cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is secondary leukemia an independent poor prognostic factor in acute myeloid leukemia

Secondary leukemia is a poorly defined term that often refers to the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) following the history of a previous disease, such as a myelodysplastic syndrome or a chronic myeloproliferative disorder. Secondary leukemia can also be a consequence of treatment with chemotherapy, including alkylating agents and topoisomerase II inhibitors, and/or radiotherapy, or due to exposure to environmental carcinogens. Outcomes for this large and variable group of patients with secondary AML have been poor compared to people who develop AML de novo. The question arises whether a diagnosis of secondary leukemia per se indicates a poor prognosis or whether their bad outcomes result from an association with certain morphologic and biologic characteristics. Morphologic dysplasia in de novo AML is related to unfavorable cytogenetics, but has no independent prognostic relevance under the conditions of intensive chemotherapy. While there is no significant correlation between cytogenetic risk groups and dysplasia, cytogenetic features do have an impact on outcome among both de novo and secondary AML patients. In various subgroups of secondary AML, the spectrum of cytogenetic abnormalities is similar to de novo AML, but the frequency of abnormalities associated with unfavorable and intermediate risk cytogenetics, such as a complex karyotype, trisomy 8, monosomy 7, and others, is higher in secondary AML. The survival of patients with therapy-related myeloid leukemia (t-AML) is generally shorter than for those with de novo AML within the same cytogenetic risk group. Across the population of t-AML, however, survival varies according to cytogenetic risk group, with longer survival in patients with favorable-risk karyotypes. The term secondary AML is too broad and imprecise to be of importance and should not be used. These AML patients should be enrolled on front-line chemotherapy trials and should be stratified by pretreatment disease status and exposure history, if necessary. Most importantly, the molecular and genetic differences that appear to determine the phenotype and the outcome of these patients need to be investigated further.
Jean-Martin Charcot and the Aging Brain

Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893) was the premier clinical neurologist of the 19th century (Figure 1). As the original chaired Professor of Diseases of the Nervous System at the University of Paris, he was an international celebrity who published widely and traveled internationally. 1 For a variety of administrative, medical, and research reasons, most of Charcot's neurological work involved the aging brain and nervous system. The focal geographic point of Charcot's illustrious career was the Salpetriere Hospital, officially known as the Hospice de Vieillesse-Femmes, or State Hospice for the Elderly-Women's Division. Within the walls of this enormous complex, Charcot created a neurological mecca and developed a large inpatient unit, clinical laboratories, and a comprehensive pathology service for studies of autopsy specimens. However, when Charcot arrived at the Salpetriere in 1862 as a new appointee in the public health system, the environment did not immediately favor a successful academic career. The hospice primarily housed thousands of indigent, chronically ill women who had no other place to live, and annual mortality was approximately 25% (Figure 2). 2 Whereas these figures discouraged others, Charcot turned them to his advantage, leading him to remark, "We are in possession of a sort of living pathology museum of almost inexhaustible resources." 4 ( p 3 ) .
A comparison of Monte Carlo and analytic first scatter dose spread arrays

We compare first scattered point dose spread arrays generated by Monte Carlo and an analytic method. The analytic method models energy deposition using Klein-Nishina cross sections for Compton scatter and approximations for electron transport. Assumptions in the analytic method are shown to be valid within a region of the point dose spread kernel in which meaningful comparisons can be made. Differences between the models are less than 10% for the forward scatter directions for radii greater than the electron range associated with the first scattered Compton photon. Differences in the backscatter region are discussed and indicate that the analytic model is useful for identifying large errors that might be present in numerically generated first scatter point dose spread arrays. The analytic method is simple and useful for validating first scatter kernels.
The low-anterolateral portal for arthroscopic biceps tenodesis: description of technique and cadaveric study

Arthroscopic biceps tenodesis surgery is an important procedure for the correction of biceps tendonitis or in conjunction with rotator cuff repair with biceps symptoms. Recent trends have developed in placing the biceps tendon lower in the bicipital groove for a tenodesis. However, a more distal biceps tenodesis location is technically challenging when carried out arthroscopically with standard posterior and lateral portals. We aimed to establish the safety of a low-anterolateral portal location for direct access to the lowest aspect of the bicipital groove. An anatomical study design was used to examine portal to neurovascular structural measurements in 23 cadaveric shoulders. These shoulders had undergone low-anterolateral portal placement over the inferior most aspect of the bicipital groove as determined by palpation and direct arthroscopic visualization. No arthroscopic irrigation was performed. Following this, the shoulders underwent open dissection with the cannula in place to evaluate for any potential damage to any portion of the axillary nerve. All of the resultant portals in this study provided direct access to the inferior most aspect of the bicipital groove, and the dissection revealed that the portal was touching a small distal axillary nerve branch on the undersurface of the anterior deltoid in nearly half of the shoulders. The placement of a low-anterolateral portal for arthroscopic biceps tenodesis at the distal bicipital groove does not produce significant neurovascular damage; the portal trajectory comes close to distal anterior branches of the axillary nerve. Given these findings, this portal should be placed bluntly to best protect these underlying neurovascular structures.
The Policy Debate over Public Investment in Comparative Effectiveness Research

