cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alternatives to Monetary Incentives for Employee Weight Loss

Employers are increasingly interested in improving employee health, with the goals of reducing health care costs and increasing productivity. As of 2010, 74% of employers who offered health insurance also offered a wellness program, and the prevalence is increasing. However, there is vigorous debate about whether employee wellness programs actually work to improve health. Although proponents assert that welldesigned programs can benefit employers and employees, many raise concerns about weak study designs (e.g., lack of control groups) in research on employee health programs and argue that their effectiveness is greatly overstated. Nonetheless, wellness programs have been given a boost by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA funds several programs to help companies initiate wellness programs, and allows employers to incentivize employees with monetary rewards and penalties. Previously, employers could entice employees to join a wellness program by offering as much as a 20% reduction in their health insurance premiums. With passage of the ACA, this incentive can be up to 30%. Wellness programs can take various forms, such as smoking-cessation groups, walking programs, or online programs that include setting and achieving personal health goals. One approach that is increasingly being used to incentivize employees is to pay employees (through insurance rebates) for achieving weight, cholesterol, or blood pressure goals. In response, concerns have been raised that these programs will result in unhealthy employees subsidizing healthy employees’ health care costs and may unfairly discriminate against people with obesity. In addition, this approach does little to effectively improve public health, given that such initiatives do not address the strong forces of the obesogenic environment:
Mandibular volumetric increase following distraction osteogenesis

Summary Introduction Mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) for the treatment of Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) enables mandibular lengthening and improves airway and feeding function. It remains unknown how the post-distracted mandibular volume compares to a normal control population. The aim of this study was to analyze mandibular volume and symmetry following bilateral MDO and compare post-distraction measurements to a non-distracted, normal age- and sex-matched control cohort. Methods Demographic information and three dimensional-computed tomographic (CT) images were obtained from normal control and distracted PRS patients. Mandibular volume and symmetry indices were calculated and results statistically analyzed. P values ≤0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results 24 CT scans and 48 hemimandibles were analyzed (8 control patients: mean age = 5.6 months, 3 females; 8 distracted patients: mean age pre-distraction = 1.8 months, mean age post-distraction = 5.3 months, 3 females). No complications were encountered in the distracted group. The mean pre- and post-distraction volume in the MDO group measured 7238.1 mm 3 and 15,360.6 mm 3 , respectively ( P = 0.0003) and the mean percent increase in mandibular volume following distraction was 113.3%. The mean symmetry index increased after distraction from 0.91 to 0.95 ( P = 0.31). Matched normal control mandibles measured 13,488.6 mm 3 versus post-distraction mandibles at 15,360.6 mm 3 ( P = 0.40). Normal control and post-distraction symmetry indices were 0.99 and 0.95, respectively ( P = 0.68). Conclusion Distraction resulted in a significantly increased mandibular volume and an observed preservation in mandibular symmetry. Post-distraction volume was increased compared to normal controls but remained less symmetrical.
Oligonucleotide model with non-identical complementary strands for chromatographic studies of structure-dependent photosusceptibility☆

Abstract In a previous work, we used a quantitative chromatographic analysis of two self-complementary oligonucleotides to correlate the conformational differences between the oligonulcleotide duplexes and photochemical susceptibilities of constituent oligomers. In this work we describe a new double-stranded oligonucleotide model with non-identical complementary strands. To separately analyze photoproducts in two strands, one of them is used in a partially protected form (the hydrophobic 5′-dimethoxytrityl group uncleaved). Using a reversed-phase column, the oligomers and products of their UV photomodification are separated into two groups of peaks. This facilitates the quantitation of photoproducts in each of the complementary strands. Three 15-mer oligonucleotides, 5′TTTTTATTAAATATA-3′ (F5), 5′-AAAAATAATTTATAT-3′ (F6) and 5′-TATATTTAATAAAAA-3′ (F7) form the parallel-stranded (ps) F5·F6 and the ordinary antiparallel-stranded (aps) F5·F7 duplexes. For these particular sequences, the rate of cyclobutane thymine dimer formation in the ps DNA has been estimated as ca. 1.5–2 times that in the ordinary aps DNA.
Erythrocytic uridine diphosphate galactose in galactosaemia

An earlier claim of a deficiency of uridine diphosphate galactose in erythrocytes of galactosaemia patients was not confirmed. Enzymic techniques similar to those of the earlier investigators were used to determine not only the concentration of uridine diphosphate galactose but also the ratio of this concentration to the sum of the uridine sugar diphosphates (uridine diphosphate galactose and uridine diphosphate glucose). The values in erythrocytes of galactosaemic subjects were similar to those of non-galactosaemic children on a galactose-restricted diet and to those of normal adults. These results cast doubt on the claim of a major deficiency of uridine diphosphate galactose in galactosaemia and on the need for treating galactosaemic children with uridine.
Theophylline neurotoxicity in pregnant rats

