cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pediatric intracranial arterial injuries by penetrating gunshot wounds: an institutional experience.

Pediatric intracranial injuries due to penetrating gunshot wounds are a rare entity that is often fatal. A subset of patients may experience an intracerebral arterial injury; however, literature on the pediatric population is limited. This study analyzes a large institution’s experience with pediatric head gunshot wounds and intracranial arterial injuries. All pediatric patients ≤ 18 years of age who presented to our institution with a penetrating gunshot wound from 2008 to 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Thirty-seven patients presented with an intracerebral penetrating gunshot injury. There were 18 deaths (49%) in the cohort. A total of 20 patients (54%) had vascular imaging. Of the remaining 17 patients with no vascular imaging, 13 (35%) died before any vascular studies were obtained. Four (20%) of the 20 patients with vascular imaging experienced an intracerebral arterial injury. Three of these 4 patients died before treatment could be administered. One patient with a firearm injury underwent embolization of a distal middle cerebral artery pseudoaneurysm and was discharged home with a Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 5 on follow-up. Pediatric patients with penetrating intracranial gunshot wounds often die before vascular imaging can be obtained.
Are Self-Reported Smoking Information As Good As Clinical Measures? Evidence From a Data Driven Approach

Self-reported smoking variables are commonly utilized by researchers, however, they are prone to be misreported. Clinical researchers tend to rely on some form of objective or clinician generated smoking measure, especially in randomized controlled trials. This paper uses the Lung Health Study (LHS), a randomized smoking cessation study, to analyze the discrepancies in self-reported and objective smoking measures, and provides some guidance regarding the level of misreporting. Utilizing large changes in Body-Mass-Index (BMI), carbon monoxide (CO) and cotinine (COT) levels after the smoking intervention, we create our won estimate on the level of misreporting. We find that misreporting levels are relatively low with 8% of smokers classified as smokers by clinicians stating that they are non-smokers. Our own measure of misreporting concludes that the clinicians objective smoking measures are most likely overstating misreporting levels by up to 50%, which also implies that objective smoking measures may not be preferable over self-reported measures.
Social Vulnerability Assessment of Dog Intake Location Data As a Planning Tool for Community Health Program Development: A Case Study in Athens-Clarke County, GA, 2014-2016

A retrospective spatial analysis of dog intake data from an open admission animal shelter in Georgia was conducted to explore patterns within dog demographics and outcomes by pickup location or by the home address of the person who transferred ownership rights of the dog to Athens-Clarke County Animal Control during the period 2014–2016. Spatial analysis found the relationship between these intake locations and the final disposition of the dogs to be non-random, suggesting social and environmental influences on distribution. Statistically significant clusters were identified using the Getis-Ord Gi* statistic. This study found statistically significant hot spots (i.e., areas with higher than expected values) and cold spots (i.e., areas with lower than expected values) for the intake of dogs with known health issues, physically neglected dogs, juveniles, and adults. Only statistically significant hot spots were found for socially neglected dogs and dogs whose final disposition was euthanasia due to severe health or behavioral issues. Given the close relationship between humans and dogs, this study explores the association of impounded dog clusters and a previously developed social vulnerability index. Social vulnerability is the product of social inequalities and inequalities related to the human-built environment. The social vulnerability index provides one tool for understanding the differences in characteristics of dogs from different intake locations. Results of this study indicate the utility of non-animal focused data as a planning tool for community programs and to allow for efficient allocation of limited resources for veterinary and other community outreach programs.
Solution for Complex Amplitude in LCD Removal Algorithm

Large clutter discretes (LCDs) are spectrally bright localized clutter that can cause false alarms or missed target detections in space-time adaptive processing (STAP) data. For passive bistatic STAP, the LCD removal (LCDR) algorithm estimates the spatial/Doppler frequency and complex amplitude of the LCD and then removes it from the data. However, previous techniques to estimate the LCD’s amplitude were complicated and slow. This paper proposes a method that directly solves for the amplitude that minimizes the power output at the LCD’s spatial/Doppler frequency.
Strike fear in the land. Pedro de Alvarado and the conquest 1520–1541: by W. George Lovell, Christopher H. Lutz, and Wendy Kramer, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2020, 194 pp. (ISBN 9780806164946)

