cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of prior upper abdominal surgery on outcomes after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: An analysis of the database of the organ procurement transplant network.

Abstract Objectives Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is the preferred treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in select patients. Many patients listed for OLT have a history of prior upper abdominal surgery (UAS). Repeat abdominal surgery increases operative complexity and may cause a greater incidence of complication. This study sought to compare outcomes after liver transplantation for patients with and without prior UAS. Methods Adult HCC patients undergoing OLT were identified using the database from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (1987–2015). Patients were separated by presence of prior UAS into 2 propensity-matched cohorts. Overall survival (OS) and graft survival (GS) were analyzed by log-rank test and graphed using Kaplan-Meier method. Recipient and donor demographic and clinical characteristics were also studied using Cox regression models. Results A total of 15,043 patients were identified, of whom 6,205 had prior UAS (41.2%). After 1:1 propensity score matching, cohorts (UAS versus no UAS) contained 4,669 patients. UAS patients experienced shorter GS (122 months vs 129 months; P Conclusion Prior UAS is an independent negative predictor of GS and OS after OLT for HCC. OLT performed in patients with UAS remains a well-tolerated and effective treatment for select HCC patients but may alter expected outcomes and influence follow-up protocols.
Teaching Time-Telling

ments. However, although nearly all children do eventually learn something about telling time and reading a clock, there is usually dissatisfaction about the effectiveness with which this topic can be taught. Reisman (1972) has noted this concern and has done much investigation of it. The topic of time is separated into two areas for instructional purposes, time-telling skill and the concept of time. Skill in telling time would be indicated by the student's ability to read a clock or set a clock, while a concept of time would be evident in a student's understanding of various units of time, their duration, and their relationships to events. These two areas are treated separately because the time-telling skill has such importance in the real world and can be taught earlier than time concepts. Before looking at a series of activities to teach time-telling, several features of this sequence should be noted. One is that an attempt has been made to simplify the confusing language often encountered initially. Take, for instance, some of the different expressions that can be used to state the time shown here:
Offensive cyber capabilities: To what ends?

There is a growing interest in the use of offensive cyber capabilities (OCC) among states. Despite the growing interest in these capabilities, little is still known about the nature of OCC as a tool of the state. This research therefore aims to understand if (and how) offensive cyber capabilities have the potential to change the role of military power. Drawing on a wide range of cases, we argue that these capabilities can alter the manner in which states use their military power strategically in at least four ways. OCC are not particularly effective in deterring adversary military action, except when threatened to be used by states with a credible reputation. However, they do have value in compellence. Unlike conventional capabilities, the effects of offensive cyber operations do not necessarily have to be exposed publicly, which means the compelled party can back down post-action without losing face thus deescalating conflict. The potential to control the reversibility of effect of an OCC by the attacker may also encourage compliance. OCC also contribute to the use of force for defensive purposes, as it could provide both a preemptive as well as preventive strike option. Finally, its symbolic value as a 'prestige weapon' to enhance 'swaggering' remains unclear, due to its largely non-material ontology and transitory nature.
Lubrication Regimes for Nanometer-scale Lubricant Films with Capillary Effects

Historically, the lubrication of solid surfaces has been characterized as comprising four major regimes: boundary lubrication, mixed lubrication, EHD, and hydrodynamic lubrication. One generally expects that the presence of the lubricant serves to reduce the friction of the interface. However, for very smooth surfaces, the introduction of lubricant can cause a substantial increase in friction over that of unlubricated sliding. While this increase in friction has been attributed to adhesive and/or viscous effects, it has been difficult to predict which of these contributions is most important to a given sliding regime. In the present work, an attempt is made to delineate regimes of lubrication where one or the other of the mechanisms is predominant. Measurements of friction are carried out for several perfluoropolyether lubricants in a thickness range of 0 to 80 nm and at sliding speeds of 0.25 to 250 mm/s. Three distinct regimes of lubrication are observed. The first, an “adhesion” regime, is characterized by large friction at low speeds and a decreasing friction with increasing sliding speed. The second, a hydrodynamic regime, is well described by classical lubrication theory and exists at higher sliding velocities than the first regime. The third regime, identified by an abrupt change in the dependence of friction on velocity, exists at relatively large sliding speeds and indicates substantial shear-thinning of the lubricant. The onset of the third regime is predicted from consideration of the tensile stresses in the lubricant film. It is also found modelling the lubricant as a continuum is valid at least down to 23 nm for the materials studied.
Optimization study of polyethylene glycol and solvent system for gas permeation membranes

Cellulose acetate (CA) membranes blended with Polyethylene glycol (PEG) in acetone–water solvent system were synthesized by using solution-casting method that resulted in the formation of flexible,...
The apnea test in brain death determination using oxygen diffusion method remains safe.