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the neurotoxicity of theophylline is altered in advanced pregnancy. Sprague-Dawley rats that were 20 days pregnant and nonpregnant rats of the same age and strain received infusions of aminophylline until onset of maximal seizures which occurred after 28 and 30 minutes respectively. Theophylline concentrations at this endpoint in serum (total) and CSF were similar but serum (free) and brain concentrations were slightly different in pregnant rats. Theophylline serum protein binding determined by equilibrium dialysis was lower in pregnant rats. Fetal serum concentrations at onset of seizures in the mother were similar to maternal brain and CSF concentrations and correlated significantly with the former. It is concluded that advanced pregnancy has a negligible effect on the neurotoxic response to theophylline in rats.
What Does Pragmatic Meliorism Mean for Rhetoric

This article considers how rhetorical scholarship might proceed if it were to take the charge of pragmatic meliorism seriously. After discussing the notion of meliorism as employed by John Dewey, I argue that it would involve a radical reshaping of method in rhetorical theory, criticism, and pedagogy. Not all research must be meliorative, but research that is meliorative is characterized by an engagement with lived experience. With this characteristic in mind, I conclude by proposing four maxims that can guide melioristic work in rhetoric.
1H NMR of intact muscle at 11 T.

1H NMR spectra of intact frog, and chicken skeletal muscles, were recorded at 470 MHz with the Plateau and Gueron pulse sequence for the suppression of water [(1982) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 104, 7310]. Only a few transients were required to resolve the resonances from the protons of muscle metabolites. The previously unobserved exchangeable protons of muscles were also recorded and thereby phosphocreatine and creatine could be measured simultaneously. During aging of dissected frog muscle, changes in levels of phosphocreatine, creatine and lactic acid, and the decrease in the intracellular pH were followed by 1H NMR.
Cigarette Smoking, Kidney Function, and Mortality After Live Donor Kidney Transplant

Background The role of smoking as a risk factor for adverse renal outcomes after kidney transplant has not been well studied. We therefore undertook this investigation to assess the association of smoking with transplant outcomes. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting & Participants 997 consecutive laparoscopic live donor kidney transplant recipients at a tertiary-care transplant center. Predictor Smoking at the time of the transplant evaluation. Outcomes & Measurements Primary outcome is transplant survival. Results At the time of pretransplant evaluation, 329 participants had ever smoked and 668 participants had never smoked. Transplant survival was worse in ever smokers compared with never smokers (adjusted HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.08-1.99; P = 0.01), as was patient survival (adjusted HR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.06-2.41; P = 0.02). First-year rejection-free survival was substantially worse (adjusted HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.05-2.03; P = 0.03) and risk of rejection on or before posttransplant day 10 was much higher (adjusted HR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.10-2.94; P = 0.02) in ever smokers compared with never smokers. Glomerular filtration rate (estimated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation) at 1 year posttransplant was lower and poor early transplant function was more common in ever smokers on univariate, but not multivariate, analysis. Limitations Lack of quantitation of smoking exposure and uncertainty about whether patients were still smoking at the time of transplant. Conclusions Our results suggest that any history of smoking before transplant is associated with impaired transplant and patient survival and increases the risk of early rejection after live donor kidney transplant. Further study is needed to determine whether smoking may impart immunomodulatory and perhaps nephrotoxic effects.
Information Technology's Failure to Disrupt Health Care

Information Technology (IT) surrounds us every day. IT products and services from smart phones and search engines to online banking and stock trading have been transformative. However, IT has made only modest and less than disruptive inroads into healthcare. This article explores the economic and technological relationships between healthcare and healthcare information technologies (HIT), asks (leveraging the work of Clayton Christensen) whether current conceptions of HIT are disruptive or merely sustaining, and canvasses various explanations for HIT’s failure to disrupt healthcare. The conclusion is that contemporary HIT is only a sustaining rather than disruptive technology. Notwithstanding that we live in a world of disruption, healthcare is more akin to the stubborn television domain, where similarly complex relationships and market concentrations have impeded the forces of disruption. There are three potential exceptions to this pessimistic conclusion. First, because advanced HIT is not a good fit for episodic healthcare delivery, we may be experiencing a holding pattern while healthcare rights itself with the introduction of process-centric care models. Second, the 2010 PCAST report was correct, the healthcare data model is broken. If Stage 3 of the MU subsidy program or some other initiative can fundamentally rethink interoperability (and we can fix the privacy issues) investment and innovation will migrate to data services built on top of shareable data. The final and potentially most interesting exception may be Mobile Medical Apps; products that are built on hugely disruptive platforms and championed by some of our most disruptive companies. Leveraging the growing computing power of smartphones and linkable biometric sensors, these apps hold the promise for “healthcare everywhere” and may be where the real disruption of healthcare will begin.
Vibrational relaxation of D2O in As2S3

Abstract The vibrational relaxation of polyatomic molecular impurities in solids is controlled by a decay scheme that involves both internal modes and vibrational quanta of the host material. Here the relaxation of the asymmetric stretch mode of D 2 O in vitreous As 2 S 3 is reported. Applying a pump-probe technique using infrared laser pulses of the Stanford Picosecond Free Electron Laser, a relaxation time on the order of 200 ps at low temperature is found. From the temperature dependence of the relaxation time, it is concluded that the asymmetric stretch mode relaxes in a process involving two bending modes of the D 2 O molecule and two vibrational quanta of the host.
Transplanting cancer: donor-cell transmission of Kaposi sarcoma.

