cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms Governing Interannual Variability of Upper-Ocean Temperature in a Global Ocean Hindcast Simulation

Abstract The interannual variability in upper-ocean (0–400 m) temperature and governing mechanisms for the period 1968–97 are quantified from a global ocean hindcast simulation driven by atmospheric reanalysis and satellite data products. The unconstrained simulation exhibits considerable skill in replicating the observed interannual variability in vertically integrated heat content estimated from hydrographic data and monthly satellite sea surface temperature and sea surface height data. Globally, the most significant interannual variability modes arise from El Nino–Southern Oscillation and the Indian Ocean zonal mode, with substantial extension beyond the Tropics into the midlatitudes. In the well-stratified Tropics and subtropics, net annual heat storage variability is driven predominately by the convergence of the advective heat transport, mostly reflecting velocity anomalies times the mean temperature field. Vertical velocity variability is caused by remote wind forcing, and subsurface temperature an...
φ meson production from\(p\bar p\) collisions at\(\sqrt s = 1.8\) TeV

Fermilab experiment E735 located at the CO intersection region of the\(\sqrt s = 1.8\) TeV\(p\bar p\) collider analysed over 900 Φ→K+K− events. Measured were the transverse momentum spectrum, the correlation between the average transverse momentum and the charged particle multiphcityNc, as well as the probability of Φ production per charged track,NΦ/Nc, versusNc. We have also made an estinate of the total inclusive cross section for Φ mesons,\(\sigma (p\bar p \to \phi X) = 7.3 \pm 2.2 mb\).
Epidemiology of acute respiratory infections

Nearly 25% of all deaths among children less than 5 years of age in developing countries are caused by acute respiratory infections (ARI). Estimates of annual mortality rates for ARI in infants range from 1.5 per 1,000 in North America to from 11 to 15 in 1,000 per Central and South America and Africa. Annual mortality rates for ARI for children 1 to 4 years of age ranged from 0.08 per 1,000 in North America to 1 to 1.5 per 1,000 in Central and South America and in Asia to nearly 5 per 1,000 in Africa. The economic consequences of even relatively benign ARI are substantial. In the United States, consumers spend about $2 billion per year for over-the-counter medications for ARI, and the total annual cost of ARI managed in outpatient settings is estimated to be more than $10 billion. There has been substantial variation both in the definitions of ARI and in methods of surveillance for ARI in various studies. Despite this, in most studies, infants and young children had 6 to 8 episodes per year of ARI. Although the frequency of ARI was similar in both developed and developing countries, the case-fatality rate is much higher in developing countries. It may be possible to prevent some of these serious infections with new vaccines against important causes of ARI in children (or with better distribution of currently available vaccines).
Nonlinear Strain Stiffening Is Not Sufficient to Explain How Far Cells Can Feel on Fibrous Protein Gels

Recent observations suggest that cells on fibrous extracellular matrix materials sense mechanical signals over much larger distances than they do on linearly elastic synthetic materials. In this work, we systematically investigate the distance fibroblasts can sense a rigid boundary through fibrous gels by quantifying the spread areas of human lung fibroblasts and 3T3 fibroblasts cultured on sloped collagen and fibrin gels. The cell areas gradually decrease as gel thickness increases from 0 to 150 μm, with characteristic sensing distances of >65 μm below fibrin and collagen gels, and spreading affected on gels as thick as 150 μm. These results demonstrate that fibroblasts sense deeper into collagen and fibrin gels than they do into polyacrylamide gels, with the latter exhibiting characteristic sensing distances of <5 μm. We apply finite-element analysis to explore the role of strain stiffening, a characteristic mechanical property of collagen and fibrin that is not observed in polyacrylamide, in facilitating mechanosensing over long distances. Our analysis shows that the effective stiffness of both linear and nonlinear materials sharply increases once the thickness is reduced below 5 μm, with only a slight enhancement in sensitivity to depth for the nonlinear material at very low thickness and high applied traction. Multiscale simulations with a simplified geometry predict changes in fiber alignment deep into the gel and a large increase in effective stiffness with a decrease in substrate thickness that is not predicted by nonlinear elasticity. These results suggest that the observed cell-spreading response to gel thickness is not explained by the nonlinear strain-stiffening behavior of the material alone and is likely due to the fibrous nature of the proteins.
“Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose”: Friday Night Lights and Victorian Fictions of Provincial Life

Friday Night Lights, the 2006-2011 television series about a Texas high school football team, owes a debt to readers of Victorian fictions of everyday life and provincial fiction. Habituated to the quotidian, readers of Victorian fictions of provincial life are arguably the best equipped for understanding the critically-acclaimed television series, for in it, like the fiction that precedes it, hardly anything of moment happens. Plot and telos are hardly the point; the series locates its energies in the stuff of everyday life rather than in the logic of suspense. Recent work on the provincial novel helps us understand the politics of FNL in a way that goes beyond its own explicit themes of race, class mobility, and education. That both the Democratic and Republican candidates for the U.S. presidency in 2012 used the fictional team’s mantra—“Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can’t Lose”—suggests the extent to which the ideas of the show tapped into a politics about nation. Paradoxically, the show’s deliberately provincial scope allowed it symbolically to unify the nation.
Effects of organotins on rat platelets

