cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interventions for the Management of Post–Sleeve GERD

Over the last decade, sleeve gastrectomy (SG) has steadily gained popularity and has now become the most commonly performed bariatric procedure in the United States. It is technically less complex than Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch and has relatively good weight loss results in addition to comorbidity resolution. The long-term complication profile is appealing to patients and surgeons alike, save one issue, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD is frequently seen in bariatric surgery patients; thus, proper patient selection for SG is paramount. However, SG effects on GERD remain controversial in the literature. Thus, patients are intensively cautioned of the possibility of de novo GERD or worsening of already existing GERD following SG. Therefore, it is imperative that the discussion also occurs regarding potential treatment options if GERD does occur. GERD management following SG consists of a multitude of options. While lifestyle modifications and proton pump inhibitors remain the initial treatment of choice, some will have persistent symptoms needing additional interventions, which may range from a variety of endoscopic techniques (lower esophageal sphincter [LES], radiofrequency ablation, magnetic LES augmentation, and antireflux mucosectomy) to ReSleeve and ultimately conversion to RYGB.
Congenital human cytomegalovirus infection is associated with decreased transplacental IgG transfer efficiency due to maternal hypergammaglobulinemia.

Background Placentally-transferred maternal IgG protects against pathogens in early life, yet vertically-transmitted infections can interfere with transplacental IgG transfer. Although human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common placentally-transmitted viral infection worldwide, the impact of congenital HCMV (cCMV) infection on transplacental IgG transfer has been underexplored. Methods We evaluated total and antigen-specific maternal and cord blood IgG levels and transplacental IgG transfer efficiency in a U.S-based cohort of 93 mother-infant pairs including 27 cCMV-infected and 66 cCMV-uninfected pairs, of which 29 infants were born to HCMV-seropositive non-transmitting mothers and 37 to HCMV-seronegative mothers. Controls were matched on sex, race/ethnicity, maternal age, and delivery year. Results Transplacental IgG transfer efficiency was decreased by 23% (95% CI 10-36%, p=0.0079) in cCMV-infected pairs and 75% of this effect (95% CI 28-174%, p=0.0085) was mediated by elevated maternal IgG levels (i.e., hypergammaglobulinemia) in HCMV-transmitting women. Despite reduced transfer efficiency, IgG levels were similar in cord blood from infants with and without cCMV infection. Conclusions Our results indicate that cCMV infection moderately reduces transplacental IgG transfer efficiency due to maternal hypergammaglobulinemia; however, infants with and without cCMV infection had similar antigen-specific IgG levels, suggesting comparable protection from maternal IgG acquired via transplacental transfer.
Determinants of patient-reported xerostomia among long-term oropharyngeal cancer survivors

Background This study was conducted to identify clinicodemographic risk factors for xerostomia among long-term oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) survivors. Methods This cross-sectional study included 906 disease-free, adult OPC survivors with a median survival duration at the time of survey of 6 years (range, 1-16 years); self-reported xerostomia scores were available for 877 participants. Study participants had completed curative treatment between January 2000 and December 2013 and responded to a survey administered from September 2015 to July 2016. The primary outcome variable was cancer patient-reported xerostomia measured with the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory Head and Neck Cancer Module. Clinicodemographic risk factors for moderate to severe xerostomia were identified via multivariable logistic regression. Results Moderate to severe xerostomia was reported by 343 of the respondents (39.1%). Female sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.82; 95% CI, 1.22-2.71; P = .003; Bayesian false-discovery probability [BFDP] = 0.568), high school or lower education (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.19-2.52; P = .004; BFDP = 0.636), and current cigarette smoking at the time of survey (OR, 2.56; 95% CI, 1.19-5.47; P = .016; BFDP = 0.800) were risk factors for moderate to severe xerostomia, and bilateral intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) combined with proton therapy and ipsilateral IMRT were protective. Conclusions In this large xerostomia study, modern radiotherapy was a protective factor, and continued cigarette smoking at the time of survey, female sex, and high school or lower education were identified as other contributing risk factors associated with moderate to severe xerostomia. Importantly, these findings need to be confirmed in prospective studies. These results can inform future research and targeted patient-centered interventions to monitor and manage radiation therapy-associated xerostomia and preserve quality of life among patients with OPC.
A compact spectroscopic laser sensor for time-resolved breath oxygen monitoring towards clinical use

A compact laser-based optical sensor for continuous in-airway monitoring of oxygen at high sampling rate is designed and tested for future use in a clinical setting.
Is positron emission tomography enough to rule out cardiac sarcoidosis? A case report.

