cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Finding a Path to Entrustment in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Progress Report From the Aamc Core Entrustable Professional Activities for Entering Residency Entrustment Concept Group

ProblemTo better prepare graduating medical students to transition to the professional responsibilities of residency, 10 medical schools are participating in an Association of American Medical Colleges pilot to evaluate the feasibility of explicitly teaching and assessing 13 Core Entrustable Profess
Crohn’s Colitis and Ileal Pouch Anal Anastomosis

Traditionally, the ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) operation has not been offered to patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). Patients with Crohn’s colitis are often excluded from undergoing IPAA related to a number of key concerns: the risk of developing recurrent disease in the pouch necessitating pouch excision with possible ensuing short bowel syndrome, coupled with the risks of significant pouch dysfunction and the need for long-term medical therapy. However, surgical dogma is being challenged in more recent times with authors now reporting encouraging outcomes following IPAA in patients with either a preoperative or postoperative diagnosis of Crohn’s colitis.
Evolution of bio-socially inspired strategies in support of dynamic spectrum access

Human and animal societies exhibit complex cognitive and social processes of coordination, cooperation, and competition among their members. Among other functions, these processes can facilitate fairer sharing of resources among community members and enhance individual survival outcomes. In this work, three bio-socially inspired models for secondary users of spectrum in cognitive radio networks are defined and compared to one other within an evolutionary framework. The proposed models reflect successively more sophisticated capabilities of secondary users in distributed spectrum access. The simplest of the three, blind channel access, is shown to be evolutionarily dominant when residual channel capacities are homogeneous. The second more advanced model assumes a capability to sense channel utilization; this model is shown to dominate when the channels have intermediate load and heterogeneous capacities. Finally, the most complex model (additionally) allows for social coalitions and within-group deference; this model is seen to dominate in high load heterogeneous resource settings. We explore the long term evolutionary pressures within societies whose members choose between these three schemes, with natural selection operating via a utility-based fitness function. Our research is based on systematic ns-3 simulation experiments of heterogeneous societies under a range of assumed channel conditions, population sizes, resource demands, and initial user attributes. Our results demonstrate that the secondary user population always evolves to adopt a unique and stable strategy, but that the winning strategy selected depends strongly on channel conditions. Our results further show that this kind of leaderless evolution leads to a significant 12–116% overall improvement in performance compared to systems in which a fixed strategy is deployed. In summary, we conclude that evolving bio-social behavioral models can be applied to great advantage in understanding dynamic environments such as those envisioned by distributed spectrum access.
Abstract 4376: Next-generation sequencing of gastric cancer samples from Rwanda: a feasibility study

Background: Gastric cancer is associated with high morbidity and mortality around the world. In developing countries, patients often present with advanced disease creating a challenge for effective treatment. Next generation sequencing is identifying mutations in more than 50% of gastric cancers in developed countries. Chronic infections and other geographic differences may lead to variations in somatic mutations that could lead to different approaches to treatment. In this pilot study we sought to determine if an overseas collaboration between the University of Rwanda College of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth was feasible and effective at determining molecular profiles of gastric cancer. Methods: Patients referred for endoscopy at University Teaching Hospital of Kigali, Rwanda were consented to participate prior to the procedure. Biopsy tissues were processed for routine pathologic assessment and those confirmed as gastric adenocarcinoma were included. Formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissues, HE 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4376. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4376
Lo queer de Carlos Monsiváis: slumming en el ambiente

Este trabajo analiza la utilizacion del vocablo queer en los analisis socioculturales del cronista mexicano Carlos Monsivais. Mientras que en Estados Unidos y Europa lo queer se convierte en teoria deconstructivista, en Mexico Monsivais (erudito por excelencia de los estudios sobre la sexualidad) emplea dicho termino para estudiar la feminidad de algunos homosexuales en el ambiente gay. Dado que Monsivais jamas pretende ser un academico o teorico queer, el termino le sirve como herramienta para revelar la feminizacion de la imagen nacional mexicana y los discursos machistas mexicanos que se oponen a ella. El presente trabajo estudia los niveles sociales y las geografias queer como referentes que Monsivais utiliza para manejar este concepto. This essay analyzes how Mexican chronicler Carlos Monsivais wields the term queer in his sociocultural analyses. Whereas in the United States and Europe queer is transformed into a deconstructivist theory, Monsivais (expert par excellence within Mexican sexual studies) uses the term to study feminized homosexuals in gay environments. Since Monsivais never claims to be a queer academic or theoretician, the term serves as a tool to reveal the feminization of the Mexican national image within Mexican male chauvinist discourses. This essay analyzes social status and queer geographies as framing referents that define how Monsivais utilizes queer conceptually.
A long-term perspective on the exploitation of Lipari obsidian in central Mediterranean prehistory

