cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exploring mediated reality to approximate x-ray attenuation coefficients from radiographs

Estimation of the x-ray attenuation properties of an object with respect to the energy emitted from the source is a challenging task for traditional Bremsstrahlung sources. This exploratory work attempts to estimate the x-ray attenuation profile for the energy range of a given Bremsstrahlung profile. Previous work has shown that calculating a single effective attenuation value for a polychromatic source is not accurate due to the non-linearities associated with the image formation process. Instead, we completely characterize the imaging system virtually and utilize an iterative search method/constrained optimization technique to approximate the attenuation profile of the object of interest. This work presents preliminary results from various approaches that were investigated. The early results illustrate the challenges associated with these techniques and the potential for obtaining an accurate estimate of the attenuation profile for objects composed of homogeneous materials.
Analysis of oxygen transport in the avascular region of arteries

Abstract An analysis was carried out to delineate the coupled relationship between oxygen transport in the lumen and in the inner wall of arteries. The analysis revealed the interdependence of the oxygen utilization rate and the oxygen transfer coefficient, oxygen concentration in arterial blood and at the avascular thickness, diffusion coifficient, and inner wall thickness. Implications of the transport relationship are discussed with regard to the development of atherosclerosis. The results of the analysis can be used in conjunction with in vivo measurements of oxygen tension using microelectrodes to determine the oxygen utilization rate and the oxygen transfer coefficient in animals.
Epistemic obstacles and the marriage of fantasy to rigor: A response to suchting

Reality is difficult to know because the projection of reality onto experience creates misleading similarities and differences. Also, the projection is one-to-many in the appearance-to-reality direction, a fact that prevents us from reasoning from appearance to reality. The mode of thought that is associated with the Galilean revolution in science is a response to these epistemic obstacles. Its main characteristic is a marriage between imagination and formalization. This mode of thinking is as universal within post-Galilean science as the epistemic obstacles it is designed to overcome, but it is not salient in either common sense or Aristotelian science.
Mass spectrometric characterization of a calmodulin photo adduct

A calmodulin photo adduct was characterized using a combination of fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry, amino acid analysis and Edman sequence results. The C-terminus of the V8 digest and the specific residue of interaction of the photo adduct with calmodulin was identified.
Evaluation of the draft international standard for a reference terminology model for nursing actions

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the draft ISO reference terminology model (RTM) for nursing actions. Nursing RTM models attempt to include concepts that are universally represented in nursing documentation to improve the depiction of nursing practice in computerized systems.Method: Content analysis was used to decompose interventions into words and phrases, which were then mapped to the six model categories used to represent nursing actions in the draft ISO RTM. The decomposition of interventions was applied to nurses' documentation of pain interventions entered into a clinical information system.Findings: Consistent with the ISO standard requirements, all (100.00%) of the interventions contained an 〈action〉1 word or phrase and a «target». Additional findings are discussed in relation to earlier studies of terminology models.Conclusions: It is recommended that terminology and information system developers consider this model in their ongoing system development, evaluation, maintenance, and revisions. Further evaluation of the ISO RTM for nursing will contribute to the goals of this specific model and the harmonization and integration with other health care models.
The structure of silicon surfaces from (001) to (111)

Abstract We describe the structure of silicon surfaces oriented between (001) and (111) as determined by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and first-principles, total-energy calculations. In addition to reviewing and reproducing the structures reported for the few surfaces previously studied, we describe a number of additional surfaces in order to provide a complete overview of the (001)-to-(111) surface morphology. As the sample orientation is titled from (001) to (111) (ϑ=0 to 54.7°), the surface morphology varies as follows: (1) Si(001) to Si(114) = (001)-like surfaces composed of dimers separated by steps (both rebonded and nonrebonded); (2) Si(114) to Si(113) =mesoscale sawtooth facets composed of the stable (114)−2 × 1 and (113)−3 × 2 planes; (3) Si(113) to Si(5 5 12) =mesofacets composed of (113)−3 × 2 and (5 5 12)-like planes; (4) Si(5 5 12) to ∼Si(223) =nanoscale sawtooth facets composed of (5 5 12)-like and unit-cell-wide (111)−7 × 7 planes; and (5) ∼Si(223) to Si(111)=(111)−7 × 7 terraces separated primarily by single- and triple-layer steps. The change in the surface morphology is accompanied by a change in the composition of surface structural units, progressing from (001)-like structures (e.g. dimers, rebonded steps, and tetramers) to (111)-like structures (π-bonded chains, adatoms and dimer-chain walls). The resultant morphology is a delicate balance between the reduction of dangling bond density achieved by the formation of these structural units, and the resulting surface stress associated with their unusual bond angles and bond lengths.
Novel Reflectometer for Millimeter-Wave 3-D Holographic Imaging

