cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Newer Imaging Methods for Triaging Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department with Chest Pain

The usefulness of electron beam CT (EBCT) for the risk stratification of patients in the emergency department (ED) who have possible acute coronary syndrome has been evaluated in three small studies. The results of these studies are promising, as patients who have no coronary calcium detected by EBCT essentially had no adverse cardiac events. Although the negative predictive value of EBCT was excellent, the limited positive predictive value that would lead to further diagnostic testing makes this strategy less attractive if applied to a broad population. Further larger'studies may help define which patients in the ED who have chest pain and nondiagnostic ECGs can be effectively evaluated by EBCT. Recent advances in noninvasive coronary angiography by multislice computed tomography are of considerable interest in the ED evaluation of patients with undefined chest pain, but the utility of this method in this setting awaits clinical studies.
Progress in antiangiogenic gene therapy of cancer

BACKGROUND Because tumors require angiogenesis for growth, inhibiting angiogenesis is a promising strategy for treating cancer patients. Although numerous endogenous angiogenesis inhibitors have been discovered, the clinical evaluation of these agents has been hindered by high dose requirements, manufacturing constraints, and relative instability of the corresponding recombinant proteins. Therefore the delivery of these proteins using gene therapy has become increasingly attractive. METHODS Based on their own antiangiogenic gene therapy research, the authors evaluated the published experience with antiangiogenic gene therapy models using the National Library of Medicine's PubMed search service and the reference lists of the publications cited. RESULTS Greater than 40 endogenous inhibitors of angiogenesis have been characterized. Thirteen have been employed in gene therapy models, all of which showed antitumor activity in experimental animals. Other approaches have inhibited the expression or activity of proangiogenic cytokines such as vascular endothelial growth factor. The ideal gene delivery vector would target tumor tissue preferentially to minimize systemic toxicity of the transgene product. However, the low toxicity profile of endogenous inhibitors of angiogenesis has allowed the success of systemic antiangiogenic gene therapy in a number of preclinical models, in which normal host tissues act as a “factory” to produce high circulating concentrations of antiangiogenic proteins. CONCLUSIONS Difficulties with the large-scale use of antiangiogenic agents have hindered their investigation in clinical trials. Antiangiogenic gene therapy offers the potential for cancer patients to manufacture their own antiangiogenic proteins. This strategy has been increasingly successful in preclinical models and represents an exciting new approach to cancer therapy. Cancer 2000;89:1181–94. © 2000 American Cancer Society.
Using electro-magnetic induction technology to identify sampling sites for soil acidity assessment and to determine spatial variability of soil acidity in rice fields

Irrigated agriculture has contributed to increasing topsoil acidity, which in turn can increase acidification of the subsoil. Lime is typically applied at a uniform rate to raise the pH of the soil, with no accounting for the variation in soil acidity that may exist within a field. Current commercial sampling protocols use surface soil composites taken across the whole field or in parts of fields where visual soil differences are apparent. Current liming recommendations may not account for in-field soil pH spatial variability, especially if the variability is not related to visual differences. Three studies were undertaken over 10 fields, to investigate the potential of using electro-magnetic induction instruments (Geonics EM38 and EM31) to target soil sampling in order to identify differences in soil acidity within flood-irrigated fields in southern New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Within individual fields, large differences in surface soil acidity were identified and a strong relationship (r2 = 0.49 to 0.91) between the soil’s apparent electrical conductivity and soil pH was found. It is proposed that fields from southern NSW that have grown rice, be divided into zones to soil sample for acidity assessment, based on EM instrument readings. Proposed ECa levels for the delineation of zones are 140 mS/m for EM31v and 110 mS/m for EM38v. Many rice growers in southern NSW currently have EM maps of their fields. Using these maps to target soil sampling for soil acidity would be a more cost-effective method of determining the spatial variability of soil acidity in a field than grid sampling. Knowledge of the variability of soil acidity within the field would potentially allow the application of appropriate lime rates, relative to soil pH and cation exchange capacity to all parts of the field. This knowledge could make the variable application of lime a cost effective approach, compared with whole field management approaches.
An electrophoretic method for detecting hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase variants

An electrophoretic method that detects hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase variants is described.
Aerial image sensor for self-calibration of wafer steppers

The requirement for higher resolution is pushing up the NA of the projection lens. As a result, DOF becomes shallower, and the focus budget becomes tight. Precise measurement of best focus is becoming more and more important. A new aerial image sensor is presented that is suitable for use on leading edge wafer steppers. This sensor detects the intensity distribution of aerial images down to 0.15 micrometer isolated lines, and is currently used as a best focus calibration sensor for wafer steppers. This sensor can measure best focus using both dense and isolated patterns with a precision of < 20 nm (3(sigma) ). In actual operation, determination of best focus on a wafer stepper requires only a few minutes. The functionality of this sensor is being expanded to include additional self- calibration tasks, such as magnification, illumination telecentricity, distortion, and other aberrations.
The Role of Chemotherapy in Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma

