cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
V.I. Arnold's conjecture on avoidance of intersection, Hausdorff codimension, and a structure theorem for finite index maps☆

Abstract The functional analytic approach taken in this work gives a geometric description of the image of a smooth finite index map between Hilbert spaces, and solves avoidance of intersection problems. An application of this work extends from finite to infinite dimensions the results of Von Neumann and Wigner in finite dimensions on the avoidance of intersection problems in physics. The present work solves V.I. Arnold's conjecture on avoidance of intersection. The solution depends on determining the size of the image of a finite index map between infinite dimensional separable Hilbert spaces. We define the Hausdorff codimension of subsets of infinite dimensional linear space. Hausdorff codimension measures the metric size of subsets of an infinite dimensional linear space, and includes previous descriptions by B. White and others on the size of sets. We apply Hausdorff codimension to finite index maps and establish a structure theorem for these maps that includes Smale's extension of Sard's Theorem. An application of the structure theorem to the avoidance of intersection problem determines the metric size of a set of functions whose images intersect a given countable union of smooth submanifolds each with codimension at least two.
A proposed 'standard' framework for conducting negative pressure test

According to the 2011 Chief Counsel's report of the Presidential National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon (DWH) blowout, negative pressure test (NPT) is the primary way of evaluating the integrity of cementing and other flow barriers at the bottom of a well. Yet, despite the criticality of this test, no detailed, standard framework for conducting NPT exists or is practiced in the oil and gas drilling industry. This paper presents a new set of standards for conducting negative pressure tests in order to improve the safety of drilling operations. The developed framework in this paper sets guidelines on proper implementation and monitoring of NPT. This framework is an attempt to systematically address and analyse results of such test. In addition, a case study is presented to examine the deficiencies associated with conducting a negative pressure test in a real drilling case in the Gulf of Mexico. [Received: June 6, 2014; Accepted: April 7, 2015]
Industrial and Military Eye Injuries and Eye Protection Challenges

Eye injuries are prevalent in environments with high-velocity particle motion and/or high temperatures, and injuries range from periocular contusions and burns to corneoscleral lacerations and frank globe ruptures. Although they often are available, protective devices may be unused and/or not mandated. Such environments include heavy industrial settings such as metalworking and welding, in which workers are exposed to threats from sometimes red-hot and fast-moving metal shards, although these risks can be reduced with mandatory safety regimens. Many sports, including lacrosse, baseball, squash, and ice hockey – activities that particularly center around relatively small and hard balls and pucks moving at high speeds – also feature high eye injury rates, usually in the absence (baseball, squash) or inefficacy (ice hockey, lacrosse) of safety equipment.
Abstract TP109: Quantitative Gait Analysis Demonstrates Significant Changes in Motor Function Post-ischemic Stroke and Simulated Intraparenchymal Therapeutic Delivery in a Porcine Model

Severity of stroke and subsequent recovery can be measured through gait changes of affected individuals. Recent failures of therapies tested in rodents to support safety and efficacy in human clini...
Group-Based Cooperation on Symmetric Key Generation for Wireless Body Area Networks

Wireless body area networks (WBANs) require lightweight and resource efficient security approaches. In the literature, biometric-based security approaches have been well studied for WBANs when each individual person may have unique biometric features. However, additional sensing hardware (e.g., ECG sensors) are usually required for every sensor in these approaches, which make them unpractical in real application settings. Unlike them, in this paper, we propose a physical layer-based security approach utilizing physical channel information and remove the extra hardware requirements. Especially, a group-based cooperation on symmetric secret key generation via physical or link layer received signal strength indicator (RSSI) data accumulating is investigated. We propose a practical cooperative group solution to increase the similarity, fluctuation and density of RSSI data for high efficient key generation. The major innovation is to make full use of multiple channels between a participant node and a group or between two groups to randomly synthesize RSSI data with multifold data density and improved data similarity and fluctuation. In addition, several group models are described with the details of their specific protocol design. Furthermore, a prototype is implemented and verified in an experimental environment to demonstrate the high practicality and efficiency of our solution.
Desirable Properties of Internet Identifiers

With more than 30 years since the Internet’s inception, Internet identifier spaces need an overhaul to make them more useful. Here, Vint Cerf explores why this exceptional challenge is easier said than done.
Stratified space–time infectious disease modelling, with an application to hand, foot and mouth disease in China

We extend an interesting class of space–time models for infectious disease data proposed by Held and co‐workers, to analyse data on hand, foot and mouth disease, collected in the central north region of China over 2009–2011. We provide a careful derivation of the model and extend the model class in two directions. First, we model the disease transmission between age–gender strata, in addition to space and time. Second, we use our model for inference on effective local reproductive numbers. For the hand, foot and mouth data, for each of the six age–gender strata we consider that transmission is greatest between individuals within the same strata, with also relatively high transmission between individuals of the same age group but the opposite gender. The local reproductive numbers show strong seasonality, and between‐area differences.
Odor Perception on the Two Sides of the Brain: Consistency Despite Randomness.

