cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-invasive optical assessment of intracranial pressure: pilot results in human patients

We present pilot results on the validation of non-invasive assessment of elevated intracranial pressure with optical measurement of critical closing pressure. A strong correlation (r=0.85) between optical measurements of critical closing pressure and invasive measurements of intracranial pressure was observed in 5 infants with hydrocephalus, and 1 adult patient with diffuse hypoxic ischemic brain injury. By facilitating timely detection of intracranial hypertension, this approach has potential to reduce risk of brain damage in hydrocephalus and other vulnerable patient populations.
Genomics and risk stratification in high-risk prostate cancer.

Clinical and pathological risk grouping defines management in localized prostate cancer. Recent work suggests men with high-risk prostate cancer can be further subdivided into three risk groups (favourable high-risk, standard high-risk and very-high-risk) and that these groups correlate with measures of genomic risk, testing of which is increasingly being integrated into risk prediction.
Robustness and the evolution of length control strategies in the type III secretion system and flagellar hook

Bacteria construct many structures, like the flagellar hook and the type III secretion system, that aid in crucial processes such as locomotion and pathogenesis. Experimental work has suggested two competing mechanisms bacteria could use to regulate length in these structures: the "ruler" mechanism and the "substrate switching" mechanism. In this work, we constructed a mathematical model of length control based on the ruler mechanism, and found that the predictions of this model are consistent with experimental data not just for the scaling of the average length with the ruler protein length, but also the variance. Interestingly, we found that the ruler mechanism allows for the evolution of needles with large average lengths without the concomitant large increase in variance that occurs in the substrate switching mechanism. These findings shed new light on the trade-offs that may have lead to the evolution of different length control mechanisms in different bacterial species.
Chiral Self Recognition: Interactions in Propylene Oxide Complexes.

We elucidate the subtle energetic effects that give rise to chiral recognition in the propylene oxide dimer. Specifically, we investigate 6 homochiral (RRx) and 6 heterochiral (RSx) structures of this complex, with the RRn–RSn pair sharing the same pattern of weak O· · · H–C hydrogen bonds but subtly differing in energy due to chiral effects. The interaction energies for the 12 structures are computed at various levels of electronic structure theory and basis set up to the complete basis set limit of the coupled-cluster approach with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations (CCSD(T)). These benchmark interaction energies are compared to the results of various approximate approaches, both density functional theory-based and wavefunction-based. We find that while the RRn−RSn diastereomeric energy differences exhibit a great deal of error cancellation between the individual interaction energies, most approximate methods have a hard time even reproducing the correct signs of these differences consi...
Binary mask optimization for forward lithography based on boundary layer model in coherent systems: erratum

This erratum is to correct an error in the simulations detailed in our paper [J. Opt. Soc. Am A26, 1687 (2009)].
Nanoparticle-based photothermal heating to drive chemical reactions within a solid: using inhomogeneous polymer degradation to manipulate mechanical properties and segregate carbonaceous by-products

Photothermal heating via metal nanoparticles is utilized to degrade polyethylcyanoacrylate (PECA), which undergoes a thermally-driven depolymerization process, resulting in (i) monomer loss from the sample, (ii) repolymerization to form shorter chains (oligomer), and (iii) formation of carbonaceous by-products which are graphene-like and luminescent. These unique PECA properties are used to demonstrate the heterogeneous temperature distribution present during photothermal processing and the results are compared to degradation via conventional methods where a uniform temperature is present. Photothermal heating results in formation of pockets of depolymerized material around each nanoscale heating site. The characteristic size of these photothermally-generated mechanical defects is determined from changes in the material's tensile strength. Changes in mass loss and molecular weight are utilized to determine the fraction of the sample that has depolymerized: distributing this volume equally to each heating site (based on the nanoparticle concentration) results in a volume that matches the defect size from independent mechanical measurements. In this way, macroscopic measurements elucidate the mesoscopic pattern of photothermal degradation. Sample morphology on scales from millimeters to nanometers is assessed via optical and electron microscopy. The carbonaceous by-products of degradation form in the hot region around each nanoparticle during photothermal heating, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy studies. Heterogeneous heating is also evident from optical images where starch granules, employed as an inert dilute additive to enhance PECA mechanical properties, also become luminescent due to degradation in “hot spots” created by the overlap of warm regions from nearby nanoparticle sites. Beyond the fundamental knowledge gained by these studies, the results demonstrate the ability to manipulate the connection between mechanical properties and chemical degradation which is important for developing new strategies for management of polymeric waste.
Correlation of advanced accelerated stress testing with polyamide-based photovoltaic backsheet field-failures

