cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of CO2 exposure on pure and mixed gas permeation behavior: comparison of glassy polycarbonate and silicone rubber

Abstract Pure and binary mixture permeabilities have been investigated for the C0 2 /CH 4 system in polycarbonate and silicone rubber. Upstream pressure conditions ranging from zero up to the critical point of CO 2 were investigated. No permeability hysteresis was observed for the silicone rubber sample with pure or binary feeds of CO 2 and CH 4 . On the other hand, perturbation treatments with CO 2 resulted in long-lived increases in the permeability of the conditioned polycarbonate films compared to untreated films. Increases in CO 2 permeability of 50% persisted for the polycarbonate sample over a period spanning more than two months. CO 2 /CH 4 mixed gas measurements on the conditioned polycarbonate film also reflect changes in its permselection properties. The CO 2 permeability in the mixed gas system is based on a fugacity driving force to provide a rigorous comparison with the pure gas system. The conditioning treatment caused reductions in permselectivity of 30% relative to the as-received film for mixed gas feed streams of CO 2 /CH 4 under the conditions studied. The permselectivity effects also appear to be semi-permanent and continue if the conditioning medium is not totally removed after the conditioning treatment.
Jump Start: A Targeted Substance Abuse Prevention Program

A substance abuse prevention and life skills program for economically disadvantaged, high sensation seeking African American teens was developed and tested in Cincinnati, Ohio. Formative research was conducted to determine program content and format. Over two implementations, 289 individuals in the target population were recruited as participants for the field test of the program. For the first implementation, participants were randomly selected from the city's summer youth employment program. For the second, a media campaign was designed to recruit participants. Process evaluation indicated that participants evaluated the program extremely positively. Outcome evaluation indicated that significant pretest differences between high and low sensation seekers were neutralized for liquor and marijuana in both years of the program and for attitude toward drugs in the first year of the program. These results suggest that sensation seeking is a useful message design and audience-targeting variable for substance abuse prevention program design. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Application of gene probes to determine target organs of a penaeid shrimp baculovirus using in situ hybridization

Abstract Gene probes developed to the penaeid shrimp virus, Baculovirus penaei (BP), were utilized to determine the target organs infected by BP. BP-DNA fragments were nonradioactively labelled with digoxigenin and used to probe paraffin-embedded, fixed tissue sections using an in situ hybridization assay system. BP-infected tissue sections were microscopically examined for a blue-purple probe precipitate indicative of a positive reaction for BP. Particular attention was given to the reproductive tissues of mature shrimp, to determine if vertical transmission might occur. BP positive cells were located only in the hepatopancreatic tubule epithelium and in the midgut mucosa. These findings indicate that BP is a gut-infecting baculovirus that is transmitted horizontally by the per os route and not by true vertical transmission routes.
A Propensity-Matched Study of the Association of Diabetes Mellitus with Incident Heart Failure and Mortality among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a risk factor for incident heart failure (HF) in older adults. However, the extent to which this association is independent of other risk factors remains unclear. Of 5,464 community-dwelling adults ≥65 years old in the Cardiovascular Health Study without baseline HF, 862 had DM (fasting plasma glucose levels ≥126 mg/dl or treatment with insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents). Propensity scores for DM were estimated for each of the 5,464 participants and were used to assemble a cohort of 717 pairs of participants with and without DM who were balanced in 65 baseline characteristics. Incident HF occurred in 31% and 26% of matched participants with and without DM, respectively, during >13 years of follow-up (hazard ratio 1.45 for DM vs no DM, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14 to 1.86, p = 0.003). Of the 5,464 participants before matching unadjusted and multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for incident HF associated with DM were 2.22 (95% CI 1.94 to 2.55, p <0.001) and 1.52 (95% CI 1.30 to 1.78, p <0.001), respectively. All-cause mortality occurred in 57% and 47% of matched participants with and without DM, respectively (hazard ratio 1.35, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.61, p = 0.001). Of matched participants DM-associated hazard ratios for incident peripheral arterial disease, incident acute myocardial infarction, and incident stroke were 2.50 (95% CI 1.45 to 4.32, p = 0.001), 1.37 (95% CI 0.97 to 1.93, p = 0.072), and 1.11 (95% CI 0.81 to 1.51, p = 0.527), respectively. In conclusion, the association of DM with incident HF and all-cause mortality in community-dwelling older adults without HF is independent of major baseline cardiovascular risk factors.
Ecology in ancient Greece

This article investigates the characteristic attitudes of the Greeks toward nature, which formed the perceptual framework for their ecological thinking. Two major attitudes are discerned. One regarded nature as the theatre of the gods, whose interplay produced observed phenomena, but whose localization gave them particular, restricted roles. The other attitude viewed nature as the theatre of reason, and made the beginnings of ecological thought possible. The contributions of several Greek forerunners in the field of ecology are characterized. The most consistent, balanced ecological writer in ancient Greece was Theophrastus, but his conception of an autonomous nature, interacting with man, was overshadowed in the history of ancient and medieval thought by the anthropocentric teleology of Aristotle.
The healthy men study: design and recruitment considerations for environmental epidemiologic studies in male reproductive health

