cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Search for the Brown-Pearce tumor XYZ factor in rabbit spleen.

SummaryThe Brown-Pearce tumor XYZ factor could not be prepared from the spleen of normal rabbits nor from the spleens of rabbits previously injected with the factor. There were two experiments comprising 52 rabbits and further controlled by prior experiments involving 110 young rabbits likewise injected intra- or subcutaneously with the Brown-Pearce tumor.
Security of capsular fixation: Smallversus large-hole plate-haptic lenses

Abstract Purpose: To assess the effect of relatively large positioning holes on the security of capsular bag fixation of plate-haptic silicone intraocular lenses (IOLs). Setting: Center for Research on Ocular Therapeutics and Biodevices, Department of Ophthalmology, Storm Eye Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Methods: This study tested the hypothesis that larger holes allow ingrowth of lens material, fibrous tissue, or both through them, which helps fixate the lens more firmly in the capsular bag. Five rabbits had bilateral continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis, phacoemulsification, and implantation of a plate-haptic silicone IOL. An IOL with a small, round positioning hole (Staar AA-4203V) was implanted in the right eye in each rabbit, and a large-hole IOL (Staar AA-4203VF) was implanted in the left eye. After 2 months, all rabbits were killed. The force required to extract one haptic from the capsular bag was measured with a digital force meter. All eyes had histopathological analysis. Results: It was slightly more difficult to extract a large-hole IOL from the capsular bag, although this trend was not statistically significant. However, histopathological analysis consistently showed 360 degree synechia formation through the holes, showing that the IOL could be securely fixed in position. Conclusions: Proliferation of lens epithelial cells through a large positioning hole in a plate-haptic silicone IOL may improve the long-term security of capsular bag fixation. This will help reduce the incidence of IOL decentration and dislocation.
Direct Characterization of Protein Adducts of the Lipid Peroxidation Product 4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal Using Electrospray Mass Spectrometry

Oxidative stress and exposures to xenobiotic substances generate reactive substances including the cytotoxic aldehyde 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal. This aldehyde exhibits a variety of biological effects and has been reported as a marker of lipid peroxidation. The toxicity and atherogenicity of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal have been attributed to the formation of covalent protein adducts. In the current study, two model proteins, beta-lactoglobulin B and human hemoglobin, were exposed to 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, and the protein adducts were characterized using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Our findings provided clear and direct evidence that > 99% of protein modification occurred via Michael addition, and only trace amounts of Schiff base adducts were formed. Confirmation of this result was obtained via quantitative conversion of the modified proteins to oxime and pentafluorobenzyl oxime derivatives as demonstrated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, spectrophotometric protein carbonyl assays, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry determination of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal released upon treatment with hydroxylamine. These results further demonstrate the availability of the protein-bound aldehyde for subsequent reaction or as a site of molecular recognition. The preponderance of Michael addition products over Schiff base adducts also suggests that most methods for determining 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal in biological tissues or fluids are based on erroneous assumptions that hydrazines or hydroxylamines release 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal from proteins.
Restoring Isometry in Lateral Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction.

Purpose To ascertain whether placing the humeral attachment of the lateral ulnar collateral ligament (LUCL) at the humeral center of rotation (hCOR) on the humerus would provide the most isometric reconstruction. Methods We analyzed 13 cadaver limbs from mid-humerus to the hand. The morphology of the ligament complex was assessed. The hCOR was then found using radiographic parameters. We chose 7 points on the humerus located at and around the hCOR and 3 points paralleling the supinator crest of the ulna and then calculated distances from these points using a digital caliper at 0°, 30°, 60°, 90°, and 130° flexion. Differences in potential ligamentous lengths (termed graft elongation) were then calculated and statistical analysis was performed. Results There was no perfectly isometric point along the humerus or ulna. However, in all specimens the hCOR was the most isometric point for the humeral reconstruction site, with an average graft elongation of 1.1 mm. Differences in humeral tunnel position dramatically affected graft elongation at all 3 ulnar insertions. Overall, ulnar position had a minimal effect on graft elongation. Conclusions Although no perfectly isometric points were found, the humeral center of rotation consistently reproduced the most isometry when assessing graft elongation over range of motion. These data may assist surgeons in proper tunnel placement in LUCL reconstruction. Clinical relevance In LUCL reconstruction, the humeral tunnel should be placed as close as possible to the center of rotation, whereas placement on the ulna is less critical.
Gene silencing by synthetic U1 Adaptors

