cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mortality Reduction among Pneumonia Patients Still Substantial despite the Impact of Coding Changes

Abstract Background Accounting for changes in coding practices may be important in analyzing trends based on administrative data. Several studies have demonstrated large reductions in mortality over time among pneumonia patients. However, a recent study suggested that this reduction may have been an artifact of case definition because more of the highest-risk patients were being coded under alternative principal diagnoses in recent years. Methods Using the National Inpatient Sample from 1993 to 2005, we selected hospitalizations with a principal diagnosis of pneumonia or a secondary diagnosis of pneumonia and a principal diagnosis of sepsis or respiratory failure. We performed logistic regression, estimating the likelihood of in-hospital mortality in each year, adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidities. Results Over time, there was a substantial increase in the frequency of sepsis and respiratory failure as a principal diagnosis. Length of stay decreased in all 3 principal diagnosis groups. By 2005, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) of death among principal diagnosis pneumonia and respiratory failure hospitalizations decreased to 0.50 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49-0.51) and 0.62 (95% CI, 0.58-0.66), respectively, compared with 1993. With all 3 groups combined, there was still a substantial, albeit attenuated, reduction in the risk of mortality (OR 2005 0.70; 95% CI, 0.69-0.72). Conclusions Survival of patients with community-acquired pneumonia has improved greatly over time. However, interpretation of such findings based on administrative data must be made with caution and careful attention to case definition and coding trends.
Use of differential reinforcement to treat medical non-compliance in a paediatric patient with leukocyte adhesion deficiency.

Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency (LAD) is a rare immuno-deficiency disorder which results in chronic infections, such as gingivitis, necrotic skin infections and gastrointestinal ulcers. This case describes an 18-year-old male who was non-compliant during an inpatient hospitalization with several aspects of his complex medical regimen, particularly his wound care, physical therapy and use of his crutches. The patient's dressing change protocol was task analysed in order to create a structured, predictable routine by having the subject complete small, discrete steps. A differential reinforcement programme was implemented to provide the patient with tangible reinforcement for general compliance with his treatment, including compliance with dressing changes and physical therapy. Over a 1-month period, the subject's overall compliance with his medical regimen achieved an average of ~87%. His compliance with physical therapy and dressing changes both improved to 87 and 80%, respectively, by the end of his hospita...
Kinetics of phytoplankton decay during simulated sedimentation: changes in lipids under oxic and anoxic conditions

A series of oxic and anoxic incubations examined lipid degradation in two marine phytoplankton, the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii and the coccoid cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp., using flow-through systems without macrozooplankton grazers. Total extractable lipids and individual compounds (fatty acids, sterols and hydrocarbons) were quantified over time. Oxic decay constants of total lipid and POC showed good agreement between the two phytoplanktors, suggesting that changes in composition at the molecular level during degradation would be similar. Detailed analysis of individual lipids, however, revealed significant differences, with unsaturated moieties being degraded more rapidly than their saturated counterparts. Calculated turnover times for individual lipids ranged from 8.8 days for unsaturated alkenes of diatoms under oxic conditions to over 142 days for phytol under anoxia, with the absence of oxygen decreasing the decay rate for all lipids. Diatom sterols showed the largest reduction in degradative rate when oxygen was absent (almost 13-fold). Contrary to expectations, individual lipids common to both phytoplankton did not always show similar patterns of decay, suggesting that factors other than chemical structure may control degradative rate. Carbon isotopic analysis of the total lipid pool over the time course of all incubations revealed that the residual lipid pool shifted to lighter values, opposite of that typically observed for POC. The observed isotopic and molecular changes during degradation suggest that the residual lipid pool, which is preserved yet difficult to characterize, is similar to the fraction which is preserved in sediments.
Physiological levels of reactive oxygen species are required to maintain genomic stability in stem cells

Stem cell cytogenetic abnormalities constitute a roadblock to regenerative therapies. We investigated the possibility that reactive oxygen species (ROSs) influence genomic stability in cardiac and embryonic stem cells. Karyotypic abnormalities in primary human cardiac stem cells were suppressed by culture in physiological (5%) oxygen, but addition of antioxidants to the medium unexpectedly increased aneuploidy. Intracellular ROS levels were moderately decreased in physiological oxygen, but dramatically decreased by the addition of high-dose antioxidants. Quantification of DNA damage in cardiac stem cells and in human embryonic stem cells revealed a biphasic dose-dependence: antioxidants suppressed DNA damage at low concentrations, but potentiated such damage at higher concentrations. High-dose antioxidants decreased cellular levels of ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated) and other DNA repair enzymes, providing a potential mechanistic basis for the observed effects. These results indicate that physiological levels of intracellular ROS are required to activate the DNA repair pathway for maintaining genomic stability in stem cells. The concept of an "oxidative optimum" for genomic stability has broad implications for stem cell biology and carcinogenesis.
Improving Community-Based Youth Work: Evaluation of an Action Research Approach