Incubation of rat platelets with organotins inhibited their capacity to take up 5-hydroxytryptamine-14C (5-HT-14C) and stimulated the release of preloaded 5-HT-14C as well as endogenous 5-HT. Similar but less pronounced effects also were observed when platelets from rats treated intraperitoneally with organotins were examined. The relationships of organotin structure to 5-HT uptake inhibition and 5-HT release were similar, with the most active compounds being the trisubstituted derivatives bis(tri-n-butyltin) oxide, tri-n-butyltin chloride, tricyclohexyltin hydroxide, tri-n-propyltin chloride, and triphenyltin hydroxide. Scanning electron micrographs revealed increased platelet aggregation and shape change in organotin treated samples as compared to vehicle treated controls. It was suggested that the action of organotins on rat platelets was due, at least in part, to their known ability to interfere with ATPase mediated systems.
Optimization in the design of fire weather monitoring networks

Abstract This paper discusses the development of two large-scale nonlinear optimization models, one stochastic and the other deterministic, for the optimal positioning of remote automatic weather stations (sensors) in an area of Southern California prone to forest fires. The requirements to implement the models under rather incomplete information are discussed and numerical results are presented which demonstrate the superiority of the stochastic model.
Noise-induced Stress in Hospital Patients: Coping and Nonauditory Health Outcomes

This study found that, for 150 postoperative male patients, degree of objective noise, intrinsic sensitivity of the person to noise, and noise-induced stress were positively related to coping, in t...
Comparative analysis of dendroecological methods used to assess disturbance events

Summary The use of dendroecological methods to identify and describe disturbance histories has become quite common, and numerous techniques have been developed. These methods simultaneously use accurately dated and measured tree rings and objective criteria to identify release events; i. e., sustained increases in radial growth. The goals of this investigation were to perform a literature review to identify the various methods used to identify release events, critically compare the methods, and use an appropriate method to describe the disturbance history of a mixed mesophytic old-growth forest of Ohio, U. S. A. Application of 30 different methods resulted in substantial differentes in the number of disturbance events and the disturbance return interval. Analysis of individual growth segments revealed a large portion to be non-normally distributed. Furthermore, non-normality was especially high during identified disturbance events. We subsequently modified an existing disturbance identification method by changing the measure of central tendency from the mean to the median growth rate since medians are more robust estimators of central tendency than means. Application of this running median method (> 25 or 50 % increase in radial growth when medians of adjacent 10-yr growth segments are compared) to tree-ring series obtained from the study site led to the identification of numerous synchronous and asynchronous radial-growth increases among the individual tress. Based an the observed release patterns, we hypothesize that the disturbance regime of the old-growth stand is best categorized by gap-phase dynamics.
DISTRIBUTIONS OF GAPS AND END-TO-END CORRELATIONS IN RANDOM TRANSVERSE-FIELD ISING SPIN CHAINS

A previously introduced real space renormalization-group treatment of the random transverse-field Ising spin chain is extended to provide detailed information on the distribution of the energy gap and the end-to-end correlation function for long chains with free boundary conditions. Numerical data, using the mapping of the problem to free fermions, are found to be in good agreement with the analytic finite size scaling predictions.
Characteristics of Amyloid-Related Oligomers Revealed by Crystal Structures of Macrocyclic β-Sheet Mimics

Protein amyloid oligomers have been strongly linked to amyloid diseases and can be intermediates to amyloid fibers. β-Sheets have been identified in amyloid oligomers. However, because of their transient and highly polymorphic properties, the details of their self-association remain elusive. Here we explore oligomer structure using a model system: macrocyclic peptides. Key amyloidogenic sequences from Aβ and tau were incorporated into macrocycles, thereby restraining them to β-strands, but limiting the growth of the oligomers so they may crystallize and cannot fibrillate. We determined the atomic structures for four such oligomers, and all four reveal tetrameric interfaces in which β-sheet dimers pair together by highly complementary, dry interfaces, analogous to steric zippers found in fibers, suggesting a common structure for amyloid oligomers and fibers. In amyloid fibers, the axes of the paired sheets are either parallel or antiparallel, whereas the oligomeric interfaces display a variety of sheet-to-sheet pairing angles, offering a structural explanation for the heterogeneity of amyloid oligomers.
Individual neurofilament subunits reassembled in vitro exhibit unique biochemical, morphological and immunological properties.

