cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two‐flux radiation‐field model for an annular packed‐bed photocatalytic oxidation reactor

One of the remaining challenges in application of heterogeneous photocatalysis for treatment of air streams containing dilute VOCs is to design a cost-effective photocatalytic reactor that simultaneously allows efficient contact of the contaminated air and solid catalyst while uniformly irradiating the solid catalyst with light. A pseudohomogeneous model was developed to study effects of system parameters on process performance for a gas–solid lamp-in-tube annular-photocatalytic-oxidation (PCO) reactor in which the annular space is filled with photocatalyst-coated packing. In this model the flow field is assumed to be uniform and radial diffusion negligible. Homogeneous reactions are neglected. Heterogeneous reaction rates follow Langmuir–Hinshelwood–Houghen–Watson kinetics with rate parameters extracted from independent experiments. A 1:D “two-flux” incidence submodel is used to account for the radial UV light distribution throughout the reactor annular space. This submodel requires knowledge of the UV lamp radiant emittance, the optical characterstics of the catalytic thin-film coating, and the UV irradiance at the outer wall of the reactor and contains only a single adjustable parameter—the mean free path between photon–catalyst interactions. The model was validated with experimental performance measurements for destruction of acetone and isopropyl alcohol in a bench-scale photoreactor. The validated model can be used to predict the optimum catalyst film thickness for given reactor dimensions, packing shape and size, and VOC abatement problem.
Food Web Structure and Long-Term Phosphorus Recycling: A Simulation Model Evaluation

Abstract We used models to examine the effects of different food web structures on the longterm dynamics of phosphorus recycling in lakes. We also assessed food web responses to periodic fish recruitment. These responses were compared for models with and without a typical invertebrate planktivore represented by Chaoborus. Nutrient flux was estimated based on bioenergetics models offish growth. Predator–prey interactions were developed as type II functional responses whereby feeding rate per predator increases with prey density up to some intrinsic limit on consumption. The model with Chaoborus produced higher biomass of both piscivorous and planktivorous fish and higher phosphorus recycling rates than the model without Chaoborus. When periodic piscivore recruitment was introduced into the model without Chaoborus, all nonpiscivore components in the model showed the same periodicity as the piscivore recruitment. With Chaoborus, the responses were more complex and generally less sensitive to piscivore recrui...
Influence of temperature on cyclic stress response and fracture behavior of aluminum alloy 6061

Abstract The cyclic stress response and fracture characteristics of aluminum alloy 6061 was studied at different temperatures. The specimens were cyclically deformed using tension-compression loading under total strain-amplitude control. The alloy showed evidence of softening at all test temperatures. The degree of cyclic softening was observed to increase with an increase in test temperature. The presence of shearable matrix precipitates in the alloy results in a local decrease in resistance to dislocation movement, thereby causing a progressive loss of strengthening contribution. At the elevated temperatures, localized oxidation and embrittlement at the grain boundaries are promoted by the applied cyclic stress and play an important role in accelerating crack initiation and subsequent crack propagation. The fracture behavior of the alloy is discussed in terms of competing influences of intrinsic microstructural effects, deformation characteristics arising from a combination of mechanical and microstructural contributions, plastic strain amplitude and concomitant response stress, and test temperature.
Long-term effects of establishment practices on plant communities across successive rotations in a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantation

Abstract Implementation of repeated, high-intensity short rotations in forest plantations raises concerns about the effects of such practices on herbaceous layer biodiversity and overall sustainability. To investigate these concerns, we conducted a comparative study of second and third rotation plant communities in a loblolly pine plantation in the Piedmont of North Carolina. The second rotation stand was established in 1960 using conventional practices and was harvested in 1981, leaving two plots in each of three blocks as “historical” plots representing the second rotation. The third rotation was planted in 1982, and a 2 × 2 factorial experiment was established within an area that had been complete-tree harvested, using two site preparation (drum-chop versus shear, pile, and disk) and two cultural (vegetation control versus no vegetation control) treatments in each of three blocks. Presence/absence data for vascular plant taxa were collected in the second rotation historical plots at year 22 and also in the third rotation treatment plots at year 18 and analyzed using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination, indicator species analysis, analysis of species richness, and computation of species turnover. Results indicated overall similarities in the herbaceous layer from year 22 in the second rotation to year 18 in the third rotation, while revealing some key differences in species composition, including persistence of disturbance-responsive species associated with the vegetation control treatment in the third rotation plots. The addition of these species largely accounted for an increase in species richness from the second to the third rotation. Species composition in low intensity third rotation plots (chop, no vegetation control) most closely resembled that of the second rotation plots of similar age. In addition, differences in species composition due to soil and topographic differences within the study persisted through both rotations, while compositional effects of treatments implemented at the beginning of the third rotation diminished with time. We conclude that more intensive silvicultural practices, such as site preparation and vegetation control, reduce initial competition from woody species and thus permit the persistence of early successional species, increasing overall diversity. From the larger perspective of the entire study, the second and third rotation stands converged to similar species composition after approximately two decades post-planting despite early treatment-related differences in the third rotation. It remains to be seen whether additional harvests, rotations, and intensive practices will continue to support a functioning understory plant community in these short rotation plantation forests.
Pathogenesis of an experimental meningeal leukemia model.

