cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparison of robotic and laparoscopic minimally invasive adrenalectomy for adrenal malignancies.

Background Although guidelines recommend open adrenalectomy for most resectable adrenal malignancies, minimally invasive adrenalectomies are performed. Robotic adrenalectomies have become more popular recently, but there is a paucity of literature comparing laparoscopic and robotic resections. Methods Patients who underwent a planned minimally invasive adrenalectomy for adrenal malignancies (adrenocortical carcinoma, malignant pheochromocytoma, other carcinoma) were identified in the National Cancer Database. The primary outcome was the conversion rate from minimally invasive to open. Other post-operative outcomes and survival were compared. Results 416 patients (76.5%) underwent a laparoscopic adrenalectomy and 128 (23.5%) underwent a robotic operation. Demographics and clinical characteristics were similar. Approximately 19% of tumors resected by a minimally invasive approach were > 10 cm. The intra-operative conversion rate was decreased among robotic adrenalectomies relative to laparoscopic on univariate (7.8% vs. 18.3%, p = 0.005) and multivariable (odds ratio 0.39, p = 0.01) analyses. Using marginal standardization, there was a stepwise increase in the conversion rate as tumor size increased ( 10 cm) for laparoscopic (7.5%, 18.0%, 33.2%) and robotic (3.1%, 8.3%, 17.3%) adrenalectomies. Operations which required conversion had a greater margin positivity rate, greater length of stay, and an association with poor overall survival. Conclusion In contrast to most clinical guidelines, minimally invasive adrenalectomies are being performed on large malignant tumors. A laparoscopic approach was associated with a greater conversion rate and subsequent poor outcomes. If a surgeon is not planning an open adrenalectomy, but adrenal malignancy is a possibility, robotic adrenalectomy may be the preferred approach for resectable adrenal tumors.
Brief Review of the Nebraska Neuropsychological Evaluation (NENE)

In any book using extensive case examples, there is the issue of whether all readers are familiar with all the tests employed, especially in an area like neuropsychology where there are thousands of tests to choose from. The following is a short description of the Nebraska Neuropsychological Examination (NENE) since it is a very new test although based on the earlier work with the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB). Since the LNNB is better known and covered in the preceding paper, it will not be covered here.
Efficient audio declipping using regularized least squares

While many recently proposed audio declipping algorithms are highly effective in their ability to restore clipped speech, the algorithms' computational complexities inhibit their use in many practical situations. Real-time or nearly real-time performance is impossible using a typical laptop computer, with some algorithms taking as long as 400 times the actual duration of the input to complete restoration. This paper introduces a novel declipping algorithm, referred to as Regularized Blind Amplitude Reconstruction, which is capable of restoring clipped audio at rates much faster than real time and at restoration qualities comparable to existing algorithms. The quality of declipping is evaluated in terms of automatic speech recognition performance on declipped speech, as well as the degree to which each declipping algorithm improves the audio's signal-to-noise ratio.
Essays on Small Business: Executive Summary

Small businesses range from corner stores to high-tech startups and account for nearly all businesses in the United States. In part because of their small size, these businesses are intimately connected with their owners. This dissertation considers two important aspects of this connection. First, I study the role of the entrepreneurial tastes of small business owners in explaining the existence and variety among small businesses. Second, I consider the possibility of underreporting income both to tax authorities and to the surveys economists use to study entrepreneurship, savings, and income in the population.
Poetry and the Romantic Musical Aesthetic: Hölderlin's Deutscher Gesang and the Music of Poetic Self-Consciousness

I should forget only her song, only these notes of the soul should never return in my unending dreams. The proudly sailing swan remains unknown, when it sits on the bank slumbering. Only when she sang could you recognize the loving, silent one, who so reluctantly made herself understood in words. – Holderlin, Hyperion In the early Idealist accounts of self-consciousness explored in the previous chapter, the subject generally recognizes its existence by defining itself against various kinds of object. However, theoretical explanations of subjectivity do not themselves generate self-conscious entities; the actual, practical experience of the self remains elusive. In Kant's version of subjectivity, self-consciousness emerges from intellectual intuition, a prereflective sense of the self's existence as the subject of different experiences over time; the construction of the subject is therefore a synthetic act, realized through transcendental deduction. However, this formulation contains a surprisingly unmotivated version of the self, with no clear account of its origin. In Fichte's answer to this dilemma, the self posits itself through its opposition to a material object, a nonself he calls the Nicht-ich , and becomes self-conscious by differentiating the Ich from the Nicht-ich and declaring “I am I.” Still, Fichte's explanation of self-consciousness relies on a potentially solipsistic moment and does not sufficiently address the ultimate cause of the process.
Mycotoxin-producing strains of Penicillium viridicatum: classification into subgroups.

