cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enabling Distributed Software-Defined Environments Using Dynamic Infrastructure Service Composition

Service-based access models coupled with emerging application deployment technologies are enabling opportunities for realizing highly customized software-defined environments, which can support dynamic and data-driven applications. However, this requires rethinking traditional resource federation models to support dynamic resource compositions, which can adapt to evolving application needs and the dynamic state of underlying resources. In this paper, we present a programmable approach that leverages software-defined techniques to create a dynamic space-time infrastructure service composition. We propose the use of Constraint Programming as a formal language to allow users, applications, and service providers to define the desired state of the execution environment. The resulting distributed software-defined environment continually adapts to meet objectives/constraints set by the users, applications, and/or resource providers. We present the design and prototype implementation of such distributed software-defined environment. We use a cancer informatics workflow to demonstrate the operation of our framework using resources from five different cloud providers, which are aggregated on-demand based on dynamic user and resource provider constraints.
Do you vape? Leveraging electronic health records to assess clinician documentation of electronic nicotine delivery system use among adolescents and adults

Use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) has increased substantially over the past decade. However, unlike smoking, which is systematically captured by clinicians through routine screening and discrete documentation fields in the electronic health record (EHR), unknown is the extent to which clinicians are documenting patients' use of ENDS. Data were gathered from medical visits with patients aged 12 and older (N=9,119; 55% male) treated in a large, integrated healthcare system. We used natural language processing to assess the incidence rates of clinician documentation of patients' ENDS use in unstructured tobacco comments in the EHR, and the words most frequently documented in relation to ENDS, from 2006-2015. ENDS documentation in the EHR increased dramatically over time (from 0.01 to 9.5 per 10,000 patients, p<0.0001), particularly among adults aged 18-24 and 25-44. Most prevalent were "e-cig," "electronic cigarettes", and "vape," with much variation in spelling and phrasing of these words. Records of adolescent and young adult patients were more likely to contain the word "vape", and less likely to have "e-cig" and "electronic cigarette" than records of adults (ps<0.0001). The relatively low observed number of patients with ENDS terms in the EHR suggested vast under documentation. While healthcare providers are increasingly documenting patients' use of ENDS in the EHR, overall documentation rates remain low. Discrete EHR fields for standard screening and documentation of ENDS that reflect the language used by patients would provide more complete longitudinal population-level surveillance of ENDS use and its association with short- and long-term health outcomes.
Ship- and island-based soundings from the 2016 El Niño Rapid Response (ENRR) field campaign

Abstract. As the 2015/2016 El Nino was gathering strength in late 2015, scientists at the Earth System Research Laboratory's Physical Sciences Division proposed and led the implementation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) El Nino Rapid Response (ENRR) Field Campaign. ENRR observations included wind and thermodynamic profiles of the atmosphere over the near-equatorial eastern central Pacific Ocean, many of which were collected from two field sites and transmitted in near-real time for inclusion in global forecasting models. From 26 January to 28 March 2016, twice-daily rawinsonde observations were made from Kiritimati (pronounced Christmas ) Island (2.0° N, 157.4° E; call sign CXENRR). From 16 February to 16 March 2016, three to eight radiosondes were launched each day from NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown (allocated call sign WTEC) as it travelled southeast from Hawaii to service Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) buoys along longitudes 140 and 125° W and then north to San Diego, California. Both the rapid and remote nature of these deployments created particular difficulties in collecting and disseminating the soundings; these are described together with the methods used to reprocess the data after the field campaign finished. The reprocessed and lightly quality-controlled data have been put into an easy-to-read text format, qualifying them to be termed Level 2 soundings. They are archived and freely available for public access at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) in the form of two separate data sets: one consisting of 125 soundings from Kiritimati ( https://doi.org/10.7289/V55Q4T5K ), the other of 193 soundings from NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown ( https://doi.org/10.7289/V5X63K15 ). Of the Kiritimati soundings, 94 % reached the tropopause and 88 % reached 40 hPa, while 89 % of the ship's soundings reached the tropopause and 87 % reached 40 hPa. The soundings captured the repeated advance and retreat of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) at Kiritimati, a variety of marine tropospheric environments encountered by the ship, and lower-stratospheric features of the 2015–2016 QBO (quasi-biennial oscillation), all providing a rich view of the local atmosphere's response to the eastern central Pacific's extremely warm waters during the 2015/16 El Nino.
Governing Equations of Fluid Mechanics

