cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The bubble study: ultrasound confirmation of central venous catheter placement.

Abstract Study objective The objective was to determine if ultrasound (US) can more rapidly confirm central venous catheter (CVC) position in comparison to chest radiography (CXR) in the emergency department. Methods The study included a convenience sample of emergency department patients with supradiaphragmatic CVCs and a CXR for confirmation. Ultrasound was used for CVC confirmation by visualizing microbubble artifact in the right atrium after injection of saline through the distal port. To evaluate for pneumothorax (PTX), "sliding sign" of the pleura was noted on US of the anterior chest. Blinded chart review was performed to assess CXR timing, catheter position and CVC complications. Student's t test was used to compare US time to CXR performance time and radiologist reading time. Results Fifty patients were enrolled; 4 were excluded because of inadequate views. Forty-six patients were included in the final analysis. Mean total US time was 5.0 minutes (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.2-5.9) compared to 28.2 minutes (95% CI, 16.8-39.4) for CXR performance with a mean difference of 23.1 minutes (95% CI, −34.5 to −11.8; P P P Conclusion Ultrasound can confirm CVC placement and rule out PTX significantly faster than CXR, expediting the use of CVCs in the critically ill.
Comparison of frequencies of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting with and without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass

This study compared the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation in a group of 34 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegia with a control group of 747 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass and standard cardioplegia. A trend toward a lower incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation was found in the group that underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (n = 0.06).
Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a “Carbons Apart” Erbacarborane Sandwich: An Example of Novel, One-Pot, Two-Electron Reductive Cage Opening with Concomitant Metalation of the C2B4 Carborane Ligand

The reaction between 1,2-(SiMe 3 ) 2 -closo-1,2-C 2 B 4 H 4 (1), ErCl 3 , and K in a 2:1:4 molar ratio, in the absence of an outside electron-transfer agent, produced the erbacarborane sandwich 2,2',4,4'-(SiMe 3 ) 4 -3,6'-[(μ-H) 2 K(THF) 2 ]-1,1'-commo-Er(η 5 -2,4-C 2 B 4 H 4 ) 2 (2) in 82% yield. All experimental observations are consistent with a process in which the erbium metal is acting as both the capping group and an electron-transfer agent.
Effect of queen number on the production of sexuals in natural populations of the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta

. To determine whether the production of sexuals in the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, is related to queen number in the field, the numbers of sexuals in monogyne (M) and polygyne (P) colonies of this species were compared. Large colonies (n=25 M and 25 P) were collected at random during spring, summer and fall when sexuals are actively produced, and the numbers of sexuals present were counted. The numbers of alates plus sexual pupae and larvae in M colonies far exceeded those in P colonies in each season. Significant differences between M and P colonies were also found when the numbers of alates and sexual immatures (pupae + larvae) were compared separately in each season. In addition, M colonies contained significantly more female sexuals (alates + pupae) than did P colonies in the summer and fall, and significantly more males in all three seasons. The negative relationship between queen number and number of sexuals provides evidence that queen control over the production of sexuals, previously established in laboratory experiments, also occurs under natural conditions.
Bolivia under Morales: A Work in Progress

Evo Morales assumed office in January 2006 with a resounding mandate from marginalized indigenous peoples to reinvent Bolivia. Five hundred years of colonial and republican rule, combined with 20 y...
An Analysis of the Self-Handicapping Scale

The two studies reported in this article examined the psychometric properties of the Self-Handicapping Scale (SHS), an individual difference measure of the tendency to engage in behaviors that strategically protect self-esteem. 'In the first study, initial analyses indicated that the SHS possessed one major factor and several trivial factors. As a result, an abbreviated form of the scale was created; this short form possesses internal consistency higher than that found in the original scale. Correlational analyses with both versions indicated that high self-handicapping was related reliably to high public self-consciousness, high social anxiety, high other-directedness, high depression, and low self-esteem. These relations were stronger when the short form was used, suggesting its psychometric as well as practical utility. In a second study, the validity of the short form was examined by administering it to a sample of students along with a questionnaire that requested information concerning extenuating c...
Boron neutron capture therapy at the crossroads: Challenges and opportunities

Over the past 25 years research on boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) has progressed relatively slowly but steadily with the greatest progress in the field of clinical studies. These specifically have included the use of BNCT to treat a variety of malignancies other than high grade gliomas and melanomas. However, there are a number of key areas where little, if any, significant progress has been made. First and foremost among these has been the lack of new boron delivery agents. Improvement in drug delivery and the development of the best dosing paradigms for both boronophenylalanine (BPA) and sodium borocaptate (BSH) are of major importance and these still have not been optimized. Dosimetry for BNCT is still imprecise and is based on treating to normal tissue tolerance, based on blood boron values, rather than any real-time information on the boron content of the residual tumor that is to be irradiated. Another major problem has been the total dependence on nuclear reactors as neutron sources for BNCT. However, this will change in the near future when a clinically useful accelerator comes into use in 2009. Like it or not, in order to gain the credibility of a broad community of physicians who treat brain tumor patients, there will have to be a randomized clinical trial. Finally, BNCT will have to compete with new therapeutic approaches that are less costly and more effective for the treatment of brain tumors. These challenges notwithstanding, BNCT can fill an important niche for those malignancies, whether primary or recurrent, for which there is currently no effective therapy.
Public and private self in communicating with Japan

