cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Climate Change, Individual Emissions, and Foreseeing Harm

There are a number of cases where, collectively, groups cause harm, and yet no single individual’s contribution to the collective makes any difference to the amount of harm that is caused. For instance, though human activity is collectively causing climate change, my individual greenhouse gas emissions are neither necessary nor sufficient for any harm that results from climate change. Some (e.g., Sinnott-Armstrong) take this to indicate that there is no individual moral obligation to reduce emissions. There is a collective action problem here, to which I offer a solution. My solution rests on an argument for a (sometimes) bare moral difference between intending harm and foreseeing with near certainty that harm will result as an unintended side-effect of one’s action. I conclude that we have a moral obligation to reduce our individual emissions, and, more broadly, an obligation to not participate in many other harmful group activities (e.g., factory-farming).
Continuous multiplicative maps of Toeplitz algebras

We characterize continuous, nondegenerate multiplicative maps on the algebra of upper-triangular Toeplitz matrices. As an application, we show that the continuous multiplicative isometries of (for any norm) are necessarily similarities or similarities composed with complex conjugation; for unitarily invariant norms, such isometries are precisely the unitary similarities, or unitary similarities composed with complex conjugation. We partially extend these results to algebras generated by non-derogatory matrices.
Multivariate Curve Resolution–Alternating Least Squares (MCR-ALS) with Raman Imaging Applied to Lunar Meteorites:

Lunar meteorites provide a more random sampling of the surface of the Moon than do the returned lunar samples, and they provide valuable information to help estimate the chemical composition of the lunar crust, the lunar mantle, and the bulk Moon. As of July 2014, ∼96 lunar meteorites had been documented and ten of these are unbrecciated mare basalts. Using Raman imaging with multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS), we investigated portions of polished thin sections of paired, unbrecciated, mare-basalt lunar meteorites that had been collected from the LaPaz Icefield (LAP) of Antarctica-LAP 02205 and LAP 04841. Polarized light microscopy displays that both meteorites are heterogeneous and consist of polydispersed sized and shaped particles of varying chemical composition. For two distinct probed areas within each meteorite, the individual chemical species and associated chemical maps were elucidated using MCR-ALS applied to Raman hyperspectral images. For LAP 02205, spatially and spectrally resolved clinopyroxene, ilmenite, substrate-adhesive epoxy, and diamond polish were observed within the probed areas. Similarly, for LAP 04841, spatially resolved chemical images with corresponding resolved Raman spectra of clinopyroxene, troilite, a high-temperature polymorph of anorthite, substrate-adhesive epoxy, and diamond polish were generated. In both LAP 02205 and LAP 04841, substrate-adhesive epoxy and diamond polish were more readily observed within fractures/veinlet features. Spectrally diverse clinopyroxenes were resolved in LAP 04841. Factors that allow these resolved clinopyroxenes to be differentiated include crystal orientation, spatially distinct chemical zoning of pyroxene crystals, and/or chemical and molecular composition. The minerals identified using this analytical methodology-clinopyroxene, anorthite, ilmenite, and troilite-are consistent with the results of previous studies of the two meteorites using electron microprobe analysis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of MCR-ALS with Raman imaging used for the investigation of both lunar and other types of meteorites. We have demonstrated the use of multivariate analysis methods, namely MCR-ALS, with Raman imaging to investigate heterogeneous lunar meteorites. Our analytical methodology can be used to elucidate the chemical, molecular, and structural characteristics of phases in a host of complex, heterogeneous geological, geochemical, and extraterrestrial materials.
A notch-feedback based 4 th -order 2–4 GHz bandpass filter system for S-band radar receiver protection under the LTE and radar coexistence

This paper present for the first time all RF domain notch-feedback based 4th-order LC band-pass filter (BPF) system in 0.13 μm SiGe BiCMOS. The feedback BPF system achieves less than 1% fractional BW with 160–165 dB·Hz normalized dynamic range (DR) at 2–4 GHz, breaking the inherent tradeoff between selectivity and DR in the Q-enhanced LC filters. With open-loop staggered tuning by disabling the feedback loop, BW is increased to 600 MHz with less than 200 ps group delay variation. The ultimate out-of-band rejection of the filter is > 65 dB and > 52 dB on the lower and upper side of the center frequency, respectively. The filter consumes 50–60 mW of DC power from 2.5 V supply voltage. The core chip size is 0.9×0.7 mm2.
Axial Elongation in Myopic Children and its Association With Myopia Progression in the Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial

