cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Partially-partitioned Templating Strategies for Outpatient Specialty Practices

Templating strategies specify policies on capacity allocation and appointment booking, which are central to patient access management in outpatient specialty practices (SPs). In the widely-implemented partitioned templating strategy, appointment capacity is allocated exclusively to each patient group defined by a combination of patient attributes and medical conditions, which often results in utilization challenges for SPs. Motivated by problems faced by an SP within a large academic medical center, we propose partially-partitioned templating strategies that cluster patient groups into access classes and allocate appointment slots to these classes. We formulate a two-stage stochastic optimization model to simultaneously optimize decisions on patient group clustering and capacity allocation in the templating strategy design. We develop an efficient solution algorithm for the problem, which otherwise poses a combinatorial challenge, based on Benders' cuts and an anticipatory approximation. Numerical experiments using real-world data show that the partially-partitioned strategies outperform benchmark strategies used by SPs through maintaining a balance of high capacity utilization and providing timely access for priority patients. Partially-partitioned templates can be readily implemented using the existing functionality of common electronic appointment management systems. Therefore, we advise SP leadership to adopt partially-partitioned templating strategies to improve their patient access management.
A Space/Time Data Fusion Method for Accurately Estimating Wildfire Smoke Concentrations During the October 2017 California Fires to Inform Population-Level Exposure

Background. Exposure to wildfire smoke causes a range of adverse health outcomes, suggesting the importance of accurately estimating wildfire smoke concentrations. While chemical transport models (...
Quantitative and Qualitative Investigations into Trusted Execution Environments

I propose to develop a quantitative and qualitative framework to integrate a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) into the pipeline of secure computation by combining it with other cryptographic primitives. Such a hybrid framework will utilize mathematical and statistical modeling techniques to decide how to combine TEE and cryptographic primitives and evaluate the potential for performance improvement by moving secure computation processes into or out of a TEE. Ideally, I will be able to determine when to combine TEEs with pure-cryptography techniques to improve performance for a task, instead of simply using either method alone and only achieving suboptimal performance. The final goal is to design and develop an actionable decision-making framework, and utilize it to optimize the secure computation process.
Detection of Hybrids in Natural Populations of Picea Glauca and Picea Englemannii

The geographic borders between related species are often overlapping and much is unknown about the ecological and evolutionary dynamics between species in these regions. This is particularly true within long-lived forest trees such as conifers. The spruce species Picea glauca and Picea engelmannii were used in this study to elucidate the genetic dimension of their hybridization, as these species are ecologically divergent and are known to hybridize in nature. Opportunities for hybridization occur along elevational gradients where they co-occur, from northwestern Wyoming north through the central Rocky Mountains and British Columbia. This study was concentrated in the Central Rocky Mountains in Wyoming including the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. We found remarkable variation of genetic ancestry within and among geographic locations. Our genetic results provide evidence for a previously unrecognized, complex geographic mosaic for the interaction between these two species in this part of North America.
Free Radical Mechanisms for Chromosomal Instability in Bloom’s Syndrome

Bloom’s syndrome (BS) is an extremely rare autosomal recessive disorder initially identified in Ashkenazi Jews and later found to be widespread in the general population (1). The distinguishing clinical features of this disorder are numerous and include severe growth deficiency, sun-sensitive facial skin lesions, areas of hypo- and hyper-pigmentation of the skin and immunodeficiency, leading to infections of the respiratory tract and chronic iung disease (1). A newly recognized complication is the development of diabetes mellitus (1). The most prominent feature of BS is a marked predisposition towards the development of cancer (1,2). The age of onset is considerably earlier than that of the general population and approximately 40% of the clinically verified cases develop neoplasms with a mean age of less than 25 years at the time of diagnosis (2). Nearly one third of the surviving cancer patients develop multiple primary tumors. There is no consistent pattern in the occurrence of the cancer type or its location.
A randomized controlled trial comparing an aggressive and a conventional parenteral nutrition regimen in very low birth weight infants

Objective: To study the effect of aggressive versus conventional advancement of parenteral nutrition in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Methods: Forty-two infants weighing 600 to 1200 g were assigned to Study or Control groups. Study patients received 49 kcal/kg/d of non-protein energy (NPE), 2 g/kg/d of amino acids (AA) on D1, and advanced to 75–80 kcal/kg/d NPE, 3.5 g/kg/d of AA by D3. Control patients received 25 kcal/kg/d NPE, 1 g/kg/d AA on D1 with increase to 75–80 kcal/kg/d NPE, 3.5 g/kg/d AA by D6. Serum glucose, triglyceride and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentrations were monitored. Glucose intolerance in the study group was treated with an insulin infusion while the control group was treated by decreasing the glucose infusion. Primary outcomes were postnatal weight loss, weight gain in seven days, and days to regain birth weight. Result: Significantly less postnatal weight loss and greater weight gain in 7 days were observed in the Study group, patients weighing less than 801 g. These differences did not persist beyond the first week. There was an increased incidence of glucose intolerance in the study group. Hypertriglyceridemia was more frequent in Study group infants weighing < 1001 g. There was no difference in the incidence of azotemia among groups. Conclusion: Aggressive nutrition regimen improved weight gain in the first week of life for VLBW infants especially those weighing less than 801 g although there was no long-term weight benefit. There was an associated increased incidence of hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia in the smallest babies.
Can neural network constraints in GP provide power to detect genes associated with human disease

