cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design and Control of a Novel Compact Nonlinear Rotary Magnetic SEA (MSEA) for Practical Robotic Gripper Implementation

In this letter we present a novel design of a nonlinear series elastic actuator based on magnetic repulsive forces. The primary application of the actuator is for simple robotic grippers that operate in close proximity to the environment and are exposed to hazards of collision frequently. The design of the rotary magnetic spring proposes a unique configuration that maximizes the torque profile range while minimizing size and weight, which makes it practically implantable in robotic gripper applications. The torque profile of the proposed configuration was verified with FEM simulations and a series of experiments. The proposed SEA (MSEA) was controlled with a gain scheduling method which adjusts the gains of a PID controller based on the estimated stiffness of the spring in real-time. MSEA performance characteristics to accurately track torque and absorb shocks were evaluated and verified through a series of experiments.
Robert Kolker. Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family,: New York, NY, Random House, 2020, 400 pp., $14.99 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-385-54377-4

In this compelling book, the author draws upon hundreds of hours of interviews to chronicle the tragedy and triumphs of the Galvins—a family wherein six of the 12 children were ultimately diagnosed...
Corticosteroid treatment in COVID-19 modulates host inflammatory responses and transcriptional signatures of immune dysregulation.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), a respiratory disease that varies in severity from mild to severe/fatal. Several risk factors for severe disease have been identified, notably age, male sex, and pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. Several advancements in clinical care have been achieved over the past year, including the use of corticosteroids (e.g., corticosteroids) and other immune-modulatory treatments that have now become standard of care for patients with acute severe COVID-19. While the understanding of the mechanisms that underlie increased disease severity with age has improved over the past few months, it remains incomplete. Furthermore, the molecular impact of corticosteroid treatment on host response to acute SARS-CoV-2 infection has not been investigated. In this study, a cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of Ab, soluble immune mediators, and transcriptional responses in young (65 ≤ years) and aged (≥ 65 years) diabetic males with obesity hospitalized with acute severe COVID-19 was conducted. Additionally, the transcriptional profiles in samples obtained before and after corticosteroids became standard of care were compared. The analysis indicates that severe COVID-19 is characterized by robust Ab responses, heightened systemic inflammation, increased expression of genes related to inflammatory and pro-apoptotic processes, and reduced expression of those important for adaptive immunity regardless of age. In contrast, COVID-19 patients receiving steroids did not show high levels of systemic immune mediators and lacked transcriptional indicators of heightened inflammatory and apoptotic responses. Overall, these data suggest that inflammation and cell death are key drivers of severe COVID-19 pathogenesis in the absence of corticosteroid therapy.
Diagnostic Tests of Dementia as Research Tools

In a real sense, the methodologies that have been used to diagnose brain disease constitute research modalities and vice versa. Dementia is an exclusively human problem, so in one way or another the research on dementia must involve the human brain. Human experimentations is severely restricted, so ordinary animal procedure is not possible. Therefore, the study of human brain disease by these diagnostic methods may be the main source of information during the active phase of the dementing process. The major problem in all these studies is the definition of normal, particularly when it becomes identified with age. However, when valid criteria of normalcy are established these techniques afford us a great opportunity to investigate the pathogenetic mechanisms of dementia. Unlike the autopsy, they can always be applied to evolving dementia so that subtle deviations from the normal may be more apparent. The effectiveness with which this is done becomes of interest not only to the diagnostician but also to all neurobiologists.
SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHED CAPACITIVE CIRCUIT FOR ENERGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNETS

A solid-state IGBT switched capacitive circuit capable of transferring energy between two 0.94 henry NbTi superconducting magnets storing 5.0 kJ has been developed. Maximum operating current in the magnets and switching circuit is 100A. Energy transfer between magnets is step-wise requiring the coupling capacitor to store only a small fraction of a magnet’s total stored energy. Energy transfer time is directly proportional to magnet current and inductance, and is inversely proportional to the maximum voltage across the coupling capacitor. Initial energy transfer rate goal is 5.0 kW; equating to a time rate of change in the magnetic field of 1.7 Tesla/sec. Only a small power supply is required to provide the initial charge to one coil, replace dissipated energy due to resistive heating in the semiconductor switches and connecting cables, and A.C. losses in the superconducting magnets. Test results from operating this energy transfer circuit are presented and discussed.
{Tris[2-(imidazol-2-ylmethyl-imino)eth-yl]methyl-ammonium}iron(II) tris-(per-chlorate) dihydrate.