Background Policy makers across the political spectrum, as well as many clinicians and physician professional associations, have proposed that better information on comparative clinical effectiveness should be a key element of any solution to the US health-care cost crisis. This superficial consensus hides intense disagreements over critical issues essential to any new public effort to promote more comparative effectiveness research (CER).
Compiling Communicating Processes into Delay-Insensitive VLSI Circuits

A method is described for compiling computations described as a set of communicating processes into VLSI circuits. The circuits obtained are delay-insensitive, i.e., their correct operation is independent of any assumption on delays in operators and wires, except that the delays are finite. They are also correct by construction since they are derived by a series of semantics-preserving transformation.
Hypothermic circulatory arrest enables aortic valve replacement in patients with unclampable aorta.

Background Atheroembolic complications associated with clamping a severely diseased ascending aorta during aortic valve replacement may result in unacceptable mortality and morbidity. Different management options include hypothermic circulatory arrest to replace the aortic valve, an aortic endarterectomy, or tube graft replacement of the aorta to allow safe application of cross-clamp before aortic valve replacement. Methods From1998 to 2004, 70 patients who underwent aortic valve replacement had an aorta that was unclampable. Median age was 76 years; 33 (47%) were women; 46 (66%) had concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting; 9 (13%) had concomitant mitral valve surgery; and 4 (6%) were reoperations. Hypothermic circulatory arrest was used to replace the aortic valve alone, to do an aortic endarterectomy, or replace the ascending aorta with a tube graft. Results Operative mortality was 4%. There were 8 (11%) strokes and 1 (1.4%) transient ischemic attack. Statistical analysis showed no association between circulatory arrest period and occurrence of adverse cerebral events. There was no significant difference among the three groups when operative mortality and cerebral events were compared. Conclusions Hypothermic circulatory arrest is an important adjunct that allows aortic valve replacement to be performed with an acceptable mortality but with an increased risk of cerebral event in this high-risk and elderly group of patients.
Agricultural producer cooperatives: Some lessons of experience from Ethiopia

Development is a very complicated and comprehensive phenomenon. At the minimum, its successful implementation requires a sufficient background study of targeted areas to be able to harmonize new ideas with existing realities. Cooperative activities can help facilitate the development process but they have to be organized in terms of those who would eventually benefit from the effort. What has been demonstrated in the Ethiopian case is a vivid example of inappropriate approach which usually springs from lack of sufficient knowledge and/or solicited judgement. Development would most likely be successful if it is planned and implemented in collaboration with the ultimate beneficiaries. Besides, hard work and individual initiatives have to be honored if human and natural resources are to be effectively utilized. The Ethiopian muddled rural development model offers very good examples of what not to do.
Evaluating the impacts and capabilities of long term subsurface storage in the context of carbon sequestration in the San Juan basin, NM and CO

Abstract Effective evaluation of CO2 storage capacity is essential for long-term planning and design of large-scale CCS. To support ongoing field-testing of geological CO2 sequestration by the Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration (SWP), we are developing reservoir models to evaluate capacity and potential environmental impacts of large-scale CO2 injection. Specifically, we are developing detailed models of CO2 injection of a combined sequestration and enhanced coalbed methane production project in the San Juan Basin, New Mexico, as part of the SWP’s field validation testing program. Injection in San Juan Basin coals is slated to begin in late 2008. Our analytical and numerical model simulation results suggest that injection in the Fruitland Coal formation will create significant pressure pulses that will migrate beyond its caprock, the low permeability Kirtland Shale formation, and impact formations above. We used observed temperature and heat flow data to calibrate basin- scale permeability, and our model results to date suggest that existing San Juan permeability measurements are underestimated compared to meaningful basin-scale values. Local measurements typically ignore fractures, faults, and high velocity conduits which are abundant at the basin scale. Simulation results indicate that the Fruitland Coal and other adjacent formations may carry much larger quantities of water and heat than previously anticipated. Because of this significant regional permeability, we hypothesize that injection and production over long periods of time may affect regional hydrodynamics, but it is not clear if any impacts to underground sources of drinking water (USDWs) will occur because of their relative distance from injection sites. This research is being carried out to support design and interpretation of ongoing field-testing by the Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration. The authors gratefully acknowledge the US Department of Energy and NETL for sponsoring this project.
Mapping local protein electrostatics by EPR of pH-sensitive thiol-specific nitroxide.

