cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterizing Sleep Spindles in Children with Autism Spectum Disorder (ASD), Developmental Delay and Neurotypical Development. (P3.209)

Objective: To determine if sleep spindle number, frequency and duration during N2 sleep differs in children with ASD from children with DD without autism and TYP children. Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interactions and behavioral abnormalities. While there is increasing evidence of altered brain connectivity in autism, the degree and direction of these alterations in connectivity and their uniqueness to autism has not been established. Sleep spindles in stage 2 (N2) of NREM sleep have been demonstrated to be a robust measure of connectivity between the thalamus and cortex and play a critical role in neuronal plasticity and memory consolidation. Design/Methods: - Sleep spindle data were obtained from 135 children aged 2 to 6 years with ASD (n = 85, 84% ♂), DD without autism (n = 21, 62% ♂) and TYP (n = 29, 72% ♂). - Overnight digital EEGs with video recordings were recorded during the awake, drowsy, and sleep states. Spindles were counted for 5 minutes in 4 consecutive N2 epochs (total = 20 min). Average spindle frequency and duration within these N2 epochs were also computed. Results: - Number of spindles increased with age in all three groups (p -Spindle duration increased with age (p Conclusions: - Children with ASD had lower spindle number and shorter spindle duration than TYP children. When compared to children with DD without autism, children with ASD had fewer spindles. -This study indicates that spindles are a robust biological marker that distinguishes children with ASD from developmental delay and neurotypicals; provides evidence for altered connectivity between thalamo-cortical regions in children with ASD. Study Supported by: This work was supported by the Intramural Program of the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health (ZIAMH002914, Protocol NCT00298246). The views expressed in this paper do not necessarily represent the views of the NIMH, NIH, HHS, or the United States Government. Protocol number 06-M-010. Disclosure: Dr. Chilakamarri, MD has nothing to disclose. Dr. Thurm, PhD has nothing to disclose. Dr. Farmer, PhD has nothing to disclose. Dr. Swedo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Burroughs has nothing to disclose. Dr. Holmes has received personal compensation for activities with Sunovion, Eisai, Questqor, and Lundbeck for advisory board activities. Dr. Buckley, MD has nothing to disclose.
Medial and Lateral Meniscal Tears

Acute meniscal tears are typically caused by rotation of the knee while the foot is planted. Chronic meniscal tears usually occur in older patients and can be degenerative in nature, occurring without any history of an acute injury. Symptoms of meniscal tear include pain, swelling, joint line tenderness, and abnormal motion at the knee – i.e. locking, catching, popping, and buckling. Physical exam maneuvers aid in diagnosis, but definitive diagnosis requires MRI. Treatment may be conservative or surgical depending on the acuity and severity of symptoms.
Resealable Superfluid Valve

Recently it has been shown that Torlon may be used to construct a resealable superfluid bellows valve with a “hard seat, soft stem” configuration. We present a modification on this design incorporating a thin BeCu diaphragm to produce a valve having a dead volume of 0.02 cm 3. The valve may be actuated using a high pressure gas handling system or electrically using a sealed expansion volume.
Non-destructive studies on tensile and fracture properties of molybdenum at low temperatures (148 to 423 K)

Tensile and fracture properties of molybdenum have been studied using the automated ball indentation technique. Tests have been carried out at several temperatures in the range of 148 to 423 K at a constant strain rate. Tensile properties determined from these tests agreed well with published results from conventional tensile tests. Temperature dependence of indentation energy to fracture, the fracture toughness parameter specific to this technique using critical stress-to-fracture concept, showed a sharp transition from brittle to ductile condition. These results complement the previous studies on pressure vessel steels, and clearly demonstrate that automated ball indentation technique is a reliable and non-destructive method for determining tensile and fracture properties of materials.
Better Patient Ambulatory Care Experience: Does It Translate into Improved Outcomes among Patients with CKD?

In its landmark 2001 report “Crossing the quality chasm: A new health system for the 21st century,” the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on Quality of Health Care in America ([1][1]) identified patient-centered care as one of six fundamental aims of the US health care system. The IOM
Towards Triangle Counting on GPU using Stable Radix binning

The pattern of computations of graph algorithms makes them difficult to parallelize. They suffer from erratic data access patterns. We propose a set of algorithmic patterns that enable users to take advantage of fine grained parallelism provided by modern CPU and GPU architectures. This allows accesses to be regularized which improves hierarchical cache access. We also propose a parallel stable binning algorithm that can be used for computing set intersection. This is illustrated through its application to triangle counting in large graphs.
Astrocytes usurp neurons as a disease focus.

