cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Radiation Shielding Information Center a technical information service for nuclear engineers

Abstract The Radiation Shielding Information Center (RSIC) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA, is a technical institute serving the international scientific community. It serves those engaged in research and development for the design of shields that provide protection from biological and physical damage due to penetrating, ionizing radiation. The Center is sponsored by the United States Atomic Energy Commission (USAEC) under contract with the Union Carbide Corporation and is also supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Defense Atomic Support Agency (DASA). In serving the interests of these agencies, RSIC is concerned with the shielding of radiation from nuclear reactors, nuclear weapons, radioisotopes, accelerators, and radiation present in space.
7057 Esophageal dilation for stenotic esophageal cancer prior to eus. is it still contraindicated in 1999

Background/Aim: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has become a valuable tool in the staging of esophageal carcinoma. However, a complete examination is precluded in 20-38% of cases due to a high grade stricture at time of initial presentation. Dilation and endosonographic staging in these patients has been associated with a 25% perforation rate. In patients in whom a complete evaluation is performed, a correlation has been shown between preoperative EUS findings and the survival and surgical outcomes. Due to advancements in echoendoscope design and improvement in dilation accessories, we reviewed the outcome of patients with malignant stenotic esophageal cancer who underwent endoscopic esophageal dilation prior to EUS staging. Methods: This was an analysis of 25 patients who presented to our institution (4/98 - 11/99) for evaluation of esophageal carcinoma. The patients with stenotic esophageal carcinoma were dilated using serially inflated TTS (through-the-scope) balloon dilators. Immediately after the dilatation, a radial and then curvi-linear array echoendoscope were passed and imaging performed. If suspicious lymph nodes were seen, they were biopsied and then examined by a cyto-pathologist present in the room during the procedure. Results: Of the 25 patients, 10 (40%) had strictures preventing passage of a diagnostic endoscope and required dilatation. Nine out of the 10 (90%) dilations were successful. The dilatation range was 12mm to 16mm. All of the 10 cases were staged by EUS. Three (30%) were stage IV diagnosed by positive celiac lymph node fine needle aspiration (FNA), one (10%) was staged as IIB and six (60%) were staged as III. One tumor out of 10 was understaged. There were no complications due to dilatation. Thirteen patients (52%) underwent nodal FNA. Nine (69%)that were positive, 7 (78%) were celiac nodes and were diagnosed as stage IV disease. Two patients (22%) had positive para-esophageal nodes and were also found to have metastatic disease and, therefore, stage IV cancers. Four out of 13 (31%) FNA's were negative and 3 (75%) out of 4 were truly negative when compared to resection specimens. Conclusion: EUS after dilatation changed management in 30% of the patients with high-grade esophageal stenosis by demonstrating celiac node metastasis. These patients underwent chemo-radiation instead of surgery. The accuracy rate of FNA was 92%. In summary, recent modifications in scope design and dilatation accessories have improved our ability to safely perform complete esophageal cancer staging.
Assessment of therapeutic response and treatment planning for brain tumors using metabolic and physiological MRI

MRI is routinely used for diagnosis, treatment planning and assessment of response to therapy for patients with glioma. Gliomas are spatially heterogeneous and infiltrative lesions that are quite variable in terms of their response to therapy. Patients classified as having low-grade histology have a median overall survival of 7 years or more, but need to be monitored carefully to make sure that their tumor does not upgrade to a more malignant phenotype. Patients with the most aggressive grade IV histology have a median overall survival of 12-15 months and often undergo multiple surgeries and adjuvant therapies in an attempt to control their disease. Despite improvements in the spatial resolution and sensitivity of anatomic images, there remain considerable ambiguities in the interpretation of changes in the size of the gadolinium-enhancing lesion on T(1) -weighted images as a measure of treatment response, and in differentiating between treatment effects and infiltrating tumor within the larger T(2) lesion. The planning of focal therapies, such as surgery, radiation and targeted drug delivery, as well as a more reliable assessment of the response to therapy, would benefit considerably from the integration of metabolic and physiological imaging techniques into routine clinical MR examinations. Advanced methods that have been shown to provide valuable data for patients with glioma are diffusion, perfusion and spectroscopic imaging. Multiparametric examinations that include the acquisition of such data are able to assess tumor cellularity, hypoxia, disruption of normal tissue architecture, changes in vascular density and vessel permeability, in addition to the standard measures of changes in the volume of enhancing and nonenhancing anatomic lesions. This is particularly critical for the interpretation of the results of Phase I and Phase II clinical trials of novel therapies, which are increasingly including agents that are designed to have anti-angiogenic and anti-proliferative properties as opposed to having a direct effect on tumor cell viability.
Tumor size/symptom duration ratio as a prognostic factor in patients with high-grade soft tissue sarcomas.

