Contracts with private managers and owners did better than contracts with public managers in part because the property rights of the former gave them a larger stake in the outcomes. The article analyzes the political economy of state enterprise reform and finds that privatization and corporation have similar political costs and tend to succeed or fail together. Where reform was politically desirable, politically feasible, and credible, countries privatized and corporatized successfully. When countries were not politically ready to reform, alternative ownership strategies were not successful in improving performance.
Three-dimensional visualization of tegument/capsid interactions in the intact human cytomegalovirus.

The three-dimensional structure of the intact human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) was determined to 18-A resolution by electron cryomicroscopy and computer reconstruction. Its capsid shell is composed of pentons, hexons, and triplexes arranged on a T = 16 icosahedral lattice and is identical to that of the B-capsid isolated from host cell nuclei. An icosahedrally ordered tegument layer formed by 960 copies of filamentous density is also visualized, which interacts with the pentons, hexons, and triplexes of the underlying capsid. The observed structural similarities and differences of HCMV with those of herpes simplex virus offer insights into the significance of the different tegument components for their infection processes while maintaining similar capsids.
Increased human platelet monoamine oxidase activity during lithium carbonate therapy

Abstract Human platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was assessed, using benzylamine C 14 as the substrate, in ten patients who received a trial of lithium carbonate treatment. In all ten patients there was an increase of the median MAO activity during the lithium treatment period in comparison to the median MAO activity during a placebo treatment period. This increase in platelet MAO activity is consistent with reports by other investigators that lithium treatment is associated with increased oxidative deamination of monoamines in both animals and humans.
Daily patterns of running wheel activity in male anophthalmic mice.

Abstract LAEMLE, L. K. AND J. E. OTTENWELLER. Daily patterns of running wheel activity in male anophthalmic mice . Physiol Behav 64 (2) 165–171, 1998. Circadian rhythms are generated by the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) and synchronized (entrained) to environmental light–dark cycles by the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT), a direct pathway from the retina to the suprachiasmatic nuclei. In anophthalmic mice, the optic primordia are resorbed between embryonic days 11.5 and 13, before retinal ganglion cells emerge. Thus the retinohypothalamic tract, which is the primary “zeitgeber” for circadian rhythms in sighted animals, never forms, and there is no retinal or photic input to the circadian system. We have used wheel running activity, a highly consistent and reliable measure of circadian rhythmicity in rodents, to establish the properties of endogenous locomotor rhythms of anophthalmic mice. We have identified three subpopulations of anophthalmic mice: a) rhythmic with strong stable circadian period but significantly increased period length; b) rhythmic with unstable circadian period; and c) arryhthmic. Future correlation of locomotor rhythms with properties of the suprachiasmatic nuclei in these mice will clarify the relationship between generation and properties of circadian rhythms and the neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and molecular organization of the circadian clock.
The influence of pre-existing negative affect on store purchase intentions

Abstract This study investigates the effects of two negative emotions, boredom and distress, on purchase intentions. The two emotions basically differ on their levels of arousal (low versus high). Based on notions of adaptively coping with negative emotions, it is proposed that willingness to purchase is a manifestation of a goal-directed attempt to improve one’s emotional state. The results of an experiment suggested that “when bored subjects were offered the prospect of shopping in a favorable environment” they expressed higher purchase intentions; however, when offered the prospect of shopping in an uncomfortable environment, they expressed lower purchase intentions. Higher distress led to higher purchase intentions. The differences in purchase intentions between boredom and distress were interpreted by the restriction in attentional capacity induced by heightened arousal. The results also showed that (a) personal relevance accentuated boredom’s influence, and (b) considering the prospect of a favorable store experience reduced levels of positive affect. Implications of the theory and findings for understanding the influence of negative affect on store patronage are discussed.
Liquid phase epitaxial growth of gallium arsenide on an etched substrate

Abstract A method is described for etching the surface of GaAs substrates with a Ga solution in situ immediately prior to epitaxial layer growth from the liquid phase. Layers grown by this procedure show excellent surface morphologies and electrical properties ( μ∼5100 cm 2 v-sec at 300°K for n∼ 7.8×10 16 cm 3 ). Advantages of the method and its applicability to epitaxial growth of other III-V compounds are discussed.
Biology of Anopheles quadrimaculatus under Field Conditions in Central Florida

