cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physical aging of thin glassy polymer films: Free volume interpretation

Abstract Previous studies have documented the dramatic effects of film thickness, at least compared to the bulk state, and the more modest effects of aging temperature and polymer structure on physical aging of thin glassy polymer films. In this paper, these results are interpreted in terms of the free volume calculated from the refractive index, determined by ellipsometry, using the Lorentz–Lorenz equation. The relative progress of aging towards the final equilibrium state was determined using this approach. The free volume data were fitted to the Struik model for the self-retarding volume contraction on aging to obtain the thickness and temperature dependent parameters. The gas permeability versus aging time is related to the free volume computed from the refractive index. The effect of prior history on the aging of thin glassy polymer films was briefly explored.
Does foreign innovation affect domestic wage inequality

Abstract We use an open-economy product-cycle model of domestic high-tech/low-tech wages to motivate an empirical specification and test key model-implied restrictions. With data for 11 countries from an internationally comparable data set from the OECD, we conduct panel cointegration analysis that supports the hypothesis that foreign and domestic innovation rates affect domestic wage inequality by equal and opposite magnitudes. The estimated elasticities imply that a 10% increase in the domestic (foreign) innovation rate leads to a 3% increase (decrease) in the high-tech wage rate, relative to the low-tech wage. An atheoretic empirical regression that includes several of the same variables, but not the same specification as the product-cycle model, fails to yield significant results, in contrast to the specification derived from the product-cycle model.
Solid-state modeling of the terahertz spectrum of the high explosive HMX.

The experimental solid-state terahertz (THz) spectrum (3−120 cm-1) of the β-crystal form of the high explosive octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) has been analyzed using solid-state density functional theory calculations. Various density functionals (both generalized gradient approximation and local density approximation) are compared in terms of their abilities to reproduce the experimentally observed solid-state structure and low-frequency vibrational motions. Good-to-excellent agreement between solid-state theory and experiment can be achieved in the THz region where isolated-molecule calculations fail to reproduce the observed spectral features, demonstrating a clear limitation of using isolated-molecule calculations for the assignment of THz frequency motions in molecular solids. The deficiency of isolated-molecule calculations is traced to modification of the molecular structure in the solid state through crystal packing effects and the formation of weak C−H···O hydrogen bonds.
A Note on Testing Logic Circuits by Transition Counting

Test sets to detect single and multiple stuck-at faults in combinational networks by transition counting are given.
Henry George: The‘86 Mayoralty Campaign*

The Campaign IN THE SUMMER of 1886 Henry George was waited upon by a committee representing 165 labor organizations, asking him to be their candidate for mayor of New York.' He refused the nomination, explaining that he did not feel it wise to interrupt the work he had planned. In a few days the committee returned and repeated the request. George was in sympathy with their platform but Tammany held New York in its political grip. The showing the labor organizations had made at the polls in the previous year had been so poor that he did not wish to risk his cause being made ridiculous by a triflingly small vote. Again he declined the nomination. For the third time the request was made; this time the assurance was given that whereas the labor organizations, in previous years, had not been in agreement, they were now entirely in accord, and it was a truly democratic and representative offer of support that was being made. It was not to be lightly brushed aside and George wrote in formal reply:
Have Animal Data Been Used Inappropriately to Estimate Risks to Humans from Environmental Trichloroethylene

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is widely viewed as an environmental hazard. Its major metabolite, chloral hydrate, is a currently used medicine. Regulation of TCE is based on a linear extrapolation from effects of high doses in rodents to risks for humans at low doses. However, metabolic, toxicologic, and epidemiologic data on trichloroethylene and chloral hydrate as well as water chlorination studies call this approach into question. The mechanism of carcinogenesis of TCE and chloral hydrate in rodents is nonlinear: very high doses, sufficient to cause cellular necrosis, are necessary. Malignancy arises from repeated cycles of necrosis and regeneration with the ultimate emergence of hyperplasia and then neoplasia. Metabolites of TCE, trichloroacetic acid and dichloroacetic acid, mediate this toxic effect of TCE. These chloroacetic acids also induce similar lesions in rodents given high doses of the medicine, chloral hydrate. Human epidemiologic data show no increase in mortality or malignancy from substantial chronic exposure to trichloroethylene. Chlorination of drinking water produces much higher levels of chloroacetic acids than could be obtained from metabolizing TCE under current regulations. We conclude that the assumptions underlying current regulations are not applicable to TCE. Instead of a straight-line extrapolation model, a threshold model may be more appropriate. The data suggest that it is possible to increase substantially the allowable trichloroethylene in drinking water without increasing health hazards.
REV7, a new gene concerned with UV mutagenesis in yeast

