cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Return of research results from pharmacogenomic versus disease susceptibility studies: what’s drugs got to do with it?

One of the most controversial ethical issues in genomics research is the return of individual research results to research subjects. As new technologies, including whole-genome sequencing, provide an increased opportunity for researchers to find clinically relevant research results, the questions related to if, when and how individual research results should be returned become more central to the ethical conduct of genomic research. In the absence of federal guidance on this issue, many groups and individuals have developed recommendations and suggestions to address these questions. Most of these recommendations have focused on the return of individual results from disease susceptibility studies. However, in addition to predicting the development of disease, genomic research also includes predicting an individual’s response to drugs, especially the risk of developing adverse events. This article evaluates and compares the return of individual research results from disease susceptibility studies versus pha...
Electroconvulsive Therapy for Catatonia in a Boy With Hydrocephalus and an Arachnoid Cyst

We report on the successful use of electroconvulsive therapy in a 13-year-old boy with congenital hydrocephalus, a history of multiple shunt revisions, and a stable prepontine arachnoid cyst, who experienced profound catatonic deterioration. After initial shunt placement at age 20 months, the patient had followed normal motor, cognitive, and social developmental trajectories. Two uncomplicated shunt revisions were performed at ages 10 and 13 years. Three months after the last revision, the patient demonstrated multiple psychomotor signs, culminating in hospital admission for rigidity, posturing, waxy flexibility, stupor, mutism, and cessation of all oral intake. An extensive neurologic workup related to his preexisting conditions produced negative results, and a course of electroconvulsive therapy for acute catatonia was pursued, with outstanding improvement.
Foil Angle Dependence of Anisotropic Excitation at Large Inclination Angles

The dependence of orientation and alignment parameters on foil inclination angle represents an important means of testing theories of the production of excited level anisotropy. Such dependences have been extended to angles of 80 degrees or more, usually at a constant incident ion energy. However, the increased target thickness arising from the foil inclination can significantly alter the mean energy and velocity distribution of the emerging ions. The energy dependence of the anisotropy generation process is sufficiently large to alter the angular dependence in certain cases. A study of the orientation and alignment of the 4d 1D2 level of fast helium atoms at several incident energies illustrates the significance of foil thickness effects.
β-Adrenergic regulation of c-fos gene expression in an epithelial cell line

Stimulation of β-adrenoreceptors in the RSMT-A5 epithelial cell line is accompanied by an early and transient increase in the expression of the proto-oncogene c-fos. Maximal induction was at 30 min, returning to basal levels after 2 h. Similar results were obtained when cells were incubated with 8-bromo-cAMP. The induction of c-fos is specific since the expression of p53, a transformation-related gene, is not modulated by isoproterenol or 8-bromo-cAMP. The increase in c-fos gene expression is not associated with proliferative activity in these epithelial cells.
Catalyzing country ownership and aid effectiveness: Role of the Education for All-Fast Track Initiative Catalytic Fund

This article examines the contribution of the Education for All-Fast Track Initiative (EFA-FTI) global partnership in strengthening aid effectiveness in the education sector, and specifically how the implementation modalities of the EFA-FTI Catalytic Fund (CF) have contributed to this strengthening. The empirical findings are based on a review covering the period 2005–2007, when the CF grant was first established. The review includes an assessment of the quality of the education sector plans for 25 countries in the partnership, the implementation modalities of the CF grant in 18 countries, and feedback from countries’ participants. The qualitative assessment of the CF implementation modalities is based on three areas—alignment, harmonization, and managing for results—and uses a good practice checklist based on the Paris Declaration partnership commitments. Progress on the good practice checklist in the education sector is compared to progress at the country level as a whole; the latter is derived from the Aid Effectiveness Profiles prepared by the World Bank. The review of the sample countries finds that in the education sector, alignment was stronger than at the country level, progress toward harmonization was somewhat stronger, and managing for results was the same as at the country level. The article concludes that while the FTI has contributed to improving aid effectiveness, moving forward requires different actions at the two levels—global and country level—on which the partnership operates.
Symmetry of the top of the valence band in MoS2

Abstract It is shown that the previously reported EPR parameters for various acceptors in MoS 2 are characteristic of p z symmetry for the top of the valence band and not of d z 2 symmetry as was previously believed.
Extrusion blow molding of high-density polyethylene–poly(ethylene terephthalate) blends

The application of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) in extrusion blow molding is limited by its low extensional viscosity, which is related to the low shear viscosity. The suitability of blends of PET/high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/compatibilizer for blow molding is investigated. The rheology of the blends was studied in the context of extrusion blow molding. A digitized video technique is presented for measurement of parison sag and the extent of sag is related to blend composition and processing parameters. Among the blends investigated, blends with a PET content of 70% or above exhibited a high degree of sag. Bottles were blown from the other blends and tested for mechanical properties. On increasing HDPE content, the impact energy of the bottle increases while the bending modulus decreases. A significant increase was noticed in the environmental stress cracking resistance of blends with 20% PET over pure HDPE. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Causes of scapula fractures differ from other shoulder injuries in occupants seriously injured during motor vehicle crashes.

