cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Low- Versus Moderate-Dose Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women With HIV

Background Prevalence of osteoporosis and fracture is increased among older people with HIV. We compared the effects of low (1000 IU) vs moderate (3000 IU) vitamin D3 (VitD) supplementation on areal bone mineral density (aBMD) and volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) in African American and Hispanic postmenopausal women with HIV on antiretroviral therapy. Methods We performed a 12-month prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with primary outcomes of change in aBMD by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and secondary outcomes of change in vBMD by quantitative computed tomography and bone turnover markers. An intent-to-treat analysis was performed on 85 randomized subjects (43 low and 42 moderate) for primary DXA outcomes, and complete case analysis was performed for secondary outcomes. Results Mean age was 56 ± 5 years, median CD4 count was 722 cells/mm, and 74% had HIV RNA ≤ 50 copies/mL. Serum 25-OHD was higher in the moderate than low VitD group at 6 months (33.1 ± 10.3 vs 27.8 ± 8.1 ng/mL, P = 0.03) and 12 months, but parathyroid hormone levels remained similar. Percent change in aBMD, vBMD, and bone turnover markers did not differ between low and moderate VitD groups before or after adjustment for baseline aBMD. Conclusions VitD supplementation at 3000 IU daily increased mean total 25-OHD levels in postmenopausal women with HIV, but we did not find evidence of an effect on BMD beyond those observed with 1000 IU daily. Future studies are necessary to determine whether VitD supplementation is beneficial in this patient population, and if so, what dose is optimal for skeletal health.
Moderate Deviations for Recursive Markov Systems

In this chapter we consider \(\mathbb {R}^{d}\)-valued discrete time processes of the same form as in Chap. 4, but instead of analyzing the large deviation behavior, we consider deviations closer to the LLN limit.
Immunotherapy in Pediatric Solid Tumors—A Systematic Review

Despite advances in the treatment of many pediatric solid tumors, children with aggressive and high-risk disease continue to have a dismal prognosis. For those presenting with metastatic or recurrent disease, multiple rounds of intensified chemotherapy and radiation are the typical course of action, but more often than not, this fails to control the progression of the disease. Thus, new therapeutics are desperately needed to improve the outcomes for these children. Recent advances in our understanding of both the immune system’s biology and its interaction with tumors have led to the development of novel immunotherapeutics as alternative treatment options for these aggressive malignancies. Immunotherapeutic approaches have shown promising results for pediatric solid tumors in early clinical trials, but challenges remain concerning safety and anti-tumor efficacy. In this review, we aim to discuss and summarize the main classes of immunotherapeutics used to treat pediatric solid tumors.
Large prospective losses lead to sub-optimal sensorimotor decisions in humans

Abstract The rationality of human behavior has been a major problem in philosophy for centuries. The pioneering work of Kahneman and Tversky provides strong evidence that people are not rational. Recent work in psychophysics argues that incentivized sensorimotor decisions (such as deciding where to reach to get a reward) maximizes expected gain, suggesting that it may be impervious to cognitive biases and heuristics. We rigorously tested this hypothesis using multiple experiments and multiple computational models. We obtained strong evidence that people deviated from the objectively rational strategy when potential losses were large. They instead appeared to follow a strategy in which they simplify the decision problem and satisfice rather than optimize. This work is consistent with the framework known as bounded rationality, according to which people behave rationally given their computational limitations.
Safety of leadless pacemaker implantation in the very elderly.

Background The Micra leadless pacemaker (MLP) has proven to be an effective alternative to a traditional transvenous pacemaker (TVP). However, there has been concern about using the MLP in frail elderly patients because of the size of the implant sheath and perceived risk of perforation. Objectives The objectives of this study were to report the safety of the MLP and compare MPLs with TVPs in the very elderly. Methods All patients 85 years and older who received an MLP or a single-chamber TVP across 6 hospitals in the Northwell Health system from December 2015 to November 2019 were included. Demographic characteristics, procedural details, and procedure-related complications were reviewed. Results Over 4 years, 564 patients underwent MLP implantation. During this time, 183 MLPs and 119 TVPs were implanted in patients 85 years and older. The mean age was 89.7 ± 3.4 years, and 47.4% were men. MLP implantation was successful in all but 3 patients (98.4% success rate). There was no difference in procedure-related complications (3.3% vs 5.9%; P = .276). Complications included 5 (2.7%) access site hematomas in the MLP group, 3 (2.5%) in the TVP group, 1 (0.5 vs 0.8%) pericardial effusion in each group, and 3 (2.5%) acute lead dislodgments ( Conclusion In a large multicenter study of patients 85 years and older, MLP implantation (1) was successful in 98.4% of patients, (2) was safe with no difference in procedure-related complications compared to the TVP group, and (3) resulted in significantly shorter procedure times.
Integrating human factors early in the design process using digital human modelling and surrogate modelling

Embedding ergonomics in the design process is often delayed as it requires building physical prototypes and human subject data collection. This causes retrofitting or expensive late design changes ...
Predictors of cellphone-related distracted walking among college students