Locally advanced upper tract urothelial carcinoma has a poor prognosis. While surgery represents the only potentially curable therapeutic intervention, recurrences are common and typically systemic in nature. It is thus reasonable to consider perioperative chemotherapy in an effort to decrease the risk of recurrence. There are very little direct data providing clinical guidance in this scenario. For urothelial cancer of the bladder, there are randomized phase III data demonstrating a survival advantage with neoadjuvant cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy. Although arguments favoring adjuvant chemotherapy could be made for upper tract urothelial cancer, the loss of renal function that occurs with nephrectomy can complicate administration of appropriate perioperative treatment. Therefore, by analogy to urothelial carcinoma of the lower tract, it is argued that cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy should be the standard of care for patients with locally advanced upper tract urothelial cancer.
Pulmonary NO2 toxicity: Phosphatidylcholine levels and incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA

Abstract Lungs from rats exposed to 30 ppm NO2(μl/liter) for either 1 or 5 hr had higher incorporation rates of [3H]thymidine into DNA and greater amounts of phosphatidylcholine than the lungs from control animals. Although there was no difference between the pulmonary phosphatidylcholine levels in rats exposed to NO2 for 1 or 5 hr, the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA was considerably higher in the lungs of animals exposed to NO2 for 5 hr than in those exposed for 1 hr. Analyses of autoradiograms of lung tissue showed essentially the same labeling index for the alveoli from animals exposed to NO2 for 1 or 5 hr; however, the animals exposed to NO2 for 5 hr had a greater number of labeled cells in the lower airways and alveolar ducts than in the lungs from rats exposed for only 1 hr. These results suggest that the increased levels of phosphatidylcholine after exposure to NO2 are directly related to damage of the alveolar cells, whereas the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into lung DNA represents more widespread damage to areas involving the lower airways. Second and third exposures (24 hr apart) of rats to 30 ppm NO2 for either 1 or 5 hr caused little increase in the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into pulmonary DNA and no further increase in lung phosphatidylcholine levels. Decreased incorporation of thymidine into the DNA of pulmonary cells after second and third exposures to NO2 is referred to as “adaptation” in this report. When NO2-adapted animals were again exposed to NO2 7 days after the previous NO2 treatment, the lungs again exhibited increases in both [3H]thymidine incorporation and levels of phosphatidylcholine.
Utility of preemptive local analgesia in vaginal hysterectomy

Abstract Objective Our purpose was to determine whether preemptive administration of long-acting local anesthetics before vaginal hysterectomy will improve postoperative pain. Study design A blinded, randomized, trial of paracervical injection of 0.5% bupivacaine with epinephrine or normal saline solution placebo with epinephrine was conducted. Verbal analog pain scores were collected at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 24 hours after surgery. Morphine use in the postanesthesia care unit and by patient-controlled morphine analgesia was recorded. Results Twenty patients were enrolled. Nine were randomized to bupivacaine. There was no difference between groups regarding age, length of surgery, blood loss, or length of stay. Pain scores were lower in the bupivacaine group by analysis of variance ( P =.03). Total morphine and patient-controlled analgesia morphine was significantly less in patients receiving bupivacaine ( P =.01 and .04). Conclusion Paracervical block with a 0.5% bupivacaine with 1:200,000 epinephrine before vaginal hysterectomy is associated with lower pain scores and a reduction in morphine requirements after surgery.
An atmospheric-pressure, argon-afterglow detector for gas chromatography

Abstract The development of an atmospheric-pressure argon-afterglow, produced from an ozonizer-type discharge tube, for element-selective, multielement detection in gas chromatography is described. Characteristic atomic emission is observed from chlorine, bromine, iodine, carbon, sulfur and phosphorus in organic compounds, with limits of detection ranging from 0.02 ng for phosphorus to 20 ng for bromine. Element-selective detection for several pesticides is demonstrated.
Entropy Generation in Non-Newtonian Fluids Along Horizontal Plate in Porous Media

Second-law characteristics of heat transfer and fluid flow due to mixed convection of non-Newtonian fluids over a horizontal plate with a prescribed surface temperature in a porous medium are analyzed. Velocity and temperature fields are obtained numerically using an implicit finite difference method under the similarity assumption, and these results are used to compute the entropy generation rateNs, the irreversibility ratio , and the Bejan number Be for both pseudoplastic and dilatant fluids. The effects of the power-law index n, the temperature variation , the mixed convection parameter , the axial distance x, and the viscous frictional parameterG on the velocity and temperature profiles, the dimensionless entropy generation rate Ns, the irreversibility ratio , and the Bejan number Be are investigated and presented graphically.
Bioaccumulation of lead nitrate in red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii)

Abstract Crayfish were exposed to intermediate concentrations of lead nitrate (150 μgl−1 and 1100 μgl−1) for periods up to 7 weeks. Lead clearance was monitored at 3 weeks following the 7 week exposure to the lower concentration. Lead bioaccumulation was demonstrated to be a time- and dose-dependent phenomenon in gills, hepatopancreas and abdominal muscle, but not the exoskeleton. The tissue concentrations of lead in soft tissues, in decreasing order were gills > hepatopancreas > muscle > hemolymph. Lead clearance was significant in all tissues evaluated except the hepatopancreas, the organ of metal storage and detoxification.
Snapshot imaging Fraunhofer line discriminator