The basic equations of continuum mechanics for moving continua are derived from first principals employing the continuum hypothesis, substantial derivative, and material and spatial coordinates. After the continuity equation is deduced from conservation of mass using the Reynolds Transport Theorem, a general balance law is developed and applied to momentum (linear and angular) and energy for nonpolar continua. Then equations of state relevant to ideal and adiabatic gases and constitutive relations relevant to Newtonian fluid flow are introduced involving thermodynamics and Cartesian tensor notation, respectively. In addition the continuity equation in Cartesian coordinates is deduced by a fixed volume big box method as well and then that equation is converted to cylindrical coordinates by direct transformation. The problems examine various aspects of these concepts including incompressibility, stream functions, a big box derivation of the continuity equation in cylindrical coordinates, a transformation of the continuity equation in Cartesian coordinates to spherical coordinates, the constitutive relations for Newtonian fluids, the governing equation for chemical species conservation, the balance of angular momentum for polar continua, the terms in the energy equations for ideal gases, and the Clausius-Duhem inequality.
MAKER as a Service: Moving HPC Applications to Jetstream Cloud

As cloud resources become more available as an execution platform, the need to transition applications between HPC and the cloud becomes a necessity. However, because of the complex setup and system specific demands of these applications, transition is difficult and may not scale as desired. Jetstream is a NSF funded cloud service that is aiming to provide these services for users in a dynamical allocated nature. In this work we look at three key areas to focus on when transitioning between resources: providing a portable reproducible environment, scaling between local and remote resources, and using feedback to the user for informing configuration and runtime decisions. Building on the MAKER bioinformatic application, we have deployed WQ-MAKER on the Jetstream cloud platform, helping to annotate over 30 genomes and accelerating performance from days to hours and weeks to days.
The cost-effectiveness of varicella screening and vaccination in U.S. Army recruits.

Varicella outbreaks in the U.S. Army disrupt training, reduce readiness, and represent substantial costs. Vaccination of susceptible individuals may be cost-effective. We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis comparing screening of all incoming recruits and vaccination of susceptible individuals at either initial entry training (IET) or medical entrance processing station (MEPS), universal vaccination at IET, and no intervention. Primary health outcomes included the number of varicella cases prevented during the 8-week initial training period. The varicella hospitalization rate was 21.6 per 10,000 per year. In 100,000 recruits, 36 cases of varicella are expected at a cost of $181,000 in the absence of an intervention. Screening at IET would prevent 4 cases but would cost an additional $3,255,000 more than no intervention. Screening at MEPS would prevent 3 cases and save $521,000 per case prevented during the IET but would cost $2,734,000 more than no intervention. Universal vaccination would prevent 2 cases but would cost $15,858,000 more than MEPS screening and $18,592,000 more than no intervention. These results are robust. Cost per case of varicella prevented ranged from $390,000 to $7.9 million. Scarce prevention resources could be more cost-effectively allocated to other prevention programs.
Aron Gurwitsch and the Transcendence of the Physical

The first part of the essay explains the influence that Ideen I had on Aron Gurwitsch, outlining how Gurwitsch appropriated the method of phenomenological reduction and the concept of intentionality as noeto-noematic correlation to provide a context within which to develop ideas that he derived from his work in Gestalt Psychology to advance phenomenological philosophy. The second part gives an original account of the transcendence of physical things by developing a line of inquiry that Husserl opened up in Ideen I in his analysis of “secondary objectivation.” By further developing some insights of Merleau-Ponty, the account describes how physical things are other than appearances.
HUMAN TRANSFER FACTOR: SPECIFICITY AND STRUCTURAL MODELS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the specificity of and structural models of human transfer factor (TF). TF is one of many components in the dialysates of leukocyte extracts (DLE) with biological activity. The term transfer factor is used to denote the ability of DLE to transfer de novo dermal reactivity in man. None of the other biological activities attributed to DLE have been shown to detect or assess this dermal transfer component. As TF is evaluated in a transfer system in vivo , the nature, specificity, and mode of action of the responsible component(s) have remained controversial. The chapter discusses recent experiments designed to evaluate the specificity of the dermal transfer component and highlights the constraints placed on structural models for TF by experiments on affinity adsorption characteristics and enzymatic susceptibilities.
The Iran nuclear deal as a case study in limiting the proliferation potential of nuclear power

