cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
P0112 Prediction of complex colonic anatomy before colonoscopy: Use of quantitative CTC data for risk stratification of patients for colon-cancer screening

Background Certain characteristics in patients have been associated with decreased endoscopic performance and outcomes. However, little objective quantitative data have been reported on differences in colonic morphology, which could explain why certain patient populations are at higher risk than others for incomplete or difficult colonoscopy. Poor performance and bad experiences in patients may negatively affect their choice for future screening for colon cancer. Knowledge before colonoscopy of patients with complex morphology could help endoscopists appropriately prepare for these particular patients. Methods Prototype quantification software was used to assess CT colonography datasets. To limit selection bias, all patients had a history of failed colonoscopy. Colonic morphology metrics were investigated, including: length, volume, tortuosity (number of acute angles), compactness (volume of box containing centreline divided by centreline length), and height of the sigmoid apex (HSA). Patient factors assessed included: sex ( n = 40), age ( n = 32), height ( n = 32), BMI ( n = 32), and hysterectomy ( n = 73). Patient groups were compared with the t -test. Distance navigated at colonoscopy was compared and relative risk was assessed. Findings Despite similar lengths, women’s colons were more tortuous and compact, less voluminous, and had lower HSA ( p 65 years), shorter ( p ⩽ 0.05) colons and demonstrated decreased distance travelled at endoscopy, although the differences were not statistically significant. Women with hysterectomy had more tortuous and less voluminous sigmoid segments with lower HSA ( p ⩽ 0.02). At endoscopy, the hysterectomy group had 46% chance of failure to pass the sigmoid segment, versus 22% in the non-hysterectomy group (relative risk 2.068, p = 0.043). Interpretation Differences in colonic morphology exist between patient populations. Factors including female sex, older age, shorter stature, thinner body habitus, and hysterectomy status show quantitative evidence of more complex colonic morphology which can make endoscopy more challenging in these patients. Consideration of these factors could help endoscopists prepare for challenging cases and provide a better screening experience.
The TX; Y test for the detection of nondisjunction and chromosome breakage in Drosophila melanogaster. II: Results of female exposures

Abstract The TX; Y test is a short-term assay for the detection of sex-chromosome nondisjunction and chromosome breakage in Drosophila melanogaster . It has been used in previous work following the exposure of males. In this work, females are exposed. When females are the exposed parent, only chromosome gain can be detected. Positive results for the induction of aneuploidy were obtained following exposures of females to X-rays, 10°C cold shock, and colchicine. No increase in aneuploidy was obtained following exposures of females to DMSO and trifluralin. Comparison with similar work in males reveals no consistent pattern concerning the more appropriate sex to use for aneuploidy testing in Drosophila, as colchicine was found to be positive in females only and DMSO and trifluralin were effective in males only. Further work is necessary to validate the TX; Y test and to understand the relative efficacy of female and male exposures to aneuploidy inducing agents in Drosophila.
A review of "the political ecology of the metropolis: : metropolitan sources of electoral behaviour in eleven countries"

In Toronto's 2010 mayoral election, Rob Ford won against two downtown-oriented, transit-boosting challengers after promising to privatize city services and lower taxes. Just after taking office, he...
ACLA: A framework for Access Control List (ACL) Analysis and Optimization

It is a challenging task for network administrators to correctly implement corporate security policies in a large network environment. Much of the security policy enforcement at the network level involves configuring the packet classification strategies using Access Control List (ACL). A gateway device performing traffic filtering can deploy ACLs with thousands of rules. Due to the difficulties of ACL configuration language, large ACLs can easily become redundant, inconsistent, and difficult to optimise or even understand. This problem is augmented by extrinsic factors such as administrator turnovers, unstructured and ill-planned topology changes. With multiple routers in the topology, all of the ACLs need to be configured in a consistent manner to enforce the corporate security policy. In such an environment, manual examination of ACLs to ensure security policy is implemented correctly is a nearly impossible task.
Development of structure and function in the mammalian yolk sac: I. Developmental morphology and vitamin B12 uptake of the rat yolk sac☆

