cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Voltammetric/amperometric detection for liquid chromatography

Abstract A voltammetric/amperometric detector based on a dual-electrode electrochemical detector is described for liquid chromatography. The detector combines the advantages of both voltammetric and amperometric detection. A three-dimensional data array of current response as a function of both time (chromatographic domain) and potential (electrochemical domain) is obtained. From the chromatographic point of view, this allows post-experimental choice of the optimal detection potential. Different detection potentials can even be chosen for each chromatographic peak. Having the voltammetric data as well as the chromatographic data provides ready identification of chromatographically unresolved compounds and the ability to resolve such co-eluting compounds voltammetrically. The voltammetric data also provide a second method of peak identification for greater certainty in peak assignments. Voltammetric detection limits of less than 10 pmol of material injected on the column were achieved with this detection method. From the electrochemical perspective, voltammetric/amperometric detection provides a technique for obtaining hydrodynamic voltammograms with small amounts or small volumes of sample. Voltammograms can also be obtained for the individual components of complex mixtures without the need for isolation steps.
Option Exercise Games: An Application to the Equilibrium Investment Strategies of Firms

Under the standard real options approach to investment under uncertainty, agents formulate optimal exercise strategies in isolation and ignore competitive interactions. However, in many real-world asset markets, exercise strategies cannot be determined separately, but must be formed as part of a strategic equilibrium. This article provides a tractable approach for deriving equilibrium investment strategies in a continuous-time Cournot--Nash framework. The impact of competition on exercise strategies is dramatic. For example, while standard real options models emphasize that a valuable "option to wait" leads firms to invest only at large positive net present values, the impact of competition drastically erodes the value of the option to wait and leads to investment at very near the zero net present value threshold. Copyright 2002, Oxford University Press.
Seasonal reproduction of the brachiopod Frieleia halli and the scaphopod Cadulus californicus at bathyal depths in the deep sea

Two benthic species of invertebrates from the physically seasonless bathyal depths of the San Diego Trough off southern california USA showed highly synchronous reproductive cycles. Although the common pattern in the deep-sea benthos seems to be year-round reproduction, these two species are exceptions. The brachiopod Frieleia halli Dall spawned between January and April (1971) and the scaphopod mollusc Cadulus californicus Pilsbry and Sharp in late summer between July and October. Furthermore, F. halli. has maintained a predictable annual gametogenic cycle for three years (1970–1972). Several factors are suggested as possibly important in synchronizing their reproductive cycles, but no single environmental cue can be conclusively demonstrated as a definite influence.
Nitrogen mineralization as affected by cropping system

Abstract The quantity of crop residues returned to the soil is controlled by the cropping system and in turn these residues affect the amount of mineral nitrogen (N) released by decomposition of organic matter. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of four 20‐year‐old cropping systems which returned varying amounts of crop residue on N mineralization potential (N0) of a Misteguay silty clay soil. N0 was estimated from a long‐term incubation study using exponential and hyperbolic models. The N0 ranges from 70 to 109 mg.kg‐1 for the exponential model and 86 to 144 mg.kg‐1 for the hyperbolic model. Values of N0 are closely related to the estimated amount of crop residue returned. It requires 0.33 Mg.ha‐1 of crop residue returned to increase N0 one mg.kg‐1. Estimated N0 values are consistently greater for the hyperbolic than for the exponential model. However, there is a close relationship between the instantaneous rates of reaction of the two models suggesting both models can be used in laboratory ...
Augmented solar energy collection using different types of planar reflective surfaces; theoretical calculations and experimental results☆

Abstract The use of planar reflective surfaces can substantially improve the performance of both active and passive solar collectors. In this paper the results of theoretical calculations and experimental tests are presented on the use of different types of flat reflective surfaces to increase the collection of solar energy by flat collectors. Specular, diffuse, and combination specular/diffuse reflective surfaces are discussed. This present work differs from that of other investigators principally in that an attempt has been made to describe the reflective properties of surfaces in more generalized terms than simple specular or simple diffuse. Most real surfaces possess a combination of specular- and diffuse-like reflectivities. The reflectivity properties of a given surface can be measured in the laboratory as a function of incident and reflected angles, and these measured reflective properties can be used in the computer model to predict the increase in collector performance with such a reflector. Thus outdoor tests of a given reflector can be avoided if desired, and yet it is possible to make an estimate of the reflector's contribution to the collector's overall performance. Theoretical calculations of collector energy inputs were done for several distinct types of reflecting surfaces. These calculations based on indoor laboratory measurements of the reflective properties of the surfaces, were compared with experimental results obtained from an outdoor simulation apparatus. Predictions of system performance were made for various collector/reflector configurations, and compared with the performance of an optimally oriented collector without a reflector.
Effect of noise smoothing in 3-D surface display

Images are subjects to various types of noises. Noise carries no useful information and deteriorates image quality. Most of the studies on noise are for projectional radiography; few are on the effect of 3-D images. In this paper we studied the effect of noise on the 3-D surface display and compared three techniques to smooth out noise. The three smoothing techniques used are averaging, median filter, and Butterworth filter. The performances of these techniques are compared. For averaging and median filter techniques, smoothing is performed on each slice of the 3-D data set. The Butterworth filter is performed on the 3-D cosine transform of the data. Then the 3-D surface is reconstructed from these smoothed data. It was found that all of the three techniques can smooth out the noise effectively. The effect of noise on the 3-D image is enhancement of the slicing artifacts. The 3-D Butterworth filter can eliminate the slicing artifacts. The blurring artifact which is prevalent in 2-D smoothing do not show up in the 3-D display.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The relative impact and future burden of prostate cancer in the United States.

