cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving Neutron Detection: Usability Analysis of Control Mechanisms and Control Orientations for Use in Hand-Held Devices

This study was conducted to determine the best control mechanism for a hand-held neutron detector testing three control mechanisms (blister buttons, push-buttons and a single-axis rocker) and two control mechanism orientations (vertical and horizontal). A simple menu-selection task, based on the current neutron detector, was conducted to evaluate the prototypes and determine the most efficient combination of control mechanisms and handle shapes. The most efficient combination was based on the lowest error rate and movement time. The results of this investigation found support for the horizontally oriented controls. In addition, blister buttons were found to be the best control mechanism (lowest error) out of the three control mechanisms tested. Blister buttons should have a diameter of at least 1.3 cm and provide tactile feedback to the first responder in order to enhance user performance.
Molecular structure of [W(N)(O-2,6-C6H3iPr2)3]2: a metal-nitrido compound with a cyclic diyne structure

Abstract The compound [W(N)(O-2,6-C6H3iPr2)3]2 has been studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (triclinic, P 1 , a = 12.880(2) A , b = 14.103(4) A , c = 20.317(4) A , α = 90.63(2)°, β = 90.72(2)°, γ= 113.82(2)°, Z = 2 ). The structure exhibits the first example of an asymmetric, cyclic M2N2 core, with bond orders that alternate between ca. 3 for the short WN linkage (d( W  N = = 1.77 A ) and ca. 1 for the longer one (d( W  N = 2.02 A ) . The 1H HMR spectrum of the compound suggests that the asymmetric, cyclic structure is maintained in solution. This structure represents the fourth spectrum of the compound suggexst that the asymmetric, cyclic structure is steric factors appear to play a significant role in favoring the observed structure.
Critical Reflexivity, Contradictions and Modern Cuban Consciousness

To survive the economic trauma caused by the demise of the Soviet Block, the Cuban government enacted economic and social reforms that are causing hardships in the lives of Cubans. This article shows that a synthesis of the theories of Marx and Mead provides a useful perspective for understanding Cubans' critical reflections on daily encounters that contradict abstract revolutionary values. Existing sources and qualitative data show a complex interplay between the abstract values of equality, communalism and nationalism, which have been incorporated into definitions of self, and Cubans' efforts to meet their needs. The results presented suggest that Cubans' incorporation into the self of revolutionary attitudes contributes to their reluctance to reject and criticize the revolutionary regime. For Cubans, the formation and expression of critical responses to the existing social system are all the more difficult because of the striking absence of alternative ideologies.
Comparison of dark-field and bright-field incident illumination for in vivo measurements of reduced pyridine nucleotides

Bright-field and dark-field illumination techniques for in vivo measurements of reduced pyridine nucleotide fluorescence were compared in 15 rats during periods of normocapnia, hypocapnia, hypercapnia, and anoxia. Parameters investigated included fluorescence, cortical reflectance, cortical blood flow, and electroencephalograms. In normal brain, with preserved autoregulation, reduced pyridine nucleotide fluorescence was constant through a wide range in Pa(CO2), cortical blood flow, and cerebral blood volume in animals studied using vertical illumination (bright-field) techniques. There was a marked increase in reduced pyridine nucleotide fluorescence at death from anoxia. Artifacts were reduced by monochromators for excitation, emission, and reflected light; low-intensity vertical excitation energy and high-sensitivity recording instrumentation; and a small avascular (123 microns) field. Potential sources of error include photodecomposition, hemoglobin interference from absorption and reflectance, and light scattering. Vertical excitation techniques using a small field appeared to give more reliable and reproducible results than circumferential techniques using a larger field of observation.
New evidence that Candida albicans possesses additional ATP-binding cassette MDR-like genes: implications for antifungal azole resistance.

Emergence of resistance of Candida albicans to antifungal triazoles is increasingly recognized as an important cause of refractory mucosal candidiasis in HIV-infected patients. Recently, CDR1, which is thought to be analogous to the human MDR-1 P-glycoprotein, has been cloned in C. albicans. It has been proposed that its expression is partially responsible for fluconazole resistance in C. albicans. This gene is characterized by the presence of an ATP binding cassette (ABC) region and is distinct from the BENr gene which does not encode such a functional domain. As the molecular basis for fluconazole resistance appears to be multifactorial, we considered that there may be other ATP binding cassette-containing MDR genes that may potentially contribute to antifungal azole resistance in C. albicans. We therefore sought to identify potential target sequences that may be derived from candidate genes that share homology with the ATP binding cassette region of the human MDR-1 P-glycoprotein. Degenerate oligonucle...
Increasing problem solving in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: the choices diabetes program.

