cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Privacy for public transportation

We propose an application of recent advances in e-cash, anonymous credentials, and proxy re-encryption to the problem of privacy in public transit systems with electronic ticketing. We discuss some of the interesting features of transit ticketing as a problem domain, and provide an architecture sufficient for the needs of a typical metropolitan transit system. Our system maintains the security required by the transit authority and the user while significantly increasing passenger privacy. Our hybrid approach to ticketing allows use of passive RFID transponders as well as higher powered computing devices such as smartphones or PDAs. We demonstrate security and privacy features offered by our hybrid system that are unavailable in a homogeneous passive transponder architecture, and which are advantageous for users of passive as well as active devices.
Cardiac Output and Central Blood Volume During Hemodialysis: Methodology

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in patients whose lives depend on hemodialysis. We developed a method for measuring cardiac output (CO) and central blood volume (CBV) in hemodialyzed patients that may help to elucidate the mechanisms and consequences of cardiac disease in this population. This report describes the technique, focusing on the main sources of error and how they can be prevented. Three principal sources of error were identified: (1) access recirculation (existing or induced during injection); (2) the second pass of the indicator through the cardiopulmonary system, exacerbated by prolonging the duration of intravenous injection; and (3) the transit time of the indicator through the dialysis blood lines. After the algorithms were adjusted to prevent the above errors, the reproducibility of CO and CBV, expressed as the absolute percent deviation from the average of duplicates (3,488 values duplicated within 5 minutes), was 4.3 ± 3.8% for CO and 4.1 ± 3.8% for CBV. To determine the clinical value of routine CO and CBV measurements, morbid events (nausea, vomiting, and/or muscle cramps) were prospectively recorded in 73 randomly selected hemodialysis patients. CO and CBV were measured near the beginning and near the end of 98 dialysis sessions during which 28 morbid events were identified. In 10 of these sessions, where morbid events took place within 30 minutes of the measurements, CBV appeared to be a more sensitive indicator of morbid events than CO. We conclude that CO and CBV can be routinely and reliably measured during hemodialysis if precautions are taken to avoid specifically identified sources of error. Preliminary studies suggest that these measurements may have significant prognostic value.
Karl Pribram, The James Arthur lectures, and what makes us human.

Background The annual James Arthur lecture series on the Evolution of the Human Brain was inaugurated at the American Museum of Natural History in 1932, through a bequest from a successful manufacturer with a particular interest in mechanisms. Karl Pribram's thirty-ninth lecture of the series, delivered in 1970, was a seminal event that heralded much of the research agenda, since pursued by representatives of diverse disciplines, that touches on the evolution of human uniqueness.
Almost Parity Structure, Connections and Vielbeins in BV Geometry

We observe that an anti-symplectic manifold locally always admits a parity structure. The parity structure can be viewed as a complex-like structure on the manifold. This induces an odd metric and its Levi-Civita connection, and thereby a new notion of an odd Kaehler geometry. Oversimplified, just to capture the idea, the bosonic variables are ``holomorphic'', while the fermionic variables are ``anti-holomorphic''. We find that an odd Kaehler manifold in this new ``complex'' sense has a nilpotent odd Laplacian iff it is Ricci-form-flat. The local cohomology of the odd Laplacian is derived. An odd Calabi-Yau manifold has locally a canonical volume form. We suggest that an odd Calabi-Yau manifold is the natural geometric notion to appear in covariant BV-quantization. Finally, we give a vielbein formulation of anti-symplectic manifolds.
Criminal Justice and the Challenge of Family Ties

This Article asks two basic questions: When does, and when should, the state use the criminal justice apparatus to accommodate family ties, responsibilities, and interests? We address these questions by first revealing a variety of laws that together form a string of family ties subsidies and benefits pervading the criminal justice system. Notwithstanding our recognition of the important role family plays in securing the conditions for human flourishing, we then explain the basis for erecting a Spartan presumption against these family ties subsidies and benefits within the criminal justice system. We delineate the scope and rationale for the presumption and under what circumstances it might be overcome. When the presumption is overcome, we urge distributing the benefit on terms that are neutral to family status, if possible, with a focus instead on functions served by established relationships of care-giving responsibility.
Cytotoxic Impact of Costunolide Isolated from Costus speciosus on Breast Cancer via Differential Regulation of Cell Cycle-An In-vitro and In-silico Approach.

