cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ancient Maya Agricultural Terracing in the Upper Belize River Area

Recent archaeological surveys in the upper Belize River area have documented high overall settlement densities, albeit with an uneven distribution. Analyses have defined clear relationships between the distribution of land resources of varying agricultural capability and the density of ancient residential sites. However, these investigations did not provide direct physical evidence for cultivation techniques, particularly for the intensive methods that were probably employed in areas of prime land resources and high settlement density. The discovery in 1991 of terracing in direct association with a residential site prompted further investigations into the distribution of terrace systems throughout the area. The development of a computerized Geographic Information System (GIS) facilitated the prediction of terrace distributions on the basis of slope, soil type, and the parent material from which soils form. Initial field testing of the terrace-distribution model in 1992 resulted in the identification of 13 terrace systems, all situated on low slopes in soils developed on consolidated limestone. A variety of terrace systems were identified, including small, intricate patterns of “box terraces,” contour terraces, and cross-channel terraces. Locational data on these systems were used to modify the terrace-distribution model in anticipation of further field investigations. The results allow new insights into the structure of ancient Maya land use and settlement in the area, while illustrating a method that can be used to quantify landscape characteristics, thereby facilitating comparisons between local areas within a regional context.
Fasting hypoglycaemia and metabolic acidosis associated with deficiency of hepatic fructose-1,6-diphosphatase activity.

Abstract A striking deficiency of hepatic fructose-1,6-diphosphatase activity has been demonstrated in a child who has hypoglycaemia and metabolic acidosis on fasting. Liver glycogen was normal, and normal activities of all of the hepatic enzymes concerned with glycogen synthesis and degradation were noted; severe ballooning of hepatic cells by large lipid-containing vacuoles was the only histological abnormality. Oral glucose and galactose tolerance tests were normal, but oral fructose and glycerol provoked hypoglycaemia. The presence of normal levels of hepatic fructose-1-phosphate aldolase activity clearly distinguishes this disease from hereditary fructose intolerance. A sibling who died with many similar features suggests that this is an inherited defect. This new syndrome of fasting hypoglycaemia and metabolic acidosis seems to represent the clinical expression of impaired gluconeogenesis due to an inherited deficiency of hepatic fructose-1,6-diphosphatase.
Leukotriene-receptor antagonist FPL-55712 and t-PA-induced thrombolysis in canine coronary thrombosis

Abstract Leukocyte-derived arachidonate products peptido-leukotrienes have been shown to induce coronary constriction and platelet aggregation. As such, leukocytes may have a role in coronary thrombosis and coronary re-occlusion following thrombolysis. In the present study, we examined the effects of tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA, 0.75mg/kg over 20 minutes) given after either saline or FPL-55712 (2mg/kg), a peptido-leukotriene receptor antagonist, in dogs with electrically-induced coronary thrombosis. Peripheral blood neutrophil number and superoxide anion generation increased (P
Effects of sodium ascorbate, sodium saccharin and ammonium chloride on the male rat urinary bladder

Sodium saccharin administered at high doses to male rats beginning after 5 weeks of age produces mild urothelial hyperplasia but does not result in a significant increase in incidence of bladder cancer unless it is administered after an initiating agent. However, if it is administered in a two-generation bioassay, a significant incidence of bladder tumors is produced. The hyperplastic and tumorigenic effects are inhibited by co-administration with high doses of NH4Cl. The present experiment was designed to evaluate the effects of another sodium salt, sodium ascorbate, administered through the neonatal time period. Sodium saccharin administered as 5% of the diet produced urothelial hyperplasia and increased labeling index, and this was inhibited by co-administration with 1.23% NH4Cl. Four doses of sodium ascorbate was evaluated. The lowest dose, 0.91%, was without effect on the urinary tract. A slight effect (not statistically significant) was observed at a dose of 2.73%, and a significant proliferative response was detected at 4.56 and 6.84%. Recent studies suggest that a calcium phosphate-containing amorphous precipitate forms in the urine of rats fed high doses of sodium saccharin, producing cytotoxicity of the urothelium and consequent regenerative hyperplasia. This precipitate was observed in the present experiment in the rats administered the high dose of sodium saccharin or the higher doses of sodium ascorbate. Formation of this precipitate and induction of urothelial proliferation were inhibited by co-administration of NH4Cl, but somewhat higher doses of ammonium chloride were required for doses of sodium ascorbate compared to sodium saccharin. These results demonstrate that sodium ascorbate administered through the neonatal time period of the male rat produces urothelial hyperplasia in the dose responsive manner, with a no-effect level of 0.91% of the diet. The formation of the calcium phosphate-containing amorphous precipitate and urothelial proliferation were inhibited by co-administration with NH4Cl.
Far-infrared absorption by granular superconductors

The far-infrared absorption spectrum of a granular superconductor consisting of Sn spheres in a KCl host is calculated using the longitudinal dielectric function in a nonlocal theory for the polarizability of a small sphere. The theory can explain the frequency dependence, but not the anomalously large magnitude of the observed absorption.
Influence of wildfires on apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He ages

