cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sociology's Third Problem

Sociology is a numeric art. Its work is to measure differences, of which, in social arrangements, there are many, few of them visible to the naked eye. Sociology's aesthet ic pleasure, when it takes it, is to imagine how they—these innumerable differences— come together, when they do. For all practi cal purposes, everything social is measured against everything else; hence the art. The question to be asked of sociology, therefore, is what is its base number? It is commonly assumed—given the ubiquity of the Cartesian coordinate system with its x/ y axes—to be two; which is to say 2. Yet 2-fold schemes and their multiples rest on the least stable of all prime numbers. Even 5, for example, is more stable because, putting its 2 aside, there is left over a 3— probably the most stable of all numbers. A 2, by contrast, is nothing but two Is, where in twoness (so to speak) encounters the risk that one of its Is could be negative, in which case, the remainder is nothing. Since, in social life, we know that negatives are everywhere at once, then common sense would require that, sociologically speaking (and contrary to almost everything we believe), social things cannot survive as they have if they are essentially binary. We survive; ergo: 3 is our prime. No one has put it better than Charles Sanders Peirce: "By the third I mean the medium or connecting bond between the absolute first and last.
Comparison between in-phase and opposed-phase T1-weighted breath-hold FLASH sequences for hepatic imaging

Our goal was to compare in-phase (IP) and opposed-phase (OP) sequences for GRE breath-hold hepatic imaging. Non-contrast-enhanced IP and OP GRE breath-hold images were obtained in 104 consecutive patients referred for abdominal MRI at 1.0 T. For both sequences, the TR, FA, matrix, FOV, slice thickness, interslice gap, and measurements were kept constant. Images were compared quantitatively [liver/spleen and liver/lesion signal difference/noise ratio, (SD/N)] and qualitatively (artifacts, lesion detection and conspicuity, and intrahepatic anatomy). There was no statistically significant difference when comparing IP and OP sequences for liver/spleen and liver/lesion SD/N or for the qualitative parameters. In patients with fatty infiltration, the OP sequences yielded substantially lower values for liver/spleen and liver/lesion SD/N (0.9 and - 1.2, respectively) than the IP sequences (20 and 17, respectively). Furthermore, in several cases with fatty infiltration, many more lesions were identified using IP images. The use of IP and OP GRE sequences provides complementary diagnostic information. Focal liver lesions may be obscured in the setting of fatty infiltration if only OP sequences are employed. A complete assessment of the liver with MR should include both IP and OP imaging. 11 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.
Twinned colloidal gold particles

Abstract The structural characteristics of colloidal gold particles prepared by reduction of gold chloride were studied. Images and microdiffraction patterns indicate that multiple twinning is commonly present in the gold particles which range in size from 15 to several hundred nm. Very good agreement was found between the twin-fault densities determined by TEM studies and X-ray diffraction results.
PCI-based tolerance as an interface between design specifications and statistical quality control

Abstract A method for uniformly measuring the process quality including process centering, quality loss, and process defective ratio is presented in terms of C p and k. Based on this uniform measure, a new concept, PCI-based tolerance, has been developed as the predetermined statistical tolerance zone which can be used as an interface between design specifications and SPC to achieve predictable quality assurance in manufacturing production.
CO2-Enhanced Transport of Small Molecules in Thin PMMA Films

Steady-state fluorescence measurements have been used to measure the rate of transport of a fluorescent probe (pyrene) out of ca. 200−340 nm thick films of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in contact with supercritical CO2 at pressures in the range 34−76 bar (estimated CO2 content in the film from 0.06 to 0.17 weight fraction) and several temperatures (35, 50, and 65 °C). At constant temperature, the estimated pyrene diffusion coefficient increases by approximately 4 orders of magnitude from the lowest to the highest CO2 content (e.g., from ca. 5 × 10-15 cm2/s for ca. 0.08 CO2 weight fraction to ca. 10-10 cm2/s for ca. 0.17 CO2 weight fraction at 35 °C). We compare the present results to our earlier study of CO2-swollen polystyrene (PS) and find: (1) For similar pressures of CO2 at the same temperature, the enhancement of the pyrene diffusion coefficient is larger in PMMA than in PS, presumably as a consequence of the higher solubility of CO2 in PMMA; and (2) at similar CO2 contents, the pyrene diffusion...
Sonochemical synthesis of reactive boron nanomaterials and their combustion properties

We have demonstrated the synthesis of highly reactive boron nanomaterials by alkali metal reduction of BCl3 under sonication, followed by annealing. Unlike ordinary boron powders, these materials combust completely and release close to their theoretical energy content (based on elemental analysis) in polymer protected bomb calorimetry experiments. We have scaled up the synthesis using a commercial (Columbia International CIT-UHiPR-U1000V600) ultrasonic hi-pressure reactor. The synthesis reactions exhibit a scale problem, where they yield diminishes considerably on scale up, probably a result of alkali metals becoming trapped inside a mass of salts and rendered unable to react. We measured the combustion properties of the materials by bomb calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry (TGA/DSC), and report elemental analyses on selected samples.
Analysis of Crash Data Using Quantile Regression for Counts

