cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discovery-based analysis and quantification for comprehensive three-dimensional gas chromatography flame ionization detection data.

Abstract Basic principles are introduced for implementing discovery-based analysis with automated quantification of data obtained using comprehensive three-dimensional gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC3-FID). The GC3-FID instrument employs dynamic pressure gradient modulation, providing full modulation (100% duty cycle) with a fast modulation period (PM) of 100 ms. Specifically, tile-based Fisher-ratio analysis, previously developed for comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS), is adapted and applied for GC3-FID where the third chromatographic dimension (3D) is treated as the “spectral” dimension. To evaluate the instrumental platform and software implementation, ten “non-native” compounds were spiked into a ninety-component base mixture to create two classes with a concentration ratio of two for the spiked analyte compounds. The Fisher ratio software identified 95 locations of potential interest (i.e., hits), with all ten spiked analytes discovered within the top fourteen hits. All 95 hits were quantified by a novel signal ratio (S-ratio) algorithm portion of the F-ratio software, which determines the time-dependent S-ratio of the 3D chromatograms from one class to another, thus providing relative quantification. The average S-ratio for spiked analytes was 1.94 ± 0.14 mean absolute error (close to the nominal concentration ratio of two), and 1.06 ± 0.16 mean absolute error for unspiked (i.e., matrix) components. The appearance of the S-ratio as a function of 3D retention time in the GC3 dataset, referred to as an S-ratiogram, provides indication of peak purity for each hit. The unique shape of the S-ratiogram for hit 1, α-pinene, suggested likely 3D overlap. Parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) decomposition of the hit location confirmed that overlap was occurring and successfully decomposed α-pinene from a highly overlapped (3Rs = 0.1) matrix interferent.
Numerical Investigation of Turbulent Junction Flow Horseshoe Vortex Dynamics

The bimodal behavior of turbulent junction flows is associated with a low-frequency unsteadiness that can have implications for the overall performance of engineering applications. The literature s...
Is Apixaban Safe and Effective for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis After Primary Total Hip and Total Knee Arthroplasties

Abstract Background Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a serious complication of total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Apixaban is approved for VTE prophylaxis. This study seeks to ascertain the risk of VTE and bleeding complications in patients undergoing primary THA and TKA receiving apixaban for postoperative VTE prophylaxis for one of the following indications: high risk for VTE, previously on apixaban, and contraindication to the use of aspirin. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent primary THA or TKA over a 17-month period and were prescribed apixaban for thromboprophylaxis postoperatively. Results 230 patients were included in the study, 110 TKA and 120 THA. The primary reasons for high-risk VTE status included personal and family history of VTE, and 13% were taking apixaban preoperatively for atrial fibrillation. 1 patient (0.43%) who underwent TKA had a DVT with PE. 2.6% of patients had wound complications requiring operative treatment, and 0.87% of THA patients underwent revision arthroplasty. Conclusion The use of apixaban for VTE prophylaxis after primary THA and TKA in patients at high risk for VTE, in patients previously on apixaban, and in patients with a contraindication to the use of aspirin is associated with a low risk of VTE and bleeding complications.
A Spanner in the Works: Category-Spanning Entrants and Audience Valuation of Incumbents

Previous work has examined how audiences evaluate category-spanning organizations, but little is known about how their entrance affects evaluations of other, proximate organizations. We posit that ...
Telehealth in the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the value of telehealth as a public health measure by permitting health care at a distance, keeping providers and patients safe while enabling health care in strained health systems. This Chapter explores how states have acted through legislative, regulatory, and executive actions to leverage telehealth in the COVID-19 response. Congress passed three new pieces of federal telehealth legislation in response to COVID-19: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Telehealth Services During Certain Emergency Periods Act, and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. These new federal laws provide additional funding and regulatory flexibility for telehealth under the Medicare and TRICARE programs. Additionally, 27 states have new telehealth authorities in response to COVID-19. These new state authorities generally expand telehealth by removing regulatory barriers, authorizing more telehealth providers or telehealth modalities, and expanding telehealth coverage. This Chapter includes a number of recommendations for policymakers including addressing inequities, eliminating telehealth barriers (e.g., location requirements), authorizing additional providers and telehealth modalities, and expanding telehealth coverage. This paper was prepared as part of Assessing Legal Responses to COVID-19, a comprehensive report published by Public Health Law Watch in partnership with the de Beaumont Foundation and the American Public Health Association.
Challenges with Evaluating Education Policy Using Panel Data during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic

Panel data methods, which include difference-in-differences and comparative interrupted time series, have become increasingly common in education policy research. The key idea is to use variation a...
Cost and Cost-Effectiveness of Incentives for Viral Suppression in People Living with HIV

