cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Misting Systems on Local Particulate Matter (PM) Levels

ABSTRACT In hot, arid environments, many outdoor spaces are cooled by misting systems. These systems spray a fine mist of water droplets that cool down the surrounding air through the endothermic evaporation process. As water sources often contain dissolved minerals, the evaporating droplet may leave an airborne particulate matter (PM) residue. Currently there is no information available on the impact of misting systems on localized PM concentrations. In this study, PM concentrations are found to increase by a factor of 8 from ambient levels in the vicinity of a residential misting system in controlled experiments. These experiments show PM concentrations decrease with increasing distance from misting systems. Chemical data reveal that chloride and magnesium ions may be used locally as tracers of particles from misting systems as chloride may be subject to atmospheric transformation. The average chloride concentration was 71 µg m–3 in samples collected while the misting system was operational and below the detection limit (< 8.2 µg m–3) in samples collected when the misting system was off. The average magnesium concentration was 11.7 µg m–3 in samples when misting system was on and 0.23 µg m–3 in samples when misting system was off. Ambient measurements of PM10 in public places cooled by misting ranged from 102 ± 10 µg m–3 to 1470 ± 150 µg m–3, and PM2.5 ranged from 95 ± 10 µg m–3 to 990 ± 100 µg m–3. Calculations suggest that misting systems could potentially emit PM quantities on the order of a gram per hour in the respirable particle size range.
Coauthor Favoritism in the Review of Financial Studies

This study examines whether the coauthors of executive editors of the Review of Financial Studies published more papers during the editor’ tenure. The paper finds that not all executive editors are created equal concerning their impartiality toward their coauthors. The results show that George Andrew Karolyi’s coauthors published more articles during his tenure relative to the control period and that, proxied by the number of citations, the quality of those articles were lower.
Frequency of Firearm Injuries to Head and Neck Increased During Covid-19 Pandemic.

Purpose During coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, hospitals faced challenges which were different than previous years. The purpose this study was to report frequency of firearm injuries (FI) to head and neck during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study reviewed patients in the Trauma Registry at Grady Memorial Hospital (GMH) in Atlanta, GA. Patients were included if they sustained FI to head and neck, were listed in TR, and were treated at GMH. Patients were stratified according to date of injury into 1) before COVID-19 pandemic, (BC19) or 2) during initial 5 months of COVID-19 pandemic, (C19). Variables were patient demographics, illegal substance use, etiology, place of injury, distressed communities index, location of injury, Glasgow Coma scale on arrival, cardiopulmonary resuscitation in Emergency Department (ED), shock on admission, disposition from ED, length of stay, days on mechanical ventilation and discharge status. Descriptive, univariate, and bivariate analysis were completed. Chi square test was used for categorical variables. Statistical significance was P Results There were 215 patients who met inclusion criteria. There were 96 patients (78 males) with a mean age of 31.5 years old during BC19. There were 119 patients (101 males) with a mean age 32.7 years old during C19. There was a 10.4% increase in FI to head and neck during COVID-19. Our data showed that alcohol use was associated with FI during C19 (P≤ .0001). FI to base of skull occurred 34.5% more often during C19 (P = .002). Cranial injuries occurred 26% more often during BC19 (P = .03). During BC19, 85.4% of the patients arrived alive to GMH, but only 16% arrived alive during C19 (P ≤ .0001). Conclusions There were more FI to head and neck during COVID-10 pandemic than during the previous time period.
The Problem of Time in Joel

Scholarship on the book of Joel has long been vexed by the wayyiqtol verb forms in 2:18–19a. Ibn Ezra suggested that they are analogous to the prophetic perfect, expressing certainty about the outcome, while Adalbert Merx suggested that they should be read as simple wāw + jussive, and Julius Bewer argued that the imperative forms in 2:15–16 should be read as simple qatal forms, enabling vv. 15–17 to be read as a report of the people’s response to the exhortation of vv. 12–14. More recent studies of Joel 2 have found it difficult to explain the interchange of qatal and yiqtol verbs in vv. 2–11. Some have explained these as signaling the intrusion of redactional materials, while others have sought to accommodate them under a tense or aspectual understanding of the verbal system. Still others have despaired of finding a solution and have adopted readings of the verbs based solely on the context. Both of these problems are, however, amenable to rather straightforward solutions. On the one hand, the wayyiqtol verbs of 2:18–19a come into focus once we recognize the narrative structure of the book. The wayyiqtol verbs are embedded in speech by the narrator, whose voice was last heard in 1:4. On the other hand, the qatal and yiqtol verbs in 2:3–11 follow typical morphosyntactic and morphosemantic patterns, once we take into account their discourse settings, particularly the pragmatics of their clauses.
Cutaneous Penile Horn

