cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of rotation on planetary inertial gravity waves initiated by the stratospheric polar vortex

Abstract We examine stability of the polar vortex that initiates planetary-scale westerly (west to east) atmospheric flow that encircles the pole in middle or high latitude of a planet. In our studies, the polar vortex is modeled as an annular flow (zonal flow) extending radially from a rigid inner boundary to a free outer boundary on a E k − plane, which is parallel to the equatorial plane but generally displaced in latitude. The vortex is associated with a particular class of exact solution of a nonlinear two-dimensional free boundary problem on the nonstationary motion of a perfect fluid propagating around a solid circle with a sufficiently large radius with included Coriolis effect. The intensity of the polar vortex is parametrized by means of the “average” (in vertical) zonal flow that can be associated with atmospheric flow patterns that are parallel or nearly parallel to the lines of latitude. Perturbations are allowed in the zonal and nominally vertical (inward–outward) direction. A linear stability analysis purportedly suggests that increasing latitude decreases the maximum strength of the vortex that is permitted for stability. Three essential parameters that control stability of the vortex are identified.
Making Space for Emotions: Empathy, Contagion, and Legitimacy’s Double-Edged Sword

Legitimacy is critical to the formation and expansion of nascent fields because it lends credibility and recognizability to once overlooked actors and practices. At the same time, legitimacy can be...
Duke University Medical Center Perioperative Diabetes Management Program

Quality Improvement Success Stories are published by the American Diabetes Association in collaboration with the American College of Physicians and the National Diabetes Education Program. This series is intended to highlight best practices and strategies from programs and clinics that have successfully improved the quality of care for people with diabetes or related conditions. Each article in the series is reviewed and follows a standard format developed by the editors of Clinical Diabetes. The following article describes a project at an academic tertiary-care medical center aimed at identifying surgical patients with uncontrolled diabetes early in the preoperative process to improve their perioperative glycemic control and surgical outcomes.
Abstract 3148: A novel mechanism of glioblastoma cell invasion regulated by a neural proteoglycan that activates Src/EGFR signaling and mediates tumor-astroglia cooperation

The goal of this study was to investigate a novel mechanism by which neural extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins regulate the invasive behavior of malignant gliomas, which are the most common primary brain tumors in adults. Invasion of glioma cells is facilitated by secreted metalloproteases that cleave ECM proteoglycans that inhibit cell migration. Surprisingly, glioma cells also produce these proteoglycans at higher levels than normal neural cells, which appears paradoxical. One of these proteoglycans, brevican (BCAN), is uniquely expressed in the CNS, is the most abundant chondroitin-sulfate proteoglycan in the adult brain ECM, and is upregulated in all low-grade gliomas and glioblastomas independently of their molecular subtype. The functions of brevican, both in normal neural cells or glioma cells, remain unknown and are assumed to be purely structural. We analyzed the signaling mechanisms of brevican using gain- and loss-of-function approaches in differentiated glioblastoma cell lines as well as tumor stem cells, combined with experiments of cell adhesion and invasion in vitro and in vivo. We discovered that a fragment of brevican, but not the full-length protein, interacts with cell-surface sulfatides and activates Src kinase, resulting in trans-activation of EGFR/MAPK signaling even in absence of the native EGFR ligands (TGF-alpha or EGF). Brevican-enhanced EGFR/MAPK activation resulted in increased cell adhesion -via fibronectin production- and motility, which were reversed using Src inhibitors or by treating the cells with aryl-sulfatase that removes sulfatides from the cell surface. Importantly, we observed that brevican secreted by glioblastoma cells was cleaved not only by these cells but also by normal astrocytes that were co-opted by the tumor cells. Absence of this cooperative effect was observed when tumors were implanted in an EGFR-deficient mouse model in which astrocytes did not process glioma-derived brevican, resulting in significantly reduced tumor dispersion. These results resolve the paradoxical production of "anti-migratory" proteoglycans by tumor cells; establish for the first time the entire signaling axis for the proteoglycan brevican in glioma cells; and reveal how this proteoglycan mediates a cooperative interaction between tumor cells and astrocytes that is needed for glioma invasion. These fundamental studies may be leveraged to advance novel anti-invasive strategies that could potentiate the efficacy of current glioma therapies. Citation Format: Somanath Kundu, Hosung Sim, Bin Hu, Mohan S. Nandhu, Russell T. Matthews, Mariano S. Viapiano. A novel mechanism of glioblastoma cell invasion regulated by a neural proteoglycan that activates Src/EGFR signaling and mediates tumor-astroglia cooperation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 3148.
Sacroiliac joint dysfunction: pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment.

