cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Getting from “Delivering Care to Patients” to “Partnership with Patients”

The IOM’s call for patients to be the source of control in their care has been represented differently at different times. The patient as the source of control has evolved from the clinician’s taking the patient’s preferences and values into account in designing care to a partnership between the clinician and the patient in making the choices necessary to plan care. This is a particularly challenging standard because both health professionals and many of their patients have been socialized to the model of the doctor leading care. Their difference in knowledge and in their perspective on the patient’s illness makes partnership difficult. This makes partnership challenging, even if the difference in levels of knowledge about the patient’s illness is reduced. Motivational interviewing, shared decision-making, minimally disruptive medicine, addressing health literacy, relationship-centered care, and coaching patients to be more assertive in relating to their physician, each of these approaches can be an important contribution, and each one demands extra attention and time to be effectively implemented. For some patients with particularly complex health situations, additional expertise on the part of the healthcare team is necessary to impact their health outcomes.
Label-free Ultrasensitive Detection of Amyloid-β Using Lipid-Functionalized Microtoroid Optical Resonators for Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease

Amyloid-β is a biomarker of interest in early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. Here we present microtoroid optical resonators functionalized with a lipid membrane for highly-sensitive, label-free detection of Amyloid-β proteins.
A Machine Learning-Based Error Model of Voltage-Scaled Circuits

Various approximation methods demonstrate the effectiveness of voltage scaling in digital circuits in order to explore the energy-error trade-off. An accurate error model is of critical importance for assessing the error behavior of voltage-scaled circuits and its effects on the application quality. However, existing error models of voltage-scaled circuits overlook the effects of input data and error rate disparity among different bits. To tackle this challenge, we propose a machine learning-based error model of voltage-scaled circuits that can predict the timing error rate for each output bit. We train this model using random forest methods with input features and output labels extracted from gate-level simulation. We evaluate the model accuracy on different circuits. Across all bit positions, voltage levels, and circuits, the model achieves on average a relative error of 1.06%. The model also achieves an average per-voltage Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 0.92% and per-bit RMSE of 1.02%. Exposing this error rate even up to the application level, the model can estimate the quality of an image processing application under voltage scaling with an average accuracy of 97.5%.
Context influences the FN400 recognition event-related potential.

Abstract Recognition of studied items often elicit more positive event-related potentials (ERPs) than unstudied items at mid-frontal electrodes about 300–500 ms (i.e., the FN400). The debate over the psychological processes associated with the FN400 has led to two competing hypotheses. One hypothesis is that the FN400 reflects familiarity, whereas another hypothesis is that it reflects conceptual implicit memory (i.e., conceptual fluency). The present experiment tested these hypotheses by presenting meaningless images that lack familiarity and conceptual fluency, off-brand products that lack pre-experimental familiarity, and name-brand products that have both pre-experimental familiarity and conceptual fluency. ERPs were recorded during judgments of lifetime and recent recognition. During both forms of recognition, ERPs in the FN400 window were greater for meaningless images than name- or off-brand products. Because this evidence is difficult to reconcile with either the familiarity or conceptual fluency hypotheses, the results are interpreted within a broader theoretical framework that includes top-down psychological (i.e., context) influences on the FN400.
New inverse wavelet transform method with broad application in dynamics

Abstract Extracting multi-scale models from system identification of stationary or nonstationary measured signals (e.g., time series) is of great importance in engineering and the applied sciences. We propose a new computational method for harmonic analysis and decomposition of signals based on the inverse wavelet transform and demonstrate its efficacy in diverse areas in dynamics. The wavelet transform is a linear transformation of a signal measured in the temporal/spatial domain to the time–frequency/space-wavenumber domain and applies to stationary and nonstationary measurements. The new method is based on a numerical inverse wavelet transform and yields decomposition of the measured signal in terms of its dominant harmonic components. First, we formulate the analytical continuous inverse wavelet transform in a way that is suitable for computational implementation. Then, taking as example a general measured signal in the time domain, (i) we numerically compute its numerical wavelet transform spectrum, (ii) define a set of “harmonic regions” in the wavelet spectrum containing the dominant harmonics to be inverted and studied, and (iii) by numerically inverse wavelet transforming each of the harmonic regions separately, obtain the respective decomposed harmonics in the time domain. Note that, by construction, the superposition of all decomposed harmonics reconstructs the original signal. Next, we demonstrate the efficacy of the method with some examples. We start with an artificial signal with prescribed harmonic components to highlight the method and its accuracy. Then, we show applicability of the method to system identification, by applying it to the modal analysis of a system of linearly coupled oscillators with closely spaced modes. Lastly, we show how the new method enables quantification of the energy captured by each of the decomposed components (harmonics) in the response of a strongly nonlinear system. To this end, a single degree of freedom geometrically nonlinear oscillator is considered, and the method is used to quantify nonlinear energy “scattering” in its frequency domain. These examples hint at the broad applicability of the new method to diverse areas of signal processing and dynamics, including discrete and continuous dynamical systems with strongly (and even non-smooth) nonlinearities.
Analysis of the comprehensive non-pharmaceutical interventions and measures in containing the COVID-19 epidemic in Shenzhen: a retrospective study.

