cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computerized Tomograpy Using Video Techniques

A review of a series of qualitative and quantitative investigations of the capabilities of fluoroscopic systems to produce images having a sufficiently high quality to be used as the input for producing computerized transaxial tomograms is given. Examples of tomographic sections obtained from fluoroscopic image inputs are presented. In addition a quantitative comparison of computerized tomograms of a specially constructed phantom was made between reconstructions made with the EMI head scanner and those made from images provided by a large screen low light level TV camera fluoroscopic system. A phantom made from Lucite containing rods of various materials and sizes was used. The computer printout of each was analyzed and a high degree of correlation (r = 0.98) was noted between the results of both systems. The differential attenuation detectability of the fluoroscopic system was found to be comparable to or better than the EMI unit. As expected from a consideration of the quantum statistics for each system, the noise in the obtained reconstructions was also comparable. It is concluded that such a fluoroscopic system performs favorably when compared to the presently available commercial systems.
Stress analysis of thick laminated conical tubes with variable thickness

Abstract In this paper, a stress analysis of thick laminated conical tubes is conducted on the basis of a thick-shell theory. The loading applied to the tubes is quite general. It can be surface loads, boundary loads, axisymmetric loads or non-axisymmetric loads. The effect of transverse shear is taken into account by a first-order theory. Governing equations involve ten unknowns: five displacements and five stress resultants. They are solved by a semi-analytical method that is a combination of Fourier series expansion, finite difference scheme and Riccati transfer matrix method. The present theory can also be applied to the analysis of any axisymmetric laminated tube or shell that may approximately be divided into a series of conical shell segments. Since the lamination properties used in the finite difference scheme are defined locally, the present theory allows the axisymmetric tube or shell to be of variable thickness and lay-up. The validity of present analysis is confirmed by experimental results.
Clutters and circuits III

In previous papers we have introduced two ways to define circuits associated to clutters, motivated by results of Lehman. We relate these definitions to two others, motivated by elementary properties of matroids, and we give several characterizations of matroid basis clutters using their circuits.
Perphenazine and reserpine as antiemetics for staphylococcal enterotoxin.

SummaryPerphenazine and reserpine have significant antiemetic activity against staphylococcal enterotoxin induced emesis in monkeys; chlorpromazine and cyclizine lactate have little or no protective activity. Perphenazine gave the best protection and was effective at 50 μg/kg, intravenously; it inhibited vomiting even when administered 45 min after the enterotoxin had been fed. Pretreatment of monkeys was necessary for protection with reserpine. The effective drug levels did not greatly depress the medullary vomiting center. Perphenazine had some protective effect in dogs being challenged with intravenous injection of enterotoxin.
Dosimetric characterization and output verification for conical brachytherapy surface applicators. Part II. High dose rate 192Ir sources

Purpose: Historically, treatment of malignant surface lesions has been achieved with linear accelerator based electron beams or superficial x-ray beams. Recent developments in the field of brachytherapy now allow for the treatment of surface lesions with specialized conical applicators placed directly on the lesion. Applicators are available for use with high dose rate (HDR) 192Ir sources, as well as electronic brachytherapy sources. Part I of this paper discussed the applicators used with electronic brachytherapy sources. Part II will discuss those used with HDR 192Ir sources. Although the use of these applicators has gained in popularity, the dosimetric characteristics have not been independently verified. Additionally, there is no recognized method of output verification for quality assurance procedures with applicators like these. Methods: This work aims to create a cohesive method of output verification that can be used to determine the dose at the treatment surface as part of a quality assurance/commissioning process for surface applicators used with HDR electronic brachytherapy sources (Part I) and 192Ir sources (Part II). Air-kerma rate measurements for the 192Ir sources were completed with several models of small-volume ionization chambers to obtain an air-kerma rate at the treatment surface for each applicator. Correction factors were calculated using MCNP5 and EGSnrc Monte Carlo codes in order to determine an applicator-specific absorbed dose to water at the treatment surface from the measured air-kerma rate. Additionally, relative dose measurements of the surface dose distributions and characteristic depth dose curves were completed in-phantom. Results: Theoretical dose distributions and depth dose curves were generated for each applicator and agreed well with the measured values. A method of output verification was created that allows users to determine the applicator-specific dose to water at the treatment surface based on a measured air-kerma rate. Conclusions: The novel output verification methods described in this work will reduce uncertainties in dose delivery for treatments with these kinds of surface applicators, ultimately improving patient care.
Core-induced stabilization and autoionization of molecular Rydberg states

Abstract Stabilization of molecular Rydberg states through interaction with the core is demonstrated. Core rotation is shown to provide a mechanism for recent, unexplained, experimental observations that long-living Rydberg states, under ZEKE conditions, exist both below and above the ionization threshold.
Trypsin inhibitor in Guar meal

