cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investor overreaction to going concern audit opinion announcements

The finance literature extensively documents the existence of stock market anomalies, such as the January effect, the day of the week effect and the small firm effect. Many of these anomalies were discovered or clarified while investigating what has come to be known as the overreaction hypothesis. This paper examines investor overreaction to going concern audit opinion announcements made in the major financial press. The evidence presented suggests the sell-off by investors on the announcement date is followed by a major buy-back of the announcing firms’ shares over the next few days. For the 79 announcing firms in the sample spanning 1984 to 1996, nearly 70% of the average losses on the announcement date are recovered the five days following going concern audit opinion announcements.
Left ventricular bypass: A new nonthrombogenic device with homograft aortic valves☆

Abstract A new pulsatile disposable nonthrombogenic left ventricular bypass unit is described. Plastic cannulas and tubing of the unit are coated with tetrahydrofuran-graphite-polyurethane-polyvinyl solution. The pump and valve housings are lined with Dacron® velour. The blood pump is energized with compressed oxygen. Two dog homograft valves are used as pump valves. In vitro tests have shown that this assist system has automatic regulation over output, that is, the output increases when systemic blood pressure falls or left atrial pressure rises. A systolic to diastolic ratio of 1:4 was optimal for the pumping cycle. A pumping rate of 70 beats/min gave the maximal output. The minute output of the pump can be regulated by changing either the pumping rate or the gas pressure. In vivo tests with normal dogs showed that they could tolerate near total left ventricular bypass for 30 hours with no evidence of clotting even though heparin was not used. Dogs subjected to acute heart failure and then treated with our nonthrombogenic left heart bypass unit for 10 hours showed a remarkable increase in survival over control animals. The elimination of heparin during bypass greatly reduced blood loss and, in turn, mortality. When near total bypass of the left ventricle occurred, the dog's heart was found to synchronize itself with a fixed pumping rate. An explanation for this phenomenon is postulated. This new nonthrombogenic left ventricular bypass system is simple in design and effective in performance.
THYMOSIN RESPONSIVE NULL CELLS EXPRESS HUMAN T LYMPHOCYTE ANTIGENS

Null cells, lymphocytes which are both E rosette negative and surface Ig negative, express either human T lymphocyte antigens(HTLA antigens) or human B lymphocyte antigens (HBLA antigens). To determine if one or both of these null cell subsets contain T cell precursors, 5 separate null cell enriched suspensions (each containing fewer than 10% E rosette positive or surface Ig positive cells) were first treated with anti-HBLA or anti-HTLA antisera and complement, and then incubated with or without thymosin for 2 hours and tested for % E rosettes. Thymosin induced an increase in % E rosettes (13±4%) in null cell suspensions depleted of HBLA+ cells by anti-HBLA + C' but did not induce an increase in % E rosettes (13±14%) in null cell suspensions depleted of HTLA+ cells by anti-HTLA + C'. This strongly suggests that some. If not all, HTLA+ null cells are precursors of mature E rosette-positive T cells. (Supported by USPHS NIH Grant CA 17534 and Contract 1-CP-33333. J. Kaplan is recipient of NIH Research Career Development Award CA 00188).
An evaluation of feature extraction methods for vehicle classification based on acoustic signals

Classification of ground vehicles based on acoustic signals can be employed effectively in battlefield surveillance, traffic control, and many other applications. The classification performance depends on the selection of signal features that determine the separation of different signal classes. In this paper, we investigate two feature extraction methods for acoustic signals from moving ground vehicles. The first one is based on spectrum distribution and the second one on wavelet packet transform. These two methods are evaluated using metrics such as separability ratio and the correct classification rate. The correct classification rate not only depends on the feature extraction method but also on the type of the classifier. This drives us to evaluate the performance of different classifiers, such K-nearest neighbor algorithm (KNN), and support vector machine (SVM). It is found that, for vehicle sound data, a discrete spectrum based feature extraction method outperforms wavelet packet transform method. Experimental results verify that support vector machine is an efficient classifier for vehicles using acoustic signals.
The 1964 Surgeon General's Report and Americans' Beliefs about Smoking

Half a century ago, on January 11, 1964, the U.S. Surgeon General's office released a landmark report on the health consequences of smoking. That report received massive media attention and triggered a steadily growing number of federal, state, and local restrictions on the advertising, sale, and use of cigarettes. Little is known about the report's impact on American public opinion because all the timely public opinion polls that measured the report's impact were privately commissioned by the tobacco industry and were not made publicly available. A review of these polls shows that the 1964 Surgeon General's report had a large and immediate effect on Americans' beliefs that cigarettes were a cause of lung cancer and of heart disease. However, the report had less impact on public preferences for government action or on smoking rates.
Diagnostic value of apparent diffusion coefficient hyperintensity in selected patients with acute neurologic deficits

