cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
QUALITY MANAGEMENT | Farm Level: Pork Quality

Many factors determine pork quality at the farm level. Ultimately these factors help provide consumers around the world with a safe, abundant supply of pork. Quality assurance programs such as the United States' Pork Quality Assurance ® Plus program help provide production practices and technical information that pork producers can utilize to improve pork quality.
Improved Sorption-Enhanced Steam Methane Reforming via Calcium Oxide–Based Sorbents with Targeted Morphology

Author(s): Alshafei, Faisal H; Minardi, Luke T; Rosales, Derrick; Chen, Gen; Simonetti, Dante A
Retrospective review of thienopyridine therapy in migraineurs with patent foramen ovale

Objective We retrospectively reviewed our clinical experience using off-label thienopyridine agents in patients with migraine headache (MHA) and patent foramen ovale (PFO). Methods Between 2011 and 2017, MHA/PFO patients referred to our practice were clinically treated with clopidogrel specifically for MHA. Those with ≥50% reduction in monthly MHA days compared with baseline were deemed MHA responders. MHA nonresponders with inadequate platelet inhibition by PRU testing were offered prasugrel. Thienopyridine-responsive patients were then offered PFO closure. Results Of 136 patients (86% female, mean age 37.9 years, mean MHA burden 14.7 days/month), 80 (59%) were MHA responders to clopidogrel. The clopidogrel responder rate was equivalent in episodic, chronic, aura, and nonaura subgroups. A total of 19/45 (40%) MHA nonresponders had inadequate platelet inhibition by PRU testing on clopidogrel. Sixteen of those patients received prasugrel, were adequately platelet inhibited by PRU, and 10/16 (62%) converted to MHA responders. A total of 56/90 thienopyridine-responsive patients underwent subsequent PFO closure with thienopyridine discontinuation after 3 months. Ninety-four percent had ongoing MHA relief. A total of 8/8 responders who stopped thienopyridine without PFO closure had resumption of MHA symptoms. Conclusion Successful P2Y12 platelet inhibition seemed to reduce MHA symptoms in some patients with PFO, suggesting a platelet-based mechanism/trigger. The nearly parallel response to PFO closure may mechanistically link venous platelet activation with the right-to-left shunt of PFO. Thienopyridine responsiveness could be used to enrich the study population for a new MHA/PFO trial. Classification of evidence This study provides Class IV evidence that in patients with PFO, P2Y12 inhibition improved MHA symptoms.
Chiral γ-silyloxy allylstannanes as synthetic reagents. Proof of absolute configuration

Abstract γ-Silyloxy allylstannanes can be prepared directly from α-hydroxy allylstannanes by treatment with TBSOTf and ( i -Pr) 2 NEt in CH 2 Cl 2 . The attendant 1,3-isomerization proceeds by an anti pathway as shown by comparison of the absolute configuration of reactant and product.
Design and Characterization of Shared Address Space MPI Collectives on Modern Architectures

Emerging multi-/many-cores such as Intel Xeon and Xeon Phi are widely being adopted for modern large-scale supercomputing systems. The architectural features such as high core density, mesh interconnects, deeper memory hierarchies and hardware multi-threading offered by these systems provide opportunities for application developers to exploit more parallelism. However, it also poses significant challenges for the MPI runtimes to optimize communication performance. One of the major challenges involves optimizing collective communication for dense multi-/many-core processors. Traditionally, MPI runtimes have used send/recv, direct shared-memory ("double-copy") or kernel-assisted ("single-copy") mechanisms for intra-node collective communication. However, existing collective designs that are based on these mechanisms suffer from several bottlenecks such as multiple copies, per message handshake, and kernel-level lock contention that limit their performance. In this paper, we first characterize the bottlenecks associated with the aforementioned approaches in designing collectives in MPI. Then, we propose efficient "Shared-address space"-based designs to implement different MPI collectives. Finally, we show the efficacy of our approach by implementing various MPI collectives. Our proposed designs show up to 11x, 50x, 17x, and 5x performance improvement for Bcast, Scatter, Gather, and Alltoall over other state-of-the-art MPI libraries on different multi-/many-core architectures.
Isolation of toxic subunits from two murine-toxic proteins from Pasteurella Pestis

Abstract Two mouse-toxic proteins, Toxin A (240,000 molecular weight) and Toxin B (120,000 molecular weight), were dissociated in sodium dodecyl sulfate to small molecular weight subunits. Subunit size from 10,000 to 12,000 molecular weight is proposed based on gel electrophoresis, ultracentrifugation and dialysis experiments. The subunits retained approximately 60% of the toxic activity of the large molecular weight toxins.
Applications of artificial intelligence in neuro-oncology.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW To discuss recent applications of artificial intelligence within the field of neuro-oncology and highlight emerging challenges in integrating artificial intelligence within clinical practice. RECENT FINDINGS In the field of image analysis, artificial intelligence has shown promise in aiding clinicians with incorporating an increasing amount of data in genomics, detection, diagnosis, classification, risk stratification, prognosis, and treatment response. Artificial intelligence has also been applied in epigenetics, pathology, and natural language processing. SUMMARY Although nascent, applications of artificial intelligence within neuro-oncology show significant promise. Artificial intelligence algorithms will likely improve our understanding of brain tumors and help drive future innovations in neuro-oncology.
Big City Problems: Private Equity Investment, Transnational Users, and Local Mobilization in the Small City

High Point, North Carolina, once known as the “Home Furnishings Capital of the World” for its vast manufacturing complex, has suffered intense deindustrialization over the past 60 years. During thi...
Safety review of tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, acellular pertussis vaccines (Tdap) in adults aged ≥65 years, Vaccine Adverse Event reporting System (VAERS), United States, September 2010-December 2018.