A 70-year-old man presented with a slowly enlarging glans penis lesion measuring approximately 3 × 2 × 2 cm. On examination, the lesion was indurated with no induration of the glans penis deep to the lesion. He had no palpable lymphadenopathy. A glans sparing surgical excision was performed. Pathology demonstrated a squamoproliferative lesion with hyperkeratosis, and deep margin biopsy demonstrated no carcinoma. Cutaneous penile horns are hyperkeratotic lesions and may be associated with synchronous or metachronous squamous cell carcinoma. Surgical excision remains the mainstay of treatment, and follow-up physical examinations to assess for metachronous penile carcinoma are recommended.
Benjamin N. Cardozo: Sixty Years After His Appointment as New York's Chief Judge

Sixty years after his appointment as Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, Benjamin N. Cardozo's place in history as one of the country's most outstanding jurists and preeminent legal philosophers is secure. He is· widely acclaimed for being a successful practitioner, a brilliant legal scholar and a man who is ranked among the preeminent American judges, along with Marshall, Kent, Story and Holmes. He was a giant of his era who, while spending all but six years of his professional life in New York, exerted a powerful national influence upon his own times. He was praised not only for his knowledge of the law, but for his ability to convey his ideas in literate and lucid prose and for his dedication in applying them to each case no matter how mundane. He was respected for his gentleness, his kindness, his helpfulness and his consideration for others. Such is Cardozo's heritage that his analyses are still valued and his opinions and writings are still frequently quoted by judges and law review authors.
Woman's Dress in Exercise

(1910). Woman's Dress in Exercise. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 15, No. 5, pp. 338-341.
Understanding Precision in Host Based Intrusion Detection

Many host-based anomaly detection systems monitor process execution at the granularity of system calls. Other recently proposed schemes instead verify the destinations of control-flow transfers to prevent the execution of attack code. This paper formally analyzes and compares real systems based on these two anomaly detection philosophies in terms of their attack detection capabilities, and proves and disproves several intuitions. We prove that for any system-call sequence model, under the same (static or dynamic) program analysis technique, there always exists a more precise control-flow sequence based model. While hybrid approaches combining system calls and control flows intuitively seem advantageous, especially when binary analysis constructs incomplete models, we prove that they have no fundamental advantage over simpler control-flow models. Finally, we utilize the ideas in our framework to make external monitoring feasible at the precise control-flow level. Our experiments show that external control-flow monitoring imposes performance overhead comparable to previous system call based approaches while detecting synthetic and real world attacks as effectively as an inlined monitor.
Abstract T P405: Improvement in Midline Shift is Associated with Survival After Decompressive HemiCraniectomy in Large Hemispheric Infarctions

Background and Purpose: It remains uncertain which patients with malignant edema after large hemispheric infarction (LHI) remain at risk of death despite decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC). We investigated factors associated with in-hospital mortality in a cohort of patients with LHI who underwent DHC. Methodology: This retrospective cohort study conducted over a five-year period identified 24 LHI patients who underwent DHC. Patient demographics, pre- and post-DHC clinical and neuro-imaging data were recorded (including midline shift [MLS] at the level of lateral ventricles). These variables were then analyzed in relation to in-hospital mortality. Results: Patients were predominantly male (17/24), with mean age of 55±15 years and baseline NIHSS score of 18.5± 4. Despite DHC, performed at a median of 52 hours, mortality still occurred in 9 patients (38%), with 11 (46%) going to acute rehabilitation and remainder to long-term care facility (LTC). Patients had a mean pre-operative MLS of 11 ± 3 mm. When compared with a head CT obtained 48 hours after DHC, MLS improved the most in patients going to rehabilitation (by 6 ± 4.2 mm), compared to those going to LTC (3.2 ± 5 mm), while the least improvement was seen in those who died (1 ± 5 mm). Survivors had significant improvement in MLS (5.3 ± 4.4 mm) compared to the non-survivors (1 ± 5 mm), p = 0.04. The survivors were also significantly younger (50 ± 17 years) compared to those who died (62 ± 7 years). Thirteen patients (54% of the cohort) received intracranial pressure (ICP) monitors ipsilateral to the infarct during DHC but measured ICPs were statistically similar in survivors vs non-survivors. Other variables (baseline NIHSS score, MLS and time to surgery) did not predict death in the cohort. Conclusion: Mortality remains high in LHI patients even after DHC. Improvement in MLS after DHC appears to separate survivors from non-survivors while post-DHC ICPs do not. However, our sample size is small and additional studies with larger population sizes are required for validation of our findings.
Incremental learning of control knowledge for nonlinear problem solving

In this paper we advocate a learning method where a deductive and an inductive strategies are combined to efficiently learn control knowledge. The approach consists of initially bounding the explanation to a predetermined set of problem solving features. Since there is no proof that the set is sufficient to capture the correct and complete explanation for the decisions, the control rules acquired are then refined, if and when applied incorrectly to new examples. The method is especially significant as it applies directly to nonlinear problem solving, where the search space is complete. We present HAMLET, a system where we implemented this learning method, within the context of the PRODIGY architecture. HAMLET learns control rules for individual decisions corresponding to new learning opportunities offered by the nonlinear problem solver that go beyond the linear one. These opportunities involve, among other issues, completeness, quality of plans, and opportunistic decision making. Finally, we show empirical results illustrating HAMLET'S learning performance. On leave from Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Facultad de Informatica, Departamento de Inteligencia Artificial, Madrid, Spain.
Neutrophil stimulating activity released by Staphylococcus-stimulated mononuclear leukocyte conditioned medium. Further characterization and partial purification.

