cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Alba Field, Block 16/26a, UK North Sea

Abstract The Alba Field is a relatively heavy oil accumulation lying in an Eocene deep-water channel complex in Block 16/26a of the Central North Sea. With an estimated 880 MMbbl in place, the reservoir is characterized by thick, high net/gross sands with excellent reservoir properties and rock physics favourable for seismic property detection. The field has been developed by horizontal production wells, with pressure support provided by seawater injectors. After 24 years of production, more than 427 MMbbl have been recovered. Over the course of the development, the results of development drilling and improved reservoir imaging from seismic have revealed greater reservoir complexity than anticipated at sanction. The highly irregular reservoir geometry is likely to reflect the internal stacking patterns of channel elements within the channel complex that are locally overprinted by post-depositional remobilization. This increased reservoir complexity has required more wells to effectively drain the expected volumes. Despite this, recovery has exceeded estimates from the initial field development plan, reflecting an extremely efficient waterflood. 4D seismic spectacularly images extensive sweep away from injectors and excellent reservoir connectivity. Throughout the development, the application of seismic technologies has been a key enabler for effective reservoir management and, looking forward, maximizing value.
Nonlinear Control Design for an Anthropomorphic Artificial Hand

A robust nonlinear control strategy for controlling the fingers o f a n a nthropomorphic h and i s p resented. A 15 degrees-of-freedom (DOF) mathematical model of the human hand adhering to the hand's natural constraints is proposed. A sliding mode controller is devised to adjust the finger joint angles in order to achieve a desired pose. In addition, an impedance controller is devised to modify the joint angles in accordance with the force measured at the fingertips thereby ensuring proper grip. In order to reduce the requirement of sensors, an output feedback scheme is proposed using a high gain observer which allows estimation of the system behavior and guarantee robustness. Finally, the control strategy is tested with the help of simulations that verify the efficacy of the proposed output feedback controller (OFB).
Low BMI (< 10th percentile) increases complications and readmissions after posterior spinal fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

While obesity has been shown to predict negative outcomes following PSF in AIS patients, less is known about the effects of low BMI. We sought to elucidate the impact of low BMI on 30-day outcomes in this population. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients undergoing PSF were identified using the 2015–17 ACS-NSQIP-Pediatric database. Patients were placed in underweight (UW, < 10th percentile) and normal weight (NW 10–90th percentile) cohorts based off CDC BMI-to-age growth charts. Demographics, comorbidities, intra-, and postoperative factors were compared via univariate analysis with Benjamini–Hochberg adjustment. Multivariable logistic regression models were generated to assess UW status as a predictor of complications. Two thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine AIS patients undergoing PSF (NW = 2517, UW = 282) were identified. UW patients were older (15.6 vs. 14.7 years), less female dominant (62.4% vs. 79.5%), and had more pulmonary (2.5% vs. 0.4%) and minor cardiac comorbidities (6% vs. 1.7%) compared to NW patients (p < 0.001). UW patients had a greater percentage blood loss (6.7% vs. 5.3% of total blood volume, p < 0.001) and higher complication (3.9% vs. 1.4%, p = 0.008), pneumonia (1.4% vs. 0.1%, p = 0.006), and readmission (3.5% vs. 1.2%, p = 0.001) rates compared to NW patients. UW status was a predictor of ≥ 15% blood volume loss (adjusted OR = 2.65; 95% CI = 1.76–3.97; p < 0.001), pneumonia (aOR = 6.57; 95% CI = 1.80–24.00; p = 0.004), and hospital readmission (aOR = 2.47; 95% CI = 1.02–6.01; p = 0.046). There is a higher occurrence of complications in UW AIS patients undergoing PSF. Low BMI is an independent predictor of ≥ 15% blood loss, pneumonia, and readmissions. Like their overweight counterparts, underweight AIS patients have an increased postoperative risk for negative complications.
Impact of Medicaid expansion on mental health and substance use related emergency department visits.

Background: Although Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act reduces uninsurance, little evidence exists on its impact on mental health and substance use (MHSU) related healthcare utilizat...
Author’s Response to Commentaries: 6th Contribution to the Forum about "The Firebird and the Fox: Russian Culture under Tsars and Bolsheviks" by Jeffrey Brooks

The author of The Firebird and the Fox: Russian Culture under Tsars and Bolsheviks (Cambridge University Press, 2019) responds to comments of Michael David-Fox, Muireann Maguire, Kevin Platt, William Mills Todd, and Olga Velikanova. He expresses appreciation for the reflections provided and elaborates on several points raised by the commentators individually and collectively: the theoretical framing of the work and the importance of agency; continuity of culture over episodes of political disjuncture; the applicability of the term “cultural ecosystem;” an alternative treatment of the topic that would have accorded greater emphasis to political power and the life cycle of revolutions; and the relationship of the work to analysis of institutional history and cultural theory. He finds the five commentaries to be valuable companion pieces for readers of The Firebird and the Fox and stimulants to further scholarship.
Escaping Negative Selection: ILC You in the Gut.