Costunolide, a sesquiterpene lactone, is a biologically active molecule found in most of the medicinally valuable plants. The present study aims to evaluate the anticancer property of costunolide isolated from Costus speciosus against breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231). Costunolide effectively reduced the viability of both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines at an IC50 value of 40 μM. Flow cytometric analysis revealed costunolide mediated cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase in both the cell types. Western blotting results confirmed the alterations in the expression of cell cycle regulators (cyclin D1, D3, CDK-4, CDK-6, p18 INK4c, p21 CIP1/Waf-1 and p27 KIP1) and apoptosis inducers (caspase-3 and caspase-9) upon costunolide treatment in comparison with their expressions in normal breast cell line (MCF-10A). Costunolide mediated downregulation of positive cell cycle regulators and upregulation of negative cell cycle regulators were related to the induction of apoptosis in cancer cells. The above results were validated with in-silico results that predicted stable interactions between costunolide and cancer targets. Thus costunolide effectively induced breast cancer cell apoptosis targeting cell cycle regulation, and the compound can be used as an effective herbal therapeutic molecule to treat breast cancer with further explorations.
Pharmacologic Interventions for Alcohol- and Cocaine-Abusing Individuals: A Pilot Study of Disulfiram vs. Naltrexone

Eighteen outpatients dependent on both cocaine and alcohol were randomly assigned to disulfiram or naltrexone in an open pilot study. Disulfiram treatment resulted in significantly fewer days of alcohol and cocaine use, with longer sustained periods of abstinence from both substances.
Aerosol ionic redistribution: the ionization repression effect revisited

Abstract An investigation using matched dual nebulizers to allow introduction of K as the analyte and Cs as the concomitant in the same and in separate aerosol droplets has been used to study the ionization repression effect. The results demonstrate that ionization repression achieves an equilibrium status at the same Cs K molar ratio when these entities are introduced in the same or in separate droplets. However, the magnitude of the enhancement observed as the Cs K ratio was varied was considerably greater when Cs and K were introduced in the same droplets. Measurement of the K aerosol size distributions demonstrated that nebulization of the analyte and concomitant in the same solution caused a significant reduction in the median aerosol diameter. This aerosol ionic redistribution resulted in an increase in the amount of analyte transported to the flame and a lateral shift of analyte toward the flame's edge. Thus, the enhancement not attributed to ionization repression originated from increased analyte transport moderated in part by a shift in the analyte atom population away from the central portion of the flame and the absorption light path.
Photochemical ozone formation in urban and point source plumes.

Results are presented of aerial measurements in plumes from large urban areas, petroleum refineries, automotive-painting operations, fossil-fuel power plants, and the controlled burning of forest slash. The field monitoring studies, which were carried out during the summer months between 1974 and 1980, emphasized the collection of data on in-plume ozone buildup and associated precursor concentrations. With the exception of power-plant emissions, photochemical ozone formation in excess of ambient background levels was documented in all the plumes studied. An examination of NMHC/NO/sub x/ suggests that ozone production (or, in the case of power-plant effluents, depletion) is consistent with the traditional HC-NO/sub x/-UV light model. The urban nonmethane hydrocarbon composition is found to be similar for the cities monitored, but marked variation is seen between the plumes from other sources.
Short and Long Form γ2 Subunits of the GABAA/Benzodiazepine Receptors

Three novel antisera to the gamma 2 subunit of the gamma-aminobutyric acidA (GABAA) receptor/benzodiazepine receptor (GABAAR/BZDR) complex have been made. Anti-gamma 2S and anti-gamma 2L are specific antibodies to synthetic peptides that recognize the gamma 2S (short) and gamma 2L (long) forms, respectively, of the gamma 2 subunit. An antibody (anti-gamma 2IL2) to staphylococcal protein A fusion protein of the large intracellular loop (gamma 2IL) located between the putative transmembrane segments M3 and M4 of gamma 2S recognizes both gamma 2S and gamma 2L subunits. The antibodies immunoprecipitated both the solubilized and affinity-purified GABAAR/BZDR from rat and bovine brain. Immunoblots with membranes from rat brain cerebral cortex as well as with affinity-purified receptor from bovine cortex show that anti-gamma 2S and anti-gamma 2L recognize peptides of 45,000 and 47,000 M(r), respectively. Immunoprecipitation experiments indicate that gamma 2S is more prevalent in hippocampus, whereas gamma 2L is more abundant in cerebellum. Intermediate values for each form are found in the cerebral cortex. The results suggest that in the rat brain there is a considerable amount of colocalization of gamma 2S and gamma 2L in the same receptor complex. In the cerebral cortex, 15% of the BZDRs contain both gamma 2S and gamma 2L subunits and 41-48% of the gamma 2L subunit coexists with gamma 2S in the same receptor complex. In cerebellum, in 27% of the clonazepam-sensitive and 39% of the clonazepam-insensitive BZDRs the gamma 2S and gamma 2L coexist in the same receptor complex. The latter are presumably localized in granule cells and also contain alpha 6. In addition, almost all (93%) the clonazepam-insensitive BZDRs that contain gamma 2L also contain a gamma 2S subunit in the same receptor complex. The most likely interpretation of the results is that there is an important population of granule cell receptors that contain alpha 6, gamma 2S, and gamma 2L coexisting in the same receptor complex. Nevertheless, 31% of the cerebellar receptors that contain alpha 6 subunit(s) have neither gamma 2S nor gamma 2L subunits. There are also species differences with respect to the relative abundance of gamma 2S and gamma 2L. These results might be relevant for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying some of the GABAAR/BZDR-mediated effects of ethanol intoxication involving cerebellar granule cells.
Blue Water Demand for Sustainable Intensification

