cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychophysiologic effects of early lead exposure.

Abstract In several separate experiments neonatal rats were intubated daily with 9, 27 or 81 mg lead acetate/kg of body weight throughout their 3-week postnatal period of development. Based on average body weights, the total daily lead intake was 0.156, 0.454 or 1.384 mg lead per animal, respectively (in addition to normal lead intake from the environment). Subtle and specific behavioral changes, involving an inability to attenuate inappropriate behavior in a two-way shuttle or a habit-reversal operant task, occurred in offspring following exposure to a minimum of 0.454 mg lead per day. The specificity of this central dysfunction was such that motor activity was normal, stress responsiveness remained unaffected and simple learning ability was comparable to that of controls. The only indication of a central neurochemical modification accompanying this behavioral defect was a tendency for telencephalic acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activities to be depressed, suggesting a possible involvement of the cholinergic system. Steady-state levels of brain monoamines were unaltered. The experimental weanlings displayed an inhibition of blood delta-amino levulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity, a parallel reduction in regional brain ALAD activity, a moderate reduction in hematocr and hemoglobin and an increase in kidney weight. This latter effect occurred even at the lowest level of lead intake, 0.156 mg lead per day.
Effect of Varying Burn Sizes and Ambient Temperature on the Hypermetabolic Rate in Thermally Injured Rats

Abstract Background. Small animals with scald covering 50% of their total body surface area (TBSA) have been used to study the hypermetabolic burn response. In the 50% TBSA burn rat model, the area of normal skin that is available for animal instrumentation is restricted and the mortality rate has been high. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a smaller burn size can induce a similar hypermetabolic response with mortality rates lower than those of the 50% TBSA model. Methods. Rats were randomly divided into four groups to receive a 0% (sham nonburned), 30%, 40%, or 50% TBSA third-degree scald burn. The hypermetabolic response was determined by measuring changes in body weight and oxygen consumption at ambient temperatures of 21, 26, and 31°C for each burn size. Weight measurements were made daily while oxygen consumption was measured 7, 11, and 14 days after thermal injury. Results. All thermally injured rats lost body weight; however, there were no significant differences between the 30, 40, and 50% TBSA burn groups. Burn induced a hypermetabolic response as indicated by an increase in oxygen consumption from 130 to 200% that of sham nonburned rats. No significant difference in oxygen consumption could be shown over the study period between the three burn sizes at different ambient temperatures. Mortality was 0% in the sham and 30% group, 10% for the 40% group, and 50% for the 50% TBSA burn group. Conclusions. From our study we conclude that a burn size covering 30% of the TBSA induces the same hypermetabolic response as a 50% TBSA burn.
Study of dissociation of water on Ge(100) by high-resolution electron-energy-loss spectroscopy

Abstract High-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy has been used to study the interaction of the clean Ge(100) surface with water under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. We observe no detectable molecular adsorption nor dissociation at room temperature up to 100 L water exposure. At 100 K both molecular and dissociated water are present on the surface even for 0.1 L exposure. Vibrational modes of the hydroxyl group have been identified by observing the isotopic shift between the H 2 O and D 2 O energy loss spectra. Dissociation and desorption of water have been studied in the 100–620 K range. The data show that at room temperature and above water is completely dissociated into H and OH. At higher temperatures (> 450 K) the OH radical also starts to dissociate, leaving oxygen and hydrogen bonded to Ge. Upon annealing to 620 K only atomic oxygen is detectable on the surface.
Who's Accountable to the Constitution? Thirty Years of Judicial Politics in State Education Finance Litigation.

Politicians promoting educational accountability are, in principle, bound by state and federal constitutions under which they serve, facing judicial scrutiny if they fail to meet the constitutional standards set for them. In the case of education, each of the 50 states has its own constitutional guidelines for the provision of education, and citizens in nearly every state over the past 30 years have challenged in court whether their elected officials have appropriately allocated resources to all children to ensure the educational provision their constitutions guarantee. Court cases have not, however, proved to be impartial assessments of legislative enactments in light of constitutional provisions. Four case studies provide a sampling of the politics of court and state contexts involved in holding legislatures accountable to their constitutional mandates.
The OPL Sourcebook: A Guide for Solo and Small Libraries

In a book about National Public Radio, Thomas Looker characterized Susan Stamberg, the veteran and perhaps legendary National Public Radio correspondent, in the following way: “her smile, her voice...
Increased Serum Hepcidin in Children with Infection and Correlation with Ferritin Level.