It has recently been debated whether apnea testing is a procedure with significant risks requiring informed consent, leaving families the opportunity to refuse.1,2 Pivotal to this question are systematic studies on apnea tests in brain death. Our prior studies found that apnea tests were aborted in 10% of patients but suggested a further decline in complications in a preliminary series.3,4 We reexamined our experience with apnea testing in a large set of brain dead patients.
Do health insurance and hospital market concentration influence hospital patients’ experience of care?

Objective To examine the effects of insurance and hospital market concentration on hospital patients' experience of care, as hospitals may compete on quality for favorable insurance contracts. Data sources/study setting Secondary data for 2008-2015 on patient experience from Hospital Compare's patient survey data, hospital characteristics from the American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey, and insurance market characteristics from HealthLeaders-InterStudy. Study design Hospital/year-level regressions predict each hospital's patient experience measure as a function of insurance and hospital market concentration and hospital fixed effects. The model is identified by longitudinal variation in insurance and hospital concentration. Data collection/extraction methods Hospital/year-level data from Hospital Compare and the AHA merged by market/year to insurance and hospital concentration measures. Principal findings Changes in patient satisfaction are positively associated with increases in insurance concentration and negatively associated with increases in hospital concentration. Moving from a market with 20th percentile insurance concentration and 80th percentile hospital concentration to a market with 80th percentile insurance concentration and 20th percentile hospital concentration increases the share of patients that rated the hospital highly from 66.9 percent (95% CI: 66.5-67.2 percent) to 67.9 percent (95% CI: 67.5-68.3 percent) and the share of patients that definitely recommend the hospital from 69.7 percent (95% CI: 69.4-70.0 percent) to 70.8 percent (95% CI: 70.5-71.2 percent). The relationship for insurance concentration is stronger in more concentrated hospital markets, while the relationship for hospital concentration is stronger in less concentrated hospital markets. Conclusions These findings add to the evidence on the harms of hospital consolidation but suggest that insurer consolidation may improve patient experience.
Escitalopram in Adolescents With Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study

BACKGROUND Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used to treat pediatric anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD); however, their efficacy and tolerability are difficult to predict. This study evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of escitalopram in adolescents with GAD (DSM-IV-TR) and the impact of variants in HTR2A and serotonin transporter (SLC6A4) genes and cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) phenotypes on response as well as CYP2C19 phenotype on escitalopram pharmacokinetics from February 2015 through November 2018. METHODS Patients were treated with escitalopram (forced titration to 15 mg/d, then flexible titration to 20 mg/d) (n = 26, mean ± SD age: 14.8 ± 1.7 years) or placebo (n = 25, mean ± SD age: 14.9 ± 1.6 years) for 8 weeks. Outcomes were the change in scores on the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (PARS) and Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scales as well as vital signs and adverse events. Plasma escitalopram and desmethylcitalopram area under the curve during 24 hours (AUC0-24) and maximum concentration (Cmax) were determined and compared across CYP2C19 phenotypes. RESULTS Escitalopram was superior to placebo for mean ± SD baseline-to-endpoint change in PARS (-8.65 ± 1.3 vs -3.52 ± 1.1, P = .005) and CGI scores, and increasing CYP2C19 metabolism was associated with decreases in escitalopram Cmax (P = .07) and AUC0-24 (P < .05). Vital signs, corrected QT interval, and adverse events were similar in patients who received escitalopram and placebo. CONCLUSIONS Escitalopram reduces anxiety symptoms, and pharmacogenetics variables influence the trajectory and magnitude of improvement. Variation in CYP2C19 metabolism accounts for significant differences in escitalopram pharmacokinetics, raising the possibility that CYP2C19 phenotype should be considered when prescribing escitalopram. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02818751.
Refocusing Outcome Expectations for Secondary and Postsecondary Chemistry Classrooms

Secondary chemistry teachers are often concerned with and focused on specific content they need to cover to prepare students for college-level chemistry courses. Contrarily, postsecondary teachers,...
Investigation of high temperature behavior of AlSi10Mg produced by selective laser melting

Abstract Among additive manufacturing (AM) processes, Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is the most diffused layer by layer method for manufacturing 3D components. It is based on local melting, induced by a laser scanning, on a powder bed; the limited dimensions of the liquid pool provoke rapid cooling rates which can be associated to significantly finer microstructure than the one obtained by a conventional casting process. Moreover, being the remelting of pre-existing pools, it is of relevant interest to investigate the wettability and the reactivity at high temperature of alloys produced by SLM. In the panorama of alloys for AM, the AlSiMg system is one of the most used, as it belongs to wide family of the Al–Si alloys, extensively used for conventional casting and die-casting technologies, and it offers good weldability. Therefore, the present work has the goal of investigating the high temperature behavior of the SLMed AlSiMg parts. Wettability tests on Al2O3 plates were performed considering two different atmospheres (vacuum and Argon) and the contact angle results compared; surface morphology together with the microstructures and the chemical composition variations were analyzed.
Labor market frictions, capital, taxes and employment

