cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal control problem for linear time-varying descriptor systems

Abstract The linear-quadratic optimal control problem is considered for time-varying descriptor systems of the form E(t+1)x(t+1)=A(t)x(t)+B(t)u(t)+C(t)f(t), where E is a square matrix with constant rank r (which may be singular) and f(t) is a known vector. By using variational techniques, necessary conditions are derived for the existence of optimal control. By transforming to a coordinate system which can be computed by performing a non-singular linear transformation, necessary con- ditions for the existence of optimal control can be changed to a two-point boundary value problem which looks like the usual two-point boundary problem of linear- quadratic optimal control. By applying the sweep method, such a two-point boundary value problem results in a matrix Riccati equation and a linear difference equation. At the same time, the optimal control is uniquely determined in terms of the ‘state’ x1(t), which is the dynamic part of the descriptor vector x(t). The optimal cost is also given in terms of x1(t).
Differential genetic and environmental influences on reactive and proactive aggression in children.

While significant heritability for childhood aggression has been claimed, it is not known whether there are differential genetic and environmental contributions to proactive and reactive forms of aggression in children. This study quantifies genetic and environmental contributions to these two forms of aggression in an ethnically diverse urban sample of 9–10 year old twins (N = 1219), and compares results across different informants (child self-report, mother, and teacher ratings) using the Reactive–Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ). Confirmatory factor analysis of RPQ items indicated a significant and strong fit for a two-factor proactive–reactive model which was significantly superior to a one-factor model and which replicated across gender as well as the three informant sources. Males scored significantly higher than females on both self-report reactive and proactive aggression, findings that replicated on mother and teacher versions of the RPQ. Asian–Americans scored lower than most ethnic groups on reactive aggression yet were equivalent to Caucasians on proactive aggression. African–Americans scored higher than other ethnic groups on all measures of aggression except caregiver reports. Heritable influences were found for both forms of aggression across informants, but while boys’ self-reports revealed genetic influences on proactive (50%) and reactive (38%) aggression, shared and non-shared environmental influences almost entirely accounted for girls’ self-report reactive and proactive aggression. Although genetic correlations between reactive and proactive aggression were significant across informants, there was evidence that the genetic correlation was less than unity in boys self reported aggression, indicating that genetic factors differ for proactive and reactive aggression. These findings provide the first evidence for varying genetic and environmental etiologies for reactive and proactive aggression across gender, and provide additional support for distinction between these two forms of aggression.
Synthesis and anti-HIV activities of suramin conjugates of 3'-fluoro- 2',3'-dideoxythymidine and 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine

Conjugates between suramin, a polyanionic naphthalene sulfonate derivative, and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT) and 3'-fluoro-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (FLT), were designed to create an antiretroviral with multiple mechanisms of action that could be developed as an anti-HIV topical microbicide candidate. The anti-HIV activity of these conjugates was compared with that of suramin and the corresponding physical mixtures of suramin and nucleosides. The conjugates were synthesized as sulfonate esters by reaction of suramin with the nucleoside analogs in the presence of phosphorus pentoxide, and were tested against X4 and R5 labadapted strains of HIV-1. Suramin conjugates of AZT (EC50= 19.4 μg/ml) and FLT (EC50= 23.6 μg/ml) demonstrated improved anti-HIV activity against X4 strain of virus by 2.5 and 2 fold, respectively, when compared with suramin. The physical mixtures of suramin with nucleosides significantly improved anti-HIV activity of suramin against X4 strain by more than 55 fold.
A new method for preparation of electrically conductive polythiophenes

L'addition d'une petite quantite de bithiophene-2,2' au milieu accelere fortement la polymerisation electrolytique et la polymerisation chimique du thiophene et du methyl-3 thiophene et abaisse le potentiel necessaire. Les films de polymeres obtenus sont plus uniformes que ceux obtenus sans bithiophene
Acute neuropathies after peripheral blood stem cell and bone marrow transplantation

Neuromuscular complications are not uncommon after bone marrow and stem cell transplantation, especially in patients with allogeneic transplantations and graft-versus-host disease. The pathogenesis of these complications remains unclear, but the changes in immune modulation that occur after transplantation are likely to play a key role. We describe 4 patients who developed brachial plexopathy (3 cases) or multiple lumbosacral radiculopathies (1 case) between 5 days and 4 months after autologous peripheral blood stem cell (3 cases) or allogeneic bone marrow transplantation without evidence of graft-versus-host disease (1 case). Infectious, tumor-related, toxic, and metabolic causes were excluded in all cases. Recovery was limited in two cases and nearly complete in the other two patients. Brachial plexopathies and polyradiculopathies are potential complications of peripheral blood stem cell and bone marrow transplantation. It is possible that these disorders may be the result of autoimmune phenomena directed against specific nerve antigens.
Quantitative analysis by gas chromatography of volatile carbonyl compounds in cigarette smoke

