cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Varus-Valgus Constraint in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Short-Term Solution but Will It Last?

Abstract Background Prostheses with varus-valgus constraint (VVC) are increasingly utilized in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) to address coronal malalignment and instability though little is known regarding the association between added constraint and aseptic loosening. We sought to systematically review the literature for reports of VVC in primary TKA and meta-analyze clinical results and implant survival. Methods PubMed was searched using broad terms to identify articles reporting VVC in primary TKA. Any article reporting clinical or survival outcomes was included. Clinical scores, close to 2 years postoperatively were converted to standardized mean differences, and the latest survival estimates were weighted using the inverse of their variance and meta-analyzed. Results Three hundred ninety-two search results were reviewed identifying 30 relevant articles reporting on 3620 knees in total. The estimate for the improvement in clinical scores postoperatively was 3.1 standard deviations (95% confidence interval 2.6-3.6). The estimate for implant revision slowly increased from 1% at 2 years to 2% at 6 years and then began to increase more rapidly beyond this point. The estimated revision rate was 9% by 12 years and 28% by 20 years. This revision rate estimate was stable with and without the inclusion of outlying studies. Conclusion VVC in primary TKA is associated with significant clinical improvement without significant risk of early failure. Meta-regression estimates raise concerns for significant revision risk with extended follow-up, especially beyond 5 years. In the absence of new data, VVC should continue to be used cautiously in the primary TKA.
A Novel Timestamping Mechanism for Clouds and Its Application on Available Bandwidth Estimation

The packet time information at their receivers carries useful network information and is used by various networking applications and protocols. However it is challenging to accurately measure the packet time information in a cloud network due to various software and hardware factors at their receivers, such as virtual machine (VM) scheduling. In order to mitigate the impact of those receiver factors, we propose a novel packet timestamping mechanism to measure the inter-packet gaps just before they arrive at their receiver using an external clock server, which periodically sends packets to the receiver. We demonstrate the application of the proposed timestamping mechanism using an improved available bandwidth estimation method, which leverages two types of packet time information: the original packet time information measured using the local receiver clock, and the additional inter-packet gap information measured using the external clock server. Both our experiment results and analysis show that the additional information can greatly improve the available bandwidth estimation accuracy in a cloud network even with heavy VM scheduling at the cost of little additional traffic overhead.
Designing over uncertain outcomes with stochastic sampling Bayesian optimization.

Optimization is becoming increasingly common in scientific and engineering domains. Oftentimes, these problems involve various levels of stochasticity or uncertainty in generating proposed solutions. Therefore, optimization in these scenarios must consider this stochasticity to properly guide the design of future experiments. Here, we adapt Bayesian optimization to handle uncertain outcomes, proposing a new framework called stochastic sampling Bayesian optimization (SSBO). We show that the bounds on expected regret for an upper confidence bound search in SSBO resemble those of earlier Bayesian optimization approaches, with added penalties due to the stochastic generation of inputs. Additionally, we adapt existing batch optimization techniques to properly limit the myopic decision making that can arise when selecting multiple instances before feedback. Finally, we show that SSBO techniques properly optimize a set of standard optimization problems as well as an applied problem inspired by bioengineering.
Looks Heavy to Me! The Effects of Product Shadows on Heaviness Perceptions and Product Preferences

A significant number of ads showcase products with their shadows cast in the background. Given that shadows are characteristically dark and that previous research documents a positive link between ...
Rapid Polysorbate 80 Degradation by Liver Carboxylesterase in a Monoclonal Antibody Formulated Drug Substance at Early Stage Development

Abstract Polysorbates (PS) are surfactants commonly added in a therapeutic protein drug product to protect proteins from denaturation and aggregation during storage, transportation, and delivery. Significant degradation of PS in drug products could lead to particulate formation with shortened drug shelf life, and one of the major root causes of PS degradation is the host cell protein (HCP) derived lipase/esterase, which belong to the serine hydrolase family. Typically, PS degradation can only be observed in drug products after a long time of storage if very low levels of host cell protein impurity with PS degradation activities are present. In this study, PS80 degradation was observed in a monoclonal antibody (mAb) within 18 h at 5 °C with a low level of HCP presented (
Functional T-Cell Hybridomas

A significant technical advance in the field of immunology is the ability to isolate homogeneous and monospecific populations of lymphocytes. Among the several methodologies that have been employed, somatic cell hybridization is proving to be a powerful tool in the isolation and characterization of T-lymphocyte clones. The technique of cell fusion is similar to that used to generate monoclonal antibodies. However, the initial lymphocyte selection as well as the identification and characterization of hybridomas differ considerably. Once derived, the T-cell hybridomas are useful, sometimes uniquely so, for a wide range of applications.
Obtaining Externally Valid Heterogeneous Treatment Effects

In this research note I will explain a method to obtain heterogeneous treatment effects that are externally valid across the dimension of time. While it is interesting to see how treatment effects vary across the distribution of observed heterogeneity in the study period, the observed heterogeneity in the study period may not be entirely representative of this dimension over time. An example of a heterogeneity dimension where interannual variation is important is rainfall. I employ an example based around rainfall as the guiding case. I will show that one can employ a historical administrative data record to recover estimates of heterogeneous treatment effects in the average year and a distribution of treatment effects. I have provided code for this algorithm to be performed in Stata.
Sexual and reproductive health during international travel: Expectations and experiences among female university students.