ABSTRACTPurpose: In the last 2 decades there has been increasing awareness of and research on prostate cancer. We considered prostate cancer in the context of other major causes of morbidity and mortality.Materials and Methods: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results, and other government databases were used to 1) compare the incidence and mortality burden of prostate cancer with that of other cancers and major causes of death; 2) examine the changing trends in prostate cancer mortality using joinpoint analysis and 3) consider the future burden of prostate cancer in the United States due to aging. To project the future burden of prostate cancer year 2000 mortality rates were applied to age specific population projections from the United States Census Bureau.Results: Prostate cancer continues to have the highest incidence rate and the second highest mortality rate of any cancer in American men and it ranks among the top 10 overall causes of death. The mortality rate of prostate cancer has been decreasi...
Alternative management of complex renal stones

The gold standard for treatment of large and complex renal stones is percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). However, in patients with significant comorbididties, this option may be suboptimal. We reviewed our experiences with ureterorenoscopy and Holmium laser lithotripsy (UL) for the primary management of large and complex intrarenal calculi. Forty-three patients with large (2 cm or greater in diameter) renal or staghorn calculi were treated with primary UL. Seven patients were morbidly obese, three had solitary kidneys, two had horseshoe kidneys, three had hepatitis C virus, and three were self-pay and refused admission to the hospital. We calculated the total amount of stone burden, location and composition of calculi, number or ureterorenoscopic procedures necessary, and operative time. In 42/44 renal units (95.5%), complete ureterorenoscopic fragmentation of the stone burden was accomplished. The mean number of procedures necessary to clear all stone burden was 2.07 (range 1–5). The mean stone size was 3.63 cm (range 2–9 cm). The mean operative time was 107.4 min per procedure (range 30–230 min). Two patients were treatment failures and required intervention following ureteroscopy. In both, SWL cleared the remaining stone burden. No patient required PCNL, and one patient was admitted for urosepsis. This series demonstrates that ureterorenoscopy and Holmium laser lithotripsy is an effective and safe primary treatment modality for the treatment of large complex kidney stones. It is an attractive alternative to PCNL, particularly in those with comorbid conditions.
The Importance of Addressing Nonsexual Exclusivity Perceptions and Ideals in Therapy

Disagreements about how exclusive the relationship should be are a major source of distress in couples. While much of the research on exclusivity has focused on sexual exclusivity, this study examines the role of nonsexual exclusivity ideals in 162 dating couples. It was hypothesized that the discrepancy between nonsexual exclusivity ideals and perceptions of nonsexual exclusivity in the current relationship would be significantly associated with relationship quality. Results supported this prediction; participants perceived lowered relationship quality as their nonsexual exclusivity perceptions became further away from meeting their ideals. Implications of these results for future research and clinical practice are discussed.
Ascites, pathophysiology and control measures.

Patients with ovarian carcinoma frequently develop abdominal distention and symptomatology secondary to malignant ascites. In a review of 277 patients with ovarian carcinoma, Pearse and Behrman” detected ascites in 36% of the patients at the time of diagnosis. At the time, of death ascites has been demonstrated in over 60% of patients.’ A clear understanding of the production and mobilization of normal peritonea.1 fluid is necessary in order to comprehend the pathoph:ysiology of malignant ascites.
Efficacy of laryngeal botulinum toxin injection: comparison of two techniques.

Objectives It is hypothesized that there is no difference in the effectiveness of botulinum toxin(BTX) injection between electromyography (EMG) guided and non-EMG guided ‘point-touch’ techniques in treatment of adductor spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD).
Energy-aware activity classification using wearable sensor networks

This paper presents implementation details, system characterization, and the performance of a wearable sensor network that was designed for human activity analysis. Specific machine learning mechanisms are implemented for recognizing a target set of activities with both out-of-body and on-body processing arrangements. Impacts of energy consumption by the on-body sensors are analyzed in terms of activity detection accuracy for out-of-body processing. Impacts of limited processing abilities for the on-body scenario are also characterized in terms of detection accuracy, by varying the background processing load in the sensor units. Impacts of varying number of sensors in terms of activity classification accuracy are also evaluated. Through a rigorous systems study, it is shown that an efficient human activity analytics system can be designed and operated even under energy and processing constraints of tiny on-body wearable sensors.
Two-Dimensional Optical Spectroscopy of Multi-Chromophore Protein Complexes