Results of a study conducted from July 1960 through July of 1962 at 6 counting stations within an area of extensive breeding of the common malaria mosquito, Anopheles quadrimaculatus Say, indicated that the population of this species in central Florida was predominantly and consistently a young one continually reproducing and replenishing its numbers. Representative samples of females examined weekly in the laboratory disclosed that rates of insemination, egg production, and viability were mostly high. Only slight variations in mating behavior, egg-laying capacity or viability, and physiological age distribution were found from month to month or from season to season. Differences in the physiological age distribution of females were noted at the 2 types of collection areas, one type in a cypress swamp or wooded areas close to breeding areas and the other near or at farm out-buildings away from breeding areas, both situated in Sumter County, Fla., near Lake Panasoffkee.
exo and endo Isomerism of subvalent tin and germanium complexes derived from 1,3-diethers of p - tert -butylcalix[4]arene

Abstract A series of germanium and tin complexes of calix[4]arene diethers, namely [Calix t -Bu (O) 2 (OR) 2 ]M, has been prepared by the reaction of [Calix t -Bu (OH) 2 (OR) 2 ] with M[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 2 (M = Ge, Sn; R = Me, CH 2 Ph, CH 2 C 6 H 4 Bu t , SiPr 3 i ). X-ray diffraction studies demonstrate that [Calix t -Bu (O) 2 (OR) 2 ]M exist as exo and endo isomers in which the metal is, respectively, located either outside or inside the calixarene cavity. The exo isomer is considered to be the kinetic product, whereas the endo isomer is thermodynamically more stable. The ability to access endo -[Calix t -Bu (O) 2 (OR) 2 ]M, however, depends critically on the nature of R and M.
Controlling photochemical reactions via confinement: zeolites

Zeolites, aluminosilicates, with well-defined internal architecture containing cavities, channels or cages, can accommodate a large number of organic guest molecules. Internal structure of zeolites is studded with cations, the counter-ions of the anionic framework. The internal constrained structure and the cations serve as handles for chemists to control the behaviour of guest molecules included within zeolites. Photochemical reactions carried out in zeolite are highlighted in this review.
The sorption of glycine by a strong anion exchange resin

The sorption of the amino acid glycine by a strong anion exchange resin was studied. It was found that the sorption behavior of this amino acid could be described in terms of the existence of a Donnan equilibrium, which was definable in terms of the pK2 of the amino acid. Experimental results are presented in support of some theoretical considerations.
Impact of Neutron-Induced Displacement Damage on the Multiple Bit Upset Sensitivity of a Bulk CMOS SRAM

Neutron irradiation of a multiple bit upset sensitive bulk CMOS SRAM prior to heavy ion exposure is shown to significantly increase the number of bits upset per event observed. The displacement damage induced by the neutron exposure prior to the single event experiment is shown to have little to no impact on the performance of the SRAM. However, the neutron fluence is able to induce small changes in the resistivity of the underlying silicon of the SRAM which leads to a large change in the multiple bit upset response. From the results of this experiment, critical insight into the mechanisms behind multiple bit upsets in bulk CMOS technologies is gained.
Imaging of radiation dose by visible color development in ferrous-agarose-xylenol orange gels

Imaging of radiation dose distribution in gel phantoms by magnetic resonance techniques has previously been reported. In this paper a method of producing gels in which the distributions of radiation dose can also be visualized as a color change is reported. The color developed depends qualitatively and quantitatively on the concentrations of solutes in the gel.
Transient Expression of Wild-type or Mitochondrially Targeted Bcl-2 Induces Apoptosis, whereas Transient Expression of Endoplasmic Reticulum-targeted Bcl-2 Is Protective against Bax-induced Cell Death

Bcl-2 protein family members function either to promote or inhibit programmed cell death. Bcl-2, typically an inhibitor of apoptosis, has also been demonstrated to have pro-apoptotic activity (Cheng, E. H., Kirsch, D. G., Clem, R. J., et al. (1997) Science 278, 1966-1968). The pro-apoptotic activity has been attributed to the cleavage of Bcl-2 by caspase-3, which converts Bcl-2 to a pro-apoptotic molecule. Bcl-2 is a membrane protein that is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, the outer mitochondrial membrane, and the nuclear envelope. Here, we demonstrate that transient expression of Bcl-2 at levels comparable to those found in stably transfected cells induces apoptosis in human embryonic kidney 293 cells and in the human breast cell line MDA-MB-468 cells. Furthermore, we have targeted Bcl-2 specifically to either the ER or the outer mitochondrial membrane to test whether induction of apoptosis by Bcl-2 is dependent upon its localization within either of these membranes. Our findings indicate that Bcl-2 specifically targeted to the mitochondria induces cell death, whereas Bcl-2 that is targeted to the ER does not. The expression of Bcl-2 does result in its cleavage to a 20-kDa protein; however, mutation of the caspase-3 cleavage site (D34A) does not inhibit its ability to induce cell death. Additionally, we find that transiently expressed ER-targeted Bcl-2 inhibits cell death induced by Bax overexpression. In conclusion, the ability of Bcl-2 to promote apoptosis is associated with its localization at the mitochondria. Furthermore, the ability of ER-targeted Bcl-2 to protect against Bax-induced apoptosis suggests that the ER localization of Bcl-2 may play an important role in its protective function.
Enhancing the depth of tissue microscope imaging using two-photon excitation of the second singlet state of fluorescent agents

