cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: First 100 patients with one year of follow-up

Abstract Objectives To report our initial experience of 100 patients with robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. Continued technological advances have expanded our armamentarium of minimally invasive devices and techniques to offer our patients. Robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy has been adopted at many centers. Methods This was a nonrandomized prospective study evaluating our initial 100 patients who underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. The follow-up data were obtained prospectively using the validated Rand 36-item health survey, version 2, and the University of California, Los Angeles, Prostate Cancer Index preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Patients who required open conversion were excluded from the outcome analysis. Patients who received a sural nerve graft were excluded from the operative analysis. Results The average age and body mass index of all patients were 58.4 years (range 42 to 70) and 28.5 kg/m 2 (range 18.1 to 50.6), respectively, with a median follow-up of 12 months. The average prostate-specific antigen level was 6.07 ng/mL. Seven patients required conversion to an open technique, and four underwent sural nerve grafting. The positive surgical margin rate was 16% (15 of 92). Using the Rand 36-item health survey, version 2, and the University of California, Los Angeles, Prostate Cancer Index health surveys, the average percentage of return to baseline urinary function was 52%, 70%, 79%, and 84% at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. The overall average percentage of return to baseline sexual function was 51%, 58%, 66%, and 80% at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. Conclusions Robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy is a safe and efficient method for achieving prostate cancer control even during the initial learning curve for this procedure.
IMPROVING TEST-TAKING SKILLS OF LD ADOLESCENTS

More and more learning-disabled adolescents are now being served at the high school level. Usually these students have access to the services of a resource room and attend classes with their nonhandicapped peers. Once integrated in math, English, or civics courses, however, they are then faced with the difficult problem of taking tests, for which many do not have the necessary skills. To increase their test-taking skills they must learn systematic procedures through a team effort, including special education consultants, regular education teachers, and supportive personnel. Recent findings in behavioral psychology provide a basis for a multicomponent model to improve the test-taking skills of adolescents with learning disabilities. As with other complex activities, such efforts require first an analysis of the problems that present barriers to effective test taking and then a specification of procedures to alleviate the problems.
Hydrodynamics of gas-lift reactors with a fast, liquid-phase reaction

Abstract The reactive absorption of CO 2 into concentrated KOH solutions was studied in an external-loop, gas-lift reactor. Three different inlet gas compositions were used: air, 50–50 vol% air–CO 2 , and pure CO 2 . The downcomer liquid velocity and the axial profile of the cross-sectionally averaged gas holdup in the riser were measured. The reaction is so fast that the CO 2 is consumed appreciably along the riser, and this causes a significant reduction in the liquid circulation relative to a system with no reaction. A one-dimensional, pseudo-steady-state model has been developed to describe the interactions of hydrodynamics, mass transfer, and chemical reaction for the bubbly flow regime in the riser. The model considers mass transfer from the gas to the liquid phase and its enhancement due to the chemical reaction, and is based on the spatially averaged equations of continuity, momentum, and macroscopic mechanical energy. The rate of liquid circulation, and the axial variation of gas holdup, gas composition, pressure, and gas and liquid velocity, are predicted. The gas/liquid mass transfer coefficient and the bubble radius at the sparger, neither of which was known a priori, were used to minimize the error of the data with respect to the model.
The Use of Ultrasound in the Gynecological Care of Women with Mental Retardation

Background Satisfactory gynecological examination in women with mental retardation can be very difficult or impossible. Transabdominal ultrasonography is a helpful adjunct in the care of women that cannot tolerate a pelvic examination. This study was undertaken to evaluate the scan use, scan quality and clinical outcomes in a group of women with mental retardation, upon whom pelvic ultrasounds were performed. Methods A retrospective chart analysis was performed on all women with mental retardation who underwent pelvic ultrasonography by our Radiology Department between November 1992 and May 1997. During this time 154 patients underwent 292 scans. Available charts (n = 145) were screened for patient age, level of retardation, indication for ultrasound, scan quality and outcome. Results The average age was 39 years. Level of retardation was as follows: 82 severe, 10 moderate and 3 mild retarded women. Indications for the scans included annual exam due to inability to examine, 174 patients (60%); abnormal bleeding, 25 (9%); pelvic mass or abnormal exam, 13 (4%); follow up for a previous scan, 55 (19%) and miscellaneous, 10 (3%). The patient data was not available for 15 scans. Overall scan quality was adequate in 103 (35%) of cases, suboptimal in 140 (48 %) and nondiagnostic in 49 (17%). Suboptimal exams were due to poor bladder filling, 49 (35%); lack of patient cooperation, 20 (20%) and unspecified causes in 63 (45%) of scans. The nondiagnostic scans were mostly due to poor bladder filling, 36 (73%) and limited patient cooperation, 8 (16%). Fifty patients (32%) had an abnormal scan. Abnormalities included fibroids, 26 (52%); simple cysts, 15 (30%); complex cysts, 3 (6%) and miscellaneous, 6 (12%). Of the 174 scans done for annual exam 16 % revealed fibroids and 10 % had simple cysts on one or both ovaries. As a result of the sonographic findings surgical procedures were performed in two patients. One had an ovarian cancer (scan indication: anemia) and the other patient had a laparoscopy for a paratubal cyst (indication: annual). Conclusions Ultrasonography can be successfully performed in a majority of women with mental retardation and is therefore a useful adjunct in the gynecological evaluation of patients with mental retardation. Pathologic findings were detected in 32% of patients, however surgical intervention was only employed in two cases. Since yearly ultrasonography exams have a low yield of significant abnormalities, a scan every two-three years in asymptomatic women that cannot be examined may be appropriate.
DWIA predictions of (p,p') data using electromagnetically constrained densities