Objective To describe study design, conduct and response, and participant characteristics. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Participants were male partners of women who were enrolled in a community-based prospective cohort study of drinking water disinfection by-products and pregnancy health. Patient(s) Two hundred thirty presumed fertile men recruited from 3 study sites in the United States. Intervention(s) Men completed a telephone interview about demographics, health history, and exposures and provided a semen sample that was express mailed to the study laboratory. Main Outcome Measure(s) Response and participation rates, participant demographics, and lifestyle exposures. Result(s) We obtained a high participation rate (84%) among men who were located, but a low overall response rate (25%). Participants were more likely to be white, more highly educated, be married, and have a higher household income than the underlying study cohort. Conclusion(s) Our multisite study design may be applicable to the study of community environmental factors and reproductive health of men. Our design was efficient in that men from geographically disparate sites could be recruited, a semen sample was collected at home, and a telephone interview was conducted from a central study site. Despite these design features, the low response rates may suggest selection bias that can be addressed partially in the analysis.
Further Investigation Into a Recent Model for Toroidal Rings of Saturn

A previous paper described a toroidal ringlet consisting of a large number of charged particles distributed uniformly along slightly inclined, slightly eccentric, orbits around Saturn. The orbits have identical semimajor-axis, identical eccentricity and identical inclination, but their ascending nodes are distributed uniformly around Saturn. Assuming an inclination (in radians) much smaller than the eccentricity, it was shown that the toroidal cross-section could rock slowly back and forth as the inclination fluctuates. In this paper a similar result is obtained for the more general case when inclination is comparable with eccentricity and both fluctuate.
An Arabidopsis syntaxin homologue isolated by functional complementation of a yeast pep12 mutant

The syntaxin family of integral membrane proteins are thought to function as receptors for transport vesicles, with different isoforms of this family localized to various membranes throughout the cell. The yeast Pep12 protein is a syntaxin homologue which may function in the trafficking of vesicles from the trans-Golgi network to the vacuole. We have isolated an Arabidopsis thaliana cDNA by functional complementation of a yeast pep12 mutant. The Arabidopsis cDNA (aPEP12) potentially encodes a 31-kDa protein which is homologous to yeast Pep12 and to other members of the syntaxin family, indicating that this protein may function in the docking or fusion of transport vesicles with the vacuolar membrane in plant cells. Northern blot analysis indicates that the mRNA is expressed in all tissues examined, although at a very low level in leaves. The mRNA is found in all cell types in roots and leaves, as shown by in situ hybridization experiments. The existence of plant homologues of proteins of the syntaxin family indicates that the basic vesicle docking and fusion machinery may be conserved in plants as it is in yeast and mammals.
Proton RBS measurement of the oxygen in heavy-metal oxides

Abstract Although the stoichiometry of high-Tc superconductors is often measured using alpha-particle RBS, the small Rutherford cross section for oxygen relative to the high-Z components makes a determination of the oxygen content difficult. Above 1 MeV, the cross section for proton backscattering from oxygen becomes significantly greater than the Rutherford cross section. Studies of proton backscattering in CuO between 0.6 and 2.0 MeV show that it is possible to measure the oxygen content of high-Z metal oxides. RBS simulations using the Bragg-rule stopping power consistently underestimate the low-energy yield. Scaling the stopping power by a linear function of energy to reduce loss at low energy improves the simulation in CuO, Cu and Au. This general result suggests that the standard RBS simulation procedure may omit some relevant physics.
Trace elements: implications for nursing

Although most were unknown a few years ago, present evidence indicates that at least 25 trace elements have some pertinence to health. Unlike vitamins, they cannot be synthesized. Some trace elements are now considered important only because of their harmful effects but traces of them may be essential. Zinc is especially important during puberty, pregnancy and menopause and is related to protein metabolism. Both fluoride and cadmium accumulate in the body year after year. Cadmium is positively correlated with several chronic diseases, especially hypertension. It is obtained from smoking and drinking soft water. Silicon, generally associated with silicosis, may be necessary for healthy bone and connective tissue. Chromium, believed to be the glucose tolerance factor, is obtained from brewer's yeast, spices, and whole wheat products. Copper deficiency may be implicated in a wide range of cardiovascular and blood related disorders. Either marginal deficiencies or slight excesses of most trace elements are harmful. Nurses should instruct patients to avoid highly refined foods, fad diets, or synthetic and fabricated foods. A well balanced and varied diet is the best safeguard against trace element excesses or deficiencies.
Management of traumatic facial nerve paralysis with carotid artery cavernous sinus fistula.