Few formal post-secondary educational programs in the United States focus on youth work, thus youth workers often enter the field with diverse backgrounds and varying levels of experience working with youth. Drawing on mounting evidence that quality youth service requires skilled staff, professional-development opportunities have received increasing support by agencies and funders. Typically, youth work professional development supports propositional (theory) knowledge learning to develop a more skilled workforce. This article describes an approach to youth work professional development that supports professional-craft knowledge learning (practice wisdom). Based on action research methodology, the approach has been developed over the last three years with groups of youth workers in a public organization. Using program evaluation data over the last two years and university-facilitator reflections, the authors describe what have been found to be the critical components of this approach. Also discussed are i...
A two-component hydrograph separation for three high-elevation catchments in the Sierra Nevada, California

Two-component hydrograph separations were performed for three, nested, snowmelt-dominated catchments in Sequoia National Park. The purpose of the hydrograph separations was to: (i) differentiate between the old and new water contributions to discharge during snowmelt using δ18O signatures; (ii) identify the fraction of snowmelt that travelled through the subsurface (reactive) compartment during the snowmelt period using silica or sodium; and (iii) investigate the impact of changing end-member signatures on the separations. 'Old' water refers to water that was stored in the watershed during the previous year, whereas 'new' water is current snowmelt. Hydrograph separations were performed for both a high-accumulation (1998, annual precipitation 2·4 m) and an average year (1999, 1·3 m). The proportion of old water contribution to discharge during the rising limb of the hydrograph was 10-20%, with 80-100% of snowmelt being reactive, i.e. passing through soil and talus. Estimates of old and new soil water and direct snowmelt entering the stream varied among the catchments in 1999. Differences between these components were minimal in 1998, regardless of varying topography and differing proportions of soil, rock and talus. Using time-dependent rather than constant δ18O meltwater and silica soil-water signatures made a meaningful impact on both new and old water, and reactive and unreactive, estimates. © 2004 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.
QUALITATIVE STUDIES IN FAMILY PSYCHOTHERAPY

This investigative study, conducted at the Brief Family Theram Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, used a qualilative method to explore the experience of therapy as perceived by six couples and their therapists. The qualitative method focused on the discovery of meaning clients' experience through interviews, providing a first-hand account of experiences from the viewpoint of the participants. As themes developed, a coding procedure was implemented to categorize the themes which became the structure for the study (Taylor & Bogdan, 1984). The study revealed views of the role of the therapist and descriptions of helpful actions and words given by the therapist according to the couples, questions and interventions which the couples found helpful in therapy, reasons that couples gave for seeking therapy, and how therapists approached treament and the termination of treatment.
TU‐D‐BRB‐08: A CBCT Projection Matrix Method for Radiation and Imaging Isocenter QA

Purpose: To test the use of a cone beam computed tomography(CBCT) projection matrix method for determining the imaging isocenter diameter as a replacement for the traditional gantry star shot for radiation isocenter testing.Method and Materials: The Siemens MVision megavoltage CBCT is calibrated by imaging a geometric reconstruction phantom that contains BBs of various sizes at well characterized positions. This generates several projection matrices, Pq, that define where a point in the reconstruction volume is projected onto the flat panel detector at gantry angle q. The standard reconstruction angles are −90° to 110°. A new protocol, with angles from −30° to 170°, provides information about radiation isocenter from posterior angles. Flat panel positions projected to a plane containing the isocenter are [Uq,Vq] = [0.276(Pq(1,4) − P0(1,4)), 0.276(Pq(2,4) − P0(2,4))]. The room coordinates [xq, yq, zq] = [Uqcos(‐q), Uqsin(‐q), Vq]. The radiation isocenter ellipsoid diameters are (xq max ‐ xq min, yq max ‐ yq min, zq max ‐ zq min), where superscripts max and min refer to maximum and minimum values of the room coordinate, respectively. The maximum diameter is compared to that of a traditional star shot and a Winston‐Lutz type test. Results: Traditional star shots are limited in accuracy due to the subjectivity in the analysis and set‐up error. The maximum radiation isocenter diameters were about 0.8 mm, 0.9 mm and 1.4 mm for the star shot, Winston‐Lutz test and the projection matrix analysis, respectively. The result for the projection matrix includes deviations resulting from flat panel motion and is larger than that of the Winston‐Lutz test, which is unaffected by flat panel motion. Conclusion: The projection matrix method simultaneously checks the stability of the imaging and radiation isocenter, while providing an annual geometric calibration for the CBCT system.
Analgesia from a peripherally active κ-opioid receptor agonist in patients with chronic pancreatitis