Dozens of countries have expressed an interest in acquiring nuclear power, but their doing so would also bring those countries closer to acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran’s nuclear programme provides a recent example of this unresolved tension. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (known colloquially as the Iran deal) was a novel legal arrangement aimed at limiting the ability of Iran’s civil programme to be repurposed to make nuclear weapons. This article reviews the technical basis for the agreement and the ways in which a similar construct might be used to limit nuclear proliferation potential in other nuclear-newcomer nations. Specifically, agreements similar to the Iran deal could be used to establish rules for how a state may deploy certain sensitive technologies, provide for enhanced verification beyond what is currently required by international treaty, and provide for a ready-made response framework should a country decide to pursue nuclear weapons at a future point. Although controversial for some, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — also known as the Iran deal — offered a legal arrangement to curb Iran’s nuclear activities and limit its ability to build weapons. This Review examines the deal’s technical basis and how it could be applied in other contexts.
Pelvic inflammatory disease.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an inflammatory process elicited by the migration of pathogenic microorganisms from the lower to upper genital tract. Although PID is known to increase the risk of tubal factor infertility, many other aspects of this disease remain less well defined. For example, while PID is often caused by Chlamydia trachomatis or Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection, frequently, neither of these bacterial pathogens is isolated from the upper genital tract of women with PID. This etiologic ambiguity also creates uncertainty regarding the decision to include antibiotics effective against genital mycoplasmas and anaerobic vaginal flora in PID treatment. Moreover, since clinical signs and laboratory measurements do not precisely identify all PID cases, and as the accuracy with which imaging modalities identify upper genital tract inflammation is not firmly established, PID remains a diagnostic challenge. It is clear, however, that better understanding of disease pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment is needed to improve the care provided women with PID, and this issue of Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology was constructed to deliver specific focus on these topics. Three papers in this issue examine the role of C. trachomatis in PID pathogenesis. The first examines findings from C. trachomatis infection control programs that have altered our understanding of the host immune response to chlamydial infection, and considers implications of these findings for prophylactic vaccine development. The second paper concisely reviews how non-human primate models of chlamydia infection have improved our understanding of PID pathogenesis, while the third explores a possible association between C. trachomatis-specific humoral immunity and genital tract inflammation. The fourth PID pathogenesis-focused paper is a case report that reminds readers of the link between Actinomyces israelii and this disease among women using intrauterine devices, while the fifth reviews evidence supporting Mycoplasma genitalium as a cause of PID. The five remaining papers in this issue address PID diagnosis and treatment. The first diagnosis-related paper defines a practical approach for the identification of women with PID, while the second tests an algorithm for PID case identification in epidemiological research using administrative diagnostic codes rather than the more unwieldy medical record review. The third describes an investigation among a cohort of women with high prevalence of HIV-1 that found that the conventional markers of histologic endometritis (i.e., neutrophils and plasma cells) are, at least in this population, unreliable surrogate markers for laparoscopically confirmed salpingitis. The fourth paper reviewed existing literature regarding serologic diagnosis of C. trachomatis infection in order to construct an algorithm for chlamydial serologic antibody testing in clinical work-up of the infertile couple. We close this issue with a comprehensive review of the antimicrobial therapies currently available for PID treatment. Thomas L. Cherpes Peter A. Rice Richard L. Sweet
On Fodor's First Law of the Nonexistence of Cognitive Science

In his enormously influential The Modularity of Mind, Jerry Fodor (1983) proposed that the mind was divided into input modules and central processes. Much subsequent research focused on the modules and whether processes like speech perception or spatial vision are truly modular. Much less attention has been given to Fodor's writing on the central processes, what would today be called higher-level cognition. In "Fodor's First Law of the Nonexistence of Cognitive Science," he argued that central processes are "bad candidates for scientific study" and would resist attempts at empirical analysis. This essay evaluates his argument for this remarkable claim, concluding that although central processes may well be "messier" than input modules, this does not mean that they cannot be studied and understood. The article briefly reviews the scientific progress made in understanding central processes in the 35 years since the book was published, showing that Fodor's prediction is clearly falsified by massive advances in topics like decision making and analogy. The essay concludes that Fodor's Law was not based on a clear argument for why the complexities of central systems could not be studied but was likely based on intuitions and preferences that were common in psychology at the time.
The relationship between chronic paediatric feeding disorders and caregiver stress

Paediatric feeding disorders (PFDs) are common. Earlier studies have shown an association between PFD and caregiver stress, but these studies have been hampered by insufficient power. This study reports stress for caregivers of children diagnosed with PFD. These caregivers were then compared to community norms of the Parental Stress Index-Short Form. Caregivers also completed the Mealtime Behaviour Questionnaire, Child Behaviour Checklist and Child Development Inventory. Linear regression and hierarchical regression analyses assessed the relationship among the variables. Caregivers of 840 children with PFD responded. Negative child behaviours and lower child developmental function predicted higher levels of total parenting stress, parental distress, parent-child dysfunctional interaction and caregiver perceptions of their child as difficult. Higher rates of child internalizing and externalizing problems and child mealtime aggression were associated with parent perceptions of their child as difficult and contributed to total parental stress. Parents of older children reported higher levels of stress, whereas parents of younger children were more likely to be defensive responders. Overall, parents of children with PFD have more caregiver-related stress. These caregivers may benefit from consultations with mental health professionals to provide the most appropriate care to affected families.
Chapter 136 – Pleckstrin Homology (PH) Domains