This paper studies the role of the tax on mobile capital in labor markets with matching frictions and the effects of such frictions on inefficiency of capital taxation. Firms acquire capital and create vacancies, and workers apply for firms. Due to matching frictions, vacancies may not be filled, and workers may not be employed. Firms’ investment in capital, wages and market tightness are determined in a way that a firm’s profit and a worker’s utility are jointly maximized. In addition, the return to capital net of the tax is equalized across jurisdictions, as capital moves between jurisdictions. An increase in the capital tax of a jurisdiction alters firms’ capital investment, wages and market tightness of the jurisdiction. In particular, it decreases employment and wages of the jurisdiction, providing an explanation for why policymakers of a jurisdiction provide incentives such as tax cuts for mobile capital. More capital increases the wages only when workers are employed and hence have higher incomes, decreasing the benefit of more capital for risk-averse workers and reducing the incentives of a jurisdiction to lower the tax and attract capital. The equilibrium capital tax thus may be too low or too high relative to the efficient level, and capital is taxed even with the head tax.
Illuminating the optical properties of an LED-based spectral light source for hyperspectral endoscopy

In the United States, the gold standard for endoscopic screening is white light endoscopy (WLE) which uses a singular broad spectrum light source to illuminate the colorectum. However, WLE provides minimal contrast to small, flat or early growth lesions compared to the surrounding mucosa, in turn, increasing the miss rate of these lesions allowing for further growth of potentially fatal cancer (colorectal cancer is the 3rd highest risk cancer). The most notable addition to endoscopy is narrow-band imaging (NBI) illuminating with two specific bandwidths of blue and green light to enhance the vascular structures through absorption. NBI provides enhanced contrast but minimal improvements in detection accuracy. A logical extension of NBI would be to use more than 2 wavelength bands to generate contrast. We propose an LED-based spectral light source to provide hyperspectral imaging for the potential of enhancing endoscopic images. This would provide 8+ bandwidths of light plus the potential of fluorescence, doubling the possible information content of enhanced images. Here, we report on improved illumination throughput, initial resolution testing and color testing for a previously reported prototype LED-based spectral light source. Results show that, while optical transmission is low, spectral illumination is still possible when combined with high-power LED emitters. Resolution results are compared to the gold standard white light source and color testing results provide baseline validation for the spectral output of the system. These results provide benchmark data for evaluating the potential of hyperspectral imaging for enhanced endoscopic imagery.
Demands of visual processing hierarchy shape laminar compartmentalization of attention modulation of luminance contrast in area V4

Contrast is a key feature of the visual scene that aids object recognition. Attention has been shown to selectively enhance the responses to low contrast stimuli in visual area V4, a critical hub that sends projections both up and down the visual hierarchy. Veridical encoding of contrast information is a key computation in early visual areas, while later stages encode higher level features that benefit from improved sensitivity to low contrast. How area V4 meets these distinct information processing demands in the attentive state is not known. We found that attentional modulation of contrast responses in area V4 is cortical layer and cell-class specific. Putative excitatory neurons in the superficial output layers that project to higher areas show enhanced boosting of low contrast information. On the other hand, putative excitatory neurons of deep output layers that project to early visual areas exhibit contrast-independent scaling. Computational modeling revealed that such layer-wise differences may result from variations in spatial integration extent of inhibitory neurons. These findings reveal that the nature of interactions between attention and contrast in V4 is highly compartmentalized, in alignment with the demands of the visual processing hierarchy.
Local Sociotropism: How Community Variation in Trade Exposure Affects Voter Demands

Recent elections in the United States and other countries have been marked by intense political rhetoric over the appropriate degrees of globalization and the distributional benefits from trade. Despite the pressing and immediate importance of trade-induced economic displacement for understanding populism and popular antiestablishment backlash across the world, we know very little about how exactly such trade-induced displacement affects voter behavior. What are the mechanisms that link community-level trade shocks to voting behavior? How do individual preferences explain large, localized electoral effects? In this paper, I develop an alternative to individual pocketbook and national sociotropic explanations. I present a theory of “local sociotropism,” which argues that an individual’s identification with their local community – a type of ‘place-based’ identity – catalyzes a feeling of community threat from trade and lowers sociotropic assessments of trade’s overall effects and of the economy on a whole. These local sociotropic assessments in turn affect political preferences, leading to increased anti-trade sentiment as well as greater support for anti-globalization politicians. My findings make theoretical contributions on the behavioral bases of trade preferences, as well as policy contributions on how governments can develop more effective policy responses to address socioeconomic concerns among those who perceive themselves to be losing from trade.
Importance of quantifying the full-depth carbon reservoir of Jamaica Bay salt Marshes, New York