Abstract Syngeneic mice injected intravenously with a T-cell tumor line developed widespread bone marrow and visceral leukemic infiltration 10 days after inoculation. This was followed by a sequence of focal and then diffuse tumoral infiltration of the cranial duramater, subdural space, and leptomeninges. The involvement of the duramater was shown to result from direct local extension of leukemic cells from the cranial bone marrow along the adventitia of blood vessels. The leptomeningeal infiltration that followed occurred via the adventitia of veins connecting the duramater with the arachnoid. This mechanism of direct spread of marrow leukemic cells into the meninges has been shown to occur in other experimental models and has been suggested in some human autopsy studies of meningeal leukemia. It is postulated that this pathogenetic mechanism may operate in some instances of the human disease, instead of the more commonly accepted hematogenous spread of meningeal leukemia.
Evaluation of Factors Contributing to Position Accuracy in Delay Line Readout of MWPC

We have developed a method to accurately measure the resolution of multiwire proportional chambers with delay line readout. The contribution of signal to noise, pulse shape, pulse rise time and discriminator slewing to the position accuracy is presented. Results show that position resolution better than 100 microns is possible.
BAD and glucokinase reside in a mitochondrial complex that integrates glycolysis and apoptosis

Glycolysis and apoptosis are considered major but independent pathways that are critical for cell survival1,2,3,4. The activity of BAD, a pro-apoptotic BCL-2 family member, is regulated by phosphorylation in response to growth/survival factors5,6,7,8. Here we undertook a proteomic analysis to assess whether BAD might also participate in mitochondrial physiology. In liver mitochondria, BAD resides in a functional holoenzyme complex together with protein kinase A7 and protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) catalytic units9, Wiskott–Aldrich family member WAVE-1 as an A kinase anchoring protein10, and glucokinase (hexokinase IV)11. BAD is required to assemble the complex in that Bad-deficient hepatocytes lack this complex, resulting in diminished mitochondria-based glucokinase activity and blunted mitochondrial respiration in response to glucose. Glucose deprivation results in dephosphorylation of BAD, and BAD-dependent cell death. Moreover, the phosphorylation status of BAD helps regulate glucokinase activity. Mice deficient for BAD or bearing a non-phosphorylatable BAD(3SA) mutant12 display abnormal glucose homeostasis including profound defects in glucose tolerance. This combination of proteomics, genetics and physiology indicates an unanticipated role for BAD in integrating pathways of glucose metabolism and apoptosis.
Are there spurious temperature trends in the United States Climate Division database

[1] The United States (U.S.) Climate Division data set is commonly used in applied climatic studies in the United States. The divisional averages are calculated by including all available stations within a division at any given time. The averages are therefore vulnerable to shifts in average station location or elevation over time, which may introduce spurious trends within these data. This paper examines temperature trends within the 15 climate divisions of New England, comparing the NCDC's U.S. Divisional Data to the U.S. Historical Climate Network (USHCN) data. Correlation and multiple regression revealed that shifts in latitude, longitude, and elevation have affected the quality of the NCDC divisional data with respect to the USHCN. As a result, there may be issues with regard to their use in decadal- to century-scale climate change studies.
Variation-aware deep nanometer gate performance modeling: An analytical approach

A complete set of analytical gate performance models is developed based on driving current analysis. Closed-form equations for gate delay and output slew are obtained, which capture the dependence on key process and design parameters, such as the input slew, threshold voltage, etc. Using these formulas, gate performance of various topologies is accurately predicted under both nominal and variational conditions. This work can be easily implemented to enhance fast statistical timing analysis, circuit optimization and aging characterization.
Ostrich Slaughter and Fabrication.2. Carcass Weights, Fabrication Yields, and Muscle Color Evaluation

Abstract Seven male and seven female ostrich carcasses were fabricated to determine the effect of sex on the yield of bone, fat, and lean on a weight and carcass percentage basis. The 10 heaviest muscles of the ostrich carcass were removed, weighed, and reported on a carcass percentage basis. Muscle color differences also were determined for 10 selected muscles. Sex did not affect carcass composition or muscle color. Across sexes, ostrich carcasses contained 26.9% bone, 9.2% fat, and 62.5% lean. Of the lean portion, 66.2% was found in the 10 major muscles of leg and thigh. The Gastrocnemius, Iliofibularis, and Fibularis longus were the three largest muscles from the carcass. There were differences (P
Persistence of pharmaceutical compounds and other organic wastewater contaminants in a conventional drinking-water-treatment plant

