cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of mixing on reductive dechlorination of persistent organic pollutants by Fe/Pd nanoparticles

Herein, we report the comparison of two different mixing methods for reductive dechlorination of gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH), aldrin, and p, p'-dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane (p, p'-DDT), using iron/palladium (Fe/Pd) bimetallic nanoparticles. A noticeable enhancement of the reaction rate was found when the reductive dechlorination reaction was carried out in an ultrasound bath as compared with a platform shaker. These enhancements could be attributed to (a) the continuous cleaning and chemical activation of the surfaces of nanoscale Fe/Pd bimetallic nanoparticles by the combined chemical and physical effects of acoustic cavitation; and (b) the accelerated mass transport rates of target POPs to the surfaces of the Fe/Pd nanoparticles. Finally, the degradation intermediates and final products were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis and the plausible degradation pathways for γ-HCH, aldrin, and p, p'-DDT by Fe/Pd bimetallic nanoparticles were proposed. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Exposure to POPs is a resilient global environmental and health issue. Fe/Pd bimetallic nanoparticles demonstrated > 90 % removal of POPs in the first 30 minutes of the reaction via ultrasonic mixing. GC-MS analyses provided verification of POPs degradation intermediates and final products.
Central line-associated bloodstream infection among children with biliary atresia listed for liver transplantation

Central line-associated bloodstream infection among children with biliary atresia listed for liver transplantation
Acoustics of the Saxophone

In this chapter, an overview of wind-instrument acoustics is provided as a theoretical foundation to design, build, and use grafted wind instruments. The generic wind instrument is described by a tone generator that is coupled to two adjacent resonators, the instrument’s body and the performer’s vocal tract. As a starting point, the acoustical behavior of a simple cylindrical resonator is examined, and the acoustical consequences of finger holes are discussed. The investigation continues with the introduction of the conical resonator, which describes the acoustical behavior of the saxophone body adequately but is acoustically more complex than the cylindrical resonator. In the following section, common tone generators for wind instruments are introduced and classified. The section includes a description of the acoustical behavior for the single reed, double reed, free reed, flute, and lip-valve instrument mechanisms. Afterward, the coupling between a tone generator and a resonator is addressed, which can only be described as a non-linear system. The chapter concludes with a description of the acoustical behavior of the adaptable vocal tract. Its acoustical importance is often underestimated when dealing with wind instruments.
Assessing exchange-correlation functional performance in the chalcogenide lacunar spinels Ga M 4 Q 8 (M =Mo , V , Nb , Ta ; Q =S ,Se )

We perform systematic density functional theory (DFT) calculations to assess the performance of various exchange-correlation potentials ${V}_{xc}$ in describing the chalcogenide $\mathrm{Ga}{M}_{4}{Q}_{8}$ lacunar spinels ($M=\text{Mo}$, V, Nb, Ta; $Q=\text{S}$, Se). We examine the dependency of crystal structure (in cubic and rhombohedral symmetries), electronic structure, magnetism, optical conductivity, and lattice dynamics in lacunar spinels at four different levels of ${V}_{xc}$: The local density approximation (LDA), generalized gradient approximation (GGA), meta-GGA, and hybrid with fractional Fock exchange. We find that LDA underperforms the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) and PBE revised for solids (PBEsol) GGA functionals in predicting lattice constants as well as reasonable electronic structures. The performance of LDA and GGAs can be improved both quantitatively and qualitatively by including an on-site Coulomb interaction (LDA/$\mathrm{GGA}+U$) with a Hubbard $U$ value ranging from 2 to 3 eV. We find that the PBE functional is able to produce a semiconducting state in the distorted polar $R3m$ phase without on-site Coulomb interactions. The meta-GGA functional SCAN (strongly constrained and appropriately normed) predicts reasonable lattice constants and electronic structures; it exhibits behavior similar to the $\mathrm{GGA}+U$ functionals for small $U$ values of 1 to 2 eV. The hybrid functional HSE06 is accurate in predicting the lattice constants but leads to a band gap greater than the experimental estimation of 0.2 eV in this family. All of the lacunar spinels in the cubic phase are metallic at these levels of band theory; however, the predicted valence bandwidths are extremely narrow ($\ensuremath{\approx}0.5\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$). The DFT ground states of cubic vanadium chalcogenides are found to be highly spin polarized, which contrast with previous experimental results. With spin-orbit coupling (SOC) interactions and a Hubbard $U$ value of 2 to 3 eV, we predict a semiconducting cubic phase in all compounds studied. SOC does not strongly impact the electronic structures of the symmetry-broken $R3m$ phase. We also find that these ${V}_{xc}$ potentials do not quantitatively agree with the available experimental optical conductivity on ${\mathrm{GaV}}_{4}{\mathrm{S}}_{8}$; nonetheless, the LDA and GGA functionals correctly reproduce its lattice dynamical modes. Our findings suggest that accurate qualitative and quantitative simulations of the lacunar spinel family with DFT requires careful attention to the nuances of the exchange-correlation functional and considered spin structures.
Exploring training dental implant placement using computer-guided implant navigation system