Abstract Introduction The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends vaccination with tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) in persons ≥65 years of age. To date, few studies have assessed the safety of Tdap in this population. We aimed to summarize reports submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) following receipt of Tdap in this age group. Methods We searched for and analyzed U.S. VAERS reports of Tdap among individuals ≥65 years of age submitted from September 1, 2010 through December 31, 2018. We classified reports according to concurrent vaccination, seriousness, and outcome (death, non-death) and determined the frequency of reported adverse events (AEs). For serious reports, we reviewed available medical records. Data mining analyses were undertaken to detect disproportionality in reporting. Results VAERS received a total of 1,798 reports following Tdap, of which 104 (6%) were serious. The most common AEs were injection site erythema (26%; n = 468), injection site pain (19%; n = 335), injection site swelling (18%; n = 329), and erythema (18%; n = 321). We identified seven deaths; none were attributed to Tdap. Among serious non-death reports, nervous system disorders (35.1%; n = 34) and infections and infestations (n = 18.6%; n = 18) were most commonly reported. Data mining did not identify any vaccine-AE combination reported more frequently than expected. Conclusions We did not identify any new safety concern over nearly a decade of recommended Tdap use among adults ≥65 years of age. Findings from this post-marketing review are consistent with prior post-marketing observations and pre-licensure studies.
The COVID-19 effect on the Paris agreement

The pandemic and efforts to control it are causing sharp reductions in global economic activity and associated fossil energy use, with unknown influence on longer-term efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris Climate Agreement. To explore this effect, estimates of economic recession and recovery in near-term months are extended to cover a return to full employment in future years, to be compared with an estimate of growth had COVID-19 not occurred. On the assumption that the Paris emissions pledges for 2020 will be met in any case, projection of global emissions with and without the pandemic show that, through its growth impact alone, it will yield only a small effect on emissions in 2030 and beyond. Other COVID legacies may include residual influences in patterns of consumption and travel, and the direction of recovery funds to low carbon investments. Most important, however, will be the effect of the economic shocks on the willingness of nations to meet (or augment) their existing Paris emissions pledges. The main effect of the pandemic on the threat of climate change, therefore, will be not its growth impact but its influence on national commitments to action.
Bostock was Bogus: Textualism, Pluralism, and Title VII

In Bostock v. Clayton County, one of the blockbuster cases from its 2019 Term, the Supreme Court held that federal antidiscrimination law prohibits employment discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. Unsurprisingly, the result won wide acclaim in the mainstream legal and popular media. Results aside, however, the reaction to Justice Neil Gorsuch’s majority opinion, which purported to ground the outcome in a textualist approach to statutory interpretation, was more mixed. The great majority of commentators, both liberal and conservative, praised Gorsuch for what they deemed a careful and sophisticated—even “magnificent” and “exemplary”—application of textualist principles, while a handful of critics, all conservative, agreed with the dissenters that textualism could not deliver the outcome that the decision reached. This Essay shows that conservative critics of the majority’s reasoning were correct—up to a point. Specifically, it argues that Title VII’s ban on discrimination “because of” an employee’s “sex” does not cover discrimination because of their sexual orientation as a matter of “plain” or “ordinary” meaning. Further, it demonstrates that Gorsuch’s effort to establish that result as a matter of “legal” meaning wholly fails because it depends upon a fatally flawed application of the “but-for” test for causation, one that flouts bedrock principles of counterfactual reasoning. It follows that if a textualist approach to statutory interpretation is correct or warranted, then Bostock was wrongly decided. However, if Bostock was rightly decided, then it must follow that textualism is wrong or misguided. This Essay endorses the latter possibility, explaining that the dominant American approach to statutory interpretation is neither textualist nor purposivist but pluralist. It concludes by drawing powerful but previously unnoticed support for pluralism from Justice Samuel Alito’s principal dissent.
Changes in peri-apical vertebral body and intervertebral disc shape in both the sagittal and coronal planes correlate with scoliosis severity: a 3D study of 397 patients.