Increasing the depth to image inside tissue is critical in biomedicine. Two-photon (2P) excitation of the second singlet (S 2 ) state of a group of fluorescent agents with near infrared emission, Chlorophyll a (Chl a ) and Indocyanine green (ICG), is used to extend the optical imaging regime of 2PM into “tissue optical window” for deep tissue penetration. The fast nonradiative from S 2 to S 1 yields both emission and absorption wavelengths in the therapeutic window. The salient feature is to place both the 2P excitation and emission wavelengths of the imaging agents falling into the “tissue optical window”. As a first step to achieve deeper optical imaging, Chl a and ICG are investigated and demonstrated as imaging agents for 2P S 2 excitation microscope image.
Plasmapheresis in Thyroxine Overdose: A Case Report

Thyrotoxicosis from an overdose of medicinal thyroid is a condition which may be associated with a significant delay in onset of toxicity. We report a case treated with plasmapheresis, and conclude that the amount of thyroid hormone removed was insignificant compared to the total ingestion. We also note that the plasma half-life of thyroxine is apparently reduced in an acute massive ingestion.
Farmers, Phantoms and Princes. The Canadian Pacific Railway and Filmmaking from 1899-1919

Le developpement des images animees coincide avec le developpement d’importantes campagnes de publicite de la compagnie de chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique. Cette compagnie a vite realise le potentiel du nouveau media et mise sut la fascination du public pour le train et le mouvement. En vue d’encourager l’immigration et l’etablissement dans l’ouest du Canada, la compagnie a mis en place un vaste systeme de promotion qui inclut l’utilisation des films. La realisation des films du Canadien Pacifique se repartit en deux grandes categories : les films destines de facon specifique a des fonctions d’education et d’information et les films a vocation de divertissement. Le Canadien Pacifique n’a pas defini au prealable le type de realisation, mais il facilita une production reliee a l’attraction commerciale de l’epoque.
STRUCTURE AND ENERGY FLOW OF A MUSSEL POPULATION IN A GEORGIA SALT MARSH1

ModioZu,s clenzissus Dillwyn was studied near Sapclo Island, Georgia. The size distribution of the mussels was bimodal with maximum numbers in the dry weight (body) classes O-24 mg and 400-599 mg. The total weight of mussels smaller than 200 mg was less than 2% of the total population weight. Random samples gave an estimated population density of 7.8/m2 for the entire inhabited marsh; the estimated organic biomass was 11.5 gm/m2, one third of which was body and two thirds was shell conchiolin. The population was most dcnsc near the heads of small creeks, averaging 32 mussels/m2. The mussels, however, were not only more abundant in some types of marsh than in others, they wcrc also clumped within arcas of uniform marsh. Shell growth occurred throughout the year, especially in small and medium-sixecl individuals, but it was more rapid during the warm months. The height-to-weight ratio changed with the seasons, the mussels being heaviest prior to spawning. Growth and mortality of mussels in flower pots in the marsh indicated a net annual population growth of 445 mg/m2 (dry body weight) and a net annual mortality loss of 1200 mg/m2. Allowance for bias would place the steady state growth-mortality rate ncccssary to just maintain the population somewhere between theso two cstimatcs. Population growth and gamete production accounted for an oncrgy flux of about 13.9 and 2.8 kg-cal/m2/yr, rcspcctivcly. Respiration by the population accounted for approximately 39 kg-cal/m2/yr, over two thirds of which took place in air during ebb tide. Total assimilation amounted to 56 kg-cal/m2/yr.
Inadvertent anesthetic overdose obscured by scavenging.

