cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonablative tissue remodeling and photorejuvenation

Nonablative facial resurfacing is a noninvasive approach to tissue remodeling and skin rejuvenation. These procedures are considered an alternative to the more traditional laser resurfacing with less dramatic effects, but also with significantly less downtime. Results vary based on the lasers and light sources used. In general, the infrared lasers improve texture, visible light lasers somewhat improve texture but greatly reduce redness and telangiectasias, and intense pulsed light devices improve both red targets and brown discoloration, as well as skin texture. Lastly, low-energy devices may improve redness and texture modestly. Patient selection, as well as device selection, is based on the outcome desired. Side effects are uncommon and preventable.
Solvent extraction of copper acetylacetonate in studies of copper(II) speciation in seawater

Abstract A liquid-liquid partition, ligand exchange procedure involving the formation of copper(II) complexes with acetylacetone is presented for the determination of stability constants and concentrations of copper chelators in seawater. Acetylacetone competes with natural ligands for copper, and the equilibrium concentration of the copper acetylacetonate complex is used in speciation calculations. The concentration of the complex is calculated by partitioning a fraction of it into an organic phase and determining the total Cu concentration in that phase by back extracting with acid, and analyzing by flameless atomic absorption spectroscopy. The concentration of Cu acetylacetonate in seawater in equilibrium with the organic phase is calculated from the partition coefficient. The simple, thermodynamically well characterized procedure offers several advantages over previous techniques. Studies using organic free seawater and model ligands show good agreement between experimental and calculated conditional stability constants. Studies from seawater in Biscayne Bay, Florida, indicate two ligand types are present; type 1, K 1 = 1.2 × 10 12 , C L1 = 5.1 × 10 −9 M; type 2, K 2 = 2.8 × 10 10 , C L2 = 1.1 × 10 −7 M. Speciation is dominated by ligand type 1. Depth profiles of [ Cu ( II )] free /[ Cu ( II )] total measured with the procedure at ambient copper concentrations show an increase from −5 at 50–60 m to > 1 × 10 −3 at the surface at two stations off the Florida coast.
Properties of Au/W/GaAs Schottky barriers

Abstract The electrical and chemical properties of r.f. sputtered Au/W Schottky barriers on GaAs studied by Auger electron spectroscopy are reported. There is considerable interest in such work at present owing to the refractory nature and the thermal stability of tungsten on GaAs. The built-in potential of tungsten on GaAs was measured to be about 0.65 eV by both I–V and C–V techniques. Although tungsten alone has been reported to be stable on GaAs even at elevated temperatures of up to 500°C, the presence of a gold overlay and/or pinholes in the r.f. sputtered tungsten reduces its refractory nature. W/Au Schottky barriers annealed at 475 and 575°C for 10 min showed no appreciable degradation in their electrical properties. Samples annealed at 475°C for 2 h and 800°C for 15 min showed some degradation and migration of gold through the tungsten film. GaAs field effect transistors (FETs) with tungsten gates 0.7 μm long showed a maximum measured gain of 14 dB at 8 GHz.
Pre-transplant Mechanical Ventilation Increases Short-term Morbidity and Mortality in Pediatric Patients With Cystic Fibrosis

Background Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) who are listed for lung transplantation may require mechanical ventilatory support before transplant. Although CF is a risk factor for poor outcomes in adults, no data currently exist pertaining to pre-transplant ventilatory support in children with CF. Methods In a retrospective cohort study, we reviewed the medical records of 18 consecutive CF patients transplanted at St. Louis Children's Hospital (SLCH) who required mechanical ventilation before lung transplantation. Controls included patients transplanted at SLCH who were not mechanically ventilated before transplant and were matched for underlying diagnosis, gender, age, type of transplant (cadaveric vs living donor) and year of transplant. Results Ventilated and non-ventilated patients were similar in their pre-transplant characteristics (weight, height and body mass index) and ischemic and bypass times. However, patients ventilated before transplantation had significantly worse immediate post-transplant outcomes, including early graft dysfunction ( p = 0.012), prolonged mechanical ventilation (34.1 vs 5 days, p = 0.009), prolonged stay in the pediatric intensive care unit (35.4 vs 8.1 days, p = 0.01), longer time to hospital discharge (38.4 vs 21.3 days, p = 0.033), and worse 1-year mortality after transplant (221.6 vs 335.2 days, p = 0.021). Among ventilated patients, length of pre-transplant ventilation did not affect post-transplant outcomes (length of ventilation, p = 0.92; length of stay in the pediatric intensive care unit, p = 0.68; time to hospital discharge, p = 0.46; and 1-year mortality rate, p = 0.25). Conclusions This is the first report in pediatric patients with CF demonstrating that mechanical ventilation before lung transplant is a predictor of poor short-term outcomes, including 1-year-survival, after transplant. Length of pre-transplant ventilatory support does not appear to impact outcomes.
Modeling of the Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition of Tantalum Oxide from Tantalum Ethoxide and Oxygen