SummaryThe presence of trypsin inhibitor in Guar meal has been demonstrated by the trypsin-hemoglobin digestion procedure. The level of inhibition is concentration dependent. The inhibitor is destroyed by heating and is apparently not dialyzable, which may be indicative of a macromolecular nature.
Modulation of stress-induced ACTH release by corticotropin-releasing factor, catecholamines and vasopressin

The stress-induced release of ACTH is believed to involve the activation of several humoral and neural pathways, including corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), catecholamines and vasopressin. The essential role of CRF was supported by our observation that immunoneutralization of this releasing factor significantly lowers plasma ACTH levels of ether-stressed rats. However, the presence of a small but measurable residual ACTH secretion suggested the possible involvement of factors other than CRF in the stress response. We report here that pretreatment with a vasopressin antagonist decreases the plasma ACTH levels of ether-stressed rats in later (10-20 min), but not earlier (0-10 min), phases of ether stress. The ganglionic blocker chlorisondamine, inhibits ACTH release during both phases of the response to ether by 40-60% when used alone, and by 100% when administered with anti-CRF antibody. These results support a role of CRF, catecholamines and vasopressin in mediating ACTH release by ether stress.
Sexual Orientation–Related Differences in Tobacco Use and Secondhand Smoke Exposure Among US Adults Aged 20 to 59 Years: 2003–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys

Objectives. We investigated sexual orientation–related differences in tobacco use and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in a nationally representative sample of US adults.Methods. The 2003–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys assessed 11 744 individuals aged 20 to 59 years for sexual orientation, tobacco use, and SHS exposure (cotinine levels ≥ 0.05 ng/mL in a nonsmoker). We used multivariate methods to compare tobacco use prevalence and SHS exposure among gay or lesbian (n = 180), bisexual (n = 273), homosexually experienced (n = 388), and exclusively heterosexual (n = 10 903) individuals, with adjustment for demographic confounding.Results. Lesbian and bisexual women evidenced higher rates of tobacco use than heterosexual women. Among nonsmokers, SHS exposure was more prevalent among lesbian and homosexually experienced women than among heterosexual women. Nonsmoking lesbians reported greater workplace exposure and bisexual women greater household exposure than heterosexual women did. Id...
Evaluation of the M-competition forecasts via log mean squared error ratio

Abstract In this note, log mean squared error ratio ( lmr ) is used to assess the accuracy of the forecasting techniques used in the M-competition. Two exhibits compare the techniques and clearly show which are superior. In addition, some interesting patterns of performance are identified. Finally, lmr is shown to work better than another relative MSE statistic in terms of identifying ‘good’ techniques.
Controlled degradation and ablation of polymer surfaces by ultraviolet laser radiation

Abstract When pulsed ultraviolet laser radiation falls on the surface of an organic polymer the material at the surface is spontaneously etched away to a depth of 0·1 to several microns. The process is characterized by the control which can be exercised over the depth of etching by controlling the temporal width of the laser pulse and its fluence (energy per unit surface area of the polymer) and by the lack of detectable thermal damage to the substrate. The material that is removed by etching consists of products ranging from atoms to small fragments of the polymer. They are ejected at supersonic velocities. This photoetching technique is useful in patterning polymer films since it requires no special sensitization of the polymer, no wet development step, and is potentially capable of as high a resolution as any wet patterning method.
Control of non-Franck–Condon transitions: lighting a dark state

Abstract We show that pairs of intense laser pulses can be used to selectively invert vibronic population from an initial vibrational level to a chosen final vibration level. We demonstrate that robust, efficient transfer can be achieved for a case in which the overlap between the initial state and the final state is vanishingly small. Results are presented for a three-state model of the sodium dimer, Na 2 , in which the objective is to populate the outer well of the 1 Σ u (4 s ) double-well potential. To understand the detailed mechanism of population transfer, we analyze the structure of the adiabatic, light-induced potentials (LIPs) on which the vibrational wave packets evolve. Due to the topology of the system, non-adiabatic transitions among the potentials must also be considered. The results suggest that careful shaping of LIPs offers a general method for selective population transfer, even when the desired final state is a dark state.
The Interaction of the Amylose‐Extender and Waxy Mutants of Maize (Zea Mays L.) Fine Structure of Amylose‐Extender Waxy Starch

Investigations into the nature of the effect of the amylose-extender (ae) mutant of maize (Zea mays L.) on amylopectin structure were conducted by studying the fine structure of amylose-extender waxy (ae wx) starch. Approximately 59.6% of the starch from ae wx endosperms was converted to maltose by β-amylase. This starch contained 21% apparent amylose and had a λmax of 580 for the iodine-starch complex. Fractionation of ae wx starch on Sepharose 4B-200 gave an elution profile with a single peak characteristic of amylopectin. From these observations we concluded that ae wx starch consisted of an altered amylopectin, with iodine binding properties such that an apparent amylose content of 21% was measured. The fine structures of ae wx and waxy (wx) starches were determined. Pullulanase-debranched chains of whole starches and β-limit dextrins were fractionated by gel permeation. The amylopectin of ae wx was shown to be a loosely branched amylopectin with an average internal chain length of 52 glucose units compared with a length of 30 glucose units for wx. The ae wx outer chains were longer than those of wx and fewer in number per mg of starch. These characterizations demonstrate that ae wx starch has a unique structure which is similar to the anomalous amylopectin reported in ae starch.
Static and Dynamic Characteristic Analysis for the HSR Series Linear Motion Guide

