cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Medial Orbital Wall Landmarks in Three Different North American Populations

AbstractPurpose: We sought to measure the medial orbital wall foramina distances in two previously unstudied populations, to describe a new bony medial wall feature, and to validate the accuracy of a new coordinate measurement device within the orbit.Methods: Dried, well-preserved, complete human skulls without orbital defects were studied. Age, gender, birthplace, ethnicity, and laterality of the orbit were recorded for each skull. Supranumerary ethmoidal foramina were recorded, and the fronto-ethmoidal groove depth was measured. The distances between the anterior lacrimal crest (ALC) – anterior ethmoidal foramen (AEF), AEF – posterior ethmoidal foramen (PEF), and PEF – optic canal (OC) were measured first by surgical ruler and wire and then by the Microscribe coordinate measurement device.Results: One hundred and forty-six orbits were studied. Fifty-seven orbits were of European or Caucasian descent, 68 orbits of African American descent, 2 orbits of West African descent, 11 orbits of Eskimo descent, an...
Polymer supply chain management

A typical polymer supply chain network includes multiple plants, large number of storage terminals, customers and consignment locations, and complex distribution requirements. Here, we describe the complexity of polymer supply chain from 'logical positivist/empiricist' viewpoint based on in-depth interviews with supply chain managers of four major polymer manufacturers and on our experience in the industry. We begin by defining marketplace and competitive environment in which polymer manufacturers do business. Then, we enumerate the requirements for manufacturing, distribution, supply chain planning and control. Next, we describe the information and decision support systems typically utilised by polymer manufacturers and present a mixed-integer network optimisation model used for decision support in Appendix A. Our objective is to allow researchers to design better studies of supply chain by providing insights into the challenges of supply chain professionals in polymers industry, and allow supply chain managers to apply more effectively in the real world the knowledge gained from research studies.
Update on statistical power and sample size assessments for cost-effectiveness studies.

Traditionally, competing healthcare interventions have been compared on their efficacy or effectiveness through clinical trials or epidemiological studies. Computation of sample size and/or statistical power for a proposed study to assess the relative effectiveness of two treatments is central to planning a good study. Economic evaluation studies focus on an additional dimension by comparing these interventions with respect to their cost. With rising healthcare costs and constrained budgets, these studies are increasingly being performed to ascertain which interventions can deliver additional health benefits at a reasonable cost. The design of a cost-effectiveness study for two competing treatments will require assessments of statistical power and sample size in demonstrating both effectiveness and/or cost-effectiveness. If the level of effectiveness of one treatment is known from a clinical trial, the next step is to assess its cost-effectiveness. In other circumstances, an investigator may wish to desig...
Measuring the material base of the contemporary east‐west balance of power

There has been considerable progress in estimating the powerof nations, particularly with regard to the material capabilities upon which influence in conflictual situations depends. Two measures have dominated the field: the index of the Correlates of War (COW) project and gross national product (GNP). These indicators are consistent in the great majority of cases, but not for the United States and the Soviet Union after 1971. Gross national product seems more valid for this comparison primarily because the COW index no longer accurately measures industrialization and technological sophistication for the economically advanced countries. Consequently, the most important estimates of the U.S. and Soviet GNPs are surveyed in order to indicate the relative capabilities of the super powers. Some implications of the findings are considered.
Domain growth and scaling in the two-dimensional Langevin model.

A numerical simulation of the Langevin model for spinodal decomposition is carried out in two dimensions. The pair correlation function is found to exhibit dynamical scaling to a good first approximation. It is found that the domain growth law asymptotically approaches ${t}^{1/3}$, in agreement with previous results for the kinetic Ising model with conserved order parameter. The Langevin, cell dynamics, and spin exchange kinetic Ising models are shown to belong to the same dynamical universality class for the range of domain sizes studied here.
Junior pharmacy faculty members' perceptions of their exposure to postgraduate training and academic careers during pharmacy school.

Objective. To determine the perceptions of junior pharmacy faculty members with US doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degrees regarding their exposure to residency, fellowship, and graduate school training options in pharmacy school. Perceptions of exposure to career options and research were also sought. Methods. A mixed-mode survey instrument was developed and sent to assistant professors at US colleges and schools of pharmacy. Results. Usable responses were received from 735 pharmacy faculty members. Faculty members perceived decreased exposure to and awareness of fellowship and graduate education training as compared to residency training. Awareness of and exposure to academic careers and research-related fields was low from a faculty recruitment perspective. Conclusions. Ensuring adequate exposure of pharmacy students to career paths and postgraduate training opportunities could increase the number of PharmD graduates who choose academic careers or other pharmacy careers resulting from postgraduate training.
Perceptions of psychological influence: A cognitive information processing approach for explaining moderated relationships.

