cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microstructural and micromechanical evolution during dynamic recrystallization

Abstract Dynamic recrystallization (DRX) can in principle serve as an alternative way of controlling grain structure via a single route of hot working instead of the traditional cold working followed by annealing at elevated temperatures; in reality, its widespread application is hindered by the lack of quantitative understanding and prediction of the process. Using a recently developed model (Zhao et al., 2016) that integrates a fast Fourier transform-based elasto-viscoplastic model and a phase-field recrystallization model, we investigate the evolution of both microstructural and micromechanical fields in polycrystal copper during uniaxial compression at various elevated temperatures. Quantitative analysis based on the simulation results confirms that stress redistribution upon the formation of a new grain can significantly lower the dislocation density of neighboring grains, leading the so-called “DRX-enhanced recovery”, while the new grain itself undergoes accelerated work hardening as compared to the matrix. Numerical analysis using current simulation data reveals a macroscopic kinetic equation describing the average dislocation density evolution during DRX softening. The critical strain for the onset of DRX and the Zener–Hollomon parameter are found to obey a power law, with the model predicted exponent being consistent with that found in experiments. Temperature-dependence of the Avrami exponents have also been predicted using the simulation data, which agrees with the experimental finding. The population of grain boundaries and triple and quadruple junctions are shown to evolve with deformation and be temperature-dependent.
Distraction or Life Saver?: The Role of Technology in Undergraduate Students' Boundary Management Strategies

Previous research has shown that communication technologies may make it challenging for working professionals to manage the boundaries between their work life and home life. For college students, however, there is a less clear definition of what constitutes work and what constitutes home life. As a result, students may use different boundary management strategies than working professionals. To explore this issue, we interviewed 29 undergraduates about how they managed boundaries between different areas of their life. Interviewees reported maintaining flexible and permeable boundaries that are not bounded physically or temporally. They used both technological and non-technological strategies to manage different life spheres. Interviewees saw technology as a major source of boundary violations but also as a boundary managing strategy that allowed them to achieve better life balance. Based on these findings, we propose design implications for tools to better support the boundary management processes of undergraduate students.
Dicer uses distinct modules for recognizing dsRNA termini

Invertebrates rely on Dicer to cleave viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), and Drosophila Dicer-2 distinguishes dsRNA substrates by their termini. Blunt termini promote processive cleavage, while 3′ overhanging termini are cleaved distributively. To understand this discrimination, we used cryo–electron microscopy to solve structures of Drosophila Dicer-2 alone and in complex with blunt dsRNA. Whereas the Platform-PAZ domains have been considered the only Dicer domains that bind dsRNA termini, unexpectedly, we found that the helicase domain is required for binding blunt, but not 3′ overhanging, termini. We further showed that blunt dsRNA is locally unwound and threaded through the helicase domain in an adenosine triphosphate–dependent manner. Our studies reveal a previously unrecognized mechanism for optimizing antiviral defense and set the stage for the discovery of helicase-dependent functions in other Dicers.
Cardiac diseases among liver transplant candidates

Improvements in early survival after liver transplant (LT) have allowed for the selection of LT candidates with multiple comorbidities. Cardiovascular disease is a major contributor to post-LT complications. We performed a literature search to identify the causes of cardiac disease in the LT population and to describe techniques for diagnosis and perioperative management. As no definite guidelines for preoperative assessment (except for pulmonary heart disease) are currently available, we recommend an algorithm for preoperative cardiac work-up.
Automatically Generating Government Linked Data from Tables

Most open government data is encoded and published in structured tables found in reports, on the Web, and in spreadsheets or databases. Current approaches to generating Semantic Web representations from such data requires human input to create schemas and often results in graphs that do not follow best practices for linked data. Evidence for a table’s meaning can be found in its column headers, cell values, implicit relations between columns, caption and surrounding text but also requires general and domain-specific background knowledge. We describe techniques grounded in graphical models and probabilistic reasoning to infer meaning (semantics) associated with a table using background knowledge from the Linked Open Data cloud. We represent a table’s meaning by mapping columns to classes in an appropriate ontology, linking cell values to literal constants, implied measurements, or entities in the linked data cloud (existing or new) and discovering or and identifying relations between columns.
Clinical Practice of Intraoperative Thermoradiotherapy

Despite the increasing use of multimodality therapy, locally advanced and recurrent abdominal malignancies (in particular, pancreatic and colorectal) continue to be the cause of significant cancer-related morbidity and mortality.
The Late Palaeolithic Landscape

