cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Double cervix: clarifying a diagnostic dilemma.

Objective Although double cervix is often considered to indicate uterus didelphys, it may be challenging to determine the true associated anomaly as double cervix occurs with other mullerian anomalies. Our purpose is to report the frequency of uterine mullerian anomalies that occur with a double cervix and identify imaging or clinical criteria to help classify the associated anomaly. Study Design After institutional review board approval, an electronic search was performed to identify patients with double cervix and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between 1976-2010 (using International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Edition 9 and Hospital International Classification of Diseases Adapted codes). MRIs were reviewed to classify the mullerian anomaly. Clinical characteristics including cervical canal thickness, intercervical distance and orientation were recorded. Kruskal-Wallis and χ 2 tests were used to test for differences in patient and imaging characteristics across mullerian anomalies. Results There were 64 patients who met inclusion criteria: 32 (50%) septate uterus, 27 (42%) uterus didelphys and 5 (8%) bicornuate uterus. Cervical canal divergence was present in 34% (11/32) with septate uterus, 26% (7/27) with uterus didelphys, and none with bicornuate uterus. Mean intercervical distance was significantly greater ( P Conclusion Septate uterus is as common as uterus didelphys, and considerably more common than bicornuate uterus, in women with a double cervix. Although a widened intercervical distance may support the MRI diagnosis of uterus didelphys, careful evaluation of the uterine fundus is required for correct diagnosis when encountering a double cervix.
Civil society in transition: non-governmental organisations, unions and international development

Non-governmental organizations and development, by David Lewis and Nazneen Kanji, Abingdon and New York, Routledge, 2009, 239 pp., $44.95 (paperback), $144.95 (hardback), ISBN 978-0-415-45430-8 Eur...
Delusions of parasitosis.

Abstract Background Delusions of parasitosis (DP) is a rare psychiatric disorder in which the patient has a firm belief that she or he is infected by parasites. Although it is a psychiatric disorder, these patients often present to an emergency physician because they are convinced that they have a severe skin problem. Treatment Patients with DP often reject psychiatric referral. The diagnosis of DP can usually be made based on history alone. However, it is important that the patient does not have an organic skin disorder and that the delusion is not secondary to another mental or physical illness. The current treatments of choice are the antipsychotic medications risperidone and olanzapine. Conclusions In our experience, patients with DP seen in the emergency department who are suspected of having this condition can be a challenging diagnostic and treatment problem because they usually do not have health insurance. Consequently, we find it difficult to get dermatologic and psychiatric consultation to treat their illness.
Too Close for Comfort? Investigating the Nature and Functioning of Work and Non-work Role Segmentation Preferences

We examine the bi-directional nature of role segmentation preferences—preferences to protect the home domain from work intrusions, and to protect the work domain from home intrusions—and hypothesize that the dimensions independently prompt individuals to manage their boundaries in ways that complement their preferences. In a series of three studies, we investigate whether segmentation preferences vary on two dimensions, how they reflect enactive and proactive boundary management, and their association with domain-specific satisfaction and performance. In Study 1 (field design, n = 314), we confirmed that segmentation preferences comprise two distinct dimensions, and individuals experience fewer intrusions into the domain they desired to protect. In Study 2 (experimental design, n = 1253), we found that participants who prefer to protect their home domain are less inclined to accept jobs in scenarios where their significant other is employed in the same organization, and participants who prefer to protect their work domain are less inclined to initiate a romantic relationship in scenarios that involve a coworker. In Study 3 (field design, n = 65), we found that individuals who prefer to protect their work or home domain report greater satisfaction with the preferred domain, and whereas the preference to protect the work domain is not associated with higher supervisor ratings of job performance, preference to protect the home domain is associated with higher significant-other ratings of non-work performance. Understanding employees’ proclivities to blur boundaries can inform recruitment and selection of employees to anticipate organizational fit, diagnose sources of misfit, structure individualized policies to ameliorate employee strain, and decrease turnover costs. This synthesis provides a unique investigation of segmentation preference dimensions’ differential functioning and reinforces the validity of the role segmentation preferences concept.
Segregation Coefficients of Impurities in Selenium by Zone Refining