Neurons in piriform cortex receive input from a random collection of glomeruli, resulting in odor representations that lack the stereotypic organization of the olfactory bulb. We have performed in vivo optical imaging and mathematical modeling to demonstrate that correlations are retained in the transformation from bulb to piriform cortex, a feature essential for generalization across odors. Random connectivity also implies that the piriform representation of a given odor will differ among different individuals and across brain hemispheres in a single individual. We show that these different representations can nevertheless support consistent agreement about odor quality across a range of odors. Our model also demonstrates that, whereas odor discrimination and categorization require far fewer neurons than reside in piriform cortex, consistent generalization may require the full complement of piriform neurons.
Transparent In-Ga-Zn-O field effect glucose sensors fabricated directly on highly curved substrates

Abstract Fully transparent electronics are of increasing interest for biological applications, where the combination of sensing and imaging can potentially improve patient healthcare diagnostics. Herein, we report high-performance, fully-transparent amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O field-effect transistor (a-IGZO FET) based biosensors fabricated directly on highly-curved glass substrates. The a-IGZO channel and indium tin oxide electrodes were patterned directly on glass tubes (1.0 mm radius) by microcontact printing self-assembled monolayers and etching the metal oxide films. This approach led to a-IGZO FETs with excellent electronic performance, with high on/off drain current ∼1.3 × 106, high average electron mobility > 7.4 cm2/Vs, low on/off hysteresis ∼0.6, V and low gate leakage current ∼10−10 A. The back-channel of the a-IGZO FETs were functionalized with glucose oxidase to make fully transparent biosensors with very high sensitivity to glucose. We have determined that the glucose limit of detection is 170 μM. These results provide insight into new methods for fabricating a-IGZO FETs and a-IGZO FET biosensors on non-planar substrates, and may open a range of new applications, including transparent sensing catheters, flexible active transparent electrode sensing arrays, and integration of FET based biosensors on optical fibers.
Immuno-Oncolytic Virotherapy for Melanoma

Oncolytic virotherapy is a targeted immunotherapeutic approach to induce tumor cell lysis in vivo, with efficacy in a wide range of cancers, including melanoma. Viruses are carefully selected based on their ability to demonstrate selective tumor cell replication, and viral genomic modifications are used to enhance such replication and create a heightened immune response. Current use of oncolytic viruses (OVs) in melanoma ranges from discovery in the experimental phase to proof of efficacy in clinical trials. With the 2015 approval of Talimogene laherparepvec for the treatment of advanced melanoma, we have added yet another tool to effectively treat those with locally unresectable or in-transit disease. Recently, combination therapy trials with OVs and immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown to have some very promising results in patients with advanced, often metastatic, melanoma. This chapter includes an overview of the history of and making of OVs as well as a detailed summary of current clinical trials in melanoma patients. With new experimental data on oncolytic virotherapy published in ever-increasing numbers, the future of OVs for the treatment of melanoma seems to hold promise as a major component of treatment for melanoma.
Reorganization of Projection from the Sensory Cortex to the Motor Cortex Following Deprivation of Thalamocortical Projection

Recovery of function following partial destruction of the central nervous system and its neuronal mechanism has been an intriguing question among neurologists and neurophysiologists. It has long been wondered whether the functional recovery is accomplished by anatomical reorganization in the central nervous system or by compensation of the function by the remaining systems Ramon y Cajal [8] transected the spinal cord of young cats and dogs and reported that a large number of the severed intraspinal fibers sprouted new processes with cones of growth similar to those observed in the peripheral nerves. However, after several weeks these sprouting fibers disappeared, and he concluded that the processes of regeneration were followed by atrophy and absorption. Recent progress in anatomical and physiological techniques, however, has made it possible to reexamine the genesis of the functional recovery. Raisman and Field [7], using the electron microscope, demonstrated that elimination of one input to the septal nucleus is substituted by new synapses which were formed by the sprouting of the remaining fibers in the rat. Tsukahara et al. [9], using an intracellular recording technique, demonstrated that the elimination of cerebellar input to the red nucleus resulted in the formation of new synapses by fibers from the cerebral peduncle in the cat. Thus, it seems that at least a part, and probably a major part, of the functional recovery is due to the formation of new synapses by the remaining fibers.
Hepatitis C Virus Infection in ESKD Patients.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represents a global health challenge with approximately 150 million people infected worldwide. The prevalence of HCV infection in patients with ESKD exceeds that of the general population and has been associated with an increase in morbidity and a higher risk of
Tissue-based markers of right ventricular dysfunction in ischemic mitral regurgitation assessed via stress cardiac magnetic resonance and three-dimensional echocardiography.