Any consideration of the relative abundance, cost, and variability of specific resources in prehistoric environments truly deals with uncertainty. In the particular case of southwestern Germany at the end of the last ice age we confront habitats that no longer exist, with plant and animal associations that cannot be found today. Moreover, these habitats changed at irregular rates, probably with different effects on each potential resource. At best, we can use archaeological finds and modern studies to develop a general impression, in terms of rough rankings rather than spuriously precise quantification.
The Tree Squirrel Sciurus (Sciuridae, Rodentia) as a Living Fossil

The familiar living squirrel, Sciurus, is not among the classic and often-cited examples of living fossils, although squirrels have long been recognized as being among the most primitive members of the Rodentia, the mammalian order that has exceeded all others in specific diversity. In the sense that they represent the least derived family of a very diverse order, squirrels in general might be called living fossils. The recently discovered skeleton of Protosciurus (perhaps the oldest squirrel fossil) shows that the earliest recognized sciurid is strikingly similar in its osteology to living Sciurus. In the sense that it has evolved very little from what is apparently the primitive squirrel morphotype, Sciurus is a living fossil.
Are Economics Laws Compatible with Free Will

I argue that determinism at the aggregate level of economic behavior is compatible with uncertainty at the individual level, and that the latter results essentially from individual free will.
BOSQUES DE TAMARUGOS, UN ACERCAMIENTO ETNOHISTÓRICO PARA EL ESTUDIO DEL PALEOCLIMA EN EL DESIERTO DE ATACAMA

espanolEste trabajo propone complementar el proyecto dendroarqueologico que llevamos adelante en la Pampa del Tamarngal con informacion de mapas, descripciones y observaciones de cronistas, viajeros, misiones cientificas y registros eclesiasticos acerca de la dinamica de paisaje del desierto de Atacama en tiempos historicos, en particular la presencia de formaciones boscosas a partir del siglo XVI y la disponibilidad de agua. Mediante estrategias etnohistoricas intentamos averiguar ?que pudo haber causado perdida importante de grandes extensiones de bosques de Prosopis en sectores del desierto de Atacama? ?Hubo cambios significativos del medio ambiente que pudieron haber condicionado el paisaje del desierto? ?Cual pudo haber sido el impacto humano en el medio ambiente y viceversa? EnglishThis paper complements the dendroarchaeology project by gathering data from maps, descriptions and observations from chroniclers, travelers, scientific missions, and church records, in historic times, in particular the existence of forests from XVI century on and the availability of water. By using ethnohistoric strategies about the dynamics of the landscape we tackle questions such as, what could have caused the loss of such big forests of Prosopis in some areas of the Atacama Desert? Were there any significant environmental changes that could have conditioned the arid landscape? What could have been the human impact on the environment and viceversa?
Curriculum for high ability learners: issues, trends, and practices

The co-edited book, Curriculum for high ability learners: issues, trends, and practices (Tan, Ponnusamy, & Quek) looks to be a solid addition to the Education Innovation Series being published by S...
Phase separation and nucleosome compaction are governed by the same domain of Polycomb Repressive Complex 1

Mammalian development requires effective mechanisms to repress genes whose expression would generate inappropriately specified cells. The Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) family complexes are central to maintaining this repression. These include a set of canonical PRC1 complexes that each contain four core proteins, including one from the CBX family. These complexes have previously been shown to reside in membraneless organelles called Polycomb bodies, leading to speculation that canonical PRC1 might be found in a separate phase from the rest of the nucleus. We show here that reconstituted PRC1 readily phase separates into droplets in vitro at low concentrations and physiological salt conditions. This behavior is driven by the CBX2 subunit. Point mutations in an internal domain of CBX2 eliminate phase separation. These same point mutations eliminate the formation of puncta in cells, and have previously been shown to eliminate nucleosome compaction in vitro and to generate axial patterning defects in mice. Thus, a single domain in CBX2 is required for phase separation and nucleosome compaction, a finding that relates these functions to each other and to proper development.
Abstract 492: Intra Mural Aortic Hematoma: An Unusual Case Presenting With Acute Limb Ischemia

A 50 YO F with PMH of HTN, HLD, DM2, presented with claudication of right lower extremity with cyanotic changes of her toes for past few months, with increasing pain and discoloration. CT Angio sho...
Malignant pleural effusion and cancer of unknown primary site: a review of literature.

