cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermally nitrided stainless steels for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell bipolar plates Part 2: Beneficial modification of passive layer on AISI446

Thermal nitridation of AISI446 mod-1 superferritic stainless steel for 24 h at 1100 ◦ C resulted in an adherent, inward growing surface layer based on (Cr, Fe)2N1−x (x = 0–0.5). The layer was not continuous, and although it resulted in low interfacial contact resistance (ICR) and good corrosion resistance under simulated polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) cathodic conditions; poor corrosion resistance was observed under simulated anodic conditions. Nitridation for 2 h at 1100 ◦ C resulted in little nitrogen uptake and a tinted surface. Analysis by SEM, XPS, and AES suggested a complex heterogeneous modification of the native passive oxide film by nitrogen rather than the desired microns-thick exclusive Cr-rich nitride layer. Surprisingly, this modification resulted in both good corrosion resistance under simulated cathodic and anodic conditions and low ICR, well over an order of magnitude lower than the untreated alloy. Further, little increase in ICR was observed under passivating polarization conditions. The potential of this phenomenon for PEMFC bipolar plates is discussed. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Controlling wind harvesting with wireless sensor networks

Harnessing wind near existing electrical infrastructure is a low-cost way to tap alternative energy sources. However, it should be done in a manner considerate to converter owners and neighbors. Wireless sensor networks can be used to control wind-to-electricity converters toward this goal and can aid toward re-scheduling electrical loads.
Collaboration and Confidentiality: Not a Paradox but an Understanding between Principals and School Counselors.

Student confidentiality can create challenges for both school counselors and administrators. The article addresses historical and ethical issues surrounding confidentiality in schools as well as me...
Performing and defying gender: An exploration of the lived experiences of women higher education administrators in sub-Saharan Africa

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the life and career paths of women higher education administrators in sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, the study sought to interpret the women’s experiences and identities, through the framework of intersectionality and gender performance, as ones that contributed to advancement within contexts traditionally barred to women. This research illustrates commonalities among the participants, elucidating the faith, family, and education as common constructs in their experiences and as mechanisms that propelled career trajectories. A major finding of the research is that the participants both preformed gender and defied it through the enactment of gender norms and personal agency, creating a threshold for their professional achievement in highly gendered cultures and institutions.
Tomographic imaging of collagen-mineral interaction: implications for osteogenesis imperfecta.

The novel method of high voltage electron microscopic tomography (3D) has been applied for the first time to examine ultrastructural features and spatial relations between collagen fibrils and mineral crystals in a mouse mutant (oim/oim) which replicates a moderate to severe form of osteogenesis imperfecta. The animal produces collagen consisting of the α1 (I) homotrimer and has a a brittle calcified skeleton. Three-dimensional image reconstructions of the Achilles tendons, which were found to mineralize in the mutant mice, revealed that their composite crystals were different in their structural appearance and spatial association with collagen compared to that determined in normal calcified tissues. These results indicate that the nature of the organic matrix of a mineralizing tissue critically influences the formation, structure, and location of the constituent mineral and, further, the data are interpreted as suggesting that the unusual structural and organizational interaction between mineral and coll...
Evolutionary biology: development with a bite

Predictions drawn from experiments on the growth of molar teeth in mice, and applied to a wide range of related species, provide a remarkable connection between developmental and evolutionary biology.
Radial Test Feeder including primary and secondary distribution network

This paper describes development of a three-phase unbalanced distribution network test case, considering primary and secondary level distribution systems. Primary feeders, lateral feeders, and secondary feeders are modeled from the substation transformer to the house level based on the network's physical hierarchical structure. Researchers can use the developed benchmark for test case analysis and to address issues associated with integration of rooftop photovoltaics (PVs) and distributed energy resources (DER) in existing unbalanced networks, including incremental power losses, voltage violations, voltage fluctuations, volt/var control, and other power quality concerns.
Drug Cytotoxicity Assay for African Trypanosomes and Leishmania Species

The trypanosomes and Leishmania species are parasitic protozoa that afflict millions of people throughout the world. If not treated, African trypanosomiasis and visceral leishmaniasis are fatal. The available drugs are severely limited by toxicity, marginal efficacy, the requirement for parenteral administration, and spreading drug resistance. In this study, a spectrophotometric assay was developed and validated for measuring the cytotoxicity of test compounds against axenically cultured bloodstream-form Trypanosoma brucei (African trypanosomes) and promastigotes of Leishmania donovani. Enzymatic hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl phosphate, monitored by a microtiter plate reader, is a reliable surrogate for parasite cell counts. The assay is simple, inexpensive, and highly reproducible. The coefficient of variation for EC50 values is < 10% for determinations obtained over several months. This method permits the rapid screening of candidates for much-needed new drugs against these parasites.
With Sadness Comes Accuracy; With Happiness, False Memory Mood and the False Memory Effect