Abstract Fifty-two isolates of Penicillium viridicatum Westling were divided into three groups based on ability to produce ochratoxin and/or citrinin, color, growth rate, type of growth, odor, and isolation source. Members of group I resemble one of the representative strains of P. viridicatum described in the literature; those belonging to group II differ from group I strains in several characteristics; group III is a heterogeneous series of highly variable isolates. Although three subgroupings can be recognized, retention of all isolates in the species P. viridicatum is deemed most appropriate at this time. Spore macerates of all isolates were examined for virus-like particles but none were detected.
Standard Essential Patents, Trolls and the Smartphone Wars: Triangulating the End Game

Few legal issues in recent years have captured the public’s attention more powerfully than litigation over standard essential patents (“SEPs”). This Article explains how SEP litigation overlaps with two other major centers of patent litigation – litigation involving smartphones and patent assertion entities (“PAEs”). It offers a reasoned analysis of key developments and offers predictions on the end game. The Article observes that attempting to pre-empt patent hold-ups by imposing blanket ex ante disclosure obligations and royalty caps on standard setting organizations (“SSOs”) is misdirected and counterproductive. Instead, the solution lies in clear and balanced rules to determine “fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory” (FRAND) royalties and injunctive relief. This solution will help parties make more realistic assessments of their options and help adjudicators resolve SEP disputes. Correctly framed, implementers bear the burden of proving the breach of a FRAND commitment. FRAND royalties should, in the absence of comparable licenses, focus on apportioning the profits based on the relative importance of the patented technology in the covered product. Royalties should be measured at the time the standard is set but generally should not be discounted for the possibility of invalidity and non-infringement. Discriminatory licenses can be hard to detect, but targeted initiatives and improved transparency would make the task easier. Injunctions should be granted based the wording and intent of the relevant FRAND commitment, conduct of the parties, and proof that the technology drove the sales of the component or product on which the relief is sought. More broadly, courts must understand both the limits and opportunities of the antitrust and patent laws. While useful in arresting ex ante misconduct and attempts of elide FRAND commitments through patent assignments, antitrust is largely irrelevant to SEP litigation in addressing patent hold-ups; patent law has a role in both improving patent quality and deterring vexatious litigation.
TENSOR ANALYZING POWERS IN DEUTERON-PROTON ELASTIC SCATTERING AND THE BREAKUP REACTION AT 45.4 MeV

We have recently measured the tensor analyzing powers T20 and T22 in d+p elastic scattering and in the breakup reaction at Ed = 45.4 MeV.1,2 The elastic results now establish a rather complete set of polarization data in nucleon-deuteron scattering at EN = 22.7 MeV, which consists of the proton analyzing power, the deuteron vector and tensor analyzing powers, and vector polarization transfer measurements, as well. Certainly a primary goal of the three-body theory has been to reproduce the three-nucleon data from exact calculations that use the established two-nucleon interactions. During the past few years considerable success has been achieved in that direction.3 The principal remaining discrepancy had been the failure to provide a quantitative fit to both the nucleon and deuteron vector analyzing powers, AY and IT11, at scattering angles forward of θcm = 120°. This is shown in Fig. 1 by the curves labeled T4M and T4D. These are Doleschall’s4 earlier calculations with two different separable nucleon-nucleon tensor interactions. The first (T4M) provided the proper 3S1−3D1 mixing parameter e1, the second (T4D) fit the 3D1 phase shifts, but neither did both. Thus, there was always the question of whether or not the discrepancies were due to the difficulty in providing a separable tensor interaction which would reproduce the 3S1, 3D1 phase shifts and e1. That now seems not to have been the case, since Doleschall has recently noted that his two-nucleon interaction had an unreasonably long range. When this feature was corrected, a dramatic improvement was obtained in the calculated fits to the vector analyzing powers,5 as is shown by the curves 2T4 in Fig. 1. I would call those perfect fits. However, it should be noted that the 2T4 tensor interaction does not reproduce the mixing parameter e1, as is shown in Fig. 2. This has a bearing on the fits to the tensor analyzing powers.
Phenylthiobis(trimethylsilyl)methane

[62761-90-4] C13H24SSi2 (MW 268.62) InChI = 1S/C13H24SSi2/c1-15(2,3)13(16(4,5)6)14-12-10-8-7-9-11-12/h7-11,13H,1-6H3 InChIKey = QHCXDRRVCOVYHN-UHFFFAOYSA-N (formation of vinylsilanes and as a methoxycarbonyl anion equivalent) Physical Data: bp 88 °C/0.16 mmHg. Solubility: sol most common organic solvents. Analysis of Reagent Purity: 1H NMR. Preparative Method: synthesized from phenylthiotrimethylsilylmethane.2 Handling, Storage, and Precautions: use in a fume hood.
The Art of Memory in Cultural Perspective