Abstract Purified bovine neurofilament (NF) subunit proteins were reassembled in vitro to form either homopolymeric or heteropolymeric intermediate-sized filaments using single or paired combinations of NF triplet proteins. Using conditions established for the reassembly of bovine NF triplet proteins2, we demonstrated that the low Mr NF subunit (NF-L) alone and in combination with the middle Mr NF subunit (NF-M) reassembled very efficiently, i.e. 95% of these proteins formed filaments within 90 min from the start of reassembly. In contra-distinction, the high Mr NF subunit (NF-H) alone and in combination with NF-M or NF-L underwent reassembly to a lesser extent, i.e. 62–88% of these proteins reassembled within 90 min. Immunolabeling of the reassembled NF polymers revealed striking differences in the organization of rod domain determinants. Specifically, antibodies specific for epitopes in the rod domains of NF-H, NF-M and NF-L failed to bind heteropolymeric filaments but recognized rod domains in the homopolymers. In contrast, antibodies specific to head and tail domains of all NF proteins labeled the reassembled hetero- and homopolymeric NFs. Double-labeling of heteropolymers demonstrated that pairs of different NF subunits coassembled into intermediate-sized filaments. Our results also showed that only copolymeric filaments of NF-L and NF-M, but not NF-L/NF-H and NF-M/NF-H were able to form long and stable 10 nm wide filaments. These observations provide new insights into the requirements for stable filament formation from NF subunits. In particular, they support the notion that only NF-L/NF-M, but not NF-L/NF-H or NF-M/NF-H might assemble into a stable filamentous network in vivo.
Stationary and Traveling Mesoscale Perturbations in the Kuroshio Extension Current

Abstract Several hundred XBT observations in the western North Pacific were collected each month over a 2½ year period 1976–78. They have been assembled into a monthly map sequence of thermocline temperature in the Kuroshio Extension Current, having 100 km spatial resolution. The overall time, men of the maps exhibits mesoscale (200–600 km) perturbations which correlate with several major bathymetric features, especially the Shatsky Rise. Time variability about the mean decreases significantly cast of the Shatsky Rise. In addition, time-variable mesoscale disturbances propagate zonally westward at ∼3.8 cm s−1. Attempts to explain the observed propagation phase velocity through simple analytic baroclinic Rossby wave theory lead to the implication that there exists in the region an eastward deep mean flow of 3 or 4 cm s−1. Direct current measurements of long duration are required to help resolve and explain these observations.
NMR relaxation at low temperature in one dimensional antiferromagnets: Comparison between and

Abstract The proton spin-lattice relaxation time T1 has been measured at low temperatures in spin 5 2 (CH3)4NMnCl3 (TMMC) and spin 1 2 CuCl22NC5H5 (CuPC). The two systems have very different temperature dependences which we attribute to the different spin values.
The female athlete.

Over time, women have become more extensively involved in athletic programs. The female athlete presents a unique challenge to sports medicine in general. Although specific types of injuries are the same as in the male athlete, the female athlete is at higher risk for some of these injuries. Injuries may be sport specific, but gender-related injuries are also related to morphologic and physiologic differences between the male and female athlete. This article reviews some of the differences between the male and female athlete and focuses on a few prominent injuries or risks related specifically to the woman athlete. Language: en
Directed forgetting and feedback in written instruction

In three experiments, we examined the effects of directed forgetting messages on item recall. Using a variety of materials and conditions, we observed no main effects of such messages on recall. However, analyses of question and feedback study time, response certitude, and conditional probability revealed a number of significant effects. Effects of feedback were consistently strong and may have masked the benefits of directed forgetting. Other results were consistent with previous research in the feedback paradigm.
Static fatigue in hydrated Portland cement

A review of some of the past and of present theories and experiments in areas of static fatigue of hydrated Portland cement mortar and concrete is presented in this paper. The effect of relative humidity and temperature on the ability of concrete beams to carry a constant load has been given little attention in the past. Present results indicate that the time to failure decreases with increased relative humidity and lower temperatures. Extensive material on glass is also presented and parallels between chemical attack on glass and concrete are studied. At the present time there are no extensive all inclusive theories to explain the effect of the temperature or relative humidity dependence on the time to failure.
Transient decay times and mean values of unsteady oscillations in transonic flow

Kerlick and Nixon (1981) point out that if the time-marching solution is stopped before the transient is complete and the steady state is reached, then the incorrect conclusion may be reached that a change in the mean lift has occurred in response to the oscillating motion of the airfoil when in fact no such change has occurred. For a narrow Mach number range, however, the time for the transient to decay and for a steady state to be reached is extraordinarily long. What is more, for a very narrow range of Mach numbers, a nonzero mean value of lift can occur for an airfoil of symmetrical profile oscillations about a zero angle of attack. The reason why this nonzero average lift occurs only over a narrow range of Mach numbers has so far not been obtained.
On the numerical stability of mixed finite-element methods for viscoelastic flows governed by differential constitutive equations

