cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ventricular assist device use in congenital heart disease with a comparison to heart transplant

Despite advances in medical and surgical therapies, some children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are not able to be adequately treated or palliated, leading them to develop progressive heart failure. As these patients progress to end-stage heart failure they pose a unique set of challenges. Heart transplant remains the standard of care; the donor pool, however, remains limited. Following the experience from the adult realm, the pediatric ventricular assist device (VAD) has emerged as a valid treatment option as a bridge to transplant. Due to the infrequent necessity and the uniqueness of each case, the pediatric VAD in the CHD population remains a topic with limited information. Given the experience in the adult realm, we were tasked with reviewing pediatric VADs and their use in patients with CHD and comparing this therapy to heart transplantation when possible.
Holography and Colliding Gravitational Shock Waves in Asymptotically Ad S 5 Spacetime

Using holography, we study the collision of planar shock waves in strongly coupled N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. This requires the numerical solution of a dual gravitational initial value problem in asymptotically anti-de Sitter spacetime.
Sex Steroid Hormone Pathway Genes and Health-Related Measures in Women of 4 Races/Ethnicities: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN)

We synthesized findings relating health outcomes and genetic variants of the sex steroid hormone pathway in women from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) Genetics Study. The SWAN Genetics Study, a component of the longitudinal SWAN study, describes selected genetics characteristics of health-related attributes during the menopausal transition in African American, Caucasian, Chinese, and Japanese women. At baseline, SWAN recruited menstruating women aged 42 to 52 years, who were not using exogenous hormones. Immortalized cell lines were developed and genotyped in 1,538 specimens from 1,757 participants in the genetics study. Genotypes and haplotypes from 6 genes (27 single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]) in the sex steroid hormone pathway were related to circulating hormone concentrations, menstrual cycle profiles, and health-related outcomes, including lipids, diabetes mellitus, depressive symptoms, measures of cognition, bone mineral density (BMD), and vasomotor symptoms. Allele frequencies and distances differed substantially in the 4 race/ethnicity-specific groups evaluated, leading to variable patterns of association with health-related measures. For example, 17HSD genotypes were highly associated with diabetes risk in Caucasian women, whereas its haplotypes were associated with diabetes risk in both African American and Caucasian women. Several SNPs were associated with multiple outcomes. ESR1 rs3798577 was significantly associated with circulating estradiol concentrations, indicators of ovarian aging, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-1, insulin sensitivity, and lumbar spine BMD. CYP1A1 rs2606345 was related to estrogen metabolite concentrations, vasomotor symptoms, and depressive symptoms. Some associations were much more prominent in specific races/ethnicities; Chinese women had statistically significant relations between ESR2 rs1256030 and HDL cholesterol, lumbar spine BMD, hip BMD, and metabolic syndrome. Importantly, women in the SWAN Genetics Study were typical of women in the community-based SWAN sample. This community-based sample of women from the SWAN Genetics Study identified important genetic sex steroid hormone pathway variants in relation to measures of health status. The magnitude and breadth of these relationships should motivate further research to verify and extend the findings.
Modeling the Relationship of Survival to Longitudinal Data Measured with Error. Applications to Survival and CD4 Counts in Patients with AIDS

Abstract A question that has received a great deal of attention in evaluating new treatments in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) clinical trials is that of finding a good surrogate marker for clinical progression. The identification of such a marker may be useful in assessing the efficacy of new therapies in a shorter period. The number of CD4-lymphocyte counts has been proposed as such a potential marker for human immune virus (HIV) trials because of its observed correlation with clinical outcome. But to evaluate the role of CD4 counts as a potential surrogate marker, we must better understand the relationship of clinical outcome to an individual's CD4 count history over time. The Cox proportional hazards regression model is used to study the relationship between CD4 counts as a time-dependent covariate and survival. Because the CD4 counts are measured only periodically and with substantial measurement error and biological variation, standard methods for estimating the parameters in the Cox mod...
Development, Reproduction, and Competitive Interactions Between Two Sympatric Leafhopper Species (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) on Redbud Trees

The developmental and reproductive biologies of two sympatric leafhoppers, Erythroneura aclys McAtee and Erythroneura bistrata McAtee were studied, as well as their responses to intra- and interspecific competition. Both leafhoppers specialize on redbud trees, Cercis canadensis L. E. aclys eggs developed faster in the field than E. bistrata eggs in 1985 but not in 1986; developmental periods for nymphs in the field did not differ significantly between species in either year. Under controlled but fluctuating warm temperatures ($19-29^{\circ}C; \bar x = 24^{\circ} C$), egg developmental periods did not differ significantly between species, but nymphal E. aclys developed faster than nymphal E. bistrata . Under controlled, cool fluctuating temperatures ($11-21^{\circ}C; \bar x = 16^{\circ} C$), eggs and nymphs of E. aclys developed more quickly than those of E. bistrata. E. aclys and E. bistrata did not have statistically different pre-ovipositional periods, ovipositional periods, fecundities, or average daily ovipositional rates. Pre-ovipositional periods were longer in the first generation for both species. Both species exhibited a similar significant density-dependent response in a competition study. Fewer progeny were produced per female as density in a cage increased. There were no differences between species in the number of progeny produced whether caged as mixed or single species. Interspecific competition did not affect either species to a greater degree than did intraspecific competition. Shorter developmental requirements of E. aclys and its early-season ovipositional pattern may maintain this species as the numerically dominant of the two Erythroneura species at the primary study site on the University of Kentucky campus.
Chiropractic adjustments and orthotics reduced symptoms for standing workers.