Background and Purpose. A pattern of decreased intensity on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps is useful in the early detection of ischemic brain injury. Less information exists with regard to patients with acute neurologic deficits in whom there is abnormal conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and increased ADC intensity. Methods. The authors identified 13 patients with acute neurologic deficits who underwent diffusion MRI and had calculated ADC maps demonstrating hyperintensity in regions characterized by computed tomography hypodensity and MRI T2 hyperintensity. The initial and follow-up imaging characteristics and clinical syndromes were recorded. Results. Clinical syndromes included hypertensive encephalopathy, posterior leukoencephalopathy, hyperperfusion following carotid endarterectomy, venous sinus thrombosis, HIV encephalopathy, and brain tumor. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was hyperintense in 3 of 13 patients, isointense in 4 of 13 patients, heterogeneous in 3 of 13 patients, and hypointense in 3 of 13 patients. The ADC values in these regions were significantly higher than those in control regions (P < .0001). At early follow-up, MRI abnormalities resolved completely in 3 of 13 patients and partially in 9 of 13 patients. MRI abnormalities were unchanged in 1 patient. Conclusions. In the evaluation of patients with acute neurologic deficits, ADC hyperintensity may identify a subset of patients with vasogenic edema of nonischemic etiology. Frequently, these conditions are potentially reversible if appropriately managed. DWI and conventional images alone are not sufficient to identify these neurologic conditions.
Economic change and economic resiliency in 19th century Persia

(1971). Economic change and economic resiliency in 19th century Persia. Iranian Studies: Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 36-49.
The levels of superoxide dismutase and catalase in human tissues as determined immunochemically.

Abstract The levels of Superoxide dismutase and of catalase have been determined immunochemically by the single radial diffusion technique in a variety of human tissues. The results indicate that brain, liver, erythrocytes, kidney, thyroid, pituitary, and adrenals are rich sources of Superoxide dismutase. Some tissues rich in Superoxide dismutase such as cerebral cortex, thyroid, and pituitary have very low levels or lack catalase.
Infant colic: A transient condition with no apparent effects

Abstract Few studies of infant colic have considered this condition within a developmental framework. In the present study infants identified as having colic were drawn from a longitudinal study of 100 infants. While in the hospital, all infants were administered two procedures that elicited negative reactivity. Mothers completed a personality inventory and a responsiveness questionnaire. Weekly telephone contacts with the parents helped to establish the presence of colic. To verify the colic and to document behaviors observed during a colic cry bout and a noncolic cry bout, mothers of the colic infants and mothers of a matched comparison group kept a diary between 6 and 8 weeks. At 5 and 10 months of age, all infants and mothers, including the colic and control subjects, participated in several laboratory procedures designed to measure infant negative reactivity, mental development, and maternal responsiveness. Mothers also completed an infant temperament questionnaire. No differences in either the newborn or maternal characteristics measured at birth were found between the colic and noncolic infants. Data obtained from the diaries support earlier reports that colic cry bouts are long in duration, very intense, and difficult to soothe. Several behavioral characteristics and symptoms were also observed by mothers to occur with significant frequency during a colic cry bout. By 5 and 10 months of age, the colic and comparison infants looked very similar on both behavior exhibited in the laboratory and rated by mothers. These data suggest that while colic cries are qualitatively as well as quantitatively intense, having colic is not associated with negative outcome.
Evaluation of bovine viral diarrhea virus control using a mathematical model of infection dynamics

A mathematical model for infection with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) was created comprising a series of coupled differential equations. The model architecture is a development of the traditional model framework using susceptible, infectious and removed animals (the SIR model). The model predicts 1.2% persistent infection (within the range of field estimates) and is fairly insensitive to alterations of structure or parameter values. This model allows us to draw important conclusions regarding the control of BVD, particularly with respect to the importance of persistently infected (PI) animals in maintaining BVD as an endemic entity in the herd. Herds without PI animals are likely to experience episodic reproductive losses at intervals of two to three years, unlike herds with PI animals which will not see such marked episodic manifestations of infection. Instead, these herds will experience an initial peak of disease which will settle to low-level chronic reproductive losses. The model indicates that vaccine coverage for herd immunity (to avoid episodic manifestations of disease) need be only 57% without PI animals, although 97% coverage is required when PI animals are present. Analysis of model behavior suggests a program of detection and removal of PI animals may enhance the effectiveness of a vaccine program provided these animals are in the herd for 10 days or less. The best results would be seen with PI animals in the herd for 5 or fewer days.
Multivariate multiple sampling charts