Abstract Morphological and physiological aspects of differentiation have been analyzed in the visceral splanchnopleure of the inverted yolk sac placenta of the albino rat between 13 days and term. The visceral yolk sac is known to be involved in the transfer of antibodies from the maternal to the fetal blood. The absorptive cells of the visceral endoderm possess ultrastructural features characteristic of protein-absorbing cells. The appearance of the free surface of these simple columnar cells suggests motility. It is primarily modified to form long, branching microvilli that often seem to be fusing. Invaginations of the free surface originate between microvilli, and most probably connect with an extensive canalicular system of smooth membranes located in the superficial cytoplasm. The inner surface of both the invaginations and the canaliculi possesses a filamentous coat that may represent a vast internal surface for the attachment of proteins. Morphological and physiological evidence suggests that large absorptive vacuoles arise as dilatations of the canaliculi. The content of the more deeply located vacuoles is more condensed, and they may be called absorptive droplets. Thus, a superficial system of smooth membranes is directly involved in the uptake of macromolecules, such as antibodies and other proteins. During this period of gestation various morphological changes occur that may affect absorptive activity considerably. As gestation proceeds, the microvilli become shorter and less branched; the smooth membrane system is altered; and intercellular associations change as large dilatations appear in the intercellular space of the absorptive epithelium. In addition, there is a thickening of the placental barrier that intervenes between the yolk sac (or uterine cavity) and the vitelline circulation. The present findings indicate that the visceral yolk sac possesses a highly specific mechanism for accumulating considerable vitamin B12 and B12-intrinsic factor complex in vitro. The parietal wall lacks this mechanism. The capacity to concentrate vitamin B12 and B12-intrinsic factor both in vivo and in vitro is greater at 13 days than near term when determined on the basis of radioactivity per unit weight. This suggests a decrease in absorptive capacity per cell as gestation proceeds. The reduced absorptive activity of each cell is, however, more than counterbalanced by a seventyfold increase in the mass of this placental membrane. Microscopic examination revealed that the morphology of the visceral yolk sac is well preserved during a 60-minute period of in vitro incubation. Experimental findings in vitro indicate that although the visceral splanchnopleure can accumulate a large macromolecular complex, such as vitamin B12-IF, it lacks the capacity to concentrate small molecules, such as l -valine and α-methylglucoside, against a concentration gradient. This evidence suggests that this placental membrane in the rat may be highly specialized for the transfer of macromolecules.
Dementia Caregivers’ Use of Services for Themselves

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Health care and social services such as physician visits and support groups used by dementia caregivers for themselves were examined. Caregivers (N = 642) were from the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregivers Health (REACH II) study. DESIGN AND METHODS Caregiver predisposing, enabling, and need variables were examined using chi-squared and t-tests to characterize service users. Stagewise linear regression was used to explain numbers of services used. RESULTS Predisposing, enabling, and need variables were significantly related to dementia caregivers' service use. In regression, caregivers who were older, more educated, married, not employed, depressed, with functional disability needs, more illness-related reduced activity days, more medications, more symptoms, and fewer hours on duty per day used significantly more services for themselves. The statistically significant model explained 22.2% variance in numbers of services used. Service users, compared with nonusers, evidenced greater burden, bother with behaviors, and more desire to institutionalize. IMPLICATIONS This study shows that caregiver service use is related to caregiver characteristics. Future work should examine the impact of caregiving on health care and social service use and costs. The societal costs of caregiving may be better understood when we account for additional service use by caregivers themselves. A significant clinical and policy issue is who should assess and support the caregiver. Possibilities include the care recipient's health care practitioner, the caregiver's health care practitioner, or a formal caregiver-focused program based in the health care system or the social service network.
Initial studies on the contributions of body size and gastrointestinal passage rates to dietary flexibility among gorillas.

Large body size has been traditionally seen as the primary dietary adaptation of gorillas, facilitating their consumption of fibrous foods (Schaller ?1963 The Mountain Gorilla; Watts ?1990 Int. J. Primatol. 11:21-45). Nevertheless, recent research has emphasized frugivory among western lowland gorillas, as well as the influence of habitat and seasonality on gorilla diet and behavior across subspecies (Watts ?1990 Int. J. Primatol. 11:21-45; Tutin et al. ?1991 Philos. R. Soc. Trans. Lond. Biol. 334:179-186; Remis ?1994 Ph.D. Thesis, ?1997a Am. J. Primatol. 43:87-109, ?1997b Am. J. Primatol. 43:111-133, ?1998 Primate Locomotion: Recent Advances, p 95-(1)108, ?1999 Primates 40:383-396; Nishihara ?1995 Primates 36:151-168; Goldsmith ?1999a Int. J. Primatol. 20:1-23, Goldsmith [1999b] Nonhuman Primates, p 58-63). This study provides preliminary data to address the physiological underpinnings of dietary flexibility among gorillas, and their consumption of a broad range of fibrous and tannin-rich foods. To date, little is known about the digestive physiology of the African apes (but see Milton ?1984 Adaptations for Foraging in Nonhuman Primates, p 249-279, Milton [1984] ?1999Evol. Anthropol. 8:11-20; Milton and Demment ?1988 J. Nutr. 118:1082-1088; Lambert ?1997 Ph.D. Dissertation), although gastrointestinal morphology and proportions are roughly similar among species ( Chivers and Hladik ?1980 J. Morphol. 166:337-386). This study provides additional experimental data on the gastrointestinal passage times of gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) fed a captive diet in a zoological park setting and discusses results in relation to field research on gorilla feeding ecology. In this study, 480 small plastic markers were fed to six captive gorillas. The mean gut retention time (MRT) of the adult gorillas in this study was 50 hr, longer than the 31 hr reported for chimpanzees fed a similar diet (Lambert ?1997 Ph.D. Dissertation). These data suggest that gorillas may retain foods in their gastrointestinal tracts longer than smaller hominoids, and that the large body size likely forms the primary basis for consumption of fiber. This research provides additional data to contribute to our understanding of the relationships of body size and morphology to ecology, and the evolution of body size, foraging strategy and social organization among the African apes.
Molecular epidemiology of the protective RV144 V2 loop epitope