Only 63% of people living with HIV in the United States are achieving viral suppression. Structural and social barriers limit adherence to antiretroviral therapy which furthers the HIV epidemic while increasing health care costs. This study calculated the cost and cost-effectiveness of a contingency management intervention with cash incentives. People with HIV and detectable viral loads were randomized to usual care or an incentive group. Individuals could earn up to $3650 per year if they achieved and maintained an undetectable viral load. The average 1-year intervention cost, including incentives, was $4105 per patient. The average health care costs were $27,189 per patient in usual care and $35,853 per patient in the incentive group. We estimated a cost of $28,888 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained, which is well below accepted cost-per-QALY thresholds. Contingency management with cash incentives is a cost-effective intervention for significantly increasing viral suppression.
On Time in Brief Therapy

Time is of the essence in brief psychotherapy. The message, by definition, is brevity: Do it now, no time to waste, be efficient and parsimonious, seize the moment, be here now, get on with it. At core, brief therapy is defined more by an attitude than by the specific number of treatment sessions. The brief therapist operates with the belief and expectation that change can occur in the moment, that the patient has within himself or herself the power to be different or to remain the same (Goulding & Goulding, 1978, 1979). With skillful assistance, the patient will recognize his or her response-ability and thus move from being a victim to a creator of his or her psychological reality (Hoyt, 1977; Kaiser, 1965; Schafer, 1973).
Antecedents Of Behavior Change

This study investigates the roles of self-efficacy and needs for a new behavior in producing behavior change A logit model is used to evaluate the effects of predictors on behavior change with the biologically corroborated data. The results indicate that self-efficacy and needs for change are positively related to the success of behavior change attempts.
Introduction to Coal Utilization Technologies

In the United States from the 1800s to the mid-1900s, coal was used primarily for iron and steel production, locomotives for transportation, and household heat. In addition, many chemicals, including medicines, dyes, flavorings, ammonia, and explosives, were produced from coal. Once electrification was introduced around 1950 and the feedstocks for chemical production shifted from coal to oil, the primary applications for coal use became electricity generation and the production of iron and steel. Coal is used in the industrial sector for both producing steam, and to a lesser extent electricity, and some chemicals are produced from coal. The technologies used for generating power, heat, coke, and chemicals are introduced in this chapter and include combustion, carbonization, gasification, and liquefaction, which have been referred to as the four “grand processes” of coal utilization. This chapter emphasizes coal combustion, since this technology is the single largest user of coal. This chapter also sets the stage for later chapters in which clean coal technologies are discussed in more detail: advanced pulverized coal-fired systems ( Chapter 6 ), fluidized-bed combustion (FBC) technology ( Chapter 6 ), integrated gasification combined cycle technology ( Chapters 6 and 15 ), and clean liquids and gaseous fuels from coal for power generation ( Chapter 15 ).
Toward widely-available and usable multimodal conversational interfaces

Multimodal conversational interfaces, which allow humans to interact with a computer using a combination of spoken natural language and a graphical interface, offer the potential to transform the manlier by which humans communicate with computers. While researchers have developed myriad such interfaces, none have made the transition out of the laboratory and into the hands of a significant number of users. This thesis makes progress toward overcoming two intertwined barriers preventing more widespread adoption: availability and usability. Toward addressing the problem of availability, this thesis introduces a new platform for building multimodal interfaces that makes it easy to deploy them to users via the World Wide Web. One consequence of this work is City Browser the first, multimodal conversational interface made publicly available to anyone with a web browser and a microphone. City Browser serves as a proof-of-concept that significant amounts of usage data can be collected in this way, allowing a glimpse of how users interact with such interfaces outside of a laboratory environment. City Browser, in turn, has served as the primary platform for deploying and evaluating three new strategies aimed at improving usability. The most pressing usability challenge for conversational interfaces is their limited ability to accurately transcribe and understand spoken natural language. The three strategies developed in this thesis context-sensitive language modeling, response confidence scoring, and user behavior shaping - each attack the problem from a different angle, but they are linked in that each critically integrates information from the conversational context. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Optimality and Duality in Stochastic Programming

Abstract In this chapter we discuss basic mathematical properties of convex stochastic programming models. We develop expressions for the subdifferentials of the objective function in two- and multi-stage models. Then we present necessary and sufficient conditions of optimality, and duality relations for these problems.
Nano-Theranostics With Plasmonic Nanobubbles