Objective This controlled study was designed to explore the effectiveness of foot orthotics in solving problems of the feet and other parts of the lower extremities and to reduce low back pain.
Functional polymers: materials for smart structures

The preparation and properties of four classes of functional polymeric materials capable of responding to changes in the environment are reported. The microphase separated mixed (ionic and electronic) or MIEC diblock copolymers are composed of an electronic conductive and an ionic conductive block, and are nanostructured smart materials for application in MEMS devices. Processable copolymers of 3-alkyl or 3-phenylthiophene and (3- oligodimethylsiloxane)thiophene have been prepared as electrorheological fluids. Also a facile methodology for preparing highly ionic conductive and elastomeric solid electrolytes is reported. Finally, molecular composites of poly(2-vinylpyridine) and lithium perchlorate have been prepared. These composites have dielectric constants as high as 16 at 12 GHz.
Out in the cold: sliding sports and the Amateur Sports Act of 1978

For decades American athletes in less-popular – or ‘minor’– sports suffered from a lack of institutional and practical support from their sports' governing bodies. The AAU, in particular, failed to provide the funds necessary for athletes in the sliding sports of luge and bobsled to obtain proper training and opportunities to compete. By the early 1970s, the American Olympic effort was in chaos as athletes from the Eastern Bloc, taking advantage of their nations' determination to field the best possible teams, began to excel at both the summer and winter Olympic Games. In response, Congress authorized a presidential commission to study the situation and make recommendations about how best to improve amateur sports in the United States. The result of the commission's work, the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, reorganized governance of amateur sports to the benefit, particularly, of athletes in sports such as luge and bobsled.
A report on the fourth international conference on approval plans

"Shaping. Library Collections for the 1980's" was the theme of the Fourth International Conference on Approval Plans held October 29-31, 1979, at the Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, Wiscoru~n. Eleven firms had table exhibi{ space in an area near the meeting rooms; representatives were available between meetings to discuss their services. (Represented were Ambassador Book Service, Inc.; American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research; B. H. Blackwell, Ltd.; The Baker and Taylor Company; Ballen Booksellers International, Inc.; Biackwell North America, Inc.; Casalini Libri; Coutts Library Services, Inc.; Otto Harrassowitz; Midwest IAbrm7 Service; and Martinus Nijhoff.) Approximately 225 people attended the conference. At registration, sttendees were given microfiche copies of the unedited papers. The f~mal versions of the papers will be printed in a book to be published by Oryx Press in 1980. Conference chair was Peter Spyers-Duran, Director of the University Library, California State University, Long Beach. Spyers-Duran has also been responsible for the previous three approval conferences held in 1968, 1969, and 1971. He and Julie Virgo, Conference Advisory Board member and Executive Secretary of the Association of College and Research Libraries, opened the conference and greeted registrants. William C. Roselle, Director of the Library, Univergty of Wisconsin-Milwaukee,_welcomed the participants to Milwaukee. Invited papers were presented in general sessions: "Approval Plans: An Historical Overview and an Assessment of Future Value," William Axford, Director of the Library, University of Oregon; "Special Emphasis Acquisitions Plans," Dora Biblarz, Acting Assistant Dean for Library Collections, Unive~ty of New Mexico General Library; "Waiting for Godot-Rating Approval Service Vendors," Paul H. Mosher, Associate Director of Libraries for Collection Development, The Stanford University Libraries; "'Approval Plans: Fifteen Years of Frustration and Fruition," Robert C. Miller, Director of Libraries, University of Notre Dame; "The Wisconsin Experience," Gone L. Dewey, Chief, Acquisitions Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison; "The Other Side of the Blanket: The Publisher/Bookseller Relationship in British Blanket Orders," John J. Walsdorf, Senior Library Advisor, B.H. Blackwell Ltd; "The Circulation Uncertainty Principle and the Cosmology of Collection Use: A Plan for Approval," William E. McGrath, Dean of Library Ser-
Poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic flow cells for surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy

A fabrication technique has been developed that uses a novolak-based positive photoresist, SPR-220, for fabrication of channels in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) that are up to 61 μm deep. Like methods relying on SU-8 (an epoxy-based negative photoresist), the new method enables rapid design and fabrication of microfluidic devices but avoids possible incompatibilities with standard cleanroom processes. The utility of devices fabricated with this technique is demonstrated for use with surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (SPR). Two microfabricated flow cells having volumes of 336 and 73 nl were used to detect an analyte in bulk solution and deposition of proteins on a surface.
Rat liver aryl sulfotransferase-catalyzed sulfation and rearrangement of 9-fluorenone oxime

Abstract The role of hepatic cytosolic aryl sulfotransferases (3′-phosphoadenylylsulfate:phenol sulfotransferase, EC 2.8.2.1) in the enzymic rearrangement of 9-fluorenone oxime to phenanthridone was investigated. 9-Fluorenone oxime was found to be an excellent substrate for a partially purified rat liver aryl sulfotransferase preparation. This compound was in fact superior to 2-naphthol, the standard assay substrate. This is the first reported observation of aryl oxime sulfation by the aryl sulfotransferases. 9-Fluorenone oxime sulfation exhibited pronounced substrate inhibition at high substrate concentration. However, despite virtually complete conversion of 9-fluorenone oxime to the corresponding N-O-sulfate conjugate in enzyme incubation mixtures, only small amounts of rearrangement product were detected after long-term incubations. In addition, 9-fluorenone oxime-O-sulfonic acid was chemically synthesized and tested for stability. The results showed that rearrangement was pH-dependent and occurred slowly over several hours. It is therefore concluded that aryl sulfotransferase-catalyzed sulfation likely plays an important role in the in vitro and in vivo disposition of 9-fluorenone oxime. Moreover, sulfation facilitates the Beckmann-like conversion of 9-fluorenone oxime to phenanthridone. Sulfation alone, however, appears insufficient to account for all of the previously reported in vitro and in vivo rearrangement.
Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome: albinism with lipofuscin storage

The Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome, a ‘tyrosinase positive’ form of oculocutaneous albinism, is a triad comprising albinism, a hemorrhagic diathesis and ceroid-lipofuscin storage. A pedigree is presented showing consanguinity with a pattern of pseudodominance. Electroretinography in two isolated Hermansky-Pudlak subjects was distinctly abnormal, showing decreased rod and cone responses (as well as abnormal flicker fusion responses) in one patient, and reduced photopic and scotopic responses in another. The decreased ERG responses are discussed with reference to the known retinal abnormalities in both generalized oculocutaneous albinism and Batten's disease, another ceroidlipofuscin storage disorder.
Range and sequence effects in judgment.

Listeners classified three tones that differed in loudness. Two tones were always similar in intensity (2 dB separation). The third tone was either similar to or different from these two tones. Performance depended on this stimulus range: The greater the difference between two tones fixed in intensity and the third tone, the less precise was the discrimination between the two fixed tones. Performance also depended on sequence: Successive responses were positively correlated. The results show that measures of discriminability depend on stimulus range, and that measures of criterion placements change from trial to trial and depend on stimulus sequence.
Synthesis, characterization, and redox behavior of six-coordinate (por)Ru(NO)Cl compounds (por = porphyrinato dianion)

Abstract A new high-yield preparative route to (por)Ru(NO)Cl compounds (por = porphyrinato dianion) from reactions of (por)Ru(NO)(alkoxide) precursors with boron trichloride is reported. These ruthenium nitrosyl chloride complexes are known to be useful precursors to (por)Ru(NO)-containing derivatives. The crystal structure of (OEP)Ru(NO)Cl (OEP = octaethylporphyrinato dianion) shows that the Ru N O linkage is linear. The redox behavior of the (por)Ru(NO)Cl compounds has been determined by cyclic voltammetry. Analysis of the data reveals that the first oxidation of the (por)Ru(NO)Cl compounds is porphyrin-ring centered.
HIV risk behavior self-report reliability at different recall periods

Few studies have investigated the optimal length of recall period for self-report of sex and drug-use behaviors. This meta-analysis of 28 studies examined the test-retest reliability of three commonly used recall periods: 1, 3, and 6 months. All three recall periods demonstrated acceptable test-retest reliability, with the exception of recall of needle sharing behaviors and 6-months recall of some sex behaviors. For most sex behaviors, a recall period of 3 months was found to produce the most reliable data; however, 6 months was best for recalling number of sex partners. Overall, shorter periods were found to be more reliable for recall of drug-use behaviors, though the most reliable length of recall period varied for different types of drugs. Implications of the findings and future directions for research are discussed.
Social Studies Objectives in Theory and Practice

(1978). Social Studies Objectives in Theory and Practice. The Social Studies: Vol. 69, No. 5, pp. 200-203.
Linking Administrative Behavior and Student Learning: The Learning Centered Academic Unit

(2002). Linking Administrative Behavior and Student Learning: The Learning Centered Academic Unit. Peabody Journal of Education: Vol. 77, No. 3, pp. 60-84.
The Implementation of an Innovative High School Mentoring Program Designed to Enhance Diversity and Provide a Pathway for Future Careers in Healthcare Related Fields

