cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Outcomes of Mosaic Versus Perimount Mitral Replacements: 17-Year Follow-Up of 940 Implants.

Background The objective of this study was to compare long-term outcomes of Mosaic (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) porcine mitral valves to Carpentier-Edwards (Edwards Lifesciences, Irving, CA) bovine pericardial mitral valves. Methods From 2001 through 2017 at a single institution, 940 patients received a mitral bioprosthesis, of which 463 (49.3%) were porcine and 477 (50.7%) were bovine pericardial. Retrospective review of the procedure and the postoperative clinical course, including echocardiography, through August 2018 were analyzed. All consecutive mitral valve replacements over the study period were included. Follow-up was 99% (929 patients) complete for a total of 6045 patient-years (mean, 6.4 ± 4.5 years). A propensity-matched cohort of 802 mitral bioprosthesis was used for outcome analyses. Results Operative mortality of the 940 patients was 5.4% (n = 51) and incidence of postoperative stroke was 2.1% (n = 20). Overall survival of the propensity-matched patients at 10 and 15 years was 49.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 45.5%-53.7%) and 23.3% (95% CI 17.9%-29.3%), respectively. Survival at 15 years was 24.0% (95% CI 18.0%-30.5%) for porcine and 16.5% (95% CI 5.5%-32.6%) for bovine implants, which was not significantly different (P = .67). Overall cumulative incidence for reoperative structural valve deterioration at 15 years was 7.9% (95% CI 4.7%-12.3%) for porcine valves versus 13.2% (95% CI 8.1%-19.5%) for pericardial valves (P Conclusions In long-term follow-up, of patients younger than 65 years of age undergoing mitral valve replacement, bovine pericardial valves experienced earlier and more frequent structural valve deterioration than porcine valves.
Entropy-Constrained Maximizing Mutual Information Quantization.

In this paper, we investigate the quantization of the output of a binary input discrete memoryless channel that maximizing the mutual information between the input and the quantized output under an entropy-constrained of the quantized output. A polynomial time algorithm is introduced that can find the truly global optimal quantizer. These results hold for binary input channels with an arbitrary number of quantized output. Finally, we extend these results to binary input continuous output channels and show a sufficient condition such that a single threshold quantizer is an optimal quantizer. Both theoretical results and numerical results are provided to justify our techniques.
Modeling of a tunable memory device made with a double-gate MoS2 FET and graphene floating gate

Electronic devices comprising low-temperature processed 2D materials can be utilized in back-end-of-line nonvolatile memory and logic applications, to augment conventional silicon technology. A promising structure for a low-temperature processed digital nonvolatile flash memory device and/or logic device is the double-gate MoS2 FET with a graphene floating gate and a thin h-BN gate dielectric serving as a tunneling dielectric. In this work, we show that experimental hysteretic current–voltage characteristics of this digital flash memory device can be well fit by a simple and effective physics-based model using a WKB approximation to calculate the tunneling current to the graphene floating gate and a capacitive network with 2D density-of-states to calculate the channel current flowing in the MoS2 channel. Accordingly, the model allows a device designer to predict and/or tune characteristics for this memory device, e.g., the width and center-position of the hysteresis loop as well as the value of source–drain current, as a function of both the bottom (control) gate and top (FET) gate voltages. It is noted that shifting of the center-position of the hysteresis loop enables improved reliability and functionality of the memory device in circuit applications and is a unique feature of this double-gated MoS2 FET. Overall, the demonstrated ability to well model this memory device lends further credence that 2D devices could augment silicon technology.
Capital Accessibility, Gender, and Ethnicity: The Case of Minority Women-owned Firms

Minority women continue to make significant gains in economic activity, particularly as entrepreneurs through the creation of small businesses. Despite this increased role in small business activity and an admirable rate of success, minority women-owned businesses continue to experience problems in acquiring capital. This difficulty, which some have attributed to discriminatory practices, forces a large number of these businesses to rely on governmental support programs for assistance in meeting their capital needs. Building on the idea that things are not as simple as commonly presented, a case is made that access to capital for women-owned businesses is affected by a number of other factors tied to the inability to join important networks.
Acceleration behavior of drivers in a platoon.

A new dual-regime acceleration model was developed to represent the acceleration behavior of drivers in a platoon of vehicles. Two sets of field data collected by aerial photographic techniques were used to assess the validity of the proposed and existing acceleration models. A single regime acceleration model failed to present the acceleration behavior of drivers. The field data indicated that at around 13 m/sec the acceleration rate drops. Thus, two different acceleration rates, higher acceleration rate at lower speeds and lower acceleration rate at higher speeds, were used to provide the best fit to the data. This provided realistic acceleration behavior of drivers in a platoon. The field data sets were collected about 10 years apart. The improvements in acceleration capability of a platoon of vehicles from two different time periods were determined. Improvements in performance of vehicles were quantified using the above mentioned field data. The method of quantification can also be used to predict and model the performance of vehicles currently in use. Inversely, current vehicles can be downgraded to represent vehicles of past years and thus make use of already collected data. Important uses of the dual regime model are in modeling the traffic flow behavior and designing roadway elements that depend on acceleration behavior of drivers.
Electrophysiological evidence for the flexibility of lexical processing

