cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Biomechanical Analysis of Controllable Intraoperative Variables Affecting the Strength of Rotator Cuff Repairs at the Suture-Tendon Interface

Background The tissue-suture interface remains the weakest aspect of a rotator cuff repair, highlighting the importance of identifying techniques to improve stitch strength. Choice of suture-passing devices, size of the tissue bite, and stitch configuration are variables that may influence stitch strength and therefore repair stability. Purpose To evaluate the effect that size of the tissue penetrator device and tissue bite size have upon the holding strength of commonly used stitches. Study design Controlled laboratory study. Methods Three different-sized tissue-penetrating devices, small circular, midsized circular, and large rectangular, were used to place sutures in 192 infraspinatus tendon grafts of sheep. Tissue bite sizes of either 0.5 cm or 1.0 cm for 4 different stitches, a simple, mattress, modified Mason-Allen (MMA), and massive cuff (MAC) stitch, were tested. Grafts were cyclically loaded and then loaded to failure. Mixed multivariate regression analysis was used to test the effect of instrument, bite size, and stitch configuration on peak-to-peak displacement, cyclic elongation, and load to failure. Results The average ultimate load to failure with the smallest penetrating device was 112 N, significantly higher than with both the midsized (95 N) and large devices (91 N) (P .5). The elongation of stitches with a 1.0-cm bite size was 0.14 mm higher than stitches with a 0.5-cm bite size (P Conclusion The strength of rotator cuff stitches was significantly affected by the different-sized tissue-penetrating instruments and size of the bite. However, the greatest predictor of time-zero stitch strength is the type of stitch placed. Clinical relevance This study highlights the importance of stitch configuration in the repair of rotator cuff tears.
Energy-Dependent Electron Activated Dissociation of Metal-Adducted Permethylated Oligosaccharides

The effects of varying the electron energy and cationizing agents on electron activated dissociation (ExD) of metal-adducted oligosaccharides were explored, using permethylated maltoheptaose as the model system. Across the examined range of electron energy, the metal-adducted oligosaccharide exhibited several fragmentation processes, including electron capture dissociation (ECD) at low energies, hot-ECD at intermediate energies, and electronic excitation dissociation (EED) at high energies. The dissociation threshold depended on the metal charge carrier(s), whereas the types and sequence spans of product ions were influenced by the metal-oligosaccharide binding pattern. Theoretical modeling contributed insight into the metal-dependent behavior of carbohydrates during low-energy ECD. When ExD was applied to a permethylated high mannose N-linked glycan, EED provided more structural information than either collision-induced dissociation (CID) or low-energy ECD, thus demonstrating its potential for oligosacch...
Scalable hardware-based power management for many-core systems

Due to high levels integration, the design of many-core systems becomes increasingly challenging. Runtime dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) is an effective method in managing the power based on performance requirements in the presence of workload variations. This paper presents an on-line scalable hardware-based dynamic voltage frequency selection algorithm, by using both FIFO occupancy and stall information between processors. To demonstrate the proposed solution, two real application benchmarks are tested on a many-core globally asynchronous locally synchronous (GALS) platform. The experimental results show that the proposed approach can achieve near-optimal power saving under performance constraints.
Transformation behaviour and unusual twinning in a NiTi shape memory alloy ausformed using equal channel angular extrusion

In this study, the microstructure and phase transformation behaviour of Ti–50.8 at.% Ni alloy severely deformed using equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) were investigated. The aim of the study was to reveal the effect of severe plastic deformation on the interplay between plastic deformation via dislocation slip and twinning and forward and reverse martensitic transformation. The samples were processed at room temperature, i.e. slightly above the austenite finish temperature, and at 450°C, i.e. well above the austenite finish temperature. Transformation temperatures and multiple step transformation after processing and after low-temperature annealing were studied. The unique findings were: (1) the observation of a mixture of heavily deformed B2 (austenite) and B19′ (martensite) phases in the samples processed at room temperature, although martensite stabilization was expected; (2) the observation of highly organized, twin-related nanograins in the B2 phase of the samples deformed at room temperature, ...
MARRIAGE IN TAIPEI CITY: REASONS FOR RETHINKING CHINESE DEMOGRAPHY

The only pre-1950 Chinese cities for which reliable demographic records exist are those in Taiwan. Analysis of two samples of the records from Taipei City produces surprising results. Urban women were far less likely to marry than rural women and consequently had markedly lower fertility. This was due to a greater demand for female labor in the city but not because employment outside of the home freed women to refuse marriages arranged by their parents. Parental authority was as strong in the city as in the country. The difference was that given the possibility of remunerative employment for their daughters many parents chose to keep them at home rather than giving them to another family in marriage. (authors)
Evaluation of Adipose-Derived Stromal Vascular Fraction or Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Treatment of Osteoarthritis