To evaluate female students’ expectations and experiences related to their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) during international travel. Participants: Female students from a US university with ...
Engineering Dielectric Metasurfaces for Chirality-Sorting Optical Forces and Fano-Interference-Enhanced Chirality

We propose a design of dielectric metasurfaces that can enhance the optical chirality by 2-3 orders of magnitude for chiral optical forces and sensing. It can also preserve the spin states of light upon reflection.
Telomeres and Cancer: Resolving the Paradox.

Decades of study on cell cycle regulation have provided great insight into human cellular life span barriers, as well as their dysregulation during tumorigenesis. Telomeres, the extremities of line...
Single-cell analyses of renal cell cancers reveal insights into tumor microenvironment, cell of origin, and therapy response

Diverse subtypes of renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) display a wide spectrum of histomorphologies, proteogenomic alterations, immune cell infiltration patterns, and clinical behavior. Delineating the cells of origin for different RCC subtypes will provide mechanistic insights into their diverse pathobiology. Here, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to develop benign and malignant renal cell atlases. Using a random forest model trained on this cell atlas, we predicted the putative cell of origin for more than 10 RCC subtypes. scRNA-seq also revealed several attributes of the tumor microenvironment in the most common subtype of kidney cancer, clear cell RCC (ccRCC). We elucidated an active role for tumor epithelia in promoting immune cell infiltration, potentially explaining why ccRCC responds to immune checkpoint inhibitors, despite having a low neoantigen burden. In addition, we characterized an association between high endothelial cell types and lack of response to immunotherapy in ccRCC. Taken together, these single-cell analyses of benign kidney and RCC provide insight into the putative cell of origin for RCC subtypes and highlight the important role of the tumor microenvironment in influencing ccRCC biology and response to therapy.
Institutions, Ideation, and Diffusion of Japan’s and China’s Overseas Infrastructure Promotion Policies

This article examines Japan’s (1980s-90s) and China’s (2000s-10s) overseas infrastructure promotion campaigns. We explain how developmentalism, i.e. the state’s active engagement in economic develo...
Layout-aware exhaustive search

An exhaustive search operation, which examines all the files in a storage system, is required when an appropriate index is not readily available to quickly answer the query in hand. It is often extremely expensive, and sometimes infeasible, to construct indexes when the query model is fuzzy or when the data has high dimensionality. A standing example is content-based queries, like query by example (QBE), where the search is intended to retrieve the subset of objects that are similar in content to a given example. [2] presents a case for exhaustive content-based search on high-dimensional data like images and video. The authors point out that indexing and searching complex data is a challenging problem and the use of exhaustive search cannot be completely ruled out. So an exhaustive search operation is a “necessary-evil” feature that future filesystems and storage systems need to support. We now present four key factors that spur us to design a new exhaustive search mechanism for modern disk drives: 1. Data Characterstics: Petabyte scale datasets are becoming increasingly common in scientific and HPC applications. Video surveillance can generate terabytes of data that need to be searched by content. In the personal computing paradigm, storage hungry applications like multimedia content creation
Spatial aggregation: language and applications

Spatial aggregation is a framework for organizing computations around image-like, analogue representations of physical processes in data interpretation and control tasks. It conceptualizes common computational structures in a class of implemented problem solvers for difficult scientific and engineering problems. It comprises a mechanism, a language, and a programming style. The spatial aggregation mechanism transforms a numerical input field to successively higher-level descriptions by applying a small, identical set of operators to each layer given a metric, neighborhood relation and equivalence relation. This paper describes the spatial aggregation language and its applications. The spatial aggregation language provides two abstract data types - neighborhood graph and field -- and a set of interface operators for constructing the transformations of the field, together with a library of component implementations from which a user can mix-and-match and specialize for a particular application. The language allows users to isolate and express important computational ideas in different problem domains while hiding low-level details. We illustrate the use of the language with examples ranging from trajectory grouping in dynamics interpretation to region growing in image analysis. Programs for these different task domains can be written in a modular, concise fashion in the spatial aggregation language.
The Navy IDSS program: adaptive diagnostics and feedback analysis-precursors to a fault prognostics capability

The US Navy Integrated Diagnostic Support System (IDSS) includes an adaptive diagnostic subsystem (ADS) that provides an online fault-isolation capability using multiple reasoning techniques; a local adaptation mechanism is provided for updating the numerical parameters (e.g. relative failure probabilities) associated with the system model. A more global and exhaustive feedback can be accomplished through the feedback analyser (FA) tool, capable of symbolic as well as numerical learning and providing a differential or comparative analysis among systems of the same type. The ADS and FA tools, as precursors to a complete prognostics capability, are described in terms of their operational, functional, and performance features. >
Contact and friction of nanoasperities: effects of adsorbed monolayers.

