cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Length of time between surgery and return to sport after ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction in Major League Baseball pitchers does not predict need for revision surgery

Hypothesis Pitchers who return to sport (RTS) sooner will have a higher risk of revision ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (UCLR) than those who return later. Methods All professional (major and minor league) baseball pitchers who underwent UCLR between 1974 and 2016 were identified. Date of the index UCLR was recorded. The date of the first game back at any professional level after surgery and the date the pitcher returned to the same level of play (if applicable) were recorded. Length of time between these dates was compared for pitchers who required a revision UCLR and those who did not. Results Overall, 569 pitchers (average age, 24.8 ± 4.1 years) underwent UCLR and had reliable game logs after surgery. No statistically significant difference existed in the length of time to RTS at any professional level or at the same professional level between those pitchers who did not require a revision UCLR and those who did (P = .442, P = .238). Pitchers who required revision UCLR returned to any level of play almost 2 months earlier (14.7 vs. 16.5 months) and returned to the same level of play >2 months earlier (15.2 vs. 17.7 months) than matched controls who did not require revision UCLR, although this was not statistically significant (P = .179, P = .204). Conclusion No statistically significant difference existed in the length of time to RTS after UCLR in professional baseball players who required a revision UCLR and those who did not.
Resource Allocation Using DW Decomposition

Dantzig-Wolfe decomposition is a technique for dealing with linear- and integer-programming problems that have embedded substructures that permit efficient solution. The technique has been successfully applied in a variety of contexts [Dan63, Chv83, BJN98]. Implementing DW-decomposition-based algorithms poses various challenges. The primary constraint revolves around convergence of the dual-bound computations and, in the context of integer programming, the enforcement of integrality restrictions. The standard view of DW decomposition is that it exploits the linear-programming formulation of the Lagrangian dual. This so-called master linear program has an exponential number of variables that are handled using dynamic column generation. An alternative view is that DW is a reformulation technique that gives rise to a mixed-integer master program. Viewing DW as a reformulation technique allows for the development of a theoretical framework that facilitates the handling of branching decisions and cutting planes in the master program.
New Insights on the Role of Surgery for the Breast Primary Tumor in Patients Presenting With Stage IV Disease

Though systemic therapy has been the standard treatment for patients with de novo metastatic breast cancer, a large number of retrospective studies demonstrate that resection of the primary tumor is associated with improved survival. Here, we review the potential rationale for resection, available retrospective and prospective data, and challenges in applying these data in clinical practice. Results from prospective trials to date are limited. The only published randomized controlled trial concluded that locoregional therapy for the primary tumor did not result in improved overall survival and was associated with shorter distant progression-free survival. Recommendations regarding the potential survival advantage of locoregional therapy cannot be firmly made until additional results from prospective trials are available. Systemic therapy remains first-line treatment, and surgical resection of the primary tumor should only be considered for select patients after a full discussion of the limitations of the current data.
Chromosome Engineering with Meiotic Mutants

Meiotic mutants which result in the formation of 2n pollen are being utilized in potato research involving breeding, evolution, germplasm transfer, and half-tetrad analysis (Peloquin, 1982). Hybrid 2x clones that form 2n pollen (pollen with the unreduced chromosome number) by either the genetic equivalent of first division restitution with crossingover, FDR-CO, (parallel spindles mutant, ps) or FDR without crossing-over (parallel spindles in combination with the synaptic 3 mutant, sy 3) provide the genetic stocks for these investigations (Mok and Peloquin, 1975a; Okwuagwu, 1981).
CCATDC: A Configurable Compact Algorithmic Time-to-Digital Converter

High-resolution time-to-digital converters (TDCs) are important time measurement circuits in various high-speed electronic systems. The development of semiconductor technology improves the resolution of TDCs, but also introduces negative impact like process variations. Since modern TDCs are designed to achieve resolution of picosecond magnitude, process variations become a big concern. In this work, we present a configurable compact algorithmic TDC (CCATDC), that can digitize the analog time input into binary codes. Moreover, the proposed CCATDC can be configured to mitigate the impact from random process variations and transient noise. To achieve real-time circuit calibration and measurement, a Backpropagation based Machine Learning framework is proposed to configure the CCATDC circuit. In common TDC usage, it is assumed that the order of two timing signals is known, while in practice this is hardly true with input time difference of picosecond level. To overcome this problem, we propose a bidirectional design that is applicable to any input order. This method also increases the throughput by 50%. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed CCATDC can achieve high conversion resolution (
Reducing R&D Cycle Time

OVERVIEW:The systematic identification of causes of uncertainty in the R&D process and the application of appropriate solutions can shorten project cycle times and improve the efficiency and productivity of the innovation process. Individuals and teams can use a variety of TQM tools to measure and manage the upstream phase of R&D in order to deliver results faster. The matrix developed by an IRI Management Research Team is a convenient way of cross-referencing 45 of the most frequently encountered causes of uncertainty with 40 potential solutions.
Carbon nanotube grease and sustainable manufacturing