The purification of Se by zone refining process was studied. The impurity solute levels along the length of a zone-refined Se sample were measured by spark source mass spectrographic analysis. By comparing the experimental concentration levels with theoretical curves the segregation coefficient, defined as the ratio of equilibrium concentration of a given solute in the solid to that in the liquid, k = x(sub s)/x(sub l) for most of the impurities in Se are found to be close to unity, i.e., between 0.85 and 1.15, with the k value for Si, Zn, Fe, Na and Al greater than 1 and that for S, Cl, Ca, P, As, Mn and Cr less than 1. This implies that a large number of passes is needed for the successful implementation of zone refining in the purification of Se.
Towards an optimal beamforming algorithm for physical layer multicasting

The increasing popularity of applications involving group communications in wireless networks has led to the need for efficient multicasting solutions. The ability of smart antennas to beamform and hence improve the signal quality at the clients has made them especially attractive for multicasting applications. Unfortunately, the problem of multicast beamforming design is a non-convex optimization problem for which only suboptimal solutions has been proposed in the literature. In this work, we uncover a hidden convexity of the problem under certain channel conditions which happens frequently for practical systems with Rayleigh fading channel model. We propose a solution based on this observation which consists of two steps: (1) we solve the dual problem and check for a uniqueness condition; if satisfied, we show that the duality gap is zero and the solution of the primal problem is obtained based on the solution of the dual problem; (2) if the uniqueness condition is not satisfied, we use a gradient descent based approach. Our evaluations reveal that the proposed algorithm significantly improves the multicast performance over state-of-the-art solutions. Simulation results show that in most scenarios of interest the algorithm converges within a required limit in the first step with high probability. We also obtain the performance bounds for the primal problem based on the dual formulation.
A mutation in Sec15l1 causes anemia in hemoglobin deficit ( hbd ) mice

Hemoglobin deficit (hbd) mice carry a spontaneous mutation that impairs erythroid iron assimilation but does not cause other defects. Normal delivery of iron to developing erythroid precursors is highly dependent on the transferrin cycle. Through genetic mapping and complementation experiments, we show that the hbd mutation is an in-frame deletion of a conserved exon of the mouse gene Sec15l1, encoding one of two Sec15 proteins implicated in the mammalian exocyst complex. Sec15l1 is linked to the transferrin cycle through its interaction with Rab11, a GTPase involved in vesicular trafficking. We propose that inactivation of Sec15l1 alters recycling of transferrin cycle endosomes and increases the release of transferrin receptor exocytic vesicles. This in turn decreases erythroid iron uptake. Determining the molecular basis of the hbd phenotype provides new insight into the intricate mechanisms necessary for normal erythroid iron uptake and the function of a mammalian exocyst protein.
Receptor kinases in plant development

Abstract Receptor protein kinases (RPKs) are components of signal transduction pathways that elicit cellular responses to extracellular information. These proteins play an essential role in animal development, but the traditional thinking has been that the cell wall is a barrier to this type of signaling in plants and that most intercellular communication must therefore occur via the plasmodesmata. However, recent evidence indicates that RPKs are also essential for a variety of plant processes, including development. A combination of molecular and genetic analysis has revealed the existence of several plant proteins that possess the characteristics of RPKs, although their function as a receptor has yet to be demonstrated.
Echocardiographic and hemodynamic findings in isolated symptomatic coarctation of the aorta in infancy