Ischemic mitral regurgitation (iMR) augments risk for right ventricular dysfunction (RVDYS). Right and left ventricular (LV) function are linked via common coronary perfusion, but data is lacking regarding impact of LV ischemia and infarct transmurality—as well as altered preload and afterload—on RV performance. In this prospective multimodality imaging study, stress CMR and 3-dimensional echo (3D-echo) were performed concomitantly in patients with iMR. CMR provided a reference for RVDYS (RVEF < 50%), as well as LV function/remodeling, ischemia and infarction. Echo was used to test multiple RV performance indices, including linear (TAPSE, S′), strain (GLS), and volumetric (3D-echo) approaches. 90 iMR patients were studied; 32% had RVDYS. RVDYS patients had greater iMR, lower LVEF, larger global ischemic burden and inferior infarct size (all p < 0.05). Regarding injury pattern, RVDYS was associated with LV inferior ischemia and infarction (both p < 0.05); 80% of affected patients had substantial viable myocardium (< 50% infarct thickness) in ischemic inferior segments. Regarding RV function, CMR RVEF similarly correlated with 3D-echo and GLS (r = 0.81–0.87): GLS yielded high overall performance for CMR-evidenced RVDYS (AUC: 0.94), nearly equivalent to that of 3D-echo (AUC: 0.95). In multivariable regression, GLS was independently associated with RV volumetric dilation on CMR (OR − 0.90 [CI − 1.19 to − 0.61], p < 0.001) and 3D echo (OR − 0.43 [CI − 0.84 to − 0.02], p = 0.04). Among patients with iMR, RVDYS is associated with potentially reversible processes, including LV inferior ischemic but predominantly viable myocardium and strongly impacted by volumetric loading conditions.
Visualization of lattice dynamics and atomic motion in WSe2 monolayer

Atomically-thin materials have drawn great interest due to their exotic properties leading to a variety of promising new applications. However, the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of these materials are still not fully understood. Ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) is a powerful technique for the investigation of the transient structural dynamics of monolayers with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. The UED results of WSe2 monolayers are reported and the suppression of the intensity of the Bragg diffraction spots following laser excitation is attributed to electron-phonon and phonon-phonon scattering. A two-temperature model is used to accurately describe these dynamics due to the low thermal conduction of the monolayer. Furthermore, the reported lifetimes are fit using a single-mode relaxation time approximation.
Advances in dissimilar metals joining through temperature control of friction stir welding

Lightweighting of vehicles and portable structures is an important undertaking. Multimaterial design is required to achieve conflicting design targets such as cost, stiffness, and weight. Friction stir welding (FSW) variants, such as friction stir dovetailing and friction stir scribe, are enabling technologies for joining of dissimilar metals. This article discusses how FSW variants are capable of joining aluminum to steel in particular. The characteristics of metallurgical bonding at the dissimilar materials interface are strongly affected by weld temperature. Control of FSW process temperature enables metallurgical bonding with suppressed formation of intermetallics at the dissimilar materials interface, resulting in improved mechanical properties relative to competing techniques. Temperature control is thus a powerful tool for process development and ensuring weld quality of dissimilar materials welds.
Impact of caregiver overnight stay on postoperative outcomes.

PURPOSE The purpose of this paper is to determine the impact of having a patient-designated caregiver remain overnight with ambulatory extended recovery patients on early postoperative clinical outcomes. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH This was a retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing surgery requiring overnight stay in a highly resourced free-standing oncology ambulatory surgery center. Postoperative outcomes in patients who had caregivers stay with them overnight were compared with outcomes in those who did not. All other care was standardized. Primary outcomes were postoperative length of stay, hospital readmission rates, urgent care center (UCC) visits within 30 days and perioperative complication rates. FINDINGS Among patients staying overnight, 2,462 (57 percent) were accompanied by overnight caregivers. In this group, time to discharge was significantly lower. Readmissions (though rare) were slightly higher, though the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.059). No difference in early (<30 day) complications or UCC visits was noted. Presence of a caregiver overnight was not associated with important differences in outcomes, though further research in a less well-structured environment is likely to show a more robust benefit. Caregivers are still recommended to stay overnight if that is their preference as no harm was identified. ORIGINALITY/VALUE This study is unique in its evaluation of the clinical impact of having a caregiver stay overnight with ambulatory surgery patients. Little research has focused on the direct impact of the caregiver on patient outcomes, especially in the ambulatory setting. With increased adoption of minimally invasive surgical techniques and enhanced recovery pathways, a larger number of patients are eligible for short-stay ambulatory surgery. Factors that impact discharge and early postoperative complications are important.
Crossing the Crossroads: Making Competition Law Effective In Pakistan

