cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adaptive bi-atrial pacing improves the maintenance of sinus rhythm.

Introduction: Multiple pacing modalities have been shown to individually decrease atrial fibrillation (AF) burden and relieve symptoms of AF. This investigation retrospectively evaluated whether a combination of bi-atrial pacing with dynamic atrial overdrive (DAO) AF suppression would further decrease AF burden as compared to AF suppression (DAO) alone. Methods and Results: A total of 33 patients were retrospectively evaluated. Patients (n = 16) were identified from the Deborah Heart and Lung Center pacemaker database with DAO programmed on at time of implantation. Patients (n = 17) were identified with bi-atrial pacing leads in right atrium and mid to distal coronary sinus who also had DAO programmed on at the time of implant. Evaluation of interrogated pacing data revealed Percent Time in Mode Switch (18.2%± 7.2% vs 0.59%± 0.08%) to be significantly lower (P = 0.014) in the bi-atrial paced group. In addition, there were less mode switches per day (MSPD) in the bi-atrial paced group (0.62 ± 0.43 MSPD) versus control (4.40 ± 3.24 MSPD) (P = 0.06). Conclusion: Bi-atrial pacing while used in conjunction with an adaptive pacing suppression algorithm (DAO) may successfully be used to inhibit PAF.
Stratospheric Wave-Mean Flow Feedbacks and Sudden Stratospheric Warmings in a Simple Model Forced by Upward Wave Activity Flux

AbstractA classic result of studying stratospheric wave–mean flow interactions presented by Holton and Mass is that, for constant incoming wave forcing (at a notional tropopause), a vacillating stratospheric response may ensue. Simple models, such as the Holton–Mass model, typically prescribe the incoming wave forcing in terms of geopotential perturbation, which is not a proxy for upward wave activity flux. Here, the authors reformulate the Holton–Mass model such that incoming upward wave activity flux is prescribed. The Holton–Mass model contains a positive wave–mean flow feedback whereby wave forcing decelerates the mean flow, allowing enhanced wave propagation, which then further decelerates the mean flow, etc., until the mean flow no longer supports wave propagation. By specifying incoming wave activity flux, this feedback is constrained to the model interior. Bistability—where the zonal wind may exist at one of two distinct steady states for a given incoming wave forcing—is maintained in this reformu...
Implementation of three-dimensional wavelet encoding spectroscopic imaging: in vivo application and method comparison.

We have recently proposed a two-dimensional Wavelet Encoding-Spectroscopic Imaging (WE-SI) technique as an alternative to Chemical Shift Imaging (CSI), to reduce acquisition time and crossvoxel contamination in magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI). In this article we describe the extension of the WE-SI technique to three dimensions and its implementation on a clinical 1.5 T General Electric (GE) scanner. Phantom and in vivo studies are carried out to demonstrate the usefulness of this technique for further acquisition time reduction with low voxel contamination. In wavelet encoding, a set of dilated and translated prototype functions called wavelets are used to span a localized space by dividing it into a set of subspaces with predetermined sizes and locations. In spectroscopic imaging, this process is achieved using radiofrequency (RF) pulses with profiles resembling the wavelet shapes. Slice selective excitation and refocusing RF pulses, with single-band and dual-band profiles similar to Haar wavelets, are used in a modified PRESS sequence to acquire 3D WE-SI data. Wavelet dilation and translation are achieved by changing the strength of the localization gradients and frequency shift of the RF pulses, respectively. The desired spatial resolution in each direction sets the corresponding number of dilations (increases in the localization gradients), and consequently, the number of translations (frequency shift) of the Haar wavelets (RF pulses), which are used to collect magnetic resonance (MR) signals from the corresponding subspaces. Data acquisition time is reduced by using the minimum recovery time (TRmin), also called effective time, when successive MR signals from adjacent subspaces are collected. Inverse wavelet transform is performed on the acquired data to produce metabolite maps. The proposed WE-SI method is compared in terms of acquisition time, pixel bleed, and signal-to-noise ratio to the CSI technique. The study outcome shows that 3D WE-SI provides accurate results while reducing both acquisition time and voxel contamination. Magn Reson Med 61:6–15, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Pacemaker Followup with Transistor Radio and Stopwatch

urveillance of patients with longterm ( "perma- successfully used followup methods requiring only nent") cardiac pacemakers is probably most simple equipment. These methods have been effectively performed by means of sophisticated checked for accuracy against more sophisticated inelectronic equipment, which permits analysis of the struments. A sizeable proportion of patients with pacemaker stimulus and its time relationships. At the fixed rate (asynchronous) pacemakers or those with least, this requires an accurately calibrated oscillo- demand pacemakers whose hearts are completely scope and electronic counter. A less effective but still captured, will have regular rhythm over long peFor editorial comment, see page 469
Managing weeds in potato rotations without herbicides.