OBJECTIVES Describe axial elongation using 14-year longitudinal data in a large, ethnically diverse group of myopic children, estimate age and axial length (AL) at stabilization, and evaluate associations between the progression and stabilization of AL and myopia. METHODS Axial length was measured by A-scan ultrasonography annually. Axial length data were fit with individual polynomial functions and curve-based parameters (AL at stabilization and age at stabilization when annual rate of axial elongation ≤0.06 mm) were estimated. For myopia progression, noncycloplegic spherical equivalent refractions were fit with Gompertz functions. RESULTS Four hundred thirty-one participants, with AL and myopia data fit successfully, were classified into four cohorts: Younger (n=30); Older (n=334); AL Stabilized at Baseline (n=19); and AL Not Stabilized (n=48). At AL stabilization, for participants in the Younger and Older Cohorts, mean (SD) age and AL were 16.3 (2.4) years and 25.2 (0.9) mm, respectively. No associations were found between age at AL stabilization and ethnicity, sex, or number of myopic parents. At stabilization, sex and number of myopic parents (both P 0.77, P<0.0001). However, unlike AL, the amount of myopia did not differ significantly between males and females. CONCLUSIONS In most of the participants, AL increased rapidly at younger ages and then slowed and stabilized. The close association between growth and stabilization of AL and myopia is consistent with the suggestion that axial elongation is the primary ocular component in myopia progression and stabilization.
Echocardiographic Indocyanine Green (ICG) Dye Flow Patterns in Patients with Truncus Arteriosus (TA), Tetralogy of Fallot (TF), and Pulmonary Atresia with Ventricular Septal Defect (PA)

In 21 patients (pt)—8 with TA, 6 with TF, and 7 with PA— echocardiograms were performed while injecting ICG dye during cardiac catheterization. The concentration and amount of dye injected and the technique of injection have been previously detailed. In each patient, three to five injections of dye were recorded and the flow patterns were analyzed. The usual sites of injection of the dye were the superior and the inferior vena cava, right ventricle, and aortic or truncal root.
Heart Rate Reduction: It Is Not Just for Ventricles Anymore∗

Increased heart rate (HR) is known to predict adverse outcome in the general population and in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) [(1,2)][1]. Part of the ability of HR to predict risk is related to the forces driving it, namely, neurohormonal activation, which is also associated with increased
Application of Electronic-Nose Technologies and VOC-Biomarkers for the Noninvasive Early Diagnosis of Gastrointestinal Diseases †.

Conventional methods utilized for clinical diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases have employed invasive medical procedures that cause stress, anxiety and pain to patients. These methods are often expensive, time-consuming, and require sophisticated chemical-analysis instruments and advanced modeling procedures to achieve diagnostic interpretations. This paper reviews recent applications of simpler, electronic-nose (e-nose) devices for the noninvasive early diagnosis of a wide range of GI diseases by collective analysis of headspace volatile organic compound (VOC)-metabolites from clinical samples to produce disease-specific aroma signatures (VOC profiles). A different “metabolomics” approach to GI disease diagnostics, involving identifications and quantifications of disease VOC-metabolites, are compared to the electronic-nose approach based on diagnostic costs, accuracy, advantages and disadvantages. The importance of changes in gut microbiome composition that result from disease are discussed relative to effects on disease detection. A new diagnostic approach, which combines the use of e-nose instruments for early rapid prophylactic disease-screenings with targeted identification of known disease biomarkers, is proposed to yield cheaper, quicker and more dependable diagnostic results. Some priority future research needs and coordination for bringing e-nose instruments into routine clinical practice are summarized.
Pilot evaluation of PD-1 inhibition in metastatic cancer patients with a history of liver transplantation: the Mayo Clinic experience.

Background: Patients with solid organ transplants (SOTs) have been excluded from programmed death protein-1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitor clinical trials due to concern for allograft rejection. The use of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy remains controversial in transplant patients. Methods: A retrospective pilot evaluation was conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors in patients with liver transplantation (LT). The primary endpoint was the rate of allograft rejection. Secondary endpoints included overall response rate (ORR), progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Translational objectives included evaluation of tumor PD-L1, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and allograft PD-L1 expression. Results: Seven metastatic cancer patients with a history of LT who received PD-1 inhibitor therapy were included [hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), n=5; melanoma, n=2]. Rejection was observed in 2 of 7 patients. When rejection occurs it appears to be an early event with a median time to rejection of 24 days in our cohort. One patient achieved a complete response (CR), 3 patients had progressive disease (PD) and 3 patients discontinued therapy prior to restaging assessments. Two of five patients with available tissue had PD-L1 expression in the allograft and both developed rejection. One of five evaluable patients had abundant TILs. Two of five evaluable patients had PD-L1 tumor staining. The single patient with both abundant TILs and PD-L1 staining obtained a response. The median OS and PFS were 1.1 (0.3–21.1) and 1.8 (0.7–21.1) months, respectively. Conclusions: In this pilot evaluation both preliminary efficacy (1 of 4) and allograft rejection (2 of 7) were exhibited in evaluable patients. Larger, prospective trials are needed to elucidate optimal patient selection.
Barotrauma and Arterial Gas Embolism: A Diving Emergencies Simulation Case for Emergency Medicine Residents

Introduction Arterial gas embolism (AGE) is a rare but severe complication of scuba diving. While AGE is most commonly encountered in coastal areas with high volumes of recreational divers, at-risk...
MRIgRT dynamic lung motion thorax anthropomorphic QA phantom: Design, development, reproducibility, and feasibility study