Abstract The cigarette smoke from 26 commercial brands was drawn into a separatory funnel containing an aqueous cysteamine solution. Almost the entire smoke from a cigarette was trapped as mainstream cigarette smoke. The carbonyl compounds in the smoke were derivatized to thiazolidines and were then quantitatively analyzed by gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection. Total carbonyl compounds recovered ranged from 2.37 to 5.14 mg/cigarette. The general decreasing order of the carbonyl compounds yielded was acetaldehyde, butanal, hexanal, propanal, acetone, octanal, 2-methylpropanal and formaldehyde. Acetaldehyde was the major aldehyde in the smoke sample from 26 brands and it made up 46–72% of the total carbonyl compounds in the sample. Amounts of formaldehyde ranged from 73.8 to 283.8 μg/cigarette. It is hypothesized that these carbonyl compounds form from lipid and wax constituents in tobacco leaves.
Evolution of Critical Care Nurse Practitioner Role Within a US Academic Medical Center

Nurse practitioners are becoming established clinicians in the intensive care unit. This article describes the integration of nurse practitioners into the Critical Care Medicine Service at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. The development and current form of the nurse practitioner role is detailed. The model of employing nurse practitioners in an academic critical care medicine service is provided as a blueprint for other institutions facing a shortage of intensivists. This study addresses future direction for program development.
A Grid-Based Pseudo-Cache solution for MISD biomedical problems with high confidentiality and efficiency

The complexity of most biomedical/bioinformatics problems requires efficient solutions using collaborative/parallel computing. One promising solution is to implement Grid computing, as an emerging new field called BioGrid. However, one of the most stringent requirements in such a Grid-based solution is data privacy. This paper presents a novel solution to provide the Confidentiality when using the Grid to efficiently solve MISD biomedical problems. It is called the Grid-Based Pseudo-Cache (GBPC) solution. It is proved to have equal or better performance than traditional MIMD solution. Via case studies our theories are validated in practice, and the data dependence is also addressed.
3.4.3 Practical Issues for Including Manufacturing During Space System Concept Development

The historical trend in systems engineering has been to increasingly consider aspects of the latter portions of the life cycle during concept design. In theory, this has been implemented by including participants from these disciplines, e.g. manufacturing, operations, etc. on the concept development team In the space industry, this approach has been observed by this author to be expensive and does not necessarily fulfill the intended function. In this paper, an assessment will be made of the factors that hamper the effective inclusion of one of these disciplines, specifically manufacturing, in the early concept phase of a military space program. Practical approaches for significantly improving the impact manufacturing considerations can have in up-front concept definition will be described.
Semi-supervised learning of semantic classes for query understanding: from the web and for the web

Understanding intents from search queries can improve a user's search experience and boost a site's advertising profits. Query tagging via statistical sequential labeling models has been shown to perform well, but annotating the training set for supervised learning requires substantial human effort. Domain-specific knowledge, such as semantic class lexicons, reduces the amount of needed manual annotations, but much human effort is still required to maintain these as search topics evolve over time. This paper investigates semi-supervised learning algorithms that leverage structured data (HTML lists) from the Web to automatically generate semantic-class lexicons, which are used to improve query tagging performance - even with far less training data. We focus our study on understanding the correct objectives for the semi-supervised lexicon learning algorithms that are crucial for the success of query tagging. Prior work on lexicon acquisition has largely focused on the precision of the lexicons, but we show that precision is not important if the lexicons are used for query tagging. A more adequate criterion should emphasize a trade-off between maximizing the recall of semantic class instances in the data, and minimizing the confusability. This ensures that the similar levels of precision and recall are observed on both training and test set, hence prevents over-fitting the lexicon features. Experimental results on retail product queries show that enhancing a query tagger with lexicons learned with this objective reduces word level tagging errors by up to 25% compared to the baseline tagger that does not use any lexicon features. In contrast, lexicons obtained through a precision-centric learning algorithm even degrade the performance of a tagger compared to the baseline. Furthermore, the proposed method outperforms one in which semantic class lexicons have been extracted from a database.
From cascade to spike-a fractal-geometry approach.

The fractal nature of collisional cascades in solids is investigated by means of a model of "idealized" collisional cascade and the Winterbon-Sigmund-Sanders theory of atomic collisions. It is shown that the fractal dimensionality increases as the cascade evolves because of the change of the effective interaction potential. The condition of a spike is shown to arise naturally from the concept of "space-filling" fractals. The characteristic kinetic energy per particle in a spike is estimated to be on the order of a few electronvolts.
A VERIFICATION OF THE QUAL-1 WATER QUALITY MODEL FOR THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER1

: This paper describes the verification of the QUAL-1 mass transport model for the lower Mississippi River between St. Francisville and Point a la Hache using dye studies conducted by the U. S. Geological Survey. QUAL-1 is a one-dimensional steady-state model for rivers and is capable of predicting longitudinal profiles of soluble materials entering rivers from point sources. Both conservative and nonconservative parameters of water quality can be considered. The major problems surmounted were the determination of a diffusion coefficient and the use of transient data to verify a steady state model.
Primary megaureter in a mother and daughter.