A hypothesis of consistency in cognitive information processing of perceptions of psychological influence (perceived influence of decisions made by a supervisor) was proposed and tested. The hypothesis stated that if (a) having influence was of sufficient importance to a subordinate to effect selective attention to supervisor behaviors that reflected opportunities for influence, then (b) the subordinate would employ perceptions of influence in behavioral decisions (performance) and affective reactions (anxiety, satisfaction). The hypothesis received support in a study of 363 Navy enlisted aircraft maintenance personnel, where selective attentiveness to opportunities for influence was determined by assessing the fit between personal characteristics of a subordinate (e.g., achievement motivation) and the degree of overload in the work environment. Results suggested that relations between perceptions of influence and attitudes/performance should be expected only for those individuals who are attentive to opportunities for influence in the early stages of cognitive processing. Implications of these results for future scientific and professional endeavors are discussed.
Ascription of resemblance of newborns by parents and nonrelatives

Abstract It has been hypothesized that human females ascribe the resemblance of their infants to the father or his relatives to promote assurance of paternity. Assurance renders fathers more likely to invest in and less likely to harm mothers and their children. Other studies have documented a bias toward the father's side of the family when mothers ascribe the resemblance of their infants. We test if this bias extends to newborns (1–3 days old) and if such bias reflects actual resemblances. This was done by noting the responses of mothers when asked whom they thought their newborns resembled and by comparing those responses to resemblances ascribed by unrelated judges. During in-hospital visits, mothers were significantly more likely to ascribe resemblance to the domestic father than to themselves. This bias was exaggerated in the presence versus absence of domestic fathers. Yet, judges matched photographs of these mothers to their newborns significantly more frequently than they matched domestic fathers to newborns. Thus, the bias in how mothers remark resemblance does not reflect actual resemblance and may be an evolved or conditioned response to assure domestic fathers of their paternity. The low rate with which newborns are matched to fathers may be biologically significant. Concealment of paternity may be favored when suspicion of cuckoldry leads fathers to abandon or harm newborns. Genomic imprinting is one mechanism by which resemblance of newborns could be biased toward mothers. We suggest that on average females benefit from concealed paternity even if cuckoldry is rare provided that their verbal ascriptions of resemblance are effective in assuring domestic fathers of their paternity.
The Black Hole Masses and Host Galaxies of BL Lacertae Objects

We have measured the central stellar velocity dispersion in the host galaxies of 11 BL Lac objects with redshifts z ≤ 0.125. The range of velocity dispersions, ~170-370 km s-1, is similar to that of nearby radio galaxies. Using the correlation between stellar velocity dispersion and black hole mass defined for nearby galaxies, we derive estimates of the black hole masses in the range 107.9-109.2 M☉. We do not find any significant difference between the black hole masses in high-frequency-peaked and low-frequency-peaked BL Lac objects. Combining the velocity dispersions with previously measured host galaxy structural parameters, we find that the host galaxies lie on the fundamental plane of elliptical galaxies. This supports the conclusions of imaging studies that the majority of BL Lac hosts are normal giant elliptical galaxies.
Integrodifferential Equation for Response Theory

The problem of response theory in statistical mechanics involves the determination of the density matrix $\ensuremath{\rho}$ from the Liouville equation and the subsequent computation of the response $r$ from this $\ensuremath{\rho}$. Projection techniques are applied to avoid the entire complicated problem of the full dynamics of $\ensuremath{\rho}$ and to select only that part of $\ensuremath{\rho}$ which is relevant to the response $r$. The procedure replaces an inhomogeneous equation by a linear homogeneous integrodifferential equation for response theory. This is a very general equation which can be analyzed in different ways to yield a variety of results. It is shown that the Kubo theory of linear response emerges as the lowest-order approximation. The general equation is solved without approximations for a step-function stimulus, and it is discussed in the context of the steady state.
Double-Length Regression tests for testing functional forms and spatial error dependence

Abstract In this paper we derive test statistics based on Double-Length Regressions (DLRs) for testing functional forms and spatial error dependence. These DLR tests are computationally simple. Their Monte Carlo performance is similar to that of the Hessian-based Lagrangian Multiplier tests.
The generalized 20/80 law using probabilistic fractals applied to petroleum field size

Fractal properties of the Pareto probability distribution are used to generalize “the 20/80 law.” The 20/80 law is a heuristic law that has evolved over the years into the following rule of thumb for many populations: 20 percent of the population accounts for 80 percent of the total value. The generalp100/q100 law in probabilistic form is defined withq as a function ofp, wherep is the population proportion andq is the proportion of total value. Using the Pareto distribution, thep100/q100 law in fractal form is derived with the parameterq being a fractal, whereq unexpectedly possesses the scale invariance property. The 20/80 law is a special case of thep100/q100 law in fractal form.
Does Levothyroxine Administration Impact Parathyroid Localization

