cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On-screen vector-based ultrasound assessment of vesical neck movement.

Abstract Objective: We sought to develop a vector-based assessment to determine the magnitude and direction of bladder neck movements, as well as to assess whether probe movement relative to the pubis needs to be taken into account. Study Design: Ten nulliparous continent, 10 primiparous continent, and 10 primiparous stress-incontinent women were recruited. Perineal ultrasound scanning was performed in standing women while they were resting, performing the Valsalva maneuver, coughing, and performing Kegel exercises. A direct on-screen assessment of bladder neck displacement from rest to the peak of dynamic activity relative to the pubic axis was made. Transducer movement was assessed by measuring the displacement of the pubic bone. Results: The method was feasible because measurements were possible in all 30 subjects. Vesical neck and pubic point movement in millimeters (± SD) and the percentage error if pubic point movement is not accounted for are as follow: strain, vesical neck 16.9 ± 6.1 and pubic point 4.8 ± 3.9, 28%; cough, vesical neck 10.2 ± 5.4, pubic point 2.9 ± 3.4, 33%; Kegel exercise, vesical neck 7.0 ± 3.6 and pubic point 0.7 ± 1.4, 37%. Similar discrepancies in angle were found and are presented. Uncorrected direction of vesical neck and pubic point movement in degrees and the percentage error if pubic point movement is not accounted for are as follow: strain, vesical neck 169.4 ± 18.5 and pubic point 214.0 ± 56.7, 18%; cough, vesical neck 162.0 ± 12.8, pubic point 238.4 ± 27.4, 22%; Kegel exercise, vesical neck –0.9 ± 12.7 and pubic point –4.8 ± 20.6, 87%. Test-retest reliability correlations were more than an r value of 0.7 in all measures and 86% of the measurements greater than 0.8. Conclusion: The vector-based system provides a simple method for quantifying distance and direction of vesical neck motion, as well as localizing the resting vesical neck position. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001;185:65-70.)
Dosage of Sulfamerazine in the Treatment of Furunculosis in Brook Trout, Salvelinus Fontinalis

Abstract To determine the most effective dosage of sulfamerazine in the treatment of furunculosis in brook trout, two experiments were run. In the first experiment, yearlings were used and the daily dosage rates were 4, 8, and 12 grams of sulfamerazine per 100 pounds of fish. In the lots treated with sulfamerazine, mortality was brought under control within 15 days and was less than a quarter as high as in the controls. Results with the 4-gram rate were nearly as good as with the higher rates. Treatment was continued for 10 days or more after mortality dropped to zero, and recurrences were few. A large number of the dead were checked bacteriologically for furunculosis. In the second experiment fingerlings in an early stage of a furunculosis epizootic were used and the daily dosage rates were 2, 4 and 6 grams per 100 pounds of fish. Losses in the controls were extremely heavy, with only 6-percent survival. Losses were heavy in all lots, but in those treated at the 4-gram and 6-gram rates, survival was 10 t...
Two theorems in classical vorticity theory

Es wurden zwei neue Satze fur den Transport von Wirbeln aufgestellt. Dabei zeigt sich, dass die Begriffe «Konvektion» und «Diffusion» neu definiert werden sollten.
Undergraduate Internship in Conversation

Despite the current rise in interest in language studies, two sensitive problems remain in departments of foreign languages-limited ability in communication for lower-division students and lack of enthusiam for literary courses for upper-division students. The Conversation Internship may open up options beyond these programs and eventually result in an improvement of elementary language acquisition. The undergraduate role seems to be experiencing a revolution: more programs welcome advanced students to teaching duties. In agreement with the spirit of Stephen Krashen's Monitor Theory, our Conversation Internship offers comprehensible input with no error correction or grading. It is thus a moderate innovation, expecting only conversation facilitation. The coordination, planning, training, and grading of facilitator performance is controlled by a faculty member. The elementary participants are voluntary and motivated by limited incentives. Experiments conducted at this institution might be fruitfully replicated at other institutions with larger enrollments.
Fast structural design and analysis via hybrid domain decomposition on massively parallel processors

A hybrid domain decomposition framework for static, transient and eigen finite element analyses of structural mechanics problems is presented. Its basic ingredients include physical substructuring and /or automatic mesh partitioning, mapping algorithms, 'gluing' approximations for fast design modifications and evaluations, and fast direct and preconditioned iterative solvers for local and interface subproblems. The overall methodology is illustrated with the structural design of a solar viewing payload that is scheduled to fly in March 1993. This payload has been entirely designed and validated by a group of undergraduate students at the University of Colorado using the proposed hybrid domain decomposition approach on a massively parallel processor. Performance results are reported on the CRAY Y-MP/8 and the iPSC-860/64 Touchstone systems, which represent both extreme parallel architectures. The hybrid domain decomposition methodology is shown to outperform leading solution algorithms and to exhibit an excellent parallel scalability.
Dissolution rate measurements for resist processing in supercritical carbon dioxide

A dissolution rate monitor (DRM) was successfully constructed to study the behavior of thin photoresist films undergoing the dissolution process in supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO 2 ). The DRM is based on the principles of interferometry but requires special modifications to the processing vessel to allow for the passage of transmitted and reflected He-Ne laser light. Dissolution rates obtained agree well with independent profilometric measurements of film thickness loss. We found that for block and random copolymers of THPMA-F7MA, dissolution rates vary with film thickness, slowing down considerably towards the silicon surface. This behavior was also observed in TBMA-F7MA random copolymers.
Hypnosis, differential expression of cytokines by T-cell subsets, and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis.

