cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Global fetal DNA methylation and birth outcomes in obese women

Pregnant women who are obese are more likely to have gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, macrosomia, operative vaginal delivery, and cesarean delivery. Obesity also has adverse implications for the neonate. Congenital anomalies are more common in children born to obese women. These include neural tube defects, gastroschisis, cardiovascular anomalies, and others. Although the connection between maternal obesity and chronic health conditions has been described, the mechanism by which this occurs is less well understood. Changes to the epigenetic structure of offspring DNA have been proposed as one such mechanism.
Proinflammatory Cytokine Modulation by Intravenous Immune Globulin (IVIG) on Ex vivo Whole Blood Assays of Young Children: Implications on Kawasaki Disease (KD) treatment † 858

Proinflammatory Cytokine Modulation by Intravenous Immune Globulin (IVIG) on Ex vivo Whole Blood Assays of Young Children: Implications on Kawasaki Disease (KD) treatment † 858
Severe aortic complications in a patient with variant Shone's complex and bicuspid aortic valve

A 47-year-old man presented with new onset exertional dyspnoea. He received a surgical repair of coarctation of the aorta (COA) at the age of 21 years and aortic root grafting with mechanical aortic valve replacement for type A aortic dissection and bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) at the age of 28 years. He had been otherwise healthy and did not follow-up with a cardiologist or surgeon after his last surgery. An echocardiogram (Echo) revealed normal left ventricular size and wall thickness, with an ejection fraction of 45%–50%. There was a parachute mitral valve (MV) (figure 1), with only one severely underdeveloped lateral papillary muscle. The mechanical aortic valve was functioning normally. There was a massively dilated distal aortic arch and proximal descending aorta with maximum dimension of up to 65 mm (figure 2). There was no Doppler evidence of …
Vitamin D Deficiency: A Potential Modifiable Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease in Children with Severe Obesity

Severe obesity is associated with abnormal lipids and increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Obesity is a risk factor for vitamin D deficiency. We examined relationship between 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and lipids in children with severe obesity. Medical records of 376 children were reviewed. Linear regression models and logistic regression were used to examine the relationship between 25(OH)D and lipids after adjustment for age, gender, season of blood draw, body mass index (BMI) z-score, and BMI % of 95th percentile. Two-hundred sixty-three out of 376 children (70%) had 25(OH)D concentrations < 30 ng/mL. Concentrations of 25(OH)D were positively correlated with those of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (r2 = 0.08, r = 0.22, β = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.05–0.27, p = 0.004). HDL-C was lower in children with 25(OH)D < 30 ng/mL (n = 263) compared to those with 25(OH)D ≥ 30 ng/mL (n = 113) (41.3 ± 10.2 vs. 46.4 ± 12 mg/dL, p < 0.0001). Children with 25(OH)D concentrations < 30 ng/mL had greater adjusted odds of low HDL-C (<40 mg/dL) compared with those with 25(OH)D ≥ 30 ng/mL (47.9% vs. 29.2%, OR 2.15 (1.33–3.51), p = 0.0019). Total cholesterol and non-HDL-C were not correlated with 25(OH)D concentrations. Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in children with severe obesity. Prospective clinical trials are warranted to determine if vitamin D supplementation can improve HDL-C and potentially decrease risk for cardiovascular disease in children with obesity.
Do Brokers Know Their Voters? A Test of Guessability in India

Theories of clientelism broadly depend on the untested assumption that brokers possess fine-grained information on voters’ political preferences prior to elections, and often can monitor their votes. As the first direct test of this assumption in a competitive democracy, I develop a measure, guessability, which measures the ability of local brokers to identify the partisan preferences of voters from their local area. I apply this method to elected village politicians in rural India who often perform brokerage functions. I find that these local leaders perform well at identifying the partisan preferences of co-partisans, but perform no better than a low-information benchmark that captures the level of guessability that outsiders can plausibly achieve with respect to non-core voters. This suggests that an electoral strategy rooted in quid-pro-quo exchange is extremely inefficient in rural India where the clientelism is believed to be feasible, with implications for prominent theories applied to other settings.
A Robot Wrote This

As more news articles are written via collaboration between journalists and algorithms, questions have arisen regarding how automation influences the way that news is processed and evaluated by aud...
Changes in androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, testosterone, estradiol, and estrone over the menopausal transition

Previous reports have noted that dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS) increases prior to the final menstrual period (FMP) and remains stable beyond the FMP. How DHEAS concentrations correspond with other sex hormones across the menopausal transition (MT) including androstenedione (A4), testosterone (T), estrone (E1), and estradiol (E2) is not known. Our objective was to examine how DHEAS, A4, T, E1, and E2 changed across the MT by White vs. African-American (AA) race/ethnicity. We conducted a longitudinal observational analysis of a subgroup of women from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation observed over 4 visits prior to and 4 visits after the FMP (n = 110 women over 9 years for 990 observations). The main outcome measures were DHEAS, A4, T, E1, and E2. Compared to the decline in E2 concentrations, androgen concentrations declined minimally over the MT. T (β 9.180, p < 0.0001) and E1 (β 11.365, p < 0.0001) were higher in Whites than in AAs, while elevations in DHEAS (β 28.80, p = 0.061) and A4 (β 0.2556, p = 0.052) were borderline. Log-transformed E2 was similar between Whites and AAs (β 0.0764, p = 0.272). Body mass index (BMI) was not significantly associated with concentrations of androgens or E1 over time. This report suggests that the declines in E2 during the 4 years before and after the FMP are accompanied by minimal changes in DHEAS, A4, T, and E1. There are modest differences between Whites and AAs and minimal differences by BMI.
Concrete–fiber-reinforced polymer interfacial bond monitoring with self-triggering sensors:

External bonding with fiber-reinforced polymers is currently one of the most popular technologies for rehabilitation of concrete structures. However, the effectiveness of the technology largely dep...
A Low-Power Handheld Frequency-Hopped Spread Spectrum Transceiver Hardware Architecture

The overall goal of this research project is to develop low-power personal communications transceiver hardware technologies, coupled with advanced systems techniques such as antenna diversity, channel coding, and adaptive power control, for achieving robust wireless digital data transmission over multipath fading channels. A frequency-hopped spread spectrum (FH/SS) code division multiple access (CDMA) technique was chosen over other multiple access schemes because a) it provides an inherent immunity to multipath fading; and b) the signal processing is performed at the hopping rate, which is much slower than the chip rate encountered either in a direct sequence (DS) CDMA or time division multiple access (TDMA) system, thereby potentially resulting in much lower receiver power consumption. Furthermore, frequency-shift keying (FSK) modulation with noncoherent detection in a frequency-hopped system results in a much simpler transceiver architecture as compared with coherent amplitude and phase modulation methods commonly used in DS and TDMA systems. Architectural innovations as well as advanced circuit techniques will be incorporated into the design of a portable handset to achieve minimum power and size without sacrificing robustness in performance. A 3-V CMOS implementation is being developed for the entire transceiver including the 900 MHz radio frequency (RF) front-end. Multiple miniature antennas will also be integrated into the handset to achieve the maximum diversity benefit for robust data transmission. The hardware and system technologies developed for the transceiver design will be general enough to be applicable to a wide variety of commercial and military wireless communications applications such as cellular and micro-cellular radios and telephones, wireless LANs, and wireless PBX systems. In order to validate the design techniques being proposed, a prototype all-CMOS transceiver handset with dual antenna diversity is being developed to demonstrate pedestrian-to-pedestrian communication over the 902-928 MHz band. This paper overviews the proposed FH/SS transceiver hardware architecture. The system rationale, analog and digital circuits, and antenna design techniques for the transceiver are also presented in the following sections.
The Northern territories: Source or symptom?

The issue of the Northern Territories has often been described as the “centerpiece” of Soviet-Japanese relations, and this is seemingly reflected in the forty-five years of postwar diplomatic history between the soviet Union and Japan. At the same time an examination of the actual legal and strategic problems surrounding the islands sheds little light on why they have been so persistently unamenable to resolution, unlike, for instance, the Sino-Soviet border dispute, or the Sino-Japanese islands dispute. This article suggests turning the argument on its head—that is, that the islands dispute is a symptom, not a source, of the tension that has been generated by the timing and course of modernization taken by these two neighbors in the context of the contemporary international situation.
Quality of Life Outcomes in Radiotherapy of Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. There has been an increased interest in quality of life (QOL) as a clinically meaningful endpoint in clinical trials for lung cancer. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measurements have allowed oncologists to better understand the impact of cancer therapies on the physical, emotional and social well-being of their patients. This chapter provides a review of the clinical relevance, measurement, analysis and challenges of quality of life in lung cancer trials. A summary of salient quality-of-life studies, particularly involving radiation treatment for lung cancer, is included.
Experimental Study of the Level-to-Level Rotationally Inelastic Transition Rates of Iodine Monofluoride During Collisions with Noble Gases

Much accurate information has recently become known about iodine monofluoride (IF) [1–8]. With the information available, it was possible to begin a study of the state-to-state rotational energy transfer (RET) during collisions with noble gases. Ground-state IF (XΣ+) was generated in a flow tube reactor and excited by means of a narrow beam ring dye laser to the B3π(0+) state. The fluorescence from the B→X transition was observed and was used to determine thermally averaged rate constants and cross-sections for state-to-state RET during collisions with He, Ar, and Kr.
The impact of published guidelines on chemotherapy dosing in overweight and obese patients in the adjuvant setting: A single institution experience.

e18201Background: In April 2012, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) published the first guidelines for dosing chemotherapy in obese patients. The guidelines recommend full weight-base...
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery and Its Effects on Patient Reported Outcomes

Enhanced recovery programs were developed as a means for improving patient recovery after surgery with a multifaceted approach including several interventions in the perioperative period. There is now sufficient evidence in the literature that enhanced recovery programs have actually shortened hospital length of stay after colorectal surgery. Nonetheless, the impact of these successful programs on patient-reported outcomes like functional recovery and return to baseline quality of life is not known.
Lydia Stahl: a secret life, 1885-?