Objective To analyse the epidemiological characteristics of family clusters of COVID-19 and the three stages of the comprehensive non-pharmaceutical interventions and measures implemented in Shenzhen. Methods The epidemic curve of COVID-19 was drawn and the impact of the comprehensive non-pharmaceutical interventions and measures was analysed by the different periods of the epidemic. Results A total of 427 cases (417 confirmed cases and 10 asymptomatic infectious cases) were reported in Shenzhen, of which 259 (60.7%) were clustered cases. 97 cluster events were drawn and most cluster events (97.3%) occurred in families. There were three stages of the COVID-19 epidemic in Shenzhen. The epidemic increased rapidly, but the peak lasted for a short time, while the decline in incidence was rapid and large. Conclusions Family clusters were the main feature of the COVID-19 outbreak in Shenzhen in 2020, and the Shenzhen government rolled out a quick response to the epidemic. Non-pharmaceutical interventions and measures were proven to have effectively contained community transmission, limit the transmission to aggregation and reduce the scale of transmission within a household.
Robert Paul and the origins of British cinema: by Ian Christie, Chicago, IL, University of Chicago Press, 2019, 342 pp., $32.50 (paperback) ISBN: 9780226105635

Robert W. Paul was the first disrupter of the motion picture industry and his impact cannot be underestimated. A London-based inventor and manufacturer of electrical devices, he was hired by two sh...
Simulation modeling and visualization of hydrologic response of an agricultural watershed

62 Introduction 62 Methodology 66 Results and Discussion 69 Sunamary and Conclusions 71 References 73 CHAPTERS. GENERAL SUMMARY 86 Discussion 86 Recoinmendation for Future Studies 88 References 89 APPENDIX 1. MATHEMATICAL EQUATIONS AND TERMS USED IN PRMS 90 APPENDIX 2 STREAMFLOW: OBSERVED AND SIMULATED DATA 95 APPENDIX 3 SCENARIOS: 1978 SIMULATED STREAMFLOW 102 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 109
Lyman- α emission from proton bombardment of Si, Cu, Ge, Mo, Ta, and Pt surfaces

A 0.3-m vacuum monochromator has been used to observe Lyman-$\ensuremath{\alpha}$ emission from polycrystalline Mo, Ta, Pt, and Cu and from single-crystal $n$-type Ge and Si surfaces under 6.5-12.5-keV proton bombardment. The viewing direction was fixed at 60\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} relative to the proton-beam axis. The absolute photon yields were determined as a function of beam-surface incidence angle ($\ensuremath{\theta}=0$ for normal incidence) and surface temperature (300-600 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K). Yields exhibited incident angle dependences of $sec\ensuremath{\theta}$ or stronger, and temperature coefficients were positive for Mo and Ta, negative for Cu, and nearly zero for Ge. Doppler-shift profiles of the Lyman-$\ensuremath{\alpha}$ emission were used to determine the backscattered, excited-hydrogen-atom energies. Absolute photon yields between about ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ and ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ photons/proton were obtained. The yields were insensitive to background ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ gas pressure between 5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}9}$ and ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}$ Torr.
Random asynchronous wakeup protocol for sensor networks

This paper presents a random asynchronous wakeup (RAW), a power saving technique for sensor networks that reduces energy consumption without significantly affecting the latency or connectivity of the network. RAW builds on the observation that when a region of a shared-channel wireless network has a sufficient density of nodes, only a small number of them need be active at any time to forward the traffic for active connections. RAW is a distributed, randomized algorithm where nodes make local decisions on whether to sleep, or to be active. Each node is awake for a randomly chosen fixed interval per time frame. High node density results in existence of several paths between two given nodes whose path length and delay characteristics are similar to the shortest path. Thus, a packet can be forwarded to any of several nodes in order to be delivered to the destination without affecting much the path length and delay experienced by the packet as compared to forwarding the packet through the shortest path. The improvement in system lifetime, due to RAW, increases as the ratio of idle-to-sleep energy consumption increases, and as the density of the network increases. Through analytical and experimental evaluations, we show that RAW improves communication latency and system lifetime compared to current schemes.
On malicious data attacks on power system state estimation

The problem of detecting and characterizing impacts of malicious attacks against smart grid state estimation is considered. Different from the classical bad data detection for state estimation, the detection of malicious data injected by an adversary must take into account carefully designed attacks capable of evading conventional bad data detection. A Bayesian framework is presented for the characterization of fundamental tradeoffs at the control center and for the adversary. For the control center, a detector based on the generalized likelihood ratio test (GRLT) is introduced and compared with conventional bad detection detection schemes. For the adversary, the tradeoff between increasing the mean square error (MSE) of the state estimation vs. the probability of being detected by the control center is characterized. A heuristic is presented for the design of worst attack.
Cephalothin, a New Cephalosporin with a Broad Antibacterial Spectrum I. In Vitro Studies Employing the Gradient Plate Technique

