cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The influence of pulmonary artery morphology on the results of operations for major aortopulmonary collateral arteries and complex congenital heart defects

Abstract Objective Congenital heart defects with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries show marked variability in the size and distribution of native pulmonary arteries. We sought to classify the size and distribution of native pulmonary arteries and to determine their influence on surgical outcome. Methods Between 1989 and 2002, 164 patients underwent surgical intervention for congenital heart defects with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (median age, 10 months). Three patterns of native pulmonary arteries were identified: intrapericardial native pulmonary arteries present (group I); confluent intrapulmonary native pulmonary arteries without intrapericardial native pulmonary arteries (group II); and nonconfluent intrapulmonary native pulmonary arteries (group III). Thirty-seven (23%) patients had single-stage and 76 (47%) patients had multistage complete repair. Thirty (18%) patients await septation, and 8 (5.0%) patients are not septatable. Follow-up is 98% complete (median follow-up, 5.8 years). Results In the 164 patients there were 15 (9.1%) early and 12 (7.3%) late deaths. Early mortality after complete repair was 4.4% (n = 5). Actuarial survival was 90% ± 3% and 85% ± 4% at 1 and 10 years, respectively. Actuarial freedom from surgical or catheter reintervention in septated patients was 77% ± 4% and 45% ± 8% at 1 and 10 years, respectively. On multivariate analysis, the morphology of the native pulmonary arteries was the only factor that influenced actuarial survival after complete repair ( P = .04). Group III had the highest risk of death after septation ( P = .008). Group II fared better than group III after the initial operation ( P Conclusions Current classifications of congenital heart defects with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries are based on the presence or absence of intrapericardial pulmonary arteries. We have identified a subgroup without intrapericardial native pulmonary arteries but with confluent intrapulmonary native pulmonary arteries. This group has a better outcome than those with nonconfluent intrapulmonary native pulmonary arteries.
MEASUREMENT OF TOTAL VITAMIN C ACTIVITY IN CITRUS PRODUCTS BY HPLC: A REVIEW

The reduced form of vitamin C is referred to as L-ascorbic acid (AA), and the oxidized form is referred to as L-dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA). In humans, both forms are biologically active. The total vitamin C activity is defined as the sum of both forms. This review discusses HPLC methodologies for total vitamin C activity with references to their applications mainly in citrus juices and related drink products.
The solution to the forward-bias puzzle

Abstract Although it has taken some 30 years to find, the solution to the forward-bias puzzle is straightforward. The standard test equation that produces the puzzle is missing two variables that covered interest parity implies should be included. For my data, those two missing variables explain the downward bias in the forward-bias puzzle. Covered interest parity also solves another closely related puzzle. The variance for changes in exchange rates is 100–200 times larger than the variance in forward premiums.
Second sound measurements very near the lambda point

The sound was generated by wire-wound heaters embedded in the end opposite the sensor in each cavity. The superfluid density was determined from second sound measurements and the critical exponent v was obtained from fits to the data. The results from the exponent were found to be very sensitive to the treatment of systematic effects in the data.
Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulation of fission product silver transport through TRISO fuel particle

Abstract A mesoscale kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) model developed to investigate the diffusion of silver through the pyrolytic carbon and silicon carbide containment layers of a TRISO fuel particle is described. The release of radioactive silver from TRISO particles has been studied for nearly three decades, yet the mechanisms governing silver transport are not fully understood. This model atomically resolves Ag, but provides a mesoscale medium of carbon and silicon carbide, which can include a variety of defects including grain boundaries, reflective interfaces, cracks, and radiation-induced cavities that can either accelerate silver diffusion or slow diffusion by acting as traps for silver. The key input parameters to the model (diffusion coefficients, trap binding energies, interface characteristics) are determined from available experimental data, or parametrically varied, until more precise values become available from lower length scale modeling or experiment. The predicted results, in terms of the time/temperature dependence of silver release during post-irradiation annealing and the variability of silver release from particle to particle have been compared to available experimental data from the German HTR Fuel Program ( Gontard and Nabielek [1] ) and Minato and co-workers ( Minato et al. [2] ).
DHHC5 Protein Palmitoylates Flotillin-2 and Is Rapidly Degraded on Induction of Neuronal Differentiation in Cultured Cells

