cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Viral hepatitis B and C in liver transplantation

Advances in immunosuppression in the past two decades and improvement in surgical techniques have allowed liver transplantation to become a viable option that prolongs survival in patients with end-stage liver disease. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are two of the most common indications for liver transplantation in the United States. The outcomes following transplantation for HBV-related liver disease lagged behind those for conditions such as cholestatic and alcoholic liver disease, primarily because of a high recurrence rate associated with evolution of the unique syndrome of fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis. The availability and the demonstrated benefit of hepatitis B immunoglobulin immunoprophylaxis have considerably improved outcomes in HBV liver disease following transplantation. The more recent advent of the nucleoside analog lamivudine and the nucleotide analog adefovir have added to the improving therapeutic armamentarium in addressing hepatitis B infection in the realm of liver transplantation. This issue of the Clinics in Liver Disease focuses on issues in liver transplantation in patients with HBVandHCVinfections. The first three articles discuss liver transplantation secondary to HBV infection. Our discussion begins with an article on the natural history of hepatitis B and outcomes following liver transplantation. Next, the use of hepatitis B immunoglobulin following liver transplantation for hepatitis B liver disease is addressed. Lastly, an article on nucleoside analogs and other antivirals in the treatment of HBV in the peritransplant period concludes the articles dedicated solely to the discussion of HBV. Although recent advances in therapy have improved survival, the challenge of cost containment primarily related to hepatitis B immunoglobulin still exists. Future strategies are likely to
Prediction of survival in progressive systemic sclerosis by multivariate analysis of clinical features

The records of 64 patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) were reviewed. More than 100 items from the patient's history, physical examination, and laboratory tests were encoded. A two-tailed Gehan's test was used to evaluate the effect of each variable on patient survival. Variables significant at the 0.05 level were then analyzed simultaneously, using the Cox regression model, in order to determine which clinical features are most predictive of survival in PSS. By Cox regression, the presence of an S3 gallop and advanced age at onset of PSS related negatively to survival. The relative risk of death for a patient with an S3 gallop was 5.44 (ratio of risk) times that for a patient without an S3 gallop, and the risk of death for a 70-year-old patient at disease onset was 20 times that of a 20-year-old patient at disease onset. In addition, when patient selection was taken into account, corticosteroid administration had a significant effect, and seemed to actually shorten survival. Although one of the factors, age at onset, is not modifiable, the presence of either variable should alert the clinician to the patient being at high risk for short survival. The application of this technique should also prove helpful in analyzing the efficacy of various proposed therapies.
Health tourism on the rise? Evidence from the Balance of Payments Statistics.

The study assesses the presence and magnitude of global trends in health tourism using health-related travel (HRT) spending reported in the International Monetary Fund’s Balance of Payments Statistics database. Linear regression and quantile regression are applied to estimate secular trends of the import and export of HRT based on a sample of countries from 2003 to 2009. The results show that from 2003 to 2009 the import and export of health tourism rose among countries with a high volume of such activities (accounting for the upper 40 % of the countries), but not among those with a low volume. The uneven growth in health tourism has generated greater contrast between countries with high and low volumes of health tourism activities. However, the growth in the total import of health tourism did not outpace the population growth, implying that in general the population’s tendency to engage in health tourism remained static.
PI 3-Kinases and PTEN: How Opposites Chemoattract

Phosphatidylinositol lipids, such as PI(4,5)P2 and PI(3,4,5)P3, are key mediators in diverse intracellular signaling pathways. Two recent reports examine how the metabolism of these lipids by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases and the PTEN 3-phosphoinositide phosphatase may coordinate G protein coupled signaling pathways during eukaryotic chemotaxis.
Indigenous Healing Practices among Rural Elderly African Americans

Elderly African Americans residing in rural areas have practiced and continue to practice indigenous healing practices for various reasons. In addition to the belief in the value of such practices, many of these individuals practice indigenous healing because it is cost effective. In this article information is presented on the history of research on indigenous healing practices, theories and models of indigenous healing in the United States, cultural influence, and views of health care providers regarding such practices. This article concludes with a discussion of the relevance of indigenous healing practices across disciplines and approaches, and recommendations of using participatory research as a means to understand indigenous healing practices among elderly African Americans.
Abstract 1407: The influence of EWS-FLI1 on the Rho/Actin/MRTF circuit in Ewing sarcoma

