cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Echocardiographic patterns of pulmonary valve motion in valvular pulmonary stenosis.

Abstract Echocardiographic tracings of the pulmonary valve were examined in 14 patients with isolated pulmonary stenosis, 20 normal subjects, 26 patients with pulmonary hypertension, 10 patients with a left to right shunt and 28 patients with various forms of heart disease other than pulmonary stenosis. Because of the plane of pulmonary valve motion and the angle of the ultrasonic beam, usually the echoes from only one posterior pulmonary leaflet were recorded. In normal patients atrial systole caused slight posterior motion of the pulmonary valve leaflet in late diastole (average 3, range 0 to 7 mm). The degree of valvular motion after atrial systole (the a wave) increased with inspiration. The position of the leaflet at the onset of ventricular systole varied with the depth of the a wave and the length of the P-R interval, but in the normal subjects the leaflet always returned to a base line or closed position at some time during the respiratory cycle. In 10 patients with moderate or severe pulmonary stenosis (gradient 50 to 142 mm Hg) the depth of the a wave increased markedly (average 10, range 8 to 13 mm). In patients with a gradient of more than 65 mm Hg (8 of 10) the leaflet never returned to a base line or closed position before ventricular systole. In three of four patients with mild pulmonary stenosis (gradient less than 50 mm Hg) and all patients with a left to right shunt or heart disease without pulmonary involvement the a wave was within the normal range. In 25 of 26 patients with pulmonary hypertension no a wave was present. In moderate to severe pulmonary stenosis, the exaggerated leaflet motion after atrial systole probably reflects increased right ventricular end-diastolic pressure and force of atrial contraction which, in the face of a normal or reduced pulmonary arterial pressure, produces a positive gradient across the valve in end-diastole.
Calcium Chloride and Potassium Sorbate Reduce Sodium Chloride used during Natural Cucumber Fermentation and Storage

Cucumber fermentation characteristics and pickle quality were evaluated in brines containing equilibrium concentrations of 0-0.4% CaCl2, 0-0.4% potassium sorbate and 0-10% NaCl. Changes in brine pH and acidity, cucumber texture and color, coliforms, lactic acid and total bacteria, yeasts and molds were followed over time. Results indicated that cucumber spoilage would eventually take place if NaCl or potassium sorbate were not present in the brine. The presence of CaCl2 helped maintain cucumber firmness. A synergistic action between NaCl, CaCl2 and potassium sorbate was seen, which allowed good quality pickles to be produced when moderate amounts of all three components were present in the brine (5% NaCl, 0.2% CaCl2, 0.2% potassium sorbate).
Mixedness in the well-stirred reactor

Studies by scattered light measurements of the flow configuration and mixing patterns in a multi-jet-stirred spherical reactor are presented. Results indicate the basic requirements for good mixing to be penetration of the feed jets from the central feed surface to the chamber wall with the optimum number of feed jets that required for the jet-spread angle to equal the angle between adjacent jet axes. A simplified flow model of the conical volume associated with each feed jet was successful in predicting local composition changes due to recirculation and mixing. Calculated performance of such a reactor embodying this flow model and fed lean and stoichiometric fuel-air mixtures for a second-order combustion reaction with values typical of hydrocarbons for activation energy and heat of reaction show that the conventional methods of determining pressure exponent and activation energy will give reasonable values if the fraction of the fuel reacted is below 0.8. Above 80 per cent burned, the apparent activation energy increases greatly due to mixing imperfection. Allowance in similar calculations for fluctuations in concentration of 15 per cent from the local mean values predicted a 5 per cent decrease in burning rate from that of a perfectly stirred reactor and a fairly reliable activation energy for 80 per cent or less burned. At higher fractions of fuel burned, the calculated burning rate exceeded the well-stirred rate and the predicted activation energy was high.
Analysis of actuator delay compensation methods for real-time testing

Abstract Real-time testing is a useful technique to evaluate the performance of structural systems subjected to seismic loading. Servo-hydraulic actuators can introduce an inevitable delay when applying command displacements to a structure during a real-time test due to their inherent dynamics. Various compensation methods have been developed and applied in real-time testing to minimize the effect of actuator delay. This paper proposes an approach to analyze actuator delay compensation methods using an equivalent discrete transfer function. Discrete control theory is introduced and used to formulate the discrete transfer function in the frequency domain and the difference equation in the time domain for an actuator delay compensation method. The discrete transfer function is used to conduct frequency response analysis of the compensation method to provide insight into the expected performance of the compensation method by graphically illustrating the characteristics of the compensation method as a function of frequency of command displacement and the parameters for the compensator. The difference equation gives the form of the mathematical extrapolation in the time domain for the compensation method. Three popular compensation methods are selected to illustrate the proposed approach. Experiments with predefined sine sweep displacement and real-time hybrid simulations of a single-degree-of-freedom moment resisting frame with an elastomeric damper are conducted to experimentally validate the analysis of the selected compensation methods using the proposed approach.
Partially additive categories and flow-diagram semantics☆

