cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Direct and indirect price discrimination in the automotive industries of the European Union

Using a panel dataset comprising of 51 models across 21 European Union member states, I estimate the effects of country-specific factors that make price discrimination profitable. Taking advantage of cross-country heterogeneities, I find that a domestic brand bias, per capita income, and income inequalities lead to significantly different prices across borders. The role of income inequalities is supported by a theoretical model of indirect price discrimination at the national level. We therefore conclude that not only direct international price discrimination, but also indirect national price discrimination is responsible for the observed price differentials across international borders, which are not likely to fully converge as long as the exclusive dealership system is in place, and significant demand-side differences still remain.
An Online Estimator for Heavy Vehicle's Mass and Road Grade

This work proposes a two stage estimation strategy to determine a heavy duty vehicles's mass and road grade. The estimation strategy uses standard signals available through the vehicle control area network. The first stage of this approach utilizes an adaptive least-squares estimation strategy to determine the vehicle's mass. Due to the time varying nature of the road grade, a nonlinear estimator is then developed that provides a more accurate estimate of the road grade. An estimation analysis is provided for both stages that proves, under a set of qualifying conditions, both the mass and road grade can be estimated. The validity of this two stage approach is verified using experimental data.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Characterizing the fracture resistance of proton exchange membranes

Pinhole defects that form in proton exchange membranes (PEMs) due to the cyclic hygrothermal stresses induced during the operation of a fuel cell and cause gas crossover may be interpreted as a result of crack formation and propagation. The goal of this study is to employ a fracture test to approach the intrinsic fracture energy of a perflourosulfonic acid proton exchange membrane. The intrinsic fracture energy has been used to characterize the fracture resistance of polymeric materials with minimal plastic dissipation and the in absence of viscous dissipation, and has been associated with the long-term durability of polymeric materials where subcritical crack growth occurs under slow time-dependent or cyclic loading conditions. Insights into this limiting value of fracture resistance may offer insights into the durability of PEMs, including the formation of pinhole defects. In order to achieve this goal, a knife slit test which significantly reduces the plastic deformation during the test by limiting the plastic zone size with a sharp blade is conducted. Additionally, double edge notched tension tests and trouser tear tests are conducted to obtain the essential work of fracture and tear energy, respectively. It has been found that although the fracture energy obtained with the knife slit test is still several times larger than the intrinsic fracture energy of regular polymer materials, it is several orders of magnitude lower than those obtained with the other two methods, where process-dependent viscous and plastic dissipation dominate over the intrinsic material property.
Therapy for renal calculi via percutaneous nephrostomy: dissolution and extraction.

Nephrostomy catheters offer nonsurgical modes of therapy for some renal stones. Continuous lavage of the stones using hemiacidrin (Renacidin®) for struvite stones, THAM-E or acetylcysteine for cystine stones, and bicarbonate solution for uric acid stones may dissolve either entire stones or stone fragments remaining after surgery. Although irrigation is not without potential complications, recent developments in technique have minimized these. Nephrostomy tubes can also be used to transmit stone baskets through steerable catheters to snare stones from the upper collecting system or from the ureter; any stone that can be engaged and withdrawn through the tube tract can be removed; stones larger than those which can be safely extracted through the ureterovesical junction can be so treated. Neither of these procedures requires general anesthesia, the rate of serious morbidity is low, and the required hospital stay is often less than that for surgery; these modes of therapy are therefore valuable for certain patients.
Effect of Precipitation on Low Frequency Electrical Properties of Zerovalent Iron Columns

We conducted column studies to investigate the application of a noninvasive electrical method to monitor precipitation in Fe0 columns using (a) Na2SO4 (0.01 M, dissolved oxygen (DO) = 8.8 ppm), and (b) Na2CO3 (0.01 M, DO = 2.3 ppm) solutions. An increase in complex conductivity terms (maximum 40% in sulfate column and 23% in carbonate column) occurred over 25 days. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) identified mineral surface alteration, with greater changes in the high DO sulfate column relative to the low DO carbonate column. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) identified reduced amounts of hematite/maghemite in both columns, precipitation of goethite/akaganeite in the sulfate column, and precipitation of siderite in the carbonate column. Nitrogen adsorption measurements showed increases in specific surface area of iron minerals (27.5% for sulfate column and 8.2% for carbonate column). As variations in electrolytic conductivity and porosity were minimal, electrical changes are attributed to (1) higher complex interfacial conductivity due to increased surface area and mineralogical alteration and (2) increased electronic conduction due to enhanced electron transfer across the iron-fluid interface. Our results show that electrical measurements are a proxy indicator of Fe0 surface alteration.
New Terms in Fe I, II, and III and Additional Far Ultraviolet Standards