Publisher Summary Pleckstrin homology (PH) domains are defined by a pattern of sequence similarity that suggests a common fold, and may therefore share structural similarity in the absence of functional relatedness. The majority of PH domain-containing proteins require membrane association for some aspect of their function. These proteins participate in cellular signaling, cytoskeletal organization, membrane trafficking, and/or phospholipid modification. NMR and/or X-ray crystallography have determined structures of 15 different PH domains. The low-affinity, non-specific binding of phosphoinositides to the PH domain of dynamin is essential for this protein's function in receptor-mediated endocytosis. Although the physiological relevance of specific, high-affinity, phosphoinositide binding by PH domains has been well established in several cases, it remains unclear in most cases whether weak and promiscuous binding of phosphoinositides to the majority of PH domains plays any physiological role. PH domains for which protein targets have been reported include both examples that bind phosphoinositides weakly and promiscuously, as well as PH domains that bind strongly and specifically to particular phosphoinositides.
3D geometrically nonlinear augmented finite element method for arbitrary cracking in composite laminates

Abstract This paper, for the first time in literature, formulated and validated a three-dimensional, nonlinear augmented finite element method (3D A-FEM) that can account for multiple crack evolution in laminated composites under large deformation. The 3D A-FEM accounts for all major cracking events (intra-ply matrix cracking, fiber rupture/kinking, and inter-ply delamination) with explicit cohesive cracks. The computational scheme is achieved by coupling the 3D A-FEs for intra-ply cracks with 3D cohesive interface elements for inter-ply delamination. The strong discontinuities of both intra- and inter-ply cracks are explicitly represented by the geometrically nonlinear cohesive zone models (CZMs). The numerical capability is demonstrated by several benchmark tests with both in-plane and out-of-plane loadings. Results show that the A-FEM predicted progressive damage processes, including the arbitrary initiation of multiple cracks and their nonlinearly coupled progression with delamination all the way up to the final catastrophic failure, are all in good agreement with experimental results.
A 22-37 GHz Broadband Compact Linear Mm-Wave Power Amplifier Supporting 64-/256-/512-QAM Modulations for 5G Communications

This paper presents a transformer-based broadband compact linear millimeter-wave (mm-Wave) power amplifier (PA) for fifth-generation (5G) communications. A prototype PA is implemented in 90nm SiGe BiCMOS. The PA achieves 17.4dB S21 at 29.2 GHz with a 3dB bandwidth (BW- 3dB ) from 21.8GHz to 37GHz. The PA achieves 20.9/20.3 dBm saturated output power (P sat ) and 43.7/39.8% peak power added efficiency (PAE max ) at 24/28GHz. The P 1dB and PAE at P 1dB (PAE p1dB ) are 20.6/19.4dBm and 41.0/38.1% at 24/28GHz. The PA demonstrates 0.6Gb/s 64-QAM signals at -25.1/-25.0dB rms error vector magnitude (EVM) with 12.6/10.5dBm average Pout (P avg ) and 17.5/12.6% average PAE (PAE avg ) at 24/27GHz, respectively, without digital predistortion (DPD). The PA also demonstrates 0.9Gb/s 512-QAM signals at -30.1dB rms EVM with 8.9dBm P avg and 10.0% PAE avg at 24GHz without DPD.
Synthesis of indoles, indolines, and carbazoles via palladium-catalyzed C–H activation

Abstract The construction of indole, indoline and carbazole heterocycles has been of significant interest in the synthetic community over the last century due to their prevalence in natural products and other biologically active compounds. In particular for indoles, many conventional methods developed to date require highly pre-functionalized arene precursors, diminishing their attractiveness as “green” syntheses. Carbon–hydrogen bond activation, on the other hand, presents an elegant solution to this problem and can achieve the construction of indoles and their derivatives from comparatively simpler arene precursors. In this short review, we discuss various approaches for preparing indoles, indolines, and carbazoles via palladium-catalyzed C–H bond activation, highlighting their reaction mechanisms and synthetic applications.
Primary Addiction Medicine Skills for Hospice and Palliative Medicine Physicians: A Modified Delphi Study.

Abstract Context Hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) physicians frequently care for patients with substance use disorders (SUDs), but there is no consensus on which primary addiction medicine (AM) skills are essential. Objectives Identify key primary AM skills that physicians should acquire during an ACGME-accredited HPM fellowship program. Methods A modified Delphi study consisting of 18 experts on SUD in HPM and medical education. A literature review and expert input identified initial AM skills. In three Delphi rounds, participants rated each skill on a nine-point scale from “not at all important to include” to “crucial to include.” We calculated medians (IQRs), analyzed panelists’ comments, and grouped skills using the RAND / UCLA appropriateness method. Results Among 62 proposed AM skills, 53 skills were rated as appropriate to include (38 of which achieved agreement), and nine skills were rated as uncertain. AM skills most relevant to HPM included 1) defining chemical coping, median 8.5 (IQR 2); 2) balancing life expectancy with risks of opioid use for patients with SUD, 9 (IQR 0); 3) explaining best practices to dispose unused opioids postmortem, 8 (IQR 2); 4) managing pain for hospice patients with SUD, 9 (IQR 0.75); and 5) partnering with hospice to manage patients on methadone and buprenorphine, 9 (IQR 2). Experts did not achieve consensus on whether HPM physicians should be encouraged to learn to prescribe buprenorphine for patients with opioid use disorder, 6 (IQR 3). Conclusion HPM fellowships should consider incorporating the primary AM skills identified in this study in their curricula.
Interrelationships between electricity, gas, and water consumption in large‐scale buildings