Cephalothin is 7-(thiophene-2-acetamido) cephalosporanic acid; it was prepared by N-acylation of the nucleus of cephalosporin C, 7-aminocephalosporanic acid. Cephalothin had a broad spectrum of antibiotic activity that was essentially unaffected by human serum or inoculum level, the activity of penicillinase, or pH variation of the growth medium. In vitro development of resistance by staphylococci could not be demonstrated, but the gram-negative organisms did develop a stepwise type of resistance to the antibiotic. Staphylococci made resistant in vitro to 5-methyl-3-phenyl-4-isoxazole penicillin were also resistant to cephalothin and to 6-(2,6-dimethoxybenzamido) penicillin; however, the mechanism of resistance to each antibiotic may have differed. Some complications involved in the laboratory evaluation methods currently in use in the field of antibiotics are examined.
The economic value of stream restoration

[1] The economic value of restoring Deckers Creek in Monongalia and Preston counties of West Virginia was determined from mail, Internet, and personal contact surveys. Multiattribute, choice experiments were conducted and nested logit models were estimated to derive the economic values of full restoration for three attributes of this creek: aquatic life, swimming, and scenic quality. Their relative economic values were that aquatic life > scenic quality ≈ swimming. These economic values imply that respondents had the highest value for aquatic life when fully restoring Deckers Creek to a sustainable fishery rather than a “put and take” fishery that cannot sustain fish populations. The welfare improvement estimates for full restoration of all three attributes ranged between $12 and $16 per month per household. Potential stream users (anglers) had the largest welfare gain from restoration, while nonangler respondents had the lowest. When these estimates were aggregated up to the entire watershed population, the benefit from restoration of Deckers Creek was estimated to be about $1.9 million annually. This benefit does not account for any economic values from partial stream restoration. On the basis of log likelihood tests of the nested logit models, two subsamples of the survey population (the general population and stream users) were found to be from the same population. Thus restoration choices by stream users may be representative of the watershed population, although the sample size of stream users was small in this research.
Analysis of the dielectric slab waveguide

Dielectric waveguides are widely used in optical communications systems, both in integrated optics and as transmission lines for off-chip interconnection. The dielectric slab waveguide can serve as a model in approximating the behavior of waveguides which have one cross-sectional dimension larger than the other, such as the strip waveguide or the channel waveguide. In this paper, the basic properties of a dielectric slab waveguide are explained, and some of the equations useful in describing the behavior of this type of structure are derived. The equations are then brought together in a computer program capable of determining various characteristics of a single layer guide, created as an aid in modeling of dielectric waveguides.
A new method for directional image interpolation

A nonlinear method for image interpolation is presented based on spatial domain directional interpolation. Existing directional interpolation algorithms, which only consider edge regions, are extended to the whole image by interpolating in multiple directions. The interpolated values along various directions are combined using directional weights, which depend on the variation in that direction. The interpolation value for each direction is assigned based on the magnitude of its directional derivative.
An intra-task DVS algorithm exploiting path probabilities for real-time systems

In this paper, we present a novel intra-task Dynamic Voltage Scheduling (DVS) algorithm based on the knowledge of frequently executed paths in the control flow graph for real time systems. The basic idea is to construct a common path composing all the frequently executed paths (hot-paths) and perform DVS scheduling based on this common path, rather than the most probable path. We compare the performance of the proposed algorithm with an existing algorithm. The preliminary results show that the proposed algorithm performs better than the existing algorithm.
Effect of spin-orbit interaction on the plasma excitations in a quantum wire

Incorporating the spin-orbit interaction into the Hamiltonian of a quantum wire, we have calculated the plasma excitation energies. We include both the Rashba term ($\ensuremath{\alpha}$ coupling) arising from the asymmetry of the heterostructure forming the two-dimensional electron gas, and the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ coupling due to the quantum wire confinement which we model with a harmonic potential. The $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ coupling lifts the degeneracy of the spin states and the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ coupling causes the quantized transverse single-particle energy to have negative dispersion. Our model yields several interesting features which may be observed with the use of inelastic light scattering and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The collective excitations for the quantum wire are determined by the allowed transitions between subbands. The collective plasma excitations split off from each branch of allowed particle-hole modes. The subband structure gives rise to a plasmon mode with a negative group velocity.
Extracellular K+ accumulation during penicillin-induced epileptogenesis in the CA3 region of immature rat hippocampus

