cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is chronic opioid use a negative predictive factor for response to cervical epidural steroid injections

Background Cervical epidural steroid injections (ESIs) are often used to treat patients with neck and upper extremity pain associated with a cervical radiculopathy. The effect of chronic opioid use in cervical radiculopathy patients managed with ESIs is unknown; past studies suggest that these patients may behave differently than opioid naive patients. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of chronic (greater than 6 months) opioid use on the immediate outcome of cervical ESIs. Methods A two year retrospective chart review identified 22 consecutive patients with cervical radiculopathy who underwent a single level interlaminar cervical ESI, main outcome variable was > 50% pain relief on VAS at follow up. Inclusion factors were unilateral disc protrusion, exclusion factors were severe central canal or foraminal stenosis, spondylolithesis, spinal instability, cord edema, or with multi-level disc protrusions. Results Using a linear logistic regression analysis on both patient demographics and physical exam measures, the most significant explanatory model was the use of opiates at the time of injection; 70% of opioid naive patients had a favorable outcome while only 20% of patients managed with chronic opioids had relief (p= 0.06). Conclusions Patients managed with opioids chronically may respond in a different manner to ESIs when compared to opioid naive patients.
Single-photon superradiance in waveguide-quantum-electrodynamical systems with whispering-gallery-mode resonators

As a manifestation of cooperative interactions between a single photon and a cluster of atoms, single-photon superradiance has attracted considerable attention recently but has been studied insofar as that only quantum emitters are involved in the superradiance process. Here we expand the scope of investigation to study single-photon superradiance in a waveguide-quantum-electrodynamical system containing whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) resonators which are essential for many nanophotonic devices. It is shown analytically and numerically that single-photon superradiance can also occur when WGM resonators are present. The criteria for the emergence of the superradiant emission peak and the enhanced atom-light coupling strength are derived. Finally, the general case of a cascade of WGM resonators is investigated by a renormalization approach. Single-photon frequency comb generation is demonstrated via a frequency-modulated superradiant effective atom in chiral waveguide-quantum-electrodynamical systems with WGM resonators.
Validation of the rAHF-PFM PK Guided Dose Calculator Medical Device Using an Unrelated Clinical Dataset

![Graphic][1] Introduction: Prevention of bleeding represents the standard of care for patients with hemophilia without inhibitors. However, standard prophylactic dosing regimens with FVIII are currently based on body weight alone and do not take into account considerable inter-individual variability in FVIII PK profiles. In order to facilitate personalization of prophylaxis to individual needs and individual PK response we have developed a device that allows PK guided dosing in routine clinical care. In fact, the major barrier of PK-guided dosing in clinical practice is the necessity of multiple blood samples (6 to 11 over 48 hours) associated with a single infusion and the lack of easy-to-use statistical software to generate classical PK profiles. Leveraging the vast rAHF-PFM clinical database with more than 150 classical PK assessments, a Population PK model for children and adults was combined with a Bayesian algorithm to create a user friendly medical device. This methodology allows the use of only a few samples after different infusions to estimate individual PK parameters and help to calculate dosing regimens. Methods: In order to carry on an external validation of the Bayesian population PK model of the device, individual 10 point PK assessment data from an unrelated source, i.e. not included in the base population PK model, (rAHF-PFM prophylaxis study, Valentino et al 2012) was utilized to validate the accuracy of the calculation. First, we compared predicted post infusion FVIII levels with observed FVIII levels using all the available post infusion samples. In a second step we compared individually estimated PK parameters as obtained by using 10 post infusion samples with a progressively reduced number of post infusion samples. Results: The external validation study indicated a good agreement between the observed and predicted FVIII levels (Figure) and PK parameters. Furthermore it showed that the rAHF-PFM medical device had a good predictive performance even when using only 2 sampling time-points. ![Figure 1][2] Figure 1 Conclusion: An easy-to-use medical device that can estimate PK parameters and thus assists in designing prophylactic dosing regimens based on individual- PK characteristics represents a groundbreaking innovation. This literally shifts the treatment paradigm from one-size-fits-all prophylaxis towards a more personalized therapy in hemophilia A and allows further optimization of dosing in patients in order to improve outcome in a sustainable fashion. Disclosures Steinitz: Baxter: Employment. Spotts: Baxter Healthcare Corporation: Employment. Loew-Baselli: Baxter Innovations GmbH: Employment, Equity Ownership. Oh: Baxter Healthcare Corporation: Employment. Penny: Baxter Healthcare Limited: Employment, Equity Ownership. Gringeri: Baxter Innovations GmbH: Employment. Reininger: Baxter Innovations GmBH: Employment, Equity Ownership. [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-2.gif [2]: pending:yes
Cambrian microfossils from the Tethyan Himalaya

