cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PI and RI in serial learning as a function of environmental context

The influence of the environmental context upon serial learning was investigated in a PI design in Experiment 1 and an RI design in Experiment 2. Either one or four lists learned either before or after the critical list were used to manipulate PI or RI, respectively. Learning the critical list in the same room as the interference-inducing lists or in a different room provided the first context manipulation. The second context factor involved relearning the critical list in the same room as it was learned 24 hours earlier, or in a different one. In the PI study the early and middle thirds of the list were affected by context in original learning. In relearning, correct responses over the first two trials differed both as a function of number of prior lists learned and of original learning context. With RI, fewer trials to relearn were required by a condition involving facilitating context manipulations, relative to a neutral context, and a competing context condition was inferior. The results are largely consistent with predictions derived from the interference theory of forgetting and traditional associative learning theory. Language: en
Understanding Horizontal and Vertical Relations in the Context of Economic Development Joint Venture Agreements

A joint venture agreement is one type of governance mechanism that can be adopted by local governments to address collective action problems. While much of the current research discusses the importance of regional cooperation, few studies explore the type of relations formed with institutional actors in the context of interjurisdictional agreements. The authors address this gap in the literature by investigating the association among the transaction costs of forming an economic development joint venture agreement and two types of relations formed by local governments: horizontal and vertical. The results of a survey of local officials in 12 large metropolitan areas indicate that, depending upon the extent to which coordination, division, or defection problems are perceived to make joint venture agreements difficult to establish, local governments have horizontal and vertical relations. The findings highlight challenges and opportunities for addressing collective action problems and facilitating regional c...
Spectroscopy of Yb,Ho codoped KYF4 and its application as upconversion green laser

Detailed room temperature absorption and emission spectra and the dynamics of the upconversion energy transfer were investigated in Yb, Ho codoped KYF4. It was found, in the concentration range studied, that the energy transfer rate from Yb3+ to Ho3+ ions is linearly dependent on Ho3+ concentration. The back transfer from Ho3+ to Yb3+ ions was demonstrated and the transfer rate was found to be superlinearly dependent on Yb3+ concentration. Discussions are presented on the optimization of Yb3+ and Ho3+ concentrations for the potential use of Yb, Ho codoped KYF4 as an upconversion green laser.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Trade Deflection, Retaliation, and Developing-Country Antidumping Initiation Against China

The proliferation of antidumping investigations directed at China in recent years raises the question of whether importing countries are motivated by retaliatory considerations in their filings against Chinese firms. This question is addressed through an empirical examination of the use of the antidumping instrument by developing countries. Empirical results suggest that China's actual and threatened retaliation against developing countries can generate both a retaliatory and a deterrent effect. They also suggest that the deflection of exports to developing countries has contributed to the rise in the latter's use of antidumping against Chinese firms.
Geographic location does not limit innovative technology: Broad spread assimilation of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR)

Introduction Access to innovative health care technology is a major concern in non-urban areas. We assessed the dissemination of EVAR across the US. Methods Medicare inpatient discharge database for 2001-2006 identified patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic aneurysm(AAA) repair. Metropolitan (Metro), micropolitan (Micro), and rural areas were defined using Core Based Statistical Area (US Office of Management of Budget) and linked to hospital and beneficiary zip codes. Analysis performed using T-test and chi-square. Results Between 2001-2006, total elective open and EVAR remained ∼30,000cases/yr with 95% of cases consistently performed in Metro hospitals. Assimilation of EVAR occurred most rapidly in Metro then Micro and finally more slowly in Rural regions over 3yrs ( Table 1 ). By 2006, there was no difference between regions in the incidence of EVAR. Over the 6yrs, there was a decrease in patients located in the rural or Micro area presenting to Metro hospital for EVAR (rural to Metro migration: 91.8% in 2000 down to 86.7% in 2006; Micro to Metro 84.4 to 75.2%). Mortality, conversion rate, and length of stay all proportionately decreased with increase in incidence in each region and also equalized by 2006. Proportion of EVAR from all AAA repair Metropolitan (%) Micropolitan (%) Rural (%) 2001 29.1 20.7 5.3 2002 36.3 25.6 7.9 2003 40.4 29.8 12.1 2004 46.1 34.4 29.4 2005 54.2 46.2 47.7 2006 60.8 57.9 61.3 Conclusions Access to specialized and innovative surgical technology is a critical area of disparity in care between areas of varying population density. Dissemination of EVAR had an initial lag in the rural areas, however, by year 5-6 there was equal rate of EVAR performed in each area with concomitant decrease in resident migration and EVAR morbidity and mortality. This equalization demonstrates that access to innovation cannot be limited simply by population density.
A dynamical model of auroral morphology.

