cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ectopic biomineralization in kidney stone formers compared to non-stone formers

Background Kidney stone formers (SFs) are at increased risk of stroke, myocardial infarction, and atherosclerosis of the carotid and coronary arteries. These cardiovascular and urologic pathologies can result from ectopic biomineral deposition. The objectives of this study are: (I) to evaluate risk factors for ectopic biomineralization, and (II) to characterize the overall burden of ectopic minerals in known SFs compared to non-stone formers (NSFs) matched for these risk factors. Methods Presence and quantity of biominerals at eight anatomic locations (abdominal aorta, common iliac arteries, pelvic veins, prostate or uterus, mesentery, pancreas, and spleen) were determined in a case control study by retrospective analysis of clinical non-contrast computed tomography scans obtained from 190 SFs and 190 gender- and age-matched NSFs (renal transplant donors). Predictors of biomineralization were determined using negative binomial regression. A subgroup of 140 SFs and 140 NSFs were matched for risk factors for systemic biomineralization, and mineralization was compared between these matched SFs and NSFs using ordinal logistic regression. Results Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and smoking were more common amongst SFs. Risk factors for increased systemic biomineralization included history of nephrolithiasis, male gender, older age, and history of hyperlipidemia. When controlling for these comorbidities, SFs had significantly increased biomineralization systemically and at the abdominal aorta, iliac arteries, prostate, mesentery, pancreas, and spleen compared to NSFs. Conclusions The current study provides evidence that SFs are at increased risk of biomineralization systemically, independent of common risk factors of atherosclerosis.
Abstract 15484: Combined Coronary and Carotid Artery Involvement in a Caucasian Patient With Moyamoya Disease

Introduction: Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare, progressive steno-occlusive disease of the intracranial carotid arteries. This is primarily a cerebrovascular disease and is mostly seen in young Jap...
3-3-1 Self interacting dark matter and the galaxy core-cusp problem

The core–cusp problem remains a challenging discrepancy between observations and simulations in the standard ΛCDM model for the formation of galaxies. The problem is that ΛCDM simulations predict a...
Prebiotics and alternative poultry production

Alternative poultry production systems continue to expand as markets for organic and naturally produced poultry meat and egg products increase. However, these production systems represent challenges associated with variable environmental conditions and exposure to foodborne pathogens. Consequently, there is a need to introduce feed additives that can support bird health and performance. There are several candidate feed additives with potential applications in alternative poultry production systems. Prebiotic compounds selectively stimulate the growth of beneficial gastrointestinal microorganisms leading to improved health of the host and limiting the establishment of foodborne pathogens. The shift in the gastrointestinal microbiota and modulation of fermentation can inhibit the establishment of foodborne pathogens such as Campylobacter and Salmonella. Both current and potential applications of prebiotics in alternative poultry production systems will be discussed in this review. Different sources and types of prebiotics that could be developed for alternative poultry production will also be explored.
Structure-property-processing relationships in extruded liquid crystal polymer film:

Liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) derive favorable mechanical, chemical, and electrical behavior from long-range molecular ordering. The microstructure gives rise to anisotropic bulk properties that a...
Dr. Catherine L. Newell, the Medical Humanities Minor, and the Study of Religion at the University of Miami

Although some still see the relationship between the sciences and humanities as dichotomous, scholars and non-scholars alike are acknowledging the conjoined histories of science and religion. As Dr. Catherine L. Newell suggests, the two categories have more in common than most realize. Drawing upon her research in their mutual histories and her administration of the Medical Humanities minor at the University of Miami, Newell highlights the potential growth such a perspective might provide for future and current health professionals alike.
Quadriplegia, an Unusual Outcome After Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: A Case Report.

Case A 68-year-old woman who underwent a C5 to C6 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery presented with new-onset postoperative quadriplegia. During discectomy, intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring alerted of a spinal cord (SC) dysfunction. The surgery was halted, and measures to ensure adequate SC perfusion were initiated. In the next 2-week follow-up, patient's motor deficit progressively improved. Conclusions We report an unusual and devastating outcome of new-onset quadriplegia after an elective ACDF and highlight the relevance of intraoperative monitoring during cervical spine surgery to early recognize and treat SC impending injury.
Regulating in Foresight Versus Judging Liability in Hindsight: The Case of Tobacco

Society can regulate consumer products either through ex post liability or ex ante regulation. In theory, either system can induce manufacturers to undertake precautions that are cost-effective, and only those precautions that are cost-effective. It is therefore difficult to determine why manufacturers, or society, would prefer one system over another. In practice, however, cognitive limitations of judges and juries can create incentives to take an excess of precautions in the liability system. People tend to see past events as more predictable than they really were, a phenomenon known as the hindsight bias. The hindsight bias leads courts to find defendants who took reasonable care negligent or even reckless. Consequently, the liability system can be more expensive than a regulatory system, both to potential defendants and to society. Cognitive biases in the liability system can therefore explain why the tobacco industry expressed interest in settlements that would mimic a regulatory system. The influence of the hindsight bias also suggests that ex ante regulation is more efficient and more fair than judging ex post liability in hindsight.
Medical management and rehabilitation in the workplace: Emerging issues