Abstract Constraining uncertainty in the global carbon cycle requires valid assessment of both surface and stored carbon in marine and coastal ecosystems (Blue Carbon) as well as terrestrial carbon (forests, peatlands, and soils) [Pendleton et al., 2012]. Quantifying the global carbon stock of coastal salt marshes, potentially the most efficient carbon-burying ecosystems in the world per area, is a key area of further research in both of these fields Pendleton et al., 2012. One of the largest challenges is that despite the fact that salt marshes often sequester carbon several meters deep, nearly all estimates of salt marsh carbon stocks consider only the upper 1 m of sediment (Windham-Myers et al., 2015) [54] . This is particularly concerning because coastal wetlands are increasingly at risk due to climate change, sea level rise, and anthropogenic disturbance and destruction (Deegan et al., 2012) [15] . Using full-depth measurements from marsh cores, we estimate the carbon stock of five salt marshes in the highly urbanized estuary of Jamaica Bay, New York and argue that partial-depth measurements can underestimate carbon stocks. These estimates use calculated carbon content and probe depth data of these marshes collected between 2000 and 2019, applying this data across the full area of the marsh obtained from satellite imagery. Carbon density measurements are then multiplied by the full-depth volume of the marshes to create an estimate of total carbon stock. In addition to calculating present-day estimates, we compare our carbon stock estimates to historical Jamaica Bay imagery to calculate historical carbon stocks and carbon loss. The carbon stock estimates presented here show a 95% carbon stock loss between 1885 and 2019 in Jamaica Bay and highlight the severe underestimation of carbon stocks without full-depth calculations. These findings have important implications for disappearing salt marshes with regard to the global carbon cycle and the incorporation of belowground carbon into global climate models. The findings are increasingly relevant for advocacy efforts aiming to conserve these marshes with sea level rise.
PARALLEL ALGORITHMS AND COMPLEXITY

From a practical point of view, the first stage towards efficient parallel algorithms is to observe that many sequential algorithms contain huge numbers of statements that can be scheduled for parallel execution. This chapter deals with the next stage. When standard sequential algorithms don’t allow sufficient parallelism, then parallel algorithms based on new design principles are needed. For many fundamental graph problems, such new parallel algorithms have been developed over the past two decades.
Elevated PEM (Phasic Electromyographic Metric) Rates Identify Rapid Eye Movement Behavior Disorder Patients on Nights Without Behavioral Abnormalities

PATIENTS WITH HISTORIES OF DREAM ENACTMENT BEHAVIORS OFTEN UNDERGO POLYSOMNOGRAPHY FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONFIRMING THE DIAGNOSIS of REM behavior disorder (REMBD). A frequent dilemma arises when, despite a compelling clinical history, no overt dream enactment is captured by video-polysomnography. In lieu of frank behavioral episodes, researchers have developed a variety of quantification systems to determine the extent to which muscle activity (primarily recorded during REM) may otherwise signify the absence of normal REM atonia, such as is characteristic of REMBD. The systems rely upon manual scoring of the frequency of occurrence of phasic and/or tonic muscle activity during REM,1–3 though automated scoring algorithms for digitally acquired data are also under development.4 Recently we have applied a modification of the visually derived system originally described by Lapierre and Montplaisir1 to a relatively large number of normal subjects of varying ages and to a patient group with prototypical elevated muscle activity in REM, Parkinson disease (PD).5 We describe here application of this system when applied to patients with REMBD who, with one exception, did not exhibit behavioral abnormalities on their laboratory night.
Sensors to Record Atmospheric and Terrestrial Information: Principles of Collection and Analysis

In this presentation, the basic principles of sun-synchronous polar and geosynchronous satellite-borne sensing devices for the detection and monitoring of atmospheric and terrestrial features will be considered. We shall consider both scanning and staring sensing devices. The main thrust of the presentation will be to discuss the different experimental and operational systems which have been deployed to collect optimal data for selected purposes. The difference between analog and digital data will be discussed.
REDUCTION OF AIR POLLUTION BY CONTROL OF EMISSION FROM AUTOMOTIVE CRANKCASES.

Analyses of crankcase vent gases by several methods have shown that crankcase and exhaust hydrocarbon emissions from automobiles are of the same order of magnitude. Internal ventilation of the crankcase to the engine intake system eliminates crankcase emission, thus providing a practical control of this important source of air pollution.
Interaction between the C terminus of NMDA receptor subunits and multiple members of the PSD-95 family of membrane-associated guanylate kinases

Selective concentration and anchoring of ionotropic receptors at the synapse is essential for neuronal signaling. Little is known about the molecules that mediate receptor clustering in the CNS. With use of the yeast two-hybrid system to screen a rat brain cDNA library and by in vitro binding assays, we have identified an interaction between NMDA receptor subunits 2A and 2B (NR2A and NR2B) and three distinct members of the PSD-95/SAP90 family of membrane-associated putative guanylate kinases. The interaction is mediated by binding of the C terminus of the NMDA receptor subunits to the first two PDZ (also known as GLGF or DHR) domains of PSD-95/SAP90, an abundant synaptic protein associated with the membrane cytoskeleton. PSD-95 is also known to bind and cluster Shaker-type voltage-gated K+ channels. Similarities between the C-termini of NR2 subunits and K+ channels suggest a common C-terminal binding motif for PDZ domains. These data suggest that PDZ domains can function as modules for protein-protein interactions. Members of the PSD-95 family might serve to anchor NMDA receptors to the submembrane cytoskeleton and aid in the assembly of signal transduction complexes at postsynaptic sites.
Fandom and the fourth wall

