cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perturbation methods for calculating properties of liquid mixtures

Perturbation methods relate thermodynamic and transport properties of the system of interest (gas or liquid) to the known properties of some reference system; commonly used reference substances are hard sphere fluids and argon. Developments since 1967 are reviewed for both types of approach, with emphasis on applications to liquid mixtures of practical interest. Calculations for liquid mixtures of simple and complex molecules, gas solubility in liquids, fused salts, electrolytes, solvent extraction systems, and liquid metals are reviewed.
Identifying Children with Developmental Disabilities Receiving Child Protection Services: A National Survey of Child Welfare Administrators:

The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of U.S. state child protection service (CPS) agencies to identify children with developmental disabilities who have been maltreated and provide them with services to meet their unique needs. The subjects were 50 state-level child welfare administrators (including the District of Columbia) who were knowledgeable about the data collections requirements in their states. The findings of this study are presented and compared with data collected from two previous studies. Findings indicate that less than one-half of state child welfare agencies identify children with developmental disabilities. The implications of the findings highlight the need for improved data collection procedures, staff and foster care family training regarding disabilities, and improved collaboration with traditional developmental disability-related providers.
Accepting refusal of life-sustaining treatment: how high should the bar be?

“Sad,” and even potentially futile, is the initial response from most people, including ethicists, who read a case like this. Unfortunately, this is the underlying reaction found in many hospital b...
Theropod Teeth from the Upper Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation “Sue” Quarry: New Morphotypes and Faunal Comparisons

Isolated teeth from vertebrate microfossil localities often provide unique information on the biodiversity of ancient ecosystems that might otherwise remain unrecognized. Microfossil sampling is a particularly valuable tool for documenting taxa that are poorly represented in macrofossil surveys due to small body size, fragile skeletal structure, or relatively low ecosystem abundance. Because biodiversity patterns in the late Maastrichtian of North American are the primary data for a broad array of studies regarding non-avian dinosaur extinction in the terminal Cretaceous, intensive sampling on multiple scales is critical to understanding the nature of this event. We address theropod biodiversity in the Maastrichtian by examining teeth collected from the Hell Creek Formation locality that yielded FMNH PR 2081 (the Tyrannosaurus rex specimen “Sue”). Eight morphotypes (three previously undocumented) are identified in the sample, representing Tyrannosauridae, Dromaeosauridae, Troodontidae, and Avialae. Notice...
Tuber dormancy lasting eight years in the wild potato Solanum jamesii.

Control of tuber dormancy is of interest for commercial potato production and for germplasm preservation in the genebank. Solanum jamesii plants were collected by the author from the wild in New Mexico and Arizona, USA in 1998 and grown in the greenhouse. Tubers harvested in 1999 were placed in paper bags in a continuous 40°F (5°C) tuber storage cooler. No sprouting was observed through fall of 2007 but some tubers had shriveled. Firm tubers were moved to room temperature and planted in the greenhouse in January 2008. After 3 months, an average of nearly 50% of tubers had sprouted and produced normal plants. This extreme 8 year tuber dormancy in S. jamesii should be a valuable research tool for study of dormancy physiology in potato.
New insights of T cells in the pathogenesis of psoriasis

Psoriasis is one of the most common immune-mediated chronic, inflammatory skin diseases characterized by hyperproliferative keratinocytes and infiltration of T cells, dendritic cells, macrophages and neutrophils. Although the pathogenesis of psoriasis is not fully understood, there is ample evidence suggesting that the dysregulation of immune cells in the skin, particularly T cells, plays a critical role in psoriasis development. In this review, we mainly focus on the pathogenic T cells and discuss how these T cells are activated and involved in the disease pathogenesis. Newly identified ‘professional' IL-17-producing dermal γδ T cells and their potential role in psoriasis will also be included. Finally, we will briefly summarize the recent progress on the T cell and its related cytokine-targeted therapy for psoriasis treatment.
An all-transistorized trunk carrier system

The rapid expansion of suburban and small urban communities has created such a demand for increased communication facilities that the telephone companies are hard pressed to supply the requirements. They find themselves required to supply not only house phones, business phones, etc., but new subscriber lines, new extended area trunks, and new toll trunks in order to handle the increased load.
Improved handset antenna performance via an electrically extended ground plane

A novel and practical approach is presented providing improved antenna performance without enlarging the antenna or the ground plane. The approach electrically extends the ground plane using wire(s) that behave as surface metal extensions of the ground plane. The wire extensions can be accommodated within typical handset housing or as part of the stylish metal used on the handset's exterior perimeter; hence don't require enlargement of the device. Consequently, this approach avoids the costs and limitations traditionally associated with physically lengthening of a ground plane. Eight variations are presented and compared with baseline antenna performance. Both far-field patterns and near-field electromagnetic scans demonstrate that the proposed approach controls the electrical length of the ground plane and hence its chassis wavemodes, without negatively impacting the characteristics of the antenna. Improvements in performance of up to 56% in bandwidth at 900MHz and up to 12% in efficiency with a reduction of up to 12% in the specific absorption rate (SAR) are achieved. An 8% increase in efficiency with a 1.3% improvement in bandwidth and a 20% reduction in SAR is achieved at 1880 MHz. Thus, improvements in bandwidth are achieved without compromising efficiency. Further, improvements at lower frequencies do not compromise performance at higher frequencies.
On generating regular elements in the semigroup of binary relations

