cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endothelial changes in galactose-fed dogs

Specular microscopic studies indicate that the size (polymegathism) and shape (pleomorphism) of the hexagonal corneal endothelial cells change in diabetics. Similar morphometric changes of the corneal endothelium have also been experimentally observed in diabetic rats as well as in diabetic and galactose-fed dogs and concomitant administration of aldose reductase inhibitors reduced these morphological changes. The purpose of this study was to examine whether corneal endothelial changes in galactose-fed dogs are reversible by the marked reduction of galactitol production after stopping prolonged galactose feeding. Ten control dogs were fed a normal diet, while 48 dogs were fed a diet containing 30% galactose. The galactose diet was removed from 15 dogs after 24 months at which time pericyte ghosts in the retina had developed and another 15 dogs were removed from the galactose diet after 31 months when retinal microaneurysms had developed. Eighteen dogs remained on galactose diet throughout the study (38 months). Specular microscopy was conducted on members of all groups after 38 months of study and the photographs were analyzed in masked fashion on the Bambi image analysis system. The evaluation of the corneal endothelial cells revealed significant differences in the cell size and density between galactose-fed dogs in the three groups and normal, age-matched control dogs. Corneal endothelial changes were not significantly reduced in dogs fed galactose for either 24 months or 31 months and then fed a normal diet for 14 and 7 months, respectively, indicating that amelioration of endothelial cell changes requires therapy prior to the advent of endothelial morphologic changes.
Expression of P-glycoprotein in the chicken.

Abstract The multidrug resistance gene product, P-glycoprotein, may act as a defense mechanism against natural and man-made environmental toxins. Like mammals, chickens show high levels of P-glycoprotein expression in the liver, small intestine, and kidney. Expression of P-glycoprotein rapidly increased with age in the liver and kidney reaching a plateau by 2 and 4 days of age, respectively; however, expression of P-glycoprotein in the duodenum did not significantly change with age. Addition of dietary antibiotics (monensin, bacitracin), as models for dietary toxins, altered P-glycoprotein expression. Monensin increased P-glycoprotein expression in the liver and duodenum. Bacitracin reduced P-glycoprotein expression by 45% in the liver, but did not alter expression in the duodenum. Intraperitoneal injection of E . coli lipopolysaccharide, a model for acute inflammation, rapidly increased expression of Pgp protein in the liver (∼2-fold). Expression then declines to pre-induction levels by 24 h. Similar responses were observed in the spleen and kidney but not the duodenum. These results confirm the presence of an avian P-glycoprotein homologue and suggest that dietary constituents regulate the expression of P-glycoprotein. Changes in P-glycoprotein expression may represent an important physiological response to foods containing toxins and an important component of the acute phase immune response.
Steady-State and Transient Kinetic Analyses of Taurine/α-Ketoglutarate Dioxygenase: Effects of Oxygen Concentration, Alternative Sulfonates, and Active-Site Variants on the FeIV-oxo Intermediate†

Taurine/alpha-ketoglutarate (alphaKG) dioxygenase (TauD), an archetype alphaKG-dependent hydroxylase, is a non-heme mononuclear Fe(II) enzyme that couples the oxidative decarboxylation of alphaKG with the conversion of taurine to aminoacetaldehyde and sulfite. The crystal structure of taurine-alphaKG-Fe(II)TauD is known, and spectroscopic studies have kinetically defined the early steps in catalysis and identified a high-spin Fe(IV)-oxo reaction intermediate. The present analysis extends our understanding of TauD catalysis by investigating the steady-state and transient kinetics of wild-type and variant forms of the enzyme with taurine and alternative sulfonates. TauD proteins substituted at residues surrounding the active site were shown to fold properly based on their abilities to form a diagnostic chromophore associated with the anaerobic Fe(II)-alphaKG chelate complex and to generate a tyrosyl radical upon subsequent reaction with oxygen. Steady-state studies of mutant proteins confirmed the importance of His 70 and Arg 270 in binding the sulfonate moiety of taurine and indicated the participation of Asn 95 in recognizing the substrate amine group. The N97A and S158A variants are likely to undergo an increase in hydrophobicity and expansion of the substrate-binding pocket, thus accounting for their decreased K(m) toward pentanesulfonic acid compared to wild-type TauD. Stopped-flow UV-visible spectroscopic examination of the reaction of oxygen with taurine-alphaKG-Fe(II)TauD confirmed a minimal three-step sequence of reactions attributed to Fe(IV)-oxo formation (k(1)), bleaching to the Fe(II) state upon substrate hydroxylation (k(2)), rebinding of excess substrates (k(3)), and indicated that none of the steps exhibit detectable solvent k(H)/k(D) isotope effects. This demonstrates that no protons are involved in the rate-determining step of Fe(IV)-oxo formation, in contrast to heme iron oxygenases. The Fe(IV)-oxo species is likely to be utilized in conversion of the alternative substrates pentanesulfonic acid and 3-N-morpholinopropanesulfonic acid; however, this spectroscopic intermediate was not detected because of the decreased k(1)/k(2) ratio. With taurine, k(1) was shown to depend on the oxygen concentration allowing calculation of a second-order rate constant of 1.58 x 10(5) M(-)(1) s(-)(1) for this irreversible reaction. Stopped-flow analyses of TauD variants provided several insights into how the protein environment influences the rates of Fe(IV)-oxo formation and decay. The Fe(IV)-oxo species was not detected in the N95D or N95A variants because of a reduced k(1)/k(2) ratio, likely related to a decreased substrate-dependent conversion of the six-coordinate to five-coordinate metal site.
Some observations on diseases ofPisum sativum in several European countries in 1957