INTRODUCTIONThe articles in this issue were produced in conjunction with a symposium enti-tled “Ergonomic Barriers to Rehabilitation and Employment: A Symposium on Modelsand Methods” hosted by the University of Michigan Rehabilitation Engineering ResearchCenter: Ergonomic Solutions for Employment in Ann Arbor, Michigan on May 19 and 20,1999. This symposium was concerned with helping people overcome physical barriers toemployment with special emphasis on work-related musculoskeletal disorders.Manual work continues to be an important part of our industrial economy. A strongeconomyandrecordlowunemploymentratesof4%haveplacedparticularlyheavydemandson the American work force (1). Contributing to this trend is the growth of small industriesthat often rely on manual work methods, as opposed to automation, to achieve high levels ofproductivity with minimal capital investment. Manual labor often affords employers muchmore ﬂexibility in dealing with product mixes and schedules than can be achieved withautomation. In addition to the obvious economic necessities, work is also an important partof self-fulﬁllment.Unfortunately, there are still many in our society who need and want jobs, but areunable to obtain them as a result of congenital conditions, diseases or accidents. Accord-ing to Kraus et al. (2), the number of noninstitutionalized people in the United Stateswith a work disability is estimated to be 16.9 million, which represents 10.1% of theworking age population (16–64 years old). As might be expected, the prevalence of workdisabilities increases from 4% for the 16–24 age range to 23% for the 55–64 age range.The prevalence of severe work disability increased from 2.5% in the 16–24 age group to17.7% of those in the 54–65 range. According to LaPlanteet al. (3), the unemployment
Increased Fontanelle Tension as Early Sign of Cardiac Failure

We have recently noted that an increase in tension of the anterior fontanelle has preceded the usual signs and symptoms of cardiac failure in infancy. After reviewing the standard pediatric and cardiology textbooks and pertinent literature, we have found that this physical finding is not listed as a sign of heart failure in infancy. CASE 1: A newborn with dextrocardia (without situs inversus) had shown cyanosis, when oxygen was not administered, and tachypnea since birth.
Ceruloplasmin and alkaline phosphatase levels in cord serum of term, preterm, and physiologically jaundiced neonates

Ceruloplasmin levels were found to be significantly lower (35 per cent, p < 0.001) in cord serum from neonates who developed clinical physiological jaundice than in cord serum from normal newborns. Levels were also lower (35 per cent, p < 0.001) in preterm than in term infants. However, ceruloplasmin levels in cord serum were 25 to 30 per cent lower in neonates who developed clinical physiological jaundice than in normal infants of similar gestational age. No difference in alkaline phosphatase levels was observed between the term and preterm cord serum.
The sequence, organization, and expression of the major cysteine protease (cruzain) from Trypanosoma cruzi.

The complete sequence of the gene encoding the major cysteine protease from Trypanosoma cruzi is reported. The amino acid sequence predicted from the gene sequence aligns well with members of the papain family of cysteine proteases, suggesting the name cruzain. The sequence is most closely related to the cysteine protease of Trypanosoma brucei (59.3%) and the murine cathepsin L (42.2%). At least six copies of the gene are present in the genome and are organized in a tandem array of copies which are identical in all restriction endonuclease sites tested. The gene appears to be expressed in all developmental stages of T. cruzi with mRNA levels approximately 2-fold higher in the intracellular amastigote form. A copy of the T. cruzi gene was expressed in bacteria as an inactive, insoluble fusion polypeptide to approximately 5% of the total cell protein. The fusion protein was readily purified, solubilized in urea, and successfully refolded to produce a polyprotein which processed autocatalytically to yield approximately 1 mg of active protease per 3 g of wet cell paste. The processed form of the recombinant protease has an NH2-terminal sequence identical to that of the mature form of the protease purified from T. cruzi (Murta, A. C. M., Persechini, P. M., Souto-Padron, T., de Souza, W., Guimaraes, J. A., and Scharfstein, J. (1990) Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 43, 27-38; Cazzulo, J. J., Couso, R., Raimondi, A., Wernstedt, C., and Hellman, U. (1989) Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 33, 33-42). This suggests that the recombinant protease possesses the requisite specificity and activity to correctly process the proform of the protease in vitro. Kinetic assays with peptide substrates demonstrate that the substrate specificity and kinetic parameters for the recombinant protease are consistent with those of the endogenous protease. The proteolytic activity of the recombinant protease is enhanced by dithiothreitol, inhibited by leupeptin, N alpha-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone and trans-epoxysuccinyl-L-leucylamido(4-guanidino)butane (E-64) but is unaffected by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, pepstatin, and 1,10-phenanthroline. More specifically, the recombinant enzyme was inhibited by benzyloxycarbonyl-Phe-Arg-fluoromethyl ketone, which inhibits replication and differentiation of T. cruzi within mammalian cells in culture.
Isolated follicle-stimulating hormone deficiency in a woman with X chromosomal mosaicism