As cities keep growing worldwide, so does the demand for key resources such as electricity, gas, and water that residents consume. Meeting the demand for these resources can be challenging and it requires an understanding of the consumption patterns. In this study, we apply extreme gradient boosting to predict and analyze electricity, gas, and water consumption in large‐scale buildings in New York City and use SHapley Additive exPlanation to interpret the results. For this, the New York City's local law 84 extensive dataset was merged with the Primary Land Use Tax Lot Output dataset as well as with other socio‐economic datasets. Specifically, we developed and validated three models: electricity, gas, and water consumption. Overall, we find that electricity, gas, and water consumptions are highly interrelated, but the interrelationships are complex and not universal. The main factor influencing these interrelationships seems to be the technology used for space and water heating (i.e., electricity vs. gas). Building type also has a large impact on interrelationships (i.e., residential vs. nonresidential), especially between electricity and water. Moreover, we also find a nonlinear relationship between gas consumption and building intensity. The main results are summarized into seven major findings. Overall, this study contributes to the urban metabolism literature that ultimately aims to gain a fundamental understanding of how energy and resources are consumed in cities.
Clases remotas de emergencia, tensión y resistencia en espacios educativos

A causa de la suspension de las clases presenciales, los sistemas educacionales se han visto obligados a buscar una solucion para garantizar el acceso a la educacion de ninos, ninas y adolescentes. Este fenomeno ha traido consigo una serie de situaciones nuevas y complejas. La siguiente reflexion tiene como foco central problematizar filosoficamente el contexto de la educacion remota de emergencia, en especial las clases que se realizan por videollamadas. Se plantean interrogantes sobre si acaso los y las participantes deberian o no encender sus camaras en estos espacios y si las clases deberian (o no) ser grabadas y subidas, considerando que no existen protocolos particulares sobre el acceso a este tipo de archivos. Asi, la reflexion filosofica pretende perfilar una posicion respecto a estos temas, sin perder de vista los marcos legales involucrados.
The Analysis of Soil Samples by Reverse Phase-High Performance Liquid Chromatography Using Wavelength Ratioing

The technique of reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is investigated for the forensic analysis of soils. Unlike in previous works on this subject, the method of detection of the peaks is modified to include detection at two different wavelengths in the ultraviolet and the ratio of the absorption intensities is determined and displayed. The results show that the chromatograms of all of the soil samples studied differ from each other quantitatively but not all can be differentiated qualitatively. It is concluded that this method of analysis is an excellent presumptive test but has not been proven to be individualizing. To increase the probative value of the test, another method of separation and perhaps detection must be chosen.
Establishing donor specific tolerance in vascularized composite allotransplantation via local enrichment of endogenous regulatory T cells (TRAN3P.865)

Vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA)—encompassing transplantation of hands/limbs and face is an emerging field with potential to restore the appearance and function of damaged tissue. Clinically, the process of rejection is suppressed via systemic immunosuppression, which is associated with a host of deleterious side effects. An alternative approach to prevent rejection is to harness the homeostatic mechanisms intrinsic to the immune system. To this end our group has recently developed controlled release microparticle (MP) systems capable of enriching Tregs at given location via synthetic cell constructs referred to as Expansion MP. Accordingly, we hypothesized that Treg enriching systems that release key cytokines, and immunosuppressive agents, can promote long term graft survival in preclinical VCA models. Following fabrication, Expansion MP was tested in an allogeneic rat hind limb transplant model and then in a swine gracilis myocutaneous flap allotransplant model. Following subcutaneous injection of microparticles, rodent hind limbs survived indefinitely (>200 days) and swine allografts survived until the end of the study period (4 weeks) with no signs of rejection. Secondary skin grafts and MLRs in both models demonstrate that ExpansionMP treatment appears to confer donor specific tolerance to recipients. Given these promising results, we believe this technology has the potential to dramatically impact the field of VCA and reconstructive transplantation.
Effective source-to-source outlining to support whole program empirical optimization

