cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stochastic Finite Element Analysis of Uncertain Nonlinear Trusses under Random Loadings

A method of analysis is developed of the responses of nonlinear trusses with uncertain system parameters under random loadings. The structural nonlinear behaviors may arise from large deflection and/or inelastic deformation. Based on a total Lagrangian finite element formulation, a stochastic equivalent linearization method in conjunction with a perturbation method is developed to solve for the response statistics. Responses of a structure under Gaussian filtered white noise ground excitation are obtained and compared with Monte-Carlo simulation results. The stochastic equivalent linearization method was found to yield reasonably accurate results with much less computational time. Depending on the amount of system uncertainties, their contribution to the total response statistics can be quite significant, i.e., more than that due to the randomness of the loading time history. A non-dimensional response sensitivity coefficient is also defined to identify the most dominant system parameters in terms of the contribution to the response variability.
Detection of plagiarism in computer programming assignments

Plagiarism in programming assignments in computer science courses is on the rise, mainly due to recent innovation in computer technology which has made copying, sharing, and modifying a document effortless. Detecting plagiarism in computer programs through manual inspection process is very error-prone, since a plagiarist can easily produce a program with a whole different look through some clever text substitution and rearrangement of statements. In addition, the detection process is very time-consuming. This paper introduces and discusses different techniques of automatic screening and detection of plagiarism that can be used as aids to detect and deter plagiarism in computer programming courses. The paper also presents a simple screening and detection scheme based on statistical techniques.
Direct observation of dislocation structure evolution in SRF cavity niobium using electron channeling contrast imaging

Two major goals of superconducting radio frequency cavity research and development are achieving higher accelerating gradient and gaining the highest quality factor, a measure of efficiency. However, the consistent improvement of these performance metrics is restricted by many factors, one of which is microstructural defects, such as dislocation substructures within the material. In this work, dislocation evolution is compared in four samples extracted from a 2.8 mm thick large-grain niobium slice, with tensile axes chosen to generate specific dislocation structures during subsequent deformation. The four samples are (1) as-extracted, (2) extracted and annealed, (3) extracted and then deformed to 40% tensile strain, and (4) extracted, annealed at 800 °C 2 h, and then deformed to 40% strain. Electron channeling contrast imaging was performed on all samples to characterize initial dislocation density and dislocation structure evolution due to annealing and deformation, and related to the mechanical behavior observed in stress-strain curves. A fundamental understanding of dislocation evolution in niobium is necessary to develop computational models to simulate cavity forming, which could enable new processing methods for cavity fabrication to be identified that could lead to improved performance.
Fiscal Decentralization and Government Corruption: Evidence from U.S. States

The demand for decentralized government has increased with widespread political devolution, because it is perceived as a more efficient and accountable form of government. However, the limited auto...
In-Hospital and Long-Term Outcomes of Beta-Blocker Treatment in Cocaine Users: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Although beta-blocker treatment is generally contraindicated in patients presenting with acute cocaine intoxication due to concern for unopposed alpha-receptor stimulation, some studies have reported that beta-blocker treatment did not increase adverse events in these patients. As this treatment is still controversial, we performed a meta-analysis of observational studies on this topic. Methods: By searching three electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library) from their inception to June 11, 2018, we identified eight observational studies with 2,048 patients who presented to hospital with cocaine-associated chest pain or after recent cocaine use. Outcomes of interest were myocardial necrosis or infarction (MI) and death during hospital stay or follow-up. Pooled relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by using a random-effects meta-analysis based on the DerSimonian-Laird method. Results: Among patients presenting with cocaine-associated chest pain or recent cocaine use, there was no significant difference in in-hospital all-cause mortality (RR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.24 - 1.47) and MI (RR, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.74 - 2.06) between patients who did and did not receive beta-blocker treatment during their hospital stay. During long-term follow-up (mean 2.6 years), there was no significant difference in all-cause mortality (RR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.44 - 1.41) and MI (RR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.40 - 2.33) between the two groups. Conclusions: These results suggest that beta-blocker treatment in patients presenting with cocaine intoxication may not be as harmful as originally believed. Further clinical studies are needed to investigate this topic. Cardiol Res. 2019;10(1):40-47 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/cr831
Opioid overdose history and awareness of naloxone in patients seeking outpatient detoxification.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to investigate whether patients were knowledgeable about naloxone, and whether they would accept overdose (OD) education and naloxone distribution (OEND), if available. Design: This is a cross-sectional study to ascertain participants knowledge about OEND. A questionnaire was designed requesting information regarding age, gender, ethnicity, previous OD experience, type of substance(s) used, availability and use of naloxone for reversal, other treatment interventions utilized if witnessed OD, ways of seeking help for OD, knowledge about OEND, and willingness to accept OEND. Setting: Study was conducted at the ambulatory detoxification clinic of a tertiary healthcare institution. Participants: Consecutive 131 patients, who presented for primary treatment of opioid detoxification during their visits to the ambulatory detoxification clinic between a predefined timeline from October 2014 through February 2015, were invited to participate, and all 131 agreed to be included in the study. A total of 124 participants returned completed questionnaires (95 percent response rate.) Results: Overall, 68 (52 percent) of the participants indicated that they would accept OEND. A logistic regression analysis showed that younger participants (95% CI: 0.9-1, p = 0.02) and those who identified as non-white (95% CI: 0-0.8, p = 0.01) had higher odds for accepting OEND. Furthermore, prior administration of naloxone was significantly associated with OEND acceptance (95% CI: 1.6-68.6, p = 0.01). Conclusions: Results indicate more than half of participants presenting for outpatient detoxification from opioids have had an OD or witnessed an OD. More than half of the participants were willing to accept OEND. This study provides evidence that patients starting their recovery are willing to accept naloxone.
Reductant-Activated, High-Coverage, Covalent Functionalization of 1T′-MoS2

