cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determination of Iodine Content in Soil

[Objective]To investigate the determination of iodine content in soil by arsenic-cerium redox spectrophotometry with soil sample and Aldrin reagents incineration.[Methods]Soil was air-dried,grinded,and screened through l00 mesh sieve.Appropriate sample was put in porcelain crucible with 0.5 g Aldrin reagents,and another 2 g Aldrin was used to cover the sample.Then the mixture was burned,cooled off,lixiviated by water,and determined by arsenic-cerium redox spectrophotometry.[Results]The optimum temperature for burning sample was 750℃,optimum time was 1 hour,recovery range was 92%~103%,relative standard deviation(RSD) was 1.71%.[Conclusion]Adopting Aldrin reagents,arsenic cerium-redox spectrophotometry for determination iodine content in soil is simple,rapid,accurate,and reproducible.
Fibrous hamartoma of infancy in the scrotum.

AbstractFibrous hamartomas of infancy are benign lesions composed of an admixture of fibrocollagenous tissue, cellular fibroblasts and fat. Although these lesions mainly occur in the upper torso and extremities fibrous hamartomas also may develop in the groin. We report on a child with a fibrous hamartoma in the scrotum and emphasize the histologic characteristics, so that these tumors may be differentiated from other malignant neoplasms in the scrotum and unnecessary radical therapies may be avoided.
Prevention of ER-Negative Breast Cancer

The successful demonstration that the selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) tamoxifen and raloxifene reduce the risk of breast cancer has stimulated great interest in using drugs to prevent breast cancer in high-risk women. In addition, recent results from breast cancer treatment trials suggest that aromatase inhibitors may be even more effective at preventing breast cancer than are SERMs. However, while SERMs and aromatase inhibitors do prevent the development of many estrogen-receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers, these drugs do not prevent the development of ER-negative breast cancer. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify agents that can prevent ER-negative breast cancer. We have studied the cancer preventative activity of several classes of drugs for their ability to prevent ER-negative breast cancer in preclinical models. Results from these studies demonstrate that rexinoids (analogs of retinoids that bind and activate RXR receptors), tyrosine kinase inhibitors (such as EGFR inhibitors and dual kinase inhibitors that block EGFR and HER2/neu signaling), and cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitors all prevent ER-negative breast cancer in transgenic mice that develop ER-negative breast cancer. Other promising agents now under investigation include vitamin D and vitamin D analogs, drugs that activate PPAR-gamma nuclear receptors, and statins. Many of these agents are now being tested in early phase cancer prevention clinical trials to determine whether they will show activity in breast tissue and whether they are safe for use in high-risk women without breast cancer. The current status of these studies will be reviewed. It is anticipated that in the future, drugs that effectively prevent ER-negative breast cancer will be used in combination with hormonal agents such SERMs or aromatase inhibitors to prevent all forms of breast cancer.
The Clovis Hunters: An Alternate View of their Environment and Ecology

ABSTRACTThis paper is a reevaluation of artifact assemblages associated with Clovis culture. Analytical perspective is shifted from mammoth-kill sites to the investigation of individual mammoth matrices. Patterned orientation and disarticulation of mammoth skeletons arc archaeological remnants of the cultural behavior of Clovis hunters. Numbers of projectile points having culturally patterned attributes were deliberately abandoned in mammoth carcasses; these provide insight to the cultural ecology of the Clovis hunters.
Renal and Cardiovascular Morbidities Associated with APOL1 Status among African-American and Non-African-American Children with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis.

Background and objectives: African American (AA) children with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) have later onset disease that progresses more rapidly than in non-AA children. It is unclear how APOL1 genotypes contribute to kidney disease risk, progression and cardiovascular morbidity in children. Design, setting, participants, & measurements: We examined the prevalence of APOL1 genotypes and associated cardiovascular phenotypes among children with FSGS in the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) study; an ongoing multicenter prospective cohort study of children aged 1-16 years with mild to moderate kidney disease. Results: A total of 140 AA children in the CKiD study were genotyped. HR APOL1 genotypes were present in 24% of AA children (33/140) and were associated with FSGS, p 3 mg/L (33% vs. 15%, p=0.12) and obesity (48% vs. 19%, p=0.01). There were no differences in glomerular filtration rate, hemoglobin, iPTH, or calcium-phosphate product. Conclusions: AA children with HR APOL1 genotype and FSGS have increase prevalence of obesity and LVH despite a later age of FSGS onset, while adjusting for socioeconomic status. Treatment of obesity may be an important component of CKD and LVH management in this population.
Feasibility of microgrid optimization and grid extension for rural electrification

