cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The benefit of intravenous thrombolysis prior to mechanical thrombectomy within the therapeutic window for acute ischemic stroke

Abstract The increase in risk for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with age is well established. If not treated properly and promptly, AIS can result in permanent neurological damage and even death. This literature review assesses the clinical outcomes of AIS patients treated with both intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) prior to mechanical thrombectomy (MT) compared to those treated solely with mechanical thrombectomy. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses published from 2015 to 2020 and available on PubMed were selected for review, and their quantitative and qualitative findings were extrapolated and summarized. Post-hoc analyses from ASTER and ETIS trials were reviewed as well as the impact of combined therapy and monotherapy on large vessel occlusions (LVO). Clinical outcomes in all examined trials demonstrated significant successful reperfusion as well as a higher rate of functional independence at 90 days for IVT prior to MT. Concerns of thrombus fragility, safety and cost effectiveness of dual therapy are also addressed. Based on these findings, we recommend the use of IVT as a pretreatment procedure to MT for AIS when eligible for IVT. Recent articles further strengthen this recommendation and provide new insights that IVT prior to MT is especially beneficial for patients presenting with multiple LVOs localized to the anterior intracranial circulation. Additional multi-center RCTs are necessary for further analysis of statistical outcomes demonstrating mixed effects.
Reinforcement Learning for Mean Field Games, with Applications to Economics.

Mean field games (MFG) and mean field control problems (MFC) are frameworks to study Nash equilibria or social optima in games with a continuum of agents. These problems can be used to approximate competitive or cooperative games with a large finite number of agents and have found a broad range of applications, in particular in economics. In recent years, the question of learning in MFG and MFC has garnered interest, both as a way to compute solutions and as a way to model how large populations of learners converge to an equilibrium. Of particular interest is the setting where the agents do not know the model, which leads to the development of reinforcement learning (RL) methods. After reviewing the literature on this topic, we present a two timescale approach with RL for MFG and MFC, which relies on a unified Q-learning algorithm. The main novelty of this method is to simultaneously update an action-value function and a distribution but with different rates, in a model-free fashion. Depending on the ratio of the two learning rates, the algorithm learns either the MFG or the MFC solution. To illustrate this method, we apply it to a mean field problem of accumulated consumption in finite horizon with HARA utility function, and to a trader's optimal liquidation problem.
Negative Skin Friction and Bitumen-Coated Pile Design

Negative skin friction is the process through which skin friction due to soil acts downward. When skin friction is acting downward, pile capacity decreases. Negative skin friction (also known as down drag) can be a major problem in some sites. The causes of negative skin friction are—placement of fill and change in groundwater level. In most situations, fill has to be placed to achieve necessary elevations. The weight of the fill would consolidate the clay layer. Generally, the piles are driven after placing the fill layer. Negative skin friction can be effectively reduced by providing a bitumen coat around the pile. Bitumen coating should be applied above the neutral plane. In some cases, it may not be necessary to apply bitumen on the full length of the pile above the neutral plane. Bitumen can reduce the skin friction by 50% to 90%. It is important to understand the behavior of bitumen before designing bitumen-coated piles. Bitumen does not behave as a solid or fluid; it has its own behavior.
Ultrasonic Findings in Diabetic Vitreoretinopathy

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate by serial ultrasonography the course of the vitreoretinal disease of diabetes, to determine what information may be obtained from ultrasonic evaluation and whether ultrasonic examination can predict remissions or exacerbations. The ultimate goals are to evaluate ultrasonography as a method for determining the advisability of vitrectomy in these eyes and to determine the role of ultrasound in the planning and execution of the vitrectomy procedure.
Studies of the prevalence and significance of radiolabeled bile acid malabsorption in a group of patients with idiopathic chronic diarrhea.

Abstract We studied radiolabeled fecal bile acid excretion in 11 normal subjects and 17 patients with idiopathic chronic diarrhea for three major purposes: (a) to establish normal values for this test in the presence of increased stool volumes (induced in normal subjects by ingestion of poorly absorbable solutions); (b) to test for bile acid malabsorption in the patients and to correlate this with an independent test of ileal function, the Schilling test; and (c) to compare the results of the bile acid excretion test with the subsequent effect of a bile acid binding agent (cholestyramine) on stool weight. In normal subjects fecal excretion of the radiolabel was increased with increasing stool volumes. As a group, patients with idiopathic chronic diarrhea excreted radiolabeled bile acid more rapidly than normal subjects with induced diarrhea (t12 56 ± 8 vs. 236 ± 60 h, respectively, p
Artificial Neural Networks Aid the Design of Non-carcinogenic Azo Dyes

This research involves the integration of fuzzy entropies (used in the context of measuring uncertainty and information) with computational neural networks. An algorithm for the creation and manipulation of fuzzy entropies, extracted by a neural network from a data set, is designed and implemented. The neural network is used to find patterns in terms of structural features and properties that correspond to a desired level of activity in various azo dyes. Each molecule is described by a set of structural features, a set of physical properties and the strength of some activity under consideration. After developing an appropriate set of input parameters, the neural network is trained with selected molecules, then a search is carried out for compounds that exhibit the desired level of activity. High level molecular orbital and density functional techniques are employed to establish databases of various molecular properties required by the neural network approach.
Patient recruitment : US perspective