Suzanne Kuchler and Walter Melion. eds. Images of Memory: On Remembering and Representation. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991. 265 pp. $35.00 (cloth).
Role of carbon impurities on the surface morphology evolution of tungsten under high dose helium ion irradiation

Abstract The effect of carbon impurities on the surface evolution (e.g., fuzz formation) of tungsten (W) surface during 300 eV He ions irradiation was studied. Several tungsten samples were irradiated by He ion beam with a various carbon ions percentage. The presence of minute carbon contamination within the He ion beam was found to be effective in preventing the fuzz formation. At higher carbon concentration, the W surface was found to be fully covered with a thick graphitic layer on the top of tungsten carbide (WC) layer that cover the sample surface. Lowering the ion beam carbon percentage was effective in a significant reduction in the thickness of the surface graphite layer. Under these conditions the W surface was also found to be immune for the fuzz formation. The effect of W fuzz prevention by the WC formation on the sample surface was more noticeable when the He ion beam had much lower carbon (C) ions content (0.01% C). In this case, the fuzz formation was prevented on the vast majority of the W sample surface, while W fuzz was found in limited and isolated areas. The W surface also shows good resistance to morphology evolution when bombarded by high flux of pure H ions at 900 °C.
Analysis of crash rates and surrogate events: unified approach

A preliminary study was done into the use and validation of crash surrogates, which are obtained from naturalistic driving studies for the detailed analysis of risk factors. The approach is based on a unified statistical analysis of crash data and surrogate events that uses a spatial referencing system and a common measure of exposure. Statistical methods based on a bivariate response and Bayesian update models were adapted to the joint analysis of crashes and surrogates. The study specifically addresses road-departure crashes involving a single vehicle. It is proposed that suitable surrogates be based on underlying continuous measures of disturbance in the driver's lateral control of the vehicle. Naturalistic driving data from a field operational test conducted in southeastern Michigan were spatially joined with highway data and crash data from the same area, and a set of candidate crash surrogates was tested. Analysis results indicated that simple lateral lane position did not provide a satisfactory surrogate, whereas estimated time to road departure was found to show the correct statistical dependencies, consistent with the crash data. The approach developed in the study provided a way to assess crash risk in a common framework and also to validate or invalidate candidate surrogates. When applied to data from the future SHRP 2 naturalistic driving study, the increased statistical power resulting from the much larger data set will provide more definitive conclusions about surrogate validity and factors influencing overall crash risk.
Simian virus 40 (SV40) T antigen binds specifically to double-stranded DNA but not to single-stranded DNA or DNA/RNA hybrids containing the SV40 regulatory sequences

Simian virus 40 T antigen has been shown previously to bind specifically with high affinity to sites within the regulatory region of double-stranded simian virus 40 DNA. Using competition filter binding and the DNA-binding immunoassay, we show that T antigen did not bind specifically to either early or late single-stranded DNA containing these binding sites. Moreover, T antigen did not bind these sequences present in single-stranded RNA, RNA/RNA duplexes, or RNA/DNA hybrids. T antigen did, however, bind as efficiently to single-stranded DNA-cellulose as to double-stranded DNA-cellulose. This binding was nonspecific because it was independent of the presence of T-antigen-binding sites. The implications of these observations are discussed.
Background electromagnetic fields and nonrelativistic QED matching: Scalar case

The low-energy structure of hadrons can be described systematically using effective field theory, and the parameters of the effective theory can be determined from lattice QCD computations. Recent work, however, points to inconsistencies between the background field method in lattice QCD and effective field theory matching conditions. We show that the background field problem necessitates inclusion of operators related by equations of motion. In the presence of time-dependent electromagnetic fields, for example, such operators modify Green's functions, thereby complicating the isolation of hadronic parameters which enter on-shell scattering amplitudes. The particularly simple case of a scalar hadron coupled to uniform electromagnetic fields is investigated in detail. At the level of the relativistic effective theory, operators related by equations of motion are demonstrated to be innocuous. The same result does not hold in the nonrelativistic effective theory, and inconsistencies in matching are resolved by carefully treating operators related by equations of motion. As uniform external fields potentially allow for surface terms, the problem is additionally analyzed on a torus where such terms are absent. Temporal image corrections are derived for charged scalar correlation functions in uniform electric fields as a useful byproduct.
Leadership Failures in the National Security Complex

Current NSA forecast: continued Snowden flurries with no end in sight. No one blames the hardworking NSA employees for the latest series of gaffes; it's the feckless leadership and the politics that got them there that are responsible for our current difficulties.
Avoidance of antinutritive plant defense : role of midgut pH in Colorado potato beetle