Discriminating between self and non-self is one of the most important and challenging functions of the immune system. This includes the ability to generate responses against non-self, i.e., immunity, while avoiding overt responses to self, i.e., autoimmunity. During T cell development in the thymus, potentially dangerous T cell clones recognizing host self-antigens are either eliminated or re-directed to alternative fates, such as the T regulatory (Treg) cell lineage. The deletion of autoreactive T cells, or negative selection, is directed by ectopic expression of tissuerestricted self-antigens presented by MHCII on medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTEC). The mammalian gut contains trillions of resident commensal bacteria that are physically and functionally integrated with the host. In order to avoid self-reactivity in the host-microbe superorganism, the immune system must ensure unresponsiveness to the commensal ‘‘self.’’ The mechanisms that constrain activation of commensal-specific T cells are poorly understood. As bacterial antigens are not encoded in the host genome, commensal-specific CD4 T cells escape deletion in the thymus. Nevertheless, commensal-specific effector CD4 T cells are not expanded or engaged in the intestineatsteadystate.Thisismainlyachieved
C∞ spectral rigidity of the ellipse

We prove that ellipses are infinitesimally spectrally rigid among C 1 domains with the symmetries of the ellipse. An isospectral deformation of a plane domain 0 is a one-parameter family t of plane domains for which the spectrum of the Euclidean Dirichlet (or Neumann) Laplaciant is constant (including multiplicities). The deformation is said to be a C 1 deformation through C 1 domains if each t is a C 1 domain and the map t ! t is C 1 . We parameterize the boundary @t as the image under the map
Thermal effect of stator winding to the vehicle alternator

The alternator for automobile often operates in a high temperature environment. It generates a lot of heat in the device due to the power dissipation. Under such high temperature, the reliability and durability of alternator are difficult to meet the strict requirements. In this research, from power loss and thermal analysis, different stator windings are designed to decrease the heat which been generated. By decreasing the accumulation of the heat and the thermal resistance of the conduction path, the performance of the alternator is improved.
Weisfeiler-Lehman Refinement Requires at Least a Linear Number of Iterations

Let Lk, m be the set of formulas of first order logic containing only variables from {x1, x2, ..., xk} and having quantifier depth at most m. Let Ck, m be the extension of Lk, m obtained by allowing counting quantifiers ∃ixj, meaning that there are at least i distinct xj's. It is shown that for constants h ≥ 1, there are pairs of graphs such that h-dimensional Weisfeiler-Lehman refinement (h-dim W-L) can distinguish the two graphs, but requires at least a linear number of iterations. Despite of this slow progress, 2h-dim W-L only requires O(√n) iterations, and 3h-1-dim W-L only requires O(logn) iterations. In terms of logic, this means that there is a c > 0 and a class of non-isomorphic pairs (Gnh, Hnh) of graphs with Gnh and Hnh having O(n) vertices such that the same sentences of Lh+1, cn and Ch+1, cn hold (h + 1 variables, depth cn), even though Gnh and Hnh can already be distinguished by a sentence of Lk, m and thus Ck, m for some k > h and m = O(logn).
Estimating Risk Preferences in the Presence of Bifurcated Wealth Dynamics: Do We Misattribute Dynamic Risk Responses to Static Risk Aversion?

Estimating risk preferences is tricky because controlling for confounding factors is difficult. Omitting or imperfectly controlling for these factors can attribute too much observable behavior to risk aversion and bias estimated preferences. Agents often modify risky decisions in response to dynamic wealth or asset thresholds, where they exist. Ignoring this dynamic risk response introduces an attribution bias in static estimates of risk aversion. We demonstrate this pitfall using a simple model and a Monte Carlo simulation to explore the implications of this problem for empirical estimation. Joint estimation of risk preferences and wealth dynamics may remedy the problem, but can be empirically challenging.
Risky Rivers: the Economics and Politics of Floodplain Farming in Amazonia

Risky Rivers: the Economics and Politics of Floodplain Farming in Amazonia Michael Chibnik. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1994.
The problem of variable choice

This paper explores some issues about the choice of variables for causal representation and explanation. Depending on which variables a researcher employs, many causal inference procedures and many treatments of causation will reach different conclusions about which causal relationships are present in some system of interest. The assumption of this paper is that some choices of variables are superior to other choices for the purpose of causal analysis. A number of possible criteria for variable choice are described and defended within a broadly interventionist approach to causation.
Tunneling measurements on crystalline and granular aluminum

Electron tunneling measurements have been carried out on granular and crystalline aluminum. The Eliashberg gap equation has been inverted and ..cap alpha../sup 2/F and ..mu..* are given. Some problems such as anomalous effects in the junction behavior, and deviation from the BCS density of states at the gap edge in the granular case, and the data at low energies are qualitatively discussed.
Epidural anesthesia for repeat cesarean delivery in a parturient with Klippel-Feil syndrome.