The iron spectrum excited in the Sch\"uler discharge in He and Ne and the iron arc and spark in nitrogen have been studied in the ultraviolet from $\ensuremath{\lambda}2300$ to $\ensuremath{\lambda}600$. New terms have been identified in Fe I, II, and III and in addition a number of unclassified levels have been found in Fe II. Lists of all the lines identified from new or previously known levels are given. These lists include a number of lines in the region $\ensuremath{\lambda}2225$ to $\ensuremath{\lambda}1550$ whose wave-length can be accurately calculated by the combination principle from levels whose positions are determined by measures at longer wave-lengths. These lines will be useful as standards.
Genetic learning for combinational logic design

This paper investigates the effect of injection percentage on the performance of a case-injected genetic algorithm for combinational logic design. A case-injected genetic algorithm is a genetic algorithm augmented with a case-based memory of past problem solving attempts which learns to improve performance on sets of similar design problems. In this approach, rather than starting anew on each design, we periodically inject a genetic algorithm’s population with appropriate intermediate design solutions to similar, previously solved problems. Experimental results on a configuration design problem; the design of a parity checker, demonstrate the performance gains from our approach and show that our system learns to take less time to provide quality solutions to a new design problem as it gains experience from solving other similar design problems.
B cell reductive therapy in the treatment of autoimmune diseases: A focus on monoclonal antibody treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

The therapeutic approach to patients with autoimmune disorders is in the midst of a dramatic change. Monoclonal antibody technology has allowed us to dissect and now manipulate the human immune system with greater precision. It is now widely recognized that B lymphocytes play a role in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases, though the extent and contribution is a matter of debate and active investigation. There is emerging data to suggest that both antibody-dependent and independent mechanisms contribute to disease pathogenesis. However, given the heterogeneous nature of autoimmune diseases, and the varied responses to B lymphocyte reduction, the role of B lymphocytes is likely disease-specific. The two clinical trials discussed in this review demonstrate remarkable consistency in the ability of B cell reduction to ameliorate the clinical manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis with minimal toxicity. B lymphocyte targeted approaches to autoimmune disease in general, and RA specifically, will not only provide an effective and potentially less toxic alternative treatment option, but also allow for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of these complex and morbid diseases.
Gastrointestinal eosinophil-mediated disorders and their treatment

Eosinophilic esophagitis has become a diagnosis familiar to allergists and immunologists who treat pediatric patients presenting with complaints of recurrent vomiting, feeding difficulty, abdominal pain, dysphagia, and food impaction. Over the past 3 years, published research has addressed several clinically important issues, including incidence among special patient populations, adult patients and familial cases, diagnostic features, natural history and complications, therapies with topical steroids, and pathogenesis with distinct genetic markers of the disorder.
Three-dimensional optical tomographic brain imaging in small animals, part 1: hypercapnia

In this study, we explore the potential of diffuse optical tomography for brain oximetry. While several groups have already reported on the sensitivity of optical measurements to changes in oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, and blood volume, these studies were often limited to single source-detector geometries or topographic maps, where signals obtained from within the brain are projected onto 2-D surface maps. In this two-part study, we report on our efforts toward developing a volumetric optical imaging system that allows one to spatially resolve 3-D hemodynamic effects in rat brains. In part 1, we describe the instrumentation, optical probe design, and the model-based iterative image reconstruction algorithm employed in this work. Consideration of how a priori anatomical knowledge can be incorporated in the reconstruction process is presented. This system is then used to monitor global hemodynamic changes that occur in the brain under various degrees of hypercapnia. The physiologic cerebral response to hypercapnia is well known and therefore allows an initial performance assessment of the imaging system. As expected, we observe global changes in blood volume and oxygenation, which vary linearly as a function of the concentration of the inspired carbon dioxide. Furthermore, experiments are designed to determine the sensitivity of the reconstructions of only 1 mm to inaccurate probe positioning. We determine that shifts can significantly influence the reconstructions…
Efficient and rapid exact gene replacement without selection.

We describe a highly efficient method for exact gene replacement in budding yeast. Induction of rapid and efficient recombination in an entire cell population results in at least 50% of the recombinants undergoing a switch of the endogenous copy to a specific mutated allele, with no remaining markers or remnant of foreign DNA, without selection. To accomplish this, a partial copy of the replacement allele, followed by an HO cut site, is installed adjacent to the wild-type locus, in a GAL-HO MATa-inc background. HO induction results in near-quantitative site cleavage and recombination/gene conversion, resulting in either regeneration of wild-type or switch of the endogenous allele to the mutant, with accompanying deletion of intervening marker sequences, yielding an exact replacement. Eliminating the need for selection (over days) of rare recombinants removes concerns about second-site suppressor mutations and also allows direct phenotypic analysis, even of lethal gene replacements, without the need of a method to make the lethality conditional or to employ regulated promoters of unknown strength compared to the endogenous promoter. To test this method, we tried two known lethal gene replacements, substituting the non-essential CDH1 gene with a dominantly lethal version mutated for its Cdk phosphorylation sites and substituting the essential CDC28 gene with two recessively lethal versions, one containing an early stop codon and another inactivating Cdc28 kinase activity. We also tested a gene replacement of unknown phenotypic consequences: replacing the non-essential CLB3 B-type cyclin with a version lacking its destruction box. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Correlates of health care utilization among HIV-seropositive injection drug users

