cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Feedback particle filter with mean-field coupling

A new formulation of the particle filter for nonlinear filtering is presented, based on concepts from optimal control, and from the mean-field game theory. The optimal control is chosen so that the posterior distribution of a particle matches as closely as possible the posterior distribution of the true state given the observations: This is achieved by introducing a cost function, defined by the Kullback-Leibler (K-L) divergence between the actual posterior, and the posterior of any particle.
Magnetothermal convection of oxygen gas in nonuniform magnetic fields

Natural convection heat transfer through oxygen gas may be significantly altered by the application of a nonuniform magnetic field. An additive contribution to the point velocity arises from the temperature dependence of the magnetic body force on the fluid. Theoretical predictions are in close agreements with experimental results.
Rectal prolapse unreduced for 4 months in a premature neonate

Abstract A 5 month old male infant was transferred to a children's general hospital with an 11-centimeter rectal prolapse, which had not been reduced for four months. He had been born at 24 weeks gestation with a normal perineum and had recovered from sepsis and respiratory failure. At the time of arrival, he was tolerating feeds and having normal bowel movements. He had a normal neurologic exam and spinal x-rays. We performed a laparoscopic reduction with digital pressure from below to successfully address the prolapse. Hypertonic saline was additionally used as a sclerosant. There is no current consensus on the timeframe for addressing rectal prolapse, though a case that remains unreduced for four months in a neurologically normal newborn is exceedingly rare. To minimize potential complications, expeditious reduction and repair, as necessary, is recommended.
Orthogonal Parameters and Panel Data

This paper describes a class of consistent estimators for short panels with fixed effects. The method is to find an orthogonal reparametrization of the fixed effects and then to integrate the new effects from the likelihood with respect to an appropriately chosen prior density. The resulting marginal posterior densities of the common parameters have modes that are shown to be consistent in the models examined here. The main result concerns the first-order autoregressive model with agent specific intercepts where the likelihood is conditional on the set of initial observations. This paper provides a consistent likelihoodbased estimator for this model. Some numerical illustrations are given. The first-order conditions for the posterior mode can also be thought of as new moment conditions for GMM estimation.
Primary/elementary teachers’ attitudes toward science in four areas related to gender differences in students’ science performance

The primary objective of the study was to compare data on pre-service and inservice primary/elementary teachers’ attitudes toward science and science instruction. In addition, the attitudes of males and females were compared. Significant differences between pre-service and inservice teachers were found. Pre-service teachers indicated significantly more positive attitudes toward confidence in teaching science and scored higher on all scales except science as a male domain. The main effect of gender showed that males had a significantly more positive attitude toward confidence in teaching science than did females. Both male and female subjects recognized the usefulness of science for their students, did not stereotype science as a male domain, and somewhat “like” science, but females felt less confident in teaching science.
Avances y límites de la sustentabilidad social

Cuando se habla de medio ambiente en terminos comunes, se esta considerando la naturaleza externa al ser humano. No obstante, toda la discusion sobre la moderna crisis ambiental y sobre una alternativa ambientalmente mas saludable para el desarrollo humano considera a la sociedad humana como parte del medio ambiente. El propio concepto de desarrollo sustentable desde su nacimiento incorporo una sustentabilidad social y economica a la sustentabilidad ambiental. En este articulo se analiza ese camino de la sustentabilidad social o socio-ambiental en el discurso del desarrollo sustentable. Llegamos a la conclusion de que, aun cuando se haya avanzado en el tema de la sustentabilidad social, tanto en las politicas de desarrollo como en la discusion academica existen ciertas barreras colocadas por la propia logica de funcionamiento del sistema capitalista, que limitan la viabilidad de la sustentabilidad social.
Near-patient rapid assay of carbamazepine concentration

Abstract Rapid turnaround testing of carbamazepine (CBZ) concentration helps the clinician assess patients efficiently. The Biotrack (BT) therapeutic drug monitor uses an automated turbidimetric latex agglutination assay of hemolyzed whole blood and reports the corresponding serum drug concentration within 3 min of sample application. We compared BT results for 53 patients with serum CBZ measurements made with the Abbott TDx fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) system. Mean BT concentration was 9.5 μg/ml (range, 2.8–18.3 μg/ml); one sample was reported "below 2.0 μg/ml" (FPIA = 1.1 μg/ml). Mean FPIA concentration of the 52 BT-quantifiable samples was 8.7 μg/ml (range, 2.8–18.0 μg/ml). Correlation of BT with FPIA was high ( r = 0.96). BT results had a bias of 0.8 μg/ml [95% confidence intervals (CI) = 0.6 to 0.9 μg/ml]; median absolute error relative to FPIA was 0.6 μg/ml. Variations within the normal range for hematocrit, albumin, and creatinine had minimal effect on accuracy. As compared with a high-pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay, the BT assay showed less cross-reactivity than did FPIA to increased concentrations of the CBZ metabolite, carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide (CBZE). Assays performed on samples from 15 other patients not receiving CBZ were all
Perspectives on the development of imatinib and the future of cancer research