The purpose of this pilot study was to test the hypothesis that adolescents with type 1 diabetes can learn to become better problem solvers in diabetes self-care and thereby improve their metabolic control.METHODSFifty-three adolescents aged 13 to 17 with type 1 diabetes were randomly assigned to either a 6-week problem-solving diabetes education program or to a control group (usual care). Al C levels were obtained as well as assessments of problem solving, frequency of behavior, level of responsibility, and 24-hour behavior recall at baseline and 6 months.RESULTSThe experimental group participants showed significantly improved problem-solving test scores and Al C values from baseline to 6 months, changes not evident in the control group. At 6 months, the experimental group participants were doing blood glucose testing more often than those in the control group. However, there was no significant difference in problem-solving test scores or Al C values.CONCLUSIONSThis 6-week intervention for adolescents wi...
Eyes wide open: the personal genome project, citizen science and veracity in informed consent

I am a close observer of the Personal Genome Project (PGP) and one of the original ten participants. The PGP was originally conceived as a way to test novel DNA sequencing technologies on human samples and to begin to build a database of human genomes and traits. However, its founder, Harvard geneticist George Church, was concerned about the fact that DNA is the ultimate digital identifier – individuals and many of their traits can be identified. Therefore, he believed that promising participants privacy and confidentiality would be impractical and disingenuous. Moreover, deidentification of samples would impoverish both genotypic and phenotypic data. As a result, the PGP has arguably become best known for its unprecedented approach to informed consent. All participants must pass an exam testing their knowledge of genomic science and privacy issues and agree to forgo the privacy and confidentiality of their genomic data and personal health records. Church aims to scale up to 100,000 participants. This spe...
Response characteristics of a multicompartment frog skin epidermis model

The main goal of this study was to analyze by computer simulation the responses of a multicompartment frog skin epidermis model to systematic changes in the rate coefficients (k's) which characterize the pathways of flow of Na+ between compartments. Responses were expressed as deviations from the behavior of a reference model (10Es) which closely simulates known laboratory data on skin epidermis. This includes transepidermal flux rates, Na+ pool sizes, isotope labeling fraction, efficiency of the transepidermal Na+ pump (ΔNa+ΔO2). The response patterns of 10Es with its k-variants may be useful in laboratory studies aimed at localizing the effects of an applied physical or chemical stimulus on maintenance Na+ metabolism, or on Na+ fluxes in frog skin.
Use of the Nonparametric Nearest Neighbor Approach to Estimate Soil Hydraulic Properties

Nonparametric approaches are being used in various fields to address classification type problems, as well as to estimate continuous variables. One type of the nonparametric lazy learning algorithms, a k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) algorithm has been applied to estimate water retention at 233- and 21500-kPa matric potentials. Performance of the algorithm has subsequently been tested against estimations made by a neural network (NNet) model, developed using the same data and input soil attributes. We used a hierarchical set of inputs using soil texture, bulk density (Db), and organic matter (OM) content to avoid possible bias toward one set of inputs, and varied the size of the data set used to develop the NNet models and to run the k-NN estimation algorithms. Different ‘design-parameter’ settings, analogous to model parameters have been optimized. The kNN technique showed little sensitivity to potential suboptimal settings in terms of how many nearest soils were selected and how those were weighed while formulating the output of the algorithm, as long as extremes were avoided. The optimal settings were, however, dependent on the size of the development/reference data set. The nonparametric k-NN technique performed mostly equally well with the NNet models, in terms of root-mean-squared residuals (RMSRs) and mean residuals (MRs). Gradual reduction of the data set size from 1600 to 100 resulted in only a slight loss of accuracy for both the k-NN and NNet approaches. The k-NN technique is a competitive alternative to other techniques to develop pedotransfer functions (PTFs), especially since redevelopment of PTFs is not necessarily needed as new data become available.
On the equivalence between β-functions and massless bosonic string field equations of motion

Abstract It is shown that the β-functions of the generalized bosonic non-linear σ-model for gravity and antisymmetric tensor presently available in the literature cannot be obtained as the equations of motion from a covariant action. Some consequences of this result are discussed and a possible solution is indicated.
Breastfeeding is analgesic in healthy newborns

Context. This study identifies a behavioral and nonpharmacologic means of preventing newborn pain. Objective. To determine whether breastfeeding is analgesic in newborn infants undergoing heel lance—a routine, painful, hospital procedure. Design. A prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Setting. Hospital maternity services at Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, and Beverly Hospital, Beverly, Massachusetts. Participants. A random sample of 30 full-term, breastfed infants. Interventions. Infants in the intervention group were held and breastfed by their mothers during heel lance and blood collection procedures for the Newborn Screening Program Blood Test. Infants in the control group experienced the same blood test while receiving the standard hospital care of being swaddled in their bassinets. Outcome Measures. Crying, grimacing, and heart rate differences were analyzed between the breastfeeding and the control infants before, during, and after blood collection. Results. Crying and grimacing were reduced by 91% and 84%, respectively, from control infant levels during the blood collection. Heart rate was also substantially reduced by breastfeeding. Conclusions. Breastfeeding is a potent analgesic intervention in newborns during a standard blood collection.
Rheological studies of thermotropic liquid crystal copolyesters: P‐hydroxybenzoic acid / 2‐hydroxy‐6‐naphthoic acid