We describe a gene silencing method that employs a mechanism of action distinct from those of antisense and RNA interference. U1 Adaptors are bifunctional oligonucleotides with a 'target domain' complementary to a site in the target gene's terminal exon and a 'U1 domain' that binds to the U1 small nuclear RNA component of the U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (U1 snRNP) splicing factor. Tethering of U1 snRNP to the target pre-mRNA inhibits poly(A)-tail addition, causing degradation of that RNA species in the nucleus. U1 Adaptors can inhibit both endogenous and reporter genes in a sequence-specific manner. Comparison of U1 Adaptors with small interfering RNA (siRNA) using a genome-wide microarray analysis indicates that U1 Adaptors have limited off-target effects and no detectable adverse effects on splicing. Further, targeting the same gene either with multiple U1 Adaptors or with a U1 Adaptor and siRNA strongly enhances gene silencing.
Automatic urban debris zone extraction from post-hurricane very high-resolution satellite and aerial imagery

Automated remote sensing methods have not gained widespread usage for damage assessment after hurricane events, especially for low-rise buildings, such as individual houses and small businesses. Hurricane wind, storm surge with waves, and inland flooding have unique damage signatures, further complicating the development of robust automated assessment methodologies. As a step toward realizing automated damage assessment for multi-hazard hurricane events, this paper presents a mono-temporal image classification methodology that quickly and accurately differentiates urban debris from non-debris areas using post-event images. Three classification approaches are presented: spectral, textural, and combined spectral–textural. The methodology is demonstrated for Gulfport, Mississippi, using IKONOS panchromatic satellite and NOAA aerial colour imagery collected after 2005 Hurricane Katrina. The results show that multivariate texture information significantly improves debris class detection performance by decreasi...
3[H]-Sulpiride labels mesolimbic non-dopaminergic sites that bind antidepressant drugs.

3[H]-(−)-Sulpiride and 3[H]-spiperone binding was compared in rat amygdala, nucleus accumbens and striatum, using (+/−)-sulpiride to define specific binding. 3[H]-(−)-Sulpiride bound to twice as many sites in amygdala and nucleus accumbens as 3[H]-spiperone. 3[H]-(−)-Sulpiride binding was directed to these additional sites by using 1 μM spiperone to mask dopaminergic binding. The binding of 3[H]-(−)-sulpiride to these sites was high affinity, reversible, Na+-dependent, but not stereospecific. Metoclopramide, tiapride and antidepressant medications, but not other neuroleptics, ADTN, or serotonin displaced 3[H]-(−)-sulpiride binding to these sites. These data suggest that 3[H]-(−)-sulpiride labels mesolimbic sites other than dopamine receptors which may mediate antidepressant effects.
Durability implications of neat hydrogen under sonic flow conditions on pulse-width modulated injectors

Abstract This paper describes the durability implications of neat hydrogen on electronically operated pulse-width modulated fuel injectors. Four injector types were evaluated, some of which were modified through the employment of solid lubricant coatings and surface treatments—creating a total of eight candidate H2 injector variants. For each injector variant, test stand durability data was recorded until failure or the accumulation of more than 800 h ( 64 million injector cycles, or ∼45 k vehicle miles) of operation on neat hydrogen. The injector durability experiments were conducted employing pulse widths and frequencies representative of engine operation at moderate speed, high speed, and maximum speed conditions. The results from these experiments ranged from failure in h to several injector variants successfully completing more than 800 h of testing.
A Two-Tier Market for Decentralized Dynamic Spectrum Access in Cognitive Radio Networks

Market mechanisms have been exploited as important means for spectrum acquisition and access in cognitive radio networks. In this paper, we propose a two-tier market for decentralized dynamic spectrum access. In the proposed Tier-1 market, spectrum are traded from a primary user~(PU) to secondary users~(SUs) in a relatively large time scale to reduce signaling overhead. Then driven by dynamic traffic demands, SUs set up the Tier-2 market to redistribute channels among themselves in a small time scale. More specifically, we use Nash bargain game to model the spectrum acquisition of SUs in the Tier-1 market and derive the equilibrium prices. We then use strategic bargain game to study the spectrum bargain in the Tier-2 market, where SUs can exchange channels with low overhead through random matching, bilateral bargain, and the predetermined market equilibrium prices. We disclose how various factors, such as availability of channels and bargain partners, matching schemes, and traffic dynamics, impact the market relationships. This work provides better understanding on the spectrum market and valuable guidelines to the primary and secondary network operators.
Design and Development of a New Automated and High-Speed Gas Filling Systems

This research is to describe the recent development of a new automated and high-speed gas filling system in industrial applications. It aims at the introduction, study, and analysis of automated and high-speed gas filling mechanisms in industry. Automation is not only significantly increasing the production speed but also more accurately controlling product quality. Automated mechanical system can maintain consistent quality, shorten lead time, simplify material handling, optimize work flow, and meet the product demand for flexibility and convertibility in production. Computer-aided engineering design can quickly model automated machinery systems, shorten the product development cycles, and improve engineering integral processes of product design, development, engineering analysis, and production. This paper introduces a newly developed automated and high-speed gas filling system and focuses on computer-aided design, modeling, and simulation of this new mechanism. Compared with the current conventional systems, this new automated gas filling system has more reliable sealing function and higher production rates. The prototype of this automated machinery system has also been tested for functional verification. Both computer-aided analysis and prototype testing results indicate that this automated and high-speed gas filling mechanical system works well with high production quantity and reliable product quality.
PEGylation Extends Circulation Half-Life While Preserving In Vitro and In Vivo Activity of Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1)