The purpose of this study was the assessment of clinical, biochemical, and histologic effects of intraarticular administered adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction or bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells for treatment of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis was induced arthroscopically in the middle carpal joint of all horses, the contralateral joint being sham-operated. All horses received treatment on Day 14. Eight horses received placebo treatment and eight horses received adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction in their osteoarthritis-affected joint. The final eight horses were treated the in osteoarthritis-affected joint with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Evaluations included clinical, radiographic, synovial fluid analysis, gross, histologic, histochemical, and biochemical evaluations. No adverse treatment-related events were observed. The model induced a significant change in all but two parameters, no significant treatment effects were demonstrated, with the exception of improvement in synovial fluid effusion PGE2 levels with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells when compared to placebo. A greater improvement was seen with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells when compared to adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction and placebo treatment. Overall, the findings of this study were not significant enough to recommend the use of stem cells for the treatment of osteoarthritis represented in this model.
Delay Time Analysis in Microtunneling Projects

Delay in microtunneling projects is a complex multivariate problem. Delay in microtunneling is defined as the nonworking time of a microtunneling project due to any reason other than scheduled stops. There are many reasons for delay such as mechanical failure of system components, leakage of hydraulic hoses, blockage of slurry pipes, and waiting time for excavated materials hauling equipment. Delay time increases the project duration and consequently the project cost. Delay data were collected from 35 microtunneling projects. Collected delay data were delay duration, delay reason, time, and location from the start to the stopping point. Five categories of delay causes were used in the analysis. Prediction of delay time will enhance the estimation accuracy of microtunneling project duration. A predictive model using a probabilistic approach was selected to represent the delay time. Based on data characteristics, a Weibull distribution was determined to best represent the overall delay duration in microtunn...
Poor predictability of liporrotein cholesterol from whole serum lipids

Summary Lipid classes of whole serum and its four major lipoprotein fractions were measured in 67 sera from normal subjects and patients with coronary arterial disease and/or hyperlipidemia. Significant correlations were found between high density lipoprotein cholesterol and whole serum triglycerides (−0.42), low density lipoprotein cholesterol and whole serum cholesterol (+0.40), low density lipoprotein cholesterol and whole serum triglycerides (−0.36) and very low density lipoproteins or S f > 400 lipoprotein lipids and all serum lipids. S f > 400 cholesterol was best correlated with whole serum triglycerides (+0.98). Multiple regression equations were examined in stepwise fashion to best relate lipoprotein cholesterols to the independent variables: whole serum cholesterol, phospholipids, triglycerides or their ratios. Less than half of the variance of S f > 400 cholesterol was explained by variations in whole serum triglyceride and an estimate of its contribution to the whole serum cholesterol can be made to within ± 26 mg/ 100 ml. While significant correlations existed between low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol and whole serum cholesterol or phospholipid, with corrections for whole serum triglyceride variations being required for both; this accounted for about 70 % of the variance of these parameters and the standard deviation for the line of best fit is about half of that for the sample mean. It can be concluded that, except for gross elevations of whole serum triglyceride with which elevations of lipoproteins of S f > 400 correlate well, an adequate representation of lipoprotein lipid distribution cannot be derived from whole serum lipid values.
Efficient and Accurate Quantification of Uncertainty for Multiphase Flow With the Probabilistic Collocation Method

Summary In this study, we explore an efficient and accurate method for uncertainty analysis of petroleum reservoir simulations. The essence of the approach is the combination of Karhunen-Loeve (KL) expansion and probabilistic collocation method. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is the most common and straightforward approach for uncertainty quantification. It generates a large number of realizations of the underlying reservoir. Solving the multiple realizations leads to a large computational effort, especially for large-scale problems. We present an accurate and efficient alternative. In this approach, the underlying random fields, such as permeability and porosity are represented by the KL expansion and the resulting random fields (e.g., fluid saturations and pressures) or variables (e.g., hydrocarbon production) are expressed by the polynomial chaos expansions. The probabilistic collocation method (PCM) is used to determine the coefficients of the polynomial chaos expansions by solving for the fluid saturation and pressure fields via the original partial differential equations for selected sets of collocation points. This approach is nonintrusive because it results in independent deterministic differential equations, which, similar to the MC method, can be implemented with existing codes or simulators. However, the required number of simulations in the PCM is much less than that in the MC method. The approach is demonstrated with black-oil problems in heterogeneous reservoirs with the commercial Eclipse simulator. The accuracy, efficiency, and compatibility of this approach are compared against MC simulations. This study reveals that, while its computational efforts are greatly reduced compared to the MC method, the PCM is able to estimate accurately the statistical moments and probability density functions of the fluid saturations (and pressures) and the hydrocarbon production.
Challenges and success of recruiting and retention for a culturally tailored diabetes prevention program for adults of Mexican descent.

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to describe methods used to recruit and retain high-risk, Spanish-speaking adults of Mexican origin in a randomized clinical trial that adapts Diabetes Prevent...
Short term citrus flavonoid supplementation of type II diabetic women: no effect on lipoprotein oxidation tendencies.

