cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Revisional Surgery: Sleeve Gastrectomy to Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass

Despite similar mid-term effectiveness of primary SG and lower rates of complications compared to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), long term outcomes show that many patients may need revisional surgery after SG mainly for weight regain or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, it is difficult to council SG patients about the true incidence of conversion of SG to RYGB due to the lack of large series with long-term follow up. Prior to converting SG patients to RYGB or other procedures, a thorough evaluation is required to evaluate the anatomy of SG, objective assessment for GERD, assessment of patient’s compliance and nutritional status. Further, all patients considered for conversion of SG to RYGB need assessment of their compliance to follow-up, behavioral and dietary recommendation of the dietitians and obesity medicine specialists as well a complete nutritional evaluation to assess for deficiencies that can affect a patient’s morbidity and quality of life. In patients with weight regain SG, the BMI at the time of the conversion plays an important role in which procedure is recommended and patients with super obesity (BMI > 50 kg/m2) are not recommended to undergo conversion of SG to RYGB. This is particularly important since weight loss is lower in patients undergoing conversion of SG to RYGB and the rate of complications is higher than primary RYGB.
Radioembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fastest-growing cancer worldwide, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Surgical resection, ablation, or transplantation is the best treatment option for patients with HCC. However, only about one-fifth of patients are suitable for such primary curative treatments due to underlying liver disease or rapid extension of the tumor. Image-guided locoregional therapies may prove an important alternative in this scenario, particularly transarterial radioembolization (TARE) with yttrium-90 (Y-90). Based on many studies, TARE can be considered a curative treatment option for patients with early-stage HCC, a bridge to transplantation, and a method for downstaging tumors to give patients with unresectable HCC a chance to potentially receive a curative treatment. TARE can be also combined with other treatment modalities to provide a better quality of life in patients when compared with systemic therapy in patients with unresectable HCC. Here, we discuss the use of TARE in the approach to HCC patients who are in early, intermediate, or advanced stages.
Defining Environmental Health Literacy

"Environmental Health Literacy" (EHL) is embraced as important for improving public health by preventing disability and disease from our environment. This study aimed to determine knowledge and skill items identified by Environmental Health (EH) professionals as being associated with EHL and to understand how these items rank by importance. Such a coordinated effort to tease out skills and knowledge needed for EHL had not previously been made. We utilized a mixed-methods approach of semi-structured interviews of 24 EH professionals and a quantitative survey with 275 EH professionals across the United States. Interviews identified 37 skill and 69 knowledge items, which were used to create the survey questions. Survey results indicate 32 knowledge items and six skill items considered essential by >50% of respondents where consensus was reached between professional groups (chi square test: p > 0.05). We further identified six knowledge items, which >70% of EH professionals agreed were essential for EHL. The identification of these knowledge and skill items sets the stage for further research that includes exploring agreement with more diverse stakeholders, developing comprehensive measures of EHL and evaluation of methods and materials designed to improve EHL.
MICROORGANISMS AND PROCESSES LINKED TO URANIUM REDUCTION AND IMMOBILIZATION

This chapter focuses on the microorganisms and electron transfer processes that are likely to impact the reductive immobilization of U(VI) in the contaminated terrestrial subsurface. It offers a perspective on how microbial eukaryotes may play a role in U(VI) biotransformation, and ends with a discussion of the nonreductive immobilization of U(VI) through microbially facilitated precipitation with phosphate. The mobility of uranium in porous media is mainly controlled by complexation and redox reactions. Extensive microbial community characterization has revealed a diverse assemblage of microbes encompassing all phyla within the domain Bacteria in the subsurface of the Oak Ridge Integrated Field Research Challenge (ORIFRC). Recent work shows that the subsurface Geobacter clade exhibits a remarkable genotypic and phenotypic plasticity and the 16S rRNA marker is not diagnostic for this plasticity. Field studies indicate that microbially mediated, reductive immobilization is a promising strategy for the remediation of U(VI) contamination in subsurface environments. To direct the function of subsurface microbial communities, and to achieve the aims of bioremediation and natural attenuation, genome-enabled studies are needed to directly link the phylogenetic structure with the metabolic activity of U(VI)-transforming microbial groups in situ. Expanded sequencing efforts will no doubt provide a clearer view of subsurface microbial community structure, but pure-culture studies are required for development of techniques to evaluate in situ function through quantification of gene expression patterns.
Ultraconserved non-coding RNA expression profiles in human prostate cancer