The Deese-Roediger-McDermott paradigm lures people to produce false memories. Two experiments examined whether induced positive or negative moods would influence this false memory effect. The affect-as-information hypothesis predicts that, on the one hand, positive affective cues experienced as task-relevant feedback encourage relational processing during encoding, which should enhance false memory effects. On the other hand, negative affective cues are hypothesized to encourage item-specific processing at encoding, which should discourage such effects. The results of Experiment 1 are consistent with these predictions: Individuals in negative moods were significantly less likely to show false memory effects than those in positive moods or those whose mood was not manipulated. Experiment 2 introduced inclusion instructions to investigate whether moods had their effects at encoding or retrieval. The results replicated the false memory finding of Experiment 1 and provide evidence that moods influence the accessibility of lures at encoding, rather than influencing monitoring at retrieval of whether lures were actually presented.
A carbon-fiber electrode array for long-term neural recording.

Objective. Chronic neural recording in behaving animals is an essential method for studies of neural circuit function. However, stable recordings from small, densely packed neurons remains challenging, particularly over time-scales relevant for learning. Approach. We describe an assembly method for a 16-channel electrode array consisting of carbon fibers (<5??m diameter) individually insulated with Parylene-C and fire-sharpened. The diameter of the array is approximately 26??m along the full extent of the implant. Main results. Carbon fiber arrays were tested in HVC (used as a proper name), a song motor nucleus, of singing zebra finches where individual neurons discharge with temporally precise patterns. Previous reports of activity in this population of neurons have required the use of high impedance electrodes on movable microdrives. Here, the carbon fiber electrodes provided stable multi-unit recordings over time-scales of months. Spike-sorting indicated that the multi-unit signals were dominated by one, or a small number of cells. Stable firing patterns during singing confirmed the stability of these clusters over time-scales of months. In addition, from a total of 10 surgeries, 16 projection neurons were found. This cell type is characterized by sparse stereotyped firing patterns, providing unambiguous confirmation of single cell recordings. Significance. Carbon fiber electrode bundles may provide a scalable solution for long-term neural recordings of densely packed neurons.
The central auditory conduction at term date and three months after birth. II. Auditory brainstem response

Auditory cortical responses (ACRs) were recorded in 25 healthy mature newborns with a follow-up at 3 months. The waveform, latencies and amplitudes for the ACRs for this time period are studied. Topographic differences between the central and central-temporal derivations and changes between term and 3 months are found with respect to latencies and amplitudes for different peaks and troughs. The ACRs, obtained as a part of a protocol covering the entire auditory afference, offer consistent parameters, which can be used to study developmental neurophysiological properties of audition and which are potential diagnostic tools for the detection of deviant sensory or mental development.
Barrier Systems in the Inner Ear

Because of the highly complicated function of the central nervous system and sensory organs, barrier systems have necessarily developed to ensure stability of the extracellular fluids bathing these organs. Several barrier systems which can influence the composition of the inner ear fluids are discussed. They are the 1) blood-labyrinth barrier, 2) cerebrospinal fluidlabyrinth barrier, and 3) middle ear-labyrinth barrier. The experimental data are shown to indicate that these barriers serve to protect the inner ear through selective permeability. Arachidonic acid metabolites, particularly compounds of the prostaglandin series, were identified in perilymph, and were increased by the administration of stress-related hormones, and decreased after aspirin injection. The inner ear fluid composition responds to the changes of the surrounding fluid containing compartments. However, the degree of response appears to depend on the level of changes induced in the surrounding compartments. The concept of a threshold c...
Evaluation of Importance of Sentences based on Connectivity to Title

This paper proposes a method of selecting important sentences from a text based on the evaluation of the connectivity between sentences by using surface information. We assume that the title of a text is the most concise statement which expresses the most essential information of the text, and that the closer a sentence relates to an important sentence, the more important this sentence is. The importance of a sentence is defined as the connectivity between the sentence and the title. The connectivity between two sentences is measured based on correference between a pronoun and a preceding (pro)noun, and on lexical cohesion of lexical items. In an experiment with 80 English texts, which consist of an average of 29.0 sentences, the proposed method has marked recall of 78.2% and precision of 57.7%, with the selection ratio being 25%. The recall and precision values surpass those achieved by conventional methods, which means that our method is more effective in abridging relatively short texts.
Synthesis of a phosphoantigen prodrug that potently activates Vγ9Vδ2 T-lymphocytes.

