cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fluorescence lifetime sensing of temperature

Fluorescence lifetime sensing is useful to measure temperature in harsh environments. We implemented the technique using samarium doped materials. The sample was exposed to a pulsed laser beam and the resulting lifetime was measured. A plot of lifetime versus temperature exhibited a linear dependence. A small change in temperature produced a significant change in lifetime, which is important in measuring temperature accurately. This technique is an alternative when conventional techniques are not suitable.
Statistical model of partially ordered defects in UO2+X

Abstract A statistical model is developed for UO 2+ X that accounts in an idealized way for defect ordering and its variation with temperature. The predominant defects are assumed to be interstitial oxygen ions in stable association with oxygen vacancies and U +5 ions, and also unassociated U +5 ions. Two kinds of order are considered: (a) the internal structure of a defect cluster, and (b) the non random distances between clusters and also between free U +5 ions. The cluster structure is analyzed on the basis of a model proposed by Willis, and the variation of spacing by a procedure that changes a control parameter by integral amounts to generate a series of levels of defect interaction energy. An estimate is also presented for the vibrational contribution of excess oxygen in UO 2+ X . For this calculation it is assumed that the interstitial and normal anions have very similar oscillator behavior and that the frequencies of all of the anions are raised by the contraction of the structure as X increases. Thermodynamic data derived from the statistical model agree fairly well with published experimental results. Curves of the computed data vs. X show slope irregularities in regions that coincide in a general way with known two-phase fields.
Stator Winding Systems with Reduced Vibratory Forces for Large Turbine-Generators

It is shown that electromagnetically induced vibratory forces on the stator windings of large turbine?generators can be substantially reduced by using winding arrangements that permit an increased number of stator slots. Three methods for doing this without increasing the generator voltage are described: delta-connected windings, a new three-phase winding system using variable-pitch coils, and a " multi-three-phase" system using a six-phase generator, six buses, and a six-phase-three-phase power conversion in the generator stepup transformers. Generator voltages may be equal to, or slightly lower than, present levels. In some cases bus and transformer costs may be slightly higher, but this will be more than offset if the generator availability (over the life of the equipment) is increased by even a few days because of the reduced duty. Additional benefits in the generator design, in operating characteristics, and in the ability to build larger kVA ratings are described.
Measurement of the Organ of Corti Mechanical Responses using a New Microchamber

The mammalian cochlea is an acoustic spectrum analyzer and pressure transducer with a remarkable operating range. In the cochlear sensory epithelium called the organ of Corti (OC), cellular mechanical force is transmitted to select and amplify acoustic vibrations. However, the amplification mechanism is still unclear. Diverse experiments in cochlear research have been developed to clarify the mechanics and physiology of the OC, but most experiments share some concerns (e.g., non-physiological electrical and chemical conditions of in vitro experiments; limited means of control over the subject of in vivo tests). Furthermore, most available data of cochlear mechanics are from the basal (high frequency) region.We developed a new microchamber system to overcome the limitations. The microchamber has two ports for solution circulation, two ports for sound delivery and exit, two slits for magnetic pole tips, a port for a ground electrode, and a slit for the cochlear tissue placement. An 800 μm long sensory epithelium was harvested from young (7-11 days old postnatal) gerbil cochlea. The tissue was transplanted to the microchamber. The tissue separated two fluid spaces filled and refreshed with different ionic solutions imitating the original chemical conditions of the endolymph and the perilymph. A target bead was attached to the tectorial membrane (an acellular matrix on top of the OC). Acoustic pressure was delivered through the bottom chamber and the motion of the target bead was measured using a laser interferometer (along the optical axis) and photo-diodes (in transverse plane). The motion trajectory was analyzed with our computational model of the OC.[Supported by NSF CMMI grant]
Whole Eye Model for Estimating Accommodation-Induced Strains in the Trabecular Meshwork

Recent work has shown that cyclic stresses from accommodation may induce changes in resistance to aqueous outflow through the trabecular meshwork. We developed a finite element model of the whole globe to examine changes in stress due to radial forces produced by the ciliary muscle. The mean equivalent stresses in the trabecular meshwork decreased significantly during accommodation.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
CULTURE AND HYBRIDIZATION STUDIES ON PETROCELIS (RHODOPHYTA) FROM ALASKA AND CALIFORNIA1,2

SUMMARY Cultured tetraspores of Petrocelis middendorffii (Ruprecht) Kjellman from Amchitka Island, Alaska, gave rise to foliose, dioecious gametophytes similar to cultured gametophytes of P. franciscana Setchell & Gardner. A 1:1 ratio male:female gametophytes was obtained. Fertilized female plants produced cystocarps and carpospores that gave rise to crustose plants anatomically similar to field-collected Petro-celis sporophytes. Cultured male gametophytes of P. middendorffii were interfertile with cultured female blades of field-collected Gigartina pacifica Kjellman. Cultured P. middendorffii gametophytes from Amchitka were interfertile with cultured gametophytes of P. franciscana from 2 localities in California. Hybrid carpospores gave rise to crustose sporophytes that have not reproduced. Anatomical comparisons of P. middendorffii from Amchitka with P. franciscana from California showed no important differences in the characters originally used to separate these species. The interfertility of cultured Petrocelis gametophytes from california and Amchitka as well as the similarities of the history and anatomy suggests that a single species is involved. P. franciscana is reduced to a synonym of P. middendorfii.
Thermodynamics of the Y‐Ba‐Cu‐C‐O‐H System: Application to the Organometallic Chemical Vapor Deposition of the YBa2Cu3O7−x Phase