Small, portable, and wideband millimeter-wave imaging systems are used in many nondestructive testing and imaging applications, as these systems are capable of producing high-resolution images of the interior of composite structures. Typically, systems capable of producing holographic 3-D images incorporate expensive and bulky wideband heterodyne coherent reflectometers or commercial vector network analyzers. In many nondestructive testing applications, evaluation of electrical property distribution of an object is not of interest; instead, the geometrical distribution of the object is studied. In such cases, the use of coherent reflectometers that provides referenced information about the magnitude and phase of a reflected signal is not required. Consequently, simpler reflectometers, capable of producing 3-D holographical images of objects are of great value since they reveal significant information about the object. Moreover, 3-D holographical images enable production of image slices at different depths. This paper presents a novel wideband, small, and low-cost reflectometer capable of producing holographic 3-D millimeter-wave images. The design of the reflectometer, as well as several examples of produced images in diverse materials, is provided.
Electrocardiographic diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy in the presence of complete right bundle branch block

There are few data evaluating electrocardiographic diagnosis of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy in the presence of right bundle branch block (BBB). This study assesses the relative value of multiple electrocardiographic variables for detecting LV hypertrophy in patients with right BBB. LV hypertrophy was defined as LV mass greater than or equal to 215 g calculated from the Penn method using standard M-mode echo measurements. Sixty-two patients were evaluated (ages 41 to 94) and 35 had LV hypertrophy. None of the electrocardiographic criteria was sensitive; the best was mean QRS axis less than or equal to -30 degrees (sensitivity) 52%) and excessive negative P terminal force (sensitivity 28%). Several electrocardiographic variables were specific: Sokolow index greater than or equal to 35 mm (100%), RV5 or RV6 greater than or equal to 25 mm (96.3%), RI + SIII greater than or equal to 25 mm (92.6%) and intrinsicoid deflection greater than or equal to 0.05 seconds (88.5%). Conventional electrocardiographic criteria do not reliably detect LV hypertrophy in the presence of right BBB, but several criteria are relatively specific for LV hypertrophy.
Vector versus raster: a functional comparison of drawing technologies

Raster drawing systems have emerged as an alternative to more traditional vector-based CAD drafting systems. With engineering drawing in mind, the author compares the functional capabilities of these technologies and explores means for integrating the best features of both. The characteristics examined are not those of any particular raster or vector implementation but are derived from the underlying technologies. Three means are provided to blend the capabilities of raster and vector systems, each resulting in drawing systems that have capabilities beyond those of either system alone. >
Electron transfer in a donor-substituted acridinium dye: evidence for dynamical solvent control

Abstract Time-resolved emission is used to explore the intramolecular excited-state electron transfer in a donor-substituted acridinium dye in a variety of solvents at room temperature. Emission decays are predominantly bi-exponential, with the faster of the two time constants being a good measure of the charge transfer time. In 14 high-polarity solvents this time is correlated to the solvation times previously measured with the solvation probe Coumarin 153 via an apparent power law, τLE→CT≈8.4〈τ〉solv0.65. In solvents less polar than acetone the times observed deviate widely from this relationship, probably due to the effects of ion pairing.
Elliptic flow of multi-strange particles: fragmentation, recombination and hydrodynamics

Abstract We study the elliptic flow v2 of multi-strange hadrons such as the φ, Ξ and Ω as a function of transverse momentum in the recombination and fragmentation model and compare to a standard hydrodynamic calculation. We find that the measurement of v2 for the φ and Ω will allow for the unambiguous distinction between parton recombination and statistical hadro-chemistry to be the dominant process in hadronization at intermediate transverse momenta.
14N and 15N NMR studies of highly sterically hindered tertiary amines

Abstract 14 N 15 N NMR and molecular mechanics MM2 have been applied to study the structural changes in a series of highly sterically hindered amines. The NMR parameters, chemical shifts, 15N-1H coupling constants and the 14N linewidths, are sensitive to the variations in sterical hindrance about the nitrogen. In particular, the chemical shift of the extremely hindered tri-isopropylamine (4) has been shown to deviate from the correlation calculated from the substitution parameters and from the correlation with the 13C chemical shift of the corresponding hydrocarbon. These results are consistent with the results of a gas phase electron diffraction study which showed that 4 exhibits a trigonal planar structure.
BASIC PORTFOLIO MODELS FOR INTERREGIONAL ANALYSIS

Basic contemporary portfolio models are applied to an interregional economic analysis of U.S. Census Regions during 1963-1978. The models are well suited the type of analysis that partitions a region's economic cycle into national and local components. Portfolio theory provides a logic for interregional cross investment; results of an empirical test indicate portfolio theory may be superior to simple neoclassical theory in explaining spatial patterns of capital investment.
Trouble in the Second Year: Three Questions about Family Interaction.