Abstract Purpose Current motor vehicle safety systems primarily focus on preventing life-threatening and serious injury during crashes, but occupants may still sustain less serious injury. Upper extremity injury is common in occupants involved in motor vehicle crashes. The purpose of this study was to compare occupants with scapula fractures to occupants with other shoulder injuries. Methods We used data from the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) database (1997–2008) to compare two groups of occupants: (1) occupants with only scapula fractures and (2) occupants with shoulder injury not involving the scapula. We hypothesised that there were no differences in demographics, vehicle, crash characteristics and causes of shoulder injury in these two groups. Results Of the 3370 occupants studied, 54 occupants (1.6%) had only a scapula fracture in the shoulder region and 342 (10.1%) occupants had other shoulder injuries. There were significant differences between gender, height and weight, maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) severity and the crash type. Occupants with scapula fractures were 3 times more likely to be male (odds ratio (OR) = 3.30) and were significantly taller and weighed more than occupants with other shoulder injuries. Occupants with other shoulder injuries had significantly greater injury severity (based on maximum AIS for any injury) than those with scapula fractures. There was a significant difference between scapula fractures and clavicle fractures (OR = 1.87) and joint dislocations/separations (OR = 2.79) comparing the cause of injury (vehicle side interior vs. other causes). Safety belts are the single most important safety system in motor vehicles and should always be worn. However, we found no differences in the cause of scapula fractures comparing occupants wearing their safety belt with those not wearing the belt. Conclusion This study provides information showing that scapula fractures occur during different types of impacts and have different causes other than shoulder injuries.
A Food Store Intervention Trial Improves Caregiver Psychosocial Factors and Children's Dietary Intake in Hawaii

Diet-related chronic diseases are at epidemic levels in low-income ethnic minority populations. The purpose of this study is to decrease risk for obesity in children by modifying the food environment and conducting point-of-purchase promotions that will lead to changes in psychosocial factors and behaviors associated with healthier food choices among low-income communities with a preponderance of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. We implemented an intervention trial over a 9-11-month period in five food stores in two low-income multiethnic communities in Hawaii, targeting both children and their adult caregivers. The Healthy Foods Hawaii (HFH) intervention consisted of an environmental component to increase store stocking of nutritious foods, point-of-purchase promotions, interactive sessions, and involved local producers and distributors. We evaluated the impact of the program on 116 child-caregiver dyads, sampled from two intervention and two comparison areas before and after intervention implementation. Program impacts were evaluated using multivariable linear regression. The HFH program had a significant impact on caregiver knowledge and the perception that healthy foods are convenient. Intervention children significantly increased their Healthy Eating Index (HEI) score for servings of grains, their total consumption of water, and showed an average 8.5 point (out of 90 total, eliminating the 10 points for variety, giving a 9.4% increase) increase in overall HEI score. A food store intervention was effective in improving healthy food knowledge and perception that healthy foods are convenient among caregivers, and increased the consumption of several targeted healthy foods by their children. Greater intensity, sustained food system change, and further targeting for children are needed to show greater and sustained change in food-related behaviors in low-income Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.
Cultural Inheritance and Fertility Outcomes: An Analysis from Evolutionary and Interdisciplinary Perspectives

Taking evolutionary and interdisciplinary perspectives, this study views the reproductive result as an evolutionary outcome that may be affected by parental characteristics through cultural inheritance. We hypothesize that inheriting more cultural traits from parents leads to a greater resemblance between fertility outcomes of the offspring and their parents. In societies that experience a demographic transition, a greater resemblance can be indicated by a higher level of fertility of the offspring and a sooner transition from union formation to childbearing. We operationalize inheriting cultural traits from parents as reporting a religious affiliation the same as those of their parents. Through analyzing data from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Cycle 6, our results show that inheriting the same religious traits from parents does have an effect on one’s fertility. In particular, women who reported the same religious affiliations as those of their parents reported a greater number of children. They tend to have births inside, rather than outside, of marriage. Inside marriage, they are also more likely to give births sooner, rather than later. These findings support our hypotheses and help to build a theoretical framework that explains the changes in fertility outcomes from an interdisciplinary perspective.
Mathematical modeling and computer simulation of radioactive and toxic chemical species dispersion in porous media in the vacinity of uranium recovery operations

