cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Demonstration of output-port contention resolution in a WDM switching node based on all-optical wavelength shifting and subcarrier-multiplexed routing control headers

We demonstrate near-error-free output-port contention resolution in a WDM switching node based on all-optical wavelength shifting. Contention between incoming 1-Gbit/s data packets is resolved in real-time by comparing subcarrier-multiplexed control headers on 2 input ports and then all-optically wavelength-shifting one input signal to a free wavelength if contention occurs. Additionally, the 50 Mbit/s subcarrier header itself is replaced and updated with new routing information.
Factors associated with 30-day readmission and long-term efficacy of enteral stent placement for malignancy.

Readmissions to the hospital within 30 days of discharge (30-day readmission rate) may impact stent use in palliative treatment of cancer. Our objective was to investigate the incidence of readmission and factors predicting readmissions and long-term outcomes in patients with self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) placed for malignant obstruction. Retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent placement of SEMS from 2007 to 2012 for malignant esophageal, gastroduodenal, and colonic obstruction. Incidence and variables associated with 30-day readmission and long-term outcomes were determined. A total of 191 patients underwent stent placement. The 30-day readmission rate was 17.3 % (N = 33). Readmissions were for stent-related complications in 7.3 % (N = 14) and non-stent-related complications in 9.9 % (N = 19). Stent placement was technically successful in 185 of 191 (96.9 %) and clinically successful in 170 of 191 (89.0 %) patients. On long-term follow-up, 32 (16.8 %) patients needed re-intervention. The mean stent patency was 142 days. Readmission within 30 days was independently associated with development of early complications (<7 days) following stent placement (odds ratio [OR] 5.90; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 2.04–17.1), while the stent location did not impact readmission risk. On Cox regression analysis, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical classification (OR 1.36; 95 % CI 1.02–1.87) and stent location in the esophagus (OR 1.82; 95 % CI 1.10–3.02) were independently associated with long-term mortality. Early complications following stent placement increase the risk of 30-day readmission. SEMS is efficacious long-term for palliation of malignant gastrointestinal obstruction.
Holocene submergence of southern Long Island, New York

Samples of basal peat from south-central Long Island have been dated by the radiocarbon method, and a local curve of submergence has been obtained for the past 8,000 yr. The submergence curve indicates that from 7,000 and 3,000 yr BP the Long Island coast was being submerged at a rate of about 25 cm per 100 yr, a rate which slowed markedly to about 10 cm per 100 yr during the past 3,000 yr. Sea-level data for before 7,000 yr show considerable scatter. Samples from the fringing and mid-bay marsh areas of the Great South Bay taken at depths of -1.1 and -0.3 m MSL gave radiocarbon ages of about 1,015 and 300 yr, respectively. The inception of these marshes is estimated to have occurred at about 2,000 yr BP. It seems likely that the change from open lagoon to saltmarsh was initiated in the Great South Bay by a decrease in the rate of submergence at about 3,000 yr BP, which allowed sedimentation to build the floor of the lagoon to a level suitable for colonization by marsh grasses.
Robert d'Arbrissel: Aristocratic patronage and the question of heresy

Abstract Robert d'Arbrissel, first of the wandering preachers of the late eleventh century in northwestern France, often skirted the edges of heresy. Scholars have wondered what separated Robert from similar figures, such as Henry of Lausanne, who were in fact condemmed as heretics. Since Robert came from a modest family in a region of Brittany dominated by the Angevin counts, his career was always oriented towards Anjou. One possibility, then, is to examine Robert's career within the context of the Angevin nobility. His first patron, Bishop Silvester of Rennes, was a member of the count of Anjou's entourage, as were many other powerful figures who later supported him. Chief of these was Rainald, Lord of Craon. Under Reinald's patronage, Robert was able to establish the church of La Roe with the personal approval of Pope Urban. When Robert left to preach to crowds of followers, powerful Angevin churchmen recalled him to his duty. Once again it was the Angevin nobility, many related to the house of Craon, who provided Robert with the means to establish a monastery at Fontevraud. This establishment, backed by the Angevin nobility, kept Robert within the good graces of the Church.
Review of asthmatic patients hospitalized in the pavilion service of the New York Hospital from 1948 to 1963, with emphasis on mortality rate.

