cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SMALL INTESTINAL SUBMUCOSA BLADDER NECK SLINGS FOR INCONTINENCE ASSOCIATED WITH NEUROPATHIC BLADDER

ABSTRACT Purpose: We assess the results using small intestinal submucosa (SIS) for neuropathic urinary incontinence in a large single institutional experience. Ambulatory status was considered as a possible predictor of success. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of patients treated with SIS bladder neck sling procedures for neuropathic urinary incontinence with a leak point pressure less than 25 cm H 2 O and a minimum of 6 months followup. Continence was defined as wet (requiring pads or diapers) or dry (requiring no pads and dry underwear). Patients were classified as ambulatory (able to ambulate without assistance or using braces, crawling at home) or nonambulatory (confined to a wheelchair). Results were analyzed with regard to patient sex, ambulatory status and simultaneous bladder neck repair. Results: A total of 21 females and 15 males 3 to 10 years old (mean age 9 years) were treated with SIS bladder neck slings (sling alone 27, bladder neck repair with SIS sling 9). Slings were performed along with reconstructive surgery in all cases (all had creation of urinary catheterizable channels and simultaneous or prior bladder augmentations). Minimum followup was 6 months (mean 15, range 6 to 42). Overall, 27 of the 36 patients (75%) are dry following bladder neck sling. In patients treated with the sling procedure alone 6 of 8 (75%) nonambulatory females and 8 of 10 (80%) ambulatory females were continent, and 3 of 4 (75%) nonambulatory males and 2 of 5 (40%) ambulatory males were dry. Conclusions: SIS has equivalent rates of continence compared to series using rectus fascia in patients with neuropathic urinary incontinence. The ambulatory status of males should be considered when determining which treatment option is best for the patient with myelodysplasia and neuropathic sphincteric incontinence, as in our series ambulatory males undergoing sling placement alone had a poor outcome.
High-power operation of distributed-feedback resonant-periodic-gain surface-emitting lasers

At any particular wavelength, only the regions in the vicinity of standing-wave maxima canprovide gain required to sustain lasing oscillations, while pumping of regions near the nodesprovides gain for competing longitudinal modes. If the resonator supports only one mode (forexample, in single-mode distributed-feedback edge-emitting lasers), the carriers injected into
Improving therapy for patients with aggressive lymphoma

The outcome for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphomas improved dramatically in the last decade, and the opportunity for improving therapy for patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma exists as we begin to study specific subtypes of the disease. It is entirely possible that patients with different genetic subtypes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma will eventually require different treatments, and the same will be true for patients with subtypes of peripheral T-cell lymphoma. These possibilities will be the focus of clinical investigation over the next decade.
Calibration of a visible polarimeter

The calibration of a visible polarimeter is discussed. Calibration coefficients that provide a complete linear characterization of a polarimeter are represented in this paper by the analyzer vector, where sensor response in counts is given by the dot product of the analyzer vector and the incoming Stokes vector. Using the analyzer vector to represent the effect of the sensor on the incoming Stokes vector, we can include elements of the calibration Stokes vector in the fit used to estimate the analyzer vectors/calibration coefficients. This technique allows us to alleviate some of the strict requirements usually levied on the source used to generate the calibration Stokes vectors, such as source temporal stability. Data will be shown that validate the resultant analyzer vectors/calibration coefficients, using a novel technique with a tilted glass plate. A discussion of how these techniques are applied to IR sensors will also be touched on.
A primal-dual approach to comparative dynamics with time-dependent parameters in variational calculus

By changing the viewpoint of a variational problem so that the time-dependent parameters are the choice variables, this paper presents a dual way of establishing the effects that perturbations in such parameters have on the entire optimal trajectories of the original choice variables. The beauty of this approach is that it provides a qualitative characterization of the effects that perturbations in time-dependent parameters have on the entire optimal trajectories in a symmetric negative semidefinite matrix. Such a characterization is especially important in economics, since nearly all refutable implications in economics can be summarized by such matrices. Furthermore, a one-line proof of a generalized dynamic envelope theorem is achieved via this methodology.
Computation of elastic moduli from interatomic forces

The Born-Huang method of homogeneous deformation is well suited to machine computation of the elastic moduli of a crystal from its interatomic-potential function. The general procedure is described with attention to practical considerations. A comparison is made with the results for solid argon obtained by Barker et al. using the method of long waves, and the agreement is satisfactory. Some extremely simple potential functions are tried for rhombohedral arsenic, antimony, and bismuth and are found to fit the observed elastic moduli moderately well.
Gold is where you find it: Placer mining in North Carolina, 1799-1849

The accidental discovery of a seventeen-pound gold nugget by a trio of adolescents in Cabarrus County, North Carolina in 1799 spurred a fitful gold rush that spread throughout the southeastern United States. From the early 1800s to 1849 the search for the precious metal fomented exploration and various industries along the gold-bearing regions of the Piedmont and eastern Appalachian Mountains from Alabama to Maryland. The focus of the nascent gold industry was off-season, haphazard placer mining by individuals and small family groups who used primitive medieval mining techniques and backbreaking physical labor. By the 1820s, the part-time, untrained farmers, slaves, and "boomers" had depleted the easily found nuggets and lodes in the "branch" streams. New techniques and innovations in machinery were developed by a set of diverse, yet interconnected, events and individuals to bring forth the golden metal. Thus, the gold fields of the Southeastern United States were a proving ground for the placer mining te...
Secretagogue modulation of the response of human neutrophils to chemoattractants: studies with a membrane potential sensitive cyanine dye.