The fate of the tomato foliar phenolic, chlorogenic acid, in the digestive systems of Colorado potato beetleLeptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) andHelicoverpa tea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is compared. In larvalH. zea and other lepidopteran species previously examined, approximately 35–50% of the ingested chlorogenic acid was oxidized in the digestive system by foliar phenolic oxidases (i.e., polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase) from the tomato plant. The oxidized form of chlorogenic acid, chlorogenoquinone, is a potent alkylator of dietary protein and can exert a strong antinutritive effect upon larvae through chemical degradation of essential amino acids. In contrast, inL. decemlineata less than 4% of the ingested dose of chlorogenic acid was bound to protein. In vitro experiments to determine the influence of pH on covalent binding of chlorogenic acid to protein showed that 30–45% less chlorogenic acid bound to protein at pHs representative of the beetle midgut (pH 5.5–6.5) than at a pH representing the lepidopteran midgut (pH 8.5). At an acidic pH, considerably more of the alkylatable functional groups of amino acids (−NH2, −SH) are in the nonreactive, protonated state. Hence, polyphenol oxidases are unlikely to have significant antinutritive effects against the Colorado potato beetle and may not be a useful biochemical source of resistance against this insect. The influence of feeding by larval Colorado potato beetle on foliar polyphenol oxidase activity in tomato foliage and its possible significance to interspecific competition is also considered.
Adding The Patient Perspective To Comparative Effectiveness Research

Comparative effectiveness research generates evidence that helps consumers, clinicians, purchasers, and policy makers make better decisions about health care. Capturing the patient’s perspective is central to this research because it provides a complete picture of treatment impact. This can be done with standardized questionnaires that ask patients to report on their functioning, well-being, symptoms, and satisfaction with care. These data, however, are not collected routinely in either clinical research or practice. Strategies and incentives to link patient-reported outcomes to data from conventional sources—including clinical research, electronic health records, and administrative data—will accelerate the development of useful evidence.
EVALUATING SUCCESS IN URBAN FREEWAY PLANNING

There are clear benefits to the urban free-way mode of transportation, including increased mobility and accessibility. Historically, however, they have often brought adverse impacts to the communit...
Effects of Chamber Wall Conditions on Cl Concentration and Si Etch Rate Uniformity in Plasma Etching Reactors

Experimental measurements of the etch rate and ion flux distributions on the wafer are combined with modeling to elucidate the effects of reactor wall conditions on Cl concentration and polysilicon etch rate uniformity inan inductively coupled plasma etching reactor. The spatially averaged etch rate across the wafer increases with time as etch products react with residual oxygen in the chamber and coat the reactor walls with a thin layer of silicon oxychloride film. Chlorine concentration in the plasma and the Si etch rate increase due to lower recombination probability of Cl on this film as compared to the "clean" anodized aluminum wall surface. Etch rate is highest at the wafer center when the walls are maintained in the clean state. In contrast, the etch rate peaks at the wafer edges when the walls are coated with the silicon oxychloride film. The drift in etch rate and uniformity is primarily due to a drift in Cl concentration and its spatial distribution. As the reactor walls are coated, the etch rate distribution changes from a center-fast profile to an edge-fast profile due to a change in the dominant Cl depletion mechanism from wall recombination to recombination on the wafer surface.
Sexual and maternal behaviour at the postpartum oestrus: The role of experience in time-sharing

Abstract The postpartum sexual and maternal behaviour of Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) was observed in a seminatural habitat. Behavioural decision-making by the female was examined by disrupting the nest and newborn offspring during mating. In experiment 1, multiparous females responded to nest disruption with an increase in maternal behaviour that was largely restricted to the post-ejaculatory intervals. The temporal and frequency measures of copulation were largely unaffected, implicating behavioural time-sharing. In experiment 2, following nest disruption primiparous females did not switch efficiently between maternal and sexual behaviour, showed poor retrieval of pups, and returned to the nest during ejaculatory series. They did not display the characteristics of behavioural time-sharing, indicating that previous experience may play a role in the ability to time-share.
Implications of the fluvial history of the Wacheqsa River for hydrologic engineering and water use at Chavín de Húntar, Peru

Channeling of water through a variety of architectural features represents a significant engineering investment at the first millennium B.C. ceremonial center of Chavin de Huantar in the Peruvian Central Andes. The site contains extensive evidence of the manipulation of water, apparently for diverse purposes. The present configuration of the two local rivers, however, keeps available water approximately 9m below the highest level of water-bearing infrastructure in the site. Geomorphic and archaeological investigation of the fluvial history of the Wacheqsa River has revealed evidence that the Chavin-era configuration of the Wacheqsa River was different. A substantially higher water level, likely the result of a local impoundment of river water caused by a landslide dam, made the provision of water for the hydrologic system within the site a more readily practical possibility. We review what is known of that system and argue that the fluvial history of the Wacheqsa River is critical to understanding this aspect of hydrologic engineering and ritual practice at Chavin. This study demonstrates the relative rapidity and archaeological relevance of landscape change in a dynamic environment. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
New Strain Energy Function for Acoustoelastic Analysis of Dilatational Waves in Nearly Incompressible, Hyper-Elastic Materials