PURPOSE To design, manufacture, and evaluate a dynamic magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomography (MRI/CT)-compatible anthropomorphic thorax phantom used to credential MR image-guided radiotherapy (MRIgRT) systems participating in NCI-sponsored clinical trials. METHOD The dynamic anthropomorphic thorax phantom was constructed from a water-fillable acrylic shell that contained several internal structures representing radiation-sensitive organs within the thoracic region. A custom MR/CT visible cylindrical insert was designed to simulate the left lung with a centrally located tumor target. The surrounding lung tissue was constructed from a heterogeneous in-house mixture using petroleum jelly and miniature (2-4 mm diameter) styrofoam balls and the tumor structure was manufactured from liquid PVC plastic. An MR conditional pneumatic system was developed to allow the MRIgRT insert to move in similar inhale/exhale motions. TLDs and radiochromic EBT3 film were inserted into the phantom to measure absolute point doses and dose distributions, respectively. The dynamic MRIgRT thorax phantom was evaluated through a reproducibility study and a feasibility study. Comprehensive end-to-end examinations were done where the phantom was imaged on a CT, an IMRT treatment plan was created and an MR image was captured to verify treatment setup. Then, the phantom was treated on an MRIgRT system. The reproducibility study evaluated how well the phantom could be reproduced in an MRIgRT system by irradiating three times on an Elekta's 1.5 T Unity system. The phantom was shipped to three independent institutions and was irradiated on either an MRIdian cobalt-60 (60 Co) or an MRIdian linear accelerator system. Treatment evaluations used TLDs and radiochromic film to compare the planned treatment reported on the treatment planning software against the measured dose on the dosimeters. RESULTS The phantom on the Unity system had reproducible TLD doses measurements (SD < 1.5%). The measured TLD to calculated dose ratios from the reproducibility and feasibility studies ranged from 0.93 to 1.01 and 0.96 to 1.03, respectively. Using a 7%/5 mm gamma analysis criteria, the reproducibility and feasibility studies resulted in an average passing rate of 93.3% and 96.8%, respectively. No difference was noted in the results between the MRIdian 60 Co and MRIdian 6 MV linac delivery to the phantom and all treatment evaluations were within IROC-Houston's acceptable criterion. CONCLUSIONS A dosimetrically tissue equivalent, CT/MR visible, motion-enabled anthropomorphic MRIgRT thorax phantom was constructed to simulate a lung cancer patient and was evaluated as an appropriate NIH credentialing tool used for MRIgRT systems.
Who’s the boss? How and when process power moderates partner regulation of attachment defenses:

Emerging theories suggest that interpersonal power may moderate partner regulation of attachment-related defenses. This study tested whether partner negative engagement (attack, blame, and criticis...
Sexual dimorphism in cardiac transcriptome associated with a troponin C murine model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Heart disease remains the number one killer of women in the US. Nonetheless, studies in women and female animal models continue to be underrepresented in cardiac research. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the most commonly inherited cardiac disorder, has been tied to sarcomeric protein variants in both sexes. Among the susceptible genes, TNNC1-encoding cardiac troponin C (cTnC)-causes a substantial HCM phenotype in mice. Mice bearing an HCM-associated cTnC-A8V point mutation exhibited a significant decrease in stroke volume and left ventricular diameter and volume. Importantly, isovolumetric contraction time was significantly higher for female HCM mice. We utilized a transcriptomic approach to investigate the basis underlying the sexual dimorphism observed in the cardiac physiology of adult male and female HCM mice. RNA sequencing revealed several altered canonical pathways within the HCM mice versus WT groups including an increase in eukaryotic initiation factor 2 signaling, integrin-linked kinase signaling, actin nucleation by actin-related protein-Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome family protein complex, regulation of actin-based motility by Rho kinase, vitamin D receptor/retinoid X receptor activation, and glutathione redox reaction pathways. In contrast, valine degradation, tricarboxylic acid cycle II, methionine degradation, and inositol phosphate compound pathways were notably down-regulated in HCM mice. These down-regulated pathways may be reduced in response to altered energetics in the hypertrophied hearts and may represent conservation of energy as the heart is compensating to meet increased contractile demands. HCM male versus female mice followed similar trends of the canonical pathways altered between HCM and WT. In addition, seven of the differentially expressed genes in both WT and HCM male versus female comparisons swapped directions in fold-change between the sexes. These findings suggest a sexually-dimorphic HCM phenotype due to a sarcomeric mutation and pinpoint several key targetable pathways and genes that may provide the means to alleviate the more severe decline in female cardiac function.
DSP-Inspired Deep Learning: A Case Study Using Ramanujan Subspaces

Can Deep Learning be used to augment DSP techniques? Algorithms in DSP are typically developed starting from a mathematical model of an application. In some cases however, simplicity of the model can result in deterioration of performance when there is a severe modeling mis-match. This paper explores the idea of implementing a DSP technique as a computational graph, so that hundreds of parameters can jointly be trained to adapt to any given dataset. Using the specific example of period estimation by Ramanujan Subspaces, significant improvement in estimation accuracies under high noise and very short datalengths is demonstrated.1
Comparative effectiveness of proton versus photon chemoradiotherapy for patients with private insurance.