Abstract Culture medium conditioned by human mononuclear leukocytes (MNL) stimulated with formalin fixed heat-killed Staphylococcus aureus induces a small respiratory burst in human neutrophils, and dramatically increases the response of neutrophils to stimuli such as N-formyl- l -methionyl- l -leucyl- l -phenylalanine. The data presented show that the activity is not unique to Staphylococcus aureus. Similar neutrophil modulating activities were produced by medium conditioned by MNL cultured in the presence of Streptococcus pneumonia, and Group B streptococcus. The activity was relatively resistant to heating: significant reduction of activity was observed only when 80°C was reached. Neutrophil stimulating activity production by stimulated MNL was dependent on protein and RNA synthesis and the activity appeared to be released by the non-adherent fraction of the MNL, suggesting that it is not of macrophage origin. The activity was not sensitive to soya bean trypsin inhibitor, but was sensitive to trypsin and was not removed when stimulated conditioned medium was depleted of immunoglobulin and albumin by affinity chromatography. Purification by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 and high-performance liquid chromatography with Bio-Sil TSK250 columns showed that the major activity had an apparent molecular weight of 35 000–43 000 under conditions in which ionic interactions and association with albumin were reduced; by using polyethylene glycol or high salt (0.46 M Na+) in the elution buffer.
Computerized tomographic staging of renal trauma: 85 consecutive cases.

AbstractIn 85 patients with renal trauma we compared the findings on computerized tomography with those of excretory urography, renal surgery, intra-abdominal surgery and angiography. Patients underwent computerized tomography because of a suspected associated thoracic or abdominal injury, or indeterminate findings on excretory urography, nephrotomography or angiography. Blunt trauma accounted for 87.1 per cent of the renal injuries and penetrating trauma for 12.9 per cent.The most common findings on computerized tomography were perirenal hematoma in 29.4 per cent, intrarenal hematoma in 24.7 per cent and parenchymal disruption in 17.6 per cent. In 33 patients who underwent laparotomy computerized tomographic staging was confirmed. In contrast, the most common finding on excretory urography, diminished opacification (17 of 53 patients), was found to have no correlation with the severity of renal injury as assessed by computerized tomography or laparotomy. Angiography appreciably understaged 1 of 5 cases b...
Demographic dynamism and metropolitan change: Comparing Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Washington, DC

Abstract The fluid dimensions of demographic status—age, career progression over time, geographic redistribution, and growing duration of residence—have not been sufficiently recognized in urban theory and policy. Demographic dynamism deserves special attention because it is through the presumed consequences for people that we judge the desirability of economic, political, and physical changes in a city. To explore the magnitude and significance of these issues, population dynamics and associated poverty and homeownership trends in four major metropolitan regions are compared. Los Angeles may be changing more rapidly, but its dynamics only accentuate trends under way elsewhere. Rising proportions of the population that are neither in the white “majority” nor black “minority,” the low proportion of longtime residents, and the new challenge of immigration call into question fundamental assumptions about links between people and urban policy. The meaning of both poverty trends and homeownership attainments m...
Western esotericism and the history of European science and medicine in the early modern period

The history of science and the history of medicine were, from their beginnings as subjects in the Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment periods, hostile to esoteric ideas and practices and generally excluded them from the scope of academic study. Esoteric belief systems by definition prioritize inner knowledge, knowledge that is not attainable or transferable by the standard practices of public pedagogy, but rather is acquired by direct apprehension or by internal illumination. I call these ‘belief systems’, because people who defend esoteric knowledge do so within a worldview, a physics and metaphysics that explains and makes sense of their hopes and experiences. Such belief systems can therefore be compared with other worldviews—cosmologies in the most general sense of the term—and points of tangency, or even zones of interpenetration, can be examined. It is just such points of confrontation and zones of commonality between the occult and manifest sciences which are of particular interest to historians of science, because it is here that the disciplinary boundaries of modern science are being negotiated.
The Effect of Prolonged Cyanide Treatment on Body and Tumor Growth in Rats

Data have been accumulating from a number of sources showing that the metabolism of tumors differs from that of normal tissues (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), and attempts have been made to modify tumor development by alterations in oxidation. Two types of procedure are technically possible: (1) modification of the concentration or the pressure of the oxygen in the atmosphere; (2) modification of cellular oxidation. The most powerful reducing agent known is cyanide. Not only does it “poison” the iron-containing “respiratory enzyme,” but also peroxidases, catechol oxidase, catelase, and the glutathione system (6, 7, 8). For this reason cyanide was the drug of election in the experiments to be described below. The effects of cyanide have been extensively studied on excised tissues and tissue cultures, but only two reports were found of the effect of cyanide on the intact tumor-bearing animal. In 1927, Karczag (9) stated that potassium cyanide inhibited the growth of transplanted adenocarcinoma in mice and in some instances caused regression. His complete data are not published. In 1933 Maxwell and Bischoff (10) reported inhibition of the growth of the Jensen sarcoma in rats treated with cyanide.
Progress of BollWeevil Anthonomus grandis Eradication in the United States of America, 2005

