cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Uses of state estimation for statistical process control

Abstract The detection of out-of-control states and the diagnosis of the sources of disturbances are two important tasks for Statistical Process Control (SPC). A methodology for performing SPC in chemical processes is proposed here. This approach utilizes a process model and state estimation techniques. By using this approach, disturbance can be detected and isolated from possible sources.
Structural and functional diversity in heme monooxygenases.

Recent advances in understanding structure-function relationships in cytochrome P450 (P450), nitric-oxide synthase (NOS), and heme oxygenase are summarized. Of particular importance is the role that dynamics plays in P450 function, where the active site undergoes large open/close motions to enable substrates to bind and products to leave. In sharp contrast, the heme-containing active site of NOS is rigid and remains relatively exposed compared with P450s. This difference in dynamics and active site exposure requires that the O 2 activation machinery operate somewhat differently in P450 and NOS. Owing to the open NOS active site, the NOS-oxy complex could be subject to nonspecific protonation that short-circuits the normal reaction path. One working hypothesis holds that NOS recruited the cofactor, tetrahydrobiopterin, to bind near the heme for very rapid coupled electron/proton transfer to the oxy complex, which avoids indiscriminate reaction with bulk solvent. Despite these differences, P450, NOS, and also heme oxygenase use a very similar network of H-bonded water molecules in the active site that are required for oxygen activation. Both P450 and NOS are important drug targets. With NOS, the structural basis for isoform-selective inhibition by a class of dipeptide inhibitors has been worked out, thus providing the basis for structure-based drug design.
Impact of courtship feeding on clutch and third-egg size in glaucous-winged gulls

Abstract Gulls are usually not considered to be food-limited during the egg-laying stage. Egg-removal experiments have demonstrated the ability of gulls to lay additional eggs and to increase the size of the typically smaller third egg. Investigators in several recent studies, however, have invoked food limitation as a constraint on egg production. The relationship between courtship feeding rate, territory attendance, clutch size and third-egg size was studied in the glaucous-winged gull, Larus glaucescens . Courtship feeding rate rose steadily during the 30 days prior to laying, and peaked 2 days before the first egg was laid. Control males increased the amount of time they spent on their nesting territories and sharply decreased courtship feeding rate following the laying of the first egg. In contrast, males whose first and second eggs were removed experimentally within 12 h of laying, neither increased their territory attendance nor decreased their courtship feeding rate until after the third egg was laid. Females at experimental nests laid more eggs and heavier third eggs (relative to the weight of the first egg) than did females at control nests. Courtship feeding rate was negatively correlated with differences in weight between first and third eggs. The courtship feeding rate during egg laying appears to serve as a proximate constraint on third-egg size and may serve as either a proximate or an ultimate constraint on clutch size.
Pregnancy Exposure Registries

Scientifically valid data on the safety of drug use during pregnancy are a significant public health need. Data are rarely available on the fetal effects of in utero exposure in human pregnancies, particularly when a drug is first marketed. Data from animal reproductive toxicology studies, which function as a screen for potential human teratogenicity, are usually all that is available in a product's labelling. For practising clinicians, translating known animal risks into an accurate assessment of teratogenic risks in their patients is very difficult, if not impossible. Without human data on the effects of in utero drug exposure, it is difficult for physicians and other healthcare providers (e.g. genetic counsellors) to adequately counsel patients about fetal risks. Therefore, a pregnant woman may decide to unnecessarily terminate a wanted pregnancy or forego needed drug therapy. In spite of the lack of data on the safety of drug use during human pregnancies, pregnant women are exposed to drugs either as prescribed therapy or inadvertently before pregnancy is known (over one-half of pregnancies are unplanned). Because little is known about the teratogenic potential of a drug in humans before marketing, post-marketing surveillance of drug use in pregnancy is critical to the detection of drug-induced fetal effects. The existing passive mechanism of spontaneous reporting of adverse drug effects is inadequate to routinely detect drug-induced fetal risks or lack of such risks. Therefore, post-marketing pregnancy exposure registries are being increasingly used to proactively monitor for major fetal effects and to describe margins of safety associated with drug exposure during pregnancy. However, differing methodological rigour has been applied to the development of pregnancy exposure registries. It is important that all pregnancy registries develop epidemiologically sound written study protocols a priori. It is only through the use of rigorous methodology and procedures that data from pregnancy exposure registries will withstand scientific scrutiny. Successful recruitment of an adequate number of exposed pregnancies, aggressive follow-up, and complete and accurate ascertainment of pregnancy outcome are critical attributes of a well-designed registry.
On learning a union of half spaces