Transplantation carries the risk of Kaposi sarcoma, which afflicts 1 out of 200 transplant recipients in the United States. An analysis of human post-transplant tumors indicates that the disease can originate from donor cells, highlighting the need for organ pre-screening.
Multimodality treatment of esophagus cancer: current status and future perspectives in the United States

Investigations over the past three decades have resulted in multimodality therapy as the standard of care today for the management of stage II and III esophageal cancer in the United States. During this same time period, there has been a shift in the dominant histology and primary location from squamous cell cancer of the midesophagus to adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus and gastro-esophageal junction. The results of large clinical trials and meta-analyses demonstrate that trimodality therapy (chemoradiation followed by esophagectomy) improves local-regional control and overall survival compared to either single-modality surgery or the sequence of chemotherapy followed by surgery. Concomitant chemoradiation without surgery improves survival and local-regional control compared to radiotherapy alone in patients with squamous cell histology. Thus, surgical and nonsurgical approaches are available for treatment of esophageal cancer in the United States. Current investigations focus on the integration of biologics into current therapies and the identification of prognostic and predictive biomarkers.
Thermal-hydraulic performance of MEMS-based pin fin heat sink

An experimental study on heat transfer and pressure drop of de-ionized water over a hank of shrouded staggered micro pin fins 243 μm long with hydraulic diameter of 99.5 μm has been performed. Average heat transfer coefficients have been obtained for effective heat fluxes ranging from 3.8 to 167 W/cm 2 and Reynolds numbers from 14 to 112. The results were used to derive the Nusselt numbers, total thermal resistances, and friction factors. It has been found that for Reynolds numbers below ∼50 long tube correlations overpredicted the experimental Nusselt number, while at higher Reynolds numbers existing correlations predicted the results moderately well. Endwall effects, which diminish at high Reynolds numbers, and a delay in flow separation for compact pin fins were attributed to the obtained trend.
An improved voltage measurement device for gel electrophoresis in tube apparatus

A device for the measurement of voltage across tube gels was designed and constructed which allows one to measure voltage during electrophoresis without any manipulation of the gel electrophoresis apparatus or gel tube and with the elimination of a source of inaccuracy in previous such devices.
Semantic-enhanced models to support timely admission prediction at emergency departments

With the rapid outstripping of limited health care resources by the demands on hospital care, it is of critical importance to find more effective and efficient methods of managing care. Our research addresses the problem of emergency department (ED) crowding by building classification models using various types of pre-admission information to help predict the hospital admission of individual patients. We have developed a framework of hospital admission prediction and proposed two novel approaches that capture semantic information in chief complaints to enhance prediction. Our experiments on an ED data set demonstrate that our proposed models outperformed several benchmark methods for admission prediction. These models can potentially be used as decision support tools at hospitals to improve ED throughput rate and enhance patient care.
SC-to-AFM transition in CeCo(In1-xCdx)5: de Haas-van Alphen Measurements

The results of de-Haas-van-Alphen (dHvA) measurements on Cd doped CeCoIn5 in the high magnetic field paramagnetic phase are reported. The replacement of trivalent In by divalent Cd is known to induce an antiferromagnetic order coexisting with superconductivity in this heavy fermion superconductor. We find a small but systematic change in the dHvA frequencies with Cd doping, reflecting the chemical potential shift due to the removal of conduction electrons. The frequencies and effective masses are close to those found in the undoped compound. We observe no abrupt change in the electron Fermi surface (FS) volume in the high field paramagnetic phase for x > xc corresponding to the onset of antiferromagnetic ordering at zero magnetic field in CeCo(In1·xCdx)5. Our results show that no significant change of the Fermi surface volume occurs to cause the AFM onset inside the SC state in CeCoIn5 with Cd doping. Only slight changes causing the Band 15 electron FS to be more cylindrical are observed making nesting more likely.
Leaching-losses of nitrogen from pot chrysanthemums with controlled-release or liquid fertilization

Abstract Leaching-losses of N from pot chrysanthemums fertilized with either “Osmocote”, a controlled-release fertilizer (CRF), or a continuous liquid feed (LF) were measured during an 11-week crop cycle. The leaching-fraction averaged 27% for both CRF and LF treatments. The N lost through leaching was greater at higher rates of both CRF and LF. With CRF, most of the N loss occurred during the first half of the crop cycle, while with LF, leaching-losses of N occurred throughout the experiment. The percentage of the applied N lost by leaching varied from 12 to 23% with CRF at rates of 1.68–3.36 g N/pot, while losses with LF ranged from 12 to 48% with levels of 1.2–3.6 g N/pot. The leaching-losses for CRF expressed as the percentage of the N released during the crop cycle ranged from 15 to 29%.
Trenbolone acetate metabolites promote ovarian growth and development in adult Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes)