The rheological behavior of the thermotropic liquid crystal copolyesters composed of p-hydroxybenzoic acid and 2-hydroxy-6-naphthoic acid (indicated as HBA/HNA) is investigated for three different compositions: 75:25, 58:42, 30:70 (in mol%). The inherent viscosities are 9.2, 5.1, and 7.8 dl/g, respectively. Yield stress is observed for all three samples. This indicates the existence of crystallites in the melt which may be related to the shear thinning viscosity at low shear stress. Melt fracture, and a die swell ratio which increases with shear rate, are also observed at higher temperatures and at low shear stress for the two copolyesters having compositions 75:25 and 30:70. We have also estimated for 30HBA/70HNA at 335°C the entrance pressure loss, Δpent, and ΔPent/δw, where δw is the shear stress at the capillary wall. The large value of ΔPent/δw suggest that HBA/HNA is a highly elastic polymeric material. It is found that both ΔPent and ΔPent/δw increase with shear rate. However, the high elasticity does not account for the disappearance of melt fracture and contraction of die swell at high shear stress. This abnormal phenomenon is ascribed to the formation of a network of crystallites caused by blocky regions in the copolymer.
Effect of stop line detection in queue length estimation at traffic signals from probe vehicles data

Abstract Stop line detectors are one of the most deployed traffic data collection technologies at signalized intersections today. Newly emerging probe vehicles are increasingly receiving more attention as an alternative means of real-time monitoring for better system operations, however, high market penetration levels are not expected in the near future. This paper focuses on real-time estimation of queue lengths by combining these two data types, i.e., actuation from stop line detectors with location and time information from probe vehicles, at isolated and undersaturated intersections. Using basic principles of statistical point estimation, analytical models are developed for the expected total queue length and its variance at the end of red interval. The study addresses the evaluation of such estimators as a function of the market penetration of probe vehicles. Accuracy of the developed models is compared using a microscopic simulation environment-VISSIM. Various numerical examples are presented to show how estimation errors behave by the inclusion of stop line detection for different volume to capacity ratio and market penetration levels. Results indicate that the addition of stop line detection improves the estimation accuracy as much as 14% when overflow queue is ignored and 24% when overflow queue is included for less than 5% probe penetration level.
Teaching Development in Undergraduate and Graduate Medical Education

Faculty members from three different institutions, each with long-standing experience teaching development, present strategies for teaching normal development in undergraduate and graduate medical education. This article provides an overview of licensing body requirements, teaching methodology, audiovisual and textbook resources, goals and objectives (knowledge, skills, and attitudes), and sample curricula for teaching human development to medical students, general psychiatry residents, and child and adolescent psychiatry residents. The challenges of teaching development to various groups of trainees with different required course lengths and expected levels of competency, using lifespan and topical approaches, are reviewed.
Continuous non-rhythmic cycloversion: A possible paraneoplastic disorder

The authors describe a patient who presented with previously undescribed continuous non-rhythmic cycloversions. Further evaluation revealed a pulmonary malignancy, raising the possibility that this eye movement disorder is a manifestation of a paraneoplastic neuroophthalmologic syndrome. Possible mechanisms for the eye movement disorder, especially for involvement of the mesencephalon, are reviewed.
Plasma glutamate dehydrogenase: a marker of alcoholic liver injury.

Forty-two male alcoholics admitted for alcohol detoxification or for the treatment of the medical complications of alcoholism, as well as two volunteers consuming 2 g/kg/day of ethanol under metabolic ward conditions, were evaluated to determine the time course of plasma GDH elevation. GDH values fell rapidly toward the normal range after cessation of the drinking episode. In patients who subsequently underwent a diagnostic liver biopsy, severity of histologic lesions correlated positively with early GDH elevations. In 32 patients followed up to 15 months, GDH values correlated well with clinical status.
Surgical management of congenital pulmonary valve dysplasia.

Abstract Pulmonary valvular stenosis secondary to congenital valve dysplasia differs markedly from the classic variety of pulmonary stenosis. The reported mortality of patients treated by standard commissurotomy is 38 to 66%. The clinical features and operative management of 14 patients with dysplastic pulmonary valves are reviewed. Three groups of patients were studied. Group 1 consisted of 5 patients treated by commissurotomy. Group 2 comprised 3 patients treated by partial excision of the valve. In neither group were there operative deaths, but 5 of the 8 patients developed recurrent stenosis; 3 required reoperation. In 1975, because of the high incidence of recurrent stenosis, total valvectomy was begun. Ten patients (Group 3) have undergone valvectomy with 1 death. Nine patients were doing well at 3 to 15 months of follow-up. Based on the reported mortality and present findings, total excision of the valve is recommended for relief of stenosis in pulmonary valve dysplasia.
Trends in Crime Rates, Certainty of Punishment and Severity of Punishment in the Netherlands