The dynamic characteristic of junction surface is an important part of the dynamic characteristics of NC machine tools, and it is sometimes the weakest link of the machine tool's dynamic characteristics. The precision of the finite element calculation of the machine tool's dynamic characteristics shall be affected by the junction surface parameters directly. Linear Motion guide is one of the most widely used components of the NC machine tool, and its characteristic is one of the most important components of the performances of the NC machine tool. The HSR series of linear motion guides are taken as the object of the paper, and its static and dynamic characteristics are studied. And the parameters of static and dynamic characteristics of HSR, such as static stiffness, natural frequency and modal shape are obtained. The accuracy of the finite element analysis mode is verified, which establishes the foundation for the dynamics analysis of machine tool.
An enhanced CHIEF method for steady-state elastodynamics

Abstract In this paper, an enhanced combined Helmholtz integral equation formulation (CHIEF) method is applied to the boundary integral formulation in steady-state elastodynamics to overcome the well-known nonuniqueness difficulty. This enhanced CHIEF method uses a linear combination of the displacement boundary integral equation and the traction boundary integral equation on the surface of a small interior volume as a constraint. A so-called Green's function interpolation technique is also used in the formulation to speed up the process of matrix formation, especially in a multi-frequency run. Several numerical examples are given to demonstrate this method.
Lingual pressure patterns in the transition from tongue thrust to adult swallowing

Abstract Lingual pressure patterns were studied longitudinally in 10 children whose swallow type changed from “tongue thrust” to “adult” while repeated pressure recordings were being made. These observations support the concept of a gradual transition toward adult swallowing, characterized by increasing elevation of the tongue tip and sides as the jaws are brought together and the tongue is contained within the dentition. The transition period extends beyond the time at which a changed pattern is detected clinically, to include a period of accommodation to containment of the tongue. Clinically troublesome tongue thrust swallows are delayed intermediate stages in the normal transition, not habits in the usual sense.
Children's School Performance: Impact of General and Oral Health

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine: a) the sociodemographic and health factors associated with poor school performance among North Carolina children; and b) the impact of poor oral health status on school performance while controlling for other health and sociodemographic factors. Methods: We used data from the 2005 Child Health Assessment and Monitoring Program, a follow-back telephone survey to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System involving parents/guardians of children 0 to 17. This project includes sections on oral health and school performance. Our principal outcome variable was school performance and our major explanatory variable was children's oral health status, based upon parental report. Results: Our sample consisted of 2,871 school children, weighted to reflect the North Carolina census. Bivariate analysis revealed that sex, race, parental education, low socioeconomic status, poor general health, poor oral health, and the interaction of poor oral health and general health were significantly related to school performance (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis demonstrates the effects of poor oral health and general health on school performance. Children with both poor oral health and general health were 2.3 times more likely to report poor school performance. Children with either poor oral health or general health were only 1.4 times more likely to report poor school performance. Conclusions: Our results show that children who have both poor oral health and general health are more likely to have poor school performance. Our findings suggest that the improvement of children's oral health may be a vehicle to improve their educational experience.
In vitro synthesis of glycosylceramide in rabbit platelets.

Rabbit platelets were incubated for 1 hr. in the presence of [U- 14 C]glucose. Glycosylceramides were separated from other lipids by column and thin-layer chromatography. Of the total lipid radioactivity recovered, ca. 50% was noted in a single glycosylceramide fraction. Further identification of this fraction revealed that essentially all the radioactivity resided in the glucose portion. These data demonstrate that platelets have the capacity to synthesize glycosylceramide and that this may be a significant route of lipogenesis.
Differential Passage of Cellulose and “CrCl3 in Three Non-Domestic Gallinaceous Species,

Abstract When Chukar partridge, Ruffed grouse, and Bobwhite quail were fed diets containing 9.6 and 15.4 percent cellulose and dosed with 51 CrCl3, the metabolizability coefficients for dry matter digested in the non-cecal gut were lower as calculated by the 51 CrCl3-ratio than when calculated by the cellulose-ratio technique. A differential movement of fluids carrying 51 CrCl3 out of the non-cecal gut portions into the ceca in amounts greater than the remaining dry matter is proposed as an explanation. In consequence, it is believed that 51 CrCl3 should not be considered a good indicator of quantitative differences between digestion in cecal or non-cecal gut portions of birds.
Concerted Modification of Flowering Time and Inflorescence Architecture by Ectopic Expression of TFL1-Like Genes in Maize

TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1)-like genes are highly conserved in plants and are thought to function in the maintenance of meristem indeterminacy. Recently, we described six maize (Zea mays) TFL1-related genes, named ZEA CENTRORADIALIS1 (ZCN1) to ZCN6. To gain insight into their functions, we generated transgenic maize plants overexpressing their respective cDNAs driven by a constitutive promoter. Overall, ectopic expression of the maize TFL1-like genes produced similar phenotypes, including delayed flowering and altered inflorescence architecture. We observed an apparent relationship between the magnitude of the transgenic phenotypes and the degree of homology between the ZCN proteins. ZCN2, -4, and -5 form a monophylogenetic clade, and their overexpression produced the strongest phenotypes. Along with very late flowering, these transgenic plants produced a "bushy" tassel with increased lateral branching and spikelet density compared with nontransgenic siblings. On the other hand, ZCN1, -3, and -6 produced milder effects. Among them, ZCN1 showed moderate effects on flowering time and tassel morphology, whereas ZCN3 and ZCN6 did not change flowering time but still showed effects on tassel morphology. In situ hybridizations of tissue from nontransgenic plants revealed that the expression of all ZCN genes was associated with vascular bundles, but each gene had a specific spatial and temporal pattern. Expression of four ZCN genes localized to the protoxylem, whereas ZCN5 was expressed in the protophloem. Collectively, our findings suggest that ectopic expression of the TFL1-like genes in maize modifies flowering time and inflorescence architecture through maintenance of the indeterminacy of the vegetative and inflorescence meristems.
Sulfur poisoning of Rh–Ni catalysts during steam reforming of sulfur-containing liquid fuels

Sulfur poisoning during steam reforming is considered a significant barrier to synthesizing an active and stable catalyst. The present study investigates the mechanism of sulfur poisoning on a rhodium promoted nickel catalyst surface and uses the results to demonstrate how rhodium addition improves sulfur tolerance. Catalysts containing Ni and/or Rh supported on γ-alumina were synthesized and evaluated in a fixed-bed tubular reactor at a steam to carbon ratio of 3, 1000 ppm of sulfur, a temperature of 800 °C and atmospheric pressure. Hydrogen yield was used to evaluate catalyst activity while H2S in the effluent was monitored to determine the amount of sulfur trapped on the catalyst surface. In order to understand the mechanism of sulfur poisoning, fresh and used catalysts were characterized using pulse chemisorption, BET surface area analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Visual probing of the catalyst microstructure using TEM coupled with EDS revealed preferential adsorption of sulfur on nickel particles as multiple surface adlayers. There was no bulk nickel sulfide formation. Using pulse chemisorption studies and sulfur yields, it was shown that addition of rhodium to the nickel catalyst helps in lowering the amount of sulfur adlayers on the catalyst surface, thereby leading to improved sulfur tolerance, and this phenomenon was attributed to the close interaction of rhodium with nickel including the possibility of Rh–Ni alloy formation.
A novel biocidal styrenetriazinedione polymer

Abstract Commercial polystyrene has been modified by chemically attaching 6-methyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-dione moieties to it in the para position of the aromatic rings. Chlorination of this novel polymer in aqueous base yielded poly(1,3,5-trichloro-6-methyl-6-(4′-vinylphenyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-dione) which functioned as a biocide against the bacterium Staphylococcus aureas in a water-filter application. Some preliminary characterization data have been presented.
The Fornax-Leo-Sculptor Stream Revisited

Lynden-Bell first demonstrated that the satellites of the Milky Way appear situated along two great 'streams' in the sky: the 'Magellanic stream' and the 'Fornax-Leo-Sculptor (FLS) stream.' Further exploration of the three-dimensional distribution of Galactic satellites reveals that the recently discovered Sextans and Phoenix dwarf spheroidal galaxies also lie near the plane defined by the FLS galaxies, and therefore strengthens the evidence in favor of the FLS stream. Moreover, a specific group of globular clusters -- those exhibiting the reddest horizontal branches (HBs) among those identified as 'young halo' by Zinn -- appear to populate the FLS stream. As previously demonstrated by Zinn, the spatial distribution of old halo globulars appears to be flattened toward the Galactic plane, and therefore the old halo clusters are typically anti-correlated to the nearly orthogonal FLS stream. A scenario is postulated wherein the Galactic satellites of the FLS stream and the red HB, young halo globular clusters share a common origin in the accretion of a formerly larger, parent satellite galaxy or Searle & Zinn 'fragment.'
A Complex Variable Solution Based Analysis of Electric Displacement Saturation for a Cracked Piezoelectric Material

This paper presents an analysis of the effect of electric displacement saturation for a failing piezoelectric ceramic material based on a complex variable solution of a Mode III and a Mode I crack. This particular electric nonlinearity is caused by a reduction of the ionic movement in the material in the presence of high electric fields. Total and strain energy release rates are computed for varying far field stresses, electric displacements, and electric fields and compared for cases without and with full electric displacement saturation to further advance the understanding of failure initiation in piezoelectric ceramics.
Single top quark production and decay at next-to-leading order in hadron collisions