Recently developed covalent functionalization chemistry for MoS2 in the 1T′ phase enables the formation of covalent chalcogenide–carbon bonds from alkyl halides and aryl diazonium salts. However, t...
Hormonal regulation of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) secretion in porcine stromal-vascular cultures.

We examined the time course of insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP) secretion and hormonal regulation of IGFBP and IGF-I secretion in porcine stromal vascular (S-V) cultures. Primary cultures of S-V cells derived from porcine adipose tissue were exposed to serum-free media with or without hormone treatment. Time course studies indicated that secretion of four IGFBP (IGFBP-1, -2, -3 and -4) by porcine S-V cells increased with time during the first 3 d after the switch to serum-free conditions and then decreased gradually. Growth hormone treatment stimulated secretion of each IGFBP by 47 +/- 4.7, 46 +/- 10.2, 70 +/- 13.2, and 49 +/- 5.6%, respectively, over control levels. The secretion of IGFBP-1, -2, -3, and -4 was enhanced by 91 +/- 18, 80 +/- 16, 74 +/- 12, and 263 +/- 48%, respectively, in T4-treated S-V cultures compared with untreated cultures. In contrast, dexamethasone reduced the abundance of the IGFBP by 28 to 50% of control levels. Insulin-like growth factor I secretion (844.63 +/- 35.98 pg/mL) in vitro (3 d conditioned media) was increased (P < .05) by GH (1,302.45 +/- 12.95 pg/mL) and T4 (1,291.60 +/- 86.4 pg/mL) and decreased (P < .05) by dexamethasone (552.5 +/- 30.2 pg/mL) (n = 4, S-V cell pools, P < .05). In addition to preadipocytes, other cells in S-V cultures also secrete IGFBP. In conclusion, the secretion of IGF-I and IGFBP by S-V cells is differentially regulated by hormones in vitro.
Generalized Effects of Naturalistic Social Communication Intervention for Minimally Verbal Children with Autism

JASP-EMT, the combined Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT) and Joint Attention, Structured Play, and Emotion Regulation (JASPER) interventions, has been found to be effective for promoting social communication in young children with autism (Kasari et al. in J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 53(6):635-646, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2014.01.019 , 2014). The current study examined the effects of this naturalistic intervention on social language use in three children with autism who were in the early stages of language acquisition. Generalization to communication partners who did not utilize the intervention strategies was systematically examined using a multiple-baseline design. The results from this study indicate that this blended intervention is effective in increasing target social language for young children with autism, however, generalization to communication partners does not readily occur. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Challenges and Best Practices Associated with Sharing Research Materials and Research Data for Communication Scholars

Scientific practices are constantly evolving to meet the best practices and standards available at a point in time. In the current publication environment, advances in communication technology in t...
Promising Educational Technology Meets Complex System: a 6-year Case Study of an Adaptive Learning Project from Initial Exploration Through the End of a Pilot

Instructional designers (IDs) are charged with what some might argue is the impossible: implementing innovative technologies and new pedagogical approaches within complex systems that often implicitly discourage change. This 6-year case study examined key factors influencing the exploration, multi-course pilot, and ultimate end of an adaptive learning (AL) project. AL has been recognized as a potentially transformative approach for online learning that individualizes instruction to each student based on demonstrated competencies. Past research has considered performance comparisons, learner characteristics, course design, and teaching practices, but what has been largely overlooked is an examination of the ways in which the university context itself impacts, and is impacted by, AL. Our study showed that while IDs and instructors easily recognize the potential benefits of AL, it is significantly more difficult to gain sustained administrative leadership advocacy. Primary challenges encountered were (1) AL’s disruption to the online teaching and learning status quo and (2) ongoing tensions between institutional structure, culture, and best practices for AL. The findings of this study suggest that a systems-based approach to organizational change is necessary for the successful implementation of multifaceted approaches like AL. The paper offers IDs greater insight into what can happen “behind the scenes” to support or challenge the success of educational technology implementations. While they may not always be able to impact these factors directly, having more awareness about the system complexity can allow them to be more strategic in asking for resources and buy-in from leadership.
Abstract P215: Treatment With Il-17 Inhibitors Is Not Associated With A Change In Blood Pressure In Human Subjects: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: Recent evidence suggests IL-17 contributes to the pathogenesis of autoimmune, inflammatory, and cardiovascular diseases. It has been demonstrated in vivo that IL-17 is critical for the ...
Biotechnology applications of Populus micropropagation