Cambrian biostratigraphy of the Indian subcontinent is best documented from the Parahio Formation of the Tethyan Himalaya. Recently established trilobite biostratigraphy shows that the formation encompasses the latest part of unnamed Stage 4 and much of unnamed Stage 5. A variety of small shelly fossils have been recovered via acid digestion of carbonate beds and include tetract and pentact hexactinellid sponge spicules, chancelloriid spicules belonging to Chancelloria sp. and a new species, Archiasterella dhiraji, shells of an helcionelloid comparable to Igorella maidipingensis, a meraspid ptychopariid trilobite, the tubular Cupitheca sp., a poorly preserved hyolith, and an assortment of spinose microfossils of uncertain affinity. These newly recovered microfossils are consistent with the trilobite-based lower and middle Cambrian age determination and do not support a late Cambrian age for the top of the Parahio Formation advocated in some recent literature. The microfossils reported herein significantly expand the known diversity of such fossils from Cambrian strata in the Himalayan region, and allow for comparison of this fauna with others from Gondwanaland and elsewhere. Integration with trilobite data indicate that the stratigraphic ranges of many small shelly fossils described in this study are greater than previously recognized.
Course of Tic Disorders Over the Lifespan

To summarize and update information on the course of tic disorders from childhood through later life. Tics tend to improve substantially over the first year after they appear. However, contrary to widespread opinion, tics usually last longer than 1 year, though usually at minimal severity. Tics often wane to clinical insignificance over the teen years, possibly resurging occasionally over the lifespan. However, in an important minority of patients, tics remain clinically relevant throughout life. Tics rarely first come to clinical attention later in adulthood, but new reports describe additional such cases. Recent publications have shown tics to persist past a few months more often than previously thought, though often at minimal severity, and recurrence after an asymptomatic period is common. The safety and efficacy of behavior therapy for tics, together with prospective indicators of early prognosis, make feasible the possibility of bettering the lifetime course of tic disorders with early intervention.
JSE: Joint Semantic Encoder for zero-shot gesture learning

Zero-shot learning (ZSL) is a transfer learning paradigm that aims to recognize unseen categories just by having a high-level description of them. While deep learning has greatly pushed the limits of ZSL for object classification, ZSL for gesture recognition (ZSGL) remains largely unexplored. Previous attempts to address ZSGL were focused on the creation of gesture attributes and algorithmic improvements, and there is little or no research concerned with feature selection for ZSGL. It is indisputable that deep learning has obviated the need for feature engineering for problems with large datasets. However, when the data are scarce, it is critical to leverage the domain information to create discriminative input features. The main goal of this work is to study the effect of three different feature extraction techniques (velocity, heuristical and latent features) on the performance of ZSGL. In addition, we propose a bilinear auto-encoder approach, referred to as Joint Semantic Encoder (JSE), for ZSGL that jointly minimizes the reconstruction, semantic and classification losses. We conducted extensive experiments to compare and contrast the feature extraction techniques and to evaluate the performance of JSE with respect to existing ZSL methods. For attribute-based classification scenario, irrespective of the feature type, results showed that JSE outperforms other approaches by 5% (p<0.01). When JSE is trained with heuristical features in across-category condition, we showed that JSE significantly outperforms other methods by 5% (p<0.01)).
ATR Inhibition Induces CDK1-SPOP Signaling and Enhances Anti-PD-L1 Cytotoxicity in Prostate Cancer.

Purpose: Despite significant benefit for other cancer subtypes, immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has not yet been shown to significantly improve outcomes for men with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Prior data have shown that DNA damage response (DDR) deficiency, via genetic alteration and/or pharmacologic induction using DDR inhibitors (DDRi), may improve ICB response in solid tumors in part due to induction of mitotic catastrophe and innate immune activation. Discerning the underlying mechanisms of this DDRi–ICB interaction in a prostate cancer–specific manner is vital to guide novel clinical trials and provide durable clinical responses for men with CRPC. Experimental Design: We treated prostate cancer cell lines with potent, specific inhibitors of ATR kinase, as well as with PARP inhibitor, olaparib. We performed analyses of cGAS–STING and DDR signaling in treated cells, and treated a syngeneic androgen-indifferent, prostate cancer model with combined ATR inhibition and anti–programmed death ligand 1 (anti–PD-L1), and performed single-cell RNA sequencing analysis in treated tumors. Results: ATR inhibitor (ATRi; BAY1895433) directly repressed ATR–CHK1 signaling, activated CDK1–SPOP axis, leading to destabilization of PD-L1 protein. These effects of ATRi are distinct from those of olaparib, and resulted in a cGAS–STING-initiated, IFN-β–mediated, autocrine, apoptotic response in CRPC. The combination of ATRi with anti–PD-L1 therapy resulted in robust innate immune activation and a synergistic, T-cell–dependent therapeutic response in our syngeneic mouse model. Conclusions: This work provides a molecular mechanistic rationale for combining ATR-targeted agents with immune checkpoint blockade for patients with CRPC. Multiple early-phase clinical trials of this combination are underway.
Predicting Dynamics of Transmon Qubit-Cavity Systems with Recurrent Neural Networks

Developing accurate and computationally inexpensive models for the dynamics of open-quantum systems is critical in designing new qubit platforms by first understanding their mechanisms of decoherence and dephasing. Current models based on solutions to master equations are not sufficient in capturing the non-Markovian dynamics at play and suffer from large computational costs. Here, we present a method of overcoming this by using a recurrent neural network to obtain effective solutions to the Lindblad master equation for a coupled transmon qubit-cavity system. We present the training and testing performance of the model trained a simulated dataset and demonstrate its ability to map microscopic dissipative mechanisms to quantum observables.
Massive perinatal left ventricle infarction treated with tissue plasminogen activator: No ECMO -A case report.