3 questions regarding family interaction in the second year of life are addressed in this report on 69 families rearing firstborn sons. Question 1 concerns the identification, via cluster analysis, of families having difficulty managing their child, using codings of narrative records of family interaction when children were 15 and 21 months of age. Parents in families identified as "troubled" at each age tried to control their toddlers most often, were least likely to rely upon control-plus-guidance management strategies, had children who defied them most frequently, and experienced the greatest escalation of negative affect in these control encounters. Families identified as "troubled" at both 15 and 21 months had children who received the highest "externalizing" problem scores at 18 months and mothers who experienced the most daily hassles during the second year. Question 2 concerns the antecedents of "trouble in the second year." Discriminant function analyses indicated that membership in the groups of families that appeared troubled at both ages of measurement (n = 15), at only one age (n = 28), or never (n = 26) could be reliably predicted (hit rate = 71%) using a set of 9 measurements of parent personality, child emotionality/temperament, marital quality, work-family relations, and social support, suggested by Belsky's model of the determinants of parenting, and social class. Question 3 concerns the proposition that extensive nonmaternal care in the first year is a risk factor for troubled family functioning in the second year. As hypothesized, prediction analysis showed that families at moderate and high contextual risk (based on 10 antecedent variables pertaining to Question 2), were significantly more likely to experience trouble in the second year when children experienced 20 or more hours per week of nonmaternal care in their first year, and these results could not be attributed to "selection effects."
Object Labeling for 3-D Cross-Sectional Data using Trajectory Tracking

Volume visualization from object cross sections has created the need for object labeling in volume data sets. Labeling techniques for 3D objects vary from the memory-intensive connected-component labeling to the less intense overlap technique. In this paper, a novel labeling technique is presented that represents the objects with curves in 3D and then performs labeling by applying 3D curve tracing techniques and mapping the labels back to the 3D objects. The technique thus attempts to replicate aspects of the human visual approach to the task.
Pain as a factor complicating recovery and discharge after ambulatory surgery.

Pain complicates the recovery process after ambulatory surgery. We surveyed 175 ambulatory surgery patients to determine pain severity, analgesic use, relationship of pain to duration of recovery, and the relative importance of various factors to predicting these outcomes. Multivariate regression an
Patterns of Sympathetic Nerve Projections onto the Canine Heart

Major branches from right and left sympathetic ganglia were electrically stimulated while force of contraction was recorded from multiple areas of the right and left ventricles. Stimulation of the stellate ganglia generally elicited alterations in force of contraction from all test segments, but excitation of selected nerve trunks induced responses in highly localized regions of the heart. Ablation of narrow strips of epicardium resulted in obliteration of contractile responses in specific, highly localized regions of the heart; thus a major fraction of the sympathetic innervation of the ventricular chambers is by way of the epicardial plexus. The anterior surface of the right ventricle is supplied by projection pathways arising within the immediately subepicardial regions of the right A-V groove and, to a lesser extent, from the tissues immediately adjacent to the left anterior descending artery. The left ventricle receives minor projections from the right A-V groove with major projections from subepicardial tissues along the left anterior descending artery. In some animals there also exists a definite left ventricular supply from the region of the left A-V groove. Whereas the thoracic vagi send dense projections to the atria, and particularly to nodal tissue, they also supply both ventricles with inhibitory and augmentor fibers. Although isolated cardiac nerves may carry predominantly sympathetic or parasympathetic fibers, many show rich intermingling of these fibers in trunks distal to the caudal cervical ganglion.
Some effects of continued protein deprivation, with and without methionine supplementation, on intracellular liver components.

SummaryThe intracellular distribution of nitrogen and nucleic acids in the livers of rats fed a diet free of protein for 5 weeks was found to be similar to that previously observed in rats subsisting on the same diet for 3 weeks, although the changes from control values were of greater magnitude in the case of the animals depleted for the longer period of time.The inclusion of 1% DL-methionine in the protein-free diet had no appreciable effect in protecting the liver from the observed changes due to protein depletion except in partially preventing the increase of PNA in the residual cytoplasmic fraction. It is noted that the changes encountered in the intracellular distribution of nitrogen and nucleic acids in the livers of protein-deficient animals fall into the same pattern as the changes which have been found to obtain in the livers of precancerous and cancerous animals.The authors are indebted to Dr. Maurice Ogur of Brooklyn College foro making available to them the details of the method for the extra...
Chronic ethanol induced impairment of hepatic glycosylation machinery in rat is independent of dietary carbohydrate.

