cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resection of retroperitoneal sarcoma en-bloc with inferior vena cava: 20 year outcomes of a single institution.

Background Margin negative resection offers the best chance of long-term survival in retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS). En-bloc resection of adjacent structures, including the inferior vena cava (IVC), is often required to achieve negative margins. We review our 20-year experience of en-bloc IVC and RPS resection. Methods Retrospective review of patients with RPS resection involving the IVC were matched 1:3 by age and histology to RPS without IVC resection. Prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) were assessed. Results Thirty-two patients underwent RPS resection en-bloc with IVC. They were matched with 96 cases of RPS without IVC resection. Median OS of 59 months and DFS 18 months in IVC resection group was comparable to RPS resection without vascular involvement: median OS 65 months, DFS 18 months (P = 0.519, P = 0.604). On multivariate analyses, R2 margin (OS: HR = 6.52 [95%CI: 1.18-36.09], P = 0.032) was associated with inferior OS. R2 margin and increased number of organs resected (DFS: HR = 5.07, [1.15-22.27], P = 0.031, HR = 1.28 [1.01-1.62], P = 0.014) were associated with inferior DFS. Reconstructions included graft (n = 19, 59%), patch (n = 4, 13%), primary repair (n = 6, 19%), and ligation (n = 4, 13%). Conclusions RPS resection en-bloc with IVC can achieve equivalent rates of DFS and OS to patients without vascular involvement.
Organ doses in pediatric patients undergoing cardiac-centered fluoroscopically guided interventions: Comparison of three methods for computational phantom alignment.

PURPOSE To assess various computational phantom alignment techniques within Monte Carlo radiation transport models of pediatric fluoroscopically guided cardiac interventional studies. METHODS Logfiles, including all procedure radiation and machine data, were extracted from a Toshiba infinix-I unit in the University of Florida Pediatric Catheterization Laboratory for a cohort of 10 patients. Two different alignment methods were then tested against a ground truth standard based upon identification of a unique anatomic reference point within images co-registered to specific irradiation events within each procedure. The first alignment method required measurement of the distance from the edge of the exam table to the top of the patient's head (table alignment method). The second alignment method fixed the anatomic reference point to be the geometric center of the heart muscle, as all 10 studies were cardiac in nature. Monte Carlo radiation transport simulations were performed for each patient and intervention using morphometry-matched hybrid computational phantoms for the reference and two tested alignment methods. For each combination, absorbed doses were computed for 28 organs and root mean square organ doses were assessed and compared across the alignment methods. RESULTS The percent error in root mean square organ dose ranged from -57% to +41% for the table alignment method, and from -27% to +22% for the heart geometric centroid alignment method. Absorbed doses to specific organs, such as the heart and lungs, demonstrated higher accuracy in the heart geometric centroid alignment method, with average percent errors of 10% and 1.4%, respectively, compared to average percent errors of -32% and 24%, respectively, using the table alignment method. CONCLUSIONS Of the two phantom alignment methods investigated in this study, the use of an anatomical reference point - in this case the geometric centroid of the heart - provided a reliable method for radiation transport simulations of organ dose in pediatric interventional cardiac studies. This alignment method provides the added benefit of requiring no physician input, making retrospective calculations possible. Moving forward, additional anatomical reference methods can be tested to assess the reliability of anatomical reference points beyond cardiac centered procedures.
Roots of Commutative Algebra

This chapter describes the origins of commutative algebra and follows its development through the landmark papers published by David Hilbert in 1890 and 1893. Three major strands of nineteenth-century activity lie behind commutative algebra and are still its primary fields of application: number theory, algebraic geometry (the algebraic aspect really begins with Riemann’s “function theory”), and invariant theory. We shall say a little about developments in each.
Hope for Journalism History

When my colleague, mentor, and friend James W. Carey died last year, I realized that nothing could be more appropriate than to talk about the wisdom I, and others, have gotten from him. I first met Jim Carey more than twenty years ago, in 1985, when I was a graduate student in American Civilization at NYU gnawing and mumbling over a weird idea that maybe studying the history of journalism would be interesting and maybe there was more to it than Frank Luther Mott had noticed.
Illuminating Venezuelan Opposition: Network Analytics for Phase Zero Planning

The growing number of low-intensity conflicts around the world calls for greater attention by military and political strategists to identify and target pre-crisis intervention points for Phase zero operations. The pre-conflict environment of Phase zero is more complex than ever and requires a multivariate analysis. This article uses a method of quantitative analysis to illuminate the various facets of the Venezuelan crisis to provide decision-makers with the necessary information to make better-informed decisions for Phase zero operations. This may include who the influencers are and how they can be leveraged, what the indicators of conflict are, when there are opportunities to act, and where there are key locations of political competition. By using exploratory methods in the fields of social network analysis, social movement theory, and statistical analysis, this article develops an alternative quantitative model of analysis to answer the questions of who, what, where, when, and how for Phase zero opera...
Cross-culture management: an empirical examination on task and relationship orientations of Japanese and Omani working adults