Post-translational palmitoylation of intracellular proteins is mediated by protein palmitoyltransferases belonging to the DHHC family, which share a common catalytic Asp-His-His-Cys (DHHC) motif. Several members have been implicated in neuronal development, neurotransmission, and synaptic plasticity. We previously observed that mice homozygous for a hypomorphic allele of the ZDHHC5 gene are impaired in context-dependent learning and memory. To identify potentially relevant protein substrates of DHHC5, we performed a quantitative proteomic analysis of stable isotope-labeled neuronal stem cell cultures from forebrains of normal and DHHC5-GT (gene-trapped) mice using the bioorthogonal palmitate analog 17-octadecynoic acid. We identified ∼300 17-octadecynoic acid-modified and hydroxylamine-sensitive proteins, of which a subset was decreased in abundance in DHHC5-GT cells. Palmitoylation and oligomerization of one of these proteins (flotillin-2) was abolished in DHHC5-GT neuronal stem cells. In COS-1 cells, overexpression of DHHC5 markedly stimulated the palmitoylation of flotillin-2, strongly suggesting a direct enzyme-substrate relationship. Serendipitously, we found that down-regulation of DHHC5 was triggered within minutes following growth factor withdrawal from normal neural stem cells, a maneuver that is used to induce neural differentiation in culture. The effect was reversible for up to 4 h, and degradation was partially prevented by inhibitors of ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. These findings suggest that protein palmitoylation can be regulated through changes in DHHC PAT levels in response to differentiation signals.
Liposome Behavior in Capillary Electrophoresis

The behavior of liposomes in capillary electrophoresis is studied for the purpose of developing a potential method for characterizing liposomes prepared for use in industrial and analytical applications. This study characterizes the electrophoretic behavior of liposomes under various conditions to provide information about electrophoretic mobility and liposome−capillary surface interactions. The results of this method are compared with the results obtained using traditional laser light-scattering methods to obtain size information about liposome preparations. Additionally, reactions of liposomes and the surfactant n-octyl-β-d-glucopyranoside are performed off-line in bulk solution experiments and on-line in the capillary. Automated delivery of lysis agents by multiple electrokinetic injections is demonstrated as a general method for inducing on-capillary reactions between liposomes and other reagents. Furthermore, some preliminary evidence on the use of liposomes as a hydrophobic partitioning medium for a...
An image-enhancement technique for electrical impedance tomography

We propose an idea for reconstructing 'blocky' conductivity profiles in electrical impedance tomography. By 'blocky' profiles, we mean functions that are piecewise constant, and hence have sharply defined edges. The method is based on selecting a conductivity distribution that has the least total variation from all conductivities that are consistent with the measured data. We provide some motivation for this approach and formulate a computationally feasible problem for the linearized version of the impedance tomography problem. A simple gradient descent-type minimization algorithm, closely related to recent work on noise and blur removal in image processing via non-linear diffusion is described. The potential of the method is demonstrated in several numerical experiments.
Average Neutron Total Cross Sections in the 3- to 12-Mev Region

Measurements of the average neutron total cross sections of N, F, Mg, P, Cl, Ti, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, Se, Br, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Te, La, Ta, W, Au, Hg, and Tl have been made over the 3- to 12-Mev energy range. The average energy spread of the measurements is approximately 10 percent and the over-all accuracy of the results is \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}10 percent or better. The above data, together with those of a previous experiment, provide information on average cross-section behavior as a function of energy and atomic weight over most of the periodic table.
Delayed hypersensitivity and local control of patients treated by radiotherapy for head and neck cancer

Delayed hypersensitivity of sixty-three patients with head and neck cancer treated by radiotherapy was correlated with short-term tumor control. Of eighteen patients with early disease, sixteen were DNCB-reactive and all were controlled and one of the two nonreactors was controlled. Thirty-three of forty-five patients with advanced tumors were reactive and nineteen were controlled. Only two of the twelve nonreactors were controlled.
Performance of optical spatial modulation and spatial multiplexing with imaging receiver

Spatial modulation (SM) and spatial multiplexing (SMP) are two multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques for transmitting data over an indoor optical wireless channel. Receivers for SM and SMP can be of the non-imaging type, in which case the channel matrix coefficients can be highly correlated, or of the imaging type, which can reduce the degree of correlation and improve overall system performance. In this work, we propose a new framework to analyze the performance of imaging MIMO systems. This framework is applied to characterize the performance of SM and SMP under both imaging and non-imaging receivers. Results of our analysis indicate that imaging receivers can provide significant signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvements up to 45dB under SM and SMP as compared to the use of non-imaging receivers. Finally, the application of the proposed analysis framework indicates specific design principles to optimize imaging receiver parameters.
The night float paradigm to decrease sleep deprivation: good solution or a new problem?