The title complex, [Fe(C19H27N10)](ClO4)3·2H2O, is a new polymorph of an iron(II) Schiff base complex of tris­(2-amino­ethyl)methyl­ammonium with imidazole-2-carboxaldehyde. The octa­hedral FeII atom is bound to three facial imidazole N atoms with average Fe—Nimidazole and Fe—Nimine bond distances of 1.963 (5) and 1.951 (5) A, respectively. The central N atom of the tripodal ligand is outside the bonding distance at 3.92 A. The crystal packing is stabilized by the hydrogen-bonding inter­actions between the two water mol­ecules (acceptor) and two of the three imidazole NH groups (donor). The third imidazole NH group (donor) forms a hydrogen bond to one of the three perchlorate counter-ions (acceptor).
Religion: Evolution and Development

Since the idea of religious development merges into the much larger field of the history of religions, this article focuses on religious evolution. Contrary to common belief, it is to the writings of Max Weber that a defensible conception of religious evolution owes the most. According to Weber, Protestantism, though occurring in only one tradition, was, indirectly but crucially, an indispensable precondition for the emergence of modernity cross-culturally, and thus can legitimately be considered an instance of religious evolution. In this comparative studies in the sociology of religion Weber was particularly interested in the emergence of what he called the world religions in the first millennium BC. By calling these new symbolic forms ‘rationalized’ Weber was pointing to the fact that they were more coherent, more cognitively and ethically universalizing, more potentially self-critical (reflexive), and more disengaged from the existing society than what preceded them. Just as Protestantism emerged out of one of the world religions, so they themselves emerged out of societies organized in terms of kinship and neighborhood in which religion was primarily magical, by which Weber meant, one in which ritual means were used to attain utilitarian ends. This three-stage typology remains fundamental although it can be significantly refined.
Studies on cell deformability. Some rheological considerations.

Abstract The negative pressures required to produce a hemispherical deformation of mammalian cells into micropipettes has been measured when the rate of cell deformation is varied, and when the volume of the cells is altered by varying the tonicity of the suspending fluids. The results indicate the presence of elastic, viscous and plastic elements at the cell periphery which affect its deformability. The difficulties inherent in this analytical approach to a rheological characterization of the cell periphery are discussed. It seems clear that in experiments of this type, closer attention must be paid to the rate at which cells are deformed than previously.
Symbolic Visibly Pushdown Automata

Nested words model data with both linear and hierarchical structure such as XML documents and program traces. A nested word is a sequence of positions together with a matching relation that connects open tags (calls) with the corresponding close tags (returns). Visibly Pushdown Automata are a restricted class of pushdown automata that process nested words, and have many appealing theoretical properties such as closure under Boolean operations and decidable equivalence. However, like any classical automata models, they are limited to finite alphabets. This limitation is restrictive for practical applications to both XML processing and program trace analysis, where values for individual symbols are usually drawn from an unbounded domain. With this motivation, we introduce Symbolic Visibly Pushdown Automata (SVPA) as an executable model for nested words over infinite alphabets. In this model, transitions are labeled with predicates over the input alphabet, analogous to symbolic automata processing strings over infinite alphabets. A key novelty of SVPAs is the use of binary predicates to model relations between open and close tags in a nested word. We show how SVPAs still enjoy the decidability and closure properties of Visibly Pushdown Automata. We use SVPAs to model XML validation policies and program properties that are not naturally expressible with previous formalisms and provide experimental results for our implementation.
An ISM band CMOS integrated transceiver design for wireless telemetry system

This paper presents an ISM band CMOS integrated wireless telemetry transceiver. It is composed of the receiver, the transmitter, and the interface circuit. It was fabricated with 0.18 /spl mu/m copper CMOS process by UMC. The DC coupling method is applied in the receiver path to cancel DC offset components. The receiver sensitivity is minimum -95 dBm to detect the data within 0.1% BER. It consumes below 50 mW overall power with sleep mode function. It works at up to 200 kb/s data rate. The final amplifier has maximum 15 dBm output power with 40% efficiency. The dynamic power control range has minimum 15 dB and the communication distance is within 1 km.
Searching the Internet

This column differs somewhat from previous ones in that the software itself isn't shipped-rather, the results of the software are shipped, and in huge numbers. Mike Andrews of Microsoft reveals some of the intricacies and enormous resources required for successful Web search with a fascinating glimpse into the Bing search engine.
Chikungunya: establishing a new home in the Western hemisphere.

Chikungunya fever, a debilitating but rarely fatal disease, is increasing in frequency among travelers returning to the United States from affected regions. The mosquito vectors for this virus are ...
Beneficial Effects of Blueberries in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal model of autoimmune disease that presents with pathological and clinical features similar to those of multiple sclerosis (MS) including inflammation and neurodegeneration. This study investigated whether blueberries, which possess immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties, could provide protection in EAE. Dietary supplementation with 1% whole, freeze-dried blueberries reduced disease incidence by >50% in a chronic EAE model (p < 0.01). When blueberry-fed mice with EAE were compared with control-fed mice with EAE, blueberry-fed mice had significantly lower motor disability scores (p = 0.03) as well as significantly greater myelin preservation in the lumbar spinal cord (p = 0.04). In a relapsing-remitting EAE model, blueberry-supplemented mice showed improved cumulative and final motor scores compared to control diet-fed mice (p = 0.01 and 0.03, respectively). These data demonstrate that blueberry supplementation is beneficial in multiple EAE models, suggesting that blueberries, which are easily administered orally and well-tolerated, may provide benefit to MS patients.
Adolescent Substance Abuse and Psychiatric Comorbidities