Globalisation has increased the demand for an international group of leaders who can lead multinational corporations across cultures successfully. Understanding the leadership orientations of the international workforces becomes a necessity for these companies. This paper distinctively examines the task and relationship orientations of working adults in Japan and Oman. Through the analysis of 419 responses including 231 respondents from Japan and 188 respondents from Oman, it appears that Omani working adults are more task-oriented than Japanese working adults. Gender is not a factor in either the task or the relationship orientations of all respondents. However, there is a significant interaction in the relationship scores based on gender between the two cultures: Omani male respondents are more relationshiporiented than their Japanese counterparts while Japanese female respondents are more relationship-oriented than their Omani counterparts. In this paper, managerial implications, recommendations for future research and limitations are discussed.
Claims data analyses unable to properly characterize the value of neurologists in epilepsy care.

Objective To determine the association of a neurologist visit with health care use and cost outcomes for patients with incident epilepsy. Methods Using health care claims data for individuals insured by United Healthcare from 2001 to 2016, we identified patients with incident epilepsy. The population was defined by an epilepsy/convulsion diagnosis code (ICD codes 345.xx/780.3x, G40.xx/R56.xx), an antiepileptic prescription filled within the succeeding 2 years, and neither criterion met in the 2 preceding years. Cases were defined as patients who had a neurologist encounter for epilepsy within 1 year after an incident diagnosis; a control cohort was constructed with propensity score matching. Primary outcomes were emergency room (ER) visits and hospitalizations for epilepsy. Secondary outcomes included measures of cost (epilepsy related, not epilepsy related, and antiepileptic drugs) and care escalation (including EEG evaluation and epilepsy surgery). Results After participant identification and propensity score matching, there were 3,400 cases and 3,400 controls. Epilepsy-related ER visits were more likely for cases than controls (year 1: 5.9% vs 2.3%, p p p ≤ 0.001). EEG evaluation and epilepsy surgery occurred more commonly for cases ( p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions Patients with epilepsy who visited a neurologist had greater subsequent health care use, medical costs, and care escalation than controls. This comparison using administrative claims is plausibly confounded by case disease severity, as suggested by higher nonepilepsy care costs. Linking patient-centered outcomes to claims data may provide the clinical resolution to assess care value within a heterogeneous population.
The alpha taxonomy of Australopithecus at Sterkfontein: The postcranial evidence

Abstract The possibility that the fossils attributed to Australopithecus africanus represent more than a single species is of significance because of the pivotal role that A. africanus has played in discussions about hominin evolution. The A. africanus hypodigm that is currently widely recognized evinces considerable variation in a number of craniodental characters, and this has led to speculation that more than one australopith taxon may be represented among the specimens from Sterkfontein. Although crania, mandibles and teeth have dominated these taxonomic discussions, the Sterkfontein postcranial remains also have been invoked. While several workers have proposed that some of the craniodental remains from Sterkfontein can be partitioned into two groups, there is a notable lack of agreement among them as to their actual sorting. Most of the craniodental observations that have been put forward in support of arguments for taxonomic heterogeneity of the Sterkfontein australopith assemblage have been subjective and anecdotal in nature. So too, the postcranial evidence that has been cited in support of more than one australopith species at Sterkfontein has been largely subjective, and limited to a small number of elements. The results of quantitative statistical analyses of the craniodental and postcranial fossils that have been undertaken to date are not necessarily consistent with the hypothesis of taxonomic heterogeneity.
An exact inverse method for subsonic flows

A new inverse method for the aerodynamic design of airfoils is presented for subcritical flows. The pressure distribution in this method can be prescribed as a function of the arclength of the still unknown body. It is shown that this inverse problem is mathematically equivalent to solving only one nonlinear boundary value problem subject to known Dirichlet data on the boundary.
Mechanical Thrombectomy in Distal Vessels: M2s and Beyond

There has been concern that mechanical thrombectomy is less effective in distal occlusions due to reduced stentriever maneuverability in the relatively more tortuous and smaller diameter vessels. In this chapter, we discuss the most recent literature regarding distal occlusions and provide evidence-based technical recommendations for the endovascular management of such patients.
Wind-assist marine demonstration for ferries: prospects for saving diesel fuel with wind power