A new multivariate statistical process control scheme, the Multivariate Multiple Sampling (MMS) control chart scheme, is proposed in this paper. A MMS chart is a multivariate extension of a double sampling X-bar control chart with at least two sampling stages. In the paper, a statistical design optimization procedure to design the MMS chart is presented and the performance of the MMS chart is investigated. The statistical efficiency in terms of average run length of the MMS chart is compared with that of the Hotelling chart both with and without variable sampling schemes, a multivariate CUMulative SUM (CUSUM) chart, and a multivariate Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) chart. The ability of the MMS chart to handle the worst-case scenario is also investigated and compared with that of the multivariate EWMA and CUSUM charts. The results of the investigation show that even with only two sampling stages, the MMS chart provides an improvement in efficiency in detecting small shifts over the Hotelling...
The Feminine En-gendering of Film Consumption and Film Technology in Popular Girls' Serial Novels, 1914–1931

Cet article se penche sur l'attitude culturelle a l'egard du rapport femme/cinema lorsque celui-ci en etait a ses debuts aux Etats-Unis. A partir de 1910, la mefiance ceda le pas a l'enthousiasme, et aller au cinema fut considere comme une activite de loisir pouvant convenir aux jeunes filles des classes moyennes, le reve de devenir actrice etant un moteur puissant de cette activite de consommation culturelle . L'article se penche specialement sur des romans feuilletons mettant en scene des heroines incarnant la realisation du reve de carriere cinematographique. Ces publications eurent un effet incitatif favorisant la promotion de l'industrie cinematographique
Increased cancer cell proliferation in prostate cancer patients with high levels of serum folate.

BACKGROUND A recent clinical trial revealed that folic acid supplementation is associated with an increased incidence of prostate cancer (Figueiredo et al., J Natl Cancer Inst 2009; 101(6): 432–435). As tumor cells in culture proliferate directly in response to available folic acid, the goal of our study was to determine if there is a similar relationship between patient folate status, and the proliferative capacity of tumors in men with prostate cancer. METHODS Serum folate and/or prostate tissue folate was determined in 87 randomly selected patients undergoing surgery for prostate cancer, and compared to tumor proliferation in a subset. RESULTS Fasting serum folate levels were positively correlated with prostate tumor tissue folate content (n = 15; r = 0.577, P < 0.03). Mean serum folate was 62.6 nM (7.5–145.2 nM), 39.5% of patients used supplements containing folic acid (n = 86). The top quartile of patients had serum folates above 82 nM, six times the level considered adequate. Of these, 48% reported no supplement use. Among 50 patients with Gleason 7 disease, the mean proliferation index as determined by Ki67 staining was 6.17 ± 3.2% and 0.86 ± 0.92% in the tumors from patients in the highest (117 ± 15 nM) and lowest (18 ± 9 nM) quintiles for serum folate, respectively (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Increased cancer cell proliferation in men with higher serum folate concentrations is consistent with an increase in prostate cancer incidence observed with folate supplementation. Unexpectedly, more than 25% of patients had serum folate levels greater than sixfold adequate. Nearly half of these men reported no supplement use, suggesting either altered folate metabolism and/or sustained consumption of folic acid from fortified foods. Prostate 71:1287–1293, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Structurally distinct active sites in the copper(II)-substituted aminopeptidases from Aeromonas proteolytica and Escherichia coli.

The aminopeptidase from Aeromonas proteolytica (AAP) was titrated with copper, which bound sequentially at two distinct sites. Both the mono- and disubstituted forms of AAP exhibited catalytic hype...
Data quality evaluation and improvement for prognostic modeling using visual assessment based data partitioning method

When developing Prognostic and Health Management (PHM) applications for manufacturing systems, data acquired frequently comes with issues which hinder further data analysis. However, there is neither a clear definition of the data quality nor evaluation methods to quantify if acquired data is suitable for these prognostic modeling tasks such as failures detection, diagnosis and prediction. Especially, during health diagnosis modeling of engineering systems, based on data-driven method, acquired data is expected to contain clusters that can be used to differentiate multiple system health conditions. So in most cases, once data is acquired, people would like to intuitively believe that data is able to cluster into subgroups. However, this bias could lead to acceptance of false information in data. Furthermore, most of the existing metrics, such as clustering tendency in statistics and cluster-ability in data mining, only individually evaluate data characteristics without considering prognostic modeling. This paper proposes a new method to evaluate and improve data quality for system health diagnosis modeling. The clusters, as critical data characteristics for modeling multiple system conditions, are first estimated by ''visualization'' on the dissimilarity spectrum from spectral analysis and then evaluated in terms of their fitness and separation with each others. A visual assessment based outlier detection method is also proposed to recognize outliers from the data, which utilizes the graphic intermediate results from previous evaluation. Finally one group of bearing testing dataset acquired from real industrial applications is used to demonstrate how proposed methods are used to evaluate and improve the data quality.
Modeling the digital content landscape in universities