We prove the semigroup generated by four binary relations contains all regular binary relations.
Binary fission in the amoeboid and flagellate phases of tetramitus rostratus (Protozoa)

The vesicular nucleus of this amoeboflagellate is similar in structure in both phases of its life-cycle. It has a fairly large caryosome surrounded by a pericaryosomal area in which there are small oxyphilic pericaryosomal granules on a fine reticulum. On the inner surface of the definite caryotheca is a layer of epithecal chromatic granules. Nuclear division is similar in both amoeba and flagellate phases. During the prophase the nucleus enlarges, and the expanded caryosome becomes resolved into basophilic and oxyphilic components and assumes either an oblong, dumb-bell, or spindle shape. The pericaryosomal granules enlarge, shift about, and eventually become arranged in an equatorial band around the elongated caryosome. In the metaphase the equatorial plate of chromosomes appears after the inward migration of the pericaryosomal granules, accompanied by the formation of a definite intranuclear spindle, usually with polar masses, polar granules, and a centrodesmose. After the poleward migration of the daughter plates of chromosomes in the anaphase, the telophase constriction of the nuclear membrane produces two daughter nuclei with a portion of the spindle remaining outside. The epithecal layer of granules remains in place on the nuclear membrane during the entire process of mitosis. Plasmotomy normally follows mitosis, but may be delayed, giving rise to multinucleate individuals. In the flagellate the blepharoplast usually divides simultaneously with, but independently of, the nucleus. There are many divergences in the details of mitosis, but these are thought to be variations of one type of division rather than examples of different processes.
Resistojet waste methane utilization in manned space application

Environmental control-life support systems /ECLSS/ waste methane gas utilization in low thrust resistojet for manned space applications
Scanned Superresolution in Theory and Practice

We discuss some theoretical and practical considerations relating to achieving spatial resolution higher than ~ λ/D, the nominal diffraction-limited resolution of a telescope of diameter D. Although the Nyquist criterion is often invoked as a justification for choosing pixel scales in array cameras, higher sampling densities are favored for imaging at and somewhat beyond the diffraction limit.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders

The criteria from the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental' Disorders (DSM-III-R) for anxiety disorders relevant to children and adolescents are reviewed. Empirically supported behavioral and pharmacological therapies specific to separation anxiety disorder, avoidant disorder, overanxious disorder, simple phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder, and sleep terror disorder are discussed. Exposure-based treatments are indicated in most cases in which an anxiety-evoking stimulus can be clearly identified. With respect to the treatment of children and adolescents, pharmacotherapy remains understudied for most disorders. It appears that the behavioral therapies found useful in the treatment of adults with anxiety disorders can be successfully applied to the care of younger persons. Significant lacunae remain in the clinical research literature in these fields, offering many opportunities for both practitioners and scientists.
Transient expression from cab-m1 and rbcS-m3 promoter sequences is different in mesophyll and bundle sheath cells in maize leaves.

Abstract Cell-specific and light-regulated expression of the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene from maize cab-m1 and rbcS-m3 promoter sequences was studied in maize leaf segments by using an in situ transient expression microprojectile bombardment assay. The cab-m1 gene is known to be strongly photoregulated and to be expressed almost exclusively in mesophyll cells (MC) but not in bundle sheath cells (BSC). Expression of GUS from a 1026-base-pair 5' promoter fragment of cab-m1 is very low in dark-grown leaves; GUS expression is increased about 10-fold upon illumination of dark-grown leaves. In illuminated leaves, the ratio of GUS expression in MC vs. BSC is about 10:1. The cab-m1 region between 868 and 1026 base pairs 5' to the translation start confers strong MC-preferred expression on the remainder of the chimeric gene in illuminated leaves, but a region between -39 and -359 from the translation start is required for photoregulated expression. Transcripts of rbcS-m3 are found in BSC but not in MC and are about double in BSC of greening dark-grown seedlings. In contrast to the behavior of the cab-m1-GUS construct, GUS expression driven by 2.1 kilobase pairs of the rbcS-m3 5' region was about twice as high in MC as in BSC of unilluminated dark-grown maize leaves. The number of BSC, but not MC, expressing GUS nearly doubled upon greening of bombarded etiolated leaves. These data suggest that the 5' region of rbcS-m3 used here could be responsible for most of the light-dependent increase in rbcS-m3 transcripts observed in BSC of greening leaves and that transcriptional or posttranscriptional mechanisms are responsible for the lack of rbcS-m3 transcripts in MC.
A model for strategic business instruction