Virtues of scavenging waste anesthetic gases have been extolled and failure to scaventge condemned, although benefits of scavenging remain to be proven. It is generally assumed that elimination of waste gases is a sufficienctly benign practice that no justifiable reaspm exosts fpr fao;iretp scavenge. This may be true,but it should be pointed out that the process of scavenging may expose patients to certain hazards. some, such as pulmonary barotrauma, can probably be avoided by lusing properly designed and well maintained equipment; others may be unavoidable. We report here a death owing to anethetic overdose when liquid halothane splashed into the anesthetic circuit. The problem was obscured by the absence of a strong odor of halothane, an unavoidable consequence of scavenging.
Fluid flow and mineral reactions at high temperatures and pressures

Although fluid flows in response to differences in hydraulic head, chemical reactions occur in response to changes in fluid pressure. Depending on the flow direction, cross-sectional area, and hydraulic conductivity of the system, flow of fluids through porous media may lead to increases and/or decreases in fluid pressure along the flow path. At high temperatures corresponding to those in the supercritical region of the system H 2 O, mass transfer among minerals and aqueous fluids in hydrothermal systems is sensitive to changes in fluid pressure as well as temperature. As a consequence, mineral solubilities may both increase and decrease in the direction of fluid flow, causing development of isolated channelways and a heterogeneous distribution of secondary porosity and alteration products. For example, vertical downward flow is accompanied by increasing fluid pressure if the Darcy velocity is less than the hydraulic conductivity of the medium. Hence, for a constant flow rate an abrupt increase in cross-sectional area may lead to dissolution of quartz, but precipitation of sulphides.
Fault Tolerant Subcube Allocation in Hypercubes

The subcube allocation problem in faulty hypercubes is studied in this paper. An efficient method for forming the set of regular subcubes is proposed. A concept of irregular subcubes is then introduced to take advantage of the advanced switching techniques such as wormhole routing to increase the size of available sub cubes. In this paper, a two-phase fault tolerant subcube allocation strategy is proposed. The first phase is the re configuration process based on a modified subcube parti tioning technique which finds the set of disjoint subcubes in the faulty hypercube. The second phase is to apply an existing fault-free subcube allocation strategy such as Buddy strategy to each disjoint subcube for assigning the fault-free available subcubes to the incoming tasks. The simulation results using Buddy strategy are also given.
An efficient method for packing polygonal domains with disks for 2D discrete element simulation

The discrete element method (DEM) is frequently used in numerical simulation of the behaviour of discontinuum often encountered in granular flow, soil or rock mechanics or powder compaction. The DEM requires an assemblage of elements that need to fill the domain geometry. Generation of such arrangement of elements, such as disks in 2D DEM simulation is not a trivial task. The available methods to create the arrangements of disks can either take considerable time, have limited control over the final outcome of the disk generation or exhibit difficulty in generating a tight arrangement of disk with varying radii. This paper presents an algorithm employing principles of computational geometry to efficiently generate a tight packing of disks while addressing the common problems of disk generation. The algorithm’s performance is linear with respect to time and scales well. As a demonstration of the algorithm’s capabilities, a DEM model of an ore pass is presented.
PREPARING THE INTERNATIONAL TRAVELER

Travelers to developing countries are at risk for diseases ranging from traveler's diarrhea to malaria. Immunizations, medications, and sensible precautions can ensure a safe trip in most areas of the world. This article presents an overview of how to prepare the international traveler.
Chemistry-Based Functional Proteomics: Mechanism-Based Activity-Profiling Tools for Ubiquitin and Ubiquitin-like Specific Proteases

Determining the biological function of newly discovered gene products requires the development of novel functional approaches. To facilitate this task, recent developments in proteomics include small molecular probes that target proteolytic enzyme families including serine, threonine, and cysteine proteases. For the families of ubiquitin (Ub) and ubiquitin-like (UBL)-specific proteases, such tools were lacking until recently. Here, we review the advances made in the development of protein-based active site-directed probes that target proteases specific for ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins. Such probes were applied successfully to discover and characterize novel Ub/UBL-specific proteases. Ub/UBL processing and deconjugation are performed by a diverse set of proteases belonging to several different enzyme families, including members of the ovarian tumor domain (OTU) protease family. A further definition of this family of enzymes will benefit from a directed chemical proteomics approach. Some of the Ub/UBL-specific proteases react with multiple Ub/UBLs and members of the same protease family can recognize multiple Ub/UBLs, underscoring the need for tools that appropriately address enzyme specificity.
Publishing and querying the histories of archived relational databases in XML