Background and aims: Hepcidin is a recently discovered peptide produced by hepatocytes and macrophages in response to inflammatory stimuli. It is markedly induced during inflammation. There are only limited data on hepcidin regulation during systemic acute inflammation in children. The aim of this study was to assess the serum concentration of hepcidin in children with bacterial and viral infection and to correlate it with ferritin levels. Methods: 69 children (43 boys) (mean age 28.94 ±29.69 months) were enrolled into the study. Blood was drown for the measurement of hepcidin in 50% of patiens on the first and second day of fever and in 50% on the third day. 69 healthy children were used as control population. Hepcidin was measured using Elisa method. Results: A significant increase in serum hepcidin was observed in children with acute infection (85.25± 43.42 pg/ml ) compared with serum hepcidin of contrlols (50.11± 28.71 pg/ml), P< 0.001. Concentrations of hepcidin correlated positively with serum ferritin levels ( P< 0.01). Conclusions: Hepcidin is a new peptide that increases during inflammation. In children with infections, hepcicin production is increased. Its correlation with ferritin levels could propose a new role for hepcidin, the one of acute phase reactant protein although further investigation is needed in order to clarify whether there is difference between bacterial and viral infections.
Parallel ion parking: improving conversion of parents to first-generation products in electron transfer dissociation.

Electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) in a tandem mass spectrometer is an analytically useful ion/ion reaction technique for deriving polypeptide sequence information, but its utility can be limited by sequential reactions of the products. Sequential reactions lead to neutralization of some products, as well as to signals from products derived from multiple cleavages that can be difficult to interpret. A method of inhibiting sequential ETD fragmentation in a quadrupole ion trap is demonstrated here for the reaction of a triply protonated peptide with nitrobenzene anions. A tailored waveform (in this case, a filtered noise field) is applied during the ion/ion reaction time to accelerate simultaneously first-generation product ions and thereby inhibit their further reaction. This results in a ∼50% gain in the relative yield of first-generation products and allows for the conversion of more than 90% of the original parent ions into first-generation products. Gains are expected to be even larger when higher ch...
Two novel uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (URO-D) mutations causing hepatoerythropoietic porphyria (HEP)

Hepatoerythropoietic porphyria (HEP) is a rare form of porphyria in humans. The disorder is caused by homozygosity or compound heterozygosity for mutations of the uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (URO-D) gene. Subnormal URO-D activity results in accumulation of uroporphyrin in the liver, which ultimately mediates the photosensitivity that clinically characterizes HEP. Two previously undescribed URO-D mutations found in a 2-year-old Caucasian boy with HEP, a maternal nonsense mutation (Gln71Stop), and a paternal missense mutation (Gly168Arg) are reported here. Recombinant Gly168Arg URO-D retained 65% of wild-type URO-D activity and studies in Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV)-transformed lymphoblasts indicated that protein levels are reduced, suggesting that the mutant protein might be subjected to accelerated turnover. The crystal structure of Gly168Arg was determined both as the apo-enzyme and with the reaction product bound. These studies revealed little distortion of the active site, but a loop containing residues 167–172 was displaced, possibly indicating small changes in the catalytic geometry or in substrate binding or increased accessibility to a cellular proteolytic pathway. A second pregnancy occurred in this family, and in utero genotyping revealed a fetus heterozygous for the maternal nonsense mutation (URO-D genotype WT/Gln71Stop). A healthy infant was born with no clinical evidence of porphyria.
Structure of ordered electrified interfaces: EC-STM of hydroquinone sulfonate at well-defined Pd(111) electrodes

Atom-resolved electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (EC-STM) has been employed to study the chemisorption of 2,5-dihydroxybenzenesulfonate (hydroquinone sulfonate, HQS) from dilute aqueous solutions, onto a well-defined Pd(111) electrode surface. Previous work based upon high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy had showed that HQS is oxidatively chemisorbed as benzoquinone sulfonate (BQS). Results from the present investigation indicate that a well-ordered Pd(111)-(3 × 3)-BQS adlayer is formed in which the close-packed BQS molecules are oriented parallel to the surface but with a minimal tilt enforced by the bulky SO3− group. The flat orientation implies strong organic–metal interactions ia the π-electron system of the quinonoid ring. It was not possible to image the counter cations of the anionic sulfonate group, presumably because they are not held rigidly within the BQS adlattice but are located on top of the organic adlayer where they can be easily moved aside by the STM tip. Possible structural models of the Pd(111)-(3 × 3)-BQS adlattice are presented.
The challenge of creativity and culture: a framework for analysis with application to Arabian Gulf firms

Abstract As the governments in the Arabian Gulf region privatize and liberalize their economies, the firms in their countries are challenged to develop managerial expertise and to improve competitiveness. Like other firms around the world, these firms must be more creative and innovative if they are to succeed in today’s increasingly knowledge-based economy. Based on a review of the literature, this paper includes a conceptual framework that explains how the process of knowledge creation in firms might be moderated by cultural variables. The framework is then applied within the specific context of the culture of the Arabian Gulf, and a number of propositions Proposition 1: , Proposition 2: , Proposition 3: , Proposition 4: , Proposition 5: , Proposition 6: are developed. The paper concludes with recommendations for researchers and managers.
Content analysis of archival data.