7049Background: Proton therapy may increase the tolerability/efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) but is controversial & generally not covered by private insurers. There is little data on...
Neighborhood disadvantage and 30-day readmission risk following Clostridioides difficile infection hospitalization.

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is commonly associated with outcomes like recurrence and readmission. The effect of social determinants of health, such as ‘neighborhood’ socioeconomic disadvantage, on a CDI patient’s health outcomes is unclear. Living in a disadvantaged neighborhood could interfere with a CDI patient’s ability to follow post-discharge care recommendations and the success probability of these recommendations, thereby increasing risk of readmission. We hypothesized that neighborhood disadvantage was associated with 30-day readmission risk in Medicare patients with CDI. In this retrospective cohort study, odds of 30-day readmission for CDI patients are evaluated controlling for patient sociodemographics, comorbidities, and hospital and stay-level variables. The cohort was created from a random 20% national sample of Medicare patients during the first 11 months of 2014. From the cohort of 19,490 patients (39% male; 80% white; 83% 65 years or older), 22% were readmitted within 30 days of an index stay. Unadjusted analyses showed that patients from the most disadvantaged neighborhoods were readmitted at a higher rate than those from less disadvantaged neighborhoods (26% vs. 21% rate: unadjusted OR = 1.32 [1.20, 1.45]). This relationship held in adjusted analyses, in which residence in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods was associated with 16% increased odds of readmission (adjusted OR = 1.16 [1.04, 1.28]). Residence in disadvantaged neighborhoods poses a significantly increased risk of readmission in CDI patients. Further research should focus on in-depth assessments of this population to better understand the mechanisms underlying these risks and if these findings apply to other infectious diseases.
On the Hardness of PAC-learning stabilizer States with Noise.

We consider the problem of learning stabilizer states with noise in the Probably Approximately Correct (PAC) framework of Aaronson (2007) for learning quantum states. In the noiseless setting, an algorithm for this problem was recently given by Rocchetto (2018), but the noisy case was left open. Motivated by approaches to noise tolerance from classical learning theory, we introduce the Statistical Query (SQ) model for PAC-learning quantum states, and prove that algorithms in this model are indeed resilient to common forms of noise, including classification and depolarizing noise. We prove an exponential lower bound on learning stabilizer states in the SQ model. Even outside the SQ model, we prove that learning stabilizer states with noise is in general as hard as Learning Parity with Noise (LPN) using classical examples. Our results position the problem of learning stabilizer states as a natural quantum analogue of the classical problem of learning parities: easy in the noiseless setting, but seemingly intractable even with simple forms of noise.
The Public Trust in Data

Personal data is no longer just personal. Social networks and pervasive environmental surveillance via cellphones and the ‘internet of things’ extract minute-by-minute details of our behavior and cognition. This information accumulates into a valuable asset. It then circulates among data brokers, targeted advertisers, political campaigns, and even foreign states as fuel for predictive interventions. Rich gains flow to firms well positioned to leverage these new information aggregates. The privacy losses, economic exploitation, structural inequalities, and democratic backsliding produced by personal data economies, however, fall upon society at large. This Article proposes a novel regulatory intervention to mitigate the harms from transforming personal data into an asset. States and municipalities should create “public trusts” as governance vehicles for their residents’ locational and personal data. An asset in “public trust” is owed and managed by the state. The state can permit its use, and even allow limited alienation, if doing so benefits a broad public rather than a handful of firms. Unique among the legal interventions proposed for new data economies, a public trust for data allows a democratic polity to durably commit to public-regarding management of its informational resources, coupled to judicially enforceable limits on private exploitation and public allocation decisions. The public trust itself is a common-law doctrine of ancient roots revived in the Progressive Era as an instrument to protect public assets against private exploitation. Both federal and state courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, have since endorsed a variety of doctrinal formulations. The result today is a rich repertoire of rules and remedies for the management of common property. Personal data, usefully, has many similarities to assets long managed by public trust. And familiar justifications for creation of a public trust logically extend to personal data. Indeed, municipalities in the United States, Europe, and Canada have started to experiment with limited forms of a public trust in data. Generalizing from those experiences, this Article offers a more general ‘proof of concept’ for how personal data economies can be leashed through the public trust.
Chiral lipid bilayers are enantioselectively permeable