Abstract Ion-selective microelectrode techniques were used to study extracellular K+ changes associated with penicillin-induced epileptogenesis in the CA3 region of hippocampal slices. Recordings were made in slices taken from rats 9–16 days of age, which have a pronounced capacty to undergo prolonged synchronized afterdischarges. Direct comparisons were made to slices from hippocampus from more mature rats, 30–35 days old, which are much less prone to seizure-like events. The amplitude and time course of the K+ transients varied across the CA3 laminae. K+ signals were largest close to stratum pyramidale in stratum oriens (the infrapyramidal zone). Recordings from this site showed extracellular K+ accumulation to be unusually large in immature hippocampus. The ceiling [K+]o level recorded during seizure-like events ranged from 14.4 to 20.2 mM and averaged 16.9 mM. The peak amplitude of extracellular K+ transients following an epileptiform burst in slices from immature rats averaged 4.31 mM while the mean of similar recordings from mature rats was 0.97 mM. Detailed laminar distribution studies in developing hippocampus revealed that the K+ signals were large in the proximal two-thirds of the basilar dendrites and proximal half of the apical dendrites. K+ accumulation in stratum pyramidale was comparatively small even though at its very edge in stratum oriens large K+ transients were always recorded. The latter was also true in recordings from mature hippocampus. Other dendritic signals in mature tissue were comparatively small. Laminar analysis was performed of the field potentials recorded by the reference barrel of the K+ electrodes. Negative field potential for the epileptiform burst and subsequent slow potential correlated in space with sites of K+ accumulation in both immature and mature hippocampal slices. Interictal and prolonged ictal-like discharges, recorded in developing hippocampus, arose from the same baseline [K+]o. However, since [K+]o is excessively high during the course of these epileptiform events it most likely has a role in the unusual propensity of immature hippocampus for seizures.
Transmission electron microscopy of chromatographically purified solid state C60 and C70

Abstract Solid state forms of pure C60 and C70 were investigated at room temperature using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques incorporating electron diffraction, high resolution TEM (HRTEM) and electron energy loss spectrometry (EELS). Electron diffraction patterns recorded along several zone axes indicated that C60 has a face centered cubic unit cell with Fm3m space group symmetry and lattice parameter of 1.42 nm within 5% experimental error. C70 appears to adopt close packed hexagonal symmetry (P63/mmc space group) with a0 = 1.01 nm and n0 = 1.68 nm within 5% experimental error. HRTEM imaging revealed the presence of extensive periodicity associated with C60 and C70 crystallites as well as numerous lattice defects and faults. EELS low loss spectra for C60 and C70 solids exhibit excitations analogous to graphite and amorphous carbon, such as interband π and π + σ plasmons, though at slightly lower energy losses. C70 exhibits a more intense “π plasmon” than C60. The 1s core loss spectra of both C60 and C70 show a π* transition at 285 ± 0.5 eV, and splitting of a σ* transition centered at 291 ± 0.5 eV.
Leory Sheldon Palmer (1887–1944) and the beginnings of chromatography in the United States of America

Leroy Sheldon Palmer (1887–1944) was the first American who utilized chromatography in the investigation of carotenoids present in animals, specially in milk, butter and selected tissues, and in the food intake of the animals. His work represented most likely the first use of chromatography after Tswett's basic publications in 1906. Palmer's 1922-book on carotenoids, also describing the methodology of chromatography, served as the transmission between Tswett, the early users of the technique (Palmer, Dhere), and the “rebirth” of chromatography in 1931 in Heidelberg.
C Interfaces and Implementations: Techniques for Creating Reusable Software

Every programmer and software project manager must master the art of creating reusable software modules; they are the building blocks of large, reliable applications. Unlike some modern object-oriented languages, C provides little linguistic support or motivation for creating reusable application programming interfaces (APIs). While most C programmers use APIs and the libraries that implement them in almost every application they write, relatively few programmers create and disseminate new, widely applicable APIs. C Interfaces and Implementations shows how to create reusable APIs using interface-based design, a language-independent methodology that separates interfaces from their implementations. This methodology is explained by example. The author describes in detail 24 interfaces and their implementations, providing the reader with a thorough understanding of this design approach.Features of C Interfaces and Implementations: Concise interface descriptions that comprise a reference manual for programmers interested in using the interfaces. A guided tour of the code that implements each chapter's interface tp help those modifying or extending an interface or designing related interfaces. In-depth focus on "algorithm engineering:" how to package data structures and related algorithms into reusable modules. Source code for 24 APIs and 8 sample applications is examined, with each presented as a "literate program" in which a thorough explanation is interleaved with the source code. Rarely documented C programming tricks-of-the-trade. Convenient access to all source code in the book via the World Wide Web at http://www.cs.princeton.edu/software/cii/
Genetic variability, inbreeding, and reproductive performance in standardbred horses

The relationships between electrophoretically determined genic variability, inbreeding, and reproductive success have been examined for Standardbred horses. There was a statistically significant relationship between foaling and/or conception rate and probability of offspring heterozygosity in Standardbred pacing horses. This relationship could not be explained by inbreeding depression. Inbreeding, at the level observed in Standardbreds, had little or no effect upon reproductive success. Additionally, there was no relationship between the inbreeding coefficient and the observed level of genetic heterozygosity. The results of these analyses suggest a program of a low rate of inbreeding combined with selection for characteristics associated with overall vigor as a management strategy for captive populations.
A unified framework for probabilistic sequential tolerance control