Substance use disorders have a serious impact on adolescents because these disorders have high prevalence rates and frequent associations with psychiatric disorders. Surveys of adolescent behaviors and substance use show that alcohol is the most common substance abused by adolescents. Despite the high rates of current alcohol use and binge drinking among adolescents, current diagnostic criteria are problematic. Adolescents may have a developing problem with substance dependence but not meet criteria for either substance abuse or dependence. At-risk adolescents, called "diagnostic orphans," may meet only 1 or 2 criteria for alcohol dependence and no abuse criteria and therefore do not receive an alcohol use disorder diagnosis from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Adolescents with substance use disorders tend to have higher rates of comorbid psychiatric disorders and are more likely to report a history of trauma and physical and/or sexual abuse than adolescents without a substance use disorder. In addition, psychiatric disorders in adolescents often predate the substance use disorder. Once the substance use disorder develops, the psychiatric disorder may be further exacerbated.
Immunodeficiency, radiosensitivity, and the XCIND syndrome

Through the analysis of a rare disorder called ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T), many important biological lessons have been gleaned. Today, it is clear that the underlying defect of A-T lies in the nucleus, as an inability to repair or process double strand breaks. More important, by the A-T phenotype now allows us to appreciate a much more general distinction between immunodeficiencies that are radiosensitive and those that are not.
Continuity and change in the regional stereotypes of southern college students, 1970–1987

A 1970 study, using the Katz and Braley typical trait list to examine the stereotypes of Americans, white southerners, and white northerners held by a sample of southern college students, was replicated in 1987. The stereotypes were largely unchanged from the earlier study, despite striking changes in American regions and regional relations in the intervening years. White southerners were seen as traditional, religious, family oriented, and courteous compared with white northerners and to Americans in general. Among the many changes in detail, however, were that all three groups were less likely to be seen as intelligent, white northerners and Americans in general were less likely to be seen as industrious, and white southerners were no longer characterized as lazy or ignorant.
Fordism on a World Scale: International Dimensions of Regulation

The method of analysis of the French Regulation School, especially the work of Lipietz, is presented and critically discussed as a potential contribution to a much-needed Marnan class analysis of contemporary capitalism. Particular attention is paid to the concepts of Regulation theory, especially the accumulation/regulation model, and to the internal tensions that emerge from the attempt to transpose a theory of national regulation to the world economy.
Auditory nerve neurophonic tuning curves produced by masking of round window responses.

Abstract In response to low-intensity, low-frequency, phase-locked tonal stimuli with non-alternating polarity, the time-averaged round window (RW) response of the gerbil is a mixture of the auditory nerve neurophonic (ANN) and cochlear microphonic (CM), with the former often being of equal or greater magnitude than the latter. Forward masking (using a conservative 25% amplitude reduction criterion) can be used to generate ANN tuning curves (TC). Most of these TCs are sharply tuned V-shaped functions. Harmonic distortion is often present in the ANN, especially in response to the lower-frequency (≤ 1 kz) or higher-intensity (? 50 dB) stimuli. The TCs created by forward masking of the harmonics are similar in appearance to those generated by masking the fundamental frequency of the ANN. When lower-frequency probe stimuli (≤ ≈ 1 kHz) are used, the frequency of the TC tip tends to be higher than that of the probe; with higher probe frequencies, the tip tends to be lower. Regardless of the frequency of the probe, the TC tip threshold occurs at an intensity level lower than that of the probe. The sharpness of these TCs generally increases as a function of the frequency of the probe stimulus and the values of Q 10dB are comparable to those of FTCs of cochlear nerve fibers of the gerbil. The amplitude of the ANN is often enhanced in response to a limited intensity range of forward maskers over a restricted range of frequencies that are outside the high-frequency boundary of the forward masker TC. By alternating the polarity of the probe stimulus, the CM can be canceled, allowing the effects of simultaneous maskers to be evaluated.
High dose levels are not necessary in rodent studies to detect human carcinogens

Guidelines for the conduct of rodent carcinogenicity studies stipulate that when the test substance is administered via the diet, its concentration need not exceed 5% of the diet. Since it is now apparent that human carcinogens are amongst the most potent of rodent carcinogens, it should be possible to detect accurately potential human carcinogens by using only relatively low dose levels in rodent studies. Our analysis of the potency of human carcinogens in rodent studies leads to the conclusion that, even after applying a safety factor of 10, there is no purpose in using dose levels higher than 500 mg/kg body weight or 1% in the diet.
Preovulatory changes in the synthesis of cyclic AMP by rabbit Graafian follicles.