Purpose This prospective randomized study was designed to evaluate the learning progression, defined as accuracy in placement of dental implants on a simulation model, when a computer-guided dynamic navigation was used to train senior dental students with no previous implant training. The study was designed to define the learning curve and the minimal number of attempts necessary in utilizing computer-guided implant navigation system to improve implant placement skill in a novice implant trainee. Methods A total of 5 implant placement attempts were assigned to each student. The first 4 attempts were randomly assigned for placing either 3 maxillary or 4 mandibular implants. A randomization schedule was generated in SAS EG v6.1 software (Opsware Inc.) to assign all students to a random sequence of the first 4 jaws (2 for maxilla and 2 for mandible), as well as the implant sites within each jaw for all attempts. The spatial relationship between the JagTag on the stent installed on a plastic model and the DrillTag on handpiece was tracked by the stereoscopic camera. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate discrepancies in the 2-dimensional (2D) lateral deviation, overall 3-dimensional (3D) apex deviation, 2D vertical apex deviation, and overall 3D angle deviation. Results Fourteen students participated, with a mean age of 26.1 years and equal males and females. Mean time for implant placement was associated with attempt number (P Conclusions Novice operators learn the skill of placing implants with dynamic navigation within 3 attempts. The speed and angulation deviation improve significantly within the first 3 attempts and are sustained. Performance for males, on average, was marginally better in time and accuracy than females.
UV-cured gel polymer electrolytes with improved stability for advanced aqueous Li-ion batteries

We report the development of a new class of “water-in-salt” electrolytes based on UV photopolymerized acrylic polymers. Incorporation of “water-in-bisalt” in a polymer matrix reduces water activity, expands the electrochemical stability window to 4.1 V, and dramatically improves cycle life in full cells with lithium titanate anodes compared to liquid water-based electrolytes.
Espectro y verdad en Labio de liebre (venganza o perdón) de Fabiano Rubiano o del teatro subversivo en tiempos inextricables

This article reflects on Labio de liebre (venganza o perdon) (2015), written by Colombian playwright Fabio Rubiano. My hypothesis is that this play subverts an unfair governmental dynamic that privileged the paramilitary discourses over the narratives of their victims. Through the figure of the ghost, Rubiano attends the victim's demands for justice and memory.
Socioeconomic Disparities in Pediatric Single-Sided Deafness:

ObjectiveTo explore socioeconomic disparities in pediatric single-sided deafness (SSD) treatment.Study DesignRetrospective chart review.SettingTertiary referral academic center.MethodsThe charts of...
Enolase inhibition alters metabolic hormones and inflammatory factors to promote neuroprotection in spinal cord injury.

Abstract Enolase inhibition is a potential therapeutic strategy currently being investigated for treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI) as it reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, alters metabolic factors, and reduces gliosis in acute SCI. Herein, the role of enolase in SCI has been examined to better understand the effects of this enzyme on inflammation, metabolic hormones, glial cell activation, and neuroprotection under these shorter injury conditions. Immunohistochemical analyses of inflammatory markers vimentin, Cox-2, and caspase-1 indicated that enolase inhibition attenuated the elevated levels of inflammation seen following SCI. Iba1, GFAP, NFP, and CSPG staining indicated that enolase inhibition with prolonged administration of ENOblock reduced microglia/astrocyte activation and lead to enhanced neuroprotection in SCI. An analysis of metabolic hormones revealed that ENOblock treatment significantly upregulated plasma concentrations of peptide YY, glucagon-like peptide 1, glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide, glucagon, and insulin hormones as compared to vehicle-treated controls (Mann-Whitney, p ≤ 0.05). ENOblock did not have a significant effect on plasma concentrations of pancreatic polypeptide. Interestingly, ENOblock treatment inhibited chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG), which is produced by activated glia and serves to block regrowth of axons across the lesion site following injury. An increased level of NeuN and MBP with reduced caspase-1 was detected in SCI tissues after ENOblock treatment, suggesting preservation of myelin and induction of neuroprotection. ENOblock also induced improved motor function in SCI rats, indicating a role for enolase in modulating inflammatory and metabolic factors in SCI with important implications for clinical consideration.
Retinal Hemorrhages During Examination for Retinopathy of Prematurity: A Form of Ocular Decompression Retinopathy:

Purpose:Posterior segment hemorrhage occurring during or shortly after examination (PSHE) for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a very rare complication. We present a case of and review the liter...
Matrix factorizations and link homology II

To a presentation of an oriented link as the closure of a braid we assign a complex of bigraded vector spaces. The Euler characteristic of this complex (and of its triply-graded cohomology groups) is the HOMFLYPT polynomial of the link. We show that the dimension of each cohomology group is a link invariant.
Higher Order Waveguide Models