In the late 1980s physician residency training programs developed the night float rotation, characterized by a sequence of 5 - 15 days of night work without any daytime duties, thereby involving an abrupt reversal of the wake-sleep schedule. We examined the effect of the night float rotation on sleep, mood and performance of pediatric residents. Residents completed sleep diaries daily, and tests of mood (Profile of Mood States) and attention (Conner's Continuous Performance Test) three times a week during the two-week night float rotation, and during equivalent blocks of time of their daytime rotations. Results show that, despite having ample opportunity to sleep during the day, while on night float rotation residents slept less than during the nights of their normal daytime rotations, 6.3 h ± 2.5 h and 7.2 h ± 1.7 h, respectively, p < 0.0001. Also, during night float compared to daytime rotations residents had increased fatigue-inertia scores, 8.7 ± 4.1 and 4.8 ± 2.4, respectively, p < 0.0001, and decrea...
Synthesis and evaluation of [3H]‐4‐fluoro‐1‐[1‐(3‐hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexyl]piperidine, a potential tool for autoradiographic study of the phencyclidine receptor

The synthesis and in vitro binding of high specific activity tritium labelled 4-fluoro-1-[1-(3-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexyl] piperidine ([3H]FOH-PCP), a potential probe for autoradiographic study of the phencyclidine (PCP) receptor is described. [3H]FOH-PCP will allow evaluation of [18F]FOH-PCP as a PET scanning ligand for PCP receptors.
Captopril slows the progression of chronic renal disease in partially nephrectomized rats

The effect of captopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, on the progression of chronic renal disease was studied in rats subjected to partial nephrectomy. Following ablation of approximately 70% of their renal mass, rats were divided into three treatment groups: group I received a placebo treatment; group II received daily po administrations of captopril; group III received captopril at the same dosage schedule as group II, but the drug was not given for 4 weeks in the middle of the treatment period. Measurements of renal function were performed at 4-week intervals, and light microscopic evaluation of the remnant kidneys was performed following 19 weeks of treatment. Deterioration of renal function, as measured by endogenous creatinine clearance, plasma creatinine, and plasma urea nitrogen, progressed more rapidly in group I than the other two groups. Twenty-four-hour urinary protein excretion was higher in group I than the others, except in group III following the 4-week period when captopril was not administered. Morphologic damage in the remnant kidney was significantly greater in group I than group II (p = 0.007). The renal lesions in the rats of group III were intermediate in severity. Histopathologic ranking of the remnant kidneys was correlated with antemortem laboratory parameters (r greater than or equal to 0.50; p less than 0.05). In a second experiment, similarly nephrectomized rats receiving po captopril daily had significantly longer survival, at 260 days, postnephrectomy than rats receiving a placebo (p = 0.0045). We conclude that captopril retards the progression of renal damage and increases survival time in this model of chronic renal disease. The mechanism may involve the alteration of potentially harmful intraglomerular hemodynamic changes which occur in the remnant kidney model.
Cognition, Emotion, and Chronic Illness

In 1992 and 1999, special issues of Cognitive Therapy and Research focused on cognitive perspectives in health psychology. Both special issues were guided by an emerging interest in biopsychosocial approaches to understanding health and illness. In the years since these special issues appeared, interest in biopsychosocial approaches to health and illness has continued to increase. Likewise, it has become increasingly clear that cognitive factors represent important variables to consider in understanding how psychosocial factors affect physical health. This special issue not only represents a continued exploration of cognitive factors in health, but also incorporates ideas on the interaction between cognition and emotion in health. The guest editor of the 1992 issue, Timothy Smith, selected review papers that presented theoretical models linking cognitive factors to adjustment processes in people diagnosed with chronic illness. The collection of papers in the 1992 special issue covers a broad theoretical spectrum and should be required reading for anyone interested in the application of social information processing to the field of health psychology. Although the viewpoints were diverse, there was consensus that there was much empirical work to be done. In the 1999 special issue of Cognitive Therapy and Research, the guest editor, Vanessa Malcarne, responded to the earlier call for research and selected empirical articles focusing on the role of cognitive processes in adjustment to chronic illness. Contributions to this special issue took nuanced approaches to understanding perceptions of control and helplessness (Christensen et al., 1999; Nicassio, Schuman, Radojevic, & Weisman, 1999; Osowiecki & Compas, 1999; Sinclair & Wallston, 1999; Wallston et al., 1999), coping responses (Christiansen et al., 1999; Osowiecki & Compas, 1999), stress reactivity (Zautra, Hamilton, & Burke, 1999), and threats to self-esteem caused by physical disfigurement (Malcarne, Hansdottir, Greenbergs, Clements, & Weisman, 1999). In this special issue of Cognitive Therapy and Research, we have chosen to revisit some of the same cognitive themes raised in these earlier special issues, this time
Maximum variance unimodal distributions

A new sufficient condition for the variance of a unimodal distribution in ⌊a, b⌋ to have the least upper bound (b − a)212 is derived. This condition is more general than the condition found by Jacobson (1969). A new proof that the least upper bound for all unimodal distributions in ⌊a, b⌋ is (b − a)29 is also given. These results are used to construct a new estimator of the variance of such distributions.
Volatilities implied by price changes in the S&P 500 options and futures contracts

We develop a new volatility measure: the volatility implied by price changes in option contracts and their underlying. We refer to this as price-change implied volatility. We compare moneyness and maturity effects of price-change and implied volatilities, and their performance in delta hedging. We find that delta hedges based on a price-change implied volatility surface outperform hedges based on the traditional implied volatility surface when applied to S&P 500 future options.
Electrocardiogram and vectorcardiogram in ventricular inversion (corrected transposition)