Neonatal myocardial infarction due to coronary thrombus is a rare cause of acute heart failure and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. We present a rare case of a full-term newborn who developed coronary artery thrombus treated with intracoronary recombinant tissue plasminogen activator infusion while undergoing therapeutic hypothermia. Also, we describe a unique treatment strategy to support systemic circulation sparing the patient from neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and its complications. Neonatal myocardial infarction should be suspected and ruled out in sick newborns.
Chromosomes and human pregnancy wastage

Abstract Those factors which predispose a conception to abortion are poorly understood. While investigating the cytogenetic aspects of this problem chromosome studies were completed on 91 human abortions. Consistent chromosome aberrations were found in 24 of 54 spontaneous abortions and in one of the 37 therapeutic abortions. The frequency of abnormal karyotypes was highest by far in pathologic ova. A comparison of the sex chromatin and the gonosomes of placental specimens revealed only an 84 per cent concurrence. This poor correlation was apparently the result of difficulty in interpreting the chromatin pattern of placental nuclei plus a 9 per cent incidence of an XO karyotype among the spontaneous abortions. It would appear that the results of studies of the primary sex ratio based on the sex chromatin test alone are misleading.
Ionospheric Effects of Cosmic γ-ray Bursts

It has been suggested that the recently discovered bursts of gamma rays of cosmic origin might produce observable ionospheric effects. Since gamma rays are absorbed at a relatively low altitude compared with most other types of ionising radiation it was thought that these bursts would produce additional ionisation that might be strong enough to affect vlf radio propagation, and if data from several paths were obtained it might be possible to obtain information concerning the location of the sources. Calculations are reported that were made using a Monte Carlo code that was developed to calculate x-ray and gamma -ray transport in a model atmosphere. Above 120 km the atmosphere is assumed to show negligible proton attenuation. Several simplifying assumptions were made concerring the nature of the source, and the spectrum was assumed to be independent of time. It is considered that the best chance of observing the bursts would be at low geomagnetic latitudes, where the ionisation induced by galactic cosmic rays would be of lower magnitude than that produced by the burst. The burst would produce only a very transient effect, since at the altitudes at which peak ionisation occurs the effective recombination coefficient is a very rapidly increasingmore » function of decreasing altitude. This requires that data be recorded on a finer time scale than is usually the case, as for example when the effects of geomagnetic activity are being studied. (UK)« less
Explaining the African Vote

In a shocking victory in Ghana’s 2008 presidential election, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) prevailed over the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) by one-half of one percentage point, after trailing far behind the NPP according to most opinion polls. What were the attributes of voters for each party? Standard theories about elections in Africa suggest that they are little more than ethnic headcounts and that parties typically are a thin cover for ethnicity. Data from a survey we conducted shortly before the 2008 seriously challenges this view. The NDC and the NPP drew support from a range of ethnic groups and there was little evidence of ethnic block voting. Moreover, while supporters of each party do not fit a clear ethnic profile, they possess strong beliefs about the parties. In addition, in the final weeks of the election, a sizable proportion of the electorate remained undecided and was amenable to voting for either party. For these reasons we contend that the perceptions of the NDC and the NPP shaped the outcome of Ghana’s 2008 election far more than the ethnic identity of its candidates.
Equity Valuation: Market-Share-Dynamics Effect on the Value of Multiple Product Lines

This paper discusses methodological aspects of equity valuation (stock pricing) in the context of continuous-time finance. The special emphasis of this study is to provide a framework and explicit formulas for the balance-sheet itemization of the product line contributions to the welfare of the firm, and, in particular, product market share dynamics effect on the value of the product line, and on the value of the whole firm. The results were derived in the context of the general analytic theory of pricing and hedging of financial contracts in diffusive incomplete markets, and its applications in quantitative equity, both developed by the author in a series of previous works.
Yellow Fever Virus

Yellow fever virus is a flavivirus that causes the disease yellow fever. The virus is found in tropical South America and subSaharan Africa. The disease varies from a febrile illness to a lethal haemorrhagic fever. Keywords: yellow fever; arbovirus; flavivirus; haemorrhagic fever
Vasomotor control in arterioles of the mouse cremaster muscle

Recent advances in transgenic mouse technology provide novel models to study cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology. In light of these developments, there is an increasing need for understanding cardiovascular function and blood flow control in normal mice. To this end we have used intravital microscopy to investigate vasomotor control in arterioles of the superfused cremaster muscle preparation of anesthetized C57Bl6 mice. Spontaneous resting tone increased with branch order and was enhanced by oxygen. Norepinephrine and acetylcholine (ACh) caused concentration-dependent vasoconstriction and vasodilation, respectively. Microiontophoresis of ACh evoked vasodilation that conducted along arterioles; the local (direct) response was inhibited by Nω-nitro-L-arginine (LNA), and both local and conducted responses were inhibited by 17-octadecynoic acid (17-ODYA). Microejection of KCl evoked a biphasic response: a transient conducted vasoconstriction (inhibited by nifedipine), followed by a conducted vasodi...
The nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Heliothis zea (Boddie) and Heliothis virescens (Fabricius). V. Toxicity-pathogenicity of virus to white mice and guinea pigs.

