cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence-based labor management: first stage of labor (part 3)

There are several interventions during the first stage of labor that have been studied. Vaginal disinfection with chlorhexidine cannot be recommended. Intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis is recommended for group B streptococcus–positive women. Antibiotic therapy can be considered in women with term prelabor rupture of membranes whose latency is expected to be >12 hours. Aromatherapy with essential oils through inhalation or back massage can be considered. Immersion in water can be considered. Oral restriction of fluid or solid food is not recommended. In the setting of oral restriction, intravenous fluid containing dextrose at a rate of 250 mL/h is recommended. Upright positions and ambulation are recommended in women without regional anesthesia, and women with regional anesthesia can adopt whatever position they find most comfortable and choose to ambulate or not ambulate. Continuous bladder catheterization cannot be recommended. There is no recommended frequency of cervical examinations or sweeping of membranes. The use of a partogram cannot be recommended as a routine intervention. Routine use of the peanut ball cannot be recommended. Antispasmodic agents cannot be recommended. Routine amniotomy alone in normally progressing spontaneous first stage of labor cannot be recommended. Oxytocin augmentation is recommended to shorten the time to delivery for women making slow progress in spontaneous labor, and higher doses of oxytocin can be considered. Early intervention with oxytocin and amniotomy for the prevention and treatment of dysfunctional or slow labor is recommended. Routine use of intrauterine pressure catheter and ultrasound cannot be recommended. Cesarean delivery for arrest should not be performed unless labor has arrested for a minimum of 4 hours with adequate uterine activity or 6 hours with inadequate uterine activity in a woman with rupture of membranes, adequate oxytocin, and ≥6 cm cervical dilation.
Low-dose whole-lung radiation for COVID-19 pneumonia: Planned day 7 interim analysis of a registered clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Individuals of advanced age with comorbidities face a higher risk of death from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), especially once they are ventilator-dependent. Respiratory decline in patients with COVID-19 is precipitated by a lung-mediated aberrant immune cytokine storm. Low-dose lung radiation was used to treat pneumonia in the pre-antibiotic era. Radiation immunomodulatory effects may improve outcomes for select patients with COVID-19. METHODS: A single-institution trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of single-fraction, low-dose whole-lung radiation for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia is being performed for the first time. This report describes outcomes of a planned day 7 interim analysis. Eligible patients were hospitalized, had radiographic consolidation, required supplemental oxygen, and were clinically deteriorating. RESULTS: Of 9 patients screened, 5 were treated with whole-lung radiation on April 24 until April 28 2020, and they were followed for a minimum of 7 days. The median age was 90 years (range, 64-94 years), and 4 were nursing home residents with multiple comorbidities. Within 24 hours of radiation, 3 patients (60%) were weaned from supplemental oxygen to ambient air, 4 (80%) exhibited radiographic improvement, and the median Glasgow Coma Scale score improved from 10 to 14. A fourth patient (80% overall recovery) was weaned from oxygen at hour 96. The mean time to clinical recovery was 35 hours. There were no acute toxicities. CONCLUSIONS: In a pilot trial of 5 oxygen-dependent elderly patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, low-dose whole-lung radiation led to rapid improvements in clinical status, encephalopathy, and radiographic consolidation without acute toxicity. Low-dose whole-lung radiation appears to be safe, shows early promise of efficacy, and warrants further study. LAY SUMMARY: Researchers at Emory University report preliminary safety outcomes for patients treated with low-dose lung irradiation for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. Five residents of nursing or group homes were hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19. Each had pneumonia visible on a chest x-ray, required supplemental oxygen, and experienced a clinical decline in mental status or in work of breathing or a prolonged or escalating supplemental oxygen requirement. A single treatment of low-dose (1.5-Gy) radiation to both lungs was delivered over the course of 10 to 15 minutes. There was no acute toxicity attributable to radiation therapy. Within 24 hours, 4 patients had rapidly improved breathing, and they recovered to room air at an average of 1.5 days (range, 3-96 hours). Three were discharged at a mean time of 12 days, and 1 was preparing for discharge. Blood tests and repeat imaging confirm that low-dose whole-lung radiation treatment appears safe for COVID-19 pneumonia. Further trials are warranted.
Lessons Learned: Implementing the Shaping Healthy Choices Program With Teenagers as Teachers

One approach that has been successful at improving youth health outcomes is the Shaping Healthy Choices Program, which features garden- and cooking-demonstration-based nutrition education curricula. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of implementing Shaping Healthy Choices Program curricula in 4-H using a teenagers as cross-age teachers approach. A teenagers as cross-age teachers model was employed to educate younger youth using the evidence-based curricula in 2 projects, each lasting 6 months over a 2-year period. Teenage teachers completed an initial 2-day training and reflection-on-action discussions following each educational session. Fidelity observations were collected to assess how well the curricula were delivered by teenage teachers. With a goal of 80%, overall fidelity was low (45%) and teenage teachers were able to deliver only the procedure component of the lessons with adequate average fidelity (84.6%). Poor participant attendance hindered presentation of additional data. Findings from this study suggest a need for more extensive and specific training for teenage teachers to implement the Shaping Healthy Choices Program.
Peeling Back the Layers: How Expressive Writing about Heterosexist Events Benefits Sexual Minority Adults.