Content analysis can be a particularly suitable method for measuring cognitive variables from archived texts. Although content analysis has been underused by clinical psychologists, there are many benefits to this strategy. Longitudinal studies can be conducted retrospectively, the range of possible research participants can be expanded to include individuals otherwise unavailable (e.g., the famous or the dead), existing data sets can be used and reused to answer new questions, and studies across cultures and across levels of analysis (individual vs. group) can be facilitated. To illustrate the use and usefulness of content analysis to measure cognitive variables, the authors focus on the examples of causal attributions and integrative complexity, describing past research and sketching future applications to clinical research and practice.
Identification of Omi/HtrA2 as a Mitochondrial Apoptotic Serine Protease That Disrupts Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein-Caspase Interaction

To identify human proteins that bind to the Smac and caspase-9 binding pocket on the baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) repeat 3 (BIR3) domain of human XIAP, we used BIR3 as an affinity reagent, followed by elution with the BIR3 binding peptide AVPIA, microsequencing, and mass spectrometry. The mature serine protease Omi (also known as HtrA2) was identified as a mitochondrial direct BIR3-binding protein and a caspase activator. Like mature Smac (also known as Diablo), mature Omi contains a conserved IAP-binding motif (AVPS) at its N terminus, which is exposed after processing of its N-terminal mitochondrial targeting sequence upon import into the mitochondria. Mature Omi is released together with mature Smac from the mitochondria into the cytosol upon disruption of the outer mitochondrial membrane during apoptosis. Finally, mature Omi can induce apoptosis in human cells in a caspase-independent manner through its protease activity and in a caspase-dependent manner via its ability to disrupt caspase-IAP interaction. Our results provide clear evidence for the involvement of a mitochondrial serine protease in the apoptotic pathway, emphasizing the critical role of the mitochondria in cell death.
Orion continues to surprise

Observations of a nearby nebula reveal an unusual region of extremely hot gas whose high temperature is the result of wind from massive stars.
Neuronal protein tyrosine kinases associated with synaptosomal glycoproteins.

Protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) activity associated with synaptosomal membrane glycoprotein (SMGP) fractions of rat brain was examined. The synthetic substrate poly(Glu4-Tyr) was phosphorylated by SMGP in the presence of Mg2+ and Mn2+, whose stimulatory effects were additive. In contrast, endogenous tyrosine phosphorylation in SMGPs was strictly dependent on Mn2+. Anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies (PY20) immunoprecipitated two polypeptides in SMGPs of Mr 170K and 60K. Upon preincubation with IGF-I, 97/90K polypeptides were phosphorylated, corresponding to the IGF-I receptor beta-subunits, and were immunoprecipitated with both PY20 and anti-IGF-I-receptor antibodies. Immunoblot analysis using anti-src antibody revealed that there was src protein associated with the glycoprotein fractions of solubilized synaptosomal membranes. Additional experiments revealed that the 60K tyrosine-phosphorylated polypeptide present in the PY20 precipitates was indeed pp60 c-src. This was confirmed by subjecting the PY20 immunoprecipitates to immunoblotting using anti-src antibodies. In addition, src protein was directly immunoprecipitated by anti-src antibodies from the SMGP preparations. Hence, IGF-I receptors and glycoprotein-associated PTKs in cluding pp60c-src may play an important role in synaptic transmembrane signalling, plasticity, and neuronal survival. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Comparative in situ and laboratory sediment bioassays with juvenile Mercenaria mercenaria.

Sediment toxicity assays were conducted with juvenile Mercenaria mercenaria to compare the results of laboratory assays and in situ deployments. Juvenile clams were deployed for one week at a variety of degraded and undegraded sites in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, USA, during the summers of 1998, 1999, and 2000. Parallel laboratory assays were conducted with sediments collected from the deployment sites. Mortality and a sublethal endpoint, seed clam growth rate, were used to compare toxicity between reference and degraded sites. Growth rates of field-deployed clams tended to be higher than growth rates for laboratory assays, especially at the reference sites. Field studies indicated a higher potential for toxicity than did the laboratory studies at degraded sites. These studies suggest that laboratory assays may underestimate potential sediment toxicity at degraded sites. However, field growth rates may be affected by natural environmental factors (e.g., pH, dissolved oxygen, and salinity), so regression normalization techniques were used to distinguish the effects of these variables from those of contaminants.
Transfer of All Western Hemisphere Cybalomiinae to Other Subfamilies (Crambidae: Pyraloidea: Lepidoptera): Elusia Schaus, Dichochroma Forbes, Schacontia Dyar, Cybalomia extorris Warren, and C. lojanalis (Dognin)