Abstract DWIA predictions and comparison with experiment are made for 650 and 800 MeV proton scattering to low lying states in 24 Mg, 26 Mg, 28 Si, 30 Si, 34 S, 40 Ca and 42 Ca. Electromagnetic constraints on proton and neutron ground-state and transition densities are used to minimize nuclear structure uncertainties. Generally good agreement with the data is seen.
Acute Glomerulonephritis with Minimal Urinary Findings

A case of acute glomerulonephritis with no microscopic hematuria and mild pro teinuria. The illness was apparently post- streptococcal in origin. This case is re ported to provide additional evidence that acute glomerulonephritis may occur with slight or minimal urinary findings, and to indicate the diagnostic value of per cutaneous renal biopsy.
Effect of Spectral Resolution on Pattern Recognition Analysis Using Passive Fourier Transform Infrared Sensor Data

The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectral data of two nerve agent simulants, diisopropyl methyl phosphonate (DIMP) and dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP), are used as test cases to determine the spectral resolution that gives optimal pattern recognition performance. DIMP is used as the target analyte for detection, while DMMP is used to test the ability of the automated pattern recognition methodology to detect the analyte selectively. Interferogram data are collected by using a Midac passive FT-IR instrument. The methodology is based on the application of pattern recognition techniques to short segments of single-beam spectra obtained by Fourier processing the collected interferogram data. The work described in this article evaluates the effect of varying spectral resolution on the pattern recognition results. The objective is to determine the optimal spectral resolution to be used for data collection. The results of this study indicate that the data with a nominal spectral resolution of 16 cm-1 provide sufficient selectivity to give pattern recognition results comparable to that obtained by using higher resolution data. We found that, while higher resolution does not increase selectivity sufficiently to provide better pattern recognition results, lower resolution decreases selectivity and degrades the pattern recognition results. These results can be used as guidelines to maximize detection sensitivity, to minimize the time needed for data collection, and to reduce data storage requirements.
Residual atomic behavior of (sp) impurities in a Mg host

The spin-orbit scattering cross section of many different impurities (Cu, Zn, Ga, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Au, Tl, Pb, Bi) in Mg is measured by means of weak localization. We find two distinct dependences of σ s.o. . (i) For the same valence of the impurity σ s.o. shows a power law as a function of the atomic number Z as Z P with p≃5 for the noble metals, and (ii) σ s.o. depends on the valence of the impurity; for s impurities σ s.o. is considerably smaller than for p impurities. This suggests that the atomic electronic wave functions are quite well preserved after dissolving the atom
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering hot spot isolation using surface-enhanced multiphoton lithography

In this Manuscript, we present the fabrication and spectroscopic characterization of a large-area surfaceenhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate, as well as a method for improving femtomole-level trace detection (10 9 molecules) using this substrate. Using multiphoton-induced exposure of a commercial photoresist, we physically limit the available molecular adsorption sites to only the electromagnetic "hot spots" on the substrate. This process prevents molecules from adsorbing to sites of weak SERS enhancement, while permitting adsorption to sites of extraordinary SERS enhancement. For a randomly adsorbed submonolayer of benzenethiol molecules the average Raman scattering cross-section of the processed sample is 27 times larger than that of an unprocessed SERS substrate.
Inertial confinement fusion using only deuterium

A low input energy high gain inertial confinement fusion concept, depending only on deuterium as source material, is proposed. The concept makes use of a DT triggered thermonuclear deflagration in deuterium, whereby the tritium needed to make the trigger is obtained by separating the tritium burn product from the debris of the DD thermonuclear microexplosion. The separation of tritium from the remaining deuterium can conceivably be done with high efficiency by laser isotope separation.
Heat-induced gelation and protein-protein interaction of actomyosin.