I use the Teen Wolf fandom as an example to examine the ways social media has created a more complicated, nuanced relationship with fans. The collapse of the fourth wall between fans and The Powers That Be can have both positive and negative impacts, depending on the willingness of participants to maintain mutual respect and engage in meaningful dialogue.
LES of an Isothermal High Reynolds Number Turbulent Round Jet

Round turbulent jets have fundamental relevance in various engineering applications and are also of practical interest in the lower plenum of the High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors (HTGR). In the direction of developing an experimentally validated computational model for the lower plenum flow, a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of an isothermal high Reynolds number confined jet has been studied. The enclosure within which the jet is confined has been selected large enough so that the results can be compared with well-known experimental studies available in the literature. The Sub-Grid Scale (SGS) model chosen within the LES framework is a variant of the dynamic Smagorinsky model. The effect of inlet flow profile and turbulent fluctuations on the evolution of the jet have been analyzed in detail. The mesh distribution was found to play a vital role in the magnitude and profile of the Reynolds stresses throughout the computational domain. Additionally, it is critically important to properly specify the turbulent fluctuations at the jet inlet in order to accurately predict key near field characteristics such as the potential core length. We perform a separate discrete eddy simulation of the flow in the nozzle upstream of the jet inlet to accurately determine the inlet turbulent fluctuations. The LES results of this study include both first order statistics (mean velocity field) and second order statistics (components of the Reynolds stresses). For each of these quantities, excellent agreement is obtained between our LES predictions and experimental measurements. This research lays the groundwork needed to develop a high-fidelity computational model of the complex mixing flow in the HTGR lower plenum.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Chunking in Soar: the anatomy of a general learning mechanism

In this article we describe an approach to the construction of a general learning mechanism based on chunking in Soar. Chunking is a learning mechanism that acquires rules from goal-based experience. Soar is a general problem-solving architecture with a rule-based memory. In previous work we have demonstrated how the combination of chunking and Soar could acquire search-control knowledge (strategy acquisition) and operator implementation rules in both search-based puzzle tasks and knowledge-based expert-systems tasks. In this work we examine the anatomy of chunking in Soar and provide a new demonstration of its learning capabilities involving the acquisition and use of macro-operators.
Understanding Qualities of Positive Relationship Dynamics Between Adolescent Parents and Their School-Based Counselors

This study used phenomenological methods to explore the experience of pregnant and parenting adolescents in a positive therapeutic relationship with a school counselor. Themes that emerged from semistructured interviews conducted with 36 adolescents in a teen parenting program identified relationship characteristics that strengthen the bond between the teen and his or her counselor. Supporting emotional well-being reflects the support system and safe environment counselors provide students to discuss problems. The theme of maintaining respectful communication reflects the feeling of mutual respect students felt towards their counselors. Many students viewed counselors as friends and acknowledged their role in helping them identify personal goals.
The influence of age on the renal response to water deprivation in man

Alterations in urine concentrating ability with age were examined in 98 active community-dwelling volunteers (aged 20–79 years) who were free from evidence of diseases known to adversely affect renal
Science International A US view of its institutional needs

AbstractGlobal science will benefit from better 'international market places' in which potential participants in international scientific cooperation can gather, trade information, and do business, should they choose. Problems with projects such as particle accelerators and space stations underscore the timeliness of institutional innovation. Changes should occur in both non-governmental infrastructure, which brings together the people with the ideas, and intergovernmental mechanisms, which convene people who control financial resources. A major international commission on international institutions for cooperation in scientific research should be formed to assess needs and to propose and build support for more efficient, capable, and reliable mechanisms.
A 48 kDa protein arrests cGMP phosphodiesterase activation in retinal rod disk membranes

Photolyzed rhodopsin (R∗) catalyzes GTP-binding to α-transducins (Tα); Tα-GTPs then activate cGMP phosphodiesterase (PDE). PDE activation is arrested by ATP in two ways: (i) initial velocity is suppressed, and (ii) PDE velocity rapidly returns to preactivation levels (turnoff). Arrestin (a 48 kDa protein) markedly enhances turnoff while not affecting initial velocity. Arrestin in the presence of ATP achieves rapid turnoff by directly inhibiting activated PDE, as indicated by its ability to inhibit the direct activation of PDE by Tα-GMP-PNP (guanylyl-imidodiphosphate). Double reciprocal plots reveal a competition between arrestins and activated transducins for sites on PDE. Blocking R∗ phosphorylation blocks initial velocity suppression but does not disturb rapid turnoff. Our data suggest a 2-fold mechanism for PDE deactivation: (i) formation of Tα.GTPs is suppressed by R∗ phosphorylation, while (ii) activation of PDE by Tα·GTPs is competitively inhibited by arrestins when ATP is present.
Auditory spatial orientation