There are many ethical, legal, economic, scientific, and practical problems associated with conducting drug trials in children. The single most difficult is subject identification and enrollment (ie, recruitment). This article reviews various aspects of the recruitment process and proposes potential solutions to recruitment problems.
Basic Gerontological Competence for All Social Workers

Summary Over the past decade, social work education has generally failed to mount a significant effort to better prepare its future practitioners to serve the needs of a growing aging population. The demographics of aging suggest a need and demand for social workers that specialize in services to older adults. However, there are insufficient programs, resources or interested students for expanding specialization opportu-nities. Specialization also does not address the growing realization by the profession that there is an enormous need for basic gerontological competency for all social workers. This paper presents data gathered by SAGE-SW, the John A. Hartford Foundation funded project at the Council on Social Education, that makes the case for strategic inclusion of aging education as an important consideration for social work education and teaching across the lifespan. The paper addresses numerous challenges to infusion or integration efforts aimed at restructuring the social work curriculum, and presen...
Stang's Reagent

[129540-75-6] C8H5F3INO3S (MW 379.10) InChI = 1S/C7H5IN.CHF3O3S/c9-6-8-7-4-2-1-3-5-7;2-1(3,4)8(5,6)7/h1-5H;(H,5,6,7)/q+1;/p-1 InChIKey = QYIDDNJHGVNWSO-UHFFFAOYSA-M (iodonium salts, Pummerer initiation) Alternative Name: cyano(phenyl)iodonium triflate. Physical Data: white solid, mp 118 °C (dec). Solubility: soluble in acetonitrile, poorly soluble in most organic solvents at rt. Handling, Storage, Precautions: stable at rt in a desiccator for several days; stable for up to a year in refrigerated glove box; orange oil indicates decomposition.
Evaluation of Protein Backbone Alphabets: Using Predicted Local Structure for Fold Recognition

Optimally combining available information is one of the key challenges in knowledge-driven prediction techniques. In this study, we evaluate six Phi and Psi-based backbone alphabets. We show that the addition of predicted backbone conformations to SVM classifiers can improve fold recognition. Our experimental results show that the inclusion of predicted backbone conformations in our feature representation leads to higher overall accuracy compared to when using amino acid residues alone.
Nutritional interventions in cardiovascular disease: New challenges and opportunities

New opportunities for control of cardiovascular disease (CVD) through nutritional interventions can be divided into three areas: nutritional intervention on newly identified causes of CVD; nutritional strategies to more efficiently or equitably employ current, proven interventions; and nutritional approaches to reduce costs and improve effectiveness so that benefits can be expanded to more of the population. Examples of newly identified causes of CVD amenable to nutritional intervention include fetal/early childhood malnutrition and gene-environment interactions. Examples of more efficient or equitable nutritional strategies include better nutrition education for healthcare providers, patient education resources on the Internet, and widely available functional foods or nutriceuticals. Nutritional approaches to improve cost-effectiveness include better availability of foods associated with reduced CVD risk (eg, fruits, vegetables, fish) and supplementation of the American diet. The advances in nutritional strategies described in this monograph have the potential for population-wide CVD risk reduction.
TETROBOT: a modular approach to parallel robotics

The TETROBOT is an actuated robotic structure which may be reassembled into many different configurations while still being controlled by the same hardware and software architecture. The TETROBOT system addresses the needs of application domains, such as space, undersea, mining, and construction, where adaptation to unstructured and changing environments and custom design for rapid implementation are required.
Intracellular calcium dynamics and anisotropic reentry in isolated canine pulmonary veins and left atrium

Background— Rapid activations due to either focal discharge or reentry are often present during atrial fibrillation (AF) in the pulmonary veins (PVs). The mechanisms of these rapid activations are unclear. Methods and Results— We studied 7 isolated, Langendorff-perfused canine left atrial (LA) and PV preparations and used 2 cameras to map membrane potential alone (Vm, n=3) or Vm and intracellular calcium simultaneously (Cai, n=4). Rapid atrial pacing induced 26 episodes of focal discharge from the proximal PVs in 5 dogs. The cycle lengths were 223±52 ms during ryanodine infusion (n=13) and 133±59 ms during ryanodine plus isoproterenol infusion (n=13). The rise of Cai preceded Vm activation at the sites of focal discharge in 6 episodes of 2 preparations, compatible with voltage-independent spontaneous Cai release. Phase singularities during pacing-induced reentry clustered specifically at the PV-LA junction. Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stain identified large cells with pale cytoplasm along the endocardium o...
Home administration of intramuscular DHE for the treatment of acute migraine headache.