Abstract The vectorcardiographic (VCG) and electrocardiographic (ECG) features in nine cases of ventricular inversion with two functioning ventricles (congenital corrected transposition of the great arteries) and associated cardiac malformations were correlated related with their hemodynamic states. All three cases with low venous ventricular pressure showed a similar VCG pattern with a posterior and completely counter-clockwise horizontal QRS loop. The ECG showed a leftward QRS axis, QS complexes in V 1 , and RS complexes in V 6 . These findings are normal for ventricular inversion without major associated defects. Three patients with isolated pressure or volume overload of the venous ventricle showed large leftward and posterior initial QRS forces, followed by a predominantly clockwise and rightward horizontal QRS loop. The ECG showed right axis deviation, qR complexes in V 1 , and rS complexes in V 6 . These findings are considered to represent venous ventricular hypertrophy. Three patients with hemodynamic situations which would be expected to result in biventricular overload demonstrated varying degrees of anterior displacement of the horizontal QRS loop, two with counter-clockwise inscription and one predominantly clockwise. The initial QRS forces, although leftward and superior as in the other groups, were anterior in each case. The ECG demonstrated normal or rightward QRS axis, no precordial q waves, and large biphasic RS complexes in the midprecordial leads. These findings are considered to represent biventricular hypertrophy. One patient had serial tracings which revealed progressive ECG-VCG changes due to increasing venous ventricular hypertension secondary to increasing pulmonic stenosis. These findings indicate that the ECG-VCG accurately reflect the anatomy and hemodynamics in ventricular inversion.
Promotion of retinal neurite outgrowth by substratum-bound fibronectin.

Abstract We have examined conditions under which aggregates of embryonic chick neural retina will extend neurities in vitro. Trypsin-dispersed cells from 7-day embryonic chick neural retina were aggregated in rotation culture for 8 hr and maintained in serum-free medium on a variety of standard culture substrate. Aggregates extend few neurites on untreated plastic, glass, or collagen substrata. However, pretreatment of these substrata with human plasma fibronectin enhances their capacity to support retinal neurite outgrowth. Aggregates cultured on fibronectin-treated substrata extend long, radially oriented neurites within 36 hr in vitro. The morphology of these neurites is distinct from that seen when aggregates are cultured on polylysine-treated substrata. In the latter case, neurites are highly branched and grow concentrically around the aggregate perimeter. Addition of fibronectin to polylysine-treated substrata stimulates radial neurite outgrowth. Promotion of neurite outgrowth is dependent on the amount of fibronectin bound to the culture substratum and on the pH at which binding occurs. The requirements for fibronectin-mediated neurite outgrowth are more stringent than those previously reported for fibroblast attachment and spreading.
Display of small-area variation in health-related data: A methodology using resistant statistics

Abstract Health care planning requires characterization of the population to be served. Examination of available demographic and epidemiologic data is one early step in this process. However, aggregate data for the entire geographic area of concern often fail to reveal important differences among geographically defined sub-populations—differences that influence the form an effective delivery system should take. We present a methodology based on exploratory data analysis (EDA) techniques that we have found useful in examining health-related data for our ambulatory care catchment area. Our examples use three population characteristics that have major implications for health care planning for the elderly: 1970–1980 change in population aged 65 + ; the percent of the population aged 65 + below poverty level; and the percent of single-person households among households with one or more persons aged 65 +. With these data for the 25 municipalities of Middlesex County, New Jersey, we illustrate a two-step process: (1) the construction of stem-and-leaf displays that permit examination of a data distribution for asymmetry, concentrations around specific values, gaps in values, and outliers; and (2) the use of the median, the fourth-spread, and other information from the stem-and-leaf display in the systematic selection of data value classes to be given distinct shadings on a map of the selected geographic area. Discussion emphasizes the usefulness of graphic display of data in detecting similarities and unusual data values. Comparison of maps based on the EDA techniques and maps based on several traditional methods of value classing for the same data illustrates the influence of classing choices on the interpretation of cartographic displays of health-related data.
proTeOn and proTeOff, New Protein Devices That Inducibly Activate Bacterial Gene Expression

Using an original workflow, we have modeled, constructed, and characterized two new molecular devices that inducibly activate gene expression in Escherichia coli. The devices, prokaryotic-TetOn and prokaryotic-TetOff, were built by fusing an inducible DNA-binding protein domain to a transcription activation domain and constructing a complementary synthetic promoter sequence through which they could control downstream gene expression. In particular, the transactivators were built using variants of the tetracycline repressor, TetR, and the transactivating domain of the LuxR activator. The complementary promoter sequence included TetR’s operator, tetO, and elements of the lux promoter. These specific protein domains and their operator sites were chosen as they have been thoroughly studied and well characterized. First, our methodology began with optimizing the geometry of the molecular components using molecular modeling. We did so to achieve an unprecedented combination of controllable and transactivating f...
Conjugated, mixed convection-conduction heat transfer along a cylindrical fin in a porous medium

