cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disproportionate burden of septic versus aseptic revision total shoulder arthroplasty: a comparative assessment of operative time and work relative value units

Background Periprosthetic infection (PJI) remains a challenging complication in total shoulder arthroplasty. Surgical treatment options can include 1 or 2-stage revision procedures, temporizing articulating spacers, and resection arthroplasty, with many cases resulting in transfer of patient care to a tertiary care center. While these cases can impose significant cost and clinical burden for both surgeons and hospital systems, there is limited data about the operative time investment and reimbursement compared to aseptic revision cases. The purpose of the current study was to compare work relative value units and operative times for aseptic and septic shoulder arthroplasty revision procedures. We hypothesize that staged, PJI-related revision shoulder arthroplasty is associated with significant differences in operative time and work relative value units assigned as compared to aseptic revisions. Methods This study utilized data obtained from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP). Inclusion criteria included all patients that underwent a revision total shoulder arthroplasty between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2018. Procedures were grouped as either aseptic or septic revisions and further stratified into 1 stage and each stage of a 2-stage revision for septic cases. The RVU-to-dollar conversion factor was provided by the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This was used to obtain total reimbursement and reimbursement per minute estimates. Results When assessing the ratio of RVUs per minute of operative time across the groups, we found that the second stage of a 2-stage septic revision had a significantly lower RVU per minute operative time ratio (0.25) when compared to both the aseptic 2-component revision (0.34) and the first stage of a 2-stage septic revision (0.29). This translated to a significantly lower dollar per minute operative time value. Conclusion The current study found that the second stage of a 2-stage septic revision was undervalued in the number of RVUs per minute of operative time when compared to an aseptic revision or even its first stage counterpart. An adjustment or redistribution of relative value units for these procedures may offset the disproportionate clinical burdens encountered with definitive treatment of these complications. Level of Evidence Level III.
Transversus abdominis activation does not alter gait impairments in patients with and without knee osteoarthritis.

Abstract Background Knee osteoarthritis accounts for more years of disability than all other forms of osteoarthritis combined. Gait kinetic and kinematic changes, in addition to reduced gait speed, are commonly observed. This study investigates whether core activation, which modifies lower extremity movement in young, active populations, can alter the gait and baseline core activation of those with knee osteoarthritis as compared to controls, and alter osteoarthritic knee pain. Methods Forty-four participants (22 controls and 22 with knee osteoarthritis) underwent biomechanical gait assessment, examining kinetic and kinematic variables, in addition to gait speed, with and without volitional transversus abdominis activation. Surface electromyography was used to measure baseline transversus abdominis activation under both conditions. Knee pain ratings were examined for those with knee osteoarthritis. Findings No significant biomechanical differences were observed within groups, or in the time/group interaction. Between-groups kinetic (time to first peak ground reaction force and amplitude of second peak ground reaction force) and gait speed differences were observed under both conditions. There were no differences in baseline electromyography activation between or within-groups, or within-group for self-reported pain for the osteoarthritic group. Interpretation Although previous studies have shown the benefit of core activation in correcting lower extremity movement patterns and kinetic loading in young, athletic populations, this study is the first to show this is not the case for persons with knee osteoarthritis. Future studies should examine the value of a progressive core stabilization program, of sufficient dose and mode, in correcting the observed gait differences in those with knee osteoarthritis. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT03776981
Erlendur Haraldsson: An Appreciation

Erlendur Haraldsson, a prolific researcher who made a number of major contributions in various areas of parapsychology and survival research, died in Reykjavik on November 22, 2020 at the age of 89. Born near Reykjavik, Erlendur studied philosophy in college, but his interest in understanding more about the world began before that. When he was 15, he had an experience during a heavy storm when the sun suddenly shone through the clouds and lit up pebbles on the banks of the nearby shore. As the light reflected off the pebbles, Erlendur sensed being filled with light himself in a way that was immense and beyond words. In an interview with Michael Tymn (2015), he said that a vivid trace of that feeling stayed with him forever and that after that, he never doubted that there was a superior reality. Following college, he worked for three years, mostly as a journalist, before returning to school to study psychology, eventually earning a PhD under Hans Bender in Freiburg. After that, he spent a year working at J. B. Rhine’s parapsychology center in Durham, North Carolina, followed by an internship in clinical psychology at the University of Virginia, where he met Ian Stevenson. He and Stevenson studied an Icelandic medium together, introducing Erlendur to the topic of mediumship which he would return to in subsequent decades. Following his internship, he entered the field with a bang. Karlis Osis, the director of research of the American Society for Psychical Research, invited Erlendur to join him in a large study of deathbed visions. They surveyed hundreds of doctors and nurses in both the United States and India about events they had witnessed in their patients. What resulted was a landmark study, one that exemplified the best the field has to offer—detailed statistical analysis along with compelling individual reports. One striking example involved a two-and-a-half year old boy whose mother had died six months before. The respondent wrote, “He was lying there very quiet. He just sat himself up, and he put his arms out and said, ‘Mama,’ and fell back [dead]” (Osis and Haraldsson, 1977, p. 53). Osis and Haraldsson found that the data did not support known medical or psychological causes of hallucinations. Likewise, the influences of religious or other cultural factors could not be used to explain away the phenomena.
Enhancement of virus-induced cell fusion by phytohemagglutinin.