Cracking of polyamide (PA)-based photovoltaic (PV) backsheet materials has been widely reported for field-aged modules. Failure was not detected by conventional accelerated stress tests (ASTs), which lacked the necessary combination of stress factors and/or factor sequences. PA-based AAA backsheet cracking has since been reproduced through combined and sequential stress testing. Planar- and cross-sectional-optical microscopy as well as Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), have been used to elucidate the mechanical and chemical changes which lead to failure of the backsheet. Field-aged backsheet samples demonstrating failure in various climates (including locations in China and Italy) are also analyzed. Through the analysis, a comparison is made between the different stress testing protocols and the field-aged samples to validate relevance of the advanced stress tests. It is shown that the changes induced through combined-accelerated stress testing (C-AST) were most representative of changes induced by the field, supporting the relevance of C-AST and providing validity for the test protocol.
Large-scale Multi-dimensional Assignment: Problem Formulations and GPU Accelerated Solutions

In this paper, we present alternate integer programming formulations for the multi-dimensional assignment problem, which is typically employed for multi-sensor fusion, multi-target tracking (MTT) or data association in general. The first formulation is the Axial Multidimensional Assignment Problem with Decomposable Costs (MDADC). The decomposable costs comes from the fact that there are only pairwise costs between stages or scans of a target tracking problem or corpuses of a data association context. The difficulty with this formulation is the large number of transitivity or triangularity constraints that ensure if entity $A$ is associated to entity $B$ and entity $B$ is associated with entity $C$ , then it must also be that entity $A$ is associated to entity $C$ . The second formulation uses both pairs and triplets of observations, which offer more accurate representation for kinematic tracking of targets. This formulation avoids the large number of transitivity constraints but significantly increases the number of variables due to triples. Solution to large-scale problems has alluded researchers and practitioners alike. We present solution methods based on Lagrangian Relaxation and massively parallel algorithms that are implemented on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). We test the problem formulations and solution algorithms on MTT problems. The triples formulation tends to be more accurate for tracking measures and the MDADC solver can solve much larger problems in reasonable computational time.
Factors affecting complications and comorbidities in children with cholesteatoma

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effects of age, race, payer status, and socioeconomic status on complications and comorbidities in children with cholesteatoma. Methods An analysis of the Kids’ Inpatient Database was performed on cases of cholesteatoma between 2006 and 2016, along with associated complications or co-morbidities and surgical interventions. Results 1552 cases of pediatric cholesteatoma represented 5.6 cases per 100,000 total discharges over the study period. The mean age was 9.9 (±5.4) years. Compared to children in the 4th age quartile, those in the 1st age quartile had decreased risk of conductive hearing loss (OR 0.64 [0.42–0.99]), venous thrombosis (OR 0.24 [0.06–0.88]), intracranial abscess (OR 0.35 [0.13–0.96]), and facial nerve palsy (0.44 [0.20–0.97]), but increased risk of chronic otitis media (OR 2.24 [1.23–4.10]). Compared to children identified as Other race, children identified as Black had increased risk of acute otitis media (OR 9.20 [1.35–62.78]). Both children identified as Black (OR 9.90 [1.48–66.35]) or Hispanic (OR 6.24 [1.01–38.51]) had increased risk of facial nerve palsy. Relative to children in the 4th income quartile, children in the 1st income quartile had increased risk of acute mastoiditis (OR 1.87 [1.15–3.03]) and subperiosteal abscess (OR 6.75 [2.22–20.56]). Children in the 2nd income quartile were less likely to receive ossicular chain surgery (OR 0.31 [0.13–0.72]). Conclusion Differences pertaining to age, race, payer status, and socioeconomic status exist in the presentation and surgical management of children hospitalized with cholesteatoma. Older children are at increased risk of intracranial complications. Patients of Black and Hispanic race might have a higher risk of facial nerve palsy. Compared to children of higher income families, those from lower income families more frequently develop acute mastoiditis and subperiosteal abscess. Providers should be mindful of these risk factors when caring for children with cholesteatoma.
1 – BROWNIAN MOTION

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the Brownian motion, and reviews the construction of the Brownian motion. The simplest properties of the Brownian motion are discussed. A Martingale inequality is discussed, and the law of the iterated logarithm is reviewed. Several-dimensional Brownian motion is also discussed in the chapter.
Risk Factors for Mortality in Patients with COVID-19 in New York City.

New York City emerged as an epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To describe the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with mortality in a large patient population in the USA. Retrospective cohort study. 6493 patients who had laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 with clinical outcomes between March 13 and April 17, 2020, who were seen in one of the 8 hospitals and/or over 400 ambulatory practices in the New York City metropolitan area Clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality. A total of 858 of 6493 (13.2%) patients in our total cohort died: 52/2785 (1.9%) ambulatory patients and 806/3708 (21.7%) hospitalized patients. Cox proportional hazard regression modeling showed an increased risk of in-hospital mortality associated with age older than 50 years (hazard ratio [HR] 2.34, CI 1.47–3.71), systolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg (HR 1.38, CI 1.06–1.80), a respiratory rate greater than 24 per min (HR 1.43, CI 1.13–1.83), peripheral oxygen saturation less than 92% (HR 2.12, CI 1.56–2.88), estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 60 mL/min/1.73m2 (HR 1.80, CI 1.60–2.02), IL-6 greater than 100 pg/mL (HR 1.50, CI 1.12–2.03), D-dimer greater than 2 mcg/mL (HR 1.19, CI 1.02–1.39), and troponin greater than 0.03 ng/mL (HR 1.40, CI 1.23–1.62). Decreased risk of in-hospital mortality was associated with female sex (HR 0.84, CI 0.77–0.90), African American race (HR 0.78 CI 0.65–0.95), and hydroxychloroquine use (HR 0.53, CI 0.41–0.67). Among patients with COVID-19, older age, male sex, hypotension, tachypnea, hypoxia, impaired renal function, elevated D-dimer, and elevated troponin were associated with increased in-hospital mortality and hydroxychloroquine use was associated with decreased in-hospital mortality.
Increasing Primary Care Follow-up after Preparticipation Physical Evaluations.