Astrocytes are emerging as causal or modulating factors in diverse neurological disorders. Two papers published in Nature Neuroscience in 2007 revealed astrocytes as causally contributing to motor neuron loss in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, thereby challenging the longstanding neuron-centric view of neurodegenerative disease.
Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid

This review offers an informed insight on the pathophysiology of ocular cicatricial pemphigoid in addition to up-to-date recommendations for monitoring and management. Systemic immunosuppression is required for treatment of ocular cicatricial pemphigoid when there is high suspicion, even in the absence of diagnostic findings on biopsy. New therapeutic modalities continue to emerge and provide promising results. In addition, improved options for adjunctive care are also available. Ocular cicatricial pemphigoid is a systemic illness and a subset of mucous membrane pemphigoid that primarily affects the ocular surface. It involves a progressive and potentially blinding course of disease. Diagnosis remains challenging and mainly depends on clinical suspicion with the aid of laboratory testing. Multiple treatment modalities have emerged for management mainly consisting of systemic immunosuppression for disease control in addition to adjunctive management for alleviating symptoms and preventing complications.
Resource segregation at fine spatial scales explains Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) distribution

The resource concentration hypothesis predicts that herbivorous insect density scales positively with plant density because insects are better able to identify, and remain longer in, patches with denser plant resources. While some studies support this hypothesis, others do not. Different explanations have been proposed for this discrepancy, including variation in insect dispersal ability and diet breadth. We test the resource concentration hypothesis using the Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis), a specialist that relies on wild blue lupine (Lupinus perennis) as its sole host plant. We extended this hypothesis to test whether Karner blue density also scales positively with nectar plant resources. Our findings did not support the resource concentration hypothesis and demonstrate that the spatial segregation of nectar and host plant resources relative to each other can influence the location and abundance of Karner blues on the landscape. This is because the location of resources relative to each other influences the energy and time butterflies expend for flight activity, and thereby influences resource acquisition. During early summer when first brood Karner blues emerge, nectar and host plants were spatially segregated, and Karner blue density peaked at intermediate densities of nectar and host plants occurring at ratios approximately equal to 1:1. During late summer, we found no significant relationships between second brood Karner blues and nectar plants or host plants when there was no correlation between nectar and host plants. Conservation practitioners of specialist insects with low vagility can strategically manage the distribution of plant resources to minimize insect time and energy expenditure and promote resource acquisition for all of an insect’s life stages.
Vascular access for hemodialysis in the elderly.

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) with arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) in a large population-based cohort of elderly patients in the United States. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed of all patients ≥75 years old in the prospectively maintained United States Renal Database System who had an AVF or AVG placed for hemodialysis (HD) access between January 2007 and December 2011. Outcomes were mortality, conduit patency, maturation, time to catheter-free dialysis, and infection. A χ2 test, Student t-test, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and multivariable Cox regression analysis were employed. Results Of the 124,421 patients studied, there were 19,173 (15%) AVF initiates, 4480 (4%) AVG initiates, 29,872 (24%) AVF converts, 10,712 (9%) AVG converts, and 59,824 (48%) patients who persisted on HD catheters. Compared with AVF initiates, relative mortality was significantly higher for AVG initiates (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.24; P Conclusions Pre-emptive AVF remains the best mode of HD in elderly patients who can tolerate surgery. Patients who cannot tolerate pre-emptive surgery or have to initiate HD on an urgent basis with a catheter should convert to AVF when it is feasible if life expectancy is >4 months. If life expectancy is
BIM-based automated determination of exit sign direction for intelligent building sign systems

Abstract This study proposes an approach named automated determination of exit sign direction (ADESD) to automatically determine the directions of building exit signs. ADESD generates sign directions for a building by four steps: generate an indoor navigation graph network of the building; integrate exit signs into the navigation network; calculate recommended directions of exit signs based on their shortest accessible evacuation routes, and calculate negated directions of exit signs corresponding to hazardous areas. Novel algorithms are proposed in ADESD to generate spatial relationship between exit signs and exits automatically and determine exit sign directions accurately. A case study is used to validate the feasibility of ADESD. The results demonstrate that ADESD can efficiently calculate both the recommended and negated directions of an intelligent dynamic exit sign system to respond to a fire emergency with real-time information.
Nonrigid water octamer: Computations with the 8-cube.

A 8-cube model of the fully nonrigid water octamer is considered within the 8-dimensional hyperoctahedral wreath product group with 10,321,920 operations and 185 irreducible representations by employing computational and mathematical techniques. For the two lowest-lying isomers of (H2 O)8 with D2d and S4 symmetries of a rigid (H2 O)8 , correlation tables and nuclear spin statistics are constructed for the tunneling splittings of the rotational levels are computed by a computational matrix polynomial generating function technique combined with Mobius inversion, and the relationship to the 8-cube multinomials are pointed out. Multinomial generating functions combined with the induced representation techniques are employed to compute and construct the nuclear spin species, nuclear spin statistical weights and tunneling splittings of rovibronic levels. We have also computed the spin statistical weights and tunneling splittings of the rotational levels for a semirigid water octamer within the wreath product Oh [S2 ] consisting of 12,288 operations.
RIoTMAN: a systematic analysis of IoT malware behavior