Munroe (1995) included four genera and nine species from the Western Hemisphere in Cybalomiinae. The species were morphologically compared with Cybalomia pentadalis Lederer, the type species of Cybalomia, and all belong to other subfamilies. Accordingly, the following new and revised combinations and/or subfamilial assignments are proposed: Elusia Schaus is returned to Scopariinae; Cybalomia extorris Warren is transferred to Aethiophysa Munroe, Dichochroma Forbes and Schacontia Dyar are transferred to Glaphyriinae; and Cybalomia lojanalis (Dognin) is transferred to Diptychophora Zeller in Crambinae. A lectotype is designated for Platytes lojanalis Dognin. The adults and genitalia are figured for the first time.
WBCSim: A Prototype Problem Solving Environment for Wood-Based Composites Simulations

This paper describes a computing environment named WBCSim that is intended to increase the productivity of wood scientists conducting research on wood-based composite materials. WBCSim integrates Fortran 77-based simulation codes with a graphical front end, an optimization tool, and a visualization tool. WBCSim serves as a prototype for the design, construction, and evaluation of larger scale problem solving (computing) environments. Several different wood-based composite material simulations are supported. A detailed description of the prototype''s software architecture and a typical scenario of use are presented. The system converts output from the simulations to the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) for visualizing simulation results.
A highly parallel algorithm to approximate MaxCut on distributed memory architectures

We develop and experiment with a new parallel algorithm to approximate the maximum weight cut in a weighted undirected graph. Our implementation is based on the recent new algorithm of Goemans and Williamson for this problem. However, our work aims for an efficient, practical formulation of the algorithm with close to optimal parallelization. Our theoretical analysis and an implementation on the Connection Machine CM5 show that our parallelization achieves linear speedup. We test our implementation on several large graphs (more than 9000 vertices), particularly on large instances of the Ising model. >
Electrowetting-based multi-microfluidics array printing of high resolution tissue construct with embedded cells and growth factors

To overcome limitations of current tissue fabrication methods, explore new biocompatible materials, and develop new biomimetic manufacturing process for soft tissue, we are developing a new technology, electrowetting-based microfluidics array printing, which will be used in a solid freeform fabrication (SFF) system to meet the challenges of high resolution manufacture of hydrogel scaffolds with dimension scale less than 10 µm, cell placement, growth factor delivery, and vascularization for soft tissue engineering. Preliminary work has been done on the biomaterials research, electrowetting printing, biomimetic modeling, scaffold fabrication, and system integration and control. This research is the first application of electrowetting on dielectric to tissue engineering and dispensing hydrogels.
Computational materials: Multi-scale modeling and simulation of nanostructured materials

The paper provides details on the current approach to multi-scale modeling and simulation of advanced materials for structural applications. Examples are given that illustrate the suggested approaches to predicting the behavior and influencing the design of nanostructured materials such as high-performance polymers, composites, and nanotube-reinforced polymers. Primary simulation and measurement methods applicable to multi-scale modeling are outlined. Key challenges including verification and validation are highlighted and discussed.
Radio balloon‐measurements of the cosmic radiation

Cosmic-ray data from the stratosphere can be obtained on free, unmanned balloon-flights either by recording directly in the gondola of the balloon and finding the apparatus afterwards or signals may be transmitted by radio from the balloon to a recording station on the ground. The former method is limited to civilized areas so that studies covering a wide range of latitudes demand the use of the radio transmitter. The measurements may be carried out with either ionization-chamber or Geiger-Mueller counter technique. The latter, when used in coincidence, has the advantage of being able to select rays from a particular direction or to select cosmic-ray events of a particular type, such as showers, the passage of heavily ionizing rays, etc. For studies of the geomagnetic asymmetry the directional selectivity is required. Also in the case of measuring intensities as a function of elevation or of latitude, there is a considerable advantage in limiting the measurements to a single direction.
Automated story capture from internet weblogs

Among the most interesting ways that people share knowledge is through the telling of stories, i.e. first-person narratives about real-life experiences. Millions of these stories appear in Internet weblogs, offering a potentially valuable resource for future knowledge management and training applications. In this paper we describe efforts to automatically capture stories from Internet weblogs by extracting them using statistical text classification techniques. We evaluate the precision and recall performance of competing approaches. We describe the large-scale application of story extraction technology to Internet weblogs, producing a corpus of stories with over a billion words.
Who Provides Care to Medicare Beneficiaries and What Settings Do They Use

Background: Concerns have been expressed that the physician workforce is unprepared for the explosion in the number of older persons in America. As a step toward informing these discussions, this article will describe how Medicare beneficiaries currently access physician services. Methods: This study is a descriptive analysis of the physician services used by Medicare beneficiaries. The Medicare Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) data from 1998 are used for the analysis. The locations of service delivery were compared among family physicians, general internists, and geriatricians. Results: The physician office was the most common site of service, comprising 49% of all provider claims. General internists (20.1% of office claims) and family physicians (18.6% of office claims) were the most common providers. Family physicians spent the largest proportion of their time in the office (77%), general internists were the most likely provider to see patients in the hospital (19%), and geriatricians were the most likely to see patients in the nursing home (27%) and at home (1.7%). Conclusions: Office-based care by general internists and family physicians constitute a major infrastructure element in the delivery of care to Medicare beneficiaries. The practices of geriatric medicine physicians are more heavily weighted toward the nursing home setting.
A critical analysis of personal statements submitted by radiology residency applicants