Natural actomyosin (NAM) and “crude” actomyosin formed gels yielding maximum strengths (from back extrusion force) at pH 5.0 and 5.5, respectively. At pH 6.0, NAM gels had a least protein concentration endpoint (LCE) value of 6 mg/ml. Gel strength increased exponentially with an increase of NAM concentration from 3.75–10 mg/ml. With constant time (30 min)-temperature heating, NAM gel forces increased by 20.5% (NS, P>0.05) in the 30–80°C range. Arrhenius plots of NAM interaction in solution and in gelation at pH 6.0 indicated two different reaction mechanisms within the temperature zones above and below approximately 35°C for solutions and 40°C for gels. Similarity of interaction slopes above the 35–40°C region suggested one reaction mechanism for NAM molecular aggregation in solution and gelation.
Near-field postseismic deformation associated with the 1992 Landers and 1999 Hector Mine, California, earthquakes

After the Landers earthquake (M w = 7.3, 1992.489) a linear array of 10 monuments extending about 30 km N50°E on either side of the earthquake rupture plus a nearby off-trend reference monument were surveyed frequently by GPS until 2003.2. The array also spans the rupture of the subsequent Hector Mine earthquake (M w = 7.1, 1999.792). The pre-Landers velocities of monuments in the array relative to interior North America were estimated from earlier trilateration and very long baseline interferometry measurements. Except at the reference monument, the post-Landers velocities of the individual monuments in the array relaxed to their preseismic values within 4 years. Following the Hector Mine earthquake the velocities of the monuments relaxed to steady rates within 1 year. Those steady rates for the east components are about equal to the pre-Landers rates as is the steady rate for the north component of the one monument east of the Hector Mine rupture. However, the steady rates for the north components of the 10 monuments west of the rupture are systematically ∼10 mm yr -1 larger than the pre-Landers rates. The relaxation to a steady rate is approximately exponential with decay times of 0.50 ± 0.10 year following the Landers earthquake and 0.32 ± 0.18 year following the Hector Mine earthquake. The postearthquake motions of the Landers array following the Landers earthquake are not well approximated by the viscoelastic-coupling model of Pollitz et al. [2000]. A similar viscoelastic-coupling model [Pollitz et al., 2001] is more successful in representing the deformation after the Hector Mine earthquake.
Persistent infection by equine infectious anemia virus: Asymmetry of nucleotide sequence reiteration in the integrated provirus of persistently infected cells

Abstract Two equine infectious anemia virus complementary DNA probes synthesized using detergent-treated purified virus were used to analyze the integrated provirus of persistently infected equine dermal cells. The probes were (i) cDNAd 5′ , an endogenously primed unique sequence duplex transcript representative of ∼15% of genomic RNA and enriched in sequences represented in randomly fragmented viral RNA not retained by oligo(dT)-cellulose and (ii) 6DNA rep , a calf thymus DNA-primed single-stranded transcript symmetrically representative of 80–85% of genomic RNA. Integrated provirus homologous to cDNA 5′ , is present with a repetitive frequency on the order of 100 copies per cell whereas provirus homologous to cDNA rep is integrated with a frequency of only two to six copies. The cell cultures are uniformly infected as measured by detection of viral RNA by in situ hybridization, and integrated provirus is associated with high-molecular-weight cell DNA by alkali-stable linkage. Provirus is not detectable in uninfected cells.
Arteriovenous fistula after endovenous ablation for varicose veins

Endovenous ablation, using radiofrequency or laser, is becoming the mainstay of treatment for symptomatic varicose veins in the setting of saphenous vein incompetency. Both procedures have been shown to produce high rates of truncal vein occlusion with few complications. This article presents three patients who developed arteriovenous fistula (AVF) following great saphenous vein treatment: two following radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and one following laser ablation. This is the first published report of AVF following RFA for which operative details are known. We review the literature and discuss possible causes and management of this rare complication.
A real-time electrochemical technique for measurement of cellular hydrogen peroxide generation and consumption: evaluation in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

There has been a long-standing need for sensitive and specific techniques for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) measurement. We describe the development and application of a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor, utilizing a membrane-coated platinum microelectrode, suitable for real-time measurement of hydrogen peroxide generation and consumption in biochemical or cellular systems. This sensor provides high sensitivity enabling measurement of hydrogen peroxide down to 5–10 nM concentrations. We demonstrate that it can be used to measure the magnitude and time course of H2O2 generation from the NADPH oxidase in leukocytes as well as the rate of H2O2 degradation. After human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) were activated by phorbol 12-myristate acetate, H2O2 concentration increased with time and reached a peak concentration, from 5 to 15 μM in PMNs prepared from different individuals, within 3 to 8 min, then decreased slowly. The H2O2 concentration in the solution is less than the total H2O2 generation from the activated PMNs because a part of H2O2 generated is decomposed. H2O2 in solution, generated from the PMNs, was rapidly consumed after the activated PMNs were treated with 10 μM diphenylene iodonium (DPI). The rate of H2O2 consumption was measured following the addition of exogenous H2O2. The total production of H2O2 from the activated PMNs was calculated from the measured H2O2 concentration and the rate of H2O2 consumption. This technique enables sensitive and continuous real-time measurement of H2O2 concentration and total H2O2 generation in cellular or enzyme systems without addition of any detection reagents.
Formation and toxicity of anesthetic degradation products.