Auroral substorms explained in terms of magnetic flux processes transferred from corotating portion of magnetosphere to magnetospheric tail
Developing Countries and the Feldstein-Horioka Puzzle

The previous literature points to a high correlation between domestic rates of investment and savings among OECD countries. Some take this as evidence of limited financial integration in the industrialized world. This paper presents new empirical results, based on an extended sample of countries. The correlation coefficient in a regression of the rate of domestic investment on the rate of domestic savings is statistically insignificant most of the time and generally smaller than 0.3 for any sample other than the OECD. This finding is robust with respect to alternative time periods, subsample and estimation methods. In particular, we control for measurement error, business cycle effects, and country-specific fixed effects.
Induction of sister chromatid exchanges by the thymidine analog 5-hydroxymethyl-2′-deoxyuridine

The thymidine analog, 5-hydroxymethyl-2′-deoxyuridine (hmdUrd), was tested for its ability to induce sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. When tested, hmdUrd was found to be a potent inducer of SCEs in CHO cells under nontoxic conditions. Under these same conditions, hmdUrd was found to be nonmutagenic, as no increase above the background frequency of 6-thioguanine-resistant mutants was observed. The induction of SCEs by hmdUrd was suppressed by thymidine. Simultaneous exposure of the cells to low concentrations of hmdUrd and to high concentrations of the free pyrimidine 5-hydroxymethyluracil (hmUra), which had no effect alone, had a strong synergistic effect on the induction of SCEs. Simultaneous exposure of cells to hmdUrd and to 3-aminobenzamide, a potent inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, was found to increase the level of SCEs induced by the hmdUrd. These findings support the hypothesis that the formation of hmUra residues in DNA may be an important factor in the genotoxicity of radiation and oxidative damage in mammalian cells.
Four proposals for market-based health care system reform

A perfectly free, competitive medical market would not meet many social goals, such as universal access to health care. Micromanagement of interactions between patients and providers does not guarantee quality care and frequently undermines that relationship, to the frustration of all involved. Furthermore, while some North American health care plans are less expensive than others, none have reduced the medical inflation rate to equal the general inflation rate. Markets have always fixed uneven inflation rates in other domains. The suggested reforms could make elective interactions between patients and providers work more like a free market than did any preceding system. The health and life insurance plan creates cost-sensitive consumers, informed by a corporation with significant research incentives and abilities. The FFEB proposal encourages context-sensitive pricing, established by negotiation processes that weigh labor and benefit. Publication of providers' expected outcomes further enriches the information available to consumers and may reduce defensive medicine incentives. A medical career ladder would ease entry and exit from medical professions. These and complementary reforms do not specifically cap spending yet could have a deflationary impact on elective health care prices, while providing incentives to maintain quality. They accomplish these ends by giving more responsibility, information, incentives, and choice to citizens. We could provide most health care in a marketlike environment. We can incorporate these reforms in any convenient order and allow them to compete with alternative schemes. Our next challenge is to design, implement, and evaluate marketlike health care systems.
Women's Wage Work: A Conference on New Directions for Research

On October 9 and 10, 1981 a group of researchers and educators from the Midwest gathered at Northwestern University for a conference on "Women's Wage Work." Northwestern's Program on Women sponsored the conference to bring together scholars, policymakers, and activists from a variety of disciplines and viewpoints to discuss major issues of women's wage work and to create an agenda for new research. Participants from the fields of education, history, indus trial relations, sociology, and psychology addressed the questions of the dynamics of the sexual division of labor, the class structure of women's work, and the rela tionship of work and home. Three papers presenting or evaluating new research on major female occupa tions in the United States?clerical work, nursing and teaching?formed the basis for discussing these issues. In "The Mutability of the Sexual Division of Labor: The Transformation of Clerical Work," Susan Hirsch, an historian at the Program on Women, noted that most research on this topic has been shaped by narrow con ceptions of the supply of and demand for labor. In particular scholars picture technological change or proletarianization as causing feminization of the office, ignoring the larger context in which proletarianization of the factory and office oc cured simultaneously, the one remaining an arena for men's work, the other be coming one for women's. Hirsch suggested that further research on why feminiza tion occurred in the office but not the factory could lead to a better understanding of the mutually supporting interaction of patriarchy and capitalism. In her com ments, Judith Wittner, sociologist at Loyola University of Chicago, noted that the current wave of automation in the office reinforces the divisions of men's and women's office jobs by further degrading women's work. Tim Diamond, a sociologist at Northwestern, examined the relationship of class and racial differences in the current transformation of nursing in "The Nursing Labor Force: Professionalization or Proletarianization." Diamond noted that administrators blame nurses for the "nursing shortage," which is caused by mushrooming demand, and they pit professionalized RNs?predominantly white
F. Max Muller and a. B. Keith: "Twaddle", the "Stupid" Myth, and the Disease of Indology