Massive skull base injuries require detailed preoperative neurological and neurovascular assessment prior to undertaking surgical repair of isolated cranial nerve deficits. We present the management of a patient with traumatic facial paralysis, cerebrospinal fluid leak, and carotid artery cavernous sinus fistula as the result of a gunshot wound to the skull base. The carotid artery cavernous sinus fistula was ultimately controlled with superselective embolization via the vertebral artery. The facial nerve injury was then safely treated with mobilization of the labyrinthine and vertical segments to allow a primary anastomosis.
Efficient Algorithms for Variants of Weighted Matching and Assignment Problems

Obtaining a matching in a graph satisfying a certain objective is an important class of graph problems. Matching algorithms have received attention for several decades. However, while there are efficient algorithms to obtain a maximum weight matching, not much is known about the maximum weight maximum cardinality, and maximum cardinality maximum weight matching problems for general graphs. Our contribution in this work is to show that for bounded weight input graphs one can obtain an algorithm for both maximum weight maximum cardinality (for real weights), and maximum cardinality maximum weight matching (for integer weights) by modifying the input and running the existing maximum weight matching algorithm. Also, given the current state of the art in maximum weight matching algorithms, we show that, for bounded weight input graphs, both maximum weight maximum cardinality, and maximum cardinality maximum weight matching have algorithms of similar complexities to that of maximum weight matching. Subsequently, we also obtain approximation algorithms for maximum weight maximum cardinality, and maximum cardinality maximum weight matching.
The Flow of Thin Viscous Liquid Films on Rotating Disks

Abstract This paper reports a study of the flow of thin viscous liquid films on the surface of rotating silicon disks. The two liquids studied are a low-molecular-weight linear-chain perfluoropolyether polymer (Demnum S20), deposited in films 4 to 25 nm thick, and a star-shaped alkyl ester of the orthosilicic acid (tetrakis(2-ethylhexoxy)silane), deposited in films 7 to 10 nm thick. The disks are spun at high speeds and the radial thickness profiles of the liquid films are measured as a function of spin time by ellipsometry. Comparison of the measured thickness profiles with the theory of Emslie et al. [ J. Appl. Phys . 29, 858 (1958)] shows that the flow of these thin liquid films can be modeled as that of a continuum, Newtonian liquid with an apparent viscosity 50 to 80% higher than that of bulk. The increase above bulk viscosity may be attributed either to collective molecular motion effects or to the layer of molecules in contact with the disk surface being immobile, resulting in an increase of the apparent viscosity assigned to the complete film.
Quantitative ichnology of modern pelagic deposits in the abyssal Atlantic

Abstract Quantitative sedimentologic aspects of bioturbation were investigated in a series of deep-sea box cores, which were collected over a broad latitudinal range (35°N to 30°S) and bathymetric range (1.4 to 5.7 km) in the central Atlantic Ocean. All cores were thoroughly bioturbated, and numerous generations of burrowing could be discerned in many instances. Preservation of individually distinct burrows ranged from poor to excellent, and eight ichnogenera plus several unnamed biogenic structures were recognized. The distribution of calcium carbonate, organic carbon, selected species of planktic foraminifera and sediment grain size were examined in several cores. These measurements indicated that the surficial Mixed Layer, which ranged from 3 to 10 cm thick, was statistically more homogeneous than the underlying Transition Layer. This relationship is seen most clearly with respect to lateral and vertical variations in the calcium carbonate content of the cores. Bioturbation of abyssal pelagic deposits appears to be a two-phase process consisting of (a) homogenization of the upper few centimeters (i.e., the Mixed Layer) by shallow-burrowing meiofauna, and (b) heterogeneous mixing of the underlying strata (i.e., the Transition Layer) by relatively deep burrowers. The heterogeneously mixed Transition Layer becomes the preserved trace fossil record; under normal circumstances the homogenized Mixed Layer is not preserved.
Europe's energy security: challenges and opportunities

The extreme volatility of global energy markets since the early 2000s has prompted the Commission of the European Communities to issue a new Green Paper, ‘A European strategy for sustainable, competitive and secure energy’. This important document seeks to identify the main steps EU members need to take to enhance their energy outlooks. The first section in this article discusses the concept ‘energy security’. This is followed by an examination of Europe's energy mix (oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear power and renewables). The third section analyses European efforts to establish and strengthen energy partnerships with Russia, the Caspian Sea region and the Middle East. In other words, the article seeks to examine Europe's efforts to diversify its energy mix and energy sources. The main argument is that stability and predictability in energy markets are shared goals between producing regions and major consumers.
Future pharmacotherapy in chronic bladder hypersensory conditions

There is a high prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in the adult population, afflicting both genders. LUTS can be thought of as a chronic hypersensory condition of the bladder. The treatment of LUTS remains largely empiric based on incomplete understanding of pathophysiology and lack of clinically effective measurement tools. Future treatments for LUTS can target intrinsic physiologic bladder defects, whether they arise from the urothelium, smooth muscle and/or nerves. The bladder and its different compartments can also have pharmacologic agents delivered in the most direct fashion through transurethral catheterization either via catheter or cystoscope. Non-bacterial-induced bladder inflammation and CNS abnormalities may also give rise to LUTS, thus representing other targets for future pharmacotherapy.
Thioamide Quenching of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Protein Fluorescence: Minimalist Tools for Studying Protein Dynamics