Abstract The “semantics of flow diagrams” are used to motivate the notion of partially additive monoids and of partially additive categories as those based on the category of partially additive monoids. We show that such categories support a notion of iteration; and then axiomatize iteration in a fashion which yields other approaches as a special case. The partially additive categories generalize semiadditive categories, and we provide an alternative characterization based on the fact that coproducts + Ai in a partially additive category are equipped with morphisms (prj: + Ai → Aj) which enjoy many of the properties of products. A number of other approaches to flow-diagram semantics have used either the concept of partial order or of algebraic theory—we provide a systematic overview of these approaches from the perspective afforded by partially additive categories.
Information-theoretic term weighting schemes for document clustering

We propose a new theory to quantify information in probability distributions and derive a new document representation model for text clustering. By extending Shannon entropy to accommodate a non-linear relation between information and uncertainty, the proposed Least Information theory (LIT) provides insight into how terms can be weighted based on their probability distributions in documents vs. in the collection. We derive two basic quantities in the document clustering context: 1) LI Binary (LIB) which quantifies information due to the observation of a term's (binary) occurrence in a document; and 2) LI Frequency (LIF) which measures information for the observation of a randomly picked term from the document. Both quantities are computed given term distributions in the document collection as prior knowledge and can be used separately or combined to represent documents for text clustering. Experiments on four benchmark text collections demonstrate strong performances of the proposed methods compared to classic TF*IDF. Particularly, the LIB*LIF weighting scheme, which combines LIB and LIF, consistently outperforms TF*IDF in terms of multiple evaluation metrics. The least information measure has a potentially broad range of applications beyond text clustering.
Negative ion transmission through the3He-4He phase boundary

A potential barrier is observed for the transmission of electron bubbles through the3He-4He boundary of a phase-separated mixture from the4He-rich side. The origin of the barrier is electrostatic (dielectric image charge) but the measured magnitude is considerably less than a simple estimate predicts. The reason for this discrepancy is explained in terms of a finite boundary width.
Differential production of oxalate by mycorrhizal fungi in arid ecosystems

Oxalate crystals and elements binding to the surfaces of mycorrhizal fungal hyphae were examined using scanning electron microscopy coupled with X-ray analysis of elemental composition. Mycorrhizae from the arid zone vegetation types in southern California were examined including chaparral, riparian oak woodlands, coastal sage, grasslands, and deserts. Only mat-forming ectomycorrhizal hyphae, such as Hysterangium separabile, were found to produce oxalate crystals. None of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal hyphae (Glomus spp. and Acaulospora elegans) examined had crystal structures associated with them. The hyphae of Hysterangium separabile without crystals did not show the Ca peaks that were present when the crystals existed nor did the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal hyphae have the Ca peaks. The elimination of arbuscular mycorrhizae using benomyl did not affect soil P or oxalate. These data indicate that there are some fundamental differences in chemical exudation between mycorrhizal fungi that could affect P uptake and cycling in arid ecosystems.
Social and Semiotic Analyses for Theorem Prover User Interface Design 1

We describe an approach to user interface design based on ideas from social science, narratology (the theory of stories), cognitive science, and a new area called algebraic semiotics. Social analysis helps to identify certain roles for users with their associated requirements, and suggests ways to make proofs more understandable, while algebraic semiotics, which combines semiotics with algebraic specification, provides rigorous theories for interface functionality and for a certain technical notion of quality. We apply these techniques to designing user interfaces for a distributed cooperative theorem proving system, whose main component is a website generation and proof assistance tool called Kumo. This interface integrates formal proving, proof browsing, animation, informal explanation, and online background tutorials, drawing on a richer than usual notion of proof. Experience with using the interface is reported, and some conclusions are drawn.
Origin of the linear relationship between CH2/NH/O-SWNT reaction energies and sidewall curvature: armchair nanotubes.

The origin of the linear relationship between the reaction energy of the CH2/NH/O exo and endo additions to armchair (n, n) single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and the inverse tube diameter (1/d) measuring sidewall curvature was elucidated using density functional theory and density functional tight binding methods for finite-size SWNT models with n = 3, 4, ..., 13. A nearly perfect linear relationship between ΔE and 1/d all through exohedral (positive curvature) and endohedral (negative curvature) additions is due to cancellation between the quadratic contributions of the SWNT deformation energy and the interaction energy (INT) between the deformed SWNT and CH2/NH/O adducts. Energy decomposition analysis shows that the quadratic contributions in electrostatic, exchange, and orbital terms mostly cancel each other, making INT weakly quadratic, and that the linear 1/d dependence of INT, and therefore of ΔE, is a reflection of the 1/d dependence of the back-donative orbital interaction of b1 symmetry from...
Does spectroscopic evidence require two scattering layers in the Venus atmosphere