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Ewing sarcoma (ES) is the second most common bone tumor in children and adolescents. The disease is characterized by the expression of the aberrant transcription factor EWS-FLI1, which is a fusion gene product originating from the chromosomal translocation t(11;22)(q24;q12). Despite good treatment outcomes for patients with localized ES, about 25% of patients already harbor metastatic disease upon presentation and are prevalently faced with poor overall survival. The metastatic cascade is a complex process. Remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton is the first step for a cell in order to acquire a migratory phenotype. The major regulator of the actin cytoskeleton is the Rho family of GTPases, which upon G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling gets activated and promotes the polymerization of monomeric G-actin into stress fibers. Concurrently G-actin releases the myocardin-related transcription factor family (MRTF) of transcriptional coactivators. MRTFs translocate into the nucleus where they, together with the transcription factor serum response factor (SRF), bind to serum response elements (SRE) in the promoter of genes involved in cell adhesion, migration and motility. However, the ternary complex factor (TCF) family, a class of transcriptional coactivators activated through Ras signaling, can compete with MRTFs for SRF complexing and binds to ets-motifs on SRE. The ets-transcription factor EWS-FLI1 has been shown to substitute for TCFs, potentially interfering with SRF target gene expression. We therefore hypothesize that EWS-FLI1 interferes with GPCR downstream signaling by competition with MRTFs. By gene expression profiling, we show that several putative MRTF target genes are repressed in the presence of EWS-FLI1 in ES cell lines and are strongly induced upon EWS-FLI1 knockdown. Using the MRTFA target gene transgelin (TAGLN) as an example, we show that knockdown of MRTFA can only reduce its serum inducibility in the absence but not in the presence of EWS-FLI1 supporting our hypothesis of EWS-FLI1 perturbing GPCR signaling in ES. With this study we want to elucidate the role of EWS-FLI1 in the regulation of early steps of the metastatic process in ES. Supported by the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative. Citation Format: Anna M. Katschnig, Raphaela Schwentner, Stephan Niedan, Maximilian O. Kauer, Elizabeth R. Lawlor, Dave N.T. Aryee, Heinrich Kovar. The influence of EWS-FLI1 on the Rho/Actin/MRTF circuit in Ewing sarcoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1407. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1407
Factors Associated With Hospitalization Charges for Cleft Palate Repairs and Revisions

Purpose The objective of this study is to provide nationally representative estimates of cleft palate correction and revision procedures performed in hospitalized patients, as well as to examine patient- and hospital-level factors associated with hospitalization charges. Materials and Methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample for the year 2007 was used. All hospitalizations that had a cleft palate correction or revision of cleft palate repair were selected. Estimates of concomitant procedures performed during the index hospitalization were obtained. The roles of different patient- and hospital-level variables on hospitalization charges were examined by use of multivariable linear regression analysis. Results A total of 5,969 repairs and/or revisions of cleft palate procedures were performed in hospitals in the entire United States. The mean age per hospitalization was 3.2 years. Whites accounted for 51.3% of procedures, whereas blacks, Hispanics, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, and other races accounted for 4.9%, 26.4%, 9.2%, 3.2%, and 5%, respectively. The mean charge per each hospitalization was $19,227, and the total hospitalization charge for the entire United States was $112.96 million. Patients aged less than 1 year ( P = .02) and those aged between 8 and 12 years ( P = .03) had significantly lower charges compared with those aged 18 years or older. Use of bone morphogenetic protein was associated with higher hospital charges ( P = .0006). Compared with the uninsured, those covered by Medicaid ( P = .04), private insurance plans ( P = .02), and other insurance plans ( P = .0005) were associated with higher charges. Conclusion This study identified an association between hospital charges and insurance payer, race, treatments performed, and age. Our results provide insights into nationally representative estimates on management of cleft palate corrections and revisions.
Interrelationships between phase transformations and organic chemical reactivity in the solid state

A qualitative analysis is presented of the interrelationships between phase transformations and organic chemical reactivity in the solid state, taking into consideration general thermochemical relationships and the thermodynamics of heterophase equilibrium. Two cases, where isomerization reactions depend on the solid-state solubility of the reactant and product, are considered and show that the formation of a new phase can influence both the reaction yield and rate. For example, it is shown that crystallization of a new phase from a crystalline or amorphous solid solution can supply the thermodynamic driving force for chemical transformation. Formation of a new phase may influence solid-state kinetics depending on the solubility of a reactant in the new phase and the relative rates of chemical transformation and formation of the new phase. It is further shown that even for simple monomolecular reactions, kinetic curves for the overall process can consist of up to five parts, depending on the type of phase diagram involved. These principles have been applied to some examples of solid-state isomerization in a way that allows the choice of a proper kinetic scheme and an explanation of the direction and maximum yield observed for a particular reaction.
A synthetic fraction of feline facial pheromones calms but does not reduce struggling in cats before venous catheterization