The business person dealing with someone from another culture must take into account that person's notions of self and how much of that self he is willing to reveal. Individuals differ, of course, but cultural patterns can help.
Development and plasticity of visual and vestibular generated eye movements.

Slow phase horizontal eye movements, elicited by the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) and/or visual pursuit (VP) systems, were examined in normal children (NC, 9–16 years) and normal adults (NA). At slow frequencies of sinusoidal stimulation of the body (with the head immobilized) and/or of a visual target, the NC (9–12 years) exhibited (a) immature VP and VOR Suppression and mature VOR Enhancement in the presence of a visual image; (b) immature VOR Suppression and mature VOR Enhancement in the presence of a non-visual image of the spatial location of a visual target, an extra-retinal signal; (c) inability to augment or depress the VOR gain with a non-visual image; (d) mature VOR Suppression ratios; and (e) adjustment of VOR gain to a high value. The maturational process was featured by (a) parallel development of VP and VOR Suppression; (b) modification of the VOR gain; and (c) an increasing ability to augment or depress the VOR with a non-visual image. The observations in NC (9–12) are ascribed to a maturational lag of an extra-retinal process interacting with mature retinal and vestibular processes and, hence, suggest that both the retinal and vestibular contributions to ocular stability predate the development of an extra-retinal signal. When mature, the central nervous system utilizes both extra-retinal and retinal signals to mediate adaptive regulation of VOR gain and to preserve stable visual pursuit motion and VOR Suppression. Our findings also suggest that during tasks requiring visual-vestibular interaction, VP and VOR mechanisms appear to be indirectly rather than directly coupled.
Paleomagnetic poles and polarity zonation from Cambrian and Devonian strata of Arizona

Abstract Basal Paleozoic Tapeats Sandstone (Early and Middle Cambrian) in northern and central Arizona exhibits mixed polarity and a low-latitude paleomagnetic pole. Carbonates of Middle and early Late Cambrian age, and directly superposed carbonate and carbonate-cemented strata of latest Middle(?) and early Late Devonian age, are characterized by reversed polarity and high-latitude poles. The high-latitude Middle Cambrian pole, which appears to record a large but brief excursion of the polar wandering path, is considered provisional pending additional work. The Devonian data from Arizona indicate that a shift of the pole to a “late Paleozoic” position had occurred by Middle Devonian time.
The Degrees of Freedom of Two-Unicast Layered MIMO Interference Networks With Feedback

Two-unicast layered interference networks under the Shannon feedback and limited Shannon feedback settings are studied from a degrees of freedom (DoF) perspective. The main focus is on the archetypal two-hop multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) $(M,N)\, \times \, (M,N) \,\times \, (M,N) $ network, denoted here as the $(M,N)^{3}$ network, which is a layered two-unicast network with two transmitters, two relays, and two receivers, with the first hop network between the transmitters and the relays, and the second hop network between the relays and the receivers, both being MIMO Gaussian interference channels. In particular, the first transmitter–receiver pair and the first relay have $M$ antennas each and the second transmitter–receiver pair and the second relay having $N$ antennas each. The (full) Shannon feedback setting for the $(M,N)^{3}$ network is one in which the transmitters have delayed knowledge of the first and second hop channel coefficients and the relay and destination outputs and the relays have delayed knowledge of the second hop channel coefficients and destination outputs. The DoF region under this setting is established. A key result in this paper shows that this Shannon feedback DoF region can in fact be achieved with much less side information—under what we refer to as the limited Shannon feedback setting—wherein the transmitters have no channel state or output feedback whatsoever and only the $M$ -antenna relay (assuming $M \geq N$ ) has delayed knowledge of the coefficients of the second-hop channel and of only the received signal of the $N$ -antenna receiver. For this limited Shannon feedback setting, the DoFs region of the $(M,N)^{3}$ network is established by introducing a retro-cooperative interference alignment scheme. These DoF region results for the $(M,N)^{3}$ network with feedback are also extended to more general layered interference networks including the two-unicast $l$ -hop layered networks as well as layered networks with more general numbers of antennas at the various terminals.
Modulation of folding energy landscape by charge–charge interactions: Linking experiments with computational modeling

