cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Permanent cardiac pacing in patients on chronic renal dialysis

We reviewed the need for permanent pacemaker implantation in patients with chronic renal failure who were undergoing dialysis. During a 10-year span, there were seven patients undergoing dialysis in whom a permanent pacemaker was indicated; this was an incidence of 0.68%. During that same period, the general patient population of this hospital had an incidence of permanent pacemaker implantation of about 0.29%. The need for hemodialysis in the same hospital population was 0.51%. Of the seven patients, four had universal pacemakers. Cardiac function was evaluated via radionuclide angiography. Three of the four patients showed improvement with dual-chambered pacing over ventricular pacing. Permanent pacemaker implantation was often needed after initiation of dialysis from 6 to 51 months with a mean of 21 months. During the follow-up period, three patients died from 7 months to 6 years after the institution of permanent pacing; their deaths were secondary to renal disease.
Spatial MTF Of Image Intensifiers

The most generally used method to determine the MTF of x-ray image intensifiers is through the use of a test object which impresses on the image intensifier a square wave input signal. These devices are usually fabricated from lead sheet by cutting a series of slits of width w separated by an equal width of lead. Different spatial frequencies are obtained by making a series of objects of different slit and separation widths. The output signal resulting from these test objects is the intensifier's response to a square wave. To obtain the MTF, this response is converted mathematically to that which would have resulted from a sinusoidal input signal (1).© (1974) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Measurements of electron-detachment cross sections from O - and S -

Electron-detachment cross sections have been measured for collisions of a negative-ion beam with a target gas. The systems studied are ${\mathrm{O}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ on CO, ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$, C${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, NO, He, ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$, and C${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$ along with ${\mathrm{S}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ on ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, and CO. These cross sections have been measured in the range of incident ion energies from 0.5 to 20 eV. Some cross sections exhibit an onset near the threshold for direct detachment, while others have a large cross section below the threshold for direct detachment. The latter cross sections can be attributed to an associative detachment process.
Metabolic effects and pharmacokinetics of intravenously administered dichloroacetate in humans.

Dichloroacetate decreases plasma glucose, lactate, and alanine concentrations in normal and diabetic subjects, and lowers lactate concentrations and increases survival in animals with experimentally induced lactic acidosis. The relationship between these effects and plasma dichloroacetate concentrations have not been previously studied in man. Dichloroacetate (1–50 mg/kg) was infused over 30 min to 16 healthy subjects and plasma drug concentrations were followed by gas chromatography over the next 8 h. Peak plasma concentrations were linearly related to the dose (r = 0.98, p<0.001) up to 30 mg/kg, above which 4 of 7 subjects had disproportionately high plasma drug concentrations. Nonlinear disposition was also indicated by the convex decreasing plasma elimination curves; levels declining less rapidly initially than later. At plasma concentrations below 10 μg/ml, elimination was monoexponential with a half-life of 32±11 min (mean±SD). Plasma drug clearance also decreased with doses greater than 20 mg/kg. Within 2 h of administration of the maximally effective dichloroacetate dose of 35 mg/kg, plasma lactate concentrations fell 75% below baseline and alanine fell 50% below baseline, while blood glucose was unaffected.
Attitudes towards regionalism in a rapid growth suburb

A key issue confronting our newer suburbs is the stance they should take towards efforts at regional cooperation and coordination of major policy areas. This article analyzes the preferences on this issue held by residents in a rapid growth suburb in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Through factor analysis, four identifiable dimensions of regionalist preferences were obtained from questionnaire responses--administrative cooperation, land-use cooperation, mass transit cooperation, and regional basic services cooperation. Correlational analyses between these dimensions of regionalist preferences and selected community status characteristics, social situation characteristics, and local political participation status of respondents reveal no systematic covariation. Thus municipal policies which influence the population mix within a community with respect to the life situation characteristics measured in this study are not likely to be useful instruments for influencing the preferences, pro or con, of the community towards regionalist policies. Further, local political participants are found to be representative of the larger community's regionalist policy preferences.
Intelligent delivery of military lessons learned

Abstract Lessons learned systems (LLS) are a common knowledge management (KM) initiative among the American government agencies (e.g., Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), NASA). An effective lessons learned (LL) process can substantially improve decision processes, thus representing an essential chapter in a knowledge-sharing digital government. Unfortunately, these systems typically fail to deliver lessons when and where they are needed. In this paper, we introduce, describe, and empirically evaluate the monitored distribution (MD) approach for the active delivery of lessons learned. Our results show that this just-in-time information delivery approach, embedded in a decision support system (DSS) for plan authoring, significantly improved plan execution performance measures.
Head-to-head polymers. XXIII: Toward head-to-head poly(methyl methacrylate). Cyclopolymerization of methacrylic acid derivatives: hydrolysis and esterification

Abstract N-Phenyldimethacrylamide was polymerized to a cyclopolymer which not only contains 94% five-membered rings, but more importantly also contains 6% six-membered rings in the cyclopolymer. In spite of extensive effort using drastic techniques of hydrolysis, the cyclopolymer could not be hydrolyzed to the polymeric acid. For comparison, dimethacrylic anhydride was cyclopolymerized under various conditions to produce polymers of various molecular weights which consisted essentially of six-membered rings in the polymer structure. It could be hydrolyzed and esterified to the polymeric methyl ester which was characterized by spectroscopic methods, particularly 13C-NMR spectroscopy, and compared with conventional poly (methyl methacrylate).
Some methodological factors about light in animal research.