A first thiol-specific pH-sensitive nitroxide spin-label of the imidazolidine series, methanethiosulfonic acid S-(1-oxyl-2,2,3,5,5-pentamethylimidazolidin-4-ylmethyl) ester (IMTSL), has been synthesized and characterized. X-Band (9 GHz) and W-band (94 GHz) EPR spectral parameters of the new spin-label in its free form and covalently attached to an amino acid cysteine and a tripeptide glutathione were studied as a function of pH and solvent polarity. The pKa value of the protonatable tertiary amino group of the spin-label was found to be unaffected by other ionizable groups present in side chains of unstructured small peptides. The W-band EPR spectra were shown to allow for pKa determination from precise g-factor measurements. Is has been demonstrated that the high accuracy of pKa determination for pH-sensitive nitroxides could be achieved regardless of the frequency of measurements or the regime of spin exchange: fast at X-band and slow at W-band. IMTSL was found to react specifically with a model protein...
Non-ideal measurements

We have previously objected to modal interpretations of quantum theory by showing that these interpretations do not assign outcomes to non-ideal measurements. Bub and Healey replied (in this journal) by offering alternative accounts of non-ideal measurements. In this paper we argue, first, that our account of non-ideal measurements is correct and, second, even if it is not correct, it is overwhelmingly likely that interactions satisfying our characterization of non-ideal measurements actually occur and that such interactions possess outcomes. A successful defense of the modal interpretation must assign outcomes to these interactions or show that they do not have outcomes or show that in fact they never occur. Bub and Healey show none of this.
Tie-set Based Fault Tolerance for autonomous recovery of double-link failures

In this paper, we propose a mechanism for coping with double-link failures in an autonomous and distributed manner. We call it Tie-set Based Fault Tolerance (TBFT) because it utilizes tie-sets, which represent a set of the edges comprising a loop within the graph that represents the network. An autonomous distributed control method based on dividing a network into a set of tie-sets, whose union covers every edge in the network, has been verified to be more effective than traditional tree-based restoration techniques in case of single link failure. The proposed method efficiently and gracefully handle double-link failures and also decrease the communication overhead incurred during network configuration. We demonstrate these results by simulating and comparing TBFT with the traditional approach of using Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP).
Laboratory shock emplacement of noble gases, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide into basalt, and implications for trapped gases in shergottite EETA 79001

Basalts from the Servilleta flows, Taos, NM, described by Lofgren (1983) were analyzed by mass spectrometry for shock-implanted noble gases, N2, and CO2 (which were isotopically labeled) after an exposure to 20-60 GPa shock in the presence of 0.0045-3.0 atm of ambient gas. The results were compared with data available on the constituents of the EETA 79001 meteorite. As expected, the samples shocked in this study attained emplacement efficiencies significantly lower than those apparent for lithology C of EETA 79001. Possible explanations for this difference include atmospheric overpressure at the time of EETA 79001 exposure to shock, the trapping of gas already in vugs by the intruding melt material, or the collapse of gas-filled vugs to form gas-laden glass inclusions.
A Capstone Course in the Information Systems Curriculum

To meet the demands of industry, the skill base necessary for information systems personnel has broadened in scope to encompass not only technical abilities but competence in team work, communication, and creativity, and an understanding of business functions. The traditional approach to information systems curricula, however, may not fully serve to address these areas in student development. This paper proposes the use of a capstone information systems course as a part of an information systems education to develop students' abilities and skills needed in the integrative information systems/technology and business areas. It is argued that a properly designed and taught capstone course offers curriculum flexibility and can satisfy the requirements of stimulating the creative mind to integrate various interrelated concepts, and acquisition of practical knowledge.
Estimating Volume Change of Triaxial Soil Specimens from Planar Images

A series of conventional triaxial experiments were conducted on sand specimens aboard the Space Shuttle during the NASA STS-79 mission. A 360° video coverage to monitor the specimen deformations was recorded during the experiments. Post-flight analyses included retrieving the video images for further analysis. Analysis tools were developed to correct distortion in specimen images due to using wide-angle lenses employing quadratic polynomial functions implemented in a computer code. Planar projections of specimen video images were used along with the x-ray computed tomography images to reconstruct three-dimensional (3D) renderings of triaxial sand specimens at different axial strain levels. Volumetric change of the specimens was accurately calculated and compared to measurements recorded during the Shuttle flight. 3D renderings that show the progress of specimen deformations were also developed and displayed. Such results are valuable for documenting true 3D recordings of soils instability phenomena tested using standard triaxial compression procedures and for applications related to educational demonstrations of conventional testing of soils.
Change in Parenting Democracy during the Transition to Adolescence: The Roles of Young Adolescents' Noncompliance and Mothers' Perceived Influence.