This paper addresses the interaction between crime rates and sentencing policies in the Netherlands, a country generally known for its relatively lenient treatment of criminals. The first section describes major changes which have taken place in Dutch crime policy and criminality over the last twenty years. The second part of the paper speculates about the interplay between, respectively, certainty and severity of punishment and crime rates in the Netherlands. The major source for the description of developments in Dutch crime and crime policy is the recently published government policy document Sameleving en Criminaliteit: Een Beleidsplan voor de Komende Jaren (1985), supplemented by other government reports, criminal justice statistics, and scholarly publications.In this study, no attempt is made to address the profound problems and criticisms that arise from the use of aggregated data to study general deterrence. We lack, at this point, the necessary data to provide sophisticated time-series analyses a...
Advanced Process Research and Development to Enhance Materials Recycling

Innovative, cost-effective technologies that have a positive life-cycle environmental impact and yield marketable products are needed to meet the challenges of the recycling industry. Two polymeric materials-recovery technologies that are being developed at Argonne National Laboratory in cooperation with industrial partners are described in this article.
Soybean response to gibberellic acid treatments

Early-maturing soybean lines (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) grown in subtropical areas during short days can produce economic seed yields. However, the plants are short, and many of the pods are produced close to the soil, making commercial harvest difficult. The feasibility of increasing the lengths of the first three internodes by growth regulator application was evaluated at two locations over a 3-year period using separate plots of Amsoy 71 (Maturity Group (MG) II) and Williams (MG III) soybean by spraying each cultivar with 0, 25, or 50 g (a.i.) ha−1 of gibberellic acid (GA) in 280 L ha−1 water when the hypocotyl was cracking the soil. The 25 g ha−1 treatment increased (p<.05) the length of the hypocotyl and first internode 60% and 25% in 1979 and 36% and 17%, respectively, in 1980. Increasing the GA application to 50 g ha−1 had no additional effect on hypocotyl elongation, but the length of the first internode continued to increase linearly. Gibberellic acid treatment did not stimulate elongation of internodes above the first two, and internodes above the fifth tended to be shorter, causing total plant height at maturity to be the same as untreated plants. The overall effect of GA application at cracking time on harvestable seed yield was about nil, since GA decreased yields by 8–11%, but it increased stem elongation, so a greater portion of seeds were produced above 80 mm that were accessible to commercial combining. The application of GA generally did not affect (p<.05) seed quality. Seed weight was reduced significantly at both locations in 1979 but not in 1980. These data indicate that elongation of the lower stem portion of early-maturing soybean cultivars grown in subtropical areas during short days can be increased significantly by GA to improve commercial harvesting, but the treatments appear to have little net effect on seed yield.
BIOLOGIC RELATIONSHIP OF ENDOTOXIN AND OTHER TOXIC PROTEINS. IV. EFFECT OF HEPARIN ON ENDOTOXIN-INDUCED HYPERSUSCEPTIBILITY TO SNAKE VENOMS.

Summary1. Heparin in intravenous doses of 10 to 100 mg counteracted the immediate lethal effects of Russell's viper venom and tiger snake venom in rabbits, but did not prevent the deaths of the animals from the delayed toxic effects of the venom. 2. Heparin in the same intravenous doses did not interfere with the early death that occurs in endotoxin-treated rabbits given Russell's viper venom or tiger snake venom. 3. Heparin neither increased nor decreased the toxicity of moccasin venom in rabbits. 4. Finally, heparin did not affect the EIHS to Agkistrodon piscivorus venom when it was administered before endotoxin, shortly after endotoxin, or just before venom challenge.The authors are greatly indebted to Miss Ann E. Gabrielsen for valuable criticism and advice in the preparation and editing of this work. They also appreciate the technical assistance of Messrs. Nils Rune Forsen, Thomas K. Norrie and Gene Monson.
Projected Outcomes Using Different Nodule Sizes to Define a Positive CT Lung Cancer Screening Examination

In the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), a positive lung cancer screening computed tomography (CT) examination was defined by the presence of a noncalcified pulmonary nodule at least 4mm in greatest transverse dimension or other nonspecific findings suspicious for lung cancer (1). Using these criteria to initiate further diagnostic evaluation, lung cancer mortality was lower in the group screened with chest CT compared with the group screened with chest radiography (2). More than 24% of the three annual chest CT screens were classified as positive, but more than 96% of positive CT screens did not result in a diagnosis of lung cancer and thus were false positives. Substantial false-positive rates also have been reported in other CT screening trials (3,4). False-positive CT screens lead to additional testing, usually consisting of noninvasive follow-up CT and sometimes tissue biopsy. This increases medical resource use and the overall cost of screening for no benefit, at the potential risks of additional radiation exposure, complications arising from invasive procedures, and patient anxiety. Since the smallest pulmonary nodules are rarely malignant (5), it may be possible to reduce false-positive screening and follow-up testing rates by increasing the size threshold for a positive screen, and maintain adequate sensitivity and specificity for lung cancer detection. The acceptability of using a higher nodule size threshold for defining screen positivity depends on the balance between projected benefits and risks. We performed this retrospective analysis of NLST data to estimate the effects of increasing the nodule size threshold on lung cancer detection and false-positive rates, test sensitivity and specificity, diagnostic follow-up testing, and lung cancer stage and mortality.
Carnival in The Merchant of Venice

