cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accumulation of a Pentasaccharide Terminating in α-N-Acetylglucosamine in an Animal Cell Mutant Defective in Heparan Sulfate Biosynthesis

Heparan sulfate biosynthesis initiates by the transfer of α-D-GlcNAc from UDP-GlcNAc to the D-GlcA moiety of the linkage tetrasaccharide, GlcAβ1-3Galβ1-3Galβ1-4Xylβ1-core protein. The enzyme catalyzing this reaction differs from the α-GlcNAc transferase involved in chain polymerization based on genetic and enzymatic studies of an animal cell mutant defective in chain polymerization (Fritz, T. A., Gabb, M. M., Wei, G., and Esko, J. D.(1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 28809-28814). In this report we show that this mutant also accumulates a pentasaccharide intermediate containing α-GlcNAc. A fusion protein was made from the IgG-binding domain of protein A and a segment of the proteoglycan, betaglycan. This segment contained one glycosaminoglycan attachment site that primes only chondroitin sulfate and another that primes both heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate (Zhang, L., and Esko, J. D.(1994) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 19295-19299). Expression of the chimera in the mutant resulted in the accumulation of an oligosaccharide that labeled with [6-3H]GlcN. The oligosaccharide comigrated with a pentasaccharide standard derived from chondroitin sulfate, but acid hydrolysis gave 98% [3H]GlcN. Heparin lyase III digestion yielded [3H]GlcNAc, suggesting that the GlcNAc residue was α-linked to the nonreducing terminus. Enzymatic treatment of [6-3H]Gal-labeled material yielded the tetrasaccharide, ΔGlcA-[3H]Gal-[3H]Gal-xylitol. These findings suggest that pentasaccharide had the structure, GlcNAcα1-4GlcAβ1-3Galβ1-3Galβ1-4Xyl. Its accumulation in a Chinese hamster ovary cell mutant defective in the polymerizing α-GlcNAc transferase provides in vivo evidence that two α-GlcNAc transferases catalyze the formation of heparan sulfate.
Neutrophil-mediated lung permeability and host defense proteins

Neutrophil recruitment to the alveolar space is associated with increased epithelial permeability. The present study investigated in mice whether neutrophil recruitment to the lung leads to accumul...
Individual differences in metacognition: evidence against a general metacognitive ability.

Individual differences in metacognitive accuracy are generally thought to reflect differences in metacognitive ability. If so, memory monitoring performance should be consistent across different metacognitive tasks and show high test-retest reliability. Two experiments examined these possibilities, using four common metacognitive tasks: ease of learning judgments, feeling of knowing judgments, judgments of learning, and text comprehension monitoring. Alternate-forms correlations were computed for metacognitive accuracy (with a 1-week interval between tests). Although individual differences in memory and confidence were stable across both sessions and tasks, differences in metacognitive accuracy were not. These results pose considerable practical and theoretical challenges for metacognitive researchers.
Relict oysters on the United States Atlantic continental shelf: A reconsideration of their usefulness in understanding late Quaternary sea-level history

Relict oyster shells are thought to be unreliable references for reconstructing sea-level history owing to interrelationships between their age and present depth of occurrence off North Carolina. Radiocarbon dates were obtained from 44 relict oyster shells of Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin) collected within a relatively narrow area of the continental shelf from north of Cape Hatteras to Cape Fear (less than 40,000 km 2 ) in depths to 60 m. Data indicate significant postdepositional and landward transport of these shells, calling into question some previous interpretations of sea-level history that were based partly on the dating of relict oyster shells and other unreliable relict shoreline deposits.
Biomimetic behavior of synthetic particles: from microscopic randomness to macroscopic control

Randomness is an inherent property of biological systems. In contrast, randomness has been mostly avoided in designing synthetic or artificial systems. Particularly, in designing micro/nano-motors, some researchers have successfully used external fields to gain deterministic control over the directionality of the objects, which otherwise move in completely random directions due to Brownian motion. However, a partial control that preserves a certain degree of randomness can be very useful in certain applications of micro/nano-motors. In this Perspective we review the current progress in establishing autonomous motion of micro/nano-particles that possess controlled randomness, provide insight into the phenomena where macroscopic order originates from microscopic disorder and discuss the resemblance between these artificial systems and biological emergent/collective behaviors.
Gastroesophageal pH step-up inaccurately locates proximal border of lower esophageal sphincter.