Quenching of protein fluorescence can be used to monitor protein dynamics or biomolecular associations. This quenching can be interpreted to afford valuable structural information with a resolution that depends on the size of the quenching probe used. We have shown that backbone thioamides effectively quench several fluorophores, including tryptophan and tyrosine, in a distance-dependent manner. We have used this method to monitor the binding of thioamide-containing peptides to the protein calmodulin, protein unfolding in model systems, and other biological processes. Since thioamide analogs of the natural amino acids can be incorporated at any position in the peptide backbone, they can function as a valuable, minimally-perturbing probe of protein interactions.
Laboratory studies of collection efficiency of sub-micrometer aerosol particles by cloud droplets on a single-droplet basis

Abstract. An experimental setup has been constructed to measure the collection efficiency (CE) of sub-micrometer aerosol particles by cloud droplets. Droplets of a dilute aqueous ammonium sulfate solution with an average radius of 21.6 μm fall freely into a chamber and collide with sub-micrometer polystyrene latex (PSL) sphere particles of known sizes and concentrations. Two relative humidity (RH) conditions, 15 ± 3 % and 88 ± 3 %, hereafter termed "low" and "high", respectively, were varied with different particles sizes and concentrations. After passing through the chamber, the droplets and aerosol particles were sent to the Particle Analysis by Laser Mass Spectrometry (PALMS) instrument to determine chemical compositions on a single-droplet basis. "Coagulated droplets" (droplets that collected aerosols) had mass spectra that contained signatures from both an aerosol particle and a droplet residual. CE values range from 2.0 × 10−1 to 1.6 for the low-RH case and from 1.5 × 10−2 to 9.0 × 10−2 for the high-RH case. CE values were, within experimental uncertainty, independent of the aerosol concentrations. CE values in this study were found to be in agreement with previous experimental and theoretical studies. To our knowledge, this is the first collection experiment performed on a single-droplet basis with atmospherically relevant conditions such as droplet sizes, droplet charges and flow.
Fullerene Endohedrals of Praseodymium

Praseodymium endohedral fullerenes have been produced in a graphite arc discharge system and shown to exist in the entire fullerene series from C60 to C100. These endohedrals prefer to be encaged in the larger fullerenes which exist in concentrations approximately equal to the concentrations of their empty counterparts. However for C60 and C70 the endohedrals are only about 5% of their counterparts. Solvent extraction with regular fullerene solvents is partially successful for Pr@C82 but completely unsuccessful for the other endohedrals. However, these Pr endohedrals appear to be stable to air and solvent exposure over long periods of time.
Discriminative Graphical Models for Context-Based Classification

Natural image data shows significant dependencies that should be modeled appropriately to achieve good classification. Such dependencies are commonly referred to as context in Vision. This chapter describes Conditional Random Fields (CRFs) based discriminative models for incorporating context in a principled manner. Unlike the traditional generative Markov Random Fields (MRFs), CRFs allow the use of arbitrarily complex dependencies in the observed data along with datadependent interactions in labels. Fast and robust parameter learning techniques for such models are described. The extensions of the standard binary CRFs to handle problems with multiclass labels or hierarchical context are also discussed. Finally, application of CRFs on contextual object detection, scene segmentation and texture recognition tasks is demonstrated.
FlexRAM: Toward an advanced Intelligent Memory system

Major advances in merged logic DRAM (MLD) technology coupled with the popularization of memory-intensive applications provide fertile ground for architectures based on intelligent memory (IRAM) or processors-in-memory (PIM). The contribution of this paper is to explore one way to use the current state-of-the-art MLD technology for general-purpose computers. To satisfy requirements of general purpose and low programming cost, we place the PIM chips in the memory system and let them default to plain DRAM if the application is not enabled for intelligent memory. Since wide usability is crucial, we identify and analyze a range of real applications for PIM. Based on the requirements of these applications and current technological constraints, we design a PIM chip and a PIM-based memory system. We call the chip FlexRAM. We describe FlexRAM's design and floorplan, and the resulting memory system. Evaluation of the system through simulations shows that 4 FlexRAM chips often allow a workstation to run 25-40 times faster.
When environmental and social policy converge: The case of Boston's Fairmount line