Flavonoids, which are dietary components and have possible drug uses, inhibit lipoprotein oxidation in vitro. The present study considered whether flavonoid supplementation in humans could influence lipoprotein vulnerability to oxidation. Citrus flavonoid supplementation (about 1 g/day, 3 weeks), or placebo, was given to 40 Type II diabetic women, a population prone to oxidative stress. Absorbance spectra of plasma from 4 subjects revealed that some flavonoid absorption occurred. When tested in vitro, a supplement extract, with spectrum peak height similar to that of plasma samples, completely inhibited copper-induced oxidation of very low plus low density lipoproteins. In contrast, neither flavonoid supplementation nor placebo influenced lipoprotein susceptibility to copper-stimulated oxidation in vitro (lag time or propagation rate). Thus, this study demonstrated that increased flavonoid consumption by humans does not necessarily alter lipoprotein susceptibility to oxidation assessed in vitro.
Ice-core pollen record of climatic changes in the central Andes during the last 400 yr

Abstract This paper presents a high-resolution ice-core pollen record from the Sajama Ice Cap, Bolivia, that spans the last 400 yr. The pollen record corroborates the oxygen isotopic and ice accumulation records from the Quelccaya Ice Cap and supports the scenario that the Little Ice Age (LIA) consisted of two distinct phases—a wet period from AD 1500 to 1700, and a dry period from AD 1700 to 1880. During the dry period xerophytic shrubs expanded to replace puna grasses on the Altiplano, as suggested by a dramatic drop in the Poaceae/Asteraceae (P/A) pollen ratio. The environment around Sajama was probably similar to the desert-like shrublands of the Southern Bolivian Highlands and western Andean slopes today. The striking similarity between the Sajama and Quelccaya proxy records suggests that climatic changes during the Little Ice Age occurred synchronously across the Altiplano.
Group-velocity tomography of South America and the surrounding oceans

SUMMARY This paper presents the results of a study of the dispersion characteristics of broadband fundamental-mode surface waves propagating across South America and the surrounding oceans. Broad-band waveform data from about 765 events from 1977 to 1996 recorded at 48 individual stations have produced 7000 Rayleigh-wave and 4800 Love-wave dispersion curves. We present group-velocity maps from 20 to 150 s period for Rayleigh waves and from 20 to 100 s for Love waves. Measurement uncertainties estimated from cluster analyses average about 0.025^0.030 km s {1 , but are larger for the short-period Love waves. We estimate surface resolving kernels and show that the average resolution across South America is about 6 0 ^8 0 for Rayleigh waves and 7 0 ^10 0 for Love waves below 100 s period but degrades at longer periods and near the periphery of the maps. The estimated maps produce a variance reduction relative to the Preliminary Reference Earth Model (PREM) of more than 90 per cent at short periods, more than 80 per cent for Rayleigh and Love waves below about 100 s period, but nearer to about 70 per cent at longer periods. Synthetic experiments are presented to estimate the bias caused by azimuthal anisotropy using the recent global model of Trampert & Woodhouse (1996). This bias, which is worse for Love than for Rayleigh waves, may be substantial (up to 5 per cent in some places), but it is expected to be largely oi the continent and is not correlated with the main features of the observed maps. Many known geological and tectonic structures are observed in the group-velocity maps. Of particular note are the signatures of sedimentary basins —————————————————————————————————— !
A method to withstand high signal attenuation for infrared electronic-toll-collection systems—Equivalent strength of the received signal in the communication area

High signal attenuation for the infrared signal of some windshields is a serious problem for infrared electronictoll- collection (ETC) systems. This leads to severe shrinkage of the communication area if the emitter has not been properly designed. An equal value of the received signal strength in the communication area has the advantage of keeping the communication range independent of a limited signal attenuation. This is manifested in this paper by investigating the bit error rate (BER) of the system related to the received signal strength. Systems with acceptable performance can be realized even with light emitting diods (LEDs) with irregular radiation pattern. The system performance provided by our earlier designs are more deeply explored in this paper in terms of bit error rate.
Electrophysiological and morphological properties of neurons acutely isolated from the rostral gustatory zone of the rat nucleus of the solitary tract.

The biophysical and morphological characteristics of acutely isolated neurons from the rostral nucleus of the solitary tract (rNST) were investigated under current clamp conditions and compared with the results obtained from neurons recorded in brain slices. The passive membrane properties of the isolated neurons were similar to rNST neurons in brain slices and the neurons maintained their morphological characteristics although their dendritic tree was truncated. The isolated neurons also retained their characteristic repetitive firing properties. In addition we also noted developmental changes in the intrinsic membrane properties of the isolated neurons, such as a shortening in action potential duration, decrease in membrane time constant and input resistance, that occurred when these parameters were compared in neurons isolated from young (5-10 days) and older animals. These enzymatically dispersed neurons therefore retained both the membrane properties and morphology observed in the intact brainstem and in vitro brain slice preparation. The use of this isolated neuron preparation provides a basis for further study of rNST neurobiology. Chem. Senses 21 : 729-737, 1996
Effects of low cell pH and elevated inorganic phosphate on the pCa-force relationship in single muscle fibers at near-physiological temperatures