Managing weeds without herbicides requires an integration of methods and strategies and a change in how weeds are perceived. Weeds should be managed in a holistic, intentional and proactive manner. Understanding the interactions between the cropping system and the weed community and managing the cropping system to prevent and discourage weeds and maintain a low weed seedbank is necessary for successful weed management in organic systems. Cultural practices, including a well-planned crop rotation, planting cover crops, sanitation practices, and optimum row spacing and timing of planting are important aspects of managing weeds in organic systems. Multiple, well timed shallow cultivations or flaming can eliminate many early season weeds. Once emerged, many crops are fast growing and produce a canopy able to suppress weeds. New technologies for detecting crop rows and weeds coupled with precision cultivation, flaming, and application of nonselective organic herbicides are being developed and hold promise to reduce the need for hand weeding.
Mechanism of action of uncouplers on mitochondrial energy coupling

Abstract The molecular mechanism by which uncouplers dissociate electron flow from synthesis of ATP and other coupled processes has finally been unraveled. The elucidation of this uncoupling mechanism provides some new dimensions for defining the mechanism of mitochondrial energy coupling.
A note on strong solutions to the variational kinetic equation for scalar conservation laws

We consider a variational kinetic formulation for weak, entropy solutions of scalar conservation laws due to Brenier. The solutions in this formulation are represented by a kinetic density function Y that solves a differential inclusion ∂tY ∈ -A(Y) = -∂vf ⋅ ∇xY -∂ IK(Y), where IK is the indicator function of a closed, convex cone K. Under a certain "non-degeneracy" condition we determine a maximal monotone extension of A and use it to prove the existence of strong and weak solutions of the differential inclusion for a general, possibly degenerate, flux ∂vf(v). Furthermore, we discuss several properties of strong solutions.
Assessing Coping in Children and Adolescents: Research and Practice

Although standardized and psychometrically-sound instruments for assessing children's coping are essential to both clinical practice and theory development, there have been few systematic efforts to design such measures. This review of assessment instruments compatible with the Lazarus and Folkman (1984) formulation of coping reveals a limited number of instruments but great diversity in the types of techniques employed to assess the coping of children and adolescents. Types of measures critiqued include projective techniques, interviews, questionnaires, and behavioral observation scales. A comprehensive assessment procedure is proposed and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Problem Based Learning Biomechanics Lab: Running Shoes: Friend or Foe

The problem based learning (PBL) model of learning inherently provides an environment in which students can practice real world biomedical engineering utilizing cutting edge tools. The independent nature of the model promotes leadership and lifelong learning behaviors because the students are responsible for their learning and progress. The open-endedness of the problems encourages creativity and innovation as the students are allowed to define the direction and scope of the project. Since PBL is a team approach, students will become familiar with diversity of thought but also diversity in learning and problem solving styles. The proposed case will be on a much grander scale than anything the students have previously experienced. The activities will reinforce material from lecture and previous courses as well as teach the problem solving process.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Targeted therapy for gastric cancer: Molecular pathways and ongoing investigations

Gastric cancer is currently the second leading cause of worldwide cancer mortality. Ongoing collaborative sequencing efforts have highlighted recurrent somatic genomic aberrations in gastric cancer, however, despite advances in characterizing the genomic landscape, there have been few advances in patient outcomes. Prognosis remains poor with a median overall survival of 12 months for advanced disease. The improved survival with trastuzumab, and more recently ramucirumab, underscore the promise of targeted and biologic therapies and the importance of molecular tumor characterization in gastric cancer. Here we review the most frequent actionable alterations in gastric cancer and highlight ongoing clinical investigations attempting to translate biologic understanding into improved clinical outcomes.
Cytoarchitecture of the substantia nigra pars lateralis in the opossum (Didelphis virginiana): a correlated light and electron microscopic study.

Background: The substantia nigra has been divided into three subdivisions. However, the cytoarchitecture of one of these subdivisions, the pars lateralis (SNI), has not been previously examined in detail at the light and electron microscopic levels in any species. In the adult opossum, the three nigral subdivisions can be easily distinguished as distinct, rostrocaudally oriented cell groups separated by neuron-free zones. Thus it was possible to determine the boundaries of the SNI unambiguously. This report covers the results of an examination of the morphology and organization of the SNI in the opossum. Methods: Material from 13 opossums was used for this study. Eight of the animals had been previously stained for Nissl substance (n=4) or impregnated by the Golgi technique (n=4). The remaining five animals were prepared for electron microscopic studies using standard procedures. Results: Two cell types were identified on the basis of morphological differences, small and medium-large neurons. Small neurons (10–18 μm long axis) have large nuclei with moderate amounts of heterochromatin and a thin rim of cytoplasm. They have long (up to 500 μm), spine-free dendrites. Medium-large neurons (18–54 μm long axis) have rounded nuclei with electron-lucent nucleoplasm. Few indentations of the nuclear envelope were observed. The surrounding cytoplasm has dense arrays of organelles. Nissl bodies are particularly prominent in the form of pyramids with their bases at juxtanuclear positions and their apices directed toward emerging dendrites. Dendrites of medium-large neurons are long (some>1 mm in length), are primarily oriented in the frontal plane, and extend along the dorsal surface of or into the cerebral peduncle. Some cells have dendrites that are moderately spinous, whereas other neurons possess sparsely spinous dendrites. Relatively few synaptic profiles are observed to contact somata and proximal dendrites. Conclusion: This report provides added morphological support for the idea that the SNI is a distinct subdivision of the substantia nigra, a distinction previously made on the basis of the physiologically characterized relationship between the lateral substantia nigra and orienting behaviors and seizure-related function. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Multi‐impulsivity among women with bulimia nervosa