Abstract The management of uranium recovery operations, such as mill production, tailings, heep leaching or solution mining (in-situ mining), has been one of the most challenging issues facing environmental engineers and scientists in the last decade. Almost any activity (mill production, evaporative and holding ponds, storage sites of chemicals, tailings ponds and transportation) results in radioactive and toxic chemicals contamination of surface and groundwaters. Current estimates based on observations of plant operations indicate that 70–80% of the water used in mill production is lost by seepage and 10–20% by evaporation. This large quantity of seepage raises serious questions as to the degree of migration of radioactive and potentially toxic chemical species from the tailings pond and their impact on the surrounding surface and subsurface environments. This paper discusses the major radioactive and toxic chemicals involved in the uranium recovery operations and presents computer simulation results of their hydrodynamic dispersion, migration and prediction of future material movements.
Competition, Specialization, and Industrial Decline

The technological backwardness of the British cotton industry in the first six decades of this century was due primarily to the structure of industrial organization, characterized by intense competition and specialization, that had developed in the nineteenth century when the industry had no serious international competitors. But with the rise of corporate economies, particularly in Japan and the United States, this structure of industrial organization rendered British cotton managers powerless to create the corporate structures required to meet this challenge. Britain's decline was due to the failure of its managers to create conditions for new profitable opportunities by altering the constraints that they faced.
Arthroscopy of the Knee

There has been remarkable advancement in arthroscopy of the knee since Watanabe's 21 arthroscope in 1959. Our understanding of knee pathology has been advanced and new syndromes have been described. The internal structures of the knee can now be visualized with magnification-promoting diagnostics. Equipment has been designed specifically for knee arthroscopy, allowing for advances in technical procedures and for surgery not heretofore anticipated. Skilled arthroscopists can perform meniscectomy routinely. The next few years should allow development of instruments for continued advancement of techniques and also to allow clinical research to assess the value of many of the procedures in use today. Arthroscopy, both diagnostic and therapeutic, is a safe procedure with minimum morbidity. Moreover, in the near future, arthroscopy will assuredly advance to become routine in several other joint, particularly the ankle and shoulder.
Enhancement of metastasis development by BCC lmmunotherapy

When BALB/c mice bearing growing transplants of a syngeneic colon carcinoma - Colon Tumor 26 (CT 26) - were treated with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), no effect on tumor growth rate or survival time was observed compared to untreated controls. However, after excision of primary tumor transplants, enhanced development of lung metastases was noted in the BCG-treated mice, resulting in both an increased mortality rate (from metastatic disease) and a shorter survival time.
Digital injury using the sternum perforating awl

Closure of the median sternotomy incision using stainless steel wires passed through the tip of a sternum-perforating awl is a common procedure. Digital injury can result should the awl shaft suddenly snap during sternal penetration. Sheathing the shaft with a plastic guard will prevent injury when this occurs.
Clinical evaluation of Dentacolor as a posterior veneering agent.

A growing number of clinicians have been using laboratory light-cured resins as a substitute for porcelain veneers. These new systems offer a number of advantages over porcelain. In addition to possessing the ability of being repaired or modified directly in the oral cavity, they can be used with virtually any alloy. This two-year study dealt with the clinical evaluation of Dentacolor as a veneering agent on posterior crowns. Forty restorations were inserted into a series of patients and evaluated for the following characteristics: color matching ability, wear or loss of anatomic form, surface texture and microleakage at the veneer-metal interface. At the end of the two years the average wear was only 22 μm. Furthermore, the wear rate was linear. The surfaces were free from pitting, retained a high luster, and exhibited excellent color matching ability.
The geometric algebra Cł3 as a model for a projective plane

We show that the geometric algebraCl 3 can be used as a model for the real projective plane, in the sense that the axioms defining the plane and their duals can be proved as theorems. However, it seems that there is some difficulty in using a geometric algebra to model a projective space over a noncommutative division ring.
Tectonic release from the Soviet Joint Verification Experiment

The regional broadband seismic recordings of the Soviet Joint Verification Experiment underground nuclear explosion show evidence of tectonic release in the form of Love waves at long periods and high-frequency S{sub m}S phases on the transverse components. The authors present the results of some simple forward modeling of this data in order to quantify both the moment and mechanism of the tectonic release. Using 10-20 second Love wave amplitude and phase data, they estimate the tectonic release moments to be 3.5 {times} 10{sup 15} N-m for a north striking right-lateral strike-slip fault, and 7.0 {times} 10{sup 15} N-m for a northwest striking reverse fault. Using the results of these end member tectonic models, the Rayleigh waves can be satisfied with explosion moments of 1.7 {times} 10{sup 16} N-m (F=0.31) and 2.4 {times} 10{sup 16} N-m (F=0.44), respectively. To resolve the ambiguity in tectonic mechanism the authors used the reflectivity method to generate synthetics and compare the relative amplitudes of the SH and SV parts of the S{sub m}S phase. While the results favor the strike-slip mechanism of tectonic release, application of source inversion techniques to this data and other regional data will be needed to evaluate more realistic tectonic releasemore » models involving, for example, oblique fault slip and dip.« less
Using targeted large deletions and high-efficiency N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea mutagenesis for functional analyses of the mammalian genome.