Expressive writing exercises, in which participants self-reflect upon a difficult experience, are widely researched interventions. These exercises have been adapted to address a host of concerns, i...
Homogeneous Contracts for Heterogeneous Agents: Aligning Sales Force Composition and Compensation

AbstractObserved contracts in the real world are often very simple, which partly reflects the constraints faced by contracting firms in making the contracts more complex. In this article, the authors focus on one such rigidity: the constraints faced by firms in fine-tuning contracts to the full distribution of heterogeneity of their employees. The authors explore the implication of these constraints for the provision of incentives within the firm. The study’s application is to sales force compensation, wherein a firm maintains a sales force to market its products. Consistent with ubiquitous real-world business practice, the study assumes that a firm is restricted to fully or partially set uniform commissions across its agent pool. The authors show that this restriction implies an interaction between the composition of agent types in the contract and the compensation policy used to motivate them, leading to a “contractual externality” in the firm and generating gains to sorting. This article explains how t...
Exploratory Investigation of Dose-Linear Energy Transfer (LET) Volume Histogram (DLVH) for Adverse Events Study in Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT).

Purpose We proposed a novel tool—a dose linear energy transfer (LET)-volume histogram (DLVH)—and performed an exploratory study to investigate rectal bleeding in prostate cancer treated with intensity modulated proton therapy. Methods and Materials The DLVH was constructed with dose and LET as 2 axes, and the normalized volume of the structure was contoured in the dose-LET plane as isovolume lines. We defined the DLVH index, DL v % ( d , l ) (ie, v % of the structure) to have a dose of ≥d Gy and an LET of ≥l keV/μm, similar to the dose-volume histogram index Dv%. Nine patients with prostate cancer with rectal bleeding (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grade ≥2) were included as the adverse event group, and 48 patients with no complications were considered the control group. A P value map was constructed by comparison of the DLVH indices of all patients between the 2 groups using the Mann-Whitney U test. Dose-LET volume constraints (DLVCs) were derived based on the P value map with a manual selection procedure facilitated by Spearman’s correlation tests. The obtained DLVCs were further cross-validated using a multivariate support vector machine (SVM)-based normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) model with an independent testing data set composed of 8 adverse event and 13 control patients. Results We extracted 2 DLVC constraints. One DLVC was obtained, V dose / LET boundary : 2.5 keV μm at 75 Gy to 3.2 keV μm at 8.65 Gy V ( 72.2 Gy , 0 keV μm ) Conclusions Our results demonstrated the importance of rectal “hot spots” in both high LET (DLVC1) and high dose (DLVC2) in inducing rectal bleeding. The SVM-based NTCP model confirmed the derived DLVCs as good predictors for rectal bleeding when intensity modulated proton therapy is used to treat prostate cancer.
Perioperative optimization of the genitourinary oncology patient.

Abstract Radical cystectomy remains a morbid procedure that is often under-utilized due to its high complication rate. In this seminar we address several interventions to improve the perioperative care of patients undergoing radical cystectomy. These interventions include nutritional support, education and the use of technology. All of the interventions described can be utilized by any center looking to improve the perioperative care of bladder cancer patients.
Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalgias

The term “trigeminal autonomic cephalgia” (TAC) encompasses five headache syndromes with distinct clinical features and time courses. These five headache disorders, considered primary headache disorders, include cluster headache (CH), short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival tearing and injection (SUNCT), short-lasing unilateral neuralgiform headache with cranial autonomic symptoms (SUNA), paroxysmal hemicrania (PH), and hemicrania continua (HC). In this chapter, we will review recent updates to TAC classifications and review new treatment modalities, including neuromodulation interventions.
Non-enzymatic assembly of active chimeric ribozymes from aminoacylated RNA oligonucleotides

Abstract Aminoacylated tRNAs, which harbor a covalent linkage between amino acids and RNA, are a universally conserved feature of life. Because they are essential substrates for ribosomal translation, aminoacylated oligonucleotides must have been present in the RNA World prior to the evolution of the ribosome. One possibility we are exploring is that the aminoacyl ester linkage served another function before being recruited for ribosomal protein synthesis. The nonenzymatic assembly of ribozymes from short RNA oligomers under realistic conditions remains a key challenge in demonstrating a plausible pathway from prebiotic chemistry to the RNA World. Here, we show that aminoacylated RNAs can undergo template-directed assembly into chimeric amino acid-RNA polymers that are active ribozymes. We demonstrate that such chimeric polymers can retain the enzymatic function of their all-RNA counterparts by generating chimeric hammerhead, RNA ligase, and aminoacyl transferase ribozymes. Amino acids with diverse side chains form linkages that are well tolerated within the RNA backbone, potentially bringing novel functionalities to ribozyme catalysis. Our work suggests that aminoacylation chemistry may have played a role in primordial ribozyme assembly. Increasing the efficiency of this process provides an evolutionary rationale for the emergence of sequence and amino acid specific aminoacyl-RNA synthetase ribozymes, which could then have generated the substrates for ribosomal protein synthesis. Significance Statement The emergence of the primordial ribosome from the RNA World would have required access to aminoacylated RNA substrates. The spontaneous generation of such substrates without enzymes is inefficient, and it remains unclear how they could be selected for in a prebiotic milieu. In our study we identify a role for aminoacylated RNA in ribozyme assembly, a longstanding problem in the origin of life research. We show that aminoacylated RNAs, but not unmodified RNAs, rapidly assemble into chimeric amino acid-bridged ribozymes that retain their native enzymatic activity. Our work therefore addresses two key challenges within the origin-of-life field: we demonstrate assembly of functional ribozymes and we identify a potential evolutionary benefit for RNA aminoacylation that is independent of coded peptide translation.
Integrating Career, Global And Experiential Learning: A STEAM Case Study