Summary.-Animal research has adopted no standards for lighting practices. One consequence is that light intensity is either unreported or often improperly measured, even in experiments primarily concerned with light. This article tells how to measure and report light intensity and discusses the relative advantages of different kinds of light sources and lighting geometry. Roughly a hundred articles about the motivating properties of light have been published in the last decade. In a few of these, light intensity was reported in a helpful way (e.g., Stewart, 1960). But the vast majority of articles reveal a most casual concern for the stim~ilus whose effects were allegedly investigated. One often finds either a conspic~io~is absence of statements about lighting geometry and light intensity or an amateur discussion of irrelevancies. Also common is a meaningless confusion in which a photometric term is paired with an incompatible unit, as illustrated in a paper (reference withheld) stating "The intensity of illumination was one millilambert." The net result of chis variety of shoddy measurement and reporting practices is to make private what should have been public, namely, the physical value of the stimulus. Since it is quite clear that different light intensities produce different behavioral effects (Lockard, 1963), the "location" of the experiment along an easily measured continuum should be divulged. If it is not, the results of the experiment are not anchored to stimulus conditions and merely demonstrate that a particular effect can occur at some unknown and unduplicable combination of conditions. The experiment cannot be fitted into the fabric of scientific knowledge and cannot be replicated; and the results are, therefore, safe from expose if they are a Type I error. Any collection of such studies soon generates apparent but unresolvable inconsistencies, unresolvable because levels of variables other than light intensity are usually in doubt when one compares different studies. The artful reviewer can juggle the discrepancies in a multidimensional private calculus of guesswork, attaching effects to conditions; but this was the experimentalist's job. Had the experimentalist appreciated the rudiments of photometry, subsequent literary efforts could turn from guesswork about treatment effects to informative summarizing. 'The preparation of this paper was made possible by Grant No. HD 00942 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The content of the paper is largely from Chapter I, Basic Methodology, by J. B. Sidowski and R. B. Lockard, in Experimental Methods and lnstrumen!a!ion in Psychology, edited by J. B. Sidowski, McGrawHill, New York, 1966. The author is grateful to both J. B. Sidowski and the McGrawHill Book Company for their permission to draw upon copyrighted material.
Public Infrastructure Investment, Interstate Spatial Spillovers, and Manufacturing Costs

Effects of public infrastructure investment on the costs and productivity of private enterprises have proven difficult to quantify empirically. One piece of this puzzle that has received little attention is spatial spillovers. We apply a cost-function model to 1982–1996 state-level U.S. manufacturing data, to untangle the private cost-saving effects of inter- and intrastate public infrastructure investment. We implement two spatial adaptations—including a spatial spillover index in the theoretical model, and allowing for spatial autocorrelation in the stochastic structure. Recognizing such spillovers both increases the estimated magnitude and significance of cost savings from intrastate public infrastructure, and augments these productive effects.
Neuroimaging Evaluation of Cerebral Palsy

MRI can demonstrate and differentiate the various insults and anomalies that can be responsible for cerebral palsy. Recent advances have resulted in techniques and sequences that allow prompt detection of cytotoxic edema and evaluation of brain perfusion. MRI precisely demonstrates the various patterns of injury, distinguishing insults owing to profound asphyxia, partial prolonged asphyxia, and mixed partial prolonged and profound asphyxia. Infants and children can be studied with MRI, and ultrafast MRI permits evaluation of the fetal central nervous system. In the fetus, the cause of ventriculomegaly can be determined, such as cerebrospinal fluid flow obstruction, brain malformation, or brain destruction with or without hemorrhage. Results from fetal MRI have led to better understanding of many brain abnormalities.
The basilar pontine gray of the opossum (Didelphis virginiana). II. Experimental determination of neocortical input

