cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SIDS and Infanticide Among Twins: Similar and Divergent Features 533

Background: Recent revelations of infanticide among SIDS cases diagnosed in multiple siblings have aroused concern that more misdiagnosed cases of infanticide may exist. Because twin births provide the opportunity to observe the fate of two offspring within a year's time the characteristics of SIDS and homicide among twin births were examined. Methods: U.S. Vital Statistics Linked Birth/Infant Death Certificate files for the years 1987 to 1991 were used. The population was limited to live births with birth weights ≥ 500 grams and gestational ages ≥ 24 weeks. A SIDS death was defined as a death attributed to an ICD-9 Code of 7980 that had an autopsy performed. A homicide was attributed to an ICD-9 Code of E9600 to E9689. As part of the analysis, an algorithm to match twins to their co-twins in order to measure differences in birth weight and age of death was used. Results: There were 1,056 SIDS deaths among twins over the 5 year period for a SIDS rate of 2.41/1000 live births. This compares to a SIDS rate among singleton births of 1.20 (risk ratio= 2.0). There were 60 deaths attributed to homicides among twins for a rate of 0.137/1,000 live births. This compares to 1,446 homicides among singleton births for a rate of 0.074(risk ratio=1.85). Among the matched twins the occurrence of a subsequent SIDS death in a twin pair was a rare event occurring among only 7 of 760 twin pairs that experienced SIDS(ratio=0.0092) while the ratio for subsequent homicide in twin pairs in which one twin had died of homicide was 3 of 36 (ratio=0.083). Simultaneous homicide occurred among 2 of the 3 twin pair, while among the 7 pair of SIDS deaths there was only 1 instance of a simultaneous death. Conclusions: These data suggest that the occurrence of both twins dying of SIDS is a rare event and that the occurrence of a simultaneous SIDS in a twin pair is very rare. When simultaneous SIDS occurs, closer scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the deaths may be merited to rule out the possibility of infanticide.
Microwave characterization of high-temperature superconducting thin films using stripline resonators

A method was derived for the extraction of the surface resistivity (Rs) of high-Tc superconducting (HTS) thin films at microwave frequencies, using a stripline resonator circuit. Surface resistivity values were calculated by measuring the difference in Q-values of a stripline resonator configuration when an HTS thin film was substituted for one of the metallic ground planes. Cryogenic tests were completed for several stripline resonator structures, yielding accurate predictions of the HTS thin-film performance at frequencies between 3 and 26 GHz (in harmonics of approximately 3 GHz). These results were then used to illustrate the dependence of HTS surface resistivity on frequency and temperature in the microwave frequency band.
Individual differences in conditioned reward: The observing procedure

Abstract In observing response procedures, participants respond to produce a stimulus (CS+) that is correlated with the occurrence of reinforcement even though there is no contingency between the observing response and reinforcement. The rate of responding to produce the CS+ is considered a measure of the conditioned reinforcement and considerable individual differences have been observed on this measure. The goal of this study was to examine individual differences in conditioned reinforcement among 36 undergraduates selected for self-reported levels of behavioral approach (BAS). The procedure involved tones as conditioned stimuli, one of which was correlated with receiving money (CS+), the other was uncorrelated with reward (CS0). Extending prior work, participants acquired differential observing for CS+ vs. CS0, and there were marked individual differences in observing behavior. Contrary to our prediction that high BAS participants would demonstrate greater conditioned reinforcement, group differences were not reliable overall. There was some evidence of more rapid acquisition of conditioned responding among high- compared to low-BAS participants. Possible reasons for the relatively modest association are discussed. The present data call attention to potential ties between the largely separate literatures of observing responses as measures of conditioned reinforcement and reinforcement-based models of personality.
Optimum Roughness for Minimum Adhesion

Surface roughness has a significant affect on adhesion. We used a single-asperity model to describe a smooth tip in contact with a rough surface and predicted that an optimal size of asperity will yield a minimum of adhesion. Experimentally, adhesive forces on silicon wafers with varying roughness were measured using AFM cantilevers with varying tip radii. It was found that minima do exist, and for all tip radii, the adhesion falls significantly for roughness greater than 1–2 nm and drops at higher roughness for larger tips. In addition to RMS roughness, the roughness exponent is another important parameter for the characterization of rough surfaces and its affect on adhesion was also investigated. We developed computer programs to simulate a set of fractal rough surfaces with differing roughness exponents. The adhesive forces between an AFM tip and the fractal surfaces were calculated and the adhesion was seen to decrease as the roughness exponent increases. This work should help minimize MEMS stiction and progress the understanding of nanoscale contact mechanics.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Role of disulphide and sulphydryl groups in clustering of enkephalin receptors in neuroblastoma cells.