To review the anatomy and function of the sacroiliac joint (SIJ), as well as the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic criteria, and treatment options for SIJ dysfunction. The SIJ serves an extremely crucial function in mobility, stability, and resistance against shear forces. Joint mobility becomes increasingly limited with age-related cartilaginous changes that begin in puberty and continue throughout life. Pain can also be localized to the SIJ itself, known as SIJ dysfunction. A literature review was performed on the anatomy, etiology, risk factors, diagnostic modalities, and treatment options for SIJ dysfunction. SIJ dysfunction is an under-recognized source of low back pain. Dysfunction can result from various clinical conditions, as well as abnormal motion or malalignment of the joint. Diagnosis and evaluation of SIJ dysfunction are difficult, with use of physical maneuvers and image-guided anesthetic injection. Non-operative treatment options are considered first-line due to high surgical complication rates. Such options include conservative management, radiofrequency treatment, nerve blocks, and articular injections. Surgical management involves open and percutaneous approaches. With the aging nature of the population, SIJ dysfunction has emerged as an extremely prevalent issue. Current research into the pathophysiology and risk factors of SIJ dysfunction is extremely important for planning preventative and therapeutic strategies. Various treatment options exist including conservative management, radiofrequency, nerve blocks, intra-articular or peri-articular injections, and surgical fixation. Improved diagnostic methods in clinical practice are thus critical to properly identify patients suffering from SIJ dysfunction, plan early intervention, and hasten return to function. Diagnostic: individual cross-sectional studies with the consistently applied reference standard and blinding.
Multi-Label Dimensionality Reduction

Multi-label learning, which deals with data associated with multiple labels simultaneously, is ubiquitous in real-world applications. To overcome the curse of dimensionality in multi-label learning, in this thesis I study multi-label dimensionality reduction, which extracts a small number of features by removing the irrelevant, redundant, and noisy information while considering the correlation among different labels in multi-label learning. Specifically, I propose Hypergraph Spectral Learning (HSL) to perform dimensionality reduction for multi-label data by exploiting correlations among different labels using a hypergraph. The regularization effect on the classical dimensionality reduction algorithm known as Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) is elucidated in this thesis. The relationship between CCA and Orthonormalized Partial Least Squares (OPLS) is also investigated. To perform dimensionality reduction efficiently for large-scale problems, two efficient implementations are proposed for a class of dimensionality reduction algorithms, including canonical correlation analysis, orthonormalized partial least squares, linear discriminant analysis, and hypergraph spectral learning. The first approach is a direct least squares approach which allows the use of different regularization penalties, but is applicable under a certain assumption; the second one is a two-stage approach which can be applied in the regularization setting without any assumption. Furthermore, an online implementation for the same class of dimensionality reduction algorithms is proposed when the data comes sequentially. A Matlab toolbox for multi-label dimensionality reduction has been developed and released. The proposed algorithms have been applied successfully in the Drosophila gene expression pattern image annotation. The experimental results on some benchmark data sets in multi-label learning also demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithms.
Die Bürgerrechte III: Die Meinungsfreiheit

Im Gegensatz etwa zur franzosischen Erklarung der Menschen- und Burgerrechte von 1789 und allen ihr nachfolgenden Katalogen ist in England ein Recht der Meinungsauserung niemals als positive Norm anerkannt worden und dabei ist es bis heute verblieben. Andererseits hat sich zumindest seit 1832 die politische Praxis entwickelt, das die Meinungsfreiheit, soweit sie sich im Rahmen der allgemeinen Gesetze bewegt, behordlich nicht behindert wird, und in dieser Form ist sie in der Tat eine der wesentlichsten Grundlagen der britischen politischen Zivilisation geworden.
A search for sources of drug resistance by the 4D-QSAR analysis of a set of antimalarial dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors.

A set of 18 structurally diverse antifolates including pyrimethamine, cycloguanil, methotrexate, aminopterin and trimethoprim, and 13 pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines were studied using four-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (4D-QSAR) analysis. The corresponding biological activities of these compounds include IC50 inhibition constants for both the wild type, and a specific mutant type of Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Two thousand conformations of each analog were sampled to generate a conformational ensemble profile (CEP) from a molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) of 100,000 conformer trajectory states. Each sampled conformation was placed in a 1 A cubic grid cell lattice for each of five trial alignments. The frequency of occupation of each grid cell was computed for each of six types of pharmacophore groups of atoms of each compound. These grid cell occupancy descriptors (GCODs) were then used as a descriptor pool to construct 4D-QSAR models. Models for inhibition of both the `wild' type and the mutant enzyme were generated which provide detailed spatial pharmacophore requirements for inhibition in terms of atom types and their corresponding relative locations in space. The 4D-QSAR models indicate some structural features perhaps relevant to the mechanism of resistance of the Plasmodium falciparum DHFR to current antimalarials. One feature identified is a slightly different binding alignment of the ligands to the mutant form of the enzyme as compared to the wild type.
FASTING TOTAL HOMOCYSTEINE (tHcy) CONCENTRATION AND MORTALITY IN OLDER MEXICAN AMERICANS