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study contact between a rigid, nonadhesive, and spherical tip with radius of order 30 nm and a flat elastic substrate covered with a fluid monolayer of adsorbed chain molecules. Previous studies of bare surfaces showed that the atomic scale deviations from a sphere that are present on any tip constructed from discrete atoms lead to significant deviations from continuum theory and dramatic variability in friction forces. Introducing an adsorbed monolayer leads to larger deviations from continuum theory but decreases the variations between tips with different atomic structure. Although the film is fluid, it remains in the contact and behaves qualitatively like a thin elastic coating except for certain tips at high loads. Measures of the contact area based on the moments or outer limits of the pressure distribution and on counting contacting atoms are compared. The number of tip atoms making contact during a time interval $\ensuremath{\Delta}t$ grows as a power of $\ensuremath{\Delta}t$ when the film is present and as the logarithm of $\ensuremath{\Delta}t$ for bare surfaces. Friction is measured by displacing the tip at a constant velocity or pulling the tip with a spring. Both static and kinetic friction rise linearly with load at small loads. Transitions in the state of the film lead to nonlinear behavior at large loads. The friction is less clearly correlated with contact area than load.
Regulation of synthesis of non-globin proteins in cell-free extracts of rabbit reticulocytes.

Abstract Whole rabbit reticulocytes synthesize, in addition to globin, six predominant protein species. Lysates, free of whole cells or membranes, synthesize precisely the same proteins in nearly the same relative amounts. In cell-free extracts initiation of synthesis of all non-globin and globin species is inhibited by deprivation of hemin or by addition of 10-2 µg per ml of double-stranded RNA. Similarly, translation of an exogenous viral mRNA, prepared from reovirus, also requires hemin and also is inhibited by double-stranded RNA. Experiments using inhibitors of polypeptide chain elongation indicate that the amounts of mRNAs coding for the non-globin proteins do limit the amount of synthesis of these proteins. Furthermore, individual molecules of mRNA which code for certain non-globin proteins can initiate protein synthesis as much as four times as often as do those which code for other reticulocyte proteins.
Metal-insulator transition in layered nickelates La 3 Ni 2 O 7 − δ ( δ = 0.0, 0.5, 1)

Three low-valence layered nickelates with general formula La${}_{3}$Ni${}_{2}$O${}_{7\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$ ($\ensuremath{\delta}$ $=$ 0.0, 0.5, 1) are studied by ab initio techniques. Both the insulating and the metallic limits are analyzed, together with the compound at the Mott transition ($\ensuremath{\delta}$ $=$ 0.5; Ni${}^{2+}$), that shows insulating behavior, with all Ni atoms in a $S$ $=$ 1 high-spin state. The compound in the $\ensuremath{\delta}$ $=$ 1 limit (La${}_{3}$Ni${}_{2}$O${}_{6}$), with mean formal valence Ni${}^{1.5+}$ and hence nominally metallic, nevertheless shows a correlated molecular insulating state, produced by the quantum confinement of the NiO${}_{2}$ bilayers and the presence of mainly $d$${}_{{z}^{2}}$ bands (bonding-antibonding split) around the gap. The metallic compound shows a larger bandwidth of the ${\mathrm{e}}_{g}$ states that can sustain the experimentally observed paramagnetic metallic properties. The evolution of the in-plane antiferromagnetic coupling with the oxygen content is discussed, and also the similarities of this series of compounds with the layered superconducting cuprates.
Association of hypocalcemia with a change in gentamicin administration in neonates

Aminoglycosides are administered frequently to neonates with suspected sepsis. We report the association of hypocalcemia in term and near-term neonates receiving gentamicin therapy for ≥4 days after a change in dosing from every 12 h to every 24 h. The possible association with a higher gentamicin dose and longer dosing interval is described.
Ubiquity symposium 'What is computation?': Computation is symbol manipulation

In the second in the series of articles in the Ubiquity Symposium What is Computation?, Prof. John S. Conery of the University of Oregon explains why he believes computation can be seen as symbol manipulation. For more articles in this series, see table of contents in the http://ubiquity.acm.org/article.cfm?id=1870596 Editors Introduction to the symposium. --Editor
Knows Me and My Business: The Association between Preference for Relational Governance and Owners' Choice of Banks

We explore the relative importance of relational and economic preferences in small business owners' choice of a primary bank. We measured preferences directly at three points within 14 years and found that business owners' preference for relational versus economic governance was associated with the type of bank chosen and that the effect of relational preference remained relatively stable over time. Our findings support the idea that a preference for social relations might shape even the most straightforward economic decisions and suggest that variation in this preference is large, persistent enough to support business opportunities for small firms, including small banks.
When patients decline medical student participation: the preceptors' perspective.

