cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Circumferential pulmonary vein ablation guided by 3 dimensional mapping system for treating atrial fibrillation

Objectives To investigate the safety and efficacy of circumferential pulmonary vein(PV) ablation guided by 3 dimensional mapping system for treatment of atrial fibrillation. Methods Ninety-two patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation(AF) and thirty-six with persistent/permanent AF underwent circumferential pulmonary vein ablation. Anatomically guided ablation was performed utilizing the CARTO system and circular mapping catheter to create circumferential lesions around ipsilateral PVs. Afterward, if PV conduction remained, further ablation was performed to isolate the PVs. The endpoint was defined as absence of all PV spikes documented with the circular mapping catheter within the PVs or bidirectional conduction block between left atrium and PVs. Cardioversion was used for the patients with AF at the end of the procedure. Results In the initial procedure,256 anatomically guided linear lesions around ipsilateral PVs were performed, 150(58.6%) among which achieved the endpoint and the others needed further ablation. Mean procedure time was (231±45)min. Mean fluoroscopy time and radiofrequency energy delivery was (42±13) min and(66±17) min, respectively. At 10 months follow-up, 101(78.9%) patients were free of atrial tachyarrhythmias with or without antiarrhythmic drugs. The rate of complication was 4.69%. Fifty patients underwent repeat ablation. Recovered conduction between left atrium and PVs were documented in 93.3% of them. With repeat procedures, the overall success rate was 87.5%(93.0% in paroxysmal AF and 76.7% in persistent/permanent AF). Conclusions Circumferential pulmonary vein ablation aiming at complete PVs isolation is a feasible and effective approach for treating AF.
Chemical Dynamics Simulations of Intermolecular Energy Transfer: Azulene + N2 Collisions

Chemical dynamics simulations were performed to investigate collisional energy transfer from highly vibrationally excited azulene (Az*) in a N2 bath. The intermolecular potential between Az and N2, used for the simulations, was determined from MP2/6-31+G* ab initio calculations. Az* is prepared with an 87.5 kcal/mol excitation energy by using quantum microcanonical sampling, including its 95.7 kcal/mol zero-point energy. The average energy of Az* versus time, obtained from the simulations, shows different rates of Az* deactivation depending on the N2 bath density. Using the N2 bath density and Lennard-Jones collision number, the average energy transfer per collision ⟨ΔEc⟩ was obtained for Az* as it is collisionally relaxed. By comparing ⟨ΔEc⟩ versus the bath density, the single collision limiting density was found for energy transfer. The resulting ⟨ΔEc⟩, for an 87.5 kcal/mol excitation energy, is 0.30 ± 0.01 and 0.32 ± 0.01 kcal/mol for harmonic and anharmonic Az potentials, respectively. For comparison,...
Lifespan Development, Instability, and Waddington’s Epigenetic Landscape

Epigenetic programming drives normal development, but environmental toxins and stressors can reprogram gene regulatory systems. Epigenetic changes follow two developmental tracks: (1) transgenerational via the germ-line gametes; and (2) lifespan exponential changes in methylation leading to aging. Waddington’s epigenetic landscape model describes these processes, and Thom applied catastrophe theory to provide a mathematical formalism where systems develop or collapse in response to specific environmental thresholds. Disturbances to epigenetic systems that are described in these models emerge in theories of aging and cancer, both of which emphasize thermodynamic entropy and molecular instability. Epigenetic reprogramming that leads to molecular instability in pathologies and in aging often involves disruptions of mitochondrial bioenergetics linked with cellular biochemical pathways. We extend Thom’s approach to model instability via Jacobian matrices and their corresponding Lyapunov exponents to measure change.
Being Black, Being Male, and Choosing to Teach in the 21st Century: Understanding My Role, Embracing My Call

Teaching has been a passion of mine from an early age. Making the decision to teach was challenging enough without the hardships of completing my degree as a race and gender minority in the elementary education program at a predominately White institution. Nor was I prepared to manage the many challenges associated with transition into the teaching profession. This chapter is a memoir of a few significant lessons learned during my teacher preparation and early professional teaching practice. Specific recommendations are made to support Black males’ ability to: build and cultivate professional relationships with school stakeholders; capitalize on the range of professional opportunities available in the field of education; and sustain an impactful career in K-12 teaching. Finally, this narrative is revelation of the personal and professional perspectives useful to individual(s) desiring to better recruit, retain, prepare, support, and nurture Black males aspiring to teach.
Isoniazid Poisoning: A Pediatric Simulation Case for Emergency Medicine Residents.