Strike fear in the land reveals the complex cross-cultural relations between the Spanish and Indigenous in the conquest of Guatemala. W. George Lovell, Christopher Lutz, and Wendy Kramer provide a ...
Altmetric Analysis of Skin of Color Articles: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND Publication and dissemination of peer-reviewed articles are essential for delivering up-to-date high-quality care to diverse populations. Online attention and publication trends for skin of color (SOC) articles have not been studied. OBJECTIVE To investigate SOC article online attention and publication trends. METHODS Terms "skin of colo(u)r", "ethnic skin", "dark skin", and "darker skin" were searched on Altmetric. Abstracts were reviewed to exclude non-SOC articles. Altmetric attention score (AAS), media outlets, citations, page views, and journal impact factor were extracted. RESULTS A total of 425 articles, published in 114 journals, were included, with average AAS 13 (0-423), citations 42 (0-1214) and page views 2728 (7-15000). There was a 7.8-fold increase in the number of SOC articles published in the first-half (1993-2006) vs. second-half (2007-2021) of the study period. The number of SOC articles increased by 57%, 2011-2015 to 2016-2020. AAS was significantly correlated with citations (R = .21), page views (R = .23) and impact factor (R = .35) (P < .05 for all). The top 50 AAS articles had an average AAS 83 (21-423), with 35 (70%) published in the last 5 years (2016-2021) and 47 (94%) published in the second-half of the study period. Top four AAS articles focused on SOC representation in educational resources. CONCLUSION It is promising that increased numbers of SOC articles have been published in recent years and are garnering more attention, however they are less popular than other dermatology articles. Increased efforts are needed to study and publish on skin diseases in diverse populations to build knowledge and practices that improve patient care.
Plasma C-C Chemokine Concentrations in Intermediate Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Purpose: To determine the relationship between plasma concentrations of the C-C chemokines CCL2, CCL3, CCL4 and CCL5 and intermediate age-related macular degeneration (iAMD) patients compared with control inidividuals to further define the inflammatory pathways associated with age-related macular degeneration. Methods: The concentrations of CCL2, CCL3, CCL4 and CCL5 were measured using multiplex assays in plasma collected from 210 patients with iAMD and 102 control individuals with no macular degeneration as defined by multi-modal imaging. Non-inflammatory data included in the analysis were: age, sex, family history of AMD, history of smoking, body mass index, presence of reticular pseudo-drusen and cardiovascular disease. Median concentrations as well as a cutoff value for each chemokine were compared between the two groups. Results: The median concentrations of CCL2 and CCL4 did not differ between control and iAMD groups, however, CCL2 was elevated in iAMD when a cutoff comparison was used (p<0.05). Median CCL3 and CCL5 concentrations were significantly decreased in the macular degeneration group compared with controls (p<0.001) as well as when a cutoff value comparison was used. CCL3 and CCL5 were negatively correlated in cases and positively correlated in controls. Conclusions: Plasma CCL3 and CCL5 concentrations were significantly decreased and CCL2 concentrations were increased in patients with iAMD compared with controls, suggesting a role for C-C chemokines in the systemic inflammatory processes associated with disease development.
Reconstructing Markov processes from independent and anonymous experiments

We investigate the problem of exactly reconstructing, with high confidence and up to isomorphism, the ball of radius r centered at the starting state of a Markov process from independent and anonymous experiments. In an anonymous experiment, the states are visited according to the underlying transition probabilities, but no global state names are known: one can only recognize whether two states, reached within the same experiment, are the same.We prove quite tight bounds for such exact reconstruction in terms of both the number of experiments and their lengths.
Cepstrum based deconvolution for speech dereverberation

We propose an algorithm for the restoration of speech that has been degraded through addition of multiple echoes. The proposed scheme processes the outputs of two microphones using cepstra operations and the theory of signal reconstruction from phase only. Under mild assumptions it reconstructs the room impulse response associated with each microphone and restores the speech signal. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed scheme using speech reverberated by simulated room acoustics. >
Temperature Dependence on the Strength and Stress Rupture Behavior of a Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) Composite

Tensile strengths and stress rupture lives of carbon-fiber reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC) specimens were measured at 800 C and are compared to previously reported 1200 C data. All tests were conducted in an environmental chamber containing 1000 ppm of oxygen in argon. The average 800 C tensile strength of 610 MPa is 10% greater than at 1200 C. Average stress rupture lives at 800 C were 2.5 times longer than those obtained at 1200 C. The difference in the 800 and 1200 C lives is related to the oxidation rate of the reinforcing carbon fibers, which is the primary damage mode of C/SiC composites in oxygen-containing environments.
Principal Components and Factor Analysis

Suppose that observations are available on q variables. In practice, q is often quite large. If, for example, q = 25, it can be very difficult to grasp the relationships among the many variables. It might be convenient if the 25 variables could be reduced to a more manageable number Clearly, it is easier to work with 4 or 5 variables than with 25. Of course, one cannot reasonably expect to get a substantial reduction in dimensionality without some loss of information. We want to minimize that loss. Assuming that a reduction in dimensionality is desirable, how can it be performed efficiently? One reasonable method is to choose a small number of linear combinations of the variables based on their ability to reproduce the entire set of variables. In effect, we want to create a few new variables that are best able to predict the original variables. Principal component analysis finds linear combinations of the original variables that are best linear predictors of the full set of variables. This predictive approach to dimensionality reduction seems intuitively reasonable. We emphasize this interpretation of principal component analysis rather than the traditional motivation of finding linear combinations that account for most of the variability in the data. The predictive approach is mentioned in Rao (1973, p. 591). Seber (1984) takes an approach that is essentially predictive. Seber’s discussion is derived from Okamoto and Kanazawa (1968). Schervish (1986) gives an explicit derivation in terms of prediction. Other approaches, that are not restricted to linear combinations of the dependent variables, are discussed by Gnanadesikan (1977, Section 2.4) and Li and Chen (1985). Jolliffe (1986) gives a thorough discussion with many examples.
Improving Manual Solid Waste Separation Studies