To evaluate associations between vertebrae and disc shape asymmetry and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) curve severity. Analysis included normal screening referrals and patients with right, main thoracic AIS who underwent upright, biplanar radiographs with 3D reconstruction at a single institution from 2010 to 2015. Peri-apical anterior, posterior, right, and left vertebral body heights (aVBH, pVBH, rVBH, lVBH) and intervertebral disc heights (DH) were measured, and ratios of these measurements were calculated in sagittal and coronal planes. Correlations were performed between curve severity and height measurements. Sagittal and coronal plane components of these measurements were compared between normal controls with coronal curve measurements < 11° and patients with moderate (11°–49°) and severe curves (≥ 50°), with tolerance intervals established for the normal controls. The analysis included a total of 397 patients. Patients with AIS had coronal curve measurements ranging from 11° to 101°. Greater coronal curve severity strongly correlated with smaller pVBH relative to aVBH and moderately correlated with smaller pDH relative to aDH (r = − 0.643, r = − 0.305, respectively). aVBH was greater for larger curves; pVBH remained stable. Scoliosis severity strongly correlated with right relative to left VBH and DH ratios (r = 0.919, r = 0.865 respectively). In comparison of normal controls to severe curves, severe curves had significantly greater aVBH and aDH, while pVBH was not significantly different and pDH was significantly less. Nearly half (46.9%) of the severe curves were below the range of normal for PA vertebral height ratio. In right, main thoracic AIS, greater main thoracic curve severity is associated with greater sagittal and coronal plane asymmetry of both the vertebral bodies and the discs. Severity more strongly correlates with vertebral changes in symmetry than with disc changes, though both are present.
Emerging Prostate-specific Membrane Antigen-based Therapeutics: Small Molecules, Antibodies, and Beyond

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a clinically validated target for prostate cancer. A variety of PSMA-based therapies, including radionuclide- and cytotoxic drug-conjugated and cellular immune products, are in development, each with variable advantages and disadvantages. Here we briefly describe the landscape of PSMA-based therapies beyond 177Lu-PSMA-617, which is covered elsewhere. PATIENT SUMMARY: Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a protein expressed on most prostate cancer tumors and on limited other areas in the body. It can be targeted to treat prostate cancer using radioactive particles, drugs, or immune agents.
Technology, production environment, and household income: Assessing the regional impacts of technological change

Abstract This paper clarifies the factors determining the welfare effects of improved agricultural technologies when technology diffusion is unevenly distributed across production environments. Household-level income effects are shown to depend primarily on: (a) whether the economy is open or closed with respect to world markets; (b) whether households are net consumers or net producers of the commodity for which technological change occurs; (c) whether households are adopters or non-adopters of the new technology; (d) the degree to which labor is mobile across agricultural regions; and (e) government intervention in commodity and/or factor markets. A review of recent empirical work indicates considerable variation in the relative strength of these various factors across countries, and that assumptions regarding the mechanism by which commodity prices are determined — endogenously as in a closed economy, or exogenously as in an open economy — is especially critical.
Fair Allocation of Asymmetric Operations in Storage Systems

Managing the trade-off between efficiency and fairness in a storage system is challenging due to high variability in workload behavior. Most workloads are made up of a mix of asymmetric operations (e.g. read/write, sequential/random, or striped/isolated I/Os) in different proportions, which places different resource demands on the storage device. The problem is to allocate device resources to the heterogeneous workloads fairly while maintaining high device throughput. In this paper, we present a new model for fair allocation of heterogeneous workloads with different ratios of asymmetric operations. We propose an adaptive scheme that chooses between two policies-the traditional Time-Balanced Allocation (TBA) and our proposed Bottleneck-Balanced Allocation (BBA)-based on workload characteristics. The fairness and throughput of these allocation policies are established through formal analysis. Our algorithms are tested with an adaptive, dynamic scheduler implemented in a simulation testbed, and the results validate the performance benefits of our approach.
Parameterized Cast Calculi and Reusable Meta-theory for Gradually Typed Lambda Calculi

The research on gradual typing has led to many variations on the Gradually Typed Lambda Calculus (GTLC) of Siek and Taha (2006) and its underlying cast calculus. For example, Wadler and Findler (2009) added blame tracking, Siek et al. (2009) investigated alternate cast evaluation strategies, and Herman et al. (2010) replaced casts with coercions for space-efficiency. The meta-theory for the GTLC has also expanded beyond type safety to include blame safety (Tobin-Hochstadt and Felleisen 2006), space consumption (Herman et al. 2010), and the gradual guarantees (Siek et al. 2015). These results have been proven for some variations of the GTLC but not others. Furthermore, researchers continue to develop variations on the GTLC but establishing all of the meta-theory for new variations is time consuming. This article identifies abstractions that capture similarities between many cast calculi in the form of two parameterized cast calculi, one for the purposes of language specification and the other to guide space-efficient implementations. The article then develops reusable meta-theory for these two calculi, proving type safety, blame safety, the gradual guarantees, and space consumption. Finally, the article instantiates this meta-theory for eight cast calculi including five from the literature and three new calculi. All of these definitions and theorems, including the two parameterized calculi, the reusable meta-theory, and the eight instantiations, are mechanized in Agda making extensive use of module parameters and dependent records to define the abstractions.
Renin as a risk factor for atherogenesis. Part 3. Effects of hypercholesterolemia, hyporeninemia and one-kidney-one-clip hypertension in the rabbit