Malignant pleural effusions (MPE) are most frequently (50–65%) noted from lung and breast cancers. They are commonly unilateral and are reflective of poorer prognosis. Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) account for 4–5% of all invasive cancers. These are metastatic tumors in which the primary is unknown despite an extensive medical evaluation. About 11% of MPE are from CUP. These MPEs present a clinical dilemma to physicians as there is a paucity of literature on their management and no consensus or guideline statement. This paper provides an overview of MPE from CUP in regard to diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options. A selective search was performed in Medline and PubMed, with the keywords “Malignant pleural effusion” and “Cancer of unknown primary” up to December 2018. A review of literature would suggest that a thoracentesis is the first step in all cases but additional work up such as thoracoscopy & pleural biopsies is frequently warranted. With advances in immunohistochemical staining and biomarker development, MPE with CUP maybe profiled in a similar manner as lung cancer. Similarly, liquid biopsy or identification of circulating tumor cell free DNA may have a role in the work up of CUP in the future. There is some experience in managing these patients with gene directed therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors, however, with mixed results. Given the poor prognosis associated with MPE from CUP, symptom alleviating measures such as indwelling pleural catheters should be part of the management strategy.
End-User Probabilistic Programming

Probabilistic programming aims to help users make decisions under uncertainty. The user writes code representing a probabilistic model, and receives outcomes as distributions or summary statistics. We consider probabilistic programming for end-users, in particular spreadsheet users, estimated to number in tens to hundreds of millions. We examine the sources of uncertainty actually encountered by spreadsheet users, and their coping mechanisms, via an interview study. We examine spreadsheet-based interfaces and technology to help reason under uncertainty, via probabilistic and other means. We show how uncertain values can propagate uncertainty through spreadsheets, and how sheet-defined functions can be applied to handle uncertainty. Hence, we draw conclusions about the promise and limitations of probabilistic programming for end-users.
The Digital Divide

Open image in new window Despite the undoubted potential of the internet to improve public service provision and citizen engagement, the digital divide phenomenon remains one of the main barriers to migrating administrative and political processes to the internet. This chapter elaborates why the digital divide is an important issue for policy-makers in social welfare states. Moreover, a digital divide framework is presented which highlights the multidimensional nature of the phenomenon. On the basis of this framework, current European activities to bridge the digital divide are discussed. Finally, the consequences of the digital divide for digital government are analyzed.
The WELL diet score correlates with the alternative healthy eating index-2010.

The quality of one's overall diet has proven to be of great importance to health and well-being. Unfortunately, diet quality is time-consuming to assess. The Stanford Wellness Living Laboratory (WELL) administered an online survey that included the WELL Diet Score (a novel diet quality assessment calculated from 12 diet-related items). Subsequently, WELL participants were asked to complete the 127-item Block Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) online. The present study's primary objective was to compare the WELL Diet Score with the established FFQ-based Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010), in a subset of WELL participants (n = 248) who completed both dietary measures through WELL's online platform. The two scores were significantly correlated (r = .69; p < .0001). Regression analyses demonstrated that the WELL Diet Score was positively significantly associated with sociodemographic determinants of diet quality and protective health factors, including older age, higher education, lower BMI, and higher physical activity. In summary, the WELL Diet Score, derived from 12 small diet-related items that can be completed in 5 min, was significantly positively correlated with the AHEI-2010 derived from the lengthy 127-item FFQ, suggesting the potential utility of the WELL Diet Score in future large-scale studies, including future WELL studies.
Inter-individual differences in body mass index were not observed as a result of aerobic exercise in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity.

Background Exercise has been recommended as an important intervention for reducing adiposity in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity. Objective Determine whether inter-individual differences exist in relation to exercise-induced changes in adiposity among children and adolescents with overweight and obesity. Methods Meta-analysis of randomized controlled aerobic exercise trials and body mass index (BMI) in kg · m-2 . Change outcome standard deviations were pooled using the inverse-variance heterogeneity model. Results Twenty-eight studies (1185 participants) were included. Inter-individual differences in BMI were -0.1 (95% compatibility interval, -0.7 to 0.7). The 95% prediction interval for inter-individual responses in a future study was -2.9 to 2.9. The probability of a clinically meaningful difference in variability was 29% (possibly clinically important) in favour of controls vs exercisers. Conclusions Inter-individual differences for BMI in kg · m-2 were not observed as a result of aerobic exercise in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity.
Correction: The neurodevelopmental disorder risk gene DYRK1A is required for ciliogenesis and control of brain size in Xenopus embryos.