Intense muscle contraction induces high rates of ATP hydrolysis with resulting increases in Pi, H+, and ADP, factors thought to induce fatigue by interfering with steps in the cross-bridge cycle. F...
Can We Guarantee the Safety of Genetically Engineered Organisms in the Environment

Concern about the safety of genetically engineered organisms in the environment arises from the undesirable results of earlier new technologies and introduced organisms. Progress towards safe release is complicated by the varied views of a diverse society, confusion of process and product, problems with existing methods, and the lack of practical experience with real releases. No categorically safe novel organisms exist, but a progressive series of releases should allow risks to be systematically reduced.40 references.
A UNIFIED PHYSICAL PICTURE OF MULTIPARTICLE EMISSION: WIDE MULTIPLICITY DISTRIBUTION FOR $\bar{p}p$ AND NARROW MULTIPLICITY DISTRIBUTION FOR e+e− COLLISIONS

A unified physical picture for multiparticle emission in hadron-hadron and e+e− collisions is presented. It is based on the wide range of values of the total angular momentum in hadron-hadron collisions. Experimental support is reviewed. An extension of the considerations to give a theory of the momentum distribution of the outgoing particles is compared with experiments.
What is the perception of overweight students concerning their experiences in physical education

While studies have been performed on the lack of physical activity and obesity, there was no research specifically examining the perspective of overweight students in physical education in relation...
Modification of the neubauer technique to assess toxicity of hazardous chemicals in soils

The Neubauer technique was modified to provide a sensitive and economical phytoassay for soils and surface waters obtained from a chemical waste site. Use of individual plastic enclosures allowed safe handling and disposal over the course of our experiments. Laboratory tests showed that water from a holding basin was toxic to wheat plants at dilutions of less than 1% and that our modified Neubauer technique produced results compatible with both pot culture and the standard Neubauer test. Further testing of several inorganic constituents of the basin water pointed to an organic toxicant, even though the original water contained high levels of sodium, copper and other elements. The results of testing 26 samples from an abandoned waste pond were negative insofar as toxicity to wheat and lettuce seeds, whereas samples from an abandoned ditch allowed us to determine areal toxicity as well as toxicity as a function of depth and suggested that more than one species should be tested. 10 references, 2 figures, 5 tables.
Towards Adaptive Secure Group Communication: Bridging the Gap between Formal Specification and Network Simulation

We extend an executable specification of a state-of-the-art secure group communication subsystem to explore two dimensions of adaptability, namely security and synchrony under crash-recovery and intermittent connectivity scenarios. In particular, we relax the traditional requirement of virtual synchrony and propose various generic optimizations, while preserving essential security guarantees. In order to evaluate how practical and effective our generic optimizations are, we integrate the specification into ns2, bridging the gap between formal specification and classical network simulation
Keratin-based antimicrobial textiles, films, and nanofibers

The combination of appealing structural properties, biocompatibility, and the availability of renewable and inexpensive raw materials, make keratin-based materials attractive for a variety of applications. In this paper, we report on the antimicrobial functionalization of keratin-based materials, including wool cloth and regenerated cellulose/keratin composite films and nanofibers. The functionalization of these materials was accomplished utilizing a facile chlorination reaction that converts the nitrogen-bearing moieties of keratin into halamine compounds. Halamine-charged wool cloth exhibited rapid and potent bactericidal activity against several species of bacteria and induced up to a 5.3 log (i.e., 99.9995%) reduction in the colony forming units of Bacillus thuringiensis spores within 10 min. Keratin-containing composites were prepared by the spin coating and coaxial electrospinning of extracted/oxidized alpha-keratin and cellulose acetate (CA) solubilized in formic acid, followed by CA deacetylation. Regenerated cellulose/keratin materials chlorinated to display halamines were also effective in killing Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Electrospun core/shell nanofibers engineered to maximize keratin-Cl surface area displayed higher activity against S. aureus than films composed of the same materials. The halamine-based antimicrobial functionalization methods demonstrated for keratin-based materials in this paper are anticipated to translate to other protein biopolymers of interest to the biomaterials community.
Multistatic Pulse-Wave Angle-of-arrival-assisted relative interferometric RADAR

In this work we propose a Pulse-Wave (PW) extension to the Angle-of-arrival-assisted Radio Interferometry (ARI) technique to dramatically reduce the scan-time and the number of vantage points necessary to obtain high-fidelity target position estimation. Accordingly, we call this enhanced process PW-ARI. PW-ARI is the fusion of data from three domains: time (time-of-flight), phase (relative phase-of-arrival), and angle (direction-of-arrival). It has a number of desirable attributes. Foremost among these are its ability to rapidly image extremely large volumes with high accuracy and dense target clusters, support an infinite number of friendly aircraft while providing stealth operational support, and present a spectrally small footprint to both hostile (evade detection and counter-measures) and friendly (maximize electromagnetic compatibility) systems.
Medical Liability And Patient Safety