Comments on Hunt's (1972) conclusion that the phase variation of lines in the 7820- and 7883-A CO2 bands is due to the presence of two scattering layers in the Venusian atmosphere. It is shown that the increase of equivalent width with phase between 0 and 90 deg noted by Hunt in the data by Gray Young et al. (1971) does not necessarily require a two-layer model of scattering in the Venusian atmosphere and that this increase may be due to the strong backward lobe in the Venusian cloud phase function. Hunt, in a reply, notes that Regas et al. incorrectly use in their analysis Hansen's (1969) data which are for a homogeneous planetary atmosphere, while Hunt used an inhomogeneous model of the Venusian atmosphere. In addition, further evidence to support Hunt's claim for a multilayered structure of the upper Venusian clouds is presented.
Learning to listen and speak

Dorothy Grant Hennings Department of Education Kean College of New Jersey Union, New Jersey N ancy Walker, as a diner-operator who extols the virtues of paper towels, is a familiar figure to most American television viewers. Faced with an awkward customer who knocks over a coffee-filled cup, Nancy expertly mops up the mess, simultaneously expressing her displeasure with a grimace but indicating little damage has been done by her matter-of-fact, business-like manner and tone of voice. The customer's initial concern at causing the accident is apparent in his face and body, but he visibly relaxes when he perceives that Nancy is taking the accident in stride. His gestures become more expansive, his frown is replaced by a smile, and his body tensions loosen. In a less familiar TV ad, Paul Lynde plays the role of an irate and complaining bank customer who is determined to think the worst about bank services. He screws up his mouth, pouts, sneers, glares, agitates, points, snarls, walks with an air of disgust, showing clearly with face, body, and voice that he is out to find fault. As he leaves the bank, his face and body show just as clearly that the bank has won this skirmish that Paul Lynde's fault-finding was unwarranted. As these examples suggest, messages conveyed with face, body, and voice are an integral part of television commercials. Ad writers and actors have long known that what is "said" nonverbally oftentimes communicates with greater impact than what is said with words and that nonverbal language is a fundamental component of the communication process. Only in recent years however, has there been widespread realization within the educational community of the significance of nonverbal language in speaking and listening and realization that nonverbal clues can be used as purposefully to create an impression in everyday conversations as they are in the world of advertising. Language arts and English teachers, charged with particular responsibility to help children and youth build and refine oral language skills, are becoming more and more aware that the way people move and hold their bodies, the signals their eyes transmit, the tonal qualities of their voices, the distances they maintain between themselves and others, the speed with which they react, and even the way they handle silence are significant determinants of the effectiveness of oral communication. Teachers are becoming aware, too, that ability to perceive nonverbal clues and to use these to regulate conversation may determine whether people fully comprehend messages heard and whether social interaction proceeds smoothly.
Human Centered design of an In-Trail Procedures (ITP) system

This paper provides an overview of a development program to design and certify an In-Trail Procedures (ITP) system for the Boeing 747–400 aircraft. ITP offers aircraft broader flexibility to change flight levels during oceanic flight. The classical elements of a Human Centered Design (HCD) process were integrated within a commercial systems engineering process to develop the system. Previously reported user difficulties in formulating ITP clearances, design challenges posed by touch screen user interfaces and retrofit avionics architecture, as well as the associated certification challenges were addressed during the program. Data from both simulator and in-flight evaluations confirm that pilots are able to perform the intended function under a broad range of operational conditions. The ITP system has undergone successful certification and is operational on a Convair 580 and Boeing 747–400 aircraft.
In situ hinge craniectomy.

Objective To describe an optional method for performing decompressive craniectomy using in situ hinge craniectomy technique in patients with traumatic brain injury and stroke. Methods Sixteen patients underwent surgery for treatment of presenting pathology followed by the placement of hinge craniectomy. The technique is detailed. Results Six patients with traumatic head injury and 10 with stroke underwent treatment of their primary pathologies with subsequent hinge craniectomy. Of these patients, more than half underwent refixation of the hinge in a minor procedure after recovery. No patient had complications related to this technique and none required further cranial decompression. In patients with intracranial pressure monitoring, all displayed values in the normal range. Conclusion In this limited study, in situ hinge craniectomy proved useful in the treatment of patients experiencing stroke or traumatic brain injury. This procedure has the potential to eliminate the additional second incision to explant the bone flap or the refrigeration storage of the bone flap. Also, the second operation to restore the cranial contour by reimplanting the bone flap or by the creation of a cranioplasty with artificial material would not be necessary.
1ƒ Noise in Ru-based thick-film resistors

Abstract The resistance and 1 ƒ noise of ruthernium-oxide based thick film resistors were studied over the temperature range of 77–425°K. The experimental results show that the resistance and the 1 ƒ noise have minimum values around T = 350 K and T = 280 K respectively. The 1 ƒ noise follows the relation S v (ƒ) = (K 1 V 2 ƒ ) . A noise generation model based on the fluctuation of tunneling current in metal-insulator-metal units was used to explain the observed frequency and temperature dependence of the 1 ƒ noise.
Architecture of the budding yeast kinetochore reveals a conserved molecular core