Background Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is associated with poor prognosis, yet the clinical diagnosis is often challenging. Advanced cardiac imaging including cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and positron emission tomographic (PET) have emerged as useful modalities to diagnose CS. Case summary A 66-year-old woman presented with palpitations. A 24-h Holter monitor detected a high premature ventricular contraction burden of 25.6%. She underwent two transthoracic echocardiograms; both showed normal results. Stress perfusion CMR did not show any evidence of ischaemic aetiology; however, myocardial lesions detected by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging raised suspicion for CS. While there was no myocardial uptake of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in subsequent cardiac PET, high FDG uptake was seen in hilar lymph nodes. Lymph node biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Discussion Cardiac magnetic resonance and PET imaging are designed to evaluate different aspects CS pathophysiology. The characteristic LGE in the absence of increased FDG uptake suggested inactive CS with residual myocardial scarring.
Fiorinal®/Codeine (Sandoz)

The combination of butalbital, aspirin, phenacetin and caffeine (see FIORINAL) is analgesic, anxiolytic, and muscle relaxing. The presence of codeine raises the threshold of pain and discomfort and adds an antitussive action. This preparation can be used in a variety of conditions that are painful and would otherwise require morphine.
Chapter 8 Discrete Barrier and Lookback Options

Abstract Discrete barrier and lookback options are among the most popular path-dependent options in markets. However, due to the discrete monitoring policy almost no analytical solutions are available for them. We shall focus on the following methods for discrete barrier and lookback option prices: (1) Broadie–Yamamoto method based on fast Gaussian transforms. (2) Feng–Linetsky method based on Hilbert transforms. (3) A continuity correction approximation. (4) Howison–Steinberg approximation based on the perturbation method. (5) A Laplace inversion method based on Spitzer's identity. This survey also contains a new (more direct) derivation of a constant related to the continuity correction approximation.
List decoding and pseudorandom constructions

There is a rich interplay between coding theory and computational complexity theory that has enriched both disciplines over the years. In particular, list decoding and closely related notions have been instrumental in several advances in explicit constructions of combinatorial objects with strong “random-like” properties, such as expander graphs, randomness extractors, and pseudorandom generators. Our aim here is to present
Coaxial polymer pillars: ultra-low inductance compliant wafer-level electrical input/output interconnects for power distribution

An ultralow inductance I/O interconnect, called a coaxial polymer pillar (CoPP) is introduced that is compatible with sea of polymer pillars (SoPP) recently presented. Polymer pillars are highly process-integrated and mechanically flexible (compliant) electrical-optical I/O interconnections that mitigate thermomechanical expansion mismatches. The 100x smaller parasitic inductance of the CoPP (in the range of 0.1 pH) compared to the inductance of a solder bump or a regular polymer pillar makes it an excellent I/O interconnect technology for power distribution. The density of CoPPs may exceed 10/sup 5//cm/sup 2/.
Circadian Rhythms of Nucleic Acid Metabolism in Neurospora crassa

Wild-type, band, and fluffy strains of Neurospora crassa exhibit circadian rhythms of ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid content in the growth-front hyphae of cultures grown on a solid medium. There is also a rhythm of 3H-uridine incorporation into the nucleic acids of the band strain. Maximum incorporation precedes the peaks of nucleic acid content which occur during conidiation. As cultures age, ribonucleic acid content decreases rapidly and deoxyribonucleic acid content decreases gradually in standing, shake, and bubble cultures. A reduction of ribonuclease activity with age is also noted in standing and shake cultures. The nucleic acid content, nuclease activity, and changes associated with age vary with the culture conditions.
Historical Redgauntlet: Jacobite Delusions and Hanoverian Fantasies

Redgauntlet, set in the Britain of 1765 with a plot positing a third Jacobite uprising, has been regularly characterized as an anomaly among Scott’s novels because it is ‘historically impossible’, or only ‘hypothetically historical’, in that it pays no deference to historical facts; in Redgauntlet, says James Kerr, ‘Scott has set aside any ambition to write a faithful account of the past’, so that, according to Graham McMaster, ‘there is no longer any great interest in time and history as expressed in sets of contrast between epochs and life-styles’. Confronting this embarrassing indifference to history in a work by the inventor of the historical novel (Georg Lukacs famously declared that Scott’s work ‘signifies something entirely new’), admirers of the novel have identified alternative criteria to recognize Scott’s achievement in Redgauntlet. They trace the novel’s profound reflections on the inexorable passing of time, its process of ‘linking memories of the passage into adult identity with the final dissolution of feudal values’, its probing ‘of the power of memory and regret’, and its ‘complex and heterogeneous vision of the past’ in which ‘[h]istory grows out of biased opinions and limited memories’. The novel’s apparent historical lapses have given rise to a particularly robust line of inquiry which emphasizes its intricate formal properties: its self-reflexive consciousness of itself as a point in literary history and its rich metatextuality. Emily Allen, for example, argues that Redgauntlet ‘not only returns to the proper generic ground of the historical novel [after the failure of St. Ronan’s Well, published the same year], but . . . narrates its own generic genealogy, retelling the story of the literary species at the level of individual text’, while George Levine notes that Redgauntlet undertakes the ‘[m]ost difficult task of all. . . shaping itself into a nineteenth-century realistic novel [and showing] . . . how it became that sort of book’. Adding a postmodern perspective, Andrew Lincoln points to the novel’s ‘playful awareness of its fictiveness’, which acknowledges ‘that any unifying narrative must be imposed by a kind of violence’. Narrative violence also figures in Fiona Robertson’s observation: ‘In Redgauntlet Scott examines the appeal of history to the imagination through the invention and narration of striking stories, which unify and explain, but also distort and misrepresent, the mass of circumstantial detail on which they depend’. And in a particularly subtle and productive reading, Ian Duncan argues that Redgauntlet insists on the authenticity of fiction ‘by advertising, rather than trying to conceal’ its fictionality.
Deliberation of Controversial Public School Curriculum: Developing Processes and Outcomes that Increase Legitimacy and Social Justice