Imatinib: a personal history I am incredibly fortunate. To receive an award from the Lasker Foundation, with its preeminent jury, is indeed an honor. But the greatest reward is seeing patients every week in clinic who have benefitted from my work. The life expectancy of these patients was originally three to five years. They are now leading active and productive lives, and many have been with me for over ten years. My desire to pursue a career in oncology began when I was a medical student, when I took an elective course on the history of chemotherapy. We learned about the cure of childhood leukemia with combination chemotherapy and about the contributions of pioneers such as Sidney Farber and Lasker laureates Emil Frei and Emil Freireich. Despite these breakthroughs, I imagined there had to be a better way to treat cancer, and I wrote in my final essay that only through a molecular understanding of cancer would we be able to more rationally treat the disease. Even though the prognosis for most cancers was quite poor, it seemed to me that there would be great opportunities in cancer research over the next 20 to 30 years, and I wanted to be a part of this. When I started my training in oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we spent most of our time trying to extend our patients’, lives, but our tools were limited. We had 5-flurouracil for colon cancer, doxorubicin (Adriamycin) and one of the first targeted cancer agents, tamoxifen, for breast cancer. For prostate cancer, we were testing long-acting androgen antagonists as an alternative to castration. As for patients battling chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), we dreaded each visit. We checked blood counts, looking for the inevitable signs of progression of the disease to a fatal and untreatable acute leukemia, knowing we would have to deliver harsh news. With this background, I decided to pursue a laboratory career and pledged to continue the work until I was confident that I had something to contribute that was a vast improvement over what was then available. In early 1985, I met with Thomas Roberts at Dana-Farber on the advice of George Khoury1. Despite my limited lab background, Tom was willing to take a chance on his first MD postdoctoral fellow. I entered a lab filled with incredible postdocs and graduate students who became my mentors and friends. This group included Helen Piwnica-Worms, David Kaplan, Michael Corbley, Tony West, Connie Gee, Harvey Mamom, Kenneth Wood and David Pallas (Fig. 1). All were extremely patient and helpful in advising a relatively green trainee. We also worked closely with the labs of David Livingston and Charles Stiles and had an ongoing collaboration with Lewis Cantley. It was an exciting time in Tom’s lab, as many insights into kinase signaling pathways were being discovered. My initial project was to work Brian J. Druker is an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, JELD-WEN Chair of Leukemia Research, and Director of the Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute, Portland, Oregon, USA. e-mail: drukerb@ohsu.edu
Chemoprophylaxis of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculous Infection in HIV-Uninfected Individuals Using Ciprofloxacin and Pyrazinamide: A Decision Analysis

Study objective To evaluate the use of ciprofloxacin and pyrazinamide for the prophylaxis of individuals infected with multiply drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Design Decision analysis, using software (SMLTREE). Probabilities based on published studies, with sensitivity analysis for each probability. Setting Health-care workers infected with multidrug-resistant strains of M tuberculosis. Interventions Prophylaxis with ciprofloxacin and pyrazinamide. Measurements and results We calculated the utilities of taking or not taking prophylaxis with ciprofloxacin and pyrazinamide. The decision analysis favored the use of ciprofloxacin-pyrazinamide prophylaxis by a small margin. Conclusion Ciprofloxacin-pyrazinamide prophylaxis should be considered for health-care workers infected with multiply drug-resistant M tuberculosis .
Impact of bloodstream infection on outcomes among infected surgical inpatients.

Objective To assess the importance of bloodstream infection (BSI) to outcomes among infected surgical patients.
Alessandro Piccolomini e l'Accademia degli infiammati: Note in margine a un dibattito linguistico

(1991). Alessandro Piccolomini e l'Accademia degli infiammati: Note in margine a un dibattito linguistico. Italian Culture: Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 115-127.
Friendship, need satisfaction, and happiness

Friendship quality is an important predictor of happiness, however, what might account for the association between the two? Two studies investigated satisfaction of basic psychological needs as a mediator of the relationship between friendship quality and happiness. Study 1 (n = 424) found support for the model for best friendship. Second study (n = 176) replicated the first study and showed that needs satisfaction in best and two closest friendships mediated the relationship between the quality of all friendships and happiness. The findings suggest that one reason why the quality of friendships is related to happiness is because friendship experiences provide a context where basic needs are satisfied.
214. Induction of the donor specific chimerism and tolerance in fully MHC mismatched limb allograft recipients