Three allelic mutations of a new yeast gene, which we have named REV7, have been isolated by testing 313 methyl methane sulfonate sensitive mutants for UV-induced reversion of a lys2 allele. Rev7 mutants are markedly deficient with respect to UV-induced reversion of lys2, are slightly sensitive to UV and appear to be in the RAD6 epistasis group for UV survival. Rev7-1, which is probably an amber mutation, does not appear to affect sporulation in homozygous diploids. The REV7 gene is located about 12 cM distal to HIS5 on chromosome IX.
Factors influencing the degradation of photoreceptor membrane in the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii

Light-induced degradation of photoreceptor membrane in the crayfish was studied by quantitative light and electron microscopy. The production of lysosomal organelles within the photoreceptor cells was enhanced by presenting the light stimulus intermittently (i.e., flicker) or by doubling its intensity. The enhancement was seen primarily as an increase in the number and size of multivesicular bodies. As these stimulus conditions are likely to facilitate intracellular Ca++ fluxes, the results are compatibl with recent speculations that Ca++ ions may regulate membrane degradation. To test the possibility that Ca++ acts as a signal coupling receptor stimulation with membrane loss, retinas were incubated in the dark with the ionophore A23187 in the presence or absence of external Ca++. The results demonstrate that A23187 produces a Ca++-dependent increase in lysosomal organelles, predominantly multivesicular bodies. These data are consistent with a role for intracellular Ca++ in the degradative process; however, the exact locus of the effect is unclear.
Ferric‐citrate reductase activity of nitrate reductase and it's role in iron assimilation by plants

Abstract Squash cotyledon and corn leaf NADH:nitrate reductase (NR) catalyze the reduction of Fe (III)‐citrate, as shown by trapping the reduced iron with ferrozine. The co‐identity of NR as a catalyst for both nitrate and iron reduction was shown by the co‐purification and co‐electrophoresis of the two activities with both partially pure and homogeneous enzyme forms. In addition, the Fe (III)‐citrate reductase activity had a pH optimum and substrate kinetics consistent with an enzymic reaction, and was inhibited by rabbit antiserum which had been prepared against homogeneous NADH:NR. Our previous studies with various inhibitors showed that Fe (III)‐citrate was directly reduced by NR, but at a site separate from the nitrate reducing site. A role for the Fe (III)‐citrate reductase activity of NR in the remoblization of recently transported iron is described in relation to the role of this enzyme in nitrate assimilation.
Theory of semiconductor quantum-dot laser dynamics

A theory for describing nonequilibrium dynamics in a semiconductor quantum-dot laser is presented. This theory is applied to a microcavity laser with a gain region consisting of an inhomogeneous distribution of quantum dots, a quantum-well wetting layer, and injection pumped bulk regions. Numerical results are presented and the effects of spectral hole burning, plasma heating, and many-body effects are analyzed.
Systematic review of the evidence for an association between sugar‐sweetened beverage consumption and risk of obesity

A systematic review of the evidence for an association between sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of obesity was conducted. This review focused specifically on the role of sugar-sweetened beverages in obesity risk, taking into account energy balance. For the purpose of this review, scientific conclusions could not be drawn from the intervention studies that evaluated the relationship between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and obesity risk. Results of observational studies that examined the relationship between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and obesity risk that were adjusted for energy intake and physical activity were inconsistent for each of the three age groups evaluated (children, adolescents, and adults). From this review, evidence for an association between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and obesity risk is inconsistent when adjustment for energy balance is made.
Skin effect in large tokamaks

Computer studies based on the empirical transport coefficients of present-day tokamaks predict strong skin effect in larger, hotter tokamak models. If the skin effect is suppressed by further anomalous enhancement of thermal transport in the skin layer, the resultant energy, loss and associated limiter heat load are inevitably very large. Suppression of the skin effect by a moving limiter is investigated.
A demographic analysis of fire-stimulated seedling establishment of Sarracenia alata (Sarraceniaceae).

Recurring fires are thought to be critical to maintaining populations of carnivorous plants in wet pine savannas. Nevertheless, the impact of fire on population dynamics of these unique and sometimes rare plants is poorly understood. In this study, I analyzed stagestructured matrices for Sarracenia alata. To examine the effects of fire-stimulated increases in seedling establishment, five matrices were constructed, which differed in fecundity rates associated with different fire frequencies (annual fires, 1/3, 1/7, 1/20, and 0/20 yr). In addition, I analyzed the sensitivity of population growth and dynamics to changes in other vital rates. Fire-stimulated increases in fecundity were not necessary to maintain viable populations of Sarracenia alata. Although increases in fecundity increased population growth rate, all five fire frequencies (including the ‘‘no-fire’’ scenario) produced either stationary or increasing populations. Adding year-to-year stochasticity in vital rates did not alter these general trends. Population growth and decline were much more sensitive to reductions in the survival of large adult ramets (which were projected to have a life expectancy of 59 yr). Population growth was also more sensitive to changes in juvenile persistence than to juvenile growth, suggesting that conservative use of captured resources by juveniles has a greater impact on fitness than rapid growth and maturation. Given that a previous study showed that modest variation in fire frequency had no impact on either adult or juvenile survival, I conclude that Sarracenia alata relies on fire-regulated plasticity in allocation to pitchers to increase the survival and lifetime fecundity of iteroparous ramets.
A semi-automatic approach to detect highlights for home video annotation