Preparticipation physical evaluations (PPEs) strive to prevent injuries and sudden death in athletes. Ideally, the medical home is the best setting for completion. However, many school systems request large PPE screenings for their student-athletes. This quality-improvement project aimed to increase primary care provider (PCP) follow-up for athletes "cleared with recommendation" (CR) or "disqualified" (DQ) during our mass PPEs. Methods Our team evaluated prior PPE data for athlete clearance and PCP follow-up for CR or DQ athletes. The prominent gaps in our PPEs were resident education, PCP or medical home identification, and communication. Our team implemented interventions during the 2018 PPEs to increase both CR and DQ athlete follow-up at the medical home. Results Retrospective baseline data revealed that physicians categorized 11% (67/582) of athletes at our PPEs as CR or DQ. Of these athletes, the PCP and specialist follow-up rate was 13% (9/67). Our process changed to enhance athlete follow-up, but the rate only increased slightly to 15% (18/120). Medical home identification improved. Successful interventions included resident education, medical home identification, and increased communication. Conclusions Despite our interventions, this quality-improvement initiative was unsuccessful in reaching the aim. This project found small achievements in educational opportunities, improved documentation, medial home identification for student-athletes, and lead to local changes in our standard operating procedures. Although our aim was ambitious, 100% athlete follow-up with the PCP or medical home ensures athletic safety and decreases liability for all.
On the journey for great diagnostics

Diagnostic medicine is an integral part of bovine medicine and veterinary production animal medicine. These proceedings will discuss the standard of care related to diagnostic medicine. Strategies will be presented for minimizing diagnostic errors in the critical thinking process associated with making diagnostic decisions, as well as in the logistics of sample handling and requesting testing. Common diagnostic errors will be highlighted with suggestions on how to avoid them. Recommended resources for bovine veterinarians are included.
Abstract 15036: Artificial Intelligence for Characterizing Heart Failure in Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Images

Introduction: Congestive heart failure (CHF) increases hospitalization burden and risk of mortality.; However, currently there are no guidelines for preemptive screening for CHF. This study aimed t...
Exploring the relationship between strategic reactiveness and entrepreneurial orientation: The role of structure–style fit ☆ ☆

Abstract Theory suggests that firms may derive the greatest benefits from an entrepreneurial orientation (EO) when they concurrently exhibit a high degree of strategic reactiveness. This paper explores the relationship between strategic reactiveness and EO as well as the moderating effect of structure–style fit on this relationship. Data collected from 110 manufacturing firms indicate that strategic reactiveness is not significantly related to EO. However, firms that exhibit theoretically-congruent alignments between their organization structures and top management decision-making styles tend to have positive strategic reactiveness–EO relationships.
Out of Ferguson: Misdemeanors, Municipal Courts, Tax Distribution and Constitutional Limitations

The matter of police and municipal courts as revenue producers became increasingly prominent following Michael Brown’s death from a police shooting. This article considers the use of misdemeanors, especially traffic violations, for the purpose of collecting substantial portions of the annual operating budgets in municipalities in St. Louis County, Missouri. The article argues that the revenue raising function of traffic offenses has displaced their public safety and traffic regulation functions. The change in function from public safety to revenue suggests that the governing laws are no longer valid as exercise of policing power but must be reenacted under the taxing power in order to remain valid. Constitutional tax limitations in Missouri, however, prohibit the increase of existing or enactment of new taxes without an affirmative vote of the electorate. Municipalities have circumvented the constitutional taxing limitations by using laws enacted under policing powers in violation of the constitution. The police and the municipal courts enforcing traffic laws have produced a racially discriminatory and regressive local tax system that violates the tax limitations of the Missouri constitution.
Cost of Constipation: A New Look With a Focus on New Medications.