A patient with Klippel-Feil syndrome, morbid obesity, and scoliosis required cesarean delivery. Her previous cesarean deliveries were performed under general anesthesia. She desired a regional technique. Following aspiration prophylaxis and placement of standard monitors, ultrasound was used to identify midline and L 2-3 interspace. Unintentional dural puncture occurred at 10 cm, with an inability to advance the catheter. On second attempt, an epidural catheter was placed easily. After negative test dose, 18 ml of 2% lidocaine with epinephrine was administered to the patient. A T4 level was achieved. The patient tolerated surgery well. Complete block resolution occurred at 4 hours with no neurologic sequelae.
Relationship of sperm antibodies in women and men to human in vitro fertilization, cleavage, and pregnancy rate.

PROBLEM: The presence of anti-sperm antibodies (ASA) in female serum has been correlated with decreased fertilization in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) program: however, the impact of each type of ASA (IgG, IgA. IgM) is not known. METHOD: To clarify the role of each ASA subtype, the immunobead binding technique was used to identify IgG. IgA. and IgM ASA in the female sera and on the spermatozoa from 137 couples undergoing the IVF program. RESULTS: Couples with ASA on spermatozoa had a lower fertilization rate and lower number of transferred embryos: and IgG was the major immunoglobin involved. Couples with ASA in female sera showed significant decreases in the rates of fertilization, cleavage, and number of transferred embryos only when IgM was detected, but not IgG or IgA. However, the presence of IgA ASA in female sera was only associated with a decrease in pregnancy rate, although the number of transferred embryos was not reduced. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that ASA can influence the results of IVF and that the specific effect is dependent upon the subtypes of ASA.
Interleukin-1β-dependent Signaling between Astrocytes and Neurons Depends Critically on Astrocytic Calcineurin/NFAT Activity

Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase, calcineurin, have each been shown to play an important role in neuroinflammation. However, whether these signaling molecules interact to coordinate immune/inflammatory processes and neurodegeneration has not been investigated. Here, we show that exogenous application of IL-1beta (10 ng/ml) recruited calcineurin/NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T cells) activation in primary astrocyte-enriched cultures within minutes, through a pathway involving IL-1 receptors and L-type Ca(2+) channels. Adenovirus-mediated delivery of the NFAT inhibitor, VIVIT, suppressed the IL-1beta-dependent induction of several inflammatory mediators and/or markers of astrocyte activation, including tumor necrosis factor alpha, granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and vimentin. Expression of an activated form of calcineurin in one set of astrocyte cultures also triggered the release of factors that, in turn, stimulated NFAT activity in a second set of "naive" astrocytes. This effect was prevented when calcineurin-expressing cultures co-expressed VIVIT, suggesting that the calcineurin/NFAT pathway coordinates positive feedback signaling between astrocytes. In the presence of astrocytes and neurons, 48-h delivery of IL-1beta was associated with several excitotoxic effects, including NMDA receptor-dependent neuronal death, elevated extracellular glutamate, and hyperexcitable synaptic activity. Each of these effects were reversed or ameliorated by targeted delivery of VIVIT to astrocytes. IL-1beta also caused an NFAT-dependent reduction in excitatory amino acid transporter levels, indicating a possible mechanism for IL-1beta-mediated excitotoxicity. Taken together, the results have potentially important implications for the propagation and maintenance of neuroinflammatory signaling processes associated with many neurodegenerative conditions and diseases.
Ribosomal Protein Conferring Sensitivity to the Antibiotic Spectinomycin in Escherichia coli

Reconstitution of 30S ribosomal particles from 16S ribosomal RNA and total proteins, or from core proteins and split proteins obtained from the ribosomes of strains of Escherichia coli sensitive to and resistant to spectinomycin, shows that the split protein fraction determines the response of polypeptide synthesis in virto to spectinomycin. Reconstitution of active particles in the presence of isolated split proteins allowed the identification of the single split protein responsible for spectinomycin sensitivity.
Managerial and Personnel Considerations of Ergonomics of Technology Transfer to Newly Industrializing Countries

The importance of recognizing human factors in technology transfer to Newly Industrializing Countries and identifying the increase in complexity of these factors as the human aspect crosses cultural, ethnic and national boundaries is becoming more evident. These considerations are proving to be major determining factors of the success of the technology transfer projects. This paper cites examples and discuss such differences in anthropometrics, physiological aspects, perceptual and cognitive characteristics, and the managerial considerations of work attitudes, training, and translation. These differences need to be identified not only abroad, but also in the U.S., as business with foreign nationals done in the U.S. increases. In other words, human factors in technology transfer should not be limited to developing countries, but should also be applied to operations within the U.S., as visiting foreign nationals also need to be trained.
On Book Burnings and Book Burners: Reflections on the Power (and Powerlessness) of Ideas

This article seeks to offer an overview of how in the past books (and even authors of books) have been burned in an effort to eradicate their ideas and also to punish their authors. The article demonstrates that this disposition appears to be a universal trait, not at all confined to the Western (Christian) tradition.
Preventing falls in hospitals. The roles of patient age and diagnostic status in predicting falls.