Political debate over medical malpractice reform seldom takes meaningful account of its policy context, including the emerging science of patient safety. Instead, stakeholders on both sides use the rhetoric of patient safety to support entrenched positions on hardened proposals such as capping damages and limiting access to information about errors. Despite its deja vu quality, the current malpractice crisis can only be understood and addressed as the product of changes in the health care system since the last crisis nearly twenty years ago—changes that also informed the patient safety movement. Patient safety may therefore serve as a bridge between medical liability and health policy.
Determination of respiratory motion for distal esophagus cancer using four-dimensional computed tomography.

Purpose To investigate the motion characteristics of distal esophagus cancer primary tumors using four-dimensional computed tomography (4D CT). Methods and Materials Thirty-one consecutive patients treated for esophagus cancer who received respiratory-gated 4D CT imaging for treatment planning were selected. Deformable image registration was used to map the full expiratory motion gross tumor volume (GTV) to the full-inspiratory CT image, allowing quantitative assessment of each voxel's displacement. These displacements were correlated with patient tumor and respiratory characteristics. Results The mean (SE) tidal volume was 608 (73) mL. The mean GTV volume was 64.3 (10.7) mL on expiration and 64.1 (10.7) mL on inspiration (no significant difference). The mean tumor motion in the x-direction was 0.13 (0.006) cm (average of absolute values), in the y-direction 0.23 (0.01) cm (anteriorly), and in the z-direction 0.71 (0.02) cm (inferiorly). Tumor motion correlated with tidal volume. Comparison of tumor motion above vs. below the diaphragm was significant for the average net displacement ( p = 0.014), motion below the diaphragm was greater than above. From the cumulative distribution 95% of the tumors moved less than 0.80 cm radially and 1.75 cm inferiorly. Conclusions Primary esophagus tumor motion was evaluated with 4D CT. According to the results of this study, when 4D CT is not available, a radial margin of 0.8 cm and axial margin of ±1.8 cm would provide tumor motion coverage for 95% of the cases in our study population.
Visualizing high dimensional objective spaces for multi-objective optimization: A virtual reality approach

This paper presents an approach for constructing visual representations of high dimensional objective spaces using virtual reality. These spaces arise from the solution of multi-objective optimization problems with more than 3 objective functions which lead to high dimensional Pareto fronts which are difficult to use. This approach is preliminarily investigated using both theoretically derived high dimensional Pareto fronts for a test problem (DTLZ2) and practically obtained objective spaces for the 4 dimensional knapsack problem via multi-objective evolutionary algorithms like HLGA, NSGA, and VEGA. The expected characteristics of the high dimensional fronts in terms of relative sizes, sequencing, embedding and asymmetry were systematically observed in the constructed virtual reality spaces.
Calculation of Aerodynamic Sensitivities by Boundary-Integral Methods and Application to Lifting-Surface Theory

Methodology for analytically generating the aerodynamic sensitivities (rates of change of surface pressures and aerodynamic coefficients with respect to changes in aircraft geometry), needed in aerodynamic shape optimization and multidisciplinary design synthesis, has been derived and illustrated with lifting-surface theory. The arbitrary continuous or discontinuous global or local perturbation is defined in terms of a single variable. The procedure is adaptable to surface-panel and even nonlinear integral methods without the prohibitively expensive perturbation of each panel node as proposed by others.
Detection and recognition of U.S. speed signs from grayscale images for intelligent vehicles

This paper presents a simple and robust U.S. speed sign detection and recognition algorithm applied on grayscale images. The algorithm has two phases in it. In the detection phase, the possible speed sign regions in the input image are obtained by analyzing the region characteristics such as aspect ratio and size, after labeling the input grayscale image using the modified connected component labeling (CCL) algorithm. In the recognition phase the information regarding the speed-limit is extracted from the hypothesized regions, after verifying the hypothesis by recognizing their inner parts. The invariant properties of the speed-limit sign board characters, calculated from the Hu’s moments, are used as the features in the recognition scheme. A statistical based method is used to classify the hypothesized regions and neural network based classification is employed to extract the assigned speed limit. The proposed algorithm was implemented on a number of road scenes and the results are compared with the other available methods.
An outbreak of puerperal sepsis in New York City