Two-dimensional Fourier transform electronic spectra were recorded for the LH3 light harvesting complex. The spectra reveal the weak coupling between B800 molecules, the ultrafast dynamics within B820 and energy flow from B800 to B850.
Adherence to Heart Failure Quality-of-Care Indicators in US Hospitals: Analysis of the ADHERE Registry

86.2%, 72.0%, and 43.2%, respectively. Rates of conformityatindividualhospitalsvariedfrom0%to100%,with statisticallysignificantdifferencesbetweenacademicand nonacademic hospitals. Statistically significant positive independent predictors of overall conformity included the prevalence of comorbidities and the use of more intensepharmacologicmanagement.Medianhospitallength of stay varied from 2.3 to 9.5 days, and in-hospital mortality varied from 0% to 11.1%. Conclusions: Among hospitals providing care for patients with heart failure, there is significant individual variabilityinconformitytoquality-of-careindicatorsand clinical outcomes and a substantial gap in overall performance. Establishing educational initiatives and quality improvement systems to reduce this variability and eliminatethisgapwouldbeexpectedtosubstantiallyimprove the care of these patients.
Chromatin structure of the histone genes of D. melanogaster

We have examined the chromatin structure of the histone gene repeat of D. melanogaster using an indirect end-labeling technique. Our results show that each DNA segment of the repeat is packaged into a precisely defined and characteristic structure, as follows: the nontranscribed spacers display a "normal" chromatin arrangement, with each nucleosome precisely positioned on the underlying DNA sequence; the 5' ends of all five histone genes are in an exposed configuration, highly sensitive to both micrococcal nuclease and DNAase I; and the genes have an "altered" chromatin structure, as indicated by the weak and irregularly spaced nuclease cuts. This well-defined chromatin arrangement is established early in development and is stably maintained throughout the remainder of the D. melanogaster life cycle.
Electrophoretic characterization of the hemoglobins in pocket gophers of the genus Thomomys.

Abstract 1. 1. Hemoglobin phenotypes have been determined for closely related pocket gopher subspecies in the genus Thomomys from sea level and high altitude. 2. 2. A single hemoglobin band was demonstrated for each gopher population with cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis, with a mobility of 73% relative to human Hb-A. 3. 3. Using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, a major Hb component (94% of the total Hb) showed a relative mobility of 68–69%; the minor Hb component showed a relative mobility of 74–75%. 4. 4. The electrophoretic and physiological similarities of the gopher hemoglobins have persisted despite extreme differences in ambient P O 2 in the habitats of each subspecies.
U.S. Television News and Cold War Propaganda, 1947–1960

Introduction: selling the Cold War consensus 1. Business, the state, and information from World War II to Cold War 2. Democracy and the advent of television news 3. The State Department's domestic information programs 4. The television industry at war in Korea 5. The White House and NBC present battle report - Washington 6. The Defense Department's domestic information programs 7. Objectivity and consensus journalism Conclusion Selling America: corporate prerogatives and democratic processes.
Product formulation for ohmic heating: blanching as a pretreatment method to improve uniformity in heating of solid-liquid food mixtures.

ABSTRACT: The electrical conductivity of food components is critical to ohmic heating. Food components of different electrical conductivities heat at different rates. While equal electrical conductivities of all phases are desirable, real food products may behave differently. In the present study involving chicken chow mein consisting of a sauce and different solid components, celery, water chestnuts, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and chicken, it was observed that the sauce was more conductive than all solid components over the measured temperature range. To improve heating uniformity, a blanching method was developed to increase the ionic content of the solid components. By blanching different solid components in a highly conductive sauce at 100 °C for different lengths of time, it was possible to adjust their conductivity to that of the sauce. Chicken chow mein samples containing blanched particulates were compared with untreated samples with respect to ohmic heating uniformity at 60 Hz up to 140 °C. All components of the treated product containing blanched solids heated more uniformly than untreated product. In sensory tests, 3 different formulations of the blanched product showed good quality attributes and overall acceptability, demonstrating the practical feasibility of the blanching protocol.
Preparation of 1,1′-binaphthyl-2,2′-diyl bridged ansa-bis( annulated cyclopentadienyl) titanium and -zirconium dichloride complexes

Abstract The coupling of enantiomerically enriched 2,2′-dilithio-1,1′-binaphthyl with various annulated cyclopentenones or 2-indanone proves to be a facile route for the preparation of a series of annulated bis(cyclopentadienes) or bis(indenes) bridged at a symmetrical cyclopentadienyl position. The six- or seven-membered annulated bis(tetrahydroindene) 6 or bis(hexahydroazulene) 7 ligands could readily be converted to titanium or zirconium dichloride complexes. Owing to the symmetry of the ligands, only a single C 2 -symmetrical isomer of the metallocene dichloride could form. Although the faces of the cyclopentadienyl moieties are homotopic, the chiral bridge enforces a chiral conformation of the metallocene complexes. The bis(indenyl) 5 or five-membered annulated bis(tetrahydropentalene) 8 ligands could not be metalated. Unbridged 2-methyl and 2-phenyl substituted tetrahydropentalenes 27 and 28 were prepared and could readily be converted to titanium dichloride complexes.
Ectopic Expression of the RING Domain of the Arabidopsis PEROXIN2 Protein Partially Suppresses the Phenotype of the Photomorphogenic Mutant De-Etiolated1