Patient falls are some of the most frequent accidents in hospitals, and they can lead to significant personal and financial costs for both patients and facilities. This study examines the relationship between two patients characteristics and patient falls at a large general hospital and a small psychiatric facility in Tennessee; its findings should be useful for hospital risk management. Language: en
Prevention of Psychiatric Disorders

Psychiatric disorders are highly prevalent and cause an enormous burden of suffering, loss of productivity, morbidity, and mortality. This article will review prevention of psychiatric disorders in a manner that is relevant to the mental health clinician. Clinicians may increasingly play a role in preventive interventions through (1) identifying individuals at risk, (2) consulting with agencies, school personnel, and employers who may identify individuals at risk, (3) providing treatment that can reduce the chronicity, severity, and total duration of psychiatric illness, and (4) providing mental health care to a specific population within our evolving health care system, in which health promotion and disease prevention play an increasingly important role. Appropriate literature was located by searching the English-language citations since 1985 in Index Medicus (search terms included prevention, preventive psychiatry, early intervention, mental disorders, risk factors, and primary prevention), reviewing several textbooks on psychiatric preventive services, and finding additional sources cited in the reference sections of these publications. This paper presents the public health model of disease prevention, which divides prevention activities into primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions. The model is applied to childhood psychiatric disorders and to adult-onset schizophrenia, depressive disorders, and substance use disorders. The review concludes with a discussion of the implications for the clinician and for public health policy.
Selective expression and rapid regulation of GABAA receptor subunits in geniculocortical neurons of macaque dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus

Monocular deprivation in adult macaques produces a rapid down-regulation in GABA and GABAA receptor subunit immunoreactivity in deprived-eye columns of primary visual cortex (VI) but a significantly delayed GABA reduction in deprived layers of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). These findings, suggesting that normal inhibitory neurotransmission persists in LGN at a time when VI inhibitory mechanisms are greatly altered, are consistent with physiological studies that have demonstrated a greater degree of functional plasticity in VI than in LGN. Nonetheless, functional adaptation to partial loss of visual input has been detected in the LGN, indicating that synaptic plasticity takes place in this nucleus. In the present study, evidence for early changes in inhibitory neurotransmission were examined with immunocytochemical methods to determine if, in the absence of early GABA regulation, GABAA receptor subunits in macaque LGN are affected by adult deprivation. Immunoreactivity for alpha 1 and beta 2/3 subunits of the GABAA receptor was intense within the magnocellular layers and more modest in the parvocellular layers and intercalated layers. In all layers, immunoreactivity was present in the cytoplasm and along the surfaces of relatively large somata and in dense tangles of processes in the neuropil. Double-labeling experiments demonstrated that somata and processes immunoreactive for alpha 1 and beta 2/3 were surrounded by GABA terminals but no cell intensely immunoreactive for either subunit expressed immunoreactivity for GABA, itself. Following periods of monocular deprivation by tetrodotoxin (TTX) injection for 4 days or longer, layers deprived of visual activity displayed levels of alpha 1 and beta 2/3 immunoreactivity markedly lower than those displayed by the adjacent, normally active layers. Such changes were greater as the period of deprivation increased. The changes included a loss of immunostaining in and around somata and in many neuropil elements of deprived layers. These data indicate that GABA and GABAA receptor subunits alpha 1 and beta 2/3 are expressed by separate populations of neurons in macaque LGN that are differentially regulated by visual activity. The findings suggest that rapid, activity-dependent regulation of postsynaptic receptors represents one mechanism for altering synaptic strength in the adult macaque visual system.
A Simplified Derivation of the Diabatic Wind Profile

Abstract An expression for the diabatic wind profile is derived using dimensional analysis and the assumption that the turbulent exchange coefficient for momentum can be partitioned into two parts, one associated with forced convection and the other with natural convection. The limitation of the profile to neutral or unstable conditions is stressed.
The experience of self-awareness and its relation to level of self-consciousness: An experiential sampling study

Abstract The present research studied self-awareness by utilizing experiential sampling methodology, which allows for the random sampling of individuals' thoughts and feelings as they go about their normal daily activities. Neither Study 1 nor 2 found a relation between private or public self-awareness and negative affect. However, attention to private self-aspects was generally more positive and less ruminative for low as opposed to high private self-conscious subjects, and awareness of oneself as a social object was generally more positive but less important for low as opposed to high public self-conscious subjects. What may have accounted for the negative relation between private self-consciousness and average affect was that low private self-conscious subjects were more likely to attend to their private self-aspects if they were pleasant than if they were unpleasant, while high private self-conscious subjects' degree of private self-awareness was unrelated to whether the content of this state was pleasant or not. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that low private self-conscious individuals engage in a more selective type of self-attention when in the private self-aware state than do high private self-conscious individuals. Regarding the relation between self-awareness and social context, both studies found that the presence of others results in a heightened public self-awareness. However, even though subjects were more attentive to public self-aspects when with others than when alone, in general, they were more attentive to their “private self” than to their “public self”. Results are discussed in terms of current self-awareness theory.
III.—Some flies of the family Syrphidæ in the British Museum (Natural History)