Each year, radiology residency program directors and selection committees receive hundreds of applications for a limited number of residency positions in the field. Selection committees are often forced to make difficult decisions in order to rank academically similar applicants based solely on their application materials. With the advent of the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS), the application has become standardized, making it even more difficult for applicants to distinguish their applications. To this end, the personal statement is considered a critical part of any radiology residency application, being one of the few chances applicants have to express their personality to a residency selection committee (1–5). Applicants often agonize for weeks over what should or should not be included. A brief search of the internet using a common search engine (www.google.com; Google, Mountain View, CA) and the key words “personal statement” and “residency” revealed multiple websites advertising personal statement writing, editing, and “assistance” services to applicants for significant fees. The fact that these services exist implies that, from an applicant’s perspective, the personal statement is a vital component of the application. The personal statement remains, however, a very subjective measure of an applicant’s value. There is no standardized measure of what defines an effective personal statement versus an ineffective one. Although those who read personal statements for an admissions committee seem to have an abstract sense of “good” personal statements and “bad” per-
Modeling normal/epileptic brain dynamics with potential application in titration therapy

The KIV (K-4) model is based on biological attributes found in the limbic system of a salamander. Higher forms of organisms including humans have a limbic system which incorporates the sensory cortex, hippocampus and entorhinal cortex/amygdala of the brain. The KIV model has been used successfully for classification and prediction tasks. We propose the use of the KIV model as a metaphor of the limbic system of the human brain. The brain states of normal /pathological (seizure)/restoration are modeled to further understand the pathological states of the brain and propose a titration therapy through this model.
HoxA and HoxD expression in a variety of vertebrate body plan features reveals an ancient origin for the distal Hox program.

Hox genes are master regulatory genes that specify positional identities during axial development in animals. Discoveries regarding their concerted expression patterns have commanded intense interest due to their complex regulation and specification of body plan features in jawed vertebrates. For example, the posterior HoxD genes switch to an inverted collinear expression pattern in the mouse autopod where HoxD13 switches from a more restricted to a less restricted domain relative to its neighboring gene on the cluster. We refer to this program as the ‘distal phase’ (DP) expression pattern because it occurs in distal regions of paired fins and limbs, and is regulated independently by elements in the 5′ region upstream of the HoxD cluster. However, few taxa have been evaluated with respect to this pattern, and most studies have focused on pectoral fin morphogenesis, which occurs relatively early in development. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that the DP expression pattern occurs with the posterior HoxA genes, and is therefore not solely associated with the HoxD gene cluster. Further, DP Hox expression is not confined to paired fins and limbs, but occurs in a variety of body plan features, including paddlefish barbels - sensory adornments that develop from the first mandibular arch (the former ‘Hox-free zone), and the vent (a medial structure that is analogous to a urethra). We found DP expression of HoxD13 and HoxD12 in the paddlefish barbel; and we present the first evidence for DP expression of the HoxA genes in the hindgut and vent of three ray-finned fishes. The HoxA DP expression pattern is predicted by the recent finding of a shared 5′ regulatory architecture in both the HoxA and HoxD clusters, but has not been previously observed in any body plan feature. The Hox DP expression pattern appears to be an ancient module that has been co-opted in a variety of structures adorning the vertebrate bauplan. This module provides a shared genetic program that implies deep homology of a variety of distally elongated structures that has played a significant role in the evolution of morphological diversity in vertebrates
DETERMINATION OF RUBIDIUM IN SEAWATER1

Abstract : Rubidium concentrations in seawater from various locations and depths to 3,900 m have been determined using two independent techniques--direct flame photometry and mass spectrometry. Results of these two techniques agree within estimated errors and indicate that the rubidium content in the oceans is uniform within =8% with values varying about 120 micro g/liter. Sediment from the sea floor below a depth profile, analyzed for rubidium and potassium, gave a rubidium concentration factor of 150 and a potassium to rubidium ratio of 1,270. (Author)
Linear polymers in nonhomogeneous flow fields. II. The cross‐stream migration velocity

The cross-stream migration velocity v⊥ is that part of the velocity of a particle which has no component in the direction of the undistrubed flow. In order to obtain v⊥ for bead–spring model macromolecules, it is necessary to compute the trace of the matrix product , where denotes the migration matrix and is the modified Kramer's matrix. In this paper this is done via an eigenvalue calculation, where the eigenvalues are estimated by using the Rouse eigenfunctions. The results are then checked against the few known exact results and excellent agreement is found. It turns out that v⊥ depends on the third power of the molecular weight for free-draining polymers. The dependence upon molecular weight becomes weaker with increasing hydrodynamic interaction until, in the nondraining limit, v⊥ ∝ M2.5. A simple yet accurate formula for v⊥ is proposed. In conjunction with the results for D (of Part I), purely rotational flow fields are shown to be characterized by a single parameter, the particle Peclet number Pe. Up to a constant of order one (actually a function of the hydrodynamic interaction parameters h* and h, which can vary only between 0.8 and 2.057), Pe depends only upon D, the mean-square equilibrium extension R, and q0, the magnitude of the maximum shear rate for the flow.
A Rigorous Approach to Estimating Permeability from Capillary Pressure Curves