Image intensified fluorescence microscopy has been very useful in visualising the patterns and mobility of receptors for epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin and α2-macroglobulin in intact cells1,2. Recently, we have synthesised a bioactive derivative of enkephalin3, Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-Phe-Leu-Lys-rhodamine, and used it for the microscopic visualisation and localisation of opiate (enkephalin) receptors in neuroblastoma cells4. In contrast to the case of polypeptide hormones1,2, where fluorescently labelled receptors are initially distributed uniformly and quickly form patches which are subsequently internalised1,2, the enkephalin-labelled receptor patches in neuroblastoma cells appear only slowly and are not internalised4. Sulphydryl groups are involved in the binding of opiates to brain membranes and may affect differentially the binding of agonists and antagonists5,6. Also, sulphydryl and disulphide groups are involved in the binding sites of adrenergic, cholinergic and muscarinic receptors7–11. These observations prompted us to examine the effects of disulphide and sulphydryl reagents on the clustering of opiate (enkephalin) receptors in N4TG1 neuroblastoma cells. We report here that in these cells there are reactive sulphydryl and disulphide groups which are essential for cluster formation (but not binding), and that a sulphydryl–disulphide exchange reaction may be involved in this process. In addition, the sulphydryl reagents seem to dissociate the two steps of binding and cluster formation, and thus provide a tool for studying the pharmacological importance of receptor clustering.
Characterization of zonal fractions of calf thymus DNA

Abstract DNA isolated from calf thymus nuclei is fractionated by zonal centrifugation into 40 sedimentation-rate classes and the reduced viscosity profile determined. This profile is divided into four fractions, I–IV, IV being the fastest sedimenting. The relative concentrations of repetitive DNA sequences in these is determined by hybridization on membrane filters and also hypochromicity by reannealing at 60 °. Repetitive sequences are found in all fractions, although they are slightly more abundant in the order III > II > I. Moreover, fractions I, II, III, act as good competitors in hybridization experiments with each other, implying that a high degree of complementarity exists between repetitive sequences in each of the fractions. Fraction IV had peculiar hydrodynamic properties which have provoked observations on DNA purification.
Settlement networks and the organization of lithic tool production in the Late Prehistoric period (a.d. 1000–1780), Lower Nueces River Valley, South Texas

Evidence from one of several Late Prehistoric settlement networks in the Lower Nueces River Valley in Texas demonstrates that base camps were surrounded by smaller-sized temporary camps. Local groups utilized nearby stone quarries, moved raw material to their settlements and reduced cores, preforms, and bifaces into tools for domestic use and portable toolkits. The Lower Nueces River Valley settlement organization and tool production during this period suggest restricted mobility, base camp sedentism, and abundant resource supply. This organizational structure promoted a complex foraging economy and perhaps the emergence of territorial clustering.
The stoichiometry of FeSe

Tetragonal iron selenide, FeSe, the layered parent compound of the recently discovered superconducting arsenide family, has previously been shown to be non-magnetic and superconducting with a critical temperature near 8 K. There has, however, been a lack of consensus as to whether selenium vacancies present due to large deviations from ideal stoichiometry are required to give rise to the superconductivity. Here we describe the results of experiments that demonstrate simply that superconducting iron selenide can only be synthesized as a pure material when near stoichiometric (i.e. FeSe). Significant selenium deficiency or excess gives rise to secondary magnetic phases, and a suppression of the superconductivity.
Television, Individualism, and Social Capital

Students of political culture and political theory (Pool 1990; Postman 1985; Merelman 1984, 1989, 1991; Habermas 1975) hypothesize that values associated with individualism have become increasingly prevalent in recent years, with distressing consequences for politics and governance. Putnam (1995), in an article that appeared in these pages, observes that there has been a decline of “social capital” in the United States since 1972 as well, as measured by the number of visits Americans make to family and friends, the number of organizations to which they belong, the amount of trust they report having in other people, and the amount of involvement they report in politics. Ehrenhalt, in his discussion of the tenure of the late Mayor Daley of Chicago, notes that the United States has changed from a society that reveres obedience, authority, order, and a closed political system, to one that reveres freedom, choice, and an open political system. To Americans of the baby-boom generation, authority will always be a word with sinister connotations, calling forth a rush of uncomfortable memories about the schools, churches, and families in which baby-boomers grew up. (1997, 85) It is not only the case that social capital has declined, but political capital, as measured by partisanship and confidence in the institutions of government, has also declined over the past several decades (Luttbeg and Gant 1995). If individualism is a causal factor in the decline of social and political capital, the relationship can be explained by the fact that individualism is by nature loose-bounded (Thompson, Ellis, and Wildavsky 1990); self-seeking behavior is the norm, as are self-negotiated relationships.
Relationship between Changes in Material Technology and Construction Productivity