Publisher Summary Studies in several laboratories have shown that the binding of plant lectins to the cell surface can significantly alter the cellular response to virus infection. A striking example of the ability of lectins to alter virus-host cell interactions concerns their effect on virus-induced cell fusion. Treatment of cultured mammalian cells with concanavalin A (Con A), wheat germ agglutinin, and soybean agglutinin has been shown to inhibit their subsequent fusion by both RNA- and DNA-containing viruses. In contrast, treatment of cells with phytohemagglutinin (PHA), a lectin obtained from the red kidney bean ( Phaseofus vulgaris ), results in significant enhancement of virus-induced cell fusion. This chapter describes the way this property of PHA can be exploited to enhance the efficiency of cell fusion by inactivated viruses to increase the yield of hybrid cells produced by fusion of different cell types.
Imperforate anus associated with eventration of diaphragm.

Anorectal malformations (ARM) are associated with a myriad of congenital anomalies. The prevalence rates of associated anomalies range from 20% to 80%, commonest being urogenital anomalies. Other important associations and syndromes include Down syndrome and VACTERL (vertebral, anorectal, cardiac, trachea-esophageal, renal, limb) anomalies [1]. ARM has rarely been described in association with diaphragmatic anomalies [2-7]. Fewer than half a dozen cases of diaphragmatic hernia are recorded in the literature; but none of diaphragmatic eventration.
An All-Optical Quantum Gate in a Semiconductor Quantum Dot

We report coherent optical control of a biexciton (two electron-hole pairs), confined in a single quantum dot, that shows coherent oscillations similar to the excited-state Rabi flopping in an isolated atom. The pulse control of the biexciton dynamics, combined with previously demonstrated control of the single-exciton Rabi rotation, serves as the physical basis for a two-bit conditional quantum logic gate. The truth table of the gate shows the features of an all-optical quantum gate with interacting yet distinguishable excitons as qubits. Evaluation of the fidelity yields a value of 0.7 for the gate operation. Such experimental capability is essential to a scheme for scalable quantum computation by means of the optical control of spin qubits in dots.
Virginia Tech's twin contenders: A comparative study of reactive and deliberative navigation: Field Reports

There are two commonly accepted paradigms for organizing intelligence in robotic vehicles, namely, reactive and deliberative. Although these paradigms are well known to researchers, there are few published examples directly comparing their development and application on similar vehicles operating in similar environments. Virginia Tech's participation, with two nearly identical vehicles in the DARPA Grand Challenge, afforded a practical opportunity for such a case study. The two Virginia Tech vehicles, Cliff and Rocky, proved capable of off-road navigation, including road following and obstacle avoidance in complex desert terrain. Under the conditions of our testing, the reactive paradigm developed for Cliff produced smoother paths and proved to be more reliable than the deliberative paradigm developed for Rocky. The deliberative method shows great promise for planning feasible paths through complex environments, but it proved unnecessarily complex for the desert road navigation problem posed by the Grand Challenge. This case study, while limited to two specific software implementations, may help to shed additional light on the tradeoffs and performance of competing approaches to machine intelligence. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On Rayleigh's computation of the 'end correction', with application to the compression wave generated by a train entering a tunnel

Rayleigh's (1926, Appendix A) method for the approximate calculation of potential flow from the open end of a semi-infinite flanged cylinder is applied to obtain analytical representations of Green's function describing the generation of sound waves within a flanged cylinder by sources located in the neighbourhood of the open end. Detailed results are given for the circular cylinder considered by Rayleigh and extension made to a flanged cylinder of rectangular cross-section. The validity of various approximations is assessed by comparison with the exact solution available (by the method of conformal transformation) for potential flow from a two-dimensional, flanged duct. The results are used to compare the profiles and the pressure gradients of compression waves generated when a high-speed train enters tunnels of circular and rectangular cross-sections.
Expression of Estrogen Receptor Alpha and Beta is Decreased in Hypospadias