Abstract The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that plasma renin activity (PRA) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Four groups of New Zealand rabbits were used to study the effects of PRA and hypertension on atherogenesis. Control groups were fed normal rabbit chow (Group I), or normal chow supplemented with 0.25% cholesterol (Group III) Group II animals were fed normal chow, had a clip placed around the left renal artery and were contralaterally nephrectomized (one-kidney-one-clip, 1K-1C). The renal arteries and kidneys of Group IV animals, which were fed a cholesterol diet, were manipulated similarly. Blood pressure and blood chemistry measurements were performed periodically over a 7-month period. The blood pressure was unaffected by either diet; however, PRA and aldosterone levels were greatly reduced in the 1 K-1 C groups (Groups II and IV). No atheroma were observed in any of the animals consuming the normal diet (Groups I and II) despite sharply elevated blood pressure in the Group II animals. Medial hypertrophy of small muscular arteries was observed in several Group II animals. All of the animals fed the atherogenic diet showed extensive aortic atheromata. There was, however, a significantly smaller lesion index for the normotensive cholesterol-fed animals (Group III) than those with increased blood pressure (Group IV). Likewise, microscopic evaluation of the aorta, coronary arteries, renal arteries, and kidneys mirrored this difference in the vascular involvement between the animals of Groups III and IV. We conclude that neither relatively high nor low PRA levels affect the development of atherosclerosis or other cardiovascular lesions. However, hypertension with a concomitantly high cholesterol diet acts synergistically in exacerbating atherogenesis.
Effects of supplemental protein type on productivity of primiparous beef cows

Effects of supplemental degradable (DIP) and undegradable (UIP) intake protein on forage intake, BW change, body condition score (BCS), postpartum interval to first estrus, conception rate, milk production and composition, serum metabolites and metabolic hormones, and calf gain were determined using 36 primiparous Gelbvieh x Angus rotationally crossed beef cows. On d 3 postpartum, cows (average initial BW = 495 +/- 10 kg and BCS = 5.5 +/- 0.1) were randomly assigned to one of three dietary supplements (12 cows/treatment). Date of parturition was evenly distributed across treatment (average span of calving date among treatments = 2.4 +/- 2.5 d). Individually fed (d 3 through 120 postpartum) dietary supplements were 0.82 kg of corn and 0.23 kg of soybean meal per day (DIP), the DIP + 0.12 kg of blood meal and 0.13 kg of corn gluten meal per day (DIP + UIP), and 0.82 kg of corn, 0.07 kg of blood meal, and 0.08 kg of corn gluten meal per day in an isonitrogenous replacement of soybean meal (UIP IsoN). Cows had ad libitum access to native grass hay (8.5% CP) and trace-mineralized salt. Total OM intake was greater (P = 0.06) for DIP + UIP than UIP IsoN cows. At 30 d postpartum, DIP + UIP cows produced more milk than UIP IsoN, with DIP being intermediate; however, at 60 d postpartum, DIP + UIP and DIP cows were not different, but both had greater milk production than UIP IsoN (treatment x day interaction; P = 0.08). A treatment x day interaction (P = 0.06) for BCS resulted from DIP + UIP cows having the greatest BCS at 60, 90, and 120 d d postpartum and DIP having greater BCS than UIP IsoN cows only on d 60 postpartum. Serum insulin concentrations were highest (treatment x day interaction; P = 0.09) for DIP + UIP cows at 30 d postpartum but did not differ among treatment thereafter. Serum insulin-like growth factor-binding protein (IGFBP)-2 (34 kDa) and -3 (40 and 44 kDa) were greatest (P < 0.0003) for DIP cows. Serum urea-N concentrations were greater (P < 0.01) in DIP + UIP cows than in either DIP or UIP IsoN cows. However, postpartum interval to first estrus, conception rate, and calf weaning weights were unaffected (P = 0.35, 0.42, and 0.64, respectively) by treatment. Although UIP in addition to or in replacement of DIP affected milk production and blood metabolites, the productivity of these primiparous beef cows was not altered. Thus, the type of supplemental protein does not seem to influence productivity of primiparous beef cows in production systems with conditions similar to our experimental conditions.
Molecular orbital (SCF-Xα-SW) theory of metal-metal charge transfer processes in minerals

A molecular orbital description, based on Xα-Scattered wave calculations on a (FeTiO10)14− cluster, is given for Fe2+ → Ti4+ charge transfer transitions in minerals. The calculated energy for the lowest Fe2+ → Ti4+ metal-metal charge transfer transition is 18040 cm−1 in reasonable agreement with energies observed in the optical spectra of Fe-Ti oxides and silicates. As in the case of Fe2+ → Fe3+ charge transfer in mixed-valence iron oxides and silicates, Fe2+ → Ti4+ charge transfer is associated with Fe-Ti bonding across shared polyhedral edges. Such bonding results from the overlap of the Fe(t 2g ) and Ti(t 2g ) 3d orbitals.
Competency, common ground, and challenges: response to the development of systemic therapy competencies for the UK

The recent initiative by the government to delineate the competencies for the delivery of systemic therapies is groundbreaking and represents a fundamental shift with clinical and political implications. In this article the author compares the process and outcomes utilised in the UK with those embarked on in the USA in 2003, culminating in the creation of the marriage and family therapy core competencies by a task force sponsored by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. The development of competencies is just the first step in a development process requiring significant modifications in all of the systems that contribute to the development and delivery of behavioural health services, including clinicians, supervisors, training programmes, regulators and policy-makers. An elucidation of the challenges faced in the USA is provided as a potential guide to the UK effort.
Progress toward the better estimation of regional evapotranspiration