Echocardiographic findings and cardiac catheterization data were evaluated in 18 infants less than 1 year old in order to define anatomical or pathophysiological features that were associated with early cardiac decompensation. The infants could be divided into three groups: Group I (10 patients) had left ventricular dilatation and depressed contractility in response to the severe systemic hypertension. Group II (3 patients) had marked myocardial hypertrophy in response to the systemic hypertension. Group III (5 patients) were the youngest patients and had findings of right ventricular volume overload and pulmonary hypertension. This study demonstrates that, in early infancy, the ventricular response to simple coarctation of the aorta is variable in infants in a state of cardiac decompensation. The different echocardiographic and hemodynamic findings may be a consequence of the lesion exerting its influence at various stages of the patients' intrauterine or postnatal life. In most patients, resection of the coarctation results in rapid normalization of the echocardiographic findings.
Automated measurement of age-related changes in the locomotor response to environmental novelty and home-cage activity.

Abstract The likelihood to explore in an open-field environment decreases with age. Older animals tend to be less active and explore less both in novel and home-cage environments. The locomotor performance (fine movements, ambulatory movements, and rearing) of male Fischer 344 (F344) rats that were 6 ( n =6) or 22 ( n =6) months of age was evaluated by continuous automated counting of photobeam interruptions, every 30 min, during 60 consecutive hours, in standard polycarbonate cages. Novel environment performance was determined by photobeam interruption counting during the first hour in the new cage. The remaining 59 h were evaluated as home-cage activity. A significant age-related decrease in ambulatory and fine motor activity was seen during the first hour of testing (novel environment). In addition, aged rats showed a decreased number of ambulatory and fine movements in home-cage activity, predominately during the dark portion of the light cycle and during or around both light-switch periods (05:00 and 17:00). No differences were seen in rearing behavior. These findings provide a more detailed analysis and additional evidence of the activity decreases and rhythmic changes seen in aged F344 rats under uninterrupted testing conditions.
Measurement and analysis of rate data: The rate of reaction of ferric iron with pyrite

Geochemists use several types of experiments to measure the rates of geochemical processes and analyze the results of these experiments by a variety of methods. In order to assess the efficacy of these experiments and methods of analysis, we measured the rate of reaction of ferric iron with pyrite using batch, mixed flow, and plug flow reactors and analyzed the results using differential, integration, and hybrid methods. The reaction of ferric iron with pyrite occurs very far from equilibrium, so there is no significant back reaction; and the rate can be fit to a general differential rate law of the form r = kmn. This study showed that rates derived from ideal mixed flow, batch, and plug flow reactor experiments give comparable rates when the rates were determined from the batch and plug flow reactor data using the initial rate method. When these data were fit to the general rate law, we found the best estimate of k = 3.0 (±2.0) × 10−5 mol m−2 sec−1 and nt = 0.62 (±0.10). Rates calculated from the general rate law using these parameters agree within a factor of two with the results of other studies. Integration and hybrid methods of analysis of these same data failed completely because there is an inhibitor among the products of this reaction. Fits of concentration vs. time data to the integrated rate law gives n, (the reaction order with respect to time), which is as much as five times higher than nc (the reaction order with respect to concentration). Furthermore, the rate constants from these fits range over tens of orders of magnitude from experiment to experiment. Analysis of the data using Wilkinson's method (a hybrid method) gave similar results. Thus, determining rate laws using integration or hybrid methods can be quite treacherous.
Phase discrepancy induced from least squares wavefront reconstruction of wrapped phase measurements with high noise or large localized wavefront gradients