Abstract White mice and guinea pigs were exposed to the nuclear-polyhedrosis virus of Heliothis zea (Boddie) and Heliothis virescens (Fabricius). The virus was administered in the form of polyhedral inclusion bodies, free virus rods, or polyhedral protein by inhalation, per os feeding, or intravenous, intradermal, intraperitoneal, and intracerebral injections. One death occurred, caused by an acute pneumonia, in 155 virus-treated and 75 nonvirus-treated animals. The animals showed normal weight gains and no abnormalities or pathological conditions were detected.
Toward Devices Powered by Biomolecular Motors

Biomolecular motors can be used in nanometer-scale devices to perform mechanical work. This approach will assist the development of active nanostructures.
Recognition of continuously read natural corpus

Preliminary results have been obtained with a system for recognizing continuously read sentences from a naturally-occurring corpus (Laser Patents), restricted to a 1000-word vocabulary. Our model of the task language has an entropy of about 4.8 bits/word and a perplexity of 21.11 words. Many new problems arise in recognition of a substantial natural corpus (compared to recognition of an artificially constrained language). Some techniques are described for treating these problems. On a test set consisting of 20 sentences having a total of 486 words, there was a word error rate of 33.1%.
Tumor necrosis factor‐α and the failing human heart–TNFα and heart failure

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) is a proinflammatory cytokine with negative inotropic effects. Recently, elevated levels of TNF alpha have been identified in patients with advanced heart failure. Although the clinical significance of this finding is unclear at present, there is increasing evidence that this cytokine may play a primary pathophysiologic role in the development and pathogenesis of heart failure in humans. Indeed, many of the clinical hallmarks of heart failure, including left ventricular dysfunction, cardiomyopathy, and pulmonary edema can be explained by the known biological effects of TNF alpha in humans. The present review will summarize recent evidence with regard to the biological role for TNF alpha in the adult mammalian heart, as well as summarize the increasing body of clinical information that implicates this cytokine in the pathophysiology of heart failure.
High-brightness, fiber-coupled pump modules in fiber laser applications

High-power, high-brightness, fiber-coupled pump modules enable high-performance industrial fiber lasers with simple system architectures, multi-kW output powers, excellent beam quality, unsurpassed reliability, and low initial and operating costs. We report commercially available (element™), single-emitter-based, 9xx nm pump sources with powers up to 130 W in a 105 μm fiber and 250 W in a 200 μm fiber. This combination of high power and high brightness translates into improved fiber laser performance, e.g., simultaneously achieving high nonlinear thresholds and excellent beam quality at kW power levels. Wavelength-stabilized, 976 nm versions of these pumps are available for applications requiring minimization of the gain-fiber length (e.g., generation of high-peak-power pulses). Recent prototypes have achieved output powers up to 300 W in a 200 μm fiber. Extensive environmental and life testing at both the chip and module level under accelerated and real-world operating conditions have demonstrated extremely high reliability, with innovative designs having eliminated package-induced-failure mechanisms. Finally, we report integrated Pump Modules that provide < 1.6 kW of fiber-coupled power conveniently formatted for fiber-laser pumping or direct-diode applications; these 19” rack-mountable, 2U units combine the outputs of up to 14 elements™ using fused-fiber combiners, and they include high-efficiency diode drivers and safety sensors.
Crossed cerebellar atrophy of prenatal onset

Background Crossed cerebellar atrophy after hemorrhagic-ischemic injury in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere was reported in adults with stroke and in children with acquired lesions. It was also reported in preterm infants after perinatal or postnatal contralateral supratentorial lesions.
Progressive sequence alignment as a prerequisite to correct phylogenetic trees.

A progressive alignment method is described that utilizes the Needleman and Wunsch pairwise alignment algorithm iteratively to achieve the multiple alignment of a set of protein sequences and to construct an evolutionary tree depicting their relationship. The sequences are assumed a priori to share a common ancestor, and the trees are constructed from difference matrices derived directly from the multiple alignment. The thrust of the method involves putting more trust in the comparison of recently diverged sequences than in those evolved in the distant past. In particular, this rule is followed: “once a gap, always a gap”. The method has been applied to three sets of protein sequences: 7 superoxide dismutases, 11 globins, and 9 tyrosine kinase-like sequences. Multiple alignments and phylogenetic trees for these sets of sequences were determined and compared with trees derived by conventional pairwise treatments. In several instances, the progressive method led to trees that appeared to be more in line with biological expectations than were trees obtained by more commonly used methods.
Concussion in Children and Adolescents

Pediatric concussion is a growing concern as children across the country become more involved in sports and are leading more active lifestyles. Mild traumatic injuries to the brain are common and can have varied clinical presentation ranging from minimal to severe symptomatology. The morbidity associated with these injuries usually resolves in a matter of weeks or becomes more protracted, causing significant disruption in lifestyle and quality of life. We explore here recent research addressing innovations in acute care, treatment of protracted concussive recovery (postconcussion syndrome), and the assessment of cognitive outcomes and their interpretation as well as new approaches to modeling recovery based on biochemical and neuroimaging biomarkers.
Kinetics of the HCCO + NO2 reaction.