The kinetics of folding-unfolding of a structurally diverse set of four proteins optimized for thermodynamic stability by rational redesign of surface charge-charge interactions is characterized experimentally. The folding rates are faster for designed variants compared with their wild-type proteins, whereas the unfolding rates are largely unaffected. A simple structure-based computational model, which incorporates the Debye-Huckel formalism for the electrostatics, was used and found to qualitatively recapitulate the experimental results. Analysis of the energy landscapes of the designed versus wild-type proteins indicates the differences in refolding rates may be correlated with the degree of frustration of their respective energy landscapes. Our simulations indicate that naturally occurring wild-type proteins have frustrated folding landscapes due to the surface electrostatics. Optimization of the surface electrostatics seems to remove some of that frustration, leading to enhanced formation of native-like contacts in the transition-state ensembles (TSE) and providing a less frustrated energy landscape between the unfolded and TS ensembles. Macroscopically, this results in faster folding rates. Furthermore, analyses of pairwise distances and radii of gyration suggest that the less frustrated energy landscapes for optimized variants are a result of more compact unfolded and TS ensembles. These findings from our modeling demonstrates that this simple model may be used to: (i) gain a detailed understanding of charge-charge interactions and their effects on modulating the energy landscape of protein folding and (ii) qualitatively predict the kinetic behavior of protein surface electrostatic interactions.
Interfacial Organisms: Passive Ventilation in the Velocity Gradients near Surfaces

A variety of animals, including certain sponges, tube-dwellinlg worms, tropical termites, and prairie dogs, either are themselves arranged or construct domiciles arranged to permit flow of fluid inside the system driven by a velocity gradient in an external stream of fluid.
ABCs of foveal vision

This paper presents a simple mathematical performance model of the human foveal vision system based on an extensive analysis of the Blackwell-McCready (BM) data set. It includes a closed-form equation, the (ABC)t law, that allows the analyst to predict the entire range of BM threshold data. Relationships are derived among the four fundamental parameters of foveal vision: target area A, background luminance B, threshold contrast C, and stimulus presentation time t. Hyperbolic-curve fits on log-log plots of the data lead to the well-known laws of Ricco, Blackwell, Weber and Fechner, and Bloch. This paper unifies important relationships associated with target and background scene parameters as they relate to the human foveal vision process. The process of detecting a BM target, using foveal vision, is reduced to the total temporal summation of light energy modified by a multiplicative energy ratio. A stochastic model of human observer performance is presented in terms of a cumulative Gaussian distribution, which is a function of the apparent and BM contrast threshold values.
Generalized measures of deformation-rates in viscoelasticity and their applications to rectilinear and simple shearing flows

Abstract It is shown that the use of generalized measures of deformation-rates helps to (i) simplify the constitutive equations by prescribing a priori the order of the measures of deformation-rates; (ii) eliminate the need for assuming additional response coefficients; (iii) explain adequately the rheological phenomena usually observed in experiments. Further, it is shown that in order to study viscoelastic behavior of fluids we need to construct the generalized measures of not only the classical deformation-rate involving velocity gradients, but also those of a second deformation-rate involving acceleration gradients. The use of such generalized measures in the constitutive equations for visco-elastic fluids is illustrated by applying them to rectilinear and simple shearing flows. Some numerical and graphical results are also obtained.
The Relative Effectiveness of Four Strategies for Teaching Algebraic and Geometric Disjunctive Concepts and for Teaching Inclusive and Exclusive Disjunctive Concepts.

In an earlier paper dealing with the relative effectiveness of four strategies for teaching disjunctive concepts in mathematics, significant differences were found between the subjects' attainment of algebraic and geometric disjunctive concepts, as well as between their attainment of inclusive and exclusive disjunctive concepts (Dossey & Henderson, 1974). These findings, coupled with others, suggest that the subject matter and logical nature of a concept make a difference in the effectiveness of an instructional strategy for teaching disjunctive concepts. The purpose of the present analysis was to describe the role that the teaching strategies and exemplification approaches played in the subjects' attainment of the concepts listed above. A disjunctive concept is one that is noted by the occurrence of at least one of its set of defining attributes. It is set off by the use of the logical connective or. If only one of the attributes can occur at once, the concept is further classified as an exclusive disjunctive concept. If the joint occurrence of two or more of the defining attributes is allowed, the concept is known as an inclusive disjunctive concept. Disjunctive concepts were selected for use in the original study because they offered a contrast with a study that employed only conjunctive concepts (Rector & Henderson, 1970), because they offered the option of considering the contributions of the logical subforms of a disjunctive concept, and because psychological research indicates that disjunctive concepts are difficult for humans to attain (Bruner, Goodnow, & Austin, 1956).
High Efficiency Polarizers For The Visible Region