Excess proteolytic activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) contributes to the development of arthritis, cardiovascular diseases and cancer progression, implicating these enzymes as therapeutic targets. While many small molecule inhibitors of MMPs have been developed, clinical uses have been limited, in part by toxicity and off-target effects. Development of the endogenous tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) as recombinant biopharmaceuticals represents an alternative therapeutic approach; however, the short plasma half-life of recombinant TIMPs has restricted their potential in this arena. To overcome this limitation, we have modified recombinant human TIMP-1 (rhTIMP-1) by PEGylation on lysine residues. We analyzed a mixture of mono- and di-PEGylated rhTIMP-1 species modified by attachment of 20 kDa mPEG chains (PEG20K-TIMP-1), as confirmed by SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry. This preparation retained complete inhibitory activity toward the MMP-3 catalytic domain and partial inhibitory activity toward full length MMP-9. Pharmacokinetic evaluation showed that PEGylation extended the plasma half-life of rhTIMP-1 in mice from 1.1 h to 28 h. In biological assays, PEG20K-TIMP-1 inhibited both MMP-dependent cancer cell invasion and tumor cell associated gelatinase activity. Overall these results suggest that PEGylated TIMP-1 exhibits improved potential for development as an anti-cancer recombinant protein therapeutic, and additionally may offer potential for clinical applications in the treatment of other diseases.
A Developmental Approach to Teaching Geography in the Primary Grades

Abstract Instruction at the primary grade level should be designed to give attention to a child's developmental level and to utilize a child's experience. This article describes how the geographic themes of location, movement, and region can be taught in the primary grades. Students move from concrete to semiconcrete to abstract tasks while learning geographical skills incorporated with math, science, reading, and writing.
Numerical simulation of excavation in elastoplastic soils

A finite element method for simulating excavation in elastoplastic soils which produces a "unique" solution for any number of excavation stages is presented. The proposed method satisfies the uniqueness principle for elastic materials postulated by Ishihara, and degenerates to the methods presented in the Adina code and by Brown and Booker and Ghaboussi and Pecknold for the simple elastic cases. The non-linear (elastoplastic) finite element equations are derived from a variational formulation which accounts for time-varying problem domain and boundaries. The roots of these non-linear equations are solved by Newton's method, using the notion of the consistent tangent operator proposed by Simo and Taylor in conjunction with a numerical algorithm based on the "radial-return" concept for integrating stresses. Numerical examples demonstrate that in the elastic case the solution to problems involving a "shrinking" (excavation) or "expanding" (fill) domain is superposable and does not depend on the number of construction stages. For a monotonically shrinking elastoplastic domain and the von Mises and Drucker-Prager yield models, it is shown that the proposed method also produces a "unique" solution independent of the number of excavation stages. Finally, the asymptotic quadratic convergence exhibited by the proposed method is demonstrated to show the efficiency engendered by the technique described. (Author/TRRL)
Differential eyelid conditioning: The generalization of reinforcement and of nonreinforcement

In two human differential eyelid studies, Ss were first differentially conditioned to two tonal CSs, after which a third CS (CS3) was introduced in random sequence with the established CS+ and CS−. The quality of CS3 was either a red light (Experiment I) or a tone (Experiment II). As a tone (Experiment II), CS3 was either more similar to CS+ than CS−, or vice versa. In both studies, the percent of CS3-UCS pairing varied factorially between groups as 0%, 20%, or 60% of the CS3 trials. As was true in earlier studies, the historic notions of reinforcement and stimulus generalization were not adequate to explain the results.
Hypercoagulability in arterial disease.

Isolated human monocytes generate tissue factor when stimulated with endo toxin. Tissue factor generation provides a marker for activation of the monocyte and of the clotting system. Determination of the recalcification time of blood after incubation with endotoxin detects minute changes in coagulability. This clotting assay was utilized to assess the presence of a hypercoagulable state in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease when compared with healthy volunteers. Citrated blood was incubated with endotoxin for two hours, CaCl2 was added, and the recalcification time determined. Hypercoagulability was indicated by shortened recalcification time. The recalcification time ± standard deviation for saline (control) and endotoxin-activated samples from 19 healthy volunteers was 6.55 ±0.8 and 5.69±0.7 minutes, respectively, whereas it was 4.93±1.2 and 4.55 ±0.9 minutes for 31 patients with peripheral arterial occlu sive disease (p < .001 for each). This hypercoagulable state can accentuate the ar...
The effects of alternative power-sharing arrangements: Do “moderating” institutions moderate party strategies and government policy outputs?