Low closure temperatures of the apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronometers allow valuable constraints on timing and rates of bedrock exhumation through shallow crustal depths, but raise the possibility that shallow-level processes other than exhumation-related cooling may also influence He ages. A simple He diffusion model predicts that wildfires can completely or partially reset apatite He ages as much as 3 cm below rock surfaces and partially reset zircon He ages in the outermost 1 cm. Measured He ages in bedrock and sediments from the Washington Cascades that were exposed to extensive wildfires in 2001 show strong agreement with these model predictions. Apatite He ages decrease from a regionally consistent age of 19.5 ′ 1.2 Ma at a distance >3 cm from the rock surface to as low as 1.9 Ma in the outermost 1 cm, whereas zircon He ages decrease from 65 to 55 Ma over the same distance. Thin (<3 cm) flakes shed from a nearby boulder during or after the most recent fire have apatite He ages ranging from 9.7 ′ 0.6 to 17.2 ′ 1.0 Ma. The partial-resetting profiles are best explained by model thermal histories involving at least one short-duration (∼5-10 min), high-temperature (575-650 °C) event and at least one longer (30-40 min), lower-temperature (350-450 °C) event. Age-depth profile data may be useful in determining wildfire intensities or locations and also suggest that He ages of detrital apatites from some environments may be subject to bias from the thermal effects of wildfires.
Shaping user input: a strategy for natural language dialogue design

Abstract Traditional approaches to natural language dialogue interface design have adopted ordinary human-human conversation as the model for online human-computer interaction. The attempt to deal with all the subtleties of natural dialogues, such as topic focus, coherence, ellipsis, pronominal reference, etc. has resulted in prototype systems that are enormously complex and computationally expensive. In a series of experiments † , we explored ways of minimizing the processing burden of a dialogue system by channeling user input towards a more tractable, though still natural, form of Englishlanguage questions. Through linking a pair of terminals, we presented subjects with two different dialogue styles as a framework for online help in the domain of word-processing. The first dialogue style involved ordinary conversational format. The second style involved a simulation of an automated dialogue system, including apparent processing restrictions and ‘system process messages’ to inform the subject of the steps taken by the system during query analysis. In both cases human tutors played the role of the help system. After each dialogue session, subjects were interviewed to determine their assessments of the naturalness and usability of the dialogue interface. We found that user input became more tractable to parsing and query analysis as the dialogue style became more formalized, yet the subjective assessment of naturalness and usability remained fairly constant. This suggests that techniques for channeling user input in a dialogue system may be effectively employed to reduce processing demands without compromising the benefits of a natural language interface. Theoretically, this data lends support to the hypothesis that unrestricted human-human conversation is not the most appropriate model for the design of human-computer dialogue interfaces.
Synthesis and Characterization of A New Conjugated Aromatic Poly(azomethine) Derivative Based on the 3‘,4‘-Dibutyl-α-Terthiophene Building Block

A new conjugated aromatic poly(azomethine) derivative, poly(3‘,4‘-dibutyl-α-terthiophene−azomethine-1,4-phenylene−azomethine) (PBTPI), has been prepared by polycondensation of 2,5‘‘-diformyl-3‘,4‘-dibutyl-2,2‘:5‘,2‘‘-terthiophene with 1,4-phenylenediamine under the ethanothermal conditions. The red polycrystalline PBTPI was characterized by X-ray diffraction, NMR, FTIR, UV−visible−near-IR, photoluminescence, and ESR spectroscopies. PBTPI is partially soluble in tetrahydrofuran, giving an orange solution with an absorption maximum (λmax) of 457 nm. In the solid state, PBTPI has an optical band gap of 2.06 eV, which is one of the lowest among poly(azomethines), and is highly sensitive to a strong acid environment. Protonation yields a blue polymer with an optical band gap of 1.61 eV. The polymer is completely soluble in concentrated sulfuric acid and nitromethane containing Lewis acids (e.g., AlCl3), giving blue solutions with λmax of 656 and 638 nm, respectively. Iodine-doped PBTPI shows low electrical con...
EPA's 2006 Human-Subjects Rule for Pesticide Experiments

Arguing that the 2006 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) human-subjects rule allows use of unethical third-party research (on pregnant women and children) in setting pesticide regulations, this article first (a) provides a brief history of U.S. pesticide regulation, particularly regarding childhood safety. Next it (b) outlines ethical and scientific loopholes in the 2006 EPA rule; (c) shows how the Human Subjects Review Board, mandated by the 2006 rule, has been implemented in flawed ways; and (d) illustrates that one source of problems with the rule may be influence by those with conflicts of interest.
Solubilization and spectral characteristics of chlorophyll-protein complexes isolated from the thermophilic blue-green alga Synechococcus lividus☆