(1944). III.—Some flies of the family Syrphidae in the British Museum (Natural History). Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Vol. 11, No. 73, pp. 21-61.
A Simple Linearized Hot-Wire Anemometer

The circuit and application of an inexpensive simple linearized hot wire anemometer especially suited to turbulence research in incompressible media is described. Special features of the design are very high stability, simple bridge adjustment, and a linearizer having an adjustable exponent and very high transfer function accuracy. Measured frequency response is in excess of 100 kilohertz for the bridge and 7.5 kilohertz for the linearizer.
The dihedral angle of 2-(trifluoromethyl)phenothiazine

The structure of 2-(trifluoromethyl)phenothiazine, C13H8NSF3, was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The molecule crystallizes in space group P212121, with a = 7.766(2), b = 5.957(1), and c = 23.499(5)A. The final R value is 0.073. The CSC bond angle is 102.0°, the CNC bond angle is 124.8°, and the dihedral angle between the phenylene planes is 171.2(1)°. The hydrogen atom bonded to the nitrogen atom was located; it is on the inside of the butterfly angle and the S…NH bond angle is 173.3°.
Pretreatment with Topical Didofenac Sodium to Decrease Postoperative Inflammation

Purpose: Anti-inflammatory medications are traditionally administered to the eye only postoperatively for control of inflammation. Because the presumed mechanism of action of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is to inhibit the formation of prostaglandin mediators of inflammation, the author studied the effect that pretreatment with an NSAID had on postoperative inflammation. Methods: In a prospective study, 60 patients scheduled for phacoemulsification with silicone lens implantation were randomly assigned to receive either (1) pretreatment with one drop of diclofenac sodium 0.1% four times per day for the 3 days before surgery plus one drop of diclofenac sodium 0.1% every 15 minutes for four doses, beginning 1 hour before surgery along with the dilating drops; (2) no retreatment, but one drop of diclofenac sodium 0.1 % every 15 minutes for four doses beginning 1 hour before surgery along with the dilating drops; or (3) no diclofenac sodium drops at all before surgery. No anti-inflammatory medications were given either during or immediately after surgery, and all patients were begun on a regimen of one drop of diclofenac sodium 0.1% to the operated eye four times per day after being examined on the first post-operative day. Postoperative inflammation was measured on the first postoperative day and at 1 week with a laser cell and flare meter. Results: On the first postoperative day, the mean flare score for group A was 25.59 photons/millisecond; for group B, 29.69 photons/millisecond; and for group C, 33.07 photons/millisecond. The difference between groups A and C was statistically significant. The differences between groups A and B and between groups B and C were not statistically significant. There was no statistically significant difference for cell scores at 1 day or for cell or flare scores at 1 week. Conclusion: The pretreatment with an NSAID before cataract surgery can reduce the amount of initial postoperative inflammation.
Dose-dependent proconvulsant and anticonvulsant actions of the alpha2 adrenergic agonist, xylazine, on kindled seizures in the rat

Abstract The effects of the alpha2 adrenergic agonist, xylazine, was evaluated on kindling acquisition and on kindled seizure expression in rats. Dose-dependent proconvulsant and anticonvulsant properties were found. The proconvulsant effects were observed at low (0.3 mg/kg) doses. In previously kindled rats these consisted of a decrease in afterdischarge threshold and an increase in the length and severity of the accompanying seizure. This dose also facilitated the rate of kindling in naive subjects. The anticonvulsant effects were observed at higher dose levels (3–20 mg/kg) which also produced sedation and ataxia. If these effects upon kindling are related to the adrenergic actions of xylazine, then it is proposed that the proconvulsant effects are associated with alpha2 receptor activation and the anticonvulsant effects with alpha1 receptor activation.
Differential Effects of Iron on the Growth of Listeria monocytogenes: Minimum Requirements and Mechanism of Acquisition

The differential effects of iron on the growth of virulent and avirulent Listeria monocytogenes were examined. We found that virulent strains exhibited faster rates of growth as a function of iron than did the avirulent strains. We also noted that serum was microbiostatic, but this microbiostasis was overcome either by saturating the serum transferrin with iron or by increasing the number of organisms initially inoculated into the serum. We were unable to identify any component of a high-affinity iron transport system. We did find, however, that this microorganism removes iron from Fe -transferrin-CO3-- by a reductive pathway, and we propose that this pathway is a nonspecific mechanism of iron acquisition.
Client delegated control within an ASP infrastructure