Primary megaureter in a mother and daughter is reported. This is the first well-documented familial occurrence of this entity in the English literature.
Promiscuous drugs as therapeutics for chemokine receptors.

Chemokine receptor antagonists that held much promise for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases have recently performed poorly in clinical trials, resulting in disappointment for both pharmaceutical companies and patients. This review focuses on the redundancy of the molecular target as one potential reason for the failure of some of these antagonists to fulfil their initial promise, and discusses the use of drugs that are capable of interacting with more than one drug target – so-called promiscuous drugs – as possible approaches to overcome this difficulty. Several clinically approved promiscuous drugs, such as aspirin and olanzapine, are already used successfully. This review discusses examples of promiscuous drugs for G-protein-coupled receptors, including progress in developing dual-specific chemokine receptor antagonists, and considers evidence for the possible therapeutic utility of such drugs.
Trajectories of perceived adult and peer discrimination among Black, Latino, and Asian American adolescents: Patterns and psychological correlates.

This article presents results from a 3-year longitudinal study of the growth patterns and correlates of perceived discrimination by adults and by peers among Black, Latino, and Asian American high school students. Results revealed a linear increase over time in levels of perceived discrimination by adults, whereas perceptions of discrimination by peers remained stable over time. Asian American and non-Puerto Rican Latino adolescents (primarily Dominican) reported higher levels of peer and/or adult discrimination than did Puerto Rican youth, whereas Black adolescents reported a steeper increase over time in levels of perceived discrimination by peers and by adults than did Puerto Rican adolescents. Peer and adult discrimination was significantly associated with decreased self-esteem and increased depressive symptoms over time. Ethnic identity and ethnicity were found to moderate the relationships between perceived discrimination and changes in psychological well-being over time. Results underscore the need to include perceptions of discrimination when studying the development and well-being of ethnic minority adolescents.
Alcohol‐Related Consequences Among First‐Year University Students: Effectiveness of a Web‐Based Personalized Feedback Program

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a web-based personalized feedback program using an objective measure of alcohol-related consequences. Participants were assigned to either the intervention group or an assessment-only control group during university orientation. Sanctions received for campus alcohol policy violations were tracked over the academic year. RESULTS indicated high-risk drinkers in the control group received significantly more sanctions than other students. Results support the effectiveness of web-based interventions. Language: en
"The Wesker Trilogy" Revisited: Games to Compensate for the Inadequacy of Words.

This essay discusses how Wesker conveys his central intuition about the limitations of language by employing verbal and visual games and rituals that function as narrative, analogue, symbol, and subtext in The Trilogy. These games take the form of playfulness to indicate emotional solidarity, of everyday rituals with archetypal or religious undertones, or of games about the acquisition of language itself.
Programming Environments for Systolic Arrays

Although a systolic array is often thought of as a "hard wired" device, there are many reasons to want to program systolic algorithms. In this paper the problem of providing an efficacious programming environment is addressed. The difficulties of programming complex parallel algorithms are shown to be reduced by using a new concept of a parallel "program" which maximizes the use of graphical abstractions and minimizes the need for symbolic text. This concept is illustrated by the Poker Parallel Programming Environment which, although designed for a broader class of algorithms, illustrates the main features that a programming environment specialized to systolic computation should have.
The laminar compressible boundary-layer in the stagnation-point region of an axisymmetric blunt body including the second-order effect of vorticity interaction

Abstract The influence of external vorticity on the laminar compressible boundary layer is examined in the stagnation-point region of an axisymmetric blunt body. The case considered is one where the vorticity is generated by a curved bow-shock wave formed by the body moving at a supersonic speed. The method of solution used is due to Van Dyke and consists of solving first-order (or Prandtl) boundary-layer equations and then solving second-order equations for the vorticity effect, where by second-order we mean second-order in a perturbation parameter related to the inverse square root of a Reynolds number. The first step in the solution of both the first-order equations and the second-order equations for vorticity interaction is reduction of the partial differential equations to ordinary differential equations by a Blasius Series expansion. The resulting ordinary differential equations are then integrated numerically. Results are presented for integration of the equations for the first two terms of the series for the first-order equations and for one term of the series for the second-order equations. These results are obtained for a variety of wall to stagnation-point temperature ratios at the vertex. The results obtained from integrating these equations are compared with the theories and experiments of other authors. Good agreement is found with the theories of some other authors when a pressure gradient which is due to vorticity interaction is set equal to zero. It is found, however, that in general this simplification is not permissible. Agreement is also found with one set of experimental results, but this comparison is not very significant since the present analysis includes only the vorticity effect and not other second-order effects which may be equally important. However, since the second-order equations are linear the other second-order effects may be computed separately and superposed with the vorticity effect to obtain a complete second-order theory.
The empirical characteristic function and large sample hypothesis testing