This investigation tested the hypothesis that hypnosis can differentially modulate T-cell subsets, and that this effect is mediated by changes in hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) mediators. Seven healthy, highly hypnotizable volunteers participated in three one-day sessions, a baseline and two intervention sessions. Hypnosis intervention entailed a standardized induction, suggestions for ego strengthening and optimally balanced functioning of the immune and neuroendocrine systems, and post-hypnotic suggestions for stress management and continued optimal balance of bodily systems. Blood samples were drawn at five time points between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and were analyzed for T-cell activation and intracellular cytokine expression (Interferon (IFN)-gamma, Interleukin-2, Interleukin-4) and HPA axis mediators (ACTH, cortisol, and beta-endorphin). Following hypnosis intervention, statistically significant immunological effects were noted. Specifically, the proportion of T-cells expressing IFN-gamma (p = .0001) and IL-2 (p = .013) were lower after hypnosis. T-cell activation response to polyclonal stimulation was positively correlated with ACTH (p = .01) and beta-endorphin (p = .001) while IFN-gamma expression was correlated with levels of cortisol (p < .001). Further controlled studies utilizing hypnosis with patients in treatment are warranted in order to examine whether an altered T-cell response can be replicated in the presence of disease.
Disruptive Effects of Overactive Bladder and Urge Urinary Incontinence in Younger Women

Although most studies of overactive bladder (OAB) have investigated older patients, many younger women suffer from OAB syndrome with and without urge urinary incontinence. OAB in these women is associated with an increased risk of depression, sexual dysfunction, sleep disruption, and lost productivity in the workplace. Many patients adopt coping strategies rather than seeking treatment; therefore, available treatments are underused in this population.
Differential Post-irradiation Caffeine Response in Normal Diploid versus SV40-transformed Human Fibroblasts: Potential Role of Nuclear Organization and Protein-composition

To test the hypothesis that the enhancement of cell killing by post-irradiation treatment with caffeine (CAF) is mediated by alterations in chomatin structure, several nuclear parameters were examined in both caffeine-responsive and non-responsive cell lines. Cell killing, as determined by clonogenic assay, was not enhanced by post-irradiation treatment with 5 mm caffeine in a human diploid fibroblast line (AG1522) but an effect was seen in a SV40 T-antigen transformed derivative (1522-a). CAF caused a complete reversal of the radiation-induced G2 + S phase cell-cycle delays in the transformed cell line but only a partial reversal was noted for the parental cell line. The nuclear endpoints examined, which may be indicative of chromatin conformational changes, included enzymatic accessibility, DNA loop structure, and nuclear protein composition. In assays of the ability of DNA to undergo supercoiling changes, it was found that nucleoids isolated from CAF-treated cells had a significantly reduced propidium—...
Effect of ketamine-anesthesia on N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced activation of type I nucleus accumbens neurons.

Abstract Extracellular single-unit recording and microiontophoretic techniques were used to determine the effects of ketamine-anesthesia on N-methy-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced excitation of Type I nucleus accumbens neurons. NMDA increased the firing rate of most neurons in this preparation. Thus, it may be concluded that ketamine-anesthesia does not result in blockade of central NMDA receptors. The excitation caused by NMDA was readily reversed in all cases by co-iontophoresis of MK 801, but was generally unaffected by co-iontophoresis of ketamine. However, ketamine-anesthesia did significantly increase the current levels necessary for, and limited the magnitude of, NMDA-induced activation of these cells (as compared to urethane-anesthetized rats), suggesting that ketamine is not without effect on NMDA-receptors in vivo .
Critical Thinking and Subject Specificity: Clarification and Needed Research:

The claim that critical thinking is subject specific appears, to be of practical importance and theoretical interest. Its meaning is unclear, however, and discussions of its are often confusing and at cross purposes. In an attempt to clarify the topic, Ennis offers a number of distinctions, including a distinction among three versions of subject specificity: domain, epistemological, and conceptual subject specificity. He holds that the first two versions contain valuable insights, but that all three suffer from excessive vagueness of their basic concept (domain, field, and subject, respectively). If the proposed clarification and critique are appropriate, then a number of avenues of research—at both practical and theoretical levels—need to be pursued, some of which are outlined in this essay
Subtidal variability in water levels inside a subtropical estuary