The Human Genome Project has generated nucleotide sequences from an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 genes, only a small fraction of which have a known role. Nucleotide sequence information alone is insufficient to predict gene function. One of the most powerful ways of revealing gene function, as demonstrated in bacteria, worms, yeast, and flies, is to generate mutations and characterize them at both the phenotypic and the molecular levels. Given the physiological and anatomical parallels between mouse and human, genotype-phenotype relationships established in mice can be extrapolated to human syndromes. A new method is described for functional genetic analyses in the mouse that uses loxP/Cre engineering to generate coat color-tagged large deletions. The haploid regions can then be dissected by mutagenesis with N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea in phenotype-driven screens to obtain functional information on genes in any desired region of the mouse genome.
STELLAR ELEMENTAL ABUNDANCE PATTERNS: IMPLICATIONS FOR PLANET FORMATION

The solar photosphere is depleted in refractory elements compared to most solar twins, with the degree of depletion increasing with an element's condensation temperature. Here, I show that adding 4 Earth masses of Earth-like and carbonaceous-chondrite-like material to the solar convection zone brings the Sun's composition into line with the mean value for the solar twins. The observed solar composition could have arisen if the Sun's convection zone accreted material from the solar nebula that was depleted in refractory elements due to the formation of the terrestrial planets and ejection of rocky protoplanets from the asteroid belt. Most solar analogs are missing 0-10 Earth masses of rocky material compared to the most refractory-rich stars, providing an upper limit to the mass of rocky terrestrial planets that they possess. The missing mass is correlated with stellar metallicity. This suggests that the efficiency of planetesimal formation increases with stellar metallicity. Stars with and without known giant planets show a similar distribution of abundance trends. If refractory depletion is a signature of the presence of terrestrial planets, this suggests that there is not a strong correlation between the presence of terrestrial and giant planets in the same system.
INTERNET AND POSTAL SURVEY OF ENDOUROLOGIC PRACTICE PATTERNS AMONG AMERICAN UROLOGISTS

Purpose: We determine endourological practice patterns among American urologists for the management of distal ureteral calculi, ureteropelvic junction obstruction, staghorn calculi and the use of ureteral stents with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL ††Dornier Medical Systems, Inc., Marietta, Georgia.).Materials and Methods: Surveys were mailed by the United States postal service to 1,000 American urologists selected randomly from the American Urological Association membership roster. The same survey was sent via the Internet to 3,065 American urologists with an electronic mail address listed in the roster.Results: Responses were received from 1,029 urologists (postal 601, Internet 428). Ureteroscopy was the preferred treatment for all distal ureteral calculi less than or equal to 10 mm. Acucise ‡‡Applied Medical Technology. Laguna Hills, California. endopyelotomy was the most frequently selected therapy for adults with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (50.3%, 514 of 1,022). Open pyeloplasty w...
The individual‐collective problem in education: the special cases of John Dewey and Human Capital Theory

The present challenge for educationists and economists is to resolve pressing problems inherent in social choice and the technical framework of education. Among these challenges is the conflict between means and ends of educational production, the reliable development of human capital, and resolution to problems of social inequality. The authors argue that a widening of the information base of education is necessary before solutions will adhere across the institutional domain.
10 TEENAGE FATHERS: STRESS TRAJECTORY THROUGH PREGNANCY

Previous work by the investigators demonstrated that some teenage fathers may have difficulty coping with the stresses surrounding pregnancy. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the trajectory of these stresses. Twenty prospective fathers (age range 17-18), were interviewed on an average of 1.5 times during gestation: 4 during 1st trimester (mean=12 wks.), 10 during 2nd trimester (mean=22.5 wks.), and 15 during 3rd trimester (mean=32.5 wks.). All pregnancies were conceived premaritally; 14 teens were married at 1st interview. Using a semistructured technique, subjects were questioned as to the type of stresses felt at the present time, and during each of the previous trimester intervals. The degree of each stress was rated from 1 (low) to 3 (high). A stress magnitude score was determined by a formula utilizing relative frequency and degree of each stress. The combined magnitude scores for each trimester were 6.05 (1st), 7.02 (2nd), 8.20 (3rd). Stresses were combined into 6 categories. Between 1st and 3rd trimester, concerns regarding mother/child health, vocation-education (predominently financial), and relationships rose in magnitude, while stresses resulting from the circumstances of pregnancy (predominently negative responses from parents) declined in magnitude. Concerns of parenthood increased between 1st and 2nd trimester and remained at that level, while miscellaneous concerns rose and then fell. These results demonstrate that the degree and nature of stresses affecting teen fathers change thru gestation.
The Stimulatory Effect of Sodium Butyrate and Sodium Propionate on the Development of Rumen Mucosa in the Young Calf