In recent years, a number of studies have been reported that have clearly established that hepatic glycosylation machinery is affected by chronic ethanol treatment in rats. We have previously reported that chronic ethanol treatment in rats resulted in decreased glycosylation of transfenin and apolipoprotein E with concomitant decreases in enzymatic activities of Golgi galactosyltransferases and sialyltransferases. In all these studies investigators have invariably used the well-accepted dietary formulation of alcohol diet as proposed by Lieber and DeCarli. However, questions were raised whether the lower carbohydrate content in Lieber's alcohol diet may be responsible for observed effects of ethanol on hepatic glycosylation machinery. Therefore, to verify whether or not the crucial effects of chronic ethanol treatment on hepatic glycosylation machinery as observed in our studies, were truly caused by ethanol, we have extended our studies on protein glycosylation with the inclusion of a third dietary group that was compensated for carbohydrate content. In this investigation, rats were fed with three dietary regimen corresponding to control, ethanol, and carbohydrate compensated ethanol group and studies were done on (i) labeled leucine, galactose and N-acetylmannosamine incorporation into transferrin and apolipoprotein E, and (ii) hepatic galactosyltransferase and sialyttrans-ferase activities in Golgi rich fraction in rat. Our results clearly showed that regardless of the carbohydrate content, marked decreases in the incorporation of labeled sugars into transferrin and the enzymatic activities of galactosyltransferase and sialyltrans-ferase occurred in rats administered chronic ethanol. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that it is not the carbohydrate content of the diet but ethanol per se, when administered chronically, greatly impairs the glycosylation machinery of rat liver and that the magnitudes of these effects are selectively specific with regard to the type of sugar or the glycosylation enzyme.
High-speed DNA sequencing by capillary gel electrophoresis

Capillary gel electrophoresis with fluorescence detection is a new technique for rapid DNA sequence analysis. The state of this technology and the potential for its future use are discussed.
Quantification and segmentation of brain tissues from MR images: a probabilistic neural network approach

This paper presents a probabilistic neural network based technique for unsupervised quantification and segmentation of brain tissues from magnetic resonance images. It is shown that this problem can be solved by distribution learning and relaxation labeling, resulting in an efficient method that may be particularly useful in quantifying and segmenting abnormal brain tissues where the number of tissue types is unknown and the distributions of tissue types heavily overlap. The new technique uses suitable statistical models for both the pixel and context images and formulates the problem in terms of model-histogram fitting and global consistency labeling. The quantification is achieved by probabilistic self-organizing mixtures and the segmentation by a probabilistic constraint relaxation network. The experimental results show the efficient and robust performance of the new algorithm and that it outperforms the conventional classification based approaches.
A 300 MHz digital double-sideband to single-sideband converter in 1 /spl mu/m CMOS

A 43-tap FIR Hilbert transform digital filter chip is described which implements both a double-sideband (DSB) to single-sideband (SSB) conversion with a decimation-by-2 and the converse operation of a SSB to DSB conversion with an interpolation-by-2. Over 70 dB of image rejection is achieved by the Hilbert transform filter. The 3.57/spl times/7.07 mm/sup 2/, 45 000 transistor chip was fabricated in a 1 /spl mu/m N-well CMOS process and operates at sample rates in excess of 300 MHz. >
The analytic fixed point function and its properties

Some properties of the analytic fixed point function, introduced recently by D. Mejia and Ch. Pommerenke, are discussed. In particular, several extremal properties of such functions, related to mappings from the unit disk onto symmetric Riemann surfaces, are established. Bibliography: 17 titles.
Metastatic carcinoid tumors and the malignant carcinoid syndrome.

Patients with metastatic carcinoid tumors and the malignant carcinoid syndrome have benefited immensely from diagnostic and therapeutic advances during the past decade. Magnetic resonance imaging and whole body scintigraphy with radiolabelled analogues of somatostatin have improved our ability to diagnose, detect, stage and follow response to therapy. Surgical, medical, and radiation therapy may all contribute to the management of these patients. This disease is variable in its presenting symptoms and the biologic behavior of the tumor. The spectrum of clinical manifestations varies depending upon the type and quantity of polypeptide hormones or biogenic amines being produced. Although the tumors are usually indolent in their growth, the more dedifferentiated or anaplastic tumors can be quite aggressive. Thanks to new treatments that are very effective in the subgroup of anaplastic neuroendocrine carcinomas it is vital to recognize this subset. As research scientists and clinicians we must be aware of the natural history of the disease in order to optimize each patient’s treatment. This highly selective review focuses on studies performed in collaboration with Dr. Charles Moertel along with other colleagues at the Mayo Clinic, have done in the past few years.
Capital and Neighborhood in the United States: Some Conceptual Links

An attempt is made to solve the problem of how the existence of a natural ruling class in the United States determines the shape and character of locality, particularly the urban residential neighborhood. It is posited that the connecting link is the local rentier class, which prepares the ground for capital, on the one hand, and organizes the built environ ment and local ideological system on the other. This structure is illustrated through a number of historical and contemporary examples: the oil spill in Santa Barbara, racial change in old cities, the development of the contemporary Sun Belt and the emergence of big capital as a force in city building.
Dynamic epigenetic regulation by menin during pancreatic islet tumor formation.