Abstract Degranulating stimuli modulate the chemotactic responsiveness of human neutrophils, with limited secretion increasing binding of the chemoattractant f-mel-leu-phe and vigorous secretion inhibiting binding and chemotaxis. The following studies were undertaken to assess the effect ofdegranulating stimuli on chemoattractant elicited changes in fluorescence of a membrane potential sensitive cyanine dye di-O-C 5 (3). Stimulation of neutrophils (PMNs) with low concentrations of the secretagogues phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) (0.01 ng/ml) or ionophore A23187 (10 −8 M ) produced a transient increase of di-O-C 5 (3) fluorescence, consistent with a membrane hyperpolarization. These concentrations of secretagogues enhanced the fluorescence response produced upon subsequent stimulation of PMNs with f-met-leu-phe. Conversely, high concentrations of PMA (10 ng/ml) or A23187 (5 × 10 −7 M ) produced the same transient apparent hyperpolarization, followed by a large decrease in fluorescence consistent with a depolarization. The latter response was associated with inhibition of the fluorescence response produced subsequently upon addition of f-met-leu-phe. Similarly, cytochalasin B (5 μg/ml) amplified the f-met-leu-phe fluorescence response. In addition, if cells were treated repeatedly with f-met-leu-phe. saturating the normal fluorescence response, subsequent addition of cylochalasin B produced an additional response, after a delay of up to a minute, which closely resembled that normally produced by f-met-leu-phe alone. The results indicate that low concentrations ofdegranulating stimuli increase f-met-leu-phe receptor efficacy for eliciting di-O-C 5 (3) fluorescence changes, while vigorous secretion inhibits receptor efficacy. In addition, the results suggest that alteration of neutrophil plasma membrane ion permeability or the concentration of intracellular ions by degranulating stimuli can modulate the locomotory responsiveness of the cell.
Structure and extinction of convective diffusion flames with general Lewis numbers

Abstract The structure and extinction of quasi-one-dimensional diffusion flames with general Lewis numbers for both fuel and oxidizer are analyzed using large activation energy asymptotics for the model problems of spherically symmetric droplet combustion, counterflow combustion, and stagnation point combustion over a condensed fuel. General matching and jump conditions up to the first order of expansion are derived. It is shown that by suitably redefining certain parameters the structure equations for all cases can be brought to the same form as that of Linan so that his numerically generated extinction Damkohler number correlation can be readily used. Combining this with our own numerical result of the reactant leakage correlation, the extinguishability of a given system can be assessed. The present extinction criterion with general Lewis numbers also provides improved accuracy in the determination of overall kinetic constants through correlation of experimental extinction data.
Comparative processing of allelochemicals in the Papilionidae (Lepidoptera)

Within the family Papilionidae (Lepidoptera), species display a broad range of feeding patterns, from oligophagy on a single hostplant family to polyphagy on over a dozen families. Accompanying this diversity of feeding strategies is a diversity of physiological mechanisms for processing hostplant allelochemicals. Studies on members of this family as well as other Lepidoptera suggest that oligophagy is associated with high activity, in addition to high substrate specificity, of detoxicative enzymes.
Effect of infection and SO2 exposure on nasal and paranasal mucociliary clearance in intact chickens

The hypothesis that homeostatic control mechanisms control mucociliary function in ciliated mucous membrane was tested. Nasal mucociliary transport rates were recorded in chickens in vivo at successive intervals during exposure to SO2 or after inoculation with Newcastle disease virus (NDV), or both. Either agent alone caused deceleration of the turbinate clearance. However, when SO2 exposure was limited to one nasal fossa and turbinate mucociliary rates were determined in the unexposed and infected side, the two acted antagonistically and yielded approximately normal rates. Exposure of the nasal mucosae to SO2 caused decreased rates of sinus clearance, while NDV infection of nasal membranes induced increased rates of sinus clearance. Exposure of nasal mucosae to both agents acted antagonistically to effect rates of sinus clearance in normal ranges. These data support the idea of homeostasis.
Association Between Insulin-Like Growth Factor I and Bone Mineral Density in Older Women and Men: The Framingham Heart Study