Purpose Induction of donor-specific tolerance in composite tissue allografts (CTA) remains one of the most challenging goals in transplant surgery. Recently we have developed a protocol (ab TCR mAb/ CsA) for tolerance induction in the semiallogeneic rat hind-limb transplantations!. In this report we induced tolerance in the fully MHC mismatched allograft recipients under, combined ab-TCR/CSA protocol. Methods Thirty transplantations across strong MHC barrier were performed between Brown-Norway donors (RT1n) and LEW recipients. Isograft and allograft rejection control groups received no treatment. Experimental groups received either rat abTCR or CsA or combination of abTCR and CsA at the day of transplantation and for 7 days thereafter. The efficacy of immunosuppressive treatment and chimerism were monitored by flow cytometry FC. Donor specific tolerance and immunocompetence of the limb recipients were determined in vivo by secondary skin graft from the recipient (LEW), the donor (BN) and the third party (ACI) graft. Mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) was performed for the assessment of donor specific tolerance in vitro. Results Only fully mismatched allograft recipients under abTCR/CsA protocol survived indefinite (over 250 days). Three color FC analysis at day 120 post-transplant demonstrated stable, multilineage, donor specific chimerism in the periphery of the tolerated recipients (CD4+PE/RT1n+APC-7.6% and 1.3% of CD8+PE/RT1n+APC positive T cell sub-populations and CD45RA+PE/RT1n+APC-16.5% B cell population). Donor specific tolerance and immunocompetence in vivo was confirmed by acceptance of the secondary skin graft from the donor and rejection of the third-party grafts. MLR revealed no reactivity to host (LEW) and donor (BN) antigens but strong reactivity to the third-party alloantigens. Conclusions Donor specific tolerance was induced under 7 days protocol of abTCR/CsA therapy in the fully mismatched limb allograft transplanrs. Stable mixed chimerism was achieved without the need for the myeloablative bone marrow modification of the recipients and without the need for chronic immunosuppression.
Blood glucose regulation using higher‐order sliding mode control

Diabetes is discussed as a serious condition in which the body's production and use of insulin are impaired, causing glucose concentration level to increase in the bloodstream. In this paper, higher-order sliding mode control techniques, in specific prescribed convergence law, quasi-continuous and super-twisting control algorithms, are used to robustly stabilize the glucose concentration level of a diabetic patient in presence of the parameter variations and meal disturbance. The structure of the proposed higher-order sliding mode controllers is appropriate for making the insulin delivery pumps in closed-loop control of diabetes. A computer simulation is performed to manifest the theoretical analysis. The super-twisting algorithm is employed to attenuate the effect of chattering and obtain continuous control in the simulations. The efficiency of the proposed controller, i.e. robustness and high accuracy, in presence of physical disturbances like food intake and parametric uncertainties is verified via simulations. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Emergence of resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae: a problem in pediatrics.

Penicillin resistance among strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae has emerged as an important worldwide problem. Beta-lactam-resistant pneumococci also can be resistant to erythromycin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline and are uniformly susceptible to vancomycin and imipenem. Crowded conditions (e.g. daycare centers, hospitals, military barracks and prisons) and prior beta-lactam antibiotic therapy are the principal predisposing factors to colonization and disease. To date the two conditions caused by penicillin- and cephalosporin-resistant pneumococci that have been especially difficult to treat are acute otitis media and meningitis. Concentrations of beta-lactams in cerebrospinal fluid and middle ear fluid are usually inadequate to achieve prompt eradication of some intermediately resistant and most highly resistant pneumococcal strains. Use of unconventional therapeutic agents such as ceftriaxone or clindamycin for acute otitis media and vancomycin or rifampin for meningitis may be necessary. Control of this global problem will require innovative methods to reduce the selective pressure that results from widespread antibiotic use and to develop effective pneumococcal vaccines that are immunogenic in young infants.
The effect of exchange enhancement on the field dependence of the paramagnetic spin susceptibility of metals

Abstract The field dependence of the spin susceptibility has been shown to be of the form χ(H) = χ(0) (1 +βH2) and the coefficient β to be strongly exchange enhanced. An estimate of β for palladium gives β ⩽ 0.99 × 10−11 Oe−2 so that a marked field dependence of the susceptibility is here expected in quite practicable fields.
Techniques for addressing fundamental privacy and disruption tradeoffs in awareness support systems

This paper describes a fundamental dual tradeoff that occurs in systems supporting awareness for distributed work groups, and presents several specific new techniques which illustrate good compromise points within this tradeoff space. This dual tradeoff is between privacy and awareness, and between awareness and disturbance. Simply stated, the more information about oneself that leaves your work area, the more potential for awareness of you exists for your colleagues. Unfortunately, this also represents the greatest potential for intrusion on your privacy. Similarly, the more information that is received about the activities of colleagues, the more potential awareness we have of them. However, at the same time, the more information we receive, the greater the chance that the information will become a disturbance to our normal work. This dual tradeoff seems to be a fundamental one. However, by carefully examining awareness problems in the light of this tradeoff it is possible to devise techniques which expose new points in the design space. These new points provide different types and quantities of information so that awareness can be achieved without invading the privacy of the sender, or creating a disturbance for the receiver. This paper presents four such techniques, each based on a careful selection of the information transmitted.
Pomaglumetad Methionil (LY2140023 Monohydrate) and Aripiprazole in Patients with Schizophrenia: A Phase 3, Multicenter, Double-Blind Comparison