Preclinical studies suggest that visceral afferents constitutively express kappa-opioid receptors (KORs) and that noxious visceral stimuli can be inhibited at a peripheral site by KOR activation. To test the relevance of these observations to humans, we infused, in a randomized, double blind manner, a peripherally selective KOR agonist (ADL 10-0101) or placebo into six patients with chronic pancreatitis and ongoing abdominal pain despite mu-opioid agonist therapy. Pain was assessed using a pain magnitude estimate, an open ended scale of each patient's choosing and compared to their rating of pain from a 1.6 cm(2) thermode applied to the skin and heated to 49 degrees C for 5s. Normalizing pain scores to this rating as 100, pain prior to study drug treatment was 4070, and was unaffected by placebo infusion in the two individuals receiving this therapy. In contrast, ADL 10-0101 infusion reduced pain score from 63+/-7.6 (mean+/-SE) prior to infusion to 23+/-15 4h after infusion (P<0.05 vs. baseline). One patient receiving placebo and one receiving ADL 10-0101 experienced a mild headache during the study. One patient receiving ADL 10-0101 experienced restlessness and another had assymptomatic transient dysrhythmia upon standing after the 4h study. Neither of the treatments affected blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, or oxyhemoglobin saturation, and no patient experienced nausea during the study. These limited data support the hypothesis that human visceral afferents express KOR and that peripherally restricted KOR agonists produce analgesia in patients with chronic visceral pain.
Impact of sound effects and dramatic speech style on speaker perception, attitudes, and speech recall

Under the guise of serving in an experiment on speech perception, Ss listened to a short speech under one of four conditions. The speech was spoken either dramatically or seriously, and the speech either was or was not accompanied by sound effects. Measures were taken on Ss’ moods, attitude, and recall of the speech. Results showed more persuasion for the serious than for the dramatic version of the speech. However, the serious/dramatic and sound/no-sound manipulations interacted in determining mood ratings. Overall, attitudinal acceptance was independent of the affect expressed by Ss. The results were interpreted as supporting Leventhal’s (1970) parallel response model.
On the Climatic Impact of Ocean Circulation

Integrations of coupled climate models with mixed-layer and fixed-current ocean components are used to explore the climatic response to varying magnitudes of ocean circulation. Four mixed-layer ocean experiments without ocean heat transports are performed using two different atmosphere‐land components—the new GFDL AM2 and the GFDL Manabe Climate Model (MCM)—and two different sea ice components, one dynamic and one thermodynamic. Both experiments employing the dynamic sea ice component develop unstable growth of sea ice while the experiments with a thermodynamic sea ice component develop very large but stable ice covers. The global cooling ranges from modest to extreme in the four experiments. Using the fixed-current climate model, a trio of 100-yr integrations are made with control currents from a GFDL R30 ocean simulation, same currents reduced by 50%, and same currents increased by 50%. This suite is performed with two coupled models again employing the two atmosphere‐land components, AM2 and MCM, for a total of six experiments. Both models show a large sensitivity of the sea ice extent to the magnitude of currents with increased currents reducing the extent and warming the high latitudes. Low cloud cover also responds to circulation changes in both models but in the opposite sense. In the AM2-based model, low cloudiness decreases as ocean circulation increases, reinforcing the sea ice changes in reducing the planetary reflectivity, and warming the climate. This cloudiness change is associated with a reduction in lower-atmospheric stability over the ocean. Because the AM2-based model is able to simulate the observed seasonal low cloud‐stability relationship and the changes in these quantities with altered ocean circulation are consistent with this relationship, the AM2 interpretation of the cloud changes is favored.
Ultrawideband Dielectric Resonator Antenna With Broadside Patterns Mounted on a Vertical Ground Plane Edge

A novel portable dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) design with broadside radiation is presented for ultrawideband wireless applications and narrow pulse sensor for breast cancer detections. The antenna provides broadside radiation. By using a solid rectangular dielectric resonator mounted on a vertical ground plane edge, the total antenna volume is considered to be less than that with a perpendicular ground plane. A wide impedance matching bandwidth is achieved. In addition, a modified version of the rectangular dielectric resonator antenna, which has two dielectric pieces removed to have an A-shaped resonator, provides wider impedance matching bandwidth of around 93% with much better broadside radiation characteristics and lighter weight is also considered. Comparison between the two antennas is presented with parametric study. The modified antenna is built and tested and very good agreement between computed and measured results is obtained.
Maximum-likelihood reconstruction of transmission images in emission computed tomography via the EM algorithm

The expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm for computing maximum-likelihood estimates of transmission images in positron-emission tomography (PET) (see K. Lange and R. Carson, J. Comput. Assist. Tomogr., vol.8, no.2, p.306-16, 1984) is extended to include measurement error, accidental coincidences and Compton scatter. A method for accomplishing the maximization step using one step of Newton's method is proposed. The algorithm is regularized with the method of sieves. Evaluations using both Monte Carlo simulations and phantom studies on the Siemens 953B scanner suggest that the algorithm yields unbiased images with significantly lower variances than filtered-backprojection when the images are reconstructed to the intrinsic resolution. Large features in the images converge in under 200 iterations while the smallest features required up to 2,000 iterations. All but the smallest features in typical transmission scans converge in approximately 250 iterations. The initial implementation of the algorithm requires 50 sec per iteration on a DECStation 5000. >
Lungs in a Warming World: Climate Change and Respiratory Health