Abstract A stable and homogeneous grease based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs, single wall and multi wall) in polyalphaolefin oil has been produced without using a chemical surfactant. For example, for a 11 wt% (7 vol%) single wall CNT (diameter 1~2 nm, length 0.5-40 µm) loading, the thermal conductivity (TC) of the grease shows a 60-70% increase compared to that for no nanotube loading. In addition, the grease is electrically conductive, has a high dropping point, good temperature resistance and doesn’t react with copper at temperatures up to 177oC. The performance of carbon nanotube grease could be much better with the improvement of base oil, nanotube functionality, quality and purity. A possible explanation for these results is that for a high loading of CNTs (>10wt%), they become associated with each other by van der Waals forces in the grease to form three dimensional percolation networks. These greases could be sustainably manufactured.
Isolation of Phytohemagglutinin

Some proteins, present in plants, are able to agglutinate red blood cells. These phytohemagglutinins (or lectins) of certain plant seeds may have a rather high specificity, which makes them useful in the differentiation of human blood subgroups such as A1 and A2 (Boyd and Reguera, 1949). Some lectins behave as incomplete antibodies, which means that they do not agglutinate red blood cells in saline, but do cause agglutination if the cells are suspended in plasma proteins. The majority of lectins, on the other hand, are nonspecific; they agglutinate all human red blood cells and a large variety of animal cells (Boyd, 1963).
‘Seeing justice to be done’: the documentaries of the ICTY and the visual politics of European value(s)

This article addresses the series of seven documentaries produced by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in relation to postsocialist politics and competing notions of jus...
Sedation, Analgesia, and Neuromuscular Paralysis

Comfortable patient; ethical and good medical practice. Relieves pain, anxiety, recall; enhances patient safety. Mandated in 2000 by The Joint Commission. Sedation may be particularly difficult to titrate in neurologically compromised patient. Sedatives and analgesics may compromise exam and cerebral physiology. More need for conscious sedation due to recent reduction in pharmacologically induced paralysis in ICU patients. Emphasis on reducing length of ICU stay and cost of hospitalization. Guidelines stress minimizing depth and duration of sedative regimens; overall beneficial for neurologic patient, as more likely to preserve neurologic functions
Renal Imaging: Hydronephrosis and Renal Obstruction

Obstructive uropathy is defined as a structural or functional restriction of urinary flow, which if left uncorrected will lead to impairment of renal function. There are numerous radiologic signs that suggest and help define genitourinary obstruction. This chapter aims to describe the imaging modalities and findings used to characterize and diagnose genitourinary obstruction in specific pathologic entities.
Evaluating the nutrient reduction and water supply benefits of an on-farm water storage (OFWS) system in East Mississippi

Abstract An On-Farm Water Storage (OFWS) system is a structural Best Management Practice (BMP) that prevents downstream nutrient loading by capturing irrigation tailwater and storm runoff from agricultural fields. OFWS systems, as a result, also act as a source of water for irrigation with the potential to recycle nutrients captured in runoff events. A monitoring study was conducted for an OFWS system located on a corn and soybean farm in East Mississippi from June 2014 to August 2016 to analyze the effectiveness of the system for reducing downstream nutrient runoff, supplying water for irrigation, and recycling nutrients in captured water that is reapplied to the field. Nitrate and dissolved phosphorus (DP) concentrations in the storm runoff events captured by the OFWS system storage pond and prevented from going downstream measured as high as 179 mg L−1 and 0.69 mg L−1, respectively. Water can be lost downstream from the storage pond overflow pipe when the pond is at its maximum capacity in March-April of each year, but nitrate concentrations were less than 10 mg L−1 in the storage pond in March-April for both years of the study, and DP concentration was less than 0.053 mg L−1 in the water that could be lost downstream, which showed that OFWS systems can be effective in reducing downstream nutrient loading by capturing storm runoff events. Over three growing seasons, roughly 357,000 m3 of water was used for irrigation from the OFWS storage pond in a region which has traditionally been under dryland production. This shows that OFWS systems can serve a dual purpose of reducing nutrient runoff and providing water for irrigation in East Mississippi, where groundwater is not a cost-efficient source of water for irrigation. Irrigated corn yields were higher than non-irrigated corn yields by an average of 1532; 2285; and 3950 kg ha−1 in 2014, 2015, and 2016, respectively; and irrigated soybean yields were higher than non-irrigated soybean yields over the same years by an average of 302; 1411; and 800 kg ha−1, respectively, demonstrating the importance of irrigation in East Mississippi. Analysis of nutrient concentrations in water samples collected simultaneously from both the irrigation system (sprinkler), which is fed from the bottom of the pond, and the storage pond grab samples showed that nitrate concentrations in the irrigation samples were lower than in the storage pond, but ammonia concentrations were higher in the irrigation water samples. Low nitrate concentrations and variability in nitrate concentration in the irrigation water as compared to the storage pond water showed that some of the nitrogen load is being recycled but not enough for the producer to reduce commercial fertilizer application.
Meal for Two: Human Cytomegalovirus-Induced Activation of Cellular Metabolism.