Abstract The in vitro synthesis of cyclic AMP in rabbit Graafian follicles and the effect of luteinizing hormone on the accumulation of this cyclic nucleotide, has been studied at different time intervals after the in vivo injection of an ovulating dose of human chorionic gonadotropin and after mating. A decrease in the ability of the follicles to respond to luteinizing hormone in vitro was observed 30 min after human chorionic gonadotropin injection and this decline continued up to the time of ovulation. This steady decline of the accumulation of cyclic AMP in the Graafian follicle between the ovulatory stimulus and the actual rupture of the follicle, precedes similar changes in steroidogenesis observed by others. These data suggest that the decline in cyclic AMP accumulation is causally related to the process of ovulation.
Is the Ability to Ambulate Associated With Better Employment Outcomes in Participants With Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

The author compares current employment status after spinal cord injury between participants who were independent in ambulation (required no assistance from others) and those who were dependent in ambulation (required assistance from at least one other person to ambulate). Those who were independent of assistance from others in ambulation were significantly more likely to be employed. Rehabilitation counselors should consider the special needs and circumstances of those who ambulate with assistance.
Estimation of arm maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) from submaximal arm ergometer exercise in young male subjects

The objective of this investigation was to develop a regression equation to predict arm VO2max based on a submaximal arm ergometer exercise. Sixty healthy adult males, from 18 to 29 years of age, completed a symptom‐limited/exhaustive exercise test on a Monark Rehab Trainer (Model 881E) to measure arm VO2max· During the arm crank GXT, a subject exercised at an initial work rate of 30 kgm · min−1, with 30 kgm · min−1 increase in work rate each minute until the subject expressed exhaustion. Subjects also completed a 5‐min submaximal exercise on a Monark Rehab Trainer at a work rate that elicited a steady state heart rate between 110 and 150 bpm. This exercise session was preceded by a 3‐min warm‐up at a work rate at 30 kgm · mm−1. Multiple regression analysis to predict arm VO2max (ml · min−1) yielded the following predictor variables: (a) submaximal heart rate (SHR) (bpm) (b) submaximal exercise work rate (WR) (kgm ‐min−1) (c) body weight (BW) (kg) and (d) age (yr). This analysis produced the following reg...
Observer-based fault diagnosis of power electronics systems

We propose a fault diagnosis method for power electronics systems that extends classical observer-based fault-sensitive detection filters for linear time-invariant systems to switched-linear systems commonly encountered in power electronics. The result is a piecewise-linear detection filter, which in the absence of faults, works the same way as an observer—it predicts the system states exactly. If a fault occurs, the state predicted by the filter differs from the true state of the system, and by appropriately choosing the filter gain, the filter residual has certain geometrical characteristics that makes the fault identifiable. An experimental platform to verify the feasibility of the proposed method is presented along with simulation and experimental results illustrating the feasibility and effectiveness of the method.
Characterization of overlay tolerance requirements for via to metal alignment

Decreasing metal interconnect dimensions have led to tighter overlay tolerance requirements to ensure via to metal contact. These strict requirements often test the alignment capability of a manufacturing line; therefore, careful characterization is required to justify the overlay specification limits. A variety of technique can be combined for overlay process characterization including electrical resistance measurements, optical overlay measurements, CD SEM via misalignments and x-section yield. Available characterization techniques are then used to fully study the process window. Characterization data will be presented for a copper interconnect process.
A User Cost Approach to New Automobile Purchases

Recent econometric investigation into corporate investment behaviour in the US has re-emphasized the importance of the user-cost element in investment decisions.3 But despite the obvious parallels between investment decisions by firms and durable purchase decisions by consumers, the user-cost theory has not been applied to consumer durable goods demand. This paper attempts to fill this hiatus. Both investment and durable goods studies usually start by assuming a very general " stock adjustment" or " generalized accelerator " framework.4 In the case of automobiles, new car purchases are acquisitions to the existing stock. The rate of acquisition depends upon the difference between the existing stock and some desired level. Most efforts in automobile demand studies have been to refine this stock adjustment model and to explain changes in the desired stock. This paper, however, does not start with the stock adjustment model as its premise, but presents an alternative structure. The assumption of the stock adjustment model that may be inappropriate when applied to automobiles is that all cars are weighted perfect substitutes,5 i.e. that all cars provide essentially the same service, private transportation. An alternative view is that the services of new cars are considered by consumers to be qualitatively superior to those of used cars, thus new car purchases are not merely additions to the existing stock. Rather, they reflect the demand for a unique commodity, new car services, measured independently of the existing stock of used cars. This model will be called the " superior goods " model and will be compared to the stock adjustment model. In Section 2 the models are presented. First, the user-cost theory, to be studied in the context of both the superior goods and the stock adjustment forms, is seen to provide the price variables, rental prices, and to provide weights for homogenizing new
Electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric determination of lead in high-purity reagents with flow-injection on-line microcolumn preconcentration and separation using a macrocycle immobilized silica gel sorbent