These sailing vessel testing, data collection and analysis project examined the real world potential for a novel carbon-fibre 'wingsail' technology to reduce fuel use in potential passenger ferryboat applications. The project involved building a carbon fibre, computer-controlled wingsail that was then mounted on a 14-metre trimaran test vessel with a complete instrumentation package. The vessel was then operated on the San Francisco Bay over a three-month period. The test results were conclusive that, for a test vessel travelling at seven knots though water on a particular ferry route, up to 25% to 40% of the fuel burned can be saved through the use of the wingsail, depending on wind speed, with a corresponding reduction in greenhouse gases, toxic and criteria pollutant emissions and fuel costs. The estimated fuel efficiency gains will not necessarily translate directly to those at actual ferryboat service speeds (at 17 or more knots) but are encouraging pending further investigations.
Sense of Belonging and Mattering Among Two Cohorts of First-Year Students Participating in a Comprehensive College Transition Program:

For first-year students who carry traditionally marginalized identities, comprehensive college transition programs (CCTPs) can offer key wraparound services to help address some of the major academ...
Jennifer S. Ferguson. Using Authentic Assessment in Information Literacy Programs: Tools, Techniques, and Strategies . Lanham, MD: Rowan & Littlefield, 2018. 157p. Paper, $45.00 (ISBN 978-1-5381-0481-1).

In the field of education, few topics have had the enduring interest of practitioners and researchers alike as assessment. Understanding what students are learning, how they learn, and, more centrally to the concept of authentic assessment, what they are able to do is critical to being an effective educator. An additional layer of complexity exists within academic libraries, as librarians investigate whether a connection (or more than one) exists between librarian-led, library-centric instruction and student outcomes. Within this multilayered conversation is Jennifer Ferguson’s examination of incorporating authentic assessment as part of information literacy. The eight chapters of this relatively slim volume divide the topic of authentic assessment, broadly speaking, into the past, present, and future. The first chapter, “Authentic Assessment Defined,” begins provocatively by asking a series of rhetorical questions regarding the current state of library assessment and challenging the profession with the observation that much of what passes for assessment within libraries “tells us very little about the actual learning that takes place in information literacy instruction.” However, beyond that, until near the end of the book, there is little direct challenge to the status quo. Instead, the bulk of what follows suggests that instructional librarians adopt existing, authentic assessment methods to gain a better understanding of the impact of their instructional efforts.
A Topological Graph-Based Representation for Denoising Low Quality Binary Images

Scanned images of patent or historical documents often contain localized zigzag noise introduced by the digitizing process; yet when viewed as a whole image, global structures are apparent to humans, but not to machines. Existing denoising methods work well for natural images, but not for binary diagram images, which makes feature extraction difficult for computer vision and machine learning methods and algorithms. We propose a topological graph-based representation to tackle this denoising problem. The graph representation emphasizes the shapes and topology of diagram images, making it ideal for use in machine learning applications such as classification and matching of scientific diagram images. Our approach and algorithms provide essential structure and lay important foundation for computer vision such as scene graph-based applications, because topological relations and spatial arrangement among objects in images are captured and stored in our skeleton graph. In addition, while the parameters for almost all pixel-based methods are not adaptive, our method is robust in that it only requires one parameter and it is adaptive. Experimental comparisons with existing methods show the effectiveness of our approach.
The road to rheumatoid arthritis prevention: challenges and opportunities

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most prevalent cause of chronic arthritis worldwide and contributes substantial health burden and socioeconomic costs, issues that are magnified by the aging population. Despite significantly improved outcomes in the management of RA with earlier diagnosis and advances in treatment, there is still no cure and disease prevention remains an area of intense interest. Studies examining different treatment regimens in varied subsets of patients with pre-clinical RA have been able to delay but not prevent onset of frank RA. In this timely issue of Clinical Rheumatology, Alpziar-Rodriguez D. and Finckh A. highlight the available literature on pre-clinical RA including modifiable risk factors, results of key intervention trials, and discuss whether prevention of RA is on the horizon. We offer additional thoughts on current areas of uncertainty in RA prevention studies, lessons to be learned from prevention trials in other disease states, and future directions to consider.
MapA, a second large RTX adhesin, contributes to biofilm formation by Pseudomonas fluorescens