Reflectance measurements have been a long standing means of quantifying chlorophyll, and other chemical contents, within vegetation. Conventional metrics that are common include normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) and photochemical reflectance index (PRI). However, to gain more information about the plant canopy and go beyond reflectance measurements, fluorescence measurements are also being pursued. While active laser- or illuminator-based methods exist, passive methods are often preferred due to their lower power requirements and their reduced system complexity and eye safety concerns. To this end, preliminary results for the development of a high throughput imaging Fraunhofer line discriminator (FLD) are presented. This system, which is based on a multiple-image Fourier transform spectrometer and a spatial heterodyne interferometer can, for the first time, leverage the snapshot advantage for high throughput FLD. In this paper, the concept of the system is presented and preliminary experimental calibration results are summarized.
The Blameworthy Victim: Domestic Violence Myths and the Criminalization of Victimhood

Prior research shows that individual perceptions of victims play an integral role in the societal response to domestic violence, as well as victims' responses to their own victimization. However, little research has specifically examined individual perceptions of domestic violence victims who remain in abusive relationships. This study begins to fill the void in the literature by examining college students' attitudes toward battered women. Specifically, the study considers whether students adhere to common myths associated with battering and if myths lead college students to view domestic violence victims as “blameworthy.” The study relies on a sample of 370 university students attending a large Southern metropolitan university. Findings indicate that students moderately support domestic violence myths and that myth promotion is associated with support for increased criminal justice penalties such as prosecution of mothers and approval of delayed police response in cases of repeat victimization. Implicati...
Nano-Droplet Impact on a Homogenous Surface Using Molecular Dynamics

Impact of argon nano-droplet on homogeneous platinum wall is simulated using molecular dynamics. Wall temperature (90 K, 300 K) and surface wettability (high, low based on eAr–Pt parameter) are varied to study four cases. An external force is applied on the drop for a short time period to achieve velocities in the range of 13 m/s – 15 m/s. Interface markers, interfacial fit and contact angles are evaluated. Complete spreading is obtained on the high wettable surface, whereas drop oscillations are seen for the low wettable surface for wall temperatures of 90 K. Liedenfrost effect is observed for wall temperature of 300 K for both cases of surface wettability.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Fixed length spin system extended to negative spin dimensionality

Abstract The partition function of a classical system of n -components spins with a fixed length is shown to be non Gaussian at n =-2 in contrast to the Gaussian result found recently for continuous spins.
Tungsten(0) η2-Thiophene Complexes: Dearomatization of Thiophene and Its Facile Oxidation, Protonation, and Hydrogenation

Complexes of the form TpW(NO)(PMe3)(η2-thiophene) have been synthesized in 31−40% yield by reduction of TpW(NO)(PMe3)(Br) in the presence of the thiophene ligand. The dynamics of protonation and the subsequent deprotonation for the corresponding 2H-thiophenium complexes have been investigated. Hydrogenation of the uncoordinated double bond was accomplished, and sulfur−carbon, sulfur−oxygen, and carbon−carbon bond-forming reactions were explored with these complexes.
Sprachformen: Deutsch und Niederdeutsch in europäischen Bezügen; Festschrift für Dieter Stellmacher zum 60. Geburtstag. Edited by Peter Wagener (Zeitschrift für Dialektologie und Linguistik Beihefte, 105.) Stuttgart: Steiner, 1999. Pp. 374. Paper. 75.00.

This volume contains thirty-five articles dedicated to Dieter Stellmacher, professor for Low German language and literature at the Universitat Gottingen. The articles address a wide range of topics with an emphasis on German and Low German philology and linguistics. A number of articles are also devoted to literature and to linguistic topics in languages other than German or Low German. Most of the articles in this volume are fairly short, but they are generally of high quality. In addition to articles, this volume contains a list of approximately 200 well-wishers and a list of Dieter Stellmacher's numerous publications.
Very low birth weight children: Behavior problems and school difficulty in a national sample

We addressed three questions concerning the behavioral and academic status of low and very low birth weight infants through a secondary analysis of the 1981 National Health Interview Survey-Child Health Supplement: (1) in children born with very low birth weight, what is the risk of behavior problems and school difficulty compared with that in heavier low birth weight and normal birth weight children? (2) What are the correlates of school difficulty? (3) Are behavior problems associated with school difficulty when variables are controlled for these correlates? The analysis revealed that 34% of very low birth weight children could be characterized as having school difficulty, compared with 20% and 14% of the other groups, respectively, and that they were more likely to have higher scores on the hyperactive subscale of the Behavior Problems Index. Although a broad array of sociodemographic factors correlated with school difficulty, very low birth weight and hyperactivity scores contributed independently to the risk of academic problems. We conclude that very low birth weight infants are at risk of having school problems that are in part associated with hyperactive behavior.
Preventing tobacco and drug use among Thai high school students through life skills training