Abstract Of the four major island sources of obsidian in the central Mediterranean, Lipari raw materials have the widest distribution, being found at over 200 archaeological sites throughout mainland Italy, southern France, northern Africa, and Sicily. As a means of contextualizing the importance of Lipari obsidian within broader cultural processes, this paper discusses the long-term exploitation of the island's raw materials from the sixth to second millennia BC, in turn emphasizing the reflexive relationship between the movement of Lipari obsidian and the broader circumstances that mediated its use. Over the past 50 years, a large number of studies have been published on obsidian in the central Mediterranean, the majority of which relate to the sourcing of archaeological objects. In total, over 10,000 artifacts have been elementally or visually characterized from well over 400 archaeological sites. Using a newly compiled database of prior obsidian studies, this paper highlights the importance of Lipari obsidian within wider networks of interaction. Through a diachronic overview of the distribution of Lipari obsidian along with a consideration of how these materials were consequently reduced and used, this paper highlights the impact of the spread of Neolithic lifeways on the establishment of large-scale obsidian circulation networks as well as the effects that shifting value regimes associated with the adoption and proliferation of metal technology had on the collapse of long-distance exchange networks. By the second millennium BC, the use of Lipari obsidian becomes a localized phenomenon largely restricted to sites on Sicily and increasingly associated with human burials. While it is easy to explain the continued use of obsidian in these areas as being the result of its ease of procurement, the last vestiges of a dying practice, this paper demonstrates that the situation is slightly more complex. In many ways, the exploitation history of Lipari obsidian mirrors that of other central Mediterranean sources. However, this paper brings to light unique factors that allowed raw materials from a relatively small Aeolian island to become an object of value throughout the entire central Mediterranean.
Some relationships Between Prairie Dogs, Black-Footed Ferrets, Paleo-Indians, and Ethnographically Known Tribes

Black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) are one of the rarest mammals of North America; ferrets are most often associated with prairie dogs (Cynomys sp.) on which they are thought to be obi igatory...
Developmental defects of the kidney. A review of renal development and experimental studies of maldevelopment.

It is clear that congenital abnormalities of the urinary system must be recognized early for optimal management and correction, which at best is relatively ineffective; the ultimate solution of these problems is prevention, which will require improved understanding of the normal development of the urinary system.
Vietnamese-American Personality and Acculturation

This chapter reports the personality profile of Vietnamese Americans and some central components of Vietnamese culture, and explores relationships between Vietnamese personality, culture, and acculturation in the United States. Vietnamese Americans in California and North Carolina took a Vietnamese translation of the International Personality Item Pool version of the NEO-PI-R (NEO-IPIP; Goldberg, 1999). Procrustes rotation shows a close fit between Vietnamese and U.S. factors structures (factor congruences =.89–.95). Interview, participant observation, and personality measure results provide evidence that Vietnamese Americans are low in C4. Unacculturated Vietnamese Americans are low in Openness relative to Americans and acculturated Vietnamese Americans. Hypocognition (Levy, 1984) and canalization (D’Andrade, 1992) provide models for possible cultural effects on trait expression.
A Metatheory for Black Communication.

In devising an inventional scheme for considering black communication behavior with possible implications for a more general theory, four constituents must be considered: frame of mind, scope of context, structure of code, and delivery of message. The concepts of rhythm and styling seem indicative of the black frame of mind, while the contextual scope of black language and communication is contained within the characteristic practices resulting from a special experience, environment, and heritage. Three components to code structuring in black American rhetorical behavior include a lyrical quality, vocal artifact, and indirection (a circuitous manner of approaching the central issues of a subject). In the delivery of a speech, a prime consideration is the impact it will have upon the audience, so that a black speaker is sensitive to the situation and to the audience. There is a need to accept these constituents of black communication patterns to enable the concept of language in American society to be extended. (JM) U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO OUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIvtiO FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN AT 'NG IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE SENT 01 F iCiAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY A METATHEORY FOR BLACK COMMUNICATION
Novel Experimental Techniques and Realizations of Quasi-Periodicity

Although there has been a great deal of recent activity on possible structures and some of the static properties of quasi-periodic and quasi-crystalline phases, some fundamental questions still remain about the dynamics, possibilities of commensurability and pinning, and the nature of the states for such systems. Since three dimensional realizations of such structures, with sufficient perfection and characterization to allow meaningful studies, are not yet available, we describe some experiments on artificial two-dimensional structures which answer some of these questions experimentally. The main results are attained on superconducting networks, where the application of a magnetic field allows us to see the generalization of commensurability pinning for a variety of quasi-crystalline, quasi-periodic and disordered structures.
Investigating the effects of vacancies on self-diffusion in silicon clusters using classical molecular dynamics