There was an error in Development (2020) 147 , [dev189290][1] ([doi:10.1242/dev.189290][2]). In the author affiliations, affiliation 2 was incorrect. Corrected: 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, and Weill
Can equitable punishment be mandated? Estimating impacts of sentencing guidelines on disciplinary disparities

Abstract This study empirically investigates the potentially unintended effects of state laws that seek to improve safety in U.S. public school by mandating standardized student punishment. We estimate the effects of exogenous state-level variation in the quantity and type of such mandates on disciplinary disparities across students who commit serious offenses. Estimation results indicate that more severe punishments are imposed in schools with higher proportions of black or Hispanic students, but such disparities are significantly dampened in states that mandate a higher number of guidelines for serious offenses. However, more guidelines for less severe misconduct tend to increase race-based disciplinary disparities and increase the severity of punishments administered for serious offenses. These outcomes extend the existing sentencing guidelines literature and provide empirical implications for considering marginal deterrence effects when crafting future policies.
Systemic infection and symptom development of agro-inoculated cDNA clone of cherry rusty mottle-associated virus in sweet cherry (Prunus avium)

Cherry rusty mottle-associated virus (CRMaV), which belongs the genus Robigovirus of the family Betaflexiviridae, is strongly associated with cherry rusty mottle disease of sweet cherry, Prunus avium. Here, we report on the successful development of an Agrobacterium-based inoculation system for a cloned CRMaV cDNA construct. Agro-inoculation of virus-free cherry rootstock 'Krymsk6' [P. cerasus x (P. cerasus x P. maackii)] resulted in the development of chlorotic yellow mottle symptoms on systemic leaves beginning at 50 days post inoculation. The presence of CRMaV in 'Krymsk6' agro-inoculated plants was confirmed by RT-PCR and ELISA. Subsequently, CRMaV from agro-inoculated 'Krymsk6' was graft-transmissible onto virus-free sweet cherry rootstock P. avium 'Mazzard' as evidenced by the production of typical cherry rusty mottle symptoms beginning at 35 days post grafting, and further confirmed by western blotting and RT-PCR. These results showed conclusively that CRMaV is the causal agent of cherry rusty mottle disease in sweet cherry. The reverse genetic system presented in this study can be used as a tool to investigate the molecular biology of CRMaV and also a template for infectious clone development for other viruses in the genus Robigovirus.
An Update on the Outcomes of Patients Treated with Urolift for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a ubiquitous urologic disease affecting aging men. Patients often experience bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) that warrant urologic evaluation and management. Routinely, patients are initially treated with medical therapies with the goal of both relaxing the bladder neck and shrinking the prostate in order to relieve obstruction secondary to prostatic enlargement. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) serves as a first-line surgical intervention in those who fail medical therapy. Recently, novel minimally invasive surgical techniques for BPH management have emerged. Of these, prostatic urethral lift (PUL or Urolift) has gained attention given its presumed effectiveness and minimal risk of sexual side effects when compared to the standard TURP. The purpose of this review is to describe past and current trends in the implementation of PUL for BPH and to highlight important outcomes.
A PACTful Agenda for Cloud Programming Research: (Invited Talk)

We have witnessed two decades of cloud computing research. Yet, programming the cloud remains a tedious task for both the application and cloud infrastructure developers: application developers need to consider various cloud deployment aspects as they write code, while infrastructure developers must determine how to execute and optimize code that mingles application semantics, fault tolerance, and hardware constraints, etc. all into a single program. Yet, cloud programming is not an entirely new problem: initial commercial efforts at a programmable cloud have started to take wing recently in the form of “serverless” Functions-as-a-Service (FaaS). FaaS offerings allow developers to write sequential code and upload it to the cloud, where it is executed in an independent, replicated fashion at whatever scale of workload it attracts. But fundamentally, even “FaaS done right” is a low-level assembly language for the cloud, a simple infrastructure for launching sequential code, a UDF framework without a programming model to host it. In this talk, I will describe our new Hydro project for next generation cloud programming research. The key idea behind Hydro is a new programming interface targeted for cloud applications, where we decouple cloud programming into four separate concerns, each with an independent language facet: Program semantics, Availability, Consistency and Targets for optimization (PACT). To use Hydro, programmers first specify the intended functionality of their application (i.e., its semantics) using a declarative language. Then, they describe the failure domains (i.e., availability) once their application is deployed to the cloud. Consistency is then specified, independent from the program semantics, by stating invariants that their application should satisfy (e.g., how concurrent writes to the same data should be handled). Finally, the target facet describes the platform that the application should be deployed, for instance the expected types of hardware, minimal network connectivity required, etc. Implementing the Hydro stack will open up new research opportunities in query compilation, execution, and runtime monitoring, for instance using program synthesis and other learning-based techniques to drive PACT program compilation rather than a static pattern-matching approach targeted for a specific backend, a distributed execution framework for monotonic code, iterative refinement of programs, etc. Hydro is a joint project with Natacha Crooks and Joe Hellerstein. In this talk I will explain these ideas and describe the early progress we have made thus far, and the many exciting opportunities that lie ahead.
Phytoplankton biomass dynamics in the Arabian Sea from VIIRS observations