Location: Dewberry Hall This session provides a brief case study of the design and implementation of an innovative curricular model within the College of Science that addresses gaps in workforce readiness by integrating career management, experiential learning, and global education skills. These skills are imbedded within a STEM content-specific curriculum incorporating research, oral and written communication, leadership, problem-solving, and project design, but could be replicated within other disciplines.
Radiologic Approach to Investigation of the Small Intestine

In many clinical situations, endoscopic studies have replaced the various radiologic examinations as the primary means of assessing the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract and colon. Owing to the relative limitations of availability and thoroughness of small-intestinal enteroscopy, however, radiologic examinations retain a role of principal importance in the investigation of the small intestine.
QUESTIONING A NEOLIBERAL URBAN REGENERATION POLICY: The rhetoric of “cities of culture” and the city of Gwangju, Korea

The present study traces recent trends in cultural policy concerning “cities of culture” in South Korea. The paper is a case study of the city of Gwangju, known as the birthplace of modern democracy in Korea. Currently, public input from below into the urban regeneration project for Gwangju is almost nonexistent, while most urban regeneration policies have been implemented from the top by elites who enjoy exhibiting their performances through constructing massive edifices rather than encouraging the preservation of such intangibles as historical significance through cultural participation from below. The government’s policy of promoting Gwangju as the “city of culture” in order to make it a hub of Asian cultural industry and tourism in the global economy is closely allied to its policy of economic reductionism of culture. The study suggests that Gwangju and its unique heritage would instead benefit from an urban regeneration policy aimed at establishing it as the city of art and culture for human rights a...
Coexpression of eukaryotic tRNASer and yeast seryl-tRNA synthetase leads to functional amber suppression in Escherichia coli.

Abstract In order to gain insight into the conservation of determinants for tRNA identity between organisms, Schizosaccharomyces pombe and human amber suppressor serine tRNA genes have been examined for functional expression in Escherichia coli. The primary transcripts, which originated from E. coli plasmid promoters, were processed into mature tRNAs, but they were poorly aminoacylated in E. coli and thus were nonfunctional as suppressors in vivo. However, coexpression of cloned Saccharomyces cerevisiae seryl-tRNA synthetase led to efficient suppression in E. coli. This shows that some, but not all, determinants specifying the tRNASer identity are conserved in evolution.
NCSE in Neuro and Medical ICU Patients on Continous EEG Monitoring (P1.271)

OBJECTIVE: Determine Incidence and Clinical outcome of Non Convulsive Status Epilepticus(NCSE) in Neuro and Medical ICU patients. BACKGROUND: NCSE is under recognized in critically ill patients and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It often is only diagnosed with continous EEG monitoring. DESIGN/METHODS: Retrospective chart review study. Instituional IRB approval obtained. The EEG registry at University of Minnesota Medical Center was used to identify adult patients who underwent continuous EEG monitoring for at least 2 days in a Neuro or Medical ICU setting between 2005 and 2013. Exclusion criteria: Normal EEG End point:Discharge from hospital or death. Modified Rankin scale was used as a clinical outcome measure. SPSS was used for statistical analysis RESULTS: 23.9%(21/88)were diagnosed with NCSE during continous EEG monitoring(19 of these 21 patients were in coma or stupor).Only 5 of these 21 patients had a known diagnosis of Epilepsy. Most common etiology in patients with NCSE was structural or traumatic brain injuries,(brain tumor,shunt malfunction,vascular malformation,subdural hematomas,traumatic SAH etc) followed by vascular and metabolic etiologies(9,4 and 4 patients respectively) only 1 patient had convulsive status epilepticus preceding NCSE. Patients diagnosed with NCSE did not have a worse clinical outcome per modified rankin scale(MRS)(p value 0.666),whereas patients in a state of stupor/coma(per clinical exam)did have a worse clinical outcome(p value < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: NCSE was diagnosed in nearly one of four critically ill patients who underwent continous EEG most of whom did not have a prior diagnosis of Epilepsy.Most common etiology in the NCSE group was structural or traumatic brain injuries followed by vacular and metabolic etiologies.It was not clear that diagnosing NCSE changed clinical outcome in these patients.More studies including multicenter trials are needed to focus on Non convulsive status in critically ill patients. Study Supported by: Department of Neurology,University of Minnesota Disclosure: Dr. Tom has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fiol-Elias has nothing to disclose.
Energy Computation for Exponentially Correlated Four-Body Wavefunctions