There have been substantial changes in both material technology and construction productivity over the past several decades. By analyzing the changes in both material technology and productivity among 100 construction activities from 1977 to 2004, this research examines the strength and types of relationships that exist within these two occurrences. Through analysis of variance (ANOVA) and regression analyses, the researchers found that activities experiencing significant changes in material technology have also experienced substantially greater long-term improvements in both their labor and partial factor productivity. The research did find that a stronger relationship exists between changes in material technology and partial factor productivity than in labor productivity. The research also found that changes in the unit weight of materials had a significant relationship to labor productivity, while changes in installation and modularity had a significant relationship to partial factor productivity. The research findings will help industry practitioners to better understand how they may leverage technology to improve construction productivity, while also helping researchers understand the theoretical relationships between technology and construction productivity.
Determination of Effective Depth and Equivalent Pathlength for a Single-Fiber Fluorometric Sensor

The relationship between sample depth and the corresponding fluorescence signal excited and collected with a single-fiber fluorometric optical sensor has been theoretically derived. The effective depth, zeff, is defined as the sample depth from which 90% of the total fluorescence signal originates. This parameter can be theoretically predicted as a function of the fiber radius, r0, the acceptance angle, α, and the sample absorbance. For solutions of negligible absorbance, the effective depth is zeff=9r0 tan −1α. The theoretical expressions have been experimentally tested with the use of 100- and 200-μm-core fibers and Rhodamine 6G solutions of different absorbances.
Release of a membrane surface glycoprotein from human platelets by phosphatidylinositol specific phospholipase(s) C.

Phosphatidylinositol (PI) specific phospholipase C (Plase C) treatment of human platelets caused release of a surface glycoprotein in the medium. Human blood platelets were isolated by low speed centrifugation and surface glycoproteins were labelled with periodate/[3H]borohydride procedure. Intact surface-labelled platelets were treated with Plase C purified from culture filtrates of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) or Bacillus thuringiensis (BT). After Plase C treatments platelets were spun at low speed, pellet and supernatant were separated. The supernatant was further centrifuged at high speed (140 000 × g) for 30 min. The resulting supernatant and the pellet from low speed were subjected to SDS-PAGE analysis. Protein patterns were obtained by fluorography. Release of a specific glycoprotein of approx. 150 kDa in the medium was observed due to the PIase C treatment. Prolonged incubation of platelets in 0.25 M sucrose and depletion of NaCl concentrations also affected the release of this glycoprotein. BT-PIase C released more approx. 150 kDa protein than SA-PIase C. Western blot experiment with a monoclonal antibody (mAB), epitope SZ2, reactive to human platelet surface glycoprotein Ib (GPIb) complex, confirmed that released 150 kDa glycoprotein reacted with mAB of GPIb. The release of this protein by PIase C was not inhibited by proteinase inhibitors (EDTA, PMSF and leupeptin). Treatment of human platelet membranes with PIase C also caused release of this glycoprotein as evidenced by reactivity to GPIb-mAB. These studies demonstrate that PIase C treatment causes relase of 150 kDa glycoprotein from human platelet membrane surface. It is suggested that 150 kDa glycoprotein is anchored to PI in human platelets and that this glycoprotein represents the GPIb complex.
The effects of gap disturbance on nitrogen cycling and retention in late-successional northern hardwood-hemlock forests

Late-successional forests in the upper Great Lakes region are susceptible to nitrogen (N) saturation and subsequent nitrate (NO 3 − ) leaching loss. Endemic wind disturbances (i.e., treefall gaps) alter tree uptake and soil N dynamics; and, gaps are particular susceptible to NO 3 − leaching loss. Inorganic N was measured throughout two snow-free periods in throughfall, forest floor leachates, and mineral soil leachates in gaps (300–2,000 m2, 6–9 years old), gap-edges, and closed forest plots in late-successional northern hardwood, hemlock, and northern hardwood–hemlock stands. Differences in forest water inorganic N among gaps, edges, and closed forest plots were consistent across these cover types: NO 3 − inputs in throughfall were significantly greater in undisturbed forest plots compared with gaps and edges; forest floor leachate NO 3 − was significantly greater in gaps compared to edges and closed forest plots; and soil leachate NO 3 − was significantly greater in gaps compared to the closed forest. Significant differences in forest water ammonium and pH were not detected. Compared to suspected N-saturated forests with high soil NO 3 − leaching, undisturbed forest plots in these late-successional forests are not losing NO 3 − (net annual gain of 2.8 kg ha−1) and are likely not N-saturated. Net annual NO 3 − losses were observed in gaps (1.3 kg ha−1) and gap-edges (0.2 kg ha−1), but we suspect these N leaching losses are a result of decreased plant uptake and increased soil N mineralization associated with disturbance, and not N-saturation.
Are Teacher Perspectives Useful? Incorporating EFL Teacher Feedback in the Development of a Large-Scale International English Test