The boll weevil Anthonomus grandis Boheman eradication programme in the USA began in 1983 to rid the Cotton Belt of this pest. To date, the boll weevil has been eradicated from nearly 5.3 million hectares of cotton in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Kansas, California, Arizona, and portions of Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico; as well as from the neighbouring regions of Caborca, the Mexicali Valley and Sonoita in Mexico. The programme is currently operating in the remaining 1.42 million hectares of cotton in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. As of this writing, 100% of the US Cotton Belt is involved in boll weevil eradication, with nearly 80% having completed eradication and the remaining 20% nearing eradication. Nationwide eradication in the USA is expected by 2008. The remarkable environmental and economic benefits realized within the eradicated regions make boll weevil eradication one of the most important agricultural programmes in the history of the USA.
Comparison of Two National Databases for General Thoracic Surgery

Background Improving the quality of surgical care through accurate measurement of outcomes is an important endeavor. The purpose of this study was to compare data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) and The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) general thoracic surgery database to determine if a sampling technique (ACS NSQIP) is as effective and accurate as the comprehensive technique (STS database). Methods A common data abstractor collected and recorded data for the ACS NSQIP and STS database from our institution for the year 2012. The data was completely deidentified and analyzed for demographics, preoperative risk factors, mortality, and morbidity. Results The STS database recorded 1,595 (100%) operations for the year 2012, whereas the ACS NSQIP by design collects a limited sample and recorded 308 (19.3%) operations. Postoperative events were recorded in 17.2% of ACS NSQIP operations and in 30.1% of operations reported in the STS database. As more specific operations are examined, errors in the NSQIP data increase significantly. For example, the ACS NSQIP underestimated the pneumonia rate for lobectomy (5.9% versus 10.9%) and overestimated the pneumonia rate for an Ivor Lewis esophagogastrectomy (23.8% vs 18.8%). When the ACS NSQIP was used to compare our institution to the ACS NSQIP national norms, our institution was ranked in the lowest eighth decile for 30-day operative mortality; however, we were better than average when using STS database data (1.2% [2 of 162 procedures] vs 1.4% [538 of 37,324 procedures]) for pulmonary resections and 3.0% (3 of 100 procedures) vs 3.6% [138 of 3,865 procedures] for esophagectomy). Conclusions Databases built on partial sampling that do not capture all patients, such as the ACS NSQIP, may be useful for global analyses, but fall short of providing a foundation for meaningful quality improvement initiatives when analyzing data for specific thoracic surgical operations. These results highlight the utility and importance of complete databases such as the STSDB. National comparisons of clinical outcomes for thoracic surgical procedures should be interpreted with caution when using partial databases.
Migraine and obesity: epidemiology, possible mechanisms and the potential role of weight loss treatment

Migraine and obesity are two public health problems of enormous scope that are responsible for significant quality of life impairment and financial cost. Recent research suggests that these disorders may be directly related with obesity exacerbating migraine in the form of greater headache frequency and severity, or possibly increasing the risk for having migraine. The relationship between migraine and obesity may be explained through a variety of physiological, psychological and behavioural mechanisms, many of which are affected by weight loss. Given that weight loss might be a viable approach for alleviating migraine in obese individuals, randomized controlled trials are needed to test the effect of weight loss interventions in obese migraineurs. Large-scale weight loss trials have shown that behavioural interventions, in particular, can produce sustained weight losses and related cardiovascular improvements in patients who are diverse in body weight, age and ethnicity. Consequently, these interventions may provide a useful treatment model for showing whether weight loss reduces headache frequency and severity in obese migraineurs, and offering further insight into pathways through which weight loss might exert an effect.
Hormonal exposures and the risk of intracranial meningioma in women: a population-based case-control study.

The role of exogenous hormone exposures in the development of meningioma is unclear, but these exposures have been proposed as one hypothesis to explain the over-abundance of such tumors in women. The association between oral contraception (OC) or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and intracranial meningioma in women was investigated using a population-based, matched case-control study. Exposures for 143 cases and 286 controls matched on age within five years were obtained by interview. Diagnoses were confirmed histopathologically and estrogen and progesterone receptor assays conducted. Although risk of meningioma appeared modestly elevated in past OC users (OR = 1.5, 95% CI 0.8 – 2.7), and in current users (OR = 2.5, 95% CI 0.5 – 12.6), the confidence intervals were wide. No significant association between meningioma risk and duration of OC use was found. Likewise, risk of meningioma was only weakly associated with past use of HRT (OR = 0.7, 95% CI 0.4 – 1.3), and not at all with current use of HRT (OR = 1.0, 95% CI 0.5 – 2.2). Of 142 available specimens, 2 (1%) expressed estrogen receptors, whereas 130 (92%) expressed progesterone receptors (PR). OC use was associated with increased risk of a meningioma expressing less rather than more PR (OR = 3.2, 95% CI 1.3 – 8.0). Overall, in post menopausal women, HRT use appeared to confer a non-significant protective effect, and was not associated with low or high PR expressing meningiomas. This study found little evidence of associations between meningioma and exogenous hormone exposures in women but did suggest that some hormonal exposures may influence tumor biology in those women who develop meningioma.
Testing of a 50 kA, 50 kV current interrupter with I/sup 2/t preheating and long recovery voltage