Objectives: This study examines the association between tHcy on cardiovascular and noncardiovascular mortality.Design: Longitudinal study of 1,633 Mexican Americans age 11.0µmol/L) was associated with a higher rate of cardiovascular mortality compared to those with low tHcy concentration ≤11.0µmol/L (HR=2.74 95%CI [1.61, 4.66]). Among the US-born, higher tHcy predicted cardiovascular mortality (HR=1.74 95%CI [1.08, 2.82]). When the effects of tHcy were evaluated in the subgroup without self-report of cardiovascular disease at baseline, the effect of high tHcy on mortality remained only among the Mexican-born. These differences did not appear to be influenced by demographic, lifestyle factors, chronic diseases or biological markers at baseline. No significant associations between tHcy and noncardiovascular mortality were observed for either group.Conclusions: The effect of tHcy on cardiovascular mortality is nearly 40% stronger among the immigrant group. tHcy might be an early marker of subclinical vascular pathology amongst the Mexican-born group, despite their apparently healthy profile at baseline.
Association of Serum Uric Acid With Graft Survival After Kidney Transplantation: A Time-Varying Analysis

The association of serum uric acid (UA) with kidney transplant outcomes is uncertain. We examined the predictive value of UA during the first year posttransplant as a time-varying factor for graft survival after adjustment for time-dependent and independent confounding factors. Four hundred and eighty-eight renal allograft recipients transplanted from January 2004 to June 2006 and followed for 41.1 ± 17.7 months were included. Data on UA, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), tacrolimus level, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and prednisone doses, use of allopurinol, angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitor/angiotensin-receptor-blocker (ACEi/ARB) and diuretics at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months were collected. Primary endpoint of the study was graft loss, defined as graft failure and death. Cox proportional hazard models and generalized estimating equations were used for analysis. UA level was associated with eGFR, gender, retransplantation, decease-donor organ, delayed graft function, diuretics, ACEi/ARB and MMF dose. After adjustment for these confounders, UA was independently associated with increased risk of graft loss (HR: 1.15, p = 0.003; 95% CI: 1.05-1.27). Interestingly, UA interacted with eGFR (HR: 0.996, p < 0.05; 95% CI: 0.993-0.999 for interaction term). Here, we report a significant association between serum UA during first year posttransplant and graft loss, after adjustment for corresponding values of time-varying variables including eGFR, immunosuppressive drug regimen and other confounding factors. Its negative impact seems to be worse with lower eGFR.
Crystal Growth of Energetic Materials during High Acceleration using an Ultracentrifuge

Studies of the growth of crystals of energetic materials under conditions of high acceleration are reported. This new way of growing crystals of energetic materials by using a concentration gradient is different than the usual procedure of crystal growth by solvent evaporation at constant temperature or by temperature variation with slow cooling. When a solution is accelerated in an ultracentrifuge, the solute molecules concentrate at the outer edge of the tube if the solute is more dense than the solvent. If the solution is initially saturated, then the solution at the outer edge of the tube becomes supersaturated and crystal growth can occur. Results are presented for growth of TNT and RDX crystals at high g in an ultracentrifuge using no seed crystals for most of the samples.
The hole in the ground of induction

(1996). The hole in the ground of induction. Australasian Journal of Philosophy: Vol. 74, No. 3, pp. 423-432.
Variation in the perilipin gene (PLIN) affects glucose and lipid metabolism in non-Hispanic white women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome.

Abstract Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders in women. It is characterized by chronic anovulation, hyperandrogenism, obesity and a predisposition to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Since obesity plays an important role in the etiology of PCOS, we sought to determine if variants in the perilipin gene ( PLIN ), a gene previously implicated in the development of obesity, were also associated with PCOS. We typed six single nucleotide polymorphisms (haplotype tagging and/or previously associated with obesity or related metabolic traits) in PLIN in 305 unrelated non-Hispanic white women (185 with PCOS and 120 without PCOS). None of the variants was associated with PCOS ( P P =0.044) and PCOS subjects (OR=1.67 [1.08–2.59], P =0.022). It was also associated with increased LDL ( P =0.007) and total cholesterol levels ( P =0.042). These results suggest that genetic variation in PLIN may affect glucose and lipid metabolism in women both with and without PCOS.
Election frauds in Philadelphia

As the last Congress was drawing to a close, the Read investigating committee reported on William S. Vare's election to the Senate. Its findings confirm our worst fears. Had the committee examined more Philadelphia witnesses, addditional quantities of damning evidence of fraud would undoubtedly have been revealed.
Halo distraction of the Le Fort III in syndromic craniosynostosis : a long-term assessment