Due to recent advances in the field of microelectronics, the growth in microelectronics applications, and the exponentially increasing demand for microelectronic devices in the power sector, it is important to study the behavior of silicon at the nanoscale, given that nanoclusters of silicon could be used to design a new kind of lithium-ion batteries with strongly enhanced performance. Here, molecular dynamics was employed to calculate the self-diffusion coefficients of silicon clusters at room temperature and at a temperature approaching the melting point of silicon, complementing experimental efforts in this field. Silicon clusters of the same spherical geometry and size but with different vacancy fractions were studied using molecular dynamics using the Tersoff potential in order to estimate phase changes and self-diffusion coefficients. At 300 K, the self-diffusion coefficient was found to vary non-monotonically: the self-diffusion coefficient at a vacancy fraction of 7.5% is half than the vacancy at a fraction of 0%, while the self-diffusion coefficient at a vacancy fraction of 20% is two orders of magnitude larger than that at a vacancy fraction of 0%. However, there is only a marginal monotonic increase in the self-diffusion coefficient values with vacancy fraction at 2000 K. The results of this investigation of vacancy-mediated self-diffusion could aid attempts to improve diffusion control, which is crucial to nanocluster applications in various devices, and the results also provide insight into how the temperature, energy, pressure, and phase changes of the silicon clusters depend on vacancy fraction. This may ultimately allow the design and selection of materials for thermoelectric and optoelectronic devices and thermal transducers to be optimized. Our results also indicated that the findings we obtained for the clusters are independent of the particular random vacancy distribution considered and the heating rate applied to the clusters.
Tuning Thiophene with Phosphorus: Synthesis and Electronic Properties of Benzobisthiaphospholes.

Benzobisthiaphospholes are prepared by condensation of bismercapto-bisphosphinobenzenes of type (I) with carboxylic acid chlorides.
PROCEDURAL OUTCOMES OF PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTIONS FOR CHRONIC TOTAL OCCLUSIONS IN PATIENTS WITH LOW LEFT VENTRICULAR EJECTION FRACTION: INSIGHTS FROM THE PROGRESS CTO REGISTRY

The efficacy and safety of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) has received limited study. We examined the clinical, angiographic and procedural outcomes of 2,751 CTO PCIs according to pre-procedural
Comprehensive formal models for pancreatic calcium secretion. With reference to "exchange-diffusion," "two-component," and "unicellular" models of electrolyte secretion.

This is a theoretical paper in which comprehensive formal models are developed for all possible modes of entry of calcium into pancreatic juice. The 15 models include entry via: (1) the chloride-rich secretion, (2) the bicarbonate-rich secretion, (3) protein-bound calcium, and (4) interstitial fluid (ISF), plus the various possible combinations of these. Equations are presented for both calcium-volume and calcium-bicarbonate relationships. Each equation is modified as necessary to conform to the three current models for sodium, chloride, and bicarbonate secretion: (1) “exchange-diffusion,” (2) “two-component,” and (3) “unicellular” models. We believe the models provide a sound theoretical framework on which to build an understanding of pancreatic calcium secretion. Subsequent papers will be concerned with the physicochemical state of calcium in the juice, the relative contribution of ISF, and the development of an overall model for pancreatic calcium secretion. The long-term objective is to provide a rational approach for the understanding of pancreatic calcification and stone formation.
The Paradox of Teaching for Social Justice: Interest Convergence in Early-Career Educators:

There is a growing emphasis on social justice pedagogy as a predominantly White teacher labor force infiltrates classrooms in urban schools. Using critical race theory (CRT)—and the construct of in...
Speech Errors and Phonological Awareness in Children Ages 4 and 5 Years With and Without Speech Sound Disorder

Purpose The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between types of speech errors produced by children with speech sound disorders (SSD) and children with typical speech and language dev...
Survival and Prognosis of Chondrosarcoma Subtypes: SEER Database Analysis.

Chondrosarcomas are rare tumors and, historically, investigation of these tumors has been limited to small series and single-institution studies. There have been no studies that evaluated the identification or comparison of differences in prognostic factors between the five known non-conventional chondrosarcoma subtypes (myxoid, juxtacortical, clear-cell, mesenchymal, and dedifferentiated). The purpose of this paper was to determine the demographic, clinical, incidence, and tumor characteristics of all five known non-conventional chondrosarcoma subtypes, determine the 1-, 5-year, and median survival differences between these subtypes, and to determine the demographic and clinical variables that are significant prognostic indicators for each chondrosarcoma subtypes. We retrospectively reviewed the SEER database for all patients with non-conventional chondrosarcoma. χ2 testing was used for correlations between clinical variables. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard analysis were used to compare survival of the subtypes, and to assess the prognostic value of age group, race, sex, grade, anatomic location, and metastatic involvement. Several demographic characteristics including gender, race, age, and grade varied between chondrosarcoma subtypes. The tumor characteristics showed marked differences in presence of metastasis on presentation between the subtypes with increasing order of rate of metastasis with juxtacortical (2.1%), clear cell (5.7%), myxoid (7.6%), mesenchymal (10.6%), and the highest in dedifferentiated (19.8%). One-, 5-year, and median survival differed significantly between chondrosarcomas subtypes. The highest median survival was found in the juxtacortical subtype (97 months), followed by clear cell (79 months), myxoid (60 months), mesenchymal (33.5 months), and lowest in dedifferentiated (11 months). The only prognostic variable that was shown to significantly impact the survival of each non-conventional chondrosarcoma subtype was a metastatic disease at diagnosis (p = 0.03 to p < 0.001). Subtyping classification of chondrosarcoma should be made whenever possible, given differences in survival and prognostic factors between chondrosarcoma subtypes. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 38:311-319, 2020.
Longitudinal 16-year study of dominant intermediate CMT type C neuropathy.