Approximately 18% of the global population lacks access to electricity, and demand for electricity in rural and underdeveloped areas has increased drastically. Today, electricity is considered a necessity by many, and has had positive impacts on poverty reduction, public health, and education around the globe. This work seeks to determine the feasibility of localized power production and storage in microgrids for numerous diverse locations using HOMER as the optimization tool. Multiple schemes are constructed based on different community sizes with relative demand and load profiles. Optimization techniques are used to value both traditional generation options (diesel generation), their renewable counterparts (solar and wind), as well as energy storage such as batteries. Each investigation is based on geographically distinct irradiance, wind speeds, and fuel prices. Economics remain in the foreground, as a community's capacity to buy the power is a highlight of this entire investigation. The primary investigation into the economic viability of electrification for the proposed communities is to determine whether a grid tie-in or standalone microgrid solution is the better choice.
Quantum criticality near the Stoner transition in a system of two tunnel-coupled quantum dots with spin-orbit coupling

We study a system of two tunnel-coupled quantum dots with the first dot containing interacting electrons (described by the universal Hamiltonian) not subject to spin-orbit coupling whereas the second contains noninteracting electrons subject to spin-orbit coupling. We focus on describing the behavior of the system near the Stoner transition. Close to the critical point quantum fluctuations become important and the system enters a quantum-critical regime. The large-$N$ approximation allows us to calculate physical quantities reliably even in this strongly fluctuating regime. In particular, we find a scaling function to describe the crossover of the quasiparticle decay rate between the renormalized Fermi-liquid regime and the quantum-critical regime.
Regulation of Lung Epithelial Sodium Channels by Cytokines and Chemokines

Acute lung injury leading to acute respiratory distress (ARDS) is a global health concern. ARDS patients have significant pulmonary inflammation leading to flooding of the pulmonary alveoli. This prevents normal gas exchange with consequent hypoxemia and causes mortality. A thin fluid layer in the alveoli is normal. The maintenance of this thin layer results from fluid movement out of the pulmonary capillaries into the alveolar interstitium driven by vascular hydrostatic pressure and then through alveolar tight junctions. This is then balanced by fluid reabsorption from the alveolar space mediated by transepithelial salt and water transport through alveolar cells. Reabsorption is a two-step process: first, sodium enters via sodium-permeable channels in the apical membranes of alveolar type 1 and 2 cells followed by active extrusion of sodium into the interstitium by the basolateral Na+, K+-ATPase. Anions follow the cationic charge gradient and water follows the salt-induced osmotic gradient. The proximate cause of alveolar flooding is the result of a failure to reabsorb sufficient salt and water or a failure of the tight junctions to prevent excessive movement of fluid from the interstitium to alveolar lumen. Cytokine- and chemokine-induced inflammation can have a particularly profound effect on lung sodium transport since they can alter both ion channel and barrier function. Cytokines and chemokines affect alveolar amiloride-sensitive epithelial sodium channels (ENaCs), which play a crucial role in sodium transport and fluid reabsorption in the lung. This review discusses the regulation of ENaC via local and systemic cytokines during inflammatory disease and the effect on lung fluid balance.
Effects of 30% and 50% Cigarette Pack Graphic Warning Labels on Visual Attention, Negative Affect, Quit Intentions, and Smoking Susceptibility among Disadvantaged Populations in the United States.

Introduction Though the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) calls for the implementation of large graphic warning labels (GWLs) on cigarette boxes, the courts have blocked the implementation of 50% labels in the United States. We conducted an experiment to explore whether changing the size of GWLs is associated with changes in visual attention, negative affect, risk beliefs, and behavioral intentions. Method We recruited adult smokers (N = 238) and middle-school youth (N = 237) throughout the state of New York in May 2016. We randomly assigned participants to one of three between-subject conditions (no GWL [control], 30% GWL, 50% GWL). Results Adult and youth participants looked at the GWLs longer when the GWL covered 50% versus 30% of the pack's front. Increasing GWL size from 30% to 50% did not influence negative affect or risk beliefs, though both GWL sizes increased negative affect relative to the no-GWL control group. Exposure to 50% GWLs increased adult smokers' intentions to quit compared to no-GWL, but smokers exposed to 30% GWLs did not differ from control. There were no differences between 50% GWLs, 30% GWLs, and control on youth smoking susceptibility. Conclusions Findings provide some evidence of the benefits of a 50% versus 30% GWL covering the front of the pack for adult smokers and at-risk youth from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds-though not on all outcomes. Implications This research shows that 30% GWLs on cigarette packages increase negative affect relative to packages without front-of-package GWLs. Larger GWLs on cigarette packages (50% vs. 30%) increase visual attention to the warning and its pictorial content among low-SES smokers and at-risk youth but do not further increase negative affect. A 50% GWL increased adults' quit intention compared to no GWL at all, but we were underpowered to detect modest differences in quit intentions between a 50% and 30% GWL. Future work should thus continue to explore the boundary conditions under which relatively larger GWLs influence cognitive, affective, and behavioral outcomes.
Processes of Criminalization in Domestic and International Law: Considering Sexual Violence