Network programmability is a means by which some of the network operator's control is ceded to the network user. While the research community recognizes that networks need to be more programmable to accelerate the speed with which innovation can be introduced, operators have been understandably loath to ‘open up’ their networks until there is some compelling reason to do so. We present a problem: the dynamic creation and modification of Service Level Agreements (SLA) in an Application Service Providers (ASP) infrastructure, which we argue can only be addressed by allowing clients some degree of programmability over that infrastructure. The entity that clients instrument is termed an Instant Corporation or ICorp and encapsulates server, network and proxying devices. We consider the issues involved in a ASP infrastructure which supports such client delegated control through a description of a working implementation called the ICorpMaker.
THE MYTH OF “NATURAL” CHILDBIRTH

Abstract This paper has summarized a sampling of observations by many social scientists and physicians who have viewed the practices of people in traditional cultures. There has been no intent to point out what is natural or ideal. Rather, it is hoped that the examples of practices different than our own will emphasize the varied ways in which the birthing and feeding processes have been approached. Today we need to make use of the contributions of social science and history to see our own traditions and rituals in context and be open to explore new and old avenues for mothers, fathers. and babies at the time of birth.
Immune response induced by N-lauroylsarcosine extracted outer-membrane proteins of an isolate of Edwardsiella ictaluri in channel catfish

A virulent isolate of Edwardsiella ictaluri (AL-93-75), the causative agent of enteric septicaemia of catfish (ESC), was used to derive a lipopolysaccharide-reduced N-lauroylsarcosine outer-membrane protein (OMP) fraction vaccine. The OMP fraction was analyzed using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and compared to whole-cell lysate, purified lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and a crude cell-wall fraction. The OMP fraction contained less than 2% (W/V) LPS. SDS-PAGE showed that whole cell lysates contained 27 proteins from 107 to 14.3 kDa, whereas OMP contained nine proteins from 97 to 14.3 kDa, LPS contained two proteins at 45 and 37 kDa bands and a smear of bands below 14.3 kDa, and cell wall fraction contained 21 proteins from 97 to 8 kDa. Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, were vaccinated with 12.5 microg/100 microl OMP and immunogenicity was confirmed by subsequent Western blots. Blots showed that 97, 80, and 19 kDa proteins were immunogenic. Rapid enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) demonstrated that OMP produced a weak, but observable antibody response by 21 days post injection. OMP concentrations of 3.13, 6.25, 12.5, 25, and 50 microg/100 microl total protein were tested for protective immunity. Marginal protection by relative percent survival (RPS) was only seen for fish injected with 12.5 microg/100 microl with RPSs between 55-67.5%. A booster dose of 12.5 microg/100 microl OMP did not significantly enhance protection.
Parallel system simulation

A relaxation algorithm composed of both a time-step parallel algorithm and a component-wise parallel algorithm is proposed for solving large-scale system simulation problems in parallel. The interconnected nature of the system, which is characterized by the component connection model, is fully exploited by this approach. A technique for finding an optimal number of the time steps is also described. Finally, this algorithm is illustrated via several examples in which the possible trade-offs between the speedup ratio, efficiency, and waiting time are analyzed.
Distribution of Three Auxin Protector Substances in Seeds and Shoots of the Japanese Morning Glory (Pharbitis nil)

The existence of substances which inhibit the enzymatic destruction of auxin in shoots of the Japanese morning glory (Pharbitis nil Choisy) has been confirmed, as has the fact that these substances are distributed in a gradient diminishing from apex to base in a manner indicating a regulatory role in internode elongation and tissue maturation. In addition to the 2 auxin protector substances reported previously (protectors I and II) which appear to account for most of the inhibition of the enzymatic destruction of auxin in young, elongating stem tissue, a third substance, designated as protector A, has been found to be highly active in seeds, and shoot tips of mature plants: In germinating seeds, no protector I or II activity was observed; in stem tips, no protector II and only slight protector I activity was observed. In contrast, old tissue contained no detectable amounts of protector A, but did contain protectors I and II. Between these extremes along the shoot axis, mixtures of the 3 substances were found. The evidence can be interpreted to mean that protector A is degraded into protectors I and II and perhaps translocated in this form. Gel filtration studies indicate that protector A has a molecular weight exceeding 200,000 gm/mole.
Novel PAX9 and COL1A2 Missense Mutations Causing Tooth Agenesis and OI/DGI without Skeletal Abnormalities