How can we conduct dynamic analysis on IoT malware efficiently? A key challenge is that such malware target a plethora of different devices, which makes identifying the target device non-trivial. This problem does not appear nearly as much in PC and smartphones malware, where the devices are more uniform. The contribution of our work is two fold: (a) we develop RIoTMAN, a comprehensive emulation and dynamic analysis approach, and (b) we study the network behavior of 3024 IoT malware systematically. The power of our approach lies in two key novelties: (a) Iterative Adaptation, and (b) Automated Engagement. First, we employ an intelligent iterative process that incrementally "builds" the configuration of the target device. Second, our platform automates the interaction with the malware even during the C&C server communication phase. In our experiments, we first show that we achieve an activation rate of 93% for our binaries, including 173 binaries, which Virustotal fails to identify as malicious. Second, we impersonate the C&C server for 79% of the malware binaries successfully: we make the malware initiate DDoS attacks, or enter its proliferation phase. Finally, we observe several interesting malware techniques, including unusual communication behaviors. Our goal is to release our platform as an open-source tool to accelerate the efforts for understanding IoT malware in depth and at scale.
U.S. Children “Learning Online” during COVID-19 without the Internet or a Computer: Visualizing the Gradient by Race/Ethnicity and Parental Educational Attainment

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruptions to education in the United States, with a large proportion of schooling moving to online formats, which has the potential to exacerbate existing racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in learning. The authors visualize access to online learning technologies using data from the Household Pulse Survey from the early fall 2020 school period (August 19 to October 26). The authors find that 10.1 percent of children participating in online learning nationally did not have adequate access to the Internet and a computer. Rates of inadequate access varied nearly 20-fold across the gradient of parental race/ethnicity and education, from 1.9 percent for children of Asian parents with graduate degrees to 35.5 percent among children of Black parents with less than a high school education. These findings indicate alarming gaps in potential learning among U.S. children. Renewed investments in equitable access to distance-learning resources will be necessary to prevent widening racial/ethnic and class learning disparities.
An ester functionalized wide bandgap polythiophene for organic field-effect transistors

Abstract Amongst organic semiconducting polymers, polythiophenes are an attractive class due to relatively easy synthesis and good optical and electronic properties. Herein, we report wide-bandgap polythiophene constructed by copolymerization of ester-functionalized bithiophene and thiophene vinylene thiophene monomers. The novel polymer, poly (E)-di(nonadecan-9-yl) 5-(2-(thiophen-2-yl)vinyl)-[2,2':5',2''-terthiophene]-3',4''-dicarboxylate (PDCTVT) exhibited moderate hole mobilities in bottom-gate/top-contact organic field-effect transistors up to 2.18 × 10-2 cm2 V-1 s-1 with higher on-to-off ratio ~105.
Association of Body Mass Index on Injuries and Outcomes After Ground-Level Falls.

BACKGROUND The impact of body mass index (BMI) on trauma severity after ground-level falls (GLF) is currently unclear. This study aimed to examine the associations between BMI, injuries, and outcomes after GLF. STUDY DESIGN All patients ≥16 years of age injured by GLF were queried from the TQIP database (2013-2017). Exclusions were transfers, emergency department death, AIS 6 in any region, and missing data. Body mass index defined study groups: Underweight (BMI<18.5), Normal (BMI 18.5-24.9), Overweight (25.0-29.9), and Obese (≥30). RESULTS After exclusions, 131 570 patients remained for analysis. Most patients had a normal BMI (n = 58 503, 44%). Median ISS was 9 [IQR 9-10] in all groups. The Obese group had significantly lower rates of fractures than the Normal group, particularly femur fractures (53% vs. 64%, P < .001), but required orthopedic surgical intervention more frequently (45% vs. 41%, P < .001). On multivariate analysis, being overweight was protective against mortality (OR .881, P = .005), while obesity was not associated with mortality (OR 1.012, P = .821). CONCLUSION Increasing BMI may be protective against both fracture risk and mortality after GLF. However, obese patients require operative fixation more frequently. Particularly as fracture diagnosis may be more challenging in the obese, special care should be taken during their tertiary surveys after GLF to ensure injuries are not missed.
Firm Security Orientation: Strategically Responding to an Increasingly Disruptive World

Severe data breaches and cyber-attacks have heightened the salience of security issues facing firms as well as their suppliers, alliance partners, and customers. However, cyber-security is simply o...
Physico-chemical properties of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) diazonium ion: a theoretical investigation