Background The immune correlate analysis of the RV144 trial identified antibodies (Abs) targeted at the V1-V2 domain as potentially protective vaccine responses. Reactivity of vaccinee serum Abs with a glycosylated gp70-V1-V2 fusion protein or with certain V2 loop peptides was significantly associated with a lower risk of viral infection. A V2 loop segment approximately comprising amino acid residues 165-178 of gp120 was also identified by pilot vaccinee studies as a key immunogenic region. Methods To identify whether the segment identified by pilot studies coincides with the reagents reactive in the case control study, I mapped the locations of the reagents associated with lower risk of viral infection onto the V1-V2 domain structure. With a single segment identified as associated both with immunogenicity in the pilot studies and protection in the case control study, I calculated the Dayhoff evolutionary sequence distance between the the sequences of this segment in the immunogens and in a panel of V2 loop based reagents used in the case control study, each with associated odds ratios (OR) for risk. OR was then plotted against distance. Results The same V2 loop segment from positions 165-178 that was specifically most immunogenic in the pilot studies appears to have been associated with protection in the immune correlate analysis. This segment corresponds to the “C” strand of the V1-V2 domain beta-sheet fold, exactly where the broadly neutralizing antibody PG9 binds. Plotting the evolutionary distance between this segment in the RV144 immunogens and synthetic V2 loop based antigens used in the case control study shows that lower risk (lower OR) correlates with greater evolutionary distance.
Selected topics relating to hydrocephalus

A series of topics relating to hydrocephalus was selected and the pertinent literature was reviewed. First a discussion of cerebrospinal fluid production and absorption in hydrocephalus is given. Then a brief presentation of the various causes of hydrocephalus, such as viral infections and achondroplasia, is made. Under the heading of normal pressure hydrocephalus, the following subjects are discussed: clinical features, pneumocephalography, computed tomography, cisternography, infusion tests, perfusion of the system, cerebral blood flow, long term measurements of pressure, and normal pressure hydrocephalus in infants and children. The last portion of this paper deals with both the conservative and surgical treatment of this disease, the problems of shunt malfunctions and infections, and the results of treatment.
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE OF THE QUANTUM INTERFERENCE PERIODICITY OF HIGH-TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTIVE MATERIAL

The property of periodic magnetic field dependence observed on high temperature material is temperature sensitive. Experimental results show a linear relationship between τ2 and T4, where τ is the rf quantum interference period and T is temperature. This relation emerge from the entirety of weaklinks network system of granular superconductivity.
Ethics in agricultural research

Utilitarian ethics provides a model for evaluating moral responsibility in agricultural research decisions according to the balance of costs and benefits accruing to the public at large. Given the traditions and special requirements of agricultural research planning, utilitarian theory is well adapted to serve as a starting point for evaluating these decisions, but utilitarianism has defects that are well documented in the philosophical literature. Criticisms of research decisions in agricultural mechanization and biotechnology correspond to documented defects in utilitarian theory. Research administrators can expect that application of a utilitarian standard ignoring these deficiencies will become the occasion for predictable attacks by critics. Administrators who are sensitive to the strengths and weaknesses of utilitarian ethics are equipped to make a better allocation of research effort.
Specific heats of pure and doped polyacetylene

The temperature dependences (0.8 K ⩽ T < 7 K) of the specific heats of pure polyacetylene (both cis and trans isomers) and heavily doped metallic [CH(AsF5)0.12]X are reported. Results for undoped cis-(CH)X indicate behavior typical of crystalline polymers, whereas isomerization to the trans-form leads to a small term linear in temperature signifying increased disorder. Comparison of the data from cis and trans starting material indicates that isomerization is induced during doping. The increased coefficient of the linear term in the metallic polymer is discussed in terms of two contributions; an electronic term expected for a metal, and the increased effect of disorder in the doped polymer.
Morphologic transformation of the C3H 10T1/2 cell line is accompanied by altered expression of the p53 tumor suppressor gene