Background Dominant-intermediate Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy subtype C (DI-CMTC) is associated with mutations in the YARS gene. The aim of this study is to investigate the long-term natural history of the disease. Methods In a 5-generation DI-CMTC family, we compared data from 2016 to that of 2000 in 13 of 21 original participants. Results Five women and 8 men were examined. While most symptoms and signs progressed, only gait progression was statistically significant (P = .016). The median CMT Neuropathy Score was 6.08 in 2000 and 11 in 2016 (P = .001). Quality of life (QOL) deteriorated in mobility (P = .008), pain/discomfort (P = .011), and anxiety/depression (P = .014). Median and ulnar compound muscle action potential amplitudes decreased from 9.35 ± 2.90 mV to 6.0 ± 2.9 mV (P = .002), and from 9.24 ± 2.10 mV to 6.06 ± 1.81 mV (P = .004), respectively, whereas motor nerve conduction velocities remained unchanged. Conclusions DI-CMTC in this family is a slowly progressive disease with axonal degeneration, deteriorating mobility and QOL.
A Machine Learning Approach to Determining Sub-Diffuse Optical Properties

We demonstrate a machine learning approach that renders real-time subdiffuse optical property (γ) maps from spatial frequency domain images, laying the foundation for use in surgical guidance.
Calculation of Mode Grüneisen Parameters Made Simple.

A novel method to calculate mode Gruneisen parameters of a material from first principles is presented. This method overcomes the difficulties and limitations of existing approaches, based on the calculation of either third-order force constants or phonon frequencies at different volumes. Our method requires the calculation of phonon frequencies of a material at only the volume of interest, it is based on the second-order differentiation of a corrected stress tensor with respect to normal mode coordinates, and it yields simultaneously all the components of the mode Gruneisen parameters tensor. In this work, after discussing conceptual and technical aspects, the method is applied to silicon, aluminum, scandium fluoride, and a metallic alloy. These calculations show that our method is straightforward and it is suited to be applied to the broad class of materials prone to exhibit structural instabilities, or presenting anisotropy, or chemical and/or structural disorder.
The Inclusion of Persons With Disabilities in U.S. Foreign Policy

Persons with disabilities living in developing countries look to the United States—the world’s largest contributor to Official Development Assistance (ODA) by volume—as a steadfast supporter of inc...
DSResSol: A sequence-based solubility predictor created with Dilated Squeeze Excitation Residual Networks

ABSTRACT Protein solubility is an important thermodynamic parameter critical for the characterization of a protein’s function, and a key determinant for the production yield of a protein in both the research setting and within industrial (e.g. pharmaceutical) applications. Thus, a highly accurate in silico bioinformatics tool for predicting protein solubility from protein sequence is sought. In this study, we developed a deep learning sequence-based solubility predictor, DSResSol, that takes advantage of the integration of squeeze excitation residual networks with dilated convolutional neural networks. The model captures the frequently occurring amino acid k-mers and their local and global interactions, and highlights the importance of identifying long-range interaction information between amino acid k-mers to achieve higher performance in comparison to existing deep learning-based models. DSResSol uses protein sequence as input, outperforming all available sequence-based solubility predictors by at least 5% in accuracy when the performance is evaluated by two different independent test sets. Compared to existing predictors, DSResSol not only reduces prediction bias for insoluble proteins but also predicts soluble proteins within the test sets with an accuracy that is at least 13% higher. We derive the key amino acids, dipeptides, and tripeptides contributing to protein solubility, identifying glutamic acid and serine as critical amino acids for protein solubility prediction. Overall, DSResSol can be used for fast, reliable, and inexpensive prediction of a protein’s solubility to guide experimental design. Availability The source code, datasets, and web server for this model are available at https://tgs.uconn.edu/dsres_sol
Effect of Class I-III obesity on driver seat belt fit.

