cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Editorial Comment—Stroke Following TIA: Mounting Evidence of Early Risk

TIAs are common events: a prevalence of 2.3% for a physician-rendered diagnosis of TIA was recently reported among US adults in a large community-based survey, equivalent to an estimated 4.9 million Americans carrying this diagnosis. An equal or greater number may have experienced an undiagnosed TIA.1 Patients with TIAs are at significant short-term risk of stroke, ranging from 4% to 8% in the first month,2 with an immediate risk of 5% in the first 2 days.3 Of those experiencing a stroke after a TIA, 21% will do so within the first month.4 Early evaluation of these patients seems prudent, but the urgency depends on an accurate determination of early risk since hospital admission of all TIA patients is likely to be financially prohibitive.5 The present report adds to previous data showing an early risk of stroke after TIA. The authors reanalyze data collected between 1981 and 1986 in the Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project (OCSP)6 which prospectively followed a population of patients presenting to their primary care provider with a TIA and/or completed stroke. The OCSP was a rigorously conducted study based on a …
Nutritional consequences of the radiotherapy of head and neck cancer

Nutrition-related complications of radiotherapy were evaluated in 74 head and neck cancer patients. Subjective changes of mouth dryness, taste, dysphagia, appetite, and food preferences were determined by questionnaire before and at weekly intervals during curative radiotherapy. Changes in body weight during therapy were also recorded. In addition, 24-hour dietary histories were taken from eight patients at the beginning and end of treatment. Results of the study indicate that patients were subjectively aware of nutritional problems prior to therapy and that therapy exacerbated these problems. As many as 25% of the patients experienced oral complications such as taste loss and/or dry mouth prior to initiation of radiotherapy. By the end of radiotherapy, over 80% of the patients were aware of oral and nutritional problems. Patients had an average weight loss of 5 kg prior to therapy; this loss of weight did not change during therapy. Diet histories of eight patients indicate significant caloric deficiencies early and late in radiotherapy. The oral and nutritional problems experienced by patients, even prior to therapy, support the idea that nutritional evaluation and maintenance are important not only during therapy, but prior to radiotherapy as well. Nutritional evaluation should be made a routine, integral part of therapy for every cancer patient.
The impact of new manufacturing requirements on production line productivity and quality at a focused factory

Abstract This research studies how changes in manufacturing requirements affect production line performance in a focused factory. Specifically, we examine whether production line labor productivity and conformance quality decline as the range of models produced and the heterogeneity of production volume increase in a factory designed for high volume production of a narrow range of models. We use the organizational nature of production lines to argue that the performance of focused production lines will decline when the lines adopt new manufacturing tasks that are outside the scope of the absorptive capacity developed through the execution of their prior focused manufacturing task, but not otherwise. The study examines four years of data from 16 production lines of a compressor manufacturing factory of the Copeland Corporation. Our statistical analysis identifies limits to change, suggests paths to successfully changing the manufacturing requirements of a focused factory, and places the operations strategy discussion of focused factories in a dynamic environment.
Dissecting complex genetic interactions that influence the Engrailed-1 limb phenotype.

Engrailed-1, a homeobox containing transcriptional repressor, is known to play an important role in the development of the vertebrate limb. In its absence, mouse limbs develop with improper specification of dorsal identity and digit abnormalities. We report here that specific malformations in the mutant limb are dependent on strain background. We have subdivided these defects on the basis of morphology to define five independent traits. Each of these shows marked differences in prevalence among the 129/S1 and C57BL/6J strains carrying the En1hd mutation. In a genome-wide scan using SSLP markers, we have determined the location of one significant modifier and several additional suggestive loci responsible for these traits, each a facet of the En1−/− phenotype. We propose this type of sensitized genetic screen as a model approach for the discovery and mapping of quantitative loci that affect the subtle details of limb pattern formation.
Effect of isopropamide on response to oral cimetidine in patients with Zollinger--Ellison syndrome.

Patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome whose gastric acid secretion or symptoms were not controlled by cimetidine in conventional dosage were selected for studies of responsiveness of their acid secretion to increasing doses of cimetidine, used either alone or in combination with a long-acting anticholinergic agent, isopropamide iodide. Results indicate that in the group as a whole the suppression achieved with a 900-mg dose of cimetidine was not significantly better than that achieved with a 300-mg dose, although in individual cases this did not hold true. In individuals the combination of cimetidine and isopropamide was generally more effective in suppressing acid secretion than cimetidine alone, used either in the same dose as in the combination or in the next highest possible dosage. This was also true in the group as a whole, where combined therapy showed significant advantage over either drug alone in controlling acid secretion, in the third, fourth, and fifth hours following administration of the drugs. The data suggest that in the minority of patients not controlled by cimetidine 300–600 mg q6hper os, addition of isopropamide (20–40 mg/day) may be preferrable to further increasing the dose of cimetidine.
Influence of the novel histone deacetylase inhibitor panobinostat (LBH589) on the growth of ovarian cancer

Background Pre-clinical studies have demonstrated that natural and synthetic histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors can impede the in vitro and in vivo growth of cell lines from a variety of gynecologic and other malignancies. We investigated the anti-tumor activity of panobinostat (LBH589) both in vitro and in vivo as either a single agent or in combination with conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy using patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of primary serous ovarian tumors.
TEACHING ENGLISH: PAST IMPERFECT

(1975). TEACHING ENGLISH: PAST IMPERFECT. The Review of Education: Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 401-405.
Breast conservation surgery for breast cancer at a regional medical center.