Abstract Using chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) as an indicator for phytoplankton biomass, observations from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) between 2012 and 2019 in combination with wind, various ocean hydrographic data, and nutrient data are used to conduct a comprehensive study to characterize and quantify the phytoplankton biomass dynamics in the Arabian Sea, and assess the mechanisms that drive the summer and winter phytoplankton blooms. Phytoplankton biomass dynamics in the Arabian Sea are driven by the seasonal reversal of the monsoon wind. The summer phytoplankton bloom located mainly in the western and central Arabian Sea is stronger than the winter phytoplankton bloom in the northern Arabian Sea in terms of both Chl-a values and the extent of phytoplankton bloom coverage. Interannual variability of Chl-a is less significant in comparison to the seasonal variability. Chl-a data measured by the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) from 1997 to 2010 are also used. The comparison of Ch-a climatology data between SeaWiFS and VIIRS shows no long-term trend of Chl-a change in the Arabian Sea. This study provides an improved understanding (with new knowledge) of (1) phytoplankton biomass dynamics, (2) physical, biological, and biogeochemical processes, and (3) nutrient dynamics in the Arabian Sea. The hydrographic and nutrient data reveal two different driving mechanisms for phytoplankton blooms in the summer and winter monsoon. During the summer monsoon, the cold high-nutrient waters are brought to the surface from the thermocline depth through strong coastal upwelling and Ekman pumping, leading to increased Chl-a at the surface-layer. The vertical velocity reaches ~1 m/day at 70 m depth. In comparison, the winter phytoplankton bloom is driven by the moderate boost of the nutrient level due to the mixed-layer deepening and strong vertical mixing caused by the surface cooling in the northern Arabian Sea. The nutrient dynamics in the Arabian Sea also suggests that the nitrate concentration is the major nutrient driver for its seasonal phytoplankton biomass dynamics.
Proceedings of the 10th annual ACM workshop on Privacy in the electronic society

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 10th annual ACM Workshop on Privacy in the Electronic Society -- WPES 2011. The purpose of this workshop is to discuss problems of privacy in the global interconnected societies and to propose solutions to these problems. This year WPES continues to be a workshop at the ACM CCS conference. The call for papers attracted 73 submissions from North America, South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe. This was a record number of submissions and each paper was reviewed by at least 3 program committee members, and sometimes 4. The program committee accepted 12 full papers and 9 short papers that cover a variety of topics, including social network privacy, cloud privacy, privacy policies, anonymity systems, privacy preferences, and location privacy. We hope that these proceedings will serve as a valuable reference for privacy researchers and developers.
The avian retrovirus env gene family: molecular analysis of host range and antigenic variants

The nucleotide sequence of the env gp85-coding domain from two avian sarcoma and leukosis retrovirus isolates was determined to identify host range and antigenic determinants. The predicted amino acid sequence of gp85 from a subgroup D virus isolate of the Schmidt-Ruppin strain of Rous sarcoma virus was compared with the previously reported sequences of subgroup A, B, C, and E avian sarcoma and leukosis retroviruses. Subgroup D viruses are closely related to the subgroup B viruses but have an extended host range that includes the ability to penetrate certain mammalian cells. There are 27 amino acid differences shared between the subgroup D sequence and three subgroup B sequences. At 16 of these sites, the subgroup D sequence is identical to the sequence of one or more of the other subgroup viruses (A, C, and E). The remaining 11 sites are specific to subgroup D and show some clustering in the two large variable regions that are thought to be major determinants of host range. Biological analysis of recombinant viruses containing a dominant selectable marker confirmed the role of the gp85-coding domain in determining the host range of the subgroup D virus in the infection of mammalian cells. We also compared the sequence of the gp85-coding domain from two subgroup A viruses, Rous-associated virus type 1 and a subgroup A virus of the Schmidt-Ruppin strain of Rous sarcoma virus. The comparison revealed 24 nonconservative amino acid changes, of which 6 result in changes in potential glycosylation sites. The positions of 10 amino acid differences are coincident with the positions of 10 differences found between two subgroup B virus env gene sequences. These 10 sites identify seven domains in the sequence which may constitute determinants of type-specific antigenicity. Using a molecular recombinant, we demonstrated that type-specific neutralization of two subgroup A viruses was associated with the gp85-coding domain of the virus.
Implementing the patient-centered medical home in residency education.

Background: In recent years, physician groups, government agencies and third party payers in the United States of America have promoted a Patient-centered Medical Home (PCMH) model that fosters a team-based approach to primary care. Advocates highlight the model's collaborative approach where physicians, mid-level providers, nurses and other health care personnel coordinate their efforts with an aim for high-quality, efficient care. Early studies show improvement in quality measures, reduction in emergency room visits and cost savings. However, implementing the PCMH presents particular challenges to physician training programs, including institutional commitment, infrastructure expenditures and faculty training. Discussion: Teaching programs must consider how the objectives of the PCMH model align with recent innovations in resident evaluation now required by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in the US. This article addresses these challenges, assesses the preliminary success of a pilot project, and proposes a viable, realistic model for implementation at other institutions.
Views of the Uncertainties of Climate Change: A Comparison of High School Students and Specialists.