Public schools in the United States are charged with facilitating public deliberation of controversial school curriculum. This often entails managing the negotiations between multiple stakeholders who have very different positions on the proper design and implementation of curriculum. To maintain legitimacy as caretakers of the public interest in a liberal democracy, public schools are asked to recognize all legitimate perspectives in such disputes. But what happens when a perspective is not considered legitimate or in the public interest by the dominant community? When disputes over curriculum ensue, the rights of individuals to have their perspectives included in the curriculum must be considered in tandem with the public school’s primary responsibility—to teach students to nurture a democracy. This essay synthesizes frameworks from deliberative democracy theorists to better understand the ways that the process and outcome of public school curriculum deliberation can increase in legitimacy and responsiveness to issues of social justice. To develop and illustrate this theoretical framework, I examine the case of a small group of activists who challenged a curriculum’s claim that the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII was clearly a mistake. Activist wanted the curriculum to say that the internment was done out of military necessity. I conclude that Gutmann’s guidelines of non-discrimination and non-repression must be synthesized with Habermas’s guidelines for a proceduralist model of deliberation.
The optimised design and characterization of 1200 V / 2.0 mΩ cm 2 4H-SiC V-groove trench MOSFETs

V-groove trench MOSFETs with a 4H-SiC{0-33-8} face as the trench sidewall for the channel region and a buried p+ region in the epitaxial layer have been investigated. The on-resistance and breakdown voltage strongly depend on the aperture ratio of the buried p+ regions. The VMOSFETs with the buried p+ regions of 71% on a 6-inch wafer exhibited a low specific on-resistance of 2.0 mΩ cm2 with 1200 V blocking voltage. The threshold voltage is 2.3 V at 175oC, which shows the VMOSFETs have tolerability for erroneous ignition under high temperature. The VMOSFETs show excellent switching performance over the DMOSFETs. The switching loss is from 30% to 50% smaller than that of DMOSFETs. Moreover, the VMOSFETs exhibit stable operation in the repetitive pulse switching test with a dv/dt of 40 V ns-1. The threshold voltage shifts are less than 0.12 V under HTGB tests. These results demonstrate that the VMOSFETs have an advantage of a substantial reduction in power dissipation and robustness under high temperature operation.
Agent architecture: using Java exceptions in a nonstandard way and object oriented approach to evolution of intelligence

Using Java exceptions as programming constructs in artificial intelligence algorithms is presented. Exceptions are originally provided for erroneous case handling by the Java language specification. Although it has been advised not to use exceptions for purposes other than error handling, here we have shown that exceptions can be used in certain situations, to increase the expressiveness of the language. Secondly, the advantages of incremental program design using object oriented schemes are given. An agent architecture project is presented with the emphasis on the incremental development and reuse of previous modules. It is shown that complicated behaviour can be obtained by making design decisions which will let generalize the function of created modules, allowing them to be reused for future developments and possible improvements.
Visual debugging for stream processing applications

Stream processing is a new computing paradigm that enables continuous and fast analysis of massive volumes of streaming data. Debugging streaming applications is not trivial, since they are typically distributed across multiple nodes and handle large amounts of data. Traditional debugging techniques like breakpoints often rely on a stop-the-world approach, which may be useful for debugging single node applications, but insufficient for streaming applications. We propose a new visual and analytic environment to support debugging, performance analysis, and troubleshooting for stream processing applications. Our environment provides several visualization methods to study, characterize, and summarize the flow of tuples between stream processing operators. The user can interactively indicate points in the streaming application from where tuples will be traced and visualized as they flow through different operators, without stopping the application. To substantiate our discussion, we also discuss several of these features in the context of a financial engineering application.
Additional restriction endonuclease cleavage sites on the bacteriophage P22 genome.

Abstract We present complete restriction endonuclease cleavage site maps of the bacteriophage P22 chromosome for 16 enzymes with six base recognition sequences, thereby positioning 116 new sites on the chromosome. Twenty-four such restriction maps for P22 DNA, containing 162 sites, have now been completed, and three enzymes were found that did not cut P22 DNA. Our results are consistent with the ideas that ClaI does not cleave the methylated recognition sequence ATCGAmeT or AmeTCGAT and StuI does not cleave the methylated recognition sequence AGGCCmeT.
A genetic screen for modifiers of drosophila Src42A identifies mutations in Egfr, rolled and a novel signaling gene.

