cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Blockchain and the Law – Legality, Law-like Characteristics, and Legal Applications

The transformative potential of blockchain means the technology has expanded beyond its initial uses in supporting cryptocurrencies. Because of the range of potential applications of blockchain, the technology has a complex relationship with the law. When the terms blockchain and the law are used, this can typically mean one of three things. First, when describing the most salient application of the technology - to develop and secure cryptocurrency networks - the question tends to deal with the legal status of a given cryptocurrency. Second, blockchains themselves have important law-like characteristics in terms of their effects in constraining and incentivizing network participants to act in the interest of network users. Third, blockchains have several potentially transformative legal applications in terms of facilitating smart contracts and more complex associational forms. In this chapter I detail each of these distinct relationships between blockchain and the law in order to clarify the legal space for blockchain scholars and protocol designers.
Serum ghrelin is associated with early feeding readiness but not growth in premature infants.

BACKGROUND Feeding tolerance among premature infants is unpredictable using clinical parameters. Ghrelin, a peptide hormone, acts on the hypothalamus to increase hunger and gut motility. It is present in fetal tissues, promotes intestinal maturation, and is secreted in milk. We hypothesized that higher serum ghrelin levels on days 0-7 are associated with improved feeding tolerance and growth in premature infants. METHODS Infants (< 1500 g birth weight, n = 36) were recruited on day (D) 0-7. Serum ghrelin was measured by ELISA on D 0-7, D 10-14, and D 24-32, and milk ghrelin in a feeding concurrent with each serum sample. Feeding tolerance was assessed as days to first and full enteral feeds. Growth was quantified as both weight and adipose and muscle deposition by ultrasound. RESULTS Mean serum ghrelin levels decreased from D 0-7 to D 24-32. Higher ghrelin levels on D 0-7 were correlated with shorter time to first enteral feeding, but not with time to full enteral feeds, rate of weight gain, or rate of accretion of muscle or adipose tissue. Milk ghrelin was not related to serum ghrelin or growth. Abdominal and suprascapular muscle and adipose increased during the first month, but weight gain correlated only with the rate of accretion of abdominal adipose. CONCLUSIONS Elevated serum ghrelin in the first days of life may contribute to gut motility and readiness to feed. Weight gain in premature infants may primarily indicate abdominal fat accumulation, suggesting that ultrasound measurement of muscle accretion is a better marker for lean body growth.
There Is No Such Thing as Alternative Medicine.

The term “alternative neurotherapies” is misleading, and a better choice of terminology is preferable. This term entails bestowing excessive credit to a large group of untested interventions and ba...
Multi-Task Prediction of Clinical Outcomes in the Intensive Care Unit using Flexible Multimodal Transformers

Recent deep learning research based on Transformer model architectures has demonstrated state-of-the-art performance across a variety of domains and tasks, mostly within the computer vision and natural language processing domains. While some recent studies have implemented Transformers for clinical tasks using electronic health records data, they are limited in scope, flexibility, and comprehensiveness. In this study, we propose a flexible Transformer-based EHR embedding pipeline and predictive model framework that introduces several novel modifications of existing workflows that capitalize on data attributes unique to the healthcare domain. We showcase the feasibility of our flexible design in a case study in the intensive care unit, where our models accurately predict seven clinical outcomes pertaining to readmission and patient mortality over multiple future time horizons.
Prognostic impact of matted lymphadenopathy in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether cervical matted lymphadenopathy (ML) is associated with outcomes in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: OPSCC patients treated at our institution with CRT were included (n = 417). ML was defined by three adjacent nodes without an intervening fat plane. Patients were stratified into favorable OPSCC (p16 + with ≤ 10 pack-years smoking history) or unfavorable OPSCC (p16- and/or > 10 pack years). Primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) and the cumulative incidences of regional recurrence (RR) and distant metastasis (DM). RESULTS: The median follow-up time for the surviving cohort was 49.9 months. In favorable OPSCC (n = 220), there were no significant associations between ML and any outcome. In unfavorable OPSCC (n = 197), ML had a significant negative impact on OS and PFS, with 3-year OS for patients without and with matted nodes at 74% and 56% (HR, 1.61, 95% CI 1.01-2.58). On multivariable Cox regression, patients with ML experienced significantly worsened OS (HR 1.65, 95% CI 1.03-2.65) and PFS (HR 1.94, 95% CI 1.28-2.93). The cumulative incidence of DM was also higher with ML (31% vs. 9%, adjusted HR 3.3, 95% CI 1.71-6.48). CONCLUSION: ML carries no prognostic importance in patients with favorable OPSCC. However, ML portends significantly worse outcomes in individuals with HPV-negative disease or a significant smoking history. Thus, ML may help risk-stratify this latter population for treatment intensification, but does not seem to be a contraindication for treatment de-escalation in the former.
Uptake Studies for Evaluating Activity of Efflux Transporters in a Cell Line Representative of the Blood-Brain Barrier