Despite the recent scrutinization of the history of Indology (under the guise of its parent Orientalism), Indology in the latter half of the nineteenth century, the period when scholars in the West completed the first serious assessment of the Veda, remains largely unexplored. This period's legacy-dictionaries, critical editions, grammars, translations, and even academic chairs-remains the backbone of Vedic studies to this day. The nature of Indology during this period is reflected with special clarity in the work of F. Max Muller and A. B. Keith. Muller's editio princeps of the Rgvedasamhitā, and Keith's magnum opus, The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads, represent the beginning and end points of Indology-with its peculiar emphasis on the Vedic texts-during this period. Muller and Keith are also exemplars of what is perhaps the most curious feature of Indology in the latter half of the nineteenth century, namely, the often begrudging marriage of German and British scholarship. The discomfort that arose from this alliance was sharpened by the subject matter itself, India, into what might be termed the disease (appropriating Muller's term) of Indology. This disease, which combined alternating phases of awe and revulsion toward the Indian tradition, can be seen in the approach Indologists of the last century took to the Vedic texts; by representing the earliest portions of the Vedic tradition as belonging to their own glorified past, they separated it (and further affirmed their appropriation of it) from the later Hindu (beginning with its representation in the Brāhmana-texts) tradition-a tradition they characterized, and abandoned, as nothing more than "twaddle" and "stupid" myths.
How hazardous is dental roentgenography

A search was made of dental and medical literature to determine the various clinically proven biologic effects that x radintion can produce in the human body, the amount of radiation necessary to produce effects in the various tissues, and the amount of radiation that reaches the tissues when dental examinations are made with x rays. From this, the degree of hazard associated with dental x-ray examinations was assessed. A survey of the past 40 years failed to disclose any clinical evidence that would seriously condemn the practice of dental roentgenography when used in an intelligent manner, as being unsafe for either patient or dentist. No instances of burns or malignancy from dental diagnostic x-ray procedures have been reported. The few documented incidents of untoward biologic effects that occurred in the past when dental patients were exposed to larger amounts of x radiation are less likely to be repeated among patient s today because of the far smaller amounts of x radiation that presently are employed. A statistical study of the longevity of dentists indicated that dentists live almost 3 years longer than white nondentists, thus the dentist's life expectancy has not suffered either because of occupational exposure to radiation. (H.H.D.)
Blood pressure decrease prior to initiating pharmacological therapy in nonemergent hypertension

In order to characterize the decrease in blood pressure that occurs in the emergency department (ED) setting in cases of nonemergent hypertension before beginning pharmacological therapy, 94 consecutive cases of hypertension seen at the University of Illinois Hospital were reviewed. Each patient in the analysis had a triage blood pressure recorded by the nursing staff and second blood pressure reading taken between 10 minutes and 2 hours after the triage pressure before pharmacological therapy was begun. Patients with diastolic pressures less than 90 mm Hg were excluded, as were patients with acute end-organ pathology secondary to hypertension. In the remaining 54 cases, the mean arterial pressure fell by 6% (P less than .003), the systolic pressure fell by 6% (P less than .022), and the diastolic pressure fell by 6.4% (P less than .003), suggesting that in nonemergent hypertension, a significant decrease in blood pressure occurs in the ED before pharmacological therapy is begun. The blood pressure decrease was not statistically different when sex and age were considered, but when patients were grouped into those with diastolic pressures between 90 mm Hg and 114 mm Hg and those with diastolic pressures greater than or equal to 115 mm Hg, there was a statistically significant decrease in systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressures only in patients with diastolic pressures greater than or equal to 115 mm Hg. Our findings suggest that patients with nonemergent hypertension do not always require immediate and aggressive pharmacological intervention in the ED setting and are best observed for a short period and then reassessed before beginning pharmacological therapy.
The Stereochemical Dependence of Unimolecular Dissociation of Monosaccharide-Glycolaldehyde Anions in the Gas Phase: A Basis for Assignment of the Stereochemistry and Anomeric Configuration of Monosaccharides in Oligosaccharides by Mass Spectrometry via a Key Discriminatory Product Ion of Disaccharide Fragmentation, m/z 221

Mass spectrometry of hexose-containing disaccharides often yields product ions of m/z 221 in the negative ion mode. Using a Paul trap, isolation and collision-induced dissociation of the m/z 221 anions yielded mass spectra that easily differentiated their stereochemistry and anomeric configuration, for all 16 stereochemical variants. The ions were shown to be glycopyranosyl-glycolaldehydes through chemical synthesis of their standards. The stereochemistry dramatically affected fragmentation which was dependent on four relative stereochemical arrangements: (1) the relationship between the hydroxyl group at position 2 and the anomeric configuration, (2) a cis relationship of the anomeric position and positions 2 and 3 (1,2,3-cis), (3) a 1,2 trans-2,3 cis relationship, and (4) the relationship between the hydroxyl group at position 4 and the anomeric configuration. After labeling the reducing carbonyl oxygen of a series of disaccharides with 18O to mass-discriminate between their monosaccharide components, ...
Species concentrations in unsteady-state vinyl polymerization