Homochiral membrane bilayers organize biological functions in all domains of life. The membrane's permeability-its key property-correlates with a molecule's lipophilicity, but the role of the membrane's rich and uniform stereochemistry as a permeability determinant is largely ignored in empirical and computational measurements. Here, we describe a new approach to measuring permeation using continuously generated microfluidic droplet interface bilayers (DIBs, generated at a rate of 480 per minute) and benchmark this system by monitoring fluorescent dye DIB permeation over time. Enantioselective permeation of alkyne-labelled amino acids (Ala, Val, Phe, Pro) and dipeptides through a chiral phospholipid bilayer was demonstrated using DIB transport measurements; the biological L enantiomers permeated faster than the D enantiomers (from 1.2-fold to 6-fold for Ala to Pro). Enantioselective permeation both poses a potentially unanticipated criterion for drug design and offers a kinetic mechanism for the abiotic emergence of homochirality via chiral transfer between sugars, amino acids and lipids.
Conditionally Exact Closed-Form Solution for Moving Boundary Problems in Heat and Mass Transfer in the Presence of Advection

Abstract Moving boundary problems occur in a variety of heat and mass transfer processes. While significant literature already exists on the mathematical analysis of such problems in the presence of diffusion, there is a lack of general solutions for problems in which advective transport of heat/mass due to fluid flow also occurs. This paper presents an error function based analytical solution for a one-dimensional phase change problem in the presence of advection with constant velocity. While this solution is not universally exact, however, a mathematical condition to ensure exactness of the solution is derived. Good agreement with numerical simulations, as well as with past work for special cases is shown. Even outside the condition to ensure exactness, the present method is shown to offer improved accuracy compared to other approximate analytical methods. In particular, the method offers greater accuracy at large value of the Stefan number, where other approximate analytical methods usually perform poorly. The impact of Peclet number that represents advection on the accuracy of the method is investigated. It is shown, as expected, that the t dependence of phase change front propagation is not valid in the presence of advection in general. This work improves the theoretical understanding of an important phase change problem, and may find applications in the design and optimization of engineering processes and systems involving phase change.
Post-streptokinase PCI in STEMI patients exceeding the 24-h guidelines

Due to delay in obtaining approval from insurance institution, performing PCI after successful reperfusion using streptokinase was postponed for ˃24 h-1 week. The study was conducted to investigate safety and efficacy of such delay in comparison to the ideal guidelines of PCI (≤ 24 h) in 129 STEMI patients received streptokinase followed by PCI. Patients were divided into two groups: (group 1 = 57; early PCI ≤ 24 h.) and (group 2 = 72; late PCI > 24 h.). Primary end point was death, congestive heart failure and reinfarction up to 30 days. Secondary end point was TIMI flow 24 h–1wk) after successful reperfusion using streptokinase in STEMI patients seems to be safe and effective in 30-day follow-up, provided that patients received DAPT and were subjected to close observation. The results seem safely applicable when we are forced to this choice; however lack of more investigations to this hypothesis is considered a limitation.
A general approach to network configuration analysis

We present an approach to detect network configuration errors, which combines the benefits of two prior approaches. Like prior techniques that analyze configuration files, our approach can find errors proactively, before the configuration is applied, and answer "what if" questions. Like prior techniques that analyze data-plane snapshots, our approach can check a broad range of forwarding properties and produce actual packets that violate checked properties. We accomplish this combination by faithfully deriving and then analyzing the data plane that would emerge from the configuration. Our derivation of the data plane is fully declarative, employing a set of logical relations that represent the control plane, the data plane, and their relationship. Operators can query these relations to understand identified errors and their provenance. We use our approach to analyze two large university networks with qualitatively different routing designs and find many misconfigurations in each. Operators have confirmed the majority of these as errors and have fixed their configurations accordingly.
Micromethod for Serotyping Strains of Mycobacterium avium

A rapid and economical micromethod for serotyping strains of Mycobacterium avium is described. Eighty-four of 91 strains representing 20 serotypes were successfully identified.
Wingsail projects for aerospace engineering capstone design

Aeronautical engineering design projects involving rigid wingsail vehicles are described. Wingsail technology is appropriate for study by undergraduate aeronautical engineering students because it encompasses a range of topics that are already treated within the curriculum. Aeronautical engineering programs must prepare graduates to have knowledge of aerodynamics, materials, structures, propulsion, flight mechanics, and stability and control. The projects described in this paper are arranged to demonstrate how they meet many of the student outcomes required for aeronautical engineering program accreditation.
Observations on the Orientation of Keratin in Thickened Cornified Epithelium of the Human Skin1

It has been amply demonstrated that mammalian keratins are built up of parallel-oriented chain molecules which show a characteristic x-ray diffraction spectrum and reveal positive double refraction with respect to the long axis of chain molecules (1-6). In the cortex of the hair, keratin was found oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hair, while in the nail the orientation was perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the nail plate (1, 2, 3). In the only stratified squamous epithelium heretofore regarded as suitable for x-ray study, i.e., snout of the cow and horse burr, the chain molecules of keratin were found to be oriented parallel to the surface of the skin.
Life History Variation in Madagascar’s Giant Extinct Lemurs