Adaptive optics is used in applications such as laser communication, remote sensing, and laser weapon systems to estimate and correct for atmospheric distortions of propagated light in real-time. Within an adaptive optics system, a reconstruction process interprets the raw wavefront sensor measurements and calculates an estimate for the unwrapped phase function to be sent through a control law and applied to a wavefront correction device. This research is focused on adaptive optics using a self-referencing interferometer wavefront sensor, which directly measures the wrapped wavefront phase. Therefore, its measurements must be reconstructed for use on a continuous facesheet deformable mirror. In testing and evaluating a novel class of branch-point- tolerant wavefront reconstructors based on the post-processing congruence operation technique, an increase in Strehl ratio compared to a traditional least squares reconstructor was noted even in non-scintillated fields. To investigate this further, this paper uses wave-optics simulations to eliminate many of the variables from a hardware adaptive optics system, so as to focus on the reconstruction techniques alone. The simulation results along with a discussion of the physical reasoning for this phenomenon are provided. For any applications using a self-referencing interferometer wavefront sensor with low signal levels or high localized wavefront gradients, understanding this phenomena is critical when applying a traditional least squares wavefront reconstructor.
Human cloning - the science and ethics of nuclear transplantation.

Many believe that the practice of somatic-cell nuclear transfer with the goal of generating an embryonic stem-cell line is justified. Dr. Rudolf Jaenisch discusses the science and ethics of nuclear transplantation.
Effect of metal and substituents on the quasi-line spectra of some metalloporphyrins

Abstract Absorption spectra are reported for a number of metalloporphyrins in n -octane. For ZnP and PdP, sharp quasi-lines with linewidths ≈4 cm −1 are observed at 15 and 35 K, respectively. The narrowest linewidths for PtP are ≈12 cm at 15 K, while NiP and CuP show no quasi-linear structure. In these latter cases, quasi-linewidth is attributed to electronic radiationless decay of the visible excited state. The various vibronic bands within Q (1, 0) are tabulated. The quasi-line structures for several zinc porphyrins at 77 K are also reported. Generally, these are not as sharp as those found in ZnP; in particular, Zn tetraphenyl porphin shows no quasi-linear structure. In these cases, the quasi-line structure is attributed to inhomogeneous broadening.
Adobe Presenter, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Blackboard Vista: tools that work together for creating and presenting online instructional content

Adobe Presenter is a tool that works with Microsoft PowerPoint to create online content presentations and SCORM modules, originally developed for use with Adobe Connect web conferencing software. It allows you to publish a PowerPoint presentation with narration, embedded Flash files, and interactive quiz questions as a Flash movie or as a PDF file that can be viewed with Adobe Reader version 9. At West Virginia University, we have already established Wimba Classroom as our web conference solution but we're always looking for additional ways for faculty members to optimally present recorded lectures for their online courses. Native PowerPoint files with recorded narration can be quite large. Blackboard Vista, our course management system, requires a lot of disk space for its database so we also look for ways to reduce disk space needs for individual courses. By using a tool such as Adobe Presenter, faculty members could alternatively choose to upload the resulting Flash movie or PDF file to their own web space instead of into our course management system. This paper will describe our experiences at West Virginia University as we learn to master a new tool to create online media-rich lectures and interactive SCORM quizzes from PowerPoint presentations and incorporate them into Blackboard Vista course sections.
Liquid film thickness and weak acids in the CO2 pitting of steel

Abstract Flow-loop runs were conducted at 0.3 and 1.0 mm liquid film thickness in acetic acid solutions at different concentration. Maximum pit depth was found to be independent of liquid film thickness. Dilute, 3.5% NaCl solutions of acetic, formic, and chloroacetic acid at different pH values and at the same pH of 2 (adjusted with HCl) were used to study the effect of weak acids on the CO 2 pitting of steel. Pitting was found to decrease with increase in weak acid concentration and to be independent of pH. The results indicate that pitting is less likely when the pH at which the corrosion products start precipitating corresponds to a region of high buffer capacity of the solution adjacent to the metal surface.
Effect of parallel surface cuts on bonding to dentine