Publisher Summary This chapter presents pervasive influence of sentence-level context. The sentence-level context effects are seen in the same experimental tasks that yield associative context and frequency effects, the question arises as to which, if any, of these effects originates in the lexicon. This leads to the more general question concerning the constituents of a “lexical entry”: abstract orthographic and/or phonemic information only, the syntactic category of the word, and some basic semantic information. The process that yields frequency effects for words presented in isolation is neither mandatory nor immune to sentence-level context. The influence of sentence-level context can be as powerful and act as early as that of a single lexically associated word, and sentence context can be used to pick out the appropriate core meaning of an ambiguous word without first passing through an early stage of indiscriminate semantic activation.
Analysis of Metagenomic Data

In this chapter, we first briefly introduce the background of next-generation sequencing metagenomics, including the special properties in this research field and the challenges for statistical analysis. A metagenomic study typically consists of sampling, filtering, DNA extraction, sequencing, binning, assembly, profiling and down-stream analysis. We describe the widely used statistical methods in determining the sufficiency of a metagenomic sample size, or classifying metagenomic sequencing reads into taxonomic bins, or assessing the accuracy of metagenomic assembly. In addition, we outline the steps and statistical methods for correcting the systematic errors in metagenomic profiling. Last, statistical methods for metagenomic comparison are discussed, including both parametric and non-parametric methods for comparison among different groups of multiple samples. The multiple comparison problem is also simply discussed.
Inflation with variable Ω

Abstract We propose a simple version of chaotic inflation which leads to a division of the universe into infinitely many open universes with all possible values of Ω from 1 to 0.
The Exstrophy–Epispadias Complex

Bladder exstrophy is an uncommon congenital anomaly and is currently considered one of the urgent conditions in the domain of pediatric urology early repair is felt to increase the chance for urinary continence and reduce the morbidity associated with anatomic reconstruction of this congenital anomaly of the genitourinary tract. Anatomic reconstruction in the neonatal period is the current preferred surgical approach to exstrophy.
2-[2-(2-Pyrid-yl)eth-yl]isoindolinium perchlorate.

In the title salt, C15H17N2+·ClO4−, the isoindoline N atom is protonated and an intra­molecular N—H⋯N hydrogen bond occurs. In the crystal, N—H⋯O and numerous weak C—H⋯O inter­actions occur between the cation and anion. The O atoms of the perchlorate anion are disordered over four sets of sites with occupancies of 0.438 (4), 0.270 (9), 0.155 (8) and 0.138 (5).
Influence of Long-Term Capital Gains on Individual Amt

This article reviews alternative minimum tax history and calculates marginal federal tax rates on long term capital gains under the 2002 and 2003 tax law system. In addition 14 state tax rates are assessed for 2003. The authors' results indicate that marginal tax rates for moderately high-income taxpayers are substantially higher than the 20 percent federal statutory rate indicated in 2002 and the 15 percent federal statutory rate i n 20093. State results indicate significant horizontal inequities depending on the rate of state taxation on additional LTCG. This divergence from federal statutory LTCG rates is primarily a result of the phaseout of exemptions and deductions and, most prevalently, the fall into the AMT system.,
Employability skills for entry-level employees with and without disabilities: A comparison between the perspectives of educators and employers

The purpose of this study was to investigate educators' and employers' perspectives on general employability skills for individuals with and without disabilities. A total of 115 educators and 168 employers participated in the study by completing a survey. It was found that some employability skills are valued by both educators and employers for all entry-level employees, while noteworthy discrepancies existed between educators and employers with regard to their expectations for individuals with disabilities. Implications of these findings for school are discussed.
The Effect of North Pacific Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies on the January Climate of a General Circulation Model

Abstract Four perpetual January integrations of an atmospheric general circulation model have been performed, in each of which a different sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly was specified in the North Pacific. The observed SST anomaly for the 1976/77 winter was chosen as the basic anomaly, and 1200-day runs were carded out in which this anomaly was multiplied by ±1 and ±2. A fifth run was performed which combined the basic midlatitude SST anomaly from 1976/77 with a tropical Pacific SST anomaly representative of the mature phase of a warm El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) episode. An ensemble of eight, independent 90-day averaged realizations was extracted from each simulation. Maps of ensemble-mean differences from the model climatology are presented in this paper, together with estimates of the statistical significance of some of the features which appear on these maps. The model response to the basic SST anomaly and to twice the basic SST anomaly is a midiatitude teleconnection pattern, the Pacifi...
Recurrence of immunoglobulin A-κ crystalline deposition disease after kidney transplantation