Abstract Introduction Seizures in the setting of isoniazid (abbreviated INH, from isonocotinylhydrazide) toxicity can be intractable and persistent despite treatment with the usual status epileptic...
Dos dispositivos de resistencia: Sobre Invasión (1969), de Hugo Santiago y Moebius (1996), de Gustavo Mosquera

This article analyzes the mechanisms of political resistance deployed by cinematographic resources in two Argentine films: Invasion (1969), directed by Hugo Santiago, with screenplay by Jorge Luis Borges and Adolfo Bioy Casares, and Moebius (1996) directed by Gustavo Mosquera. Focusing the analysis further on Moebius, but making a foothold in Invasion , I argue that both films work with "fantastic situations" that seek to stage the universality of the notion of "resistance." This vocation of universality makes Santiago’s fictitious Aquileia to anticipate the Buenos Aires of the last civic-military dictatorship in Argentina, and the more retro-futuristic Buenos Aires of Mosquera speaks to us of those same dictatorial years, as well as of the deep crisis of disinterest for the other of the neoliberal nineties. Both Invasion and Moebius propose that resistance has no end, and they assume the task of constantly "resisting" the artificial balance of the contemporary, approaching in a disturbing way past, present and future.
Japan's Imperial Underworlds: Intimate Encounters at the Borders of Empire

This major new study uses vivid accounts of encounters between Chinese and Japanese people living at the margins of empire to elucidate Sino-Japanese relations in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Each chapter explores mobility in East Asia through the histories of often ignored categories of people, including trafficked children, peddlers, 'abducted' women and a female pirate. These stories reveal the shared experiences of the border populations of Japan and China and show how they fundamentally shaped the territorial boundaries that defined Japan's imperial world and continue to inform present-day views of China. From Meiji-era treaty ports to the Taiwan Strait, South China, and French Indochina, the movements of people in marginal locations not only destabilized the state's policing of geographical borders and social boundaries, but also stimulated fantasies of furthering imperial power.
Continuum of covalent to intermolecular bonding in the halogen-bonded complexes of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane with bromine-containing electrophiles

A gradual change of Br⋯N bond lengths and strengths from the values typical for intermolecular associates to that characteristic of a covalent bond was observed in a series of halogen-bonded complexes. This continuum reveals a fundamental relationship between the limiting types of bonding and implies the onset of covalency in the intermolecular interactions.
Continued Fractions in Time Series Forecsting

Through their ergodic properties, continued fractions provide a fascinating example of a dynamical system whose properties we attempt to encode in a library of rules. For an irrational number, randomly selected from a unit interval, the probability distribution of partial quotients can be derived from the ergodic theorem, allowing one to distinguish a random time series from a time series whose elements are drawn from the probability distribution resulting from the ergodic hypothesis. Applications of ergodicity to modular transformations and chaotic cosmology are sketched. In addition to being an object of study, continued fractions are used as a tool to overcome the curse of dimensionality in rule-based forecasting. To this end, we encode the successive (possibly resealed) values of a time series, as the partial quotients of a continued fraction, resulting in a number from the unit interval. The accuracy of a ruled-based system utilizing this coding is investigated to some extent. Qualitative criteria for the applicability of the algorithm are formulated.
Transfer function estimation part II: some experimental results

This is the second of two parts on transfer function estimation: the first part covers the major theoretical considerations; this second part is a presentation of processed results demonstrating key theoretical points including the design of stimulus and analysis of the response.
chapter 6 – Computer Programs

Publisher Summary This chapter presents computer programs associated with the LANA project to perform an objective grammatical analysis of the subject's linguistic input. In the automatic analysis of natural language, a system for the English language was developed. Known as the Multistore Parser, its purpose was to recognize and explain structural patterns in sequences of words, that is, sentences. The recognition of these structural patterns is made by means of a system of rules that operate on a sequence of words whose individual characteristics are pre-established. The individual characteristics are a collection of connectives that represent the possibilities a word has to form a syntactic combination (correlation) with another item. Each word has a pre-established sequence of correlational indices (les), which represent its string of potential links. Each le is identified by the code number of the relation it establishes between two items and by an indication of whether the items to which the le is assigned can be an LH-piece or an RH-piece, because the order in which two items can form a linguistic relation is fixed. To check the correlational compatibility between only two adjacent words, every le of the first word must be tested for a match with every le of the second word. However, the amount of data involved in an analysis of this kind is enormous and one to look for an economical way of handling correlational indices.
Androgen Action, Wnt Signaling, and Prostate Tumorigenesis

Androgen signaling is mainly mediated through AR and plays a critical role in prostate tumorigenesis. Current studies have shown that AR-mediated transcription is facilitated through direct or indirect interactions with different signaling pathways and coregulators. The Wnt signaling pathway and its key component, β-catenin, are critical in embryonic development and tumorigenesis. Emerging evidence suggests a promotional role of the Wnt and β-catenin signaling pathway in prostate cancer development and progression. The discovery of the interaction between AR and β-catenin provides the molecular basis for crosstalk between androgen and Wnt signaling. It has been shown that mutations in adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), β-catenin, and other components of the β-catenin destruction complex are rare in prostate cancer cells. Therefore, the molecular mechanisms underlying β-catenin oncogenic activation in prostate cancer may be different from those observed in human colorectal cancer or other malignancies. Further study of the role and regulation of Wnt signaling and β-catenin should provide fresh insight into our current knowledge of androgen action and prostate tumorigenesis, which may lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for prostate cancer patients.
Interactive Computer Simulations as Pedagogical Tools in Biology Labs.