Abstract In Valiant's protocol for learning, the classes of functions which are known learnable in polynomial time are all trivial in the sense that they require no solution of a credit assignment problem (CAP)—either they can be learned using one type of example only (positive or negative), or they are learned by straightforward application of linear programming, or they are constructed so as to be learned by a greedy algorithm. Conversely, there is no natural class of finite Vapnik-Chervonenkis dimension known not to be learnable in polynomial time. We study therefore the learnability of a simple, nontrivial class of concepts: unions of half spaces. We give a new, fast algorithm for learning unions of half spaces in fixed dimension. We suggest a generalization of this approach which naively would avoid a credit assignment problem and learn in time polynomial in dimension. We then prove, however, that no such approach to evading the CAP can work. The proof of this theorem rules out as well a natural approach to solving the CAP. We believe that these results clarify why the learning problem is inherently difficult and hope to extend them to a proof that the class of unions of half spaces is fundamentally unlearnable. We also present, in an appendix, new lower bounds on the number of examples necessary for learning from one type of example.
Portopulmonary hypertension and hepatopulmonary syndrome.

Portopulmonary hypertension (POPH) and hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) are two frequent complications of liver disease, with prevalence among liver transplant candidates of 6% and 10%, respectively. Both conditions result from a lack of hepatic clearance of vasoactive substances produced in the splanchnic territory. Subsequently, these substances cause mainly pulmonary vascular remodeling and some degree of vasoconstriction in POPH with resulting elevated pulmonary pressure and right ventricular dysfunction. In HPS the vasoactive mediators cause intrapulmonary shunts with hypoxemia. Medical treatment is disappointing overall. Whereas liver transplantation (LT) results in the disappearance of HPS within six to twelve months, its effect on POPH is highly unpredictable. Modern strategies in managing HPS and POPH rely on a thorough screening and grading of the disease’s severity, in order to tailor the appropriate therapy and select only the patients who will benefit from LT. The anesthesiologist plays a central role in managing these high-risk patients. Indeed, the important hemodynamic and respiratory modifications of the perioperative period must be avoided through continuation of the preoperatively initiated drugs, appropriate intraoperative monitoring and proper hemodynamic and respiratory therapies.
Selective optical drive of thalamic reticular nucleus generates thalamic bursts and cortical spindles

The thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) is hypothesized to regulate neocortical rhythms and behavioral states. Using optogenetics and multi-electrode recording in behaving mice, we found that brief selective drive of TRN switched the thalamocortical firing mode from tonic to bursting and generated state-dependent neocortical spindles. These findings provide causal support for the involvement of the TRN in state regulation in vivo and introduce a new model for addressing the role of this structure in behavior.
The superfluid glass phase of 3 He-A

Confined within a porous aerogel, superfluid 3He loses its long-range order owing to random microscopic disorder, and becomes a glassy superfluid. Intriguingly, this effect can be switched off and the superfluidity restored.
Use of near-infrared spectroscopy as a measure of cerebrovascular health in aging adults

ABSTRACT Neuroimaging techniques assessing oxygenation of cerebral blood (such as near-infrared spectroscopy, NIRS) may reflect general cerebrovascular health, a factor not always considered in studies comparing younger and older adults. We examined whether baseline dorsolateral prefrontal cerebral oxygenation (measured by NIRS) was related to cardiovascular risk factors and cognitive test performance in healthy older adults. We found that cardiovascular risk factors are associated with both baseline dorsolateral prefrontal cortex cerebral oxygenation and memory performance. In addition, cardiovascular health factors were associated with memory performance, and the relationship between cerebral oxygenation and memory performance was explained by these cardiovascular health factors, supporting our contention that NIRS can reflect general cerebrovascular health in older adults. Results suggest that studies examining differences in cortical activation in older and younger adults should consider the potential...
Measurement of the activation barrier to nucleation of dislocations in thin films.

We introduce a method to study the activation barrier to nucleation of dislocations during strain relaxation of thin films. By growing on substrates with a range of misorientations from (001), we change the applied shear stress on the different glide systems, leading to an imbalance between nucleation on the different glide systems. The resulting tilt between the relaxed layer and the substrate provides a direct measure of the stress derivative of the nucleation barrier. A phenomenological model, which makes no assumptions about the detailed nucleation mechanism, can then be used to infer from this the activation energy for nucleation. We obtain an activation energy of 5 eV for the observed nucleation mechanism.
Transcriptional modulation of intestinal innate defense/inflammation genes by preterm infant microbiota in a humanized gnotobiotic mouse model.