Patients’ receptivity towards medical student participation has been examined predominantly from the patient and/or the medical student perspective. Few studies have investigated the preceptor’s perspective. The study examined preceptors’ experience with patients declining medical student participation in clinical care and identified preceptor-related factors associated with this experience. Preceptors (n = 42) were recruited from a Family Medicine educational presentation and completed a survey assessing encounters with patients declining medical student participation, methods for obtaining patient consent, and self-rated clinical education skills. Forty-eight percent and 62% of preceptors have “sometimes” or “often” had patients decline student involvement due to student’s status and in the context of a gynecological/urological exam, respectively. Fifty-eight percent “never” or “seldom” obtain patient consent with the student outside the exam room, while 46% “often” or “always” have the student directly inform patients about his/her involvement. Being a faculty preceptor (versus resident preceptor) (r = 0.463, p = 0.026) and feeling uncomfortable talking to patients about students performing the exam (r = −0.482, p = 0.020) were associated with patients declining student participation for a genital exam. Findings indicate that preceptors encounter patients declining medical student involvement in general and sensitive exam scenarios. In addition, patients are more likely to decline student participation when preceptors are faculty members and less comfortable discussing student involvement.
Particle settling times in ethyl alcohol-water mixtures as affected by variables in impinger sampling.

Abstract During the sampling with a midget impinger for dusts in air, the viscosity of the alcohol-water media may change and this change affects the settling time of particles in a counting cell. The changes in concentration of alcohol-water mixtures daring sampling were determined experimentally and viscosity changes by factors as great as two or more were noted. The effects on settling times for dusts of different densities were calculated by Stokes' Law and observed in the laboratory for various alcohol-water mixtures.
Bioethics of fish production: Energy and the environment

Aquatic ecosystems are vital to the structure and function of all environments on earth. Worldwide, approximately 95 million metric tons of fishery products are harvested from marine and freshwater habitats. A major problem in fisheries around the world is the bioethics of overfishing. A wide range of management techniques exists for fishery, managers and policy-makers to improve fishery production in the future. The best approach to limit overfishing is to have an effective, federally regulated fishery, based on environmental standards and fishery carrying capacity. Soon, overfishing is more likely to cause fish scarcity than fossil fuel shortages and high energy prices for fish harvesting. However, oil and other fuel shortages are projected to influence future fishery policies and the productive capacity of the fishery industry. Overall, small-scale fishing systems are more energy efficient than large-scale systems. Aquaculture is not the solution to wild fishery production. The energy input/output ratio of aquacultural fish is much higher than that of the harvest of wild populations. In addition, the energy ratios for aquaculture systems are higher than those for most livestock systems.
Does Leptin Contribute to Diabetes Caused by Obesity

One of the consequences of obesity is an increased risk of non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Cohen et al . present evidence in this week9s issue (p. 1185) that this outcome may be mediated at least in part by leptin, a recently discovered drug that causes satiety. In their Perspective, Taylor et al . discuss this finding in the context of what is already known about insulin action and regulation of insulin resistance.
A pseudo-exon in the functional humanαA-crystallin gene

The frequent correspondence of exons to structural or functional domains in proteins has suggested that many proteins have evolved by modular assembly. This idea is supported by examples of apparent exon duplication and by shared domains among both alternatively spliced and completely separate genes. During this process it is probable that some combinations of exons would not prove advantageous and would therefore be lost. Here we report that within the active single-copy human gene for alpha A-crystallin there is a 'pseudo-exon' in the early stages of being extinguished, perhaps the result of a failed experiment in the evolution of this specialized, lens-specific protein.
Phase II trial of the regulatory T cell-depleting agent, denileukin diftitox, in patients with unresectable stage IV melanoma

We previously found that administration of an interleukin 2/diphtheria toxin conjugate (DAB/IL2; Denileukin Diftitox; ONTAK) to stage IV melanoma patients depleted CD4+CD25HIFoxp3+ regulatory T cells and expanded melanoma-specific CD8+ T cells. The goal of this study was to assess the clinical efficacy of DAB/IL2 in an expanded cohort of stage IV melanoma patients. In a single-center, phase II trial, DAB/IL2 (12 μg/kg; 4 daily doses; 21 day cycles) was administered to 60 unresectable stage IV melanoma patients and response rates were assessed using a combination of 2-[18 F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) imaging. After DAB/IL2 administration, 16.7% of the 60 patients had partial responses, 5% stable disease and 15% mixed responses. Importantly, 45.5% of the chemo/immuno-naive sub-population (11/60 patients) experienced partial responses. One year survival was markedly higher in partial responders (80 ± 11.9%) relative to patients with progressive disease (23.7 ± 6.5%; p value < 0.001) and 40 ± 6.2% of the total DAB/IL2-treated population were alive at 1 year. These data support the development of multi-center, randomized trials of DAB/IL2 as a monotherapy and in combination with other immunotherapeutic agents for the treatment of stage IV melanoma. NCT00299689
Degenerative changes in the digestive glands of rats bearing Leydig cell tumors