This article explores some conceptual issues regarding criminalization at the domestic and international levels. It attempts to explain what it means to say that a particular kind of conduct has been criminalized, and considers how the processes of criminalization differ in domestic and international law. In unpacking these issues, the article takes the examples of rape and sex trafficking in domestic and international legal systems, explores whether these offenses are criminalized more broadly in international criminal law as compared to domestic criminal law, and briefly outlines possible explanations for this disparity.
Case 25: Tonsillectomy

Today the pharmacy tells you that there is no sevoflurane available. Fortunately, the bioengineer finds a halothane vaporizer and after checking the anesthesia machine you agree to proceed.
Cognitive Deliberation, Electoral Decision Making, and Democratic Health*

Objective I examine the democratic consequences (on turnout, vote quality, and representation) of being encouraged to think more deliberately about political preferences. Methods A nationally representative survey experiment randomly exposes some respondents to a treatment designed to encourage greater cognitive deliberation; I observe the treatment effects on (1) a measure of the ideological consistency of candidate preferences, (2) preference certainty, and (3) intentions to turn out, dividing the sample according to age, gender, and political knowledge in order to observe hypothesized conditional effects. Results The treatment tended to reduce voting incentives among those who tend to be less engaged—women, the young, and low‐knowledge citizens. It did not, however, predict preference consistency significantly. Conclusion Encouraging greater cognitive deliberation may not only shrink the electorate, but may produce a more biased one as well, a normatively undesirable outcome that does not appear to be counterbalanced by any increase in “correct voting.”
Pitch synchronous speech analysis for the assessment of subjects with Parkinson's disease

Analysis of speech samples from subjects with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a field of growing research interest. Studies in this field predominantly include pitch-based features with the intuition that PD affects the movement of musculature involved in speech production. These features are usually extracted on a segment of fixed length that traverses over the entire speech sample. This methodology, however, gives the net estimate of the feature over each segment and cannot account for the fast variations that transpire before and after a vocal fold closure. In this paper, we present a pilot study with the focus on in-depth pitch synchronous analysis that can fill-in the gap by capturing the said variations. Speech samples from 22 patients are preprocessed and used for analysis. Data that can pin point the precise indices of the vocal fold closures for each cycle are extracted in pre-processing and features that can capture the swift variations are extracted from every cycle and used for analysis. The results show a good margin in features between PD and healthy speech that reinforced the intuition.Analysis of speech samples from subjects with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a field of growing research interest. Studies in this field predominantly include pitch-based features with the intuition that PD affects the movement of musculature involved in speech production. These features are usually extracted on a segment of fixed length that traverses over the entire speech sample. This methodology, however, gives the net estimate of the feature over each segment and cannot account for the fast variations that transpire before and after a vocal fold closure. In this paper, we present a pilot study with the focus on in-depth pitch synchronous analysis that can fill-in the gap by capturing the said variations. Speech samples from 22 patients are preprocessed and used for analysis. Data that can pin point the precise indices of the vocal fold closures for each cycle are extracted in pre-processing and features that can capture the swift variations are extracted from every cycle and used for analysis. The resul...
Use of the Submerged-Coil Heating Apparatus in the Study of Thermal Resistance of Foodborne Pathogens

The Submerged Coil Heating Apparatus is a novel and convenient tool for investigating the thermal inactivation kinetics of foodborne spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms (Figure 1). It comprises a stainless steel coil, fully submerged in a thermostatically controlled water bath which allows microbial suspensions to be rapidly heated between 20–90°C. An electronically controlled displacement mechanism makes the equipment fully automated. Various sampling times can be set at intervals ranging from as short as 6 s to 999 s.
Line Operations Simulation Development Tools

Publisher Summary Line Operations Simulation (LOS) provides the most effective platform for the aviation training currently available. LOS development is a challenging task for airline training departments. This chapter focuses on areas where the process can be made more efficient. It discusses the process of LOS development and illustrates how specific tools can be used to supplement the development process. It provides a brief introduction on flight training, and more specifically, concerns the use of LOS to accomplish flight training goals. LOS-based programs are focused on one of two things, training or evaluation. Depending on the objective of training, LOFT and SPOT both can provide beneficial training outcomes. Another similar application of LOS is through performance evaluation. LOEs assess pilot proficiency on targeted skills deemed relevant to overall flight safety. In execution, LOE is very similar to LOFT. The LOS development process is described in a number of ways; these are the identification of training objectives, scenario building, and assessment. Taking into account the developmental challenges associated with LOS, the only way to ensure that this effective method of training and evaluation remains viable is to utilize tools to help offset the monetary and time constraints currently in place.
The Annexins: A Target of Antiphospholipid Antibodies