Limiting the widespread use of 24-hr pH monitoring is the necessity of manometrically placing the pH probe 5 cm above the proximal lower esophageal sphincter (LES) border. Therefore, we prospectively compared LES localization by gastroesophageal pH step-up with manometry in 71 patients and 14 asymptomatic volunteers. The gastroesophageal pH step-up significantly correlated with the proximal LES border in patients (r=0.53, P<0.0001) and volunteers (r=0.91, P<0.0001). Based on previously published criteria, the pH step-up value was considered acceptably accurate if it was within ±3 cm (6 cm total span) of the manometrically determined proximal LES border. In 58% of patients and 29% of volunteers the pH step-up occurred outside this accuracy range. Esophagitis (P=0.015) and abnormal reflux parameters (P=0.002) were variables contributing to this error. Subsequent analysis found that the pH step-up overestimated the proximal LES border and occurred at the midportion of the sphincter. The pH step-up still inaccurately located the mid LES in 34% of patients. Therefore, manometry should remain the standard for accurate LES localization prior to placing the pH probe.
Optical Coherence Tomography

Since its invention in the late 1990s, intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been rapidly adopted in clinical research and, more recently, in clinical practice. Given its unprecedented resolution and high image contrast, OCT has been used to visualize plaque characteristics and to evaluate the vascular response to percutaneous coronary intervention. In particular, OCT is becoming the standard modality to evaluate in vivo plaque vulnerability, including the presence of lipid content, thin fibrous cap, or macrophage accumulation. Furthermore, OCT findings after stent implantation, such as strut apposition, neointimal hyperplasia, strut coverage, and neoatherosclerosis, are used as surrogate markers of the vascular response. New applications for OCT are being explored, such as transplant vasculopathy or non-coronary vascular imaging. Although OCT has contributed to cardiovascular research by providing a better understanding of the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease, data linking the images and clinical outcomes are lacking. Prospective data are needed to prove that the use of OCT improves patient outcomes, which is the ultimate goal of any clinical diagnostic tool.
The polarized infrared spectra and crystal structure of dimethyltin dichloride

Abstract Oriented polycrystalline films of dimethyltin dichloride were grown from the melt on alkali halide and Teflon substrates. The polarized i.r. spectra from 3500-50 cm −1 of these films were studied at about 25 K for the films grown on alkali halide windows and at liquid N 2 temperatures for those films grown on Teflon substrates. The latter were removed and spectra recorded between polyethylene windows. X-Ray powder data were collected on the oriented polycrystalline films. Modifications and extensions of a previously reported vibrational assignment are proposed. The factor group splitting and polarization evidenced indicate dimethyltin dichloride occupies a C 2ν site in the crystal. The factor group was found to be D 2 inh for a body-centered orthorhombic crystal with four molecules/crystallographic unit cell. These results suggest a space group of Imma for crystalline dimethyltin dichloride.
Renormalized Coulomb-gauge self-energy function

The integral representation for the Coulomb-gauge self-energy function given by Adkins is partially integrated with the remaining integral expressed in terms of Spence functions. With this result, the renormalized self-energy kernel and its derivatives with respect to the center-of-mass energy, integrated between Barbieri-Remiddi wave functions, are evaluated to lowest order.
Gene-III protein of filamentous phages: evidence for a carboxyl-terminal domain with a role in morphogenesis.

Abstract A filamentous phage derivative, fCA55, bearing a nonpolar deletion in gene III, has been constructed and characterized to study the functions of that gene. The deletion eliminates most of gene III without disturbing its reading frame or the putative promoter for the downstream gene, VI. Therefore it is assumed that any abnormalities exhibited by fCA55 are a direct effect of the gene-III lesion itself, and not polar effects on other genes. fCA55 Is abnormal in two respects. First, it is noninfective; in this it resembles another nonpolar gene-III deletion mutant, fKN16, which is missing 507 by encompassing roughly the first half of the gene. Second, it is secreted as polyphage—very long particles containing many unit-length DNA molecules; in this respect, fCA55 differs from fKN16. When the viral proteins of these two mutants were analyzed with antibody directed against gene-III protein, it was found that fKN16 contains an altered gene-III protein, while fCA55 is unreactive. It was concluded that the gene-III protein has two functional domains: the N-terminal domain, missing in both mutants, is required for viral infectivity; while the C-terminal domain, partly missing in fCA55 but retained in fKN16, is incorporated into the virion, and is responsible for the protein's role in generating normal, unit-length particles.
The Slab-Design Problem in the Steel Industry

Planners in the steel industry design a set of steel slabs to satisfy the order book subject to constraints on (1) achieving a total designed weight for each order using multiples of an order-specific production size range, (2) minimum and maximum sizes for each slab, and (3) feasible assignments of multiple orders to the same slab. We developed a heuristic solution based on matchings and bin packing that a large steel plant uses daily in mill operations.
Quantitative analysis of lincomycin and narasin in poultry, milk and eggs by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract This study presents the simultaneous extraction and determination of lincomycin (LCM) and narasin (NAR) by using liquid chromatography–electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) on samples from poultry, milk and eggs ( n = 196). The homogenised samples are extracted with acetonitrile and the extract is further cleaned using C 18 solid-phase extraction cartridges. The recoveries of the analytes in different matrices were found ranging from 90% to 101% and 85% to 95% for LCM and NAR, respectively. The corresponding limits of detection were 0.6 and 1.5 ng g −1 for LCM and NAR, respectively. As a result of monitoring, NAR was not detected in any samples and LCM was detected in one egg with a concentration of 25 ng g −1 . The method was relatively simple to perform and therefore could be used for food safety surveillance activities.
Studies on distributed sensing and processing for the control of large flexible spacecraft