There is much current interest in publishing and viewing databases as XML documents. The general benefits of this approach follow from the popularity of XML and the tool set available for visualizing and processing information encoded in this universal standard. In this paper, we explore the additional and unique benefits achieved by this approach on temporal database applications. We show that XML views combined with XQuery can provide surprisingly effective solutions to the problem of supporting historical queries on past content of database relations and their evolution. Indeed, using XML, the histories of database relations can be naturally represented by temporally grouped data models. Thus, we identify mappings from relations to XML that are most conducive to modeling and querying database histories, and show that temporal queries that would be very difficult to express in SQL can be easily expressed in standard XQuery. Then, we turn to the problem of supporting efficiently the storage and the querying of relational table histories. We present an experimental study of the pros and cons of using native XML databases, versus using traditional databases, where the XML-represented histories are supported as views on the historical tables.
Assessment of ocular perfusion after carotid endarterectomy with color-flow duplex scanning

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) on ocular perfusion with the measurement of the ophthalmic artery (OA) and the central retinal artery (CRA) flow velocities with color-flow ocular duplex scanning (ODS). Ocular hemodynamics also were examined in a subset of patients with visual symptoms in an attempt to characterize the origin of the ocular symptoms and their response to surgery. Methods: Twenty-five patients with internal carotid artery stenoses (≥70%) underwent 29 CEAs. All the patients underwent ODS for the measurement of the peak systolic velocity (PSV) in the OA and the CRA of the ipsilateral eye before and after CEA. The preoperative and postoperative flow velocities were compared in all the patients and in the patients with and without visual symptoms. Results: The preoperative PSV in the OA was 21.6 ± 2.2 cm/s and in the CRA was 7.7 ± 0.7 cm/s. These values were reduced as compared with normative values (OA, 37.8 cm/s; CRA, 10.7 cm/s). After CEA, the PSV increased significantly in both vessels (postoperative OA, 38.6 ± 2.5 cm/s, P P = .0008). Fifteen of the 29 CEAs were performed for visual symptoms. The patients with ocular symptoms had significantly lower preoperative PSVs in the CRA as compared with those patients without visual symptoms (CRA with ocular symptoms, 6.5 ± 0.8 cm/s; CRA with no ocular symptoms, 9.4 ± 0.9 cm/s; P = .02). The PSV in the OA was not significantly lower in the patients with ocular symptoms. Eight patients (28%) were found to have reversed OA flow before surgery, but only three patients had ocular symptoms. All eight patients had normal antegrade flow in the OA after surgery. Conclusion: Severe carotid stenosis may be associated with reduced ocular perfusion, which can be quantitatively evaluated with ODS. Reduced OA and CRA flow velocities are corrected with successful CEA. The patients with ocular symptoms were observed to have significant reductions in CRA flow velocities. Reversed flow in the OA was not a marker for ocular symptoms in this study. ODS can identify global ocular ischemia and may be helpful in the evaluation of patients with atypical visual symptoms or with amaurosis fugax and no evidence of retinal emboli. (J Vasc Surg 1999;29:665-71.)
Forecasting Economic Data with Neural Networks

Studies in recent years have attempted to forecast macroeconomic phenomena with neural networks reporting mixed results. This work represents an investigation of this problem using U.S. Real Gross Domestic Production and Industrial Production as case studies. This work is based on a coefficient of determination which accurately measures the ability of linear or nonlinear models to forecast economic data. The significance of our work is twofold: (1) It confirms recent work that neural networks significantly outperform linear regression due to nonlinearities inherent in the data sets, and (2) it provides a systematic approach that guarantees to find the maximum correlation between input(s) and output of interest.
Clarification of Ethanol-Positive Case Using Urine Serotonin Metabolite Ratio