In this unit, protocols are presented for performing uptake studies with bovine brain microvessel endothelial cells (BBMECs) using either radiolabeled compounds, or rhodamine 123 as a marker for a P-glycoprotein substrate. The protocols can easily be modified for the investigation of substrate uptake in other cell lines. Keywords: efflux transporter; P-glycoprotein; uptake assay; rhodamine 123; BBMEC
A new species of Polydora (Polychaeta: Spionidae) from deep water in the north-west Atlantic Ocean, and new records of other polydorid species

Abstract Twelve species of Polydora were present in collections from the east coast of North America: Polydora commensalis Andrews, P. colonia Moore, P. giardi Mesnil, P. concharum Verril, P. socialis (Schmarda), P. aggregata Blake, P. websteri Hartman, P. ligni Webster, P. caulleryl Mesnil, P. quadrilobata Jacobi, P. barbilla Blake, and P. blakei, new species, described herein. P. blakei was present in collections obtained at 145–198 m off New England. P. barbilla, originally described from off western Mexico, was present in collections from several locations along the east coast of North America, extending as far north as Georges Bank. P. anoculata Moore is synonymised with P. giardi Mesnil. Another spionid species, Carazziella hobsonae Blake, was originally described from the Gulf of Mexico, and is newly reported from off North Carolina. Although capillary setae in the notopodia of setiger 1 were not reported earlier, very fine setae are present in both the type material and the specimens of C. hobsona...
Woldemariam Kasahun. Myths and Realities in the Distribution of Socioeconomic Resources and Political Power in Ethiopia . New York: University Press of America, 2006. 304 pp. Figures. Tables. Illustrations. Appendix. Glossary. Bibliography. Index. $39.95. Paper.

Kasahun Woldemariam. Myths and Realities in the Distribution of Socioeconomic Resources and Political Power in Ethiopia. New York: University Press of America, 2006. 304 pp. Figures. Tables. Illustrations. Appendix. Glossary. Bibliography. Index. $39.95. Paper. The field of Ediiopian studies is a stuffy attic desperately in need of fresh air. Original interpretations based on factual evidence are hard to come by; this book does not make progress in that direction, not because of a lack of intent, but because the evidence brought to bear simply does not prove the author's argument. Kasahun Woldemariam argues that the Amhara were not a privileged ethnic group in Ethiopian history and that the current regime has accepted this idea of historical privilege and set about trying to right historic wrongs with catastrophic effects. In doing so the author has set a high bar for gathering historical evidence that would prove the point, and disproving the work of many other scholars of Ethiopian history. That goal is stated in the introduction, after which the book digresses into a discussion of democratic institutions and development policies. Only in chapters 5 and 6 does the author begin to tackle the issue of disproving Amhara domination. But the statistics he uses do not provide sufficient evidence. For example, examining the percentages of students enrolled in various kinds of schools during the Haile Selassie era, he finds that a higher percentage of students in the south were enrolled in private schools than elsewhere; he concludes that since private schools were better than government schools, people in the south were better off. Apart from the fact that this seems to prove the fact that the government invested more in the north (the Amhara area), the reader is not given the percentage of schoolage children enrolled in school in each province. This is just one example of the unconvincing use of evidence to support the author's argument. Moreover, as the author never details which ethnic groups live in which provinces, readers without prior understanding of the political and ethnic geographies of Ethiopia will be hopelessly lost. Other points also ring false to those familiar with Ethiopian history. Arguing that the term "Amhara" was used to denote someone as a Christian, Woldemariam then describes the use of the term "Amhara" to denote an ethnic group as the work of "contemporary political entrepreneurs." It would be more accurate to say that the change occurred around 1900 or even earlier. …
Performance Tradeoffs in Multi-tier Formulation of a Finite Difference Method

Multi-tier platforms are hierarchically organized multicomputers with multiprocessor nodes. Compared with previous-generation single-tier systems based on uniprocessor nodes, they present a more complex array of performance tradeoffs. We describe performance programming techniques targeted to finite difference methods running on two large scale multi-tier computers manufactured by IBM: NPACI's Blue Horizon and ASCI Blue-Pacific Combined Technology Refresh. Our techniques resulted in performance improvements ranging from 10% to 17% over a traditional single-tier SPMD implementation.
Remedies in a Wide-Angle Lens: Observations on Remedial Concilience

Professor Partlett notes that Professor Jimenez's article appears to be an orphan in American legal academic discourse. After a thoughtful analysis, Professor Partlett commends Professor Jimenez's work, but urges that both a broader, comparative view of remedies and a revival of the virtues of private common law method are overdue in this area of scholarship.
Wnt Signaling in Pancreatic Islets