This aticle presents a case study incorporating English teachers’ perspectives into the development of a large-scale international English assessment, the recently developed TOEFL Junior® Comprehensive test. It discusses how stakeholder feedback gathered during test development supports the validity argument for score interpretation and the use of a newly developed test. When the pilot version of the test was administered, focus-group interviews were conducted to gather teacher perspectives on the test. Teachers of English as a foreign language in Korea from different types of institutions—public schools, private mainstream schools, and private after-school English enrichment programs—were invited to participate. This article discusses how the interviews were conducted and summarizes the teachers’ major comments about the test. Then, it discusses how the teachers’ recommendations and suggestions were reflected in the final test design decisions. During the decision-making process, the teachers’ comments w...
System Reliability analysis through corona testing

In the Reliability and Quality Engineering Test Laboratory at the NASA Lewis Research Center a nondestructive, corona-vacuum test facility for testing power system components was developed using commercially available hardware. The test facility was developed to simulate operating temperature and vacuum while monitoring corona discharges with residual gases. This facility is being used to test various high voltage power system components.
Prolonged microwave irradiation of rats: Effects on concurrent operant behavior

Two measures of performance were used to study the effects of pulse-modulated microwave radiation (PM MWR) on schedule-controlled operant behavior of rats: 1) cued (SD), fixed-ratio (FR) bar pressing for food reinforcement; and 2) noncued (Sd) bar pressing in the absence of food reinforcement. The animals were irradiated and the behavioral data were obtained concurrently, during daily three-hour sessions, five days per week for six to nine weeks. Each experiment began with a two to three-week baseline interval of sham irradiation; a two to three-week interval of sham irradiation followed the irradiation phase. The irradiated animals were exposed to 1.3-Ghz PM MWR (pulse width of 1 microsecond at 600 pulses per second) at whole-body, average specific absorbed-dose rates of from 1.5-6.7 m W/g. Control and irradiated animals were tested in identical, cylindrical waveguide exposure/behavioral assemblies; different groups of irradiated and sham-irradiated animals were used for each dose rate. At 1.5 mW/g, the levels of SD operant responding by control and irradiated animals were comparable, and showed similar progressive diminutions over the course of each daily session. Sd operant responding was more variable, but again comparable, with both groups showing similar, progressive declines in rate of responding during each session. At 3.6 mW/g, no specific effects on SD operant response rates were observed. However, there was an initial and transient increase in the rate of extinction of Sd responding. At 6.7 mW/g, SD response rates were slightly reduced, whereas there was a major reduction in noncued (Sd) operant responding followed by a sharp rebound during the first post-MWR week. This marked reduction in Sd operant responding at MWR onset was in contrast to the relative stability and persistence of FR responding for food reinforcement.
Peer assessment of competence.

Objective This instalment in the series on professional assessment summarises how peers are used in the evaluation process and whether their judgements are reliable and valid. Method The nature of the judgements peers can make, the aspects of competence they can assess and the factors limiting the quality of the results are described with reference to the literature. The steps in implementation are also provided. Results Peers are asked to make judgements about structured tasks or to provide their global impressions of colleagues. Judgements are gathered on whether certain actions were performed, the quality of those actions and/or their suitability for a particular purpose. Peers are used to assess virtually all aspects of professional competence, including technical and non-technical aspects of proficiency. Factors influencing the quality of those assessments are reliability, relationships, stakes and equivalence. Conclusion Given the broad range of ways peer evaluators can be used and the sizeable number of competencies they can be asked to judge, generalisations are difficult to derive and this form of assessment can be good or bad depending on how it is carried out.
Wiring buildings for good illumination

Progress in securing good illumination in buildings has been impeded seriously by lack of sufficient wiring capacity. The situation is reviewed in this paper in the hope of stimulating engineering interest and thus promoting wider use of practises which will insure reasonable prospect of adequacy of lighting circuits throughout the life of a structure.
Wave reflection from a sediment layer with depth-dependent properties

The reflection of plane acoustic waves at the water–sediment interface is analyzed. The sediments are modeled using Biot’s equations with depth‐dependent coefficients. Computations are made of the reflection coefficient as a function of the incident wave frequency and angle for representative sediment properties. The results are compared to those obtained by modeling the sediments as a homogeneous viscoelastic material and as a viscoelastic material with depth‐dependent properties. It is shown that both of these models yield predictions of the reflection coefficient that can differ substantially from the Biot model.
Optimal use of human and machine resources for Space Station assembly operations

This paper investigates the issues involved in determining the best mix of human and machine resources for assembly of the Space Station. It presents the current Station assembly sequence, along with descriptions of the available assembly resources. A number of methodologies for optimizing the human/machine tradeoff problem have been developed, but the Space Station assembly offers some unique issues that have not yet been addressed. These include a strong constraint on available EVA time for early flights and a phased deployment of assembly resources over time. A methodology for incorporating the previously developed decision methods to the special case of the Space Station is presented. This methodology emphasizes an application of multiple qualitative and quantitative techniques, including simulation and decision analysis, for producing an objective, robust solution to the tradeoff problem.
Transforming growth factor β enhances parathyroid hormone stimulation of adenylate cyclase in clonal osteoblast‐like cells