The kinetics of the HCCO + NO2 reaction were investigated using a laser photolysis/infrared diode laser absorption technique. Ethyl ethynyl ether (C2H5OCCH) was used as the HCCO radical precursor. Transient infrared detection of the HCCO radical was used to determine a total rate constant fit to the following expression: k1 = (2.43 ± 0.26) × 10-11 exp[(171.1 ± 36.9)/T] cm3 molecule-1 s-1 over the temperature range of 298−423 K. Transient infrared detection of CO, CO2, and HCNO products was used to determine the following branching ratios at 298 K: φ(HCO + NO + CO) = 0.60 ± 0.05 and φ(HCNO + CO2) = 0.40 ± 0.05.
The incorporation of adenine-4, 6-14C1 into acid-soluble nucleotides in C57 mice.

Abstract Adenine-4,6- 14 C has been administered to male C 57 mice, and distribution of radioactivity has been studied at short time intervals after administration, particularly in the cold TCA-soluble fraction. It has been shown that adenine is rapidly incorporated into nucleotides of tissue, including 5′-adenylic acid, adenosine diphosphate, adenosine triphosphate, the corresponding guanylic acid derivatives, diphosphopyridine nucleotide, inosinic acid, and possibly TPN. Adenine is rapidly equilibrated between AMP, ADP, and ATP, and is less rapidly incorporated into DPN. The specific activity of guanine nucleotides is always considerably less than that of adenine nucleotides. Evidence is presented that the TCA-soluble fraction serves as a precursor for RNA and DNA.
There and Back Again: Hair Follicle Stem Cell Dynamics

Recently in Cell, Hsu et al. (2011) defined the relationship between stem cells and differentiated progeny within a hair follicle lineage. Their work reveals that stem cell descendants that have migrated out of the bulge can return to this niche and actively contribute to its function.
Variations in the friction coefficients of tablet lubricants and relationship to their physicochemical properties.

— A previously described modified annular shear cell (MASC) has been used to measure the friction coefficients of some powdered tablet lubricants on a steel surface. Commonly used lubricants, as well as others belonging to the stearate group, differed in their friction coefficients at equivalent sample sizes and in the degree of their ability to reduce friction with increasing amounts when evaluated by the apparatus. In all comparisons, magnesium stearate had the lowest friction coefficient. Divalent salts of stearic acid appeared to be better than the other lubricants tested, and among themselves differed only in the extent of their ability to decrease friction. The lubricants also differed in their physical and chemical properties. On evaluation by stepwise regression analysis, such physical properties as projected surface area of lubricant particles, Martin's diameter and bulk density accounted for most of the variation in friction coefficients of the lubricants rather than moisture content or melting point. It could therefore be suggested that particle size and/or surface area parameters be incorporated in product specifications to ensure reproducible functionality.
Development and characterization of paraffin-based shape stabilized energy storage materials

Abstract The passive nature of energy storage through phase transition makes phase change materials (PCMs) a reliable choice for many applications. Shape-stabilized phase change materials (PCMs) mix liquid PCM with a molten polymer to create a material in which the PCM is fully contained even above the melt temperature of the PCM. Since the energy storage in the material will be a function of the amount of PCM, it is desirable to shape stabilize the material with as little polymer as possible. It is also important to understand the physical strength of these materials if they are to be used without a containment structure. Therefore, this study experimentally characterizes the structural and thermal properties of SS-PCM, identifies the effects of changing polymer loading level, provides guideline to determine at what point the material becomes shape-stabilized, and determines the heating and cooling curves. Based on these tests, it can be concluded that a sample of PCM can be considered to be shape-stabilized when the loading level of polymer creates a sample with structural integrity above the melting point, with geometric stability including elimination of contraction upon solidification and a sample with no circulation of the PCM during the melt phase, as well as full containment of the melt. For the samples investigated here, shape stabilization occurs in paraffin/HDPE mixtures above 25–30% HDPE.
Budget deficits, capital flows, and long-term interest rates: Cointegration findings for the united kingdom

This study uses cointegration tools to decide whether a long-term relationship exists between budget deficits and nominal long-term interest rates in the United Kingdom, as previous regression estimates have implicitly assumed. Based on maximum eigenvalue, trace, and likelihood ratio tests, as well as two cointegrating vectors, this study finds that a long-term positive relationship exists between the nominal 20-year government bond rate and the central government budget deficit.
Oven-cleaner pads: New risk for corrosive injury

