cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-Abelian Vector Gauge Fields and the Electromagnetic Field

A theory unifying all vector gage fields partaking in both strong and electromagnetic interactions is proposed. To solve the problem of non- destruction of isotopic spin conservation by the electromagnetic field in this theory, charged leptonic fields are postulated. These leptonic fields deny higher symmetry transformations, relating the electromagnetic and non-Abelian fields, and thus give the electromagnetic field its usual physical influence. A second term violating gage invariance is hypothesized to maintain the principle of stationary action, violated by the inclusion of electromagnetic lepton interactions. The physical mass problem is considered. (M.J.T.)
Performance of Glass Heat Pipes for Solar Thermoelectric Energy Systems

The development of high performance thermal management strategies offers opportunities to increase energy conversion efficiencies for solar thermoelectric systems. In particular, heat pipes and two-phase thermosyphons have received increased interest due to their ability to passively and efficiently transport heat using liquid phase-change. However, the high manufacturing and materials costs limit the broad utilization of such cooling solutions. In this work, we investigate heat pipe designs using glass where the manufacturing methods can be inexpensive for solar thermoelectric systems. We developed an analytical model based on dimensionless thermal resistances that determines how material properties, geometry, scaling and solar concentration affect heat transfer performance. We simultaneously investigated the feasibility of three realistic heat pipe solar thermoelectric systems. The results from the work offer design guidelines for the development of high performance, low cost heat pipes for solar thermoelectric systems.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Manipulation for frozen shoulder: Long-term results

Although much has been published regarding shoulder manipulation under anesthesia for the treatment of frozen shoulder, there are no reported long-term results. In 25 patients (26 shoulders) in whom nonoperative treatment for idiopathic frozen shoulder had failed, we performed manipulation under anesthesia. All had had physical therapy for a mean of 6.2 months. Follow-up was by examination until the end of active treatment. Longer-term follow-up was obtained in 18 patients (19 shoulders) by questionnaire and averaged 15 years (range, 8.1 to 20.6 years). There were significant improvements in forward elevation from a mean of 104° before manipulation (range, 70° to 140°) to 168° (range, 90° to 180°) and in external rotation from 23° (range, –5° to 70°) to 67° (range, 0° to 90°). There were 16 shoulders with no pain or slight pain and 3 with occasional moderate or severe pain. There were no fractures, dislocations, or other complications. Of the 19 shoulders, 18 required no further surgery. At long-term follow-up, the mean Simple Shoulder Test score was 9.5 out of 12 and the mean American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score was 80 out of 100. Treatment of idiopathic frozen shoulder by manipulation under anesthesia leads to sustained improvement in shoulder motion and function at a mean of 15 years after the procedure.
Galactosemic cataractogenesis disrupts intracellular interactions and changes the substrate specificity of choline/ethanolamine kinase.

Abstract The functional characteristics of enzymes depends upon their environment, and within physiologically intact cells, many metabolic pathways are thought to involve multienzyme complexes and other enzyme–enzyme interactions that increase efficiency and specificity by mechanisms such as channeling of intermediates. A disease such as cataract may change the intracellular environment, but the effects of these changes on enzyme–enzyme interactions can be observed only in relatively intact cells, and in enzymes that have unambiguously different properties in different environments. In intact rat lenses, choline and ethanolamine are phosphorylated independently, with no competition between the two compounds, as the first step of phospholipid biosynthesis. However, disruption of lens structure and intracellular interactions by homogenization leads to a paradoxical change in enzymic properties, causing choline and ethanolamine to become competing alternative substrates of a single enzyme that resembles the purified choline/ethanolamine kinase from liver and other tissues. The properties of ethanolamine kinase in intact cataractous lenses from rats fed a 50% galactose diet for 7–14 days were intermediate between those of intact control lenses and those in lens homogenates. In monolayers of human and dog lens epithelial cells and human retinal pigment epithelial cells ethanolamine kinase was similar to that in intact tissue, showing that the kinetic differences between intact lenses and homogenates result from the intracellular environment, not from artifacts of diffusion, and that they are not exclusive to rats or to lens cells. Results with intact lenses from monkeys, rabbits, pigs and dogs showed some differences between species, but in every case, choline had little or no effect on the phosphorylation of radiolabeled ethanolamine. Further studies will be necessary to determine how the changes in intracellular environment during cataractogenesis affect other enzymes and whether other model systems for cataractogenesis cause similar changes.
Southwestern Internal Medicine Conference: Endothelial Dysfunction and Vascular Disease