I. The Run-up to the Competition Act of 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 A. The Competition Ordinance of 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 B. The Competition Ordinance of 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 C. The Competition Ordinance of 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 D. The Competition Act of 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 II. The Competition Act of 2010: Objective & Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 A. Objective: A Paradigm Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 B. Substantive Provisions: Competition and Consumer Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 C. Remedial and Sanctioning Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 D. Merger Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 E. Competition Advocacy: Combating Public Restraint . . . . . . . . . 115 III. The Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 A. Appointments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 B. The Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 C. Independence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 D. Adjudicative Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 IV. Enforcement Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 V. Concluding Remarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Rapid electrostatic DNA enrichment for sensitive detection of Trichomonas vaginalis in clinical urinary samples

Estimated to be the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection globally, Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, pregnancy complications, and increased risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV. Once diagnosed, TV infection can be treated with oral antibiotics; however, infected individuals are often asymptomatic and do not seek treatment. The WHO and others have identified a need for point-of-care tests to expand access to TV testing and screening; ideal test characteristics include high sensitivity and specificity and the ability to use urine as a sample type, rather than invasively collected swab samples. Here, we report on a proof-of-concept prototype for rapid, electrostatic enrichment of DNA from urine samples and demonstrate the use of large volumes of urine to increase sensitivity of downstream nucleic acid amplification testing. We developed an internally controlled thermophilic helicase-dependent amplification (tHDA) assay with lateral flow immunoassay readout and demonstrate that this tHDA assay can be performed directly on our DNA capture filter. We validated our method using clinical urine samples with qPCR-quantified TV loads. Using 62 clinical urine samples and a simple sample processing device, our tHDA assay displayed 96.6% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Our analytical limit of detection was found to be approximately 7 genomic equivalents of TV DNA per mL of sample when 1 mL of sample was tested, comparable to existing isothermal tests for TV. Using large-volume simulated samples (40 mL of buffered urine with spiked-in TV DNA), we also demonstrated that sensitivity could be improved 28-fold to 0.25 genomic equivalents of TV DNA per mL, with a sample processing time of only 2 minutes.
Stochastic Gradient-Based Optimal Signal Control With Energy Consumption Bounds

This paper develops a stochastic gradient-based optimization model for traffic signal control with bounds on network-level vehicular energy consumption. The signal control problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear mathematical program, which incorporates inequality constraints to limit the total energy consumption in the network. The developed stochastic gradient approximation algorithm provides a near-optimal solution to the non-convex optimization problem. To account for the energy consumption constraints, a penalty function method leveraging the pseudo gradient estimation technique is developed. Empirical results from a signalized arterial street show that it is possible to achieve optimized signal settings at the desired energy consumption bound without compromising delay. Further, we report the sensitivity of the energy bounds to the mobility metrics—system delay. Our novel gradient-approximation-based solution technique offers a functional and feasible way to accommodate non-convex energy consumption bounds within a signal control optimization model to achieve maximal mobility with minimal energy consumption.
Reactive planar non-prehensile manipulation with hybrid model predictive control:

This article presents an offline solution and online approximation to the hybrid control problem of planar non-prehensile manipulation. Hybrid dynamics and underactuation are key characteristics of...
Using Machine Learning to Understand Veterans' Receipt of Loans in the Paycheck Protection Program

This paper provides the first quantitative investigation of the receipt of funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) among Veterans between April and June. We find that Veterans received 3.5% more loans and 6.8% larger loans than their counterparts (p<0.01), controlling for a wide array of zipcode characteristics and exploits within-zipcode variation in further robustness. We subsequently use machine learning to predict PPP loan receipt among Veterans, finding that characteristics about quality of the local Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers are predictive. We develop models to predict the number of PPP loans awarded to Veteran-owned, finding that the inclusion of local VA medical center characteristics adds almost as much explanatory power as the industry and occupational composition in an area and even more than the education, race, and age distribution combined. Our results suggest that VA medical centers can play an important role in helping Veterans thrive even beyond addressing their direct medical needs.
Revisiting the Effect of Conditional and Unconditional Incentives on Mail Survey Response Rates

A randomized experiment (N = 3,037) examines the impact of conditional and unconditional monetary incentives on response rates to a mail survey in a contemporary context. This is the first large sample study in 10 years to examine the effect of monetary incentives on survey response. Providing monetary incentives of any kind significantly increases response rates by 5pp to 18pp compared to a no-incentive control group. Unlike in past research, when payment amounts are equivalent, unconditional and conditional incentives yield similar response rates, suggesting that conditional incentives may be substantially more cost effective than unconditional incentives. We also find that greater payment amounts may elicit higher response rates, even when the incentive is conditional upon survey response.
Tubular Cell Dropout in Preimplantation Deceased Donor Biopsies as a Predictor of Delayed Graft Function.