Background and Aims It is known that postnatal functional maturation of the small intestine is facilitated by microbial colonization of the gut. Preterm infants exhibit defects in gut maturation, weak innate immunity against intestinal infection and increased susceptibility to inflammatory disorders, all of which may be related to the inappropriate microbial colonization of their immature intestines. The earliest microbes to colonize the preterm infant gut encounter a naive, immature intestine. Thus this earliest microbiota potentially has the greatest opportunity to fundamentally influence intestinal development and immune function. The aim of this study was to characterize the effect of early microbial colonization on global gene expression in the distal small intestine during postnatal gut development. Methods Gnotobiotic mouse models with experimental colonization by early (prior to two weeks of life) intestinal microbiota from preterm human infants were utilized. Microarray analysis was used to assess global gene expression in the intestinal epithelium. Results and Conclusion Multiple intestinal genes involved in metabolism, cell cycle regulation, cell-cell or cell-extracellular matrix communication, and immune function are developmental- and intestinal microbiota- regulated. Using a humanized gnotobiotic mouse model, we demonstrate that certain early preterm infant microbiota from prior to 2 weeks of life specifically induce increased NF-κB activation and a phenotype of increased inflammation whereas other preterm microbiota specifically induce decreased NF-κB activation. These fundamental differences correlate with altered clinical outcomes and suggest the existence of optimal early microbial communities to improve health outcomes.
Measurement and cognitive detection method of broadcast radio stations in distribution networks

Power Line Communication (PLC) plays a major role in smart grid applications. However, when the frequencies of above 500 kHz are used, mutual interferences between the PLC access system and Medium Wave (MW)/Short Wave (SW) broadcast radios may occur. To cope with this issue, one of the promising solutions is cognitive PLC. In this paper, MW/SW broadcast radio frequency allocation and their usage conditions in China are reviewed first, to get experience with their potential frequency collisions with PLC. Then the results of a measurement campaign performed in the typical Low Voltage (LV)/Medium Voltage (MV) distribution networks in China are shown and analyzed in detail. Besides individual measurement snapshots, more statistical results are investigated to reveal the variation of the radio interference level with different measurement places and times. All these efforts contribute to obtaining the Reception Factor (RF) of the measured distribution networks, in conjunction with the narrow-band noise peak level over the power line noise floor. On that basis, a threshold-based cognitive detection method is proposed to identify radio stations on the distribution lines. Finally, the paper ends with brief discussions of the impact on PLC throughput when dynamic notching is employed.
Further Characterization of Thyroid Hormone Response Elements in the Human Type 1 Iodothyronine Deiodinase Gene

The increased type 1 iodothyronine deiodinase expression in hyperthyroid patients increases the fraction of plasma T3 generated from T4 by the propylthiouracil-sensitive pathway. In this study, we extend our analysis of the thyroid hormone response elements (TREs) in the 5' flanking region of the human dio1 gene. The 5' TRE (TRE2), a direct repeat separated by 4 bp (DR+4) at -660 bp, arises from an A to G substitution in an Alu sequence, the first example of this phenomenon. An SP1 binding site immediately 5' to TRE2 increases basal expression of a 430-bp dio1 promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase construct in the presence of unliganded thyroid hormone receptor, thus decreasing T3 responsiveness, but does not do so when this complex is placed in its more 5' wild-type location. The two octameric binding sites of TRE1, a retinoid X-receptor independent DR+10 structure at -90, can be exchanged or inverted without loss of T3 response potency, despite significant changes in thyroid hormone receptor binding, as assessed by gel shift assays. However, the retinoic acid response of the 716-bp dio1 5' flanking region is unaffected by elimination of TRE2 but is lost with mutations in TRE1. These findings indicate the importance of functional analyses of potential ligand-responsive transcription factors, as well as the influence of position, on TRE function and interaction with basal transcription factors. The unusual features of these TREs emphasize the need to consider alternatives to canonical half-site arrangements of receptor binding sites and contexts in the evaluation of T3- and retinoic acid-responsive genes.
Coping with Patients: Subcultural Adjustments to the Conditions of Work Among Internists-in-Training

Interns and residents in internal medicine use a variety of strategies to distance themselves physically and emotionally from their patients. These strategies include avoidance of patients, narrowing of doctor-patient interaction, and treating patients as non-persons, These subcultural adjustments enable doctors to cope with heavy case loads and other demands of graduate medical training. The stress of the work situation leads interns and residents to express strong negative feelings about all aspects of their work. Subcultural adjustments and emotional stress impair doctor-patient relationships and decrease the quality of medical care in teaching hospitals.
Mechanism for the self-diffusion of Au and Ir adatoms on Pt(110) surface

Abstract A molecular dynamics computer technique was used to simulate the diffusion of a Au and and Ir adatom on the Pt(110) surface. Details of the exchange mechanism associated with cross-channel diffusion were observed. For the Au adatom at the low temperature, the expected channel diffusion occurred, whereas at the higher temperature a temporary exchange of the Pt wall atom by the Au adatom was seen. In the Ir case at the low temperature no exchange was observed, although there was a partial displacement of the wall atom by the adatom. At the higher temperature, the exchange mechanism was observed. The results are consistent with experimental observations and also indicate the importance of the stability of the channel wall atoms (via their thermal motion) on the occurrence of the exchange mechanism.
WEBDIFF: Automated identification of cross-browser issues in web applications