Literally, there is no connection between Venetian carnival and Shakespeare’s play, but arguably it is alluded to in the masking celebrations around Bassanio’s plan to woo Portia and Lorenzo’s abduction of Jessica, as well as in some oblique calendrical references made by Launcelot. His allusions all but name Shrove Tuesday, while Bassanio’s masque and dinner fail to take place. Jessica elopes in the gratuitous ‘garnish’ of a boy, covered as well in gold. Her gilding may point to what she lacks (to recall Portia on her transvestite performance). More generally it suggests how carnival functions in the play as a continuous dissembling of a having and renouncing of the flesh. This pattern links the marriage plots to the pound of flesh and ramifies further to questions of gender, race and sexuality.
Portal-drained viscera and hepatic fluxes of branched-chain amino acids do not account for differences in circulating branched-chain amino acids in rats fed arginine-deficient diets

Concentrations and fluxes of amino acids across the portal-drained viscera (PDV) and liver were assessed in rats fed a meal of one of three arginine-deficient diets containing either alanine or the arginine precursors, ornithine or citrulline. A previous report included findings of seven arginine-related amino acids and indicated that only the citrulline-containing diet protected blood arginine concentrations. In the present report we extend these findings and note that the concentrations and fluxes of the non-arginine-related amino acids showed remarkable consistency across diet groups. However, total branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) concentrations of arterial blood were higher in rats fed the - Arg/+ Ala and the - Arg/+ Orn diets than in rats fed the control (+ Arg) diet. The elevated BCAA correlated with higher circulating concentrations of other essential amino acids but were inversely correlated with arginine concentrations. PDV and hepatic fluxes of BCAA were not different across diet groups, indicating that amino acid absorption and hepatic utilization of BCAA were generally comparable across diet groups. Hepatic concentrations of 14 of 22 measured amino acids, including total BCAA, were correlated with their arterial concentrations. The circulating concentrations and net PDV and hepatic fluxes of rats fed the control diet were comparable to our previous observations in fed rats and illustrate the role of the liver in utilization of diet-derived essential amino acids.
Effect of a Disease‐Specific Advance Care Planning Intervention on End‐of‐Life Care

Objectives: To compare patient preferences for end-of-life care with care received at the end of life. Design: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with individuals with congestive heart failure or end-stage renal disease and their surrogates who were randomized to receive patient-centered advance care planning (PC-ACP) or usual care. Setting: Two centers in Wisconsin with associated clinics and dialysis units. Participants: Of the 313 individuals and their surrogates who completed entry data, 110 died. Intervention: During PC-ACP, the trained facilitator assessed individual and surrogate understanding of and experiences with the illness, provided information about disease-specific treatment options and their benefits and burden, assisted in documentation of treatment preferences, and assisted the surrogates in understanding the patient's preferences and the surrogate's role. Measurements: Preferences were documented and compared with care received at the end of life according to surrogate interviews or medical charts. Results: Patients (74%) frequently continued to make their own decisions about care to the end. The experimental group had fewer (1/62) cases in which patients' wishes about cardiopulmonary resuscitation were not met than in the control group (6/48) but not significantly so. Significantly more experimental patients withdrew from dialysis than controls. Conclusion: Patients and their surrogates were generally willing to discuss preferences with a trained facilitator. Most patients received the care they desired at end of life or altered their preferences to be in accord with the care they could receive. A larger sample with surrogate decision-makers is needed to detect significant differences.
Experimental evaluation of bleeding complications, thrombogenicity and neointimal characteristics of prosthetic patch materials used for carotid angioplasty