The pattern of neocortical input into the basilar pons of the opossum was determined by employing the Nauta-Gygax technique ('54) on the brains of animals previously subjected to neocortical lesions. The results indicate that every neocortical area projects to some portion of the basilar pons in this form. Degenerating fibers resulting from more rostral cortical lesions (frontal and preorbital areas) terminated profusely within the medial and ventral nuclei and, to a lesser extent, in the smaller dorsal nucleus. Fascicles from more caudal areas (striate and peristriate cortices) ended abundantly in the lateral nuclear group, and in the lateral part of the ventral nucleus. Every neocortical region studied projected to some portion of the ventral pontine nucleus. Degenerating fibers terminated to some extent within each nucleus of the basilar pons as a result of lesions in midcortical regions (paramarginal, postorbital and parietal cortices). A few fibers of frontal, orbital and parietal origin terminated in the contralateral basilar pontine gray.
Utility of a nitric oxide electrode for monitoring the administration of nitric oxide in biologic systems

Amperometric techniques for the detection of nitric oxide (NO) are commercially available, but their sensitivity and specificity are not well described. We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of a Clark-style, platinum NO electrode. The electrode has a lower limit of detection for NO of <25 pmol/ml in vitro and is linear over the range from 25 pmol/ml to 4 nmol/ml. The electrode is specific for NO so long as the protective membrane that covers the electrode is intact. Any defect in this membrane results in the detection of other redox agents such as hydrogen peroxide. Because of its ease of handling, specificity, and sensitivity, the NO electrode is a useful tool for quantification of administered NO in vitro and in various biologic systems.
Noninvasive cerebral blood flow monitoring by a dye bolus method:separation of extra- and intracerebral absorption changes by frequency-domain spectroscopy

Tracking a bolus of contrast agent travelling through the cerebral vasculature provides a measure of the blood supply and the blood flow velocity in the respective cerebral tissue. This principle has been the basis for the first approaches in functional MR imaging and is of great value when investigating stroke and other vascularly compromised patients. While the bolus measurement is a standard procedure in clinical MR imaging, optical bolus tracking has not yet become a reliable protocol. Here optical absorption changes induced by bolus signals of the dye indocyanine-green (ICG) are studied by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) on volunteers. The aim is to assess the latency and shape of the absorption change. For an application on the human brain the differentiation of extra- and intracerebral vascular compartments is essential. For this purpose frequency domain measurements are analysed by a Monte Carlo based model for the photon transport in tissue. We show that based on measurements of the photon-mean time of flight (phase) in addition to intensity the bolus signal of the deeper tissue layers (cortical signals) has a peak of about 10 s width, while the absorption change in the upper layers, i.e. extracortical tissue, has a much longer recovery time. This is in qualitative agreement with Gd-MR bolus measurements. The potential clinical interest of this study is to monitor cerebral perfusion changes induced by pathological conditions i.e, stroke or cerebral occlusion.
A functional requirement for modification of the wobble nucleotide in the anticodon of a T4 suppressor tRNA

Abstract Temperature-sensitive mutants of E. coli have been isolated which restrict the growth of strains of bacteriophage T4 which are dependent upon the function of a T4-coded amber or ochre suppressor transfer RNA. One such mutant restricts the growth of certain ochre but not amber suppressor-requiring phage. Analysis of the T4 tRNAs synthesized in this host revealed that many nucleotide modifications are significantly reduced. The modifications most strongly affected are located in the anticodon regions of the tRNAs. The T4 ochre suppressor tRNAs normally contain a modified U residue in the wobble position of the anticodon; it has been possible to correlate the absence of this specific modification in the mutant host with the restriction of suppressor activity. Furthermore, the extent of this restriction varies dramatically with the site of the nonsense codon, indicating that the modification requirement is strongly influenced by the local context of the mRNA. An analysis of spontaneous revertants of the E. coli ts mutant indicates that temperature sensitivity, restriction of phage suppressor function, and undermodification of tRNA are the consequences of a single genetic lesion. The isolation of a class of partial revertants to temperature insensitivity which have simultaneously become sensitive to streptomycin suggests that the translational requirement for the anticodon modification can be partially overcome by a change in the structure of the ribosome.
Log-frequency variable resolution optical spectrum analysis using holographic mapping techniques

Abstract A frequency-variant optical spectrum analyzer for one-dimensional signals is described. The configuration considered provides a log-frequency display of signal spectral content. A special refractive or holographic optical element is used to perform the basic frequency scale warping; modifications provide for frequency dependent resolution of the output spectral display. System operation is analyzed and experimental results presented.
Preoperative imaging for resectable periampullary cancer: clinicopathologic implications of reported radiographic findings.