▪ Abstract Toxic degradation products are formed from a range of old and modern anesthetic agents. The common element in the formation of degradation products is the reaction of the anesthetic agent with the bases in the carbon dioxide absorbents in the anesthesia circuit. This reaction results in the conversion of trichloroethylene to dichloroacetylene, halothane to 2-bromo-2-chloro-1,1-difluoroethylene, sevoflurane to 2-(fluoromethoxy)-1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoro-1-propene (Compound A), and desflurane, isoflurane, and enflurane to carbon monoxide. Dichloroacetylene, 2-bromo-2-chloro-1,1-difluoroethylene, and Compound A form glutathione S-conjugates that undergo hydrolysis to cysteine S-conjugates and bioactivation of the cysteine S-conjugates by renal cysteine conjugate β-lyase to give nephrotoxic metabolites. The elucidation of the mechanisms of formation and bioactivation of degradation products has allowed for the safe use of anesthetics that may undergo degradation in the anesthesia circuit.
Long‐Term Outcomes in Elderly Surgical Patients

Anesthesia has developed to the point where long-term outcomes are important endpoints. Elderly patients are becoming an increasingly large part of most surgical practices, consistent with demographic shifts. Long-term outcomes are particularly important for this group. In this review, we discuss functional outcomes in the elderly. We describe the areas of cognitive change and frailty, both of which are specific to the elderly. We also discuss prevention of surgical infections and emerging evidence around hemodynamic alterations in the operating room and their impact on long-term outcomes.
Improved silastic sleeve temporary cardiac pacing electrodes.

Abstract New atrial clip-on and ventricular suture-on temporary pacemaker electrode systems were evaluated in dogs. The ability of these electrodes to sense cardiac electrical activity was evaluated during a 14-day period. At no time did the P-wave potential fall below 3.3 mV and the R-wave potential fall below 6.0 mV. The acute pacing thresholds never exceeded 1.025 V and 1.95 mA. All values are well within acceptable standards for temporary pacing. The lead wires were easily, quickly, and painlessly removed without injury to the myocardium, yet the electrical contact remained tight between the lead wire and electrode preventing premature displacement.
Trust in the First Place

Contre la theorie traditionnelle du contrat social heritee de Hobbes et representee par D. Gauthier et R. Hardin, l'A. defend la these selon laquelle le fondement de la societe civile reside dans la confiance. Rejetant l'idee de choix rationnel a l'origine de la morale, l'A. montre que la confiance est une predisposition necessaire a la cooperation sociale.
Complete SE 3 underwater robot control with arbitrary thruster configurations

We present a control algorithm for autonomous underwater robots with modular thruster configuration. The algorithm can handle arbitrary thruster configurations. It maintains the robot's desired attitude while solving for translational motion. The attitude can be arbitrarily chosen from the special orthogonal group SO3 allowing the robot all possible orientations. The desired translational velocities can be chosen from R3 allowing the robot to follow arbitrary trajectories underwater. If the robot is not fully holonomic then the controller chooses the closest possible solution using least squares and outputs the error vector. We verify the controller with experiments using our autonomous underwater robot AMOUR. We achieve roll errors of 1.0 degree (2.1 degrees standard deviation) and pitch errors of 1.5 degrees (1.8 degrees standard deviation). We also demonstrate experimentally that the controller can handle both nonholonomic and fully holonomic thruster configurations of the robot. In the later case we show how depth can be maintained while performing 360 degree rolls. Further, we demonstrate an input device that allows a user to control the robot's attitude while moving along a desired trajectory.
An image analysis technique to determine the surface area and volume for dissected leaves of aquatic macrophytes

Abstract An application of image analysis (IA) for determining the surface area and volume of dissected, submerged leaves is described. Surface area and volume were estimated for artificially constructed leaves of varying wire sizes (1) directly using calipers and (2) using an IA technique. Accuracy of the technique was estimated by comparison of direct and IA measurements. We found that the size of the calibration standard used in the IA technique significantly affected the accuracy. The utility of this technique was then demonstrated using fresh. Myriophylum exalbescens Fern. leaves. The IA technique increases the rapidity in which surface area and volume calculations can be made for dissected leaves.
PREPARATION OF NEW TYPE CATALYST WITH GOOD PROPERTIES FOR HYDRODESULFURIZATION