Abstract Solutions of kinetic differential-difference equations are presented for the physically most common vinyl polymerization system: the system with chain transfer, mutual chain termination, and a monomer lifetime far greater than the lifetime of a growing chain. These solutions are presented for three unsteady-state periods: the pre-effect (start-up) period, the after-effect period, and the period following a photo-initiation pulse. From these solutions, criteria for the application of the steady-state approximation to radical concentrations are obtained. Expressions for total molar and weight concentrations of the radicals and of the dead polymer are also presented. Boundary conditions for the differential model are discussed, and solutions are given for the equations of the differential model.
Crystal structure of the human myeloid cell activating receptor TREM-1

Abstract Triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cells (TREM) are a family of recently discovered receptors that play important roles in innate immune responses, such as to activate inflammatory responses and to contribute to septic shock in response to microbial-mediated infections. To date, two TREM receptors in human and several homologs in mice have been identified. We report the 2.6 A resolution crystal structure of the extracellular domain of human TREM-1. The overall fold of the receptor resembles that of a V-type immunoglobulin domain with differences primarily located in the N-terminal strand. TREM-1 forms a "head-to-tail" dimer with 4100 A 2 interface area that is partially mediated by a domain swapping between the first strands. This mode of dimer formation is different from the "head-to-head" dimerization that existed in V H V L domains of antibodies or V domains of T cell receptors. As a result, the dimeric TREM-1 most likely contains two distinct ligand binding sites.
Simultaneous toe-to-hand transfer and lower extremity amputations for severe upper and lower limb defects: the use of spare parts.

From 1995 to 2000, five microvascular toe-to-hand transfers were performed in three children who were simultaneously undergoing lower extremity amputations. Their ages at time of transfer ranged from 4 to 10 years and the types of lower extremity amputation included toe amputation, foot amputation and through-knee amputation. The resulting toe-to-hand transfers included three great toe-to-thumb transfers and one combined great and second toe-to-hand transfer. The toe-to-hand transfers were all successful and all the lower extremity amputations healed without complications. In all cases, improved hand function and lower extremity function was noted by the families. These unique cases represent the ultimate use of spare parts in congenital hand surgery.
Distributed Algorithms for Approximating Wireless Network Capacity

In this paper we consider the problem of maximizing wireless network capacity (a.k.a. one-shot scheduling) in both the protocol and physical models. We give the first distributed algorithms with provable guarantees in the physical model, and show how they can be generalized to more complicated metrics and settings in which the physical assumptions are slightly violated. We also give the first algorithms in the protocol model that do not assume transmitters can coordinate with their neighbors in the interference graph, so every transmitter chooses whether to broadcast based purely on local events. Our techniques draw heavily from algorithmic game theory and machine learning theory, even though our goal is a distributed algorithm. Indeed, our main results allow every transmitter to run any algorithm it wants, so long as its algorithm has a learning-theoretic property known as no-regret in a game-theoretic setting.
Renal Cell Carcinoma: Prognostic Factors and Patient Selection

Abstract Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for 2% of all new cancer cases worldwide. Staging systems for RCC are a valuable tool for guiding patient selection for the various treatment regimens and clinical trials. Integration of pathologic tumour stage with histologic and clinical features has led to the development of a number of comprehensive prognostication systems to predict patient outcomes. More recent work has highlighted the additional prognostic value of a range of molecular markers, which may correlate disease status with likely response to treatment. For example, results from a number of studies have indicated that the expression of carbonic anhydrase IX and the vascular endothelial growth factor family of proteins and receptors may be important for predicting the survival rate of patients with distant metastases. Incorporation of molecular markers into staging systems is expected to enhance the prediction of individual tumour behaviours and help to stratify patients into more sophisticated risk categories to improve accurate prognostication. Furthermore, use of molecular markers to direct targeted therapies to the patients who would gain most benefit may ultimately enable improved treatment success and, thus, maximise survival benefits.
Association of Oral Contraceptive Use, Other Contraceptive Methods, and Infertility with Ovarian Cancer Risk

Although oral contraceptives are protective for ovarian cancer, it is unclear how long this protection persists. The authors prospectively assessed this question as well as associations of other, less studied contraceptive methods (tubal ligation, rhythm method, diaphragm, condoms, intrauterine device, foam, spousal vasectomy) and infertility with ovarian cancer risk among 107,900 participants in the US Nurses' Health Study. During 28 years of follow-up (1976-2004), 612 cases of invasive epithelial ovarian cancer were confirmed. Duration of oral contraceptive use was inversely associated with risk (p-trend = 0.02), but no clear trend was observed for years since last use. However, for women using oral contraceptives for >5 years, the rate ratio for ovarian cancer for 20 years since last use (rate ratio (RR) = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.61, 1.39). Tubal ligation (RR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.50, 0.87) was associated with decreased ovarian cancer risk, whereas intrauterine device use (RR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.08, 2.85) and infertility (RR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.75) were associated with an increased risk. Results suggest that the beneficial effect of oral contraceptives on ovarian cancer risk attenuates after 20 years since last use. Furthermore, tubal ligation, intrauterine device use, and infertility were associated with ovarian cancer risk.
Identifying the kinematics of robots and their tasks