Lydia Stahl was a spy for the Soviet Union’s military intelligence service known as the GRU. A polyglot who spoke at least five languages, Stahl was active in Helsinki, New York, and Paris from the...
A Comparison of SVM and CNN-LSTM Based Approach for Detecting Smoke Inhalations from Respiratory signal

Wearable sensors have successfully been used in recent studies to monitor cigarette smoking events and analyze people’s smoking behavior. Respiratory inductive plethysmography (RIP) has been employed to track breathing and to identify characteristic breathing pattern specific to smoking. Pattern recognition algorithms such as Support Vector Machine (SVM), Hidden Markov Model, Decision tree, or ensemble approaches have been used to identify smoke inhalations. However, no deep learning approaches, which have been proved effective to many time series datasets, have ever been tested yet. Hence, a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Long Term Short Memory (LSTM) based approach is presented in this paper to detect smoke inhalations in the breathing signal. To illustrate the effectiveness of this deep learning approach, a traditional machine learning (SVM) based approach was used for comparison. On the validation dataset of 120 smoking sessions performed in a laboratory setting by 30 moderate-to-heavy smokers, the CNN-LSTM approach achieved an F1-score of 72% in leave-one-subject-out (LOSO) cross-validation method whereas the classical SVM approach scored 63%. These results suggest that deep learning-based approaches might provide a better analytical method for detection of smoke inhalations than more conventional machine learning approaches.
Mécanisme d’action du méthotrexate dans le traitement de la polyarthrite rhumatoïde

Resume Le methotrexate est utilise dans le traitement de la polyarthrite rhumatoide (PR) depuis les annees 1980 et est souvent a ce jour le medicament de premiere intention pour le traitement de la PR. Dans cette revue, nous examinons plusieurs hypotheses pour expliquer le mecanisme a l’origine de l’efficacite du methotrexate dans la PR. Celles-ci comprennent l’antagonisme du folate, la signalisation par l’adenosine, la generation d’especes reactives de l’oxygene (ROS), la diminution des molecules d’adherence, la modification des profils cytokiniques et l’inhibition des polyamines, entre autres. Actuellement, la signalisation par l’adenosine est probablement l’explication la plus largement acceptee du mecanisme du methotrexate dans la PR, car le methotrexate augmente les taux d’adenosine et suite a l’engagement de l’adenosine avec ses recepteurs extracellulaires, une cascade intracellulaire est activee et favorise un etat anti-inflammatoire global. Outre ces hypotheses, nous examinons le mecanisme du methotrexate dans la PR sous l’angle de ses effets indesirables et considerons certains des nouveaux marqueurs genetiques de l’efficacite et de la toxicite du methotrexate dans la PR. Enfin, nous discutons brievement du mecanisme du methotrexate en association avec un traitement de la PR par un inhibiteur du TNF-α. En fin de compte, en trouvant une explication claire de la voie et du mecanisme conduisant a l’efficacite du methotrexate dans la PR, il pourrait exister un moyen de formuler des therapies plus puissantes avec moins d’effets secondaires.
Correlations between Panoramic Imagery and Gamma-Ray Background in an Urban Area

When searching for radiological sources in an urban area, a vehicle-borne detector system will often measure complex, varying backgrounds primarily from natural gamma-ray sources. Much work has been focused on developing spectral algorithms that account for these backgrounds in order to minimize false positive rates without sacrificing the sensitivity. However, information about the environment surrounding the detector system might also provide useful clues about the expected background, thus improving sensitivity. Recent work has focused on extensive measuring and modeling of urban areas with the goal of understanding how these complex backgrounds arise. This work presents an analysis of panoramic video images and gamma-ray background data collected in Oakland, California by the Radiological Multi-sensor Analysis Platform (RadMAP) vehicle. Features were extracted from the panoramic images by semantically labeling the images and then convolving the labeled regions with the detector response. A linear model was used to relate the image-derived responses to gamma-ray spectral features derived using Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF). We show that some gamma-ray background features correlate highly with image-derived features such as sky and buildings.
Effect of hypothermia on fetal aortic across-clamping

Objective We aim to test the hypothesis that hypothermia can protect fetal heart during aortic across-clamping. Methods Fourteen ewes of 120-140 days of gestation were randomized into normal temperature group (NT group n = 7) and hypothermia group (LT group, n = 7). The fetal lambs were exposed by uterotomy and under went median sternotomy. We lowered the temperature of amniotic fluid and across-clamped the aorta. The mean fetal blood pressure, heart rate were recorded at different time points. The fetal plasma creative phosphokinase isoenzyme MB (CKMB) and Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) were assayed. Results The weights of pregnant sheep were 25.93 ± 4. 68 kg (NT)and 24 ± 3. 29 kg (LT) respectively. The fetal lamb weights were 1.43 ± 0. 45 kg in NT group and 1.48 ±0. 28 kg in LT group. There were no difference between the two groups(P＞0. 05). All fetus were alive except one from the NT gruop. The mean blood pressure and heart rate of both groups showed no changes during the study period. CKMB and cTnI in both groups increased significantly throughout the study period(P＜0. 05). The changes of plasma CKMB and cTnI in NT group were more significant than those of LT group(P＜0. 05). Conclusions The cross-clamping induced fetal heart injury is partially alleviated by hypothemia Key words: Fetus lamb; Cardiac surgical procedures; Hypothermia
Origami-Inspired Shape-Changing Phased Array