Abstract Background: This study examined trends in breast conservation surgery (BCS) at our hospital and factors associated with BCS. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed breast cancer surgeries in patients eligible for BCS (size Results: BCS increased from 17% in 1990 to 41% in 1996. Women with T1a and T1b tumors were 3.8 and 2.0 times, respectively, as likely to have BCS compared with those who had T2 tumors. Other factors associated with BCS included nonpalpable tumors, age Conclusion: Women with small, nonpalpable tumors, age
Bandgap, window layer thickness, and light soaking effects on PbS quantum dot solar cells

We have studied the dependence of PbS quantum dot (QD) solar cell performance on the QD bandgap energy, window layer material and thickness, and light-soaking. Our best device, based on a ZnO/PbS-QD heterojunction design, demonstrates VOC of 0.6 V, JSC of 15.6 mA cm-2, FF of 44% and photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 4.1%. The current voltage characteristics of these devices show a QD size (bandgap) dependent behavior. Light soaking studies show improvement in the performance of Schottky junction and heterojunction devices, including those using a CdS window layer. The light-soaking-induced enhancement is greatest in heterojunction devices, and reverses upon termination of light soaking. Preliminary assessment indicates that light soaking improves the QD-QD interfaces through photochemical passivation.
An Approach to Network Parameter Estimation in Power System State Estimation

In energy management systems, state estimation is a key function for building a network real-time model. This article describes an approach to network parameter estimation. An appropriate method for network parameter error detection, identification, and correction is developed. The method shown is applicable to single as well as multiple parameter errors. An approximate formula for the perturbed pseudoinverse is developed. To speed up operator's decision-making procedure, a network reduction method and a graphical user interface feature is developed.
The Functional Neuroanatomy of Tourette's Syndrome: An FDG-PET Study. I. Regional Changes in Cerebral Glucose Metabolism Differentiating Patients and Controls

Regional metabolic rates for glucose estimated using [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography were compared in 16 drug-free patients with Tourette's syndrome (TS) and 16 age- and sex-matched normal volunteers. Tourette's syndrome patients were characterized by decreased normalized metabolic rates in paralimbic and ventral prefrontal cortices, particularly in orbitofrontal, inferior insular, and parahippocampal regions. Similar decreases were observed in subcortical regions, including the ventral striatum (nucleus accumbens/ventromedial caudate) and in the midbrain. These changes were more robust and occurred with greater frequency in the left hemisphere. They were associated with concomitant bilateral increases in metabolic activity the supplementary motor, lateral premotor, and Rolandic cortices. Effects of prior exposure to neuroactive drugs did not account for these findings. These results suggest that an altered relationship between limbic-related regions of the cortex and striatum and cortical regions involved in the initiation of movement may play a role in the pathogenesis of this illness.
T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and the Associated Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Gene SCL/tal

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a relatively uncommon disease, constituting only approximately 15% of newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL) in the United States, or roughly 300 cases per year. Outside of the United States, in countries such as Egypt and India, T-ALL may represent as much as 50% of all ALL's but still remains an overall rare disease. The clinical importance of T-ALL lies in its poor responsiveness to therapy that has proved highly effective with standard B-cell precursor ALL (BCP-ALL). The scientific importance of human T-ALL has resided in its role as a cancer prototype, permitting the identification of novel genes centrally involved in both neoplastic change and normal cellular differentiation. One of these genes, SCL/tal, has received significant attention due to its intimate involvement in T-ALL, as well as in normal hematopoiesis. Although a tremendous amount has been recently discovered about SCL/tal, its exact roles in leukemogenesis and normal hematopoiesis remain obscure.
THE FEMALE REHABILITANT

Do females who successfully complete rehabilitation services do as well vocationally as males? To answer this question, and others pertinent to this problem, comparisons were made in the vocational adjustments of 138 females and 571 males three to ten years after the successful completion of rehabilitation services. The following differences were significant at the 5 per cent level of confidence: (a) more of the males were fully employed; (b) more of the females were in part-time employment, (c) more of the fully employed males, when compared with the fully employed females, were earning more than $75 per week. Conclusions: (1) many of the females preferred part-time employment because of household responsibilities and less financial need. (2) With some exceptions the males employed on skilled and semi-skilled jobs were paid higher wages than the women who were employed in clerical and sales. (3) A major factor in the failure of 22 females to remain employed after job placement was their poor vocational potential.
Three-dimensional carbon dioxide-induced strain distribution within a confined bituminous coal