Objective Approximately 40% of the U.S. adult population are obese. An issue associated with this trend is proper seat belt fit for obese occupants. This study extends previous research, in which few individuals with high BMI (> 40 kg/m2) were included, by examining the relationship between participant and belt factors on belt fit for drivers with Class I-III obesity. Methods Posture and belt fit of 52 men and women with BMI from 31 to 59 kg/m2 (median 38 kg/m2) were measured in a laboratory vehicle mockup. Five seat belt configurations were achieved by manipulating the belt anchorage locations. Body and belt landmark locations were recorded using a three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine. Results Higher BMI was associated with a lap belt position further forward and higher relative to the pelvis. On average, the lap belt was positioned an additional 32 mm forward and 13 mm above the ASIS with each increasing level of obesity classification. Sex had a small effect after accounting for BMI and stature. The mean fore-aft location of the lap belt was 24 mm more forward for men vs. women and 12 mm higher for women vs. men at the same stature and BMI. On average, women used 50 mm more belt webbing in the lap and 92 mm more in the shoulder vs. men. Conclusions The results suggest that increasing levels of obesity class effectively introduces slack in the seat belt system by routing the belt further away from the skeleton. Because the belt is designed to engage the pelvis during a frontal crash, belt placements that are higher and further forward may increase injury risk by allowing excursions or submarining. Unique to this cohort, sex had an important effect on belt fit measures after taking into account stature and BMI. The participant and belt factors considered explained only about 40% of the variance in belt fit. The remaining variance may be due to preference or exogenous body shape effects. Further research is needed to assess methods for enhanced seat belt fit for people with obesity, including addressing sex differences in belt routing.
Interactions of culture and depression in infant-directed speech

Infant-directed speech (IDS) is a change in voice register adopted by adults when speaking to young children. Maternal depression is known to affect IDS, resulting in a lower fundamental frequency (f0) range that can in turn affect infant response. However, there is little information regarding the interaction of culture and language with depression. The goal of this study was to determine if significant differences in IDS exist between Spanish- and English-speaking mothers and to explore potential interactions with the severity of depression. Whole-day audio recordings were collected in the home from 14 mother-infant dyads, 7 English-speaking and 7 Spanish-speaking, all with infants 6 months of age. 10 examples of adult-directed speech and infant-directed speech were segmented from each recording andthe f0 mean and range were measured for each speaker, normalizing infant-directed by adult-directed values to account for speaker variation. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to determine maternal depression levels. A weak negative correlation was found between depression scores and f0, confirming that depression adversely impacts IDS, but there was no effect or interaction regarding language, suggesting that the mechanism may be common across cultures.
Paul Ramsey: Agape , “Covenant Fidelity,” and Moral Rules

One of the peripheral lessons of the previous chapter is that diversity reigns within unity in contemporary Roman Catholic moral theology. As the next three chapters will illustrate, diversity may well be said to have the upper hand in contemporary Protestant ethics. Richard McCormick, as we have seen, has been criticized by many of his fellow Catholic moralists for rejecting so many of the tradition’s moral ‘absolutes.’ Paul Ramsey, the Protestant ethicist to be considered in this chapter, has been criticized by many of his peers for accepting too many moral absolutes and insisting upon their quasi-casuistical application.
The Metabolism of Cyclopropanecarboxylic Acid

Abstract A pathway for the degradation of the cyclopropane ring in cyclopropanecarboxylic acid has been indicated. The fungus Fusarium oxysporum Schlectendahl converts cyclopropanecarboxylic acid to γ-hydroxybutyric acid through a derivative of cyclopropanecarboxylic acid. This derivative of cyclopropanecarboxylic acid, but not free cyclopropanecarboxylic acid, can be converted to γ-hydroxybutyric acid by cell-free extracts of the microorganism. The enzymatic activity of the extract is labile and markedly dependent on pH.
Economic Analysis of Computer Integrated Manufacturing Systems

Computer integrated manufacturing systems provide important economic advantages over less flexible and less controllable forms of manufacturing. Increased flexibility is particularly advantageous in the short run for small-batch production of mixed parts on the same system, and for longer run changes in product specifications and volume requirements. Increased controllability is particularly advantageous in sychronizing the flow of parts and tools over a greater part of the total production cycle, in maintaining greater and more uniform dimensional accuracy, and in stabilizing production during design and schedule changes. These advantages are realized in the form of lower direct labor requirements, lower in-process inventories, greater machine utilization, shorter lead times, and improved quality. On the other hand, such advantages require larger initial capital investments, more intensive use of such facilities, training in new labor skills, organizational changes, and the use of new planning and control methods.
Enzymes of Nucleic Acid Metabolism from Wheat Seedlings I. PURIFICATION AND GENERAL PROPERTIES OF ASSOCIATED DEOXYRIBONUCLEASE, RIBONUCLEASE, AND 3'-NUCLEOTIDASE ACTIVITIES