Vascular endothelial cells, critically situated at the blood-tissue interface, exert important effects on vascular tone and permeability, regulate the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems, mediate translocation of inflammatory cells to the tissue compartment, and modulate proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. As the physiology of the endothelium has been defined, defects in endothelial function have been identified in association with human disease, and a syndrome of dysfunctional endothelium has been described. Although it remains debatable whether a coherent syndrome of endothelial dysfunction exists, disordered endothelial biology appears to contribute to the pathophysiology of human vascular disease. Identification of specific molecular mechanisms offers potential targets for novel therapeutic interventions, including genetic modification of endothelial cells in vivo.
The End of Die Feen and Wagner's Beginnings: Multiple Approaches to an Early Example of Double‐Tonic Complex, Associative Theme and Wagnerian Form

Examples of directional tonality, associative tonality, associative theme and motivic parallelism all appear in the Act III Finale to Die Feen, Wagner's first complete opera. The inter-relationships evident among these compositional principles foreshadow a level of sophistication usually attributed to the more mature music dramas, suggesting that the keys to unlocking das Geheimnis der Form can, in some senses, be found in an understanding of the earlier works. The present study adopts a range of theoretical paradigms in order to address the variety of Wagner's musical and dramatic techniques. Used in conjunction, Schenkerian generative views of tonality, Robert Bailey's dramatic-tonal concepts, neo-Riemannian transformations and an understanding of thematic association enable a series of analytical observations unattainable through any single interpretative approach.
Examining Chinese gift-giving behavior from the politeness theory perspective

This study examines how power, social distance, and ranking of imposition specified in Brown and Levinson's politeness theory influence positive and negative politeness strategies used in Chinese gift-giving. We utilize a 2×2×2 repeated measure within subject design. Responses from 152 Chinese were subjected to analyses of repeated measure ANOVAs. Results revealed significant main effects and interaction effects for power, social distance, and ranking of imposition on politeness strategies in Chinese gift-giving behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications of the results and future research directions are discussed.
Complement and experimental respiratory failure

Activation of the complement system within the lung can lead to acute pulmonary damage and dysfunction. Based on a variety of experimental models it is now apparent that lung injury is related to complement-induced generation of oxygen derived free radicals from neutrophils and from macrophages. In addition to the oxygen radicals, it is also possible that the conversion of hydrogen peroxide by myeloperoxidase to hypochlorous acid also contributes to the injury. Exposure of the pulmonary microvasculature to oxygen radicals generated from complement-activated neutrophils causes focal damage and necrosis of endothelial cells. IgG immune complex-induced injury of lung is also complement and neutrophil dependent and oxygen radical mediated. In contrast, lung injury produced by IgA immune complexes is neutrophil independent, complement dependent and oxygen radical mediated. There is now increasing evidence that oxygen radicals are not only directly tissue-toxic but also able to potentiate the activity of leukocytic proteases. In all of these models the lung can be protected from injury by pretreatment of the animals with either scavengers of hydroxyl radical or with agents that prevent its formation (e.g. catalase, iron chelators). Data from these models may have direct clinical relevance to conditions such as adult respiratory distress syndrome where lung injury is probably oxygen radical mediated.
293 BETWEEN-OBSERVER VARIATION OF A NEW SCORING SYSTEM FOR CF CHEST RADIOGRAPHS

Recently a new cystic fibrosis chest radiograph scoring system was introduced (J Pediatrics 1993; 91: 488-495), consisting of a weighted assessment of 24 different items for each chest X-ray. The authors stated that this scoring system had a good agreement between observers, and might be useful to assess the severity of lung involvement in young CF-patients. We wanted to confirm between-observer agreement for this complicated scoring system. At the Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, and the Juliana-Lukas Hospital, Apeldoorn, two experienced independent radiologists were asked to score 70 chest radiographs of 10 cystic fibrosis patients under the age of 13 years, in random order and blinded. Results: The agreement, as reflected by kappa coefficients of concordance, ranged between −0.04 and 1.00, but was marginal for most of the 24 items. The best agreement was reached for uncommon parameters, such as atelectasis. The worst agreement was found for peribronchial thickening, nodular/branching opacities and bronchiectasis. We conclude that the reproducibility between highly experienced radiologists of this new scoring system was disappointing. This could be overcome by applying more quantitative and strict criteria.
Gold Nanoparticle Determination by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry, Anodic Stripping Voltammetry, and Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry

Gold Nanoparticles (AuNP) were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (SV), and flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Experiments investigated the relationships between counts per second (ICP-MS), absorbance (AAS), or μA (SV) and Au concentrations in solutions bearing AuNP with sizes of 5, 15, and 50 nm. Similarly the impact of the solution matrix was assessed using deionized water, 1.0 M HNO3, 1.0 M HCl (ICP-MS and AAS), and water containing the bacterium E. coli (∼106 organisms/mL) by all three types of instrumentation. Each instrument yielded linear calibration curves with a signal proportional to Au concentration over the concentration range 0.02 ppm to 1 ppm.The methods were all reliable when biomacromolecules or when organisms such as E.coli existed in the matrix. Comparing the limits of detection for the three methods, ICP-MS and SV were lower than AAS. Comparing cost, SV and AAS were less expensive than ICP-MS. Comparing time requ...
Incidence, Risk Factors, and Outcome of Cytomegalovirus Viremia and Gastroenteritis in Patients with Gastrointestinal Graft-versus-Host Disease