Experiments were designed to compare perioperative blood loss, early thrombogenicity and morphologic and functional characteristics of the neointima of three types of prosthetic materials used for carotid artery patch angioplasty. Bilateral carotid patch angioplasties were performed in 20 dogs, using 20 gelatin-impregnated fluoropassivated Dacron (GIF), 10 untreated knitted Dacron and 10 expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) patches (5 cm2). Intraoperative blood loss, platelet deposition at 24 h and neointimal morphology at 6 weeks after the operation were assessed. Bioassay of the neointima was performed at 6 weeks in 16 patches. Mean (s.e.m.) blood loss was significantly less in GIF patches (14.7 (2.7) ml) compared with either PTFE (75.6 (24) ml) or untreated Dacron (64. 3 (9.5)) (P < 0.005). Mean (s.e.m.) platelet deposition in GIF patches (1380 (328) platelets/cm2) was approximately 50% less at 24 h than in untreated Dacron (2562 (1035) platelets/cm2) or PTFE (2140 (998) platelets/cm2) patches (P < 0.05). Neo-intimal coverage was greater in PTFE (94 (1.3%)) compared with GIF (79 (2.7%)) or untreated Dacron (86 (2.4%)) patches (P < 0.05). The thickness of the neointimal layer of PTFE (0.5 (0.01) mm) patches was greater than other patch types; GIF (0.2 (0.01) mm) or untreated Dacron (0.3 (0.01) mm) (P < 0.05). Under bioassay conditions, acetylcholine caused release of vasoactive relaxing factor(s) from all patches. However, relaxations from baseline were less with GIF patches (−37.9 (11.7)% versus −54.5 (9.6) for untreated Dacron; −50.2 (15.2)% for PTFE) (P = n.s.). Endothelin-1 release occurred from all patches and was increased with the extent of neointimal coverage. These data demonstrate that GIF patches caused the least perioperative bleeding, were the least thrombogenic at 24 h and developed the thinnest neointima at 6 weeks. All patch materials developed a functioning neointima. Copyright © 1996 The International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery.
Clinical Applications of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Summary: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a new tool for evaluation of patients with epilepsy, demonstrating abnormalities of energy and lipid metabolism ictally and, more recently, interictally. These metabolic abnormalities include increased inorganic phosphate, pH, and decreased phosphomono-esters as determined by 31P MRS, as well as decreased N-acetylaspartate determined by 1H MRS. Furthermore, increased lactic acid has been detected postictally. These metabolic changes appear to be confined to the region of seizure origination and can be detected interictally. Therefore, they can be used for lateralization of the epileptogenic focus. Ongoing research suggests that these abnormalities may also be useful in localization of the focus, demonstrating metabolic alterations in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) similar to those in neocortical epilepsy. However, further technical development will be required before the goal of using these techniques for localization of the epileptogenic focus can be realized. For TLE lobe epilepsy at least, the clinical utility of 'H MRS to lateralize the seizure focus has clearly been demonstrated by several centers. The consistent findings in TLE suggest that 'H MRS is ready to become part of the evaluation process of patients with medically refractory epilepsy being evaluated for seizure surgery.
Oncogenic Kras-induced GM-CSF production promotes the development of pancreatic neoplasia

Stromal responses elicited by early stage neoplastic lesions can promote tumor growth. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie the early recruitment of stromal cells to sites of neoplasia remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate an oncogenic Kras(G12D)-dependent upregulation of GM-CSF in mouse pancreatic ductal epithelial cells (PDECs). An enhanced GM-CSF production is also observed in human PanIN lesions. Kras(G12D)-dependent production of GM-CSF in vivo is required for the recruitment of Gr1(+)CD11b(+) myeloid cells. The suppression of GM-CSF production inhibits the in vivo growth of Kras(G12D)-PDECs, and, consistent with the role of GM-CSF in Gr1(+)CD11b(+) mobilization, this effect is mediated by CD8(+) T cells. These results identify a pathway that links oncogenic activation to the evasion of antitumor immunity.
eGEMs: Pragmatic Publishing to Build a Learning Health System

The Electronic Data Methods (EDM) Forum announces the launch of eGEMs (Generating Evidence and Methods to improve patient outcomes), a new, free, open access, peer-reviewed e-publication. eGEMs aims to disseminate innovative ideas about how electronic clinical data (ECD) can be leveraged in comparative effectiveness research (CER), patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) and quality improvement (QI). eGEMs seeks submissions in four main topic areas: analytic methods, clinical informatics, governance, and the learning health system. The goal of eGEMs is ultimately to promote dialogue and the sharing of ideas between researchers and other stakeholders in a credible and timely way, extending the efforts of the EDM Forum.
Cystoid Macular Edema after Intracapsular and Extracapsular Cataract Extraction With and Without an Intralocular Lens

A prospective cystoid macular edema study of aphakic and pseudophakic patients showed that extracapsular cataract surgery has a lower rate than intracapsular surgery when the surgery is uncomplicated. There was no difference in the rates with intracapsular surgery with and without an intraocular lens. A complicated extracapsular with an intraocular lens has a higher rate than when the surgery is uncomplicated. In extracapsular surgery with complications, there is no difference in the rates with and without an intraocular lens. When complications occur, the ratio of clinical to angiographic-proven cases is higher than when the surgery is uncomplicated. This study included four series of uncomplicated cataract extractions and three series of complicated cataract extractions. A fluorescein angiogram was performed on every patient at least one year after surgery.
Bayesian Computation of Software Reliability

Abstract Bayesian methods for the Jelinski and Moranda and the Littlewood and Verrall models in software reliability are studied. A Gibbs sampling approach is employed to compute the Bayes estimates. In addition, prediction of future failure times and future reliabilities is examined. Model selection based on the mean squared prediction error and the prequential likelihood of the conditional predictive ordinates is developed.
Puncture resistance of fibrous structures

We have developed the first comprehensive model for the study of the factors controlling the resistance of fiber fabric systems against needle puncture. Our results reveal that puncture occurs in four different stages: (i) contact pressure of the tip of the needle against a fiber strand; (ii) slippage of the tip into an inter-fiber spacing, resulting in puncture; (iii) friction of the fabric against the conical section of the needle; and (iv) slippage of the conical section through the fabric. In multi-ply fabric systems, we also find that the maximum force on the needle occurs during friction against its conical section (regime (iii)), i.e. after puncture by the tip has occurred.
Excuse me, but are you human?