This chapter begins by looking at waves in extended and bounded media using the 2D theory of elasticity. This exact modeling shows an infinity of deformation modes are supported. Because the higher order modes become important only at the higher frequencies a scheme is introduced for constructing higher order waveguide models but using only a limited number of modes. This utilizes the Ritz semi-direct method. Refined rod and beam models are developed and their utility in the context of structures as connected waveguides is discussed.
A parallel QR factorization algorithm using local pivoting

A parallel version of the Householder algorithm with column pivoting is introduced for computing the QR factorization of a matrix. Local pivoting allows efficient implementation of the algorithm on a parallel machine; in particular, it is implemented on one with a distributed architecture. An inexpensive but reliable incremental condition estimator is used to control the selection of pivot columns by obtaining cheap estimates for the smallest singular value of the currently created upper triangular matrix R. Numerical experiments show that the local pivoting strategy behaves about as well as the traditional global pivoting strategy. They also show the advantages of incorporating the controlled pivoting strategy into the traditional QR algorithm to guard against the known pathological cases.
Segmental Contrastive Predictive Coding for Unsupervised Word Segmentation

Automatic detection of phoneme or word-like units is one of the core objectives in zero-resource speech processing. Recent attempts employ self-supervised training methods, such as contrastive predictive coding (CPC), where the next frame is predicted given past context. However, CPC only looks at the audio signal's frame-level structure. We overcome this limitation with a segmental contrastive predictive coding (SCPC) framework that can model the signal structure at a higher level e.g. at the phoneme level. In this framework, a convolutional neural network learns frame-level representation from the raw waveform via noise-contrastive estimation (NCE). A differentiable boundary detector finds variable-length segments, which are then used to optimize a segment encoder via NCE to learn segment representations. The differentiable boundary detector allows us to train frame-level and segment-level encoders jointly. Typically, phoneme and word segmentation are treated as separate tasks. We unify them and experimentally show that our single model outperforms existing phoneme and word segmentation methods on TIMIT and Buckeye datasets. We analyze the impact of boundary threshold and when is the right time to include the segmental loss in the learning process.
‘A place where my children could learn to read, write, and play’: The search for early care and education among undocumented Central American immigrant mothers

Abstract Access to high quality early care and education (ECE) is particularly valuable, but often most elusive, for young children and families situated on the margins of society, including many Latinx immigrant families facing income insecurity, discrimination, and limited access to resources due to documentation status. This study used a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to examine the various ECE-related experiences and perspectives of 55 undocumented immigrant mothers from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Participant mothers of young children completed a qualitative open-ended child care history narrative as part of a larger interviewer-assisted survey. Our findings suggest that participants, who faced multiple constraints including income insecurity and undocumented status, were purposeful and planful in attempting to access good quality ECE for their children, focusing on safety, learning, and their children's unique needs. However, accessing and sustaining good quality ECE for their young children was often an ongoing struggle throughout the early childhood years. This study provides greater understanding about the ways immigrant families with young children adapt to ECE challenges and broader societal inequities and discusses implications for ECE service delivery in relation to diverse mixed-status Central American (CA) immigrant families.
Nitrosative Stress in the Nervous System: Guidelines for Designing Experimental Strategies to Study Protein S-Nitrosylation

Reactive nitrogen species, such as nitric oxide (NO), exert their biological activity in large part through post-translational modification of cysteine residues, forming S-nitrosothiols. This chemical reaction proceeds via a process that we and our colleagues have termed protein S-nitrosylation. Under conditions of normal NO production, S-nitrosylation regulates the activity of many normal proteins. However, in degenerative conditions characterized by nitrosative stress, increased levels of NO lead to aberrant S-nitrosylation that contributes to the pathology of the disease. Thus, S-nitrosylation has been implicated in a wide range of cellular mechanisms, including mitochondrial function, proteostasis, transcriptional regulation, synaptic activity, and cell survival. In recent years, the research area of protein S-nitrosylation has become prominent due to improvements in the detection systems as well as the demonstration that protein S-nitrosylation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative and other neurological disorders. To further promote our understanding of how protein S-nitrosylation affects cellular systems, guidelines for the design and conduct of research on S-nitrosylated (or SNO-)proteins would be highly desirable, especially for those newly entering the field. In this review article, we provide a strategic overview of designing experimental approaches to study protein S-nitrosylation. We specifically focus on methods that can provide critical data to demonstrate that an S-nitrosylated protein plays a (patho-)physiologically-relevant role in a biological process. Hence, the implementation of the approaches described herein will contribute to further advancement of the study of S-nitrosylated proteins, not only in neuroscience but also in other research fields.
Microbiological evaluation of protected environments during patient occupancy.