Summary Twelve young dairy calves equipped with rumen cannulae were fed milk and housed in tie stalls with elevated floors to prevent bedding consumption. Sodium acetate, sodium propionate, sodium butyrate, sodium chloride, and glucose were administered over an 11-wk. period, to study their effect on rumen mucosal development. Two calves served as controls. Administration of solutions of sodium butyrate or sodium propionate caused marked development of the rumen mucosa, whereas the other materials caused relatively little growth. It is hypothesized that the growth of rumen papillae is probably a result of the metabolism of certain compounds by the rumen wall and/or their effect on blood flow in the rumen.
Expression of Interferon Receptor Subunits, IFNAR1 and IFNAR2, in the Ovine Uterus

Abstract Interferon-τ (IFN-τ) is the antiluteolytic factor released by concepti of ruminant ungulate species prior to implantation. All type I interferons, including IFN-τ, exert their action through a common receptor, which consists of two subunits, IFNAR1 and IFNAR2c, but the distribution of the two polypeptides in uterine endometrium has not been examined. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry on sections from pregnant and nonpregnant ovine uteri at Days 14 and 15 after estrus and mating showed that both IFNAR1 and IFNAR2 mRNA and protein were strongly expressed in endometrial luminal epithelium (LE), superficial glandular epithelium (GE), and stromal cells, within but not outside caruncles. Similar staining patterns were noted in pregnant and nonpregnant uteri for both subunits. Western blot analysis of membrane fractions from cell lines derived from endometrial LE, GE, and stromal cells, and affinity cross-linking experiments with radioactively labeled IFN-τ performed on crude endometrial me...
Side reactions of heparin in clinical practice

Abstract Heparin side-reactions are of three classes. First, heparin acts on body systems other than those involved in blood coagulation. Serious reactions are minimal. Transient alopecia relieved by stopping heparin has been reported. Hepatic, renal, marrow, or neurotoxicity are absent from the literature to date. The second class, allergic reactions are more common, but still infrequent. True heparin sensitivity is rare, but occurs—even in one patient to the point of anaphylactic shock. More frequently, urticaria has been noted, induced by sensitivity to heparin's animal protein. Not infrequently a histamine-like response at the injection site may appear which often gradually disappears if injections are maintained. This is a true heparin response and is not altered by changing the heparin source. The third and major group of side-reactions is related to inappropriate manifestations of heparin's therapeutic properties. Most of these are avoidable by careful technic of administration (being local ecchymoses of minor or major proportions). Some are due to inappropriate dosages in susceptible patients with hemorrhage at distal, and occasionally critical sites, i.e., the wall of the intestine. When added to patients already on prolonged coumarin therapy, intractable bleeding may occur from factor IX suppression. Most frequently fatal, however, is the injudicious interruption of heparin therapy when bleeding presents. Permitting coagulation to return to normal has frequently been associated with large emboli presumably shed by laminated clot appearing on injured endocardial or endothelial surfaces. Heparin is not a simple medication. Properly used, it is a powerful therapeutic tool with relatively few intrinsic dangerous reactions.
Distinct composition of viral quasispecies between ascites and serum samples from patients with late stage chronic hepatitis C.

Abstract By performing single-strand conformation polymorphism and PCR-cloning followed by sequencing, the amino acid composition of hepatitis C virus hypervariable and variable regions were analyzed in ascites and serum samples from two patients with late stage chronic hepatitis C. In patient-LC, the major ascitic clone was constituted by a minor serum-derived clone, while the major serum-derived clone was absent in the ascites. In patient-HCC, the major ascitic clone was defective and genetically different from all the serum-derived clones. In addition, anti-genomic HCV RNA was detected in the ascitic mononuclear cells from patient-LC. These results argued that the peritoneal cavity served as a relatively isolated environment for evolution of distinct composition of viral quasispecies.
Junction Analysis in Vacuum-Tube Circuits

The method of junction analysis, well known to workers in circuit analysis, does not appear to be appreciated sufficiently by students and others whose interests do not lie primarily in electric-circuit theory. It is shown that considerable simplification and saving of computation is often effected when this method is used, as contrasted with the better known mesh analysis, especially in multistage amplifiers employing feedback, etc. Moreover, simpler representation of a vacuum tube is achieved.
Modified Faddeeva algorithm for concurrent execution of linear algebraic operations

An algorithm is described that provides an architectural framework for systematic execution of a wide class of linear algebraic operations using a single systolic array and simple data flow. The algorithm has been modified to use numerically stable Given's rotations and is therefore suited to any matrix problem of full rank. When the problem size exceeds that of the hardware array, it can be partitioned in a straightforward, numerically stable way. Numerous simulations have verified the algorithm's correctness. >
Modeling, Simulation, and Fabrication of a Fully Integrated, Acid-stable, Scalable Solar-Driven Water-Splitting System