In a study conducted by the US Geological Survey and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 24 water samples were collected at selected locations within a drinking-water-treatment (DWT) facility and from the two streams that serve the facility to evaluate the potential for wastewater-related organic contaminants to survive a conventional treatment process and persist in potable-water supplies.Stream-water samples as well as samples of raw, settled, filtered, and finished water were collected during low-flow conditions, when the discharge of effluent from upstream municipal sewage-treatment plants accounted for 37–67% of flow in stream 1 and 10–20% of flow in stream 2.Each sample was analyzed for 106 organic wastewater-related contaminants (OWCs) that represent a diverse group of extensively used chemicals.Forty OWCs were detected in one or more samples of stream water or raw-water supplies in the treatment plant; 34 were detected in more than 10% of these samples.Several of these compounds also were frequently detected in samples of finished water; these compounds include selected prescription and non-prescription drugs and their metabolites, fragrance compounds, flame retardants and plasticizers, cosmetic compounds, and a solvent.The detection of these compounds suggests that they resist removal through conventional water-treatment processes.Other compounds that also were frequently detected in samples of stream water and rawwater supplies were not detected in samples of finished water; these include selected prescription and non-prescription drugs and their metabolites, disinfectants, detergent metabolites, and plant and animal steroids.The non-detection of these compounds indicates that their concentrations are reduced to levels less than analytical detection limits or that they are transformed to degradates through conventional DWT processes.Concentrations of OWCs detected in finished water generally were low and did not exceed Federal drinking-water standards or lifetime health advisories, although such standards or advisories have not been established for most of these compounds.Also, at least 11 and as many as 17 OWCs were detected in samples of finished water.Drinking-water criteria currently are based on the toxicity of individual compounds and not combinations of compounds.Little is known about potential human-health effects associated with chronic exposure to trace levels of multiple OWCs through routes such as drinking water.The occurrence in drinking-water supplies of many of the OWCs analyzed for during this study is unregulated and most
The evaluation of statistical process control methods by simulation

Abstract A set of functions that provide for Monte Carlo simulation and graphical analysis of various statistical process control methods and measures is described. the functions are written to the MathCAD microcomputer environment.
Evolving role of antineoplastic agents in colorectal cancer

Purpose. The epidemiology, natural history, patient presentation, staging, prognosis, and treatment of colorectal cancer are described. Summary. Colorectal cancer is a common malignancy that usually is not diagnosed when it is localized because it typically is asymptomatic in the early stages. Various cancer chemotherapeutic agents with different toxicities are available, including the recently introduced recombinant humanized immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibodies cetuximab and bevacizumab. Chemotherapy may be used with or without surgery in patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer, usually for palliation rather than a cure. The results of clinical trials suggest that patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer probably should receive 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)/leucovorin, irinotecan, oxaliplatin, bevacizumab, and cetuximab at some time in the course of treatment, although the preferred combinations and sequence of these agents remain to be determined. After surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy may be used for curative purposes in patients with stage III disease and some patients with stage II disease at high risk for disease recurrence and death. Although 5-FU plus leucovorin has been the standard adjuvant therapy, clinical trials have demonstrated that adding oxaliplatin or using capecitabine alone instead is an alternative. Conclusion. Several recently introduced chemotherapeutic agents appear promising for the treatment of colorectal cancer, but additional clinical research is needed to identify the ideal combinations and sequence of these agents.
Trait-Based Filtering of the Regional Species Pool to Guide Understory Plant Reintroductions in Midwestern Oak Savannas, U.S.A.

A common first step during ecological restoration is reestablishing the local species pool through active reintroduction of individual plant species. Unfortunately, the regional species pool is often far too large to be of practical use during restoration. Methods are needed to produce manageable lists of key species for directed reintroduction. We used life history traits to target species from the regional species pool (n= 900) for reintroduction to degraded Midwestern oak savanna remnants (n= 8) in central Iowa, U.S.A. Beginning with the full regional species pool, we first used a priori filters to remove exotic species, species that live in permanently wet habitats, and species already present at the degraded remnant savannas. Next, we created a set of filters to target species with high priority for reintroduction, based on comparisons between the degraded and regional species pools. By this process, we identified perennial forbs and grasses that may be dispersal limited (ant, passive, or heavy wind-dispersed seeds) and are conservative in habitat requirement or have affinities for high-light environments. By applying these filters, we were able to winnow down the regional species pool to a manageable number of species (n= 111) that we recommend for initial reintroduction efforts to the degraded savanna remnants. Furthermore, we specifically targeted members of the regional species pool that could fill under-represented ecological niches at the degraded savanna remnants and discuss potential benefits of adding these species for restoring ecosystem function.
Biotelemetry of cardiovascular hemodynamic measurements in miniswine