In situ geometric reconfiguration of a phased array increases the diversity of radiation patterns that can be synthesized by the array. Such shape-changing phased arrays enable new applications by dynamically conforming their shapes to the geometry best suited for a given task. This work presents the design and demonstration of an origami-inspired shape-changing array built out of identical radiating tiles held in place by a mechanical backbone. The array is capable of shifting into planar, spherical, and cylindrical configurations. The benefits of such an array are analyzed by comparing the properties of different geometries and verified with measurements of the first origami-inspired shape-changing phased array.
Race–gender Bias in White Americans’ Preferences for Gun Availability

We argue that Americans’ policy attitudes on firearm availability are influenced by the identity of the prospective owner. We use an experiment to demonstrate that attitudes towards gun control/availability are influenced by both race and gender; whether subjects are primed to think of African-Americans versus whites or men versus women has a substantial impact on the degree to which they support firearm access. We find that for many white Americans, Black men and white women stand on opposite poles – priming white Americans with the thought of a Black man decreases support for gun availability, whereas priming the thought of a white woman increases support for gun availability. Further, the magnitude of this effect is quite large – comparable to the difference between Democrats and Republicans. These findings underscore the importance of thinking about the complicated role identity groups play in understanding Americans’ preferences for government (in)action, even in policy areas with explicit Constitutional mandates.
Which Countries and Why Have the Best Preparedness to Cope with Pandemic Threat and Support COVID-19 Vaccinations?

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to be a constant pandemic threat in 2021 with new variants that are generating a constant state of emergency in manifold countries with high numbers of COVID-19 related infected individuals and deaths in society. The purpose of this study is to propose two indexes to measure and assess the capacity of countries to constrain negative effects of the spread of COVID-19 in society. The first Index r (as resilience) detects countries having the best performance to reduce the negative impact of mortality of the COVID-19 pandemic in society; the second Index p (as prevention) detects best-performer countries with higher capacity to support COVID-19 vaccinations and prevent the diffusion of future waves of COVID-19. The application of these indexes on a case study of European countries seems to suggest that best-performer countries to cope with COVID-19 pandemic have a smaller size of population and a good governance. These indexes can help policymakers to support timely and effective policy responses of short and long run to constrain negative effects of current and future pandemics similar to COVID-19.
Mismatch repair deficiency predicts response to HER2 blockade in HER2-negative breast cancer.

Resistance to endocrine treatment occurs in ~30% of ER+ breast cancer patients resulting in ~40,000 deaths/year in the USA. Preclinical studies strongly implicate activation of growth factor receptor, HER2 in endocrine treatment resistance. However, clinical trials of pan-HER inhibitors in ER+/HER2− patients have disappointed, likely due to a lack of predictive biomarkers. Here we demonstrate that loss of mismatch repair activates HER2 after endocrine treatment in ER+/HER2− breast cancer cells by protecting HER2 from protein trafficking. Additionally, HER2 activation is indispensable for endocrine treatment resistance in MutL- cells. Consequently, inhibiting HER2 restores sensitivity to endocrine treatment. Patient data from multiple clinical datasets supports an association between MutL loss, HER2 upregulation, and sensitivity to HER inhibitors in ER+/HER2− patients. These results provide strong rationale for MutL loss as a first-in-class predictive marker of sensitivity to combinatorial treatment with endocrine intervention and HER inhibitors in endocrine treatment-resistant ER+/HER2− breast cancer patients. Resistance to endocrine treatment in ER+/HER2- breast cancer patients remains a significant clinical problem. Here, the authors demonstrate that loss of the MutL mismatch repair complex can serve as a first-in-class predictive biomarker for combinatorial inhibition of HER2 to overcome the emergence of endocrine treatment resistance.
Impact of COVID-19 on the Intestinal Microbiome.

This review article aims to explore the GI changes induced by SARS-CoV-2 and how gut microbial homeostasis can influence these changes and affect the lung-gut axis and its relationship with the induction of the cytokine release syndrome in severe COVID-19 patients. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects not only the respiratory system but can produce multi-systemic damage. The expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) receptors in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the high prevalence of GI symptoms in severely ill COVID-19 patients, and the abnormalities described in the gut microbiome in these patients have raised concerns about the influence of GI tract as a risk factor or as a potential modulator to reduce the severity of COVID-19. Understanding the mechanisms by which gut dysbiosis may influence viral transmission and disease progression in COVID-19 may help in shaping how accessible therapies, like diet modulation, can potentially help beat the devastating consequences of COVID-19.
Using virtual environments for synchronous online courses