Knowledge of the physical composition of solid waste has long been recognized as potentially valuable information for the researcher, engineer, and manager. With this information, the researcher can hope to explain observed differences between two masses of solid waste, the engineer can design better systems, and the manager can operate those systems more efficiently. Currently, the only practical way to obtain physical composition data is through a manual separation study. Herein a rationale is presented using the characteristics of 10-category separation results to evaluate the optimality of 100-lb, 200-lb, 300-lb, and 600-lb separation samples. Assuming the 300-lb sample size, an example is given of how to calculate the required number of such samples for a proposed study. There is also some analysis of how the resulting physical composition data may be used.
ADDS Transaction Management System

ADDS (Amoco Distributed Database Management System) is a multi-database system that allows users to retrieve and manipulate data from heterogeneous database sources located in distributed heterogeneous hardware and software environments. This paper describes ADDS transaction management system, including system recovery procedures. The system guarantees both a consistent database retrieval and update in the heterogeneous distributed database environment. The prototype of the system was implemented and tested in the research environment of Amoco Production Company.
Plasma wave electronics for generation and detection of THz radiation

Scaling down the minimum feature size of integrated circuits is pushing the operation of field effect transistors into a ballistic regime, where electron inertia and plasma wave effects start playing a dominant role. In this paper, we review detection and generation of sub-terahertz and terahertz radiation by plasma waves. Both resonant and non-resonant detection has been demonstrated in Si,-based, III-V based, and AlGaN/GaN field effect transistors, and the results are in reasonable agreement with theory. These devices expect to find applications for terahertz detection at high operating frequencies. Weak tunable terahertz emission has been observed at cryogenic temperatures but the plasma wave mechanism still needs to be explored to be proven responsible for this emission. Further improvements are expected by using field effect transistor arrays both for terahertz detection and emission.
Dependency of resonance frequencies and effective coupling coefficients of piezoceramic rectangular bars and plates on aspect ratio

The resonance frequencies and effective coupling coefficients of piezoceramic rectangular plates polarized through their width and transversely polarized bars are presented as functions of their lateral aspect ratios. The results are obtained by employing the coupled vibration analysis technique that was previously illustrated for rectangular plates polarized through the thickness [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 126(6), 2983–2990 (2009)]. The results of calculations show good agreement with experimental data. Conclusions are made on preferable values of the aspect ratios in terms of the effective coupling coefficients.
Impact of autoimmune risk alleles on the immune system

Genetic analyses of autoimmune diseases have revealed hundreds of disease-associated DNA variants, but the identity and function of the causal variants are understudied and warrant deeper mechanistic studies. Here, we highlight methods for deciphering how alleles that are associated with autoimmune disease alter the human immune system, and suggest strategies for future autoimmune genetic research.
Tokamak Power Exhaust with the Snowflake Divertor: Present Results and Outstanding Issues

A snowflake divertor magnetic configuration (Ryutov in Phys Plasmas 14(6):064502, 2007) with the second-order poloidal field null offers a number of possible advantages for tokamak plasma heat and particle exhaust in comparison with the standard poloidal divertor with the first-order null. Results from snowflake divertor experiments are briefly reviewed and future directions for research in this area are outlined.
Wolfram von Richthofen: Master of the German Air War – By James S. Corum

This biography of Wolfram von Richthofen, cousin to the legendary Red Baron, successfully places this German Luftwaffe Field Marshal's life in its historical context. Clearly written, the biography...
Shifting Focalization in Isaac Babel's THE BRIGADE COMMANDER

Like many of the stories in Isaac Babel's Red Cavalry, the focalization in “The Brigade Commander” shifts as the story progresses. Gerard Genette defines focalization as the “focus of narration,” w...
Von Willebrand Disease: Range of the Disease, and Management

Von Willebrand disease is the most common autosomal inherited bleeding disorder. It is caused by quantitative or qualitative defects of the von Willebrand factor. The International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis recognizes three types of Von Willebrand disease, with four qualitative subtypes, i.e. six different groups in total. All variants present with mucocutaneous bleeding of variable severity depending on the penetrance of the disease, the level of von Willebrand factor (VWF), and the specific abnormality of the defect, resulting in altered VWF interactions between either platelets and collagen or factor VIII. Diagnosis is difficult because the clinical and laboratory phenotypes are very heterogeneous and may overlap for normal subjects. The molecular pathology of the condition corresponds to the specific variants but has a wide range of genetic mechanisms. Accurate diagnosis of the disorder is of critical importance to establish appropriate treatment options for individual patients. This review covers the pathophysiology and genetics of the condition, the diagnostic classification, testing, and the available treatments, specifically highlighting the population.
Some Fundamental Aspects of UV Laser Direct Imaging