Abstract Gastrointestinal (GI) graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. In addition, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection of the gastrointestinal tract can complicate the post-transplantation course of these patients and it can be difficult to differentiate the 2 diagnoses given that they can present with similar symptoms. We retrospectively analyzed 252 patients who were diagnosed with GI GVHD to evaluate the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of CMV viremia and CMV gastroenteritis in these patients. The median age at the time of transplantation was 51 years, 35% were related donor transplantations, and 65% were unrelated donor transplantations. A total of 114 (45%) patients developed CMV viremia at a median of 34 days (range, 14 to 236 days) after transplantation. Only recipient CMV IgG serostatus was significantly associated with development of CMV viremia (P
Proteasome Inhibition by a Totally Synthetic β-Lactam Related to Salinosporamide A and Omuralide

A new and effective proteasome inhibitor, β-lactam 3, has been accessed enantioselectively by multistep synthesis from the readily prepared intermediates 7 and 8 which were joined by a [2 + 2]-cycloaddition reaction to form the spiro β-lactam 9 stereoselectively. The intermediate 9 was converted to 3 in seven steps and 30% overall yield. The β-lactam 3 is stable for many days in water at pH 7, in contrast to the natural β-lactones salinosporamide A (1) and omuralide (2). In common with 1 and 2, the β-lactam 3 effectively inhibits the mammalian proteasome.
A Comprehensive Review of Anastomotic Technique in 432 Esophagectomies

Background Little consensus exists and varying outcomes are reported when the 4 most common esophagogastric anastomotic techniques are compared: circular stapled (CS), hand sewn (HS), linear stapled (LS) (longitudinally stapled anastomosis), and modified Collard (MC) (combined linear and transverse stapled anastomosis). This report analyzes outcomes of these anastomotic techniques. Methods From July 2004 through December 2008, all intrathoracic and cervical esophagogastric anastomoses at our institution were reviewed. Results There were 432 patients (358 men, 74 women) who underwent primary esophagogastric operations. Median age was 64 years (range, 23–90 years). The approach was an Ivor Lewis esophagectomy in 254 patients (59%), transhiatal esophagectomy in 115 patients (27%), McKeown (3-hole) esophagectomy in 49 (11%) patients, minimally invasive esophagectomy in 9 (2.1%) patients, and thoracoabdominal esophagectomy in 6 (1.4%) patients. There were 268 intrathoracic (62%) and 164 cervical (38%) anastomoses. Anastomotic techniques included LS in 260 (60%) patients MC in 67 (16%) patients, HS in 57 (13%) patients, and CS in 48 (11%) patients. Operative mortality was 3.7%. Anastomotic leak occurred in 50 patients (11%). Grade III or IV leaks occurred in 21 patients (4.9%), including 13 in the chest (4.8%) and 8 in the neck (4.9%). Grade III or IV leaks occurred in 12 patients (4.6%) with LS anastomoses, in 4 (7.0%) patients with HS anastomoses, in 3 (6.2%) patients with CS anastomoses, and in 2 (3.0%) patients with MC anastomoses. HS anastomoses had the highest odds of leakage ( p = 0.01) and LS anastomoses had the lowest risk of stricture ( p = 0.006). Conclusions When performing an esophagogastric anastomosis, clinically significant leaks occur with similar frequency in both cervical and intrathoracic locations. The HS technique has the highest leak rate and the LS technique had the lowest rate of stricture formation.
A piecewise linear theory of plasticity for an initially isotropic material in plane stress

Abstract A 20-faced polyhedron is chosen as a reasonable piecewise linear approximation to either the Mises or Tresca yield criterion. Strain hardening and motion of the faces during hardening are assumed to be linear functions. Subject to the above assumptions, to initial isotropy and to some reasonable symmetry requirements it is shown that the most general possible theory contains 11 material constants. Some simple experiments with a thin-walled tube are suggested for determining these constants.
Worry about Medical Care, Family Support, and Depression of the Elders in Urban China

This study examines the role of family support in reducing the elders’s depression in the face of the perceived inadequate public medical care in urban China. Using data from the Survey on Aging an...
Using a Compound Gain Field to Compute a Reach Plan

A gain field, the scaling of a tuned neuronal response by a postural signal, may help support neuronal computation. Here, we characterize eye and hand position gain fields in the parietal reach region (PRR). Eye and hand gain fields in individual PRR neurons are similar in magnitude but opposite in sign to one another. This systematic arrangement produces a compound gain field that is proportional to the distance between gaze location and initial hand position. As a result, the visual response to a target for an upcoming reach is scaled by the initial gaze-to-hand distance. Such a scaling is similar to what would be predicted in a neural network that mediates between eye- and hand-centered representations of target location. This systematic arrangement supports a role of PRR in visually guided reaching and provides strong evidence that gain fields are used for neural computations.
Altered Protein Tyrosine Phosphorylation in Alzheimer's Disease