In February of 2010, the federal Office of Sustainable Communities selected five pilot projects to serve as exemplars of the United States’ new sustainable urban policy. One of the pilots, the expansion of the Fairmount commuter rail line in Boston, integrates social needs and environmental benefits within a coordinated strategy of community development. In this chapter, I detail the case of the Fairmount line in Boston. First, I discuss the process of collaboration between grassroots social policy and environmental policy advocates. Through an effective framing of the problems facing inner-city residents, disparate advocacy groups joined forces to advocate for a single policy outcome, seeing the transit expansion as simultaneously socially and environmentally beneficial. But the Fairmount case also involved a political evolution from above: Local and regional policymakers reimagined the initial social policy as an environmental policy, ultimately recognizing the interdependent social and environmental benefits of transit expansion. Sustainable policy development requires integrated partnerships, and I conclude with lessons for policymakers and practitioners alike.
Comparison of SISO and MIMO control techniques for a diagonally dominant vapor compression system

For vapor compression cycle (VCC) systems, it is important to meet multiple control objectives in order to satisfy system capacity and efficiency requirements. Moreover, in the HVAC industry, it is generally preferred to tune multiple single-input-single-output (SISO) control loops rather than a single multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) control loop. This paper shows that when using an appropriate choice of feedback variables, a decentralized control approach consisting of individual SISO control loops performs as well as a MIMO control approach. An identified system model is shown to be diagonally dominant when using a decoupling set of input-output pairings. A linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control design is compared to a decentralized SISO control design through experimental results. Both controllers produce comparable time-domain performance characteristics.
A high-throughput screening assay for inhibitors of bacterial motility identifies a novel inhibitor of the Na+-driven flagellar motor and virulence gene expression in Vibrio cholerae.

Numerous bacterial pathogens, particularly those that colonize fast-flow areas in the bladder and gastrointestinal tract, require motility to establish infection and spread beyond the initially colonized tissue. Vibrio cholerae strains of serogroups O1 and O139, the causative agents of the diarrheal illness cholera, express a single polar flagellum powered by sodium motive force and require motility to colonize and spread along the small intestine. Therefore, motility may be an attractive target for small molecules that can prevent and/or block the infective process. In this study, we describe a high-throughput screening (HTS) assay to identify small molecules that selectively inhibit bacterial motility. The HTS assay was used to screen an 8,000compound structurally diverse chemical library for inhibitors of V. cholerae motility. The screen identified a group of quinazoline-2,4-diamino analogs that completely suppressed motility without affecting the growth rate in broth. A further study on the effects of one analog, designated Q24DA, showed that it induces a flagellated but nonmotile (Mot) phenotype and is specific for the Na-driven flagellar motor of pathogenic Vibrio species. A mutation conferring phenamil-resistant motility did not eliminate inhibition of motility by Q24DA. Q24DA diminished the expression of cholera toxin and toxin-coregulated pilus as well as biofilm formation and fluid secretion in the rabbit ileal loop model. Furthermore, treatment of V. cholerae with Q24DA impacted additional phenotypes linked to Na bioenergetics, such as the function of the primary Na pump, Nqr, and susceptibility to fluoroquinolones. The above results clearly show that the described HTS assay is capable of identifying small molecules that specifically block bacterial motility. New inhibitors such as Q24DA may be instrumental in probing the molecular architecture of the Na-driven polar flagellar motor and in studying the role of motility in the expression of other virulence factors. Cholera is an acute waterborne diarrheal disease caused by Vibrio cholerae strains of serogroups O1 and O139. This Gramnegative pathogen continues to be a major public health concern in areas of endemicity in South Asia and Africa, with an estimated 5 million cases and more than 100,000 deaths per year. Cases of severe cholera are commonly treated with antibiotics to diminish the duration of its life-threatening clinical symptoms. In this regard, the emergence of multipleantibiotic-resistant V. cholerae O1 and O139 strains has been recognized as a major concern (12, 43, 45, 49). The availability of novel prophylactic measures and/or adjunctive therapies could contribute to diminishing the burden of cholera and antibiotic resistance. V. cholerae strains that cause epidemic cholera exhibit three
Neuronal increase in various areas of the nervous system of the guppy, Lebistes

The numbers of 1) dorsal root ganglion cells in the 2nd spinal segment, 2) ventral horn cells in the 2nd spinal segment, 3) Purkinje cells of the cerebellum, and 4) neurons in the nucleus glomerulosus were counted and correlated with age and size in the guppy, Lebistes. The findings were that the neuronal numbers in all these areas increased throughout much of the life of the animal. These data, combined with the previously demonstrated increases in retinal neurons in goldfish and sensory and spinal neurons in stingrays, suggest that neurons are added to many areas of the nervous system of fish as the animal ages and grows. In this respect, the nervous systems of fish differ from the nervous systems of other vertebrates. We offer the suggestion that the comparatively greater ability of fish to regenerate their nervous system after injury may be related in part to their ability to add neurons to various parts of the nervous system throughout life.
Computer Hardware Description Languages and their Applications