The dominant paradigm for online instruction focuses on asynchronous activity (where users communicate at different times, such as electronic mail or recorded videos), whether traditional online courses, such as described by Russell and Curtis (2013), or massive online open courses (MOOC), such as described by Rodriguez (2012). However, little research focuses on courses centered on synchronous online education technologies (where users communicate during the same time period). Synchronous communication technologies offer potentially superior options in online education settings compared to asynchronous communication technologies. Media richness theory argues that media offering more non-textual cues and the possibility for immediate feedback are more effective for communication, particularly in situations where ambiguity or confusion are more likely (Daft, Lengel, & Trevino, 1987; Rice, 1992; Schmitz & Fulk, 1991; Trevino, Lengel, & Daft, 1987; and Zmud, Lind, & Young, 1990). As educational environments offer hold potential for ambiguity and confusion, it is likely that course formats offering richer communication could improve learning. Richer media also can increase the presence of an online instructor. Student perception of the social presence of an instructor has been found to be highly influential to the success of online courses (Hodges & Cowan, 2012). This article describes how teachers can use virtual environments to teach synchronous online classes. Virtual online environments offer a potential tool for supplying rich, synchronous online communication that comes close to mimicking the traditional classroom environment. Virtual environments feature detailed, 3-D settings within which users, represented by avatars, can explore and interact. While many online virtual environments exist, this paper focuses on one such environment—Second Life—as at the time of this writing, it is free and relatively simple to use. The use of Second Life as an example of an online virtual environment should not be construed as a product endorsement. Second Life is the most studied virtual environment for education. However, while Second Life has been studied as an online learning tool, its use has not been studied within mostly synchronous online courses. Studies have focused on its use as a tool within traditional face-to-face courses (deNoyelles & Seo, 2012; Mayrath, Traphagan, Heikes, & Trivedi, 2011; Sierra, Gutierrez, & Garzon-Castro, 2012; Sutcliffe & Alrayes, 2012), for use in part online, part face-to-face hybrid courses (Hornik & Thornburg, 2010), or for use as an additional activity for traditional online courses (Mansour, Bennett, & Rude-Parkins, 2009). Combining virtual environments with other Web 2.0 tools can create a largely synchronous format for online interaction that mimics much of the rich interaction of face-toface instruction without many of the limitations imposed by geography, allowing students anywhere to take the course.
Results from different patient populations using combined therapy with alprostadil and sildenafil: predictors of satisfaction

Objective To evaluate the outcome of combined therapy (using intraurethral alprostadil and oral sildenafil) in private and clinic patients with erectile dysfunction, and thus assess predictors of satisfaction. Patients and methods In all, 360 men were treated for erectile dysfunction using single and/or combined therapy, comprising 214 private-practice and 166 clinic patients. Responses were evaluated using the International Index for Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire before and after treatment. Serum testosterone levels, education and socio-economic status were also assessed. Group 1a consisted of 33 private patients and Group 1b of 24 clinic patients who tried the maximum dose of intraurethral alprostadil monotherapy initially, followed by the maximum dose of sildenafil monotherapy, and remained dissatisfied. Group 2a consisted of 32 private patients and group 2b of 31 clinic patients who tried the maximum dose of sildenafil monotherapy initially, followed by the maximum dose of alprostadil monotherapy, and were also dissatisfied. These two groups of 65 private and 55 clinic patients then underwent combined therapy. Results The mean ( sd) score for erectile function was 24.1 (2) for combined therapy (a 123% improvement), and 19.8 (1.8) (83% improvement) and 15.2 (1.6) (41% improvement) for sildenafil and alprostadil monotherapies (P < 0.05 for both patient groups). The men also reported an improvement in their satisfaction with intercourse. However, at 18 months, 60 of the 65 private patients but only 40 of the 55 clinic patients continued with combined therapy; thus, the discontinuation rate was three times greater among clinic than among private patients. Furthermore, the private patients had an overall improvement in the satisfaction score of 128%, compared with 51% for the clinic patients. Conclusion Although there were no significant differences in erectile function improvement within the two satisfied combined therapy groups, the differences in overall satisfaction and long-term withdrawal rates suggests that other factors beside motivation must be involved for success, e.g. education, persistence, realistic expectations, and certain psychological factors. Combined therapy should be considered for those patients who have a suboptimal response to monotherapy and refuse or are not candidates for surgical options. Generally, those patients with a higher education, greater persistence and more realistic expectations were more satisfied with combined therapy.
Rape accusations in psychiatric hospitals: institutional dynamics in crisis.