Parmi les lemuriens existants, la reproduction lente n’est pas necessairement liee au ralentissement du developpement dentaire ou a l’acquisition ­tardive de l’independance. La variation du developpement dentaire est independante de la taille du corps des adultes. Les lemuriens existants different des anthropoides de meme taille dans leurs modeles de croissance et developpement (maturation dentaire precoce, petite taille a la naissance, sevrage precoce). Nos etudes sur la microstructure dentaire, la chronologie, et le changement du relief topographique des dents nous ont permis de tirer des conclusions sur les histoires de vie de lemuriens disparus. Le developpement dentaire de Hadropithecus stenognathus est semblable a celui des Hominoides, tandis que le developpement dentaire extremement rapide en a caracterise d’autres, meme de corps plus grand comme Palaeopropithecus. L’âge du sevrage est tres varie selon les especes. Nous avons estime l’intervalle entre des naissances successives de lemuriens geants, d’une maniere conservatrice, a deux ou trois ans. Cette diversite est correlee aux conditions environnementales. Certains Lemuriens disparus ont montre des convergences saisissantes avec les anthropoides de grande taille, en particulier des grands intervalles entre les naissances et des sevrages tardifs. C’etaient aussi les lemuriens avec le plus grand cerveau par rapport a la taille de leur corps.
Physiologic parameters and perceived exertion with local muscle fatigue in postpolio subjects.

Abstract Fifty postpolio patients, 34 with and 16 without complaints of progressive loss of muscle strength, and 41 control subjects were studied to compare physiologic measures of the fatiguing process and to determine whether there is a significant interaction between the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and physiologic measures. Statistical analyses were by ANOVA and repeated-measures ANOVA. The RPE was obtained every 20 seconds during an isometric contraction of the quadriceps at 40% of maximal torque; median frequency (Fm) of the power spectrum of the surface electromyographic signal and neuromuscular efficiency (NME) were constantly monitored. The RPE increased similarly ( p > .05), whereas Fm and NME decreased similarly ( p > .05) during endurance exercise at 40% of maximal torque in all three groups. A significant ( p > .05) interaction was found between RPE and both Fm and NME. We conclude that physiologic measures of the fatiguing process (Fm and NME) occur in a similar manner in postpolio and control subjects and that there is a significant interaction between subjective RPE and physiologic measures of the fatiguing process.
Pharmacodynamic analysis of target inhibition and tumor endothelial cell death in biopsies obtained from patients treated with the VEGF receptor antagonists SU5416 or SU6668

3988 Preclinical studies with small molecule VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors have suggested that this receptor is a viable therapeutic target for solid tumors. However, clinical results with SU6668 or SU5416 VEGF receptor antagonists have been disappointing. In this study, we determined the effects of SU6668 or SU5416 on receptor phosphorylation and biological surrogates of angiogenesis inhibition in paired tumor biopsies obtained within the context of 3 separate clinical trials (one with SU6668 and two with SU5416) in patients with advanced solid malignancies. Excisional or 18 g core biopsies were obtained before and after therapy with SU5416 (145 mg/m 2 / twice weekly) or SU6668 (200 mg/m 2 /day) delivered i.v. via continuous infusion. Tumor tissue sections were stained for immunofluorescence and laser scanning cytometry (LSC)-mediated analysis was used to quantify phosphorylated and total VEGF and PDGF receptor levels, tumor microvessel densities (MVDs), and endothelial and tumor cell apoptosis. Baseline levels of phosphorylated VEGFR-2, MVD, and apoptosis were highly variable in the tumor cohort (n = 11). Levels of phosphorylated VEGFR-2 were lower in 6/11 of the matched tissue sections obtained after SU-5416 or SU-6668, but these decreases were substantial (>50%) in only two of them. Although microvessel densities were also lower in most of the post-treatment biopsies compared to pretreatment controls (7/11), substantial decreases were only observed in the same 2 biopsies that displayed the greatest decreases in phosphorylated VEGFR-2. Substantial increases in apoptosis were observed in only 1 of the 11 tumors. Thus, both VEGFR-2 inhibitors displayed some biological activity at the concentrations achieved in patients. However, their effects on receptor phosphorylation were inconsistent and did not usually translate into sufficient increases in endothelial or tumor cell death, which probably accounted for their failure to produce significant clinical activity.
Body mass index and mortality in endometrial cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality in women with endometrial cancer. Methods A systematic review was performed utilizing a Medline search with Mesh keywords ‘endometrial neoplasms' and (‘body mass index' or ‘obesity') and (‘survival analysis' or ‘mortality' or ‘survivor' or ‘survival') for studies published prior to June 2013. Inclusion criteria included studies that assessed associations between BMI and survival in endometrial cancer patients. Two investigators independently reviewed the title and abstract and full-text of articles for inclusion or exclusion decision; discordant decisions were adjudicated by a third reviewer. A random-effects model was constructed that was comparable to the standard random-effects models used in the meta-analysis of odds ratios. The model was fitted using SAS PROC NLMIXED. Results 1451 studies were identified and reviewed in duplicate, 18 met inclusion criteria. A random-effects meta-analysis demonstrated significantly higher odds of mortality with increasing BMI in endometrial cancer patients. Specifically the odds ratios were 1.01, 1.17, 1.26, and 1.66 for BMI categories of 25–29.9, 30–34.9, 35–39.9, and 40+, respectively. The odds ratio for all-cause mortality in endometrial cancer patients with a BMI≥40 compared to those with a BMI Conclusion Increased BMI is significantly associated with increased all-cause mortality in women with endometrial cancer, with the highest risk for those with a BMI≥40.
Smoking Behavior Among Low-Income Black Adults: Patterns and Correlates of Smoking Trajectories