Objective. This study assessed the direct relation between young adolescents’ regulated noncompliance and mothers’ democratic childrearing practices as well as the potential mediating role of mothers’ perceived influence during the transition to adolescence. Design. 3 years of self-reported regulated noncompliance, perceived influence, and parenting democracy were gathered from 166 mothers and their firstborn children (55% female), ages 9 to 11 years at Time 1. Results. Longitudinal path analysis indicated a total effect between adolescents’ regulated noncompliance and higher maternal democracy. In addition, the total effect was mediated by mothers’ perceived influence, such that adolescents’ regulated noncompliance at Time 1 was associated with greater perceptions of influence at Time 2, which, in turn, was associated with greater maternal democracy at Time 3. Conclusions. Mothers with young adolescents who resist in a relatively mature, regulated manner tend to have more positive perceptions of their in...
Simple Magnetic Flux Balance as an Indicator of Ne VIII Doppler Velocity Partitioning in an Equatorial Coronal Hole

We present a novel investigation into the relationship between simple estimates of magnetic flux balance and the Ne VIII Doppler velocity partitioning of a large equatorial coronal hole observed by the Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation spectrometer (SUMER) on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory in 1999 November. We demonstrate that a considerable fraction of the large-scale Doppler velocity pattern in the coronal hole can be qualitatively described by simple measures of the local magnetic field conditions, that is, the relative imbalance of magnetic polarities and the radial distance required to balance local flux concentrations with those of opposite polarity.
Safety and Tolerability of Sequential Pegylated IFN-α2a and Tenofovir for Hepatitis B Infection in HIV+ Individuals

Chronic hepatitis B virus infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in HIV co-infected patients. The standard of care for treating HCV co-infection has been guided by major clinical trials, but the treatment of HBV co-infection has not been as thoroughly studied and the standard of care remains largely untested. The single pill formulation of tenofovir with emtricitabine has become a standard treatment approach in HBV co-infected patients. WU114 was a phase 1 clinical trial that examined the safety and tolerability of sequential treatment of HBV with pegylated interferon-alpha2a plus delayed-initiation tenofovir in HIV co-infected individuals. We postulated that initial HBV viral load reduction with pegylated interferon prior to initiation of nucleoside/nucleotide therapy would increase seroconversion events and durability of HBV virologic suppression. No severe pegylated IFN-alpha2a drug toxicities were seen in either the monotherapy or delayed tenofovir arms. Sequential pegylated interferon and tenofovir-based therapy was tolerable and should be compared with dual nucleoside/nucleotide suppression to determine relative frequencies of seroconversion and durability of HBV suppression in co-infected patients.
Neutralism and selectionism: the molecular clock

The neutrality theory predicts that the rate of molecular evolution will be constant over time, and thus that there is a molecular clock for timing evolutionary events. It has been observed that the variance of the rate of evolution is generally larger than expected according to the neutrality theory. Several modifications of the theory have been proposed to account for the 'overdispersion' of the molecular clock, by postulating effects attributed to generation-time, population size, slightly deleterious mutations, repair mechanisms, and the like. An extensive investigation of two proteins, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), manifests that none of these modifications can simultaneously account for the disparate patterns observed in both proteins. GPDH evolves very slowly in Drosophila species, but several times faster in mammals, other animals, plants, and fungi. SOD evolves very fast in Drosophila species and also in mammals, but much more slowly in other animals and still slower when plants and fungi are compared to one another, or to animals.
Interactions of D600 (methoxyverapamil) and local anesthetics with rat brain α-adrenergic and muscarinic receptors

Abstract D600 (methoxyverapamil) was found to inhibit the specific binding assayed in rat brain homogenates of the antagonist agents [ 3 H]WB 4101 and [ 3 H]QNB to the α-adrenergic and muscarinic receptors respectively. The IC 50 concentrations of D600 in standard binding experiments were 1.7 × 10 −6 M and 1.4 × 10 −5 M, with calculated k 1 values of 0.98 × 10 −6 M and 8.83 × 10 −6 M.Scatchard analyses showed these inhibitions to be competitive. Lidocaine and tetracaine also inhibited radioligand binding to these receptors, with K 1 values of 5.25 × 10 −4 M and 4.85 × 10 −5 M for the α-receptor and 8.2 × 10 t-5 M and 6.94 × 10 −6 M for the muscarinic receptor; these inhibitions also appeared to be competitive. Increasing the Ca 2+ concentration in the assays to 10 mM did not influence the effects of D600 or the anesthetics. Analyses of inhibitions of muscarinic receptor binding produced by D600 and lidocaine over a range of pH indicated that the inhibitory species of D600 is the uncharged form, whereas the charged form of lidocaine is inhibitory. Interactions of D600 and lidocaine with the agonist site on the muscarinic receptor were studied by measuring the effects of these agents on the displacement of [ 3 H]QNB by the muscarinic agonist carbachol. Comparison of these results with a theoretical model indicates that carbachol, [ 3 H]QNB, and D600 or lidocaine competitively displace one another at the same agonist site. The binding of labeled naloxone to the opiate receptor was also inhibited by D600, the IC 50 g being 4 × 10 t−6 M. These inhibitory effects of D600 and the local anesthetics on different receptors suggest that these agents may act by a common mechanism, namely by perturbing membrane structures. These results suggest caution in interpreting experiments in which D600 and verapamil are used analytically as Ca antagonists to assess the involvement of Ca in a biological system.
Neutron Activation for Distinguishing Cascade Range Pyroclastics