We present a calculation of the next-to-leading-order QCD corrections, with the one-scale phase space slicing method, to single top quark production and decay process $p\overline{p},pp\ensuremath{\rightarrow}t\overline{b}+X\ensuremath{\rightarrow}b\ensuremath{\ell}\ensuremath{\nu}\overline{b}+X$ at hadron colliders. Using the helicity amplitude method, the angular correlation of the final state partons and the spin correlation of the top quark are preserved. The effect of the top quark width is also examined.
Duplicated coronary sinus with a connecting branch

A 48-year-old woman with class III heart failure and left bundle branch block underwent an implantation for cardiac resynchronization therapy. Right anterior oblique (RAO) view coronary sinus (CS) venography suggested the antero- and postero-lateral branches appeared to arise from the same vessel of a duplicated CS, but the antero-lateral branch arising from a different vessel was visualized via a connecting branch by the contrast injected into the vessel with the postero-lateral branch, and the distal parts of the two vessels were superimposed in the RAO view. This unusual anomaly may have the potential risk for complications such as perforations.
Final optics damage inspection (FODI) for the National Ignition Facility

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) will routinely fire high energy shots (approaching 10 kJ per beamline) through the final optics, located on the target chamber. After a high fluence shot, exceeding 4J/cm2 at 351 nm wavelength, the final optics will be inspected for laser-induced damage. The FODI (Final Optics Damage Inspection) system has been developed for this purpose, with requirements to detect laser-induced damage initiation and to track and size it's the growth to the point at which the optic is removed and the site mitigated. The FODI system is the 'corner stone' of the NIF optic recycle strategy. We will describe the FODI system and discuss the challenges to make optics inspection a routine part of NIF operations.
CMOS analog circuit stack generation with matching constraints

An efficient CMOS transistor stack generation procedure for analog circuits is described. The matching requirements are used as the primary constraint on the analog layout, however, parasitic capacitances and area considerations are also included. A designer chosen arbitrary circuit partition from the schematic can be used to generate the corresponding layout as an optimum stack of transistors with complete intra-module connectivity. The port structures are considered as part of the module area and parasitic optimization procedure. The results are demonstrated through an example and a complete chip layout of a high-resolution delta-sigma analog-to-digital converter.
Seismocardiographic changes associated with obstruction of coronary blood flow during balloon angioplasty

Abstract Seismocardiography, a new noninvasive technique, detects low-frequency cardiac vibrations on the chest wall during ventricular contraction and during both early and late ventricular filling. To evaluate the ability of seismocardiography to detect ischemia caused by decreased coronary blood flow, 35 patients were studied during coronary angioplasty. Seismocardiograms and electrocardiograms were recorded twice at baseline, with the catheter across the lesion before first inflation (n = 15), every 30 seconds during the first inflation, 1 and 2 minutes after the first inflation and ≥5 minutes after the final inflation. For comparison, sequential seismocardiograms were also obtained from 15 healthy volunteers. Electrocardiograms were blindly scored for ST change from baseline (0 = none, 1 = 0.5 mm ST depression, 2 = ≥1.0 mm ST depression, 3 = ST elevation). Seismocardiograms were blindly scored for change from baseline (0 = none, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = marked) for both the systolic and diastolic waves. The average maximal systolic seismocardiographic score was 2.5 ± 0.8 for patients who had undergone angioplasty and 1.0 ± 0.9 for volunteers (p Thus, both electrocardiograms and seismocardiograms changed rapidly during coronary angioplasty, whereas Seismocardiograms did not change in volunteers. Most changes developed when the catheter crossed the lesion, before balloon inflation. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the seismocardiographic changes are due to ischemic changes in ventricular wall motion or compliance. Seismocardiographic changes persisted longer than electrocardiographic changes, possibly due to delayed recovery in ventricular function.
[77Br]-17-α-Bromoethynylestradiol: In vivo and In vitro characterization of an estrogen receptor radiotracer

Abstract [ 77 Br]17-α-Bromoethynylestradiol has been prepared by direct, no-carrier-added bromination of 17-α-iodoethynylestradiol. The product thus obtained has an effective specific activity up to 185 Ci/mmol and an association constant( K A ) of 7.1 × 10 9 M −1 . In vivo distribution studies indicate accumulation in rat uterus to the same levels as [ 3 H]E 2 (10% dose/g wet weight) and a target to blood ratio of 5–6.
The cost-effectiveness of community-based screening for oral cancer in high-risk males in the United States: a Markov decision analysis approach.