Year-long time series of water level are analyzed at five locations along the St. Johns River Estuary, Florida, to investigate propagation of subtidal pulses. Hilbert-transformed Empirical Orthogonal Functions (HEOFs) are obtained after a dominant seasonal signal is extracted from the data. These functions provide information on spatial structure and propagation phase of subtidal water level pulses. The first HEOF mode explains 96% of the subtidal variability and features an unusual spatial structure: amplitude attenuation (averaging 1 mm/km) to 55 km upstream, slight amplification (0.16 mm/km) over the middle 70 km, and attenuation (2.3 mm/km) over the final 18 km of the estuary. The phase suggests a shift from progressive to quasi-standing wave behavior at 55 km from the estuary mouth. Additionally, local minima in the phase suggest two sources of subtidal forcing: the coastal ocean and the upstream end. An analytical model describing the evolution of long waves through a channel with frictional damping is fit to the amplitude of HEOF mode 1. Solutions are obtained as a function of two parameters: the nondimensional length of the basin, κ, and the nondimensional frictional depth, δ. Values of κ between 0.55 and 0.67 and δ between 1.45 and 1.7 provide the best fit with the HEOF results (1% error or less). These values indicate a highly frictional environment in which the average subtidal wavelength is 10 times the basin length. Subtidal pulses in this estuary, therefore, behave as damped waves that can be represented with idealized models.
Two-dimensional blind deconvolution from point zero locations

Assuming that 2D bandlimited functions are always nonfactorizable, one can use this property to separate the product of two bandlimited functions into its respective factors. The contour in C2 on which each bandlimited function is zero typically intersects with the real plane at isolated points and the location of these zeros can be used to write a factorizable approximation to the original irreducible complex spectrum. From two differently blurred images, the point zero set from the object's spectrum can be separated from those of the blurring functions by inspection, allowing the object to be reconstructed; examples are given and the importance of this for Fourier phase retrieval is also discussed.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Dependence of Sodium Ion Mobility upon Melt Atmosphere in GeO2 Glasses

Sodium ion mobilities in high-purity GeO2 glasses were examined for glasses melted under varying oxygen partial pressure. Increased oxygen partial pressure during melting increases the sodium ion mobility for glasses melted at the same temperature. This effect is attributed to the effect of oxygen partial pressure upon intrinsic defect concentrations within the glass.
Radar wind profiler observations of solar semidiurnal atmospheric tides

Semidiurnal solar tides in the mid-latitude tropo- sphere are investigated using harmonic analysis of 404 MHz radar profiler wind data obtained from a wide longitude zone in the U.S. The tides are apparent above a 1000-m-deep surface layer and increase in amplitude with height, attaining speeds of 0.5-0.7 rn/s at 5-7 km. Observed wind characteristics agree well with tidal characteristics obtained with a dynamical model driven by observed global semidiurnal horizontal pressure gradients.
Inflammatory breast cancer: Advances in therapy

Inflammatory breast cancer is the most aggressive breast neoplasm and one of the most ominous solid tumors. Because of distinct clinical characteristics, diagnosis can usually be made on clinical grounds. Biopsy including the overlying skin may demonstrate dermal lymphatic invasion, although the absence of dermal lymphatic invasions should not deter aggressive therapy. Surgery or irradiation alone has little effect on the natural history of this disease since lymphatic invasion and distant metas-tases are often present at presentation. Inflammatory breast cancer should be considered a systemic disease. Accordingly, aggressive combined modality therapy including multi-drug chemotherapy, surgery, and irradiation have prolonged disease-free survival and overall survival.
Current Use of the EXCOR Pediatric Ventricular Assist Device

Since its initial application in the pediatric patient population, the Berlin Heart EXCOR ventricular assist device has become a widely accepted form of mechanical circulatory support in Europe and the USA. The versatility of the device makes it ideal for pediatric patients because it can be tailored to the size and needs of the patient. In this review, we will explore the broad range of clinical applications of this device including bridge to cardiac transplantation, bridge to recovery, and bridge to bridge implantation where the need for cardiac transplantation may be unclear but long-term mechanical support may be required.
On the action of metal cutting fluids at low speeds

Abstract Fluids used in metal cutting may be classified into those that are most useful at lowspeeds and act predominantly to improve surface finish and those that are most useful at high speeds and act predominantly as coolants. The low speed materials function by reacting chemically with the chip to form a solid layer which prevents welding and metal transfer between chip and tool. Since effective fluids of this type cause a decrease in the cutting energy and all forces, it has been thought that they function by providing a low shear strength film between chip and tool. A recent study of the action of low speed fluids indicates that one of their requirements lies in the ability to produce a relatively high shear strength layer. Data supporting this high shear strength idea are presented, together with an explanation for the paradox.
The effect of placental removal method on the incidence of postcesarean infections

