cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of enhanced recovery after surgery in perioperative treatment of type I biliary dilatation in children

Objective To study the clinical value of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in the perioperative treatment of type Ⅰ (Todami, 1975) biliary dilatation (BD) of children. Methods To retrospectively analyze the data of children with type Ⅰ BD who were treated in the General Surgery Department of Zhengzhou Children's Hospital from June 2014 to May 2018. A total of twenty children with type Ⅰ BD treated with ERAS and 20 children treated with the traditional method in our department were selected in this study using the random number table method. Postoperative indicators (including operation time, first defecation time, changes in amylase in blood and abdominal cavity exudates, length of hospital stay, and hospitalization fee) and relevant postoperative complications (including sore throat, nausea and vomiting, urethral pain, upper respiratory tract infection, incision wound infection, adhesive intestinal obstruction, anastomotic leakage and pancreatic fistula) of the ERAS group and the control group were compared. Results The first defecation time, length of hospital stay and hospitalization fee were significantly lower in the ERAS group than the control group (all P 0.05). Conclusions ERAS for type I BD surgery was safe and reliable in children. It effectively promoted recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function and reduced the incidence of complications. Key words: Choledochal cyst; Postoperative complications; Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS); Child
The use of supraglottic airway vs tracheal tube for endoscopic nasal sinus surgery

Abstract Background The purpose of this study is to find whether supraglottic devices (SGD) have some advantages over tracheal intubation for a group of patients undergoing nasal sinus surgery. Since its invention, the supraglottic airway has revolutionized anesthetic practice. It is being used extensively for patients’ airway management and can have a positive effect on induction time, and patients’ airway stimulation, both at induction and during emergence from anesthesia. Methods With Institutional Review Board approval, 98 patients were enrolled in the study, excluding those with a history of prior gastric surgery, history of aspiration pneumonia, gastroparesis, patient-stated history of gastroesophageal reflux when lying supine, or a given history of hiatal hernia. Patients received either an endotracheal tube or a supraglottic airway for airway management during their sinus procedures. All patients were maintained with general anesthesia. Study design Non-randomized, prospective. Results No Patients exhibited clinical signs of aspiration. There were no instances of oxygen desaturation. All patients were discharged home as planned and there were no hospital admissions. Conclusions Advantages of the SGD are that it is easy to insert, and does not require muscle relaxants or laryngoscopy for placement. Hemodynamic and stress responses associated with both laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation are avoided. Environmental inhalational gas exposure is comparable to the use of an endotracheal tube. There is also lower reported incidence of coughing, laryngospasm and breath holding. In the SGD, anesthetic requirement for tolerating the airway is less than with an endotracheal tube. An endotracheal tube in the airway at the time of emergence is a stimulus for coughing, which can provoke nasal bleeding, and which is important to avoid in sinonasal operations. In this sample of data, there was no difference in airway irritation between the two methods of maintaining the airway. The use of a supraglottic airway or laryngeal mask airway device was comparable in maintaining the airway during sinus surgeries in this sample of data. There were no differences in outcomes for the variables studied.
A Pyramid-Type (PT) Multilevel Converter Topology

This paper proposes a Pyramid-Type (PT) topology for multilevel power converters. The phase-leg of a PT-structure is comprised of half-bridge modules, as the main power electronics building blocks (PEBBs), that are connected in a pyramid form. The proposed PT-arrangement is primarily used to interconnect and tie the distinct and/or same types of 2-level and/or multilevel inverters together. The PEBBs are realized by the soft-switching low-frequency semiconductor devices such that the two switches of each half-bridge module turn on concurrently during voltage-level transitions. This is achieved through elimination of switching dead-time, and including an overlap into gate signals. This results in zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) or zero-current-switching (ZCS) phenomena for switches within the PEBBs. The utilization of PT-topology for interconnection of converters leads to new configurations. This paper reviews the PT-based derived topologies, and explores the advantages. For instance, a 3-level inverter topology, as the simplest structure, is investigated in this paper. The PT-topology is verified using the experimental results obtained from the prototype of a 3-level inverter formed by interconnection of two 2-level inverters via one PEBB.
Effects of knock intensity measurement technique and fuel chemical composition on the research octane number (RON) of FACE gasolines: Part 1 – Lambda and knock characterization