Tobacco and drug use remain major public health concerns. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a school health intervention program using life skills training (LST) to reduce tobacco and drug use among Thai high school students. A randomized pretest and post-test comparative design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the LST program. A total of 170 Thai students in grades 7-12 were randomly selected. The students in the control group received the tobacco and drug education curriculum normally provided; the intervention group received a LST program that provided information and skills specifically related to drug and tobacco use. Students in the school health intervention program had statistically significant positive effects regarding knowledge level, attitudes, and the development of refusal, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. The results showed that a LST program was effective for preventing tobacco and drug use in Thai high school students.
Classified Vector Spiht Forwavelet Image Coding

Wavelet based image coding has been shown to be an effective method, especially at low bit rate. Two successful approaches, space-frequency quantization (SFQ) and set partitioning in hierarchical trees (SPIHT) were proposed to predict insignificant wavelet coefficients. However, both of them employ a simple scalar quantization scheme instead of powerful vector quantization for coding of the significant wavelet coefficients. In this paper we propose a new image coding method that combines the SPIHT type set partitioning technique with classified vector quantization. That is, the set partitioning technique is used to locate significant wavelet coefficient vectors based on vectors' energies. In addition, the same information is used as classification indices to select the correct energy sub-codebook for vector quantization. The main idea of the proposed method is that the SPIHT type information is shared by set partitioning for locating significant vectors and classified vector quantization. In this way, many bits are saved for coding the side information required by classified vector quantization. Experimental results show that our proposed method achieves better performance, as compared to SPIHT and SFQ.
An analytical solution for consent management in patient privacy preservation

With the growing awareness and enforcement of patient rights, patients are empowered with increasing control on their medical information. In many situations, laws and regulation rules require the acquisition of patients' consent before one can access the patients' health data. However, in practice, patients oftentimes have difficulties determining whether they should permit or deny a certain access request. In this article, we propose an analytical approach to assist patients in the consent management of their medical information. Our consent management system employs a statistical learning method that evaluates the benefits and risks associated with access requests, so as to make personalized recommendation on consent decisions. Multiple factors are considered in the assessment process, including the importance of the request, the sensitivity of the requested information, and correlation information. We have implemented a prototype of our solution and performed evaluation with large-scale medical records.
Phenytoin interacts with calcium channels in brain membrances

Phenytoin at concentrations of between 30 and 300 microM inhibited binding of the calcium antagonist [3H] nitrendipine to voltage-dependent calcium channels in brain membranes. Other anticonvulsants (phenobarbital, carbamazepine, valproic acid, and clonazepam) failed to inhibit binding or did so only at concentrations much higher than occur clinically. Calcium channel blockade may be important in the clinical actions of phenytoin, including certain of the adverse effects of the drug.
Red-luminescent europium (III) doped silica nanoshells: synthesis, characterization, and their interaction with HeLa cells

A simple method to fabricate Eu3+ doped silica nanoshells particles with 100 and 200 nm diameters is reported. Amino polystyrene beads were used as templates, and an 8 to 10 nm thick silica gel coating was formed by the sol-gel reaction. After removing the template by calcination, porous dehydrated silica gel nanoshells of uniform size were obtained. The Eu3+ doped silica nanoshells exhibited a red emission at 615 nm on UV excitation. The porous structure of the silica shell wall was characterized by transmission electron microscopy measurements, while particle size and zeta potentials of the particles suspended in aqueous solution were characterized by dynamic light scattering. Two-photon microscopy was used to image the nanoshells after assimilation by HeLa cancer cells.
Ether lipid content and fatty acid distribution in rabbit polymorphonuclear neutrophil phospholipids.

This study was undertaken to determine if rabbit neutrophils contain sufficient ether-linked precursor for the synthesis of 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (platelet activatin factor) by a deacylation-reacylation pathway. The phospholipids from rabbit peritoneal polymorphonuclear neutrophils were purified and quantitated, and the choline-containing and ethanolamine-containing phosphoglycerides were analyzed for ether lipid content. Choline-containing phosphoglycerides (37%), ethanolamine-containing phosphoglycerides (30%), and sphingomyelin (28%) were the predominant phospholipid classes, with smaller amounts of phosphatidylserine (5%) and phosphatidylinositol (<1%). The choline-linked fraction contained high amounts of 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl-(46%) and 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (54%), with a trace of the 1-O-alk-1′-enyl-2-acyl species. The ethanolamine-linked fraction contained high amounts of 1-O-alk-1′-enyl-2-acyl-(63%) and 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (34%), and a low quantity of the 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl species (3%). The predominant 1-O-alkyl ether chains found in thesn-1 position of the choline-linked fraction were 16∶0 (35%), 18∶0 (14%), 18∶1 (26%), 20∶0 (16%), and 22∶0 (9%). The major 1-O-alk-1′-enyl ether chains found in thesn-1 position of the ethanolamine-linked fraction were 14∶0 (13%), 16∶0 (44%), 18∶0 (27%), 18∶1 (12%) and 18∶2 (3%). The major acyl groups in thesn-1 position of 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine were 16∶0, 18∶0 and 18∶1. The most abundant acyl group in thesn-2 position of all classes of choline- and ethanolamine-linked phosphoglycerides was 18⩺2. Although this work does not define the biosynthetic pathway for platelet activating factor, it does show that there is ample precursor present to support its synthesis by a deacylation-reacylation pathway.
Where's the Rabbit? 5.5-Month-Old Infants' Representation of the Height of a Hidden Object