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether the incidence of postoperative endometritis and wound infection is associated with the method of placental removal at the time of cesarean section. STUDY DESIGN: Parturients undergoing cesarean delivery were prospectively randomized to have the placenta removed manually or spontaneously. Patients were excluded from participation if they had received intrapartum prophylactic antibiotics or had been determined to have chorioamnionitis. After delivery of the infant women in the manual group had the placenta extracted by the primary surgeon, whereas women in the spontaneous group had the placenta delivered by gentle traction on the umbilical cord. All study subjects received perioperative prophylactic antibiotics. The primary outcome variable was a postcesarean infection, defined as postcesarean endometritis or wound cellulitis requiring drainage and antibiotic therapy. RESULTS: A total of 333 women were enrolled in the investigation, with 165 assigned to the manual removal group and 168 allocated to have spontaneous removal. There were no statistically significant differences in mean gestational age, frequency or duration of ruptured membranes, frequency or duration of labor, or mean number of vaginal examinations between the two study groups. Postoperative infections occurred in 25 of 168 (15%) women in the spontaneous delivery group compared with 44 of 165 (27%) women in which the placenta was manually extracted (relative risk 0.6, 95% confidence interval 0.4 to 0.9, p = 0.01). Subset analysis of patients delivered with ruptured membranes similarly demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of postoperative infections with spontaneous placental removal compared with manual extraction (20% vs. 38%, relative risk 0.5, 95% confidence interval 0.3 to 0.9, p = 0.02). There was a similar trend toward a reduction in postdelivery infections associated with spontaneous placental removal in women with intact membranes; however, this difference did not attain statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous delivery of the placenta after cesarean delivery is associated with a decrease in the incidence of postcesarean infections. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1997;176:1250-4.)
Genetic Glass Ceilings: Transgenics for Crop Biodiversity

Genetic Glass Ceilings: Transgenics for Crop Biodiversity Jonathan Gressel Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore; ISBN: 978 0 8018 8719 2; 2008; 488pp; hardback
Split cuts and extended formulations for Mixed Integer Conic Quadratic Programming

We study split cuts and extended formulations for Mixed Integer Conic Quadratic Programming (MICQP) and their relation to Conic Mixed Integer Rounding (CMIR) cuts. We show that CMIR is a linear split cut for the polyhedral portion of an extended formulation of a quadratic set and it can be weaker than the nonlinear split cut of the same quadratic set. However, we also show that families of CMIRs can be significantly stronger than the associated family of nonlinear split cuts.
Solid polymeric microparticles enhance the delivery of siRNA to macrophages in vivo

Therapeutics based on small interfering RNA (siRNA) have a great clinical potential; however, delivery problems have limited their clinical efficacy, and new siRNA delivery vehicles are greatly needed. In this report, we demonstrate that submicron particles (800–900nm) composed of the polyketal PK3 and chloroquine, termed as the PKCNs, can deliver tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) siRNA in vivo to Kupffer cells efficiently and inhibit gene expression in the liver at concentrations as low as 3.5kg/kg. The high delivery efficiency of the PKCNs arises from the unique properties of PK3, which can protect siRNA from serum nucleases, stimulate cell uptake and trigger a colloid osmotic disruption of the phagosome and release encapsulated siRNA into the cell cytoplasm. We anticipate numerous applications of the PKCNs for siRNA delivery to macrophages, given their high delivery efficiency, and the central role of macrophages in causing diseases such as hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and chronic renal disease.
Learning-Based Disassembly Process Planner for Uncertainty Management

As product lifecycles are getting shorter and shorter, manufacturers are facing a great deal of economic and political pressure to reclaim and recycle their obsolete products. Disassembly, as one of the natural solutions, is of increasing importance in material and product recovery. However, this process is fraught with a high level of uncertainty (e.g., variations in product structure and condition, and human factors). The development of an effective modeling and management tool for such involved factors is critical in moving disassembly toward a more efficient and automated regime. This paper builds upon our previous work to undertake this problem. More specifically, a fuzzy Petri net model is introduced to explicitly represent the dynamics inherent in disassembly. Instead of presuming the pertinent data in the model is already known, a self-adaptive disassembly process planner and associated computationally effective algorithms are designed in a way to: 1) accumulate the past experience of predicting such data and, at the same time, 2) exploit the ldquoknowledgerdquo captured in the data to choose the best disassembly plan and improve the overall disassembly performance. To ensure the robustness of the learning procedure, variable memory length is further introduced. The proposed methodology and algorithms are illustrated through the disassembly of a batch of personal computers in a prototypical disassembly system.
Alcohol Ablation for Tachycardia Therapy