Inherited dentin defects are classified into three types of dentinogenesis imperfecta (DGI) and two types of dentin dysplasia (DD). The genetic etiology of DD-I is unknown. Defects in dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) cause DD type II and DGI types II and III. DGI type I is the oral manifestation of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a systemic disease typically caused by defects in COL1A1 or COL1A2. Mutations in MSX1, PAX9, AXIN2, EDA and WNT10A can cause non-syndromic familial tooth agenesis. In this study a simplex pattern of clinical dentinogenesis imperfecta juxtaposed with a dominant pattern of hypodontia (mild tooth agenesis) was evaluated, and available family members were recruited. Mutational analyses of the candidate genes for DGI and hypodontia were performed and the results validated. A spontaneous novel mutation in COL1A2 (c.1171G>A; p.Gly391Ser) causing only dentin defects and a novel mutation in PAX9 (c.43T>A; p.Phe15Ile) causing hypodontia were identified and correlated with the phenotypic presentations in the family. Bone radiographs of the proband’s dominant leg and foot were within normal limits. We conclude that when no DSPP mutation is identified in clinically determined isolated DGI cases, COL1A1 and COL1A2 should be considered as candidate genes. PAX9 mutation p.Phe15Ile within the N-terminal β-hairpin structure of the PAX9 paired domain causes tooth agenesis.
Therapeutic developments in cytomegalovirus retinitis

The incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in AIDS has declined significantly due to the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). However, patients with HIV, especially those failing HAART, may still suffer with CMV retinitis, which can lead to significant loss of vision and blindness. Ganciclovir has traditionally been considered the recommended treatment for CMV retinitis; however, due to side effects and the possibility of developing viral resistance, other agents may be preferred in certain situations. Foscarnet, which has similar efficacy to ganciclovir but a different side effect profile, is more difficult to administer and is less well-tolerated. Intravenous cidofovir, which may be more effective than either iv. ganciclovir or foscarnet, can also be used as a first line agent; however, it is associated with toxicity (renal and ocular) and thus needs careful use. Local therapy for CMV retinitis has been a significant advance. The intraocular ganciclovir implant has the highest effi...
Detection of high energy μ-mesons by an air Čerenkov counter

An investigation of the properties of air Cerenkov counters is described. A quantitative interpretation of the results is given.
Consumer engagement with brands on social network sites: A cross-cultural comparison of China and the USA

To advance theoretical understanding of consumer engagement on social media, this cross-cultural study evaluates how culture influences consumers’ engagement levels and activities on brand pages of social network sites. It further evaluates the underlying motivations and engagement mechanisms in two culturally distinct countries, China and the USA. Specifically, social media dependency, parasocial interaction, and community identification are examined as the key antecedents of consumer-brand engagement. The results confirm the effects of the proposed antecedents and reveal both cultural differences and similarities between Chinese and American consumers’ engagement with brand pages on social network sites.
Homology and diversity between intermediate filament proteins of neuronal and nonneuronal origin in goldfish optic nerve.

: The predominant intermediate filament proteins of the goldfish optic nerve have molecular weights of 58K. They can be separated into a series of four major isoelectric variants of neuronal (ON1 and ON2) and nonneuronal (ON3 and ON4) origin. The extent of homology between the goldfish 58K intermediate filament proteins themselves and to rat optic nerve vimentin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was investigated. Unlabeled and [32P]orthophosphate-labeled proteins were subjected to partial hydrolysis by V8 protease, chymotrypsin, and CNBr. The results show that the goldfish intermediate filament proteins share with vimentin and GFAP a 40K chymotrypsin-resistant core fragment. Phosphorylated moieties appear to be located outside the core region since they are preferentially cleaved off by chymotrypsin and not found associated with the 40K core. In addition, the goldfish ON proteins contain the antigenic site within the core that is common to most intermediate filaments. V8 or CNBr digestion indicates that many fragments that are common to ON1 and ON2 are clearly distinct from fragments that are common to ON3 and ON4. In addition, structural variability is observed between the goldfish intermediate filament proteins and vimentin and GFAP. The results are discussed in terms of intermediate filament structure and their possible role in nerve growth.
Neural-network learning and Mark Twain's cat

In current practice in the engineering community, neural networks are used as only one useful class of adaptive pattern recognizer. Neural networks, however, are far more than devices that can learn accurate input-output transformation or form good category boundaries for pattern classifiers. They are a new form of computer, good at some unfamiliar problems, but quite poor at some familiar ones. An application involving a neural network learning some elementary arithmetic is discussed. It is shown that a simple network program can be implemented by differential weighting of the input data vector. In favorable cases the programming vector can be estimated by seeing relatively few examples of the output, if the task and the structure of the data allow it. Therefore, easy programming is allowed in only a limited domain, controlled by the data representation. >
Earman and Roberts on Empiricism about Laws

Earman and Roberts (2005) argue that a standard definition of “empiricism about laws of nature’’ is inadequate, and propose an alternative definition they think is better. But their argument against the standard definition fails, and their alternative is defective.
Inside the Black Box: Making Design Decisions for Instruction.