345 Completely conserved among human, rat, and mouse genomes, ultraconserved regions (UCRs) act as transcriptional enhancers and have been found to be associated with alternative splicing events. The data indicate that UCRs contribute to RNA surveillance in mammalian cells. A recent study has shown that transcripts encoded by UCRs are expressed in human tissues and their expression is altered in human cancer. Thus, these RNAs (ucRNAs) have been hypothesized to have a role in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prognosis of cancer. In this study we explored the role of ucRNAs in human prostate cancer by examining genome wide ucRNA expression patterns in resected prostate adenocarcinomas and also in androgen (AR) insensitive (DU-145) and sensitive (LNCaP) prostate cells lines stimulated with the synthetic AR ligand R1881. Usinga microarray containing 962 UCR probes, we identified expression patterns of ucRNAs that differentiate tumor tissues from non-tumor tissues and found association of ucRNA expression patterns with several phenotypes related to poor outcome including Gleason score, extraprostatic extension, and race/ethnicity. We also identified several ucRNAs that are differentially expressed upon AR stimulation. Lastly, we compared the expression of ucRNA with global mRNA and microRNA expression patterns to examine host, mRNA, and microRNA relationships that may yield novel insight into the function of transcripts derived from UCRs. Taken together this study suggests a significant association of ucRNAs with the pathogenesis of human prostate cancer.
Cutting-Plane Theory: Disjunctive Methods

This paper is a survey, with new results, of the disjunctive methods of cutting-plane theory, which were devised by Balas, Glover, Owen, Young, and other researchers, over the past half decade. The basic disjunctive cut principle is derived, its interrelations with the other cut-producing procedures are discussed, and applications of it are given. Many theorems from the literature are concisely proven, and a fairly complete bibliography is provided. In addition, several new results are presented, and finitely convergent disjunctive cutting-plane algorithms are given for a wide class of programs.
Public Health and the Law: Responding to Terrorism and Other Public Health Emergencies in New York

Report on symposium co-sponsored by Pace Law School, the New York State Judicial Institute, and the Westchester County Department of Health, and held at Pace Law School on Nov. 30, 2005.
The Types of International Folktales: A Classification and Bibliography (FF Communications, 284–86) (3 vols)

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Hans-Jorg Uther Year: 2004 Pages: 1440 Publisher: Academia Scientiarum Fennica/Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia ISBN: Part I: 90956-51-41-2, Part II: 90962-51-41-7, Part III: 90964-51-41-3 Prices: €90
Automatic analysis, theme generation, and summarization of machine-readable texts

Vast amounts of text material are now available in machine-readable form for automatic processing. Here, approaches are outlined for manipulating and accessing texts in arbitrary subject areas in accordance with user needs. In particular, methods are given for determining text themes, traversing texts selectively, and extracting summary statements that reflect text content.
Becoming an Adult in a Community of Faith

This chapter describes developmental needs of emerging young adults and how they are often met, or not met, in faith communities. The author offers recommendations for creating better connections with today's emerging young adults.
Detection of Epstein-Barr virus by polymerase chain reaction.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to study DNA extracted from the blood of 25 transplant patients, 5 patients with infectious mononucleosis, and 13 healthy subjects and autopsy or biopsy tissue from 29 patients with lymphoproliferative disorders. Primers were directed to conserved regions of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome encoding capsid protein gp220 and Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1. Specific EBV amplification was found in the blood of 11 of 25 transplant patients and all patients with infectious mononucleosis. All patients with lymphoproliferative disorders occurring in the presence of immunosuppression (eight organ transplant patients and two patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) had biopsies positive for EBV by PCR. Only 1 of 19 samples from lymphomas or leukemias unrelated to immunosuppression contained EBV. PCR confirmed the very close association of EBV and lymphoproliferative disorders occurring in the presence of immunosuppression. The significance of detecting EBV sequences in the blood of transplant patients, particularly in relationship to lymphoproliferation, requires further study. Images
MARKETS AND FREEDOMS: ACHIEVEMENTS AND LIMITATIONS OF THE MARKET MECHANISM IN PROMOTING INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS

in terms of utility-based Pareto optimality), rather than by accomplishments in promoting individual freedom. It is natural to suspect that there must be some links between welfareachievements and freedom-achievements (and also between failures in the respective areas), but we have to examine and scrutinize those links. We need to explore different aspects of individual freedom and their links, if any, with the nature of competitive market equilibria. The paper distinguishes between different aspects of freedom, involving in particular (i) substantive opportunities, and (ii) process considerations, such as decisional autonomy and immunity from encroachments. The competitive market mechanism is examined in the context of each of these considerations. In some respects the freedom-based approaches are more ancient than that of 'economic efficiency' (defined as efficiency in the space of utilities), but it is the latter that has by now become the standard procedure in economic theory for assessing what the market does or does not accomplish. This shift in
Adjuvant effects of low doses of a nuclease-resistant derivative of polyinosinic acid . polycytidylic acid on antibody responses of monkeys to inactivated Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus vaccine.