Although design languages have been in existence since the early 1960's, only in the last few years has there been a concerted effort to bring them into the design process as a useful tool.The major applications of design languages are:1. Description of the behavior and/or structure of a system as a means for accurately communicating design details between designers and users.2. As the input to a system level simulator.3. As the input to a automatic hardware compiler.4. As the input to a formal verification system.Several attempts have been made to integrate hardware and software design. Examples are the LOGOS system [Ro76] developed at Case Western Reserve University and the SARA system developed at the University of California at Los Angeles [Es77].
Hemorrhage Burden Predicts Recurrent Intracerebral Hemorrhage After Lobar Hemorrhage

Background and Purpose—Small asymptomatic cerebral hemorrhages detectable by gradient-echo MRI are common in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), particularly lobar ICH related to cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). We sought to determine whether hemorrhages detected at the time of lobar ICH predict the major clinical complications of CAA: recurrent ICH or decline in cognition and function. Methods—Ninety-four consecutive survivors of primary lobar ICH (age55) with gradient-echo MRI at presentation were followed in a prospective cohort study for 32.924.0 months. A subset of 34 subjects underwent a second MRI after a stroke-free interval of 15.86.5 months. Study endpoints were recurrent symptomatic ICH or clinical decline, defined as onset of cognitive impairment, loss of independent functioning, or death. Results—The total number of hemorrhages at baseline predicted risk of future symptomatic ICH (3-year cumulative risks 14%, 17%, 38%, and 51% for subjects with 1, 2, 3 to 5, or 6 baseline hemorrhages, P0.003). Higher numbers of hemorrhages at baseline also predicted increased risk for subsequent cognitive impairment, loss of independence, or death (P0.002) among subjects not previously demented or dependent. For subjects followed after a second MRI, new microhemorrhages appeared in 17 of 34 and predicted increased risk of subsequent symptomatic ICH (3-year cumulative risks 19%, 42%, and 67% for subjects with 0, 1 to 3, or 4 new microhemorrhages, P0.02), but not subsequent clinical decline. Conclusions—Hemorrhages identified by MRI predict clinically important events in survivors of lobar ICH. Detection of microhemorrhages may be useful for assessing risk in ICH patients and as a surrogate marker for clinical studies. (Stroke. 2004;35:1415-1420.)
Clinical significance of elevated α-fetoprotein in adults and children

The aim of the current study is to identify underlying pathology associated with elevated serum α-fetoprotein (AFP; >20 ng/ml) among patients referred to a tertiary-care academic medical center with emphasis in liver diseases, hepatobiliary surgery, and liver transplantation. From May 1992 to April 1997, 386 patients (320 adults and 66 children) with elevated AFP (>20 ng/ml) were identified from the Medical Archival System (MARS) database at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The medical records from all these patients were retrospectively reviewed. Radiological, pathological, and biochemical profiles were obtained at the time of documented elevated AFP. These patients included: 218 adults with malignancies, 102 adults without malignancies, 18 children and infants with malignancies, and 48 children and infants without malignancies. Thirty-two percent of adults were found to have raised AFP with liver disease and without hepatocellular carcinoma and 78% had some type of malignancy, predominantly hepatocellular carcinoma. Seventy-three percent of infants and children had elevated AFP without malignancy. Based on our findings, we recommend that all patients (adults, infants and children) with raised AFP of >20 ng/ml should undergo thorough evaluation to rule out malignant disease.
A Constant Approximation Algorithm for Interference Aware Broadcast in Wireless Networks

Broadcast protocols play a vital role in multihop wireless networks. Due to the broadcast nature of radio signals, a node's interference range can be larger than its transmission range, i.e., it can interfere with other node's reception even if the latter is not within its transmission range. To design an efficient broadcast protocol, both the collision and the interference among multiple transmissions must be addressed. However, most of the previous works on wireless broadcast protocols either treated interference in the same way as collision or did not consider interference at all. In this paper, we study a more general model in which interference is distinguished from collision, and propose a simple and yet efficient interference and collision free broadcast protocol. Our objective is to minimize the makespan, i.e., the earliest time such that every node receives the message. By exploiting the geometry property of the nodes that interfere with each other, we show that our algorithm is a constant approximation algorithm, it guarantees to deliver the message to all nodes within a small constant factor of the optimal makespan. We apply our algorithm under both the unit disk graph model and the more realistic radio irregularity model. The experimental results show that our algorithm consistently outperforms the previous algorithms.
Contributions of the open-commentary journal to the documentation profession

ACM SIGDOC's Journal of Computer Documentation (JCD) features open peer commentary on all its major articles. This paper compares the role that commentary plays in JCD with its role, actual and proposed, in other professional journals, and contrasts that role with prepublication refereeing. JCD's preference for commentary that is rich in ostensive and comparative features is explained by their benefits for documentation practitioners, just as including literature-awareness commentaries offers practitioners a greater voice on journal pages. And JCD's annual reprint-commentary combinations provide unusual opportunities for continuing professional education.
Multiplying Schur Functions