The pedagogical effectiveness of a computer simulation of an enzyme kinetics experiment was evaluated. Hierarchical linear modeling analysis of posttest assessments showed that learning was improve...
Acromegaly and Diabetes Mellitus: Special Considerations

A 49-year-old man was found to have acromegaly when he was admitted to the hospital for mania, and endocrine was consulted regarding hyperglycemia. He had poorly controlled insulin-dependent diabetes. However, after his acromegaly was treated, first with surgery and then with a somatostatin analog, he was able to come off insulin with good control of diabetes. The relationship between metabolic function and growth hormone excess is discussed in the context of this case.
Evaluation of Mix Designs for Rapid Construction of Bonded Concrete Overlays on Asphalt

Road users in California have a low tolerance for delays during pavement rehabilitation. Therefore, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is interested in evaluating bonded concret...
Facing the “Right” Side? The Effect of Product Facing Direction

Product image display in advertising plays an important role in consumer perception and behavior. In this research, we establish important downstream consequences of one significant aspect of produ...
Central artery stiffness and thoracic aortopathy.

Thoracic aortopathy, especially aneurysm, dissection, and rupture, is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. Uncontrolled hypertension and aging are primary risk factors for such cond...
The Context of ‘Out of School’ Ethnic Minority Young People in Hong Kong

In the groundbreaking research that emphasized the importance of responsive multicultural education for young adolescents Manning (1996) argued that diversity’s many forms—demographic, cultural, an...
Bochner–Riesz Means of Morrey Functions

This paper concerns both norm estimation and pointwise approximation for the Bochner–Riesz means of an arbitrary Morrey function on $${{{{\mathbb {R}}}}^n}$$—Theorems 1.1 and 1.2 for $$L^{p,\lambda }({{{{\mathbb {R}}}}^n})$$—thereby generalizing the corresponding results for $$L^p({{{{\mathbb {R}}}}^n})$$ in Stein (Acta Math 100:93–147, 1958) and Carbery et al. (J Lond Math Soc 38:513–524, 1988). As a side note, this paper also establishes Lemma 4.1 of Tomas–Stein type—if $$f\in L^{p,\lambda }({{{{\mathbb {R}}}}^n})$$ under $$ 2^{-1}(n+1)<\lambda \le n$$ is compactly supported, then $$\begin{aligned} \Vert {\hat{f}}\Vert _{L^2({\mathbb {S}}^{n-1})}\lesssim \Vert f\Vert _{L^{p,\lambda }({{{{\mathbb {R}}}}^n})}\ \ \hbox {for}\ \ \frac{4\lambda }{n+1+2\lambda }\le p<\frac{2\lambda }{n+1}. \end{aligned}$$
Update on Cardiac Pacing in Reflex Syncope

Cardiac pacing for reflex syncope addresses the cardioinhibitory component but does not directly affect the vasodepressor component. The randomized controlled trials in vasovagal syncope have determined that a select group of patients may benefit from cardiac pacing. Earlier studies without a placebo group found significant benefits to pacing. Conversely, subsequent studies with a placebo group in which the pacemaker was turned off or to sensing only did not find a significant benefit to pacing. In 2012, the ISSUE-3 study found a significant benefit of cardiac pacing in older patients with reflex syncope. Therefore, the current guidelines recommend that cardiac pacing may be beneficial in patients who are ≥40 years old with recurrent vasovagal syncope and evidence of cardioinhibitory reflex such as prolonged pauses but no evident vasodepressor susceptibility based on tilt-table testing. In carotid sinus syndrome, there is evidence that dual-chamber pacemaker is reasonable in patients with a dominant cardioinhibitory reflex with recurrent syncope. Overall, the current data on cardiac pacing in reflex syncope suggest that select patients may benefit from cardiac pacing to reduce recurrent syncope. Conservative treatment remains the first-line therapy for most patients with reflex syncope. More studies are needed on closed-loop stimulation but this pacing algorithm appears to be promising.
Penetrating Atherosclerotic Ulcer—Who Should Be Treated?

Penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer (PAU) is a disease of the elderly often located in the descending thoracic aorta. It is related to acute dissection and intramural hematoma (IMH) and together they form the entity; acute aortic syndrome (AAS). PAU may be found incidentally in asymptomatic patients undergoing imaging of the chest or in symptomatic patients thought to have a myocardial infarction or AAS. It occurs as a local disruption of the intimal layer of the aorta and progresses into the medial layers, at the site of an atheromatous plaque. Some are associated with an IMH and even significant dissection. Symptomatic patients may present with chest, back or flank pain similar in quality and severity to that seen with acute aortic dissection. Appropriate imaging is important. Management is dictated largely by location with those involving the ascending aorta (type A) generally requiring urgent surgical management while those elsewhere (type B) may be treated more conservatively. Initially patients may be treated medically with anti-impulse therapy consisting of beta-blockade and afterload reduction. Medically managed patients should be followed by aortic specialists with serial CT scan in 3–5 days. Surgical intervention should be considered in patients of acceptable operative risk in cases of refractory pain, acute pseudoaneurysm, rupture, progression of the PAU or IMH, or in those cases of PAU located in the ascending aorta. Open surgical repair with graft interposition may be difficult due to the diffusely diseased aorta in many patients. Most of these patients have extensive atherosclerosis and associated coomorbidities such as renal insufficiency, peripheral vascular disease, cerebral vascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The localized nature of the PAU would seem to be the ideal target for endovascular repair in this often high risk group. Short-term results are encouraging with near 100 % procedural success for thoracic endovascular aortic replacement (TEVAR). Recent results, with longer follow up, suggest that concomitant IMH may adversely affect long term TEVAR results.
Manipulative magnetic nanomedicine: the future of COVID-19 pandemic/endemic therapy.

Since the Spanish flu outbreak (1918), many pandemics and/or endemics related to a viral infection such as H1N1, H5N1, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Ebola, Zika, and coronavirus have surprise...
Fat: by Hanne Blank, Bloomsbury Academic, 2020

The simple, three-letter title of Hanne Blank’s Fat masks the historical, cultural, and scientific intricacy of the subject of the book. It also begs the question: which fat is she talking about he...
The Value of Service Robots from the Hotel Guest’s Perspective: A Mixed-Method Approach

Abstract Service robots (SR) are increasingly valued and embraced; they are here to stay. Research on collaborative intelligence to better understand robotic-human partnerships is scarce. To bridge that gap this study aimed to examine the value of SR from the guest’s perspective, thus gain a deeper understanding of the co-value creation process in the context of full-service hotels. A mixed-method design was used to capture the depth and breadth of perceived value of SR. Study 1 is a qualitative study probing consumers’ sense making regarding SR. Study 2 used structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses derived from Study 1. Results indicate that perceived privacy, functional benefits of SR, and robot appearance positively influence consumers’ attitude towards adoption of SR. Functional benefits and novelty had an impact on the individuals’ anticipated overall experience. Attitude and anticipated overall experience, in turn, enhanced consumers’ acceptance of SR. Implications, limitations, and future research are discussed.
Optimal allocation in annual plants with density-dependent fitness

We study optimal two-sector (vegetative and reproductive) allocation models of annual plants in temporally variable environments that incorporate effects of density-dependent lifetime variability and juvenile mortality in a fitness function whose expected value is maximized. Only special cases of arithmetic and geometric mean maximizers have previously been considered in the literature, and we also allow a wider range of production functions with diminishing returns. The model predicts that the time of maturity is pushed to an earlier date as the correlation between individual lifetimes increases, and while optimal schedules are bang-bang at the extremes, the transition is mediated by schedules where vegetative growth is mixed with reproduction for a wide intermediate range. The mixed growth lasts longer when the production function is less concave allowing for better leveraging of plant size when generating seeds. Analytic estimates are obtained for the power means that interpolate between arithmetic and geometric mean and correspond to partially correlated lifetime distributions.
New Auditing Reporting Model: The Final Standard ('AS 3101') (Presentation Slides)

To what extent are critical audit matters, as well as matters relating to subjectivity and judgment likely to impact the future of financial reporting – particularly the need to exercise adequate judgment, reasoning, supervision and other vital mechanisms of corporate governance? This is already impacting the field of Data and Audit analytics. Effective mechanisms of accountability and disclosures procedures – coupled with all important verification and authorization procedures constitute part of essential components which will be required to address challenges presented in this new era.
OPTIMAL, TWO STAGE, ADAPTIVE ENRICHMENT DESIGNS FOR RANDOMIZED TRIALS USING SPARSE LINEAR PROGRAMMING

Adaptive enrichment designs involve preplanned rules for modifying enrolment criteria based on accruing data in a randomized trial. We focus on designs where the overall population is partitioned into two predefined subpopulations, e.g. based on a biomarker or risk score measured at baseline. The goal is to learn which populations benefit from an experimental treatment. Two critical components of adaptive enrichment designs are the decision rule for modifying enrolment, and the multiple‐testing procedure. We provide a general method for simultaneously optimizing these components for two‐stage, adaptive enrichment designs. We minimize the expected sample size under constraints on power and the familywise type I error rate. It is computationally infeasible to solve this optimization problem directly because of its non‐convexity. The key to our approach is a novel, discrete representation of this optimization problem as a sparse linear program, which is large but computationally feasible to solve by using modern optimization techniques. We provide an R package that implements our method and is compatible with linear program solvers in several software languages. Our approach produces new, approximately optimal trial designs.
Rings with effects