Publisher Summary The annexin family of proteins, first recognized in 1990, consists of several hundred different annexins, which include 10 in mammalian cells, and the remainder in other organisms including a wide range of plants. Their canonical structure consists of repetitive homologous domains of about 70 amino acids, with almost all of the annexins having four of these domains. Annexin-V is a potent anticoagulant protein whose activity is a consequence of its high affinity for the anionic phospholipids and the inhibition of phospholipid-dependent coagulation reactions. Interference with annexin-V function, either by autoantibody-mediated recognition of the protein itself or by competition of antibodies against phospholipids (aPL)-cofactor antibodies for the phospholipid surface, have been proposed and investigated as potential mechanisms for thrombosis in the APS. Annexin-V appears to play a thrombomodulatory role in the placental circulation where it is necessary for the maintenance of placental integrity. Some patients with the APS have the evidence for the antibodies that specifically recognize annexin-V and other annexins. The presence of antibodies against annexin-V has been reported to be increased in patients with recurrent miscarriages. Since both aPL and annexin-V have affinity for anionic phospholipids, it was hypothesized that the aPL antibodies, without anti-annexin-V specificities, might interfere with the assembly of the antithrombotic annexin-V shield over phospholipids on the apical cytoplasmic membranes.
Pedagogy, possibility, and pipe dreams: opportunities and challenges for radicalizing international volunteering

ABSTRACTMany scholars studying international volunteering call for a pedagogy of social justice to accompany the experience. Very few outline any kind of comprehensive vision of how such a pedagogy...
Higher body weight is associated with lower concentrations of progesterone and estrogen in early pregnancy following in vitro fertilization

To evaluate if body weight impacts progesterone and estradiol concentration levels in early pregnancy in women conceiving following single embryo transfer.
Escape the Lab: An Interactive Escape-Room Game as a Laboratory Experiment

An escape-room-game activity was introduced to foster team building and collaborative learning in a laboratory-experiment setting. The students were placed in a laboratory with clues and puzzles that required the students to use a sequence of analytical instruments in the laboratory in order to escape. The instruments utilized included a UV–vis spectrophotometer, an FTIR spectrometer, a gas chromatograph, and a gas chromatograph–mass spectrometer (GCMS). Student groups solved the puzzles and escaped by identifying a mystery compound at the end of the game. Student surveys indicated that the students enjoyed the lab and that they felt it was an effective review of laboratory techniques.
Detecting Intruders by User File Access Patterns

Our society is facing a growing threat from data breaches where confidential information is stolen from computer servers. In order to steal data, hackers must first gain entry into the targeted systems. Commercial off-the-shelf intrusion detection systems are unable to defend against the intruders effectively. This research uses cyber behavior analytics to study and report how anomalies compare to normal behavior. In this paper, we present methods based on machine learning algorithms to detect intruders based on the file access patterns within a user file directory. We proposed a set of behavioral features of the user’s file access patterns in a file system. We validate the effectiveness of the features by conducting experiments on an existing file system dataset with four classification algorithms. To limit the false alarms, we trained and tested the classifiers by optimizing the performance within the lower range of the false positive rate. The results from our experiments show that our approach was able to detect intruders with a 0.94 F1 score and false positive rate of less than 3%.
The Obligation of Listening: Caring for Patients With Chronic Dysphagia Through Illness Narratives

Purpose Chronic conditions affect the lives of thousands of people in the United States. Dysphagia is a symptom that co-occurs with many chronic conditions. This presents unique challenges to speec...
Energy efficiency screening test for hydraulic fluids

A novel technique for measuring very small variances in friction coefficient due to a change in oil or additive type is presented. A standard pin-on-disk tribometer is used for test oil friction measurement in comparison with a reference oil. The "OCWS" (Oil Change Without Shutdown) test procedure has been used to increase test precision and eliminate the baseline variations that are unavoidable with separate test measurements.
Empirical Matching, Matching Theory, and an Evolutionary Theory of Behavior Dynamics in Clinical Application

This article provides an overview of highlights from 60 years of basic research on choice that are relevant to the assessment and treatment of clinical problems. The quantitative relations developed in this research provide useful information about a variety of clinical problems including aggressive, antisocial, and delinquent behavior, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, chronic pain syndrome, intellectual disabilities, pedophilia, and self-injurious behavior. A recent development in this field is an evolutionary theory of behavior dynamics that is used to animate artificial organisms (AOs). The behavior of AOs animated by the theory has been shown to conform to the quantitative relations that have been developed in the choice literature over the years, which means that the theory generates these relations as emergent outcomes, and therefore provides a theoretical basis for them. The theory has also been used to create AOs that exhibit specific psychopathological behavior, the assessment and treatment of which has been studied virtually. This modeling of psychopathological behavior has contributed to our understanding of the nature and treatment of the problems in humans.
The dynamics of evolutionary rescue from a novel pathogen threat in a host metapopulation