This paper intends to provide investigators with information useful in determining the presence of postmortem ethanol in fatal accidents and a case history of an accident that involved postmortem alcohol formation is presented. An ethanol-positive fatal case initially reported as being from ingestion was ultimately determined to be from postmortem ethanol production using the ratio of two serotonin metabolites found in urine. This case involved a transportation accident that could have resulted in additional hardships for the victim's family through loss of compensation and reputation.
Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for active systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective. For patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are at risk of disease-related mortality, we have initiated a protocol of intensive immunosuppression and haematopoietic stem cell support. The first patient enrolled in this study was in the midst of a lupus flare manifest by nephritis and rapidly declining renal function, uncontrolled hypertension, immune-mediated cytopenias, and serositis characterized by a large pericardial effusion and abdominal pain. Antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti-double-stranded (ds) DNA and complement were abnormal. This patient is now more than 1 yr post-stem cell transplant and is taking no immunosuppressive medication. Her serologies are normal, effusions have resolved, blood pressure is normal and renal function is markedly improved. The clinical and serological course of this patient is summarized here. Methods. Autologous haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) were mobilized with cyclophosphamide (2.0 g/m 2 ) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) (10 μg/kg/day). Stem cells were enriched ex vivo using CD34-positive immunoselection and reinfused after immunosuppression with cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg) and antithymocyte globulin (ATG) (90 mg/kg). Results. White blood cell engraftment with an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of >500/μl (0.5 × 10 9 /l) and platelet engraftment with a non-transfused platelet count of >20 000/μl (20 × 10 9 /l) occurred on day 10 and 14, respectively. Therapy was complicated by a cell lysis-like effect with hyperphosphataemia, hyperuricaemia, normal anion gap metabolic acidosis and transient exacerbation of renal insufficiency. Conclusion. This is the first autologous T-cell-depleted haematopoietic stem cell transplantation performed to treat lupus in an active flare. This patient has, for the first time since disease onset (13 yr ago), entered a complete clinical and serological remission which persists at > 1 yr of follow-up. The durability of this remission is unknown.
Matrix Organization: A Social Experiment

A social experiment was used to assess the effects of matrix structure on organizational processes, role perceptions, and work attitudes. Tests of hypotheses employed a nonequivalent control group ...
Restoring Function After Spinal Cord Injury: Promoting Spontaneous Regeneration with Stem Cells and Activity-Based Therapies

Although neural regeneration is an active research field today, no current treatments can aid regeneration after spinal cord injury. This article reviews the feasibility of spinal cord repair and provides an overview of the range of strategies scientists are taking toward regeneration. The major focus of this article is the future role of stem cell transplantation and similar rehabilitative restorative approaches designed to optimize spontaneous regeneration by mobilizing endogenous stem cells and facilitating other cellular mechanisms of regeneration, such as axonal growth and myelination.
Control system design for steady state operation and mode switching of an engine with cylinder deactivation

Over the past decades, government legislations have placed increasingly stringent standard on numerous aspects of automotive performance; with safety and exhaust emissions being two of the most dramatically affected. Fuel economy standards (passenger car CAFE), however, have not increased since 1986. Present standards are likely to increase; either based on carbon dioxide global warming concerns, pressures to reduce crude oil consumption. Competitive industry trends may force fuel economy improvement at an even quicker pace. In the present paper cylinder deactivation improvement of engine efficiency is examined. The nature of cylinder deactivation technology and stringent operational requirements leads to significant updates and additions to conventional IC engine controller strategy. Areas significantly affected are, engine mode selection, engine mode transition, torque to air-change (electronic throttle control etc.), and variable cam timing (VCT) scheduling. Improvements to these areas focus not only on controller performance, but also on calibration efficiency.
Righting the Medical Record: Transforming Chronicle Into Story

Narratives of illness in medical records and case presentations in teaching hospitals say surprisingly little about an important matter: what patients understand and feel. Nowadays, medical narratives tend to neglect or objectify subjective experience, including symptoms. Such narratives concentrate, in the manner of chronicles, on events in the exterior, objective world rather than the interior world of the sick. Medical students and physicians will construct more balanced accounts of human illness once they envision these accounts as "story," a form of narrative that traditionally accesses subjective experience as well as objective events. One can effectively begin the process of transforming medical chronicles into stories simply by asking patients what they know and how they feel about their situation and by documenting the response, using some of the patient's words, in the history of present illness. These actions will identify and preserve important information, facilitate empathy in all care givers who hear or read the history, and signal to everyone the physician's serious interest in patients as persons. Getting the voice of the patient into the history of present illness will not only help to right the medical record, but also help to right the relationship of physician and patient. ( JAMA 1988;260:823-825)
Analog Path for Triple Band WCDMA Polar Modulated Transmitter in 90nm CMOS

We present a fully integrated analog path for a 3 G polar transmitter in 90 nm CMOS. It includes a quad band Digitally Controlled Oscillator providing modulation for the phase data and a single stage Digital Pre-Power Amplifier that combines the phase and amplitude signals while providing the dynamic range for WCDMA. The chip, with integrated LDOs, consumes 60 mA from a 1.4 V supply while providing 11 dBm CW power at 1950 MHz, 87 dB dynamic range without any calibration, and PN of -157 dBc/Hz at 40 MHz.
Metabolic regulation of the K(ATP) and a maxi-K(V) channel in the insulin-secreting RINm5F cell