A ring with effects (e-ring) is a generalization of the ring of bounded linear operators on a Hilbert space and the subsystem of effect operators (positive Hermitian operators dominated by the identity operator). The POV-measures representing (perhaps fuzzy) quantum mechanical observables take on their valued in the system of Hilbert-space effect operators. We study and give several examples of e-rings, including von Neumann algebras and rings of bounded measurable functions.
Supplier Selection Criteria and Perceived Benefits and Challenges of Global Sourcing Apparel Firms in the United States

While nearly 90% of apparel consumed in the United States is sourced overseas, limited empirical research of this practice has been conducted. To provide an in-depth understanding of U.S. apparel manufacturers’ global sourcing practices, this study examined the differences in selection criteria and benefits and challenges associated with global sourcing based on two firm characteristics (sourcing items and top management’s commitment to global sourcing). Analyses of data collected from U.S. apparel manufacturers revealed no significant differences in supplier selection criteria or in perceived benefits and challenges by sourcing items. However, a significant difference was found based on top management’s commitment to global sourcing. That is, firms with strong commitment from top management placed significantly more weight on sourcing country when selecting overseas partners, perceived more benefits of global sourcing, and perceived fewer challenges in risks associated with foreign trade than did firms with low commitment from top management. An implication for academia is that firms’ managerial characteristics should be taken into account in examining the effectiveness of global sourcing.
Direction of travel of RecBC recombinase through bacteriophage lambda DNA

ABSTRACT We examined linkage relationships for RecBC-mediated recombination in lytic cycle crosses of λ phages bearing two cohesive end sites ( cos ) oriented in the same direction. The relationships obtained imply that a given recombinant tends to be packaged from the cos site that is the nearer one to the right of the exchange. In view of the previously established coupling of entry of a recombinase at a cos cut and initiation of DNA packaging by that cos cut, these results imply that the recombinase (presumably the RecBC gene product) enters λ9s chromosome at the right end.
A 3GHz subthreshold CMOS low noise amplifier

This paper presents an integrated 3GHz ultra low power CMOS low noise amplifier (LNA) based on a cascode topology where both MOS transistors are biased in subthreshold region. At 160/spl mu/W DC power consumption and power supply of 0.6V, this LNA has a measured power gain of 4.5dB and noise figure of 6.3dB. At 400/spl mu/W power consumption, the LNA delivers a power gain of 9.1dB and a noise figure of 4.7dB. The measured IIP3 under 400uAV power dissipation is -11dBm while the input and output matching is better than -13dB. By using a figure of merit that contains the effect of amplifier noise figure, gain, linearity, DC power consumption and operating frequency, we have shown that this amplifier is superior to conventional CMOS LNA designs reported in the literature.
Access to health care by refugees: a dimensional analysis.

zajnaWardPurpose A dimensional analysis of access to healthcare services by the refugee population was conducted. Background Refugees resettled to the United States are categorized as a vulnerable population and have limited economic and social resources. Methods Dimensional analysis was employed to identify the concept by varying perspectives and dimensions. The perspectives from the healthcare provider and the refugee, as the healthcare consumer, were explored. Results The following dimensions were identified: culture, language discrimination and stigmatization, and logistical concerns. Findings support that specific refugee groups have not been well-represented in the literature. Conclusion Knowledge of this unique population is integral to healthcare professionals who encounter refugees in clinical practice. Regardless of the specific group, access to healthcare services must be determined for better health outcomes. SzajnaWard
Effect of Duration of Time Out in Suppressing Disruptive Behavior of a Severely Autistic Child

Time out from positive reinforcement was examined over a long period of time in a severely autistic child. The child was exposed to three different durations of time out, i.e., 3 min., 1 hr., and 1...
Migration of B and T lymphocytes to M cells in Peyer's patch follicle epithelium: An autoradiographic and immunocytochemical study in mice

Intimate interaction occurs between M cells which take up antigens in Peyer's patch epithelium and underlying lymphocytes but the migratory pathway and subtypes of these lymphocytes have remained uncertain. Lymphocyte homing to Peyer's patches was investigated by separating mouse splenic B and T lymphocytes, labeling with [3H]adenosine, reinjecting into syngeneic mice, and localizing them by autoradiography after 17, 40, and 68 hr. Both B and T lymphocytes migrated across postcapillary venules through intercellular spaces. Most labeled cells of both types localized around postcapillary venules in the initial time period, then migrated through the lymphoid mass to follicle epithelium. T-cell number in follicle epithelium peaked at 17 hr but B cells peaked at 40 hr. At each time point more labeled B than T lymphocytes were found below M cells and in follicle epithelium but the differences were only significant (P less than 0.01) at 40 hr. Endogenous B lymphocytes, identified by antibody staining, were also associated with M cells, possibly reflecting a role for secretory antibody in modulating antigen uptake.
Interlaminar Fracture of Composite Materials