Alcohol Ablation for Tachycardia Therapy. Selective administration of ethanol into branches of the coronary arterial circulation has been proposed as a means of ablating cardiac fibers that give rise to cardiac arrhythmias, no matter where in the heart they might be located. In patients with uncontrollable ventricular rates in the setting of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, ethanol has been infused into the atrioventricular (AV) nodal artery in order to abolish or modify AV nodal conduction. Such a procedure is technically feasible in approximately 80% of patients and is successful in 70%–80% of individuals who are treated. Many of these patients require permanent pacemaker implantation because of chronic complete AV block. Intracoronary ethanol ablation has also been used to treat patients with AV nodal reentrant supraventricular tachycardia and ectopic atrial tachycardia, but there is scant clinical experience with the technique in these arrhythmias. Among patients with incessant or recurrent ventricular tachycardia (VT), intracoronary ethanol ablation has abolished clinical recurrences of arrhythmia in 78% of treated individuals. However, inability to identify a VT-related arterial branch and other technical considerations may limit application of ethanol ablation to fewer than 50% of potential candidates with VT. Ethanol ablation is generally well tolerated, but significant complications have occurred, including ethanol-induced occlusion of nontarget coronary arteries leading to unintended myocardial infarction. Procedure-related death has also occurred. Ethanol ablation shows promise as a method for abolishing intractable tachycardias but further study is required to improve the safety of the technique and to define more precisely which patients are the best candidates in whom to consider this approach. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 3, pp. 354–364, August 1992)
Abnormal platelet count is an independent predictor of mortality in the elderly and is influenced by ethnicity

Even though alterations in platelet counts are presumed to be detrimental, their impact on the survival of patients has not been studied in large cohorts. The prevalence of thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis was examined in a large inner city outpatient population of 36,262 individuals aged ≥65 years old. A significant association with shorter overall survival was found for both thrombocytopenia (HR=1.45; 95% CI: 1.36–1.56) and thrombocytosis (HR=1.75; 95% CI: 1.56–1.97) when compared to the survival of patients with normal platelet counts. This effect persisted across all ethnic groups. However, African-Americans (non-Hispanic Blacks) with either thrombocytopenia or thrombocytosis were at significantly lower risk compared to non-Hispanic Caucasians (HR=0.82; 95% CI: 0.69–0.96 and HR=0.70; 95% CI: 0.53–0.94, respectively). Furthermore, Hispanics with thrombocytosis were found to have a lower mortality risk compared to non-Hispanic Caucasians with thrombocytosis (HR=0.60; 95% CI: 0.44–0.81). A value of <125,000 platelets per microliter was a better prognostic marker for non-Hispanic Blacks and these subjects with this platelet count had similar overall survival to that of Caucasians with a value of <150,000 per microliter. In conclusion, thrombocytosis and thrombocytopenia are independently associated with shorter overall survival in elderly subjects and this effect is modified by ethnicity. Using different thresholds to define the association of thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis with overall mortality risk among non-Hispanic Blacks may, therefore, be warranted.
Building Good Spectral Vegetation Backgrounds in the VNIR

It has been said that one person's signal is another person's noise, or alternatively, one engineer's ground clutter is another engineer's object of interest. Vegetation observed with spectral imagers can be regarded either way. Some users of spectral data (multispectral or hyperspectral) want to study the plants in the pixels, and others want to use characteristics of the plants to move them out of the way of more interesting things. This is a difficult problem in either case in that vegetation is not time-static (spectral reflectance changes with seasons) and vegetation in general has smaller spatial scale than spectral data sets do. One approach is to model the reflectance or other properties of plants at pixel scale, using various observed data and mathematical models to span both wavelength and spatial dimension. Data collection at the leaf/branch level is known to be costly in labor, travel, and equipment and fraught with pitfalls for the field operator. Models for scaling up from plant data to larger spatial dimensions also have assumptions and built-in limitations. One big problem is to identify and avoid sources of error and variance which can cause a collection's data to be suspect. Remotely-sensed spectral data have been around for decades, and research on uses of these data continues even as commercial and government agencies use multispectral and hyperspectral sets to identify species cover in forests, monitor the health of crops, seek mineral deposits, track pollution, and monitor the condition of roadways. Those who use spectral images get the data from sources like LANDSAT, ASTER, and SPOT, or newer systems such as AVIRIS, MODIS, and HYPERION. The technical challenge is to aggregate, upward, the knowledge collected at the leaf level, to enable people to make inferences at the pixel level. I will discuss some of these published efforts in more detail. There are several issues at each level in this aggregation, including calibration, drift, illumination, and sample integrity. In measuring leaf reflectance, there are several protocols dependent on the measuring equipment. The instrument also needs to be calibrated and controlled for drift. Deterioration of the sample being measured will occur. Illumination, if solar, will vary as measurements proceed. The same issues occur in the greenhouse/laboratory setting. We will explore several of these sources of non- representative spectra. Researchers are attempting to bridge the gap from leaf to pixel using canopy reflectance models. A few widely accepted models are SAILH and PROSPECT, and their variants. (Canopy models are also used for estimating biometric properties over large areas).
Antenatal corticosteroids alter insulin signaling pathways in fetal baboon skeletal muscle

Objective We hypothesize that prenatal exposure to glucocorticoids (GCs) will negatively alter the insulin signal transduction pathway and has differing effects on the fetus according to gestational age at exposure.
The ultrastructure of Crithidia fasciculata and morphological changes induced by growth in acriflavin.