Although the population of diverse applicants applying to medical school has increased over recent years (AAMC Diversity in Medical Education: Facts and Figures 2012); efforts persist to ensure the continuance of this increasing trend. Mentoring students at an early age may be an effective method by which to accomplish diversity within the applicant pool. Having a diverse physician population is more likely able to adequately address the healthcare needs of our diverse population. The purpose of this study is to initiate a pipeline program, called the Medical Student Mentorship Program (MSMP), designed to specifically target high school students from lower economic status, ethnic, or racial underrepresented populations. High school students were paired with medical students, who served as primary mentors to facilitate exposure to processes involved in preparing and training for careers in medicine and other healthcare-related fields as well as research. Mentors were solicited from first and second year medical students at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix (UACOM-P). Two separate cohorts of mentees were selected based on an application process from a local high school for the school years 2010–2011 and 2011–2012. Anonymous mentee and mentor surveys were used to evaluate the success of the MSMP. A total of 16 pairs of mentees and mentors in the 2010–2011 (Group 1) and 2011–2012 (Group 2) studies participated in MSMP. High school students reported that they were more likely to apply to medical school after participating in the program. Mentees also reported that they received a significant amount of support, helpful information, and guidance from their medical student mentors. Overall, feedback from mentees and mentors was positive and they reported that their participation was rewarding. Mentees were contacted 2 to 3 years post MSMP participation as sophomores or juniors in college, and all reported that they were on a pre-healthcare career track. The MSMP may serve as an effective pipeline program to promote future diversity in college and graduate training programs for future careers in science and medicine.
The Wave Propagation through the Imperfect Interface between Two Micropolar Solids

in this paper, the reflection and transmission problem of the coupled transverse displacement and transverse rotational waves at the imperfect interface between two different micropolar solids are studied. First, the boundary conditions between two micropolar solids with imperfect interface are used to derive the linear algebraic equation sets. Then, the linear algebraic equation sets are solved numerically and the results are shown graphically. Finally, the influence of the interface parameter reflecting the imperfect degree of interface on the reflection and the transmission coefficients are discussed based on the numerical results.Keyword: reflection and transmission, imperfect interface, micropolar solid, coupled waves.
Reduced growth of coho salmon fry exposed to two petroleum components, toluene and naphthalene, in fresh water

Abstract Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, fry were exposed for 40 days to stable, sublethal concentrations of toluene (0.4, 0.8, 1.6, 3.2, 5.8 μl/liter) and naphthalene (0.2, 0.4, 0.7, 1.4 mg/liter) in fresh water. All fry were fed equal daily rations of Oregon Moist Pellet Formula II. Dry weights, wet weights, and lengths of fry exposed to the two highest concentrations of each toxicant for 40 days were significantly less than controls (P < 0.01). Growth per day, determined from weights and lengths, decreased linearly with increased concentrations. Fry exposed to naphthalene had a slower growth rate than fry exposed to equivalent concentrations (percentage of the 96-hour median lethal concentration or LC50) of toluene. Concentrations 18% of the LC50 of naphthalene and 26% of the LC50 of toluene had no effect on dry weight, wet weight, or length of exposed fry.
Neutron powder diffraction study of Cu-site preference of Li dopants in YBa2 (Cu1 − xLix)3O6 + δ

We report structural refinements for three Li-doped samples of the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6 + δ superconductor, with 1.90% to 6.5% of the Cu replaced by Li, using neutron powder diffraction data. The superconducting transition temperature falls dramatically with doping level, falling to ≈60 K at 1.90% Li, to less than 10 K, if at all, at 5.3% and 6.5% Li. In contrast, the structure changes slowly with increasing dopant levels, and remains orthorhombic for all samples. The oxygen stoichiometry decreases slowly from δ ≈0.97 for an undoped sample to 0.82 as the Li content is increased to 6.5%, roughly a decrease of one O 2− for every two Li 1+ introduced, so as to maintain an approximately constant hole concentration. At low doping levels, the Li shows a strong preference for the chain Cu(1) sites; but at higher levels, this preference shifts to the plane Cu(2) sites. This behavior suggests that the solubility of Li in the chain sites is only about 5%, and that increasing the dopant level above this amount then forces the excess Li into the plane sites. The preferential doping of Li, first into the chain sites and then into the plane sites, provides a unique opportunity to study the effect of hole doping into the CuO 2 planes, the role played by the Cu(1)-O(1) charge reservoir, and the O(4) ions that couple it to the planes. The observed changes in T c with doping are discussed in this context.
Architecture and compiler enhancements for PA-RISC workstations