Abstract The absolute permeabilities of porous media have been traditionally estimated from capillary pressure curves using Swanson parameter (S nw /P c)A. Different correlations between permeability and the Swanson parameter have been proposed for mid-perm sand cores and tight gas sand cores. After examining the definition of the Swanson parameter, a new parameter called Capillary Parachor (S nw /P c ⁁2)max is defined in this article. Excellent correlations between the absolute permeability and capillary parachor have been developed on the basis of mercury injection and water/air capillary pressure curves. It is concluded that permeability (in md) of a porous medium is directly proportional to the mercury-capillary parachor (in Atm−2) with a proportionality factor of 0.054474. The permeability is proportional to the brine/air-capillary parachor squared with a proportionality factor of 0.00007. Analytical methods have been developed in this study to accurately determine the Swanson parameter and capillary...
Nights Underground in Darkest London: The Blitz, 1940–1941

After the tragic events of September 11, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani at once saw parallels in the London Blitz, the German air campaign launched against the British capital between September 1940 and May 1941. In the early press conferences at Ground Zero he repeatedly compared the bravery and resourcefulness of New Yorkers and Londoners, their heightened sense of community forged by danger, and the surge of patriotism as a town and its population came to symbolize a nation embattled. His words had immediate resonance, despite vast differences between the two situations. One reason for the Mayor's turn of mind was explicit: he happened at that moment to be reading John Lukacs' Five Days in London, although the book examines the British Cabinet's response to the German invasion of France some months before bombing of the city got underway. Without doubt Tony Blair's outspoken support for the United States and his swift (and solitary) endorsement of joint military action also reinforced this mental coupling of London and New York. But the historical parallel, however imperfect, seemed to have deeper appeal. Soon after George W. Bush was telling visitors of his admiration for Winston Churchill, his speeches began to emulate Churchillian cadences, Karl Rove hung a poster of Churchill in the Old Executive Office Building, and the Oval Office sported a bronze bust of the Prime Minister, loaned by British government. Mayor Giuliani's televised press conferences immediately after the September 11 attack. “Churchill Mania,” The Economist Nov. 10, 2001. See also, N. Ferguson, “The War on Terror is Not New,” New York Times, Sept. 20, 2001. “Bush Tours the New York Battlefield,” The Times (London), Sept. 15, 2001, 1. William Farish, the American Ambassador in London, thanked the British people for their “magnificent” response to the terrorist attacks and said that Americans now looked to the bravery of the British during the 1940 Blitz bomb attacks as an example of how to “prevail over an implacable foe.” The Times (London), Sept. 21, 2001, 2. An additional curious development was press reports that W. H. Auden's poem “September 1, 1939” (which begins in “I sit in one of the dives/On Fifty-second Street/Uncertain and afraid”) was enjoying popularity on National Public Radio, in internet chat rooms, and even high school discussion groups. This quickly prompted a heated exchange of letters in the Times Literary Supplement about the merits or lack thereof of Auden himself and his poem. J. Lukacs, Five Days in London: May 1940 (New Haven, 2001).
Variational Loopy Belief Propagation for Multi-talker Speech Recognition

We address single-channel speech separation and recognition by combining loopy belief propagation and variational inference methods. Inference is done in a graphical model consisting of an HMM for each speaker combined with the max interaction model of source combination. We present a new variational inference algorithm that exploits the structure of the max model to compute an arbitrarily tight bound on the probability of the mixed data. The variational parameters are chosen so that the algorithm scales linearly in the size of the language and acoustic models, and quadratically in the number of sources. The algorithm scores 30.7% on the SSC task [1], which is the best published result by a method that scales linearly with speaker model complexity to date. The algorithm achieves average recognition error rates of 27%, 35%, and 51% on small datasets of SSC-derived speech mixtures containing two, three, and four sources, respectively, using a single audio channel. Index Terms: Speech separation, variational inference, loopy belief propagation, factorial hidden Markov models, ASR, Iroquois, Max model.
Tradeoff of Uncertainty Reduction Mechanisms for Reducing Weight of Composite Laminates