This study sought to identify correlates of poor health care utilization among HIV-positive injection drug users (IDUs) using Andersen's behavioural health model. We used baseline data from INSPIRE, a study of HIV-positive IDUs (n=1161) to identify predisposing, enabling, and need factors related to poor utilization (defined as fewer than two outpatient visits in the past six months, or identification of emergency room (ER) as the usual place for care). Using bivariate and multivariate models, we found a number of enabling factors that could facilitate the use of health care services such as having health insurance, having seen a case manager, and better engagement with health care providers. These enabling factors could be modified through interventions targeting HIV-positive IDUs. In addition, health insurance and case management appear to be important factors to address because they contributed in making other factors (e.g. lower education, lack of stable housing) non-significant barriers to outpatient...
Relevance of electronic resource management systems to hiring practices for electronic resources personnel

Requirements for electronic resource positions in libraries advertised between the years 2000 and 2008 are reviewed and analyzed according to how they relate to developments in electronic resource management tools and standards taking place during the associated time periods. The research reveals that the job requirements for electronic resource personnel have not changed significantly over these years, despite overwhelming changes in quantity of material and quality of system resources and despite the recommendations of the Digital Library Federation's Electronic Resource Management Initiative documentation, which is used as a focal point for this study.
330 GHz helically corrugated waveguide

Corrugated waveguide made with a tap can significantly lower fabrication costs. A 330 GHz, 19 mm i.d., 4.5 m long brass circular waveguide was tapped and tested. Transmission measurements were compared with models that take into account the shape of the corrugation.
Direct-sum cancellation of submodule systems

Abstract We consider a category whose objects consist of a module together with a finite family of submodules, thus extending the scope of elementary divisor theory. The rings considered are module-finite algebras over a commutative Noetherian ring of Krull dimension 1, and the property we focus on is direct-summand cancellation, extending results of D. Zelinsky.
Effects of edge termination using dielectric field plates with different dielectric constants, thicknesses and bevel angles

This paper investigates the effects of dielectric constants, thicknesses and bevel angles on the breakdown voltage (VBD) improvement of 4H - SiC Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBDs) using field plates (FP) edge termination. Three high-k dielectrics (AlN, AlON and HfO2) are studied separately as FP materials. Besides the variation in dielectric constants, distinctive thicknesses and bevel angles are applied to probe their effects in enhancing VBD of various device configurations. Simulation results obtained from TCAD Sentaurus device simulator have demonstrated that with proper design of materials, thicknesses and bevel angles, field crowding issue in planar devices can be well addressed and higher breakdown voltage can be acquired.
A Time-Cost Analysis of Teaching a Laparoscopic Entero-Enterostomy

Objective Determining the success of technical skill training for surgery residents should include not only the efficacy of the training in terms of skills learned but also the cost of the facility where the training occurs and the cost of faculty participation. Traditional training occurs in the operating room, but the cost of faculty time and operating room time has not been well established. Assessing the cost of traditional training may allow us to put the cost of building and maintaining skills laboratories in perspective. To estimate the cost of traditional training we have recorded the time and interventions necessary for our senior residents to do a laparoscopic entero-enterostomy. Methods Each senior resident (PGY3-5) was asked to perform a laparoscopic entero-enterostomy in its entirety as part of a laparoscopic gastric bypass. After cannulation of the abdomen and division of any adhesions, we timed the residents for the performance of the following group of tasks: finding the ligament of Treitz, dividing the bowel 50-60 cm downstream, and creating a 2-layer anastomosis at 125 or 200 cm distal to the ligament. We tracked total time and number of interventions, which are defined by the attending temporarily taking over the case. Results Twelve residents were tracked by this system. The average time to complete the task was 93.7 minutes (±11.9 SD). The average number of interventions per case was 1.5 (±1.1 SD). Nine residents completed more than 1 procedure. Seven residents reduced their operative time on the second attempt. Operative times between the first and second procedure showed a reduction of 4.4 minutes (±17.4 SD), although this was not statistically significant (p = 0.47). No adverse clinical sequelae developed in these small bowel anastomoses. Educational time was calculated by subtracting the resident time from the time it takes an attending or finishing laparoscopic fellow to complete this task (50 minutes). The educational time for each anastomosis was 43.7 minutes. Using the AAMC average salary for an assistant professor of surgery of $180,000 year and assuming a 60-hour work week, this is $45.52 in faculty costs per anastomosis. If the cost of an operating room is $2000 per hour, the educational cost is $1457 per anastomosis. In our program, providing our 15 senior residents an educational opportunity to perform 2 laparoscopic entero-enterostomies would cost $45,061 a year. Conclusion Resident education is expensive. Knowledge of the cost of skills training in a traditional operative setting is necessary to put the costs associated with building and maintaining skills laboratories in perspective. Cost analyses and efficacy of teaching will allow us to rate the success of new educational techniques.
Glyoxalase inhibitors as potential anticancer agents.