Abstract The empirical characteristic function is considered as a tool for large sample testing of a hypothesis that can be characterized in terms of the characteristic function. Two test statistics based upon the empirical characteristic function are proposed. The limiting distributions of these test statistics are obtained and methods are suggested for using these limiting distributions to calculate critical regions.
On the equivalence between polymers in quenched disorder and randomly dilute n-vector models

Abstract The formal equivalence between the m, n→0 limit of an O(mn) symmetric o4 field theory and the statistics of a self-avoiding walk in quenched disorder is derived from a continuum representation of the polymer in the presence of obstacles. The effects of disorder on chain size are discussed.
Employment and quality of life in liver transplant recipients

The purposes of liver transplantation (LT) include the extension of survival, improvement in quality of life, and the return of the recipient as a contributing member of society. Employment is one measure of the ability to return to society. The aim of this study is to determine the factors affecting employment/subemployment after LT. A total of 308 adult liver transplant recipients who were seen at the University of California, Los Angeles were administered the Medical Outcomes Short Form 36 (SF-36) and a questionnaire regarding work history and insurance coverage. Multivariate analysis were used to identify independent variables associated with posttransplantation employment. Interaction terms were used to examine effect modification. Of 308 transplant recipients, 218 (70.8%) worked prior to transplantation, and 78 (27%) worked posttransplantation. Pretransplant variables that were independently associated with posttransplantation employment included the following: lack of disability income (odds ratio [OR] = 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.32-7.18; P = 0.36); health maintenance organization (HMO)/preferred provider organization (PPO) insurance (OR = 3.08; 95% CI, 1.32-7.18; P < 0.01); the number of hours worked (OR = 1.17; 95% CI, 1.08-1.28; P < 0.01); and the lack of diabetes mellitus (OR = 0.23; 95% CI, 0.70-0.73; P < 0.01). An interaction term between disability income and hours worked prior to transplantation (OR = 0.16; 95 % CI, 0.03-0.83; P = 0.03) was independently associated with posttransplantation employment. In a separate regression model of SF-36 responses, posttransplantation physical functioning (OR = 1.17; 95% CI, 1.10-1.26; P < 0.01) and role-physical (OR = 1.1; 95% CI, 1.02-1.16; P < 0.01) were independently associated with employment after transplantation. In conclusion, HMO or PPO insurance, lack of disability income coverage prior to transplant, the absence of diabetes mellitus, the number of hours worked prior to transplantation, and high physical functioning were associated with posttransplantation employment.
Effects of per os lead acetate administration on mouse hepatocyte survival

Abstract Previously published studies indicate that hepatotoxicity is associated with high blood lead (Pb) levels in animal models and humans. The present investigation evaluated the effects of in vivo Pb exposure via drinking water on mouse hepatocyte survival in vitro when blood Pb concentrations reflected those seen in children in urban and rural settings (2–15 μg/dl). The findings indicated a biphasic dose–response with low concentrations associated with a modest decrease in hepatocyte survival, while at the highest concentration, survival was significantly enhanced (60%). Since these responses were associated with concentrations normally encountered by children, follow-up investigations are warranted.
High- and low-level dissonance-based eating disorder prevention programs with young women with body image concerns: an experimental trial.

Objective: As cognitive dissonance is theorized to contribute to the effects of dissonance-based eating disorder prevention programs, we evaluated a high-dissonance version of this program against a low-dissonance version and a wait-list control condition to provide an experimental test of the mechanism of intervention effects. Method: Female college students (N 124, mean age 20.9 years, SD 3.9) with body image concerns were randomized to the 3 conditions. The high-dissonance program was designed to maximize dissonance induction, and the low-dissonance program was designed to minimize it; the substantive content of the 2 programs was matched. Results: Relative to controls, those in the high-dissonance condition showed significantly greater reductions in thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dieting, and eating disorder symptoms by posttest, and those in the low-dissonance condition showed significantly greater reductions in the first 3 outcomes by posttest, with most of these effects persisting to 3-month follow-up. High-dissonance participants showed significantly greater reductions in eating disorder symptoms than low-dissonance participants did by posttest, but this effect was nonsignificant by 3-month follow-up. Conclusions: Results suggest that dissonance induction contributes to intervention effects but imply that the intervention content, nonspecific factors, and demand characteristics play a much more potent role in producing effects.
The Effect of Operator Hand Position and Workstation Furniture on Foot Current for Radio Frequency Heater Operators

Abstract The dependence of foot current on operator hand position and workstation furniture was studied to better assess and reduce operator exposure where reactive field coupling predominates (i.e., 10 to 100 MHz and within 1 m of heaters). Reactive coupling contributions to foot current have not been studied in a systematic manner in the laboratory or the workplace. The measurement of current induced in a worker's extremities (i.e., foot, ankle, arm, and wrist) is the most feasible and accurate method to assess reactive field exposures. A total of 72 measurements was made with four workers who were operating two radio frequency (RF) heaters in a workplace. All measurements were made twice in randomized order. Operator posture/furniture and foot current readings were documented by simultaneous videotape recordings. Foot current was determined as a function of 1) the operator's hand position, and 2) the type of stool used. With one exception, foot current increased when the operator's hands were extended ...
Transcripts from a mosquito dihydrofolate reductase gene: evidence for heterogeneity at the 5' end