A major goal of human genetics is the identification of susceptibility genes associated with common, complex diseases. Identifying gene-gene and gene-environment interactions which comprise the genetic architecture for a majority of common diseases is a difficult challenge. To this end, novel computational approaches have been applied to studies of human disease. Previously, a GP neural network (GPNN) approach was employed. Although the GPNN method has been quite successful, a clear comparison of GPNN and GP alone to detect genetic effects has not been made. In this paper, we demonstrate that using NN evolved by GP can be more powerful than GP alone. This is most likely due to the confined search space of the GPNN approach, in comparison to a free form GP. This study demonstrates the utility of using GP to evolve NN in studies of the genetics of common, complex human disease.
Selective ion monitoring of tryptophan, N-acetyltryptophan and kynurenine in human serum. Application to the in vivo measurement of tryptophan pyrrolase activity.

A specific method is described for the determination of deuterated and non-deuterated N-acetyltryptophan, tryptophan and kynurenine in human serum and urine using gas chromatography-mass fragmentography. N-Acetyltryptophan was analysed as the N-trimethylsilyl methyl ester derivative; tryptophan and kynurenine were converted into their N-pentafluoropropionyl methyl esters. N-Acetyl-DL-tryptophan-d11, tryptophan-d8 and kynurenine-d2 were used as internal standards. The coefficients of variation were found to be about 8% (n = 9) for tryptophan and N-acetyltryptophan and about 2.4% (n = 9) for kynurenine. Using this method, an in vivo determination of the tryptophan pyrrolase activity [L-tryptophan oxygen 2,3-oxidoreductase (decyclizing), E.C. 1.13.11.11] is possible by loading the subjects with deuterated L-tryptophan-d5 and subsequently measuring the deuterated L-kynurenine-d4 formed and the residual L-tryptophan-d5.
Supporting Computational Visual Theories in Biology

At the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the visual modeling environment for biology (VMEB) is being developed to allow biologists to construct visual representations of scientific concepts and theories. Unlike existing scientific visual modeling environments, VMEB captures and manages visual concepts and diagrams in a computational form that may be transferred across sessions, shared among collaborators, linked to external data sources, and searched against to identify relevant or matching information
The Identifiability of Dependent Competing Risks Models Induced by Bivariate Frailty Models

In this paper, we propose to use a special class of bivariate frailty models to study dependent censored data. The proposed models are closely linked to Archimedean copula models. We give sufficient conditions for the identifiability of this type of competing risks models. The proposed conditions are derived based on a property shared by Archimedean copula models and satisfied by several well-known bivariate frailty models. Compared with the models studied by Heckman and Honore and Abbring and van den Berg, our models are more restrictive but can be identified with a discrete (even finite) covariate. Under our identifiability conditions, expectation–maximization (EM) algorithm provides us with consistent estimates of the unknown parameters. Simulation studies have shown that our estimation procedure works quite well. We fit a dependent censored leukaemia data set using the Clayton copula model and end our paper with some discussions. © 2014 Board of the Foundation of the Scandinavian Journal of Statistics
Big bands and big band music: Embedded popular culture

(1993). Big bands and big band music: Embedded popular culture. Popular Music and Society: Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 23-36.
Atmospheric and marine trace chemistry: interfacial biomediation and monitoring

Valid monitoring and assessment of metals and metalloids active in our planetary environment, by analytical methods which use ultratrace (< μg l−1) molecular speciation of illustrative organometallic substances, is now well established. During the past 20 years, such measurements have placed into realistic context the interplay between geochemical sources and man's technological effluents, in terms of the frequent rate-deterring and extensive biogeoorganometallic chemistry, which dictates heavy element transport and speciation, especially at bioactive surface microlayers where there is heightened bioprocessing of both depositional and emissive fluxes of metals and metalloids. This paper is an overview of the current state-of-art of air-sea measurement capability for monitoring such biogenic organometal (loid)s, in the context of independently established predictive mimetic aqueous chemistry of metals and metalloids, with implications for marine biotechnology and environmental management.
Molting of megalopae of the Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus in intertidal habitats of Northeastern North America