Few studies of the GH axis and bone have focused specifically on elderly people. The objective of this study was to determine the association between insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and bone mineral density (BMD) in 425 women and 257 men aged 72–94 who participated in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study component of the Framingham Heart Study in 1992–1993. Serum IGF-I level was determined by RIA. BMD at three femoral sites and the lumbar spine was determined by dual x-ray absorptiometry, and at the radius by single-photon absorptiometry. IGF-I level was positively associated with BMD at all five sites (Ward’s area, femoral neck, trochanter, radius, and lumbar spine) in women after adjustment for weight loss and other factors (P ≤ 0.01) and protein intake in a subset of participants (0.006 < P < 0.07). A threshold effect of higher BMD was evident at each of the 3 femoral sites and the spine (P < 0.03) but not at the radius for women in the highest quintile of IGF-I (≥179 g/liter) vs. those in the lowest...
Public–Private Partnerships in a Texas Municipality The Case of the City of Houston Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones

This article examines the public–private partnerships' (PPPs') processes, governance structures, financing, and promotion strategies through tax increment reinvestment zones' (TIRZs') provision in ...
Infants' reasoning about opaque and transparent occluders in an individuation task.

There has been some debate about whether infants 10 months and younger can use featural information to individuate objects. The present research tested the hypothesis that negative results obtained with younger infants reflect limitations in information processing capacities rather than the inability to individuate objects based on featural differences. Infants aged 9.5 months saw one object (i.e. a ball) or two objects (i.e. a box and a ball) emerge successively to opposite sides of an opaque occluder. Infants then saw a single ball either behind a transparent occluder or without an occluder. Only the infants who saw the ball behind the transparent occluder correctly judged that the one-ball display was inconsistent with the box-ball sequence. These results suggest that: (a) infants categorize events involving opaque and transparent occluders as the same kind of physical situation (i.e. occlusion) and (b) support the notion that infants are more likely to give evidence of object individuation when they need to reason about one kind of event (i.e. occlusion) than when they must retrieve and compare categorically distinct events (i.e. occlusion and no-occlusion).
Stellar magnetic activity, rotation and convection

The study of stellar magnetic activity, rotation, and convection is an important current research topic which is relevant to the study of stellar oscillations, in terms of both subject matter and to some extent observational techniques. The properties of both activity and oscillations depend on the structure and dynamics of stellar interiors, so that information gained in the study of one is applicable to the other. Bs an important example, stellar oscillation data can in principle yield a depth—averaged value of the star’s rotation; by combining this with a measure of the surface rotation rate we may obtain information about the star’s differential rotation with depth—-a property generally believed to be fundamental to the generation of magnetic fields in stellar interiors.
Coliphage T2 neutralization by 7S antibody and C1

Abstract Neutralization of bacteriophage T2 by 19S and 7S fractions or rabbit antisera was studied in the presence and absence of isolated human C1. Neutralization by 19S antibody is not effected by addition of C1. Neutralization of the phage by 7S antibody, however, is markedly increased by addition of C1. Ammonia treatment of both the 7S antibody and the C1 preparations to inactive C4 did not reduce the ability of C1 to enhance neutralization. Heat treatment of C1 at 56°C for 30 min, however, did inactivate the enhancing factor as did treatment with EDTA. When added individually in the presence of antibody, the other isolated C components (C4, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) were ineffective in the neutralization of T2.
Man-made geothermal energy source

Abstract The energy of the magma formed by underground thermonuclear explosions can be abstracted to generate electrical power by utilizing a heat exchanger.
Effects of moisture and temperature on the tensile strength of composite materials

The ultimate tensile strengths of Thornel 300/Fiberite 1034 graphite epoxy composites were measured with material temperatures ranging from 200 K to 422 K and moisture contents from 0% (dry) to 1.5...
“The Wholeness of Things”: Infusing Diversity and Social Justice into Death Education:

This article presents resources and strategies for the infusion of diversity and social justice themes into an undergraduate death and dying course. The intent is not to replace or dismiss existing thanatological insights and debates, but rather to widen the cultural perspective to bring these insights and debates into conversation with multiple ways of perceiving and understanding. The article covers definitions, goals and rationales, challenges in identifying and developing appropriate resources, and overall course design. It also explores readings, audiovisual materials, class activities, and pedagogical approaches to foster: student engagement with diverse world-views and experiences; understanding of “cultural competence” in various fields; awareness of the impact of race, class, gender, etc., on access to resources and care; commitment to activism for social justice; and exposure to many forms of resilience, meaning-making, and creative healing.… whenever there was a death in the village, she was th...
Occurrence of Other Reproductive Failures Among Women With Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion

: We have previously reported an association between recurrent spontaneous abortion and ectopic pregnancy. We now report that not only ectopic pregnancy, but also other reproductive failures including hydatidiform moles, preterm births, and stillbirths are also associated with recurrent spontaneous abortion. The obstetrical histories of 455 women who had experienced two or more consecutive spontaneous abortions were studied for the occurrence of term births, preterm births, stillbirths, spontaneous abortions, ectopic pregnancies, and hydatidiform moles. The observed frequencies of these reproductive outcomes were compared with the expected frequencies of 920 term births, 80 preterm births, five stillbirths, 150 spontaneous abortions, 14.5 ectopic pregnancies and 0.5 molar pregnancies per 1,000 livebirths. The 455 women had experienced 1,968 pregnancies of which 184 were term births, 30 were preterm births, 16 were stillbirths, 1,669 were spontaneous abortions, 63 were ectopic pregnancies, and six were molar pregnancies. The ratio of observed to expected values was term births 0.1, preterm births 1.6, stillbirths 14.0, spontaneous abortion 6.6, ectopic pregnancy 2.6, and molar pregnancy 7.1. The gravid specific proportions of reproductive outcomes were constant suggesting comorbidity or common cause(s). The commonality that links these types of reproductive failure will provide insight into the mechanisms of reproductive wastage.
Ultimate tensile strength of composites exhibiting fiber fragmentation

An estimate of the achievable longitudinal strength of fiber-reinforced composite systems is provided by models that are based on fiber fragmentation, interface sliding and global load sharing. A simple model is shown to provide a compact expression for the longitudinal strength and to closely approximate the values obtained from more detailed comprehensive approaches.
Anticipatory Socialization Toward College as a Factor in Adolescent Marijuana Use

This paper seeks to help explain why such a flagrant and heavily penalized form of deviance as marijuana use should occur among otherwise conforming middle-class youth. Finding most theories of deviance inappropriate to this particular phenomenon, the study employs the anticipatory socialization theory and tests the hypothesis that college-oriented high school students, perceiving marijuana use as part of a collegiate style of life, will be more likely to have used marijuana than will high school students not expecting to go to college. A “Scale of Anticipatory Socialization Toward College” was found to be strongly predictive of marijuana use for boys of upper socioeconomic status and for students claiming no formal religious affiliation; it was mildly predictive for the religiously affiliated and for those from middle socioeconomic status; but it had no predictive power for girls or for students from blue-collar socioeconomic status.
A ten-year evaluation of an atypical software environment

The paper presents the evaluation of an atypical software environment that provides comprehensive automated support throughout all phases of the life-cycle. The environment has been operational for a decade; it has been used to implement and maintain a variety of large and complex systems. The paper establishes three criteria for examining atypical environments: the ability to support the process tasks, the ability to support large-scale projects and the ability to improve productivity. Four characterising measures for appraising an environment's impact on productivity are identified, and the software environment is evaluated with respect to these criteria.
National Surveillance of Nosocomial Blood Stream Infection Due to Candida albicans: Frequency of Occurrence and Antifungal Susceptibility in the SCOPE Program

Abstract Surveillance of nosocomial blood stream infections (BSI) in the USA between April 1995 and June 1996 revealed that Candida was the fourth leading cause of nosocomial BSI, accounting for 8% of all infections. Fifty-two percent of 379 episodes of candidemia were due to Candida albicans . In vitro susceptibility studies using the 1997 National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards reference method demonstrated that 92% of C. albicans isolates were susceptible to 5-fluorocytosine and 90% were susceptible to fluconazole and itraconazole. Geographic variation in susceptibility to fluconazole and itraconazole was observed. Isolates from the Northwest and Southeast regions were more frequently resistant to fluconazole (13.3–15.5%) and to itraconazole (17.2–20.0%) than those from the Northeast and Southwest regions (2.9–5.5% resistant to fluconazole and itraconazole). Continued surveillance for infections caused by C. albicans and other species of Candida among hospitalized patients is recommended.
Pseudospectral simulation of turbulent viscoelastic channel flow

Abstract The methodology and validation of direct numerical simulations of viscoelastic turbulent channel flow are presented here. Using differential constitutive models derived from kinetic and network theories, numerical simulations have demonstrated drag reduction for various values of the parameters, under conditions where there is a substantial increase in the extensional viscosity compared to the shear viscosity (Sureshkumar, Beris, Handler, Direct numerical simulation of turbulent channel flow of a polymer solution, Phys. Fluids 9 (1997) 743–755 and Dimitropoulos, Sureshkumar, Beris, Direct numerical simulation of viscoelastic turbulent channel flow exhibiting drag reduction: effect of the variation of rheological parameters, J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 79 (1998) 433–468). In this work, new results pertaining to the Reynolds stress and the pressure are presented, and the convergence of the pseudospectral algorithm utilized in the simulations, as well as its parallel implementation, are discussed in detail. It is shown that the lack of mesh refinement, or the use of a larger value for the artificial stress diffusivity used to stabilize the conformation tensor evolution equations, introduce small quantitative errors which qualitatively have the effect of lowering the drag reduction capability of the simulated fluid. However, an insufficient size of the periodic computational domain can also introduce errors in certain cases, which albeit usually small, can qualitatively alter various features of the solution.
Lower bound for the communication volume required for an optically interconnected array of points