Viruses are parasites that depend on the host cell’s metabolic resources to provide the energy and molecular building blocks necessary for the production of viral progeny. It has become increasingly clear that viruses extensively modulate the cellular metabolic network to support productive infection. Here, we review the numerous ways through which human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) modulates cellular metabolism, highlighting known mechanisms of HCMV-mediated metabolic manipulation and identifying key outstanding questions that remain to be addressed.
Thin Films of 3He-Implications on the Identification of 3He-A.

Recently the identification of3He — A with the axial state has been questioned. It is suggested that the A-phase can actually be in the axiplanar state. We point out in the present paper that experiments in a film geometry may be useful to distinguish the above two possibilities. In particular a second order phase transition between an axial and an axiplanar state would occur as a function of thickness or temperature.
Minimizing weighted sum finish time for one-to-many file transfer in peer-to-peer networks

This paper considers the problem of transfer ring a file from one source node to multiple receivers in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. The objective is to minimize the weighted sum finish time (WSFT) for the one-to-many file transfer where peers have both uplink and downlink bandwidth constraints specified. The static scenario is a file-transfer scheme in which the constructed network topology and the network resource (link throughput) allocation remains static until all receivers finish downloading. This paper first shows that the static scenario can be optimized in polynomial time by convex optimization, and the associated optimal static WSFT can be achieved by linear network coding. This paper also proposes a static rateless-coding-based scheme which has almost-optimal empirical performance. The dynamic scenario is a file transfer scheme which can re-construct the network topology and re-allocate the network resource during the file transfer. This paper proposes a dynamic rateless-coding based scheme, which provides significantly smaller WSFT than the optimal static scheme does.
Putting Poverty into a Museum

The famous Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus (Bengali: মহামমদ ইউনস) began his career as a commercial banker serving mostly well-off individuals, small businesses, and corporations. Following several years of working in the commercial sector, however, he felt little satisfaction with his job as a banker to the economically well off. He turned his attention instead to the credit needs of the poor, especially to the needs of rural women struggling to establish small enterprises and to the urban poor, including the street beggars living and working in all major cities in Bangladesh. Yunus recognized that the most limiting characteristic of the poor was their inability to obtain credit at reasonable rates from commercial banks to initiate businesses or other enterprises of their own. After all, who is going to lend even a few Takas (0.88 Taka = 1 USD) to a blind man selling pencils or beverages from a communal cup on the streets of Dhaka? Indeed, who would be willing to invest in the credit needs of an impoverished woman who wanted to establish small gardens in which she and her friends could grow fruits or vegetables for sale to neighbors or local markets.
The Bertino Family of Copulas

Abstract In this paper we present some of the salient properties of the Bertino family of copulas. We describe the support set of a Bertino copula and show that every Bertino copula is singular. We characterize Bertino copulas in terms of the joint distribution of max (U,V) and min(U,V) when U and V are uniform [0,1] random variables whose copula is a Bertino copula. Finally, we find necessary and sufficient conditions for a Bertino copula to be extremal.
Exploring the Differences in Safety Climate Among Mining Sectors

Currently, the US mining industry is encouraged, but not required to adopt a formal health and safety management system. Previous research has shown that the adoption of such systems has been more difficult in some subsectors of the mining industry than others. Given the interdependencies between management systems and safety climate in addition to their predictive utility of incidents, it is important to assess differences in the perceptions of safety climate among mining subsectors in the USA. If significant differences exist, then mining subsectors may not necessarily be able to adopt a one-size approach to system implementation. To that end, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health assessed mineworkers’ perceptions of several individual and organizational safety climate constructs. Participants consisted of 2945 mineworkers at coal, industrial mineral, and stone/sand/gravel mine sites throughout 18 states. Linear regressions were used to answer the research question. The results suggest that coal miners, in comparison to those miners in industrial mineral and stone/sand/gravel sectors, had significantly less favorable perceptions on each of the organizational climate constructs measured (i.e., organizational support, supervisor support and communication, coworker communication, engagement/involvement, and training) (p < 0.001 in all cases). Importantly, these results parse out organizational indicators to show that perceptions are not only lower in one area of organizational or supervisor support. Rather, engagement, training, and communication practices were all significantly lower among coal miners, prompting considerations for these significant differences and actions that can be taken to improve system practices.
Canopy analysis and thermographic abnormalities determination possibilities of olive trees by using data mining algorithms