Abstract Raldwin and colleagues 1 reviewed records of patients admitted to The New York Hospital with a primary diagnosis of asthma from 1933 to 1948. The present study covers the period from 1948 to 1963, during which time steroids and the more extensive use of antimicrobials have been introduced into the therapeutic regimen. There were 269 patients admitted during the current 15 year period compared to 434 in the earlier 15 year study. In comparison to the earlier series, there was a shorter hospital stay for both pediatric and adult cases, but the difference was most marked with the children. There were 7 deaths in the current series (2.6 per cent) compared to 6 (1.4 per cent) in the earlier series. The increased mortality in the current series may be more apparent than real and may merely reflect a more seriously ill group of patients in the current study, steroids and antimicrobials having made it possible to manage many patients without the need for hospitalization. Detailed study of the fatal cases in the current series suggested that barbiturates and opiates contributed to fatal termination. Thirty-one patients received barbiturates, 7 of whom died; 10 received meperidine HCl (Demerol), 2 of whom died; 5 received morphine, 3 of whom died. (Some patients received 2 or more of these drugs.) Epinephrine in the presence of cardiac overloading or in combination with isoproterenol may cause death from arrhythmia. This may have been a factor in one death in this series.
Model Engine Performance Measurement From Force Balance Instrumentation

A large scale model representative of a low-noise, high bypass ratio turbofan engine was tested for acoustics and performance in the NASA Lewis 9- by 15-Foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel. This test was part of NASA's continuing Advanced Subsonic Technology Noise Reduction Program. The low tip speed fan, nacelle, and an un-powered core passage (with core inlet guide vanes) were simulated. The fan blades and hub are mounted on a rotating thrust and torque balance. The nacelle, bypass duct stators, and core passage are attached to a six component force balance. The two balance forces, when corrected for internal pressure tares, measure the total thrust-minus-drag of the engine simulator. Corrected for scaling and other effects, it is basically the same force that the engine supports would feel, operating at similar conditions. A control volume is shown and discussed, identifying the various force components of the engine simulator thrust and definitions of net thrust. Several wind tunnel runs with nearly the same hardware installed are compared, to identify the repeatability of the measured thrust-minus-drag. Other wind tunnel runs, with hardware changes that affected fan performance, are compared to the baseline configuration, and the thrust and torque effects are shown. Finally, a thrust comparison between the force balance and nozzle gross thrust methods is shown, and both yield very similar results.
Regulatory adaptation: Accommodating electric vehicles in a petroleum world

Abstract This paper addresses the policy challenges of adjusting established regulations to accommodate evolving and new technologies. We examine energy and emissions regulations for older petroleum powered vehicles and newer plug-in electric vehicles. Until now, vehicle regulations across the world have ignored energy consumption and emissions upstream of the vehicle (at refineries, pipelines, etc), largely because of the convenient fact that upstream emissions and energy use are nearly uniform across petroleum-fueled vehicles and play a relatively minor role in total lifecycle emissions. Including upstream impacts would greatly complicate the regulations. But because the vast majority of emissions and energy consumption for electric vehicles (and hydrogen and, to a lesser extent, biofuels) are upstream, the old regulatory design is no longer valid. The pressing regulatory question is whether to assign upstream GHG emissions to electric vehicles, or not, and if so, how. We find that assigning zero upstream emissions—as a way of incentivizing the production and sale of PEVs—would eventually lead to an erosion of 20% of the GHG emission benefits from new vehicles, assuming fixed vehicle standards. We suggest alternative policy mechanisms and strategies to account for upstream emissions and energy use.
Uneven spacing in free-entry equilibrium for spatial product differentiation

Abstract This paper shows that the spacing of firms can be very uneven in free-entry equilibrium, in a familiar model of spatial competition in which potential entrants have sophisticated expectations about post-entry prices.
Baryon-decuplet magnetic moments

Abstract We investigate the generalized Coleman-Glashow sum rules in the magnetic moments of the baryon decuplet in the chiral bag model. Due to the spin symmetries held both for the effective and naive NRQMs in the SU(3) flavor symmetric limit, the chiral bag model can be considered as an effective NRQM with meson cloud as in the baryon octet. In the multiquark structure with U-spin symmetry breaking, we predict the decuplet magnetic moments to be insensitive to the bag radius enough to suggest Cheshire catness.
Integration of chalcogenide and titanium-diffused lithium-niobate waveguides

The integration of a higher index chalcogenide strip as a guiding layer on top of diffused lithium niobate waveguides is presented. The mode transfer to upper cladding through a 2D taper structure is discussed theoretically. A review of the fabricated waveguide structures and the results are also provided. A slight modification to current taper design is proposed to further improve the bend radius and create much smaller ring resonators. Future perspectives for devices and their potential impacts on integrated optics are also discussed.
Craft economies in the north American Southwest

Debates concerning sociopolitical organization in the North American Southwest are clarified and confounded by the conclusion that craft specialization was not always a sufficient condition of complexity in the region. Understanding the relationship between varying dimensions of craft specialization (e.g., context, scale, and intensity) and sociopolitical organization in the region requires us to examine a variety of social institutions (e.g., leadership, gender, and ethnicity) that potentially generated differentiated economies. New research on middle-range societies in the North American Southwest and elsewhere in the world should focus on identifying and interpreting the archaeological signatures of specific social institutions and their linkages to craft economies.
The Pickwickian syndrome: A review of the literature and report of a case