Microbiological monitoring has been conducted in two life island (LI) units and two laminar airflow (LAF) rooms while they were occupied by patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy. There were only 5 organisms per 1,000 ft3 of air sampled in LAF rooms, 31 organisms in LI units, and over 3,000 organisms in regular hospital rooms. None of the floor samples obtained from hospital rooms was sterile, compared to over 70% in LAF rooms. The rate of deposition of organisms onto settling plates was one organism per 4.5 hr in LAF rooms compared to one organism per 0.08 hr in hospital rooms. Potential pathogens were isolated much more frequently from environmental samples obtained from hospital rooms than from LI units or LAF rooms. Two sites of persistent contamination arose in the LAF rooms: the vinyl tile flooring and the water supply system. Over half of the potential pathogens cultured from the protected environment units were cultured initially from the patients who occupied the units.
ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007 Final Qualitative Determination

A final qualitative analysis of all addenda to American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)/Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) Standard 90.1-2004 that were included in ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007 was conducted. All 44 addenda processed by ASHRAE in the creation of Standard 90.1-2007 from Standard 90.1-2004 were evaluated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for their impact on energy efficiency. DOE preliminarily determined whether that addenda would have a positive, neutral, or negative impact on overall building efficiency. Table S.1 shows the number of positive and negative changes for each section of Standard 90.1.
Integrating information technology and programming in a freshmen computer science course

All 1100 first-year students at the US Military Academy at West Point are required to take the course CS105 ("Introduction to Computing"), in which we teach basic information technology (IT) concepts and introduce the cadets to problem solving that forms the foundation of the engineering design methodology. The cadets must leave our course with enough understanding to thrive as students and officers in an increasingly digitized Army, and our goal is to integrate the IT (particularly networking) and programming lessons without sacrificing understanding of problem solving and basic programming constructs. By teaching problem-solving in the IT domain, instead of teaching IT and programming in distinct phases, we hope the synergy will provide a deeper understanding of information infrastructures. We ran a pilot during the Spring term of the academic year 1999-2000 to evaluate our success at achieving synergy between the IT and programming topics. The results from the pilot are very encouraging. Based on subjective evaluations by instructors and term-end exam results, it seems that we've achieved our goal of improving the cadets' understanding of both IT and problem-solving concepts.
Ordinary Violence in Mussolini's Italy

1. Introduction: the Fascist archipelago 2. Squad violence 3. Institutions of Fascist violence 4. Breaking the Antifascists, 1926-34 5. The archipelago 6. The politics of pardons 7. Everyday political crime 8. Ordinary Fascist violence 9. The politics of everyday life 10. Conclusion.
IUE observations of long period eclipsing binaries: A study of accretion onto non-degenerate stars.

IUE observations made in 1978-1979 recorded a whole class of interacting long-period binaries similar to beta Lyrae, which includes RX Cas, SX Cas, V 367 Cyg, W Cru, beta Lyr, and W Ser, called the W Serpentis stars. These mass-transferring binaries with relatively high mass transfer rate show two prominent features in the far ultraviolet: a continuum with a color temperature higher than the one observed in the optical region (about 12,000 K), and a strong emission line spectrum with the N V doublet at 1240 A, C IV doublet at 1550 A and lines of Si II, Si III, Si IV, C II, Fe III, AI III, etc. These phenomena are discussed on the assumption that they are due to accretion onto non-degenerate stars.
Food Production Forecasting with Simple Time Series Models

This article applies simple mathematical (time series) models often used in other industries to food and beverage operations. Technology transfer of management science techniques is imperative for survival and to gain the competitive edge. Improved forecasting is critical to efficient food and beverage operations since all production-related costs are impacted by this basic decision. Simple models with minimal data storage were employed in this study and yielded better performance than the naive model.
Erythropoietin stimulates G-protein-coupled phospholipase D in haematopoietic target cells

A murine haematopoietic stem-cell line, B6SUt.EP, responsive to erythropoietin (EPO), has been found to exhibit both early and late changes in diacylglycerol (DAG) and phosphatidic acid (PA) as measured by HPLC and TLC. DAG levels peaked at 5 s with a 28.1% increase compared with control levels (from 17.3 to 22.2 pmol/10(6) cells) with a later peak at 30 min (84.2% increase from 17.3 to 31.9 pmol). These changes were concentration-dependent from 0.025 to 10 units/ml EPO (5 s, EC50=0.82 unit/ml; 30 min, EC50 = 0.10 unit/ml). In addition, PA levels increased 752.3% compared with control levels (from 8.6 to 64.7 micrograms/10(6) cells) with an early peak at 20 s, as measured by both HPLC and TLC (5 s, EC(50)=0.07 unit/ml). G-protein regulation was investigated by studying the effects of the non-hydrolysable GTP analogue guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[S]) on PA synthesis. The addition of GTP[S] (10 microM) in permeabilized cells increased PA content from 6.3 micrograms to 48.6 micrograms per 10(6) cells. In the presence of EPO and GTP[S], PA levels increased to 64.8 micrograms. An antagonist of G-proteins, guanosine 5'[beta-thio]diphosphate (GDP[S]), had no effect on control levels of PA (5.9 micrograms/10(6) cells) but blocked the effect of EPO on PA (30.6 micrograms/10(6) cells). Thus, EPO stimulated both lipid second messengers, DAG and PA. Our results demonstrate DAG kinetics to be biphasic, as observed with a high concentration of EPO, or monophasic, as observed with low concentrations of EPO. The PA accumulation preceding that of DAG in the slower and sustaining phase suggests that PA was not derived from DAG. This was confirmed by the stimulation of PA (without ATP) by GTP[S], effectively excluding phosphorylation of DAG by DAG kinase in the formation of PA. In addition, phospholipase D (PLD) activation was demonstrated with a maximal increase in phosphatidylethanol at 5 min, suggesting the EPO increases PA via a guanine nucleotide-binding protein coupled to PLD. The temporal relationship of the evolution of PA and DAG is further strengthened by experiments with ethanol and propranolol as inhibitors of the DAG/PA phosphohydrolase reaction and R59022 as an inhibitor of the DAG kinase reaction.
Fabrication and characterization of laser micromachined hollow microneedles