Technology is being developed to process signals from distributed sensors using distributed computations. These distributed sensors provide a new feedback capability for vibration control that has not been exploited. Additionally, the sensors proposed are of an optical and distributed nature and could be employed with known techniques of distributed optical computation (Fourier optics, etc.) to accomplish the control system functions of filtering and regulation in a distributed computer. This paper reviews a procedure for the analytic design of control systems for this application. For illustration, the procedure is applied to the problem of suppressing the vibrations of a simply supported beam. A simulator has been developed to study the effects of sensor and processing errors. An extensive study of the effects of these errors on estimation and regulation performance is presented.
To Lyse or Not to Lyse: Transient-Mediated Stochastic Fate Determination in Cells Infected by Bacteriophages

Cell fate determination is usually described as the result of the stochastic dynamics of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) reaching one of multiple steady-states each of which corresponds to a specific decision. However, the fate of a cell is determined in finite time suggesting the importance of transient dynamics in cellular decision making. Here we consider cellular decision making as resulting from first passage processes of regulatory proteins and examine the effect of transient dynamics within the initial lysis-lysogeny switch of phage λ. Importantly, the fate of an infected cell depends, in part, on the number of coinfecting phages. Using a quantitative model of the phage λ GRN, we find that changes in the likelihood of lysis and lysogeny can be driven by changes in phage co-infection number regardless of whether or not there exists steady-state bistability within the GRN. Furthermore, two GRNs which yield qualitatively distinct steady state behaviors as a function of phage infection number can show similar transient responses, sufficient for alternative cell fate determination. We compare our model results to a recent experimental study of cell fate determination in single cell assays of multiply infected bacteria. Whereas the experimental study proposed a “quasi-independent” hypothesis for cell fate determination consistent with an observed data collapse, we demonstrate that observed cell fate results are compatible with an alternative form of data collapse consistent with a partial gene dosage compensation mechanism. We show that including partial gene dosage compensation at the mRNA level in our stochastic model of fate determination leads to the same data collapse observed in the single cell study. Our findings elucidate the importance of transient gene regulatory dynamics in fate determination, and present a novel alternative hypothesis to explain single-cell level heterogeneity within the phage λ lysis-lysogeny decision switch.
Near-infrared metamaterial films with reconfigurable transmissive/reflective properties.

A near-infrared metamaterial design that is reconfigurable between almost completely transmissive and reflective states is presented. The reconfiguration is enabled by tuning the anisotropic nematic liquid crystals used as a spacer layer between two silver nanoplates in a planar doubly periodic metamaterial. The design is optimized for maximum difference in transmittance between the two states by using a genetic algorithm. For a linearly polarized illumination at normal incidence, full-wave electromagnetic analysis predicts that the optimized metamaterial film can change the transmittance between 98.7% and 0.1% at a wavelength of 1.1 μm.
13C selective polarization and spin diffusion in a lipid bilayer-bound polypeptide by solid-state NMR.

Abstract While 15 N solid-state NMR has proven to be very advantageous for the development of structural biological methods, 13 C spectroscopy has increased sensitivity and spectral dispersion. However, large natural abundance signals and homonuclear dipolar interactions pose significant problems. Here we have used a pair of 13 C-labeled sites in a lipid-solubilized polypeptide to show the selective polarization can be used in combination with spin diffusion to achieve simplified spectra. Both unoriented and oriented samples have been used, with the latter providing a well-resolved homonuclear dipolar splitting.
Cardiac Sarcoidosis: A Report of Four Cases with Ventricular Tachycardia

Cardiac Sarcoidosis: A Report of Four Cases with Ventricular Tachycardia. Four patients with systemic sarcoidosis who presented with ventricular tachycardia are described. Three of the four patients had biopsy proven cardiac involvement while the fourth had systemic sarcoidosis and fixed thallium scan defects without evidence of coronary artery disease. Antiarrhythmic therapy for these patients was guided by means of electrophysiological testing. Two patients received an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD), one following ineffective ablative surgical treatment. Two other patients had presumed effective drug therapies determined by electrophysiological testing. One of these patients died suddenly 21 months after therapy was initiated. This patient did not have inducible sustained ventricular arrhythmias during baseline electrophysiological study, but was treated for inducible nonsustained arrhythmias. This report expands the number of patients with cardiac sarcoidosis and arrhythmias in the literature and illustrates the difficulty in guiding therapy. Because sarcoid infiltration and subsequent scarring of the myocardium may be progressive, the long-term effectiveness of surgery, antiarrhythmic medications and corticosteroids may not be predictable. AICD implantation has the potential to remain an effective therapy despite the emergence of new tachyarrhythmias. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 1. pp. 214–219, June 1990)
Spectra of germanium and selenium in the 50–350-Å region from the PLT tokamak plasma