Summary and Conclusions 1. During the period .January 16, to February 14, 1927, twenty-fourpatients, out of a total of one hundred and sixty-three delivered, developedstreptococcal infection and eight of then1 died. One other diedlater. One baby died of erysipelas. One nurse got a severe streptococcalinfection of the arm and recovered. One nurse developed aprimary streptococcal peritonitis and recovered after laparotomy. 2. Cases continued to occur after treatment of the operating anddelivery rooms with chloride of lime; after a change was made to adelivery room which had never been used before; and they only ceasedwhen admissions to the hospital were stopped. 3. A complete bacteriologic investigation of the hospital failed todemonstrate hemolytic streptococci in the air, on the floors or walls,in the operating rooms, in dressings, supplies, or water. 4. The only place where streptococci were found, other than in theinfected patients, was in the nose and throat of certain doctors, nurses,and members of the domestic staff. 5. The exclusion of these carriers from direct contact with patientsfailed to arrest the epidemic. This may have been because freshcarriers were always being discovered. 6. Masking of the nose and mouth of all in attendance on patientsbefore, during, and after labor failed to arrest the epidemic. 7. Notwithstanding the above, the fact that streptococci were demonstratedin no situation other than the nose and throat of attendantsmakes it important to exclude streptococcal carriers from maternityhospitals and to insist on complete masking by all in attendance onparturient or puerperal women. 8. The data available are not sufficient to determine whether one ormore of these carriers brought the infection in, in the first instance, orwhether they picked up the organism from the infected cases. Thelatter is possibly true in some cases. 9. The occurrence of a primary peritonitis in a nurse shoYvs thatthere may be points of entry for the hemolytic streptococcus otherthan the vagina and puerperal uterus, but the finding of the organismin the vagina of nearly all infected patients shows that this was thecommon portal. 10. The particular streptococcus in this series of infections was a veryvirulent one. 11. Every patient but one with a positive blood culture died. 12. The late appearance of streptococci in the blood of most of thecases and the postmortem findings point to a lymphatic dissemination.
Semantic Parsing via Staged Query Graph Generation: Question Answering with Knowledge Base

We propose a novel semantic parsing framework for question answering using a knowledge base. We define a query graph that resembles subgraphs of the knowledge base and can be directly mapped to a logical form. Semantic parsing is reduced to query graph generation, formulated as a staged search problem. Unlike traditional approaches, our method leverages the knowledge base in an early stage to prune the search space and thus simplifies the semantic matching problem. By applying an advanced entity linking system and a deep convolutional neural network model that matches questions and predicate sequences, our system outperforms previous methods substantially, and achieves an F1 measure of 52.5% on the WEBQUESTIONS dataset.
The Future of Banking in America - Summary and Conclusions

The purpose of the FDIC's study of the future of U.S. banking is to project likely trends in the structure and performance of the banking industry over the next five to ten years and to anticipate the policy issues that will confront the industry and the regulatory community.
New Drugs of 1999

Abstract Objective To provide information regarding the most important properties of the new therapeutic agents marketed in 1999. Data Sources Published studies, drug information reference sources, and product labeling. Data Synthesis In 1999, 28 new therapeutic agents were marketed. The indications and information on dosage and administration for each new agent are reviewed, as are the most important pharmacokinetic properties, adverse events, drug interactions, and other precautions. Practical considerations for the use of the new agents are also discussed. Where possible, the properties of the new drugs are compared with those of older drugs marketed for the same indications. Conclusion A number of the new therapeutic agents marketed in 1999 have important advantages over older medications. An understanding of the properties of these agents is important for the pharmacist to effectively counsel patients about their use and to serve as a valuable source of information for other health care professionals regarding these drugs.
Creating the Corporate Citizen: Mobil Oil's Editorial-Advocacy Campaign in The New York Times to Advance the Right and Practice of Corporate Political Speech, 1970–80

Abstract Over the course of the 1970s, Mobil Oil made The New York Times oped page the focus of a groundbreaking advocacy strategy to promote interests that went far beyond its immediate business objectives. This study considers that influential campaign in terms of its significance for intellectual history, particularly Mobil's efforts to reframe understanding of the marketplace of ideas in First Amendment theory and practice. Although other corporations produced advocacy messages in the seventies, none spoke so regularly on so many issues of public policy as Mobil did during that period This research documents the way rhetoric was employed in Mobil's Times editorial-advocacy campaign to frame the corporate role in democratic processes as identical to that of the individual citizen.
The utility of full-thickness skin grafts (FTSGs) for auricular reconstruction.

Background Full-thickness skin grafts (FTSGs) are a common repair option on the external ear, but there are few large case series examining graft sublocations, dimensions, and outcomes. Objective We sought to report our experience with FTSGs for repair of postsurgical defects of the external ear. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of all FTSGs on the ear performed by 2 surgeons (J. C., 2000-2014; B. C. L., 2007-2014) after clearance by Mohs micrographic surgery at a single institution. Results A total of 1519 FTSGs on the ear were performed between June 2000 and March 2014. The most common sublocations were the superior helix (38.8%), the crura of the antihelix or scapha (18.9%), and the back of ear/back of helix (15.4%). The overall complication rate was 1.6%, and the most common complication was graft failure (1.2%). Limitations Data were collected retrospectively from a single institution. Follow-up beyond 3 months was limited. A standardized assessment tool for aesthetic outcomes was not performed. Conclusion By taking advantage of predictable "pincushioning" and combining with local flaps or cartilage grafts, FTSGs can provide more volumetric replacement than previously described. They reliably preserve the height and complex topography of the ear with a low complication rate.
How Seed Size Affects the Occurrence of “Active” and “Miniature” Forms of Callosobruchus maculatus in Laboratory Populations