Distracted walking is dangerous, and the number of pedestrian injuries due to smartphone use has increased over time. Research is lacking at present on the reasons and motives for distracted walkin...
Moving Towards Patient-Centered Care in the Emergency Department: Importance of Improvement in Pain-Related Outcomes

Musculoskeletal pain is a common emergency department (ED) presentation. Patient-centered care for patients with musculoskeletal pain may improve quality-of-life, satisfaction with care, and clinical outcomes. Providing patient-centered care in the ED requires understanding patients’ goals and priorities. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of the demographic, clinical, and biopsychosocial characteristics of adult ED patients (n=215) with musculoskeletal pain. Patients completed the Patient Centered Outcomes Questionnaire (PCOQ) to quantify importance of improvements in pain, interference with daily activities, fatigue, and emotion. Improvement ratings were from 0 (unimportant) to 100 (most important) and cluster analysis identified patient subgroups by these ratings. Comparisons used Kruskal-Wallis tests for continuous measures and Chi-Square tests for categorical measures. Patients with completed PCOQ were analyzed (n=176). All domains were rated as highly important (median/mean (sd) pain, interference, fatigue, and emotion ratings 100/91 (18), 96/79 (32), 93/72 (35), and 93/69 (39)). Cluster analysis identified three subgroups: 1) Multiple domains important (MDI, n=120) characterized by high importance for all domains 2) pain and function important (PFI, n=34) with high importance in pain and interference domains, and 3) only pain domain important (PI, n=22). The MDI group reported higher psychological symptoms, (p
Social Semiotics in the Fair Use Analysis

This article presents an argument for an expansion of fair use, based not on theories of authorship or rights of autonomy but rather on a theory of the audience linked to social practice. The article asks, in essence, whether audiences determine the meaning, purpose, function, or social benefit of an allegedly infringing work, often regardless of what the work’s creator did or intended. If so, does this matter for the purpose of a fair use analysis based on a claim of transformativeness? Section I of the article sets the doctrinal groundwork for an exploration of social semiotic theory in the fair use inquiry by exploring a few of the more relevant points of controversy in that analysis, including: commerciality, transformativeness, and cognizable market harm. Section II of the article focuses on transformativeness, a concept at the heart of the first factor inquiry into the purpose and character of a defendant’s use of the copyrighted work. After exploring the prevailing conception of transformativeness, I propose an alternative – grounded in social semiotic theory – in which social value is manifest in the process of meaning-making that occurs as individuals and interpretive communities engage the work. It is in this process of semiosis that copyright’s commitment to the enrichment of society can be best evaluated as a distinct question apart from the creation of new authorial rights. Finally, the pending case of Shepard Fairey v. The Associated Press is used to illustrate how social semiotic theories are applied. Section III of the article looks at how social semiotic theory might be relevant in an analysis of the remaining fair use factors: the nature of the copyrighted work; the amount and substantiality used; and the effect on actual and potential markets. The article concludes that social semiotics is most helpful in terms of the second factor, the nature of the copyrighted work, with only limited application to the remaining factors.
Cost-sharing mechanism design for ride-sharing

Abstract In this paper, we focus on the cost-sharing problem for ride-sharing: determining how to allocate the total ride cost between the driver and the passengers. In particular, we focus on the scenario where drivers are also commuters with the goal of cost recovery. We identify the properties that a desirable cost-sharing mechanism should have and develop a general framework that can be used to create specific cost-sharing mechanisms. We propose specific mechanisms and analyze their relative advantages and disadvantages so that service providers can select a mechanism according to their different needs. In addition, we incorporate the value of time by allowing passengers to have inconvenience costs due to extra travel time caused by detours for picking up the passengers, and provide discount methods to compensate for these costs. We evaluate our approach using real traffic data from the downtown Los Angeles area. Our results show that each proposed mechanism has its unique advantages and that the discount methods can successfully reduce the number of no-passenger vehicles for a large ride-sharing system.
Distributional Properties of Age of Information in Energy Harvesting Status Update Systems

This paper considers an energy harvesting (EH) real-time status update system in which an EH-powered transmitter node sends status updates about some physical process of interest to a destination node. The status update and harvested energy packets are assumed to arrive at the transmitter according to independent Poisson processes, and the service time of each status update is assumed to be exponentially distributed. We quantify the freshness of status updates when they reach the destination using the concept of Age of Information (AoI). Unlike most of the existing analyses of AoI that focus on characterizing its average when the transmitter has a reliable energy source and is hence not powered by EH (referred henceforth as a non-EH transmitter), our analysis is focused on understanding the distributional properties of AoI through the characterization of its moment generating function (MGF). In particular, we use the stochastic hybrid systems (SHS) framework to derive closed-form expressions of the MGF of AoI under both nonpreemptive and preemptive in service queueing disciplines at the transmitter. We demonstrate the generality of this analysis by recovering several known results for the corresponding system with a non-EH transmitter as special cases of the new results. Our numerical results verify the analytical findings, and demonstrate the importance of incorporating the higher moments of AoI in the implementation/optimization of real-time status update systems rather than just relying on its average value.
How Racial Residential Segregation Structures Access and Exposure to Greenness and Green Space: A Review