Wildtype 10T1/2 cells and 42 clonally derived morphologically transformed 10T1/2 cell lines were evaluated for expression of p53 mRNA and protein. Wildtype 10T1/2 cells expressed detectable levels of p53 mRNA and multiple immunologically distinct forms of the p53 protein, including both PAb240- and PAb246-reactive conformations of the protein. However, DNA sequence analysis revealed no mutations within the coding sequence of the expressed p53 gene(s) in wildtype 10T1/2 cells. Morphologic transformation of 10T1/2 cells resulted in clonal cell lines that overexpressed p53 mRNA and total p53 protein (PAb421-reactive) relative to the level of expression in wildtype 10T1/2 cells. Immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrated the expression of both PAb246-reactive and PAb240-reactive conformations of the p53 protein in all morphologically transformed 10T1/2 cell lines evaluated, irrespective of the tumorigenic potential of the individual line. Nonetheless, expression of PAb240-reactive p53 protein at levels equal to or higher than that found in wildtype 10T1/2 cells was associated with tumorigenicity in morphologically transformed 10T1/2 cell lines, suggesting that the relative contribution of PAb240-reactive p53 protein to the total cellular p53 protein represents an important determinant for the expression of the tumorigenic phenotype. Our results demonstrate that altered expression of p53 represents a common feature of morphologically transformed 10T1/2 cell line, suggesting that alteration of the expression of the p53 tumor suppressor gene may represent an early and necessary step in the morphologic transformation of 10T1/2 cells. Additionally, overexpression of PAb240-reactive p53 protein may influence the tumorigenic potential of morphologically transformed 10T1/2 cell lines.
Retrobulbar modifications in experimental exophthalmos: the effect of thyrotropin and an exophthalmos producing substance derived from thyrotropin on the 35SO4 incorporation and glycosaminoglycan content of Harderian glands.

Thyrotropin-induced exophthalmos in the guinea pig is associated with a 2-fold increase in the glycosaminoglycan content of the predominant tissue of the retro-orbital space, the Harderian gland. Hyaluronic acid is the major glycosaminoglycan of the normal gland and accounts for over 90% of the 2-fold increase. Sulfated glycosaminoglycans account for the remainder. Since the increase in sulfated glycosaminoglycans is proportional to the increase in hyaluronic acid, nondialyzable [35S]sulfate incorporation into the Harderian gland is a sensitive index of these glycosaminoglycan increases. Dialyzable [35S]sulfate incorporation measures an early effect of thyrotropin administration, i.e., the conversion of inorganic sulfate to an activated sulfate derivative, phosphoadenosinephosphosulfate. The glycosaminoglycan increases in exophthalmos can be induced by crude thyrotropin preparations, by purified and homogeneous preparations of thyrotropin, or by a proteolytic derivative of the thyrotropin molecule which h...
Supporting violence prevention at the school site: issues and lessons in state administration.

Violence against children on the school site—in its many forms, from social ostracism to physical bullying to schoolyard fights to gang violence— has a direct impact on the ability of school systems to prepare youth to be successful citizens. This fact, along with our society’s universal distress at the thought of a child in pain, means that a primary goal of school administrators at every level is to provide for students an environment that is physically safe and emotionally secure. For the California Department of Education (CDE), the strategy for the achievement of this goal is to lead local education agencies (LEAs) toward the implementation of research-validated prevention programs such as those described in this supplement. In a large state such as California, where there are 1300 LEAs and over 8000 individual schools, leading and supporting the implementation of new programs is a very large task. The elements of this task include funding, capacity building and technical assistance, evaluation and program improvement, and program auditing. For over 20 years, CDE has had an explicit school violence-prevention mission and has learned valuable lessons regarding each of these support elements, particularly during the past 8 years when violence-prevention funding has steadily and dramatically increased. The following paragraphs describe some of what we have learned, and the concluding paragraphs talk about an emerging issue with which CDE and the education community could use a considerable amount of help from the research community—that of program implementation with fidelity.
Dynamics of submerged cylindrical shells with eccentric stiffening

A theoretical analysis is presented for treating the free vibrations of submerged, ring-stiffened cylindrical shells with simply supported ends. The effects of the eccentric stiffeners are averaged over the thin-walled isotropic cylindrical shell. The energy method is utilized and the frequency equation is derived from Hamilton's Principle. All three degrees of freedom are considered. Numerical results are presented for the frequencies of several example shells. Comparisons with previous theoretical and experimental results indicate reasonably good agreement for shells immersed in water, but poorer agreement in vacuum. The inaccuracies are due to limitations of the Donnell type orthotropic shell theory used. The procedure appears well adapted to preliminary optimization studies of shells immersed in water under minimum natural frequency constraints and for optimal separation of the lower frequencies.
Hybrid clean approach for post-copper CMP defect reduction

A “hybrid” post-Cu CMP cleaning process that combines acidic and basic cleans in sequence is developed and implemented. The new process demonstrates the advantages of both acidic and basic cleans and achieves a more than 60% reduction in CMP defects, such as polish residues, foreign materials, slurry abrasives, scratches, and hollow metal, relative to an all-basic brush clean process. It also eliminates the circular ring defects that occur intermittently during roller brush clean. TXRF scans confirm the reduction of AlOx defects when using the hybrid clean process. XPS spectra show similar Cu surface oxidation states between the basic and hybrid clean processes. Both short and open yields can be improved by using the new clean process. The underlying mechanism of the huge defect reduction benefits is discussed.
Understanding dog–human companionship