Acoustoelastic analysis has usually been applied to compressible engineering materials. Many materials (e.g., rubber and biologic materials) are “nearly” incompressible and often assumed incompressible in their constitutive equations. These material models do not admit dilatational waves for acoustoelastic analysis. Other constitutive models (for these materials) admit compressibility but still do not model dilatational waves with fidelity (shown herein). In this article a new strain energy function is formulated to model dilatational wave propagation in nearly incompressible, isotropic materials. This strain energy function requires four material constants and is a function of Cauchy–Green deformation tensor invariants. This function and existing (compressible) strain energy functions are compared based upon their ability to predict dilatational wave propagation in uniaxially prestressed rubber. Results demonstrate deficiencies in existing functions and the usefulness of our new function for acoustoelastic applications. Our results also indicate that acoustoelastic analysis has great potential for the accurate prediction of active or residual stresses in nearly incompressible materials.
Contribution of FKBP5 genetic variation to gemcitabine treatment and survival in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Purpose FKBP51, (FKBP5), is a negative regulator of Akt. Variability in FKBP5 expression level is a major factor contributing to variation in response to chemotherapeutic agents including gemcitabine, a first line treatment for pancreatic cancer. Genetic variation in FKBP5 could influence its function and, ultimately, treatment response of pancreatic cancer.
Perceived impact of limb amputation on sexual activity: A study of adult amputees

Although research amply indicates that limb amputation poses serious threats to psychological well‐being, little is known about the role of sexual activity in this process. In this study of 76 ampu...
Biphasic effect of cardiac glycosides on action potential duration in isolated Purkinje fibers

Despite the historical use of cardiac glycosides, the data describing the electrophysiological characteristics of this class of drug are not fully clear. The present study reported the biphasic effect of cardiac glycosides, digoxin (1.25 microM) and acetylstrophanthidin (0.15 microM), on action potential duration in isolated Purkinje fibers by the conventional glass microelectrode technique. At the cycle lengths of 990, 690 and 490 msec., action potential duration lengthened within 10 min. and shortened after 10 min. of digoxin and acetylstrophanthidin administration. The biphasic effect was observed at a concentration of 4.0 mM [K(+)]o. However, at a higher [K(+)]o concentration of 5.4 mM, only the shortening effect on action potential duration was recorded. These results suggest that the biphasic effect of cardiac glycosides on action potential duration is related to the concentration of extracellular potassium and is not related to the stimulating cycle lengths.
Advanced Transient Plane Source Method for the Measurement of Thermal Properties of High Pressure Metal Hydrides

Metal hydrides are a promising material type for hydrogen storage in automotive applications, but thermal property data is needed to optimize the necessary heat exchangers. In the present work, the transient plane source method is integrated with a pressure vessel to measure these properties for metal hydride powder as a function of pressure during the hydrogenation process. The properties under investigation include effective thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, specific heat, and thermal contact resistance. The results of this work with oxidized Ti1.1 CrMn powder provide effective thermal conductivity values similar to data reported in literature for other metal hydride materials. The experimental measurements are also well modeled by the Zehner-Bauer-Schlunder interpretive model for packed beds as a function of gas pressure. Extending the test method and ZBS model to estimate the contact resistance provides values that were two orders of magnitude less than measurements previously reported for other hydride materials.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Comparison of aerosol extinction coefficients, surface area density, and volume density from SAGE II and in situ aircraft measurements

[1] Aerosol size distributions measured in the lower stratosphere by the University of Denver's focused cavity aerosol size spectrometer (FCAS) were used to calculate aerosol extinction coefficients, surface area densities, and volume densities for comparison with the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II version 6.20 data products. Profiles from ten high-altitude aircraft flights, ranging approximately 8.5 to 20.5 km altitude, are compared with nearby SAGE II occultation events. Nine of the flights date from late 1995 through 1997, and one is from early 2004. Extinctions are found to agree within instrumental uncertainties except at 386 nm below 17 km, where the SAGE II values are systematically low despite their large errors. Above 12 km, where the comparisons are statistically significant, the SAGE II volume density is about 35% lower than the FCAS measurements, though just within combined uncertainties, while the SAGE II surface area density is low compared to FCAS by a factor of 1.5 to 3. The limitations of principal component analysis may account for up to two thirds of the discrepancy in surface area density.
An Elusive “We” Antidogmatism, Democratic Practice, and the Contradictory Identity of the German Autonomen