Phosphoantigen-sensitive Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are important responders to infections and malignancy. However, the mechanisms by which phosphoantigens stimulate Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are unclear. Here, we synthesized phosphoantigen prodrugs and used them to demonstrate that intracellular delivery of phosphoantigens is required for their activity. The pivaloyloxymethyl prodrug is the most potent phosphoantigen described to date, with stronger stimulation of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells from human peripheral blood and greater ability to induce lysis of Daudi lymphoma cells relative to the previously most potent compound, (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMBPP). We demonstrate high binding affinity between phosphoantigens and the intracellular region of butyrophilin 3A1 (BTN3A1), localized to the PRY/SPRY (B30.2) domain, but also affecting the membrane proximal region. Our findings promote a phosphoantigen prodrug approach for cancer immunotherapy and unravel fundamental aspects of the mechanisms of Vγ9Vδ2 T cell activation.
SUDDEN INCREASE IN A RARE ENDEMIC CARNIVORE: ECOLOGY OF THE ISLAND SPOTTED SKUNK

The island spotted skunk (Spilogale gracilis amphiala), an insular endemic carnivore, recently increased unexpectedly from rarity to abundance on Santa Cruz Island, California. Two explanations have been proposed for this striking increase: competitive release due to decline of the island fox (Urocyon littoralis santacruzae) and vegetative recovery due to removal of feral livestock. To examine the causes and consequences of the increase, we assessed abundance, body mass, home-range size, spatial resource use (den sites and habitat use), temporal resource use, and diet of island spotted skunks during abundance in 2003–2004 and compared it with similar measures during rarity in 1992. Capture success of skunks increased exponentially from 1992 to 2004 (r ¼ 0.38), leading to extraordinarily high densities (9–19 individuals/km 2 ). Both body mass and home-range size remained unchanged, suggesting that per capita resource abundance was not higher in 2003–2004 compared to 1992. We found modest shifts in habitat use, diet, and possibly diurnal activity, providing some support for release from exploitative competition as an explanation for the increase. However, there was a marked shift in den selection, toward unprotected dens and away from multiple use, that is not likely attributable to either release from exploitative competition or to island recovery. Thus, our results suggest that, although both of these processes have likely played a role, release from interference competition also may be a factor behind the dramatic increase in number of skunks. Skunks on Santa Cruz Island may be nearing or even exceeding carrying capacity, and the future of the population and its effects on the endangered island fox remain unclear.
Nutritional Therapy of Infertility in the Male, with Special Reference to the Vitamin B Complex and Vitamin E1

IT HAS long been known that there is a relation between nutrition and fertility. Degenerative effects on the reproductive organs were among the most striking changes noted in early work on deficiencies of vitamin A, the vitamin B complex and vitamin E (1, 2, 3). Among these, the B vitamins have received less attention in this respect than the other two. Changes in the reproductive system in vitamin B deficiency have been variously attributed to an associated vitamin E deficiency and to the inanition which occurs in depletion of the B vitamins. With the isolation, identification and synthesis of various factors of the B complex, reinvestigation of the early work has already yielded further information. Lepkovsky and Krause (4) found in the study of pantothenic acid deficiency that if control animals were restricted in food intake so that their body weight approximated that of animals deficient in pantothenic acid, the percentage difference in the weight of the testes in the two groups exceeded several-fold...
Management and processing of respiratory care information in respiratory care departments

BACKGROUND: Though much research has been done to determine best practice and to examine the role of evidence-based guidelines and respiratory therapist (RT) driven protocols in enhancing patient care and reducing health care costs, very little attention has been paid to how respiratory care information is managed and processed. OBJECTIVE: To examine information systems currently used in respiratory care departments to determine if they are effective and efficient in managing and processing respiratory care information. METHODS: To 50 RTs at 16 respiratory therapy departments in New York, Houston, and Miami, we distributed questionnaires designed to determine the strengths, weaknesses, and usefulness of existing respiratory care information systems. There were 2 types of questionnaire: one for respiratory care managers and another for staff RTs. We used a combination of purposive and snowball sampling techniques to choose RTs to whom to send the survey. RESULTS: The response rate was 52%. Of the 26 respondents, 19 were staff RTs and 7 were managers. In the 16 departments that responded, 3 of the information systems were strictly paper-based, 12 were partially automated (combination of paper records and computer files), and 1 was fully automated. The respondents9 opinions about the usefulness of their information systems were: 19% said “very useful,” 23% said “useful,” 46% said “somewhat useful,” and 12% said “not useful.” All the respondents said that they rely on colleagues, books, and manuals for decision support, rather than on computerized decision-support systems. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the information systems used by the respondent RTs have marginal utility and have problems with data storage and retrieval, because either the systems do not employ computerized databases or the computerized databases do not have full-scale database management systems. Inadequate data storage and retrieval systems often lead to data redundancy and, ultimately, inaccurate information. Development of data models specific to the respiratory care profession may be necessary to build databases with conceptual schemas that accurately reflect the professional activities of RTs.
Letter to Mark Mazur (Treasury) and William J. Wilkins (IRS) Re: Possible New Regulations under IRC Section 2704(b)

Comments to Treasury and the IRS on possible new regulations to be promulgated under Internal Revenue Code Section 2704(b) -- enacted as part of Chapter 14 in 1990 -- modeled on a statutory proposal by the Obama Administration that never became law. The purpose of the new regulations would be to limit traditional valuation discounts for family owned businesses for estate and gift tax purposes. The author concludes that the in the absence of additional statutory authority that such regulations are likely to be invalid as both inconsistent with the purpose and intent of Chapter 14 and beyond the scope of existing Section 2704(b)(4).
New International IP Laws on the Horizon