Two hundred sixty-seven patients with high-grade (G2, G3) soft tissue sarcomas but without distant metastases, were studied retrospectively with respect to their duration of symptoms and size of tumor. Prognosis was significantly related to the size of the tumor (P = 0.0039). Small tumors (5 cm or less) had a 5-year survival rate of 49% compared to 28% for large tumors (more than 5 cm in diameter). Symptom duration was not related significantly to survival time (P = 0.2490). The ratio of the size of the tumor (greatest diameter, recorded in cm) to duration of symptoms (recorded in months), reflecting the growth rate of the tumor, is introduced as a potentially important prognostic variable. Analysis revealed a highly significant relation between an increasing size/duration ratio and shorter overall survival time (P < 0.0001) and time to distant metastases (P = 0.0034). Moreover, an optimal cut-off point of 1.0 for the size/duration ratio offers prognostic information independent of the G-TNM classification and other prognostic factors.
The perturbative calculation of the spin-spin correlation finction in the two dimensional Ising model

Abstract Using the variational formula for operator product coefficients a method for perturbative calculation of the short-distance expansion of the spin-spin correlation function in the two dimensional Ising model is presented. Results of explicit calculation up to third order agree with known results from the scaling limit of the lattice calculation.
A tetranuclear dianion consisting of linked dirhenate units arranged in an infinite one-dimensional chain through ligand–ligand hydrogen bonding in the solid state

Abstract The reaction of 1,4-dicyanobenzene with tetrabutylammonium octachlorodirhenate in refluxing ethanol, in the presence of excess water, produces a tetrarhenate dianion in which ligand hydrolysis results in a unique structure. In this structure, two dirhenium units are linked by a benzene-1,4-dicarboxamidate ligand. The product has been characterized by X-ray crystallography and spectroscopic means. In the crystallographically-determined structure, the tetrarhenate dianions are joined by hydrogen bonding into an infinite one-dimensional chain with a ‘zigzag’ motif.
Illuminant estimation using constrained Minkowski norms

Colour constancy algorithms attempt to estimate and then remove the colour of the prevailing illuminant. Since, only when this is done, can image colour be used as a cue for reflectance and so usefully subserve tasks such as tracking and recognition. Broadly speaking, there are two ways to estimate the illuminant. First, we might calculate a simple statistic, such as the mean, from the image and argue that this should correlate with light colour. Second, we incorporate physical knowledge and probabilistic inference to arrive at the estimate. The latter approach results in significantly better performance though, often at significant computational cost. In this paper we present a simple statistical approach which, given only knowledge of the RGBs of typical lights, results in performance close to that delivered by more complex algorithms. The paper begins with the observation that the two simplest statistical estimators, the mean and max RGB responses, are respectively the L1 and L∞ norms. We show then that an LP norm might also be used as an estimator. The theory is then developed to allow a prior constraint to be placed on the illuminant (natural and artificial lights are often bluish, whitish and yellowish but are rarely purple). Experiments on the Simon Fraser calibrated data set show that the illuminant can be reliably estimated using a constrained L4 norm. Moreover, performance is comparable to the most advanced methods.
Relative Projectivity and Ideals in Cohomology Rings

Abstract In this paper we explore one aspect of the relationship between group cohomology and representation theory. For a finite groupGand a fieldkin characteristicp>0, ideals in the cohomology ringH*(G, k) can sometimes be characterized by exact sequences ofkG-modules in much the same way that elements of ExtkGare classically represented by exact sequences. Furthermore the maps on the stable category which represent the exact sequences have functorial properties which mimic the structure of the ideas in the ring. The natural setting for this study is the relative homological algebra for the module category, relative to the subcategory generated by a single module using the tensor product operation.
ABO blood types: influence on infarct size, procedural characteristics and prognosis.

Abstract Introduction Patients with non-O blood groups have higher plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF) levels than those with type O. vWF mediates platelet adhesion, aggregation and thrombosis. These considerations likely explain the prior observations that non-O patients have higher rates of arterial and venous thromboembolic events. However, the effect of blood group status on size of MI, procedural findings and outcomes after PCI for MI have not been reported. Methods We analyzed 1198 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction between 10/03 and 8/06, and who had ABO blood group status and clinical follow-up. Results and conclusions Patients with O blood type were slightly older (62 ± 13 vs. 60 ± 13years; p = 0.017) had a higher prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (67% vs. 58%; p = 0.002), and had a higher burden of atherosclerosis with more vascular disease (17% vs. 13%; p = 0.017) and higher prevalence of previous PCI (22% vs. 17%; p = 0.025). Non-O blood group patients had larger infarcts as measured by median peak troponin (33 vs. 24; p = 0.037), total CK (721 vs. 532; p = 0.012) and CK-MB (101 vs. 68; p = 0.010). At PCI, non-O patients had increased visible thrombus and reduced TIMI flow pre-procedure. However, there were no differences in procedural success, in-hospital blood transfusion or occurrence of MACE at 1year follow-up. Our data demonstrate that non-O compared to O blood groups patients have higher thrombus burden despite less extensive atherosclerosis. Nevertheless, outcomes at 1year were similar.
Classification using first-stage rank nearest neighbor rule for multiple classes