A three-channel biotelemetry system has been designed and implemented for use in a chronically instrumented animal model of cardiovascular disease. A dual-channel ultrasonic transit-time micrometer allows monitoring of left-ventricular wall motion for the regions perfused by the left circumflex and left anterior descending coronary arteries. A third channel provides left ventricular blood pressure obtained from a high-fidelity blood pressure transducer implanted in the left ventricle. The biotelemetry system features a high voltage DC-DC converter for improved ultrasonic signal strength, a time-to-voltage converter that is highly immune to synchronization frequency variations, low power consumption (approx. 100 mW), small size (4*6*12 cm), and low weight (approx. 200 g). This three-channel system has been used to continuously monitor untethered animals for 24-h periods. The data can be utilized to quantify myocardial oxygen demand and regional left-ventricular wall thickening. >
Predicting altered pathways using extendable scaffolds

Many diseases, especially solid tumors, involve the disruption or deregulation of cellular processes. Most current work using gene expression and other high-throughput data, simply list a set of differentially expressed genes. We propose a new method, PAPES (predicting altered pathways using extendable scaffolds), to computationally reverse-engineer models of biological systems. We use sets of genes that occur in a known biological pathway to construct component process models. We then compose these models to build larger scale networks that capture interactions among pathways. We show that we can learn process modifications in two coupled metabolic pathways in prostate cancer cells.
Adaptive output feedback control of a class of non-linear systems using neural networks

This paper presents tools for the design of a neural network based adaptive output feedback controller for a class of partially or completely unknown non-linear multi-input multi-output systems without zero dynamics. Each of the outputs is assumed to have relative degree less or equal to 2. A neural network based adaptive observer is designed to estimate the derivatives of the outputs. Subsequently, the adaptive observer is integrated into a neural network based adaptive controller architecture. Conditions are derived which guarantee the ultimate boundedness of all the errors in the closed loop system. Stability analysis reveals simultaneous learning rules for both the adaptive neural network observer and adaptive neural network controller. The design approach is illustrated using a fourth order two-input two-output example, in which each output has relative degree two.
Unsupervised learning with independent component analysis can identify patterns of glaucomatous visual field defects.

PURPOSE We previously reported the use of clustering by unsupervised learning with machine learning classifiers to segment clusters of patterns in standard automated perimetry (SAP) for glaucoma. In this study, the process of unsupervised learning by independent component analysis decomposed SAP field patterns into axes, and the information represented by these axes was evaluated. METHODS SAP fields were obtained with the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer on 189 normal eyes and 156 eyes with glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) determined by masked review with stereoscopic optic disc photos. The variational Bayesian independent component analysis mixture model (vB-ICA-mm) partitioned the SAP fields into the most informative number of clusters. Simultaneously, it learned an optimal number of maximally independent axes for each cluster. RESULTS The most informative number of clusters was two. vB-ICA-mm placed 68.6% of the SAP fields from eyes with GON in a cluster labeled G and 98.4% of the fields from eyes with normal optic discs in a cluster labeled N. Cluster G optimally contained six axes. Post hoc analysis of patterns generated at -1 SD and +2 SD from the cluster G mean on the six axes revealed defects similar to those identified by experts as indicative of glaucoma. SAP fields associated with an axis showed increasing severity as they were located farther in the positive direction from the cluster G mean. CONCLUSIONS vB-ICA-mm represented the SAP fields with patterns that were meaningful for glaucoma experts. This process also captured severity in the patterns uncovered. These findings should validate vB-ICA-mm as a data mining technique for new and unfamiliar complex tests.
The Political Economy of Proliferation

Nuclear Logics: Contrasting Paths in East Asia and the Middle East. By Etel Solingen. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2007. 404 pp., $26.95 (ISBN: 978-0-691-13468-0). In this highly ambitious survey of “nuclear logics,” the author contends that the domestic imperatives of political survival and economic growth may have a greater influence on decisions to acquire or forsake nuclear weapons than often recognized. This is no small assertion relative to the traditional scholarship on proliferation, and Solingen spends the better part of this work exploring evidence in support of the utility of domestic-level analyses of nuclear decision-making. Solingen maintains that this book is designed to explore “the riddle of diverging nuclear trajectories in East Asia and the Middle East” (p. ix). Yet it is perhaps most notable as a strong challenge to the proliferation literature focused on systems-level imperatives (Waltz 2003; Sagan and Waltz 2003; Waltz 1981; Mearsheimer 1990; Keohane 1984; Kahler 2000; Dunn 1982; Walt 1987). This is not the first study of its kind, but it does represent the most comprehensive, theoretical, and systematic challenge in years. By shifting analytical focus to concerns of domestic political survival and economic growth, Solingen makes an important contribution to a growing body of scholarship on nuclear decision-making (Hymans 2006; Allison 2005; Campbell, …
Leukocytic oxygen activation and microbicidal oxidative toxins.