When a novel disease strikes a naive host population, there is evidence that the most immediate response can involve host evolution while the pathogen remains relatively unchanged. When hosts also live in metapopulations, there may be critical differences in the dynamics that emerge from the synergy among evolutionary, ecological, and epidemiological factors. Here we used a Susceptible-Infected-Recovery model to explore how spatial and temporal ecological factors may drive the epidemiological and rapid-evolutionary dynamics of host metapopulations. For simplicity, we assumed two host genotypes: wild type, which has a positive intrinsic growth rate in the absence of disease, and robust type, which is less likely to catch the infection given exposure but has a lower intrinsic growth rate in the absence of infection. We found that the robust-type host would be strongly selected for in the presence of disease when transmission differences between the two types is large. The growth rate of the wild type had dual but opposite effects on host composition: a smaller increase in wild-type growth increased wild-type competition and lead to periodical disease outbreaks over the first generations after pathogen introduction, while larger growth increased disease by providing more susceptibles, which increased robust host density but decreased periodical outbreaks. Increased migration had a similar impact as the increased differential susceptibility, both of which led to an increase in robust hosts and a decrease in periodical outbreaks. Our study provided a comprehensive understanding of the combined effects among migration, disease epidemiology, and host demography on host evolution with an unchanging pathogen. The findings have important implications for wildlife conservation and zoonotic disease control.
Structural Transphobia, Homophobia, and Biphobia in Public Health Practice: The Example of COVID-19 Surveillance.

Public health surveillance can have profound impacts on the health of populations, with COVID-19 surveillance offering an illuminating example. Surveillance surrounding COVID-19 testing, confirmed ...
IgM Deficiency in Autoimmune Blistering Mucocutaneous Diseases Following Various Treatments: Long Term Follow-Up and Relevant Observations

IgM deficiency has been reported in patients with many autoimmune diseases treated with Rituximab (RTX). It has not been studied, in detail, in autoimmune mucocutaneous blistering diseases (AIMBD). Our objectives were: (i) Examine the dynamics of IgM levels in patients with and without RTX. (ii) Influence of reduced serum IgM levels on clinical and laboratory parameters. (iii) Explore the possible molecular and cellular basis for reduced serum IgM levels. This retrospective study that was conducted in a single-center from 2000 to 2020. Serial IgM levels were studied in 348 patients with five AIMBD (pemphigus vulgaris, pemphigus foliaceus, bullous pemphigoid, mucous membrane pemphigoid, and ocular cicatricial pemphigoid) and found decreased in 55 patients treated with RTX, IVIG, and conventional immunosuppressive therapy (CIST). Hence the incidence of decreased serum IgM is low. The incidence of decreased IgM in patients treated with RTX was 19.6%, in patients treated with IVIG and CIST, it was 52.8% amongst the 55 patients. IgM levels in the post-RTX group were statistically significantly different from the IVIG group (p<0.018) and CIST group (p<0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in other clinical and laboratory measures. Decreased serum IgM did not affect depletion or repopulation of CD19+ B cells. Patients in the three groups achieved clinical and serological remission, in spite of decreased IgM levels. Decrease in IgM was isolated, since IgG and IgA were normal throughout the study period. Decreased IgM persisted at the same level, while the patients were in clinical remission, for several years. In spite of persistent decreased IgM levels, the patients did not develop infections, tumors, other autoimmune diseases, or warrant hospitalization. Studies on IgM deficiency in knockout mice provided valuable insights. There is no universally accepted mechanism that defines decreased IgM levels in AIMBD. The data is complex, multifactorial, sometimes contradictory, and not well understood. Nonetheless, data in this study provides novel information that enhances our understanding of the biology of IgM in health and disease.
Usando redes sociais online para a construção de comunidades saudáveis: um projeto de pesquisa

Este artigo apresenta o projeto e a avaliacao de uma rede social on-line usada junto a 22 programas “pos-escola”, envolvendo as tres maiores areas urbanas no Nordeste dos Estados Unidos. O principal objetivo foi capacitar os estudantes com relacao a prevencao da obesidade mediante o uso de alimentacao saudavel e a pratica de exercicios fisicos. Uma rede social on-line foi projetada para dar suporte as comunicacoes entre os participantes. Os resultados indicaram o potencial das redes sociais on-line com cuidados preventivos e acoes comunitarias em torno dos temas relacionados; contudo, uma atencao maior e necessaria para programas voltados ao desenvolvimento profissional dos facilitadores, para caracteristicas de projeto mais bem elaboradas, de modo a suportar o pensamento critico, a presenca social e as atividades sociais.
Descriptive Epidemiological Measures

This chapter has presented common descriptive measures, namely rates and ratios, useful in planning and evaluating health care services, policies, and programs. Rates are used to identify and prioritize health problems within a population,assess variability of the utilization of health care resources, evaluate progress toward achieving health goals, and propose hypotheses regarding the etiology and control of health problems. Rates also are used to assess health, disease, and exposure patterns and their variability in populations. Ratios aid in evaluating the degree of the relationship between exposure and outcome.Descriptive mea- sures, in general, are useful in identifying the components of the health care system that could be modified to improve the health status of populations. The specific type of epidemiological measure used depends on the objective of the assessment, the nature of the health problem being evaluated, and the type of data available.
Geräte für den bituminösen Straßenbau