Cross-browser (and cross-platform) issues are prevalent in modern web based applications and range from minor cosmetic bugs to critical functional failures. In spite of the relevance of these issues, cross-browser testing of web applications is still a fairly immature field. Existing tools and techniques require a considerable manual effort to identify such issues and provide limited support to developers for fixing the underlying cause of the issues. To address these limitations, we propose a technique for automatically detecting cross-browser issues and assisting their diagnosis. Our approach is dynamic and is based on differential testing. It compares the behavior of a web application in different web browsers, identifies differences in behavior as potential issues, and reports them to the developers. Given a page to be analyzed, the comparison is performed by combining a structural analysis of the information in the page's DOM and a visual analysis of the page's appearance, obtained through screen captures. To evaluate the usefulness of our approach, we implemented our technique in a tool, called WEBDIFF, and used WEBDIFF to identify cross-browser issues in nine real web applications. The results of our evaluation are promising, in that WEBDIFF was able to automatically identify 121 issues in the applications, while generating only 21 false positives. Moreover, many of these false positives are due to limitations in the current implementation of WEBDIFF and could be eliminated with suitable engineering.
Context sensitivity in the force concept inventory

The force concept inventory and a 10-question context-modified test were given to 647 students enrolled in introductory physics classes at the University of Arkansas. Context changes had an effect ranging from $\ensuremath{-}3%$ to 10% on the individual questions. The average student score on the ten transformed questions was 3% higher than the average student score on the corresponding 10 force concept inventory questions. Therefore, the effect of contextual changes on the total of the 10 questions is not sufficient to affect normal use of the force concept inventory as a diagnostic instrument.
Question-based assessments of delay discounting: Do respondents spontaneously incorporate uncertainty into their valuations for delayed rewards?

This research was designed to determine if, and to what extent, participants incorporate uncertainty into their valuations for delayed rewards when completing measures of delay discounting, even though uncertainty is not specified in the delay-discounting questions. Twenty-four adolescent participants completed a question-based measure of delay discounting and immediately following answered questions about perceived certainties of receiving the delayed rewards. Results showed that respondents rated the delayed rewards as increasingly uncertain with longer delays. Also, ratings of uncertainty were correlated with rate of delay discounting (r=0.55). These findings suggest participants automatically evaluate delayed rewards as uncertain when using this assessment procedure. The current finding may hold important implications for future addiction research in interpreting why addicted persons often discount more by delay than non-addicted controls, i.e., delay to reward or uncertainty about delayed rewards?
Inter-search engine lexical signature performance

We generate lexical signatures (LSs) from web pages and acquire the mandatory document frequency values from three dierent search engine (SE) indexes. We cross-query the LSs against the two SEs they were not generated from and compare the retrieval performance by parsing the result set and analyzing the rank of the source URL.
NC Machining of Freeform Pockets with Arbitrary Wall Geometry Using a Grid-Based Navigation Approach

A tool path must be determined in an efficient manner to generate NC (numerical control) code for machining. This is particularly important when machining freeform pockets with arbitrary wall geometry on a three-axis CNC machine. In this paper, a grid-based 3D navigation algorithm for generating NC tool-path data for both linear interpolation and a combination of linear and circular interpolation is presented for three-axis CNC milling of general pockets with sculptured bottom surfaces. The pocket surface is discretised by defining a grid and the navigation algorithm plans the tool motion. The grid size and the cutter diameter are chosen so that a predefined tolerance for surface roughness is satisfied. The grid-based navigation algorithm is simulated graphically and verified experimentally.
On the Bahadur—Ghosh—Kiefer representation of sample quantiles

It is shown that the differentiability of the underlying distribution function at the population pth quantile, 0 < p < 1, is equivalent to (i) the Bahadur—Ghosh representation and (ii) the asymptotic normality of the corresponding sample quantile.
Theoretical model of fishbone oscillations in magnetically confined plasmas.