Objectives: While racial residential segregation has played a role in structuring material conditions in communities of color, associations documenting racialized inequities in greenness tend to be...
The Past as Prologue: Shelby County v. Holder and the Risks Ahead

The Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder1 is a classic example of strict constructionist interpretation2 used as an interpretative tool to strike down the integral component that many, not only those on the political left, view as the corner stone of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (the “Act”).3 The crux of the majority ruling rests on the presupposition that the coverage formula in Section 4 applied against those covered jurisdictions in Section 5 of the Act was an antiquated formula.4 However, the dissent
Juvenile Justice or Injustice? The Debate over Reform

This short paper memorializes part of the author's introduction of speakers and the program for a panel on juvenile justice at St. John's University School of Law in 2000.
Haptic playback: better trajectory tracking during training does not mean more effective motor skill transfer

In this paper the performance of a haptic playback system with two different control algorithms was experimentally investigated. Accuracy of tracking the reference position and force trajectories of each system during training was examined, and their effectiveness in teaching a hybrid sensorimotor skill with significant position and force components was compared. It was determined that superior tracking performance during training does not necessarily indicate superior effectiveness in motor skill acquisition.
Ultrasonic underwater thruster

This paper describes a novel ultrasonic underwater thruster without any moving part. Our typical ultrasonic underwater thruster weighs only about 0.3 mN, but can produce 5.6 mN thrust, producing a thrust ratio of 19:1. The thruster moves forward by shooting out water jet stream backward through an acoustic streaming effect. To enhance the acoustic streaming effect, the self-focusing acoustic transducer (SFAT) is used. In this paper, two transducer structure designs and three electrode designs are described and compared.
Identity between polysaccharide antigens of Moraxella nonliquefaciens, group B Neisseria meningitidis, and Escherichia coli K1 (non-O acetylated).

A surface polysaccharide antigen of Moraxella nonliquefaciens, reported to be cross-reactive with the capsular polysaccharides of group B Neisseria meningitidis and Escherichia coli K1 (K. Blvre, K. Bryn, O. Closs, N. Hagen, and L. O. Froholm, NIPH Ann. 6:65-73, 1983), was isolated, purified, and characterized chemically, immunologically, and by nuclear magnetic resonance. This polysaccharide was shown to be a linear homopolymer of alpha (2----8)-linked N-acetylneuraminic acid, identical to the capsular polysaccharide of group B N. meningitidis and O-acetyl-negative variants of E. coli K1.
Teacher as ‘Shape-shifter’: Exploring the Intersection of New Times and the Teaching of English Language Arts

This article explores how the current era in which we live, ‘New Times’, a term used to characterize the changing social, economic, and technological conditions of our current era, both affords and constrains the identities of future teachers. The case of Anna Cunningham, a pre-service English language arts teacher, is highlighted as a portrait of the intersection of New Times with teacher identities rooted in content/disciplinary affiliations. Findings suggest the beginning teachers in New Times become adept at negotiating multiple, and sometimes divergent, teacher identities. This negotiation becomes a primary tool in responding to a changing notion of what is means to teach English language arts.
Short-term outcomes of purely endoscopic endonasal resection of orbital tumors: a systematic review

Background The purpose of this review was to evaluate outcomes in transnasal endoscopic approaches for the management of extraconal and intraconal orbital tumors. Methods A systematic review of studies on purely endoscopic endonasal orbital tumor resections was conducted using the MEDLINE database. Data extracted and analyzed from selected studies included study type, sample size, demographics, symptomatology, tumor characteristics, complications, follow-up time, and recurrence. Results Thirty-nine studies were identified and included, containing patient data for 71 cases. Mean patient age was 47 years (range, 1–75 years), and 53.5% of patients were male. Primary site of the tumor was orbital in 69.0% of the cases, of which 51.0% were intraconal and 30.6% were extraconal. The most common reported histopathology was cavernous hemangioma (45.1%). Intraoperative complications were reported in 5.6% of cases. Postoperative complications were noted in 29.6% of cases, the majority of which were transient (76.2%). There was no significant difference in postoperative complication rate between intraconal and extraconal primary site tumors (p = 0.302). Recurrence rate was 4.2%. Conclusion Purely endoscopic endonasal resection of orbital tumors is a viable alternative technique to traditional external procedures, with the inherent advantages of minimally invasive surgery. This study of 71 cases represents the largest pooled sample size to date, and the increasing use of endoscopic procedures will allow for future analyses with greater statistical power.
Diamond synthesis at atmospheric pressure by microwave capillary plasma chemical vapor deposition

Polycrystalline diamond has been synthesized on silicon substrates at atmospheric pressure, using a microwave capillary plasma chemical vapor deposition technique. The CH4/Ar plasma was generated inside of quartz capillary tubes using 2.45 GHz microwave excitation without adding H2 into the deposition gas chemistry. Electronically excited species of CN, C2, Ar, N2, CH, Hβ, and Hα were observed in the emission spectra. Raman measurements of deposited material indicate the formation of well-crystallized diamond, as evidenced by the sharp T2g phonon at 1333 cm−1 peak relative to the Raman features of graphitic carbon. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images reveal that, depending on the growth conditions, the carbon microstructures of grown films exhibit “coral” and “cauliflower-like” morphologies or well-facetted diamond crystals with grain sizes ranging from 100 nm to 10 μm.
Inhibition of apoptosis in human retinal pigment epithelial cells treated with benzo(e)pyrene, a toxic component of cigarette smoke.