Planktonic larvae of many benthic taxa settle and metamorphose in response to certain habitat cues. Although laboratory investigations of the importance of potential cues are numerous, field experiments are less common. We modified a field caging technique first developed for analysis of molting specificity of fiddler crab megalopae to test potential habitat cues affecting molting of megalopae of the non-native Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus (de Haan). Potential cues consisted of waterborne substances from 2 potential habitats (cobble beach and salt marsh), and the material used to construct experimental cages. Experiments were conducted in 2002, 2003, and 2004 in Massachusetts and New York (USA). Megalopae (4 or 5 d post molt) were placed in either nylon mesh (500 μm) cages open to flooding seawater or transparent glass jars containing filtered seawater. Cages and jars were placed at identical intertidal heights at the field sites and retrieved 3 or 4 d later. The proportion of megalopae molting to the first crab stage was determined after the period of field exposure and for 2 d thereafter. More megalopae molted in cages than jars placed in the adult habitat (cobble beach) and in a marsh without adults. The cage mesh had little effect on molting response. We conclude that waterborne cues stimulate molting of H. sanguineus megalopae, and that cues are present in both the adult habitat and marsh. Molting of H. sanguineus megalopae is substantially less habitat-specific than molting of native fiddler crab megalopae.
Pulsar kicks with modified Urca and electrons in Landau levels

We derive the energy asymmetry given the protoneutron star during the time when the neutrino sphere is near the surface of the protoneutron star, using the modified Urca process. The electrons produced with the antineutrinos are in Landau levels due to the strong magnetic field, and this leads to asymmetry in the neutrino momentum, and a pulsar kick. The magnetic field must be strong enough for a large fraction of the electrons to be in the lowest Landau level; however, there is no direct dependence of our pulsar velocity on the strength of the magnetic field. Our main prediction is that the large pulsar kicks start at about 10 s and last for about 10 s, with the corresponding neutrinos correlated with the direction of the magnetic field. We predict a pulsar velocity of $1.03\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}(T/{10}^{10}\text{ }\mathrm{K}{)}^{7}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{km}/s$, which reaches $1000\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{km}/s$ if $T\ensuremath{\simeq}{10}^{11}\text{ }\mathrm{K}$.
Audio key finding: considerations in system design and case studies on Chopin's 24 preludes

We systematically analyze audio key finding to determine factors important to system design, and the selection and evaluation of solutions. First, we present a basic system, fuzzy analysis spiral array center of effect generator algorithm, with three key determination policies: nearest-neighbor (NN), relative distance (RD), and average distance (AD). AD achieved a 79% accuracy rate in an evaluation on 410 classical pieces, more than 8% higher RD and NN. We show why audio key finding sometimes outperforms symbolic key finding. We next propose three extensions to the basic key finding system--the modified spiral array (mSA), fundamental frequency identification (F0), and post-weight balancing (PWB)--to improve performance, with evaluations using Chopin's Preludes (Romantic repertoire was the most challenging). F0 provided the greatest improvement in the first 8 seconds, while mSA gave the best performance after 8 seconds. Case studies examine when all systems were correct, or all incorrect.
Isolation and purification of a diagnostic antigen for bovine cysticercosis by hydrophobic chromatography.

Abstract An ammonium sulfate fraction of Taenia hydatigena cyst fluid (ThFAS) was further fractionated by hydrophobic interaction chromatography, using alkylagarose and ω-amino alkylagarose columns, in an effort to isolate and purify a specific diagnostic antigen in the ThFAS preparation. The
Inertial stabilization of buckling at high rates of loading and low test temperatures : Implications for dynamic crush resistance of aluminum-alloy-based sandwich plates with lattice core

In the present study, the dynamic compressive behavior of aluminum-alloy-based tetrahedral-core truss structures is investigated as a function of impact velocity using a split Hopkinson pressure bar. The results are used to understand the phenomenon of buckling in truss structures as a function of loading rates and test temperatures, and its implication on the dynamic crush resistance of tetrahedral-truss-based sandwich structures. In order to understand the effects of the flow strength of the core on the dynamic crush resistance, truss structures of both T6 and OA heat-treatments of AA6061 were investigated. A high-speed digital camera was used to record the sequence of the deformation and failure events that occur during the dynamic compression and failure of the truss sub-elements. A buckling instability was observed to occur consistently for both the T6 and OA microstructures at all test temperatures employed in the present study. Moreover, the T6 heat-treatment and the lower-than-room test temperatures significantly increase the specific energy absorption capabilities of the truss structures.
Effect of material selection and background impurity on interface property and resulted CIP-GMR performance

In this paper, we investigated the effect of background base pressure, wafer-transferring time between process modules, and stack layer material selection on the current-in-plane giant magneto-resistive (CIP-GMR) interface properties and the resulted CIP-GMR performance. Experimental results showed that seed layer/AFM interface, AFM/pinned layer (PL) interface, pinned layer/Ru interface, and reference layer (RL)/Cu spacer interface are among the most critical ones for a CIP-GMR device. By reducing the background impurity level (water moisture and oxygen), optimizing the wafer process flow sequence, and careful stack-layer material selection, such critical interfaces in a CIP-GMR device can be preserved. Consequently, a much robust GMR performance control can be achieved.
Studies of dissolution behavior of highly soluble drugs using a rotating disk