Purpose: Estrogenic endocrine disruptors acting via estrogen receptors α and β have been implicated in the etiology of hypospadias. However, the expression and distribution of estrogen receptors α and β in normal and hypospadiac human foreskins is unknown. We characterized the location and expression of estrogen receptors α and β in normal and hypospadiac foreskins.Materials and Methods: We prospectively collected excess foreskin from 35 patients undergoing hypospadias repair and 15 patients undergoing elective circumcision. Hypospadias was classified as severe in 18 patients and mild in 17 based on the ectopic position of the meatus. mRNA expression levels in estrogen receptors α and β were quantified using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Receptor location was characterized by immunohistochemical analysis. Additionally immunohistochemical analysis was performed in 4 archived human fetal penises.Results: Mean ± SD ages were similar for the circumcision (9.5 ± 3 months) and hypospadias rep...
Airways Obstruction From Asbestos Exposure: Effects of Asbestosis and Smoking

Objective To define the apparent steps in developing airways obstruction vs restrictive lung disease in men exposed to asbestos for more than 20 years who had never smoked vs cigarette smokers. Design Physiologic signs of asbestosis were studied in cross-sectional age-matched groups of never, current, and ex-cigarette smoking workers. Setting and participants The study included 8,720 asbestos-exposed construction and shipyard workers in the United States. Measurements FVC, FEV 1 , FEF25–75, and FEF75-85 were measured by spirometry and total lung capacity (TLC) by planimetry of standard chest radiographs and adjusted for height, age, and duration of cigarette smoking and expressed as percentage of predicted. TLC minus FVC yielded RV. We compared means and mean residuals (measurement minus group mean) expiratory flows and lung volumes in 1,146 men with pulmonary asbestosis age matched to 1,146 without asbestosis who had similar durations of asbestos exposure and to 370 men without asbestos exposure. Next, flows and volumes were regressed against the International Labour Office (ILO) profusion scale of irregular opacities on chest radiographs (PIO) and the duration of asbestos exposure for 1,777 never smokers (NS), 4,550 current smokers, and 2,393 ex-smokers. Results Asbestos exposure in NS men decreased expiratory flows and increased TLCs compared with unexposed NS men. Further reductions in flows and FVC and increases RV/TLC with radiographic asbestosis were not statistically significant. As the PIO increased from 1/1 to 3/3, obstruction and air trapping increased significantly but TLC did not. Conclusions Asbestos exposure reduced flows and produced air trapping after 20 years in workers who never smoked. Smoking increased these abnormalities.
Minor and trace sterols in marine invertebrates 40. Structure and synthesis of axinyssasterol, 25-methylfucosterol and 24-ethyl-24-methylcholesterol -- novel sponge sterols with highly branched side chains

Abstract The isolation, structure determination and synthesis of three novel sterols with unusual side chains is reported. A consistent scheme is proposed which accounts for the biosynthesis of all major and minor sterols in this sponge.
Influence of aggregate properties on performance of heavy-duty hot-mix asphalt pavements

Because approximately 85 percent of the total volume of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) mixtures consists of aggregates, the performance of HMA mixtures is greatly affected and influenced by properties of the aggregate blend. The angularity, shape, and texture of the aggregate particles have a significant effect on the performance of HMA mixtures by controlling the mixture's strength and rutting resistance. Rough, angular aggregates have been proved to produce higher-quality HMA pavements than smooth, round aggregates. Current aggregate tests are primarily based on experience and empirical characterization tests. A study was conducted to evaluate test methods that could be used to characterize aggregate properties that are related to HMA rutting potential of heavy-duty pavements. Specifically, FAA aggregate properties and aircraft loading conditions were addressed. The aggregate particles were characterized with the particle index (ASTM D3398), uncompacted void content for fine aggregate (ASTM C1252), modified ASTM...
Highly Sensitive Detection and Discrimination of Biogenic Amines Utilizing Arrays of Polyaniline/Carbon Black Composite Vapor Detectors

Chemically-sensitive resistors have been developed that allow rapid detection of an important class of compounds, biogenic amines, at levels of 1−10 parts per trillion in ambient air. The materials are composites of a conducting organic polymer, the emeraldine salt of polyaniline, with particles of another conducting phase, carbon black. The resistance response of an EM−DBSA(1:0.5)/CB (80:20) detector exposed to water (a), acetone (b), methanol (c), ethyl acetate (d), and butanol (e) is approximately a factor of a million smaller than that to butylamine (f).
A classification of structured bond portfolio modeling techniques