ABSTRACT The CoMo/TiA catalyst for hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and its composite support TiA with industrial scale had been produced through the certain process and the studied range of ratio of TiO2/(TiO2 + Al2O3) was enlarged. The good properties of the support TiA were attributed to its special pore structure. When the ratio of TiA/(TiA + Al2O3) was 0.80, the specific surface area of the support and its pore volume reached their maximum respectively. The range of atom ratio of Co/(Co + Mo) of the catalyst CoMo/TiA from 0.25–0.31 proved best, during which activity of the catalyst reached the maximum. The disperse state of TiO2 on the surface of TiA and effect of the promoter Co content on the surface structure of the catalyst had been studied by XRD, LRS and XPS. The analytic results showed that 0.47 g TiO2/g γ-Al2O3 was the schwellenwert for the coverage of TiO2 on the surface of TiA. Beyond this, TiO2 lies on the surface of TiA with a single layer; otherwise, it existed in the form of TiO2 crystal phas...
Shot planning and analysis tools on the NIF project

Abstract Shot planning and analysis tools (SPLAT) integrate components necessary to help achieve a high over-all operational efficiency of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) by combining near and long-term shot planning, final optics demand and supply loops, target diagnostics planning, and target fabrication requirements. Currently, the SPLAT project is comprised of two primary tool suites for shot planning and optics demand. The shot planning component provides a web-based interface to selecting and building a sequence of proposed shots for the NIF. These shot sequences, or “lanes” as they are referred to by shot planners, provide for planning both near-term shots in the Facility and long-term “campaigns” in the months and years to come. The shot planning capabilities integrate with the Campaign Management Tool (CMT) for experiment details and the NIF calendar for availability. Future enhancements will additionally integrate with target diagnostics planning and target fabrication requirements tools. The optics demand component is built upon predictive modeling of maintenance requirements on the final optics as a result of the proposed shots assembled during shot planning. The predictive models integrate energetics from a Laser Performance Operations Model (LPOM), the status of the deployed optics as provided by the online Final Optics Inspection system, and physics-based mathematical “rules” that predict optic flaw growth and new flaw initiations. These models are then run on an analytical cluster comprised of forty-eight Linux-based compute nodes. Results from the predictive models are used to produce decision-support reports in the areas of optics inspection planning, optics maintenance exchanges, and optics beam blocker placement advisories. Over time, the SPLAT project will evolve to provide a variety of decision-support and operation optimization tools.
Nonlinear Forest Taxes

Abstract This paper examines the impact of nonlinear yield taxes upon forest rotation lengths. Whereas a level yield (income) tax lengthens rotations, tax rate progressivity shortens rotations. Combining these two effects, one can design neutral tax schedules. With uncertainty, however, only taxes which are progressive with respect to age are completely neutral.
The color of colloidal gold

Abstract With the use of an electron microscope to measure the particle size and size distribution, the absorption spectra of monodisperse spherical gold colloids of varying particle size have been measured. The influence of particle shape, state of aggregaation, and chemical composition are also discussed. The absorption spectra of monodisperse, spherical sols are in close agreement with the theoretical predictions of Gustav Mie, and it is proposed that the optical constants of metals be derived from absorption spectra of metallic colloids by application of the Mie equations.
Development of a localized hemolysis-in-gel assay for Vi antigen: characterization of the Vi-specific PFC response of nude and normal mice.

An assay to detect specific plaque-forming cells (PFC) to Vi antigen (Vi) was developed and the optimal conditions for sensitization of sheep erythrocytes (SE) and plaque development were determined. Using PFC and passive hemagglutination (PHA) assays, Vi-specific immune responses of athymic (nude) and normal mice were characterized. Vi was found to elicit only IgM PFC. No discernable secondary response was detected following a second injection of antigen. Nude and normal mice responded in a quantitatively similar manner to all doses of Vi tested and responded similarly on varying days following immunization. Also, both nude and normal mice produced the greatest number of Vi-specific PFC 4 days following immunization with an optimally immunogenic dose of Vi (1.0 μg/mouse). These results indicate that functional thymus-derived cells are not necessary to elicit an immune response against Vi antigen.
Entry of worker cooperatives in capitalist economies

It has become a byword in the study of the labor-managed firm that Paretooptimal efficiency properties are to be found only in the long run, through the entry of new competitors2 Yet there has been relatively little theoretical discussion of entry for LMFs either in the framework of a socialist or a capitalist economy.3 This note suggests a framework for understanding the entry decision for worker cooperatives, the purest form of labor management in capitalist economies. It has long been argued that participative decisionmaking can have a positive impact on technical efficiency in the use of resources. Leibenstein (1966) argued that various unmeasurable factors of production, including the participation factor “x,” can boost productivity, and that this added technical efficiency may more than offset short-run allocative inefficiencies. Vanek ( 1970) and Horvat ( 1982) have also argued that the equilibrium level of effort in a LMF might be higher than in a profit-maximizing firm, and that this might be sufficient to offset any allocative inefficiencies. In the absence of a large body of empirical research on the subject, these arguments remain to be econometrically tested.4 However, it has been argued recently that there is a natural test of these arguments based on observing the success of participative firms in competing against other types of firms. According to this view, the limited entry of participative firms in Western economies, where entry is
Efficacy, safety, and tolerability of abatacept in the management of rheumatoid arthritis