Abstract A fully automated procedure for the determination of ng l −1 amounts of lead has been developed using flow injection (FI) online column preconcentration coupled with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). The proposed FI manifold and its operation make possible the introduction of the total eluate volume into the graphite atomizer, avoiding the necessity for optimization of subsampling the eluate. The interference of other heavy metal ions due to competition for active sites of the sorbent is overcome using a highly selective macrocycle immobilized on silica gel (Pb-02). Lead is adsorbed on a microcolumn (50 μl) packed with Pb-02, and after washing the column with dilute nitric acid, air is introduced to remove all solution from the column and connecting tubing. The sorbed analyte is then eluted quantitatively into the graphite tube atomizer, preheated to 100°C, with 36 μl of ETDA solution (0.035 mol l −1 , pH 10.5), propelled by air in order to minimize dispersion. The collection efficiency was 77% and with a sample loading flow rate of 3 ml min −1 and a 60 s preconcentration time, the enhancement factor was 77 and the throughput was 17 samples per hour. The relative standard deviation ( n = 10) at the 300 ng l −1 level was 2.7%, and the detection limit (3σ) was 0.4 ng l −1 . No interference from heavy metals was observed, but ions of Ba 2+ , Sr 2+ and K + were found to interfere when the concentration ratios of interferent to lead exceeded values of 2000, 20 000 and 200 000, respectively. Quantitative recovery of lead was achieved from sodium, magnesium, aluminum, lanthanum and heavy metal salt solutions. The high selectivity and sensitivity, combined with extremely low blank values, make the proposed technique particularly attractive for the analysis of high-purity reagents, semiconductors and other high-purity materials. Results are presented for the determination of lead in some high-purity reagents.
Repromicin derivatives with potent antibacterial activity against Pasteurella multocida

Reductive amination of repromicin with polyfunctional amines has led to new macrolide antibacterial agents, some of which are highly potent against the Gram-negative pathogen Pasteurella multocida ...
Multiplexed interferometric fiber sensor arrays

AbstractThe advantages of networking fiber sensors using optical telemetry techniques to form all-optical arrays of sensor-elementsare well recognized. Interest in this general area began in the early 1980s, and over the past six years at NRL we have attempted to experimentally and theoretically characterize various different array configurations for interferometric sensor ar- rays based on frequency-division, time-division and coherence multiplexing schemes. Recently a number of tests by the USNavy have successfully demonstrated the operation of multiplexed sensors at sea. Work has also been conducted on othernovel multiplexing schemes for non-linear phase transduction based sensors and intensity-modulation based schemes. This paper will review the progress made in this area in recent years, and discuss some aspects of current research interest. Introduction There has been significant interest in the development of multiplexing techniques for interferometric fiber sensors in recent years. This research has been driven by a number of factors associated with the need in applications involving sensor arrays to
The Protestant Ethic — Revisited

In his article on “Respect for Work and Cleanliness,” Nikolai A. Mel'gunov touches on themes which are largely associated in our minds with the work of Max Weber. The aristocratic contempt for manual work and more broadly for any kind of specialization, the association of industriousness with religious dissent and with Protestant dissent particularly, the general view that labor is a burden which in Russian culture as in Catholicism is related to the frequency of holidays, the observable differences between Protestants and Catholics in the Rhineland — these and other themes can be found in Weber's work. Yet Weber himself considered these notions a commonplace in the literature. He believed that his own study offered a more probing analysis of the relation between the Protestant Ethic and that complex of attitudes towards economic activities which he designated as “innerworldly asceticism”.
Extracellular glycoproteins at acetylcholine receptor clusters of rat myotubes are organized into domains

Abstract Cultured neonatal rat myotubes develop acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clusters where they adhere to the substrate. These clusters are often linear, with AChR-rich domains alternating with AChR-poor “contact domains” closer to the tissue culture substrate. We have used sequential detergent extraction and immunofluorescence microscopy to localize extracellular matrix components within these two domains. Laminin, heparan sulfate proteoglycan, type IV collagen, and fibronectin are present at AChR-rich domains; nerve cell adhesion molecule is present at both AChR and contact domains. Extracts of contact domains are enriched in a 36-kDa concanavalin A binding protein and in a 90-kDa polypeptide recognized by antibodies against rat muscle adherons. These results suggest that extracellular components at substrate-apposed AChR clusters are organized into distinct domains that parallel the organization of the cluster bilayer.
Current trends in preoperative biliary stenting in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Background Sufficient evidence suggests that preoperative biliary stenting is associated with increased complication rates after pancreaticoduodenectomy. Methods Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) and linked Medicare claims data (1992–2007) were used to identify patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. We evaluated trends in the use of preoperative biliary stenting, timing of physician visits relative to stenting, and time to surgical resection and symptoms in stented and unstented patients. Results Pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed in 2,573 patients, and 52.6% of patients underwent preoperative biliary stenting (N = 1,354). Of these, 75.3% underwent endoscopic stenting only, 18.9% received a percutaneous stent, and 5.8% underwent both procedures. The overall stenting rate increased from 29.6% of patients between 1992 and 1995 to 59.1% between 2004 and 2007 (P Conclusion Use of preoperative biliary stenting doubled between 1992 and 2007 despite evidence that stenting is associated with increased perioperative infectious complications. The majority of stenting occurred prior to surgical consultation and is associated with significant delay in time to operation. Surgeons should be involved early in order to prevent unnecessary stenting and improve outcomes.
IBAD MoS2 lubrication of titanium alloys