Photoresist imaging traditionally uses silver halide or diazo based phototools for contact exposure to an actinic UV light source. By contrast, laser direct imaging uses digital imaging data to control a laser beam scanner to write directly on to the photoresist, therefore eliminating the need for phototools. In the past, even though the benefit of a UV system was recognised, laser direct imaging was mainly limited to the use of a visible laser as early UV lasers were low in power, unreliable and expensive. So far, no visible systems have gained commercial recognition because of the inherent deficiencies of the visible system. Recent advantages in UV laser equipment and UV sensitive photoresist have now made UV laser direct imaging a viable alternative to traditional contact imaging. As new UV laser imaging systems start to emerge, interest and attention are also growing among printed circuit board manufacturers. This paper discusses various attributes of a UV laser direct imaging system and fundamental differences in photophysics between laser direct imaging and conventional UV imaging.
Data Acquisition And Preprocessing Techniques For Remote Sensing Field Research

A crops and soils data base has been developed at Purdue University's Laboratory for Applications of Remote Sensing using spectral and agronomic measurements made by several government and university researchers. The data are being used to (1) quantitatively determine the relationships of spectral and agronomic characteristics of crops and soils, (2) define future sensor systems, and (3) develop advanced data analysis techniques. Researchers follow defined data acquisition and preprocessing techniques to provide fully annotated and calibrated sets of spectral, agronomic, and meteorological data. These procedures enable the researcher to combine his data with that acquired by other researchers for remote sensing research. The key elements or requirements for developing a field research data base of spectral data that can be transported across sites and years are appropriate experiment design, accurate spectral data calibration, defined field procedures, and through experiment documentation.
Effect of air travel on the spread of an avian influenza pandemic to the United States

Abstract The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strain H5N1, which first appeared in Hong Kong in 1997, achieved bird-to-human transmission, causing a severe disease with high mortality to humans [18] . According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a total of 637 cases were reported in fifteen countries, including 378 deaths, corresponding to a case fatality rate of nearly 60% [19] . Avian influenza continues to be one of the deadliest diseases that jumps from animals to humans. Epidemiologists believe that it is likely to cause the next major global pandemic that could kill millions of people. The 2002 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) demonstrated that international air travel can significantly influence the global spread of an infectious disease. This paper studies the effects of air travel on the spread of avian influenza from Asian and Australian cities to the United States. A two-city mathematical model involving a pandemic strain is used to derive the basic reproduction number ( R 0 ), which determines if the disease will spread and persist ( R 0 > 1 ) or go extinct ( R 0 1 ). Real air travel data is used to model the disease spread by individuals who are susceptible to or are infected with pandemic avian influenza. Analysis of the two-city model helps understand the dynamics of the spread of pandemic influenza when the cities are connected by air travel. Understanding these effects can help public health officials and policy-makers select the appropriate disease control measures. Also, it can provide guidance to decision-makers on where to implement control measures while conserving precious resources.
A systematic study of the genus Eulimnadia

The clam shrimp genus Eulimnadia Packard, 1874 is the most speciose and widely distributed in the Spinicaudata. Taxonomic determinations based on morphology have been controversial because of intraspecific variability in many of the characters used to date. Most recently, egg shell morphology has been the preferred source of species specific characters. We explore the phylogenetic relationships of 19 Eulimnadia species and assess previously proposed synonymies of E. diversa based on egg shell morphology. Phylogenetic studies were based on cytochrome b and elongation factor 1α, and were analyzed using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference approaches. Phylogenetic analyses support the monophyly of Eulimnadia, yet a large amount of polyphyly exists for species identified via morphology. Specimens of Eulimnadia diversa s.l. were highly unresolved and polyphyletic. Overall, species level phylogenetic resolution was low, emphasizing the great need for a systematic revision of Eulimnadia.
On modules for which the finite exchange property implies the countable exchange property

It has been a long standing open problem whether the finite exchange property implies the full exchange property for an arbitrary module. The main results of this paper are Theorem 1.1: For modules whose idempotent endomorphisms are central, the finite exchange property implies the countable exchange property, and Theorem 2.11: Over a ring with ace on essential right ideals, the finite exchange property implies the full exchange property for every quasi-continuous module. The latter can be viewed as a partial affirmative answer to an open problem of Mohamed and Muller [8].
The expression of the genes for fructosamine-3-kinase and fructosamine-3-kinase-related protein appears to be constitutive and unaffected by environmental signals