Three-dimensional arrays of hollow and solid microneedles have been fabricated using laser micromachining techniques. Excimer (UV) and infrared (IR) laser machining was used to create molds for electrodeposition of metals. Mold materials included polyimide (Kapton), polyethylene terephthalate (Mylar), and titanium. IR laser machining was also used to cut solid needle designs directly from stainless steel. The mechanical stability and insertion characteristics of hollow microneedles were tested. The force necessary for insertion was found to vary linearly with the interfacial area of the microneedle. The force necessary for the fracture of a microneedle was found to increase with the tip diameter, wall angle, and wall thickness. Over the range of microneedle geometries tested, the margin of safety between the force for insertion and the force for fracture was the greatest for microneedles with the smallest diameter and the greatest wall thickness.
Immersive, Interactive, Web-Enabled Computer Simulation as a Trigger for Learning: The next Generation of Problem-Based Learning in Educational Leadership

This paper describes the use of advanced computer technology in an innovative educational leadership program. This program integrates full-motion video scenarios that simulate the leadership challenges typically faced by principals over the course of a full school year. These scenarios require decisions that are then coupled to consequences and scored in the background to create a profile of learner strengths and needs. Because the content has been filmed in an operating school and because of the unique choice-consequence sequences, the immersive and interactive simulation triggers more potent learning than is possible with either previous paper-and-pencil or discussion-based techniques. The scenarios are embedded in a Web-enabled framework that facilitates the provision of individualized feedback tailored to the specific choices made by the learner, and supports the collection of multiple metrics that relate to the performance of the learner and the learning framework itself. Project Authentic Learning for Leaders (ALL) demonstrates the future of teaching and learning in either hybrid (face-to-face instruction plus digital teaching and learning) or in individual anywhere, anytime learning. Similar to the economic recession, there are always opportunities if we are willing to seize them. The key is do we have the “will” to recognize the need for change in the field and make the necessary shifts in our thinking and habits? The time for change is not when your back is against the wall, but rather when you don’t have to change to survive. (Shoho, 2011, p. 3)
Distinct roles of inotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors in rhythmic activity generated by pre-Botzinger complex

To keep up with oxygen demands, the central nervous system regulates frequency of respiratory rhythm. The inspiratory phase of the respiratory rhythm originates in the pre-Botzinger complex (preBotC), a region of the ventrolateral medulla. preBotC neurons generate stable rhythmic output when isolated from the rest of respiratory column. The frequency of the respiratory rhythm is modulated via release of excitatory neuromodulators by the Raphe nucleus. The respiratory rhythm observed in the preBotC depends on excitatory neurotransmission between neurons in the population, since blocking excitatory neurotransmission eliminates a coordinated rhythm at the level of the preBotC. In this work we extend previously developed model of pre-BotC neuron (Figure ​(Figure1)1) to determine the role of ionotropic (iGluR) and metabotropic (mGluR) glutamate receptors on generation of the respiratory rhythm at different levels of neuromodulatory tone. Using distribution of persistent sodium and voltage-gated calcium conductances, we generated the heterogeneous population of neurons connected through both, ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors. Our simulations demonstrate that mGluR and iGluR has distinct roles, determined by neuormodulatory tone. In low neuromodulatory tone, the rhythmic activity of the preBotC network relies on activation of iGluR. In high neuromodulatory tone, the rhythmic activity of the network relies on activation of second messenger cascade by mGluR. Figure 1 Schematic representation of electrical activity in single preBotC neuron
Comparative Studies of SV40 and Adenovirus Oncogenesis in Random Bred and Inbred Hamsters