PURPOSE To study the inhibitory effects of some agents or drugs (inhibitors) on benzo(e)pyrene (B(e)P)-induced cell death and apoptosis on human retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE-19) cells in vitro. METHODS ARPE-19 cells were pretreated with varying concentrations of different classes of inhibitors (calpain, benzyl isothiocyanate [BITC], simvastatin, epicatechin, genistein, resveratrol, and memantine) before B(e)P exposure. Cell viability (CV) was determined by a trypan blue dye-exclusion assay. Caspase-3/7 and caspase-9 activities were measured by fluorochrome assays. The production of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) was measured with 2',7'-dicholorodihydrofluorescein diacetate dye assay. RESULTS At 30-microM concentrations, the genistein, resveratrol, and memantine inhibitors were able to reverse significantly the loss of cell viability, the activation of caspase-3/7 and caspase-9, and the production of ROS/RNS in ARPE-19 cell cultures. Memantine was the most potent and genistein was the least effective inhibitor in blocking the B(e)P-induced effects. Calpain, BITC, simvastatin, and epicatechin did not reverse the loss of cell viability in B(e)P-treated ARPE-19 cells. As a matter of fact, at the concentrations studied (15, 30, 45 microM), the BITC plus B(e)P-treated cultures showed significantly lower cell viability than the B(e)P-treated culture alone, suggesting BITC-related toxicity. CONCLUSIONS Genistein, resveratrol, and memantine can reverse the apoptosis and oxidant production generated by B(e)P, a toxic element of smoking. These inhibitors may be beneficial against retinal diseases associated with the loss of RPE cells.
In Situ Study of Size and Temperature Dependent Brittle-to-Ductile Transition in Single Crystal Silicon

Silicon based micro- and nanometer scale devices operating at various temperatures are ubiquitous today. However, thermo-mechanical properties of silicon at the small scale and their underlying mechanisms remain elusive. The brittle-to-ductile transition (BDT) is one such property relevant to these devises. Materials can be brittle or ductile depending on temperature. The BDT occurs over a small temperature range. For bulk silicon, the BDT is about 545 °C. It is speculated that the BDT temperature of silicon may decrease with size at the nanoscale. However, recent experimental and computational studies have provided inconclusive evidence, and are often contradictory. Potential reasons for the controversy might originate from the lack of an in situ methodology that allows variation of both temperature and sample size. This controversy is resolved in the present study by carrying out in situ thermo-mechanical bending tests on single crystal silicon samples with concurrent control of these two key parameters. It is unambiguously shown that the BDT temperature reduces with sample size. For example, the BDT temperature decreases to 293 °C for a sample size 720 nm. A mechanism-based model is proposed to interpret the experimental observations.
Recent victimization in women and men with severe mental illness: prevalence and correlates.

The problem of violence against individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) has received relatively little notice, despite several studies suggesting an exceptionally high prevalence of victimization in this population. This paper describes the results of an investigation of the prevalence and correlates of past year physical and sexual assault among a large sample of women and men with SMI drawn from inpatient and outpatient settings across 4 states. Results confirmed preliminary findings of a high prevalence of victimization in this population (with sexual abuse more prevalent for women and physical abuse more prevalent for men), and indicated the existence of a range of correlates of recent victimization, including demographic factors and living circumstances, history of childhood abuse, and psychiatric illness severity and substance abuse. The research and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Weather Regimes and Forecast Errors in the Pacific Northwest

Abstract Despite overall improvements in numerical weather prediction and data assimilation, large short-term forecast errors of sea level pressure and 2-m temperature still occur. This is especially true for the west coast of North America where short-term numerical weather forecasts of surface low pressure systems can have large position and central pressure errors. In this study, forecast errors of sea level pressure and temperature in the Pacific Northwest are related to the shape of the large-scale flow aloft. Applying a hierarchical limited-contour clustering algorithm to historical 500-hPa geopotential height data produces four distinct weather regimes. The Rockies ridge regime, which exhibits a ridge near the axis of the Rocky Mountains and nearly zonal flow across the Pacific, experiences the highest magnitude and frequency of large sea level pressure errors. On the other hand, the coastal ridge regime, which exhibits a ridge aligned with the North American west coast, experiences the highest mag...
Effects of resistant potato starch on cholesterol and bile acid metabolism in the rat