Background Delayed graft function (DGF) affects over 25% of deceased donor kidney transplants (DDKTs) and is associated with increased cost, worsened graft outcomes, and mortality. While approaches to preventing DGF have focused on minimizing cold ischemia, donor factors such as acute tubular injury can influence risk. There are currently no pharmacologic therapies to modify DGF risk or promote repair, in part due to our incomplete understanding of the biology of preimplantation tubular injury. Methods We collected intraoperative, preimplantation kidney biopsies from 11 high-risk deceased donors and 10 living donors and followed transplant recipients for graft function. We performed quantitative high-dimensional histopathologic analysis using imaging mass cytometry to determine the cellular signatures that distinguished deceased and living donor biopsies as well as deceased donor biopsies which either did or did not progress to DGF. Results We noted decreased tubular cells (P < 0.0001) and increased macrophage infiltration (P = 0.0037) in high-risk DDKT compared with living donor biopsies. For those high-risk DDKTs that developed postimplant DGF (n = 6), quantitative imaging mass cytometry analysis showed a trend toward reduced tubular cells (P = 0.02) and increased stromal cells (P = 0.04) versus those that did not (n = 5). Notably, these differences were not identified by conventional histopathologic evaluation. Conclusions The current study identifies donor tubular cell loss as a precursor of DGF pathogenesis and highlights an area for further investigation and potential therapeutic intervention.
The Future is ̶B̶r̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ Complicated: AI, Apps & Access to Justice

As advances in legal technology reshape boundaries between lawyers and clients, some scholars foresee increased access to civil justice. Do-It-Yourself (DIY) estate planning through the use of online forms is frequently offered as evidence of this phenomenon. In this article, I take seriously this prediction, assessing the extent to which technology is likely to increase access to estate planning. In doing so, I identify several themes that complicate predictions for legal technology’s potential to increase access to justice. First, I highlight the potential of legal technology to reproduce, rather than ameliorate, existing social inequalities. Second, I note the challenges raised by complete automation. Finally, I discuss the role of regulatory and doctrinal reforms in determining the trajectory of legal technology. The analysis serves as a useful illustration of the need to ground our expectations for legal technology in empirical realities.
An In-Situ Sliding Window Approximate Inner-Product Scheme Based on Parallel Distributed Arithmetic for Ultra-Low Power Fault-Tolerant Applications

Approximate computing (AC) provides an efficient solution for reducing power, area, and complexity of digital systems. When backed with distributed arithmetic (DA), AC leverages the ability to implement ultra-efficient inner-product units in terms of area, power, and delay. Such units can be used in any inherently resilient application. This paper presents a novel scheme of approximate inner-product based on parallel DA for low-power fault-tolerant applications backed with a novel in-situ sliding window algorithm. Our model eliminates the need for an explicit error correction scheme, which further reduces the overhead while improving the accuracy. The experimental results show that our model achieves a state-of-the-art performance in terms of power delay product (PDP), area power product (APP) with a reduction of 39.26% and 48.83%, respectively.
Development of a prophylactic regime using Terramycin/LA to assist in the introduction of susceptible cattle into heartwater endemic areas of Africa

As a result of a personal survey in 1982, interviewing veterinarians from Louis Trichardt to Uitenhage, it was concluded that bovine heartwater is currently regarded as the most serious tick-borne disease problem in South Africa. A combination of long-acting oxytetracycline and prednisolone is regarded as the most effective therapy. The disease is almost inevitable in unprotected young high-grade susceptible stock introduced into endemic areas such as the northern Transvaal and the Valley Bushveld of Natal and the Eastern Cape. A series of trials was conducted at Settlers, Pietermaritzburg and East London on farms representative of these areas and it was demonstrated that 4 injections of 20 mg/kg of long-acting oxytetracycline on Days 0, 7, 14 and 21 after introduction enabled such stock to be introduced without the disease occurring. A further trial was carried out on the Pietermaritzburg farm, where it was shown that the number of injections could be reduced to 3, on Days 7, 14 and 21 or Days 7, 12 and 17, or even 2 on Days 7 and 14. Two points need stressing. First, these results were obtained in areas of high heartwater endemicity. Second, in order to be confident that the regimen will be effective it is necessary to have acquired knowledge of the epidemiology of the disease at the farm. Thus in the 2nd year at Pietermaritzburg we were able to use a reduced treatment regime we knew the pattern of disease occurrence.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cellular myosin heavy chain in human leukocytes: isolation of 5' cDNA clones, characterization of the protein, chromosomal localization, and upregulation during myeloid differentiation