We tested the hypothesis that long-term treatment with pomaglumetad methionil would demonstrate significantly less weight gain than aripiprazole in patients with schizophrenia. In this 24-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, Phase 3 study, 678 schizophrenia patients were randomized to either pomaglumetad methionil () or aripiprazole (). Treatment groups were also compared on efficacy and various safety measures, including serious adverse events (SAEs), discontinuation due to adverse events (AEs), treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), and suicide-related thoughts and behaviors. The pomaglumetad methionil group showed significantly greater weight loss at Week 24 (Visit 12) compared with the aripiprazole group (−2.8 ± 0.4 versus 0.4 ± 0.6; ). However, change in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total scores for aripiprazole was significantly greater than for pomaglumetad methionil (−15.58 ± 1.58 versus −12.03 ± 0.99; ). The incidences of SAEs (8.2% versus 3.1%; ) and discontinuation due to AEs (16.2% versus 8.7%; ) were significantly higher for pomaglumetad methionil compared with aripiprazole. No statistically significant differences in the incidence of TEAEs, EPS, or suicidal ideation or behavior were noted between treatment groups. In conclusion, long-term treatment with pomaglumetad methionil resulted in significantly less weight gain than aripiprazole. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01328093.
Experiments on Selection for Resistance to Riboflavin Deficiency in Single Comb White Leghorns

Abstract IN THE summer of 1939 the senior author in collaboration with Dr. Samuel Lepkovsky undertook a series of experiments on selection for resistance to different nutritional deficiencies in rats and in chicks. Preliminary trials with several substances (pantothenic acid and fatty acids in rats; riboflavin and pantothenic acid in chicks) did not produce particularly encouraging results, and the project on an originally planned comprehensive scale was abandoned. Certain indications that positive results may be obtained with riboflavin deficiency in chicks prompted the present writers to continue tests on a modest scale. The publication of an abstract by Lamoreux and Hutt in 1943 (Genetics 28: 79–80) wherein they reported establishment of strains of White Leghorns differing in resistance to riboflavin deficiency suggested an extension of these tests. Continually inconclusive results indicated that little information is to be gained from limited experiments of the nature conducted by us, and the series . . .
Posttraumatic Stress among Young Urban Children Exposed to Family Violence and Other Potentially Traumatic Events

This study examines the relationship between the number of types of traumatic events experienced by children 3 to 6 years old, parenting stress, and children's posttraumatic stress (PTS). Parents and caregivers provided data for 154 urban children admitted into community-based mental health or developmental services. By parent and caregiver report, children experienced an average of 4.9 different types of potentially traumatic events. Nearly one quarter of the children evidenced clinically significant PTS. Posttraumatic stress was positively and significantly related to family violence and other family-related trauma exposure, nonfamily violence and trauma exposure, and parenting stress. Additionally, parenting stress partially mediated the relationship between family violence and trauma exposure and PTS. This study highlights the need for early violence and trauma exposure screening in help-seeking populations so that appropriate interventions are initiated.
A converging-methods approach to fragile X syndrome.

Converging approaches across domains of brain anatomy, cell biology, and behavior indicate that Fragile X syndrome, arising from impaired expression of a single gene and protein, appears to involve an aberration of normal developmental processes. Synapse overproduction and selective elimination, or pruning, characterize normal brain development. In autopsy tissue from Fragile X patients and in a knockout mouse model of the disease, synapse overproduction appears to occur unaccompanied by synapse pruning and maturation, leaving an excess of immature spine synapses in place. The absence of the Fragile X protein seems to impair the synthesis of important proteins at synapses. The developmental outcome in Fragile X is a nervous system that is relatively disorganized, resulting in disrupted perceptual, and cognitive social, behavior.
Gene Expression Gradients along the Tonotopic Axis of the Chicken Auditory Epithelium

There are known differences in the properties of hair cells along the tonotopic axis of the avian auditory epithelium, the basilar papilla (BP). To determine the genetic basis of these differences, we compared gene expression between the high- (HF), middle-, and low-frequency (LF) thirds of 0-day-old chick auditory epithelia. RNA amplified from each sample was hybridized to whole-genome chicken arrays and GeneSpring software was used to identify differentially expressed genes. Two thousand six hundred sixty-three genes were found to be differentially expressed between the HF and LF segments, using a fold-change cutoff of 2 and a p value of 0.05. Many ion channel genes were differentially expressed between the HF and LF regions of the BP, an expression pattern that was previously established for some but not all of these genes. Quantitative PCR was used to verify tonotopic expression of 15 genes, including KCNMA1 (Slo) and its alternatively spliced STREX exon. Gene set enrichment analyses (GSEA) were performed on the microarray data and revealed many microRNA gene sets significantly enriched in the HF relative to the LF end, suggesting a tonotopic activity gradient. GSEA also suggested differential activity of the kinases protein kinase C and protein kinase A at the HF and LF ends, an interesting corollary to the observation that there is tonotopic expression of the STREX exon that confers on Slo sensitivity to the activity of kinases. Taken together, these results suggest mechanisms of induction and maintenance of tonotopicity and enhance our understanding of the complex nature of proximal–distal gene expression gradients in the chicken BP.
The Ultracomputer as a Vehicle for Polymer Simulations