Abstract The problem of mixed convection flow about a vertical, cylindrical fin embedded in a porous medium is studied analytically based on the conjugate convection-conduction theory. A local nonsimilarity solution, up to the third level of truncation, is obtained for the convective flow in the porous medium. The resulting set of ordinary differential equations are coupled with the one-dimensional heat conduction equation in the fin through interfacial conditions. The effects of the conjugate convection-conduction parameter, surface curvature and the mixed convection parameter on the fin temperature distribution, local heat transfer coefficient, local heat flux, total heat transfer and fin efficiency are illustrated. The results of the present analysis are found to have trends similar to those of the classical fluids.
Mechanism of self-diffusion in diamond

It is shown via state-of-the-art theoretical calculations that self-diffusion in diamond is dominated by vacancies, independent of the position of the Fermi level. This is very different from self-diffusion in silicon and germanium, where vacancies, interstitials, and direct-exchange mechanisms all have comparable activation energies. The dominance of the vacancy mechanism is due to the stiffness of diamond bonds, which precludes bond twisting and large relaxations, and to the high electronic density and the large band gap in diamond, which result in a strongly repulsive potential-energy surface for self-interstitials.
Modeling cardiac arrest and resuscitation in the domestic pig

Cardiac arrest remains a leading cause of death and permanent disability worldwide. Although many victims are initially resuscitated, they often succumb to the extensive ischemia-reperfusion injury inflicted on the internal organs, especially the brain. Cardiac arrest initiates a complex cellular injury cascade encompassing reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, Ca(2+) overload, ATP depletion, pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuronal glutamate excitotoxity, which injures and kills cells, compromises function of internal organs and ignites a destructive systemic inflammatory response. The sheer complexity and scope of this cascade challenges the development of experimental models of and effective treatments for cardiac arrest. Many experimental animal preparations have been developed to decipher the mechanisms of damage to vital internal organs following cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and to develop treatments to interrupt the lethal injury cascades. Porcine models of cardiac arrest and resuscitation offer several important advantages over other species, and outcomes in this large animal are readily translated to the clinical setting. This review summarizes porcine cardiac arrest-CPR models reported in the literature, describes clinically relevant phenomena observed during cardiac arrest and resuscitation in pigs, and discusses numerous methodological considerations in modeling cardiac arrest/CPR. Collectively, published reports show the domestic pig to be a suitable large animal model of cardiac arrest which is responsive to CPR, defibrillatory countershocks and medications, and yields extensive information to foster advances in clinical treatment of cardiac arrest.
Adrenal responsiveness and social status in intact and ovariectomized Macaca fascicularis.

Plasma cortisol (F) response to intravenous adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) infusion (following dexamethasone suppression) was examined in adult female Macaca fascicularis that had been living for 22 months in social groups consisting of four to six females and one male. A portion of these females were ovariectomized (n = 21), while the rest were reproductively intact (n = 23). The social behavior of all animals was monitored with a focal sampling procedure, and dominance ranks were determined on the basis of fight outcomes. Further, intact females were swabbed vaginally to determine onset of menstruation and were sampled for plasma progesterone (P) every three days during the luteal phase of their cycles. Among the results was that the plasma F response to ACTH infusion was greater in subordinate animals than in dominants (P < .02). Subordinates and dominants did not, however, differ in plasma F measured at baseline. It was found further that plasma F concentrations were greater in ovariectomized than in intact females at baseline and following ACTH injection (P < .01). Finally, there was an appreciable elevation in plasma F across all animals during the 15- and 30-minute post-ACTH injection measurements (P < .01). Subsequent analyses of data from intact females showed interrelationships among dominance rank, reproductive function (indicated by luteal phase plasma P concentrations), adrenal size, and adrenal response to ACTH infusion. These data indicated that subordinate females were at a reproductive disadvantage compared to dominants, a result that may have been mediated, in part, by the increased adrenal size and enhanced adrenal responsiveness of subordinate females.
Explaining generosity: a comparison of US and European public opinion on foreign aid

Whereas European public opinion generally supports foreign aid, the U.S. public is relatively critical of its proportionally smaller aid programs. This research uses cross-national, multivariate analysis of data from the World Values Survey to examine transatlantic differences in attitudes toward foreign aid programs. We find that a well-informed and financially comfortable public that associates foreign aid with their core values is more supportive of aid appropriations. Our research indicates that support for foreign aid is stronger in Europe because it coincides with European perceptions about the role of government in addressing social problems and greater European confidence in government institutions. This study provides evidence that the attitudes which provide the foundation for public support for domestic and international programs are linked. It also demonstrates that there are core value differences underpinning transatlantic gaps in public opinion.
Economic analysis of water allocation policies regarding Nile River water in Egypt