Der bituminose Strasenbau umfasst die folgenden Themen: Asphaltaufbereitung mit entsprechenden Mischanlagen, die Verarbeitung von Asphaltgranulat aus Alt-Asphaltschollen, den Asphalteinbau mit Schwarzdeckenfertigern und die Asphaltverdichtung. Wie mit Betonanlagen ist die Bundesrepublik Deutschland auch flachendeckend mit stationaren Asphaltmischanlagen ausgestattet. Wie bei der Betonherstellung gelten auch fur die Asphaltherstellung strenge Vorgaben, Normen und Gutekontrollen. Fur die Aufstellung einer Asphaltmischanlage sind behordliche Genehmigungen nach dem Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetz notwendig. Dabei gelten strenge Vorschriften fur die Lagerung von Stoffen (Bitumen, Heizol), die Reinhaltung der Luft (Abgase, Dampfe), die Reinhaltung des Grundwassers, die Larmentwicklung und die Behandlung der Reststoffe. Die von den Herstellern angebotenen Asphaltmischanlagen erfullen diese Auflagen, wobei heute noch eine komplette Einhausung der Anlage gefordert wird. Die Verarbeitung von Asphaltgranulat, das sind zerkleinerte Schollen aus ausgebauten alten Strasenbelagen, ist deshalb sinnvoll, umweltschonend und wirtschaftlich, weil das Mineral und das anteilige Bitumen von ca. 3 bis 5 % wieder verwertet wird.
Development and integration of an equation-solving program for engineering thermodynamics courses

Thermodynamics problems can be separated into conceptual and mathematical parts. The conceptual part consists of the problem formulation and analysis. The mathematical part seeks to obtain an answer to a problem by solving the equations identified in the analysis. The mathematical part can be complex and time-consuming and often directs the students' focus away from the concepts. An equation solving program called Engineering Equation Solver EES was developed to reduce the time and effort required by students to solve the mathematical part of thermodynamics problems. EES differs from existing equation solving programs in that it is designed for use by students and it includes an extensive library of built-in functions for thermodynamic and transport properties of fluids. Thermodynamic and transport property data needed for solving engineering problems eg, steam tables, refrigerant properties, psychrometric and combustion gas data are built into the program. By eliminating table lookups and algebra, EES allows students to concentrate on engineering fundamentals, as well as to do more complex design problems.
A comparison of survival and disease-specific survival in surgically resected, lymph node-positive bronchioloalveolar carcinoma versus nonsmall cell lung cancer: implications for adjuvant therapy.

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to assess whether disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) differed among patients who had N1 and N2 bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) compared with patients who had non-BAC nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program database from 1992 to 2002 contained 684 patients with BAC and 9809 patients with non-BAC NSCLC who had N1/N2 tumors and who underwent a definitive surgical procedure. OS and DSS rates were compared according to potential prognostic factors, including the use of a matched-pair analysis. RESULTS The BAC patients with either pathologic N1 or N2 lymph node status were significantly more likely to be women, and nonblack/nonwhite race, but significantly less likely to have poorly differentiated or undifferentiated tumors than patients with non-BAC cancers with comparable lymph node status. The median follow-up of all patients was 29 months. There was a significant difference in DSS between patients with N2 BAC and non-BAC cancers, but not for patients with N1 disease. There was a nonsignificant trend toward longer OS for patients with N2 BAC compared with non-BAC cancers. CONCLUSIONS Patients with lymph node-positive BAC had distinctly different patient and tumor characteristics than patients with lymph node-positive non-BAC NSCLC. Because DSS appears to be better for patients with N2 BAC, they may not benefit as much from adjuvant therapy as patients with non-BAC NSCLC. Cancer 2008. ©2008 American Cancer Society.
A Four-Variable World System

This is a model to study aspects of the short and long-range growth and balance between four world quantities: food, energy, fertilizer, and population. The model may be used as a tool to study implications of various policies for coordinated world planning. The model operates as follows: The world is subdivided into a number of regions. Consider time period t. In each region two factors, investments and population, are used to determine supplies of fertilizer, energy, arable acreage, and workforce availability. The regional investment stream is an exogenous input to the system. In each region, demand functions are specified for foods, fertilizer, energy for agriculture, energy for other uses, acreage, and labor. These demands are functions of all prices, population, and income in period t − 1. A spatial equilibrium model links all regions and determines equilibrium imports, exports, and prices for each region. This gives, for each region, the income in period t, and specific consumption of fertilizer, energy for agriculture, acreage, and workforce. Based on this consumption, and taking account of weather, regional agricultural outputs are determined. This provides an exogenous food supply for the spatial equilibrium model in year t + 1. The supplies in t + 1 of fertilizer, energy, acreage and labor are determined, as functions of population and the investment stream, and the procedure is repeated.
Did the Bulge Form All at Once