Abstract In this article, the first-stage rank nearest neighbor (RNN) rule is used to classify an unknown observation into one of the s (⩾2) populations (or classes). We derive the asymptotic risk (i.e., the total probability of misclassification) (TPMC)) of this rule, which turns out to be exactly the same as the limiting risk of the 1-NN rule of Cover and Hart (1967) for s classes. The proposed estimate of the limiting TPMC of the first-stage RNN rule is shown to be asymptotically unbiased and consistent. Finally, Monte Carlo results are reported to learn the performance of the first-stage RNN rule in comparison with the 1-NN rule in a small sample situation.
Polarization current distribution and electrochemical impedance response of reinforced concrete when using guard ring electrodes

The electrochemical impedance response of reinforced concrete is complicated by the presence of extended corrosion macrocells and the relatively high resistance of the electrolytic medium. Guard ring electrodes are used in an attempt to confine the excitation current so that the reinforcing steel area sampled by the measurement is well defined. In order to better understand the application of guard electrodes, a simplified system has been analyzed by numerical modeling to address the relative distribution of ac current over the rebar for representative situations. The difference between actual corrosion current and EIS-evaluated value is computed for each case, with emphasis on quantitative factors affecting measurement error.
A computer simulation program for the study of cellular growth kinetics and its application to the analysis of human lymphoma cells in vitro.

Abstract A computer simulation program (CELLSIM) is described. The simple language and principles and the flexibility of the program allow biologists to simulate a variety of kinetic behaviours of growing cell populations. The program was evaluated on data obtained from a cultured human lymphoid cell line. Parameters assessed by the model gave values which were almost identical to those determined experimentally.
Midlife marriage: sex differences in evaluation and perspectives.

Perceptions of marital relations are examined in a white middle and lower-middle class sample representing three life stages: newly weds, middle-aged parents facing the empty nest, and persons about to retire. Descriptions of spouses are analyzed in terms of positive/negative evaluations and the respective importance given to role and interpersonal components of the marital relationship. Middle-aged respondents were shown to place greater emphasis on role performance than did the remaining groups, and middle-aged women gave the least positive evaluations of marriage. Midlife marital satisfaction is examined in relationship to affect toward children, socioeconomic status, value orientations, and life satisfaction.
Comparison of three different surgical procedures for genuine stress incontinence: prospective randomized study.

Abstract One hundred seven consecutive patients with clinical and urodynamic findings of genuine stress incontinence not previously treated were prospectively allocated in a randomized manner to one of three surgical procedures: anterior colporrhaphy, revised Pereyra procedure, or Burch retropubic urethropexy. Randomization included the surgical procedure and choice of surgeon (one of the three authors). Clinical and urodynamic evaluations were repeated at 3 months and 1 year after surgery. Differences in cure rates among the three procedures at the 3-month postoperative evaluation were insignificant (82%, 84%, and 92% for the anterior colporrhaphy, Pereyra, and Burch respectively) but became statistically significant at the 1 year postoperative evaluation (cure rates of 65%, 72%, and 91% for the anterior colporrhaphy, Pereyra, and Burch respectively, p
Gender Influence on Specialists’ Ratings of Residency Program Candidates

Sexism has been perceived at all levels of medical education. Although specialty training has been scrutinized from various perspectives, there have been few objective assessments of sexual discrimination in the selection of candidates. This study evaluates the responses of board-certified physicians to fictional residency applicants’ personal statements, which were identical except for gender. Male and female physicians from six specialties in which women were overrepresented and six specialties in which women were underrepresented all favored female candidates. Female physicians in both groups rated male candidates as less hardworking than did male physicians. Implications of these and other findings are discussed.
An automated approach to mapping corn from Landsat imagery

Abstract Most land cover maps generated from Landsat imagery involve classification of a wide variety of land cover types, whereas some studies may only need spatial information on a single cover type. For example, we required a map of corn in order to estimate exposure to agricultural chemicals for an environmental epidemiology study. Traditional classification techniques, which require the collection and processing of costly ground reference data, were not feasible for our application because of the large number of images to be analyzed. We present a new method that has the potential to automate the classification of corn from Landsat satellite imagery, resulting in a more timely product for applications covering large geographical regions. Our approach uses readily available agricultural areal estimates to enable automation of the classification process resulting in a map identifying land cover as ‘highly likely corn,’ ‘likely corn’ or ‘unlikely corn.’ To demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, we produced a map consisting of the three corn likelihood classes using a Landsat image in south central Nebraska. Overall classification accuracy of the map was 92.2% when compared to ground reference data.
Transsphenoidal microsurgery for selective removal of functional pituitary microadenomas