Although automated empirical performance optimization and tuning is well-studied for kernels and domain-specific libraries, a current research grand challenge is how to extend these methodologies and tools to significantly larger sequential and parallel applications. In this context, we present the ROSE source-to-source outliner, which addresses the problem of extracting tunable kernels out of whole programs, thereby helping to convert the challenging whole-program tuning problem into a set of more manageable kernel tuning tasks. Our outliner aims to handle large scale C/C++, Fortran and OpenMP applications. A set of program analysis and transformation techniques are utilized to enhance the portability, scalability, and interoperability of source-to-source outlining. More importantly, the generated kernels preserve performance characteristics of tuning targets and can be easily handled by other tools. Preliminary evaluations have shown that the ROSE outliner serves as a key component within an end-to-end empirical optimization system and enables a wide range of sequential and parallel optimization opportunities.
Climatological Studies of the Large-Scale Circulation in the Northern Hemisphere

Abstract Within the framework of a detailed dynamic climatology of the large-scale circulation over the Northern Hemisphere, data from 15 yr of daily 700-mb maps have been used to investigate the temporal behavior of hemispherically averaged geostrophic zonal and meridional indices. A number of such indices were derived for both fixed and variable latitude bands. Their mean annual pattern, interannual variability, and time history through the 15 yr of record have been established. The absence of statistically significant correlations between zonal and meridional flow on a short-term time scale (days to weeks) is established, while high correlations are apparent on the annual scale. The 15-yr record also indicates the sensitivity of the meridional indices to changes in the analysis techniques used to derive the hemispheric gridpoint data from the raw radiosonde observations. Finally, the capability of attaining a high resolution in time (about 3 days on the average) because of the daily data record allows ...
Uncertainty over product differentiation in a price-setting duopoly

Abstract The Bertrand price game is modified to allow firms to be uncertain about the degree of product differentiation. The set of equilibrium prices is found to be discontinuous in this type of uncertainty. Firms can sustain prices in excess of that which can be sustained when it is common knowledge that products are maximally differentiated.
Differential Expression of Bacteriophage Genomes in Vegetative and Sporulating Cells of Bacillus subtilis

Two antigenically distinct bacteriophages, β3 and β22, have been isolated and characterized with Bacillus subtilis strain W23 as a host. They differ in plaque morphology, single-step growth characteristics, host range, and thermal stability. The deoxyribonucleic acids isolated from β3 and β22 differ in base composition, density in CsCl and Cs 2 SO 4 , sedimentation coefficient, molecular weight, and thermal denaturation temperature. These phages have been used to analyze the ability of B. subtilis to sporulate despite infection by virulent phages. When development of phages β3 and β22 in sporulating cultures was compared with that in log cultures, an increase in the latent periods of infection and a decrease in the burst sizes for the two phages were observed. Sporulating cultures infected with β3 yielded the usual percentage (85%) of mature spores; 80% of these contained phage determinants and 20% were uninfected. However, cultures infected with β22 lysed. Of the small fraction (0.01%) which sporulated, 83% were uninfected and 17% were infected. Phage β3-infected and uninfected spores were examined to distinguish any chemical or physical differences. Preparations of both types of spore contained 81.4 μg of dipicolinic acid per mg (dry weight), and examination by phase-contrast microscopy gave no evidence of any difference in outward appearance. A 20% decrease in infected spore count was observed upon heating at 80 C for 10 min. Differences in the infection processes of the two phages prompted an analysis of the transcription process after infection. Deoxyribonucleic acid-ribonucleic acid hybrid analysis of relative amounts of phage-specific and host-specific messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) present in infected cells suggested that β3 was unable to repress the synthesis of host mRNA and that β3-specific mRNA synthesis was repressed in sporulation-phase cultures. Phage β22, in contrast, was able to repress host-specific mRNA synthesis in both log-infected and sporulation-infected cells. The results suggest that the differential expression of the phage genomes is due to the relative ability of the phages to repress the host genome.
Visualization Mosaics for Multivariate Visual Exploration

We present a new model for creating composite visualizations of multidimensional data sets using simple visual representations such as point charts, scatterplots and parallel coordinates as components. Each visual representation is contained in a tile, and the tiles are arranged in a mosaic of views using a space-filling slice-and-dice layout. Tiles can be created, resized, split or merged using a versatile set of interaction techniques, and the visual representation of individual tiles can also be dynamically changed to another representation. Because each tile is self-contained and independent, it can be implemented in any programming language, on any platform and using any visual representation. We also propose a formalism for expressing visualization mosaics. A Web-based implementation called MosaicJS supporting multidimensional visual exploration showcases the versatility of the concept and illustrates how it can be used to integrate visualization components provided by different toolkits.
Exercise in the prevention of coronary heart disease