Neutron activation of glassy separates of volcanic ash resulted in 21 nuclides measurable with instrumental techniques. The relative activities of most of the nuclides distinguish samples from Mount Mazama, Newberry Crater, and Glacier Peak. The usefulness of the technique was assessed by comparing the values for known sources with those from fine ash of uncertain origin. The data strongly suggest Mount Mazama as the source.
Using the hemodialysis prognostic nutrition index and urea reduction ratio to predict morbidity and mortality: A pilot study of the 1995 council on renal nutrition national research question

Abstract Objective : To validate the use of the hemodialysis prognostic nutrition index (HPNI) in an alternate hemodialysis population and to determine if use of urea reduction ratio would improve use in outcome prediction for morbidity and mortality. Design : Prospective random cohort. Setting : Hospital based non-for-profit outpatient dialysis unit. Patients : Forty chronic hemodialysis patients, 50% men, 50% black, 16% diabetic, 67.2 mean months on hemodialysis, mean age 54.5 years. Interventions : None; observational; tracking of routinely collected demographic, biochemical, and clinical data. Main outcome measures : Number of times and days hospitalized, mortality Results : Plotting of HPNI against urea reduction ratio produced risk quadrants for hospitalization that were more predictive than HPNI alone. Conclusion : Application continues as a multicenter collaborative Council on Renal Nutrition National Research Question.
Shape optimization of connecting rod pin end using a generic model

Abstract This paper describes a succesful process for performing component shape optimization. Special attention is focused on design modeling issues. A modular software system is described. Some of the modules are widely available commercial programs, e.g. pda/patran and msc/nastran , while other modules are written uniquely for this system. The upper end (pin end) of an automotive connecting rod is optimized under a variety of initial assumptions to illustrate the use of the system.
The effects of clay mineral reactions on dissolved Al distributions in sediments and waters of the Amazon continental shelf

Reactions involving clay minerals may exert a major control on some aspects of marine water and sediment chemistry. The potential of clay mineral reactions in this regard was investigated in Amazon continental shelf muds and overlying waters using highly sensitive dissolved Al analyses. Data are restricted to low-Fe pore waters from undisturbed and incubated (4–11 days, T = 28 ± 1 °C) surface sediment at 9 stations, a surface water transect through the Amazon River plume, and water column profiles determined at coring sites. Approximately constant relations between dissolved Al, Si, and H+ in pore waters imply that aluminous authigenic clays (Si/Al = 0.83, H+/Al = 0.43) are forming in muddy regions of the Amazon shelf. Equilibrium models based upon the pore water data also predict the correct magnitude of dissolved A1 concentrations in the Amazon River plume in the absence of high biological productivity, indicating that authigenic clays control some characteristics of overlying water chemistry. In water column profiles, dissolved Al increases with depth at high salinities apparently because of sediment resuspension into low dissolved Si waters and subsequent clay dissolution. The results of this study confirm predictions based upon previous laboratory and field studies of dissolved Al behavior. They also point out some of the possible complexities of clay reconstitution reactions where aluminous authigenic clays form from more siliceous precursors in nearshore sediments and waters.
Long-term persistence of GAD activity in injured crayfish CNS tissue.

Crayfish CNS fibers were isolated in vivo from their cell bodies, from cellular connections in the CNS, and from peripheral sensory and effector cells. The glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) activity of the experimental tissues was about half of that of the sham-operated and unoperated control tissues by two weeks after surgery and remained at about that level during the ensuing six weeks. During that time, there was no significant behavioral, electrophysiological, or histological evidence of regeneration of nerve fibers across the lesion sites. The crush-isolated connectives possessed many intact axon profiles and nonneuronal cell nuclei. The long-term persistence of GAD activity in the injured CNS tissue may reflect the involvement of glial cells in maintaining neurotransmitter levels.
Carrier-mediated intestinal absorption of valacyclovir, the L-valyl ester prodrug of acyclovir. 1. Interactions with peptides, organic anions and organic cations in rats