0 ver the past decade, managing interest rate risk has become-a pivotal component of the portfolio management procedures of financial institutions. The volatility of interest rates in the early 1980s emphasized the importance of insulating portfolio values from unanticipated swings in interest rates. A flurry of activity contributed considerable refinements to existing assethability management techniques, including immunization techniques such as dedication and duration matching. This article examines the various approaches to modeling the assethability management problem. Our goal is to help practitioners decide which methodology is appropriate for their specific problem, given the unique structure of their liabilities and the types of assets in their portfolio. We consider a hypothetical financial institution with liabilities that must be met over time. To minimize financial risk, the institution intends to invest cash in assets that "match" the liabilities. The asset/ liability management problem is to identify a portfolio of assets (or to identify a feasible asset portfolio rebalancing strategy) that achieves this "match" so as to eliminate the interest rate risk from the combined assetniability portfolio. We classify assetniability problems as either deterministic or stochastic. Deterministic assethability problems are those for which 1) the liability cash flow stream is known with certainty in advance, and 2) the cash flows for all assets that may potentially be included in the portfolio are known with certainty, and do not depend in any way on factors such as the level ofinterest rates, exchange rates, or the general level of the economy. These two criteria are quite restrictive, excluding most realistic assethability management problems. All other problems are classified as stochastic problems; either the liability cash flows are uncertain, the asset cash flows are uncertain, or, in most instances, both. Much of the research in this area during the past decade has focused on analyzing the stochastic assetniability management problem. We also classify asset/liability management techniques according to the hedging criteria applied dedication techniques and duration-matching techniques. Dedication or cash-matching techniques focus on matching the liability cash flows over time. Duration-matching techniques focus on hedging the interest rate exposure in the liabilities by constructing an asset portfolio that matches the interest rate sensitivity of the liabilities. Table 1 categorizes assetniability management problems by problem type (deterministic or stochastic) and by hedging methodology (dedication or duration matching). Within each category, some references are provided to the literature. We discuss
Generalized extreme value (GEV)-based error structures for multiple discrete-continuous choice models

This paper formally derives the class of multiple discrete-continuous generalized extreme value (MDCGEV) models, a general class of multiple discrete-continuous choice models based on generalized extreme value (GEV) error specifications. Specifically, the paper proves the existence of, and derives the general form of, closed-form consumption probability expressions for multiple discrete-continuous choice models with GEV-based error structures. In addition to deriving the general form, the paper derives a compact and readily usable form of consumption probability expressions that can be used to estimate multiple discrete-continuous choice models with general cross-nested error structures. The cross-nested version of the MDCGEV model is applied to analyze household annual expenditure patterns in various transportation-related expenses using data from a Consumer Expenditure Survey in the United States. Model estimation results and predictive log-likelihood based validation tests indicate the superiority of the cross-nested model over the mutually exclusively nested and non-nested model specifications. Further, the cross-nested model was amenable to the accommodation of socio-demographic heterogeneity in inter-alternative covariance across decision-makers through a parameterization of the allocation parameters.
The 4.61 and 5.15 MeV levels of 48Ca

Abstract Particle-γ angular-correlation and lifetime studies of the fourth and fifth excited states of 48 Ca give E x = 4.613 MeV, J π = 3 (+) , τ m = 1.8±0.6 ps and E x = 5.152 MeV, J π = (5 − ) τ m = 2.21±0.04 ns respectively. The properties of the first five excited states of 48 Ca are discussed with reference to recent shell-model calculations; no compelling evidence of collective structure is indicated.
Experimental and theoretical evaluations of electron temperature in continuous electron beam generated plasmas

In this paper an experimental and theoretical evaluation of electron temperature in continuous, electron beam generated plasmas is presented. Spatial distributions of electron temperature and plasma density in pure and diluted argon were measured. The dependence of the electron temperature and plasma density on pressure, gas composition, hollow cathode voltage and magnetic field was investigated as well. It was observed that the electron temperature in argon was less than 1 eV and that a small addition of nitrogen reduced the electron temperature even more. The magnetic field, pressure and beam current did not strongly affect the electron temperature but greatly influenced the plasma density. The experimental findings are supported by analytical estimations of electron temperature in both noble and molecular gases.
The detoxifying effect of varying concentrations of sodium hypochlorite on endotoxins

The effectiveness of three concentrations of sodium hypochlorite in the detoxification of two different endotoxins, Escherichia coli w(0127:B8) and Salmonella typhosa w(0901) was studied. The in vitro Pyrostat limulus amoebocyte lysate assay system was adapted to quantitatively determine the detoxifying effect of 0.58%, 2.70%, and 5.20% NaOCl on endotoxin when the solution and endotoxin were combined for one hour at room temperature. The results indicated that all three concentrations were equally effective in completely detoxifying the largest amount of either endotoxin studied (100 ng/ml solution). An in vivo pilot procedure was developed to test the effect of NaOCl on larger amounts of endotoxin. The results indicated that 1 ml of 0.58% or 2.7% does not detoxify large amounts of E coli endotoxin (2,000 μg/1 ml solution). The results using 5.20% NaOCl were inconclusive.
Submicro Scale NMR Sample Preparation for Volatile Chemicals

A simple, inexpensive, and highly efficient NMR sample preparation technique for volatile chemicals has been devised using a micropreparative GC system. The recovery efficiency of a volatile chemical using this technique was >80% with sample sizes of 0.05 to 0.5 μg. The purity of the acquired NMR samples was sufficient for high sensitive NMR analyses including two dimensional experiments.
Bristol Palin: The Pedagogical Media Spectacle of a Sexual Abstinence Ambassador.