A calculational thermodynamic investigation of the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of YBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7 [minus] x] from organometallic precursors has been performed, based on the minimization of the Gibbs energy of the Y-Ba-Cu-C-O-H chemical system. Thermodynamic data for the participating compounds were selected after a critical assessment of the available thermochemical information and are self-consistent with an accepted phase diagram. In this paper the results are presented in CVD diagrams which illustrate the influence of the most commonly used operating conditions of temperature, pressure, and initial gas composition on the formation of stable phases.
Communist successor parties and coalition formation in Eastern Europe

One of the most distinctive features of new democracies is the presence of political parties associated with the old, repressive regime. This article investigates whether or not the Eastern European variant of these parties, which we call communist successor parties (CSPs), has affected coalition politics. It finds that CSPs do have significant effects on the dynamics of coalition formation. CSPs are less likely than other parties to be included in governing coalitions; coalitions that include CSPs are more likely to be oversized (that is, to include superfluous parties); and CSPs that make it into government are penalized, insofar as they receive less than their fair share of governing portfolios. We attribute these results to the salience of the regime divide-the affective dislike of many citizens for the legacies of communism. Our results extend research on coalition behavior to Eastern European contexts and show how affective dislike combined with vote-seeking motivations can affect governing behavior.
Evolution of the Lake Titicaca basin and its diatom flora over the last ~ 370,000 years

Abstract In recent years, deep drilling undertaken as part of the International Continental Drilling Program has generated multiple long lacustrine sedimentary records to reconstruct continental paleoclimate. In many cases, the tectonic and geomorphic history of these basins is under-constrained and poorly known, which affects the interpretation of climate history from geophysical, geochemical, and paleobiotic proxies in the sedimentary record. In addition, non-analog biotic assemblages that reflect evolutionary processes may constrain the reconstruction of past environments. In the drill-core record of Lake Titicaca, spanning the last ~ 370 ka, the diatom stratigraphy reflects both the influence of climate and the long-term evolution of the lake basin and its biota. In the upper part of the drill-core sequence, glacial intervals were deep and dominated by freshwater planktic taxa, and peak interglacial intervals were shallow and dominated by benthic species, some with saline affinities. In the basal sections of the drill-core record, benthic diatoms are dominant in both glacial and interglacial units, with freshwater taxa dominating the glacial strata. This suggests that the ancient lake basin was shallower during intervals of both wet and dry climate, and that the modern deep lake may result from a progressive subsidence and deepening of the basin over time. In addition, morphological evolution in one of the major lineages of planktic diatoms, Cyclostephanos , indicates substantial change in the limnological environment that affected species morphology and may have driven speciation.
Dynamic Control of Open Spectrum Management

This paper focuses on sharing of open spectrum under a new sharing policy of prioritized dynamic spectrum leasing, where the designated spectrum broker dynamically allocates time-varying unused licensed spectrum resources to secondary networks of various access priorities. The proposed optimal stochastically controlled dynamic guard bandwidth (OSC-DGB) scheme enables the spectrum broker to adapt differentiated capacity limits of open spectrum for prioritized connection accesses by secondary networks in anticipation of their access request rates, which are expected to be opportunistic and non-stationary. The differences in capacity limits determine the amount of guard band reserved for the higher priority secondary networks. This spectrum adaptation problem is formulated as a finite-horizon Markov decision process to minimize service denials of secondary networks according to their spectrum access priorities, which is solved through dynamic programming. Numerical results show that OSC-DGB enables close tracking of connection blocking targets while optimizing resource utilizations.
Reading, writing and systematic review

Title. Reading, writing and systematic review. Aim. This paper offers a discussion of the reading and writing practices that define systematic review. Background. Although increasingly popular, systematic review has engendered a critique of the claims made for it as a more objective method for summing up research findings than other kinds of reviews. Discussion. An alternative understanding of systematic review is as a highly subjective, albeit disciplined, engagement between resisting readers and resistant texts. Reviewers of research exemplify the resisting reader when they exclude reports on grounds of relevance, quality, or methodological difference. Research reports exemplify resistant texts as they do not simply yield their findings, but rather must be made docile to review. These acts of resistance make systematic review possible, but challenge claims of its greater capacity to control bias. Conclusion. An understanding of the reading and writing practices that define systematic review still holds truth and objectivity as regulative ideals, but is aware of the reading and writing practices that both enable and challenge those ideals.
Determination of Pentobarbital and Certain Other Barbiturates by Capillary Gas-Liquid Chromatography