Objective: The results of past research suggest the possible existence of a a distinct subgroup of bulimic individuals who display multiple behaviors indicative of impulsivity (e.g., stealing, self-injury, attempted suicide, drug abuse). We further investigated potential relationships between multi-impulsivity and other clinical variables. Method: We compared women with bulimia nervosa (purging type) who displayed multi-impulsivity (n = 40) to those who did not (n = 177) with regard to symptom history and presentation, eating-disordered attitudes, and sexual experience. Results: The two groups did not differ in mean age, body mass index, scores on scales of eating-disordered attitudes and traits, incidence of self-induced vomiting, sexual intercourse, or masturbation, and current frequency of binge eating and self-induced vomiting. However, relative to the comparison group, women in the multi-impulsive group reported earlier onset of binge eating and sexual intercourse, a greater incidence of laxative abuse, and use of a greater number of different substances. There were statistical trends (p <.10) toward the multi-impulsive group displaying earlier onset of self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, and masturbation. Discussion: Results are discussed in relation to the results of past research and the implications for treatment of bulimic women.
Periodontic-endodontic relationships

Abstract An obvious relationship exists between poor oral hygiene, the accumulation of dental plaque, and the development of both gingivitis and dental caries. The association between pulpal pathosis and periodontal disease, however, is not as well established. In fact, all too often the dental pulp and periodontal supporting structures are considered as separate independent entities. Clinical experience with root sensitivity, unexpected pulpal death following periodontal therapy, and failure of some periodontal lesions to respond to therapy without endodontic treatment points to an interrelationship. Although reports appear in the literature stating that there is no relationship between the severity of periodontal disease and changes in the dental pulp, other investigators report that a definite relationship exists between the presence of periodontal lesions and the status of the pulpal tissues. Both hypotheses cannot be true; therefore, an attempt is made in this article to summarize the existing evidence and report current investigative findings in this area as viewed by the teacher, researcher, and practitioner.
Energy and Protein Requirements of Milk Production

Abstract The currently recommended allowances of total digestible nutrients (TDN) and digestible protein (DP) for milk production and their bases were examined. It was concluded that the uncertainties of estimating the body gain or loss of energy and protein from body weight changes preclude the use of the conventional feeding trial to estimate requirements. As a consequenee, in the present studies the milk production requirements for TDN were estimated by the digestion-trial method and those for DP from published nitrogen-balance data. The TDN values of seven diets ingested at levels of intake ranging from one to five times the maintenance level were determined in 265 individual-cow trials. Per increment of intake equivalent to that of maintenance, the TDN value of the diets declined at rates ranging from 2.1 to 6.2% (average rate, 4.0%). These data indicated that the requirements for TDN (determined at maintenance) increase with increasing feed intakes (or milk outputs). Accordingly, the TDN requirements were computed for the average rate (4%) of depression in the TDN value observed. An examination of nitrogen-balance data indicated that the average rate of utilization of DP for the combined functions of milk production and maintenance of cows in body nitrogen equilibrium is of the order of 65%. This observation suggests that milking cows require an average minimum amount of DP in the diet equivalent to 154% of the quantity of protein in the milk. For usual 4% FCM, the requirement would be 24.4 g of DP per pound of milk. Since the DP value declines at about the same rate as the TDN value of the diet with increasing daily inputs of feed, the effect of feeding level was superimposed on the apparent net requirement for DP. This indicated that for cows in nitrogen equilibrium, the requirement would range from 25.3 to 30.0 g per pound of 4% FCM for daily yields of 10 and 100 lb, respectively. The data also suggest that milk production requires a DP:TDN ratio of 1:5.7. Practical feeding requires a knowledge of a) the dietary needs of the various body functions and b) the nutritive values of feeds. Although nutrient requirements are the basis of practical allowances, a number of conditions need to be taken into account to adapt net requirements to practical feeding situations. Thus, it is necessary to generalize and, in certain instances, to project generalizations, even over gaps in present knowledge. In this report it is the intent a) to summarize the present status of the knowledge of the energy and protein requirements of lactation and b) to extend results of the authors’ recent studies to derive estimates of the energy and protein requirements.
Aryl sulfotransferase-IV-catalyzed sulfation of aryl oximes: steric and substituent effects.