The Confinement Physics Research Facility (CPRF) is a reversed field pinch (RFP) plasma experiment. An inductive energy transfer system using a 50-kA, 50-kV DC current interrupter is being utilized for initiating the plasma current. The performance requirements had yet to be realized in a reliable switching system, so development of this current-interrupter system was initiated. A switch test bay with a 50-kA battery bank has been built to test the interrupter in conditions which will exist in the CPRF experiment. Many switch parameters were measured to provide information on the current-interrupting characteristics and reliability. Some of these diagnostics include voltage, current, pre- and post-I/sup 2/t contact resistance, opening speed and position, arc voltage, and stem temperature. To determine any long-term changes, all shots and data channels are computer indexed and may be easily recalled for review. Extensive testing was performed on Siemens D-10 vacuum interrupters. Test parameter space included 55 kA, 40 kV (per bottle); di/dt of 2250 A/ mu s, I/sup 2/t of 5*10/sup 9/ A/sup 2/; and 20-kV, 500-ms RC recovery decay. Circuit parameters affect opening reliability. Circuit data and the associated testing results are presented along with long-term trends of switch performance under normal conditions. >
The Sacred Geography of Bangkok's Markets

Vernacular shrines pervade the markets of Bangkok, the capital of Thailand and a globalized city in Southeast Asia. Based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork in Bangkok, this article traces the history of cross-border flows and shifting political economic arrangements that remapped the sacred geography of the city. It considers the consolidation of a pantheon of enchanted figures into a modern ‘prosperity religion’ that is practiced in commercial enterprises as well as in daily life across the country. Mapping the spiritual geography embodied in market shrines reveals changing mobilizations of local and transnational circuits of spiritual power in relation to the shifting national and transnational flows of material and cultural power.
Effect of a local germicide on the occurrence of bacteremia during subgingival scaling.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effectiveness of irrigating periodontal pockets with povidone-iodine in reducing the incidence of bacteremia found during subgingival scaling. Twenty male patients requiring subgingival scaling had the following factors recorded on two contralateral groups of three posterior teeth: age, race, mean pocket depth, mobility, and scores of gingival, plaque, calculus, and sulcus bleeding indices. In control areas, 5 ml blood samples were taken before, during and after scaling through an indwelling Minicath. In experimental areas, the patients first rinsed with a povidone-iodine mouthwash for 1 minute, and the teeth then received a 3-minute sulcus irrigation with 10% povidone-iodine. Blood samples were taken as with the controls, and also 2 minutes after the irrigation. Blood samples were anaerobically cultured, and isolates were classified by Gram staining and cellular morphology. No significant difference in factors between control and experimental areas w...
Foraging Behaviour and Flight Characteristics of Eurasian Griffons Gyps fulvus in the Island of Crete, Greece

We studied the foraging behaviour of Eurasian griffons Gyps fulvus on the island of Crete during 1997–2005 by direct observations in four colonies and by monitoring the movements of seven radio-equipped individuals. The estimated foraging range of griffon colonies, based on direct observations, ranged from 206–851 km2 by using the Minimum Convex Polygon method, and 195–527 km2 by using the Adaptive Kernel method, with corresponding means of 472 and 380 km2, respectively. Meanwhile, radio-tracking showed that foraging vultures covered an area ranging from 390–1300 km2. The mean foraging radius was calculated at ca 15 km and the mean maximum one at 29.9 km. On windless days, griffons' mean cross-country speed was 5.1 m/second (maximum = 13.3 m/second), with a mean climbing rate of 0.6 m/second and a mean inter-thermal gliding speed of 18.8 m/second. Any livestock carrion located up to 9 km from a colony was exploited by its members with minimum competition from individuals of adjacent areas. In total, we re...
Progress report of the Jesuit Seismological Association for the Years 1945 and 1946

The years 1945 and 1946, including as they do the transition from wartime restriction to peacetime freedom, deserve more than usual attention. During the war years the tripartite arrangement between Science Service, the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey and Geodetic Survey, and the Jesuit Seismological Association was maintained; but the sources of information were so diminished in number and the personnel and facilities were so greatly curtailed that epicenters of earthquakes publicly announced were necessarily fewer in number and the information contained in the Preliminary Bulletin of the Central Station at Saint Louis was much less extensive.
Thermal detectors for x-ray astronomy: current performance and limitations