How kinetochore proteins are organized to connect chromosomes to spindle microtubules, and whether any structural and organizational themes are common to kinetochores from distantly related organisms, are key unanswered questions. Here, we used affinity chromatography and mass spectrometry to generate a map of kinetochore protein interactions. The budding yeast CENP-C homologue Mif2p specifically copurified with histones H2A, H2B, and H4, and with the histone H3-like CENP-A homologue Cse4p, strongly suggesting that Cse4p replaces histone H3 in a specialized centromeric nucleosome. A novel four-protein Mtw1 complex, the Nnf1p subunit of which has homology to the vertebrate kinetochore protein CENP-H, also copurified with Mif2p and a variety of central kinetochore proteins. We show that Mif2 is a critical in vivo target of the Aurora kinase Ipl1p. Chromatin immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated the biological relevance of these associations. We propose that a molecular core consisting of CENP-A, -C, -H, and Ndc80/HEC has been conserved from yeast to humans to link centromeres to spindle microtubules.
Brief announcement: multilane - a concurrent blocking multiset

We introduce an extremely simple transformation that allows composition of a more scalable concurrent blocking multiset, or bag, from multiple "lanes" of a potentially less scalable underlying multiset. Our design disperses accesses over the various lanes, reducing contention and memory coherence hot spots. Implemented in Java, for instance, we construct a multiset from multiple lanes of java.util.concurrent.SynchronousQueue that yields more than 8 times the aggregate throughput of a single instance of SynchronousQueue when run on a 64-way Sun Niagara-2 system with 16 producer threads and 16 consumer threads. We experimented with various queues from java.util.conconcurrent and found that in general a MultiLane form will outperform its underlying counterpart.
Does Testing Accelerate Defibrillator Failure?-Reply

In Reply.— Dr Bashein raises the interesting point that perhaps "overtesting" can "wear out" a defibrillator and lead to premature defibrillator failure. In actuality, three daily low-energy charge and discharge cycles, even if performed over the first 5 years of a defibrillator's life, do not significantly stress the components. Such activity is well within the performance capabilities of currently manufactured devices. Three discharges a day for 5 years constitute only 5475 shocks. Though impressive in number, these represent only a small proportion of a defibrillator's total discharge capacity. The membership of our Defibrillator Working Group included representatives from the Emergency Care Research Institute and the Health Industry Manufacturers Association. They expressed general agreement that frequent testing will not accelerate device failure. Dr Bashein's suggestion that frequent clinical use can substitute for discharge testing, while reasonable on the surface, raises several major concerns. One concern is that inclusion of actual clinical
Maneuvering MEPDG Input Variables to Improve Level-3 and Level-2 Mastercurve Predictions to the Accuracy of Level-1 Input Hierarchy

In this study, mix and binder input variables were optimized to investigate the problems related to the accuracy of mastercurves developed using Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG). Dynamic modulus testing over a wide temperature and frequency range was performed on Superpave mixes typically used for structural and surface coarse pavement construction by New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT). Dynamic modulus mastercurves were produced using the MEPDG software and using Microsoft Excel for the actual test data. Mastercurves developed using actual test results were compared with mastercurves produced using MEPDG software at level-1, level-2, and level-3 input hierarchies. Finally, mix and binder input variables were optimized to determine appropriate shift factors to improve accuracy of mastercurves developed at level-2 and level-3 input hierarchies. The results show that mastercurves developed using level-1 input hierarchy accurately represent the test results. However, all predicted mastercurves at level-2 and level-3 input hierarchies underpredict actual test results and level-3 prediction results showed better accuracy than level-2 outputs for all mixes in this study. The MEPDG software was also re-run to predict mix mastercurves using optimized (shifted) input values and the resulting mastercurves from level-3 and level-2 MEPDG input hierarchies were found to overlap with mastercurves produced using level-1 MEPDG input hierarchy. Optimized mix input values suggest that aggregate variables can be eliminated from the E* model.
Identification of electronic transitions in polyacetylene by acoustic phonon spectroscopy

Abstract We have found that a strain-induced oscillation in the decay of the picosecond photoinduced absorption of polyacetylene (CH)x can be used to identify the allowed and forbidden electronic transitions in that polymer.
A facile Pd(0)-catalyzed regio- and stereoselective diamination of conjugated dienes and trienes.

This paper describes a novel diamination process using di-t-butyldiaziridinone as the nitrogen source and Pd(PPh3)4 as catalyst. A wide variety of conjugated dienes and trienes can be effectively diaminated in good yields with high regio- and stereoselectivities in short reaction time.
What Is the Correct Way to Seed a Knockout Tournament

(2000). What Is the Correct Way to Seed a Knockout Tournament? The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 107, No. 2, pp. 140-150.
Range Image Analysis Via Quadtree And Pyramid Structure Based On Surface Curvature

This paper presents a method which can expedite, while maintaining the accuracy, range image analysis such as range image segmentation, classification, and location of the region of interest in the range image, thereby making 3-D vision techniques based on range images more useful in manipulating robots accurately in real time. The proposed method incorporates quadtree and pyramid structure in order to quickly analyze range images. In order to make range image analysis independent of the viewing directions, surface curvatures, which are visible-invariant surface characteristics, are exploited. Specifically, we will discuss the following topics: (1) problems of using the surface curvatures for the range image analysis in the presence of noise; (2) generation of the range image pyramid; (3) reliable range image segmentation and classification via split-and-merge using the planarity test and the surface curvatures; (4) incorporation of the quadtree and the pyramid structure to speed up the projection process.
Spectral estimates of net radiation and soil heat flux