AbstractStatistical models that describe the relationship between crash frequency and its influencing factors have been widely studied for the last three decades. Most of the existing methodologies use these models with count data and their variants to study the mean effects of covariates on crash frequency. This study seeks to explore the use of quantile regression for counts as a methodological alternative in analyzing crash frequency. Compared with existing models, the proposed model provides a fuller and more robust analysis of crash data for at least two reasons. First, crash data usually follow typical count distributions with a large proportion of zeros, and the remaining values highly skew toward the right. This nature of crash data makes quantile regression appealing because it can provide more comprehensive information about the effects of covariates on crash frequency rather than just the mean because quantile regression allows various quantiles of a population to be estimated. Second, as a sem...
Blunt splenic injury: Operation versus angiographic embolization

Background Splenic injuries, like other blunt traumatic injuries, are increasingly treated with non-operative management. Angiographic embolization (AE) has emerged as an alternative modality for treatment of splenic injuries. We hypothesized that splenic embolization would lead to equivalent, if not improved, outcomes in terms of mortality, total costs, complications, and duration of stay. Methods A retrospective review of a prospective data set was performed for all adult splenic injuries admitted to our level I trauma center from 2000 through 2003. Demographics, number of red cell units, emergency department hemodynamics, costs, and outcomes were examined. The operative group included those who underwent computed tomography (CT) first then went to the operating room (OR) (CT+OR) or those who went directly to the OR. Results There were 25 CT+OR and 24 AE patients of 164 blunt splenic injuries. After univariate analysis, higher injury severity score (ISS), lower systolic blood pressure, lower pH, and higher packed red blood cell transfusions were associated with increased mortality and duration of stay. The splenic Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS; mean ± SD) was the same for AE compared to CT+OR patients (3.8 ± 0.4 vs 3.5 ± 0.9). Although the AE group was older (50 ± 20 vs 36 ± 13 years, P Conclusions AE of splenic injuries is safe and associated with fewer complications. The spleen AIS, heart rate, age, and GCS did not correlate with the need for an operation. Higher ISS, lower blood pressure, lower pH, and increased number of packed red blood cell transfusions were better indicators of the need for an operation versus embolization.
Electro-optic sampling with picosecond resolution

The development of an electro-optic sampling system with resolution of better than 2 picoseconds and shot noise limited sensitivity of 11 μV/√Hz is reported. This system has been used to characterise GaAs photodiodes which have exhibited pulsewidths as short as 5.4 picoseconds (full-width-half-maximum).
Identification of a novel secreted protease from Pseudomonas aeruginosa that causes corneal erosions.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify a new Pseudomonas protease and determine its possible role in keratitis. Methods Concentrated culture supernatants of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains PA103 and ATCC 19660 were analyzed by zymography. P. aeruginosa small protease (PASP) was purified from strain PA103, and modified elastase B (LasB) was purified from strain ATCC 19660. SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis were performed on purified PASP and modified LasB. PASP was further analyzed by mass spectrometry and amino-terminal sequencing. The Pasp gene was cloned and expressed, affinity-purified in denatured form from inclusion bodies, and refolded by removal of the denaturant. Purified recombinant PASP was analyzed by zymography for protease activity. PASP and heat-inactivated PASP were injected into rabbit corneas, and the corneas were monitored for erosions caused by protease activity. Results Each strain produced a protease with a molecular mass of 80 kDa on zymograms. LasB antiserum identified the ATCC 19660 protease as modified LasB. Mass spectrometry defined the PA103 protease as having a molecular mass of 18.5 kDa. Amino-terminal sequencing and analysis of the P. aeruginosa genome sequence determined that the PA103 Pasp gene sequence was >99% identical with the PA0423 sequence of strain PAO1. Recombinant PASP was proteolytic, with a zymogram mass of 50 kDa. PASP purified from PA103 produced extensive corneal epithelial erosions, whereas heat-inactivated PASP produced no erosions. Conclusions PASP is a protease that has not been previously identified. It causes corneal epithelial erosions, indicating its likely activity as a virulence-promoting factor in Pseudomonas keratitis.
Analyzing resistance response of embedded PDMS and carbon nanotubes composite under tensile strain

Polymer nanocomposite for large strain measurements have been demonstrated.Stress relaxation behaviors in nanocomposite under large strain have been studied.Temporal logarithmic decay has been analyzed in relevance to stress relaxation. We report the electrical resistive response of an elastomeric composite material, composed of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), to large mechanical deformations. A nanocomposite pattern was embedded in bulk PDMS to work as a strain sensor, and the device was fabricated with simplicity through microcontact printing and cast molding techniques. Testing of the device revealed a significant and consistent change in its resistance subject to large tensile strains (>45%). Some peculiar hysteresis effects of resistance response were observed during the course of characterization. To reveal underlying polymeric mechanisms, stress and resistance of bulk polymer nanocomposite samples were tested under various conditions. As a result, the resistance was found to be dependent on a number of factors such as stress, strain rate and strain history or time. Likewise, stress was also found to be possibly dependent on the same variables.
Active Contours with Free Endpoints