Inspired by work on allocating risk between the different components of a system for a minimal cost, we explore the optimal allocation of uncertainty in a single component. The tradeoffs of uncertainty reduction measures on the weight of structures designed for reliability are explored. The uncertainties in the problem are broadly classified as error and variability. Probabilistic design is carried out to analyze the effect of reducing error and variability on the weight. As a demonstration problem, the design of composite laminates at cryogenic temperatures is chosen because the design is sensitive to uncertainties. For illustration, variability reduction takes the form of quality control, while error is reduced by including the effect of chemical shrinkage in the analysis. Tradeoff plots of uncertainty reduction measures, probability of failure and weight are generated that could allow choice of optimal uncertainty control measure combination to reach a target probability of failure with minimum cost. In addition, the paper also compares response surface approximations to direct approximation of a probability distribution for efficient estimation of reliability.
Positive schemes and shock modelling for compressible flows

SUMMARY A unified theory of non-oscillatory finite volume schemes for both structured and unstructured meshes is developed in two parts. In the first part, a theory of local extremum diminishing (LED) and essentially local extremum diminishing (ELED) schemes is developed for scalar conservation laws. This leads to symmetric and upstream limited positive (SLIP and USLIP) schemes which can be formulated on either structured or unstructured meshes. The second part examines the application of similar ideas to the treatment of systems of conservation laws. An analysis of discrete shock structure leads to conditions on the numerical flux such that stationary discrete shocks can contain a single interior point. The simplest formulation which meets these conditions is a convective upwind and split pressure (CUSP) scheme, in which the coefficient of the pressure differences is fully determined by the coefficient of convective diffusion. Numerical results are presmted which confirm the properties of these schemes. This paper presents a unified formulation of non-oscillatory discretization schemes for the calculation of compressible flows on both structured and unstructured meshes. Over the past decade the principles underlying the design of non-oscillatory discretization schemes have been quite well established, and numerous variations of artificial diffusion, upwind biasing and flux splitting have been proposed and tested.' - * The non-oscillatory properties of the schemes analysed here are secured through the introduction of artificial viscosity which produces an upwind bias. This exactly reproduces an upwind scheme when the minimum sufficient amount of viscosity is used. Higher-order accuracy is obtained by the use of higher-order diffusive terms, with limiters to preserve monotonicity constraints. Schemes which blend low and high-order diffusion,' and both symmetric and upstream constructions using anti-diffusive terms controlled by limiters,' are readily included within the framework of this paper. Two main issues arise in the design of non-oscillatory discrete schemes. First there is the issue of how to construct an approximation to a scalar convection or convection-diffusion equation which is non-oscillatory, captures discontinuities with high resolution, and is sufficiently accurate. Second there is the issue of how to construct a numerical flux for a system of equations with waves travelling at different speeds, and sometimes in opposite directions. These two issues can be treated essentially independently, and by combining alternative non-oscillatory formulations with different constructions of the numerical flux one arrives at a matrix of candidate high
Hepatic Resection and Transplantation for Peripheral Cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract Background: Recent publications have questioned the role of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in treating advanced or unresectable peripheral cholangiocarcinoma (Ch-Ca). Study Design: We reviewed our experience with Ch-Ca to determine survival rates, recurrence patterns, and risk factors in 54 patients who underwent either hepatic resection or OLT between 1981 and 1994. Liver transplantation was performed in patients with unresectable tumors (n = 12) and in those with advanced cirrhosis (n = 8). There were 33 women (61%) and 21 men (39%), with a mean age of 54.3 years. The median followup period was 6.8 years. Prognostic risk factors were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Mortality within 30 days was 7.4%. Overall patient and tumor-free survival rates were 64% and 57% at 1 year, 34% and 34% at 3 years, and 26% and 27% at 5 years after operation. Thirty-two patients (59.3%) experienced tumor recurrence. Univariate analysis revealed that multiple tumors, bilobar tumor distribution, regional lymph node involvement, presence of metastasis, positive surgical margins, and advanced pTNM stages were significant negative predictors of both tumor-free and patient survival. Multivariate analysis revealed that positive margins, multiple tumors, and lymph node involvement were independently associated with poor prognosis. When patients with these three negative predictors were excluded, the patient survivals at 1, 3, and 5 years were 74%, 64%, and 62%, respectively. Conclusions: Both hepatic resection and OLT are effective therapies for Ch-Ca when the tumor can be removed with adequate margins, the lesion is singular, and lymph nodes are not involved.
Ships in the Night: The CIA, the White House and the Bay of Pigs

A comprehensive study of the available documents about the Bay of Pigs, including many that have been declassified within the last eighteen months, and extensive interviews with the protagonists in the CIA, the White House and the State Department lead me to conclude that the disastrous operation was launched not simply because Kennedy was poorly served by his young staff and was the captive of his campaign rhetoric, nor simply because of the hubris of the CIA. Rather, the Bay of Pigs was approved because the CIA and the White House assumed they were speaking the same language when, in fact, they were speaking in utterly different tongues.
“Can I Show You Something Online?” or “How the eLife Comes Alive in Therapy”