The transsphenoidal approach to the pituitary gland is emerging as the safest and most efficacious procedure for the management of pituitary tumors. With the aid of the microscope large tumors producing visual symptoms can be removed and microadenomata producing only signs and symptoms of endocrinopathies can be safely and adequately approached. The procedure is described in this report. The results of its use in 29 patients with selected illustrative case reports are described.
Recurrent meningitis: A case report

Recurrent meningitis is an uncommon clinical problem. It is most likely to result from head trauma. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common infecting pathogen. Computed tomographic techniques are required to identify persistent bony defects in the skull that might predispose to this disorder. Because emergency physicians regularly care for victims of head trauma and meningitis, knowledge of this entity can be useful.
Study of Multiferroic Materials at Nano-Scale

With the growing interest in nanotechnology, the multifunctional materials are being imaged with much advanced precision microscopes. Difference in properties at bulk and nano-level has provided new insight and direction to the researchers to meet the ever-increasing demand of smaller and more efficient devices. This paper reports a study of the polar regions, ferroelectric domains and characterization on different sample surfaces of interest. The Scanning Probe Microscope has been used in its contact mode to obtain the nano-scale surface images of some important multifunctional ferroics such as Lead Potassium Niobate, Bismuth Titanate and Gadolinium Molybdate. The piezoresponse and ferroelectric properties have been the primary area of concentration. The study shows the interesting ferroelectric domain structure on various pristine sample surfaces.
Mechanical properties of a new mica-based machinable glass ceramic for CAD/CAM restorations

Machinable ceramics (Vita Mark II and Dicor MGC) exhibit good short-term clinical performance, but long-term in vivo fracture resistance is still being monitored. The relatively low fracture toughness of currently available machinable ceramics restricts their use to conservative inlays and onlays. A new machinable glass ceramic (MGC-F) has been developed (Corning Inc.) with enhanced fluorescence and machinability. The purpose of this study was to characterize and compare key mechanical properties of MGC-F to Dicor MGC-Light, Dicor MGC-Dark, and Vita Mark II glass ceramics. The mean fracture toughness and indented biaxial flexure strength of MGC-F were each significantly greater (p < or = 0.01) than that of Dicor MGC-Light, Dicor MGC-Dark, and Vita Mark II ceramic materials. The results of this study indicate the potential for better in vivo fracture resistance of MGC-F compared with existing machinable ceramic materials for CAD/CAM restorations.
Eradication of human immunodeficiency virus from brain reservoirs

Isolated cases in which human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection was claimed to have been eradicated generated renewed interest in HIV reservoirs in the brain particularly since attempts to reproduce the findings using genetically engineered stem cells and immune- or myeloablation have failed. A clear understanding of the cell types in which the virus resides in the brain, the mechanism of viral persistence, restricted replication and latency, and the turnover rate of the infected cells is critical for us to develop ways to control or get rid of the virus in the brain. The brain has several unique features compared to other reservoirs. There are no resident T cells in the brain; the virus resides in macrophages and astrocytes where the viral infection is non-cytopathic. The virus evolves in the brain and since the turnover rate of these cells is low, the virus has the potential to reside in these cells for several decades and possibly for the life of the individual. This review discusses the HIV reservoirs in the brain, issues related to eradication of the virus from sanctuaries in the brain, and current challenges faced by neuroscientists in finding a cure.
Failure Has a Great Future: A Review of Arnold Goldberg’s “The Analysis of Failure: An Investigation of Failed Cases in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy”

Failure is part of the development process in analysis and psychotherapy, and, by implication (and taken up a level), the study of failure in broad terms will be part of the development of the profession going forward. The analyst and therapist must give up the rescue fantasy, give up being right and justified, give up misplaced ambition, but also give up guilt, self-blame, and disappointment, and embrace an approach in which the interpretation of the pathogenic situation of early childhood (in which traumatic deidealization of the parent occurred), becomes inherently transformative. It reactivates the process of structure-building internalization. Learning to live within one’s limitations invites a process of risk taking that sometimes results in failure and sometimes results in—redefining one’s limitations outwards towards an endless horizon of progress in satisfaction and meaning making. Our thanks to Arnold Goldberg both for the journey and the end result.
Properties of gravitationally bound dark compact ultra dense objects