The application of a parallel computer (the NYU Ultracomputer) for molecular dynamics calculations of polymer systems is discussed. It is shown that the special architecture of this machine will greatly enhance our capabilities for investigating important phenomena which are beyond the power of current computers.
Conversion of a Signal Wavelength in a Dynamically Tuned Resonator

We show that the wavelength of light confined in a resonator can be controlled with a linear change of the refractive index in a time shorter than the cavity lifetime.
SPECTROSCOPIC STUDIES OF PURINES—I. FACTORS AFFECTING THE FIRST EXCITED LEVELS OF PURINE*

— Studies of purine absorption and emission in seven solvents differing greatly in dielectric constant and hydrogen bonding potential, reveal a variety of solvent effects. For example, the resolution of structure in the absorption spectrum, the position and/or intensity of the X2 absorption band, the intensity of fluorescence, the magnitude of the long wave-lenth tail, and the position of the X1 absorption band are differentially affected—in the order listed—by the solvents tested. Even though it is possible to correlate the extent of decrease in the n-π* tail with increasing solvent dielectric constant, probably alterations in all of these spectroscopic parameters depend most critically upon the ability of the various solvents to form hydrogen bonds with the hydrogen on N9 and/for with the non-bonding electrons on the purine nitrogens: it is tentatively concluded that the probability of hydrogen bonding is directly correlated with the electronegativity of the aza nitrogens (N7 > N3 > N1). In solvents like isopropanol not all of the non-bonding electrons must be solvated maximally in most purine molecules since there is appreciable fluorescence under conditions where a long wavelength tail is readily observed in the absorption spectrum (alternatively some noa-bonding electrons may not te relevant to fluorescence quenching.) Decreases in fluorescence yield are associated with red shifts in the fluorescence maximum, and in the solvents of highest polarity the fluorescence yield is again small indicating that glycerol and water can enhance radiationless tunneling—presumably by altering Franck-Condon configurations and/or improving electronic-vibrational coupling between solute and solvent. The quantum yield is uniform throughout the atsorption band for a given solvent, but studies in aqueous buffers varying from pH 1 to 11 show that the fluorescence yield is greater for charged than for neutral molecules. Further, the fluorescence excitation peak is red shifted in powders. Since phosphorescence is the predominant emission at 777deg;K and increases in fluorescence can be correlated with the presumed solvation of non-bonding electrons, the singlet excited state of lowest energy in ‘unperturbed’ purine must be n-π* in nature. The shape of the phosphorescence band and the decay lifetime of ˜ 1 sec at 77°K lead to the conclusion that the emitting triplet is a π-π* state. The eight vibrational structures in phosphorescence emission can be readily grouped into two progressions: there is an average separation of about 1300 cm-1 between peaks within a given progression, and the two sets are mutually displaced by about 500 cm-l. Individual vibrational peaks are favoured in different solvents and the whole band may be shifted up to 500 cm-l. Even larger shifts are observed in charged purine molecules and in powders (up to 3000 cm-l) and the presumed 0–0 band is not observed.
Liquid column chromatography of free sterols

Abstract Liquid column chromatography with an apolar sorbent—eluent system permits the separation of free sterols differing in the number and position of double bonds and in their alkyl side chains. The method is applicable tothe isolation of minute quantities of sterols from a large excess of closely related sterols.
The Original Management Incentive Schemes

During the 1990s, the structure of pay for top corporate executives shifted markedly as the use of stock options greatly expanded. By the early 2000s, as the dot-com boom ended and the Nasdaq stock index melted down, these modern executive incentive schemes were being sharply questioned on many grounds—for encouraging excessive risk-taking and a short-run orientation, for being an overly costly and inefficient method of providing incentives, and even for tempting managers of firms like Enron, WorldCom and Tyco to commit fraud in order to ensure a high stock price at the time of exercise. This article examines executive incentive schemes developed by Du Pont and General Motors in the 1920s—the original incentive schemes linking executive compensation to stock prices. The author argues that these plans were well-designed to pre-empt and address many of the criticisms of modern-day executive stock option plans.
Octreotide for acute esophageal variceal bleeding: a meta-analysis.