Climate change is a health threat no less consequential than cigarette smoking. Increased concentrations of greenhouse gases, and especially CO 2 , in the earth's atmosphere have already warmed the planet substantially, causing more severe and prolonged heat waves, temperature variability, air pollution, forest fires, droughts, and floods, all of which put respiratory health at risk. These changes in climate and air quality substantially increase respiratory morbidity and mortality for patients with common chronic lung diseases such as asthma and COPD and other serious lung diseases. Physicians have a vital role in addressing climate change, just as they did with tobacco, by communicating how climate change is a serious, but remediable, hazard to their patients.
Ovarian follicular concentrations of activin, follistatin, inhibin, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), IGF-II, IGF-binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2), IGFBP-3, and vascular endothelial growth factor in spontaneous menstrual cycles of normal women of advanced reproductive age.

Previous studies indicate that the menstrual cycles of older reproductive age women are characterized by a selective elevation of FSH associated with early development and ovulation of a dominant follicle. Several intraovarian hormones and growth factors have been identified that appear to serve important paracrine roles. The purpose of this study was to examine follicular fluid (FF) hormones and growth factors in the dominant follicle of unstimulated cycles of older, ovulatory women. We aspirated FF from the preovulatory dominant follicle in natural menstrual cycles of older subjects (age, 40 ‐ 45 yr; n 5 20) and younger controls (age, 20 ‐25 yr; n 5 19). FF was analyzed for estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, androstenedione, inhibin A and B, total activin A, total follistatin, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), IGF-II, IGF-binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2), IGFBP-3, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentrations. We found that the dominant follicles from older women contain normal concentrations of steroids, inhibin A and B, IGF-II, IGFBP-2, and IGFBP-3; increased concentrations of follistatin, activin A, and VEGF; and decreased concentrations of IGF-I. Therefore, under the influence of elevated FSH, the dominant follicle in older women is highly competent in terms of hormone and growth factor secretion. We postulate that elevated FF activin may be related to the early ovulation observed in older women, whereas elevated VEGF may be related to the meiotic spindle abnormalities observed in the oocytes of older reproductive age women. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 85: 4520 ‐ 4525, 2000)
Two novel families of bacterial membrane proteins concerned with nodulation, cell division and transport

Summary Homology has been established for members of two families of functionally related bacterial membrane proteins. The first family (the resistance/nodulation/cell division (RND) family) Includes (i) two metal-resistance efflux pumps in Alcaligenes eutrophus (CzcA and CnrA), (ii) three proteins which function together in nodulation of alfalfa roots by Rhizobium meliloti (NoIGHI), and (iii) a cell division protein in Escherichia coli (EnvD). The second family (the putative membrane fusion protein (MFP) family) includes a nodulation protein (NoIF), a cell division protein (EnvC), and a multidrug resistance transport protein (EmrA). We propose that an MFP functions co-operatively with an RND protein to transport large or hydrophobic molecules across the two membranes of the Gram-negative bacterial cell envelope.
Endothelial lipase modulates HDL but has no effect on atherosclerosis development in apoE-/- and LDLR-/- mice.

Endothelial lipase (EL) is a determinant of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) level, which is negatively correlated with atherosclerosis susceptibility. We found no difference in aortic atherosclerotic lesion areas between 26-week-old EL+/+ apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE−/−) and EL−/− apoE−/− mice. To more firmly establish the role of EL in atherosclerosis, we extended our study to EL−/− and EL+/+ low density lipoprotein receptor-deficient (LDLR−/−) mice that were fed a Western diet. Morphometric analysis again revealed no difference in atherosclerosis lesion area between the two groups. Compared with EL+/+ mice, we found increased HDL-C in EL−/− mice with apoE−/− or LDLR−/− background but no difference in macrophage content between lesions of EL−/− and EL+/+ mice in apoE−/− or LDLR−/− background. EL inactivation had no effect on hepatic mRNAs of proteins involved in reverse cholesterol transport. A survey of lipid homeostasis in EL+/+ and EL−/− macrophages revealed that oxidized LDL-induced ABCA1 was attenuated in EL−/− macrophages. This potentially proatherogenic change may have nullified any minor protective increase of HDL in EL−/− mice. Thus, although EL modulated lipoprotein profile in mice, there was no effect of EL inactivation on atherosclerosis development in two hyperlipidemic atherosclerosis-prone mouse models.
Identification of Causal Paths and Prediction of Runway Incursion Risk by Means of Bayesian Belief Networks

In the United States and worldwide, runway incursions are acknowledged as a critical concern for aviation safety. Despite efforts to the contrary, however, the rate at which these events occur in the United States has steadily risen. Analyses of the causes of runway incursions have frequently been limited to discrete events and have not addressed the dynamic interactions that led to breaches of runway safety. This paper emphasizes the need for cross-domain methods of causation analysis applied to runway incursions in the United States. A holistic modeling technique using Bayesian belief networks to interpret causation in the presence of sparse data is outlined, with intended application at the systems level. Further, the importance of investigating runway incursions probabilistically and of incorporating information from human factors, technological, and organizational perspectives is supported. A method for structuring Bayesian networks with quantitative and qualitative event analyses in conjunction with structured expert probability estimation is outlined, and results are presented for propagation of evidence through the model as well as for causal analysis. The model provides a dynamic, inferential platform for future evaluation of the causes of runway incursions. The results in part confirm what is known about the causes of runway incursions, but more important shed light on multifaceted causal interactions in a modeling space that allows causal inference and evaluation of changes to the system in a dynamic setting. Suggestions for additional research are discussed; the prominent suggestion is a need for future testing coupled with a focus on higher levels of quantification while exploring means of enhancing availability of relevant data.
Eight microsatellite markers for South American camelids.

