cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epidemiology of classical risk factors in stroke patients in the Middle East.

The Middle East (ME) is an ethnically and economically diverse region. A systematic review of all stroke studies conducted in the ME was carried out, with the aim of determining the prevalence of classic vascular risk factors (CRFs) across this region. Additionally, the prevalence of CRFs in the ME was compared to that of a US cohort. Prospective and retrospective ME stroke studies published from 1994 to 2014 were searched for that specifically reported on the prevalence of CRFs. The Z test for proportions was used to determine the significance of differences in CRF rates between the ME and non-ME studies. A total of 21 724 stroke patients from 13 nations in the ME were included. The prevalence rates for CRFs in the ME stroke population were hypertension, 62.1%; diabetes, 33.1%; dyslipidaemia, 36.8%; ischaemic heart disease, 24.6%; smoking, 19.3%; and atrial fibrillation, 13.6%. Compared to the US cohort, ME patients had a lower prevalence of all CRFs except diabetes (P < 0.0001) and smoking (P = 0.05). Compared with stroke patients in the USA, those in the ME have a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes and smoking. Education and lifestyle modification is perhaps the most effective strategy in reducing the risk of stroke in this population.
Influence of carbohydrates on growth and sporulation of Clostridium perfringens type A.

Growth and sporulation of Clostridium perfringens type A in Duncan and Strong (DS) sporulation medium was investigated. A biphasic growth response was found to be dependent on starch concentration. Maximal levels of heat-resistant spores were formed at a starch concentration of 0.40%. Addition of glucose, maltose, or maltotriose to a sporulating culture resulted in an immediate turbidity increase, indicating that biphasic growth in DS medium may be due to such starch degradation products. Amylose and, to a lesser extent, amylopectin resulted in biphasic growth when each replaced starch in the sporulation medium. A level of heat-resistant spores approximately equal to the control was produced with amylopectin but not amylose as the added carbohydrate. Addition of glucose or maltose to a DS medium without starch at stage II or III of sporulation did not alter the level of heat-resistant spores as compared with the level obtained in DS medium with starch. Omission of starch or glucose or maltose resulted in an approximately 100-fold decrease in the number of heat-resistant spores, although the percentage of sporulation (90%) was unaffected. The role of starch and amylopectin in the formation of heat-resistant spores probably involves the amylolytic production of utilizable short-chain glucose polymers that provides an energy source for the completion of sporulation.
Experiments with a Real-Time Structure-From-Motion System

We present a real-time system for the reconstruction of shape and motion from a sequence of single-scanline images. With this system, experiments on reconstruction can be run effortlessly and make it possible to explore the delicate sensitivity aspects of the problem. We identify three singular values of a certain matrix of image measurements as the key elements for a sensitivity analysis. Our experiments suggest that reconstruction is feasible with sufficient accuracy at least for navigation.
Reliability of the sit-to-stand test over dispersed test sessions

This study focused on the reliability, differences, and error of sit-to-stand (STS) test measurements obtained during 3 sessions separated by 6 weeks. Twenty-one community-dwelling elders (65-85 years) participated. The mean times required to complete five STS repetitions at each test session were 13.2, 12.0, and 10.9 seconds. The times were reliable (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.82) but were significantly different (F = 6.889, p = 0.003) and demonstrated a linear trend over sessions (F = 10.157, p = 0.005). The technical error of the measurement for the times ranged from 1.7 to 2.8 seconds. Although the intraclass correlation coefficient showed the STS measurement to possess good reliability, the significant difference and trend over time suggests that subjects may experience some test familiarization with repeated performance. Given this possibility and the technical error of the measurement, clinicians should be cautious in equating small decreases in STS time to real improvement.
Model involving gene inactivation in the generation of autosomal recessive mutants in mammalian cells in culture.

Abstract We present evidence for a two-step model for expression of the recessive phenotype at the diploid adenine phosphoribosyl transferase (aprt) locus in Chinese hamster ovary cells. This model proposes a high-frequency event leading to allelic inactivation and a low-frequency event leading to a structural alteration of the APRT protein. Either event can occur first, resulting in two types of heterozygous cells. The proposed model is based on analysis of Chinese hamster ovary presumptive aprt heterozygotes and APRT- mutants, derived by two different laboratories. The major class of heterozygotes (class 1) had approximately 50% parental APRT activity, 50% immunologically precipitable APRT protein, and only wild-type enzyme as based on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and thermal inactivation studies. We propose that one allele at the aprt locus has been inactivated in these heterozygotes. APRT- mutants derived from any single class 1 heterozygote arose at a low frequency and contained either no immunologically detectable APRT protein or an APRT enzyme which was, in most cases, demonstrably altered. The second class of heterozygotes, consisting of two independent isolates, gave rise to APRT- cells at a high frequency (10(-3) to 10(-5). These heterozygous cell lines had 50% of parental APRT activity and only wild-type spot, or wild-type and an electrophoretic variant spot, on two-dimensional gels. These aprt heterozygotes appear to have arisen by mutation at one allele. APRT- mutants derived from either heterozygote of this class had all lost the wild-type activity, consistent with the proposed model.
Fear and loving in social hierarchy: Sex differences in preferences for power versus status