Objective: The 2004 US Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines do not recommend routinely screening adults for oral cancer given no proven mortality reduction. A large cluster-randomized controlled screening trial in Kerala, India, in 2005, however, reported a significant reduction in mortality for screened male tobacco and/or alcohol users. In the United States, office-based screening efforts targeting males of high risk (regular use of tobacco and/or alcohol) have been unsuccessful due to poor attendance. Given the newfound screening mortality benefit to this high-risk subpopulation, we sought to ascertain the cost-effectiveness threshold of a yearly, community outreach screening program for males more than 40 years regularly using tobacco and/or alcohol. Study Design: Markov decision analysis model; societal perspective. Methods: A literature search was performed to determine event probabilities, health utilities, and cost parameters to serve as model inputs. Screen versus No-Screen strategies were modeled using assumptions and published data. The primary outcome was the difference in costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) between the two cohorts, representing the potential budget for a screening program. One-way sensitivity analysis was performed for several key parameters. Results: The No-Screen arm was dominated with an incremental cost of $258 and an incremental effectiveness of −0.0414 QALYs. Using the $75,000/QALY metric, the maximum allowable budget for a screening program equals $3,363 ($258 + $3,105) per screened person over a 40-year time course. Conclusion: Given the significant health benefits and financial savings via early detection in the screened cohort, a community-based screening program targeting high-risk males is likely to be cost-effective.
Comparative Evaluation of Sublingual Long-Acting Nitrates

Ten hospitalized patients performed two exercise tests per day on five consecutive days to determine the efficacy and duration of action of three sublingual long-acting nitrate preparations: isosorbide dinitrate, pentaerythritol trinitrate, and erythrityl tetranitrate. The duration of exercise to the point of ischemia, manifest as typical anginal pain and/or 1.0 mm ST-segment depression, was determined 45 min and 100 min after each long-acting nitrate was administered. These results were compared with the duration of exercise after placebo and two minutes after nitroglycerin administration. The mean durations of exercise in two tests after placebo were 62.5 sec and 58.4 sec (not significant) and the mean durations of exercise after nitroglycerin administration were 90.5 sec and 88.4 sec, both different from placebo ( P < .001). There was no difference from placebo found 55 min after taking nitroglycerin. The mean durations of exercise 45 min after erythrityl tetranitrate, isosorbide dinitrate and pentaerythritol trinitrate were 89.1, 87.5, and 87.5 sec respectively and all were different from placebo ( P < .01). Mean durations of exercise 100 min after erythrityl tetranitrate, isosorbide dinitrate, and pentaerythritol trinitrate were 76.4, 75.5, and 69.7 sec and none were significantly different from placebo. This study indicates that each long-acting nitrate is effective for at least 45 min and suggests that they should not be given on a fixed dosage schedule but rather should be taken prophylactically whenever an angina-provoking situation is anticipated.
Exchangeability of Qsr1p, a large ribosomal subunit protein required for subunit joining, suggests a novel translational regulatory mechanism

Qsr1p is a 60S ribosomal subunit protein that is necessary for joining of large and small ribosomal subunits and is also one of the last proteins assembled onto the 60S ribosomal subunit in the cytoplasm. The finding that Qsr1p is identical to L7, a protein previously shown to cycle on and off large ribosomal subunits in the cytoplasm, suggests that the addition of Qsr1p onto the 60S ribosomal subunit could be utilized as a translational regulatory mechanism by limiting the supply of functional 60S subunits.
Some Psychological Reflections on the Death of Malcolm Melville

Malcolm Melville died on September 12, 1867, at age 18 from--to quote his death certificate--a "pistol shot wound in (his) right temporal region." Contemporary designations of the mode of his death changed within hours from suicide, to accident, to death while of unsound mind. Historically, the mode of his death has remained equivocal. In order to approach this enigma a "psychological autopsy" of an equivocal death case as identical to Malcolm Melville's as was possible was conducted as though it were a genuine current "open" case at the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center in 1973. That procedure resulted in a near-unanimous judgment by the center staff that the most accurate certification of the death as described was "probable suicide," which would then be certified as "suicide." In this paper the assertion is made that Herman Melville himself had been a psychologically "battered child" and, in a way typical for battered children, psychologically battered his own children when it came his turn to be a parent. The further assertion is made that, for Malcolm, his father was suicidogenic; and established this penchant in Malcolm (through his neglect, active rejection, fearsomeness, and his fixed attention to his own writing--Redburn, White Jacket, and Moby Dick) within the first 2 years of Malcolm's life. For Malcolm, the psychological basis of his suicidal state was isolated desperation--a ubiquitous characteristic of most suicides. Malcolm had a deep unconscious feeling of not being wanted by his father; that it would be better if he were out of the way, dead. On the morning of his death, the choice for Malcolm was between the memory of his mother's kiss a few hours before and the terror of (and the need to protect himself against) his father's rage to come.
THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT AS AN OPERATING ROOM

This article is an overview of the different procedures currently performed on the ICU patient and emphasizes percutaneous tracheostomy and percutaneous gastrotomy. The steps necessary to prepare the patient, the ICU staff, and intensivist to achieve a safe and successful procedure are described, as are the indications, technique, complications, safety, and advantages to perform these techniques in the ICU.
Minimizing power consumption in digital CMOS circuits