The activity of protein tyrosine kinase was determined in extracts from Alzheimer's disease brains and age- and postmortem time-matched control brains at autopsy using the synthetic peptide substrate poly(Glu4Tyr1). The specific activity of protein tyrosine kinases in the particulate fraction decreased roughly twofold (p less than 0.02) in Alzheimer's disease frontal cortex relative to unaffected control cortex. Cytosolic protein tyrosine kinase activity in Alzheimer's disease tissue was not significantly different from that in control tissue. In contrast to reduced particulate protein tyrosine kinase activity, analysis of Western blots of cytosolic and particulate fractions revealed increases in cytosolic antiphosphotyrosine immunoreactive polypeptides with molecular masses of 55 and 60 kDa. Quantitative immunohistochemistry and morphometry of frontal cortex sections with the antiphosphotyrosine antibody indicated increased antiphosphotyrosine staining in the neurons, although the number of antiphosphotyrosine-positive neurons per square millimeter decreased. Also, increased antiphosphotyrosine staining was observed in the hippocampal neurons. These results suggest that altered protein tyrosine kinases and protein tyrosine phosphorylation are involved in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease.
Valve-sparing operation for balloon-induced aortic regurgitation in congenital aortic stenosis

Abstract Objective: Aortic regurgitation after balloon dilation of congenital aortic stenosis may be treated with valve repair as an alternative to replacement. Methods: Charts and echocardiograms of all patients undergoing aortic valve operations after balloon dilation of congenital aortic stenosis at our institution between January 1988 and December 1999 were reviewed. Results: Twenty-one patients underwent valvuloplasty for predominant aortic regurgitation 9 months to 15 years (mean, 6.1 years) after balloon dilation. The mean ± SD age at the time of the operation was 11 ± 7 years. Aortic regurgitation was caused by a combination of commissural avulsion (10), cusp dehiscence with retraction (9), cusp tear (5), central incompetence (2), perforated cusp (1), or cusp adhesion to the aortic wall (1). Repair techniques included commissural reconstruction with a pericardial patch (8), pericardial patch cusp augmentation (6), primary suture repair (6), raphae release and debridement (4), commissurotomy (4), commissural resuspension with sutures (3), and cusp release (1). There were no deaths. At a mean follow-up of 30.1 months (range, 9 months–8 years), all patients were asymptomatic, and the grade of aortic regurgitation had been significantly reduced ( P z scores and proximal regurgitant jet/aortic anulus diameter ratios were significantly reduced ( P Conclusion: Aortic valve repair for balloon-induced aortic regurgitation is reproducible and durable at medium-term follow-up. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2001;122:162-8
Improving step responses by pole placement using reduced-order observers

This work presents the results in the investigation of using reduced-order observers in satisfying step response requirements. The reduced-order observers are used to generate the unavailable states that are used in the method of pole placement for meeting the step response requirements. The step response requirements under consideration in this paper are percent overshoot, 2% settling time, and zero steady-state error. It is observed that if the initial conditions of the reduced-order observer are not close to those of the unavailable states, the use of the reduced-order observer state variables in pole placement will result in step responses not meeting the desired performance criteria. Further, there is no improvement of the performance criteria by pushing the reduced-order observer poles deep into the left half plane even though this will make the states of the reduced-order observer converge more rapidly to the unavailable states.
ATPASE AND PHOSPHATIDYLINOSITOL KINASE ACTIVITIES OF ADRENAL CHROMAFFIN VESICLES

— The hypothesis that the ATPase and phosphatidyhnositol (PI) kinase activities of chromaffin vesicle membranes are catalysed by same enzyme was investigated. The two activities exhibited entirely different responses to variations in Mg2+ or Mn2+ concentrations. In the presence of 1 mM ATP, maximal ATPase activity occurred with 1 mM Mg2+ while maximal PI kinase activity required 100 mM Mg2+ Similar differences were observed with Mn2+ with the exception that maximal ATPase activity occurred with 0.5 mM Mn2+ and maximal PI kinase activity occurred with 5 mM Mn2+ Mn2+ was more effective than Mg2+ in stimulating PI kinase activity at low concentrations, but at optimal concentrations of each, the maximal activity obtained with Mg2+ was 5-fold greater than the maximal activity obtained with Mn2+ The heat stabilities of the two enzymes are vastly different. At 50°C the ATPase activity of the intact membranes was stable for up to 20 min while the tl/2 of PI kinase was less than 2 min. After solubilization in Lubrol PX or at higher temperatures both enzymes were less heat stable, but PI kinase was still inactivated at a much greater rate than the ATPase. The evidence suggests that the ATPase and the PI kinase are different proteins. The major phosphorylated product was diphosphatidylinositol and once formed, it was stable. Phosphorylation of membrane protein accounted for less than 10% of the total 32P-incorporated into chromaffin vesicles. SDS gel electrophoresis of the solubilized membranes showed the presence of at least 2 major phosphorylated high molecular weight components.
Removal of heavy metals from electroplating rinsewaters by precipitation, flocculation and ultrafiltration