Scientific uncertainty permeates the issue of climate change, and public policy decisions must be made in the context of this uncertainty. This article describes interviews with high school students and specialists (scientists and policy analysts) about reasons for scientific disagreement about climate change and whether action is needed now. A comparison of these two groups suggests both pitfalls in the responses of the students and ways in which they effectively made use of non-specialized knowledge or even utilized strategies similar to those of specialists. Educational efforts to prepare students to make judgments about climate change should include not only the science that is certain, but should also address the nature of the uncertainties, reasons for scientific disagreement, and strategies for making decisions given the uncertainties.
Nonflame Atomic Absorption with a Constant Temperature Atomizer

A short review of the present state of nonflame atomic absorption spectroscopy is provided. The effect of a number of matrix components on the determination of analyte elements in a constant-temperature furnace is discussed. A new method for multielement analysis is described. Components of the analytical apparatus have been used in two different ways to correct for broadband absorption and scatter. Results are reported using these two different methods of background correction with a nonflame atomizer designed by Woodriff.
Acute and chronic effects of sildenafil in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Summary Sildenafil and inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) relax smooth muscle by inhibiting the degradation and stimulating the production of cyclic guanosine monophosphate, respectively. We compared the acute pulmonary vasodilator effects of sildenafil, iNO, and epoprostenol and asked whether the combination of iNO with sildenafil had additive pulmonary vasodilator effects. We assessed the effects of extended use of sildenafil in a small cohort of patients. Twenty patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension underwent an acute vasodilator trial with sildenafil (all patients), iNO and iNO plus sildenafil (11), and epoprostenol (19). We also provided sildenafil to patients who were ineligible for, or had clinical deterioration on epoprostenol, treprostinil, or bosentan. Mean± se pulmonary artery pressure dropped by 13±3%, 19±4%, 14±3%, and 26±4% with epoprostenol, iNO, sildenafil, and iNO+sildenafil, respectively. Cardiac index increased with epoprostenol and sildenafil. A correlation was found between the effects of iNO and epoprostenol. Nine out of ten patients who were started on long-term sildenafil treatment alone or in combination with other vasodilators had symptomatic improvement. Three died of right heart failure. In conclusion, sildenafil is a potent acute pulmonary vasodilator, an effect that is potentiated by combination with iNO. Long-term therapy of pulmonary hypertension with sildenafil alone or in combination with other agents appears to be safe and well tolerated.
Best endoscopic stents for the biliary tree and pancreas.

Purpose of reviewTo determine trends in pancreaticobiliary stents over the past 12–18 months.Recent findingsMetal biliary stents continue to be used for palliation of malignant distal biliary obstruction with superior patency to plastic stents. The use of covered metal biliary stents is increasingly
Power generator scheduling by dynamic programming

Abstract Dynamic programming is applied to the problem of determining an optimal short-run schedule for a series of power generating units to meet a time varying system load. Typical scheduling procedures include a priority ordering constraint which requires that units be committed to or removed from power production in a fixed order. A dynamic programming model which relaxes this constraints yields a large combinatorial problem whose state space depends on the number of feasible combinations of generating units. Reduction of storage requirements is achieved through the implementation of data structure techniques. An example of the dynamic programming procedure with data from an actual system suggests significant coast reductions. A comparison with a case in the literature also results in significant savings. Perhaps more important, however, are the substantial energy savings, in light of the current emphasis on energy conservation.
Effects of Spontaneous Heating on Estimates of Ruminal Nitrogen Degradation in Bermudagrass Hays from Two Harvests

Estimates of rumen degradable or escape N are an important component of current nutritional models for feeding livestock, but attempts to estimate these fractions for bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. have been limited, and the relationship between concentrations of these fractions and spontaneous heating during bale storage has not been evaluated. The objectives of this study were to (i) assess the relationship between rumen escape or degradable N and spontaneous heating in bermudagrass hays harvested from the same site during 1998 and 1999 and (ii) correlate estimates of rumen escape and degradable N with other measures of forage nutritive value that are evaluated commonly. A preparation of Streptomyces griseus protease was utilized in an in vitro laboratory procedure to quantify rumen degradable N in hays that heated spontaneously during storage in small haystacks. Maximum temperatures in these bales ranged from 37.1 to 69.8°C over 2 yr. Rumen escape N for 40 hays ranged from 407 to 613 g kg -1 N and increased linearly (P 0.05) for specific harvest years.
Binary diffusion and heat transfer in laminar free convection boundary layers on a vertical plate