In order to take the appropriate tree protection measures, it is crucial to determine and track abnormalities that may occur in olive trees in time to time for many reasons. Abnormalities start in different sections of the trees, depending on the environmental effects of the olive tree, with a specific impact like fungal diseases, drought, etc. after a certain age especially in non-resistant species. Protection steps may be taken when abnormalities are apparent or predictable in certain olive trees, using some external indicators. However, when abnormalities formed within trees cannot be identified externally, there is a sudden breakdown and overthrow of valuable properties, such as monument trees. In the literature, various devices and methods are explained to classify these defects in different trees. By the way, in this research, a non-destructive inspection method (thermography) was clarified and used to assess anomalies in old olive trees without damage in the interior. According to the results of average thermal data, 60, 400, 600 year-old olive trees, 60-40, 70-30 and 80-20 learning-prediction data rates decision tree and random forest results according to normal and abnormal thermal difference, the thermal range was found as 35.95 ℃ at 60 year-old tree, also it was found as 36.25 ℃ at 400 year-old tree and it was found as 38.25 ℃ at 600 year-old tree.
Debating slavery through the memory of Mexico and Central America

This essay illustrates how slavery supporters and abolitionists, through their use of the popular press, invoked the recent histories of Central America Texas, and Mexico to justify their views on ...
June Medical Services v. Russo: The Future of Abortion Access in the U.S.

June Medical Services v. Russo is the U.S.Supreme Court’s first abortion case since President Donald Trump appointed two new conservative justices—leading many to predict the end of Roe v. Wade. Yet Chief Justice John Roberts joined his four more liberal colleagues to strike down the restriction by a 5-4 majority. But the distinct reasoning of his separate opinion could give shelter to a wide range of abortion laws. Chief Justice Roberts may be playing the long game. His vote ensures that a woman's basic constitutional right to decide the fate of her pregnancy will live to fight another day. But his opinion should leave advocates wary of counting on the judiciary alone to protect against state restrictions on abortion access and providers. This article analyzes the Supreme Court's case and its multiple opinions, the significance of the Roberts concurrence for future abortion challenges, and next steps for both lower court judges and lawmakers at the state and federal level.
Environmental taxation and green fiscal reform: theory and impact

Contents Foreword by Soocheol Lee Preface PART I THEORY Exploring Theoretical Assumptions 1. Environmental Taxes and Fees: Wrestling with Theory Janet E. Milne 2. Environmental Taxation for a Sustainable Future: Perspectives from Environmental Macroeconomics Seck L. Tan and Dodo J. Thampapillai 3. The Role of the Precautionary Principle in Designing Energy Taxes in Australia Prafula Pearce The Relationship between Environmental Taxation and Trade 4. Inherent Logic of EU Energy Taxes: Toward a Balance Between Market Protection and Environment Protection Alvaro Anton Anton and Marta Villar Ezcurra 5. WTO Open Trade Rules and Domestic Environmental Protection Policies: A Balancing Approach Bill Butcher 6. Addressing the Inequality Issue under Border Carbon Adjustment Xin Zhou, Takashi Yano and Mustafa Moinuddin 7. Toward Green Transfer Pricing: Including Environmental Parameters in Transfer Pricing Rules Alice Pirlot Permit Trading and Price Stability 8. The EU Emission Trading Scheme: Is There a Need for Price Stabilization? Claudia Kettner, Daniela Kletzan-Slamanig and Angela Koeppl 9. Incentivising Technologic Change in Emissions Trading Systems: The Case of Excess Supply Stefan E. Weishaar Political Economy 10. The Political Economy of Subsidy Reform: Which Factors are Game-changers? Jacqueline Cottrell 11. Decision Making for Market-based Environmental Cost Allocation: The Case of Packaging Waste Policy in Germany Susumu Kitagawa PART II IMPACT Environmental Taxes 12. Environmental Taxes-definitional Analysis: Behavioural Change or Revenue Raising Sally-Ann Joseph 13. Abatement of Emissions for a Sustainable Future: Revisiting the Ccarbon Tax in China Yuhong Zhao 14. Effects and Issues of the 2010 Resource Tax Reform in Xinjiang Yanmin He 15. Macroeconomic Effects of Environmental Tax Subsidy Reform: An Evaluation for Italy Cristina Brandimarte Waste Management 16. Does Industrial Waste Taxation Contribute to Waste Reduction? Panel Data Analysis of the Generation and Final Disposal of Industrial Waste in Japan Toshiaki Sasao 17. Exploring the Need for Direct Tax Incentives for Plastic Waste Management in India Rajiv V. Shah Permit Trading 18. Regional Market Based Climate Policy in North America: Efficient, Effective, Fair? Sven Rudolph, Takeshi Kawakatsu and Achim Lerch 19. A Survey Analysis of Company Perspective to the GHG Emissions Trading Scheme in the Republic of Korea Sunhee Suk and Xianbing Liu Index
Truncation Effects on the Dynamic Damage Locating Vector (DDLV) Approach

Localization of damage in a system is an issue that has been widely studied in structural health monitoring. The Dynamic Damage Locating Vector (DDLV) method localizes damage from information in the null space of the change in transfer matrices (ΔG). A precisely known ΔG and an accurate model of the reference state represent ideal conditions in the DDLV approach. Since ideal conditions are not realized in practice, the question of robustness arises. This paper examines the performance of the DDLV approach under error in ΔG coming from truncation of the modes to a limited bandwidth. The numerical results are obtained using a rectangular thin plate model.
The Rise and the Fall of Business Schools: An Autobiography