Image segmentation methods with length regularized edge sets are known to have segments whose endpoints either terminate perpendicularly to the boundary of the domain, terminate at a triple junction where three segments connect, or terminate at a free endpoint where the segment does not connect to any other edges. However, level set based segmentation methods are only able to capture edge structures which contain the first two types of segments. In this work, we propose an extension to the level set based image segmentation method in order to detect free endpoint structures. By generalizing the curve representation used in Chan and Vese (Trans. Image Proces. 10(2):266---277, 2001; Int. J. Comput. Vis. 50(3):271---293, 2002) to also include free endpoint structures, we are able to segment a larger class of edge types. Since our model is formulated using the level set framework, the curve evolution inherits useful properties such as the ability to change its topology by splitting and merging. The numerical method is provided as well as experimental results on both synthetic and real images.
Compact differences of composition operators on weighted Dirichlet spaces

Here we consider when the difference of two composition operators is compact on the weighted Dirichlet spaces Open image in new window. Specifically we study differences of composition operators on the Dirichlet space Open image in new window and S2, the space of analytic functions whose first derivative is in H2, and then use Calderon’s complex interpolation to extend the results to the general weighted Dirichlet spaces. As a corollary we consider composition operators induced by linear fractional self-maps of the disk.
1084 OUTCOME OF RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS (RSV) INFECTION AFTER PRIOR SYSTEMIC IMMUNIZATION WITH INACTIVAED RSV VACCINE

Two to three month old cotton rats, seronegative for RSV antibody were immunized at weekly intervals with three doses of intraperitoneally administered preparation of formalin inactivated and alum precipitated RSV. Other groups of animals who received rabbit serum containing high levels of RSV antibody or normal rabbit serum (NRS) were included as controls. Following RSV immunization all animals developed RSV specific antibody in serum when tested a week after the administration of the last vaccine dose, and RSV antibody persisted in the control group who received RSV immune serum. All animals were challenged intranasally with live RSV in a dose of 2×105 PFU/animal and sacrificed 4 days later. High levels of the virus were detected in nasal turbinates and lungs of the control group which received NRS, and little or no virus was recovered from animals who received immune serum or inactivated RSV vaccine. Histological studies did not reveal any pathology in the lungs of non-vaccinated controls. Significantly, severe bronchoalveolar pathology was observed in all RSV vaccinated animals after live virus challenge. These observations are identical to the clinical experience with experimental use of inactivated RSV vaccine in infants. This model should be applicable to evaluation of prior exposure to live or inactivated antigens, or systemic versus mucosal priming in the evolution of viral immunopathology.
Synthesis of Potential Dual Antagonists III: Ring-Substituted Ethyl [Bis(1-aziridinyl)phosphinyl]carbamates

The syntheses of a series of ring-substituted ethyl [bis(1-aziridinyl)phosphinyl]-carbamates are reported. Several of these compounds showed significant tumor inhibitory activities in experimental animals, and one of them, ethyl [bis(2,2-dimethyl-1-aziridinyl)phosphinyl]carbamate (AB-132), is currently under clinical investigation as an experimental antineoplastic agent.
Interactions of Airfoils with Gusts and Concentrated Vortices in Unsteady Transonic Flow

Unsteady interactions of concentrated vortices and distributed free-stream gusts with a stationary airfoil have been analyzed in two-dimensional transonic flow. A simple method of introducing such disturbances has been implemented numerically in the well-known transonic small-disturbance code LTRAN2, and calculations have been performed for two important classes of current aerodynamic problems. The first, which demonstrates many of the essential features of the interactions between helicopter rotor blades and their trailing-vortex wakes, is that of a discrete potential vortex convecting past an airfoil. The second is the response of a transonic airfoil to a transverse periodic gust, with and without the alleviation that can be achieved by the proper active control motion of a trailing-edge flap. In both cases, unsteady effects are found to play important roles in the shock-wave motion, in the overall flow-field development, and consequently, in the air loads on the airfoil.
Ultrasonographic detection of spontaneous perforation of the extrahepatic bile ducts in infancy

Diagnosis of spontaneous perforation of the bile ducts in infancy depends on the awareness of this rare condition. The purpose of this article is to report a new case of extra hepatic bile duct perforation, review the literature, and describe in detail the ultrasonographic findings.
Potential ablation of accessory atrioventricular pathways: Injection of alcohol into the atrioventricular groove