This study examines the effects of two types of resistant starch (RS), raw starch from uncooked potatoes and retrograded starch in the form of cooked and cooled potatoes, on cholesterol and bile acid metabolism in rats. Groups of 8 male Wistar rats were fed a semipurified diet containing 15% cellulose, freeze-dried raw potatoes, or freeze-dried cooked potatoes for four weeks. Serum cholesterol, liver cholesterol, and fecal steroid excretion were determined. Serum cholesterol was significantly higher and liver cholesterol was significantly lower in response to the cooked potato diet compared to the cellulose or raw potato diet. Total steroid excretion was significantly higher in rats fed the cooked potato diet (26.31 mg/d) compared to those fed the cellulose or raw potato diet (14.27 mg/d and 16.81 mg/d, respectively). Daily total bile acid excretion was significantly different among the three groups, with highest excretion seen in rats fed cooked potatoes. High daily excretion of lithocholic acid and hyodeoxycholic acid was observed in rats fed cooked potatoes. These results suggest that changes in the cecal microflora and in the production, pool size, and excretion of chenodeoxycholic acid and its derivatives may be responsible for alterations in cholesterol and bile acid metabolism observed with resistant starch feeding.
55Mn(n, n'γ) cross-section studies for En = 1.0–3.6 MeV

Abstract Absolute 55 Mn(n, n′γ) γ-ray production cross sections have been measured for 19 transitions from levels up to and including the 2429 keV state in 55 Mn over the energy range E n = 1.0–3.6 MeV. Angular distributions were also measured for 6 of the transitions. Branching ratios were extracted and total inelastic neutron cross sections were inferred for these 55 Mn excited states. The measured and inferred cross sections are compared with calculated cross sections using the statistical compound nucleus theory.
Antitrust, the market, and the State: The Contributions of Walter Adams. Edited by James W. Brock and Kenneth G. Elzinga

(1993). Antitrust, the market, and the State: The Contributions of Walter Adams. Edited by James W. Brock and Kenneth G. Elzinga. Forum for Social Economics: Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 76-77.
Acinar cells contribute to the molecular heterogeneity of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia

A number of studies have shown that pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma develops through precursor lesions termed pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN). PanINs are thought to initiate in the small ducts of the pancreas through activating mutations in the KRAS proto-oncogene. What remains unanswered is the identification of the individual cell type(s) that contributes to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma formation. To follow the cellular and molecular changes that occur in acinar and duct cell properties on KrasG12D expression, we took advantage of LSL-KrasG12D/+/p48Cre/+ mice, which faithfully mimic the human disease. In young animals (4 weeks), the predominant cellular alteration in the exocrine pancreas was acinar metaplasia in which individual acini consisted of acinar cells and duct-like cells. Metaplastic acinar structures were highly proliferative, expressed Notch target genes, and exhibited mosaic expression patterns for epidermal growth factor receptor, ErbB2, and pErk. This expression pattern paralleled the expression pattern detected in mouse PanINs, suggesting that mouse PanINs and acinar-ductal metaplasia follow similar molecular pathways. Indeed, immunofluorescence studies confirmed the presence of acinar cells within mPanIN lesions, raising the possibility that KrasG12D-induced mPanINs develop from acinar cells that undergo acinar-ductal metaplasia. Identification of an acinar contribution to PanIN formation offers new directions for successful targeted therapeutic approaches to combat this disease.
Reproductive correlates of depressive symptoms among low-income minority women

Abstract Objective To estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms among women of reproductive age attending family planning clinics across southeast Texas in addition to demographic and reproductive characteristics associated with these symptoms. Methods A retrospective, self-reported, paper-and-pencil survey designed to assess health and risk behaviors was administered to 4726 low-income suburban women, aged 12 and 40 years, attending a family planning clinic in southeast Texas. The survey contained a background and demographic section in addition to six sections addressing health risk behaviors. Women also completed the 13-item Beck Depression Inventory to assess depressive symptoms. Results A total of 11.8% exhibited mild symptoms of depression, 14.0% had moderate symptoms, and 4.8% had severe symptoms. Women were at increased risk of moderate to severe symptoms of depression if they were Hispanic, had not graduated high school, were unemployed, or currently smoked cigarettes. Sexual or reproductive characteristics associated with moderate to severe symptoms included two or more lifetime sexual partners, having used hormonal contraception before age 13, not using any birth control at last intercourse, having had a sexually transmitted disease, not having had sexual intercourse in the last 3 months or having had it under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and having heard a family member worry about contracting a sexually transmitted disease or discuss use of alcohol or drugs before sex. Conclusion A large percentage of women experience moderate to severe depressive symptoms during their reproductive years. These symptoms are associated with numerous risk behaviors, including inconsistent use of birth control. Women's health care providers have the opportunity to provide a valuable service by screening for depressive symptoms.
Proving algorithm symmetry for flows exhibiting symmetry breaking