A set of extensions to Hewlett-Packard's Precision RISC (reduced instruction set computer) Architecture is described. These extensions allow a higher level of floating-point performance and represent the first wave of enhancements to PA-RISC inspired by workstation requirements. The role of these architecture changes and the enhanced optimization capabilities of the PA-RISC compilers are reviewed with an emphasis on their impact on application performance. A discussion of compatibility with previous PA-RISC systems and HP's MC680*0-based workstations is also presented. >
VIX Futures ETNs: Three Dimensional Losers

This research tests the performance of volatility Exchange Traded Notes (ETN) and Funds and compares the results to three benchmarks to determine whether the risk-adjusted returns are sufficient to compensate for the high risk and high expenses. Two tests are composed along three dimensions to establish the magnitude and frequency with which the volatility funds outperform the benchmarks. The first dimension tests the robustness of the fund performance to the construction of the portfolio. The results provide evidence that the strong negative correlation between the S&P 500 and ETN returns is not sufficient to consistently produce risk-adjusted returns greater than the benchmarks. The second dimension tests the sensitivity of the results to one-day, one-week and one-month holding periods. The findings indicate that changes in the holding period alter the identity of the successful portfolios but the number of successful funds remains low regardless of the holding period. Finally, the third dimension employs two different weighting methods to the construction of the portfolios. Once again, the findings show that the number of successful portfolios produced by either weighting method is low and unimpressive relative to the benchmarks. Overall, the evidence suggests that the poor performance is unique to volatility ETNs rather than to volatility in general.
Use of taper to reduce sensitivity in a distributed active lowpass network

An investigation is made of the effect of tapering the distributed RC element of a distributed-active lowpass network on the sensitivity of the network function to changes in the gain of the active device. It is shown that the sensitivity may be considerably reduced by the proper use of taper.
Islam's “Strange Secret Sharer”: Orientalism, Judaism, and the Jewish Question

Edward Said's Orientalism has received both praise and criticism. Among the criticisms leveled is the charge that Said's neglect of German scholarship misses an important part of Orientalism in the West. Robert Irwin, for example, notes that German Biblical scholarship was critically influential as a “motivating force for the study of Islam” and that the “German form-critical techniques” developed to study the Old Testament influence on the way “Western scholars interpret[ed] the Koran and the early Islamic community.” Bernard Lewis claims that Said's neglect of German scholarship calls into question his entire project and likens it to writing a history of European music without a discussion of the German contribution. See Robert Erwin, “Writing about Islam and the Arabs,” Ideology and Consciousness, 9 (1981–82), 108–9; Bernard Lewis, Islam and the West (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993), 108. More generally, critics have noted that the presence of an influential Orientalist scholarship in Germany, as well as the absence of any significant Germany colonies in the Orient, calls into question Said's claim that there is a confluence between scholarship and political power in Orientalist discourse. Neither critics nor supporters, on the other hand, have given much attention to Said's claim that there is a similarity between Orientalism and anti-Semitism. Said states this in his introduction, where he notes that in “addition and by an almost inescapable logic, I have found myself writing the history of a strange secret sharer of Western anti-Semitism. That anti-Semitism, and as I have discussed it in its Islamic branch Orientalism resemble each other is a historical, cultural, and political truth that needs only be mentioned to an Arab Palestinian for its irony to be perfectly understood” (1978:27–28). Elsewhere, Said has faulted critics of his work on Orientalism for seeing “in the critique of Orientalism an opportunity for them to defend Zionism . . . and launch attacks on Palestinian nationalism,” instead of giving attention to the similarity “between Islamophobia and anti-Semitism” (1985:9).
Herbicide Application Rates: Risk Premiums with Environmental Implications

This paper examines the role of risk aversion in setting herbicide label rates and application rates. Companies establish label rates to be efficacious for a wide range of conditions. The use of reduced rates of herbicide offer the opportunity to increase farm profit and reduce herbicide use, an environmental benefit.
Dynamic power management using data buffers

This paper presents a method to reduce energy consumption by inserting data buffers. The method determines whether power can be reduced by inserting a buffer between two components and periodically turning off one of them. This method calculates the length of the period and the required buffer size to achieve the optimal energy savings. Our approach can be applied to any applications whose data arrival and departure rates are different and known in advance.
Treating achalasia : From whalebone to laparoscope