Abstract Sequestration of carbon dioxide in unmineable coal seams is an option to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. It is well known that the interaction of carbon dioxide with unconfined coal induces swelling. This paper contributes three-dimensional strain distribution in confined coal at microstructural level using high-resolution X-ray computerized tomography data and image analysis. Swelling and compression/compaction of regions in the coal matrix occurs with CO 2 uptake. Normal strain varies between − 1.15% and 0.93%, − 3.11% and 0.94%, − 0.43% and 0.30% along x , y and z axes respectively. Volumetric strain varies between − 4.25% and 1.25%. The positive strains reported are consistent with typical range for unconstrained swelling. However, the average volumetric strains value (− 0.34%) reflect overall volume reduction. Overall swelling is apparently influenced by the confining stresses. The magnitudes of normal strains are heterogeneous and anisotropic. The swelling vs. compression/compaction observed after CO 2 uptake is localized and likely lithotype dependant.
Selection Criteria and Treatment of Patients with Disabling Positional Vertigo

The selection criteria and treatment of a form of vestibular disorder labeled ''disabling positional vertigo'' (DPV) are given. Microvascular decompression of the auditory-vestibular nerve in 207 pati
Emergency Department Observation Units: Has the Time Come?

Background Economic pressures for efficiency in health care have led to the need for new strategies for the care of patients with acute chest pain.
Ascending tonic-clonic syndrome secondary to intrathecal omnipaque

A 52-year-old man experienced progressive tonic-clonic activity soon after undergoing a myelogram accompanied by an intrathecal injection of Omnipaque. The activity progressed to seizures, hyperthermia, and acidosis. He was intubated, cooled, and treated symptomatically. His creatinine kinase rose to 60,000 IU/L. He eventually recovered completely. This distinct set of clinical signs renders the syndrome easily recognizable. Although this syndrome superficially resembles malignant hyperthermia, the pathophysiology is different. Survival depends on prompt recognition and rapid symptomatic treatment. Treatment with dantrolene sodium is not necessary.
Structural Basis for Degenerate Recognition of Natural HIV Peptide Variants by Cytotoxic Lymphocytes.

It is well established that even small changes in amino acid side chains of antigenic peptide bound to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) protein may completely abrogate recognition of the peptide-MHC (pMHC) complex by the T cell receptor (TCR). Often, however, several nonconservative substitutions in the peptide antigen are accommodated and do not impair its recognition by TCR. For example, a preponderance of natural sequence variants of the human immunodeficiency virus p17 Gag-derived peptide SLYNTVATL (SL9) are recognized by cytotoxic T lymphocytes, which implies that interactions with SL9 variants are degenerate both with respect to the class I MHC molecule and with respect to TCR. Here we study the molecular basis for this degenerate recognition of SL9 variants. We show that several SL9 variants bind comparably well to soluble HLA-A2 and to a particular soluble TCR and that these variants are active in the cognate cytotoxicity assay. Natural SL9 variation is restricted by its context in the HIV p17 matrix protein. High resolution crystal structures of seven selected SL9 variants bound to HLA-A2 all have remarkably similar peptide conformations and side-chain dispositions outside sites of substitution. This preservation of the peptide conformation despite epitope variations suggests a mechanism for the observed degeneracy in pMHC recognition by TCR and may contribute to the persistence of SL9-mediated immune responses in chronically infected individuals.
Activity in Preserved Left Hemisphere Regions Predicts Anomia Severity in Aphasia

Understanding the neural mechanism that supports preserved language processing in aphasia has implications for both basic and applied science. This study examined brain activation associated with correct picture naming in 15 patients with aphasia. We contrasted each patient's activation to the activation observed in a neurologically healthy control group, allowing us to identify regions with unusual activity patterns. The results revealed that increased activation in preserved left hemisphere areas is associated with better naming performance in aphasia. This relationship was linear in nature; progressively less cortical activation was associated with greater severity of anomia. These findings are consistent with others who suggests that residual language function following stroke relies on preserved cortical areas in the left hemisphere.
EsaD, a Secretion Factor for the Ess Pathway in Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus encodes the Sec-independent Ess secretion pathway, an ortholog of mycobacterial T7 secretion systems which is required for the virulence of this Gram-positive microbe. The Ess (ESX secretion) pathway was previously defined as a genomic cluster of eight genes, esxA, esaA, essA, essB, esaB, essC, esaC, and esxB. essABC encode membrane proteins involved in the stable expression of esxA, esxB, and esaC, genes specifying three secreted polypeptide substrates. esaB, which encodes a small cytoplasmic protein, represses the synthesis of EsaC but not that of EsxA and EsxB. Here we investigated a hitherto uncharacterized gene, esaD, located downstream of esxB. Expression of esaD is activated by mutations in esaB and essB. EsaD, the 617-amino-acid product of esaD, is positioned in the membrane and is also accessible to EsaD-specific antibodies on the bacterial surface. S. aureus mutants lacking esaD are defective in the secretion of EsxA. Following intravenous inoculation of mice, S. aureus esaD mutants generate fewer abscesses with a reduced bacterial load compared to wild-type parent strain Newman. The chromosomes of Listeria and Bacillus species with Ess pathways also harbor esaD homologues downstream of esxB, suggesting that the contributory role of EsaD in Ess secretion may be shared among Gram-positive pathogens.
Herpes simplex virus type-1(HSV-1) oncolytic and highly fusogenic mutants carrying the NV1020 genomic deletion effectively inhibit primary and metastatic tumors in mice