This study focuses on modeling the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of tantalum oxide, a high dielectric constant material, on silicon-based substrates. A three-dimensional model is developed and described for a CVD reactor in which tantalum ethoxide and oxygen precursors are used. The effect of pressure and substrate temperature on the deposition rate of thin films of tantalum oxide is studied at system pressures of 1−4 Torr and substrate temperatures in the range of 300−500 °C. Our model predictions and experimental data of a custom-made cold-wall CVD reactor are found to be in satisfactory agreement. The deposition rate is found to increase significantly with increasing substrate temperature; this suggests that the tantalum oxide CVD is surface-reaction-controlled.
Postpericardiotomy Syndrome Following Surgery for Nonrheumatic Heart Disease

Widespread intracardiac surgery of rheumatic heart disease has brought to medical attention a puzzling postoperative complication, usually designated the "postcommissurotomy syndrome" and often considered to represent reactivation of rheumatic fever. Herein are reported instances of an identical complication following intrapericardial surgery of congenital heart disease. It is suggested that the delayed febrile pleuropericardial reaction represents a traumatic pericarditis and that a preferable name for it is the postpericardiotomy syndrome.
Phantoms as standards in optical measurements

As optical technology progresses through the translational research pipeline, phantoms are becoming more important as verification tools to demonstrate proper performance of the devices before clinical studies. Because of the wide range of optical methodologies, there can be no single phantom that is useful for all modes of imaging, but protocols for phantom use should be organized to stand as standards. This paper discusses the features that phantoms must have to be considered as standards for optical measurements.
Self-assembled monolayers of crown ethers for solid phase extraction in flow-injection analysis

Abstract Modification of a gold electrode with 2-[(6-mercaptohexyl)oxy]methyl-15-crown-5 yielded a self-assembled monolayer (SAM), CESAM, that preconcentrated Pb(II) from aqueous solution. With a 20 h modification, measurements by the copper underpotential deposition method showed that the fraction of the surface covered, Θ , was 0.99. Proof-of-concept was obtained for an analytical strategy in which the Pb(II)-CESAM was released into a flow stream by electrochemical oxidation of the gold thiolate and detected amperometrically. A detection limit of 6 pmol Pb(II) was estimated from the signal-to-noise ratio. Electrochemical release into a flow injection analysis system with detection by argon inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy provided detection of 0.2 nmol Pb(II) in a 200 μL injection. Analytical utility requires rapid, reproducible renewal of the CESAM. With 30–90 s modifications, Θ =0.97±0.01 and was independent of modification time over that range.
Frequency-Dependent Dielectric Response in Polar Liquids

Molecular-dynamics computations for point dipolar particles of the time-dependent polarization fluctuations allow evaluation of the dielectric properties. From these the collective effects in the longitudinal component (dipolarons) analogous to the plasma oscillations (plasmons) in Coulomb systems can be readily identified. The transverse mode, by contrast, is strongly damped.
Medullary renal dysplasia mimickingrenal tumor in the Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome

The known association of Wilms' tumor with the Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome has prompted a surveillance regimen for children with this problem. Herein we report a case of medullary renal dysplasia that was a new onset by documented ultrasound. The association of medullary renal dysplasia with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome is discussed as well as the management of this problem.
Hyperfine Structure of Nitrogen

The magnetic resonance spectrum of the $^{4}S$ ground state of atomic nitrogen-14 has been observed using the microwave absorption method. The magnetic-dipole hyperfine interaction constant is $A=10.45\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02 \mathrm{Mc}/sec.$ No evidence was obtained for electric quadrupole interaction.
Docking and hydropathic scoring of polysubstituted pyrrole compounds with antitubulin activity

Compounds that bind at the colchicine site of tubulin have drawn considerable attention with studies indicating that these agents suppress microtubule dynamics and inhibit tubulin polymerization. Data for eighteen polysubstituted pyrrole compounds are reported, including antiproliferative activity against human MDA-MB-435 cells and calculated free energies of binding following docking the compounds into models of αβ-tubulin. These docking calculations coupled with HINT interaction analyses are able to represent the complex structures and the binding modes of inhibitors such that calculated and measured free energies of binding correlate with an r 2 of 0.76. Structural analysis of the binding pocket identifies important intermolecular contacts that mediate binding. As seen experimentally, the complex with JG-03-14 (3,5-dibromo-4-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-1H-pyrrole-2carboxylic acid ethyl ester) is the most stable. These results illuminate the binding process and should be valuable in the design of new pyrrole-based colchicine site inhibitors as these compounds have very accessible syntheses.
Game theoretic analysis of an inventory problem with substitution, stochastic demand, and uncertain supply

A game theoretic approach is used to analyse an inventory problem with two products, stochastic demand, and uncertain supply. The supply chain analysed includes two competing retailers selling two substitutable products and those retailer’ suppliers. Retailers face stochastic demand and replenish the inventory from the suppliers. However, both suppliers provide an indeterminate fraction of the quantity requested, due to randomness in capacity and quality. Some customers with unmet demand will substitute that product with one sold by the other retailer. We assume that the retailers are rational players with conflicting objectives. We model the retailers’ single period expected payoffs and identify the ordering decisions using Nash strategy. We prove the existence and uniqueness of the Nash solution, and provide results for numerical examples. We analyse the combined impact of product substitution and supply uncertainty on the retailers. Results suggest that supply uncertainties do not always hurt retailers’ expected payoffs.
Does the Age of Liquid Crystal Displays Influence Observer Performance