A fully integrated solar-driven water-splitting system comprised of WO3/FTO/p^(+)n Si as the photoanode, Pt/TiO_2/Ti/n^(+)p Si as the photocathode, and Nafion as the membrane separator, was simulated, assembled, operated in 1.0 M HClO_4, and evaluated for performance and safety characteristics under dual side illumination. A multi-physics model that accounted for the performance of the photoabsorbers and electrocatalysts, ion transport in the solution electrolyte, and gaseous product crossover was first used to define the optimal geometric design space for the system. The photoelectrodes and the membrane separators were then interconnected in a louvered design system configuration, for which the light-absorbing area and the solution-transport pathways were simultaneously optimized. The performance of the photocathode and the photoanode were separately evaluated in a traditional three-electrode photoelectrochemical cell configuration. The photocathode and photoanode were then assembled back-to-back in a tandem configuration to provide sufficient photovoltage to sustain solar-driven unassisted water-splitting. The current–voltage characteristics of the photoelectrodes showed that the low photocurrent density of the photoanode limited the overall solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiency due to the large band gap of WO_3. A hydrogen-production rate of 0.17 mL hr^−1 and a STH conversion efficiency of 0.24 % was observed in a full cell configuration for >20 h with minimal product crossover in the fully operational, intrinsically safe, solar-driven water-splitting system. The solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency, ηS_TH, calculated using the multiphysics numerical simulation was in excellent agreement with the experimental behavior of the system. The value of ηSTH was entirely limited by the performance of the photoelectrochemical assemblies employed in this study. The louvered design provides a robust platform for implementation of various types of photoelectrochemical assemblies, and can provide an approach to significantly higher solar conversion efficiencies as new and improved materials become available.
The analysis of a coherent frequency hopped spread spectrum system

A digital joint phase/timing tracking loop for a coherent frequency-hopped spread-spectrum system is analyzed for both training mode and tracking performance. Under minor assumptions, the phase error is modeled as a homogeneous finite Markov chain. The length of the training period, the approximate probability of entering the tracking range, the steady-state average error probability, and the mean-time to loss-of-lock are derived. The effects of both nonzero RF phase error and cubic channel phase response are presented. It is shown that the performance of the system can be designed to be close to that of a perfectly synchronized system. >
A taxonomy of correctness criteria in database applications

Whereas serializability captures database consistency requirements and transaction correctness properties via a single notion, recent research has attempted to come up with correctness criteria that view these two types of requirements independently. The search for more flexible correctness criteria is partily motivated by the introduction of new transaction models that extend the traditional atomic transaction model. These extensions came about because the atomic transaction model in conjunction with serializability is found to be very constraining when used in advanced applications (e.g., design databases) that function in distributed, cooperative, and heterogeneous environments.In this article we develop a taxonomy of various correctness criteria that focus on database consistency requirements and transaction correctness properties from the viewpoint of what the different dimensions of these two are. This taxonomy allows us to categorize correctness criteria that have been proposed in the literature. To help in this categorization, we have applied a uniform specification technique, based on ACTA, to express the various criteria. Such a categorization helps shed light on the similarities and differences between different criteria and places them in perspective.
On the Achievable Throughput of Multi-Band Multi-Antenna Wireless Mesh Networks

Recent technological advances have enabled SDRs to switch from one frequency to another at low cost, thus making dynamic multi-band access possible. On the other hand, recent advances in signal processing combined with those in antenna technology provide MIMO capabilities, thereby creating opportunities for enhancing the throughput of wireless networks. Both SDRs and MIMO together enable next-generation wireless networks, such as wireless mesh networks, to support dynamic and adaptive bandwidth sharing along time, frequency, and space. In this paper, we develop a new framework that identifies the limits and potentials of SDRs and MIMO. We characterize and analyze the maximum throughput that wireless networks can achieve when they are SDR-capable and MIMO-equipped.
Molecular and functional analysis of cadherin-based adherens junctions

Adherens junctions are specialized forms of cadherin-based adhesive contacts important for tissue organization in developing and adult organisms. Cadherins form protein complexes with cytoplasmic proteins (catenins) that convert the specific, homophilic-binding capacity of the extracellular domain into stable cell adhesion. The extracellular domains of cadherins form parallel dimers that possess intrinsic homophilic-binding activity. Cytoplasmic interactions can influence the function of the ectodomain by a number of potential mechanisms, including redistribution of binding sites into clusters, providing cytoskeletal anchorage, and mediating physiological regulation of cadherin function. Adherens junctions are likely to serve specific, specialized functions beyond the basic adhesive process. These functions include coupling cytoskeletal force generation to strongly adherent sites on the cell surface and the regulation of intracellular signaling events.
Situated Justice: A Contextual Analysis of Fairness and Inequality in Employment Discrimination Litigation