Abstract Background Proper localization is crucial in performing minimally invasive parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism. Ultrasonography (US) and Tc-99m sestamibi (MIBI) scintigraphy are common methods used for localization. As the appearance and activity of the thyroid gland may impact parathyroid localization, the purpose of this study was to determine how exogenous use of the thyroid hormone, levothyroxine (LT), affects parathyroid localization. Methods Adult patients with non–familial primary hyperparathyroidism who underwent initial parathyroidectomy from 2000–2014 were retrospectively identified. LT (+LT) and non-LT (−LT) patients were matched 1:3 based on age, gender, goiter status, and preoperative parathyroid hormone levels. Subgroup analysis was performed on patients previously treated with radioactive iodine and patients undergoing single adenoma resection. Results Of the 1737 patients that met inclusion criteria, 286 were on LT at the time of their parathyroid localization scan. Use of LT did not impact the percentage of correct MIBI localization scans when compared with −LT patients ( P = 0.83). Interestingly, use of LT significantly hindered localization by US in comparison with the −LT group (48.4 versus 62.2%, P versus 72.8%, P P = 0.51). Conclusions Exogenous LT is associated with impaired parathyroid localization with US but not MIBI. Surgeons should be aware of localization efficiency for this subset of patients in the era of personalized medicine and cost effectiveness.
Modeling Salt Marsh Cover Response to Relative Water Level: Local Fault Motion vs. Global Eustatic Rise

ABSTRACT Cline, M.D.; Feagin, R.A., and Yeager, K.M., 2014. Modeling salt marsh cover response to relative water level: Local fault motion versus global eustatic rise. The movement of growth faults on subsiding coastlines contributes to wetland losses, yet it has been unclear whether they can provide a point of reference for understanding the impacts of climate-induced relative sea level rise (RSLR) on wetland habitat. The objective of this study was to simulate land cover conversion as a function of RSLR within a wetland and to compare and contrast fault-induced elevation change with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2007 sea level rise projections. For an area surrounding a growth fault in Matagorda, Texas, aerial images were draped over a digital elevation model (DEM) to identify the dependent elevations of land cover classes and, subsequently, to model potential future outcomes based on variable RSLR rates. Modeling results show that rapid water-level rise can force wetland land-cover c...
Sexual Victimization and Reproductive Health Outcomes in Urban Youth

Objective Adolescents and adults with a history of sexual victimization (SV) are at increased risk of engaging in sexual risk behaviors. This study seeks to examine race- and gender-based differences in SV as well as the association between SV and reproductive health outcomes (pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections [STIs]) among young adults from an urban community with high rates of both outcomes. Methods This study used cross-sectional data from the Young Adult Survey of the Baltimore Prevention Program's intervention trials. Participants initially enrolled as first graders were interviewed for the Young Adult Survey as they entered adulthood. A total of 1698 participants were asked about SV, pregnancy, and STIs. Data were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Results History of SV did not vary by racial background, but female participants were more likely to report SV than their male peers. Results for models predicting STIs revealed a significant interaction between gender and SV. Adolescent girls who reported a SV were significantly more likely to have an STI than adolescent girls who did not report victimization. Both adolescent boys and girls who reported SV were more likely to report involvement in a pregnancy. Conclusions Youth in urban communities with a history of SV are far more likely than those without victimization histories to have a pregnancy or STI before young adulthood. Further research is needed to explore the mediators of these outcomes and the value of sexual safety and child protection programs for pregnancy and STI prevention in urban environments.
The Relationship Between Gas Delivery Patterns and the Lower Inflection Point of the Pressure-Volume Curve During Partial Liquid Ventilation

Study question To determine whether a positiveend-expiratory pressure (PEEP) level equivalent to the lower inflectionpoint (LIP) could be identified by evaluation of the airway pressure, flow ( ), and volume vs time waveforms during partial liquidventilation (PLV). Design Prospective application of PEEP during PLV in a healthy animal model. Setting University hospital animal laboratory. Participants Five healthy sheep weighing 30 kg each. Interventions The sequential application of 0 to 20 cm H 2 O PEEP in 2.5-cmH 2 O steps during PLV with both pressure and volumeventilation. Measurements Analysis of the pressure, volume, and waveforms as PEEP is sequentially increased. Results At 0 cm H 2 O PEEP, V t wasmarkedly reduced compared with PEEP V t at ≥ 7.5 cmH 2 O (p 2 O (p 2 O PEEP, allwaveforms began to stabilize, and no significant differences in anyvariable assessed were measured at > 12.5 cm H 2 OPEEP. Conclusions The application of PEEP during PLVmarkedly alters airway waveforms. Low PEEP decreases V t inPCV and increases airway pressure in VCV. The PEEP level equal to the LIP during PLV can be grossly estimated from airway waveforms. PEEP at≥10 cm H 2 O is needed to normalize gas delivery tofunctional residual capacity in the uninjured lung that is partiallyfilled with perfluorocarbon.
Postnatal synaptogenesis in the rat interpeduncular nucleus.