We have been developing thermal detectors for X-ray astronomy. These detectors have the advantages of both high energy resolution and high quantum efficiency. A practical detector operating at a temperature of 0.1 K could ideally have a resolution as good as 1 eV (FWHM). We have produced a detector with a measured resolution of 7 eV (FWHM) for 6 keV X-rays. The detailed behavior of the detector thermistor and thermal links impose limits on performance. Techniques for improving detector behavior will be discussed. We are currently constructing an instrument for launch on a sounding rocket to observe the soft X-ray emission from the interstellar medium.
HCN synthesis from CH4 and NH3 on platinum

Abstract The kinetics of HCN synthesis from CH 4 and NH 3 were studied for pressures between 0.05 and 5.0 Torr and temperatures between 500 and 1500 K on a clean polycrystalline Pt foil using a reaction chamber attached to an ultrahigh vacuum analysis chamber for contamination-free surface characterization. Rates are fit accurately by a modified Langmuir-Hinshelwood model that assumes surface carbon as both a reactant and a catalyst poison. Surfaces were cleaned in the ultrahigh vacuum chamber as determined by Auger electron spectroscopy. Postreaction Auger electron spectroscopy and temperature-programmed desorption analyses showed that the active surface contained less than a monolayer of carbon, while a surface deactivated in excess CH 4 contained multilayers of carbon. The rate and selectivity of HCN formation were slightly higher on Pt than on Rh, and the inhibition by carbon was less strong on Pt. Ethylene addition strongly poisoned the Pt surface by formation of carbon multilayers. Decomposition of CH 4 and C 2 H 4 on Pt are also examined.
Hereditary components in the neurodegerative diseases: Alzheimer's disease and myotonic dystrophy

RECENT progress in molecular genetics has, in the case of many diseases, permitted detection of specific mutations preceding understanding of disease mechanisms. Diseases of the nervous system are now beginning to benefit from this progress and the complex roles of mutant genes in neurological disorders previously thought not to be hereditory are starting to come into focus. Appreciation of complex interactions between gene expression, cellular aging, and environmental factors may hold the key to our understanding of neurodegenerative disorders. Late age of onset and characteristic anatomic distribution of neuronal system involvement characterize neurodegenerative diseases. Clinical and pathologic signs and symptoms of specific neuronal families characterize motor neuron disease, basal ganglial diseases including Huntington's Disease and Parkinson's Disease, and diseases of cognition including Alzheimer's Disease. Most late-onset neurodegenerative diseases appear to be sporadic initially, rather than clearly segregating as classical Mendelian traits. The hereditable component may have been poorly recognized because of short life spans and before the advent of molecular genetic markers that could be tested in large families for statistical linkage calculations. The study of genes that can lead to early selective neuronal cell death have produced a wealth of candidates in simpler systems that await a definition of relevance to disease processes affecting man. During the past decade positional genetic strategies have led to the discovery of previously unknown genetic loci for classically inherited diseases such as Duchenne dystrophy (5), neurofibromatosis (5,14,15) cystic fibrosis (11), myotonic dystrophy (1,4), and many others. As comparative genetic maps become more complete, the location of particular candidate genes that could make sense for positionally localized diseases leads rapidly to direct testing for mutations. Recent examples of candidate gene testing include the Na ÷ channel gene mutations found in hyperkalemic periodic paralysis and paramyotonia (9), prion gene mutations associated with Creutzfeld-Jacob and Gerstmann-Straussler diseases (3), and specific mutations of the amyloid precursor protein associated with a rare form of early onset Alzheimer's Disease (APP770 TM) and hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis of the Dutch type (APP770693glu-) (2,6). The study of mechanisms of disease resulting from specific mutations has clearly lagged behind the discovery of the site of mutation. This, of course, is not a new phenomenon in medical science. The specific mutation causing sickle cell disease was known for years before the mechanism of sickling was studied fully.
“Hot” bands of CO at 4.7 microns measured to high J values

Abstract The infrared emission spectra excited in a cyanogen-nitrous oxide flame at 4.7 microns consist of the fundamental and the associated “hot” bands of the CO molecule. The 4-3 and 5-4 bands have been observed to J values of about 80. The spectral positions measured for these bands have been compared with those calculated by using the published values of molecular constants for the different vibrational levels of CO in its ground electronic state.
Infrared Focal Plane Arrays For Planetary Missions

Requirements for infrared detector array focal planes suitable for a set of prospective planetary missions are developed. Using the Galileo mission to Jupiter as a starting point, objectives and constraints applicable to outer planet missions are developed. The concept for an advanced mapping spectrometer utilizing 128 x 128 element infrared detector arrays is described. Specific implementations for the Saturn Orbiter Dual Probe mission, a Mars Orbiter mission, and a Titan Orbiter mission are defined. The analysis indicates that within the 1 to 5 micron range, broad scientific objectives for these missions can be met using focal plane arrays with detectivities on the order of 10 to the 14th cm sq root of Hz per W. The realization of such high detectivities in a low background application will necessitate careful development of the method by which the detector signals are multiplexed and read out.
A β-galactoside phosphoramide mustard prodrug for use in conjunction with gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy

4-(β-D-Galactopyranosyl)benzyl N,N,N′,N′-tetrakis(2-chloroethyl)phosphorodiamidate 1 was facilely biotransformed to the alkylating antitumor agent, N,N,N′,N′-tetrakis(2-chloroethyl) phosphorodiamidic acid, 4, when incubated with E. coli β-galactosidase, and therefore has potential for use in conjunction with gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy.
Correction of extreme gynaecomastia

Abstract A technique for correction of extreme gynaecomastia utilising crescentic transverse skin incisions and free nipple transplantation is described. Results in 5 cases have been very satisfactory. The technique is reserved for those unusual cases in which excess skin and subcutaneous tissue as well as breast tissue must be removed.
Vitamin B deficiency neuropathy. Case reports

Poor nutrition is common throughout the third world. The US also has examples among recent Asian and Latin American immigrants, alcoholics, the homeless, and former prisoners of war. All of these groups are susceptible to long-term pathologic damage, depending on the degree of malnutrition which they experience. The peripheral nervous system is quite vulnerable to impairment and damage from vitamin B loss.
THG microscopy imaging of blood using sub-50fs Yb fiber laser

We report on multimodal imaging of blood using sub-50 fs pulses centered at 1060 nm wavelength. We find that red blood cells appear dark on SHG images while on THG images of blood provide bright signal and good contrast.
Topographic mapping of the human motor cortex with magnetic stimulation: factors affecting accuracy and reproducibility.

Abstract We recorded motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from deltoid, biceps brachii, abductor pollicis brevis and flexor carpi radialis muscles of 5 normal volunteers during transcranial magnetic stimulation. With the subjects at rest, an 8-shaped magnetic coil was used to deliver 30 stimuli to different scalp positions 0.5 or 1.0 cm apart. The variability in amplitude and latency of MEPs was studied as a function of the scalp position stimulated, the number of stimuli at each position, and the percentage of maximal peripheral M responses (%M) elicited. The results were used to estimate the optimal number of stimuli at each positron and the optimal spacing of scalp positions for topographic mapping of the human motor cortex. The amplitude and latency variability of MEPs were higher when suboptimal scalp positions were stimulated. Consequently, a larger number of stimuli were required to determine representative MEP amplitudes at suboptimal positions. In addition, there was an inverse relationship between %M recruited by transcranial magnetic stimuli in different subjects and the variability in MEP amplitude and latency. Latency variability was less pronounced than amplitude variability. Optimal sampling conditions are required to produce the best topographic maps, particularly to show subtle reorganization patterns in the human motor cortex.
The X-ray structures of a series of copper(II) complexes with tetradentate Schiff base ligands derived from salicylaldehyde and polymethylenediamines of varying chain length

Abstract The structures of six N , N ′-polymethylene-bis(salicylaldiminato)copper(II) Schiff base complexes with alkyl backbones ranging from two to eight carbons have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The complexes are monomeric when the alkyl chain length is relatively short (two, three, and four CH 2 groups) but are dimers when the chain length becomes longer (five, six, and eight CH 2 groups). There is a regular increase in the distortion about the copper center as the alkyl chain length approaches four and five carbons, followed by a decrease as the chains become longer. Previously noted trends in electronic spectral, magnetic susceptibility, and microwave dielectric loss data can be accounted for based on this structural information.
Optimized flow programming for temperature-programmed gas chromatography

Abstract A flow-rate optimization system for gas chromatography is described for use with temperature programming. Carrier gas flow is controlled by feedback electronics and a microcomputer using empirically derived flow optima vs. temperature relations. Carrier flow-rate is monitored by a mass-flow meter and adjusted by a microcomputer according to a specified temperature vs. flow-rate format. Improvements in theoretical plate heights are shown for this system and results are compared to conventional temperature programming.
Aortic aneurysm with retroperitoneal fibrosis and ureteral obstruction

Arteriosclerotic aneurysms of the abdominal aorta constitute a common clinical entity. Rarely are they associated with retroperitoneal fibrosis and ureteral obstruction requiring ureterolysis. Fifteen such cases have been reported, with resection successful in 5 of 7. A sixteenth case is presented complicated by the presence of a persistent left cardinal vein. It is the third aneurysm resected with such an anomaly, and to our knowledge the first to be associated with retroperitoneal fibrosis and ureteral obstruction. Ureterolysis with resection of the aneurysm was performed. The difficulties presented by these pathologic entities, as well as the anomalous venous pattern, are reviewed. Complete preoperative evaluation, including intravenous pyelogram, retrograde pyelography, aortography, and venacavography, for the definition of anatomic relationships and planning of the surgical approach is stressed.
Update on the breastfeeding situation in africa