Conventional methods of measuring surface energy balance are point measurements and represent only a small area. Remote sensing offers a potential means of measuring outgoing fluxes over large areas at the spatial resolution of the sensor. The objective of this study was to estimate net radiation (Rn) and soil heat flux (G) using remotely sensed multispectral data acquired from an aircraft over large agricultural fields. Ground-based instruments measured Rn and G at nine locations along the flight lines. Incoming fluxes were also measured by ground-based instruments. Outgoing fluxes were estimated using remotely sensed data. Remote Rn, estimated as the algebraic sum of incoming and outgoing fluxes, slightly underestimated Rn measured by the ground-based net radiometers. The mean absolute errors for remote Rn minus measured Rn were less than 7%. Remote G, estimated as a function of a spectral vegetation index and remote Rn, slightly overestimated measured G; however, the mean absolute error for remote G was 13%. Some of the differences between measured and remote values of Rn and G are associated with differences in instrument designs and measurement techniques. The root mean square error for available energy (Rn - G) was 12%. Thus, methods using both ground-based and remotely sensed data can provide reliable estimates of the available energy which can be partitioned into sensible and latent heat under nonadvective conditions.
Gene expression changes in a tumor xenograft by a pyrrole-imidazole polyamide

Gene regulation by DNA binding small molecules could have important therapeutic applications. This study reports the investigation of a DNA-binding pyrrole-imidazole polyamide targeted to bind the DNA sequence 5′-WGGWWW-3′ with reference to its potency in a subcutaneous xenograft tumor model. The molecule is capable of trafficking to the tumor site following subcutaneous injection and modulates transcription of select genes in vivo. An FITC-labeled analogue of this polyamide can be detected in tumor-derived cells by confocal microscopy. RNA deep sequencing (RNA-seq) of tumor tissue allowed the identification of further affected genes, a representative panel of which was interrogated by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and correlated with cell culture expression levels.
Orientalism, the Balkans, and Balkan Historiography

TINTIN, the comic strip Belgian boy detective, has many exciting international adventures. He busts up an opium ring in Egypt, he frees a gorilla from a Scottish castle, he discovers the Yeti in Tibet, he flies to the moon. But even with so fantastic an agenda, only once does he manage to travel to a thoroughly imaginary place. In King Ottokar's Sceptre, Tintin finds himself in southeastern Europe in the fictive "Syldavia," next to the similarly invented "Borduria," at war with anarchists, corrupt military police, mustachioed fez-wearing bandits, and all manner of narghile-smoking Balkan buffoons. The apparent absurd confusion of Balkan history is lampooned in Herge's faux chronicle of Syldavia, which Tintin eagerly reads as he flies in over the mountains: "In 1275 the people of Syldavia rose against the Bordurians, and in 1277 the revolutionary leader, Baron Almaszout, was proclaimed King. He adopted the title of Ottokar the First, but should not be confused with Premysl Ottokar the First, the duke who became King of Bohemia in the XII century."1 Even in being introduced to the material, one is intimidated and perplexed. If all of these people have the same name, one might wonder, what's the point in trying to figure out what's going on? Politics, too, is inscrutable. In its contemporary political unrest, Syldavia bears a striking resemblance to another fictional land, "Herzoslovakia," the Balkan homeland of Agatha Christie's villainous Boris Anchoukoff in The Secret of Chimneys, a land, by Christie's account, of violence, brigandry, and mystery, a country where the national "hobby" is "assassinating kings and having revolutions."2 Syldavia and Herzoslovakia, then, are sort of Balkan "everycountries," composites (both in name and character) based on several assumptions: that Balkan countries are more or less interchangeable with and indistinguishable from one another, that there is a readily identifiable typology of politics and history common throughout the Balkans, that there is such a thing as a Balkan ethnic or racial "type."3 Yet even as Herge and Christie assume that they know something fundamental about the Balkans-indeed, that they know the Balkans so well that
Impact of tumor size on outcomes after anatomic lung resection for stage 1A non–small cell lung cancer based on the current staging system