We have isolated 5′ cDNA clones encoding a member of the cellular myosin heavy chain gene family from human leukocytes. The predicted amino acid sequence shows 93% identity to a chicken cellular myosin heavy chain, 76% to chicken smooth muscle, and 40% to human sarcomeric myosin heavy chain. The mRNA is expressed as a 7.4- to 7.9-kb doublet in many nonmuscle cells, and is upregulated in myeloid cell lines on induction from a proliferating to a differentiated state. Antisera raised against a peptide made from the predicted amino acid sequence specifically reacts with a 224-Kd polypeptide in leukocyte cell lines, and the protein is also upregulated during the induction of monocytic and granulocytic differentiation in these cells. The gene for this cellular myosin heavy chain maps to chromosome 22, bands q12.3-q13.1, demonstrating that it is not located in the previously described sarcomeric gene clusters on chromosomes 14 and 17. This cellular myosin heavy chain may be a major contractile protein responsible for movement in myeloid cell lines because no mRNA for sarcomeric myosin heavy chain is detected in these cells.
Distributed modeling of submillimeter-wave HEMT parasitics based on full-wave electromagnetic analysis

We present a broadband distributed parasitic equivalent circuit model to accurately reproduce the frequency response of electromagnetic (EM) field couplings within the structure of submillimeter-wave (sub-mmW) high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) in terahertz (THz) band. We also develop a novel systematic multi-step parameter extraction algorithm. The accuracy of the suggested extraction procedure is validated through extensive comparisons between full-wave (FW) simulated, measured, and modeled frequency responses of the presented test standards up to 750 GHz.
Gender as a risk factor for contrast nephropathy: effects of hydration and N-acetylcysteine.

Summary Background: In a few studies, N-acetylcysteine has been shown to prevent contrast-induced nephropathy in patients with chronic, stable renal failure undergoing elective procedures. Other studies have shown variable outcomes. Furthermore, the majority of prior studies have mainly studied men, and gender as a risk factor has not been studied. Hypothesis:The study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of N-acetylcysteine and hydration in unselected patients with both acute and stable renal insufficiency (RI) undergoing urgent or elective cardiac or peripheral angiography. Methods: We evaluated records of 146 patients with RI undergoing angiography. We compared patients receiving periprocedure hydration and acetylcysteine with patients who were only hydrated or received no pretreatment. We evaluated the 48-h change in serum creatinine between groups and further analyzed the effect of hydration and gender on outcomes. Results: Demographics and baseline creatinine were similar between groups. Post procedure, the creatinine increased significantly in both groups, but less so in the acetylcysteine group (control: 0.35 ± 0.08 mg/dl; acetylcysteine: 0.14 ± 0.04 mg/dl, p < 0.05). When the control group was further stratified by hydration, the increase in creatinine for the hydrated patients was only 0.17 ± 0.10 mg/dl compared with 0.54 ± 0.12 mg/dl in patients with inadequate hydration. In the control group, women were more likely to receive no preprocedural hydration (59 vs. 40%), had a bigger rise in creatinine, received less protection from hydration alone, but were equally well protected by hydration plus acetylcysteine. In the acetylcysteine group, change in creatinine for women was minimal (+ 0.14 ± 0.07 mg/dl) and not different from men (+ 0.15 ± 0.05). Conclusion:Unselected patients with acute and chronic RI had no benefit from acetylcysteine beyond that seen with hydration alone. Gender may be a risk factor for contrast-induced nephropathy, with hydration offering less protection in women. Acetylcysteine (with hydration) seems to minimize the gender difference.
Market Liquidity and Ambiguity: The Certification Role of Corporate Governance

We investigate how firm-specific certification practices through corporate governance can reduce perceived ambiguity and thus enhance liquidity of a firm in the stock market. We show that better corporate governance helps reduce ambiguity. In addition, a reduction in ambiguity is significantly related to higher liquidity of firms. Our results are robust to alternative model specifications and measures of ambiguity, and remain statistically significant after controlling for other known determinants of ambiguity and liquidity. Our results shed light on how ambiguity can be moderated through firm-level certification practices and on the channel through which a moderation of ambiguity affects shareholder wealth.
Peroxynitrogen: A Study of Nitrogen/Oxygen Heterocycles with NO and OO or NOO Bonding

Hydroxylamines, oximes and hydroxamic acids that are also associated with a peroxy group are considered. To be both brief and selective, only those species that are heterocycles with NO and OO or NOO bonding are included. Plausible, but inadequately characterized, classes of compounds are also discussed. Keywords: peroxyhydroxylamines; peroxyoximes; peroxyhydroxamic acids; nitrogen/oxygen heterocycles; peroxy derivatives; 3-membered rings; 4-membered rings; 5-membered rings; 6-membered rings; 7-membered or larger rings; metallocycles; photooxidation; radicals; singlet oxygen; reactive intermediates
HOLOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF KIKUCHI ELECTRON DIFFRACTION DATA FROM ${\rm Si}(111)(\sqrt{3}\times\sqrt{3}){\rm R}30^\circ{\rm -Al}$