Abstract The present report integrates and summarizes the results from thirteen Demographic and Health Surveys carried out between 1986 and 1990 in Africa. The initiation of breastfeeding ranged from 92% to 99%. The median duration of breastfeeding (BFDUR) ranged from 15.2 to 24.4 mo. About 70% of infants were not exclusively breastfed during the first 4 months of life. Although there were wide variations in breastfeeding practices across countries two patterns were identified based on the velocity of decline in breastfeeding during the first year of life. Countries that experienced a fast decline in breastfeeding during the first year of life had a BFDUR ranging from 15.2 mo to 16.7 mo. Countries with a slower decline in breastfeeding during the first year had a BFDUR of 17.9 mo to 24.4 mo. Within all countries breastfeeding duration was longer in rural than in urban areas and among women with low (vs high) levels of education. Similar relationships were found when analysis were performed across countries. Results suggest that it is important to identify the factor(s) that might be responsible for the inverse relationship between breastfeeding and urbanity and socioeconomic level. This knowledge is essential for the planning and implementation of effective interventions designed to protect breastfeeding in Africa.
Possible involvement of the central dopaminergic system in the antireserpine effect of LSD.

Both LSD and apomorphine produced hyperactivity in reserpine-treated mice, LSD being more potent and longer-acting than apomorphine. 2-Brom LSD and the serotonin (5-HT) receptor agonist quipazine were ineffective in reversing reserpine sedation. Treatments with phenoxybenzamine and methysergide failed to block the stimulant effects of either LSD or apomorphine, demonstrating the noninvolvement of 5-HT or norepinephrine (NE) receptors in their action. The ineffectiveness of α-methyl-p-tyrosine in modifying the stimulant effects of LSD and apomorphine indicated a probable direct stimulant effect of these two drugs on the dopamine (DA) receptors. Low doses of chlorpromazine, haloperidol, or pimozide blocked the effects of apomorphine in reserpinized mice. Although these neuroleptics significantly reduced the effects of LSD, they failed to block completely the LSD effects even at higher doses. Apomorphine reduced the α-methyl-p-tyrosine-induced depletion of DA in the whole brain of mice, but LSD failed to do so. From these findings it is postulated that apomorphine acts as a direct DA receptor agonist, and that LSD may act directly on a site structurally closely related to DA receptor, but not necessarily identical with it. Repeated treatments with LSD did not lead to development of tolerance to its locomotor effects in reserpinized mice. Moreover, mescaline and psilocybin, which are known to exhibit cross-tolerance to LSD, failed to produce LSD-like effects in reserpine-treated mice. The effects of LSD on the DA or a related site probably are not solely responsible for its psychotomimetic effects.
Racial segregation and maternal smoking during pregnancy: A multilevel analysis using the racial segregation interaction index

Drawing from both the place stratification and ethnic enclave perspectives, we use multilevel modeling to investigate the relationships between women's race/ethnicity (i.e., non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Asian, and Hispanic) and maternal smoking during pregnancy, and examine if these relationships are moderated by racial segregation in the continental United States. The results show that increased interaction with whites is associated with increased probability of maternal smoking during pregnancy, and racial segregation moderates the relationships between race/ethnicity and maternal smoking. Specifically, living in a less racially segregated area is related to a lower probability of smoking during pregnancy for black women, but it could double and almost triple the probability of smoking for Asian women and Hispanic women, respectively. Our findings provide empirical evidence for both the place stratification and ethnic enclave perspectives.
Solution structure of the d(T-C-G-A) duplex at acidic pH. A parallel-stranded helix containing C+ .C, G.G and A.A pairs.

The solution structure of the d(T-C-G-A) sequence at acidic pH has been determined by a combination of NMR and molecular dynamics calculations including NOE intensity based refinements. This sequence forms a right-handed parallel-stranded duplex with C+ .C (three hydrogen bonds along Watson-Crick edge), G.G (two symmetry related N2-H.. N3 hydrogen bonds) and A.A (two symmetry related N6-H..N7 hydrogen bonds) homo base-pair formation at acidic pH. The duplex is stabilized by intra-strand base stacking at the C2-G3 step and cross-strand base stacking at the G3-A4 step. The thymine residues on partner strands are directed towards each other and are positioned over the C+ .C base-pair. All four residues adopt anti glycosidic torsion angles and C2'-endo type sugar conformations in the parallel-stranded d(T-C-G-A) duplex which exhibits large changes in twist angles between adjacent steps along the duplex. This study rules out previously proposed models for the structure of the d(T-C-G-A) duplex at acidic pH and supports earlier structural contributions, which established that d(C-G) and d(C-G-A) containing sequences at acidic pH pair through parallel-stranded alignment. We have also monitored hydration patterns in the symmetry related grooves of the parallel-stranded d(T-C-G-A) duplex.
Carbon nanotube imperfection-immune digital VLSI: frequently asked questions updated

Carbon Nanotube Field-Effect Transistors (CNFETs) are excellent candidates for designing highly energy-efficient future digital systems. However, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are inherently highly subject to imperfections that pose major obstacles to robust CNFET digital VLSI. This paper summarizes commonly raised questions and concerns about CNFET technology through a series of frequently asked questions. The specific questions addressed in this paper are motivated by recent advances in the field since the publication of our earlier paper on frequently asked questions in the Proceedings of the 2009 Design Automation Conference.