This paper explores the public political media spectacle of Bristol Palin's teenage pregnancy and her status as a single mother through the lens of a critical feminist discourse analysis. The author explores how cultural anxieties over teenage sexuality and unintended pregnancy in America are constructed when the pregnant teen is the daughter of an ambitious politician who is White, upper-middle class, and holds evangelical Christian beliefs. From pregnant teen thrust into the media spotlight by her politically ambitious mother to ambassador of sexual abstinence, the pedagogical media spectacle of Bristol Palin promoting abstinence is unique and can be understood as part of a broader postfeminist media culture in which the articulation of feminist empowerment principles, such as female agency and reproductive choice, is subverted within the neoliberal discourse of personal responsibility and financial independence.
Democracies only: When do IMF agreements serve as a seal of approval?

Conditional lending by the IMF is predicated, in part, on the belief that IMF programs are associated with increased capital inflows to participating countries. This belief is generally consistent with theoretical arguments in the academic literature (e.g., Bird and Rowlands 1997; Bordo et al. 2004) but the empirical literature often finds otherwise (e.g., Jensen 2004). This paper argues that the effect of IMF agreements on a country’s access to foreign direct investment (FDI) depends on its domestic institutions. Access to FDI depends on a country’s ability to credibly commit to implementation, and this ability varies systematically across regime type. The theory is empirically tested using a treatment effects model with a Markov transition in the treatment equation in a dataset covering 142 countries from 1976 to 2006. We find that in democracies IMF program participation has a strong positive effect on FDI inflows and in autocracies participation has a weak negative effect.
Consent to the use of stored DNA for genetics research: a survey of attitudes in the Jewish population.

The use of anonymized stored tissue is a routine practice in genetic research. Investigators who utilize stored samples are neither required nor able to obtain informed consent before each use. Many genetic studies, however, are conducted on specific ethnic populations (e.g., Ashkenazi Jews). The results in these cases, although individually anonymous, are not anonymous with respect to the ethnicity of the participants. This lack of group anonymity has led to concern about the possibility of stigmatization and discrimination based on the results of the genetic research. In the present study we surveyed Jewish individuals about their attitudes regarding the practice of using stored DNA samples for genetic research. Specifically, we were interested in whether attitudes about informed consent and willingness to participate in genetics research using stored DNA would depend on the circumstances in which the material was collected (i.e., clinical setting vs. research setting) and the characteristics of the disease or trait under investigation. Overall, most respondents reported that written informed consent should be required and that they would be willing to provide such consent. Participants were most willing to provide consent, however, when the sample had been collected in a research rather than clinical setting. Further, participants were more likely to endorse the need for obtaining consent when the sample was collected in a clinical setting. Finally, participants were significantly less willing to participate in research that examined stereotypical or potentially stigmatizing traits as opposed to research that examined medical or mental illnesses. Am. J. Med. Genet. 00: 000-000, 2001.
Crystals, gauges, podals, and polars

Crystals, gauges, podals, and polars are constructed for point sets and convex polygonal regions in the plane. A family of geometric extremal problems considers minimizing the area and length of the associated class of figures. Constructive procedures are described in the formation of the geometric structures and the extremal problems are solved using enumerative search techniques. Numerical examples are provided throughout to illustrate the constructions and solution methodology.
Histological comparisons of the development of hypopharyngeal glands in healthy and Nosema-infected worker honey bees

Abstract The morphology and secretory cycle of the hypopharyngeal glands of diseased (nosemosis) and healthy worker honey bees ( Apis mellifera ) were dissimilar. Those of diseased bees suffered from regressive changes; the volume of the lobules of the glands decreased progressively; the nuclei disintegrated; the chromatin coalesced; and the cytoplasm and the size of the secretory globules were extremely reduced, leading to malformation of the hypopharyngeal gland. The number of spores of Nosema apis counted in the midgut of diseased worker bees correlated with the appearance of the hypopharyngeal glands. The inactivity of these brood-food glands in infected bees helps to explain why such bees do not usually attend the queen and thus afford her a measure of escape from infection.
A comparison of signaled and unsignaled delay of reinforcement.

Pigeons were trained on either a variable-interval 60-second schedule, or on a schedule that differentially reinforced responses that were spaced at least 20 seconds apart. The birds were then exposed to several durations of reinforcement delay, with comparisons between signaled and unsignaled delays. Although unsignaled delays of 5 and 10 seconds produced large decreases in response rate, signaled delays of up to 10 seconds produced only moderate decreases in response rates. In addition, some subjects responded more rapidly with a .5 or 1.0 second duration of unsignaled delay than with immediate reinforcement. These response rate changes occurred regardless of whether the rate of reinforcement concomitantly decreased or increased.
Interfacial free energy and the hydrophobic effect.