Abstract We consider compact astrophysical objects formed from dark matter fermions of mass 250 GeV to 100 TeV or from massless fermions hidden by vacuum structure of similar energy scale. These objects have maximum stable masses of sub-planetary scale and radii of micron to centimeter scale. We describe the surface gravity and tidal forces near these compact ultra dense objects, as pertinent to signatures of their collisions with visible matter objects.
The letters between James Lamont and Charles Darwin on Arctic fauna

In the summers of 1858 and 1859, the Scot Sir James Lamont of Knockdow embarked on two cruises to Svalbard (referred to by Lamont as Spitzbergen [sic]) to hunt, make geographical surveys, and collect geological and biological specimens. Lamont's return from these voyages coincided with the publication of the joint Charles Darwin-Alfred Russel Wallace paper, ‘On the tendency of species to form varieties; on the perpetuation of varieties and species by natural means of selection’ by the Linnean Society in August 1858 and, a year later, the publication of Darwin's On the origin of species (Darwin 1958). Profoundly influenced by Darwin's ideas, Lamont initiated a correspondence with the naturalist, relating examples of what he considered to be natural selection, observed during his hunting expeditions. In his Svalbard travelogue, Seasons with the sea-horses (1861), Lamont expounded specifically upon walrus and polar bear evolution, ideas inspired by sporadic yet encouraging letters from the renowned naturalist.
Measurement of Thermal Properties of Composite Panels

Thermal panels are used in spacecrafts and planned for thermal management in aircraft electronics and power systems. The requirements are light-weight, highly conductive emerging carbon materials that can withstand the stresses in the specific applications. A number of carbon fiber reinforced carbon-carbon and organic matrix composite panels were fabricated and tested by using a cryogenic Flash Diffusivity instrument and Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC). The properties were measured at cryogenic and above ambient temperatures.© 2004 ASME
Reverse Acculturation: A New Cultural Phenomenon Examined Through an Emerging Wedding Practice of Korean Americans in the United States

Relatively recent Korean immigration to the United States has brought a new development in acculturation, which is recognized as reverse acculturation. The term is coined here for the first time to refer to the cultural practice wherein a fully acculturated U.S.-born minority member introduces the heritage culture to the U.S. society. At the individual level, the cultural development goes from full assimilation/integration to incorporation/reinforcement of heritage culture. At the societal level, the cultural exchange starts at the center of the host society instead of its periphery. Global exchange, advanced computer and communication technology, and multiculturalism in the United States are identified as the facilitators. As an example, reverse acculturation is illustrated here via wedding ceremonies of some Korean Americans who integrate part of traditional Korean wedding with conventional Western wedding. As fully acculturated members of the mainstream U.S. society, these young Korean Americans learn their heritage culture through international travels and advanced communication channels such as the Internet; they then introduce the heritage culture to their non-Korean spouse and family. The implications of reverse acculturation are further discussed for teaching, research, and practice of family and consumer sciences.
uPAR and HER2 Genes Are Usually Co-Amplified in Individual Breast Cancer Cells from Blood and Tissues.

We are interested in the distribution, at the individual tumour cell (TC) level, of two genes both associated with a poor prognosis in breast cancer. Using individual cell analysis, what is the correlation between overexpression and gene status of the above two genes and how do these results correlate with the pathologist's evaluation? Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) overexpression is associated with a poor prognosis in breast and other carcinomas. The uPA receptor (uPAR) is associated with uPA overexpression and, therefore, with increased tumour aggressiveness, worse disease-free survival and overall survival in breast and other cancers [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. Very little is known about the regulation of uPAR expression. Its gene resides on the long arm of chromosome 19, encodes a protease of molecular mass 35 kDa, and is linked to the outer surface of the plasma membrane by a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol anchor. When uPAR interacts with one of its ligands, uPA, plasminogen is cleaved to active plasmin, which degrades several extracellular matrix (ECM) components and also activates many promatrix metalloproteases. As the ECM is the major physical obstacle for cancer cells to penetrate and invade the surrounding tissue, proteolytic degradation of the ECM facilitates migration and penetration through tissue boundaries, resulting in metastasis. In addition, other signalling pathways are activated to induce cellular proliferation, motility, and additional remodelling of the ECM. Therefore, it is important to develop new targeting drugs to inhibit the activation of uPAR by uPA or any other ligand [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. The other gene, the HER2 proto-oncogene, is amplified in 25% of invasive breast cancers, resulting in a decreased time of disease-free survival and other markers of poor prognosis. Trastuzumab (Herceptin®; Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA) is a HER2-directed humanised antibody that is effective for the treatment of patients with metastatic or early-stage breast cancer [10,11,12]. The methods used for selecting patients for trastuzumab therapy are immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis and gene-based fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) analysis of primary tumours. Retrospective studies have shown that measurement of gene amplification is the best predictive marker of response to trastuzumab-based therapy [13,14,15]. Here, we have analysed the uPAR and HER2 gene status in individual TCs from touch preps (TPs) of primary breast carcinomas and also from circulating TCs (CTCs) in patients with advanced recurrent breast carcinoma. One objective was to determine whether the uPAR gene, like HER2, can be amplified. A second objective was to determine the cellular distribution of the two amplified genes, e.g. whether they are amplified in separate TCs. Finally, we wanted to demonstrate the additional information that can be obtained from individual TC analysis.
Equivalence of the fermion dynamical symmetry model and the particle rotor model