A nuclease has been isolated from germinating wheat seedlings and purified over 830-fold. The purified preparation hydrolyzes denatured DNA, rRNA, and the 3′-phosphoester linkage of 3′-AMP at similar rates. The preparation exhibits no appreciable 5′-nucleotidase, phosphodiesterase, or phosphomonoesterase activity. The three enzyme activities have remained associated throughout a variety of purification procedures including chromatography on several ion-exchange resins, gel filtration, and polyacrylamide disc electrophoresis at pH 9.5 and 8.3. The ratios of the three activities remain essentially constant throughout all of these procedures. The three enzyme activities exhibit a great degree of similarity with respect to the following properties: (a) pH optima, (b) requirement for Zn++ and sulfhydryl compounds at pH 4.5, (c) rate of destruction of activity by sulfhydryl compounds at pH 8, (d) stability to storage, (e) effects of temperature and duration of heating, (f) reactivation on heating between 65° and 70°, (g) effect of N-bromosuccinimide, (h) effect of metal cations, and (i) effect of inhibitors and EDTA. It is concluded that the DNase, RNase, and 3′-nucleotidase activities in all probability reside in a single protein.
Time-frequency analysis for improved detection of internal combustion engine knock

Engine knock has been recognized as a major problem limiting the development of fuel efficient spark-ignition engines. Detection methods employed in current knock control systems for spark ignition engines use a measurement of engine block vibration tuned to one or more resonance frequencies to extract knock-related information from the engine structural vibration. These techniques suffer from poor signal-to-noise ratio (especially at high engine speed), due to background vibration. It is known that the engine knock resonance frequencies vary due to changes in combustion chamber volume and temperature during the expansion phase. Therefore, the authors propose an improved knock detection method using joint, time-frequency analysis of engine block vibration and pressure signals. The experimental results for the proposed detection method, show a significant improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). >
Nonreplicated DNA and DNA Fragments in T4 r− Bacteriophage Particles: Phenotypic Mixing of a Phage Protein

"Conservative phage" containing a genome derived from an infecting phage particle which has not undergone replication in the cell but nevertheless has become encapsulated and released in a normal phage particle, are found after infection of Escherichia coli with rII(-) or rI(-) mutants under conditions which result in rapid lysis. If such conservative phage are derived from a mixed infection with v(+) and v(1) phage, they display phenotypic mixing of the v gene product (an endonuclease carried in the phage particle). Populations of rI and rII mutant phage grown under conditions of rapid lysis include particles containing short DNA fragments. It is suggested that a "maturation defect", common to rI and rII mutants, but absent in rIII mutants, may account for the encapsulation of nonreplicated DNA as well as that of the DNA fragments.
A Stochastic Markov Model for Coordinated Molecular Motors

Many cell functions are accomplished thanks to intracellular transport mechanisms of macromolecules along filaments. Molecular motors such as dynein or kinesin are proteins playing a primary role in these processes. The behavior of such proteins is quite well understood when there is only one of them moving a cargo particle. Indeed, numerous in vitro experiments have been performed to derive accurate models for a single molecular motor. However, in vivo macromolecules are often carried by multiple motors. The main focus of this paper is to provide an analysis of the behavior of more molecular motors interacting together in order to improve the understanding of their actual physiological behavior. Previous studies provide analyses based on results obtained from Monte Carlo simulations. Different from these studies, we derive an equipollent probabilistic model to describe the dynamics of multiple proteins coupled together and provide an exact theoretical analysis. We are capable of obtaining the probability density function of the motor protein configurations, thus enabling a deeper understanding of their behavior.
Impact of Fertility Concerns on Tamoxifen Initiation and Persistence

Background Adjuvant tamoxifen reduces breast cancer recurrence risk and mortality; however, initiation and treatment persistence are poor for younger patients. We hypothesized that a unique set of factors, including fertility concerns, would contribute to the poor tamoxifen use among premenopausal patients. Methods From 2007 to 2012, 515 premenopausal patients younger than age 45 years, with stage 0 to III hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, for whom tamoxifen was recommended, were identified. Clinical and pathologic tumor characteristics, treatment regimens, and fertility concerns were recorded. Clinical factors associated with tamoxifen noninitiation and discontinuation were identified using univariate and multivariable analysis. After the recommendation for tamoxifen, patient reasons for tamoxifen noninitiation or discontinuation were also documented. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results Based on multivariable analysis, fertility concerns were statistically associated with both noninitiation (odds ratio = 5.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.29 to 11.07) and early discontinuation (hazard ratio = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.09 to 3.38) of tamoxifen. Other independent predictors of noninitiation included a diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ, declining radiation, and not receiving chemotherapy (stage I-III). Additionally, smoking and not receiving radiation therapy were statistically significant predictors of early withdrawal from therapy. Primary patient reasons for noninitiation and early discontinuation included concerns about side effects and fertility. Conclusion This study provided insight into factors associated with tamoxifen use for reproductive-aged breast cancer survivors, with a new focus on fertility. Fertility concerns negatively impacted tamoxifen initiation and continuation among premenopausal patients. Interventions to optimize treatment initiation and persistence for young cancer patients should include access to fertility preservation options.
Resolution improvement for in-vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopic images