The mechanism of intestinal transport of valacyclovir (VACV), the L-valyl ester prodrug of acyclovir, was investigated in rats using an in situ intestinal perfusion technique. VACV demonstrates an oral bioavailability that is three to five time greater than acyclovir, concentration dependent, and saturable in humans. Homogenate and perfused buffer stability results demonstrated that VACV was increasingly unstable with increasing pH. VACV was converted to ACV in a concentration dependent manner during a single pass through the intestinal segment. Perfusions were performed at 37°C, pH 6.5, and under iso-osmotic conditions (290±10 mOsm L−1). Intestinal outlet concentrations were corrected for VACV that was converted to ACV during the perfusion. The effective dimensionless intestinal permeability (Pe*) of VACV was concentration dependent, saturable (intrinsic Km = 1.2±0.7 mM), and significantly reduced (p <0.05) in the presence of peptide analogues (amoxicillin, ampicillin, cefadroxil, and cephradine), by the organic anion, p -amino hippuric acid and by the organic cation quinine. VACV transport was not inhibited by classical nucleoside competitive substrates or inhibitors or by valine. These results suggest that H+–oligopeptide, H+–organic cation, and organic anion transporters are involved in the small-intestinal uptake of VACV. The permeability of VACV in the colon was very low, indicating that VACV is predominantly absorbed from the small intestine. VACV Pe* was not altered in the presence of glucose-induced convective fluid flow, suggesting that carrier-mediated, transcellular uptake is the predominant absorption pathway of VACV in rat small intestine. Based on these results, the oral bioavailability of VACV appears to be significantly influenced by the preabsorptive conversion of VACV to the poorly absorbed ACV, by the involvement of multiple transporters in VACV small-intestinal uptake, and by the low permeability of VACV in the colon. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Anisotropy of fractal dimension of normal faults in northern Rocky Mountains: Implications for the kinematics of Cenozoic extension and Yellowstone hotspot's thermal expansion

Abstract The Basin and Range fault blocks, which were formed by an extensional event around 17 Ma, have continuously been deforming by younger, diachronous system of cross normal faults in southwest Montana and southeastern Idaho since 16.6 Ma. Reactivation of these two mid-Tertiary–Quaternary systems of normal faults, and two older, approximately N–S and E–W sets of regional normal faults, has evolved into a seismically active block faulted terrain. For both fault systems, high fractal dimensions occur in areas characterized by a large number of fault traces, high fault trace linear density, and maximum fault trace azimuthal variation. The major axis of the anisotropy ellipse of the fractal dimensions for each set of the two normal fault systems is sub-perpendicular to the linear directional mean of the faults, and gives an estimate for the direction of extension. Indentations on the point distribution on the anisotropy ellipse of fractal dimensions indicate heterogeneities due to the presence of several fault sets and/or variation in their trend. Domains in which there is only one set of faults produce smooth, well-defined fractal anisotropy ellipses with no indentations. The axial ratio of the anisotropy ellipse provides a measure for the range of variation in the trend of the faults. The trace length, linear density, and fractal dimension of the cross normal faults, decrease, in a direction across and away from the Snake River Plain (SRP), suggesting a diminishing effect of faulting probably due to the attenuation of the Yellowstone hotspot-related thermal doming with distance from centers of eruption. The spatio-temporal distribution of the trajectories of the minor axes of the anisotropy ellipses of fractal dimensions and the linear directional mean of the cross faults define a set of asymmetric, sub-parabolic spatio-temporal pattern about the axis of the SRP, with their apices located on diachronous centers of eruption.
Hierarchical interconnect circuit models

The increasing size of integrated systems combined with deep submicron physical modeling details creates an explosion in RLC interconnect modeling complexity of unmanageable proportions. Interconnect extraction tools employ hierarchy to manage complexity, but this hierarchy is discarded via eliminating far away coupling terms when the equivalent RLC circuits are formed. The increasing dominance of capacitance coupling along with the emergence of on-chip inductance, however, makes the composite effect of far-away couplings increasingly evident. Even if newly enforced design rules and practices will ultimately obviate the need for modeling these couplings for design verification, some approximation of the "exact" solution is required to validate these rules. This paper proposes an efficient hierarchical equivalent circuit representation of interconnect parasitics that utilizes the efficient hierarchical long-distance modeling already existing within extractors. Results from a prototype simulator based on these hierarchical models demonstrates the simulation inaccuracy incurred when the far-away coupling terms are ignored. Such a form of interconnect modeling may provide the key to hierarchical modeling of electro-magnetic interactions between large components on future gigascale systems.
Error analysis and implementation considerations of decoding algorithms for time-encoding machine

Time-encoding circuits operate in an asynchronous mode and thus are very suitable for ultra-wideband applications. However, this asynchronous mode leads to nonuniform sampling that requires computationally complex decoding algorithms to recover the input signals. In the encoding and decoding process, many non-idealities in circuits and the computing system can affect the final signal recovery. In this article, the sources of the distortion are analyzed for proper parameter setting. In the analysis, the decoding problem is generalized as a function approximation problem. The characteristics of the bases used in existing algorithms are examined. These bases typically require long time support to reach good frequency property. Long time support not only increases computation complexity, but also increases approximation error when the signal is reconstructed through short patches. Hence, a new approximation basis, the Gaussian basis, which is more compact both in time and frequency domain, is proposed. The reconstruction results from different bases under different parameter settings are compared.
A sensitive and rapid method for quantification of lacosamide and desmethyl lacosamide by LC–MS/MS