Abstract The dissolution behavior of highly soluble drugs having varying diffusion coefficients was investigated using the rotating disk methodology. The effect of solution viscosity as a result of high drug concentration causes the drug diffusion coefficient to be variable in the boundary layer. A modified Levich equation was obtained by an iterative numerical algorithm to solve the non-linear diffusion equation. The resulting equation predicts that a plot of dissolution rate vs the square root of the rotation speed of the disk is linear. Moreover, the slope is dependent upon the profile of diffusion coefficient vs drug concentration. To demonstrate the theory, the dissolution rates of the compressed disks of the model drugs, sodium ampicillin and sodium salicylate, were determined quantitatively at various rotation speeds, and compared with those predicted by the modified Levich equation. It shows that the modified Levich equation gives a close agreement with the experimental data. For comparison, the conventional Levich equation, which was derived for constant diffusion coefficients, was also employed to predict the dissolution rate of these drugs. The rates predicted by the Levich equation exhibit significant discrepancy from the experimental data.
Effect of crop development on biogenic emissions from plant populations grown in closed plant growth chambers

The Biomass Production Chamber at John F. Kennedy Space Center is a closed plant growth chamber facility that can be used to monitor the level of biogenic emissions from large populations of plants throughout their entire growth cycle. The head space atmosphere of a 26-day-old lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv. Waldmann's Green) stand was repeatedly sampled and emissions identified and quantified using GC-mass spectrometry. Concentrations of dimethyl sulphide, carbon disulphide, alpha-pinene, furan and 2-methylfuran were not significantly different throughout the day; whereas, isoprene showed significant differences in concentration between samples collected in light and dark periods. Volatile organic compounds from the atmosphere of wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Yecora Rojo) were analysed and quantified from planting to maturity. Volatile plant-derived compounds included 1-butanol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, nonanal, benzaldehyde, tetramethylurea, tetramethylthiourea, 2-methylfuran and 3-methylfuran. Concentrations of volatiles were determined during seedling establishment, vegetative growth, anthesis, grain fill and senescence and found to vary depending on the developmental stage. Atmospheric concentrations of benzaldehyde and nonanal were highest during anthesis, 2-methylfuran and 3-methylfuran concentrations were greatest during grain fill, and the concentration of the tetramethylurea peaked during senescence.
Ordering of sequences of singing behaviour of mistle thrushes in relationship to timing

Abstract Ninety-six songs of an individual Mistle Thrush from Kent were compared with thirteen, fifteen, twenty-five and thirty-one songs, respectively, from four Mistle Thrushes from Cambridge. Time measurements and pattern selections were made from audiospectrograms, and from analysis of these, syllables and songs were defined. The sequence of syllable types in the songs of the Kent bird were examined in detail and found to consist for the most part of a relatively few highly dependent sequences. Estimates of the probabilities of transitions between pairs of syllable types were calculated and it was found that the lower the probability of transition the longer were the time intervals between the members of the pair. The sample sizes of the songs of the Cambridge birds were too small to permit the derivation of reliable transition probability estimates. However, the number of syllable types in the repertoire, their arrangement in sequences and the temporal segregation into syllable and song categories were all of the same nature as those of the Kent bird. There was a large degree of correspondence in syllable types among the four Cambridge birds and some degree of correspondence between them and those of the Kent bird. Syllable sequences were also shared to a large degree among the Cambridge birds. However, there were no sequences in common between Kent and Cambridge. Since the general temporal patterning and method of sequence formation appears to be the same for the five birds studied, it is suggested that the correlation between the predictability of a sequence and the duration of associated time intervals found in the songs of the Kent bird is a general one in Mistle Thrush song. It is further hypothesized that this sort of correlation may be found in many other behavioural systems as well.
Don't blame it on the scar tissue

728 Question: A 61-year-old white woman was evaluated for complaints of intermittent attacks of a sharp, severe, periumbilical abdominal pain for 15 years with recent worsening in severity and nocturnal episodes. Her symptoms were partially alleviated by bowel movements and no worsening factors were identified. Her past medical history was significant for a total hysterectomy and adhesiolysis. Physical examination revealed prior surgical incisions over the abdominal wall and otherwise benign on examination. She denied fever, nausea, vomiting, painful adenopathy, weight loss, night sweats, recent infectious exposures, or foreign travels. Laboratory studies, including a complete blood cell count with white blood cell differential, renal profile, hepatic transaminases, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum electrophoresis, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid levels, were negative or within normal values. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy were unremarkable. A tuberculin purified protein derivative test was negative as was computed tomography (CT) of the chest. CT enterography (Figure A) showed enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes in the right mid abdomen (arrows). Capsule endoscopy and upper and lower double balloon enteroscopy with complete visualization of the entire small bowel lumen were unremarkable. Because of persistent symptoms, follow-up CT enterography was performed 8 weeks later and showed interval increase in the size of the conglomerate lymph nodes masses in the right side of the mesenteric fat, as well as cicatricial changes involving loops of bowel adjacent to the mesenteric masses. CT-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy was performed. What is the diagnosis? Look on page 914 for the answer and see the GASTROENTEROLOGY web site (www.gastrojournal.org) for more information on submitting your favorite image to Clinical Challenges and Images in GI.
The role of focal adhesion complexes in fibroblast mechanotransduction during scar formation