Abstract Collaboration among business faculty, composition faculty, and librarians at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has resulted in an innovative instructional model that integrates library research, writing, presentation, and team building within the context of “learning business.” The model combines the expertise of faculty members and utilizes active learning principles to improve skill development in research, communication, and teamwork. This article focuses on the model's evolution and three key features—recitations, collaboration, and reframed assignments—that other institutions may adapt.
Evidence that total substitution of adenine with 7-deazaadenine in the HDV antigenomic ribozyme changes the kinetics of RNA folding

Abstract We incorporated 7-deazaadenine residues in place of adenine in an in vitro transcribed ribozyme derived from the Hepatitis delta virus. The rate of self-cleavage was unchanged, but the modified RNA cleavage was disrupted by any addition of formamide. Similarly, an increase in magnesium ion was necessary to support the self-cleavage reaction in the modified RNA.
Putting politics where it belongs: In the classroom

Teaching university students through discussing controversial issues has the potential to build civic capacity and political tolerance.
Evaluation of a new glutathione-oxidizing reagent for studies of nucleated mammalian cells☆

Abstract Diazenedicarboxylic acid bis ( N , N -dimethylamide), diamide, completely oxidizes the glutathione of nucleated mammalian cells to the disulfide. The reaction is complete within seconds and is fully reversible. The stoichiometry for the reaction is 2 moles diamide: 1 mole cellular GSH, although the exact shape of the dose-response curve depends upon cell age and type, the temperature at which the reaction is performed, and the suspension medium used. Diamidetreated cells regenerate their original GSH content within 30–45 min at 37 ° or 23 °C in the presence of glucose; regeneration also occurs at 4 ° but it is slower. Diamide depresses DNA, RNA and protein synthesis, but these effects are completely reversed after the cells regenerate GSH (unless excess reagent is used) and cell division and subsequent growth are not impaired. An experiment is described which indicates that protein SH groups, but not GSH, may have a role in the progression of cells from mitosis into G1.
Gas Transport Electrodes

The use of a hollow electrode form with the employment of a gas stream to introduce a sample into a spectral excitation column is discussed. Three uses are proposed: (1) the direct introduction into the excitation gap of contaminated gas samples such as dust-laden air, (2) the direct introduction of special atmospheres into an excitation column to utilize their effects on spectral excitation, (3) the gas transportation of atomized solutions into an excitation gap.
Deducing the general circulation from basic concepts and a few empirical facts

The general circulation of the Earth's atmosphere is complex, linking a wide range of scales and physical processes. This special issue samples current research on a wide range of properties of the general circulation. This introductory article provides a context in which to place these articles by listing some principal balances such as: conservation of mass and momentum. Some implications and constraints are briefly described. The general circulation may be broadly deduced from those primary physical balances, dynamical constraints, and a few empirical facts (primarily the distribution of precipitation).
Ferrocenylboranes III. The preparation and properties of B-triferrocenylborazine

Abstract Orange, air-stable B-triferrocenylborazine, [(π-C5H5)Fe(π-C5H4BNH)]3, has been prepared by the reaction of ferrocenyldichloroborane with ammonia in toluene. A 90% yield of crystalline, analytically pure material is easily obtained. The most interesting aspects of the compound are its mass spectrum and electrochemistry. The 70 eV mass spectrum gave no indication of fragmentation; only the molecule ion and the doubly charged molecule ion (17% abundant compared with the molecule ion) were observed. A cyclic voltammogram of the borazine in dimethylformamide showed that it underwent a simultaneous and completely reversible loss of three electrons; oxidation occurred at +0.36 V vs. SCE, a potential 0.1 V. lower than the oxidation potential of ferrocene under the same conditions. The extreme stability of the gaseous ion, and the lowering of the oxidation potential and stabilization of the tripositive cation in solution, are most easily ascribed to extensive π delocalization of charge throughout the molecular framework.
Using Multivalent Adenoviral Vectors for HIV Vaccination

Adenoviral vectors have been used for a variety of vaccine applications including cancer and infectious diseases. Traditionally, Ad-based vaccines are designed to express antigens through transgene expression of a given antigen. For effective vaccine development it is often necessary to express or present multiple antigens to the immune system to elicit an optimal vaccine as observed preclinically with mosaic/polyvalent HIV vaccines or malaria vaccines. Due to the wide flexibility of Ad vectors they are an ideal platform for expressing large amounts of antigen and/or polyvalent mosaic antigens. Ad vectors that display antigens on their capsid surface can elicit a robust humoral immune response, the “antigen capsid-incorporation” strategy. The adenoviral hexon protein has been utilized to display peptides in the majority of vaccine strategies involving capsid incorporation. Based on our abilities to manipulate hexon HVR2 and HVR5, we sought to manipulate HVR1 in the context of HIV antigen display for the first time ever. More importantly, peptide incorporation within HVR1 was utilized in combination with other HVRs, thus creating multivalent vectors. To date this is the first report where dual antigens are displayed within one Ad hexon particle. These vectors utilize HVR1 as an incorporation site for a seven amino acid region of the HIV glycoprotein 41, in combination with six Histidine incorporation within HVR2 or HVR5. Our study illustrates that these multivalent antigen vectors are viable and can present HIV antigen as well as His6 within one Ad virion particle. Furthermore, mouse immunizations with these vectors demonstrate that these vectors can elicit a HIV and His6 epitope-specific humoral immune response.
A dual-color fluorescence imaging-based system for the dissection of antiangiogenic and chemotherapeutic activity of molecules.