Polyriboinosinic.polyribocytidylic acid [poly(I).poly(C)] stabilized with poly-l-lysine and carboxymethylcellulose [poly(ICLC)] has been previously shown to be a compound with marked adjuvant activity when given in high doses with inactivated Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) virus vaccine. This study investigated the effects of much lower doses of poly(ICLC) on the magnitude and kinetics of the primary and secondary humoral antibody responses of rhesus monkeys to inactivated VEE virus vaccine. Monkeys given a single injection of vaccine developed very low neutralizing antibody titers, whereas those given adjuvant plus vaccine had 30- to 100-fold-higher titers which remained elevated for longer than 6 months. Low doses of poly(ICLC) given with VEE virus vaccine resulted in a profound but transient increase in priming of secondary antibody responses to the antigen. In contrast, the administration of poly-l-lysine and carboxymethylcellulose alone without the poly(I).poly(C) component of the complex had no adjuvant effect on antibody responses of monkeys to VEE virus vaccine. The temporal development of antibody by class (immunoglobulin M-immunoglobulin G) in monkeys given two injections of adjuvant-vaccine was not different from that with vaccine alone. Serial hematological and clinical chemistry determinations on monkeys given single or multiple doses of poly(ICLC) with vaccine were not different from values in monkeys given vaccine alone.
Fitness consequences of sex-specific selection

Theory suggests that sex-specific selection can facilitate adaptation in sexually reproducing populations. However, sexual conflict theory and recent experiments indicate that sex-specific selection is potentially costly due to sexual antagonism: alleles harmful to one sex can accumulate within a population because they are favored in the other sex. Whether sex-specific selection provides a net fitness benefit or cost depends, in part, on the relative frequency and strength of sexually concordant versus sexually antagonistic selection throughout a species' genome. Here, we model the net fitness consequences of sex-specific selection while explicitly considering both sexually concordant and sexually antagonistic selection. The model shows that, even when sexual antagonism is rare, the fitness costs that it imposes will generally overwhelm fitness benefits of sexually concordant selection. Furthermore, the cost of sexual antagonism is, at best, only partially resolved by the evolution of sex-limited gene expression. To evaluate the key parameters of the model, we analyze an extensive dataset of sex-specific selection gradients from wild populations, along with data from the experimental evolution literature. The model and data imply that sex-specific selection may likely impose a net cost on sexually reproducing species, although additional research will be required to confirm this conclusion.
Evaluation and comparison of multi-agent based crowd simulation systems

We present a novel automated technique for the quantitative validation and comparison of multi-agent based crowd egress simulation systems. Despite much progress in the simulation technology itself, little attention has been accorded to the problem of validating these systems against reality. Previous approaches focused on local (spatial or temporal) crowd patterns, and either resorted to visual comparison (e.g., U-shaped crowd at bottlenecks), or relied on ad-hoc applications of measures such as egress rates, densities, etc. to compare with reality. To the best of our knowledge, we offer the first systematic and unified approach to validate the global performance of a multi-agent based crowd egress simulation system. We employ this technique to evaluate a multi-agent based crowd egress simulation system that we have also recently developed, and compare two different simulation technologies in this system.
Optical Tooling For The Functional Alignment Of Tilted And Decentered Optical Trains

Optical systems with tilted and decentered components are being constructed on an ever-larger scale. In its simplest form such a system consists of many flat and spherical elements that are tilted and decentered about a central reference line, creating a rotationally symmetric array of subapertures. The final alignment accuracy largely depends on the precison with which the elements in a sector can be aligned to an arbitarily selected local reference line and to a global coordinate system. The alignment procedure must consider for practical reasons the use of standard optical test techniques performed with commercially available equipment. The techniques are based on autocollimation and boresighting, and the instrumentation used to project the test beams should be fundamental optical tooling or test instruments and surveying equipment. The alignment procedures are performed on an array of over 207 optical elements, which are arranged in rotational symmetry in a large vacuum/pressure vessel (power amplifier) as part of the Antares Laser at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The optical train of each sector (subaperture) is dissected into discrete functional longitudinal segments, for each of which an alignment theory is developed using functional alignment and quasi-alignment as overriding philosophies. The optical path must duplicate or approximate the path of the operational device over the range of the segment being aligned. To facilitate the techniques, we project alignment reference beams along the optical axes of the individual components and add auxiliary reference targets, reflectors, or simple modifications to standard instruments.
Long-range interactions in semiconductors

One derives an exponentially decaying interaction between atoms in semiconductors. The decay length is Dirac constant(2(m/sub 1/ + m/sub 2/)E/sub g/)/sup -/sup 1///sub 2//, where m/sub 1/ and m/sub 2/ are the valence-band and conduction-band effective masses and E/sub g/ is the minimum energy gap. It is shown that Weber's bond-charge model of lattice vibrations leads to exponentially decaying interactions. Comparing the experimental vibration spectrum and the theoretical decay length suggests that the flattening of the TA mode is due to this long-range interaction.
ENVIRONMENTAL CARCINOGENESIS IN MAN AND ANIMALS.