Accessory atrioventricular (AV) pathways responsible for the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome have been treated successfully by surgical and radiofrequency catheter ablation techniques. In this study, we explored the feasibility of permanent chemical ablation of accessory pathways by direct injection of 100% ethanol into the canine AV groove. Right coronary artery blood flow and AV compartment pressure were measured in 5 adult mongrel dogs (part I) during injection of saline solution (10 to 15 mL) into the right AV groove. Atrioventricular groove compartment pressure increased from 1 +/- 1 to 31 +/- 12 mm Hg (p < 0.0001) and right coronary artery blood flow increased slightly from 117 +/- 17 to 138 +/- 44 mL/min (p = not significant). In 8 additional dogs (part II), 100% ethanol (10 mL) was injected into the left AV groove. After 6 weeks (n = 6) or 12 weeks (n = 2), histologic examination of the left AV groove demonstrated localized fibrous replacement of injured epicardial muscle, with only scant inflammatory infiltrate. Mild intimal fibrosis and intimal proliferation were present in the circumflex artery and its larger branches, but no significant luminal narrowing was evident. Angiograms at 12 weeks (n = 2) demonstrated no significant narrowing of the circumflex artery. In summary, injection of 100% ethanol into the AV groove is capable of locally ablating myocardial tissue, presumably including conductive tissues, while sparing the coronary arteries.
On intrinsic oscillation in radiation-affected diffusion flames

Abstract A linear stability analysis is conducted to study the onset of near-limit flame oscillation with radiative heat loss in 1-D chambered planar flames using multi-scale activation-energy asymptotics. The oscillatory instability near the radiation-induced extinction limit at large Damkohler numbers is identified, in additional to the one near the kinetic limit at small Damkohler numbers. It is shown that radiative loss assumes a similar role as varying the thermal diffusivity of the reactants. Thus, flame oscillation near the radiative limit is still thermal-diffusive in nature although it may develop under unity Lewis numbers. The unstable range of Damkohler numbers near the radiative limit shows quite similar parametric dependence on the Lewis numbers of reactants, Le F and Le O , the stoichiometry, ϕ , and the radiative loss as that near the kinetic limit. They both increase monotonically with Le O and ϕ and increase then decrease with Le F . Increasing radiative loss extends the parameter range under which flame oscillations may develop. However, they show different dependence on the temperature difference between the supplying reactants. Unless radiative loss approaches its maximum value the system can sustain, flame oscillation near the radiative limit is only possible within a limited range of Δ T , whereas it is promoted monotonically with decreasing Δ T near the kinetic limit. Furthermore, while radiative loss shows small effect on the nondimensional oscillation frequency, the dimensional frequency of flame oscillations near the radiative limit can be substantially smaller than that near the kinetic limit.
Risk of residual invasive disease in women with microinvasive squamous cancer in a conization specimen

Objective To quantify the risk of residual invasion when cervical conization reveals microinvasive squamous carcinoma and to determine whether any factors affect this risk. Methods We reviewed the charts and histopathology slides of 87 women who underwent a conization that contained microinvasive squamous carcinoma, followed by either a repeat conization or hysterectomy. Depth of invasion, number of invasive foci, and status of the internal margin and post-conization endocervical curettage (ECO were assessed. The findings were correlated with the presence of residual invasion. Results Significant predictors of residual invasion included status of the internal margin (residual invasion present in 22% of women with an involved margin versus 3% with a negative margin; P P Conclusion Women with microinvasive squamous carcinoma in a conization specimen in which both the internal conization margin and post-conization ECC are negative have a low risk of residual invasion and are candidates for follow-up or simple hysterectomy. If either the internal margin or the post-conization ECC contains dysplasia or carcinoma, the risk of residual invasion is high and warrants repeat conization before definitive treatment planning.
Response to “Comment on ‘Coal tar pavement sealant use and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination in urban stream sediments’ in Physical Geography 34(4–5): 392–415” by T. D. Gauthier and R. P. DeMott

I thank Thomas Gauthier and Robert DeMott for their comment and the opportunity to clarify questions about my study linking urban sediment PAH concentrations in Galloway Branch to coal tar sealants...
Optimal Operation of Multireservoir Systems Using a Composite Representation

For a large hydroelectric power system, such as that of the Pacific Northwest, an important operational decision each month is the amount of hydrogeneration. This decision is important because the inflow of the water is uncertain while hydro, with zero marginal cost, can be used not only to satisfy firm load commitments, but also to displace other firm resources or to serve secondary loads. In such a case, the tradeoff between savings at the present and expected benefits in the future is determined mainly by the total hydrogeneration. The use of a composite representation of multireservoir hydroelectric power systems to determine the optimal monthly total hydrogeneration is described. The analytical tool employed is that of stochastic dynamic programming, and the statistical model for the streamflow prediction is based on previous flows and snowpack information. For the anticipated 1975 system in the Pacific Northwest, comparison between the optimal operation introduced here and the presently used rule-curve operation indicates that substantial savings may be obtained, mainly owing to the more uniform displacement of the high marginal cost thermal resources by hydrogeneration.
A Turning Point Method For Measuring Investor Sentiment