A rapid capillary gas-liquld chromatographic method for the determination of barbiturates In plasma at concentratlons of cllnlcal Importance Is presented. Thls method employs a rapid and simple extraction procedure and direct flame lonlzatlon detectlon with no derlvatlzatlon.
Software Defined Radios: A Software GPS Receiver Example

Software defined radios (SDR) are gaining popularity because of the capability of reprogramming them to work under different standards with minimum hardware change. A software radio can be programmed to acquire data from a GPS satellite as well as a GLONASS satellite. This paper describes the implementation of a non-real time GPS software receiver. The receiver was verified to decode a set of non-real time raw GPS data bin on the LI carrier and the civil navigation message using the C/A code that was stored on a hard drive.
Mycorrhizae, biocides, and biocontrol. 2. Mycorrhizal fungi enhance weed control and crop growth in a soybean-cocklebur association treated with the herbicide bentazon.

Abstract The mediation of herbicide effects on weed-crop combinations by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi is essentially unknown. We conducted a greenhouse study to determine if VAM fungi, whose hyphae interconnect the roots of adjacent plants, modify herbicide effects by enhancing nutrient fluxes between associated plants. Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and common cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium L.) plants were grown together in pots (1.5 L) in a high-P (28 mgkg−1) soil. They were sprayed with the herbicide, bentazon (BEN, 3-isopropyl-1H-2,1,3-benzothidiazine-(4)3H-one 2,2-dioxide), at dose rates of 0, 1 3 , 2 3 , 3 3 , and 4 3 of field recommendation (FR, 1.12 kg a.i. ha−1) while in the 7- to 8-leaf stage. Labelled N (1 mL of 100 mM 15NH4NO3, 98 atom percent 15 N) was applied to the cocklebur leaves 4 days before spraying and then assayed in the soybean leaves at harvest. Growth and nutrient contents of +VAM soybean shoots were enhanced only at the intermediate FR levels, while shoot growth in adjacent cocklebur was inhibited beyond the extent measured in - VAM plants. Labelled N was at natural abundance in both + VAM and - VAM soybean leaves at 4/3-FR, but at 1/3-FR to 3/3-FR 15N abundance was significantly higher in + VAM than in -VAM plants. These results suggest that shifts in source-sink relations occurred both within each plant and between plants as a result of the selective stress imposed on cocklebur. Moreover, this shift in competitiveness permitted a VAM-mediated flux of nutrients from weed to crop.
Structured spectrum balancing in DSL multiuser communications

Finding the power allocations that maximize the sum-rate of a K-user N-tone Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) system is known to be NP-hard. In this paper we devise a polynomial-time algorithm to approximate the maximum sum rate of the system. The development of this algorithm is guided by the fact that, to approach the sumrate maximum, the users should operate in an FDMA-mode over frequency tones where the crosstalk coefficients exceed a certain threshold, and should share the tones for which the crosstalk coefficients are sufficiently small. Drawing on this insight, the algorithm partitions the N tones into three sections and imposes an appropriate signalling structure on each section. The first section contains those tones for which the crosstalk coefficients are small and uses an iterative water-filling technique to determine the power allocations. The second section contains the tones with intermediate crosstalk coefficients and uses a primal-dual algorithm, and the third section contains the tones with large crosstalk coefficients and uses a dual FDMA algorithm. To decouple the overall optimization of power allocation across the three sections, we use tools from Lagrangian duality and sensitivity analysis to devise an iterative scheme that can optimally allocate each user's power budget to the three sections. Our numerical simulations, show that the sum-rate of the proposed algorithm is very close to that of the ‘optimal’ spectrum balancing algorithm, but requires considerably less computational effort.
Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Apoptosis Underlie the Pathogenic Process in α-B-Crystallin Desmin-Related Cardiomyopathy

Background— Mitochondria and sarcomeres have a well-defined architectural relation that partially depends on the integrity of the cytoskeletal network. An R120G missense mutation in the small heat shock protein α-B-crystallin (CryAB) causes desmin-related cardiomyopathy. Desmin-related cardiomyopathy is characterized by the formation of intracellular aggregates containing CryAB and desmin that are amyloid positive, and disease can be recapitulated in transgenic mice by cardiac-specific expression of the mutant protein. Methods and Results— To understand the resultant pathology, we explored the acute effects of R120G expression both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, transfection of adult cardiomyocytes with R120G-expressing adenovirus resulted in altered contractile mechanics. In vivo, as the cytoskeletal network is disturbed but before deficits in organ function can be detected, alterations in mitochondrial organization and architecture occur, leading to a reduction in the maximal rate of oxygen consumption...
Special Presentations of Thyroid Cancer in Pregnancy, Renal Failure, Thyrotoxicosis, and Struma Ovarii