Observations on the occurrence of diseases of pea,Pisum sativum, in five European countries in 1957 are reported. Areas visited, numbers of fields studied, and appropriate dates are indicated. The pea diseases found, together with estimates of the amount of infection by each are given. No accuracy of relative economic importance of the diseases is claimed but significance is attached to the finding of certain pea diseases for the first time in several of the countries visited.
A study of three-roll piercing

Abstract An experimental-analytical technique is described which was developed for finding the complete stress distribution in three-roll rotary piercing. This technique requires the knowledge of the entire velocity distribution in the region of deformation, and the stresses at the roll-tube interface. It makes no assumptions regarding the yield condition, or effects of strain-rate. The factor of proportionality in the constitutive equations is considered an unknown variable which may vary from point to point in the region of deformation. The knowledge of the relationship of this variable to such parameters as yield point, strain-rate, etc., and of the values of these parameters from point to point, is not necessary.
Banding in Simple Steady Shear of Entangled Polymer Solutions

Velocity profiles of six entangled polybutadiene solutions (PBD) have been determined during startup shear using a particle tracking velocimetric (PTV) technique, where the number Z of entanglements per chain in these solutions varies from 13 to 119, depending on the PBD molecular weight and solution concentration. Flow behavior of these solutions at various rates in the stress plateau region has been investigated in both parallel-disk and cone−plate cells. For the least entangled solution with Z = 13, homogeneous shear was observed under all flow conditions. The solution with Z = 27 displayed inhomogeneous shear after the stress maximum before returning to a linear velocity profile at long times. For solutions with Z ≥ 40, shear banding was observed in both transient and steady states for a range of shear rates in the stress plateau region. At sufficiently high rates, shear homogeneity returns in steady state for these solutions (Z ≥ 40) after initial banding.
Overview of Pharmacogenetics in Anticoagulation Therapy

Although used for many years, a detailed understanding of the mechanism of action and metabolism of anticoagulants has become available only recently. After the addition of pharmacogenetic data to the drug label by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, interest in the pharmacogenetics of warfarin and its clinical application has grown exponentially. Dosing algorithms have been developed and continue to be refined that incorporate the polymorphisms of P450 2C9 and vitamin K epoxide reductase. Widespread adoption of these algorithms has been slow because of factors such as physician education, timely testing, complexity of dosing calculations, dietary variations, and other confounding variables. Although most useful before the first dose, these tests are also being used to explain labile responses to warfarin. Current protocols are capable of predicting a large portion of interindividual dosing variation and, as more data become available, truly personalized dosing of warfarin should be achievable, improving patient safety and clinical efficacy.
Model for the combined effects of temperature, pH and sodium chloride concentration on survival of Shigella flexneri strain 5348 under aerobic conditions ☆

Abstract Shigella is recognized as a major foodborne pathogen; however, relatively few studies have been reported on its growth and survival characteristics, particularly under conditions relevant to food. A fractional factorial design was used to measure the effects and interactions of temperature (4–37 °C), pH (2–6) and NaCl (0.5–9%) on survival kinetics of Shigella flexneri strain 5348 in BHI broth. Stationary-phase cells were inoculated into sterile media to give initial populations of 6–7 log 10 CFU/ml and bacterial populations were determined periodically by aerobic plate counts. A total of 267 cultures, representing 83 variable combinations of temperature, pH and NaCl concentration, were analyzed. Survivor curves were fitted from plate count data by means of a two-phase linear model to determine lag times and slopes of the curves, from which decimal reduction times ( D -values) and times to a 4-log 10 inactivation ( t 4 D ) were calculated. Second order response surface models in terms of temperature, initial pH and NaCl concentration were obtained for the inactivation kinetics parameters of S. flexneri using regression analysis. The use of log 10 transformation of the inactivation kinetics parameters yielded models with R 2 values of >0.8. These models can provide an estimate of Shigella inactivation. The data obtained suggest that Shigella is resistant to acid and salt and that low pH foods stored at low temperatures may serve as vehicles for gastrointestinal illness.
Practical application and decision-making in Mohs micrographic surgery and cutaneous oncology

Mohs micrographic surgery for cutaneous malignancies is a tissue-sparing procedure that offers cure rates superior to that of other treatment options. Mohs surgery has evolved as the most reliable and cost-effective treatment modality for skin cancer, offering maximal preservation of normal tissue and therefore the lowest functional and cosmetic morbidity. It is a method of surgical excision with high intrinsic value that is cost-effective in comparison with traditional surgical excision. In this article, the main steps of this surgical procedure are outlined along with the tissue-processing concepts, the indications, limitations, and cost-effectiveness of Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS).
"Downhill" esophageal varices as an iatrogenic complication of upper extremity hemodialysis access.