Abstract Objective To evaluate whether a synthetic analogue of feline facial pheromone (FFP) calms cats before, and reduces struggling during intravenous catheterization. Design Block-randomized, ‘blinded’ clinical trial. Animals Seventy-seven healthy cats presented for elective surgery. Procedure Cats given glycopyrrolate and oxymorphone were assigned to one of four treatments: acepromazine and exposure to FFP (aceFFP); acepromazine and exposure to a placebo (acePlac); exposure to FFP only (FFP) and exposure to placebo only (Plac). The behaviour of cats was recorded on videotape for evaluation by assessors unaware of treatment group. Cats’ veins were then catheterized by veterinary students unaware of the study protocol. Based on each cat's response to catheterization, the student independently decided whether intramuscular ketamine was required. Results Cats in the aceFFP group appeared to be calmer than acePlac cats on the basis of head position and their location in the cage (suggesting benefit from FFP among cats receiving acepromazine) but appeared to be less sedated. Cats in the aceFFP group also appeared to be calmer than FFP cats on the basis of head position and location in the cage. Feline facial pheromone cats were also calmer than Plac cats when compared using body and leg position. Exposure to FFP did not significantly reduce struggling at catheterization, nevertheless, the students were able to catheterize the veins in all cats. Conclusion and clinical relevance There were no detrimental behavioural effects associated with either FFP or acepromazine. The FFP had additional calming effects in cats given acepromazine and, to a lesser degree, helped to calm cats that were not given acepromazine. Feline facial pheromone helps to calm cats in unfamiliar surroundings.
Electrophoretic studies on swine. III. Composition of baby pig plasma and sow's whey during lactation.

Abstract Results of 81 electrophoretic analyses on plasma from 16 litters of pigs and 52 analyses of the whey of the mother's milk are presented. Development of the plasma and whey patterns is followed from parturition to weaning, both being shown to undergo marked changes, particularly during the first 24 hr. γ-Globulin in the pig's plasma is shown to increase from as low as 1.3 to about 20 mg./ml. during the first 24 hr. post-partum. Fibrinogen, too, shows a marked increase during this period.
Hypovolemia induces Fos-like immunoreactivity in neurons of the rat supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei.

Abstract Immunoreactivities to Fos proteins were detected in numerous neurons in the supraoptic, paraventricular and accessory neurosecretory nuclei 1 h following withdrawal of 4–5 cc of blood from the rat femoral arteries. Few or no positive cells were observed in the same nuclei in sham-operated or control animals. It is concluded that hypovolemia induces c-fos expression in hypothalamic neurons known to be associated with blood volume/pressure regulation.
Assessing prey fish populations in Lake Michigan: comparison of simultaneous acoustic-midwater trawling with bottom trawling

Abstract The Lake Michigan fish community has been monitored since the 1960s with bottom trawls, and since the late 1980s with acoustics and midwater trawls. These sampling tools are limited to different habitats: bottom trawls sample fish near bottom in areas with smooth substrates, and acoustic methods sample fish throughout the water column above all substrate types. We compared estimates of fish densities and species richness from daytime bottom trawling with those estimated from night-time acoustic and midwater trawling at a range of depths in northeastern Lake Michigan in summer 1995. We examined estimates of total fish density as well as densities of alewife Alosa pseudoharengus (Wilson), bloater Coregonus hoyi (Gill), and rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax (Mitchell) because these three species are the dominant forage of large piscivores in Lake Michigan. In shallow water (18 m), we detected more species but fewer fish (in fish/ha and kg/ha) with bottom trawls than with acoustic-midwater trawling. Large aggregations of rainbow smelt were detected by acoustic-midwater trawling at 18 m and contributed to the differences in total fish density estimates between gears at this depth. Numerical and biomass densities of bloaters from all depths were significantly higher when based on bottom trawl samples than on acoustic-midwater trawling, and this probably contributed to the observed significant difference between methods for total fish densities (kg/ha) at 55 m. Significantly fewer alewives per ha were estimated from bottom trawling than from acoustics-midwater trawling at 55 m, and in deeper waters, no alewives were taken by bottom trawling. The differences detected between gears resulted from alewife, bloater, and rainbow smelt vertical distributions, which varied with lake depth and time of day. Because Lake Michigan fishes are both demersal and pelagic, a single sampling method cannot be used to completely describe characteristics of the fish community.
A Nonparametric Analysis of the Influence of Research on Agricultural Productivity

Nonparametric productivity analysis is extended by modeling technical progress as a function of public and private research expenditures. Results indicate that 30-year lags are required to fully capture the effects of public research expenditures on U.S. agricultural productivity. Compared to public research, private research has a stronger influence on farm productivity in the short term but a smaller influence in the longer term. The internal rate of return is 0.28 for public research and 0.17 for private research.
Social Engagement in an Evangelical Campus Ministry: The Case of Urbana 2006

This article uses a case study of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship to explore the social engagement of campus evangelicals. It focuses on InterVarsity’s massive Urbana student missions conference, a gathering that drew 23,000 young evangelicals to St. Louis in 2006. Drawing on ethnographic field observations, it profiles a campus group on the center-left of evangelicalism. Although InterVarsity promotes some conservative positions, it is increasingly progressive on issues of poverty, the environment, and race.
The Clinical Impact of Echocardiography on Antibiotic Prophylaxis Use in Patients with Suspected Mitral Valve Prolapse