SYNOPSIS. Crithidia fasciculata is similar to other trypanosomatids in ultrastructure. Of considerable interest is the finding of a lamellar membrane formation attached to the mitochondrion. Some evidence is provided for the tentative hypothesis that this membrane formation is the precursor of mitochondrial membranes. The cellular origin of this structure is unknown. Growth in acriflavin results in a marked alteration of the mitochondrion and kinetoplast. Both structures are deficient in cristae. In addition, the kinetoplast loses its normal fibrillar appearance and becomes a smaller, more electron-dense organelle. These effects are discussed in relation to the proposed involvement of the kinetoplast in the elaboration of functional mitochondria.
Are Mass Extinctions Really Periodic

Abstract : It is argued that the analysis of family extinction data that resulted in the claim of a 26 Myr periodicity of mass extinctions was flawed in that it did not allow for the possibility of a symmetric random walk model, which is shown to be perfectly consistent with the data. (Author)
Dual-Use Research of Concern (DURC) Review at American Society for Microbiology Journals

The potential use of biological knowledge for nefarious purposes has attracted significant concern. The field of microbiology has come under particular scrutiny because some microbes and toxins are potential agents for bioterrorism and biological warfare. In 2005, the U.S. government established the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) to address issues related to biosecurity and dual-use research (http://osp.od.nih.gov/office-biotechnology-activities/biosecurity/nsabb). Over the past decade, the NSABB has considered several topics, including defining the boundary between research that requires no special oversight and research that could be misapplied, which is known as dual-use research of concern (DURC). One of the major accomplishments of the NSABB was to draft a definition for DURC as “life sciences research that, based on current understanding, can be reasonably anticipated to provide knowledge, information, products, or technologies that could be directly misapplied to pose a significant threat with broad potential consequences to public health and safety, agricultural crops and other plants, animals, the environment, materiel, or national security.” In addition to defining the type of research that should elicit heightened concern, the NSABB recommended that research be examined for DURC potential throughout its life span, from experimental conception to final dissemination of the results (http://osp.od.nih.gov/sites/default/files/resources/Framework%20for%20transmittal%20duplex%209-10-07.pdf) and developed tools for communicating findings that meet the definition (http://osp.od.nih.gov/sites/default/files/resources/Communication\_Tools%20\_Dual\_Use\_Potential.pdf). Furthermore, the NSABB sought to establish a culture of responsibility to mitigate risks associated with DURC that extended through the entire scientific enterprise and included journals and editors. In 2007, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) responded to the NSABB directives by introducing a questionnaire in the manuscript referee review form used by its journals that asked reviewers to provide an assessment about whether the work involved experiments of concern. Since the winter of 2012, the discipline of microbiology, and the field of virology in particular, has been convulsed by controversy …
Compendium of Test Results of Recent Single Event Effect Tests Conducted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

This paper reports heavy ion and proton-induced single event effect (SEE) results from recent tests for a variety of microelectronic devices. The compendium covers devices tested over the last two years by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Improving false discovery rate estimation

Motivation: Recent attempts to account for multiple testing in the analysis of microarray data have focused on controlling the false discovery rate (FDR). However, rigorous control of the FDR at a preselected level is often impractical. Consequently, it has been suggested to use the q-value as an estimate of the proportion of false discoveries among a set of significant findings. However, such an interpretation of the q-value may be unwarranted considering that the q-value is based on an unstable estimator of the positive FDR (pFDR). Another method proposes estimating the FDR by modeling p-values as arising from a beta-uniform mixture (BUM) distribution. Unfortunately, the BUM approach is reliable only in settings where the assumed model accurately represents the actual distribution of p-values. Methods: A method called the spacings LOESS histogram (SPLOSH) is proposed for estimating the conditional FDR (cFDR), the expected proportion of false positives conditioned on having k 'significant' findings. SPLOSH is designed to be more stable than the q-value and applicable in a wider variety of settings than BUM. Results: In a simulation study and data analysis example, SPLOSH exhibits the desired characteristics relative to the q-value and BUM. Availability: The Web site www.stjuderesearch.org/statistics/splosh.html has links to freely available S-plus code to implement the proposed procedure.
Outsourcing Relationships Between Firms and Their Training Providers: The Role of Trust