Fructosamine-3-kinase (FN3K) and the more recently discovered fructosamine-3-kinase related protein (FN3KRP) appear to protect proteins from nonenzymatic glycation. To elucidate the patterns of transcriptional regulation of these two genes, we performed in silico comparisons of their promoters along with real-time PCR assays of their expression in a variety of human tissues. Both promoters were TATA-less and CAAT-less, and contained several homologous CpG islands and Sp1 binding sites. The genes were expressed in all human tissues examined, with FN3K showing significantly higher levels in organs susceptible to nonenzymatic glycation and diabetic complications. Cultured fibroblasts treated with conditions mimicking the hormonal and biochemical profile of the diabetic state showed no changes in FN3K and FN3KRP expression relative to untreated cells. These data suggest that FN3K and FN3KRP act as protein repair enzymes and are expressed constitutively in human cells independently of some of the variables altered in the diabetic state.
Primary systemic amyloidosis

Primary amyloidosis is a plasma cell dyscrasia in which insoluble immunoglobulin light chain fragments are produced and polymerize into fibrils that deposit extracellularly, causing visceral organ dysfunction and death. The disorder is rare. Its recognition requires understanding the association between nephrotic syndrome, cardiomyopathy, peripheral neuropathy, and hepatomegaly with amyloidosis. The most important screening test for amyloidosis is immunofixation of the serum and urine to detect a monoclonal immunoglobulin light chain. All patients need the diagnosis confirmed histologically. The least invasive source of tissue for amyloid detection is the subcutaneous fat. The most important prognostic factor is whether there is cardiac involvement, which is best assessed by echocardiography with Doppler studies. Therapies used include oral melphalan/prednisone and high-dose corticosteroids. High-dose chemotherapy followed by stem cell reconstitution seems to provide the highest reported response rates. Transplant is associated with unique morbidities not seen in the transplantation of patients with other hematologic malignancies.
Variation in Diethylenetriamine Pentaacetic Acid and Mercaptoacetyltriglycine Renal Scans: Clinical Implications of Interobserver and Intraobserver Differences

Purpose: Diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid and mercaptoacetyltriglycine renal scans are commonly used to evaluate infants and children with hydronephrosis to assess for changes in kidney function and drainage. We evaluate the certified nuclear medicine technologist intraobserver and interobserver variability of data processing in diuretic renal scan interpretation of the percent differential function of the right kidney so that true physiological changes can be understood by the clinician.Materials and Methods: A total of 30 renal scans (diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid in 20 patients and mercaptoacetyltriglycine in 10) were randomly selected for evaluation by 3 technologists who processed the scan data for each patient on 5 different occasions at least 1 week apart. Regions of interest were drawn and background areas were subtracted, and percent differential function of the right kidney was calculated. Technologists were blinded to patient identification and previous interpretation results. The data...
Experimental characterization of coaxial through silicon vias for 3D integration

Coaxial through silicon via (TSV) technology is gaining considerable interest as a 3D packaging solution due to its superior performance compared to the current existing TSV technology. By confining signal propagation within the coaxial TSV shield, signal attenuation from the lossy silicon substrate is eliminated, and unintentional signal coupling is avoided. In this paper, we propose and demonstrate a coaxial TSV 3D fabrication process. Next, the fabricated coaxial TSVs are characterized using s-parameters for high frequency analysis. The s-parameter data indicates the coaxial TSVs confine electromagnetic propagation by extracting the inductance and capacitance of the device. Lastly, we demonstrate the coaxial TSVs reduce signal attenuation and time delay by 35% and 25% respectively compared to the shield-less standard TSV technology. In addition, the coaxial interconnect significantly decreases electromagnetic coupling compared to traditional TSV architectures. The improved signal attenuation and high isolation of the coaxial TSV make it an excellent option for 3D packaging applications expanding into the millimeter wave regime.
Assembly of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells on Compliant Hydrogels

Angiogenesis is the process by which endothelial cells grow and disassemble into functional blood vessels. In this study, we examine the fundamental processes that control the assembly of endothelial cells into networks in vitro. Network assembly is known to be influenced by matrix mechanics and chemical signals. However, the roles of substrate stiffness and chemical signals in network formation are unclear. In this study, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were seeded onto RGD or GFOGER functionalized polyacrylamide gels of varying stiffness. Cells were either treated with bFGF, VEGF, or left untreated and observed over time. We found that cells form stable networks on soft gels (Young’s modulus 140 Pa) when untreated but that growth factors induce increased cell migration which leads to network instability. On stiffer substrates (Young’s modulus 2500 Pa) cells do not assemble into networks either with or without growth factors in any combination. Our results indicate that cells assemble to networks below a critical compliance, that a critical cell density is needed for network formation, and that growth factors can inhibit network formation through an increase in motility.
Changes in vaginal anatomy and sexual function after vaginal surgery