Abstract A study of a series of S-alkylglutathiones as inhibitors of the enzyme, glyoxalase I, revealed that a non-polar region exists on the enzyme which plays an important role in the formation of an enzyme-inhibitor complex. The amount of inhibition of glyoxalase increases as the alkyl chain is lengthened from methyl to n-octyl. By taking advantage of the non-polar region of the enzyme, compounds have been prepared which are 435 times more active than the previously reported S-methylglutathione.
The Cost of Gender Equity: Title IX at the University of Oregon

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex at any educational institution that receives federal funding. Intended to focus on unfair admission practices, Title IX became known for mandating equal treatment (facilities, uniforms, coaching) for female intercollegiate athletes. The intricacies of implementing these federal standards presented substantial challenges, and universities confronted the ideological intersection of equality and autonomy in different ways. The University of Oregon administration remedied overtly discriminatory policies, most notably in facility access, but acute inequities persisted. Becky Sisley, the first and only Director of Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics for the University of Oregon, served as the driving force for changing athletic policies for women athletes in the 1960s and 1970s. Archival evidence and extensive oral interviews corroborate this struggle for adequate funding, coaching, and recognition. The Women’s Intercollegiate Association (WIA) survived on a meager budget, but routinely competed in national competitions. The organizatio¬n remained autonomous until 1977, when the University of Oregon combined the WIA and the Athletic Department. The loss of leadership in the merger, and Sisley’s resignation shortly thereafter, hindered any further attempts to reach true equality. The implementation of Title IX at the University of Oregon created a paradox for women’s athletics: an expansion of equality for female athletes, but a decline in autonomy for coaches and administrators of women’s athletics.
Estimation of dynamic origin-destination trip tables for a general network

Abstract In this paper, we propose a parametric optimization approach to estimate time-dependent path flows, or origin–destination (OD) trip tables, using available data on link traffic volumes for a general road network. Our model assumes knowledge of certain time-dependent link flow contribution factors that are a dynamic generalization of the path-link incidence matrix for the static case. A least squares model is accordingly formulated to determine the time-dependent trip tables. We develop a column generation approach that uses a sequence of dynamic shortest path subproblems in order to solve this problem. Computational results are presented on several variants of two sample test networks from the literature.
Effect of Pleural Membrane on the Propagation of Rayleigh-Type Surface Waves in Inflated Lungs

We model the lung parenchyma as an elastic half-space and the pleura as a taut elastic membrane in smooth or in welded contact with the half-space. In each instance we deduce that the presence of a sufficiently high surface tension T in the pleural membrane will lead to the existence of a cutoff frequency f0 for the Rayleigh-type surface waves, and we derive an equation which gives T in terms of f0 and parameters that characterize the layered medium. We performed experiments on four inflated horse lungs at transpulmonary pressures of 5, 10, and 15 cmH2 O. A comparison of the experimental results and the theoretical predictions provides an empirical test to the validity of the modeling.
Mass transfer in pH-sensitive hydrogels

Abstract This paper describes measurements of solute and solvent transport in swollen, swelling, and collapsing hydrogels. Solute diffusion in swollen gels follows Fick's law, with diffusion coefficients varying only slightly with the degree of swelling. Solvent diffusion into swelling gels is affected both by Fick's law and by the rates of ion exchange. Solvent diffusion in collapsing gels is faster than that in swelling gels, and is effectively described by Fick's law.
Application of p-Toluidine in Chromogenic Detection of Catechol and Protocatechuate, Diphenolic Intermediates in Catabolism of Aromatic Compounds.

