cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Renal replacement treatment initiation with twice-weekly versus thrice-weekly haemodialysis in patients with incident dialysis-dependent kidney disease: rationale and design of the TWOPLUS pilot clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: The optimal haemodialysis (HD) prescription-frequency and dose-for patients with incident dialysis-dependent kidney disease (DDKD) and substantial residual kidney function (RKF)-that is, renal urea clearance ≥2 mL/min/1.73 m2 and urine volume ≥500 mL/day-is not known. The aim of the present study is to test the feasibility and safety of a simple, reliable prescription of incremental HD in patients with incident DDKD and RKF. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This parallel-group, open-label randomised pilot trial will enrol 50 patients from 14 outpatient dialysis units. Participants will be randomised (1:1) to receive twice-weekly HD with adjuvant pharmacological therapy for 6 weeks followed by thrice-weekly HD (incremental HD group) or outright thrice-weekly HD (standard HD group). Age ≥18 years, chronic kidney disease progressing to DDKD and urine output ≥500 mL/day are key inclusion criteria; patients with left ventricular ejection fraction <30% and acute kidney injury requiring dialysis will be excluded. Adjuvant pharmacological therapy (ie, effective diuretic regimen, patiromer and sodium bicarbonate) will complement twice-weekly HD. The primary feasibility end points are recruitment rate, adherence to the assigned HD regimen, adherence to serial timed urine collections and treatment contamination. Incidence rate of clinically significant volume overload and metabolic imbalances in the first 3 months after randomisation will be used to assess intervention safety. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Wake Forest School of Medicine in North Carolina, USA. Patient recruitment began on 14 June 2019, was paused between 13 March 2020 and 31 May 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic, resumed on 01 June 2020 and will last until the required sample size has been attained. Participants will be followed in usual care fashion for a minimum of 6 months from last individual enrolled. All regulations and measures of ethics and confidentiality are handled in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03740048; Pre-results.
From REM to orexin: clinical progress in narcolepsy - was it worth the wait? was it worth the "weight?"

The earliest description of the narcoleptic condition was likely first described by Thomas Willis approximately four centuries ago, in his report of a patient with an exceptionally hypersomnolent predisposition, and who was prone to bouts of extreme daytime sleepiness. It was perhaps not until 1880, when Gelineau actually coined the term “narcolepsy” (derived from the Greek “lepsis”, which literally means “attack,” or “to seize”), that the paroxysmal nature of these diurnal bouts of hypersomnolence was highlighted. At around the same [...]
Emission of unregulated pollutants from light duty vehicles

Because of the changing composition of the light duty vehicle fleet and the changing nature of exhaust emission controls and regulations, the emission of unregulated pollutants is of current interest. This paper analyzes and summarizes the available data on the emission levels of pollutants that are not currently subject to U.S. federal regulations. For the light duty diesel vehicle, emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbonyls are of the greatest significance, and diesel exhaust fumes appear to be much more photochemically reactive than light duty petrol vehicle exhaust emissions. Nitrous oxide and nitrosamine emissions from the light duty diesel are also of interest, but experimental data are currently inadequate. The catalyst-equipped light duty petrol vehicle has high emissions of many noncriteria pollutants during rich malfunction operation, but during normal operation only nitrogen dioxide, nitrous oxide, hydrogen cyanide, and ammonia are of potential significance. Again, data on nitrosamine emissions are inconclusive. (Author/TRRL)
Point Estimation Methods

In our discussion of point estimation, we have yet to present any generally applicable procedures that lead to specific functional forms for estimators of q(Θ) and that can be relied upon to define estimators that generally have good estimator properties. In fact, the only result in the previous chapter that could be used directly to define the functional form of an estimator is the theorem on the attainment of the CRLB, which is useful only if the statistical model {f(x; Θ), Θ ∈ Ω{ and the estimand q(Θ) are such that the CRLB is actually attainable. Of course, we did examine a number of important results that could be used either to narrow the search for a good estimator of q(Θ), to improve upon an unbiased estimator that we already discovered, or to recognize when an unbiased estimator was actually the best in the sense of minimizing variance (or in the sense of having the smallest covariance matrix). However, since the functional form of an estimator of q(Θ) having good estimator properties is often not apparent even with the aid of the results assembled in Chapter 7, we now examine procedures that suggest functional forms of estimators.
Bringing It All Together

The idea that the mind responds to processes in the body and conversely, that the bodily functions can be influenced by the mind, is referred to as mind–body relationship. Recent studies in the diverse areas of metabolic, immune, endocrine, and gene expression effects from stress and depression have begun to permit a systems view of the effects of the emotions of cancer patients on specific cellular processes that could modulate cancer cell growth, positively or negatively. These concepts form a rational basis for considering the use of psychological therapy-cognitive, antidepressant, or relaxant not only for symptom management, but possibly as part of total cancer patient management. We do not yet know that mind affects cancer biology and thus prognosis, but there are both clinical trials data and cancer patient biochemical data that point to that possibility. All patients live as part of a social and family context, with a two-way interaction between the perception of the mind of a body disease and the reaction of the mind to its significance, involving fear, hopefulness, spirituality, caring and coping. These reactions are in turn, capable of producing both destructive and helpful bodily effects.Many of these aspects of cancer patient and caregiver concerns and their management are addressed in these essays.
The Effects of Monetary Incentives on Worker Learning and Performance in an Assembly Task