Description: A small insert genomic library was prepared withllama (Lama glama) DNA cloned into pJCP1 vector, based on procedures described by Ostrander et al. 1. Construction of library and screening of clones for CA/TG repeats was carried out by Research Genetics (Huntsville, AL). Plasmids from positive clones were sequenced on ABI 377 automated DNA sequencers (Applied Biosystem, Foster City, CA) at the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. Primer sequences and characteristics of microsatellites are presented in Table 1. Table 1. Characteristics of 8 microsatellites for South American camelids Locus Repeat motif sClone product ize (Alleles n) rSize ange (bp) Genbank accession number Primer sequences (5′-3′) LCA56 (CA)12C(CA)2 135 16 133–169 AF091122 ATGGTGTTTACAGGGCGTTG GCATTACTGAAAAGCCCAGG LCA63 (GT)8(GC)4AC(GT)8 218 14 190–254 AF091123 TTACCCAGTCCTTCGTGGG GGAACCTCGTGGTTATGGAA LCA65 (TG)13 169 14 165–191 AF091124 TTTTTCCCCTGTGGTTGAAT AACTCAGCTGTTGTCAGGGG LCA66 (CA)13 223 24 220–262 AF091125 GTGCAGCGTCCAAATAGTCA CCAGCATCGTCCAGTATTCA LCA68 (GT)13 194 10 191–209 AF091126 TCCTGTCTGTGAGAAGGCTG CCGAAGGAAAAATAAAATGGAA LCA70 (TA)4(CA)11(TA)2 212 7 211–223 AF091127 TTCTGATGTATGGCATAGCGA TGGGGGTAAGAGCAGGATAA LCA71 (TA)2(CA)9 137 6 136–150 AF091128 CAGACATATACCTGTATCCGTATCTA TTCAGTGTTTCCTCGCAATG LCA77 (GT)3A(TG)8 235 15 233–263 AF091129 TGTTGACTAGAGCCTTTTCTTCTTT GGGCAAGAGAGACTGACTGG
Evolutionary Analysis of Amino Acid Repeats across the Genomes of 12 Drosophila Species

Repeated motifs of amino acids within proteins are an abundant feature of eukaryotic sequences and may catalyze the rapid production of genetic and even phenotypic variation among organisms. The completion of the genome sequencing projects of 12 distinct Drosophila species provides a unique dataset to study these intriguing sequence features on a phylogeny with a variety of timescales. We show that there is a higher percentage of proteins containing repeats within the Drosophila genus than most other eukaryotes, including non-Drosphila insects, which makes this collection of species particularly useful for the study of protein repeats. We also find that proteins containing repeats are overrepresented in functional categories involving developmental processes, signaling, and gene regulation. Using the set of 1-to-1 ortholog alignments for the 12 Drosophila species, we test the ability of repeats to act as reliable phylogenetic signals and find that they resolve the generally accepted phylogeny despite the noise caused by their accelerated rate of evolution. We also determine that in general the position of repeats within a protein sequence is non-random, with repeats more often being absent from the middle regions of sequences. Finally we find evidence to suggest that the presence of repeats is associated with an increase in evolutionary rate upon the entire sequence in which they are embedded. With additional evidence to suggest a corresponding elevation in positive selection we propose that some repeats may be inducing compensatory substitutions in their surrounding sequence.
"Truth or consequences": a feminist critical policy analysis of the STEM crisis

STEM education has received significant attention in the USA and is largely fueled by rhetoric suggesting the USA is losing its global competitive edge and that there is a lack of qualified workers available to fill growing STEM jobs. However, a counter discourse is emerging that questions the legitimacy of these claims. In response, we employed feminist critical policy analysis as both a theory and a method to further critique the STEM crisis discourse. We argue that the nature of the current discourse is misleading at worst and incomplete at best and show who is fueling the crisis discourse and who stands to win or lose as a result. We reveal how the crisis discourse draws attention away from the multi-layered complexity of the issue and surface what is missing in the discourse to re-center public attention on protracted problems that still need dismantling.
Index of refraction for sodium matter waves traveling in a cold noble-gas medium