The management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has undergone an impressive transformation over the past few decades. Further understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease process has resulted in the development of biologic agents that target proinflammatory cytokines and both B and T lymphocytes. By blocking an important costimulatory pathway, abatacept leads to a dramatic reduction in T cell stimulation and proliferation. Multiple clinical trials have revealed consistent benefit with regards to clinical and radiographic efficacy, quality of life, and disability in patients suffering from RA who have had inadequate responses to methotrexate or tumor necrosis factor inhibitors. The possibility of remission when used early in the disease course has also been demonstrated. Importantly, abatacept has been very well tolerated with a low rate of serious infections and no apparent increase in malignancies to date. Continued surveillance of the benefits and risks will help to better define its place amongst the other biologic agents in the treatment of RA.
Hidden symmetry in Yang-Mills theory: A path-dependent gauge transformation

The search for new additional symmetry in Yang-Mills theory is described. A reparametrization-invariant path-dependent Lagrangian is given whose fundamental variables are the functional fields psi(xi)=P exp (contour-integralAxdxi). The Lagrangian is used to construct path-dependent Noether currents corresponding to translations, SO(4) rotations, and scale transformations on the path xi/sub ..mu../. An internal-symmetry current is interpreted to signal the existence of an infinitesimal functional field transformation psi..-->..psi+..delta..psi, where ..delta..psi is a certain specific path-dependent gauge transformation. A second new hidden-symmetry current is derived explicitly. Also discussed is the gauge-invariant formulation of scalar electrodynamics. It is a functional field theory in which space-time transformations on the path-dependent fields give rise to internal-symmetry Noether currents of the local variables in contrast to Yang-Mills theory.
Optical Variations in Quasi-stellar Objects

Photometric observations of thirty quasi-stellar objects have been made and seven new variables have been discovered. No correlation was found, however, between variability and any other observed property.
Net trophic transfer efficiency of PCBs to Lake Michigan coho salmon from their prey

Most of the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) body burden accumulated by coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) from the Laurentian Great Lakes is from their food. We used diet information, PCB determinations in both coho salmon and their prey, and bioenergetics modeling to estimate the efficiency with which Lake Michigan coho salmon retain PCBs from their food. Our estimate was the most reliable estimate to date because (a) the coho salmon and prey fish sampled during our study were sampled in spring, summer, and fall from various locations throughout the lake, (b) detailed measurements were made on the PCB concentrations of both coho salmon and prey fish over wide ranges in fish size, and (c) coho salmon diet was analyzed in detail from April through November over a wide range of salmon size from numerous locations throughout the lake. We estimated that coho salmon from Lake Michigan retain 50% of the PCBs that are contained within their food.
Motivational and reinforcement scheduling factors in the effect of hippocampal injury on operant behavior

Abstract A group of eight 23 1/2 hr water deprived hippocampal injured rats was found to emit significantly more lever press responses for water reinforcement programmed according to a DRL 22 sec schedule than comparable groups of 23 1/2, 47 1/2 and 71 1/2 hr water deprived control rats. No significant differences among these groups were found, however, when water reinforcement was programmed according to a progressive fixed ratio schedule of water reinforcement. The effects of hippocampal injury were considered consistent with the inhibitory function proposed by several investigators.
Primary malignant tumors of the mediastinum.

Abstract Forty-three patients with primary malignant tumors of the mediastinum are reviewed. An attempt has been made to correlate cell type and method of treatment with prognosis. The most prevalent cell types were found to be: malignant thymoma, lymphosarcoma, and undifferentiated carcinoma. Case reports of selected interesting patients are included to emphasize specific problems of management. The prognosis was found to be most favorable in those patients with malignant thymoma and tumor of neurogenic origin. The treatment of choice remains total excision of the tumor followed by irradiation. The 5-year survival rate in this series is 8 patients out of 31.
A reconceptualization of physical education: The intersection of gender/race/social class

Over the past several years, numerous reports have reported data documenting declining participation in physical activity among youth. We argue that the gender, race and social class differences in these data have not been an important consideration, and that understanding the implications of these differences is crucial for improving physical education curriculum. Because schooling should carry the responsibility of educating children to adopt and maintain a physically active lifestyle, the most prominent physical education curriculum in the United States, the sport-based physical education curriculum, requires the reconceptualization of current practice. As a basis for this reconceptualization, we begin by extending the analysis of gender as a unitary category to a dynamic relational analysis of gender, race and social class. Therefore, by using feminism/poststructuralism as a theoretical framework, we deconstruct historically dominant gender, race, and social class discourses around the body in sports ...
Electronics for a xenon time projection chamber

Abstract The design and construction of the electronics for a 336-channel xenon time projection chamber is discussed. Electron trajectories, with charge blobs at the end due to high charge deposition, are reconstructed using a two-level discriminator system. The trajectory information is stored in a memory bank which was designed compatible with the CAMAC standard, for ease of data transfer to a main frame computer. With a sampling rate of 8 MHz, the electronics can process 5 events per second.
Beta-adrenergic receptor signalling in stunned myocardium of conscious pigs.