Background High-resolution, multiphase, computed tomography (CT) is a standard preoperative test prior to pancreatectomy, yet the clinical significance of routinely reported findings remains unknown.
Microvariability and Long-Term Variability of Four Blazars

Long-term light curves of four blazars, Mrk 421, Mrk 501, 3C 345, and BL Lacertae were constructed using archival data and supplemented with new observations. The occurrences of microvariability are correlated temporally with long-term optical activity in the light curves. Although the statistics are not conclusive, we find evidence that microvariability is correlated with rapid flux changes rather than specific flux levels. We discuss the implications of these results for quasar variability models.
TU‐E‐204C‐03: How to Make Clinical Decisions in the Multicriteria Framework

Multiattribute decision making begins with the premise that the solution to the problem at hand involves multiple goals, some of which are mutually antagonistic, and not all of which can be achieved in a single solution. Choosing a multiobjective optimization algorithm should be done in conjunction with the selection of a decision making approach. A vital component of the decision making method is to be explicit about the criteria, how they are to be evaluated and how they relate to the value structure of the decision maker. Much of the theory of multiattribute decision theory stems from economic theory. In particular, Pareto optimality was first formulated as the condition in which it is impossible to make one person better off without making someone else worse off. Another economic concept, utility, is used to quantify values on a relative scale. In problems not related to economics, it is usually the case that the criteria used to make a decision are difficult to formulate in terms than can be mathematically optimized. For example, in radiation therapy, surrogates for patient outcomes must be formulated in terms of physical dose deposition. Mathematical optimization algorithms can take several forms. Prior methods require the user to input some preferences before the optimization can proceed. Such methods can produce a single “optimal” solution. Interactive methods rely on feedback between the decision maker and the optimization algorithm. These methods can be the most efficient at searching but require considerable commitment from the decision maker. Posterior optimization methods produce a set of solutions that hopefully spans the trade‐offs of interest. The mathematical optimization is followed by a decision making process that selects one of them. Learning objectives: 1. To appreciate the relationship between Pareto optimality and decision making. 2. To understand the current state of decision making and how it relates to other approaches. 3. To understand how multiattribute decision making approaches in radiation therapy relate to methods used in other fields such as operations research. 4. To become acquainted with the basics of decision theory such as utility theory.
Biosynthesis of uric acid in the tunicate, Molgula manhattensis, with a general scheme for the function of stored purines in animals.

Abstract 1. 1. Labeled uric acid was detected in the renal vesicle of Molgula when 14C-labeled adenine, hypoxanthine or AICA was injected into the whole animal; no labeled uric acid was found when glycine, formate, carbonate or serine was injected. 2. 2. Results obtained with isolated renal vesicles were comparable to those from whole animals. In addition, allopurinol inhibited conversion of hypoxanthine to uric acid in concentrations greater than 10−5 M, and adenine to uric acid at 10−6 M in similar preparations. 3. 3. Biosynthesis of uric acid in Molgula is accomplished by interconversion of purines as in man, not by de novo synthesis as in snails, birds and insects. 4. 4. A general scheme for function of stored purines in animals and the possible role of stored uric acid in Molgula are discussed.
Biomechanics of A-to-T flap design

Objectives/Hypothesis: The objective of this study was to determine the vertical height, horizontal incision width, and extent of undermining that correlated with the lowest closure tension. Study Design: Prospective, cadaver study. Methods: Forty “A-to-T” flaps were made on the torso and lower extremities of fresh cadavers. Ten flaps each were designed at heights of three, four, and five defect radii. Closing tensions were measured for each of these flaps initially, followed by serial base extensions. Based on the information from these first flaps, 10 additional flaps were made at the optimal height and base extensions. These flaps were then serially undermined and tension measurements taken. Results: Our results suggest that making the vertical height of the “A” twice the height of the defect yields a significant decrease in tension of closure when compared with a vertical height one and a half times the defect (P < .01), while increasing the height to two and a half times the defect height provides only a minimal further reduction in closure tension. Extending the base (horizontal) incision one defect diameter in each direction offers the greatest reduction in closing tension. Undermining up to three times the diameter of the defect offers progressive improvement in the tension of closure, while further undermining confers little additional benefit. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the ideal A-to-T flap is designed to be twice the height of the original defect, with base extensions one defect diameter in each direction, and undermined to three times the diameter of the defect.
Women’s Ways of Organizing: Strengths and Struggles of Women Activists Over Time

This article presents a longitudinal qualitative study of the strengths and struggles of a diverse group of 27 women organizers in 1989 and 2003. It highlights the resilience of their core biography, as well as individual and collective differences based on changing context, careers, and aging over 13 years. On the basis of these women’s perspectives, the article examines an analytic document, A Framework for Feminist Organizing, that was produced by a women organizers’ collective and reinforces and modifies its practice principles. The study builds on the growing literature on feminist theory and practice applied to the field of community organizing, activism, and progressive social change.
The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA): a measure of antibody concentration or affinity.