Drosophila Src42A , a close relative of the vertebrate c-Src , has been implicated in the Ras-Mapk signaling cascade. An allele of Src42A, Su(Raf)1 , dominantly suppresses the lethality of partial loss-of-function Raf mutations. To isolate genes involved in the same pathway where Src42A functions, we carried out genetic screens for dominant suppressor mutations that prevented Su(Raf)1 from suppressing Raf. Thirty-six mutations representing at least five genetic loci were recovered from the second chromosome. These are Drosophila EGF Receptor (Egfr), rolled, Src42A , and two other new loci, one of which was named semang ( sag ). During embryogenesis, sag affects the development of the head, tail, and tracheal branches, suggesting that it participates in the pathways of Torso and DFGF-R1 receptor tyrosine kinases. sag also disrupts the embryonic peripheral nervous system. During the development of imaginal discs, sag affects two processes known to require Egfr signaling: the recruitment of photoreceptor cells and wing vein formation. Thus sag functions in several receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)-mediated processes. In addition, sag dominantly enhances the phenotypes associated with loss-of-function Raf and rl , but suppresses those of activated Ras1 V12 mutation. This work provides the first genetic evidence that both Src42A and sag are modulators of RTK signaling.
Enhancing math computation through variations in training format and instructional content

This study assessed the extent to which two instructional formats, self-instruction and didactic instruction, and two instructional contents, a specific strategy and a general-and-specific strategy, affected the math computation of first-graders on training, maintenance, and generalization tasks. The study also examined the relationships of prior knowledge and attributions of personal causation to success on the math tasks and to the relative effectiveness of the training conditions. Results indicated that those taught the general-and-specific strategy through the self-instructional format more accurately completed the training task than those taught through the other methods. Post hoc analyses indicated that when the general-and-specific content was taught through the self-instructional format, the less competent students, those with lower prior knowledge scores, were significantly more accurate than when the general-and-specific content was taught through the didactic format. This finding suggests that self-instructional training may be uniquely suited to the educational needs of less competent students. Neither the format nor the content had a significant differential impact on the generalization tasks. Whereas children with internal attributions of personal causation benefited equally from the training formats, those with external attributions of personal causation profited more from the self-instructional format.
Unique Features and Spacecraft Applications of Dynamic Isotope Power Systems

The dynamic isotope power system represents the most recent attempt to develop a heat-engine generator for space electric power. A major objective in this most recent effort was to increase the power and to reduce the cost of nuclear space power systems to the point where the unique features of this power source could be brought to bear for Earth-orbit missions which could benefit therefrom. This objective was largely achieved; both weight and cost of the dynamic isotope systems are comparable to solar power systems. The dynamic isotope power system, designed for spacecraft requiring prime power in the 500-2000 W range, has been successfully built and ground tested. A number of studies, summarized herein, have demonstrated the advantages of using such a power system instead of the conventional solar system for a variety of Earth-orbit missions. These advantages stem from the unique nature of the dynamic isotope system, different in kind from solar power systems. As a result, in many cases, the spacecraft design can be significantly simplified and more closely harmonized with mission requirements. This overall advantage can be crucial in missions which have stringent pointing, stability, viewing, and/or positioning requirements.
Laser Scanner/Recorders For Image Transmission And Computer Processing

Image processing by computer or otherwise requires cost-effective means of scanning and recording high quality images and of interfacing the imaging devices with computers and communication channels. Based on our previous work in newspaper facsimile and computer editing of news photos, we have developed a large-format high-resolution system, interfaced to a PDP-11 processor as well as the Bell DDS Communications channel which operates at 56 kB/s. One configuration, suitable for medical X-rays, features variable resolution up to 250 pels/inch over 14 inches and 1000 pels/inch over 4 inches and a 256 step density scale. Dry silver film with on-line development produces ready-to-use output of high diagnostic usefulness. The technology used includes low-power internally modulated HeNe lasers, pre-objective scanning with a galvanometer-driven mirror, a flat-field paper/film drive, and silicon photodetectors. This work was supported by NIGMS Grant 5 P01-GM19428-03S1 and by USPHS Grant GM018674 (through the Departments of Radiology of Peter Bent Brigham Hospital and Beth Israel Hospital).
In vivo assessment of left ventricular wall and chamber dynamics during transient myocardial ischemia using cine computed tomography.