We undertook this study to determine the effects of a transplantable Leydig cell tumor on the major digestive glands of the host rats. It has been known that after bearing this tumor for only two weeks, the rats become anorexic and cathectic, develop hypercalcemia and osteolysis, and their peripheral bone marrow becomes hyperplastic. We now demonstrate that the parotid glands undergo marked degeneration including depletion of secretory product, apparent loss of acinar organization and the appearance of conjoined nuclei. The submandibular and sublingual glands and the pancreas are virtually unaffected. The liver undergoes fatty degeneration, the Kupffer cells become more prominent and more numerous, and the sinusoids sometimes contain small islets of hemopoietic tissue.
No more free lunch.

Parasites generally depend on their hosts to supply the molecules needed for life. One parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, has retained the ability to make some of the building blocks of DNA, but this could be its downfall.
Effects of dietary polyunsaturated and saturated fats on lipoproteins in the baboon

Abstract The effects of 2 different dietary fats (40% of calories from corn oil or coconut oil), in the presence of high-dietary cholesterol (1.7 mg/kcal), on the lipoprotein profiles of baboons ( Papio cynocephalus sp) were studied by analytic ultracentrifugation, gradient gel electrophoresis (GGE), and heparin-manganese chloride precipitation. Relative to the corn oil (polyunsaturated fat) diet, the coconut oil (saturated fat) diet significantly increased total serum cholesterol by 43% ( P P P F 1.20 0 9−28 lipoproteins (material of size 125–220 A and hydrated density 1.03−1.08 g/ml, and containing HDL apolipoproteins and apo E). Concentrations of other HDL subpopulations were unaffected by the dietary saturated rat. The increase in VLDL + LDL-C was due to increased LDL ( S F 0 5−12), and to some extent, F of the F 1.20 0 9−28 lipoproteins were precipitable by heparin-manganese. In contrast, saturated fat (relative to polyunsaturated fat) induced lower concentrations of IDL saturated fat (relative to polyunsaturated fat) induced lower concentrations of IDL ( S F 0 12−20) and VLDL ( S F 0 20−100). Lipoprotein size distributions by GGE indicated 5 HDL subpopulations and 2 or more LDL subpopulations in the sera of most baboons. The type of dietary fat did not affect the particle size range of each of the the HDL or LDL subpopulations. The results indicate that dietary fat markedly modulates the distribution of cholesterol between apo A-I-containing (HDL and F 1.20 0 9−28) and apo B-containing (IDL and VLDL) lipoproteins without altering the presence of subpopulations based on particle size.
Purification of poliomyelitis viruses propagated in tissue culture

Abstract A procedure was developed for the purification and concentration of Mahoney, MEF-1, and Saukett strains of poliomyelitis virus from large volumes of tissue culture fluid. The basic procedure involved precipitation, butanol extraction, ultracentrifugation, and treatment with nucleases. Final separation of virus particles from residual cellular contaminants was achieved by electrophoresis or sedimentation in a density gradient. From tissue culture fluid in which the virus represented approximately 0.1% of the total protein, preparations of virus particles, some of which were crystalline, were obtained which closely approached chemical purity. Such preparations make possible studies of the serological, chemical, and physical properties of the virus.
Development of raphe-spinal connections in the North American opossum

Abstract The Falck-Hillarp technique, serotonin (5-HT) immunohistochemistry and the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were utilized to investigate the development of raphe-spinal connections in the pouch-young opossum. The brainstem raphe and adjacent reticular formation contain 5-HT immunoreactive neurons in the newborn opossum (12 days after conception) and processes from these cells can be visualized in the marginal zone of the spinal cord. Between eight and 15 days after birth 5-HT immunoreactive varicosities begin to grow into the presumptive deep layers of the dorsal horn, the intermediolateral cell column and the ventral horn. In the latter region some of them approximate presumed motor neurons. Between 40–50 days after birth 5-HT immunoreactive varicosities appear in presumptive laminae I and II of the dorsal horn.
Employment and child-care choices of single-parent families in Canada and the United States

This paper examines employment and child-care choices of single-parent families with young children in the United States and Canada, using a pooled data set based on recent national surveys in each country. We find that the employment and child-care choices of Canadian families are similar to those of U.S. families. Estimates of a model of employment and child-care choices indicate significant effects of child-care subsidies, child-care prices, and wage rates on employment and child-care choices.
Global Palestine: A Collision for Our Time

The centrality of Palestine to the global struggle for justice and human dignity seems to grow larger by the day. Nowhere is this more evident than in Iraq, where the United States is now pursuing ...
Risk of complications following gynecological laparoscopic surgery.