Abstract In the presence of p-toluidine and iron, protocatechuate and catechols yield color. Inclusion of p-toluidine in media facilitates the screening of microbial strains for alterations affecting aromatic catabolism. Such strains include mutants affected in the expression of oxygenases and Escherichia coli colonies carrying cloned or subcloned aromatic catabolic genes which encode enzymes giving rise to protocatechuate or catechol. The diphenolic detection system can also be applied to the creation of vectors relying on insertion of cloned DNA into one of the latter marker genes.
THE ALEPH AND OMEGA OF SCARCITY

The enigma of the state is among the more persistent concerns of anthropology. Why did one path in the history of human social organization lead to the formation of the state? The question informs the Rousseauean inquiry into the origin of inequality. In the passage away from a social life standing "at an equal distance from the stupidity of brutes, and the pernicious enlightenment of civilized man" Rousseau observed there were increasing "opportunities of offending," for a civil career of property relations was everywhere attended by social injury} Rousseau's historical "just mean" is, of course, located in what we have named the neolithic age. In the Near East it is the period which constituted the prehistory of civilized societies of the Fertile Crescent, as, at various times, it occurred in widely scattered culture areas throughout the world. In Egypt and Mesopotamia, the first civilizations with their political forms, "pristine" states arose upon primitive bases of considerable historical depth.2 In sharp contrast to its egalitarian antecedents, the Egyptian state was equated with its pharaoh: He owned and defended his people as a flock is controlled by its "goodly herdsman."3 A salient concern of the archaic state, such as the Egyptian, turned on property and the justice of its administration.4 This attention led to the notion that injury must be redressed as a civil matter lest it trigger mutiny. Containment of the calamity of disorder was also effected by concealing exploitative authority behind a mask of state benevolence?the king assured the flow of the Nile and fertile abundance. If expectations of reciprocity from masters were frustrated,
Therapies for polycystic kidney disease.

Purpose of reviewAll polycystic diseases of the kidney exhibit tubular or saccular cysts. The cysts can either be open to the tubule or isolated sacs that have lost their connections. Polycystic kidney diseases derived from different genetic mutations share basic mechanisms of cytogenesis, formation
From Inscribed Bodies to Distributed Persons: Contextualizing Tairona Figural Images in Performance

Following trends in anthropology, the human body has recently become an important topic of discourse in archaeology. While some anthropologists consider the body as a social metaphor or site of symbolic inscription, others have questioned the validity of approaches based on the dichotomization and hierarchization of the mind and body. Semasiology, in particular, offers an epistemologically sound basis for interpreting the body, by grounding agency in the socially-structured actions that constitute corporeal space. This article applies the semasiological concept of the action-sign to archaeological problems through an examination of the interrelationship between Tairona anthropomorphic imagery and remains of ceremonial architecture at Pueblito, an archaeological site in Colombia. In both cases, physical remains constitute the traces of the actions through which agential persons created sacred spaces, and the meanings of these spaces may be more fully reconstructed by comparing diverse modes of embodiment. Tairona figural art and architecture constitute a creative technology, serving as an indexically-bound nexus of embodied social action.
Computerized history and self-assessment questionnaire for diagnostic screening among patients with dementia.

In order to standardize and quantify diagnostic information derived from medical histories and case reports given by demented patients, their families or care-providers, a questionnaire has been developed containing 94 questions. The output is categorized by computer into graphic clinical scales which correlate and weigh information relating to seven of the most common causes of dementia. The present investigation assesses the validity of predictive diagnostic classifications derived from the clinical scales tested on admission by correlating them later with final diagnoses determined independently by thorough clinical evaluation including standard diagnostic tests, computed tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance scans. Results of 101 healthy, neurologically normal, age-matched volunteers and 140 patients representative of the more common forms of dementia indicate that correct diagnostic identification was: 75% for dementia secondary to Parkinson's disease, 100% for Huntington's disease, 90.2% for Alzheimer's disease, 82.4% for multi-infarct dementia, 90.0% for posttraumatic dementia, 77.8% for normal-pressure hydrocephalus and 85.7% for Wernicke-Korsakoff dementia. Correct diagnostic assignment was highly significant (P less than .0005). The screening questionnaire may prove to be a useful and standard diagnostic tool for clinicians and investigators concerned with epidemiology, prevention and treatment of dementia.
Time Optimal Trajectories for Bounded Velocity Differential Drive Vehicles

This paper presents the time optimal trajectories for differential drive vehicles in the unobstructed plane. The wheel angular velocities are bounded, but may be discontinuous. The paper proves the existence of optimal controls, derives the structure of optimal trajectories, and develops an algorithm for producing a time optimal trajectory between any two configurations. Every nontrivial optimal trajectory is composed of straight segments alternating with turns about the robot's center. Optimal trajectories may have as many as five actions, but four actions are sufficient—for every optimal trajectory of five actions, there is an equally fast trajectory with four actions.
Relating SMMR 37 GHz polarization difference to precipitation and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration: a reappraisal

The relations of Scanning Multi-channel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) 37 GHz polarization difference to precipitation and atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations are reviewed. Annual precipitation data, a surrogate for green leaf vegetation density, are compared with the coincident SMMR 37 GHz polarization difference from arid and semi-arid West Africa for 1982-85. The SMMR 37 GHz polarization difference was found to be poorly correlated with precipitation in arid and semi-arid zones, contrary to previous reports. Coincident SMMR 37 GHz polarization difference and atmospheric CO2 concentration data from July 1981 to June 1983 are also reviewed. Previously suggested relations of the SMMR 37 GHz polarization difference to atmospheric CO2 concentrations were found to be heavily biased by winter conditions in the Northern Hemisphere. The use of the SMMR 37 GHz polarization difference for determining green leaf vegetation density, net primary production, atmospheric CO2 draw-down and related processes is questioned.
Skeletal growth patterns of Thoroughbred horses