Recent research suggests that ideology and collective identity are important factors shaping the behavior of movements committed to radically democratic self-governance and that a coherent ideology and clearly defined identity are necessary for movement success. Examining this hypothesis in the context of the Germany “autonomous” movement, this study finds that a contradiction in the movement's ideology around the meaning of autonomy has generated a deeply ambivalent identity and a resistance to ideological dogmatism, both of which have functioned to help sustain the movement. This suggests that sustaining collectivist democracy may require that a movement resist both ideological coherence and a clearly defined identity. Because ideologies often contain deep contradictions, action in countercultural movements is more than a simple reflection of the activists' ideals, mediated by situational constraints. Rather, such value-rational action is better understood as an iterative process by which ideological co...
A DYNAMIC MODEL OF RECOMPRESSION HCCI COMBUSTION INCLUDING CYLINDER WALL TEMPERATURE

In a Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engine, pre-compression gas temperature and cylinder wall temperature are two of the conditions that determine combustion timing. However, they operate in completely different dynamic realms. The pre-compression gas temperature will stabilize in just a few cycles. Conversely, the cylinder wall temperature requires a minute or more. To predict combustion timing under changing thermal conditions, this paper describes a multi-state continuous-time model of HCCI combustion achieved with exhaust recompression and a discrete model of cylinder wall temperature updated once per cycle. The continuous model is necessary to capture ignition on each cycle. Wall temperature changes so little every cycle, it is only updated between combustion cycles. This scheme is investigated by comparing experimental and simulated fuel step changes, which alter residual gas temperature quickly and cylinder wall temperature slowly. Dynamic comparisons show several similar behaviors and provide insight into the physical processes.
Analysis of fatigue crack growth under compression–compression loading

Abstract It has been suggested that two driving forces ΔK and Kmax mainly govern the overall fatigue crack growth behavior of any material. This basic concept has been used to explain the damage in the tension–tension and tension–compression regime in a self-consistent manner. In the present paper, this concept has been extended to analyze the compression–compression fatigue behavior. The analysis indicates that to characterize accurately the entire crack growth region of loading from R 0, one must include both the internal stresses and the applied stresses. It is observed that there is an unique internal stress gradient that can be represented for the entire regime of crack growth. The basic criteria for a crack advance would then be the total driving force of both ΔK and Kmax has to exceed their corresponding threshold values for a long crack. In certain cases, there can be a deviation from this uniqueness of the internal stress gradient due to additional contribution from plasticity.
The Variable Fulcrum Isolator: A Low Power, Nonlinear, Vibration Control Component

A nonlinear, controllable vibration isolation device—the Variable Fulcrum Isolator (VFI)—is introduced. Methods of designing feedback control laws are presented. Computer simulations compare the rms acceleration and control power of the VFI with equivalent passive and linear active systems. The VFI achieves performance equal to the linear active system with less power for inputs composed of a small number of discrete frequencies. For very noisy inputs or for high performance systems which demand high control power, the linear active system is eventually superior. It is suggested that further study of the feedback system will yield improvement in these cases.
Staging of pediatric cancers: problems in the development of a national system.

The majority of the common pediatric cancers are managed on clinical protocols and are treated in pediatric oncology centers. For this reason these neoplasms are being staged by a variety of protocols depending on the protocol study. Examples of the evaluation and currently used staging systems for Wilms' tumor, neuroblastoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma are presented. The goal is to develop a nationally accepted staging system for these common pediatric tumors that is broadly accepted for treatment planning, determining prognosis, and comparing institutional end results. It is obvious that, if a nationally accepted staging system is to evolve, the leadership of the existing national clinic research trials must be part of the process. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Metastatic basal cell carcinoma exhibits reduced actin expression

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common malignancy in Caucasian individuals. Metastatic basal cell carcinoma is extremely rare (with a rate estimated as 0.03%). Actin has been detected in aggressive forms of basal cell carcinoma, but their expression in metastatic lesions is not known. We compared the expression of actin and actin-related cytoskeletal proteins in relatively less aggressive basal cell carcinoma (nodular), aggressive basal cell carcinoma (infiltrative/morpheaform), and metastatic basal cell carcinoma. We studied 12 cases of nodular basal cell carcinoma, 10 cases of infiltrative basal cell carcinoma, and 10 cases of metastatic basal cell carcinoma with immunohistochemistry for alpha-smooth muscle actin, calponin, myosin, and E-cadherin. Expression was interpreted as positive when at least 5% of the tumor exhibited at least weak expression. Five of the ten patients with metastatic basal cell carcinoma had an antecedent history of radiotherapy. Actin was present in 3 of 12 (25%) of the nodular, all 10 of the infiltrative, and 3 of 10 of the metastatic basal cell carcinomas (P<0.05 for metastatic vs infiltrative and nodular vs infiltrative). Calponin was present in 50% of the nodular, 60% of the infiltrative, and 30% of the metastatic basal cell carcinomas (not statistically significant). Myosin expression was not detected in any of the cases. E-cadherin was present in 75% of the nodular, 70% of the infiltrative, and all of the metastatic basal cell carcinomas (P<0.05 for metastatic vs nodular). Our results suggest that increased actin may contribute to local invasiveness, but it is lost in the metastatic phenotype. History of previous radiotherapy may contribute to development of the metastatic phenotype.
Roles of cyclic AMP and Ca in epithelial ion transport across corneal epithelium: a review.