Abstract PURPOSE: To determine the impact of echocardiography on the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with suspected mitral valve prolapse (MVP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated 147 consecutive patients who were referred for "rule out mitral valve prolapse" to a university hospital echocardiography laboratory. Chart review and phone contact were used to determine the demographic characteristics of the patients; past diagnosis of MVP, symptoms, and exam at referral; practice specialty of referring MD; echocardiographic findings; and change in prophylaxis usage as a result of the echocardiogram (ECHO). Prophylaxis was considered to be indicated if the echocardiogram demonstrated MVP with at least mild regurgitation or abnormal thickening of at least one mitral leaflet. RESULTS: Based on the ECHO a change in antibiotic prophylaxis was indicated in 20 of 147 (14%) patients including initiation of prophylaxis in 6, and discontinuation of prophylaxis in 14. However, only 4 of 20 patients (20%) actually changed their prophylaxis habits leading to an actual yield of 4 management changes per 131 ECHOs ordered (3%). This corresponded to 1 change in management per $36,250 in hospital and physician costs. Younger age, female gender, and presence of symptoms were associated with a benign ECHO. Indications for a change in management were not significantly different between physician specialties: 18% for generalists (internal medicine and family practice), 12% for cardiologists, and 7% for other specialists, P = 0.3. CONCLUSIONS: In patients referred for evaluation of MVP, echocardiography infrequently resulted in changes in antibiotic prophylaxis management and was associated with significant expense.
A Comprehensive Theoretical Model for Carbon-Carbon Composite Nozzle Recession

Abstract A comprehensive aerothermochemical model for the process of C/C nozzle recession has been developed. The analysis accounts for both diffusion and chemical kinetics effects on the recession process. The gas-phase conservation equations are Favre-averaged to account for variable density effects. The turbulence modeling consists of a two-equation (K-ϕ) turbulence closure model for the final averaged gas-phase conservation equations. The solid-phase equations consist of the transient heat-conduction equation For the C/C nozzle with a recessing surface. The governing set of equations is solved numerically. Predicted results compared well with Geisler's experiment data. The recession process was found to be limited by the diffusion of oxidizing species such as H2O and CO2 to the nozzle surface. Chemical kinetics limited the recession rate only in the initial period when the nozzle surface temperatures were low. The recession rate was found to increase with increasing concentration of oxidizing species ...
Magnetic Properties and Structural Transformation in Copper-304 Stainless Steel Multilayer Materials

Multilayer foils of Cu-304 stainless steel (304SS) with equal layer thicknesses in the range t=5.0-500 A and total thicknesses 10-20 μm have been synthesized using magnetron sputtering at ambient substrate temperature. The x-ray diffraction data of as-deposited films show two structural regimes: small thickness (t=5-10 A) which is characterized by epitaxial FCC growth of 304SS on copper, and large thickness (t=13.5-500 A) which shows epitaxial FCC 304SS growth near the interface and BCC 304SS growth away from the interface. FCC structured films show very small magnetic moments at room temperature similar to bulk 304SS stable FCC phase. However, a strong magnetic moment is observed for thicker samples due to ferromagnetic metastable 304SS BCC phase. Two opposing transformations occur in the 304 layers as the samples are heated. The first transformation is from the metastable BCC 304SS to the stable FCC phase. This transformation produces a strong drop in magnetic moment and is clearly visible in the large period multilayers which contain high volume fractions of BCC 304SS. The second transformation is from the original FCC phase to a new stable BCC phase in the 304SS near the copper-304SS interfaces.The transformation is produced by diffusion of nickel from the 304SS into the surroundingcopper and the chemical destabilization of the FCC phase which starts near 400 oC.This transformation produces a sharp increase in magnetic moment. The magnetic signal drops to zero near 675 oC which is the Curie temperature of ferromagnetic BCC Fe.75 Cr25. .
Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis in pancreas transplant recipients

Human ehrlichioses are tick-borne infections caused by bacteria in the genus Ehrlichia of the family Rickettsiaceae. To date there have been three cases of ehrlichiosis reported in the transplant population, a human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) infection in a liver transplant recipient and two cases of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) in kidney transplant recipients. We report three pancreas transplant patients who developed HGE in the last two years at a single southeastern center in the United States. All three patients had clinical, laboratory, and pathophysiologic findings on bone marrow biopsy and peripheral blood smears consistent with HGE, and responded to doxycycline therapy. In the setting of potent immunosuppression, ehrlichiosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of transplant patients presenting with persistent fever, pancytopenia, and abnormal liver function. Patients with ehrlichiosis infection may be at risk for developing other opportunistic infections or lymphoproliferative disease.
Mutations and Copy Number Increase of HRAS in Spitz Nevi with Distinctive Histopathological Features