The Government of Egypt is currently implementing projects that expand irrigated area on the Sinai Peninsula and in the southern desert. Those projects will reduce the supply of Nile River water available to farmers in the Nile Delta, which is a heavily populated and highly productive agricultural region. The southern desert project will obtain water directly from Lake Nasser, while a mixture of Nile River water and drainage water will be delivered to the Sinai. The true costs of the projects include the opportunity costs of water and capital that could be used alternatively in the Nile Valley and Delta, or in other productive endeavors. Economic analysis generates optimizing criteria that describe the role of scarcity values (opportunity costs) in determining the allocation of Nile River water that will maximize net social benefits. Policy implications are derived by comparing those criteria with the criterion that farmers implement when maximizing profits from crop production. A small-scale simulation model demonstrates the potential impact of water allocation policies on regional net revenues. Results are discussed within the context of a broader view of national goals that include promoting economic growth, achieving food security, and enhancing the quality of life for Egyptians.
Videos in clinical medicine. Central venous catheterization--subclavian vein.

Most of the necessary equipment can be found in commercially available kits. These kits typically include skin-preparation solution and a drape, lidocaine, sterile gauze, non-Luer lock syringes, a scalpel, a catheter, a dilator, several needles, and a guidewire. You will also need a sterile gown, sterile gloves, a surgical cap, a mask with a face shield, and drapes to cover the patient’s entire body. Flush solution is also not commonly found in the kits. Determine the catheter length and depth of placement by referring to the patient’s external landmarks. The tip of the catheter should reach the junction of the superior vena cava and the right atrium. Common catheters used range from 4-French catheters for infants to 7-French catheters for adults; 11.5-French catheters may be used for dialysis. Because the risk of infection increases with an increasing number of lumens, a catheter with the fewest number of lumens required should be used. p r E p a r a t I o n
Slavery, Civil War and Salvation: African American Slaves and Christianity, 1830–1870

Slavery, Civil War and Salvation: African American Slaves and Christianity, 1830–1870, by Daniel L. Fountain, Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University Press, 2010, xi + 159 pp., US$36.00 (hardback),...
Minimum Rank Problems

Abstract A graph describes the zero–nonzero pattern of a family of matrices, with the type of graph (undirected or directed, simple or allowing loops) determining what type of matrices (symmetric or not necessarily symmetric, diagonal entries free or constrained) are described by the graph. The minimum rank problem of the graph is to determine the minimum among the ranks of the matrices in this family; the determination of maximum nullity is equivalent. This problem has been solved for simple trees [P.M. Nylen, Minimum-rank matrices with prescribed graph, Linear Algebra Appl. 248 (1996) 303–316, C.R. Johnson, A. Leal Duarte, The maximum multiplicity of an eigenvalue in a matrix whose graph is a tree, Linear and Multilinear Algebra 46 (1999) 139–144], trees allowing loops [L.M. DeAlba, T.L. Hardy, I.R. Hentzel, L. Hogben, A. Wangsness. Minimum rank and maximum eigenvalue multiplicity of symmetric tree sign patterns, Linear Algebra Appl. 418 (2006) 389–415], and directed trees allowing loops [F. Barioli, S. Fallat, D. Hershkowitz, H.T. Hall, L. Hogben, H. van der Holst, B. Shader, On the minimum rank of not necessarily symmetric matrices: a preliminary study, Electron. J. Linear Algebra 18 (2000) 126–145]. We survey these results from a unified perspective and solve the minimum rank problem for simple directed trees.
Self-Injuries, Harmless Wrongdoing, and Morality

As I prepare to type at the computer monitor situated in front of me, the television monitor to the right of me is reporting the story of a high-profile, alcoholic baseball player who recently expe...
The Convergence of Value Iteration in Discounted Markov Decision Processes

Abstract Considerable numerical experience indicates that the standard value iteration procedure for infinite horizon discounted Markov decision processes performs much better than the usual error bound analysis suggests. This paper attempts to examine why this happens and introduces an additional pointwise convergence concept to that of the usual maximum norm concept, in order to examine why some states exhibit better convergence behaviour than others. We also present some numerical results.
Gendered Homophobia and the Contradictions of Workplace Discrimination for Women in the Building Trades

Drawing on 63 interviews with a diverse sample of tradeswomen, this article examines how the cultural meanings of sexual orientation—as well as gender presentation, race, and body size—shapes the constraints that women face in the construction industry and the specific resistance strategies they develop. We argue that women’s presence in these male-dominated jobs threatens (1) notions of the work as inherently masculine and (2) a gender order that presumes the sexual subordination of women. Tradesmen neutralize the first threat by labeling tradeswomen as lesbians—and therefore not “real” women—and respond to the second by sexualizing straight and lesbian tradeswomen alike. In turn, tradeswomen develop individual resistance strategies, which are shaped by the intersections of their sexual identity, gender presentation, race, and body size. Finally, we show how tradesmen deploy homophobia to stymie collective action and solidarity by tradeswomen, gay or straight.
Learning a Lexicon for Broad-coverage Semantic Parsing