Abstract Cases of immunoglobulin A heavy chain and kappa light chain deposition disease are rare and their clinical presentations vary. We report one patient with histopathologic and clinical findings of a microangiopathic glomerulonephritis due to immunoglobulin A-κ deposition. Ultrastructural studies revealed highly ordered deposits in the capillary lumen, mesangium, and basement membrane. The disease recurred at 2.5 years after a cadaveric kidney transplantation. Pulse steroid therapy was repeatedly effective in retarding further progression of renal deterioration in this patient.
A new apparatus for measuring the ultimate strain of thin films

Abstract A four-point bending apparatus was built and tested that imparts controlled strain to thin inorganic films deposited onto a substrate and enables that strain to be measured quantitatively at the onset of film cracking. The measured quantity is the net ultimate strain, the sum of the residual strain and the material's intrinsic ultimate strain. With this apparatus, the strain being inflicted on the film does not have to be measured directly but can be calculated from the applied force, the Young's modulus, and the geometry of the substrate, as long as the film is much thinner than the substrate. The onset of cracking was detected with an electrochemical method that gave sharp and reproducible indications of film failure. The apparatus was tested with plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited silicon nitride films of thicknesses from 0.2 to 1.5 μm on 0.90 mm and 0.45 mm thick stainless steel substrates. The ultimate strain of these films was found to be constant over this range of thicknesses at about 0.20%. This apparatus can be used for any insulating film that can be deposited onto a conductive substrate, as long as the ultimate strain of the film is less than the limit of tensile elastic strain of the substrate.
Adenosine and oxytocin reverse antagonism of cyclic AMP elevating agents to insulin activation of adipocyte pyruvate dehydrogenase

Abstract ACTH, isoprenaline, forskolin, and dibutyryl cyclic AMP prevented insulin from stimulating adipocyte pyruvate dehydrogenase in the presence of adenosine deaminase. Antagonism was reversed by N6-phenyliso-propyladenosine as well as oxytocin. The stimulatory effects of insulin, adenosine and oxytocin on adipocyte pyruvate dehydrogenase appear to be through (a) mechanism(s) which is (are) similar or related.
Incremental Validity of ECAT Battery Factors

The Enhanced Computer-Administered Test (ECAT) project was a Joint-Services effort to estimate the potential increase in validity that could be obtained by adding new computerized tests to the curr...
Obstetrics and gynecology--to be or not to be? Factors influencing one's decision.

Abstract Objective The study was undertaken to determine factors influencing a medical student's decision to choose obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) versus another specialty. Study design Medical school graduates from 1991 to 2001 were surveyed about factors influencing their specialty choice. Data were analyzed with χ2, logistic regression, and odds ratio where appropriate. Results Of 1128 surveys, 562 (50%) were returned; 37% of respondents were women and 63% were men; and 73 (13%) chose OB/GYN. Statistically significant positive influences included student sex, second-year rotations, OB/GYN staff, continuity of patient care, primary care opportunities, surgical opportunities, healthy patient population, female patients, lifestyle, and financial opportunities. Conclusion Perceived lifestyle, primary care opportunities, and malpractice concerns did not influence the choice to enter the field of OB/GYN. Also, the perception of patient's desire for female physicians had no apparent influence, either positive or negative, in the decision process.
Discovery of allelic variants of HOXA1 and HOXB1: genetic susceptibility to autism spectrum disorders.

Background Family studies have demonstrated that the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have a major genetic etiologic component, but expression and penetrance of the phenotype are variable. Mice with null mutations of Hoxa1 or Hoxb1, two genes critical to hindbrain development, have phenotypic features frequently observed in autism, but no naturally occurring variants of either gene have been identified in mammals. Methods By sequencing regions of genomic DNA of patients with autism spectrum disorders, we detected a substitution variant at HOXA1 and an insertion variant at HOXB1, both in coding regions of the genes. Fifty-seven individuals ascertained for a diagnosis of an ASD, along with 166 of their relatives, were typed for these variants. Two non-ASD populations were typed, and the frequency of the newly identified alleles was determined in all groups. The genotypes of the ASD families were tested for conformation to Hardy-Weinberg proportions and Mendelian expectations for gene transmission. Results The frequency of the variants was 10–25% in persons of European or African origin. In the ASD families, there was a significant deviation from the HOXA1 genotype ratios expected from Hardy-Weinberg proportions (P = 0.005). Among affected offspring, a significant deviation from Mendelian expectation in gene transmission (P = 0.011) was observed. No statistically significant effects were detected when the same analyses were applied to the HOXB1 locus, but there was evidence of an interaction between HOXA1, HOXB1, and gender in susceptibility to ASDs. Conclusions The results support a role for HOXA1 in susceptibility to autism, and add to the existing body of evidence implicating early brain stem injury in the etiology of ASDs. Teratology 62:393–405, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Absence of structural alterations of the multidrug resistance genes in transitional cell carcinoma

Tumor DNA from 27 patients with treated or untreated transitional cell carcinomas of the urinary tract was screened for genomic alterations of the multidrug resistance genes in order to determine whether structural changes of these genes are important in primary urothelial tumors. None of the tumors showed evidence of amplification or rearrangements of either mdr1 or mdr2. The lack of amplification or rearrangements observed in these tumors suggests that structural alterations of the mdr1 and mdr2 genes are not important mediators of drug resistance in TCC.
Non–Giant Cell Temporal Arteritis. Three Cases And a Review Of The Literature