Abstract The strength of adhesive joints has been found to result from combinations of micromechanical, chemical and diffusion components depending on the system1. The development of adhesives that bond dental restorative materials to human dentine has been a major advance in the science of dental materials. The purpose of this investigation was to study the contribution of parallel surface cuts on the joint strength of dentine adhesives. Half of the specimens were finished with 60 grit SiC paper as a control. The other half were polished with 600 grit SiC paper and then finished with an instrument that produced a series of parallel surface cuts. A two-way analysis of variance showed that both the surface preparation and the adhesive system had a significant effect on shear bond strength (p . In general, the samples finished with parallel surface cuts gave shear bond strength values about double those finished with silicon carbide alone. For those control samples prepared with a 60 grit surface, the predominant type of failure was at the tooth/adhesive interface. The majority of samples with parallel surface cuts failed cohesively within the adhesive system. The experimental instrument is designed to produce retentive grooves or undercuts in the dentine surface which enhance micromechanical adhesion.
Spectroscopic study of the light-harvesting protein C-phycocyanin associated with colorless linker peptides

The phycobilisome (PBS) light-harvesting antenna is composed of chromophore-containing biliproteins and 'colorless' linker peptides and is structurally designed to support unidirectional transfer of excitation energy from the periphery of the PBS to its core. The linker peptides have a unique role in this transfer process by modulating the spectral properties of the associated biliprotein. There is only one three-dimensional structure of a biliprotein/linker complex available to date (APC/LC7.8) and the mechanism of interaction between these two proteins remains unknown. This study brings together a detailed spectroscopic characterization of C-Phycocyanin (PC)-linker complexes (isolated from Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002) with proteomic analysis of the linker amino acid sequences to produce a model for biliprotein/linker interaction. The amino acid sequences of the rod linkers [LR8.9, LR32.3 and LRC28.5] were examined to identify evolutionarily conserved regions important to either the structure or function of this protein family. Although there is not one common homologous site among all the linkers, there are strong trends across each separate subset (LC, LR and LRC) and the N-terminal segments of both LR32.3 and LRC28.5 display multiple regions of similarity with other linkers. Predictions of the secondary structure of LR32.3 and LRC28.5, and comparison to the crystal structure of LC7.8, further narrowed the candidates for interaction sites with the PC chromophores. Measurements of the absorption, fluorescence, CD and excitation anisotropy of PC trimer, PC/LR32.3, and PC/LRC28.5, document the spectroscopic effect of each linker peptide on the PC chromophores at a series of temperatures (298 to 77 K). Because LR32.3 and LRC28.5 modulate the PC trimer spectral properties in distinct manners, it suggests different chromophore-interaction mechanisms for each linker. The low temperature absorbance spectrum of the PC trimer is consistent with an excitonic coupling interaction between neighboring a84 and b84 chromophores. Association with LR32.3 does not greatly alter this band shape but the absorbance of the PC/LRC28.5 complex is dramatically different. This indicates that LRC28.5 is disrupting the a84 - b84 relation established in the PC trimer. From these, and other polarized spectroscopy measurements, we conclude that both LR32.3 and LRC28.5 affect the spectral properties of the terminally emitting PC trimer chromophore (b84), and that LRC28.5 is additionally perturbing the relationship between the a84 and b84 chromophores to either disrupt or enhance their coupling interaction. The linker can perturb the PC chromophores through either specific aromatic residues or a concentration of electrostatically charged residues. Structurally, the linker disrupts the C3 symmetry of the associated biliprotein and this asymmetric interaction can serve to guide the transfer of excitation energy in one direction.
The Mathematics of 'Amerind'