Abstract The thermophilic blue-green alga Synechococcus lividus was grown at 38 and 55°C. The reaction center chlorophyll-protein complexes (CP) of Photosystem (PS I) and PS II, CP a I and CP a II , were isolated by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at 4°C. SDS solubilization of thylakoids was performed in the temperature range 0–65°C. The low-temperature absorption and fluorescence emission spectral properties of the isolated chlorophyll-protein complexes were analyzed. Only traces of CP a I were solubilized at temperatures below the lipid phase transition temperature. Instead, a minor PS I component, CP a ′ I , was obtained that had absorption and fluorescence characteristics similar to those of CP a I . CP a ′ I had a slightly lower mobility than CP a I in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The amount of CP a I in the gel scan profile increased dramatically when solubilization was carried out above the phase transition temperatures, but started to decrease above 60°C. CP a II , on the other hand, could be efficiently extracted even at 0°C and was stable in the scan profile up to extraction temperatures of 30–40°C. Low-temperature absorption and fluorescence emission spectra were typical for CP a I and CP a II and no specific effects of the two growth temperatures on these properties were observed. The phase transition temperature was considered to be critical for the solubilization of CP a I , either because of the difficulties of SDS (especially as it forms micelles at low temperatures) in penetrating the solidified membrane lipids at temperatures below that of the phase transition or because the CP a I monomers of the PS I antennae are so strongly bound to each other that they cannot be dissociated by SDS before thermal agitation has reached a certain level that is achieved above the phase transition temperature. We consider both the difficulties in solubilizing CP a I at sub-transition temperatures and the heat stability of the two complexes as adaptations which enable Synechococcus to grow under extreme high-temperature regimes.
Rapid prototyping of database systems in human genetics data collection

This work examines some of the problems encountered in developing small and large database application systems involving human genetics data collection efforts that include data on individuals as well as family pedigree data. Rapid prototyping of a database application requires software tools to produce the application with little or no programming. Features of MEGADATS-4 that provide for rapid prototyping and for producing stand-alone applications are examined.
Science in the public eye

Making Science Our Own. By Marcel C. LaFollette. University of Chicago Press: 1990. Pp. 260. Hbk. £35.95, $51.75, pbk£14. 75, $20.75.
Distinct spatial localization of specific mRNAs in cultured sympathetic neurons

We examined the subcellular distribution of specific mRNAs in cultured sympathetic neurons. Under appropriate conditions, sympathetic neurons extend both axons and dendrites that are distinguishable by light microscopic and immunocytochemical criteria. In situ hybridization revealed a differential localization of mRNA within dendrites. mRNA encoding MAP2 was abundant in cell bodies and distributed nonhomogeneously throughout the dendritic compartment, but was not detected in axons. In contrast, mRNAs encoding GAP-43 and alpha-tubulin were restricted to the cell body and largely excluded from dendrites as well as axons. Detergent extraction revealed that most dendrite-associated mRNA encoding MAP2 was associated with the Triton X-100 insoluble fraction of the cell. The subset of mRNAs present in the dendritic compartment may encode proteins involved in the morphogenesis and remodeling of dendrites.
Thermal Inactivation Studies on Pathogenic Bacteria in Milk and Various Milk Products. I. Corynebacterium diphtheriae ATCC No. 296

Summary Corynebacterium diphtheriae No. 296 was shown to have mean D values of 6.65, 1.68, 0.00547, 0.00314, 0.00140, and 0.00084min. in milk at temperatures of 120, 125, 154, 156, 158, and 160° F., respectively. The mean D values for the organism in chocolate milk were 5.60, 1.18, 0.00758, 0.00556, 0.00407, and 0.00230min. at respective temperatures of 120, 125, 148, 150, 152, and 154° F. Mean D values of 5.06, 0.72, 0.00309, 0.00238, and 0.00175min. were found in cream for respective temperatures of 120, 125, 136, 138, and 140° F. In ice cream mix the organism was found to have mean D values of 15.0, 6.0, 0.00083, 0.00038, 0.00037, and 0.00027min. for temperatures of 120, 125, 162, 164, 166, and 168° F., respectively. According to the theory of logarithmic destruction of bacteria by heat, sterilization can not be achieved in a sample of infinite size. Therefore, for purposes of calculation, one must set arbitrary limits in order to determine a given process value. If one accepts a 10 D value process as being adequate for proper pasteurization, a holding time of 0.01min. (0.6sec.) at 160.5° F. will reduce the concentration of viable cells of C. diphtheriae No. 296 to the arbitrarily chosen lower limit of acceptability in milk and ice cream mix, which were found to provide more protection to the test organism than did chocolate milk and cream containing 40% fat.
Two efficient schemes for dynamic analyses with finite elements

Abstract This paper proposes two efficient schemes that may be applied to finite element analyses in the frequency domain, such as those currently used to analyze nuclear power plants under seismic loads. The first scheme consists of a reduction in the number of degrees of freedom necessary to model an axisymmetric system, using what is referred to as the quasi-cylindric approximation (not a plane strain approximation!). The second scheme is the use of Hermite interpolation to decrease the computational effort associated with the determination of the transfer functions. The application of the technique is reviewed for the case of a Waas-Lysmer transmitting boundary (a similar boundary is used in the computer program FLUSH), and the relative efficiency is discussed.
Studies of the Deteriorated Turbulent Heat Transfer Regime for the Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor Decay Heat Removal System