Published in Agron. J. 107:1539–1543 (2015) doi:10.2134/agronj14.0138 Available freely online through the author-supported open access option. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Agronomy, 5585 Guilford Road, Madison, WI 53711. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. aBstract
Oral bacteria in plaque and invading buccal cells of young orthodontic patients

Introduction: In this longitudinal study, patients with fixed orthodontic appliances served as models to determine whether Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans , Tannerella forsythia , and total streptococci increased after treatment, and whether treatment affected bacterial invasion into the adjacent buccal epithelial cells (BEC). Methods: Supragingival plaque, subgingival plaque, and BEC were collected from 27 patients before and at least 4 weeks after placement of orthodontic fixed appliances. Total sample DNA was determined, and bacteria were assayed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The BEC were also examined by confocal microscopy after fluorescent in-situ hybridization to visually detect the presence of each species bacteria in BEC. Results: Total DNA in supragingival and subgingival plaque increased after appliance placement ( P = .005). There was also a significant increase in supragingival streptococci ( P = .0002). By confocal microscopy, a trend toward fewer buccal cells recovered was found after appliance placement, and there was a significant increase in the percentage of buccal cells containing A. actinomycetemcomitans ( P = .0058). Conclusions: Appliance placement appeared to increase buccal cell susceptibility to A. actinomycetemcomitans invasion. This might be due to physical trauma or to leaching of metals from the appliances.
Unilateral Pulmonary Edema with Contralateral Thoracic Sympathectomy in the Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome

A case is presented of pathologically proved unilateral pulmonary edema due to uremia and blood transfusion. The lung that was spared had been denervated by a thoracic sympathectomy eight years earlier. That this denervation may have been responsible for the unilaterality of the pulmonary edema is suggested by experimental evidence supporting a neurogenic etiology of noncardiac pulmonary edema. The literature is briefly reviewed, and implications for therapy are discussed.
A Design-of-Experiment Study on the Microcellular Extrusion of Sub-critical CO2 Saturated PLA Pellets

Abstract In this study we explore the use of solid-state nucleation in pellets as a means to decouple cell nucleation from cell growth in extrusion. This is achieved by feeding the extruder with ga...
Excess noise in a focused-gain amplifier.

The gain-guided nature of an amplifier can lead to more noise in the output than would be predicted based on the quantum noise limit of one photon per mode. We report the results of an experiment which demonstrate that the gain-guided nature of a focused-gain Raman amplifier can lead to excess noise in the amplified field. The results are compared with a theoretical analysis of the output of an amplifier which incorporates the erects of gain guiding as well as the focused nature of the gain profile
251 Polymorphisms in the COL5A1 Gene May Increase Episodes of Rejection Following Transplantation

Polymorphisms in the COL5A1 Gene May Increase Episodes of Rejection Following Transplantation E. Lowery, M. Medina, C. Wigfield, A. Martin, C. Alex, M. Iwashima, R. Love. Department of Internal Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL; Department of Thoracic and Cardivascular, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL.
Scaling the wireless AC power meter

We explore the seemingly trivial problem of scaling the AC power meter to a cubic-inch form factor. This small volume, necessary for unobtrusive inline plug-load monitoring, requires aggressive electromechanical codesign and 3-D electronics packaging. However, the key scaling challenge across both size and efficiency lies in the power supply architecture and load power. Hence, contrary to conventional wisdom, power is not free, even if a device is attached to wall power. Since many existing power supplies exhibit high baseline power draw, this leads to poor efficiency and runs counter to the green goals of many applications. We claim there are two paths to scaling the plug-load meter to a space- and power-efficient design point without sacrificing measurement fidelity: (i) by duty cycling in some cases and (ii) by using an off-line switching regulator that is not capacitor-fed. To evaluate our claims, we design a modular power meter architecture, implement several design alternatives, and evaluate their size, efficiency, and cost. We show that an energy-efficient, cubic-inch-sized wireless power meter is viable. Our design is 10x smaller, draws 3x less standby power, and still offers equivalent measurement fidelity as the best previously reported results.
The resurgence of prostitution in China: explanations and implications

Prostitution reemerged in China in the 1980s and has become rampant ever since then—attracting enormous attention and academic interest. This article examines the history of prostitution in China, from its roots to the causes of its resurgence. It also examines China’s legal responses and policies and their limited effectiveness in containing the growth of the sex industry. In considering the possible relationship between prostitution and human trafficking, this article intends to improve our understanding of the link between the sex industry and sex trafficking, and to push for empirical studies on Chinese women working as prostitutes.
The Post-Rav Ashiamoraim: Transition or Continuity? A Study of the Role of the Final Generations of Amoraim in the Redaction of the Talmud

The problem of the redaction of the Talmud, the final stages of the process by which the document before us assumed its present shape, is one which every student of the Talmud must eventually face. Resolution of this problem is by no means a matter of mere historical curiosity. Knowledge of who the redactors were, at what time period (or time periods) they lived, and how they reworked their sources, is indispensable for full comprehension both of these component sources and of the final product into which they have been combined.
Strain induced vortex-to-uniform polarization transitions in soft-ferroelectric nanoparticles