“Downhill” esophageal varices as an iatrogenic complication of upper extremity hemodialysis access
Concerns about child maltreatment in hospitalized children.

Abstract This study examined factors associated with clinicians' concerns about abuse and neglect and reporting hospitalized children to Child Protective Services (CPS). Data came from a cross-sectional chart review from a random sample of pediatric hospitalizations 1988–1990 in three cities for five condition groups (n = 5,446), and included evidence of clinicians' concerns about physical abuse or neglect and reports to CPS, family income, ethnicity, family structure, child's age, and illness severity at admission. Concerns about abuse were noted in 2.5% of the total sample, concerns about neglect in 3.1%, and 2.9% of children were reported to CPS. Concerns about abuse were most frequent in children with head trauma (8.2%), and concerns about neglect in children with toxic ingestion (12.3%). Young age of child, low income, and single parent family were independently associated with increased frequencies of concerns and reports. Low income was significantly associated with clinicians' concerns about neglect, but not abuse or reports to CPS. Ethnicity was not significant after controlling for income and family structure. Severity of illness was associated with concerns about physical abuse (p = .02) among children with head trauma, and with concerns about neglect and frequency of reporting among children with meningitis (p
Flat-flame diamond CVD: The effect of pressure and operating conditions for specific applications

Abstract The radial uniformity and scaleable nature of flat flames make them an attractive technique for diamond deposition The advantages of low-pressure operation relative to atmospheric operation are discussed with respect to reactor design, heat transfer considerations and flame stability. The thermochemistry and kinetics of flat flames are described in regard to process optimization. Examples are provided to describe how to tailor the low-pressure process for the following applications: morphology control for the production of textured films, low-temperature deposition and the introduction of dopants.
Making a maxillary record base with the dental surveyor

A technique has been described that will allow more intimate contact of a maxillary record base to the tissues and the casts. A dental surveyor is used to determine a path of insertion that minimizes the amount of undercut to be blocked out. By coating the cast with tinfoil substitute prior to blocking out the posterior undercuts, the rope wax will adhere to the resin. On initial removal from the cast, the wax will yield enough to clear the undercuts. The wax in the anterior portion of the base will also flex enough to clear the undercut. The cast will not break, and maximum utilization of the labial vestibule will be realized. This technique produces a maxillary record base that is stable, retentive, and allows anterior teeth to be properly positioned without problems of resin interference.
Randomized phase II trial of embolization therapy versus chemoembolization therapy in previously treated patients with colorectal carcinoma metastatic to the liver.

Abstract Locoregional therapies are useful in treating patients with colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver. A prospective randomized phase II trial of hepatic artery embolization versus hepatic artery chemoembolization was conducted to evaluate the response rates and toxicities of these therapies in the second-line setting. Patients were required to have biopsy-proven adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum metastatic to the liver, with the liver as the sole or predominant site of metastatic disease. All patients had measurable disease and had failed at least one prior systemic chemotherapy treatment for metastatic disease. Patients were randomized to receive either embolization therapy with polyvinyl alcohol foam (Ivalon®) administered as a single agent or chemoembolization using polyvinyl alcohol foam mixed with 750 mg/m2 of 5-fluorouracil and 9 million units of interferon. Drugs and embolic material were administered via the hepatic artery as a slurry with polyvinyl alcohol foam. Fifty eligible patients were enrolled. There were 24 patients in the chemoembolization arm and 26 in the embolization arm. Sixty-four percent of patients in both treatment arms had the liver as the sole metastatic site. The most common National Cancer Institute common toxicity criteria grade 3/4 toxicities were diarrhea (17%) and hepatic toxicity (8%). There was 1 (4%) treatment-related mortality due to a hepatic abscess. Four patients (15.4%) treated with embolization had a partial response (PR), and 5 patients (20.8%) treated with chemoembolization had a PR. The median survival for all patients was 11 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 8–15 months). Survival in patients with extrahepatic disease was 8 months (95% CI, 6- 10 months). Survival in patients with liver-only metastases was 15 months (95% CI, 10–17 months). Embolization of the liver as second-line therapy in patients with liver-predominant metastases is safe and effective. Median survivals are comparable to other second-line therapies.
TUMOR SUSCEPTIBILITY IN RATS: ROLE OF INFANTILE MANIPULATION AND LATER EXERCISE.