Abstract The aryl sulfotransferases (EC 2.8.2.1) catalyze the sulfation of a wide variety of hydroxyl-containing molecules. The enzyme reaction requires 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulfate as the sulfate donor and several isozymes with broad, overlapping substrate specificities have been identified. One of the isozymes in rat hepatic cytosol, isozyme IV, is a major contributor to enzymatic sulfation. It exhibits the broadest substrate specificity of the three isozymes which have been characterized to date. Its substrates include a wide variety of phenols, certain aromatic hydroxylamines and benzylic alcohols. The latter two substrate types have implicated this isozyme in the bioactivation of several toxic compounds. Relatively little information is available, however, on substrate molecular features which account for the ability of isozyme IV to sulfate compounds not utilized by isozymes I and II. A recent investigation of isozymes I and II with a series of model aryl-oxime substrates suggested that catalysis is influenced primarily by steric factors and in particular substrate planarity and hydroxyl group orientation (Mangold et al. (1989) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 991, 453–458). In the present study, isozyme IV was investigated to characterize its substrate requirements with a more extensive series of aryl oxime substrates. The results indicated that isozyme IV has a much less stringent requirement for planarity and hydroxyl-group orientation than isozymes I or II. Isozyme IV accepted a greater variety of aryl-oxime substrates, including several classes which were not substrates for isozymes I and II. A comparison of kinetic constants and catalytic efficiencies suggested that substituent effects play a role in the sulfation of aryl oximes by isozyme IV.
Design for learning: adapting the microscopic anatomy laboratory to adult learners.

Medical school curricula are undergoing transformational change in response to calls for integrating content across courses and years to enable better retention and application and for individualizing learning to meet the diverse backgrounds and thus differing needs of students. To address the related teaching challenges, faculty can employ solid principles of adult learning and instructional design and use teaching strategies that stimulate different learning styles. We developed laboratory sessions that follow a learner-centered instructional design model we refer to as “PLHET,” reflecting the steps of preparing, linking, hooking, engaging, and transferring learning, and also applied teaching strategies that reflect Kolb's four styles of learning (accommodative, divergent, assimilative, and convergent). We utilized a group learning format to promote active learning, teamwork, and self-direction. Preliminary data based on student surveys of laboratory activity show positive responses. In the future, we will test the hypothesis that this design will improve medical students' performance. Anat Sci Educ © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.
Evaluation of two-stage CuInGaSe 2 evaporation for manufacturing scale-up

Two different two-stage CuInGaSe2 (CIGS) co-evaporation processes were evaluated to compare laboratory to manufacturing scale deposition methods. The Cu-rich then Cu-off (CURO) process previously used at the laboratory scale was evaluated to determine the impact of deposition time, Se rate, and composition on the resulting films and devices. The overlapping plume (OP) process, as applied to a manufacturing system, was also evaluated to determine validity of the compositional growth model developed and resulting film properties as compared to the CURO process. For the CURO process results suggest deposition time affects overall efficiency, with highest devices resulting from longer deposition times. In the range evaluated the Se:metals rate ratio and film composition have minimal effect on device performance. For the OP process the model matches the experimental results well, and devices appear to perform on par with the CURO devices.
3-d model building for computer vision

Abstract This paper presents a Computer-Aided Geometric Design (CAGD) based approach for building 3-D models. A new method is given which allows the points on the surface of the designed object to be sampled at the desired resolution. The resulting data structure includes 3-D coordinates of the points, surface normals and neighborhood information.
A genetic risk variant for myocardial infarction on chromosome 6p24 is associated with impaired central hemodynamic indexes

Heritable factors play a key role in the development of coronary heart disease.1 Early unbiased genome-wide approaches have led to the identification of more than a dozen novel risk loci for myocardial infarction (MI) in predominantly Caucasian cohorts.2–8 Many loci have replicated in large cohorts, yet of these only four appear to have a mechanistically relevant basis through lipid metabolism pathways (1p13, 1p32, 19p13, 6q26).9,10 The remaining loci span genomic regions that as yet have no clearly defined mechanism to explain MI risk. Valuable insights into the functions of these variants may be gleaned by studying their effects on related or intermediate phenotypes which may be causal in the pathway to developing MI. This is best illustrated by the initial association of 1p13 with MI and then with the intermediate phenotype of lipid levels, with subsequent functional studies identifying its role in cellular cholesterol transport through the sortillin protein.11 Another intermediate phenotype of interest in vascular disease is abnormal pressure wave reflection within the arterial tree. Abnormalities in these arterial tree properties occur due to complex composite changes in parameters such as arterial stiffness and vasomotor tone, ultimately leading to increased left ventricular after-load and cardiovascular events such as myocardial ischemia, MI, and stroke.12–15 We therefore investigated the association of variants at eight MI risk loci, whose mechanisms of action are currently unknown, with noninvasively derived pulse wave analysis (PWA) indexes including the magnitude and timing of reflected arterial pressure waveforms in two separate Caucasian populations. The first consisting of very healthy subjects, free of confounding risk factors to enable an assessment of direct genetic risk and the second, an unselected community-based population that allowed determination of genetic effects in the context of common risk factors. We hypothesized that some or all of these markers would demonstrate association with indexes of adverse arterial wave reflection.
Topics in Evolutionary Ecology