Goal The study was designed to assess drug costs for constipation therapy and to relate costs to markers of functional status. Background Secretagogues have been introduced as new agents for the treatment of constipation. Previously published modeling studies suggested that improved productivity lowers the indirect disease burden and balances the higher drug costs. Study Data were abstracted from the publicly available Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to identify adults with a functional gastrointestinal disorder who received a prescription for laxatives or secretagogues covering >2 days. Demographic data, recorded health care utilization and cost, and markers of functional status were extracted for the years from 2005 to 2017 to determine differences between participants treated with secretagogues or laxatives. Results The cohort of 2006 persons was female predominant [67.8%; age: 56.9 (55.8-57.9) years] and spent $92.89 (75.68-110.10) for medications treating constipation. The use of secretagogues (10.3% of the cohort) was the best independent predictor of constipation treatment costs. Using quality of life measures, perceived limitations in activities or work, and absenteeism, there was no difference between participants receiving laxatives and those taking secretagogues. Conclusion Using survey data designed to be representative of the United States population, the study identified secretagogues as a key cost factor in drug treatment of constipation. The results do not support models suggesting improved role functioning offsets these higher direct expenditures. While prospective comparative studies are needed to more definitively correlate costs with direct or indirect benefits of different agents, limiting the use of more expensive medications to otherwise refractory cases may help to reign in the spiraling health care costs in this country.
Implementing Individual Opportunities to Respond in Online Teaching Environments

Teacher-provided opportunities to respond are a powerful strategy for improving behavior and academic outcomes of students with disabilities. However, online instruction makes opportunities to resp...
The impact of race, education, and employment status on cost-coping strategies and patient reported benefit from interventions to mitigate financial toxicity.

91Background: As patient financial toxicity increases with the cost of cancer healthcare, patient outcomes and quality of life may be impaired. We sought to evaluate sociodemographic factors associ...
Python-based Helix Indexer: A graphical user interface program for finding symmetry of helical assembly through Fourier–Bessel indexing of electron microscopic data

Many macromolecules form helical assemblies to carry out their functions. Helical reconstruction from electron microscopic images is a powerful approach for solving high-resolution structures of such assemblies. Determination of the symmetry parameters of the helical assemblies is a prerequisite step in helical reconstruction. The most widely used method for deducing the symmetry is through Fourier-Bessel indexing the diffraction pattern of the helical assemblies. This method, however, often leads to incorrect solutions, due to intrinsic ambiguities in indexing helical diffraction patterns. Here, we present Python-based Helix Indexer (PyHI), which provides a graphical user interface (GUI) to guide the users through the process of symmetry determination. Diffraction patterns can be read into the program directly or calculated on the fly from two-dimensional class averages of helical assemblies. PyHI allows deducing the Bessel orders of diffraction peaks by using both the amplitudes and phases of the diffraction data. Based on the Bessel orders of two unit vectors, the Fourier space lattice is constructed with minimal user inputs. The program then uses a refinement algorithm to optimize the Fourier space lattice, and subsequently generate the helical assembly in real space. The program provides both a publication-quality graphic representation of the helical assembly and the symmetry parameters required for subsequent helical reconstruction steps.
Energy-Partitioning Measurements in O(1D2) Reactions by Time-Resolved Fourier Transform Infrared Emission Spectroscopy

The considerable experimental advantage of Fourier transform spectroscopy and the wealth of detailed kinetic and dynamic information obtainable from time-dependent spectroscopic measurements have led to many different attempts to combine the two. In the most general sense, however, a combination of these techniques is not possible, because of the mathematical requirement that a function which is to be Fourier transformed may depend on only one variable in each domain if a unique result is to be obtained from the transform.
Yeast phospholipase C is required for normal glucose metabolism, acetyl-CoA homeostasis, and global histone acetylation (800.1)

Phospholipase C (Plc1p) is required for the initial step of inositol polyphosphates (InsPs) synthesis. Plc1p is also required for normal level of histone acetylation; plc1∆ cells that do not synthesize any InsPs display decreased acetylation of bulk histones, global hypoacetylation of chromatin histones, and altered transcriptional regulation. In accordance with the role of Plc1p in supporting histone acetylation, plc1∆ mutation is synthetically lethal with mutations in several subunits of SAGA and NuA4 histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complexes. Conversely, the growth rate, sensitivity to multiple stresses, and the transcriptional defects of plc1∆ cells are partially suppressed by deletion of histone deacetylase HDA1. The histone hypoacetylation in plc1Δ cells is due to the defect in Grr1p/proteasome-dependent degradation of repressor Mth1p, and consequently lower expression of the HXT genes and reduced conversion of glucose to acetyl-CoA, a substrate for HATs. Our current experiments test three possible ...
Some Problems for Biolinguistics

Biolinguistics will have to face and resolve several problems before it can achieve a pivotal position in the human sciences. Its relationship to the Minimalist Program is ambiguous, creating doubts as to whether it is a genuine subdiscipline or merely another name for a particular linguistic theory. Equally ambiguous is the relationship it assumes between ‘knowledge of language’ and the neural mechanisms that actually construct sentences. The latter issue raises serious questions about the validity of covert syntactic operations. Further problems arise from the attitudes of many biolinguists towards natural selection and evo-devo: The first they misunderstand, the second they both misunderstand and overestimate. One consequence is a one-sided approach to language evolution crucially involving linguistic ‘precursors’ and the protolanguage hypothesis. Most of these problems arise through the identification of biolinguistics with internalist and essentialist approaches to language, thereby simultaneously narrowing its scope and hindering its acceptance by biologists.
Robust estimation and fault detection and isolation algorithms for stochastic linear hybrid systems with unknown fault input