The in vitro shoot proliferation of Populus alba X P. grandidentata was affected by the medium consistency and shoot density, but not by three sizes of vessels. After 4 weeks of culture, the fresh weight and number of shoots per expiant on liquid medium were significantly greater than those on agar-solidified medium. In particular, 3.2 shoots, 7 mm or longer per expiant, were produced on liquid medium compared with 1.6 shoots per expiant on agar-solidified medium. The fresh weight per expiant after 4 weeks of culture on liquid medium and agar-solidified medium were 0.68 and 0.25 g, respectively. Increasing the number of shoots per vessel slowed the growth of the expiants as measured by fresh weight and the number of shoots produced. There was little difference in the number of shoots produced between vessels with 1 or 2 shoots per vessel, but there were fewer shoots produced when 3 shoots were placed in each vessel. Key words; Populus alba X P. grandidentata, shoot proliferation, micropropagation, liquid medium, shoot density.
Nanoparticle enhanced imaging.

Nanotechnology refers to the research and technical development of objects in a scale range of 1 to 100 nanometers. Particles that are nano-sized are opening new research avenues in the field of engineering and life sciences. Imaging with biocompatible nanoparticles has emerged as one of the most promising new diagnostic imaging technology fulfilling the goal of developing cost-effective magnetic nanoparticles with acceptable targeting efficiency, favorable pharmacokinetics and a good safety profile. These nanoparticles target the reticuloendothelial system and this combined with unique properties of superparamagnetism allows them to be used as excellent probes for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The current issue focusses on the use of a specific type of magnetic nanoparticle (ferumoxtran10) to overcome imaging handicaps in cancer staging as well as discuss emerging applications of newer magnetic nanoparticles. Imaging with ferumoxtran-10 offers the potential of staging tumors at stages much earlier that those detectable today. Therapy decisions and prognostic predictions for most tumors depend on the accurate lymph node staging at the time of initial diagnosis. Despite the importance of nodal status, accurate staging of lymph nodes in various primary tumors continues to pose a major diagnostic challenge. Following the detection of lymph nodes, the next arduous task is the characterization of nodes into benign and malignant categories. Current cross-sectional modalities like CT and MRI primarily rely on nodal size and nodal morphology for differen-
Toward a Theory of Transversal Politics: Deleuze and Foucault’s Block of Becoming

This paper charts the course of Deleuze and Foucault’s philosophical friendship or ‘block of becoming,’ showing the series of reciprocal determinations through which each philosopher’s thought develops in response to the other’s. Specifically, I will argue that the concept of transversal resistance is fundamental for the political thought of both Foucault and Deleuze, allowing us to reconstruct the basis and trajectory of a shared political theory. This concept emerges in Deleuze and Guattari’s schizo-politics, which advances the central aim of Foucault’s earlier History of Madness (problematizing the exclusion of a certain intensive experience of madness; activating its potentially liberatory force) while accounting for why Foucault’s particular politics of literary transgression had failed (the becoming-commodity of art). The question then becomes one of conceiving and creating transversal forms of struggle that would respond to the problem of capitalism—a question which Deleuze poses to Foucault, and which prompts and orients the latter’s micro-political analytic of power. In turn, Foucault’s analysis of the anti-transversal operation and economico-political function of power provides the critical groundwork for a theory of transversal politics. Such an affirmative project takes form in Foucault’s late ethico-politics.
Girls Get Digital: A Critical View of Cyberfeminism

As the Internet and digital technologies become ever more pervasive in the lives of young people, there should be a movement to engage critically with these technologies to determine how they are working as players in shaping and changing certain paradigms of society. At the onset of the digital culture, a group of women called VNX Matrix got together to talk about a new type of consciousness called Cyberfeminism. This article takes the basic tenants and theory behind their concept and applies it to some of the forms of “online feminism” which are flourishing today. The article looks at problematic issues of disembodiment, lack of accessibility, and anti-intellectualism which are being found in the digital world; while, also focusing on the many positive and constructive uses of the Internet in building feminism communities. As a location full of complexities, this article recognizes the Internet as an overwhelmingly important factor in the lives and consciousnesses of young people and yet the dangers behind its uncritical use. The author calls for a new type of engagement with cyberspace that seeks to remedy the areas where it is lacking and move into the future with a clear understanding of how it is an actor in shaping knowledge production. “And with a vengeance, girls got digital and used the language of the new techno-culture to create their own conceptual vanguard" (VNS Matrix). Where is the language of the new techno-culture now? For a new generation of women growing up with technology as the unquestioned mediator of what we know, the Internet as a medium has been rendered invisible. As the Internet undetectably shapes our actions, its influence could be viewed as a dangerous reemergence of the way men have spoken as neutral bodies, without assuming responsibility for their influence on the epistemological process, for most of our human history. Is the Internet not an agent in knowledge production? It removes our gendered bodies, shortens our sentences, and trains our minds for pop culture. The Internet is a silent and hidden mediator of what we say, simply because it molds how we say it. Through the process of condensing ideas, for example, blogging could result in the death of the intellectual in the public sphere or a location for the birth of a new feminist movement. 1 Quoted by Claude Draude in Introducing Cyberfeminism 2 I am using the term “the Internet” here to refer to the set of processes, spaces, and users that make up the term as a multifaceted single entity yet in reality still retain their distinct agency, with a specific focus on its use as an information communicator.
Effects of Meat-curing Salts and Temperature on Production of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B