Objective.—To review the pathophysiology and management of achalasia.Data Sources.—Peer-reviewed publications located via MEDLINE using the search term esophageal achalasia (subheadings: complications, drug therapy, epidemiology, etiology, physiopathology, surgery, and therapy) published in English from 1966 to December 1997.Study Selection.—Of 2632 citations identified, 4.5% were selected for inclusion by authors' blinded review of the abstracts. New developments in the understanding of achalasia or reports of therapeutic efficacy in either controlled trials or uncontrolled consecutive series involving 10 patients or more observed for a year or longer were reviewed in detail.Data Extraction.—All 6 controlled therapeutic trials were included, and therapeutic efficacy in uncontrolled series was assessed by the authors extracting the patients with a good-to-excellent response from each study and calculating a pooled estimate of response rate with individual studies weighted proportionally to sample size.Data Synthesis.—Achalasia results from irreversible destruction of esophageal myenteric plexus neurons causing aperistalsis and failed lower sphincter relaxation. The only therapies that adequately compensate for this dysfunction for a sustained time are pneumatic dilation and Heller myotomy. The single controlled trial comparing these treatments found surgery superior to dilation (95% vs 51% nearly complete symptom resolution, P<.01). In uncontrolled trials pneumatic dilation (weighted mean [SD]) is 72% (26%) effective vs 84% (20%) for Heller myotomy. The limitation of dilation is a 3% risk of perforation; thoracotomy morbidity has been the major limitation of myotomy. Surgical morbidity has been sharply reduced by laparoscopic techniques.Conclusions.—Both pneumatic dilation and surgical myotomy are effective therapies for achalasia; laparoscopic Heller myotomy is emerging as the optimal surgical therapy.
Syntax is more diverse, and evolutionary linguistics is already here

Evans & Levinson (E&L) perform a major service for cognitive science. The assumption ot Chomskyan generative linguistics - that there are absolute unrestricted universals of grammatical structure - is empirically untenable. However, E&L are too reluctant to abandon word classes and grammatical relations in syntax. Also, a cognitive scientist can already draw on a substantial linguistics literature on variationist, evolutionary models of language.
Preliminary testing of sensitivity to input data quality in an elastographic reconstruction method

An elastographic reconstruction method has been developed to recover the material properties of soft tissue by model-based analysis of image data acquired at different states of mechanical loading. The algorithm utilizes image similarity as part of the cost function for a multi-resolution, non-linear optimization. Previous work with a phantom membrane used for simulated dermoscopic application has prompted this preliminary investigation of the relative effects of additive image noise and boundary condition determination errors on the performance of the method. The results as quantified by elasticity contrast and localization accuracy indicate that the reconstruction process is robust in the presence of realistic levels of image corruption and tolerates the majority of boundary condition mapping errors.
Efficient auditory coding

Efficient coding theory posits that sensory systems are under strong evolutionary and developmental pressures to utilize highly efficient codes (Barlow, 1961; Atick, 1992; Simoncelli and Olshausen, 2001; Laughlin and Sejnowski, 2003). Using information theory, the basis of modern telecommunications, we have found that mammalian hearing follows this efficient coding principle. Neurons in the inner ear and the "spikes" with which they communicate form an efficient code for natural sounds in the environment (Smith and Lewicki, 2004a, 2005a, 2006). This shows for the first time that the theoretical principle of efficient coding can account for the detailed form of the auditory code, a significant milestone in developing a theoretical understanding of sensory coding. Additionally, the results of applying the same technique to speech coding suggest that the acoustics of speech are optimally adapted to this mammalian auditory code (Smith and Lewicki, 2004b, 2005b). Beyond these scientific issues, we show that a "spike"-like code may also lead to improvements to applications such as digital audio compression and telecommunications. In addition to our theoretical research, we sought to demonstrate efficient coding in human perception behaviorally. In a pair of experiments, we applied efficient coding theory to the problem of speech perception in individuals using cochlear implants (CI), for which there exist vast individual differences in spectral resolution and speech perception (Zeng et al., 2004b). We present a machine-learning method for CI filterbank design based on the efficient-coding hypothesis. Further, we describe a pair of experiments which evaluate this approach using noise-excited vocoder speech (Shannon et al., 1995). Participants' recognition of continuous speech and isolated syllables is significantly more accurate for speech filtered through the theoretically-motivated efficient-coding filterbank relative to the standard cochleotopic filterbank, particularly for speech transients. These findings offer insight in CI design and provide behavioral evidence for efficient coding in human perception.
Cambial Ontogeny (Storying, Paedomorphosis, Other Changes)

A survey of comparative wood anatomy of dicotyledons might not seem suited to discussion of matters that are essentially developmental. However, different developmental pathways result in different outcomes. We cannot understand phenomena such as raylessness, cambial variants (“anomalous secondary growth”), and storying by viewing the end products alone. Even if one can characterize these end products, degrees of intermediacy in expression (e.g., storying of all wood elements versus storying of some) and the interrelationships between these expressions can only be meaningfully interpreted when placed in an ontogenetic context.
Structural Determinants of Skeletal Muscle Ryanodine Receptor Gating