Mayhew, Peter J. 2006. Discovering evolutionary ecology: bringing together ecology and evolution. Oxford University Press, New York, New York. ix + 215 p. $112.50 (cloth), ISBN: 0-19-857060-0 (acid-free paper); $45.50 (paper), ISBN: 0-19-852528-1 (acid-free paper).
The hydrothermal synthesis of low albite

Glasses on the join NaAlSi3O8-Na2Si2O5 were devitrified hydrothermally at pressures of 1 to 10 kb and at temperatures in the range 200 to 700° C to define more adequately the physical and chemical environments which favor crystallization of the fully ordered polymorph of albite. The presence of Na2Si2O5 allows the synthesis of low albite with an obliquity of 1.140° (Cu Kα radiation) in runs of relatively short duration. The effect of increasing total pressure and time, and of decreasing temperature and amount of water down to critical values, is to favor the synthesis of ordered albite. Excess sodium is the chemical constituent necessary for ordering to proceed at a relatively rapid rate; this rate seems to vary with the ratio aNa+/aH+, and hence with the peralkalinity of the aqueous fluid attending recrystallization. The chemical environment of recrystallization thus seems as important as temperature in determining the ultimate degree of Si-Al order attained in albite.
Disease control programs in the United States. Control of streptococcal and poststreptococcal disease.

Programs administered by health departments and heart associations for control of streptococcal and poststreptococcal disease differ greatly from state to state. The year 1974 was used as a representative year when studying the variety of state policies and programs regarding surveillance of streptococcal disease, primary and secondary prevention of rheumatic fever, and prevention of poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. A uniform national policy for streptococcal control is desirable but should be based on evidence not now available concerning the impact of various elements of control programs on morbidity and mortality. ( JAMA 239:2359-2361, 1978)
Aquaporin 5 knockout mouse lens develops hyperglycemic cataract.

Abstract The scope of this investigation was to understand the role of aquaporin 5 (AQP5) for maintaining lens transparency and homeostasis. Studies were conducted using lenses of wild-type (WT) and AQP5 knockout (AQP5-KO) mice. Immunofluorescent staining verified AQP5 expression in WT lens sections and lack of expression in the knockout. In vivo and ex vivo, AQP5-KO lenses resembled WT lenses in morphology and transparency. Therefore, we subjected the lenses ex vivo under normal (5.6 mM glucose) and hyperglycemic (55.6 mM glucose) conditions to test for cataract formation. Twenty-four hours after incubation in hyperglycemic culture medium, AQP5-KO lenses showed mild opacification which was accelerated several fold at 48 h; in contrast, WT lenses remained clear even after 48 h of hyperglycemic treatment. AQP5-KO lenses displayed osmotic swelling due to increase in water content. Cellular contents began to leak into the culture medium after 48 h. We reason that water influx through glucose transporters and glucose cotransporters into the cells could mainly be responsible for creating hyperglycemic osmotic swelling; absence of AQP5 in fiber cells appears to cause lack of required water efflux, challenging cell volume regulation and adding to osmotic swelling. This study reveals that AQP5 could play a critical role in lens microcirculation for maintaining transparency and homeostasis, especially by providing protection under stressful conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report providing evidence that AQP5 facilitates maintenance of lens transparency and homeostasis by regulating osmotic swelling caused by glucose transporters and cotransporters under hyperglycemic stressful conditions.
Critical temperature for mound formation in molecular-beam epitaxy.

The results of an analytic calculation of the surface current and selected mound angle as a function of the Ehrlich-Schwoebel step barrier ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{B}}$ and substrate temperature T are presented for a model of epitaxial growth on bcc(100) and fcc(100) surfaces. Depending on the sign of ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{B}}$ and the magnitude of the prefactor for diffusion over a step, various scenarios are possible, including the existence of a critical temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ for mound formation above which (for a positive step barrier) or below which (for a negative step barrier) quasi-layer-by-layer growth will be observed. For the case of Fe/Fe(100) deposition our calculation implies an upper bound for ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ which is consistent with experiment. The weak parameter dependence of our estimates for the mound angle confirms and explains the good agreement found in previous estimates assuming different values of the step barrier. We also clarify the transition to layer-by-layer growth at low and high temperature including the effect of a finite diffusion length on reentrant behavior at low temperature. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Flow and fate of soil nitrogen in an annual grassland and a young mixed-conifer forest