The NV1020 oncolytic herpes simplex virus type-1 has shown significant promise for the treatment of many different types of tumors in experimental animal models and human trials. Previously, we described the construction and use of the NV1020-like virus OncSyn to treat human breast tumors implanted in nude mice. The syncytial mutation gKsyn1 (Ala-to-Val at position 40) was introduced into the OncSyn viral genome cloned into a bacterial artificial chromosome using double-red mutagenesis in E. coli to produce the OncdSyn virus carrying syncytial mutations in both gB(syn3) and gK(syn1). The OncdSyn virus caused extensive virus-induced cell fusion in cell culture. The oncolytic potential of the OncSyn and OncdSyn viruses was tested in the highly metastatic syngeneic mouse model system, which utilizes 4T1 murine mammary cancer cells implanted within the interscapular region of Balb/c mice. Mice were given three consecutive intratumor injections of OncSyn, OncdSyn, or phosphate buffered saline four days apart. Both OncSyn and OncdSyn virus injections resulted in significant reduction of tumor sizes (p < 0.05) compared to control tumors. Virus treated mice but not controls showed a marked reduction of metastatic foci in lungs and internal organs. Mouse weights were not significantly impacted by any treatment during the course of the entire study (p = 0.296). These results show that the attenuated, but highly fusogenic OncSyn and OncdSyn viruses can effectively reduce primary and metastatic breast tumors in immuncompetent mice. The available bac-cloned OncSyn and OncdSyn viral genomes can be rapidly modified to express a number of different anti-tumor and immunomodulatory genes that can further enhance their anti-tumor potency.
An ontology for biological function based on molecular interactions

Motivations: A number of important bioinformatics computations involve computing with function: executing computational operations whose inputs or outputs are descriptions of the functions of biomolecules. Examples include performing functional queries to sequence and pathway databases, and determining functional equality to evaluate algorithms that predict function from sequence. A prerequisite to computing with function is the existence of an ontology that provides a structured semantic encoding of function. Functional bioinformatics is an emerging subfield of bioinformatics that is concerned with developing ontologies and algorithms for computing with biological function. Results: The article explores the notion of computing with function, and explains the importance of ontologies of function to bioinformatics. The functional ontology developed for the EcoCyc database is presented. This ontology can encode a diverse array of biochemical processes, including enzymatic reactions involving smallmolecule substrates and macromolecular substrates, signal-transduction processes, transport events, and mechanisms of regulation of gene expression. The ontology is validated through its use to express complex functional queries for the EcoCyc DB.
Shallow traps and the D− centre in Ge: Sb far-infrared photoconductivity studies below 1 K

Abstract The far-infrared photoconductivity of Ge: Sb has been investigated at temperatures between 0.4 and 4.2 K to elucidate the role of trapping and its relationship to the D− centre. Several new effects in the photoconductivity spectrum associated with shallow traps (binding energy ∼ 0.5 meV) have been explored: the spectrum depends on electric field, background excitation spectrum, and the spectrometer chopping frequency. The previously reported temperature dependence of the spectrum has also been observed. The new spectral effects are strong evidence that two distinct trapping centres are important in Ge: Sb for donor densities greater than 1014 cm−3. One of these centres is the isolated D−; the second centre is speculatively associated with D− centres in regions of sufficiently high impurity density to permit trapped carrier impurity conduction. A more general investigation of the photoconductivity was also undertaken to determine the dominant recombination processes. The previously proposed model ...
11C-MCG: Synthesis, Uptake Selectivity, and Primate PET of a Probe for Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II (NAALADase):

Imaging of glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCP II), also known as N-acetylated α-linked l-amino dipeptidase (NAALADase), may enable study of glutamatergic transmission, prostate cancer, and tumor ne...
An observer design for a poppet type pressure reducing valve