The rat interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) was studied by electron microscopy from the day of birth to 33 days of age. The habenulointerpeduncular (H-IPN) axons, the principal afferents to IPN, were prominent at birth, occuring in large groups. They formed occasional S synapses en passant at this time. S synapses subsequently increased progressively in number and maturity until 28 days of age. Crest synapses, also formed by the H-IPN axons, appeared at eight days without a recognized formative stage. They exhibited their diverse adult morphology by 14 days of age. F synapses, endings of uncertain origin that contain flattened vesicles, were seen at 21 days, although endings containing small vesicles at 14 days represented the same population. Axosomatic synapses were first seen at four days and remained infrequent subsequently. Dendritic growth cones had their maximal prevalence at birth, decreased at four days and were absent by six days of age. Thus each of the four synaptic types previously described in the adult rat IPN exhibited a characteristic time of appearance and pattern of development in normal rat pups. This well-ordered sequence of synaptogenesis makes the H-IPN system well suited for a study of synaptic plasticity.
Purification and properties of an extracellular levansucrase from Erwinia herbicola NRRL B-1678

Levansucrase (EC 2.4.1.10) was purified approximately 40-fold from the extracellular culture fluid of Erwinia herbicola NRRL B-1678. The purified enzyme in its native form occurred as an aggregate. Poly(acrylamide) gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate showed an active monomer having a molecular weight of 48,000. The enzyme had a Km for sucrose of 28mm and a pH optimum of 6.0, and was stable from −18 to +52°. It was free from α-d-glucosidase, amylase, and glucansucrase activities, but exhibited considerable β-d-fructofuranosidase activity.
How college affects students

(1992). How College Affects Students. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 63, No. 3, pp. 355-358.
Better performance bounds for finding the smallest k-edge connected spanning subgraph of a multigraph

Khuller and Raghavachari [12] present an approximation algorithm (the KR algorithm) for finding the smallest k-edge connected spanning subgraph (k-ECSS) of an undirected multigraph. They prove the KR algorithm has approximation ratio
The healing dialogue in psychotherapy

This article is a distillation of Maurice Friedman's book The Healing Dialogue in Psychotherapy (1985). With almost no reference to the first, historical part of the book, the article brings together the second, topical part into a compact whole, which isn't done in the book itself. The first section of the article makes explicit the link between philosophy and psychotherapy through a section on "Philosophical Anthropology and the Ontology of the Between." The ontology of the between is the groundwork for that "healing through meeting" (second section) that arises when the meeting between therapist and client is seen as central rather than ancillary. In the third section ("The Unconscious and Dreams"), the unconscious is seen as that personal wholeness that underlies the ever-new elaboration into physical and psychic, outer and inner. Dreams, in consequence, are not raw material of the unconscious but a product of the mixture of unconscious and conscious and of the meeting of the therapist and patient. Ex...
Unified view of kinetic-based analytical methods with emphasis on ruggedness. A review

All analytical determinations can be grouped into two general categories, namely equilibrium-based and transient-based methods. This is an important grouping because most conventional approaches to transient-based methods are much less rugged than their equilibrium-based counterparts. As a result it is necessary to control variables within much narrower tolerances for transient-based methods than equilibrium-based methods to obtain similar degrees of reliability. This paper reviews measurement and data-processing methods developed to reduce effects of variables on transient-based methods, with emphasis on a general approach that is applicable to a wide variety of methodologies. The approach emphasized is identified as a pseudo-equilibrium method. In this method, transient data are used to compute signals that would be measured if all processes that affect the measurement could be monitored to equilibrium. Results included show that the pseudo-equilibrium method is applicable to the three most common types of responses from the transient phases of chemical and physico-chemical processes. Data included show 10-to 100-fold improvements in ruggedness relative to conventional measurement and data-processing options.
On the proof of continued fraction expansions for irrationals

Abstract We use matrices to prove two theorems in regard to the continued fraction expansion for Σ k = 0 ∞ u −2 k and for Σ k = 0 ∞ u − c ( k ) , where c ( k ) is any sequence of positive integers that increase quickly.
ZnT-3, a putative transporter of zinc into synaptic vesicles

The murine ZnT3 gene was cloned by virtue of its homology to the ZnT2 gene, which encodes a membrane protein that facilitates sequestration of zinc in endosomal vesicles. ZnT-3 protein is predicted to have six transmembrane domains and shares 52% amino acid identity with ZnT-2, with the homology extending throughout the two sequences. Human ZnT-3 cDNAs were also cloned; the amino acid sequence is 86% identical to murine ZnT-3. The mouse ZnT3 gene has 8 exons and maps to chromosome 5. Northern blot and reverse transcriptase-PCR analyses demonstrate that murine ZnT-3 expression is restricted to the brain and testis. In situ hybridization reveals that within the brain, ZnT-3 mRNA is most abundant in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Antibodies raised against the C-terminal tail of mouse ZnT-3 react with the projections from these neurons and produce a pattern similar to that obtained with Timm's reaction, which reveals histochemically reactive zinc within synaptic vesicles. We propose that ZnT-3 facilitates the accumulation of zinc in synaptic vesicles.
Sex differences in children's time use