A new combinatorial rule for expanding the product of Schur functions as a sum of Schur functions is formulated. The rule has several advantages over the Littlewood-Richardson rule (D. E. Littlewood and A. R. Richardson, Philos. Trans. Roy. Soc. London Ser. A233 (1934), 49–141). First this rule allows for direct computation of the expansion of the product of any number of Schur functions, not just the product of two Schur functions. Also, the rule is easily stated and is well suited to computer implementation. It is shown that the rule implies the Littlewood-Richardson rule and gives a combinatorial proof that the coefficient of Sλ in the product SμSν equals the coefficient of Sν in the expansion of the skew Schur function Sλμ. The rule is derived from some results proved independently by A. P. Hillman and R. M. Grassl (J. Combin. Comput. Sci. Systems5 (1980), 305–316) and by D. White (J. Combin. Theory Ser. A30 (1981), 237–247) on the Robinson-Schensted-Knuth correspondence.
Mitochondria at the crossroad of apoptotic cell death.

In the past few years, it has become widely appreciated that apoptotic cell death generallyinvolves activation of a family of proteases, the caspases, which undermine the integrity ofthe cell by cleavage of critical intracellular substrates. Caspases, which are synthesized asinactive zymogens, are themselves caspase substrates and this cleavage leads to their activation.Hence, the potential exists for cascades of caspases leading to cell death. However, it has beenrecently recognized that another, perhaps more prominent route to caspase activation, involvesthe mitochondria. Upon receipt of apoptotic stimuli, either externally or internally generated,cells initiate signaling pathways which converge upon the mitochondria to promote release ofcytochrome C to the cytoplasm; cytochrome c, thus released, acts as a potent cofactor incaspase activation. Even cell surface “death receptors” such as Fas, which can trigger directcaspase activation (and potentially a caspase cascade), appear to utilize mitochondria as partof an amplification mechanism; it has been recently demonstrated that activated caspases cancleave key substrates to trigger mitochondrial release of cytochrome c, thereby inducing furthercaspase activation and amplifying the apoptotic signal. Therefore, mitochondria play a centralrole in apoptotic cell death, serving as a repository for cytochrome c.
Spinal stability after resection of nerve sheath tumors.

BACKGROUND The aim of this paper was to present a generalizable group of patients who have undergone resection of spinal nerve sheath tumors and attempt to identify factors that may be predictive of the need for intraoperative fusion. METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of patients who underwent excision of spinal nerve sheath tumors performed by the senior author at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center. RESULTS Out of the 48 cases reviewed in this study, a total of 7 (14.6%) underwent fusion at the same time as decompression and tumor excision. Fusion was deemed necessary in these cases for a number of different reasons, including preexisting scoliosis, cervical instability, preexisting listhesis, and tumor size and/or aggressiveness warranting more extensive bony exposure. Cervical tumors in patients with NF-1 and total facetectomy being performed were both factors found to be predictive of the decision to perform intraoperative fusion with instrumentation (P values of 0.009 and <0.001, respectively). There were seven cases in which partial facetectomies were performed without fusion, none of which later developed instability. Finally, excision of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors was also associated with the decision to perform fusion (P=0.008). The average length of follow‑up was 2 years, 11 months (SEM 8 months). CONCLUSIONS Most patients can undergo resection of spinal nerve sheath tumors without fusion. Patients with pre‑existing deformity or instability, a history of NF-1 together with the tumor in the cervical region, malignant nerve sheath tumors, or those who undergo a total facet resection may require instrumented spinal fusion during tumor excision. We also observed that removal of one third or even half of a facet joint complex appears to be well tolerated with no instability seen on follow‑up.
The Electronic Computer in Highway Engineering

Electronic computers, their functional components, and operation; procedure for use in solution of engineering problems and especially highway engineering problems.
Mechanical Properties of Ruthenium Aluminide Prepared by Plasma Activated Sintering Process

RuAl is one of the potentially useful intermetallics with a high melting temperature(2333K) as a structural material. Ru100-xAlx(x=45, 47.5, 50, 52.5, 55at%) powders were prepared by mechanical alloying (MA). The MA powders were subsequently consolidated by Plasma Activated Sintering process(PAS) at 1673-1773K for 10 minutes under 50MPa pressure. Each compact had sub-micron structure, which were consist of Ru and RuAl for 45, 47.5 and 50 at%Al compacts, RuAl and RuAl2 for 52.5 and 55 at%Al compacts. Compressive tests were carried out for Ru-Al compacts at room temperature. Some of them below 50 at%Al exhibited compressive yield stress of 2.0-2.8 GPa and compressive yield strain of more than 25%.
Aggregation Criteria in Normative Market Segmentation Theory

The aggregation of consumers into market segments on the basis of similarity of elasticities, marginal responses, or response function coefficients has been presented in the marketing literature as...
Regional anesthesia in pediatrics: marching forward.