The onset of electromagnetic oscillations that are observed in magnetically confined plasmas where beams of fast neutrals are injected is associated with the excitation of a mode with poloidal wave number ${m}^{0}=1$ and phase velocity equal to the core-ion diamagnetic velocity. The resonant interaction of the mode with the beam ions is viewed as a form of dissipation that allows the release of the mode excitation energy, related to the gradient of the plasma pressure.
Do American Ethnic Cultures Differ in Their Definitions of Child Sexual Abuse

Abstract This study investigated whether the three largest ethnic/cultural populations in the United States—white Americans, African Americans and Hispanic Americans—entertain different notions of what constitutes Child Sexual Abuse (CSA). The study also investigated the circumstances under which individuals of these cultures deem an offense sufficiently severe to warrant reporting it to law enforcement agencies. Findings are that there are no significant differences between the ethnic groups' recognition of, or willingness to report, CSA except at the lowest levels of severity, where the two ethnic American minorities are somewhat more likely to recognize or report CSA than are white Americans.
The Reference-Level Problem: Its Location and Use in Numerical Weather Predictions

Abstract A reference level is defined as a level of known altitude at which temperature, pressure, and perhaps wind are specified as functions of time. This study is concerned with the optimum location of a reference level without wind information. Experiments were performed with the NCAR six-layer general circulation model to compare the usefulness of a surface reference level with an upper tropospheric reference level. We first performed a control integration using real atmospheric initial data. We then ran several comparison runs with initial conditions differing from those of the control run. The initial pressure distribution at the reference level was kept the same as the control run. The distribution of temperature pseudo-error employed in calculating the initial pressure distributions at the other levels was chosen to simulate possible error patterns in temperatures radiometrically derived from satellites. The initial conditions in all cases were in hydrostatic and geostrophic balance. Three data s...
Rooney: A Sporting Life

Rooney: A Sporting Life, by Rob Ruck, Maggie Jones Patterson, and Michael P. Weber, Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2010, xxvi + 641 pp., photographs, notes, index, US$36.95 (hbk), ISBN 978-...
Evaluation and application of alternative air pollution exposure metrics in air pollution epidemiology studies.

Evaluation and application of alternative air pollution exposure metrics in air pollution epidemiology studies
A Gradient-Dependent Flow Theory of Plasticity: Application to Metal and Soil Instabilities

We propose a gradient-dependent flow theory of plasticity for metals and granular soils and apply it to the problems of shear banding and liquefaction. We incorporate higher order strain gradients either into the constitutive equation for the flow stress or into the dilantancy condition. We examine the effect of these gradients on the onset of instabilities in the form of shear banding in metals or shear banding and liquefaction in soils under both quasi-static and dynamic conditions. It is shown that the higher order gradients affect the critical conditions and allow for a wavelength selection analysis leading to estimates for the width or spacing of shear bands and liquefying strips. Finally, a nonlinear analysis is given for the evolution of shear bands in soils deformed in the post-localization regime.
Notes on the geochemistry of antimony

Abstract The meteoritic abundance of antimony, based on chondrites, is about 0.1 p.p.m. The metal phase of chondrites contains 0.5 p.p.m. Sb. Antimony shows no decided preference for silicic or subsilicic rocks. The amount in igneous rocks (and in the upper lithosphere) is estimated as 0.1–0.2 p.p.m. Shales are variable in antimony, ranging from ~0.1 p.p.m. to several parts per million; the average may be 1 to 2 p.p.m. Limestone and sandstone normally contain less antimony than shales. Bauxite and phosphate rock may contain as much antimony as the richest shales. Oceanic red clay (Pacific) contains ~1 p.p.m. Sb, globigerina ooze a few tenths of a part per million. A rough estimate of the weight ratio Sb/As in the upper lithosphere is 0.1, not significantly different, when the experimental error is considered, from the value 0.05 for meteorites. Because of the low concentrations of antimony in igneous rocks and meteorites and the inadequate sensitivity of the photometric method, the abundance values for these must be looked upon as tentative.
Finite Fourier transform for functions with restricted support

Abstract Let G ( q ) denote the multiplicative group of invertible elements in Z q , the ring of integers modulo q . Let H be a subgroup of G ( q ), and let aH be a coset of H in G ( q ). Suppose ƒ: Z q → C is a function with support contained in aH . This paper describes how to find sets K ⊂ Z q with | K |=| H | such that the function ƒ can be recovered from the values of its (finite) Fourier transform restricted to K . The proofs involve analyzing the (finite) Fourier transform by means of its associated matrix.
Dislocation structures of Σ3 {112} twin boundaries in face centered cubic metals

High resolution transmission electron microscopy of nanotwinned Cu films revealed Σ3 {112} incoherent twin boundaries (ITBs), with a repeatable pattern involving units of three {111} atomic planes. Topological analysis shows that Σ3 {112} ITBs adopt two types of atomic structure with differing arrangements of Shockley partial dislocations. Atomistic simulations were performed for Cu and Al. These studies revealed the structure of the two types of ITBs, the formation mechanism and stability of the associated 9R phase, and the influence of stacking fault energies on them. The results suggest that Σ3 {112} ITBs may migrate through the collective glide of partial dislocations.
Right ventricular unloading for heart failure related to Ebstein malformation.