Abstract This article reports a survey of 749 dog owners. The survey focuses on owners' interactions with their dogs. This research identifies seven underlying dimensions that comprise the construct of dog companionship. The dimensions include symbiotic relationship, dog-oriented self concept, anthropomorphism, activity/youth, boundaries, specialty purchases, and willingness to adapt. Results suggest that certain demographic variables – in particular gender, age, and education level, as well as length of dog ownership, amount of quality time spent with the dog, and whether the dog is purebred or mixed breed – relate to these dimensions.
Population Parameters, Life Cycle, and Feeding of Mysidium columbiae (Zimmer) in the Waters Surrounding a Belizian Mangrove Cay

. The ecology of tropical Mysidacea is poorly known. Mysidium columbiae (Zimmer), because of its ubiquitous distribution in the tropical western Atlantic and the information available on its aggregative behavior, is an ideal subject of study to reconcile aspects of this problem. Information and data were obtained on abundance, population size, shoal/school structure, fecundity, development, and feeding of a M. columbiae population inhabiting waters surrounding Twin Cays, a mangrove archipelago in Belize. Although reproduction was continuous and proportions of life stages within shoals remained relatively constant throughout the year, population size decreased by an order of magnitude from summer to winter. Embryonic development averaged 4.7 days, with postlarvae being released near the surface before dawn. Aquarium experiments suggested that olfaction may be more sensitive than vision, although both senses were used to locate food. This species is a detritivore, but gut contents suggested that it may also be a predator.
Photoionization of Ne8

The time-dependent close-coupling method based on the Dirac equation is used to calculate single and double photoionization cross sections for Ne8+ in support of planned FLASH/DESY measurements. The fully correlated ground state radial wavefunction is obtained by solving a time independent inhomogeneous set of close-coupled equations. The repulsive interaction between electrons includes both Coulomb and Gaunt interactions. A Bessel function expression is used to include both dipole and quadruple effects on the radiation field interaction. Propagation of the time-dependent close-coupled equations yields single and double photoionization cross sections for Ne8+ in reasonably good agreement with distorted-wave and R-matrix results.
The Effects of Membrane-based CO2 Capture System on Pulverized Coal Power Plant Performance and Cost

Abstract Membrane systems are under development for cost-effective carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture. This study is to investigate the effects of adding CO 2 -selective polymeric membrane systems to coal-fired power plants using newly developed performance and cost models. Sensitivity analysis is further carried out to explore the influences of key parameters and factors on the power plant and the membrane-based capture system. The results show that adding a two-stage membrane system for 90% CO 2 capture to a coal-fired power plant nearly doubles the plant cost of electricity and incurs a high energy penalty up to about 30% of the gross electrical output; using both compressors and vacuum pumps to produce driving force for membrane gas separation is effective with reducing the capture cost; and recycling a portion of CO 2 via a multi-stage/step membrane configuration with air sweep would significantly reduce the overall system energy penalty and the cost of CO 2 avoided by roughly one-third in comparison with the two-stage membrane system, which exhibits that membrane capture systems could be a viable alternative to current amine-based processes.
Erratum to: Grammar Induction by Unification of Type-logical Lexicons

This proposition is not true, because the above definition of structurally deterministic is too broad. The correction is to restrict the form of the “provable sequent” ⇒ C in the definition using the following conditions: (i) formula C contains no slash operators; (ii) G-term has no types repeated, and has no subtypes repeated within any one type. With these restrictions, the proposition is correct, and its proof in the original paper says nothing incorrect. Proposition 5 was used in the paper to prove Proposition 11 therein, and the above narrowing of Proposition 5 actually makes it more obviously
Analysis of the radioisotope renogram.

Beim Fehlen einer Niere, und bei zwei normalen Nieren von gleicher Aktivitat sind die Radioisotopen-Renogramme (Modell mit drei Bestandteilen: Blut, Niere und Urin) genau beschrieben worden.
Learning missing values from summary constraints

Real-world data sets often contain errors and inconsistency. Even though this is a very important problem it has received relatively little attention in the research community. In this paper we examine the problem of learning missing values when some summary information is available. We use linear algebra and constraint programming techniques to learn the missing values using apriori-known summary information and that derived from the raw data. We reconstruct the missing values by different methods in three scenarios: ideal-constrained, under-constrained, and over-constrained. Furthermore, for a range query involving missing values, we also give the lower bound and upper bound for the values using constraint programming techniques. We believe that theory of linear algebra and constraint programming constitutes a sound basis for learning missing values when summary information is available.
Risk-Based Management of Contaminated Groundwater: The Role of Geologic Heterogeneity, Exposure and Cancer Risk in Determining the Performance of Aquifer Remediation