Technical analysis has always been a controversial topic with weak evidence in the literature while behavioral finance has enjoyed success. Yet the objective of technical analysis is to measure investors’ behavior, implying the need to reexamine the study of technical methods. This study begins to close the gap in evidence between behavioral finance and technical analysis by developing an objective turning point methodology to infer unobservable investor sentiment. Using Parkinson's [1980] estimate of volatility, the findings indicate that the turning point method not only captures investor sentiment effectively, but more effectively than traditional time-static methods.
High School Graduate Earnings in New York City: The Effects of Skill, Gender, Race and Ethnicity

This article investigates gender and racial/ethnic wage gaps for high-school-educated residents of New York City. The study measures local skill requirements in detailed occupations and endeavors to control for space and skill as determinants of group earnings inequality. Wage earnings models show higher returns to observed skills for male high school graduates relative to women and for young white men relative to young black and Hispanic men. A second major source of inequality is the relatively low employment shares of women and young minority men in occupations requiring high levels of occupationally specific vocational preparation. Possible explanations for the group variation include unobserved average productivity differences, segregated job information/recruitment networks and employer wage and hiring discrimination. The article concludes by reviewing local policy options to help bridge the wage gaps.
Fret Imaging of Pit-1 Protein Interactions in Living Cells

The combined use of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy and expression of genetic vectors encoding protein fusions with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and blue fluorescent protein (BFP) provides an exceptionally sensitive method for detecting the interaction of protein partners in living cells. The acquisition of FRET signals from GFP- and BFP-fusion proteins expressed in living cells was demonstrated using an optimized imaging system and high sensitivity charge coupled device camera. This imaging system was used to detect energy transfer signals from a fusion protein containing GFP physically linked to BFP expressed in living HeLa cells. In contrast, the co-localization of noninteracting GFP- and BFP-fusion proteins was not sufficient for energy transfer. The FRET imaging system was then used to demonstrate dimerization of the pituitary-specific transcription factor Pit-1 within the living cell nucleus. © 1998 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. [S1083-3668(98)00802-8]
Asthma and mental health among youth in high-risk service settings.

AbstractObjective: To investigate the prevalence of asthma and mental health problems among representative samples of youth in high-risk service settings and the community, and to examine the relationship between asthma and mental health in these groups. Methods: Data were drawn from the Alternative Service Use Patterns of Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance Study (SED) (n = 1181), a combined representative, cross-sectional sample of youth in various clinical settings and the community. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between asthma and mental disorders. Demographic characteristics were investigated as potential confounders. Results: Asthma was common among 15.2% of youth in service settings and 18.8% of youth in the community. The prevalence of mental disorders was extremely high among youth with and without asthma in all service settings, and asthma was associated with increased prevalence of mental disorders among youth in the community, but not among you...
Thermal Conductivity of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Dispersions: Role of Interfacial Effects

We report measurements of the effective thermal conductivity of dispersions of single-wall carbon nanotubes in technologically important fluids: (poly)-alpha olefins and ethylene glycol. The morphology of this dispersion was studied using rheology, AFM, and light scattering techniques. The enhancement of thermal conductivity was analyzed using a Maxwell−Garnett effective medium theory including the interfacial thermal-resistance layer between the nanotube and the fluid. The results were compared with previously reported results on multiwall carbon nanotubes in similar dispersion media and point to the critical role of the nanotube−fluid interfacial thermal resistance.
Simplified Analysis of Coupled Transmission-Line Networks

A relatively simple method is presented for analyzing coupled transmission-line networks by using network graphs and graph transformations. The network graph symbolism is easy to draw and to manipulate. All the graphs consist only of inductor, capacitor, and transformer symbols, and straight lines, which represent unit elements. The method of analysis is illustrated by several two-wire-line and multiwire-line examples. Also presented are several new useful transmission-line transformations and a graph equivalent for the general coupled transmission-line network. The graph-transformation method has four principal advantages: 1) explicit open-wire-line equivalent circuits of coupled line networks can be obtained relatively easily and without knowledge of network synthesis techniques; 2) the form of equivalent circuits can often be obtained without using any algebra; 3) at each step of the analysis, a positive-real network in graph form is available; consequently, in many analysis problems several equivalent circuits for the same network are derived; and 4) multiport networks are as easily dealt with as two-port networks.
Antiproton-impact single ionization of H+2 and H2

Antiproton-impact single ionization cross sections are calculated for both H+2 and H2. A one-active-electron time-dependent close-coupling method is used to calculate cross sections for H+2 at various molecular orientations for incident energies ranging from 1.0 to 200.0 keV. The results are compared with other theoretical results. Both one-active-electron and two-active-electron time-dependent close-coupling methods are used to calculate cross sections for H2 at various molecular orientations for incident energies ranging from 10.0 to 50.0 keV. Differences between the calculations for H2 are attributed to strong electron correlation effects. The results are compared with experimental and other theoretical results.
Designing Service Coverage and Measuring Accessibility and Serviceability of Rural and Small Urban Ambulance Systems