The tumor suppressor gene MEN1 is frequently mutated in sporadic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNET) and is responsible for the familial multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN-1) cancer syndrome. Menin, the protein product of MEN1 , associates with the histone methyltransferases (HMT) MLL1 (KMT2A) and MLL4 (KMT2B) to form menin–HMT complexes in both human and mouse model systems. To elucidate the role of methylation of histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4) mediated by menin–HMT complexes during PanNET formation, genome-wide histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) signals were mapped in pancreatic islets using unbiased chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with next-generation sequencing (ChIP-seq). Integrative analysis of gene expression profiles and histone H3K4me3 levels identified a number of transcripts and target genes dependent on menin. In the absence of Men1 , histone H3K27me3 levels are enriched, with a concomitant decrease in H3K4me3 within the promoters of these target genes. In particular, expression of the insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 2 ( IGF2BP2 ) gene is subject to dynamic epigenetic regulation by Men1 -dependent histone modification in a time-dependent manner. Decreased expression of IGF2BP2 in Men1 -deficient hyperplastic pancreatic islets is partially reversed by ablation of RBP2 (KDM5A), a histone H3K4-specific demethylase of the jumonji, AT-rich interactive domain 1 (JARID1) family. Taken together, these data demonstrate that loss of Men1 in pancreatic islet cells alters the epigenetic landscape of its target genes. Implications: Epigenetic profiling and gene expression analysis in Men1 -deficient pancreatic islet cells reveals vital insight into the molecular events that occur during the progression of pancreatic islet tumorigenesis. Mol Cancer Res; 13(4); 689–98. ©2014 AACR .
Litigation in clinical research: malpractice doctrines versus research realities.

Human clinical research trials, by which corporations, universities, and research scientists bring new drugs, devices, and procedures into the practice and marketplace of medicine, have become a huge business. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) doubled its spending over the past five years, while in the private sector the top twenty pharmaceutical companies have more than doubled their investment in research and development over a roughly comparable period. To date, some twenty million Americans have participated in clinical research trials that now are as common in the private practice setting as in academia. For many years human clinical trials received relatively little public attention. In the wake of several well-publicized research abuses, Congress created in 1974 the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research to formulate recommendations to protect human research subjects. The Commission’s 1979 Belmont Report helped to guide the Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the ethics of federally funded research.
Adaptation of intensive mental health intensive case management to rural communities in the Veterans Health Administration

There has been increasing concern in recent years about the availability of mental health services for people with serious mental illness in rural areas. To meet these needs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) implemented the Rural Access Networks for Growth Enhancement (RANGE) program, in 2007, modeled on the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model. This study uses VA administrative data from the RANGE program (N = 343) to compare client characteristics at program entry, patterns of service delivery, and outcomes with those of Veterans who received services from the general VA ACT-like program (Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM) (N = 3,077). Veterans in the rural program entered treatment with similar symptom severity, less likelihood of being diagnosed with schizophrenia and having had long-term hospitalization, but significantly higher suicidality index scores and greater likelihood of being dually diagnosed compared with those in the general program. RANGE Veterans live further away from their treatment teams but did not differ significantly in measures of face-to-face treatment intensity. Similar proportions of RANGE and MHICM Veterans were reported to have received rehabilitation services, crisis intervention and substance abuse treatment. The rural programs had higher scores on overall satisfaction with VA mental health care than general programs, slightly poorer outcomes on quality of life and on the suicidality index but no significant difference on other outcomes. These data demonstrate the clinical need, practical feasibility and potential effectiveness of providing intensive case management through small specialized case management teams in rural areas.
Expression and longevity of toluene dioxygenase in Pseudomonas putida F1 induced at different dissolved oxygen concentrations.

Abstract Toluene dioxygenase (TDO) in Pseudomonas putida F1 (PpF1) was used as a model to determine if enzymes that initiate aerobic BTEX degradation can be expressed at very low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations. Emphasis was placed on characterizing how the DO concentration during induction affects the level of enzyme expression. TDO was expressed at similar levels in PpF1 cells induced on toluene at different DO concentrations (ca. 1, 4, and 8 mg L −1 ). TDO activity decayed exponentially with cell age at 0.25–0.48 day −1 . Nevertheless, the DO concentration during induction did not significantly affect TDO expression or longevity. PpF1 also grew on toluene at 0.1 mg L −1 DO, showing that TDO can be expressed at very low DO levels. This suggests that aerobic biotransformations are likely to contribute to BTX bioremediation even when an aerotolerant anaerobic respiration mode (e.g., denitrification) is prevalent.
CLIMATE CHANGE UNCOUPLES TROPHIC INTERACTIONS IN AN AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM

The largest uncertainty in forecasting the effects of climate change on eco- systems is in understanding how it will affect the nature of interactions among species. Climate change may have unexpected consequences because different species show unique responses to changes in environmental temperatures. Here we show that increasingly warmer springs since 1962 have disrupted the trophic linkages between phytoplankton and zoo- plankton in a large temperate lake because of differing sensitivity to vernal warming. The timing of thermal stratification and the spring diatom bloom have advanced by more than 20 days during this time period. A long-term decline in Daphnia populations, the keystone herbivore, is associated with an expanding temporal mismatch with the spring diatom bloom and may have severe consequences for resource flow to upper trophic levels.
Antifungal susceptibility of South African oral yeast isolates from HIV/AIDS patients and healthy individuals.