Rationale and Objectives As liquid crystal displays (LCDs) age, the whitepoint shifts toward a yellow hue, changing the appearance of the displayed images. This study examined whether this shift in whitepoint influences observer performance and visual search efficiency of radiologists interpreting clinical images. Materials and Methods Six radiologists viewed 50 digital radiography chest images (half with a solitary pulmonary nodule, half without) on three LCDs that had their whitepoint adjusted to simulate monitor age: new, 1 year old, and 2.5 years old. Presence or absence of nodules was reported along with reader confidence. Results were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic techniques. Visual search was measured on a subset of 15 images using eye position recording techniques. Results There was no statistically significant difference in receiver operating characteristic performance as a function of monitor age (F = 0.4901, P = .6187). In terms of total viewing time, there were not statistically significant differences between the three monitors (F = 0.056, P = .9452). The dwell times associated with each decision type (true and false, positive and negative) did not differ significantly as a function of monitor age for any decision. Conclusion At least up to 2.5 years of age, the shift in whitepoint toward the yellow range does not significantly impact diagnostic accuracy or visual search efficiency of radiologists.
Profound specific suppression by antigen of persistent IgM, IgG, and IgE antibody production.

Abstract Ongoing, high-titer T-cell-dependent immune responses in adult mice, consisting of IgM, IgG, and IgE anti-fluorescein antibodies, can be specifically and substantially reduced (90-99%) when the mice are injected with appropriate doses of fluoresceinated dextran of defined molecular weight and hapten valence. This suppressive form of the antigen is nontoxic and specific, as responses to other antigens are unaffected. The suppression is long lasting and reduces high-affinity antibodies most markedly. Moreover, plasma cell secretion of specific antibody is virtually eliminated. This demonstrates that the reduction in antibody titer is not simply due to masking of serum antibody by the suppressive polymer. The results are discussed with reference to proposed models of B-cell and T-cell tolerance. Extension of these findings to disease-related immunogens may yield effective antigen-specific treatments of human allergy and autoimmune diseases.
Studies of complement receptors on cytotoxic effector cells in human peripheral blood

Abstract The question of whether cells bearing complement receptors (CR) mediate cytotoxicity in vitro against allogeneic Chang liver cell targets was investigated by assessing peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from normal humans for cell surface characteristics and cytotoxic capacity before and after depletion of CR+ cells capable of forming rosettes with sheep erythrocytes coated with 19S antibody and mouse complement (EAC) and depletion of Fc receptor-bearing cells capable of forming rosettes with human O+ erythrocytes coated with Ripley antibody (EA-Ripley). PBMC depleted of CR+ cells by density centrifugation contained markedly reduced proportions of phagocytes and sIg + cells and increased proportions of both sIg −, FcR+ cells as well as cells forming rosettes with sheep erythrocytes (E). PBMC depleted of CR+ cells mediated cytotoxicity to an extent equal to or greater than that mediated by unfractionated PBMC in assays of spontaneous cell-mediated cytotoxicity (SCMC), antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and mitogen-induced cellular cytotoxicity (MICC). Cells harvested from the EAC-rosette enriched pellet mediated cytotoxicity 5- to 10-fold less than unfractionated PBMC; however, the cytotoxic activity of the pellet could not be attributed to CR + effector cells since similar cytotoxic activity was present in cell pellets obtained by density centrifugation of PBMC which had been incubated with E coated with 19S antibody or E alone. PBMC depleted of EA-Ripley rosette-forming cells contained decreased proportions of sIg−, FcR+ cells and increased proportions of CR+ cells; PBMC so depleted contained virtually no SCMC and ADCC effector cell activity. These findings indicate that at least the majority of effector cells which mediate SCMC, ADCC, and MICC do not bear CR.
A Fast linking approach for CMYK to CMYK conversion preserving black separation in ICC color management system