This article takes on the phenomenon of the ubiquity of electronic and Internet usage for many pre-teen and teenage boys, especially as it affects psychotherapy. The author presents the case of one such young man and terms the world of his immersion in electronic tools and toys, eLife. The case is presented along three dimensions, the symbolic and representational meanings of the play itself, the intersubjective aspects of eLife phenomenon between patient and therapist, and the implications of the treatment developments for the patient's unfolding family challenges.
Interest Group Use of the Toxic Substance Control Act: To Create New Environmental Regulations

A recent effort by a coalition of national environmental interest groups to create a new environmental health regulation illustrates the complex nature of this method of influencing the federal regulatory system. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), with the cooperation of several other environmental groups, petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2007 to ban certain types of air fresheners. This action was only the first step in a lengthy legal process. Later, the NRDC used the Toxic Substance Control Act Section 26 to request that the U.S. EPA remove these products from the market. This section allows any member of the public to request the U.S. EPA to take action to restrict the sale of products containing a potentially harmful substance. While this case is still pending, it demonstrates that new environmental regulations are frequently the product of a protracted, multi-stage process. Environmental groups will initially use legal procedures to request bans on potentially harmful products, and later use the courts to force the creation of new compromise federal regulations.
Observation of magnon-mediated current drag in Pt/yttrium iron garnet/Pt(Ta) trilayers

Pure spin current, a flow of spin angular momentum without flow of any accompanying net charge, is generated in two common ways. One makes use of the spin Hall effect in normal metals (NM) with strong spin-orbit coupling, such as Pt or Ta. The other utilizes the collective motion of magnetic moments or spin waves with the quasi-particle excitations called magnons. A popular material for the latter is yttrium iron garnet, a magnetic insulator (MI). Here we demonstrate in NM/MI/NM trilayers that these two types of spin currents are interconvertible across the interfaces, predicated as the magnon-mediated current drag phenomenon. The transmitted signal scales linearly with the driving current without a threshold and follows the power-law T(n) with n ranging from 1.5 to 2.5. Our results indicate that the NM/MI/NM trilayer structure can serve as a scalable pure spin current valve device which is an essential ingredient in spintronics.
Analysis of perfluoroalkanes and fluorobenzenes using an Al2 O3 porous-layer open-tubular column

Many of the isomers of fluorocarbons have boiling points which are less than one degree different. Thus it is necessary to use some other basis for their separation on a chromatographic column. One such possibility is gas-solid chromatography. It has been demonstrated that an alumina porous-layer open-tubular (PLOT) column is especially well suited for the analysis of fluoroalkanes and fluorobenzenes. This column is useful for the specific application of the measurement of electron attachment properties of these molecules using the electron-capture detector because of thelack of column bleed.
National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 1996 outpatient department summary.

OBJECTIVE: This report describes ambulatory care visits to hospital outpatient departments in the United States. Statistics are presented on selected patient and visit characteristics. METHODS: The data presented in this report were collected from the 1996 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS). NHAMCS is part of the ambulatory care component of the National Health Care Survey that measures health care utilization across various types of providers. NHAMCS is a national probability survey of visits to hospital outpatient and emergency departments of non-Federal, short-stay, and general hospitals in the United States. Sample data were weighted to produce annual estimates. RESULTS: During 1996, an estimated 67.2 million visits were made to hospital outpatient departments in the United States, about 25.4 visits per 100 persons. Overall, visits rates did not vary by age. Females and black persons had higher rates of visits than males and white persons, respectively. There were an estimated 6.8 million injury--related outpatient department visits during 1996. Language: en
Skilled Immigration and Firm-Level Innovation: Evidence from H-1B Lottery

We evaluate the impact of skilled immigration on U.S. innovation by exploiting a random lottery in the H-1B visa program. Proponents of skilled immigration argue that it allows firms to access nece...
On Being a Petroleum Engineer

I was born and raised in Butte, Montana, a typical western mining town. At the time I was born, the underground mines were beginning to play out, and open pit mining had begun. This changed the nature of life in Butte dramatically. There was high unemployment, the loss of identity, and the unimaginable damage created by surface mining.
An Attempt to Change College Students’ Attitudes Toward Individuals With Disabilities:

This study investigated the effect of taking a disability studies course on college students’ attitudes toward people with disabilities, with the expectation that, after exposure to content and act...
Effect of isolation by albumin density gradients on ultrastructure of human spermatozoa

Unlike results with glass wool filtration, based on identical criteria, no evidence was observed in this study for induced ultrastructural damage to the cell membrane and acrosome of heads of spermatozoa during isolation by the albumin density gradient technique. To the contrary, significant numbers of ultrastructurally abnormal spermatozoa were screened out of populations, as were spermatozoa with obvious light-microscopic abnormalities. There was no correlation, however, between structural abnormalities noted with light or electron microscopy and spermatozoal swimming ability. Reduced fertility with inseminated isolated spermatozoa most likely would be due to the tremendous loss (91%) of motile cells rather than cellular injury by the albumin gradient procedure.