An exceedingly obese 4-year-old child with most of the aspects of the Pickwickian syndrome is presented. The autopsy revealed interesting cerebral changes which could have caused the excessive appetite and suggested a possible etiology of the polyphagia. The mechanism of the respiratory failure is discussed in detail, and the need for early treatment of this clinical syndrome is stressed.
Distinct Recent Lineages of the strA-strB Streptomycin-Resistance Genes in Clinical and Environmental Bacteria

We report the linkage of the strA-strB streptomycin-resistance genes with Class 1 integron sequences on pSTR1, a 75-kb multiple antibiotic-resistance plasmid from Shigella flexneri. strA-strB had previously been detected only within Tn5393, a Tn3-family transposon, and on small nonconjugative broad-host-range plasmids such as RSF1010. The geographic range of Tn5393 was also extended to Pseudomonas spp. isolated from apple trees in New Zealand and soil in the USA. Comparative sequence analyses indicated that strA-strB from Tn5393 and nonconjugative plasmids constitute distinct recent lineages with strA-strB from pSTR1 intermediate between the other two. The carriage of strA-strB within an integron, a transposon, and on broad-host-range plasmids has facilitated the world-wide dissemination of this determinant among at least 21 bacterial genera.
Detailed analysis of the African green monkey model of Nipah virus disease.

Henipaviruses are implicated in severe and frequently fatal pneumonia and encephalitis in humans. There are no approved vaccines or treatments available for human use, and testing of candidates requires the use of well-characterized animal models that mimic human disease. We performed a comprehensive and statistically-powered evaluation of the African green monkey model to define parameters critical to disease progression and the extent to which they correlate with human disease. African green monkeys were inoculated by the intratracheal route with 2.5×104 plaque forming units of the Malaysia strain of Nipah virus. Physiological data captured using telemetry implants and assessed in conjunction with clinical pathology were consistent with shock, and histopathology confirmed widespread tissue involvement associated with systemic vasculitis in animals that succumbed to acute disease. In addition, relapse encephalitis was identified in 100% of animals that survived beyond the acute disease phase. Our data suggest that disease progression in the African green monkey is comparable to the variable outcome of Nipah virus infection in humans.
Catecholamines and their major metabolites in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid of man

In 36 patients undergoing elective surgery under spinal anesthesia, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of catecholamines and their major metabolic products were determined. The development of specific and sensitive radioenzymatic assays make these determinations possible. The levels of norepinephrine, epinephrine, and the O-methylated metabolite, normetanephrine, were greater in the plasma then the CSF, although the difference was significant for norepinephrine and epinephrine only (P less than 0.01 for both) On the other hand the levels of both deaminated metabolites dihydroxyphenylglycol (DOPEG) and dihydroxymandelic acid (DOMA) were greater in the CSF the in plasma, but the difference was significant for DOPEG only (P less than 0.01). Although there was a positive and significant correlation between the levels in plasma and CSF of all these compounds, their concentrations in CSF may reflect metabolism of catecholamines in the central nervous system.
Transforming engagement in literacy instruction: The role of student genuine interest and ability

In this case study paper, I describe my work with Bill, a first grade boy with dyslexia. My goals were to identify his interests and abilities and create contexts in which these interests and abilities supported his literacy learning. A theoretical foundation that merged current understandings of highly effective pedagogical practices for individuals with dyslexia with Dewey’s (1913) theory of genuine interest within a social-constructivist perspective (Vygotsky 1987, 1993) was utilized. A noticeable improvement in Bill’s willingness to engage in activities of reading, writing, and phonological awareness occurred when he was given a voice in the activities. Within contexts of literacy learning that allowed him to demonstrate his interests and talents, Bill became increasingly engaged in activities surrounding the reading and writing of text. Ultimately, this project was successful in creating a context, for this six-year-old boy with dyslexia, in which meaningful learning took place and motivation was provided for future literacy learning.
Particle size distributions for an office aerosol

As attention has focused on indoor air quality, it has become important to obtain basic information on the effects of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning system operating parameters on office aerosols. In addition, it is important to know the particle size distributions (PSDs) in a typical office environment in order to address mitigation strategies. Therefore, this study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of percent outdoor air supplied and occupation level on the PSDs and mass concentrations for a typical office building. The outdoor, return, and supply air streams, as well as hallway air, were sampled using measuring equipment covering particle diameters from below 0.1 to above 3.5 μm. The mass concentrations, when the building was occupled, increased by a factor of approximately 2 when return air was recycled over ventilating with maximum outdoor air. The concentrations when unoccupied were at least as low using minimum outdoor air as those when occupied using maximum outdoor air. As expecte...
Prevention of prolapse in pediatric enterostomas with purse string technique