Spitz nevus is a benign melanocytic neoplasm that can be difficult or impossible to histologically distinguish from melanoma. We have recently described copy number increases of chromosome 11p in a subset of Spitz nevi. To study the molecular and histological features of this group, we studied 102 Spitz nevi for 11p copy number increases using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on tissue arrays. Copy number increases of at least threefold were found in 12 cases (11.8%) and involved the HRAS gene on chromosome 11p. Sequence analysis of HRAS showed frequent oncogenic mutations in cases with copy number increase (8/12 or 67%), contrasting with rare HRAS mutations in cases with normal HRAS copy numbers (1/21 or 5%, P < 0.0001). Tumors with 11p copy number increases were larger, predominantly intradermal, had marked desmoplasia, characteristic cytological features, and had an infiltrating growth pattern. Proliferation rates in the majority of these cases were low to absent. HRAS activation by either mutation or copy number increase alone could explain several of the histological features that overlap with those of melanoma. We speculate that HRAS activation in the absence of co-operating additional genetic alterations drives the partially transformed melanocytes of these Spitz nevi into senescence or a stable growth arrest. Although there is no data suggesting that Spitz nevi with HRAS activation are at risk for progression to melanoma, future studies are warranted to assess their biological behavior more accurately.
Dissociation of 19-hydroxy- 19-oxo-, and aromatizing-activities in human placental microsomes through the use of suicide substrates to aromatase.

Abstract Suicide substrates of aromatase were used as chemical probes to determine if free 19-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione (19-OHA) and 19-oxoandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione (19-oxoA) are obligatory intermediates in the aromatization of androst-4-ene-3,17-dione (androstenedione) to oestrone by human placental aromatase. A radiometric-HPLC assay was used to monitor 19-hydroxy, 19-oxo-, and aromatized products formed in incubations of [ 14 C]androstenedione and human placental microsomes. When microsomes were preincubated with the suicide substrates 10β-mercapto-estr-4-ene-3,17-dione (10β-SHnorA), or 17β-hydroxy-10β-mercaptoestr-4-ene-3-one (10β-SHnorT), it was found that 19-hydroxy-, 19-oxo- and aromatase activities were inhibited in parallel. However, when the suicide substrates 4-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione (4-OHA) and 19-mercaptoandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione (19-SHA) were preincubated with placental microsomes, significantly greater inhibition of formation of oestrogens was observed in comparison to the inhibition of formation of 19-hydroxy- and 19-oxo-metabolites. Furthermore, significantly more time-dependent inhibition of 19-oxoA formation was observed in comparison to inhibition of 19-OHA formation with these same inhibitors. These results suggest that 19-hydroxy- and 19-oxo-androstenediones are not free, obligatory intermediates in the aromatization of androstenedione by human placental aromatase, but rather are products of their own autonomous cytochrome P-450-dependent, microsomal enzymatic activities.
Another Test of Space-Time Curvature and Relativity

Now* that Sir Arthur Eddington has successfully measured the space-time curvature by the edge of the Sun, thereby confirming Dr Einstein's remarkable forecast, an additional test of relativity comes to mind.
Systematic reviews reveal unrepresentative evidence for the development of drug formularies for poor and nonwhite populations.

Objective: To explore implications of using systematic drug class reviews to develop U.S. Medicaid drug formularies. We assess racial/ ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES) concordance between Medicaid populations and studies synthesized in Drug Effectiveness Review Project (DERP) systematic reviews. Study Design and Setting: Review of 32 DERP systematic reviews for subpopulation reporting/analysis and concordance with Medicaid populations. Results: Among Medicaid recipients in DERP member states and nationally, minorities are overrepresented (21% to 57%) compared with their presence in the population (10% to 30%). Fifty-nine percent of DERP reviews reported insufficient evidence to evaluate drug effects by race/ethnicity or gender. Three percent of reviews found evidence of differential effects by race and 13% by gender. Twenty-four percent found evidence of no difference by race and 9% found no difference by gender. Most of this evidence was described as weak, limited, or of poor quality. Eighty percent of Medicaid recipients are poor or near-poor. DERP does not report on SES. Conclusion: DERP reviews reveal deficiencies of the evidence when applied to Medicaid populations. To increase health equity and provide evidence for policies that serve socially disadvantaged populations, drug trials, and other studies should include more members of these populations. Systematic reviews should include low-SES as a prespecified subgroup. 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Early Mathematical Growth: How to Support Young Children’s Mathematical Development

The purpose of this critical analysis was to investigate the young children’s sense of numerical magnitudes and the important attributes of classrooms where children in kindergarten and first grade are exposed to mathematics. This study aimed to offer guidelines that will assist teachers as they teach mathematics to children between the ages of five and seven.
Artifact and Essence