Abstract Objective: To determine the incidence and predictors of risk for operative complications, conversions to laparotomy, and postoperative admissions following laparoscopic procedures. Methods: We obtained demographic information and medical history on all 843 women who underwent laparoscopic procedures at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital between January and December 1994. All major complications following surgery were recorded. Major operative complications were defined as bowel, bladder, ureter, or vascular injuries, or significant abdominal wall or other internal bleeding. Categorical analysis was used to compare differences in the rates of operative complications, conversions to laparotomy, and postoperative admissions following laparoscopy. We also estimated the influence of specific laparoscopic procedures on the risk of adverse complications following surgery. Results: Operative complications and conversion to laparotomy occurred at rates of 19.0 and 47.4 per 1,000 laparoscopic procedures, respectively. Of 843 women studied, complications included 4 bowel, 2 bladder, 1 ureteral, 2 vascular, and 5 abdominal wall injuries. There were 165 (19.6%) patients admitted postoperatively. Aside from the type of operative procedure, age was the single most important predictor of complications. Women with government or HMO insurance were somewhat more likely to have their laparoscopy converted to a laparotomy than women with private insurance. Relative to all other operative procedures, women receiving laparoscopic-assisted treatment of endometriosis and women undergoing ovarian cystectomy had generally low rates of operative complications, conversions to laparotomy, and postoperative admissions. In contrast, 12.5% of women receiving laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy experienced operative injuries or abdominal bleeding and 90.0% were hospitalized postoperatively. Conclusion: Serious operative complications after major gynecologic laparoscopy were rare in this data set. The complexity of the laparoscopic procedure is directly proportional to the rate of operative complications, conversions to laparotomy, and postoperative admissions to the hospital.
The challenges of representing shiva image, place, and divine form in the himalayan hindu shrine of kedarnath luke whitmore

ABSTRACTKedarnath is a famous abode of the god Shiva. One of the distinctive features of this Himalayan Hindu pilgrimage place is the fluidity with which the connection of the rock-form of Shiva inside the temple and the broader physical environment of the shrine is represented. Analysis of printed depictions of Kedarnath helps to understand this fluidity. Yet these images tell a complicated story. In doing justice to the numerous ways in which Shiva is understood to be present in Kedarnath, print images of Kedarnath navigate a complicated set of representational challenges. They solve these challenges through particular usages of photographic and painted montage, composite composition, and overpainting (painting over a photographic image). A careful examination of popular depictions of Kedarnath shows how the everyday, historic, and symbolic realities of the site are in a certain tension with the existing technical and aesthetic parameters available for creating what Martin Gaenszle and Jorg Gengnagel ha...
Agitation effects on microbial cell‐cell interactions

Microbiology, by its very nature, is concerned with particles. Most microbes, whether bacteria, yeast or virus can be regarded as «large» particles and as a result, much of the research into physical and mathematical aspects of colloidal and atomic/molecular particles is equally applicable to microbial cells. These include adhesion and infection by bacteria and viruses, cell-cell recognition phenomena, mating interactions and microbial flocculation. All of these processes involve physical contact between microbial particles or with other cells, irrespective of the various and diverse nature of interaction following contact. All are therefore subject to the same physical effects with regard to bringing about particle collision and causing interparticle contact, in particular to the influence of Brownian motion and mechanical agitation
A Scalable Algorithm for Placement of Virtual Clusters in Large Data Centers

We consider the problem of placing virtual clusters, each consisting of a set of heterogeneous virtual machines (VM) with some interrelationships due to communication needs and other dependability-induced constraints, onto physical machines (PM) in a large data center. The placement of such constrained, networked virtual clusters, including compute, storage, and networking resources is challenging. The size of the problem forces one to resort to approximate and heuristics-based optimization techniques. We introduce a statistical approach based on importance sampling (also known as cross-entropy) to solve this placement problem. A straightforward implementation of such a technique proves inefficient. We considerably enhance the method by biasing the sampling process to incorporate communication needs and other constraints of requests to yield an efficient algorithm that is linear in the size of the data center. We investigate the quality of the results of using our algorithm on a simulated system, where we study the effects of various parameters on the solution and performance of the algorithm.
Frequency-dependent branching ratio in the infrared multiphoton photochemistry of diethyl carbonates

Unimolecular decomposition of 0·1 Torr of diethyl carbonate, diethyl-d5 carbonate and diethyl-d10 carbonate induced by irradiation with a CO2 TEA laser was investigated. In all cases only ethylene, ethanol and CO2 were obtained. In the case of diethyl-d5 carbonate, both ethylene-d4 and ethylene-d0 were observed together with the corresponding isotopic variants of ethanol. The chemical branching ratio was determined as a function of irradiation frequency and laser fluence by analysis of the ethylene-d0/ethylene-d4 ratio. RRKM theory applied to the branching ratio data requires very different average energies for two sets of fluence and frequency conditions that give identical total yields.
Noninvasive Characterization of the Histopathologic Features of Pulmonary Nodules of the Lung Adenocarcinoma Spectrum using Computer-Aided Nodule Assessment and Risk Yield (CANARY)—A Pilot Study