Holographic analysis was applied to Kikuchi electron diffraction data collected from the ${\rm Si}(111)(\sqrt{3}\times\sqrt{3}){\rm R}30^\circ{\rm -Al}$ structure to produce real-space images of the surface structure. Methods for calibrating the initial diffraction data are fully described. The images clearly show features caused by the Al atoms in the T4 absorption site. Measurements of the Al–Si bond length and the height of the Al above the top layer of Si agree with the values known from dynamical LEED studies.
A constitutive description of nonlinear materials containing voids

Abstract The material containing voids is characterized by two state variables, the void volume fraction ϱ and the equivalent matrix stress σ . Void interaction becomes significant in nonlinear materials at very low void volume fractions. This interaction is modeled by a cell consisting of a single void within a thick shell of nonlinear matrix material, the dimensions of which are chosen to give a desired void fraction. The cell, loaded at the outer surface, is analyzed numerically to obtain an approximate expression for the equivalent matrix stress, from which a flow rule is derived.
Neuron numbers and dendritic extent in normal aging and Alzheimer's disease

Abstract Factors which limit the interpretation of studies of aging brain include: secular trends, species and strain differences, effects of tissue processing, and bias which may be introduced at many levels of an experimental design. With these limitations considered, evidence is reviewed regarding neuron numbers and dendritic extent in normally aging rodent, monkey and human brain and in Alzheimer's disease. It is concluded that neuron loss and change in dendritic extent in normal aging are regionally specific, and that corresponding brain regions do not always change in similar ways in rodents and primates. It is suggested that such differences may, in part, be due to inconsistent definitions of ‘aged’ among species. In Alzheimer's disease there is excess neuron loss and dendritic regression in some, but not all, brain regions. Measures of the morphological substrates of brain function show appreciable overlap between AD and control groups. It is hypothesized that the static, post-mortem status of brain morphology may not adequately reflect the functional capabilities of the dynamic morphology of the living brain.
Phosgene in the ambient air.

IN recent years the atmosphere has become contaminated with a large number of halogenated compounds. Whereas inert fluorocarbons are suspect as precursors of stratospheric ozone-destroying chlorine atoms, other halocarbons, such as vinyl chloride, chloroform and trichloroethylene, have been found to be carcinogens1,2. We present here the first measurements of ambient phosgene (COCl2), and demonstrate that chloroethylenes (primarily C2Cl4 and C2HCl3), which are emitted worldwide in extremely large quantities (1.5 × 106 t in 1975), photodecompose to form highly toxic species such as phosgene and chloroacetylchlorides. A consideration of the sources, the distribution, and the fate of these species suggests that a significant environmental impact is possible. The results presented here are based on laboratory and field studies conducted within California in 1976.
Parametric study of the diversion of a near Earth object on an Earth intersecting trajectory

Abstract To date, NASA's “Near Earth Object Program” has discovered over 5500 comets and asteroids on trajectories that bring them within “the neighborhood” of Earth's orbit. Nearly 1000 of these objects are classified as “potentially hazardous,” passing within 0.05 astronomical units of Earth's orbit. Discovery rates of such threatening bodies increase each year. Given this multitude of threats, in addition to evidence that the planet has absorbed many impacts over its history, it is reasonable to assume that another object will strike the Earth at some point in the future. Consequently, researchers have studied and proposed several mitigation techniques for such an occurrence. This study seeks to determine how effectively the attachment of a tether and ballast mass would divert the trajectory of such threatening objects. Specifically, the study analyzes the effects over time of such a system on objects of varying orbital semimajor axis and eccentricity, using various tether lengths and ballast masses. It was determined that the technique is most effective for NEOs with high eccentricity and small semimajor axis, and that system performance increases as tether length and ballast mass increase.
Quality-Controlled Education in Epileptology: Experiences from Europe and Possible Developments for Other Regions

Summary: As a consequence of the political system shift in Eastern Europe in the early 1990s, the new International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Commission on European Affairs (CEA) had to face the task of ensuring an equally good quality of epilepsy care across the whole region. A high standard of epileptologic education being the most important precondition for that, the decision was taken to make quality-controlled education a first priority. To reach this aim, an “European Epilepsy Academy” (Eurepa) was founded in 1996. Its activities comprise organization of its own educational courses, certification of other educational courses, responsibility for education at European Congresses, training of trainers in epilepsy (now 45 trainers from 27 countries), adoption of a curriculum to become a certified European epileptologist, establishment of a multinational educational network, and a “Website Academy” as a forum for discussion. In the first two years of its activity, the Academy received financial support from the ILAE (money generated by the European Congresses) but has since been self-supporting, with income from membership fees, participation fees at courses, and moderate support from pharmaceutical companies. The interest in the Academy is high, especially in those parts of Europe where epileptology was until recently not well developed. This should encourage other regional ILAE commissions to implement similar strategies, even if different regional structures will require variable regional approaches. Thus, in regions with long distances, it may be useful to include methods of distant learning and other specific features.
Images of War: Content Analysis of the Photo Coverage of the War in Kosovo