The properties of a newly-developed high efficiency dichroic polarizer, Polaroid HN42HE, are described and compared to those of existing commercial polarizers. The new polarizer has good neutrality, very high extinction and high transmittance, a combination of attributes previously unavailable in dichroic polarizers. The use of high efficiency polarizers in flashblindness goggles and other applications is discussed.
Partitions and pairwise sums and products

Abstract A seven cell partition of N is constructed with the property that no infinite set has all of its pairwise sums and products in any one cell. A related Ramsey Theory question is shown to have different answers for two and three cell partitions.
STRUCTURAL ANALYSES OF TWO HEXACYANORUTHENATE(II) COMPLEXES

Refinements of the crystallographic structures of GdKRu(CN)6·4H2O and TbKRu(CN)6·4H2O have been carried out by means of three-dimensional single-crystal X-ray diffractometry. These ruthenate(II) complexes crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Cmcm (Z=4) with respective lattice constants of a = 7.460(2) and 7.440(2), b = 12.845(2) and 12.807(2), and c = 14.334(5) and 14.293(3) A. The structural data were anisotropically refined using a full-matrix least-squares program. The final reliability (R) factors of 0.024 and 0.030 were based on 1070 and 1070 unique reflections for the Gd and Tb complexes, respectively. The eight-coordinated lanthanide (La) atoms are bonded to six cyanonitrogen atoms and two water molecules in a square-antiprism geometry (D4d), the LnN6(H2O)2 group. The ruthenium ions are trahedrally coordinated to six cyanocarbon atoms, the RuC6 group. Cyanide bridging links these groups to build an infinite polymeric array. Cavities within the structures are occupied by K ions and uncoordinated water molecules. The latter are within hydrogen bonding distance to the coordinated water molecules. Notable bond lengths and angles have been tabulated and infrared and thermal gravimetric studies are presented.
Pedagogical Dramas and Transformational Play: Narratively-Rich Games for Learning

Although every era is met with the introduction of powerful technologies for entertainment and learning, videogames represent a new contribution binding the two and bearing the potential to create sustained engagement in a curricular drama where the player's knowledgeable actions shape an unfolding fiction within a designed world. Although traditionally, stories involve an author, a performer, and an audience, much of the power of videogames as media for advancing narrative springs from their affordance for the player to occupy more than one role—and sometimes all three—simultaneously. In the narratively rich videogames that we design, players have the opportunity to perform actions, experience consequences, and reflect on the underlying social values that these situations were designed to engage, affording a type of narrative transactivity. Elsewhere we have discussed designing these media as contexts for engaging academic content; here we illuminate the power of videogames to engage children in ideologi...
Macromolecular neutron crystallography at the Protein Crystallography Station (PCS).

The Protein Crystallography Station (PCS) at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center is a high-performance beamline that forms the core of a capability for neutron macromolecular structure and function determination. Neutron diffraction is a powerful technique for locating H atoms and can therefore provide unique information about how biological macro­molecules function and interact with each other and smaller molecules. Users of the PCS have access to neutron beam time, deuteration facilities, the expression of proteins and the synthesis of substrates with stable isotopes and also support for data reduction and structure analysis. The beamline exploits the pulsed nature of spallation neutrons and a large electronic detector in order to collect wavelength-resolved Laue patterns using all available neutrons in the white beam. The PCS user facility is described and highlights from the user program are presented.
Q and high-frequency strong motion spectra

Abstract Empirical scaling equations for Fourier amplitude spectra of strong ground motion are used to describe A 0 and τ in the assumed (high-frequency) shape of strong motion amplitudes: FS( φ ) = A 0 e- πτφ . The res of computed A 0 and τ with other related estimates of spectral amplitudes; (2) smooth decay of strong motion spectral amplitudes up to φ = 25 Hz , without an abrupt low-pass filtering of high frequecies; and (3) good agreement with other estimates of the regionally specific attenuation of high-frequncy seismic waves. As the recorded strong earthquake shaking in the western United States typically samples only the shallow (10 km) and local (100km) characteristics of wave attenuation, the processed strong motion accelerograms can be used as the most direct means of describing the nature of the high-frequency attenuation of the entire strong motion signal for use in earthquake engineering applications. Seismological body wave, Lg and coda wave estimates of Q sample different volumes of the crust surrounding the station, and involve different paths of the waves. These differences must be carefully documented and understood before the results can be used in earthquake engineering characterization of strong motion amplitudes.
Relation of hypoglycemia to the symptoms observed in infants of diabetic mothers

Summary The histories and findings in the cases of six newborn infants whose mothers had diabetes mellitus have been presented. It is suggested the hypoglycemia present in each infant had no direct and simple relation to the symptoms observed, and the reasons for this suggestion are discussed. The symptoms and clinical courses could, in each instance, be better explained on the basis of organic disease. Acute congestive heart disease occurred in two infants with recovery. A third infant possibly had erythroblastosis fetalis and probably a cerebral birth injury.
Decision functions for electric power system signals