Mixed finite-element methods for computation of viscoelastic flows governed by differential constitutive equations vary by the polynomial approximations used for the velocity, pressure, and stress fields, and by the weighted residual methods used to discretize the momentum, continuity, and constitutive equations. This paper focuses on computation of the linear stability of the planar Couette flow as a test of the numerical stability for solution of the upper-convected Maxwell model. Previous theoretical results prove this inertialess flow to be always stable, but that accurate calculation is difficult at high De because eigenvalues with fine spatial structure and high temporal frequency approach neutral stability. Computations with the much used biquadratic finite-element approximations for velocity and deviatoric stress and bilinear interpolation for pressure demonstrate numerical instability beyond a critical value of De for either the explicitly elliptic momentum equation (EEME) or elastic-viscous split-stress (EVSS) formulations, applying Galerkin's method for solution of the momentum and continuity equations, and using streamline upwind Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) method for solution of the hyperbolic constitutive equation. The disturbance that causes the instability is concentrated near the stationary streamline of the base flow. The removal of this instability in a slightly modified form of the EEME formulation suggests that the instability results from coupling the approximations to the variables. A new mixed finite-element method, EVSS-G, is presented that includes smooth interpolation of the velocity gradients in the constitutive equation that is compatible with bilinear interpolation of the stress field. This formulation is tested with SUPG, streamline upwinding (SU), and Galerkin least squares (GLS) discretization of the constitutive equation. The EVSS-G/SUPG and EVSS-G/SU do not have the numerical instability described above; linear stability calculations for planar Couette flow are stable to values of De in excess of 50 and converge with mesh and time step. Calculations for the steady-state flow and its linear stability for a sphere falling in a tube demonstrate the appearance of linear instability to a time-periodic instability simultaneously with the apparent loss of existence of the steady-state solution. The instability appears as finely structured secondary cells that move from the front to the back of the sphere.
Performance of capacity constrained decision makers

In traditional formulations of a decision problem the set of possible decision rules D is limited only by mathematical restrictions. However, research in human information processing and decision making has frequently indicated that the decision rules actually used by human decision makers are constrained by the decision maker's information processing limitations. In this paper the impact of some information processing constraints on a decision maker's performance is investigated.
Fetal growth as measured by ultrasound

Until the last decade, investigation of fetal growth has been based on data from premature births and abortuses. Advances in ultrasound scanning have expanded the precision and uses of this technology in studies of fetal growth. Most ultrasound studies of fetal growth are based on clinical populations and are reported in clinical journals. The present paper reviews features of ultrasound technology relating to fetal measurement. The most commonly measured dimensions and their associated measurement errors, distributions and uses are detailed. Ultrasound studies of intrauterine growth retardation and in utero fetal weight estimation are critically reviewed. Finally, a comparison between the fetal growth curve based on ultrasound measurement and on data from preterm or aborted fetuses is compared. Critical comments on sample design and statistical treatment of the data from ultrasound studies is included in each of the areas discussed.
Birth Order Incidence among Institutionalized Drug Addicts Compared to National Norms

The relationship of drug use to the Adlerian concept of birth order was the focus of the present study. Generally, the objective was to determine whether there was a statistically significant overrepresentation of latter born children in a sample of drug addicts.The subjects were 95 male patients of the Mental Health Clinical Research Center of Fort Worth, Texas, who were randomly selected from the Center's total population of 273. All the subjects were classified as drug addicts by the Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act of 1966. Within the sample was a mixture of Anglo-Saxon, Negro, and Latin males of different ages, educational backgrounds, family incomes, and work experience.“Only children” were not used in this study because they constitute a distinct group and probably differ from first borns and latter borns in important ways.Birth order statistics from the sample were compared with national statistics on birth order which were derived from data given in Population Characteristics, Fertility of the ...
A Review of the Primer Approximation Multiplex PCR (PAMP) Technique for Detecting Large Scale Cancer Genomic Lesions

Primer Approximation Multiplex PCR (PAMP) is a recently introduced experimental technique for detecting large-scale cancer genome lesions such as inversions and deletions from heterogeneous samples containing a mixture of cancer and normal cells. In this chapter we will first review previous solutions for the problem of selecting sets of PAMP primers that minimize detection failure probability and subsequently review our approach based on integer programming formulations for inversion and deletion detections.
Musculoskeletal symptoms among poultry processing workers and a community comparison group: Black women in low-wage jobs in the rural South.