Purpose – Digital content is a common denominator that underlies all discussions on scholarly communication, digital preservation, and asset management. This past decade has seen a distinctive evolution in thinking among stakeholders on how to assemble, care for, deliver, and ultimately preserve digital resources in a college and university environment. At first, institutional repositories promised both a technical infrastructure and a policy framework for the active management of scholarly publications. Now other approaches that take a broader view of digital content hold sway, the result being confusion rather than clarity about where digital content originates, who the stakeholders are, and how to establish and adjust asset management priorities. This article seeks to present a model for plotting the range of digital content that might be amenable to management as digital assets in higher education.Design/methodology/approach – The article reviews differing perspectives on digital content, outlines a g...
Context-aware metadata creation in a heterogeneous mobile environment

With an exponentially-growing amount of digital information, data management is becoming increasingly burdensome for an average user. We propose an enhancement to the existing media-management techniques which utilizes the context available in the surrounding environment around the time a media file is created. This context information is associated with the file to provide enhanced data categorization and searching capabilities. A typical scenario considered in our design involves a heterogeneous environment where users capture digital images using camera-enabled mobile devices, such as iPAQs. Concurrently, these mobile agents also collect environmental data from a variety of sensors and other surrounding wirelessly-enabled devices. At the time of image capture, mobile devices collect and process environmental information, which is then associated with the digital image in the form of metadata. Association of the context with the image makes it possible to build user applications with context-based image classification and query facilities. Our system includes such a GUI application, which provides an image query mechanism based on metadata attributes collected at the time of a picture. Our preliminary evaluation of the system validates successful metadata creation and association with the media files and demonstrates the enhanced searching and classification capabilities using a GUI application.
Neuronal architecture of the nucleus of the solitary tract in the hamster

This study provides a scheme for subdividing the nucleus of the solitary tract of the hamster on the basis of cytoarchitectonic criteria, cell measurements, and neuronal cell types identified with the Golgi method. Reduced silver-stained sections revealed the feltlike neuropil that characterizes the nucleus of the solitary tract and were used to define the boundaries of the nuclear complex. Adjacent sections stained for Nissl substance revealed ten subdivisions, each with a characteristic neuronal architecture based on cell sizes, shapes, and packing density. Some subdivisions, e.g., the ventral and medial subnuclei, were identified at all rostrocaudal levels of the nuclear complex, while other subdivisions, e.g., the caudally located dorsolateral and ventrolateral subnuclei, were restricted to particular levels. Golgi preparations were counterstained for Nissl substance, thus allowing dendro- and cytoarchitecture to be compared directly. This material permitted the identification of a number of functionally relevant features of the neuronal constituents of the subdivisions. This approach, employing three cytological methods, has permitted the assembly of a detailed atlas of the nucleus of the solitary tract. The subdivisions of the present atlas have been compared with their likely counterparts identified in previous investigations of the mammalian nucleus of the solitary tract. In order to relate cytoarchitecture with primary afferent termination sites and to define the gustatory-recipient subdivisions, the differential relationships of the subdivisions with lingual afferent projections in the hamster are also described. The present parcellation scheme is intended to facilitate anatomical and physiological investigations of the types of circuits that compose the medullary gustatory and general visceral sensory systems.
Single and combined effects of methylphenidate and behavior therapy on the classroom performance of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Twenty-four boys with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) participating in an intensive summer treatment program each received b.i.d. placebo and two doses of methylphenidate (MPH, 0.3 mg/kg and 0.6 mg/kg) crossed with two classroom settings: a behavior modification classroom including a token economy system, time out and daily home report card, and a "regular" classroom setting not using these procedures. Dependent variables included classroom observations of on-task and disruptive behavior, academic work completion and accuracy, and daily self-ratings of performance. Both MPH and behavior modification alone significantly improved children's classroom behavior, but only MPH improved children's academic productivity and accuracy. Singly, behavior therapy and 0.3 mg/kg PMH produced roughly equivalent improvements in classroom behavior. Further, the combination of behavior therapy and 0.3 mg/kg MPH resulted in maximal behavioral improvements, which were nearly identical to those obtained with 0.6 mg/kg MPH alone.
Thermal stability of long range order in oxides