The multifunctionality of uniting diagnosis and treatment in one cell level theranostic procedure is the major promise and challenge of nanoparticle medicine. The efficacy, functionality, safety and precision of a nanoparticle medicine may be radically increased by replacing materials with preset stationary properties by non-stationary on-demand nanoevents with dynamically tunable diagnostic and therapeutic functions. This review describes such events, plasmonic nanobubbles, which are vapor nanobubbles threshold-activated around metal nanoparticles by a short laser pulse. Their transient nature delivers unprecedented multi-functionality and unites the diagnosis and therapy at cell level. Plasmonic nanobubble theranostics presents an entirely new platform for future medicine that brings established diagnostics and therapeutics to cell level.
Adjusted mortality after hip fracture: From the cardiovascular health study.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the risk of death associated with hip fracture (HFx), stratifying by sex and time since fracture. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study compared participants with and without hip fracture, matched on sex, age, race, recruitment period, and time since enrollment. SETTING: The Cardiovascular Health Study, a more-than-15-year longitudinal study of 5,888 older individuals from four U.S. sites. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred seventy-nine individuals with HFx were compared with 1,134 without HFx. MEASUREMENTS: Extended Cox models were used to estimate mortality hazard ratios (HRs) for different periods after fracture, adjusting for prefracture health. RESULTS: Age- and race-adjusted excess mortality was 9% in women and 24% in men 1 year after fracture, and 24% in women and 26% men 5 years postfracture. Multivariable-adjusted HRs of mortality associated with HFx in women were 7.1 (95% confidence interval (CI)=2.3–21.5), 2.1 (95% CI=1.0–4.1), 1.4 (95% CI=1.1–2.0), and 1.0 (95% CI=0.6–1.5) for 0 to 1 months, 2 to 6 months, 7 months to 4 years, and 5 to 8 years, respectively, after index date. In men, respective HRs for the same time periods were 39.9 (95% CI=5.2–308.7), 3.8 (95% CI=1.4–10.3), 1.1 (95% CI=0.7–1.8), and 1.0 (95% CI=0.3–2.7). HRs adjusted for age and race were 20% to 40% higher. CONCLUSION: The risk of mortality was highest in the first 6 months after HFx. In men, the risk of death approximated that of men without HFx after 6 months; in women, a moderately greater risk persisted through the fourth year. Although the mortality pattern was different in women and men, excess mortality 5 years postfracture was similar for both sexes.
The Pathogenesis and Prevention of Radiocontrast Medium-Induced Renal Dysfunction

Contrast nephropathy was a recognized problem soon after radiographic procedures utilizing various contrast dyes started being used. Over time iso-osmotic contrast agents were developed that resulted in less toxicity to the kidney and are currently favored to reduce nephrotoxicity. While use of agents such as calcium antagonists and theophylline has been shown to reduce nephrotoxicity of contrast agents in high-risk patients who are not well hydrated, use of adequate hydration with normal saline prior to contrast administration provides the greatest protection against toxicity. This coupled with the use of iso-osmotic contrast and reduced amounts of contrast provide the greatest protection against renal injury following a procedure. Agents such as acetylcysteine and sodium bicarbonate prior to contrast administration add little to potentiate nephroprotection in a patient properly pretreated with hydration.
The Experimental Investigation of Two-Point Spreading Resistance Correction Factors for Diffused Layers

Spreading resistance measurements have been made on a series of erfc and Gaussian phosphorus diffusions into n and p-type silicon. Conventional four point probe methods were used to obtain values of sheet resistance and surface concentration. Comparison between the two methods shows increasingly large disagreements as the diffusion depth is decreased. The Dickey formula for accounting for the presence of a junction is shown to work well for uniform (non-diffused) samples but to fail to correct fully and properly for diffusions less than- 20 μm deep. Empiric curves for estimating errors on lapped surfaces used in this study are given for a wide variety of samples.
Funding Mechanisms and Policy Instruments: How Business Campaign Contributions Influence Congressional Votes

This study re-examines the influence of business campaign contributions on congressional voting behavior. We find that previous empirical work has not fully considered the distinct funding mechanisms campaign contributors use to channel funds to representatives or the diversity of legislative policy instruments used to reward contributors. We correct these shortcomings by analyzing both individual and PAC campaign contributions from business interests and building several indexes of macro business policy votes in the 105th Congress. These improved measures are used in conjunction with an assumption of “tactical rationality” that predicts legislators utilize diverse policy instruments to balance benefits and costs associated with rewarding business campaign contributors. This theoretical claim is than tested in vote choice models that, in all, account for over fifty business policy votes. Our primary findings are that businesses apparently use campaign contributions to influence favorable regulatory and ta...
Current concepts in coronary artery surgery. A critical analysis of 1,287 patients.