Abstract Famous thinkers throughout history from Nepos to Machiavelli have had strong opinions about whether it is better to be feared or loved. A related debate continues today about whether it is preferable to have power or status, a distinction between resources and respect. Across three studies, I find that men desire power more than women do, whereas women desire status more than men do. Furthermore, the extent to which hierarchical differences are seen as fair and legitimate increases the desirability of status, but power legitimacy does not affect the desirability of power. This research indicates that people perceive and value power and status distinctly, and provides additional evidence that confounding the two theoretically or empirically may distort our understanding of psychological responses to social hierarchy.
Growth of Binary Alloyed Semiconductor Crystals by the Vertical Bridgman-Stockbarger Process with a Strong Magnetic Field

This paper presents a model for the unsteady species transport for the growth of alloyed semiconductor crystals during the vertical Bridgman-Stockbarger process with a steady axial magnetic field. During growth of alloyed semiconductors such as germanium-silicon (GeSi) and mercury-cadmium-telluride (HgCdTe), the solute’s concentration is not small, so that density differences in the melt are very large. These compositional variations drive compositionally driven buoyant convection, or solutal convection, in addition to thermally driven buoyant convection. These buoyant convections drive convective transport, which produces nonuniformities in the concentration in both the melt and the crystal. This transient model predicts the distribution of species in the entire crystal grown in a steady axial magnetic field. The present study presents results of concentration in the crystal and in the melt at several different stages during crystal growth.
Aqueous systems at high temperature—III investigations on the system UO3CuONiOSO3H2O at 300°C

Solubility relationships at 300-C in the five-component system UO/sub 3/- - CuO-- NiO- SO/sub 3/-- H/sub 2/O, and its included aqueous four- and three- component systems, were investigated. Also reported are a few data on the analogous D/O system. In order to gain over-all information in a relatively short period of time, the experimental program consisted in determining ternary L + S, quaternary L + 2S, and quinary L + 3S curves at constant temperature for which, bv definition, one, two, and three solid phases, respectively, were in equilibrium with a liquid phase. For any set of experiments containing the same solid phases the SO/sub 3/ concentration was varied in order to give a solubility curve as a function of this variable. Accordingly, skeletal solubility data, obtained for the five-component system and its accessory four- and three- component systems, gave an over-all description of the solubility equilibria at 300 deg R in the condensed system. Comments are made regarding the nature of the species in solution, the general shape of some of the solubility curves, the correlation of solid-liquid with liquid-liquid equilibria, and a specific application to aqueous homogeneous reactor fuels. (auth)
Coarse‐grained lattice model simulations of sequence‐structure fitness of a ribosome‐inactivating protein

Many realistic protein-engineering design problems extend beyond the computational limits of what is considered practical when applying all-atom molecular-dynamics simulation methods. Lattice models provide computationally robust alternatives, yet most are regarded as too simplistic to accurately capture the details of complex designs. We revisit a coarse-grained lattice simulation model and demonstrate that a multiresolution modeling approach of reconstructing all-atom structures from lattice chains is of sufficient accuracy to resolve the comparability of sequence-structure modifications of the ricin A-chain (RTA) protein fold. For a modeled structure, the unfolding-folding transition temperature was calculated from the heat capacity using either the potential energy from the lattice model or the all-atom CHARMM19 force-field plus a generalized Born solvent approximation. We found, that despite the low-resolution modeling of conformational states, the potential energy functions were capable of detecting the relative change in the thermodynamic transition temperature that distinguishes between a protein design and the native RTA fold in excellent accord with reported experimental studies of thermal denaturation. A discussion is provided of different sequences fitted to the RTA fold and a possible unfolding model.
Sensory And Nutritive Qualities Of Pork Strips Prepared By Three Household Cooking Techniques

The sensory and nutritive qualities of pork strips cooked by household broiling, microwaving, and stir-frying methods were determined. Fresh pork hams from two sources were cut into 0.5 × 2.5 × 4 cm strips having no separable fat. Pork strips were cooked by each method, three replications, to 66C internal temperature. Sensory qualities were evaluated by a 14-member trained panel consisting of lifelong Nebraska Caucasian women and men. Nutrients which Americans frequently consume in low quantities were measured. Pork strips that were cooked by stir-frying were significantly browner, more tender, and more juicy than those cooked by broiling or microwaving. Strips cooked by stir-frying were significantly more characteristic in flavor than those cooked by broiling but not microwaving. Significantly more vitamin B6, thiamin, iron, magnesium, and zinc were retained in strips cooked by stir-frying than by the other two methods. Sensory attributes of pork strips cooked by stir-frying were generally more desirable and nutrient retention values higher than those cooked by microwaving or broiling.
Place, Genre, and Polyphony in Barack Obama’s Election Night Address