The messenger roles of cyclic AMP and the calcium ion in stimulus-secretion coupling are considered in the frog and bovine corneal epithelium, respectively. In the frog cornea, epinephrine stimulates net C1 transport by increasing cyclic AMP content. This stimulation is associated with a larger apical membrane C1 conductance and basolateral membrane ionic conductance. The response of the apical membrane conductance is thought to result from an increase in cyclic AMP content whereas the basolateral membrane ionic conductance increase is unrelated based on measurements of the effects of the calcium channel antagonist, diltiazem, and the beta agonist, isoproterenol, on the electrical parameters and cyclic AMP content. The basolateral membrane is essentially K permselective since the K channel blocker, Ba, depolarized the intracellular potential difference and increased the basolateral membrane resistance. Diltiazem had even larger effects on these parameters suggesting that this compound is a more effective inhibitor of K channel activity than barium. In broken cell preparations of bovine corneal epithelium, a high affinity form of Ca + Mg activated ATPase is present (Km = .06 microM for Ca) and is essentially of plasma membrane origin. This ATPase activation is at a Ca activity similar to the expected intracellular value and suggests that this activity is the enzymatic basis for net Ca transport.
String barcoding: uncovering optimal virus signatures

There are many critical situations when one needs to rapidly identify an unidentified pathogen from among a given set of previously sequenced pathogens. DNA or RNA hybridization chips can be designed for such identifications. Each cell in the chip can report the presence or absence of a specific substring of DNA in the unidentified pathogen. Properly designed, the collection of reports obtained from the cells can uniquely identify any pathogen in the set, or determine that the unidentified pathogen is not in the set. There is a limit to the number of cells on a chip, and a range of substring lengths that a cell can handle. So, given the full sequences of a set of pathogens, the problem is to design the chip by selecting the smallest set of substrings of the appropriate lengths, so that each pathogen in the set has a unique set of cells that report a substring. For any given pathogen, the set of reporting cells is its signature, and hence the entire system is a "barcode" system for the pathogens.Previous work addressed this problem [1], but focused on pathogens of bacterial size, and hence had to make many compromises for the sake of efficiency. The substrings lengths were severely restricted, and no optimality or near-optimality was guaranteed. In this paper, we focus on viral-size pathogens. We show that for genomes of this size, it is practical to solve the barcode design problem optimally, or near-optimally, without artificially constraining the problem. We also efficiently find barcodes that provide a level of redundancy, tolerating a number of errors or mutations. The key technical ideas are the use of suffix trees to identify the critical substrings, integer-linear programming (ILP) to express the minimization problem, and a simple idea that dramatically reduces the size of the ILP, allowing it to be solved efficiently by the commercial ILP solver CPLEX. We report extensive tests of our approach on various collections of virus DNA and RNA sequences.
Ordered escape routing using network flow and optimization model

With the advancement in technology, BGA based integrated circuits for robotics and other devices are being prepared in small sizes with more pin count. This increase in number requires more number of pins to be escaped from the inner side of the IC towards the escape boundary. Ordered escape routing is very important due to its great impact on area and length routing at later stage. Basic design rules of planarity and capacity along with constraints like length matching make the ordered escape routing problem more difficult. In this paper we formulate flow model on the basis of inter-pin capacity. Using flow model we propose optimization model that solves ordered escape routing problem under design constraints. Evaluation of model using randomly generated examples shows that maximum possible nets are being routed by the model.
Overexpression of Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1 (LEF1) in solid-pseudopapillary neoplasms of the pancreas