Differentiated thyroid cancer most commonly exists in euthyroid individuals, who present with a thyroid mass or who have a structural thyroidal abnormality detected on a radiologic study. In contrast to this typical presentation, there are several groups of patients who have thyroid cancer associated with other clinical circumstances and therefore require special attention. This chapter discusses these special situations and includes patients with thyroid cancer and (1) concomitant thyrotoxicosis, (2) renal failure on dialysis, (3) pregnancy, and (4) tumor origin in an ectopic site. (Patients with thyroglossal duct thyroid cancer are discussed in Chapter 43). The general principles underlying the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer in these subgroups are comparable to cancer presenting in the more typical cases, but these special circumstances require additional considerations.
A scalable video-on-demand service for the provision of VCR-like functions

One approach to supporting continuous media traffic is via resource reservation at connection establishment time. The shortcomings of this approach are the lack of flexibility in re-negotiating bandwidth parameters after connection establishment and the inability to react to changing server load conditions. In this paper, we propose a "selected access scheme" for re-negotiating continuous media delivery from a video-on-demand server. We consider the overall system perspective on resource availability rather than a per-connection resource management scheme. The selected access scheme is combined with data placement strategies for the server to dynamically access desired video frames from a shared storage device. This approach is especially suitable for video data compressed and stored using an inter-frame encoding scheme such as specified by the MPEG standard. Simulation results show that the proposed model can utilize server bandwidth, improve the reliability of playback, reduce the buffering needed and support VCR-like functions without blocking user access to the storage device.
Reconsidering philosophical questions and neuroscientific answers: Two pillars of inquiry

I propose the next steps in the neuropragmatic approach to philosophy that has been advocated by Solymosi and Shook (2013). My focus is the initial process of inquiry implicit in addressing philosophical questions of cognition and mind by utilizing the tools of neuroscientific research. I combine John Dewey’s pattern of inquiry with Charles Peirce’s three forms of inference in order to outline a methodological schema for neuropragmatic inquiry. My goal is to establish ignorance and guessing as well-defined pillars of methodology upon which to build a neuropragmatic approach to inquiry. First, I outline Dewey’s pattern of inquiry, highlighting the initial problematic phase in which recognized ignorance provides the basis upon which to frame a philosophical problem and initiate the trajectory by which philosophical questions may be addressed with the assistance of neuroscientific evidence. Second, I provide an outline of Peirce’s three forms of inference, focusing upon the first phase of abduction: guessing. Third, I explain the transition between ignorance and guessing, urging the benefit of attending to these two aspects of inquiry. Finally, I provide an initial sketch indicating the next steps concerning a pragmatic reconstruction of neurophilosophy, pointing towards the need for a more thorough examination of scientific methodology within and following analyses of philosophical problems and neuroscientific evidence.
A comparative study of Thai massage and Swedish massage relative to physiological and psychological measures

Summary Many cultures have a massage or touch-based therapy that has been influenced by the development of culture over time. The origins of Thai massage (TM) can be traced to oriental medicine and yoga. Swedish massage (SM), the most popular type of massage practiced in the US, is based on anatomy learned from dissection. To date TM has been largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast a single general massage treatment, using one of two different styles of massage, on physiological and psychological outcomes. Fifty-three participants enrolled in the study and were randomly assigned to receive one TM or SM treatment. Dependent variables included blood pressure, heart rate, range-of-motion, perceived anxiety, and mood. Physiological assessments (blood pressure, heart rate, range of motion) were conducted immediately before (T1) and after the massage (T2). Psychological assessments (anxiety and mood) were conducted at T1, T2, and at 48-h follow-up (T3). A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed overall significant differences for the massage. However, there were no differences between the treatment groups. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) for individual dependent variables found significant improvement between T1 and T2 in resting heart rate, ankle plantar flexion, ankle dorsiflexion, and shoulder abduction/rotation. Significant overall improvement was noted in mood at T2, and in tension-anxiety as well as confusion-bewilderment at T2 and T3 compared to T1. The findings suggest that a single treatment of TM is as effective as SM on general physiological and psychological outcomes.
An Evaluation of Oceanographic Radiometers and Deployment Methodologies

The primary objective of the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) Project is to produce waterleaving radiances within an uncertainty of 5% in clear-water regions, and chlorophyll a concentrations within 35% over the range of 0.05‐50 mg m23. Any global mission, like SeaWiFS, requires validation data from a wide variety of investigators. This places a significant challenge on quantifying the total uncertainty associated with the in situ measurements, because each investigator follows slightly different practices when it comes to implementing all of the steps associated with collecting field data, even those with a prescribed set of protocols. This study uses data from multiple cruises to quantify the uncertainties associated with implementing data collection procedures while using different in-water optical instruments and deployment methods. A comprehensive approach is undertaken and includes (a) the use of a portable light source and in-water intercomparisons to monitor the stability of the field radiometers, (b) alternative methods for acquiring reference measurements, and (c) different techniques for making in-water profiles. Three optical systems had quadrature sum uncertainties sufficiently small to ensure a combined uncertainty for the spaceborne and in situ measurements within a total 5% vicarious calibration budget. A free-fall profiler using (relatively inexpensive) modular components performed best (2.7% quadrature sum uncertainty), although a more sophisticated (and comparatively expensive) profiler using integral components was very close and only 0.5% higher. A relatively inexpensive system deployed with a winch and crane was also close, but ship shadow contamination increased the quadrature sum uncertainty to approximately 3.4%.
Postoperative Pulmonary Complications: Experience with an Outpatient Preoperative Assessment Program