Rat pups were removed from the nest briefly each day during the first week of life. Later experience with forced ambulation before and after implantation with the Walker carcinoma 256 was assessed for its effect on tumor size and survival of the animal. Exercise slowed tumor growth. Change in survival time resulting from exercise was not demonstrated in non-manipulated rats. Among manipulated animals, the group exercised both before and after implantation lived longer than rats exercised only after implantation. Infantile manipulation enhanced the exercise effect on tumor growth, and delayed mortality.
Bound by the past? Experience-based effects on commitment to the strategic status quo

This study extends research into the determinants of executive commitment to the strategic status quo (CSQ) by examining the effects of functional and educational experience. Regression analyses conducted on the survey responses of 1385 executives representing 20 different nationalities reveal that experience in the traditionally dominant career tracks of finance, marketing, law, and general management is positively related to CSQ. Results further suggest that while functional diversity is negatively related to commitment to extant policies, graduate (MBA) education is unrelated to CSQ and does not significantly attenuate the narrowing effects of functional specialization. Implications for executive leadership, management development, and strategic adaptation are discussed.
SU-E-T-92: on the Use of High-Sensitivity Thermoluminescent Dosimeters (TLDs) for Dosimetric Characterization of Low-Energy Brachytherapy Sources

Purpose: To investigate the utility and accuracy of high‐sensitivity TLD for dosimetric characterization of low‐energy brachytherapy sources. Methods: One hundred high‐sensitivity (TLD‐100H) and 100 normal‐sensitivity (TLD‐100) TLDs were used in this study. The TLD‐100s were annealed at 400°C for one hour and then kept at room temperature for 45 minutes followed by 80°C heating for 24 hours. To prevent temperature overshot from reducing the sensitivity of TLD‐100Hs, a novel thermal reservoir was built, tested, and used to anneal TLD‐100H at 240 0C for 15 minutes and then kept at room temperature for 45 minutes followed by 100 0C heating for one hour. These TLDs were then irradiated uniformly in a large cavity Cs‐137 irradiator for biomedical research (Shepherd, Mark III) to test their reproducibility and to establish their relative sensitivities. The radial dose function of a Model AgX100 125I source was measured using both types of TLDs in water‐equivalent solid phantoms as a test case. The radial dose function measured by the TLD‐100H was compared with that measured by TLD‐100 to determine its utility in brachytherapydosimetry characterization. Results: Consistent and accurate annealing of high‐sensitivity TLDs was achieved by using a custom‐built thermal reservoir system. TLD‐100H was found to be about 18 times more sensitive than TLD‐100. For a 125I source with a source‐strength of 2.7U, the irradiation time for radial dose function characterization up to 7 cm can be cut down from 38 days to 3 days. The radial dose function measured by TLD‐100H agreed well (within ±6%) with that measured by TLD‐100. Conclusions: A novel thermal reservoir was used for consistent annealing of high‐sensitivity TLDs. TLD‐100H can significantly shorten the irradiation time needed for a complete characterization of radial dose function. Investigation of TLD‐100H for complete brachytherapy source characterization is in progress. Supported in part by NIH grant R01‐CA134627
Posterior lobe prostatic hypertrophy.

Abstract A case of asymptomatic pelvic mass which was proved to be the first confirmed example of true posterior lobe prostatie hypertrophy is presented.
Inadequate Blood Volume Collected for Culture: A Survey of Health Care Professionals

Adequate blood culture volume is the single most important determinant for yield of organisms. We sought to determine whether health care professionals are aware of the current evidence-based recommendations for blood culture collection. An anonymous survey of employees qualified to collect blood cultures was conducted (July-October 2004) in an urban tertiary care facility. The survey asked, "What volume of blood should be collected in one bottle for a blood culture?" Of the 360 employees of the hospital surveyed, 355 returned evaluable answers for blood culture volume collected. Overall, 79% (95% confidence interval [CI], 74%-83%) answered less than 10 mL, and 44% (95% CI, 39%-49%) answered less than 5 mL of blood. When examined by occupation, 90% (95% CI, 86%-94%) of nurses, 97% (95% CI, 91%-100%) of technicians, and 55% (95% CI, 46%-64%) of physicians answered less than 10 mL; 52% (95% CI, 45%-59%) of nurses, 63% (95% CI, 46%-79%) of technicians, and 26% (95% CI, 18%-35%) of physicians answered less than 5 mL. Of all respondents, 21% (95% CI, 17%-25%) answered 1 mL or less. Our findings reveal that a high percentage of health care personnel do not know the optimal volume of blood recommended for collection. Because volume remains the most important determinant for the optimal yield of organisms, these findings raise an important quality assurance issue.
Graduate Training in Entomology: Departments of Biology, Zoology, and Zoology-Entomology

The material presented in this survey was obtained from questionnaires sent to department chairmen, recent graduates, and current graduate students in those departments of biology or zoology where training in entomology (defined as working with insects) can be pursued. Both the individuals participating and their representative institutions will remain anonymous.
Digraph parameters and finite set arithmetic