This article critiques business schools for failing to promote and practice interdisciplinary inquiry. The result is that they are not up epistemologically or ethically to the study of complex phenomena. They fail to prepare their students for the ethical management of complex problems.
Newman’s Idea of a University : A Resource for Identity and Inclusion

Catholic universities need to develop strong Catholic identities. Yet, equally pressing is the need to welcome and value non-Catholic scholars, including their contributions to the university’s Catholic mission and their critical assessments of the Catholic tradition. Blessed John Henry Newman embodies both Catholic faithfulness and exemplary charity in the midst of religious conflict. Newman’s Idea of a University offers two important resources for balancing the values of identity with inclusion: a spirituality of hospitality inspired by St. Philip Neri and the habits of a liberally educated mind. Together, they foster a commitment to conversation across religious and philosophical boundaries that is rooted in Christian hope and shaped by a Catholic sacramental vision of all persons.
Allocation of Attention during Reading.

This paper examines the theory that important text information is better learned than less important information because readers devote more attention to important information. Previous research showing that more attention is paid to important information is inconclusive because the extra attention could be an epiphenomenon. New research indicates that attention is on the causal path between adjunct questions and learning, but is not on the causal path between the interestingness of the material and learning.
Generation nonuniversality and flavor-changing neutral currents in the SU(3) c ×SU(3) L ×U(1) X model

The SU(3${)}_{\mathit{c}}$\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}SU(3${)}_{\mathit{L}}$\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1${)}_{\mathit{X}}$ (3-3-1) model, an extension of the standard electroweak theory to SU(3${)}_{\mathit{L}}$\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1${)}_{\mathit{X}}$, naturally predicts three families of quarks and leptons via the requirement of anomaly cancellation. This is accomplished by making one of the quark families transform differently from the other two, thus leading to flavor-changing neutral currents. Using experimental input on neutral meson mixing, we show that the third family must be the one that is singled out, at least up to small family mixing. We additionally describe a convenient way to parametrize the new mixing matrix that plays a role in the gauge interactions of the ordinary quarks with the new 3-3-1 quarks.
A review of algorithms for perceptual coding of digital audio signals

Considerable research has been devoted to the development of algorithms for perceptually transparent coding of high-fidelity (CD-quality) digital audio. As a result, many algorithms have been proposed and several have now become international and/or commercial product standards. This paper reviews algorithms for perceptually transparent coding of CD-quality digital audio, including both research and standardization activities. First, psychoacoustic principles are described with the MPEG psychoacoustic signal analysis model 1 discussed in some detail. Then, we review methodologies which achieve perceptually transparent coding of FM- and CD-quality audio signals, including algorithms which manipulate transform components and subband signal decompositions. The discussion concentrates on architectures and applications of those techniques which utilize psychoacoustic models to exploit efficiently masking characteristics of the human receiver. Several algorithms which have become international and/or commercial standards are also presented, including the ISO/MPEG family and the Dolby AC-3 algorithms. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of future research directions.
Anatomy and Biomechanics of the Pelvis in Exstrophy

The Exstrophy Complex includes anomalies ranging from epispadias to classic to cloacal exstrophy. Exstrophy of the bladder occurs due to abnormal anterior rupture of the cloacal membrane early in the embryonic period. Mesenchymal ingrowth into the abdominal wall is inhibited. Since the pelvis is derived from sclerotomal components of the mesenchyme, one may hypothesize that the development of the entire pelvis may be affected by this altered migration of mesenchyme. It is important to understand the patho-anatomy of the pelvis in exstrophy, for planning of appropriate soft-tissue and bony correction in this disorder. However, there are very few specimen dissections reported, and no comprehensive analysis of pelvic shape in either classic or cloacal exstrophy. Therefore, analysis of computed tomograms of patients with classic and cloacal exstrophy was carried out to better define the differences in the shape of the pelvis between these patients and those without congenital anomaly. We attempted to answer the question of where the pelvis in exstrophy was rotated, to quantify the malrotation, and to determine whether there was an actual deficiency of growth. An analysis of the rotation and the spacing of the hips was also made. In addition, we wished to correlate these findings with the clinical picture of patients’ gait, which is commonly described as “out-toeing” or “waddling.”
A PSEUDOROTATIONAL COORDINATE FOR FIVE-COORDINATED SILICON. SYNTHESIS AND MOLECULAR STRUCTURE OF CYCLIC ANIONIC SILICATES ISOELECTRONIC WITH PHOSPHORANES

Abstract Hexamethylenediammonium bis[bis(1,2-ethylenediolato)phenylsilicate(IV)], [H3N(CH2,)6NH3]0.5-[(C2H4O2)2SiPh], 4, and tetraethylammonium bis(3,4,5,6-tetrachloro-1,2-benzenediolato)phenylsilicate(IV), [Et4N][(C6Cl4O2)2SiPh], 5, were synthesized and their X-ray structures established. 4 has a structure displaced 72% from a trigonal bipyramid (TBP) to a rectangular pyramid (RP). 5 is nearly a rectangular pyramid (RP) being 90% so displaced. A quantitative assessment of structural distortion for 4 and 5 and related anionic silicates shows that these pentacoordinated compounds form a continuous series of structures, similar to phosphoranes, between the trigonal bipyramid and square or rectangular pyramid along the Berry pseudorotational pathway. It is shown that the idealized RP geometry is approached when two five-membered unsaturated rings are present with like ligands in any one ring attached directly to silicon. The existence of this low-energy coordinate indicates the presence of nonrigid character...
T and B lymphocytes in acute and chronic hepatitis.