The Arabidopsis CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC/DE-ETIOLATED 1/FUSCA (COP/DET1/FUS) proteins repress photomorphogenesis by degrading positive regulators of photomorphogenesis, such as the transcription factor LONG HYPOCOTYL5 (HY5). The gain-of-function mutant ted3, which partially suppresses the det1 mutant, contains a missense mutation of a Val-to-Met substitution before the C-terminal RING finger domain of the peroxisomal membrane protein PEROXIN2 (PEX2). We hypothesized that a truncated PEX2 protein, which only contains the C-terminal RING domain, is initiated by the ted3 mutation and by-passes the function of DET1 in the nucleus. Although we have not been able to detect this hypothetic peptide in vivo, we show in this study that, when fused with a fluorescent protein and overexpressed, the PEX2 RING domain can localize to the nucleus, where it is able to interact with HY5, and PEX2 RING domain overexpression in det1 also partially suppresses the det1 phenotype. Compared with det1, ted3 det1 plants have significantly decreased levels of the HY5 protein and the expression of most of the analyzed HY5 target genes is altered to levels comparable to those in hy5. We conclude that compromised activity of HY5 may have been mainly responsible for the partial reversal of the det1 phenotype in ted3 det1. Our data support the notion that, when appropriately localized, some RING finger domains may be able to achieve neomorphic effects in the cell.
Photogeneration of singlet oxygen and free radicals in dissolved organic matter isolated from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River plumes

Abstract The photoreactivity to UV light of ultrafiltered dissolved organic matter (DOM) collected during cruises along salinity transects in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River plumes was examined by measuring photogenerated free radicals and singlet molecular oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) photosensitization. Singlet oxygen was detected by its infrared phosphorescence at 1270 nm using both steady-state and time-resolved techniques. The 1 O 2 quantum yields were corrected for self-quenching of 1 O 2 by the DOM substrates. Photogenerated free radicals were monitored by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Two size fractions of the dissolved organic matter were examined: material retained with a 3 kDa cut-off filter and material retained with a 1 kDa cut-off filter. The highest 1 O 2 quantum yields were found in the lower molecular mass material. There was little change in the 1 O 2 quantum yields with increasing salinity, indicating that the photosensitizing ability of the estuarine DOM does not decrease as terrestrial DOM is transported to sea and mixes with marine DOM. In contrast to 1 O 2 formation, the steady-state levels of photoproduced free radicals did not significantly differ between high and low molecular mass DOM, and the levels were substantially higher in riverine DOM than along plume salinity transects. This rapid transition in free radical level suggests that terrestrially-derived DOM experiences significant changes in this aspect of its photoreactivity in low (
Ventricular septal defect with bidirectional shunting: Mathematical considerations

Previously proposed formulae for the quantitative estimation of bidirectional shunts across ventricular septal defects require determination of the oxygen contents of mixed venous, pulmonary artery, pulmonary venous, and aortic blood. Because these formulae do not take into account the mixing of oxygenated with unoxygenated blood within the ventricles, their use must result in underestimation of shunt flows in each direction. A mathematical model for a ventricular defect is examined, in which it is assumed that mixing of blood occurs in each of six sites in the venae cavae or right atrium, right ventricle, pulmonary artery, left atrium, left ventricle, and aorta. A total of fourteen streams of blood can flow from one to another of these mixing sites. As long as complete mixing occurs in the six specified mixing sites, any degree of mixing or non-mixing of the various streams is permitted. From the equations characterizing the model, formulae are derived in which the shunt flow in each direction is expressed in terms of the oxygen contents in the six mixing sites and the fractions of blood which enter the shunt from either side without prior mixing in a ventricular mixing site. The previously reported formulae, which apply when no ventricular mixing is allowed to occur, lead to theoretical minimum values for the shunt flows in each direction. At the opposite extreme where all the shunting blood is required to mix in a ventricle before entering the shunt, formulae for maximum possible shunt flows are also obtained. The absolute values for the left-to-right and right-to-left shunt flows, which must lie somewhere between the theoretical maximum and minimum values, cannot be computed from blood gas data alone.
Acute myelotoxic responses in mice exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)