Background: Little is known about long-term outcomes after Le Fort III halo distraction, such as indications for distraction, amount of relapse, and long-term maxillary growth. Methods: During a 5-year period, 51 Le Fort III osteotomies were performed; 41 of these were by halo distraction for the treatment of craniofacial dysostosis (Apert syndrome, 25; Crouzon syndrome, nine; Pfeiffer syndrome, four; other, three). Patient records were reviewed and 104 cephalograms were analyzed. Results: The average treatment age was 8 years, and the average hospitalization was 5.3 days (3.6 days for the second half of this series). The average distraction was 26 mm (range, 14 to 44 mm), the sella-nasion-subspinale angle increased from 70 degrees to 87 degrees, the upper incisal edge advanced 18 mm, and the vertical distance between nasion and point A increased by 7 mm. There was no maxillary relapse at 1 year and no measurable forward maxillary growth for up to 5 years, although the maxilla did grow vertically (p ≤ 0.001). Three patients underwent tracheostomy removal; sleep studies showed the average respiratory disturbance index improved from 24 to 11 (p = 0.004) and the minimum oxygen saturation increased from 81 to 89 (p = 0.006). Three early patients had incomplete advancements. Conclusions: The maxilla remained stable after Le Fort III halo distraction without any relapse, and no anterior growth was observed up to 5 years postoperatively. This procedure effectively eliminated sleep apnea in most children, and had a low overall complication rate that declined with experience. Most distracted patients will likely avoid the traditional second Le Fort III.
Nonstationary stochastic analysis of steady state flow through variably saturated, heterogeneous media

In this study we develop a first-order, nonstationary stochastic model for steady state, unsaturated flow in randomly heterogeneous media. The model is applicable to the entire domain of a bounded vadose zone, unlike most of the existing stochastic models. Because of its nonstationarity, we solve it by the numerical technique of finite differences, which renders the flexibility in handling different boundary conditions, input covariance structures, and soil constitutive relationships. We illustrate the model results in one and two dimensions for soils described by the Brooks-Corey constitutive model. It is found that the flow quantities such as suction head, effective water content, unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, and velocity are nonstationary near the water table and approach stationarity as the vertical distance from the water table increases. The stationary limits and the critical vertical distance at which stationarity is attained depend on soil types and recharge rates. The smaller the recharge rate is, the larger the critical distance; and the coarser the soil texture is, the smaller the distance. One important implication of this is that the existing simpler, gravity-dominated flow models may provide good approximations for flow in vadose zones of large thickness and/or coarse-textured soils although they may not be valid for vadose zones of fine-textured soils with a shallow water table. It is also found that the vertical extent of a domain where nonstationarity is important may be estimated by solving the one-dimensional Richards equation for mean head with average soil properties and appropriate boundary conditions. On the basis of the mean head, one may then determine whether the full, nonstationary model must be solved or whether a simpler, gavity-dominated model will suffice. The flow quantities are also nonstationary in the horizontal direction near the lateral boundaries, as found for flow in saturated zones.
Behavioral Study of Two Patient Groups during Psychotherapy

Two psychotherapy groups of patients with personality disorders were observed for 12 sessions using direct observation techniques. 13 behaviors occurred with differing frequency between the two gro...
Three Approaches to Using Lengthy Ordinal Scales in Structural Equation Models: Parceling, Latent Scoring, and Shortening Scales

Lengthy scales or testlets pose certain challenges for structural equation modeling (SEM) if all the items are included as indicators of a latent construct. Three general approaches (parceling, latent scoring, and shortening) to modeling lengthy scales in SEM were reviewed and evaluated. A hypothetical population model was simulated containing two exogenous constructs with 14 indicators each and an endogenous construct with four indicators. The simulation generated data sets with varying numbers of response options, two types of distributions, factor loadings ranging from low to high, and sample sizes ranging from small to moderate. The population model was varied to incorporate one of the following: (1) single parcels, (2) various parcels as indicators of two exogenous constructs, (3) latent scores as observed exogenous variables, and (4) four and six of individual items as indicators of two exogenous constructs. The dependent variables evaluated were biases in the covariance and partial covariance population parameters. Biases in these parameters were found to be minimal under the following conditions: (1) when parcels of indicators of five response options were used as indicators of two latent exogenous constructs; (2) when latent scores were used as observed variables at sample sizes above 100 and with indicators that were relatively less skewed in the case of dichotomous indicators; and (3) when four or six individual items with high or diverse factor loadings were used as indicators of two exogenous constructs. These findings provided guidelines for resolving the inconsistency of findings from applying various approaches to empirical data.
PERCEIVED COMMITMENT, SALARY RECOMMENDATION, AND EMPLOYEES' SEX

Summa~y.-It was hypothesized that for equally qualified workers, female bookkeepers, as compared to male bookkeepers, would be perceived to have weaker job commitment and would be assigned lower salaries. Using hypothetical case histories of bookkeepers, 79 male and 83 female subjects did assign higher salaries to the men. Unexpectedly, however, they perceived higher commiunenc by the female bookkeepers. It now appears sex can affect the perceived status importance of the position in much the way a job can define a worker's status. In general, simple length of service appears to be the most critical factor influencing worker's perceived commitment.
Synthesis of methyl α-isomalto-oligosaccharides specifically deoxygenated at position 2 of the terminal glycopyranosyl unit