Historically, great efforts have been made to elucidate the biochemical pathways that direct the complex process of wound healing; however only recently has there been recognition of the importance that mechanical signals play in the process of tissue repair and scar formation. The body's physiologic response to injury involves a dynamic interplay between mechanical forces and biochemical cues which directs a cascade of signals leading ultimately to the formation of fibrotic scar. Fibroblasts are a highly mechanosensitive cell type and are also largely responsible for the generation of the fibrotic matrix during scar formation and are thus a critical player in the process of mechanotransduction during tissue repair. Mechanotransduction is initiated at the interface between the cell membrane and the extracellular matrix where mechanical signals are first translated into a biochemical response. Focal adhesions are dynamic multi-protein complexes through which the extracellular matrix links to the intracellular cytoskeleton. These focal adhesion complexes play an integral role in the propagation of this initial mechanical cue into an extensive network of biochemical signals leading to widespread downstream effects including the influx of inflammatory cells, stimulation of angiogenesis, keratinocyte migration, fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis. Increasing evidence has demonstrated the importance of the biomechanical milieu in healing wounds and suggests that an integrated approach to the discovery of targets to decrease scar formation may prove more clinically efficacious than previous purely biochemical strategies.
Modelling and recognition of the linguistic components in American Sign Language

The manual signs in sign languages are generated and interpreted using three basic building blocks: handshape, motion, and place of articulation. When combined, these three components (together with palm orientation) uniquely determine the meaning of the manual sign. This means that the use of pattern recognition techniques that only employ a subset of these components is inappropriate for interpreting the sign or to build automatic recognizers of the language. In this paper, we define an algorithm to model these three basic components form a single video sequence of two-dimensional pictures of a sign. Recognition of these three components are then combined to determine the class of the signs in the videos. Experiments are performed on a database of (isolated) American Sign Language (ASL) signs. The results demonstrate that, using semi-automatic detection, all three components can be reliably recovered from two-dimensional video sequences, allowing for an accurate representation and recognition of the signs.
Production of silicon quantum dots for photovoltaic applications by picosecond pulsed laser ablation

Abstract Semiconductor nanocrystals exhibiting strong quantum confinement effects have been produced by picosecond pulsed laser ablation. Crystalline, nanometer-sized Si particles with average sizes ranging from one to five nanometers were collected on both crystalline and glassy substrates. Nanoparticle size can be tuned through variation of the laser pulse energy density and by distance of the collection area from the plume center. Raman spectra of the particles confirm the crystalline nature of the nanoparticles and exhibit significant shifts due to phonon confinement effects. Optical absorption spectra of Si nanoparticles show absorption onsets ranging from 1.7 eV to 3.0 eV. These properties, combined with relatively narrow measured size distributions, make these quantum dots excellent candidates for inclusion in nanocomposite solar cells.
Acute myocardial infarction during streptokinase therapy

A 45-year-old man developed sequential inferolateral and anterior myocardial infarctions within 10 hours of a possible allergic reaction to oral penicillin. The anterior myocardial infarction occurred during apparently successful streptokinase therapy for the initial inferolateral infarction. Subsequent coronary arteriography confirmed a subtotal stenosis of the left circumflex coronary artery and a complete thrombotic occlusion of the left anterior descending artery. This case documents the occurrence of three rare clinical phenomena; first, the occurrence of sequential acute myocardial infarctions in close temporal proximity; second, the occurrence of myocardial infarction during thrombolytic therapy; and third, the association of myocardial infarction with a possible allergic reaction.
Determination of Trace Metals by Anodic Stripping Voltammetry Using a Carbon Nanotube Tower Electrode

Anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) trace detection of the heavy metals ions Pb2+, Cd2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+ was done at highly aligned multi-wall carbon nanotube tower electrodes (CNT tower electrodes). The CNT tower electrode is one type of CNT array that consists of millions of ordered super long CNTs. Osteryoung square-wave stripping voltammetry was used for the stripping step. This electrode material shows good resolution for individual detection of these four metal ions with calculated detection limits of 12 nM, 25 nM, 44 nM and 67 nM for Pb2+, Cd2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+, respectively, for a deposition time of 120 s. The detectable limit was as low as 0.5 nM for a 10 min deposition.
Resist image enhancement by UV-, soft vacuum pulsed electron beams and organometallic compounds