Primary amenorrhea was observed in a 40-year-old woman with a proportionate female habitus. Serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) (71 to 97 mIU/ml) and estradiol (less than 10 pg/ml) were in the postmenopausal range, while follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) remained at the lower limit of detection (1 to 6 mIU/ml). LH was found to be biologically active in a mouse Leydig cell testosterone production assay. Chromosomal analysis revealed three major cell lines: 5% 45,X; 83% 46,XX; and 3% 47,XXX. The remaining cells showed apparently random aneuploidy and chromosome rearrangements. Intravenous administration of 150 micrograms of gonadotropin-releasing hormone produced a threefold elevation in LH but did not alter FSH levels. Review of ovarian biopsies performed at age 22 revealed a multitude of primordial follicles and one follicle with antrum formation. There was no evidence of recent or past ovulation. An insulin tolerance test evoked normal responses in serum growth hormone, prolactin, and cortisol. This is the first reported case of an isolated deficiency of FSH associated with mosaicism of the X chromosome. This coexistence of functional and genetic aberrations suggests that the differential secretion of LH and FSH may be related to specific independent loci on the X chromosome.
Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging-assisted partial hoof wall resection for keratoma removal

Objectives: To (1) describe the computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearance of keratomas; (2) describe a CT- or MRI-assisted partial hoof wall resection technique for removal of keratomas; and (3) evaluate the morbidity and postoperative outcome of these horses. Study Design: Case series. Animals: Horses (n=10) with keratoma. Methods: Data retrieved from medical records included signalment, lameness duration and grade, physical and diagnostic evaluation findings, CT and MRI technique and findings, surgical details, histopathologic diagnosis, postoperative treatment, and complications experienced. Long-term outcome was obtained by telephone interviews of owners. Results: Complications including excessive granulation tissue formation and infection were seen in 2 horses (20%). No keratoma recurrence occurred. Follow-up information was available for 8 horses; 7 were sound and had resumed work. Mean time until they became sound was 2.7 months, and mean time until work resumed was 3.6 months. Conclusions: CT and MRI can be used to accurately identify the location of keratomas. Postoperative complications may be decreased by creating smaller hoof wall defects, filling the defects with antimicrobial-impregnated polymethylmethacrylate, and placing a shoe early in the postoperative period.
A 4-Gb/s/pin current mode 4-level simultaneous bidirectional I/O with current mismatch calibration

This paper describes a high speed current mode multilevel simultaneous bi-directional I/O which calibrates pin-to-pin current mismatch. Output impedance is controlled by an impedance matching circuit reducing process variation down to /spl plusmn/2.5%. Maximum 20% pin-to-pin current mismatch is reduced to 1.25% by 4-bit digital calibration scheme. Simulation results based on 0.18/spl mu/m CMOS process show that the proposed design achieves 4-Gb/s/pin data rate with 512ps timing window and 27mV voltage window. I/O circuits consume 12mW/pin at a supply voltage of 1V.
The National Storage System Foundation (NSSF)

The National Storage Industry Consortium (NSIC), an organization of universities and industrial companies involved in the field of data and image storage, has established the National Storage System Foundation (NSSF). NSIC/NSSF was organized to promote the development of high-performance, interoperable digital libraries to serve as repositories for national information assets. NSIC/NSSF has an inclusive organizational philosophy allowing any number of members with the same technology and product interests. It is open to universities, companies, and governmental agencies and laboratories. The general requirements for membership of a company in NSIC are that the company: engage in the development, manufacture, integration, and/or use of storage systems or components; perform a substantial portion of its storage research and development activities within the United States; and be eligible to receive United States federal research and development funds. >
Seismicity in South Carolina

The largest historical earthquake in South Carolina, and in the southeastern US, occurred in the Coastal Plain province, probably northwest of Charleston, in 1886. Locations for aftershocks associated with this earthquake, estimated using intensities based on newspaper accounts, defined a northwest trending zone about 250 km long that was at least 100 km wide in the Coastal Plain but widened to a northeast trending zone in the Piedmont. The subsequent historical and instrumentally recorded seismicity in South Carolina images the 1886 aftershock zone. Except for a few scattered earthquakes and a swarm of shallow (≤ 4 km deep), small ( M L ≤ 2.5), primarily reverse faulting earthquakes that occurred along the flanks of a granite pluton about 60 km northwest of Columbia, the seismicity in the Piedmont province has been associated with water level changes in reservoirs. Reservoir induced seismicity (RIS) is shallow (≤ 6 km deep), primarily strike-slip or thrust faulting corresponding to an inferred maximum horizontal compressive stress oriented approximately N 60° E. Instrumentally recorded seismicity in the Coastal Plain province occurs in 3 seismic zones or clusters: Middleton Place-Summerville (MPSSZ), Adams Run (ARC), and Bowman (BSZ). Approximately 68% of the Coastal Plain earthquakes occur in the MPSSZ, a north trending zone about 22 km long and 12 km wide, lying about 20 km northwest of Charleston. The hypocenters of MPSSZ earthquakes range in depth from near the surface to almost 12 km. Thrust, strike-slip, and some normal faulting are indicated by the fault plane solutions for Coastal Plain earthquakes. The maximum horizontal compressive stress, inferred from the P-axes of the fault plane solutions, is oriented NE-SW in the shallow crust (
Unexpected and facile bridgehead substitution in 5,6,7,8,9,10-hexahydro-5,9-methano-pyrimido[4,5-]azocin-4(3)-ones