In the past decade individual and networks of automated meteorological stations have been installed throughout the United States and many other countries. For a variety of reasons, the data collected are being archived in databases; however, quality control/quality assurance procedures, when employed, vary greatly. As a start to possible standardization, screening rules for hourly and daily data values are proposed for quality checking micrometeorological data from individual base stations that record solar irradiance (SI) , precipitation (P) , barometric pressure (Pi,) , vapor pressure (e) , wind speed (u^) , wind direction (Gj) , air temperature (T^) , and three soil temperatures (T^^, and T^j) . Three types of screening rules are considered: (1) high/low range limits (LIM), (2) rate-of-change limits (ROC) , (3) continuous no-observed-change with time liiaits (NOC) . Daily data from historical meteorological records for Ames, lA (30 y) and Treynor, lA (26 y) were available for developing climatic based dynamic data screening rules. Otherwise, instrument ^Contribution of the Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Received 1 March 1993; revision accepted 29 October 1993) 'Reprinted with permission from Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 1994, 69(1&2), 85-109. Copyright © 1994 Elsevier Science B.V. ^Mathematician, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service-Midwest Area, National Soil Tilth Laboratory, 2150 Pammel Drive, Ames, lA 50011-4420, USA. Also corresponding author. ^Laboratory Director, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service-Midwest Area, National Soil Tilth Laboratory, 2150 Pammel Drive, Ames, lA 50011-4420, USA. Also Professor (USDA Collciborator) , Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University. specifications and theoretical models were used to develop screening rules for the remaining measurements. Hourly and daily data from well maintained, automated weather stations at Walnut Creek, lA (9 mon) and Treynor, lA (1 y) were used to evaluate and refine the screening rules. Daily data are not flagged often. The most common flag, on either time scale, was on vapor pressure when its value exceeded the 95% relative hiraiidity calibration limit of the sensor. Hourly SI often exceeded a computed extraterrestrial radiation value, particularly at stinset. Rule 1 (LIM) is mainly invoked via observations outside the sensor ranges; rule 2 (ROC) flags abrupt changes; rule 3 (NOC) flags unusually steady periods in the data stream. When used as part of a total field operation eind data processing system, these rules improve the data quality and may help with data exploration.
Effects of surface irregularity and lighting on step variability during gait : A study in healthy young and older women

Relatively few studies have examined how uneven surfaces affect human gait. To study this, along with the effects of advancing age and low light conditions, we measured step width and step time variability, as well as comfortable gait speed, in 12 healthy young women (YW) and 12 healthy older women (OW) as they walked at a comfortable speed along a 10-m walkway. Ten trials were completed for each cell of a 2 x 2 factorial design: (1) flat surface with regular lighting; (2) flat surface with low lighting; (3) irregular surface with regular lighting; and (4) irregular surface with low lighting. Effects of surface type, incident lighting, and age on gait parameters were tested via repeated measures ANOVA. Surface type significantly affected step width variability (P < 0.001) and step time variability (P < 0.001). Light level showed no significant effect on any of the gait parameters. One significant age group difference was found: step width variability was significantly greater in OW than YW (P = 0.010). We conclude that the irregular surface had a greater effect on the gait variability of healthy OW than on that of healthy YW.
Problems in the Measurement of Free Radical Concentrations in the Atmosphere

The free radicals known, or suspected to be present in the earth's stratosphere have been listed by Garvin and Hampson [1] and include O, O2, SO, H, OH, HO2, CH, CHO, CH3, CH3O, CH3O2, NH, NH2, HNO, NO, NO2, NO3. In the urban troposphere near ground level, this list can be greatly expanded to include many species resulting from reactions of these simple radicals with reactive hydrocarbons. Since the economical control of air pollution requires a detailed knowledge of the chemical kinetics involved in removal of stable pollutant molecules from the air, it is desirable ultimately to be able to measure the concentrations and rate constants of all such reactants. I have selected from this list the two most abundant, polar atmospheric free radicals, NO and NO2 for discussion. The ground states of NO, 2π and of NO2, 2A1, qualify both molecules as free radicals. These molecules pollute the urban atmosphere and the stratosphere and the debates about the amounts in which they are present have precipitated major controversies in the United States and elsewhere. My purpose is to present the nature of the tropospheric problem of NO and NO2 (known collectively in the trade as NOx) why their measurement is important, the current state of the art and finally some of the newer approaches to the solution to the problem in terms of the basic Federal legislation in the United States, the Clean Air Act. Die freien Radikale, von denen man weis oder annimmt, das sie in der Erdatmosphare vorkommen, wurden von Garvin und Hampson [1] zusammengestellt; es gehoren dazu: O, O2, SO, H, OH, HO2, CH, CHO, CH3, CH3O, CH3O2, NH, NH2, HNO, NO, NO2, NO3. Fur die Troposphare von Stadten in Bodennahe kann diese Liste um eine grose Zahl von Teilchenarten erweitert werden, die bei Reaktionen der einfachen Radikale mit reaktiven Kohlenwasserstoffen entstehen. Eine wirtschaftliche Reinhaltung der Luft erfordert genaue Kenntnisse uber die chemische Kinetik der Prozesse, die stabile Verunreinigungen aus der Luft entfernen. Deshalb ist es letztlich wunschenswert, die Konzentrationen und Geschwindigkeitskonstanten aller dieser Reaktanten messen zu konnen. Fur die Diskussion habe ich aus der Liste die beiden am haufigsten in der Atmosphare anzutreffenden polaren freien Radikale, NO und NO2, ausgewahlt. Die Grundzustande von NO (2π) und von NO2 (2A1) charakterisieren beide Molekule als freie Radikale. Diese Molekule verunreinigen Stadtatmosphare und Stratosphare. Diskussionen daruber, in welchen Mengen sie auftreten, haben in den USA und anderswo zu groseren Meinungsverschiedenheiten gefuhrt. Ziel dieses Aufsatzes ist es, fur NO und NO2 (oft zusammenfassend als NOx bezeichnet) die Problematik und den gegenwartigen Stand der Forschung darzustellen und zu zeigen, warum ihre Messung wichtig ist. Schlieslich werden neuere Masnahmen zur Losung des Problems anhand grundlegender Bundesgesetze der Vereinigten Staaten (“Clean Air Act”) besprochen.
Differentiation of salivary agglutinin-mediated adherence and aggregation of mutans streptococci by use of monoclonal antibodies against the major surface adhesin P1