Sequential tolerance control (STC) is a methodology that uses available measurement information at the completion of one manufacturing operation to position the set point for subsequent operations. It has been shown that STC can lead to inferior solutions when the manufacturing process distributions are skewed. This paper presents an adaptive sphere-fitting method (ASF-STC) that adjusts for such skewness. ASF-STC requires as inputs both the direction of skewness and the probability distribution parameters for each operation. Heuristic methods for estimating each of these inputs are presented. Through computational testing, ASF-STC is shown to offer significant improvements over STC when such skewness exists.
The spatio-temporal dynamics of a pulse propagating in the quasi-Kerr regime of a two-level resonant medium

Abstract We investigate the dynamics of a spatio-temporal pulse propagating in the (1,1,1)-d configuration and the quasi-Kerr regime of a resonant two-level system embedded in a passive medium that has an anomalous group velocity dispersion at the two-level's resonance frequency. We concentrate on the coherence regime (i.e. the pulse temporal-width is of the same order of magnitude as the two-level system relaxation times). We show that various field spatio-temporal configurations exist for different values of the ratios of the medium and field parameters. We identify some cases where spatio-temporal superspikes, with temporal-width substantially shorter than the two-level relaxation times may form.
Resistance to bromodeoxyuridine mutagenesis and toxicity in mammalian cells selected for resistance to hydroxyurea.

Mutant cell lines resistant to hydroxyurea (HU), an inhibitor of the enzyme ribonucleotide reductase, were selected from a line of Syrian hamster melanoma cells. Mutant lines were selected for resistance to 0.3 mM HU, and from these lines, second-step mutants were selected for resistance to 1.0 mM HU. The HUr lines were tested for their responses to 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), in terms of toxicity, mutagenesis, and incorporation of BrdU into DNA. All of the HUr lines showed increased resistance to the toxic effects of BrdU. In addition, the HUr lines all were resistant to BrdU mutagenesis. Overall, there was good correlation among the levels of resistance to HU toxicity, BrdU toxicity, and BrdU mutagenesis in the HUr lines. These tests were carried out under conditions such that the parental and HUr cells incorporated equal amounts of BrdU into nuclear DNA. Therefore, the resistance of the HUr cells to the effects of BrdU cannot be attributed to decreased incorporation of BrdU into DNA. These results suggest that the HUr cells have an alteration in ribonucleotide reductase activity that simultaneously confers resistance to HU and BrdU. The properties of the HUr cells suggest that the perturbation of deoxycytidine metabolism by BrdU triphosphate inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase activity plays a key role in the toxic and mutagenic effects of BrdU in mammalian cells.
Feldspar dissolution at 25°C and pH 3: Reaction stoichiometry and the effect of cations

Abstract Feldspar powders, An 0 An 76 , were dissolved in flow-through reactors at 25°C, pH 3, to investigate the effect of feldspar composition, electrolyte concentration, and cation identity upon dissolution rates. BET surface area increased 1.5–7 times over the approximately 2000 hour reaction times; we, therefore, calculated dissolution rates with the final, rather than the initial surface area. This correction resulted in calculated rates which were, correspondingly, 1.5–7 times lower than several previously published rate estimates. Dissolution rates increase linearly with increasing anorthite content over the composition range studied. Rates decreased with increasing NaCl, and to a lesser extent, increasing (CH 3 ) 4 NCl concentrations. We interpret our rate data with a surface-controlled rate model: rate = k · [SOH ex ] n , where [z.tbnd;SOH ex ] is the concentration of H + which reacts with the feldspar surface through proton-cation exchange reactions. Previous workers have used [z.tbnd;SOH ex ] to represent protons adsorbed to surface hydroxyl sites. We express [z.tbnd;SOH ex ] with a Langmuir competitive adsorption isotherm, and fit our rates to the model: rate = kN s K H {H + } 1 + K H {H + } + K Na {Na + } 0.5 , where k = the rate constan, N s = the surface site density, K H = the H + constant for adsorption at the exchange site, K Na = the Na + constant for adsorption at the exchange site, and { i } denotes the activity of species i . Aluminum and the network-modifiers, Na, K, and Ca, were preferentially released compared to Si during the initial phase of dissolution. After 500–1000 hours in H 2 O-HCl, dissolution became stoichiometric for the microcline, albite, and bytownite compositions. Oligoclase and labradorite continued to exhibit preferential Ca and Al release even after 3000 hours of dissolution. Exsolution texture, observed in labradorite, may provide a structural control for preferential Ca and Al release. Apparent nonstoichiometric dissolution in oligoclase is due to the presence of Ca- and Al-rich accessory phases, present in the original feldspar samples. This work suggests that in the absence of accessory phases and mineral defects, steady-state feldspar dissolution is stoichiometric for all compositions.
EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION OF A LARGE-DIAMETER TETHER CONNECTOR