Trenbolone acetate, a synthetic androgen, has been used as a growth promoter in beef cattle in the US since 1987. While several teleost studies have investigated the masculinization effects of the metabolite 17β-trenbolone, few have focused on the reproductive impacts of all three trenbolone acetate (TBA) metabolites including trendione. Adult female medaka (Oryzias latipes) were exposed to TBA metabolites (10, 100, and 1000ng/L) for 14days (n=3). Histological examination revealed that TBA metabolites (1000ng/L) significantly reduced the percentage of primary ovarian follicles and increased the percentage of vitellogenic follicles compared to control fish. 17α-Trenbolone significantly increased whereas trendione reduced whole body levels of estradiol-17β. Testosterone was significantly reduced by trendione treatment and only the highest dose of 17β-trenbolone and lowest dose of trendione altered 11-ketotestosterone. Additionally, TBA metabolites may be further broken down and/or metabolized or converted by the animal influencing both sex steroid levels and ovarian development.
Mass transfer limited drying of porous media containing an immobile binary liquid mixture

Abstract A theory was developed to predict transient effluent concentrations, liquid concentrations, and the position of the evaporation front during external (mass transfer limited) drying of a porous material containing an immobile binary liquid mixture. One-dimensional drying experiments were performed with different binary mixtures to assess the validity of the model. Theoretical and experimental findings showed that the evaporation during mass transfer limited drying was non-selective in terms of component volatility; the mass fractions of the compounds in the effluent gas remained near the mass ratio of the emplaced liquid mixture. The effluent concentrations and the velocity of the evaporation front were shown to be proportional to t − 1 2 . A growing zone of variable liquid concentrations was shown to exist near the penetrating evaporation front.
Gravitationally-Induced, Dynamically-Maintained, Steady-State Pressure Gradients

Under sealed blackbody cavity conditions, pressure gradients typically take three forms: (a) statistical fluctuations, (b) transients associated with the system relaxing toward equilibrium, and (c) equilibrium pressure gradients, such as those associated with static gravitational potentials. In this paper a new type of pressure gradient is introduced, one which arises if a gravitator has surfaces with different trapping probabilities for suprathermal gas collisions. Three-dimensional test particle simulations of this system using realistic physical parameters support this hypothesis. This gas phase is inherently nonequilibrium in character and represents an unstudied thermodynamic regime involving low-density gas-surface interactions. This is the gravitational analog of a previously studied, chemically-induced pressure gradient (D P Sheehan 1998 Phys. Rev. E 57 6660).
Magnetic Nanostructures by Molecular Design: Synthetic Chemistry in Materials Research

In the field of nanostructured magnetic materials, the top-down approach of making ever-smaller magnetic particles has been successful in decreasing the minimum size of magnetic nanoparticles made in this way. Simultaneously, synthetic chemists have employed a “bottom-up” approach to the same problem through discovery of increasingly large molecular magnetic clusters that behave as individual magnets at low temperature. These molecules are called single-molecule magnets, and they have been discovered in a variety of sizes, up to 4 nanometers in diameter. Some display interesting solid-state properties in the crystalline state: bistability through hydrogen bonding or crystallization in potentially useful patterns, such as tubes. The advantage of discrete molecules as nanoscale magnets is the monodispersity of particle size. As the molecular approach and the materials approach to nanoscale magnets brings the possible sizes of particles by each method within range of the other, interdisciplinary research into the complementarity of the two approaches becomes necessary. The magnetism displayed by nanoparticles and molecules alike at this size shows both classical and quantum properties, uniting the two types of production as a window into this area bridging the two major ways of describing the physical world. A discussion of the progress of the synthetic chemistry approach and physics in this area will be made, as well as a discussion of how molecular chemistry may fit in to the field of magnetic nanostructures.
Wide-field, high-resolution Fourier ptychographic microscopy

We report an imaging method, termed Fourier ptychographic microscopy (FPM), which iteratively stitches together a number of variably illuminated, low-resolution intensity images in Fourier space to produce a wide-field, high-resolution complex sample image. By adopting a wavefront correction strategy, the FPM method can also correct for aberrations and digitally extend a microscope’s depth of focus beyond the physical limitations of its optics. As a demonstration, we built a microscope prototype with a resolution of 0.78 µm, a field of view of ∼120 mm^2 and a resolution-invariant depth of focus of 0.3 mm (characterized at 632 nm). Gigapixel colour images of histology slides verify successful FPM operation. The reported imaging procedure transforms the general challenge of high-throughput, high-resolution microscopy from one that is coupled to the physical limitations of the system’s optics to one that is solvable through computation.
[18F]-T807 tauopathy PET imaging in chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

A new molecular ligand for positron emission tomography (PET) of the human brain, [18F]-T807, is under investigation for the antemortem detection of pathological neurofibrillary aggregates, which are evidence of neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) diseases, also known as tauopathies. Repetitive mild traumatic brain injuries in athletes and battlefield veterans are associated with one such tauopathy, known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In a recent case report, a former NFL player with clinically probable CTE and a concurrent Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) –like syndrome was studied using [18F]-T807. The interpretation of this player’s [18F]-T807 PET imaging was complicated by the overlap of tracer uptake in brain regions involved in CTE and PSP with regions associated with either nonspecific [18F]-T807 ligand binding or “aging-associated” binding of [18F]-T807 to authentic tauopathy known to be associated with aging and disease severity (i.e., NFT in the mesial temporal lobe). The implications of these data for the utility of [18F]-T807 in the pre-mortem detection of CTE are summarized.
Tandem arrangement of two genes encoding kinetoplast-associated H1 histone-like proteins.