Abstract Peripheral blood thymus-dependent (TL) and bone marrow-dependent lymphocytes (BL) were measured in healthy control subjects and patients with acute or chronic hepatitis with and without hepatitis B antigen (HBAg) and in two chronic carriers of HBAg. A significant decrease in TL occurred in patients with acute or chronic hepatitis but not in healthy HBAg carriers. The decrease occurred in all forms of acute hepatitis and was transient in patients who recovered. TL depression occurred in both chronic persistent and chronic aggressive hepatitis and did not correlate with disease activity nor mode of treatment. In both acute and chronic hepatitis, decreases in TL occurred independently of serum autoantibodies. These findings emphasize the potential importance of host responses in determining the outcome of viral hepatitis.
Volumetric mosaicing for optical coherence tomography for large area bladder wall visualization

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has shown potential as a complementary imaging modality to white light cystoscopy (WLC) because it can visualize sub-surface details of the bladder wall, enabling it to stage early cancers and visualize tumors undetectable to WLC. However, the inherently small field of view (FOV) of OCT compared with the area of the bladder wall restricts its clinical utility. A large OCT FOV could improve surgical planning by enabling complete visualization of tumor margins or could aid in early cancer detection by tracking the appearance of the bladder wall over time. To overcome the limited FOV of OCT, we developed a method to create mosaics of OCT volume data using a modified version of the N-dimensional scale invariant feature transform (N-SIFT) algorithm: white-light-enhanced N-SIFT (WhiLE-NS). WhiLE-NS adds a pre-processing step to N-SIFT that uses white light images co-registered with OCT volumes to select small, highly overlapped volumes on which to run N-SIFT. This pre-processing step adds minimal computational time and enables a 200- fold decrease in the amount of time required to register two volumes compared with N-SIFT alone. Quantitatively, WhiLE-NS achieves nearly sub-pixel registration accuracy, and qualitatively, we demonstrate that the algorithm can generate large FOV mosaics of ex vivo bladder tissue. The realization of this algorithm is a critical step to enabling OCT to contribute meaningfully to bladder surveillance and surgical guidance.
Luminescence of the F center in sapphire

An $F$-center emission band (3 eV) has been observed in subtractively colored ${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ crystals upon exciting with $F$ light (6.1 eV). The lifetime of the 3 eV luminescence is 36 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 4 msec. We attribute this long lifetime to the forbidden triplet-to-singlet transition of the $F$ center. The $F\ensuremath{\leftrightarrow}{F}^{+}$ conversion can be shown by studying the $F$ and ${F}^{+}$ emission bands in these crystals.
Organisation of the polypeptide chains in mammalian keratin.

THE keratins are insoluble intracellular α-fibrous proteins which represent the major structural proteins of epidermis. X-ray diffraction studies of keratins in the early 1950s1,2 yielded a pattern since shown to be typical of intact epidermal tissue and epidermal α keratins. This pattern, which consists of a meridional arc at 5.15 A and an equatorial reflection at 9.8 A, was suggested to be indicative of polypeptide chains packed in a partially α-helical coiled coil configuration. Crick3 suggested that a three-stranded model was appropriate for α keratins, and although two-stranded and seven-stranded models have also been proposed, the triple α-helical coiled coil configuration has been a dominant concept in keratin structure4. Rudall made the initial contribution of epidermal keratin chemistry by using urea buffers to extract and characterise the α-fibrous proteins from cow snout epidermis. Matoltsy subsequently showed that an α-fibrous protein, which he designated prekeratin, could also be isolated by extraction with citrate buffer, pH 2.65, and purified by isoelectric precipitation. His data indicated that the prekeratin was an α-helical, rod-like molecule with a molecular weight of 640,000 (ref. 5). Detailed studies6–8 have shown that epidermal keratins consist of several different polypeptide chains, and we describe here experiments which suggest how these chains may be organised in the native keratin molecule.
Expressiveness requirements for reasoning about collection/item metadata relationships

Logical relationships between descriptive metadata statements can reveal important semantic features and support useful tools. This poster examines the logical features of a framework for collection/item metadata relationships, as part of placing the framework on a systematic logical foundation and assessing the logical requirements of systems to encode and reason over metadata relationships. The kind of logical constructs required to reason with these relationships will have an impact on the development of systems that take advantage of collection and item descriptions together.
Adverse effects of fenfluramine in treatment refractory schizophrenia