Methyl α-isomaltoside and methyl α-isomaltotrioside specifically deoxygenated at position C-2 of the terminal glucopyranosyl unit were synthesized by trimethylsilyltriflate-mediated condensation of 3,4,6-tri-O-benzoyl-1-O-tert-butyl(dimethyl)silyl-2-deoxy-β-d-arabino-hexopyranose with suitably blocked derivatives of methyl α-d-glucopyranoside and methyl α-isomaltoside, respectively.
Sketching: Estimating object positions from relational descriptions

Abstract One of the long-standing research problems in computer vision is the conversion of spatial information between the concrete domain of position in an image or in coordinate space and the more abstract domain of symbolic scene descriptions. This paper discusses a technique for solving the layout problem, one side of this general conversion problem. From a scene description composed of a set of symbolic spatial relations with fuzzy truth values, estimates of the objects' positions are derived. The position estimates consist of coordinate intervals with fuzzy truth values expressing the confidence associated with each interval.
Applying the Gender Lens to Emergency Care: From Bench to Bedside

This article outlines the history, need, and evolution of gender medicine in emergency care research. Clinical examples are used where sex and gender play a role in diagnosis, management, or prognosis of patients in the emergency department (ED). The ED serves as an ideal setting to advance sex- and gender-specific research as the primary access point for health care for much of the U.S. population, with more than 136 million annual visits. Gender medicine provides the biologic and social framework to provide high-quality, safe, equitable, and cost-effective sex- and gender-specific care in the ED. With a 24-hour hospital presence, and with access to high-acuity patients, emergency physicians are well positioned to lead sex- and gender-specific clinical studies for time-sensitive conditions and also to serve as vital partners in interdisciplinary research projects. The ED also provides the primary access point for less life-threatening conditions such as substance abuse, mental health, and pain management (both acute and chronic). Because one-fifth of the U.S. population is without health insurance, and many more lack a regular provider or rapid access to their providers, the ED is often the only point of contact for advancing gender medicine in this population.
A tutorial about diagnostic methodology with dementia data

The purpose of the diagnostic methodology is to discuss, estimate and interpret medical parameters such as sensitivity, specificity and prevalence of a diseased population in the chosen community for the research study. However, this statistical methodology is not fully and correctly comprehended by all in the medical professions although everyone admits to its high importance and use. This article is therefore carefully prepared to alleviate commonly experienced conceptual confusions. To ease the comprehension of difficult material, real-life data of 135 participants with dementia illness are considered, analysed and interpreted. Consequently, even less technically oriented medical professionals can learn how to interpret the results from the diagnostic methodology. Critical comments with discussions in the end help to appreciate the operational procedure of the diagnostic methodology.
Role of fimbriae as antigens and intestinal colonization factors of Salmonella serovars.

The two most important human disease syndromes caused by Salmonella serovars are typhoid fever and enterocolitis. Typhoid fever is a systemic infection caused by Salmonella serovars which are strictly adapted to humans or higher primates, including Salmonella enterica serovars Typhi and paratyphi A, B, and C. Human enterocolitis is an infection localized to the intestine and mesenteric lymph nodes which can be caused by any of more than 2000 Salmonella serovars, however, S. enterica serovars Typhimurium and Enteritidis together account for approximately 50% of cases in the USA. The animal model most frequently used to study Salmonella pathogenesis is the typhoid fever-like disease caused by serovar Typhimurium in mice. The pathology in the intestine of mice infected with serovar Typhimurium is characterized by a predominantly mononuclear leukocyte infiltrate, as well as edematous villi which become shortened in height [1]. Capillary thrombosis, hemorrhage, and ulcerations may be present at areas of Peyer's patches. The intestinal pathology caused by serovar Typhimurium in mice is similar to that observed in typhoid fever patients. That is, intestinal biopsies taken from volunteers infected with serovar Typhi or from typhoid fever patients reveal a predominantly mononuclear leukocyte infiltrate [2,3]. Furthermore, colonization of human Peyer's patches by serovar Typhi commonly produces capillary thrombosis, which can result in hemorrhage, necrosis and ulceration [4]. In humans, these lesions can progress to intestinal perforation, a potentially fatal complication which usually occurs in the third week of infection [4]. In contrast, rapid bacterial multiplication in the liver and other internal organs of mice causes death within 6–10 days post serovar Typhimurium infection, while intestinal perforation has not been reported in this model. Since intestinal perforation is an important cause of death during typhoid fever [4], it is likely that …
Are fish less responsive to a flow stimulus when swimming