The information community is a global community, this is well known. When I sit in a Russian Internet cafe and access LexisNexis (owned by Reed Elsevier, a Dutch multinational corporation), or sit in my office in Pittsburgh and review e-journals provided by Kluwer Online, I am interacting with the information world in a manner that was impossible a mere decade ago. This global influence also creates significant legal problems for information providers, such as identifying and selecting jurisdictions, determining the applicable law, and enforcing intellectual property rights. Partial solutions to these problems often take one of two forms. In some cases, information providers take steps to ensure that their content complies with as many countries’ laws as possible. This, however, can have the effect of limiting content availability for fear of running afoul of some country’s law. The alterative is new laws and treaties from multinational organizations such as the European Union and the World Intellectual Property Organization. Proposals from these organizations can address dozens of jurisdictions under a single legal umbrella, making compliance more manageable.The last several weeks have seen a number of developments in the international law-making front that warrant attention here in the U.S.
Demand for Telephone Services and the Welfare Effect of Smartphones

The advent of smartphones has caused a dramatic change in consumers' access to information and media. Using data on consumer telephone service choices, along with geographic data on cellular network infrastructure and software applications, we estimate the demand for telephone services. We allow for the possibility that consumers purchase both landline and wireless service. Among our results, we find weak evidence that landlines are complements to both traditional and smartphone wireless services, suggesting the growth of wireless should not be expected to completely eliminate the use of landlines. Using our demand estimates, we estimate the effect that smartphone availability has had on consumer welfare. We estimate that average monthly surplus (per-consumer) from smartphone introduction is approximately $21, which implies an aggregate monthly consumer surplus of approximately $3.96 billion for wireless consumers in the United States. These values represent lower bounds, with upper bound estimates approximately four times as large. This welfare increase is due to the expanded consumer choice set, as well as the effect that smartphone growth has had on improvements in cellular networks and a reduction in the price of wireless voice services.
Personal Communications Services—A Perspective

Personal Communications Services (PCS) is an emerging technology that aims to provide portable wireless access for both voice and data. The PCS instrument will be small enough to be carried in a shirt pocket and will be capable of accessing a range of competing networks. PCS is expected to integrate existing disparate services such as paging, cellular phones, indoor cordless and other wireless services into a single universal service that can provide any time, anywhere and any kind of communications. In the US, the FCC is expected to issue PCS licenses in the middle of 1994 and PCS services may be introduced by 1995. PCS is projected to gain market penetration of 50% of US households before the end of this decade. Perhaps the greatest challenge to the PCS industry is keeping costs sufficiently low to realize this market potential. In this talk, I survey the growth of wireless communications services, describe the technologies underlying PCS and explore opportunities for India in wireless communications.
Distributed fictitious play in potential games of incomplete information

We consider a networked multi-agent system with common unknown state of the world. A potential payoff function, that depends on the actions of agents and the state of the world, captures the system's global well-being. Agents with different information about the state of the world needs to reason about the actions of others to maximize the payoff. We introduce the distributed fictitious play algorithm as a decentralized decision-making model given only local network information in this setup. In the algorithm, agents observe past actions of their neighbors and keep an empirical distribution on the centroid population action. In addition, agents form beliefs on the state of the world through a parallel state learning process. At each stage, agents take an action that maximizes the expected global payoff assuming that others are going to play with respect to their estimated centroid empirical distribution given their belief on the state of the world. We show that this behavior converges to a consensus Nash equilibrium strategy when the potential payoff function is symmetric and agents reach a consensus in their beliefs on the state of the world fast enough. We exemplify the convergence behavior of the algorithm in a coordination game.
Association of Financial Strain With Symptom Burden and Quality of Life for Patients With Lung or Colorectal Cancer

PurposeTo measure the association between patient financial strain and symptom burden and quality of life (QOL) for patients with new diagnoses of lung or colorectal cancer.Patients and MethodsPatients participating in the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance study were interviewed about their financial reserves, QOL, and symptom burden at 4 months of diagnosis and, for survivors, at 12 months of diagnosis. We assessed the association of patient-reported financial reserves with patient-reported outcomes including the Brief Pain Inventory, symptom burden on the basis of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30, and QOL on the basis of the EuroQoL-5 Dimension scale. Multivariable linear regression models were fit for each outcome and cancer type, adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, insurance, stage at diagnosis, and comorbidity.ResultsAmong patients with lung and colorectal cancer, 40% and 33%, respectively, reported limited finan...
Properties of ices and grains - An experimental study

Proton irradiation of a variety of ice mixtures was carried out to study the effect of galactic cosmic ray irradiation of comets in the Oort Cloud. Three significant effects were noted: (1) production of new molecules; (2) production of a more energetic ice at low temperatures; (3) production of a non-volatile, complex organic residue. These phenomena suggest various effects on new comets approaching the sun including enhanced activity. Experiments on the condensation of silicate grains provide information on the condensation mechanism and properties of grains. Controlled annealing of the amorphous condensates shows how crystallization occurs. Infrared spectra of different stages of crystallization contain features that may identify composition, structure and history of refractory material.
Genetic testing for the enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome and mutation analysis of the SLC26A4 gene