Abstract The in vitro antifungal susceptibility profile of 589 oral yeast isolates from HIV/AIDS patients and healthy South Africans was determined against amphotericin B, nystatin, 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC), clotrimazole, miconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole and fluconazole. The broth microdilution method of the National Committee on Clinical Laboratory Standards was used and MIC 50 and MIC 90 determined. A 100% susceptibility to fluconazole was observed among the 466 isolates of Candida albicans. Among C. krusei, the second most common isolate, only 2.6% of isolates were susceptible to fluconazole and itraconazole. Despite the lack of previous exposure to antifungal agents, very little difference was observed in the antifungal profile between the South African isolates and isolates from the United States (U.S.), Canada and South America. South Africa has a particularly high incidence of HIV-infection and oral candidiasis is the most common oral complication in these patients. This study provides important baseline data as the isolates were collected prior to fluconazole being made freely available to HIV/AIDS patients attending government health clinics.
Interleukin-6: a potential target for post-thrombotic syndrome.

Background Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and its associated sequelae, post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS), are significant health care problems in the United States. It is estimated that a maximum of 60% of patients diagnosed with DVT develop PTS, which is characterized by extensive perivenous and mural fibrosis. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been linked to fibrosis, and high circulating plasma levels have been found to increase the risk of developing DVT. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of IL-6 in the progression of vein wall fibrosis by using a mouse model of DVT. Methods and Results C57BL/6 mice ( n = 136) were treated with either anti–IL-6 monoclonal antibody or control rat-immunoglobulin G. Thrombus was induced by using an inferior vena cava ligation model. The inferior vena cava and thrombus were harvested at days 2, 6, or 14 for thrombus weight, gene expression of IL-6 and/or C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), inflammatory cell recruitment, and morphometric analysis of vein wall fibrosis. Mice treated with anti–IL-6 had smaller thrombus weights at day 2, decreased vein wall gene expression and protein concentration of CCL2 at day 2, and impaired vein wall influx of monocytes from days 2 to 6, as compared with controls. Intimal thickness was reduced by 44% ( p p Conclusions Neutralizing IL-6 throughout venous thrombogenesis decreased the production of CCL2, reduced monocyte recruitment, and decreased vein wall intimal thickness and fibrosis. These results suggest that IL-6 may serve as a therapeutic target to prevent the fibrotic complications seen in PTS.
Mobility-based call admission control schemes for wireless mobile networks

Call admission control (CAC) plays a significant role in providing the desired Quality of Service (QoS) in wireless networks. In this paper, we present some new call admission control schemes: mobility-based call admission schemes and new call bounding schemes, for wireless mobile networks providing services to multiple classes of mobile users (i.e. pedestrians and vehicular travelers). Since the salient feature of wireless mobile networks is the mobility, an ongoing call in one place may have potential impact on the resource usage in another place in the future, the concept of influence curve is introduced to characterize such influence that an ongoing call exerts on the adjacent cells, according to which the channel reservation can be adjusted dynamically and mobility-based call admission control schemes can be designed. To overcome potential congestion, we also propose a new call bounding scheme which places a direct limitation on the number of new calls admitted to a cell. Four CAC schemes are proposed and analyzed via analytical modeling and simulation study. It is shown that our schemes are more effective in providing QoS than other previously known schemes. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Weight and body composition in a cohort of HIV-positive men and women.

Objective:At issue is whether weight loss in HIV infection is a cachectic process, characterised by loss of lean body mass with conservation of fat, or a process of starvation. We present data on body composition from 516 persons at different stages of HIV infection as determined by CD4 counts.Design:Cross-sectional analyses of body composition in relation to CD4 count.Setting:The baseline data from a prospective cohort study of outcomes in HIV/AIDS in relation to nutritional status in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.Subjects:The first 516 subjects with HIV/AIDS to enrol in the study.Results:Differences in weight in relation to CD4 counts were present only at CD4 counts of 600 or less (slope below CD4=600: 1.9 kg per 100 CD4 cells, P<0.0001). On average, 68% of the difference in weight over CD4 counts was fat (slope: 1.3 kg fat per 100 CD4 cells, P<0.0001).Conclusions:This cross-sectional analysis suggests that weight loss consists principally of fat loss in those persons with adequate fat stores. This observation will need to be confirmed in longitudinal analyses.
Social Class and the Dynamics of Status in America