Abstract Crithidia fasciculata proteins p18 and p17 are associated with kinetoplast DNA and are encoded by genes KAP2 and KAP3, respectively. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using primers within the coding sequences of each gene revealed that the KAP2 and KAP3 genes are linked on the same chromosomal DNA and are separated by a 1.8 kb intergenic region containing several long homopolymer tracts. The KAP2 gene has a 3′UTR of more than 1.1 kb or almost three times as long as the KAP2 coding sequence. Several restriction enzyme polymorphisms in this region of the chromosome are the result of sequence differences between the two alleles of the KAP2 gene. The predicted amino acid sequences of alleles KAP2-1 and KAP2-2 differ by three non-conservative amino acid substitutions in the highly basic carboxyl tail of the protein and suggest that the protein products could have different physical and biological properties. The KAP2 and KAP3 genes have different patterns of mRNA expression during the cell cycle with the KAP3 transcript varying periodically during the cell cycle in the same manner as transcripts of several kinetoplast and nuclear DNA replication genes.
Phase diagram of the one-dimensional molecular-crystal model with Coulomb interactions: Half-filled-band sector.

We discuss the ground-state phase diagram of the molecular-crystal model for electron-phonon interactions in the presence of on-site (U) and nearest-neighbor (V) electron-electron interactions in the half-filled-band sector. The system is analyzed as a function of the phonon frequency (\ensuremath{\omega}), electron-phonon coupling constant (\ensuremath{\lambda}), and U and V in the physically relevant case (U,Vg0). We discuss various limiting cases with perturbation theory, as well as intermediate-coupling cases using a numerical simulation technique. In particular, we study in detail the limit \ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}, which corresponds to the extended Hubbard model. The phase diagram is divided into regions of long-range charge-density-wave (CDW) order, algebraic spin-density-wave (SDW) order, and coexisting algebraic singlet superconducting and CDW order. The transition between CDW and SDW phases is continuous for small U and first order for large U. For the physical parameter range (U,Vg0), there is no regime where superconductivity dominates. Modification of this picture for the non-half-filled-band sector is indicated.
Guest Editorial: Molecule by Molecule: Building Hope for Man

face 6f foreign language education over the past several decades, there is a peculiar constancy-a constancy that relates directly to the expectations we communicate to out students and to the role we have tacitly created for them as a consequence. It is a role that troubles me a gteat deal-a role that we need not perpetuate as we seem inclined to do, Periodic visits to randomly selected classrooms over the past twenty-five or thirty years would have left an impression of substantial change. But superficial changes in instruction are analogous to surface changes in other dimensions across time: the clothing worn by both teachers and students would also have changed substantially. Similarly, random reading in our professional journals through this period of time would indicate change-radical change, for our rhetoric is significantly ahead of our behavior. Yet, amid all this change what seems to remain constant is student behavior. Through all these years in most foreign language classrooms a preponderance of time is spent in either the mechanical manipulation of language forms or. in discussing the manipulation of these forins. Sometimes. the manipulative activity is oral, as in various kinds of pattern drills; sometimes it takes the form of written exercises. But in all these classrooms
Cyclooxygenase 2 controversy: thoughts on the process of discovery, development, and assessment of benefit and risk of therapies for chronic immunoinflammatory diseases of uncertain autoimmune etiology.

The association of selective cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitors with thrombotic events, especially cardiovascular events, has been exhaustively reviewed in a recent editorial in Arthritis & Rheumatism (1). Differences in the mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, central nervous system penetration, and doses and durations of therapy have been posited to explain the higher incidence of these events in highly selective COX-2 inhibitors compared with most other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (1–8). Given the perception that the present drug approval process does not adequately define the rare cardiovascular events associated with selective COX-2 inhibitors, we would like to begin a discussion of a way forward. We view this editorial as a starting point and hope it generates further discussion and refinement.
Evidence for isospin splitting of the giant dipole state in 26Mg

Abstract Direct evidence for T -splitting of the dipole state in 26 Mg has been obtained by studying the energy spectra of photoneutrons from the two components. The states centered around 17 MeV decay strongly to the ground or low-lying states of 25 Mg ( T = 1 2 ) whereas those around 22 MeV decay only to the known T = 3 2 states in 25 Mg.
IMPATT-Diode Power Amplifiers for Digital Communication Systems

lMPATT-diode amplifiers with a power output of 1.0 W have been developed for use in an 11-GHz digital radio. Two types of amplifiers, a multistage reflection amplifier and a hybrid amplifier containing an injection-locked oscillator stage, have been evaluated by measuring the bit error rate degradation due to the amplifier. System test data show that the stable amplifier introduces little or no errors while the injection-locked oscillator (ILO) often introduces an error-rate floor.
Goal Programming: Potential and Limitations for Agricultural Economics