Abstract An investigation of electric power system component deterioration has led to the development of a mathematical procedure which can be used to predict incipient failure or assess the integrity of individual components while they are operating in the power system.
Performance evaluation of the filtered back projection reconstruction and the iterative ML reconstruction for PET images

The filtered-backprojection (FBP) algorithm and statistical model based iterative algorithms such as the maximum likelihood (ML) reconstruction are the two major classes of tomographic reconstruction method. The FBP method is widely used in clinical setting while iterative methods have attracted research interests in the past decade. In this paper we study the performance of the FBP and the ML methods using simulated projection data. The results indicate that the best image that the FBP or the ML algorithm can generate is the compromise of image smoothness and sharpness. The filter cutoff frequency for the FBP algorithm or the number of iterations for the ML algorithm has to be selected carefully.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Hawaii Institute of Geophysics

One sundrenched afternoon during the summer of 1961, a group of formally dressed men vigorously attacked the soft earth of a sweet potato patch with shiny-bladed spades. Although their cultivating activity appeared rather uncoordinated, their purpose was clear to the group of onlookers gathered in the beautiful Manoa Valley, a mile inland from famed Waikiki Beach on the island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii. The diggers, who were breaking ground for the Research Center of the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics, had expressed belief earlier in the importance of the project they were symbolically setting underway; many of the spectators remembered long years of planning and steady local scientific developments which had preceded the ceremony and guaranteed the venture's success.
Pharmacotherapy of aphasia.

M efforts have been undertaken at helping patients with aphasia recover from their deficits by using various rehabilitation techniques. A number of studies have also been carried out to investigate the role of pharmacological agents in the treatment of aphasia. Aphasia can result from a variety of injuries to the brain, including trauma and stroke. However, most of the research has focused on stroke due to the focal nature of the lesions and the vascular territories resulting in a more homogeneous patient population for study. Therefore, any possible benefits for people with traumatic brain injury must be extrapolated from the studies on subjects with stroke. A number of drugs have been developed for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor antagonists have also demonstrated benefits in patients with vascular dementia on batteries of cognitive tests that prominently feature language,1 suggesting that benefits might also result for patients undergoing rehabilitation for aphasia. Studies with cholinesterase inhibitors have also demonstrated significant benefits in patients with vascular dementia, and specifically in the treatment of patients with aphasia.2,3 A derivative of gamma aminobutyric acid, piracetam, with reported benefits for cognition and memory, has also been examined in the treatment of patients with aphasia. Significant benefits have been observed in these patients a few weeks to 3 years after onset of aphasia, at a dose of 2.4 mg twice a day.4 Use of piracetam in aphasia is also associated with an increase in language task– related activation on functional neuroimaging.5 How-
Re-evaluation of the isoleucine requirement of the commercial layer

An experiment was conducted with Hy-Line W36 hens to re-evaluate their Ile requirements from a corn-soybean meal diet. Eight experimental diets were fed with Ile levels of 0.60, 0.57, 0.54, 0.51, 0.48, 0.45, 0.42, and 0.39%. Supplemental amino acids (AA) were added to ensure that ILe was the first-limiting AA. Increasing levels of Ile above 0.51% significantly increased egg production (EP), egg weight (EW), and egg mass (EM). Egg production, EW, and EM decreased each time the Ile content of the diet was decreased. Feed consumption (FC) and energy intake were not significantly decreased until the diet contained 0.45% Ile, and, at this time, BW was significantly reduced. Broken-line regression indicated a daily Ile requirement of 449.8, 497.0, and 469.0 mg/d for EP, EW, and EM, respectively, which indicated a requirement of 9.30 mg Ile/g EM.
Mendelian segregation of a tolerance-inducing self-antigen in the spleen

Abstract Others have reported that CBA/J neonatal thymus cells possess mixed lymphocyte culture reactivity against adult spleen cells from the same strain. This activity is not present in adult thymus. In this paper we describe experiments which show that C3H/ HeJ, a closely related strain, lacks the spleen antigen which CBA possesses. The antigen segregates as a simple Mendelian dominant trait in reciprocal backcross experiments. Only animals that possess the antigen lose their ability to react with it. These observations make this system a promising one to determine the mechanism of self-tolerance in nonchimeric individuals.
Modulation of apoptosis by ischemic preconditioning: an emerging role for miR-21

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is a powerful phenomenon whereby an episode of ischemic injury protects the kidney from subsequent injury. Xu et al. provide new insights into the protective effects of delayed IPC and its inhibition of apoptosis by implicating a modulatory role for the microRNA miR-21. This study adds another layer to our understanding of IPC, but also hints at the complexity of the system triggered by this process.
The Brownian-motion pressure gauge: a progress report