Domain structures of ferroelectric polarization in patterned nanostructures depend sensitively on an interplay between their geometry and crystallographic anisotropy. In the recently predicted layered perovskite PbSr2Ti2O7 [S. M. Nakhmanson and I. Naumov, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 097601 (2010)], the in-plane anisotropy can be controlled by strain to be along in-plane [110]-directions or to vanish, in which case the polarization is free to rotate in the perovskite-layer. Using a microscopic Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire free energy functional theory, we demonstrate that the domain structure in patterned disks of PbSr2Ti2O7 can be varied between uniform polarization and a vortex structure, analogous to vortices in soft magnetic disks. This opens up the possibility of designing nanostructured layered materials whose dielectric response can be manipulated with small elastic distortions.
Distributed Dynamic Frequency Allocation In Wireless Networks Under Time-Varying User Activities

We propose a framework to analyze the performance of the distributed dynamic frequency allocation algorithm introduced in [1] in the presence of time-varying activity of clusters. In our network model, nodes are grouped into a number of clusters. Each cluster chooses its transmission frequency band based on its knowledge of the interference that it experiences. Furthermore, each cluster can be in active or inactive mode according to a two-state Markov model. We derive conditions on the convergence of the algorithm in mean and variance using stochastic analysis. Additional simulation studies verify the results of stochastic modeling and the performance of the algorithm.
Protocol to assess the neurophysiology associated with multi-segmental postural coordination

Anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) stabilize potential disturbances to posture caused by movement. Impaired APAs are common with disease and injury. Brain functions associated with generating APAs remain uncertain due to a lack of paired tasks that require similar limb motion from similar postural orientations, but differ in eliciting an APA while also being compatible with brain imaging techniques (e.g., functional magnetic resonance imaging; fMRI). This study developed fMRI-compatible tasks differentiated by the presence or absence of APAs during leg movement. Eighteen healthy subjects performed two leg movement tasks, supported leg raise (SLR) and unsupported leg raise (ULR), to elicit isolated limb motion (no APA) versus multi-segmental coordination patterns (including APA), respectively. Ground reaction forces under the feet and electromyographic activation amplitudes were assessed to determine the coordination strategy elicited for each task. Results demonstrated that the ULR task elicited a multi-segmental coordination that was either minimized or absent in the SLR task, indicating that it would serve as an adequate control task for fMRI protocols. A pilot study with a single subject performing each task in an MRI scanner demonstrated minimal head movement in both tasks and brain activation patterns consistent with an isolated limb movement for the SLR task versus multi-segmental postural coordination for the ULR task.
FTIR studies of the kinetics and mechanism for the reaction of Cl atom with formaldehyde

Abstract Product studies were made with the FTIR method in the photolysis of mixtures containing Cl 2 and CH 2 O up to 1 torr each in I atm Ar. The formation of two principal products, HCl and HCClO, can be accounted for by the chain photochlorination of CH 2 O i.e., Cl 2 + hv → 2 Cl, Cl + CH 2 O → CHO + HCl, CHO + Cl 2 → HCClO + Cl. The rate constant for the ClCH 2 O reaction was determined from relative decay rates of CH 2 O and C 2 H 6 in the photolysis of Cl 2 CH 2 OC 2 H 6 mixtures. The value of k (Cl + CH 2 O/Cl + C 2 H 6 ) = 1.3 combined with the literature value of k (Cl + C 2 H 6 = 6 × 10 −11 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 gives k (Cl + CH 2 O) = 7.8 × 10 −11 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 at 298 ± 2 K.
Two kinds of stellar collapse

HERE I shall show that the events which produce compact objects may be divided into at least two classes on the basis of the impulse given to a binary system containing the collapsing object. This impulse may be related to the amount and symmetry of mass loss resulting from the collapse event.
Clinical course of middle-aged asymptomatic patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Abstract Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) may present a wide spectrum of clinical and morphologic manifestations. Although many aspects of the natural history of HC are understood, the initial presentation and subsequent clinical course of certain subgroups are not yet well defined. To further our understanding in this regard, 241 middle-aged patients with HC (aged 35 to 55 years) were analyzed. The vast majority of patients (210) had already experienced symptoms, whereas the remaining 31 initially presented with no or minimal symptoms and are the focus of this investigation; 29 of these were followed for ≥2 years (range to 11.5 years, mean 8). A separate group of 30 moderately symptomatic age- and gender-matched patients with HC were selected as control subjects for morphologic comparisons. Of the 29 study patients with follow-up, 22 (76%) are presently free of important cardiac symptoms, but 3 showed progression of symptoms, and 4 have died suddenly. Annual mortality rate was 1.7%. Eighteen of the middle-aged asymptomatic patients with HC (58%) had localized left ventricular hypertrophy, usually involving only the anterior ventricular septum; in contrast, only 9 of the 30 symptomatic control subjects (30%) had such localized hypertrophy (p = 0.02). In conclusion, of those patients with HC who achieved middle-age without developing important cardiac symptoms, approximately 75% remained asymptomatic during the ensuing average 8-year follow-up. However, such patients are not protected in absolute terms from unfavorable clinical events (despite relatively mild left ventricular hypertrophy and in most cases absence of outflow obstruction). This is evidenced by the fact that approximately 25% eventually experienced symptomatic deterioration or sudden cardiac death.
PYROGALLOL AND VASOPRESSIN TACHYPHYLAXIS.