Interlaminar fracture characteristics of a graphite/epoxy composite material (AS1/3501-6) are investigated under the opening, shearing and mix ed mode conditions. The Arcan test fixture was modified to accomodate the composite specimen containing an embedded interlaminar crack. Both critical stress intensity factor and strain energy release rate data were deter mined and the quadratic interaction for mixed mode behavior was compared to experimental data. Results of over sixty tests showed that the test fixture yielded results which compare favorably with results from contemporary test fixtures. Critical fracture parameters for the opening and shearing modes were shown to differ by a factor of 9.1. Further, the test results showed general agreement with the quadratic interaction relation.
Electrostatic Interactions between Ru(bpy)32+ and Chromatographic Surfaces

In HPLC, the zones of organic bases tail when silica-based stationary phases are used because the analytes and the surface are oppositely charged. In developing new stationary phases to achieve lower surface charge, a measure of surface charge is needed. The choice of a suitable analyte to quantitate electrostatic interactions is complicated by the acid−base equilibrium of the analyte itself and by nonelectrostatic interactions between the analyte and the surface, which alter the charge-induced tailing. This paper describes the study of the pH dependence of adsorption to isolate electrostatic interaction and the use of a cationic probe, tris(2,2‘-bipyridine)ruthenium chloride (Ru(bpy)32+), to sense surface charge without the complication of the probe's acid−base equilibria. The paper further describes the application of Gouy−Chapman theory to reveal the surface charge density. The results confirm that type A silica is considerably more acidic than type B silica and that horizontal polymerization makes typ...
Unexpected products formed by the addition of halogens [X2 (= I2 or Br2)] to W2(O2CBut)4 (MM): The x=ray crystal structures of [W2(O2CBut)5·2ButCONMe2]+[W2I4(O2CBut)2]− and W2Br2(O2CBut)3·2THF

Abstract Addition of halogens, X2 (X = I or Br), to hydrocarbon solutions of W2(O2CBut)4·2L, where L = THF or ButCONMe2, does not lead to simple oxidative-addition products of formula W2X2(O2CBut)4 having axially aligned halogen-tungsten bonds [cf. W2R2(O2CR′)4 compounds, where R = CH2CMe3 or CH2Ph, and R′ = Me, Et, But or Ph] but rather leads to facile carboxylate group exchange. The overall reactions are thus complex and two crystalline products isolated in ca 20% crystalline yield have been characterized by X-ray studies. Addition of I2 has allowed isolation of the salt [W2(O2CBut)5·2L]+[W2I4(O2CBut)2]−, where L = ButCONMe2, while addition of Br2 gave W2Br2(O2CBut)3·2L, where L = THF.
Lakatosian Consolations for Economics

The F-twist is giving way to the methodology of scientific research programs. Milton Friedman's “Methodology for Economics” is being supplanted as the orthodox rationale for neoclassical economics by Imre Lakatos' account of scientific respectability. Friedman's instrumentalist thesis that theories are to be judged by the confirmation of their consequences and not the realism of their assumptions has long been widely endorsed by economists, under Paul Samuelson's catchy rubric “the F-twist.” It retains its popularity among economists who want no truck with methodology, but among the increasing number of able economists who are writing on methodology the F-twist has been surrendered, not so much because these writers have decided it is false, as because something better has finally come along.
Evaluation of prostaglandin E1 for prevention of respiratory failure in high risk trauma patients: a prospective clinical trial and correlation with plasma suppressive factors for neutrophil activation.

Abstract A group of 48 critically injured patients were entered into a prospective, double-blind, placebocontrolled trial to evaluate the efficacy of early infusion of PGE 1 for reducing the incidence of severe respiratory failure and mortality. Secondary assessments examined the effects of the PGE 1 infusion on plasma mediated suppression of PMN superoxide production and loss of PMN granule enzyme content. The incidence of severe respiratory failure was lower in the PGE 1 group — 13% versus 32%, but this did not reach significance. The overall morality was equivalent between the two groups — 26% (PGE 1 ) versus 28% (placebo). The suppressive activity of the patient plasma was assayed by measurement of normal PMN superoxide production relative to normal control plasma (ratio P:C). The baseline ratio P:C was 62 ± 5% in the PGE 1 group versus 60 ± 5% in the placebo group. The day 1 plasma samples showed significant reversal of plasma suppressive activity in the PGE 1 group — ratio P:C 88 ± 5% versus 67 ± 5% in the placebo group (P 1 group — ratio P:C 77 ± 4% versus 61 ± 5% (P 1 group. A significant loss of lysozyme content was observed in the PGE 1 group on day 1 of the infusion — ratio P:C 79 ± 8% (P 1 infusion, these studies indicate that infusion of PGE 1 was associated with attenuated production of post traumatic plasma suppressive factors of PMN activation.
Full-potential linear-muffin-tin-orbital study of brittle fracture in titanium carbide.