Abstract Condensation of 2,6-diamino-4(3 H )-pyrimidinone with 2-cyclohexen-1-one gives a tricyclic product resulting from Michael addition followed by intramolecular hemiaminal formation. A methodology has been developed for reductive removal of the bridgehead hydroxyl group.
A new solution of the iverse shoran problem

There are two general types of shoran computations: (1) the direct case, in which the shoran dial reading, the aircraft altitude and other pertinent data are photographed on recorder film, and the data subsequently reduced to the geodetic distance, and (2) the inverse case, in which the geographic coordinates and altitude of ground station and aircraft are furnished, while the corrected shoran dial setting is desired. It is a solution to this second problem which is presented herein with a new approach which the author has chosen to name the ‘parallel radius method.’ The surface of the Earth is by-passed completely and computations are simple and rapid without loss of accuracy.
STATE OF THE ART OF STRUCTURAL CONTROL

In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to research and development of structural control devices, with particular emphasis on alleviation of wind and seismic response of buildings and bridges. In both areas, serious efforts have been undertaken in the last two decades to develop the structural control concept into a workable technology. Full-scale implementation of active control systems have been accomplished in several structures, mainly in Japan; however, cost effectiveness and reliability considerations have limited their wide spread acceptance. Because of their mechanical simplicity, low power requirements, and large, controllable force capacity, semiactive systems provide an attractive alternative to active and hybrid control systems for structural vibration reduction. In this paper we review the recent and rapid developments in semiactive structural control and its implementation in full-scale structures.
Structure of CF4 multilayers on (0001) surfaces of graphite and hydroxylated $alpha$-quartz: A molecular dynamics study

Abstract We present findings from a recent molecular dynamics study of multilayer adsorption of tetrafluoromethane ( CF 4 ) onto two atomically flat but chemically and structurally different substrates: graphite (hydrophobic) and hydroxylated α -quartz (hydrophilic). Simulations in this study were carried out at temperatures in the range of 60–120 K. Subsequent analysis shows that the structure and character of the substrate surface play a large role in whether adsorbed films exhibit packing arrangements that are highly ordered or are subject to a high degree of temperature dependence. Additionally, flexible hydroxyl groups on the surface of hydroxylated α -quartz are shown to arrange themselves in a zig-zag pattern that creates an array of hexagonal domains which determine the allowed CF 4 adsorption sites.
ADJUVANT THERAPY FOR PANCREATIC CANCER: Current Treatment Approaches and Future Challenges

According to data from the American Cancer Society, pancreatic carcinoma will affect 28,300 people in the year 2000; 28,200 will die from the disease. Pancreatic carcinoma is the fourth leading cause of mortality from malignant disease in the United States. For all stages combined, the 1-year survival rate is 19%, and the 5-year survival rate is 4%. 53,64 At presentation, only 20% of patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas have resectable tumors, an additional 40% have locally advanced disease, and the remaining 40% have metastatic disease. Of those patients with grossly resectable disease, 25% to 60% have at least microscopically positive margins of resection. 1,48,82,85,86,89 The median survival time for patients who have undergone a margin-positive resection is less than 1 year and is essentially the same as that seen in those patients with locally advanced disease treated with nonoperative palliative chemoradiation. In fact, with or without positive margins, the outcome is poor with surgery alone, as evidenced by local recurrence rates of 50% to 86%, peritoneal seeding rates of 40%, and liver metastases rates of 60% to 90%. 11,26,32,43,74,78,84 Both preoperative and postoperative irradiation have been used to reduce the incidence of local failure after radical surgery. Radiation alone, or combined with chemotherapy, has been used to treat patients not amenable to radical surgery. This chapter will discuss the development of adjuvant therapy programs for pancreatic carcinoma, current treatment approaches, and future challenges for managing this disease.
X-ray determination of the composition profiles and diffusion generated substructure for small diffusion zones

Abstract An X-ray diffraction technique has been developed which may be used to determine composition profiles and the diffusion generated substructure along small diffusion zones. This technique has been applied in the case of a single-phase solid solution; however, the methods are also applicable to multiphase systems. Data are presented for a system containing 8 μ m of nickel electroplated onto an oriented single crystal of copper diffused at 900 °C. Diffusion coefficients calculated from the composition profiles are in good agreement with coefficients obtained by more conventional techniques. It was found that diffusion-generated crystal misorientation can be related to the lattice parameter gradient under certain conditions.
Infantile tremor syndrome in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Objective : To describe a rare condition that occurred for the first time in Iraqi Kurdistan during the UN Sanctions on Iraq in the nireties. Literature review was made to fine possible causes.Methods : Patients were collected from various sources including private clinics, hospital outpatient clinics and the Centre for Handicapped Children in the city of Arbil. Clinical features and proper history were the main diagnostic tools. Different treatment regimes were used on those patients.Results : 24 patients were collected; the majority was between 6–18 months. Males were more affected than females. Half of the patients were exclusively breast-fed and three quarter have received blood for anemia.Conclusion : Infantile tremor syndrome is a rare condition which was described both in India and outside India as well. It was observed among children in Iraqi Kurdistan during the difficult economic sitution under the UN Sanctions. The condition has the same features inside and outside India. The etiology is not very clear yet.
Simultaneous diagonalization of rectangular complex matrices