Heterogeneity among transcripts from the mosquito (Aedes albopictus) dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene in wild-type C7-12 cells and in methotrexate-resistant Mtx-5011-128 cells has been analyzed by Northern blotting, RNAase mapping, and primer extension. In both sensitive and resistant cells, a major transcription initiation site mapped c. 11 nucleotides downstream of the TATAA box, near position -66 relative to the AUG codon. Two other major transcription initiation sites mapped approx. eight and 45 nucleotides, respectively, upstream of the TATAA box. In addition, at least six minor sites were detected, four of which mapped within TATA-like sequences. Within the AT-rich region flanking the 5'-end of the mosquito DHFR gene were four T-rich motifs and three "GTTTGTG" repeats. Additional "GTTTGTG" repeats occurred in the first exon and in the single 56 nucleotide intron of the mosquito DHFR gene. In contrast to the heterogeneity at the 5'-ends of mosquito DHFR transcripts, the 3'-end terminated at a single position, c. 22 nucleotides downstream of the polyadenylation signal.
Global Health and the Role of Universities in the Twenty-First Century

A vast gap exists between knowledge, generation of knowledge, and the application of knowledge to the needs and benefit of the global population. In middle-income and lower-income countries, universities are becoming more engaged with the communities in which they are located to try to solve the difficult problems of poverty and poor health. Global collaborations and reform of medical education in the twenty-first century will help move universities out of cloistered academic settings and into the community to bring the changes needed to equitably meet the health needs of all.
A Transmitter for Telemetering Electrophysiological Data

SummaryA transmitter for radio telemetering a wide range of physiological phenomena has been described. It consists of a small (65 gram over-all weight) three-transistor device with a minimum number of components, having a usable frequency spectrum from 0.1 to 10,000 cycles per second. It offers an input impedance of 500,000 ohms. The system is versatile because a low frequency response can be added or eliminated depending upon the recording needs. It uses a single cell battery which has a life of approximately 330 hours.The transmitter has been used to telemeter and to allow recording of electroencephalograms, electrocardiograms, and respiratory rates from cattle, sheep, chickens and pigeons. Tracings made simultaneously by a direct wire system and radio telemetry were comparable in quality.
Tardigrada of the Caribbean island of Dominica (West Indies)

In June 2009 we surveyed the terrestrial Tardigrada of Dominica, the most northerly of the Windward islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean sea. Out of 112 moss, lichen, liverwort and leaf litter samples, 35 had tardigrades, representing 10 genera and 25 species or species groups. This survey increases the number of species reported from Dominica from 3 to 25, more than the total recorded from any other West Indian island. Twelve species found in Dominica are cosmopolitan or belong to cosmopolitan species groups. Eight species are new to the fauna of the West Indies, one is new to the fauna of the Americas, and at least one is endemic to Dominica.
Studies on the metabolic fate of 111In-labeled antibodies.

Abstract Indium-111-labeled antibodies, though providing superior photon flux to iodine-labeled antibodies, can exhibit high levels of accumulation in some non-target organs. In an effort to understand the nature of this non-target uptake we have evaluated the molecular weight of 111In species retained in several tissues by radio-FPLC (sizing chromatography) following injection of [111In]DTPA 5G6.4, a murine monoclonal antibody, into normal mice. Blood, liver and kidneys were removed, and liver and kidneys were homogenized at several time points after antibody injection. The proportion of 111In-containing species was found to vary with the tissue and with time. Analysis of blood showed only radiolabeled antibody. In the liver, several 111In species were identified with molecular weights compatible with intact antibody, [111In]transferrin, and low molecular weight complexes, with an increase in the proportion of [111In]transferrin and low molecular weight species occurring over time. While the same molecular weight species were also identified in the kidneys, the kidneys contained the largest percentage of low molecular weight species which increased over time. When 125I-labeled 5G6.4 was injected and the tissues similarly analyzed, only radioactive material with the molecular weight of intact antibody was detected. Comparison of two methods of purification of [111In]labeled antibody after labeling revealed a significant difference in the organ uptake of radiolabeled products for 111In. Although dialysis was sufficient for the removal of labile 111In, as determined by TLC, subsequent sizing chromatography on Bio-Gel P-60 dramatically dropped the hepatic and renal uptake of 111In relative to blood and diminished the proportion of the low molecular weight species present on sizing FPLC of extracts from tissues. These data indicate that low and intermediate molecular weight 111In compounds are accreted in the liver and kidneys following the i.p. injection of 111In-labeled monoclonal antibodies and that their uptake can be diminished by more stringent radioantibody purification. This knowledge may be valuable in developing methods for reducing non-target 111In uptake.
Metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the tibia radiologically mimicking osteosarcoma