Abstract Interfacial free energies demonstrate clearly that the antipathy between hydrocarbon and water rests on the strong attraction of water for itself. However, the unfavorable free energy associated with this antipathy, per unit area of contact between bulk hydrocarbon and water, is about 3-fold larger than a similar figure derived from solubility data per unit area of contact between a single dissolved hydrocarbon molecule and water. The discrepancy illustrates the difficulty in applying macroscopic concepts such as “interfacial surface” at the molecular level and can be formally resolved, at least qualitatively, by the predicted effect of surface curvature on surface tension.
Zirconium hydroxide effectively immobilizes and concentrates human enteric viruses.

Background: Detection of human enteric viruses in foods and environmental samples requires concentration of viruses from complex matrices before application of molecular or cultural methods. Previous studies have described the use of zirconium hydroxide to concentrate bacteria from clinical, environmental, and food samples. Aims: Our study describes the application of zirconium hydroxide to concentrate human enteric viruses. Methods: Poliovirus type 1, hepatitis A virus (HAV) strain HM-175, and Norwalk virus (NV) were used as models. Virus recovery was evaluated both as loss to discarded supernatants and as recovery in the precipitated pellets. Results: Poliovirus type 1, based on the plaque assay recoveries, ranged from 16 to 59% with minimal loss to the supernatant (1–5%). For both HAV and NV, RT-PCR amplicons of appropriate sizes were detected and confirmed in the pellet fraction with no visible amplicons from the supernatant. Significance and Impact of the Study: This rapid and inexpensive method shows promise as an alternative means to concentrate enteric viruses.
The locations of X-ray sources in globular clusters

The SAS 3 X-ray observatory has been used to measure the positions of the X-ray sources in the globular clusters NGC 1851, 6441, 6624, 6712, and 7078. The derived positions have error circles with 90% confidence radii of 10 or 30 arcsec, which, in each case, include the optical center of the cluster. The results of a statistical analysis demonstrate that the X-ray sources are more concentrated toward the cluster centers than the visible stars and are therefore more massive than those stars.
The Duration of Litigation

This paper analyzes the duration of litigation. The analysis of court congestion by Posner (1972) and Priest (1989) suggests that the effects of delay reduction programs may be only transitory, because initial improvements may be swamped by an offsetting increase in demand for litigation. However, we find some evidence that time to settlement was reduced in a Michigan court by a program that provided for early intervention in each case by a judge who imposed a time schedule on major events of the litigation. Using two new data sets on personal injury claims, we find that the time to settlement increases with the amount at stake but is sharply reduced when the case is referred to a specialist in personal injury litigation. Estimates of a duration model indicate that the likelihood of settlement is increased by the completion of discovery and especially by the settlement conference. We find that the hazard of settlement increases as the case gets closer to trial. This finding is in accord with the “deadline effect” derived from certain bargaining models.
Bilateral breast cancer: radiation therapy results and technical considerations.

Abstract A retrospective review was done of 34 women with bilateral breast carcinoma (11 synchronous, 23 metachronous) who received bilateral breast irradiation (breast, chest wall, and/or internal mammary chain (IMC) nodes) from 1964–1979. For the 31 curative patients, the 10-year actuarial survival rate after completion of irradiationh to the second primary was 6796 (8096 in the group having bilateral radical comprehensive irradiation). Based upon the development of bilateral medial subcutaneous fibrosis/necrosis in 3 15 long-term (≥ 5 year) survivors, various technical problems unique to bilateral breast irradiation were examined: In metacbronous presentations, the dose to the contralateral subcutaneous medial tissue was determined as a function of the distance across the midline that the ipsilateral medial tangential border and the ipsilateral medial direct IMC border is placed and the total dose that this point should receive if future contralateral IMC irradiation is required also. In synchronous presentations the doses to the spinal cord and anterior pericardium were determined for bilateral IMC irradiation as a function of modality, field width and energy. Suggestions for solving these technical problems are made, and the importance of permanent skin markings documenting portal placement to aid in possible future contralateral breast irradiation is stressed.
Electric system expansion in the Pacific Southwest

THE PACIFIC SOUTHWEST area includes all of the interconnected electric systems in Arizona, California, and southern Nevada. The area, 380,000 square miles, is 12.5 per cent of the land area, contains 7.7 per cent of the estimated population, and uses 10 per cent of the energy generated by central stations in the United States. The area is generally arid and because of uninhabited mountain and desert areas, the electrical service areas of the three states cover less than one-fifth of the land area.
The effects of friction on the electron transfer of 9,10-dicyanoanthracene

Abstract We have used the the bond energybond order (BEBO) method to approximate the shape of the barrier to electron transfer and combined it with the Kramers relation and with the Grote-Hynes relation to demonstrate a possible role of friction in electron transfer reactions. Using our own data and that of Abdullah and Kemp we have shown that not only can friction be considered in electron transfer reactions, but that this friction might be the non-markovian frequency-dependent friction derivable from the generalized Langevin equation. From these results we have estimated possible limits of the frequency-dependent friction for the electron transfer from 9,10-dicyanoanthracene to electron acceptors.
Restriction of phage T4 internal protein I mutants by a strain of Escherichia coli.