Abstract The clinical experience gained by performing aorta-to-coronary artery bypass grafts on 1,287 patients over the past four years is analyzed. Multiple procedures such as valve replacement and left ventricular aneurysmectomy were performed in 65 of these patients. In the remaining 1,222 patients, modifications in technique are demonstrated by comparing the recent group of 759 patients operated upon in 1971 to 463 patients operated upon previously. Both groups were similar with regard to the severity of disease. The recent group of 759 patients had more multiple graft procedures and a greater incidence of left circumflex coronary artery bypass. The mortality in that group was decreased to 4.5%. In the entire group the mortality rate was 6.4%, including operative and late mortality. Postoperative complications decreased with regard to ventricular arrhythmias and postoperative myocardial infarctions. Emergency coronary artery bypass was done in 20 of the patients over the past year, with a mortality of 35%. Postoperative assessment revealed marked to moderate improvement in all but 13% of the patients. Late results in patients with congestive heart failure and angina or with intractable Functional Class IV angina are compared with results in the remainder of the patients. A standard surgical approach for the treatment of coronary artery disease has resulted from review of these data.
Analytical Solutions for Period-1 Motions in a Nonlinear Jeffcott Rotor System

In this paper, the analytical solutions of period-1 solutions are developed, and the corresponding stability and bifurcation are also analyzed by eigenvalue analysis. The Hopf bifurcations of periodic motions cause not only the bifurcation tree but quasi-periodic motions. The quasi-periodic motion can be stable or unstable. Displacement orbits of periodic motions in the nonlinear Jeffcott rotor systems are illustrated, and harmonic amplitude spectrums are presented for harmonic effects on periodic motions of the nonlinear rotor.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Management of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: Comparison of the updated guidelines from North America and Europe.

The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology each recently published updated guidelines for management of patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction. In this article, we highlight the most important new recommendations, review their supporting data, and describe differences between the guidelines. Key aspects of these updates include detailed guidance regarding the selection of a reperfusion strategy and the incorporation of newer adjunctive antithrombotic agents. Both new guidelines suggest caution in the administration of intravenous β-blockers, avoidance of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, and support a more aggressive approach to secondary risk factor management. The 2 guidelines have some nuanced differences as well as some recommendations that are unique to each guideline. They present different levels of support for the 4 available adjunctive parenteral anticoagulants, vary in their endorsement of routine elective coronary angiography after fibrinolysis, and cite different targets for low density lipoprotein long-term. Major unique recommendations include the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Assocaition's emphasis of a stepped approach to analgesia in patients with musculoskeletal pain beginning with acetaminophen or aspirin and a lower target international normalized ratio in patients receiving warfarin, aspirin, and clopidogrel. Meanwhile, unique recommendations in the European Society of Cardiology guidelines include measures to prevent/treat microvascular obstruction and reperfusion injury associated with percutaneous coronary intervention and greater emphasis on maintaining eugylcemia. As these guidelines represent an evidence based approach, health care providers should become familiar with the new data and the resultant updated recommendations to ensure optimal treatment of their patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.
Cytoplasmic localization of the interferon-inducible protein that is encoded by the AIM2 (absent in melanoma) gene from the 200-gene family

While interferons (IFNs) (K, L and Q), a family of cytokines, have the ability to exert the growth-inhibitory effect on target cells, the molecular mechanism(s) by which IFNs inhibit cell growth remains to be identified. Because IFN- inducible 'effector' proteins mediate the biological activities of IFNs, characterization of IFN-inducible proteins is critical to identify their functional role in IFN action. One family (the 200- family) of IFN-inducible proteins is encoded by structurally related murine (Ifi202a, Ifi202b, Ifi203, Ifi204 and D3) and human (IFI16, MNDA and AIM2) genes. The proteins encoded by genes in the family share a unique repeat of 200-amino acids and are primarily nuclear. The AIM2 gene is a newly identified gene that is not expressed in a human melanoma cell line. Here we report that AIM2 is estimated to be a 39 kDa protein and, unlike other proteins in the family, is localized primarily in the cytoplasm. Interestingly, overexpression of AIM2 in transfected cells retards proliferation and, under reduced serum conditions, increases the susceptibility to cell death. Moreover, AIM2 can heterodimerize with p202 in vitro. Together, these observations provide support to the idea that AIM2 may be an important mediator of IFN action. z 2000 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.
Placement of inferior vena cava filters in bariatric surgical patients--possible indications and technical considerations.