The Wnt signaling pathway is critically important not only for stem cell amplification, differentiation, and migration, but also is important for organogenesis and the development of the body plan. Beta-catenin/TCF7L2-dependent Wnt signaling (the canonical pathway) is involved in pancreas development, islet function, and insulin production and secretion. The glucoincretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 and the chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1 modulate canonical Wnt signaling in β-cells which is obligatory for their mitogenic and cytoprotective actions. Genome-wide association studies have uncovered 19 gene loci that confer susceptibility for the development of type 2 diabetes. At least 14 of these diabetes risk alleles encode proteins that are implicated in islet growth and functioning. Seven of them are either components of, or known target genes for, Wnt signaling. The transcription factor TCF7L2 is particularly strongly associated with risk for diabetes and appears to be fundamentally important in both canonical Wnt signaling and β-cell functioning. Experimental loss of TCF7L2 function in islets and polymorphisms in TCF7L2 alleles in humans impair glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, suggesting that perturbations in the Wnt signaling pathway may contribute substantially to the susceptibility for, and pathogenesis of, type 2 diabetes. This review focuses on considerations of the hormonal regulation of Wnt signaling in islets and implications for mutations in components of the Wnt signaling pathway as a source for risk-associated alleles for type 2 diabetes.
Fractal Lacunarity and Scenarios for the Near-Isotropic Distribution of Galaxies

The author proposed fractal scenarios for the distribution of galaxies in 1975 and 1977; they were expanded in 1982 and are being developed further. The claim is that galaxies have a scale-invariant fractal distribution with a dimension well below3. Fractality is the only input that is needed to account for the observed clustering combined with voids and walls. Unfortunately, the 1975–1977 fractal scenarios have inacceptable features: they present too many holes (“lacunas”) to agree with the approximate isotropy of the sky. However better chosen fractals eliminate this defect. Indeed, this paper's words and pictures show that, in a subtle new way that deserves further study, the impression of isotropy can be approached arbitrarily closely by a fractal. In fact, there are many ways of “tuning” a fractal 's lacunarity. Several of the sections improve on statements already made in 1982 and other earlier publications. Section 3 is the most novel in this paper: it extends our understanding of lacunarity via a generalization of Levy flights to be called “cyclic stutter flights.”
Elevated Temperature Fatigue Characterization of Transition Joint Weld Metal and Heat Affected Zone in Support of Breeder Steam Generator Development

Piping systems in breeder reactor plants will require transition joint weldments between austenitic and ferritic materials. Specifically, annealed 2 1/4 Cr-1Mo steel will be welded with ERNiCr-3 using the hot wire automatic gas tungstenarc process. These weldments may see elevated temperature service for periods of up to 30 years, and, accordingly, prototypic weldments will require extensive mechanical property characterization. It was the objective of this effort to define the strain controlled low cycle fatigue behavior of as-deposited and stress-relieved ERNiCr-3 weld metal and to develop test methods for establishing the cyclic behavior of heat-affected-zone (HAZ) material. Low cycle fatigue and cyclic stress-strain response for ERNiCr-3 were established over the temperature range of 295 to 866 K. A number of low cycle fatigue test results are reported for hourglass-shaped specimens that demonstrated that the low cycle fatigue behavior of HAZ material adjacent to the fusion line could be characterized.
Distribution of subclasses of HDL containing apoA-I without apoA-II (LpA-I) in normolipidemic men and women.

Women have significantly higher plasma concentrations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and apolipoprotein (apo) A-I than men. Human HDL consists of two major species of apoA-I-containing lipoproteins: LpA-I (lipoprotein containing apoA-I but not apoA-II) and LpA-I:A-II (lipoprotein containing both apoA-I and apoA-II). LpA-I is itself heterogeneous and contains several subclasses of different size and composition. We analyzed LpA-I subclasses in 12 male and 12 female healthy normolipidemic adults. LpA-I concentrations were significantly higher in women (72.4 +/- 5.6 mg/dL) than in men (50.2 +/- 2.2 mg/dL) (P < .05). LpA-I was preparatively isolated from fasting plasma by immunoaffinity chromatography. Gel filtration chromatography was then used to isolate LpA-I subclasses based on size. Three major subclasses were eluted: large, medium, and small LpA-I. No differences between men and women in the size or composition of individual LpA-I subclasses were observed. In contrast, the distribution and plasma concentration of LpA-I subclasses were significantly different between men and women. As a fraction of total LpA-I, the large LpA-I was significantly higher (68.0% to 48.4%) and the medium LpA-I was significantly lower (26.4% to 44.9%) in women than in men. The fraction of small LpA-I was not significantly different. Plasma concentrations of large LpA-I in women (49.2 mg/dL) were twice that in men (24.3 mg/dL), whereas plasma concentrations of medium LpA-I (19.1 mg/dL versus 22.5 mg/dL) and small LpA-I (4.0 mg/dL versus 3.0 mg/dL) were similar in women and men.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Gas-liquid chromatography of endogenous gibberellins in tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum

Abstract Evidence for the identity of several gibberellins present in the trimethylsilylated extracts from both the single gene tomato mutant, yellow-green 6, and the normal wild type tomato are presented. Gibberellins A 3 , A 8 , A 9 , A 4 and/or A 7 appear to occur in these two tomatoes. Tentative identification was accomplished by gas-liquid chromatography.
Integrating forward osmosis into microbial fuel cells for wastewater treatment, water extraction and bioelectricity generation.