This paper only represents an initial attempt to understand some of the psychosocial and administrative problems that can emerge following a rape accusation by a psychiatric inpatient. Because of the seriousness of the crime and the increasing incidence of reported rapes within the United States, it behooves hospital psychiatrists and administrators to become more acquianted with the psychological, social, and managerial issues that lead to and stem from an allegation of rape. Although many questions need to be answered, further research and study could focus upon (a) ascertaining the prevalence and characteristics of rape accusations by psychiatric inpatients, (b) understanding the psychodynamics of these allegations, (c) refining procedures for investigating allegations, (d) learning about the effects that these accusations have upon other staff members and patients, (e) developing methods to enhance the accused individual's legal rights, (f) discovering means to anticipate these allegations, and (g) finding ways to prevent rape of hospitalized individuals. Social pressures and professional ethics demand that we no longer avoid an open discussion of this subject within our academic forums.
Polarization in B → VV decays

Abstract Factorizable amplitudes in B decays to light vector meson pairs give a longitudinal polarization satisfying 1 − f L = O ( 1 / m b 2 ) . This remains formally true when non-factorizable graphs are included in QCD factorization, and is numerically realized in B → ρ ρ . In Δ S = 1 decays a QCD penguin annihilation graph can effectively contribute at leading power to the transverse and longitudinal amplitudes. The observed longitudinal polarization, f L ( B → ϕ K * ) ≈ 50 % , can therefore be accounted for in the SM. The ratio of transverse rates Γ ⊥ / Γ ∥ provides a sensitive test for new right-handed currents. The transverse b → s g dipole operator amplitudes are highly suppressed. CP violation measurements can therefore discriminate between new contributions to the dipole and four quark operators. SU ( 3 ) F violation in QCD penguin amplitudes can easily be O ( 1 ) , in general, due to annihilation. Implications for B → ρ K * polarization and New Physics searches are pointed out.
Testing delay-insensitive circuits

A method is developed to test delay-insensitive circuits, using the single stuck-at fault model. These circuits are synthesized from a high-level specification. Since the circuits are hazard-free by construction, there is no test for hazards in the circuit. Most faults cause the circuit to halt during test, since they cause an acknowledgement not to occur when it should. There are stuck-at faults that do not cause the circuit to halt under any condition. These are stimulating faults; they cause a premature firing of a production rule. For such a stimulating fault to be testable, the premature firing has to be propagated to a primary output. If this is not guaranteed to occur, then one or more test points have to be added to the circuit. Any stuck-at fault is testable, with the possible addition of test points. For combinational delay-insensitive circuits, finding test vectors is reduced to the same problem as for synchronous combinational logic. For sequential circuits, the synthesis method is used to find a test for each fault efficiently, to find the location of the test points, and to find a test that detects all faults in a circuit. The number of test points needed to fully test the circuit is very low, and the size of the additional testing circuitry is small. A test derived with a simple transformation of the handshaking expansion yields high fault coverage. Adding tests for the remaining faults results in a small complete test for the circuit.
An approach for optimizing WIP/cycle time/output in a semiconductor fabricator

The relationships between work in progress (WIP), cycle time, and daily going rates (DGR) are relatively well understood. However, selecting parameters for optimum operation in a fabricator is more of an art form than an analytical process. This paper describes a process used in our 0.7 /spl mu/m wafer fabricator at IBM Microelectronics in Essex Junction, Vermont, to optimize these parameters. This process uses real manufacturing-line data to quantify tool and organizational capabilities, which are then consolidated at the line level. Line and department targets are set to optimize unit costs, cycle time, and to drive day-to-day as well as long-term learning plans. In addition, this paper attempts to bridge empirical data to the queuing theory models. >
Nonlinearity estimation and spectral regrowth prediction of power amplifiers using correlation techniques

Nonlinearity estimation and spectral regrowth prediction are crucial to power amplifier linearization. The correlation techniques shown here can estimate amplifier nonlinearity and predict out-of-band power spectrum. Cross-correlation is performed between the output envelope and a test sequence generated from the input signal and can be carried out in background during amplifier operations. The proposed method is applicable to multi-channel DS-CDMA systems and IS-95 forward-link CDMA signals are employed as an example.
Long-term consequences of prenatal cocaine exposure on biogenic amines in the brains of mice: the role of sex

Prenatal cocaine exposure leads to multiple abnormalities in the mature offspring. We explored the effects of gestational exposure to cocaine on neurotransmitter systems of adult mice. The subjects were the mature offspring of mice (a) prenatally fed cocaine between gestational day (G) 8 and G19, (b) pair-fed chow and water, or fed chow and water ad libitum. The forebrains of the mature offspring were assayed for monoamines and amino acids. Cocaine exposure particularly affected the dopaminergic system and in a sex-specific manner. In males dopamine concentrations were decreased and dopamine turnover was increased, whereas in females dopamine concentrations were increased and turnover was decreased. Neither norepinephrine, the serotonergic system, nor neuroactive amino acids (or their precursors) were affected by cocaine. Thus, in utero exposure to cocaine produces long-lasting, specific defects in the dopaminergic system.
Ancient low–molecular-weight organic acids in permafrost fuel rapid carbon dioxide production upon thaw

Northern permafrost soils store a vast reservoir of carbon, nearly twice that of the present atmosphere. Current and projected climate warming threatens widespread thaw of these frozen, organic carbon (OC)-rich soils. Upon thaw, mobilized permafrost OC in dissolved and particulate forms can enter streams and rivers, which are important processors of OC and conduits for carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. Here, we demonstrate that ancient dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leached from 35,800 y B.P. permafrost soils is rapidly mineralized to CO2. During 200-h experiments in a novel high–temporal-resolution bioreactor, DOC concentration decreased by an average of 53%, fueling a more than sevenfold increase in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration. Eighty-seven percent of the DOC loss to microbial uptake was derived from the low–molecular-weight (LMW) organic acids acetate and butyrate. To our knowledge, our study is the first to directly quantify high CO2 production rates from permafrost-derived LMW DOC mineralization. The observed DOC loss rates are among the highest reported for permafrost carbon and demonstrate the potential importance of LMW DOC in driving the rapid metabolism of Pleistocene-age permafrost carbon upon thaw and the outgassing of CO2 to the atmosphere by soils and nearby inland waters.
Erythromycin stimulates ileal motility by activation of dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium channels.