Each hereditarily finite set is associated with a unique extensional acyclic digraph. Three parameters, indicating the size or richness of a set, are associated with its digraph: the cardinality of the set, and the numbers of nodes and of edges in the digraph. We study the effects on these parameters of the operations of the ordinal arithmetic of sets.
Bootstrapping to Assess and Improve Atmospheric Prediction Models

Bootstrapping is a simple technique typically used to assess accuracy of estimates of model parameters by using simple plug-in principles and replacing sometimes unwieldy theory by computer simulation. Common uses include variance estimation and confidence interval construction of model parameters. It also provides a way to estimate prediction accuracy of continuous and class-valued outcomes regression models. In this paper we will overview some of these applications of the bootstrap focusing on bootstrap estimates of prediction error, and also explore how the bootstrap can be used to improve prediction accuracy of unstable models like tree-structured classifiers through aggregation. The improvements can typically be attributed to variance reduction in the classical regression setting and more generally a smoothing of decision boundaries for the classification setting. These advancements have important implications in the way that atmospheric prediction models can be improved, and illustrations of this will be shown. For class-valued outcomes, an interesting graphic known as the CAT scan can be constructed to help understand the aggregated decision boundary. This will be illustrated using simulated data.
Evaluation of the El Paso method for measuring volatile organic compounds from industrial cooling waters

Controlled laboratory experiments were conducted to measure highly reactive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in industrial cooling waters using four different sampling methods. The sampling methods included collection of samples from the exhaust air of the El Paso column in Summa® canisters and Tedlar™ bags, and collection of samples from the water flow immediately prior to entering the El Paso column in volatile organic analysis vials and 0.5-L Tedlar bags. Collected samples were analyzed using standard laboratory techniques. Relative accuracies of the methods involving collection of water samples in volatile organic analysis vials and 0.5-L Tedlar bags were greater than 20%. Relative accuracies of the methods involving collection of gas samples from the El Paso column in Summa canisters and Tedlar bags were less than 20% when concentrations of these compounds in water were equal to or greater than 50 ppbw. Relative accuracies of these methods were less than 10 ppbw when concentrations of these VOCs in water were less than 50 ppbw. © 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2008
Virtual channel and path allocation in ATM networks

An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network provides a connection-oriented service by establishing a virtual channel (VC) between a source and destination node. Virtual paths (VPs) facilitate virtual channel allocation by partitioning network resources along pre-calculated routes. This paper proposes a framework for the allocation of VCs and VPs in an ATM network. Our approach is based on approximating the required resources of calls and then formulating a multirate loss network model for an ATM network. We propose a decentralized algorithm for adaptively adjusting offered loads to network routes and VP bandwidth assignments.
Mechanisms regulating human FMO3 transcription.

Flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) are important oxidative drug metabolizing enzymes. FMO3 is the primary human adult liver FMO enzyme, but is developmentally regulated. FMO3 promoter characterization using in vitro DNA binding assays with HepG2 cell and fetal and adult liver nuclear protein, as well as FMO3/reporter construct transient expression in HepG2 cells, provided evidence for specific mechanisms contributing to both developmental and constitutive adult regulation. NFY, USF1, an unidentified GC box binding protein, and YY1 appear to play major roles regulating constitutive FMO3 transcription, while Pbx2 as a heterodimer with an unidentified Hox isoform also may contribute to FMO3 developmental expression.
Late relapse in primary central nervous system lymphoma: clonal persistence.

Recurrence of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) after initial diagnosis and treatment occurs within 2 years in most patients, and relapse after 5 years is rare. We evaluated late relapse in our PCNSL population. We identified 10 patients from our database of 378 patients (268 achieved a complete response and 230 had relapse) with PCNSL who had relapse ≥5 years after initial diagnosis. At initial diagnosis, their median age was 47 years; all patients had brain involvement and achieved a complete response to initial therapy (9 received high-dose methotrexate). Median time to first relapse was 7.4 years (range, 5.2–14.6 y). Eight patients had relapse in the brain, 1 had ocular relapse, and 1 had a systemic relapse. The histologic specimens at initial diagnosis and relapse were examined for clonal rearrangement in 3 patients; 1 had the identical clone at initial diagnosis and relapse 13.8 years later, and the other 2 were uninformative. All patients received salvage therapy (9 received systemic therapy and 1 received intraocular chemotherapy. Nine patients achieved a complete response to salvage therapy and 1 achieved a partial response. Four patients had relapse a second time. The median progression-free survival after first relapse was 31 months (range, 7.9–82.4). Late relapses accounted for 4% of all recurrences (10 of 230 patients) in our PCNSL population. Long-term persistence of the PCNSL clone was observed in one patient. Patients with late relapses have a good response to salvage therapy and prolonged survival.
Participatory Social Media and the Evaluation of Online Behavior

In many online settings, the content that appears on a webpage is created by both website owners and viewers. This study employed the folk model of intentionality to examine how people evaluate collectively created web content. The results indicate that how website owners respond to content posted by others can (1) affect the extent to which they are held accountable for sharing the content and (2) affect the extent to which the content influences viewers' impressions of the website owner. Overall, the findings illustrate the explanatory utility of the folk-model of intentionality in a new context, elucidate new ways in which components of the model interrelate, and highlight the role communication plays in the evaluation of collectively created web content.
Hardness amplification within NP