Web services designed for human users are being abused by computer programs (bots). The bots steal thousands of free email accounts in a minute; participate in online polls to skew results; and irritate people by joining online chat rooms. These real-world issues have recently generated a new research area called Human Interactive Proofs (HIP), whose goal is to defend services from malicious attacks by differentiating bots from human users. We propose a new HIP algorithm based on detecting human face and facial features. Human faces are the most familiar object to humans, rendering it possibly the best candidate for HIP. We conducted user studies and showed the ease of use of our system to human users. We designed attacks using the best existing face detectors and demonstrated the difficulty to bots.
Optimal detectors for multi-target environments

The matched filter is known to be the optimal detector for a single target with known impulse response in white noise. However, many radar systems operate in multi-target environments, for which the matched filter is suboptimal due to modeling mismatch of the background signal. In this paper, we study the hypothesis testing problem of detecting a target at a given range cell while modeling all targets at other range cells as a correlated background process. We consider both deterministic-unknown and random amplitude target models, and derive the corresponding optimal detectors. For the deterministic-unknown signal model, we show that special cases of the optimal detector reduce to ridge regression (a classical solution for inverse problems), sidelobe suppression (a heuristic solution for target detection in multi-target environments), or adaptive pulse compression. The detector resulting from the random amplitude signal model reduces to that of the deterministic signal model for targets modeled as occupying a single range cell. Range-Doppler extension are given. We illustrate the performance of the detector using simulated data and the civilian vehicle data dome set.
Post-repolarization block of cardiac sodium channels by saxitoxin

Phasic block of rat cardiac Na+ current by saxitoxin was assessed using pulse trains and two-pulse voltage clamp protocols, and the results were fit to several kinetic models. For brief depolarizations (5 to 50 ms) the depolarization duration did not affect the rate of development or the amplitude of phasic block for pulse trains. The pulse train data were well described by a recurrence relation based upon the guarded receptor model, and it provided rate constants that accurately predicted first-pulse block as well as recovery time constants in response to two-pulse protocols. However, the amplitudes and rates of phasic block development at rapid rates (> 5 Hz) were less than the model predicted. For two pulse protocols with a short (10 ms) conditioning step to -30 mV, block developed only after repolarization to -150 mV and then recovered as the interpulse interval was increased. This suggested that phasic block under these conditions was caused by binding with increased affinity to a state that exists transiently after repolarization to -150 mV. This "post-repolarization block" was fit to a three-state model consisting of a transient state with high affinity for the toxin, the toxin bound state, and the ultimate resting state of the channel. This model accounted for the biphasic post-repolarization block development and recovery observed in two-pulse protocols, and it more accurately described phasic block in pulse trains.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Functional Association between SLAP-130 and SLP-76 in Jurkat T Cells

Abstract T cell antigen receptor (TCR) engagement results in protein-tyrosine kinase activation which initiates signaling cascades leading to induction of the interleukin-2 gene. Previous studies identified two substrates of the TCR-induced protein-tyrosine kinases, SH2 domain-containingleukocyte specific protein of 76 kDa (SLP-76) and SLP-76-associatedphosphoprotein of 130 kDa (SLAP-130). While SLP-76 appears to couple the TCR with downstream signals, SLAP-130 may play a negative regulatory role in T cell activation. In this study, we demonstrate that consistent with its ability to abrogate the SLP-76 augmentation of TCR-induced activation of the NFAT/AP1 region of the interleukin-2 promoter, overexpression of SLAP-130 also interferes with the rescue of signaling in SLP-76-deficient Jurkat cells in co-transfection experiments. The effect of SLAP-130 on SLP-76 function is specific for regulating TCR-induced ERK activation, but not phospholipase Cγ 1 phosphorylation. By generating both deletion and point mutants of SLAP-130, we identified tyrosine 559 as critical for the interaction between SLP-76 and SLAP-130. We show that mutation of this residue in context of full-length SLAP-130 diminishes the ability of SLAP-130 to abrogate SLP-76 function. These data suggest that the SLAP-130/SLP-76 association is important for the negative regulatory role that SLAP-130 appears to play in T cell signaling.
Relation of leuco-anthocyanins to anthocyanin synthesis.

AMONG the herbaceous plants which Bate-Smith and Lerner1 have recently found to contain leuco-anthocyanins were Impatiens noli-tangere and I. parviflora of the Balsaminaceae. We have been investigating the genetic control of anthocyanin pigmentation in Impatiens balsamina, which has been reported previously to produce glycosides of pelargonidin, peonidin and malvidin2. In the course of these studies we have obtained evidence that the leuco-anthocyanins may serve as precursors for the anthocyanin pigments. In view of current interest in the leuco-anthocyanins, this aspect of the work is presented here.
Computer-Assisted Identification of Microflora on Hot-Boned and Conventionally Processed Beef: Effect of Moderate and Slow Chilling Rate