We have explored the physico-chemical properties of NNK diazonium ion to gain insight into its shape, bonding, charge distribution, and ro-vibrational features. This information is essential if the chemical reactivity and physical properties of this important intermediate are to be understood. NNK diazonium ion is a well-known alkylating agent. Its enzymatic production, its reaction with DNA, and its role in mutagenesis/carcinogenesis have all received significant experimental study. Computational work on the ion, however, is lacking. The species is sufficiently small such that its properties may be probed using sophisticated model chemistries. We present the first in silico investigation of NNK diazonium ion. Kohn–Sham density functional theory (B3LYP/6-311G**) and coupled cluster theory (CCSD/6-31G*) were deployed to obtain energies, geometries, electrostatic potential surfaces, molecular orbitals, and vibrational analyses for several energy-minimized structures. To provide insight into the motion of NNK diazonium ion (NNKDI) in solution, molecular dynamics simulations on the solvated intermediate were undertaken. To explore the initial reactivity of this important electrophile, local Fukui indices and natural population analysis charges were predicted. Analogous ab initio work on propane diazonium ion was also performed. Our vibrational analyses suggest a relatively weak carbon–nitrogen bond and a robust nitrogen–nitrogen interaction. Our condensed Fukui indices show that the terminal nitrogen is a site of significant electrophilicity while our electrostatic predictions yield high values near the formally charged nitrogen and its α carbon.
Introduction to Algebraic Curves

Fundamental concepts The normalization theorem and its applications The Riemann-Roch theorem Applications of the Riemann-Roch theorem Abel's theorem and its applications.
Adjoint Methods for Inverse Free Convection Problems with Application to Solidification Processes

New advanced methodologies for thermal process design can be successfully developed using inverse problem theory. Such techniques are reviewed here for free convection problems with applications to the design of directional solidification and Bridgman crystal growth processes.
Ab initio compressive phase retrieval

Any object on earth has two fundamental properties: it is finite, and it is made of atoms. Structural information about an object can be obtained from diffraction amplitude measurements that account for either one of these traits. Nyquist-sampling of the Fourier amplitudes is sufficient to image single particles of finite size at any resolution. Atomic resolution data is routinely used to image molecules replicated in a crystal structure. Here we report an algorithm that requires neither information, but uses the fact that an image of a natural object is compressible. Intended applications include tomographic diffractive imaging, crystallography, powder diffraction, small angle x-ray scattering and random Fourier amplitude measurements.
Second Response to “The Teacher as a Service Professional,” by Donald A. Myers

Abstract This response to Myers's concept of the teacher as a service professional considers each of his positions in analogy form. With support from the literature from education and elsewhere, the article maintains that teaching is a profession and that it matters greatly to teachers and society that it be strengthened as such. Examples are offered regarding promising ways in which this may happen. Finally, the article challenges teachers and teacher educators to contribute to increasing the professional aspect of teaching.
Biological Characteristics of Cloned Populations of Herpes Simplex Virus Types 1 and 2

By using cloned types 1 and 2 herpes simplex virus, obtained by selecting large and small plaques produced by material from human lesions, studies were performed to compare properties between preparations of each type. Regarding the rate of inactivation by ultraviolet light, no differences were found between the two antigenic types and none between the preparations obtained from either type. In contrast, type 1 preparations were found to be more readily inactivated at 45 C than type 2. Plaque size of cloned preparations changed by passage in cell culture. A broader range of plaque sizes was obtained, and average plaque size was larger. After 20 passages, preparations obtained from different types gave rise to one of three kinds of cytopathic effect. The cytopathic effect produced by type 1 preparations remained as before 20 passages and consisted of round cells in a compact central mass. For type 2, two kinds of cytopathic effect were seen in cloned preparations. This consisted of aggregates of round cells (seen in preparations before 20 passages) or of large, loose aggregates of round cells of various sizes. Results from neutralization studies using virus before and after 20 passages in cell culture versus antisera prepared against live or ultraviolet-inactivated virus showed no differences between cloned preparations obtained from a given type. Images
Radiosynthesis and preliminary evaluation of 11C-levetiracetam for PET imaging of SV2A expression