We report a case of a 73-year-old lady with transitional cell carcinoma and no evidence of metastatic disease presenting with gradual weight loss, pretibial swelling and painful weightbearing. Investigations revealed a lesion of the right tibial diaphysis. The radiological and clinical appearance was that of primary osteosarcoma. Biopsy results revealed metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the tibia. Intramedullary nailing was performed which relieved pain on weightbearing. The patient declined radiotherapy and was started on a palliative care regimen. This case illustrates the importance of histological diagnosis in the treatment of diaphyseal lesions.
Effects of accounting techniques on the study of market power

Abstract This study uses a time series analysis to test for the effects of alternative depreciation and inventory accounting techniques on the estimation of firm-level market power. The key finding is that while alternative inventory measurement techniques have a significant effect on the estimated coefficients of a firm level profit/structure model, depreciation techniques have an insignificant effect on these coefficients. This result is notable because previous researchers have focused exclusively on the biases due to accounting depreciation techniques, and failed to see that alternative inventory techniques have the potential for causing the more significant biases.
Galliosilicate glasses for viscous sealants in solid oxide fuel cell stacks: Part I: Compositional design

Abstract Galliosilicate glasses were developed for sealing intermediate temperature planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks. Candidate sealing glasses were identified for use at operating temperatures of 750 °C and at 850 °C after assessing flow behavior, thermal expansion properties, and crystallization behavior. A series of non-alkali glasses was identified for use at 750 °C within a strontium boro-galliosilicate compositional region that exhibited glass transition temperatures ( T g ) between 658 and 675 °C and coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) between 8 and 9.4 × 10 −6 K −1 . Glass frits and powders flowed below 850 °C and did not crystallize dramatically after 500 h at 750 °C. Several glasses containing 5 mol% mixed alkali were identified in a strontium boro-galliosilicate compositional region for use at 850 °C. The glasses exhibited T g between 615 and 620 °C with CTE from 7.8 to 9.7 × 10 −6 K −1 . Glass frits flowed well below 850 °C and retained remnant glass phase after partial crystallization at 850 °C. The galliosilicate glasses developed in this work enable viscous sealing of SOFC stacks.
Left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular end-diastolic volume in patients with diastolic dysfunction

Diastolic dysfunction can be diagnosed on equilibrium radionuclide angiocardiography (ERNA) by a low peak filling rate (PFR) in the setting of a normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The authors evaluated the relationship between diastolic dysfunction, LVEF, and end-diastolic volume (EDV). A total of 408 predominantly asymptomatic patients with an LVEF ≥50% by ERNA were studied. LVEF of patients with a low PFR was compared with the LVEF of patients with a normal PFR. Correlation analyses to evaluate the association between PFR and EDV were also performed. The LVEF of patients with a low PFR was lower than the LVEF of patients with normal PFR (59±7 vs 63%±7%; P<.01). There was no correlation between EDV and PFR (r=−0.04; P=.32). The results did not change when the EDV indices were used. In patients who had repeat scans, there was no correlation between the change in EDV and the change in PFR (r=0.16; P=.2). In asymptomatic patients undergoing ERNA who have normal systolic function, a low PFR can be associated with a lower LVEF, but it is not associated with changes in EDV. This suggests that diastolic dysfunction is associated with mild systolic dysfunction.
Site Preference of Manganese on the Copper Site in Mn-Substituted CuInSe2 Chalcopyrites Revealed by a Combined Neutron and X-ray Powder Diffraction Study

Ternary chalcopyrite systems are of interest for a number of applications, including host materials for dilute magnetic semiconductors and thin film photovoltaic cells. There are two cation sites, 4a and 4b, in the chalcopyrites, and the location of transition-metal ions in the chalcopyrites plays an important role in determining their magnetic and electrical properties. In this work, neutron and X-ray powder diffraction of the Mn-substituted CuInSe2 compounds, namely, CuIn1−xMnxSe2 (x = 0.05 and 0.10) and Cu1−yIn1−yMn2ySe2 (2y = 0.05, 0.15, and 0.20), has been carried out. Rietveld refinements using the neutron and X-ray diffraction data reveal a site preference of manganese ions on the copper site (4a) rather than the indium site (4b), in both series, namely, under In-poor conditions and under Cu-poor and In-poor conditions. The major fraction of Mn ions occupies the copper site, which thus pushes the expelled copper ions to the indium site, resulting in antisite CuIn defects. These results can help to ...
Comparing FK-506 with basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF) on the repair of a peripheral nerve defect using an autogenous vein bridge model.