Abstract Using a new computed tomographic (CT) scanner design that uses a rapidly moving focused electron beam, 50-ms CT scans were obtained at 2 axial levels simultaneously through the hearts of 6 dogs in order to analyze left ventricular (LV) wall thickness and cross-sectional chamber area after acute occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). Ten or fifteen 50-ms CT scans (rate of 17 scans/s) through the middle of the left ventricle were performed in 1 second (cine acquisition) during intravenous administration of contrast medium at rest, 60 seconds after acute occlusion of the LAD, and 60 seconds after release of the occlusion. The percent extent of systolic wall thickening of the potentially ischemic anterior segment was 37 ± 15% (± standard deviation) in the control state and −5 ± 6.5% during LAD occlusion (p
Ephemeral gully erosion by preferential flow through a discontinuous soil-pipe

Abstract Subsurface flow through soil-pipes can contribute to ephemeral gully erosion but these soil-pipes are cut-off when tillage fills in the gully. The objective was to determine the effect of flow through discontinuous soil-pipes on ephemeral gully erosion. Experiments were conducted on 150 cm long by 100 cm wide soil beds with an artificial soil-pipe at the upper end that extended 50 cm into the soil immediately above a water-restricting horizon. The combination of rainfall with pipe flow produced extensive (63 kg) soil losses by mass wasting. The mode of mass wasting appeared to be sudden, cataclysmic pop-out failures. Total soil loss by sheet erosion with rainfall and pipe flow combined (13.6 kg) was four times higher than by rainfall alone (3.4 kg). Under rainfall with pipe flow, soil loss by mass wasting was nearly 20 times higher than sheet erosion from rainfall alone. Soil conservation practices that treat surface runoff process alone may be ineffective if subsurface flow is contributing.
On a conjecture of Erdös and Rényl

Abstract We show that for A ranging over n×n circulants with three ones in each row, where n is prime, lim inf | det A| 1 n >1 . For a subfamily containing almost all A's this lim inf is in fact 1.38…. We also compute the permanents of a certain family of matrices.
A study of the base sequence homology among the T series of bacteriophages.

Abstract When a mixture of two DNA samples is denatured and then renatured, single strands from the two types of DNA will specifically recombine if the base sequences are essentially the same. Such hybrid DNA molecules can be identified in density gradient ultracentrifugation if one of the samples has been made heavy. Using 5-bromouracil substitution or N15 and D replacement, heavy DNA from T4 and T7 bacteriophages was prepared and used with normal DNA from T2, T3, and T6 bacteriophages in a test of sequence homology. A high degree of homology was found between pairs of T-even phage DNA and between the DNA from T3 and T7. No indication of homology was found between DNA from T-even and T-odd phages, nor between these and Escherichia coli DNA. These results are in general agreement with genetic evidence except that genetic exchange between T3 and T7 bacteriophages has not yet been reported.
Rapid oscillation of electron distributions in low-energy ion–atom collisions

Abstract The Sturmian theory with only a few Sturmian functions gives a complete ab initio description of electron distributions in ion atom collisions. The interference of the contribution from σ and π Sturmian functions gives rise to rapid oscillation of electron angular distributions with impact velocity v. These rapid oscillations measure the real part of the adiabatic eigenvalues in the harmonic oscillator region, which occurs only at complex R.
Sustainable production: A proposed strategy for the work environment

Background In the future, competitive industries will need to design for environment, health and safety as well as for productivity. Although the new areas of pollution prevention and clean production have evolved to address the design of production processes with concerns for the ambient environment, current pollution prevention models do not include explicit concerns for health, safety, and the work environment. The field of occupational health and safety has much to contribute to improve current pollution prevention approaches and solutions. Methods The application of work environment disciplines will need to be expanded from the conventional focus on “end-of-pipe” assessment and solutions, which take the production processes and resulting hazards as a given, to include a new focus on materials selection and process redesign. To make this shift, a new framework called “sustainable production” is proposed. The basic unit of sustainable production is the production process. The framework integrates a focus on the ambient and work environment along with a focus on productivity and the economic viability of the business enterprise in setting production process design parameters. Results By shifting the focus of occupational and environmental health and safety from exposure control to process design, sustainable production reduces the likelihood that concerns for health, safety, and the environment will be seen as antagonistic to productivity and economic development. To move a firm toward sustainable production, occupational health and safety professionals will need to participate in interdisciplinary workplace teams that design and build new production processes and that continuously evaluate and redesign existing processes. Conclusions This new strategy requires an expansion of the role of the occupational health and safety professional to include evaluation and redesign of processes that produce goods and services as well as the conventional evaluation of chemical, physical, and biological agents, work practices, and ergonomics. This expansion of occupational and environmental health and safety requires new research to develop the scientific and public policy basis of sustainable production. Am. J. Ind. Med. 34:297–304, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Rabbit Sperm Reversible Decapacitation by Membrane Stabilization with a Highly Purified Glycoprotein from Seminal Plasma