Over a six-month period, the New Jersey Poison Information System received 61 calls related to exposures to alkaline corrosives. Seven of these calls related to a new oven-cleaner product, oven-cleaner pads. These pads are sealed in a protective plastic wrap and contain lye in excess of 5%. Use of these products requires careful opening of the seal and caution in application. Five of the callers sustained injuries from their exposure, and three of these sustained burns, one in the oral cavity and one in the eye. None suffered permanent sequelae, but the potential for such is considerable. The method of application, concentration of base, and prolonged exposure to a widely covered area may make this product particularly hazardous.
A prospective multicenter 5-year radiographic evaluation of crestal bone levels over time in 596 dental implants placed in 192 patients

Background: Dental implants have been used to replace missing teeth to provide function and esthetics. One goal of such restorations is to maintain host tissue around the implants. The purpose of this prospective multicenter human clinical trial was to evaluate radiographic marginal bone levels around non-submerged hollow cylindrical and solid-screw implants for 5 years after loading.Methods: Patients older than 18 years of age with sufficient native bone to surround a dental implant without imposing on a vital structure were recruited at five sites. Solid-screw or hollow-cylinder implants with a titanium plasma–sprayed implant surface were placed in the anterior maxilla or anterior mandible and restored with fixed restorations. Baseline radiographs were taken at the time of implant placement. Subsequent radiographs were taken at the time of final prosthesis placement, at 6 months after prosthesis placement, and annually from prosthesis placement for 5 years.Results: The results of 596 implants in 192 pat...
Measurement of column dead time in capillary gas chromatography

Abstract Two simple methods are given for calculation of accurate values of column dead time (tM) from the unadjusted retention times of liquid n-alkanes. Both are iterative methods that are based on the linearity of a plot of log k' against the carbon number of the alkanes. One can be done on an ordinary programmable calculator; the other uses a simple matrix-manipulation com- puter program. These methods also provide a simple way to measure Kovits indices.
Asymptotic Behavior of the Perturbed Empirical Distribution-Functions Evaluated at a Random Point for Absolutely Regular Sequences

Let F?n be an estimator obtained by integrating a kernel type density estimator based on a random sample of size n from smooth distribution function F. A central limit theorem is established for the target statistic F?n(Un) where the underlying random variable form an absolutely regular stationary process and where {Un} is a sequence of U-statistics. The result obtained generalizes Puri and Ralescu (1986, J. Multivariate Anal.19, 273-279) under the iid set-up.
DIRECT-CONTACT HEAT TRANSFER BETWEEN A RISING DISPERSED PHASE IN A COUNTERFLOW STREAM

A numerical model of a direct-contact evaporator is developed, which is used to calculate performance information about direct-contact heat transfer between a rising dispersed refrigerant and a counterflow continuous fluid. Results are compared with the existing experimental data. The numerical scheme involves slicing the column of the evaporator into a finite number of horizontal slices and applying continuity, population, and energy balances to each slice. Temperature and holdup ratio distributions through the evaporator are obtained for the operation of a 0.1-m-diameter column, using n-butane as the dispersed refrigerant and distilled water as the continuous fluid. Results are given for a range of values of the initial drop diameter, mass flow rate of the dispersed fluid, and mass flow rate of the continuous fluid.
Mechanism of Sugar Transport by a Phosphoenolpyruvate-Dependent Phosphotransferase

The phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotranferase system (PTS) is responsible for the uni-directional, phosphorylation-coupled uptake of sugar in bacteria. The multicomponent PTS differs from other carbohydrate uptake systems in that active transport is driven by coupling the translocation of the ligand across the membrane with its concomitant covalent modification to prevent efflux. Crystal structures have been solved previously for the numerous cytoplasmic proteins involved in the PTS pathway, but a complete understanding of the system has until now been hampered by the lack of any structures for the integral membrane component EIIC. The EIICs are a large, diverse family of carbohydrate transporters that selectively bind a cognate sugar, translocate it across the inner membrane, and assist in the phosphorylation reaction. In order to better understand how these functions are carried out, we have solved the 3.3 A structure of an ortholog of the transporter ChbC. This member of the glucose EIIC superfamily is specific for the uptake of N.N’-diacetylchitobiose, a component of chitin and important food source in a number of pathogens. The structure shows that ChbC possesses a novel fold, and has led us to propose a mechanism for how the transporter couples phosphorylation and transport of its substrate. We are now attempting a variety of functional assays to characterize the sugar selectivity of the transporter, as well as to elucidate the mechanism of phosphorylation and transport.
Molecular multifunctionalization via electronically coupled lactones

Synthetic access to discrete multifunctionalized molecules remains a challenge but is critical for continued advances in materials science, catalysis, and chemical biology. Here, the aminolysis of electronically coupled lactones is introduced as an approach to achieve molecular multifunctionalization efficiently, under mild conditions, and without protecting groups or by-products. The one-pot sequential aminolysis of benzotrifuranone, a C3h-symmetric trilactone, to produce a trifunctionalized target in ∼85% yield over one day is highlighted.
Land surveying: A bibliography of sources