A comprehensive experimental programme to validate the design of a new 1220 mm (48 in.) OD threaded tether connector has been completed. Structural and functional tests were performed and prototype connectors manufactured. The connector design is to be used in the Snorre TLP to be installed offshore Norway. Results from 21 fatigue tests (1/6- and 1/3-scale models) show that the in-air endurance of the connector under pulsating tension is significantly longer than that allowed by the B curve of the UK Department of Energy Guidance Notes. Results concerning the effect of seawater, bending loads, scale and machining tolerances on the fatigue life are also presented. Two 1/3 scale static pull tests demonstrated that the connector can sustain at least 2.4 times the yield load of the nominal pipe. Full-scale makeup and pressure tests proved that the new connector assembles easily and seals properly. Finally, no significant machining or dimensional-control problems were identified during the production of two full-size prototype connectors. See also Abstract No. 89051115.
Synthesis and biological activity of N-Acylated ornithine analogues of daptomycin

N-Acylated ornithine analogues of daptomycin were synthesized and tested for their antibacterial efficacy.
Improving Quality of Life at Home for Pediatric Patients and Families With Primary Immune Deficiencies Using Subcutaneous Immune Globulin Infusions

Pediatric patients diagnosed with primary antibody deficiencies often require lifelong immune globulin replacement to help protect them from life-threatening infections. Although this is not a cure or a treatment for the disorder, replacement therapy is necessary to maintain health. The two current viable routes for immune globulin replacement are intravenous or subcutaneous. For many patients, subcutaneous infusions improve quality of life by offering greater independence and better control of the therapy situation and daily life. Subcutaneous infusions have been shown to be easy for both adult patients and children and their parents and to be safe, with minimal or no systemic reactions and no transmission of the hepatitis C virus. All of these factors are very important when considering replacement therapy. Home nursing care and support can also help provide additional support to improve treatment outcomes to enhance quality of life.
Myosin heavy chain isoform expression: influence on isoinertial and isometric performance.

Thirty-six healthy men with varying degrees of physical training background performed maximal-effort isometric and isoinertial knee extensor actions, with relative loads equal to 40% and 70% of one-repetition maximum. Force, velocity, and power were derived from force and linear position transducers at 500 Hz. Biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis and analyzed by SDS-PAGE for relative myosin heavy chain (MHC) content. Relative MHC IIx content was included in a regression model, and explained variance noted. Relative MHC I content was subsequently added to the regression model to determine what, if any, additional variance was explained beyond that of MHC IIx. Results indicated that no relationship (r = 0.0 to 0.1) exists between the relative expression of MHC isoforms from the vastus lateralis and isometric/isoinertial performance in a population with diverse training backgrounds. Lack of nervous system adaptations in the untrained subjects in the study possibly attenuates the significant relation...
Tobacco cessation via public dental clinics: results of a randomized trial.

Objectives. We sought to compare the effectiveness of a dental practitioner advice and brief counseling intervention to quit tobacco use versus usual care for patients in community health centers on tobacco cessation, reduction in tobacco use, number of quit attempts, and change in readiness to quit.Methods. We randomized 14 federally funded community health center dental clinics that serve diverse racial/ethnic groups in 3 states (Mississippi, New York, and Oregon) to the intervention (brief advice and assistance, including nicotine replacement therapy) or usual care group.Results. We enrolled 2549 smokers. Participants in the intervention group reported significantly higher abstinence rates at the 7.5-month follow-up, for both point prevalence (F1,12 = 6.84; P < .05) and prolonged abstinence (F1,12 = 14.62; P < .01) than did those in the usual care group.Conclusions. The results of our study suggest the viability and effectiveness of tobacco cessation services delivered to low-income smokers via their d...
Inhibitors of Vacuolar ATPase Proton Pumps Inhibit Human Prostate Cancer Cell Invasion and Prostate-Specific Antigen Expression and Secretion

Vacuolar ATPases (V-ATPases) comprise specialized and ubiquitously distributed pumps that acidify intracellular compartments and energize membranes. To gain new insights into the roles of V-ATPases in prostate cancer (PCa), we studied the effects of inhibiting V-ATPase pumps in androgen-dependent (LNCaP) and androgen-independent (C4-2B) cells of a human PCa progression model. Treatment with nanomolar concentrations of the V-ATPase inhibitors bafilomycin A or concanamycin A reduced the in vitro invasion in both cell types by 80%, regardless that V-ATPase was prominent at the plasma membrane of C4-2B cells and only traces were detected in the low-metastatic LNCaP parental cells. In both cell types, intracellular V-ATPase was excessive and co-localized with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the Golgi compartment. V-ATPase inhibitors reversibly excluded PSA from the Golgi and led to the accumulation of largely dispersed PSA-loaded vesicles of lysosomal composition. Inhibition of acridine orange staining and transferrin receptor recycling suggested defective endosomal and lysosomal acidification. The inhibitors, additionally, interfered with the AR-PSA axis under conditions that reduced invasion. Bafilomycin A significantly reduced steady-state and R1881-induced PSA mRNA expression and secretion in the LNCaP cells which are androgen-dependent, but not in the C4-2B cells which are androgen ablation-resistant. In the C4-2B cells, an increased susceptibility to V-ATPase inhibitors was detected after longer treatments, as proliferation was reduced and reversibility of bafilomycin-induced responses impaired. These findings make V-ATPases attractive targets against early and advanced PCa tumors.
Metacognition of the testing effect: guiding learners to predict the benefits of retrieval.