The information-carrying capacity of optical fields is usually stated in terms of an area density as being related to communication through a surface. We render these well-understood results in a form such that they can be interpreted as a volume-density limit, applicable to an arbitrary array of points communicating with one another. An important example of such a situation is an optically interconnected computing system. We show that regardless of their actual spread or mutual overlap, optical communication links may be viewed as solid wires of minimum cross section λ2/2π for the purpose of calculating bounds on volumes and cross sections. Thus the results of area–volume complexity theory for solid wires are also applicable to optically communicating systems. The maximum number of binary pulses that may be in transit in an optical communication network occupying volume V is found to be ρ2πV/λ3, ρ denoting the modulation bandwidth normalized by the carrier frequency. Previously suggested optical-interconnection schemes are discussed in this context.
Association of Scissor-Tailed Flycatchers (Tyrannus forficatus) With Specific Land-Cover Types In South-Central Texas

Abstract Scissor-tailed Flycatchers (Tyrannus forficatus) are insectivorous Neotropical migrants that breed in the south-central United States. We examined their fine-scale (circles 300 m in radius centered on observed flycatcher locations) associations with different land cover types in south-central Texas. Scissor-tailed Flycatchers use a sit-and-scan foraging strategy; therefore, we expected the species would be positively associated with open land cover types (vegetation with little or no canopy) such as grassland, pasture/hayfield and cropland, and negatively associated with forest and shrubland given that the latter could obstruct visual scanning. We conducted 44 surveys from 9 May 2011 to 15 December 2011 by slowly driving (30 km/h) rural roads throughout 15 counties in south-central Texas and 3 near the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Using ArcGIS, we quantified the percent cover of four general land cover types (urban/developed land, forest/shrub, grassland/pasture/hay, and cropland) within 300 m of...
Quantitative determination of intracellular depolymerase activity in Pseudomonas oleovorans inclusions containing poly‐3‐hydroxyalkanoates with long alkyl substituents

Research regarding the accurate, quantitative degradation of novel poly-3-hydroxyalkanoates has been restricted by the absence of an appropriate monitoring technique. The calibration of a gas chromatograph to poly-3-hydroxyalkanoate reveals a linear relationship between the area under gas chromatograph tracings and polymer weight. With this new method, poly-3-hydroxyactanoate granules isolated from Pseudomonas oleovorans, which were incubated at 30°C in an alkaline buffer, exhibited a linear degradation rate. Degradation was inhibited by the presence of Triton X-100 and phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride. The depolymerase was demonstrated to be associated with the polymer granule complex and most likely possessed serine residues at its active site.
Iron deficiency in rats decreases acquisition of and suppresses responding for cocaine

Abstract Iron deficiency impairs nigrostriatal and mesolimbic dopamine systems by causing decreased densities of D 1 and D 2 receptors and the dopamine transporter in the terminal fields, caudate–putamen and nucleus accumbens. Iron deficiency also causes deficits in dopamine-related pharmacological indices, e.g., deficits in locomotor stimulation by cocaine and locomotor inhibition by raclopride. Based on this knowledge, we hypothesized that iron deficiency would have a major impact on cocaine self-administration. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were fed an iron-deficient diet starting at weaning (Day 21) and continuing throughout the experiment. At 57–58 days of age, all animals had catheters implanted surgically into the jugular vein. Approximately 2 weeks later, all animals were trained to lick an empty spout for intravenous cocaine, delivered by infusion pump at 0.33 mg/kg. During the course of training, all animals acquired intravenous cocaine self-administration, however, the course of acquisition was significantly slower for the iron-deficient animals. When tested for responding on a progressive ratio (PR) schedule, the control animals maintained a constant number of infusions, whereas the responding of the iron-deficient animals fell off sharply. When the dose of cocaine was decreased, control, but not iron-deficient adjusted the amount administered by increasing the number of infusions. Finally, the failure to respond by the iron-deficient animals was not simply due to a failure to lick (i.e., a motor impairment), because both the iron-deficient and the control animals emitted approximately 1000 licks/20 min session when given free access to a palatable 0.1 M sucrose solution. Taken together, the data show that severe iron deficiency early in life can diminish the capacity of cocaine, but not sucrose to reinforce behavior. The question raised by this research thus, is whether iron deficiency alters hedonic-like responses only to dopamine-related behaviors and the degree to which willingness to “work” contributes to the effect.
Partial upper re-sternotomy for aortic valve replacement or re-replacement after previous cardiac surgery.