Advocates of consensual political institutions, i.e. institutions that promote compromise and powersharing among political parties, claim that these institutions promote moderation in government policy outputs. To date, however, there exists little research – either theoretical or empirical – that evaluates whether consensual institutions promote moderation in parties' policy declarations. We develop a multiparty spatial model with policy-seeking parties operating under proportional representation, in which we vary the extent to which government policies reflect power-sharing among all parties as opposed to being determined by a single party. We determine parties' optimal (Nash equilibrium) policy positions and conclude that power-sharing does not typically motivate parties to moderate their policy declarations; in fact, policy positioning under power-sharing appears to be similar to or more extreme than under single-party dominance. Consistent with previous research, however, we find that power-sharing does promote moderation in government policy outputs. Our results have implications for parties’ election strategies, for the design of political institutions, and for representative government.
On the Hydrologic Adjustment of Climate-Model Projections: The Potential Pitfall of Potential Evapotranspiration

Abstract Hydrologic models often are applied to adjust projections of hydroclimatic change that come from climate models. Such adjustment includes climate-bias correction, spatial refinement (“downscaling”), and consideration of the roles of hydrologic processes that were neglected in the climate model. Described herein is a quantitative analysis of the effects of hydrologic adjustment on the projections of runoff change associated with projected twenty-first-century climate change. In a case study including three climate models and 10 river basins in the contiguous United States, the authors find that relative (i.e., fractional or percentage) runoff change computed with hydrologic adjustment more often than not was less positive (or, equivalently, more negative) than what was projected by the climate models. The dominant contributor to this decrease in runoff was a ubiquitous change in runoff (median −11%) caused by the hydrologic model’s apparent amplification of the climate-model-implied growth in pote...
Interactive Decision Support for Requirements Negotiation

The concurrent engineering approach calls for the simultaneous consideration of a variety of concerns from a variety of perspectives When a team is provided proper tools, such multi-faceted analysis can reduce many common oversights early in the design process However, issues common to all group interactions can hinder a concurrent engineering team. We present research which supports concurrent engineering teamwork during the initial, requirement, and specification stages of system design.
Partial-wave spinor amplitudes with definite parity

Abstract For the purpose of supplying an alternative to the use of helicity amplitudes as a means of describing scattering processes involving particles of any spin, partial-wave spinor amplitudes (or M functions) with definite parity are constructed. Consequences of time reversal invariance and identity of particles are investigated. Connection with the partial-wave helicity amplitudes is established. Applications of the spinor formalism to the pion-nucleon and nucleon-nucleon problems are studied in detail. The formalism provides a direct link between the elegant work of Stapp, Hepp, and Williams on the analytic properties of the M function and phenomenological analysis in terms of partial-wave amplitudes with definite parity without recourse to the helicity description.
Hemicellulose distribution in pulp fibers and alkaline extraction rates

Abstract Hemicellulose molecules available for fiber-fiber bonding should also be among those most readily extracted by alkali. With this premise in mind the extraction rates of hemicellulose from chemical pulps were examined and interpreted as being dependent on hemicellulose distribution. Measurements of the rates of extraction of glucuronoxylan and glucomannan from primarily southern pine oxygen pulps showed that the bulk of hemicellulose was not immediately available to extraction. After a few seconds of initial rapid extraction by 6% NaOH, removal rates quickly decreased but extraction continued indefinitely. Adsorbed hemicellulose by comparison was initially more rapidly extracted. About half of the hemicellulose most rapidly extracted from high-yield oxygen pulps was associated with lumens and large pores. The remaining half (perhaps 5% of the xylan and 2–3% of the glucomannan) was estimated to be the maximum amount potentially, but not necessarily, available for fiber-fiber bonding.
Immediate-early gene responses in the avian song control system : cloning and expression analysis of the canary c-jun cDNA

Abstract Previous studies have shown that song presentation results in a rapid rise in mRNA levels for the ZENK gene (the avian homologue of zif-268, Egr-1, NGFI-A, and Krox-24) in specific parts of the songbird forebrain. Metrazole-induced seizures also cause an increase in ZENK mRNA, even more widely throughout the telencephalon. Surprisingly, however, little or no ZENK induction by either stimulus was observed in several forebrain areas involved in auditory processing and song production. To learn whether this pattern of regulation is specific to ZENK, we examined the response of another ‘immediate-early’ gene, c-jun. Here we first describe the identification, cloning and sequence analysis of a canary cDNA encoding c-jun. Then, by in situ hybridization we show that c-jun is also induced by song or seizure, and in a pattern mostly similar to ZENK. As with ZENK, no induction of c-jun is observed in the androgen receptor-containing song nuclei or within the primary thalamo-recipient auditory area of the forebrain. Thus common immediate early gene responses appear to be selectively uncoupled from physiological activation in these specific forebrain regions, which are also characterized by tight developmental, hormonal and seasonal regulation.
Almost output regulation for parameter-dependent linear fractional transformation systems