The primary goal of this study was to compare the effects of isoproterenol which stimulatesβ-adrenergic receptors and forskolin, and NKH 477, a water soluble derivative of forskolin, which stimulate adenylyl cyclase in stunned myocardium of conscious pigs, previously instrumented for measurements of left ventricular pressure and dP/dt, arterial pressure, and wall thickening. Ten min of coronary artery occlusion induced transmural reductions in blood flow (radioactive microspheres) in subepicardium (−98±2%) and subendocardium (−99±1%). Wall thickening (piezoelectric crystals) fell from 2.50±0.26 mm to −0.26±0.26 mm and remained depressed at 1.37±0.19 mm after 20–30 min coronary artery reperfusion, reflecting myocardial stunning. At that time, isoproterenol (0.2μg/kg) increased wall thickening in stunned myocardium (+1.40±0.16 mm,P<0.05) more than in control (+0.71±0.22 mm), while forskolin elicited the opposite effects. NKH 477 (30μg/kg), which does not penetrate the blood–brain barrier, increased systolic wall thickening similarly before (+0.95±0.25 mm) and during (+1.01±0.24 mm) myocardial stunning. The reflex inotropic responses to inferior vena caval occlusion on wall thickening were diminished,P<0.05, in the stunned myocardium (+0.53±0.05 mm) compared with control (+0.95±0.07 mm).β-adrenergic receptor density, which was quantitated with125I-cyanopindolol binding, was increased transmurally in stunned myocardium compared with non-ischemic myocardium (subepicardium: +23±5%, subendocardium: +34±13%,P<0.05). Basal and forskolin-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activities were decreased slightly, but significantly, in the stunned subendocardium but not in the subepicardium, while isoproterenol stimulation of adenylyl cyclase activity showed no differences. In summary, paradoxical responses toβ-adrenergic receptor stimulation were observed in stunned myocardium, with pharmacological stimulation with isoproterenol evoking enhanced responses, and neural stimulation with inferior vena caval occlusion eliciting depressed responses. The diminished responses to forskolinin vivo, in stunned myocardium were out of proportion to the biochemical measurements, and may be attributed to neurally mediated cardiac effects of forskolin, since the responses to direct stimulation of adenylyl cyclase by NKH 477 were preserved.
An Iterative Cell Switch Design for Hybrid Redundancy

A marriage of N-modular redundancy (NMR) and standby sparing has resulted in a promising redundancy technique for protecting those portions of a fault-tolerant system whose continuous real-time operation is essential. This technique, known as hybrid redundancy, consists of N identical modules connected to a majority voter to form an NMR core. Disagreement detectors instruct a switch to replace any of the N modules that disagree with the majority consensus by a standby spare. The switch is essential to the operation of the hybrid redundancy scheme. The system reliability is a product of the reliabilities of the switch and the hybrid redundancy scheme assuming a perfect switch. To realize the demonstrated potential of the latter a highly reliable, thus simple, switch is required. An iterative cell switch is proposed and demonstrated to save at least 25 percent, and more than 80 percent in some instances, of the complexity of a switch design presented elsewhere in the literature. The use of threshold, rather than majority, voters is considered and shown to yield a simpler design in some cases. Three techniques for decreasing the propagation delay through the iterative cell switch are presented as well as a scheme to implement retry of failed modules. Finally, five different switch designs are compared on a cost and complexity basis.
FOCUSING OF ULTRASHORT LASER PULSES BY THE COMBINATION OF DIFFRACTIVE AND REFRACTIVE ELEMENTS

Hybrid elements, containing optical power with both diffractive (holographic) and refractive components, are shown to be able to eliminate the effect of propagation time difference. The consideration is provided through a paraxial approximation of diffraction theory.
Accuracy and underlying mechanisms of shifting movements in cellists.

Accuracy of shifting movements between two notes was examined in nine cellists (intermediate-professional skill levels). Three pairs of notes separated by different distances were tested under the same movement rate. Finger position on the string was measured by a circuit. Angular velocities of the left upper arm and forearm were measured by two angular velocity sensors; thus elbow angular velocity during shifts was estimated. Results showed that with increased elbow velocity and shifting distance endpoint variability stayed constant. The force of gravity assisted elbow extension during shifts toward higher pitched notes compared to flexion towards lower pitched notes, but faster movement velocity did not result in increased landing variability. Performance for note E on the A string was found to be less variable than other notes, suggesting that physical cue from the cello body geometry was used as a landmark for finger position. Cutaneous feedback from the thumb when hitting the body–neck junction enabled faster elbow extension velocity compared to shifts towards other notes. Cellists who showed higher performance accuracy also showed higher perceptual ability and performance proficiency. These results suggest that long-term over-training of fast and accurate movements enables musicians to maintain accuracy and variability across different movement distances and velocities. Higher perceptual ability and performance proficiency are correlated with increased accuracy but not lower variability, indicating although perceptual ability and performance proficiency are important for pitch accuracy, movement variability is still constrained by the capacity of the motor system, which is highly fine-tuned and different than non-musicians.
Photometric color indices of extrasolar planets