Accountants are concerned about the impact of incentive contracts on performance. Monetary incentives improve overall performance, but their effects on the components of performance are not well known. Performance on a repetitive task includes initial performance, subsequent improvement rate, and performance after learning ceases. Monetary incentives can affect any of these factors. This study examines the impact of piece-rate and goal-contingent incentives, versus fixed-pay, on initial performance and subsequent improvement rate in an assembly task. Previous literature has not simultaneously examined these components, which are homologous with the components of the industrial learning curve model. We find that both overall and initial performance, but not improvement rate, are higher in the incentive-pay groups. Two factors may explain the lack of differential improvement rates: subjects? effort allocation, since improving initial performance may be easier than improving subsequent performance; and the nature of these typical incentive-pay plans, which do not reward improvement directly.
Arithmetic and galois checksums

An analysis is presented of error detection characteristics when galois checksums and arithmetic checksums are used simultaneously. By generalizing previous results, it is shown that galois checksums and arithmetic checksums exhibit orthogonal characteristics with respect to error detection. An analytic proof of orthogonality is presented for certain restricted cases. These orthogonal characteristics hold good for equally likely errors, restricted column errors, and restricted word errors. Double-length galois checksums are compared with combined arithmetic and galois checksums. >
Data sharing using a common data architecture

Shared Data Vision. Common Data Architecture. Data Names. Data Definition. Data Structure. Data Quality. Data Documentation. Data Refining. Disparate Data Description. Disparate Data Structure. Disparate Data Quality. Data Cross Reference. Data Translation. Mature Data Resource. Data Completeness. Shared Data Reality. Postscript. Appendices. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.
Efficacy of a Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Insomnia and Nightmares in Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans With PTSD

Objective Sleep disturbances are a core and salient feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Pilot studies have indicated that combined cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) for nightmares improves sleep as well as PTSD symptoms. Method The present study randomized 40 combat veterans (mean age 37.7 years; 90% male and 60% African American) who served in Afghanistan and/or Iraq (Operation Enduring Freedom [OEF] / Operation Iraqi Freedom [OIF]) to 4 sessions of CBT-I with adjunctive IRT or a waitlist control group. Two thirds of participants had nightmares at least once per week and received the optional IRT module. Results At posttreatment, veterans who participated in CBT-I/IRT reported improved subjectively and objectively measured sleep, a reduction in PTSD symptom severity and PTSD-related nighttime symptoms, and a reduction in depression and distressed mood compared to the waitlist control group. Conclusion The findings from this first controlled study with OEF/OIF veterans suggest that CBT-I combined with adjunctive IRT may hold promise for reducing both insomnia and PTSD symptoms. Given the fact that only half of the patients with nightmares fully implemented the brief IRT protocol, future studies should determine if this supplement adds differential efficacy to CBT-I alone.
Finite element model updating using frequency response functions and numerical sensitivities

SUMMARY A new method is presented for finite element model (FEM) updating using frequency response functions and numerical sensitivities. The proposed method differs from methods currently in the literature by using numerical sensitivities to solve the inverse problem instead of analytical sensitivities. This method combines the usefulness of commercially available finite element modeling programs with advanced optimization algorithms to solve the inverse problem while requiring neither model reduction nor data expansion. The method is applied to several simulated test cases in which damage is detected and the usefulness of the method is shown. The method proved to be robust, stable, error tolerant, and successful in estimating unknown structural parameters using frequency response functions for FEM updating. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Caching XML Web Services for Mobility: In the face of unreliable connections and low bandwidth, caching may offer reliable wireless access to Web services.

Web services are emerging as the dominant application on the Internet. The Web is no longer just a repository of information but has evolved into an active medium for providers and consumers of services: Individuals provide peer-to-peer services to access personal contact information or photo albums for other individuals; individuals provide services to businesses for accessing personal preferences or tax information; Web-based businesses provide consumer services such as travel arrangement (Orbitz), shopping (eBay), and e-mail (Hotmail); and several business-to-business (B2B) services such as supply chain management form important applications of the Internet.
Inhibition of complement activation: a novel mechanism for the protective effects of heparin in antiphospholipid antibody-induced pregnancy loss