OBJECTIVE DHPLC (Denatured high performance liquid Chromatography) and sequencing analysis were used to screen all exons of SLC26A4 gene in the patients with enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA). The phenotypes and genotypes of this disease were analyzed. METHODS Thirty-eight EVA patients from 35 families suffered from moderate to severe or profound sensori-neuro hearing loss were selected. Diagnosis was confirmed by high-resolution CT scan in each case. DHPLC-plus sequencing were used to analyze the genotype of SLC26A4 in each subject. RESULTS Thirty-two patients (32/35, 91.4%) were found to carry at least one mutation in the SLC26A4 gene. Eleven probands were homozygous for SLC26A4 mutations, 9 carried compound SLC26A4 mutations, while 12 were single heterozygous for SLC26A4 mutation. Eight types of SLC26A4 mutation were revealed. IVS 7-2 AG and 2168 AG were the most and second most common mutations, respectively.1199-1200insT,946GT,and 916-917 ins G were SLC26A4 mutations unreported hitherto, which may be specific to the Chinese population. CONCLUSION The EVA syndrome is a typical autosomal recessivehereditary disease caused by mutations in SLC26A4 gene. Genetic testing of SLC26A4 is the one of the important diagnostic methods for EVA syndrome.
The Development of Liposomes Containing Interferon Alpha for the Intravesical Therapy of Human Superficial Bladder Cancer

Current therapy of human superficial bladder cancer includes the intravesical administration of antitumor drugs and immunomodulators. The purpose of these studies was to determine whether phospholipid liposomes that bind to human bladder cancer cells can improve the delivery of interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) to neoplastic urothelium. The antiproliferative activity of free IFN-alpha and IFN-alpha encapsulated in liposomes was assessed in vitro against the human transitional cell carcinoma line 253J. The cells were exposed to free and liposome-encapsulated IFN-alpha for short periods ranging from 30 minutes to four hours, and inhibition of cell growth was determined three days later. The production of greater than 25 percent cytostasis of 253J cells by free IFN-alpha required four hours of continuous exposure. In contrast, IFN-alpha encapsulated in liposomes produced 35 percent and 60 percent cytostasis after a 30-minute and four-hour exposure, respectively. Liposome-encapsulated IFN-alpha was also effective (50 percent cytostasis) against a subline of 253J cells selected for resistance against free IFN-alpha. Liposomes containing IFN-alpha were stable in the presence of human urine. In vivo studies in mice showed that intravesical administration of radiolabeled IFN-alpha or radiolabeled liposomes did not yield significant systemic absorption and deposition in distant organs. Collectively, these results suggest that the encapsulation of IFN-alpha within multilamellar liposomes may augment its antiproliferative activity, overcome some forms of tumor cell resistance to IFN-alpha, and prove useful for intravesical therapy of superficial bladder cancer.
Effect of Anti-IL-15 Administration on T Cell and NK Cell Homeostasis in Rhesus Macaques

IL-15 has been implicated as a key regulator of T and NK cell homeostasis in multiple systems; however, its specific role in maintaining peripheral T and NK cell populations relative to other γ-chain (γc) cytokines has not been fully defined in primates. In this article, we address this question by determining the effect of IL-15 inhibition with a rhesusized anti-IL-15 mAb on T and NK cell dynamics in rhesus macaques. Strikingly, anti-IL-15 treatment resulted in rapid depletion of NK cells and both CD4(+) and CD8(+) effector memory T cells (TEM) in blood and tissues, with little to no effect on naive or central memory T cells. Importantly, whereas depletion of NK cells was nearly complete and maintained as long as anti-IL-15 treatment was given, TEM depletion was countered by the onset of massive TEM proliferation, which almost completely restored circulating TEM numbers. Tissue TEM, however, remained significantly reduced, and most TEM maintained very high turnover throughout anti-IL-15 treatment. In the presence of IL-15 inhibition, TEM became increasingly more sensitive to IL-7 stimulation in vivo, and transcriptional analysis of TEM in IL-15-inhibited monkeys revealed engagement of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, suggesting alternative γc cytokine signaling may support TEM homeostasis in the absence of IL-15. Thus, IL-15 plays a major role in peripheral maintenance of NK cells and TEM However, whereas most NK cell populations collapse in the absence of IL-15, TEM can be maintained in the face of IL-15 inhibition by the activity of other homeostatic regulators, most likely IL-7.
Current Techniques in Medial Thighplasty