A comparative study of N dynamics in an annual grassland and a young mixed-conifer forest, that occur on the same soil great group in California, was made by adding small amounts of 15NH4+ to mineral soils within field microplots and following changes in 15N recoveries in soil and plant pools over 12–16 months. In annual grassland microplots, the aboveground plant biomass contained 5–6% of the added 15N at the end of the growing season. One month after 15N addition almost 70% of the added 15N was recovered in the soil organic matter (SOM) pool, which included surface litter and roots but not microbial biomass. Laboratory incubation of sterilized soil cores indicated that as much as half of the 15N recovered in the SOM pool may have been fixed abiotically. Nevertheless, substantial and rapid incorporation of 15N in the SOM pool indicates a high potential for N immobilization and a rapid turnover of the microbial biomass-N pool in this soil. Recovery of 15N in microbial biomass ranged from 9 to 15%; recovery in the soil solution was lower than in the microbial biomass, but showed a similar seasonal trend. Total 15N recovery ranged from 72 to 85% over the study period. In forest microplots (which excluded plants), recovery of added 15N was generally lower than in the grassland for all soil pools examined. Recovery of 15N in SOM and microbial pools showed reciprocal trends seasonally, suggesting that there was considerable movement of N between these pools in the forest soil. Total 15N recovery was only about 54% 6 months after 15N addition, indicating a high potential for rapid N loss from the surface soil of this forest. Substantially lower recovery of 15N in the forest soil cannot be attributed entirely to the exclusion of plant uptake because plant 15N recovery in the grassland was relatively low. The low 15N recovery in the forest soil might be due to the low capacity of this soil to immobilize N and protect immobilized N from being remineralized and lost from the soil via leaching or denitrification. In both ecosystems estimates of N flow from the mineral soil to decomposing surface residues (presumably via fungal translocation) was significant (0.29 and 0.02 g-N m−2 yr−1 for the grassland and forest, respectively) relative to the net internal dynamics of N within the surface detritus. Comparison of net changes in litter N and accumulation of 15N during decomposition suggests that N was mineralized from litter concurrently as N was immobilized from the mineral soil in both sites.
Strategic bidding in electricity markets using particle swarm optimization

Profit maximization for power companies is highly related to the bidding strategies used. In order to sell electricity at high prices and maximize profit, power companies need suitable bidding models that consider power operating constraints and price uncertainty within the market. In this paper, we present two particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms to determine bid prices and quantities under the rules of a competitive power market. The first method uses a conventional PSO technique to find solutions. The second method uses a decomposition technique in conjunction with the PSO approach. This new decomposition-based PSO dramatically outperforms the conventional form of PSO. We show that for nonlinear cost functions PSO solutions provide higher expected profits than marginal cost-based bidding.
Analysis of Energy Dissipation in Twisted Fiber Bundles Under Cyclic Tensile Loading

This study of energy loss due to friction in dynamic loading conditions provides a new approach to characterizing fiber-on-fiber friction. Based on the theory of dynamic me chanical behavior of polymeric materials, the systematic experimental study uses cotton and polyester rovings to examine the effect of twist level, cyclic loading magnitude and frequencies, and gauge length on frictional energy loss. The test results are analyzed in comparison with Murayama's dynamic mechanical model. The model does not fit the experimental data, and a modification is proposed for characterizing the frictional energy loss of twisted staple fiber structures.
Complications related to modularity of total hip components

We report complications from the use of modular components in 20 hip replacements in 18 patients. Fifteen complications (in 13 patients) were related to failure of a modular interface after operation. Femoral head detachment from its trunnion was seen in 6 hips from trauma (3), reduction of a dislocation (2), and normal activity (1). In one case the base of the trunnion fractured below an extra-long modular head. In seven other hips the modular polyethylene liner dislodged from its shell, causing severe damage to the shell in four cases with extensive metallosis. In one other hip an asymmetrical polyethylene liner rotated, resulting in impingement of the femoral component and recurrent dislocation. Operative errors were seen in five cases: implantation of a trial acetabular component in one; and mismatching between the size of the femoral head and the acetabular component in the others. Surgeons who use hip replacements with modular components should be aware of the potential for operative error and of the importance of early treatment for postoperative mechanical failure.
A generalization of the debye light‐scattering equation

Abstract : The Debye light scattering equation is generalized by making allowance for the variation of (dn/dc)-and therefore of H-with the concentration of the solute. This should allow one to use it with more concentrated solutions provided light scattering is weak enough (oligomer solutions) so that multiple scattering does not exclude such a procedure. (Author)
Timing optimization for multi-level combinational networks