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), defined by thrombosis and recurrent pregnancy loss in the presence of antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies, is generally treated with anticoagulation. Because complement activation is essential and causative in aPL antibody-induced fetal injury, we hypothesized that heparin protects mice from fetal loss in APS by preventing complement activation on trophoblasts and that anticoagulation, per se, is not sufficient to prevent miscarriage. We used a murine model of APS in which pregnant mice are injected with human IgG-containing aPL antibodies (aPL-IgG) or IgG from healthy individuals (NH-IgG). Passive transfer of aPL-IgG caused a 43.3 ± 3.5% frequency of fetal resorption (P < 0.001 versus NH-IgG) and treatment with either unfractionated heparin (UFH) (10 U or 20 U subcutaneously twice daily) or low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) (enoxaparin) reduced the frequency of fetal resorption to that of mice treated with NH-IgG: UFH10 + aPL, 9.6 ± 3.2; UFH20 + aPL 10.4 ± 2.1; LMWH + aPL, 11.8 ± 2.8; NH-IgG, 10.5 ± 2.5% (P < 0.01 versus aPL). Even in the absence of detectable anticoagulation, as in mice treated with 10 U UFH, heparins prevented aPL-induced pregnancy loss and inhibited systemic complement activation evidenced by generation of C3adesArg (aPL, 1212 ± 101* ng/ml; UFH10U + aPL, 178 ± 25; LMWH + aPL, 180 ± 15; NH-IgG, 215 ± 381, * P < 0.05 versus NH-IgG). Heparin limited C3 deposition in deciduas of mice treated with aPL. Neither fondaparinux nor hirudin inhibited the generation of complement split products or prevented pregnancy loss, despite anticoagulation levels comparable with heparin, indicating that anticoagulation is insufficient therapy for APS-associated miscarriage. We assessed the effects of anticoagulants on complement activation in vitro using BeWo cells, trophoblast-like cells with externalized phosphatidylserine recognized by aPL. APL-opsonized BeWo cells cultured with mouse serum activated complement, evidenced by increased surface-bound C3 fragments (detected as C3 staining by FACS) and generation of soluble C3adesArg in supernatants. In the presence of UFH or LMWH, however, complement activation was completely inhibited (C3adesArg [ng/ml]: aPL, 680 ± 30; UFH + aPL, 120 ± 20*; LMWH + aPL, 105 ± 18*; % C3-positive BeWo cells by FACS: aPL, 31 ± 11; aPL + UFH, 9 ± 5*; LMWH + aPL, 5 ± 3; * P < 0.01 versus aPL). In contrast, neither fondaparinux nor hirudin inhibited complement activation in vitro. In conclusion, heparins inhibit complement activation in vitro and in vivo. Heparins may prevent obstetrical complications in APS by blocking activation of complement induced by aPL targeted to deciduas – not by preventing placental thrombosis. These findings explain how subanticoagulant doses of heparin can limit antibody-mediated tissue injury.
Creating Online Worlds: The Future Of Student Work

Traditional schoolwork is out of step with twenty-first century life and work. In the future, student work will focus on creating interactive online worlds instead of on writing paper-print essays.
Measuring bluff erosion part 1: terrestrial laser scanning methods for change detection

Human activities influence watershed sediment dynamics in profound ways, often resulting in excessive loading of suspended sediment to rivers. One of the primary factors limiting our ability to effectively manage sediment at the watershed scale has been our inability to adequately measure relatively small erosion rates (on the order of millimeters to centimeters per year) over annual and sub-annual time scales on spatially-extensive landforms, such as river banks and bluffs. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) can be employed to address this need. TLS collects high-resolution data allowing for more accurate monitoring of erosion rates and processes, and provides a new opportunity to make precise measurements of geomorphic change on vertical landforms like banks and bluffs, but challenges remain. This research highlights challenges and limitations of using TLS for change detection on river banks and bluffs including the presence of vegetation, natural surface crenulations, and difficulties with creating benchmarks, and provides solutions developed to overcome these limitations. Results indicate that data processing algorithms for change detection can have a significant impact on the calculated erosion rates, with different methods producing results that can vary by over 100%. The most accurate change detection technique compares a point cloud to a triangulated irregular network (TIN) along a set of vectors that accommodate bluff curvature. This paper outlines a variety of methods used to measure bluff change via TLS and explains the accompanying error analysis that supports these methods. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Kristeva's Reformation

In my brief remarks, I consider what it means to return and rebind—that is to say, the significance of the re for Kristeva’s thought. Kristeva does not just talk about binding or birth, or unbinding or death, but rather rebinding and rebirth, suggesting that it is a retrospective return rather than an original moment that is crucial. The most significant moment, then, is not the moment of imaginary plenitude, nor the moment of originary loss, but rather the moment of rebirth that comes through rebinding after the loss of plenitude. Indeed, Kristeva’s insistence on re-turning suggests that there is no originary moment of plenitude nor of castration or loss, but rather a constant movement of compensation for a recurrent loss. By emphasizing rebinding and rebirth, she underscores not the loss as cutting wound but rather the healing power of signification, always already inherent within loss. The flip-side of separation is reattachment. And rather than just focus on the separation or cut, Kristeva looks to that which allows us to rebind and reattach in order to create relations that sustain us. Both unbinding and binding are necessary for rebinding. Thus, by focusing on rebinding, Kristeva insists on the process of unbinding and binding, and the oscillation between them.
Concordance Between Patient and Physician Assessment of the Magnitude of Peyronie's Disease Curvature