This paper presents an observer design that may be used to improve the response and stability characteristics of a solenoid operated pressure-reducing valve. Most pressure-reducing valves have very little inherent damping, and can potentially exhibit unstable behavior due to fluid velocity effects during the opening of the poppet. One solution is to improve the dynamic characteristics of the valve by using a closed-loop control strategy. Here, the solenoid current, poppet position, the poppet velocity and the control pressure are feedback signals, used to increase the stability margin and the response time. The cost of the sensors and problems associated with taking derivatives make direct measurement infeasible. We propose to obtain estimates of the poppet position and poppet velocity from only measurements of the valve control pressure and the solenoid current. This is done using a state observer that estimates the poppet position and the poppet velocity without calculating derivatives. These estimates may then be used in a feedback controller that is designed to meet the valve transient response specifications.
Common Variation in the BRCA1 Gene and Prostate Cancer Risk

Rare inactivating mutations in the BRCA1 gene seem to play a limited role in prostate cancer. To our knowledge, however, no study has comprehensively assessed the role of other BRCA1 sequence variations (e.g., missense mutations) in prostate cancer. In a study of 817 men with and without prostate cancer from 323 familial and early-onset prostate cancer families, we used family-based association tests and conditional logistic regression to investigate the association between prostate cancer and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) tagging common haplotype variation in a 200-kb region surrounding (and including) the BRCA1 gene. We also used the Genotype-Identity-by-Descent Sharing Test to determine whether our most strongly associated SNP could account for prostate cancer linkage to chromosome 17q21 in a sample of 154 families from our previous genome-wide linkage study. The strongest evidence for prostate cancer association was for a glutamine-to-arginine substitution at codon 356 (Gln(356)Arg) in exon 11 of the BRCA1 gene. The minor (Arg) allele was preferentially transmitted to affected men (P = 0.005 for a dominant model), with an estimated odds ratio of 2.25 (95% confidence interval, 1.21-4.20). Notably, BRCA1 Gln(356)Arg is not in strong linkage disequilibrium with other BRCA1 coding SNPs or any known HapMap SNP on chromosome 17. In addition, Genotype-Identity-by-Descent Sharing Test results suggest that Gln(356)Arg accounts (in part) for our prior evidence of prostate cancer linkage to chromosome 17q21 (P = 0.022). Thus, we have identified a common, nonsynonymous substitution in the BRCA1 gene that is associated with and linked to prostate cancer.
Nano Logic Circuits with Spin Wave Bus

We propose and analyze logic circuits utilizing spin waves as a physical mechanism for information transmission and processing. The novelty of this approach is that information transmission is accomplished without charge transfer. A bit of information is encoded into the phase of spin wave propagating in a ferromagnetic film - spin wave bus. The communication between the spin wave bus and outer devices is performed in a wireless manner via a magnetic field. We describe an example of logic device using high frequency transmission lines to excite and detect spin waves. The performance is illustrated by numerical modeling based on the experimental data for spin wave excitation and propagation in NiFe film. We also propose an original scheme for output signal amplification based on the effect of hole-mediated ferromagnetism. Potentially, logic circuits with spin wave bus may be beneficial in terms of power consumption and resolve the interconnect problem. Another expected benefit is in the enhanced logic functionality. It is possible to achieve all advantages of the phase logic using spin waves for information processing. The shortcomings and limitations of circuits with spin wave bus are discussed
Good Citizens vs. Good Workers: Low-Income Girls and Clashing Subjectivities in a Charter School

Abstract: The public school system has continued to promote inequalities along axes of class, race and gender. Yet contestation over the role and purpose of public schooling has yielded significant social protest as well as reforms that are unfolding in often contradictory and complex ways. One set of conflicting aims characterizing current education reform is clashing definitions of the “good” citizen versus “good worker.” While neoliberal tenets posit “good” citizens and workers as those who exercise responsible “individual” choices, education reform enabling the adoption of radical pedagogies stresses a model of citizenship calling for individual and collective critical awareness and activism while still trying to prepare students to access further educational and employment opportunities as “good” workers. I explore how low-income, female, predominantly African-American high-school students who attend a charter school incorporating a radical education pedagogy interpret, internalize, and contest these competing definitions of good citizens versus good workers.
Cerebral tissue mechanics and scaling laws for head insults

The problem of how to relate brain injury thresholds observed in animal head injury experiments to equivalent thresholds for humans is explored through study of a highly idealized model of the head. The fundamental assumption is that shear strains of sufficient magnitude cause brain injury, and that the deleterious effect of head acceleration stems from the character and severity of strain wave propagation through the brain. This paper focuses on the role of tissue mechanics in determining wave motion. The problem studied is a Maxwell-type viscoelastic cylinder subjected to a sinusoidally varying angular acceleration. The solution for the mechanical response of the cylinder yields two dimensionless groupings that fully dictate the character and severity of straining that results from this loading. Application of this model to humans is discussed.
Optical digit recognition: a programming project for artificial intelligence

Often, the only option for a student at a small university or college who is interested in artificial intelligence is an introductory artificial intelligence class. These classes often do not have the time to delve into many advanced topics in AI. Frequently, the only exposure a student gets to an advanced topic is a single programming project. Therefore, it is important that this project accurately convey the most interesting facets of its topic. This paper describes a programming project used in our recent AI class, designed to let the students get a taste of computer vision and optical character recognition.
Improved Fluoride Incorporation and New in Vitro Fluorine Elemental Determination