Diffraction effects have been observed in many oxide phases which have led researchers to believe that unusual long range order may occur. Such diffraction effects are generally observed first as unexplained anomalies in room temperature x-ray diffraction powder patterns. Later work on single crystal x-ray diffraction may help to explain the anomalies or even cause greater confusion. Much of the confusion occurs because the diffraction effects are often non-integral or non-rational and cannot be accounted for by the classic crystallographic definitions. Single crystal neutron diffraction examination can be an important tool in oxide investigations. It can supplement the information obtained on oxygen positions from x-ray diffraction which is often inadequate due to the difference in scattering power between oxygen and the generally heavier cations. With the lack of suitable large single crystals, neutron powder diffraction total profile analyses can also be a powerful tool, providing a satisfactory structural model is available for refinement. Electron microscopy utilizing high resolution lattice images is also becoming a very important technique and is often the only way to obtain information on individual extended defects and the structural nature of grain boundaries. Although not yet widely used, it is likely that EXAFS and total profile analysis of diffraction from synchrotron radiation may someday play important roles in our understanding of these phenomena. The major problem which occurs in the investigation of long range order in oxide crystals arises from the fact that the material under investigation is often not in equilibrium or even in a metastable (quenched-ln) condition. This is compounded by the investigator's avoidance of the possible structural consequences of such non-equilibrium° For instance, random intergrowth of two or more phases at a unit cell level may cause anomalously large temperature factors in a crystallographic refinement. Poorly equilibrated phases are the rule rather than the exception in commercial and research quality ceramic oxide materials because such specimens are less expensive and time consuming to prepare (and often have interesting and useful physical properties). It is the purpose of this paper to examine some of the effects that are produced in oxides as a result of high temperature equilibration processesj how these effects are manifested by x-ray, neutron and electron diffraction and how these effects change under changing thermal conditions.
Ways of speaking about space: The development of children's skill in communicating spatial knowledge

Abstract There are various ways in which children might be asked to demonstrate knowledge about space. We take the stance that the description of large-scale space is a communication task, incorporating skills in remembering and communicating spatial information. We present data on the development of children's use of a communicative convention (the “mental tour”) in describing spatial knowledge in a memory test. Thirty-two 6–7- and 8–9-year-old children explored a laboratory-constructed funhouse, guided by instructions to study the layout or the route, and then were asked to describe the funhouse, with encouragement to sketch the space as they talked. Older children's descriptions of the space contained information about the temporal and spatial contiguity of areas in the space, with performance resembling that reported for adults ( Linde & Labov, 1975 ). Younger children who were oriented to the layout tended to list places without reference to spatial relations, but descriptions provided by younger children who were oriented to the route through the space did not differ from older children. It appears that with development children become increasingly skilled at pragmatic conventions such as the mental tour for organizing spatial descriptions, and that the utilization of this skill in the early years may be more likely when children are oriented to route information relevant to constructing a description in the form of a mental tour.
siRNA Delivery for the treatment of ovarian cancer

Short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) mediate the catalytic sequence-specific cleavage of target messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules, resulting in the silencing of gene products in an efficient and precise manner. One apparent application of this technology is the knockdown of genes responsible for cancer progression, including pro-proliferative oncogenes, inhibitors of apoptosis, and mediators of angiogenesis. Delivery of siRNAs into particular cells has remained the principal obstacle to the realization of the potential of RNA interference (RNAi) in the clinic. Several groups have worked to develop carriers that facilitate siRNA delivery into ovarian cancer cells in mouse models of ovarian cancer. The results have been promising, often leading to significant survival extension. Such benefit is critical for a disease that is characterized by very poor outcomes and demands novel treatment options. This review describes advancements in siRNA delivery for the treatment of ovarian cancer.
Roles of the Conserved Aspartate and Arginine in the Catalytic Mechanism of an Archaeal β-Class Carbonic Anhydrase

The roles of an aspartate and an arginine, which are completely conserved in the active sites of β-class carbonic anhydrases, were investigated by steady-state kinetic analyses of replacement variants of the β-class enzyme (Cab) from the archaeon Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. Previous kinetic analyses of wild-type Cab indicated a two-step zinc-hydroxide mechanism of catalysis in which the k cat / K m value depends only on the rate constants for the CO 2 hydration step, whereas k cat also depends on rate constants from the proton transfer step (K. S. Smith, N. J. Cosper, C. Stalhandske, R. A. Scott, and J. G. Ferry, J. Bacteriol. 182: 6605-6613, 2000). The recently solved crystal structure of Cab shows the presence of a buffer molecule within hydrogen bonding distance of Asp-34, implying a role for this residue in the proton transport step (P. Strop, K. S. Smith, T. M. Iverson, J. G. Ferry, and D. C. Rees, J. Biol. Chem. 276: 10299-10305, 2001). The k cat / K m values of Asp-34 variants were decreased relative to those of the wild type, although not to an extent which supports an essential role for this residue in the CO 2 hydration step. Parallel decreases in k cat and k cat / K m values for the variants precluded any conclusions regarding a role for Asp-34 in the proton transfer step; however, the k cat of the D34A variant was chemically rescued by replacement of 2-( N -morpholino)propanesulfonic acid buffer with imidazole at pH 7.2, supporting a role for the conserved aspartate in the proton transfer step. The crystal structure of Cab also shows Arg-36 with two hydrogen bonds to Asp-34. Arg-36 variants had both k cat and k cat / K m values that were decreased at least 250-fold relative to those of the wild type, establishing an essential function for this residue. Imidazole was unable to rescue the k cat of the R36A variant; however, partial rescue of the kinetic parameter was obtained with guanidine-HCl indicating that the guanido group of this residue is important.
The road to homeownership: a longitudinal analysis of tenure transition in urban China (1949¿93)