Abstract UV-hardening/photostabilization process is used for preventing thermal flow of resist images at high temperatures.[1] Because of high temperature stability and highly crosslinked nature of resist surfaces, UV-hardening is used for resist enhancement for reactive ion etchings of metals, high temperature sputtering, lift-off and others.[2] We like to present here multilayer resist applications using highly crosslinked resist surfaces. Because of large deep UV absorption coefficients, application of UV-hardening to thick films is limited. For thick resist films, resist stabilization by pulsed electron beams operating in soft vacuum [3] is far more efficient because of deeper penetration of electron beams of 25 KeV energy. The present technique has an advantage over a conventional CW electron source with a larger diameter, cold cathode of an ordinary metal operating in a soft vacuum with high efficiency. Exposures of resist images to organometallic compounds either in vapor phase or in solutions provide them specific RIE resistances and thermal flow resistance.
The comparative activity of azithromycin, macrolides and amoxycillin against streptococci in experimental infections

Since serious sequelae may follow streptococcal infections, eradication is viewed as necessary for successful therapy. Studies were therefore conducted to compare the effectiveness of azithromycin with other macrolide antibiotics and amoxycillin to eliminate these organisms in experimental localized infections. In a Streptococcus pneumoniae lung infection induced by transtracheal challenge, the pathogen was not recovered after therapy with azithromycin (ED50 7.9 mg/kg), while clarithromycin was not effective (ED50 > 100 mg/kg). However, in a S. pneumoniae middle ear infection, azithromycin and clarithromycin were effective (ED50 2.9 and 6.3 mg/kg, respectively) in eradicating the pathogen from this closed space infection. Against a localized Streptococcus pyogenes infection (implanted inoculated disc), azithromycin effectively eradicated the pathogen, while clarithromycin, roxithromycin and erythromycin did not. Eradication of a viridans streptococcus or Streptococcus gordonii (formerly Streptococcus sanguis) from heart tissue in experimental bacterial endocarditis was also evaluated. Azithromycin given prophylactically or therapeutically was efficacious in eliminating the viridans streptococcus and S. gordonii in the bacterial endocarditis model of infection; erythromycin was only marginally effective in the same studies. All studies provided evidence of the bactericidal action of azithromycin in vivo and demonstrated the ability of the compound to eradicate streptococcal pathogens in localized infections.
Some moment relationships for skew-symmetric distributions

For univariate skew-symmetric distributions in a general setting, odd moments are increasing functions of the skewing parameter and even moments do not depend on this parameter. Skewness, however, has no such order relations. The relationship between skew and the skewing parameter can be complicated.
Impact of Functional Age on the Use of Dopamine Agonists in Patients With Parkinson Disease

BACKGROUND: Parkinson disease (PD) is primarily a neurodegenerative disorder that affects as many as 1,500,000 people in the United States. It is predominantly a disease of the elderly, and special treatment challenges must be addressed in this patient population. REVIEW SUMMARY: It has been generally accepted that PD patients over the age of 70 will have a shorter lifespan than younger patients and are at less risk for developing treatment-emergent complications by virtue of their lower exposure to medication over the course of the disease. Consequently, elderly patients are often treated aggressively when motor symptoms start to become disabling. Recent statistics, however, suggest that effective treatments for PD have helped to increase the longevity of PD patients, suggesting that elderly patients may, in fact, have sufficient medication exposure to raise concern over levodopa-induced motor complications. If this is the case, physicians should consider treating their elderly PD patients with dopamine agonists, which have several advantages over levodopa therapy, not the least of which is a lower prevalence of motor complications. CONCLUSION: Dopamine agonists are safe and effective in elderly patients and offer numerous advantages when used as either monotherapy or adjunctive therapy, particularly in patients requiring long-term treatment.
Detecting Occult Coronary Disease in a High-Risk Asymptomatic Population

Background— Exercise stress testing alone or with perfusion imaging is the standard screening method to determine the presence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in people with chest pain. In asymptomatic individuals with a family history of premature CAD, it is unclear whether abnormalities on these functional exercise tests represent significant coronary disease. Methods and Results— An abnormal exercise test, thallium scan, or both occurred in 153 (21%) of 734 asymptomatic siblings of persons with documented CAD, of whom 105 underwent coronary angiography with quantitative analysis of stenosis severity. Overall, 95% had coronary atherosclerosis, but only 39% had 1 or more stenoses with ≥50% narrowing. Of 30 siblings in whom the exercise test and perfusion scan were both abnormal, 70% had ≥50% stenoses. The mean stenosis in arteries that fed perfusion defects was only 43±31%, and 68% of such stenoses were <50%. However, in 71% of all defects, the location matched arteries with the most severe ...
POLARIZATION OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION AND THE QUASI-TRANSVERSE PROPAGATION REGION