Barack Obama’s election night address was rhetorically effective. He strategically departed from the norms of the victory speak genre insofar as he moved it outside the usual hotel ballroom and thereby significantly enlarged (and broadened) the audience. He did not, however, take it to just any place; he took it to Chicago’s Grant Park, a place with negative political associations because of the events that occurred there in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention in 1968. Obama thereby redeemed the place and restored the idealism and hope that had been dashed there 40 years before. Obama also echoed Lincoln; Kennedy; Clinton; and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, creating a polyphony that evoked both struggles and a hope that all could be overcome.
The effect of feeding endophyte infected tall fescue seed on reproductive performance in female rats.

Abstract 1. Female Sprague-Dawley rats (Rattus norvegicus) were randomly assigned to diets containing mixtures of rat chow and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) seed with 0, 5, 10, 20 and 40% infection levels of Acremonium coenophialum to assess the effect of the diets on the reproductive potential of rats. 2. Rats fed 40% infected seed had decreased body weight, decreased mean percent body weight of uteri, failed to maintain normal estrous cycles and were unable to become pregnant. 3. Animals fed a diet of 20% infected fescue seed had extended estrous cycles. 4. There were no significant differences among the 0, 5 and 10% dietary treatments.
Can trace element distributions in migmatites be used as analogues in understanding petrogenesis of anatectic granites

Abstract Trace element concentrations in leucosomes of migmatites in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA, were examined to determine if their compositions are analogous to those of pelite-derived granites. Melanosomes in the migmatites are dominated by biotite, sillimanite, and quartz. Leucosomes have constant Si/Al that corresponds to a peraluminous granite; however, they have variable proportions of (sil+qtz)/alkali feldspar that are attributed to instability of feldspar relative to sillimanite due to high aHF in partial melts. There are strong positive correlations of Sr, Ba, Rb, and Cs concentrations with the proportion of feldspar in the leucosomes. The average concentrations of Sr and Ba are higher and of Rb and Cs lower in the leucosomes than in pelite-derived leucogranites. A reaction progress method is used to demonstrate that partitioning of these trace elements between melanosomes and leucosomes represent mineral-mineral equilibrium rather than residue-melt equilibrium. This implies that leucosomes in migmatites may crystallize while maintaining equilibrium with melanosomes and the resulting trace element compositions may not be analogous to those of partial melts.
Cooley-Tukey-type algorithm for the Haar transform

It is shown that the Haar transform can be computed using a Cooley-Tukey-type algorithm that is implemented in 2(N−1) additions/subtractions. This algorithm is derived by relating the Haar transform to the modified Walsh-Hadamard transform using a simple bit-reversal scheme.
Revenge of the Radical Right

What explains the success and failure of radical right parties over time and across countries? This article presents a new theory of the radical right that emphasizes its reactive nature and views it as backlash against the political successes of minorities and concessions extracted on their behalf. Unlike approaches that focus on competition between the extreme and mainstream parties, the theory stresses the dynamics between radical right and non-proximate parties that promote minority rights. Most notably, it derives the salience of identity issues in party politics from the polarization of the party system. The theory is tested with a new party-election-level dataset covering all post-communist democracies over the past 20 years. The results provide strong support for the theory and show that the rise and fall of radical right parties is shaped by the politics of minority accommodation.
Immunology of implantation

Important reproductive events including implantation, trophoblast invasion, placental development, and immune protection are regulated by the immune system at the maternal-fetal interface. This maternal-fetal immune interaction is complex, and it is difficult to perceive the whole process based on one mechanism of action. Clearly, there are multiple mechanisms for the induction of peripheral and local tolerance during pregnancy that prevent fetal rejection while maintaining a strong and active immune surveillance against viral or bacterial infections, which may endanger the successful outcome and the survival of the species.
Formation of monodispersed spindle-type hematite particles

Abstract Procedures have been developed which yield spindle-type colloidal hematite particles of narrow size distribution by forced hydrolysis of ferric chloride solutions at elevated temperatures. It was shown that small additions of phosphate or hypophosphite ions to such systems before aging had a significant effect on the resulting particle shape. Specifically, the axial ratio of the precipitated solids depended on the concentration of these anions in the original solutions.
Thiothixene pharmacokinetic interactions: a study of hepatic enzyme inducers, clearance inhibitors, and demographic variables.