SUMMARYAfter discussion of several methodological issues, a simpfe method for evaluating nonbinary wordlist comparisons probabilistically is introduced, and the data of Joseph H. Greenberg's "Amerind Etymological Dictionary" (1987: 181-270) are evaluated by that method. It is found that the similarities Green-berg has adduced as evidence for the genetic unity of 'Amerind' fall within the range to be expected by chance alone, and concluded that Greenberg's method of 'multilateral comparison' is utterly unreliable, as well-informed specialists have long claimed.RESUMESuivant une discussion de plusieurs questions methodologiques, l'auteur introduit une methode simple pour 1'evaluation probabilistique des listes de mots non binaires de comparaison. Ensuite les donnees tirees du 'dictionnaire etymologique amerindien' de Joseph H. Greenberg (1987:181-270) sont eva-luees a la base de cette methode. Le resultat des calculs demontre que les simi-larites apportees par Greenberg comme preuve pour l'unite genetique de 1''Amerind' tombe a l'interieur de la gamme a laquelle on pourrait s'attendre a la base du hasard seulement. La conclusion de l'auteur est que la methode de 'comparaison multilaterale' de Greenberg n'est absolument pas fiable, comme les specialistes bien-informes des langues amerindiennes I'avaient deja note.ZUSAMMENFASSUNGIm Anschlus an eine Diskussion verschiedener methodologischer Fragen stellt der Autor eine einfache Methode zur probabilistischen Bewertung nicht-binarer komparatistischer Wortlisten vor. Danach werden Daten bewertet, die Joseph H. Greenbergs "Amerind Etymological Dictionary" (1987:181-270) entnommen sind. Das Ergebnis ist, das die Ahnlichkeiten, die Greenberg als Nachweis fur die genetische Einheit einer 'Amerind'-Grundsprache heran-gefuhrt hat, sich durchaus innerhalb der Breite dessen befinden, was man aus blosem Zufall erwarten kann. Der Autor kommt zum SchluB, daB Greenbergs Methode eines 'multilateralen Vergleichs' vollkommen unzuverlassig ist, wie wohlinformierte Spezialisten von Indianersprachen schon seit langem behaup-tet haben.
Herpes-like Epstein-Barr Virus in Leprosy

THE herpes-like virus (HLV), first detected1 in lymphoid cell cultures derived from Burkitt's lymphoma tissue, has been suggested as the causative agent of diseases such as Burkitt's lymphoma itself2, infectious mononucleosis3,4, carcinoma of the posterior nasal space5 and sarcoidosis6. It appears that between 70% and 85% of normal adults have antibodies against HLV7,8 suggesting that the agent is widespread, but it is also clear that the pathogenic nature of the virus is uncertain9.
Hospital-acquired pneumonia: overview of the current state of the art for prevention and control.

Hospital-acquired pneumonia affects at least 250,000 patients in U.S. acute care institutions each year and is associated with a crude mortality of approximately 30 %. Cases occur at a rate of 0.5–1 per 100 admissions, constituting 10–15 % of all nosocomial infections and directly accounting for approximately one-third (10 %) of the total mortality. It is likely, therefore, that nosocomial pneumonia represents an important cause of death. No recent large-scale study has systematically examined the true bacterial etiology of hospital-acquired pneumonia utilizing reliable techniques that bypass the oral flora. In the absence of such data, the current approach to therapy based on the examination of sputum is not optimal. Studies that focus on pathogenesis point to the stomach as an important reservoir of infecting organisms. Recent studies suggest that rates of pneumonia can be reduced either by selective decontamination of the digestive tract with antibiotic prophylaxis or by utilizing stress ulcer prophylaxis, which maintains normally low gastric pH. It seems that the time is propitious to examine prehospital determinants of nosocomial infection, with the goal of further preventing these life-threatening events in the hospital.
Pressureless Sintering of SiC‐Whisker‐Reinforced Al2O3 Composites: I, Effect of Matrix Powder Surface Area

Pressureless sintering of SiC-whisker-reinforced Al2O3 composites was investigated. In Part I of the study, the effect of the matrix (Al2O3) powder surface area on densification behavior and microstructure development is reported. Compacts prepared with higher surface area Al2O3 powder showed enhanced densification at lower whisker concentrations (5 and 15 vol%). Samples with 15 vol% whiskers could be pressureless sintered to ∼97% relative density with zero open porosity and ∼1.6-μm matrix average grain intercept size.
Optical adhesives based on blends of methylmethacrylate‐co‐glycidylmethacrylate copolymer and bisphenol‐A diglycidyl ether