It is reasonable to say that if Jan Oort were alive today, he would no doubt find recent developments in the study of the Galactic bulge to be fascinating. Qort considered the Galactic bulge in two contexts. First, he was interested in the use of the RR Lyrae stars as probes to determine the distance to the Galactic Center. No doubt, (fort would have been excited about the growing evidence of the bulge’s triaxiality, as well as by the debate over the age of the bulge. His second interest was in the nature of activity at the center, an issue that I will not discuss in this review. The latter also remains an unsolved problem of the Milky Way, and (based on his work) one that might have been nearer to his heart than this one. Yet the question of when the bulge formed is ultimately a question about the formation history of the Galaxy. The oldest stars (those whose ages we are certain of) are found in Galactic globular clusters, the sum total of which are ≈ 5 × 107M⊙. The field population of the bulge is ≈ 2 − 3 × 1010M⊙, an order of magnitude more massive than the field population of the metal poor spheroid. So if the bulge formed all at once, and early, then the Milky Way had a luminous, even cataclysmic youth. But if the bulge formed later in the history of our galaxy, as a starburst or dynamical instability of the central disk, then the young Milky Way may have been inconspicuous and primeval galaxies may be hard to find indeed. If our bulge formed very early, its stellar population might have much in common with the giant ellipticals, while a late bulge might teach us much about processes that affect galaxy evolution.
Interaction Between Analogue Resistance and Amino Acid Auxotrophy in Neurospora

A new p-fluorophenylalanine resistant mutant of Neurospora (fpr-1) was isolated. It is unaffected by the suppressor of a previously described resistance mutant, mtr. The fpr-1 locus is on linkage group V, tightly linked to act-2. The expression of resistance to p-fluorophenylalanine by fpr-1 can be suppressed by genes controlling a requirement for lysine or arginine. The suppression seems to involve an increased sensitivity of the lysine and arginine auxotrophs to p-fluorophenylalanine.
Loop Measures and the Gaussian Free Field

Loop measures and their associated loop soups are generally viewed as arising from finite state Markov chains. We generalize several results to loop measures arising from potentially complex edge weights. We discuss two applications: Wilson’s algorithm to produce uniform spanning trees and an isomorphism theorem due to Le Jan.
Anatomical and electrophysiological changes in striatal TH interneurons after loss of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway

Using transgenic mice that express enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under the control of the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) promoter, we have previously shown that there are approximately 3,000 striatal EGFP-TH interneurons per hemisphere in mice. Here, we report that striatal TH-EGFP interneurons exhibit a small, transient but significant increase in number after unilateral destruction of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway. The increase in cell number is accompanied by electrophysiological and morphological changes. The intrinsic electrophysiological properties of EGFP-TH interneurons ipsilateral to 6-OHDA lesion were similar to those originally reported in intact mice except for a significant reduction in the duration of a characteristic depolarization induced plateau potential. There was a significant change in the distribution of the four previously described electrophysiologically distinct subtypes of striatal TH interneurons. There was a concomitant increase in the frequency of both spontaneous excitatory and inhibitory post-synaptic currents, while their amplitudes did not change. Nigrostriatal lesions did not affect somatic size or dendritic length or branching, but resulted in an increase in the density of proximal dendritic spines and spine-like appendages in EGFP-TH interneurons. The changes indicate that electrophysiology properties and morphology of striatal EGFP-TH interneurons depend on endogenous levels of dopamine arising from the nigrostriatal pathway. Furthermore, these changes may serve to help compensate for the changes in activity of spiny projection neurons that occur following loss of the nigrostriatal innervation in experimental or in early idiopathic Parkinson’s disease by increasing feedforward GABAergic inhibition exerted by these interneurons.
Thin-layer chromatographic studies of human brain gangliosides

1. 1. The thin-layer Chromatographic mobilities of 9 human brain ganglioside preparations were studied in 4 commonly used solvent systems. These solvent systems were: chloroform-methanol-water (60:35:8, v/v/v); chloroform-methanol-2.5 N NH4OH (60:35:8, v/v/v); n-propanol-water (7:3, v/v) and n-propanol-conc. NH4OH-water (6:2:1, v/v/v). 2. 2. The analytical data and thin-layer Chromatographic properties of these ganglioside preparations were correlated with data reported in the literature for similar preparations. A summary of these correlations is presented in tabular form. 3. 3. Analytical data for one preparation (HG-5) are presented which indicate that it is a mixture even though the preparation appeared as a single spot with all 4 thin-layer Chromatographic solvent systems. 4. 4. These thin-layer Chromatographic studies indicated the presence of at least 3 minor gangliosides which are previously unreported.
Desai's Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard as Global Literature