Abstract Color indices in U - B and B - V of planets resembling the Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus are calculated as a function of planet relative reflectivity and primary star color indices. Earthlike planets will appear bluer than their primary stars, while planets resembling Mars, Jupiter, or Venus will be redder. In principle, if very large space telescopes are used, it is possible therefore to photometrically differentiate between Earthlike planets and other known planet types.
A collaborative engineering manager training and certification program

As technology has rapidly increased, so has the demand for well trained engineering managers. The engineering management skills needed to succeed in business and industry continues to evolve and includes both organizing and directing people and projects. The American Society of Engineering Management (ASEM) has developed a training and certification program to help enhance and develop these skills. This paper explores both the ASEM training and certification efforts to date.
Beyond grammatical correctness in verbal instructions

Guidebooks in technical communication are full of suggestions regarding how to write grammatically correct sentences. What guidebooks don't contain are suggestions for how to write sentences that describe procedures in ways that help users understand how they are to move or to act on objects. This paper reports the results of a search of the psychology literature dealing with written instructions. It shows that while there are studies of people's perceptions of the locations of objects in space, there are far fewer studies of how people are to act on objects.
SMART (strategic memory allocation for real-time) cache design using the MIPS R3000

SMART, a technique for providing predictable cache performance for real-time systems with priority-based preemptive scheduling, is presented. The technique is implemented in a R3000 cache design. The value density acceleration (VDA) cache allocation algorithm is also introduced, and shown to be suitable for run-time cache allocation. >
VFH+: reliable obstacle avoidance for fast mobile robots

This paper presents further improvements on the earlier vector field histogram (VFH) method developed by Borenstein-Koren (1991) for real-time mobile robot obstacle avoidance. The enhanced method, called VFH+, offers several improvements that result in smoother robot trajectories and greater reliability. VFH+ reduces some of the parameter tuning of the original VFH method by explicitly compensating for the robot width. Also added in VFH+ is a better approximation of the mobile robot trajectory, which results in higher reliability.
Placental Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Mediates the Association Between Prenatal Social Support and Postpartum Depression:

Three decades of research point to both biological and psychological risk factors for postpartum depression, but very little research integrates the two. This study bridged this gap by testing whet...
Isoproterenol Increases the Fraction of Spark-Dependent RyR-Mediated Leak in Ventricular Myocytes

Recent research suggests that the diastolic ryanodine-receptor-mediated release of Ca2+ (Jleak) from the sarcoplasmic reticulum of ventricular myocytes occurs in spark and nonspark forms. Further information about the role(s) of these release manifestations is scarce, however. This study addresses whether the fraction of spark-mediated Jleak increases due to β-adrenergic stimulation. Confocal microscopy was used to simultaneously image Ca2+ sparks and quantify Jleak in intact rabbit myocytes, either in the absence or in the presence of 125 nM isoproterenol. It was found that isoproterenol treatment shifts the spark-frequency-Jleak relationship toward an increased sensitivity to a [Ca2+] trigger. In agreement, a small but significant increase in spark width was found for cells with matched baseline [Ca2+] and total SR [Ca2+]. The reconstruction of release fluxes, when applied to the average sparks from those selected cells, yielded a wider release source in the isoproterenol event, indicating the recruitment of peripheral ryanodine receptors. Overall, the results presented here indicate that β-adrenergic stimulation increases the spark-dependent fraction of Jleak. Working together, the increased Ca2+ sensitivity and the greater spark width found during isoproterenol treatment may increase the probability of Ca2+ wave generation.
Modification of Blinking Statistics in Solid State Quantum Dot/Conjugated Organic Polymer Composite Nanostructures

Single-molecule spectroscopy combined with atomic force microscopy measurements reveal that CdSe quantum dots functionalized with oligo(phenylene vinylene), OPV, ligands exhibit modified optical properties such as suppression of blinking when compared to conventional TOPO covered or ZnS-capped CdSe quantum dots. The blinking suppression is shown to be highly sensitive to the degree of ligand coverage on the quantum dot surface and this effect is interpreted as resulting from charge transport from photoexcited OPV into vacant trap sites on the quantum dot surface. This direct surface derivatization of quantum dots with organic ligands also enables a “tunable” quantum dot surface that allows dispersion of quantum dots in a variety of polymer supported thin films without phase segregation. This facilitates straightforward inclusion of these new hybrid materials into solid state formats and suggests exciting new applications of composite quantum dot/organic systems in optoelectronic systems.