SPECIFIC AIMSOur purpose was to develop a 3-dimensional dual fluorescence imaging-based in vitro culture system that allows the dissection of angiotherapeutics from chemotherapeutics, integrating t...
Beam forming of light from metal nano-aperture VCSELs

This work demonstrates the beam forming of light from metal nano-aperture vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). This method utilizes periodic corrugations patterned around the nano-aperture. This helps to ameliorate the problems of low transmission efficiency and high angular divergence.
Health status of extremely low-birth-weight children at 8 years of age: child and parent perspective.

Objectives To compare the self-reported health of extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW; Design We administered questionnaires to the ELBW and NBW children and their parents from March 1, 2000, through February 2003. Setting A children's hospital. Participants Two hundred two ELBW children and 176 NBW children aged 8 years of similar sociodemographic status. Main Exposure Birth weight of less than 1 kg. Main Outcome Measures The Child Health and Illness Profile–Child Edition child and parent reports. Results There was poor agreement between the parent and child ratings of health for the ELBW and NBW cohorts. The ELBW children rated their health as similar to that of NBW children. In contrast, parents of ELBW children reported significantly poorer health for their children than parents of NBW controls, including poorer satisfaction with health, comfort, and achievement and less risk avoidance. Conclusions There is poor agreement between child and parent reports of health. At 8 years of age, ELBW children rate their health as similar to that of NBW controls. Their parents, however, report significantly poorer health. Both perspectives need to be considered when making health care decisions.
MO-D-110-03: Calculating Organ Dose from Fluoroscopy

Calculating organdose from fluoroscopy procedures has been of interest to radiology and cardiology communities for many years. Published work in this area includes those that employed Monte Carlo methods to calculate organdoses from fluoroscopy procedures in phantom and those that extrapolated the organdoses from skindose or exposure measurements. Another tool which could potentially be used to compute organdoses from fluoroscopy is a treatment planning system routinely used for creating radiation therapytreatment plans. Although a treatment planning system is designed to compute dose distribution in the megavoltage energy range, its use in the diagnostic energy range is a possibility, at least for one commercial system. This requires knowledge of certain fluoroscopic beam data which can be obtained by measurements or by relying on available published data, and a CT scan of the patient. This tool, once validated, can provide detailed dose distribution within any organ exposed to radiation. This lecture provides details of the use of a radiation therapytreatment planning system for dose calculation in diagnostic energies with examples of dose distribution from fluoroscopic procedures in adults and children. Learning Objectives: 1. Learn about the methods of organdose computation from fluoroscopy 2. Learn the details of using a treatment planning system for fluoroscopic dose calculation 3. Learn the magnitude of typical organdoses encountered in fluoroscopy
Patched haploinsufficient mouse rhabdomyosarcoma overexpress secreted phosphoprotein 1 and matrix metalloproteinases.

Abstract Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of childhood. Improving the management of rhabdomyosarcoma requires a better understanding of growth regulation. Patched haploinsufficient ( Ptch +/−) mice spontaneously develop soft tissue sarcomas that resemble human rhabdomyosarcomas. Using microarray profiling and quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, we identified candidate genes differentially expressed in Ptch +/− mouse rhabdomyosarcoma relative to mature muscle. Overexpressed genes include Secreted Phosphoprotein 1 ( Spp1 , Osteopontin ), and Matrix Metalloproteinases-2 and -14 ( Mmp2 and Mmp14 ). Spp1 is an integrin-binding phosphoglycoprotein upregulated in carcinomas, and Mmps regulate tumour invasion. Immunochemical analyses of murine and human rhabdomyosarcoma specimens confirmed increased expression of Spp1, Mmp2, Mmp14, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF- κ B) p65 and its phosphorylated active isoform. Neutralising Spp1 antibody decreased Mmp14 RNA in murine rhabdomyosarcoma cultures, indicating a positive regulatory role for extracellular Spp1. Plasma from rhabdomyosarcoma patients display elevated levels of SPP1. These results implicate Spp1, NF-κB, and Mmp activation as a putative signalling pathway involved in rhabdomyosarcoma growth.
A posteriori error analysis of a cell-centered finite volume method for semilinear elliptic problems

In this paper, we conduct a goal-oriented a posteriori analysis for the error in a quantity of interest computed from a cell-centered finite volume scheme for a semilinear elliptic problem. The a posteriori error analysis is based on variational analysis, residual errors and the adjoint problem. To carry out the analysis, we use an equivalence between the cell-centered finite volume scheme and a mixed finite element method with special choice of quadrature.
Optically detected magnetic resonance study of antisite-to-acceptor and related recombination processes in as-grown InP:Zn.