The ability to adhere to salivary agglutinin-coated hydroxyapatite beads and to aggregate in the presence of fluid-phase salivary agglutinin was tested by using 25 isolates of mutants streptococci representing eight serotypes. Both adherence and aggregation activity correlated with expression of the Mr-185,000 cell surface antigen P1 on Streptococcus mutans serotype c, e, and f strains. In addition, it was shown that the P1 molecule itself served as the adhesin of S. mutans serotype c, since adherence was significantly inhibited by the presence of recombinant-specified Mr-150,000 P1. The ability of S. sobrinus strains to adhere or aggregate did not correlate with expression of the P1 cross-reactive antigen SpaA. There was also evidence for interaction with salivary agglutinin, as manifested by aggregation but not adherence of S. rattus serotype b, which does not express a P1 cross-reactive antigen. To understand the interaction of P1 with salivary agglutinin at the molecular level, a panel of 11 anti-P1 monoclonal antibodies was tested for inhibitory activity in adherence and aggregation inhibition assays. Overlapping, but not identical, subsets of monoclonal antibodies were found to inhibit adherence and aggregation, indicating that the interactions of P1 with salivary agglutinin which mediate these two phenomena are different. The localization of functional domains of P1 which may mediate the aggregation and adherence reactions is discussed.
Rates of colpopexy and colporrhaphy at the time of hysterectomy for prolapse.

Background It has been shown that addressing apical support at the time of hysterectomy for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) reduces recurrence and reoperation rates. In fact, national guidelines consider hysterectomy alone to be inadequate treatment for POP. Despite this, anterior and posterior colporrhaphy are frequently performed without a colpopexy procedure and hysterectomy alone is often utilized for treatment of prolapse. Objective The objectives of this study were to: (1) determine rates of concomitant procedures for POP in hysterectomies performed with POP as an indication, (2) identify factors associated with performance of a colpopexy at the time of hysterectomy for POP, and (3) identify the influence of surgical complexity on perioperative complication rates. Study Design This is a retrospective cohort study of hysterectomies performed for POP from Jan. 1, 2013, through May 7, 2014, in a statewide surgical quality database. Patients were stratified based on procedures performed: hysterectomy alone, hysterectomy with colporrhaphy and without apical suspension, and hysterectomy with colpopexy with or without colporrhaphy. Demographics, medical history and intraoperative care, and perioperative care were compared between the groups. Multivariable logistic regression models were created to identify factors independently associated with use of colpopexy and factors associated with increased rates of postoperative complications. Results POP was an indication in 1557 hysterectomies. Most hysterectomies were vaginal (59.6%), followed by laparoscopic or robotic (34.1%), and abdominal (6.2%). Hysterectomy alone was performed in 43.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 40.6–45.6) of cases, 32.8% (95% CI, 30.4–35.1) had a colporrhaphy without colpopexy, and 24.1% (95% CI, 22–26.3) had a colpopexy with or without colporrhaphy. Use of colpopexy was independently associated with patient age >40 years, POP as the only indication for surgery (odd ratio [OR], 1.6; 95% CI, 1.185–2.230), laparoscopic surgery (OR, 3.2; 95% CI, 2.860–5.153), and a surgeon specializing in urogynecology (OR, 8.2; 95% CI, 5.156–12.923). The overall perioperative complication rate was 6.6%, with the majority being considered minor. Complications were more likely when the procedure was performed with an abdominal approach (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.088–4.686), with the use of a colpopexy procedure (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.840–5.194), and by a surgeon specializing in urogynecology (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.144–4.315). Conclusion Colpopexy and colporrhaphy may be underutilized and are potential targets for quality improvement. Performance of additional procedures at the time of hysterectomy increased the rate of perioperative complications. Long-term consequences of these surgical practices deserve additional study.
Inflación, y retroalimentación inflacionaria