To estimate the high frequencies of a low resolution image, we propose a maximum likelihood solution whereby we incorporate a priori knowledge about the structure of the desired image. The algorithm was developed primarily for improving low resolution Magnetic Resonance spectroscopic images, where a priori structural information is obtained from anatomical features of the corresponding high resolution proton image. The algorithm involves a noniterative solution which can be easily regulated for noisy data sets.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Brazing of the Tore Supra actively-cooled Phase III limiter

The head of the water-cooled Tore Supra Phase 3 Limiter is a bank of 14 round OFHC copper tubes, curved to fit the plasma radius, onto which several hundred pyrolytic graphite (PG) tiles and a lesser number of carbon fiber composite tiles are brazed. The small allowable tolerances for fitting the tiles to the tubes and mating of compound curvatures made the brazing and fabrication extremely challenging. The paper describes the fabrication process with emphasis on the procedure for brazing. In the fixturing for vacuum furnace brazing, the tiles were each independently clamped to the tube with an elaborate set of window frame clamps. Braze quality was evaluated with transient heating tests. Some rebrazing was necessary.
T cell autoimmunity mediates experimental autoimmune hearing loss

Abstract Rationale Autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss (ASNHL) is diagnosed by excluding ototoxicity, systemic immunologic disease, infections or tumors, and by a therapeutic response to corticosteroids. The relative prominence of B or T cells in ASNHL remains controversial. Methods We tested our hypothesis that Th1-like effector T cells have a pivotal role in ASNHL in an inner ear-specific mouse model system. We searched for immunogenic peptides within inner ear proteins using our binding motif for IA s and IA q MHC class II molecules. ELISA was used to characterize the T cell cytokine profile. Disease induction was achieved by active immunization with the peptide and adoptive transfer of peptide-activated T cells. Results β-Tectorin 71-90 and Coch protein 131-150 induced a Th1-like effector immune responses in primed mice. Mice immunized with either β-tectorin 71-90 or Coch protein 131-150 showed increased hearing thresholds when compared to non-treated age- and sex- matched controls (p=0.010 and 0.024) and ovalbumin treated controls (p=0.012 and 0.017). Furthermore, increased hearing thresholds were observed in SWXJ mice after adoptive transfer of β-tectorin 71-90 or Coch protein 131-150 activated T cells (p=0.002 and 0.018). Conclusion β-Tectorin 71-90 and Coch protein 131-150 peptides induce Th1-like effector T cell immune responses in SWXJ mice. Active and passive immunization with these peptides induce hearing loss, which leads to the establishment of an inner ear-specific mouse model for ASNHL. These data show that Th1-like effector T cells may have a pivotal role in the etiopathogenesis of ASNHL.
On the rigidity of RNA in tomato bushy stunt virus.

The motional state of RNA in tomato bushy stunt virus, both in the crystalline state and in solution, has been investigated using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance methods. It has been found that the RNA is highly immobile in the native virus and it is suggested that the lack of a high-resolution X-ray diffraction pattern for either the RNA or the N-terminal regions of the protein coat molecules (Harrison et al., 1978) is due to static disorder in the crystals. Dynamic disorder has been detected in the virus after treatment with EDTA, which causes a structural change and an increase in particle size.
MEMS Foundry for High Volume Manufacturing and Product Reliance

The establishment of standard processes has become increasingly important in the growth of MEMS technology. Standard processes enable developers to leverage stable process platforms without the risk, time and costs associated with extensive process development. JDS Uniphase has established multi-user programs in three different process technologies—polysilicon, SOI and metal—that provide easy, cost-effective vehicles for early stage development. These processes also provide low-risk pathways to manufacturing in high volume. This paper discusses these processes and provides additional background on the importance of a quality system in the management of foundry product development. Product reliability testing is discussed in the context of a customer/foundry model.© 2002 ASME
Esophageal atresia in patients with anorectal malformations

The presence of esophageal atresia (EA) in patients with an anorectal malformation (ARM) is well known. The purpose of this work is to find out the most common type of ARM associated to EA and the functional prognostic implication of this association, which has not been described in previous publications. We reviewed our database for demographic, functional, and associated anomalies data in our patients with EA and ARM, and then compared them with those of our general series of ARM without esophageal atresia. Out of 1,995 ARM patients, 167 had a concomitant EA (8.3 %). Prostatic fistula was the most common type of defect in the male EA patients (45.9 %) and cloacas were on the female group (57.9 %). EA patients had worse bowel (47 vs. 67 %) and urinary control (56.6 vs. 79.4 %) when compared to the general series (GS). Functional prognosis was significantly worse in cloacas and in patients subjected to re-operations (p < 0.001). EA patients had a 0.52 average sacral ratio and in the GS was 0.65 (p < 0.001). EA patients had a significantly higher incidence of tethered cord (32.3 vs. 17.6 %), cardiac anomalies (32.3 vs. 22.5 %) including VSD (12.5 vs. 4.5 %), hydronephrosis (36.5 vs. 15.4 %), absent kidney (26.3 vs. 10.5 %), duodenal atresia (7.7 vs. 1.7 %), vertebral anomalies (28.1 vs. 14 %), extremity defects (11.3 vs. 3.1 %), tracheal anomalies (6.5 vs. 0.4 %), and developmental delay (5.9 vs. 1.4 %). The presence of esophageal atresia in ARM patients has a significant, probably coincidental, impact on bowel and urinary control. This association is also related with worse types of ARM defects and with more severe associated anomalies. This association should increase the awareness on the provider in terms of what to expect on functional prognosis and a throughout search for associated anomalies.
Automatic Testing Is Good Business