Objective: We developed techniques for ‘inverted T’ partial upper re-sternotomy for aortic valve replacement (AVR) or re-replacement (AVreR) after previous cardiac surgery. We previously reported on decreased blood loss, transfusion requirements and total operative duration when compared to conventional full re-sternotomy. This report updates our series, one of the few to document a substantial benefit from a ‘minimally-invasive’ approach, refines a number of technical aspects of this new approach and reports follow-up. Methods: Between November 1996 and December 1999, we performed 34 AVRs or AVreRs after previous cardiac surgery by use of an ‘inverted T’ partial upper re-sternotomy. There were 25 (74%) men. Median ejection fraction was 54%, range 15‐80%. Median age was 72, range 38‐93. All were New York Heart Association functional class (NYHA) functional class II or III. Twenty-one (62%) had previous coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) while 14 (41%) had previous valve surgery. Follow-up was 100% complete for a total of 593 patient months (median 19 months). Results: Twenty-three (66%) underwent AVR of the native aortic valve while 11 (33%) underwent AVreR of a prosthetic aortic valve. There were no intraoperative or valve-related complications, and no conversion to full re-sternotomy was necessary. There were two (5.9%) operative deaths from an arrhythmia on postoperative day 4 and a large stroke during surgery, respectively. Twenty-four (75%) patients were free of major complications. There was no need for reoperation for bleeding and patients required a median of two units of packed red blood cells. Complications included new atrial fibrillation (na 3, 9%), pacemaker implantation (na 3, 9%) and deep sternal wound infection (na 2, 6%). Median lengths of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) and in the hospital were 1 and 7 days, respectively. There was one (3%) late deep sternal wound infection and 2/32 (6%) late deaths due to congestive heart failure at 22 months and myocardial infarction at 23 months, respectively. Conclusions: Partial upper re-sternotomy presents a safe and effective alternative approach to AVR and AVreR after previous cardiac surgery, and is associated with low morbidity and mortality. q 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
An innovative RTP-based residential power scheduling scheme for smart grids

This paper proposes a Real-Time Pricing (RTP)-based power scheduling scheme as demand response for residential power usage. In this scheme, the Energy Management Controller (EMC) in each home and the service provider form a Stackelberg game, in which the EMC who schedules appliances' operation plays the follower level game, and the provider who sets the real-time prices according to current power usage profile plays the leader level game. The sequential equilibrium is obtained through the information exchange between them. Simulation results indicate that our scheme can not only save money for consumers, but also reduce peak load and the variance between demand and supply, while avoiding the “rebound” peak problem.
Relationship marketing of services—growing interest, emerging perspectives

Relationship marketing is an old idea but a new focus now at the forefront of services marketing practice and academic research. The impetus for its development has come from the maturing of services marketing with the emphasis on quality, increased recognition of potential benefits for the firm and the customer, and technological advances. Accelerating interest and active research are extending the concept to incorporate newer, more sophisticated viewpoints. Emerging perspectives explored here include targeting profitable customers, using the strongest possible strategies for customer bonding, marketing to employees and other stakeholders, and building trust as a marketing tool. Although relationship marketing is developing, more research is needed before it reaches maturity. A baker’s dozen of researchable questions suggests some future directions.
Image Denoising using Locally Learned Dictionaries

In this paper we discuss a novel patch-based framework for image denoising through local geometric representations of an image. We learn local data adaptive bases that best capture the underlying geometric information from noisy image patches. To do so we first identify regions of similar structure in the given image and group them together. This is done by the use of meaningful features in the form of local kernels that capture similarities between pixels in a neighborhood. We then learn an informative basis (called a dictionary) for each cluster that best describes the patches in the cluster. Such a data representation can be achieved by performing a simple principal component analysis (PCA) on the member patches of each cluster. The number of principal components to consider in a particular cluster is dictated by the underlying geometry captured by the cluster and the strength of the corrupting noise. Once a dictionary is defined for a cluster, each patch in the cluster is denoised by expressing it as a linear combination of the dictionary elements. The coefficients of such a linear combination for any particular patch is determined in a regression framework using the local dictionary for the cluster. Each step of our method is well motivated and is shown to minimize some cost function. We then present an iterative extension of our algorithm that results in further performance gain. We validate our method through experiments with simulated as well as real noisy images. These indicate that our method is able to produce results that are quantitatively and qualitatively comparable to those obtained by some of the recently proposed state of the art denoising techniques.
Fatigue analysis of flip chip assemblies using thermal stress simulations and a Coffin-Manson relation

The authors outline a methodology to predict fatigue life of flip chip bonds under thermal cycling conditions. First, finite-element simulations are used to estimate the assembly stiffness for the chip/substrate configurations. Next, the assembly stiffness is used with a constitutive relation to the solder to simulate stress-strain hysteresis loops under various conditions of ramp rate, dwell time, and temperature range. Finally, the mean cycles to failure are correlated with the creep strain per cycle using a simple Coffin-Manson relation. The analysis procedure does not rely on empirical relations to account for temperature and frequency effects; hence, extrapolation to field use conditions can be done with greater confidence. Since finite-element simulations are used to characterize the joint/assembly interaction, three-dimensional loading effects and local expansion mismatches are accounted for. The methodology can also be extended to power cycling conditions, which have the additional complication of temperature gradients in the structure. >
Reversal of Glial and Neurovascular Markers of Unhealthy Brain Aging by Exercise in Middle-Aged Female Mice