Increased reliance on passive emergency cooling using natural circulation of gas at elevated pressure is one of the major goals for the Gas-cooled Fast Reactor (GFR). Since GFR cores have high power density and low thermal inertia, the decay heat removal (DHR) in depressurization accidents is a key challenge. Furthermore, due to its high surface heat flux and low velocities under natural circulation in any post-LOCA scenario, three effects impair the capability of turbulent gas flow to remove heat from the GFR core, namely: (1) Acceleration effect (2) Buoyancy effect (3) Properties variation. This paper reviews previous work on heat transfer mechanisms and flow characteristics of the Deteriorated Turbulent Heat Transfer (DTHT) regime. It is shown that the GFR’s DHR system has a potential for operating in the DTHT regime by performing a simple analysis. A description of the MIT/INL experimental facility designed and built to investigate the DTHT regime is provided together with the first test results. The first runs were performed in the forced convection regime to verify facility operation against well-established forced convection correlations. The results of the three runs at Reynolds numbers 6700, 8000 and 12800 showed good agreement with the Gnielinsky correlation [4], which is considered the best available heat transfer correlation in the forced convection regime and is valid for a large range of Reynolds and Prandtl numbers. However, even in the forced convection regime, the effect of heat transfer properties variation of the fluid was found to be still significant.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
The strength of temperature-mediated selection on body size in a wild insect population

Abstract Body size is a crucial element of an organism's ecology and evolution, and is known to be influenced by natural selection. Here, we estimated the strength of temperature-mediated selection on body size in a wild population of the striped ground cricket, Allonemobius socius. We found that extremely high, but naturally occurring temperatures, selected for larger body sizes, as expected. The strength of this selection pressure was strong, with the univariate selection gradients being β = 0.591 ± 0.237; βσ = 0.281 ± 0.112; and βμ = 3.95 ± 1.58 (± sx). These results suggest that periodically occurring temperature extremes can influence the evolution of body size in wild populations of A. socius and other orthopterans. Furthermore, these selection pressures may contribute to the often observed size cline known as the Converse of Bergmann's rule, and become more prevalent in the future as temperatures increase due to global warming.
Intercenter Differences in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia or Death Among Very Low Birth Weight Infants

OBJECTIVES: To determine (1) the magnitude of clustering of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (36 weeks) or death (the outcome) across centers of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child and Human Development National Research Network, (2) the infant-level variables associated with the outcome and estimate their clustering, and (3) the center-specific practices associated with the differences and build predictive models. METHODS: Data on neonates with a birth weight of RESULTS: In 2001–2004, clustering of bronchopulmonary dysplasia/death was significant (pairwise odds ratio: 1.3; P CONCLUSION: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia/death rates demonstrated moderate clustering according to center. Clinical variables associated with the outcome were also clustered. Center differences after correction of clustered variables indicate presence of as-yet unmeasured center variables.
Molecular characteristics and peptide specificity of bradykinin binding sites in intact neuroblastoma-glioma cells in culture (NG 108-15)

Abstract Here we report that the mouse neuroblastoma-glioma hybrid cell line NG108-15 possess high-affinity binding sites for the nonapeptide bradykinin, as revealed by competitive displacement of 125 I- 8 Tyr bradykinin by various bradykinin analogs. These binding sites were further characterized by covalent cross-linking of 125 I- 8 Tyr bradykinin to intact NG108-15 grown as a monolayer, using dithiobis-succinimidylpropionate (DTSP) as a cross-linking reagent. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) electrophoresis after solubilization of the cross-linked cells, demonstrated the preferential and specific labeling of two polypeptides with apparent molecular weights of Mr = 36000 and Mr = 47000. A third polypeptide of Mr = 69000 was labeled less intensely.
Angina and persistent exercise thallium defects: Independent risk factors in elective vascular surgery

Objectives. In this study, we assessed the utility of exercise thallium-201 scintigraphy and other clinical factors in predicting perioperative cardiac complications in patients undergoing elective vascular surgery. Background. The risk of cardiac complications among such patients is very high. Methods. The study group comprised 116 men (mean age 67 years). Fifty patients (43%) had a history of coronary artery disease, including angina pectoris in 26 (22%), myocardial infarction in 32 (28%) and coronary artery bypass surgery in 19 (16%). Results. There were a total of 22 perioperative myocardial infarctions (18.9%), including 2 cardiac deaths (1.7%). A significantly greater proportion (p < 0.05) of patients with than without perioperative complications had a history of coronary artery disease (77% vs. 35%), angina (59% vs. 14%), prior myocardial infarction (50% vs. 22%), abnormal electrocardiogram (68% vs. 40%) and abnormal exercise thallium test (75% vs. 47%). The patient group with complications also had a significantly lower mean rest ejection fraction (45 ± 3% vs. 55 ± 2%, p < 0.005). Independent predictors of complication, as determined by straight logistic regression, were angina aad fixed thallium defects after exercise. Conclusions. Our data indicate that angina and the presence of fixed thallium defects after exercise are independent predictors of cardiac risk in patients undergoing elective vascular surgery. These findings are compatible with other studies showing that nonredistribution on standard 3- to 4-h delayed studies cannot exclude viable myocardium at risk.
Classification Based on Tree-Structured Allocation Rules.