Automatic testing can be economically applied in the military electronic equipment business even though it is characterized by small production quantities, complexity of product, and rapid evolution of design changes. It has been the experience of the Light Military Electronic Equipment Department (LMEED) of General Electric that it is possible to determine an automatic test program of long range significance and still see immediate benefits, if the program is tailored to a sound understanding of the needs of the particular business involved. This article discusses the approach to automatic testing at LMEED, some of the equipment concepts involved, and the plans to further the program toward the goal of full automation of the test operation.
Review of the chronology of marine terraces in the Hawaiian archipelago

Abstract This chronology of marine terraces in Hawaii includes 236 published dates; most samples are from the emerged reef terraces on Oahu. The Holocene record of transgression is outlined by the available data, but further detailed work is needed. A mid-Holocene high stand has been documented for Kauai and is currently being resolved for Oahu. A double marine transgression during the last interglacial is suggested by stratigraphy and electron spin resonance dates from a newly studies site on Oahu. Precise radiometric dates are needed to confirm this interpretation. Attention is called to the emerged terraces above 10 m in the Hawaiian Islands, which initial studies indicate are older than the last interglacial. A reevaluation of Oahu age data suggests that Oahu has undergone uplift during the last 500,000 years and may not be a suitable ‘stable’ platform for eustatic sea level comparisons. A promising set of deeply submerged terraces representing eustatic low stands has been discovered off the island of Hawaii. These drowned reefs offer potential for paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic studies.
A geographical analysis of America's ethnic radio programming

Abstract Although America's ethnic populations have been mapped using census data, their geographical distributions can also be revealed by mapping the locations of AM/ FM radio stations that carry special ethnic programs. The number of radio stations more than doubled between 1960 and 1990 as well as the number of stations carrying ethnic programs. Approximately 1 of 6 radio stations in the period of 1960– 1990 carried at least one weekly ethnic program. Many of them carried programs for several ethnic populations while others had a format designed exclusively for one ethnic audience. In total, programs and formats were aimed at over 50 different ethnic populations during the 30 years, but those aimed at Blacks (African Americans) and Hispanics represented nearly half of all the ethnic programs by 1960 and the percentage increased thereafter. A geographical analysis of America's ethnic radio programming reveals the persistence of programs for certain ethnic populations and the emergence of new programs that are associated with America's changing ethnic diversity due to the growth in immigration from Asia and Latin America, including the Caribbean.
Some Tests of the Effectiveness and Functional Attributes of Miles and Snow's Strategic Types

The Miles and Snow strategic typology is tested and extended. Based on a sample of businesses in the PIMS data base, the study explores the effectiveness of the strategic types in different environments and the ways in which defenders and prospectors differ in their functional attributes.
The effects of pH, ionic strength, and iron–fulvic acid interactions on the kinetics of non-photochemical iron transformations. II. The kinetics of thermal reduction

Abstract A combination of flow-injection analysis and kinetic analysis was used to examine the speciation of iron(II) and iron(III) in fulvic acid solutions as a function of pH, ionic strength, and time. This methodology was used to follow a shift in iron speciation from faster to slower reacting species over a timescale of several days. This speciation data shows that both iron(II) and iron(III)–fulvic acid complexes are important iron species in humic-containing natural waters and that their amounts and their rates of transformation to colloidal iron are controlled primarily by the kinetics of thermal (dark) reduction and iron(II) oxidation. The kinetic analysis methodology also yielded the rate constants for the thermal reduction of iron by the fulvic acid. These rate constants decrease with increasing pH and are independent of ionic strength. While thermal reduction was found to be too slow to produce large amounts of steady state iron(II) at circumneutral pH, it does provide a mechanism for iron redox cycling in the absence of photochemical or biochemical processes.
Wavelength-modulated fabry-perot interferometry for quantitation of trace gas components

The change in refractive index of a gas sample caused by molecular absorption is monitored by Fabry-Perot interferometry in a continuous flow system. To reduce the background noise level from other absorption processes, wavelength modulation is incorporated into the excitation laser. An enhancement in the signal-to-noise ratio of up to 146 s is found for the present method relative to intensity-modulated schemes or Stark-modulated schemes.