We investigated the effect of time, temperature, and the presence of sodium chloride, nitrates, and nitrites in the medium on the growth and production of enterotoxin B by Staphylococcus aureus. Assays by the double gel-diffusion method showed that maximal enterotoxin B production occurs at the beginning of the stationary phase of growth. Lowering the temperature of incubation decreased the amount of toxin produced without affecting the total amount of growth. Increases in concentration of curing salts reduced toxin production more rapidly than cell growth. The relationship of these observations to food-poisoning outbreaks is briefly discussed.
Databases for comparative analysis of human-mouse orthologous alternative splicing

Comparative analyses of alternative splicing across species can provide significant biological insight not only to evolution of alternative splicing, but also to its regulation and functional significance. For comprehensive analyses of human and mouse alternatively spliced genes, we developed two databases of the human and the mouse transcriptomes, HumanSDB3 and MouSDB5 respectively. We showed that alternative splicing events in both of the transcriptomes are mainly due to the presence or absence of internal cassette exons. Our databases allow in-depth analyses of alternative and constitutive exons within alternatively spliced genes. Interactive web implementation of our databases brings to end-user the ability to instantly identify orthologous human-mouse gene pairs with their corresponding exons. This is a novel visualization method which provides easy access to conserved alternative splicing data and a tool to explore the evolution of this important biological process.
Momentum space anisotropy in doped Mott insulators

We study the single hole tt't''J-model numerically to address the momentum space anisotropy found in doped Mott insulators. A simple two band picture to understand how the doped hole is screened by the spin background in states of different momenta is proposed. In this picture, the disparity between the nodal and antinodal regions, observed by experiments in the underdoped cuprate superconductors, follows from local energetic considerations and amounts to the distinction between well defined quasiparticle behavior and spin-charge separation related phenomenology.
Synthesis of non‐steroidal antiinflammatory drug analogues for selective studies on the COX‐II enzyme

Synthesis of the azido substituted non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug 2-(2,6-dichloroanilino)phenylacetic acid and isotope labeling of this compound have been performed and are described. Initial evaluation of the binding ability and photoreactivity indicates that this compound has potential for photoaffinity labeling as well as enzyme selectivity studies.
Choosing a Security Option: The InfoSecure Methodology

A four-step process can help organizations evaluate assets to be protected, potential assailants, and likely methods and tactics. It then pulls the results together as a plan of action for investing in cybersecurity in ways that protect the most critical organizational information and processes.
Lack of Growth Response of Eight-week-old Broilers to Certain Antibiotics

Abstract Two experiments with day-old broiler chicks designed to study the efficacy of chlortetracycline, bacitracin, oxytetracycline and penicillin in growth promotion were conducted. The first experiment included five consecutive trials. In two trials, duplicate pens of 50 males per treatment were used, and in the other three trials, duplicate pens of 50 straight-run chicks were used. A typical broiler ration was used as a control. The four dietary treatments (mg./kg.) were: chlortetracycline, 25; bacitracin, 5; oxytetracycline, 25; penicillin, 5. The second experiment consisted of two trials with ten groups of 50 straight-run chicks per treatment. Five of these groups were fed a diet containing animal protein (as in the first experiment) and the other five groups were given a diet containing all-plant protein. The antibiotic levels were 0 and 50 mg. of chlortetracycline, bacitracin, oxytetracycline, or penicillin per kilogram of diet. All trials in both experiments were terminated after 8 weeks of dietary treatments. In the first experiment and in the second experiment with diets containing animal protein, antibiotics had no growth stimulatory effect. Chlortetracycline and penicillin did, however, stimulate a significant growth response when added to an all-plant protein diet. In general, heavier body weights were obtained from antibiotics with diets containing animal protein than with all-plant protein diets.
Simulated biosynthesis of anahygrine.