(MATH) In this paper we investigate the following question: If $\np$ is slightly hard on average, is it very hard on average? We show the answer is yes; if there is a function in $\np$ which is \mbox{$(1-1/\poly(n))$}-hard for circuits of polynomial size, then there is a function in $\np$ which is $(\half + n^{-1/2 + \epsilon})$-hard for circuits of polynomial size. Our proof technique is to generalize the Yao XOR Lemma, allowing us to characterize nearly tightly the hardness of a composite function \linebreak $g(f(x_1), \ldots, f(x_n))$, in terms of: (i) the original hardness of $f$, and (ii) the {\em expected bias} of the function $g$ when subjected to random restrictions. The computational result we prove essentially matches an information-theoretic bound.
Modeling the International Tourism Expenditures of Individual Travelers

This study presents a set of econometric models that measure the response of international tourism expenditures to consumer prices and other country-level factors, while controlling for the demographic characteristics of the individual travelers. We find that the price elasticity of the demand for international tourism services, conditional on traveling overseas, is approximately −0.8. We also find that the level of economic development of the country, its distance from the United States, and the age and income of the individual travelers all had significant positive effects on tourism expenditures.
Chromatin structure of telomere domain in human sperm.

Telomeres in human sperm nucleus are clustered at the nuclear periphery. Chromosomes in the sperm are highly condensed with protamines, however, a small portion of DNA remains associated with histones; the role of the nucleohistone is unknown. To examine structure of the telomeric chromatin, the sperm nuclei were treated with micrococcal nuclease. Chromatin released by the digestion was free from protamines, but contained histones and revealed nucleosomal organization. It was enriched with telomeric DNA organized into closely spaced nucleosomes with a periodicity of 148 +/- bp. Thus, while the most of the sperm genome is packed into extremely dense nucleoprotamine structure, at least a part of the telomeric DNA is arranged into nucleosomes and can be released by the nuclease. We suggest that telomeres might be among the first structures in the sperm nucleus that respond to oocyte signals for male pronucleus development at fertilization.
JSP splitting for improving execution performance

Splitting a JSP (JavaServer Pages) page into fragments can improve the execution performance of JSP pages when the Web application server can separately cache the Web page fragments obtained by executing the JSP fragments. If a JSP page is split into fragments according to the update frequency of each portion of the Web page obtained by executing the JSP page, all of the split JSP fragments do not need to be executed again when only a single cached part of a Web page expires. In addition, the fragments of a JSP page can be reused by other JSP pages. In both cases, the execution results of all of the JSP fragments split from the JSP page must be the same as from the JSP page before it was split. In this paper, we propose JSP splitting, which is a method of splitting a JSP page into fragments maintaining the data and control dependences existing in the original JSP page. JSP splitting automatically detects the portions needed to maintain the data and control dependences of a JSP page for the portions that developers want to split from the JSP page. We implemented JSP splitting with a GUI tool, and confirmed that the split JSP fragments were executed in the same as the way as the JSP page before the split. Experimental results show that the response time to access a Web page can be reduced by splitting a JSP page into fragments and setting different caching periods for the Web page fragments obtained by executing the JSP fragments.
Internationalization, Internalization, and Intersectionality of Identity: A Critical Race Feminist Re-Images Curriculum

This poetry/paper article is a re-accounting, a poetic counterstory in curriculum, of the praxis of an African American female teacher-educator working against internalized notions of curriculum as standards by re-imagining curriculum through the lives of third grade students and her teacher education colleagues. Using critical race feminism (Berry, 2010; Berry & Mizelle, 2006; Wing, 2003) as her framework, the author will describe how she moves curriculum from internalized to connected, collective, and introspective. The author will provide her rationale for the necessity of such movements in curriculum and will conclude the paper with a discussion about the possibilities that exist in such re-imagination.
Tight glycaemic control does not improve mortality or morbidity in critically ill children

Commentary on: Macrae D, Grieve R, Allen E, et al. A randomized trial of hyperglycemic control in pediatric intensive care. N Engl J Med 2014;370:107–18.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] With tight glycaemic control (TGC), blood glucose is maintained at normal fasting levels with intravenous insulin. The efficacy and safety of TGC in critically ill patients is unclear. One study showed that TGC in the surgical intensive care unit reduced mortality and organ failure in critically ill adults1; however, subsequent trials failed to replicate these results. In fact, one multicentre trial showed higher mortality in critically ill adults undergoing TGC. Hypoglycaemia was more common with TGC.2 Macrae and colleagues … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DN%2BEngl%2BJ%2BMed%26rft.issn%253D0028-4793%26rft.volume%253D370%26rft.spage%253D107%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1056%252FNEJMoa1302564%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F24401049%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1056/NEJMoa1302564&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=24401049&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F19%2F4%2F143.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000336119800006&link_type=ISI
Excitation Spectrum of Ferromagnetic xxz-Chains