Abstract Eighty-five intestinal stomas (40 small bowel enterostomies and 45 colostomies) were performed by a purse string technique with no instances of prolapse.
Current Research Trends in Abrasive Waterjet Machining of Fiber Reinforced Composites

The use of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites in the aircraft and automotive industries exponentially. Reinforced fibers which are abrasive in nature make it hard to machine by the traditional machining. Dissipation of heat into workpiece which in turn results in enhanced cutting tool wear and damage to the workpiece is the common problems faced in traditional machining of FRPs. Nontraditional machining is favorable to reduce these issues. Abrasive waterjet machining (AWJM) is one of the best choices for machining FRPs. Development in AWJM of FRPs and the current research in this field will be discussed in details. Machining process of FRPs, quality dependents such as surface finish and variable cutting parameters will be addressed. One of main issues in AWJM noise due to high flow rate of water jet will be addressed. The importance of human safety aspects when AWJM is employed will be highlighted. Limitations and challenges in AWJM are presented elaborately.
DNA–protein crosslinks processed by nucleotide excision repair and homologous recombination with base and strand preference in E. coli model system

Bis-electrophiles including dibromoethane and epibromohydrin can react with O(6)-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) and form AGT-DNA crosslinks in vitro and in vivo. The presence of human AGT (hAGT) paradoxically increases the mutagenicity and cytotoxicity of bis-electrophiles in cells. Here we establish a bacterial system to study the repair mechanism and cellular responses to DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs) in vivo. Results show that both nucleotide excision repair (NER) and homologous recombination (HR) pathways can process hAGT-DNA crosslinks with HR playing a dominant role. Mutation spectra show that HR has no strand preference but NER favors processing of the DPCs in the transcribed strand; UvrA, UvrB and Mfd can interfere with small size DPCs but only UvrA can interfere with large size DPCs in the transcribed strand processed by HR. Further, we found that DPCs at TA deoxynucleotide sites are very inefficiently processed by NER and the presence of NER can interfere with these DNA lesions processed by HR. These data indicate that NER and HR can process DPCs cooperatively and competitively and NER processes DPCs with base and strand preference. Therefore, the formation of hAGT-DNA crosslinks can be a plausible and specific system to study the repair mechanism and effects of DPCs precisely in vivo.
Determination of the solubility of organic compounds. II

In general, solid particles liquify when they are exposed to air laden with the vapor of a liquid in which they are soluble. There are exceptions, however, which may be explained by assuming the formation of a solvate.
The impact of information technology on the audit process: an assessment of the state of the art and implications for the future

In the future, paperless audits will become commonplace as audit clients increasingly shift to paperless systems and audit software is developed that allows auditors to complete most procedures on‐line. To audit on‐line systems, auditors will have to incorporate on‐line audit software as their primary audit tool and gather evidence electronically. Assesses the current impact of technology on the audit process, and discusses the future implications of technological trends for the auditing profession. More specifically, provides a summary of how information technology has impacted audit planning, testing, and documentation.
Behavioral control by stimulus components of an imprinting object

In the first of three experiments, ducklings that had received prolonged exposure to the visibly moving imprinting object subsequently suppressed ongoing distress vocalization both during brief presentations of the moving object and during brief presentations of its initially neutral stimulus components (i.e., its auditory and static visual features). Only presentations of the moving object were followed by priming aftereffects (namely, enhancement of distress vocalization over a baseline rate). In Experiment 2, weak, but reliable, priming effects were detected after very long presentations of the auditory and static visual features. Experiment 3 found that these features strongly suppressed low, but not high, rates of distress vocalization, while the visibly moving object strongly suppressed both high and low rates. These studies suggest that initially neutral features of an imprinting object acquire the same sort of behavioral control as is exerted by the object when it is in motion, but that this control is somewhat weaker.
Antimicrobial lipids: novel innate defense molecules are elevated in sinus secretions of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

BackgroundAirway secretions possess intrinsic antimicrobial properties that contribute to the innate host defense of the respiratory tract. These microbicidal capabilities have largely been attribu...
Abstract 5375: Enhanced permeability of nanoscale chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of breast cancer