Abstract The immune response of rats to 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP) following both primary and secondary immunization with DNP-BGG has been studied using five techniques for the quantitative measurement of antibody: the standard ELISA, amplified ELISA, Farr assay, precipitation and a double-antibody precipitin assay. In addition, antibody affinity was measured by a modification of the Farr assay. Results are consistent with the view that while the Farr assay is a good indicator of total antibody. as measured by double-antibody precipitation, both ELISA assays correlate better with changes in antibody affinity. The amplified ELISA is comparatively less correlated with antibody affinity than the standard ELISA and only the amplified ELISA is capable of detecting the low affinity antibody detectable by double-antibody precipitation and by the Farr assay. Because of the influence of affinity on measurements made by the ELISA. results are best expressed as ELISA units rather than μg antihody/ml.
Rural Science Education: Valuing Local Knowledge

Whether playing outdoors or working on the farm, rural children acquire science and engineering skills throughout their daily lives. Although 11.4 million children in the United States grow up in rural areas, compared to 14.6 million in urban areas, relatively little attention is given to rural science education. This article demonstrates that rural contexts can be rich environments for learning science. Issues facing rural schools, the unique knowledge base and learning needs of rural children, and effective strategies focused on valuing and using local knowledge in science education are discussed. Implementing these strategies across students, teachers, and communities can increase rural students' access to, engagement in, and achievement in science. These can open doors to more science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers for rural students and enhance diversity across the STEM spectrum.
Separation and spectral data of the six isomeric ozonides from methyl oleate.

The structures of the products obtained on ozonation of methyl oleate have been re-examined. The assignments for the six isomeric ozonides of methyl oleate have been made by1H and13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), which were consistent with the retention times observed in high-performance liquid chromatography; the assignments were confirmed by mass and infrared spectroscopy. Two triplets for the ozonide ring protons of thecis andtrans isomers in the normal (MOO1) and the two cross ozonides (MOO1 and MOO3) can be resolved by 400 MHz NMR. For MOO1 and MOO3, where the two ring carbons are equivalent, two peaks for the ring carbons of each cross ozonides are resolved in the13C NMR spectra, one for thecis and one for thetrans isomer. For MOO2, four peaks for the ring carbons are resolved in the13C NMR spectra, two for thecis and two for thetrans isomer.
Evaluation of refractive error measurements of the WaveScan WaveFront system and the Tracey wavefront aberrometer

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the accuracy and repeatability of the WaveScan WavePrint system and the Tracey wavefront aberrometer in measuring refractive errors in phakic eyes. Setting Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA. Methods Using subjective manifest refraction (MR) as the standard, the spherical equivalent (SE), sphere, and cylinder were compared to values measured by WaveScan and Tracey devices in virgin eyes and eyes that had had corneal refractive surgery. Astigmatism was evaluated using vector analysis. The accuracy of the WaveScan and Tracey devices was assessed by 95% limits of agreement (95% LA), and repeatability was analyzed by 2 standard deviations (SDs) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Results The mean differences in SE, sphere, and cylinder between MR and WaveScan were −0.26 diopter (D), −0.12 D, and −0.28 D, respectively, and between MR and Tracey, −0.21 D, −0.01 D, and −0.40 D, respectively. The 95% LA for SE, sphere, and cylinder were −1.09 to 0.57 D, −1.14 to 0.89 D, and −0.95 to 0.40 D, respectively, for WaveScan and −1.37 to 0.95 D, −1.27 to 1.26 D, and −1.16 to 0.35 D, respectively, for Tracey. Vector analysis revealed mean differences of −0.47 +0.07 × 9° between MR and WaveScan and of −0.53 +0.27 × 12 between MR and Tracey. The 2 SDs for SE, sphere, and cylinder were 0.26 D, 0.29 D, and 0.16 D, respectively, for WaveScan and 0.31 D, 0.36 D, and 0.33 D, respectively, for Tracey. The ICCs for SE, sphere, and cylinder were 0.993, 0.992, and 0.902, respectively, for WaveScan and 0.994, 0.992, and 0.764, respectively, for Tracey. The Tracey device measured all eyes evaluated; the WaveScan could not measure 14% of normal eyes and 50% of post laser in situ keratomileusis eyes. Conclusions Using MR as the standard, refractive errors measured by the WaveScan and Tracey devices were reliable and reproducible. However, the Tracey device was more robust in its ability to obtain measurements in normal and postoperative eyes.
Miniaturized isothermal nucleic acid amplification, a review

Micro-Total Analysis Systems (µTAS) for use in on-site rapid detection of DNA or RNA are increasingly being developed. Here, amplification of the target sequence is key to increasing sensitivity, enabling single-cell and few-copy nucleic acid detection. The several advantages to miniaturizing amplification reactions and coupling them with sample preparation and detection on the same chip are well known and include fewer manual steps, preventing contamination, and significantly reducing the volume of expensive reagents. To-date, the majority of miniaturized systems for nucleic acid analysis have used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for amplification and those systems are covered in previous reviews. This review provides a thorough overview of miniaturized analysis systems using alternatives to PCR, specifically isothermal amplification reactions. With no need for thermal cycling, isothermal microsystems can be designed to be simple and low-energy consuming and therefore may outperform PCR in portable, battery-operated detection systems in the future. The main isothermal methods as miniaturized systems reviewed here include nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), helicase-dependent amplification (HDA), rolling circle amplification (RCA), and strand displacement amplification (SDA). Also, important design criteria for the miniaturized devices are discussed. Finally, the potential of miniaturization of some new isothermal methods such as the exponential amplification reaction (EXPAR), isothermal and chimeric primer-initiated amplification of nucleic acids (ICANs), signal-mediated amplification of RNA technology (SMART) and others is presented.
Postpartum perceptions of touch received during labor.