A substantial body of sociolegal scholarship suggests that the legitimacy of the law crucially depends on the public’s perception that legal processes are fair. The bulk of this research relies on an underdeveloped account of the material and institutional contexts of litigants’ perceptions of fairness. We introduce an analysis of situated justice to capture a contextualized conception of how litigants narrate fairness in their actual legal encounters. Our analysis draws on 100 in-depth interviews with defendant’s representatives, plaintiffs, and lawyers involved in employment discrimination lawsuits, selected as part of a multimethod study of 1,788 discrimination cases filed in U.S. district courts between 1988 and 2003. This article offers two key empirical findings, the first at the level of individual perceptions and the second at the level of legal institutions. First, we find that neither defendants’ representatives nor plaintiffs believe discrimination law is fair. Rather than sharing a complaint, however, each side sees unfairness only in those aspects of the process that work to their disadvantage. Second, we demonstrate that the very notion of fairness can belie structural asymmetries that, overall, profoundly benefit employers in employment discrimination lawsuits. We conclude by discussing how a situated justice analysis calls for a rethinking of empirical research on fairness. Audio recordings of respondents quoted in this article are available online.* This research was funded by the American Bar Foundation, the National Science Foundation (#SES-0417389), and the Searle Foundation. The research benefited from participation in the Discrimination Research Group, a joint effort funded by the American Bar Foundation, the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, and the Ford Foundation (#1045-0189). This article was also aided by Laura Beth Nielsen’s participation in the Sociolegal Justice Project (SJP), which is a joint effort of the American Bar Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and George Mason University. We received helpful input from the anonymous reviewers and from participants in the 2009 Law & Society Association meeting, the 2009 American Sociological Association meeting, and workshops
Performance measurements of seismocardiogram interpretation using neural networks

The authors describe the performance of a neural network architecture on a fraction of the total patient population after the network was trained on a separate fraction of the same patient population. This method allows prediction of how well the neural network will perform on cases it has never seen before. Exercise seismocardiographs were recorded in a population of 260 patients: 130 where diagnosed as having coronary artery disease (CAD), and the remaining 130 were diagnosed as low risk normals. 320 neural networks were implemented. The performance of these neural network architectures in detecting CAD was calculated on the test set as well as on the training set. The best performance was attained when the network was able to realize similar levels of sensitivity and specificity on the learning set and the test set. Overlearning was seen when the network performed exceedingly well on the training set, but with poor results on the test set. Neural network prediction of CAD based on seismocardiograms can reach 75% sensitivity and 75% specificity on data that is new to the neural network. >
Glycemic Control and Diabetic Dyslipidemia in Adolescents with Type 2 Diabetes

Objective: The incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing at an alarming rate, especially in ethnic minorities, and T2DM is associated with significant comorbidities. The primary objective of this study was to assess glycemic control and cardiovascular risk outcomes in children with T2DM at 1 year after diagnosis. We also assessed whether insulin treatment at onset of diabetes is beneficial for overall outcome in those with elevated glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C).Methods: A retrospective electronic chart review of non-Hispanic white (NHW) and African American (AA) children with T2DM.Results: A total of 86 patients (66.3% females, 79.1% AA, mean age, 13.8 ± 2.4 years) with T2DM were included. Analyses of therapeutic outcome measures at the 1-year follow-up showed HbA1C >8% in 27.7% of patients, low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) >130 mg/dL in 12.5%, non-high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) >160 mg/dL in 15.6%, HDL-C <35 mg/dL in 25%, systolic hypertension (HTN) in 35.6%, a...
CELL DIVISION IN COSMARIUM BOTRYTIS1