Abstract The Research and Motor Octane Number (RON and MON) rate the knock propensity of gasoline in the Cooperative Fuel Research (CFR) engine by comparing the knock intensity of sample fuels relative to that of primary reference fuels (PRF), a binary blend of iso-octane and n-heptane. Important differences exist between standard octane testing and automotive spark ignition (SI) engine knock testing including speed, load, air-to-fuel equivalence ratio (lambda), and knock characterization, which lead to a discrepancy between a fuel’s RON rating and its knock resistance characterized on an automotive SI engine based on knock-limited spark advance. This is the first of a set of three publications which modify operating parameters of the RON test method (ASTM D2699) to investigate the effects of these differences with automotive SI engine knock-limited spark advance testing. A fuel’s standard RON is evaluated at the lambda of the highest knock intensity, whereas automotive SI engines typically operate at stoichiometry. This study analyzes the effects of a stoichiometric RON rating methodology. Additionally, the knock intensity response from the standard CFR knockmeter system is compared to a cylinder pressure oscillation-based knock intensity at several lambda settings. All experiments were performed with a set of seven Coordinating Research Council (CRC) Fuels for Advanced Combustion Engines (FACE) gasolines with approximately 95 RON. The fuel chemical composition impacted the lambda of the highest knock intensity, which resulted in fuel-specific offsets between the standard and stoichiometric RON ratings. The knock system comparison showed significant offsets between cylinder pressure-based and knockmeter-based knock intensity levels.
Differences in computer use for entertainment between boys and girls: Evidence from a global survey

Abstract In this exploratory study we analyzed the difference between boys and girls in computer use for entertainment related tasks at home using nationally representative samples of 15 year old students from 43 economies including both OECD and non-OECD member states. Even though there were substantial cross country variations, our results indicate presence of systematic gender based differences in frequency of computer use at home for entertainment related tasks with the mean frequency of use of boys exceeding that of girls for most tasks. By using an identical set of items, and a uniform sample selection procedure across all sampled countries our analytical procedures provide stronger evidence of cross country gender based differences in computer use for entertainment at home, as compared to evidence obtained from samples based on non-uniform sets of items and sampling procedures.
Electoral rules and party nomination strategies in ethnically cleaved societies

Abstract The behavior of political parties in transitional elections is a singularly important element in a successful democratic transition. In ethnically cleaved countries, the actions taken by political parties in transitional elections can have especially longstanding consequences for future political conflict. This article examines the impact of a particularly unique electoral experiment in Eastern Europe, the single transferable vote system (STV) in Estonia, on the nominating strategies of different types of political parties (the multi-ethnic Popular Front of Estonia—PFE; the non-ethnic Communist Party of Estonia—CPE; and the ethnically based Russian Party—OSTK) in the initial republic-wide legislative elections held on March 18, 1990. A basic analysis is conducted to test the effects of varying district magnitude (a characteristic of STV), ethnic composition of electoral districts, and the “gate-keeper” effect exerted by structured political parties on transitional party nomination strategies in the Estonian election of 1990. Contrary to existing literature on STV, varying district magnitude did not have a great effect on the nominating strategies of either large parties or ethnically particular ones. Moreover, little in the way of gate-keeper effect was exercised by the communist party on the ethnicallyparticular nominating strategy of the Russian OSTK.
Pacing Stress Echocardiography

High-rate pacing is a valid stress test to be used in conjunction with echocardiography; it is independent of physical exercise and does not require drug administration. It has evolved over the last 35 years, starting from an invasive (intravenous) right atrial pacing modality combined with an ionizing imaging technique such as radionuclide ventriculography [1], moving to a semi-invasive modality combined with two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography, using a transnasal [2] or transoral [3] catheter for transesophageal left atrial pacing, and finally evolving to a totally noninvasive modality with external programming in patients with a permanent pacemaker for right atrial or ventricular pacing [4].
Radicalizing Democratic Education: Unity and Dissent in Wartime

In the summer of 2002, Israeli students took their final exams toward a high-school diploma. At seventeen or eighteen, just before gaining their voting rights and beginning their military service, the civic studies exam confronted them with the question: “explain why conscientious objection is subversive.” With the stroke of a pen, decades of democratic deliberation on the balance between conscience and compliance, between majority rule and minority dissent, were eradicated. The students were presented with the conclusion, veiling a demand to condemn soldiers who refuse to serve in the occupied territories. At a culminating point of their civic education, they were expected to explain why opposing the decisions of a democratic government, in the context of war, is treacherous. Comments This article was originally published as Sigal Ben-Porath, "Radicalizing Democratic Education: Unity and Dissent in Wartime," in Philosophy of Education 2003, ed. Kal Alston (Urbana, Illinois: Philosophy of Education Society, 2004), 245-253. Reprinted by permission of the Philosophy of Education Society. NOTE: At the time of the publication, author Sigal R. Ben-Porath was affilicated with Princeton University. Currently (December 2006), she is a faculty member at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. This journal article is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/gse_pubs/25 245 Sigal R. Ben Porath P H I L O S O P H Y O F E D U C A T I O N 2 0 0 3 Radicalizing Democratic Education: Unity and Dissent in Wartime
A comparison of planarization properties of TEOS and SiH/sub 4/ PECVD oxides