Abstract Chromium, nickel, copper and zinc can be effectively removed from electroplating rinsewaters by hydroxide precipitation, flocculation and ultrafiltration. Prior to precipitation, chromium is reduced from the hexavalent to the trivalent form by ferrous sulfate and cyanide in copper and zinc rinsewaters are oxidized by sodium hypochlorite. Minimum metal concentrations in the permeate from separate batches of chromium, nickel, copper and zinc rinsewaters were found to be, respectively, 0.17 mg 1 −1 Cr (T), 0.26 mg 1 −1 Ni, 0.30 mg 1 −1 Cu and 1.84 mg 1 −1 Zn. These solubilities are in good agreement with the theoretical solubility curves, except for copper where the formation of stable copper cyanide complexes appears to increase the solubilities at least two orders of magnitude relative to those predicted on the basis of the equilibrium constants for copper hydroxides and oxides. A simple mass balance model, assuming concentrate recycle and constant metal concentration in the permeate, is adequate for the prediction of feed and permeate concentrations as a function of the volume filtered up to a relative volume of about 0.3. Above this value, the feed concentrations are lower than predicted, apparently because of entrapment of metal precipitate in the strainer. Water recoveries are strongly dependent on the specific metal removed and are found to be 24% for Ni with a 0.20 μm membrane, 10% for Cr with a 0.80 μm membrane, 6.5% for Cu and 3.7% for Zn, both with a 0.45 μm membrane.
Century changes in Connecticut, U.S.A., lakes as inferred from siliceous algal remains and their relationships to land-use change

Scaled chrysophytes and planktonic diatoms are used to infer changes in lake water pH, specific conductivity, trophic score, and total nitrogen in 23 Connecticut waterbodies over the last 100 yr, and the changes are correlated with quantified changes in land use in the surrounding watersheds. In general, there was good agreement between the changes inferred from both organismal groups in this suite of lakes. Significant correlations were observed between chemical conditions inferred from organisms in surface sediments and present-day land uses, especially the percentages of the watersheds that are forest or residential land cover types. Approximately 20% of the water-bodies have significantly increased in pH since 1890, and none of the lakes have significantly declined in pH despite the fact that this region receives significant amounts of acidic deposition. These findings support previous work, indicating that the pH of Connecticut lakes has not declined over the recent past. One fourth of the lakes have significantly increased in specific conductivity, especially those situated in watersheds that have become highly residential in nature. Inferred specific conductivity has more than doubled in six of the lakes during the last century. Six of the lakes have become significantly more eutrophic, while only one lake has become more oligotrophic since 1890. The majority of the lakes situated in watersheds that have remained over ∼80% forested have not significantly changed, whereas those that have become over ∼25% residential have experienced the greatest amount of change. The potential influences of watershed-based alkalinity generation, winter road salt use, and implications of these findings in lake management are discussed.
Analysis of nanofluid effects on thermoelectric cooling by micro-pin-fin heat exchangers

In this study, two micro-pin-fin heat exchangers (MPFHEXs) were modeled and used on both hot and cold surfaces of a thermoelectric module to analyze the effects of Al2O3ewater nanofluids on the performance of thermoelectric module. The results showed that in low Reynolds numbers adding low volume fraction of nanoparticles to the base fluid in hot surface heat exchanger leads to significant increase in coefficient of performance (COP) of the thermoelectric module and decreases total entropy generation; in high Reynolds numbers adding nanoparticles to the base fluid of cold surface heat exchanger increases the COP and decreases the total entropy generation. Furthermore decreasing the nanoparticles diameter has no effects in low Reynolds numbers but in high Reynolds numbers, it results in significant increase in COP and decreases total entropy generation in cold surface heat exchanger; however, in hot surface heat exchanger, reverse trend is observed.
Chemoprophylaxis for venous thromboembolism in traumatic brain injury: A review and evidence-based protocol

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a recognized source of morbidity and mortality in patients suffering traumatic brain injury (TBI). While traumatic brain injury is a recognized risk factor for the development of VTE, its presence complicates the decision to begin anticoagulation due to fear of exacerbating the intracranial hemorrhagic injury. The role of chemoprophylaxis in this setting is poorly defined, leading to a wide variability in clinical practice. A comprehensive review of the literature was performed in an effort to summarize relevant data and construct a chemoprophylaxis protocol to be implemented in a Level I Trauma Center. The review reveals robust evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of chemoprophylaxis in the setting of TBI following demonstration of a stable intracranial injury. In light of this data, a protocol is assembled that, in the absence of predetermined exclusion criteria, will initiate chemoprophylaxis within 24h after the demonstration of a stable intracranial injury by computed tomography (CT).
3CCD interpolation using selective projection