Background: Surgical treatment of the morbidly obese has assumed an increasingly important role in both the academic and community setting, while postoperative pulmonary embolism remains a devastating complication. Since the overall incidence remains low, the role for vena cava filter placement in this group is not yet well defined. In addition, the technical challenges and techniques for insertion have not been well-described. We present our experience with filter placment among patients with gastric bypass and the evolution of technique to facilitate safe placement in this group. Methods: From 1995 to August 2003, 586 patients underwent gastric bypass for morbid obesity. Review of registries and records from this period was accomplished to identify patients at MUSC who underwent both the gastric bypass and placement of an inferior vena cava filter. 12 patients were identified by this method. Results: Technical challenges with venous access and imaging are described. 6 patients were identified as potential high risk for thromboembolic complications and had a filter placed preoperatively with a mean postoperative stay of 5.3 days. The 6 patients who required filter placement in the postoperative period as part of the management of postoperative complications had a mean hospital stay of 24.5 days. There were no long-term complications associated with filter placement at a mean follow-up interval of 19 months. Conclusion: Inferior vena cava filter placement is not only feasible and safe for the morbidly obese individual undergoing gastric bypass, but should be strongly considered for patients with risk factors for thromboembolic complications or who experience postoperative complications requiring ICU stay or prolonged immobility.
Efficient quenching of population trapping in excited Yb

We report on a study to determine the efficiency of various buffer gases in quenching the population trapping states of laser-excited ytterbium ions. The ions were confined in an rf-dc hybrid trap, and their (2)S(.5) left and right arrow (2)P(3/2) transition was excited with 329-nm laser light. Buffer gases used include H2, N2, CO2, Ar, and He at several different pressure regimes. We have identified N2 to be highly efficient in quenching the population of the trapping states and thus be the most suitable buffer gas to use with ytterbium for the development of a trapped-ion microwave frequency standard.
Bridging Group Effects on Nearest-Neighbor Recognition within Fluid Phospholipid Membranes†

The effects that the bridging group has on nearest-neighbor recognition (NNR) in phospholipid membranes (i.e., the thermodynamic preference for homodimer formation) have been examined using a homologous series of dimers derived from 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DMPE) and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DSPE). When 3,3‘-dithiodipropionyl (DTDP) was used as the exchangeable bridge, a statistical mixture of dimers was formed. In contrast, the use of a bridge that contained two additional methylene units resulted in a significant level of NNR; further extension of the bridge by two methylene units produced an additional increase in NNR. While cholesterol was found to induce significant NNR in bilayers made from lipid dimers having the DTDP moiety, its effect in membranes having longer bridging units was negligible. A simple model that accounts for these observations is presented, which is based on geometric and packing considerations. Experimental evidence in support of t...
a sociological analysis of maternal infanticide in the united states, 1984-1996

This study investigates structural predictors of maternal infanticide at the macro level. Our findings lend support to the economic stress hypothesis, which predicts increased maternal aggression and lethal violence by mothers toward their children in contexts of economic stress. Specifically, states in which high numbers of women of childbearing age are in poverty are states with high rates of maternal infanticides. The findings also indicate support for the notion that relative deprivation affects maternal violence in that extreme poverty amid extreme wealth is conducive to stress-related violence.
Do personal and societal preferences differ by socio‐demographic group?

For equity, preferences used in cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) should yield similar values for different groups with similar health states. We used data from the US 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, including socio-demographics, EQ-5D Index and EQ Visual Analog Scale (EQ VAS) scores, to examine whether EQ-5D Index (representing community preferences) and EQ VAS (representing personal preferences) scores differed systematically by socio-demographic group. Differences between EQ-5D Index and EQ VAS scores by socio-demographic group were small and mostly not statistically significant. These preliminary findings suggest that using the EQ-5D Index in CEAs may not contribute to socio-demographic inequities. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inferring fitness landscapes by regression produces biased estimates of epistasis.

The genotype–fitness map plays a fundamental role in shaping the dynamics of evolution. However, it is difficult to directly measure a fitness landscape in practice, because the number of possible genotypes is astronomical. One approach is to sample as many genotypes as possible, measure their fitnesses, and fit a statistical model of the landscape that includes additive and pairwise interactive effects between loci. Here, we elucidate the pitfalls of using such regressions by studying artificial but mathematically convenient fitness landscapes. We identify two sources of bias inherent in these regression procedures, each of which tends to underestimate high fitnesses and overestimate low fitnesses. We characterize these biases for random sampling of genotypes as well as samples drawn from a population under selection in the Wright–Fisher model of evolutionary dynamics. We show that common measures of epistasis, such as the number of monotonically increasing paths between ancestral and derived genotypes, the prevalence of sign epistasis, and the number of local fitness maxima, are distorted in the inferred landscape. As a result, the inferred landscape will provide systematically biased predictions for the dynamics of adaptation. We identify the same biases in a computational RNA-folding landscape as well as regulatory sequence binding data treated with the same fitting procedure. Finally, we present a method to ameliorate these biases in some cases.
Colocalization and shared distribution of endomorphins with substance P, calcitonin gene‐related peptide, γ‐aminobutyric acid, and the mu opioid receptor