This paper presents a semi-automatic highlight detection system for home video annotation. To automatically identify highlights from home videos is a challenging research issue in general. Currently home users mostly use video editing tools to manually find the highlight, which is very time consuming. To alleviate this hurdle and promote the reusability of home video material, we propose a semi-automatic user environment that aims at reducing the editing time required for users to find highlights. With a well designed user interface and using the localized visual similarity trail to estimate candidate highlight boundaries, we enable home users quickly and mostly accurately identify the highlight. The initial evaluation on a home video database demonstrates a 60% saving in editing time.
Two-fluid viscous flow in a corner

We consider steady, two-dimensional viscous flow of two fluids near a corner. The two fluids meet at the wedge vertex and are locally in contact with each other along a straight line emanating from the corner. The double wedge, treated in polar coordinates, admits separable solutions with bounded velocities at the corner. We seek local solutions which satisfy all local boundary conditions, as well as partial local solutions which satisfy all but the normal-stress boundary conditions. We find that local solutions exist for a wide range of total wedge angles and that a class of individual wedge angles and stress exponents is selected. Partial local solutions exist for all combinations of individual wedge angles and the stress exponents are determined as functions of these angles and the viscosity ratio. In both cases, Moffatt vortices can be found. Our aim in this work is to describe local two-fluid flow by determining for which wedge angles solutions exist, identifying singularities in the stress at the corner, and identifying conditions under which Moffatt vortices can be present in the flow. Furthermore, for the single-wedge geometry, we identify for small capillary number non-uniformities present in solutions valid near the corner.
Effects of Road Salts on Heavy Metal Mobility in Two Eastern Washington Soils

Heavy metals deposited on road surfaces and transferred to roadside environments by rainfall and snowmelt runoff can have serious impacts on receiving ecosystems. Infiltration is an effective best management practice for controlling metal contamination in runoff, although metals retention within infiltration facilities depends on a number of factors, including metal species, soil characteristics, and influent water quality concentrations. In cold climates, deicing compounds have been shown to mobilize heavy metals putting receiving waters at risk. This study ascertains the effects of two widely used road salts (NaCl and MgCl 2 ) on heavy metal mobility in two eastern Washington soils. Infiltration experiments were conducted using a basic soil, exhibiting a soil pH of 8.3, taken from a highway infiltration pond site in Spokane Washington and an acidic soil, exhibiting a soil pH of 5.9, taken from an infiltration pond site in Richland Washington. Three concentrations of each salt were percolated through both soils using continuous flow soil columns. Leachate samples were collected and analyzed for dissolved metals, organic matter, and pH. Experiments were also performed without salt and used as controls. Results indicate that metal mobilization can occur by a number of mechanisms including cation exchange, chloride complex formation, and colloid dispersion (release of organic matter and/or clay that can complex metal species). Sodium chloride resulted in the largest release of copper and lead via indirect mobilization of organic matter. The magnesium salt had less of an effect on lead and copper but had a much greater effect on the mobilization of cadmium. Releases of metals during or immediately following salt application produced concentrations that ranged from 50% to 1000% greater than the concentrations released from the control experiments.
Medicare Assignment and Participation: Excerpts From Practical Tips for the Oncology Practice.

The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule has presented significant challenges to oncologists this year, with a series of temporary patches to the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula resulting in uncertainly about payment rates and delays in Medicare claims processing. In response to this situation, many physicians, including oncologists, have begun to ask questions about the Medicare program and specifically about participation and assignment of claims. This article, excerpted from ASCO's Practical Tips for the Oncology Practice, reviews definitions and requirements of the Medicare program for assignment, participation, and private contracts.1pp4-5,71-73
Poisoning of wild birds from exposure to anticholinesterase compounds and lead: diagnostic methods and selected cases

Organophosphorus and carbamate compounds have largely replaced chlorinated hydrocarbons for pesticidal use in the United States, and many cases of poisoning resulting from exposure to these anticholinesterase agents have occurred in free-living birds. Although lead shot has been prohibited for waterfowl hunting throughout the United States since 1991, lead poisoning from the ingestion of spent lead shot is still occasionally seen in wild birds, and lead poisoning from the ingestion of fishing sinkers is an emerging issue of concern. A thorough history, a complete necropsy evaluation, and appropriate laboratory analysis of tissues are required to diagnose toxicoses in wild birds, including those caused by anticholinesterase compounds and lead. The interpretation of brain cholinesterase (ChE) activity results depends on the methods of analysis and comparison with expected normal enzyme activities in brain tissue from the same species. Although lead residues in tissues vary among species, many lead poisoned birds have tissue residues that are much higher than the lower threshold commonly accepted for a diagnosis of lead poisoning. We review histories, necropsy findings, and analytical methodologies and results for selected anticholinesterase and lead poisoning cases diagnosed in wild raptors, waterfowl, and loons.
Lake-type controls on petroleum source rock potential in nonmarine basins