The paramagnetic state of the phosphorus-on-indium antisite (P/sub In/) has been observed by optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) in as-grown zinc-doped indium phosphide (zinc concentration approx. =10/sup 16/ cm/sup -3/). The antisite resonance is seen both as enhancing the antisite-to-acceptor photoluminescence (PL) at 0.8 eV and as quenching the shallow-donor to acceptor PL at 1.37 eV. The g value (g = 2.006) and hyperfine constant(A = 0.100 cm/sup -1/) are in good agreement with previous results on electron-irradiated p-type InP. The dependence of the ODMR on microwave power, microwave modulation frequency, and photoexcitation intensity is examined, and a rate-equation model is developed for the important recombination processes. The experimental results suggest that the antisite-to-acceptor recombination rate is approximately 4 x 10/sup 4/ s/sup -1/; the antisite electron spins are unthermalized, but recombine with spin-thermalized holes; and the antisite concentration may be greater than 2 x 10/sup 15/ cm/sup -3/. Two other resonances are also observed, a shallow donor resonance (g = 1.217) and an unidentified broad resonance (g = 2.0).
The making of the kato alu—A traditional tongan basket

We investigated the weaving of the kato alu, a traditional Tongan basket. Unlike most ordinary baskets which are woven from coconut or pandanus leaves, kato alu are woven from tuaniu (Cocos nucifera, Palmae, midrib of leaf) and alu [Epipremnum pinnatum, Araceae, aerial roots]. Anciently the common people wove and decorated the kato alu and gave them to chiefs, nobles and kings as gifts at wedding and funeral ceremonies. Today, however, the weaving techniques are known to only a few people. It appears that these techniques will likely disappear from Tonga within a generation.
Characterization of the catalytically active Mn(II)-loaded argE-encoded N-acetyl-l-ornithine deacetylase from Escherichia coli

The catalytically competent Mn(II)-loaded form of the argE-encoded N-acetyl-L-ornithine deacetylase from Escherichia coli (ArgE) was characterized by kinetic, thermodynamic, and spectroscopic methods. Maximum N-acetyl-L-ornithine (NAO) hydrolytic activity was observed in the presence of one Mn(II) ion with k(cat) and K(m) values of 550 s(-1) and 0.8 mM, respectively, providing a catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(m)) of 6.9 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1). The ArgE dissociation constant (K(d)) for Mn(II) was determined to be 0.18 microM, correlating well with a value obtained by isothermal titration calorimetry of 0.30 microM for the first metal binding event and 5.3 microM for the second. An Arrhenius plot of the NAO hydrolysis for Mn(II)-loaded ArgE was linear from 15 to 55 degrees C, suggesting the rate-limiting step does not change as a function of temperature over this range. The activation energy, determined from the slope of this plot, was 50.3 kJ mol(-1). Other thermodynamic parameters were DeltaG(double dagger) = 58.1 kJ mol(-1), DeltaH(double dagger) = 47.7 kJ mol(-1), and DeltaS(double dagger) = -34.5 J mol(-1) K(-1). Similarly, plots of lnK(m) versus 1/T were linear, suggesting substrate binding is controlled by a single step. The natural product, [(2S,3R)-3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutanoyl]leucine (bestatin), was found to be a competitive inhibitor of ArgE with a K (i) value of 67 muM. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) data recorded for both [Mn(II)_(ArgE)] and [Mn(II)Mn(II)(ArgE)] indicate that the two Mn(II) ions form a dinuclear site. Moreover, the EPR spectrum of [Mn(II)Mn(II)(ArgE)] in the presence of bestatin indicates that bestatin binds to ArgE but does not form a micro-alkoxide bridge between the two metal ions.
Alternative Correction Factor for the Effects of Inlet Air Humidity on NOx From an Emissions Regulated Four-Stroke Medium Speed Diesel Engine and Comparison With Other Known Factors

With increasingly stringent emissions regulations for NOx and the known tradeoff of fuel consumption with NOx, ensuring the use of appropriate correction factors becomes increasingly significant to the OEM and customer. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has specified in 40CFR Part92 that locomotive engines shall use a NOx correction factor, KNOx = f(KH ), where KH is the humidity correction factor. This paper will present an alternative NOx humidity correction factor for GE Rail 4-stroke medium speed diesel engines. GE Rail’s NOx humidity correction factor will be compared with five other correction factors in a numerical exercise to assess the sensitivity to variations in ambient temperature, ambient pressure, relative humidity and A:F ratio. GE Rail’s alternative correction factor provides a 25% reduction in Line Haul Duty Cycle BSNOx variation and a mean BSNOx reduction of 3% as compared with KNOx correction factor from Part92.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
International Financial Reporting Standards and diversity in performance measures