An important problem of output regulation for linear fractional transformation (LFT) systems is considered. This problem is mainly concerned about tracking and/or rejection of persistent signals produced by some external generator. Necessary and sufficient solvability condition for LFT systems as two linear matrix equations, which is an extension of the existing output regulation results for the linear time invariant and nonlinear systems will be presented. On the basis of the analysis condition, the LFT almost output regulation problem of approximately tracking/rejecting persistent signals will be studied by minimising the ℒ2 gain from perturbation of the signal to error output. Its synthesis condition will be formulated as two matrix equations plus a set of linear matrix inequalities. An example will be used to demonstrate the proposed approach.
Temperature Elevations in Implanted Prostatic Tumors in Mice During Magnetic Nanoparticle Hyperthermia: In Vivo Experimental Study

In this study, we perform in vivo animal experiments on implanted prostatic tumors in mice to measure temperature elevation distribution in the tumor during magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia. Temperature rises are induced by a commercially available ferrofluid injected to the center of the tumor, which is subject to an alternating magnetic field. Temperature mapping in the implanted prostatic tumors during the heating has illustrated the feasibility of elevating the tumor temperature higher than 50°C using only 0.1 cc ferrofluid injected in the tumor and under a relatively low magnetic field (3 kA/m). Ferrofluid infusion rates during intratumoral injection may affect nanoparticle spreading in tumors. Using a very slow infusion rate of 5 μ1/min results in an average temperature elevation in tumors 27°C above the baseline temperatures of 37°C. However, the temperature elevations are barely 14°C when the infusion rate is 20 μl/min. Our results suggest a more confined nanoparticle distribution to the injection site using smaller infusion rates.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
SUCCESSFUL TWO-WEEK TREATMENT SCHEDULE FOR PENICILLIN-SUSCEPTIBLE STREPTOCOCCUS VIRIDANS ENDOCARDITIS

Abstract Forty-nine patients with penicillin-susceptible (minimal inhibitory concentration 0·2 μg. per ml. or less) Streptococcus viridans endocarditis treated with antibiotics for 2 weeks are presented. Treatment schedules were as follows: thirteen patients received parenteral penicillin G (benzylpenicillin) alone; nine patients received parenteral penicillin G plus streptomycin; and twenty-seven patients were given oral penicillin V (phenoxymethylpenicillin) plus streptomycin. Two patients treated with penicillin G alone relapsed, but were cured by a second, identical course of therapy. No relapse was noted in the other treatment group. The serum antistreptococcal activity of all the patients treated with oral penicillin V was adequate. The 2-week schedule of penicillin V plus streptomycin is effective in the treatment of penicillin-susceptible Strep. viridans endocarditis. This regimen is also more comfortable for the patient and the period in hospital is shortened.
Watershed level risk assessment of nitrogen and phosphorus export

Land cover composition across a watershed is a principal factor in controlling the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus exported from a watershed. A well developed literature of nutrient export coefficients by land-cover class was used to model the risk of equaling or exceeding specified levels of nutrient export. The model was applied to about 1000 comparatively small watersheds mapped for the state of Maryland for environmental analysis and planning. Risk estimates generally increased from west to east, but numerous areas of high variability were evident. Risk of exceeding specified levels of nitrogen and phosphorus export were nonlinearly related to the amount of forest in the watershed. Risk increased more dramatically for phosphorus and nitrogen when forest dropped below between 90 and 95%, respectively. Bifurcations in this nonlinear relationship were the result of the relative abundance of agriculture and urban land in the watershed. The nonlinear relationship between percentage forest and risk increased more dramatically for phosphorus and less dramatically for nitrogen when urban was relatively more abundant than agriculture. Regional-scale variation in risk is discussed in terms of its relevance to environmental management.
Monoclonal antibodies can precipitate low-density lipoprotein. II. Radioimmunoassays with single and combined monoclonal antibodies for determining apolipoprotein B in serum of patients with coronary artery disease

We have established four lines of monoclonal antibodies against human low-density lipoproteins (LDL) that, mixed in equal proportions, can precipitate LDL in gel and so can be used for apolipoprotein (apo) B determination in plasma. One monoclonal antibody (clone A), with a relatively low binding affinity to LDL (ka = 0.6 X 10(9) L/mol) and recognizing only two species of apo B, significantly underestimated the concentration of apo B in 74 patients with and 27 without coronary artery disease (CAD). High-affinity monoclonal antibody C (Ka = 3.8 X 10(9) L/mol), which recognized all four apo B species, gave the same value for apo B as determined with the mixture of monoclonal antibodies. The latter results (by radioimmunoassay, y) correlated well with those by radial immunodiffusion (chi): y = 0.994 chi + 0.003 (r = 0.987). The CAD patients showed an increased concentration of apo B as compared to the angiographically documented CAD-negative patients. Except for the values determined by clone B (p = 0.07), the increase was statistically significant (p = 0.002-0.018) for values determined by use of the other clones or their mixture.
Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm presenting as symptomatic inguinal mass: Report of six cases