The endomorphins are endogenous opioids with high affinity and selectivity for the mu opioid receptor (MOR, MOR-1, MOP). Endomorphin-1 (Tyr-Pro-Trp-Phe-NH(2); EM1) and endomorphin-2 (Tyr-Pro-Phe-Phe-NH(2); EM2) have been localized to many regions of the central nervous system (CNS), including those that regulate antinociception, autonomic function, and reward. Colocalization or shared distribution (overlap) of two neurotransmitters, or a transmitter and its cognate receptor, may imply an interaction of these elements in the regulation of functions mediated in that region. For example, previous evidence of colocalization of EM2 with substance P (SP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and MOR in primary afferent neurons suggested an interaction of these peptides in pain modulation. We therefore investigated the colocalization of EM1 and EM2 with SP, CGRP, and MOR in other areas of the CNS. EM2 was colocalized with SP and CGRP in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) and with SP, CGRP and MOR in the parabrachial nucleus. Several areas in which EM1 and EM2 showed extensive shared distributions, but no detectable colocalization with other signaling molecules, are also described.
Tumors of the stomach.

This collective review includes all available case reports of smooth muscle (stromal) tumors of the stomach in the world literature from 1762 to 1996. It updates our previous review from 1767 to 1959. Overall, we identified 2189 patients with leiomyoma (LM) and 1594 with leiomyosarcoma (LMS). The peak age of incidence of LM was 50 to 59 years, while LMS was most frequently seen between ages 60 and 69. Women were more likely to develop LM, and men more commonly presented with malignant smooth muscle tumors of the stomach. Concerning the patterns of growth, LMs were more likely to grow intraluminally (endogastric), whereas LMSs were predominantly exogastric. The most common site of LMs was on the anterior or posterior wall of the body of the stomach; LMSs were most likely found along the greater curve. The presenting symptoms of both types of smooth muscle tumors were similar; in decreasing order of frequency they were bleeding, pain, palpable mass, and weight loss. Interestingly, there was no correlation between the size of the tumor and signs or symptoms of bleeding, pain, weight loss, or ulceration, although patients with LMSs were more likely to report weight loss than patients with benign tumors. For LMS, there seemed to be no correlation between tumor size or location and rate of metastasis, although the tumors that grew in a dumbbell shape (i.e., both intraluminally and extraluminally) had a higher frequency of metastasis than other growth patterns. Overall, the rate of metastasis at diagnosis was 35.4%, with the liver, spleen, and regional lymph nodes the most common sites.
Seismological comparisons of solar models with element diffusion using the MHD, OPAL, and SIREFF equations of state

We compare the thermodynamic and helioseismic properties of solar models evolved using three different equation of state (EOS) treatments: the Mihalas, D{umlt a}ppen & Hummer EOS tables (MHD); the latest Rogers, Swenson, & Iglesias EOS tables (OPAL), and a new analytical EOS (SIREFF) developed by Swenson {ital et al.} All of the models include diffusive settling of helium and heavier elements. The models use updated OPAL opacity tables based on the 1993 Grevesse & Noels solar element mixture, incorporating 21 elements instead of the 14 elements used for earlier tables. The properties of solar models that are evolved with the SIREFF EOS agree closely with those of models evolved using the OPAL or MHD tables. However, unlike the MHD or OPAL EOS tables, the SIREFF in-line EOS can readily account for variations in overall Z abundance and the element mixture resulting from nuclear processing and diffusive element settling. Accounting for Z abundance variations in the EOS has a small, but non-negligible, effect on model properties (e.g., pressure or squared sound speed), as much as 0.2{percent} at the solar center and in the convection zone. The OPAL and SIREFF equations of state include electron exchange, which produces models requiring a slightlymore » higher initial helium abundance, and increases the convection zone depth compared to models using the MHD EOS. However, the updated OPAL opacities are as much as 5{percent} lower near the convection zone base, resulting in a small decrease in convection zone depth. The calculated low-degree nonadiabatic frequencies for all of the models agree with the observed frequencies to within a few microhertz (0.1{percent}). The SIREFF analytical calibrations are intended to work over a wide range of interior conditions found in stellar models of mass greater than 0.25M{sub {circle_dot}} and evolutionary states from pre-main-sequence through the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). It is significant that the SIREFF EOS produces solar models that both measure up to the stringent requirements imposed by solar oscillation observations and inferences, and are more versatile than EOS tables. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Astronomical Society}« less
Large-scale topology optimization using preconditioned Krylov subspace methods with recycling

SUMMARY The computational bottleneck of topology optimization is the solution of a large number of linear systems arising in the finite element analysis. We propose fast iterative solvers for large threedimensional topology optimization problems to address this problem. Since the linear systems in the sequence of optimization steps change slowly from one step to the next, we can significantly reduce the number of iterations and the runtime of the linear solver by recycling selected search spaces from previous linear systems. In addition, we introduce a MINRES (Minimum Residual method) version with recycling (and a short term recurrence) to make recycling more efficient for symmetric problems. Furthermore, we discuss preconditioning to ensure fast convergence. We show that a proper rescaling of the linear systems reduces the huge condition numbers that typically occur in topology optimization to roughly those arising for a problem with constant density. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our solvers by solving a topology optimization problem with more than a million unknowns on a fast PC.
Visibly better edge-detection using observed image contrasts