A sample of children (410 on a school day and 347 on a non-school day) was examined to determine differences in time spent in household work, leisure activities, school, paid work, personal care, and sleep by males and females. Males spent more time in leisure activities and less time in household work and personal care than females. Differences in time allocation appeared to be in accordance with traditional male-female roles. These patterns were established at early ages.
On a Difference Equation Method in Cosmic-Ray Shower Theory

The recent results of Synder and Bhabha-Chakrabarty for the cascade theory of cosmic-ray showers are shown to be devirable from a general approach involving the use of the Laplace and Mellin transforms, and a general and powerful method, due to Synder, for solving the resulting difference equations. Boundary conditions are introduced in a natural and automatic way, and the accuracy of the solution is limited by the possible ways of evaluating the resulting triple complex integral.
Nonisotropic Self-Organization of Single-Component Hairy Nanoparticle Assemblies

Solvent-free assemblies of hairy nanoparticles (HNPs) are providing avenues to avoid issues of mixing, agglomeration, and limited inorganic content that plague nanocompositses based on polymer–nanoparticle blending. Here we demonstrate that the order within, and the elongational characteristics of, the neat HNP assembly (aHNP) evolve as the architecture of the polymeric corona in solution transitions from the concentrated (CPB) to semidilute (SDPB) polymer brush regimes (silica nanoparticle: radius r0 = 8 nm with 120 kDa polystyrene grafts at σ = 0.01–0.1 chains/nm2). Specifically, local HNP packing adopts a nonisotropic local arrangement at intermediate graft densities where the transition from CPB-to-SDPB in solution is approximately r0. In concert, the neat HNP assembly responds to viscoelastic elongational deformation in a manner analogous to semicrystalline elastomers. Domain orientation under load and subsequent buckling upon recovery lead to the appearance of two- and four-point small-angle X-ray p...
A continuous spectrophotometric assay for simultaneous measurement of calcium uptake and ATP hydrolysis in sarcoplasmic reticulum

Abstract A continuous, spectrophotometric assay to simultaneously measure Ca uptake and ATP hydrolysis has been developed, in order to assess the function of the Ca-ATPase in skeletal and cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles. The absorbance of Fura Red was measured continuously at 490 nm, in EGTA-buffered solutions containing initial free ionized calcium concentrations of 300 nM, 500 nM, 700 nM, and 2 μM, during assays of oxalate-facilitated or phosphate-facilitated active calcium uptake in skeletal SR. Simultaneous measurement of ATP hydrolysis during the measurement of phosphate-facilitated Ca uptake was accomplished by measuring the disappearance of NADH at 340 nm, coupled to the hydrolysis of ATP by an enzyme-linked, continuous ATPase assay. This new method, unlike the standard 45 Ca-filtration assay, measures calcium uptake in real time and eliminates the need for radioactivity. Moreover, the rates of calcium uptake and ATP hydrolysis are measured simultaneously, allowing the direct quantitative comparison of the two parameters. This assay will facilitate the characterization of Ca-ATPase function and malfunction in skeletal and cardiac SR and advances the methodology for comparison of normal and physically, chemically, or biologically altered Ca-ATPase.
Soft budget constraints and ownership: Empirical evidence from US hospitals

Abstract Consistent with the property rights theory of ownership incorporating soft budget constraints (SBCs), we find that controlling for SBCs, for-profit hospitals drop safety-net services more often and exhibit higher mortality rates, suggesting aggressive cost control that damages non-contractible quality.
Multirate fractal free space optical communications using Fountain codes

Wireless Free Space Optics (FSO) is one of the most promising candidates for future broadband communications, offering transmission rates far beyond possible by RF technology. However, free space wireless optical channel presents far more challenging conditions for signals than typical RF channels, making system availability and throughput a critical issue. Multirate fractal modulation has been considered to address adverse channel conditions in FSO systems. In this paper, channel coding for such a multirate communications scenario is discussed. Specifically, we have used Fountain Codes, a new class of erasure correction codes, in concatenation with an inner Convolutional code. We argue that for a parallel multirate system Fountain coding is a flexible method for receiving data from multiple streams.
Regulation of juvenile hormone titers by soldiers in the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus

In field collections of the Formosan subterranean termite Coptotermes formosanus, soldiers averaged less than 10%. The proportion of soldiers increased to about 25% or higher when termites were kept in the laboratory, as did the juvenile hormone III (JH III) titers for both workers and soldiers. In laboratory experiments with a proportion of soldiers 25% or higher, very few new pre-soldiers were formed and the JH titer in existing soldiers remained constant. On the contrary, workers from groups containing less than 25% soldiers formed more pre-soldiers. In such cases, both workers and soldiers showed higher JH titers. Newly formed soldiers also had higher JH titers than older soldiers. It is speculated that populations containing higher soldier proportions inhibit further soldier differentiation, eventually holding the JH titers under the threshold or suppressing the activity of corpora allata resulting in lower JH titers in workers.
Relationship between ADAMTS13 activity in clinical remission and the risk of TTP relapse