This paper examines whether the use of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) by firms across countries reduces diversity in the accounting performance measures. It also examines whether the revision of IFRSs in 1995 reduced diversity in the performance measures. We used earnings and cash flows in both cross-sectional and temporal comparative analyses of firms from eight countries. We find reduced differences in the performance measures of firms using IFRSs compared with firms using domestic GAAP. This reduced diversity is especially evident for IFRSs after 1995, even after controlling for increased similarity in international reported earnings. These results thus indicate that the use of IFRSs reduces diversity in the performance measures and enhances comparability of firm evaluation across countries.
Parallel Proteomic and Phosphoproteomic Analyses of Successive Stages of Maize Leaf Development

We performed large-scale, quantitative analyses of the maize (Zea mays) leaf proteome and phosphoproteome at four developmental stages. Exploiting the developmental gradient of maize leaves, we analyzed protein and phosphoprotein abundance as maize leaves transition from proliferative cell division to differentiation to cell expansion and compared these developing zones to one another and the mature leaf blade. Comparison of the proteomes and phosphoproteomes suggests a key role for posttranslational regulation in developmental transitions. Analysis of proteins with cell wall- and hormone-related functions illustrates the utility of the data set and provides further insight into maize leaf development. We compare phosphorylation sites identified here to those previously identified in Arabidopsis thaliana. We also discuss instances where comparison of phosphorylated and unmodified peptides from a particular protein indicates tissue-specific phosphorylation. For example, comparison of unmodified and phosphorylated forms of PINFORMED1 (PIN1) suggests a tissue-specific difference in phosphorylation, which correlates with changes in PIN1 polarization in epidermal cells during development. Together, our data provide insights into regulatory processes underlying maize leaf development and provide a community resource cataloging the abundance and phosphorylation status of thousands of maize proteins at four leaf developmental stages.
ELASTIC-PLASTIC ANALYSIS OF OFF-CENTER CRACKS IN CYLINDRICAL STRUCTURES

This paper presents new elastic and elastic‐plastic finite element solutions of the J-integral for a pipe containing oA-center through-wall cracks under pure bending. The analysis is based on a three-dimensional nonlinear finite element method and small-strain theory. One hundred and five analyses were performed using the ABAQUS commercial code for a wide variety of crack sizes, oA-center crack angles, and material hardening exponents. The results from these analyses show that the J-integral values at the two crack fronts of an oA-center crack are unequal due to the loss of symmetry with respect to the bending plane of the pipe. In addition, the J-integral is larger, and hence, critical at the crack front which is farther away from the bending axis of the pipe. This is because, at that crack front, the tensile stress is larger and the component of the applied bending moment about the crack centerline has a further crack-opening eAect. Also at this crack front, the J values can be lower or slightly higher than those of a symmetrically centered crack, depending on the crack size and oA-centered angle. For the crack front that is closer to the bending axis, the J values are always lower than those of a symmetrically centered crack. This implies that the load-carrying capacity of a pipe is usually larger for an oA-center crack than that for a symmetrically centered crack. Finally, based on these finite element solutions, new analytical expressions of J-integral were developed for fracture analysis of pipes containing oA-center cracks. 7 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Apolipoprotein E and mortality in African-Americans and Yoruba

The literature on the association between apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and mortality across ethnic and age groups has been inconsistent. No studies have looked at this association in developing countries. We used data from the Indianapolis-Ibadan Dementia study to examine this association between APOE and mortality in 354 African-Americans from Indianapolis and 968 Yoruba from Ibadan, Nigeria. Participants were followed up to 9.5 years for Indianapolis and 8.7 years for Ibadan. Subjects from both sites were divided into 2 groups based upon age at baseline. A Cox proportional hazards regression model adjusting for age at baseline, education, hypertension, smoking history and gender in addition to time-dependent covariates of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and dementia was fit for each cohort and age group. Having ApoE epsilon4 alleles significantly increased mortality risk in Indianapolis subjects under age 75 (hazard ratio: 2.00; 95% CI: 1.19-3.35; p = 0.0089). No association was found in Indianapolis subjects 75 and older (hazard ratio: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.45-1.10; p = 0.1238), Ibadan subjects under 75 (hazard ratio: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.78 to 1.40; p = 0.7782), or Ibadan subjects over 75 (hazard ratio: 1.21; 95% CI: 0.83 to 1.75; p = 0.3274).
Distribution and Fate of I131-Labeled Components of the Fibrinolysin System

The distribution, metabolism, and excretion of intravenously administered I131-labeled components of the fibrinolysin system were studied in dogs. lodination of plasmin tended to decrease slightly its in vitro fibrinolytie activity. Inaetivation appeared to depend on degree of iodination. Todination of strepto-kinase or urokinase did not decrease their plasminogen activator potential. All plasmins and plasminogen, regardless of the position of the iodine tag, adsorbed to preformed clots in the dog. Spontaneously activated human and chloroform-activated bovine plasmin adsorbed to a lesser extent than streptokinase-or urokinase-activated human plasmin. Clots removed from piasmin-treated dogs lysed in vitro within 24 hours. However, streptokinase or urokinase alone, on the basis of radioactivity measurements, did not exhibit any affinity for clots, nor did they cause any clot lysis. Plasma clearance curves revealed the presence of at least two processes in all preparations: a fast one (average half-life four...
Should physicians be gatekeepers of medical resources