In pursuit of nonbirefringent optical adhesives, various copolymers of methylmethacrylate and glycidylmethacrylate (MMA-co-GMA) were synthesized and subsequently blended with bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether (EPON-828) epoxy prepolymer using acetone as a common solvent. Miscibility and optical properties of these adhesive blends were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dielectric thermal analysis (DETA), and refractive index measurements. The increasing trend of the single glass transition temperatures of the copolymers as well as of their refractive indices with increasing MMA content suggests that these copolymers are probably of a random type. The adhesive blends, after curing with trimellitic anhydride (TMA), remained transparent, suggestive of a single-phase character. The complete miscibility of the adhesive blends made the refractive indices to be adjustable by simply varying the ratio of MMA-co-GMA copolymer in the blends. In addition, the positive and negative dielectric anisotropies (intrinsic birefringence) of the constituent molecules can be compensated fully in their cured states, thereby yielding significant reduction in the net birefringence in the blends of 50-80 wt % copolymer and a zero-birefringent optical adhesive at 60 wt %.
Luminosity monitoring and measurement at CDF

Abstract Using two telescopes of beam–beam counters, CDF (Collider Detector at Fermilab) has measured the luminosity to an accuracy of 4.1% (3.6%) in run Ib (Ia). For run Ib (Ia) the average luminosity was 9.1(3.3)×10 30 cm −2 s −1 . For a typical data set the integrated luminosity was 86.47 (19.65) pb −1 in run Ib (Ia) resulting in a total integrated luminosity of 106.1±4.1 pb −1 . This paper shows how we have determined the accuracy of our results.
Surface diffusion of hydrogen on Si(111)7×7

The diffusion of atomic hydrogen on the Si(111)7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}7 surface has been investigated experimentally by means of optical second-harmonic diffraction from a submonolayer grating of adsorbed hydrogen. With submicron grating periods, we are able to measure surface diffusivities D${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}14}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ ${\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$. We find a thermally activated diffusion process with a barrier of ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{a}}$=1.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2 eV and a preexponential factor ${\mathit{D}}_{0}$ of ${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ ${\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$.
Optimal boundary impedance for the minimization of reflection: (I) Asymptotic solutions by the geometrical optics method

In the design of surfaces which absorb waves, the impedance boundary condition is used as an effective means of diminishing the reflection. In this paper, we use the geometrical optics method to approximate the optimal impedance value which minimizes the reflected field for the scalar wave equation with a monochromatic source. Our treatment yields good results for optimal impedance in the asymptoticity region of the geometrical optics solution.
Influence of histological features and treatment on the prognosis of patients with cervical cancer metastatic to pelvic lymph nodes.

Abstract Ninety-seven patients with stage IB through IIB cervical cancer metastatic to pelvic lymph nodes treated at Magee-Womens Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, between 1955 and 1979 were analyzed retrospectively to determine histological factors which might predict treatment failure. All patients were treated by radical hysterectomy with a pelvic lymphadenectomy (S) or in combination with radiation therapy (S + RT) (27 and 73%, respectively) and were followed for a minimum of 5 years or until death. There were no significant differences between the two treatment groups when compared for patient age at diagnosis, distribution of disease stages, cell type, and tumor differentiation. The groups were dissimilar only with respect to the number of lymph nodes found to contain metastatic carcinoma. Significantly more patients treated by S + RT than by S alone were found to have metastasis to more than one node. Of patients treated with S alone, 65% recurred within 5 years compared with 51% with the addition of RT ( P P
Mixed teratoma and meningioma in the temporoparietal region

A case of a teratoma mixed with meningioma in the left temporoparietal region in a patient with progressive memory impairment, bradyphasia, loss of visual acuity of the left eye, and left leg weakness is presented. Histological findings showed fibroadipose tissue containing gland-like structures and lymphocytoid cells alongside a meningothelial meningioma. It is unusual for a teratoma to occur in the temporoparietal region; even more unusual is its proximity to an unrelated tumor in the same location.
Distribution and mode of occurrence of selenium in US coals