ABSTRACT Objective: The limited availability of donor sites for nerve grafts and the morbidity associated with their harvesting serve as motivating factors to actively conduct research to find alternatives to the status quo. Experimental and clinical studies have shown that a vein segment used to bridge a peripheral nerve defect leads to a functional nerve repair. Both FK-506 and b-FGF have been reported to enhance peripheral nerve regeneration. This study compared the effects of FK-506 with that of b-FGF on peripheral nerve regeneration in a rat autogenous vein graft conduit model. Methods: The main trunk of the right sciatic nerve was transected and bridged by an autogenous vein in 30 rats. Small osmotic pumps were placed just proximal to the anastomoses. Groups of 10 rats were assigned to receive saline solution, b-FGF (2,000 units), or FK-506 (0.5 mg/kg/day) via the osmotic pumps for 2 weeks. Sciatic nerve regeneration was evaluated by sensory function, walking track analysis, electrophysiologic studi...
Epicuticular wax of Panicum virgatum

Abstract Leaf and stem wax of Panicum virgatum contains hydrocarbons (4%), esters (3%), free acids (2%), free alcohols (1%), triterpene alcohols (2%), β-diketones (69%) and hydroxy β-diketones (6%). Principal free alcohols range in chain length from C 26 to C 32 . β-Diketones consist almost entirely of tritriacontane-12,14-dione and the hydroxy β-diketone consists only of 5( S )-5-hydroxytritriacontane-12,14-dione. The configuration of the hydroxyl group is the same as that of hydroxy β-diketones from festucoid grasses but opposite to that of the hydroxy β-diketone from Andropogon species.
Surface phenomena during the oxidative coupling of methane over Li/MgO

This paper details an investigation of the oxidative coupling of methane for reaction temperatures up to 645°C over MgO and Li/MgO catalysts using steady-state isotopic transient kinetic analysis (SSITKA). Oxygen-exchange experiments in the absence of methane resulted in a quantification of the lattice oxygen diffusivity and total oxygen uptake. The catalyst had three more-or-less distinct regions: (1) the physical surface at which exchange between the gas phase and the solid occurred, (2) several subsurface atomic layers readily available for exchange, and (3) the bulk oxide. Using isotopic switches of oxygen and methane under steady-state reaction, the active intermediates along the carbon and oxygen reaction pathways were quantified. Lattice oxygen was found to play a significant role in the oxidation process under steady-state reaction. CO and CO2 appeared to be formed via a multistep surface oxidation pathway while ethane was formed via surface-generated intermediates along a parallel pathway. Sites involved with the generation of intermediates for selective coupling were found to have a lower activity than sites active for the generation of nonselective intermediates.
SPECTROSCOPIC ANALYSIS OF BACTERIOCHLOROPHYLLS IN VITRO AND IN VIVO

— Chromatophores from Rhodopseudonionas spheroides were treated with potassium iridic chloride so as to destroy the major complement of bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) without harming the photochemically active P870. A band at 802 mμ, attributed to a pigment P800, survived this treatment along with P870. Extraction of such chromatophores with a mixture of acetone and methanol removed the absorption bands of P800 and P870; a corresponding amount of BChl was found in the extract. The yield of BChl was too great to have been derived from either P800 or P870 alone; analysis of extinction cofficients and band areas of these pigments indicates that they are both specialized fornis of BChl, in a molecular ratio of 2P800:1P870. Bleaching of P870, without attenuation of the absorption band of P800, could be effected by adding potassium ferricyanide to the iridic chloride-treated chromatophores. Extraction of chromatophores in this condition gave a reduced yield of BChl, consistent with a 2:1 ratio of P800 to P870 under the assumption that the BChl in the extract was derived in this case from P800 alone. An absorption band at 600 mμ in iridic chloride-treated chromatophores, characteristic of BChl and ascribed to P800 and P870, is partly bleached and shifted to shoiter wavelengths upon illumination. This reversible effect, and a similar one near 375 mμ (corresponding to the Soret band maximum of BChl), has the combined attributes of the blue-shift of P800 and the bleaching of P870 seen in a spectrally resolved form near 800 and 865 mμ respectively. The 600 mμ band is bleached by about 30 per cent, again consistent with a ratio of 2P800:1P870. These data, in conjunction with information published elsewhere, support the view that two molecules of P800 and one of P870 are associated jointly with a photosynthetic reaction center. It was observed that the long wave absorption bands of BChl in vivo are sometimes narrower than the narrowest bands that have been observed for BChl in dilute organic solutions. Sharpness of these bands is most conspicuous in some forms absorbing near 800 mμ.
Identifying Sources of Error in Informant Reports A Confirmatory Measurement Model Approach

Researchers often seek to understand how organizations make decisions. To obtain data about these organization-level issues, they traditionally have interviewed one or two key persons in the organi...
Atomic-scale simulation of space weathering in olivine and orthopyroxene

Classical molecular dynamics was used to study the annealing of anion and cation Frenkel defects in olivine and orthopyroxene minerals. While it was found that for both minerals, reorganization of the Si–O bonds, often accompanied by large Si displacements, occurs to maintain the fourfold coordination of the SiO4 tetrahedra, important differences are observed in their annealing behavior. Specifically, cation defects are substantially more mobile in olivine than in orthopyroxene leading to rapid annihilation of cation Frenkel defects and formation of extended defects in olivine. By contrast, the diffusion rate of anion defects in orthopyroxene is much higher than that in olivine and also exhibits large anisotropy. Consequently, it was found that diffusion in orthopyroxene occurs without significant annihilation of anion Frenkel defects or trapping of anion interstitials or vacancies into clusters. The results obtained here are discussed in the context of space weathering of olivine and orthopyroxene. Specifically, two important observations are made which may explain previous experimental results. First, ion irradiation experiments that show reduced tolerance for radiation damage in orthopyroxene may be explained by the rapid, one-dimensional anion mobility which prevents healing of the lattice. Second, laser heating experiments which show that orthopyroxene has enhanced tolerance to reduction and the evolution of nanophase Fe inclusions could be due to the observed rapid anion diffusion in orthopyroxene, which might allow the bulk to act as a reservoir for the surface.
Use of neural networks for prediction of vapor/liquid equilibrium K values for light-hydrocarbon mixtures