Abstract Six elderly male patients (mean age, 73 years; range, 66 to 78 years) were admitted with groin masses caused by ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms. A palpable abdominal mass was present in 33%. All patients eventually underwent abdominal aortic aneurysmectomy with a resultant mortality rate of 50%. Delayed diagnosis, preoperative hypotension, advanced age, poor nutritional status, and excessive intraoperative blood loss were factors contributing to this high mortality rate. In this unusual clinical presentation of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, a high index of suspicion by the emergency room staff and prompt surgical intervention are mandatory to improve mortality rates. The anatomy of the retroperitoneal space and the phylogenetic development of a channel between the scrotum and the kidney are important factors in the development of this symptom complex. (J VASC SURG 1986;4:384-9.)
Finding Speaker Identities with a Conditional Maximum Entropy Model

In this paper, we address the task of identifying the speakers by name in audio content. Identification of speakers by name helps to improve the readability of the transcript and also provides additional meta-data which can help in finding the audio content of interest. We present a conditional maximum entropy (maxent) framework for this problem which yields superior performance and lends itself well to incorporating different types of information. We take advantage of this property of maxent to explore new features for this task. We show that supplementing standard lexical triggers with information such as speaker gender and position of speaker name mentions afford us large gains in performance. At 95% precision, we increase the recall to 67% from the trigger baseline of 38%.
Sediments and stratigraphy in rockshelters and caves: A personal perspective on principles and pragmatics

Over the last half century the study of rockshelter and cave sediments has evolved from straightforward descriptive analysis to sophisticated examination on several scales—from field observations to bulk laboratory analyses to microscopic examination. Still an integrated theory to guide the interpretation of these analyses does not exist, in part because of the idiosyncratic nature of individual caves and rockshelters. This paper reviews studies that couple field observations with laboratory analyses including particle size, pebble morphology, chemical, and mineralogical studies to provide, first, the necessary basic description of the sediments and, second, an interpretation of the environment of sedimentation. These studies can lead to an understanding of site-formation processes during human occupation, and eventually to a reconstruction of local and, in some cases, regional paleoclimates. Furthermore, sediment study is essential for intrasite correlation, independent of artifact, faunal, floral, and radiometric techniques. Finally, it is emphasized that close cooperation among sedimentologists, archaeologists, and biological specialists during planning, excavation, and interpretative stages is crucial to a successfully integrated study. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Regional relation between skin blood flow and sweating to passive heating and local administration of acetylcholine in young, healthy humans

Regional variation in sweating over the human body is widely recognized yet variation in vasomotor responses and mechanisms causing this variation remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the re...
Struggling for Survival: Workers, Women, and Class on a Nicaraguan State

Struggling for Survival: Workers, Women, and Class on. Nicaraguan State Farm. Gary Ruchwarger. Boulder Westview Press, 1989. ix. 128. $19.95
Developmental Neuroscience Perspectives on Emotion Regulation

Because individual differences in emotion regulation are associated with risk for childhood behavioral problems, multidisciplinary investigation of the genetic and neural underpinnings of emotion regulation should be a research priority. This article summarizes research findings from 3 independent laboratories to demonstrate the ways in which a variety of developmental human neuroscience-based approaches can address critical conceptual issues in the emergence of emotion regulation. To do so, the authors present 3 perspectives on how developmental neurobiology constrains and enriches theories of emotion regulation. The 3 perspectives of (a) genetics, (b) brain structure and function, and (c) plasticity of development are illustrated with empirical results derived from both typical and atypical samples of children and adults. These perspectives are complementary and sometimes represent different levels of analysis of the same question.
Minimum weight design of truss structures with geometric nonlinear behavior