SummaryInbred LSH and MHA hamsters were compared with random bred LVG hamsters for susceptibility to induction of tumor by SV40, adenovirus 7, or adenovirus 12 viruses and for appearance of tumor after homologous transplantation. The LSH inbred strain proved superior to the MHA inbred line in trems of susceptibility to induction of tumor by SV40 and adenovirus 7 virus and showed a shorter latent period after transplant with homologous SV40 virus tumor. The LSH animals were also somewhat better than MHA hamsters from the point of view of husbandry. The susceptibilities of the inbred LSH and random bred LVG animals to induction of tumor by viruses were similar and the transplantation characteristics of tumors evolved in the two breeds of animals were approximately the same. The inbred LSH hamster provides a satisfactory model for induction of tumor by virus and for investigations of transplant tumor immunology employing a truly syngeneic system.
Patient size and x-ray technique factors in head computed tomography examinations. I. Radiation doses

We investigated how patient age, size and composition, together with the choice of x-ray technique factors, affect radiation doses in head computed tomography (CT) examinations. Head size dimensions, cross-sectional areas, and mean Hounsfield unit (HU) values were obtained from head CT images of 127 patients. For radiation dosimetry purposes patients were modeled as uniform cylinders of water. Dose computations were performed for 18 x 7 mm sections, scanned at a constant 340 mAs, for x-ray tube voltages ranging from 80 to 140 kV. Values of mean section dose, energy imparted, and effective dose were computed for patients ranging from the newborn to adults. There was a rapid growth of head size over the first two years, followed by a more modest increase of head size until the age of 18 or so. Newborns have a mean HU value of about 50 that monotonically increases with age over the first two decades of life. Average adult A-P and lateral dimensions were 186+/-8 mm and 147+/-8 mm, respectively, with an average HU value of 209+/-40. An infant head was found to be equivalent to a water cylinder with a radius of approximately 60 mm, whereas an adult head had an equivalent radius 50% greater. Adult males head dimensions are about 5% larger than for females, and their average x-ray attenuation is approximately 20 HU greater. For adult examinations performed at 120 kV, typical values were 32 mGy for the mean section dose, 105 mJ for the total energy imparted, and 0.64 mSv for the effective dose. Increasing the x-ray tube voltage from 80 to 140 kV increases patient doses by about a factor of 5. For the same technique factors, mean section doses in infants are 35% higher than in adults. Energy imparted for adults is 50% higher than for infants, but infant effective doses are four times higher than for adults. CT doses need to take into account patient age, head size, and composition as well as the selected x-ray technique factors.
Introduction to the Symposium

phe stimulus for this symposium was the appearance in 1996 of Richard Caves' Multinational Enterprise and Economic Analysis. Caves' book is one of several books that could be used as the starting point in an inquiry into the future of economics research on international business. John Dunning's Multinational Enterprises and the Global Economy and Peter Buckley and Mark Casson's The Future of the Multinational Enterprise are other books that come to mind, and there are surely more. However, Caves' book has one notable feature lacking in the others: the 1996 book is the second edition, appearing fourteen years after its predecessor in 1982. The two Caves' editions thus permit the reader not only to gauge the stock of economics research available on the multinational firm in the early 1980s, but also to know how one eminent scholar in the field has appraised the flow over the decade or so that followed. The topical and methodological distribution of this flow segment, we believe, can provide market signals of where economics-oriented researchers or, perhaps more to the point, journal editors, have placed their bets on scholarly work. What better time than now to ask other notable scholars in the field to add their judgments to Caves' in a JIBS symposium? A secondary but important stimulus was the recent administrative change in JIBS. The journal has moved through another orderly transition in its history with the transfer to a new editor, a new home institution, and a reconstituted board of editorial advisors. We thought that analyses of trends in international business scholarship would be useful to JIBS' new team. We conceived of this symposium as a way for recognized scholars in the field of international business to use Caves' work as a benchmark, so to speak, to bring light on two issues. First, have any important strands of research slipped through Caves' net? Second, where do these scholars place their bets on the topics and research methods that will yield the highest returns to scholars over the next two decades? We invited Professor Caves, as well, to add his own insights on scholarly roads "less traveled," but routes which could lead to new perspectives on international business. Each participant in the symposium has used one or more chapters from
Iterative multiresolution algorithm for image reconstruction from the magnitude of its Fourier transform

Iterative algorithms are currently the most effective approaches to solving a number of difficult signal reconstruction and recovery problems, and all of these algorithms suffer from stagnation and computational complexity. We propose a new multiresolution iterative approach that employs the concept of a multiresolution pyramid. This method attempts to solve the problem of image reconstruction from the measurement of the image’s Fourier modulus by decomposing the problem onto different resolution grids, which enables the iterative algorithm to avoid stagnation by providing a better initial guess and enabling a higher likelihood of arriving at a global minimum while dramatically reducing the computational cost. Results on both synthetic and real-world images are shown; a performance comparison with the direct iterative algorithm demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach in terms of convergence, robustness and computational efficiency.
Anemia, Chronic Heart Failure, and the Impact of Male vs. Female Gender