The medial thigh area remains a troublesome region for body contouring in patients with generalized liphodystrophy and skin flaccidity. Skin laxity is one of the first signs of aging in the thighs and is often a harbinger of significant ptosis in the body. The use of suction-assisted lipectomy to contour the medial thigh can be used in those patients with lipodystrophy without skin laxity. However, this technique fails, in most circumstances, to remodel and tighten the inner thigh when the skin is thin and inelastic. In addition, aggressive liposuction may also result in conspicuous contour abnormalities. Rejuvenation of the medial thigh, in many patients, requires both removal of fat deposits as well as excision and redraping of the medial thigh skin. This is especially true in the massive weight loss (MWL) patient, where the skin laxity can be quite severe and extend down to, and even below, the knee.
Epidemiology of Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Background: Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder that is associated with serious clinical and health-related quality of life consequences. However, the true burden of ITP is not known because there is limited published data on its incidence and prevalence. Aims: To describe the incidence and prevalence of ITP over time among adults in selected European countries (United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands) and to ascertain whether ITP incidence and prevalence differ by age or sex. Methods: ITP incidence and prevalence rates were calculated from three healthcare databases: the General Practitioners Research Database (UK), the IMS Disease Analyzer (UK and Germany), and the PHARMO Database (the Netherlands). These databases contain longitudinal patient medical record information from selected general practitioners and specialists, using samples designed to be representative of the countries of interest. Patient information is acquired through electronic linkages to providers’ practices in the GPRD and IMS Disease Analyzer, and through the Dutch National Medical Registry in PHARMO. The study periods were 1990–2000 (GPRD), 1994–2003 (IMS Disease Analyzer), and 1991–2003 (PHARMO); analyses were restricted to persons 19 years and older. ITP diagnoses were identified using the ICD-9-CM 287.3 and ICD-I0-CM D69.3 codes. Incidence rates as calculated include only first-time diagnoses whereas prevalence rates include all new and existing cases during a given year. Results: As shown in the table, average ITP incidence and prevalence rates during the study periods (10 years or more) were generally similar in the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands; for example, average incidence rates ranged from 0.6–3.0 per 100,000 persons/year. Although the differences were relatively minor, in general, incidence and prevalence appeared to be highest in Germany and lowest in the Netherlands. From all databases and years of study, persons 60 years and older had the highest age/sex-specific incidence and prevalence. Incidence and prevalence rates were also generally higher (7–36%) among women than men. Summary/Conclusions: During all study years, the incidence and prevalence of ITP in the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands was less than 10 per 100,000 persons/year and was relatively stable over time. ITP was more frequent among women and persons over 60 years of age. While studies derived from databases of medical records have potential limitations, such as disease misclassification, selection bias, or omissions/recording errors, our findings are consistent with other published investigations showing that ITP incidence and prevalence is fairly low in European countries.
Money and Credit in Capitalist Economies: The Endogeneous Money Approach

(1992). Money and Credit in Capitalist Economies: The Endogeneous Money Approach. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 301-305.
Corporate governance in the wake of enron: An examination of the audit committee solution to corporate fraud

* Associate Professor of Law, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law; J.S.D. Columbia University School of Law, J.D. University of Miami School of Law; M.S. (Anatomy) University of Miami. This Article was presented in draft at the American University, Washington College of Law Symposium on Securities Regulation and Corporate Responsibility, and thanks go to symposium participants, whose questions and comments were helpful in the final product. Many thanks also go to Barbara Banoff, Mark Seidenfeld, and Theresa Beiner for offering their helpful comments and criticism. Thanks also to James Smith for his able research assistance. 1. See William S. Laufer, Corporate Bodies and Guilty Minds, 43 EMORY L.J. 647, 706 (1994) ("Large decentralized entities often distance themselves from the decisionmaking of management through delegation of responsibilities and employee empowerment."). 357
Invasive Species, Gondwana, Columbus, and Land-Care Professionals

Eurasian collared dove sits in a Norway maple outside my window. Improved Kentucky bluegrass greens my lawn. Dry cheatgrass covers the mountain a mile away. Rainbow and brown trout breed in a stream that ows from the mountain. Flattened raccoons lie rotting on our roads. DOI: 10.2458/azu_rangelands_v34i6_box
Abstract 11: Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein Is Required for VEGF-Induced Angiogenesis Through Regulation of VEGFR2 Internalization