Abstract Erythromycin, a macrolide antibiotic, is a potent stimulant of small bowel motor activity (MA) which may motility either via the peptide motilin receptor or neural mechanisms. We hypothesized that erythromycin stimulates directly stimulates smooth muscle cells by a calcium-mediated event. Thus, we evaluated the effect of neuronal blockade with tetrodotoxin, muscarinic blockade with atropine, and opiate blockade with naloxone on erythromycin-stimulated MA in isolated perfused segments of rabbit terminal ileum. We also tested the effect of nonspecific calcium channel blockade (verapamil and cadmiun) and specific blockade (dihydroxypyridine and nichol) on erythromycin-stimulated MA. MA was measured with a multichannel continuous perfusion manometry catheter. Erythromycin caused a concentration-dependent increase in MA (ED100 5 × 10−4 M). Tetrodotoxin, atropine, and naloxone did not effect erythromycin-stimulated MA (P > 0.05). Both verapamil (10−7 M) and cadmium (10−2-10−4 M) inhibited erythromycin-stimulated MA. Selective blockade of “1” type calcium channels using dihydropyridine (10−6 M) and “t” channels with nickel (10−2-10−4 M) both reversed erythromycin-stimulated MA. Since the isolated segments of terminal ileum were free of exogenous humoral and neural effects, these studies indicated that erythromycin directly stimulated MA in the terminal ileum. Furthermore, since tetrodotoxin, atropine, and naloxone did not inhibit this increase in MA, erythromycin acted by a mechanism which was independent of the intrinsic nervous and opiate systems. In conclusion, these data are consistent with the model that erythromycin stimulates ileal motility by a mechanism involving activation of dihydroxypyridine and nickel-sensitive calcium channels.
Dummy endogenous variables in weakly separable models

In this paper, we consider the nonparametric identification and estimation of the average effect of a dummy endogenous regressor in models where the regressors are weakly but not additively separable from the error term. The model is not required to be strictly increasing in the error term, and the class of models considered includes limited dependent variable models such as discrete choice models. Conditions are established conditions under which it is possible to identify the average effect of the dummy endogenous regressor in a weakly separable model without relying on parametric functional form or distributional assumptions and without the use of large support conditions.
Child abuse, memory, and recall: a commentary.

L'A. etudie la therapie de l'adulte qui consiste a recouvrer la memoire des traumatismes de l'enfance, afin d'y deceler l'origine pathologique d'une maladie mentale ou l'evidence legale d'un crime ou d'une injustice (enfants maltraites et violes)
Tough Choices: The Cost-Effectiveness of Sildenafil

Smith and colleagues' cost-effectiveness analysis of sildenafil (Viagra) raises a fundamental and challenging issue associated with this therapeutic advance: Should health insurance pay for the tre...
Beckett's "neither" & Giacometti's Figurine entre deux boîtes qui sont des maisons

JAMES OLNEY, a Fellow of the American Academy since 2001, is the Voorhies Professor of English Emeritus at Louisiana State University. He is also Coeditor Emeritus of the Southern Review. His publications include Memory and Narrative: The Weave of Life-Writing (1998), The Language(s) of Poetry: Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Gerard Manley Hopkins (1993), and Metaphors of Self: The Meaning of Autobiography (1972). I am very grateful to the editors of Daedalus for permitting and even encouraging me to select two works–Samuel Beckett’s “neither” and Alberto Giacometti’s sculpture Figurine entre deux boites qui sont des maisons–for my discussion of influence. As I have been associated with literature departments throughout my career, I have chosen Beckett’s for my primary text. But while I believe that what I want to say could be said from that work alone, I also believe that it will be more forceful, more convincing, and surely more graphic if I couple “neither” with Giacometti’s Figurine. And as artists, Beckett and Giacometti had, in the 1⁄2nal analysis, so much in common that when we read, as a summary judgment of a whole body of work, that “he is one of the few artists who has contributed fundamentally to the way the human condition is perceived,” no one unfamiliar with the statement could say with any assurance which artist is its subject. Had I been asked earlier in my career to consider texts that have influenced me and my own work, I would certainly have chosen differently. Indeed, looking through the index to my 1⁄2rst book on what might best be called “life-writing,” Metaphors of Self, I 1⁄2nd no mention of Samuel Beckett. Yet today there seems to me an inevitability about the choice of Beckett, the only issue being which text to choose from the many that offer themselves. A major reason for this development is that Metaphors of Self, as its title implies, was a nonlinear exercise, a study of various writers in various times, and what each had to
Oxygen Pressure Field Theory: A detailed description of vital gas exchange, at the capillary level for perfusionists