In this study, we develop algorithms for robust estimation and fault detection and identification for a class of hybrid systems called the stochastic linear hybrid system (SLHS). The authors propose a robust hybrid estimation algorithm that estimates the continuous state and the discrete state of an SLHS with unknown fault inputs. The algorithm decouples the unknown fault input from the estimation error dynamics for each discrete state of the hybrid system to guarantee the convergence of the estimation error. The robust hybrid estimation algorithm is designed for two kinds of discrete state transition models: the Markov-jump transition model whose discrete transition probabilities are constant (i.e. independent of the continuous state) and the state-dependent transition model whose discrete state transitions are determined by some guard conditions (i.e. dependent on the continuous state). The proposed residual generation algorithm computes residuals to facilitate fault detection and isolation. The residuals have the properties that they can reconstruct (in the mean sense) the unknown fault input vector. The authors also demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm with a vertical take-off and landing aircraft example.
An Examination of Brand Equity Differences between Utilitarian and Hedonic Products

This paper examines how country-of-origin and manufacturer-of-origin effects impact brand equity for utilitarian versus hedonic products. Applying the concept of revenue premium as a measure of brand equity, this paper uses a variance component model together with secondary panel data for the U.S. passenger car market to show it is possible to apply a measure of brand equity for product categories without private labels. The results show that proportionally country-of-origin influences brand equity for hedonic products; whereas manufacturer-of-origin impacts brand equity for utilitarian products.
A probabilistic roadmap approach for systems with closed kinematic chains

We present a randomized approach to path planning for articulated robots that have closed kinematic chains. The approach extends the probabilistic roadmap technique which has previously been applied to rigid and elastic objects, and articulated robots without closed chains. It provides a framework for path planning problems that must satisfy closure constraints in addition to standard collision constraints. This expands the power of the probabilistic roadmap technique to include a variety of problems such as manipulation planning using two open-chain manipulators that cooperatively grasp an object, forming a system with a closed chain, and planning for reconfigurable robots where the robot links may be rearranged in a loop to ease manipulation or locomotion. We generate the vertices and edges in our probabilistic roadmap. We focus on the problem of planning the motions for a collection of attached links in a 2D environment with obstacles. The approach has been implemented and successfully demonstrated on several examples.
The Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome

A new term, the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), has been coined to describe a pathophysiological state that occurs secondary to infectious and noninfectious states such as burns and trauma. When SIRS is secondary to infection, it is called sepsis. In SIRS the host response produces the inflammatory reaction to the inciting agent.
Identification of a Divergent Actin-related Protein in Drosophila

The actin-related proteins (ARPs) have primary sequence homology to actin, have no homology to other proteins and, unlike the conventional actins, are clearly divergent. We have identified an ARP in Drosophila that has approximately 30% amino acid identity to most actins, making it the most divergent yet reported. It is also quite divergent from all other ARP sequences. When the Drosophila ARP is aligned with actin it contains sequence insertions, as is the case with all other ARPs. The unique location of the insertions, as well as its overall divergence, indicates it may represent a new isotype. Only one gene was detected by hybridization to both genomic DNA and polytene chromosomes; the location of the gene is 13E on the X chromosome. A transcript of 1350 bases was detected at all stages of development. This transcript was relatively abundant during early embryogenesis, decreasing during the later stages of embryogenesis and increasing again in larvae and adults.
Excitation of collective states in fullerenes

Abstract We review the theoretical description of the response of isolated fullerenes to external electromagnetic fields and inelastic electron scattering. Recent electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) experimental results on C 70 are presented. The theoretical results compare rather well with experimental photoexcitation results in C 60,70 and EELS data on gas targets C 60,70 .
STUDY OF 3β-HYDROXYSTEROID DEHYDROGENASE ACTIVITY (3β-HSD) IN PRIMARY CULTURE OF HUMAN TESTICULAR CELLS DURING THE FIRST MONTHS OF LIFE

Top of pageAbstract The activity of 3s-HSD, estimated by the ratio of testosterone (T) + androstenedione (A) /dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) was studied in primary cultures of human prepubertal testicular cells (post mortem) in basal conditions and after stimulation with 40 U/L hLH, 1.5 U/L rhFSH or 0.12 U/L rhGH. T, A and DHEA were measured by RIA on day 6 of culture in 6 independent testes collected from 6- and 9-day-old newborns (n) and from 1-, 3-, 7- and 24-month-old infants (i). Basal ratio was (X+SD) 10.7 ± 2.28 and 16.2 ± 3.72 for the n and 0.60 ± 0.42, 2.63 ± 0.24, 2.30 ± 0.23 and 0.29 ± 0.23 for the i. Response to stimuli was evaluated by Student's t test as % increment over basal. It was found that testicular cells from n did not increase 3s-HSD under any condition while those of i increased significantly under hLH (256 ± 5%, X ± SD), rhFSH (425 ± 194%) and rhGH (365 ± 125%). In conclusion, n testicular cells probably express maximal 3s-HSD activity that cannot be stimulated further. This activity is lost after the n period when it becomes hormone responsive. The effect of FSH is probably mediated by a paracrine factor secreted by Sertoli cells. GH or prolactin can have an effect on the testes.
Loss mechanisms in optical light pipes