Physicians have an ethical responsibility to their patients to offer the best available medical care. This responsibility conflicts with their role as gatekeepers of the limited health care resources available for all patients collectively. It is ethically untenable to expect doctors to face this trade-off during each patient encounter; the physician cannot be expected to compromise the wellbeing of the patient in the office in favour of anonymous patients elsewhere. Hence, as in other domains of public policy where individual and collective interests conflict, some form of collective solution is required. Collective solutions may take the form of placing explicit resource constraints on resources available to physicians, or clinical practice guidelines that recognise cost-effective care as acceptable. Such solutions will be politically and ethically sustainable only if patients as citizens of the larger population accept the need for rationing of limited resources in health care.
Ultrasonic Characterization of the Upper Trapezius Muscle in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain

Myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) are palpable, tender nodules in taut bands of skeletal muscle that are painful on compression. MTrPs are characteristic findings in myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). The role of MTrPs in the pathophysiology of MPS is unknown. Localization, diagnosis, and clinical outcome measures of painful MTrPs can be improved by objectively characterizing and quantitatively measuring their properties. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether ultrasound imaging and elastography can differentiate symptomatic (active) MTrPs from normal muscle. Patients with chronic (>3 months) neck pain with spontaneously painful, palpable (i.e., active) MTrPs and healthy volunteers without spontaneous pain (having palpably normal muscle tissue) were recruited for this study. The upper trapezius muscles in all subjects were imaged, and the echotexture was analyzed using entropy filtering of B-mode images. Vibration elastography was performed by vibrating the muscle externally at 100 Hz. Color Doppler variance imaging was used to quantify the regions of color deficit exhibiting low vibration amplitude. The imaging measures were compared against the clinical findings of a standardized physical exam. We found that sites with active MTrPs (n = 14) have significantly lower entropy (p < 0.05) and significantly larger nonvibrating regions (p < 0.05) during vibration elastography compared with normal, uninvolved muscle (n = 15). A combination of both entropy analysis and vibration elastography yielded 69% sensitivity and 81% specificity in discriminating active MTrPs from normal muscle. These results suggest that active MTrPs have more homogeneous texture and heterogeneous stiffness when compared with normal, unaffected muscle. Our methods enabled us to improve the imaging contrast between suspected MTrPs and surrounding muscle. Our results indicate that in subjects with chronic neck pain and active MTrPs, the abnormalities are not confined to discrete isolated nodules but instead affect the milieu of the muscle surrounding palpable MTrPs. With further refinement, ultrasound imaging can be a promising objective method for characterizing soft tissue abnormalities associated with active MTrPs and elucidating the role of MTrPs in the pathophysiology of MPS.
Neurovirulence of the UC-2 and UC-8 Strains of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 11 in Newborn Mice

In vivo and in vitro experiments were done to investigate whether the difference in neurovirulence between the two strains of bluetongue virus 1 1, UC-2 and UC-8, is based on a different capability to gain access to the brain from the subcutaneous inoculation site or on a different tropism for neural cells. In newborn Balb/c mice subcutaneous inoculation of UC-8 at doses between 10-o.2 plaque forming units (PFU) and lo4.* PFU caused a severe necrotizing encephalitis whereas UC-2 at doses of up to 1 04.4 PFU did not affect newborn Balb/c mice. However, intracranial inoculation of PFU of either virus strain produced severe necrotizing en- cephalitis. In vitro both virus strains infected dissociated brain cell cultures similarly. Double labelling im- munofluorescent staining with markers specific for neural cells did not reveal differences in the target cells for the two viruses. The difference in neurovirulence between UC-2 and UC-8, therefore, appears to be determined by the ability of UC-8 to infect the brain from a subcutaneous inoculation site. Bluetongue is an insect-transmitted viral disease of domestic and wild ruminants. Bluetongue virus (BTV) is the prototype of the genus Orbivirus in the family Reoviridae. The serogroup BTV is divided into 24 ~er0types.l~ This classification is based on serology and does not refer to clinical disease.6 The BTV genome consists of ten double-stranded RNA segments which can be separated into distinct electrophoretic patterns by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Com- parison of electrophoretic patterns of different BTV strains reveals a wide genetic diversity within the BTV serogroup. The differences in the electrophoretic pat- terns do not correlate with the serological classifica- tion.20 Bluetongue virus is neurotropic in fetal ruminants and causes severe congenital brain malforma- ti~ns.~.~J~J 1~15-19.22 Severity of lesions is age dependent: inoculation of 50- to 55-day-old ovine fetuses with the vaccine strain of BTV 10 causes necrosis of undiffer- entiated cells of the telencephalon, metencephalon, and retina whereas infection of fetuses more than 100 days of age causes only chronic inflammation and glial nod- ules. l6 Subsequently, it was shown that intracerebral inoculation with a mouse adapted vaccine strain of BTV 10 causes gross necrosis of the cerebral hemi- spheres in newborn mice but only a perivascular in- flammatory response in 14-day-old mice.I2 This age dependent variation in the lesions is determined by the availability of susceptible immature cell popula- tions and not by the maturation of the host's immune system." In further experiments it was shown that the
Use of acetazolamide to decrease cerebrospinal fluid production in chronically ventilated patients with ventriculopleural shunts