SYNOPSIS Dihydroergotamine (DHE) has been used for the treatment of acute migraine headache for almost 50 years. Previous studies have emphasized use in emergency room, inpatient, or office settings. Twenty-nine patients with migraine headache who had failed to obtain relief with conventional therapy were trained to self-administer intramuscular DHE. The patients administered 0.5 mg DHE and 100 mg trimethobenzamide at the onset of their headache and an additional O.5mg DHE if satisfactory headache relief was not obtained. Twenty patients were successfully contacted and interviewed. Forty-five percent of the patients had at least 50% relief of headache and continued to use the protocol. Eighty-two percent of patients who initially had at least 50% headache relief continued to use the drug, whereas none of the patients who initially had less than 10% relief continued the protocol. Sixty-one percent of patients whose headaches precluded continuation of activity had at least 50% response to initial treatment, whereas only 29% whose headaches were less severe had this response. Initial response to therapy was predictive of continued use of the treatment protocol and patients who described more severe headache had a higher response to the initial treatment. Thus, home administration of I.M. DHE offers an additional treatment regimen for patients with migraine headache.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a means of diverting a fraction or all of the circulation through a device that permits gas exchange across a permeable membrane. The site of removal and the site of return of blood are dictated primarily by practical considerations based on the volume of flow of blood to be diverted and whether a particular organ is to be bypassed. The prototype of extracorporeal oxygenation is heart-lung bypass, used for various types of cardiac surgery, in which the entire venous return is diverted through an oxygenator (bubble or membrane type) and returned to the aorta. Since the earliest reports of the use of ECMO in neonates, venoarterial bypass has been the preferred route, with blood drained from the right atrium and returned either to the carotid artery or to the femoral artery, although the former seems to have been used most often (2;4;11;12;14;18). In some reports, veno-venous bypass has also been accomplished with removal of blood from the right atrium and return into the umbilical or femoral vein (13;19). Gas exchange across the lung may also continue, although the ventilator rate, tidal volume, or peak inspiratory pressure are usually reduced markedly during the period of extracorporeal oxygenation. Anticoagulation is accomplished with few problems by infusion of heparin sulfate throughout the duration of the procedure. There now have been enough reports in the literature (individual cases or series of patients) to demonstrate that the procedure can be carried out with a minimum of technical difficulties in newborn infants (2;3;4;11;12;18), although the selection of “appropriate” patients reduces the morbidity and technical challenges of the procedure.
Late Pleistocene mixing zone dolomitization, southeastern Barbados, West Indies

Discussion sur l'article de Humphrey, J.D. (1988) «Late Pleistocene mixing zone dolomitization, southeastern Barbados, West Indies, Sedimentology, 35, 327-348 et reponse de l'auteur
Test Values of Armature Leakage Reactance

Armature leakage reactance of synchronous machines has recently received considerable attention because of the important part which it plays in the accurate calculation of the performance of the saturated machine. (See, for example, reference 15 at end of this paper.) Test methods for determining the proper values of armature leakage reactance, and the results of these tests, are presented in this paper and should be of interest as an indication of the reliability of the formulas for the unsaturated value of this reactance and also as an indication of the variations in the reactance due to machine saturation. This paper is a companion paper to ``Tests on Armature Resistance of Synchronous Machines'' appearing on pages 705-9 of this issue.
Fast and thermal neutron profiles for a 25-MV x-ray beam.

High-energy x-ray radiotherapy machines generate neutrons by photonuclear reactions in the target and the treatment head and expose the patient to a neutron flux. In order to evaluate the neutron exposure quantitatively, fast and thermal neutron profiles for 25-MV x-ray beams of the Sagittaire accelerator have been measured. An activation technique, using the reactions /sup 3/1P(n, ..gamma..)/sup 3/2P (thermal neutrons) and /sup 3/1P(n, p)/sup 3/1Si (fast neutrons, E>0.7 MeV), has been developed to measure fast- and thermal-neutron fluxes in an intense high-energy photon flux. The sensitivity of this activation detector to high-energy photons, which has plagued many previous neutron measurements, was carefully measured and found to be less than 4%. Neutron fluxes for various photon field sizes ranging from 5 x 5 cm to 30 x 30 cm have been measured. The fast-neutron profiles were observed to have rounded edges and the thermal fluxes were found to be relatively uniform. In the central part of the x-ray beam, the ratio of neutron dose equivalent to photon absorbed dose was found to be between 0.2% and 0.5%. Outside of the photon field, the ratio of neutron dose equivalent to the central-axis photon absorbed dose was 0.12%.
Planar organosilicon polymers

Work on two sheet organosilicon polymers, one derived from the mineral chrysotile and the other from the mineral apophyllite, is described. This work provides direct evidence that both these polymers are composed of sheets. In addition, it shows that in the chrysotile-derived polymer the sheets curl into scrolls, and that in the apophyllite-derived polymer the sheets are essentially flat.
Shifts of Consciousness in Consensual S/M, Bondage, and Fetish Play