Spectra of germanium and selenium injected into the PLT tokamak plasma were observed in the 50–350-A region for Ge xiv–xxv (K i-to O i-like) and Se xvi–xxiv (K i-to Na i-like). A number of 3pk–3pk−13d transitions predicted by isoelectronic sequence extrapolation have been identified. Also, previously identified lines from ions in the Al i- to O i-like and K i-like isoelectronic sequences have been observed in the tokamak plasma.
New Developments in the Regulation of Heme Metabolism and Their Implications

(1984). New Developments in the Regulation of Heme Metabolism and Their Implications. CRC Critical Reviews in Toxicology: Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 241-314.
Global optimization of nonconvex nonlinear programs via interval analysis

Abstract A new global-optimization procedure is devised to tackle nonconvex nonlinear programming problems. The proposed algorithm is based on interval analysis and is guaranteed to yield the global solution. Several new accelerating tools are introduced to significantly reduce the computational intensity associated with classical interval-based optimization techniques. These tools include a lower-bound test as well as a “distrust-region” method for deleting infeasible subspaces. In addition, a local search is employed to continuously update an upper bound on the solution and to provide a means of splitting the search space. Illustrative examples are solved to demonstrate the efficacy of this novel algorithm.
Facile growth of monolayer MoS2 film areas on SiO2

Areas of single-layer MoS2 film can be prepared in a tube furnace without the need for temperature control. The films were characterized by means of Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence, low-energy electron diffraction and microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and mapping. Transport measurements show n-doped material with a mobility of 0.26 cm2 V-1 s-1.
An efficient planning technique for robotic assemblies and intelligent robotic systems

An efficient planning algorithm for the organization and formulation of complete plans applicable to both robotic assemblies and intelligent robotic systems is proposed. The constraint of task precedence and the concepts of the criticality of tasks-events and valid repetitive orderings are introduced to facilitate and optimize the formulation of every complete plan capable of executing a user-requested job. Two examples demonstrate the applicability of the proposed algorithm to both robotic assemblies and intelligent robotic systems.
Towards incorporating human intelligence into online security solutions

The design of automated online security and intrusion tolerance solutions for computer systems and networks is a theoretically achievable objective. However, after two decades of research, this objective has still not yet successfully passed the practicality test to become widely adopted. We believe that the main reason behind this gap lies in the misleading definition of autonomous security that precludes human intervention in trying to achieve unrealistic level of full automation. In this position paper, we discuss a novel research direction to address this challenge through a coherent integration of human intelligence. In particular, we identify the key questions to be answered in order to enable human intelligence to be leveraged in a seamless manner and without requiring explicit heavy human involvements. We illustrate our discussion through the preliminary design of a semi-automated intrusion detection and response system that incorporates reasonable human input to achieve higher levels of intrusion tolerance efficiency.
Identifying the effects of money supply shocks on industry-level output*

This paper examines the dynamic responses of industry-level output to money supply shocks. We identify money supply shocks by imposing long-run monetary neutrality on the vector autoregression of four aggregate variables (interest rate, output, real money, nominal money), and combine these with weak contemporaneous restrictions to identify the dynamic impact on industry-level output. We find that there is substantial variation in the response to such shocks across industries. Cross-industry regressions show that these responses are positively related to the variance of industry-specific shocks, which provides support for Lucas's model of imperfect information. This result is consistent with some findings in the literature, but overturns others.
The Pivotal Role of Grammar in Correcting Writing Disabilities

Neurological research supports the hypotheses that (a) there is a critical anatomical area essential to the processing of grammatical information, and (b) the processing of grammatically organized information is distinct from the processing of information that is not grammatically organized. Research on the acquisition of language demonstrates that children can easily learn context-free grammatical structures, and that children universally generate nonoccurring utterances. On the basis of this research, a prototype for instructing writing-disabled students is developed.
RECONCEPTUALIZING THE ROLE OF RESILIENCY IN COPING AND THERAPY

Even though the concept of resiliency is a popular one among researchers, clinicians, and laypersons, it remains a fairly ill-defined term. Traditionally, it has been associated with the study of children or adolescents who have managed to succeed in life despite having to face serious life challenges. This article argues that the concept of resiliency, consistent with many of the goals of the positive psychology movement, should be broadened so that it is applicable to all individuals who have shown strength after facing adversity. Several theoretical and practical issues for both researchers and clinicians are considered throughout the article.
Technology and “Self-Sponsored” Writing: A Case Study of a Korean-American Adolescent