Abstract A number of necessary and sufficient conditions are given for the existence of unitary matrices U and V , such that UAV is a diagonal matrix for every matrix A in some set Γ of rectangular complex matrices. Two related questions are then considered. A necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of unitary matrices U and V such that UAV is a real diagonal matrix for every A in Γ is obtained, and an improvement on a necessary and sufficient condition discovered by R.C. Thompson for the existence of real orthogonal matrices P and Q such that PAQ is a diagonal matrix for every A in Γ is given.
Ultrafast Diffraction Imaging of the Electrocyclic Ring-Opening Reaction of 1,3-Cyclohexadiene

Changes in electron diffraction patterns are observed on ultrashort time scales upon irradiation of 1,3-cyclohexadiene with femtosecond laser pulses. 1,3- Cyclohexadiene is known to experience a ring opening reaction to hexatriene upon excitation to the 1B2 electronic state. Internal conversion brings the molecule to a saddle point, from where one pathway leads back to cyclohexadiene, while another path generates 1,3,5-hexatriene in one of its isomeric forms. Structural observations are made at picosecond time delays using an ultrashort electron pulse that is diffracted off the nascent product molecules. The diffraction images illustrate that structural observations of prototypical organic reactions can be made in real time, opening a new methodology to study chemical reaction dynamics.
Increased utilization of foster care among drug-exposed infants after implementation of state law to decriminalize gestational substance use† 164

Aims: Concerns about perinatal substance use and the association with child abuse and neglect led to legislative changes in 1991 to promote family preservation rather than foster care placement. In an urban California public hospital, we analyzed the disposition of three cohorts of drug-exposed infants born before and after implementation of this law.
Photodegradation of aramids. I. Irradiation in the absence of oxygen

The photolysis reactions of a series of isomeric fully aromatic polyamides (aramids) have been investigated in the absence of oxygen by ultraviolet and luminescence spectroscopy. Several of the aramids were found to undergo photo-Fries rearrangements to give 2-aminobenzophenone backbone units when irradiated either as films, fibers, or dissolved in liquids. Quantum yields for this rearrangement were low, < 1 × 10−6 mole/einstein, and increased with decreasing aramid glass transition temperature and increasing backbone mobility. The formation of gel, carbon monoxide, and a strong ESR signal were consistent with a free-radical mechanism for the rearrangement.
Evaluation of the contribution of platelets to clot strength by thromboelastography in rabbits: the role of tissue factor and cytochalasin D.

UNLABELLED The contribution of platelets and soluble clotting components to clot strength has been the focus of several clinical studies using thromboelastography; it would, therefore, be beneficial to develop an animal model with which to mechanistically approach hemostatic disorders. Thus, we proposed to determine if the contribution of platelet function (G(P), dyne/cm(2)) and soluble components of the coagulation pathway to total clot strength (G(T)) in rabbits were similar to those in humans. Blood was sampled from the ear arteries of conscious rabbits (n = 12); 350 microL of the blood was placed in a thromboelastograph. Ten microliters of normal saline, cytochalasin D (an inhibitor of microtubule function, 10 microM final concentration), or tissue factor (a potent stimulator of platelet function, 0.00625% final concentration) was added to the blood sample, and thromboelastography performed for 1 h. The G(T) (mean +/- SD) was significantly (P < 0.001) different among samples exposed to normal saline, cytochalasin D, or tissue factor, with G(T) values of 7238 +/- 1432, 937 +/- 372, and 16,556 +/- 3314, respectively. G(P) was responsible for 87% and 94% of G(T) in the absence or presence of tissue factor, respectively. G(P) did not significantly correlate with platelet concentration in the absence or presence of tissue factor. The contribution of G(P) to G(T) is similar to that observed in humans. IMPLICATIONS Rabbits may serve as a model of hemostasis that closely approximates human situations to mechanistically determine the etiology of coagulopathy. The contribution of platelet function to total clot strength is similar to that observed in humans.
Wind Tunnel Evaluation of PAM II Pressure Ports