1795 Objectives Synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) has been identified as an interesting therapeutic and imaging target for epilepsy and other neurologic disorders. Herein, we report the first radiosynthesis of 11C-levetiracetam (11C-LEV) and its preliminary evaluation for PET imaging of SV2A expression. Methods The multi-step preparation of 11C-LEV was carried out by a one-pot radiosynthesis. Briefly, propionaldehyde was converted to propan-1-imine in situ as the labeling precursor. Without further separation, the imine was reacted with [11C]HCN to form 11C-aminonitrile, which was then reacted with 4-chlorobutyryl chloride under a basic condition. The crude was hydrolyzed to yield 11C-LEV, which was separated by chiral HPLC. After in vitro evaluation of 11C-LEV, a 60 min dynamic microPET/CT imaging was performed for assessment of SV2A expression in mice. Results A new tracer for PET imaging of SV2A expression, 11C-LEV, was designed and synthesized. The radiochemical yield (decay corrected) of 11C-LEV was 8.3 ± 1.6% (n = 8) based on [11C]HCN radioactivity. Both of the radiochemical and enantiomeric purities of 11C-LEV were > 98%. The total radiosynthesis time was 50 ± 5 min from the end of bombardment to the finish of HPLC purification. After 90 min of incubation with the formulation solution, > 98% of 11C-LEV remained stable. The log P was determined to be -0.60. The dynamic microPET/CT imaging in mice showed high initial uptake of the tracer in most organs, followed by gradual washout, but brain uptake was accumulated at 60 min. The imaging specificity of SV2A expression was subsequently validated through a blocking experiment with cold levetiracetam. Conclusions The radiosysthesis of 11C-LEV was first designed and achieved by one-pot multi-step reaction. Preliminary evaluations of 11C-LEV demonstrated its potential for specific PET imaging of SV2A expression.
Natural Killer–like T-Cell Lymphoma of the Parotid in a Patient Infected With Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Abstract A 42-year-old man with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome developed a mass of the right parotid gland and multiple hepatic masses. Hematoxylin-eosin–stained sections of the parotid lesion showed a diffuse infiltrate of large mononuclear cells with vesicular nuclei and prominent nucleoli, consistent with a non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Immunohistochemical stains demonstrated expression of the T-cell markers CD3 and UCHL-1, as well as latent membrane protein 1 and T-cell intracellular antigen 1. Flow cytometry showed surface expression of CD2, CD3, CD7 (dim), CD8, and CD56. CD5 was not expressed. Molecular evaluation by polymerase chain reaction demonstrated monoclonal rearrangement of the T-cell receptor γ gene. Epstein-Barr virus early RNA and human immunodeficiency virus RNA were demonstrated by in situ hybridization. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of T-cell lymphoma of the parotid in a patient infected with human immunodeficiency virus. After 2 separate chemotherapy regimens, the pat...
Theft and Conspiracy in the Take-Grant Protection Model

Abstract : A user in a protection system that aids in the transfer of authority within the system is called a conspirator. (The term is not to connote wrong-doing necessarily, since legitimate sharing requires 'conspiracy' in this sense.) Using the Take-Grant Protection Model as an abstraction for a capability-based protection system, necessary and sufficient conditions are developed for determining the number of conspirators required to transfer authority for a given system. The conditions are shown to be testable in polynomial time.(Author)
Sequential design of initial experiments for chemical kinetic modeling-isomerization of n-pentane

Abstract A procedure for the sequential design of experiments for model discrimination and precise parameter estimation is presented and applied to the published example of isomerization of n -pentane. The present paper outlines a method for designing the preliminary experiments which were chosen arbitrarily by the earlier workers. The procedure leads to selection of the correct model for all the cases considered here. Well-designed initial experiments improve the degree of precision in parameter estimation also.
Tcf3: a transcriptional regulator of axis induction in the early embryo

The roles of Lef/Tcf proteins in determining cell fate characteristics have been described in many contexts during vertebrate embryogenesis, organ and tissue homeostasis, and cancer formation. Although much of the accumulated work on these proteins involves their ability to transactivate target genes when stimulated by beta-catenin, Lef/Tcf proteins can repress target genes in the absence of stabilized beta-catenin. By ablating Tcf3 function, we have uncovered an important requirement for a repressor function of Lef/Tcf proteins during early mouse development. Tcf3-/- embryos proceed through gastrulation to form mesoderm, but they develop expanded and often duplicated axial mesoderm structures, including nodes and notochords. These duplications are preceded by ectopic expression of Foxa2, an axial mesoderm gene involved in node specification, with a concomitant reduction in Lefty2, a marker for lateral mesoderm. By contrast, expression of a beta-catenin-dependent, Lef/Tcf reporter (TOPGal), is not ectopically activated but is faithfully maintained in the primitive streak. Taken together, these data reveal a unique requirement for Tcf3 repressor function in restricting induction of the anterior-posterior axis.
The Impact of 10 Years of War on Combat Casualty Care Research: A Citation Analysis

Abstract : October 7, 2011, marked the end of the 10th year of US combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. As in previous conflicts, these wars have led to major advances in treating combat casualties, and the advances are also being translated into injury management paradigms in civilian trauma centers. Coincident with these advances was an increase in combat casualty research directed toward identifying new methods for saving lives and reducing the long-term disability resulting from battlefield injuries. A review of the scientific literature published during this period can be used to evaluate the research on combat casualty care conducted during the recent conflicts. One approach for determining the influence of individual articles is to measure the number of citations or the acknowledgments that one article receives from another.6 Previous citation studies have focused on trauma research in general7 and on the vascular surgery literature,8 but to our knowledge, no previous citation analyses have been reported for combat casualty care. The objective of this article was to identify and assess the relative impact of the top 50 most frequently cited articles on combat casualty care published during the first 10 years of war.
Regional blood flow in congestive heart failure: concept of compensatory mechanisms with short and long time constants.