Anemia is common in subjects with chronic heart failure, and correction of anemia improves quality of life and exercise capacity in both men and women. The definition of anemia is sex-specific, but enrollment criteria of studies examining the effects of recombinant human erythropoietin in chronic heart failure to date have not taken sex into account. Indeed, it is unknown whether sex-specific differences of hemoglobin values observed in normal individuals are maintained in subjects with chronic disease and volume overload states. Given the significant treatment implications for sex-specific differences in hemoglobin values, the authors analyzed data for 260 subjects consecutively admitted with decompensated chronic heart failure. In a multivariate regression analysis controlling for serum creatinine and age, female sex was independently associated with lower hemoglobin. When deciding upon initiation of treatment in this population, sex-specific targets should be applied.
Interneonatal Intensive Care Unit Variation in Growth Rates and Feeding Practices in Healthy Moderately Premature Infants

Variation in care and outcomes of very low birth weight infants (VLBW) in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) has been widely reported in the past decade. Less is known about care provided to healthy premature infants born between 30 and 35 weeks gestational age (GA). We have previously reported inter-NICU variation in discharge (D/C) timing and achievement of maturational milestones in this population. To compare inter-NICU growth outcomes and feeding practices in healthy, moderately premature infants. Records of 450 infants, 30 to 35 weeks gestation, without medical or surgical complications, and consecutively discharged from 15 Massachusetts NICUs (nine Level II and six Level III) were reviewed. Final analyses included 382 infants with hospital length of stay >6 days (d). GA at birth and birth weight (BW) were 33.2 weeks (SD 1.2) and 2024?g (389). Mean Z-score decreased 0.67z (0.37) from birth to D/C. Weight loss from birth to 7?d averaged 4.0%. Mean growth velocity from 7?d to D/C was 13.3?g/k/d (5.2) with net growth velocity of 5.5?g/k/d (5.6). Mean net growth velocity ranged from 0.1 to 8.4?g/k/d (p<0.001) among study NICUs. Time of initiation, rate of advancement and caloric density of feedings also varied significantly between NICUs. Mean NICU growth velocity of healthy, moderately premature infants did not achieve in utero growth standards. There was significant inter-NICU variation in growth outcomes and feeding practices. Further study is needed to identify practices associated with better growth in this healthy moderately premature infant population.
A systematic procedure for type synthesis of mechanisms with literature review literaturbe-sprechung

Abstract Type synthesis is the process of determining possible mechanism structures to perform a given task or combination of tasks without regard to the dimensions of the components. The “structure” or “topology” of a mechanism is defined by the number of links, the number of joints and their type (revolute, prismatic, etc.), the connectivity of the links and joints, and which links are to be considered ground and input(s). A systematic procedure for type synthesis, suitable for computer implementation, is introduced. The large body of literature pertaining to type synthesis is discussed in the context of the proposed procedure.
An empirical study of security problem reports in Linux distributions

Existing studies on problem reports in open source projects focus primarily on the analysis of the general category of problem reports, or limit their attention to observations on the number of security problem reports. To evaluate the security of a project, it is necessary to know not only how many security problem reports are logged but also how many are reported and how promptly they are corrected etc. In this paper, we study publicly disclosed security problem reports from eight releases of Fedora, nine releases of Ubuntu, four releases of RedHat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and two releases of Suse Linux distributions, analyse and discuss which type of problem reports and how frequently they are reported, and how promptly they are corrected. Overall, Fedora and Suse show good results with high and medium severity security problem reports resolved without a backlog. On the other hand, RHEL and Ubuntu show less positive results with presence of backlogs.
N-iodosuccinimide mediated oxidative cyclization of mono-t-butyldimethylsilylated diols

Abstract The oxidation of mono-t-butyldimethylsilylated diols is described. The t-butyldimethylsilyl moiety is useful for controlling both the direction of cyclization and the size of ring being formed.
High frequency wavelength modulation cw slit jet diode laser spectrometer for characterizing ground state intermolecular hydrogen bonded vibrations

Abstract A high frequency wavelength modulation near infrared diode laser spectrometer with a cw supersonic slit jet is described that is capable of providing rovibrational data for ground state intermolecular fundamentals in hydrogen bonded complexes. The spectrometer performance is initially characterized by investigation of rovibrational transitions in the ν2+ bands of the common isotopomers of the hydrogen bonded dimer (HBr)2. Analyses of the ν2+ and ν+2−ν51 vibrations in the homomolecular dimer (HI)2 are then used to provide molecular parameters for determination of the intermolecular ν51 band of this complex at 14.3216(20) cm−1. As a further illustration of the spectrometer performance, rovibrational analysis of the ν2, ν2+ν51 and ν2+ν51−ν51 bands in the heteromolecular complex OC:HI are used to generate molecular parameters for intermolecular fundamentals associated with both a hydrogen bonded form and a van der Waals isomeric form in this dimer. The band origin frequencies of the ν51 OC–HI and ν51 OC–IH vibrations are determined to be at 25.8917(20) and 28.3100(20) cm−1, respectively.
Fragmentation behavior of single coal particles in a fluidized bed