Abstract Introduction The magnitude of penile deformity is a critically important factor in Peyronie's disease, as it is associated with increased difficulty in penetrative sexual intercourse and in turn with negative psychosocial consequences. Deformity magnitude also influences treatment choice when surgical correction is indicated. Aim To determine the concordance between patient and physician assessment of magnitude of penile curvature in men with Peyronie's disease. Methods Patient assessment of curvature was obtained at initial interview. Physician assessment was performed using intracavernosal injection-assisted erection using a goniometer applied during excellent penile rigidity. Main Outcome Measures Patient and physician assessments of penile curvature. Results The sample consisted of 192 men with a mean age of 54 ± 12 years old. Mean curvature on patient and physician assessment was 33 ± 17 and 36 ± 18 degrees, respectively. Only 49% of patients (94) correctly assessed their curvature, whereas 35% underestimated and 16% overestimated it. Conclusions Only half of PD patients accurately assess their penile curvature, with more than twice as many patients underestimating it than overestimating it. These data suggest that patient self-reporting of penile curvature should not be used as a clinical marker or end point in Peyronie's disease trials. Matsushita K, Stember DS, Nelson CJ, and Mulhall JP. Concordance between patient and physician assessment of the magnitude of Peyronie's disease curvature. J Sex Med 2014;11:205–210.
The Role of Calcium in the Desensitization of Capsaicin Responses in Rat Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons

Capsaicin (Cap) is a pungent extract of the Capsicum pepper family, which activates nociceptive primary sensory neurons. Inward current and membrane potential responses of cultured neonatal rat dorsal root ganglion neurons to capsaicin were examined using whole-cell and perforated patch recording methods. The responses exhibited strong desensitization operationally classified as acute (diminished response during constant Cap exposure) and tachyphylaxis (diminished response to successive applications of Cap). Both acute desensitization and tachyphylaxis were greatly diminished by reductions in external Ca2+ concentration. Furthermore, chelation of intracellular Ca2+ by addition of either EGTA or bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetra-acetic acid to the patch pipette attenuated both forms of desensitization even in normal Ca2+. Release of intracellular Ca2+ by caffeine triggered acute desensitization in the absence of extracellular Ca2+, and barium was found to effectively substitute for calcium in supporting desensitization. Cap activated inward current at an ED50 of 728 nM, exhibiting cooperativity (Hill coefficient, 2.2); however, both forms of desensitization were only weakly dependent on [Cap], suggesting a dissociation between activation of Cap-sensitive channels and desensitization. Removal of ATP and GTP from the intracellular solutions resulted in nearly complete tachyphylaxis even with intracellular Ca2+ buffered to low levels, whereas changes in nucleotide levels did not significantly alter the acute form of desensitization. These data suggest a key role for intracellular Ca2+ in desensitization of Cap responses, perhaps through Ca2+-dependent dephosphorylation at a locus that normally sustains Cap responsiveness via ATP-dependent phosphorylation. It also seems that the signaling mechanisms underlying the two forms of desensitization are not identical in detail.
Solid‐phase Organic Synthesis of Drugs and Natural Products

Solid-phase organic synthesis (SPOS), in which molecules are constructed on insoluble polymer resin beads, has had an enormous impact on organic synthesis since its introduction in 1963. The ability to purify reactions by simple filtration and subsequent washing of the beads facilitates driving reactions to completion through the use of reagent excesses unsuitable for traditional solution-phase reactions and purification techniques. These advantages are particularly amenable to the synthesis of drugs and natural products, where driving reactions to completion and having a straightforward means of purifying and recovering small amounts of valuable products are of paramount importance. Reflecting this, SPOS has been widely applied to the art and science of total synthesis, and the solid-phase synthesis of numerous ambitious targets has been realized. This chapter reviews the many elegant solid-phase syntheses of drugs and natural products reported to date, highlighting strategies permitting asymmetric synthesis and reporting on experimental procedures for key solid-phase manipulations. Keywords: solid-phase; organic synthesis; SPOS; immobilization; solid support; linker; polymer support; cyclo-release cleavage strategy; drug; natural product; pharmaceutical; total synthesis; alkaloid; antibiotic; oligosaccharide; terpene; steroid; terpenoid; macrocyclic
Gene segments encoding transmembrane carboxyl termini of immunoglobulin γ chains

Abstract In cell lines producing lgM, secreted and membrane-bound forms of immunoglobulin μ heavy chains are produced from two separate μ mRNAs that are identical except for alternative 3′ coding sequences. We now show that cell lines producing lgG likewise contain two mRNA species for immunoglobulin γ chains. The major, 1.7 kilobase (kb) species encodes secreted γ chains. A less abundant species of 3–4 kb appears to encode membrane-bound γ chains, in that it contains an alternative 3′ end encoded in separate exons 3′ to the remainder of the gene. The first exon of this M gene segment has been identified in chromosomal γ1 and γ2b gene clones by its sequence homology with the corresponding exon in the μ gene. Like the μ M exon, it encodes a probable transmembrane polypeptide segment. The flanking DNA sequences show a patchwork pattern of homology between genes that suggests a checkered evolutionary history.
Hepatotoxicity despite early administration of intravenous N-acetylcysteine for acute acetaminophen overdose.