Abstract Free convection in laminar boundary layers with coupled momentum, heat and binary mass transfer was investigated in terms of relevant parameters. Buoyancy effects caused by both temperature and concentration gradients were considered. Exact solutions of the nonlinear system of three coupled equations for variable physical property systems with a constant generating body force parallel to the solid surface were investigated for many different cases in order to get a reasonable idea of how the various parameters influence the transport processes involved. The effects of variations in specie enthalpy, thermal conductivity, viscosity and density with concentration were studied individually and in various combinations. The most striking effects are those caused by specie enthalpy differences and thermal conductivity for the low molecular weight gases. Also the interactions of Prandtl number and interfacial velocity effects for single component mass-transfer systems were investigated. A method of integrating the coupled transport equations was developed which appears to be substantially faster than previously used techniques. The improved speed of computation occurs primarily because each solution of the momentum equation is obtained by iterating only on a boundary condition rather than on both a boundary condition and a function as previous methods require.
Simultaneous closed dislocations of the metacarpophalangeal joints of the index, long, and ring fingers: a case report.

A patient with simultaneous closed dislocation of the metacarpophalangeal joints of the index, long, and ring fingers and an ipsilateral fracture of the radius with an associated fracturedislocation of the distal radioulnar joint is presented. This is the first such case to be described. The mechanism of injury was a fall on an outstretched hand. The dislocations of the metacarpophalangeal joints were successfully reduced by open relocation through dorsal approaches. The fractured radius was treated with open reduction and plate fixation. The patient was placed in a dorsal extension block splint after surgery, and active motion was encouraged. Eleven months later, the patient could make a full fist and extend all fingers. Grip strength was 110 pounds in the right hand, and 100 pounds in the injured left hand.
Cyclic strain stimulates dephosphorylation of the 20kDa regulatory myosin light chain in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Abstract The role of cyclic strain in the regulation of 20 kDa myosin light chain phosphorylation (MLC20) in cultured smooth muscle cells (SMC) is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine whether cyclic strain stimulates the dephosphorylation of MLC20 in serum-fed SMC displaying a high basal level of phosphorylation. Confluent bovine aortic SMC were subjected to 10% average strain at 60 cycles per minute for 30 and 60 minutes. Basal MLC20 phosphorylation (N = non,M = mono,D = di) of serum-fed SMC was as follows: N = 34%:M = 27%:D=39%. After 60 min of cyclic strain, both mono and diphosphorylated MLC20 were decreased to 21 and 15%, respectively. The strain-induced dephosphorylation of MLC20 was partially inhibited by the protein phosphatase 1/2A inhibitor, calyculin A (5 nM). However, phosphorylase a phosphatase activities in Triton-soluble and insoluble fractions of SMC were unaffected by cyclic strain. The data suggest that cyclic strain causes dephosphorylation of MLC20 in SMC which may be partially due to activation of MLC20 phosphatase and/or inhibition of MLC20 phosphorylation.
Angular Distribution of 12- and 16-Mev Gamma Rays from the Proton Bombardment of a Thin Boron Target

The angular distribution of 12- and 16-Mev gamma rays from proton bombardment of thin boron targets has been obtained for proton energies ranging from 0.6 to 2.0 Mev. The angular distribution may be represented by the equation $w(\ensuremath{\theta})=1+Acos\ensuremath{\theta}+B{cos}^{2}\ensuremath{\theta}$, indicating interference between at least two levels of opposite parity. An analysis of the energy dependence of the coefficients $A$ and $B$ for the 16-Mev gamma rays indicates the interference to be between more than two levels.
Plasma exchange therapy for thrombotic microangiopathies

Thrombotic microangiopathies (TMAs) are syndromes associated with thrombocytopenia and multiple organ failure. Plasma exchange is a proven therapy for primary TMA such as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). There is growing evidence that plasma exchange therapy might also facilitate resolution of organ dysfunction and improve outcomes for secondary TMAs such as disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and systemic inflammation-induced TTP. In this review, we survey the current available evidence and practice of plasma exchange therapy for TMAs.
Focal hand dystonia in a patient with ulnar nerve neuropathy at the elbow

We describe a patient who presented with dystonia of her small finger secondary to entrapment neuropathy of the ulnar nerve at the elbow. Pre operative electrophysiological studies suggested that the locus of entrapment was located proximal to the medial epicondyle. This was confirmed intraoperatively by the presence of a thickened and prominent arcade of Struthers. Surgical decompression resulted in a rapid and dramatic improvement of the dystonic pattern as well as an improvement in nerve conduction. A review of literature has not revealed any other reports of such a clear cut association between ulnar nerve entrapment and non task-specific focal hand dystonia.
Differential activation of wild-type and variant forms of estrogen receptor α by synthetic and natural estrogenic compounds using a promoter containing three estrogen-responsive elements