Fenfluramine was administered to eight severely ill schizophrenic patients as an adjunct to neuroleptic drugs in a double-blind, multiple baseline design. A significant adverse effect of fenfluramine on psychopathology was detected through nurses' ratings, target symptom scales, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, and time-sampled behavioral observations. Clinical deterioration was correlated with fenfluramine-induced reductions in blood serotonin levels and persisted beyond the point of discontinuation of fenfluramine.
Mechanism of Cardioprotection by Early Ischemic Preconditioning

A series of brief ischemia/reperfusion cycles (termed ischemic preconditioning, IPC) limits myocardial injury produced by a subsequent prolonged period of coronary artery occlusion and reperfusion. Over the last 2 decades our understanding of IPC’s mechanism has increased exponentially. Hearts exposed to IPC have a better metabolic and ionic status during prolonged ischemia compared to naive hearts. However, this difference is not thought to be the main mechanism by which IPC protects against infarction. Signaling pathways that are activated by IPC distinguish IPC hearts from naive hearts. During the trigger phase of IPC, adenosine, bradykinin and opioid receptors are occupied. Although these three receptors trigger signaling through divergent pathways, the signaling converges on protein kinase C. We have proposed that at the end of the index ischemia the activated PKC sensitizes the low-affinity A2b adenosine receptor (A2bAR) through phosphorylation of either the receptor or its coupling proteins so that A2bAR can be activated by endogenous adenosine released by the previously ischemic cardiomyocytes. The sensitized A2bAR would then be responsible for activation of the survival kinases including PI3 kinase, Akt and ERK which then act to inhibit lethal mitochondrial permeability transition pore formation which normally uncouples mitochondria and destroys many myocytes in the first minutes of reperfusion. Herein we review the evidence for the above mechanisms and their functional details.
Behavior of Concrete and ECC Structures under Simulated Earthquake Motion

AbstractThe objective of the research presented in this paper is to investigate, experimentally, the effect of material- and section-level parameters on the structural response of concrete and engineered cementitious composite (ECC) buildings. In addition to testing of columns under monotonic, cyclic, and static-time history loading, hybrid simulation of structural frames is conducted. Stiffness, strength, ductility, and energy absorption capacity are selected as the response measures that represent the behavior of structures under seismic actions. The investigated variables are reinforcement ratios, ECC material properties, and axial load levels. The results are proposed as basic guidelines to determine the performance enhancement in terms of stiffness, strength, ductility, and energy absorption capacity, which could be achieved by replacing concrete with the high-performance material ECC.
The design and results of an algorithm for intelligent ground vehicles

This paper addresses the design, design method, test platform, and test results of an algorithm used in autonomous navigation for intelligent vehicles. The Bluefield State College (BSC) team created this algorithm for its 2009 Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition (IGVC) robot called Anassa V. The BSC robotics team is comprised of undergraduate computer science, engineering technology, marketing students, and one robotics faculty advisor. The team has participated in IGVC since the year 2000. A major part of the design process that the BSC team uses each year for IGVC is a fully documented "Post-IGVC Analysis." Over the nine years since 2000, the lessons the students learned from these analyses have resulted in an ever-improving, highly successful autonomous algorithm. The algorithm employed in Anassa V is a culmination of past successes and new ideas, resulting in Anassa V earning several excellent IGVC 2009 performance awards, including third place overall. The paper will discuss all aspects of the design of this autonomous robotic system, beginning with the design process and ending with test results for both simulation and real environments.
Multilevel Spectral Partitioning for Efficient Image Segmentation and Tracking

An efficient multilevel method for solving normalized cut image segmentation problems is presented. The method uses the lattice geometry of images to define a set of coarsened graph partitioning problems. This problem hierarchy provides a framework for rapidly estimating the eigenvectors of normalized graph Laplacians. Within this framework, a coarse solution obtained with a standard eigensolver is propagated to increasingly fine problem instances and refined using subspace iterations. Results are presented for image segmentation and tracking problems. The computational cost of the multilevel method is an order of magnitude lower than current sampling techniques and results in more stable image segmentations
Eye-blink conditioning deficits indicate temporal processing abnormalities in schizophrenia

Theoretical models suggest that symptoms of schizophrenia may be due to a dysfunctional modulatory system associated with the cerebellum. Although it has long been known that the cerebellum plays a critical role in associative learning and motor timing, recent evidence suggests that it also plays a role in nonmotor psychological processes. Indeed, cerebellar anomalies in schizophrenia have been linked to cognitive dysfunction and poor long-term outcome. To test the hypothesis that schizophrenia is associated with cerebellar dysfunction, cerebellar-dependent, delay eye-blink conditioning was examined in 62 individuals with schizophrenia and 62 age-matched non-psychiatric comparison subjects. The conditioned stimulus was a 400 ms tone, which co-terminated with a 50 ms unconditioned stimulus air puff. A subset of participants (25 with schizophrenia and 29 controls) also completed the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence. Participants with schizophrenia exhibited lower rates of eye-blink conditioning, including earlier (less adaptively timed) conditioned response latencies. Cognitive functioning was correlated with the rate of conditioned responsing in the non-psychiatric comparison subjects but not among those with schizophrenia, and the magnitude of these correlations significantly differed between groups. These findings are consistent with models of schizophrenia in which disruptions within the cortico-cerebellar-thalamic-cortical (CCTC) brain circuit are postulated to underlie the cognitive fragmentation that characterizes the disorder.
Logit models for evaluating spawning performance of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque)