The literature on sado-masochism (S/M) and dominance and submission (D/S) tends to focus either on the psychodynamics of perversion or, in more magnanimous moments, on rites of reversal in the power relations of participants. This paper shifts the focus of analysis to the altered states of consciousness achieved in consensual S/M, bondage and fetish play and demonstrates the self-conscious affinity between S/M and ecstatic religious practices like those well documented in the anthropological literature. The paper will explore sensory and other shifts used to produce what one informant called "that transformative experience." It is posited that "dominance/ submission" and "top/bottom" are not simply asymmetrical relations in terms of power relations, but that they evoke fundamentally different states of consciousness. Further, altered states in consensual bondage and fetish play differ significantly in hetero- and homosexual play. The reasons for this appear to have both historical and political implications which are explored briefly in the paper.
Slaty cleavage and the dewatering hypothesis — An examination of some critical evidence

I have examined the evidence cited in support of Maxwell's hypothesis of dewatering as the origin of slaty cleavage. Study of critical exposures of cleavage associated with clastic dikes cited by Maxwell fails to show the necessary parallelism between the two structures. Measurements made on the cleavage-dike pairs gives a mean dihedral angle of 14°. Other evidence cited in support of dewatering is ambiguous either in terms of finite strain considerations or alternative explanations offered by the pressure-solution hypothesis. I conclude that as yet no evidence of substance has been produced in support of the dewatering hypothesis.
Behavioral and electroencephalographic effects of the adenosine1 agonist, L-PIA.

Abstract The effects of N 6 -(L-2-phenylisopropyl)-adenosine (L-PIA), an A 1 agonist, were measured on both spontaneous locomotor activity and electroencephalographic (EEG) measures of sleep in rats. L-PIA strongly inhibited motor activity at 100 μg/kg intraperitoneally (IP), a dose which had no statistically significant effects on EEG-defined sleep. A higher dose of L-PIA (200 μg/kg) increased the latency to sleep initiation and inhibited later REM sleep. These results demonstrate that L-PIA can produce a state of apparent behavioral quiescence in the presence of EEG-defined arousal.
Digital measurement of gene expression in a cDNA microarray

Gene expression can be quantitatively analyzed by hybridizing fluor-tagged mRNA to targets on a cDNA micro- array. Comparison of expression levels arising from co- hybridized samples is achieved by taking ratios of average expression levels for individual genes. The present paper concerns image processing to automatically segment digitized micro-arrays and measure median gene expression levees across cDNA target sites. The main difficulty arises from determination of the target site when signal intensity is low. Segmentation must be accomplished for target sites that can possess highly unstable geometry and consist of a relatively small number of pixels. Segmentation must also be computationally efficient. The present paper proposes a nonparametric statistical method that separates target site from local background using the Mann-Whitney test.
Assessing the impact of the 2008 Beijing Games: A view from Taiwan

This survey assesses how educated young people in Taiwan perceived the impact of the 2008 Beijing Olympics on China's political system and its international relations. Among the questions that I sought to address in the survey are: do educated young people in Taiwan have a more positive image or perception of China, which they attribute to the 2008 Olympics? The Chinese government wanted the Beijing Olympics to provide a platform for China to be viewed as a modern nation: do educated young people in Taiwan view the country in this way? What is the legacy, according to this group of people, of the 2008 Beijing Games? In sum, I am interested in examining the views of educated young Taiwanese on the impact of the 2008 Beijing Games, in order to obtain a better understanding of how this generation views China. This exploratory study was conducted from 25 June to 25 July 2013 in Taipei, Taiwan.
Effectiveness of Computer Game Instructions

One important issue facing the military training community for incorporating computer games into training programs is that training time is at a premium and trainees need to learn the game as quickly as possible so they can start using the game to train the skills of interest. This study examined various game-related performance measures and concluded that different instructional techniques (i.e., computer-based tutorials and game playing tips) appeared to be effective in different ways, and players with access to both learned the game most effectively. Specifically, computer-based tutorials were more beneficial for enhancing overall game scores; on the other hand, those who had access to game tips performed better in cognitive segments of the game such as setting up game plans and familiarity with the game interface.
Intracellular pH regulation in U937 human monocytes: roles of V-ATPase and Na+/H+ exchange.

The role of plasmalemmal V-type H+ translocating ATPase (V-ATPase) in regulation of intracellular pH (pHi) is unclear in monocytes. This study examined the plasmalemmal V-ATPase and Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE) in U937 human monocytes. The fluorescent probe 2',7'-biscarboxyethyl-5,6-carboxyfluorescein was used to monitor baseline pHi and the kinetics of pHi recovery from cytosolic acid-loads (NH4Cl prepulse). Bafilomycin A1 and 5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl)amiloride (EIPA) were used to delineate the activities of the H+-pump and NHE, respectively. Baseline pHi was approximately 7.13 at an extracellular pH (pHo) of 7.4 and fell progressively at lower pHo values. EIPA had no effect on baseline pHi at pHo 7.4, but caused a sustained decrement in pHi at pHo 6.0-7.0. Bafilomycin A1 had biphasic effects on baseline pHi at pHo 6.5-7.4; pHi declined approximately 0.1 units over the course of several minutes and then recovered. At pHo 6.0, bafilomycin A1 caused a sustained decrement in baseline pHi. Recovery from the bafilomycin-induced acidosis at pHo 6.5-7.4 was prevented by EIPA. Similarly, pHi recovery from NH4Cl prepulse acid-loads (pHo 7.4) was sensitive to both EIPA and bafilomycin A1. During this recovery process, Na+/H+ exchange (EIPA-sensitive component of apparent H+ efflux) was the predominant mechanism for H+ extrusion at acid-loaded pHi values or = 7.0, the V-ATPase (bafilomycin-sensitive component) and NHE contributed almost equally to H+ extrusion. The data provide the first evidence that plasmalemmal V-ATPase participates in pHi regulation in U937 cells. The H+-pump and NHE interacted to set baseline pHi and for pHi recovery following cytosolic acid-loading of the monocytes.
Wnt Fans the Flames in Obesity