The inelastic behavior of the refractory transition-metal carbides is dominated, at low temperatures, by brittle fracture. We discuss in this article our theoretical study of both the elastic and fracture properties of titanium carbide under tensile stress. The calculations involved were performed using a full-potential linear-muffin-tin-orbital electronic structure method, with a repeated slab arrangement of atoms simulating an isolated cleavage plane. We report results for the elastic constants (excluding the shear modulus), the stress-strain relationship up to the point of fracture, and the ideal yield stress and strain for stoichiometric TiC. We relate these properties to the details of the electronic structure and to the breaking of metal-nonmetal covalent bonds at the cleavage plane. This includes a detailed pictorial analysis of the charge redistribution accompanying cleavage.
Human prostatic dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate sulfatase

Because of the evidence of adrenal steroid support of normal prostate growth and perhaps in the exacerbation of prostatic carcinoma and in consideration of the large pool of such material, conjugated with sulfate in the blood stream, measurements were made of the prostatic concentration of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfatase and factors which might affect its activity. The enzyme was found to have a high substrate concentration, 5 × 10−6M, for half maximum velocity. Its specific activity is significantly higher in glands exhibiting benign epithelial hyperplasia than in those with stromal hyperplasia or adenocarcinoma. Testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and especially 5α-androstan-3α,17β-diol, at concentrations approximating those found , inhibit sulfatase activity. The antiandrogens, diethylstilbestrol and 17α-hydroxprogesterone, are effective inhibitors, also. The potential capability of enhanced DHEASO4 mobilization, following depletion of testicular androgens, to negate the benefits of castration or estrogen therapy is considered along with other aspects of the latter treatment on hormone balance at the prostatic level.
Characterizing browsing strategies in the World-Wide Web

Abstract This paper presents the results of a study conducted at Georgia Institute of Technology that captured client-side user events of NCSA's XMosaic. Actual user behavior, as determined from client-side log file analysis, supplemented our understanding of user navigation strategies as well as provided real interface usage data. Log file analysis also yielded design and usability suggestions for WWW pages, sites and browsers. The methodology of the study and findings are discussed along with future research directions.
CAPITAL, LABOR, AND THE FIRM: A STUDY OF GERMAN CODETERMINATION

Under the German corporate governance system of codetermination, employees are legally allocated control rights over corporate assets through seats on the supervisory board—that is, the board of nonexecutive directors. The supervisory board oversees the management board—the board of executive directors—approves or rejects its decisions, and appoints its members and sets their salaries. We empirically investigate the implications of this sort of labor participation in corporate decision making. We find that companies with equal representation of employees and shareholders on the supervisory board trade at a 31% stock market discount as compared with companies where employee representatives fill only one-third of the supervisory board seats. We show that under equal representation, management board compensation provides incentives that are not conducive to furthering shareholders' interests, possibly because labor maximizes a different objective function than shareholders. We document that, under equal representation, companies have longer payrolls than their one-third representation peers have. Finally, we provide evidence that shareholders respond to the allocation of control rights to labor by linking supervisory board compensation to firm performance and by leveraging up the firm. (JEL: G32, G34)
Objective evaluation of data in screening for disease.

Background: In order to decide on the feasibility of screening for disease by laboratory testing, a number of assessments need to be made. The necessary procedures and statistical calculations are required for an objective evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy of a laboratory test and of the potential for screening and of the data obtained from the screening. Methods: The determination of reference intervals, is an essential first step in the evaluation of the performance of a laboratory test. The procedures and calculations are necessary for the determination of the sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic predictive value and receiver-operating characteristic curve of a test and their respective applications in laboratory screening for disease. The additional statistical tools include odds ratios and likelihood ratios for assessing the performance of a laboratory test. Conclusion: These tools are used in the development of an appropriate clinical decision limit in a defined population of subjects and under defined conditions for acceptable screening.
Teleradiology in the local environment

Teleradiology can be defined as the remote transmission of radiographic images for clinical use or expert interpretation. This definition indicates that there is a physical distance that impedes patient care between the interpreting expert and the primary physician, which can be overcome through electronic communications. The major benefit of such a system is faster communication of images with expert interpretation to remote sites. Depending on the application, teleradiology can extend the usefulness of the radiologist or make the primary physician's job much less time consuming by saving trips to radiology. In addition, patient interaction can be improved by eliminating the interval between the study and the availability of the images and report. It has not been satisfactorily determined that this more rapid system will lead to improved patient care but most students of the current delivery system recognize its limitations and the promise of electronic communications. The authors confine their remarks to the hospital and immediate clinics, leaving the wider area networks to the other presentations in this seminar, and they draw on the experience of the group at the University of Florida in establishing teleradiology to all the intensive care units two years ago and several other more limited, point-to-point electronic communication links. They have, during the past year, worked very hard at establishing several local area networks with digital archiving capability within their institution. This borders on the notion of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), but has not reached that full potential. The authors find it is useful to concentrate on the teleradiology component because a number of projects can be undertaken without the need of a complete PACS environment. An extensive bibliography, compiled from select sources, is included.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Gene RB cloned from Solanum bulbocastanum confers broad spectrum resistance to potato late blight