Abstract Deformed odd-mass nuclei are studied using the fermion dynamical symmetry model. Comparison with the geometrical model is made and the models are found to be equivalent in the large particle number limit. The small differences between the two models can be attributed to the finite particle number effects.
Symptomatic myocardial bridges in children: a case report with review of literature

Myocardial bridge is a rare congenital coronary anomaly in children, usually seen in the setting of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and in left ventricular hypertrophy. Most myocardial bridges are believed to represent a benign anatomical variant; however, symptomatic myocardial bridge is a distinct subgroup of pathological variant, linked to myocardial ischaemia, ventricular arrhythmia, and sudden cardiac death. We present a case of a symptomatic myocardial bridge in a 5-year-old boy with mild hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who underwent supra-arterial myotomy, automatic defibrillator placement, and long-term Beta-blocker therapy. We also present 10 years of follow-up with a review of literature regarding symptomatic myocardial bridges in the paediatric age group.
Macrophage Proinflammatory Cytokines, Induction by Ureaplasma urealyticum and Downregulation by Steroids and rIL-10

Macrophage Proinflammatory Cytokines, Induction by Ureaplasma urealyticum and Downregulation by Steroids and rIL-10
On decreasing inequality in health care in a cost-effective way

Background Scientific evidence indicates that access to health care services shown effective is often poorer among the disadvantaged people than among the non-disadvantaged. Advancing cost-effectiveness and equality in obtaining services shown effective are often stated as the two main objectives for health care.
Compressible Turbulent Boundary-Layer Heat Transfer to Rough Surfaces in Pressure Gradient

The velocity defect law and the law of wall for nonadiabatic compressible turbulent boundary layers on rough wall are presented in terms of the generalized velocities suggested by Van Driest. It is possible to correlate measured boundary-layer profiles, for a range of Mach number from 0 to 5 and wall temperature ratio TJTaw from 1.0 to 0.5, on the universal curves. From these correlations, the skin friction law for rough surfaces under various Mach number, heat-transfer rate and pressure gradients is generated. The corresponding heat-transfer relation is derived from the established incompressible semiempirical correlations based on the model that roughness effects on the mixing process is restricted to a relatively small region near the wall. The resulting equations are combined with the momentum integral equation and an auxiliary equation to provide a calculation method for predicting the development of the compressible turbulent boundary layer over rough surfaces in pressure gradient. The analysis is compared with a series of heat-transfer measurements on roughened hemispheres at Mach number 5 and 6. The agreement in general is good.
Association between state physical education (PE) requirements and PE participation, physical activity, and body mass index change

Abstract Objective To determine if state physical education (PE) laws are associated with student physical education attendance and physical activity (PA), and whether physical education and competitive food laws, in conjunction, are associated with lower BMI change. Method State laws regarding physical education time requirements and competitive foods in 2003 and 2006 were classified as strong, weak, or none, based on codified law ratings obtained from the Classification of Laws Associated with School Students. Laws were linked to student data on PE attendance and physical activity (8th grade, Spring 2007) and BMI change (5th–8th grade, 2004–2007), obtained from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (n = 5510 students in 40 states). Results Girls reported 0.31 more days of activity (95% CI: 0.02, 0.61) and were more likely to attend physical education ≥ 3 days/week (74.1% versus 52.1%, difference = 22.0, 95% CI: 2.1, 42.0) if they resided in states with strong physical education laws compared to no physical education laws. Weak physical education laws had modest associations with PE and activity, and there was no evidence that weak laws reduce BMI gain regardless of competitive food laws. Conclusion Strong physical education laws with specific time requirements may increase physical education attendance and activity in girls. There is insufficient evidence that physical education laws reduce student weight gain.
Thermally and oxidatively stable thermosets derived from preceramic monomers

Monomers 1,3-bis(4-phenylethynylphenyl)tetramethyldisiloxane and 1,7-bis(4-phenylethynylphenyltetramethyldisiloxyl)-m-carborane were synthesized and compared with bis(4-phenylethynylphenyl)dimethylsilane as potential preceramic precursors. These monomers were heated to free flowing liquids above 100°C and thermally polymerized above 300°C to form heat-resistant thermosets or ceramic residues. The ceramic yields for the silane (13%) and siloxane (30%) were much lower than that for the carborane (64%) monomer. The thermoset and ceramic made from the carborane monomer were the best thermally and oxidatively stable materials. After curing, the thermoset had a weight loss of only 6% and after pyrolysis, the ceramic residue had no additional weight loss up to 1000°C in air. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 1033–1038, 1997
A new reeling technique for very long extension scanning in the stratosphere