Introduction— Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) is an arrestin-like scaffold protein. We have shown previously that it is necessary for the transactivation of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor 2 (VEGFR2) as well as promoting the migration and survival of endothelial cells (ECs). However, its roles in VEGF-induced angiogenesis and in vivo studies of TXNIP function have not been elucidated. Hypothesis— TXNIP regulates VEGF-mediated angiogenesis through modulation of angiogenic signaling pathways in ECs. Methods and Results— To determine the functions of TXNIP in ECs, we generated endothelial-specific TXNIP knockout (EC-TXNIP KO) mice (TXNIPflox/flox: Tie2-Cre/+). These mice displayed impaired capillary growth of the retinal vasculature compared to control mice. Furthermore, aortic rings from EC-TXNIP KO mice exhibited fewer and shorter vascular sprouts than those in control mice. To investigate the role of TXNIP in the regulation of VEGF-induced angiogenesis, we determined the subcellular localization of TXNIP in human umbilical vein EC (HUVEC). Immunofluorescence and cell fractionation studies revealed that upon VEGF stimulation (10ng/ml). TXNIP translocated from cytoplasm to the plasma membrane. There was a 9 fold increase of membrane associated TXNIP with a peak at 15 minutes compared to non-VEGF treatment cells. We hypothesized that membrane associated TXNIP may modulate VEGFR2 internalization and thereby affect VEGF-induced signaling and angiogenesis. To investigate this, we performed in vitro cell surface biotinylation assays in HUVEC. VEGFR2 internalization was decreased by 65% in TXNIP siRNA knockdown cells compared to control siRNA treated cells following VEGF stimulation. Consistent with this result, VEGF-induced phosphorylation of VEGFR2, PLCγ and ERK1/2 was decreased by knockdown of TXNIP. Significantly, TXNIP knockdown inhibited VEGF-induced proliferation and tube formation in vitro. Conclusion— Our results suggest that TXNIP can modulate VEGF-induced angiogenesis and signaling by regulation of VEGFR2 internalization.
Universalistic and Situational Imperatives in Strategic Planning Systems Design: A Canonical Analysis

This study seeks to improve our understanding of the design characteristics of effective strategic planning systems. Predictions drawn from two alternative models of systems design are tested with data from 54 business organizations. The findings suggest that the systems design task entails the confluence of both universalistic (“one best way’) and situational (“contingency” or “fit) imperatives.
Science based probability modeling and life cycle engineering and management

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the need for science based probability modeling of damage evolution, and distribution for use in life cycle engineering and management (LCEM) of modem, high value-added engineered systems. The essence of science based probability modeling of damage, evolution, and distribution is the formulation of a time dependent damage function that captures its functional dependence on all of the key internal and external variables, and their variability. As such, this damage function accounts for its mechanistic and statistical dependence on the key random variables. It is, thereby, the foundation for time-dependent probability analyses for estimating the distribution of damage, or the distribution in service lives, that are essential for system design and management. For the science based probability approach, experimentation is one of discovery and hypothesis testing to guide model formulation. This chapter presents the use of modeling of pitting corrosion and corrosion fatigue of aluminum alloys to illustrate the process of science based probability modeling and demonstrates the efficacy, and utility of the approach for estimating the evolution, and distribution of damage for LCEM of engineered systems.
Optimization of urinary dipstick pH: Are multiple dipstick pH readings reliably comparable to commercial 24-hour urinary pH?

Purpose Accurate measurement of pH is necessary to guide medical management of nephrolithiasis. Urinary dipsticks offer a convenient method to measure pH, but prior studies have only assessed the accuracy of a single, spot dipstick. Given the known diurnal variation in pH, a single dipstick pH is unlikely to reflect the average daily urinary pH. Our goal was to determine whether multiple dipstick pH readings would be reliably comparable to pH from a 24-hour urine analysis. Materials and methods Kidney stone patients undergoing a 24-hour urine collection were enrolled and took images of dipsticks from their first 3 voids concurrently with the 24-hour collection. Images were sent to and read by a study investigator. The individual and mean pH from the dipsticks were compared to the 24-hour urine pH and considered to be accurate if the dipstick readings were within 0.5 of the 24-hour urine pH. The Bland-Altman test of agreement was used to further compare dipstick pH relative to 24-hour urine pH. Results Fifty-nine percent of patients had mean urinary pH values within 0.5 pH units of their 24-hour urine pH. Bland-Altman analysis showed a mean difference between dipstick pH and 24-hour urine pH of -0.22, with an upper limit of agreement of 1.02 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45-1.59) and a lower limit of agreement of -1.47 (95% CI, -2.04 to -0.90). Conclusions We concluded that urinary dipstick based pH measurement lacks the precision required to guide medical management of nephrolithiasis and physicians should use 24-hour urine analysis to base their metabolic therapy.
Testing of Methods for Determination of Urban Runoff

A BRIEF OUTLINE OF VARIOUS METHODS DEVELOPED FOR THE CALCULATION OF URBAN STORMWATER RUNOFF IS PRESENTED. THE CHICAGO METHOD, THE ROAD RESEARCH LABORATORY METHOD, THE EPA STORM WATER MANAGEMENT MODEL, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI URBAN RUNOFF MODEL ARE TESTED IN THREE URBAN WATERSHEDS: CHICAGO 10-ACRE TRACT, OAKDALE 12.9-ACRE DRAINAGE AREA, AND BLOODY RUN 2,380-ACRE URBAN WATERSHED. ALL FOUR METHODS SUCCESSFULLY SIMULATE STORM WATER RUNOFF HYDROGRAPHS IN THE CASE OF THE TWO SMALL DRAINAGE AREAS. RUNOFF HYDROGRAPHS OBTAINED FROM (EPA) STORM WATER MANAGEMENT MODEL AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI URBAN RUNOFF MODEL ARE COMPARED WITH RECORDED HYDROGRAPHS AT THE OUTLET OF THE BLOODY RUN SEWER WATERSHED AT CINCINNATI, OHIO. THE COMPARISONS INDICATE THAT THE ESTIMATION OF THE INFILTRATION CAPACITY TO BE USED IN THESE MODELS IS OF PREDOMINANT IMPORTANCE IN THE CASE OF LARGE URBAN DRAINAGE AREAS. /ASCE/
The Four Discourses of Law: A Lacanian Analysis of Legal Practice and Scholarship