The discrepancy between observation and theory of the polarization of synchrotron radiation from trapped electrons injected by the July 9, 1962, nuclear test is resolved by consideration of the depolarization that results when the propagation conditions are near the quasi-transverse region. It is concluded that the initial polarization cannot be uniquely determined from ground-based observations unless a much narrower beam antenna is used in conjunction with a detailed study of the mode polarizations and differential phase shift. (C.E.S.)
Quantitative analysis of the performance impact of low-level carbon monoxide exposure in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

The performance effect of the hydrogen fuel contaminant carbon monoxide (CO) for dry gas concentrations ranging from 1 to 10 ppm in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is reported. Performance loss is investigated for different operating conditions including several temperatures, anode relative humidities, and current densities. An analytical method is presented to quantify performance loss due to CO exposure (Δη), the time required to attain steady state of the CO reaction mechanism (ttrans), and the effectiveness of cell performance recovery in neat hydrogen. For select experiments, the magnitude of conversion of CO to carbon dioxide (CO2) at steady state (ξCO) is quantified with gas chromatography. The results show (i) Δη is greatest at high CO concentrations, high current density, and low anode relative humidity, (ii) oxygen crossover from the cathode decreases Δη, and (iii) ξCO is higher at a temperature of 60 °C than 80 °C. The latter may be attributed to an increased amount of liquid water in the cell increasing the oxygen crossover. The data also shows that recovery in neat hydrogen was typically complete. A summary of all experimental results of Δη is given in Appendix B as fitting equations and parameters to assist in cell performance model development.
DigitShadow: facilitating awareness of home surroundings

DigitShadow is a novel information affordance aimed at enhancing the awareness of home surroundings. It aggregates local online information and events happening in the neighborhood, and communicates them to the inhabitants by supporting both peripheral and focused attention. DigitShadow casts the digital shadow of online information to the ambient level, and then facilitates the transition to attentive and interactive level to provide detail information. We illustrate the design process of DigitShadow, including the contextual interviews, the data analysis and findings from a cognitive perspective, the conceptual design framework, and the preliminary prototyping.
Increasing isolate and social play in severely disturbed children: intervention and postintervention effectiveness.

A group treatment procedure was instituted in Study 1 to increase the isolate and social play of 4 severely disturbed children. The results indicated that play behavior could be increased significantly by the use of food and social reinforcement and by the use of passive shaping, but that it quickly declined when the intervention was terminated. Social play, however, did remain above baseline levels during extinction. Study 2 replicated the results of Study 1 with a second group of older children, also severely disturbed. However, the procedure of fading adult intervention proved an effective method for increasing the resistance of social play to extinction relative to Study 1. A procedure of continuous and multiple-observer reliability assessment was employed for both studies, and the positive results and the methodological implications of the procedure are discussed.
Prediction of Extended Aromaticity for a Novel C48N12 Azafullerene Structure

We report the existence of a novel C48N12 molecular structure to the recently reported thin-film formation of nano-onions of carbon and nitrogen with similar composition [Phys. Rev. Lett. 2001, 87, 225503]. An extended local aromaticity of eight all-carbon hexagonal rings is the driving force toward the maximum stability of this molecule, which is found to be 13.1 kcal/mol energetically more stable at the B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory than the recently reported structure [Chem. Phys. Lett. 2001, 340, 227]. The extended region of electron delocalization enhances the stability of this molecule via resonance energy contribution. On the basis of HUMO-LUMO gap of 2.74 eV, the new material is predicted to be an insulator.
Explicit finite element methods with contact-impact on SIMD computers

Abstract The implementation of explicit finite element methods with contact-impact on massively parallel SIMD computers is described. A feature of the algorithm is an exchange process for assembling equations of the motion on an element level, so that communication is minimized. The resulting algorithm is capable of processing approximately 1.6 × 10 6 element-cycles per second of clock time on the 64K processor CONNECTION machine. The contact-impact algorithm is based on the pinball method in which compatibility is enforced by preventing interpenetration on spheres embedded in elements adjacent to surfaces. The search for interpenetrating pinballs makes use of the same data network as the exchange process. Some timings without contact-impact are given.
Determining Legibility Distance for Highway Signs: Is the within Subject Variability Being Overlooked?:

Laboratory studies of warning symbol signs have been shown to underestimate legibility distances by up to a factor of two when compared with field studies. However, this research suggests it is more than simply experimental setting contributing to disparity in research findings. Using a group of old and young drivers, six symbol signs were investigated in both settings. With six trials per sign, legibility distances, defined as the distance at which the sign is correctly identified from a menu, were collected. Large within subject variability was discovered in both age groups. This variability led to alternative ways of defining the dependent variable equivalent to designs of past studies examining legibility distances of the same signs. Different results arose out of the subsets created. The consideration is not just should a field-based versus laboratory-based methodology be used. An argument is posed that recommended distances at which signs are placed must be determined from a "worst-case" scenario. This premise requires a reexamination of our research methodologies for determining placement of highway signs. Language: en
The rise of mannerism in radiology.