The random (Brownian) motions of a small suspended particle can in principle be used as a measure of the number density of molecules in the surrounding gas. Recent developments in electric, magnetic and optical suspensions which allow stable levitation of small particles have made this principle much more attractive by eliminating the need for a fiber support. It is now possible to consider practical systems in which the movements of a particle around its equilibrium position might be used as a measure of gas density at pressures well below 10 −7 Pa. This would offer a new method of gas density measurement in the pressure range where existing gauges become progressively less accurate. This paper outlines the theory of diamagnetic levitation, which is one of the most promising suspension techniques. Results obtained with an experimental high-vacuum levitation system of this type are discussed and the motions of suspended 3–20 μm clusters of particles are described. It is concluded that the principle is valid and that further work on the launching of very small particles and optical sensing of their positions may lead to a gauge uniquely suited to operation at extremely low pressures.
Relational Contracts in Competitive Labour Markets

We analyze a large, anonymous labour market in which firms motivate their workers via relational contracts. The market is frictionless and features on-the-job search, in that all acceptable vacancies are immediately filled and the employed compete with the unemployed for vacancies. While firms and workers are ex ante identical, the unique equilibrium exhibits a continuous distribution of contracts in which high wage firms have higher retention rates, more motivated workers and higher productivity. The model thus generates dispersion in wages, productivity and human resource strategies, and gives rise to endogenous job ladders. An exogenous increase in on-the-job search increases the quantity of jobs but decreases their quality; with sufficient on-the-job search there is full employment, and wage dispersion rather than unemployment motivates workers.
Nutrient Misclassification: Bias in the Odds Ratio and Loss of Power in the Mantel Test for Trend

The effect of misclassification by one-, two-, or seven-day food records on the apparent magnitude of results was quantified for two hypothetical models of association of diet with disease. For each of 106 women, classification to quintiles of intake was calculated from 37 to 72 one-day records and compared to classification by one- to seven-day records. In analyses based on few records per subject, odds ratios were biased toward unity and results from models differing in strength of association of diet with disease were more similar. Loss of power in a test for trend was especially important for associations of the magnitude probable for diet and disease relationships (odds ratios of 3.00 or less) and for samples of 100 cases and 100 controls or fewer. The measurement error associated with diet measures currently in use can obscure relatively strong associations even without biased or confounded measures.
Experience with Autogenous Arteriovenous Access for Hemodialysis in Children and Adolescents

The National Kidney Foundation's DOQI-NKF recommendation to construct an autogenous arteriovenous access (AAVA) for chronic hemodialysis whenever possible can be a challenge in the pediatric population. This report reviews recent surgical experience in this patient subgroup. From March 1999 to April 2004, 47 consecutive children requiring permanent vascular access had construction of AAVA. There were 16 girls and 31 boys, with a mean age of 14.6 years (range 5-20). The surgeon preoperatively mapped veins with ultrasound in all patients. Access sites were radial-cephalic (n = 16), upper arm brachial-cephalic (n = 15), transposed upper arm brachial-basilic (n = 7), and transposed femoral vein (n = 9). An operating microscope was used to construct three radial-cephalic accesses in individuals with small arteries. Three forearm cephalic veins were transposed (one at the original surgical procedure and two postoperatively). Five upper arm cephalic veins were transposed (three at the original surgical procedure and two postoperatively). Femoral vein accesses were constructed for either exhausted access in the upper extremities (n = 7) or patient preference (n = 2). Primary patency at 1 and 2 years was 100% and 96%, respectively. Secondary patency at 1 and 2 years was 100%. One individual with a radial-cephalic AAVA and severe radial artery calcification required an inflow procedure. Thirty-five accesses are currently in use (functionally patent), eight are in individuals with successful renal transplants, and two are maturing; one individual declines using the access. Two accesses are secondarily patent (thrombosed and repaired 12 and 29 months after construction, respectively), and one access thrombosed after 27 months (abandoned). Construction of an AAVA is possible in virtually all pediatric age individuals if attention is given to preoperative vein mapping, selective use of an operating microscope, and creation of a transposed femoral vein when upper extremity access is neither possible nor desired.
POWER ESTIMATION AND OPTIMIZATION AT THE LOGIC LEVEL

This paper describes various approaches for power analysis and minimization at the logic level including, amongst others, pattern-independent probabilistic and symbolic simulation techniques for power estimation and low-power techniques for state assignment, logic restructuring, logic decomposition, technology mapping and pin ordering.
Relevance feedback decision trees in content-based image retrieval