Background Poultry processing is characterized by rapid line speed and extreme division of labor. Morbidity associated with this work has been reported by scientists, journalists and workers in this fast growing industry. Methods Cross-sectional data from baseline measures of a cohort of black women employed in poultry processing (n = 291) and a community comparison group (n = 299) in rural North Carolina were used to evaluate musculoskeletal symptom reports and to explore factors associated with those reports. Recruitment of participants and collection of data were performed by women in the community circumventing the need to involve employers. Results Significant differences in musculoskeletal symptom prevalence were observed between women employed in poultry processing and those of similar economic status employed elsewhere in the same area of rural northeastern North Carolina. After adjusting for other factors independently associated with symptoms among these women including age, depression, and perceived isometric load at work, the prevalence of upper extremity and neck symptoms was 2.4 (95% CI 1.7, 3.2) times higher among women working in poultry processing. Conclusions The findings add to the documentation of occupational health concerns among vulnerable workers employed in poultry processing in our state; in this economically depressed area of rural northeastern North Carolina poultry processing is the largest single employer of women. On a larger scale, the potential magnitude of upper extremity morbidity among women employed in poultry processing should be viewed with the knowledge that poultry processing is a growing industry in the U.S. with work done largely by blacks and immigrants. Am. J. Ind. Med. 50:327–338, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Psychometric issues in “intelligent testing” using the null hypothesis approach

Abstract The analysis and interpretation of intelligence subtest profiles was authored primarily by A.S. Kaufman. He attempted to interpret learning styles of children from apparent extreme scores defined in terms of the difference between mean subtest composite score and mean score of the global score or factor from which the composite subtests were taken. Kaufman used a uniform difference value of 3 points, making many simplifying assumptions about the subtests. In this article these assumptions are examined. The difference variable is defined, and its variance, reliability, and standard error are derived. It can then be shown that two different subtests will in general not have the same characteristics, and consequently, a 3-point difference will select quite disparate proportions of a normal distribution. Two examples are provided to illustrate calculations and demonstrate this difference in proportion selected under a normal distribution. Whereas Kaufman's concept of score interpretation is not discredited, the implications for practitioners are that each subtest defined for learning styles must be separately examined and validated for prevalence in a population.
Quantitation of cell area on glass and fibronectin-coated surfaces by digital image analysis

By using digital image processing and analysis, two procedures were developed to rapidly measure the projected area of a field of adherent 3T3 fibroblasts without staining of cell borders. The cell area of newly attached and rounded cells with well-resolved borders was obtained by a gray value thresholding procedure. For cells that had undergone an appreciable degree of spreading, cell boundaries were less distinct and a nonlinear spatial Sobel filter was used, followed by thresholding. For both procedures, linear relations were observed between cell areas obtained from image analysis and cell areas obtained by tracing. The areas of a population of traced cells were not statistically different from the area distribution obtained by using the standard curves for the processed images. Uncertainty in the estimated mean area depended only upon the number of cells examined. Approximate numbers of cells required to obtain estimates of the mean are calculated. As an application of these procedures, cell areas were measured for 3T3 cells attached to glass and fibronectin-coated surfaces and were found to be significantly larger for cells spreading on fibronectin-coated glass than on glass alone. Increased cell area during spreading on fibronectin-coated surfaces was proportional to increased cell adhesivity after exposure to a shear stress of 58 dyn/cm2.
Glucocorticoid control of hepatic proline oxidase

Abstract Since adrenal corticosteroids are known to affect amino acid metabolism and gluconeogenesis, we examined the relationship of these hormones to hepatic proline oxidase, the mitochondrial enzyme degrading L-proline. In adrenalectomized rats hepatic proline oxidase activity decreased to about 50% of control levels within 5–6 days. This depressed activity can be restored to normal by 4 days of corticosteroid repletion. Treatment of intact rats with supraphysiologic doses of corticosteroid further elevated proline oxidase activity. The level in treated intact rats was threefold that of adrenalectomized rats. Kinetic analysis revealed that corticosteroid increased the amount of enzyme without altering enzyme affinity for proline. Administration of a single dose of corticosteroid to either adrenalectomized or intact animals increased enzyme activities, with a lag time of less than 2 hr. The maximum effect occurred 5–6 hr following injection. Since proline degraded by this pathway can contribute carbon skeletons directly to carbohydrate, corticosteroid induction of proline oxidase may play an important role in hepatic gluconeogenesis occurring with corticosteroid action.
Special Needs Plans And The Coordination Of Benefits And Services For Dual Eligibles

Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are a new type of Medicare Advantage (MA) plan with the potential to coordinate Medicare and Medicaid benefits and services for dually eligible beneficiaries. However, experience to date suggests that SNPs have not greatly expanded the number of people enrolled in joint Medicare-Medicaid products. SNPs need to have some contractual relationship with state Medicaid plans to add value for dually eligible beneficiaries beyond traditional MA plans. Although SNP enrollment is higher in states with such a relationship than in other states, several steps are identified to further expand this market and improve coordination between SNPs and state Medicaid programs.
A comparison of time-domain solutions for the full-wave equation and the parabolic wave equation for a diagnostic ultrasound transducer