Blood cells are derived from a multitiered system of progenitor stem cells that lose their capacity for proliferation and self-renewal as they continue along pathways of differentiation. Since these hematopoietic events can be readily monitored in vivo and in vitro in the mouse, we have utilized this system to examine altered cellular differentiation associated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) toxicity. Progenitor cells were suppressed following acute exposure of mice to TCDD at doses as low as 1.0 micrograms/kg body wt. In vitro studies demonstrated that myelotoxicity occurs by a direct inhibition of proliferating stem cells. Genetic studies indicated that the myelotoxic responses to TCDD, both in vivo and in vitro, segregate with the Ah locus. In addition, the in vitro myelotoxicity of various polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbon congeners correlated with their previously reported ability to induce hepatic microsomal enzyme activity and to bind to an intracellular receptor for TCDD. TCDD was also found to bind specifically to bone marrow cells from Ah-responsive, but not nonresponsive mice, indicating that bone marrow cells possess a specific receptor for TCDD. These data indicate that the myelotoxic response to TCDD is regulated by the Ah receptor present in the target tissue and demonstrates the utility of this system for examining the cellular and molecular events associated with the toxicity of polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, the prototype for which is TCDD.
A DILATON IN TECHNICOLOR

It is argued that due to spontaneous and anomalous scale symmetry breaking in technicolor there must be a pseudo-Goldstone boson of dilatations in the low energy spectrum of the theory. The technidilaton mass is estimated to be MD≃(7.5/Nr) TeV for a SU(N)TC gauge group with r technifermion doublets. Therefore the existence of a low mass (i.e., MD<1 TeV) scalar boson will not rule out technicolor.
Inelastic collisions and density-dependent excitation suppression in a 87 Sr optical lattice clock

We observe two-body loss of ${}^{3}\phantom{\rule{-0.16em}{0ex}}{P}_{0}$ ${}^{87}$Sr atoms trapped in a one-dimensional optical lattice. We measure loss rate coefficients for atomic samples between 1 and 6 $\ensuremath{\mu}$K that are prepared either in a single nuclear-spin sublevel or with equal populations in two sublevels. The measured temperature and nuclear-spin preparation dependence of rate coefficients agree well with calculations and reveal that rate coefficients for distinguishable atoms are only slightly enhanced over those of indistinguishable atoms. We further observe a suppression of excitation and losses during interrogation of the ${}^{1}\phantom{\rule{-0.16em}{0ex}}{S}_{0}$--${}^{3}\phantom{\rule{-0.16em}{0ex}}{P}_{0}$ transition as density increases and Rabi frequency decreases, which suggests the presence of strong interactions in our dynamically driven many-body system.
Emergency Planning and Response for Libraries, Archives and Museums

Dadson, Emma. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2012. 240p. ISBN 978-0-81088-756-5. $80.00. The intent of Emergency Planning and Response for Libraries, Archives and Museums (“Emergency Planning”)...
Upper airway obstruction complicating warfarin therapy--with a note on reversal of warfarin toxicity.

In a patient taking oral anticoagulants, the complaint of pharyngeal pain, a change in the voice, dysphagia, respiratory difficulty, or a neck mass should prompt a thorough investigation to rule out hemorrhage into the upper airway. This case report describes an anticoagulated patient who experienced precipitous hemorrhagic upper airway obstruction. She was successfully treated with tracheostomy, plasma infusion, and parenteral vitamin K 1 .
A single-pass cache simulation methodology for two-level unified caches

Cache tuning is the process of determining the optimal cache configuration given an application's requirements for reducing energy consumption and improving performance. As embedded systems trend towards unified second-level caches for improved performance, the need for fast cache tuning methodologies for multi-level cache hierarchies is becoming more critical. In this paper, we present U-SPaCS, a single-pass cache simulation methodology for design-time tuning of two-level cache hierarchies with a unified second-level cache. To afford fast simulation time, U-SPaCS maintains unique cache block addresses in a set of stacks, which enables simulation of all cache configurations for the level one instruction and data caches, and level two unified cache simultaneously in a single pass of an application's time-ordered instruction and data access trace. Experiments show that U-SPaCS can accurately determine the miss rates for a configurable cache design space consisting of 2,187 cache configurations with a 41X speedup in average simulation time as compared to the most widely-used tracedriven cache simulation.
General George E. Pickett in Life and Legend

A soldier, his widow, and their story; The man who gave his name to the greatest failed frontal attack in American military history, George E. Pickett is among the most famous Confederate generals of the Civil War. But even today he remains imperfectly understood, a figure shrouded in Lost Cause mythology. In this carefully researched biography, Lesley Gordon moves beyond earlier studies of Pickett. By investigating how Pickett's wife LaSalle, who outlived her husband by five decades, helped control his historical image, Gordon illuminates Pickett's legend as well as his life.
Behavioural biology: name that tune.

Understanding how early auditory memories are laid down could help to explain their role in vocal development. Some ingenious experiments in birds provide fresh ideas about how such memories are represented.
Hypertonic challenge to porcine vocal folds: effects on epithelial barrier function.