Significant time and effort has been devoted to finding feature representations of images in databases in order to enable content-based image retrieval (CBIR). Relevance feedback is a mechanism for improving retrieval precision over time by allowing the user to implicitly communicate to the system which of these features are relevant and which are not. We propose a relevance feedback retrieval system that, for each retrieval iteration, learns a decision tree to uncover a common thread between all images marked as relevant. This tree is then used as a model for inferring which of the unseen images the user would not likely desire. We evaluate our approach within the domain of HRCT images of the lung.
Steroid-Responsive Sequences in the Human Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene 1A Promoter

At least three promoters (1A, 1B, and 1C) control the expression of mRNA transcripts for the human glucocorticoid receptor (hGR) protein. An hGR 1A promoter/exon sequence (−218/+269) contains at least 12 deoxyribonuclease (DNase) I footprints that contain bound protein. Whereas four of these footprints (FP6, FP7, FP8, and FP11) contain bound hGR in protein-DNA complexes that are formed, only two (FP7 and FP11) appear to be important for the up-regulation of hGR 1A promoter/exon activity in T-lymphoblasts. Furthermore, the activity of these DNA elements depends upon the promoter context, leading to a redundant and complex regulation of expression of the hGR 1A promoter/exon. FP7 appears to be required for hormonal responsiveness in the absence of upstream sequences (+41/+191), whereas the hormonal responsiveness of FP11 requires a functional, adjacent FP12 DNA sequence. FP12 contains overlapping binding sites for the protooncogene transcription factors c-Myb and c-Ets. It seems likely that binding of eithe...
Heavy ion-induced chromosomal damage and repair

Abstract We have been using the “premature chromosome condensation (PCC)” technique to investigate chromosomal breakage, rejoining and misrepair induced by accelerated heavy ions. With the presentation of new Fe experiments, we now review the available PCC data to summarize our current understanding of the action of high velocity charged particles on mammalian chromosomes. Implications for the survival RBE/LET relationship are also discussed.
CCD surface photometry of field galaxies. II: Bulge/disk decompositions

Major- and minor-axis profiles given previously for 105 galaxies of all morphological types are decomposed into bulge and disk components. In addition, three model-independent parameters which measure the mean surface brightness, scale radius, and degree of light concentration are derived. The best correlations are found between Hubble type, concentration, bulge/disk ratio, and mean surface brightness. Correlations between the individual bulge and disk parameters generally show large scatter. The properties of S0 galaxies are inconsistent with their having been formed from spiral galaxies via gas depletion; their properties are intermediate between those of ellipticals and spirals. Most elliptical galaxies probably do not form by the merging of disk galaxies. The difficulty of distinguishing between elliptical and S0 galaxies in some cases is emphasized.
Normal and Abnormal Development of the Kidney: A Clinician’s Interpretation of Current Knowledge

Purpose: The recent basic science literature is replete with new discoveries in the molecular genetics of renal development. However, little of this information has filtered into urological textbooks and journals. An effort is made herein to integrate these new findings and propose a more sophisticated blueprint of renal development than the one traditionally taught in medical school and residency. To accomplish this goal the author offers simple definitions and interpretations of complicated terms and events, and points out how maldevelopment results when mutations take place.Materials and Methods: A review of recent advances in the molecular genetics of renal development and maldevelopment was done.Results: Renal metanephric development results from the expression of many genes in the ureteral bud and metanephric blastema with each sending messages to the other to induce organogenesis.Conclusions: Currently an understanding of normal renal organogenesis stems from a study of disease states resulting fro...
Phonon dispersion of transverse basal-plane modes in alkali-graphite compounds

Dispersion curves for low-frequency transverse modes propagating in the basal plane have been measured in the compounds KC8, KC24 and RbC24 by means of neutron inelastic scattering. The acoustic branches show at low q a behavior ω2= Aq2+Bq4 characteristic of layered materials. The optical branches are derived qualitatively from graphite-like optical branches hybridized with new alkali-like branches. In stage 2 compounds, the shear constant C44, which can be obtained by extrapolating the acoustic branch towards q=0, is appreciably smaller than in stage-1 compounds or in pure graphite. At low temperatures, it was noted in KC24 that a frequency gap in the acoustic branch opens up near q=0.6 A-1, corresponding to the Brillouin zone boundary of the low temperature alkali superstructure.
Jurisdiction of the Subject Matter and Res Judicata