The effectiveness of aquifer remediation is typically expressed in terms of a reduction in contaminant concentrations relative to a regulated maximum contaminant level (MCL), and is usually confined by sparse monitoring data and/or simple model calculations. Here, the effectiveness of remediation is examined from a risk-based perspective that goes beyond the traditional MCL concept. A methodology is employed to evaluate the health risk to individuals exposed to contaminated household water that is produced from groundwater. This approach explicitly accounts for differences in risk arising from variability in individual physiology and water use, the uncertainty in estimating chemical carcinogenesis for different individuals, and the uncertainties and variability in contaminant concentrations within groundwater. A hypothetical contamination scenario is developed as a case study in a saturated, alluvial aquifer underlying a real Superfund site. A baseline (unremediated) human exposure and health risk scenario, as induced by contaminated groundwater pumped from this site, is predicted and compared with a similar estimate based upon pump-and-treat exposure intervention. The predicted reduction in risk in the remediation scenario is not an equitable one--that is, it is not uniform to all individuals within a population and varies according to the level of uncertainty in prediction. The importance of understanding the detailed hydrogeologic connections that are established in the heterogeneous geologic regime between the contaminated source, municipal receptors, and remediation wells, and its relationship to this uncertainty is demonstrated. Using two alternative pumping rates, we develop cost-benefit curves based upon reduced exposure and risk to different individuals within the population, under the presence of uncertainty.
Microstructure Analysis of 4-Step Three-Dimensional Braided Composite

Abstract The yarn architecture of 3-D braided composites products by the four-step 1 × 1 braiding technique has been studied by means of a control volume method in conjunction with experimental investigation and a numerical method, respectively. An ellipse assumption for the cross-section of yarn was proposed in this analysis method with considering the yarn size and yarn-packing factor. Two types of local unit cell structures were identified for 4-step braided composites by considering the nature of the braiding processes and by observing the sample cross-sections. The relations hip between the braiding procedure and the properties for 3-D braided structural shapes was established. This method provides the basis for analyzing stiffness and strength of 3-D braided composites.
Promoting social skill use and generalization in children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract Social skills training is a frequently utilized intervention for addressing social deficits of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study investigated the effects of the Superheroes Social Skills program, a social skills training program consisting of multiple evidence-based practices, in promoting accurate demonstration of target social skills in both a training and generalized setting. Three children with ASD between the ages of 10 and 14 attended 10 social skills training sessions over five weeks, with social skills lessons targeting participation, conversation, perspective taking, and problem solving skills. A multiple probe design across behaviors and replicated across participants was utilized to evaluate accurate demonstration of target social skills. Results suggest improvement in skill accuracy in both the training and generalization settings. Indirect secondary measures of participant social functioning and parental stress were also collected and suggest improvements associated with social skills training.
Calculation of unimolecular rate constants for common metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy precursors via RRKM theory

Abstract A mechanistic understanding of metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) requires an understanding of fundamental parameters such as unimolecular gas phase (homogeneous) reaction rate constants. Using a large body of existing and estimated thermochemical data, Rice, Ramsperger, Kassel and Marcus (RRKM) theory was used to calculate the pressure dependence of the reaction rate constants for the MOVPE precursors Al(CH 3 ) 3 (TMAl), Ga(CH 3 ) 3 (TMGa), In(CH 3 ) 3 (TMIn), As(CH 3 ) 3 (TMAs), AsH 3 , and PH 3 . In addition, the pressure dependence of NH 3 decomposition was calculated. The reaction paths for the group V hydrides involving the elimination of molecular as well as atomic hydrogen are discussed. The fall-off pressures, P 1 2 , for TMGa and AsH 3 in a hydrogen carrier gas at 900 K are approximately 2 Torr and 1 × 10 5 Torr, respectively.
An overview of automated biotechnology screening

Laboratory automation for many years has contributed to increased productivity in analytical laboratories. Now automation is enabling biotechnology and pharmaceutical discovery research to progress more quickly and efficiently, encouraging researchers to develop discovery processes that go well beyond the human capability to manipulate, track, and analyze. Applying automation in the research environment presents numerous unique challenges. User-friendly, robust, and flexible automation must be developed and applied in an environment where project speed is critical and research directions change rapidly. An automation strategy for an organization must bridge such technologies as robotics, automatic identification and tracking, interfacing, data processing, and networking—while interweaving with biology and chemistry. Such an organization has been created at Amgen to span the boundary between automation/information systems development and biology and chemistry research. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Buildup of electron cloud in the PEP-II particle accelerator in the presence of a solenoid field and with different bunch pattern

We have augmented the code POSINST to include solenoid fields, and used it to simulate the build up of electron cloud due in the PEP-II positron ring. We find that the distribution of electrons is strongly affected by the resonances associated with the cyclotron period and bunch spacing. In addition,we discover a threshold beyond which the electron density grows exponentially until it reaches the space charge limit. The threshold does not depend on the bunch spacing but does depend on the positron bunch population.
Optical Stark spectroscopy of the (3,0) A1Σ+–X1Σ+ band system of barium sulfide, BaS

Abstract The R(0) and R(1) lines of the (3,0) A1Σ+–X1Σ+ band of the major isotopologue of barium sulfide, 138Ba32S, were recorded at high resolution (full width at half maximum ≅35 MHz) and at a field strength of up to 3100 V/cm. The observed Stark shifts were analyzed to produce permanent electric dipole moments, μ → el , of 10.765(8) D and 5.586(22) for the X1Σ+ (v = 0) and A1Σ+ (v = 3) states, respectively. The relative values of μ → el for barium monoxide, BaO, and BaS are discussed.
Characterization of laser induced breakdown plasmas used for measurements of arsenic, antimony and selenium hydrides