SUMMARY The influence of sex of foal and date of birth on growth rate from 14 – 448 days of age was examined in 106 Thoroughbred horses. An asymptotic regression model was used to compare the effect of sex of foal and date of birth on body size at 14 d of age and at maturity. Rates of gain in body weight and body segment lengths were similar to those reported in the literature. Colts were similar is size to the fillies at 14 d of age, however the colts grew at a faster rate than the fillies. Estimated hip height, body length, depth of girth and width of chest at maturity were greater (P
A parallel hydrodynamic model for shallow water equations

A parallel implementation of a finite difference model for solving two-dimensional, time-dependent, open channel flows is presented. The algebraic equations resulting from the finite difference discretization of the two dimensional shallow water flow equations are solved by using explicit MacCormack scheme. The parallel code has been implemented on distributed-shared memory system, by using domain decomposition techniques. The message passing interface (MPI) protocols are incorporated for inter processor data communication. The effect of using two different geometry partitions is investigated. A comparison of the wallclock time of the code between these two partitions is made, and code performances with respect to different number of processors are presented.
L/I‐3 Biliary complications in adult‐to‐adult living donor right lobe liver transplants

Introduction: Biliary complications are a major cause of morbidity after living donor right lobe liver transplantation. The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence of biliary complications after Roux-en-Y vs. duct-to-duct reconstruction in adult-to-adult right lobe liver transplantation. Patients and methods: This study reports on 75 patients who underwent 77 right lobe liver transplants. During the initial experience beginning in June 1998, a Roux limb was used routinely for biliary reconstruction. Since September 2000 a duct-to-duct biliary anastomosis was performed if technically feasible. Results: Of 49 procedures involving Roux-en-Y reconstruction, 15 patients (30.6%) experienced 18 biliary complications, including 7 cases of biliary anastomotic strictures, 3 cut surface leaks requiring intervention, 1 anastomotic leak, 1 anastomotic obstruction, and 1 excluded segmental duct. In addition, 5 patients experienced episodes of cholangitis unrelated to strictures. Of the 47 patients with Roux-en-Y reconstruction, 32 are alive a mean of 75 months posttransplant. Of 28 patients with duct-to-duct reconstruction, 8 (28.6%) experienced 9 biliary complications including 5 anastomotic strictures (3 of which required operative intervention), 2 anastomotic leaks, 1 cut surface leak requiring intervention, and 1 excluded segmental duct. Twenty-four of 28 patients with duct-to-duct reconstruction are alive a mean of 39 months posttransplant. Conclusion: The incidence of biliary complications after right lobe living donor liver transplantation is about 30% regardless of the method used for biliary reconstruction. A duct-to-duct biliary anastomosis is an acceptable alternative to Roux-en-Y reconstruction if technically feasible.
Enzyme electrodes to monitor glucose consumption of single cardiac myocytes in sub-nanoliter volumes.

Abstract Monitoring the metabolic activity of cells in automated culture systems is one of the key features of micro-total-analysis-systems. We have developed a microfluidic device that allows us to trap single cardiac myocytes (SCMs) in sub-nanoliter volumes and incorporate amperometric glucose-sensing electrodes with working areas of 0.002 mm 2 to measure the glucose consumption of SCM. The miniaturized planar glucose electrodes were fabricated by spin coating platinum electrodes on glass substrates with a glutaraldehyde/enzyme solution and a protective Nafion membrane. The glucose electrodes demonstrate a high enzymatic activity characterized by an apparent Michaelis–Menten constant of 7.52 ± 0.18 mM and a sensitivity of ∼33.8 and ∼13.2 mA/M cm 2 at glucose concentration from 0–6 to 6–20 mM in Tyrode's solution, respectively. The response time of the glucose electrodes was between 5 and 15 s, and the sensitivity of the electrodes did not degrade over a period of 8 weeks. A replica molded polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic device with a sub-nanoliter sensing volume was sealed to the glass substrate and aligned with the glucose microelectrodes. SCM can be trapped in the sensing volume above the glucose electrodes to measure the glucose consumption over time. The average glucose consumption of SCM was 0.211 ± 0.097 mM/min ( n = 7) in Tyrode's solution with 5 mM of glucose.
Choosing Partners: A classroom experiment

The authors describe a classroom experiment designed to present the idea of two-sided matching, the concept of a stable assignment, and the Gale-Shapley deferred-acceptance mechanism. Participants need no prior training in economics or game theory, but the exercise will also interest trained economists and game theorists.
Invent-abling: enabling inventiveness through craft