Fish use the lateral line system to sense the water flow created by a predator's strike. Despite its potential importance to the survival of a diversity of species, it is unclear whether this ability becomes compromised when a fish swims. Therefore, the present study compared the behavioral responsiveness of swimming and motionless zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae when exposed to the flow of a suction-feeding predator. This flow was generated with an impulse chamber, which is a device that we developed to generate a repeatable stimulus with a computer-controlled servo motor. Using high-speed video recordings, we found that about three-quarters (0.76, N=121) of motionless larvae responded to the stimulus with an escape response. These larvae were 66% more likely to respond to flow directed perpendicular than flow running parallel to the body. Swimming larvae exhibited a 0.40 response probability and were therefore nearly half as likely to respond to flow as motionless larvae. However, the latency between stimulus and response was unaffected by swimming or the direction of flow. Therefore, swimming creates changes in the hydrodynamics or neurophysiology of a larval fish that diminish the probability, but not the speed, of their response to a flow stimulus. These findings demonstrate a sensory benefit to the intermittent swimming behavior observed among a broad diversity of fishes.
Equivalence of X-Ray Lattice Parameter and Density Changes in Neutron-Irradiated LiF

The lattice expansion in neutron-irradiated LiF was investigated in order to establish either Frenkel or Schottky defects as the cause of the expansion. For uniformly irradiated crystals, it was shown that x-ray lattice parameter and density changes are equivalent to within 6 percent. It follows that Schottky defects cannot account for more than 6 percent of the expansion and that Frenkel defects are predominant. The annealing of a nonuniformly irradiated crystal indicates a recovery process of order higher than one.
Seasonal Variations in the Freezing Point of Milk

Summary 1.There is a distinct seasonal variation in the freezing point depression of milk; the greater depression being in the spring months, the lower portion during the winter months. 2.Change in meteorological conditions offer an explanation of the wide variations of the freezing points encountered from day to day. 3.The seasonal variation of the freezing point depression is due to a change in the osmotic equilibrium maintained in the body of the animal. While meteorological changes may be a factor, the change in chemical content of the animal's food during the season is the controlling factor in the seasonal variation of the freezing point.
The Q of a Microwave Cavity by Comparison with a Calibrated High-Frequency Circuit

A comparison method has been developed for the direct measurement of cavity Q at microwave frequencies. It is particularly useful for high values of Q, such as 5,000 to 15,000. The over-all error in the measurement is estimated to be less than ±3 per cent. A two-channel superheterodyne technique is used, in which both channels are driven by the same frequency-swept oscillator, and both channels use the same local oscillator. The cavity is inserted in the radio-frequency stage of the first channel, and a comparison circuit is inserted in the intermediate-frequency stage of the parallel channel. The two resonance curves are displayed on the same oscilloscope for alternate sweeps of the oscillator. When the resonance curves are made to coincide, the Q of the cavity is n times the Q of the comparison circuit, where n is the ratio of radio frequency to intermediate frequency. Cavity shunt resistances can be measured on the same apparatus.
Can Ablation Prevent the Excess Mortality of Atrial Fibrillation

The relative merits of rate and rhythm control in the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation have been compared in several major clinical trials, none of which demonstrated a significant difference in all-cause mortality. Yet, there is clear evidence that restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm is associated with beneficial reverse atrial remodeling. These apparently contradictory findings may reflect the combination of serious adverse effects coupled with limited efficacy of currently available antiarrhythmic drugs, counterbalancing their beneficial effect in restoring sinus rhythm. Catheter ablation offers an alternative means of restoring sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation, and several clinical trials have indicated its superior outcomes and improved benefit/risk profile. Ongoing trials will soon determine its overall impact on survival.
Analysis of outcome in patients reirradiated for brain metastases.

Abstract Purpose : Patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases generally benefit from whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT). However, the role of reirradiation for patients who develop progressive bain metastases has been controversial. This retrospective study examines our experience with reirradiation of patients for progressive brain metastases after an initial course of WBRT. Methods and Materials : From 1975–1993, 2658 patients received WBRT for brain metastases at our institution. Eighty-six patients were subsequently reirradiated for progressive brain metastases. The median age of these patients was 58 (range: 31–81). The most common primary sites were breast and lung. Fifty patients had metastatic disease at other sites. Most patients had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 2 (40 patients) or 3 (38 patients). The median dose of the first course of irradiation was 30 Gy (range: 1.5–50.6 Gy). The median dose of the second course of irradiation was 20 Gy (range: 8.0–30.6 Gy). Results : Twenty-three patients (27%) had resolution of neurologic symptoms, 37 patients (43%) had partial improvement of neurologic symptoms, and 25 patients (29%) had either no change or worsened after reirradiation. The median survival following reirradiation was 4 months (range: 0.25–72 months). The majority of patients had no significant toxicity secondary to reirradiation. Five patients had radiographic abnormalities of their brain consistent with radiation-related changes. One patient had symptoms of dementia that was though to be caused by radiotherapy. Various potential prognostic factors were evaluated for possible associations with survival, including age, sex, primary site, ECOG performance status, RTOG neurologic functional class, absence of extracranial metastases, number of brain metastases, and dose of reirradiation. Absence of extracranial metastasis, solitary brain metastasis, and a retreatment dose > 20 Gy were associated with improved survival in univariate analysis (p = 0.025, 0.033, and 0.061, respectively). The absence of extracranial disease was the only significant factor in multivariate analysis (p = 0.05). Conclusion : The majority of patients in our series had favorable symptomatic responses. Clinically significant complications were minimal. Reirradiation should be offered to patients who develop progressive brain metastases.
Flux-Transport Solar Dynamos