The study’s objectives were to determine changes in vaginal length and caliber after vaginal surgery and to correlate changes with sexual function. This prospective study measured vaginal length and caliber before and immediately after vaginal surgery and at 5- to 8-week follow-up. A sexual function questionnaire was administered preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. Ninety-two women were enrolled (mean age, 64 years); 44 (47.8%) were sexually active. The most common procedure was Mayo-McCall culdoplasty in 85 women (92.4%). Fourteen (15.2%) had intentional vaginal shortening and narrowing (coning). Mean vaginal length changed from 10.4 cm preoperatively to 8.7 cm at 5- to 8-week follow-up in women not having coning. Mean vaginal caliber changed from 3.2 to 2.8 cm. Preoperative and postoperative sexual function questionnaire scores did not correlate with vaginal measurements. Vaginal shortening and narrowing occurred after vaginal surgery; sexual function was unchanged.
Sectoral elasticities of substitution between labour and capital in venezuelan manufacturing: A cross-sectional micro analysis

Abstract This paper presents estimates of the elasticities of substitution between capital and labour for 19 Venezuelan manufacturing industries. The elasticities are estimated using micro data collected from the 1970 Venezuelan Census of Manufacturing. Estimates of these elasticities are generally not significantly different from unity. This suggests that the traditional view of limited substitution possibilities in manufacturing sectors of less developed countries does not apply in the Venezuelan case. Moreover, the Cobb-Douglas functional specification may be appropriate for estimating industrial production functions. In addition, the ‘market’ position in the current ‘structuralist versus market’ controversy concerning the labour absorption problem plaguing LDCs is supported.
Anomalies in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of several polycyclic meso compounds

Over the course of developing a multigram scale preparation of epoxy quinol 1 via asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) using the Noyori Ru(arene)(S,S-TsDPEN) catalysts, we observed several unexpected phenomena, including (i) chemoselective alkene versus ketone reduction of an enedione, (ii) a significant arene ligand effect (p-cymene vs mesitylene) on the reaction pathway, and (iii) solvent-based reversal of the sense of enantioinduction.
Effect of Diabetes on the Mortality Risk of Cardiogenic Shock in a Community-Based Population

Objective To examine the mortality of diabetic vs nondiabetic patients with anterior myocardial infarction (AMI) among the subsets of this population who did and did not develop cardiogenic shock. Patients and Methods The study population consisted of a consecutive series of 1263 Olmsted County, Minnesota, patients admitted to the coronary care unit at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, between January 1, 1988, and July 31, 2000. Of these patients, 73 met the criteria for cardiogenic shock during their hospitalization. in-hospital and postadmission mortality were compared between diabetic and nondiabetic patients within the cardiogenic shock and nonshock patient groups, respectively. Results In patients with AMI and cardiogenic shock, diabetes was associated with a trend for increased in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 2.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90-9.92; P=.08). In 73 patients with cardiogenic shock, estimated survival at 1, 3, and 5 years was 25%, 17%, and 17%, respectively, for diabetic patients, and 50%, 44%, and 36%, respectively, for nondiabetic patients (P=.046). The association between diabetic patients and increased long-term mortality was stronger in patients with cardiogenic shock than in patients without cardiogenic shock (adjusted relative risk, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.113.90; P=.02). In diabetic patients without cardiogenic shock, estimated survival at 1, 3, and 5 years was low, at 75%, 61%, and 45%, respectively, compared with 83%, 76%, and 69%, respectively, for nondiabetic patients (adjusted relative risk, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.02-1.62; P=.03). Conclusions The presence of diabetes as a comorbidity in patients with AMI appears to be associated with increased mortality compared with nondiabetic patients, and this relationship may be potentially magnified in patients who develop cardiogenic shock.
Petrology and origin of the shergottite meteorites

Shergottites contain cumulus pigeonite and augite, probably without cumulus plagioclase and crystallized under relatively oxidizing conditions. Shergotty and Zagami may differ in the relative proportions of cumulus pyroxenes and crystallized intercumulus liquid, but the compositions of pyroxenes and liquid are similar in both meteorites. Absence of olivine in melting experiments suggests that the shergottites crystallized from fractionated derivatives of primary liquids. Low-Ca pyroxene and augite apparently began to crystallize from these primary liquids prior to plagioclase. Shergottites can be readily distinguished from other achondrite groups by their mineralogies, crystallization sequences and inferred source region compositions. However, the source regions of the shergottites may be related to those of other achondrite types by addition or loss of volatile components. The bulk composition of the Earth's upper mantle overlaps that of permissible shergottite source regions. Shergottites and terrestrial basalts display similarities in oxidation state and concentrations of trace and minor elements with a wide range of cosmochemical and geochemical affinities. Accretion of similar materials to produce the terrestrial upper mantle and the shergottite parent body or accretion of the Earth's upper mantle from planetesimals similar to the shergottite parent body may account for many of their similarities. Models of the origin of the Earth's upper mantle which attribute its oxidation state, its siderophile element abundances and its volatile element abundances to uniquely terrestrial processes or conditions, or to factors unique to the origin and differentiation of large bodies, are unattractive in light of the similarities between shergottites and terrestrial basalts.
Rainwater harvesting for urban areas: a success story from Gadarif City in Central Sudan.