Objectives: The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous N-acetylcysteine (IV NAC; 300 mg/kg over 21 hours) in early acute acetaminophen (APAP) overdose patients. Methods: This observational case series included patients hospitalized between 2004 and 2007 for acute APAP overdoses and who were reported to a regional poison center. Inclusion criteria were plasma APAP concentrations on or above the treatment line on the Rumack-Matthew nomogram, administration of IV NAC within 8 hours of ingestion, and follow-up to known outcome. The hospital chart of each patient who received IV NAC for longer than the standard 21 hours was reviewed. Hepatotoxicity was defined as hepatic aminotransferase levels greater than 1,000 IU/L. Results: Seventy-seven patients met inclusion criteria and received at least 21 hours of IV NAC for an acute APAP overdose. Seven patients received antidotal therapy for greater than 21 hours. These patients tended to have ingested combination preparations, have very high initial plasma APAP concentrations, and had persistently elevated plasma concentrations during their hospital stay. Hepatotoxicity occurred in 4 patients (5.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.2% to 10.1%), including 1 death and 1 liver transplantation. Conclusions: Hepatotoxicity developed in 5.2% of cases, suggesting that the 21-hour IV NAC regimen is suboptimal in some patients. In addition to high initial plasma APAP concentrations, APAP product formulation and persistently elevated plasma APAP concentrations were identified as factors possibly associated with developing hepatotoxicity. The authors propose a tailored approach to the discontinuation of IV NAC and point out the need for reevaluation of optimal doses and duration of therapy.
An upper bound on strain rate for wedge type fracture in nickel during creep

It is shown that measurements of the rate of grain boundary sliding using internal friction can be used for calculating an upper bound in strain-rate, above which wedge type of intergranular fracture will not occur. A transition in mode of fracture, from ductile-transgranular at high strain-rate to wedge-intergranular at a lower strain-rate, in Ni is adequately predicted by internal friction measurements. At a still lower strain-rate, a shift from wedge type to “r” type of intergranular fracture occurs. This transition apparently agrees well with the change in the overall creep mechanism from power-law creep to diffusional creep.
Frontier molecular orbital analysis of dual fluorescent dyes: predicting two-color emission in N-Aryl -1,8-naphthalimides

A 3 x 3 matrix of disubstituted N-aryl-1,8-naphthalimides was synthesized for the evaluation and discovery of dual fluorescence (DF). The matrix elements included for this study were based on a predictive model that is proposed as a seesaw balanced photophysical model. This model serves as a guide to optimize the dual fluorescence emission from N-phenyl-1,8-naphthalimides by appropriate placement of substituent groups at both the 4-position of the N-arene as well as the 4'-position of the naphthalene ring. Steady-state fluorescence studies under a variety of solvents indicate that four of the nine dyes in the matrix are dual fluorescent. To provide a more quantitative description of the model, cyclic voltammetry experiments were used to calculate HOMO/LUMO energies of the aromatic components that comprise these DF dyes and give evidence in support for potential mixing of S1 and S2 excited states. Given the difficulties in predicting excited state properties such as molecular fluorescence, this ratio of four out of nine "hits" for discovering DF signifies proof of principle for this proposed model and should provide a rational basis for the synthesis of future DF 1,8-naphthalimide systems.
Nonlinear taylor instability of a plane interface between two incompressible fluids with interfacial mass transfer

A principal mechanism for rapid mixing and fragmentation in vapor explosions, such as have occurred in the LNG, aluminum, steel and paper industries, is thought to be nonlinear Taylor instability. An analysis, based on a generalized coordinate method developed by Dienes for a fluid with an arbitrary constitutive law, is here extended to a two-fluid model, with or without mass transfer between the fluids. Numerical results indicate that in a steam-water system entrainment starts in times of order 10/sup -4/s at 100 G acceleration normal to the interface. For gas-liquid systems the presence of the second fluid changes the instability growth only slightly. Condensation of steam, even when limited only by the kinetic theory interfacial resistance, also has minor effects on the growth rate. However, condensation on the entrained drops will have a major effect on the acceleration.
Cryogenic Interferometer Spectrometer