This paper presents a timing optimization algorithm SDLR (acronym of SYLON-DREAM Level-Reduction), which is used in the SYLON-DREAM logic synthesizer for speeding up combinational multi-level networks. In SDLR, gates on critical paths are identified and their level numbers counted from the inputs of the network are maximally reduced by a level-reduction procedure. Gates which are not on the critical paths are processed by an area reduction procedure to reduce network area without increasing its maximum depth. SDLR uses the concept of permissible functions in both level and area reduction procedures, and it can directly process networks consisting of simple gates or negative gates (i.e., MOS cells). Experimental results obtained for benchmark functions show that SDLR is an effective algorithm which can reduce network delay with no or minimal area increase.
Turn-Off Failure of Power MOSFET's

Experimental results of the failure of power MOSFET's during inductive turn-off are discussed. The electrical characteristics of these devices during failure are shown to be identical to those of a bipolar transistor undergoing second breakdown. Other comparisons of the power MOSFET failure and bipolar second breakdown are made. A nondestructive measurement system is used that allows repeated measurements of the failure characteristics as a function of various parameters to be made on a single device. It is shown that commercially available power MOSFET's do not fail as a result of dV/dt currents. Drain voltage slew rates up to 22 V/ns were studied. Other measurements show that the drain voltage at which failure occurs increases with temperature, the critical current above which failure occurs decreases with temperature, and the magnitude of the load inductance has no effect on the failure. The results of this study are consistent with the theory that activation of the parasitic bipolar transistor initiates the power MOSFET failure during turn-off.
Happiness and stereotypic thinking in social judgment.

Four experiments examined the effects of happiness on the tendency to use stereotypes in social judgment. In each experiment, individuals who had been induced to feel happy rendered more stereotypic judgments than did those in a neutral mood. Experiment 1 demonstrated this phenomenon with a mood induction procedure that involved recalling life experiences. Experiments 2 and 3 suggested that the greater reliance on stereotypes evident in the judgments of happy individuals was not attributable to cognitive capacity deficits created by intrusive happy thoughts or by cognitively disruptive excitement or energetic arousal that may accompany the experience of happiness. In Experiment 4, happy individuals again were found to render more stereotypic judgments, except under conditions in which they had been told that they would be held accountable for their judgments. These results suggest that although happy people's tendency to engage in stereotypic thinking may be pervasive, they are quite capable of avoiding the influence of stereotypes in their judgments when situational factors provide a motivational impetus for such effort. Discovering the conditions under which group stereotypes are likely to be applied in forming impressions of and making judgments about individuals has been an issue of perennial interest in social psychology. Factors such as information overload (Pratto & Bargh, 1991; Stangor & Duan, 1991) and task difficulty (Bodenhausen & Lichtenstein, 1987), for example, have been shown to increase the social perceiver's reliance on stereotypic preconceptions (for a review, see Hamilton & Sherman, in press). In the present research, we investigated the role of emotion, specifically happiness, in the application of stereotypes during social information processing. Does being happy have any impact on the likelihood of stereotyping others? If so, what is the mechanism involved? It was these questions that we sought to address. Interest in the relationship between emotion and stereotyping is certainly not new. However, previous attempts to understand the role of affective experience in prejudice and stereotyping have focused almost exclusively on the impact of negative emotions. Conventional wisdom indicates that it is during times of stress, anxiety, or hostility that prejudice and stereotypes are most likely to emerge and exert their influence on social perception. Psychological research lends credence to the idea that anger, conflict, frustration, and anxiety are indeed associated with
Turkey: bankruptcy of neoliberal policies and the possibility of alternatives

Abstract The year 2001 in Turkey has been marked by a destructive economic crisis. This paper argues that the crisis can neither be explained solely by the coincidence of independent events nor by technical problems of economic policies. The increased fragility of the system after the implementation of an IMF-directed “disinflation and stabilization” program paved the way for the collapse of both the program itself and the economy. Insistence on these types of policies will only worsen the conditions, and results of the policies are both economically and socially undesirable. This paper proposes alternative policies and tools, which will provide improvements in growth, employment, and income distribution.
Sonography of musculoskeletal soft-tissue masses: techniques, pearls, and pitfalls.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to review the appropriate use of ultrasound in the workup of soft-tissue masses of the extremities. The normal sonographic appearance of superficial soft tissues, the importance of proper technique in image acquisition, and the characteristic sonographic appearance of certain masses and potential pitfalls are discussed. CONCLUSION. Ultrasound is increasingly being used for the initial evaluation of soft-tissue masses of the extremities. Certain clinical and imaging findings allow diagnosis of selected soft-tissue masses; however, most imaging findings are nonspecific, and further evaluation is necessary. The many potential pitfalls can lead to adverse patient outcomes.
Using RPB1 sequences to improve phylogenetic inference among mushrooms (Inocybe, Agaricales)