We report two cases of polyarteritis and some of hypersensitivity angiitis diagnosed by temporal artery biopsy. Autopsies showed no evidence of giant cell arteritis. A review of the English literature provides seven further autopsy cases of necrotizing vasculitis diagnosed by temporal artery biopsy. The term temporal arteritis includes many types of vasculitis, giant cell arteritis being one of them.
Interaction of Secretory Leukocyte Protease Inhibitor with Proteinase-3

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) is a 12 kD nonglycosylated serine antiproteinase secreted by cells of mucosal surfaces. In human lung, SLPI is present in the respiratory epithelium. It is the major barrier to tissue destruction mediated by the polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) serine proteinases, elastase and cathepsin G, within the upper respiratory tract. We have recently described a third PMN serine proteinase, proteinase-3, that like elastase causes lung matrix destruction and experimental emphysema. The current studies examine interactions between SLPI and proteinase-3. The results show that: (1) SLPI and its reactive-site variants have no or minimal inhibitory activity against proteinase-3; (2) native SLPI does not complex with proteinase-3; (3) proteinase-3 selectively degrades both native and oxidized SLPI; (4) the cleavage of SLPI by proteinase-3 occurs at the peptide bond COOH-terminal to Ala-16 in the NH2-terminal domain of SLPI.
On the fill charge and the sensitivity analysis of a V-shaped micro heat pipe

The fill charge and the sensitivity analysis of a micro-grooved heat pipe are presented. Methods for calculating the optimal-fill charge, the height and the temperature of the coolant liquid for a V-shaped microgrooved heat pipe are presented using a macroscopic approach. The fill charge is determined to be an important parameter for the optimal performance of a heat pipe. The under- and overcharged heat pipes are less efficient than the optimally charged one. The worsening effect of the overcharge is more pronounced than the undercharge. The variation in the coolant liquid temperature is greater than that of the substrate temperature. In the sensitivity analysis of a micro heat pipe, under transient operation, the variations in the thermophysical properties, gravity force, and design parameters are considered. The present study sets forth both the qualitative and the quantitative effects of the variation in thermophysical properties of the coolant liquid and the design parameters of a V-shaped groove. These studies are carried out by solving the coupled nonlinear governing partial differential equations for fluid flow, heat transfer, and mass transfer using the finite-difference technique. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2006
Structural Change at the Onset of Microsolvation: Rotational Spectroscopy of HCN···HCN-SO3

The structure and dipole moment of HCN···HCN−SO3 have been determined by rotational spectroscopy. The N−S bond distance is 2.470(20) A, which is 0.107(21) A shorter than that in HCN−SO3. In contrast, the N···H distance, 2.213(29) A, is the same to within experimental uncertainty as that in (HCN)2. The dipole moment of HC15N···HC15N−32SO3 is 8.640(19) D, representing an enhancement of 1.238(19) D over the sum of the dipole moments of HCN and HCN−SO3. The results indicate significant changes in the HCN−SO3 subunit upon interaction with a single HCN “solvent” molecule, with relatively little change in the HCN−HCN interaction. The hypersensitivity of the HCN−SO3 moiety to the presence of an additional HCN arises because the dative bond is partially formed, and we suggest that partially bound systems may offer sensitive probes of microsolvation.
Game design and development students: who are they?

Several programs in game design and development at the bachelor's level have been or are being developed across the country. Who are the students drawn to these programs and how do they compare with traditional Computer Science or Information Technology students? Is it possible for these students to obtain a rigorous computing education while meeting their interests in game design and development? We discuss these questions from the perspective of teaching the traditional CS outcomes from an introductory programming sequence to 60 Game Design and Development students at the freshman level and comparing them to a previously studied population of CS students with an interest in game design and development.
Heartbeat Control in Leeches. I. Constriction Pattern and Neural Modulation of Blood Pressure in Intact Animals

Two tubular hearts propel blood through the closed circulatory system of the medicinal leech. The hearts are myogenic but are driven by a centrally generated motor pattern that controls heart rate and intersegmental coordination. In two consecutive papers, we address the question of how the motor pattern is translated into the pattern of diastole and systole of leech hearts. We imaged the constriction patterns of the hearts in quiescent intact animals. In one heart, systole progresses rear-to-front (peristaltic coordination mode), whereas systole occurs nearly simultaneously in the other heart (synchronous coordination mode) with regular switches between these two coordination modes. Intersegmental phase relations between heart segments do not vary with changes in the heartbeat period. The peristaltic heart drives blood forward through itself and then rearward through the other longitudinal vessels. The synchronous heart does not seem to contribute to rearward flow along the body axis and may support segmental circulation instead. Simultaneous monitoring of heart motor neuron discharge and the constriction of the corresponding heart segment in innervated, reduced preparations enabled us later to meld the constriction pattern with the fictive motor pattern described in the following paper. Current injections into one heart modulatory neuron while monitoring intravascular pressure from the corresponding heart showed that these neurons can acutely change diastolic and systolic pressure. However, they do not determine the different systolic pressure profiles associated with the two coordination modes, which appear to result from the constriction pattern.
Home, home on the web