Background Patients with Ebstein malformation (EM) and severe RV dilatation and dysfunction have increased operative risk. Early results with right ventricular unloading utilizing the bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt (BCPS) during repair of EM have been encouraging. We report our experience of the 1.5-ventricle repair strategy for this difficult group of patients. Methods Between July 1999 and January 2013, 62 patients with severe EM underwent BCPS at the time of tricuspid repair. Median age was 21.5 years (range, 9 months to 57 years), 51.6% were male, and 72.5% were children. Severe RV dilatation was present in all patients; severe RV dysfunction was present in 72.5% (n = 45) and moderate to severe RV dysfunction in 22.5% (n = 14). Mean RV systolic pressure was 32.7 ± 0.7 mm Hg and mean PA pressure was 15.6 ± 2.1 mm Hg. Mean preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 0.536 ± 0.071; it was less than 40% in 10 patients (16.1%). New York Heart Association class III/IV heart failure was present in 43 patients (69.3%) preoperatively and 20 patients (32.2%) were initially referred for heart transplant evaluation. Prior EM surgery occurred in 35.4% (n = 22; 8 prior valve repair, 8 prior valve replacement, Blalock-Taussig shunt in 4, atrial septal defect (ASD) closure in 2). Results Tricuspid repair was performed in 51.6% (n = 32, 5 had re-repair). Bioprosthetic valve replacement was performed in 48.4% (n = 30, 8 had rereplacement). The BCPS was a planned procedure in 53 patients (85.5%) because of RV dysfunction; BCPS was added after unsuccessful weaning from bypass in 7 (11.2%), and in the early postoperative period due to hemodynamic instability in 2. Concomitant procedures included ASD closure in 48.3%, maze in 38.7%, and mitral valve repair in 6.4%. Postoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support was needed in 8 patients. Delayed chest closure was performed in 25.8%. Early mortality was 1.6% (n = 1). Mean mechanical ventilation time was 69.7 hours. Mean intensive care unit and hospital stays were 5.4 ± 3.5 and 10.7 ± 3.5 days, respectively. Mean follow-up was 3.6 ± 2.6 years (maximum, 12.8 years). Patients (n = 10) with low preoperative LVEF (0.362 ± 0.035) improved to 0.517 ± 0.042 postoperatively ( p = 0.001). There was 1 late death in a patient with cystic fibrosis. Late reintervention was needed in 5 patients (8%). Late follow-up was available in 95% (n = 59); all were acyanotic and 88% were in New York Heart Association functional class I/II. Conclusions Concomitant BCPS is a useful adjunct in repair of advanced EM with severe RV dilatation and dysfunction. Operation can be performed with low early mortality. Intermediate-term survival and quality of life is good to excellent, and transplantation can be delayed or avoided in the majority.
A Tailored Intervention to Aid Decisionmaking About Hormone Replacement Therapy

Decision aids related to hormone replacement therapy (HRT), whether delivered in written form,1,2 along with audiotapes,3 or as part of discussion groups,4 have outperformed generic brochures in increasing knowledge and accuracy of risk assessments. However, these decision aids have provided women with population-based estimates of average risk, not individual risk levels that may have bearing on their decisions about HRT. Decision aids individually customized or “tailored” to include only the most relevant information could make it easier for women to consider HRT's risks and benefits.5,6 Tailored interventions have yet to be evaluated for HRT decisions. We describe the effect of a tailored decision aid on women's accuracy of perceived risk for breast cancer, confidence to decide about HRT, and satisfaction with the decision.
Physical sciences: X-rays from the Coma cluster of galaxies.

THE Coma cluster of galaxies is usually considered to contain insufficient matter in the form of galaxies to be gravitationally bound, but the high degree of symmetry of the cluster, and the presumed age of its galaxies, suggest that the cluster is, in fact, gravitationally bound. It is possible that the missing mass takes the form of ionized intracluster gas, and Woolf1 has used radio, visible light and X-ray observations to set upper limits for the amount of such matter and, more recently, Turnrose and Rood2 have discussed the problems of heating and supporting such a gas against gravitational collapse. We present here new observational evidence of X-ray emission which limits the amount of hot intracluster gas to less than 2 % of that required for gravitational binding.
Metabolism of glucose by erythrocytes from patients with congenital hemolytic disorders

O v E R the years the erythrocyte has served the experimental needs of a variety of investigators. Biochemists, chemists, biologists, geneticists, biophysicists, and others have participated in these studies, and the remarkable growth and productivity of their pursuits indicate that the red cell will be a prime research target for many years to come. Persons interested in human biology have been attracted to the red cell for several reasons: it is easily accessible, it can be obtained in pure form, and, under properly controlled circumstances, its supply is limitless. Another, and perhaps more important reason, is the knowledge that metabolic pathways occurring in other tissues may exist in the red cell. Circulating erythrocytes, for example, contain abundant amounts of the enzymes necessary for the conversion of galactose to glucose. One of these enzymes, galactose-l-phosphate uridyl transferase, is deficient in the red cells from patients with galactosemia. 1 As yet there is
Ethanol and membrane lipids.