Recently, goal programming (GP) has been discussed in the literature as an alternative to linear programming, particularly in decision-making environments involving multiple objectives. In this paper we present an overview of the different GP formulations, their assumptions, limitations, and implications for agricultural decision making. Furthermore, a new insight into the interpretation of duality in GP is discussed. The concept of “standardized dual variables” which provides a more meaningful interpretation of shadow prices in GP is introduced. A simple but realistic farm agricultural planning example is used to illustrate the analysis. Recemment, la technique de programmation appellee “goal programming” ou “GP” a ete presentee dans la literature comme une alternative a la programmation Iineaire, particulierement dans les situations ou le proces de decision est base sur plusieurs objectifs simultanes. Dans cet article nous presentons une vue generale des differentes formes de la “GP;” leurs hypotheses de base. Ieurs limitations, et leurs implications pour le proces de decision agricole, une nouvelle interpretation de la dualite en “GP” est proposee. En particulier, le concept de “variables duales standardisees” est introduit, ce qui permet une interpretation plus significative des prix de reference en “GP.” Finalement. un exemple simple mais realiste de planification agrcole a l' echelle d' une ferme est pour elucider utilise l' analyse.
Nuclear Signaling by Endothelin-1 Requires Src Protein-tyrosine Kinases

In response to changes in vascular homeostasis, endothelial cells secrete endothelin-1 (ET-1), which in turn regulates gene expression and phenotype in underlying vascular cells. We characterized a nuclear signaling cascade in which Src protein-tyrosine kinases link the ET-1 receptor to induction of c-fos transcription. A dominant negative SrcK- kinase mutant blocked ET-1-stimulated c-fos transcription. Expression of the COOH-terminal Src kinase (Csk), which represses Src kinases, also blocked induction of c-fos transcription by ET-1. Activation of the c-fos promoter by ET-1 required both the CArG DNA sequence of the c-fos serum response element and the Ca2+/cAMP response element. In contrast, Src-induced c-fos transcription required only the CArG cis-element, demonstrating a divergence in signals regulating c-fos transcription. Thus, Src kinases contribute to a nuclear signaling cascade linking an ET-1 receptor to the CArG element of the c-fos serum response element. A Src-based pathway might play a more general role to propagate ET-1 nuclear signals that regulate cell growth and development. In addition, these results point to a widening role for nonreceptor protein-tyrosine kinases in propagating signals from G protein-coupled receptors.
A Review of Research on Premature Infant-Mother Interaction

Abstract Premature infants do not often provide clear behavioral cues, making them difficult social partners. Mothers of premature infants have reported that interacting with their infant is frustrating and not very rewarding. Higher numbers of premature infants are currently surviving at younger gestational ages, but the number of premature infants that have developmental delays is not decreasing. These infants and their mothers need guidance and support for their early efforts to communicate with one another. Social interactions are considered to be important for many aspects of development. This article will review the literature on infant-mother interactions, explain the more recent findings, and provide recommendations for neonatal nurses working with premature infants and their families.
All Around the Track: Oral Histories of Drivers, Mechanics, Officials, Owners, Journalists, and Others in Motorsports Past and Present

Due in part to the increased popularity of National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and other forms of auto racing, the number of books devoted to motorsports history has increased d...
IMPACT OF OBESITY ON REVERSIBILITY OF CONTRACTILE DYSFUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSIVE HEART DISEASE

Obesity has been associated with subclinical LV contractile dysfunction, even in the presence of a normal EF. The extent to which subclinical LV dysfunction is reversible in obese versus non-obese individuals is unknown. We studied a subset of 166 patients (51p women; 51p obese) from
Bladder wall abscess following midurethral sling procedure

Midurethal sling procedures are gaining popularity as the treatment of choice for stress urinary incontinence. Complications that were described include bladder perforation, urinary retention, pelvic hematoma and suprapubic wound infection. Sling erosion and pelvic abscess are rare complications of midurethral slings. We report the first case of an abscess formed within the wall of the urinary bladder, 7 months following a midurethral sling procedure.
Results of a multicenter, prospective trial of thoracic endovascular aortic repair for blunt thoracic aortic injury (RESCUE trial)