Abstract In this paper, we look at one of the newly emerging populations in literacy research—1.5 Generation students (that is, immigrant students who emigrated to an Anglophone country like the United States and have completed at least some of their K-12 education in that new setting)—and, through an exploration of one student's personally oriented writing outside school, explore how such writing unfolded, particularly with respect to the use of computers and other forms of technology. Building on the notion of ‘self-sponsored’ writing and the New Literacy Studies orientation toward literacy research, we examined a Korean 1.5 Generation high school student's out-of-school composing choices and activities. Our findings reveal that the participant was an active out-of-school writer who used both her native and second language as well as print-based and computer-based forms of technology while composing for self-sponsored purposes.
High affinity quinuclidinyl benzilate binding to rat parotid membranes requires muscarinic receptor G proteins interactions

Abstract The binding of the non-selective muscarinic antagonists [3H] quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) to rat parotid membranes was characterized. Under equilibrium conditions. [3H]QNB bound to a homogenous population of muscarinic receptors (Kd. 118±19 pM; Bmax 572±42 fmol/mg membrane protein. n = 12). The addition of G protein activators AIF−4 or guanosine-5′-O-(3-thiotriphospate) (GTPγS) + Mg2+ increased the Kd by 77 ± 7% (n=4. P
Replay of malicious traffic in network testbeds

In this paper we present tools and methods to integrate attack measurements from the Internet with controlled experimentation on a network testbed. We show that this approach provides greater fidelity than synthetic models. We compare the statistical properties of real-world attacks with synthetically generated constant bit rate attacks on the testbed. Our results indicate that trace replay provides fine time-scale details that may be absent in constant bit rate attacks. Additionally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach to study new and emerging attacks. We replay an Internet attack captured by the LANDER system on the DETERLab testbed within two hours.
Role of echocardiography in the evaluation and management of atrial fibrillation.

The evaluation and treatment of atrial fibrillation depend on knowledge of the cause and prognosis of patients with this arrhythmia. Standard transthoracic echocardiography is commonly employed in the evaluation of patients with atrial fibrillation. Results from this test that may be relevant to the assessment of these patients include evaluation of left ventricular function, detection and quantitation of valvular heart disease, and measurement of left atrial size. There has been an increasing use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for patients with atrial fibrillation, primarily to detect left atrial thrombi and to identify patients at high risk of thromboembolism. The primary goals in the treatment of atrial fibrillation are the restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm, ventricular rate control, and prevention of thromboembolism. This article reviews the utility of transthoracic echocardiography and TEE for patients with atrial fibrillation and focuses on evidence that these diagnostic techniques can aid in the achievement of these goals. Following a brief review of common findings from each of these techniques, the relevance of specific results to the management of atrial fibrillation is assessed. TRANSTHORACIC ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY
Using Enrichment Reading Practices to Increase Reading Fluency, Comprehension, and Attitudes

The authors used a randomized design to investigate the effects of an enriched reading program, Schoolwide Enrichment Reading Model (SEM-R), with blocks of independent reading on oral reading fluency (ORF), reading comprehension, and attitudes toward reading for students in Grades 3-5. The authors used SEM-R in comparison with basal reading programs to investigate the addition of planned enrichment strategies and independent reading on students' reading achievement. Students and teachers were randomly assigned to either the SEM-R treatment with 1 hr of SEMR and 1 hr of basal instruction or to the control group with 2 hr of basal instruction. The authors found statistically significant differences favoring the SEM-R treatment group in ORF. These results suggest that an enriched reading program that challenges and engages students may produce higher ORF than a standard basal program.
The roles of support seeking and race/ethnicity in posttraumatic growth among breast cancer survivors.

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) after cancer can minimize the emotional impact of disease and treatment; however, the facilitators of PTG, including support seeking, are unclear. The authors examined the role of support seeking on PTG among 604 breast cancer survivors ages 40 to 64 from the Health Eating, Activity, and Lifestyle (HEAL) Study. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine predictors of support seeking (participation in support groups and confiding in health care providers) as well as the relationship between support seeking and PTG. Support program participation was moderate (61.1%) compared to the high rates of confiding in health professionals (88.6%), and African Americans were less likely to report participating than non-Hispanic Whites (odds ratio = .14, confidence intervals [0.08, 0.23]). The mean (SD) PTG score was 48.8 (27.4) (range 0–105). Support program participation (β = 10.4) and confiding in health care providers (β = 12.9) were associated (p < .001) with higher PTG. In anal...
Community Health Programs for Infants and Children in Mexico

Mexico has many community health programs, which are carried out nationally within a health care system that is divided into many subsystems. All Mexicans are entitled to health care; the subsystem from which a family receives care is determined by their employment status. One of the health care subsystems in La Paz provides an example of how programs that focus on infants and children are implemented. Three of these programs are the promotion of breastfeeding, immunization of children, and oral rehydration therapy for children with dehydration from diarrhea. The Mexican health care system is in the process of dealing with some of the challenges it faces, but nurses and other health care professionals have developed effective methods of promoting children's health and reducing risks within the current system.
Adaptive forms: an interaction technique for entering structured data