A new, nondestructive technique, charged particle activation, was used to determine the fluorine concentration as a function of depth at 0.1-micrometer (μm) increments in the enamel of human teeth treated in vitro with three different fluorides. Twenty-four-hour treatment with K2ZrF6 showed a 24% fluorine concentration in the first 0.1-μm depth and 14% at 2.5 μm compared, respectively, with 4 and 2.5% concentrations after NaF treatments.
Decision-making processes and asylum claims in Europe: an empirical analysis of refugee characteristics and asylum application outcomes

Although refugees are offered the potential of asylum protection through the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, many states are attempting to curtail the number of asylum applications received each year. Several scholars have argued that even without such deterrence measures, some refugees are less likely to receive a positive asylum decision than others. Using country level data for 32 European states, this project examines the effects of various characteristics – including gender, age, and state of origin – on the likelihood of being granted asylum. This study is a first attempt at empirically testing the asylum literature’s anecdotal evidence of bias in the decision-making processes in determining the outcomes of asylum claims.
THE MAGNUS EFFECT IN RAREFIED GAS FLOW NEAR A SPINNING CYLINDER

The effect of the generation of lift on a spinningcircular cylinder (the Magnus effect) has been studied in thetransitional rarefied-gas-flow regime at different Knudsennumbers (0.01 to 10). The analysis of the aerodynamiccharacteristics of the spinning cylinder is based on thenumerical results which were received by the Bird's directsimulation Monte-Carlo technique. The results arecompared with the classical (continuum flow) data and thefree-molecule flow data. The influence of similarityparameters (Knudsen number and roll parameter) on theperformance characteristics has been analyzed. It was foundthat the lift force on the spinning cylinder has different signsin the continuum and free-molecule flow regimes. The pointof the sign changing is located in the transitional flowregime at Knudsen number of 0.1. The major factor ofinfluence is the sign and magnitude of momentum of thereflected molecules. The main similarity criteria is theKnudsen number. The roll parameter influencessignificantly the flow pattern around the cylinder as well asthe force magnitude.
Eulerian Structure of Generalized Plasticity: Theoretical and Computational Aspects

In this work a new Eulerian approach to large deformation generalized plasticity, within the context of affine tensor analysis in Euclidean spaces, is presented. The approach relies crucially on the systematic use of the Lie derivative concept. Classical plasticity is then derived, as a special case of generalized plasticity. The computational implications resulting from the absence of the requirement for the existence of a yield surface in the theory of generalized plasticity are discussed. On the basis of those implications a general integration scheme is proposed. As an application, a generalized plasticity model in large deformations is presented. The proposed model is then used for the solution of boundary value problems.
A New Method to Determine the Chemical Composition and Structure of Non-Elemental Acceptor and Donor Centers in Ultra-Pure Germanium

A new approach towards the understanding of hitherto unknown, non-elemental acceptors and donors which can limit the purity of ultra-pure germanium has been explored for a specific pair of shallow centers, designated A2 and D. Using photoelectric spectroscopy, we have demonstrated that an isotope shift in the ground-state binding energy occurs when the germanium crystals are grown in pure deuterium instead of in the usual pure hydrogen atmosphere. This isotope shift is the most direct proof of the presence of hydrogen atoms in the centers A2 and D. Applying uniaxial stress to Ge samples containing A2 and D, we show that the symmetry and structure of the centers can be explored. The knowledge of the chemical composition and the structure of the nonelemental centers will allow development of methods to reduce and keep their concentrations to acceptable levels.
SEASONAL ENERGETICS OF MOUNTAIN CHICKADEES AND JUNIPER TITMICE

Abstract I used behavioral, meteorological, and laboratory metabolism data to calculate daily energy expenditure (DEE) in seasonally acclimatized Mountain Chickadees (Poecile gambeli) and Juniper Titmice (Baeolophus griseus). Analyses of laboratory metabolic data revealed that foraging energy requirements were not significantly higher than alert perching energy requirements. Respective DEE of chickadees and titmice were 48.8 kJ day−1 and 48.3 kJ day−1 in summer and 66.3 kJ day−1 and 98.7 kJ day−1 in winter. DEE as a multiple of basal metabolic rate (BMR) was 2.31 in summer chickadees and 1.91 in summer titmice. DEE was 2.70 times BMR in winter chickadees and 3.43 times BMR in winter titmice. The marked increase in calculated DEE in winter birds compared to summer is in contrast to a pattern of increased DEE in the breeding season for several avian species. These data suggest that winter may be a period of even greater stringency for small birds than previously believed.
Requirements for extracellular metabolism of pulmonary surfactant: tentative identification of serine protease.