Le pyrogallol empeche le developpement d'une tachyphylaxie a la vasopressine. Il restitue la reaction pressorique apres l'apparition d'une tachyphylaxie. Cet effet ne semble pas etre lie a l'action inhibitrice de cette substance sur l'enzyme transferase o-methyl.
Oritavancin Binds to Isolated Protoplast Membranes but not Intact Protoplasts of Staphylococcus aureus

Solid-state NMR has been used to examine the binding of N'-4-[(4-fluorophenyl)benzyl)]chloroeremomycin, a fluorinated analogue of oritavancin, to isolated protoplast membranes and whole-cell sucrose-stabilized protoplasts of Staphylococcus aureus, grown in media containing [1(13)C]glycine and L-[epsilon-(15)N]lysine. Rotational-echo double-resonance NMR was used to characterize the binding by estimating internuclear distances from (19)F of oritavancin to (13)C and (15)N labels of the membrane-associated peptidoglycan and to the (31)P of the phospholipid bilayer of the membrane. In isolated protoplast membranes, both with and without 1 M sucrose added to the buffer, the nascent peptidoglycan was extended away from the membrane surface and the oritavancin hydrophobic side chain was buried deep in the exposed lipid bilayer. However, there was no N'-4-[(4-fluorophenyl)benzyl)]chloroeremomycin binding to intact sucrose-stabilized protoplasts, even though the drug bound normally to the cell walls of whole cells of S. aureus in the presence of 1 M sucrose. As shown by the proximity of peptidoglycan-bridge (13)C labels to phosphate (31)P, the nascent peptidoglycan of the intact protoplasts was confined to the membrane surface.
Interaction of Hexachlorophene with Human Epidermis I: In Vivo Bioelectrometric Study of Ph Influence

The effects of pH and hexachlorophene on the net fixed-charge density of the colloids composing the epidermal surface were studied in vivo employing human subjects. The results are analogous to titration curves of amphoteric macromolecules. The study was performed over a pH range of 1.1-12.3 in the presence and absence of saturated concentrations of hexachlorophene. Both the control and hexachlorophene titration curves were nonhysteretic when initiated at either extreme of the pH range; this finding indicates reversibility of the observed pH and hexachlorophene-induced changes. The presence of hexachlorophene decreased the net fixed-charge density of the tissue surface below pH 5.6. Above pH 5.6, a net increase was consistently observed. Mechanistically, the hexachlorophene-induced alterations in fixed-charge density are hypothesized as resulting from allosterically effected changes in the dissociation constants of ionogenic protein side groups located vicinally to hexachlorophene interaction sites. The bioelectrometric method allowed the study to be performed without causing any injury or discomfort to the subjects. The results of the present study suggest a further utility for the bioelectrometic method in studies of the substantive antibacterial behavior of hexachlorophene on human skin.
Evaluation of Horibe traps for cryogenic collection, of hydrogen peroxide and methyl hydroperoxide

Abstract Efficiencies were measured for Horibe trap cryogenic collection of gas-phase hydrogen peroxide, (H 2 O 2 ), and methyl hydroperoxide (MHP). The Horibe trap efficiency was compared to preconcentration using a standard vacuum trap with cryogenic sampling. Gas standard samples were collected in traps cooled to two temperatures, − 85°C and − 196°C. The interference of ozone, ethylene and sulfur dioxide in the cryogenic collection of H 2 O 2 and MHP using Horibe traps was determined. Ozone was added at a concentration of 110 ppbv to a gas-phase peroxide standard consisting of 0.5 ppbv H 2 O 2 plus 1.6 ppbv MHP. No statistically significant interferences in either hydroperoxide were observed. After addition of 110 ppbv ozone and 2.5 ppbv ethylene to a 2 ppbv MHP standard, a 180 pptv average increase in H 2 O 2 was observed, with no affect on MHP levels. At the same concentrations, ozone added to ethylene in the absence of gas-phase peroxide produced the same amount of H 2 O 2 on average, with no detectable MHP. Addition of 60 ppbv ozone plus 13 ppbv SO 2 to the H 2 O 2 Standard produced a 65% loss of measured peroxide, and a 3 ppbv SO 2 addition gave a 20% H 2 O 2 loss.
Illustrations of “learning” in counterinsurgency

Abstract Makers of strategy are not only responsible for prewar assessments, but must be responsive during war and capable of reassessing their enemy and their approach to the enemy. The record of French, British, and American counterinsurgency campaigns shows that this learning process can be aided by attention to lessons of past “small wars” and even to general principles of insurgency. Such distilled wisdom is difficult to apply to new situations, but the price for inattention to experience may be failure.
Hypertension in primary hyperparathyroidism: the role of the renin-angiotensin system.