The emergence of HDTV accelerates the evolution of high-resolution imaging systems. A 3CCD digital camera system has been developed for higher resolution than one CCD imaging has. From the pixel correlation caused by a half-pixel shift of the green channel, we can interpolate pixels and get four times higher resolution of the color image. The proposed method involves three projection operators. The first is to reduce aliasing of image regions by selective projection in subband channels. The second projection makes an inverse of the MTF which generates blurring over the entire image. The last operator works for fast convergence. From experimental results, the proposed algorithm shows suppression of jagging effects and restoration of aliased image regions. It is experimentally shown that the projection process converges and is almost finished at the first iteration.
Cross-Cultural Understandings of Leadership: Themes from Native American Interviews

This article reports on a study of cross-cultural leadership. Tentative Native American leadership values are derived from interviews and field experiences with a number of tribes from the Great Plains. Six themes were identified which characterize Native American leadership values within the tribal cultures explored: decentralized leadership; the immanent value of all things; a value of non-interference; a self-deflecting image projection; Indian time or the reduced sense of the importance of time; and a collectivist decision-making approach.
Is Aristotle’s Function Argument Fallacious?

The most notorious problem with Aristotle’s Function Argument in NE I.7 is the charge that its main conclusion—the conclusion that the human good (to anthropinon agathon) is a activity of soul in accord with its excellence1
A Propensity-Matched Comparison of Pleurodesis or Tunneled Pleural Catheter for Heart Failure Patients With Recurrent Pleural Effusion

Background Patients with severe heart failure often have recurrent pleural effusions that produce dyspnea and shortness of breath. It is unclear whether chemical pleurodesis or the placement of a tunneled pleural catheter that can be used for intermittent pleural drainage produces superior palliation, a shorter hospital stay, and less morbidity. This investigation compares these two treatments. Methods Patients with a recurrent, symptomatic, pleural effusion secondary to advanced heart failure who had undergone at least two unilateral thoracenteses were identified. Two patient groups were formed by propensity matching patients who received either talc pleurodesis or a tunneled pleural catheter. Patient demographics, length of stay, need for further intervention for the pleural effusion, and procedural morbidity and mortality were collected and compared. Patients who had undergone ventricular assist device placement or cardiac transplant were excluded. Results Over a 5-year period, 80 patients undergoing treatment were identified and propensity matched. All 80 patients were classified as having class III or IV heart failure. No significant differences in palliation from their effusion were identified. However, the group treated with a tunneled pleural catheter realized a significantly shorter hospital stay as well as a lower rate of operative morbidity and readmissions than patients undergoing talc pleurodesis. Conclusions This investigation found that a tunneled pleural catheter provided palliation of patients' pleural effusions and freedom from reintervention equal to that of talc pleurodesis using thoracoscopy while resulting in a shorter mean length of hospital stay. Lower rates of operative morbidity and readmission related to the pleural effusion were also seen in the tunneled catheter treatment group. This method of palliation of recurrent pleural effusion should be considered for symptomatic patients with advanced heart failure.
Brain blood-flow change with acute vagus nerve stimulation in treatment-refractory major depressive disorder.

Background Existing neuroimaging studies of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in treatment resistant major depression (TRMD) suggest that many brain regions (eg, prefrontal cortex, thalamus, cingulate cortex, insular cortex) associated with mood disorders undergo alterations in blood flow/metabolism. Objective/Hypothesis Positron emission tomography (PET oxygen-15 labeled water or PET [ 15 O] H 2 O) was used to identify changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in response to immediate VNS in 13 subjects with TRMD. We hypothesized rCBF changes along the afferent pathway of the vagus and in regions associated with depression (eg, orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, insular cortex). Methods Six 90-second PET [ 15 O] H 2 O scans were performed on 13 subjects in a VNS off-on sequence. After normalization for global uptake and realignment to standard atlas space, statistical t images ( P Results VNS induced significant rCBF decreases in the left and right lateral orbitofrontal cortex and left inferior temporal lobe. Significant increases were found in the right dorsal anterior cingulate, left posterior limb of the internal capsule/medial putamen, the right superior temporal gyrus, and the left cerebellar body. Post hoc analysis found small-to-moderate correlations between baseline acute change in rCBF and antidepressant response after 12 months of VNS. Conclusions Regions undergoing rCBF change in response to acute VNS are consistent with the known afferent pathway of the vagus nerve and models of brain network in depression. Larger studies assessing the correlation between acute stimulation patterns and antidepressant outcomes with VNS are needed.
Pricing and Logistics Decisions for a Private‐Sector Provider in the Cash Supply Chain