Even a year ago, having an e‐mail address and a fax number were enough to ensure that you were considered among the most technologically advantaged. Now, my old aunt Matilda has them, and she is crocheting an Afghan that includes gothic text URLs of her favorite places on the web. The World Wide Web, that is. If you have not spent the last year under a rock in Katmandu, you have heard about “the web”. The web gives you access to the Internet. Of course, gopher gives you access to the Internet too, but the cute little rodent never made it to News Week, Business Week, Time and even People, as the web does in every issue. Does Al Gore have a gopher server? Does Intel? Does IRS? Even if they did, no one would care any more. The adorable little gopher has been fatally trampled by the faceless web. Today, to be anybody, you must be on the web.
Cytospin preparation of AML in pleural fluid.

![Figure][1] A 64-year-old female presented with poorly differentiated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) following a history of essential thrombocythemia. Bone marrow showed hypercellularity and 21% blasts, which were CD13+, CD33+, CD34+, CD45dim, MPO+, CD117+, and HLADR+. Cytogenetic testing
A Comparison of Dry Sweet Cream Buttermilk and Non-Fat Dry Milk Solids in Breadmaking,,

Summary Roller or spray-dried sweet cream buttermilk powder, when used in bread-making at the rate of 6g. per 100g. of flour, gave consistently greater loaf volume than like samples of non-fat dry milk solids. Non-fat dry milk solids containing 0.17 per cent added soybean lecithin (Arlec) produced loaves having the same volume as those made with sweet cream buttermilk. The baking quality of milk powders may deteriorate in storage, the rate of deterioration increasing with increase in moisture content of the powder and in storage temperature. The serum turbidity test, when applied to dry sweet cream buttermilk and non-fat dry milk solids, does not detect loss of baking quality due to storage deterioration. Additional preheating treatment of buttermilk secured from cream pasteurized at 74° C. for 30min. did not affect the quality of the powder for use in breadmaking. Neutralization of ripened buttermilk to an amount equivalent to 0.10 per cent acidity with either caustic soda or lime did not significantly change the quality of the powder for use in breadmaking.
Convergence in syntax/morphology mapping strategies: Evidence from Quechua–Spanish code mixing

Abstract Convergence in case mapping strategies in the oral speech of Quechua–Spanish bilinguals is examined. In principle, Quechua case suffixes could be analyzed as postpositions or as case markers. The data show that in code mixing utterances, Spanish prepositions and Quechua case suffixes co-occur and that mapping strategies converge. The fact that, in Quechua–Spanish code switching, Spanish prepositions are combined with Quechua case suffixes is taken as evidence that the latter are case markers, not postpositions. Further support for this view is the fact that no obvious differences were found in the data between non-oblique and oblique case markers. This distribution is consistent with an analysis of Quechua case suffixes as the spell out of an agree relationship between a null prepositional head and a DP. Cases of case suffix dropping in differential object marking expressions are analyzed as a possible source of instability in case marking in code mixing utterances.
Deep sub-wavelength beam propagation, beam manipulation and imaging with extreme anisotropic meta-materials

We demonstrate that meta-materials with extreme anisotropy allow for diffraction-free, deep sub-wavelength beam propagation and manipulation, as well as deep sub-wavelength imaging. We show a metamaterial design using existing materials.
Cytotoxic action of hormones of the adrenal cortex according to the method of unstained cell counts.

The reactions of cells to x-rays (Schrek, 1946) and nitrogen mustard (Schrek, 1947) have been studied previously by the method of unstained cell counts. This method has been used in this work to determine the effect of extracts and hormones of the adrenal cortex on cells of the thymus and of the bone marrow. methods The thymic gland or the bone marrow from the femurs of a rabbit was removed and placed in a small amount of Ringer’s solution containing 5% isotonic phosphate buffer pH 7.6. The organs were chopped up with a fine pair of scissors and were then passed through a Seitz filter equipped with an 80 mesh Monel metal wire gauze. The cellular suspension thus obtained was washed once and resuspended in a mixture of equal parts of phosphate-Ringer’s solution and rabbit serum.
Multicomponent Adsorption of Chloroform, Carbon Tetrachloride, and 1,1,1-Trichloroethane on Soils