Fifty-nine plasma thiothixene concentrations were measured in 42 patients as part of routine therapeutic drug monitoring. Data collection included concomitant medications, smoking history, and demographic variables. A retrospective analysis was performed to assess the effect of these parameters on oral thiothixene clearance. When groups of patients were categorized by concomitant medications (i.e., no interacting drugs, enzyme/clearance inducers, and enzyme/clearance inhibitors), thiothixene clearance was found to be significantly increased by enzyme inducing drugs (e.g., anticonvulsants) and decreased by clearance inhibiting agents (e.g., cimetidine). Tobacco smoking significantly increased the hepatic clearance of thiothixene within the no interactions and inhibitor groups, but not in the inducer group. Significantly more patients in the inducer group had nondetectable plasma concentrations of thiothixene than the other groups. When the entire patient population was dichotomized by age, patients less than 50 years old had a significantly greater mean clearance (48.2 +/- 37.8 liters/min) versus those greater than or equal to 50 (20.0 +/- 12.6 liters/min). Men in this cohort exhibited a significantly higher clearance (49.2 +/- 38.7 liters/min) than did the women (22.0 +/- 13.5 liters/min). By taking into account these potential sources of pharmacokinetic variability when monitoring plasma thiothixene concentrations, more appropriate dosing of thiothixene may be achieved. Controlled, prospective studies are needed to validate these findings.
Battery State of Health and Charge Estimation Using Polynomial Chaos Theory

In this effort, we use the generalized Polynomial Chaos theory (gPC) for the real-time state and parameter estimation of electrochemical batteries. We use an equivalent circuit battery model, comprising two states and five parameters, and formulate the online parameter estimation problem using battery current and voltage measurements. Using a combination of the conventional recursive gradient-based search algorithm and gPC framework, we propose a novel battery parameter estimation strategy capable of estimating both battery state-of-charge (SOC) and parameters related to battery health, e.g., battery charge capacity, internal resistance, and relaxation time constant. Using a combination of experimental tests and numerical simulations, we examine and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed battery estimation method.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
INDIVIDUALIZED DEVELOPMENTAL CARE FOR VERY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT (VLBW) PREMATURE INFANTS: IMPROVED |[ldquo]|STATE SYSTEM CONTROL|[rdquo]| WITHOUT ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT IN SLEEP MEASURES USING THE MOTILITY MONITORING SYSTEM (MMS).

Objective: We hypothesized that individualized developmental care for the VLBW Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) infant would result in advanced sleep development (measured by the MMS). Population: We conducted sleep studies using the MMS on 28 preterm infants who were part of a larger group enrolled in the Neonatal Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) at Stanford. Enrollment criteria for this program included birth wt. ≤1250g and mechanical ventilation for more than 24h during the first 48h of life. Infants were randomly assigned to Intervention(INT, n=14) or Control (C, n=14) groups. Groups were similar for severity of illness. Researchers recording and scoring the sleep data were blinded. Care plans were devised and implemented for the INT infants, as described (Als et al. JAMA. 1994). C infants received routine NICU nursing care. Both INT and C infants were evaluated at 42 weeks post-conceptional age (PCA) by a blinded examiner using the Assessment of Premature Infant Behavior (APIB) tool. The APIB assesses an infant's behavior in five areas or systems including“state system control” (evaluation of sleep and wake states for maturity). Methods: MMS technique used a pressure sensitive pad, amplifier, and recorder. Studies were conducted for 48 continuous hours at 36 wks PCA and at 3 mos corrected age (CA). Data were scored for states, state transitions, and out of crib time. Results: INT infants showed better sleep and wake “state system control” than C infants as measured by the APIB (p=.03). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups at either age on any MMS sleep measure. There were significant maturation effects in both groups between 36 wks PCA and 3 mos CA(% Quiet Sleep/Total Sleep Time increase: INT=11, C=6 and% Active Sleep/Total Sleep Time decrease: INT=11, C=6 all p's <0.006). Conclusion: Improved medical outcome measured by shorter time on mechanical ventilation, fewer days to full enteral feeds and decrease in length of hospitalization reported in infants who have had developmental care implemented does not appear to be associated with improvement in sleep development or in the amount of sleep. Improvement in “state system control” occurs without neurodevelopmental maturation in sleep as measured by the MMS.
Auger Effect in the Heaviest Elements

The Auger effect in the heaviest elements has been investigated with magnetic beta-ray spectrometers. $K$-Auger yields for ytterbium, polonium, and uranium of 0.064\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01, 0.058\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.005, and 0.033\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.010, respectively, were obtained. The $K$-Auger electrons of ytterbium and polonium were resolved into two groups, $K\ensuremath{-}LL$ and $K\ensuremath{-}LX$, according as two or one $L$ electrons were involved. The ratios of the intensities of the $K\ensuremath{-}LX$ electrons to the $K\ensuremath{-}LL$ electrons for ytterbium and polonium were found to be 0.64\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 and 0.55\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03, respectively. A summary of measurements of $K$-fluorescence yields and $K$-Auger electron intensity ratios is given. A revised decay scheme for ${\mathrm{Np}}^{236}$ and a redetermination of the half-life of ${\mathrm{At}}^{211}$ (7.20\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 hours) is included.
The Economist's Lament: Public Assistance in America