Obesity is linked to major adverse health outcomes such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes ( 1 ). The mechanisms underlying insulin resistance in this state are multiple and complex, including the recruitment of immune cells, particularly macrophages, to adipose tissue. This results in chronic, low grade inflammation that is causally associated with insulin resistance. With obesity, adipose tissue mass expands and adipocyte (fat cell) size increases. Collectively, adipocytes constitute the body's largest endocrine organ, producing an array of peptide hormones called adipokines ( 2 ). On page 454 of this issue, Ouchi et al. ( 3 ) report that a protein secreted by adipocytes acts as an anti-inflammatory adipokine, restraining the chronic inflammatory state and consequently improving insulin sensitivity.
Extractable phosphorus and rice yield in an ultisol of the humid forest zone in West Africa

Little attention has been devoted to calibrating soil tests for phosphorus (P) in the field for upland rice in West Africa. The information is needed to improve fertilizer P recommendations. A field experiment was conducted in the rainy season of 1994 to establish the relationship between extractable P by Bray 1 and grain yield of four upland rice cultivars grown on an Ultisol in the forest zone of Ivory Coast. The critical limit of Bray 1 P in the soil at 90% relative rice grain yield varied from 12.5 to 15.0 mg P/kg of soil for the four cultivars tested. The P critical limit in the soil tended to be lower for the cultivars of rice earlier found to be efficient at converting applied P into grain yield.
Influence of Cooking on Anthocyanins in Black Rice (Oryza sativa L. japonica var. SBR)

The composition and thermal stability of anthocyanins in black rice (Oryza sativa L. japonica var. SBR) produced in California were investigated. Six anthocyanin pigments were identified and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography using photo diode-array detection (HPLC-PDA) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry [LC-(ESI)MS/MS]. The predominant anthocyanins are cyanidin-3-glucoside (572.47 μg/g; 91.13% of total) and peonidin-3-glucoside (29.78 μg/g; 4.74% of total). Minor constituents included three cyanidin-dihexoside isomers and one cyanidin hexoside. Thermal stability of anthocyanins was assessed in rice cooked using a rice cooker, pressure cooker, or on a gas range. All cooking methods caused significant (P < 0.001) decreases in the anthocyanins identified. Pressure cooking resulted in the greatest loss of cyanidin-3-glucoside (79.8%) followed by the rice cooker (74.2%) and gas range (65.4%). Conversely, levels of protocatechuic acid increased 2.7 to 3.4 times in response to all c...
Binding and invasion of liver cells by Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites. Essential involvement of the amino terminus of circumsporozoite protein.

Plasmodium sporozoites display circumsporozoite (CS) protein on their surface, which is involved in the attachment of sporozoites to liver cells. CS protein is a member of the thrombospondin type I repeat (TSR) domain family and possess a single copy of TSR domain toward its carboxyl terminus. We show by a direct measurement the correlation between the binding activity of various segments of the CS protein and their ability to inhibit the invasion of liver cells by the sporozoites. We made eight truncated versions of Plasmodium falciparum CS protein to elucidate the role of various regions in the binding and invasion process. Deletion of the TSR domain actually enhanced binding activity by 2–3-fold without the loss of receptor specificity, indicating that TSR may not be the only domain in defining the specificity of binding. These same deletions blocked invasion of live sporozoites more efficiently than proteins that include the TSR domain. Deletion of as little as six amino acids from amino terminus of the protein, however, renders it incapable of binding to liver cells and as an inhibitor of sporozoite invasion. Hence, the binding of CS protein to liver cells and its ability to inhibit the invasion process are affected in a parallel manner, both positively and negatively, by sequence changes in the encoded CS gene. This indicates that both assays are measuring interrelated phenomenon and points to the essential involvement for the amino-terminal portion of the CS protein in these processes.
The threat of chain stores to the character of an historic city's main street