Abstract Studies have been performed to characterize laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) plasmas formed in Ar/H 2 gas mixtures that are used for hydride generation (HG) LIBS measurements of arsenic (As), antimony (Sb) and selenium (Se) hydrides. The plasma electron density and plasma excitation temperature have been determined through hydrogen, argon and arsenic emission measurements. The electron density ranges from 4.5 × 10 17 to 8.3 × 10 15 cm −3 over time delays of 0.2 to 15 μs. The plasma temperatures range from 8800 to 7700 K for Ar and from 8800 to 6500 K for As in the HG LIBS plasmas. Evaluation of the plasma properties leads to the conclusion that partial local thermodynamic equilibrium conditions are present in the HG LIBS plasmas. Comparison measurements in LIBS plasmas formed in Ar gas only indicate that the temperatures are similar in both plasmas. However it is also observed that the electron density is higher in the Ar only plasmas and that the emission intensities of Ar are higher and decay more slowly in the Ar only plasmas. These differences are attributed to the presence of H 2 which has a higher thermal conductivity and provides additional dissociation, excitation and ionization processes in the HG LIBS plasma environment. Based on the observed results, it is anticipated that changes to the HG conditions that change the amount of H 2 in the plasma will have a significant effect on analyte emission in the HG LIBS plasmas that is independent of changes in the HG efficiency. The HG LIBS plasmas have been evaluated for measurements of elements hydrides using a constant set of HG LIBS plasma conditions. Linear responses are observed and limits of detection of 0.7, 0.2 and 0.6 mg/L are reported for As, Sb and Se, respectively.
Comparison of Borg- and OMNI-RPE as markers of the blood lactate response to exercise.

Purpose: To examine the utility of the Borg (6-20) and adult OMNI walk/run (0-10) ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) scales as markers of the blood lactate response to exercise. Methods: Thirty-six (26 females and 10 males) individuals with the metabolic syndrome (mean ± SEM: age, 45.8 ± 2.0 yr; height, 168.4 ± 1.3 cm; weight, 100.4 ± 3.6 kg) completed a continuous peak oxygen uptake (V?O2peak)/lactate threshold (LT) treadmill protocol. V?O2 (mL·kg-1·min-1), blood lactate concentration (BLC, mM), and heart rate (bpm) were measured at the end of each stage. RPE were assessed at 2:15 and 2:45 of each 3-min stage using both RPE scales presented in a counterbalanced order. Participants were read standardized instructions specific to each scale. The LT and BLC of 2.5 and 4.0 mM were determined from the blood lactate-velocity relationship. Results: The mean Borg, OMNI, and standardized (to the Borg scale) OMNI-RPE values at the LT and BLC of 2.5 mM, 4.0 mM, and peak ranged from 10.1 to 16.9, 3.1 to 8.2, and 9.9 to 17.1, respectively. No differences were observed between Borg and standardized OMNI-RPE at any exercise intensity. The correlation within and between Borg- and OMNI-RPE and the velocities associated with LT, BLC of 2.5 mM, 4.0 mM, and peak ranged from r = 0.82 to 0.93 (P < 0.01). Mean differences (95% CI) between the Borg- and standardized OMNI-RPE at LT, and BLC of 2.5 mM, 4.0 mM, and peak were 0.27 (-2.26, 2.80), -0.48 (-3.14, 2.18), -0.29 (-2.92, 2.35), and 0.10 (-1.65, 1.84), respectively. Conclusion: Both the Borg and OMNI walk/run scales demonstrate predictive utility as markers of the blood lactate response to incremental exercise in individuals with the metabolic syndrome.
Congenital idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: evidence of defects in the hypothalamus, pituitary, and testes.

Context: Idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) with normal smell (normosmic IHH) or anosmia (Kallmann syndrome) is associated with defects in the production or action of GnRH. Accordingly, most IHH patients respond to physiological pulsatile GnRH replacement by normalizing serum LH, FSH, and testosterone (T) levels and achieving gametogenesis; some patients, however, show atypical responses. Interestingly, several IHH-associated genes are expressed in multiple compartments of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate whether the clinical, biochemical, or genetic characteristics of IHH men with atypical responses to GnRH indicate alternative or additional defects in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Subjects: We studied 90 IHH men undergoing long-term pulsatile GnRH treatment over 30 yr. Design and Setting: We conducted a retrospective study of response to GnRH at a Clinical Research Center. Interventions: Physiological regimens of pulsatile...
Two-Vessel Coronary Artery Dissection in the Peripartum Period: Case Report and Literature Review

The authors report a case of early peripartum myocardial infarction resulting from spontaneous dissection of the left anterior descending coronary artery and right coronary artery in a twenty-four-year-old woman. This is the first report of double-vessel coronary dissection involving both the left and right coronary arteries diagnosed antemortem and successfully treated.
Papillary adenocarcinoma of ureter