tT o he defects of the current welfare system are well-known to most economists. Transfer programs aiding the able-bodied poor discourage work and encourage illegitimacy and family dissolution. They provide too little help to prevent families from falling into destitution but too few incentives to spur breadwinners to become self-sufficient. The complicated array of overlapping programs is expensive to administer and inequitable or capricious in allocating benefits across families in similar economic circumstances. Many types of assistance offered to the poor are more costly for taxpayers to provide than they are worth to recipients. Much of this indictment has been familiar to policymakers for at least the past two decades. While there is almost universal dissatisfaction with the current system, no consensus has yet emerged on how the system should be revised. Three of the four most recent presidents-Nixon, Carter, and Reagan-proposed sweeping overhaul of the system. In each case, sweeping reform was decisively rejected by the Congress. President Nixon's Family Assistance Plan, proposed in 1969 and again in 1971, was passed by the House of Representatives in 1970 but failed in the Senate. President Carter's Program for Better Jobs and Income, introduced in 1977, failed to gain passage in either the House or the Senate. President Reagan's proposal to turn over responsibility for food stamps and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) to state and local governments never received serious consideration in Congress. A modest set of welfare revisions was passed by Congress in late 1988, but these did not in any fundamental sense change the basic structure of the system. Of course, there has been a drift in old programs and a gradual accretion of new ones: over the past 20 years, real cash benefits have fallen substantially, effective tax
A geologist on Capitol Hill

As the unpredicted and unpredictable 97th Congress convenes, I would like to report on my experience thus far as the 1980–1981 American Geophysical Union Congressional Science Fellow. The past 4 months have been exhilarating, and, as one who has never had the slightest contact with political science, I have found this opportunity for a glimpse of the Washington ‘corridors of power’ an incredible education. I spent the last 10 years in planetary geology with the U.S. Geological Survey. Before that I worked for both oil and mining companies and taught in a couple of universities. Having also been active in community affairs, I was intrigued by the opportunity to see firsthand how congressional policies dealing with energy, environment, minerals, and land use are developed. Breadth of interest is an asset in approaching this sort of experience.
Finite Stretching and Shearing of an Internally Balanced Elastic Solid

When seeking to separately describe elastic and inelastic effects in solids undergoing finite strain, it is typical to factor the deformation gradient $\bf F$ into parts, say $\mathbf{F}={\hat {\mathbf{F}}}{\mathbf{F}}^{*}$ . Such a factorization can also be used to describe a notion of internal elastic balance. For equilibrium deformations this balance emerges naturally from an appropriately formulated energy minimization by considering the variation with respect to the multiplicative decomposition itself. The internal balance requirement is then a tensor relation between F, ${\hat {\mathbf{F}}}$ and F ∗. Such theories holds promise for describing various substructural reconfigurations in solids. This includes the development of surfaces that localize slip once a threshold value of load is obtained. We consider an incompressible internally balanced elastic material with a constitutive law that is motivated by neo-Hookean behavior in the standard hyperelastic theory. The role of the internal balance relation is examined in uniaxial loading and also in simple shearing. In uniaxial loading the principle directions remain fixed. In simple shearing the principle directions change as the deformation proceeds. To address the latter, we establish a specific sense in which the internal balance relation can be solved analytically for general isochoric $\bf F$ .
Nominal growth hormone pulses in otherwise normal masculine plasma profiles induce intron retention of overexpressed hepatic CYP2C11 with associated nuclear splicing deficiency.

Restoration of circulating masculine GH profiles at minipulse amplitudes (i.e. ∼10% of normal) to hypophysectomized male rats and neonatal administration of monosodium glutamate (MSG), producing a similar plasma GH profile, both result in an overexpression (∼200–300%) of CYP2C11 messenger RNA (mRNA), the predominant hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) drug-metabolizing enzyme in adult male rats. Coincident with the severalfold elevation in transcript level is a modest 10–30% overexpression of CYP2C11 protein and its catalytic activities. Using hepatic tissue from adult, neonatally MSG-treated rats, we have cloned a variant species of CYP2C11 mRNA containing all of the essential elements of a full-length complementary DNA, including initiating codon, termination codon, and polyadenylase tail. In addition, the transcript contains a 742-bp intervening sequence (identical to the complete terminal intron) between the last and penultimate exons, and an intron-specific oligo probe for Northern blotting demonstrates th...
Using GPU-Based Computing to Solve Large Sparse Systems of Linear Equations