Abstract The Portable Automated Mesonet II (PAM II) is a network of automated remote weather stations developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) for measuring wind speed and direction, atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, and precipitation. The atmospheric pressure is measured with a pressure transducer connected to the central opening of a round disk—the pressure port. Wind tunnel tests were conducted to determine wind effects an the atmospheric pressure measured with this port. Three port designs were tested in the wind tunnel and their performances were compared. It was found that the two with symmetric edges performed the best at high wind speeds. The expected pressure errors were evaluated for normal PAM II operation and were generally found to be less than the rms error in the pressure transducers. For special circumstances where these pressure errors cannot be neglected, the wind tunnel data and the procedures discussed here can be used to make appropriate corrections ...
Abnormal voiding and urinary tract infection

The study of voiding dynamic in children with recurrent or persistent urinary tract infection or symptomatic distal urethral stenosis reveals a functionally obstructive pattern which could have an etiologic relationship to the initiation and perpetuation of the infection. Our studies incriminate spasm of the striated external sphincter as the functionally obstructive mechanism.
Multi-Dimensional, MultiStep Negotiation

We present a multi-dimensional, multi-step negotiation mechanism for task allocation among cooperative agents based on distributed search. This mechanism uses marginal utility gain and marginal utility cost to structure this search process, so as to find a solution that maximizes the agents' combined utility. These two utility values together with temporal constraints summarize the agents' local information and reduce the communication load. This mechanism is anytime in character: by investing more time, the agents increase the likelihood of getting a better solution. We also introduce a multiple attribute utility function into negotiations. This allows agents to negotiate over the multiple attributes of the commitment, which produces more options, making it more likely for agents to find a solution that increases the global utility. A set of protocols are constructed and the experimental result shows a phase transition phenomenon as the complexity of negotiation situation changes. A measure of negotiation complexity is developed that can be used by an agent to choose an appropriate protocol, allowing the agents to explicitly balance the gain from the negotiation and the resource usage of the negotiation.
Applications of pulsed lasers in low-temperature thin film electronics fabrication

For the past several years, our group has focused on the development of polysilicon thin film transistor (TFT) processes having maximum allowable substrate temperatures between 100 degree(s) to 350 degree(s)C. These processes are based on excimer laser crystallization of low temperature deposited a-Si thin films combined with low temperature deposited dielectrics and self-aligned gate TFT structures. We have also developed a laser-based, source-drain-gate doping/annealing process. Typical n-channel TFT mobilities found are (mu) napproximately 150 cm2/V-s for the 100 degree(s)C process and approximately 400 cm2/V-s for the 350 degree(s)C process. In this paper we describe the basic processes and process physics. We then show results for TFTs fabricated at a variety of maximum substrate temperatures and a-Si deposition techniques.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Tricritical Transitions, Interface Roughening, and the Classical XY Model

Space renormalization group calculations are performed for a class of spin-$S$ Ising systems, using a modification of Migdal's recursion relation. Interface-roughening models are obtained when $S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$ and tricritical points and critical lines become the roughening temperature and rough phase. The latter corresponds to the low-temperature phases of the classical Coulomb gas and two-dimensional $\mathrm{XY}$ model and implications for the $\mathrm{XY}$-model exponent $\ensuremath{\eta}$ are discussed.
Effectively approximating measurable sets by open sets

We examine an effective version of the standard fact from analysis which says that, for any @e>0 and any Lebesgue-measurable subset of Cantor space, X@?2^@w, there is an open set U"@e@?2^@w,U"@e@?X, such that @m(U"@e)@?@m(X)+@e, where @m(Z) denotes the Lebesgue measure of Z@?2^@w, that arises naturally in the context of algorithmic randomness. More specifically, our main result shows that for any given rational numbers 0@?@e<@e^'@?1, and uniformly computably enumerable sequence {U"n}"n"@?"@w of @S"1^0-classes such that (@?n)[@m(U"n)@?@e], there exists a @S"1^0^,^0^@?^^^'-class, Y, such that Y@?lim inf"nU"n, and @m(Y)@?@e^'. Moreover, Y can be obtained uniformly from @e,@e^', and a u.c.e. index for {U"n}"n"@?"@w. This answers a recent question of Bienvenu, Muchnik, Shen, and Vereshchagin. We also determine the truth-values of several modifications of our main result, showing that several similar, but stronger, statements are false.
“IT IS A GIFT FROM THE CREATOR TO KEEP US IN HARMONY:” ORIGINAL (VS. ALTERNATIVE) DISPUTE RESOLUTION ON THE NAVAJO NATION

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) has attracted a great deal of attention as a method of reducing both the financial and emotional costs of litigation. It appears that simply moving cases from t...
Carbon dioxide in petrogenesis III: role of volatiles in the ascent of alkaline magma with special reference to xenolith-bearing mafic lavas