The index of refraction for sodium matter waves traveling in a cold noble-gas medium is calculated as a function of temperature and beam velocity. Resonances and glory oscillations are present in the center-of-mass scattering amplitude and may be seen in the refractive index at very low temperatures. The sensitivity of the calculations to the molecular potential is investigated for the case of argon, and results at 300 K are compared to a recent experiment. Effective range parameters are computed and the attenuation and phase of the matter waves are analyzed as a function of temperature and beam velocity.
Incomplete-Case Nearest Neighbor Imputation in Software Measurement Data

Missing values are commonly encountered in software measurement data, and k nearest neighbor imputation (kNNI) is one of the most popular imputation procedures used by researchers and practitioners in empirical software engineering. Imputation techniques are used to replace missing values with one or more alternatives. Traditionally, kNNI uses only complete cases as possible donors for imputation (called complete case kNNI or CCkNNI), however a variant of CCkNNI called incomplete case k nearest neighbor imputation (ICkNNI) is an attractive alternative which has received very little attention. We present a detailed comparative study of CCkNNI and ICkNNI with missing software measurement data, and demonstrate that using incomplete cases often increases the effectiveness of nearest neighbor imputation (especially at higher missingness levels), regardless of the type of missingness.
Darwin and Huxley revisited: the origin of allometry

The relative sizes of parts of an organism frequently depend on the absolute size of the individual, a relationship that is generally described by power laws. I show here that these power laws are a consequence of the way evolution operates.
Bottle cells are required for the initiation of primary invagination in the sea urchin embryo.

Abstract Invagination of epithelial tissue occurs during gastrulation, neurulation, and organogenesis in many organisms. However, the underlying morphogenetic mechanisms of invagination are not understood. To elucidate these mechanisms, we have analyzed the initial invagination of the vegetal plate in the sea urchin embryo, a process termed primary invagination. At the onset of invagination, a ring of cells with highly constricted apices (bottle cells) encircles a group of two to eight round, central cells. To investigate the morphogenetic role of the bottle cells in the process of primary invagination, we have undertaken a series of laser ablation studies in which different proportions of various cell types were ablated and the effects were recorded using 4-D microscopy. Elimination of a 90°–180° arc of bottle cells markedly retards invagination, but only within the ablated region. Ablation of other cell types does not result in a statistically significant effect on primary invagination. These studies indicate that the number and arrangement of the bottle cells are critical factors for proper initiation of invagination. In addition, we have used the perturbing anti-hyalin antibody mAb183 to show that cell attachment to the hyaline layer is necessary for bottle cell formation and the initiation of primary invagination.
Symmetry-generated valence orbital effective Hamiltonian treatment of photoelectron spectra of hydrogen fluoride, water, ammonia and methane

Abstract A novel method for empirically modeling the electronic structure of molecules is applied to photoelectron ionization spectra of the isoelectronic series HF, H 2 O, NH 3 and CH 4 . Matrices representing effective orbital Hamiltonians are made up of single atom terms having valence orbital energies along the diagonal and diatomic interactions having elements that are parameters evaluated to fit experiment. Reduced matrix elements over symmetry-adapted bases for H 2 O, NH 3 and CH 4 are constructed using the symmetry-generation theorem. Using valence orbital ionization energies for atomic orbital levels, the parameter values are optimized by an iterative procedure to fit the photoelectron spectra. The fit is very good and the optimum parameter values, which are transferable between the molecules of the series, are physically reasonable. These methods could lead to very fast calculations for large clusters and biomolecules.
Equation of state of gluon plasma from local action

We review recent analytic and numerical results concerning the confinement scenario in Coulomb gauge. We then consider a local, renormalizable, BRST(Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin)-invariant action for QCD in Coulomb gauge that contains auxiliary bose and fermi ghost fields and sources. When the auxiliary fields are integrated out, one obtains the standard Coulomb gauge action with a cutoff at the Gribov horizon. We use the local formulation to calculate the leading correction to the Stefan-Boltzmann equation of state at high temperature due to the cutoff at the Gribov horizon. It is of order ${g}^{6}$, which is precisely the order at which the infrared divergence found by Lind\'e divergence first occurs. No such divergence arises in the present calculation because the propagator of would-be physical gluons is suppressed in the infrared due to the proximity of the Gribov horizon in infrared directions.
New Ways of Thinking About Senescent Bioprosthetic Heart Valve Therapy.

In patients requiring heart valve replacement, biologic valve substitutes have been implanted with increasing frequency over the past decade. According to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) database, bioprosthetic valve implants in the aortic position have increased from 43.6% in 1997 to 78.4%
The Increasing Convex Order and the Trade–off of Size for Risk

One random variable is larger than another in the increasing convex order if that random variable is preferred or indifferent to the other by all decision makers with increasing and convex utility functions. Decision makers in this set prefer larger random variables and are risk loving. When a decision maker whose utility function is increasing and concave is indifferent between such a pair of random variables, a trade-off of size for risk is revealed, and this information can be used to make comparative static predictions concerning the choices of other decision makers. Specifically, the choices of all those who are strongly more (or less) risk averse than the reference decision maker can be predicted. Thus, the increasing convex order, together with Ross's (1981) definition of strongly more risk averse, can provide additional comparative static findings in a variety of decision problems. The analysis here discusses the decisions to self-protect and to purchase insurance.
The Pathological Features and Prognosis of Prostate Cancer Detectable With Current Diagnostic Tests