A geometrical optics approach is used to develop a theoretical model for analyzing loss mechanisms in optical light pipes. Five mechanisms are identified: intrinsic absorption, bulk scattering, losses that are due to roughness at the core–cladding interface, losses that are due to large-scale defects at the core–cladding interface, and losses that are due to absorption in the cladding material; and the effects of each of these on light-pipe transmission are considered. An approximate model appropriate for slightly rough surfaces is used to estimate the loss that is due to interface roughness. Optical experiments on commercially available light pipes are done to quantify the various loss processes. These experiments indicate that the interface effects play an important role in limiting the transmission in high-quality light pipes. From the optical measurements a rms interface roughness height in the 30–70-A range is deduced, and these values are confirmed by direct surface profilometry with an atomic force microscope.
Prostaglandins mediate inhibition of gastric acid secretion by somatostatin in the rat

Somatostatin, a tetradecapeptide with potent inhibitory actions on gastric acid secretion, potentiated carbamylcholine-induced synthesis and release of prostaglandin E2 from isolated perfused rat stomachs. The ability of somatostatin to inhibit acid secretion was blocked by indomethacin, an inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis. These results suggest that prostaglandins mediate gastric acid inhibition by somatostatin in the rat.
Vortex nucleation in deformed rotating cylinders

Superfluid states in a rotating elliptic cylinder are studied with semiclassical hydrodynamics. Two distinct approaches are used to obtain the critical angular velocity for the appearance of a vortex: (1) Equilibrium thermodynamics predicts that ω c1 increases monotonically with deformation at fixed cross-sectional area. (2) Predictions based on a critical slip speedv c at the walls depend on the detailed form ofv c ; the resulting ω c need not vary monotonically with deformation. The analogous situation in a rectangular cylinder is also discussed.
Cognitive Ability and Job Experience as Predictors of Work Performance

Abstract The relative importance of cognitive ability and job experience in the prediction of work performance was assessed in a sample of 176 manufacturing workers. The issue of whether the validity of cognitive ability changes as job experience increases was also explored. Job incumbents completed the Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test (The Psychological Corporation, 1980) and the Numerical Ability subscale of the Employee Aptitude Survey (F. Ruch & W. W. Ruch, 1983). Work performance was rated by supervisors on 3 dimensions. Results indicated that both ability and experience were important predictors of work performance. Furthermore, the validity of the Employee Aptitude Survey increased as job experience increased. This finding is consistent with the divergence hypothesis outlined by F. L. Schmidt, J. E. Hunter, A. N. Outerbridge, and S. Goff (1988). Validities for the Bennett test did not increase with levels of experience, supporting a noninteractive hypothesis. It is concluded that certain abili...
Development of hematological respiratory variables in late chicken embryos: The relative importance of incubation time and embryo mass

Oxygen demand increases during embryonic development, requiring an increase in red blood cells (RBCs) containing hemoglobin (Hb) to transport O(2) between the respiratory organ and systemic tissues. A thorough ontogenetic understanding of the onset and maturation of the complex regulatory processes for RBC concentration ([RBC]), Hb concentration ([Hb]), hematocrit (Hct), mean corpuscular indices (mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration ([MCHb])) is currently lacking. We hypothesize that during the last half of incubation when the respiratory organ (the chorioallantoic membrane) envelops most of the egg contents, mean corpuscular indices will stabilize. Accordingly, Hct, [RBC] and [Hb] must also all change proportionally across development. Further, we hypothesize that the hematological respiratory variables develop and mature as a function of incubation duration, independently of embryonic growth. As predicted, a similar increase in Hct (from 18.7±0.6% on day 10 (d10) to 34.1±0.5% on d19 of incubation), [RBC] (1.13±0.03×10(6)/μL to 2.50±0.03×10(6)/μL) and [Hb] (6.1±0.2 g% to 11.2±0.1 g%) occurred during d10-19. Both [RBC] and [Hb] demonstrated high linear correlation with Hct, resulting in constant [MCHb] (~33 g% from d10 to d19). The decrease in MCV (from ~165 μ(3) on d10 to ~140 μ(3) on d13) and MCH (~55 pg to ~45 pg) during d10-13, may be attributed to a changeover from larger primary to smaller secondary and adult-type erythrocytes with MCV and MCH remaining constant (~140 μ(3) and ~45 pg respectively) for the rest of the incubation period (d13-19). Hematological respiratory values on a given incubation day were identical between embryos of different masses using either natural mass variation or experimental growth acceleration, indicating that the hematological variables develop as a function of incubation time, irrespective of embryo growth.
A photoelectric spectrophotometer for the Schumann region.