Background: Monitoring lacosamide (LCM) helps optimize therapeutic dosing in some clinical settings. We developed a novel LC–MS/MS method for measuring serum LCM and O-desmethyl lacosamide (ODL). Results/discussion: The sample preparation was protein precipitation with methanol. The total CV was less than 4.7%. Calibration range was 0.95–30.29 µg/ml and 0.95–30.41 µg/ml while the expanded linear range was 0.41–47.49 µg/ml and 0.34–48.17 µg/ml for LCM and ODL, respectively with analytical accuracy of 87.2–106.0%. 45 random serum samples collected from 23 individuals on either 200 mg/day or 400 mg/day of LCM therapy showed concentrations of 2.2–19.8 µg/ml for LCM and up to 2.5 µg/ml for ODL. Conclusion: A simple and sensitive LC–MS/MS assay was validated for quantification of LCM and ODL in human serum.
On the evolution of localized wave packets governed by a dissipative wave equation

Abstract The present paper deals with the effect of dissipation on the propagation of wave packets governed by a wave equation of Jeffrey type. We show that all packets undergo a shift of the central frequency (the mode with maximal amplitude) towards the lower frequencies (“redshift” in theory of light or “baseshift” in acoustics). Packets with Gaussian apodization function do not change their shape and remain Gaussian but undergo redshift and spread. The possible applications of the results are discussed.
Career Choice Processes

It is postulated that there exist patterns of career choice which are 'based on a series of situational decisions which, individually, have no rational connection with the choice of a- particular occupation but, nonetheless, comprise the process of embarkation upon a career. The data are from a study of student nurses.
Factors involved in protein synthesis in Bacillus megaterium.

An isolated membrane fraction of lysed protoplasts of Bacillus megaterium incorporated S35 methionine and C14 orotic acid into proteinaceous and ribonucleic acid material respectively.After treatment of the membrane fraction with snake venom, a reduction in S35 methionine incorporation was noted. Disruption of the phospholipid components in the isolated membrane caused a similar reduction in S35 methionine incorporation. Evidence presented indicated the involvement of phospholipoprotein and ribonucleic acid in protein synthesis in the membrane of B. megaterium.
The Effects of a Progressive Exercise Program With Surface Electromyographic Biofeedback on an Adult With Fecal Incontinence

Background and Purpose. Fecal incontinence often compromises a person's ability to participate in work and recreational activities. Incontinence may also diminish a person's willingness to take part in social events, leading to feelings of isolation. This case report describes physical therapy designed to reduce a patient's pelvic-floor muscle dysfunction and fecal incontinence. Case Description. The patient was a 30-year-old woman whose fecal incontinence began after the complicated vaginal birth of her first child that required a vacuum extraction and episiotomy. Intervention included soft tissue techniques, electromyographic biofeedback, strength training, relaxation training, patient education, and a home program. The patient completed a questionnaire at initial evaluation and at discharge to assess her perceived limitations in functional activities. Electromyographic analysis was used to measure changes in the patient's pelvic-floor muscle control. Outcomes. The social, occupational, and sexual domains, which the patient initially judged to be the most compromised, showed the greatest improvement. Electromyographic data for the final treatment session indicated improved strength, endurance, and control of her pelvic-floor muscles. The patient reported no episodes of fecal incontinence over the last month of the 3 months of therapy. Discussion. The physical therapy program may have led to improved bowel continence and greater control of the pelvic-floor muscles, resulting in greater confidence and comfort in social and work situations and less restriction in the patient's physical relationship with her spouse.
Epistemic communities: Intelligence studies and international relations

(1993). Epistemic communities: Intelligence studies and international relations. Intelligence and National Security: Vol. 8, Espionage: Past, Present, Future?, pp. 14-28.
Corticostriatal connections of extrastriate visual areas in rhesus monkeys.

Corticothalamic connections of extrastriate visual areas were studied by using the autoradiographic anterograde tracing technique. The results show that the medial extrastriate region above the calcarine sulcus projects mainly to the lateral pulvinar (PL), medial pulvinar (PM), and lateral posterior (LP) nuclei. In addition, the dorsal portion of the medial region has connections to the lateral dorsal (LD) as well as to intralaminar nuclei. The dorsolateral extrastriate region projects strongly to the PL and LP nuclei, to the PM and inferior pulvinar (PI) nuclei, and to the LD and intralaminar nuclei. The lateral extrastriate region above the inferior occipital sulcus (IOS) has strong connections to both the PL and PI nuclei and has minor projections to the PM and oral pulvinar nuclei. The ventrolateral extrastriate region below the IOS projects mainly to the PI nucleus and to the caudal portion of the PL nucleus and has some projections to the PM nucleus. The ventromedial extrastriate region medial to the occipitotemporal sulcus has strong connections with the ventral and medial sectors of the PI nucleus. This region also projects to the caudal portion of the PL nucleus and has minor connections to the LP nucleus. Finally, the annectant gyrus projects to the PL nucleus and to the rostral portion of the PI nucleus and has minor connections to the PM nucleus. Thus, the medial and dorsolateral extrastriate regions are related mainly to the PL and LP nuclei as well as to intralaminar nuclei. In contrast, the ventrolateral and ventromedial regions are connected strongly with the PI nucleus. This connectional organization appears to reflect functional differentiation at the cortical level.
A hybrid model for en-route driver behavior under real-time information