An approach is presented for minimizing power consumption for digital systems implemented in CMOS which involves optimization at all levels of the design. This optimization includes the technology used to implement the digital circuits, the circuit style and topology, the architecture for implementing the circuits and at the highest level the algorithms that are being implemented. The most important technology consideration is the threshold voltage and its control which allows the reduction of supply voltage without significant impact on logic speed. Even further supply reductions can be made by the use of an architecture-based voltage scaling strategy, which uses parallelism and pipelining, to tradeoff silicon area and power reduction. Since energy is only consumed when capacitance is being switched power can be reduced by minimizing this capacitance through operation reduction choice of number representation, exploitation of signal correlations, resynchronization to minimize glitching, logic design, circuit design, and physical design. The low-power techniques that are presented have been applied to the design of a chipset for a portable multimedia terminal that supports pen input, speech I/O and full-motion video. The entire chipset that performs protocol conversion, synchronization, error correction, packetization, buffering, video decompression and D/A conversion operates from a 1.1 V supply and consumes less than 5 mW. >
Sonic hedgehog is an endodermal signal inducing Bmp-4 and Hox genes during induction and regionalization of the chick hindgut

Reciprocal inductive signals between the endoderm and mesoderm are critical to vertebrate gut development. Sonic hedgehog encodes a secreted protein known to act as an inductive signal in several regions of the developing embryo. In this report, we provide evidence to support the role of Sonic hedgehog and its target genes Bmp-4 and the Abd-B-related Hox genes in the induction and patterning the chick hindgut. Sonic is expressed in the definitive endoderm at the earliest stage of chick gut formation. Immediately subjacent to Sonic expression in the caudal endoderm is undifferentiated mesoderm, later to become the visceral mesoderm of the hindgut. Genes expressed within this tissue include Bmp-4 (a TGF-beta relative implicated in proper growth of visceral mesoderm) and members of the Abd-B class of Hox genes (known regulators of pattern in many aspects of development). Using virally mediated misexpression, we show that Sonic hedgehog is sufficient to induce ectopic expression of Bmp-4 and specific Hoxd genes within the mesoderm. Sonic therefore appears to act as a signal in an epithelial-mesenchymal interaction in the earliest stages of chick hindgut formation. Gut pattern is evidenced later in gut morphogenesis with the presence of anatomic boundaries reflecting phenotypically and physiologically distinct regions. The expression pattern of the Abd-b-like Hox genes remains restricted in the hindgut and these Hox expression domains reflect gut morphologic boundaries. This finding strongly supports a role for these genes in determining the adult gut phenotype. Our results provide the basis for a model to describe molecular controls of early vertebrate hindgut development and patterning. Expression of homologous genes in Drosophila suggest that aspects of gut morphogenesis may be regulated by similar inductive networks in the two organisms.
Utilizing Target-Side Semantic Role Labels to Assist Hierarchical Phrase-based Machine Translation

In this paper we present a novel approach of utilizing Semantic Role Labeling (SRL) information to improve Hierarchical Phrase-based Machine Translation. We propose an algorithm to extract SRL-aware Synchronous Context-Free Grammar (SCFG) rules. Conventional Hiero-style SCFG rules will also be extracted in the same framework. Special conversion rules are applied to ensure that when SRL-aware SCFG rules are used in derivation, the decoder only generates hypotheses with complete semantic structures. We perform machine translation experiments using 9 different Chinese-English test-sets. Our approach achieved an average BLEU score improvement of 0.49 as well as 1.21 point reduction in TER.
Phosphodiesterase 4-targeted treatments for autoimmune diseases

Advancements in phosphodiesterase (PDE)-targeted therapies have shown promise in recent years for treating patients with a variety of autoimmune diseases. This review summarizes the development of PDE4 inhibitors and the associated literature with a focus on treatments for autoimmune diseases. After the initial investigations of the prototypic PDE inhibitor, rolipram, more selective inhibitors targeting the PDE4 isozyme have been developed. With phase II and phase III clinical trials currently underway to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the latest generation of PDE4 inhibitors, namely apremilast, a new class of treatments may be around the corner for patients suffering from chronic, autoimmune diseases.
Multiobjective Design Optimization of Five-Phase Halbach Array Permanent-Magnet Machine

The multiphase Halbach array permanent-magnet machines are very good candidates for special applications such as marine and military applications due to the fault tolerance capability, high output torque, and high acceleration features. In this paper, an optimal design of a five-phase Halbach permanent-magnet machine for high efficiency, high torque, and high acceleration is investigated. A Genetic Algorithm method is used to optimize the design variables based on the analytical model of the motor, which is dependent only on motor geometrical and materials data. In this method, first the main machine design objectives such as efficiency, acceleration, and output power are optimized separately and then a multiobjective optimization considering all objectives simultaneously is given. The detailed finite-element analysis results are carried out to evaluate and verify the performance of the designed machine.
Groucho augments the repression of multiple Even skipped target genes in establishing parasegment boundaries