Computationally enhanced craft items have created a new genre of educational toys and construction kits. Previous work shows that such activities increase interest in STEM particularly among female audiences [11]. However, there are few affordable kits for children, and current projects leave room for improvement. Many kits provide "cookie cutter" projects that call for blind following of instructions. Additionally, they market to girls with stereotyped branding (e.g. using colors like pink or activities like baking) and with preconceived ideas about their interests. We are working to expose these concepts in gender-neutral ways that encourage creativity and resourcefulness. The Invent-abling project, outlined in this paper, addresses gender inequality in STEM learning tools by exploring how aesthetics, materials, applications, and learning styles, impact girls' engagement with educational materials.
Occupational Wellness: The Integration of Career Identity and Personal Identity

Historically, career and vocational counseling have served as cornerstones to the counseling profession. Still, there are several survey studies that indicate that interest in career counseling among counseling professionals has eroded. Conversely, there has been an overwhelming response from counselors to the idea of wellness. The intent of this article is to encourage practicing counselors and researchers to consider career development as a key ingredient in the conceptualization of wellness. Furthermore, it is imperative that we begin to assist clients in achieving this aspect of occupational wellness through the integration of career identity and personal identity.
The role of optical spectroscopy in epilepsy surgery in children.

Object Surgery is an important therapeutic modality for pediatric patients with intractable epilepsy. However, existing imaging and diagnostic technologies such as MR imaging and electrocochleography (ECoG) do not always effectively delineate the true resection margin of an epileptic cortical lesion because of limitations in their sensitivity. Optical spectroscopic techniques such as fluorescence and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy provide a nondestructive means of gauging the physiological features of the brain in vivo, including hemodynamics and metabolism. In this study, the authors investigate the feasibility of using combined fluorescence and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to assist epilepsy surgery in children. Methods In vivo static fluorescence and diffuse reflectance spectra were acquired from the brain in children undergoing epilepsy surgery. Spectral measurements were obtained using a portable spectroscopic system in conjunction with a fiber optic probe. The optical investigations were condu...
Mixtures of multiple testing procedures for gatekeeping applications in clinical trials

This paper proposes a general framework for constructing gatekeeping procedures for clinical trials with hierarchical objectives. Such problems frequently exhibit complex structures including multiple families of hypotheses and logical restrictions. The proposed framework is based on combining multiple procedures across families. It enables the construction of powerful and flexible gatekeeping procedures that account for general logical restrictions among the hypotheses of interest. A clinical trial in patients with schizophrenia is used to illustrate the approach for parallel gatekeeping, whereas another clinical trial in patients with hypertension is used to illustrate the approach for gatekeeping with general logical restrictions.
The backward incidence of pollution control—some comparative statics in general equilibrium

Abstract The backward incidence of stronger pollution controls onto the factors of production is examined in a two sector (one polluting, one not), general equilibrium model. The real returns to labor and capital are found to move in opposite directions that depend on the factor intensity of the nonpolluting sector. The magnitudes of these effects are shown dependent upon the degree of factor intensity in that sector, the ease with which pollution can be removed from the effluent, the ease with which capital and labor can be substituted in either sector, and the price elasticities of demand for the sectors' products.
Response of the nitrogen mode of the thermionic ionization detector to substituted nitrobenzenes

Abstract The response of the nitrogen mode of the thermionic ionization detector to a large number of substituted nitrobenzenes has been studied. The effects of detector temperature, emitter heating current, bias voltage, and changes in the detector gas on the responses of 36 compounds is reported. An attempt is made to interpret these results in terms of three candidate models for the mechanism of the nitrogen mode of the thermionic ionization detector response. Of particular importance in this study is a comparison of the observed responses with recently reported gas phase electron affinity values of the substituted nitrobenzenes. The results tend to support a mechanism in which the initiating step is thermal decomposition of the analyte molecule at the surface—gas interface, followed by electron transfer from the emitter surface to a gas phase species (probably nitrogen dioxide). For some molecules, a mechanism involving direct electron transfer to the intact parent molecule may also be operative.
Conflict of interest and congressional voting: A note

Results of this study are consistent with those of previous voting studies which have shown that party, ideology, and constituency characteristics are often significant explanatory variables in equations to explain voting. No evidence was found to support the hypothesis that congressmen's voting decisions depend upon their private financial interests. This suggests the conclusion that much of the concern about apparent conflicts of interest is unfounded, but it must be recognized that this study has examined voting on just a few issues and has used data on financial holdings which were lacking in precision. As more data becomes available in the next several years, we should be able to resolve this question with greater confidence.
CHANGES IN GLOMERULAR CAPILLARY PERMEABILITY TO DEXTRANS (D) DURING DEVELOPMENT