Large-scale solar dynamo models were first built by Parker (1955). Over the past half a century these models have evolved significantly. We discuss here the development of a class of large-scale dynamo models which include, along with the α-effect and Ω-effect, an important third process, flux transport by meridional circulation. We present the properties of this ‘flux-transport’ dynamo, including the crucial role meridional circulation plays in giving this dynamo predictive power.
EM algorithms for nonlinear mixed effects models

Implementing the Monte Carlo EM algorithm (MCEM) algorithm for finding maximum likelihood estimates (MLEs) in the nonlinear mixed effects model (NLMM) has encountered a great deal of difficulty in obtaining samples used for estimating the E step due to the intractability of the target distribution. Sampling methods such as Markov chain techniques and importance sampling have been used to alleviate such difficulty. The advantage of Markov chains is that they are applicable to a wider range of distributions than the approaches based on independent samples. However, in many cases the computational cost of Markov chains is significantly greater than that of independent samplers. The MCEM algorithms based on independent samples allow for straightforward assessment of Monte Carlo error and can be considerably more efficient than those based on Markov chains when an efficient candidate distribution is chosen, which forms the motivation of this paper. The proposed MCEM algorithm in this paper uses samples obtained from an easy-to-simulate and efficient importance distribution so that the computational intensity and complexity is much reduced. Moreover, the proposed MCEM algorithm preserves the flexibility introduced by independent samples in gauging Monte Carlo error and thus allows the Monte Carlo sample size to increase with the number of EM iterations. We also introduce an EM algorithm using Gaussian quadrature approximations (GQEM) for the E step. In low-dimensional cases, the GQEM algorithm is more efficient than the proposed MCEM algorithm and thus can be used as an alternative. The performances of the proposed EM methods are compared to the existing ML estimators using real data examples and simulations.
Siskiwit Lake Revisited: Time Trends of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxin and Dibenzofuran Deposition at Isle Royale, Michigan

We have investigated the time trends of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) in two dated sediment cores from Siskiwit Lake, a remote lake on Isle Royale in Lake Superior. Both cores indicated that atmospheric deposition of PCDD/F to Siskiwit Lake increased sharply in the 1930s and peaked in the late 1970s at around 9.5 pg cm-2 yr-1. Since then, atmospheric deposition to Siskiwit Lake has continued to decline. Analysis of the top 1.0 cm of these cores showed that in 1996−1998, the PCDD/F flux to Siskiwit Lake was about 4.5 pg cm-2 yr-1. We compared this sediment-derived flux to a soil-derived flux from Ryan Island, the largest island in Siskiwit Lake, and found a similar value. Thus, the atmospheric deposition of PCDD/F has decreased about 50% since the late 1970s. This decline is slower than might be expected as a result of combustion source regulations alone. Examination of the PCDD/F homologue distributions throughout the sediment cores showed that the relative p...
Ketamine for short ambulatory procedures in children: an audit.

Background: The purpose of this audit was the evaluation of recovery and discharge times and the identification of perioperative events related to anaesthetics with intravenous ketamine and midazolam. Methods: In our institution, we use this method as a routine technique for short ambulatory emergency or elective procedures. Two hundred children, aged 1–16 years, were included. Ninety percent of the study patients underwent emergency procedures. Results: Most perioperative events were minor and easily corrected. Intraoperatively, most events were related to respiration, including oxygen desaturation, apnoea or laryngospasm. Vomiting, vertigo, visual disturbances, nightmares and hallucinations were observed in the postoperative period. Serious complications requiring hospital admission or further interventions in the postoperative period were rare. Mean recovery time was 100 min (range 20–325) and mean discharge time 130 min (range 25–360). Conclusions: Intravenous ketamine plus midazolam is a suitable, simple and fast anaesthetic technique for short, painful ambulatory procedures. Considering the possibility of potentially serious respiratory complications, it should be performed only by qualified anaesthesia staff who are trained in advanced airway management.
The Partition's long shadow: the ambiguities of citizenship in Assam, India

Citizenship practices in the Indian state of Assam have a serious fault line. The government appears uninterested in policing borders and enforcing the citizen/alien distinction. This has drawn the ire of even the Indian Supreme Court. Certain ambiguities about citizenship in post-Partition India explain these practices. Pragmatic politicians have adapted to the reality of a post-Partition space that does not conform to the idealized notion of a bounded national territory with a clearly defined community of citizens. However, the tensions between ‘the national order of things’ and the reality of a non-national space have consequences: they adversely affect governmental legitimacy. Policies premised on the fiction of hard national borders that are fundamentally at odds with ground realities cannot provide the foundation for a stable legitimate political order.
Lightning arrester protective levels and transformer insulation