We study a problem faced by a secure-logistics provider (SLP) of maximizing profit by jointly pricing the services of fit-sorting and transporting cash along with the design of the supporting logistics network, in a market consisting of a population of Depository Institutions (DIs). The need to jointly price the services assumes significance because they are partial substitutes of one another. Our study finds that the influence of the logistics network on prices is especially strong when there are non-linearities in the cost of provisioning the logistics services. Furthermore, the impact of logistics decisions on different types of pricing schemes (e.g., volume discount, bundled pricing) is different, both in its structure and extent. In present times, when the market for the fit-sorting service is relatively immature, our findings have major implications to the way an SLP's business is managed.
Managing scientific data for long-term access and use

Preservation of data for long-term use will require data management strategies that include curation and preservation planning and implementation. While data management and curatorial activities have been an integral part of some scientific domains for years (see for example, high energy particle physics), these are new concepts in other areas of science. Concepts such as provenance, representation for re-use, and work-flow capture are rarely understood, let alone addressed. By bringing together theories and best practices from archives, museum studies, and library and information science (LIS), it is possible to address these problems. on current research into scientific data management problems, this panel will consider questions about sharing and re-use of data, curation and preservation, and the intersection of scientific production and scholarly communication. Our research explores information work and problems across a range of scientific areas in the life and physical sciences, including genomics, neuroscience, ecology, and earth science. As more scientific work products are shifted to open or shared data collections (including archives, repositories and databases), we will need to understand how these systems are implemented and used to support collaboration and discovery, as well as scholarly and scientific communication.
Asymmetric Synthesis via Boranes: Chiral Allenic Boranes and Trialkylborane Reducing Agents

Our research has been involved in the development and application of reactions of organoboranes, especially those which lead to chiral products. Organoboranes are well known for their ability to transform the alkyl group into various products with complete retention of configuration of the boron-carbon bond (eq 1).1 Likewise, chiral boranes, such as diisopinocampheylborane, may be used to induce optical activity during the hydroboration process (eq 2).2
Heterogeneity of intron presence or absence in rDNA genes of the lichen species Physcia aipolia and P. stellaris

Intron origin and evolution are of high interest, yet the rates of insertion and loss are unclear. To investigate their spread, we studied ribosomal (r)DNA introns from the closely related lichens Physcia aipolia and P. stellaris. Both taxa are replete with rDNA spliceosomal introns and autocatalytic group I introns, many of which show presence/absence polymorphism when screened with the PCR approach. This initially suggested that Physcia could be a model for studying intron retention and loss. However, during the course of a population-level analysis, we discovered widespread intron presence/absence heterogeneity within lichen thalli. To address this result, we sequenced multiple clones encoding nuclear rDNA and the single-copy elongation factor-1α (EF-1α) from individual thalli. These data showed extensive rDNA heterogeneity within individuals, rather than the presence of multiple fungi within a thallus. Our results suggest that considerable care must be taken when interpreting intron presence/absence in lichen rDNA, an observation that has general implications for the study of rDNA intron evolution.
The evolution of fossoriality and the adaptive role of horns in the Mylagaulidae (Mammalia: Rodentia)

Ceratogaulus, a member of the extinct fossorial rodent clade Mylagaulidae, is the only known rodent with horns and the smallest known horned mammal. The function of the large, dorsally projecting nasal horns on this burrowing animal has been the subject of wide speculation among palaeontologists; suggested uses range from sexual combat to burrowing. Mammals have evolved adaptations for digging repeatedly; horns and other cranial appendages have also evolved numerous times. These two adaptations co-occur in mammals extremely rarely: only two fossil genera (Ceratogaulus and the xenarthran Peltephilus) and no extant mammals are both horned and fossorial. Tracing the evolution of fossoriality in aplodontoid rodents (the larger clade to which Ceratogaulus belongs) reveals that Ceratogaulus descended from ancestors who dug by head-lifting. Whereas this suggests an obvious explanation for the horns of this rodent, evidence from functional morphology, anatomy, phylogeny and geologic context indicates that the horns in Ceratogaulus were used for defence, rather than digging, and evolved to offset increased predation costs associated with spending more time foraging above ground as body size increased.
Shape and tension distribution of the active canine diaphragm.

Both diaphragm shape and tension contribute to transdiaphragmatic pressure, but of the three variables, tension is most difficult to measure. We measured transdiaphragmatic pressure and the global ...
Electric current controlled growth and doping modulation in GaAs liquid phase epitaxy

Abstract A novel method of controlled liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) has been applied to the growth of GaAs intended for solid state devices. The method utilizes Peltier cooling at the substrate-melt interface produced by an electric current flowing across the interface to induce and sustain epitaxial growth from gallium-rich solutions. This growth is observed in the absence of any intentional furnace cooling or imposed external temperature gradients and is rapid and electrically controllable. The method has been used to grow epitaxial layers ranging from several μm to over 150 μm in thickness. Steady state growth rates exceeding 1 μm/min have been observed. When tellurium is used as the intentional (n-type) dopant, the incorporation of the dopant into the growing epitaxial layer has also been found to be electrically controllable. Doping steps of magnitude exceeding 25% of the background doping have been produced by abruptly changing the current flowing across the substrate-melt interface during growth.
Beyond Technology: Children's Learning in the Age of Digital Culture, by David Buckingham. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press (Wiley), 2007. 224 pp. $24.95 paper. ISBN 978-07456-3881-2