Objective Dehydration challenges can increase the chemical composition of surface fluid overlying vocal fold epithelia (hypertonic surface fluid). The vocal fold epithelium is posited to act as a barrier, shielding the lamina propria from perturbations in the airway lumen. However, the effects of hypertonic surface fluid on the barrier functions of vocal fold epithelia have not been quantified. We, therefore, sought to investigate whether hypertonic surface fluid compromises epithelial barrier function. We examined the effects of hypertonic surface fluid on vocal fold epithelial resistance, paracellular pathway morphology, and tight junction protein integrity.
Bayesian analysis of a dynamic stochastic model of labor supply and saving

Abstract This paper empirically implements a dynamic, stochastic model of life-cycle labor supply and human capital investment. The model allows agents to be forward looking. But, in contrast to prior literature in this area, it does not require that expectations be formed “rationally”. By avoiding strong assumptions about expectations, I avoid sources of bias stemming from misspecification of the expectation process. A Bayesian econometric method based on Geweke and Keane (in: R.S. Mariano, T. Schuermann, M. Weeks (Eds.), Simulation Based Inference and Econometrics: Methods and Applications, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1999) is used to relax assumptions over expectations. The results of this study are consistent with findings from previous research in the labor supply literature that makes the rational expectations assumption.
New production in the upwelling center at Point Conception, California: temporal and spatial patterns

As part of the Organization of Persistent Upwelling Structures (OPUS) 1983 study of the Point Conception upwelling system, a station (G-1) at the cold center between Points Conception and Arguello was occupied almost daily, a section measuring biological variables was made regularly along a line (the C-line) extending south from Point Arguello, and a series of drifter-following experiments were made on the R.V. Velero IV. Water upwelled at 5-1 follows either a cyclonic or anticyclonic flow pattern and in both cases usually crosses the C-line to enter the Santa Barbara channel. As seen in previous upwelling studies, the ability to take up nitrate increased with time and along with the circulation pattern, this “shift-up” determined the pattern of new production. Weak upwelling was associated with the cyclonic path, longer travel time to the C-line, and higher new production rate at the south end of the C-line. High wind stress and strong upwelling was associated with the anticyclonic mode, short travel time, and low production rates at the north end of the C-line. Comparisons with the 15°S, Peru upwelling center and with the Cap Blanc (northwest Africa) upwelling system showed similarities with both. The highest new production rates at Point Conception and Cap Blanc were associated with relaxation events and the sequence of biological processes during upwelling at Point Conception closely followed the Peru pattern. New production rates in 1983 at Point Conception fell at the low end of the spectrum of these upwelling centers.
Plasma clearance of lovastatin versus chinese red yeast rice in healthy volunteers.

Objectives: It is now accepted that inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis is effective in the primary and secondary prevention of heart disease. However, the perceived side-effects on muscle and l...
Total synthesis of LL-Z1640-2 utilizing a late-stage intramolecular Nozaki–Hiyama–Kishi reaction

A total synthesis of LL-Z1640-2 (2), a potent and selective kinase inhibitor, has been completed. The key step of the convergent synthesis utilized a late-stage intramolecular Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi (NHK) reaction to close the macrocycle at the C6'-C7' bond.
Resistivity saturation in alkali-doped C60

Abstract The high-temperature resisitivity of K and Rb-doped C60 single crystals was measured with pulsed heating techniques and analyzed within the parallel-resistor extension to Bloch-Boltzmann transport theory. Rb3C60 exhibits resitivity saturation with ϱ sat Rb ≈ 6 ± 3 mΩ-cm , corresponding to a saturation mean free path of l sat Rb ≈ 1 ± 0.5 A . In contrast K3C60 does not show signs of resistivity saturation up to 800 K, suggesting that ϱ sat K > 3 mΩ-cm and l sat K A . The electronic states at high temperature have a characteristic length scale significantly smaller than the fcc lattice constant.
Regularity conditions in linear hydrodynamic stability

Initial attempts at solving stability problems often examine only those perturbations which depend exponentially on time, the normal modes. Our purpose here is to determine the class of perturbations with respect to which a given stability criterion is valid. More precisely, we find necessary and sufficient conditions on the initial data in order that the resulting perturbations satisfy a given definition of stability. Three definitions of stability are considered. In order to illustrate the applicability of our results we consider (Section 9) the stability of Couette flow with respect to axisymmetric perturbations [I]. Of particular interest is the case when the Rayleigh discriminant is nonnegative but vanishes at some points. In this case the perturbations are energy bounded but certain perturbations exhibit an O(t) growth. We compare with Schwarzschild’s criterion, where it has been observed [2-81 that, when the criterion is satisfied, perturbations are energy bounded. We are now concerned (Section 10) with finding the class of perturbations which are norm bounded. The stability of an infinite string is considered for the sake of illustration and comparison (Section 7). Some results are applicable to nonself-adjoint problems which may exhibit continuous spectrum, e.g., Couette flow with respect to nonaxisymmetric perturbations (cf. Section 8).
Predicting Family Reunification, Adoption, and Subsidized Guardianship Among Adolescents in Foster Care