Two experiments examined 5.5-month-old infants' ability to represent the height of a hidden object. The infants saw two test events in which a toy rabbit travelled along a horizontal track; the center of this track was hidden by a screen that had a large window in its upper half. The only difference between the two test events was in the height of the rabbit. In one event (possible event), the rabbit was shorter than the lower edge of the window; in the other (impossible event), the rabbit was taller than the window's lower edge. In both events, the rabbit travelled along the track, disappearing at one end of the screen and reappearing at the other, without appearing in the window. The infants looked reliably longer at the impossible than at the possible event, indicating that they (a) believed that the rabbit continued to exist and pursued its trajectory behind the screen; (b) represented the height of the rabbit behind the screen; and therefore (c) expected the tall rabbit to appear in the window and were surprised that it failed to do so. A control condition in which a pretest display suggested that two separate rabbits were used to produce the events (one travelling to the left and the other to the right of the screen) supported this interpretation. The results have implications for research on the development of infants' ability to represent and use information about the physical and spatial properties of hidden objects.
Gastroenterology and the pharmaceutical industry

Physicians' relationships with industry derive from the moral imperative to advocate and work for the best interests of patients. Private industry generally operates to satisfy the best interests of the stockholders or owners. Conflicts arise between these interests and are magnified by the inequality of the financial positions of physicians and industry. Because the ultimate consumer of the products (drugs, medical devices, etc.) of the biomedical industry must enlist a physician as an intermediary, the physician has become the target of industry in a sophisticated marketing effort that includes the offering of financial and other incentives. These conflicts and incentives are pervasive throughout clinical and research endeavors. Standards for resolution, if not elimination, of these conflicts have been proposed by various respected organizations. Individual physicians and medical organizations should evaluate these standards and, if pertinent and appropriate, endorse and follow them.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ULTRAVIOLET SENSITIVITY AND ABILITY TO PROPAGATE ULTRAVIOLET-IRRADIATED BACTERIOPHAGE

Hill, Ruth F. (Columbia University, New York, N.Y.). Relationship between ultraviolet sensitivity and ability to propagate ultraviolet-irradiated bacteriophage. J. Bacteriol. 88:1283–1287. 1964.—Mutants with a reduced ability to propagate ultraviolet-damaged bacteriophage T1 were isolated from Escherichia coli strain B/r. The change in this ability varied from a slight to a very marked loss; the greater the loss, the greater was the ultraviolet sensitivity of the mutant. Reduced ability to propagate irradiated T1 appears to be the more sensitive index of genetic change, because in one mutant there was no significant reduction in ultraviolet resistance. In a converse study, second-step mutants with an increased ultraviolet resistance were obtained from a mutant of E. coli B. This mutant is both unable to propagate irradiated T1 and very ultraviolet-sensitive. The increased ultraviolet resistance of the second-step mutants was not accompanied by an increased ability to propagate irradiated T1.
SU-FF-T-429: Treatment Planning Modeling and Dose Delivery Advantages of Standard Linac Without Flattening Filter

Purpose: The objective of this study is to determine the accuracy with which treatment planning systems can model dose distributions generated by conventional linear accelerators without the flattening filter, and the potential benefits. Method and Materials: Data was collected on a Siemens Oncor linear accelerator, where the flattening filter has been removed and energy tuned to match a standard 6 MV x‐ray beam but with dose rates of 1000 MU/min. Data was acquired to model and commission four treatment planning systems (Philips Pinnacle, CMS Xio, Nomos Corvus, and Siemens Konrad). Comparisons included: TPS model parameters w/ and w/o flattening filter, measured and computed %dd and profiles, conventional and IMRT dose distributions both via planning and delivery measurements in phantom. Results: Beam energy spectrum characteristics show only a modest softening in the beam since beam tuning matched the filtered 6 MV. Differences are seen in the off‐axis fluence and off‐axis energy softening: the fluence is reduced linearly away from the central axis and the energy spectrum is only slightly reduced by comparison. Dose profiles and %dd were accurately modeled to within 2% and 2mm for all field sizes 2–40 cm. When applied to IMRT treatment plans, the model produced equivalent dose distributions for head‐and‐neck, CNS, and prostate plans; the number of monitor units was slightly increased (∼15%) but the number of segments was identical. Delivery times at 1000 MU/min were shorter (20% reduction), and the IMRT plans delivered had a 30–50% reduction in the number of pixels showing dose‐differences beyond 5%. Conclusion:Treatment planning systems are not only capable of modeling the dose distributions produced without flattening filters, they perform superior than with the filter present, and can reduce common dosimetric errors observed in IMRT phantom studies. Research sponsored by Siemens Medical Solutions corporation.
Reliability modeling of power transformers with maintenance outage