Mechanisms by which cells attach to a surface and form a biofilm are diverse and differ greatly between organisms. The Gram-negative, Gammaproteobacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens attaches to a surface through the localization of the large type 1-secreted RTX adhesin LapA to the outer surface of the cell. LapA localization to the cell surface is controlled by the activities of a periplasmic protease, LapG and an inner-membrane spanning cyclic di-GMP responsive effector protein, LapD. A previous study identified a second, LapA-like protein encoded in the P. fluorescens Pf0-1 genome: Pfl01_1463. However, deletion of this gene had no discernible phenotype under our standard laboratory growth conditions. Here, we identified specific growth conditions wherein, Pfl01_1463, hereafter called MapA (Medium Adhesion Protein A) is a functional adhesin contributing to biofilm formation. This adhesin, like LapA, appears to be secreted through a Lap-related type 1 secretion machinery. We show MapA involvement in biofilm formation is also controlled by LapD and LapG, and that the differing roles of LapA and MapA in biofilm formation are achieved, at least in part, through the differences in the sequences of the two adhesins and their differential, cyclic di-GMP-dependent transcriptional regulation. This differential regulation appears to lead to different distributions of the expression of lapA and mapA within a biofilm. Our data indicate that the mechanisms by which a cell forms a biofilm and the components of a biofilm matrix can differ depending on growth conditions in the biofilm.
Detection of zwitterion at an electrified liquid-liquid interface: A chemical equilibrium perspective

Abstract Ion transfer across the Interface between Two Immiscible Electrolyte Solutions (ITIES) has been successfully used for chemical sensing and the determination of the equilibrium constants of ion complexation reactions. Recently, we reported the detection of a zwitterion, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), at nanoITIES where an organic acid was added into the oil phase as a pH modulator to enable the detection of the zwitterion [1]. Accompanying our first introduction of an organic acid to the oil phase of ITIES, apart from ion complexation equilibrium associated with the assisted ion transfer, additional equilibria are formed including acid-base and partition equilibria. Here, we studied the chemical equilibrium reactions involved in this system, where we measured the unknown equilibrium constants using conventional separation and electrochemical methods. We further demonstrated that how concentration of ionophore in the oil phase impacts the electrochemical reaction, which can be explained by Le Chatelier's principle.
Predictors of Increased Lactate in Neonatal Cardiac Surgery: The Impact of Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

Objective Hyperlactatemia develops intraoperatively during cardiac surgery and is associated with postoperative mortality. This study aimed to determine the factors that lead to an increase in lactate during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery. Design Retrospective study from July 2015 to December 2018. Setting Academic tertiary children's hospital. Participants The study comprised 376 neonates. Interventions No interventions were performed. Measurements and Main Results Lactate measurements at prebypass, upon initiation of CPB and before coming off CPB, last in the operating room, and first in the cardiac intensive care unit were collected. The changes in lactate levels were compared using the nonparametric Wilcoxon signed rank test for paired data. Univariate and multivariate median regression models of the change during CPB were determined. The cohort characteristics were male (60%), median age 5 days (range 1-30), and weight 3.2 kg (range 1.5-4.7). Most patients had a STAT score of 4 (45%) or 5 (23%). Significant increases in lactate were observed from pre-CPB to start of CPB (p Conclusion These results emphasized the importance of blood pressure management during CPB and the importance of the duration of circulatory arrest.
Performance evaluation of surface riding wave energy converter with linear electric generator

Abstract In this study, we devised a new WEC (wave energy converter) called SR-WEC (Surface Riding WEC). The SR-WEC consists of two bodies: the outer cylinder with an armature assembly (body #1) and a magnet assembly (body #2) sliding inside the armature. For the SR-WEC, the relative sliding displacement and velocity are caused by gravity acceleration and the outer cylinder's motions, and they lead to electrical power generation. To evaluate its performance, a numerical simulation tool was developed, which solves the fully-coupled floater-mooring-generator dynamics. During the developing stage, the appropriate hydrodynamics model, sliding mechanics model, mooring dynamics model, and LEG (linear electric generator) electro-magnetic model were independently developed and then fully coupled in time domain to account for the cross-coupling interactions among them. Then, the developed simulation tool was verified component by component against various laboratory tests. Subsequently, systematic parametric studies were conducted with several important design parameters under various wave conditions to enhance power generation. After that, the average output power was evaluated in enlarged operational wave conditions. The present SR-WEC is particularly designed to be efficient at low sea states, which is good since they cover the majority of typical annual sea states.
Defect dynamics in γ-U, Mo, and their alloys

Abstract Defect dynamics constitutes the foundation for describing microstructural evolution in any material systems for nuclear applications, including body-centered cubic γ -U, Mo, and their alloys. However, defect properties and evolution, and the impact of a large atomic size mismatch between U and Mo atoms on defect dynamics have not been elucidated. In this work, we use molecular dynamics to extensively examine composition-dependent defect behavior in U-Mo alloys and the pure metals. It has been found that point defect migration is strongly correlated and mediated by minor atoms via preferential paths in alloys. Interstitial dumbbells migrate three-dimensionally through the major atoms with a preferred 〈 110 〉 configuration. Vacancies are less mobile than interstitials, but become comparable (one order of magnitude difference in diffusivity) in U-rich systems. Overall, compared with the pure metals, defect diffusivity can be tuned up or down based on the alloy composition. Finally, interstitial clustering is found to be unfavorable in U-rich systems, as opposed to Mo which exhibits an efficient formation of interstitial-type dislocation loop with 1D diffusion mode. These findings not only provide necessary input to high-fidelity meso-scale simulations of microstructural evolution in these systems, but also have important implications towards explaining radiation effects influenced by the dimensionality and rates of defect diffusion.
Groucho co-repressor proteins regulate β cell development and proliferation by repressing Foxa1 in the developing mouse pancreas.