Groucho acts as a co-repressor for several Drosophila DNA binding transcriptional repressors. Several of these proteins have been found to contain both Groucho-dependent and -independent repression domains, but the extent to which this distinction has functional consequences for the regulation of different target genes is not known. The product of the pair-rule gene even skipped has previously been shown to contain a Groucho-independent repression activity. In the Even skipped protein, outside the Groucho-independent repression domain, we have identified a conserved C-terminal motif (LFKPY), similar to motifs that mediate Groucho interaction in Hairy, Runt and Huckebein. Even skipped interacts with Groucho in yeast and in vitro, and groucho and even skipped genetically interact in vivo. Even skipped with a mutated Groucho interaction motif, which abolished binding to Groucho, showed a significantly reduced ability to rescue the even skipped null phenotype when driven by the complete even skipped regulatory region. Replacing this motif with a heterologous Groucho interaction motif restored the rescuing function of Even skipped in segmentation. Further functional assays demonstrated that the Even skipped C terminus acts as a Groucho-dependent repression domain in early Drosophila embryos. This novel repression domain was active on two target genes that are normally repressed by Even skipped at different concentrations, paired and sloppy paired. When the Groucho interaction motif is mutated, repression of each target gene is reduced to a similar extent, with some activity remaining. Thus, the ability of Even skipped to repress different target genes at different concentrations does not appear to involve differential recruitment or function of Groucho. The accumulation of multiple domains of similar function within a single protein may be a common evolutionary mechanism that fine-tunes the level of activity for different regulatory functions.
Inovations in ocean optics for coastal and open ocean mooring applications

The subdiscipline field of ocean optics has advanced dramatically in the last 2 decade due to a culmination of advances. These advances include large strides in our quantitative understanding of theoretical ocean optics, technological innovations in instrumentation and progress in utilizing interdisciplinary observational platforms. Theoretical understandings of ocean optical processes have evolved from the ability to quantify phytoplankton biomass from fluorescence to the quantification of phytoplankton classes and the development of proxies for quantification of biogeochemical parameters. Technological innovations have evolved from one-cast broadband scalar photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) sensors to multifunctional hyperspectral sensors capable of long-term deployments on moored buoy platforms. The facilitation of interdisciplinary observational platforms such as ocean color remote sensing satellites, moored buoys, drifters, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and gliders has also advanced our understanding of spatial and temporal variability of various ocean optics properties. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the progression of our understanding of theoretical ocean optics due to recent advances in optical sensors and their applicability to advanced ocean observational platforms, such as moored buoy observatories. Specifically, we will present recent advances in measurement techniques for the inherent and apparent optical properties of seawater obtained from time-series measurements from moored buoy platforms from both complex coastal and relatively stable open ocean environments. The in situ time-series measurements of inherent and apparent optical properties, namely the optical absorption and backscattering coefficients, and upwelling and downwelling attenuation coefficients, as potential proxies for biogeochemical parameters will be discussed. We will also suggest potential quality control and data analysis protocols necessary for quality time-series optical measurements from moored buoy platforms. Special consideration will be given to the current and future direction of ocean optics towards deriving the concentration, composition and size of biological and geochemical properties while assessing innovations in technology pertaining to ocean optics.
What makes someone family? Adult children's perceptions of current and former stepparents

This study examined the extent to which adult children perceived current and former, legal or cohabiting, partners of biological parents as family members and parents and determined what factors were associated with these perceptions. Data come from 443 adult children participating in the 1997 wave of the Longitudinal Study of Generations. Hypotheses were developed on the basis of a synthesis of the solidarity-conflict model and the life course perspective. Results revealed diversity in adult children’s perceptions of family membership and parentage and support for the theoretical perspectives. Structural, associational, and normative solidarity were all associated with adult children’s perceptions of current and former stepparents as family members and parents. Substantive and theoretical implications are discussed.
Determining Apartment Rent: The Value of Amenities, Services and External Factors

This paper examines the effects of various amenities, services, and external factors on rent for multifamily housing. The attributes studied include amenities and services such as covered parking, ...
A METHODOLOGY FOR LABOR SCHEDULING IN A SERVICE OPERATING SYSTEM

In the increasingly competitive services sector, utilization of the labor force can make the difference between profits or losses. Until recently, service operations managers had a limited set of tools, most of them computer-based, for scheduling labor. This paper offers a manual heuristic for labor scheduling that outperforms traditional algorithmic solution approaches. Specifically, this study examines the problem of scheduling employees in service delivery system subject to demand variability. The manual heuristic proposed asigns full-time empolyees to weekly work schedules with the objective of minimizing the total number of labor hours scheduled. The performance of the manual heuristic is compared to the classical algorithmic solution and to a lower bound for a variety of demand distributions and system operating conditions. The heuristic is shown to produce a smaller work force than the classical approach in 106 of the 108 demand-operating condition patterns examined.