Competitive adsorption of carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane from aqueous solutions onto soils was investigated. The experimental data were measured through batch equilibration studies in conjunction with gas chromatography/mass spectrometer analysis. Equilibrium isotherms were generated on three soil samples with different compositions. Competitive effects were analyzed by comparing single-component isotherms to binary and ternary solute isotherms and were quantified in terms of selectivity of an individual compound with respect to another constituent in the mixture. Influence of cosolvent was examined by generating single and multiple solute sorption isotherms from 25% (volume) and 50% (volume) methanol-water solutions. Isotherm linearity was observed, even in the vicinity of saturation, indicating constant retardation rate during the subsurface transport. The order of equilibrium uptake capacity of different soils was consistent with the order of their specific surface areas as determined through nitrogen adsorption. Competitive sorption from multisolute solutions was within a selectivity range of 1.17--2.22. While the contaminant properties determined the order of competition, soil properties determined its quantification. An opposite relationship between the organic matter content and the selectivity for the compound with higher polarity was observed. In the presence of cosolvent, soil`s equilibrium capacity significantly decreased as the volume fraction of methanol increased.more » Furthermore, competition among the solutes decreased, exhibiting a selectivity range from 1.01 to 2.07. High adsorption tendency of the cosolvent on soil and increased solubility of the contaminant species in the mixed solvent are the dominant factors for the variations.« less
Radiation Test and Simulation of CMOS/SOS/ Si-Gate ALU and ROM Devices

This paper presents the results of transient radiation tests on a Carry-Look-Ahead Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU), the computer simulation of the transient response of this ALU device, and a proposed transient radiation-hardened design for a Read Only Memory (ROM). Experimental results demonstrate the validity of simple SOS device predictions of failure levels for the more complex ALU devices. ALU samples were fabricated with four types of insulators; namely: Al2O3, ion-implanted SiO2, dry SiO2, and wet SiO2. These devices were specially made to investigate total dose hardness and to check the transient hardness of the fabrication on a sapphire substrate. Circuit design and sizing rules to achieve transient hardness were not utilized. Devices were exposed to 10-MeV electron pulses of 20 and 100 ns in a static and an active mode, with inputs activated by six basic test patterns. Upset failure did not occur in the 20-ns pulse tests for all exposure conditions and dose rates up to and including the maximum rate of 1.3 × 1010 rads (Si)/s. The 100-ns pulse tests indicate that the failure level is 3.5 × 1010 rads (Si)/s, whereas the pass level is 2 × 1010 rads (Si)/s. The worst-case exposure conditions are the static mode of operation with the chip outputs in a high state. In order to explain the test results, a simple circuit model of a limited part of the chip output circuit was derived for the static mode of operation and output high.
The first application of SelectfluorTM in electrophilic fluorination of amines: a new route to –NF2, –NHF, and >NF compounds

Reactions of primary amines, RNH2 [R = (CH3)3C–, (CH3)2CH–, CH3(CH2)2–, (CH3)2CHCH2–, CH3(CH2)3–] and secondary amines, R2NH [(R = CH3CH2–, CH3(CH2)2–, (CH3)2CHCH2–], with Selectfluor™ in acetonitrile or DMF or DMA result in formation of the corresponding RNF2, RNHF, and R2NF in high yields.
Decomposition of aspen, spruce, and pine boles on two sites in Minnesota

Boles of quaking aspen (Populustremuloides Michx.), white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss), red pine (Pinusresinosa Ait.), and jack pine (Pinusbanksiana Lamb.) were sampled after decomposing for 11–17 years. Mass loss and changes in chemical composition were determined. Density decreased by 40–73%, and the decomposition constant (k) decreased in the order aspen > spruce > red pine > jack pine. Although the decomposition rate was strongly species dependent, it did not differ between the two sites. The decomposition constant was weakly related to lignin and phosphorus concentration in the original stems (r2 = 0.44 and 0.49, respectively) and not significantly related to original nitrogen concentrations. Nutrient concentration increased during decomposition, particularly for nitrogen and phosphorus. Nitrogen content increased during decomposition, and potassium content decreased. Calcium and magnesium content changed little during decomposition, whereas phosphorus content increased or decreased, depending ...
Computationally efficient, robust algorithm for matched field processing

The matched field processing (MFP) localization performance of very low frequency (VLF) arrays operated in the deep ocean basins appears to be limited more by uncertainty in the sound velocity profile (SVP) than by low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). We present a new robust variation of MFP designed to be less sensitive to velocity error in weakly inhomogeneous environments. We analyze the computational requirements of this and other MFP algorithms. When either the search volume is large of the acoustic array is large, computational efficiency is an issue. We present an efficient MFP implementation for the conventional MFP algorithm and our robust algorithm. We show that parallel implementation of these algorithms may allow real-time performance.
Thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair

Aneurysms that extend from the descending thoracic aorta into the abdomen and also those that involve the visceral segments of the upper abdominal aorta are traditionally classified as thoracoabdominal. Besides the surgical exposure difficulties associated with repair of these aneurysms, the temporary interruption of renal, splanchnic, and perhaps even spinal cord flow introduces a number of potential complications that makes surgical repair of these aneurysms a daunting task. The exact incidence of thoracoabdominal aneurysms is unknown, but population studies suggest a prevalence at least a log fold less than the more common infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm. The poor prognosis of nonsurgically treated aneurysmal disease of the descending thoracic and abdominal aortas has been reasonably well established. Few patients with thoracoabdominal aneurysms survive beyond five years as a result of not only aneurysm rupture but also death from advanced co-morbid medical disease. Since the first successful report of thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair over 40 years ago, a number of remarkable contributions have been made in the field. These advances have led to a significant decline in operative mortality as well as procedure related morbidity. Spinal cord ischemia remains a perplexing and devastating complication following thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair. A number of surgical adjuncts have been developed over the years to reduce the incidence of cord ischemic complications, yet a great deal of controversy still exists with regards to the optimal protective strategy. A description of the incidence, natural history, and classification of thoracoabdominal aneurysms, along with associated repair techniques centered on reducing spinal cord ischemic complications will form the basis for this review.
Effects of diltiazem, a Ca2+ channel blocker, on naloxone-precipitated changes in dopamine and its metabolites in the brains of opioid-dependent rats.