Formulas are presented for efficient computation of the energy of four-body quantum-mechanical Coulomb systems with wavefunctions consisting of fully correlated exponentials premultiplied by arbitrary integer powers of the interparticle distances. Using the interparticle distances as coordinates, the potential energy is easily expressed in terms of basic integrals involving these wavefunctions. All the contributions to the kinetic energy are also expressible using the same basic integrals, but it is useful to organize the computations in ways that take advantage of the relations between integrals and that illustrate the underlying symmetry of the formulation. The utility of the formulation presented here is illustrated by an “ultra-compact” computation of the ground state of the Li atom.
Diagnostic accuracy of the Berlin Questionnaire in detecting sleep-disordered breathing in patients with a recent myocardial infarction.

Background The Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) has been used to identify patients at high risk for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in a variety of populations. However, there are no data regarding the validity of the BQ in detecting the presence of SDB in patients after myocardial infarction (MI). The aim of this study was to determine the performance of the BQ in patients after MI. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of 99 patients who had an MI 1 to 3 months previously. The BQ was administered, scored using the published methods, and followed by completed overnight polysomnography as the "gold standard." SDB was defined as an apnea-hypopnea index of ≥ 5 events/h. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the BQ were calculated. Results Of the 99 patients, the BQ identified 64 (65%) as being at high-risk for having SDB. Overnight polysomnography showed that 73 (73%) had SDB. The BQ sensitivity and specificity was 0.68 and 0.34, respectively, with a positive predictive value of 0.68 and a negative predictive value of 0.50. Positive and negative likelihood ratios were 1.27 and 0.68, respectively, and the BQ overall diagnostic accuracy was 63%. Using different apnea-hypopnea index cutoff values did not meaningfully alter these results. Conclusion The BQ performed with modest sensitivity, but the specificity was poor, suggesting that the BQ is not ideal in identifying SDB in patients with a recent MI.
Demand response potential in aggregated residential houses using GridLAB-D

Aggregating houses and then applying a demand response (DR) program yields considerable benefit to both users and utility companies. This aggregation can prove beneficial to the utility because they can obtain an estimate of how much energy consumption can be reduced at a given point in time. The aggregator would coordinate between the company and the consumer to provide the demand reduction. In this research work, a group of simulated houses sharing the same climatic and geographical conditions were aggregated. They were simulated for a DR using a direct load control (DLC) program, whereby only the heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system was turned off for one ten-minute period in each of these houses, and the DR program was run for a two-hour period during peak load. Also, energy reductions resulting from the energy efficiency of the houses were simulated and then supplemented with a DR to see how they affect power consumption and how beneficial this would be to the utility. Increasing the thermal integrity levels on the houses decreased the DR potential, but a considerable drop in energy consumption itself was observed, which could prove beneficial in the long term. A co-related pattern was observed among different populations of houses, each of which had a different floor area but the same-size HVAC size and the same thermal integrity levels.
Atmospheric pressure and wheat yield modeling

Abstract Principal components of monthly sea level pressure representing large scale general circulation features such as persistent upper level troughs and ridges, blocking highs, semipermanent pressure cells, standing eddies, etc., are the predictors in a linear regression on yield for large wheat production regions in the United States, Canada, and the Soviet Union. The purpose of this modeling is to estimate national level of production and to demonstrate a link between crop forecasting and extended atmospheric outlooks. Long term, reliable records of pressure data are used. The models also benefit from the quality, reliability, and availability of foreign crop data for large areas. The monthly pressure field exhibits significant spatial collinearity which determines the time orthogonal principal components. The use of these principal components in the regression leads to a fewer number of required predictors, more stable signs on regression coefficients, minimal variance inflation of regression coefficients, and the ability to objectively partition the principal components into “real” and “noise” relationships to yield. Correlation fields are determined by correlation of pressure data to area weighted temperature or precipitation. These are used to evaluate the physical interpretation of space orthogonal eigenvector fields. The correlation fields and eigenvectors are used together to ensure that the signs on regression coefficients for principal components in the final yield equation make agronomic sense. The statistical structure of the models is discussed. Generally, the models have an explained variance of approximately 0.90 and a standard error of 1.5 quintals per hectare. For 1975 and 1976 these wheat yield models provided operational estimates which are generally within two quintals per hectare of official estimates.
Painting and the Politics of Persecution: Representing the Jew in Fifteenth‐Century Mantua

According to modern historical literature, Marquis Francesco II Gonzaga of Mantua (1484–1519) tolerated and protected his Jewish subjects. Francesco permitted Jewish moneylenders to carry arms to defend themselves from Christian attack, and absolved the Jews from wearing the compulsory ‘rsquo;Jewish badge’. This paper explores the politics of tolerance in Quattrocento Mantua through an analysis of two fifteenth-century Mantuan altarpieces associated with Marquis Francesco and the prominent Jewish moneylender Daniele da Norsa: the 1496 Madonna della Vittoria by Andrea Mantegna and the anonymous Madonna and Child with Saints and Norsa Family (c. 1499). Central to my investigation are the ideological implications embedded in the image of the Christian as dominant and virtuous, and the Jew as dominated and pernicious. By examining the subtle ways in which both Mantuan altarpieces diverge from pictorial tradition, I demonstrate how these paintings rhetorically articulated identity and difference within a symbolic language of violence.
Scanning tunneling microscopy of ethylated Si(111) surfaces prepared by a chlorination/alkylation process.