Although national legislation has attempted to decrease the length of time that children spend in foster care, these policies have been less effective with adolescents than with children, raising questions about how best to promote permanency for adolescents. This study examined factors that predict adolescent adoption, subsidized guardianship, and reunification. The caseworkers and foster parents of 203 randomly selected 12- to 13-year-olds placed in traditional or specialized foster care were interviewed. Permanency outcomes were prospectively tracked for 8 years. By the end of the study, over 40% of the adolescents were placed in permanent homes. As hypothesized, a strong relationship with a biological mother predicted successful reunification, and a high degree of integration into a foster home predicted adoption. Additionally, when compared with adoption, subsidized guardianship with foster parents occurred more frequently for youth with strong relationships with their biological mothers and weaker relationships with their foster families. Unexpectedly, behavior problems were not related to any permanency outcomes. Results suggest that promotion of strong relationships with adults is the key in efforts to find permanent families for foster children. Furthermore, efforts to attain permanency should not cease during adolescence.
Simulation of the film blowing process for semicrystalline polymers

Abstract We simulate the film blowing process using a fully thermodynamic model developed to study crystallization in polymers. The model stems from a general thermodynamic framework that is particularly well suited to describing dissipative processes during which the symmetry of the material can change; thus, it provides a good basis for studying the crystallization process in polymers. The polymer melt is modeled as a rate-type viscoelastic fluid and the crystalline solid polymer is modeled as an anisotropic elastic solid. The initiation criterian, marking the onset of crystallization and equations governing the crystallization kinetics, arise naturally in this setting in terms of the appropriate thermodynamic functions. The mixture region, wherein the material transitions from a melt to a semicrystalline solid, is modeled as a mixture of a viscoelastic fluid and an elastic solid. The anisotropy of the crystalline phase and consequently that of the final solid depends on the deformation in the melt duri...
MT effects and T1 quantification in single-slice spoiled gradient echo imaging

Magnetization transfer (MT) is the exchange of spin magnetization between free water protons and macromolecular protons in biological systems (1,2). While it has long been recognized that MT may affect the signal in multi-slice imaging (3,4), the effects of MT on conventional single-slice imaging have largely been ignored. We examined here how these single slice MT effects influence image contrast and parameters quantification (such as T1) and provide a new method for quantifying the inherent MT parameters. T1 is the spin-lattice relaxation time for spins to return to equilibrium in the longitudinal direction. T1 is conventionally measured by multiple flip angle experiments or inversion recovery experiments. Inversion recovery measurements vary the time between RF pulses while multiple flip angle experiments vary the RF field intensity, which involves significantly more experimental uncertainty. However, multiple flip angle measurements have the great advantage of not requiring long TR, and are therefore frequently used in vivo. We will examine the MT effects on T1 determination via multiple angle methods. MT is often quantified by the magnetization transfer ratio (MTR). MTR equals one minus the ratio of signal intensity with and without one or more off-resonance saturation pulses. While it provides novel contrast, MTR is a reduction of MT phenomenon to a single value. In addition, the MTR value is affected by non-MT phenomena, such as relaxation properties and pulse sequence details. Quantitative magnetization transfer (QMT) provides more specificity than MTR by determining the intrinsic MT parameters, such as the spin exchange rates and the ratio of the proton pool sizes. There have been some recent results indicating that some QMT parameters, such as the pool size ratio, show unique information on multiple sclerosis (MS) pathology that is not available via MTR measurements (5,6). There are many groups measuring QMT parameters by different methods (2,7–13). The general ideas of these methods are similar: rotating/saturating the free pool and the restricted pool to different degrees, measuring the resulting magnetization in either a steady-state or transient condition, and fitting the measured data to a signal equation to determine the MT parameters. These methods differ chiefly in the RF power and offset and transient/steady-state signal acquisitions. Some of these methods are limited by specific absorption rate (SAR) (2) or scan time (7); some methods are based on strong assumptions (13); and some methods yield only a subset of MT parameters (8,10,12,13). It is still an open topic which QMT method is optimum. We will introduce a new QMT technique here and discuss its applicability and limitations.
Concavity of the quarkonium potential.

The heavy-quark--antiquark potential is shown to be a monotone nondecreasing and concave function of the separation. This property holds independent of the gauge group and the details of the matter sector.
Health Problem Solving by Older Persons Using a Complex Government Web Site: Analysis and Implications for Web Design