TEOS and SiH/sub 4/ PECVD films were deposited over patterned polysilicon in a parallel plate batch reactor. Both films were then etched using an etchback planarization process. Deposition and etch uniformity and quality were compared using optical thickness measurements and SEM (scanning electron microscope) cross sections. Electrical yield was also calculated for contact strings using each type of oxide. Nitrous oxide and oxygen were compared as reactants with TEOS. The use of O/sub 2/ gave the best TEOS product wafer deposition uniformity, 13.3% (3 sigma ). Overall uniformity for SiH/sub 4/ PECVD product wafers was 15.5% (3 sigma ). Etch uniformity was 5.0% (3 sigma ) for TEOS compared to 17.0% (3 sigma ) for SiH/sub 4/ films. TEOS step coverage before and after the etch was superior to SiH/sub 4/. >
The Relationship Between Social Stress and Substance Use Among Black Youths Residing in South Florida

Prior research has produced what, at surface, appears to be paradoxical findings regarding race/ethnic differences in the relationship between social stress and substance use. Despite exposure to higher levels of stress and adversity, Blacks are less likely to report drug use compared to their White counterparts, suggesting that their stress exposure may be unrelated to substance use. We revisit this issue by analyzing data from a South Florida-based sample of 426 male youths. Using multiple group analyses, results indicate that stress exposure increases risk of drug use for Blacks and Whites; however, the magnitude of these linkages varied by race. We find that stress exposure was related to substance use among Black youths, and that these linkages explained more variance in alcohol and marijuana use compared to White youths. Findings suggest a continued effort in the development and implementation of social interventions aimed at reducing the environmental and social structural correlates of adolescent ...
Parkfield, California, earthquake of June 27, 1966: A three-dimensional moving dislocation

Recordings from five strong-motion accelerograph stations have been used to derive a three-dimensional dislocation model for the Parkfield Earthquake. The model consists of a buried fault which extends from a depth of 3 km to a depth of 9 km below the ground surface. It appears from the analysis, which considers various fault lengths, that the zone of significant faulting was the 20-km-long northwestern section of the fault. The rupture velocity has been found to be between 2.4 and 2.5 km/sec and the dislocation amplitudes have been found to be about 120 cm. There have been comparisons made of the model results with geodetic data on static deformations and creep measurements following the event. In contrast with several other source mechanism studies of the Parkfield event, this model yields a picture which appears to be very consistent with both the dynamic strong-motion measurements as well as the available geodetic and creep data.
Experiences of women in obtaining human immunodeficiency virus testing and healthcare services.

Purpose: Over a decade ago, the U.S. Public Health Service recommended routine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing for pregnant women. Despite this recommendation, nearly 30% of pregnant women report not being tested. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe personal experiences of women in obtaining HIV testing and healthcare services in east Texas. Data sources: A secondary data analysis was conducted using audiotapes and transcriptions from structured group interview data obtained from HIV-positive and high-risk negative women residing in east Texas (n = 64). Conclusions: Content analysis revealed three patterns: living with stigma; struggling to be healthy; and getting along, day by day. Additional findings indicated that women are more likely to access HIV testing if they are assured of confidentiality and women living with HIV are more likely to remain in the healthcare system if healthcare professionals are supportive, knowledgeable, and nonjudgmental. Implications for practice: Healthcare professionals must engage in self-reflection to conscientiously uncover their true feelings related to caring for women with or at risk for HIV disease. Once providers acknowledge that their beliefs and values differ from their clients, they will be able to minimize personal biases that interfere with HIV testing and healthcare services.
Disability on campus: a perspective from faculty and staff

Objective To identify employee perceptions regarding disability-related workplace issues in Institutions of Higher Education (IHE). Participants Faculty and staff (N=1,144) at a large, Midwestern university. Methods A voluntary on-line survey of disability-related employment issues was developed by the university's Chancellor's Committee of Persons with Disabilities. Item responses were analyzed using descriptive and Pearson chi-square statistical methods. Results Fifteen percent of faculty and staff respondents were found to have disabilities, with 26% reporting experience of job discrimination, and 20% reporting harassment because of their disability. Results indicated significant differences on gender, employment standing (i.e., faculty or staff) and disability status (i.e., with or without a disability), in regard to perceptions of disability acceptance, campus accessibility, disability awareness, ADA policy, and knowledge of work accommodation procedures. Conclusions Recommendations for IHEs are provided to promote a welcoming and inclusive campus that ultimately supports work success for persons with a disability.
The Z-band lattice in a slow skeletal muscle

Structural features of the Z-lattice were examined in cross-sections of rat soleus muscle. Optical diffraction analysis of individual myofilament bundles revealed highly ordered, tightly packed tetragonal lattice regions with abrupt shifts in orientation. Optical reconstructions of cross-sections of the Z-lattice in regions having the same axial filament spacing showed both the basket weave and the small square lattice forms, as well as intermediate structures. Analysis of these regions in three dimensions and in two-dimensional projections suggests that a change in diameter together with a change in curvature of the cross-connecting filaments can explain the different appearances of the Z-lattice at a given sarcomere length.
THE APPLICABILITY OF BAYESIAN STATISTICS IN AUDITING