Idiopathic thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is characterized by frequent recurrences. Effective screening for relapses will enable intervention prior to overt episodes of TTP. The present study used a modified assay to detect ADAMTS13 (a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 motif, 13) activity as low as 0.5%. This analytical improvement permits adequate measurement of ADAMTS13 activity levels in 97% of remission samples used for statistical modelling. ADAMTS13 activity and ADAMTS13 antibody (IgG) were measured in 157 serial samples prospectively collected from 24 TTP patients during periods of clinical remission. These patients were followed-up quarterly for an average of 23 months, during which time nine episodes of TTP relapse occurred among six patients. Finally, logistic regression modelling was used to define the relationship between ADAMTS13 activity levels (0.5-100%) and the probability of TTP relapses. Our data demonstrated that lower ADAMTS13 activity and younger age were significantly associated with higher risk of relapse in the 3 months after specimens were taken. In contrast, ADAMTS13 antibody IgG levels were not predictive of TTP relapses. Identification of low ADAMTS13 activity during clinical remission as a key risk factor for TTP relapses provides a new screening strategy to identify patients who may benefit from prophylactic therapy prior to disease relapses.
Unsteady flow phenomena over delta wings at high angle of attack

Experiments show that coherent pressure fluctuations observed on delta wings are due to the helical mode instability of the vortex breakdown flowfield. No dominant frequency in the spectra of pressure fluctuations on the wing surface was observed after the breakdown reached the apex of the wing, although the vortex shedding could be detected in the wake. Measurements of pressure fluctuations at different streamwise locations on the wing suggest that the dimensionless frequency fx/U^ is nearly constant for a given geometry, which implies increasing wavelength in the streamwise direction. For different wings, this nondimensional frequency is shown to be a function of nondimensional circulation T/U^x only. Both the wavelength of the disturbances and the core radius increase with the nondimensional circulation at a fixed streamwise location. The wavelength normalized by the core radius is around 3-4, which is much smaller than the predictions for the Q vortex.
Transforming Sem-ODM semantic schemas to DTDs

Exporting data in traditional databases as XML documents so that non-XML data can be accessed and exchanged seamlessly among applications has been studied in a number of projects. In this paper, we present an algorithm that automatically derives a Document Type Definition (DTD) from a Semantic Schema of the Semantic Binary Object-Oriented Data Model (Sem-ODM) based on the formal definitions of DTDs and Semantic Schemas. The structure and semantic information of a Semantic Schema is captured and expressed naturally in a DTD without applying any complicated operators or scanning the actual data stored in the database. Furthermore, the formalization of the two schemas connects the two data models and helps us better understand the capabilities brought about by publishing Sem-ODB data as XML.
Studies on protein and nucleic acid turnover in growing cultures of yeast.

Abstract A study of the utilization of individually 14C-labeled aminoc acid and nucleotide pools in exponentially growing yeast indicated that precursors are converted essentially irreversibly into proteins and nucleic acids. The maximal breakdown rates for each were 0.01 h−1. Employing a more sensitive method, involving an internal nucleic acid purine trap for protein degradation products, the protein breakdown rate was estimated at 2.8· 10−4 h−1. The proteins therefore have an average half-life of 18 days or longer in cells dividing every 90 minutes. The data indicate that protein breakdown in growing cells is only 4% of that in resting cells. The significance of the difference in protein and possibly nucleic acid stabilities of growing and resting cells is discussed.
Structure and Properties of DNA-Based Reversible Polymers

Duplex formation between DNA-based monomers creates linear, polymeric assemblies that resemble larger duplex DNA, but in which the main chain is defined by the reversible base pairing. These monomers provide a reversible polymer platform through which molecule-to-material relationships can be explored. Viscometry, static and dynamic light scattering, and size exclusion chromatography are used to probe the size, structure, and dynamics of the systems. The influence of concentration, temperature, association constant, and conformational flexibility is examined and found to be consistent with simple equilibrium models. The characterizations provide the basis for further mechanistic studies of reversible polymeric behavior in complex environments.
Effects of Caregiving, Gender, and Race on the Health, Mutuality, and Social Supports of Older Couples