WHETHER the American social system is to be viewed as a class system depends as much upon definition as upon reality. Not only have there been innumerable empirical and theoretical efforts to define the social class system but there also have been enough critiques of such efforts. Critiques have been made, for example, by Pfautz and Duncan (1950), by me (1950b), and most recently an evaluation has been made by Kornhauser (1953). (Though these direct attention largely to Warner, they raise the general problem.) These studies and theoretical discussions have been useful in helping to understand the American scene. But by now the debate both as to meaning and as to reality has gone on long enough and deserves to be set aside for more profitable intellectual pursuits. Yet, if we are to examine the anthropological view of the American scene, we cannot entirely avoid the issues. Since anthropologists have long participated in the arena of this discussion, let us address ourselves briefly to the stance that they have assumed and to the variant contributions they have made on the subject of American social class. After this brief review, we will turn to the dynamics of status in America, which it seems to me should now capture anthropological attention. It is self-evident that the study of social class in America is not the peculiar province of the anthropologist. Ours has, indeed, been a minor contribution to this subject. The major burden has been carried by sociologists, social psychologists, economists, and political scientists. (For a general view of social class recently presented, see the reader edited by Bendix and Lipset [1953].) To speak of their contribution here is impossible. I will say only that each has seen the problem in the context of its own discipline.
The effects of the variations in sea surface temperature and atmospheric stability in the estimation of average wind speed by SEASAT-SASS

The average wind speeds from the scatterometer (SASS) on the ocean observing satellite SEASAT are found to be generally higher than the average wind speeds from ship reports. In this study, two factors, sea surface temperature and atmospheric stability, are identified which affect microwave scatter and, therefore, wave development. The problem of relating satellite observations to a fictitious quantity, such as the neutral wind, that has to be derived from in situ observations with models is examined. The study also demonstrates the dependence of SASS winds on sea surface temperature at low wind speeds, possibly due to temperature-dependent factors, such as water viscosity, which affect wave development.
A distinct electrocardiographs type of acute myocardial infarction determined by collateral flow

Abstract In summary, the post-AMI ECG separates patients with ECG changes typical of regional pericarditis (Figure 1A) from patients with typical post-AMI changes (Figure 1B). The ECG pattern of regional pericarditis identifies a transmural AMI which results from a persistent total obstruction of the infarct-related coronary artery and inadequate collateral flow.
Multi-scale homogenization procedure for continuum–atomistic, thermo-mechanical problems

Abstract A multi-scale algorithm is developed for solving, continuum–atomistic thermo-mechanical problems. The coupling of the two scales occurs through a homogenization procedure. A uniform weighted residual approximation method is used to consistently model the interaction of the continuum and atomistic scales. Implementation of the coupling occurs through the transfer of macroscopic and microscopic variables at the macroscopic gauss points. The mechanism for transfer of atomistic information to the macro-level occurs through the Virial stress and the heat flux vector. A dynamic relaxation procedure is introduced to efficiently compute the coupled equilibrium solutions at the macroscopic and microscopic scales. The algorithm has been successfully tested for thermal stress analysis cases, involving constrained and unconstrained macro-components and fixed temperature distributions. Problems involving varying temperatures and heat transfer have been solved and are shown to be in good agreement with molecular dynamics results.
Estimating Marine Fog Probability Using a Model Output Statistics Scheme

Abstract A model output statistics (MOS) scheme, using a stepwise-selection multiple linear regression approach, is used to estimate marine fog probability at 24 h intervals from 0 to 48 h, for the North Pacific Ocean (30–60°N) summer season. The predictand is uniquely determined by present and past weather, visibility and low-level cloud information in the primary synoptic report. Available predictors include 158 Fleet Numerical Oceanography Center model output parameters as well as monthly climatological fog frequencies. The regression equations, containing at most seven terms, are derived from 0000 GMT synoptic ship report data in the months of July 1976, 1977 and 1979. Evaporative heat flux and fog frequency are among the first four parameters selected for each equation. Reliability and sharpness diagrams are presented to identify specific biases in estimating fog probability. Categorical (percentage correct, threat and Heidke skill) and probabilistic (Brier) scoring methods are used to establish the ...
Three new sea stars (Asteroidea: Solasteridae & Pterasteridae) from the Aleutian Islands

Two new species of Solaster, and a new species of Pteraster are described from the nearshore waters of the Aleutian Islands and compared to congeners from the region. Solaster hexactis sp. nov., S. spectabilis sp. nov., and Pteraster willsi sp. nov., are distinguished by the characteristics of the paxillar, marginal and adambulacral spines, and (in Solaster), the number of rays. The distributions of the new species and keys are provided.
Computer methods of network analysis