• Objective: To assess outcomes of patients referred to an internal medicine preoperative assessment program for evaluation preceding noncardiac surgery. • Design: Prospective cohort study. • Patients and setting: The study cohort was a convenience sample of patients undergoing major noncardiac surgery at an academic tertiary care medical center who were referred to the IMPACT (Internal Medicine Preoperative Assessment Consultation and Treatment) Center. A standardized preoperative evaluation was performed, including assessment by various instruments (including the Charlson’s Comorbidity and Goldman’s Cardiac Risk indices, the Surgical Risk Index classification, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists score). Preoperative laboratory testing and spirometry were performed on all patients. Algorithms for managing common preoperative issues (eg, bronchospasm, bleeding risk) were used. • Measures: A separate postoperative assessment team assessed the occurrence of explicitly defined postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), which included death due to all causes, death due to pulmonary causes, unanticipated intubation, refractory hypoxemia, unanticipated intensive care unit admission, and pneumonia. • Results: The study sample included 510 patients (mean age, 65.3 years; 53% men). Fourteen patients (2.7%; 95% confidence interval, 1.6%‐4.6%) developed 19 PPCs, including death (3), unanticipated intensive care unit admission (5), nosocomial pneumonia (5), refractory bronchospasm (3), and reintubation (3). Compared with patients without PPCs, those with PPCs had longer anesthesia time (median, 363 versus 210 min; P < 0.001), were more likely to be current smokers (43% versus 13%; P = 0.006), and were more likely to have undergone general anesthesia (100% versus 59%; P = 0.001). Median length of stay was longer in those with PPCs (6 versus 3 days; P = 0.004), as were total hospital costs ($20,181 versus $9646; P < 0.001). • Conclusion: The overall frequency of PPCs in this cohort was low. Although we did not include a control group, our results suggest that an organized preoperative assessment in an internal medicine preoperative clinic is a practical way to care for preoperative patients and is associated with a low rate of pulmonary morbidity. This study also confirms an association between anesthesia route and duration and tobacco use and the occurrence of PPCs.
Positive Definite Block Matrices

This chapter is a positive matrix version of Chapter IV. First we give a complete characterization of all 2 by 2 and 3 by 3 positive block matrices. Then this is used to obtain some standard results for positive Toeplitz matrices and the Levinson algorithm. We also show that there is a one to one correspondence between the set of all n by n positive block matrices, and a set of n positive operators combined with n(n−1)/2 contractions. As a special case of this result, we also establish the fact that there is a one to one correspondence between the set of all positive block Toeplitz matrices on l n 2 (H), and the set of all choice sequences {Γi} 1 n−1 initiated on H.
Soil Functional Zone Management: A Vehicle for Enhancing Production and Soil Ecosystem Services in Row-Crop Agroecosystems.

There is increasing global demand for food, bioenergy feedstocks and a wide variety of bio-based products. In response, agriculture has advanced production, but is increasingly depleting soil regulating and supporting ecosystem services. New production systems have emerged, such as no-tillage, that can enhance soil services but may limit yields. Moving forward, agricultural systems must reduce trade-offs between production and soil services. Soil functional zone management (SFZM) is a novel strategy for developing sustainable production systems that attempts to integrate the benefits of conventional, intensive agriculture, and no-tillage. SFZM creates distinct functional zones within crop row and inter-row spaces. By incorporating decimeter-scale spatial and temporal heterogeneity, SFZM attempts to foster greater soil biodiversity and integrate complementary soil processes at the sub-field level. Such integration maximizes soil services by creating zones of ‘active turnover’, optimized for crop growth and yield (provisioning services); and adjacent zones of ‘soil building’, that promote soil structure development, carbon storage, and moisture regulation (regulating and supporting services). These zones allow SFZM to secure existing agricultural productivity while avoiding or minimizing trade-offs with soil ecosystem services. Moreover, the specific properties of SFZM may enable sustainable increases in provisioning services via temporal intensification (expanding the portion of the year during which harvestable crops are grown). We present a conceptual model of ‘virtuous cycles’, illustrating how increases in crop yields within SFZM systems could create self-reinforcing feedback processes with desirable effects, including mitigation of trade-offs between yield maximization and soil ecosystem services. Through the creation of functionally distinct but interacting zones, SFZM may provide a vehicle for optimizing the delivery of multiple goods and services in agricultural systems, allowing sustainable temporal intensification while protecting and enhancing soil functioning.
Homicide in the Biblical World: Appendix: Cuneiform Sources on Homicide