This paper looks at the main street of an historic tourism city, King Street, Charleston, South Carolina that in recent years has seen a steady transition in its tenant mix; from one historically populated by local merchants, to one that today 'boasts' of such merchants as Saks Fifth Avenue, Victoria's Secret and Banana Republic, among many other national and international brand outlets. The issue considered herein, through a collection of interviews with local community and industry stakeholders, is the effect of downtown's changing landscape upon the city's residents and the tourism trade. The findings offer insight that should be helpful to city officials in any community experiencing, or concerned about, a similar metamorphous.
Modeling of Three-Dimensional Effects on Fatigue Crack Closure Processes in Small-Scale Yielding

In ductile metals, plasticity-induced closure of fatigue cracks often retards significantly measured crack growth rates in the Paris regime and contributes strongly to the observed R-ratio effect in experimental data. This work describes a similarity scaling relationship based on the 3D small-scale yielding framework wherein the thickness, B, defines the only geometric length-scale of the model. Dimensional analysis suggests a scaling relationship for the crack opening loads relative to the maximum cyclic loads (Kop/Kmax) governed by the non-dimensional load parameter ) governed by the non-dimensional load parameter = Kmax/σ0 √B, i.e., a measure of the in-plane plastic zone size normalized by the thickness. Both Kop and Kmax refer to remotely applied values of the mode I stress-intensity factor. Large-scale, 3D finite element analyses described here demonstrate that Kop/Kmax values vary strongly across the crack front in thin sheets but remain unchanged when values vary strongly across the crack front in thin sheets but remain unchanged when Kmax, B, and σ0 vary to maintain = constant. The paper also includes results to demonstrate that the scaling relationship holds for non-zero values of the T-stress (which affect the Kop/Kmax values) and for an overload interspersed in the otherwise constant amplitude cycles. The present results focus on values) and for an overload interspersed in the otherwise constant amplitude cycles. The present results focus on R = Kmin/Kmax = 0 loading, although the scaling relationship has been demonstrated to hold for other = 0 loading, although the scaling relationship has been demonstrated to hold for other R > 0 loadings as well. The new similarity scaling relationship makes possible more realistic estimates of crack closure loads for a very wide range of practical conditions from just a few analyses of the type described here.
Radiative capture in the 7Li(16O, γ)23Na reaction

Abstract An excitation function of the unresolved radiative capture γ ray transitions to the ground- and first-excited states of 23 Na has been measured for 7 Li( 16 O, γ) 23 Na. A resonance-like structure is observed at E X = 25.4 MeV ( Γ = 0.63 ±0.20 MeV). The peak cross section is equal to 2.4 ± 0.8 μb.
Assessment of the Standard EPRTM Reactor against the European Utility Requirements (EUR)

The EUR Steering Committee selected the EPRTM design as one of the first designs to be reviewed and assessed against the EUR. This work was completed in 1999 within the framework of a joint working group involving the designer and EUR group representatives taking into account the design work available at that time. The Volume 3 EPR subset revA was issued in December 1999.At the end of 2003, TVO selected the EPRTM reactor for construction on the Olkiluoto 3 and in 2006 EDF decided to launch the construction of an EPRTM reactor on the Flamanville site.At the end of 2006, AREVA proposed to the EUR Steering Committee to undertake a revision of the EPR Volume 3 to take into account the present status of the work but also the evolution of the EUR document (the assessment was done against Volume 2 Rev B, whereas Volume 2 Rev C is now applicable). This proposal was accepted by the EUR Steering Committee in 2007.By early 2009, the EUR organization completed the compliance assessment of AREVA’s EPRTM reactor standard design against the EUR. The EUR organization formally presented with the certificate during a special ceremony held in Brussels on July 15, 2009. This award confirms that the EPRTM reactor can be built throughout Europe and meets international regulatory requirements.The EUR requirements cover an exhaustive range of requirements for a nuclear plant to operate efficiently and safely and include such areas as layout, systems, material, components, probabilistic safety assessment methodology, availability assessment and many more.The EUR assessment was extremely detailed, covering 4,678 requirements. The EPRTM reactor complied with over 99% of these requirements (including the non-applicable ones). The assessment also showed only a 0.1% level of non-compliance, all of which were substantiated by AREVA.Furthermore, in some cases, the EPRTM reactor exceeded the EUR requirements; these include aircraft crash protection (large commercial aircraft are deterministically covered), waste storage capacity, and a design lifetime of 60 years compared to the EUR requirement of 40.This paper presents the highlights of this review.
Uncrossing the U.S. Black-White Mortality Crossover: The Role of Cohort Forces in Life Course Mortality Risk

In this article, I examine the black-white crossover in U.S. adult all-cause mortality, emphasizing how cohort effects condition age-specific estimates of mortality risk. I employ hierarchical age-period-cohort methods on the National Health Interview Survey-Linked Mortality Files between 1986 and 2006 to show that the black-white mortality crossover can be uncrossed by factoring out period and cohort effects of mortality risk. That is, when controlling for variations in cohort and period patterns of U.S. adult mortality, the estimated age effects of non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white U.S. adult mortality risk do not cross at any age. This is the case for both men and women. Further, results show that nearly all the recent temporal change in U.S. adult mortality risk was cohort driven. The findings support the contention that the non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white U.S. adult populations experienced disparate cohort patterns of mortality risk and that these different experiences are driving the convergence and crossover of mortality risk at older ages.
Adult vaccination coverage levels among users of complementary/alternative medicine – results from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)