AbstractThe discrepancy between the high prevalence of prostate cancer found at autopsy and the low incidence of clinical cancer prompted a study to determine whether the new diagnostic tests, that is ultrasonography and serum prostatic specific antigen (PSA) levels, detect prostate cancer at an earlier stage than the traditional test, digital rectal examination, without detecting a larger proportion of clinically unimportant cancer. Clinically detected cancer treated by radical prostatectomy (306 cases) and incidental cancer found in cystoprostatectomy specimens (90) were categorized into 3 groups by the volume, grade, extent of the cancer and outcome of treatment: clinically unimportant tumor (0.5cm.3 or less, Gleason grades 1 to 3 and confined to the prostate), clinically important curable cancer (more than 0.5cm.3 or grade 4 or 5 and confined, or with microscopic extracapsular extension) or advanced disease (extensive extracapsular extension, seminal vesicle invasion or lymph node metastases).Of 306 c...
DIFFUSION DURING THE COAGULATION PROCESS OF WET SPINNING OF ACRYLIC FIBERS (III)

Diffusion of solvent and coagulant in the fiber during coagulation process was simulated, taking the change of fiber radius and diffusion coefficient into account.Changes of fiber radius and diffusion coefficient were found to follow the next equations by experimental results for model filaments with large diameter.For the diffusion coefficient. D(x)at distance x=x, where Ds, and Dg are diffusion coefficients in solution phase and in gel phase respectively, Lc the distance between the capillary and the point where coagulation is completed, being given by the following equation. where R is average fiber radius, v the take-up velocity of the filament.For the fiber radius R(x) at x=x where R0 and Rb are fiber radius at x=0 and x=Lb respectively, Lb the distance between the capillary and the point where diffusion equilibrium is reached and is given by the following equation. where D is average diffusion coefficient.Assuming that changes of fiber radius and diffusion coefficient are predicted by the above equations, concentration change in the fiber during coagulation process was simulated using an electronic computer and the results were found to agree well with the experimental results.
Effects of Sex and Ethnic Variables on the Profiles of the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistics and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

An examination of the effects of sex and ethnic variables on the test profiles of the ITPA and WISC in 42 mentally retarded subjects, 42 normal children, and 41 children with diagnosed learning or language problems (aged 6 to 10 yr.) indicated that while such effects may attain statistical significance, the amount of variance accounted for by such was small. Such a finding calls into question the practical significance of such effects.
High quantum efficiency AlGaN/GaN solar-blind photodetectors grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

We report the growth, fabrication and characterization of back-illuminated AlGaN p-i-n photodetectors operating in the solar-blind wavelength range. A peak external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 45.5% (0.1A/W) was obtained at a wavelength of 270 nm. This EQE was obtained at zero volt bias and without the use of any anti-reflection coating on the back of the substrate. To our knowledge, this is the highest EQE reported to date for p-i-n photodetectors operating in the solar-blind wavelength range.
A Probabilistic Ice Habit Model for LES of Contrails

This study aims at using a three-dimensional large-eddy simulation (LES) model for quantifying the effect s of non-sphericity of ice particles on the dynamics of aircraft condensation trails. A new model to incorporate ice habits is proposed and used with LES calculations for a time horizon of 20 minutes after the aircraft has passed. It is found that ice particle density and ice area are significantly higher for non-spherical than spherical ice particles – for an ambient RHi of 130%, the ice area is ~30% higher while almo st all initialized particles remain active throughout the time horizon considered. Optical Depth is observed to be ~25% higher for non -spherical part icles than for spherical particles.
Solid State Reactions of Fe_2O_3/TiO_2 Diffusion Couple

The solid-state reaction of the Fe2O3/TiO2 system at 1373K for different time in air was studied by a diffusion couple method.The surface morphology of diffusion couple was observed by the field emission scanning electron microscope and the line scan energy spectrum was also analyzed.According to the diffusion concentration curve of elements from line scanning analysis,Boltzmann-Matano method improved by Den Broeder was used to calculate the interdiffusivity of the Fe2O3/TiO2 system.It is found that there is a linear relationship between the concentration of Fe3+ and the interdiffusivity which increases with the concentration of Fe increasing,meanwhile the formation mechanism of Fe2TiO5 was also discussed by the vacancy diffusion mechanism.
Lymphocyte responses to nonspecific mitogens in inflammatory bowel disease.