Ryanodine receptor type 1 (RyR1) releases Ca2+ from intracellular stores upon nerve impulse to trigger skeletal muscle contraction. Effector binding at the cytoplasmic domain tightly controls gating of the pore domain of RyR1 to release Ca2+. However, the molecular mechanism that links effector binding to channel gating is unknown due to lack of structural data. Here, we used a combination of computational and electrophysiological methods and cryo-EM densities to generate structural models of the open and closed states of RyR1. Using our structural models, we identified an interface between the pore-lining helix (Tyr-4912–Glu-4948) and a linker helix (Val-4830–Val-4841) that lies parallel to the cytoplasmic membrane leaflet. To test the hypothesis that this interface controls RyR1 gating, we designed mutations in the linker helix to stabilize either the open (V4830W and T4840W) or closed (H4832W and G4834W) state and validated them using single channel experiments. To further confirm this interface, we designed mutations in the pore-lining helix to stabilize the closed state (Q4947N, Q4947T, and Q4947S), which we also validated using single channel experiments. The channel conductance and selectivity of the mutations that we designed in the linker and pore-lining helices were indistinguishable from those of WT RyR1, demonstrating our ability to modulate RyR1 gating without affecting ion permeation. Our integrated computational and experimental approach significantly advances the understanding of the structure and function of an unusually large ion channel.
Dim Light at Night Increases Immune Function in Nile Grass Rats, a Diurnal Rodent

With the widespread adoption of electrical lighting during the 20th century, human and nonhuman animals became exposed to high levels of light at night for the first time in evolutionary history. This divergence from the natural environment may have significant implications for certain ecological niches because of the important influence light exerts on the circadian system. For example, circadian disruption and nighttime light exposure are linked to changes in immune function. The majority of studies investigating the effects of light exposure and circadian disruption on the immune system use nocturnal rodents. In diurnal species, many hormones and immune parameters vary with secretion patterns 180° out of phase to those of nocturnal rodents. Thus, the authors investigated the effects of nighttime light exposure on immunocompetence in diurnal Nile grass rats (Arvicanthis niloticus). Rats were housed in either standard 14-h light (L):10-h dark (D) cycles with L ∼150 lux and D 0 lux or dim light at night (dLAN) cycles of LD 14:10 with L ∼150 lux and D 5 lux for 3 wks, then tested for plasma bactericidal capacity, as well as humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. Rats exposed to dLAN showed increased delayed-type hypersensitivity pinna swelling, which is consistent with enhanced cell-mediated immune function. dLAN rats similarly showed increased antibody production following inoculation with keyhole lymphocyte hemocyanin (KLH) and increased bactericidal capacity. Daytime corticosterone concentrations were elevated in grass rats exposed to nighttime dim light, which may have influenced immunological measures. Overall, these results indicate nighttime light affects immune parameters in a diurnal rodent. (Author correspondence: fonken.1@osu.edu)
Constitutive Secretion in Tetrahymena thermophila

The growth, survival, and life cycle progression of the freshwater ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila are responsive to protein signals thought to be released by constitutive secretion. In addition to providing insights about ciliate communication, studies of constitutive secretion are of interest for evaluating the utility of T. thermophila as a platform for the expression of secreted protein therapeutics. For these reasons, we undertook an unbiased investigation of T. thermophila secreted proteins using wild-type and secretion mutant strains. Extensive tandem mass spectrometry analyses of secretome samples were performed. We identified a total of 207 secretome proteins, most of which were not detected in a set of abundant whole-cell protein identifications. Numerous proteases and other hydrolases were secreted from cells grown in rich medium but not cells transferred to a nutrient starvation condition. On the other hand, we detected the starvation-enhanced secretion of a small number of cytosolic proteins, suggestive of an exosome-like pathway in T. thermophila. Subsets of proteins from the T. thermophila regulated secretion pathway were detected with differential representation across strains and culture conditions. Finally, many secretome proteins had a predicted N-terminal signal sequence but no other annotated characteristic or functional classification. Our work provides the first comprehensive analysis of secreted proteins in T. thermophila and establishes the groundwork for future studies of constitutive protein secretion biology and biotechnology in ciliates.
Threonine phosphorylation prevents promoter DNA binding of the Group B Streptococcus response regulator CovR

All living organisms communicate with the external environment for their survival and existence. In prokaryotes, communication is achieved by two-component systems (TCS) comprising histidine kinases and response regulators. In eukaryotes, signalling is accomplished by serine/threonine and tyrosine kinases. Although TCS and serine/threonine kinases coexist in prokaryotes, direct cross-talk between these families was first described in Group B Streptococcus (GBS). A serine/threonine kinase (Stk1) and a TCS (CovR/CovS) co-regulate toxin expression in GBS. Typically, promoter binding of regulators like CovR is controlled by phosphorylation of the conserved active site aspartate (D53). In this study, we show that Stk1 phosphorylates CovR at threonine 65. The functional consequence of threonine phosphorylation of CovR in GBS was evaluated using phosphomimetic and silencing substitutions. GBS encoding the phosphomimetic T65E allele are deficient for CovR regulation unlike strains encoding the non-phosphorylated T65A allele. Further, compared with wild-type or T65A CovR, the T65E CovR is unable to bind promoter DNA and is decreased for phosphorylation at D53, similar to Stk1-phosphorylated CovR. Collectively, we provide evidence for a novel mechanism of response regulator control that enables GBS (and possibly other prokaryotes) to fine-tune gene expression for environmental adaptation.
Joint Frame and Carrier Frequency Synchronization: Theoretical Considerations and Practical Trade-Offs