Following a brief introduction of cellular response to stimulation comprising leukocyte activation, three major areas are discussed: (1) the neutrophil oxidase; (2) myeloperoxidase (MPO)-dependent oxidative microbicidal reactions; and (3) MPO-independent oxidative reactions. Topics included in section (A) are current views on the activation mechanism, redox composition, structural and topographic organization of the oxidase, and its respiratory products. In section (B), emphasis is placed on recent research on cidal mechanisms of HOCl, including the oxidative biochemistry of active chlorine compounds, identification of sites of lesions in bacteria, and attendant metabolic consequences. In section (C), we review the (bio)chemistry of H2O2 and .OH microbicidal reactions, with particular attention being given to addressing the controversial issue of probe methods to identify .OH radical and critical assessment of the recent proposal that MPO-independent killing arises from site-specific metal-catalyzed Fenton-type chemistry.
Triquetral impingement ligament tear (tilt)

Ulnar wrist pain is a complex problem whose cause often remains elusive. A diagnostic triad of localized triquetral pain, history of a wrist hyperflexion injury, and normal radiographs, accompanied by ulnar wrist swelling and limited wrist motion, is often attributable to a syndrome we have termed triquetral impingement ligament tear (TILT). The mechanism of injury causes a cuff of fibrous tissue to be displaced distally from the ulnar sling mechanism, resulting in chronic impingement on the triquetrum that causes hyperaemia, loss of articular cartilage, and softening of the bone. Surgical repair consists of simply excising the impinging fibrous cuff. The outcome of 44 patients treated for TILT over a 6-year period is reviewed. In all cases, TILT repair resulted in improved wrist motion and strength. Ninety-five percent of patients reported a significant improvement in pain both at rest and with activity.
A simulation involving MAPS video bandwidth reduction, acoustic channel errors, and error checking

The reliable acoustic transmission of images that have been processed by a video bandwidth reduction technique such as Micro-Adaptive Picture Sequencing (MAPS) necessitates a robust coding scheme. This is due to the fact that errors effect compressed data more seriously than uncompressed data. For this reason image quality is a function of three system variables: image compression, channel noise, and error checking. A real-time simulation has been developed to determine the relationship between the three system variables. The simulator uses two 68000 microcomputers connected by a serial link; one does image compression and noise modeling while the other performs error checking and image reconstruction. The noise model uses 17 characteristics and operating parameters of the acoustic channel to corrupt the image data with single bit random errors. At the receiver the error checking can correct up to 90 percent of the most serious single bit errors.
Chlorogenic acid/chromium supplement rescues diet-induced insulin resistance and obesity in mice

Abdominal obesity is a major risk factor for insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Dietary fat induces insulin resistance in humans and rodents. The current study investigates whether a Chlorogenic acid/Chromium III supplement rescues obesity and insulin resistance caused by high-fat feeding of male C57BL/6 J mice for 7 weeks. Administering an oral daily dose of this supplement in the last 3 weeks of feeding reversed diet-induced body weight gain and insulin resistance, assessed by hyperglycemia, glucose intolerance and insulin intolerance. Indirect calorimetry analysis revealed that this effect is mediated at least partly, by increasing energy expenditure and spontaneous locomoter activity. These findings underscore the important role that chlorogenic acid and chromium play in maintaining glucose metabolism and insulin response in mice fed a high-fat diet.
Rebounding from Corruption: Perceptions of Ethics Program Effectiveness in a Public Sector Organization

We examine the perceived importance of three organizational preconditions (awareness of formal ethics codes, decision-making techniques, and availability of resources) theorized to be critical for ethics program effectiveness. In addition, we examine the importance of ethical leadership and congruence between formal ethics codes and informal ethical norms in influencing employee perceptions. Participants (n=418) from a large southern California government agency completed a survey on the perceived effectiveness of the organization’s ethics program. Results suggest that employee perceptions of organizational preconditions, ethical leadership and informal ethical norms were related to perceptions of ethics program effectiveness. Based on these findings, organizations should evaluate the presence (or absence) of essential preconditions and take steps to ensure that leaders model espoused organizational values to foster perceptions of effective ethics programs.
Electrocardiographic identification of increased left ventricular mass by simple voltage-duration products