Surveying is one of the world's oldest professions. The Egyptians used a system of ropes and knots to relocate boundaries along the Nile after periodic flooding; they also used the plumb bob. The Babylonians are credited with dividing the circle into 360 degrees, and as early as 1600 BCE the Chinese were using a form of magnetic compass. In the second century BCE Greeks were using the astrolabe. There are numerous references in the Bible to surveying, such as, “Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's landmark” (Deuteronomy 27:17). Plane tables were used in Europe as early as the sixteenth century. Modern surveying is said to have begun in the late eighteenth century.
Digital Recording of Electrocardiographic Data for Analysis by a Digital Computer

A corrected orthogonal 3-lead system has been used to record electrocardiograms directly from patients at Veterans Hospitals, using three FM channels of magnetic tape. A pilot facility has been designed and assembled by NBS to permit a medical technician to inspect these on an oscilloscope and select a significant cardiac cycle. This is automatically sampled at millisecond intervals and the numerical values are stored in digital form on magnetic tape acceptable to an electronic computer. Upon writing various programs for the digital computer, the cardiac researcher will have a flexible tool for objective analysis of large quantities of biological data by a variety of possible criteria.
The role of echocardiography in the evaluation and management of aortic stenosis in the older adult

Aortic stenosis is currently the most predominant valvular pathology in older adults. Signs and symptoms of aortic stenosis in this age-group may be difficult to recognize due to the decreased activity associated with aging and attribution of symptoms to other conditions. Echocardiography can be very helpful in the assessment of valvular structure and real time hemodynamic evaluation as well as in the progression of the disease over time. Unprecedented advances in echocardiography, including real time three-dimensional echocardiography, facilitate a comprehensive assessment of this condition and help in the decision-making process. Recent innovations in the percutaneous treatment of valvular diseases promise a revolution in the treatment of aortic stenosis especially in older adults.
Rapid diagnosis of infections caused by β-lactamase-producing bacteria by means of an enzyme radioisotopic assay

We developed a sensitive enzyme radioisotopic assay for the measurement of β-lactamase, an enzyme produced by a number of pathogenic bacteria. This ERIA was 100-fold more sensitive than the commonly used iodometric or spectrophotometric assays for the measurement of β-lactamase and, unlike these other assays, the ERIA was not significantly influenced by serum proteins or unlabeled penicillin. Clinical specimens consisting of blood, peritoneal, pleural, and cerebrospinal fluids from patients infected with β-lactamase-producing organisms yielded positive ERIA tests; fluids from uninfected patients were negative. The ERIA takes approximately 90 minutes to perform, and offers great potential for the rapid diagnosis of serious bacterial infections caused by bacteria which produce β-lactamase.
Disorder broadening of the Hofstadter spectrum

We have calculated the disorder broadening of the Landau-level subbands of a two-dimensional electron gas in a periodic modulation potential using the self-consistent Born approximation (SCBA). Systems with the same disorder broadening of the Landau levels in the absence of modulation are compared. We find that the subband structure of the Landau level that results from adding a potential modulation is obscured much less effectively in rough disorder potentials than in smooth disorder potentials. We work in the strong-magnetic-field limit and exploit the absence of Landau-level mixing to greatly simplify the calculation. The accuracy of the SCBA in the limit of smooth disorder potentials is assessed by comparing with densities of states evaluated from inhomogeneous line broadening.
Welsh-Powell opposition graphs

Abstract We characterize a class of graphs for which the Welsh-Powell colouring heuristics results in an optimum colouring. We outline a polynomial-time recognition algorithm together with linear-time optimization algorithms for this class of graphs.
Femoral nailing during serum bicarbonate-defined hypo-perfusion predicts pulmonary organ dysfunction in multi-system trauma patients.

Abstract Objective To assess the value of venous serum bicarbonate as an endpoint of resuscitation and guide to timing of femoral nailing in multi-system trauma patients. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Academic Level 1 Trauma Centre. Patients Seventy-two consecutive adult multi-system trauma patients (Injury Severity Score ≥ 15) with femoral shaft fracture (Orthopaedic Trauma Association Class 32-A to 32-C) treated with reamed medullary nail fixation. Intervention Femoral nailing in the setting of hypo-perfusion defined by venous serum bicarbonate (SB). Threshold values of SB were determined first by correlating SB and simultaneously drawn arterial base deficit (BD). Then, corresponding values of SB to previously defined thresholds of hypo-perfusion based on BD were identified using regression analysis. Main outcome measurement Pulmonary organ dysfunction (POD) component of the Denver Multiple Organ Failure scoring system. Results Simultaneous admission SB and BD values were correlated (r = −0.43, p = 0.001). Adjusting for age, ISS and baseline POD, patients with SB Conclusions Medullary fixation of femoral shaft fracture in the setting of serum bicarbonate-defined hypo-perfusion is associated with increased morbidity. Appropriate damage-control measures and aggressive resuscitation prior to definitive fracture care are advised and physiologic markers such as serum bicarbonate should guide clinical decision making rather than temporal distinctions.
Ecophysiological comparison of 50-year-old longleaf pine, slash pine and loblolly pine