A substance has been purified from rabbit seminal plasma which reversibly inhibits fertilization in vivo and blocks the acrosome reaction in a concentration dependent manner. It is likely that the inhibition of fertilization is a direct effect of what may be its primary property of blocking the acrosome reaction. For this reason we have named the substance Acrosome Stabilizing Factor (ASF). Major purification steps include column chromatography on Sephadex G-200 and then on UltragelAcA 22, followed by disc electrophoresisusing a 20-50% sucrose gradient as a support medium. An ASF concentration of 28.5 pg/mI was sufficient to inhibit the in vitro acrosome reaction by 50%, in comparison to the seminal plasma concentration of 2 mg/mI which was required to achieve the same level of biological activity. Native molecular weight estimates of ASF by Ultrogel AcA column chromatography and polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis are 355,000 daltons and 370,000 daltons, respectively. The subunit molecular weight is 121,000 daltons as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). AS F has a carbohydrate: protein ration of 1:1.6 as determined by the anthrone and Lowry assays. No lipidwas detectable in a chloroform-methanol (2:1, v/v) extract of the purified material. It is anticipated that further characterization of ASF and elucidation of its specific mechanism of action will provide new insight into the capacitation process.
The Midsummer Dry Spell’s Impact on Vegetation in Jamaica

Abstract The annual rainfall pattern of the intra-Americas sea reveals a bimodal feature with a minimum during the midsummer known as the midsummer dry spell (MSD). A first attempt is made to examine the impact of the MSD on vegetation through a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) analysis in Jamaica. Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission rainfall estimates and NDVI derived from the Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer highlight a consistent MSD feature in both rainfall and vegetative vigor. Spatial variation of this MSD NDVI response is evident throughout Jamaica, with the strongest relationship between the rainfall reduction and NDVI decline throughout the southern portions of Jamaica including the area of major domestic food production. In all years except 2005 there is a notable reduction from early-summer NDVI to midsummer NDVI in this agricultural region. However, the lagged vegetative response undergoes clear interannual variation and is affected by other forcings besides rai...
Active contour based on the elliptical Fourier series, applied to matrix-array ultrasound of the heart

We describe an active contour based on the elliptical Fourier series, and its application to matrix-array ultrasound. Matrix-array ultrasound is a new medical imaging modality that scans a 3D-volume electronically without physically moving the transducer, allowing for real-time continuous 3D imaging of the heart. Unlike other 3D ultrasound modalities which physically move a linear array, matrix array ultrasound is rapid enough to capture an individual cardiac cycle, yielding a temporal resolution of 22 volumetric scans per second. With the goal of automatically tracking the heart wall, an active contour has been developed using the elliptical Fourier series to find perpendicular lines intersecting an initial contour. The neighborhood defined by these perpendiculars is mapped into a rectangular space, called the 1D swath, whose vertical axis represents the inside-vs.-outside dimension of the contour (along the perpendicular), and whose horizontal axis represents parametric distance along the contour (tangent to the contour). A dynamic programming technique is then used to find the optimum error function traversing the rectangle horizontally, and this error function is mapped back into image space to yield a new contour. The method does not iterate, but rather simultaneously searches for the optimum contour within a limited domain. Results are presented applying the technique to 3D ultrasound images of in vivo hearts.
Developing and Refining Mental Models in Open-Ended Learning Environments: A Case Study

This qualitative case study focused on the nature of science learning through open-ended problem solving. Twelve eighth graders were asked to find, frame, and resolve subproblems associated with structural failures resulting from earthquakes. Coded interviews, artifacts, and observations from the four-week study suggested students only partially derived accurate mental models about earthquake engineering problems. Recommendations for improving student problem understanding in open-ended environments include the explication of student hypotheses related to problems, and the continual testing of belief via analogical reasoning, research, communication, and tool use.
Patients with Crohn’s Disease Are More Likely to Remain on Biologics than Immunomodulators: A Meta-Analysis of Treatment Durability

The comparative effectiveness of treatments for moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease can be influenced by the likelihood of remaining on medication. We aimed to clarify this treatment durability by assessing subject discontinuations from clinical trials in the context of treatment efficacy. We conducted a literature search for double-blind RCT of Crohn’s disease therapies recommended in international guidelines or with recent positive phase III trial results. Durability was defined through study discontinuation due to adverse events or disease exacerbation represented by number needed to discontinue (NND). Efficacy was defined as clinical remission represented by number needed to treat (NNT). The primary endpoint was NND/NNT, with a higher value representing more durable and effective treatment. Treatment with azathioprine/6-mercaptopurine (AZA/6MP) was associated with more discontinuations than with clinical remission (NND/NNT = 0.92) in maintenance trials. For induction, methotrexate was associated with similar rates of discontinuations and remission (NND/NNT = 1.4). In one maintenance trial, the remission rate for methotrexate was greater than the study discontinuation rate (NND/NNT = 23.3). In contrast, anti-TNF trials revealed greater durability among induction (no excess discontinuation) and maintenance (NND/NNT = 37.9) trials. Trials of anti-trafficking agents had fewer discontinuations in the drug treatment arms than placebo resulting in most favorable NND/NNT ratios. For patients with Crohn’s disease, biologic therapies had higher durability than immunomodulators for induction and maintenance therapy. We also report the results of a novel NND/NNT ratio that should be validated in a prospective head-to-head placebo-controlled trial.
Light Blue Versus Dark Blue: Attitudinal Differences in Quality-of-Life Policing