Broodstock evaluations are often measured by variables such as spawning success, fecundity, fertilization and hatching rates, usually expressed as percentage values. Outcomes are generally analysed as continuous random variables, assuming that they follow a normal distribution. Ordinary linear regression models (e.g. analysis of variance) as well as χ2 analysis are typically applied. However, these models may not be the most appropriate as a number of test criteria may not be met. For example, spawning success outcomes are inherently discrete and non-negative data and hence their distribution is not likely to be normal. As these models may not be the most appropriate, a case study using logit analysis as an alternative method for the evaluation of this type of data is presented by considering the response as binary data (spawned versus did not spawn). An exact version of logit analysis was performed due to the sparseness of the data. The results demonstrate that appropriate statistical models provide better insight into the cause–effect relationships that exist between control variables and the dependent variable (likelihood of spawning in this case). As would be expected, each strain of fish responded somewhat differently to the test variables. Changing the protein level of the diet from 32% to 42% or increasing the feeding frequency from three to six times per week either did not influence spawning or negatively affected spawning respectively. Additionally, older fish performed better than younger fish and the early spawning period was better than the later spawning period, regardless of strain. These responses, however, were only detected using logit analysis, which is a more sensitive test and would thus be recommended for this type of data.
Psychoactive properties of benztropine and trihexyphenidyl.

(1983). Psychoactive Properties of Benztropine and Trihexyphenidyl. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs: Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 319-321.
Influence of oxygen, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide levels on decay of head lettuce after harvest

Abstract Lettuces, Lactuca sativa L. var. capitata, half of which were inoculated with Botrytis cinerea Pers. ex Fr., were stored for 14 days at 7.5°C in all combinations of the following gases: 5 and 21% O2, 0 and 3% CO2, 0 and 1% CO. Decay was inhibited by 5% O2 and 3% CO2, and a combination of these was the most effective mixture. CO at 1% had no effect on decay. The results were similar for lettuces from the coastal or desert areas of California, but more decay occurred in the former than in the latter.
Coupled-resonator optical waveguides (CROWs) based on tapered grating-defect resonators

We report experimental results of CROWs based on high-Q (Q∼105) tapered grating-defect resonators in silicon waveguides. CROWs with 36 resonators and tailored coupling coefficients are demonstrated, showing group velocities of c/11.2 and c/23.6.
The effects of business–university alliances on innovative output and financial performance: a study of publicly traded biotechnology companies

Abstract Companies in the biotechnology industry face major challenges in developing and commercializing new products. Focusing on publicly traded biotechnology firms that are not members of university incubators or research parks, this paper argues that the links these companies develop with universities can have beneficial effects on a company's operations. Analysis of 2457 alliances undertaken by 147 biotechnology firms shows that companies with university linkages have lower research and development (R&D) expenses while having higher levels of innovative output. However, the results do not support the proposition that companies with university linkages achieve higher financial performance than similar firms without such linkages.
General foot care considerations

Abstract The management of dermatologic conditions of the foot presents special problems for both dermatologic and podiatric practitioners due to the functional and environmental aspects of the activities of daily living: Man walks. As a result of this ability to function in an upright position, the human foot is exposed to significant daily trauma, use, and abuse, perhaps exceeded only by the heart. Evolution did not produce a foot that was designed to walk on hard, flat surfaces, which can limit the normal physiologic process. Patients with skin conditions involving the foot assume that they will be able to maintain their usual jobs and activities during all phases of care. They assume that they can continue to cover the foot with stockings and shoes, which may or may not fit properly, which may or may not be designed to provide additional space for dressings, and which may or may not provide adequate ventilation. Joint and muscle function may be altered by deformity, pain, disability, disease, and limitation of activity that may or may not be related to the particular dermatologic disorder under treatment. These changes in joint and muscle function additionally alter the usual stress placed upon the foot. Friction, shearing, compression, and torsion, alone or in combination, add additional stress to the foot. Where compensation is needed to modify a usual weight bearing pattern, the resultant changes in weight distribution can produce additional symptoms, not only of the foot under treatment, but in the other foot. One must also consider impact and thrust when dealing with the function of the foot in relation to gravity, vertical forces, and applied forces. Thus, with continuation of usual patterns of life during treatment phases, the management of skin conditions of the foot requires consideration of other aspects of care in order to achieve a therapeutic result within a reasonable time frame.