If the mnemonic benefits of testing are to be widely realized in real-world learning circumstances, people must appreciate the value of testing and choose to utilize testing during self-guided learning. Yet metacognitive judgments do not appear to reflect the enhancement provided by testing Karpicke & Roediger (Science 319:966-968, 2008). In this article, we show that under judicious conditions, learners can indeed reveal an understanding of the beneficial effects of testing, as well as the interaction of that effect with delay (experiment 1). In that experiment, subjects made judgments of learning (JOLs) for previously studied or previously tested items in either a cue-only or a cue-target context, and either immediately or after a 1-day delay. When subjects made judgments in a cue-only context, their JOLs accurately reflected the effects of testing, both immediately and at a delay. To evaluate the potential of exposure to such conditions for promoting generalized appreciation of testing effects, three further experiments elicited global predictions about restudied and tested items across two study/test cycles (experiments 2, 3, and 4). The results indicated that learners' global naive metacognitive beliefs increasingly reflect the beneficial effects of testing when learners experience these benefits with increasing external support. If queried under facilitative circumstances, learners appreciate the mnemonic enhancement that testing provides on both an item-by-item and global basis but generalize that knowledge to future learning only with considerable guidance.
The Spinothalamic Tract: An Examination of the Cells of Origin of the Dorsolateral and Ventral Spinothalamic Pathways in Cats

The locations of spinothalamic neurons and the funicular trajectories of their axons were studied in cats by retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Five animals were used as controls to determine the cervical and lumbar laminar distributions of neurons contributing to the spinothalamic tract. An additional eight animals were used to determine the funicular trajectories of the spinothalamic axons of lumbar neurons by utilizing a series of thoracic spinal cord lesions in conjunction with retrograde transport of HRP from the sensory thalamus. Three of these animals underwent midthoracic ventral quadrant lesions, four animals underwent midthoracic dorsolateral funiculus lesions, and one animal underwent total spinal cord transection sparing the dorsal columns. The locations of the cells containing the HRP reaction product were then determined after a 3- to 5day survival time, and the patterns of labeled cell locations of the lesion groups were compared to the control group patterns. In the lesioned animals, the cervical spinothalamic cell locations were used as a control to confirm the uniformity of the injection sites, transport and tissue processing. The major finding of this study is that there exist two distinct components of the spinothalamic tract. The dorsolateral spinothalamic tract (DSTT) is made up of axons originating in contralateral spinal cord lamina I and has negligible contribution from the deeper spinal cord laminae. The axons of lamina I cells cross segmentally and ascend exclusively in the dorsolateral funiculus (DLF). The DSTT comprises approximately 25% of the totaI spinothalamic input from the lumbar enlargement. The ventral spinothalamic tract (VSTT) is made up of axons originating in spinal cord laminae IV-V and VII-X. Very few lamina I cells contribute axons to the VSTT. This crossed pathway ascends in the ventrolateral and ventromedial portions of the spinal cord. No cells contributing to the spinothalamic tract were identified in spinal cord segments caudal to a dorsal column sparing lesion, indicating that there are no spinothalamic tract axons traveling in the dorsal columns. These results expand the classical concept of information processing by the spinothalamic tract. The DSTT is made up of lamina I cell axons. All lamina I spinothalamic cells respond exclusively to noxious peripheral stimuli. Hence the DSTT is a major nociceptive-specific ascending spinal pathway, yet lies outside the confines normally assigned to the spinothalamic tract. In contrast, the spinothalamic tract axons ascending in the traditional ventral location originate predominantly from neurons of wide dynamic range as well as from low-threshold neurons. These findings have novel implications concerning the relative importance, for nociception, of lamina I and deeper laminar input to the thalamus.
Nonlinear random vibrations of a rotating shaft

Bending vibrations of a rotating shaft due to external random excitation are considered for the case of potential instability of the shaft's linear model due to presence of internal or “rotating” damping. A two-degree-of-freedom model with nonlinear elastic restoring forces is studied. An explicit expression is obtained for a stationary joint probability density of displacements and velocities as an exact analytical solution to the corresponding Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov equation. The results are used to develop criterion for on-line detection of instability for the operating shaft from its measured response.
Reducing STM overhead with access permissions

While transactional memory makes concurrent programming more convenient, software transactional memory (STM) is typically associated with a high overhead. In this work we present a technique for reducing overhead associated with STM using access permissions, annotations on method parameters describing how references may alias. This information, which is statically checked for correctness, can be used to eliminate synchronization and logging operations. We have implemented this technique and show that it improves performance on a number of benchmarks.
Chlorpromazine and serotonin: conformational similarities correlating with activities.