While many Complementary/Alternative Medicine (CAM) practitioners do not object to immunization, some discourage or even actively oppose vaccination among their patients. However, previous studies in this area have focused on childhood immunizations, and it is unknown whether and to what extent CAM practitioners may influence the vaccination behavior of their adult patients. The purpose of this study was to describe vaccination coverage levels of adults aged ≥ 18 years according to their CAM use status and determine if there is an association between CAM use and adult vaccination coverage. Data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey, limited to 30,617 adults that provided at least one valid answer to the CAM supplement, were analyzed. Receipt of influenza vaccine during the past 12 months, pneumococcal vaccine (ever), and ≥ 1 dose of hepatitis B vaccine was self-reported. Coverage levels for each vaccine by CAM use status were determined for adults who were considered high priority for vaccination because of the presence of a high risk condition and for non-priority adults. Multivariable analyses were conducted to evaluate the association between CAM users and vaccination status, adjusting for demographic and healthcare utilization characteristics. Overall, 36% were recent CAM users. Among priority adults, adjusted vaccination coverage levels were significantly different between recent and non-CAM users for influenza (44% vs 38%; p-value < 0.001) and pneumococcal (40% vs 33%; p-value < 0.001) vaccines but were not significantly different for hepatitis B (60% vs 56%; p-value = 0.36). Among non-priority adults, recent CAM users had significantly higher unadjusted and adjusted vaccination coverage levels compared to non-CAM users for all three vaccines (p-values < 0.001). Vaccination coverage levels among recent CAM users were found to be higher than non-CAM users. Because CAM use has been increasing over time in the U.S., it is important to continue monitoring CAM use and its possible influence on receipt of immunizations among adults. Since adult vaccination coverage levels remain below Healthy People 2010 goals, it may be beneficial to work with CAM practitioners to promote adult vaccines as preventive services in keeping with their commitment to maintaining good health.
Selection of Pavement for Highway Rehabilitation Based on Life-Cycle Cost Analysis: Validation of California Interstate 710 Project, Phase 1

Life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) for highway projects is an analytical technique that uses economic principles to evaluate long-term alternative investment options, especially for comparing the value of alternative pavement structures and strategies. Recently, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) mandated LCCA implementation to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of pavement design alternatives for highway projects in the state. An LCCA approach was utilized for validation of the pavement design on the I-710 Long Beach rehabilitation project with three pavement types: innovative (long-life) asphalt concrete pavement (ACP), standard-life ACP, and long-life portland cement concrete pavement (PCCP). The LCCA followed the Caltrans procedure and incorporated information filed by the project team. The software tools Construction Analysis for Pavement Rehabilitation Strategies (CA4PRS) and Real-Cost were used for quantitative estimates of construction schedule, work zone user cost, and agency cost f...
Fast scattered data approximation with Neumann and other boundary conditions

Abstract An important problem in applications, such as signal and image procesing, is the approximation of a function f from a finite set of randomly scattered data f ( x j ). A common and powerful approach is to construct a trigonometric least squares approximation based on the set of exponentials {e 2 π i kx }. This leads to fast numerical algorithms, but suffers from disturbing boundary effects due to the underlying periodicity assumption on the data which is rarely satisfied in practice. To overcome this drawback we impose Neumann boundary conditions on the data. This implies the use of cosine polynomials cos( πkx ) as basis functions. We show that using cosine polynomials leads to a least squares problem involving certain Toeplitz-plus-Hankel matrices and derive estimates on the condition number of these matrices. Unlike other Toeplitz-plus-Hankel matrices, these matrices cannot be diagonalized by the discrete cosine transform (DCT), but they still allow a fast matrix–vector multiplication via DCT which gives rise to fast conjugate gradient type algorithms. We show how the results can be generalized to higher dimensions. We also consider anti-symmetric boundary conditions, leading to sine polynomials as proper trigonometric basis. Finally we demonstrate the performance of the proposed methods by an application to a two-dimensional geophysical scattered data problem.
What is rhetorical knowledge? A response to Farrell‐ and more

Some problems concerning the nature and scope of rhetoric‐including its relation to human knowledge—may be clarified by viewing rhetorical methods as (a) universal, (b) rule‐governed, and (c) productive of knowledge having normative force. Knowledge may be conceptualized as developing within a social‐symbolic sphere of methods, subject matters, derivations, applications, and reflexives.
Silicon Oxidation Studies: The Oxidation of Heavily B‐ and P‐Doped Single Crystal Silicon