Although ethanol is known to exert its primary mode of action on the central nervous system, the exact molecular interaction underlying the behavioral and physiological manifestations of alcohol intoxication has not been elucidated. Chronic ethanol administration results in changes in organ functions. These changes are reflective of the adaptive mechanisms in response to the acute effects of ethanol. Biophysical studies have shown that ethanol in vitro disorders the membrane and perturbs the fine structural arrangement of the membrane lipids. In the chronic state, these membranes develop resistance to the disordering effects. Tolerance development is also accompanied by biochemical changes. Although ethanol-induced changes in membrane lipids have been implicated in both biophysical and biochemical studies, measurements of membrane lipids, such as cholesterol content, fatty acid unsaturation, phospholipid distribution, and ganglioside profiles, have not produced conclusive evidence that any of these parameters are directly involved in the action of ethanol. On the other hand, there is increasing evidence indicating that although ethanol in vitro produces a membrane-fluidizing effect, the chronic response to this effect is not to change the membrane bulk lipid composition. Instead, changes in membrane lipids may pertain to small metabolically active pools located in certain subcellular fractions. Most likely, these lipids are involved in important membrane functions. For example, the increase in PS in brain plasma membranes may provide an explanation for the adaptive increase in synaptic membrane ion transport activity, especially (Na,K)-ATPase. There is also evidence that the lipid pool involved in the deacylation-reacylation mechanism (i.e., PI and PC with 20:4 groups) is altered after ethanol administration. An increase in metabolic turnover of these phospholipid pools may have important implications for the membrane functional changes. Obviously, there are other lipid-metabolizing enzyme systems that may exert similar effects but have not yet been investigated in detail. From the results of these studies, it is concluded that the multiple actions of ethanol are associated with changes in enzymic systems important in the functional expression of the membranes.
Faulty towers: Reform, Radicalism and the Gothic Castle, 1760-1800

Who has not been on an amusement park ride that proceeds through a haunted house, complete with cobwebs, coffins, once opulent furnishings, and a ghost or two? It is an idea that we have encountered countless times in novels and movies alike yet one that continues to mystify us. How did the trope of the haunted Gothic castle/mansion materialize so quickly in the late eighteenth century? Although we have more or less recognized Walpole’s castle of Otranto as its prototype, we are yet unacquainted with the rapid construction of the so-called “haunted castle/mansion/house” trope, particularly between 1777 and 1800. This essay contends that far from being accidental, the foundations of this trope were heavily impacted not only by populist histories that detailed the beginnings of Britain’s stately castles, abbeys, and houses and the dark tales of their presiding tyrants, but more significantly by the simultaneous campaigns for parliamentary reform and religious toleration. I demonstrate how historians began to identify the chief features of Gothic architecture as Norman during a period in which reformers and radicals were also beginning to revive the myth of the Norman Yoke and stir up resentment against the church and aristocracy. I also show how reformers were increasingly inclined to deploy architectural metaphors in their discussions of Britain’s political institutions and establishments: just as conservatives argued for the retention of the Gothic castle, progressives argued for its destruction, regarding it in some instances as either haunted or filled with harpies (i.e., Jeremy Bentham). Finally, I analyze the means by which Jacobin and Gothic novelists adopted the Gothic castle as a criticism of Britain’s so-called “establishments” and, more interestingly, came to explore the idea of identification between villains and their dark abodes in their novels.
Effects of the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Fluoxetine on Social Behaviors in Male and Female Prairie Voles (Microtus ochrogaster)

The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine modifies social behavior in a number of species, including humans. Because the neural substrates for social behavior in prairie voles are sexually dimorphic, we tested whether the effects of fluoxetine on these behaviors differ by sex. Parental and pair-bonded voles were chronically treated with fluoxetine or saline and subsequently tested for parental responsiveness. Fluoxetine-treated animals displayed a longer latency to exhibit parental responsiveness than did saline-treated controls (p < 0.02), but they did not differ in other aspects of parental care. There were no sex differences in the effects of fluoxetine on parental behavior. After completion of the tests for parental behavior, the subjects were tested for aggressive behavior using the resident-intruder paradigm. Fluoxetine-treated males displayed less aggressive behavior than their saline-treated counterparts (p < 0.02). Although we did not find any effects of fluoxetine on aggressive behavior in females, no significant interaction was found between sex and treatment. Fluoxetine did not alter nonsocial behaviors. The findings suggest that serotonin influences social behavior in prairie voles.
Death caused by hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state at the onset of type 2 diabetes