Abstract The prediction of the preferred conformations of chlorpromazine and haloperidol reveal preferences for extended side-chains. In these conformations, the molecules do not resemble dopamine but contain structural features more like complimentary features in serotonin. The possible significance of this relationship is discussed in terms of the biological activities.
Characterization of chain breakage in DNA induced by bleomycin

Abstract Both deoxyribose moieties and phosphodiester bonds of DNA are destroyed by the action of bleomycin. A malonic aldehyde-like compound is produced in the drug-treated DNA. Phosphodiester bond rupture results in the production of 30 % of hydroxyl groups and 70 % of phosporyl groups in the 5′-termini of bleomycintreated DNA. Very few or perhaps none of the 3′-termini are phosphorylated.
ENVIRONMENTAL CORRELATES OF CETACEAN MASS STRANDING SITES IN FLORIDA

The cause(s) of cetacean strandings remain uncertain, and though numeroustheories abound, relatively few are supported by substantial evidence. Massstrandings (i.e., more than two animals of the same species) can span one or moredays and range over miles of shoreline (Walsh et al. 2001). Recent explanations forsuch strandings include bottom topography, coastal conﬁguration, or geomagnetictopography; meteorological or oceanographic events; extreme conditions in theenvironment; auditory trauma; toxicity of pollutants in the environment; andparasitism (Perrin and Geraci 2002). Contributory factors may also include unusualtides, sea state, nature of the adjacent seaﬂoor, and meteorological events such aselectrical storms (Warneke 1983). It is important not to make generalizations aboutthecauses of mass strandings(Odell1987). Althoughmany strandingsmaybe duetoa common cause, others may simply be a result of experiencing conditions for whicha group of animals was not prepared. A stranding may also reﬂect prior events whilethe animals were some distance out to sea (Best 1982; Walsh et al. 1991, 2001).One factor that has not been examined in depth is the effect of seasonalenvironmental parameters on the frequency of mass strandings. The effect of windon nearshore oceanic circulation is highly variable and also changes between andwithin seasons. The effects of wind-forcing on across-shelf ocean circulation havebeen noted as an important aspect of the ocean environment and shelf dynamics(Lentz 2001, Fiedler 2002). Although it is unlikely that wind alone could causea mass stranding, the wind does inﬂuence across-shelf exchange and water masscharacteristics. This may affect prey assemblages, and in turn inﬂuence cetaceans.Wind-driven transport in the near-surface water layer is deﬂected by the Coriolisforce at 908 to the right in the northern hemisphere (Ekman transport). Since the
A phase II trial of celecoxib in PSA recurrent prostate cancer after definitive radiation therapy (XRT) or radical prostatectomy (RP)

Abstract Introduction: COX-2 inhibitors may have anti-neoplastic effects in a variety of tumor types including prostate cancer. We evaluated the efficacy of celecoxib in PSA-recurrent prostate cancer after XRT or RP. Methods: 24 patients with rising PSA after XRT (n = 4) or RP (n = 20) were treated with celecoxib 400 mg/day (n = 12) or 800 mg/day (n = 12) (bid dosing). PSA levels were obtained at 3, 6, and 12 months after initiation of treatment. Data was evaluated by calculating 1) PSA doubling times (PSADT) and 2) slope of logPSA vs. time before and after celecoxib treatment at each time point. Testosterone levels were also obtained. Results: 22 of 24 (92%) patients had inhibitory effect on their PSA after 3 mos of treatment:8/24 had decline and 3/24 had stabilization of their PSA. Of the remaining 13, 11 had slowing of PSADT-mean increase (i.e. slowing) of PSADT was 4.5-fold from pre-treatment. Only 2 patients had no initial change in PSADT at 3 mos., yet both eventually showed increase of PSADT (2.2-fold, 4.0-fold) by 12 mos. There was a significant shift of patients with rapid towards slower/stable PSADT at all time points (p = 0.008; see table). Comparison of PSA rise before vs. after celecoxib treatment showed significant flattening of slope of logPSA vs. time from pre-treatment (1.48) vs. 3 mos. (0.09), 6 mos. (0.35) and 12 mos. (0.46) (p High Moderate Slow Stable/decline Pre 11/24 6/24 7/24 0/24 3 m 1/24 1/24 11/24 11/24 6 m 1/24 4/24 11/24 8/24 12 m 1/24 3/24 18/24 2/24 Conclusions: COX-2 inhibitors may decrease PSA levels in patients with biochemical progression after XRT or RP. These results suggest that COX-2 inhibitors may help delay disease progression in these patients.