Often thought of as tools for image rendering or data visualization, graphics processing units (GPU) are becoming increasingly popular in the areas of scientific computing due to their low cost massively parallel architecture. With the introduction of CUDA C by NVIDIA and CUDA enabled GPUs, the ability to perform general purpose computations without the need to utilize shading languages is now possible. One such application that benefits from the capabilities provided by NVIDIA hardware is computational continuum mechanics (CCM). The need to solve sparse linear systems of equations is common in CCM when partial differential equations are discretized. Often these systems are solved iteratively using domain decomposition among distributed processors working in parallel. In this paper we explore the benefits of using GPUs to improve the performance of sparse matrix operations, more specifically, sparse matrix-vector multiplication. Our approach does not require domain decomposition, so it is simpler than corresponding implementation for distributed memory parallel computers. We demonstrate that for matrices produced from finite element discretizations on unstructured meshes, the performance of the matrix-vector multiplication operation is just under 13 times faster than when run serially on an Intel i5 system. Furthermore, we show that when used in conjunction with the biconjugate gradient stabilized method (BiCGSTAB), a gradient based iterative linear solver, the method is over 13 times faster than the serially executed C equivalent. And lastly, we emphasize the application of such method for solving Poisson’s equation using the Galerkin finite element method, and demonstrate over 10.5 times higher performance on the GPU when compared with the Intel i5 system.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Oscillations in coherent-beam-pumped mutual phase-conjugate emissions

Oscillations are observed in mutual pumped phase conjugate emission when two coherent laser beams are incident on the positive C face of a BaTiO 3 crystal in a symmetric configuration. The angle between the laser beams is varied from 30 degrees to 120 degrees. Self-pumped emission and oscillation are also studied with one of the laser beams making angels between 15 degrees and 36 degrees with the crystal. Growth and decay of the mutual pumped phase conjugate signals when either of the laser beams is cut off are also studied. A plausible explanation of the observed features is given in terms of formation and competition between different types of gratings formed in the crystal by the laser beams.
Substance Abuse Treatment Services for People with Disabilities: Does Managed Care Prompt Innovation?

The authors present results from an exploratory study conducted to learn more about how Medicaid managed-care plans meet the needs for substance abuse treatment among people with disabilities. These results suggest that capitated health plan staff members are more likely to be knowledgeable about the special needs of people with disabilities who also experience substance abuse problems. Staff members of smaller and more focused health plans demonstrated the greatest knowledge about individuals with disabilities. Staff members of larger behavioral health carve-outs are more likely to develop strategies to achieve population-level goals, such as increased access to care and cost-efficiency. The carve-out plans are likely to offer specialized services only to people with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse problems or to individuals with HIV/AIDS. The authors discuss a number of barriers that make it difficult for managed-care organizations to provide substance abuse treatment services to people w...
Youth in out-of-home care: Relation of engagement in structured group activities with social and mental health measures

Abstract Prior research suggests that for youth in the general population, involvement in activities improves academic, health and social outcomes, but the impact of these activities on youth in out-of-home care is unknown. This study examines, among youth in foster, formal kinship, and residential care, associations between involvement in structured and unstructured activities and social and mental health measures. Among 134 youth in out-of-home care, only 40% were involved in structured activities, and racial/ethnic minorities and males were even less likely to participate (p ≤ 0.01). More youth reported involvement in general physical activity (76%), which was associated with higher social skills when compared to those not involved in such unstructured activity (b = − 10.4; 95% C.I. = − 18.22, − 2.65, p = 0.09). Youth not involved in structured activities showed poorer performance on measures of loneliness (b = 5.6; 95% C.I. = 1.63, 9.47, p = .006), drug abuse (b = 0.95; 95% C.I. = 0.31, 1.59, p = .004), and depression (b = 3.5; 95% C.I. = .25, 6.76, p = 0.04). Participation in activities, particularly when structured, may help these vulnerable youth to achieve better social relationships and mental health.
Nucleotide sequence of dihydrofolate reductase genes from trimethoprim-resistant mutants of Escherichia coli. Evidence that dihydrofolate reductase interacts with another essential gene product.

We report the construction of recombinant plasmids containing the dihydrofolate reductase structural gene (fol) from several trimethoprim-resistant mutants of Escherichia coli. Strains carrying some of these plasmids produced approximately 6% of their soluble cell protein as dihydrofolate reductase and are therefore excellent sources of the purified enzyme for inhibitor binding or mechanistic studies. The nucleotide sequence of the fol region from each of the plasmids was determined. A plasmid derived from a Ki mutant which produced a dihydrofolate reductase with lowered affinity for trimethoprim contained a mutation in the structural gene that altered the sequence of the polypeptide in a conserved region which is adjacent to the dihydrofolate binding site. Two other independently-isolated mutants which overproduced dihydrofolate reductase had a mutation in the-35 region of the fol promoter. One of them, strain RS35, was also temperature-sensitve for growth in minimal medium. This phenotype was shown to be the result of an additional mutation in a locus unlinked to fol by P1 transduction. The fol regions from two temperature-independent revertants of strain RS35 were sequenced. One of these had a mutation within the dihydrofolate reductase structural gene which altered some properties of the enzyme. This confirmed some previous enzymological data which suggested that some revertants of strain RS35 had mutations in fol (Sheldon 1977). These results suggest that dihydrofolate reductase interacts physically with some other essential gene product in E. coli.
PROCESSES AND THEIR INTERACTIONS