The Reform of UruKAgina Publication: Ukg. 4 ⅻ 13–22 (= Ukg. 5 ⅺ 20–29) = H. Steible and H. Behrens, Die Altsumerischen Bau- und Weihinschriften (Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 1991). Transliteration and Translation: Piotr Steinkeller, “The Reform of UruKAgina and an Early Sumerian Term for ‘Prison,’” AuOr 9 (1991), 227–233. Translation: Jerrold S. Cooper, Sumerian and Akkadian Royal Inscriptions: Pre-Sargonic Inscriptions (AOS Translation Series I; Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 1986), 73. Date: circa 2350 b.c.e. NSG 41 Publication: ITT 2789 = Henri de Genouillac, Inventaire des Tablettes de Tello , volume II/1 (Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1910), number 2789. Transliteration and Translation: NSG 41 = Adam Falkenstein, Die neusumerischen Gerichtsurkunden (Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, philosophisch-historisch Klasse 40; Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1956), 2.67–69; Bernard J. Siegel, “Slavery During the Third Dynasty of Ur,” American Anthropologist 40, issue 1, part 2 (1947), 24–25. Date: Neo-Sumerian period (twenty-first century b.c.e. ) NSG 202 Publication: TEO 6168 = Henri de Genouillac, Textes economiques d'Oumma de l'epoque d'Our (TCL 5; Paris: Librairie Orientaliste/Paul Geuthner, 1922), number 6168. Transliteration and Translation: NSG 202 = Falkenstein, Die neusumerischen Gerichtsurkunden , number 202, 2.331–333. Date: Neo-Sumerian period (twenty-first century b.c.e. ) NSG 202 is a Sammeltafel from Umma, recording a number of cases, one of which involves homicide. NSG 121 Publication: TEO 6165 = de Genouillac, Textes economiques d'Oumma de l'epoque d'Our , number 6165. Transliteration and Translation: NSG 121 = Falkenstein, Die neusumerischen Gerichtsurkunden , number 121, 2.206–208. Date: Neo-Sumerian period (twenty-first century b.c.e. ) The Nippur Murder Trial Publication: 2 N-T.54; duplicates: PBS VIII 173, 3N-T.340 + 3N-T.403 + 3N-T.273, 3N-T.426 = Edward Chiera, Legal and Administrative Documents from Nippur (Publications from the Babylonian Section VIII; Philadelphia: University Museum, 1914), number 173. […]
Mitochondrial and MB Isoenzymes of Creatine Kinase in Cerebrospinal Fluid from Patients with Hypoxic–Ischemic Brain Damage

Measurements of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) creatine kinase (CK, EC 2.7.3.2) isoenzyme activity have been used to predict outcome in patients with acute brain injury following cardiac arrest. We identified two CK isoenzymes previously unreported in CSF from 16 patients with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage. Prior to analysis, the CK in the CSF samples was reactivated with dithiothreitol. CK isoenzymes were identified using electrophoretic and immunologic methods. Total CK activity ranged from 23 to 924 U/L (mean 452). CSF-CK-BB was the predominant isoenzyme present in all cases. In addition to CSF-CK-BB, the authors identified CSF-CK-MM in 6 cases, CSF-CK-MB in 8 cases, and CSF-mitochondrial-CK in 14 cases. The presence of CSF-CK-MM was significantly related to blood contaminating the CSF (P less than 0.02). It is proposed that CSF-CK-MB results from recombination of CK-MM and CK-BB in CSF and that mitochondrial CK is released with CK-BB into the CSF from the damaged brain tissue.
Central Ideas in the Development of American Journalism: A Narrative History.: By Marvin Olasky., Lawrence Erlbaum, 1991, 208 pp., $34.50, Cloth

(1992). Central Ideas in the Development of American Journalism: A Narrative History. American Journalism: Vol. 9, No. 1-2, pp. 123-126.
Kennedy anniversary photos tell story of beloved leader

An analysis of 901 photographs from newspaper front-page coverage of the 50-year anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination shows 29 percent of photos represent remembrance, such as Kennedy’s grave and the eternal flame. Although the assassination, itself, is clearly present, photographs are not highly-graphic in nature.
Water Quality and Hygenic Condition of "Seeking Water in Red-layer" in Cuiping District of Yibin

Objective To understand the hygenic condition of drinking water in the project of Seeking Water in the Red Rock Layer and to provide scientific evidence for solution of the drinking water safety problem in countryside.Methods No less than 3% samples of total 9 612 red rock layer wells duged during 2007 to 2008 in Cuiping district were collected,and underwent the test and evaluation according to the national drinking water standard.Results Of the total 409 samples,the qualified rate was 19.3%.Total plate count had got the lowest qualified rate(32.5%).The differences of the qualified rates among different towns were statistically significant(χ2 = 45.0,P﹤0.05).The qualified rate of samples taken from Caiba Town was the lowest.Conclusion The quality of water in the wells in the project of Seeking Water in the Red Rock Layer is not good,which indicate the significant problem of drinking water safety,and the main factors affect water quality is bacterial contamination.
An Experimental Study on Degradation of Ortho-nitrophenol with Titania-bearing Blast Furnace Slag