Abstract Phage T4 internal protein I(IPI), a small (ca, 10,000 MW), basic protein injected into the host with the phage DNA, is not required for infection of most hosts, but mutants defective in IPI are restricted by at least one naturally occurring strain of Escherichia coli , CT 596 (CT). Phages lacking IPI (IPI − ) appear to inject their DNA and bind it to the membrane of CT cells as well as wild-type phage T4 does, but shufoff of host protein synthesis, initiation of T4 protein synthesis, and cell killing are abnormal in the IPI − mutant infected CT host. The injection of IPI appears to be important in allowing T4 DNA to carry out early steps involved in takeover of this host. Restriction of IPI − phage growth by CT cells appears to be due, at least in part, to a defective prophage it harbors which renders the host resistant to successful infection by phage T4 which lack IPI or rII functions. Bacteria cured of this prophage can be infected by mutants defective in these functions. The resistance of CT cells to other coliphages, and the question of T-even phage internal protein diversity are discussed.
L2Knng: Fast Exact K-Nearest Neighbor Graph Construction with L2-Norm Pruning

The k-nearest neighbor graph is often used as a building block in information retrieval, clustering, online advertising, and recommender systems algorithms. The complexity of constructing the exact k-nearest neighbor graph is quadratic on the number of objects that are compared, and most existing methods solve the problem approximately. We present L2Knng, an efficient algorithm that finds the exact cosine similarity k-nearest neighbor graph for a set of sparse high-dimensional objects. Our algorithm quickly builds an approximate solution to the problem, identifying many of the most similar neighbors, and then uses theoretic bounds on the similarity of two vectors, based on the L2-norm of part of the vectors, to find each object's exact k-neighborhood. We perform an extensive evaluation of our algorithm, comparing against both exact and approximate baselines, and demonstrate the efficiency of our method across a variety of real-world datasets and neighborhood sizes. Our approximate and exact L2Knng variants compute the k-nearest neighbor graph up to an order of magnitude faster than their respective baselines.
A mm-sized implantable power receiver with adaptive matching

A wireless power transfer system for implanted medical devices which uses antenna area 100 times smaller than previous designs is presented. The optimum frequency for wireless power transmission through several cm of tissue to mm-sized antennae is demonstrated to be in the low GHz. Simultaneous conjugate matching is introduced which achieves 15dB higher link gain than resonant tuning for this link and adaptive matching circuits desensitize the link to placement inaccuracy and tissue variation. For a 1mm placement inaccuracy the link gain with static matching would fall by 3.7dB but with adaptive matching the gain reduces by only 0.2dB. A high efficiency current-steering rectifier and regulator are developed which together with a 4mm2 antenna deliver 140µW at 1.2V DC from a 4cm2 transmit antenna and a 250mW, 915MHz source through 15mm of tissue. The rectifier efficiency is 65% for a 750mV amplitude received input. The power receiver IC incorporating the adaptive receive match, rectifier and regulator occupies 0.37mm2 in 0.13µm CMOS.
A quantitative evaluation of various iterative deconvolution algorithms

Various iterative deconvolution algorithms are evaluated that are commonly used to restore degraded chromatographic or spectroscopic peak data. The evaluation criteria include RMS errors, relative errors in peak areas, peak area variances, and rate of convergence. The iterative algorithms to be evaluated include Van Cittert's method, Van Cittert's method with constraint operators, relaxation based methods, and Gold's ratio method. The discussion also includes some enhancements that will improve the algorithms' convergence properties. >
Sebaceous skin lesions as clues to hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer.

Cutaneous lesions consonant with Muir–Torre syndrome strongly suggest hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). Ponti et al. discuss the importance of combining molecular genetic features of the sebaceous neoplasms, including microsatellite instability and immunohistochemistry, with family history, to determine the likelihood of HNPCC. Proof of diagnosis is identification of one of the mismatch repair germline mutations.
DBCache: database caching for web application servers

Many e-Business applications today are being developed and deployed on multi-tier environments involving browser-based clients, web application servers and backend databases. The dynamic nature of these applications necessitates generating web pages on-demand, making middle-tier database caching an effective approach to achieve high scalability and performance [3]. In the DBCache project, we are incorporating a database cache feature in DB2 UDB by modifying the engine code and leveraging existing federated database functionality. This allows us to take advantage of DB2's sophisticated distributed query processing power for database caching. As a result, the user queries can be executed at either the local database cache or the remote backend server, or more importantly, the query can be partitioned and then distributed to both databases for cost optimum execution.DBCache also includes a cache initialization component that takes a backend database schema and SQL queries in the workload, and generates a middle-tier database schema for the cache. We have implemented an initial prototype of the system that supports table level caching. As DB2's functionality is extended, we will be able to support subtable level caching, XML data caching and caching of execution results of web services.
Direct observation of the superfluid phase transition in ultracold Fermi gases