The literature on instructional design argues that curricula, educational materials, and instructional strategies are best created using a ‘systems approach’. Models for the systematic design of educational programmes have proliferated over the past decade. But these models are prescriptive and not based on research into how designers actually think when they approach a design task. Important theoretical and empirical studies from the fields of art, architecture, and artificial intelligence are summarized here as a prelude to presentation of findings from a study of design activities among a group of 26 novice instructional designers. Among other things, the study investigated: (1) the prevalence of initial generation of more than one possible design solution; (2) the basis on which candidate solutions were accepted or rejected; (3) the constraints encountered in proceeding with the design; and (4) the way in which designers knew that they were finished with the design. Results indicate that novice designers have difficulty entertaining multiple possible solutions, especially for more than a few steps into design work; that alternatives are eliminated very rapidly; that designers are not. proficient in representing design problems to themselves or to others; and that they have trouble saying what a reasonable stopping point is. Suggestions for further research, and for contributions that instructional design might make to the ongoing research effort on human problem-solving, are presented.
Lightweight lidar telescopes for space applications

NASA is intent on exploiting the unique perspective of space-based remote optical instruments to observe and study large-scale environmental processes. Emphasis on smaller and more affordable missions continues to force the remote sensing instruments to find innovative ways to reduce the size, weight, and cost of the sensor package. This is a challenge because many of the proposed instruments incorporate a high quality meter-class telescope that can be a significant driver of total instrument costs. While various methods for telescope weight reduction have been achieved, many of the current approaches rely on exotic materials and specialized manufacturing techniques that limit availability or substantially increase costs. A competitive lightweight telescope technology that is especially well suited to space-based coherent Doppler wind lidar has been developed through a collaborative effort involving NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) through the Global Hydrology and Climate Center (GHCC) and the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) at the Center for Applied Optics (CAO). The new lightweight optics using metal alloy shells and surfaces (LOMASS) fabrication approach is suitable for high quality metal mirrors and meter-class telescopes. Compared to alternative materials and fabrication methods the new approach promises to reduce the areal density of a meter-class telescope to less than 15-kg/sq m; deliver a minimum VIO-RMS surface optical quality; while using commercial materials and equipment to lower procurement costs. The final optical figure and finish is put into the mirrors through conventional diamond turning and polishing techniques. This approach is especially advantageous for a coherent lidar instrument because the reduced telescope weight permits the rotation of the telescope to scan the beam without requiring heavy wedges or additional large mirrors. Ongoing investigations and preliminary results show promise for the LOMASS approach to be successful in demonstrating a novel alternative approach to fabricating lightweight mirrors with performance parameters comparable with the Space Readiness Coherent Lidar Experiment (SPARCLE). Development and process characterization is continuing with the design and fabrication of mirrors for a 25-cm telescope suitable for a lidar instrument.
Violence, Weak Ontology, and Late-Modernity

This essay responds to the characterization Ted Miller offers (in his December 2008 essay in Political Theory) of the kind of nonfoundationalism I have referred to as “weak ontology,” and that Gianni Vattimo frequently calls “weak thought.” Miller argues that such a position embodies, first, a philosophy of history in which strong ontologies (e.g., religion) are assessed categorically as passe, and, second, are associated essentially with violence. I show that while these characterizations may be appropriate for Vattimo’s thought, they are not for weak ontology as I understand it. Finally, I suggest that the former might more usefully be categorized as “antifoundationalism” and the latter as “nonfoundationalism.”
Acetyl-CoA decarbonylase/synthase complex from Archaeoglobus fulgidus.

The acetyl-CoA decarbonylase/synthase (ACDS) multienzyme complex catalyzes the reversible cleavage and synthesis of acetyl-CoA in methanogens. This report of the enzyme complex in Archaeoglobus fulgidus demonstrates the existence of a functional ACDS complex in an organism that is not a methanogen. The A. fulgidus enzyme complex contained five subunits of 89, 72, 50, 49.5, and 18.5 kDa, and it catalyzed the overall synthesis of acetyl-CoA according to the following reaction: CO2 + 2 Fdred(Fe2+) + 2 H+ + CH3 - H4SPt + CoA acetyl-CoA + H4SPt + 2 Fdox(Fe3+) + H2O where Fd is ferredoxin, and CH3-H4SPt and H4SPt denote N5-methyl-tetrahydrosarcinapterin and tetrahydrosarcinapterin, respectively.
The Old Testament Background of Rev 3.14

Christ describes himself in Rev 3.14 as ‘the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God’. Commentators have suggested a variety of backgrounds for the threefold title. The purpose of this study is to review these proposals and argue in support of one of them.
A calculation of the thermal expansion of germanium

Abstract The Gruneisen parameters, γ3 j , for a number of the acoustic modes of vibration of Ge have been calculated. The method of calculation is an approximate one which uses the volume dependence of the elastic constants, plus an adjustable parameter which tends to simulate the results of a shell model calculation. The resulting γ3 j for the transverse modes are rapidly varying functions of the wave vector, q. They are positive for small q and negative near the Brillouin zone surface. Optical modes are treated in the Einstein approximation. The calculated γ3 is in good agreement with experiment at all temperatures when optical modes are included. The optical modes contribute appreciably to γ3 at temperatures where their contribution to C v is negligible.