Objectives. This study was conducted to validate the hypothesis that the product of QRS voltage and duration, as an approximation of the time-voltage area of the QRS complex, can improve the electrocardiographic (ECG) detection of echocardiographically determined left ventricular hypertrophy and to further assess the relative contribution of QRS duration to the ECG detection of hypertrophy. Background. The ECG identification of left ventricular hypertrophy has been limited by the poor sensitivity of standard voltage criteria alone. However, increases in left ventricular mass can be more accurately related to increases in the time-voltage area of the QRS complex than to changes in QRS voltage or duration alone. Methods. Standard 12-lead ECGs and echocardiograms were obtained for 389 patients, including 116 patients with left ventricular hypertrophy. Simple voltage-duration products were calculated by multiplying Cornell voltage by QRS duration (Cornell product) and the 12-lead sum of voltage by QRS duration (12-lead product). Results. In a stepwise logistic regression model that also induced Cornell voltage, Sokolow-Lyon voltage, age and gender, QRS duration remained a highly significant predictor of the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy (chi-square 26.9, p 4 (p < 0.001) and the 33% sensitivity of the best-fit logistic regression model in this cohort (p < 0.05 vs. p < 0.001). Conclusions. QRS duration is an independent ECG predictor of the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy, and the simple product of either Cornell voltage or 12-lead voltage and QRS duration significantly improves identification of left ventricular hypertrophy relative to other ECG criteria that use QRS duration and voltages in linear combinations.
Structure Analysis of Functional Materials

Structure design and material’s development heavily depend on structure characterizations, through which one can master the mechanisms that drive the special properties of a material. A deep understanding of the materials’ behaviors will feed back into their synthesis processes for optimizing the properties and improving performance. The fundamental analysis techniques introduced in Chapter 6 are the basis for precise and correct interpretation of experimental data. In this chapter, our aim is to apply these techniques for characterizing a variety of structures related to oxide functional materials. Details will be given for the analysis of grain boundaries, superstructures, and point defects, which are important for intelligent materials in particular. This chapter is integrated with the contents of Chapter 6 for illustrating the unique applications of TEM in promoting the development of functional materials.
Surgical aspects of a randomized trial of defibrillator implantation during coronary artery bypass surgery. The CABG Patch Trial.

Background Whether prophylactic insertion of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) improves the survival of high-risk patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is being assessed in the CABG Patch Trial. This report describes the surgical aspects of the study. Methods and Results As of February 28, 1995, 847 patients (1.6% of 54 102 screened) were enrolled and eligible for randomization to CABG or CABG plus ICD. Intraoperatively, 56 were eliminated by postenrollment exclusions, 67 were judged too unstable for randomization, and 724 were randomized (80% of the goal of 900). The average preoperative ejection fraction was 0.27±0.06 (n=724) ; left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic pressure averaged 22±12 mm Hg (n=548). Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time averaged 108 minutes in control subjects, 126 minutes in the ICD group. After CPB, mechanical support was employed in 23% of patients and inotropic support in 73% ; shock occurred in 8% and deep sternal wound infection in 1.3%. The surgical mortality was 6% ; median length of stay was 8 days. Compared with randomized patients, patients whom surgeons judged too unstable to randomize were distinguished by statistically significant increases in mechanical support after CPB (51% versus 23%, P<.05) and postoperative shock (19% versus 8%, P<.05). Also, surgical mortality was greater (9% versus 6%) but was not statistically significant. Conclusions The initial phases of the CABG Patch Trial have been conducted with acceptable surgical mortality, morbidity, and length of stay. Surgical exclusion of some patients from randomization has been corroborated by data indicating hemodynamic instability. This trial will provide information about the risks and outcome of CABG surgery in patients with impaired LV function.
Downregulation of HER3: A potential surrogate for activation of HER2 through heterodimerization may predict clinical benefit in ovarian cancer from pertuzumab, a HER dimerization inhibiting antibody

C141 Pertuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody designed to block HER2’s ability to dimerize with ligand activated HER receptors like HER3. Pre-clinical studies indicated that pertuzumab may have activity in a subset of tumors where HER2 is activated through ligand-induced heterodimerization. Furthermore, these studies indicate that mRNA expression levels of HER2 and/or HER3 might serve as surrogate markers for HER2 pathway activity. To avoid an invasive tumor biopsy, a qRT-PCR assay was developed for mRNA expression analysis of HER pathway genes using archival formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue (FFPET). To explore the activity of pertuzumab, particularly in patient subsets defined by potential diagnostic biomarkers, a randomized phase II trial in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, comparing gemcitabine + placebo to gemcitabine + pertuzumab was conducted (N=130) (ASCO 2007, abstract #5507). The overall treatment benefit from adding pertuzumab to gemcitabine was modest, with a PFS hazard ratio (HR) of 0.66 (95% CI: 0.43-1.03, p=0.07) and a median duration PFS of 2.6 vs. 2.9 months. mRNA expression data from archival tumor tissues, analyzing EGFR, HER2, HER3 and several HER ligands was generated from 122/130 patients’ tumors and compared to clinical outcomes. The PFS hazard ratio of 0.13 (95% CI: 0.04-0.41, p=
Evidence-based preventive intervention for preadolescent aggressive children: One-year outcomes following randomization to group versus individual delivery.