Based on numerous empirical observations of lacustrine basin strata, we propose a three-fold classification of lacustrine facies associations that accounts for the most important features of lacustrine petroleum source rocks and provides a predictive framework for exploration in nonmarine basins where lacustrine facies are incompletely delineated. (1) The fluvial-lacustrine facies association is characterized by freshwater lacustrine mudstones interbedded with fluvial-deltaic deposits, commonly including coal. Shoreline progradation dominates basin fill, resulting in the stacking of indistinctly expressed cycles up to 10 m thick. In map view, the deposits may be regionally widespread but laterally discontinuous and contain strong facies contrasts. Transported terrestrial organic matter contributes to mixed type I-III kerogens that generate waxy oil (type I kerogen is hydrogen rich and oil prone; type III kerogen is hydrogen poor and mainly gas prone). The Luman Tongue of the Green River Formation (Wyoming) and the Honyanchi Formation (Junggar basin, China) provide examples of this facies association, which is also present in the Songliao basin of northeastern China, the Central Sumatra basin, and the Cretaceous Doba/Doseo basins in west-central Africa. (2) The fluctuating profundal facies association represents a combination of progradational and aggradational basin fill and includes some of the world's richest source rocks. Deposits are regionally extensive in map view, having relatively homogenous source facies containing oil-prone, type I kerogen. Examples include the Laney Member of the Green River Formation (Wyoming), the Lucaogou Formation (Junggar basin, China), the Bucomazi Formation (offshore west Africa), and the Lagoa Feia Formation (Campos basin, Brazil). (3) The evaporative facies association represents dominantly aggradational fill related to desiccation cycles in saline to hypersaline lakes and may include evaporite and eolianite deposits. Sublittoral organic-rich mudstone facies are relatively thin but may be (Begin page 1034) quite rich and widespread. The highest organic enrichment coincides with the deepest lake stages. Low input of land plant organic matter results in minimal lateral contrasts in organic content. In some cases a distinctive type I-S (sulfur-rich) kerogen may generate oil at thermal maturities as low as 0.45% vitrinite reflectance equivalent. Examples include the Wilkins Peak Member of the Green River Formation (Wyoming), the Jingjingzigou Formation (Junggar basin, China), the Jianghan and Qaidam basins (China), and the Blanca Lila Formation (Argentina).
THE LINKAGE OF KENNEDY'S NEURON DISEASE TO ARA24, THE FIRST IDENTIFIED ANDROGEN RECEPTOR POLYGLUTAMINE REGION-ASSOCIATED COACTIVATOR

Although the linkage of polyglutamine (poly-Q) repeat expansion in the androgen receptor (AR) to Kennedy's disease (X-linked spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy) was a major step forward, the detailed molecular mechanism of how the change in poly-Q length contributes to the disease remains unclear. Here we report the identification of a nuclear G-protein, Ras-related nuclear protein/ARA24, as the first AR coactivator that can bind differentially with different lengths of poly-Q within AR. In the yeast and mammalian reciprocal interacting assays, our data suggested the interaction of AR N-terminal domain with ARA24 diminishes as the poly-Q length increases. The coactivation of ARA24 also diminishes with the poly-Q expansion within AR. Deletion of the acidic hexapeptide (DEDDDL) at the C terminus of ARA24 further enhances its AR coactivation. Together, our data suggest that poor interaction and weaker coactivation of ARA24 to the longer poly-Q AR in the X-linked spinal and bulbar muscular atrophied AR could contribute to the weaker transactivation of AR. The consequence of poor interaction and weak coactivation may eventually lead to the partial androgen insensitivity during the development of Kennedy's disease.
Information Propagation for Location-based MAC Protocols in Vehicular Networks

We consider a vehicular ad hoc network designed for vehicles to exchange information collected by on-board sensors. A goal of this system is to quickly broadcast information to as many vehicles as possible. For this purpose, a family of location-based medium access control (MAC) protocols are given in which vehicles broadcast information when they drive through given transmission areas. We then study the information propagation under these protocols for a simple one-dimensional transportation network. Specifically, we calculate the average time for a message to propagate a given distance and the probability a message reaches that distance.
SMD: visual steering of molecular dynamics for protein design

SMD, a system for interactively steering molecular dynamics calculations of protein molecules, includes computation, visualization, and communication components. Biochemists can "tug" molecules into different shapes by specifying external forces in the graphical interface, which are added to internal forces representing atomic bonds and nonbonded interactions. SMD provides a new tool for biochemists to use in exploring the structure of proposed designs, as well as in more general applications such as exploring the molecular dynamics model itself. Its primary use is in modeling single large biomolecules in a bath of water acting as the solvent.
An iteration method for the determination of an unknown boundary condition in a parabolic initial-boundary value problem