Gadarif city, in central Sudan, has suffered from a shortage of drinking water for decades. Half of its daily water requirement is met through river water imported over 50 km away and from local salty wells. As a consequence of building a small dam to control seasonal floods, it was found that the dam reservoir recharges groundwater, raising the water table by few a meters. Such experience was repeated and a second dam built in response to this success. This indicates that such a method may be a useful rainwater harvesting technique to provide safe water in water deficit areas in semi-arid regions affected by climate change and population increase.
Methylation of FEN1 suppresses nearby phosphorylation and facilitates PCNA binding

Flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1), a structure-specific endo- and exonuclease, has multiple functions that determine essential biological processes, such as cell proliferation and cell death. As such, the enzyme must be precisely regulated to execute each of its functions with the right timing and in a specific subcellular location. Here we report that FEN1 is methylated at arginine residues, primarily at Arg192. The methylation suppresses FEN1 phosphorylation at Ser187. The methylated form, but not the phosphorylated form, of FEN1 strongly interacts with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), ensuring the 'on' and 'off' timing of its reaction. Mutations of FEN1 disrupting arginine methylation and PCNA interaction result in unscheduled phosphorylation and a failure to localize to DNA replication or repair foci. This consequently leads to a defect in Okazaki fragment maturation, a delay in cell cycle progression, impairment of DNA repair and a high frequency of genome-wide mutations.
A theoretical inquiry into the role of phospholipids in membrane fusion.

Abstract Recent experiments demonstrating the fusion of phospholipid vesicles suggest that phospholipids may play a central role in mediating the fusion of biological membranes. This is discussed here from a theoretical point-of-view. It is proposed that fusion results from the hydrodynamic instability of the fluid phase intervening between two approximated membrane surfaces. The phospholipid head groups serve to promote this instability by the surface tractions they engender. Small wavelength disturbances grow rapidly provided the fundamental quantity (1 + Φ) The theory is thought to apply to the fusion of neurotransmitter-containing vesicles with the pre-synaptic membrane, but may have more general applicability. The theory suggests the role of Ca +2 -induced phase separations and general anesthetics in mediating the fusion reaction, as well as accounting for background fusion of vesicles with the presynaptic membrane, that is, fusion in the absence of depolarization.
Generating symmetric DFTs and equivariant FFT algorithms

This paper presents a code generator which produces efficient implementations of multi-dimensional fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithms which utilize symmetries in the input data to reduce memory usage and the number of arithmetic operations. The FFT algorithms are constructed using a group theoretic version of the divide and conquer step in the FFT that is compatible with the group of symmetries. The GAP compute algebra system is used to perform the necessary group computations and the generated algorithm is represented as a symbolic matrix factorization, which is translated into efficient code using the SPIRAL system. Performance data is given that shows that the resulting code is significantly faster than state-of-the-art FFT implementations that do not utilize the symmetries.
Mutual fund preferences for Latin American equities surrounding financial crises

Abstract Using data on dedicated Latin American mutual funds and nearly 1000 Latin American stocks during the Asian and Russian currency crises, I find that the effects of certain firm characteristics on mutual fund stock ownership are different than in non-crisis years. In response to crises, fund managers increase their holdings of cross-listed firms. This finding is evident among closed-end funds, suggesting features beyond liquidity influence stock ownership. Funds also reduce their holdings of firms competing with Russia's main exports. These results suggest that in addition to liquidity, trade links and governance concerns are important determinants of portfolio choice during crises.
Impact of steroid maintenance on the outcomes in first-time deceased donor kidney transplant recipients: Analysis by induction type.