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and computational modeling have been used to study the structure of ethyl-terminated Si(111) surfaces. The ethyl-terminated surface was prepared by treating the H-terminated Si(111) surface with PCl5 to form a Cl-terminated Si(111) surface with subsequent exposure to C2H5MgCl in tetrahydrofuran to produce an alkylated Si(111) surface. The STM data at 77 K revealed local, close-packed, and relatively ordered regions with a nearest-neighbor spacing of 0.38 nm as well as disordered regions. The average spot density corresponded to ≈85% of the density of Si atop sites on an unreconstructed Si(111) surface. Molecular dynamics simulations of a Si(111) surface randomly populated with ethyl groups to a total coverage of ≈80% confirmed that the ethyl-terminated Si(111) surface, in theory, can assume reasonable packing arrangements to accommodate such a high surface coverage, which could be produced by an exoergic surface functionalization route such as the two-step chlorination/...
Iodide-induced hypothyroidism in patients after thyroid resection.

. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether an intrinsic defect in thyroid hormone production is required for the development of iodide-induced hypothyroidism or does it also develop in TSH-stimulated normal thyroid tissue. To answer this question, we studied the response to iodine administration (180 mg iodide daily for 3–4 months) in eight euthyroid patients who had had partial thyroidectomies 2 months to 10 years previously for benign thyroid nodules, and in three euthyroid control subjects. In all 11 euthyroid patients, basal serum TSH concentrations increased during iodide administration. In six of the eight patients who had previous thyroid operations and in two of the three control patients, basal serum TSH concentrations increased into the abnormal range (greater than 6 U ml-1). Increased serum TSH concentrations were noted as early as 1 week after potassium iodide had been started and the increased levels persisted during the period of iodide administration. Although basal values for serum TSH concentration were initially within the normal range, those patients with highest basal serum TSH values developed the greatest increase in TSH in response to potassium iodine. Among the eight patients treated by partial thyroidectomy, serum T4 concentrations decreased in five, serum T3 concentration decreased in three and all five developed mild symptoms of hypothyroidism while receiving iodide. Serum T4 concentrations also decreased slightly in two of the three control patients. Serum total iodine levels increased from 70pM 0.5 to 315.7 pM 108.6 g dl-1 (mean-pM standard error) during potassium iodide administration, but there was no correlation between the level of serum iodide concentration achieved and inhibition of thyroid function. When iodide was discontinued, symptoms disappeared and thyroid function tests returned to baseline levels within 1 month in all patients, It thus appears that a restricted thyroid mass and/or a mild increase in TSH stimulation is all that is required for the development of hypothyroidism in man when exposed to excessive iodide.
Using Resource‐Based Theory to Help Explain Plural Form Franchising

Agency theory is the dominant explanation for entrepreneurs' decisions about how much to grow through franchising vis-a-vis company ownership. We introduce a resource-based explanation and submit that the proportion franchised is influenced by efforts to organize franchisor-owned and relational strategic assets so that their value can be best leveraged to meet key strategic goals. Using data from 168 franchisors, we found that relational (i.e., interfirm trust and knowledge-sharing routines), but not franchisor-owned (i.e., brand reputation and operating routines), strategic assets influence the proportion franchised. The study offers preliminary evidence that resource-based theory has merit as a complementary explanation for franchising.
The use of electron channeling patterns for process optimization of low-temperature epitaxial silicon using hot-wire chemical vapor deposition

The authors demonstrate the first reported use of electron channeling patterns (ECPs) as a response for a statistical design of experiments process-optimization for epitaxial silicon. In an effort to fully characterize the new hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) method of epitaxial growth recently discovered at NREL, a large number of parameters with widely varying values needed to be considered. To accomplish this, they used the statistical design of experiments method. This technique allows one to limit the number of sample points necessary to evaluate a given parameter space. In this work they demonstrate how ECPs can effectively be used to optimize the process space as well as to quickly and economically provide the process engineer with absolutely key information.
Fractures and dislocations around the adult knee

HE KNEE JOINT has evolved into a highly specialized structure in the human, surpassing that of all lower animals in its complexity. The cause lies in the excessive functional demands made on the human knee as a result of man’s erect posture. Weight-bearing, walking, running, and the ability to extend the knee completely are physiologic functions that subject the human knee to considerably more stress than in four-legged mammals. The knee, the largest joint in the body, is in a vulnerable position for direct trauma and unusual torsional and bending stresses. The security of the knee depends mostly on the powerful ligaments that bind the osseous components together, as well as on the muscles that surround it. Increasing participation in various sports activities has subjected more and more individuals to greater stress and severe injury of the knees than ever before.
Application of the Goldberger-Treiman Relation to the Beta Decay of Complex Nuclei