An approach to identifying the kinematic models of manipulators and their task geometry is presented. Starting with the observation that in many tasks manipulators naturally form mobile closed kinematic chains, it is shown that these closed loops can be identified by an iterative least-squares algorithm similar to that used in calibrating open chain manipulators. By merely using joint angle readings and self motions, consistency conditions can be utilized to identify the kinematic parameters. While the task of a robot opening a door is studied in detail, the method readily generalizes to a large class of robot tasks. Simulations are presented to accompany the analysis. >
Coping Behavior in Hurricane-Affected African American Youth: Psychometric Properties of the Kidcope:

Hurricane Katrina forced thousands of children in and around New Orleans to cope with life-altering circumstances. The Kidcope, a checklist designed to assess coping in pediatric populations, has been used to evaluate children after disasters. Research has demonstrated the importance of considering the role of cultural factors in the development and use of coping strategies. The authors examined the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Kidcope on the basis of the responses of hurricane-exposed, African American, predominantly low income youth in New Orleans and surrounding areas. The results yielded a one-factor scale for the adolescent version and three factors for the child version. Future directions for use of the Kidcope with African Americans are discussed.
Structural design optimization considering uncertainties

Structural design optimization considering uncertainties, by Y. Tsompanakis, N.D. Lagaros, M. Papadrakakis (editors), Taylor & Francis, 2008, 634 pp., $220.00, (hardback), ISBN 978-0415452601. This...
Long‐Run and Short‐Run Budgeting: Theories and Empirical Evidence for the Canadian Provinces

Abstract This paper tests public budgeting to ascertain if it has both a long‐run equilibrium and short‐run incremental process. In the model, the decision‐maker strives to achieve budgetary balance over the long‐run but is constrained in the short‐run and follows incremental decision‐making. The interaction between expenditures and revenues, along with several control variables, is tested for each of the Canadian provinces using data between 1961 and 2000. The results show that in the long‐run, expenditures force the budget toward balance in all the provinces with the exception of British Columbia. In that province, there was a fiscal synchronization of revenues and expenditures working in combination. In the short‐run, incrementalism occurs in nine of the ten provinces.
A Semantic-Web Oriented Representation of Clinical Element Model for Secondary Use of Electronic Healthcare Data

The Clinical Element Model (CEM) is an information model designed for representing clinical information in EHR systems across organizations. The current representation of CEMs does not support formal semantic definitions and therefore it is not possible to perform reasoning and consistency checking on derived models. This paper introduces our efforts to represent the CEM specification using the Web Ontology Language (OWL). The CEM-OWL representation connects the CEM content with the Semantic Web environment, which provides authoring, reasoning, and querying tools. This work may also facilitate the harmonization of the CEMs with domain knowledge represented in terminology models as well as other clinical information models such as the openEHR Archetype Model. We have created the CEM-OWL meta ontology based on the CEM specification. A convertor has been implemented in Java to automatically translate all the detailed CEMs from XML to OWL. A panel evaluation has been conducted, and the evaluation results show that the OWL modeling can faithfully represent the CEM specification and represent patient data.
New Leptin Receptor Mutations in Mice: Leprdb-rtnd, Leprdb-dmpg and Leprdb-rlpy

Three new spontaneous recessive mouse mutations in the leptin receptor gene (Lepr), Lepr db-rtnd , Lepr db-dmpg and Lepr db-rlpy , originated in the CBA/J (CBA), B10.D2-H8 b (57N)/Sn (B10) and NU/J strains, respectively. Lepr db-rtnd and Lepr db-dmpg were maintained on C57BL/6J (B6), resulting in congenic lines of B6.CBA-Lepr db-rtnd and B6.B10-Lepr db-dmpg . Lepr db-rtnd was also maintained on CBA post F1 generation of a cross between the B6 and the CBA, generating the congenic line CBA.B6CBA-Lepr db-rtnd . Lepr db-rlpy was maintained as a coisogenic strain. The aims of this study were to determine the molecular bases for these new Lepr mutations and to characterize the new mutant stocks, with respect to obesity and diabetes. Mutations were analyzed by Southern blot analysis, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. Body weights and plasma glucose and insulin levels were measured, and the histology of the pancreas was carried out. Lepr db-trnd contained one G deletion in exon 4 of Lepr, introducing a frameshift and premature termination. Lepr db-dmpg had a deletion in the extracellular domain of Lepr. Lepr db-rlpy exhibited a large DNA deletion, leading to a complete lack of Lepr. All three mutations led to morbid obesity and diabetes. It is noteworthy that Lepr db-rtnd caused milder hyperglycemia accompanied by higher plasma and pancreatic insulin contents on B6 compared to that on CBA backgrounds. In summary, we discovered three new mutations of Lepr, providing new mouse models for obesity and diabetes. Furthermore, our mutant stocks will be useful in elucidating the effects of the genetic background on the Lepr mutations and in testing the specificity of antibodies to LEPR.
Cecal ligation and puncture with total parenteral nutrition: a clinically relevant model of the metabolic, hormonal, and inflammatory dysfunction associated with critical illness.