This paper proposes a novel approach to analyze potential accessibility to ambulance services by combining the demand-covered-ratio and potential serviceability with the ambulance-covering-ratio. A Geographic Information System (GIS)-based spatial analysis will assist ambulance service planners and designers to assess and provide rational service coverage based on simulated random incidents. The proposed analytical model is compared to the gravity-based two-step floating catchment area method. The study found that the proposed model could efficiently identify under-covered and overlapped ambulance service coverage to improve service quality, timeliness, and efficiency. The spatial accessibility and serviceability identified with geospatial random events show that the model is able to plan rational ambulance service coverage in consideration of households and travel time. The model can be applied to both regional and statewide coverage plans to aid the interpretation of those plans.
An Interdisciplinary Theme: Topographic Maps and Plate Tectonics

ABSTRACT This is an interdisciplinary lesson designed for middle school students studying landforms and geological processes. Students create a two-dimensional topographic map from a three-dimensional landform that they create using clay. Students then use other groups’ topographic maps to re-create landforms. Following this, students explore some basic ideas about how landforms take shape and how they can change over time. As students work through three distinct learning-cycle phases of concept exploration, introduction, and application, they use art, language arts, and mathematical skills to strengthen or form new science and social studies concepts.
Successful Long-Term Treatment of Philadelphia Chromosome-Negative Myeloproliferative Neoplasms With Combination of Hydroxyurea and Anagrelide

Abstract Background Resistance or intolerance to either of the 2 favored therapeutic choices for MPN is a common clinical challenge. To overcome this, we report our successful long-term experience with the combination of low-dose HU and AG. Patients and Methods Retrospective review identified 12 patients with essential thrombocythemia or polycythemia vera using combination therapy. Results The mean duration of treatment 4.25 years. Combination therapy achieved a 45% median platelet count reduction with relatively low daily dose requirements (711 mg HU, 1.38 mg AG). All but 1 patient achieved partial (25%) or complete response (67%) according to European LeukemiaNet criteria. No arterial or venous thrombosis, or bleeding events occurred. Conclusion This is the longest follow-up experience of an HU and AG combination regimen in MPN. The low-dose combination regimen effectively achieved clinical and laboratory response while simultaneously minimizing dose-related adverse reactions, and should be the preferred therapeutic alternative to third-line agents in MPN patients who are resistant or intolerant to monotherapy.
Note on Seiberg duality in matrix model

In this note, a method to derive the Seiberg duality by the matrix model is given. The key fact we used is that effective actions given by matrix models should be identical for both electric and magnetic theories. We demonstrate our method for SQCD with U(N), SO(N) and Sp(N) gauge groups.
Critically ill newborns and the law. The American experience.

(1995). Critically ill newborns and the law. Journal of Legal Medicine: Vol. 16, No. 2, pp. 189-209.
Kinetics of Solid Polymorphic Phase Transitions of CL‐20

Solid-solid phase transitions of the CL-20 polymorphs e→γ, α→γ, and β→γ were studied isothermally at ambient pressure by transmission FT-IR spectroscopy and analyzed by multivariate regression. Activation energies as function of the extent of conversion were obtained using the model-free isoconversional method. The apparent activation energies for all three solid phase transformations were about 210 kJ/mol at 5% conversion, and compared well with the calculated lattice energies. The apparent activation energies increased to a maximum of about 400 kJ/mol at 40%, 80% and 60% conversion for e→γ, α→γ, and β→γ, respectively, and then decreased. The mechanisms of the phase transitions of CL-20 appear to be quite complex. Comparisons are made with the phase transitions of HMX.
Rapid, long-term rates of denudation

High rates of erosion (1-15 mm/yr) of fluvial strata have persisted over intervals of 0.2-1.5 m.y. and across areas of 60-2000 km2 in the Cenozoic foreland basin of northern Pakistan. These rates occur in areas associated with thrust shortening, and they indicate that erosion nearly kept pace with the rates of latest Miocene to Pleistocene uplift. Such high rates of erosion are predicted to promote hindward imbrication of thrusts and to reduce the amount of subsidence directly attributable to thrust loading.
Bipolar spectral associative memories

Nonlinear spectral associative memories are proposed as quantized frequency domain formulations of nonlinear, recurrent associative memories in which volatile network attractors are instantiated by attractor waves. In contrast to conventional associative memories, attractors encoded in the frequency domain by convolution may be viewed as volatile online inputs, rather than nonvolatile, off-line parameters. Spectral memories hold several advantages over conventional associative memories, including decoder/attractor separability and linear scalability, which make them especially well suited for digital communications. Bit patterns may be transmitted over a noisy channel in a spectral attractor and recovered at the receiver by recurrent, spectral decoding. Massive nonlocal connectivity is realized virtually, maintaining high symbol-to-bit ratios while scaling linearly with pattern dimension. For n-bit patterns, autoassociative memories achieve the highest noise immunity, whereas heteroassociative memories offer the added flexibility of achieving various code rates, or degrees of extrinsic redundancy. Due to linear scalability, high noise immunity and use of conventional building blocks, spectral associative memories hold much promise for achieving robust communication systems. Simulations are provided showing bit error rates for various degrees of decoding time, computational oversampling, and signal-to-noise ratio.
On Typability for Rank-2 Intersection Types with Polymorphic Recursion