In communication systems which transmit a continuous stream of data, the coded data symbols are typically transmitted in frames. Frames contain one or multiple blocks of coded data. The Start Of a Frame (SOF) is especially required to synchronize the decoder, especially in systems which use block codes such as Turbo and LDPC codes. This process is known as frame synchronization. We examine the general problem of frame synchronization in the presence of a carrier frequency offset. We first look at the theoretical formulation of the problem, and how the Maximum-Likelihood (ML) based solution is related to the classical periodogram. We then derive an improved ML based frame synchronizer for a commercial satellite waveform, which uses a non-standard SOF. Finally, we discuss implementation complexity and complexity reduction techniques of this new synchronizer on an FPGA.
Molecular Basis for Histone Acetyltransferase Regulation by Binding Partners, Associated Domains, and Autoacetylation

Acetylation is a post-translational modification (PTM) that regulates chromatin dynamics and function. Dysregulation of acetylation or acetyltransferase activity has been correlated with several human diseases. Many, if not all, histone acetyltransferases (HATs) are regulated in part through tethered domains, association with binding partners, or post-translational modification, including predominantly acetylation. This review focuses on what is currently understood at the molecular level of HAT regulation as it occurs via binding partners, associated domains, and autoacetylation.
Single Sign On architecture with dynamic tokens

Single Sign On (SSO) is a useful technology that allows users to skip bothersome authentication processes during accesses to multiple services. It is particularly useful for services for mobile terminals because of their limited resources and interfaces. Some existing SSO mechanisms only verify static data such as IDs and passwords. However, we consider that it will be quite useful if they could deal with dynamic data. We propose a new SSO architecture that uses a "dynamic token" that describe dynamic data such as a payment history. The architecture introduces an additional server, named "Circulator", which distributes the latest token values to service providers. Accordingly, the providers can correctly verify the token values sent from clients. This paper proposes an efficient algorithm for Circulator to effectively visit the providers. The result of our experiment shows the efficiency of the algorithm.
A semiempirical investigation of interelectronic exchange coupling in bisected poly(1,4-phenylene) polycation model systems

AM1 SCF-MO-CI computations find the bisected biphenyl dication to have nearly degenerate triplet and singlet states, with the lowest-energy state being a quininoid singlet planar dication. The bisected perchlorobiphenyl dication favors a triplet ground state by a small amount (0.4-1.9 kcal/mol), in qualitative agreement with recent experimental findings and with theoretical expectations that such an orthogonal open-shell pi-system should exhibit ferromagnetic exchange coupling. The higher oligomeric bisected para-linked phenylenes polycations do not show an appreciable computational preference for a high-spin multiplicity ground state either with or without perchlorine substitution. Chlorine substitution para to the 1,1′-linkage may lend a unique stabilization to the biphenyl system, which is not available in higher oligomeric analogs of poly(1,4-phenylene)s. The small magnitude of ferromagnetic exchange in these systems suggests that small geometric or substituent effects may confound experimental efforts to design polymeric ferromagnetic materials by this strategy. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The role of body-on-a-chip devices in drug and toxicity studies.

High-quality, in vitro screening tools are essential in identifying promising compounds during drug development. Tests with currently used cell-based assays provide an indication of a compound's potential therapeutic benefits to the target tissue, but not to the whole body. Data obtained with animal models often cannot be extrapolated to humans. Multicompartment microfluidic-based devices, particularly those that are physical representations of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models, may contribute to improving the drug development process. These scaled-down devices, termed micro cell culture analogs (μCCAs) or body-on-a-chip devices, can simulate multitissue interactions under near-physiological fluid flow conditions and with realistic tissue-to-tissue size ratios. Because the device can be used with both animal and human cells, it can facilitate cross-species extrapolation. Used in conjunction with PBPK models, the devices permit an estimation of effective concentrations that can be used fo...
Indicators of dental anxiety in children just prior to treatment.

Objectives: We evaluated the relationship between child dental anxiety and selected child and parental characteristics. Study design: Children and their parents were interviewed at the New York University, College of Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry Clinic. The Children's Fear Survey Schedule - Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) evaluated child self-reported anxiety; the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) measured self-reported parental anxiety when the parent received dental treatment. Results: Ninety-three children and their parents completed the questionnaires. Mean CFSS-DS scores were higher for girls than boys (32.5 vs. 26.3, p=0.003) and for children whose accompanying parents had MDAS scores of 11+ vs. ≯11 (32.8 vs. 26.6, p=0.001). There was little difference in mean CFSS-DS scores among those aged 6-10 yrs. vs. 11-14 yrs. (30.1 vs. 29.3). Significant correlations were found between CFSS-DS and both gender (Spearman's rho, rs=0.31) and MDAS scores (rs=0.33), but not between CFSS-DS and child age (rs=-0.05)....