A photoelectric spectrophotometer for measuring reflectances and transmittances of polished specimens at various angles of incidence has been developed for use in the Schumann region. Such measurements of reflectance at two or more angles of incidence permit the calculation of the index of absorption and the index of refraction of materials opaque to light of these wave-lengths.
Phytochemical and analytical studies of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen

Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen is distributed throughout the southwest of China, Burma and Nepal. The root of this plant, called notoginseng or sanchi, has a long history of use as a remedy in Oriental traditional medicine. Modern studies have found that extracts and compounds from notoginseng exert various physiological effects. The active constituents are mainly recognized as saponins. In this review, we summarized the discovery and analysis of chemical constituents in notoginseng. Fifty-six saponins from notoginseng were isolated and elucidated. All of them are dammarane saponins, 35 of which can be classified as belonging to the protopanaxadiols group, and 21 as belonging to the protopanaxatriols group. Evidence from phytochemical studies on notoginseng demonstrated that no oleanane-type saponin, which exists in Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), was found. Other types of compounds such as non-protein amino acids, polyacetylenes, phytosterols, flavonoids, and polysaccharides, many of which have pharmacological activities, were also isolated from notoginseng. Analytical studies on notoginseng were carried out based on botanical and phytochemical advances. In the qualitative studies, identification of the herbal materials and extracts was the main objective. The utilization of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint and molecular biological methods made the identification accurate and efficient. Spectral, chromatographic and immunoassay methods were used for the quantitative analysis. HPLC methods are the main authority regarding the determination of saponins and other types of constituents. The chromatographic conditions and detectors employed in the HPLC are discussed.
Developmental restrictions on transcription: determinants of the developmental program and their role in aging.

Abstract A developing plant system, the soybean hypocotyl has been used to investigate early transcription events which restrict auxin induced cellular proliferation to the appropriate developmental stage. Auxin treatment of 4-day old seedlings resulted in an early (6 hour) activation of chromatin-bound RNA polymerase activity which approached 200% of control values by 18 hours. This occurred without a detectable alteration in chromatin template capacity (assayed with exogenous RNA polymerase) and resulted in the synthesis of “induced RNA transcripts” as determined in vitro by nearest neighbor analysis. In contrast, auxin treatment of unresponsive 8-day old seedlings did not alter the chromatin-bound RNA polymerase activity. Hormonal activation did, however, result in the exposure of “induced template” regions in chromatin which could only be transcribed in vitro if exogenous RNA polymerase was included in the transcription reaction. Isoelectric focusing of the endogenous chromatin-bound and soluble RNA polymerase enzymes from succesive developmental stages revealed that the chromatin-bound enzymes at the 2-day stage were first released from the chromatin complex and could be recovered in the soluble pool (4-day stage). This was followed by a gradual disappearance of these subspecies (6-day stage) until only a limited ensemble of RNA polymerase subspecies remained bound to chromatin and free in the soluble pool (8-day stage). Similar analyses of both the bound and free enzymes at the 4 and 8-day stages following auxin treatment revealed that the 4-day soluble enzymes could be induced to rebind to the chromatin complex in a defined sequence after hormone treatment while those of the 8-day hypocotyl were unable to do so. These developmental events indicate that the select loss of certain RNA polymerase subspecies serves to restrict the hormone responsiveness of this tissue to the early developmental stages. Such restrictions could thus commit the constituent hypocotyl cells to their terminal post-mitotic phase of development.
HIGH-FREQUENCY SCATTERING FROM A COATED CYLINDER

The scattered field produced by a plane electromagnetic wave incident on an infinitely long imperfectly conducting cylinder coated with a layer of material with complex index of refraction is considered. The geometric optics and the creeping wave contributions to the backscattered field are obtained, for normal incidence and small wavelengths.
The construction of number concepts

Abstract This paper describes the development of number concepts from infancy to early childhood. The results of a diary study on a child’s one-to-one correspondence activities from 12 to 38 months of age are presented. The diary study suggested that social activities, such as distributing objects to people, play a greater role in early numerical development than conservation-like activities, such as matching object sets. There also was evidence that early number concepts are highly context-dependent. Specifically, although this child represented and matched equivalent sets in a few highly constrained contexts, he could not do so in others. An alternative to the competence–performance distinction is developed for explaining such cross-task variability.
The adoption of eating behaviors conducive to weight loss.