The effects of transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) on parathyroid hormone (PTH)-responsive adenylate cyclase were examined in clonal rat osteosarcoma cells (UMR-106) with the osteoblast phenotype. Purified TGF beta incubated with UMR-106 cells for 48 hr produced a concentration-dependent increase in PTH stimulation of adenylate cyclase, with maximal increase in PTH response (37%) occurring at 1 ng/ml TGF beta. TGF beta also enhanced receptor-mediated activation of adenylate cyclase by isoproterenol and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and nonreceptor-mediated enzyme activation by cholera toxin and forskolin. In cells in which PTH-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity was augmented by treatment with pertussis toxin, the incremental increase in PTH response produced by TGF beta was reduced by 33%. However, TGF beta neither mimicked nor altered the ability of pertussis toxin to catalyze the ADP-ribosylation of a 41,000-Da protein, presumably the alpha subunit of the inhibitory guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory component (Gi) of adenylate cyclase, in cholate-extracted UMR-106 cell membranes. TGF beta also had no effect on the levels of alpha or beta subunits of Gi, as assessed by immunotransfer blotting. In time course studies, brief (less than or equal to 30 min) exposure of cells to TGF beta during early culture was sufficient to increase PTH response but only after exposed cells were subsequently allowed to grow for prolonged periods. TGF beta enhancement of PTH and isoproterenol responses was blocked by prior treatment of cells with cycloheximide but not indomethacin. The results suggest that TGF beta enhances PTH response in osteoblast-like cells by action(s) exerted at nonreceptor components of adenylate cyclase. The effect of TGF beta may involve Gi, although in a manner unrelated to either pertussis toxin-catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of the alpha subunit of Gi or changes in levels of Gi subunits. The regulatory action of TGF beta on adenylate cyclase is likely to be mediated by the rapid generation of cellular signals excluding prostaglandins, followed by a prolonged sequence of events involving protein synthesis. These observations suggest a mechanism by which TGF beta may regulate osteoblast responses to systemic hormones.
Legislating Versus Campaigning: The Legislative Behavior of Higher Office- Seekers

How does a campaign for higher office affect legislators’ behavior on the floor of the House? I argue that legislators with progressive ambition have incentives to demonstrate policy specialization; however, these incentives are mitigated when ambitious legislators campaign for higher office. I develop a measure of policy specialization from floor speeches and test hypotheses with data from the careers of five classes of representatives in the U.S. House. Results show that higher office-seekers demonstrate greater specialization, except when they run for higher office.
Evaluating network information models on resource efficiency and application performance in lambda-grids

A critical challenge for wide-area configurable networks is definition and widespread acceptance of Network Information Model (NIM). When a network comprises multiple domains, intelligent information sharing is required for a provider to maintain a competitive advantage and for customers to use a provider's network and make good resource selection decisions. We characterize the information that can be shared between domains and propose a spectrum of network information models. To evaluate the impact of the proposed models, we use a trace-driven simulation under a range of real providers' networks and assess how the available information affects applications' and providers' ability to utilize network resources. We find that domain topology information is crucial for achieving good resource efficiency, low application latency and network configuration cost, while domain link state information contributes to better resource utilization and system throughput. These results suggest that collaboration between service providers can provide better overall network productivity.
Markers of ovarian reserve in young girls with Turner's syndrome

We describe a preliminary report identifying markers of ovarian reserve to identify candidates for ovarian cryopreservation. Among 14 patients with Turner's syndrome, those with a poor probability of fertility had a significantly higher FSH, lower inhibin A, and lower AMH compared with those with a fair probability of fertility.
Clients as “Partial” Employees of Service Organizations: Role Development in Client Participation

Clients of service organizations have important roles to perform in creating services. Yet, comparatively little attention has been directed at the participation of clients in complex and demanding client performance domains. In this paper, clients are viewed as “partial” employees and (1) a model of client involvement stages is proposed, (2) role definition and control for clients in complex service creation are discussed, and (3) attention to issues that emerge from this discussion is encouraged.
Canada's Assisted Human Reproduction Act: a chimera of religion and politics.

Caulfield and Bubela (2007) analyze the decision to criminalize somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in Canada in order to better understand how a statutory prohibition on certain types of scientif...
Nucleotide-Dependent Conformational Changes in the σ54-Dependent Activator DctD

Activators of sigma(54)-RNA polymerase holoenzyme couple ATP hydrolysis to formation of an open promoter complex. DctD(Delta1-142), a truncated and constitutively active form of the sigma(54)-dependent activator DctD from Sinorhizobium meliloti, displayed an altered DNase I footprint at its binding site located upstream of the dctA promoter in the presence of ATP. The altered footprint was not observed for a mutant protein with a substitution at or near the putative arginine finger, a conserved arginine residue thought to contact the nucleotide. These data suggest that structural changes in DctD(Delta1-142) during ATP hydrolysis can be detected by alterations in the DNase I footprint of the protein and may be communicated by interactions between bound nucleotide and the arginine finger. In addition, kinetic data for changes in fluorescence energy transfer upon binding of 2'(3')-O-(N-methylanthraniloyl)-ATP (Mant-ATP) to DctD(Delta1-142) and DctD suggested that these proteins undergo multiple conformational changes following ATP binding.
BKWC: An Empirical BKW Parametrization Based on Cylinder Test data