Kondensation von N-Methyl-2-hydroxypyrrolidin undΔ1-Piperidein mit Acetondicarbonsaure liefert Anahygrin und vier verwandte Alkaloide.
Carbohydrate nanoparticle‐mediated colloidal assembly for prolonged efficacy of bacteriocin against food pathogen

The goal of this study was to demonstrate the ability of carbohydrate nanoparticle-stabilized emulsion to prolong the efficacy of bacteriocin against food pathogens. An amphiphilic, negatively charged carbohydrate nanoparticle, phytoglycogen octenyl succinate (PG-OS), was used to form oil-in-water emulsion for delivering bacteriocin nisin against the food pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. Dynamic light scattering test showed that in emulsion all PG-OS nanoparticles were adsorbed at the surface of oil droplets. Zeta-potential analysis indicated an effective adsorption of positively charged nisin molecules at the surface of PG-OS interfacial layer. Nisin depletion model showed that, during 50 days of storage, the anti-listerial activity of nisin-containing PG-OS-stabilized emulsion was substantially greater than that of nisin solution. In contrast, the emulsion stabilized with a neutral, small-molecule surfactant (Tween 20) or negatively charged, hyperbranched carbohydrate polymer (modified starch) was either ineffective or less effective than the nanoparticle-stabilized emulsion to retain nisin activity during storage.
Infrared absorption spectroscopy of CO2-Ar complexes

Abstract The ν4 rovibrational band of CO2-Ar near 2350 cm−1 (i.e. CO2 asymmetric stretch) has been recorded in absorption at 8 K using a tunable diode laser. Rotational constants for both ν4=0 and 1 are very similar, and indicate a T-shaped geometry. It was not possible to detect this species mass spectrometrically (18–70 eV electrons), indicating extensive fragmentation.
Model for line tension in three-phase equilibrium

We propose a model free-energy functional of two order parameters with which to calculate the interfacial and line tensions in three-phase equilibrium. The Euler-Lagrange equations for the free-energy minimum are solved exactly, yielding the spatial variation of the order parameters analytically. In terms of a parameter b2 in the model the three interfacial tensions, in dimensionless form, are 12 (1+b2), 12 (1+b2) and 2. When b2=3 the three phases play symmetrical roles and the line tension, again in the appropriate units, is calculated to be −6/π + 2√3 = −0.755…. A wetting transition, where the sum of two of the interfacial tensions becomes equal to the third, occurs as b2 → 1+. A quantity that approximates the line tension is found to vanish proportionally to the first power of the vanishing contact angle as the wetting transition is approached.
Fatty Acid and Cholesterol Changes in Pork Longissimus Muscle and Fat due to Ractopamine

Fatty acid (FA) composition and cholesterol (CHL) content from control and Ractopamine (Rac) treated pigs were evaluated. Lipids were extracted from the longissimus (LD) and subcutaneous fat (SC) and methyl esters of the FA were formed for gas chromatography. CHL content of the LD was determined using direct saponification. Pigs were fed 0, 5, 10 or 20 ppm Rac for about 40 kg of grain prior to slaughter. Rac had no consistent effect on the FA composition of SC or muscle (neutral or polar) lipids. CHL content in the LD of treated animals was about 9% lower (P < 0.01) than controls. Rac reduced the CHL content of the LD and had limited effect on the FA profile of muscle or SC fat.
Significance testing as perverse probabilistic reasoning

Truth claims in the medical literature rely heavily on statistical significance testing. Unfortunately, most physicians misunderstand the underlying probabilistic logic of significance tests and consequently often misinterpret their results. This near-universal misunderstanding is highlighted by means of a simple quiz which we administered to 246 physicians at two major academic hospitals, on which the proportion of incorrect responses exceeded 90%. A solid understanding of the fundamental concepts of probability theory is becoming essential to the rational interpretation of medical information. This essay provides a technically sound review of these concepts that is accessible to a medical audience. We also briefly review the debate in the cognitive sciences regarding physicians' aptitude for probabilistic inference.
Identification of zinc finger binding protein 89 (ZBP-89) as a transcriptional activator for a major bovine growth hormone receptor promoter

The objective of this study was to identify the transcription factors that regulate the expression of growth hormone receptor (GHR) 1A mRNA, a major GHR mRNA variant in the bovine liver. A deoxyribonuclease I footprint analysis revealed that the GHR1A promoter region -69 to -30 (relative to the transcription start site for GHR1A mRNA) contained binding sites for bovine liver nuclear proteins. Using a yeast one-hybrid analysis, zinc finger binding protein 89 (ZBP-89) was identified as a binding protein to this promoter region. Binding of ZBP-89 to the GHR1A promoter region -69 to -30 was further confirmed by an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. In cotransfection analyses, overexpression of ZBP-89 enhanced (P<0.01) the activity of the GHR1A promoter and this enhancement was dependent on the putative ZBP-89 binding site in the promoter. These results together indicate that ZBP-89 is a transcription factor that regulates the expression of GHR1A mRNA.
Predictors of exercise benefit after operative relief of left ventricular outflow obstruction by the myotomy-myectomy procedure in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