The arts and sciences reached a pinnacle during the Renaissance, a period of unparalleled progress in the ability to portray perspective accurately and demonstrate anatomy realistically. Soon, however, some artists began to regard art as an end in itself, rather than a tool for expressing natural beauty. Artists began placing themselves at the center of canvas or marble and placing a higher premium on artistic technique than on the subject. In an effort to sustain a high pace of change and rival such masters as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, they began to “improve” on nature by adding more muscles to the ones their predecessors had depicted with novel accuracy. Similarly, the newfound techniques of perspective were exaggerated beyond the realm of physical possibility. Virtuosity became a goal in itself. There is reason to suspect that we may be reaching a similar state in radiology. The pace of change over the past 4 or 5 decades has been extraordinary. In prosperous nations, it is now inconceivable that we would ever return to a world of medicine where diagnosis depends on techniques such as physical examination and laparotomy and craniotomy. Today, many patients undergo imaging with sonography, CT, or MR imaging before they are even seen by the physician of record. As a result, the quantity and quality of imaging often exceed the clinical needs. In some cases, we physicians may have become so enamored of our own technical prowess and virtuosity that we lose sight of the true needs of patients. For example, the perfect CT scan inhabits a middle ground between the highest quality images we can produce and doses so low that the images are too noisy to interpret.
Recoil properties of fragments emitted in the interaction of complex nuclei with relativistic /sup 12/C ions and protons

Thick-target recoil properties of seven fragments ranging from /sup 24/Na to /sup 52/Mn produced in the interaction of 18.5 GeV /sup 12/C ions and 400 GeV protons with Cu, Ag, Gd, Ta, Au, and U have been measured. After correction for the difference in bombarding energy, the results were used to test the factorization hypothesis. While the properties associated with the ablation step (range and kinetic energy) obey the hypothesis, those associated with abrasion (F/B, ..beta../sub vertical-barvertical-bar/) do not, there being a approx.30% enhancement in these values in reaction induced by /sup 12/C ions. The scaling power of various energy related variables is examined and the systematics of the recoil parameters are developed. The implications of these results for the reaction mechanism are considered.
Invariant Leu preceding turn motif phosphorylation site controls the interaction of protein kinase C with Hsp70.

Heat shock proteins play important roles in regulating signal transduction in cells by associating with, and stabilizing, diverse signaling molecules, including protein kinases. Previously, we have shown that heat shock protein Hsp70 associates with protein kinase C (PKC) via an interaction that is triggered by dephosphorylation at the turn phosphorylation motif. Here we have identified an invariant residue in the carboxyl terminus of PKC that mediates the binding to Hsp70. Specifically, we show that Hsp70 binds to Leu (Leu-640) immediately preceding the conserved turn motif autophosphorylation site (Thr-641) in PKC βII. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments reveal that mutation of Leu-640 to Gly decreases the interaction of Hsp70 with PKC βII. This weakened interaction between Hsp70 and the mutant PKCs results in accumulation of dephosphorylated PKC in the detergent-insoluble fraction of cells. In addition, the Hsp70-binding mutant is considerably more sensitive to down-regulation compared with WT PKC: disruption of Hsp70 binding leads to accelerated dephosphorylation and enhanced ubiquitination of mutant PKC upon phorbol ester treatment. Last, pulse-chase experiments demonstrate that Hsp70 preferentially binds the species of mature PKC that has become dephosphorylated compared with the newly synthesized protein that has yet to be phosphorylated. Thus, Hsp70 binds a hydrophobic residue preceding the turn motif, protecting PKC from down-regulation and sustaining the signaling lifetime of the kinase.
529 GENETICS AND NATURAL HISTORY OF MATURITY ONSET DIABETES OF THE YOUNG

Families with a 3 generation of a mild autosomal dominant form of diabetes mellitus (MODY) were HLA typed at the A and B loci. In family A, 6/6 affected members shared the same haplo type (A1,B8). In family B, 4/5 affected members had haplotype A29,B7. In family C, 1/2 affected members had haplotype A1,B8. With one exception, family members who lack these particular haplotypes do not develop MODY. This indicates a possible linkage between the genes in the HLA region and the gene(s) coding for susceptibility to MODY. Several affected members in family A have been followed with serial oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT). Suring childhood, the fasting plasma glucose is high and the glucose peak during the OGTT is elevated and delayed. Simultaneous plasma insulin levels are quantitatively normal, but inappropriately low in relation to the elevated plasma glucose. During adolescence, deterioration in the OGTT often occurs; affected individuals fail to produce the physiologic increase in insulin output expected at this age. Treatment with tolbutamide displaces the OGTT curve downwards, but does not alter its shape. These individuals may at times be placed on insulin. Since the mode of inheritance and the prognosis appear to be entirely different from that of insulin dependent juvenile onset diabetes (JOD), it is important to distinguish children with MODY from those with classical JOD when planning studies of etiology or of assessments of therapy.