The authors consider the problem of classifying an unknown observation into 1 of several populations by using tree-structured allocation rules. Although many parametric classification procedures are robust to certain assumption violations, there is need for classification procedures that can be used regardless of the group-conditional distributions that underlie the model. The authors discuss the tree-structured allocation rule. The tree rule is compared with linear discriminant and logistic regression procedures via Monte Carlo and real data analysis.
Empirical model of the trophic basis for fishery yield in coastal waters of the eastern USA

Abstract A synthesis of information describing the trophic basis for production of marine fishery yield along the east coast of the USA from New York through Georgia is presented. It includes a documentation of the species composition and magnitude of fishery harvest, a delineation of the major food chains, and an estimate of the flow rates of organic matter through populations of yield species. In order to place the information on fishery food webs inappropriate context, we related it to primary production within the system and trophic structure of other systems that have been described. We conclude that (1) algal production is inadequate to support the existing system, and vascular plant production is required; (2) detritus, a frequent dietary constituent, retains at least 42% of the organic material from which it was derived, when it is ingested; (3) the system efficiently converts available organic matter to harvested species through direct paths; and (4) evaluations of fish production in this system ...
Blunt injuries of the thoracic aorta

Abstract We managed 51 patients with thoracic aortic injuries caused by blunt trauma between 1977 and 1990. Fortynine injuries were located in the upper descending aorta and one each in the ascending aorta and anatic arch. Three patients arrived moribund and underwent thoracotomy for resuscitation, and all died. The diagnosis was confirmed by aortography in 48. One patient died of aortic rupture, 1 died of hypoxemia, and 1 refused operation and died. Forty-four patients had aortic repair, 42 with graft insertion. Gott shunts were placed in 23 with 3 cases of paraplegia (13%). Simple cross-clamping was used in 19 with 1 case of paraplegia (5.2%). We found statistically significant differences between the cross-clamp times of patients without paraplegia compared with those in whom paraplegia developed in both the shunt and no-shunt groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that the only factor significantly associated with paraplegia was cross-clamp time. There were two postoperative deaths (4.4%). Seven patients had medical therapy initially and aortic repair was delayed to allow other injuries to stabilize. Before aortic repair, 18 patients had intraarterial pressure monitoring and 34 received β-blockers or antihypertensive drugs. We conclude that aortic repair with graft insertion is usually successful in nonmoribund patients, simple crossclamping is associated with a relatively low risk of paraplegia, the incidence of paraplegia is directly associated with the duration of cross-clamp time, and selected patients can be managed medically while awaiting aortic repair.
Approximate simultaneous inferential procedures for overall risk assessment of several competing causes in biomedical and epidemiologic studies

Abstract The object of the present paper is to develop approximate simultaneous inferential procedures which facilitate overall risk assessment of several competing causes in biomedical and epidemiologic studies when the available data consist only of number of cases or deaths but not the number of individuals at risk. The paper describes how, under some reasonable assumptions, asymptotically precise simultaneous inferences may be based on proportional mortality of morbidity analyses to estimate the indirectly standardized cause-specific risk measures RSMR i involving the corresponding SPMR i and to estimate the externally standardized measures RSRR i involving the corresponding measures S e PMR i . Our paper may be divided into two parts. In the first part, approximate simultaneous Scheffe-type confidence intervals (as d ..→∞) are presented for the measures RSMR i about the corresponding SPMR i when the individuals in the study are exposed to several (say M ) competing risks of death. The second part of our paper presents approximate simultaneous Scheffe-type prediction intervals (as d ..→∞) for the measures RSSR i involving the easily-computable externally standardized measures S e PMR i in the presence of M competing risks of death. The approximate simultaneous inferential techniques developed in the paper are valid regardless of any dependence structure among the competing risk factors. As a special case, if the risks may be assumed as independent, our simultaneous confidence and prediction intervals reduce to those for a single measure, obtained previously by the present authors (1987). The utility of the proportional mortality or morbidity measures SPMR i and S e PMR i is empirically evaluated as predictors of the corresponding cause-specific risk measures RSMR i and RSRR i using the tuberculosis mortality data of Kupper (1978) and the respiratory cancer mortality data of Enterline and Marsh (1983).
Prognostic Value of Apolipoprotein A-II Levels in Patients with Heart Failure