In the linking step of the standard ICC color management workflow for CMYK to CMYK conversion, a CMM takes an AToBn tag (n = 0, 1, or 2) from a source ICC profile to convert a color from the source color space to PCS (profile connection space), and then takes a BToAn tag from the destination ICC profile to convert the color from PCS to the destination color space. This approach may give satisfactory result perceptually or colorimetrically. However, it does not preserve the K channel for CMYK to CMYK conversion, which is often required in graphic art’s market. The problem is that the structure of a BtoAn tag is designed to convert colors from PCS to a device color space ignoring the K values from the source color space. Different approaches have been developed to control K in CMYK to CMYK printing, yet none of them well fits into the "Profile - PCS - Profile" model in the ICC color management system. A traditional approach is to transform the source CMYK to the destination CMYK by 1-D TRC curves and GCR/UCR tables. This method is so simple that it cannot accurately transform colors perceptually or colorimetrically. Another method is to build a 4-D CMYK to CMYK closed-loop lookup table (LUT) (or a deviceLink ICC profile) for the color transformation. However, this approach does not fit into opened color management workflows for it ties the source and the destination color spaces in the color characterization step. A specialized CMM may preserve K for a limit number of colors by mapping those CMYK colors to some carefully chosen PCS colors in both the AToBi tag and the BToAi tag. A more complete solution is to move to smart linking in which gamut mapping is performed in the real-time linking at a CMM. This method seems to solve all problems existed in the CMYK to CMYK conversion. However, it introduces new problems: 1) gamut mapping at real-time linking is often unacceptable slow; 2) gamut mapping may not be optimized or may be unreliable; 3) manual adjustment for building high quality maps does not fit to the smart CMM workflow. A new approach is described in this paper to solve these problems. Instead of using a BtoAn tag from the destination profile for color transformation, a new tag is created to map colors in PCS (L*a*b* or XYZ) with different K values to different CMY values. A set of 3-D LUTs for different K values are created for the conversion from PCS to CMY, and 1-D LUTs are created for the conversion from luminance to K and to guide a CMM to perform the interpolation from KPCS (K plus PCS) to CMYK. The gamut mapping is performed in the step to create the profile, thus avoiding realtime gamut mapping in a CMM. With this approach, the black channel is preserved; the "Profile - PCS - Profile" approach is still valid; and the gamut mapping is not performed during linking in a CMM. Therefore, gamut mapping can be manually adjusted for high quality color mapping, the linking is almost as easy and fast as the standard linking, and the black channel is preserved.
Odds-setting efficiency in gambling markets: Evidence from the PGA TOUR

This paper describes the gambling market for PGA TOUR events for the 2002 season. The extent to which the odds predict the outcome is examined, illustrating how much information is captured in the odds and whether there are any identifiable biases in the odds. The overall implied profit to the casino is calculated as well as the returns to several naive betting strategies. By splitting the sample based on whether or not Tiger Woods is in the tournament, a “Tiger Woods effect” or a “thin market versus thick market effect” can be examined. On the whole, efficient markets propositions hold up, but the overwhelming share of the variation in the tournament outcome remains unexplained.
Intramuscular alcohol as an aid in management of spastic cerebral palsy.

SUMMARY The use of intramuscular alcohol in treating cerebral-palsied children has led to reduced spasticity for varying periods of time, although the periods diminish with each subsequent injection. During the period of reduced spasticity there is an opportunity for therapists and orthopaedic surgeons to determine whether corrective surgery is indicated. The injections have produced no adverse effects. RESUME L'utilisation de l'alcool intramusculaire dans le traitement des enfants IMC a permis de reduire la spasticite durant des periodes variees, quoique la duree d'action ait diminue apres chaque nouvelle injection. Durant la periode de spasticite reduite, il y a possibilite pour les reeducateurs et les chirurgiens orthopediques de rechercher si la chirurgie corrective est indiquee. Les injections n'ont pas produit d'effets nocifs. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Die Anwendung von intramuskuldren Alkoholinjektionen bei der Behandlung der spastischen Cerebralparese Durch intramuskulare Alkoholinjektionen bei cerebralparetischen Kindern konnte eine verminderte Spastizitat von unterschiedlicher Zeitdauer erreicht werden. Die Zeitspannen werden allerdings mit jeder weiteren Injektion kiirzer. In der Phase der verminderten Spastizitat haben Therapeuten und Orthopaden Gelegenheit festzustellen, ob eine operative Korrektur angezeigt ist. Die Injektionen hatten keine schadlichen Nebenwirkungen. RESUMEN La utilization de alcohol intramuscular como ayuda en el tratamiento de la paralisis cerebral espastica La utilization de alcohol intramuscular en el tratamiento de ninos con paralisis cerebral ha conducido a la reduccion de la espasticidad por periodos de tiempo variables, aunque estos periodos disminuyen con cada inyeccion subsiguiente. Durante el periodo de espasticidad reducida el terapeuta y el cirujano ortopedico tienen la oportunidad para determinar si esta indicada una cirugia correctiva. Las inyecciones no han producido ningun efecto adverso.
Treatment of focal articular cartilage defects in the knee: a systematic review.