To assess cell-mediated immunity, circulating lymphocytes from 13 patients with Crohn’s disease, 14 patients with ulcerative colitis, and 24 healthy control subjects of comparable ages were cultured in the presence of multiple doses of phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, and pokeweed mitogen. There was considerable variation of the results with marked overlap among the three groups of subjects, and much variability existed as to the optimal dose of a mitogen needed to elicit a maximal response in a given subject. Several of the patients with either type of inflammatory bowel disease had poor lymphocyte responses, but no significant differences were demonstrated among the three groups. There was a trend towards poorer lymphocyte responsiveness in patients with Crohn’s disease of moderate to severe clinical activity. The fact that equally low values also were found in healthy individuals suggests that such isolated in vitro observations are in themselves inadequate bases upon which to draw etiological or pathogenetic conclusions.
Fifty years at Framingham: contributions to stroke epidemiology.

The author is obviously indebted to the many Framingham investigators and researchers over 35 years who have contributed to this remarkable enterprise. The reader is referred to the Framingham Study website (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/framingham/index.hm) for a more complete listing of publications and other background materials.
Pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy

In patients with resectable adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas, pancreaticoduodenectomy serves as the cancer-directed operation of choice. The pylorus-preserving modification of pancreaticoduodenectomy is commonly performed in this setting. Reconstruction of the gastrointestinal tract following pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy can be accomplished using various techniques. The operative mortality rate in experienced hands is generally less than 3%, with a postoperative complication rate in the range of 35% to 40%. Patient survival following resection is largely determined by tumor biology, based on such parameters as tumor diameter, lymph node status, resection margin status, and DNA content, and is not adversely influenced by pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy.
Internal Energy Partitioning: Summary of the Panel Discussion

From the standpoint of relevance to this panel the term “internal energy partitioning” was interpreted very broadly. Thus, contributions to the session included discussion of the effects of reactant internal energy as well as the distribution of internal energy among accessible product final states. All participants reported experimental results, and a wide range of techniques were represented. For experiments in which reactant internal energy effects were studied flow drift tubes or selected ion flow tubes (SIFT) were the primary sources of data. Also included in this discussion was a report of ion fragmentation threshold measurements using photo-ionization. Various beam techniques were employed for study of product internal energy partitioning. These included kinematic analysis in beam gas and crossed beam apparatuses and detection of collision produced luminescence in a beam-gas setup.
A COMPARISON OF MONOAMINE METABOLITE LEVELS IN CONTROL AND PERFUSED RAT BRAIN

ABSTRACT Methodology has been developed to allow biochemical analysis of monoamine metabolites as well as histological analysis of brain tissue in a single sample. The levels of the major metabolites of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) have been compared in specific brain regions of control rats and rats perfused with 10% formalin. No significant differences in metabolite levels were found. Secondly, control and formalin-perfused animals were treated with piperoxan, haloperidol or tryptophan, all compounds known to increase the concentrations of these metabolites in brain. Thirdly, NE metabolite levels were measured in ipsilateral and contralateral cerebral cortex hemispheres of contol and perfused locus coeruleus-stimulated rats. Pharmacological treatments and electrophysiological stimulation increased metabolite levels to the same magnitude in both controls and formalin-perfused animals. Finally, levels of NE metabolite in rat cortex were compared in control, formalin-perfused and gluteraldehyde/formalin-perfused animals. Again no significant differences were found. This method facilitates microdissection and the performance of microassays on selected regions of the brain.
The Effect of Polydisperse Crowding on Protein Stability

The dense, heterogeneous cellular environment is known to affect protein stability through interactions with other biomacromolecules. The effect of excluded volume due to these biomolecules, also known as crowding agents, on a protein of interest, or test protein, has long been known to increase the stability of a test protein. The cellular environment is heterogeneous not only in terms of its chemical composition, but also in terms of the sizes of the biomacromolecules, or crowding agents, present. It has been shown experimentally that the effect of polydisperse or mixed crowding agents has a non-additive effect, i.e. that there is an optimal mixing ratio where the effect of the crowding agents is larger than that of monodisperse systems of each crowder. Here we investigate the role of polydisperse crowding on two small test proteins: the helical trp-cage and the beta-hairpin GB1m3. For each test protein, a series of simulations using crowding agents of two different sizes in various ratios were conducted. Crowding agents used were either spherical excluded-volume only crowders or proteins with fixed backbones. In particular, we relate the non-additivity to the excluded volume of the crowding agents. We also show that protein-crowder interactions can play a large role in either enhancing or offsetting the effect of the crowding agent excluded volume.
Social movements and public relations in the early twentieth century: How one group used public relations to curtail venereal disease rates

ABSTRACTA case study of the American Social Hygiene Association (ASHA) campaign to craft a national vision for social health showed that the group used public relations-like strategies to, as one of their officials said, “crystallize public opinion” years before Edward Bernays wrote a book of the same title. Although these efforts might not have been labeled public relations at the time, this study introduces some precedents of contemporary public relations. In this study, social activism offered a more robust approach to addressing an issue than using media relations alone could do. ASHA members used communication strategies such as segmenting audiences, utilizing events to reach appropriate audiences, using visual media, and creating house organs to arouse public sentiment, influence attitudes, and promote desired behavior.This case study expands public relations history theory by examining why ASHA members practiced public relations as they did. In this case, ASHA used persuasive communication to pierc...