Many software applications solicit input from the user via a "forms" paradigm that emulates their paper equivalent. It exploits the users' familiarity with these and is well suited for the input of simple attribute-value data (name, phone number, etc.). The paper-forms paradigm starts breaking down when there is user input that may or may not be applicable depending on previous user input. In paper-based forms, this manifests itself by sections marked "fill out only if you entered yes in question 8a above", and simple electronic forms suffer from the same problem—much space is taken up for input fields that are not applicable. One possible approach to making only relevant sections appear is to hand-write program fragments to hide and show them. As an alternative, we have developed a form specification language based on a context-free grammar that encodes data dependencies of the input, together with an accompanying run-time interpreter that uses novel layout techniques for collapsing already-entered input fields, for "blending" input fields possibly yet to come, and for showing only the applicable sections of the form.
Myocardial laser revascularization: the controversy and the data

The clinical and experimental data relevant to the theoretical mechanisms and clinical results of laser myocardial revascularization are reviewed. Both transmyocardial and percutaneous approaches are considered. Both types result in a reduction in anginal symptoms in patients refractory to conventional therapy and are likely to act through common pathways. The proximate mechanisms for the transmyocardial revascularization effect most likely relate to myocardial inflammation, secondary stimulation of growth factors, and denervation of the myocardium.
QUE: explanation through exploration

Abstract QUE, QUerying the Expert system, is designed to provide a collaborative exploratory environment for a variety of types of users of expert systems. Explanation in intelligent systems has long been the subject of research from a number of different approaches, each of which has shown promise as well as problems. This paper describes how QUE, which is currently under development, approaches the problem of providing explanation by providing tools for both developers and users that enable explanation and user understanding of the underlying expert system's reasoning.
Association of body mass index with removal of etonogestrel subdermal implant.

BACKGROUND: Bleeding irregularities represent the most common etonogestrel subdermal implant (ESI) removal indication. STUDY DESIGN: ESI placements (n=304) from June 2007 to April 2011 were grouped by removal indications. Group characteristics were compared using one-way analysis of variance Kruskal-Wallis and chi(2) test. RESULTS: Of 304 insertions 30.6% reported irregular bleeding. Removal indications included bleeding (Group 1 n=50) side effects (Group 2 n=17) and desired pregnancy/no need (Group 3 n=25). Group 4 kept (n=198) or reinserted (n=14) ESI. Median body mass index was lower for Group 1 compared to other groups (p=.012). Group 3 was older than Group 1 or 4 (p=.021) and more likely parous (p<.001) and postpartum (p=.001) than other groups. Lactational placement was more common in Group 3 than 4 (p<.001). Obese women were 2.6 times less likely to remove ESI for bleeding vs. normal-weight or overweight women (95% confidence interval 1.2-5.7; p=.014). CONCLUSIONS: After adjusting for age and parity obese women were less likely to have ESI removal for bleeding. Copyright (c) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
cADPR stimulates SERCA activity in Xenopus oocytes

Abstract The intracellular second messenger cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR) induces Ca 2+ release through the activation of ryanodine receptors (RyRs). Moreover, it has been suggested that cADPR may serve an additional role to modulate sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ -ATPase (SERCA) pump activity, but studies have been complicated by concurrent actions on RyR. Here, we explore the actions of cADPR in Xenopus oocytes, which lack RyRs. We examined the effects of cADPR on the sequestration of cytosolic Ca 2+ following Ca 2+ transients evoked by photoreleased inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP 3 ), and by Ca 2+ influx through expressed nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) in the oocytes membrane. In both cases the decay of the Ca 2+ transients was accelerated by intracellular injection of a non-metabolizable analogue of cADPR, 3-Deaza-cADPR, and photorelease of cADPR from a caged precursor demonstrated that this action is rapid (a few s). The acceleration was abolished by pre-treatment with thapsigargin to block SERCA activity, and was inhibited by two specific antagonists of cADPR, 8-NH 2 -cADPR and 8-br-cADPR. We conclude that cADPR serves to modulate Ca 2+ sequestration by enhancing SERCA pump activity, in addition to its well-established action on RyRs to liberate Ca 2+ .
Throughput for production lines with serial work stations and parallel services facilities

Abstract Unpaced serial production lines with parallel service facilities are examined in order to determine how their output rates may be improved through the manipulation of various design variables, such as the allocation of facilities to stations, allocation of workload to stations, and placement of buffers between stations. The knowledge gained through many empirical investigations is utilized to make observations and to formulate conjectures about the output maximizing configurations for production lines which have multiple service facilities and finite buffers at each of several work stations in series. These results provide new insights that could be used in equipment acquisition decisions that need to be made during the design of manufacturing systems. Comparisons to recent related results are provided.
Alternative models for the heterogeneity of mortality risks among the aged.