The theory of the beta decay of complex nuclei, ${N}_{i}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{N}_{f}+{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}+{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{e}$, is developed on the basis of a treatment which considers the nuclei involved (${N}_{i}$) as "elementary" particles and applies the hypotheses of the conserved polar-vector hadron weak current (CVC) and the partially conserved axial-vector hadron weak current (PCAC) to determine the effective polar-vector and axial-vector weak coupling constants ${G}_{V}({N}_{i}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{N}_{f})$ and ${G}_{A}({N}_{i}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{N}_{f})$; the numerical values of ${G}_{V}({N}_{i}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{N}_{f})$ and ${G}_{A}({N}_{i}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{N}_{f})$ reflect in this treatment the complexity of internal nuclear structure. Using CVC, and supposing that $|{N}_{i}〉$ and $|{N}_{f}〉$ are sufficiently pure isospin eigenstates, we can immediately calculate ${G}_{V}({N}_{i}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{N}_{f})$, while PCAC, together with a suitable pion-pole-dominance assumption, implies the Goldberger-Treiman (G-T) relation which expresses ${G}_{A}({N}_{i}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{N}_{f})$ in terms of the pion-initial-nucleus-final-nucleus coupling constant ${f}_{\ensuremath{\pi}{N}_{i}{N}_{f}}$; this coupling constant can be found from a pological analysis of $n+{N}_{f}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}p+{N}_{i}$ nucleon charge-exchange scattering experiments. Since such experiments are not as yet available, we calculate the values of the ${f}_{\ensuremath{\pi}{N}_{i}{N}_{f}}$ in terms of the known magnetic moments of ${N}_{i}$ and ${N}_{f}$ by means of a very crude theory, and compare these values with the values of the ${f}_{\ensuremath{\pi}{N}_{i}{N}_{f}}$ calculated by means of the G-T relation from the ${G}_{A}({N}_{i}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{N}_{f})$ deduced from observed beta-decay rates. The agreement is, in general, somewhat better than that found between calculated and observed rates in the customary impulse-approximation theory of beta decay.
Analytical Determination of the Surface Area of a Threaded Fastener

Accurate determination of corrosion rates for threaded fasteners hinges on the ability to determine the surface area on which corrosion is occurring. Currently, no general analytical expression of surface area exists for the threaded fastener types. A recent voluntary withdrawal of chromated copper arsenate as the primary, long-standing preservative treatment for wood resulted in the need to determine the corrosion rates of threaded fasteners. This paper developed general analytical surface area equations for a wedge-shaped thread and the area between the threads for three cases: (1) an increasing thread root and crest diameter, (2) constant thread root and crest diameters, and (3) a constant thread root but a decreasing thread crest diameter. The expressions are applied, numerically verified, and compared to simplified models for a No. 10–2.54 cm (1-in.) long wood screw.
Disseminated mycobacterium haemophilum infection in two patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

In two patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), multiple erythematous cutaneous lesions developed, revealing acid-fast organisms on Fite's stain. Initial culture results on the first patient were negative; however, repeat cultures on hemin-enriched media were positive for Mycobacterium haemophilum. Despite antimycobacterial therapy, lesions persisted until the patients' death. M. haemophilum should be a diagnostic consideration when smears of peripheral (especially skin) lesions from AIDS patients show acid-fast organisms. Cultures in such patients should be done with iron hemin- or ferric ammonium citrate-enriched media.
Surgical resection for locoregional esophageal cancer is underutilized in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Although esophagectomy provides the highest probability of cure in patients with esophageal cancer, many candidates are never referred for surgery. We hypothesized that esophagectomy for esophageal cancer is underused, and we assessed the prevalence of resection in national, state, and local cancer data registries. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical stage, surgical and nonsurgical treatments, age, and race of patients with cancer of the esophagus were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry (1988 to 2004), the Healthcare Association of NY State registry (HANYS 2007), and a single referral center (2000 to 2007). SEER identified a total of 25,306 patients with esophageal cancer (average age 65.0 years, male-to-female ratio 3:1). HANYS identified 1,012 cases of esophageal cancer (average age 67 years, M:F ratio 3:1); stage was not available from NY State registry data. A single referral center identified 385 patients (48 per year; average age 67 years, M:F 3:1). For SEER data, logistic regression was used to examine determinants of esophageal resection; variables tested included age, race, and gender. RESULTS: Surgical exploration was performed in 29% of the total and only 44.2% of potentially resectable patients. Esophageal resection was performed in 44% of estimated cancer patients in NY State. By comparison, 64% of patients at a specialized referral center underwent surgical exploration, 96% of whom had resection. SEER resection rates for esophageal cancer did not change between 1988 and 2004. Males were more likely to receive operative treatment. Nonwhites were less likely to undergo surgery than whites (odds ratio 0.45, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical therapy for locoregional esophageal cancer is likely underused. Racial variations in esophagectomy are significant. Referral to specialized centers may result in an increase in patients considered for surgical therapy.
Modular construction of time-delay neural networks for speech recognition