Objectives:The purpose of this article is to report caregiving, gender, and race effects on the physical health, social supports, and mutuality of older couples. Methods:The study involves cross-sectional results from a longitudinal study of 234 older couples, 118 in caregiving situations and 116 comparison couples. Spouses were interviewed in their homes. Results:Spousal older caregivers are in poorer physical health than noncaregivers but have no greater numbers of social supports to help them in the caregiving role. Also, African Americans are in poorer physical heath than Caucasians; yet, as caregivers, they have no greater numbers of social supports than Caucasian caregivers. Although females have more social supports than males, female caregivers have more negative feelings about their husbands than male caregivers have about their wives. Discussion:Males and African Americans are in potentially more severe caregiving situations than their female and Caucasian counterparts. Results of this study are...
The Significance of Measuring Non-HDL-Cholesterol

The third Adult Treatment Panel of the National Cholesterol Education Program has recently issued revised guidelines for the treatment of cholesterol in adults. Increased attention to the metabolic syndrome and diabetes, including the inaccuracy of the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) measurement in these patients because of elevated triglycerides is highlighted. To overcome the inaccuracy of the Friedewald equation in calculating LDL-C when the triglycerides are elevated, measuring non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL-C) may provide a better means to follow these patients toward their treatment goals. Recently, non-HDL-C was shown to be a better predictor of cardiovascular death than LDL-C, even in patients with triglyceride levels below 200 mg/dL. The authors review the basis for using non-HDL-C as a treatment target for cholesterol, in comparison with other lipoproteins.
Browser based platform in maintaining clinical activities-use of the ipads in head and neck clinics

Purpose: Incompatibility between documentation and clinical workflow causes physician resistance in organized data collection, which in turn complicates the use of data in patient care improvement. To resolve the gap, we developed an iPad compatible in situ browser-based platform that integrates clinical activity with data collection and analysis presentation. The ability to perform in-clinic activities and monitor decision making using the iPad was evaluated. Methods: A browser-based platform that can exchange and present analysed data from the MOSAIQ database was developed in situ, the iPads were distributed in head and neck clinics to present the browser for clinical activities, data collection and assessment monitoring. Performance of the iPads for in-clinic activities was observed. Results: All in-clinic documentation activities can be performed without workstation computers. Accessing patient record and previous assessments was significantly faster without having to open the MOSAIQ application. Patient assessments can be completed with the physician facing the patient. Graphical presentation of toxicity progression and patient radiation plans to the patient can be performed in single interface without patient leaving the seating area. Updates in patient treatment status and medical history were presented in real time without having to move paper charts around. Conclusions: The iPad can be used in clinical activities independent of computer workstations. Improvements in clinical workflow can be critical in reducing physician resistance in data maintenance. Using the iPad in providing real-time quality monitoring is intuitive to both providers and patients.
Fury of the Swarm: Efficient and Very Accurate Triangulation for Multi-view Scene Reconstruction

This paper presents a novel framework for practical and accurate N-view triangulation of scene points. The algorithm is based on applying swarm optimization inside a robustly-computed bounding box, using an angular error-based L1 cost function which is more robust to outliers and less susceptible to local minima than cost functions such as L2 on reprojection error. Extensive testing on synthetic data with ground-truth has determined an accurate position over 99.9% of the time, on thousands of camera configurations with varying degrees of feature tracking errors. Opposed to existing polynomial methods developed for a small number of cameras, the proposed algorithm is at best linear in the number of cameras and does not suffer from inaccuracies inherent in solving high-order polynomials or Grobner bases. In the specific case of three views, there is a two to three order of magnitude performance increase with respect to such methods. Results are provided to highlight performance for arbitrary camera configurations, numbers of cameras and under noise, which has not been previously achieved in the triangulation literature. Results on real data also prove that reprojection error is improved with respect to other methods.
Leucine/isoleucine zipper coordination of ion channel macromolecular signaling complexes in the heart. Roles in inherited arrhythmias.

Abstract The sympathetic nervous system controls the force and rate of contraction of the heart. The rapid response to stress and exercise mediated by increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity requires the coordinated regulation of several ion channels in response to activation of β-adrenergic receptors. The microenvironment of target channels is mediated by the assembly of macromolecular signaling complexes in which targeting proteins recruit phosphatases and kinases and in turn bind directly to the channel protein via highly conserved leucine/isoleucine zippers (LIZs). Disruption of local signaling by disease-associated LIZ mutations unbalances the physiologic response to SNS stimulation and increases the risk of arrhythmia in mutation carriers.
The role of the GABAA agonist muscimol on memory performance : Reward contingencies determine the nature of the deficit