According to the picture implicit in the rules of professional conduct, the lawyer is a zealous advocate who owes an undivided duty to one client in the context of an adversary proceeding. This vision is certainly empirically incorrect today. It is a common complaint among transactional lawyers that the rules not only give little guidance on how to resolve many of the thorniest ethical issues they confront but that they pose potential conflicts with duties imposed by other law. The modern lawyer wears many hats. She is not merely the client's advocate, but his advisor as well. Lawyers interpret and help make the law, in their roles as negotiators, lobbyists, litigators, scholars, etc. Lawyers also directly engage in the making of positive law by acting as legislators, judges and regulators. As such, it is incumbent on the profession to consider the ethical implication of these activities. In this Article Prof. Schroeder proposes an analytical structure of lawyering as a first step in this ethically necessary process. Her taxonomy, based on Jacques Lacan's discourse theory, differentiates not only the various roles engaged in by the practicing lawyer. It can also be applied to legal scholarship. Over the years many scholars have critiqued the law and economics movement from a variety of perspectives yet, by and large, the law and economics movement has remained impervious to external criticism. Scholars who identify with the movement have largely failed not merely to respond to these criticisms, but to acknowledge the points made or address the issues raised. No doubt, many specific attempted critiques have failed because of their own weaknesses. Prof. Schroeder has elsewhere extensively criticized much of this work as reflecting romanticism, a philosophical position that implicitly accepts many of the basic assumptions of the law and economics movement. But this cannot entirely explain this phenomenon. Prof. Schroeder argues that from a technical psychoanalytic standpoint, law-and-economics and its critics are quite literally speaking different languages or "discourses" - law and economics, and other policy oriented scholarship, is a form of "university" discourse, while critical scholarship is a "hysteric" discourse. Moreover, each school unintentionally fails even to address their arguments to the other. As a result, conversation does not, and perhaps, cannot take place. In this Article Prof. Schroeder shows why communication must fail between these competing forms of scholarship as currently configured, in the hope of developing ways to mediate or translate between them.
“Pan-African Pessimism: The Man Who Cried I Am and the Limits of Black Nationalism”

John A. Williams’ 1967 novel The Man Who Cried I Am belongs to a tradition of African American writing on government conspiracies against minority populations, but far from being speculative, Williams’ novel coincides with documented government surveillance of Black Americans both within and outside the United States. This article traces the novel’s acknowledgment of and response to the monitoring of minority groups, the infiltration of those social circles by government agencies, and the implications of such infiltration for Black Nationalism. Official surveillance operations may be documented, but more subtle pressures operated through the aegis of cultural institutions and foundations, challenging Black writers to identify and navigate cooptation of their work and reputations by clandestine government agencies. These pressures remain in place 50 years after Williams published his novel, with renewed concerns of government surveillance and infiltration of movements such as Black Lives Matter.
Eating Disorders, Body Dissatisfaction, and Self-Esteem among South Korean Women

Because of Western influences on Asian culture, Asian women value thinness, which has led to a rise in eating disorders among them. The prevalence of eating disorders has increased steadily among Asian women over the past 20 years. Body dissatisfaction, which is an attitude associated with body image involving the disdain of one’s appearance and weight, is more common among women compared to men. Today, Korean women have greater body dissat- isfaction than do U.S. women, a difference that originates prior to adolescence. I examined how the Western mainstream media influences women’s self-image, determining that many women wish to look like celebrities. My findings supported cognitive-behavioral theorists’ proposition that low self-esteem and body dissatisfaction contribute greatly to restrained eating. Rapid social change in South Korea, from Confucian to democratic values, may have exacerbated development of South Korean women’s low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, and eating disorders.
Reliability Analysis of Nano-CMOS Logic Gates Under Process Induced Variations

The continuous scaling of CMOS processes resulted in continuing reduction in device dimensions. As devices are scaled down, the process induced variations result in an unpredictable operation of CMOS circuits. The proposed work studies the impact of the reliability-performance tradeoffs at CMOS circuits due to device variability at gate level. Reliability indices or probability of failure of some commonly used logic gates are developed. The impact of scaling serially-connected transistors on the reliability of logic gates is presented.
Endotoxin and [Formula: see text] Contamination in Electronic Cigarette Products Sold in the United States.

Background: Cigarette smoke contains microbes and microbial toxins, such as endotoxin and (1→3)-β-D-glucan, that may have adverse respiratory effects. To our knowledge, the potential for contaminat...