In four out of seven patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, we have found elevated plasma renin activity (PRA) and blood pressure, both of which returned to normal following surgical correction of the hyperparathyroidism. However, PRA was normal in normotensive patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, those with hypercalcemia of other etiologies, and those with secondary hyperparathyroidism. These findings suggest that the renin-angiotensin system may play a role in the etiology of the hypertension in primary hyperparathyroidism.
The clinical and economic impact of alternative staging strategies for adenocarcinoma of the pancreas

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Several innovative imaging modalities, including endoscopic ultrasound, have increased the number of available preoperative staging methods in patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Our goal was to estimate the clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of alternative staging strategies for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Decision analysis was used to simulate alternative staging strategies. Cost inputs were based on Medicare reimbursements; clinical inputs were obtained from the available literature. Model endpoints of interest were cost per curative resection and appropriateness of treatment allocation based on pathological stage. RESULTS: Endoscopic ultrasound followed by laparoscopy yielded the lowest cost per curative resection ($37,600) and minimized the number of unnecessary surgical explorations (5.4 per 100 patients staged). Requiring angiographic confirmation when endoscopic ultrasound demonstrated an unresectable tumor yielded an intermediate cost-effectiveness ratio and virtually eliminated the risk of overstaging. Laparoscopy alone maximized the resection rate, but each additional resection would cost approximately $2 million relative to a strategy employing both endoscopic ultrasound and angiography. CONCLUSIONS: Staging strategies incorporating endoscopic ultrasound may improve treatment allocation and are cost-effective relative to angiography-based strategies. A staging protocol that does not incorporate an imaging modality to detect vascular invasion dramatically increases the cost per additional curative resection compared with more comprehensive staging protocols.
Phase transitions with sub-critical bubbles

We study the dynamics of cosmological phase transitions initiated from a state of thermal equilibrium. If the effective potential satisfies certain general conditions, a homogeneous phase of false vacuum will form as the Universe expands, and the transition will proceed by well-known bubble nucleation processes. If such conditions do not hold, the Universe may instead be filled with a two-phase emulsion. The evolution of the transition will be determined by the free energy difference between the two phases and by the expansion rate of the Universe. Thermal fluctuations between the phases will determine the final distribution of regions of the Universe in each phase as they freeze out. We develop a method to study the dynamics of such fluctuations, which we call sub-critical bubbles, and apply it to several situations of interest, including the symmetric and asymmetric double-well, and the Coleman-Weinberg scalar potentials. We show that in certain cases it is possible to avoid supercooling, with the transition being completed by sub-critical fluctuations. Possible applications to the electroweak phase transition are briefly discussed.
Single-Frequency Hybrid Brillouin/Ytterbium Fiber Lasers

A novel single-frequency, hybrid Brillouin/ytterbium fiber laser has been demonstrated in a ring cavity. The output power reaches 40 mW with an optical signal-to-noise ratio greater than 50 dB.
Vapor‐Based Synthesis of Poly[(4‐formyl‐p‐xylylene)‐co‐(p‐xylylene)] and Its Use for Biomimetic Surface Modifications

The vapor-based synthesis and characterization of a reactive polymer, poly[(4-formyl-p-xylylene)-co-(p-xylylene)] (1), have been reported. The reactive polymer coating enables the immobilization of oligosaccharides via the chemoselective aldehyde-hydrazide coupling reaction.
Mesh-objective two-scale finite element analysis of damage and failure in ceramic matrix composites

A mesh-objective two-scale finite element approach for analyzing damage and failure of fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites is presented here. The commercial finite element software suite Abaqus is used to generate macroscopic models, e.g., structural-level components or parts of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), coupled with a second finite element code which pertains to the sub-scale at the fiber-matrix interface level, which is integrated seamlessly using user-generated subroutines and referred to as the integrated finite element method (IFEM). IFEM calculates the reaction of a microstructural sub-scale model that consists of a representative volume element (RVE) which includes all constituents of the actual material, e.g., fiber, matrix, and fiber/matrix interfaces, details of packing, and nonuniformities in properties. The energy-based crack band theory (CBT) is implemented within IFEM’s sub-scale constitutive laws to predict micro-cracking in all constituents included in the model. The communication between the micro- and macro-scale is achieved through the exchange of strain, stress, and stiffness tensors. Important failure parameters, e.g., crack path and proportional limit, are part of the solution and predicted with a high level of accuracy. Numerical predictions are validated against experimental results.
Development and verification of an analytical algorithm to predict absorbed dose distributions in ocular proton therapy using Monte Carlo simulations