An essential property is a property that an object possesses in every possible world in which that object exists. An individual essence is a property (or set of properties) that an object possesses in every world in which that object exists, and that no other object possesses in any possible world. Call the claim that some artifacts possess an individual essence ‘artifactual essentialism’. I will argue that artifactual essentialism is true. In doing so, I will be responding to two recent arguments by Penelope Mackie against artifactual essentialism (Mackie (2006), esp. ch. 3.). In “Individual Essence Properties”, I will rehearse the qualifications that any property must meet if it is to constitute an individual essence, and in “Artifacts and the Recycling Problem” and “Artifacts and the Tolerance Problem”, I will rehearse Mackie’s arguments against artifactual essentialism. In “Artifacts and Weak Unshareability?” and “Artifacts and Strong Unshareability?”, I will show why both of these arguments fail. In “Mona Lisa’s Essence”, I will defend the interesting claim that some artifacts possess an individual essence. In the final section I will entertain some objections to my proposal.
Wideband portable power amplifier design for very high frequency ultrasonic transducer applications

This paper describes the design of Class A wideband power amplifier (PA) for very high frequency ultrasonic transducer applications with power field-effect transistor (FET). The PA is a one-stage common-source amplifier with 28 V supply voltage. The measured gain of the PA is 15.8 ~ 17.8 dB in the range of 100 to 250 MHz and current consumption of the PA is 0.3 ~ 0.4 A. The measured 3rd-order input and output inter-modulation points (IIP3 and OIP3) of the PA are 12.25 dBm and 27.25 dBm, respectively and the measured noise figure of the PA is 2.14~2.98 dB in the range of 80~120MHz.
Hepatic elimination of drugs with concentration-dependent serum protein binding

For a drug with concentration-dependent serum protein binding, the unbound fraction of drug decreases during the drug elimination process. The clearance of the drug at a given blood flow rate is lower than would be expected from the observed unbound fraction in venous blood from a noneliminating organ. Based on both the “well-stirred” and “parallel tube” models, simulations demonstrated that consideration of concentration-dependent binding during drug elimination is important when the intrinsic clearance is higher than the blood flow and when the unbound drug concentration is much greater than the dissociation equilibrium constant of the binding complex.
Democracy and Social Spending in Latin America, 1980–92

What is the effect of regime type on public expenditures for social programs? We investigate the relationship between democracy and the change in social spending—controlling for GDP, the debt, inflation, and age structure of the population—through a time-series cross-sectional panel data set for 17 Latin American countries from 1980 to 1992. The results show that, especially in poor countries during economic crisis, democracies increase the allocation of resources to social programs relative to authoritarian regimes. This suggests that the latter are more constrained by economic forces, whereas democracies are more constrained by popular demands. Hence, calls to abandon broad categorizations of regime type appear to be premature: Democracy can matter in systematic and substantial ways.
Corneal endothelial changes in diabetic dogs

The corneal endothelium of alloxan diabetic dogs was examined by wide-field specular microscopy and compared to that of age-matched non-diabetic dogs. Computer-assisted morphometry of individual cells showed that the diabetic dog endothelium had marked polymegethism and pleomorphism similar to that previously described in diabetic patients. There also appeared to be a positive correlation between the degree of these endothelial changes and the diabetic control as demonstrated by HbA1 concentration.
State-trait anxiety and biofeedback mediated control of peripheral vasomotor responses.

42 undergraduates completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and then received biofeedback for increases in index finger-skin temperature. Subjects with high-trait anxiety increased their temperat...
Why Students Choose STEM Majors Motivation, High School Learning, and Postsecondary Context of Support

This study draws upon social cognitive career theory and higher education literature to test a conceptual framework for understanding the entrance into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors by recent high school graduates attending 4-year institutions. Results suggest that choosing a STEM major is directly influenced by intent to major in STEM, high school math achievement, and initial postsecondary experiences, such as academic interaction and financial aid receipt. Exerting the largest impact on STEM entrance, intent to major in STEM is directly affected by 12th-grade math achievement, exposure to math and science courses, and math self-efficacy beliefs—all three subject to the influence of early achievement in and attitudes toward math. Multiple-group structural equation modeling analyses indicated heterogeneous effects of math achievement and exposure to math and science across racial groups, with their positive impact on STEM intent accruing most to White students and least ...
Non-Occupational Exposure to Asbestos in Buildings: A Practical Risk Management Program