Hot-boned (HB) beef was chilled from ca. 32°C to 21°C within 6, 9, or 11.3 hr after fabrication and continuously chilled to 2°C. The counterparts were conventionally processed (CP) and were used as controls. The bacterial counts on HB beef were proportional to the time required to chill HB beef to 21°C. The number of significantly different phena between HB and corresponding CP beef paralleled the chilling rate. The slower chilling rate resulted in more different microbial profiles and encouraged more growth of lactic acid and saccharolytic bacteria than the faster rate. The microflora at the time of packaging subsequently affected the microflora after storage. The initial chilling rate significantly affected the number and the kinds of organisms that developed on the meat surface. Proper chilling of HB beef will provide a microbiologically safe product.
Political structure, taxes, and trade

Abstract This paper examines the effects of the political organization of a chain of markets on the level of taxes and the volume of trade. Using a game-theoretic approach we note that, under certain demand stuructures, noncooperative tax policies implemented by independent jurisdictions entail externalities detrimental to trade. We show that the monoplization of the chain of markets (or the implementation of cooperative tax strategies), by internalizing the costs associated with these externalities, increases the volume of trade and the tax revenues simultaneously.
Environmental considerations on battery-housing recovery

A simplified LCA is conducted hased on the methodology of simplified LCAs according to SETAC (Europe). The case study is about the recovery of automotive battery housings. As a result of the simplified LCA, the current situation of material recycling is preferred to the past situation of landfilling. However, energy recovery could be an option, too.
DNA damage caused by common cytological fixatives

Tissues from nine species of plants and fungi were treated separately with eight solutions, including seven cytological fixatives (3.7% formaldehyde at pH 3.0 and 7.0, FAA at pH 3.0 and 7. 0, 1% glutaraldehyde at pH 3.0 and 7.0, and Lavdowsky's fluid at pH 3.0) and one storage buffer (SED=NaCl-EDTA-DMSO, pH 7.0). DNA from untreated tissue and SED-treated tissue was of high molecular weight (>50 kb). DNA from glutaraldehyde-treated tissues averaged 20 kb in length, while DNA from all other treatments averaged less than 8 kb in length. Each DNA was subjected to amplification using the polymerase chain reaction, followed by sequencing of 250 bp near the 3' end of the nuclear rRNA small subunit gene. Glutaraldehyde treatments (at pH 3.0 and 7.0) produced damaged bases at rates of 0. 0% to less than 0.1%. Treatments with Lavdowsky's fluid (containing mercuric chloride), FAA at pH 7.0, and SED produced rates of 0.0% to 3.6%. FAA at pH 3.0 produced rates of 7.6% to 15.6%. Nearly 100 attempts to amplify from specimens treated with 3.7% formaldehyde (at pH 3.0 and 7.0) failed, indicating extreme damage to the DNA.
Re: Should We Screen for Bladder Cancer in a High-Risk Population? A Cost Per Life-Year Saved Analysis

BACKGROUND. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved screening high-risk patients for bladder cancer using urine-based markers. The cost and life-years saved associated with bladder cancer screening were evaluated. METHODS. A Markov model was created to estimate cumulative cancer-related costs and efficacy of screening (vs. no screening) of a high-risk population for bladder cancer using a urine-based tumor marker over a 5-year period. Assumptions were based on literature review of survival and progression rates for patients with bladder cancer and costs associated with different bladder cancer disease states. RESULTS. Screening for bladder cancer in a population with a 4% incidence of bladder cancer resulted in a gain of 3.0 life years per 1000 subjects at a cost savings of $101,000 for the population, assuming a 50% downstaging in the screened population from muscle-invasive to nonmuscle-invasive disease. One-way sensitivity analyses found that screening is the most cost-effective strategy if cancer incidence is >1.6%, tumor marker costs 26%, marker specificity is >54%, downstaging with screening is >20%, and office cystoscopy costs <$694. Varying costs of cystectomy, transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT), chemotherapy, end-of-life care, costs of metastatic disease, and a computed tomography scan over a wide range did not affect the superiority of screening. CONCLUSIONS. The model found that urine-based markers are cost-effective in a high-risk population. Prospective randomized trials in a completely asymptomatic high-risk cohort are indicated before bladder cancer screening can be recommended. Cancer 2006;107:982–90. � 2006 American Cancer Society.
Aqueous Carbon Monoxide Cycling in a Fjord-Like Estuary

Dissolved carbon monoxide, [CO], was measured in oxic surface waters and in the anoxic layer of the Pettaquamscutt River, Rhode Island, from March to August 2008. Samples were collected at near-shore locations to examine spatial and seasonal changes at solar noon. Each month, a set of diel samples was collected at the surface stations to evaluate photoproduction and biological processing. In July and August, anoxic samples from depths >6 m were collected to examine the presence of an active anaerobic CO metabolism. The surface [CO] decreased from 65 to 5 nmol kg−1 from spring to summer, which was attributed to a decline in dissolved organic matter. Diel [CO] showed a strong mid-afternoon maximum with a late evening and early morning minimum. Inferred first-order loss rates, attributed to biological processing, ranged from 0.1–0.6 h−1 without a clear seasonal pattern. [CO] saturation ratios were typically >200 at mid-day, >7 in morning/late evening, and never below 1, implying the river is always a net source of CO to the atmosphere. [CO] in the anoxic layer averaged 2 nmol kg−1.