A presentation is made of conclusive and suggestive evidence from the literature concerning an extension of the natural and man-made environmental cancer hazards from man and experimental animals to domesticated and wild animals. Observations on many wild and domesticated animals are reviewed in relation to exposure to certain groups or types of suspected carcinogens: (1) aromatic amino-, nitro-, and azo- compounds; (2) coal tar and derivatives; (3) petroleum and derivatives; (4) arsenicals; (5) radioactive chemicals; (6) uv radiation; (7) lead; (8) selenium; (9) chlorinated hydrocarbons and other pesticides and herbicides (aminotriazole, beta-propiolactone, carbamates). Considerable emphasis is given to the use of urethan. Also discussed are (a) goitrogenic chemicals; (b) dietary additives, contaminants and deficiencies; (c) smegma. The paper is supplemented with 6 appendices with much additional detail on specific compounds, nature of exposure and population groups involved.
Bacterial chemotaxis enabled autonomous sorting of micro-particles

Autonomous manipulation and assembly at micro/nanoscale continues to be one of the main challenges of micro/nanorobotics. Biomotors are increasingly being considered as robust, versatile and cost-effective choices for a variety of micro/nanorobotic tasks. Here we propose utilization of motility and chemotaxis in flagellated bacteria for autonomous sorting of 6 µm and 10 µm micro-particles within a microfluidic platform. Difference in surface chemistry of the 6 µm and 10 µm particles are exploited to selectively assemble bacteria onto 6 µm particles and separate them from 10 µm particles via chemotaxis motility of the attached bacteria. It has been shown that within 1 hour, an increasingly larger number of 6 µm particles accumulate within a 600 µm radius, near the chemo-attractant source.
The Permanent Deformation of a Cracked Cantilever Struck Transversely at Its Tip

La presence d'une fissure meme stable dans une poutre cantilever peut avoir un effet dramatique sur la reponse structural de celle-ci. Non seulement l'amplitude de la deformation permanente peut etre fortement accrue mais la forme finale de la poutre endommagee peut etre affectee par la taille et la position de la fissure. On quantifie ces effets en analysant un modele simple de poutre fissuree avec une masse fixee a son extremite
Evaluation of effective atmospheric emissivity and parameterization of cloud at local scale

Abstract We have measured the radiation components continuously over a partially cheatgrass-covered area since October 1995 and compared the measured incoming longwave (atmospheric) radiation with that computed by Brutsaert's formula. Data analysis showed very good agreement between the measured and computed atmospheric radiation during cloudless periods. During cloudy conditions the measured atmospheric radiation is greater than that computed by Brutsaert's formula. The additional longwave radiation during the cloudy skies comes from clouds in the waveband which the gaseous emission lacks, i.e. from 8 to 13 μm (the so-called atmospheric window). We proposed an approach which uses the thermodynamic concepts and some climatic parameters to parameterize cloud at local scale. Based upon the proposed method, the cloud base height, cloud base temperature, and percent of sky covered by cloud can be evaluated continuously for any location without introducing any empirical and local constants.
Mechanisms of Antiviral Action of Plant Antimicrobials against Murine Norovirus

Numerous plant compounds have antibacterial or antiviral properties; however, limited research has been conducted with nonenveloped viruses. The efficacies of allspice oil, lemongrass oil, and citral were evaluated against the nonenveloped murine norovirus (MNV), a human norovirus surrogate. The antiviral mechanisms of action were also examined using an RNase I protection assay, a host cell binding assay, and transmission electron microscopy. All three antimicrobials produced significant reductions (P ≤ 0.05) in viral infectivity within 6 h of exposure (0.90 log10 to 1.88 log10). After 24 h, the reductions were 2.74, 3.00, and 3.41 log10 for lemongrass oil, citral, and allspice oil, respectively. The antiviral effect of allspice oil was both time and concentration dependent; the effects of lemongrass oil and citral were time dependent. Based on the RNase I assay, allspice oil appeared to act directly upon the viral capsid and RNA. The capsids enlarged from ≤ 35 nm to up to 75 nm following treatment. MNV adsorption to host cells was not significantly affected. Alternatively, the capsid remained intact following exposure to lemongrass oil and citral, which appeared to coat the capsid, causing nonspecific and nonproductive binding to host cells that did not lead to successful infection. Such contrasting effects between allspice oil and both lemongrass oil and citral suggest that though different plant compounds may yield similar reductions in virus infectivity, the mechanisms of inactivation may be highly varied and specific to the antimicrobial. This study demonstrates the antiviral properties of allspice oil, lemongrass oil, and citral against MNV and thus indicates their potential as natural food and surface sanitizers to control noroviruses.
Methods to improve dose uniformity for radioactive stents in endovascular brachytherapy

Abstract Intravascular brachytherapy (IVBT) has rapidly gained acceptance as a new treatment modality for reducing restenosis and improving the success rate of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Recent clinical results on patients treated with beta-emitting 32 P stents suggest that radiation reduces in-stent restenosis but may exacerbate neointimal growth at the edges of the stents. This has been referred to as the “candy wrapper effect.” It is well known that radioactive stents yield extremely inhomogeneous dose distributions, with low doses delivered to tissues in between stent struts, at the ends of the stent, and also at depth. Some animal model studies suggest that low doses of radiation may stimulate rather than inhibit neointimal growth in an injured vessel, and it is hypothesized that dose inhomogeneity at the ends of a stent may contribute to the candy wrapper effect. We present here a theoretical study comparing dose distributions for beta stents vs. gamma stents; “dumbbell” radioactive loaded stents vs. uniformly loaded stents; and stents with alternate strut design. Calculations demonstrate that dose inhomogenieties between stent struts, at the ends of stents, and at depth can be reduced by better stent design and isotope selection. Prior to the introduction of radioactive stents, criteria for stent design included factors such as trackability, flexibility, strength, etc. We show here that if stent design also includes criteria for strut shape and spacing that improved dose distributions are possible, which in turn could reduce the candy wrapper effect.
Neural Network and Observer-Based Compensation of Networked Control Systems with Packet Dropout