On considere le probleme aux valeurs limites et initiales u t −u xx =γ(x,t), 0<x<1, 0<t,T; u(x,0)=u 0 , 0<x<1; u x (0,t)=f(u(0,t)), 0≤t≤T; −u x (1,t)=f(u(1,t)), 0≤t≤T
Modeling Syllable-Based Pronunciation Variation for Accented Mandarin Speech Recognition

Pronunciation variation is a natural and inevitable phenomenon in an accented Mandarin speech recognition application. In this paper, we integrate knowledge-based and data-driven approaches together for syllable-based pronunciation variation modeling to improve the performance of Mandarin speech recognition system for speakers with Southern accent. First, we generate the syllable-based pronunciation variation rules of Southern accent observed from the training corpus by Chinese linguistic expert. Second, dictionary augmentation with multiple pronunciation variants and pronunciation probability derived from forced alignment statistics of training data. The acoustic models will be retrained based on the new expansion dictionary. Finally, pronunciation variation adaptation will be performed to further fit the data on the decoding stage by taking distribution of variation rules clusters of testing set into account. The experimental results show that the proposed method provides a flexible framework to improve the recognition performance for accented speech effectively.
Impact of JIA on parents’ work absences

OBJECTIVE Children with JIA have long-term morbidity and require extensive parental assistance. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of having a child with JIA on parents' missed work time, which can lead to decreased work productivity. METHODS The Truven Health MarketScan Commercial Database (2000-9) was accessed to identify a cohort of parents having a child with newly diagnosed JIA. For comparison, a cohort of parents having no children with JIA was identified and matched with the preceding cohort. Parents' work absences were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariable regression. Estimates were weighted to be generalizable to the US employer-sponsored insurance population. RESULTS The study identified 108 parents having a child with newly diagnosed JIA (mean age 42.5 years), representing an estimated 3335 (weighted) parents nationally. Most of them were from the South (45%), male (71%) and employed in the transportation and utilities industry (58%). The demographic characteristics of the control cohort of parents were generally similar. Children with JIA (mean age 10.6 years) represented an estimated 3528 cases nationally. The mean number of reported missed work-time hours was 281.81 (s.e. 40.50) in a 9 year period for parents having a child with JIA compared with other parents 183.36 (28.55). Work-time loss was significantly related to having a child with JIA, sex and geographical region of residence. Parents having a child with JIA were 2.78 times more likely to report work-time loss [odds ratio (OR) 2.78 (95% CI 1.47, 5.26)] than those having no children with JIA. CONCLUSION Parents having a child with JIA report significant work-time loss compared with parents with no children having JIA, particularly during the year following the child's diagnosis.
Web Credibility and Stickiness of Content Web Sites

This research-in-progress paper investigates what makes users of content Web sites stick to these sites. Realizing that information on the content Web site is the product being offered, we integrate the view that Web is a medium with customer royalty and customer retention literature. Drawing from social presence theory, social response theory, customer retention literature, and information systems success literature, we propose that usability, information quality, Web credibility, and emotional satisfaction are antecedents to Web stickiness. We further investigate the relationship between social presence and emotional satisfaction and propose that online features such as Q&A, discussion forums, message boards, self-test, personalization, and image improve emotional satisfaction through improved social presence perception. We plan to test our results using health information Web sites.
Endoscopic treatment options for cholangiocarcinomas

Cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC) is a very aggressive tumor, which remains highly resistant to current chemoradiation therapies. Death is usually caused by the tumor burden. However, biliary obstruction, which leads to cholangitis and liver failure, is also a cause of death. Therefore, relief of biliary obstruction is one of the key palliative treatment options for patients with hilar or distal CCC. Radiologic or endoscopic insertions of stents (plastic or self-expanding metal) are definite biliary drainage options. Whereas stents alone can help achieve relief of bile duct obstruction, endoscopic ablative interventions with photodynamic therapy or radiofrequency ablation are also useful in destroying intraluminal tumor. Destroying the tumor leads to an increase in the luminal diameter of the obstructed bile duct, allowing for placement of more or larger diameter stents, and thus improving bile flow. Besides decreasing morbidity associated with obstruction, ablative therapies such as photodynamic therapy have also been associated with improved survival in a sub-group of patients with CCC and should therefore be incorporated into the treatment algorithm of any center treating patients with CCC.
Quantum Notions of Stress

Existing notions of stress in a quantum mechanical framework are reviewed and discussed in a semitutorial manner suitable for a mechanics audience. Notwithstanding early fundamental work in this area since the 1930s, the increasing availability of computa- tional tools to perform ab initio quantum mechanical calculations with high accuracy and efficacy has renewed interest in this field especially in the context of computational mechanics and materials science. Although some unresolved issues remain, the subject has evolved considerably in the past two decades with various authors offering their own unique viewpoint. In the present paper, we summarize the debate over the "definition" of stress in a quantum mechanical setting and discuss some controversial issues such as the uniqueness of the stress.
Measuring quality in diabetes care: an expert-based statistical approach