A study of numerical solutions to the linear wave equation and the parabolic wave equation is presented. Finite-difference, time-domain methods are used to calculate the acoustic field emitted from a phased diagnostic ultrasound transducer in a non-attenuating medium. Results are compared to Field II, a simulation package that has been used extensively to linearly model transducers in ultrasound. The simulation of the parabolic equation can accurately predict the lateral beamplot for large f/#s, but, it exhibits 2-3 dB errors for small f/#s. It also overestimates the depth at which the focus occurs. For the considered array, it is shown that the finite-difference solution of the wave equation is accurate for a small and large f/#. The lateral beamplots and axial intensities are in excellent agreement with the Field II simulations.
Growing role of hedge funds in the economy

The objective of this article is to document the profound and growing role of hedge funds in the economy. It is accomplished through identification and analysis of numerous activities normally associated with hedge funds that have become an integral part of capital market activities. Examples include the phenomenal growth of exchange traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds that follow hedge fund strategies. The number of mutual funds that hedge, short sell and use leverage is increasing. Hedge funds are key suppliers of liquidity in the stock and US Treasury bond markets. Commercial banks are investing the mortgages they originate as opposed to selling them in secondary markets. Hedge funds make commercial loans and modify residential mortgages. They underwrite reinsurance policies. Hedge funds significantly influence corporate governance by playing key roles in acquisitions and corporate reorganizations. NASDAQ OMX recently began listing the alpha index options intended to allow investors to trade options on the relative performance of a stock or ETF as compared with SPY. Hedge funds invest in sovereign debt, negotiate good terms and reap the rewards. They launch philanthropic organizations. The legal and competitive landscape is evolving in such a manner that fosters hedge funds investment strategies for many years to come.
Combinations of abstract domains for logic programming

Abstract interpretation [7] is a systematic methodology to design static program analysis which has been studied extensively in the logic programming community, because of the potential for optimizations in logic programming compilers and the sophistication of the analyses which require conceptual support. With the emergence of efficient generic abstract interpretation algorithms for logic programming, the main burden in building an analysis is the abstract domain which gives a safe approximation of the concrete domain of computation. However, accurate abstract domains for logic programming are often complex because of the variety of analyses to perform their interdependence, and the need to maintain structural information. The purpose of this paper is to propose conceptual and software support for the design of abstract domains. It contains two main contributions: the notion of open product and a generic pattern domain. The open product is a new way of combining abstract domains allowing each combined domain to benefit from information from the other components through the notions of queries and open operations. The open product is general-purpose and can be used for other programming paradigms as well. The generic pattern domain Pat (R)automatically upgrades a domain D with structural information yielding a more accurate domain Pat (D) without additional design or implementation cost. The two contributions are orthogonal and can be combined in various ways to obtain sophisticated domains while imposing minimal requirements on the designer. Both contributions are characterized theoretically and experimentally and were used to design very complex abstract domains such as PAT(OProp⊗OMode⊗OPS) which would be very difficult to design otherwise. On this last domain, designers need only contribute about 20% (about 3,400 lines) of the complete system (about 17,700 lines).
Endocrinology: Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: pre-ovulatory serum concentrations of interleukin-6, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist and tumour necrosis factor-α cannot predict its occurrence

The pathogenesis of the ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is poorly understood. Since significant elevations in cytokines are found in OHSS, our objective was to conduct a prospective case-controlled study to assess if pre-ovulatory cytokine serum concentrations can predict its occurrence. The study group was selected from in-vitro fertilization patients who subsequently developed severe OHSS, along with a matched group who did not develop this complication (n = 20), and a healthy normal control group (n = 10). Interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) measurements were performed with sensitive immunoassays and confirmed with bioassays. Serum IL-6 (mean concentrations +/- SEM: 4. 38 +/- 0.36 pg/ml), IL-1RA (829 +/- 292 pg/ml) and TNFalpha (15.5 +/- 1.32 pg/ml) concentrations did not show differences throughout the normal menstrual cycle group. Cytokine variability and pre-ovulatory values were similar in OHSS compared to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) patients. However, average follicular phase serum IL-6 concentrations were higher in OHSS (8.71 +/- 0.41 pg/ml) and COH (7.66 +/- 0.38 pg/ml) patients than in normally menstruating women (4.34 +/- 0.99 pg/ml) (P < 0.0001). Pre-ovulatory serum IL-6 concentrations were also higher in OHSS (9 +/- 0.94 pg/ml) and COH (7.3 +/- 0.97 pg/ml) patients than in controls (4.57 +/- 1.1 pg/ml) (P < 0.01 and P < 0.04 respectively). All IL-1RA and TNFalpha concentrations were comparable in all the groups. This study suggests that cytokine measurements cannot be used to predict the occurrence of OHSS prior to the administration of human chorionic gonadotrophin.
Polymerization of styrene with n‐butyllithium in a batch reactor. A mathematical model

Sytrene was polymerized in a 0.8-liter vessel which was operated as an isothermal and a nonisothermal batch reactor. Styrene and n-butyllithium conversions were determined for different reaction times. Rate equations were developed by use of the isothermal data and then used to estimate the conversions for the nonisothermal experiments. The importance of using nonisothermal data in the development of rate equations is illustrated.
Comparing patency rates between external iliac and common iliac artery stents.