In her article "Desai's Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard as Global Literature" Erin M. Fehskens argues that scholars readily recognize Kiran Desai's Booker Prize winning second novel The Inheritance of Loss as world literature following David Damrosch's and Franco Moretti's notions. However, Desai's first novel Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard is often overlooked. Although Hullabaloo's focus is narrow and local, its allegorical implications encode the processes of globalization and resistance to it into the novel. Thus, the novel can be read as an example of global literature, which uses the discontinuous nature of allegory to critique the de-differentiating practices of globalization and the specter of difference that accompanies these practices. Desai uses the return of Coca-Cola to India to illustrate the effects of multinational companies on the social and ecological landscapes of the Global South.
Glomerulonephritis causing acute renal failure during the course of bacterial infections. Histological varieties, potential pathogenetic pathways and treatment

To illustrate diagnostic approaches, potential pathogenetic differences, epidemiological implications and therapeutic dilemmas posed by glomerulonephritis (GN) with acute renal failure (ARF) complicating bacterial infections, we analyzed the course of four male patients, aged 53-71 years, who developed GN and ARF following bacterial infections. The first two patients developed GN with immunoglobulin A (IgA) deposits after infections with hospital-acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Clinical, serologic and histological features, classification of GN and treatment differed between the two patients. In the first patient, serological features (transient hypocomplementemia, normal serum protein electrophoresis) and histological findings were consistent with typical post-infectious GN. Treatment with antibiotics alone resulted in normalization of the renal function despite the severity of ARF, which required temporary hemodialysis. In the second patient, serological features (normal serum complement, polyclonal elevation of gamma globulins) and histological picture of the kidneys were characteristic of IgA nephropathy with fibrocellular crescents, and skin histology was consistent with vasculitis. Cyclophosphamide and corticosteroids were added to the antibiotics, with partial improvement of the renal failure. The third patient developed simultaneous acute rheumatic fever and post-streptococcal GN causing severe ARF requiring hemodialysis. Complete recovery of ARF and migratory polyarthritis followed initiation of corticosteroids. The fourth patient developed ARF and cerebral vasculitis following a prolonged course of Streptococcus mutans endocarditis with delayed diagnosis. He also developed multiple serological abnormalities including elevated titers of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), antinuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-phospholipid antibodies, rheumatoid factor, and modest hypocomplementemia. Kidney biopsy revealed ANCA-mediated focal GN with 10% crescents and acute interstitial nephritis. Treatment with cyclophosphamide plus corticosteroids, but not with antibiotics alone, resulted in resolution of both the ARF and the features of cerebral vasculitis. GN following bacterial infections may have various pathogenetic mechanisms, presents complex diagnostic challenges, may be preventable in the case of hospital-acquired MRSA, and, in addition to antibiotics, may require immunosuppressive therapy in carefully selected and monitored cases.
LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND A FAMILY'S LOCATION DECISION

This paper examines the location choice of families when education is available through local public schools and private schools. According to the theoretical model, families who use public schools sort into communities that offer their desired education quality. Families who choose private schools, on the other hand, locate in communities with low quality public schools because of the low cost of occupying a standardized unit of housing in such areas. This difference in sorting causes the income and rent differentials across communities to be lower when private education is available. A multinomial logit model is estimated to test whether the factors that influence community choice vary between families that use public and private schools. The results indicate little difference with respect to public school quality but a difference with respect to distance from the central business district (CBD). In this sample, it appears that families who use public schools are more likely to locate further from the CDB as income rises compared to families that choose private schools.
Three Dimensional Modeling of Projection Radiography

The availability of a computer simulation for the X-ray projection image formation process, capable of modeling a rich variety of machine, configuration, and detector parameters, has a number of far reaching implications for quantitative nondestructive evaluation (NDE). The applications of such a tool occur both at the design stage and at the quality control inspection stages of the manufacturing process. Some of the notable uses include designing inspectability as a part of a computer aided design (CAD) package and developing an optimal inspection scheme for the component, while at the other end of the manufacturing process, a package of image processing routines, using the results of the forward model, can deconvolve a number of deterministic processes from the resulting radiograph. The promise of the potential applications of a quantitatively accurate forward model of the radiographic system has generated much interest in the basic physics of the process and the subsequent modeling of these processes.(1–5) For the model to be a flexible tool all of the various elements of an experimental equipment must be accurately described with enough variability to be useful over a large number of machines and experimental configurations.
A subquadratic algorithm for approximate limited expression matching

In this paper we present an efficient subquadratic-time algorithm for matching strings and limited expressions in large texts. Limited expressions are a subset of regular expressions that appear often in practice. The generalization from simple strings to limited expressions has a negligible affect on the speed of our algorithm, yet allows much more flexibility. Our algorithm is similar in spirit to that of Masek and Paterson [MP], but it is much faster in practice. Our experiments show a factor of four to five speedup against the algorithms of Sellers [Se] and Ukkonen [Uk1] independent of the sizes of the input strings. Experiments also reveal our algorithm to be faster, in most cases, than a recent improvement by Chang and Lampe [CL2], especially for small alphabet sizes for which it is two to three times faster.