Late blight, caused by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans, is the most devastating potato disease in the world. Control of late blight in the United States and other developed countries relies extensively on fungicide application. We previously demonstrated that the wild diploid potato species Solanum bulbocastanum is highly resistant to all known races of P. infestans. Potato germplasm derived from S. bulbocastanum has shown durable and effective resistance in the field. Here we report the cloning of the major resistance gene RB in S. bulbocastanum by using a map-based approach in combination with a long-range (LR)-PCR strategy. A cluster of four resistance genes of the CC-NBS-LRR (coiled coil-nucleotide binding site-Leu-rich repeat) class was found within the genetically mapped RB region. Transgenic plants containing a LR-PCR product of one of these four genes displayed broad spectrum late blight resistance. The cloned RB gene provides a new resource for developing late blight-resistant potato varieties. Our results also demonstrate that LR-PCR is a valuable approach to isolate genes that cannot be maintained in the bacterial artificial chromosome system.
Expression and localization of messenger RNA and protein for monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in human malignant glioma

✓ Expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in human glioma cell lines and surgical specimens was studied by Northern blot analysis, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry. The samples tested consisted of 11 human glioma cell lines and eight specimens of human malignant glioma (seven from glioblastomas and one from a malignant ependymoma). Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) of MCP-1 was detected by either Northern blot or reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis in all cell lines and tumor specimens examined. In vivo expression of MCP-1 mRNA and protein was found predominantly in glioma cells with large and pleomorphic nuclei rather than in areas of small nucleated glioma cells. Adjacent brain tissue did not produce a significant level of MCP-1 mRNA or protein. Tumor vessels with endothelial proliferation expressed a moderate level of MCP-1 protein. Macrophages were found among the glioma cells, and the degree of macro...
Race, Setting, and Actor-Target Differences in Personal Space.

In this study we examine the effects of race, setting, and type of approach upon interpersonal distance preferences among black and white female under-graduate students. Participants were tested 2 at a time in same-race pairs, using both direct and indirect measures in corner and center settings as each participant approached and was approached by her partner. Direct measures showed interpersonal distance to be greater in the corner than in the center setting and greater when participants were approached by than when approaching their partner, but there was no significant effect for race of participant. Indirect measures showed no effects. Interactions showed the effects of type of approach depended to some extent upon both race and setting.
Controllable and affordable utility-scale electricity from intermittent wind resources and compressed air energy storage (CAES)

World wind energy resources are substantial, and in many areas, such as the US and northern Europe, could in theory supply all of the electricity demand. However, the remote or challenging location (i.e. offshore) and especially the intermittent character of the wind resources present formidable barriers to utilization on the scale required by a modern industrial economy. All of these technical challenges can be overcome. Long distance transmission is well understood, while offshore wind technology is being developed rapidly. Intermittent wind power can be transformed to a controllable power source with hybrid wind/compressed air energy storage (CAES) systems. The cost of electricity from such hybrid systems (including transmission) is affordable, and comparable to what users in some modern industrial economies already pay for electricity. This approach to intermittent energy integration has many advantages compared to the current strategy of forcing utilities to cope with supply uncertainty and transmission costs. Above all, it places intermittent wind on an equal technical footing with every other generation technology, including nuclear power, its most important long-term competitor.
Detection of object symmetry using bistatic and polarimetric GPR observations

It has been demonstrated that GPR is an effective sensor for detecting the presence of sub-surface objects. Although this ability is important in regard to mine detection and location, in high clutter environments the false alarm rate from GPR can potentially be unacceptably large. Therefore, an ideal sensor would provide sufficient information not only to detect subsurface objects, but additionally to identify the objects as either a mine or a benign clutter object. To accomplish this for GPR sensor, it is noted that mines exhibit a level of vertical symmetry that is not prevalent in other clutter targets. These symmetric targets have specific polarimetric and bistatic response that are independent of size, shape, dielectric, or target depth. A set of bistatic, polarimetric, GPR observations can be used to identify these specific responses and thus potentially identify objects with planes of vertical symmetries. To examine the efficacy of this target identification technique, an FDTD solution was used to simulate the polarimetric and bistatic scattering form symmetric and asymmetric targets. Analytical measures were developed in order to express numerically the apparent symmetry of a subsurface object, and the detection performance of these measures were evaluated in terms of Receiver Operation Curves. Finally, results using measured GPR data were evaluated.