A balloon-borne winching system has been developed for extending a very long tether with payload down into the stratosphere and recovering it, this has been flight proven by being carrried to an altitude of 40 km, lowering a 62-kg stratospheric photochemistry experiment 12 km at a descent velocity of about 6-8 m/sec and recovering it at comparable velocities. During the first flight, the data gave no evidence of dynamic instabilities due to the system or the stratospheric interactions. The future utility of this payload is discussed with attention to the design factors that bound the range of performance of this type of system.
Testing CPT with Anomalous Magnetic Moments

A theoretical framework is introduced that describes possible CPT-violating effects in the context of quantum electrodynamics. Experiments comparing the anomalous magnetic moments of the electron and the positron can place tight limits on CPT violation. The conventional figure of merit adopted in these experiments, involving the difference between the corresponding g factors, is shown to provide a misleading measure of the precision of CPT limits. We introduce an alternative figure of merit, comparable to one commonly used in CPT tests with neutral mesons. To measure it, a straightforward extension of current experimental procedures is proposed. With current technology, a CPT bound better than about 1 part in 1${0}^{20}$ is attainable.
Controlled and Automatic Forms of Memory and Attention: Process Purity and the Uniqueness of Age-Related Influences

Estimates of controlled and automatic processes hypothesized to underlie performance in a memory task and in an attention task were derived for 115 participants from 18 to 78 years of age using the process-dissociation procedure. Participants also performed speed and neuropsychological tests that were suspected to be negatively related to age. Process estimates showed good reliability (from .76 to .98), and the qualitative distinction between processes was supported by the overall pattern of correlations among measures. However, only estimated automatic processes exhibited unique variance, as they were either weakly related or unrelated both to performance on the other tests and to each other. Estimates of the control processes, in contrast, shared considerable variance with measures from other tests, and there were no unique, or independent, age-related effects on these measures. The results highlight the need to distinguish between process purity and the uniqueness of age-related influences in accounting for age differences in cognition.
Sulfhydryl group reagents: effect on intestinal smooth muscle.

Die Acetylcholinkontraktion an Ratten-Jejunumstucken wird durch NEM gehemmt, was aber durch Vorbehandlung mit einem Reduktionsmittel nicht verstarkt wird. Sowohl NEM wie auch PCMB hemmen auch die Kaliumkontraktur, so dass die Hemmung der Acetylcholinkontraktion offenbar nicht auf den Rezeptor bezogen werden kann.
SAD/MAD Phasing

Currently, the most common ways of solving novel macromolecular crystal structures are based on the anomalous signal provided by some atoms present in the investigated structures. They can be implemented as the Single- or Multi-wavelength Anomalous Diffraction (SAD or MAD) method. Instead of collecting diffraction data from the native crystal and a number of derivatives, as in the classic Multiple Isomorphous Replacement (MIR) approach, these techniques utilize one or more data sets, recorded from only one crystal containing suitable anomalous scatterers. Whereas with MIR the protein phases are estimated from the additional scattering of the heavy atoms present in the derivative crystals, in SAD and MAD they are calculated from the wavelength-dependent quantitative differences in the anomalous scattering contribution of certain atoms contained in the crystal.
Self-focused attention and depression: Self-evaluation, affect, and life stress

Recent theory and research (Smith & Greenberg, 1981; Ingram & Smith, 1984) suggest an association between self-focused attention and depression. In an attempt to clarify the nature of this relationship, two studies were undertaken. Study I demonstrated that self-focused attention (i.e., private self-consciousness) was correlated with depression but was unrelated to test anxiety. Thus, self-focused attention was a correlate of depression but not emotional difficulty in general. Further, both depression and private self-consciousness were independently associated with a negative evaluation of the self. Self-focused attention was also found to be correlated with negative mood in individuals experiencing at least some symptoms of depression but not in nondepressed persons. Study II demonstrated that self-focused attention and stressful life events were independently associated with depression. Self-focused attention did not, however, moderate the relationship between stress and depression.
A MEMS differential affinity sensor for continuous glucose detection