We present a methodology for using health insurance claims data to monitor quality of care. The method uses a statistical model trained on the quality ratings of a medical expert. In a pilot study, the expert rated the quality of care received over the course of two years by 101 diabetes patients. A logistic regression model accurately identified the quality of care for 86% of the patients. Because the model uses data derived from patients’ health insurance claims it can be used to monitor the care being received by a large patient population. One important use of the model is to identify potential candidates for case management, especially patients with complicated medical histories.
H.G. Adler and W.G. Sebald: From History and Literature to Literature as Historiography

This article places an emphasis on Adler as both an historian and a poet. Highlighting Adler’s engagement with both the past and the possible ways of (re) presenting the past, this article also considers the range of Adler’s scholarly and artistic texts and how they push the boundaries of form and method to document and bear witness not only to the atrocities of National Socialism but also to the vicissitudes of humanity, thereby assisting as well as challenging our understanding and imagination. The article then draws out the connections between H.G. Adler and W.G. Sebald, including Sebald’s commemoration of Adler’s scholarly work within the fictional prose text Austerlitz (2001). Writing in a tradition forged by Adler and motivated by similar concerns, Sebald’s œuvre fuses historiography and literature, providing new ways to reconsider the contentious relationship between the two discourses. Reading Sebald’s fictional prose as a new form of literature-as-historiography, or “literary historiography” as I term it, reveals his poetics of engagement that involves the reader in an ethical negotiation of the past, Germany’s past and the Holocaust in particular, through aesthetic questions of literary discourse and epistemological questions of the representation of history. (LLW)
Lung resistance and elastance in spontaneously breathing preterm infants: effects of breathing pattern and demographics

Reported values of lung resistance (Rl) and elastance (El) in spontaneously breathing preterm neonates vary widely. We hypothesized that this variability in lung properties can be largely explained...
Human recombinant activated protein C in meningococcal sepsis

A 19-year-old woman presented with purpura fulminans and septic shock; subsequently, progressive coagulopathy, widespread purpura fulminans associated with meningococcemia, severe shock, respiratory, and renal failure developed. This clinical course was associated with depletion of functional protein C levels to
Noise and texture characteristics of selective averaging

Selective averaging, where different lines in k-space are accumulated with a different number of acquisitions has previously been shown to introduce texture and mottling into magnetic resonance (MR) images. Here a theoretical framework for understanding and quantifying the noise characteristics of selective averaging is presented. In this analysis the noise power spectrum is used to predict the value of the noise and its texture by considering the granularity function. Acquired and simulated MR images are used to verify the accuracy of these theoretical predictions. Selective averaging increases signal/noise but with significantly reduced time efficiency compared to nonselective acquisitions. The colored quality of the noise with selective averaging can introduce unwanted artifacts. In this case the relative improvement in signal detection efficiency as imaging time is increased will be object size dependent. >
Language and Logic

The language of our theory consists of individual variables: x0, x1, ..., a predicate constant: ∈. logical symbols: ⌝, ∨, ∧, →, ↔, ∀, Ǝ, auxiliary symbols: (), [].
RNA-seq and microarray complement each other in transcriptome profiling

Background: RNA-seq and microarray are the two popular methods employed for genome-wide transcriptome profiling. Current comparison studies have shown that transcriptome quantified by these two methods correlated well. However, none of them have addressed if they complement each other, considering the strengths and the limitations inherent with them. The pivotal requirement to address this question is the knowledge of a well known data set. In this regard, HrpX regulome from pathogenic bacteria serves as an ideal choice as the target genes of HrpX transcription factor are well studied due to their central role in pathogenicity. Results: We compared the performance of RNA-seq and microarray in their ability to detect known HrpX target genes by profiling the transcriptome from the wild-type and the hrpX mutant strains of γ-Proteobacterium Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri. Our comparative analysis indicated that gene expression levels quantified by RNA-seq and microarray well-correlated both at absolute as well as relative levels (Spearman correlation-coefficient, rs > 0.76). Further, the expression levels quantified by RNA-seq and microarray for the significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) also well-correlated with qRT-PCR based quantification (rs= 0.58 to 0.94). Finally, in addition to the 55 newly identified DEGs, 72% of the already known HrpX target genes were detected by both RNA-seq and microarray, while, the remaining 28% could only be detected by either one of the methods. Conclusions: This study has significantly advanced our understanding of the regulome of the critical transcriptional factor HrpX. RNA-seq and microarray together provide a more comprehensive picture of HrpX regulome by uniquely identifying new DEGs. Our study demonstrated that RNA-seq and microarray complement each other in transcriptome profiling.
Reactivity measurement in estimation of benzoquinone and benzoquinone derivatives’ allergenicity