Objective Anatomic segmentectomy may achieve results comparable to lobectomy for early-stage non–small cell lung cancer. The 7th edition of the AJCC Cancer Staging Handbook stratified the previous T1 tumor designation into T1a and T1b subsets, which still define stage 1A node-negative non–small cell lung cancer. We are left to hypothesize whether this classification may aid in directing the extent of surgical resection. We retrospectively reviewed our anatomic segmentectomy and lobectomy management of stage 1A non–small cell lung cancer to determine differences in survival and local recurrence rates based on the new stratification. Methods We performed a retrospective review of 429 patients undergoing resection of pathologically confirmed stage 1A non–small cell lung cancer via lobectomy or anatomic segmentectomy. Primary outcome variables included mortality, recurrence, and survival. Recurrence-free and cancer-specific survivals were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Results Patients undergoing segmentectomy were older than patients undergoing lobectomy (mean age 69.2 vs 66.8 years, P P = .02). Mortality was similar after segmentectomy (1.1%) and lobectomy (1.2%). There was no difference in mortality, recurrence rates (14.0% vs 14.7%, P = 1.00), or 5-year cancer-specific survival (T1a: 90% vs 91%, P = .984; T1b: 82% vs 78%, P = .892) when comparing segmentectomy and lobectomy for pathologic stage 1A non–small cell lung cancer, when stratified by T stage. Conclusions Anatomic segmentectomy may achieve equivalent recurrence and survival compared with lobectomy for patients with stage 1A non–small cell lung cancer. Prospective studies will be necessary to delineate the potential merits of anatomic segmentectomy in this setting.
Developmental refinement of inhibitory sound-localization circuits

The ability to localize sound rapidly and accurately depends on the precise organization of inhibitory neuronal circuits in the auditory brainstem. However, the rules and mechanisms by which this precision is established during development are still poorly understood. Although activity-dependent reorganization has been known for over a decade to have a central role in this process, more recent studies have revealed an unanticipated degree of reorganization that occurs on levels ranging from cellular phenotype to network connectivity. These results suggest novel mechanisms by which immature inhibitory sound-localization circuits become optimized. Lessons from auditory brainstem circuits thus could provide insight into inhibitory development in other brain areas, where inhibitory networks are less experimentally accessible.
Development of the neuromuscular junction in the chick embryo: The number, distribution, and stability of acetylcholine receptors

Abstract The number, distribution, and stability of skeletal muscle acetylcholine receptors during development of the neuromuscular junction in the chick embryo were studied. The distribution and turnover of receptors labeled with 125 I-labeled α-bungarotoxin were determined by quantitative autoradiography on individual teased muscle fibers. Each posterior latissimus dorsi muscle fiber, which in the adult is singly innervated, has a high density of acetylcholine receptors at a single spot from embryonic Day 10 through hatching. The spots stain more intensely than elsewhere for acetylcholinesterase and are assumed to be end plates. The receptors at these spots are presumed to be junctional receptors. The junctional receptor density remains constant at 10 4 /μm 2 from embryonic Day 14 through adult life, although the area of the junction increases 40-fold. In contrast, the extrajunctional receptor density drops precipitously from 250/μm 2 on Day 14 to only 10/μm 2 on Day 19. This decrease in extrajunctional receptor density can be prevented by chronic paralysis with curare. The rate of autoradiographic grain loss from junctional and extrajunctional regions after a pulse injection of 125 I-labeled α-bungarotoxin indicates that both classes of embryonic receptors turn over at the same rate ( t 1 2 ⋍ 30 hr ).
1695 VULNERABILITY OF PRETERM INFANTS TO NASAL OBSTRUCTION

This study was designed to determine cardiopulmonary responses to nasal obstruction in different sleep states. 8 healthy preterm infants (wt 1.8±.1Kg) were studied at a corrected G.A. of 35±2 wks by multiple 10 sec occlusions during active (AS) and quiet (QS) sleep, via nasal prongs fitted with a thermistor to measure airflow. Heart rate (HR), mouth airflow, transcutaneous PO2 (Tc PO2), chest wall movements, respiratory frequency (f) and sleep state were continuously monitored. Nasal occlusion was invariably accompanied by a fall in TcPO2, which was greater during AS than QS (8±2 vs 5±3 mmHg, p<.01). In contrast, HR fell with only 54% of occlusions, more in AS than QS (35±15 vs 21±7/min, p<.05). During obstruction the frequency of respiratory efforts decreased from 45±10 to 35±7/min (p<.001) compared to preocclusion levels, while mouth airflow was only sporadic and did not influence the fall in TcPO2 or HR. In the initial 5 sec following occlusion, f returned to preocclusion levels. During the subsequent 5 sec, f decreased from 47±10 to 35±13/min (p<.03) in AS and from 41±9 to 31±16/min (p<.03) in QS, as compared to preocclusion levels. Furtheremore, in the 20 sec following occlusion (vs preocclusion) the duration of respiratory pauses ≥2 sec increased in both AS and QS (p<.01). We conclude that 1) preterm infants are more vulnerable to nasal obstruction in AS with a greater fall in PO2 and HR, 2) airway obstruction may enhance susceptibility to the subsequent development of central apnea, and 3) since obstruction may not be accompanied by a fall in HR, routine cardio-respiratory monitoring may fail to detect many episodes.
Tropical Cyclone Simulation and Response to CO2 Doubling in the GFDL CM2.5 High-Resolution Coupled Climate Model

AbstractGlobal tropical cyclone (TC) activity is simulated by the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) Climate Model, version 2.5 (CM2.5), which is a fully coupled global climate model with a horizontal resolution of about 50 km for the atmosphere and 25 km for the ocean. The present climate simulation shows a fairly realistic global TC frequency, seasonal cycle, and geographical distribution. The model has some notable biases in regional TC activity, including simulating too few TCs in the North Atlantic. The regional biases in TC activity are associated with simulation biases in the large-scale environment such as sea surface temperature, vertical wind shear, and vertical velocity. Despite these biases, the model simulates the large-scale variations of TC activity induced by El Nino–Southern Oscillation fairly realistically. The response of TC activity in the model to global warming is investigated by comparing the present climate with a CO2 doubling experiment. Globally, TC frequency decreases ...
Semantics of the placebo.