To determine predictors of exercise benefit in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy after operative relief of left ventricular (LV) outflow tract obstruction, 30 patients underwent catheterization and exercise testing before and 6 months after operation, and hemodynamic measurements were obtained. The increase in maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) during treadmill exercise testing was chosen as an index of exercise benefit. Univariate analysis showed a significant positive correlation of operative change in VO2max with preoperative LV end-diastolic and pulmonary arterial wedge pressures, operative change in exercise duration, and operative reductions in LV end-diastolic and pulmonary arterial wedge pressures and resting LV outflow tract gradient, and a significant negative correlation with preoperative VO2max and percent predicted VO2max. Multivariate analysis by stepwise linear regression of only significant univariate variables selected only preoperative percent predicted VO2max, and operative reduction in LV end-diastolic pressure and resting LV outflow tract gradient as significant predictors of postoperative change in VO2max. Stepwise regression analysis, applied only to preoperative exercise and catheterization hemodynamic variables, selected only preoperative percent predicted VO2max and preoperative LV end-diastolic pressure as predictors of improvement in exercise capacity. Thus, patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, after failing medical therapy, are most likely to demonstrate improvement in exercise capacity if preoperative exercise testing demonstrates limited exercise capacity and if surgery achieves reduction in elevated resting LV outflow tract gradients and LV filling pressures.
Ovine proinflammatory cytokines cross the murine blood-brain barrier by a common saturable transport mechanism

Objectives: The cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 are modulators of the neuroimmune axis and have been implicated in neuronal cell death cascades after ischemia or infection. P
Composition across secondary and post‐secondary contexts: cognitive, textual and social dimensions

As a topic of concern to educational researchers, writing is enjoying something of a renaissance, particularly with respect to the transition between secondary and post‐secondary levels of schooling. In the context of this renewed interest, this article presents a framework for understanding composition that integrates cognitive, textual and social dimensions. I explore how each of these three dimensions contributes to our understanding of the challenges that student writers face when composing. I also discuss ways in which the increasingly social focus of much research on composition offers new ways of thinking about the cognitive and textual dimensions. Finally, I propose that integrating these dimensions in our study and teaching of composition can help us to better understand and address the challenges that students face in moving across educational contexts.
Application of chiral perturbation theory to K→2π decays

Chiral perturbation theory is applied to the decay K→2π. It is shown that, to quadratic order in meson masses, the amplitude for K→2π can be written in terms of the unphysical amplitudes K→π and K→0, where 0 is the vacuum. One may then hope to calculate these two simpler amplitudes with lattice Monte Carlo techniques, and thereby gain understanding of the ΔI=1/2 rule in K decay. The reason for the presence of the K→0 amplitude is explained: it serves to cancel off unwanted renormalization contributions to K→π. We make a rough test of the practicability of these ideas in Monte Carlo studies. We also describe a method for evaluating meson decay constants which does not require a determination of the quark masses.
Regions of estuarine convergence at high Rossby number: A solution in estuaries with elliptical cross sections

[1] Generation of convergence regions in homogeneous rotating rectilinear estuaries is addressed. The mechanism investigated is the tilting of the planetary vorticity by the vertical shear of the along-estuary flow, which can result in rapidly growing surface convergence regions aligned along the axis of the estuary. The complexity introduced by the bathymetry geometry and the nonlinearity of the equations has resulted in computationally intensive numerical solutions to this problem [Mied et al., 2000; Handler et al., 2001]. However, an analytical solution that will allow the study of varying parameters and the observation of general trends is possible with a judicious choice of bottom bathymetry and appropriate analytical simplifications. The equations for the along-channel flow (V) and the cross-channel stream function (ψ) become independent in the limit of vanishingly small rotation or large Rossby number. Consequently, we express them as an asymptotic series in the reciprocal of the Rossby number (1/Ro), and find that the choice of an elliptically shaped bottom profile allows us to solve for the leading order terms. The steady along-channel flow is a Poiseuille flow on a nonrotating Earth, while the related cross-channel response is a closed circulation cell with a clockwise rotation when looking in the direction of the along-channel flow. A salient result is that the associated cross-channel surface convergence is proportional to the Coriolis parameter (f), the maximum along-channel velocity, and the aspect ratio (depth/width) of the channel.
Libraries and Publishers Respond to Disaster with Groundbreaking Collaboration

The earthquake in Haiti prompted significant response from both health care workers and health sciences libraries. Individual libraries in the United States and elsewhere struggled to provide relief workers with health information resources and services. This column describes the Haiti earthquake, the response of health care workers, one organization's experience in delivering services on the frontlines, the response of one library, and the Emergency Access Initiative (EAI), an effective solution to offering information resources in times of disaster, developed and implemented by the National Library of Medicine in association with health sciences publishers. Since the Haiti earthquake, the EAI has once again been activated in support of Pakistan.
Prognostic features, human papillomavirus status, and epidermal growth factor receptor expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma in young adults.