An interferometer spectrometer rocket payload system to measure infrared auroral emissions from 5 to 22 micrometers has been in design and development for several years. System specifications for wavelength coverage and sensitivity require that the instrument must function at cryogenic temperatures. This paper will describe the scanning Michelson interferometer system, together with the optical, electronic and cryogenic methods employed to achieve an operational sounding rocket experiment and its successful field test.
Reproductive biology of curlleaf mountain mahogany, Cercocarpus ledifolius (Rosaceae): Self-compatibility, pollen limitation, and wind pollination

In this study, we explore the reproductive biology of Cercocarpus ledifolius (Rosaceae), a species showing extremely limited recruitment throughout its range in the Intermountain West, USA. We examined (1) self-compatibility, (2)the potential for wind pollination, (3) pollen limitation of seed production, and (4)loss of developing seeds. Through hand-pollination experiments, we determined that C. ledifolius flowers are highly self-compatible. Abundant seeds were produced from flowers pollinated with pollen from the same plant, and the level of seed production did not differ from control outcrossed treatments. Furthermore, we measured substantial airborne pollen loads within C. ledifolius stands, indicating transport of pollen via wind and a strong potential for wind pollination, despite apparent adaptations for insect pollination. Pollen did not limit seed production; branches on which all flowers were handpollinated with outcrossed pollen did not have greater seed production than control branches open only to natural pollination. Lastly, virtually all initiated seeds developed to maturity, indicating low seed abortion rates and minimal loss to pre-dispersal seed predators. Natural levels of fruit production were at or greater than mean fruit production for woody perennials. In summary, we found no evidence that the quantity of pollen, the source of pollen (self vs. outcrossed), or developing seed loss is seriously limiting recruitment of this species.
Limb regeneration in Ambystoma larvae during and after treatment with adult pituitary hormones.

Intact and hypophysectomized larvae of Ambystoma maculatum, A. opacum, A. laterale and A. mexicanum were subjected to the influence of adult newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) pituitary hormones by means either (1) of adenohypophyseal implants to the lower jaw or, (2) daily intraperitoneal injections of ACTH. After a 10–21 day treatment period, the ecotopic newt pituitary was removed or the ACTH injections were terminated. Neither procedure had any consequence for limb regeneration, whether limbs were amputated during, or from two to five days following cessation of, hormone treatment. The positive regenerative response suggests that limb tissues of larval Ambystoma do not respond either directly, or indirectly via the adrenal cortex, to the ectopic adult newt pituitary or to ACTH injection. Implanted adult newt pituitaries were found to cause precocious metamorphosis in A. maculatum, A. opacum, and A. laterale but not in A. mexicanum.
Concurrent Search and Insertion in AVL Trees

This paper addresses the problem of concurrent access to dynamically balanced binary search trees. Specifically, two solutions for concurrent search and insertion in AVL trees are developed. The first solution is relatively simple and is intended to allow several readers to share nodes with a writer process. The second solution uses the first as a starting point and introduces additional concurrency among writers by applying various parallelization techniques. Simulation results used to evaluate the parallel performance of these algorithms with regard to the amount of concurrency achieved and the parallel overhead incurred are summarized.
Faculty development in medical education, with implications for continuing medical education

This review of faculty development (FD) in medical education calls attention to the challenges facing both FD and continuing medical education (CME) in the hope that the two fields can work together to better meet those challenges. FD and CME have, for the most part, developed independently of each other, despite having much in common. The two fields can be expected to have still more in common as more nonacademic physicians (particularly those in primary care) answer the increasing call to teach medical students in ambulatory settings, and as more academic physicians spend increasingly more time in (and bring in more income from) clinical practice. The authors' knowledge and experience lie in FD, and we invite readers with CME backgrounds to interpret what we say about FD in light of their knowledge and experience. We believe that the current challenges to FD and the recommendations we make are also relevant to CME, and that FD and CME professionals can both increase their impact by working more closely together to develop better strategies for designing, implementing, and evaluating our programs. We begin by defining FD in medical education and discuss the domains (or academic roles) commonly addressed and the educational formats commonly used in FD programs. We cite references to the literature on a variety of programs. We conclude this section with two sets of recommendations for FD from the literature. In the next section, we begin to look at the next challenges for FD, given the current environment in which academic medicine finds itself. We raise questions and make recommendations toward meeting the new challenges for FD and CME.
Liver and Brain Iron Deficiency in Newborn Infants with Bilateral Renal Agenesis (Potter's Syndrome)