Epidemiological studies have left no doubt as to the existence of a strong inverse relationship between physical exercise and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. British studies of transport workers and civil servants, together with American studies of stevedores and college alumni, have provided persuasive evidence that contemporary vigorous activity is accompanied by lower risk of both fatal and nonfatal CHD. The relationship is largely independent of influential characteristics of high risk such as cigarette smoking, hypertension, obesity, and family history of hypertensive--atherosclerotic disease. Recent studies of occupational or leisure physical exercise among residents of Framingham, Massachusetts, the state of Iowa, four residential areas of Holland, urban--rural sections of Puerto Rico, Seattle--King County, Washington, city employees in Los Angeles, and various regions of Finland and Norway support the likelihood that the inverse relationship of exercise and CHD is causal, signifying a protective effect of exercise rather than an incidental contrast due to a selective influence of precursive CHD symptoms. Experimental studies in monkeys have added laboratory evidence that endurance exercise inhibits the development of CHD. The questions we need to address are not whether exercise is a real element for cardiovascular health, but what kind of exercise is needed, and how much, i.e., with what frequency, intensity, timing, and duration. An understanding of the ways and means by which exercise alters CHD risk is only beginning to emerge, but there is wide acceptance that its benefits are vitally needed in the sedentary Western world.
The Incidence of Transient Radicular Irritation After Spinal Anesthesia in Obstetric Patients

Background and Objectives Transient radicular irritation (TRI) has been described after spinal anesthesia, particularly with 5% hyperbaric spinal lidocaine. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of TRI in obstetric patients. Methods All obstetric patients undergoing spinal anesthesia during a 9-month period were enrolled in the study (n = 303). Details of the anesthetic technique were recorded at the time of anesthesia. A blinded anesthesia nurse contacted each patient on post-operative day 2 and asked about symptoms of TRI. Results Most patients received either intrathecal hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.75% (n = 232) or lidocaine 5% (n = 67) through pencil-point needles. Cerebrospinal fluid was used to dilute the spinal lidocaine in 63% of patients. Patients receiving bupivacaine were more often in the supine position, underwent significantly longer procedures, and more often received intrathecal opioid. The incidence of TRI after lidocaine spinal anesthesia was 0% (95% confidence interval 0–4.5%). Conclusions The incidence of TRI after spinal lidocaine anesthesia in the obstetric population is low. Reg Anesth Pain Med 1999: 24: 55–58.
Consumer perception of risk associated with eating genetically engineered soybeans is less in the presence of a perceived consumer benefit

Abstract Objective To determine whether perceived benefit alters personal risk perception associated with eating genetically engineered soybeans, consumer desire for labeling, preferred phrase on a label symbol, and desired information in an educational brochure. Design Comparison of responses of two consumer groups who completed one of two survey versions. Subjects/settings One hundred fifty supermarket shoppers, age 21 years and older, for each survey or n=300 total. Focus groups and a pilot test were used to develop the final survey in which consumers read a description of a genetically engineered soybean with either no obvious consumer benefit or an obvious consumer benefit and then completed a set of attitude questions and evaluated a voluntary label design and educational brochure content. Main outcome measures were mean opinion scores of personal risk and desire for labeling and ranking of desired label phrase and brochure topics. Statistical analyses χ 2 and t Tests were used. Results Consumers reading about the soybean with obvious consumer benefit were significantly more comfortable eating these than those reading about the soybean with no obvious consumer benefit (2.9±1.1 vs 3.4±1.0, respectively; P≤.001). However, the groups did not differ in desire for labeling of foods made with these soybeans or preferred brochure content. They did differ significantly in preferred phrase on the symbol (P≤.05). Applications/conclusions Dietitians can use descriptions of genetic engineering applications such as those in this study to help consumers assess these applications. Dietitians can play a critical role in explaining labeling terms and designing educational materials when the FDA finalizes voluntary labeling regulations for genetically engineered foods. J Am Diet Assoc. 2003;103:208-214.
Cost-Effective Diagnosis of Acoustic Neuromas: A Philosophical, Macroeconomic, and Technological Decision

Abstract Objective: Our goals were to define the most sensitive techniques of acoustic neuroma diagnosis, to examine their relative costs, and to propose diagnostic modality selection given the rarity of acoustic neuroma incidence and given the other costs that society faces in more commonly encountered diseases. Methods: We conducted a MEDLINE search of the English language from 1966 to 2001 using the following keywords: acoustic neuroma, acoustic tumor, vestibular schwannoma, diagnosis, cost effectiveness, MRI, auditory brainstem response, brainstem audiometric evoked response, incidence, and prevalence. Results: Although magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium remains the most sensitive diagnostic modality in the discovery of acoustic neuromas, its cost may be prohibitive for some societies. Conclusion: Which modality to use in acoustic neuroma diagnosis is just as much a philosophical and macroeconomic question as a technological one. Clinical Significance: The cost of a timely diagnosis of acoustic neuromas must be weighed against using resources for other, more pressing, health concerns. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2002;127:253-9.)
Diel Patterns of Distribution and Feeding of Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) in Lake Wingra, Wisconsin