One of our oldest dogmas is that if a court has no jurisdiction of the subject matter of an action its pretended judgment or decree is a nullity. Thus a question of jurisdiction of the subject matter can be raised at any time during the proceedings and even for the first time on appeal. It can be raised in collateral proceedings, which means, in other words, that the judgment or decree, being a nullity, is not res jttdicata as to a subsequent legal action. It must be observed that the law of jurisdiction of the courts is neither procedural law nor substantive law. It has nothing to do with either the creation or recognition of substantive rights; it is simply a limitation on the power of a court to act as a court. Jurisdiction in general is of the same character, and thus much of constitutional law and practically all of the conflict of laws are not substantive. They impose limitations on the power of a state to act legally either in a legislative, executive or judicial manner. But the doctrine of res judicata is a doctrine of substantive law. It is that once the legal rights of parties have been judicially or impartially recognized, such recognition is subsequently conclusive as to those rights. The conclusiveness of a judgment, decree or award rests on the same basis as the conclusiveness of a written contract, will or deed. The rights so expressed are the only rights on that subject between the parties. So, stating that a judgment is not res judicata because the court had no jurisdiction of the subject matter of the action is simply another way of stating that it is no judgment, and of finally saying that a judgment to be a valid adjudication must be rendered by a court having power to deal with the subject matter. In other words, the law of jurisdiction is stated in terms of the substantive law, which is merely describing the jurisdictional concept in other language. It will be seen, therefore, that jurisdiction of the subject matter and res judicata are two separate and distinct concepts; that they are not and need not be co-extensive in result. The policy behind the jurisdictional concept is something quite different from that behind the concept of res judicata. It may well be that good policy dictates that the jurisdictional concept be preserved, and at the same time that the concept of res judicata be extended. The policy back of the preservation of the first is largely political. The
Design methodology of 16-bit Sigma-Delta A/D and D/A converters in a single chip

The authors present a design methodology for a monolithic sigma-delta ( Sigma - Delta ) 16-bit analog-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-analog (D/A) data conversion system. This design is directed toward high performance signal processing applications such as digital audio and high speed models. This converter consists of a third-order Sigma - Delta analog modulator, a fourth-order Sigma - Delta digital noise shaper, two comb filters, two halfband FIR (finite impulse response) filters, two compensation filters, and a 6th-order switch capacitor Bessel analog filter. A serial interface is provided and supports multiple devices from a single serial port while maintaining sampling coherency between channels. >
Improving the performance of the equivalent wind method for the aggregation of DFIG wind turbines

Recently wind energy has developed at a fast pace, and it is necessary to develop equivalent models to represent dynamic behaviors of wind farms on power system. The equivalent wind method has been investigated for the aggregation of DFIG wind turbines. The detailed procedure for the calculation of equivalent wind has been analyzed. The necessity of classifying incoming winds has been shown. In order to improve the performance of the equivalent wind method, this paper proposes to classify incoming winds according to the mean wind speeds and the variances of wind speeds, and a group of turbines with similar wind are aggregated together. The effectiveness of the proposed strategy has been verified through simulations in MATLAB/SIMULINK.
Science to Practice: Can Stem Cells Be Labeled Inside the Body Instead of Outside?

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were labeled in vivo by intravenous injection of ferumoxytol, a Food and Drug Administration–approved intravenous iron supplement, and after their isolation and processing from bone marrow, the same MSCs were injected in rats with an osteochondral defect, allowing MR monitoring of their engraftment for at least 4 weeks; this straightforward labeling approach, avoiding several regulatory issues, may accelerate clinical translation of MR imaging for stem cell tracking.
Late Seasonal Breeding of River Otters in Yellowstone National Park

Abstract Seasonal breeding schedules for wild mammals, such as North American river otters (Lontra canadensis), often vary across their range. Previous studies in temperate regions found that river otters typically breed in March and April. Here we report on breeding condition and copulation of otters in June from Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park. Our findings suggest Yellowstone Lake otters have a relatively long breeding season, extending into June, or their breeding schedule is delayed so that energetically-demanding lactation coincides with spawning runs of Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri).
Cost awareness among anesthesia practitioners at one institution

Study Objective: To characterize the accuracy of clinician knowledge of anesthesia drug and equipment costs at one institution. Design: Anonymous survey instrument. Setting: Large academic medical center. Measurements: 130 questionnaires were sent to departmental practitioners, including residents, CRNAs, and attendings. An updated list of acquisition costs for commonly used drugs and equipment is posted on our departmental website and is sent to all clinical staff by electronic mail annually. For each item, the respondent was given a choice of price ranges and indicated the range in which they believed the actual cost of the item to be. Accuracy was calculated as the difference between the identifier of the correct and chosen ranges. The mean and variance of these differences were then calculated for each item within each practitioner group and tested to identify statistically significant differences among practitioner groups. Main Results: A total of 103 (79%) completed questionnaires were received. Many practitioners overestimated or underestimated the actual costs of most of the items. There was no significant difference between the groups for the mean accuracy across the entire set of items. For variance in price estimation, there was a statistically significant greater variance only for CA1 residents compared with attendings, CRNAs, and CA3 residents. Conclusions: Many experienced practitioners in an academic setting lack accurate knowledge of the acquisition costs of common drugs and supplies.