Anovelosmoticmicrobialfuelcell(OsMFC)wasdevelopedbyusinga forwardosmosis(FO)membraneasaseparator.TheperformanceoftheOsMFCwas examined with either NaCl solution or artificial seawater as a catholyte (draw solution). A conventional MFC with a cation exchange membrane was also operated in parallel for comparison. It was found that the OsMFC produced more electricity than the MFC in both batch operation (NaCl solution) and continuous operation (seawater), likely due to better proton transport with water flux through the FO membrane. Water flux from the anode into the cathode was clearly observed with the OsMFC but not in the MFC. The solute concentration of the catholyte affected both electricity generation and water flux. These results provide a proof of concept that an OsMFC can simultaneously accomplish wastewater treatment, water extraction (from the wastewater), and electricity generation. The potential applications of the OsMFC are proposed for either water reuse (linking to reverse osmosis for reconcentration of draw solution) or seawater desalination (connecting with microbial desalination cells for further wastewater treatment and desalination).
The effects of initial thrust and elastic foundation on the vibration frequencies of a shallow arch

A shallow elastic arch subjected to a static load is considered. Plots of load magnitude versus the squares of the vibration frequencies (i.e., characteristic curves) have been obtained previously. Here, the effects of initial thrust and elastic foundation on the characteristic curves are investigated. For simplicity, results are derived for an arch with pinned ends and a sinusoidal initial shape, and the static load is assumed to have a sinusoidal distribution.
Spectral Studies of a Cr(PNP)–MAO System for Selective Ethylene Trimerization Catalysis: Searching for the Active Species

Variable temperature spectroscopic, kinetic, and chemical studies were performed on a soluble Cr^(III)Cl_3(PNP) (PNP = bis(diarylphosphino)alkylamine) ethylene trimerization precatalyst to map out its methylaluminoxane (MAO) activation sequence. These studies indicate that treatment of Cr^(III)Cl_3(PNP) with MAO leads first to replacement of chlorides with alkyl groups, followed by alkyl abstraction, and then reduction to lower–valent species. Reactivity studies demonstrate that the majority of the chromium species detected are not catalytically active.
The nature of preferences: an exploration of the relationship between economics and psychology

Abstract Ordinal utility theory begins with the assumption of a consumer of given preferences, therefore, we must go beyond economic theory in order to investigate the nature of preferences without becoming circular. The approach here is to use interpersonal theories of personality development to investigate the formation of the preferences of the individual consumer. To establish a methodological relationship between economics and psychology, a common ground of analysis and an integrative framework must be provided to bring the contributions of psychology into economics into a systematic way. This is explored by using specific psychoanalytic theories of the internalization of interpersonal relations, and by relating this to a more general theory of personality development based on the significance of interpersonal relations. The objective of this study is a broader understanding of the behavioral foundations of the economic theory of the consumer, and a greater appreciation for preference structures which do not conform to the concept of the rational consumer of economic theory.
Harnack inequalities, exponential separation, and perturbations of principal Floquet bundles for linear parabolic equations

Abstract We consider the Dirichlet problem for linear nonautonomous second order parabolic equations with bounded measurable coefficients on bounded Lipschitz domains. Using a new Harnack-type inequality for quotients of positive solutions, we show that each positive solution exponentially dominates any solution which changes sign for all times. We then examine continuity and robustness properties of a principal Floquet bundle and the associated exponential separation under perturbations of the coefficients and the spatial domain.
Need for Community Pharmacist—Provided Food-Allergy Education and Auto-injectable Epinephrine Training

ABSTRACT Objective To determine whether community pharmacist–provided foodallergy education and auto-injectable epinephrine training is needed. Design Cross-sectional assessment. Setting United States. Participants 1,887 recently joined members of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. Intervention Electronic survey. Main Outcome Measures 35 items covering past education and training associated with food allergy and use of auto-injectable epinephrine, demographics, attitudes toward pharmacist–provided education about food allergy, training in the use of auto-injectable epinephrine, confidence in managing food allergies on a daily basis and in emergency situations, and the necessity for pharmacists to provide education and training about food allergy and autoinjectable epinephrine use. Results Prescriber-provided food-allergy education and auto-injectable epinephrine training is incomplete (60.7%) or absent (16.3%) at the time autoinjectable epinephrine is first prescribed. These initial prescriptions are being dispensed from community pharmacies (94%), and written information is commonly provided with the medication (73.6%); however, oral counseling is largely absent (86.6%), and training in administration of auto-injectable epinephrine occurs infrequently (13.3%). Food-allergic patients and their caregivers are receptive to the idea of pharmacist-provided education and training. The majority (63.6% or more) feel confident about managing their food allergies. They are not requesting counseling when refill prescriptions are dispensed (81.4%); however, they would like to see routine review at refill time of the signs of allergic reaction (54.5%) and use of the epinephrine auto-injector (79.3%). Conclusion Community pharmacists have an opportunity to assist newly diagnosed food-allergic patients by working collaboratively with their pediatricians and allergists. Community pharmacists can provide ongoing assistance at refill time by retraining patients in the use of the epinephrine auto-injector and reviewing the signs of allergic reaction.
A Coupled Mode Description of Beam-Type Amplifiers