A matching-to-position (MTP) paradigm was altered to influence the type of associations a rat would use to solve the task. Our main behavioral manipulation was the application of the differential outcomes procedure (DOP). The DOP involves correlating each to-be-remembered event with a distinct reward condition. This procedure results in the development of unique reward expectancies that enhance and guide choice behavior. Such distinct reward expectancies are not formed when either a common or random assignment of reward is used (a non-differential outcomes procedure [NOP]). Intracerebroventricular infusions of the amnestic agent muscimol (GABA(A) agonist) or aCSF were delivered to male rats trained on a delayed MTP task that implemented either the DOP or the NOP. Muscimol impaired performance in a dose dependent fashion in both groups--but the nature of the deficit differed as a function of reinforcement contingencies. Rats trained with the DOP displayed a non-mnemonic delay-independent impairment: performance at all delay intervals was disrupted. In contrast, NOP-trained rats displayed a delay-dependent impairment demonstrating that muscimol can also have memory-disrupting effects. The difference in pattern of impairment appears to be a function of the associations formed during training and the type of cognitive strategies involved in maintaining behavior on a conditional delayed discrimination task when reinforcement contingencies are varied. Thus, these results demonstrate that increasing GABA(A) receptor activation impairs a range of associative and memory functions.
A New Diffuser Mapping Technique

A rigorous derivation of the K = Cpi − Cp diffuser recovery and loss equation is presented and the critical assumptions to yield this simplified relationship are critiqued. Confirmation of the equation is achieved using precise laboratory data and a new diffuser loss-map is presented which facilitates engineering diffuser design work, even when a Kline-map is unavailable. Numerous application examples for turbomachinery analysis are given.Copyright © 1984 by ASME
Sex Roles And Sexual Satisfaction in Women

Feminine sexuality has traditionally been conceptualized as passive, naive, and disinterested. However, what little empirical evidence exists regarding female sexuality suggests that sexual satisfaction in women is more likely to be associated with sexual interest, knowledge, activity, and other “nonfeminine” characteristics. Given the current cultural climate wherein both sexual satisfaction for women and a single standard of sexuality for both sexes are being embraced, the question is raised: Does sexual satisfaction in women correlate with their femininity and feminism? The present study was designed, therefore, to investigate the relationships among sexual satisfaction, femininity, and feminism in women. Data were collected via questionnaires completed by 199 couples—largely young, educated, and middle class. A positive association was found between sexual satisfaction and feminism; there was no significant relationship between sexual satisfaction and femininity. Implications for psychotherapy and fur...
Psychometric properties of the Neck Disability Index and Numeric Pain Rating Scale in patients with mechanical neck pain.

Abstract Cleland JA, Childs JD, Whitman JM. Psychometric properties of the Neck Disability Index and numeric pain rating scale in patients with mechanical neck pain. Objective To examine the psychometric properties including test-retest reliability, construct validity, and minimum levels of detectable and clinically important change for the Neck Disability Index (NDI) and the numeric rating scale (NRS) for pain in a cohort of patients with neck pain. Design Single-group repeated-measures design. Setting Outpatient physical therapy (PT) clinics. Participants Patients (N=137) presenting to PT with a primary report of neck pain. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures All patients completed the NDI and the NRS at the baseline examination and at a follow-up. At the time of the follow-up, all patients also completed the global rating of change, which was used to dichotomize patients as improved or stable. Baseline and follow-up scores were used to determine the test-retest reliability, construct validity, and minimal levels of detectable and clinically important change for both the NDI and NRS. Results Test-retest reliability was calculated using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (NDI ICC=.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], .25–.67; NRS ICC=.76; 95% CI, .51–.87). The area under the curve was .83 (95% CI, .75–.90) for the NDI score and .85 (95% CI, .78–.93) for the NRS score for determining between stable and improved patients. Thresholds for the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) for the NDI were 19-percentage points and 1.3 for the NRS. Conclusions Both the NDI and NRS exhibit fair to moderate test-retest reliability in patients with mechanical neck pain. Both instruments also showed adequate responsiveness in this patient population. However, the MCID required to be certain that the change in scores has surpassed a level that could be contributed to measurement error for the NDI was twice that which has previously been reported. Therefore the ongoing analyses of the properties of the NDI in a patient population with neck pain are warranted.
PULSE RATE AND BLOOD PRESSURE DURING ADOLESCENCE

Pulse rate and blood pressure have been found to be significantly and positively correlated in children and adults in a number of studies, however, during adolescence, this relationship has not been as carefully elucidated. The pulse rate trends and associations between pulse rate and blood pressure in a sample of Philadelphia black adolescents aged 12 to 17 were analyzed using a mixed longitudinal design. Supine and seated pulse means decreased significantly over the entire age span for males and up to age 16 for females. Female pulse means were significantly higher than male means in both the supine and seated positions at all chronological ages. In addition, seated pulse means were significantly higher than supine means for each age and sex group Correlations of pulse rate with systolic, diastolic phase 4 and diastolic phase 5 blood pressure by sex and chronological age groups reveal changing relationships over the adolescent period. Pulse and blood pressure are not positively correlated at all chronological ages, especially at those ages of peak pubertal maturation when pulse rate is dropping and blood pressure rising as a normal response to cardiovascular maturation. Analyses of variance indicate that, those with the highest blood pressure do not necessarily have the highest pulse rates. These results suggest that the patterns of association between pulse rate and blood pressure at adolescence are significantly different from those found in childhood and adulthood. This work was supported by NHLBI Grant #HL-19869.