OBJECTIVE: Some research suggests that group interventions with antisocial youth may, on occasion, have iatrogenic effects. This is the first study to test the effects of group versus individual delivery of evidence-based intervention for aggressive children. METHOD: Three hundred sixty fourth-grade children were randomly assigned by school to group coping power (GCP) or individual coping power (ICP). Longitudinal assessments of teacher and parent reports of behavior (Behavior Assessment System for Children [BASC]; Peer Affiliation and Social Acceptance [PASA]) were collected from baseline through a 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: Growth curve analyses revealed that children in both conditions reduced teacher- and parent-reported externalizing behavior problems and internalizing behavior problems by the end of the 1-year follow-up. However, the degree of improvement in teacher-reported outcomes was significantly greater for children receiving an individual version of the program. In addition, children's baseline level of inhibitory control moderated intervention effects, showing children with low initial levels of inhibitory control to respond poorly in teacher-rated outcomes to group interventions compared to those delivered individually. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests overall benefits to children for either group or individual delivery of the Coping Power program under high-fidelity conditions; however, for children with low levels of initial self-regulation, individualized interventions will likely yield the most significant reduction in externalizing behavior in the school setting in preadolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record Language: en
Energy Saving Using Scenario Based Sensor Selection on Medical Shoes

Cost and energy have become the bottleneck of many medical embedded systems. It is mainly due to the fact that wireless medical devices used in wireless health applications normally employ a large number of sensors, which are both expensive as well as consuming a considerable amount of energy. In this paper, we have developed a cost and energy saving scheme by reducing the number of required sensors in the medical devices. We have used a popular medical shoe with 99 pressure sensors for demonstration. With the goal of reducing the number of required sensors without influencing the diagnose accuracy, we have proposed algorithms to select only a small subset of the sensors while still maintaining an almost same diagnostic performance compared to using all the 99 sensors. Our results indicate that on average, our sensor selection can save as much as 88% of the total sensors. We also analyze the effect of using the medical shoes under different scenarios on the results of sensor selection. For example, we have analyzed the scenarios of walking, jumping, running and slow walking. Based on our sensor selection algorithm, it turns out that there exists different subsets of sensors to best recover the diagnostic performances for different scenarios.
Robotic Single-Site Surgery: A Summary of the Current Clinical Experience

The robotic single-site platform was released in late 2011 and since then it has been applied in the fields of gynecologic surgery and general surgery. In this review, we include the reported robotic experience in the above-described fields using this platform to perform surgery as well as its advantages and limitations.
Autologous stem cell transplant plus interleukin-2 for breast cancer: review and nursing management

Purpose/objectives To review the role of transplantation in breast cancer and describe the experience of one bone marrow transplant (BMT) program using autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant (PBSCT) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) for the treatment of breast cancer. Data sources Published articles, chart review, personal experience. Data synthesis Toxicities experienced by patients on this autologous PBSCT protocol that can be ascribed to low-dose IL-2 included nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and skin rash. Conclusions The most frequently occurring toxicities associated with low-dose IL-2 are not life-threatening. They do, however, affect the patient's quality of life and are toxicities that should be amenable to nursing interventions. Implications for nursing practice Oncology nurses must be aware of the side effects of different combination therapies (e.g., BMT, biotherapy). Nursing research is needed concerning the management of these toxicities when they occur because of combination therapies.
Fallopian tube carcinoma associated with retroperitoneal fibrosis.

AbstractPrimary carcinoma of the fallopian tube is not frequent and, thus, the diagnosis rarely is made preoperatively. We describe a patient who had back pain, an epigastric abdominal mass, a palpable right kidney and a palpable scalene node. Because of upper gastrointestinal problems 1 year previously, a gastric or pancreatic malignancy was suspected after a scalene node biopsy revealed moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, with the primary tumor unknown. Excretory urography, retrograde pyelography and computerized axial tomography confirmed the diagnosis of retroperitoneal fibrosis. It was only by laparotomy that the primary tumor was identified. The etiology, incidence, natural history, treatment and prognosis of fallopian tube carcinoma and retroperitoneal fibrosis are discussed.
Properties of the Viruses

The size of viral particles may be determined by indirect, physical methods or by direct observation in an electron microscope. Herpes simplex and pseudorabies viruses have been examined by the various techniques and have been found to range in diameter from 110 mμ to 230 mμ (Table 1). This wide variation in size probably stems from deficiencies inherent in some of the techniques that have been employed.
The Limits to Cultural Domination