The effects of diltiazem, an L-type Ca2+ channel blocker, on naloxone (an opioid receptor antagonist)-precipitated withdrawal signs and changes in extracellular levels of dopamine (DA) and its metabolites in various brain regions of morphine (a μ-opioid receptor agonist) or butorphanol (aμ/δ/κ mixed opioid receptor agonist) dependent rats were investigated using high performance liquid chromatography fitted with an electrochemical detector (HPLC-ED). Rats were rendered opioid-dependent by continuous intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion with morphine (26 nmol/µl per h) or butorphanol (26 nmol/µ1 per h) for 3 days. The expression of physical dependence produced by these opioids, as evaluated by naloxone (5 mg/kg, IP)-precipitated withdrawal signs, was reduced by concomitant infusion of diltiazem (10 and 100 nmol/µl per h). Under the same condition, naloxone decreased the levels of: DA in the cortex, striatum, and midbrain; 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in the cortex, striatum, limbic areas, and midbrain; and homovanilic acid (HVA) in the striatum, limbic areas, and midbrain regions. In animals rendered dependent on butorphanol, the results obtained were similar to those of morphine-dependent rats except for the changes in DOPAC levels. Furthermore, concomitant infusion of diltiazem and opioids blocked the decreases in levels of DA, DOPAC, and HVA in a dosedependent manner. These results suggest that the augmentation of intracellular Ca2+ mediated through L-type Ca2+ channels during continuous opioid infusion results in a decrease in extracellular levels of DA and its metabolites in some specific regions, which are intimately involved in the expression of withdrawal syndrome precipitated by naloxone.
Hemispheric Asymmetry as a Function of Handedness: Perception of Facial Affect Stimuli:

Hemispheric asymmetry in 14 left- and 14 right-handed persons shown tachistoscopically presented emotional stimuli to left and right visual fields was examined using a forced-choice, reaction-time paradigm in which subjects were asked to identify positive and negative faces. Neutral faces were included within the two-alternative forced-choice paradigm. Reaction time and response-bias measures were recorded. Analysis indicated differential lateralization for left-handed and right-handed subjects with respect to neutral affective stimuli. While right-handed subjects' perceptions of neutral stimuli remained consistent across visual fields, left-handed ones identified neutral stimuli as more positive (happy) when presented to the left visual field and negative (angry) when presented to the right visual field. Implications for differential lateralization patterns among left- and right-handed adults are discussed.
Synthesis and initial evaluation of novel, non-peptidic antagonists of the αv-integrins αvβ3 and αvβ5

The discovery, synthesis and preliminary SAR of a novel class of non-peptidic antagonists of the alpha(v)-integrins alpha(v)beta(3) and alpha(v)beta(5) is described. High-throughput screening of an extensive series of ECLiPStrade mark compound libraries led to the identification of compound 1 as a dual inhibitor of the alpha(v)-integrins alpha(v)beta(3) and alpha(v)beta(5). Optimization of compound 1 involving, in part, introduction of two novel constraints led to the discovery of compounds 15a and 15b with reduced PSA and much improved potency for both the alpha(v)beta(3) and alpha(v)beta(5) integrins. Compounds 15a and 15b were shown to have promising activity in functional cellular assays and compound 15a also exhibited a promising Caco-2 permeability profile.
Some autoantibodies to Ro/SS-A and La/SS-B are antiidiotypes to anti-double-stranded DNA.

Objective. To determine the relationship of anti–Ro/SS-A and anti–La/SS-B antibodies to anti–double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) in sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Methods. Sera with anti–Ro/SS-A alone (n = 5) or those with anti–Ro/SS-A and anti–La/SS-B (n = 7) were absorbed with purified Ro/SS-A and La/SS-B, respectively. The absorbed sera were then tested for reactivity with MOLT-4 extract by Western blot and dsDNA by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). With selected sera, anti-dsDNA was isolated on DNA cellulose columns and anti–Ro/SS-A and anti–La/SS-B were isolated on antigen-affinity columns. Reactivity between anti-dsDNA and autologous anti–Ro/SS-A or anti–La/SS-B, as well as inhibition by cognate antigens, was studied. Results. After absorption, all sera showed reactivity with small nuclear RNP A and D bands in Western blots, and some showed reactivity with dsDNA by ELISA. Anti-dsDNA populations (n = 4) were purified on dsDNA cellulose columns. Anti–Ro/SS-A (n = 1) and anti–La/SS-B (n = 3) were affinity purified from the same sera as the anti-dsDNA. In all cases, anti-dsDNA bound autologous anti–Ro/SS-A and anti–La/SS-B much more strongly than it bound normal pooled IgG. Moreover, dsDNA, but not RNA, blocked these interactions. In addition, Ro/SS-A blocked anti–Ro/SS-A and La/SS-B blocked anti–La/SS-B in these same interactions. Conclusion. In sera with anti–Ro/SS-A and anti–La/SS-B, there are subpopulations of these antibodies that bind and mask anti-dsDNA. We hypothesize that these anti–Ro/SS-A and anti–La/SS-B antibodies are antiidiotypes to idiotypes on anti-dsDNA and that they both mask and down-regulate these anti-dsDNA antibodies.
A reaction to the commentaries