An exploratory study using interviews of 150 postpartum women was done to determine their perceptions of the touch they received during labor. Data were analyzed for the subjects' overall perceptions of being touched during labor and for their positive and negative touch experiences. Significant differences in age, race, and marital status were found between subjects who perceived touch as negative and those who perceived touch as positive. Significant differences were also found between descriptions of positive and negative touch experiences with regard to who touched the subject, what part of the body was touched, and the effect of touch on the subject in coping with labor. Implications for nursing care are discussed.
The Effect of Normative Feedback on Interviewers' Subsequent Structured Interview Ratings

This study examines the impact of normative feedback on the subsequent interview ratings of interviewers conducting structured interviews. Using social comparison theory, we hypothesized that lenie...
Modes of Interannual Tropical Ocean–Atmosphere Interaction—a Unified View. Part II: Analytical Results in the Weak-Coupling Limit

Abstract The properties of the eigenmodes of the coupled tropical ocean-atmosphere system, linearized about a climatological basic state—and hence of the first bifurcation, which strongly determines the nature of the interannual variability, such as El Nino—show considerable dependence on the parameters of the coupled system. These eigenmodes are examined in a modified shallow-water model with simplified mixed-layer dynamics and a sea surface temperature (SST) equation, coupled to a simple atmospheric model. The model is designed so as to make analytical approximations feasible in various limits, as in a previous study by Neelin where the x-periodic case was analyzed. The realistic case of a finite ocean basin is treated here. An integral formulation of the eigenvalue problem is derived that provides a basis for making consistent approximations that include the effects of atmospheric and oceanic boundary conditions. We provide a scaling analysis to select parameters that give the most succinct insights in...
Monoclonal antibodies define differential ras gene expression in malignant and benign colonic diseases

DNAS of some human tumours can transform NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells, thus demonstrating the transforming potential of human ras genes (Hu-rasHa, Hu-rasKi, and Hu-rasN, respectively Harvey, Kirsten and neuroblastoma ras genes). Only a small percentage of a given type of human carcinoma, however, scores positive in this assay system. Activation of ras and subsequent transformation of NIH 3T3 cells are either by a point mutation in the ras gene or enhanced expression of the normal, or proto-onc, ras gene. If the transformation of a given human tumour involves the enhanced expression of the normal or cellular ras gene and the resulting gene product, the tumour DNA would probably score negative in the NIH 3T3 transfection assay. In human colon carcinoma, for example, lesions at position 12 of Hu-rasKi have been found. None of nine colon carcinomas obtained at biopsy, however, contain the ras lesion at this position, using a Hu-rasHa probe; one other colon carcinoma does appear to contain amplified proto-onc ras, and other colon carcinomas do have increased levels of ras RNA. There are at least three explanations for these observations. Either very few colon carcinomas contain point-mutated ras, the lesion in the majority of colon carcinomas is at a position other than 12 or ras activation in many colon carcinomas involves the enhanced expression of either the point-mutated or proto-onc form of a ras gene. We have now used monoclonal antibodies directed against a synthetic peptide reflecting sequences of the human T24 ras gene product to define ras p21 protein expression in a spectrum of colonic disease states. Immunohistochemical analyses of individual cells within tissue sections reveal differences in ras p21 expression in colon carcinomas compared with normal colonic epithelium, benign colon tumours and inflammatory or dysplastic colon lesions. Our data suggest that ras p21 expression is correlated with depth of carcinoma within the bowel wall, and is probably a relatively late event in colon carcinogenesis.
Changing output‐input relations within the national economic accounts