Introduction: Limited research has focused on identifying smoking patterns and correlates of cigarette use among low-income Blacks. Identifying smoking patterns and correlates of use would assist health providers to develop more culturally sensitive interventions. Methods: A semiparametric group-based trajectory modeling strategy was used to empirically identify patterns of cigarette use among 947 low-income Black adults (47% women) enrolled in a sexual risk reduction intervention at a sexually transmitted disease clinic. Patients' cigarette use was assessed 4 times over a 12-month period; correlates of cigarette use were examined. Results: Six smoking trajectories were empirically identified: none/rare smokers (n = 536), decreasing light smokers (n = 69), increasing light smokers (n = 51), low light smokers (n = 112), upper light smokers (n = 142), and moderate smokers (n = 33). Smoking trajectories were predicted by alcohol use, prior substance use treatment, marijuana use, and other illegal drug use, but the patterns varied by trajectory. Discussion: Results from this study show that Blacks' smoking patterns are associated with several risk factors. These findings suggest that development of prevention and cessation programs should be targeted to the specific needs of Blacks' smoking trajectories.
Lectin binding to neurites of goldfish retinal explants

Abstract The lectin binding characteristics of goldfish retinal explants were examined by fluoresence microscopy. Neurites grown out from cultured retinal explants were found to bind concanavalin A, wheat germ agglutinin and ricin (agglutinin). The effects of tissue fixation on lectin binding to retinal explant neurites suggest that glycolipids may constitute the predominant ricin binding sites. A reduction in labeling with wheat germ agglutinin following sialidase treatment indicates preferential binding of the lectin to sialic acid residues in the neurite membrane. Neurite morphology was unaltered by brief exposure to concanavalin A or wheat germ agglutinin, while ricin caused a marked deteriaration.
Molecular recognition of Watson-Crick base-pair reversals in triple-helix formation: use of nonnatural oligonucleotide bases.

We report the calculated characteristics of nonnatural triplex-forming oligonucleotide (TFO) bases recognizing base-pair reversals (TA AT) in a double-helical DNA sequence. Ab initio and molecular mechanics calculations have been carried out to characterize the geometric and energetic consequences at the base-pair reversal sites. We have estimated the free energies of solvation of the natural and proposed bases by solving the linearized Poisson–Boltzmann equation. The calculations indicate that the proposed TFO bases should bind with some specificity to the duplex. Implications of the strategy used in the context of molecular biology is discussed. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Retching and Termination of Ventricular Tachycardia: Report of Two Cases

Two patients had ventricular tachycardia that reverted to sinus rhythm during retching. These cases are consistent with recent experimental and clinical observations that suggest the presence of significant vagal innervation of the ventricles and an important vagal effect on some ventricular arrthythmias.
Degradation by mechanical action as a means of studying cellulose‐water interaction

A number of samples containing varying amounts of lignin, xylan, and glucomannan were prepared from spruce wood and subjected to vibratory ball-milling m water, methanol, and benzene. The results support the idea that the main factor determining the extent of cellulose degradation by mechanical action is the plasticity of the substrate It was found that the presence of lignin greatly increases the extent of degradation probably as a result of mechanical restriction of the deformability of the system. On the other hand, glucomannan reduces the extent of degradation, while xylan has little or no effect. This is believed to be due to the location of part of the glucomannan inside the microfibril, where it is able to facilitate the penetration of water. Xylan is located on the outside of the fibril where a similar effect could not occur. It m also shown that the moisture regain of the samples varies with the hemicellulose content, but that the contribution of the glucomannan is less than that of the xylan This indicates that the mobility of the glucomannan molecule is restricted, presumably by its close association with the cellulose in the microfibril.
A quantitative bioassay specific for polygalacturonases.

Abstract A bioassay for PG activity based on fresh weight loss of cucumber pericarp tissue is described which is specific, quantitative, sensitive and reproducible. The assay is at least 500 times more sensitive than previously described techniques. The assay is unaffected by nonpectolytic hydrolases (including pectin esterase), pectin, or polygalacturonic acid and requires no purification of test extracts.
Monster plaques: what they tell us about Alzheimer's disease.