A description of beam-type amplifiers, in particular the klystron and traveling-wave tube, is developed in which the electroh stream and the circuit are treated as coupled transmission lines. The method allows the derivation of expressions for the ac power flow in both the beam and the circuit. The power flow relations are presented for the klystron and the traveling-wave tube.
"We Know Our Worth": Lessons from a Fair Trade Coffee Cooperative in Honduras

Fair Trade is a market-based development strategy that aims to provide a living wage to producers who fulfill a set of environmental and social norms. The market for Fair Trade products is growing rapidly in Europe and the United States, led by sales in Fair Trade coffee. This paper examines the Fair Trade strategy as it has worked out "on the ground" among a group of coffee producers in Western Honduras. The paper reviews the evolution of the coffee market in general terms and the emergence of the Fair Trade alternative, then chronicles the rise of a relatively successful coffee cooperative, and examines the factors responsible for their ability to sell their coffee on the international market through organic, Fair Trade channels, as well as the barriers to market entry.
Examples of Wavelet Transform Time-frequency Analysis In Direct Hydrocarbon Detection

Windowing problems limit the resolution of conventional time-frequency analysis using the Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT) and interfere with valid measurement of seismic attenuation. Wavelet transform time-frequency spectral analysis eliminates windowing and consequently has very high temporal resolution. Synthetic studies show that the technique can be used to generate useful spectral attributes. Case studies indicate that the method allows anomalies to be seen on spectrally decomposed sections that may not be apparent on a broad-band stack. Application to various gas reservoirs indicates that wavelet transform time-frequency analysis can potentially be used for direct hydrocarbon detection using seismic attenuation in thick reservoirs, tuning-related peak frequency anomalies in thin reservoirs and low frequency shadows associated with hydrocarbons.
The mechanism of the photochemical activity of isolated chloroplasts. VI. Effects of heavy water on the kinetics of the Hill reaction.

Abstract The light-limiting rate parameter k L of the Hill reaction is decreased rapidly and irreversibly by D 2 O. The extent of the decrease is related to pH (pD). The dark rate parameter k D is decreased irreversibly by D 2 O in a slow reaction which is but weakly pH (pD) dependent. A partial reconciliation of the divergent results in the literature concerning the effects of D 2 O on the photosynthesis of intact cells and the Hill reaction is provided by the assumption that different slow steps control the dark reactions in the two cases. It is unlikely that isotope substitution manifests its effect directly through the water-splitting reaction of photosynthesis. The effect of D 2 O on k L and k D is interpreted as a total inactivation of fixed plant reactants.
Reconstitution and Single Molecule Characterization of Yeast Spliceosomal E Complex

The formation of yeast commitment complex (CC2 or “E complex”) is one of the earliest stages in spliceosome assembly on pre-mRNA, and is the only assembly step that forms independent of the activity of an ATPase. Previous studies have shown that E complex components, the nuclear cap binding complex (CBC) and the branchpoint binding Msl5•Mud2 heterodimer, are required to stabilize U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) complex to the 5′SS of pre-mRNA. However the kinetics and nature of the interactions between these components have not been established, in part because E complex has never been reconstituted separate from other spliceosomal proteins. Here we present work towards the characterization of E complex interactions by Colocalization Single Molecule Spectroscopy (CoSMoS) experiments with reconstituted fluorescently-labeled CBC, Msl5•Mud2, and U1 snRNP. Intact and functional U1 snRNP was isolated from all other spliceosomal proteins by a novel purification method and fluorescently labeled with a tri-functional SNAP-ligand derivative for single molecule study. The stoichiometry of the seventeen U1 snRNP proteins and the efficiency of the fluorescent labeling reaction is being determined by AQUA mass spectrometry. A combination of splicing assays, primer extension, and CoSMoS experiments with fluorescently labeled pre-mRNA constructs are used to show the functionality of purified U1 snRNP. Our results show that the multi-protein components of E complex can be reconstituted and fluorescently tagged for CoSMoS and other single molecule experiments which elucidate the kinetics of early spliceosome assembly.
Continental-Scale Simulation of the Antarctic Katabatic Wind Regime

Abstract Katabatic winds are a common feature of the lower Antarctic atmosphere. Although these drainage flows are quite shallow, there is increasing evidence that the low-level circulations are an important component in establishing large-scale tropospheric motions in the high southern latitudes. Three-dimensional numerical simulations of the Antarctic katabatic wind regime and attendant tropospheric circulations have been conducted over the entire continent to depict the topographically forced drainage patterns in the near-surface layer of the atmosphere. Results of the simulation enable a mapping of katabatic wind potential and identification of coastal regions which may experience anomalously intense katabatic winds. A large upper-level cyclonic circulation forms rapidly in response to the evolving katabatic wind structure in the lower atmosphere, suggesting that the drainage circulations are an important component in prescribing the resulting resulting circumpolar vortex. These results imply that som...
Half-Fourier BURST imaging on a clinical scanner