Attempts to forge a single, shared meaning fail when no strong social relations of interpretation support them. Only the enormous and difficult social transformation of the Taiping movement bolstered and energized the creation of their new ideology. In the absence of any comparable organization for most of Chinese popular religion, the maintenance of its free space against the propagation of explicit, unified interpretations should be no surprise. The one social organization large and powerful enough to exert an effective influence was the state. While Guangxi in the 1840s had a feeble and faltering state, Taiwan since World War II has had a powerful and intrusive one, especially concerned with control over ideas. That state has often tried to influence religious interpretation, yet it never succeeded, even at its most authoritarian. The power of indeterminate free space like the Eighteen Lords temple allowed it to digest attempts at control, and placed strict limits on the possibility of cultural domination. The temple illuminates the weakness of even a strong state, which cannot construct tight organizations of interpretive control everywhere at once.
Spatial heterogeneity as a component of river geomorphic complexity

One component of geomorphic complexity results from spatial heterogeneity in river corridors. The characteristics of this form of complexity have important implications for habitat and biodiversity...
Anterior cruciate ligament injuries in children and adolescents

Dramatic increases in youth competitive athletic activity, early sport specialization, and year-round training and competition, along with increased awareness of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in children, have led to a commensurate increase in the frequency of ACL tears in the skeletally immature. Recent understanding of the risks of nonoperative treatment and surgical delay have supported a trend toward early operative treatment. This article discusses treatment strategies for ACL injuries in children and adolescents, and offers our preferred treatment strategy for skeletally immature youth athletes with ACL tears.
Impact of stroke on diurnal heart rate variability in rats

In humans, ischemic stroke is associated with reduced heart rate variability (HRV), a predictor of neurogenic cardiac events. This study was conducted to determine whether experimental stroke preferentially affects HRV during specific times of the day or parts of the sleep-wake cycle. A continuous telemetry system was used to analyze electroencephalograms (EEG), electromyograms (EMG), and electrocardiograms (ECG) after experimental ischemic stroke in rats (n = 13). Animals were implanted with telemetry probes and, after a two week stabilization period, 72h of baseline continuous EEG, EMG, ECG data were collected. Animals were then assigned to two procedure groups: 1) experimental stroke via 90 minute intraluminal filament occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery, or 2) sham surgery. Continuous waveform recording and HRV analysis was then continued for 48h following each procedure. HRV analysis was conducted by both time-domain and frequency-domain methods. Heart rate exhibited circadian rhythms among all animals prior to and following both procedures. Neither procedure contributed to significant heart rate changes. We did not find sleep state or circadian-dependent alterations in HRV in baseline recording. However, after stroke, animals exhibited elevated high frequency (HF) HRV (>10% increase, p<0.05) specifically during daytime waking periods. This contrasts with studies in humans that demonstrate reduced HRV after stroke, suggesting that age, medical comorbidities, or species differences modify the overall response to cortical infarction of autonomic control centers.
Breaks in Unity: The Caesura of Birth

ABSTRACTFocused on the Bionian caesura, this paper suggests that the existential caesura of birth always belongs to both mother and infant. During that process of being “born,” the mother, too, experiences a line of breaks—breaks of time and space, of meaning, of continuity, and of boundaries—all related to an emotional and physical reorganization of boundaries and therefore to the unity of the self. This position statement presents the notion of “Breaks in Unity” and discusses the unspoken aspects of childbirth and the transition to motherhood.
Acute Delamination of Commercially Available Decellularized Osteochondral Allograft Plugs A Report of Two Cases

Articular cartilage injuries, and corresponding surgical procedures, are occurring with increasing frequency as identified by a review of recent surgical trends. Concerns have grown in recent years regarding the longevity of results following microfracture, with a shift toward cartilage restoration procedures in recent years. This case report describes 2 cases of acute failure following the use of commercially available osteochondral allograft plugs used for the treatment of osteochondral defects of the distal femur. In both cases the chondral surface of the plug delaminated from the underlying cancellous bone, resulting in persistent pain and swelling requiring reoperation and removal of the loose fragments. Caution should be employed when considering use of these plugs for the treatment of osteochondral lesions, as similar outcomes have not been noted with other cartilage restoration techniques.
The Complexity of Self Government: Politics from the Bottom Up

The Complexity of Self Government represents a revolutionary approach to political science. Bottom-up theory turns political and social analysis upside down by focusing analytic attention not on vacuous abstractions but on the individual men and women who either consciously or inadvertently create the institutions within which they live. Understanding this practical level of human activity is made possible through complexity theory, recently developed in computer models, but of wider use in understanding everyday human behaviour. To this complexity framework, the book adds social science to give life and colour to the analytical picture: micro-sociology from Garfinkel and Goffman, anthropology from Bourdieu, and non-technical game theory based on Thomas Schelling's microanalytics, to give rigour and bite. Theoretical examples include India's Mumbai, Iran, the marshes of southern Iraq, Berlusconi's Italy, backcountry China, Zimbabwe, and Nelson Mandela's revolution in South Africa.