SUMMARY Cell division in Cosmarium is described. Premitotic cells are very dense; the semicells, previously appressed to one another, separate slightly during entry into prophase. This separation coincides with deposition of a girdle of new wall material around the isthmus, where the 2 semicells are joined. Micro-tubules, abundant around the isthmus wall during interphase, all disappear during prophase; meanwhile, other microtubules proliferate outside the nuclear envelope. By metaphase, the nucleolus has dispersed, although remnants of it persist. The nuclear envelope breaks up, but some membranes coat metaphase chromosomes. The spindle, while being typical, is somewhat multipolar; microtubules, usually associated with elements of endoplasmic reticulum, are oriented toward numerous regions in the poles. During anaphase and telophase, these spindle tubules become increasingly directed toward a few discrete foci, and they persist after telophase. Meanwhile, the septum grows from the girdle of wall material to bisect the cell. After cytokinesis, some microtubules reappear near the isthmus, but only adjacent to the older, non-expanding semicell wall. Cell expansion then takes place, during which the nucleus, ensheathed in a complex microtubular system, moves into the forming semicell. Later, the chloroplast follows the nucleus and its 2 pyrenoids elongate and divide. When semicell expansion is complete, the chloroplast cleaves adjacent to the isthmus. The nucleus, now apparently not associated with microtubules, concurrently moves back into the isthmus. Continuous deposition of primary wall material accompanies cell expansion. Wall materials are apparently secreted as aggregates (perhaps derived from the contents of vesicles) adjacent to the plasmalemma, whose fibrous components become increasingly oriented in the outer layers of the wall by stretching. Late in semicell formation, this deposition ceases and during further expansion, the semi-cell develops a pattern of warts and ridges. Secondary wall deposition under the primary wall then follows, matching this pattern of ornamentation. In addition, numerous plugs of amorphous material capped by specialized regions of the plasmalemma, traverse the entire thickness of the secondary wall which becomes further thickened at these particular sites. The amorphous plugs presumably are eroded away later to form the mucilage pores of the vegetative cells. The wall microtubules gradually become more symmetrically arrayed around the isthmus as this new secondary wall thickens. These observations are discussed in comparison with other work on morphogenesis in desmids.
Subsurface measurement needs for ecological, hydrological and agricultural applications

Biological activities occurring in the subsurface largely depend on the relative abundances of water and oxygen that are required for respiration. Accurate measurements of soil water content and flux in addition to concentrations of CO2 and O2 have been the target of research to improve agriculture and environmental management. The majority of sensors used for subsurface science are based on electrical, electromagnetic or optical measurement principles. Novel developments in subsurface water-related measurement approaches include on-the-go time domain reflectometry (TDR) probes and heat-pulse-based water flux probes. Measurement approaches for gas concentration and flux have relied on new developments using thin films and optical techniques, while gas flux measurements utilize surface chamber measurements and subsurface concentration gradient approaches.
Magnetic properties of Co-substituted Fe-Nb-Ta-Mo-B amorphous alloys

Fe/sub 82-x/Co/sub x/Nb/sub 3/Ta/sub 1/Mo/sub 1/B/sub 13/(0 /spl les/ x /spl les/ 41) amorphous alloys were produced by rapid solidification. The Co substitutions for Fe on the magnetic and structural properties of as-cast and crystalline alloys were studied. Co substitutions were shown to enhance the saturation magnetization of as-quenched ribbon samples from 108 emu/g at x = 0 to a maximum of 171 emu/g at x = 18. Co substitutions resulted in only slight changes in the primary and secondary crystallization onset temperatures, T/sub x1/ and T/sub x2/. The Curie temperature of the amorphous phase, T/sub C,amorphous/ increased with x and exceeded T/sub x1/ at x = 18, where nanocrystalline /spl alpha/-FeCo phase was observed. The T dependence of the magnetization, with decreasing temperature (after secondary crystallization), was used to determine the demarcation between the Curie transition of the /spl alpha/-FeCo phase and the loss of magnetization due to the /spl alpha//spl rarr//spl gamma/ phase transition at temperatures between 940 and 970/spl deg/C. In the range 18 /spl les/ x /spl les/ 41, except for x = 20.5, an abrupt drop in magnetization was observed at T/sub x2/ corresponding to the secondary crystallization of a (FeCo)/sub 23/B/sub 6/ phase. For the x = 20. 5 composition, the magnetization was observed to increase at T/sub x2/, fall gradually, and then drop abruptly 140/spl deg/C above T/sub x2/. Therefore, a large magnetic moment was retained to about 790/spl deg/C in this alloy. This composition was the best candidate for the soft magnetic application due to their high moments up to high temperature and low measured coercivity.
Does the elephant belong in the room

Michael Keane (2008) raises a valid and important concern. Between the debates about whether anyone can ever deserve to die for their crimes (no matter how heinous) and whether the death penalty is...
Fence-Line Contact Between Wild and Farmed Cervids in Colorado: Potential for Disease Transmission

Abstract Direct and indirect contact between wild and farmed cervids along perimeter fences may play a role in transmission of diseases like chronic wasting disease (CWD), but no studies have quantified such interactions. At 9 high-fenced commercial elk (Cervus elaphus) farms in Colorado, USA, during October 2003 to January 2005, we used animal-activated video to estimate rates of fence-line use by wild cervids, rates of direct contact between farmed and wild cervids, and probability of direct contact when wild cervids were present. We recorded 8-fold-more wild elk per unit time than mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) at fence lines. Depending on site, we recorded 0.66 to 46.90 wild elk per 1,000 hours of camera monitoring. We documented 77 interactions between wild and farmed elk involving naso-oral contact and no contact between wild mule deer and farmed elk. Rate of direct contact ranged from 0.00 to 1.92 direct contacts per 1,000 hours of camera monitoring among sites. Given recorded presence of wild elk...