While there has been significant recent work on learning semantic parsers for specific task/ domains, the results don’t transfer from one domain to another domains. We describe a project to learn a broad-coverage semantic lexicon for domain independent semantic parsing. The technique involves several bootstrapping steps starting from a semantic parser based on a modest-sized hand-built semantic lexicon. We demonstrate that the approach shows promise in building a semantic lexicon on the scale of WordNet, with more coverage and detail that currently available in widely-used resources such as VerbNet. We view having such a lexicon as a necessary prerequisite for any attempt at attaining broad-coverage semantic parsing in any domain. The approach we described applies to all word classes, but in this paper we focus here on verbs, which are the most critical phenomena facing semantic parsing.
Precipitation, soils, NPP, and biodiversity: resurrection of Albrecht's curve

Climate and soils are widely recognized as major drivers of virtually all properties of ecosystems and communities. However, despite major advances in the understanding of soil formation and ecosystem dynamics, the effects of climate on soil properties are not widely appreciated. Understanding the effects of water availability on the rates of chemical and biological processes that affect soil formation can help clarify the global patterns of soil fertility, which affect agricultural and forest productivity, as well as biodiversity. Empirical tests of Albrecht's conceptual model of soil development and degradation using global climate and soil data sets and soil chronosequences confirm that soil total exchangeable bases (TEB), phosphorus, nitrogen, and other components of soil fertility, along with plant productivity generally decline on older soils and under wetter conditions as precipitation exceeds potential evapotranspiration. The basic pattern of soil fertility in relation to water availability is a unimodal curve, with a maximum near or below a water balance of zero (annual precipitation minus annual potential evapotranspiration). Analysis of global data by subregions reveals significant differences between temperate and tropical soil fertility distributions, as well as significant differences between continents. The low levels of soil nutrients (e.g., TEB, P, N) and plant productivity found on ancient soils or highly weathered soils in regions with high precipitation suggest that the positive effects of low productivity on plant diversity that have been observed at local and regional scales may also occur at the global scale.
The conditional relative odds ratio provided less biased results for comparing diagnostic test accuracy in meta-analyses

Abstract Objective Meta-analytic techniques are used to combine the results of different studies that have evaluated the accuracy of a given diagnostic test. The techniques commonly generate values that either describe the performance of a particular test or compare the discriminative ability of two tests. The later has received very little attention in the literature, and is the focus of this article. Study Design and Setting We summarize existing methods based on an odds ratio (OR) and propose a novel technique for conducting such analysis, the conditional relative odds ratio (CROR). We demonstrate how to extract the required data and calculate several different comparative indexes using a hypothetic example. Results A paired analysis is preferred to decrease selection bias and increase statistical power. There is no standard method of obtaining the standard error (SE) of each relative OR; thus, the SE of the summary index might be underestimated under the assumption of no within-study variability. Conclusion The CROR method estimates less biased indexes with SEs, and conditioned on discordant results, it is much less problematic ethically and economically. However, small cell counts may lead to larger SEs, and it might be impossible to construct McNemar's 2×2 tables for some studies.
Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors: blocking renal tubular reabsorption of glucose to improve glycaemic control in patients with diabetes.

Summary Background: The kidney plays a central role in the regulation of plasma glucose levels, although until recently this has not been widely appreciated or considered a target for therapeutic intervention. The sodium glucose co-transporter type 2 (SGLT2) located in the plasma membrane of cells lining the proximal tubule mediates the majority of renal glucose reabsorption from the tubular fluid, which normally prevents the loss of glucose in the urine. Competitive inhibitors of SGLT2 that provoke the renal excretion of glucose have been discovered, thereby providing a unique mechanism to potentially lower the elevated blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes. Objective: To explore the physiology of SGLT2 action and discuss several SGLT2 inhibitors that have entered early clinical development. Methods: All publicly available data were identified by searching the internet for ‘SGLT2’ and ‘SGLT2 inhibitor’ through 1 November 2007. Published articles, press releases and abstracts presented at national and international meetings were considered. Results/conclusion: Sodium glucose co-transporter type 2 inhibition is a novel treatment option for diabetes, which has been studied in preclinical models and a few potent and selective SGLT2 inhibitors have been reported and are currently in clinical development. These agents appear to be safe and generally well tolerated, and will potentially be a beneficial addition to the growing battery of oral antihyperglycaemic agents.
Analysis of GaInAsP laser diodes degraded by light absorption at an active layer of the facet