Abstract Purpose: Placement of intraluminal stents in the common iliac artery (CIA) and external iliac artery (EIA) has become an accepted therapy for treating localized arterial stenoses. The purpose of this study was to compare anatomic patency rates of stents placed in the EIA and CIA for occlusive disease. Methods: A radiologic computer database was used to identify 69 consecutive male patients at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center from February 1, 1993, through January 31, 1999, who underwent placement of 98 stents (82 Wallstents and 16 Palmaz stents) for physiologically significant iliac artery occlusive disease and varying degrees of chronic limb ischemia. Patients were followed up with surveillance duplex ultrasound scanning examinations 1 day after procedure, 3 months after procedure, and then at 6-month intervals after stent placement. Follow-up angiograms were performed for patients with duplex ultrasound scans that revealed velocities greater than 300 cm/s. Patient risk factors, iliac artery runoff, concomitant outflow procedures, and anatomic patency rates were compared between patients receiving EIA stents and those receiving CIA stents. Results: The mean age for the EIA stent group was 69 ± 1 years versus 66 ± 1 years ( P =.03) for the CIA stent group. Mean follow-up was 21.4 ± 2.1 months (± SE) for all patients. Patients with EIA stents had more ischemic lower limbs when compared with patients who had CIA stents ( P =.05). No differences were found between groups in risk factor analysis ( P = not significant). Lesion lengths were similar between groups: EIA, 4.6 ± 0.6 cm, and CIA, 5.3 ± 0.8 cm ( P = not significant). The following differences were noted on primary patency rates (EIA group vs CIA group): 1 year (93% vs 88%), 2 years (91% vs 85%), and 3 years (90% vs 78%) (Cox proportional hazards; P =.13). Conclusions: Anatomic patency rates for EIA and CIA stents appear to be similar despite the fact that patients with EIA stents were older and had more ischemic limbs compared with the patients who had CIA stents. (J Vasc Surg 2000;31:889-94.)
THE FORMATION OF CRATERS BY HIGH‐SPEED PARTICLES*

Some investigators have discussed the formation of craters by high-speed particles on the basis of experimental data taken over a limited velocity spectrum for the incident particle. Their interpretation of the data has been that the crater volume is proportional to the kinetic energy of the incident particle. In this paper, we discuss an approach to this problem that was originated by Opik for the formation of meteorite craters. Opik's theory is based on a hydrodynamic approximation similar to the approximation that has been successfully employed by Pugh in explaining the penetration produced by shaped-charge jets. The estimates of the mass of a meteorite based on Opik's theory differ radically from the estimates made by Rinehart that are based on the assumption that crater volume is proportional to the kinetic energy of the incident particle up to meteoritic velocities. The essential purpose of this paper is to reexamine both points of view in order to illuminate the details of their differences. Experimental evidence is presented from the study of shaped-charge jets that indicates that Rinehart's extrapolation is incorrect. The data from shaped-charge experiments are in rough agreement with Opik's theory.
Characterization of AlXGa1-xN Grown by MOCVD at Low Temperatures

The low temperature deposition (400-650° C) of AlxGa1-xN films by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) was characterized. Triethylgallium (TEG), trimethylaluminum (TMA), and ammonia (NH3) served as the precursors and both sapphire and silicon as the substrates with helium as the carrier gas. The deposition was operated at the atmospheric pressure. The crystallinity was improved even at low temperatures when AlxGal-xN was grown on a thin buffer layer of A1N at 400° C. With an AlxGa1-xN/AIN layered structure, epitaxial growth of AlxGa1-xN was obtained at 650° C on sapphire substrates. Auger results showed that the Al fraction x was less than 0.1. X-ray diffraction indicated a strong peak at 2 θ = 34.9 degrees for the (0002) planes from the film on sapphire substrates. The electron channelling pattern (ECP) of the film produced at 650° C revealed a 6 fold symmetry contrast pattern indicating the epitaxial growth of the film. Photoluminescence (PL) showed a dominant emission at 353 nm for the film on sapphire substrate. Surface morphology examined by SEM was featureless for the film produced at 500° C, while a relatively rough surface can be seen on the film produced at 650° C (5,000x). The band gap was measured as 3.56 eV. The Al mole fraction x in the alloy was observed to be lower than that in the gas phase.
The Effect of Decisions About Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage on Residential Property Values

National, regional, state, and local surveys have revealed that people have intensely negative images of “nuclear” and “radioactive” technologies, activities, and facilities, as well as associated fears of stigmatization. In light of these perceptions, the debate over where to temporarily store or permanently dispose of spent nuclear fuel (at the reactor site, an interim storage facility, or a permanent repository) provokes immense concern among possible host jurisdictions. To address these concerns, one needs to know if people's subjective opinions conform with the choices they make and are therefore reflected in their economic behavior. Argonne National Laboratory researchers used a hedonic model to complete a study of residential property value dynamics over a 5-year period within a 15-mile radius of two California nuclear power plants. They tracked the economic ramifications of decisions about the spent nuclear fuel stored at those reactors. The study revealed that no significant negative effects on residential property values resulted from a decision to move spent nuclear fuel from wet storage to a dry-cask storage facility or from a request to extend the reactor operating permit (given future changes in the type of nuclear fuel storage facility that would accompany such an extension).
Marital status and woman abuse theory