ABSTRACT Groucho-related genes (GRGs) are transcriptional co-repressors that are crucial for many developmental processes. Several essential pancreatic transcription factors are capable of interacting with GRGs; however, the in vivo role of GRG-mediated transcriptional repression in pancreas development is still not well understood. In this study, we used complex mouse genetics and transcriptomic analyses to determine that GRG3 is essential for β cell development, and in the absence of Grg3 there is compensatory upregulation of Grg4. Grg3/4 double mutant mice have severe dysregulation of the pancreas gene program with ectopic expression of canonical liver genes and Foxa1, a master regulator of the liver program. Neurod1, an essential β cell transcription factor and predicted target of Foxa1, becomes downregulated in Grg3/4 mutants, resulting in reduced β cell proliferation, hyperglycemia, and early lethality. These findings uncover novel functions of GRG-mediated repression during pancreas development.
Review of Biomass Energy Resources with Livestock Manure

This paper presents different thermochemical conversion processes on different biomass species. The results show it is recommended to use the lowest heating rate to allow a quasi-equilibrium state through slow heating, hence avoiding measurement errors. Thermal degradation of the three main components of the chicken manure was obtained. The initial results show that for the slow heating rates, 5 °C/min, the thermal degradation of the cow manure is different compared to that one obtained from chicken manure. The Hemicellulose decomposition took place at 250 and 300 °C for the chicken manure and cow manure, respectively. The Cellulose decomposition was started at 300 °C for chicken manure and 470 °C for cow manure. Rice husk, the peak of the Pyrolysis of rice husk, is less distributed than the Pyrolysis of chicken manure due to the absence of Hemicellulose and less Lignin content. For CO2 gasification, the chemical reactions, for all different heating rates tested, were endothermic. Consequently, the energy must be supplied in terms of heating to sustain the reaction, while air gasification was exothermic, which means that the reaction can be sustained without external heating where the self-ignition was observed between 450 and 600 ℃. In addition, it was observed that carbon dioxide had the most complicated mechanism with four stages. CO-Pyrolysis, results show the 40% RH-60%CH decreasing the activation energy by 12% compared to Chicken manure. In addition, an increase in the mass conversion by more than 3% was achieved. The 40% CM-60% CH shows a positive result in terms of keeping an exothermic reaction over the co-Pyrolysis process.
Bladder Cancer Genomics: Indications for Sequencing and Diagnostic Implications

It has been long understood that bladder cancer harbors specific genomic and copy number alterations. More recently, increased access by way of availability and reduced costs of next-generation sequencing has resulted in an improved understanding of the molecular biology of bladder cancer. Data from genomic sequencing yield prognostic information that may aid in the decision to pursue aggressive therapies, as well as predictive information regarding response to treatments such as intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and systemic chemotherapy. Genomic sequencing also provides data on targetable alterations that can bring novel agents from the laboratory to clinical trials. As the material for deep and broad genomic sequencing is expanded to include both plasma and urine, new avenues to screen and monitor disease are becoming available. While current guidelines recommend sequencing only for patients with advanced and metastatic disease, currently active clinical trials may expand these indications in the near future.
Periodic Dielectric Structures: The Long Wavelength Effective Dielectric Constant

The study of the electromagnetic properties of heterogeneous media is an old but still very active subject. Initially, various effective medium approaches [1] like the Maxwell-Garnet approximation were used to determine the dielectric constant and other properties in the long wavelength limit. It was later realized that these were inadequate and the microgeometry of the medium needs to be taken into account even though it is on a much smaller scale than the probing wavelength. Several such studies were made by McPhedran and McKenzie [2] and others for periodic systems using the boundary-matching approach. The efficacy of this approach is limited to special shapes like spheres and cubes which do not overlap. In recent years, several [3–5] groups have used Fourier expansion techniques which can be used to study any periodic microgeometry and are much wider in scope than the previous efforts. We have also used a Fourier expansion technique to study this problem and our method will be applied to find the effective dielectric constant of several classes of “photonic band gap” (PBG) materials. The PBG materials are basically periodic arrangements of one type of material embedded in another. It is interesting to note that besides the possibility of possessing photonic gaps, some of these materials are also anisotropic and thus will exhibit birefringence.
Rapanos, Carabell, and the Isolated Man