The basic purpose of this study was the investigation of the usefulness of Bayesian statistical techniques to problems of estimation in the field of auditing. By using subjective probabilities the auditor can explicitly bring prior knowledge to bear on his problem by incorporating his feelings in the sampling process and thus obtain an efficient method by which refined estimates can be obtained. The results of the study strongly support the premise that the auditor can obtain superior results from the Bayesian model in estimating unknown quantities as opposed to those obtained through either the non-statistical approach or the classical statistical approach.
Hazardous terrain and over the edge: The survival of HIV-positive heterosexual, minority men

The purpose of this study was to describe and explore the experience and perceptions of heterosexual, minority men living with and surviving HIV infection. This descriptive, exploratory qualitative study used in-depth interviews that were guided by Rosenstock's health belief model and Ajzen's theory of planned behavior. A purposive sample of 18 HIV-positive heterosexual, minority men were accrued from an outpatient HIV/AIDS clinic in upstate New York and a community-based AIDS service organization in New York City. The findings revealed that the experience of surviving HIV infection encompassed several stages. The men of this study described the choices they made in adolescence that led them down a trial of life that may be metaphorically described as “hazardous terrain,” as the majority became involved in substance use or other illicit activities. With the diagnosis of HIV infection came a “Falling Off” stage, in which the participants went “over the edge” and initially were afraid to die but realized at this point that they were okay but vulnerable. The next stage was “Hanging On”, in which they attempted to gain control, reevaluated priorities, and developed a new perspective on life and health. In the “Pulling Up” stage, participants realized that the rescue team included self, God, family, and friends, with selfrescue occurring on emotional, physical, and spiritual levels. As the participants reached the “Turning Around” stage, they began to accept responsibility for their health, focused on their abilities rather than their limitations, and reframed their perspectives to living with rather than dying from HIV infection. This study has implications for health-education programs, AIDS prevention, health assessment, and interventions for HIV-positive, heterosexual, minority men.
Establishing the effects of post-harvest treatment on fresh market papayas by response surface methodology

Using response surface methodology, a mathematical relationship between process time and process temperature for papaya post-harvest decay control treatments is developed. For any selected temperature, the equation defines the process time which will have the same effect on subsequent fruit colouring as the existing standard treatment of 120°F and 20 min.
Diagnostics of atmospheric pressure microwave generated micro-plasma by using optical emission spectroscopy

Portable low-cost microplasma sources received interest in the past decade due to their various applications including materials processing, biomedical and chemical analysis, and optical radiation sources.[1–5] In particular, for atmospheric pressure microwave microplasmas that do not require vacuum systems, it is possible to realize 3D motion operation and portable lower-cost operation. Further, by using higher frequency energy (radio frequency and microwave) to power the microplasma discharge, non-LTE (non-local thermodynamic equilibrium) plasmas have the advantage of reducing the erosion of electrodes and also producing high power density plasmas with reasonably low power consumption.
An unusual mitochondrial DNA plasmid in the genus Brassica

Mitochondria of flowering plants contain a diverse collection of small circular and linear plasmid-Iike molecules1–11 that replicate autonomously from the highly complex and variable chromosomal genome12,13. Much interest and research has focused on two sequence elements, present in the mitochondrion as linear autonomous replicons in certain cytoplasmic male sterile (cms) lines of corn1–3 and sorghum8,9, which in the case of corn are found to be integrated in the mitochondrial chromosome in normal and spontaneously revertant fertile lines14–16. We describe here an extrachromosomal, plasmid-like DNA species found in the mitochondria of certain spedes of the genus Brassica. Its properties include the following: (1) the plasmid, found thus far only in the diploid spedes Brassica campestris and the allotetraploid Brassica napus, is phylogenetically distributed across a group of 20 Brassica cytoplasms in a manner suggesting its loss or gain on multiple independent occasions. (2) The copy number of the plasmid varies ∼100-fold in those accessions where it is found—from 1/10 to 10 times that of the main mitochondrial genome. (3) The plasmid is 11.3 kilobase pairs (kbp) in size, is linear in conformation, has no detectable internal repeats and is highly conserved in nucleotide sequence. (4) The presence and abundance of the plasmid show a strong association with cytoplasmic male sterility. (5) The plasmid shows no homology to chromosomal mitochondrial DNA from any of the Brassica accessions examined, nor is it homologous to the linear S1 and S2 mitochondrial plasmids found in S-cms cytoplasms of corn.
Physics-based analytical model for high-voltage bidirectional GaN transistors using lateral GaN power HEMT

A bidirectional switching GaN transistor, PCB-packaged using commercially available high voltage power GaN HEMTs (200V, 3A) from EPC, has been modeled and characterized. A physics-based FET model, originally developed by Statz for short-channel GaAs MESFET, has been adapted to model both static and switching characteristics of both the constituent HEMT and the bidirectional switch up to 125°C. We have found that the Statz model is superior to conventional short-channel MOSFET models due to the mixed pentode-triode on-state I-V characteristics of the EPC GaN HEMT. The bidirectional GaN transistor exhibits linear operation as well as bidirectional current saturation, offering low on-state resistance along with current limiting capabilities.
31Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of tissue specific changes in high energy phosphates before and after sertraline treatment of geriatric depression.