Benzoquinone (BQ) and benzoquinone derivatives (BQD) are used in the production of dyes and cosmetics. While BQ, an extreme skin sensitizer, is an electrophile known to covalently modify proteins via Michael Addition (MA) reaction whilst halogen substituted BQD undergo nucleophilic vinylic substitution (SNV) mechanism onto amine and thiol moieties on proteins, the allergenic effects of adding substituents on BQ have not been reported. The effects of inserting substituents on the BQ ring has not been studied in animal assays. However, mandated reduction/elimination of animals used in cosmetics testing in Europe has led to an increased need for alternatives for the prediction of skin sensitization potential. Electron withdrawing and electron donating substituents on BQ were assessed for effects on BQ reactivity toward nitrobenzene thiol (NBT). The NBT binding studies demonstrated that addition of EWG to BQ as exemplified by the chlorine substituted BQDs increased reactivity while addition of EDG as in the methyl substituted BQDs reduced reactivity. BQ and BQD skin allerginicity was evaluated in the murine local lymph node assay (LLNA). BQD with electron withdrawing groups had the highest chemical potency followed by unsubstituted BQ and the least potent were the BQD with electron donating groups. The BQD results demonstrate the impact of inductive effects on both BQ reactivity and allergenicity, and suggest the potential utility of chemical reactivity data for electrophilic allergen identification and potency ranking.
Diagnostics of Oxygen Sensors and Air-Fuel Ratio Adaptive Controls

Stringent emission regulations mandated by California air regulation board (CARB) require monitoring the upstream exhaust gas oxygen (UEGO) sensor for any possible malfunction causing the vehicle emissions to exceed standard thresholds. Six faults have been identified that may potentially cause the UEGO sensor performance to deteriorate and lead to instability of the air-fuel ratio (AFR) closed-loop control system. These malfunctions are either due to an additional delay or an additional lag in the transition of the sensor response from lean to rich or rich to lean. In this paper, a novel non-intrusive approach is developed to diagnose these faults using a combination of a statistical method and a system identification process. In the second part of this work, a control strategy is presented that utilizes the type, the direction and the magnitude of the fault present to update the gains of the controller for the closed-loop air-fuel ratio control system. The proposed strategy does not require modifying the controller structure and only adapts the baseline gains of the controller and delay compensator to match the actual system dynamics (in presence of fault). The proposed approach has been demonstrated on a vehicle (Mustang V6 3.7L) where different faults were induced, and the emissions associated with each fault were measured to show the improvement.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
The Transformation of the U.S. Financial System

New economic forces have swept through financial markets forcing financial intermediaries to change what they do and how they operate. A steady stream of new financial products and instruments has intensified competition and crumpled the competitive barriers that have historically separated financial intermediaries in the United States. Three fundamental economic factors underlie the changes that have occurred in financial markets: macroeconomic changes have resulted in more informed and demanding customers, financial innovations have broken down barriers to competition, and the internationalization of financial markets has intensified competition among both financial institutions and regulatory systems.This paper examines the implications of these changes for public policy.
Inpatient Rehabilitation after Liver Transplantation Decreases Risk and Severity of 30-Day Readmissions.

Background Discharge location is associated with short-term readmission rates after hospitalization for several medical and surgical diagnoses. We hypothesized that discharge location: home, home health, skilled nursing facility (SNF), long-term acute care (LTAC), or inpatient rehabilitation, independently predicted the risk of 30-day readmission and severity of first readmission after orthotopic liver transplantation. Study Design We performed a retrospective cohort review using Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases for Florida and California. Patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation from 2009 to 2011 were included and followed for 1 year. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to model the effect of discharge location on 30-day readmission controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors. Total cost of first readmission was used as a surrogate measure for readmission severity and resource use. Results A total of 3,072 patients met our inclusion criteria. The overall 30-day readmission rate was 29.6%. Discharge to inpatient rehabilitation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.43, p = 0.013) or LTAC/SNF (aOR 0.63, p = 0.014) were associated with decreased odds of 30-day readmission when compared with home. The severity of 30-day readmissions for patients discharged to inpatient rehabilitation were the same as those discharged home or home with home health. Severity was increased for those discharged to LTAC/SNF. The time to first readmission was longest for patients discharged to inpatient rehabilitation (17 days vs 8 days, p Conclusions When compared with other locations of discharge, inpatient rehabilitation reduces the risk of 30-day readmission and increases the time to first readmission. These benefits come without increasing the severity of readmission. Increased use of inpatient rehabilitation after orthotopic liver transplantation is a strategy to improve 30-day readmission rates.
Inhibition of cholinesterase by adrenaline.