A database containing mostly cylinder test data for 42 explosives composed of C, N, O, H, F, and Cl was collected. The resulting detonation velocities, C-J pressure, adiabat energies, and total energies of detonation were used to reparametrize the BKW equation of state for the CHEETAH thermochemical code. The resulting parameter set, referred to as BKWC, reproduces detonation velocities and adiabat energies better than previous BKW parametrizations. The BKWR equation of state is found to be slightly better in yielding C-J pressures.
Stream: Low Overhead Wireless Reprogramming for Sensor Networks

Wireless reprogramming of a sensor network is useful for uploading new code or for changing the functionality of existing code. Through the process, a node should remain receptive to future code updates because reprogramming may be done multiple times during the node's lifetime. Existing reprogramming protocols, such as Deluge, achieve this by bundling the reprogramming protocol and the application as one program image, thereby increasing the overall size of the image which is transferred through the network. This increases both time and energy required for network reprogramming. We present a protocol called Stream that mitigates the problem by significantly reducing the size of the program image. Using the facility of having multiple code images on a node and switching between them, Stream pre-installs the reprogramming protocol as one image and the application program equipped with the ability to listen to new code updates as the second image. For a sample application, Stream reduces the size of the program image by 10 pages (48 packets/page) compared to Deluge. Stream is implemented on the Mica2 nodes and we conduct testbed and simulation experiments to show the reduction in energy and reprogramming time of Stream compared to Deluge.
End-of-Life Care in Critical Condition.

The article presents an overview of palliative care, which is defined as medical and other services that are offered to terminally ill patients in an effort to ease their physical and psychological pain and any disease associated symptoms. A discussion of misconceptions which members of the general public and medical professionals have about the terms palliative care, hospice and comfort measures, and of cultural norms and societal taboos related to end of life care, is presented.
Stress and radiation-induced activation of multiple intracellular signaling pathways.

Abstract Dent, P., Yacoub, A., Contessa, J., Caron, R., Amorino, G., Valerie, K., Hagan, M. P., Grant, S. and Schmidt-Ullrich, R. Stress and Radiation-Induced Activation of Multiple Intracellular Signaling Pathways. Radiat. Res. 159, 283–300 (2003). Exposure of cells to a variety of stresses induces compensatory activations of multiple intracellular signaling pathways. These activations can play critical roles in controlling cell survival and repopulation effects in a stress-specific and cell type-dependent manner. Some stress-induced signaling pathways are those normally activated by mitogens such as the EGFR/RAS/PI3K-MAPK pathway. Other pathways activated by stresses such as ionizing radiation include those downstream of death receptors, including pro-caspases and the transcription factor NFKB. This review will attempt to describe some of the complex network of signals induced by ionizing radiation and other cellular stresses in animal cells, with particular attention to signaling by growth factor and d...
A personal experience with factors influencing survival after elective open repair of infrarenal aortic aneurysms

Objective To investigate risk factors that influence survival after open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair in all elective patients treated by a single surgeon at a tertiary referral center. Methods The series includes 855 asymptomatic infrarenal AAAs in 732 men (86%) and 123 women with median ages of 69 and 71 years, respectively. Noninvasive myocardial imaging (n = 325), coronary arteriography (n = 418), or both were performed before surgery in 687 patients (80%), and 100 patients (15%) underwent preliminary coronary artery bypass grafting (n = 78) or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (n = 22) before their AAA procedures. Survival was assessed by using logistic regression analysis, proportional hazards models, and Kaplan-Meier estimations. Results The operative mortality rate was 2.5%, ranging only from 1.8% to 2.8% since 1980. Late survival rates (70% at 5 years, 36% at 10 years, and 16% at 15 years) also remained remarkably similar during five arbitrary intervals comprising the entire study period. On multivariable analysis, overall mortality rates were adversely affected by older age ( P P P P = .036), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( P = .012). The risk for any early or late death was favorably influenced by preliminary coronary artery bypass grafting or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.59-0.98; P = .035) even when a separate multivariable model was fit to accommodate nine other patients who also had preliminary coronary intervention but developed symptomatic AAAs before elective repair could be performed (hazard ratio, 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.61-0.99; P = .044). Conclusions Patient age and medical risk factors determine survival after open AAA repair to a very similar degree irrespective of the era when the operation is performed. In this particular series, preliminary coronary intervention seemed to benefit patients with severe coronary artery disease.
A Modified Ground-Motion Attenuation Relationship for Southern California that Accounts for Detailed Site Classification and a Basin-Depth Effect