An experiment is reported on the effect of six consecutive days of exposure to distortions of binaural time and intensity cues on the localization function for tones of 350, 1000, and 4000 Hz. Tests were conducted under “free-field” conditions. The changes in auditory spatial orientation indicate that adjustments to binaurally distorted temporal and intensive cues can occur. Reorientation does not appear to depend upon the existence of veridical auditory cues.
Coronal emission line profile observations at total solar eclipses

High resolution spectra of the coronal emission line Fe xiv at 530.3 nm obtained at the 30 May 1965 total solar eclipse are analyzed and interpreted. Deconvolution techniques that preserve the line intensity vs wavelength profile shape are developed to obtain further resolution improvement. The west limb coronal enhancement is determined to have temperatures less than 3 MK and turbulent velocities of ∼25 km s-1 decreasing with altitude. Temperature gradients provide evidence for marginal solar wind flow from this enhancement. Above the quiet photosphere in the southwest quadrant the comparison of line and continuum intensities and consideration of line width suggest to us the coronal region is filled with inhomogeneous plasma, dense enough in localized regions to maintain collisional excitation. Solar wind flow from this region obtains when turbulent velocities are assumed to contribute to the line broadening. We identify this region as a coronal hole and suggest that coronal material is heated by the quiet photosphere below.
Recessive solutions of block tridiagonal nonhomogeneous systems

Olver has given an elegant construction of recessive solutions of nonhomogeneous scalar three term recurrence relations. We investigate the feasibility of applying his methods to block tridiagonal nonhomogeneous systems where the coefficient matrices A B C are n × n matrices and Y and D are n × m. Such systems with m = 1 arise in numerical methods for solving partial differential equations [7,11]. Of course, the results obtained are also applicable to the symmetric case with and symmetric Bk . The homogeneous case with m = n arises in matrix continued fractions [4] and the well-studied symmetric homogeneous case is closely realted to discrete Hamiltonian systems and, for m = n, to discrete Riccati equations [2,1,3,5].
Propensity and geometrical distribution of surface nanobubbles: effect of electrolyte, roughness, pH, and substrate bias

Nanobubbles are believed to have surface charges at the gas–liquid interface. However, the effect of various factors on the formation mechanism and stability of these charged species is not well understood. Using atomic force microscopy (AFM) in tapping mode (TMAFM), the propensity of formation and geometrical distribution of nanobubbles on an ultra-thin polystyrene (PS) film immersed in deionized (DI) water and saline (sodium chloride) solution was investigated. The results reveal that in saline solution, nanobubbles form in larger number and size as compared to nanobubbles in DI water. This is attributed to the enhanced surface charge stabilization of the nanobubbles caused by the electrolyte ions in saline solution. A PS film of higher roughness causes the formation of larger nanobubbles due to the presence of more nucleation sites provided by surface asperities, causing numerous nanobubbles in close proximity to coalesce to form larger ones. The study of the effect of pH shows that nanobubbles are more stable in an alkaline solution than in an acidic solution. The results further reveal that the size of nanobubbles increases with increasing positive substrate bias, whereas there is no measurable change in size with increasing negative substrate bias, possibly due to differential charging at the interfaces across the non-conductive PS film.
Trapping an isotopic mixture of fermionic 84 Rb and bosonic 87 Rb atoms

We have simultaneously confined fermionic {sup 84}Rb and bosonic {sup 87}Rb atoms in overlapping magneto-optical traps in which radioactive {sup 84}Rb atoms (t{sub 1/2}=33 d) have been trapped. We investigated {sup 84}Rb trap loss when overlapped with a cloud of {sup 87}Rb atoms trapped from a background rubidium vapor. Collision loss measurements were taken with {approx}5x10{sup 5} and {approx}4x10{sup 7} atoms of trapped {sup 84}Rb and {sup 87}Rb, respectively. We have found a trapping solution for which there is negligible additional trap loss for {sup 84}Rb due to the presence of {sup 87}Rb, showing that the mixture can be readily prepared for a sympathetic cooling experiment. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.
COMPOSITION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF AQUEOUS EXTRACTED TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN FLOURS: SOY AND COTTONSEED

Amino acid composition and other characteristics of extracted textured vegetable protein flours, made from soy and cottonseed, were determined. The amino acid profiles for original and extracted products were essentially the same. Only lysine content was lower by approximately 10% in the extracted samples. The extracted extrudates had a greater textured integrity, water absorption capacity and water holding capacity than the original TP. However, the converse was found for the oil emulsification capacity of the same materials. Bulk densities of the extracted products compared with the original materials, were significantly lower for the soy, but higher for the cottonseed. Meat patties prepared with the extracted TP samples were organoleptically superior to patties prepared from a commercial soy concentrate and were judged equal to patties prepared from the original unextracted extrusion textured soy and cottonseed flours.
The effect of young biochar on soil respiration