Current federal regulations do not address non-occupational exposure to asbestos. In the absence of such regulations, if asbestos-containing materials are present in a building, it is advisable to develop a management program to ensure that the inhalation risk to building occupants does not increase with time and that appropriate steps are taken during activities which have the potential to release asbestos fibers to air. When numerous areas of a building contain asbestos, priorities must be established for selecting and implementing appropriate surveillance or interventions for control. We present a framework for implementing an Asbestos Risk Management Program, the primary objective of which is to minimize the risk of employee and public exposure to asbestos in air. The program includes a decision framework for evaluating and ranking building areas according to the asbestos fiber release potential, and assigns priorities for control interventions. Another decision framework is presented for selecting an...
Maxwell, Helmholtz, and the unreasonable effectiveness of the method of physical analogy

Abstract The fact that the same equations or mathematical models reappear in the descriptions of what are otherwise disparate physical systems can be seen as yet another manifestation of Wigner's “unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics.” James Clerk Maxwell famously exploited such formal similarities in what he called the “method of physical analogy.” Both Maxwell and Hermann von Helmholtz appealed to the physical analogies between electromagnetism and hydrodynamics in their development of these theories. I argue that a closer historical examination of the different ways in which Maxwell and Helmholtz each deployed this analogy gives further insight into debates about the representational and explanatory power of mathematical models.
Tapered Asymmetric Microstrip Magic Tee (Short Papers)

The design, development, and construction of a very compact decade-(1-10-GHz) bandwidth microstrip --8.34-dB coupler are described. Calculations are given for the voltage coupling coefficient and the low-frequency cutoff, and the method of determing the physical dimensions of the circuit is described. Also, the feasibility of a decade-bandwidth microstrip magic tee by cascading two -- 8.34-dB couplers is demonstrated by comparing the actual and theoretical results of a coupler.
Nearest Neighbor Hybrid Deformable Mirror Optical Computer

Deformable mirror and charge coupled devices are combined with parallel high speed electronics in order to produce a nearest neighbor computer in which the value at each point in a 2D array may be simultaneously updated based on values at the immediately surrounding points. The concept of such a machine is described together with its application to image processing and partial differential equation solution. Repeated iteration enables filtering which involves points at greater distance than the nearest neighbor. The problem is discussed of overcoming the limited dynamic range of the deformable mirror device for application to the solution of partial differential equations.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The intergenerational transmission of family aggression

This paper analyzes the coexistence of aggressive relations reported by 888 intact child-rearing families using the National Survey of Physical Violence in American Families. The existence of spousal violence in the family of origin increased the likelihood that the respondent, whether husband or wife, was the target of aggression from his or her spouse. Aggression between parent and child in female respondents' families of origin increased the likelihood that females behaved aggressively toward their children. Among these families, no pervasive pattern of sex-specific learned perpetration was found. Instead, vulnerability to aggression was transmitted more than the learned role of perpetrator. The analysis differs from earlier studies in that all of the patterns of family aggression are analyzed simultaneously, thereby taking into account current family interactions as well as historical ones.
Soil-landform and vegetation relations in the chenopod shrublands of western New South Wales

Abstract Chenopod shrublands, dominated by members of the general Atriplex and Maireana , occupy extensive areas of semi-arid western New South Wales. These communities are found over a wide range of soils and landforms, from the fine-textured alluvium of the Riverine Plain, to the aeolian sandplains in the southwest and the stony plains in the northwest. Soil-moisture availability is the major factor affecting the distribution of chenopods which provide an important fodder reserve, and protect the soil against wind erosion during drought periods. Management of these shrubs should aim towards maintaining a sufficient cover of perennial shrubs during these drought periods. The success of land reclamation programmes varies according to the soil-landform association, the type and degree of erosion and the proximity to seed source.
Numerical simulations of crystallization processes of plagioclase in complex melts: the origin of major and oscillatory zoning in plagioclase

Numerical simulations of the growth of a large crystal face of plagioclase in response to an instantaneous undercooling below the equilibrium temperature are presented for model granodiorite and basalt melts with varying water contents. The simulations suggest that the anorthite content of plagioclase decreases uniformly from the composition in equilibrium with the bulk melt as undercooling is increased, and that the water content in the melt has little influence on this result. Comparison of the simulations with sharp compositional changes in natural profiles suggests that undercoolings of tens of degrees C can be rapidly imposed on plutonic phenocrysts. Large changes of undercooling most likely result from chilling of the magma and local convection around growing crystals. The observation in experiments that growth rate does not increase rapidly with increasing water content in the starting melting composition can be attributed to the concentration of water at the crystal face during growth; the action of water to reduce liquidus temperature and undercooling has a greater effect on growth rate than its action to increase transport rates. Even at large undercooling, there is no significant increase in temperature at the interface caused by the release of heat of crystallization. Simulations are presented to illustrate how disequilibrium growth processes due to undercooling can modify the normal zoning profiles expected from fractionation. Assuming that an undercooling is necessary to cause nucleation, normal zoning can result if crystal growth takes place at constant or increasing undercooling, but reverse zoning can occur at decreasing undercooling. Undercooling during growth is controlled by the relative rate of cooling and the rate at which the liquidus temperature is decreased by the accumulation of residual components and volatiles in the melt. Consequently, normal zoning should be promoted by rapid cooling, contemporaneous crystallization of other phases, and absence of volatiles, while reverse zoning should be expected in phenocrysts grown in slowly-cooled melts or in melts where volatiles are concentrated. The zoning patterns found in many plutonic plagioclase crystals suggest that their compositions are in significant disequilibrium with the melt; consequently, they are unsuitable for use in geothermometers. Approximate calculations suggest that the amount of water concentrated at the surface of growing phenocrysts in plutons can promote local convection. Comparison of simulated and observed oscillatory zoning profiles suggests that oscillatory zoning is not explained by a re-nucleationdiffusion model (Harloff 1927), but is readily explained by periodic local convection.
The Application of Computerised Maintenance Management System to Equipment Failure History