A modified BURST imaging technique with a nearly twofold reduction in acquisition time, improved signal-to-noise ratio and clear improvement of the image quality is introduced. The method applies half-Fourier reconstruction and can be implemented on a standard clinical scanner. This approach allows the collection of single-shot magnetization prepared images of the human brain with a matrix size of 112 x 128 within 86-250 ms. The signal-to-noise properties of the pulse sequence are analyzed and compared with a standard BURST experiment.
Thermoelastic stress analysis of overlap shear splices constructed from wet lay-up FRP composites

Overlap shear splices are common in civil FRP strengthening applications when the overall length of a saturated ply becomes prohibitive or access to the surface being strengthened is restricted. The objective of this research was to develop a standard test method for evaluating overlap splices in wet lay-up FRP composite samples. Single-shear specimens were constructed from carbon fiber FRP with variable overlap splice lengths ranging from 1 in to 4 in. Each specimen was subjected to cyclic loading at a rate of 1 Hz and an IR camera was used to monitor the temperature variations resulting from the cyclic stress. A sinusoidal curve fit was applied to the temperature response for each pixel and the resulting amplitude image was used to evaluate the severity of stress concentrations at the ends of the overlap splice region as well as where the top ply of saturated composite formed a kink during lay-up.
Characterization and modeling of the dynamic behavior of a liquid-vapor phase change actuator

Abstract The dynamic behavior of a liquid–vapor phase change actuator has been investigated. A modular liquid–vapor phase change actuator was designed and fabricated. The actuator consists of a cavity filled with a two-phase fluid bounded on the bottom by a thin membrane into which heat is added and on the top by a cover slip which is displaced by the expansion of the vapor. A parametric study of geometric and operation parameters was conducted. A lumped parameter mathematical model of the actuator was developed to predict the dynamic behavior of the actuator. The model was validated against measured data. Based on the parameter study, actuators with smaller bubbles experienced higher heat loss. Thicker actuators were associated with higher thermal inertia. Thermal inertia, as well as heat losses, had a major effect on the dynamic behavior of the actuator. The model showed that faster response times and higher sensitivity can be achieved if the thermal inertia and heat loss coefficient values are reduced. Time constants less than 2.5 ms and displacement sensitivity higher than 30 μm/W are feasible.
Second shock ejecta measurements with an explosively driven two-shockwave drive

We develop and apply an explosively driven two-shockwave tool in material damage experiments on Sn. The two shockwave tool allows the variation of the first shockwave amplitude over range 18.5 to 26.4 GPa, with a time interval variation between the first and second shock of 5 to 7 μs. Simulations imply that the second shock amplitude can be varied as well and we briefly describe how to achieve such a variation. Our interest is to measure ejecta masses from twice shocked metals. In our application of the two-shockwave tool, we observed second shock ejected areal masses of about 4 ± 1 mg/cm2, a value we attribute to unstable Richtmyer-Meshkov impulse phenomena. We also observed an additional mass ejection process caused by the abrupt recompression of the local spallation or cavitation of the twice shocked Sn.
Hyperostosis Associated with Meningioma of the Cranial Base: Secondary Changes or Tumor Invasion

Objective Hyperostosis associated with intracranial meningiomas is a well-described entity. The cause, management, and prognosis of these bony changes have long been a point of controversy. Some authors have postulated that hyperostotic changes are secondary to the formation of the tumor and do not constitute invasion of the tumor into the bone. Determining this point has direct implications in the treatment of these patients, especially regarding surgical considerations. To more thoroughly evaluate this question, a study correlating the morphology to the radiology is necessary. Methods In this study, 51 patients underwent resection for meningiomas involving the cranial base. Preoperative radiographic evaluation using magnetic resonance imaging and/or computed tomography was performed, and areas of hyperostosis were identified. During the resection of the tumor, biopsies from these hyperostotic regions were sent for histological evaluation regarding the presence or absence of tumor invasion of the bone. Results Preoperative neuroradiological assessment identified 26 patients with radiographic evidence of hyperostosis. Histological examination of the resected bone showed tumor invasion in 35 patients, including the area of radiographically identified hyperostosis in 25 of the 26 patients. The floor of the middle fossa was a specific area of low sensitivity for preoperative assessment of associated hyperostosis. Conclusion These results indicate that hyperostosis associated with meningiomas involving the cranial base are caused by tumor invasion of the bone histologically.
Effects of 20-hydroxyecdysone on protein synthesis in tissues of the land crab Gecarcinus lateralis