Abstract To develop a model to estimate the degree of unobserved heterogeneity in morality risks in a population, it is necessary to specify two types of functions, one describing the age-specific rate of increase of mortality risks for individuals and the other describing the distribution of mortality risks across individuals. There has been considerable interest in the question of how sensitive the estimates of heterogeneity are to the choices of these functions. To explore this question, high-quality data were obtained from published Medicare mortality rates for the period 1968–1978 for analysis of total mortality among the aged. In addition, national vital statistics data for the period 1950–1977 were used to analyze adult lung cancer mortality. For these data, the estimates of structural parameters were less sensitive to reasonable choices of the heterogeneity distribution (gamma vs. inverse Gaussian) than to reasonable choices of the hazard rate function (Gompertz vs. Weibull).
Improvements in patient blood management for pediatric craniosynostosis surgery using a ROTEM(®) -assisted strategy - feasibility and costs.

Summary Background: Moderate to severe intraoperative bleeding and the presence of acquired coagulopathy remain serious problems in the management of major pediatric craniosynostosis surgery. After implementation of a ROTEM-assisted patient blood management (PBM) strategy, using primarily purified coagulation factor concentrates, feasibility and costs of this new regimen were analyzed. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all consecutive children who underwent primary elective major craniofacial surgery for craniosynostosis repair was carried out at the Children’s University Hospital, Zurich, between 2007 and 2013. Laboratory workup and transfusion requirements were compared. Results: A total of 47 children (36 in the historic group and 11 after implementation of PBM) were analyzed. Although all patients in this study needed transfusion of red blood cell concentrates, there was a total avoidance of perioperative transfusion of fresh frozen plasma and a reduction in transfused platelets (one of nine children vs nine of 36 children in the historic group) after implementation of the PBM strategy. Based on a predefined ROTEM threshold in the PBM group (FibTEM MCF <8 mm), administration of fibrinogen concentrate was necessary in all of these children. The mean total costs per patient consisting of transfused allogeneic blood products and coagulation factor concentrates were reduced by 17.1% after implementation of PBM (1071.82 EUR per patient before vs 888.93 EUR after implementation). Conclusions: The implementation of a ROTEM-assisted PBM is feasible and is associated with a considerable reduction in intraoperative transfusion requirements and thereby a decrease in transfusion-related direct costs.
Discussion on the Reliability Issues of Solder-Bump and Direct-Solder Bonded Power Device Packages Having Double-Sided Cooling Capability

Power device packages with solder-bump (SB) and direct-solder (DS) interconnections were fabricated and some of their thermomechanical reliability issues were discussed based on both thermal cycling experiment and finite element analysis (FEA). The SB interconnection shows superior reliability over the DS interconnection in the thermal cycling experiment because the mismatched coefficient of thermal expansion leads to smaller stresses at the SB interconnection under the same temperature changes. On the other hand, FEA results show that the DS package has significantly lower operating temperatures under the same double-sided cooling condition. After considering the operating temperature difference, the DS package was shown to be superior over the SB package in the power cycling analysis.
Equality of recruitment: Gender parity in French National Assembly elections

Abstract This research centers on the effects of the newly mandated gender parity on French electoral politics. We examine the results from the 2002 National Assembly elections. Our findings suggest that this Parity Law contributed to the modest increase in the number of female deputies elected to the National Assembly, but that the electoral success rate for female candidates declined from the previous elections in 1997. This result appears to have been affected by two factors: (1) a greater-than-average number of female candidates were affiliated with the Socialist party—the party that lost control of the government in this election and (2) many female candidates were running against male incumbents. Multivariate analysis suggests that, after these two factors are controlled for, female candidates were more likely to be elected in open seat contests than were male candidates. Preliminary analysis of roll call votes in the two most recent (1997–2004) legislative sessions suggests that party, not gender, is the main determinant of voting behavior.
Environment-assisted failure of alloy C-276 burst disks in a batch supercritical water oxidation reactor

Abstract The objective of this work was to identify the conditions and mechanisms for failure of burst disks employed in a batch supercritical water oxidation (BSCWO) reactor and to recommend solutions for avoiding burst-disk failure. Two alloy C-276 burst disks failed prematurely during successive operations of a BSCWO reactor designed to destroy simulated chemical munitions. Analysis of temperature data from the two operations led to a hypothesis where an aggressive subcritical environment developed in the burst-disk housing, while the environment in the reactor interior was in the supercritical state. The hypothesis that a detrimental local environment developed in the burst-disk housing was tested by conducting experiments in bench-scale reactors. Results from the bench-scale experiments confirmed that burst disks failed when a local environment formed in the burst-disk housing in a temperature range from 300 to 330 °C. These temperatures caused supercritical water from the reactor interior to condense on the burst disk, and hydrochloric acid vapor formed from the oxidation of chlorinated hydrocarbons then dissolved in the elevated-temperature subcritical water. Electron microscopy analysis revealed evidence of an environment-assisted failure with extensive secondary cracking near the main fracture-surface. The microscopy evidence was consistent with a scenario where acidic chlorinated solution promoted dealloying of Ni and Fe and cracking of the burst-disk. The cracking was severe enough to reduce the cross-sectional area of the burst disk so that failure occurred at pressures well below the rated pressure.
Low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets improve wound healing and increase protein levels in surgically stressed rats