The attenuation relationship presented by Boore et al. (1997) has been evaluated and customized with respect to southern California strong-motion data (for peak ground acceleration (PGA) and 0.3-, 1.0-, and 3.0-sec period spectral acceleration). This study was motivated by the recent availability of a new site-classification map by Wills et al. (2000), which distinguishes seven different site categories for California based on the 1994 NEHRP classification. With few exceptions, each of the five site types represented in the southern California strong-motion database exhibit distinct amplification factors, supporting use of the Wills et al. (2000) map for microzonation purposes. Following other studies, a basin-depth term was also found to be significant and therefore added to the relationship. Sites near the center of the LA Basin exhibit shaking levels up to a factor of 2 greater, on average, than otherwise equivalent sites near the edge. Relative to Boore et al. (1997), the other primary difference here is that PGA exhibits less variation among the Wills et al. (2000) site types. In fact, the PGA amplification implied by the basin-depth effect is greater than that implied by site classification. The model does not explicitly account for nonlinear sediment effects, which, if important, will most likely influence rock-site PGA predictions the most. Evidence for a magnitude-dependent variability, or prediction uncertainty, is also found and included as an option.
Gene delivery to in situ veins: differential effects of adenovirus and adeno-associated viral vectors.

Abstract Purpose: Gene transfer offers the potential to modify vein graft biology at the time of surgical implantation. Efficiency of gene delivery, stability of expression, and host responses are critical parameters for candidate vectors. We compared the effects of intraluminal exposure with adenovirus (AD) and adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors on transgene expression and monocyte adhesion (MA) in treated vein segments. Methods: Adult New Zealand white rabbits (N = 51) were anesthetized, and the jugular veins were cannulated bilaterally. Veins were gently distended with either vector (2·10 8 to 1·10 10 infective particles/mL) or vehicle (control) for 30 minutes, after which venous flow was restored. AD and AAV vectors encoding for the marker genes β-galactosidase (LacZ) and green fluorescent protein (GFP) were used. Vessels were explanted 2 to 40 days postinfection for analysis of gene expression (X-gal staining, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction), MA, and immunohistochemistry. Ex vivo adhesion assays used 51 Cr-labeled THP-1 cells. Statistical significance was tested by using analysis of variance with a P value less than.05. Results: All animals survived, and all treated veins were patent at sacrifice. Intraluminal exposure to AD at a titer of 1·10 9 resulted in near complete transduction of the endothelium at 2 days, with no detectable expression by day 14. At an equal titer of infectious particles, transgene expression was markedly less for AAV at 2 to 7 days, but improved at 2 weeks and persisted to 40 days. MA was significantly increased 2 days after AD exposure (2.7-fold vs control, * P Conclusion: AD-mediated gene transfer to vein segments resulted in robust, transient gene expression that disappeared after 2 weeks. In comparison, AAV-mediated gene delivery was less efficient, but resulted in delayed onset, persistent expression beyond 30 days. AD exposure induced an early increase in MA to the vein surface that was not seen with AAV treatment. Current generations of both AD and AAV vectors have significant, albeit different, limitations for vascular gene therapy. (J Vasc Surg 2000;31:1149-59.)
Sea Change: Charting the Course for Biogeochemical Ocean Time-Series Research in a New Millennium

Ocean time-series provide vital information needed for assessing ecosystem change. This paper summarizes the historical context, major program objectives, and future research priorities for three contemporary ocean time-series programs: The Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT), the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS), and the CARIACO Ocean Time-Series. These three programs operate in physically and biogeochemically distinct regions of the world’s oceans, with HOT and BATS located in the open-ocean waters of the subtropical North Pacific and North Atlantic, respectively, and CARIACO situated in the anoxic Cariaco Basin of the tropical Atlantic. All three programs sustain near-monthly shipboard occupations of their field sampling sites, with HOT and BATS beginning in 1988, and CARIACO initiated in 1996. The resulting data provide some of the only multi-disciplinary, decadalscale determinations of time-varying ecosystem change in the global ocean. Facilitated by a scoping workshop (September 2010) sponsored by the Ocean Carbon Biogeochemistry (OCB) program, leaders of these time-series programs sought community input on existing program strengths and for future research directions. Themes that emerged from these discussions included:
Epistemology-Based Context-Aware Semantic Model for Sustainable Construction Practices

AbstractOne of the key factors for enabling sustainable construction is promoting the acquisition of knowledge about sustainable construction practices (SCPs). Information retrieval (IR) is at the heart of knowledge acquisition. However, retrieving the right information about SCPs for the right context is not an easy task; information about SCPs is complex, interdisciplinary, multifaceted, and context sensitive. To enhance the process of IR, there has been recent calls for an information systems epistemology (the theory of knowledge and knowing) to support enhanced design and use of information systems based on a better understanding of knowledge and knowing. To address this need, this paper proposes an epistemology-based semantic model for representing and reasoning—in a context-aware manner—about the knowledge of SCPs and the process of knowing (i.e., acquiring) this knowledge. The proposed semantic model of SCPs is composed of a hierarchy of concepts, interconcept relations, and axioms. The model is in...
Hepatitis B virus, hepatitis non‐A, non‐B virus and hepatitis delta virus in lyophilized antihemophilic factor: Relative sensitivity to heat