Healthy brain aging and cognitive function are promoted by exercise. The benefits of exercise are attributed to several mechanisms, many which highlight its neuroprotective role via actions that enhance neurogenesis, neuronal morphology and/or neurotrophin release. However, the brain is also composed of glial and vascular elements, and comparatively less is known regarding the effects of exercise on these components in the aging brain. Here, we show that aerobic exercise at mid-age decreased markers of unhealthy brain aging including astrocyte hypertrophy, a hallmark of brain aging. Middle-aged female mice were assigned to a sedentary group or provided a running wheel for six weeks. Exercise decreased hippocampal astrocyte and myelin markers of aging but increased VEGF, a marker of angiogenesis. Brain vascular casts revealed exercise-induced structural modifications associated with improved endothelial function in the periphery. Our results suggest that age-related astrocyte hypertrophy/reactivity and myelin dysregulation are aggravated by a sedentary lifestyle and accompanying reductions in vascular function. However, these effects appear reversible with exercise initiated at mid-age. As this period of the lifespan coincides with the appearance of multiple markers of brain aging, including initial signs of cognitive decline, it may represent a window of opportunity for intervention as the brain appears to still possess significant vascular plasticity. These results may also have particular implications for aging females who are more susceptible than males to certain risk factors which contribute to vascular aging.
Minimum Bayes Error Feature Selection for Continuous Speech Recognition

We consider the problem of designing a linear transformation θ ∈ Rp × n, of rank p ≤ n, which projects the features of a classifier x ∈ Rn onto y = θx ∈ Rp such as to achieve minimum Bayes error (or probability of misclassification). Two avenues will be explored: the first is to maximize the θ-average divergence between the class densities and the second is to minimize the union Bhattacharyya bound in the range of θ. While both approaches yield similar performance in practice, they outperform standard LDA features and show a 10% relative improvement in the word error rate over state-of-the-art cepstral features on a large vocabulary telephony speech recognition task.
Theoretical foundations for an engineering measurement of ease of detachment of individual fruits from a tree at harvest time

Abstract Mechanization of tree fruit crops has increased interest in optimum timing of harvests and in specifications of potential harvesters. A central parameter is the ease of detaching the fruit, a measurement which has not been theoretically explored. This paper shows the effects of force and time in three different methods of removing individual fruit.
Synthesis and characterization of a family of M2+ complexes supported by a trianionic ONO3− pincer-type ligand: towards the stabilization of high-spin square-planar complexes

High-spin square-planar molecular compounds are rare. In an effort to access this unique combination of geometry and spin state, we report the synthesis of a series of M(II) compounds stabilized by a trianionic pincer-type ligand, highlighting the formation of a high-spin square-planar Co(II) complex. Low-temperature, variable-frequency EPR measurements reveal that the ground electronic state of the Co(II) analogue is a highly anisotropic Kramers doublet (effective g values 7.35, 2.51, 1.48). This doublet can be identified with the lowest doublet of a quartet, S = 3/2 spin state that exhibits a very large ZFS, D ≥ 50 cm−1. The observation of an effective g value considerably greater than the largest spin-only value 6, demonstrates that the orbital angular moment is essentially unquenched along one spatial direction. Density Functional Theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT calculations reveal the electronic configurations of the ground and excited orbital states. A qualitative crystal field description of the geff tensor shows that it originates from the spin–orbit coupling acting on states obtained through the transfer of a β electron from the doubly occupied xy to the singly-occupied {xz/yz} orbitals.
Effect of reaction conditions on the molecular weight and polydispersity of linear poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide)s prepared from an AB monomer

A thorough study of the polymerization behavior of 4-fluoro-4′-hydroxytriphenyl-phosphine oxide, 2, under nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions has been carried out. The synthesis of 2 was achieved in excellent yields by the reaction of bis(4-fluorophenyl)phenylphosphine oxide, 1, with one equivalent of potassium hydroxide in DMSO/water. The structure and purity of 2 were confirmed via 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR spectroscopy along with elemental analysis. Polymerization reactions of 2 in NMP or DMSO at 180 °C provided the corresponding linear poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide)s, PAEPOs, with number average molecular weights, Mn, ranging from 11,700 to 36,500 Da. All of the polymer samples were completely soluble in chloroform, tetrahydrofuran, DMSO, NMP, and DMAc. The polymerization reactions were accompanied by a competing intramolecular process that resulted in the formation of cyclic oligomeric species that were removed via a final precipitation from methanol. Analysis using 31P NMR spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) confirmed that the majority of the lower molecular weight cyclic species were removed via this process. The polymer samples formed tough films when chloroform solutions were slowly evaporated on a glass slide. The PAEPO samples prepared in this study exhibited excellent thermal stability with Td (5%) values between 503 and 542 in air while the glass transition temperatures ranged from 223 to 237 °C. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2099–2106, 2006
25-Day Period Large-Scale Oscillations in the Argentine Basin Revealed by the TOPEX/POSEIDON Altimeter