Phase transitions are dramatic phenomena: water freezes into ice, atomic spins spontaneously align in a magnet, and liquid helium becomes superfluid. Sometimes, such a drastic change in behaviour is accompanied by a visible change in appearance. The hallmark of Bose-Einstein condensation and superfluidity in trapped, weakly interacting Bose gases is the sudden formation of a dense central core inside a thermal cloud. However, in strongly interacting gases--such as the recently observed fermionic superfluids--there is no longer a clear separation between the superfluid and the normal parts of the cloud. The detection of fermion pair condensates has required magnetic field sweeps into the weakly interacting regime, and the quantitative description of these sweeps presents a major theoretical challenge. Here we report the direct observation of the superfluid phase transition in a strongly interacting gas of 6Li fermions, through sudden changes in the shape of the clouds--in complete analogy to the case of weakly interacting Bose gases. By preparing unequal mixtures of the two spin components involved in the pairing, we greatly enhance the contrast between the superfluid core and the normal component. Furthermore, the distribution of non-interacting excess atoms serves as a direct and reliable thermometer. Even in the normal state, strong interactions significantly deform the density profile of the majority spin component. We show that it is these interactions that drive the normal-to-superfluid transition at the critical population imbalance of 70 +/- 5 per cent (ref. 12).
Contributing factors in the trafficking of [3H]arachidonate between phospholipids

Abstract Cultured human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60), depleted of arachidonic acid by continued growth in serum-free media, were used as a model system to examine various factors that control the incorporation and distribution of [ 3 H]arachidonic acid into classes and subclasses of cellular lipids. Increasing the culture media concentration of [ 3 H]arachidonic acid from 1 × 10 −8 M to 1 × 10 −5 M caused a greater percentage of the cellular tritium to be distributed into triacylglycerols (from −8 M to 38% at 1 × 10 −5 M) with a corresponding decrease in cellular [ 3 H]diradylglycerophosphoethanolamine (from 53% at 1 × 10 −8 M to 12% at 1 × 10 −5 M) during 2 h incubations. A greater proportion of the tritium present in diradylglycerophosphoethanolamine and diradylglycerophosphocholine, at the higher media concentration of [ 3 H]arachidonic acid (1 × 10 −5 M), was found in the diacyl subclasses of these two lipids than was observed at the lower concentrations ( −6 M) of [ 3 H]arachidonic acid. Significant amounts of diarachidonoyl molecular species were found in the phosphatidylethanolamine (10%) and phosphatidylcholine (15%) of HL-60 cells that were labeled for 2 h with 1 × 10 −5 M [ 3 H]arachidonic acid. This was the only molecular species of phosphatidylcholine to completely disappear when prelabeled cells were placed in arachidonate-free media for 22 h. Prelabeling-chase experiments with 1 × 10 −5 M [ 3 H]arachidonic acid were consistent with movement of [ 3 H]arachidonate from triacylglycerols into diradylglycerophosphatides and from diacylphospholipids into ether-linked phospholipids. Increasing the concentration of HL-60 cells in the incubations influenced the distribution of [ 3 H]arachidonic acid in cellular lipid classes in a manner analogous to decreasing the concentration of [ 3 H]arachidonic acid in the media. Increasing the endogenous level of cellular arachidonate in phospholipid classes with supplements of unlabeled arachidonic acid changed the subsequent lipid class distribution of a low concentration (1 × 10 −8 M) of [ 3 H]arachidonic acid to resemble results obtained with a much higher mass level of [ 3 H]arachidonate in arachidonate depleted cells. HL-60 cells differentiated into granulocytes by treatment with dimethyl sulfoxide incorporated less [ 3 H]arachidonic acid but had a greater proportion associated with alkylacylglycerophosphocholine and alk-1-enylacylglycerophosphoethanolamine than undifferentiated HL-60 cells.
A mass spectrometric study of some dialkylphosphinic acids and their alkyl esters

Abstract The fragmentation patterns of dialkylphosphinates show predominance of species corresponding to phosphinate molecular ions and phosphacylium ions. A preferred path of fragmentation appears to be alkylP → alkene + HP, with alkyl groups larger than Me. For example, in the spectrum of diethylphosphinic acid, the base peak corresponds to HPO2H+ presumably produced from the initially formed parent ion by loss of Et radical and ethylene. It thus appears possible to predict the modes of fragmentation of alkyl-P(V) compounds enabling mass spectrometry to be of considerable utility in structural analysis. The predominant species and pathways of fragmentation provide some interesting chemistry of energetic species.