With physiologic stress to the cardiovascular system, some circulatory compensatory mechanisms are designed to restore homeostasis quickly (e.g., sympathetic nervous system activation and the Frank-Starling mechanism). These compensatory mechanisms are not nearly as effective when there is a chronic pathologic stress such as congestive heart failure (CHF). In this circumstance, other mechanisms that operate with longer time constants come into play (e.g., activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, myocardial hypertrophy and deconditioning). The most successful chronic drug therapies of CHF are those that are designed to reverse the latter group of compensatory mechanisms, a process that is slow. It takes especially long to reverse those CHF-induced changes in blood vessels and skeletal muscle metabolism that are activated to cope with inadequate delivery of oxygenated blood to working muscles. The concept that compensatory mechanisms have either short or long time constants for activation, effectiveness and reversal may help explain why the improvement in exercise tolerance with effective heart failure therapy lags behind hemodynamic improvement.
Pedicel abscission and rachis morphology of soybean as influenced by benzylaminopurine and the presence of pods

The cytokinin 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) increases pod set of soybean Glycine max (L.) Merr. This study was performed to determine the effect of site and method of BAP application on pedicel abscission and the accompanying changes in rachis anatomy. Spraying racemes with BAP in solution, or applying in a lanolin suspension to proximal nodes on a rachis where proximal pedicels had been excised, delayed pedicel abscission at distal nodes. Applying BAP in lanolin to distal pedicels following flower excision failed to delay their abscission. BAP caused rachis swelling only when pods were present, but BAP could delay pedicel abscission either in the presence or absence of pods. These results suggest that rachis swelling following BAP treatment does not have a causal relationship to a delay or decrease of pedicel abscission.
Studies of The Influence of Hydrogen Chloride on The Liquid Chromatographic Properties of Silica-Immobilized Bovine Serum Albumin Under Normal-Phase Conditions

Abstract The influence of hydrogen chloride on the retention properties of silica-immobilized bovine serum albumin has been studied using a series of simple aromatic phenols and acids. The result of treating the protein with HC1 is to mediate hydrogen bonding interactions between the solutes and basic sites in the protein or unreacted amino groups on the surface. The current observations are consistent with previously reported work which examined the influence of HC1 on aminopropyl surfaces.
Thermal conductivity of refractory fills at temperatures in the range 500–2000 K

Experimental data on the thermal conductivity of refractory fills based on MgO, Y2O3, ZrO2, and Al2O3 with different fraction composition were obtained. The limits of applicability of the model of thermal conductivity of granular systems for materials of this class were determined.
Tunable Thermoassociation of Binary Guanosine Gels

It is well-known that aqueous solutions of individual guanosine compounds can form gels through reversible self-assembly. Typically, gelation is favored at low temperature and acidic pH. We have discovered that binary mixtures of 5'-guanosine monophosphate (GMP) and guanosine (Guo) can form stable gels at neutral pH over a temperature range that can be tuned by varying the relative proportions of the hydrophobic Guo and the hydrophilic GMP in the mixture. Gelation was studied over the temperature range of 5-40 degrees C or 60 degrees C at pH 7.2 using visual detection, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and CD thermal melt experiments. Solutions with high GMP/Guo ratios behaved similar to solutions of GMP alone while solutions with low GMP/Guo formed firm gels across the entire temperature range. Most interesting were solutions between these two extremes, which were found to exhibit thermoassociative behavior; these solutions are liquid at refrigerator temperature and undergo sharp transitions to a gel only at higher temperatures. Increasing the GMP/Guo ratio and increasing the total concentration of guanosine compounds shifted the onset of gelation to higher temperatures (ranging from 20 to 40 degrees C), narrowed the temperature range of the gel phase, and sharpened the reversible phase transitions. The combination of self-assembly, reversibility, and tunability over biologically relevant temperature ranges and pH offers exciting possibilities for these simple and inexpensive materials in medical, biological, analytical, and nanotechnological applications.
Insufficient evidence for effectiveness of any treatment for oral lichen planus.

Top of pageAbstract Data sources The Cochrane Oral Health Group Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Medline and Embase databases were searched with no restrictions regarding language or date of publication. Bibliographies of identified publications were also checked for relevant studies, and authors were contacted to identify missing and unreported trials. The WHO International Trials Registry Platform was searched for ongoing studies, using the term 'oral lichen planus'. Study selection Randomised controlled clinical trials (RCTs) of therapy for symptomatic OLP which compared treatment with a placebo or between treatments or no intervention were considered for this review. Data extraction and synthesis The titles and abstracts of all reports identified were scanned independently by two review authors. All studies meeting the inclusion criteria were assessed for risk of bias and data were extracted. For dichotomous outcomes, the estimates of effects for the intervention were expressed as risk ratios (RR) together with 95% confidence intervals. For continuous outcomes, mean differences (MD) and 95% confidence intervals were used to summarise the data. Meta-analyses were conducted for studies with similar comparisons reporting the same outcome measures. Results Twenty-eight trials were included. Although topical steroids are considered first line treatment for symptomatic OLP, we identified no RCTs that compared steroids with placebo. There is no evidence from the three trials of pimecrolimus that this treatment is better than placebo in reducing pain from OLP. There is weak evidence from two trials, at unclear and high risk of bias respectively, that aloe vera may be associated with a reduction in pain compared to placebo, but it was not possible to pool the pain data from these trials. There is weak and unreliable evidence from two small trials, at high risk of bias, that cyclosporin may reduce pain and clinical signs of OLP, but meta-analysis of these trials was not possible. There were five trials that compared steroids with calcineurin inhibitors, each evaluating a different pair of interventions. There is no evidence from these trials that there is a difference between treatment with steroids compared to calcineurin inhibitors with regard to reducing pain associated with OLP. From six trials there is no evidence that any specific steroid therapy is more or less effective at reducing pain compared to another type or dose of steroid. Conclusions From the 28 trials included in this systematic review, the wide range of interventions compared means there is insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of any specific treatment as being superior.
Exponentially small asymptotics of solutions to the defocusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation

Abstract The matrix Riemann-Hilbert factorization approach is used to derive the leading-order, exponentially small asymptotics as t → ± ∞ such that x/t ∼ O (1) of solutions to the Cauchy problem for the defocusing nonlinear Schrodinger equation, i∂tu + ∂x2u − 2(|u|2 − 1)u = 0, with finite density initial data u(x,0) = x→±∞exp(i(1 ∓ 1)φ/2)(1+o(1)), φ ϵ [0, 2π).
Erythromycin prior to endoscopy for acute upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage: a cost‐effectiveness analysis

Summary Background Erythromycin is a potent stimulator of gastrointestinal motility. Recent studies have examined the use of intravenous erythromycin to clear the stomach of blood before oesophago-gastroduodenoscopy (EGD) for acute upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage (UGIH). These studies have shown clinical effectiveness. Aim To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this intervention. Methods We sought to determine the cost-effectiveness of erythromycin before EGD from the payer’s perspective. We found three relevant studies of erythromycin and used these data for the analysis. We obtained costs for intravenous erythromycin and charges for peptic ulcer hospitalization, EGD, surgery, and angiographic embolization. Complication rates were also incorporated from the literature. We implemented a model of health-related quality of life to measure the impact of the intervention. We created a decision-analysis tree and performed a probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Results A strategy of erythromycin prior to EGD resulted in a cost-effective outcome in a majority of trials using willingness-to-pay figures of $0, $50 000 and $100 000 (US) per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). Conclusion Because of the implications for cost saving and increase in QALY, we would recommend giving erythromycin prior to EGD for UGIH.
Union Transitions Among Cohabitors: The Significance of Relationship Assessments and Expectations

Data from both waves of the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH) were used to estimate the effects of couple-level measures of cohabitors' relationship assessments and expectations on their union transitions. Although positive relationship assessments deterred separation, they did not hasten entry into marriage. Female partners' negative assessments of the relationship increased the odds of separation, whereas such reports among male partners weakened the odds of marriage. Plans to marry were positively associated with marriage entry, but this effect was considerably larger for White couples than it was for Black couples. Cohabitors' expectations that their union would dissolve were also associated with union transitions. When both partners reported an even to high chance of dissolution, the odds of marriage were low, and the odds of separation were high. Cohabitors' own relationship assessments and expectations are significant predictors of their union outcomes.
Spectral sensitivity of the electroretinogram b-wave in dark-adapted goldfish

The action spectrum of the ERG b-wave was measured under dark-adapted conditions in intact goldfish (Carassius auratus). It is substantially broader than the absorption spectrum of goldfish rod porphyropsin. Neither prolonged dark adaptation nor removal of possible efferent neural activity affected its shape. Moreover, a 682-nm background did not produce a selective loss of sensitivity to long wavelengths. The results imply that the spectral sensitivity of the b-wave in dark-adapted goldfish reflects the influence of at least two photoreceptor types which act as a single univariant mechanism near absolute threshold.
Implications of global atmospheric spatial spectra for processing and displaying data

Abstract The information available on different scales in the atmosphere for a number of different variables is explored using the global ECMWF analyses by examining the spatial spectra at T106 resolution. In most atmospheric spectra, a low wavenumber regime can be identified that does not follow a power law and is dominated by the stationary forced part of the flow. A higher wavenumber regime, where an approximate power law does appear to hold, can also usually be found. For the rotational part of the flow in the upper troposphere, the observed spectra follow quite closely that expected for quasi-two-dimensional geostrophic turbulence between about wavenumbers 12 and 70, with a kinetic energy spectrum falling off as n−3, where n is the total spherical harmonic wavenumber. In the lower troposphere, there is more power at high wavenumbers than would be expected from geostrophic turbulence, most likely due to the influence and close proximity of the lower boundary. Changes in the global analyses since 1979 ...
Effectiveness Evaluation of Existing Noise Controls in a Deep Shaft Underground Mine