The history of xxz-Heisenberg spin chains, defined by the Hamiltonian $$K = - \text{J}\sum\limits_{\text{l = 1}}^\text{N} {(\text{S}_\text{l}^\text{X} \,\text{S}_{\text{l + 1}}^\text{X} + \text{S}_\text{l}^\text{Y} \,\text{S}_{\text{l + 1}}^\text{Y} + \Delta \text{S}_\text{l}^\text{Z} \,\text{S}_{\text{l + 1}}^\text{Z} ),}$$ (1) is a rather rich one. It extends over more than fifty years and includes some of the major achievements in mathematical physics.1–3
Childhood body mass index trajectories: modeling, characterizing, pairwise correlations and socio-demographic predictors of trajectory characteristics

Modeling childhood body mass index (BMI) trajectories, versus estimating change in BMI between specific ages, may improve prediction of later body-size-related outcomes. Prior studies of BMI trajectories are limited by restricted age periods and insufficient use of trajectory information. Among 3,289 children seen at 81,550 pediatric well-child visits from infancy to 18 years between 1980 and 2008, we fit individual BMI trajectories using mixed effect models with fractional polynomial functions. From each child's fitted trajectory, we estimated age and BMI at infancy peak and adiposity rebound, and velocity and area under curve between 1 week, infancy peak, adiposity rebound, and 18 years. Among boys, mean (SD) ages at infancy BMI peak and adiposity rebound were 7.2 (0.9) and 49.2 (11.9) months, respectively. Among girls, mean (SD) ages at infancy BMI peak and adiposity rebound were 7.4 (1.1) and 46.8 (11.0) months, respectively. Ages at infancy peak and adiposity rebound were weakly inversely correlated (r = -0.09). BMI at infancy peak and adiposity rebound were positively correlated (r = 0.76). Blacks had earlier adiposity rebound and greater velocity from adiposity rebound to 18 years of age than whites. Higher birth weight z-score predicted earlier adiposity rebound and higher BMI at infancy peak and adiposity rebound. BMI trajectories did not differ by birth year or type of health insurance, after adjusting for other socio-demographics and birth weight z-score. Childhood BMI trajectory characteristics are informative in describing childhood body mass changes and can be estimated conveniently. Future research should evaluate associations of these novel BMI trajectory characteristics with adult outcomes.
Bridging Ethnography and Path‐finding Business Opportunities

While ethnography has been integrated into the design research, new product development and corporate strategy, it has been less well integrated into path-finding for new business opportunities. We've developed a model for path-finding research that has three core parts: creating a business opportunity hypothesis from social flux, testing and validating the hypothesis, and catalyzing opportunities for the corporation. We provide a case study of how we used the approach around The Data Economy. We highlight three important aspects of the approach: shift of research focus from context to ecosystem; robust action, rather than funnel development for concepts, and present a tool we created called the Business Opportunity Canvas to convey research findings into action. We then highlight the direct implications of this shift for ethnographic projects, from a focus on how knowledge is produced and description of context, to an analysis of society and culture. We have not spelled out the entire process but have created a minimal viable product that can be experimented upon. Keywords: path-finding, ethnography, business opportunities, methods, case study, ecosystem, robust action, innovation, transformation.
Design Optimization of a Novel Polymeric Prosthetic Heart Valve and a Ventricular Assist Device via Device Thrombogenicity Emulation

Thrombotic complications, such as hemorrhage or embolism, remain a major concern of blood contacting medical devices [1], including prosthetic heart valves (PHV) and mechanical circulatory support devices, e.g. ventricular assist devices (VAD) or the Total Artificial Heart (TAH) [2]. In most cases device recipients require life-long anticoagulation therapy, which increases the risk of hemorrhagic stroke and other bleeding disorders. In order to obviate the need for anticoagulants and reduce stroke risks, our group developed a unique optimization methodology, Device Thrombogenicity Emulation (DTE) [2–5]. With the DTE, the thrombogenic potential of a device is evaluated using extensive numerical modeling and calculating multiple platelet trajectories flowing through the device. The platelet stress-time waveforms are then emulated in our Hemodynamic Shearing Device (HSD) and their activation level is measured with our Platelet Activation State (PAS) assay. This provides a proxy validation of the simulation. We identify high shear stress producing regions within the device and modify its design to reduce or eliminate those potentially thrombogenic ‘hot-spots.’ Through an iterative process, we can optimize the device design prior to prototyping.© 2013 ASME
Interactions between the player's windway and the air column of a musical instrument.