Based on the review of photocatalytic mechanism and applications of photocatalysts,titania-bearing blast furnace slag(TBBFS)of Pangangl is used as photocatalytic materials to degrade ortho-nitrophenol solution through photocatalytic reactions. Effects of various factors on the degradation process are studied on the basis of experimental results. All of the present work is aimed at exploring new utilizing of TBBFS. The experimental results show that: as a photocatalytic material TBBFS possesses degradation role on ortho-nitrophenol. Photoeataiytic activity of TBBFS is related to the constant temperature, the best degradation effect was obtained after 120 min's heat-treated constantly at 600℃for TBBFS. The lower the concentration of ortho-nitrophenol, the bigger the degradation rate. In this expenment,for TBBFS loaded on glass sheet,the optimal concentration of ortho-nitrophenol is 15mg/l. For ortho-nitrophenol solution, the pH value corresponding to the maximum degradation rate is 3. 00. Application of voltage on ortho-nitrophenol solution can enhance photocatalytic process and degradation rate increases with the boosting of voltage.
Postpartum Permanent Sterilization: Could Bilateral Salpingectomy Replace Bilateral Tubal Ligation?

Abstract Study Objective There has recently been an expansion in the use of bilateral salpingectomy at the time of sterilization to theoretically decrease ovarian cancer risk. We sought to determine if postpartum salpingectomy is equivalent to postpartum bilateral tubal ligation (BTL) in terms of duration, estimated blood loss (EBL), and complication rate. Design A retrospective case series (Canadian Task Force Classification II-2). Setting An academic inner-city hospital. Patients All patients admitted for delivery of full-term intrauterine pregnancy desiring permanent sterilization between March 2014 and March 2015 were included. Excluded patients included those who had sterilization at the time of the cesarean section or other surgical procedure. Two cohorts were identified, those who had a planned postpartum tubal ligation and those having a postpartum salpingectomy. Interventions Postpartum sterilization. Measurements and Main Results Researchers of this study recorded demographics, medical histories, and abdominal surgical histories for all patients who met the inclusion criteria. Surgical times, EBL, and complication rates were reviewed. Unpaired t test calculations were used to identify differences between age, body mass index, parity, and surgical time between the 2 cohorts. Chi-square tests were used to determine the statistical significance between complication rates, history of abdominal surgery, and past medical history of tubal disease between the 2 cohorts. Eighty women were identified, 64 in the BTL group and 16 in the salpingectomy cohort. The demographics of each cohort were equivocal. The average surgical time was 59.13 and 71.44 minutes in the BTL and salpingectomy cohorts, respectively. Of the 80 patients, only 1 had an EBL greater than 50 mL; this patient was in the BTL group. Four complications were noted in the BTL cohort, but none were evident in the salpingectomy group. There were no documented sterilization failures in the follow-up period (median = 9 months). Conclusion Postpartum salpingectomy is slightly longer in duration but with similar blood loss and complication rates. Salpingectomy could be considered in particularly high-risk patients at risk for ovarian cancer when consenting for a postpartum sterilization procedure.
Errors in bladder catheterization: are residents ready for complex scenarios?

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate whether junior surgical residents had successfully mastered bladder catheterization. Our hypothesis was that surgical residents would be overly confident in their abilities and underestimate the potential for case complexity. Materials and methods PGY 2-4 surgery residents ( n = 44) were given 15 min. to complete three of four bladder catheterization simulations. Participants reported their mastery by rating confidence using a 5-point Likert scale. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to test predictors of procedure performance. Results Participants made a total of 228 errors with an average of 5.1 errors (standard deviation = 2.6) per participant. The most common errors included not maintaining the sterile field (52.0%), failure to get urine return (20.3%), and inflating the catheter balloon before urine return (8.4%). Some residents committed the same error more than once. Presimulation confidence ratings ranged from “1” being not confident to “5” being extremely confident. Average presimulation confidence was 4.42 (range 1-5, standard deviation = 0.85). Sixteen (36%) residents ranked their presimulation confidence in problem-solving abilities as “moderately confident” or below, whereas 28 (64%) were “very confident” or above. The lower the resident's presimulation confidence in problem-solving, the more errors they committed during the simulation (beta = −0.33, t = −2.15, P = 0.04). Conclusions The residents did not perform as well as they anticipated when presented with more complicated bladder catheterization scenarios. Simulation can be used to identify and expose potential errors that may occur during complex presentations of basic procedures. This type of training and assessment may facilitate mastery.
Components in Chemical Thermodynamics

Chemical equations are actually matrix equations, and this has important implications for their thermodynamic treatment. The fundamental equation for chemical thermodynamics for a chemical reaction system can be written in terms of species, but at chemical equilibrium, it has to be written in terms of components. The number of components is equal to the number of species minus the number of independent chemical reactions. The fundamental equation for the Gibbs energy of a system containing ethylene, methane, ethane, and propane is discussed. At chemical equilibrium there are two components, which can be taken to be carbon and hydrogen or ethylene and methane. There are advantages in using matrix notation.
Getting to the “Heart” of Cardiac Disease by Decreasing Mitochondrial Iron