K channels in the cell membrane of the insulin-secreting RINm5F cell line were studied using the patch-clamp technique in cell-attached patch mode. With 140 mM K in the pipette, two channels displaying different conductive and kinetics properties were observed. A voltage-independent, inward-rectifying, 55-pS channel was active at rest (no glucose, -70 mV), but was almost completely inhibited by 5 mM glucose. A 140-pS channel was seen in the absence of glucose only after cell membrane depolarization with high (30 mM) K. This channel was voltage dependent, with a linear slope conductance between -60 and +60 mV, and was completely inhibited only by greater than 15 mM glucose. The former channel we identify as an ATP-sensitive channel previously described in excised patches and refer to it as the K(ATP) channel. The latter, because of its large conductance and voltage-dependent kinetics, will be referred to as the maxi-K(V) channel, adopting a nomenclature previously used to classify highly conductive K channels (Latorre, R., and C. Miller, 1983, Journal of Membrane Biology, 71:11-30). In addition to glucose, mannose and 2-ketoisocaproate, which also initiate insulin secretion and electrical activity in the islet beta cell, reduced the activity of both the K(ATP) and the maxi-K(V) channel. Lactate and arginine, which potentiate but do not initiate insulin secretion or beta cell electrical activity in normal islets, each caused a large reduction in maxi-K(V) channel activity, without consistently affecting the activity of K(ATP) channels. Another agonist that potentiates insulin secretion and electrical activity in normal cells, the tumor-promoting phorbol ester TPA, blocked maxi-K(V) channel activity while stimulating the activity of the K(ATP) channel, thereby implicating phosphorylation in the control of channel activity. These results indicate that metabolic substrates that initiate electrical activity and insulin secretion in normal beta cells reduce the activity of both the K(ATP) and the maxi-K(V) channel, while potentiating agents reduce only the maxi-K(V) channel. The possible role of these two channels in the processes of initiation and potentiation of the beta cell response is discussed.
Adsorption and capillary condensation in porous media: Liquid retention and interfacial configurations in angular pores

Conventional models of liquid distribution, flow, and solute transport in partially saturated porous media are limited by the representation of media pore space as a bundle of cylindrical capillaries (BCC). Moreover, the capillary model ignores the dominant contribution of adsorptive surface forces and liquid films at low potentials. We propose two new complementary elements for improving our understanding of liquid configuration in porous media: (1) an approach for considering the individual contributions of adsorptive and capillary forces to the matric potential and (2) a more realistic model for pore space geometry. Modern interface science formalism is applied to determine the thickness of adsorbed liquid films as a function of thermodynamic conditions and specific surface area of the medium. The augmented Young-Laplace (AYL) equation provided the necessary framework for combining adsorptive and capillary processes. A new pore space geometry composed of an angular pore cross section (for capillary processes) connected to slit-shaped spaces with internal surface area (for adsorption processes) offers a more realistic representation of natural porous media with explicit consideration of surface area (absent in the standard BCC model). Liquid-vapor configuration, saturation, and liquid-vapor interfacial area were calculated for different potentials and pore (unit cell) dimensions. Pore dimensions may be easily related to measurable soil properties such as specific surface area and porosity. Rigorous calculations based on the AYL equation were simplified and led to the development of algebraic expressions relating saturation and interfacial area of liquid in the proposed pore space geometry to chemical potential. These simple expressions are amenable to upscaling procedures similar to those presently used with the BCC model.
Comparing different disassembly strategies

In this paper, the authors present an AHP (analytic hierarchy process) approach to evaluating various disassembly strategies for a product take-back program. They establish criteria such as labor costs, transportation costs, and pollution to distinguish between the environmental costs to the society and the costs to the firm. Disassembly strategies are then compared with respect to those criteria. An example from an electronics company is used.
More Dollars than Sense: Refining Our Knowledge of Development Finance Using AidData