This note is prompted by the need to demonstrate the symmetry of the conical Navier-Stokes algorithm used by Dusing and Orkwis in studying the formation of vortex asymmetry in flows over cones at incidence. Algorithm-related asymmetry because of approximate factorization has been demonstrated previously for the Bbeam-Warming algorithm in its diagonal form by Levy et al. The symmmetry of the current algorithm was studied to avoid similar spurious computations.
ALCAM Regulates Mediolateral Retinotopic Mapping in the Superior Colliculus

ALCAM [activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (BEN/SC-1/DM-GRASP)] is a transmembrane recognition molecule of the Ig superfamily (IgSF) containing five Ig domains (two V-type, three C2-type). Although broadly expressed in the nervous and immune systems, few of its developmental functions have been elucidated. Because ALCAM has been suggested to interact with the IgSF adhesion molecule L1, a determinant of retinocollicular mapping, we hypothesized that ALCAM might direct topographic targeting to the superior colliculus (SC) by serving as a substrate within the SC for L1 on incoming retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons. ALCAM was expressed in the SC during RGC axon targeting and on RGC axons as they formed the optic nerve; however, it was downregulated distally on RGC axons as they entered the SC. Axon tracing with DiI revealed pronounced mistargeting of RGC axons from the temporal retina half of ALCAM null mice to abnormally lateral sites in the contralateral SC, in which these axons formed multiple ectopic termination zones. ALCAM null mutant axons were specifically compromised in medial orientation of interstitial branches, which is known to require the ankyrin binding function of L1. As a substrate, ALCAM-Fc protein promoted L1-dependent attachment of acutely dissociated retinal cells and an L1-expressing, ALCAM-negative cell line, consistent with an ALCAM-L1 heterophilic molecular interaction. Together, these results suggest a model in which ALCAM in the SC interacts with L1 on RGC axons to promote medial extension of RGC axon branches important for mediolateral axon targeting in the formation of retinocollicular maps.
Metallic stenting of gastroduodenal and colonic stenoses

Acute obstructions of the gastric outlet, the duodenum, or in the large bowel require rapid treatment to relieve symptoms of retention or ileus. In recent years the application of metallic stents in malignant diseases of the biliary tract and the esophagus has become an established way of treatment [1, 2]. Based on this successful stent implantations efforts were made to extend this method to other parts of the gastrointestinal tract. In this article we present our personal experience and a review of the actual literature on stenting of the pylorus and duodenum, as well as on colonic stenting.
Agreement parallelism between sentences and noun phrases: a historical sketch

This paper deals with a parallelism between sentences and noun phrases in Classical Arabic. The parallelism in question concerns the distribution of the number feature on the verb in the verb subject (VS) sequence and the (in-)definiteness feature on nouns in the N+NP sequence, the so-called semitic construct state (CS). In both cases, the verb and the head noun do not carry number and (in-)definiteness features respectively. Previous syntactic analyses have treated these two problems as two separate phenomena, thus denying any parallelism between the two constructions. This paper argues that this parallelism is genuine and is due to the verb in the VS sequence being historically a nominal element in a CS relation with the subject.
Differentiation of restrictive cardiomyopathy from pericardial constriction: assessment of diastolic function by radionuclide angiography

Diastolic filling variables were studied in 12 patients with the hemodynamic features of constriction, of whom 5 had restrictive cardiomyopathy, 5 had pericardial constriction and 2 had combined pericardial constriction and restrictive cardiomyopathy. The values were compared with those in 10 normal subjects of comparable age. The filling fractions between 10% and 70% of the diastolic time interval were greater in patients with pericardial constriction than in those with restrictive cardiomyopathy (p less than 0.01 between 20% and 50%, p less than 0.05 at 10%, 60% and 70%), with no overlap. The filling fractions in patients with pericardial constriction were also greater than those in normal subjects between 10% and 60% of the diastolic time interval. The filling fraction was lower in patients with restrictive cardiomyopathy than in normal subjects at 40% of the diastolic time interval (p less than 0.05). The time to peak filling rate in patients with pericardial constriction was shorter (110 +/- 14 ms) than in those with restrictive cardiomyopathy (195 +/- 45 ms, p less than 0.01) or in normal subjects (173 +/- 32 ms, p less than 0.01). The percent of atrial contribution to left ventricular filling was higher in those with restrictive cardiomyopathy (45 +/- 17%) than in those with pericardial constriction (21 +/- 6%, p less than 0.05) or in normal subjects (24 +/- 9%, p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Quantum chemical study of the Fe(III)-desferrioxamine B siderophore complex—Electronic structure, vibrational frequencies, and equilibrium Fe-isotope fractionation