With increased interest in the placebo effect and clinical methodology, definitions of the placebo have proliferated. But there is little agreement among lexicographers, historians, clinicians, and researchers about how to define this word. Derivations of the wordplacebo from the Hebrew and Latin and its use in the Bible and literature were reviewed. Historical inaccuracies in classical references to the placebo's origin, history, and development were corrected. An explanation was given for the introduction of the word in 1785, and for the changes in definition that have appeared since that time. Definitions of the placebo and placebo effect, based on historic considerations and heuristic principles, were then proposed.
Computational geometry for real-time tracking

This paper describes an approach for real time tracking of parametric objects. At the foundation of this problem is the requirement to efficiently solve the hidden surface problem which is essential for most three dimensional applications in robotics and computer vision. The approach presented here incorporates the concept of frame to frame coherence because there is incremental change in the perceived view of projected object boundaries from one instance of motion to another. This directly translates into geometric constraints that can be enforced in parallel.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Forecast experiment: Do temporal and spatial b value variations along the Calaveras fault portend M ≥ 4.0 earthquakes?

[1] The power law distribution of earthquake magnitudes and frequencies is a fundamental scaling relationship used for forecasting. However, can its slope (b value) be used on individual faults as a stress indicator? Some have concluded that b values drop just before large shocks. Others suggested that temporally stable low b value zones identify future large-earthquake locations. This study assesses the frequency of b value anomalies portending M ≥ 4.0 shocks versus how often they do not. I investigated M ≥ 4.0 Calaveras fault earthquakes because there have been 25 over the 37-year duration of the instrumental catalog on the most active southern half of the fault. With that relatively large sample, I conducted retrospective time and space earthquake forecasts. I calculated temporal b value changes in 5-km-radius cylindrical volumes of crust that were significant at 90% confidence, but these changes were poor forecasters of M ≥ 4.0 earthquakes. M ≥ 4.0 events were as likely to happen at times of high b values as they were at low ones. However, I could not rule out a hypothesis that spatial b value anomalies portend M ≥ 4.0 events; of 20 M ≥ 4 shocks that could be studied, 6 to 8 (depending on calculation method) occurred where b values were significantly less than the spatial mean, 1 to 2 happened above the mean, and 10 to 13 occurred within 90% confidence intervals of the mean and were thus inconclusive. Thus spatial b value variation might be a useful forecast tool, but resolution is poor, even on seismically active faults.
Measurement of Equilibrium Binding of Cationic Micelles to a Polyanion by Membrane Filtration

The binding of DMDAO micelles to sodium poly(styrenesulfonate) (NaPSS) was studied by turbidimetric titration, membrane filtration, and electrophoretic light scattering. While the first technique indicates the sudden onset of complexation at a well-defined pHcrit, micelle binding isotherms obtained by membrane filtration in the vicinity of pHcrit reveal binding prior to pHcrit. At lower pH, the binding constant increases by an order-of-magnitude with a 20% increase in micelle charge density; the change is abrupt, but not discontinuous. Polyelectrolyte-micelle binding thus appears to follow mass action equilibrium, but with high sensitivity to electrostatic variables.
Non-surgical Management Should be First-line Therapy for Breast Abscess: Reply

We appreciate the experience of Elder and Brennan [1], who report that the majority of patients with breast abscesses who are treated at their institution are successfully treated with serial percutaneous aspiration under ultrasound guidance, in combination with appropriate antibiotic therapy. We recognize that a major limitation of our recent article [2] is the inability to account for patients who may be undergoing nonoperative treatment for their breast abscesses. Percutaneous aspiration has become more common at our institution as well, but we do not currently record percutaneous procedures in our surgical database and cannot comment on the effectiveness in comparison to open drainage. We also acknowledge that there are multiple reports regarding the potential effectiveness of this non-surgical method [3–8]. However, there are many limitations to those studies as well. They include small numbers of patients who underwent a variety of techniques with varying degrees of success. For instance, Hook et al. [6] reported their experience with 13 patients. Percutaneous drainage was successful in 7 patients who had small abscesses (\2.4 cm), but 5 of 6 patients with abscesses [2.4 cm required surgical therapy when percutaneous methods failed. Berna-Serna et al. [7] also reported poor success with percutaneous drainage when the abscesses were [3 cm. As a result, they employed catheter tube placement in abscesses [3 cm. While percutaneous techniques may prove to be appropriate for a large number of patients, anecdotal experience and the data provided in these small published series are insufficient evidence that percutaneous methods are as effective as surgical incision and drainage. To answer this question, a prospective trial, powered with adequate patient numbers, would be necessary. This would allow us to determine the abscess characteristics (size, loculation, location in breast) that may portend a better or worse outcome following percutaneous techniques. Such a trial would also allow the development of guidelines and standardization of techniques to be employed based on the specific patient and abscess characteristics. However, until such data are available, it is unclear whether percutaneous methods of abscess management are as effective as the gold standard of definitive surgical treatment.
The Role of Carbohydrate in Erythropoietin Action