This paper discusses how equipment failure history stored in a computerised maintenance management system has been effectively used through the application of Weibull analysis to give an indication of the component failure mechanism (e.g., infant mortality, random failure, premature wear-out). Weibull analysis was also used to predict plant and equipment reliability by calculating the number of failures expected to occur in the future using Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF). Examples are given for component, equipment, and system failure studies for crude oil pump stations shipper pumps, steam turbines, and natural gas liquidation compression trains.Copyright © 1997 by ASME
Humanitarian Intervention: Which Way Forward?

States have long taken exception to the notion of humanitarian intervention because it threatens to undermine a bedrock principle of international order: national sovereignty. In the case of Kosovo, however, NATO's nineteen member states chose not only to put aside their concerns for national sovereignty in favor of humanitarian considerations, but also to act without UN authorization. This essay examines the ways in which states – European states in particular – are rethinking historic prohibitions against humanitarian intervention in the wake of the Kosovo war. It focuses on two approaches: Efforts to reinterpret international law so as to demonstrate the legitimacy of humanitarian intervention and Efforts to build a political consensus regarding when and how states may use force for humanitarian ends While efforts to weaken prohibitions may succeed, thereby facilitating future interventions, resolution of the tension between legitimacy and effectiveness in defense of human rights will continue to elude the international community unless a political consensus can be achieved.
Two-dimensional dual-polarized millimeter-wave horn antenna arrays

A two-dimensional dual-polarized monolithic horn antenna array has been designed for millimeter-wave applications. The antenna consists of two dipoles suspended at different positions from the apex inside an etched pyramidal cavity. For dual-polarization, the dipoles are oriented perpendicular to each other. The dipoles are integrated on a 1.2- mu m thick silicon-nitride membrane. The theoretical pattern is calculated by approximating the horn structure by a cascade of rectangular waveguide sections. The boundary conditions are matched at each of the waveguide sections and at the aperture of the horn. Due to the symmetrical design of this antenna, there is no coupling between the dipoles and the patterns are calculated for each polarization independently. The mutual coupling between the dipoles was measured using a microwave scale model and found to be less than -30 dB. The input impedance and resonant length were also measured, and values in the range of 50-150 Omega for the resonant resistance and 0.19-0.24 lambda for the resonant length were found. >
Basement Rocks of Western Nuclear Central America: The Western Chuacús Group, Guatemala

Metamorphic rocks, thought to be representative of the basement underlying nuclear Central America, crop out in Guatemala in a long, narrow area between the east-trending Cuilco-Chixoy-Polochic and Motagua-Jalapa fault zones. These basement rocks are overlain by late Paleozoic Santa Rosa Group shales and phyllites and are probably early Paleozoic in age. Metasedimentary rocks in the western part of this exposed area, which are described here, appear to correlate with the Chuacus group, a previously studied area of basement rocks in central Guatemala and, accordingly, are referred to in this report as the western Chuacus group. The metasediments of the western Chuacus group can be divided into a muscovite-rich unit, a banded gneiss unit, and an undivided unit, all of which trend northwest and probably represent original sedimentary formations. The high quartz and potassium content of these metasediments suggest that the parent sediments were derived in part from a granitic, cratonic(?) source. These rocks, as well as several pre- or syntectonic granitic intrusive rocks, contain mineral assemblages characteristic of the greenschist facies. During metamorphism, these rocks were tightly folded into a southeast-plunging antiform (possibly an anticlinorium) trending N. 50° W. Subsequently, the rocks were less tightly folded about steeply dipping axial planes striking about N. 15° W. The Pucal marble, a distinctive member of the banded gneiss unit in the western Chuacus group, is part of a discontinuous belt of marble that extends from the Mexico-Guatemala border to central Guatemala. Another, less well-defined marble belt trends parallel to this belt about 20 km to the south. The stratigraphy and structure of these two belts, where known, suggest that they are on opposite limbs of a regional synform (or synclinorium) and that sediment probably entered the pre-metamorphic basin from the north.