Equilibrium ratios play a fundamental role in the understanding of phase behavior of hydrocarbon mixtures. They are important in predicting compositional changes under varying temperature and pressure in reservoirs, surface separators, and production and transportation facilities. In particular, they are critical for reliable and successful compositional reservoir simulation. This paper presents a new approach for predicting K values with neural networks (NN`s). The method is applied to binary and multicomponent mixtures, and K-value prediction accuracy is on the order of the traditional methods. However, computing speed is significantly faster.
Appearance of Type 1, 2, and 3 Light-Harvesting Complex II and Light-Harvesting Complex I Proteins during Light-Induced Greening of Barley (Hordeum vulgare) Etioplasts

Monospecific antibodies directed against typical domains of type 1, 2, and 3 light-harvesting complex (LHC) II apoproteins have been used (a) to identify these apoproteins on denaturing sodium dodecyl sulfate gels of barley (Hordeum vulgare) thylakoids, (b) to determine their distribution between grana and stroma membranes, and (c) to follow their accumulation during light-induced greening of etioplasts. In addition, we have studied the light-induced assembly of chlorophyll-protein complexes with a native green gel system (K.D. Allen, L.A. Staehelin [1991] Anal Biochem 194: 214-222). Western blot analysis of the three major LHCII apoprotein bands has identified the highest molecular mass band at 27.5 kD as containing the type 2 LHCII apoproteins, the middle band at 26.9 kD as containing the type 1 LHCII apoproteins, and the lowest band at 26.0 kD as containing the type 3 LHCII apoproteins. During light-induced greening of 6-d-old etiolated barley seedlings, the type 1, 2, and 3 LHCII apoproteins accumulate simultaneously and at similar rates but appear somewhat sooner (
The role of predictive modelling in rationally re-engineering biological systems

Technologies to synthesize and transplant a complete genome into a cell have opened limitless potential to redesign organisms for complex, specialized tasks. However, large-scale re-engineering of a biological circuit will require systems-level optimization that will come from a deep understanding of operational relationships among all the constituent parts of a cell. The integrated framework necessary for conducting such complex bioengineering requires the convergence of systems and synthetic biology. Here, we review the status of these rapidly developing interdisciplinary fields of biology and provide a perspective on plausible venues for their merger.
The fiction of bioethics: a precis.

Recently, bioethics has become interested in engaging with narrative, but in this engagement, narrative is usually viewed as a mere helpmate to philosophy. In this precis to his book The Fiction of Bioethics, Tod Chambers argues that narrative theory should not be simply a helpful addition to medical ethics but instead should be thought of as being as vital and important to the discipline as moral theory itself. The reason we need to rethink the relationship of medical ethics to narrative is that ethicists test their ideas by applying them to cases, and cases are a narrative genre. Recognizing the importance that cases have for the way medical ethicists do ethics is essential in order to appreciate the field as a form of applied philosophy. Like other forms of representation, narrative has distinct and defining features, which ethicists, in order to understand the data of their field, must learn to recognize and differentiate. Ethicists need to attend to the way decisions about the discourse of a narrativ...
Characterization of the First N2S(alkylthiolate)lead Compound: A Model for Three-Coordinate Lead in Biological Systems†

A new N2S(alkylthiolate)-coordinated Pb2+ compound {2-methyl-1-[methyl(2-pyridin-2-ylethyl)amino]propane-2-thiolatolead perchlorate, [PATH-Pb][ClO4]} has been synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction and by 207Pb NMR. [PATH-Pb]+ is the first reported three-coordinate Pb complex with an alkanethiolate ligand and, hence, is a good model for Pb−cysteine interactions in proteins. The Pb center displays distorted trigonal-planar geometry. The Pb−S bond lengths are extremely short (2.590(10) and 2.597(10) A for two distinct monomers in the unit cell). 207Pb NMR revealed a Pb resonance at 5318 ppm, much further downfield than Pb complexes with N and O ligation. Given recent evidence of three-coordinate Pb-binding in proteins with cysteine-rich metal-binding sites, [PATH-Pb]+ is an important model for Pb sites in biological systems. Crystal data: C12H19N2SPbClO4, Mr = 529.99, monoclinic, P21/n, a = 16.8297(9) A, b = 11.9719(6) A, c = 17.0868(9) A, V = 3237.7(3) A3, and Z = 8.