Introduction Pulmonary nodules of the adenocarcinoma spectrum are characterized by distinctive morphological and radiologic features and variable prognosis. Noninvasive high-resolution computed tomography–based risk stratification tools are needed to individualize their management. Methods Radiologic measurements of histopathologic tissue invasion were developed in a training set of 54 pulmonary nodules of the adenocarcinoma spectrum and validated in 86 consecutively resected nodules. Nodules were isolated and characterized by computer-aided analysis, and data were analyzed by Spearman correlation, sensitivity, and specificity and the positive and negative predictive values. Results Computer-aided nodule assessment and risk yield (CANARY) can noninvasively characterize pulmonary nodules of the adenocarcinoma spectrum. Unsupervised clustering analysis of high-resolution computed tomography data identified nine unique exemplars representing the basic radiologic building blocks of these lesions. The exemplar distribution within each nodule correlated well with the proportion of histologic tissue invasion, Spearman R = 0.87, p p Conclusion CANARY represents a promising tool to noninvasively risk stratify pulmonary nodules of the adenocarcinoma spectrum.
Covalent immobilization of protein monolayers for biosensor applications

Various sensor technologies require a monolayer of tightly bound proteins. Five methods for protein immobilization were evaluated, comprising two methods of linker attachment to a silicon nitride surface (CNBr, silanization) and three methods of linker attachment to the protein (via primary amines, carboxyl groups, and the aromatic rings of tyrosine and histidine). These covalent binding methods were evaluated by immobilization of the enzyme alkaline phosphatase and with monoclonal antibodies tagged with 125I. It was determined that approximately 75% of the protein on the "covalently" immobilized samples was simply adsorbed. Adsorption was reduced by varying the pH and ionic strength of the wash buffers as well as by adding chaotropes and competitors to the wash buffer. A more efficient method of reducing adsorption was to perform the immobilization in the presence of a detergent; 0.5% Tween 60 was the most effective detergent studied. The optimized procedure gives a surface loading of 1.20 x 10(12) MAb/cm2. of which approximately 10% was adsorbed protein. This surface density is consistent with a monolayer of immobilized protein. This protein was shown to be active by challenging immobilized antibodies with 35S-labelled antigen; only the antibody/antigen pair released radioactive material upon elution.
Production of thrombin and antithrombin III by brain and astroglial cell cultures

There is increasing evidence that some proteases and protease inhibitors are produced within the central nervous system. It has been proposed that the balance between these two classes of proteins may be an important modulator of brain cell growth and differentiation. Here we report that antithrombin III (ATIII) is produced in brain and primary astroglial cultures. In addition, we show that human astroglial cultures contain prothrombin mRNA, and secrete a thrombin-like protein that makes complexes with antithrombin III.
Multi-dimensional study of plasma proteins. Column chromatography starch gel and immuno-electrophoresis.

Abstract Normal human plasma was separated into its Chromatographic components using DEAE cellulose anion exchanger. The effluent fractions were then secondarily characterized by paper, starch gel and immuno-electrophoresis and enzyme stains. γ-globulin occurred at the beginning and the end of the chromatogram ; albumin in the middle. Siderophilin and β-globulin were in the first group. Other β-globulins, β-lipoprotein, prealbumin, β 2 -macroglobulin (Waldenstrom), haptoglobin, α 2 -macroglobulin (Schultze), ceruloplasmin and post-albumin occurred in characteristic places on the chromatogram.
Carbonaceous particle hydration

Abstract Microgravimetric measurements of the hydration of several different black carbons or soots and a series of commercial carbon blacks have been carried out, over a relative humidity range of 20–85%, in an extension of earlier work with the model n-hexane soot. All adsorption isotherms are of type III and were analyzed by the use of the Dubinin–Radushkevich (DR) equation which, although applicable over a limited range of intermediate relative humidity values, allows identification of chemisorption limit and onset of multilayer formation. While surface area determines the maximum adsorption possible for a given type, surface functionalities are determinative at lower humidity and are characteristic of the soot-producing fuel. Aging of carbon particles and oxygen chemisorption as well as O2 physisorption strongly influence the extent of hydration for those soots studied, such as JP-8 aviation and diesel fuels. Infrared spectra confirm the surface oxidation of JP-8 soot by its reaction with O3, a reaction of probable atmospheric importance, as underlying its increased hydration.
Development of Language by Hand and Its Connections with Language by Ear, Mouth, and Eye

Contrary to popular conception, language is not a unitary ability. Four functional language systems—(1) aural, (2) oral, (3) reading, and (4) writing—develop on independent trajectories that are interconnected to varying degrees at different stages of development. These interconnected, yet independe
Aircraft observations of enhancement and depletion of black carbon mass in the springtime Arctic