Abstract This study presents molecular orbital/density functional theory (MO/DFT) calculations of the electronic structure, vibrational frequencies, and equilibrium isotope fractionation factors for iron desferrioxamine B (Fe-DFO-B) complexes in aqueous solution. In general, there was good agreement between the predicted properties of Fe(III)-DFO-B and previously published experimental and theoretical results. The predicted fractionation factor for equilibrium between Fe(III)-DFO-B and Fe(III)-catecholate at 22 °C, 0.68 ± 0.25‰, was in good agreement with a previously measured isotopic difference between bacterial cells and solution during the bacterial-mediated dissolution of hornblende [Brantley S. L., Liermann L. and Bullen T. D. (2001) Fractionation of Fe isotopes by soil microbes and organic acids. Geology 29, 535–538]. Conceptually, this agreement is consistent with the notion that Fe is first removed from mineral surfaces via complexation with small organic acids (e.g., oxalate), subsequently sequestered by DFO-B in solution, and ultimately delivered to bacterial cells by Fe(III)-DFO-B complexes. The ability of DFO-B to discriminate between Fe(III) and Fe(II)/Al(III) was investigated with Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis and geometry calculations of each metal-DFO-B complex. The results indicated that higher affinity for Fe(III) is not strictly a function of bond length but also the degree of Fe–O covalent bonding.
Gate Characterization Using Singular Value Decomposition: Foundations and Applications

Modern hardware security has a very broad scope ranging from digital rights management to the detection of ghost circuitry. These and many other security tasks are greatly hindered by process variation, which makes each integrated circuit (IC) unique, and device aging, which evolves the IC throughout its lifetime. We have developed a singular value decomposition (SVD)-based procedure for gate-level characterization (GLC) that calculates changes in properties, such as delay and switching power of each gate of an IC, accounting for process variation and device aging. We employ our SVD-based GLC approach for the development of two security applications: hardware metering and ghost circuitry (GC) detection. We present the first robust and low-cost hardware metering scheme, using an overlapping IC partitioning approach that enables rapid and scalable treatment. We also map the GC detection problem into an equivalent task of GLC consistency checking using the same overlapping partitioning. The effectiveness of the approaches is evaluated using the ISCAS85, ISCAS89, and ITC99 benchmarks. In hardware metering, we are able to obtain probabilities of coincidence in the magnitude of 10-8 or less, and we obtain zero false positives and zero false negatives in GC detection.
Partially sequential treatments versus control multiple comparisons

In this paper we propose a distribution-free treatments versus control multiple comparisons procedure, based on the control sample median, that is appropriate when the control sample observations are easy and relatively inexpensive to collect, while the treatments data are costly and/or difficult to obtain. For this procedure the control sample has a fixed sample size and the treatments have random sample sizes determined by a truncated inverse binomial sequential sampling scheme. Properties of the procedure are discussed, including null distribution critical values for two or three noncontrol treatments.
De novo pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis in isolated rat glomeruli.

De novo pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis in isolated rat glomeruli. Uracil ribonucleotide–sugars and aminosugars are required for glomerular basement membrane (GBM) biosynthesis. Since these nucleotides are metabolic derivatives of uridine 5′-triphosphate (UTP), we have studied the cellular pools of uridine 5′-diphosphoglucose (UDPG), uridine 5′-diphosphoglucuronic acid (UDPGA), uridine 5′-diphospho-N-acetyl glucosamine (UDPAG) and UTP, and measured UTP synthesis de novo in isolated glomeruli incubated in vitro. Improved techniques for nucleotide quantitation were established and the optimal conditions for glomerular isolation and incubation determined. Substantial quantities of uracil ribonucleotide coenzymes and an active utilization of orotate for the synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides were demonstrated. UTP synthesis and the pools of UDPG and UDPG A varied markedly with changes in the experimental conditions. The adverse effects of suboptimal conditions were more apparent in glomeruli from diabetic animals than in controls. The use of suboptimal conditions could provide misleading information on GBM metabolism in isolated glomeruli since uracil ribonucleotide coenzyme availability might be reduced.
MEMS for measuring deflection, acceleration, and deicing of a helicopter

Smart MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) in the form of integrated sensors and actuators offer significant potential for many rotorcraft applications. Sensing of flex beam deflection and acceleration, ice formation and deicing are major candidate areas where smart conformal MEMS based sensors can be exploited by the rotorcraft community. The major technical barrier of the present day smart structures technology is the need for wired communication between sensors and actuators in the rotating system and controllers, data storage units, and cockpit avionics. Many proposed sensors and actuators are commonly distributed either along the blade length or, in the active flap devices, out near the 75% blade radial station. Also they are not conformal to the airfoil shape of the rotor blades. The communication between rotating and fixed systems is typically accomplished using complex slip ring assemblies transferring electronic information down through the rotor shaft. Although advances have been made in wired communication, these complex assemblies are essentially similar to test hardware and present numerous reliability and maintainability limitations when implemented on a production scale. Considering these limitations, development of a wireless means of communication through a new generation of conformal sensors with built-in antenna, akin to telemetry, could have a dramatic beneficial payoff for rotorcraft applications.
[^3H] Nisoxetine : a new radioligand for norepinephrine uptake sites in brain