Introduction We investigated tissue specific differences in markers of energy metabolism, including high energy phosphate compounds (beta and total NTP, PCr) and pH, in older adults with depression compared with healthy controls, before and after a 12-week treatment trial of sertraline. Methods Thirteen older adults, age ≥55, with Major Depressive Disorder (HAMD17 score of ≥18) were recruited along with ten age-matched controls. The depression subjects had a pre- and post-treatment 4T 31P-MRS scan using a three-dimensional chemical shift imaging sequence. The extracted brain images were segmented into white matter (WM), gray matter (GM) and CSF. A linear mixed effects model analyzed the effects of pre-treatment and post-treatment depression on phosphorus metabolite concentration estimates (including calculated pH and Mg++). Results Total tissue beta-NTP (−8%, t(18.66) = 3.50; p = 0.0024) and total tissue total NTP (−6%, t(17.41) = 2.68; p = 0.0156) were lower in subjects with geriatric depression compared with healthy controls. Total tissue levels of total-NTP changed significantly with treatment (−2%, t(14.84) = −2.47; p = 0.0259). Total NTP was reduced in the WM, but not the GM, in the pre-treatment depression group (t(51.65) = 4.02; p = 0.0002). Intracellular pH was higher in the GM of subjects with pre-treatment depression (t(1133.84) = −2.10; p = 0.0353) and decreased to approximate control levels after treatment (t(648.86) = −2.53; p = 0.0115). Discussion These findings demonstrate bioenergetic changes including tissue specific differences in 31P-MRS metabolites in geriatric depression. Decreased white matter total NTP may reflect alterations in white matter function. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
THE PITFALLS OF MEASURING DNA SYNTHESIS KINETICS AS EXEMPLIFIED IN ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION STUDIES.

Abstract 1. 1. Previous reports on the effect of ultraviolet irradiation on the incorporation of radioactive precursors of DNA by bacteria have presented the data as linear plots of counts/min vs. time. Using this type of plot one only obtains the apparent rate of DNA synthesis in bacterial cultures because the slope of these curves depends in part upon trivial parameters such as the initial viable cell number and the specific activity of the radioactive precursor. The true rate of DNA synthesis only depends upon the DNA content per cell and their generation time. Examples are given to demonstrate that linear plots can lead to erroneous conclusions concerning DNA syn thesis kinetics. 2. 2. We recommend a new protocol for studying the effect of radiation (and other agents) on macromolecular synthesis kinetics which circumvents the pitfalls inherent in previous methods: (1) use mutants requiring the labeled precursor ( e.g. , thymine), prelabel the cells and keep the radioactivity present after irradiation (equivalent to the direct chemical determination of DNA); (2) plot the data as log counts/min vs. time (DNA synthesis is an exponential function in bacteria); and (3) determine the kinetics of cell growth at the same time aliquots are taken for the determination of incorporated radioactivity (one may then hope to deduce the biological relevance of the observed synthesis). The advantages of this protocol over previous methods are documented and discussed with special emphasis on the measurement of the extent of delay in DNA synthesis in radiation-resistant bacteria as a function of dose of ultraviolet radiation.
Effects of chlorothiazide and amipramizide (MK 870) on the renal excretion of calcium, phosphate and magnesium.

Abstract Following the administration of a high priming and sustaining infusion of Chlorothiazide to dogs undergoing a diuresis, there was an increase in phosphate and ultrafilterable calcium clearance in spite of a fall in filtered load, while ultrafilterable magnesium did not change. When a dose four times lower was given to hydropenic dogs, the filtered load of magnesium and ultrafilterable magnesium clearance remained constant and clearance of phosphate and ultrafilterable calcium increased. Although Amipramizide increased the clearance of ultrafilterable calcium and magnesium, the change was not significant and phosphate clearance was not affected. A good correlation between the clearance of ultrafilterable calcium and that of sodium was found in all experiments, thus confirming previous reports suggesting that both ions are related in their renal tubular transport. The apparent discrepancy of these findings with other studies in which oral and intravenous Chlorothiazide decreased urinary calcium can be explained by postulating that the effects are related to the dosage used, the previous state of hydration, the replenishment of the urinary losses, and changes in filtered load.
Inertial theories for dilute viscoelastic polymer blends with a volume preserving microstructure