The endocrine regulation of molting was investigated in the crab Gecarcinus lateralis by treating tissues from anecdysial (intermolt) animals with the arthropod molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20HE) in vitro and observing changes in the incorporation of [35S]-methionine into proteins. Although total protein synthesis was not affected by levels of 20HE ranging from 10−9 to 10−5 M, synthesis of five out of 30 protein bands was significantly stimulated at hormone concentrations of 10−9−10−7 M, the latter characteristic of proecdysis. Increases were as large as eightfold. Synthesis was not significantly inhibited for any of the integumentary proteins. Treatment of integumentary tissues with 10−5 M 20HE (approx. 100 times greater than the highest endogenous concentration) had less effect than physiological concentrations. The dose response varied substantially among integumentary proteins. In some instances, the effects were similar to changes in synthesis that occur in vivo during specific stages of proecdysis (Stringfellow and Skinner, Dev. Biol., 128: 97–110, '88). Midgut gland (hepatopancreas) was also treated with 20HE in vitro. Treatment with 20HE significantly inhibited total protein synthesis in tissue from males, but not in that from females. This treatment inhibited the synthesis of a number of the 32 protein bands examined in both sexes. Synthesis of six protein bands was significantly inhibited in males, while synthesis of three different bands was significantly inhibited in females. This inhibitory action of 20HE is consistent with the atrophy of the midgut gland that occurs during proecdysis (Gibson and Barker, Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. Annu. Rev., 17: 285–346, 79).
Gender and Civil Society: Transcending Boundaries

Gender and Civil Society: Transcending Boundaries. Edited by Jude Howell and Diane Mulligan. London and New York: Routledge. 2005. 257 pp. $125.00.This book provides a welcome addition to the ever-growing comparative scholarship on gender politics and the state. Editors Jude Howell and Diane Mulligan bring together a group of experts with the ideal blend of country expertise and understanding about comparative analysis and theoretical issues to systematically map out and operationalize the concept of “civil society” in a cross-national study of the interface between women's organizations and the state. Howell raises the central analytical problem of the book in the introduction. While the concept of civil society has great promise for understanding how, why, and to what extent women organize and seek to influence the state, comparative gender and politics analysts have shied away from using the term; comparativists and political theorists have basically ignored the quite obviously gendered aspects of civil society. As this edited volume convincingly asserts, intersecting the study of civil society with comparative gender research moves the two areas much further along by compelling “researchers to gauge their understanding of empirical civil societies, to question the assumptions about the relationship between democratization, civil society and gender equality and to query the idea of civil society and feminism as universally valid concepts” (p. 246).
Tree seedling and sapling density and deer browsing incidence on recently logged and mature non-industrial private forestlands in Virginia, USA.

Abstract We compared the density and species composition of seedlings and saplings as well as the evidence of browsing by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on recently logged and mature non-industrial private forestland (NIPF) stands in south-central Virginia. Nine stands had been harvested within the past 2 years and the nine mature forest stands had not been harvested within the past 30–40 years. Seedling (trees
A study of vacancy-type defects in pure and boron-doped Ni3Al alloys

Abstract Positron lifetimes have been measured for two sets of pure and boron-doped Ni 3 Al alloys. The alloys were large-grain polycrystals and had compositions of Ni 75+ x Al 25− x ( x = −1, 0, + 1) with 0, 100 and 500 wt ppm boron added. Lifetime parameters for samples of composition Ni 75+ x Al 25− x ( x = ± 1) with 0 and 500 wt ppm boron added were measured after initial thermal conditioning and after a subsequent cold-work anneal treatment. Positron trapping (≈20%) was observed in all unprocessed alloys. The vacancy concentration was calculated to be ≈ 5 × 10 −6 and showed little, if any, systematic dependence on either alloy composition or boron concentration. Cold-worked fully annealed samples contained no detectable vacancies, i.e. the trapped state intensity was observed to be zero. The results are at variance with previously published data. During the annealing procedure (> 350°C) carbon was observed to diffuse out of the cold-worked samples. It is therefore possible that carbon stabilizes vacancies in Ni 3 Al alloys. There is, however, no evidence to suggest that boron interacts with constitutional vacancies in Ni 3 Al.
Suppression of damping-off of peas and cotton in the field with composted sewage sludge.

Amendment of field plots with composted sewage sludge (7–10 t ha−1) reduced (p < 0.05) the incidence of damping-off of smooth-skinned and wrinkled pea cultivars caused mainly by Rhizoctonia solani and Pythium ultimum. This occurred in the spring plantings of 3 years and the fall plantings of 2 years during a 4-year period. Seed treatment with thiram or pentachloronitrobenzene increased pea stand compared with that with no seed treatment in both non-amended and compost-amended soils. During summer months, cotton stand was improved in 3 of the 4 years by compost amendment. Stand was correlated with increased total nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and organic matter, all provided by the compost. Compost significantly reduced the inoculum density of R. solani (expressed as percentage of beet-seed colonization) in soils sampled during the fall of 3 of the 4 years and during the spring in one of the years. Inoculum density of R. solani was inversely correlated with the healthy plant stand of one of the pea cultivars. In general, the population of P. ultimum was slightly but significantly greater in compost-amended than in non-amended soil. There was a correlation between inoculum density of P. ultimum and the stand of one of the pea cultivars. In laboratory studies, compost reduced survival of oospores of P. myriotylum and P. aphanidermatum, but not those of P. ultimum. The beneficial effect of compost on pea and cotton stand establishment may be attributed to the induction of suppression in soils by the compost.
Na,K-ATPase β subunit isoform expression in the peripheral nervous system of the rat