With ongoing housing reform and profound changes in housing consumption in urban China, this article aims to understand tenure transition from rental to homeownership. Because of different housing systems in China over time, and thus different connotations attached to homeownership, tenure transition should be understood within its historic context. Using a sample survey of life history in 20 cities and the method of event history analysis, this article examines the tenure transition to the first homeownership during 1949–94, a period covering both the socialist era and the early stage of housing reform. In contrast to conventional wisdom, older and married people, and those working in the public sector and living in public housing were less likely to change to homeownership before housing reform, mainly because the socialist housing system was ironically in favor of those households with higher socio-economic positions. In the reform era, while there are remnants of the socialist housing system, tenure transition has different dynamics with factors such as marital status, work units and previous housing tenure no longer important, at least by the mid-1990s. In addition, crowded housing conditions and long duration in the rental sector generally encourage the transition to homeownership, and there are significant regional variations. Face a la reforme actuelle du logement et aux mutations de consommation de l'habitat dans la Chine urbaine, cet article cherche a comprendre le passage de la location a la propriete. Les systemes de logement ayant varie avec le temps, donnant a la propriete differentes connotations, il faut apprehender la transition du mode d'occupation dans son contexte historique. S'appuyant sur une etude biographique effectuee par sondage dans 20 villes et sur la methode de l'analyse historique des evenements, l'article examine la transition vers la premiere accession a la propriete entre 1949 et 1994, periode couvrant l'ere socialiste et le stade initial de la reforme du logement. Contrairement a l'avis traditionnel, les individus maries et plus âges, ainsi que les employes du secteur public qui vivent dans des logements sociaux, avaient moins tendance a opter pour la propriete avant la reforme, essentiellement parce que l'habitat socialiste favorisait bizarrement les menages aux positions socio-economiques elevees. Pendant la periode de reforme, malgre une survivance du systeme socialiste, le changement de mode d'occupation presente une autre dynamique; ainsi, des facteurs tels que le statut marital, les unites de travail et le mode de jouissance anterieur n'ont plus d'importance, du moins jusqu'au milieu des annees 1990. De plus, les conditions de surpopulation des logements et une duree prolongee dans le secteur locatif encouragent generalement le passage a la propriete, sans oublier des variations regionales significatives.
The comprehension of certain syntactic structures by adults.

Forty adult native speakers of English with normal speech were tested for comprehension of four different syntactic constructions in sentences which were semantically quite simple to understand and...
Shape optimization of pulsatile ventricular assist devices using FSI to minimize thrombotic risk

In this paper we perform shape optimization of a pediatric pulsatile ventricular assist device (PVAD). The device simulation is carried out using fluid---structure interaction (FSI) modeling techniques within a computational framework that combines FEM for fluid mechanics and isogeometric analysis for structural mechanics modeling. The PVAD FSI simulations are performed under realistic conditions (i.e., flow speeds, pressure levels, boundary conditions, etc.), and account for the interaction of air, blood, and a thin structural membrane separating the two fluid subdomains. The shape optimization study is designed to reduce thrombotic risk, a major clinical problem in PVADs. Thrombotic risk is quantified in terms of particle residence time in the device blood chamber. Methods to compute particle residence time in the context of moving spatial domains are presented in a companion paper published in the same issue (Comput Mech, doi: 10.1007/s00466-013-0931-y , 2013). The surrogate management framework, a derivative-free pattern search optimization method that relies on surrogates for increased efficiency, is employed in this work. For the optimization study shown here, particle residence time is used to define a suitable cost or objective function, while four adjustable design optimization parameters are used to define the device geometry. The FSI-based optimization framework is implemented in a parallel computing environment, and deployed with minimal user intervention. Using five SEARCH/POLL steps the optimization scheme identifies a PVAD design with significantly better throughput efficiency than the original device.
Ventilatory response to inspired carbon dioxide in premature infants recovering from intraventricular hemorrhage

We examined the ventilatory response to inhaled carbon dioxide with a computerized waveform analyzer in two groups of premature infants. Twenty-seven infants suffered from periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) during the first week of life and comprised the study group (birth weight 1.2 ± 0.2 kg, gestational age 29 ± 2 weeks). The control group consisted of 15 infants without IVH (birth weight 1.4 ± 0.3 kg, gestational age 30 ± 2 weeks). Study infants were evaluated at a postnatal age of 9 ± 2 weeks and control infants at 7 ± 3 weeks. No differences were found in the slope or position of the ventilatory response curve, baseline PACO2, increase in minute ventilation, VT/Ttot, and Ti/Ttot between the two groups. Subgroups with unresolved apnea (10 IVH and eight control infants) demonstrated a rightward shift of the ventilatory response curve compared to those infants without apnea. A previous IVH did not reduce the ventilatory response to CO2 in this group of infants. Pediatr Pulmonol 1987; 3:13–18.
Ultraviolet light-induced keratinocyte apoptosis: A potential mechanism for the induction of skin lesions and autoantibody production in LE:

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototype systemic autoimmune disease which is characterized clinically by pleiotropy and periodicity. The immune features which accompany the characteristic flares of the disease have strongly suggested that the autoimmune response is driven by self antigen, and is T cell-dependent. These features have prompted the search for potential initiating process(es) which induce the release of self-antigens in a form which causes T cell tolerance to those self molecules to be broken. We review here several recent observations which implicate apoptotic cells as an important potential source of clustered and concentrated autoantigens in SLE, and present our current model whereby the novel autoantigen fragments generated in apoptotic surface blebs initiate and drive the autoimmune response in this disease.
Computed tomography in histiocytosis X of the temporal bone

Involvement of the temporal bone in histiocytosis X is seen in about one-third of the cases at onset, is bilateral in 31% of cases, and is often clinically silent. We report two cases of histiocytosis X with temporal bone involvement and emphasize the usefulness of computed tomography in detecting such a lesion, noting its extraskeletal extension, and following the course of the disease.
The Experience of Being Sleepy While Managing Type 2 Diabetes

BACKGROUND Although it is known that excessive daytime sleepiness negatively affects mood and motivation, it is unknown how sleepiness affects diabetic management. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to understand the experience of sleepiness in managing type 2 diabetes. STUDY DESIGN This grounded theory study employed three focus groups led by a facilitator knowledgeable of qualitative research. Sessions were tape recorded and then transcribed verbatim. Participants were adults with type 2 diabetes older than 21 years with subjective sleepiness. Transcripts of the sessions were reviewed for themes. RESULTS Seventeen persons participated (35% men, 65% Whites, aged 55.5 ± 7.8 years). Major themes extracted from the data were (a) sleepiness was a daily burden, (b) only the minimum was done, (c) lack of structure exacerbating the difficulty, and (d) persons felt negative personal emotions. CONCLUSIONS Health care providers need to appreciate and understand that sleepiness negatively affects the daily liv...
What is expected of CT in the evaluation of stroke

This study was based on 5042 cranial CT examinations in a 2-year period. 19.8% of all cranial CT scans were performed for confirmation or evaluation of clinically suspected stroke. 87% of the clinical diagnoses of stroke were confirmed by CT scan. Intracranial hemorrhage made up a small percentage in this study. The establishment of this diagnosis was a valuable service in the patients' management. Brain tumor may rarely present clinical symptoms mimicking stroke and may have a normal CT initially.
Vibrational Spectroscopy in the Automotive Industry

Vibrational spectroscopy forms the basis for many of the analytical tools used in the automotive industry. These tools are divided naturally into those designed for gas-phase studies and those for condensed-matter investigations. The gas-phase infrared measurements include speciation and time-resolved studies of the chemistry of smog formation and the chemistry of hydrofluorocarbons and related compounds. The section concludes with a novel account of using gas-phase Raman to test seals in micromachined devices. The condensed-matter studies include catalyst materials, paints and other thin-film coatings, plastics, and friction and wear interfaces and are among the topics discussed in this section. Improved functionality and/or durability of materials motivate most of these studies, but the identification for recycling purposes is also an issue. The authors have a combined 50 years of experience applying vibrational spectroscopy to a wide variety of problems. The topics chosen for discussion are focused on those investigations in which the authors or their colleagues have been directly involved. Thus, the review is not meant to be comprehensive. Keywords: photochemical; long-pass; methylcyclopentadienylmanganese (MTM); chlorofluorocarbon (CFC); HFE-216; trifluoromethyl trifluorovinyl ether; HFC; hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC); tunable diode laser; ethylperoxy radical; nitric oxide; NOx; trifluoroacetyl radical; vehicle exhaust gas emission; CO total hydrocarbon (THC); air-bag sensors; PAS/FT-IR; fluorinated polyethylene; paint weathering; photochemical product accumulation; paint film loss; gradient analysis; automotive catalysts; three-way catalyst (TWC); oxygen storage; ceria (CeO2); palladium oxide; sulfur poisoning; adsorbed species; H-ZSM-5; zeolite; poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC); embitterment; cracking discoloration; acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS); recycling automotive plastic; friction interface; wear interfaces; lubricant additive; lubricant derived films; zinc dialkyldithophosphate (ZDTP); glassy phosphate; reflection-absorption
VASP protects actin filaments from gelsolin: an in vitro study with implications for platelet actin reorganizations.