Seven obese African American youth were considered to have died from diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) due to type 1 diabetes, despite meeting the criteria for hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state and not for DKA. All had previously unrecognized type 2 diabetes, and death may have been prevented with earlier diagnosis or treatment.
Computing Attachments: Engelbart's Controversial Writing Technology

Abstract Douglas Engelbart's innovative computer system afforded controversial writing and computing practices that continue to sharply contrast with standard ways of writing with computers today. Using actor-network theory (ANT), this article traces the history of the computer system developed by Engelbart in the late 1960s, highlighting the previously contentious state of computer hardware and software used for writing that we now take largely for granted. Pushed aside in favor of computer systems more oriented toward print practices, Engelbart's project illustrates the difficulties such disruptive technologies face in terms of widespread adoption. Although all technologies require robust infrastructures for their continued existence, innovative projects are especially likely to be dismissed if they lack supportive networks. This article argues that increased attention to nonhuman actors such as computer hardware and software, and the support they need, can lead to more detailed understandings of their role in literate activities.
Graph-Based Codes

The 1990s brought about classes of codes that are capable of performance near Shannon’s capacity limits for the most common channel models. These code classes include convolutional turbo codes, block turbo codes (BTCs), and low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes [1–6]. Each of these codes can be conveniently modeled by graphs. Such graphical models for codes lead to simplified decoder descriptions which in turn lead to an improved understanding of the performance characteristics of the decoders. A graphical description of a decoder has been well known since around 1970: the Viterbi decoder for decoding convolutional codes is generally described by a graph called a trellis. This chapter gives detailed introductions to parallel and serial convolutional turbo codes, BTCs, and LDPC codes. In discussing the decoding algorithms for each of these code classes, we chose the binary-input additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel model to make our discussions more concrete. This channel model is appropriate for coherent optical communications, but is also often used as an approximation for photodetection receivers. Extensions to other channels require only modified decoder inputs.
Can Reinforcement Learning Always Provide the Best Policy

Reinforcement learning deals with how to find the best policy under uncertain environment to maximize some notion of long term reward. In sequential decision making, it is often expected that the best policy can be designed by choosing appropriate reward or penalty for each action. In this paper, we provide a counterexample to show that the best sequential decision rule can not be obtained by the choice of any reward function in the reinforcement learning framework. In fact, the best policy, namely, the randomized sequential probability ratio test, can only be learned via a rather unconventional formulation of the reinforcement learning. The implication to the design of classifier combining method is also discussed.
Response of Resin Transfer Molded (RTM) Composites Under Reversed Cyclic Loading

Compressive behavior and the tension-compression fatigue response of resin transfer molded IM7 PW/PR 500 composite laminate with a circular notch have been studied. Fatigue damage characteristics have been investigated through the changes in the laminate strength and stiffness by gradually incrementing the fatigue cycles at a preselected load level. Progressive damage in the surface of the laminate during fatigue has been investigated using cellulose replicas. Failure mechanisms during static and cyclic tests have been identified and presented in detail. Extensive debonding of filaments and complete fiber bundle fracture accompanied by delamination were found to be responsible for fatigue failures, while fiber buckling, partial fiber fracture and delamination were characterized as the failure modes during static tests. Weibull analysis of the static, cyclic and residual tests have been performed and described in detail. Fractured as well as untested specimens were C-scanned, and the progressive damage growth during fatigue is presented. Optical Microscopy (OM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for the fractured specimen were also performed and the analysis of the failure behavior is presented.
BEATNP: a tool for partitioning Boolean networks

BEATNP (BoolEAn Tools Network Partitioner) was designed to extend the application size capability of the BOLD (Boulder Optimal Logic Design) system. BEATNP partitions a Boolean network into subnetworks which satisfy user specified size constraints. Most of the tools in the BOLD tools suite solve problems which are in NP or Co-NP, so they can be assumed to have exponential complexity. Because the BEATNP algorithms have log-linear worst-case complexity, the CPU time requirements of optimization tools can be reduced greatly in difficult cases. When used with the BOLD minimizer on a set of well known benchmark examples, BEATNP reduced CPU time by 1 to 3 orders of magnitude while retaining a significant majority of the optimization savings available in the unpartitioned case. >
Diffuse optical monitors for bed-side monitoring of cerebral hemodynamics at the neuro-intensive care unit

A hybrid diffuse optical monitor was developed for non-invasive, continuous monitoring of microvascular cerebral hemodynamics at the neuro-intensive unit. I present the fundamental physics, instrumentation and sample studies.