Background Standard rat cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) results in only transient hyperglycemia, making an examination of the effects of glucoregulatory agents, such as insulin, on the morbidity and mortality of CLP problematic. Accordingly, we sought to develop a model of rat CLP with prolonged hyperglycemia through continuous infusion of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) post CLP. Materials and methods Polyethylene catheters were implanted into the femoral vein of female Sprague Dawley rats (245–265 g) which were subsequently subjected to CLP. TPN was initiated at different intervals following CLP, and mortality, bacteremia, blood glucose, hormonal, and inflammatory responses were monitored. Results Without TPN, CLP resulted in significantly lower blood glucose at 22 h post CLP. In contrast, CLP rats receiving TPN exhibited significant prolonged hyperglycemia that was responsive to insulin treatment. Mortality and hyperglycemia tended to increase with puncture size in CLP TPN rats, with early initiation of TPN leading to poorer outcome. There were time-dependent differences in bacteremia and mortality based on time of TPN initiation. Levels of insulin, leptin, and glucagon were significantly elevated in CLP TPN rats, as were many inflammatory markers. Organ damage was evident as early as 12 h post CLP and blood cell kinetics indicated significantly depressed neutrophil and lymphocyte counts. Conclusions Our results indicate that addition of TPN to CLP provides a clinically relevant animal model of critical illness with associated hyperglycemia that may provide utility for the testing of glucoregulatory and other therapeutic modalities.
A 15-b pipelined CMOS floating-point A/D converter

A floating-point approach can be used to extend the dynamic range of analog-to-digital (A/D) converters in applications where large signals need not be encoded with a precision greater than that required for small signals. Owing to the nonuniform nature of the quantization in a floating-point A/D converter (FADC), it is possible to sacrifice a large peak signal-to-noise ratio to obtain savings in power dissipation and area while achieving a large dynamic range. A 15-b switched-capacitor pipelined FADC has been designed with a 10-b mantissa and an exponent that provides an additional 5 bits of dynamic range. The increased dynamic range is obtained with a three-stage pipelined variable gain amplifier, while the mantissa is determined by a uniform 10-b pipelined A/D converter. An experimental prototype of the converter has been integrated in a 0.5 /spl mu/m CMOS technology. It achieves a dynamic range of 90 dB at a conversion rate of 20 MSamples/s with a total power dissipation of 380 mW.
Plasmonic-coupled nanostructure for improved surface plasmon resonance biosensing

A three-dimensional (3D) composite nanostructure with enhanced normal electrical field is simulated and fabricated for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensing. The device is used to measure specific binding events of different proteins.
Chest-wall desmoid tumors: results of surgical intervention.

Abstract Background We are analyzing our experience with treatment of desmoid tumors of the chest wall and adjacent structures. Methods A retrospective review was undertaken of the records of all patients who underwent surgical management for a desmoid tumor of the chest between January 1980 and December 2001 at one institution. Fifty-three patients (24 men and 29 women) were identified, whose median age was 39 years (range 10 to 78 years). Results The desmoid tumor involved the chest wall exclusively in 25 patients (47%) and both the chest wall and adjacent structures in 28 (53%). Twenty-eight patients (53%) had previous resections for a desmoid tumor. Three patients also had previous radiation therapy. A wide radical resection was attempted in all 53 patients; resection was complete in 44. Seven patients had positive microscopic margins and 2 had gross residual disease. Complications were noted in 6 patients (11%); no operative deaths occurred. Median hospitalization was 6 days (range 1 to 124 days). Nineteen patients (36%) had postoperative radiation therapy (12 had complete resection and 7 had positive margins). Follow-up was complete in 51 patients (96%) and ranged from 2 weeks to 21 years (median 53 months). At the end of the review 46 patients were alive with no recurrence; 3 were alive with local recurrence and 2 died (1 from metastatic breast cancer and 1 from unknown cause). Five-year overall probability of developing a local recurrence was 37.5% (95% confidence interval, 20.2% to 53.3%). Recurrence occurred in 8 of 9 patients with positive margins (89%) and 8 of 44 with negative margins (18%). Factors adversely affecting the rate of postoperative recurrence were reoperation ( p = 0.0199), positive margins ( p p = 0.0027). Eleven patients (22%) required reoperation at a median of 24.6 months postoperatively (range 11 to 78 months). Conclusions Desmoid tumors involving the chest and adjacent structures are locally aggressive tumors with a high recurrence rate. Wide radical resection should be attempted whenever possible. Positive margins at resection, reoperation and postoperative radiation are associated with a high risk of local recurrence.
Umbilical artery systolic to diastolic ratio is associated with growth and myocardial performance in infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome

Objective Despite standardization in care, heterogeneity in outcomes persists for infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). One potential factor is in utero stressors. Uteroplacental insufficiency (UPI) induces systemic vascular and myocardial adaptations in the absence of structural heart disease. The effect of UPI in HLHS is unknown. Methods We retrospectively analyzed infants undergoing Norwood palliation for HLHS from 2007 to 2012. We compared the umbilical artery systolic to diastolic (SD) ratio to growth outcomes and postoperative right ventricular function. Results Forty three infants met our inclusion criteria. Fetuses without a declining SD ratio with advancing gestational age had asymmetric birth biometry, defined as birth weight minus head circumference z scores (−0.9 vs −0.05, p < 0.01). The SD ratio near the end of gestation negatively correlated with asymmetric birth biometry (R = −0.521, p < 0.01) and interstage growth (R = −0.49, p = 0.04). Males with higher SD ratios had a greater postoperative incidence of abnormal right ventricular function. Conclusions A higher umbilical artery SD ratio was associated with asymmetric prenatal growth, poor weight gain, and decreased myocardial performance in infants with HLHS. Better understanding of UPI's effects on cardiovascular development and metabolism in HLHS will help identify new strategies for targeting morbidity in this high risk population. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DNA bar coding and pyrosequencing to identify rare HIV drug resistance mutations

Treatment of HIV-infected individuals with antiretroviral agents selects for drug-resistant mutants, resulting in frequent treatment failures. Although the major antiretroviral resistance mutations are routinely characterized by DNA sequencing, treatment failures are still common, probably in part because undetected rare resistance mutations facilitate viral escape. Here we combined DNA bar coding and massively parallel pyrosequencing to quantify rare drug resistance mutations. Using DNA bar coding, we were able to analyze seven viral populations in parallel, overall characterizing 118 093 sequence reads of average length 103 bp. Analysis of a control HIV mixture showed that resistance mutations present as 5% of the population could be readily detected without false positive calls. In three samples of multidrug-resistant HIV populations from patients, all the drug-resistant mutations called by conventional analysis were identified, as well as four additional low abundance drug resistance mutations, some of which would be expected to influence the response to antiretroviral therapy. Methods for sensitive characterization of HIV resistance alleles have been reported, but only the pyrosequencing method allows all the positions at risk for drug resistance mutations to be interrogated deeply for many HIV populations in a single experiment.
Combined modality therapy of extrahepatic biliary system cancer

From January 1985 to December 1988, 10 patients with local/regional extrahepatic biliary system cancer (gallbladder: 2, Klatskin: 4, common bile duct: 4) underwent combined modality therapy. Laparotomy and biopsy or subtotal resection were performed in six patients and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram, and biliary drainage in four patients. Patients initially received 5000 cGy to the tumor bed and primary nodal area. Eight received an additional 1500 cGy boost to the tumor bed. Chemotherapy (5-FU/mitomycin-C) was delivered at the beginning of each radiation treatment course. Four patients received an additional 1-4 cycles of maintenance chemotherapy and six received a boost with brachytherapy. The mean survival was 32 months and the median survival was 16 months. Five patients are currently NED at 16, 17, 17, 48, and 52 months. The overall 3-year actuarial survival was 50%. The cumulative incidence of failure as a component of failure was local/regional: 50%, abdominal: 40%, and distant: 10%. Of the five patients who developed failure, all developed a component of local/regional failure. Our data show that this approach is feasible and offers similar results to those reported in the literature. However, further follow-up will be needed to determine if this combined modality approach offers improved local control and survival rates compared with surgery or biliary bypass/drainage alone.
Exogenous glucosamine globally protects chondrocytes from the arthritogenic effects of IL-1β