Objective To evaluate the early outcomes of patients undergoing thoracic endovascular aortic repair for blunt thoracic aortic injuries. Methods A prospective, nonrandomized, multicenter trial using the Medtronic Valiant Captivia stent graft was conducted at 20 sites in North America. Fifty patients with blunt thoracic aortic injuries were enrolled between April 2010 and January 2012 and will be followed for 5 years. The injuries were classified into categories (grades I-IV) based on severity: intimal tear, intramural hematoma, pseudoaneurysm, or rupture. The primary end point was 30-day all-cause mortality. Secondary end points were adverse events occurring within 30 days that were related to the procedure, device or aorta, and aortic-related mortality. Technical success was measured as successful device delivery and deployment. Results Seventy-six percent (38/50) of patients were male with mean age of 41 ± 17 years. Fifty-one Medtronic Valiant Captivia thoracic stent grafts and a single Talent thoracic stent graft were implanted within a median of 1.0 days following injury (mean, 1.8 ± 4.0 days). Seventy percent (35/50) of aortic injuries were grade III or higher, including one patient with free rupture. Mean injury severity score was 38 ± 14. Fifty-four percent of stent grafts were ≤26 mm (28/52). The left subclavian artery was completely covered in 40% of patients (20/50) and partially covered in 18% of patients (9/50). Four patients underwent subclavian artery revascularization: one at the time of the endograft procedure and three others after developing arm ischemia after the initial endograft procedure. Cerebral spinal fluid was drained in two patients. The median procedure time was 91 minutes, and median hospital stay was 12 days. There was 100% successful device delivery and deployment. Four (8%) patients died within 30 days. Nonfatal adverse events within 30 days that were related to the procedure, device, or aorta were experienced by 12% (6/50) of patients. No nonfatal adverse events related to the device were reported; a single death was conservatively adjudicated as device-, procedure-, and aorta-related because of insufficient information. No patient developed spinal cord injury, and there were no cerebrovascular accidents. However, one patient had an anoxic brain injury following aortic rupture. No patient underwent conversion to open repair or required an endovascular reintervention. Conclusions Based on the early outcomes, the Medtronic Valiant Captivia stent graft appears to be a promising treatment modality for blunt thoracic aortic injuries. Long-term follow-up is necessary to substantiate the effectiveness of thoracic endovascular aortic repair in treatment of blunt thoracic aortic injuries.
NOTES ON CASTING SLIP1

This is a note showing the unreliability of viscosimeter control for casting slip. A rule is given for control of the “hardness” and thickness of slip.
The role of target muscles in the expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide mRNA in the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus.

Abstract Previous studies have shown that calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) mRNA steady-state levels and CGRP immunoreactivity in motoneurons of the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) are inversely related to the gonadal steroid environment in male rats. Since both the SNB motoneurons and their target muscles, the bulbocavernosus and the levator ani, are steroid sensitive, gonadal steroids may act at either site to regulate CGRP expression. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that gonadal steroids influence CGRP expression in SNB motoneurons through their effects on the bulbocavernosus and levator ani muscles. We determined the levels of α-CGRP mRNA and immunoreactive CGRP in SNB motoneurons of adult male rats following injection of the bulbocavernosus with muscle extracts from bulbocavernosus/levator ani of castrated rats, paralysis of the bulbocavernosus or pudendal nerve cuts. Following injection of the bulbocavernosus/levator ani with extracts from castrated rats, the level of CGRP expression and the number of SNB motoneurons with α-CGRP message were increased. These studies suggest that the bulbocavernosus/levator ani muscles from castrated rats produce a factor that increases levels of CGRP. Injections of extract prepared from the bulbocavernosus and levator ani muscles of gonadally intact rats did not change the expression of α-CGRP mRNA in the SNB. Paralysis of the bulbocavernosus/levator ani with a local anesthetic increased the number of SNB motoneurons expressing α-CGRP mRNA and CGRP immunoreactive neurons. To determine whether nerve damage accounted for the observed effects following injection of anesthetic, the pudendal nerves were cut bilaterally. This produced an elevation of the levels of α-CGRP mRNA in SNB motoneurons but did not change the number of CGRP expressing neurons. Our results suggest that nerve damage increases α-CGRP mRNA levels and that soluble factor(s) derived from the bulbocavernosus/levator ani muscle stimulate the expression of α-CGRP mRNA and CGRP immunoreactivity in the SNB.
Inorganic Fertilizers after Broiler Litter Amendment Reduce Surplus Nutrients in Orchardgrass Soils

The common producer practice to dispose of broiler litter at high rates to forage crops allow excessive accumulation of soil nutrients. A remediation study was developed to examine if inorganic fertilizer application over the residual fertility of broiler litter would reduce surplus soil nutrients in orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) soils and to study the resulting biomass production. Three remediation treatments; inorganic fertilizer on antecedent broiler litter at the nitrogen rate (R-PLN), phosphorus rate (R-PLP), phosphorus rate with inorganic nitrogen (R-PLP+N), and inorganic fertilizer (INORG) were tested and results were compared with broiler litter at nitrogen rate (PLN) phosphorus rate (PLP), and phosphorus rate with inorganic nitrogen (PLP+N). Repeated broiler litter application at N rate led to elevate soil P, Cu, and Zn contents >200% from the initial levels. Implementing an alternative inorganic fertilizer application cycle in such soils can reduce P, Cu, and Zn levels respectively by 32 mg P kg ―1 yr ―1 , 1.9 mg Cu kg ―1 yr ―1 , and 2.4 mg Zn kg ―1 yr ―1 . Remediation by inorganic fertilizer application may take at least 5 yr to reduce P, Cu, and Zn levels back to the normal range. In addition, inorganic fertilizer application over broiler litter at N rate can offer similar forage production as inorganic fertilizer and N rate broiler litter amendment. An alternative cycle of inorganic fertilizer application after broiler litter amendment can be recommended as a best management practice to remediate surplus soil nutrients in highly broiler litter impacted soils while assuring high forage production benefits.
A quantitative model for comet nucleus topography