Proton beam radiotherapy is an effective and non-invasive treatment for uveal melanoma. Recent research efforts have focused on improving the dosimetric accuracy of treatment planning and overcoming the present limitation of relative analytical dose calculations. Monte Carlo algorithms have been shown to accurately predict dose per monitor unit (D/MU) values, but this has yet to be shown for analytical algorithms dedicated to ocular proton therapy, which are typically less computationally expensive than Monte Carlo algorithms. The objective of this study was to determine if an analytical method could predict absolute dose distributions and D/MU values for a variety of treatment fields like those used in ocular proton therapy. To accomplish this objective, we used a previously validated Monte Carlo model of an ocular nozzle to develop an analytical algorithm to predict three-dimensional distributions of D/MU values from pristine Bragg peaks and therapeutically useful spread-out Bragg peaks (SOBPs). Results demonstrated generally good agreement between the analytical and Monte Carlo absolute dose calculations. While agreement in the proximal region decreased for beams with less penetrating Bragg peaks compared with the open-beam condition, the difference was shown to be largely attributable to edge-scattered protons. A method for including this effect in any future analytical algorithm was proposed. Comparisons of D/MU values showed typical agreement to within 0.5%. We conclude that analytical algorithms can be employed to accurately predict absolute proton dose distributions delivered by an ocular nozzle.
Charge symmetry breaking two-pion exchange

Two-pion exchange (TPE) contribution to the charge symmetry breaking class IV neutron-proton interaction is examined in a potential and coupled channels approach. Based on nonrelativistic {pi}{ital NN} and {pi}{ital N}{Delta} vertices, a TPE interaction is treated in two ways, as a potential or as a part calculable by the coupled channels method plus a residual potential interaction. A practical parametrization of the TPE potentials is given, which can also be used in the case of class III charge symmetry breaking (CSB) forces as well as for charge symmetric interactions. The results show that below 300 MeV the TPE contribution to CSB in elastic {ital np} scattering is insignificant, whereas at higher energies it should not be neglected.
Permanent and Seasonal Residents’ Community Attachment in Natural Amenity-Rich Areas Exploring the Contribution of Landscape-Related Factors

Previous work on amenity-driven migration documented substantial differences between permanent and seasonal residents and the effects of these differences on community social dimensions. This study focuses on seasonal and permanent residents’ attachments to their local area. To increase our understanding of those factors associated with community attachment in amenity-rich areas, we incorporate attitudinal and behavioral measures associated with the biophysical environment in our model. We find natural landscape-based factors make an independent and important contribution to community attachment for both permanent and seasonal residents.
Effect of Film Cooling on Low Temperature Hot Corrosion in a Coal Fired Gas Turbine

In recent times, the use of coal gas in gas turbines has gained a lot of interest, as coal is quite abundant as a primary source of energy. However, use of coal gas produces a few detrimental effects that need closer attention. This paper concentrates on one such effect, namely hot corrosion, where trace amounts of sulfur can cause corrosion (or sulfidation) of hot and exposed surfaces, thereby reducing the life of the material. In low temperature hot corrosion, which is the focus of this paper, transport of SO2 from the hot gas stream is the primary process that leads to a chain of events, ultimately causing hot corrosion. The corrosion rate depends on SO2 mass flux to the wall as well as wall surface temperature, both of which are affected in the presence of any film cooling. An analytical model is developed to describe the associated transport phenomena of both heat and mass in the presence of film cooling The model predicts how corrosion rates may be affected under operating conditions. It is found that although use of film cooling typically leads to lower corrosion rate, there are combinations of operating parameters under which corrosion rate can actually increase in the presence of film cooling.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
IgA induced activation of human mesangial cells: Independent of FcαR1 (CD 89)

IgA induced activation of human mesangial cells: Independent of Fc α R1 (CD 89). Background IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is characterized by deposition of polymers of IgA 1 in the mesangium, accumulation of mesangial matrix and mesangial cell proliferation. Activation of the mesangial cell by IgA, via an IgA receptor, may be an initiating event in the pathology of IgAN. Methods We examined the ability of radiolabeled, normal serum IgA 1 to bind human mesangial cells (HMC). Activation of HMC by monomeric (mIgA 1 ) and heat aggregated IgA 1 (AIgA 1 ) was compared by Northern analysis of c- jun expression. The expression of Fc α R1 (CD89) mRNA on our cultured mesangial cells was also assessed by Northern analysis, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and flow cytometry. Results 125 I-mIgA 1 and 125 I-AIgA 1 bound to HMC in a dose-dependent, saturable manner with similar affinities. There were 1.2 × 10 6 binding sites per cell, with an affinity constant of 2.3 × 10 6 m -1 . AIgA 1 induced c- jun expression in a time and dose-dependent manner (2.4-fold above baseline after 60min exposure to AIgA 1 200 μ g/ml) while mIgA 1 had no effect on c- jun expression. No message for CD 89 was detectable in quiescent or AIgA 1 stimulated HMC by Northern analysis or RT-PCR using several primer sequences based on the sequence of U937 Fc α R cDNA. Flow cytometry on the mesangial cells, using My 43, a monoclonal antibody to Fc α R1 confirmed that CD 89 was not present on the cell. Conclusion These results demonstrate that HMC bind mIgA 1 and AIgA 1 with similar affinity. However, activation of HMC requires an aggregated form of IgA 1 . These processes are independent of Fc α R1, suggesting the presence of a new IgA receptor on mesangial cells.
Equity/inequity, stress and employee commitment in a health care setting

This article investigates the relationship between perceptions of equity, occupational stress and employee commitment in a health care setting. Significant relationships were found among these variables and implications for the health care field are discussed.
Rule-based versus associative processes in derivational morphology.