Kinetic and fluid dynamic constraints on deep-seated magma migration rates suggest ascent velocities in the range 10 to 30 m/s, 10−1 to 10 m/s and 10−2 to 5 m/s for kimberlitic, garnet peridotite-bearing and spinel peridotite-bearing alkalic magmas. These rates virtually demand translithospheric magma transport by a fracture as opposed to diapiric mechanism. The hypothesis that volatile exsolution accelerates magma through the deep lithosphere is tested by solution of the appropriate set of conservation, mass balance and volatile component solubility equations governing the steady ascent (decompression) of compressible, two-phase magma (melt+H2O+CO2) in which irreversible phenomena (friction, heat transfer) are accounted for. The results of the numerical experiments were designed to test the importance of melt bulk composition (kimberlite, nephelinite, alkali basalt), initial conditions (mass flux (M), heat transfer coefficient (B), lumped friction factor (C f )), conduit width (D), initial magma volatile content and geothermal gradients. The fractional increase in ascent rate (Δu/u i ) is rarely greater than approximately 2 during translithospheric migration. The propellant hypothesis is rejected as a first-order mechanism driving magma acceleration during ascent. The most influential parameters governing ascent dynamics are M, C f , D, B and the geotherm. Because of the relatively incompressible nature of the magmatic volatile phase at P>100 MPa, the initial magma volatile content plays a secondary (although demonstrable) role. The main role of volatiles is in controlling the initial magma flux (M) and the magma pressure during ascent. In adiabatic (B=0) simulations, magma ascends nearly isothermally. Generally, however, the assumption of adiabaticity is a poor one especially for flow through narrow (0.5 to 2 m) conduits in old (cold) lithosphere at rates ∼10−1 m/s. The proposed fluid dynamic model is consistent with and complementary to the magma-driven crack propagation models. The generation of mantle metasomatic fluid is a corollary of the non-adiabatic ascent of volatile-bearing magma through the lithosphere. Magma heat death is an important process for the creation of mantle heterogeneity.
Deletion of PSCA increases metastasis of TRAMP-induced prostate tumors without altering primary tumor formation.

BACKGROUND Prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) is expressed in normal epithelium of various tissues, in embryos and adult animals. PSCA expression is upregulated in up to 70% of prostate tumors and metastases, and a subset of bladder and pancreatic cancers. However, its function is unknown. We studied the effect of targeted gene deletion of PSCA on normal organ development and prostate carcinogenesis. METHODS PSCA +/+, PSCA +/−, and PSCA −/− mice were bred and aged to 22 months. A cohort of animals was treated with γ-irradiation at 2 and 6 months of age. PSCA knockout mice were crossed to TRAMP mice and TRAMP+ PSCA +/+, TRAMP+ PSCA +/−, and TRAMP+ PSCA −/− mice and offspring aged to 10 months of age. Tissues were analyzed by RT-PCR, histology, and immunohistochemistry for markers of proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and tumor progression. RESULTS PSCA knockout animals were viable, fertile and indistinguishable from wild-type littermates. Spontaneous or radiation-induced primary epithelial tumor formation was also similar in wild-type and PSCA knockout mice. We observed an increased frequency of metastasis in TRAMP+ PSCA heterozygous and knockout mice, compared to TRAMP+ wild-type mice. Metastases were largely negative for PSCA and androgen receptor. Cleaved-caspase 3 and CD31 staining was similar in all genotypes. Aurora-A and Aurora-B kinases were detected in the cytoplasm of PSCA heterozygous and knockout tumors, suggesting aberrant kinase function. CONCLUSION These data suggest that PSCA may play a role in limiting tumor progression in certain contexts, and deletion of PSCA may promote tumor migration and metastasis. Prostate 68: 139–151, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Interpersonal relations in international organizations

Abstract Part I of this paper is a review of the literature concerning the effects of culture on cognition. The relevance of these studies to interpersonal relations in international organizations is explored. A number of broad hypotheses are suggested. At a more specific level three hypotheses are presented. In the case of high-status visitors working in a low-status culture: (1), the visitor's stereotype of the hosts will be negative; (2) the visitor's stereotype of the host culture will be more negative than the stereotype of members of the visitor's culture who have not come into face-to-face relationships with the host culture; and (3) the stereotype of the hosts toward the visitors will be negative, but will also reflect the presumed higher competence of the visitors. Part II reports a study which supports these hypotheses.
Titles and abstracts: mathematical symbolic manipulation on the computer and applications

In 1973 G. E. Collins gave a new quantifier elimination algorithm for the first order theory of real closed fields. We utilize the main ideas of this algorithm to prove that any real algebraic variety (in fact, any semi-algebraic set) can be decomposed into a finite union of open cells.
Azido-iodo-N-benzyl derivatives of threo-methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta): Rational design, synthesis, pharmacological evaluation, and dopamine transporter photoaffinity labeling.