Lyophilized plasma derivatives are more stable to heat than when they are in the liquid state. Commercial Factor VIII (antihemophilic factor) was seeded with a measured quantity of hepatitis B virus. The contaminated material was then lyophilized and subjected to heat of 60 degrees C for 30 hr. Chimpanzees were inoculated with the heat-treated antihemophilic factor or sham-treated antihemophilic factor that had been held at 4 degrees C. Surprisingly, hepatitis B virus survived the heating procedure with no apparent loss in titer: the incubation period to appearance of HBsAg was that expected for the challenge dose of virus. Even more surprising, one chimpanzee (the recipient of the unheated antihemophilic factor) also developed non-A, non-B hepatitis and two chimpanzees (recipients of the heated antihemophilic factor) also developed delta hepatitis. Neither of these agents was a contaminant of the hepatitis B virus challenge pool, since the purity of this hepatitis B virus pool was established previously in chimpanzees. Thus, both a non-A, non-B agent and the delta agent apparently contaminated the commercial antihemophilic factor. This is the first direct evidence for contamination of antihemophilic factor with the delta agent and confirms previous seroepidemiologic evidence for its presence in pooled plasma derivatives. Subsequent inactivation studies were performed with antihemophilic factor experimentally contaminated with the Hutchinson strain of non-A, non-B hepatitis virus. In these studies, heating at 60 degrees C for 30 hr in the dry state rendered antihemophilic factor free of detectable non-A, non-B hepatitis virus.
Litigant Status and Trial Court Appeal Mobilization

The advantages held by haves over have nots in litigation have long fascinated scholars, with a long line of research revealing that litigant status often affects litigant resources, experience, and chances of overall success from trial courts to appellate courts. What has received considerably less attention, however, is how this status affects the decision to appeal. Bringing a new perspective to this important area holding implications for the shape and content of the judicial hierarchy, this study analyzes the decision of the losing federal district court litigant to appeal to the US courts of appeals. Utilizing an original database containing a sample of federal district court civil cases decided between 2000 and 2004, the results indicate, as predicted, that litigant status differentials affect whether there will be an appeal. This influence is further magnified when conditioned upon the relative costs of the appeal. These findings provide one of the first detailed examinations of litigant status and appeals coming from US trial courts and, simultaneously, offer the first empirical evidence to date that business litigants, like previously known government parties, are advantaged over individuals when deciding whether to appeal.
Interventional Pain Treatments for Cancer Pain

Cancer pain is prevalent and often multifactorial. For a segment of the cancer pain population, pain control remains inadequate despite full compliance with the WHO analgesic guidelines including use of co-analgesics. The failure to obtain acceptable pain or symptom relief prompted the inclusion of a fourth step to the WHO analgesic ladder, which includes advanced interventional approaches. Interventional pain-relieving therapies can be indispensable allies in the quest for pain reduction among cancer patients suffering from refractory pain. There are a variety of techniques used by interventional pain physicians, which may be grossly divided into modalities affecting the spinal canal (e.g., intrathecal or epidural space), called neuraxial techniques and those that target individual nerves or nerve bundles, termed neurolytic techniques. An array of intrathecal medications are infused into the cerebrospinal fluid in an attempt to relieve refractory cancer pain, reduce disabling adverse effects of systemic analgesics, and promote a higher quality of life. These intrathecal medications include opioids, local anesthetics, clonidine, and ziconotide. Intrathecal and epidural infusions can serve as useful methods of delivering analgesics quickly and safely. Spinal delivery of drugs for the treatment of chronic pain by means of an implantable drug delivery system (IDDS) began in the 1980s. Both intrathecal and epidural neurolysis can be effective in managing intractable cancer-related pain. There are several sites for neurolytic blockade of the sympathetic nervous system for the treatment of cancer pain. The more common sites include the celiac plexus, superior hypogastric plexus, and ganglion impar. Today, interventional pain-relieving approaches should be considered a critical component of a multifaceted therapeutic program of cancer pain relief.
An operating system for a fault-tolerant multiprocessor controller

The development of an operating system that is a central component of a fault-tolerant multiprocessor is described. The operating system, while relatively simple and small, supports multitasking and multiprocessing, as well as both self-diagnostics and cross-diagnostics for fault detection. In the event of a fault, the system permits rapid reconfiguration in a manner that retains processing for the highest-priority tasks. Since the hardware needed to provide fault tolerance is available when there are no faults, the operating system can utilize this excess capacity to accomplish lower-priority tasks during normal operation. This approach yields graceful degradation in response to faults in the system components. >