Electrostatic discharge-induced degradation is one of the serious reliability problems of GaInAsP/InP laser diodes. The authors have conducted an analysis of electrostatic discharge-induced degradation, and have elucidated the principal degradation mechanism. The main cause of degradation is heating by light absorption at the active layer of the facet. This phenomenon is similar to the catastrophic optical damage that occurs in GaAs-based high-power laser diodes. The problem has become more serious with the recent tendency to high power demand. Therefore, technology to suppress against degradation is extremely important. Focusing on facet coating, which is one of the key processes to suppress facet degradation, we demonstrated that facet degradation can be successfully suppressed by inserting an ultrathin aluminum layer between the semiconductor and the dielectric coaling films. This effect is caused by a reduction of surface recombination. This degradation suppression technology has the potential to be applied not only to GaInAsP/InP laser diodes, but to any InP-based laser diodes. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 93(2): 32–38, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10196
Characterization of Benzoyl Coenzyme A Biosynthesis Genes in the Enterocin-Producing Bacterium “Streptomyces maritimus”

The novel benzoyl coenzyme A (benzoyl-CoA) biosynthesis pathway in “Streptomyces maritimus” was investigated through a series of target-directed mutations. Genes involved in benzoyl-CoA formation were disrupted through single-crossover homologous recombination, and the resulting mutants were analyzed for their ability to biosynthesize the benzoyl-CoA-primed polyketide antibiotic enterocin. Inactivation of the unique phenylalanine ammonia-lyase-encoding gene encP was previously shown to be absolutely required for benzoyl-CoA formation in “S. maritimus”. The fatty acid β-oxidation-related genes encH, -I, and -J, on the other hand, are necessary but not required. In each case, the yield of benzoyl-CoA-primed enterocin dropped below wild-type levels. We attribute the reduced benzoyl-CoA formation in these specific mutants to functional substitution and cross-talk between the products of genes encH, -I, and -J and the enzyme homologues of primary metabolism. Disruption of the benzoate-CoA ligase encN gene did not perturb enterocin production, however, demonstrating that encN is extraneous and that benzoic acid is not a pathway intermediate. EncN rather serves as a substitute pathway for utilizing exogenous benzoic acid. These experiments provide further support that benzoyl-CoA is formed in a novel bacterial pathway that resembles the eukaryotic assembly of benzoyl-CoA from phenylalanine via a β-oxidative path.
Scalable supernode selection in peer-to-peer overlay networks

We define a problem called the supernode selection problem which has emerged across a variety of peer-to-peer applications. Supernode selection involves selection of a subset of the peers to serve a special role. The supernodes must be well-dispersed throughout the peer-to-peer overlay network, and must fulfil additional requirements such as load balance, resource needs, adaptability to churn, and heterogeneity. While similar to dominating set and p-centers problems, the supernode selection problem must meet the additional challenge of operating within a huge, unknown and dynamically changing network. We describe three generic super-node selection protocols we have developed for peer-to-peer environments: a label-based scheme for structured overlay networks, a distributed protocol for coordinate-based overlay networks, and a negotiation protocol for unstructured overlays. We believe an integrated approach to the supernode selection problem can benefit the peer-to-peer community through cross-fertilization of ideas and sharing of protocols.
A Revaluation of Indexes of Residential Segregation

New criteria for indexes of residential segregation are developed. It is argued that a pattern of random segregation rather than complete desegregation should be used as a baseline for measuring segregation. It is shown that any index whose relationship to one baseline is independent of the proportion black in a city, necessarily has a dependent relationship with respect to the other baseline. The index of dissimilarity is adjusted to serve as a measure of deviation from random segregation. Eta-square, which was shown by Duncan and Duncan to depend on the proportion black, is shown to be independent of the proportion black when random segregation is used as a baseline. It is argued that segregation should be measured from a situation of complete desegregation when its effects are of concern, but that it should be measured from random segregation when its causes are being analyzed. Over the years, sociologists have been continually interested in residential segregation. Much of this interest has been in the segregation of blacks from whites. Recently such inquiries have increased as sociologists have realized that residential segregation is the basis for other sorts of discrimination. In particular, residential segregation is the basis for much discrimination in both education and employment (Pettigrew). From the years 1947 to 1955 a series of articles appeared in the literature, mostly in the American Sociological Review, concerned with developing various indexes of residential segregation. The standard dogma during this period was that there were many different indexes, each of which was appropriate for different theoretical reasons. The actual consequences of these articles were, however, quite the opposite. The outcome has been an overwhelming tendency to look at residential segregation from one perspective-that of the segregation curve and its deviation from complete desegregation-and the summary of this deviation in terms of the index of dissimilarity. The purpose of the paper is to show that there are at least two different perspectives from which residential segregation can be examined. Segregation can be measured as it deviates from a situation of complete desegregation or in terms of a situation in which there is random segregation in the city. The indexes that have been developed and those that will be examined in this paper assume that the segregation data are in a very specific form. It is assumed that the data are either the number of people or households that are black and that are white for either census tracts or blocks of a given city. In this paper it will be assumed that the data are renorted in terms of households per block.