Abstract In contrast to tropane-based compounds such as benztropine and cocaine, non-tropane-based photoaffinity ligands for the dopamine transporter (DAT) are relatively unexplored. Towards addressing this knowledge gap, ligands were synthesized in which the piperidine nitrogen of 3- and 4-iodomethylphenidate was substituted with a benzyl group bearing a photoreactive azide. Analog (±)-3a demonstrated modest DAT affinity and a radioiodinated version was shown to bind covalently to rat striatal DAT and hDAT expressed in cultured cells. Co-incubation of (±)-3a with nonradioactive d -(+)-methylphenidate or (−)-2-β-carbomethoxy-3-β-(4-fluorophenyl)tropane (β-CFT, WIN-35,428, a cocaine analog) blocked DAT labeling. Compound (±)-3a represents the first successful example of a DAT photoaffinity ligand based on the methylphenidate scaffold. Such ligands are expected to assist in mapping non-tropane ligand-binding pockets within plasma membrane monoamine transporters.
Reactive Intermediates and the Pathogenesis of Adverse Drug Reactions: The Toxicology Perspective

Severe adverse drug responses are infrequent but occasionally serious events that are not readily predictable at the preclinical development level using only non-human or in vitro models. A common characteristic of the more serious toxicities is generation of short-lived and highly reactive electrophilic species in some individuals. The objective here is to review the literature for toxicological mechanisms that underlie known adverse drug reactions and then categorize the biological consequences of reactive chemical intermediates and radicals in terms of human risk factors and known metabolic variables. Xenobiotics described as being associated with rare but potentially serious adverse events affecting liver, skin, or causing blood dyscrasias tend to have three of four essential characteristics, (1) they are capable of forming short-lived reactive intermediates (RI) or free radicals in target tissues under ideal conditions that are distinct from primary metabolic products, (2) these RI escape/overwhelm the detoxification mechanisms associated with the site of origin or form toxic conjugates, (3) the unconjugated RI must either selectively damage critical proteins or other key macromolecules or (4) the RI acts as a hapten and stimulates an immunological (hypersensitivity) response or overcomes tolerance. Some risk factors may increase the probability of susceptibility, but this remains an active area of research. Because of the complexity of the pathogenesis of some injuries and the role of individual factors, no highly predictive in vitro screening methods are available; however, several methods are evolving that may be used to reveal mechanisms of action when a serious adverse effect is encountered.
Antimitochondrial Antibody–Negative Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

There is a subset of patients who have biochemical and histologic features consistent with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) who lack antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA). This entity is usually referred to as AMA-negative PBC or alternatively autoimmune cholangitis. Patients who have AMA-negative PBC are believed to have a similar clinical course, response to treatment, and prognosis as their AMA-positive counterparts. As more sensitive and specific serologic tests are developed to detect serum AMA, it is possible we may find that these patients initially believed to be AMA-negative are indeed AMA-positive, suggesting a single disease process.
A new analysis of intermittence, scale invariance and characteristic scales applied to the behavior of financial indices near a crash

Abstract This work is devoted to the study of the relation between intermittence and scale invariance, and applications to the behavior of financial indices near a crash. We developed a numerical analysis that predicts the critical date of a financial index, and we apply the model to the analysis of several financial indices. We were able to obtain optimum values for the critical date, corresponding to the most probable date of the crash. We only used data from before the true crash date in order to obtain the predicted critical date. The good numerical results validate the model.
A Step-Frequency Radar Imaging System for Microwave Nondestructive Evaluation - Abstract *

We describe a step-frequency radar (SFR) imaging system that is suitable for microwave nondestructive evaluation (NDE) applications. The system includes a computer-automated microwave measurement apparatus, calibration software, and nonlinear inverse scattering imaging algorithms. Through the use of an inverse Fourier transform, the raw SFR data is transformed into a synthetic time-domain pulse. A calibration procedure involving the use of calibration targets may then be used to remove pulse distortions due to the effective aperture and dispersive nature of the antennas and measurement system. Nonlinear inverse scattering algorithms described here are then applied to the corrected data to produce quantitative spatial images of various electromagnetic parameters. Reconstructions of metallic and dielectric scattering objects including metallic rods, glass rods and plastic PVC pipes from real measurement data collected in our laboratory are shown.
The domestic context of production and reproduction in a Guatemalan community.

This paper investigates the relationship between fertility and domestic adjustments that people have made to changing conditions of production and consumption in a rural community in western Guatemala. Present and past systems of production and the domestic factors affecting the timing of family formation and the incidence of sexual activity within unions are described. Analyses of variance for demographic variables among three productive sectors reveals that the greatest changes in fertility over time have occurred in the families of labor-intensive garlic producers and in those of poor basketmaking specialists. The results are discussed as direct and indirect outcomes of earlier family formation due to recurrent labor crises and chronic subsistence stress.
Cognitive and hormonal factors affecting coital frequency

Sexual behavior of female undergraduates was assessed by daily questionnaires. Of the 24 subjects, 13 were taking oral contraceptives (“pill” subjects) and 11 were using other methods of birth control (“nonpill” subjects), primarily diaphragm or male prophylactic methods. Three main results were obtained: (1) Intercourse rates were lowest during menstruation and highest immediately following menstruation. (2) Self-rated sexual arousal on a given day correlated with the type of heterosexual encounters on that day rather than with period of the menstrual cycle. (3) Pill subjects reported intercourse on more days than nonpill subjects but reported a lower number of intercourse sessions on days with intercourse than nonpill subjects. These results are interpreted within a general framework of sexual behavior which recognizes the sexual behavior of humans as primarily influenced by cultural and cognitive factors. The possibility is discussed that female sexual behavior might also be found to be affected by hormones if more sensitive measures were used.