Abstract MoS2 coatings were deposited by ion-beam-assisted deposition (IBAD) with and without a 30 nm TiN interlayer on Ti, Ti-6Al-4V, and steel substrates and slid in dry air against Ti-6Al-4V and steel under two different contact conditions. In the constant load condition, the friction coefficients for coated Ti alloys sliding against Ti ranged from 0.02 to 0.06, while endurance ranged from 30 to 625 krev. The tribological behavior was independent of TiN interlayer and was similar to that for MoS2-coated steel sliding against steel. Shear strength parameters S0 and α of IBAD MoS2 were measured on Ti-6Al-4V by varying the mean hertzian pressure, 0.28 GPa⩽PH⩽1.3 GPa; S0 ranged from 12 to 19 MPa and α ranged from 0.005 to 0.021, similar to sputterdeposited MoS2 on steel. At PH=1.3 GPa, the Ti alloy was loaded beyond its elastic limit, but the 300 nm thick IBAD MoS2 was able to protect the substrate by maintaining integrity and lubricity.
School absenteeism in children with asthma in a Los Angeles inner city school.

Objective To investigate the pattern of school absenteeism in asthmatic children within a Los Angeles inner city school. Study design Five hundred twenty-eight students of predominant Hispanic ethnicity, from a Los Angeles inner city school were divided into 3 groups: known asthma, high probability of asthma, and low probability of asthma using a previously validated instrument. Attendance records of these students were analyzed to determine total and respiratory absences over a year. School records were compared to the corresponding answers on 513 surveys to determine the accuracy of parental responses in regard to their children's absenteeism. Results Children with known asthma missed on average 2 more days of school than children with low probability of asthma and high probability of asthma. This was only significant in the younger age groups. Survey responses were found to have a 45.6% agreement with school attendance records. Underestimation occurred more often when school-recorded absentee rates were highest. Overestimation occurred more by parents of children with known asthma or a high probability of asthma. Conclusion In a Los Angeles inner city population, younger children with known asthma miss more days of school than those with no asthma. Survey-reported absenteeism is less accurate than school attendance records.
Analysis and estimation of overflow probability in Jackson queueing networks

In this paper we consider a single M/M/1 queue and two M/M/1 queue in tandem Jackson networks for analyzing and estimating the overflow probability in a telecommunication networks. The arrival and service rates in a Jackson networks are modulated by finite state Markov process. First we estimated the buffer overflow in a single M/M/1 queueing network then we estimated the buffer overflow in two queues in tandem queueing network. Numerical and experimental results of buffer overflow on a single M/M/1 queue and a two queue in tandem are discussed.
Writing effective user manuals: basic guidelines and tips

With the proliferation of automated systems in libraries comes a growing need for good user documentation. Due to staffing constraints, often the person responsible for producing this documentation has no related background or experience. This article offers that writer a few simple guidelines and tips.
Fast-neutron total and scattering cross sections of elemental titanium☆

Abstract Energy-averaged total neutron cross sections of elemental titanium are measured from ≃ 1.0 to 4.5 MeV with statistical accuracies of ≃ 1%. Differential elastic neutron-scattering angular distributions are measured from 1.5 to 4.0 MeV at incident energy intervals of ≦ 0.2 MeV. Differential cross sections for the inelastic neutron excitation of “states” in titanium at 158 ± 26, 891 ± 8, 984 ± 15, 1428 ± 39, 1541 ± 30, 1670 ± 80, 2007 ± 8, 2304 ± 22, 2424 ± 16 and 2615 ± 10 keV are measured in the incident-neutron energy range 1.5 to 4.0 MeV. Neutrons corresponding to additional states at approximately 2845 and 3010 keV were qualitatively observed. The experimental results are interpreted in terms of an energy-averaged optical-statistical and coupled-channels models including consideration of collective vibrations. The implications of these models and their use in the context of strong fluctuating structure are discussed.
Public assistance receipt among immigrants and natives: how the unit of analysis affects research findings.