We show that typability for a natural form of polymorphic recursive typing for rank-2 intersection types is undecidable. Our proof involves characterizing typability as a context free language (CFL) graph problem, which may be of independent interest, and reduction from the boundedness problem for Turing machines. We also show a property of the type system which, in conjunction with the undecidability result, disproves a misconception about the Milner- Mycroft type system. We also show undecidability of a related program analysis problem.
A Multiple Dispatch Queueing Model of Police Patrol Operations

One of the primary concerns of urban police departments is the effective use of patrol cars. In large cities, police assigned to patrol cars typically account for more than 50% of total police manpower and their allocation has become particularly crucial in light of recent fiscal cutbacks. The police patrol system is a complex multi-server queueing system, and recently many urban police departments have been using queueing models to estimate delays in responding to calls for police assistance. The magnitude of these delays is usually one basis for measuring system efficiency as well as for determining allocations of patrol cars among precincts. A major limitation of these models is that they assume that only a single unit is dispatched to each call. In general, this is not the case, particularly in police departments with one-officer patrol cars. This paper describes a model that has been developed to represent patrol car operations more accurately. It is a multi-priority queueing model that explicitly reflects multiple car dispatches. Its purpose is not only to provide a better basis for the efficient allocation of patrol cars, but to enable police officials to gauge the effects of policies, such as one-officer patrol cars, which affect the number of cars dispatched to various types of incidents.
BRCA1-induced large-scale chromatin unfolding and allele-specific effects of cancer-predisposing mutations.

The breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA1 encodes a protein that has been implicated in multiple nuclear functions, including transcription and DNA repair. The multifunctional nature of BRCA1 has raised the possibility that the polypeptide may regulate various nuclear processes via a common underlying mechanism such as chromatin remodeling. However, to date, no direct evidence exists in mammalian cells for BRCA1-mediated changes in either local or large-scale chromatin structure. Here we show that targeting BRCA1 to an amplified, lac operator–containing chromosome region in the mammalian genome results in large-scale chromatin decondensation. This unfolding activity is independently conferred by three subdomains within the transactivation domain of BRCA1, namely activation domain 1, and the two BRCA1 COOH terminus (BRCT) repeats. In addition, we demonstrate a similar chromatin unfolding activity associated with the transactivation domains of E2F1 and tumor suppressor p53. However, unlike E2F1 and p53, BRCT-mediated chromatin unfolding is not accompanied by histone hyperacetylation. Cancer-predisposing mutations of BRCA1 display an allele-specific effect on chromatin unfolding: 5′ mutations that result in gross truncation of the protein abolish the chromatin unfolding activity, whereas those in the 3′ region of the gene markedly enhance this activity. A novel cofactor of BRCA1 (COBRA1) is recruited to the chromosome site by the first BRCT repeat of BRCA1, and is itself sufficient to induce chromatin unfolding. BRCA1 mutations that enhance chromatin unfolding also increase its affinity for, and recruitment of, COBRA1. These results indicate that reorganization of higher levels of chromatin structure is an important regulated step in BRCA1-mediated nuclear functions.
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia: therapy and prophylaxis.