A large number of health-related Web sites currently exist that offer consumers a wealth of information that can be used to enhance the quality of their lives. Much less attention has been given to Web sites that can support complex health-related problem solving, as opposed to more general information search activities, of user populations such as older adults. In this article, we expand on a prior usability study that examined the performance of 112 older adults who were asked to solve two problems using the U. S. government’s Medicare.gov Web site. The indications from that study were that older adults had difficulty carrying out these problem-solving tasks.This article illustrates, in the context of a case study, the use of a structured methodology for obtaining insights into Web site design issues that could make it difficult for healthcare consumers such as older adults to solve health-related problems. Initially, a number of Web design guidelines that have been developed for older users are presented. The argument is made that such checklist-type guidelines, though essential, are difficult to apply to complex Web-based problem-solving activities. Following a review of research in the area of Web-based health information seeking and problem-solving by older adults, the description and implementation of a methodology for aiding designers in anticipating cognitive demands that older users might confront during their problem-solving activities is presented. Detailed analysis of task performance is then presented to demonstrate that very few of the study participants were able to successfully negotiate the solution to the problem. The use of the methodology for identifying a number user-Web site interaction issues and for proposing recommendations particularly relevant to older users, and ultimately for enhancing the accessibility of health Web sites, is highlighted. Finally, a detailed framework is presented that is intended for guiding designers in the application of this methodology.
Antisedentary Beigeless Computing

Four decades of sporadic invention and experimentation of and with non-traditional human-computer interface schemes have congealed (somewhat abruptly though not without a few clear-sighted antecedents) into a new field of information system design, here calledAntisedentary Beigeless Computing, that consciously rejects the traditional conception of isolated tete-a-tete between the human and the box-CRT-keyboardmouse. ABC systems instead favour the complementary directions away from this notion of an immobile info-shrine: more personal, intimate, and portable information access; and more diffuse, environmentally-integrated information access. Consideration of ABC projects to date seems to suggest that no single instance can alone express the full generality required of a ‘working’ information system, so that (on the one hand) system design must acknowledge that a complex set of trade-offs involving capabilities, universality, specificity, personalization, and generality is inescapable; while (on the other hand) an ideal, eventual ‘information environment’ will inevitably comprise the careful interweaving of some number of individual ABC systems. Taxonomies and classification schema can rarely hope to be found complete or flawless before the collection of items that they purport to describe have themselves reached the evolutionary stasis of ‘adulthood’ — that is, there is typically some threshold of development or growth beyond which few enough surprises lurk that an encompassing taxonomy can be constructed and observed to reliably encompass, in the longer term. The domain of ABC thought is still quite nascent, and so we would be foolish to assume that all its extremities of form and connotation are now visible, but to the extent that we can already see the outlines of a ‘field’ it is reasonable to make a first run at an analytic taxonomy. The ‘independent character axes’ approach presented here seems broad and loose enough to accommodate any number of additions to the basic stable of ABC systems. It is, further, a taxonomy amenable to significant revision as may be found necessary: axes can be added, deleted, reconstrued, etc. as time and consideration clarify our understanding of ABC. However, it should also be anticipated that the field will eventually coalesce around a much smaller number of better-defined ‘axes’ and thus permit taxonomic reversion to the more hierarchical (and finally more satisfying) ‘Linnean’ scheme we'd originally imagined establishing.
Pulmonary embolism: what have we learned since Virchow? Natural history, pathophysiology, and diagnosis.

R udolf Virchow, the brilliant 19th century pathologist, was the first to recognize that blood clots in the pulmonary artery originate as venous thrombi. He stated: “The detachment of larger or smaller fragments from the end of the softening thrombus which are carried along by the current of blood and driven into remote vessels. This gives rise to the very frequent process on which I have bestowed the name of Embolia.”1 All discussions of the pathogenesis of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) begin with Virchow’s triad as follows: hypercoagulability; stasis; and injury to the vessel wall.2 If one examines the commonly accepted risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE),3,4 nearly all fall into one or more of these categories, as shown in Table 1. The most important risk factor for VTE is inherited or acquired hypercoagulability. The first three inherited coagulopathies to be discovered (antithrombin III deficiency,5 protein C deficiency,6 and protein S deficiency5) are uncommon in the general population and are infrequent in patients with VTE (2 to 5%). However, as shown in Table 2, the five most recently discovered hypercoagulable states are far more frequent in the general population. Hypercoagulable states are now recognized in 25% of patients with VTE.7 The incidence of hypercoagulable states is even higher in patients with idiopathic VTE and in patients with recurrent VTE.8 With time, we will discover additional genetic defects that lead to hypercoagulability, such that the majority of patients with VTE will be found to have a hypercoagulable state. The commonly accepted risk factors for VTE (Table 1) act as precipitants of VTE in patients who have an underlying hypercoagulable state. For example, a 1995 study9 demonstrated that women with inherited clotting defects have a 9-fold to 19-fold increase in VTE if they use oral contraceptive agents. If these speculations are correct, the detection of a hypercoagulable state10–15 could lead to a more focused approach to VTE prophylaxis. Prophylaxis would be directed to those patients with hypercoagulability when they are exposed to one of the precipitants of (ie, risk factors for) VTE, such as surgery, trauma, cancer, and pregnancy. Even better, it might be possible to utilize gene therapy or other procedures to permanently eliminate the hypercoagulable state. If this were to be possible, the incidence of VTE could be decreased markedly, saving thousands of lives, and saving millions of dollars that currently are spent for the diagnosis and treatment of VTE. Further review articles on pulmonary embolism might not be needed.