Abstract In this chapter, conclusions are drawn and implications are suggested. Of the non-cognitive variables included in the study, the students’ Priorities were the most important in predicting GPA. In general, non-cognitive variables provided important information on admissions. Furthermore, explicit conceptual models, analyzed with relatively sophisticated statistical techniques, are needed to further our understanding of variables directly and indirectly related to college success.
Novel additives for the separation of organic compounds by high-performance liquid chromatography

Abstract This paper proposes the use of novel surfactant additives at concentrations generally above their critical micelle concentrations in aqueous solution but without micelle formation for the separation of various organic compounds. The presence of these additives in organic-water mixtures greatly improves the separation of alkylbenzenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alkylphenols, and some other aromatic compounds. Compared with separations obtained without additives, shorter retention times and sharper peaks are obtained. The reason for the improvement appears to be a stronger interaction between the analyte molecules and the mobile phase due to the presence of long hydrocarbon chain(s) or polyoxypropylene segments in the additive molecules. The retention times of late-eluting compounds are reduced by a larger percentage than the retention times of earlier peaks. This effect is similar to that obtained with gradient elution but here only isocratic elution with an organic-water eluent containing an appropriate additive is used. Solvent strength and selectivity can be varied by controllin the type and concentration of the additive. Binding constant between solute and surfacant additives were calculated by relating capacity factor to surfactant concentration.
Synthesis of the ladybug defensive agents (±)-hippodamine, (±)-convergine, (±)-hippocasine and (±)-hippocasine oxide

Abstract The total syntheses of the ladybug defensive agents (±)-hippodamine, (±)-convergine, (±)-hippocasine, and (±)-hippocasine oxide are described starting from perhydroboraphenalene.
The cellobiose permease of Escherichia coli consists of three proteins and is homologous to the lactose permease of Staphylococcus aureus.

Abstract The cellobiose ( cel ) operon of Escherichia coli was recently sequenced and shown to consist of five genes, celABCDF (Parker and Hall, 1990). We here show that the CelA, CelB and CelC proteins possess amino acid sequences which are homologous to different domains of the lactose permease of Staphylococcus aureus . CelB corresponds to the integral membrane portion of the permease (II cel ) while CelC (III cel ) and CelA (IV cel ) correspond to the two cytoplasmic domains which appear to comprise the first and second phosphorylation sites in the permease, respectively. The cellobiose permease is the only one of several homologous sequenced permeases of the phosphoenlpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system which has its three known functional domains residing on distinct polypeptide chains.
Does previous open nephrolithotomy affect the efficacy and safety of tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy

Introduction: Tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in selected patients is effective and results in less postoperative discomfort without increasing complications. The challenges of PCNL in patients who had a history of open nephrolithotomy are decreased kidney mobility due to scarring around the kidney and distortion of the renal collecting system, conditions that may cause difficulty of tract access and increase retained stone and hemorrhagic complications. We compared the efficacy and safety of the tubeless versus the standard PCNL in patients who had undergone previous open nephrolithotomy. Patients and Methods: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) was performed in 104 patients who had a history of previous open nephrolithotomy, of which 45 received tubeless PCNL (group I) and 59 received standard PCNL with routine postoperative nephrostomy tubes (group II). All patients had only one percutaneous renal access and showed no significant bleeding, extravasation or residual stone. Of group I, PCNL was done by the standard technique with only placement of a postoperative external ureteral catheter for 48 h. The success rate, operative time, hospital stay and complications were compared between the two groups. Results: Patient’s demographic data were not different between both groups. Infundibular stenosis and ureteropelvic junction obstruction were found in 2 and 4 cases of groups I and II, respectively. The success rates, operative time and complication rates were not significantly different between both groups. Hospital stay was 3.53 and 5.39 days for groups I and II, respectively, which was significantly different. Average analgesic (meperidine) usage was significantly less in the tubeless group (39 ± 35 mg for group I and 75 ± 32 mg for group II). Conclusion: Tubeless PCNL in selected patients with previous open nephrolithotomy has a safe and effective advantage compared to standard PCNL as indicated by a decrease in length of hospital stay and analgesic usage.