Power transformers are critical equipment of the electric power transmission system, because they adjust the electric voltage to a suitable level on each stage of the power transmission from generation station to the end user. Reliability modeling of power transformers is very important for the electric grid design and risk assessment. In this paper, we propose a reliability model of power transformers with maintenance outage incorporated. The power transformer is divided into two groups of components described by different Markov state space models. Both types of state space models are combined to implement the whole power transformer modeling. Reliability indices such as probabilities of full, derated, and zero capacity as well as system unavailability are derived, and numerical evaluation of selected indices is presented with respect to different parameters. The developed models and analysis method are expected to serve as a useful component for the electric grid system design, assessment, and operation.
Left ventricular pressure/volume relationship in aortic regurgitation.

Abstract In this study we examined the left ventricular pressure/volume relationship in 39 patients with moderate or severe aortic regurgitation (AR) and 15 normal subjects. The patients with AR were divided into two groups; patients with normal resting ejection fraction (EF ≥50%, group I, n = 21) and patients with abnormal EF (group II, n = 18). The patients in group I were younger (p SBP ESVI ) was higher in normal subjects than in patients in groups I and II, at rest it was (4.3 ± 1.0 vs 2.6 ± 1.2 vs 1.6 ± 0.8, respectively, p SBP ESVI ratio was below the lower normal limit in 12 patients (57%) in group I and in 16 patients (89%) in group II. Also, the exercise SBP ESVI ratio was below the lower normal limit in 17 patients (81%) in group I and all of the patients (100%) in group II. Multivariate discriminant analysis identified the change in SBP ESVI (F = 34.8) and resting end-diastolic volume (F = 6.7) as independent predictors of the EF response to exercise. Thus, most patients with AR, including those with normal resting EF or normal EF response to exercise, have abnormal SBP ESVI at rest or during exercise.
Integrating synchrophasor technology with the Oregon State University campus smart grid project

The paper presents the initial study on the integration of synchrophasor infrastructure within the Oregon State University (OSU) Corvallis campus smart grid project. Two popular approaches for transmission level synchrophasor placement are preliminarily applied in a benchmark distribution level network, and subsequently compared in order to evaluate their performance. The first method utilizes a linear optimization approach given the network electrical distances; the second method inspects the sensitivities of bus voltage and angle with respect to power injection by running ac power flow. Moreover, it considers additional constraints and rules such as the size of system and local operating policies/priorities. Finally, a few candidate solutions are identified for the placement of synchrophasors on the OSU-Corvallis campus. This project also builds a geographical campus grid model in PowerWorld to better visualize the experiment outcomes.
A RESIDUALLY FINITE VERSION OF RIPS'S CONSTRUCTION

For each finitely presented group , a short exact sequence is produced, such that is residually finite and is finitely generated.
Subjective responses to alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages by alcoholic respondents

Abstract The semantic differential ratings of real alcohol has been used as a pre-post measure of the effectiveness of behavioral treatment of alcoholism. This attitudinal measure has yielded predominantly negative results. Evidence has been presented that the semantic differential used to rate alcoholic and non-alcoholic slides was not unifactorial. The present study tested whether the semantic differential ratings of real alcohol were unifactorial. Eighty alcoholics tasted two alcoholic and two non-alcoholic beverages and rated them on 20 adjectives derived from 10 supposedly bipolar adjective pairs. For the alcoholic drinks there was some concept scale interaction and definite evidence for a splitting of adjective pairs into two evaluative factors, one of which was mixed with a potency factor. The negative findings of previous research may not reflect a lack of attitudinal change, but a methodological error.
Control of oxo-molybdenum reduction and ionization potentials by dithiolate donors.

The compounds (L-N3)MoO(qdt) and (L-N3)MoO(tdt) [(L-N3) = hydrotris(3,5-dimethyl-1-pyrazolyl)borate; tdt = toluene-3,4-dithiolate; qdt = quinoxaline-2,3-dithiolate] have been studied by cyclic volt...
The effect of the fair value option on bank earnings and regulatory capital management: Evidence from realized securities gains and losses

Abstract Prior research shows that banks achieve reporting objectives using realized securities gains/losses on sales of available-for-sale securities (AFS). Building on this, I investigate whether earnings and regulatory capital management incentives differ between fair value option (FVO) banks and non-FVO banks. FVO banks are allowed to report unrealized gains/losses on elected AFS securities in both current earnings and regulatory capital, whereas, to receive this treatment, non-FVO adopters must sell AFS securities. Using a balanced panel sample covering pre- and post-FVO implementation periods, I find evidence that banks with net positive FVO earnings have fewer earnings and regulatory capital management incentives than do non-FVO banks. My study is of interest to standard setters seeking to reduce earnings and regulatory management behavior, and investors and researchers assessing the implications of the FVO on managers' discretionary actions.
Cardiopulmonary Bypass Parameters and Hemostatic Response to Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Infants Versus Children