Abstract Background & Aims: Studies of octreotide have not demonstrated a consistent benefit in efficacy or safety compared with conventional therapies. This study statistically pooled existing trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of octreotide for esophageal variceal hemorrhage. Methods: We identified randomized trials of octreotide for variceal hemorrhage from computerized databases, scientific meeting abstracts, and the manufacturer of octreotide. Blinded reviewers abstracted the data, and a meta-analysis was performed. Results: Octreotide improved control of esophageal variceal hemorrhage compared with all alternative therapies combined (relative risk [RR], 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.51–0.77); vasopressin/terlipressin (RR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.42–0.81); or no additional intervention/placebo (among patients that received initial sclerotherapy/banding before randomization) (RR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.32–0.67). Octreotide had comparable efficacy to immediate sclerotherapy for control of bleeding (RR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.55–1.62), fewer major complications than vasopressin/terlipessin (RR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.11–0.87), and a complication profile comparable to no intervention/placebo (RR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.72–1.55). No specific alternative therapy demonstrated a mortality benefit. Conclusions: These results favor octreotide over vasopressin/terlipressin in the control of esophageal variceal bleeding and suggest it is a safe and effective adjunctive therapy after variceal obliteration techniques. Trials are needed to determine the optimal dose, route, and duration of octreotide treatment. GASTROENTEROLOGY 2001;120:946-954
Biaxial tension–tension fatigue crack growth behavior of 2024-T3 under ambient air and salt water environments

Abstract Uniaxial and biaxial fatigue crack growth behavior of aluminum alloy, 2024-T3 was characterized under air and salt water environments using cruciform specimen with a horizontal pre-crack in L–T orientation. Crack propagated coplanar to the pre-crack under biaxial fatigue with biaxiality ratios of 0.5 and 1 and non-coplanar to the pre-crack with biaxiality ratio of 1.5. Fatigue crack growth versus crack driving force relationships showed two regions. The crack growth rates and damage mechanisms were different depending upon biaxiality ratio in these two regions as well as in two test environments. These were also compared with counterparts from uniaxial fatigue.
Inhibition ofClostridium botulinum by aliphatic amines and long chain aliphatic aminodiamides

N-substituted aminodiamides of the general structure, RNHCO (CH2)x -CONH(CH2)yN(CH3)2, and the corresponding N-sulfopropyl derivatives were studied for their inhibiting effect on growth ofClostridium botulinum in culture media. With R = C16H33, more activity was observed with x = 2, 3, or 4 and y = 2, 3, or 4 than with R = C12H25 or C10H21 . There was little or no correlation of activity with the length of the x or y chains, but the addition of the sulfopropyl group resulted in decreased inhibitory activity. The C3 to C18 saturated aliphatic amines used for synthesizing the aminodiamides were effective inhibitors ofC. botulinum; tetradecyl-, pentadecyl-, and hexadecylamines were the most active with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 0.8 μ/ml-The ratio of molecular weights of the diamides to the corresponding aliphatic amines indicated that most if not all of the inhibitory activity of the aminodiamides could be attributed to the amine moiety.
Retailers' tagging practices: A potential liability?

This study investigates the coverage of federally mandated information on over-the-counter (OTC) drug labels by electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags applied to the exterior of cartons. Using adult-strength analgesics containing acetaminophen as a case study, researchers investigated the issue in Houston, Texas (24 stores) and Lansing, Michigan (33 stores). The information obscured by EAS tags was identified and classified for a total of 849 packages using a standardized data collection instrument. The results indicated that 293 packages examined, or 34.5%, had information mandated by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) fully or partially obscured by the EAS tags. Retailers and manufacturers should be aware of such practices to reduce potential liability. Recommendations for improving EAS tag usage on OTC products are presented. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Impact of State Certification of Community Health Workers on Team Climate Among Registered Nurses in the United States

A number of states have adopted certification programs for community health workers (CHWs) to improve recognition of CHWs as members of health care teams, increase oversight, and to provide sustainable funding. There has been little research into the impact of state CHW certification on the diffusion and adoption of CHWs into existing health care systems. This study examined the impact of state CHW certification on the perceptions of team climate among registered nurses (RNs) who work with CHWs in states with and without CHW certification programs. The study recruited RNs using a purposeful sampling method and used an online survey, which included the Team Climate Inventory (TCI), and compared the perceptions of team climate between the two groups. The study found no significant differences in the overall mean TCI score or TCI subscale scores between RNs who work in states with CHW certification programs (n = 81) and those who work in states without CHW certification programs (n = 115). There was a statistically significant difference on one survey question regarding whether RNs believe state certification of CHWs improved the ability of their health care team to deliver quality care. More research is needed to assess impact of state certification of CHWs and other factors that influence the diffusion and adoption of CHWs into the current health care system.
Deep-water plunging wave pressures on a vertical plane wall