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Nanotechnology is becoming increasingly successful in advancing site-specific drug delivery to cancer tissues. The ability to deliver drugs more effectively to a region of interest translates into less harmful side effects and more beneficial therapeutic action. This technology is currently in use in treating a number of human cancers. Certain therapeutic limitations are encountered, such as short circulation life, poor drug permeability, and drug resistance. These limitations can be addressed with the use of nanoscale particles that allow for controlled release of the drug. This presentation will educate the audience about approaches to treating cancer using new technologies. Objectives The main objective of this strategy is to minimize the side effects associated with chemotherapy, while enhancing the overall efficacy of the treatment of breast cancer, and other cancers. - Tackle drug limitations by combining nanotechnology and chemotherapeutic methods that have been shown to increase therapeutic efficacy - Measure the effects of this combinatorial strategy using a mouse model bearing human breast tumors - Assemble the drug into a nanoscale shell in order to form a polymeric nanoparticle capable of providing controlled drug release. - Create leaky vasculature in the vicinity of tumor tissue without affecting normal tissue Methods 1st Method: Synthesis of a nanoparticle which encapsulates two chemotherapeutic agents, Paclitaxel and Cisplatin. The nanoparticle formed is a lipid-polymer hybrid whose main components are as follows: a core encapsulating the two drugs; a biocompatible shell to promote drug retention inside the core; and a polymer stealth layer outside the lipid shell to enhance nanoparticle stability and systemic circulation lifetime. 2nd Method: The tumor will be starved by limiting vascular growth using the drug, Endostatin. In addition, the permeability of the vasculature surrounding the tumor will be made more permeable for drug uptake by using a permability enhancing agent, iRGD. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Oliver Molina, Eugena Yu, Sarah Abdulabbas, Steve Lopez. Enhanced permeability of nanoscale chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 5375. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-5375
Complexities of junctional tachycardias.

Complexities of functional Tachycardias. The atrioventricular junction is a compact area in which most of the known electrophysiologic substrates and mechanisms play a role in the genesis and maintenance of tachyarrhythmias. The purpose of this review is to summarize the data on normal atrioventricular junction anatomy and electrophysiologic function and correlate that information with surface electrocardiographic recordings, intracardiac electrophysiologic data, and interventional data from surgical and catheter techniques. Models of tachycardia mechanisms are proposed for typical and atypical atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia, permanent Junctional reciprocating tachycardia, and orthodromic supraventricular tachycardias utilizing “intermediate septal” accessory connections.
Overexpression of apolipoprotein A-IV enhances lipid transport in newborn swine intestinal epithelial cells.

Apolipoprotein A-IV (apoA-IV) has myriad functions, including roles as a post-prandial satiety factor and lipid antioxidant. ApoA-IV is expressed in mammalian small intestine and is up-regulated in response to lipid absorption. In newborn swine jejunum, a high fat diet acutely induces a 7-fold increase in apoA-IV expression. To determine whether apoA-IV plays a role in the transport of absorbed lipid, swine apoA-IV was overexpressed in a newborn swine enterocyte cell line, IPEC-1, followed by analysis of the expression of genes related to lipoprotein assembly and lipid transport, as well as quantitation of lipid synthesis and secretion. A full-length swine apoA-IV cDNA was cloned, sequenced, and inserted into aVp and Rep gene-deficient adeno-associated viral vector, containing the cytomegalovirus immediate early promoter/enhancer and neomycin resistance gene, and was used to transfect IPEC-1 cells. Control cells were transfected with the same vector minus the apoA-IV insert. Using neomycin selection, apoA-IV-overexpressing (+AIV) and control (−AIV) clones were isolated for further study. Both undifferentiated (−D) and differentiated (+D) +AIV cells expressed 40- to 50-fold higher levels of apoA-IV mRNA and both intracellular and secreted apoA-IV protein compared with −AIV cells. Expression of other genes was not affected by apoA-IV overexpression in a manner that would contribute to enhanced lipid secretion. +D +AIV cells secreted 4.9-fold more labeled triacylglycerol (TG), 4.6-fold more labeled cholesteryl ester (CE), and 2-fold more labeled phospholipid (PL) as lipoproteins, mostly in the chylomicron/very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) density range. ApoA-IV overexpression in IPEC-1 cells enhances basolateral TG, CE, and PL secretion in chylomicron/VLDL particles. This enhancement is not associated with up-regulation of other genes involved in lipid transport. ApoA-IV may play a role in facilitating enterocyte lipid transport, particularly in the neonate receiving a diet of high fat breast milk.
Is there really an ethical conflict in clinical trials

Statistical concerns and considerations have an impact on the conduct and assessment of meaningful clinical trials, but the ethical principles are of foremost concern to all of us who are involved as physician investigators. Potential participants and their physicians often find clinical trial participation problematic, and the educa- tion of both groups regarding the logic and the ethics of such investigations remains crucial.' Progress in this educational process has occurred during recent years, and the importance of clinical trial participation is being accepted and appreciated more. There is increasing rec- ognition that improvements in therapy depend on the conduct of appropriate prospective clinical trials, and participants in such trials, particularly Phase Ill clinical trials such as those of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project (NSABP), also will receive the optimal treatment of the day. We completely agree with Dr. Mueller's final statement in his commentary that "Clin- ical research is essential in our sophisticated statistical society if medicine is to advance, but unethical research is unacceptable."2 Adverse publicity regarding what is perceived to be a major ethical problem in the conduct of trials within the highly respected cooperative group, the NSABP, clearly has been a setback in this extremely important process for improving cancer patient care. Dr. Mueller thoughtfully has addressed this recent problem of fraud on the part of one of the participating investigators. As past
Computer Languages for Process Control-Their Future

After discussing computer language successes and failures, the job of applying a computer to a process and the effect of language on this is considered. A review of the characteristics that a language should have, with particular attention to the kinds of programmers involved in process control computing, is presented. Next, a new, nonalogrithmic approach to programming is described and finally, the conclusion is made that a single standard language is unlikely.
Patrimony and the evolution of risk-taking.