Abstract The rheology, microstructure, and non-Newtonian fluid mechanics of dilute immiscible polymer blends are investigated. To derive thermodynamically consistent flow equations for these materials, the Hamiltonian framework of non-equilibrium Thermodynamics is adopted. For a given set of non-equilibrium variables, this formalism allows to derive a set of local rate equations from a Poisson bracket, a dissipation bracket, and a Hamiltonian functional. Flow equations for polymer blends with inertia are developed and the theory is reduced to a set of flow equations without inertia. Furthermore, the viscosity coefficients of the non-inertial theory (coarser level of description) are expressed in terms of the viscosity coefficients of the inertial theory (finer level of description). It is shown that non-equilibrium Thermodynamics allows to derive local rate equations for materials as complex as polymer blends and that non-equilibrium Thermodynamics allows to coarse or fine grain between several levels of description. Finally, it is explained how the flow equations derived herein can be applied to describe polymer blend flow and single droplet deformation in flow geometries which are so small to influence the microstructural dynamics and in particular the droplet dynamics in polymer blends.
The Marginalizing Rhetoric of Nationalism

"popular" culture, about how music with preindustrial roots got reworked to give voice to urban, industrial experience. We learn here about the potential of mass media as a resource for mobilization, thereby complicating our sense that such media are simply resources for corporate hegemony. At the same time, we see how much potential for local democracy has been lost by the capturing of broadcasting by national structures. This observation is of more than historical interest: We are once again in the midst of struggles for local autonomy in a variety of media spheres. The textile workers story transforms our understanding of the functions of organization and leadership in social movements. This case suggests that opening up channels of communication and freeing the initiative of indigenous leaders can be far more effective than the work of professional organizers and established organizations in enabling collective action. The story told here ought to stimulate a research agenda aimed at specifying the conditions that encourage self-organization and bottom-up creativity. Finally, this story asks us to reexamine conventional wisdom about southern white
Aiming to Overthrow the State (Without Using the State): Political Opportunities for Anarchist Movements

AbstractThe anarchist movement utilizes non-statist and anti-statist strategies for radical social transformation, thus indicating the limits of political opportunity theory and its emphasis upon the state. Using historical narratives from present-day anarchist movement literature, we note various events and phenomena in the last two centuries and their relevance to the mobilization and demobilization of anarchist movements throughout the world (Bolivia, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Greece, Japan, Venezuela). Labor movement allies, failing state socialism, and punk subculture have provided conditions conducive to anarchism, while state repression and Bolshevik success in the Soviet Union constrained success. This variation suggests that future work should attend more closely to the role of national context, and the interrelationship of political and non-political factors.
Dasatinib promotes ATRA-induced differentiation of AML cells

Dasatinib is a US Food and Drug Administration-approved compound that was developed as an inhibitor of ABL and Src family kinases (SFKs).1 Dasatinib is substantially more potent than imatinib against wild-type BCR–ABL. Moreover, with the exception of the T315I mutant, dasatinib retains activity against most imatinib-resistant BCR–ABL mutants, helping to explain the effectiveness of dasatinib in all stages of imatinib-resistant CML. The efficacy of dasatinib in CML is furthered by the ability of this compound to inhibit the SFK member LYN, which is persistently hyperactivated in imatinib-resistant disease.2
Climate, weather, and recent mountain pine beetle outbreaks in the western United States

Recent outbreaks of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) have impacted large areas of western North America. Climate and weather conditions influence beetle population dynamics, and managers and policymakers are concerned about the potential effects of climate change on outbreaks. Here we studied five locations with extensive outbreaks in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests across the western United States. Using observations and modeling, we quantified means and changes relative to prior years of three climate or weather factors associated with outbreaks: (1) year-round temperatures that affect adaptive seasonality; (2) low temperatures that induce mortality of overwintering beetles; and (3) drought stress of host trees. Climate variable means varied among locations, indicating the beetle’s tolerance to different climate during outbreaks. Analyses of climate or weather factors as outbreaks progressed revealed that year-round temperatures during outbreaks were typically higher than in prior years, and outbreak years lacked very low winter temperatures that often occurred in prior years. Drought was present at each location during some time of an outbreak, and increases in beetle-caused tree mortality at lower beetle population levels (as indicated by killed trees) were usually coincident with drought. Furthermore, drought was not required to maintain large outbreaks; in several locations, relief from drought during periods of high tree mortality did not cause subsequent declines in tree mortality. We did not find strong evidence that maladaptive seasonality, cold-induced mortality, or drought stress was responsible for decreases in tree mortality, suggesting the role of host depletion. Large variability in the relationships between climate or weather variables and outbreaks suggests that different climate and weather factors may have been limiting outbreaks at different times and that these factors did not influence beetle-caused tree mortality similarly among locations. Our results increase understanding of the climate and weather factors that influence beetle outbreaks and their variability in space and time and will lead to more accurate predictions of future patterns of outbreaks that consider future climate.
A Homogeneous Stochastic Model of the Madden–Julian Oscillation