The measurement of the global sea surface height made by the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite has provided the first synoptic view of large-scale oceanic variability at intraseasonal scales from weeks to months. Areas of significant intraseasonal variability were found primarily in the Tropics and the high-latitude oceans, the Southern Ocean in particular. The focus of the paper is the finding of large-scale oscillations at a period of 25 days in the Argentine Basin of the South Atlantic Ocean. These oscillations exhibit a dipole pattern of counterclockwise rotational propagation centered at 458S, 3178E over the Zapiola Rise. The scale of the dipole is about 1000 km. The peak-to-trough amplitude is on the order of 10 cm. The amplitude of these oscillations has large seasonalto-interannual variations. These oscillations are shown to be associated with a free barotropic mode of the basin as a solution to a linearized barotropic vorticity equation. Closed f/H contours provide a mechanism for the confinement of the waves to the topographic feature of the Zapiola Rise. Results from a numerical model simulation reproduced the patterns of the observed oscillations. The resultant mass transport variability is on the order of 50 Sv (Sv [ 106 m3 s21). Deep current meters in the Argentine Basin reveal signals consistent with the altimetry observations.
Stretch-dependent activation and desensitization of mitogen-activated protein kinase in carotid arteries

Arterial smooth muscle stretch is an important physiological modulator of vascular function. To identify intracellular processes altered during muscle stretch, we found previously that extracellula...
Cortex necessary for pain — but not in sense that matters

Certain cortical regions are necessary for pain in humans in the sense that, at particular times, they play a direct role in pain. However, it is not true that they are necessary in the more important sense that pain is never possible in humans without them. There are additional details from human lesion studies concerning functional plasticity that undermine Key’s (2016) interpretation. Moreover, no one has yet identified any specific behaviors that mammalian cortical pain regions make possible that are absent in fish.
Interest Group Conflict Over Medicaid Expansion: The Surprising Impact of Public Advocates.

Objectives. We examined the potential economic, policy, and political influences on the decisions of the 50 US states to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.Methods. We related a measure of relative state progress toward Medicaid expansion updated to 2015 to each state’s economic circumstances, established policy frameworks in states, partisan control of state government, and lobbyists for businesses, medical professionals, unions, and public interest organizations.Results. The 9201 lobbyists working on health care reform in state capitols exerted a strong and significant impact on Medicaid expansion. Controlling for confounding factors (including partisanship and existing policy frameworks), we found that business and professional lobbyists exerted a negative effect on state Medicaid expansion and, unexpectedly, that public interest advocates exerted a positive effect.Conclusions. There are 3.1 million adults who lack coverage because they live in the 20 states that refused to expand Medicaid. ...
Minor Anesthesia-Related Events During Radiofrequency Ablation for Barrett’s Esophagus Are Associated with an Increased Number of Treatment Sessions

There is limited data regarding the prevalence and clinical impact of sedation-related adverse events (SRAEs) during radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for dysplastic Barrett’s esophagus (BE). Our primary aim was to measure SRAE during RFA. Secondary aims were to identify risk factors for adverse events, and to determine whether SRAEs impacted the number of RFA treatments to achieve complete eradication of dysplasia (CE-D). We conducted a retrospective analysis of 120 consecutive patients undergoing initial RFA for dysplastic BE between 2008 and 2014. The main outcome measures were SRAEs and the number of RFA sessions required to achieve CE-D. Of 120 initial RFA procedures, 83 % were performed with MAC and 17 % with GET. SRAEs occurred in 32 %, including 25 % of MAC patients (25/100) and 65 % (12/20) GET patients. The most frequent SRAE was hypotension (23 %, n = 27/120), followed by hypoxia (n = 9/120), arrhythmia (n = 4/120), and one unplanned intubation. There were no premature procedure terminations. After adjusting for length of BE mucosa and ASA score, the occurrence of a SRAE was associated with requiring more (>4) RFA sessions to achieve CE-D, OR 3.45 (95 % CI 1.49–7.99). Mean RFA sessions required to achieve CE-D was 5 ± 1 in patients with SRAE, compared to 3 ± 0.7 in patients without SRAE during the first treatment session (p < 0.001). SRAE during RFA for dysplastic BE occurs at a rate typical of other advanced endoscopic procedures. Patients who experience minor events related to anesthesia during the first RFA are likely to require more RFA treatment sessions to achieve CE-D.
Collagen-binding of von Willebrand's factor antigen in the classification of von Willebrand's disease.

Analysis of the multimeric structure of von Willebrand’s factor (vWf) was compared with vWf-binding to collagen in subjects’ plasma. The percentage binding of vWf to collagen was determined by both an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method and quantitative Immunoelectrophoresis. Normal subjects, type 1 von Willebrand’s disease (vWd), and type II vWd were studied. The authors have found by correlating collagen-binding results with multimeric analysis that normal controls exhibit 85.4 ± 5.1% collagen absorption of their vWf, patients with type I vWd 80.8 ± 5.3%, whereas patients exhibiting a deficiency of high molecular weight vWf have 32.3 ± 16.6% collagen absorption of vWf. The results suggest that this functional assay of vWf can be used in the classification of vWd and in the detection of new dysfunctional forms of vWf.