Coordination of processes may be explicit through logical control signals (asynchronous) or implicit through the use of a specified time base (synchronous). In addition, these interprocess communications can be neighborhood restricted or global in space. These interactions are explored and significant developments and problems are reviewed in this paper.
Arginine‐140 and isoleucine‐141 determine the 17β‐estradiol‐binding specificity of the sex‐steroid‐binding protein (SBP, or SHBG) of human plasma

Arginine-140 and isoleucine-141 were identified as key determinants of 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) binding affinity of the sex-steroid-binding protein (SBP, or SHBG) of human plasma. Amino acid residues that differ between human and rabbit SBP sequences were replaced in the human protein and the products tested for lowered E(2)binding activity as are seen in the rabbit protein. Only mutants containing either R140K or I141L replacements display an E(2) equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) higher than the wild type, reaching a value of 30 nM when both were present. The 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) equilibrium dissociation constant of these mutants was unaffected. The quadruple mutant M107I/I138V/R140K/I141L yielded an E(2) Kd of 65 nM, significantly closer to the 80 nM rabbit SBP E(2) Kd value. Although mutants containing the M107I and I138V replacements in the absence of R140K and I141L had normal E(2) Kds, the presence of the M107I replacement in the quadruple mutant was necessary to obtain an accurate E(2) Kd value by competitive Scatchard analysis. Molecular modeling using coordinates for the recently determined N-terminal domain of human SBP revealed a significant shift of the F56 phenyl ring away from ring A of E(2) in mutant models containing the R140K and I141L replacements. We conclude that R140 and I141 are required for sustaining the right proximity of the phenyl ring of F56 to ring A of 17beta-estradiol, thus optimizing the E(2)-binding affinity of human SBP.
Parallel sparse matrix solution and performance

A parallel solution to the large sparse systems of linear equations is presented. The solution method is based on a parallel pivoting technique for LU decomposition on a shared memory MIMD multiprocessor. At each application of the algorithm to the matrix several pivots for reducing the matrix in parallel are generated. During parallel pivoting steps only symmetric permutations are possible. Unsymmetric permutation for numerical stability however is possible during single pivoting steps. We will report on switching between parallel and single pivoting steps to assure numerical stability. Once the matrix is decomposed, the parallel pivoting information is used to solve structurally identical matrices repeatedly. The algorithms, their implementation, and the performance of the solution methods on actual multiprocessors are presented. Based on the resulting triangular matrix structure, two algorithms for back substitution are presented and their performance is compared.
Stage IV Ovarian Cancer: Impact of Surgical Debulking1

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the influence of surgical debulking performed on patients with Stage IV ovarian cancer and to determine prognostic factors which identify pts who may benefit from aggressive initial surgical debulking. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted (1/1/87–12/31/93). Eligible patients included all women with FIGO Stage IV ovarian cancer. Clinical information abstracted included age at diagnosis, histology type, tumor grade, criteria for Stage IV classification, surgical procedure performed, and tumor residuum. Optimal surgical status was defined as ≤2 cm residual disease. Chemotherapy treatment was recorded, as was follow-up. Survival estimates were computed by Kaplan–Meier method with differences in survival calculated by the log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to identify independent variables which were associated with an improved survival rate. Results: One hundred five women were found in our database with Stage IV ovarian cancer and 97 had complete information available. Median age of the patients was 57 years (range 24–81 years). Papillary-serous histology was found in 55/97 patients (57%) and 50 patients (52%) had grade 3 tumors. Forty-one of 97 patients (42%) had malignant pleural effusion and 20/97 (21%) had liver metastases. Ninety-two patients underwent a primary attempt at surgical debulking and 40/92 were optimally debulked. Twenty-one of 41 patients (51%) with pleural effusion were optimally debulked compared to 20/51 (39%) with other criteria for Stage IV disease (P= NS). Overall median survival was 21 months; optimally debulked patients’ median survival was 40 months compared to 18 months for patients with bulky residual disease (P= 0.01). The survival advantage for optimally debulked patients was statistically significant for the two subgroups of patients with and without malignant pleural effusion. In the multivariate analysis only age less than 65 years and optimal debulking were independent predictors of outcome. Conclusions: Surgical debulking appears to be an important determinant of prognosis in women with Stage IV ovarian cancer, including patients with malignant pleural effusion.
Motion planning for multiple millimeter-scale magnetic capsules in a fluid environment