The carbohydrate composition of human erythropoietin (epo) was determined by micro-GLC. Enzymic removal of most of the sugars results in aggregation of glycosidase-treated epo, loss of biological activity when assayed in mice, and retention of activity when assayed in marrow cell cultures or by RIA. Endoglycosidase F causes the removal of most of the carbohydrates indicating that the oligosaccharides are asparagine linked. The lack of O-linked sugar is confirmed by the absence of N-acetylgalactosamine. These findings indicate that the oligosaccharide portion of epo, although required for action in vivo, is not required for interaction with the target cells of the blood-forming system.
The Paradox of Disallowing Duress as a Defence to Murder

The common law has long recognised that what would otherwise constitute murder should be reduced to the lesser offence of voluntary manslaughter in instances where the accused was induced to kill because of provocative conduct on the part of the deceased that does not amount to lawful excuse or justification such as self-defence or defence of others. In what is often termed as a reasonable concession to human frailty, the law has opted to treat those who kill under such circumstances as less morally blameworthy than those who kill in the absence of such provocation or other mitigating circumstances such as a genuinely held, albeit objectively unreasonable belief, that the use of deadly force was necessary in self-defence or the defence of another person. In sharp contrast, the common law has steadfastly declined to allow the defence of duress to be interposed in like manner as a partial defence to the crime of murder. The discussion to follow will examine whether this disparate treatment is justifiable in...
Enantioselective synthesis of the antiinflammatory agent (-)-acanthoic acid

An enantioselective synthesis of the potent antiinflammatory agent (-)-acanthoic acid (1) is described. The successful strategy departs from (-)-Wieland-Miescher ketone (10), which is readily available in both enantiomeric forms and constitutes the starting point toward a fully functionalized AB ring system of 1. Conditions were developed for a regioselective double alkylation at the C4 center of the A ring, which produced compound 32 as a single stereoisomer. Construction of the C ring of 1 was accomplished via a Diels-Alder reaction between sulfur-containing diene 43 and methacrolein (36), which after desulfurization and further functionalization yielded synthetic acanthoic acid. The described synthesis confirms the proposed stereochemistry of the natural product and represents a fully stereocontrolled entry into an underexplored class of biologically active diterpenes.
An empirically observed pitch-angle diffusion eigenmode in the Earth's electron belt near L* = 5.0

Using data from NASA's Van Allen Probes, we have identified a synchronized exponential decay of electron flux in the outer zone, near L* = 5.0. Exponential decays strongly indicate the presence of a pure eigenmode of a diffusion operator acting in the synchronized dimension(s). The decay has a time scale of about 4 days with no dependence on pitch angle. While flux at nearby energies and L* is also decaying exponentially, the decay time varies in those dimensions. This suggests the primary decay mechanism is elastic pitch angle scattering, which itself depends on energy and L*. We invert the shape of the observed eigenmode to obtain an approximate shape of the pitch angle diffusion coefficient and show excellent agreement with diffusion by plasmaspheric hiss. Our results suggest that empirically derived eigenmodes provide a powerful diagnostic of the dynamic processes behind exponential decays.
Tensile properties of human tendo Achillis: effect of donor age and strain rate.

Two sets of tensile tests were conducted on tendo Achillis taken from 16 embalmed cadavers (donor ages, 36 to 100 years). From the stress, sigma-versus-strain, epsilon results, values of the following properties were obtained: linear stiffness, ST (which is defined as the slope of the linear zone of the post-toe region of the load-versus-extension plot), ultimate tensile strength [UTS], the strain at the UTS point (herein called the ultimate tensile strain) [epsilon max], and the tangent modulus of elasticity, [ET] (which is the slope of the linear zone of the post-toe region of the sigma-epsilon curve). In the first set of tests, the loading rate was 10%/sec. The results are thus: linear stiffness: 685 +/- 262 N/mm.; UTS = 59 +/- 18 MPa; epsilon max = 22 +/- 7%; and ET = 375 +/- 102 MPa. It was found that donor age exerts an insignificant effect on linear stiffness, a marked effect on UTS, an insignificant effect on epsilon max, and a moderate effect on ET (Student's t-test; p < 0.05). In the second set of tests, the test tendons were taken from the cadavers of "middle-aged" donors (52 to 67 years), and the strain rate was 100%/sec. By combining the results of the first and second sets of tests for a subset of this group (i.e., those with matched counterparts), it was found that strain rate has a statistically significant effect on ST and ET but not on UTS and epsilon max (paired Student's t-test; p < 0.05). Based on all results and findings, donor age is suggested as one of the considerations when selecting tendo Achillis to be used as allografts for the repair of severely damaged or ruptured tendo Achillis or anterior cruciate ligament.