Solid-pseudopapillary neoplasms are rare, but are distinctive pancreatic tumors of low-malignant potential. While the histogenesis of these tumors is unclear, they are often associated with gain-of-function mutations in the catenin (cadherin-associated protein), beta 1 (88 kDa), or CTNNB1 gene, resulting in nuclear accumulation of CTNNB1. CTNNB1 is a central component of the Wnt signaling pathway and mediates gene expression through the lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1) /T-cell factor transcription complex. Although LEF1 has a pivotal role in the transactivation of Wnt/CTNNB1 responsive genes, the status of LEF1 in solid-pseudopapillary neoplasms and other pancreatic tumors has not been examined. We analyzed both LEF1 and CTNNB1 in a large cohort of pancreatic tumors (n=155). In all cases of solid-pseudopapillary neoplasms including surgical resections (n=27) and cytologic samples (n=8) had strong and diffuse nuclear labeling for both LEF1 and CTNNB1. The surrounding uninvolved pancreatic parenchyma was devoid of any LEF1 staining. All resection and cytologic specimens from well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (n=44; n=29, respectively), high-grade pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas (n=2; n=1), pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (n=25; n=12), and acinar cell carcinomas (n=9; n=2) studied were negative for both nuclear LEF1 and CTNNB1. However, nuclear LEF1 and CTNNB1 were detected in all four resected pancreatoblastomas (no cytologic specimens were available for immunolabeling), but primarily centered around and within squamoid corpuscles. In summary, abnormal CTNNB1 accumulation was accompanied by nuclear LEF1 overexpression in both solid-pseudopapillary neoplasms and pancreatoblastomas. But, in contrast to pancreatoblastomas, a diffuse, nuclear labeling was observed in solid-pseudopapillary neoplasms and further implicates the CTNNB1/LEF1 transcriptional complex in the development of solid-pseudopapillary neoplasms. In addition, as part of an immunohistochemical panel, LEF1 can be a useful ancillary stain in the diagnosis of solid-pseudopapillary neoplasms.
On the possibilities of a gravitational drag of light

I suggested in a recent paper(1) that the well known velocity distance relation for extra-galactic nebulae might possibly be accounted for by a gravitational drag of light. In this paper I discussed the momentum which a particle m moving in a straight line with the velocity v transfers to a mass M initially at rest.
Delayed afterdepolarization-mediated triggered activity associated with slow calcium sequestration near the endocardium

Calcium-Mediated Triggered Activity. Introduction: Previously, we have shown that cells near the endocardium are more prone to elevated diastolic intracellular calcium levels than cells near the epicardium. The arrhythmogenic consequence of such regional differences in calcium handling is not clear. Methods and Results: Using optical mapping techniques, calcium transients and action potentials were recorded simultaneously from ventricular sites across the transmural wall of the arterially perfused canine left ventricular wedge preparation during control conditions, and under conditions of increased calcium entry (I K blockade and β-adrenergic stimulation). Under conditions of enhanced calcium entry, the decay of the calcium transient and diastolic calcium levels during rapid pacing were slower (38 %, P < 0.01) and higher (215%, P < 0.02), respectively, near (within ∼3 mm) the endocardium compared to the epicardium (n = 9). Immediately after termination of rapid pacing under conditions of increased calcium entry, ectopic activity and simultaneous delayed afterdepolarizations and spontaneous calcium release events were observed. Over all experiments, ectopic activity occurred more frequently closer to the endocardium compared to the epicardium. Conclusions: Under conditions of enhanced calcium entry, myocytes closer to the endocardium exhibit a higher level of diastolic calcium and greater ectopic activity compared to the epicardium. We show for the first time simultaneous delayed afterdepolarization and spontaneous calcium release events from myocytes in a normally coupled multicellular preparation. These data combined suggest that myocytes near the endocardium are more susceptible to calcium-mediated triggered activity.
STYLISTICS. Peter Verdonk . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Pp. xiv + 124. $13.50 paper.

Verdonk has written an engaging and highly accessible introduction to the field of stylistics. The book is organized along the lines of the Oxford introductions to language study series. Like the other volumes in the Oxford series, it contains four sections: a survey of the field, short readings extracted from the literature with study questions that address the issues presented in the survey section, a selection of annotated references, and a glossary of terms.
Electrostatic and steric contributions to regulation at the active site of isocitrate dehydrogenase

The isocitrate dehydrogenase of Escherichia coli is regulated by covalent modification at the active site rather than, as expected, at an allosteric site. As a means of evaluating the mechanism of regulation, the kinetics of the substrate, 2R,3S-isocitrate, and a substrate analog, 2R-malate, were compared for the native, phosphorylated, and mutant enzymes. Phosphorylation decreases activity by more than a factor of 10(6) for the true substrate, but causes minor changes in the activity of the substrate analog. The kinetic results indicate that electrostatic repulsion and steric hindrance between the phosphoryl moiety and the gamma carboxyl group of 2R,3S-isocitrate are the major causes of the inactivation, with a lesser contribution from the loss of a hydrogen bond.
History of the Baylor Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Program, Dallas, TX

The development of Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC) has paralleled that of the Baylor College of Dentistry (BCD). The 2 institutions are physically attached but administratively separate. For many years, the 2 institutions have had a close working relationship, in particular, the shared specialty and training program of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Presented herein is the history of this program, the institutions that support it, and the many administrators and oral and maxillofacial surgeons whose support and contributions have made this program one of the best.