A systematic study is presented of pressures on a vertical wall resulting from controlled, plunging waves in deep water. Simultaneous measurements of the kinematics and dynamics of impact show that impact occurs through the focusing of the incident wave front onto the wall, trapping some amount of air in the process. Impact leads to high impulsive pressures, and the dynamics of trapped air can lead to even higher pressures coupled with pressure oscillations. Impact pressures may be decomposed into contributions due to the hydrodynamics of impact and the trapped-air dynamics. The latter is still poorly understood and the extrapolation of measured pressure maxima from laboratory scales to prototype scales is at this stage impossible. Overall, the characteristics and distributions of impact pressures depend significantly on the wall location relative to the wave-breaking location. However, at each wall location, identical incident wave conditions could yield significantly different impact pressures, mainly because of the randomness of the trapped-air dynamics during wave breaking.
New-onset ventricular tachycardia during pregnancy

During evaluation for palpitations, presyncope, or syncope, seven pregnant women had documented ventricular tachycardia. Before pregnancy none had a history of significant cardiac disease or symptomatic arrhythmia. The tachycardia rate ranged from 117 to 250 beats/min and lasted up to 65 seconds. Arrhythmia evaluation in five of the patients suggested catecholamine-sensitive ventricular tachycardia. This diagnosis was supported by either a positive relation to exercise or isoproterenol infusion, suppression of arrhythmia by beta-blockade or sleep, and lack of induction of arrhythmia by programmed electrical stimulation of the heart. The arrhythmias resolved in one patient soon after evaluation and in one other patient after 2 months of controlling therapy. Five other patients continued to receive therapy throughout pregnancy. Delivery was accomplished in all patients without significant maternal or neonatal complications.
Nonclinical evaluation of therapeutic cytokines: immunotoxicologic issues

Abstract Cytokines are a diverse family of immunoregulatory proteins whose function has been the focus of intensive research for the past 25 years. Modern molecular biology techniques have resulted in production of these proteins in quantities sufficient to consider them as candidates for drug development. Due to the often pleiotropic nature of their action, in order to design meaningful nonclinical safety assessment studies, the practicing toxicologist must be able to differentiate between an exaggerated, but expected pharmacologic response and toxicity associated with their administration. Species specificity, nontraditional dose–response relationships, antigenicity, and unanticipated immunotoxicity are a few issues that must be considered when designing study protocols and interpreting data. In addition, despite validated methodology to examine the immune system as a potential target organ for toxicity, limitations exist in the ability to predict the autoimmune and allergenic potential of proteins such as these. Despite these challenges and limitations, over the past decade, many of these molecules have found clinical utility to treat a wide variety of diseases.
Denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography: A review.

Denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) compares two or more chromosomes as a mixture of denatured and reannealed PCR amplicons, revealing the presence of a mutation by the differential retention of homo- and heteroduplex DNA on reversed-phase chromatography supports under partial denaturation. Temperature determines sensitivity, and its optimum can be predicted by computation. Single-nucleotide substitutions, deletions, and insertions have been detected successfully by on-line UV or fluorescence monitoring within 2-3 minutes in unpurified amplicons as large as 1.5 Kb. Sensitivity and specificity of DHPLC consistently exceed 96%. These features and its low cost make DHPLC one of the most powerful tools for the re-sequencing of the human and other genomes. Aside from its application to the mutational analysis of candidate genes, DHPLC has proven instrumental in elucidating human evolution and in the mapping of genes. Employing completely denaturing conditions, the utility of DHPLC has been extended to the genotyping of known polymorphisms by utilizing the ability of poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) to resolve single-stranded DNA molecules of identical size that differ in a single base. Under completely denaturing conditions, it is thus possible to resolve all possible base substitutions with the single exception of C-->G transversions. Improvements in throughput became feasible with the recent introduction of monolithic poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) capillaries that lend themselves to the fabrication of arrays connected to a multi-color laser induced fluorescence scanner or a mass spectrometer.
Electrical and magnetic properties of tantalum silicon telluride and isostructural compounds

Abstract Electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and lattice parameter measurements for the family of low-dimensional compounds, M 4 ZTe 4 (M=Ta, Z=Si, Cr, Fe, Co, and Ni; M=Nb, Z=Si, Fe) are reported. The compounds with Z=Si are diamagnetic and the resistivity curves suggest two phase transitions, possibly due to charge density waves in these pseudo one-dimensional systems. For Z=Cr, Fe, Co, and Ni the compounds are paramagnetic metals with characteristics of typical intermetallic phases.
Oriental lacquer, poison ivy, and drying oils