Significant changes in fetal iron status potentially occur in pregnancies in which reduced fetal nutrient delivery is severe enough to result in intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), particularly if chronic fetal hypoxia is also present and increases fetal iron demand for hemoglobin synthesis. Neonates rarely die following IUGR secondary to maternal preeclampsia, but bilateral renal agenesis, which is also characterized by reduced maternal-fetal blood flow, late gestation placental failure, and IUGR, is uniformly fatal. We measured neonatal liver iron concentration, as an assessment of fetal storage iron status, and heart and brain iron concentrations, as assessments of nonheme tissue iron status, in 11 infants who died in the neonatal period of bilateral renal agenesis, and compared them with values for gestational age-matched control infants whose gestation was not complicated by fetal growth retardation or hypoxia. Stainable nonheme iron in the hepatocytes was significantly reduced in all and completely absent in 8 of the 11 cases of renal agenesis (P < .001 compared with control). The mean +/- SEM liver iron concentration of the bilateral renal agenesis group (999 +/- 218 micrograms/g dry tissue weight) was 26% of the control value (3894 +/- 548 micrograms/g dry tissue weight; P < .001). Brain iron concentration was also lower in the group with bilateral renal agenesis (109 +/- 17 vs. 161 +/- 19; P = .015) and was correlated with liver iron concentration (r = .47; P = .03). Heart iron concentrations were similar in the two groups. Nine of the subjects with bilateral renal agenesis had placental weights below the fifth percentile for gestational age. The bilateral renal agenesis group had a lower mean birth weight (P < .001) and had a higher prevalence of fetal growth retardation (55% vs. 0%; P < .001). We conclude that infants with bilateral renal agenesis are at risk for severe iron deficiency of storage and nonstorage tissues. Liveborn infants with nonfatal fetal conditions characterized by significant restriction of maternal-fetal blood flow may also be at significant risk for postnatal iron deficiency.
Network Financial Support and Conflict as Predictors of Depressive Symptoms among a Highly Disadvantaged Population.

The study examined multiple dimensions of social support as predictors of depressive symptoms among a highly vulnerable population. Social network analysis was used to assess perceived and enacted dimensions of support (emotional, financial, instrumental), network conflict, closeness, and composition. Participants were 393 current and former injection drug users who were 72% ≤ poverty level, 96% African American, 39% HIV seropositive. At baseline, 37% had high depression scores (CES-D ≥ 16). Adjusted logistic regression indicated that for every additional network member providing financial support, the odds of probable depression 1 year later decreased by 23%, and for every additional conflictive network tie the odds of depression increased by 57%. Findings suggest the greater importance to this population's psychological well-being of received support specific to environmental demands, rather than support perceived potentially available. The findings suggest potential directions for intervention. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Effect of Hypoparathyroidism on the Aging Skeleton

Serum concentrations of parathyroid hormone are frequently increased in elderly subjects. How much this increase may contribute to the development of osteoporosis in such subjects is unknown. Long-standing hypoparathyroidism has been reported to be accompanied by an increase in skeletal density. In seven consecutive women, aged 40 to 83 years, with hypoparathyroidism of at least 18 years duration, the mineral density in the lumbar vertebrae was measured by quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and dual photon absorptiometry (DPA). In these subjects, the bone mineral density by dual photon absorptiometry was 1.4 to 6.2 standard deviations above mean values for age-matched normal women. However, the mineral density of vertebral trabecular bone as determined by quantitative computed tomography was only slightly increased above values reported for normal women. The differences between the values determined by dual photon absorptiometry and quantitative computed tomography indicate that most of the increase in mineral density was a reflection of increased cortical bone. Roentgenograms of the metacarpals did not reveal consistent differences between normals and the hypoparathyroid subjects. These findings suggest the possibility that control of parathyroid function might be of value in treating osteoporotic patients.
Numerical Modeling of Saltwater Intrusion in the Northern Guam Lens

This paper deals with the application of a two-dimensional, saltwater intrusion model to the aquifer in Northern Guam. The model used finite element theory and the Galerkin, weighted-residual technique as its basis. The Northern Guam lens was discretized into 299 linear, triangular elements and 189 nodes. The model was calibrated using 1978 hydrologic data. The output of the model was compared with measured water levels in six observation wells. The calibrated values of permeability and porosity were then used to verify the model using 1979 data. A calibrated and verified model can be used to make an infinite variety of management and planning studies. In this study, three applications are provided that would be considered typical management runs. Steady state runs were made to compare the four conditions of no pumping, 1978 pumping levels, twice 1978 pumping levels, and five times 1978 pumping levels. The water levels due to these conditions are shown in plan and in cross sections of the aquifer. The effect of zero recharge to the aquifer is next demonstrated for the pumping levels existing during 1978. The final run shows how long the aquifer takes to reach steady state when the pumping rate is increased from the 1978 pumping level to twice that value. The program can be used for numerous other studies for management and planning purposes.
The effect of film thicknesses on craze microstructure