The propensity to make risky choices has a genetic component, and recent studies have identified several specific genes that contribute to this trait. Since risk-taking often appears irrational or maladaptive, the question arises how (or if) natural selection favors risk-taking. Here we show, using a stochastic simulation of selection between two hypothetical species, “R” (risk-seeking) and “A” (risk-averse) that, when expected reproductive fitness of the individual is unaffected by the making of the risky choice (winnings balanced by losses) natural selection (taken to the point of extinction) favors the risk-averse species. However, the situation is entirely reversed if offspring are permitted to inherit a small fraction of the parent's increased or decreased fitness acquired through risk-taking. This seemingly Lamarckian form of inheritance actually corresponds to the human situation when property or culture are transmitted in families. In the presence of this “cultural inheritance”, the long-shot risk-taking species was overwhelmingly favored, even when 90% of individuals were rendered sterile by a losing choice. Given this strong effect in a minimal model, it is important to consider the co-evolution of genes and culture when interpreting the genetics of risk-taking. This conclusion applies, in principle, to any species where parental resources can directly affect the fecundity of offspring. It might also be relevant to the effects of epigenetic inheritance, if the epigenetic state of zygotes can be affected by parental experiences.
How helpful is disability label

I write with reference to Verbeek and van Dijk.1 For incapacity benefit, where no “factual evidence” is available, the assessment is based entirely on what the claimant states in a questionnaire, and how they perform on the day of the assessment.1 2 In other words, they have an incapacity if they say they do and if they perform …
Multi-series DICOM: an Extension of DICOM That Stores a Whole Study in a Single Object

Today, most medical images are stored as a set of single-frame composite Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) objects that contain the four levels of the DICOM information model—patient, study, series, and instance. Although DICOM addresses most of the issues related to medical image archiving, it has some limitations. Replicating the header information with each DICOM object increases the study size and the parsing overhead. Multi-frame DICOM (MFD) was developed to address this, among other issues. The MFD combines all DICOM objects belonging to a series into a single DICOM object. Hence, the series-level attributes are normalized, and the amount of header data repetition is reduced. In this paper, multi-series DICOM (MSD) is introduced as a potential extension to the DICOM standard that allows faster parsing, transmission, and storage of studies. MSD extends the MFD de-duplication of series-level attributes to study-level attributes. A single DICOM object that stores the whole study is proposed. An efficient algorithm, called the one-pass de-duplication algorithm, was developed to find and eliminate the replicated data elements within the study. A group of experiments were done that evaluate MSD and the one-pass de-duplication algorithm performance. The experiments show that MSD significantly reduces the amount of data repetition and decreases the time required to read and parse DICOM studies. MSD is one possible solution that addresses the DICOM limitations regarding header information repetition.
Assessing Values for Current Health: Numeracy Matters

CONTEXT: Despite the central importance of utilities in decision analysis, little is known about the validity of methods used to assess them. Many of the traditional assessment methods are quantitative and involve multiple comparisons of numerical expressions, raising questions about how well people with limited numeracy (i.e., basic facility working with numbers) can perform these tasks. OBJECTIVE: To learn whether numeracy affects the validity of utility assessment. DESIGN: In-person interview with written survey; utility assessments performed using standard gamble, time tradeoff and a visual analogue scale. SETTING: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH and Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. PARTICIPANTS: 96 women volunteers ages 50 to 79 years (mean 63), all had graduated from high school, and 52% had a college or post-graduate degree. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Construct validity of current health values across different levels of numeracy. Construct validity was assessed by the presence of a "dose-response" relationship between the values for current health and responses to a single global health question (In general, would you say your health is.) RESULTS: On a previously validated 3 item numeracy test, 26% answered none or 1 of the questions correctly, 37% answered 2 correctly and 37% answered all 3 correctly. Using the standard gamble and time tradeoff methods, only the most numerate women gave valid utilities. For example, median utility values (standard gamble method) for the most numerate women were 0.98 ("excellent" health), .98 ("very good" health) and .95 ("good, fair or poor" health), while for the least numerate women, the corresponding values were reversed .97, .97 and 1.0, respectively. In contrast, using the visual analogue scale, the expected relation between utility for current health and global health rating was observed at all levels of numeracy. For example, among the least numerate women, visual analogue scale ratings were .95 ("excellent"), .90 ("very good") and .70 ("good, fair or poor"). CONCLUSIONS: Limited numeracy may be an important barrier to meaningfully assessing patients values using the standard gamble and time tradeoff. Investigators assessing patients values should consider restricting their use of these methods (as currently implemented) to subjects with high levels of numeracy or use a visual analogue scale.
Effect of vitamin C on skeletal fluoride storage in the guinea pig