The fragmentation behavior of single coal particles has been studied in a small scale fluidized bed for a Kentucky No. 9 bituminous coal. A typical coal particle fragments and swells slightly during devolatilization, producing particles in two distinct size regimes. Although the fragmentation pattern varies from particle to particle, the bimodal mass-based char size distribution obtained for the pyrolysis of a collection of coal particles was found to be little influenced by changes in bed temperature (1023–1123 K), oxygen concentration (0–10%), and coal particle size (2.2–6.2 mm). During oxidation of single coal particles, the dramatic increases in burning rate following particle breakup made it possible to infer fragmentation from the carbon dioxide concentration variation with time of the gas effluent. The number and size of the coal fragments were determined by fitting the CO2 data with the predictions of a char combustion model. Swelling and fragmentation contribute to an approximately twofold reduction in the average burning time at the experimental conditions studied.
Laos, Future Prospects and Their Limitations

This article is not an attempt to assess the contemporary ( 1965) situation in Laos or to deal in detail with the politics of the immediate past.* Our task is, rather, to outline briefly some of the most crucial factors which will play an important role in shaping the country's future. Laos is a small, land-locked country sandwiched in between three large states: China, Vietnam, and Thailand. Each of these countries contain significant numbers of people ethnically similar to the people of Laos. The dominant group in the Kingdom of Laos, the valley Lao, are for all practical purposes very similar in both language and culture to the Northeastern and Northern Thai. The Mekong River, although an international boundary, promotes rather than impedes contacts between the Lao and Northeast Thai. Although in the North and East the terrain is mountainous, the same kinds of people, the tribal Tai, Meo and Yao, are found in both China and Vietnam. Thus, boundaries in this area are purely political; in no sense do they constitute ethnic or cultural frontiers. On the contrary, until recent times people traded and migrated freely across them. The significant point can be made that there is no ethnic group found in Laos which does not occur in larger numbers in one of the neighboring states. Prior to the coming of the French in the latter part of the 19th century, Laos had been split into the petty princedoms of Champassak, Vientiane, Xieng Khouang, and Luang Prabang, although at times they had been united. During the 18th and 19th centuries, frequent invasions by Annam, by groups such as the Ho from China and by the Siamese, contributed to many divisions. The Lao princedoms paid tribute to such foreign elements as these. Indeed, at the time of the French expansion, the Thai had recently decimated Vientiane, and much of its population had crossed over into Siam. The only princedom surviving was that of Luang Prabang where the French were welcomed as protectors who would stand between the Lao and the Siamese, and to a lesser extent fend off menaces from the North. French control of Vietnam assured peace in the East. This attitude of regarding the colonizers as protectors is still found among the older generation of Lao intellectuals who continue to consider themselves, "children of the French peace." It is only now dying off. Not a few of the offspring of the Lao elite have intermarried with the French and a number of prominent Lao officials continue to look to France as a kind of
Unique Structural and Nucleotide Exchange Features of the Rho1 GTPase of Entamoeba histolytica

The single-celled human parasite Entamoeba histolytica possesses a dynamic actin cytoskeleton vital for its intestinal and systemic pathogenicity. The E. histolytica genome encodes several Rho family GTPases known to regulate cytoskeletal dynamics. EhRho1, the first family member identified, was reported to be insensitive to the Rho GTPase-specific Clostridium botulinum C3 exoenzyme, raising the possibility that it may be a misclassified Ras family member. Here, we report the crystal structures of EhRho1 in both active and inactive states. EhRho1 is activated by a conserved switch mechanism, but diverges from mammalian Rho GTPases in lacking a signature Rho insert helix. EhRho1 engages a homolog of mDia, EhFormin1, suggesting a role in mediating serum-stimulated actin reorganization and microtubule formation during mitosis. EhRho1, but not a constitutively active mutant, interacts with a newly identified EhRhoGDI in a prenylation-dependent manner. Furthermore, constitutively active EhRho1 induces actin stress fiber formation in mammalian fibroblasts, thereby identifying it as a functional Rho family GTPase. EhRho1 exhibits a fast rate of nucleotide exchange relative to mammalian Rho GTPases due to a distinctive switch one isoleucine residue reminiscent of the constitutively active F28L mutation in human Cdc42, which for the latter protein, is sufficient for cellular transformation. Nonconserved, nucleotide-interacting residues within EhRho1, revealed by the crystal structure models, were observed to contribute a moderating influence on fast spontaneous nucleotide exchange. Collectively, these observations indicate that EhRho1 is a bona fide member of the Rho GTPase family, albeit with unique structural and functional aspects compared with mammalian Rho GTPases.
TWO-DIMENSIONAL SOLITONS WITH SECOND-ORDER NONLINEARITIES

We investigate the propagation of intense Gaussian beams in materials with quadratic nonlinearity. Excitation of (2 + 1) solitons is numerically predicted at finite phase mismatch and in the presence of linear walk-off between the fundamental and second-harmonic waves. The numerical results are interpreted in terms of the conserved quantities of the wave evolution, and the appropriate conditions for the experimental observation of the solitons are discussed.