A well-differentiated papillary adenocarcinoma developed in a ureteral stump thirty-six years after nephrectomy and was associated with a combined transitional-epidermoid carcinoma in the urinary bladder. Carcinoma in a ureteral stump is not uncommon and should be suspected in patients with a ureteral stump and hematuria. The very rare adenocarcinoma of the ureter is typically papillary and is associated with urinary tract infection and stones. At present successful treatment requires the early identification and extirpation of the ureteral tumor and consideration of associated cancer elsewhere in the urinary tract.
Bare quark masses

Abstract Bare quark masses are estimated in terms of deep inelastic experimental data. The values mu = md ≈ 11 MeV and ms ≈ 274 MeV are obtained.
Significance of transientbacteriuria in screening programs for bacteriuria

I N 1960 Kunin and associates 1 reported the results of screening of school children for significant bacteriuria utilizing the concept of the quantitative bacterial colony count introduced by Marple 2 and extended by Kass? In subsequent years a large number of infants and children have been similarly screened. 4-8 With this has come concern about the interpretation of borderline counts, the significance of transient bacteriuria, and the possible needless treatment of otherwise healthy asymptomatic girls? The current report attempts to provide information on this point by comparison of routine annual urine culture results over 4 years for schoolgirls initially found to have persistent significant
Spatial determinants of visual masking: Effects of mask size and retinal position

Visual masking was studied in three observers by measuring the threshold for detection of a small black disc (test target) with and without prior exposure to a concentric larger black disc (masking target). Independent variables were size of mask and retinal position. Results showed that: (1) for all retinal positions, decreasing the size of the masking target produced a greater masking effect; (2) for each size of mask, there was a greater masking effect in the periphery than in the fovea; (3) in the fovea, the largest mask produced a lowered threshold for test target detection, suggesting summation or facilitation. These results were discussed in terms of contour interaction and signal-to-noise ratio.
Applications of Molecular Methods and Statistical Analyses for Discrimination of Accessions and Clones of Vetiver Grass

Because (i) origins and genealogies of vetiver grass have been poorly documented, and (ii) morphological uniformity and infrequent flowering precluded accurate identification of selected clones, an investigation was undertaken to link molecular methods with rigorous biometric analysis to discriminate accessions and clones. Successful DNA profiling is highly dependent on the reproducibility of the assay. Our ability to generate consistent results may have been a result of (i) genomic DNA quality, (ii) rigorous oligonucleotide primer selection, and (iii) DNA amplification protocol stringency. Because of the low level of replicate variability, we were able to bring a high level of resolution to the analysis of identity [...]
Trends, random walks, and tests of the permanent income hypothesis

Abstract Recent studies find that consumption is excessively sensitive to income. These studies assume that income is stationary around a deterministic trend. The data, however, do not reject the hypothesis that disposable personal income is a random walk with drift. If income is indeed a random walk, then the standard testing procedure is greatly biased toward finding excess sensitivity. Moreover, if income follows either a more general non-stationary process or a borderline stationary process, this procedure is also seriously biased.
Chronic subdural hematomas and seizures: the role of prophylactic anticonvulsive medication.

BACKGROUND The rates of seizure activity associated with surgical treatment of chronic subdural hematoma (CSH) reported in the literature has varied greatly. The efficacy of prophylactic anticonvulsive medication (ACM) has been debated and its use been erratic. With improved diagnosis, reduction of associated morbidity impacts greatly on the mortality rate, and so the use of ACM may be important to the patient with CSH. METHODS We conducted a retrospective analysis of the records of patients treated surgically for CSH and examined the prevalence of seizure activity, morbidity, and mortality and the effects of anticonvulsant medication. RESULTS Ninety-eight patients (65 = male) were identified with a mean age of 72 years and a range of 4 to 97 years. Six patients had a preexisting seizure disorder; despite therapeutic serum levels of ACM, 3 of these 6 patients experienced seizures without mortality. Seizures occurred in 20/98 (20.4%) patients during hospitalization or follow-up. Of the 92 patients without a preexisting seizure disorder, 42 (46%) received prophylactic phenytoin with therapeutic serum levels. One patient among the 42 (2.4%) who received prophylactic ACM experienced seizure activity in comparison to 16 of 50 (32%) patients who did not receive adequate prophylactic ACM (P = < 0.001). Six of 11 deaths within one month of discharge occurred in patients with a new onset of seizures (P = < 0.005). Age, sex, history of trauma, Markwalder scores on admission, location of hematoma, or type of surgery were unrelated to the occurrence of seizures or mortality. Following hospital discharge, patients were continued on ACM for a mean duration of 8 months without seizures. CONCLUSIONS The onset of new seizures was found in 17 (18.5%) of 92 patients and was associated with increases in morbidity and mortality. Patients who received prophylactic ACM demonstrated a significant decrease in the occurrence of seizures, and we therefore recommend the use of phenytoin prophylaxis in patients treated surgically for chronic subdural hematoma.