There are many examples of minimally invasive surgery in which tethered robots are incapable of accurately reaching target locations deep inside the body either because they are too large and result in tissue damage or because the tortuosity of the path leads to loss of tip control. In these situations, small untethered magnetically-powered robots may hold the potential to act as delivery vehicles for therapeutic agents. While MRI scanners provide a means to power, control and image such robots as they move throughout the body, a substantial challenge arises if the clinical application requires more than one such robot. The resulting system is underactuated and thus its controllability is in question. This paper presents a simple motion planning algorithm for two magnetic capsules and demonstrates through simulation and experiment that nonlinear fluid damping can be exploited to independently control the positions of the capsules.
CCTV as a tool for early police intervention: Preliminary lessons from nine case studies

This study explores the prospect of utilizing CCTV as an early intervention mechanism to detect and disrupt street-level activity that can lead to violence. The analysis focuses on nine case studies in Newark, NJ, incorporating data from several sources, including video footage, computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system incident data, CAD event chronologies and face-to-face interviews with CCTV operators. The findings suggest that the benefits offered by CCTV, namely the instantaneous discovery and reporting of crime, may be rendered inconsequential by the process times associated with the differential-response policy of police dispatch. Potential methods by which police can more proactively utilize CCTV to prevent crime are discussed.
Laser Doppler velocimeter measurements of separated shear layers on bluff bodies

Abstract Greater understanding of the mechanism of separation and reattachment of shear layers around bluff bodies and the separated regions associated with these shear layers is necessary to advance the knowledge of fluid–structure interactions. These mechanisms are particularly important in wind engineering in determining design pressures on structures. In almost all instances the maximum design pressure occurs in regions of separated flow. The details of the flow in these separated regions and the criteria for physical modeling of the flows in these regions are not well understood. Measurements have been conducted using a laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) to examine the structure of separated shear layers and the associated regions of separated flow. A LDV is an important tool for this application. A LDV system is capable of measuring reversing flows and consequently high local turbulent intensities. Thermal anemometry does not allow measurements under these conditions. When making measurements with a LDV in air, it is necessary to seed the flow with particles. Seeding is a challenge in applying these measurement techniques to flows in boundary layer wind tunnels. Efforts to understand the basic mechanisms affecting pressure fluctuations and associated extreme pressures on a bluff body will be advanced by the ability to measure the flow in separated shear layers and within separated regions associated with these shear layers. The use of a LDV system provides a additional tool to explore this complex region.
RESTAGING TRANSURETHRAL RESECTION OF HIGH RISK SUPERFICIAL BLADDER CANCER IMPROVES THE INITIAL RESPONSE TO BACILLUS CALMETTE-GUERIN THERAPY

ABSTRACTPurpose: This study was an evaluation of whether restaging transurethral resection (TUR) of superficial bladder cancer improves the early response to bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy.Materials and Methods: A total of 347 patients with high risk superficial bladder cancer (high grade Ta and T1 tumors associated with carcinoma in situ) underwent a single transurethral resection (TUR, 132 patients) or restaging TUR (215 patients) before receiving 6 weekly intravesical BCG treatments. The patients were evaluated for response (presence or absence of tumor) at first followup cystoscopy, at 6 and 12 months after treatment, and evaluated for disease stage progression within 3 years of followup.Results: Of the 132 patients who underwent a single TUR before BCG therapy, 75 (57%) had residual or recurrent tumor at the first cystoscopy and 45 (34%) later had progression, compared with 62 of 215 patients (29%) who had residual or recurrent tumors and 16 (7%) who had progression after undergoing restaging...
Modeling of Flapping-Wing Rectifier Systems and Optimal Gait Analysis

Abstract Flapping-wing rectifier systems are defined as systems which produce bulk locomotion through the interaction of periodic wing movement with a surrounding environment. A nonlinear model is developed featuring a 6 degree-of-freedom main body (position and orientation) and wing deformation. Each wing may move independently and is described as the motion of many discrete points in the body-fixed coordinate frame. The nonlinear model is approximated with a bilinear model through Taylor series, which is then used in an optimal gait analysis. Various wing shapes and optimality criteria are considered, such as the thrust to deflection ratio and the overall actuation effort to generate a variety of gaits.
Analysis of generalized parallel-series ultracapacitor shift circuits for energy storage systems

Abstract Ultracapacitors have numerous advantages including a remarkably high energy density as compared to conventional capacitors, long life cycle, temperature stability, and require no maintenance, which make them a good candidate to replace batteries as energy storage devices in renewable energy applications. However, ultracapacitors, just like conventional capacitors, inevitably suffer from constant voltage drop during discharging, which may limit their energy utilization, increase the voltage ripple of the DC bus across which the capacitors are connected and consequently increase the VA stresses of the subsequent converter stage. To alleviate the above limitations, parallel-series ultracapacitor shift circuits are employed to improve the energy utilization and minimize the DC bus voltage ripple. Two generalized parallel-series ultracapacitor shift circuits are presented and analyzed, and some design considerations and optimization methods are discussed.