The present article examines whether derivational morphology shows evidence of an associative memory structure. A distributional analysis of stems of attested derivational forms revealed evidence of clustering around phonological properties (gangs) for all nonneutral affixes but only a few neutral affixes. Subjects' acceptability ratings for novel complex words revealed sensitivity to the gang structure associated with the relevant derivational affixes. Results suggest that, like inflectional morphology, derivational morphology shows dissociations between rule-based and associative generalization mechanisms.
A Meta-Analysis of Morphological Interventions in English: Effects on Literacy Outcomes for School-Age Children

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of morphological instruction on language and literacy outcomes by synthesizing 92 standardized mean differences (d) from 30 independent studies. Findings show a moderate overall effect of morphological instruction ([dbar] = 0.32), suggesting that children receiving morphological instruction performed significantly better on measures of literacy achievement than comparison groups. Moderator analyses showed that intervention effect varied depending on the literacy outcome. There were significant and moderate intervention effects on morphological knowledge ([dbar] = 0.44), phonological awareness ([dbar] = 0.48), vocabulary ([dbar] = 0.34), decoding ([dbar] = 0.59), and spelling ([dbar] = 0.30) but not on reading comprehension or fluency. Results also suggested differences in effectiveness related to age and research design but not unit of intervention, scope, length, and learner type. Effect sizes decrease by school level (e.g., greater for younger students...
Induction of CYP2B and CYP2E1 in precision-cut rat liver slices cultured in defined medium

Many drugs and endogenous substances undergo biotransformation by cytochrome P450s (CYPs), and some drugs are also capable of modulating the expression of various CYPs. Knowledge of the potential of a drug to modulate CYPs is useful to help predict potential drug interactions. This study utilized precision-cut rat liver slices in dynamic organ culture to assess the effects of various media on the viability of rat liver slices and the expression of CYP2B and CYP2E1 when the slices are exposed to phenobarbital and isoniazid, which are drugs capable of inducing these respective CYPs. Liver slices were maintained in serum supplemented Waymouths medium and two different serum-free media, Hepatozyme (Life Technologies) and a new defined medium, which is named BPM. While Hepatozyme is considered a suitable medium to support primary hepatocyte cultures, this product did not maintain viable liver slices, even for 24 h. The serum containing and new defined media maintained viable liver slices for up to 96 h in culture. Phenobarbital (0.5 mM) and isoniazid (0.1 or 0.6 mM) did not affect viability in this model. In the absence of phenobarbital or isoniazid, liver slices maintained for 96 h in the new BPM medium maintained the respective levels of CYP2B and 2E1 protein at 1.8 and 1.9-fold higher than in slices maintained in the serum-containing medium. Phenobarbital exposure (0.5 mM) for 96 h induced CYP2B protein 5.2-fold in the BPM medium and 2.5-fold in the serum-containing medium. Isoniazid exposure (0.1 and 0.5 mM) for 96 h induced CYP2E1 protein 1.9 and 2.1-fold (respectively) in the BPM medium and 2.1 and 2.0-fold in the serum-containing medium. The respective CYP enzymatic activities were also increased by these drugs in a similar manner. Thus, the new defined BPM medium provides suitable conditions for maintaining CYP2B and 2E1 in liver slices and supports the investigation of drug-induced modulation of these enzymes.
OBSERVATIONS OF GRAIN BOUNDARIES WITH THE FIELD ION MICROSCOPE.

Abstract Several interesting grain boundaries have been observed in tungsten. The typical boundary has a very complex topography which is quite different from that predicted by the various grain boundary models. Using both trace analysis on single micrographs and analysis of the movement of boundary traces during field evaporation, it was found that the boundaries are curved surfaces. Several types of observations show that individual planar segments do not persist over more than a few atom diameters.
Boundary-layer effects on the reflection of sound waves and weak shock waves at shallow incidence

When either a plane acoustic wave or a weak shock wave is incident upon an infinite wall, the boundary-layer correction to the reflected wave becomes large if the angle between the wave front and the normal to the wall approaches zero. It is shown that transformation to moving coordinates leads to transonic flow problems whose solution permits removal of the singular behavior in each of these cases.
Climatology of the Simulated Great Plains Low-Level Jet and Its Contribution to the Continental Moisture Budget of the United States

Abstract The Great Plains region of the United States is characterized by some of the most frequent and regular occurrences of a nocturnal low-level jet (LLJ). While the LLJ is generally confined to the lowest Kilometer of the atmosphere, it may cover a substantial region of the Great Plains, and typically reaches maximum amplitudes of more than 20 m s−1. A two-month, springtime simulation with the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS-1) atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) has produced a Great Plains LLJ with a vertical and temporal structure, directionality, and climatological distribution that compare favorably with observations. The diurnal cycle of the low-level flow is dramatic and coherent over a subcontinental area that includes much of the western United States and northern Mexico. This cycle can be interpreted as the nightly intrusion of the anticyclonic, subtropical gyre (associated with the Bermuda high) into the North American continent as surface friction decreases. The AGCM also sim...