An increase in the permeability of the glomerular capillaries has been suggested to contribute to the rise in GFR occurring during maturation. This is difficult to reconcile with the observation that the urine of the newborn contains more protein than that of the adult. It is this inconsistency that prompted us to measure the clearance of polydisperse tritiated D (Einstein-Stokes radius (r) 18-58A) in 6 newborn and 7 six-week old puppies. The separation of D according to molecular size was accomplished by fractionating samples of plasma and urine on a Sephacryl gel column. At both ages, the permeance of D molecules with radii less than 23A was similar to that of 125I iothalamate (r∼5A), while larger molecules were restricted to a progressively greater degree. The relative clearance of D ranging in size from 24-40A was 21 ± 1% (SE) greater in the newborn than in the more mature puppy. No significant differences between the two age groups were found in the relative clearances of D smaller than 23A or larger than 41A. Although these data are open to various interpretations, the simplest is that the number of pores per unit of glomerular capillary surface area is larger in the newborn than in the older pupppy. Electrical charge notwithstanding, the existence of a greater pore density would explain the presence of relatively large amounts of protein in the urine of the newborn, but it cannot be construed to account for the low GFR prevailing at early age.
Genetic regulation of somatic mutability of two Mu -induced a1 mutants of maize

Previous studies of stocks of two Mutator-induced mutable a1 alleles (a1-Mum2 and al-Mum3) gave results consistent with the presence of one or more autonomous elements regulating the expression of mutability. This article reports on the results of studies designed to map these autonomous elements by using a series of waxy marked translocations. Linkage of waxy with autonomous elements was found for a1-Mum2 by using the translocations wx T2-9d, wx T4-9e and wx T4-9b. Several different linkage values were found in crosses involving wx T2-9d, suggesting that autonomous elements have transposed to different locations on chromosome 2. Linkage of autonomous elements with waxy was found for a1-Mum3 using translocation wx T2-9d. Again, several different linkage values were found. Some of these values were the same as those observed for a1-Mum2, but some were unique. In some crosses, the number of autonomous elements increased by one or two unlinked elements in addition to the linked element in one generation (i. e. the generation of the cross to the translocation series). Such an increase in number is probably the result of transposition of the original autonomous element to an independent locus while retaining the autonomous element at the original locus. Reduction in the number of autonomous elements is probably the result of the independent assortment in crosses of plants with two or more autonomous elements.
Phylogenetic perspectives on nodulation: evolving views of plants and symbiotic bacteria

Abstract Phylogenetic studies are contributing greatly to our knowledge of relationships on both sides of the plant–bacteria nodulation symbiosis. Multiple origins of nodulation (perhaps even within the legume family) appear likely. However, all nodulating flowering plants are more closely related than previously suspected, suggesting that the predisposition to nodulate might have arisen only once. Phylogenies of 16S rRNA genes highlight the evolutionary diversity of symbiotic bacteria and appear to rule out any broad coevolution with their plant hosts, but high levels of gene transfer might obscure the relevant pattern. The origins of nodulation, and the extent to which developmental programs are conserved in nodules remain unclear, but an improved understanding of the relationships between nodulin genes is providing some clues.
DNA recombination: the replication connection

Chromosomal double-strand breaks (DSBs) arise after exposure to ionizing radiation or enzymatic cleavage, but especially during the process of DNA replication itself. Homologous recombination plays a critical role in repair of such DSBs. There has been significant progress in our understanding of two processes that occur in DSB repair: gene conversion and recombination-dependent DNA replication. Recent evidence suggests that gene conversion and break-induced replication are related processes that both begin with the establishment of a replication fork in which both leading- and lagging-strand synthesis occur. There has also been much progress in characterization of the biochemical roles of recombination proteins that are highly conserved from yeast to humans.
In-Hospital Mortality for Liver Resection for Metastases: A Simple Risk Score

Background Surgical management of liver metastases from various primaries is increasingly common. The mortality of such procedures is not well-defined. Accurate predictions for perioperative risk could augment decision-making. Materials and Methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was queried (1998–2005) for patient-discharges for hepatic procedures for metastases. Logistic regression and bootstrap methods were used to create an integer score for estimating the risk of in-hospital mortality using patient demographics, comorbidities, procedure, and hospital type. A randomly selected sample of 80% of the cohort was used to create the risk score, with validation of the score in the remaining 20%. Results For the total 50,537 patient-discharges, overall in-hospital mortality was 2.6%. Factors included in the model were age, sex, Charlson comorbidity score, procedure type, and teaching hospital status. Integer values were assigned for calculating an additive score. Four score groups were assembled to stratify risk, with a 15-fold gradient of mortality ranging from 0.9% to 14.7% (P Conclusion An integer-based risk score can be used to predict in-hospital mortality after hepatic procedure for metastases, and may be useful for preoperative patient counseling.