Abstract This paper investigates a new alternative approach to compensate for the effects of packet dropouts (data do not arrive at destination) on a dynamic networked control system (NCS). The approach uses an observer-based control computation using time-delay predicted values as the sampling times of the NCS. To obtain the predicted values of time delays we propose the use a one-step-ahead and multi-step prediction algorithms based on an adaptive time delay neural network (TDNN). The control gains are calculated using optimal control.
Solvation and hydrogen bonding in alanine- and glycine-containing dipeptides probed using solution- and solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

The NMR chemical shift is a sensitive reporter of peptide secondary structure and its solvation environment, and it is potentially rich with information about both backbone dihedral angles and hydrogen bonding. We report results from solution- and solid-state 13C and 15N NMR studies of four zwitterionic model dipeptides, l-alanyl-l-alanine, l-alanyl-glycine, glycyl-l-alanine, and glycyl-glycine, in which we attempt to isolate structural and environmental contributions to the chemical shift. We have mapped hydrogen-bonding patterns in the crystalline states of these dipeptides using the published crystal structures and correlated them with 13C and 15N magic angle spinning chemical shift data. To aid in the interpretation of the solvated chemical shifts, we performed ab initio quantum chemical calculations to determine the low-energy conformers and their chemical shifts. Assuming low energy barriers to interconversion between thermally accessible conformers, we compare the Boltzmann-averaged chemical shifts...
Regular breakfast consumption is associated with increased IQ in kindergarten children.

Abstract Background Studies have documented a positive relationship between regular breakfast consumption and cognitive outcomes in youth. However, most of these studies have emphasized specific measures of cognition rather than cognitive performance as a broad construct (e.g., IQ test scores) and have been limited to Western samples of school-age children and adolescents. This study aims to extend the literature on breakfast consumption and cognition by examining these constructs in a sample of Chinese kindergarten-age children. Methods This cross-sectional study consisted of a sample of 1269 children (697 boys and 572 girls) aged 6 years from the Chinese city of Jintan. Cognition was assessed with the Chinese version of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence — Revised. Breakfast habits were assessed through parental questionnaire. Analyses of variance and linear regression models were used to analyze the association between breakfast habits and IQ. Socioeconomic and parental psychosocial variables related to intelligence were controlled for. Results Findings showed that children who regularly have breakfast on a near-daily basis had significantly higher full scale, verbal, and performance IQ test scores (all p Conclusion Findings may reflect nutritional as well as social benefits of regular breakfast consumption on cognition, and regular breakfast consumption should be encouraged among young children.
The Obesity Paradox in Men Versus Women With Systolic Heart Failure

Obesity is common in heart failure (HF) and is associated with improved outcomes, a finding often termed the "obesity paradox." Although fat distribution varies by gender, the role of obesity in the outcomes of women compared to men with HF has not been well studied. In a cohort of patients with advanced systolic HF followed at a single university center, 2,718 patients had body mass indexes (BMIs) measured at baseline, and 469 patients with HF had waist circumferences (WCs) measured at baseline. Elevated BMI was defined as ≥25 kg/m(2). High WC was defined as ≥88 cm in women and ≥102 cm in men. The primary outcome was death, urgent heart transplantation, or ventricular assist device placement. The mean age was 53.0 ± 12.4 years, 25% of subjects were women, and the mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 22.9 ± 7.19%. In men, 2-year event-free survival was better for high versus normal BMI (63.2% vs 53.5%, p <0.001) and for high versus normal WC (78.8% vs 63.1%, p = 0.01). In women, 2-year event-free survival was better for elevated versus normal BMI (67.1% vs 56.6%, p = 0.01) but similar in the 2 WC groups. In multivariate analyses, normal BMI and normal WC were associated with higher relative risk for the primary outcome in men (BMI 1.34, WC 2.02) and women (BMI 1.38, WC 2.99). In conclusion, in patients with advanced HF, high BMI and WC were associated with improved outcomes in both genders. Further investigation of the interaction between body composition and gender in HF outcomes is warranted.
Stability of CIGS solar cells and component materials evaluated by a step-stress accelerated degradation test method