Acetazolamide (ACTZ), a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, has been shown to decrease cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) production in both in vivo and in vitro animal models. We report two children with hydrocephalus who experienced multiple shunt failures, and who had externalised ventriculostomy drains (EVD) prior to ventriculopleural shunt placement. The effects of increasing doses of ACTZ on CSF production and subsequent tolerance to ventriculopleural shunts were evaluated. The patients had a 48% and a 39% decrease in their EVD CSF output when compared to baseline with maximum ACTZ dose of 75 mg/kg/day and 50 mg/kg/day, respectively (p < 0.05). This is the first report of change in CSF volume in children after extended treatment with ACTZ. ACTZ treatment in mechanically ventilated paediatric patients with hydrocephalus may improve tolerance of ventriculopleural shunts and minimise respiratory compromise. Potassium and bicarbonate supplements are required to correct metabolic disturbances.
Histochemical comparison of mast cells obtained from the airways of mongrel dogs and Basenji-Greyhound dogs by bronchoalveolar lavage.

An abnormally large number of mast cells in the airway lumen may be an important factor in the pathogenesis of bronchial hyperreactivity. However, it is unclear just how many mast cells are present in the lumen of normal or hyperreactive airways, in part because of differences in the histochemical techniques that have been used to identify mast cells and questions about the heterogeneity of mast cells. The present study was done (1) to compare the effectiveness of six techniques in the identification of mast cells obtained from dogs by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), (2) to compare the mast cells in the airways of normal mongrel dogs with those from a breed of dog (Basenji-Greyhound) known to have bronchial hyperreactivity, and (3) to determine whether the two-type histochemical classification used for rodent mast cells (formaldehyde-resistant or typical and formaldehyde-sensitive or atypical) applies meaningfully to the mast cells in BAL fluid from dogs. Cells obtained by BAL were fixed with Mote's basic l...
Multidimensional Re‐creation of Vulnerabilities and Potential for Resilience in International Migration

International labour migration is a multidimensional process and primarily a family mechanism intended to reduce vulnerabilities associated with underlying inequalities. However, for immigrants, the break-up of physical contact with family members is an enduring feature of vulnerability in their communication with origins (often in developing countries). On the whole, family relationships are transformed: the absence of physical contact is traded-off with remittances sent home to family members. Remittances create potential for resilience by increasing human development of children, while reducing extreme poverty at the local level. Remittance flows are also an important source of foreign exchange for countries of origin. However, labour markets’ polarization, backlash, and economic downturns at destinations (often in developed countries), and governments’ moral hazard, currency revaluation, and production inertia at origins recreate vulnerabilities and disrupt the potential build-up of resilience. In fact, the re-creation of vulnerabilities largely outweighs the generation of resilience threads. The paper develops a typology that highlights the dynamic interaction between vulnerabilities and resilience, revealing the multiple aspects of people and remittances flows, the potential for mainstreaming migration policies into economic development, and the scale of the policy task to reduce vulnerabilities associated to international labour migration.
Tournament-associated Mortality in Black Bass

Abstract I compiled estimates of tournament-associated mortality in black basses (Micropterus spp.) for 130 tournaments held between 1972 and 1996. Initial mortality decreased significantly (P < 0.0001) between the 1970s (19.5%), and the 1980s (6.6%) and 1990s (6.5%). I found no difference in initial mortality (P = 0.9885) between the 1980s and 1990s. Delayed mortality was 10.4% in the 1970s based on limited data. Estimates of delayed and total mortality for the 1980s (20.9% and 26.2%, respectively) and 1990s (23.3% and 28.3%, respectively) were not significantly different (P ≥ 0.7222). Thus, no evidence exists of a decline in initial, delayed, or total mortality since at least the mid-1980s. This suggests that recommendations made by previous researchers for reducing tournament-associated mortality were disregarded or ineffective. Meta-analysis of correlations shows a strong positive relationship between water temperature, and initial (r = 0.51 ± 0.00) and delayed mortality (r = 0.36 ± 0.000). There was ...
On the Integrated Production and Distribution Problem with Bidirectional Flows

The integrated production and distribution problem with bidirectional flows is a complicated optimization problem, usually with large problem sizes whenen coun tered inpractice. Inthis study, we propose a partial linear programming relaxation-based heuristic approach to solve a variation of this problem. The approach is called a partial relaxation in the sense that it relaxes the integer requirements only on selected variables. We also report onthe gaps betweenthe optimal solutionan d the heuristic solutionprovided by this partial relaxation , including analytical gaps for a special case and empirical gaps for randomly generated test cases. Our study of this problem was motivated by the operational planning problem of a medical equipment leasing network that involves a forward flow for new and refurbished devices and a reverse flow for used devices to be returned to suppliers over a multiple time-period planning horizon.