El ensayo que sigue fue escrito originalmente como documento a una reu- nion de cientfficos sociales que trataba la cuestion de la inflacion, en Nueva York, marzo de 1980. Lo que motivo la redaccion de este ensayo fue la per- sistencia impresionante en las conferencias de ciertos enfoques “ortodoxos” de la inflacion, en particular entre los economistas participantes. Especialmente, persistian los enfoques tipo “estittica comparativa” a la inflacion, y, relacionada a esta, persistian las tentativas de clasificar los casos de inflacion en tipos “de- manda” y “costos”. No hay necesidad de negar aqui que los analisis estatico- comparativos de la inflacion pueden ser utiles. Sm embargo, es la convicCion .del autor que la ciencia economica no puede avanzar mucho mas en el entendimien- to genuino de la inflacion a menos que se tome mas cabalmente en cuenta su rd- turaleza dinamica. La tesis del ensayo que sigue es que una caracteristica esencial -tal vez la mas importante- de la naturaleza dinamica de la inflacion es su pro- ceso de “retroalimentacion”: la inflacibn que ocurre en un periodo de tiempo da origen a presiones inflacionarias en periodos subsecuentes.
Specification, construction, and exact reduction of state transition system models of biochemical processes

Biochemical reaction systems may be viewed as discrete event processes characterized by a number of states and state transitions. These systems may be modeled as state transition systems with transitions representing individual reaction events. Since they often involve a large number of interactions, it can be difficult to construct such a model for a system, and since the resulting state-level model can involve a huge number of states, model analysis can be difficult or impossible. Here, we describe methods for the high-level specification of a system using hypergraphs, for the automated generation of a state-level model from a high-level model, and for the exact reduction of a state-level model using information from the high-level model. Exact reduction is achieved through the automated application to the high-level model of the symmetry reduction technique and reduction by decomposition by independent subsystems, allowing potentially significant reductions without the need to generate a full model. The application of the method to biochemical reaction systems is illustrated by models describing a hypothetical ion-channel at several levels of complexity. The method allows for the reduction of the otherwise intractable example models to a manageable size.
Does aneuploidy cause cancer

Aneuploidy has been recognized as a common characteristic of cancer cells for >100 years. Aneuploidy frequently results from errors of the mitotic checkpoint, the major cell cycle control mechanism that acts to prevent chromosome missegregation. The mitotic checkpoint is often compromised in human tumors, although not as a result of germline mutations in genes encoding checkpoint proteins. Less obviously, aneuploidy of whole chromosomes rapidly results from mutations in genes encoding several tumor suppressors and DNA mismatch repair proteins, suggesting cooperation between mechanisms of tumorigenesis that were previously thought to act independently. Cumulatively, the current evidence suggests that aneuploidy promotes tumorigenesis, at least at low frequency, but a definitive test has not yet been reported.
Pectoralis minor obstruction of the axillary vein: Report of six patients

Purpose Although the usual site of nonthrombotic venous obstruction of the upper extremity is the subclavian vein, other sites may be the cause of such obstruction. This study describes the diagnosis and treatment of six patients with partial axillary vein obstruction by the pectoralis minor muscle, a condition that can mimic subclavian vein obstruction. Methods A chart review of patients undergoing pectoralis minor tenotomies (PMT) between 2004 and 2006 revealed six patients (3 men and 3 women), aged 17 to 39, who underwent seven PMT procedures for symptoms of arm swelling, cyanosis, and pain or tightness. Diagnosis was suggested by history and physical examination and was confirmed by dynamic venography. Patients with paresthesia suggesting associated neurogenic pectoralis minor compression were given a pectoralis minor muscle block. As an outpatient, PMT was initially performed with an infraclavicular approach but later through the transaxillary route. Follow-up was by phone interview in five patients and a physical examination in one. Results Venography demonstrated axillary vein compression under the pectoralis minor, which was more significant than the minor degree of subclavian vein compression seen on the same venogram. Follow-up was 1.5 years to 10 years in three patients and 3 months in the other three. All six patients experienced good-to-excellent relief of all symptoms. There were no surgical complications. Conclusion Axillary venous obstruction by the pectoralis minor must be distinguished from subclavian vein obstruction, which presents with similar symptoms. PMT is a simple, risk-free, outpatient procedure that has produced uniformly good results.
Short communication: adaptability of the feeding behavior of intertidal ribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa) to constant submersion