Structure-dependent estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) agonist and antagonist activities of synthetic and natural estrogenic compounds were investigated in human HepG2, MDA-MB-231 and U2 cancer cell lines. Compounds used in this study include 4'-hydroxytamoxifen, ICI 182,780, bisphenol-A (BPA), 2',4',6'-trichloro-4-biphenylol (3Cl-PCB-OH), 2',3',4',5'-tetrachloro-4-biphenylol (4Cl-PCB-OH), p-t-octylphenol, p-nonylphenol, naringenin, kepone, resveratrol, and 2,2-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane (HPTE). Cells were transfected with a construct (pERE(3)) containing three tandem estrogen responsive elements (EREs) and either wild-type estrogen receptor alpha (ER-wt) or variants expressing activation function-1 (ER-AF1) or AF-2 (ER-AF2). The ER agonist activities of the synthetic mono and dihydroxy aromatic compounds are comparable in all three-cell lines, whereas the activities of naringenin, kepone and resveratrol are dependent on cell context and expression of wild-type or variant forms of ER alpha. In contrast, the ER antagonist activities for these compounds were highly complex and, with the exception of 3Cl-PCB-OH, all compounds inhibited E2-induced wild-type or variant ER action. Results of this in vitro study suggest that the estrogenic and antiestrogenic activity of structurally diverse synthetic and natural estrogenic compounds is complex, and this is consistent with published data that often give contradictory results for these compounds.
Osmotic stress stimulates generation of superoxide anion by spermatozoa in horses.

Abstract The objective of this study was to examine the interplay between osmotic and oxidative stress as well as to determine mechanisms by which osmotic stress increases superoxide generation in spermatozoa of horses. Superoxide production, as measured by dihydroethidium (DHE), increased when spermatozoa of horses were incubated under either hyperosmotic or hyposmotic conditions. This increase in superoxide production was inhibited by the MAP kinase p38 inhibitor, SB203580, and by the superoxide scavenger, tiron. Incubation of spermatozoa under hyperosmotic conditions increased overall protein tyrosine phosphorylation as measured by western blotting techniques; however, a similar increase was not detected when spermatozoa were incubated under hyposmotic conditions. The general protein kinase C (PKC) and protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitor staurosporine inhibited ( P P
Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Identical Twins

Identical twins had dilated cardiomyopathy and evidence of an autoimmune process involving both the heart and thyroid gland. An inherited abnormality of immune regulation is suggested as a possible basis for diese unusual findings.
The treatment of scarring and flexion contracture after operations for injuries to the flexor tendons of the fingers by implantation of a silicone rod and tendon grafting

Forty patients were studied following injuries to a flexor tendon who had undergone multiple operations which had resulted in severe scarring and contracture of the affected finger. They were then treated by release of the contracture and the insertion of a silicone rod along the site of the tendon bed. At a second operation about three months later, the rod was removed and replaced by a tendon graft. Fourteen per cent had an excellent result, 33% were graded good, 36% per cent fair and 17% poor.
High-throughput DNA methylation datasets for evaluating false discovery rate methodologies

When analyzing high-throughput genomic data, the multiple comparison problem is most often addressed through estimation of the false discovery rate (FDR), using methods such as the Benjamini & Hochberg, Benjamini & Yekutieli, the q-value method, or in controlling the family-wise error rate (FWER) using Holm's step down method. To date, research studies that have compared various FDR/FWER methodologies have made use of limited simulation studies and/or have applied the methods to one or more microarray gene expression dataset(s). However, for microarray datasets the veracity of each null hypothesis tested is unknown so that an objective evaluation of performance cannot be rendered for application data. Due to the role of methylation in X-chromosome inactivation, we postulate that high-throughput methylation datasets may provide an appropriate forum for assessing the performance of commonly used FDR methodologies. These datasets preserve the complex correlation structure between probes, offering an advantage over simulated datasets. Using several methylation datasets, commonly used FDR methods including the q-value, Benjamini & Hochberg, and Benjamini & Yekutieli procedures as well as Holm's step down method were applied to identify CpG sites that are differentially methylated when comparing healthy males to healthy females. The methods were compared with respect to their ability to identify CpG sites located on sex chromosomes as significant, by reporting the sensitivity, specificity, and observed FDR. These datasets are useful for characterizing the performance of multiple comparison procedures, and may find further utility in other tasks such as comparing variable selection capabilities of classification methods and evaluating the performance of meta-analytic methods for microarray data.