The specific effects of omega 3 and omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids on wound healing, nutrition status, or immune function are controversial. Therefore, we investigated the effects of fatty acid supplementation on wound healing and nitrogen retention in a surgically stressed rat model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (weighing 250 g) were placed into three isocaloric, isonitrogenous feeding groups (controls [standard Vivonex]; 30% safflower oil [omega 6]; or 30% fish oil [omega 3]) for 8 days prior to receiving subcutaneous vascular graft wound cylinders in their dorsal midline. Nitrogen balance was monitored daily. Wounds healed for 10 days, animals were then euthanized, serum was drawn, and wound cylinders were harvested for analyses. The low-fat, high-carbohydrate control group had higher serum albumin levels at 10 days than either fatty acid-supplemented group (3.5 +/- 0.4 g/dL v 2.9 +/- 0.3 g/dL and 2.7 +/- 0.2 g/dL, omega 3 and omega 6, respectively; both P less than .05) and had better nitrogen balance (8.6 +/- 0.8 mg N/d v -2.6 +/- 0.9 mg N/d and 0.8 +/- 1.2 mg N/d, omega 3 and omega 6, respectively; both P less than .05). They also had better healed wounds at 10 days (450 +/- 290 micrograms 5-hydroxyproline [OHP]/cm of wound cylinder v 150 +/- 40 micrograms OHP/cm and 145 +/- 90 micrograms OHP/cm, omega 3 and omega 6, respectively). Surgically stressed rats had higher protein levels, better nitrogen balance, and improved wound healing when fed a diet high in carbohydrates and low in fat.
A3-3: Pre-Pregnancy Adiponectin Levels and Subsequent Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM)

Background/Aims Adiponectin is an adipocyte-derived polypeptide with insulin-sensitizing properties that has been prospectively linked to the development of type 2 diabetes. Adiponectin levels decrease during the course of normal pregnancy. It is unknown whether pre-pregnancy adiponectin levels are related to risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a common pregnancy complication and strong predictor of type 2 diabetes. Our study assessed prospectively whether serum total and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin concentrations measured before pregnancy are associated with subsequent risk of GDM.
Update: the role of FoxP3 in allergic disease

Purpose of review T-regulatory cells play a key role in allergic and asthmatic inflammatory airway diseases. This review discusses the importance of a critical gene associated with T-regulatory cells. Forkhead box P3 is a forkhead-winged helix transcription factor gene involved in immune function in allergy and asthma. Recent findings Recently, many functions of forkhead box P3 and its influence on the immune system have been elucidated. T-regulatory cells that are CD4+CD25+ and express forkhead box P3, influence the development and expression of atopy and allergic response. The exact mechanisms are not yet delineated, but multiple recent studies provide greater understanding of the mechanism of forkhead box P3 and its influence on these T-regulatory cells. Summary Greater understanding of the molecular and immunological mechanisms underlying the T-regulatory cells and forkhead box P3 will permit the development of targeted treatment modalities to influence disease processes such as allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma.
SU‐D‐217BCD‐05: Analytic Determination of Size of Water Cylinder Absorbing Equal Radiation Dose as a System of Concentric Cylinders of Arbitrary Composition: Application for Pediatric CT

Purpose: To develop analytic formulae for calculating absorbed dose to a system of concentric cylinders and to use this to determine the size of water cylinder which would absorb the same dose in a matching field. Appropriate scaling of radiation output to patient size is of particular interest in pediatric CT (TG204). Methods: For a given CT scanner output, absorbed dose increases as patient size decreases. Analytic functions can calculate the dose delivered to systems of concentric cylinders of varying size and composition. In particular these functions provide useful insight when considering examinations in body regions with large variations in attenuation, such as the chest (which can be modeled as concentric cylinders of heart,lung, rib and soft tissue). Iterative calculations rapidly determine the size water cylinder required to absorb the same dose in matching radiation fields. More general findings put limits on some of the methods for determining size specific dose estimates (SSDE). Results: For the simple chest model, in the absence of scatter or bow tie filter considerations, the equivalent water phantom would have a diameter of just over half the chest equivalent concentric cylinder phantom. A more general Result is that in the limit of very small size, the absorbed dose in a fixed irradiating field depends only on mass attenuation coefficient. Conclusions: The concentric cylinder model developed can be used to study the scaling of radiation dose with patient size. In particular, the water phantom absorbing the same dose as the chest region has only about half the diameter. An important conclusion is that in the limit of small size, absorbed dose depends on mass attenuation coefficient only and that in this limit an equivalent water phantom does not exist.