with acute decompensated HF. Methods: A prospective hospital-based cohort study comprising of patients hospitalized with acute decompensated HF was performed and analyzed in Korea from Mars 2011 to July 2013 (KorAHF registry). Of 4183 patients in the registry, 790 were excluded because of prior spironolactone use and remained 3393 patients were analyzed. We compared adverse outcomes (in-hospital mortality; a composite outcome of in-hospital mortality, or cardiac transplantation; 3 month allcause mortality; and 3 month all-cause readmission) with the use of propensity-score matching analysis to adjust for potential biases. In matched patients, changes in NYHA class from admission to discharge were compared with a Wilcoxon rank statistic. We also analyzed the subgroups according to their EF (the cut-off EF was 40%). Results: Spironolactone was newly prescribed during admission in 1576 patients (46.4% of 3393). Among them, spironolactone was administered early within 3 days after admission in 521 patients (33.1%). Patients were divided into two groups according to whether they started spironolactone during admission or not and 352 patients in each group were matched by propensity score. In-hospital mortality, a composite of in-hospital mortality, or cardiac transplantation, 3 month all cause mortality, and 3 month all cause readmission were not different between two groups. However, in-hospital use of spironolactone improved the distribution of changes in NYHA classes, as measured at discharge, compared with at admission (p!0.001). When patients with HF and a reduced EF (HFrEF) and HF and a preserved EF (HFpEF) were divided and matched respectively according to their in-hospital use of spironolactone, there were no differences in the development of adverse outcomes after using spironolactone in both subgroups. However, in-hospital use of spironolactone improved the distribution of changes in NYHA classes only in HFrEF patients (p50.006). Early start of spironolactone within 3 days after admission did not affect the development of adverse outcomes or the changes in NYHA classes Conclusion: In patients hospitalized with acute decompensated HF, the start of spironolactone did not exert a protective effect against the incidence of in-hospital mortality, a composite of in-hospital mortality, or cardiac transplantation, 3 month all-cause mortality, and 3 month all-cause readmission. However, it improved the distribution of changes in NYHA classes from admission to discharge, especially in HFrEF patients.
Lending Through the Cycle: The Federal Housing Administration’s Evolving Risk in the Primary Market

Utilizing a sample of loan originations, the distribution of the market served by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and conventional lenders is modeled through this current cycle. Results indicate that FHA market shares in the early years of the observation period (2003 through 2006) are concentrated in zip codes with higher economic risk characteristics and obtained by high risk borrowers. FHA is forced to accept lower quality loans as competition from more nimble private lenders with lower access hurdles and more rapid processing expanded into markets traditionally served by FHA. Unexpectedly, the analysis also reveals that the distribution of FHA loans fails to exhibit a targeted racial bias toward neighborhoods with African American Concentration.
Sonographic diagnosis and monitoring of an intramural duodenal hematoma following upper endoscopic biopsy in a child.

Intramural duodenal hematoma is an uncommon complication of pediatric endoscopic biopsy that occurs mainly in children with bleeding disorders. We report the case of a 5-year-old girl who presented with signs of partial duodenal obstruction and acute pancreatitis due to duodenal hematoma following endoscopic biopsy. The lesion was diagnosed and monitored by sonography and resolved with conservative management. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2009
The “Anchorite Within”: Basil of Caesarea’s Erotapokrisis 7 and the Ascetic Challenge to Christian Identity

Abstract Basil the Great has traditionally been seen as an opponent of solitary asceticism. It is however noteworthy that the form of hermitic life, which he discourages is nowhere to be found in Cappadocia at the time. Instead his opponent is a parody or imagined extreme serving to highlight the dangers of an isolated, privatized Christian identity that he worries may be creeping into fourth century Christian asceticism.
Dynamically assisted gated trapping for Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometry.

An efficient approach for trapping ions and enhancing signal based on 'adiabatic amplitude reduction' for Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometry is described and evaluated. This method is a modification to the widely used gated trapping technique in which the trapping potential is raised adiabatically rather than instantaneously (non-adiabatically). Compared with non-adiabatic gated trapping, the final amplitudes of ion axial oscillations and energies are lower in the proposed method. All performance aspects of the FTICR spectrum (e.g., peak intensities, mass resolution, and mass accuracy) improve significantly compared to the conventional gated trapping technique.
Testing for prostate and colorectal cancer: comparison of self-report and medical record audit

Background Self-reported data are often used to determine cancer screening test utilization, but self-report may be inaccurate. Methods We interviewed members of three health maintenance organizations and reviewed their medical records for information on digital rectal exam (DRE), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, fecal occult blood test (FOBT), sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy (response rate 65%). We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, concordance, and kappa statistic to compare the two sources for black men (n = 363), white and other men (n = 847), and women (n = 920) by study location. Results For DRE, FOBT, sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy, testing rates determined by self-report were higher than those in medical records. Kappa statistics showed fair to good agreement (0.40-0.80) for PSA, sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy among most subgroups. For DRE and FOBT, the agreement was poor except among participants from one HMO. Sensitivity was > or = 80% for sigmoidoscopy among most subgroups, and > or = 85% for endoscopy (sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy), >75% for DRE, and > or = 63% for PSA among all subgroups. Specificity exceeded 80% for FOBT and colonoscopy among all subgroups. Agreement was lower among older age groups. For all tests, agreement was poor between the reasons for testing. Conclusion Overreporting for some cancer tests should be considered when using self-reported data to evaluate progress towards reaching national goals for prevention behaviors.
A Prolegomena to the Study of the Romani Media in Eastern Europe

Among the wealth of ethnic media outlets in Eastern Europe, the Romani media have grown faster than any others despite small audiences and the poverty, illiteracy and absence of social, political and linguistic cohesiveness of their natural constituency in the region. Yet, beyond their potential symbolic value, the growth of the Romani media appears to defy the customary expectations with regard to functions, roles and effects in a region where the ethnic media aid minority identity, cultural preservation and participation.
Continuous wave Doppler umbilical artery blood flow velocity wave forms in drug addicted mothers.