The present oxidation study covers the 780°–1150°C temperature range using 0.001 Ω‐cm Si which is heavily B‐ and P‐doped Si in dry . Emphasis is on the lower temperatures thereby extending the scope of already published studies. For 0.001 Ω‐cm Si at temperatures greater than 1000°C, the over‐all oxidation rates were found to conform to the order(where STD is 2 Ω‐cm B‐doped Si), which is in agreement with published results for the higher temperatures. However, for the lower oxidation temperatures of the present study (≤1000°C), the order for the over‐all oxidation rates was found to beThe oxidation data was taken using an automated ellipsometer in situ and was analyzed using a linear‐parabolic oxidation model. The resulting linear rate constants could be correlated with well‐known B depletion and P accumulation effects near the interface while a consideration of the structural roles of B and P in the network was necessary to explain the parabolic rate constants. Phase separation of occurred in the grown on B‐doped Si and Si precipitation was observed in all the oxides grown at 1150°C but neither of these phenomena are believed to affect the oxidation kinetics. The extended temperature range showed non‐Arrhenius behavior which could explain the divergent activation energies reported from published studies.
Effects of dietary protein on growth and on plasma and liver vitamin A and E levels in young rats

Abstract The effects of dietary protein sources on rat plasma and liver vitamin A and E levels were studied in male weanling rats fed purified 20% protein diets for 28 days. Diets contained adequate amounts of all vitamins and minerals. The food efficiency values expressed as percentages of ANRC casein ranged from 85 to 99 with the exception of liver powder, which was 45. The liver vitamin A levels ranged from 131 to 320 μg/g. The liver vitamin A levels were higher for soy isolate, soy flour, blue-green algae (BGA) and liver powder than for ANRC casein (P
A functional interaction with CBP contributes to transcriptional activation by the Wilms tumor suppressor WT1.

The Wilms tumor gene WT1 encodes a zinc finger transcription factor that is required for normal kidney development. WT1 was identified as a transcriptional repressor, based on its suppression of promoter reporters, but analysis of native transcripts using high density microarrays has uncovered transcriptional activation, rather than repression, of potential target genes. We report here that WT1 binds to the transcriptional coactivator CBP, leading to synergistic activation of a physiologically relevant promoter. The physical interaction between WT1 and CBP is evident in vitro and in vivo, and the two proteins are co-immunoprecipitated from embryonic rat kidney cells. The WT1-CBP association requires the first two zinc fingers of WT1 and the adenovirus 5 E1A-binding domain of CBP. Overexpression of this domain of CBP is sufficient to inhibit WT1-mediated transcriptional activation of a promoter reporter, as is co-transfection of E1A. Retrovirally driven expression of either the CBP fragment or of E1A in human hematopoietic cells suppresses the induction by WT1 of its endogenous target gene, p21Cip1. These observations support a model of WT1 as a transcriptional activator of genes required for cellular differentiation.
Pyruvate-containing enzymes

Abstract In certain amino acid decarboxylases and other enzymes, covalently bound pyruvate or related compounds supply an alternative to pyridoxal 5′-phosphate for providing a catalytically essential ‘carbonyl' group at the catalytic center.
JASE joins the iPad generation

1354 The editors and staff of the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography (JASE) know that many of you look forward to receiving your paper copy of the Journal each month; the glossy feel of the paper, the weight of the issue in your hands, and the prospect of more novel insights with each turn of the page brings pleasure. We would bet that some of you save your copies from previous months and years, keeping them close at hand for easy and convenient access. It is the breadth of information contained in these issues that make them so valuable, and we work hard throughout the year to provide you with the timely, topical, and clinically oriented content that you rely upon. Going forward, we intend to make some further improvements in the type and quality of content. We understand that what may be of high interest to those readers involved in full-time clinical work may not be identical to the needs of readers who are active in clinical and/or basic research. Our intent is that the content in JASE is valuable to all of our readers.
A system architecture for pervasive computing

Pervasive computing, with its focus on users and their tasks rather than on computing devices and technology, provides an attractive vision for the future of computing. But, while hardware and networking infrastructure to realize this vision are increasingly becoming a reality, precious few applications run in this infrastructure. We believe that this lack of applications can be attributed to three characteristics that are inadequately addressed by existing systems. First, devices are heterogeneous, ranging from wearable devices to conventional computers. Second, network connectivity often is limited and intermittent. And, third, interactions typically involve several autonomous administrative domains. In this paper, we introduce a system architecture that directly addresses these challenges. Our architecture is targeted at application developers and administrators, and it supports mobile computations, persistent storage, and resource discovery within a single, comprehensive framework.
Frequently Asked Questions About Rule of Law Assistance (And Why Better Answers Matter)

Despite a voluminous ‘lessons learned’ literature, there is much that we do not understand about rule of law assistance. Conceptually it lacks clarity and in practice seems to proceed in the absence of rigorous empirical research and ‘thick’ descriptions of the institutional histories, reform politics and the legal and social cultures of the countries it targets. Many academic colleagues, development practitioners, lawyers and policy-makersand students are troubled by the knowledge vacuum in rule of law assistance. Here I consider some of the genuine and persistent questions about its scope and effect. I suggest that we need to find better answers, for our own intellectual and practical purposes, but also for the citizens of developing and transitional economies, who are the intended ‘beneficiaries’ of much rule of law assistance.