Abstract Given the plethora of eating behavior techniques that obese individuals might adopt for weight loss, it is not likely that they could, or would be willing to, adopt all of them. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the specific eating behaviors conducive to weight loss adopted during the behavioral treatment of obesity, and to distinguish those that were deemed beneficial from the ones that were not. Fifty obese (BMI 32±4 kg/m2, mean±SD), postmenopausal women (60±6 years old) participated in a 6-month behavior modification, dietary, low-intensity walking weight loss program. For analysis, they were divided into two groups: “no weight loss” (≤5 kg, n=18) versus “weight loss” (>5 kg, n=32). At pre- and posttreatment women completed the Eating Behavior Inventory (EBI) that measures specific strategies conducive to weight loss. Women who lost weight increased their total eating behavior score by 20% (p
Incorporating multi-leaf collimator leaf sequencing into iterative IMRT optimization.

!Received 26 September 2001; accepted for publication 14 January 2002; published 3 May 2002"Intensity modulated radiation therapy !IMRT" treatment planning typically considers beam optimi-zation and beam delivery as separate tasks. Following optimization, a multi-leaf collimator !MLC"or other beam delivery device is used to generate ﬂuence patterns for patient treatment delivery.Due to limitations and characteristics of the MLC, the deliverable intensity distributions often differfrom those produced by the optimizer, leading to differences between the delivered and the opti-mized doses. Objective function parameters are then adjusted empirically, and the plan is reopti-mized to achieve a desired deliverable dose distribution. The resulting plan, though usually accept-able, may not be the best achievable. A method has been developed to incorporate the MLCrestrictions into the optimization process. Our in-house IMRT system has been modiﬁed to includethe calculation of the deliverable intensity into the optimizer. In this process, prior to dose calcu-lation, the MLC leaf sequencer is used to convert intensities to dynamic MLC sequences, fromwhich the deliverable intensities are then determined.All other optimization steps remain the same.To evaluate the effectiveness of deliverable-based optimization, 17 patient cases have been studied.Compared with standard optimization plus conversion to deliverable beams, deliverable-based op-timization results show improved isodose coverage and a reduced dose to critical structures.Deliverable-based optimization results are close to the original nondeliverable optimization results,suggesting that IMRT can overcome the MLC limitations by adjusting individual beamlets. The useof deliverable-based optimization may reduce the need for empirical adjustment of objective func-tion parameters and reoptimization of a plan to achieve desired results. ©
Dual-mode ultraflow access networks: a hybrid solution for the access bottleneck

Optical Flow Switching (OFS) is a promising solution for large Internet data transfers. In this paper, we introduce UltraFlow Access, a novel optical access network architecture that offers dual-mode service to its end-users: IP and OFS. With UltraFlow Access, we design and implement a new dual-mode control plane and a new dual-mode network stack to ensure efficient connection setup and reliable and optimal data transmission. We study the impact of the UltraFlow system’s design on the network throughput. Our experimental results show that with an optimized system design, near optimal (around 10 Gb/s) OFS data throughput can be attained when the line rate is 10Gb/s.
Dilation of a difficult benign pancreatic duct stricture using the Soehendra stent extractor

are Brunner 's gland hamartomas. ~ They occur most frequently between the fourth and sixth decades of life and present as UGI bleeding in up to 45% of patients, usually as ta r ry stools, or as obstruction of the gastric outlet, a' ~' 7 In almost 25% of cases the tumor is an incidental finding. 7 Tumors larger then 2 cm, as in our patient, are very rare. s Disappearance of Brunner 's gland hamar toma under treatment with antisecretory drugs was previously described. 9 In our case, t ransient regression of the tumor occurred following HP eradication. The explanation for this phenomena may be a t ransient regression of the acute inflammatory infiltrate around the tumor in response to the triple-drug therapy. The histologic examination of multiple biopsies prior to surgical excision failed to define the correct diagnosis. The biopsy material obtained during upper endoscopy is often superficial and scanty and in our case was limited to the surface of the tumor, which was surrounded by an inflammatory process. The features of the Brunner 's gland hamar toma on EUS examination include (1) involvement of only the mucosa and submucosa and a smooth border, and (2) variable echogenicity, which represents the dilated glands seen within the tumor (Fig. 2B). This appearance on EUS excludes invasive tumors of the duodenum and suggests the presence of Brunner 's gland hamartoma. Such a diagnosis may even defer surgery in certain patients.
The Clamp, the Stomach, and the Spleen: Jules-Emile Péan (1830−1898)

p The 19th century French surgeon Jules-Emile Pean was noted in his day for many surgical innovations. He is best remembered today for the following: the hemostatic clamp that he designed and that still bears his name, his performance of the first pylorectomy for a stomach tumor, and his performance of the first successful total splenectomy. The clamp has lost some of its luster to the hemostatic clip and to the new instrumentation engendered by the laparoscopic revolution. For the pylorectomy, which he was the first to perform in 1879, he had to cede eponymic fame for the operation to Theodor Billroth, who performed it in 1881. But untarnished in the annals of surgical history is his priority in the performance of the first successful total splenectomy in 1867. To each of these memorable achievements by Pean there is a tale worth retelling in the context of his interesting life and the impact of these innovations on surgical history.