Objective: Because infants have relatively more blood loss (mL/kg) than older children during cardiac surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), the authors compared hemostatic activation between infants and older children undergoing cardiac surgery. Design: Observational study. Setting: University-affiliated children’s hospital. Participants: Twenty-eight children (18 infants 1 year) undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Markers of coagulation and fibrinolysis were evaluated at 9 sample points before, during, and after CPB in the 28 children. Infants had greater chest tube output, longer CPB times, and a larger drop in platelet counts during CPB than children. Active tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) increased during CPB in both groups, with infants showing lower levels than children ( p p = 0.01). Thrombin-antithrombin complex levels increased during and after CPB, with infants showing lower levels only during CPB ( p = 0.01). D-dimer and prothrombin activation peptide (F1.2) levels increased in a similar pattern for both groups during and after CPB. The length of aortic cross-clamp time and the level of F1.2 after protamine administration correlated significantly and independently with 12-hour chest tube output. Conclusions: Compared with children, infants had greater blood loss (mL/kg), greater drop in platelets during CPB, lower active tPA, and higher active PAI-1. Cumulative thrombin generation after CPB, indicated by F1.2 levels, correlated with early blood loss.
Response of CD30+ Large Cell Lymphoma of Skin to Bexarotene

According to the REAL classification, CD30+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma of the skin is a distinct clinicopathologic entity characterized by an indolent clinical course. Mycosis fungoides are predominantly small cells with cerebriform nuclei and propensity to infiltrate the epidermis or epidermotropism. CD30+ lymphoid cells are not generally observed in mycosis fungoides except in late or terminal stage. To distinguish between CD30 positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma and CD30 positive mycosis fungoides may be difficult. We describe a case of CD30 positive large cell lymphoma of skin that responded to bexarotene that is recently approved for refractory mycosis fungoides.
Salicyloyl Cyclic Phosphate, a “Penicillin-Like” Inhibitor of β-Lactamases

Salicyloyl cyclic phosphate (1-hydroxy-4,5-benzo-2,6-dioxaphosphorinanone (3)-1-oxide) was designed as a “penicillin-like” inhibitor of β-lactamases. It was anticipated that, after nucleophilic attack on this molecule by the enzyme, the leaving group would remain tethered, and, as in the inhibition of DD-peptidases by penicillins, obstruct hydrolysis of the covalent intermediate back to free enzyme. The target molecule, hitherto only reported as a transient intermediate, was prepared by hydrolysis of the cognate cyclic phosphoryl chloride and isolated and characterized as the dicyclohexylammonium salt. It proved to transiently inhibit the class C β-lactamase of Enterobacter cloacae P99, the class A TEM β-lactamase, and also the DD-peptidase of Streptomyces R61. Most significantly, the half-lives of the complexes formed with these enzymes were 14, 140, and 340 min, respectively. Thus, this cyclic phosphate represents a new class of molecule leading to inert complexes of β-lactam-recognizing enzymes.
Prenatal diagnosis with repetitive in situ hybridization probes

We have used chromosome-specific repetitive sequences to detect the most common human aneuploidies prenatally. Together chromosome 21, 13, 18, X, and Y aneuploidy comprises 95% of the chromosome abnormalities that result in a high risk of abnormal phenotypes at birth. The X, Y, and 18 repetitive probes work reliably in multiple tissue types including directly examined and cultured amniocytes, chorionic villus cells, lymphocytes, and cultured fibroblasts. The probe that detects both chromosomes 13 and 21 routinely gives results in each cell type tested except directly studied amniocytes which can be interpreted in seven-ninths of the cases with protocol 1 and all tested samples with protocol 2. Our protocols diagnosed trisomy 21 in a 23-week fetus with low maternal serum AFP and a trisomy 18 in a direct chorionic villus sample 2 working days after the samples were obtained. Trisomy 21 also has been ruled out in a CVS karyotype first thought to be 47,XY,+21. These studies reflect the potential value of in situ hybridization to provide a more rapid, less expensive means to screen most at-risk fetal populations with less effort in first world cytogenetic laboratories, and to provide economical cytogenetic services in less developed countries. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The discriminative stimulus properties of legal, over-the-counter stimulants administered singly and in binary and ternary combinations.