An initial step in platelet shape change is disassembly of actin filaments, which are then reorganized into new actin structures, including filopodia and lamellipodia. This disassembly is thought to be mediated primarily by gelsolin, an abundant actin filament-severing protein in platelets. Shape change is inhibited by VASP, another abundant actin-binding protein. Paradoxically, in vitro VASP enhances formation of actin filaments and bundles them, activities that would be expected to increase shape change, not inhibit it. We hypothesized that VASP might inhibit shape change by stabilizing filaments and preventing their disassembly by gelsolin. Such activity would explain VASP’s known physiological role. Here, we test this hypothesis in vitro using either purified recombinant or endogenous platelet VASP by fluorescence microscopy and biochemical assays. VASP inhibited gelsolin’s ability to disassemble actin filaments in a dose-dependent fashion. Inhibition was detectable at the low VASP:actin ratio found inside the platelet (1:40 VASP:actin). Gelsolin bound to VASP-actin filaments at least as well as to actin alone. VASP inhibited gelsolin-induced nucleation at higher concentrations (1:5 VASP:actin ratios). VASP’s affinity for actin (Kd ~ 0.07 μM) and its ability to promote polymerization (1:20 VASP actin ratio) were greater with Ca++-actin than with Mg++-actin (Kd ~ 1 μM and 1:1 VASP), regardless of the presence of gelsolin. By immunofluorescence, VASP and gelsolin co-localized in the filopodia and lamellipodia of platelets spreading on glass, suggesting that these in vitro interactions could take place within the cell as well. We conclude that VASP stabilizes actin filaments to the severing effects of gelsolin but does not inhibit gelsolin from binding to the filaments. These results suggest a new concept for actin dynamics inside cells: that bundling proteins protect the actin superstructure from disassembly by severing, thereby preserving the integrity of the cytoskeleton.
Concentrated solar thermoelectric generators

Solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) are solid state heat engines that generate electricity from concentrated sunlight. In this paper, we develop a novel detailed balance model for STEGs and apply this model to both state-of-the-art and idealized materials. This model uses thermoelectric compatibility theory to provide analytic solutions to device efficiency in idealized materials with temperature-dependent properties. The results of this modeling allow us to predict maximum theoretical STEG efficiencies and suggest general design rules for STEGs. With today's materials, a STEG with an incident flux of 100 kW m−2 and a hot side temperature of 1000 °C could achieve 15.9% generator efficiency, making STEGs competitive with concentrated solar power plants. Future developments will depend on materials that can provide higher operating temperatures or higher material efficiency. For example, a STEG with zT = 2 at 1500 °C would have an efficiency of 30.6%.
SULPHATED PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS IN SEAGRASSES

Abstract A survey of 43 species of seagrass showed that all contained flavone and/or phenolic acid sulphates. Five of the 12 genera had sulphated flavones; only Zostera and Enhalus lacked sulphated phenolic acids. In Zosteroideae of the Potamogetonaceae, sulphated flavones were shown in all species of two genera, Zostera and Phyllospadix , but were absent from a third genus, Heterozostera . In the other two subfamilies, Cymodoceoideae and Posidonioideae , sulphated flavones were not present but each of the six genera had two or three sulphated phenolic acids. Sulphated flavones occurred in each of three genera representing three subfamilies of the Hydrocharitaceae. The occurrence of the sulphated phenolic compounds indicated subgeneric differences in Zostera and interspecific differences in Halophila . The compounds may play a role in adjustment to the seawater habitat as well as in the allelochemical relations to seagrasses.
Thymidine block does not synchronize L1210 mouse leukaemic cells: implications for cell cycle control, cell cycle analysis and whole-culture synchronization

It has been predicted that whole-culture methods of synchronization cannot synchronize cells. We have tested whether thymidine block, one type of whole-culture synchronization, can synchronize L1210 cells. We demonstrate experimentally that the thymidine block method cannot produce a synchronized culture. Although thymidine-treated cells are arrested primarily with an S-phase amount of DNA, there is no narrowing of the cell size distribution and there is no synchronized division pattern following release from the thymidine block. In contrast to a whole-culture synchronization method, cells produced by a selective (i.e. non-whole-culture) method not only have a specific DNA content, but also have a narrow size distribution and divide synchronously. Generalizing the results to other cell lines, we suggest that these conclusions call into question experimental measurements of gene expression during the division cycle based on thymidine inhibition synchronization.
Short-distance analysis of D-0-D-0 mixing

Abstract We study the Standard Model short-distance prediction for the mass and lifetime differences between the two neutral D meson mass eigenstates. We find that, despite α s / 4 π suppression, next-to-leading order (NLO) short-distance QCD corrections exceed the corresponding leading order (LO) amplitudes. For the lifetime difference, this stems from the lifting of helicity suppression of a light-quark intermediate state. We find y D is given by y NLO to a reasonable approximation but x D is greatly affected by destructive interference between x LO and x NLO . The net effect is to render y D ∼ x D ≃ 6 × 10 −7 . Our NLO short-distance results, still smaller than most long-distance estimates, depend on the same two nonperturbative matrix elements of four-quark operators as in leading order.