Several strategies are described that overcome limitations of basic network models as steps towards the design of large connectionist speech recognition systems. The two major areas of concern are the problem of time and the problem of scaling. Speech signals continuously vary over time and encode and transmit enormous amounts of human knowledge. To decode these signals, neural networks must be able to use appropriate representations of time and it must be possible to extend these nets to almost arbitrary sizes and complexity within finite resources. The problem of time is addressed by the development of a Time-Delay Neural Network; the problem of scaling by Modularity and Incremental Design of large nets based on smaller subcomponent nets. It is shown that small networks trained to perform limited tasks develop time invariant, hidden abstractions that can subsequently be exploited to train larger, more complex nets efficiently. Using these techniques, phoneme recognition networks of increasing complexity...
Understanding the role of natural cheese calcium and phosphorous content, residual lactose and salt-in-moisture content on block-type processed cheese functional properties: Cheese hardness and flowability/meltability

Four treatments of natural Cheddar cheese with two levels (high and low) of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P), and two levels (high and low) of residual lactose were manufactured. Each treatment was subsequently split prior to the salting step of cheese manufacturing processed and salted at two levels (high and low) for a total of eight treatments. The eight treatments included: high Ca and P, high lactose, high salt-in-moisture (S/M) content (HHH); high Ca and P, high lactose, low S/M (HHL); high Ca and P, low lactose, high S/M (HLH); high Ca and P, low lactose, low S/M (HLL); low Ca and P, high lactose, high S/M (LHH); low Ca and P, high lactose, low S/M (LHL); low Ca and P, low lactose, high S/M (LLH); and low Ca and P, low lactose, low S/M (LLL). After 2 months of ripening, each treatment of natural Cheddar cheese was used to manufacture processed cheese using a twin-screw Blentech processed cheese cooker. All of the processed cheese food formulations were balanced for moisture, fat and salt. Texture and melt-flow characteristics of the processed cheese were evaluated with different techniques, including texture profile analysis (TPA) for hardness and melt profile analysis. There was a considerable increase in cheese hardness for the processed cheeses prepared from high Ca and P content, and high S/M natural cheeses compared with low Ca and P content and low S/M natural cheeses. Moreover, definite decrease in flow rate and extent of flow was observed for processed cheeses manufactured from high Ca and P content, and high S/M natural cheeses than that of low Ca and P content and low S/M natural cheeses. No considerable trend was observed in hardness and melt-flow characteristics for the processed cheeses manufactured from high and low residual lactose content natural Cheddar cheeses. This study strongly demonstrates that the characteristics of natural cheese (calcium and phosphorus content, lactose content and salt-in-moisture content) used in processed cheese manufacture have a significant impact on processed cheese functionality.
Detection of skeletal muscle hypoperfusion during exercise using phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Blood flow to working skeletal muscle is frequently reduced in patients with heart failure or peripheral vascular disease. To determine if phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) can noninvasively detect such muscle underperfusion, gated phosphorus-31 NMR spectroscopy was used to compare muscle inorganic phosphate, phosphocreatine and pH during mild wrist Rexion exercise at 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 W in eight normal men, before and after reduction of forearm blood flow. Forearm Row was reduced by cuff inRation to a pressure determined by Doppler ultrasound to bring Dow to 40 to 60% of control. Attention was focused on the inorganic phosphate to phosphocreatine (Pi/PCr) ratio and pH, two variables potentially sensitive to muscle oxygen delivery. At rest with normal Dow, PiPCr averaged 0.12 ± 0.03 and pH averaged 7.02 ± 0.04. Exercise produced a progressive increase in Pi/PCr (0.2 W = 0.43 ± 0.12; 0.4 W = 0.75 ± 0.31; 0.6 W = 1.04 ± 0.47) and a modest decrease in pH (0.2 W = 6.94 ± 0.04; 0.4 W = 6.86 ± 0.18; 0.6 W = 6.85 ± 0.06). Flow reduction had no effect on Pi/PCr or pH at rest. In contrast, Row reduction during exercise was associated with higher P;!PCr at all three work loads (0.2 W = 0.60 ± 0.27; 0.4 W = 0.99 ± 0.50; 0.6 W = 2.00 ± 1.26 [all p These data indicate that moderllte underperfusion of working skeletal muscle increases inorganic phosphate to phosphocreatine levels and lowers intracellular pH. These metabolic changes can be continuously and non-invasively monitored by phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This approach may prove useful in investigating skeletal muscle oxygen delivery in disease states involving reduced muscle blood flow.
Production of respiration-deficient mutants in yeast by a carcinogen, 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide

Abstract Production of respiration-deficient mutants in very high frequencies was induced by 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide, a potent carcinogen. The mutant frequency reached 100% in a yeast cell population grown in glucose medium containing 0.7 μg per ml of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide. The mutants also appeared in significantly increased frequencies even when 4-nitroquinoline i-oxide was added to glycerol medium which is selective against the mutants and allows only the proliferation of normal cells. Evidence for the induction of cytoplasmic mutation by 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide is presented. The significance in the investigation of mutagenesis and carcinogenesis is discussed.
Molecular Hydrogen along Two Lines of Sight through the Large Magellanic Cloud

We have remeasured the H2 column densities along lines of sight to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using spectra taken by the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT). Three lines of sight were analyzed using the pair method and previously determined Fitzpatrick & Massa extinction parameters to allow H2 absorption models to be fitted. Substantial improvements over the values first reported by Clayton et al. were made for two of the three lines of sight. Comparisons between LMC and Galactic environments suggest that the factors which lead to extinction curve variations (e.g., metallicity or shocks) do not affect the efficiency of H2 formation on the surfaces of the dust grains: values are approximately the same in both galaxies despite large N /E(B 2 V) H2 differences in . N /E(B 2 V) HI
Characterization of K-Promoted Ru Catalysts for Ammonia Decomposition Discovered Using High-Throughput Experimentation

We obtain H2 from low temperature NH3 decomposition using a new hollandite (KRu4O8) catalyst supported on γ-Al2O3 discovered using high-throughput experimentation and advanced TEM/SEM characterization. Relative to the base Ru° catalyst, this new catalyst shows NH3 conversion enhancements of 30–50% at T = 350 °C and decomposition activity at temperatures decreased by 50–100 °C. TEM analysis over the lifetime of the catalyst shows multiple phases and morphologies suggesting that the KRu4O8 behaves either as a new low-temperature decomposition catalyst or as a precursor to the active catalyst.
Backbone resonance assignments of the 42 kDa enzyme arginine kinase in the transition state analogue form

Nearly complete backbone resonance assignments for the 357 residue, 42 kDa enzyme arginine kinase in a transition state analogue (TSA) complex are presented. The TSA is a quaternary complex of arginine kinase, MgADP, arginine, and nitrate. About 93 % (320 of 344) of the non-proline backbone amides were assigned using an enzyme enriched with 2H, 13C, and 15N in combination with three enzyme samples prepared with a single 15N-labeled amino acid (K, L, and R). The amide assignments will provide the foundation for investigating the dynamics of arginine kinase when in a TSA complex.
Molecular diffusion in the laminar sub-layer during turbulent flow in a smooth tube

A model is proposed that can predict the fully developed mass transfer coefficient for a turbulent flowing fluid in a smooth tube. Model results are compared to experimental data over a range of Reynolds number from 7750 to 50,200 and for Schmidt numbers of 850, 900, and 2400. Also, the model prediction is compared to an existing correlation that was derived from experimental data. In all cases the model prediction is in excellent agreement with the published experimental data and is an improvement over the existing correlation.
Methods to Prioritize Pedestrian High-Crash Locations and Statistical Analysis of Their Relationships

This paper presents a summary of various methods that can be used to identify pedestrian high-crash locations (HCLs) and statistical evaluations of the relationship between the ranking methods. The indices and methods used to identify and rank pedestrian HCLs include individual methods such as crash indices based on frequency, weighted severity factor, vehicular traffic volume, and pedestrian age group, as well as composite methods such as the sum-of-the-ranks method and the crash score method. The ranks for individual HCLs obtained by these methods may vary, as they are based on different data. There is thus a need to evaluate the statistical relationships between the results obtained by the various methods. Data for 30 pedestrian HCLs in the Las Vegas, Nevada, metropolitan area were used to illustrate the methods and conduct statistical analyses. The results indicated that the rankings based on the individual methods were strongly correlated to the rankings from the composite methods, as were the rankings between the composite methods. The results also indicated that the rankings based on individual methods were correlated among themselves, although this correlation was not as strong. Furthermore, when only the top few highest-ranked HCLs were considered, their ranks were strongly correlated, regardless of the method chosen. Although any of the methods could be used to identify pedestrian HCLs, use of the simple frequency- or weighted frequency-based methods would be adequate as a first step.
Quasi-monte carlo simulation in a LIBOR market model

Quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) methods have been extensively applied to pricing complex derivatives. We apply quasi-Monte Carlo simulation to LIBOR market models based on the Brace-Gatarek-Musiela/Jamshidian framework. We price exotic interest-rate derivatives and compare the results using pseudo random sequences and different low discrepancy sequences.
DEEP Revisited: A Reply

simply ignored. More scholarly debate should increase research interest and may improve research quality in the field. Our views on the need for more reanalysis or replication of research results in economic education, however, should not be construed as an acceptance of Luker's critique. Basically, Luker uses the same data set and our model to reproduce our results, but his procedures differ from ours: he employs pairwise deletion of missing data (versus our use of listwise deletion), and he codes some of his dummy variables with a 1-2 system (versus our consistent use of a 0-1 system). We find pairwise deletion to be a questionable procedure because of the problems with determining the N for statistical tests (see