We gather yet again this year at the University of Richmond to discuss the deplorable state of the Chesapeake Bay and the concerted effort needed to bring it back from the brink of death. The state of the Bay seems not much better than it did eleven years ago, when a group of wise souls who cared deeply about the Bay assembled at this law school to revisit the Kepone incident and call for more action to stem pollution in the Bay. To no one’s surprise, unfortunately, that august group assembled in our Moot Court Room did not solve the Bay’s problems.
Dynamic data mining

Business information received from advanced data analysis and data mining is a critical success factor for companies wishing to maximize competitive advantage. The use of traditional tools and techniques to discover knowledge is ruthless and does not give the right information at the right time. Data mining should provide tactical insights to support the strategic directions. In this paper, we introduce a dynamic approach that uses knowledge discovered in previous episodes. The proposed approach is shown to be effective for solving problems related to the efficiency of handling database updates, accuracy of data mining results, gaining more knowledge and interpretation of the results, and performance. Our results do not depend on the approach used to generate itemsets. In our analysis, we have used an Apriori-like approach as a local procedure to generate large itemsets. We prove that the Dynamic Data Mining algorithm is correct and complete.
Stress Response in Bacteria

The Stress Proteins Protect at Two Levels The Biochemical Basis of GSR Applications of the Stress Response Keywords: stress; stress response in bacteria
Chapter 1 – On the Contact Topology and Geometry of Ideal Fluids

Abstract We survey certain topological methods for problems in inviscid fluid dynamics in dimension three. The tools come from the topology of contact structures, or nowhere-integrable plane fields. The applications are most robust in the setting of fluids on Riemannian three-manifolds which are not necessarily Euclidean. For example, these methods can be used to construct surprising examples of inviscid flows in non-Euclidean geometries. Because of their topological basis, these methods point one toward a theory of “generic” fluids, where the geometry of the underlying domain is the genericity parameter.
Evaluation of chemically induced cytogenetic lesions in rabbit oocytes. I. The test system and the effects of streptonigrin.

Abstract An appropriate method for evaluating transmissible genetic damage in female germ cells is presented. Analysis of karyotype preparations from preimplantation (6-day) rabbit embryos for consistent structural chromosome abnormalities is described as a sensitive way in which these determinations can be made. A table prepared from summarized research reports shows that less than 1 in 2000 rabbit blastocysts karyotyped thus far has a consistent structural chromosome abnormality. In the new data presented in this study, none of the 90 control blastocysts karyotyped had consistent structural chromosome abnormalities while 13 of 278 from female rabbits treated with streptonigrin (NSC-45383) before conception did. These findings demonstrate that karyotype analysis for consistent chromosome lesions in preimplantation rabbit embryos from females exposed to chemical clastogens can serve as a sensitive and quantitative means of estimating effects on oocytes. The results of the study also show that the consistent structural chromosome lesions in the blastocyst karyotypes are what would be predicted from the mode of action of streptonigrin and the segregation of chromosomes during meiosis. The relative efficiency of this system based on the rabbit as compared to another recently described system based on the hamster is also discussed.
Scientific Collaborations at a Distance

The Internet has the potential to enhance collaboration among researchers by supporting technical applications that facilitate the rapid dispersal of information and to coordinate numerous and complex real-time interactions. An important paradigm of Internet-mediated science is the collaboratory, or "laboratory without walls," a virtual entity created by means of the high-performance computer network infrastructure now available to government, industry, and academics. In this policy forum, the authors, who are at the Great Lakes Regional Center for AIDS Research and who use collaboration technology, illustrate how this new approach can be used to support effective collaboration at a distance.
Analysis and field test on reactive capability of photovoltaic power plants based on clusters of inverters

With the increasing capacity of photovoltaic (PV) power plants connected to power systems, PV plants are often required to have some reactive power control capabilities to participate in reactive power regulation. Reactive power regulation of grid-connected PV inverters can be achieved using different control strategies. In this paper, the reactive power capability of inverters and the technical requirement of PV plants are analyzed. The reactive power capability of a 30 MW PV plant is evaluated against relevant technical standards using a new testing method proposed in this paper.
The epidemiology of subclavian artery calcification