Abstract Using the RNase protection assay (RPA) to study the distribution of isoforms of the non-catalytic (β) subunit of Na,K-ATPase in the peripheral nervous system, we found both β1 and β2 isoform mRNAs in dorsal root ganglion (DRG), but only β2 mRNA in sciatic nerve. Using Western blot to measure accumulation of the polypeptides at a ligature on the nerve we found that β1 but not β2 polypeptide is carried by rapid axonal transport in the sciatic nerve. These results imply that β1 is the prominent isoform of Na,K-ATPase in neurons and β2 the prominent isoform in Schwann cells.
Applying stochastic decision theory to estimation problems

A classical state estimation problem is re-cast in the context of stochastic decision theory and is shown to be equivalent to an algorithm for the reduction of a stochastic decision tree.
Inversion of Euler integral transforms with applications to sensor data

Following the pioneering work of Schapira, we consider topological Radon-type integral transforms on constructible -valued functions using the Euler characteristic as a measure. Contributions include: (1) application of the Schapira inversion formula to target localization and classification problems in sensor networks; (2) extension and application of the inversion formula to weighted Radon transforms; and (3) pseudo-inversion formulae for inverting annuli (sets of Euler measure zero).
Identification of some organic smog components based on rain water analysis.

An analysis has been made of a sample of rain water collected in Washington, D.C. following a sustained photo-oxidant smog alert which was accompanied by haze and low visibility. The analysis was effected by purging the organic content from the water with helium gas and identifying the constituents by means of gas chromatography—mass spectrometry. The predominant compound was found to be 3-methylfuran, a possible intermediate or end product of the atmospheric decomposition of terpenoid hydrocarbons. The analysis suggests that the smog resulted from the air oxidation of hydrocarbons evolved from Appalachian forestation rather than from manassociated activities.
Orbital Angular Momentum of Light in Optics Instruction

We present an introduction to the orbital angular momentum of light for use in optics instruction. This type of angular momentum is a new fundamental concept discovered fifteen years ago. It arises in optical beams with helical wave-fronts. We introduce it as part of a fundamental discussion of the momentum of light. We also present inexpensive demonstrations of transfer of linear and angular momentum of light using optical tweezers.
Linking questions and evidence

This special issue features a set of papers recently published in the 3rd International Workshop on Computing Education Research (ICER'07). The papers were selected because they closely meet the publication criteria for ACM/JERIC: stemming from computing education practice, grounded in relevant literature, containing analysis of primary empirical data collected to support specific claims, and providing implications for practice. In addition, the diverse set of research methods used demonstrates how empirical methods can be chosen to serve the specific questions of interest, whether for purposes of research or for improvement of teaching practice. This set of papers can therefore serve as examplars and resources for the educator wishing to develop a wider range of tools for probing issues of teaching and learning within the classroom.
List Processing and Extension of Language Facility by Embedding

There are two distinct (though not necessarily disjoint) types of language extension. The first is a syntactic extension, in which the class of expressions interpretable within a language is widened. The second is an extension of the functional domain in which operations not previously performable are added to the language. These extensions may be implemented by completely reprogramming the basic language processor (the compiler or interpreter), but such extensions may often be achieved at far less cost by embedding. The authors give an example of each of these two types of extensions by embedding, adding list-processing facilities to the FORTRAN language, and extending the list processing language LISP to facilitate expression and interpretation of string transformations. As an aid to those unfamiliar with list processing, there is a section which reviews this subject. Included are descriptions and explanations of list structures, the various notations used for lists, the basic processes of list processing, and the different notations (machine language, functional, and prototype) used for expressing processing of lists.
Cytochrome P4503A-Dependent Metabolism of Tocopherols and Inhibition by Sesamin☆☆☆

Carboxychroman metabolites of the major dietary tocopherols are excreted in human urine, but the mechanism of their synthesis is unknown. We employed well-characterized inhibitors of specific cytochrome P-450 (CYP) enzymes to determine which form was likely involved in tocopherol side chain oxidation. Ketoconozole (1.0 microM), a potent and selective inhibitor of CYP3A, substantially inhibited metabolism of gamma- and alpha-tocopherol in rat primary hepatocytes, and metabolism of gamma- and delta-tocopherol in HepG2/C3A cells. Sulphaphenazole and cyclosporin, inhibitors of CYP2C and CYP27, respectively, were without effect. Sesamin, a sesame lignan that causes elevation of tissue tocopherol concentration in rats, strongly inhibited tocopherol metabolism by HepG2/C3A cells at 1.0 microM. These results support a CYP3A-dependent mechanism of side chain metabolism of tocopherols to water-soluble carboxychromans, and provide the first evidence of a specific enzyme involved in vitamin E metabolism. The data further suggest that sesamin increases tissue tocopherol concentration by inhibiting tocopherol catabolism.