The proportion of the “active” form of the cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus F., among a population emerging from infested cowpeas in the laboratory is greatly reduced in small seeds. It is replaced by a “miniature” form of the weevil. The factors conditioning production of the “active” form appear to operate when sufficient food is supplied. Small-seeded varieties would have a limiting effect on population increase of the weevil. However, breeders have to select cowpeas for a size acceptable to consumers and, in addition, for intrinsic characteristics conferring resistance to the cowpea weevil, preferably a deterrent seed coat and/or reduced nutritional value to the weevil. Frequency of miniature forms deserves attention as a more dependable parameter than that of the active form in rapid screening of large numbers of entries for sources of resistance.
Horace and historians

In ‘the only coherent piece of autobiography which we possess from Horace's pen’, as Fraenkel has called it, the poet wrote these famous lines (Epist. 2.2.49–52):unde simul primum me dimisere Philippi,decisis humilem pinnis inopemque paterni 50et laris et fundi paupertas impulit audaxut uersus facerem.As soon as Philippi discharged me thence, poverty drove me grounded as I was, with my wings clipped, and deprived of my ancestral home and farm—boldly to produce verses.As is remarked by Lyne, however, ‘Horace here omits an intervening and prosaic stage’. The evidence for this omission comes from Suetonius' biography of the poet, in which the same period of Horace's life is described slightly differently: ‘uictisque partibus uenia impetrata scriptum quaestorium comparauit. ac primo Maecenati … insinuatus…’ (‘after the defeat of his party and a successful request for pardon he procured the position of scriba quaestorius. And having first become involved with Maecenas…’). What was the exact sequence of events? Lyne, like Brink, proposes that Horace after Philippi derived income from his position as scriba quacstorius and that this in turn enabled him to write the poetry which eventually brought him to Maecenas' attention. Nisbet, on the other hand, thinks that Horace's early poetry elicited subsidies from ‘grandees like Pollio and Messalla’ and that these provided him with the wherewithal to buy his position as scriba, from which he was effectively relieved by his later association with Maecenas.
Two-photon holographic optogenetics of neural circuits (Conference Presentation)

Optical manipulation of in vivo neural circuits with cellular resolution could be important for understanding cortical function. Despite recent progress, simultaneous optogenetic activation with cellular precision has either been limited to 2D planes, or a very small numbers of neurons over a limited volume. Here we demonstrate a novel paradigm for simultaneous 3D activation using a low repetition rate pulse-amplified fiber laser system and a spatial light modulator (SLM) to project 3D holographic excitation patterns on the cortex of mice in vivo for targeted volumetric 3D photoactivation. This method is compatible with two-photon imaging, and enables the simultaneous activation of multiple cells in 3D, using red-shifted opsins, such as C1V1 or ReaChR, while simultaneously imaging GFP-based sensors such as GCaMP6. This all-optical imaging and 3D manipulation approach achieves simultaneous reading and writing of cortical activity, and should be a powerful tool for the study of neuronal circuits.
Numerical Simulation of Thermal Process in a Walking Beam Reheating Furnace

In the paper,three-dimensional numerical simulation of complex thermal processes with flowing,radiation,and combustion is carried out in walking beam reheating furnace.A comprehensive mathematical model for simulating the reacting and heat transfer process in a reheating furnace is developed.In the simulation of the reacting and heat transfer process,the models include the k-e two-equation turbulence model for turbulent flow,the P-1 model for radiative heat transfer,and the Species Transport gaseous combustion model for gaseous reaction.The governing equations are solved by the SIMPLER algorithm.Using the above models,very detailed results regarding the distribution of velocity,temperature,concentration of the different section are obtained.And the simulation results show a good agreement with the on-site testing data,which testifies the method of CFD numerical simulation.
Largest-Crown- Width Prediction Models for 53 Species in the Western United States

The mean crown diameters of stand-grown trees 5.0-in. dbh and larger were modeled as a function of stem diameter, live-crown ratio, stund-level basal area, latitude, longitude, elevation, and Hopkins bioclimatic index for 53 tree species in the western United States. Stem diameter was statistically signi@ant in all models, and a quadratic term for stem diameter was requiredfor some species. Crown ratio and/or Hopkins index also improved the models for most species. A term,for stand-level basal area was not generally needed but did yield some minor improvementfor a,few species. Coeficients of variation from the regression solutions rangedJrom 17 to 33%, and model R2 rangedfrom 0.15 to 0.85. Simpler models, based solely on stem diameter, are also presented. West. J. Appl. For. 19(4):245-251.
Methyltestosterone Treatment of Infertility Associated with Pelvic Endometriosis