From the oriental lacquer tree Toxicodendron vernicifluum, a sap (emulsion) is obtained the oil-soluble components (urushiol) of which consist of a mixture of 3-n-pentadecylcatechols and very small amounts of 3-n-heptadecylcatechols. Urushiol is the basis of oriental lacquer. The sap is conditioned by removal of most of the water by specific techniques, and the clear liquid is called oriental lacquer. It is used in the Orient for coatings to produce exquisite art objects. Poison ivy also has as its active ingredients 3-n-pentadecylcatechols, but they have a high diene content, which does not cure effectively. In humans 3-n-alkylcatechols cause severe contact dermatitis. The components of drying oils are glycerin esters of fatty acids derived from the families of palmitic (hexadecanoic) and stearic (octadecanoic) acids. In the case of the urushiols, as well as of the glycerides of drying oils, high unsaturation (60%) in the form of trienes in the long aliphatic chains is essential for curing.
Hydrologic calibration of paired watersheds using a MOSUM approach

Abstract. Paired watershed studies have historically been used to quantify hydrologic effects of land use and management practices by concurrently monitoring two neighboring watersheds (a control and a treatment) during the calibration (pre-treatment) and post-treatment periods. This study characterizes seasonal water table and flow response to rainfall during the calibration period and tests a change detection technique of moving sums of recursive residuals (MOSUM) to select calibration periods for each control-treatment watershed pair when the regression coefficients for daily water table elevation (WTE) were most stable to reduce regression model uncertainty. The control and treatment watersheds included 1–3 year intensively managed loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L. ) with natural understory, same age loblolly pine intercropped with switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ), 14–15 year thinned loblolly pine with natural understory (control), and switchgrass only. Although monitoring during the calibration period spanned 2009 to 2012, silvicultural operational practices that occurred during this period such as harvesting of existing stand and site preparation for pine and switchgrass establishment may have acted as external factors, potentially shifting hydrologic calibration relationships between control and treatment watersheds. Results indicated that MOSUM was able to detect significant changes in regression parameters for WTE due to silvicultural operations. This approach also minimized uncertainty of calibration relationships which could otherwise mask marginal treatment effects. All calibration relationships developed using this MOSUM method were quantifiable, strong, and consistent with Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) greater than 0.97 for WTE and NSE greater than 0.92 for daily flow, indicating its applicability for choosing calibration periods of paired watershed studies.
CHARACTERISTICS OF FRACTIONAL FLOW RESERVE UTILIZATION IN THE UNITED STATES: FAVORED USE OVER INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND IN GUIDING DECISION TO STENT

Measuring fractional flow reserve (FFR) to direct percutaneous coronary stenting in patients with intermediate stenoses or multivessel coronary artery disease reduces composite mortality and morbidity, as well as cost. We investigated the use of this technology among interventionalists, comparing
Analytical representation of contours

The interpretation and recognition of noisy contours, such as silhouettes, have proven to be difficult. One obstacle to the solution of these problems has been the lack of a robust representation for contours. In this paper, we present an analytical representation for contours. We introduce a smoothing criterion for the contour that optimizes the tradeoff between the complexity of the contour and proximity of the data points. We describe the computation of the contour representation, the computation of relevant properties of the contour, and the potential application of the representation and smoothing paradigm to contour interpretation and recognition.
Structural analysis in machine translation

One of the research units of the current Georgetown University project in Machine Translation has developed a general analysis technique for solving the MT problem, based on the concept of structural transfer from the source to the target language. At the present time the research is being applied to Russian-English MT.
Polyesters with controlled thermal decomposition

Abstract Two main-chain rigid-rod-like polyesters containing pendent t-butyl ester groups were synthesized. Simultaneous thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier-transform infra-red spectroscopy were applied to monitor the formation of isobutylene as well as other gaseous products that evolved at elevated temperatures. The polymers were also characterized by microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and infra-red spectroscopy before and after thermal treatment.
Current Issues in the Staging of Esophageal Cancer.

Staging technology and the 1983 international staging system for esophageal cancer have changed. The 1988 system is based on depth of wall penetration and regional lymph node involvement; it abandons the previous criteria of tumor length and degree of obstruction. The clinical reasoning behind this change is reviewed. New staging technology includes chest computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), transesophageal ultrasound (EUS), and invasive surgical staging. Overall accuracy of CT to predict depth of penetration is 80% to 85%. CT accuracy of regional lymph node status is less than 69%, but it is 90% accurate in the detection of distant metastases. MRI is comparable. EUS is 71% to 98% accurate in predicting depth of tumor invasion. Although highly sensitive (85% to 95%), the accuracy of EUS in predicting the status of lymph nodes is adversely affected by low specificity (50% to 60%), reducing its overal accuracy of node prediction to 70% to 88%. EUS may fail to assess intra-abdominal disease in 21% to 36% of patients secondary to esophageal obstruction. Regional nodes on both sides of the diaphragm can be assessed by laparoscopy combined with thoracoscopy. Thoracoscopy and laparoscopy have a greater than 92% accuracy in staging regional nodes. Such information is indispensable for the design of treatment fields. Combinations of these new technologies may provide improved preresectional staging.