Abstract Purpose There is still debate in literature about the survival outcomes of patients who have cancer of the oral cavity when young. Hence the aims were (1) to estimate disease-free survival, overall survival, and cause-specific survival in patients who developed oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma between 18 and 40 years of age and (2) to assess the clinicopathologic factors including detection of human papillomavirus and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression in primary lesions affecting recurrence. Methods This is a retrospective case-note review and reevaluation of histopathologic slides of patients treated more than 25 years. Descriptive statistics, Cox proportional hazard models, and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used for statistical analysis. Results A total of 62 patients were treated, with mean follow-up of 11.4 years. Forty-five were oral tongue tumors and 43 had stage I or II disease. The 5-year disease-free survival was 73.5%. The 10-year overall survival and cause-specific survival rates were 81.8% and 83.4%, respectively. Smoking and alcohol intake were not seen as risk factors in this population. Multivariate modeling identified only nodal involvement as significantly associated with overall survival and only extracapsular spread as significantly associated with locoregional recurrence. At 5 years after treatment, the cause-specific survival was 100% for patients with low EGFR expression and 81.1% for patients with high EGFR expression (hazard ratio for high vs low, 3.1; 95% confidence interval, 0.4–406.9; P = .46). Human papillomavirus was not detected in all but 2 tumor specimens. Conclusions Survival outcomes are quite good in young patients with oral cancer.
Lacrimal protein secretion: comparison of young and old rats.

The in vitro protein secretory response of lacrimal glands from healthy 4- and 24-month-old F344 rats was measured. Tissue fragments were incubated in a 0·2 ml perifusion chamber and stimulated to secrete protein by a 4-min bolus of 0·01 mm carbachol. Fractions of the perifusate were collected and assayed for protein concentration and peroxidase activity. The response to carbachol was a well-defined peak of secreted protein that included peroxidase. The response was inhibited by 1·0 μm atropine. No differences were found between the responses of male and female glands. The peak of protein secretion by the young glands contained 263·9±71·8 μg g tissue−1 compared to 175·4±56·5 μg g tissue−1 for the old glands (P < 0·005). While the mean activity of the secreted peroxidase was similar in the two age groups, the aged glands were significantly more variable in their response. The F344 rat may provide a useful model for studying the normal age-dependent changes that occur in lacrimal gland.
Nonlinear Fredholm Operators with Noncompact Fibers and Applications to Elliptic Problems on RN

Abstract Under suitable conditions, an equation F(x)=y between Banach spaces involving a nonlinear Fredholm mapping F of nonnegative index is shown to have a noncompact and hence infinite set of solutions for almost every y for which the equation is solvable. The proof of this nonuniqueness (but not existence) result relies on an entirely new line of arguments in which the concept of generalized critical value plays a central role. When F: W2, p( R N)→Lp( R N) is associated with a quasilinear elliptic PDE on R N with “constant coefficient,” it often happens that a crucial denseness hypothesis in the abstract theorem is equivalent to the existence of a nontrivial solution to the equation F(x)=F(0) and hence can be verified in practice. Generalizations exist for some classes of problems with nonconstant coefficients and for problems on exterior domains.
Micromechanically based stochastic finite elements: length scales and anisotropy

Abstract The present stochastic finite element (SFE) study amplifies a recently developed micromechanically based approach in which two estimates (upper and lower) of the finite element stiffness matrix and of the global response need first to be calculated. These two estimates correspond, respectively, to the principles of stationary potential and complementary energy on which the SFE is based. Both estimates of the stiffness matrix are anisotropic and tend to converge towards one another only in the finite scale limit; this points to the fact that an approximating meso-scale continuum random field is neither unique nor isotropic. The SFE methodology based on this approach is implemented in a Monte Carlo sense for a conductivity (equivalently, out-of-plane elasticity) problem of a matrix-inclusion composite under mixed boundary conditions. Two versions are developed: in one an exact calculation of all the elements' stiffness matrices from the microstructures over the entire finite element mesh is carried out, while in the second one a second-order statistical characterization of the mesoscale continuum random field is used to generate these matrices.
Rotational Magnetic Moment of OCS

The first-order molecular Zeeman effect on the $J=0\ensuremath{\rightarrow}J=1$ and $J=1\ensuremath{\rightarrow}J=2$ rotational transitions in OCS is measured by using high-resolution microwave techniques. The $g$ value obtained for the $J=0\ensuremath{\rightarrow}J=1$ transition gives the $g$ value for the $J=1$ rotational state. The value is $g=\ensuremath{-}0.02851\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0004$. The $g$ value obtained for the $J=1\ensuremath{\rightarrow}J=2$ transition is an average $g$ value for the $J=1$ and $J=2$ states. The result is $g=\ensuremath{-}0.02915\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0005$. The results are in good agreement with the molecular beam work.
Time-dependent spectra