We asked whether autologous chondrocyte implantation or osteochondral autograft transfer yields better clinical outcomes compared with one another or with traditional abrasive techniques for treatment of isolated articular cartilage defects and whether lesion size influences this clinical outcome. We performed a literature search and identified five randomized, controlled trials and one prospective comparative trial evaluating these treatment techniques in 421 patients. The operative procedures included autologous chondrocyte implantation, osteochondral autograft transfer, matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation, and microfracture. Minimum followup was 1 year (mean, 1.7 years; range, 1–3 years). All studies documented greater than 95% followup for clinical outcome measures. No technique consistently had superior results compared with the others. Outcomes for microfracture tended to be worse in larger lesions. All studies reported improvement in clinical outcome measures in all treatment groups when compared with preoperative assessment; however, no control (nonoperative) groups were used in any of the studies. A large prospective trial investigating these techniques with the addition of a control group would be the best way to definitively address the clinical questions. Level of Evidence: Level II, therapeutic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Development of intellectual property laws for the Russian Federation

Abstract In most industrialized nations, the concept and body of intellectual property laws is well into its third century of development and testing. The Russian Federation, however, has created and implemented an entirely new body of intellectual property law since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1992. As American and other western firms work with the Russian Federation as a supplier and customer, they must recognize that the new nation has abandoned a legal philosophy denying the existence of intellectual property in favor of intellectual property laws recognizing and favoring private development and ownership of such property. This paper examines the Russian intellectual property laws and points out adaptations that western nations should make when dealing with similar entities in the Russian Federation. The study assumes familiarity with Russian history, language, and geography. A caution to domestic firms is that they should retain experienced legal counsel to deal with negotiations and contracts with Russian business interests.
Ultrasound Imaging of Embedded Shrapnel Facilitates Diagnosis and Management of Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Trigger points can result from a variety of inciting events including muscle overuse, trauma, mechanical overload, and psychological stress. When the myofascial trigger points occur in cervical musculature, they have been known to cause headaches. Ultrasound imaging is being increasingly used for the diagnosis and interventional management of various painful conditions. A veteran was referred to the pain clinic for management of his severe headache following a gunshot wound to the neck with shrapnel embedded in the neck muscles a few years prior to presentation. He had no other comorbid conditions. Physical examination revealed a taut band in the neck. An ultrasound imaging of the neck over the taut band revealed the deformed shrapnel located within the levator scapulae muscle along with an associated trigger point in the same muscle. Ultrasound guided trigger point injection, followed by physical therapy resolved his symptoms. This is a unique report of embedded shrapnel and coexisting myofascial pain syndrome revealed by ultrasound imaging. The association between shrapnel and myofascial pain syndrome requires further investigation.
Recognition versus Recall of Briefly Presented Visual Information: A Developmental Study.

Abstract Five-year-olds, as compared to adults, have displayed a striking constraint on short-term recognition memory for briefly presented visual information. In the present study, a recall paradigm was also examined to test the generality of this constraint. Additionally, we examined the possibility that forced verbal report might differentially enhance children's performance. Evidence of improved performance in children would suggest that a verbal encoding strategy, used by adults only during the recognition task, is activated in children in a recall task. Though recall memory performance of young children did surpass recognition memory levels, the same was true for adults with the relative adult-child difference remaining constant across conditions. It was concluded that processes other than verbal labeling (e.g., buffer storage, organization, retrieval) are probably more responsible for age differences in immediate memory performance than labeling, per se.
Antioxidant activity of berry phenolics on human low-density lipoprotein and liposome oxidation

The antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds present in berries was investigated by two copper-catalyzed in vitro oxidation assays: human low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and lecithin liposomes. The amount of total phenolics varied between 617 and 4350 mg/kg in fresh berries, as gallic acid equivalents (GAE). In LDL at 10 μM GAE, berry extracts inhibited hexanal formation in the order: blackberries > red raspberries > sweet cherries > blueberries > strawberries. In lecithin liposomes, the extracts inhibited hexanal formation in the order: sweet cherries > blueberries > red raspberries > blackberries > strawberries. Red raspberries were more efficient than blueberries in inhibiting hydroperoxide formation in lecithin liposomes. HPLC analyses showed high anthocyanin content in blackberries, hydroxycinnamic acid in blueberries and sweet cherries, flavonol in blueberries, and flavan-3-ol in red raspberries. The antioxidant activity for LDL was associated directly with anthocyanins and indirectly with flavo...
Engorgement response of anopheline mosquitoes to blood fractions and artificial solutions

. Anopheles stephensi Liston, Anopheles freeborni Aitken, Anopheles gambiae Giles and Anopheles dirus (Peyton & Harrison) fed equally well on whole blood, red blood cells, platelet-rich plasma and platelet-poor plasma. Similar feeding ability on 0.15 M NaCl containing 10-2 M NaHCO3 was shown by the first three species, but An. dirus required an addition of albumin. The need for ATP as a phagostimulant could not be demonstrated in any of these species.
Predicting parity as a prerequisite for cesarean delivery on maternal request: Does a woman know how many children she will have?