Objectives The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence and risk factor associations for subclavian artery calcification. Background Arterial calcification is a marker of atherosclerosis, and its presence portends an adverse prognostic risk. The prevalence and associated risk factors for aortic arch, carotid, renal, and coronary calcification have been well described. Fewer data are available for subclavian artery calcification. Methods Electron-beam computed tomography was used to evaluate the extent of vascular calcification in multiple arterial beds in 1387 consecutive individuals who presented for preventive medicine services at a university-affiliated disease prevention center. Laboratory values for blood pressure, lipids, anthropomorphic data, and self-reported medical history were obtained. Results Subclavian artery calcification was present in 439 of 1387 individuals (31.7%). Those with subclavian artery calcification were significantly older, had a smaller body mass index, and were more likely to also have calcification of nonsubclavian vascular beds. When adjusted for cardiovascular disease risk factors, the presence of subclavian artery calcification was significantly associated with age (prevalence ratio [PR], 1.04; P Conclusions Subclavian artery calcification is relatively common and is significantly associated with age, smoking, hypertension, and nonsubclavian vascular calcification. There may be a relationship between vascular stiffness, as manifested by a widened pulse pressure, and the presence of subclavian artery calcification.
Sequential G‐banding and fluorescent in situ hybridization on peripheral blood, bone marrow, and amniotic fluid samples

We describe a method for fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) on previously G-banded slides and mounted coverslip preparations. The technique is successful on previously G-banded slides from peripheral blood and bone marrow specimens and on amniotic fluid samples from in situ harvests. Satellite sequence probes, whole chromosome paints, and unique sequence probes have all produced reliable results.
Dihydrofolate Reductase in Plasmodium lophurae and Duckling Erythrocytes

SYNOPSIS Dihydrofolate reductase activity in duckling erythrocytes was found to be low, while activity in erythrocytes heavily infected with small uninucleate trophozoites was like that of uninfected erythrocytes. Activity of the enzyme in erythrocytes infected with large multinucleate parasites, however, was greatly increased. This activity was 5 times higher in erythrocyte-free large trophozoites than in small ones. The dihydrofolate reductase of P. lophurae differed from the host enzyme in: greater molecular weight; higher sensitivity to pyrimethamine inhibition; pH optimum; substrate and cofactor specificity; and stimulation by salts. The parasite enzyme was partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation.
Meissner Effect and Gauge Invariance

It is shown from a manifestly gauge-invariant Hamiltonian that the Meissner effect can follow from an energy-gap model of superconductivity. The superconductor is described by Fr\"ohlich's Hamiltonian and the superconducting properties at the absolute zero are determined by a method due to Bogoliubov. In the weak-coupling limit (${T}_{c}\ensuremath{\ll}{\ensuremath{\Theta}}_{D}$) there is an energy gap which leads to a Meissner effect. The method of Bogoliubov is extended to apply at general temperatures and the current is calculated in the weak-coupling limit. The results are in essential agreement with those of Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer.
Power: Whys and wherefores of power system blackouts: An examination of the factors that increase the likelihood and the frequency of system failure

An examination is presented of the factors that increase the likelihood and frequency of system failure.
Experimental investigation of the enthalpy, entropy, and free energy of formation of GaN

The equilibrium pressures of N2 over Ga/GaN were measured from 1055 to 1350 K. We find that GaN is stable up to 1210730 K at 1 bar N2. We obtain values of � 165716 kJ/mol, � 136714 J/mol K, and 19714 kJ/mol K for the standard enthalpy of formation, the standard entropy change of formation, and the absolute entropy, respectively. The minimum partial pressure of NH3 in H2 for the stable growth of GaN was measured as a function of temperature and gas flow rate through the reactor. These data were used to define an upper bound on the standard Gibbs free energy. This upper bound is consistent with the results from the equilibrium N2 pressure measurements. & 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V.
Retrieval of missing spliced leader in dinoflagellates.

Spliced leader (SL) trans-splicing has recently been shown to be a common mRNA processing mechanism in dinoflagellates, in which a short (22-nt) sequence, DCCGUAGCCAUUUUGGCUCAAG (D = U, A, or G), is transplanted from the 5′-end of a small non-coding RNA (SL RNA) to the 5′ end of mRNA molecules. The widespread existence of the mechanism in dinoflagellates has been demonstrated by detection of this SL (DinoSL) in a wide phylogenetic range of dinoflagellates. Furthermore, the presence of DinoSL in the transcripts of highly diverse groups of nuclear-encoded genes has led us to postulate that SL trans-splicing is universal in dinoflagellate nuclear genome. However, some observations inconsistent to this postulation have been reported, exemplified by a recent article reporting apparent absence of DinoSL in the transcripts of some nuclear-encoded genes in Amphidinium carterae. Absence of SL in these gene transcripts would have important implication on gene regulation in dinoflagellates and utility of DinoSL as a universal dinoflagellate-specific primer to study dinoflagellate transcriptomics. In this study, we re-examined transcripts of these genes and found that all of them actually contained DinoSL. Therefore, results to date are consistent to our initial postulation that DinoSL occurs in all dinoflagellate nuclear-encoded mRNAs.
Antisocial personality disorder and cocaine dependence: their effects on behavioral and electroencephalographic measures of time estimation