A definition of a time-dependent spectrum is proposed as an alternative to that given by Eberly and Wodkiewicz. The alternative definition excludes most of the measuring apparatus from the system to which the spectrum pertains, and is based directly on the quantum-mechanical transition probability. It is closely related to that used by Renaud et al. in the case of resonance fluorescence, and gives similar results in this case.
Old Friends in New Places: Exploring the Role of Extraintestinal E. coli in Intestinal Disease and Foodborne Illness

The emergence of new antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli pathotypes associated with human disease has led to an investigation in terms of the origins of these pathogens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unspecified agents are responsible for 38.4 million of the 48 million (80%) cases of foodborne illnesses each year in the United States. It is hypothesized that environmental E. coli not typically associated with the ability to cause disease in humans could potentially be responsible for some of these cases. In order for an environmental E. coli isolate to have the ability to cause foodborne illness, it must be able to utilize the same attachment and virulence mechanisms utilized by other human pathogenic E. coli. Recent research has shown that many avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) isolated from poultry harbour attachment and virulence genes also currently found in human pathogenic E. coli isolates. Research also suggests that, in addition to the ability to cause gastrointestinal illnesses, APEC may also be an etiological agent of foodborne urinary tract infections (FUTIs). The purpose of this article was to evaluate the evidence pertaining to the ability of APEC to cause disease in humans, their potential for zoonotic transfer along with discussion on the types of illnesses that may be associated with these pathogens.
Laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy for kidneys with multiple arteries.

Abstract Introduction Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) involving kidneys with multiple arterial vessels is limited to a small number of reports, with all but two series reporting fewer than 25 patients. Moreover, outside of the pioneering centers at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins, no series of at least 25 patients has been published confirming these experience. The present study presents the largest series of LDN of donor kidneys with multiple arterial vessels outside of these two pioneering programs. Methods All LDN performed at the University of Cincinnati from 2000 to 2004 were reviewed. Results between LDN kidneys with a single vessel and those with multiple vessels were compared. Statistical analysis included chi-square and Student t test. Results Of 240 LDN, 37 were performed for kidneys with multiple vessels (15%): nine right kidneys (25%) and 28 left kidneys (75%). Cold ischemia time was longer for the multiple vessel organs (46 ± 24 minutes) than for single vessel organs (35 ± 13 minutes; P = .001), and warm ischemia time was longer for the multiple vessel kidneys (4:20 ± 2:05 minutes) than single vessel kidneys (3:13 ± 0:47 minutes; P = .001). Recipient renal function (serum creatinine) was similar for multiple and single artery donors at postoperative day 7 (1.76 ± 1.38 and 1.7 ± 1.47) and at postoperative day 365 (1.06 ± 0.3 and 1.34 ± 0.44). Conclusions This experience confirms results from other series in documenting the safety and reproducibility of LDN for kidneys with multiple arterial vessels.
Algorithm 714: CELEFUNT: a portable test package for complex elementary functions

This paper discusses CELEFUNT, a pakage of Fortran programs for testing complex elementary functions.
Cryptococcal infection in sarcoidosis.

A 48-year-old man with a history of sarcoidosis was transferred to the Mayo Clinic for evaluation and management of progressive neurologic decline. Two years before admission, he was admitted to a local hospital with mental status changes accompanied by ataxia and severe headache. A diagnosis of pulmonary and central nervous system sarcoidosis was made based on computed tomography of the head, lumbar puncture, and chest radiography. A mediastinoscopy with lymph node biopsy exhibited noncaseating granulomas and negative stains for microorganisms. Prednisone therapy was initiated at 80 mg/day. Clinical improvement was apparent for 13 months during steroid therapy until the slow taper reached a dosage of 20 mg/day. At that time, the patient was readmitted to the local hospital with severe confusion and skin lesions. When intravenous methylprednisolone therapy for presumed central nervous system sarcoidosis did not improve the patient's mental status, he was transferred to the Mayo Clinic. Physical examination of the thighs revealed large, well-marginated, indurated, irregularly bordered, violaceous plaques and rare, umbilicated, satellite papules with central hemorrhagic crusts (Fig. 1A). Superficially ulcerated plaques with a similar appearance to the thigh lesions were coalescing around the lower legs (Fig. 1B). A skin biopsy specimen of the thigh demonstrated abundant numbers of encapsulated organisms and minimal inflammatory response (Fig. 2). Skin, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid cultures confirmed the presence of Cryptococcus neoformans. Amphotericin and flucytosine combination therapy was initiated, and steroid dosages were gradually tapered. A test for human immunodeficiency virus was negative. The patient was dismissed from hospital after a complicated 2-month course resulting in improved mental status but progression of the lower extremity ulcerations as a result of polymicrobial infection. Figure 1. (A) Violaceous plaque with satellite papules on thigh. (B) Ulcerating plaques coalescing around leg Download figure to PowerPoint Figure 2. (A) Sparse inflammatory infiltrate and abundant encapsulated organisms (hematoxylin and eosin; × 20). (B) Cryptococcal organisms (Gomori's methenamine silver; × 40) Download figure to PowerPoint