The national economic accounts provide the framework for a comprehensive numerical description of the economy. The most significant work of this decade in U. S. national accounting will be the integration of the related informational systems that have been developed in the past decade into the basic income and product accounts. This paper discusses one of the related bodies of estimates — real factor cost (input) and product (net output) by industry—developed by the author. These estimates are a link between the national production account and the interindustry matrix. There is wide dispersion among industries and variability over a time period, in the rates of change of output in relation to the factor inputs, singly and in combination. But in almost all industries and over most decadal periods in this century, total factor productivity has risen. Capital has grown faster than labor input, but savings in capital as well as in labor have been recorded in most industries. There also have been substantial savings in purchased materials in many sectors, but in agriculture, purchased products have risen significantly faster than gross output. There are interesting systematic relationships among the several major “partial” productivity ratios. Logistics and general economic or business forecasting and planning must allow for changing input-output relations, especially over longer time periods. Productivity time-series are a necessary background for projections, but they must be supplemented by special studies. See The National Economic Accounts of the United States. Hearings before the Subcommittee in Economic Statistics of the Joint Economic Committee, Congress of the United States (U.S. Government Printing Office, 1957), especially the Appendix containing the Report of the National Accounts Review Committee, National Bureau of Economic Research.
Helium vapor-cooled brass current leads: experimental and analytical results

Abstract This paper presents experimental and analytical results of a pair of helium vapor-cooled brass leads having a rated current, It, of 40 A, operated continuously below, at, and above 40 A. In Regime 1 (0
Role of Hydrogen Spillover in Methanol Synthesis over Cu/ZrO2

Abstract Recent studies have shown that the synthesis of methanol from both CO and CO 2 over Cu/ZrO 2 involves the spillover of H atoms formed on Cu to the surface of ZrO 2 . The atomic H then participates in the hydrogenation of carbon-containing species (i.e., HCOO–Zr and HCO 3 –Zr) to methanol. The present study examines the dynamics of H/D exchange of HO–Zr, HCOO–Zr, and CH 3 O–Zr groups present on the surface of ZrO 2 and Cu/ZrO 2 by means of in situ infrared spectroscopy. The rate of H/D exchange of HO–Zr groups is much more rapid in the presence than in the absence of Cu dispersed on the surface of ZrO 2 . This effect is attributed to the higher effectiveness of Cu to dissociate H 2 (D 2 ). While adsorbed water significantly inhibits the rate of H/D exchange on ZrO 2 , the opposite effect is observed for Cu/ZrO 2 . The reason is that adsorbed water inhibits the dissociation of H 2 (D 2 ) on the surface of ZrO 2 but not on the surface of Cu. Adsorbed water facilitates the transport of H(D) atoms formed on the surface of Cu across the surface of ZrO 2 as a consequence of hydrogen bonding between adsorbed H 2 O and HO–Zr groups. Formate groups are formed on the surface of ZrO 2 primarily via the process CO (g) +HO–Zr→HCOO–Zr. Formate groups can also form on the surface of Cu and spill over onto the surface of ZrO 2 . The presence of formate groups inhibits the rate of H/D exchange of HO–Zr groups. H/D exchange of HCOO–Zr is also observed but occurs at a slower rate than the isotopic exchange of HO–Zr groups. As in the absence of formate groups, adsorbed water inhibits the rate of H/D exchange for ZrO 2 but enhances it for Cu/ZrO 2 . The dynamics of H/D exchange are compared with the dynamics of methanol formation as measured by the rate of CH 3 O–Zr formation on Cu/ZrO 2 . On the basis of this analysis it is concluded that the rate of hydrogen spillover from Cu is more than an order of magnitude faster than the rate of methanol formation, and, hence, not a rate-limiting step in the synthesis of methanol over Cu/ZrO 2 .
Sequential Two-Photon Dissociation of Atmospheric Water

A new mechanism is proposed for the atmospheric production of OH radicals. The mechanism involves a sequential two-photon absorption by atmospheric H2O molecules. The first photon excites H2O to a high vibrational state (H2O*), and the second promotes H2O* to a dissociative electronic state. Theoretical calculations are combined with the results of experimental measurement to assess the importance of this mechanism as a source of atmospheric OH. The collisional quenching rate of H2O* is found to be a crucial factor in the relative contribution of the proposed mechanism to OH production at different altitudes. We believe that it is likely that the quenching rate is too rapid for the two-photon mechanism to contribute significantly in the atmosphere, although the energy transfer rates for highly excited H2O* have yet to be measured in the laboratory.
Analyzing Conflicts in Hardware-Supported Memory Transactions

In order to exploit parallel resources, most transactional memory (TM) systems execute atomic blocks concurrently and must thus be prepared for data conflicts. In the event of a conflict, a TM system must choose a policy to decide when and how to manage the resulting contention. In this paper, we analyze the interplay between conflict resolution time and contention management policy in the context of hardware-supported TM systems, highlighting the performance and implementation implications of the various points in the design space. We show that both policy decisions have a significant impact on the ability to exploit available parallelism and ensure progress of individual transactions. Our analysis corroborates previous research findings that stalling (especially at access time and retrying the problematic access) helps side-step conflicts and avoid wasted work. We demonstrate that conflict resolution time has the dominant effect on performance: Lazy (which delays resolution to commit time) uncovers more parallelism than Eager (which resolves conflicts at access time). With Lazy, in spite of an aborted transaction tending to waste more work (31% more than Eager), the cumulative amount of wasted work is lower since fewer transactions are aborted (1.6 × less than Eager). Lazy’s delayed conflict resolution also ensures progress and decreases the likelihood of pathologies (like livelock) while Eager needs sophisticated priority mechanisms in the contention management to avoid pathologies. Finally, we evaluate a mixed conflict resolution that detects write–write conflicts eagerly while detecting read–write conflicts lazily, and show that it provides a good compromise between implementation complexity and exploiting concurrency for performance.
Nano-graphene oxide as a novel platform for monitoring the effect of LNA modification on nucleic acid interactions