Sixty-four patients who had infertility associated only with endometriosis were treated with methyltestosterone, 5 mg/day, continuously for a period of 6 months. The patients continued to ovulate while receiving medication and 12 patients became pregnant, on an average, 6 months after the initiation of therapy. A computer analysis indicated that approximately 30% of the patients could expect pregnancy within 2 years after the testosterone treatment was begun. The side effects of the low-dose methyltestosterone therapy were acne in 6% of the patients, mild hirsutism in 3%, and an occasional delay in ovulation.
Preparation and Fabrication of Rare Earth Magnetic Materials

Binary alloys between the rare earth metals (elements) and metals from the first or second transition series elements exhibit a large range of magnetic properties. Their application in the field of permanent magnets has grown rapidly. Many alloys of the rare earths with transition series elements have properties suitable for magnetic refrigeration. Preparation of these alloys in high purity and in forms suitable for refrigeration devices presents many problems. Trade offs between purity and magnetic properties must be made to obtain structurally sound refrigeration materials at a reasonable cost. Laboratory methods used to prepare and study these alloys will be presented. Large scale methods to produce permanent magnet materials have been developed. These methods and their possible application to magnetic refrigeration alloys will be presented.
Effect of Statin Use on Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness.

Background. Recent studies suggest that statin use may reduce influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE), but laboratory-confirmed influenza was not assessed. Methods. Patients ≥45 years old presenting with acute respiratory illness were prospectively enrolled during the 2004–2005 through 2014–2015 influenza seasons. Vaccination and statin use were extracted from electronic records. Respiratory samples were tested for influenza virus. Results. The analysis included 3285 adults: 1217 statin nonusers (37%), 903 unvaccinated statin nonusers (27%), 847 vaccinated statin users (26%), and 318 unvaccinated statin users (10%). Statin use modified VE and the risk of influenza A(H3N2) virus infection (P = .002) but not 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus (A[H1N1]pdm09) or influenza B virus infection (P = .2 and .4, respectively). VE against influenza A(H3N2) was 45% (95% confidence interval [CI], 27%–59%) among statin nonusers and −21% (95% CI, −84% to 20%) among statin users. Vaccinated statin users had significant protection against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (VE, 68%; 95% CI, 19%–87%) and influenza B (VE, 48%; 95% CI, 1%–73%). Statin use did not significantly modify VE when stratified by prior season vaccination. In validation analyses, the use of other cardiovascular medications did not modify influenza VE. Conclusions. Statin use was associated with reduced VE against influenza A(H3N2) but not influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 or influenza B. Further research is needed to assess biologic plausibility and confirm these results.
MAA 101st Anniversary CMJ Puzzle A

(2016). MAA 101st Anniversary CMJ Puzzle A. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 47, No. 4, pp. 249-249.
Gromov–Hausdorff distance for pointed metric spaces

We establish an embedding theorem for the Gromov–Hausdorff limit of a sequence of proper pointed metric spaces.
Heavy vehicle simulator and accelerated pavement testing facility at Rowan University

The use of full-scale accelerated pavement testing is gaining more prominence in recent years due to (1) the several advantages such tests offer and (2) the development of portable and non-portable accelerated pavement testing equipment that facilitate conducting these tests. For instance, conducting accelerated pavement testing offers the advantage to simulate long-term traffic conditions in a short period of time that ranges between three to six months. It can also help in better simulating field conditions simply because full-scale sections are constructed using paving equipment and procedures utilized by contractors in the field. Therefore, it can be argued that full-scale accelerated pavement testing can provide results that are more representatives of field conditions that does laboratory testing. To keep up with current transportation and pavement research trends, Rowan University is currently in the process of constructing an accelerated pavement testing facility. In fact, the mission of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Rowan University is to grow the program to become one of the nationally recognized research programs in the areas of transportation and pavement engineering. To accomplish this mission, the department along with the College of Engineering at Rowan University, the State of New Jersey (NJ), and the United State Department of Defense (USDoD) have established a state-of-the-art transportation research center known as the Center for Research and Education in Advanced Transportation Engineering System (CREATEs). CREATEs houses an AMRL (AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory) certified Rowan University Construction Materials Laboratory (RUCOM) and the Rowan University Accelerated Pavement Testing Facility (RUAPTF). Therefore, CREATES is envisioned to provide states and local agencies as well as the pavement industry in the northeastern region of the United States (US) with both laboratory and full scale accelerated pavement testing capabilities. This paper documents the design and construction processes currently being implemented for building RUAPTF.
Asymmetric interactions between doublesex and tissue- and sex-specific target genes mediate sexual dimorphism in beetles.

Sexual dimorphism is likely the result of differential gene expression. Here, the authors examine the role of the dsx gene in beetles and find that this gene acts in a sex- and tissue-specific manner, either by regulating sex-specific targets or by acting in opposite directions in males and females.