Noise exposures and hearing loss in the mining industry continue to be a major problem, despite advances in noise control technologies. This study evaluated the effectiveness of engineering, administrative, and personal noise controls using both traditional and in-ear dosimetry by job task, work shift, and five types of earplug. The noise exposures of 22 miners performing deep shaft-sinking tasks were evaluated during 56 rotating shifts in an underground mine. Miners were earplug-insertion trained, earplug fit-tested, and monitored utilizing traditional and in-ear dosimetry. The mean TWA8 noise exposure via traditional dosimetry was 90.1 ± 8.2 dBA, while the mean in-ear TWA8 was 79.6 ± 13.8 dBA. The latter was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) personal exposure limit (PEL) of 90 dBA. Dosimetry mean TWA8 noise exposures for bench blowing (103.5 ± 0.9 dBA), jumbo drill operation (103.0 ± 0.8 dBA), and mucking tasks (99.6 ± 4.7 dBA) were significantly higher...
Aspects of Tachyon theory

Does the Special Theory of Relativity (STR) forbid the existence of particles traveling with speed greater than the speed of light in vacuo (Tachyons)? Prof. Sudarshan and collaborators O.M. Bilaniuk and V.K. Despande examined this question in 1962 and concluded that STR does not rule out such objects. Now, the momentum 4-vector of a Tachyon is necessarily space-like and consequently, the sign of energy no longer Lorentz-invariant. Thus a Tachyon will be found to have negative energy in certain inertial frames. The authors noted that in the latter, the sign of time-intervals will also be reversed. A negative energy Tachyon traveling backward in time could now be reinterpreted as a positive energy particle traveling forward in time. This reinterpretation could be done consistently as was shown by several examples. A quantum field theory of free spinless Tachyons was suggested by Feinberg (1967). M. Arons and Sudarshan reexamined this model and showed that the model did not possess invariance under the Poincare group. An alternative version was constructed by them that possessed the desired invariance property but no local commutativity. Subsequently, Dhar and Sudarshan constructed a model of a neutral scalar Tachyon with Yukawa coupling to Fermions. The model had unusual features such as the emission of a Tachyon by a Fermion as a real process and the need for an additional non-local interaction. Prof. Sudarshan, in association with J. Narlikar, studied Tachyons in the context of cosmology in 1976. One of their conclusions is that any primordial Tachyons that might have been created at the beginning are unlikely to have survived to the present era.
The rotational resonance Raman spectrum of nitrogen dioxide and the determination of electronic state symmetry from resonance Raman selection rules

Abstract The pure rotational Raman spectrum of nitrogen dioxide has been observed and shown to be consistent with existing determinations of molecular parameters. Upon observation at 600 Torr pressure and 0.4 cm −1 resolution a well-defined rotational spectrum is obtained. This spectrum is overlaid with a number of fluorescence lines. The fluorescence lines are separated from the Raman spectrum by a comparison of Stokes and anti-Stokes branches of the rotational spectrum. Out of seven strong fluorescence lines seen with 5145 A excitation, five probably are identifiable with vibration-rotation fluorescence progressions observed by Abe. The most striking feature of these observations is the potential use of the resonance Raman effect for the analysis of complicated electronic spectra. When this rotational spectrum is observed with excitation by 5309 A or 5145 A excitation, the Raman spectrum follows a -axis selection rules and the Q -branches are in the noise level or barely out of it. However, at 4880 A the Δ K = 2 Q -branches become a major feature of a spectrum, indicating that an appreciable part of the absorption at this wavelength is occurring through the operation of b - or c -axis selection rules. These findings are consistent with present notions of a 2 B 2 excited state dominating absorption at longer wavelengths, while at shorter wavelengths a 2 B 1 excited state becomes important. Given a tunable laser, one could map the relative importance of these two possible selection rules for NO 2 without any theoretical analysis more sophisticated than that presented in this paper. A simplified statement of the selection rules for resonance rotational Raman spectra of asymmetric tops has been developed in the course of this investigation. No attempt has been made to refine the rotational parameters of NO 2 since all of the lines seen areunresolved multiplets. Our data should be regarded as a search spectrum preliminary to investigation on a high resolution instrument.
Observations of Parity Nonconservation in Atomic Thallium

A detailed account is given of observations of parity nonconservation in the $6^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}\ensuremath{-}7^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ transition in $_{81}^{203,205}\mathrm{Tl}$. Absorption of circularly polarized 293-nm photons by $6^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ atoms in an $E$ field results in polarization of the $7^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ state through interference of the Stark $E1$ amplitude with $M1$ and parity-nonconserving $E1$ amplitudes. This polarization is detected by selective excitation of ${m}_{F}=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1$ components of the $7^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ state to the $8^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}$ state and observation of the ensuing decay fluorescence at 323 nm. Systematic corrections due to imperfect circular polarization, misaligned $E$ fields, and residual magnetic fields are determined precisely by a series of auxiliary experiments. The result is expressed in terms of the circular dichroism ${\ensuremath{\delta}}_{\mathrm{expt}}=+({2.8}_{\ensuremath{-}0.9}^{+1.0})\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$, to be compared with estimates based on the Weinberg-Salam model for ${{sin}^{2}\ensuremath{\theta}}_{w}=0.23:{\ensuremath{\delta}}_{\mathrm{theo}}=+(2.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.7)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$.