Continuous wave Doppler umbilical artery blood flow velocity wave form is presented in 14 drug addicted mothers between 22–40 weeks of gestational age from New York City. The mean S/D ratio ranged from 2.36 to 4.30. Doppler study of the fetal umbilical artery could be a valuable addition for assessment of fetal well being in drug addicted mothers.
Static micro-scheduling: Resource contention relief in multithreaded programs

Parallelism helps performance but at the same time stresses computer resources that are shared among threads. In this paper, we propose a low-overhead hardware counter based profiling method to accurately identify time-relevant contention locations in the program, then these contentions are mitigated so that performance of multithreading tasks can be boosted by the reduction of unnecessary contention cycles. In our preliminary experiment using NAS Parallel Benchmark (NPB), the contention searching algorithm is able to find an severe memory contention loop in FT code. After contention mitigation, more than 10% of the total cycles is eliminated, and the execution time of FT is reduced by 3% at the same time.
Late deterioration of patients after superior vena cava to right pulmonary artery anastomosis.

Abstract Follow-up study of 34 patients with superior vena cava to right pulmonary artery anastomosis indicated that late deterioration occurred in 10, usually in the first decade. The deterioration may be due to the increasing social and metabolic demands made on the child by growth or to an actual increase in the degree of cyanosis resulting from diminution of pulmonary blood flow. Usually both factors are present. Physiologic and angiographic studies have shown that late deterioration can be due to various factors that result in decreased effective pulmonary flow. These include development of superior vena cava to right atrial venous collateral flow bypassing an open Glenn anastomosis; closure of a ventricular septal defect or right ventricular outflow tract, thus diminishing flow to the left lung; closure of an atrial septal defect; and thrombotic occlusion of small pulmonary arteries to the right lung. Whenever the level of palliation becomes unsatisfactory or flow to the left lung becomes greatly reduced, further palliation must be considered. In view of the natural history of infundibular and ventricular septal defect closure, additional palliation usually will include both collateral vessel ligation and creation of a shunt to the left pulmonary artery.
A performance gradient perspective on gradient‐based policy iteration and a modified value iteration

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a mathematical framework to address some algorithmic features of approximate dynamic programming (ADP) by using an average cost formulation based on the concepts of differential costs and performance gradients. Under such a framework, a modified value iteration algorithm is developed that is easy to implement, in the mean time it can address a class of partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDP).Design/methodology/approach – Gradient‐based policy iteration (GBPI) is a top‐down, system‐theoretic approach to dynamic optimization with performance guarantees. In this paper, a bottom‐up, algorithmic view is provided to complement the original high‐level development of GBPI. A modified value iteration is introduced, which can provide solutions to the same type of POMDP problems dealt with by GBPI. Numerical simulations are conducted to include a queuing problem and a maze problem to illustrate and verify features of the proposed algorithms as compared...
Sangamon paleosols of southwestern Indiana, U.S.A

Abstract In southwestern Indiana, the Sangamon paleosol transgresses Illinoian glacial drift and weathered bedrock of Pennsylvanian and Mississippian ages in an unglaciated area. The paleosol is buried beneath Wisconsin age loess that thins from 3.2 to 0.5 m in a distance of 83 km eastward from the Wabash River Valley. The buried soil is redder, has more clay in the illuvial horizon, and also has a thicker solum than overlying ground soils formed in loess. Base saturation and pH states of the paleosol relate to secondary enrichment after burial. Free iron-oxide content relates to redder colors and is a genetic property of the buried soils. Greater depletion of illite and chlorite in the paleosol shows that it is more weathered than the overlying ground soil. Pedologic contrasts permit recognition of the Sangamon stage as an event of greater magnitude in the Quaternary than all postloess and Recent time in southwestern Indiana. The Sangamon paleosol has the redder colors and forest-soil profiles on well-aerated, upland, paleogeomorphic sites for a distance of 1000 km to the west. The Sangamon environment probably was uniformly warm, humid forest and woodland not unlike the climatic-vegetation pattern in southern United States today. The present ground soils have more diverse patterns ranging from forest soils in Indiana westward through grassland prairie soils to grassland chernozemic soils of the easternmost Great Plains and with related humid to dry subhumid climates.
Hormonal modulation of a gene injected into rat heart in vivo.