done by the average dentist in the average dental office. The impregnated points and the aqueous solution are stable regardless o f room temperature or humidity. The impregnated points yield the drug readily, as it is water soluble, and therapeutic concentrations are produced immediately when the points are used as has been described. The presence o f acid conditions, as might arise from ingredients in a tempor­ ary filling, have almost no deleterious effect on the homosulfonamide since it exerts its therapeutic effects even in con­ ditions o f low pH .18 The wide antibac­ terial spectrum o f para-aminotoluene sulfonamide, its marked activity especially against the anaerobes, its ability to remain active in the presence o f pus or necrotic tissue exudate, its ability to remain active in the presence o f para-aminobenzoic acid whether from metabolic origin or from hydrolysis o f procaine-type anesthetics, its prompt action, its very low tissue toxic­ ity and its very low sensitization potential make this agent a desirable and relatively effective antiseptic for root canal treat­ ment.
Resistance exercise and postprandial lipemia: the dose effect of differing volumes of acute resistance exercise bouts

Abstract Introduction Resistance exercise has been shown to reduce postprandial lipemia, but no dose-response effect has been established. Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether prior resistance exercise exhibited a dose-response effect on postprandial lipemia, while controlling for energy balance. Methods Subjects were healthy resistance-trained men (n = 4) and women (n = 6) aged 23.4 ± 2.5 years. Subjects participated in 4 different treatment conditions consisting of control (no exercise), 1 set, 3 sets, and 5 sets of 8 resistance exercises in a repeated-measures design. On day 1, each exercise was performed at 75% of the subject's 1-repetition maximum for 10 repetitions. This was followed by consumption of a postexercise meal equal in caloric volume designed to maintain energy balance. On day 2, after a 12-hour overnight fast (approximately 13 hours postexercise) in the General Clinical Research Center, subjects consumed a high-fat meal consisting of 1.7 g fat, 1.65 g carbohydrate, 0.25 g-protein per kilogram of fat-free mass and equal to 95 kJ of energy per kilogram of fat-free mass. Blood collections occurred before meal, and at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 hours after meal consumption and were analyzed for triacylglycerol (TAG), glucose, and insulin concentrations. The lipemic response was evaluated as the area under curve (AUC) for TAG versus time. Glucose and insulin AUCs were also calculated. Results No significant differences were observed among treatments for postprandial lipemia (mmol/L per 6 hours) as measured by the TAG AUC (control 2.96 ± 0.79, 1 set 2.52 ± 0.60, 3 sets 2.61 ± 0.59, 5 sets 2.45 ± 0.58). Similarly, no differences were observed for insulin or glucose AUC or for insulin sensitivity between treatments. There was a sex effect with TAG AUC significantly lower in women for control, 1 set, and 3 sets. Conclusion The results of this investigation suggest no dose-response attenuation of the postprandial lipemic response to a high-fat meal after previous resistance exercise.
Geometric, electronic and magnetic structures of S = 19/2 and S = 20/2 thiophene-2-carboxylate functionalized Mn12 single molecule magnets

The geometric and magnetic structures of two structurally related, but magnetically inequivalent, single molecule magnets (SMMs) have been computationally characterized. The first SMM, with formula [Mn12O12(O2CC4H3S)16(H2O)2]−1 (I), has a half-integer spin (SI = 19/2) due to ferrimagnetic ordering. The second SMM, with formula Mn12O12(O2CC4H3S)16(H2O)4 (II), has an integer spin (SII = 20/2) and its geometric structure has been computationally predicted. Both SMMs include thiophene-2-carboxylate functional groups for potential use in molecular electronics. To determine structural and electronic differences between both SMMs, spin polarized density functional theory was applied to I and II. Hydrogen bonding of two and four Mn-bound water molecules in I and II, respectively, to thiophene-2-carboxylate oxygen atoms and inner cubane oxygen atoms is essential for structural stabilization of both complexes. The one-electron-reduction of I is concomitant with a structural asymmetry within its cubane whereby two ions, of nominal Mn4+(Si = 3/2) character, are inequivalent to the other two and acquire an incipient Mn3+(Si = 4/2) character. The geometric asymmetry in I provides an extra, albeit small, contribution to its zero field splitting and anisotropy barrier to spin reversal. Thus, despite its lower spin state, the anisotropy barrier of I is only slightly lower than that of II.
Staying Informed With Really Simple Syndication (RSS)