AIM: To analyze the impact of steroid maintenance on the outcomes in kidney transplant recipients stratified by induction agent received. METHODS: Patients who underwent first-time deceased donor kidney transplantation between 2000 and 2008 after receiving induction therapy with rabbit-antithymocyte globulin (r-ATG), alemtuzumab or an interleukin-2 receptor blocker (IL-2B) and discharged on a calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)/mycophenolate mofetil (MMF)-regimen along with or without steroids were identified from the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network/United Network of Organ Sharing database. For each induction type, adjusted overall and death-censored graft as well as patient survivals were compared between patients discharged on steroid vs no steroid. Among r-ATG induced patients, analysis was repeated after splitting the group into low and high immune risk groups. RESULTS: Among the 37217 patients included in the analysis, 17863 received r-ATG (steroid = 13001, no-steroid = 4862), 3028 alemtuzumab (steroid = 852, no-steroid = 2176) and 16326 IL-2B (steroid = 15008, no-steroid = 1318). Adjusted overall graft survival was inferior (HR = 1.16, 95%CI: 1.06-1.27, P = 0.002) with similar death-censored graft survival (HR = 0.99, 95%CI: 0.86-1.14, P = 0.86) for steroid vs no-steroid groups in r-ATG induced patients. Both adjusted overall and death-censored graft survivals for steroid vs no-steroid groups were similar in alemtuzumab (HR = 0.92, 95%CI: 0.73-1.15, P = 0.47 and HR = 0.87, 95%CI: 0.62-1.22, P = 0.43 respectively) and IL-2B (HR = 1.05, 95%CI: 0.91-1.21, P = 0.48 and HR = 0.94, 95%CI: 0.75-1.18, P = 0.60 respectively) induced groups. Adjusted patient survivals were inferior for steroid vs no-steroid groups in r-ATG induced (HR = 1.31, 95%CI: 1.15-1.49, P < 0.001) but similar in alemtuzumab (HR = 1.02, 95%CI: 0.75-1.38, P = 0.92) and IL-2B (HR = 1.17, 95%CI: 0.97-1.40, P = 0.10) induced patients. Among the r-ATG induced group there were 4346 patients in the low immune risk and 13517 patients in the high immune risk group. Adjusted overall graft survivals were inferior for steroid vs no steroid groups in both low immune (HR = 1.34, 95%CI: 1.09-1.64, P = 0.001) and high immune (HR = 1.18, 95%CI: 1.07-1.30, P = 0.005) risk groups. Adjusted death-censored graft survivals for steroid vs no steroid groups were similar in both low (HR = 1.06, 95%CI: 0.78-1.45, P = 0.70) and high (HR = 1.04, 95%CI: 0.98-1.20, P = 0.60) immune risk groups. Adjusted patient survivals were inferior for steroid vs no steroid groups in both low immune (HR = 1.54, 95%CI: 1.18-2.02, P < 0.001) and high immune (HR = 1.32, 95%CI: 1.16-1.51, P = 0.002) risk groups. Overall, there were significantly higher deaths from infections and cardiovascular causes in patients maintained on steroids. CONCLUSION: Our study showed an association between steroid addition to a CNI/MMF-maintenance regimen and increased death with functioning graft in patients receiving r-ATG induction for first-time deceased donor kidney transplantation.
The genetic and environmental overlap between aggressive and non-aggressive antisocial behavior in children and adolescents using the self-report delinquency interview (SR-DI).

Purpose: This study investigated genetic and environmental commonalities and differences between aggressive and non-aggressive antisocial behavior (ASB) in male and female child and adolescent twin ...
Identification of a human papillomavirus-associated oncogenic miRNA panel in human oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma validated by bioinformatics analysis of the Cancer Genome Atlas

High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is a causative agent for an increasing subset of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs), and current evidence supports these tumors as having identifiable risk factors and improved response to therapy. However, the biochemical and molecular alterations underlying the pathobiology of HPV-associated OPSCC (designated HPV + OPSCC) remain unclear. Herein, we profile miRNA expression patterns in HPV + OPSCC to provide a more detailed understanding of pathologic molecular events and to identify biomarkers that may have applicability for early diagnosis, improved staging, and prognostic stratification. Differentially expressed miRNAs were identified in RNA isolated from an initial clinical cohort of HPV +/− OPSCC tumors by quantitative PCR–based miRNA profiling. This oncogenic miRNA panel was validated using miRNA sequencing and clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and miRNA in situ hybridization. The HPV-associated oncogenic miRNA panel has potential utility in diagnosis and disease stratification and in mechanistic elucidation of molecular factors that contribute to OPSCC development, progression, and differential response to therapy.
The Value of Climatological, Categorical and Probabilistic Forecasts in the Cost-Loss Ratio Situation

Abstract This paper is concerned with the value of climatological, categorical, probabilistic and perfect forecasts in the cost-loss ratio situation. Expressions are derived for the expense associated with these different types of forecasts, and measures of value and relative value are formulated in terms of these expressions. Some relationships among these expressions and measures are described, and these relationships are illustrated by examining both hypothetical and real sets of forecasts. It is demonstrated that, if the probabilistic forecasts of concern are (completely) reliable, then the value of these forecasts is greater than the value of climatological and categorical forecasts for all activities or operations (i.e., for all values of the cost‐loss ratio C/L). On the other hand, if the forecasts are unreliable, then the value of climatological and/or categorical forecasts may be greater than the value of probabilistic forecasts for some values of C/L. However, examination of hypothetical and rea...
Factors Associated With Delayed Childbearing: From the Voices of Expectant Latina Adults and Teens in California

There has been limited research on the protective factors that help Latinas delay childbearing until adulthood. In-depth interviews were conducted with 65 pregnant Latina teenage and adult women in California who were about to have their first child. Lack of or inconsistent birth control use as teens was attributed to wanting or ambivalence toward childbearing, concern about contraceptive side effects and infertility, and/or inadequate contraceptive information. Parental influence was cited as the primary reason for avoiding teen childbearing, as well as the feeling that a baby would have interfered with life plans. Close parental supervision and positive relationships with parents appeared to protect some adults from teen childbearing. The findings from this study point to the need to improve Latinos’ birth control knowledge and strengthen parents’ ability to establish supportive relationships with their children.