Using data from the Project on Policing Neighborhoods, a large-scale study on police officers between 1996 and 1997, this research examined the attitudinal differences between Black and White police officers regarding non–life threatening, quality-of-life issues in their role as police officers. Analysis of the data in this study indicates that there are discernible differences in the attitudes between Black and White police officers regarding quality-of-life issues. Black officers in comparison to Whites in this study would respond more favorably to quality-of-life policing issues, such as neighborhood disputes, family disputes, improving the neighborhood conditions, and fear of crime. Policy implications and future research based on these results are also discussed.
TESTICULAR MICROLITHIASIS AND ITS RELATION TO TESTICULAR CANCER ON ULTRASOUND FINDINGS OF SYMPTOMATIC MEN

ABSTRACTPurpose: We reviewed testicular microlithiasis (TM) on scrotal ultrasound in relation to the incidence of testicular neoplasm in males 17 to 45 years old with scrotal symptoms.Materials and...
Probabilistic-Based Structural Specifications

The construction industry is both the largest civilian industry and the most unique in terms of fragmentation and its approach to controlling risk. Structural specifications establish nominal safety factors and design criteria for engineered structures such as buildings, bridges, dams, and power facilities. The goal is satisfactory strength capacity to safely and economically meet the demands of structural performance. Structures must resist the highly uncertain effects of combined gravity, earthquakes, wind, and snow loads supported by natural and human-made materials. The public's expectation is that structures should last a long time and have low lifetime risk of structural failure. Historically, specifications have contained safety factors which evolved from past experiences and provided adequate safety or low risk. Due to pressures of economy and the need to optimize structural performance, structural specifications have recently been developed and accepted by industry based on structural reliability and risk-assessment principles. This paper reviews developments of probabilistic applications in structural specifications including specification format, database, implementation examples, target risk levels, present research activities, and future goals for establishing optimal risk-design procedures.
Separation of the Rabbit Ciliary Body Epithelial Layers in Viable Form: Identification of Differences in Bicarbonate Transport

Sections of whole ciliary (CB) dissected from Dutch belted rabbits were incubated for 2 hr at 36 degrees C in a 30 microM Ca2+ Ringer's. This incubation resulted in the spontaneous dissociation of the two cell layers comprising this epithelium, each remaining firmly cohesive with its own basement membrane. The inner limiting membrane with its adherent non-pigmented epithelium (NPE) was then mechanically removed from the surface exposing the apical surface of the pigmented epithelium (PE). Ultrastructural examination revealed no noxious effects in most cells although gross morphological changes in the NPE cells were noted. The newly separated layers were loaded with the cell-permeable acetoxymethyl ester form of the fluorescent probe BCECF. Most cells of both layers acquired stable BCECF fluorescence indicating viability. To achieve a preliminary evaluation of differences in PE and NPE bicarbonate transport, dye-loaded tissues were perfused in a flow-through chamber which was mounted on a microscope equipped for quantitative epifluorescence. The intracellular pH (pHi) of groups of cells (5-10) was derived from the ratio of emission intensities generated by excitations at 490 and 440 nm. In Hepes-buffered Ringer's the pHis for the PE and NPE were 7.20 +/- 0.10 and 7.33 +/- 0.14 (+/- S.D., n = 6), respectively. Replacement of 28 mM Hepes by 28 mM HCO3-/5% CO2 led to a 0.13 pHi increase in the PE and a decrease of 0.27 U in the NPE. The pHi responses of the two cell layers to removal and/or reintroduction of Na+ and/or Cl- were also highly dissimilar.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A simple algorithm to detect balance in signed graphs

Abstract We develop a natural correspondence between marked graphs and balanced signed graphs, and exploit it to obtain a simple linear time algorithm by which any signed graph may be tested for balance.
Modeling Superconformal Electrodeposition Using The Level Set Method

Superconformal deposition enables the void-free filling of high aspect ratio features such as trenches or vias in the Damascene metallization process, Superconformal electrodeposition, also known as superfill, occurs when particular combinations of chemical additives are included in the electrolyte. The additives enable preferential metal deposition at the bottom surface which leads to bottom up filling before the sidewalls close off. Two crucial mechanisms by which the additives enable superfill to occur are (i) accelerator behavior increasing the copper deposition rate as a function of coverage and (ii) conservation of accelerator coverage with increasing/decreasing interface area. Thus, the adsorbed catalytic accelerator species floats upon the growing metal/ electrolyte interface. An effective modeling approach must accurately track the position of the interface as well as preserving surfactant coverage while the interface is advancing. This must be achieved in an Eulerian framework due to the necessity of modeling the diffusion of electrolyte species. To this end, the level set method is used to track the interface while a scalar variable approach governs the surfactant coverage. Modeling of additive accumulation and conservation on a deforming interface in conjunction with the level set method presents areas for novel numerical approaches. Several test cases are examined to validate the surface coverage model. Comparison of superfilling simulations with experimental results is also presented.
Determinants of stability in the perception of subjective contour