Summary1. Lyophilized preparations of cholinesterase, identified as “specific” and “non-specific” in type, were fractionated from swine caudtate nucleus and parotid gland, respectively.2. Adrenaline inhibits the ability of these enzymes to hydrolyze acetylcholine.3. The potentiation of acetylcholine activity by adrenaline is correlated with the inhibitory effect of adrenaline on cholinesterase.
Body temperature and thermoregulation in two species of yellowjackets, Vespula germanica and V. maculifrons

In spite of the abundance and broad distribution of social wasps, little information exists concerning thermoregulation by individuals. We measured body temperatures of the yellowjackets Vespula germanica and V. maculifrons and examined their thermoregulatory mechanisms. V. germanica demonstrated thermoregulation via a decreasing gradient between thorax temperature and ambient temperature as ambient temperature increased. V. maculifrons exhibited a constant gradient at lower ambient temperatures but thorax temperature was constant at high ambient temperatures. Head temperature exhibited similar patterns in both species. In spite of low thermal conductances, a simple heat budget model predicts substantial heat loads in warm conditions in the absence of thermoregulation. Both species regurgitated when heated on the head. A smaller volume of regurgitant was produced at lower head temperatures and a larger volume at higher head temperatures. Small regurgitations resulted in stabilization of head temperature, while large ones resulted in 4°C decreases in head temperature. Regurgitation was rare when wasps were heated upon the thorax. Abdomen temperature was 3–4°C above ambient temperature, and approached ambient temperature under the hottest conditions. No evidence was found for shunting of hot hemolymph from thorax to abdomen as a cooling mechanism. The frequency of regurgitation in workers returning to the nest increased with ambient temperature. Regurgitation may be an important thermoregulatory strategy during heat stress, but is probably not the only mechanism used in yellowjackets.
Patterns of macroinvertebrate colonization in an intermittent Rocky Mountain stream in Utah

Colonization of macroinvertebrates in a headwater mountain stream was monitored using basket and Surber samplers. Taxa showed differences in colonization ability based both on dispersal ability and feeding strategy. Collector - gatherer feeding groups that could actively enter the water, i.e., Baetis mayflies, were the first organisms to colonize bare or new substrate. The slowest colonizers were heptageniid mayflies that colonized primarily from upstream migration. All organisms examined increased drifting behavior in response to decreases in discharge.
Social Support Questionnaire for Children: Development and Initial Validation.

The Social Support Questionnaire for Children (SSQC) is a 50-item scale that assesses children’s social support from parents, relatives, nonrelative adults, siblings, and peers. The SSQC demonstrates good psychometric properties (e.g., internal consistency, factorial validity). Furthermore, the SSQC appears to be an ethnically sensitive measure of children’s social support.
Epidemic Characteristics of Rubella in Dadong District of Shenyang City during 2005-2010

[Objective]To understand the epidemic characteristics and incidence intensity of rubella in Dadong district,and provide an accurate basis for the effect evaluation rubella control program. [Methods]Descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyze the rubella epidemic data. [Results]Rubella annual incidence rate was 62.67/100 000 in Dadong district from 2005 to 2010.The sex ratio of male to female was 1.44∶1,and incidence rate was 72.98/100 000 and 52.11/100 000 respectively for male and female(P0.01).The number of cases accounted for 61.04% from April to May with obvious peak incidence in spring.59.75% patients were students,with markedly occupational peak.74.11% were adolescent aged 10~24 years,with obvious high incidence among adolescent. [Conclusion]This district should strengthen organizational leadership,implement prevention and control measures,improve promotion and education of health knowledge,improve the professional skills and emergency response capabilities by training,detect epidemic situation in time by strengthening monitoring and warning and effectively control the epidemic spread by emergency work.
Helix-Capping Histidines: Diversity of N-H···N Hydrogen Bond Strength Revealed by (2h)JNN Scalar Couplings.

In addition to its well-known roles as an electrophile and general acid, the side chain of histidine often serves as a hydrogen bond (H-bond) acceptor. These H-bonds provide a convenient pH-dependent switch for local structure and functional motifs. In hundreds of instances, a histidine caps the N-terminus of α- and 310-helices by forming a backbone NH···Nδ1 H-bond. To characterize the resilience and dynamics of the histidine cap, we measured the trans H-bond scalar coupling constant, (2h)JNN, in several forms of Group 1 truncated hemoglobins and cytochrome b5. The set of 19 measured (2h)JNN values were between 4.0 and 5.4 Hz, generally smaller than in nucleic acids (~6-10 Hz) and indicative of longer, weaker bonds in the studied proteins. A positive linear correlation between (2h)JNN and the difference in imidazole ring (15)N chemical shift (Δ(15)N = |δ(15)Nδ1 - δ(15)Ne2|) was found to be consistent with variable H-bond length and variable cap population related to the ionization of histidine in the capping and noncapping states. The relative ease of (2h)JNN detection suggests that this parameter can become part of the standard arsenal for describing histidines in helix caps and other key structural and catalytic elements involving NH···N H-bonds. The combined nucleic acid and protein data extend the utility of (2h)JNN as a sensitive marker of local structural, dynamic, and thermodynamic properties in biomolecules.
Barium granuloma: an unusual cause of unilateral ureteral obstruction.

AbstractA small amount of barium extravasated at the time of colonic surgery led to the development of a barium granuloma that caused unilateral ureteral obstruction. Although the barium was not detected on radiography or urography preoperatively, it was clearly visible at the time of ureteral exploration and ureterolysis. (J. Urol., 138: 614–616, 1987)