An unusual variant of Alzheimer's disease challenges the role of classic amyloid plaques in the pathogenesis of dementia (pages 452–455).
Flow properties of a linear–gel polymer system

Flow curves (shear stress versus shear rate) were obtained for poly-(ethyl acrylate) containing up to 40% of gel particles over a range of shear rates from 3 × 10−3 to 7 × 103 sec.−1 with a specially designed biconical rheometer and a standard Instron capillary viscometer. Crosslink density of the gels was varied by emulsion-polymerizing ethyl acrylate with 3, 10, and 30% triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate. Particle sizes were varied by adjusting the concentration of emulsifying agent and by seeding techniques. Samples for study were prepared by blending and co-precipitating the linear and gel latices. The addition of gel always increases the shear stress at a given shear rate. However, this effect is greatest at the lowest shear rates. The flow properties of the gelcontaining materials are related quantitatively to those of the linear material through a new parameter, the rate of viscous energy dissipation, and by two material constants. These are a yield stress and a pseudo zero-shear viscosity, both of these being functions of the amount, crosslink density, and particle size of the gel phase.
Group Involvement and Democratic Orientations: Social Capital in the Postelection Context

Objective. This article tests the relationship between involvement in voluntary associations and attitudinal changes considered supportive of democratic principles and system legitimacy. Methods. We utilize 1996 pre- and postelection American National Election Studies panel data to test the proposed relationship. The effects of reported levels of group involvement are examined across three attitudinal measures of democratic support: trust in government, external efficacy, and absolute differences in postelection evaluations of the winning and losing candidates. Results. Greater involvement in voluntary organizations contributes to increased levels of postelection trust in government and external efficacy and a reduction in postelection polarization of comparative candidate evaluations. Conclusions. In addition to supporting the social capital proposition linking group involvement to orientations viewed as enhancing of democracy, this study also contributes to a growing literature linking individual-level behavior to changes in systemic-level attitudes.
Effect of surface roughness on the electron-stimulated desorption of D+ from microporous D2O ice

The electron-stimulated desorption (ESD) of D+ from microporous D2O ice films condensed on Pt(111) has been investigated. The total D+ yield as a function of temperature from 90–180 K depends sensitively on the film roughness, surface temperature and ice phase. In particular, we observe an irreversible increase in the cation yield as the microporous thin film is heated from 90–120 K, which we associate with a decrease in surface roughness as the micropores collapse. We present evidence which suggests that the number of surface sites available for emission, the surface roughness, and reneutralization or reactive scattering of the D+ desorbate play major roles in determining the ion yield. A simple model which qualitatively addresses the role of surface roughening on ESD ion yields shows good agreement with the data.
Fiber Classification and the Influence of Average Air Humidity

The use of man-made vitreous fibers (MMVFs) as a substitute for asbestos in industrial and residential applications has raised the concerns of the potential hazards associated with inhalable aerosolized fibers. The complex movement of fiber makes it difficult to predict the pattern of fiber deposition in human airways from the behavior of spherical particles. Difficulties in producing monodisperse length fibers has been an obstacle to study fibrous particle deposition in the human respiratory system. To address this problem, a narrow length distribution of fibers was generated using dielectrophoretic classification. Dielectrophoresis is the motion of neutral matter in a nonuniform electric field due to an induced dipole moment. It is sensitive to the conductivity of the matter in the field. A fiber classifier has been used to study the influence of atmospheric humidity on the behavior of glass fibers. Glass fibers, as insulators, can not be classified by the dielectrophoretic classifier. However, our stud...
A simulation model to study the dynamics in a service-oriented supply chain

In this paper, we investigate the dynamic behavior of a simple service-oriented supply chain in the presence of non-stationary demand using simulation. The supply chain contains four stages in series. Each stage holds no finished goods inventory. Rather, the order backlog can only be managed by adjusting capacity. These conditions reflect the reality of many service (and custom manufacturing) supply chains. The simulation model is used to compare various capacity management strategies. Measures of performance include application completion rate, backlog levels, and total cumulative costs.
Structural design by conversational solution to the nonlinear programming problem

Abstract Difficulties in solving the nonlinear programming problem to generate the optimal design of detailed structural systems are closely examined where those difficulties are due to using building code design formulas, unchanged, as the set of constraints. It is shown that allowable stress formulas, which can take alternate forms depending on geometric and material properties of the structure, in effect act as discontinuities distracting the iterative process from converging to a solution. A technique is demonstrated in which the designer, interacting with the iterative solution to the nonlinear programming problem, is able to use intuitive talents as a designer and opportunity as an outside observer to nudge the solution process into favorable directions and towards a conclusion. Several examples are given to suggest a strategy for optimizing the cooperative capabilities of both man and machine for decision making in the design process. The first example, the design of a framed beam-to-column connection which is shop welded and field bolted, is representative of a situation where little or no interaction normally is required. The second example, the design of a welded stiffened plate girder, demonstrates how the technique of interacting with the solution process to the nonlinear programming problem can be used to evolve its detailed design.