A step-stress accelerated degradation testing (SSADT) method was employed for the first time to evaluate the stability of CuInGaSe 2 (CIGS) solar cells and device component materials in four Al-framed test structures encapsulated with an edge sealant and three kinds of backsheet or moisture barrier film for moisture ingress control. The SSADT exposure used a 15°C and then a 15% relative humidity (RH) increment step, beginning from 40°C/40%RH (T/RH = 40/40) to 85°C/70%RH (85/70) as of the moment. The voluminous data acquired and processed as of total DH = 3956 h with 85/70 = 704 h produced the following results. The best CIGS solar cells in sample Set-1 with a moisture-permeable TPT backsheet showed essentially identical I-V degradation trend regardless of the Al-doped ZnO (AZO) layer thickness ranging from standard 0.12 μm to 0.50 μm on the cells. No clear “stepwise” feature in the I-V parameter degradation curves corresponding to the SSADT T/RH/time profile was observed. Irregularity in I-V performance degradation pattern was observed with some cells showing early degradation at low T/RH 2 ) at T/RH ≥ 70/70. Results of (electrochemical) impedance spectroscopy (ECIS) analysis indicate degradation of the CIGS solar cells corresponded to increased series resistance Rs (ohm) and degraded parallel (minority carrier diffusion/recombination) resistance Rp, capacitance C, overall time constant Rp*C, and “capacitor quality” factor (CPE-P), which were related to the cells’ p-n junction properties. Heating at 85/70 appeared to benefit the CIGS solar cells as indicated by the largely recovered CPE-P factor. Device component materials, Mo on soda lime glass (Mo/SLG), bilayer ZnO (BZO), AlNi grid contact, and CdS/CIGS/Mo/SLG in test structures with TPT showed notable to significant degradation at T/RH ≥ 70/70. At T/RH = 85/70, substantial blistering of BZO layers on CIGS cell pieces was observed that was not seen on BZO/glass, and a CdS/CIGS sample displayed a small darkening and then flaking feature. Additionally, standard AlNi grid contact was less stable than thin Ni grid contact at T/RH ≥ 70/70. The edge sealant and moisture-blocking films were effective to block moisture ingress, as evidenced by the good stability of most CIGS solar cells and device components at T/RH = 85/70 for 704 h, and by preservation of the initial blue color on the RH indicator strips. The SSADT experiment is ongoing to be completed at T/RH = 85/85.
EVIDENCE FOR A WEAK WIND FROM THE YOUNG SUN

The early history of the solar wind has remained largely a mystery due to the difficulty of detecting winds around young stars that can serve as analogs for the young Sun. Here we report on the detection of a wind from the 500 Myr old solar analog π1 UMa (G1.5 V), using spectroscopic observations from the Hubble Space Telescope. We detect H I Lyα absorption from the interaction region between the stellar wind and interstellar medium, i.e., the stellar astrosphere. With the assistance of hydrodynamic models of the π1 UMa astrosphere, we infer a wind only half as strong as the solar wind for this star. This suggests that the Sun and solar-like stars do not have particularly strong coronal winds in their youth.
Precision waveform shaping and precompensation for high data rate space communications systems

This paper studies a memory-based pulse shaping and traveling wave tube precompensation technique applied to high data rate satellite communications. Baseband I and Q waveforms are synthesized from data stored in a distributed arithmetic architecture. The waveforms are adjusted to minimize intersymbol interference spectral bandwidth and traveling wave tube distortion. We evaluate its performance in a simulated bi-phase shift keying (BPSK) link. The results show that memory-based precompensation has great potential to improve link performance.
Infrared Astronomy and Cosmology

The possible development of infrared astronomy has been a traditional area of concern for cosmologists because, after all, the light from a distant galaxy reaches us red-shifted, in the infrared if the galaxy is far enough away. There is additional interest now generated by the discovery of the cosmic microwave background, radio noise that seems to peak up in the distant infrared (Penzias & Wilson 1965). To show how the infrared observations stand in relation to experiments at other wavelengths, I have plotted in figure 1 some possible observations of extragalactic radiation, and also some upper limits on the intensity of extragalactic radiation. The frequency range in the figure covers most of the spectrum now open to astronomy, from radio waves to y rays. To include this broad band, I have plotted the logarithm of the frequency.
Microbial liquefaction of lignite pretreated with dilute acid at elevated temperature and pressure

Two microbial cultures—ML-13 (aCandida sp.) and LSC (a fungal isolate from the University of Arkansas)—have been employed in the direct liquefaction of Louisiana lignite. Lignite samples were pretreated with nitric acid and microbial culture broths at elevated temperatures and pressures. Subsequent treatment with active cultures and culture derivatives resulted in significant solubilization of the lignite. Up to 50% liquefaction of pretreated coal (20% HNO3 at ambient temperature and pressure) was observed in 4 d with ML-13 cultures, whereas almost 80% liquefaction occurred in a similar time period when exposing pretreated lignite to an autoclaved, cell-free culture broth.
Determination of death: perspectives from psychological assessment.