Pulmonary alveolar surfactant is secreted by the alveolar epithelium in the form of lamellar bodylike structures that evolve sequentially into tubular myelin and vesicular forms that can be separated by centrifugation. Using an in vitro procedure by which the extracellular metabolism of pulmonary surfactant can be mimicked, namely cyclic variation in surface area, we previously reported that serine protease activity, which we called “convertase,” was required for the conversion of tubular myelin to the vesicular form. In the present studies we explored the biochemical requirements of this activity and sought the enzyme in alveolar products. Convertase activity has unusual requirements; in addition to being dependent on repetitive variations in surface area (cycling), it requires the presence of a high g fraction of lung secretions that is heat stable and not inhibitable by diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) or alpha 1-antitrypsin, both typical serine protease inhibitors. The enzyme does not require calcium ions and has a pH optimum of 7.4. Convertase appears to be a component of surfactant itself because the ability of purified surfactant to convert to the vesicular form on cycling is impaired by pretreating it with DFP. A protein of Mr 75,000 that reacts with DFP and is heat sensitive was found in alveolar lavage, lamellar body preparations, and lung homogenate. It copurifies with lung surfactant in sucrose gradients. A similar DFP-reactive protein was observed in stable human neoplastic peripheral airway cell lines that express type II properties, suggesting that it may be a product of type II cells. We tentatively conclude that surfactant convertase is a 75,000 serine protease that is closely associated with surfactant phospholipid and that may be a product of alveolar type II cells.
Predictors of thrombotic complications and mass effect exacerbation after pipeline embolization: The significance of adenosine diphosphate inhibition, fluoroscopy time, and aneurysm size.

BackgroundThe mechanisms leading to delayed rupture, distal emboli and intraparenchymal hemorrhage in relation to pipeline embolization device (PED) placement remain debatable and poorly understood...
A Vocabulary Approach to Partial Streamline Matching and Exploratory Flow Visualization

Measuring the similarity of integral curves is fundamental to many important flow data analysis and visualization tasks such as feature detection, pattern querying, streamline clustering, and hierarchical exploration. In this paper, we introduce FlowString, a novel vocabulary approach that extracts shape invariant features from streamlines and utilizes a string-based method for exploratory streamline analysis and visualization. Our solution first resamples streamlines by considering their local feature scales. We then classify resampled points along streamlines based on the shape similarity around their local neighborhoods. We encode each streamline into a string of well-selected shape characters, from which we construct meaningful words for querying and retrieval. A unique feature of our approach is that it captures intrinsic streamline similarity that is invariant under translation, rotation and scaling. We design an intuitive interface and user interactions to support flexible querying, allowing exact and approximate searches for partial streamline matching. Users can perform queries at either the character level or the word level, and define their own characters or words conveniently for customized search. We demonstrate the effectiveness of FlowString with several flow field data sets of different sizes and characteristics. We also extend FlowString to handle multiple data sets and perform an empirical expert evaluation to confirm the usefulness of this approach.
Predictors of blood pressure response to the angiotensin receptor blocker candesartan in essential hypertension.

BACKGROUND Response to antihypertensive drugs varies widely among individuals. METHODS We studied characteristics that might be predictive of blood pressure (BP) response in 203 African-American and 236 non-Hispanic white subjects with essential hypertension treated with candesartan, 32 mg/day for 6 weeks, after a drug-free washout period of at least 4 weeks (baseline). Measurements at enrollment, baseline, and at the end of the treatment were incorporated into linear regression models to quantify their additive contributions to predicting response. RESULTS Enrollment measurements predictive of a greater response were non-Hispanic white ethnicity, female gender, the interaction between ethnicity and gender, and lower body weight. Of baseline measurements, higher BP and higher plasma renin activity (PRA) made additional contributions to predicting a greater response. Of the measurements made at the end of the study, only a larger increase in PRA from baseline contributed to predicting a greater response. The combined effects of all the identified predictors accounted for 39 and 33% of the interindividual variation in systolic and diastolic BP responses, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that easily determined characteristics such as ethnicity, gender, body weight, as well as pretreatment levels of BP and PRA predict a substantial fraction of the BP response to candesartan and support the notion that characteristics associated with a poor response to diuretic therapy are associated with better responses to an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB).
Longiberine and O-methyllongiberine, dimeric protoberberine-benzyl tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids from Thalictrum longistylum(1).