This paper presents a differential affinity sensor for continuous glucose monitoring. The sensor, based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, consists of two magnetically driven vibrating diaphragms each situated inside a microchamber. The chambers respectively contain solutions of poly(N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide-ran-3-acrylamidophenylboronic acid) (PHEAA-ran-PAAPBA), a glucose-binding polymer, and poly(acrylamide) (PAM), a glucose-insensitive polymer. As glucose permeates through a semi-permeable membrane into each chamber, the viscosity of the PHEAA-ran-PAAPBA solution increases due to glucose binding, while the viscosity of the PAM solution is unchanged due to a lack of glucose binding. Measurement of the viscosity difference between the two chambers, via differential capacitive detection of the vibration damping, thus allows determination of the glucose concentration while rejecting viscosity changes caused by environmental fluctuations. In-vitro and in-vivo testing demonstrates the potential of the device to be used as a subcutaneously implanted sensor for continuous glucose monitoring.
The vertical occipital fasciculus: A century of controversy resolved by in vivo measurements

The vertical occipital fasciculus (VOF) is the only major fiber bundle connecting dorsolateral and ventrolateral visual cortex. Only a handful of studies have examined the anatomy of the VOF or its role in cognition in the living human brain. Here, we trace the contentious history of the VOF, beginning with its original discovery in monkey by Wernicke (1881) and in human by Obersteiner (1888), to its disappearance from the literature, and recent reemergence a century later. We introduce an algorithm to identify the VOF in vivo using diffusion-weighted imaging and tractography, and show that the VOF can be found in every hemisphere (n = 74). Quantitative T1 measurements demonstrate that tissue properties, such as myelination, in the VOF differ from neighboring white-matter tracts. The terminations of the VOF are in consistent positions relative to cortical folding patterns in the dorsal and ventral visual streams. Recent findings demonstrate that these same anatomical locations also mark cytoarchitectonic and functional transitions in dorsal and ventral visual cortex. We conclude that the VOF is likely to serve a unique role in the communication of signals between regions on the ventral surface that are important for the perception of visual categories (e.g., words, faces, bodies, etc.) and regions on the dorsal surface involved in the control of eye movements, attention, and motion perception.
Database description with SDM: a semantic database model

SDM is a high-level semantics-based database description and structuring formalism (database model) for databases. This database model is designed to capture more of the meaning of an application environment than is possible with contemporary database models. An SDM specification describes a database in terms of the kinds of entities that exist in the application environment, the classifications and groupings of those entities, and the structural interconnections among them. SDM provides a collection of high-level modeling primitives to capture the semantics of an application environment. By accommodating derived information in a database structural specification, SDM allows the same information to be viewed in several ways; this makes it possible to directly accommodate the variety of needs and processing requirements typically present in database applications. The design of the present SDM is based on our experience in using a preliminary version of it.SDM is designed to enhance the effectiveness and usability of database systems. An SDM database description can serve as a formal specification and documentation tool for a database; it can provide a basis for supporting a variety of powerful user interface facilities, it can serve as a conceptual database model in the database design process; and, it can be used as the database model for a new kind of database management system.
Measured GFR as “Gold Standard”—All that Glitters Is Not Gold?

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the parameter that has been used most commonly as the “overall index” of renal function. Historically, inulin has been considered the ideal filtration marker used to determine GFR. The classic procedure for measuring inulin clearance is rigorous and includes a
Taste preferences as a function of food deprivation during original taste exposure

It has been reported previously that rats prefer a flavor they consumed under high deprivation to a flavor they consumed under low deprivation (Revusky, 1967). Here it was found that this preference occurs only if nutritive solutions are used and the flavors are given preceding and following eating. If flavors are given separately from the daily feeding, rats prefer the flavor given under low deprivation, whether or not a nutritive solution is used (Experiment 3). If flavors are given before and after the daily feeding, rats prefer the flavor they had under high deprivation (before feeding) more if sucrose solutions are used than if saccharin solutions are used and more on a high-deprivation test than on a low-deprivation test (Experiments 1 and 2). It was concluded that the “incentive value” of consumption is not necessarily higher under high deprivation than under low deprivation. The preference for the low-deprivation flavor obtained here may reflect a greater proportional rewarding effect of consumption under low deprivation or may reflect an aversion to the flavor consumed under high deprivation. Perhaps a small taste of flavor under high deprivation initiates responses of digestion that are unsatisfied and thus aversive, and the more so the higher the deprivation level.
Homeland security services system: critical decision issues

Urban infrastructures are the focus of terrorist acts because, quite simply, they produce the most visible impact, if not casualties. While terrorist acts are the most insidious and onerous of all disruptions, it is obvious that there are many similarities to the way one should deal with these willful acts and those caused by natural and accidental incidents that have also resulted in adverse and severe consequences. However, there is one major and critical difference between terrorist acts and the other types of disruptions: the terrorist acts are willful - and therefore also adaptive, if not coordinated. One must counter these acts with the same, if not more sophisticated, willful, adaptive and informed approach. Real-time, information-based decision making - which Tien [2003] has called the decision informatics paradigm - is the approach advanced herein to help make the right decisions at the various stages of a disruption.