Abstract For an interactive, computer-aided image segmentation tool to work convincingly, the edges marked by it should, where possible, match those observed by the user on the displayed image (illusory edges excluded). An improvement in edge correspondence can be obtained by calculating observed luminance contrasts. These account for both the non-linearity of the screen and for the veiling effect of room illumination on the displayed image. It is shown how a logarithmic transformation of the photopic luminance data can be used in conjuction with the Canny operator to produce a visually convincing contrast edge map.
Role of gap states in discharge produced a-SiHx in determining carrier transport and recombination

Abstract The role of gap states in determining the transport and recombination of carriers in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-SiH x ) is examined for discharge produced films such as are used in efficient solar cell structures. Junction, photovoltaic and photoconductivity characteristics, are presented and discussed for these films. Free carrier transport is found to be present over the temperature range of ≈400 to 100 K, with the role of states near the free carrier bands being limited to trapping. This is in direct contrast to the previously reported transition from carrier transport to hopping through these localized states and with direct carrier recombination between these states at about 250 K. As a result the recombination kinetics can be directly related to the different states present in the gap of a-SiH x ; and examples of this are given for both electrons and holes. The recently published reversible conductivity changes must be taken into account if the ambiguities in the interpretation of the kinetics data are to be avoided.
Reduced-Complexity Decoders of Long Reed-Solomon Codes Based on Composite Cyclotomic Fourier Transforms

Long Reed-Solomon (RS) codes are desirable for digital communication and storage systems due to their improved error performance, but the high computational complexity of their decoders is a key obstacle to their adoption in practice. As discrete Fourier transforms (DFTs) can evaluate a polynomial at multiple points, efficient DFT algorithms are promising in reducing the computational complexities of syndrome based decoders for long RS codes. In this correspondence, we first propose partial composite cyclotomic Fourier transforms (CCFTs) and then devise syndrome based decoders for long RS codes over large finite fields based on partial CCFTs. The new decoders based on partial CCFTs achieve a significant saving of computational complexities for long RS codes. In comparison to previous results based on Horner's rule, our hardware implementation for a (2720, 2550) shortened RS code over GF(212) achieves much higher throughputs and better area-time complexity.
Emerging therapies for neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorders - from concept to reality

Lysosomal storage disorders are inherited metabolic diseases in which a mutation in a gene encoding a lysosomal enzyme or lysosome-related protein results in the intra-cellular accumulation of substrate and reduced cell/tissue function. Few patients with neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorders have access to safe and effective treatments although many therapeutic strategies have been or are presently being studied in vivo thanks to the availability of a large number of animal models. This review will describe the comparative advancement of a variety of therapeutic strategies through the ‘research pipeline’. Our goal is to provide information for clinicians, researchers and patients/families alike on the leading therapeutic candidates at this point in time, and also to provide information on emerging approaches that may provide a safe and effective treatment in the future. The length of the pipeline represents the significant and sustained effort required to move a novel concept from the laboratory into the clinic.
Mass Spectrometric Studies of the Interaction of Gold with 3.0-Bev Protons

Gold targets have been irradiated with 3.0-Bev protons and the yields of cesium, barium, and rubidium nuclides investigated by mass spectrometry. A high-sensitivity surface-ionization technique, using a multiple filament source arrangement and capable of determining (within 5%) ${10}^{8}$ alkali metal atoms, was developed. The separation of products from the gold target was accomplished by extracting the gold into diethyl ether. The contamination level of stable ${\mathrm{Cs}}^{133}$ in the gold foil and reagents was determined by isotope dilution methods to be \ensuremath{\sim}9\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{9}$ atoms. Ratios of production cross sections for neutron-deficient cesium isotopes and their barium parents were calculated from mass spectra. Cross sections were placed on an absolute scale by a radiochemical determination of the ${\mathrm{Cs}}^{127}$ cross section. No cesium isotopes with $Ag128$ are formed in appreciable independent yield. An upper limit of 0.002 mb was placed on cross sections for ${\mathrm{Cs}}^{132}$ and the neutron-excess cesium isotopes. No stable cesium resulting from nuclear reactions was detected above the natural contamination background. Ratios of production cross sections for rubidium radioisotopes were determined. The natural contamination of rubidium was too large to place a meaningful limit on stable rubidium production.
Modeling of Sb-based type-II quantum cascade lasers