In this tutorial paper, the influence of the computer not only on the modus operandi of circuit design, but also on network theory itself, is discussed. The topological properties of linear graphs are reviewed and a matrix-topological formulation of the network problem is described. In addition to the classical mesh, node, and cutset methods, a mixed method of analysis is described which is applicable to dc, ac, and transient problems. Numerical methods of solving linear and nonlinear dc network problems are discussed and a new approach to ac analysis, using the mixed method and a numerical solution of the matrix eigenvalue problem, is described. The extension of this method to the transient analysis of linear networks is also explained. Finally, the problem of instability in the numerical integration of differential equations is discussed and several means of solving the problem are outlined.
USE OF A CLASSIFICATION APPROACH TO THE TREATMENT OF 3 PATIENTS WITH LOW BACK SYNDROME

The purpose of this report is to present the use of a classification system based on signs and symptoms to guide treatment in 3 patients with low back syndrome. Each patient had signs and symptoms of compressive nerve root pathology with a similar anatomical distribution of pain. Each patient was treated with a different approach based on the assigned classification. One patient was classified as needing treatment for a lateral shift, one patient was classified as needing flexion-oriented treatment, and the other patient was classified as needing extension-oriented treatment. The approach used for each patient was successful in reducing patient-reported pain severity and level of functional disability (Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Questionnaire score). The potential advantages of the use of signs and symptoms to guide treatment classifications and decisions versus decisions based on suspected pathology or symptom distribution are discussed.
Interconversions of lipid aggregates in rat and model bile

The dynamic interchange of cholesterol and the phase transition between nonmicellar and micellar aggregates in rat and model bile were characterized with gel-permeation chromatography, quasi-elastic light scattering, turbidity measurements, and by radiolabeling lipid aggregates in bile. Cholesterol partitioned into either the micellar or nonmicellar phases independent of the lipid aggregate structure. In model bile, increasing bile salt concentrations led to a decrease in the relative proportion of nonmicellar aggregates beginning at 5 mM taurocholate (TC), while the relative cholesterol content of the nonmicellar fraction increased from 1.0 to 2.7 +/- 2.0 (means +/- SD). In rats, creation of a biliary fistula resulted in a decrease of bile salts from 41 to 4 mM. Mixed micelles increased from 25 to 120 A in radius, while nonmicellar aggregates increased from 180 to 800 A in radius. Addition of TC to model bile (cholesterol:lecithin = 1:1) vesicles with total lipid concentrations less than 7 mM yielded a progressive shift of vesicles (450 A) to mixed micelles (30 A). For mixtures with higher total lipid concentrations, addition of TC promoted substantial vesicle aggregation and resulted in formation of a third phase containing lipid aggregates larger in size than the initial vesicles. These results suggest that rapid exchange of cholesterol occurs in bile and that significant remodeling of vesicles can occur. These alterations in vesicles include both enrichment in cholesterol content and formation of larger aggregates during increases in bile salt concentration.
The political economy of U.S. import policy

Although trade-policy issues are becoming increasingly important, there is little rigorous analysis of the nature of the decision-making process that includes both economic and political factors. Using public choice theory as a framework, this book explains the manner in which U.S. import policies are determined and analyzes the types of economic and political factors that affect the policymaking of the Congress, the International Trade Commission, and the President and his advisors.The book's discussion of Congress focuses on the formulation and implementation of the Trade Act of 1974, in which Congress regained some of the trade-policy powers that it had delegated to the President. It explores both the appointment and decision-making process in the ITC, and statistically analyzes the factors influencing the President's acceptance of the ITC's findings in import relief cases and tests various hypotheses designed to explain interindustry variations in the tariff cuts offered by the United States in the Tokyo Round of multilateral trade negotiations.Baldwin finds serious fault in the interactive policymaking of the Congress, ITC, and the Executive Branch. In a concluding chapter he makes recommendations concerning the decision-making process in import injury cases and in antidumping and countervailing duty petitions, the appointment and the budgeting process for the ITC, and the interaction of the President and the Congress in multilateral trade negotiations.Robert E. Baldwin is Hilldale Professor of Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Clinton's Domestic Policy Makers: Big Business, Think Tanks, and Welfare Reform

Abstract The concept of “welfare dependency” is a hot topic in political circles. Although pending Republican plans have seized much attention, the reform stage was recently occupied by President Clinton. This paper examines Clinton's welfare reform proposal (the 1994 Work and Responsibility Act). The article reviews the Act's objectives before it explores the process in which the Act was formed. Moreover, the paper focuses on the variable of “decision making inclusiveness.” Driven by the “who wrote the policy” question, the study inspects the social backgrounds of Clinton's domestic policy makers. In the end, this analysis shows that the policy formation process was governed by an elite group of corporate executives, tliink tank intellectuals, and establishment lawyers.