The judgment that human death has occurred is not easily, reliably, or confidently arrived at in increasing numbers of cases. In this paper difficulties surrounding the definition and determination of death are regarded as assessment problems to which concepts familiar to many psychologists are applicable. These concepts include multiple operational ism, exclusionary screening, false positive and false negative errors, and the idea of a “cutting score” for decisions regarding death. Recommendation is made for the examination of implicit weights used by physicians in combining information from various sources, to arrive at decisions regarding clinical death. Recent technological advances and concomitant social pressures have changed the nature of the assessment of death from a primarily criterion-related to a largely construct-oriented procedure.
Taxation and income distribution: The Colombian tax reform of 1974

Abstract In late 1974 the Government of Colombia implemented a major tax reform package embracing virtually all aspects of the revenue system. The reform was designed to serve allocative and stabilization as well as redistributive goals. This paper focuses upon the likely impact of the 1974 tax measures upon income distribution. Section 2 describes the prevailing distribution of income prior to the reform. Section 3 presents a short outline of the principal features of the 1974 package, and sections 4 through 6 provide an evaluation of its redistributive effects. The authors conclude that the initial impact of the reform was undoubtedly progressive, as it likely served to shift as much as 1.5 percent of GDP away from the top quintile of the income distribution.
A game-theoretic model for capacity-constrained fair bandwidth allocation

Data stream providers face a hard decision to satisfy the requirements of their subscribers. Each user has a minimum and a maximum required bandwidth. The server should be able to decide which requests can be satisfied and how much bandwidth will be allocated to each. We present a theoretical framework in a distributed mechanism for fair bandwidth allocation on a network with various bottleneck links. In our model, a user is guaranteed a minimum bandwidth and charged a price for the bandwidth allocated. A utility function is defined over the allocated bandwidth for a specific maximum requested bandwidth. We then present a non-cooperative game with social welfare function to resolve users' conflicting bandwidth capacity requests at bottleneck links. We also show that our proposed game-theoretic solution guarantees fair bandwidth allocation as defined in our residual capacity fairness. In order to guarantee the minimum bandwidth requirement, we integrate an admission control mechanism in our solution. However, global optimal admission conditions are not easy to implement for large networks. Therefore, we propose a distributed admission scheme. As a result, the paper presents fair and practical distributed algorithms for bandwidth allocation and admission control in enterprise networks. Our simulation and evaluation study shows that the distributed approach is sufficiently close to the global optimal solution.
A multimedia assessment framework for emission control strategies

The types and rates of pollutant emissions from coal-fired power plants depend on plant design, coal characteristics, and environmental control policy. A multiobjective approach to decisionmaking on pollution control standards is discussed which includes the multimedia (air, land, water) effects of the standards. A mix of objective and subjective information is utilized and is obtained by linking an environmental simulation model with a method for eliciting a multipollutant dose-response curve and a subjective assessment of the “ willingness to pay” to avoid one more unit of various impacts. This study suggests that trade-offs between direct measures of impacts, such as human health effects and control costs, can be made for regulatory standard setting.
Changes in knee joint function over a wide range of walking speeds.

OBJECTIVE: Changes in patterns of knee joint flexion-extension rotations, moments and powers were investigated during the stance phase across a wide range of walking speeds that includes the very slow speeds used by many patients referred for gait analysis. DESIGN: Each subject walked at 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125% of a scaled natural speed of 0.785 statures.s(-1). BACKGROUND: The results of earlier studies suggest that control subjects, as they walk at progressively slower speeds, increasingly use a large internal knee flexor moment in the early stance phase. METHODS: Eighteen healthy adult subjects (nine male and nine female) were tested. RESULTS: The shapes of the mean patterns were similar for the three fastest, most natural walking speeds. At the two slowest speeds, however, subjects used little knee flexion and small knee moments through mid-stance, resulting in negligible joint power through the first 80% of the stance phase. At these speeds, most subjects had moment patterns that could not be classified with confidence as 'normal' or as predominantly flexor or extensor. Only four subjects had knee flexor moment patterns at the slowest speeds, and these included much smaller flexor moments in the early stance phase than in some previous reports. RELEVANCE: Many patients walk at very slow speeds for which 'normal' joint kinetic patterns have not been described. The knee joint kinetic data provided here from healthy subjects is useful in helping to distinguish 'abnormal' patterns caused by neuromuscular pathologies or adaptations from patterns reflecting the effects of slow walking speed alone.
Salmonellosis complicating neoplastic diseases.

The incidence and clinical manifestations of salmonellosis in the population of patients with malignant diseases were studied. Thirty-three patients with salmonella infections were found among 38,675 new admissions between 1960 and 1968. Fourteen patients had minor infections, and 4 of these were asymptomatic. The remaining 19 patients were seriously ill with salmonellosis: 7 with gastroenteritis, 3 with peneumonia, and 9 with septicemia. Salmonella infections in patients with malignant disease of the hematopoietic system were particularly ominous. Seven of these 16 patients died. All but 3 of the 17 patients, however, with various other tumors, survived their infections.
Solubilization and Partial Purification of Dihydroxyacetone-Phosphate Acyltransferase from Guinea Pig Liver'