The present study examined time estimation performance and concurrently-recorded electroencephalographic activity among 57 residential treatment program patients previously dependent on either cocaine or cocaine and alcohol. The patients were assigned to one of two subgroups based upon the presence (n=20) versus absence (n=37) of a comorbid diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD). Twenty-six subjects, who had no history of substance abuse and no diagnosis of APD, were also examined. All subjects performed a psychomotor task in which they were asked to press a response key exactly 2 s after the onset of a visual cue. Analyses revealed that cocaine-dependent patients with APD were often premature in their behavioral estimates of time passage. The analysis of a slow EEG potential, viz. the Contingent Negative Variation, recorded over the 2 s time estimation interval, also suggested premature response preparation in the cocaine-dependent, APD-positive group. Correlational analyses revealed that the number of conduct problems reported prior to age 15 was a better predictor of both premature responding and CNV amplitude than either severity of cocaine dependence, alcohol use, or anxious or depressed mood. The potential relevance of these findings for studies of future time orientation and delay discounting behavior are discussed.
Nerve Transfers for Adult Traumatic Brachial Plexus Palsy (Brachial Plexus Nerve Transfer)

Adult traumatic brachial plexus injuries can have devastating effects on upper extremity function. Although neurolysis, nerve repair, and nerve grafting have been used to treat injuries to the plexus, nerve transfer makes use of an undamaged nerve to supply motor input over a relatively short distance to reinnervate a denervated muscle. A review of several recent innovations in nerve transfer surgery for brachial plexus injuries is illustrated with surgical cases performed at this institution.
Identification of an erm(T) gene in strains of inducibly clindamycin-resistant group B Streptococcus

Five inducibly clindamycin (CLI)-resistant group B Streptococcus (GBS) isolates, all negative for erm(A) and erm(B) genes, were found to contain erm(T), a gene previously reported in erythromycin-resistant animal isolates of Lactobacillus spp. and human isolates of Streptococcus bovis. One additional GBS isolate, constitutively resistant to CLI, was also positive for the erm(T) gene in addition to erm(B). To our knowledge, this is the 1st report of erm(T) in GBS, the 2nd bacterial species from humans in which the erm(T) gene has been identified, and the 3rd erm gene to be found in GBS.
Effects on pulmonary function of oral high frequency oscillation in normal and asthmatic subjects

High frequency jet devices are not only used as 'internal percussors' to aid clearance of pulmonary secretions, but are also a mode of ventilatory support. As physical stimuli can cause bronchospasm in asthmatic individuals, we hypothesized that direct airway vibration may induce bronchospasm. To ascertain whether an airway vibration jet device could cause bronchoconstriction, we exposed eight asthmatic and six normal subjects to 5 min of jet-induced airway vibration or placebo treatment with cross-over at 3 h. Subjects breathed spontaneously for 5 min through an open mouthpiece into which either jet (10 Hz, 25 psi) or sham pulsations (same device, pressure vented to room at compressor) were delivered in a double-blind, random order. A constant-volume body plethysmography measured functional residual capacity and specific airway conductance (SGAW) and a water seal spirometer measured forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). These pulmonary function measurements were taken before and at 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min after each exposure. In the normal subjects there was no significant change in any pulmonary function. There was not statistically significant change in the pulmonary function in the asthmatic patients. However, the oral high frequency oscillator induced a clinical asthmatic attack in one asthmatic patient. In this one patient, the FEV1 fell 35% from its initial value at 5 min following exposure to a maximum of 49% decline from initial value at 1 h following exposure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Measurement of the wavelength dependence of atmospheric extinction due to scatter

Abstract Atmospheric haze usually acts as a minus-blue filter for either solar radiation or for viewing objects at a distance. Dark objects are obscured by a blue haze. The measurement of the actual wavelength dependence with a specially designed integrating nephelometer will be described. Three major points will be presented: 1. (1) The significance of the wavelength dependence of atmospheric light scatter; 2. (2) The design of an instrument to measure the wavelength dependence of the extinction coefficient due to scatter; 3. (3) Preliminary data to demonstrate the instrumental capability as well as to show the regularity of aerosol properties.
Use of an information processing based test battery in an applied setting prediction of monitoring performance

A battery of information-processing measures was developed to predict performance on a relatively complex monitoring task. It was hypothesized that Matrix Scanning and Array Memory would be related to correct responses (both correct rejections and signal detections) while the intercept of Sequential Memory would be related only to signal detection. Subjects were 32 (17 female and 15 male) students at a large mid western university. A correlational analysis partially supported the hypotheses. Matrix Scantling, Array Memory, and Sequential Memory (intercept) were differentially related to the various performance criteria.