Abstract Topography of the surface of a comet nucleus is likely rough at all scales smaller than the mean effective radius. We present a flexible and easily scalable model for quantitative calculations simulating the effects of comet nucleus topography on gas release and dust mantle evolution. The topographic features we describe must be large enough (typically > 10 m) so that they will not erode in one orbit of the nucleus around the Sun. The maximum effective size of a hill is about 1 √2 times the effective radius of the nucleus. If it is larger, then an ellipsoidal shape of the nucleus is more appropriate. The procedure described here also permits for inhomogeneous composition of the topographic features, leading to locally different rates of gas production (e.g., jet-like features and filaments) or different thicknesses of the dust mantle. It also can give rise to different temperature patches, locally varying albedos and emissivities, and may explain the formation of permanent dust mantles.
Clarification of Cheese Whey by Aqueous Two‐Phase Systems

Aqueous two-phase systems comprising a pair of a polymer and a salt were investigated as a means to clarify Cheddar cheese whey. Fat in cheese why could partition exclusively into the bottom phase of a polyethylene glycol/KH2PO4 aqueous two-phase system, resulting in a clear top phase containing whey proteins. Several parameters have been studied to optimize the recovery of whey proteins in such a system. Decreasing solute concentrations to 11.7% polyethylene glycol/10% KH2PO4, lowering pH to 3.8, and lowering temperature to 7°C all contributed to enhance the yield. This method should be able to remove ca. 98% fat in Cheddar cheese whey and to recover > 90% whey proteins.
Structural determinants of nucleotide coenzyme specificity in the distinctive dinucleotide binding fold of HMG-CoA reductase from Pseudomonas mevalonii.

The 102-residue small domain of the 428-residue NAD(H)-dependent HMG-CoA reductase of Pseudomonas mevalonii (EC 1.1.1.88) binds NAD(H) at a distinctive, non-Rossmann dinucleotide binding fold. The ...
Alloreactive cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-defined HLA-B7 subtypes differ in peptide antigen presentation

We investigated T-cell-defined HLA-B7 subtypes using cDNA sequencing, analysis of bound peptides, and reactivity with a panel of alloreactive cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) clones. Three subtypes (HLA-B*0702, HLA-B*0703, and HLA-B*0705) differ in nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequence. CTL reactivity and pooled peptide sequencing show that these three HLA-B7 subtypes bind distinct but overlapping sets of peptides. In particular B*0702 expresses D pocket residue Asp 114 and binds peptides with P3 Arg, whereas B*0705 expresses D pocket residue Asn 114 and binds peptides with P3 Ala, Leu, and Met. Consistent with different peptide-binding specificities, three alloreactive CTL differentiate between cells expressing B*0702, B*0703, and B*0705 by detecting specific peptide/HLA-B7 complexes. In contrast, three other T-cell-defined HLA-B7 subtypes are identical to HLA-B*0702. The B*0702-expressing cell lines are differentiated by two of ten CTL clones. One CTL clone differentiates B*0702-expressing cells by their ability to present peptide antigen. Thus differences in peptide presentation can explain differential CTL recognition of cell lines expressing structurally identical and variant HLA-B7.
A Structured Problem-solving Course for Graduate Students: Exposing Students to Six Sigma as Part of their University Training

The Department of Statistics at Virginia Tech introduced a Master's level course in Structured Problem Solving in 2002. The goal of the course was to give graduate students of statistics, engineering and business initial exposure to Six Sigma methods, teach leadership and teamwork skills, and help students better understand how to apply their technical skills to large-scale project-based problems. The paper presents an overview of the course, details about the projects students have worked on during the two years the course has been offered, and student feedback and reaction to the course. It is our hope that this paper can provide helpful information for statistics graduate programs at other universities that may be considering implementing a similar course to assist students in making the transition from academic studies to industrial careers. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Industry mix, wages, and the divergence of county income in Pennsylvania

Per capita incomes have diverged across Pennsylvania counties. County incomes may differ because of differences in industrial structures and because of differences in earnings within industries; a county may have a below-average income because its industry mix is comprised of low paying jobs or because county jobs pay low wages compared to the same jobs in other counties. A procedure developed by Hanna (1951) is utilized to separate income differences into th ese two components by constructing two counterfactual incomes for each county. The handful of high-income counties in Pennsylvania have favorable wages while the counties with incomes below the state average, although with employment mixes comparable to th e overall state mix, tend to have workers who receive low wages relative to the state industry average. Wages are low in the relatively poor counties due to less investment in physical and human capital.