An area that has received insufficient attention in woman abuse studies is marital status. Although many feel that ending the marriage will end the violence, this may not be the case. An examination of National Crime Survey victimization data shows that most victims are, at the time of the interview, divorced or separated. There are reasons to believe that this is partially accounted for by the fact that many or even most women leave abusive relationships. If this is the case, then the traditional question of why women remain in battering marriages is improperly put. If most women do take appropriate steps, then we need much more information on both how women are victimized by ex-spouses and how women take active steps to improve their own lives.
Woven Masterpieces of Sikh Heritage: the stylistic development of the Kashmir shawl under Maharaja Ranjit Singh 1780–1839

Woven Masterpieces of Sikh Heritage: the stylistic development of the Kashmir shawl under Maharaja Ranjit Singh 1780–1839 Frank Ames Antique Collectors' Club, 2010 254 pp., £45.00/$89.50, ISBN 978-...
The use of the reconstruction plate in multiplanar tibial osteotomies in children

Purpose External fixation and cross-pin fixation appear to be the two most commonly used forms of fixation after a tibial osteotomy in children described in the literature. The purpose of this study is to describe our experience using a properly bent and contoured reconstruction plate for mismatched surfaces after a multiplanar tibial osteotomy.
A Preliminary Study of Inclusive Special Education Services for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children in California:

A sample of early childhood special education (ECSE) administrators in California was surveyed to gather information about the structure and organizational components of inclusive services for infants, toddlers and preschool-age children. The results indicate that the availability of inclusive services and type of service delivery models vary according to the child's age and disability. Programs for infants tend to be home based, and many infants have no opportunities for educational services in settings with typically developing peers. Services for preschoolers tend to fall into two configurations: children with mild disabilities who are frequently fully included and children with severe disabilities and low-incidence disabilities who are more often partially included or placed in special day classes only. The services provided most frequently in inclusive programs are related services and consultation to families, community preschools, and other agencies. In many programs, special education teachers do ...
The glycoprotein of vesicular stomatitis virus is the antigen that gives rise to and reacts with neutralizing antibody

The glycoprotein, but no other virion protein, of vesicular stomatitis virus was solubilized by the nonionic detergent Triton X-100 in low ionic strength buffer. The solubilized viral glycoprotein induced the synthesis of antibody that formed a single precipitin line with the glycoprotein and that neutralized the infectivity of the virus. The neutralizing activity of the antibody was efficiently blocked by purified glycoprotein.
The Variable Transmembrane Domain of Drosophila N-Cadherin Regulates Adhesive Activity

Drosophila N-cadherin (CadN) is an evolutionarily conserved classic cadherin which has a large, complex extracellular domain and a catenin-binding cytoplasmic domain. The CadN locus contains three modules of alternative exons (7a/b, 13a/b, and 18a/b) and undergoes alternative splicing to generate multiple isoforms. Using quantitative transcript analyses and green fluorescent protein-based cell sorting, we found that during development CadN alternative splicing is regulated in a temporal but not cell-type-specific fashion. In particular, exon 18b is predominantly expressed during early developmental stages, while exon 18a is prevalent at the late developmental and adult stages. All CadN isoforms share the same molecular architecture but have different sequences in their extracellular and transmembrane domains, suggesting functional diversity. In vitro quantitative cell aggregation assays revealed that all CadN isoforms mediate homophilic interactions, but the isoforms encoded by exon 18b have a higher adhesive activity than those by its alternative, 18a. Domain-swapping experiments further revealed that the different sequences in the transmembrane domains of isoforms are responsible for their differential adhesive activities. CadN alternative splicing might provide a novel mechanism to fine-tune its adhesive activity at different developmental stages or to restrict the use of high-affinity 18b-type isoforms at the adult stage.
Boiling enhancement by microgrooves

Several techniques have been proposed to improve the boiling heat transfer process, including surfaces with re-entrant holes, porous sintered metal coatings, etc. The purpose of this work was to examine the effect of circumferential microgrooves, produced by diamond-bit machining, on the film boiling heat transfer from a horizontal cylinder immersed in liquid nitrogen. The depth of the grooves was varied from 25 to 75 micrometers, and the width of the grooves was varied from 25 to 50 micrometers. Auxiliary tests were run using a cylinder with a smooth (polished) surface and one run was conducted with a cylinder having both circumferential microgrooves and longitudinal microgrooves. The boiling heat transfer coefficients were measured using a transient cool-down method.