NAL REQUEST: DOES A WOMAN KNOW HOW MANY CHILDREN SHE WILL HAVE? KRISTIE KEETON, ANGELA FAGERLIN, BRIAN ZIKMUND-FISHER, PETER UBEL, DEE FENNER, University of Michigan, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ann Arbor, Michigan, University of Michigan, Internal Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan OBJECTIVE: For cesarean delivery on maternal request (CDMR) to be an appropriate treatment option, women must be able to accurately predict their final parity (the risk of placenta previa, accreta and surgical complications increase with each CD). We sought to determine the accuracy with which women, at the time of their first pregnancy, were able to predict their final parity. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study of women ages 18-50 was drawn from a panel of Internet users. A questionnaire regarding childbearing was sent to a stratified random sample weighted to approximate the US census on education, race, and income level. RESULTS: 1785 women completed the survey: 626 nulliparous women, 267 parous women planning more children, and 826 parous women having completed childbearing. 67% of nulliparous women estimated they would have a maximum of 2 children, while only 39% of parous women planning more children and 55% of parous women having completed childbearing reported that, at the time of their first pregnancy, they planned a maximum of 2 children (p!0.001). Analyses limited to women who planned a maximum of two children and had completed childbearing (n=458) showed poor correlation between planned maximum number of children and actual parity (r=0.16). Only 40% of these women accurately predicted their final parity and 42% under-predicted their final parity. Of the under-predictors, 68% had 3 or more children. Accurate predictors were older at the time of first birth (25 y vs. 21 y, p!0.001) and had fewer siblings (2 vs. 3, p !0.002) compared to under-predictors. CONCLUSION: At the time of first pregnancy, women are unable to predict their final parity. When considering CDMR, obstetricians must be aware that most women underestimate their final parity. This is a concerning finding considering the recent NIH State of the Science statement on CDMR, ‘cesarean delivery on maternal request is not recommended for women desiring several children.’
Interacting cytoplasmic loops of subunits a and c of Escherichia coli F1F0 ATP synthase gate H+ transport to the cytoplasm.

H+-transporting F1F0 ATP synthase catalyzes the synthesis of ATP via coupled rotary motors within F0 and F1. H+ transport at the subunit a–c interface in transmembranous F0 drives rotation of a cylindrical c10 oligomer within the membrane, which is coupled to rotation of subunit γ within the α3β3 sector of F1 to mechanically drive ATP synthesis. F1F0 functions in a reversible manner, with ATP hydrolysis driving H+ transport. ATP-driven H+ transport in a select group of cysteine mutants in subunits a and c is inhibited after chelation of Ag+ and/or Cd+2 with the substituted sulfhydryl groups. The H+ transport pathway mapped via these Ag+(Cd+2)-sensitive Cys extends from the transmembrane helices (TMHs) of subunits a and c into cytoplasmic loops connecting the TMHs, suggesting these loop regions could be involved in gating H+ release to the cytoplasm. Here, using select loop-region Cys from the single cytoplasmic loop of subunit c and multiple cytoplasmic loops of subunit a, we show that Cd+2 directly inhibits passive H+ transport mediated by F0 reconstituted in liposomes. Further, in extensions of previous studies, we show that the regions mediating passive H+ transport can be cross-linked to each other. We conclude that the loop-regions in subunits a and c that are implicated in H+ transport likely interact in a single structural domain, which then functions in gating H+ release to the cytoplasm.
Use of excitons in materials characterization of semiconductor system

Abstract The objective of this review article is to provide an overview of the use of excitons in the characterization of semiconductor alloys and quantum well structures. In particular, it is shown how the measurements of the excitonic linewidth at low temperatures using a variety of optical spectroscopic techniques such as photoluminescence (PL), cathodoluminescence (CL), and absorption can be used to provide information about the structural quality of alloys and quantum well structures. The results of several theoretical approaches that have been developed to calculate the excitonic linewidth in semiconductor alloys as a function of compositional disorder, which is primarily responsible for excitonic line broadening, are reviewed. The measurements of the excitonic linewidths in a variety of III–V and II–VI based semiconductor alloys are described and compared with the calculated values to obtain information about their quality. This is followed by a review of the results of a theoretical formalism, which has been used to calculate the excitonic linewidth due to interfacial disorder in quantum well structures. The combined effects of both the compositional and the interfacial disorders on the excitonic linewidth in quantum well structures are discussed. The results of the measurements of excitonic linewidth in several III–V and II–V semiconductor based quantum well structures are reviewed and compared with those calculated to gain insight into their quality. This article is intended to provide a balanced review of both the theoretical and experimental developments in this field.
Real-time, load-adaptive processing of continuous queries over data streams

We introduce a new type of query, called a real-time continuous query (RCQ) that captures the real-time requirements of processing data streams. We develop techniques to efficiently process the RCQs in the presence of fluctuating query load and data load. We show that Rate-Monotonic scheduling is applicable to this problem domain, and show how to make this method adaptive to varying load conditions. When a set of queries becomes unschedulable due to load variations, we perform controlled input load shedding by dropping tuples using a novel feedback-based approach to decide which tuples to drop. Our work shows how to provide response time guarantees for processing RCQs, and enables making the appropriate trade-off between penalty due to missed deadlines and result accuracy. Our experiments show that our approach works very well and is usable in practice.
Rheological Properties and Characterization of Polymerized Whey Protein Isolates