Transmission electron microscopy of the fibrillar microstructure of air crazes grown in polystyrene (PS) films thicker than 150 nm, shows this microstructure to consist of fine fibrils 4 to 10 nm in diameter with a mean value of 6 nm, in excellent agreement with recent small angle X-ray scattering measurements on crazes in bulk PS. For films 100 nm and thinner, the crazes have a much coarser microstructure, often resembling a perforated sheet more than a set of discrete fibrils. Where fibrils exist they are much larger in diameter (up to 150 nm) than those in thick film crazes. This change in craze micro-structure with decreasing film thickness is attributed to the absence of plastic constraint in the direction of film thickness. Even in much thicker films the absence of plastic constraint at the film surface gives rise to a surface plastic zone producing a surface groove of depth ∼ 25 nm which can extend up to 1000 nm ahead of the craze tip. The absence of lateral stresses in these films increases the wavelength of the meniscus instability (the mechanism of craze tip advance and fibril formation) until for a film thickness less than this wavelength a true fibril structure can no longer form.
A Matrix Isolation Spectroscopy and Laser Flash Photolysis Study of 2-Pyrimidylnitrene

Photolysis (254 nm) of 2-azidopyrimidine (AP) in glassy ethanol (EtOH) at 77 K produces the EPR spectrum of 2-pyrimidylnitrene (D ) 1.15 cm -1 ) in its triplet ground state. Photolysis (254 nm) of AP in EtOH at 77 K leads to bleaching of the absorption of the azide (Imax ) 242 nm) and formation of a broad absorption band between 300 and 400 nm and a highly structured band between 400 and 450 nm. A more highly resolved but similar spectrum was observed by photolysis of AP in argon at 14 K. The appearance of these bands in argon is accompanied by the formation of a series of IR transitions. The experimentally observed IR spectrum was consistent with the spectrum of triplet 2-pyrimidylnitrene ( 3 PN) predicted by density functional theory with the 6-31G* basis set. The UV-vis spectrum is attributed to 3 PN based on the IR and EPR results. Laser flash photolysis (LFP) of AP in dichloromethane at ambient temperature produced 3 PN with its characteristic structured absorption between 400 and 450 nm. The triplet nitrene was formed in an exponential process (kOBS ) 8 ( 2 10 7 s -1 , U 13 ns, Imax ) 429 nm) following the laser flash. The transient absorption observed at 455 nm decays with the same time constant and is attributed to singlet 2-pyrimdylnitrene ( 1 PN). Simple expectations based on anti-aromaticity arguments and density functional theory calculations agree that cyclization of singlet 2-pyrimidylnitrene to form a 1H-benzodiazirine is more endothermic than the corresponding process in unsubstituted singlet phenylnitrene if the singlet -triplet gaps of the two nitrenes are comparable. The rate constant of intersystem crossing of 1 PN is more than 200 times faster than that of parent singlet phenylnitrene. Cyclization of 1 PN to the benzo 1H-diazirine is not observed, and the hypothetical process is at least 13 times slower than that of singlet phenylnitrene to a benzazirine at ambient temperature. 3 PN decays over tens of microseconds in a second order process, presumably to form the azo dimer, and reacts with molecular oxygen.
Right is not always wrong: DTI and fMRI evidence for the reliance of reading comprehension on language-comprehension networks in the right hemisphere

The Simple View theory suggests that reading comprehension relies on automatic recognition of words combined with language comprehension. The goal of the current study was to examine the structural and functional connectivity in networks supporting reading comprehension and their relationship with language comprehension within 7-9 year old children using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and fMRI during a Sentence Picture Matching task. Fractional Anisotropy (FA) values in the left and right Inferior Longitudinal Fasciculus (ILF) and Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus (SLF), known language-related tracts, were correlated from DTI data with scores from the Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ-III) Passage Comprehension sub-test. Brodmann areas most proximal to white-matter regions with significant correlation to Passage Comprehension scores were chosen as Regions-of-Interest (ROIs) and used as seeds in a functional connectivity analysis using the Sentence Picture Matching task. The correlation between percentile scores for the WJ-III Passage Comprehension subtest and the FA values in the right and left ILF and SLF indicated positive correlation in language-related ROIs, with greater distribution in the right hemisphere, which in turn showed strong connectivity in the fMRI data from the Sentence Picture Matching task. These results support the participation of the right hemisphere in reading comprehension and may provide physiologic support for a distinction between different types of reading comprehension deficits vs difficulties in technical reading.
Performance/Failure Analysis of Acoustic Array Connectors and Cables After 6-10 Years of Service

A performance/failure analysis was conducted on three acoustic arrays recovered from a depth of 3300 ft at a naval tracking range off St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. The analysis included bench tests of electronic components and examination of connectors, cables, seals, and housings with electron microscopes, X-ray diffraction, and optical microscopes to determine the effectiveness of design features and materials. One array had been submerged for about 10 years, the others for 6 years. Cables with polyethylene jackets performed satisfactorily whereas cables with polyurethane jackets exhibited leaks and visible circumferential cracks approximately 1/4 in. long. Of 42 double O-rings examined, 8 of the first O-rings leaked; half of these were on one array. The second O-ring on all seals was effective. Arcing, apparently due to lightning, produced a low resistance in one of the Morrison connector seals by creating a carbon path of charred teflon. Certain packing seal glands and backup washers in the Morrison seals of one array sustained permanent deformation because of improper assembly.