An investigation of mushroom phylogeny using the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II gene sequences (RPB1) was conducted in comparison with nuclear ribosomal large subunit RNA gene sequences (nLSU) for the same set of taxa in the genus Inocybe (Agaricales, Basidiomycota). The two data sets, though not significantly incongruent, exhibit conflict among the placement of two taxa that exhibit long branches in the nLSU data set. In contrast, RPB1 terminal branch lengths are rather uniform. Bootstrap support is increased for clades in RPB1. Combined data sets increase the degree of confidence for several relationships. Overall, nLSU data do not yield a robust phylogeny when independently assessed by RPB1 sequences. This multigene study indicates that Inocybe is a monophyletic group composed of at least four distinct lineages—subgenus Mallocybe, section Cervicolores, section Rimosae, and
A practical multi-ontology approach to knowledge exploration

Babylon Knowledge Explorer is an open source based platform for developing knowledge exploration and data mining applications. As a strongly ontology-driven information system, it rests on an approach and solution to the challenges of using pre-existing large ontologies in scientific domains. The aim of this paper is to describe the model of ontology representation employed by BKE and how this model supports a strategy and methodology facilitating application of these preexisting ontologies to real-world problems of knowledge discovery in large document corpora and databases. Sufficient detail of design and architecture is provided, together with some sketch of the open source implementation, to allow others to make use of this approach.
High activity suppression of myeloid progenitor proliferation by chimeric mutants of interleukin 8 and platelet factor 4.

Abstract The proliferation of human myeloid progenitor cells is negatively regulated in the presence of certain members of the chemokine family of molecules. This includes interleukin 8 (IL-8) and platelet factor 4 (PF4), which in combination are able to synergize, resulting in cell suppression at very low concentrations of these molecules. A series of PF4 and IL-8 mutant proteins were analyzed in an in vitro colony formation assay for myeloid progenitor cells to assess domains of these proteins that are required for activity. Mutation of either of the two DLQ motifs within PF4 resulted in an inactive protein. Perturbations within the IL-8 dimer interface region also resulted in mutants that were incapable of suppressing colony formation. A class of chimeric mutants consisting of domains of either PF4 and IL-8, Gro-α and PF4, or Gro-β and PF4 were observed to inhibit myeloid cell proliferation at concentrations which were between 500- and 5000-fold lower than either the IL-8 or PF4 wild-type proteins alone. These chimeric mutants possessed activities that were comparable to or better than the activity observed when IL-8 and PF4 were added together in vitro. One of these highly active chimeric proteins was observed to be 1000-fold more active than either IL-8 or PF4 alone in suppressing not only the proliferation but also the cell cycling of myeloid progenitor cells following intravenous injection of the mutant into mice. Examination of additional IL-8-based mutants in the colony formation assay, which centered on the perturbation of the amino-terminal “ELR” motif, resulted in the observation that the highly active IL-8 mutant required both aspartic acid at amino acid residue 4 and either glutamine or asparagine at residue 6. Single mutations at either of these positions resulted in mutants with myelosuppressive activity equivalent to wild-type IL-8. Mutants such as IL-8M1 and IL-8M10 were observed to be significantly reduced in their ability to activate isolated human neutrophils, suggesting that separate mechanisms may exist by which myeloid progenitor cells and neutrophils are affected by chemokines.
EUROPEAN CORN BORER, OSTRINIA NUBILALIS (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE), ON WHEAT

The European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis Hubner, is known to attack nearly every herbaceous plant large enough for the larvae to enter. Although the borer is primarily considered a pest of corn, economic infestations in such New York crops as potatoes, gladiolus, and other large stem plants are not uncommon. In 1977, 1978, and 1979, economic levels of borer infestations were observed in winter wheat. In 1977, the presence of borer in wheat was noted at a number of sites, but only a few cases could be considered economically significant. However, in the 1978 season, the presence of borer in wheat had become common and reports of economic infestations exceeding 5 or 10% were widespread in the western New York wheat growing region. In 1979, the problem of borer on wheat declined significantly, and of infestations located, only one could be considered of economic significance.
Management of carotid artery rupture by monitored endovascular therapeutic occlusion (1988-1994)

The reported mortality (40%) and neurologic morbidity (25%) rates for carotid rupture remain unacceptably high. This study was conducted to assess the impact of endovascular detachable balloon occlusion and the changing characteristics of carotid rupture in head and neck surgery. Between January 1, 1988, and June 30, 1994, 18 carotid ruptures were identified in 15 patients. Etiologic factors included radical surgery, radiation therapy, wound complications, and recurrent or persistent carcinoma. In 15 of 18 instances of carotid rupture, patients survived without major neurologic sequelae. After the introduction of endovascular techniques in 1991, the 12 patients whose hemorrhage was definitively managed through permanent balloon occlusion survived without significant neurologic sequelae. Endovascular occlusion techniques in the monitored patient may significantly improve the outcome after carotid rupture.