Abstract This paper presents a new empirical model to simulate the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), which is the most prominent mode of tropical intraseasonal variability. Zonal wind components at 850 and 200 hPa from reanalysis (1948–2007) and outgoing longwave radiation from satellites (1979–2007) are used to identify MJOs and characterize their statistical properties. The temporal variability of the MJO is represented with a nine-state first-order Markov chain in which state 0 represents quiescent days and states 1–8 are phases of the MJO when it is active. Transition probabilities are estimated based on the historical record of MJO events, and sensitivity tests were performed to evaluate the best estimates for a homogeneous model. Once the model simulates time series of phase transitions, composites of convective and circulation anomalies determine the spatial structure of the events. The amplitudes of the MJOs are stochastically generated with an amplitude factor that has a Gaussian frequency distrib...
ASSENT-4 PCI: should facilitated percutaneous coronary intervention be used in clinical practice?

ASSENT-4 PCI: should facilitated percutaneous coronary intervention be used in clinical practice?
Experimental study of gas evolution in heterogeneous shallow subsurface formations during leakage of stored CO2

Abstract A concern for geologic carbon sequestration is the potential for stored CO2 to leak upward into valuable shallow aquifers where it can cause potentially detrimental impacts to groundwater resources. Understanding the mechanisms of CO2 migration and predicting its movement in shallow aquifers is a critical part of determining those impacts. During leakage, CO2 dissolved in brines may travel upward, potentially causing the gas to be released from solution (exsolve). Exsolved gas may accumulate at soil layer transitions, or flow into the vadose zone and ultimately the atmosphere. For this study, a series of intermediate-scale laboratory experiments were conducted to observe CO2 gas evolution in heterogeneous porous media. Results indicate that: (1) heterogeneous interfaces as well as flow constrictions through discontinuities in low-permeability layers enhance the evolution of gas phase, provided the water pressure at those layers is less than the pressure at which the flowing water was saturated with CO2, (2) higher contrast between the sands in a 1-D heterogeneous system leads to faster gas evolution, and (3) the effects of water flow rate on the evolution of the gas phase are sensitive to two-dimensional water flow pattern fluctuations.
Optimization of an inverse convection solution strategy

Abstract An optimization procedure was applied to the search process of a previously developed predictor–corrector method for solving inverse convection heat transfer problems. A genetic algorithm was utilized to minimize the area of acceptable error for the inverse methodology over the entire relevant domain. The optimization resulted in a new search shape for the inverse methodology. This substantially reduced the required sample size. An important additional advantage of the optimization was the elimination of alternative local minimums. The new and old sampling pattern were used to solve an inverse problem of a thermal plume in a crosswind. The results were that the maximum error from the original search shape was 10% while the new search shape reduced the error to under 1% for the entire usable domain. Also of importance is the significantly increased spatial range of the methodology down stream. This approach could be extended to many applied areas such as environmental flows, room fires, and thermal management systems.
Achieving positive social identity: Social mobility, social creativity, and permeability of group boundaries.

Three experiments examined 5 hypotheses of social identity theory ( H. Tajfel & J. C. Turner, 1979 ) concerning social mobility and social creativity strategies and how permeability of group boundaries affects strategy use. As predicted, members of negatively distinctive in-groups distanced themselves psychologically from the in-group (social mobility), rated the distinguishing dimension as less undesirable (social creativity), and rated the in-group more favorably on other dimensions (social creativity ) than did members of nondistinctive in-groups. Also as predicted, social creativity strategies were more likely to be used when group boundaries were impermeable rather than permeable. Permeability effects on social mobility strategies were more complex than predicted. Additional findings shed light on relationships among identity-enhancement strategies and on how dimensions are chosen to flatter a negatively distinctive in-group.
Association of end-product adducts with increased IgE binding of roasted peanuts.