The interband Sb-based quantum cascade lasers at mid-IR range are studied. A self-consistent method that solves the Schr\"odinger's equation and Poisson's equation simultaneously to obtain the band structure and calculate the optical gain for type-II quantum cascade lasers is presented for the first time to the best of our knowledge. We start with the formulation of band structure based on the $\mathbf{k}\ensuremath{\cdot}\mathbf{p}$ method with the inclusion of the conduction-band--valence-band coupling effect. The 8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}8 Hamiltonian for the k\ensuremath{\cdot}p method is block diagonalized into two 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4 blocks under the axial approximation. Explicit expressions for momentum-matrix elements for interband transitions are given. The optical gain formulation including many-body effects is then presented. The carrier accumulation in different layers and its screening effects are shown. For the lasers of our study, the carrier screening affects the peak gain wavelength by about 0.3 \ensuremath{\mu}m and the peak gain magnitude by 10%. The self-consistent model is shown to be important to give a good agreement with experimental data. The temperature dependence of the optical gain is also examined for the regular and the W-shaped type-II quantum-well structures. The optical gain for the W-shaped type-II quantum well is found to have a 50% enhancement over the regular type-II quantum well. Our model is important for designing high-power, high-efficiency, and high-temperature type-II interband cascade lasers.
Demonstration of phosphocreatine splitting as an early reaction in contracting frog sartorius muscle

Abstract The methodology of interrupting muscular contraction by rapid cooling has been improved to permit instant fixation of a contracting muscle and of its resting control at an accurately predetermined moment. With this procedure, in conjuction with suitable biochemical procedures, it has been demonstrated that in a 0.3-sec. isotonic tetanus of a lightly loaded frog sartorius muscle at 0°, there is a breakdown of 0.4 μmole of creatine phosphate, as evidenced by the formation of nearly equivalent amounts of phosphate and of creatine.
Splanchnic nerve stimulation modulates steroid secretion in hypophysectomized dogs.

To test whether or not splanchnic neural input to the adrenal gland affects secretion of steroids from the adrenal cortex, the thoracic splanchnic nerve was electrically stimulated in pentobarbital-an
Instability of buildings during seismic response

The issue of gravity induced instability during response to severe seismic excitation is examined. It is contended that while static instability is fully determined by the existence of at least one negative eigenvalue in the second-order tangent stiffness, this condition is necessary, but not sufficient for instability during dynamic response. It is noted that the likelihood of collapse is strongly dependent on the shape of the mechanism that controls during the critical displacement cycle and that this shape can be reasonably identified using a pushover analysis with an appropriately selected lateral load distribution. A characterization of the instability limit state based on reduction of a multistorey building to an equivalent SDOF system is presented.
An examination of the use of manufacturing technologies and performance implications in US plants with different export intensities

1 In theory, competition improves productivity and performance; trade liberalisation, which increases imports/exports, brings more competition. Using two large-scale survey responses from over 1000 manufacturers collected during two different time periods while US exports were growing in an environment of trade liberalisation, this study examines the effectiveness of technologies, over time, in manufacturing plants with varying export intensities. We find manufacturing technology use increases with exports and exporters report significant gains in plant performance over time. The study considers hard technologies (i.e. technologies involving capital-intensive equipment in manufacturing operations) and soft technologies (i.e. technologies involving planning and administrative components) to understand the distinct dynamic impact of the use of these technologies among plants exporting with varying intensities. Manufacturing plants are categorised into high, medium, and non-exporting based on the plant’s exp...
Enhancement of Targeted Homologous Recombination in Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri by Inclusion of Heterologous recA

A suicide plasmid, pExp1-ctpA::tetM-recAec, employing recA from Escherichia coli and tetM as a selection marker, was used to generate ctpA knockout mutants in Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri through targeted gene disruption. Inclusion of E. coli recA greatly enhanced both the consistency and the recovery of mutants generated by homologous recombination.
Reproductive Cycle and Fecundity of White Bass in Lewis and Clark Lake

Abstract Fecundity and seasonal changes in ova size and development, fish condition, and percentages of body weight contributed by gonads and mesenteric fat were studied for white bass (Morone chrysops) from Lewis and Clark Lake on the Missouri River, in 1969 through 1971. Spawning occurred in late May and early June; the average length of the season was 25 days. Females spawned only about 50% of their ova; large ova were shed during spawning and smaller ova were retained and resorbed by late July or early August. Maturation of new ova for the following year's spawning began in early August, when only primary oocytes were present in the ovaries. The number of ova produced by fish of a given length declined progressively from 1969 through 1971. Fecundity was more directly related to length than to age of fish. Condition factors for both sexes were highest in November, remained high through May, declined after spawning, and reached an annual low in August. Percentages of total weight contributed by gonads w...