Whey protein polymers were formed by heating whey protein isolate solutions at 80 degrees C. Flow behaviors of whey protein polymers produced from different protein concentrations and heating times were comparable to various flow behaviors of hydrocolloids. Polymer formation was found to be a two-phase process. The initial protein concentration was a significant factor that determines the size and/or shape of the primary polymer in the first phase as shown by intrinsic viscosity. Heating time was a factor in determining the aggregation in the second phase as shown by apparent viscosity. Intrinsic viscosity of whey protein polymers was as high as 141.7 +/- 7.30 mL/g, compared to 5.04 +/- 0.20 mL/g for native whey proteins. The intrinsic viscosity and gel electrophoresis data suggested that disulfide bonds played an important role in whey polymer formation.
Replacement drive system installation

In this article, the author explores existing conditions that necessitated action beyond normal mill maintenance. Difficult operating conditions and negative effects on mill productivity were identified. This article reports options and decisions encountered prior to and during installation and initial operation of the AC drive. The drive system has been modified to increase machine speed capability. Difficult operating conditions and negative effects on mill productivity were identified.
Elution of Chromium Label from Preserved Red Blood Cells Transfused During Surgery

51Cr labelled red blood cells were transfused into nine patients during surgery, and the rate of chromium elution in vivo was determined. Similar studies were performed on seven nonsurgical patients. Three of the surgical and two of the nonsurgical patients received liquid-stored red blood cells, while six of the surgical and five of the nonsurgical patients received previously frozen agglomerated red blood cells. The rapid component of chromium elution was observed in both surgical and nonsurgical patients. Approximately 6.7 per cent of the chromium eluted rapidly from liquid-preserved red blood cells, and about 9.9 per cent from previously frozen red blood cells. No further elution was detected in the red blood cells transfused during surgery, whereas further elution (the slow component of 51Cr elution) was observed in nonsurgical patients. These data suggest that general anesthesia may have influenced the slow component of chromium elution.
The structure of several meso tetraarylporphinatomanganese(III) tetracyanoethenide complexes

Abstract The structures of several uniform ··· D+A.−D+A.−D+A.−··· (D: S = 2 Mporphryin; A: S = 1/2 TCNE) chain compounds with the [TCNE].− trans-μ2 bonded to two Mn(III)'s exhibiting cooperative magnetic properties have been studied by single crystal x-ray diffraction. Herein we summarize the structures obtained for these compounds and their vCN infrared absorptions.
The modified Snodgrass hypospadias repair: reducing the risk of fistula and meatal stenosis.

ABSTRACTPurpose: The Snodgrass hypospadias repair is fast becoming the procedure of choice for distal hypospadias at many centers. Multiple series document excellent cosmetic outcome in conjunction with low complication rates. Modifications to the original procedure are presented, which may further limit the risk of complications.Materials and Methods: A retrospective review was performed of all Snodgrass procedures performed by a single surgeon in a 3.5-year period. None of the boys had undergone prior hypospadias surgery. Cases of relatively narrow urethral plates (less than 8Fr) or a “flat glans” were not corrected using the Snodgrass procedure, but rather were corrected using a modified Barcat repair. In this series the repair incorporated several modifications including 1) the urethral plate was incised all the way from the meatus to the tip of the glans, 2) most importantly, the urethral plate was tubularized starting at the meatus and working proximally, and 3) the meatus was calibrated such that, ...
Cluttering: A matter of perspective

The evolution of a discipline such as speech-language pathology pivots around three points: theoretical underpinnings, research questions and methodologies, and clinical acumen. Moreover, the advancement of a given discipline rests on the extent to which these three elements are integrated. Cluttering, however, has attracted little interest in the United States until rather recent times, having experienced a long hiatus of relative neglect by speech-language pathologists. This hiatus was preceded by an initial spurt of clinical insights from phoniatrists and logopedists originally trained in Europe during the early decades of this century.
Can we learn to govern? Establishing schools of choice.

Book reviewed in this article: Our society's startling success in solving the problems of production, an epochal human achievement, has thrust us into an era of great transition. The purpose of education must shift from that of inducing the will to produce to that of inducing the will to govern. To such an end, a system of public schools of choice is proposed.
Software metrics for the microcode of computer systems

Abstract The collection of data necessary to compute various software metrics constitutes a difficult task, especially for large projects written in multiple languages. We discus a number of issues associated with the collection of data for large commercial computer products and show that significant discrepancies in the value of some metrics may arise depending on the measurement method used. Using data collected from 4,635 microcode modules, which total s> 1.2 million lines of code and comprise the entire microcode of the IBM ES/4381 and IBM ES/9370 computer systems, we show the impact the computing methodology has on some studies associated with program metrics.
On Some Nuisance Parameter Free Uniformly Most Powerful Tests

TAKEUCHI (1969) provides a uniformly most powerful (UMP) one side test for testing the location parameter of the two parameters exponential model when the scale parameter is unknown. The power of his similar size α test depends, however, on the unknown scale parameter. In this case and in more general situations when there exists a sufficient statistic for the nuisance parameter, the theory of generalized THOMPSON's distributions, more specifically, the Thompsonization of a test statistic, LAURENT (1959, 1972) provides a UMP test whose power does not depend on the nuisance parameter. Examples of application of the general nuisance parameter free test procedure include here the truncated exponential, the inverse Gaussian, and the geometric distributions.
A novel driving method and device to reduce color breakup in color‐sequential displays