Recently, we have shown that roasted peanuts have a higher level of IgE binding (i.e., potentially more allergenic) than raw peanuts. We hypothesized that this increase in IgE binding of roasted peanuts is due to an increased levels of protein-bound end products or adducts such as advanced glycation end products (AGE), N-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), malondialdehyde (MDA), and 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE). To support our hypothesis, we produced polyclonal antibodies (IgG) to each of these adducts, determined their levels in raw and roasted peanuts, and examined their ability to bind to IgE from a pooled serum of patients with clinically important peanut allergy. Results showed that AGE, CML, MDA, and HNE adducts were all present in raw and roasted peanuts. Roasted peanuts exhibited a higher level of AGE and MDA adducts than raw peanuts. IgE was partially inhibited in a competitive ELISA by antibodies to AGE but not by antibodies to CML, MDA, or HNE. This indicates that IgE has an affinity for peanut AGE adducts. Roasted peanuts exhibited a higher level of IgE binding, which was correlated with a higher level of AGE adducts. We concluded that there is an association between AGE adducts and increased IgE binding (i.e., allergenicity) of roasted peanuts.
Mitochondrial gene expression in male germ cells of the mouse

Inheritance of the mitochondrial genome is known to be exclusively maternal. To determine whether the loss of paternal mitochondria could be due to a deficiency of RNA in the spermatozoal mitochondria, the expression of mitochondrial genes was studied in testicular cells at various stages of spermatogenesis and in epididymal spermatozoa. The presence of mitochondrial transcripts was examined by Northern blot analysis using probes for the following mitochondrially encoded genes: 12 S and 16 S ribosomal RNAs and a group of mRNAs including cytochrome oxidase subunits I and II (COI-COII), cytochrome b (cyt b), adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) subunits 6 and 8, and subunit 1 of the respiratory chain NADH dehydrogenase (ND1). Comparison of total testicular RNA preparations from prepuberal (6, 8, 12, 16, 18, 20, 22, and 30 days old) and sexually mature (45 days old) mice revealed no major qualitative or quantitative differences in the levels of the mitochondrial transcripts described above. Similar results were observed from enriched preparations of type A and B spermatogonia and interstitial cells obtained from the testes of 8-day-old mice. Transcripts for COI-COII, ATPase 6, or ND1 were reduced in amount in the enriched preparations of pachytene spermatocytes, round spermatids, and residual bodies when compared to the amount in total testis or liver RNA. Transcripts of all the mitochondrial genes analyzed were present in RNA preparations isolated from sperm midpiece tails obtained after sonication of epididymal spermatozoa. These studies demonstrate that (a) during testicular development the levels of mitochondrial RNA in total testicular extracts show no major qualitative and quantitative differences; (b) the mitochondrial transcripts in enriched populations of type A and type B spermatogonia are not different from those obtained from total testes extracts; (c) mitochondrial transcript levels gradually decrease in enriched preparations of pachytene spermatocytes, round spermatids, and residual bodies; and (d) the mitochondrial rRNAs and mRNAs encoded by several mitochondrial genes can be isolated from sperm midpiece tails.
Invasion resistance arises in strongly interacting species-rich model competition communities

Abstract I assemble stable multispecies Lotka-Volterra competition communities that differ in resident species number and average strength (and variance) of species interactions. These are then invaded with randomly constructed invaders drawn from the same distribution as the residents. The invasion success rate and the fate of the residents are determined as a function of community-and species-level properties. I show that the probability of colonization success for an invader decreases with community size and the average strength of competition (alpha). Communities composed of many strongly interacting species limit the invasion possibilities of most similar species. These communities, even for a superior invading competitor, set up a sort of "activation barrier" that repels invaders when they invade at low numbers. This "priority effect" for residents is not assumed a priori in my description for the individual population dynamics of these species; rather it emerges because species-rich and strongly interacting species sets have alternative stable states that tend to disfavor species at low densities. These models point to community-level rather than invader-level properties as the strongest determinant of differences in invasion success. The probability of extinction for a resident species increases with community size, and the probability of successful colonization by the invader decreases. Thus an equilibrium community size results wherein the probability of a resident species' extinction just balances the probability of an invader's addition. Given the distribution of alpha it is now possible to predict the equilibrium species number. The results provide a logical framework for an island-biogeographic theory in which species turnover is low even in the face of persistent invasions and for the protection of fragile native species from invading exotics.
Status Report On Contact X-Ray Microscopy

Radiography, or the technique of recording an x-ray image of a specimen in contact with a photographic film, came into being almost simultaneously with the discovery of x-rays themselves. A few years later, in 1913, Goby added the use of the optical microscope to enlarge the radiographic image, creating the technique of microradiography. The imaging of very thin specimens was precluded by the hardness of the x-rays used, but in 1936 Lamarque and Turchini made the first microradiographs using soft x-rays, opening up the possibility of working with single biological cells or subcellular components. In the 1950s, the need for higher magnification for such studies led to a division of effort into three rather distinct approaches: the use of x-ray optical devices, the point projection method, and the line initiated by Ladd, Hess, and Ladd, who showed that essentially grainless x-ray sensitive materials can be used in place of silver-halide photographic film and the image viewed at high magnification in the electron microscope. The present conference is devoted to topics which are related to the first of these; nevertheless the organizers of the conference, working we think on the sound principle that knowledge about parallel approaches may be of value, have asked us to report briefly on the status of the last approach. We will do this under two headings: current usage and current technique.© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.