Firms increasingly use external vendors to provide training for their employees. And because trust has been found to be essential in successful interfirm relationships, this study identified a number of factors thought to be associated with both self-interested trust and socially oriented trust between firms and their training suppliers. Using data obtained from 323 organizations, regression analysis suggests that idiosyncratic training, program uncertainty, vendor dependency, contractual specificity, and communication accuracy and frequency were significantly related to higher levels of trust in outsourcing relationships.
A breath of fresh air: a quality-improvement study comparing an air-circulating technique versus conventional technique to prevent nasogastric tube dysfunction

Nasogastric tubes are an important component of care in patients with gastrointestinal obstructions. However, they are prone to malfunction despite conventional flushing techniques, with potentially severe consequences. There is no widely accepted, gold-standard way to ensure that a nasogastric tube succeeds in maintaining an empty stomach following flushing. We have developed a flushing technique to better ensure successful tube function. We compared this technique to conventional flushing both in vitro (using a plastic stomach model) and in vivo (in a pig model), and we provide a didactic video. The mean gastric residual volume following our novel flushing technique is nearly 25-fold lower than following conventional flushing (13 mL vs. 330 mL). Our simple technique is more effective than conventional techniques in maintaining nasogastric tube function and therefore should prevent dangerous vomiting and aspiration pneumonia better than conventional techniques.
Spectral Quadrature method for accurate O(N) electronic structure calculations of metals and insulators

Abstract We present the Clenshaw–Curtis Spectral Quadrature (SQ) method for real-space O ( N ) Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. In this approach, all quantities of interest are expressed as bilinear forms or sums over bilinear forms, which are then approximated by spatially localized Clenshaw–Curtis quadrature rules. This technique is identically applicable to both insulating and metallic systems, and in conjunction with local reformulation of the electrostatics, enables the O ( N ) evaluation of the electronic density, energy, and atomic forces. The SQ approach also permits infinite-cell calculations without recourse to Brillouin zone integration or large supercells. We employ a finite difference representation in order to exploit the locality of electronic interactions in real space, enable systematic convergence, and facilitate large-scale parallel implementation. In particular, we derive expressions for the electronic density, total energy, and atomic forces that can be evaluated in O ( N ) operations. We demonstrate the systematic convergence of energies and forces with respect to quadrature order as well as truncation radius to the exact diagonalization result. In addition, we show convergence with respect to mesh size to established O ( N 3 ) planewave results. Finally, we establish the efficiency of the proposed approach for high temperature calculations and discuss its particular suitability for large-scale parallel computation.
Strategies for Integrating Emerging Technologies: Case Study of an Online Educational Technology Master’s Program

Emerging technologies do not necessarily facilitate or advance learning processes; teaching strategies that are used in the learning process, integration and incorporation methods do. In online instruction, research shows that “effective distance education depends on the provision of pedagogical excellence” (Bernard et al., 2004, p.413). From this perspective, a case study was conducted as a means of preliminary evaluation in a graduate program so that the effectiveness of emerging technologies and their impact on student learning could be understood. The article starts with a description of a case where emerging technologies are integrated throughout the curriculum of an online educational technology master’s program. It then discusses concerns related to the integration practices and whether these practices are in line with the foundational pillars of educational technology as described by Spector (2012). Finally, a set of suggestions are proposed for those graduate programs incorporating emerging technologies in online learning on a regular basis. The analysis of this case study would benefit others in two major ways. First, faculty members can conceptualize emerging technology integration using a recent framework. Second, such a conceptualization would set the stage for deeper analysis of learning effectiveness and program evaluation.
Learning relaxed 3-clusters from pairs of related datasets

In many emerging data mining situations we encounter multiple large binary relational datasets that are generated independently but are semantically interconnected and must be mined simultaneously to obtain an integrated effect of the data residing in all of them. The idea of finding 3-clusters is increasingly used in situations where one has to concurrently mine two distinct datasets that share a common domain along a dimension. By discovering 3-clusters, one can obtain important insights on the underlying connections between the objects of different domains. All the 3-clustering algorithms for binary datasets presented till now are able to find 3-clusters where the two distinct bi-clusters in a 3-cluster are strict, that is, the rectangle formed by the bi-clusters contains only ‘1’ entries. However, in many real world applications the datasets are very sparse and finding a relaxed bi-cluster, that allows some zeros in the bi-clusters' rectangles, is very valuable. In this paper, we present a novel search based algorithm that finds relaxed 3-clusters from two binary datasets that share a domain. Each identified 3-cluster involves two relaxed bi-clusters whose overlap in the sets of objects is maximal. Through our algorithm, we are also able to exert finer control over the percentage of 1 s allowed in each of the bi-clusters. We validate the effectiveness of our algorithm by using synthetic and real binary datasets from different domains. Our results show that our notion of 3-cluster is able to produce more meaningful results when compared to 3-clusters with strict requirement of all ones.
A shade of difference : fusion of races and cultures, and the search for identity in the world of Yelena Khanga