— Color-sequential displays offer a better luminous efficiency, a higher spatial resolution, and a lower cost than conventional displays. However, a common problem is that visual effects cause color edge-blurring of a moving picture, a phenomenon called color breakup or rainbow effects. Most driving methods, such as increasing the frame rate and inserting a black/white frame or another color sub-frame to reduce the color breakup in color sequential displays has been presented in many papers, but every method has some limitations and problems. An innovative driving method and device to reduce the color-breakup phenomenon will be demonstrated in this paper, designed without increasing the driving frequency. Instead, the brightness is increased by one third at the very least. Our method divides the driving frequency into four sub-frames (WRGB), which is operated at 180 Hz compared to 240 Hz for conventional driving. Our result shows that the image quality is improved. The color-breakup simulation based on “eye trace integration” and compensated white light will also be presented in this paper.
Dioxin-Like Toxicity in the Saginaw River Watershed: Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins, Dibenzofurans, and Biphenyls in Sediments and Floodplain Soils from the Saginaw and Shiawassee Rivers and Saginaw Bay, Michigan, USA

Sediment and floodplain soils in the Saginaw River Watershed, Michigan, USA, have been demonstrated to be contaminated with a variety of organic compounds, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). Existing data indicate that, at some locations, the contamination exceeds human health risk-based regulatory levels and ecological risk-based screening levels. In this study, concentrations of PCBs including non-ortho coplanar congeners, PCDDs, and PCDFs were measured in more than 120 sediment and floodplain soil samples collected from the Shiawassee River (a tributary of the Saginaw River), the Saginaw River, and Saginaw Bay, to determine the sources and magnitude of contamination, and to elucidate the contributions from individual contaminant groups to the overall 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibezo-p-dioxin equivalents (TEQs). Sediment and soil extracts were also analyzed for total dioxin-like activity by means of the H4IIE-luc cell bioassay. Elevated concentrations of PCBs (>1000 ng/g, dry weight) were found in surface sediment and floodplain soil samples collected from the Shiawassee River near Chase Lake, from Middleground Island in the Saginaw River, and from subsurface sediments in Saginaw Bay. Concentrations of PCDDs and PCDFs in sediment and floodplain soils from the Saginaw River and Saginaw Bay were 2 to 3 orders of magnitude higher than concentrations in the samples from the Shiawassee River. The highest PCDD/F concentration (55,200 pg/g, dry weight in a subsurface layer) was found in sediment collected at the mouth of the Saginaw River. Concentrations of PCDFs were greater than the concentrations of PCDDs in sediment from the Saginaw River. 2,3,7,8-TCDF, 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDF, and 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF were the major PCDF congeners found in sediments from the Saginaw River. The elevated concentrations of PCDFs, and the predominance of the less highly chlorinated PCDF congeners, in sediments from the Saginaw River were similar to previously determined characteristics of the PCDF contamination of the Tittabawassee River, another tributary of the Saginaw River. These results suggest the existence of a major source of PCDFs within the watershed. A few localized areas of high PCDD/F and PCB concentrations, with unique congener compositions, in the Saginaw River indicated the presence of other minor sources, such as wastewater treatment plants. PCDFs were the major contributors to TEQs in sediment and soils from the Saginaw River and Saginaw Bay. Approximately 30% of the samples analyzed in this study had values exceeding the screening level of 50 pg TEQ/g, dry wt, suggested for soils by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Screening performance of first-trimester nuchal translucency for major cardiac defects: a meta-analysis

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the screening performance of increased first-trimester nuchal translucency for the detection of major congenital heart defects. Study design A meta-analysis based on MEDLINE and EMBASE searches (up to June 2002) that assessed the diagnostic performance of increased nuchal translucency for congenital heart defect detection. Weighted sensitivity and specificity estimates (random effects) and summary receiver-operating characteristic curves were obtained. Results Eight independent studies with 58,492 pregnant women were analyzed. There was significant heterogeneity among the studies. Nuchal translucency above the 99th percentile had a sensitivity of 31% and specificity of 98.7% (random effects calculations), with a positive likelihood ratio of 24. Summary receiver-operating characteristic estimates were consistent with these values. The ability of nuchal translucency measurements above this threshold to detect cardiac malformations varied nonsignificantly (P = .64) for different congenital heart defects types (sensitivity range, 25%-55%). Conclusion Nuchal translucency screening is a modestly efficient strategy for congenital heart defect detection; the use of the 99th percentile threshold may capture approximately 30% of congenital heart defects.
EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF ICON QUALITY

There are currently no standard methods to assess and ensure the usability of graphical user interfaces (GUIs). A series of experiments were designed to measure the factors that affect the usability of a common element of GUIs, icons. A procedure for designing effective iconic images based on our results with subjects from widely varying educational and computer backgrounds is described.