The effects of exogenous glucosamine on the biology of articular chondrocytes were determined by examining global transcription patterns under normal culture conditions and following challenge with IL-1β. Chondrocytes isolated from the cartilage of rats were cultured in several flasks either alone or in the presence of 20 mM glucosamine. Six hours later, one-half of the cultures of each group were challenged with 10 ng/ml IL-1β. Fourteen hours after this challenge, RNA was extracted from each culture individually and used to probe microarray chips corresponding to the entire rat genome. Glucosamine alone had no observable stimulatory effect on the transcription of primary cartilage matrix genes, such as aggrecan, collagen type II, or genes involved in glycosaminoglycan synthesis; however, glucosamine proved to be a potent, broad-spectrum inhibitor of IL-1β. Of the 2,813 genes whose transcription was altered by IL-1β stimulation (P < 0.0001), glucosamine significantly blocked the response in 2,055 (~73%). Glucosamine fully protected the chondrocytes from IL-1-induced expression of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors as well as proteins involved in prostaglandin E2 and nitric oxide synthesis. It also blocked the IL-1-induced expression of matrix-specific proteases such as MMP-3, MMP-9, MMP-10, MMP-12, and ADAMTS-1. The concentrations of IL-1 and glucosamine used in these assays were supraphysiological and were not representative of the arthritic joint following oral consumption of glucosamine. They suggest, however, that the potential benefit of glucosamine in osteoarthritis is not related to cartilage matrix biosynthesis, but is more probably related to its ability to globally inhibit the deleterious effects of IL-1β signaling. These results suggest that glucosamine, if administered effectively, may indeed have anti-arthritic properties, but primarily as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Evidence of a malonyl-CoA-insensitive carnitine palmitoyltransferase I activity in red skeletal muscle.

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT I), which is expressed as two distinct isoforms in liver (α) and muscle (β), catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the transport of fatty acid into the mitochond...
JOHN RUSKIN: CLIMBING AND THE VULNERABLE EYE

Most readers either overlook or dismiss John Ruskin's climbs in the Alps as being insignificant compared to his avid interest in geology and mountain form. However, I want to suggest that Ruskin's climbing – his physical and kinetic relationship to the mountains – is essential to his understanding of them. His numerous and repeated ascents in the lower Alps were not always easy: in fact, they were often tough and sometimes dangerous. Through a few select examples, in the first part of the essay, I establish just how difficult many of these scrambles were so that I may proceed, in the body of the paper, to talk about how these strenuous experiences influenced his way of seeing the mountain landscape he admired, and how, in turn, they helped shape his concept of imperfect vision.
AUTOMATED ESSAY SCORING WITH E‐RATER® V.2.0

The e-rater® system has been used by ETS for automated essay scoring since 1999. This paper describes a new version of e-rater (v.2.0) that differs from the previous one (v.1.3) with regard to the feature set and model building approach. The paper describes the new version, compares the new and previous versions in terms of performance, and presents evidence on the validity and reliability of scores produced by the new version.
Finite Difference Methods for the Numerical Solution of the Nernst-Planck-Poisson Equations

In this paper I shall describe two methods for the numerical solution of the kinetic equations for electrolyte diffusion and suggest conditions under which these methods might be applied to advantage in studies of biological systems.
Fate and Transport of MTBE and Other Gasoline Components

Most gasoline releases occur above the water table. As the gasoline drains through the unsaturated zone under the influence of gravity, it leaves behind a residual amount of gasoline held by capillary attraction. Gasoline that drains to the water table will collect in a capillary fringe that is located at the interface between the ground water in the aquifer and the unsaturated zone above. Gasoline is often inaccurately depicted as floating on the water as a light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL). The capillary fringe actually imbibes the gasoline, much as a sponge will soak up water. As a consequence, the gasoline spreads laterally in the capillary fringe much further than it would spread by gravity flow. As the water table moves up and down over time, the gasoline is redistributed in a smear zone. As the vertical position of the water table changes from one time to the next, the position of the smear zone with respect to ground water will change. At any one time most of the smeared gasoline can be above the water table, below the water table, or equally divided between the aquifer and the unsaturated zone above.
Observations on Thamnidiaceae (Mucorales). VI: Two new species of Dichotomocladium and the zygospores of D. hesseltinei (Chaetocladiaceae)

Two new species are described in Dichotomocladium. One species with globose sporangiola, D. sphaerosporum, was isolated from dung collected in Mianwali, Pakistan, and is similar to D. elegans in its general habit. The second species with obovoid sporangiola, D. floridanum, was isolated from dung collected in Gainesville, Florida, and resembles D. robustum. The zygospores of D. hesseltinei have hemispherical suspensors and are described for the first time. Chaetocladiaceae is revived for fungi having branched (dichotomous, verticillate) fertile hyphae, pedicellate, unispored sporangiola which are produced on fertile vesicles, and sterile spines. Dichoto? mocladium is transferred to Chaetocladiaceae, which contains only one other genus, Chaetocladium. Chaetocladium and Dichotomocladium each are considered monophyletic, and together comprise the monophyletic Chaetocladiaceae. Keys are provided to the genera of Chaetocladiaceae and the species of Dichotomocladium. A list of families and genera currently included in Mucorales also is provided.
Flett's Mean Value Theorem for Holomorphic Functions

(1999). Flett's Mean Value Theorem for Holomorphic Functions. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 72, No. 4, pp. 304-307.