The driver en-route route choice problem under real-time information is characterized by subjectively interpreted and/or linguistically expressed data on nonquantitative variables, as well as limited data on some quantitative variables. This paper proposes a hybrid fuzzy logit model to enable the treatment of nonquantitative and quantitative data simultaneously in a single framework to address the problem. Synergistically, its computational efficiency enables real-time deployment in a traffic control framework. The study highlights the appropriateness of using fuzzy variables to address recently identified en-route driver behavioral characteristics under information provision.
Asymptotic Behavior of the ZZW Embedding Construction

We analyze the asymptotic behavior of the embedding construction for steganography proposed by Zhang, Zhang, and Wang (ZZW) at the 10th information hiding by deriving a closed-form expression for the limit between embedding efficiency of the ZZW construction and the theoretical upper bound as a function of relative payload. This result confirms the experimental observation made in the original publication.
Pediatric injuries associated with the use of children's wagons in the United States, 2002 through 2007.

Objective To examine injuries among children treated in an emergency department (ED) related to use of a children's wagon. Methods Data were obtained from the 2002 through 2007 National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. National estimates of ED visits associated with the use of a children's wagon were analyzed among children aged birth through 6 years in the United States. Results From 2002 through 2007, there were an estimated 24 339 visits for injuries related to the use of children's wagons among children aged birth through 6 years, with an average annual injury visit rate of 14.5 per 100 000. Among injured children, 12% had a fracture and 17% had a closed head injury; most of these injuries were treated and the child released. The most frequently cited body part injured was the head (40%); the arm/wrist/hand was the most common body site to receive a fracture injury (48%). Boys had a higher injury visit rate than girls, and most patients (97%) were treated and released from the ED. Conclusions The injury patterns noted in this study are similar to those found with other wheeled vehicles and toys. More detailed information on the circumstances surrounding wagon injuries and a better understanding of the patterns of play associated with wagons would be helpful in designing effective risk reduction strategies.
Annual Summary of Vital Statistics: 2004

The crude birth rate in 2004 was 14.0 births per 1000 population, the second lowest ever reported for the United States. The number of births and the fertility rate (66.3) increased slightly (by <1%) from 2003 to 2004. Fertility rates were highest for Hispanic women (97.7), followed by Asian or Pacific Islander (67.2), non-Hispanic black (66.7), Native American (58.9), and non-Hispanic white (58.5) women. The birth rate for teen mothers continued to fall, dropping 1% from 2003 to 2004 to 41.2 births per 1000 women aged 15 to 19 years, which is another record low. The teen birth rate has fallen 33% since 1991; declines were more rapid for younger teens aged 15 to 17 (43%) than for older teens aged 18 to 19 (26%). The proportion of all births to unmarried women is now slightly higher than one third. Smoking during pregnancy declined slightly from 2003 to 2004. In 2004, 29.1% of births were delivered by cesarean delivery, up 6% since 2003 and 41% since 1996 (20.7%). The primary cesarean delivery rate has risen 41% since 1996, whereas the rate of vaginal birth after a previous cesarean delivery has fallen 67%. The use of timely prenatal care was 84.0% in both 2003 and 2004. The percentage of preterm births rose to 12.5% in 2004 from 10.6% in 1990 and 9.4% in 1981. The percentage of low birth weight births also increased to 8.1% in 2004, up from 6.7% in 1984. Twin birth rate and triplet/+ birth rates increased by 1% and <1%, respectively, from 2002 to 2003. Multiple births accounted for 3.3% of all births in 2003. The infant mortality rate was 7.0 per 1000 live births in 2002 compared with 6.8 in 2001. The ratio of the infant mortality rate among non-Hispanic black infants to that for non-Hispanic white infants was 2.4 in 2002, the same as in 2001. The United States continues to rank poorly in international comparisons of infant mortality. Expectation of life at birth reached a record high of 77.6 years for all gender and race groups combined. Death rates in the United States continue to decline, with death rates decreasing for 8 of the 15 leading causes. Death rates for children < or =19 years of age declined for 7 of the 10 leading causes in 2003. The death rates did not increase for any cause, and rates for heart disease, influenza, and pneumonia and septicemia did not change significantly for children as a group. A large proportion of childhood deaths, however, continue to occur as a result of preventable injuries.