The ribbed mussel (Geukensia demissa, Dillwyn 1817) is a dominant benthic filter-feeder in salt marshes along the North American Atlantic Coast. It has been proposed that the cultivation and harvest of ribbed mussels could be used to bioremediate the eutrophication of coastal waters. To accomplish this, mussels would be grown in suspension culture underwater, which is different than this species’ natural, intertidal habitat in which they are exposed to a tidal regime of submersion and emersion. To assess possible effects of constant submersion upon the feeding behavior of G. demissa, we quantified filter-feeding activities of ribbed mussels collected from either an intertidal location or a permanently submerged (2 months) population in the same embayment. Filtration measurements to determine clearance rates were conducted in aquaria containing ultra-filtered seawater with cultured phytoplankton. Results show that mussels taken from the intertidal population had significantly higher filtration than the submerged population initially, but after 3 days of submersion in the aquaria, this difference disappeared. Moreover, all experimental G. demissa had higher clearance rates during natural low tide than during natural high tide. These results indicate a potential for ribbed mussels to be grown in suspension culture for nutrient bioextraction purposes.
Methanol-To-Gasoline vs. . . . DME-To-Gasoline. II. Process Comparison and Analysis

Abstract Methanol can be converted into gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons over zeolite ZSM-5 catalyst using the Mobil MTG process. Methanol feed in the MTG process can be derived from coal or natural gas based syngas. The Mobil MTG process involves the conversion steps of syngas-to-methanol and methanol-to-gasoline. Dimethyl Ether (DME), a product of methanol dehydrocondensation, is an intermediate species in the methanol-to-gasoline conversion. Syngas can be directly converted to DME using the Liquid Phase Dimethyl Ether Synthesis (LP-DME) process developed at the University of Akron in conjunction with Electric Power Research Institute. This direct one-step conversion of syngas-to-DME can then be an ideal front end for further conversion to gasoline. This substitution (syngas-to-methanol by syngas-to-DME) is justified because DME results in an identical hydrocarbon distribution over the ZSM-5 catalyst as methanol. The DME-to-Gasoline (DTG) process thus involves the conversion steps of syngas-to-DME an...
Effects of tactile information on telerobotic performance

This paper describes the results of an investigation into the effects of providing a telerobotic operator with three types of tactile information: kinesthetic, cutaneous, and visual. A full factorial experiment was conducted using sixteen test subjects divided into four test groups. The subjects were trained and tested performing two different tasks. They were not allowed direct visual contact with the task site, but were forced to use four different camera views. During task execution, a computer-based data acquisition system was used to record the telerobotic slave joint torque values. The performance of the system was measured using three criteria: joint torque variation, maximum joint torque value, and task completion time. A standard analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used to determine if the different modes of tactile feedback caused a change in system performance. The ANOVA results showed that the kinesthetic feedback improved operator performance of the tasks in terms of both torque variation and maximum torque value, while cutaneous had no measurable effect. Visual feedback was not included in the test because it required the operator to continually shift eye contact between the feedback display and the displays showing the task site. Neither the kinesthetic feedback or the cutaneous feedback had an effect upon task completion time for the two tasks performed.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Comment on "Weak mixing angles from semileptonic decays in the quark model"

A Comment on the Letter by B. Grinstein, N. Isgur, and M. Wise, Phys. Rev. Lett. 56, 298 (1986).
Association of adult-onset asthma with specific cardiovascular conditions

Summary Background While asthma is known to be associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), the relation to specific manifestations of CVD has not been previously described. Our objective was to explore the relation of child and adult-onset asthma with specific CVD conditions. Methods We examined data from 16,943 (projected 178 million) U.S. adults aged 18–90 years old with relevant information on asthma and CVD. The study was a cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2006. We determined the prevalence of CVD risk factors and likelihood of CVD conditions according to gender and asthma status using multiple logistic regression adjusted for age, gender and other CVD risk factors. Results The proportions of subjects with child and adult-onset asthma were 4.8% (n = 702) and 3.3% (n = 534), respectively. Adult-onset asthma was significantly associated with total CVD (OR = 2.07, CI = 1.2–3.7), but child-onset asthma was not associated with any CVD conditions. Of the four specific CVD endpoints, adult-onset asthma overall was only associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) (OR = 2.26, CI = 1.2–4.2) in the total population. Conclusions Our data suggests that CHD is the major cardiovascular condition associated with asthma; a prospective study must be done to confirm a causal relationship.
Trends and Burden of Bronchiectasis-Associated Hospitalizations in the United States, 1993-2006

Background Current data on bronchiectasis prevalence, trends, and risk factors are lacking; such data are needed to estimate the burden of disease and for improved medical care and public health resource allocation. The objective of the present study was to estimate the trends and burden of bronchiectasis-associated hospitalizations in the United States. Methods We extracted hospital discharge records containing International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes for bronchiectasis (494, 494.0, and 494.1) as any discharge diagnosis from the State Inpatient Databases from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Discharge records were extracted for 12 states with complete and continuous reporting from 1993 to 2006. Results The average annual age-adjusted hospitalization rate from 1993 to 2006 was 16.5 hospitalizations per 100,000 population. From 1993 to 2006, the age-adjusted rate increased significantly, with an average annual percentage increase of 2.4% among men and 3.0% among women. Women and persons aged > 60 years had the highest rate of bronchiectasis-associated hospitalizations. The median cost for inpatient care was 7,827 US dollars (USD) (range, 13-543,914 USD). Conclusions The average annual age-adjusted rate of bronchiectasis-associated hospitalizations increased from 1993 to 2006. This study furthers the understanding of the impact of bronchiectasis and demonstrates the need for further research to identify risk factors and reasons for the increasing burden.