Summary. — In this introductory essay to the special issue, we introduce a new dataset of foreign assistance, AidData, that covers more bilateral and multilateral donors and more types of aid than existing datasets while also improving project-level information about the purposes and activities funded by aid. We utilize that data to provide a brief overview of important trends in foreign aid. Contributors to this special issue draw on AidData as well as other sources to analyze aid transparency, “new” donors (not previously described or analyzed), aid allocation, and aid effectiveness. Our recurring theme in this introductory essay is that AidData and these initial academic projects refine rather than revolutionize our understanding of aid. The database has added significant numbers of new projects, dollar amounts, donors, and details about those projects, though there is much more yet to add. We worry that aid debates have been driven by too little information, and that many claims are based on limited or very poor evidence. Rectifying these problems will not be instantaneous: refining knowledge takes a lot of time and hard work. The common feature of the papers in this special issue is their careful attention to nuance and detail. In spite of what some recent authors have claimed, aid is neither a simple solution nor a sufficient cause of most problems in developing countries; its motivations, distribution, and effects are complex, and shifting. Capturing this complexity requires detailed data, careful thought, and sophisticated methods that allow scholars to make conditional causal and descriptive inferences. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Real Effect of Warm-Cool Colors

Abstract The phenomenon of warmer colors appearing nearer in depth toviewers than cooler colors has been studied extensively by psy-chologists and other vision researchers. The vast majority of thesestudies have asked human observers to view physically equidistant,colored stimuli and compare them for relative depth. However, inmost cases, the stimuli presented were rather simple: straight col-ored lines, uniform color patches, point light sources, or symmet-rical objects with uniform shading. Additionally, the colors usedwere typically highly saturated. Although such stimuli are use-ful in isolating and studying depth cues in certain contexts, theyleave open the question of whether the human visual system oper-atessimilarlyforrealisticobjects. Thispaperpresentstheresultsofan experiment designed to explore the color-depth relationship forrealistic, colored objects with varying shading and contours.CR Categories: I.4.8 [Image Processing and Computer Vision]:Scene Analysis—Depth CuesKeywords: depth perception, depth cues, warm-cool colors
Demineralization of Bone by Phosphoprotein Phosphatase

Because of recent observations of the demineralization of enamel by phosphoprotein phosphatase, an experiment was designed to test this enzyme on bone. Decided destruction was evident in bone fragments that were incubated with phosphoprotein phosphatase buffered to pH 5.8 with 0.1 M acetate for periods of up to 15 hours.
Technical Section: Consistent segmentation of 3D models

This paper proposes a method to segment a set of models consistently. The method simultaneously segments models and creates correspondences between segments. First, a graph is constructed whose nodes represent the faces of every mesh, and whose edges connect adjacent faces within a mesh and corresponding faces in different meshes. Second, a consistent segmentation is created by clustering this graph, allowing for outlier segments that are not present in every mesh. The method is demonstrated for several classes of objects and used for two applications: symmetric segmentation and segmentation transfer.
Can It Really Work? Problems with Extending EINSTEIN 3 to Critical Infrastructure

In 2004 the increasing number of attacks on U.S. federal civilian agency computer systems caused the government to begin an active effort to protect federal civilian agencies against cyber intrusions. This classified program, EINSTEIN, sought to do real-time, or near real-time, automatic collection, correlation, and analysis of computer intrusion information as a first step in protecting federal civilian agency computer systems. EINSTEIN grew into a series of programs, EINSTEIN, EINSTEIN 2, and EINSTEIN 3, all based on intrusion-detection and intrusion-prevention systems (IDS and IPS). Then there was public discussion of extending the EINSTEIN system to privately held critical infrastructure.Extending an EINSTEIN-like program to the private sector raises serious technical and managerial issues. Scale matters, as do the different missions of the private sector and the public one. Expanding EINSTEIN-type technology to critical infrastructure is complicated by the complex legal and regulatory landscapes for such systems. There are simply fundamental differences between communication networks supporting the U.S. federal government and those supporting the private-sector critical infrastructures that create serious difficulties in attempting to extend EINSTEIN-type technologies beyond the federal sector. This paper examines the technology's limitations, pointing out the problems involved in expanding EINSTEIN beyond its original mandate.
Analogical Dialogue Acts: Supporting Learning by Reading Analogies

Analogy is heavily used in written explanations, particularly in instructional texts. We introduce the concept of analogical dialogue acts (ADAs) which represent the roles utterances play in instructional analogies. We describe a catalog of such acts, based on ideas from structure-mapping theory. We focus on the operations that these acts lead to while understanding instructional texts, using the Structure-Mapping Engine (SME) and dynamic case construction in a computational model. We test this model on a small corpus of instructional analogies, expressed in simplified English, which were understood via a semiautomatic natural language system using analogical dialogue acts. The model enabled a system to answer questions after understanding the analogies that it was not able to answer without them.