Iron chelation rather than supplementation would be beneficial to patients with heart diseases. More effort should be devoted to the development of iron chelators that could target mitochondrial iron. Iron is an essential trace mineral for normal mammalian physiology. It is incorporated into iron/sulfur (Fe/S) clusters that serve as important cofactors for many enzymes, including the mitochondrial respiratory chain, and it gives blood and muscle their signature red color through its presence in heme.1 Because of its involvement in many important cellular processes, dysregulation of iron often causes disease. There are 2 broad categories of diseases associated with iron dysregulation—iron overload and iron deficiency. Each category can be further subdivided based on whether the changes in iron occur at the cellular or at the systemic level. Iron is critical for developmental processes, and studies have linked severe systemic iron deficiency to impaired brain development in children.2 However, most of these studies were conducted in developing countries where iron deficiency tends to be more severe. In developed countries, the major disorder associated with iron deficiency is anemia. Although systemic iron deficiency and anemia may have been used interchangeably, these 2 terms refer to different conditions. Systemic iron deficiency refers to low amounts of iron in circulation because of limited iron absorption or excess iron loss. Anemia is defined as low hemoglobin content within red blood cells and can be caused by low systemic iron, mutations in hemoglobin genes, vitamin B12 deficiency, or underlying chronic diseases. Limited oxygen-carrying capacity secondary to anemia can cause fatigue; however, it generally does not cause mortality or major damage to vital organs. Except for high-output heart failure (HF) associated with severe anemia, iron deficiency and anemia are not associated with any other major cardiac disorders. Cellular iron deficiency is a rare phenomenon, and except …
Holmes on Patents: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Patent Law

The writings and opinions of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., have inspired generations of legal scholars to explain topics like pragmatic skepticism, legal positivism, legal realism, legal moralism, and other “legal-isms.” Justice Holmes — celebrated and contemptible, beloved and beleaguered, emphatically entrenched in the common law — stumbled into federal patent cases on the Supreme Court, yet there is little scholarship stemming from his few opinions in this area. As the twenty-first century ushers in a new gilded age, replete with important battles over patent law and policy as a mechanism for promoting innovation, Holmes’ unique outlook on public and private law (and patents) at the turn of the twentieth century may offer a new perspective within contemporary debates about patent law and its limitations.
Experimental validation of a phase-field model for fracture

Simulations from a numerical implementation of the phase-field model for brittle fracture are compared against analytical and experimental results in order to explore the verification and validation of the method. It is found that while the intrinsic length scale associated with the phase-field model can be set arbitrarily, the scale of the fracture process zone, and the scale at which the elastic field attains the corresponding analytical brittle fracture limit could be substantially larger than this intrinsic length. It is demonstrated that with a suitable choice of this length scale, phase-field simulations can provide valid predictions of the growth of cracks in quasi-static brittle fracture.
Assessing the Clinical Utility of the Question, "Is Your Child/Are You Back to Normal?" in Pediatric Concussion Symptom Resolution

This study investigates the relationship between the general question, "Is your child/are you back to normal?" and a validated postconcussive symptom scale when assessing symptom resolution following concussion. Children with acute concussion were enrolled during an emergency department visit. Sensitivity and specificity analyses compared the true/false question, "My child is/I am back to normal" at 3 days postinjury with the Concussion Symptom Inventory (CSI; gold standard). A total of 201 participants were enrolled in the study with complete data. The true/false questions of "My child is/I am back to normal" had sensitivities of 78.4% and 59.3% and specificities of 75.0% and 86.4% for caregiver and child responses, respectively, when compared with their corresponding CSI. This study demonstrates that asking a parent or child if the child is back to normal has poor sensitivity and modest specificity in determining if a child's symptoms have resolved within 3 days of sustaining a concussion relative to a standardized symptom scale.
Atrial Septal Defect Increases the Risk for Stroke After Total Hip Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Atrial septal defect (ASD) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) are 2 of the most common congenital heart diseases in adults and pose important risks of perioperative acute ischemic stroke (AIS) from paradoxical emboli. We evaluated the following: (1) the prevalence of ASD/PFO in the total hip arthroplasty (THA) population; (2) the rate of perioperative AIS during index admissions; and (3) the risk for perioperative AIS after THA for patients with ASD/PFO vs matched controls. Methods We identified 393,652 patients in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample who underwent THA between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2013. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes were used to identify patients with ASD/PFO and perioperative AIS. Propensity scores matched 252 patients with ASD/PFO to 756 controls (3:1 ratio) without ASD/PFO according to age, gender, race, Deyo comorbidity score, year of surgery, and stroke risk factors. Logistic regression models assessed risk for perioperative AIS. Results The prevalence of ASD/PFO was 64 per 100,000 THA patients. The rate of perioperative AIS was 99 per 100,000 THA in the general THA population. The rate of perioperative AIS was 7.14% for ASD/PFO patients compared with 0.26% in matched controls ( P P Conclusion Patients with ASD/PFO undergoing THA are at a significantly higher risk of perioperative AIS. Orthopedic surgeons should discuss this risk with patients before surgery. The efficacy of mechanical and pharmacologic thromboprophylactic measures to reduce perioperative AIS among ASD/PFO patients warrants further investigation.