Abstract Longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris Mill.), a species that once dominated the southeastern USA, is considered to be more drought tolerant than the principle plantation species in the South, loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L.) and slash pine ( Pinus elliottii Engelm.), and so is predicted to better cope with increases in drought frequency associated with climate change. To determine if longleaf pine displays a more conservative water use strategy than the other two southern pine species, we examined diurnal patterns in leaf light-saturated photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, water use efficiency and leaf water potential ( Ψ L ) over one growing season in a 50-year-old replicated field experiment. Short-term photosynthetic response to temperature was examined in August. No consistent differences among species in leaf gas exchange rates were observed, but Ψ L was higher in longleaf pine compared to loblolly and slash pine across the growing season. Foliar δ 13 C measured at the end of the growing season was higher in longleaf pine than in loblolly pine but not slash pine. No temperature optimum of photosynthesis was observed in any species and photosynthesis did not respond to changing temperature. Based on leaf physiological traits, these results do not support the contention that longleaf pine has a more conservative leaf water use strategy than the other two pine species. The results do suggest that differences in hydraulic architecture or hydraulic efficiency may account for higher Ψ L and perhaps greater drought tolerance in longleaf pine.
UNBIASED ESTIMATION OF PARAMETRIC FUNCTIONS IN SAMPLING FROM TWO ONE-TRUNCATION PARAMETER FAMILIES

Summary We consider the problem of minimum variance unbiased estimation of a U-estimable function of two unknown truncation parameters based on independent random samples from two one-truncation parameter families. In particular, we obtain the UMVU estimator of the probability that Y > X.
The effects of water immersion on the electrical properties of miniature XLPE cables

The results of an investigation into the effects of water immersion on the electrical properties of miniature cables are reported. The capacitance, dissipation factor and breakdown voltage of cables immersed in water at different temperatures and subjected to various voltages and frequencies were measured. The breakdown voltage decreased in two stages, the first stage corresponding to the growth of bow-tie trees or saturation of the insulation with water and the second stage with the occurrence of surface-originating water trees. The frequency accelerated ageing was significant between 60 Hz and 400 Hz but there was little effect between 400 Hz and 1 kHz.
Suppressive effect of an orally active MEK1/2 inhibitor in two different animal models for rheumatoid arthritis: a comparison with leflunomide

Objective and design To examine the effects of a mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase 1/2-inhibitor, JTP-74057, on inflammatory arthritis development, and compare its anti-arthritic effect with leflunomide.
Voice, Votes, and Resources: Evaluating the Effect of Participatory Democracy on Well-being

Summary Participatory governance is said to enhance governance, citizens’ empowerment, and the quality of democracy, creating a virtuous cycle to improve the well-being of the poor. However, there is limited empirical evidence for this relationship. Drawing from an original database of Brazil’s 220 largest cities, we assess whether the adoption of a participatory budgeting (PB) program is associated with changes in social spending or changes in several indicators of well-being. We find that PB municipalities spend a slightly higher share of their budget on health and education programs, but there is little evidence that this shift in budget priorities affects measurable outcomes.
Mesoscopic-Wavelet Freeway Work Zone Flow and Congestion Feature Extraction Model

A new mesoscopic-wavelet model is presented for simulating freeway traffic flow patterns and extracting congestion characteristics. A traffic speed–density relationship is introduced with a lane drop factor to take into account lane closures in freeway work zones. Patterns of multiple parameters are inputted to a congestion feature extraction algorithm. An approximate solution for this equation is found by space-time discretization. The high frequency fluctuations of the signal are not recognizable at normal resolutions. To overcome this problem, a multi-resolution wavelet filter is introduced in the proposed model to enhance traffic features and extract congestion characteristics from the traffic data. Fourth-order Coifman wavelets are used for filtering because of their good approximation for high-resolution scaling.
Degradation of non-phenolic lignin by the white-rot fungus Pycnoporus cinnabarinus

High-molecular-weight lignin was methylated with diazomethane. The lignin (i.e., phenolic lignin) and methylated lignin (i.e., non-phenolic lignin) were mixed with fully bleached softwood pulp. Degradation of the lignin preparations by the white rot fungus Pycnoporus cinnabarinus was studied. After a 3-month incubation with the fungus, over 40% of the non-phenolic lignin and about 70% the phenolic lignin were degraded. The presence of phenolic hydroxyl groups in lignin greatly enhanced the degradation rate of lignin. This study reveals that P. cinnabarinus, an exclusively laccase-producing fungus, is capable of oxidatively degrading both phenolic and non-phenolic lignins. The ability of the fungus to degrade non-phenolic lignin suggests that a laccase/mediator system is involved in the complete degradation of lignin. After the fungal degradation of lignins, the content of carboxylic acids substantially increased for both phenolic and non-phenolic lignins.