The paper presents an optimization method based on optimality criterion for minimum weight design of structures with geometric nonlinear behavior. The nonlinear critical load is determined by finding the load level at which the Hessian of the potential energy ceases to be positive definite. A recurrence relation based on the criterion that at optimum the nonlinear strain energy density be equal in all the members is used to develop an algorithm. Sample problems are given to illustrate the application of the method to truss type structures with a large number of design variables. NUMBER of algorithms based on the optimality criterion approach have been developed to design a minimum weight structure with specified constraints on nodal displacements, element stresses, system stability, etc.1'2 The optimization algorithm consisted of analyzing the structure by the finite element method and using a recurrence relation derived from the appropriate optimality criterion to modify the design variables. The optimality criterion was derived by, differentiating the Lagrangian with respect to the design variables. The displacements were assumed to be small and, in the finite element analysis, linear equilibrium equations were solved to determine the response of the structure to the ap- plied loads. In the case of system stability the constraints were defined (see Refs. 3-6) by the associated linear eigenvalue problem. This definition of system stability for some structures may not be valid because of the nonlinear behavior of the structure which may be due to the geometry of the structure or the presence of geometric imperfections. The correct procedure for these structures would be to analyze the structure* by using nonlinear equilibrium equations. This will be particularly true for large space structures (LSS). In this paper an optimization method based on the optimality criterion approach is presented for structures with geometric nonlinear behavior. In the case of a structure optimized with constraints on linear stability the optimum structure can have more than one critical buckling mode. This design tends to become im- perfection sensitive and a small deviation in the geometry of the structure can reduce its load carrying capacity sub- stantially. The imperfection sensitivity of the optimized structure can be reduced by designing the structure so that buckling loads associated with the critical buckling modes are not equal (see Ref. 7). A real structure has geometric im- perfections and these structures tend to have nonlinear
Everyday people making a difference on college campuses: the tempered grassroots leadership tactics of faculty and staff

This article describes a study of the tactics used by faculty and staff grassroots leaders at colleges and universities to create important changes that increase the capacity for leadership. The study identifies how academic and administrative staff, as employees within an academic culture, have access to grassroots leadership tactics that honor the norms, values and mission of the academy, while simultaneously challenging its enacted practices. The nine tactics identified are: organizing extra‐curricular intellectual opportunities; creating professional development; leveraging curricula and using classrooms as forums; working with and mentoring students; hiring like‐minded social activists; garnering resources and support; using data to tell a story; joining in – utilizing existing networks; and partnering with key external stakeholders. The study complements and adds to the grassroots leadership literature by suggesting that grassroots leadership can occur within institutionalized settings, with the tec...
Structural analyses of plastid-derived 16S rRNAs in holoparasitic angiosperms

Higher-order structures have been constructed for plastid-encoded small-subunit (SSU, 16S), rRNAs from representatives of seven nonphotosynthetic holoparasitic angiosperm families: Apodanthaceae, Cynomoriaceae, Cytinaceae, Balanophoraceae, Hydnoraceae, Mitrastemonaceae, and Rafflesiaceae. Whereas most pairwise comparisons among angiosperms differ by 2–3% in substitutions, the 16S rRNAs of the holoparasites show an increasingly greater number of mutations: Cynomorium (7.3%), Cytinus (8.0%), Bdallophyton (12.7%), Mitrastema (14.9%), Hydnora (19.4%), Pilostyles (30.4%) and Corynaea (35.9%). Despite this high level of sequence variation, SSU structures constructed for all species except Pilostyles possess the typical complement of 50 helices (that contain numerous compensatory mutations) thereby providing indirect evidence supporting their functionality. Pilostyles, likely with the most unusual plastid 16S rRNA yet documented, lacks four major helices and contains lengthy insertions for four others. Sequences of products generated via RT-PCR show that these structural modifications are present on a mature (transcribed) rRNA. The trend toward increasing numbers of base substitutions in the holoparasites is accompanied by a marked increase in AA+U content of the rRNA. This ‘A/T drift’ phenomenon of rDNA is especially apparent in Corynaea whose SSU rDNA sequence is 72% A+T. A comparison of Cytinus to tobacco showed that substitution rates appear to be dependent upon the composition of neighboring bases. Transversions represented 26% of the mutations when flanking bases were G or C whereas transversions increased to 36% when the flanking bases were A to T. The underlying molecular mechanism associated with these high substitution rates is presently unknown, however, relaxation of selection pressure on ribosome function resulting in altered DNA replication and/or repair systems may be involved.
Conducting mail and telephone surveys

Summary form only given, substantially as follows. More and more professional communicators are using surveys to learn more about their audiences and to assess technical communication products, and yet, few communication professionals have had the opportunity to learn how to conduct surveys. Handled carefully, mail and telephone surveys can provide practicing communicators an effective, professional research technique for gathering detailed and useful information about their readers and evaluating their technical communications. This paper provides an understanding of the survey process and its major pitfalls and how to avoid them. I begin with an overview of the survey process and then elaborate on selected activities: planning, questionnaire development, sampling, data collection alternatives, coding and data analysis. Specifically, I discuss strategies for developing specific objectives, drafting and ordering questions, pre-testing the questionnaire, revising the questionnaire and producing the questionnaire; explain random vs. non-random sampling, applications and limitations, and their influence on data interpretation; explore strategies for selecting the appropriate data analysis, developing a code book, coding data and analyzing data; and detail common problems including a closer look at leading questions, double-barreled questions, overlapping categories, loaded questions, long, complex questions, jargon and negative questions.
Globally stable closed loops imply autonomous behavior