Note from Dr. Merle A. Sande?Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is by far the most common infectious complication of human immunodeficiency virus infection, and therapy for this disease has been extremely difficult because the toxic side effects of standard therapy are astoundingly high. However, new experimental therapies appear to be very promising, and prophylaxis appears to work. We have asked Dr. Joseph A. Kovacs and Dr. Henry Masur to comment on these topics. Both Dr. Kovacs and Dr. Masur are highly visible and productive clinical and laboratory investigators in the field of opportunistic infections.
Urinary Incontinence Prevalence: Results From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Purpose: We determined racial differences in urinary incontinence prevalence using the 2001-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.Materials and Methods: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey is a continuous survey of a representative sample of the noninstitutionalized United States population. Demographic, self-reported racial/ethnic data and responses to the urinary portion of the survey were available for 4,229 women older than 20 years. We classified women by urinary incontinence subtype, that is pure stress incontinence, pure urge incontinence or mixed incontinence. Logistic regression models were fitted to investigate racial differences by type of urinary incontinence.Results: The sample was racially and ethnically diverse with 58% white nonHispanic, 22% Mexican-American and 20% black nonHispanic. Women were divided into 3 age ranges of 20 to 39 years old (36.3%), 40 to 59 (28%), and 60 years old or older (35.7%). Of the 4,229 women in the analytical sample 49.6% (2,098...
Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of suspected cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract Background and Aims: Despite advances in endoscopic techniques for sampling bile duct strictures, the diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma remains a challenge. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the yield of EUS-FNA and its impact on patient management for patients with suspected cholangiocarcinoma. Methods: All patients undergoing EUS for the evaluation of suspected malignant biliary strictures were prospectively evaluated over a 23-month period. A single gastroenterologist performed all EUS-FNAs in the presence of a cytopathologist. Reference standard for final diagnosis included surgery, death from disease, and clinical and/or imaging follow-up. Results: Twenty-eight patients (mean age 67 years [SD ± 11], 72% male) were evaluated. Most patients (91%) presented with obstructive jaundice, and all except 1 had nondiagnostic sampling of the biliary lesions either at ERCP (88%), percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram (n = 2), and/or computed tomography-guided biopsy (n = 1). Sixty-seven percent (14/21) had no definitive mass seen on prior abdominal imaging studies. The mean tumor size by EUS was 19 mm × 16 mm with a median number of passes to diagnosis of 3 (range 1–7). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were 86%, 100%, 100%, 57%, and 88%, respectively. EUS-FNA had a positive impact on patient management in 84% of patients: preventing surgery for tissue diagnosis in patients with inoperable disease (n = 10), facilitating surgery in patients with unidentifiable cancer by other modalities (n = 8), and avoiding surgery in benign disease (n = 4). Conclusions: Given the apparent accuracy and safety of EUS with FNA for imaging bile duct mass lesions and for obtaining a tissue diagnosis in patients with suspected cholangiocarcinoma, this technology may represent a new approach to diagnosis especially when other methods fail. The ability to obtain a definite diagnosis has a significant impact on patient management.
Glycine Uptake by Cultured Human Y79 Retinoblastoma Cells: Effect of Changes in Phospholipid Fatty Acid Unsaturation

Glycine uptake was investigated in cultured Y79 retinoblastoma cells containing different degrees of phospholipid fatty acid unsaturation. The modifications were produced by growing the retinoblastoma cells in medium supplemented with various unsaturated fatty acids. Glycine was taken up by the retinoblastoma cells through two kinetically distinguishable process. The high-affinity system is totally dependent upon extracellular Na+ and partially dependent upon Ca2+. Of the glycine taken up by retinoblastoma cells, 85-90% remains as free intracellular glycine and less than 30% is incorporated into cellular protein. When the cells are grown in a medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum as the only source of fatty acids, the phospholipids contained 23% polyunsaturated fatty acids. Under these conditions the high-affinity system has a K'm of 34.2 +/- 3.7 micrometers and a V'max of 91.2 +/- 16.2 pmol min-1 mg protein -1. The low-affinity system has a K'm of 2.7 +/- 0.4 mM and a V'max of 4.1 +/- 0.5 nmol min-1 mg protein-1. When the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of the phospholipids was increased by supplementing the medium with linolenic or docosahexaenoic acids (n-3 polyunsaturates) or linoleic or arachidonic acids (n-6 polyunsaturates), the K'm and V'max of the high-affinity glycine uptake system were increased three- to fourfold. By contrast, supplementing the medium with oleic acid, and n-9 monounsaturate, did not significantly alter the K'm or V'max for glycine uptake. The results with this model system suggest that one of the effects of the high polyunsaturated fatty acid content normally present in neural cell membranes may be a modulation of the high-affinity transport system so that it functions more efficiently in regulating glycine uptake.
Coal and Oil in the American Economy

On the occasion of Thomas Edison's death, in 1931, President Hoover issued a proclamation in which he noted that it had proved impossible to adopt the suggestion to shut down all power plants even for one minute in Edison's memory, but the President concluded that “this demonstration of the country's dependence upon electrical current for life and health is in itself a monument to Mr. Edison's genius.” The ubiquity and indispensability of electricity is, of course, a commonplace. From the standpoint of this paper and its topic, however, it may be emphasized that approximately two thirds of the electrical energy used currently in the country is generated in steam plants and hence derived largely from coal and, in smaller measure, from oil and natural gas.
Nonadditive Gene Expression in Polyploids

Allopolyploidy involves hybridization and duplication of divergent parental genomes and provides new avenues for gene expression. The expression levels of duplicated genes in polyploids can show deviation from parental additivity (the arithmetic average of the parental expression levels). Nonadditive expression has been widely observed in diverse polyploids and comprises at least three possible scenarios: (a) The total gene expression level in a polyploid is similar to that of one of its parents (expression-level dominance); (b) total gene expression is lower or higher than in both parents (transgressive expression); and (c) the relative contribution of the parental copies (homeologs) to the total gene expression is unequal (homeolog expression bias). Several factors may result in expression nonadditivity in polyploids, including maternal-paternal influence, gene dosage balance, cis- and/or trans-regulatory networks, and epigenetic regulation. As our understanding of nonadditive gene expression in polyplo...