Differences between immigrant and native households in rates of welfare receipt depend on nativity differences in individual-level rates of receipt, in household size, in mean number of recipients in receiving households, and in household nativity composition. We present algebraic derivations of these relationships and use data from the 1990 and 1991 panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation to examine empirically the extent to which levels of welfare receipt for immigrants and natives are sensitive to the use of household-, family-, or individual-level units of analysis or presentation. The findings show that nativity differences are statistically significant only at the level of larger units. The results also indicate that if immigrants and natives had identical living arrangements, immigrants’ household-level receipt of Supplemental Security Income would significantly exceed natives’ receipt even more than it actually does, but the nativity difference in receipt of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) would reverse directions. Moreover, the level of AFDC receipt of immigrant households falls significantly below that of native households when native-born children living in households headed by immigrants are treated as if they were foreign born.
Adaptive will: the evolution of attention deficit disorder.

The increasing prevalence of attention-deficit disorder among American school children was a source of significant controversy in the 1990s. This paper looks at the social and historical contexts in which ADD evolved in order to understand its emergence as a coherent and widespread entity. Changes in expert models of child behavior interacted with the formation of new identities around disability to shape a milieu in which the disorder could thrive. The pattern of affect control, of what must and what must not be restrained, regulated, and transformed, is certainly not the same in this stage as in the preceding one of court aristocracy. In keeping with its different interdependencies, bourgeois society applies stronger restrictions to certain impulses, while in the case of others aristocratic restrictions are simply continued and transformed to suit the changed situation (Elias, 1994, p. 125). © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Temperament as a potential predictor of mortality: evidence from a 41-year prospective study

Psychological factors were hypothesized to influence mortality, in particular, early versus later mortality. To explore the relationship between temperament, a psychological factor, and mortality in a prospective study of 1337 medical students, we constructed a measure portraying three temperament types, using latent class analysis. Death occurred in 113 subjects over 25–41 years of follow-up. In univariate survival analysis, subjects tending to direct tension “inward” when under stress (“Tension-In”) had a higher risk of mortality than “Tension-Out” or “Stable” types. These associations persisted after adjustment for age, smoking, cholesterol level, and Quetelet Index. The relative risk (RR) of mortality for Tension-In was 1.56 (95% confidence interval, 1.00–2.44) compared with the Stable group. The risk was due entirely to the excess risk in persons under 55 years of age (RR, 2.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.46–4.62); the corresponding risk of death in older persons was 0.66 (0.30–1.48). Thus temperament is a significant risk factor for mortality, in particular, premature death.
Apparatus for multisample thin-film dialysis.

A multiple-sample thin-film dialysis apparatus accommodating 8 samples with sample volumes ranging from 0.5 to 20 ml is described. Quantitative removal of solutes such as sodium chloride, sucrose, and Nile blue A is achieved with an individual thin-film unit within 45 min. A typical dialysis profile for 5 M NaCl in the multisample dialysis apparatus is 2.2, 0.13, and 0.022% of the original concentration after 1, 2. and 3 hr dialysis. Use of magnetic drive permits use of the apparatus in sealed systems and also precludes motor overload.
New developments in applying quantum mechanics to proteins

Algorithmic improvements of quantum mechanical methodologies have increased our ability to study the electronic structure of fragments of a biomolecule (e.g. an enzyme active site) or entire biomolecules. Three main strategies have emerged as ways in which quantum mechanics can be applied to biomolecules. The supermolecule approach continues to be utilized, but it is slowly being replaced by the so-called coupled quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical methodologies. An exciting new direction is the continued development and application of linear-scaling quantum mechanical approaches to biomolecular systems.
The scent of the reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata)

The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) emits a scent that can be detected by humans over considerable distances. Dichloromethane extracts of hair samples from adult male and female reticulated giraffes (G. c. reticulata) were analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Two highly odoriferous compounds, indole and 3-methylindole, identified in these extracts appear to be primarily responsible for the giraffe’s strong scent. Other major compounds identified were octane, benzaldehyde, heptanal, octanal, nonanal, p-cresol, tetradecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, and 3,5-androstadien-17-one; the last compound has not previously been identified from a natural source. These compounds may deter microorganisms or ectoparasitic arthropods. Most of these compounds are known to possess bacteriostatic or fungistatic properties against mammalian skin pathogens or other microorganisms. The levels of p-cresol in giraffe hair are sufficient to repel some ticks.  2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Pediatric Abdominal Wall Defects

This article reviews the incidence, presentation, anatomy, and surgical management of abdominal wall defects found in the pediatric population. Defects such as inguinal hernia and umbilical hernia are common and are encountered frequently by the pediatric surgeon. Recently developed techniques for repairing these hernias are aimed at improving cosmesis and decreasing pain while maintaining acceptably low recurrence rates. Less common conditions such as femoral hernia, Spigelian hernia, epigastric hernia, lumbar hernia, gastroschisis, and omphalocele are also discussed. The surgical treatment of gastroschisis and omphalocele has undergone some advancement with the use of various silos and meshes.
A novel mechanism for Ca2+-dependent regulation of hepatic gluconeogenesis: Stimulation of mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate synthesis by Ca2+