Graphene oxide has gained significant attention due to its exceptional physical properties at biological interfaces. It has extraordinary quenching, fast adsorption and desorption properties that are suitable for detection of molecular interactions in nucleic acids. Here we studied the interaction between locked nucleic acid (LNA) modified oligonucleotides and its complementary miR-10b DNA analog. We demonstrate that LNA modification does not alter the hybridization yield, despite a slight difference in the rate, however it does increase the duplex stability dramatically. The noncovalent nucleic acid–graphene oxide complex maintained the stability between 25 and 90 °C in the absence of oligonucleotide-induced desorption. The melting temperatures of duplexes with or without LNA base modification were determined due to remarkable fluorescence quenching and fast oligonucleotide adsorption with graphene oxide. The difference in melting temperatures was used to control the release of surface adsorbed nucleic acids at 70 °C. Finally, a mutation in the oligonucleotide sequence is detected by the complementary oligonucleotides on the graphene oxide surface. Due to its extraordinary physical properties, graphene oxide represents a remarkable platform for studying nucleic acid interactions and serves as a promising material for biomedical applications.
A practitioner's perspective on the value of PHR and SPHR certification

Abstract This call for responses to an article by Mark Lengnick-Hall and Herman Aguinis on the topic of HR certification provides a HR practitioner's perspective on the value of PHR and SPHR certification.
Intrauterine Endotoxin Administration Leads to White Matter Diffusivity Changes in Newborn Rabbits

Maternal intrauterine inflammation has been implicated in the development of periventricular leukomalacia and white matter injury in the neonate. We hypothesized that intrauterine endotoxin administration would lead to microstructural changes in the neonatal rabbit white matter in vivo that could be detected at birth using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Term newborn rabbit kits (gestational age 31 days) born to dams exposed to saline or endotoxin in utero on gestational day 28 underwent diffusion tensor imaging, and brain sections were stained for microglia. Comparison between normal and endotoxin groups showed significant decreases in both fractional anisotropy and eigenvalue (e1) in all periventricular white matter regions that showed an increase in the number of activated microglial cells, indicating that after maternal inflammation, microglial infiltration may predominantly explain this change in diffusivity in the immediate neonatal period. Diffusion tensor imaging may be a clinic...
Tunable, continuous-wave laser action using (F 2 + )A centers in lithium-doped KCl

Continuous-wave, broadly tunable laser action is reported for an (F2+)A center in lithium-doped KCl. The laser is continuously tunable from about 2.00 to 2.50 μm, is highly efficient, has a low threshold for absorbed power, and retains its laser capability after several weeks of storage at room temperature.
Reduced parameter set descriptions for system and event identification

Abstract The operation of a machine generates signatures that carry information about its physical condition and operating parameters. In the case of vibration signatures, these signatures may be so complicated that system identification procedures may converge very slowly, if at all. This is due to the large number of physical degrees of freedom which the system has, which translates into a large number of parameters needed to describe the signal. Our research has focused on ways to reduce the required parameter set to that quick and accurate estimates of the source event and the structural signal path can be made. We shall discuss two procedures which we have used for achieving these aims. Our examples are drawn from studies of combustion pressure in a diesel engine. The available signal is the casing vibration of the engine, due to combustion onset in a cylinder. The signal is smoothed by windowing the cepstrum, which reduces the number of parameters needed to describe it to N. Once smoothed, there are two ways of separating the contributions from the combustion event itself and the structural path. The first method is Kalman filtering, which describes the “system” by an adjustable impulse response illustrated by m parameters. The input event is estimated by a small number of N-m parameters. The optimization continues to provide a best estimate of the input and system response. Without the cepstral smoothing that precedes this step however, it is essentially impossible to achieve this optimization. The second method uses a functional expansion to describe the cepstra of the event itself and the transmission path. The functions are Hermite polynomials, which combined with a Gaussian window are called Hermite functions, and have very useful properties. Using this procedure, we want to determine the coefficients in the series expansion for the event and the system cepstra, and these become the unknown parameters to be determined. The procedures described here have application to diagnostic monitoring of machines and structures, to security systems, and to noise control. Some examples of prospective applications will be described.