Dihydroxyacetone-phosphate:acyl coenzyme A acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.42) was solubilized and partially purified from guinea pig liver crude peroxisomal fraction. The peroxisomal membrane was isolated after osmotic shock treatment and the bound dihydroxyacetone-phosphate acyltransferase was solubilized by treatment with a mixture of KCl-sodium cholate. The solubilized enzyme was partially purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation followed by Sepharose 6B gel filtration. The enzyme was purified 1200-fold relative to the guinea pig liver homogenate and 80- to 100-fold from the crude peroxisomal fraction, with an overall yield of 25-30% from peroxisomes. The partially purified enzyme was stimulated two- to fourfold by Asolectin (a soybean phospholipid preparation), and also by individual classes of phospholipid such as phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylglycerol. The kinetic properties of the enzyme showed that in the absence of Asolectin there was a discontinuity in the reciprocal plot indicating two different apparent Km values (0.1 and 0.5 mM) for dihydroxyacetone phosphate. The Vmax was 333 nmol/min/mg protein. In the presence of Asolectin the reciprocal plot was linear, with a Km = 0.1 mM and no change in Vmax. The enzyme catalyzed both an exchange of acyl groups between dihydroxyacetone phosphate and palmitoyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate in the presence of CoA and the formation of palmitoyl [3H]coenzyme A from palmitoyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate and [3H]coenzyme A, indicating that the reaction is reversible. The partially purified enzyme preparation had negligible glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.15) activity.
What Educators Need to Know About Abused Children With Disabilities

In this article, the authors discuss factors that contribute to increased risk of child maltreatment for children with disabilities and outline multidisciplinary prevention and intervention strategies that focus on partnerships with educators and child protection professionals. The authors discuss interventions related to the identification and reporting of child abuse and neglect, collaboration among education and child welfare systems and academic programs, and direct interventions with children and families. The authors advocate a multidisciplinary approach to the problem.
Biomimetic technique for adhesion-based collection and separation of cells in a microfluidic channel

A basic step in many biological assays is separating and isolating different types of cells from raw samples. To better meet these requirements in microfluidic devices for miniature biomedical analytical systems, an alternative method for separating cells has been devised by mimicking the physiological process of leukocyte recruitment to blood vessel walls: adhesive cell rolling and transient tethering. Reproducing these interactions for cells on surfaces of microstructured fluidic channels can serve to capture and concentrate cells and even to fractionate different cell types from a continuously flowing sample. To demonstrate this principle, two designs for microstructured fluidic channels were fabricated: an array of Square pillars and another with slender, Offset pillars. These structures were coated with E-selectin IgG chimera and the interactions of HL-60 and U-937 cells with these structures were characterized. With inflow of fluidic cell suspensions, the structures were able to efficiently capture and arrest cells directly from the rapid free stream flow. After capture, cells transit through the channel in three phases: cell rolling, cell tethering, and transient re-suspension in free stream flow before re-capture. Under these interactions, captured cells were enriched several hundred-fold from the original concentration. Additionally, among collected cells, the difference in flow-driven, adhesion-mediated cell transit in the Square design suggested that the two cell types could at least be partially fractionated.
The measurement of glutamate decarboxylase activity in brain tissues by a simple microradiometric method.

Abstract A simple method was developed for the assay of l -glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) in brain homogenate and subcellular fractions. In a dual tube assay system, the incubation mixture (0.1 ml) was placed in an inner disposable culture tube (6 × 50 mm) which was then placed in an outer reusable culture tube (10 × 75 mm) and sealed with a serum cap. The procedure utilizes absorption of 14CO2 (released from [1-14C] l -glutamate) on a Hyamine hydroxide spotted Whatman 3 MM chromatographic paper strip (5 × 40 mm) which is then counted with a MiniVial containing 5 ml of toluene scintillation solution. Only very small tissue samples (0.05–0.4 mg of protein) and minimum manipulations are necessary. The assay method reported here could be used for the measurement of any decarboxylase-catalyzed reaction, provided that suitable carboxyl labeled substrates are employed.
On the origin and nature of microcrystalline regions in an AlLiCuZr alloy

Les regions microcristallines correspondent a la transformation des phases T 2 en une solution solide d'aluminium α ou α+δ'.L'existence de ces regions microcristallines ne peut pas etre utilisee comme mise en evidence d'une phase T 2 non icosaedrique.
Construction of optimal binary split trees in the presence of bounded access probabilities

A binary split tree is a search structure combining features of heaps and binary search trees. The fastest known algorithm for building an optimal binary split tree requires Θ(n4) time if the keys are distinct and O(n5) time if the keys are non-distinct. Θ(n3) space is required in both cases. A modification is introduced which reduces a factor of n2 in the asymptotic time to a factor of nαlg(n) when the smallest probability of access of any key is Θ(n−α). This yields an asymptotic improvement any time the smallest access probability is greater than Θ(n−2). The space requirement is not affected. For example, when access probabilities are distinct and the smallest access probability is Θ(1n), the modified algorithm requires only O(n3lgn) time (as opposed to the O(n4) result mentioned above). Several natural refinements to the basic modification are presented which should improve the time within the same asymptotic order.