Abstract Perfusionists are familiar with oxygen delivery and consumption of the Fick principle. Oxygen pressure field theory goes a step further by describing vital gas exchange at the capillary level. This article uses the Krogh cylinder model to describe the principles of the oxygen and carbon dioxide pressure fields, perfused capillary density, anoxic and hypercapnic lethal corners, axial oxygenation, oxygen loading strategy for deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, and the effect of edema on tissue oxygenation. These aspects of the oxygen pressure field theory can give the perfusionist additional insight into clinical perfusion applications.
The spotted lunula. A neglected nail sign associated with alopecia areata.

Three patients with alopecia areata were observed to have spotty absence of the whiteness of the lunulae of their nails. This was ascribed to defects in the tongue of matrical epithelium which lies under the nail plate and accounts for the lunula. An analogy is drawn with Wickham's striae.
Clinical utility in quantifying serum HBV DNA levels using PCR assays

Background/Aims: A recent NIH research workshop on hepatitis B virus (HBV) revisited the definition of healthy HBsAg carriers. The new definition inactive surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers includes an estimated serum HBV DNA level below 10 5 copies/ml. However, this cut-off value needs to be confirmed. Methods: Eighty-five consecutive patients, HBsAg-positive/HBeAg-negative with persistently normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and undetectable serum HBV DNA with standard assay (Versant HBV DNA Assay (bDNA), Bayer) were prospectively followed for 3.2 ± 2.6 (range 0.5-11) years; 58 underwent a liver biopsy. Serum HBV DNA was quantified with a sensitive polymerase chain reaction assay (Cobas Amplicor HBV Monitor, Roche) (sensitivity 200 copies/ml), and liver histology was assessed using the Ishak scoring system. Results: The median serum HBV DNA level was 1300 copies/ml ( <200-179 × 10 3 copies/ml), 16% of the subjects had no detectable serum HBV DNA and 98% had levels below 105 copies/ml. Histologic lesions were mild (total score <7) in all cases. Loss of HBsAg was observed in three patients, three patients experienced a transient increase in ALT (<2 × upper limit of normal), and serum HBV DNA levels remained stable (1-6 years) in 97% of the 38 patients retested. Conclusions: In our study of inactive HBsAg carriers, the median serum HBV DNA level was 1300 copies/ml, the serum HBV DNA level was below 10 5 copies/ml in 98% of the patients, and remained stable; histological lesions were mild in all cases.
Liquid-Side Mass-Transfer Resistance of Structured Packings

Stripping of oxygen from water using air was performed in four different structured packings. Because the transfer of oxygen to air is easy, the resistance to mass transfer lies on the liquid side. From these experiments, the measured global volumetric mass-transfer coefficient (K L a e ) is equal to the individual mass-transfer coefficient of the liquid phase (k L a e ). The value of the interfacial area α e is estimated using a model proposed in 1992, and the individual mass-transfer coefficient of the liquid is deduced and compared to one based on the penetration theory used in the first model proposed for structured packing in distillation columns published in 1985. It was found that the correction factor C E used to equate both coefficients is close to unity.
Queueing models for performance analysis: Selection of single station models

Abstract Queueing networks are increasingl being used in facility planning to evaluate alternatives. The foundation of such models is an accurate approximation of the single-station queue. Several alternative models have beenn proposed for the single-station queue with fini buffers and general arrival and service processes. This paper compares five such approximations by examining how the values of the queue parameters impact the performance methods are shown to be more accurate and less biased than alternative approximations.
Mechanisms of apparent affinity variation of guarded receptors

Studies of interactions between blocking agents such as antiarrhythmic drugs and gated ion channels have suggested apparent variations in binding site affinity. In this report, we develop a model by which these properties of ion channels can be explained simply on the fact that blocking agent access to the channel receptor is regulated by the channel gating apparatus. We view ion channel blockade as a two stage process: diffusion of drug to a region near the channel binding site and coupling of drug to the binding site resulting in a non-conducting, drug complexed channel. We define a guarded receptor as a receptor where binding site access is regulated by some process such as gated control of the ligand diffusion path. Relationships for equilibrium properties of guarded receptors differ from those of traditional unguarded receptors. With periodic activation of channel gates, as in cardiac muscle, a true equilibrium may never be reached due to transient receptor access. Lack of equilibrium can complicate analysis. For gated ion channels we derive equilibrium block properties under conditions of no stimulation. We show that a fixed affinity guarded receptor appears as an apparent variable affinity receptor in gated channels. These results are consistent with observations of apparent variations in receptor affinity derived from studies of local anesthetics in cardiac muscle. Furthermore, by separating drug diffusion and receptor binding, this description may facilitate quantitative characterization of local anesthetics and antiarrhythmia drugs in excitable membranes.