The conversion of the energy of a wind-instrument player’s steadily flowing breath into oscillatory energy in musical wind instruments has been well understood for several years. It depends on the cooperative interaction of several resonances of the instrument’s air column with the flow-controlling reed. Recent work has demonstrated the importance of additional effects arising from the resonances of the player’s own windway. The player can learn to control these effects and normally uses them to stabilize and refine the tone and correct the tuning. He or she may also use them to disrupt the normal processes, replacing them by oscillatory regimes made up of inharmonic partials; musicians call these sounds “multiphonics.” This report outlines the way in which the instrument’s air column and the player’s windway jointly interact with the reed to produce these effects and presents examples of the associated phenomena. Certain medical implications are also described, in particular, chronic problems occurring in clarinet players who, because they do not exploit the resource of windway adjustability, try to improve their tone by using excessively stiff reeds and high blowing pressures.
A Microgrid Monitoring System Over Mobile Platforms

Real-time awareness of the phasor state, including the volatile frequency and phase angle, is critical to maintain reliable and stable operations of the power grid. However, the high cost and low accessibility of current synchrophasors restrict their large-scale deployment over highly distributed microgrids. In this paper, we present a practical system design for monitoring the microgrid frequency and phase angle over mobile platforms and significantly reduce the cost of such monitoring. Being different from current synchrophasors, our system does not rely on continuous GPS reception and hence it is highly accessible and applicable to heterogeneous microgrid scenarios. We develop various techniques to provide the timing signal that is necessary for precise microgrid monitoring. For frequency monitoring, the network time protocol is exploited for time synchronization. For phase angle monitoring which requires a higher timing accuracy, 200 Hz primary synchronization signal being embedded in the 4G LTE cellular signal is harvested for time synchronization. We implemented our system over off-the-shelf smartphones with a few peripheral hardware components and realized an accuracy of 1.7 MHz and 0.01 rad for frequency and phase angle monitoring, respectively. Although the accuracy of the prototype is lower than that of the GPS-based systems, the system could still satisfy the requirements of microgrid monitoring. The total cost of the system can be controlled within $100 and no installation cost is required. Experiment results compared with the traditional frequency disturbance recorders verify the effectiveness of our proposed system.
Staphylococcus saprophyticus: role in urinary tract infections in men.

AbstractWe investigated the role of Staphylococcus saprorphyticus in urinary tract infections in men. Of 9,314 urine specimens cultured from men in a veterans hospital only 3 (2 patients) yielded Staphylococcus saprophyticus. Thus, Staphylococcus saprophyticus rarely causes infection in older men and should not be sought routinely by microbiology laboratories in hospitals serving men primarily.
GABAergic Function as a Limiting Factor for Prefrontal Maturation during Adolescence

Adolescence is a vulnerable period for the onset of mental illnesses including schizophrenia and affective disorders, yet the neurodevelopmental processes underlying this vulnerability remain poorly understood. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) and its local GABAergic system are thought to contribute to the core of cognitive deficits associated with such disorders. However, clinical and preclinical end-point analyses performed in adults are likely to give limited insight into the cellular mechanisms that are altered during adolescence but are only manifested in adulthood. This perspective summarizes work regarding the developmental trajectories of the GABAergic system in the PFC during adolescence to provide an insight into the increased susceptibility to psychiatric disorders during this critical developmental period.
Extraction of Gasoline Constituents from Soil

Mesure par chromatographie en phase gazeuse a ionisation de flame du benzene, toluene, heptane, m-xylene, nonane, propylbenzene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, butylbenzene, 1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene et dodecane
COMPASS Implementation Quality

COMPASS is comprised of two distinct, but related implementation practice activities—the initial consultation and the follow-up teacher coaching activities. Both are designed to empower parents and teachers as the active decision-makers on behalf of a student and assist them in their efforts to intervene with the student using performance-based outcome assessment and decision-making. As shown in our Integrated Model, we were interested in the relationship between our implementation practice (consultant behaviors) and the intervention practice (teacher behaviors). Thus, the focus of this chapter is on consultant behavior and its impact on teacher behavior. We examined several indicators of consultant behavior. Analysis of the quality of the verbal communication between the parent, teacher, and consultant during the initial consultation showed that the exchanges were positive and positive exchanges correlated with IEP quality. Importantly IEP quality correlated with child outcomes, a finding discussed in the following chapter, implying a relationship between our implementation practice, intervention practice, and practice outcomes. We also discuss our findings that showed a relationship between coaching quality and teaching quality at each coaching. Lastly we discuss the association between coaching quality and student outcomes via the association with teaching quality.
Investigating the ‘politics of design’ in community theatre circles: the case of Intuba Arts Development (Durban) and Bambelela Arts Ensemble (Bulawayo)

AbstractCommunity theatre has for a long time been considered as an ‘alternate’ to the main stream, a practice on the margins. Scholarly attention to the practice of scenography within community theatre performance practice occupies the periphery of a discipline that is already on the fringe. Through the use of two practice-as-research case studies in two cities in Zimbabwe and South Africa, this paper identifies varied ‘politics’ that influences the practice of scenography. The interrogation of these politics highlights the creativity, versatility and lay bare the challenges and need for personnel development with specialised interest to the technical needs of community theatre practice.