The low temperature pyrolysis of organic material produces biochar, a charcoal like substance. Biochar is being promoted as a soil amendment to enhance soil quality, it is also seen as a mechanism of long-term sequestration of carbon. Our experiments tested the hypothesis that biochar is inert in soil. However, we measured an increase in CO2 production from soils after biochar amendment which increased with increasing rates of biochar. The ∂13C signature of the CO2 evolved in the first several days of the incubation was the same as the ∂13C signature of the biochar, confirming that biochar contributed to the CO2 flux. This effect diminished by day 6 of the incubation suggesting that most of the biochar C is slowly decomposing. Thus, aside from this short-term mineralization increasing soil C with young biochar may indeed be a long-term C storage mechanism.
THE FOURTH-ORDER CONTRIBUTION TO THE SELF-ENERGY OF THE ELECTRON

The self-energy of a free electron is calculated to order ${e}^{4}$. The modification of quantum electrodynamics suggested by Feynman is used to make the matrix elements finite. After mass renormalization, using the self-energy to order ${e}^{2}$, there remain four Feynman diagrams whose matrix elements must be calculated. Two of these represented the two ways in which two virtual quanta may be emitted and absorbed by the electron, both quanta being present at the same time. The third diagram represents the emission of a virtual quantum which creates a virtual pair, the quantum produced by the pair annihilation being absorbed by the electron. The last diagram corresponds to the emission and absorption of a virtual quantum accompanied by a mass renormalization.The matrix elements involve an integration over the momenta of all virtual quanta present in each diagram. These integrals are approximated by assuming that the Feynman cutoff, $\ensuremath{\lambda}$, is large compared to the electron mass.It is found that the result depends upon ${(\mathrm{ln}\ensuremath{\lambda})}^{2}$, but it is not the square of the second-order self-energy.
Activity of faropenem against resistant isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae

Abstract An in vitro study of the activity of 9 agents against 181 US pediatric isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae identified imipenem and faropenem as the most active agents. Overall, faropenem was the most potent oral agent inhibiting 98% of isolates at 1 μg/mL.
Idiopathic Short Stature: A Clinical Review

Importance Approximately 2% of children are defined as having short stature. Deciding when to pursue recombinant human growth hormone therapy to increase adult height is controversial. Objective To review the management of children with idiopathic short stature, including diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic options. Evidence Review Systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases. For height outcome, articles were limited to studies reporting adult height and to systematic reviews. Findings Recombinant human growth hormone therapy of children with idiopathic short stature increases height in some children. The estimated mean gain in adult height is 5.2 cm (2 in). The cost-benefit ratio is controversial. Treatment with growth hormone appears safe in the short term, while data on long-term effects are limited because studies of long-term efficacy were not powered to determine safety. Conclusions and Relevance Growth hormone treatment may be considered in some children with idiopathic short stature.
Membrane Topology of the Human Dipeptide Transporter, hPEPT1, Determined by Epitope Insertions†

We have used epitope insertion to analyze the transmembrane topology of the human H+−dipeptide symporter hPEPT1. An epitope tag, EYMPME (EE), was inserted into different locations at amino acids 39, 78, 106, 412, and 708 of hPEPT1 by site-directed mutagenesis. The functional integrity of the tagged protein was tested by measuring its dipeptide transport activity in transfected Cos7 cells. Further, cells expressing hPEPT1 or EE-tagged hPEPT1 derivatives were labeled with an anti-EE-monoclonal antibody (anti-EE-mAb) or an antiserum raised against the carboxyl terminus of hPEPT1 (anti-hPEPT1) and examined by immunofluorescence confocal microscopy. EE106-, 412-, and 708-hPEPT1 transported the dipeptide tracer as well as wild-type hPEPT1. Tags at position 106 and 412 were shown to be extracellular because they were accessible to anti-epitope antibody in nonpermeabilized cells. In contrast, the carboxyl-terminal domain and EE708 were shown to be intracellular since they were only accessible to the antibodies in...
Dynamic coronary obstruction as a cause of angina pectoris: Implications regarding therapy

The strong link demonstrated at autopsy between coronary atherosclerosis and angina pectoris led to the important concept that a fixed obstruction of 1 or more coronary arteries was the pathophysiologic cause of angina: myocardial ischemia and angina occurred when myocardial oxygen demand out-stripped the capacity of the diseased coronary artery to deliver oxygen. Therapeutic strategies were based on attempts to lower myocardial oxygen needs induced by physical and emotional stress. However, the finding that dynamic increases in coronary vascular resistance can also either precipitate ischemia or reduce the threshold of myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2) at which it occurs has profoundly altered our understanding of the pathophysiologic features of angina and, therefore, its treatment. Dynamic coronary obstruction can occur at the large-vessel level, causing Prinzmetal's or variant angina. It is also possible that in some patients a continuum of large-vessel coronary vasoconstrictor tone exists, causing the common clinical situation manifested by angina with variable thresholds of onset. Recent studies have demonstrated that increases in the resistance offered to flow by small coronary arteries too small to be imaged by angiography can also decrease anginal threshold. The fact that ischemia can be precipitated by dynamic increases in large- or small-vessel coronary resistance has important implications for the therapy of angina pectoris. In those persons who mostly have a dynamic component contributing to their coronary obstruction, primary intervention with vasodilator therapy, including nitrates and calcium-channel blocking agents, are probably most effective therapeutically.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Quantification of myocardial viability in diffuse and contiguous infarction using 3D inversion recovery MRI: Validation against microscopy