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a term seen all over the Web, from online newspapers to subscription databases. Although the RSS icon, an orange box with curved lines radiating out of a circle, ...
Effect of photoperiod and pineal indoles on the reproductive system of young female white-footed mice

Exposure of prepubertal female mice to short photoperiod (LD 8∶16) for 3 weeks resulted in a significant inhibition of reproductive tract growth compared with mice maintained in long photoperiod (LD 16∶8). Chronic subcutaneous melatonin-beeswax implants containing 1 mg melatonin also produced an inhibition of the reproductive system of these animals. The repressive effects of melatonin appear not to be influenced by photoperiod since comparable results were obtained from groups of mice bearing implants in long and short photoperiods. In addition, the ability of beeswax implants containing various indolic compounds (melatonin, serotonin, 5-methoxytryptamine, 5-methoxyindole-3-acetic acid, and N-acetylserotonin) to inhibit the growth of the reproductive system of this species were compared. Only implants containing melatonin or serotonin caused any significant repression of uterine and ovarian weights.
PACS pitfalls and bottlenecks

PACS pitfalls are mostly created from human error, whereas bottlenecks are due to imperfect design in either the PACS or image acquisition devices. These drawbacks can only be realized through accumulated clinical experience. Pitfalls due to human error are often initiated at imaging acquisition devices and at workstations. Three major errors at the acquisition devices are entering wrong input parameters, stopping an image transmission process improperly, and incorrect patient positioning. The error occurring most often at the workstation happens when the user enters too many key strokes or clicks the mouse too often before the workstation can respond. Other pitfalls at the workstation unrelated to human error are missing location markers in a CT or MR scout view, images displayed with unsuitable look-up-tables, and white boarders in CR images due to x-ray collimation. Pitfalls created due to human intervention can be minimized by a better quality assurance program and periodic in-service training, and by interfacing image acquisition devices to the HIS/RIS. Bottlenecks affecting the PACS operation include network contention; CR, CT, and MR images stacked up at acquisition devices; slow response from workstations; and long delays for image retrieval from the long term archive. Bottlenecks can be alleviated by improving the system architecture, re- configuring the networks, and streamlining operational procedures through a gradual understanding of the clinical environment. We have identified most of the pitfalls and bottlenecks discussed above in our hospital-integrated PACS based on the past two years of clinical experience. This paper categorizes some of these problems, illustrates their effect on PACS operations, and suggests methods for circumventing them.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Tuning Electron Transport in Graphene‐Based Field‐Effect Devices using Block Co‐polymers

Graphene possesses many remarkable properties and shows promise as the future material for building nanoelectronic devices. For many applications such as graphene-based field-effect transistors (GFET), it is essential to control or modulate the electronic properties by means of doping. Using spatially controlled plasma-assisted CF4 doping, the Dirac point shift of a GFET covered with a polycrystalline PS-P4VP block co-polymer (BCP) [poly(styrene-b-4-vinylpyridine)] having a cylindrical morphology can be controlled. By changing the chemical component of the microdomain (P4VP) and the major domain (PS) with the CF4 plasma technique, the doping effect is demonstrated. This work provides a methodology where the Dirac point can be controlled via the different sensitivities of the PS and P4VP components of the BCP subjected to plasma processing.
Influence of the Marital History of Parents on the Marital and Cohabitational Experiences of Children

This article examines the influence of mothers' marital histories on the cohabitational and marital experiences of their children. Significant factors include whether the mother was pregnant at marriage, her age at marriage, and her experience with marital disruption and remarriage. The analysis is conducted within an event-history framework that controls for other features of the parental home, including socioeconomic status and religious affilaition. The evidence suggests that the children of mothers who married young and were pregnant at marriage entered into their own marital and nonmarital unions significantly earlier than others. The experience of parental marital dissolution increases children's nonmarital cohabitations but has little effect on their marriages. While no single causal mechanism can easily account for all of the empirical data, the combination of different attitudes toward marriage, nonmarital sex, and cohabitation can account for the empirical findings.
Left-hand Preference for a Complex Manual Task in a Population of Wild Siamangs (Symphalangus syndactylus)

Many hypotheses have been proposed linking the emergence of lateralized activities—such as handedness—in primates, with hemispheric specialization and the evolution of complex communication such as human language. Although data to test these ideas are rapidly accumulating for many primate taxa, some species are still largely unexplored, especially under natural conditions. I present the first data on a population of wild siamangs (Symphalangus syndactylus), highly arboreal small apes. Preference for the left hand is shown both at the individual and population levels for a complex manual task: collecting and drinking water from tree holes. There was no difference in hand preference between males and females, and immature individuals showed more variable patterns than adults. These results are consistent with the postural origins theory, allow a new interpretation of the findings of comparable studies, and indicate a useful behavior for future investigations of laterality in wild primates.