Two benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline−protoberberine dimers, longiberine (1) and O-methyllongiberine (2), were isolated from the roots of Thalictrum longistylum and represent a new class of dimeric alkaloids. The structure of longiberine (1) was established by spectral and chemical methods. Reductive cleavage of O-ethyllongiberine (4) with Na/liquid NH3 yielded (+)−(S)-N-methylcoclaurine (5), which determined one-half of the dimer, and 1D and 2D NMR studies arranged the substituents on the protoberberine nucleus. Chemical conversion of thalidezine (6) to 1 via the O-acetyl N,N-didemethyl derivative 9, which was methylenated in the Mannich reaction and N-methylated by the Eschweiler−Clarke procedure, established the second asymmetric center as S and confirmed the ring size and the order of the substituents for 1. Methylation of 1 with diazomethane formed the O-methyl derivative 2, identical with the natural product.
A Semiautomated Microcalorimetric Method of Antibiotic Sensitivity Testing

Fifteen clinically important bacteria have been isolated from urine samples and shown to produce metabolic heat in a flow modification of the Beckman Model 190B Microcalorimeter. The bacteria produce heat at a faster rate under aerobic conditions than under anaerobic conditions, and the ratio is characteristic of the particular bacteria for those tested under both conditions ( Escherichia coli , γ -Streptococcus, and Pseudomonas). The sensitivity of the bacteria to eight antibiotics has been tested on the basis of continued increase in metabolic heat (+), unchanging metabolic heat (O), or decreasing metabolic heat (−). Correlations have been made with the disk agar diffusion method and the percentage agreement for 291 tests is 77% under anaerobic conditions. Some tests have been performed under aerobic conditions, which increased the percentage agreement to 87%. The distinctive features of the calorimetric method are: it distinguishes between bacteriostatic and bactericidal drugs; it gives results 12 to 24 hr. sooner than the disk agar diffusion method; it can be fully automated.
Unilateral Absence of Distal Tube and Ovary with Migratory Calcified Intraperitoneal Mass

A case of unilateral absence of a distal portion of Fallopian tube and ovary in association with a migratory calcified intraperitoneal mass is described. A review of the literature concerning this rare occurrence is summarized, and a discussion of the etiology of such an entity is presented. The surgical technique for removal of such a pelvic lesion through a posterior colpotomy incision and use of the laparoscope is also described.
Improved algorithms for the farthest colored Voronoi diagram of segments

Given n line segments in a plane with each colored by one of k colors, the farthest colored Voronoi diagram (FCVD) is a subdivision of the plane such that the region of a c-colored site (segment or subsegment) s contains all points of the plane for which c is the farthest color and s is the nearest c-colored site. The FCVD is a generalization of the farthest Voronoi diagram (i.e., k=n) and the regular Voronoi diagram (i.e., k=1). In this paper, we first present a simple algorithm to solve the general FCVD problem in an output-sensitive fashion in O((kn+I)@a(H)logn) time, where I is the number of intersections of the input and H is the complexity of the FCVD. We then focus on a special case, called the farthest-polygon Voronoi diagram (FPVD), in which all colored segments form k disjoint polygonal structures (i.e., simple polygonal curves or polygons) with each consisting of segments with the same color. For the FPVD, we present an improved algorithm with a running time of O(nlog^2n). Our algorithm has better performance and is simpler than the best previously known O(nlog^3n)-time algorithm.
When Your Patient Has Children: How the Clinician Can Support Good Parenting

Most of our patients have children. All clinicians need to know how best to support good parenting in their patients. A parent with mental illness can benefit from understanding how to talk with their children about mental illness. This chapter describes parenting and mental illness from four perspectives: the child, the parent, the child psychiatrist, and the adult psychiatrist. Children of parents with mental illness, when asked, can clearly state what they would like from the mental health system. Parents want to avoid drawing attention to their family as they are fearful of being judged negatively. Child psychiatrists have developed family-based interventions that can prevent psychiatric symptoms and illness in children. Adult psychiatrists need to encourage and support their patients in discussing mental illness as a family, and to consider the development of care plans, should the parent become ill. All clinicians should be able to provide age-appropriate family interventions to competently involve children in the office and hospital setting.
Implementing a WIC-Based Intervention to Promote Exclusive Breastfeeding: Challenges, Facilitators, and Adaptive Strategies.

Abstract Objective Understand factors that contributed to the implementation of a successful multicomponent intervention to promote exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) within Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Woman, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinics. Design Qualitative study of staff implementers' experiences using implementation status reports, facilitated group discussion immediately after implementation, and WIC administrative data. Setting WIC staff from 12 clinics participated in an EBF Learning Community composed of 8 intervention trainings and ongoing support from trainers and peers. Participants A total of 47 WIC staff including 11 directors, 20 other administrators, 8 nutritionists, and 6 peer counselors. Intervention A WIC-integrated EBF promotion initiative, supported through a Learning Community, composed of prenatal screening, tailored trimester-specific counseling, and timely postpartum follow-up. Phenomenon of Interest Challenges and facilitators to implementation within clinics. Analysis Iterative qualitative analysis using directed, emergent, and thematic coding. Results Implementation experiences were characterized by (1) perceived benefits of implementation, including improved EBF knowledge and counseling confidence among staff; and (2) managing implementation, including responding to challenges posed by clinic settings (resources, routine practices, values, and perceptions of mothers) through strategies such as adapting clinic practices and intervention components. Conclusions and Implications Implementation was shaped by clinic setting and adaptive strategies. Future WIC interventions may benefit from formal consideration of intervention fit with local clinic setting and allowable adaptations.