Abstract. Understanding the processes controlling black carbon (BC) in the Arctic is crucial for evaluating the impact of anthropogenic and natural sources of BC on Arctic climate. Vertical profiles of BC mass loadings were observed from the surface to near 7-km altitude in April 2008 using a Single-Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) during flights on the NOAA WP-3D research aircraft from Fairbanks, Alaska. These measurements were conducted during the NOAA-sponsored Aerosol, Radiation, and Cloud Processes affecting Arctic Climate (ARCPAC) project. In the free troposphere, the Arctic air mass was influenced by long-range transport from biomass-burning and anthropogenic source regions at lower latitudes especially during the latter part of the campaign. Average BC mass mixing ratios peaked at about 150 ng BC (kg dry air )−1 near 5.5 km altitude in the aged Arctic air mass and 250 ng kg−1 at 4.5 km in biomass-burning influenced air. BC mass loadings were enhanced by up to a factor of 5 in biomass-burning influenced air compared to the aged Arctic air mass. At the bottom of some of the profiles, positive vertical gradients in BC were observed over the sea-ice. The vertical profiles generally occurred in the vicinity of open leads in the sea-ice. In the aged Arctic air mass, BC mass loadings more than doubled with increasing altitude within the ABL and across the boundary layer transition while carbon monoxide (CO) remained constant. This is evidence for depletion of BC mass in the ABL. BC mass loadings were positively correlated with O3 in ozone depletion events (ODEs) for all the observations in the ABL. Since bromine catalytically destroys ozone in the ABL after being released as molecular bromine in regions of new sea-ice formation at the surface, the BC–O3 correlation suggests that BC particles were removed by a surface process such as dry deposition. We develop a box model to estimate the dry deposition flux of BC mass to the snow constrained by the vertical profiles of BC mass in the ABL. Open leads in the sea-ice may increase vertical mixing and entrainment of pollution from the free troposphere possibly enhancing the deposition of BC aerosol to the snow.
Heterogeneous ECE Processes at Channel Electrodes: Analytical Solution for all Reaction Rate Constants and Different Diffusion Coefficients

An analytical solution is developed for heterogeneous ECE processes occurring at channel electrode surface for both laminar and turbulent flow. The solution explicitly links the behavior of ECE processes and the parameters. A simple expression of the effective number of electrons transferred, covering all the reaction rate constants and different diffusion coefficients of the reactant A and the intermediate product B, is obtained. Excellent agreement with previous numerical and analytical results is shown . Parametric studies illustrate the effects of diffusion coefficients, hydrodynamic factors and reaction rate constants on the effective number of electrons transferred and the currents.
Self-reinforcement schedules in young children: effects of motivational orientation and instructional demands

Abstract The effects of external (environmental) and internal (cognitive) self regulatory influences on self-reinforcement behavior were investigated in 32 pre-school age children (3.1 to 5.8 years, M = 4.7 years). External conditions were two demand conditions (stringent instructional sets and lenient instructional sets). The “internal variable” was an individual differences one, motivational orientation: One-half of the children were relatively intrinsically motivated (IM) and the other half were relatively extrinsically motivated (EM). Both external and internal selfinfluences affected self-reinforcement performance on a motor/attention task. Children in the stringent-demand condition set a higher performance standard and arranged a leaner schedule of self-reinforcement than did children in the lenient-demand condition. EM children out performed IM children on measures reflecting the strength of performance (total work behavior and total time working). On measures reflecting internal standards of self-regulation, IM children set a higher performance standard in the lenient-demand condition than did EM children. Also, IM children chose a higher performance standard than modeled in the lenient-demand condition than did EM children. This experiment shows that in pre-school age children internal self-regulatory characteristics are present, well organized, and active, which interact with external demand conditions of the environment to reveal substantial individual differences in the patterns of self-reward behavior.
A Practical "ABCDE" Approach to the Metabolic Syndrome

The metabolic syndrome comprises a cluster of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus that are due to abdominal obesity and insulin resistance. This increasingly important proinflammatory condition remains both underrecognized and undertreated. To aid physicians in their approach to the metabolic syndrome, we assessed and synthesized the literature on cardiovascular risk assessment and early intervention for risk reduction. We performed a comprehensive search of MEDLINE and the Cochrane database for peer-reviewed clinical studies published from January 1, 1988, to December 31, 2007, augmented by consultation with content experts. We used the search terms metabolic syndrome, abdominal obesity, waist circumference, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, prediabetes, diabetes, treatment, prevention, aspirin, hypertension, cholesterol, atherogenic dyslipidemia, lifestyle therapy, diet, and exercise. Criteria used for study review were controlled study design, English language, relevance to clinicians, and validity based on experimental design and appropriateness of conclusions. Although growing evidence supports early intervention in patients with the metabolic syndrome, many physicians do not recognize the risk associated with this condition and fail to initiate early treatment. A comprehensive management plan can be assembled through an "ABCDE" approach: "A" for assessment of cardiovascular risk and aspirin therapy, "B" for blood pressure control, "C" for cholesterol management, "D" for diabetes prevention and diet therapy, and "E" for exercise therapy. This ABCDE approach provides a practical and systematic framework for encouraging metabolic syndrome recognition and for implementing a comprehensive, evidence-based management plan for the reduction of cardiovascular risk.