CURVES showing the relations between lightning arrester discharge voltages and transformer impulse strengths are often published to show the margin between the two and to illustrate how securely protection is obtained. As published, they always show a considerable margin. Furthermore, as published, they reflect the values which have been set up as commercial standards.
Cytologic diagnosis of adrenal oncocytic pheochromocytoma in a lung cancer patient: Report of a case and review of the literature

Adrenal oncocytic pheochromocytoma is an extremely rare type of pheochromocytoma. To the best of our knowledge, we present the first cytological diagnosis of this variant via fine-needle aspiration in an 81-year-old male patient who was found to have an adrenal mass while undergoing workup of the recently diagnosed lung adenocarcinoma. We describe the cytomorphologic findings in our case and provide a review of the reported cases of adrenal oncocytic pheochromocytoma – all of which appear to be benign, nonfunctional, occur in adults, and have similar morphologic features. The pathologist should be aware of this uncommon diagnostic entity and its potential diagnostic pitfalls.
Physostigmine-induced contractures in frog skeletal muscle

Physostigmine in 15 mM concentration at pH 8.4 produces reversible contractures of up to 0.3 P0 tension output in frog's whole toe muscle or in 7–10 fiber bundles of these muscles. At pH 7.2, the 15 mM physostigmine contracture output is only about 0.10 P0. The 15 mM, pH 8.4 contractures are essentially unaffected by lack of external Ca2+, complete depolarization of the fibers, detubulation by glycerol treatment, and 0°C ambient temperature. These results and other evidence indicate that physostigmine produces contracture by directly releasing activator Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Pretreatment of muscles with 4 mM procaine reduces physostigmine's capacity to produce contracture, evidently by means of a competitive inhibition at SR sites. The above results indicate similarities between physostigmine and caffeine contractures. But the physostigmine action differs in that it is reversible, and, especially, it lacks the ability, strongly characteristic of caffeine, to sensitize a muscle to produce a rapid cooling contracture. The internal action of physostigmine requires that it be permeant, and since it is a weak base (pKa=8.2), this property is provided by its uncharged base. But, once internal, where the pH =6.8, most of the drug will be protonated and it may act on the SR in this form, in contrast with caffeine which, since its pKa is about 1.0, acts on the SR as uncharged base.
Intensity-ratio and color-ratio thin-filament pyrometry: Uncertainties and accuracy

Abstract Thin-filament pyrometry (TFP) has been proven to be a useful approach to measure flame temperature. It involves placing a thin filament (SiC fiber typically) in hot gases and inferring the gas temperature from the radiance of the glowing filament. The TFP approach offers simplicity and low cost, and it is useful in situations where other techniques are difficult to apply, such as high-pressure environments. In this paper, some recent developments of TFP are discussed. The physical backgrounds of two TFP approaches, namely the intensity-ratio approach and the color-ratio approach, are reviewed along with the required radiation correction. Several sources of error, such as the fiber aging behavior (fiber properties varying with time), spectral emissivity and calibration, have been investigated. Measurements in well-calibrated laminar flames show very good agreement with reference temperatures based on N2 coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) measurements. Uncertainty analysis has also been performed and provides insights on improving TFP measurement accuracy.
Ventricular function following acute alcohol administration: A strain-gauge analysis of depressed ventricular dynamics

Abstract Anesthetized open-chest dogs were employed to examine the depressed ventricular dynamics produced by infusions of alcohol and pentobarbital and reversal of this depression with ouabain. Changes in left ventricular contractility, size, and loading conditions (mural force) were continuously monitored with strain gauges. Measurements made from these strain-gauge recordings indicate that the ventricle, depressed with alcohol, operates under increased load. Moreover, compensation for this increased load is through the limited Frank-Starling mechanism. Essentially similar results were obtained with pentobarbital infusions. Infusion of ouabain reversed the depressions, i.e., contractility was increased while mural force and ventricular size decreased. Such findings described the precarious state of ventricular function at moderate blood alcohol levels and may account for the lability of acutely intoxicated patients to hemodynamic stress.
Polypharmacy among psychiatric patients.

The purpose of the present study is to determine the frequency of polypharmacy among psychiatric patients in Helsinki, and to ascertain whether this practice is supported by clinical trials. The drugs prescribed in 1 day to a sample of patients (n= 694) in mental hospitals and outpatient clinics in Helsinki were studied. 69 % of patients received more than one psychotropic drug in 1 day (61 % received “proper” psychotropic drugs). On the average there were 2.1 different psychotropic drugs per patient, and the maximum was 6. A review of controlled clinical trials on the simultaneous use of more than one proper psychotropic drug in psychiatric diseases (excluding fixed combinations) revealed 14 trials. In only thee trials was the combination better than its single components or placebo. Thus, there seems to be no evidence from clinical trials defending the frequent polypharmacy. A radical reduction in the number of psychotropic drugs prescribed for psychiatric patients is apparently desirable.