For several decades now, substantial money has been poured into British and American schools for computers—their hardware, software, and necessary networks. At the same time, this integration of co...
Dual-domain mass-transfer parameters from electrical hysteresis: Theory and analytical approach applied to laboratory, synthetic streambed, and groundwater experiments

Models of dual-domain mass transfer (DDMT) are used to explain anomalous aquifer transport behavior such as the slow release of contamination and solute tracer tailing. Traditional tracer experiments to characterize DDMT are performed at the flow path scale (meters), which inherently incorporates heterogeneous exchange processes; hence, estimated “effective” parameters are sensitive to experimental design (i.e., duration and injection velocity). Recently, electrical geophysical methods have been used to aid in the inference of DDMT parameters because, unlike traditional fluid sampling, electrical methods can directly sense less-mobile solute dynamics and can target specific points along subsurface flow paths. Here we propose an analytical framework for graphical parameter inference based on a simple petrophysical model explaining the hysteretic relation between measurements of bulk and fluid conductivity arising in the presence of DDMT at the local scale. Analysis is graphical and involves visual inspection of hysteresis patterns to (1) determine the size of paired mobile and less-mobile porosities and (2) identify the exchange rate coefficient through simple curve fitting. We demonstrate the approach using laboratory column experimental data, synthetic streambed experimental data, and field tracer-test data. Results from the analytical approach compare favorably with results from calibration of numerical models and also independent measurements of mobile and less-mobile porosity. We show that localized electrical hysteresis patterns resulting from diffusive exchange are independent of injection velocity, indicating that repeatable parameters can be extracted under varied experimental designs, and these parameters represent the true intrinsic properties of specific volumes of porous media of aquifers and hyporheic zones.
Spectrally-Broad Picosecond Light Source

We describe a fast (35 ps or less), spectrally broad (at least 600 nm) light source for use in characterizing and calibrating photonics equipment. The spectral output of the source is described, and examples of its use are given.
Proving non-inferiority or equivalence of two treatments with dichotomous endpoints using exact methods:

Since the early work of RA Fisher, exact methods have been recognized as important tools in data analysis because they provide valid statistical inference even with small sample sizes, or with sparse or skewed data. With the recent advance of computational power and the availability of commercial software packages, exact methods have gained substantial popularity over the past two decades. However, most of these exact methods have been devoted to testing classical null hypotheses of no differences, and until recently little was known about exact methods dealing with non-inferiority or equivalence hypotheses. The presence of nuisance parameters in testing non-inferiority/equivalence hypotheses presents a special challenge for exact methods because of the intense computational requirement. In this paper, we review exact methods available for proving non-inferiority or equivalence of two treatments with a dichotomous endpoint. First, we present the general methodology for conducting exact tests for non-inferiority or equivalence; we then discuss several unconditional and conditional methods available for constructing hypothesis tests and confidence intervals based on three commonly used measures, namely, the difference, relative risk, and odds ratio of two independent proportions or rates. Finally, we illustrate with several examples the application of these exact methods in analysing and planning non-inferiority or equivalence trials.
Associations Between Self-Rated Mental Health and Psychiatric Disorders Among Older Adults: Do Racial/Ethnic Differences Exist?

Obective This study examined racial/ethnic differences in the association between self-rated mental health (SRMH) and psychiatric disorders among community-dwelling older adults in the United States. Design Cross-sectional analyses of nationally representative data from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (2001–2003). Setting In-person household interviews. Participants Older adults aged 60 and older (N = 1,840), including non-Hispanic Whites (N = 351), Blacks (N = 826), Hispanics (N = 406), and Asians (N = 257). Measurements SRMH was measured with a single item, "How would you rate your own mental health?" Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), diagnoses for mood and anxiety disorders were measured with the World Health Organization's World Mental Health version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Results Results from logistic regression analyses showed significant main effects of both SRMH and race/ethnicity on the presence of mood and anxiety disorders: people who have poor SRMH and are non-Hispanic Whites were more likely to have mood and anxiety disorders. There were also significant interaction effects between SRMH and race/ethnicity, such that the relation of SRMH with diagnoses of psychiatric disorders was strongest in non-Hispanic Whites. Conclusions Racial/ethnic variations were found in the relationship between self-perception of mental health and DSM-IV psychiatric disorders. The findings suggest the need to develop race/ethnicity-specific strategies to screen psychiatric disorders in diverse elderly populations. Future studies are needed to investigate possible reasons for the racial/ethnic group differences.