A program of research in robotics that seeks to encode abstract tasks in a form that simultaneously affords a control scheme for the torque-actuated dynamical systems, as well as a proof that the resulting closed-loop behavior will correctly achieve the desired goals, is reviewed. Two different behaviors that require dexterity and might plausibly connote 'intelligence'-navigating in a cluttered environment and juggling a number of otherwise freely falling objects-are examined with regard to similarities in problem representation, method of solution, and causes of success. The central theme concerns the virtue of global stability mechanisms. At the planning level they lend autonomy, that is, freedom from dependence upon some 'higher' intelligence. They encourage the design of canonical procedures for model problems, which may then be instantiated in particular settings by a change of coordinates. The procedures developed result in provably autonomous behavior. Simulation results and physical experimental studies suggest the practicability of these methods. >
Justification and defeat

This paper exhibits some problematic cases of defeasible or nonmonotonic reasoning that tend to be handled incorrectly by all of the theories of defeasible and nonmonotonic reasoning in the current literature. The paper focuses particularly on default logic, circumscription, and the author's own argument-based approach to defeasible reasoning. A proposal is made for how to deal with these problematic cases. The paper closes with a demonstration that the proposed solution is able to differentiate, in a congenial way, between cases having the structure of the lottery paradox and cases having the structure of the paradox of the preface. The algorithm proposed for computing justificational status has been implemented in the automated defeasible reasoner OSCAR.
Surgical repair of interrupted aortic arch with ventricular septal defect

Background Interrupted aortic arch is often associated with subaortic narrowing and hypoplasia of the aortic orifice. The best surgical strategy for the management of these additional lesions is a matter of current debate. Methods and Results Between 1986 and 1996, 19 patients underwent repair of interrupted aortic arch with closure of ventricular septal defect in a single stage, with no attempt at subaortic resection, irrespective of the dimensions of the left ventricular outflow tract. There was no perioperative hospital mortality, and all patients were alive at 1 year. Follow-up ranges from 0.75 −10 years, with a mean 4.2 ± 3.0 years. Seven patients (37%) have required reintervention for relief of subaortic stenosis, 2 of whom have died. Conclusions Our results suggest that primary one-stage biventricular repair can be accomplished with low perioperative mortality without addressing the subaortic region. Further long-term follow-up will determine whether this is accomplished at the expense of later morbidity and mortality.
On “Effectiveness of trigger point dry needling…” Cotchett MP, Munteanu SE, Landorf KB. Phys Ther. 2014;94:1083–1094.

It was with interest and some concern that we read the report by Cotchett et al1 published in the August 2014 issue of PTJ . Although the authors reported statistically significant differences in first-step pain and foot pain in favor of trigger point dry needling over sham dry needling, it appears that the actual palpatory methods used by Cotchett et al1 to identify the location of the target trigger points and, therefore, the entry point, angulation, and depth of needle insertion have not yet been found to possess accurate diagnostic validity or acceptable intra- or inter-examiner reliability for muscles in the foot or lower leg. Therefore, the results of the study by Cotchett et al,1 including the reported frequency counts of myofascial trigger points in specific foot intrinsic and lower leg muscles, should be questioned, or at least viewed cautiously. There are several original trials, literature reviews, and meta-analyses that support our contention on this issue. In a recent systematic review, Tough et al concluded, “There is a lack of robust empirical evidence validating the clinical diagnostic criteria [for trigger point identification or diagnosis] proposed by both Travell & Simons (1999) and Fischer (1997).”2 In another systematic review on the reliability of physical examination for the diagnosis of myofascial trigger points, Lucas et al concluded, “There is no accepted reference standard for the diagnosis of trigger points, and data on the reliability of physical examination for trigger points is conflicting.”3 In addition, a predictable pattern of pain referral and the local twitch response are each no longer considered sufficient or necessary for diagnosing trigger points.2–4 Yet, regardless of the existing evidence, Cotchett et al1 still decided to use “a characteristic pattern of referred pain” and “a local twitch response” as 2 …
Risk Factors for Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection in Young Women

To define host factors associated with an increased risk of recurrent urinary tract infection (RUTI), a case-control study was conducted in 2 populations: university women and health maintenance organization enrollees. Case patients were 229 women 18-30 years old with RUTIs; control subjects were 253 randomly selected women with no RUTI history. In a multivariate model, independent risk factors for RUTI included recent 1-month intercourse frequency (odds ratio [OR], 5.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.1-10.6 for 4-8 episodes), 12-month spermicide use (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1-2.9), and new sex partner during the past year (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.2-3.2). Two newly identified risk factors were age at first urinary tract infection (UTI) </=15 years (OR, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.9-8.0) and UTI history in the mother (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.5-3.7). Blood group and secretor phenotype were not associated with RUTI. In young women, risk factors for sporadic UTI are also risk factors for recurrence. Two predictors suggest that genetic/long-term environmental exposures also predispose to RUTI.