[3H]Nisoxetine binds with high affinity (Kd = 0.7 nM) and selectivity to a homogenous population of sites associated with the uptake of norepinephrine. Specific [3H]nisoxetine binding to rat cortical homogenates was saturable, sodium-dependent and averaged 90% of total binding at its Kd concentration. Pretreatment with the neurotoxin DSP-4 resulted in 95% decrease in binding. [3H]Nisoxetine exhibits superior properties to radioligands previously used and appears to be the radioligand of choice for studies involving uptake sites for norepinephrine.
Acute renal failure associated with immunoglobulin therapy

Four cases of acute renal failure induced by intravenous immunoglobulin are presented, and the literature on the subject is reviewed. The clinical course varies from asymptomatic serum creatinine elevation to anuric renal failure occurring within days of the institution of therapy, followed by the rapid recovery of renal function after termination of therapy. The renal histology demonstrates severe tubular vacuolization with cellular swelling and preservation of the brush border. Glomerular endothelial, mesangial, and epithelial cells also may demonstrate swelling and vacuolization. There is no evidence for inflammatory or immune complex-mediated etiologies. The immunoglobulins or carbohydrate additives in the preparations appear to have a unique and reversible effect on the glomerular and tubular cell function.
Preparing Teachers for Success with English Language Learners: Challenges and Opportunities for University Tesol Educators

This study investigates the role that a socioculturally grounded university English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program played in shaping teachers' work with English Language Learners (ELLs). Subjects were a group of teachers at “Wheatland Elementary School,” a newly designated ESOL site for a school district in Kansas. From an analysis of teachers' comments on course evaluations, written class assignments, formal observations of their post-coursework instruction, and a questionnaire administered at the onset and conclusion of an 18 credit-hour program, we examined changes in teachers' (a) attitudes toward ELLs, (b) beliefs about how children acquire second languages, and (c) knowledge of pedagogical practices that promote successful language and content learning. Our findings suggest that well-planned university programs influence even very experienced teachers and those who may be ambivalent toward ESOL endorsement mandates, and policies that limit the requirements for those seeking state ESOL...
Mathematical analysis of stability of a spinning disk under rotating, arbitrarily large damping forces

Stability ofa rotating disk under rotating, arbitrarily large damping forces is investigated analytically. Points possibly residing on the stability boundary are located exactly in parameter space based on the criterion that at least one nontrivial periodic solution is necessary at every boundary point. A perturbation technique and the Galerkin method are used to predict whether these points of periodic solution reside on the stability boundary, and to identify the stable region in parameter space. A nontrivial periodic solution is shown to exist only when the damping does not generate forces with respect to that solution. Instability occurs when the wave speed ofa mode in the uncoupled disk, when observed on the disk, is exceeded by the rotation speed of the damping force relative to the disk. The instability is independent of the magnitude of the force and the type of positive-definite damping operator in the applied region. For a single dashpot, nontrivial periodic solutions exist at the points where the uncoupled disk has repeated eigenfrequencies on a frame rotating with the dashpot and the dashpot neither damps nor energizes these modes substantially around these points.
Non-contrast MR imaging of the glenohumeral joint. Part II. Glenohumeral instability and labrum tears

MR imaging of the shoulder without contrast is frequently used for evaluation of glenohumeral instability in spite of the popularity of MR arthrography. With proper imaging technique, familiarity with normal anatomy and variants as well as knowledge of the expected pathologic findings high diagnostic accuracy may be achieved.
Char combustion reactivities for a suite of diverse solid fuels and char-forming organic model compounds

A bewildering variety of organic materials are now serious candidate fuels for commercial power generation, where they are burned alone or in cofiring configurations with coal. While char reactivity trends are well-established for coals, there have been no analogous comparative studies on large sets of diverse alternate fuels. This article presents reactivity measurements of chars formed at 700°C and 1000°C for 31 materials, including 20 solid fuels (international coals, petroleum cokes, tires, wood, agricultural residues, and refuse-derived fuel) and 11 organic model materials chosen for their low levels of potentially catalytic inorganic matter (graphites, petroleum pitches, resins, commercial organic chemical reagents, and microcrystalline cellulose). Standard reactivities at 500°C in air varied by over 4 orders of magnitude and correlate poorly with organic elemental composition or char surface area. The essentially non-catalytic model materials exhibit uniformly low reactivities that fall in a narrow band as a function of weight percent of carbon (daf) and correlate reasonably well with char surface area. A model is developed that combines statistical analysis of the data with chemical insights from the literature on the form and dispersion of catalytic inorganic matter to explain most of the observed reactivity variation. The model indicates that catalytic effects are significant for almost all of the practical solid fuels, due most particularly to the presence of nano-dispersed potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
Chromatography and electrophoresis on chips: critical elements of future integrated, microfluidic analytical systems for life science

Liquid chromatography and electrophoresis played a major role in the life-science revolution, most strikingly in protein purification, peptide fractionation and sequencing, amino acid analysis, and DNA sequencing. The objective of this article is to examine the potential role of separation systems in the continuing evolution of biochemistry, biotechnology and molecular biology. Very small chip-based systems may change how chemical analyses in biology, medical research and health care evolve over the next decade.