Background Sheifer et al indicated that undetected infarction account for at least 20% of all infarctions and carry a prognosis as poor as detected ones [1]. Large myocardial infarction has been measured using both 3D and 2D delayed enhancement MRI, which was compared with histochemical staining [2]. The purpose of this MRI study was to 1) measure diffuse and large infarction size using delayed contrast enhanced 3D inversion recovery (IR) gradient echo (GRE) in beating and non-beating swine hearts and 2) compare the 3D measurements against 2D-IR GRE, histochemical staining and microscopic histopathology.
Cation ligands - the donor properties of the monoprotonated 1,4-dimethylpiperazinium(+1) cation

Abstract The ability of the monoprotonated 1,4-dimethylpiperazinium cation, L+, to act as a ligand toward CoII, NiII, CuII, and ZnII, is reported. The resulting zwitterion complexes [MX3(L+)] (X = halide), are assigned a pseudotetrahedral geometry on the basis of their magnetic properties and d-d electronic and infrared spectra. The unusually sharp N+H stretching absorption of these complexes suggests a highly ordered crystalline structure, with the protonated moiety of the coordinated ligand effectively free from hydrogen bonding. The donor ability of the L+ ligands is discussed in comparison to that of other positively charged tertiary N-donor ligands.
Ability of EMT-Bs to determine which wounds can be repaired in the field.

Introduction. In certain emergency medical services (EMS) systems, emergency medical technicians-paramedics (EMT-Ps) repair lacerations in the field. This practice is supported by studies showing equivalence between nonphysicians and physicians regarding infection rates and cosmetic outcomes. Objective. To evaluate the ability of emergency medical technicians-basic (EMT-Bs) to identify wounds repairable in the field or requiring tetanus prophylaxis. Methods. This was a prospective, double-blind convenience sample study at an urban teaching hospital. Eleven EMT-B volunteers, trained by a one-hour lecture and bedside teaching, evaluated lacerations for prehospital repair by answering three questions: Could this wound be repaired in the field, and if no, why not? If on an adult forearm, could this wound be repaired in the field, and if no, why not? Does this patient need tetanus prophylaxis, and if no, why not? A blinded principal investigator also answered these questions, and a person uninvolved in the stu...
Morphologic evidence for reorientation of sea-floor spreading in the West Philippine Basin

Long-range side-scan sonar mapping (Swathmap) on a track crossing the West Philippine Basin south of the Central Basin fault has shown linear abyssal hills that are parallel and subparallel to the extinct spreading center known as the Central Basin fault zone. Older hills–those farthest from the Central Basin fault–are parallel to the zone, whereas those near the zone are oriented parallel to structures within the zone. Early sea-floor spreading in the Philippine Basin was northeast-southwest. At about 54 m.y. B.P., spreading reoriented nearly north-south, possibly in response to the onset of the northward movement of Australia.
Evidence for Lattice-Mismatch—Induced Defects in Amorphous Semiconductor Heterojunctions

The size and distribution of built-in electric fields in $a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Si}:\mathrm{H}/a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Si}{\mathrm{N}}_{x}:\mathrm{H}$ layered amorphous semiconductor materials have been determined by use of electroabsorption spectroscopy. Strong asymmetries are present between the interfaces, leading to internal fields as large as 4 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{5}$ V/cm in material with thin (12 \AA{}) layers. These fields are due to an interface charge present when amorphous silicon is deposited onto silicon nitride, which we attribute to strain-relieving defects caused by structural mismatch.
Moisture absorption of unidirectional hybrid composites

Abstract Unidirectional hybrid composite rods were conditioned in humid air to investigate the sorption kinetics and the effects of moisture on mechanical and physical properties. Sorption curves were obtained for both hybrid and non-hybrid composite rods to determine characteristic parameters, including the diffusion coefficient (D) and the maximum moisture uptake (M∞). The moisture uptake for the hybrid composites generally exhibited Fickian behavior (no hybridization effects), behaving much like non-hybrid composites. A two-dimensional diffusion model was employed to calculate moisture diffusivities in the longitudinal direction. Interfaces and thermally-induced residual stresses affected the moisture diffusion. In addition, the effect of hygrothermal aging on glass transition temperature (Tg), short beam shear strength (SBS), and tensile strength was determined for hygrothermal exposure at 60 °C and 85% relative humidity (RH). Property retention and reversibility of property degradation were also measured. Microscopic inspection revealed no evidence of damage.
Engineering and Narrative: Literary Prerequisites as Indirect Communication for Technical Writing:

While Engineering values direct communication, indirect communication produces a kind of literacy salient for engineers that direct communication may not offer in the way indirect communication doe...