Ninety-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained in one of seven drug versus saline (SAL) discrimination (DD) tasks under a variable-ratio 5–15 schedule of food-motivated lever press responding. Three groups of rats (n=12/group) were trained to discriminate between one of the legal over-the-counter (OTC) stimulants — caffeine (CAF), ephedrine (EPHED), phenylpropanolamine (PPA), and SAL. Three other groups (n=2/group) were trained to discriminate between one of three binary stimulant combinations — CAF + EPHED, CAF + PPA, EPHED + PPA, and SAL. The seventh group of rats (n=24) was trained to discriminate between SAL and a ternary combination of the OCT stimulants, CAF + EPHED + PPA. Generalization tests were conducted with each of the OTC stimulants and the controlled stimulants — amphetamine (AMPHET) and cocaine (COC). The data suggest: 1) there is cross-generalization between some OTC combinations and controlled stimulants; 2) full generalization between the OTC and controlled stimulants were demonstrated in rats trained to discriminate two of the binary stimulant combinations from SAL; 3) drug mixtures are not perceived as new entities distinct from their component elements; 4) training dose-ratio may influence the characteristics of mixture discriminations; 5) stimulus overshadowing may be a factor determining drug mixture cues, and 6) the DD properties of aggregate drug compounds may function within a euclidean metric space. We propose that some binary OTC stimulant combinations may effectively function as a methadone-like replacement therapy in cocaine dependence.
Analysis of the trade-offs between manual and computer-based stereology/clssification

Estimation of volume or area of tissue types in an image requires both mensuration and classification. The former is achieved through stereology -- a set of techniques that estimate such parameters as area, volume, surface area, length, and number. Classification is achieved by extracting features that capture the discriminating information about tissue type. Both stereology and classification can be performed either manually or by computer. Manual techniques for the combination are based on coarse point counting (low resolution), but assumed perfect pixel classification. Computer-based methods, on the other hand, rely on very fine point counting but in general suffer from imperfect pixel classification. This paper examines the interaction between manual and image processing-based approaches; in particular, we present a measure that combines the classification and measurement errors. Estimation of the variance is used to define the conditions under which each method is and is not advantageous despite its underlying error. This allows the user to choose a method that optimizes overall performance, given the human and machine capabilities available. Illustrations are given of cases in which each method can be preferable, as measured by the variance of the estimate of the performance that was inferred from the measurement.
Saccade-Related Activity in the Primate Superior Colliculus Depends on the Presence of Local Landmarks at the Saccade Endpoint

Saccade-related discharge in the superior colliculus is greater for saccades made to a spot of light than for saccades in complete darkness. However, it is unclear whether this enhancement is due t...
Context-agile encryption for high speed communication networks

Different applications have different security requirements for data privacy, data integrity, and authentication. Encryption is one technique that addresses these requirements. Encryption hardware, designed for use in high-speed communications networks, can satisfy a wide variety of security requirements if the hardware implementation is key-agile, key length-agile, mode-agile, and algorithm-agile. Hence, context-agile encryption provides enhanced solutions to the secrecy, interoperability, and quality of service issues in high-speed networks. Moreover, having a single context-agile encryptor at an ATM aggregation point (such as a firewall) reduces hardware and administrative costs. While single-algorithm, key-agile encryptors exist, encryptors that are agile in a cryptographic robustness sense, are still research topics.
Effect of the dodecyl sulfate counterion on selectivity and resolution in micellar electrokinetic chromatography: II. Organic counterions

Various tetraalkylammonium ions, such as tetramethyl-, tetrapropyl-, tetrapentyl-, and cetyltrimethylammonium, can be added to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micellar solutions to achieve unique selectivities in micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). The cetyltrimethylammonium/SDS buffer system showed the greatest increase in methylene selectivity, while both tetrapropylammonium/SDS and cetyltrimethylammonium/SDS buffer systems had the greatest selectivities for the solutes studied. In addition, the buffer systems that used symmetrical tetraalkylammonium ions showed reductions in retention specific for the carbonyl functional group. The tetramethylammonium/SDS buffer system had the best resolution due to both improved selectivity and an elution range that was 2.5 times that of a comparable SDS buffer system.
Properties of Acyl-coA: cholesterol O-acyltransferase in aortic microsomes from atherosclerotic rabbits

Acyl-CoA:cholesterol O-acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.26) was in microsomal fractions from atherosclerotic rabbit aortic tissue. Activity was increased over 70-fold following 8-11 weeks of cholesterol feeding. Comparison of the lipid composition of aortic microsomal fractions from control and cholesterol-fed animals showed a 2-fold increase in the molar ratio of unesterified cholesterol to phospholipid in the cholesterol-fed group, although no change in phospholipid content or composition was found. Aortic microsomes were fractionated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Acyl-CoA:cholesterol O-acyltransferase was localized in fractions containing neutral alpha-glucoside activity but was clearly separated from 5'-nucleotidase activity. The cholesteryl ester formed during in vitro incubation of incubations of microsomes with either [1-14C]-oleoyl CoA or [7-3H]cholesterol was localized in the same region of the density gradient as acyl-CoA:cholesterol O-acyltransferase. The studies indicate that the increased acyl-CoA:cholesterol O-acyltransferase activity found in cells from aortic atherosclerotic lesions is due to both an increased amount of enzyme and to an expanded pool of microsomal cholesterol which is available for esterification.
Evaluation of the Spacer Effect on Adamantane-Containing Vinyl Polymer Tg's

Two new adamantane-containing methacrylates having methylene and phenyl spacers between the adamantane and the methacrylate were synthesized: 1-adamantylmethyl methacrylate (AdMMA, 1) and 4-(1-ada...