This study is a content analysis of the coverage of the war in Kosovo by three major American magazines - Time, Newsweek, and US News & World Report. American and independent international official documents show that the Kosovo conflict was a civil war between Kosovo's Serbian population supported by the Yugoslavian government and an Albanian nationalist terrorist organization (KLA). The main question of this study is: Did the American media tell this story correctly? The general hypothesis of this study was that the photo coverage of the war had been imbalanced with apparent bias against the Serbs. The hypothesis was statistically supported. A theoretical explanation for similar types of situations is offered in the discussion section. The author refers to this phenomenon as the media agitation mode and identifies eight main characteristics of such situations. The theory of supply and demand of political news is also introduced in this article.
Misclassification Model for Person-Time Analysis of Automated Medical Care Databases

A misclassification model is presented for the assessment of bias in rate ratios estimated by person-time analyses of automated medical care databases. The model allows for misclassification of events and person-time and applies to both differential and nondifferential errors. The focus is on medical care exposures that occur at discrete points in time (e.g., vaccinations) and on adverse events that are closely associated in time. Bias corrections for rate ratios and binomial tests of equality of event rates during exposed and unexposed person-time are developed and illustrated. For nondifferential under- or over-ascertainment of events, the observed rate ratio (r) is unbiased at the null hypothesis (true rate ratio R = 1), negatively biased when R > 1, and positively biased when R < 1 (i.e., biased toward the null). Differential under-ascertainment of unexposed events and differential over-ascertainment of exposed events positively bias r when R = 1. Differential event sensitivities cause larger biases in rate ratios than differential false event rates. False positive exposures bias observed event rate ratios more than false negative exposures. Biases are small when event sensitivities are nondifferential and when less than 10% of database exposures and events are false. The usefulness of the model for critical sensitivity analysis is illustrated by an example from a linked database study of childhood vaccine safety. Greater dissemination of data quality assessments, sensitivity analyses, and methods used to supplement automated databases are needed to further our understanding of the appropriate role of medical care databases in epidemiologic research.
Dominant Suppression of Lymphocyte Apoptosis by Hepatoma Cells

Suppression of apoptosis appears to contribute to the development of various diseases, including autoimmune disorders and cancer. Numerous genes that encode activators and suppressors of apoptosis have been identified; however, such genes have not been shown to be expressed in all cell types. Furthermore, the sensitivity of different cell types to induction of apoptosis varies widely. We have employed a genetic approach using somatic cell hybridization to determine if apoptosis is a dominant or a recessive process in cells. These studies have utilized cell fusion partners with differing sensitivity to induction of apoptosis. The apoptosis-sensitive cells chosen were BW5147 murine thymoma cells. These cells readily undergo apoptosis in response to glucocorticoids and calcium ionophore. The resistant fusion partners were HTC rat hepatoma cells, which possess an intact glucocorticoid signal transduction pathway but are resistant to induction of apoptosis by either agent. Neither cell type expresses detectable Bcl-2 protein. Heterokaryons were identified by their retention of fluorescent cytosolic dyes and by nuclear morphology and cell size. The three types of heterokaryons observed were intratypic HTC/HTC and BW5147/BW5147 heterokaryons and intertypic BW5147/HTC heterokaryons. Glucocorticoid receptor was shown by immunohistochemistry to undergo hormone-dependent translocation to all nuclei in intertypic heterokaryons. BW5147/BW5147 heterokaryons die after treatment with glucocorticoid and calcium ionophore, whereas both HTC/ HTC and BW5147/HTC hybrids survive. The presence of multiple BW5147 cells fused to a single HTC cell did not affect this outcome. This demonstrates that HTC cells are able to dominantly suppress apoptosis in all BW5147/HTC heterokaryons. Thus, HTC cells contain activities that can suppress apoptosis in lymphocytes.
Morocco energy outlook: opportunities and challenges

Unlike other North African countries (e.g. Algeria, Libya, and Egypt), Morocco holds very limited proven hydrocarbon reserves. For decades, Rabat has depended heavily on imported oil and natural gas to meet its growing demand for energy. Realising the fiscal and environmental impact of this dependency, the Moroccan authorities have pursued a twofold strategy in recent years: developing the country's untapped renewable energy resources and improving energy efficiency. Partnership with the European Union has proven crucial in the initiation and implementation of this strategy.