The focus of this enquiry is Yelena Khanga's English and Russian autobiographies Soul to soul : A black Russian American family 1865-1992 (1992) and Pro vse (About everything 2001), as well as the 2002 memoir of her mother, Lily Golden's, My long journey home. These works provide many insights into this singular African-American, Russian and Jewish family and their journeys of discovery, and the implication of the wider issues they had to face while living in the Soviet Union. Who, we may ask, is Yelena Khanga, and why may her story as a black Russian, African-American and a Jew, her search for identity, and an attempt to 'reclaim lost parts of [herself],' of her layered heritage, be of interest to the reader? Khanga's story, a fusion of a mixed race and culture, deepens our need to reflect on the (until recently) neglected chapter in our understanding of contemporary Russian culture. Her story informs us of 'the colour curtain,' the boundary both of real and imaginary that African-Americans have experienced in the Soviet Union, and are living through in present-day Russia. The compelling stories of Yelena Khanga and Lily Golden have implications for life in Russia today. They present an illuminating chapter in Russia's cultural history, and in the history of the African-American Diaspora, of people who sought their fortune, i.e. jobs and 'freedom', in the Soviet Union in the 1930s.
An Analytic Motion Planning Solution for the Snakeboard

This paper provides a closed-form analytical solution to the motion planning problem for the Snakeboard. Given a desired planar trajectory in the fiber space, an explicit solution is computed for the gaits in the base space that locomote the Snakeboard along the desired trajectory. This is achieved by introducing a new momentum-like variable that simplifies the Snakeboard’s equations of motion to allow for such an explicit gait generation technique.
Influence of Temperature and Humidity on the Life History of the Spider Agelena Naevia Walckenaer

There have been but few studies of spider life histories; most of the work on these animals has been taxonomic and morphological. The Peckhams (1890), Fabre (1919), Peters (1931–1937) and others have studied various phases of spider behavior, and Savory (1928) summarized the work done on spiders. The writer has found no records of studies on the effect of temperature and humidity upon spiders. The present paper attempts to show the influence of these physical factors upon the early stages of Agelena naevia Walckenaer.
Time Resolved Planar Measurements in the wake of a Reacting Jet Injected into a Swirling, Vitiated Crossflow at High Pressure

An auto-igniting H2 jet issuing into a swirling, vitiated cross flow was investigated as a means of secondary injection of fuel in a staged combustion system. Rapid mixing and chemical reaction in the near field of the jet injection is desirable in this application. Temporally resolved velocity measurements within the wake of the reactive jets using 2D-PIV and OH-PLIF at a repetition rate of 5 kHz were performed. The reactive jets were injected through an extended nozzle into the crossflow which is located in the downstream of a low swirl burner (LSB) that produced the swirled, vitiated crossflow. OHPLIF measurements along the jet trajectory show that the auto-ignition starts on the leeward side within the wake region of the jet flame. The measurements show that jet flame is stabilized in the wake of the jet and wake vortices play a significant role in this process. PIV and OH–PLIF measurements were performed at five measurement planes along the crosssection of the jet. The time resolved measurements provided significant information on the evolution of complex flow structures and highly transient features like, local extinction, re-ignition, vortex-flame interaction prevalent in a turbulent reacting flow.
Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome Presenting as Coma (P4.354)

Hypothesis: Failure to consider reversible angiopathy in acute stroke as an underlying cause could lead to a delay in treatment and premature conclusion of treatment futility. Background: Cerebral angiopathies including Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome (RCVS) are relatively rare stroke etiologies encountered in neurovascular practice. However, appropriate recognition has important treatment implications and impacts societal morbidity as younger populations are typically affected. Methods: Case Report with literature review Results: 42 year old male with history of premature large vessel (extracranial) atherosclerosis, hepatitis C and current benzodiazepine abuse was found minimally responsive. Upon exam, he had diminished brainstem reflexes and extensor posturing. His CT scan revealed diffuse edema in the frontal lobes and posterior fossa with impending tonsilar herniation. CT angiogram confirmed diffuse intracranial segmental vasoconstriction consistent with RCVS and MRI brain demonstrated patchy multifocal bilateral infarcts predominately affecting the cerebellum. Prior to completing diagnostic imaging, he was offered supportive care only. Following the consideration of a potentially reversible etiology, an EVD was placed emergently and he experienced a clinical and radiologic recovery after calcium channel blockade therapy was initiated. Routine stroke work up, extensive serologic and CSF testing failed to disclose any relevant abnormalities. Risk factors for RCVS in this case were mildly elevated liver enzymes and surreptitious drug use although acute screen was negative for sympathomimetics. Conclusions: RCVS rarely can present with coma and multifocal infarctions. Exact pathophysiology remains unknown but disruption of sympathetic tone and endothelial dysfunction have been implicated. A high index of suspicion is required to minimize disease complications and prevent improper withdrawal of care. Disclosure: Dr. Khan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Adcock has nothing to disclose.