Abstract We demonstrate gene transfer into rat heart in vivo by the direct injection of plasmid DNA. Injection of gene constructs driven by retroviral and cellular promoters resulted in detectable levels of reporter gene activities. The cellular promoter and 5' flanking sequence (positions -613 to +32) were derived from the rat alpha-myosin heavy chain gene whose expression in vivo is restricted to cardiac muscle and is positively regulated by thyroid hormone. After DNA injection, activity of the firefly luciferase gene coupled to the myosin heavy chain promoter and regulatory sequence was detected in heart but not in skeletal muscle and was significantly increased in response to thyroid hormone treatment. Consequently, expression of injected genes can be targeted to specific cell types in vivo and can be modulated by the hormonal status of the animal. This approach provides a means of mapping the elements of genes that regulate their responses to complex stimuli that cannot be modeled in vitro.
Performance of flow cytometry to screen urine for bacteria and white blood cells prior to urine culture

Abstract Background The gold standard test for the diagnosis of urinary tract infection is bacterial culture. However, urine cultures are labor intensive and costly. Furthermore, since results take 1–2 days many patients are treated presumptively prior to culture results being known. Methods We evaluated the Sysmex UF-1000i for the quantification of bacteria and white blood cells (WBCs) in urine in order to determine if it could be used to predict positive culture in comparison to the use of gram stain as a screening tool. Results The UF-1000i demonstrated good linearity, within and between run precision for bacterial and WBC quantification. Using ROC analysis, the AUC for predicting a positive culture (> 105 cfu/mL) was 0.95 and 0.90 for bacteria and WBCs, respectively, with optimum cutoffs of 288.9 bacteria/μL and 31.8 WBCs/μL, respectively. At these cutoffs, sensitivity (SE) and specificity (SP) for culture positivity were 0.93 and 0.86, respectively, for bacterial counts and 0.89 and 0.79, respectively, for WBC counts. The use of gender specific bacterial cutoffs improved performance, especially in males. In comparison, SE and SP of urine Gram stain were 0.94 and 0.68, respectively. Conclusions Quantification of bacteria in unspun urine samples by the Sysmex UF-1000i can be used to screen urine samples for those likely to grow > 105 cfu/mL. The Sysmex UF-1000i demonstrated increased SP over urine Gram stain, and in this study population could reduce unnecessary reflex urine cultures by 55%.
Plant form, growth rate and relative growth rate compared in conventional, semi-leafless and leafless peas

Abstract Measurements of internode length, of leaf size and dry weight, of stipule size and dry weight, of stem dry weight and of seed yield were obtained from near-isogenic stocks of leafless, semi-leafless and conventional peas. The form of the semi-leafless pea was similar to that of the conventional pea but that of the leafless plant differed considerably. In comparison with conventional peas, leafless peas had shorter vegetative internodes, longer reproductive internodes and heavier stipules and leaflets at the reproductive nodes. They yielded less seed but had a higher harvest index. Relative growth rates over a period of 19–48 days after sowing were estimated in the 3 types of near-isogenic pea and also, over a period of 15–47 days after sowing, in 5 conventional pea cultivars and 5 experimental leafless accessions. The relative growth rate of the near-isogenic leafless plant was significantly less (P = 0.05−0.01) than that of the conventional form, the reduction being principally due to a significant reduction (P = 0.01−0.001) in relative growth rate of the stem. In the 5 conventional and 5 leafless peas there were no significant differences in growth rate of the whole plants, but significant reductions were again to be seen in the relative growth rate of the stems.
Serial pattern learning: Pretraining of runs and trills

In learning a repeating serial pattern of six lights, college students divided the event sequence into recurring subunits such as runs (1 2 3 4) and trills (3 4 3 4). The experiment showed that an ambiguous serial pattern (2 1 2 3 4 3 4 5 6 5) would be organized into runs, 2(1 2 3 4) (3 4 5 6)5, by Ss pretrained on a pattern of runs, and into trills, (2 1 2) (3 4 3 4) (5 6 5), by Ss pretrained on a pattern of trills. The profile of errors and the frequencies of run- and trill-overextension errors were symptomatic of how the test pattern was organized.
An Information Theoretic Take on Time Reversal for Nonstationary Channels

It has been shown that time-reversal (TR) techniques focus energy back to the dominant scatters, lead to super-resolution focusing, and gains in detection. Time reversal has so far mainly been studied when the channel remains invariant between the initial and time-reversed signal transmission times. In this letter, we relax this assumption and study the benefits of TR over time-varying channels. To do so, we compare a time-reversed and a non time-reversed system by comparing the mutual information between the channel impulse response and channel outputs given the transmitted signals. We present analytical results for a simple scalar problem which illustrates the impact of nonstationary channels on TR, and for general channels, numerically evaluate the difference in mutual informations, which demonstrate that, if the channels are nonstationary yet correlated, TR may still provide mutual information gains over non time-reversed systems.
Corn-Weed Interactions with Long-Term Conservation Tillage Management

The use of monoculture production systems such as continuous corn (Zea mays L.) in conservation-tillage systems has created a requirement for information concerning crop and weed responses to annual herbicide inputs. The objective of this 5-yr investigation (1981-1985) was to evaluate weed problems and delineate weed and crop interactions in continuous conservation-tillage corn as affected by annual herbicide applications. Preemergence treatments contained selected combinations of triazines or a triazine plus alachlor [2-chloro-N-(2,6-diethylphenyl)-N-(methoxymethyl)acetamide]. Preemergence or preplant incorporated herbicide mixtures were applied at common usage rates and compared for their effects on weed cover, weed species stability, and grain production (...)