Purpose of review This review highlights new data and current trends of well tolerated and effective paediatric regional anesthesia. Historically, the practice of paediatric regional anesthesia was based largely on information from adult studies, but recent literature contains information on paediatric specific risks and benefits of old and new techniques as well as the impact of new ideas and technologies. Recent findings Excellent pain relief with regional anesthesia is well demonstrated in children. Several databases of paediatric regional anesthesia (over 46,000 regional anesthetics) demonstrate overall safety and lack of major complications. Detailed analysis demonstrates additional safety and decreased failure rates of peripheral compared with neuraxial nerve blocks. Ultrasound technology confers additional safety and efficacy benefits.Increasingly, data support the safety and efficacy of novel peripheral nerve blocks, transversus abdominis plane and ultrasound-guided paravertebral, and the use of perineural catheters for both inpatients and outpatients. Regional anesthesia as a sole agent for surgical anesthesia and the use of regional anesthesia for pain in nonsurgical pain patients remains underutilized. Summary Paediatric specific data for regional anesthesia are available to help guide optimal pain management. The paediatric regional anesthesia literature lags behind literature available for adult populations and increased studies are needed for additional information for informed decision-making.
Ion Irradiation Effects in Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Electrolytes

Single crystal Ytrria-stabilized Zirconia was irradiated with Xe 2+ and Xe 3+ ions at 320 and 450 keV over a range of doses from 10 13 to 10 16 ions/cm 2 . Damage appears as a 150 nm surface layer with a dense dislocation network. The X-ray diffraction pattern shows an increasing lattice expansion with increasing dose that reaches a saturation point. Ion irradiation increases the surface conductance of the material; this effect is removed with certain post-treatments. Preliminary isotope depth profiling indicates enhanced ion diffusion in the damaged layer.
Procedure for Transplantation of Dog Kidney without Interruption of Renal Blood Supply.

SummaryA technic is described for transplantation of the dog kidney from one animal to another without any interruption of the organ's blood supply. An accessory circulation from the neck vessels of the donor animal is provided for the kidney during the time required to connect the renal vessels to the host's vascular system. This procedure permits the study of the transplant rejection process without the ischemia which is a complicating factor in the technics usually employed. Transfer of the kidneys without ischemia does not markedly prolong the period of function, however the pathological changes which occur within the first few days following transplantation may be delayed.
Companion animals: Translational scientist's new best friends

Knowledge and resources derived from veterinary medicine represent an underused resource that could serve as a bridge between data obtained from diseases models in laboratory animals and human clinical trials. Naturally occurring disease in companion animals that display the defining attributes of similar, if not identical, diseases in humans hold promise for providing predictive proof of concept in the evaluation of new therapeutics and devices. Here we outline comparative aspects of naturally occurring diseases in companion animals and discuss their current uses in translational medicine, benefits, and shortcomings. Last, we envision how these natural models of disease might ultimately decrease the failure rate in human clinical trials and accelerate the delivery of effective treatments to the human clinical market.
Effects of riparian buffer width on wood loading in headwater streams after repeated forest thinning

Abstract Forested riparian buffer zones are used in conjunction with upland forest management, in part, to provide for the recruitment for large wood to streams. Small headwater streams account for the majority of stream networks in many forested regions. Yet, our understanding of how riparian buffer width influences wood dynamics in headwater streams is relatively less developed compared to larger fish-bearing streams. The effects of riparian buffer width on instream wood loading after thinning can be difficult to discern due to the influence of basin characteristics and reach-scale geomorphology on wood recruitment, breakage and redistribution. We assessed the relationships between instream wood loading, geomorphology and riparian buffer width in small headwater streams after upland thinning. Then we examined the distances between pieces of stream wood and their sources, or the distance from which wood volumes were recruited to these streams. Data were collected along 34 stream reaches at six different sites in a replicated field experiment, comparing three no-harvest streamside buffer treatments (∼6-m, 15-m minimum, and ∼70-m widths). At each site, second-growth forests were thinned first to 200 trees per ha [tph] and ∼10 years later to 85 tph, alongside an unthinned reference unit (∼400 tph). We measured wood loading (m 3 /100 m) four times: (1) prior to thinning; (2) year 5 post-1st thinning; (3) immediately prior to the 2nd thinning; and (4) year 1 post-2nd thinning. The majority of wood volume was in late stages of decay, most likely biological legacies from the previous forest stand, and distributed along the streambank. Surprisingly, wood volume in early stages of decay was higher in stream reaches with a narrow 6-m buffer than in stream reaches with larger 15- and 70-m buffers and the unthinned reference units. Additionally, wood volume increased with drainage basin area. Only 45% of wood in late stages of decay could be associated with a particular source. Yet, 82% and 85% of sourced wood in early and late stages of decay, respectively, originated from within 15 m of streams. Expected continue low rates will likely result in declining volumes of wood in late stages of decay. Thinning and directional felling of logs into to streams could be used to augment wood volumes in the near term, and accelerate the development of large-diameter logs for future inputs. However, the relationship between instream wood loading and basin area suggests that instream wood loading depends on management across the entire watershed.