Abstract Bottom trawl samples showed that there were diel changes in bluegill abundance in limnetic areas of Lake Wingra, Wisconsin, from April to November 1970. Catches during daylight were greater than those at night. Sampling both littoral and limnetic habitats during September, when diel migrations appeared most dramatic, indicated that fish moved onshore after sunset and offshore after sunrise. All size classes sampled appeared to participate in these movements. Larger fish predominated in littoral areas, suggesting either longer residence time during a did cycle or a proportionately larger resident population. Stomach analyses indicated that bluegills ate mostly zooplankton in limnetic areas, whereas macrofood organisms such as insects dominated the prey of littoral zone fish. Quantitative comparisons of stomach content demonstrated that smaller fish benefited most from the offshore migration.
Randomized comparison of anatomic and electrogram mapping approaches to ablation of the slow pathway of atrioventricular node reentrant tachycardia

Abstract Objectives . The purpose of this study was to prospectively compare in random fashion an anatomic and an electrogram mapping approach for ablation of the slow pathway of atrioventricular (AV) node reentrant tachycardia. Background . Ablation of the slow pathway in patients with AV node reentrant tachycardia can be performed by using either an anatomic or an electrogram mapping approach to identify target sites for ablation. These two approaches have never been compared prospectively. Methods . Fifty consecutive patients with typical AV node reentrant tachycardia were randomly assigned to undergo either an anatomic or an electrogram mapping approach for ablation of the slow AV node pathway. In 25 patients randomly assigned to the anatomic approach, sequential radiofrequency energy applications were delivered along the tricuspid annulus from the level of the coronary sinus ostium to the His bundle position. In 25 patients assigned to the electrogram mapping approach, target sites along the posteromedial tricuspid annulus near the coronary sinus ostium were sought where there was a multicomponent atrial electrogram or evidence of a possible slow pathway potential. If the initial approach was ineffective after 12 radiofrequency energy applications, the alternative approach was then used. Results . The anatomic approach was effective in 21 (84%) of 25 patients, and the electrogram mapping approach was effective in all 25 patients (100%) randomly assigned to this technique (p = 0.1). The four patients with an ineffective anatomic approach had a successful outcome with the electrogram mapping approach. On the basis of intention to treat analysis, there were no significant differences between the electrogram mapping approach and the anatomic approach with respect to the time required for ablation (28 ± 21 and 31 ± 31 min, respectively, mean ± SD, p = 0.7) duration of fluoroscopic exposure (27 ± 20 and 27 ±18 min, respectively, p = 0.9) or mean number of radiofrequency applications delivered (6.3 ± 3.9 vs. 7.2 ± 8.0, p s 0.6). With both the anatomic and electrogram mapping approaches, the atrial electrogram duration and number of peaks in the atrial electrogram were significantly greater at successful target sites than at unsuccessful target sites. Conclusions . The anatomic and electrogram mapping approaches for ablation of the slow AV nodal pathway are comparable in efficacy and duration. If the anatomic approach is initially attempted and fails, the electrogram mapping approach may be successful at sites outside the areas targeted in the anatomic approach. With both the anatomic and electrogram mapping approaches, there are significant differences in the atrial electrogram configuration between successful and unsuccessful target sites.
Smells like bread.

Mammalian olfactory receptor genes have been engineered into a yeast expression system. The resulting cells provide a high-throughput screening system for studying receptor specificity and may find use as biosensors.
Croton Oil Enhancement of Skin Tumor Initiation by N-Methyl-N′-Nitro-N-Nitrosoguanidine: Possible Role of DNA Replication

SummaryAn application of 0.5% croton oil at times from 6 hr before until 24) hr after initiation with 4 μmoles MNNG led to a threefold increase in papilloma yield and a substantial shortening of the latent period in two-stage tumor induction experiments in mouse skin. Since DNA replication was not stimulated by croton oil until 2-4 days after application of MNNG, this enhancement cannot be explained by an increased uptake of the MNNG by DNA-synthesizing cells or by increased susceptibility of these cells. If DNA replication is involved in initiation, then our results suggest that the critical DNA replication occurs after the interaction of MNNG with DNA, but before the initial damage can be repaired, perhaps resulting in a nonrepairable mutation.
Total Knee Arthroplasty in Patients With a Left Ventricular Assist Device

Many patients with severe cardiac disease can now live for a prolonged period with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), and some patients will develop noncardiac medical issues that may benefit from surgical intervention. Previous studies have reported a low rate of complications in patients with LVADs undergoing noncardiac surgical procedures. We report the cases of 2 patients with LVADs who underwent total knee arthroplasties for osteoarthritis. Both patients had significant pain relief and improved function; however, management of anticoagulation and bleeding complications was challenging.