Abstract 1. 1. Isolated guinea pig liver mitochondria were used to assess a possible effect of Ca 2+ on the rate of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) synthesis. 2. 2. PEP synthesis from 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG), but not from malate, was stimulated by [Ca 2+ ] between 200 and 1200 nM. The effect was more pronounced at low [2-OG] (i.e. 0.1 and 0.3 mM) and it reached 58 and 22%, respectively, at 1200 nM as compared to 200 nM [Ca 2+ ]. 3. 3. Ruthenium red (1.8 μM) totally suppressed the stimulatory effect of Ca 2+ . 4. 4. Malonate (5 mM) abolished PEP formation with 2-OG alone but inhibited only slightly the process with 2-OG + malate. 5. 5. The results suggest that the stimulation by Ca 2+ of 2-OG dehydrogenase and, therefore, of GTP synthesis, provides a mechanism for an enhanced PEP synthesis and for regulation of hepatic gluconeogenesis by Ca 2+ -mobilizing hormones.
II.—ORDINARY LANGUAGE, COMMON SENSE, AND THE TIME-LAG ARGUMENT

" . . . though you see the sun now, the physical object to be inferred from your seeing existed eight minutes ago ; if, in the intervening minutes, the sun had gone out, you would still be seeing exactly what you are seeing. We cannot therefore identify the physical sun with what we see. " Bertrand Russell, Human Knowledge, p. 204. " The supposition of common sense and naive realism, that we see the actual physical object, is very hard to reconcile with the scientific view that our perception occurs somewhat later than the emission of light by the object. . . . " Russell, The Analysis of Matter, p. 155.
Synthesis of Hemigossypol and its Derivatives.

Hemigossypol (3), a sesquiterpene natural product, was previously isolated from Gossypium barbadense and was shown to display improved anti-fungal activity compared to gossypol (1), the disesquiterpene dimer of hemigossypol (3). Gossypol exhibits multiple biological activities. In order to study whether hemigossypol and its derivatives retain the various bioactivities of gossypol, we developed a short and convenient synthetic scheme to synthesize hemigossypol. This is the first de novo synthesis of this natural product. In addition derivatives of hemigossypol with various 2,5-alkyl substituents were synthesized. Modification of the synthetic scheme also afforded the natural product hemigossylic lactone (4) and its 2,5-substituted derivatives.
Uptake of heavy metal ions by Taphius glabratus, a snail host of Schistosoma mansoni.

Abstract The uptake of the radioisotopes cadmium 115 M and zinc 65 confirm earlier studies on these metals. Within certain limits, the amount of metal previously taken up does not preclude the entry of more metal. The chelating agent, ethylene diamine tetracetic acid, tends to reduce the amount of these metals which enters the snail but to a different extent for each. About 62% of the initial metal taken up is retained after 48 hours, after the metal is removed from the environment, and the distribution of metal within the snail is about the same as it was initially. Autoradiographs show a high concentration of cadmium in liver, kidney and oviduct, but only part of the intestinal contents were radioactive, and there was little evidence of radioactivity in other structures.
The Nonrelativistic Evolution of GRBs 980703 and 970508: Beaming-independent Calorimetry

We use the Sedov-Taylor self-similar solution to model the radio emission from the γ-ray bursts GRB 980703 and GRB 970508 when the blast wave has decelerated to nonrelativistic velocities. This approach allows us to infer the energy of the GRBs independent of jet collimation. We find that for GRB 980703 the kinetic energy at the time of the transition to nonrelativistic evolution, tNR ≈ 40 days, is EST ≈ (1-6) × 1051 ergs. For GRB 970508 we find EST ≈ 3 × 1051 ergs at tNR ≈ 100 days, nearly an order of magnitude higher than the energy formerly derived by Frail, Waxman, and Kulkarni. This is due primarily to revised cosmological parameters and partly to the maximum likelihood fit we use here. Taking into account radiative losses prior to tNR, the inferred energies agree well with those derived from the early, relativistic evolution of the afterglow. Thus, the analysis presented here provides a robust, geometry-independent confirmation that the energy scale of cosmological GRBs is about 5 × 1051 ergs and also shows that the central engine in these two bursts did not produce a significant amount of energy in mildly relativistic ejecta at late times. Furthermore, a comparison to the prompt energy release reveals a wide dispersion in the γ-ray efficiency, strengthening our growing understanding that Eγ is a not a reliable proxy for the total energy.
Penetration of an energetic D0 beam into an ETR plasma

Abstract A beam of energetic D0 atoms can be injected into a thermonuclear reactor plasma for heating, fuelling or current drive. A computer code has been written to determine the penetration of the D0 beam into a steady-state tokamak Engineering Test Reactor (ETR) such as the proposed International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The code includes multistep processes, and uses a combination of experimental and theoretical cross sections and scalings for the relevant atomic processes.