The present study constituted an initial experimental effort to examine the fragmentation characteristics of subjective contours within the photopic and upper 5cotopic ranges of illumination. Four stimulus factors known to influence the visibility of subjective contours—target luminance, inducing area size and contrast, and contour orientation—were examined. Results indicated that subjective contours are indeed unstable perceptual phenomena. On the average, fragmentation or fading occurred after only 15 sec of observation, and some farm of stimulus outage was present for 28% of the viewing time of each stimulus. Fragmentation latency was significantly shorter and total time in fragmentation longer for diamond than for square contours, and total time in fragmentation varied inversely with inducing-area size. Fragmentation tendedto occur in whole units rather than in isolated elements, a result reminiscent of the fading of real Contours under impoverished viewing conditions.
Self-perception and motivational characteristics of tennis participants: The influence of age and skill

Abstract An integrated approach to the study of psychosocial factors related to participation behavior was adopted by incorporating developmental, skill acquisition, and psychosocial variables. Specifically, the relationship of age and skill with self-perceptions and motivational characteristics of tennis participants was examined. Males and females (N = 240) ranged in age from 10 to 67 years. Professional tennis coaches verified the skill rating of each player using the National Tennis Rating Program introduced by the United States Tennis Association. Individuals completed self-report scales measuring perceived tennis competence, tennis salience, global self-worth, challenge motivational orientation, task and ego orientations, and competitive trait anxiety. Canonical correlation analyses revealed that age and skill were significantly related to psychosocial variables for both males and females. These findings suggest that an integrated research approach can extend our understanding of social-psychologica...
Direct Measurement of Secretory Vesicle-Plasma Membrane Tethering Interactions by Correlated AFM Force-Clamp and TIRF Microscopy

The molecular mechanisms behind the tethering of secretory vesicles to the plasma membrane are not well understood. To study these mechanisms, we use a combined AFM/TIRF method applying forces to GFP-tagged secretory granules tethered to PC-12 cell membrane sheets. In the experiment shown in the figure, the AFM tip captured a granule, and was then lowered onto the sheet (a-b). Pulling forces were applied, ranging from ∼100pN to ∼700pN (c-e). Extension and rupture events are apparent as transient variations in the pulling force, as well as increases in the scanner z position sensor. Change in sensor position is consistent with changes in vesicle height as observed in the TIRF, based on the calibrated excitation decay constant (c-d). Rapid transients with small amplitude reveal partial tether extensions by 10-20nm, while large transients with slow decay reveal more gradual extensions, exceeding 1μm, that appear to be composed of multiple steps. These observations suggest that the dynamics of vesicle tether extensions are much more complex than previously thought. A large data set of recordings like that in the figure is being analyzed. Supported by NIH grant R21NS072577.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Microfluidic assay of hemophilic blood clotting: distinct deficits in platelet and fibrin deposition at low factor levels.

Summary Background Coagulation factor deficiencies create a range of bleeding phenotypes. Microfluidic devices offer controlled hemodynamics and defined procoagulant triggers for measurement of clotting under flow. Objectives We tested a flow assay of contact pathway-triggered clotting to quantify platelet and fibrin deposition distal of dysfunctional thrombin production. Microfluidic metrics were then compared with PTT or % factor activity assays. Methods Whole blood (WB) treated with low level corn trypsin inhibitor (4 μg mL−1) from nine healthy donors and 27 patients (deficient in factor [F] VIII, 19 patients; FIX, one patient; FXI, one patient; VWF, six patients) was perfused over fibrillar collagen at wall shear rate = 100 s−1. Results Using healthy WB, platelets deposited within 30 s, while fibrin appeared within 6 min. Compared with healthy controls, WB from patients displayed a 50% reduction in platelet deposition only at 40 s). Full occlusion of the 60-μm high channel was completely absent over the 15-min test in patients with 1% factor. Conclusion Spontaneous bleeding in patients with 1% activity (PTT of ~40–60 s), a level that does not necessarily rescue fibrin formation under flow.
Parental origin of the sex chromosomes in the XO and XXY karyotypes in man.

Summary Maximum likelihood methods are described whereby studies of segregation at sex-linked loci may be used to determine the sex chromosome contribution of the parents to individuals of the XO and XX Y karyotype. With the use of the colour blindness, Xg blood group and G­6­PD deficiency loci, it is to be hoped that such data will quickly accumulate. I should like to thank Prof. A. G. Motulsky for suggesting this problem and both him and Prof. B. M. Bennett for many helpful discussions. I am most grateful to the referee for useful comments.
On the dyadic Green's functions for Beltrami fields

A simple derivation of the Green's functions for Beltrami fields is presented for use with time-harmonic electromagnetism in homogeneous biisotropic media.