Selenium excess and deficiency have been established as the cause of various health problems in man and animals. Combustion of fossil fuels, especially coal, may be a major source of the anthropogenic introduction of selenium in the environment. Coal is enriched in selenium relative to selenium's concentration in most other rocks and relative to selenium in the Earth's crust. Data from almost 9,000 coal samples have been used to determine the concentration and distribution of selenium in US coals. The geometric mean concentration of selenium in US coal is 1.7 ppm. The highest mean selenium value (geometric mean 4.7 ppm) is in the Texas Region. Atlantic Coast (Virginia and North Carolina) and Alaska coals have the lowest geometric means (0.2 and 0.42 ppm, respectively). All western coal regions have mean selenium concentrations of less than 2.0 ppm. In contrast, all coal basins east of the Rocky Mountains (except for several small basins in Rhode Island, Virginia, and North Carolina) have mean selenium values of 1.9 or greater. Generally, variations in selenium concentration do not correlate with variations in ash yield, pyritic sulphur, or organic sulphur concentrations. This may be the result of multiple sources of selenium; however, in some non-marine basins with restricted sources of selenium, selenium has positive correlations with other coal quality parameters. Selenium occurs in several forms in coal but appears to be chiefly associated with the organic fraction, probably substituting for organic sulphur. Other important forms of selenium in coal are selenium-bearing pyrite, selenium-bearing galena, and lead selenide (clausthalite). Water-soluble and ion-exchangeable selenium also have been reported.
Living Donor Kidney Transplants: The Difficult Decisions

At our center, candidates for kidney transplantation are usually encouraged to undergo living donor transplantation. The evaluation of both prospective donors and recipients has been standardized. Yet, even after full medical evaluation, the decision to proceed with living donation is often difficult. We herein discuss some of these difficult decisions and our approach to them.
Comparison of carboxylated and maleated polypropylene as reactive compatibilizers in polypropylene/polyamide‐6,6 blends

Using reactive extrusion, polypropylene is functionalized with maleic anhydride and compared on an equimolar basis to polypropylene that is functionalized with an asymmetric, carboxylic acid containing peroxide. The grafting efficiency for the asymmetric peroxide is double that obtained for the maleic anhydride system. Moreover, the asymmetric peroxide yields a functionalized material with minimal molecular weight degradation and desirable mechanical properties, relative to maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene. In compatibilized blends of polypropylene and nylon 6,6, the polypropylene that was functionalized with the asymmetric peroxide is found to be an improved compatibilizer compared to that of maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene. The differences in mechanical properties of the two different functionalized polypropylene materials and their respective blends are rationalized on the basis of the grafting efficiency, molecular weight degradation during reactive extrusion, and effect of free functional species on the ability to form graft copolymers in compatibilized blends. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 2398–2407, 2001
Health related response to natural disasters: The case of the Bangladesh cyclone of 1991

This paper evaluates the health related response to large natural disasters using the example of the recent Bangladesh cyclone of 1991. After providing a description of the extent of the health response, it focuses on three major issues: (i) assessment of needs (ii) coordination of major groups involved in health relief and rehabilitation efforts and (iii) appropriateness and effectiveness of the health response in terms of definable outcome criteria. The conclusions are that in the case of the Bangladesh cyclone: (a) the assessment of needs was more reactive rather than anticipatory and was not based on any systematic data gathering from the field; (b) in contrast to previous disaster situations there was excellent coordination of the major groups involved in the aid process (the government, the armed forces and non-governmental organizations) and (c) given the caveat of inadequate baseline information, it appears that the health response was prompt and effective in preventing any increase in mortality from diarrheal diseases and measles. The reasons for the deficiencies and successes of the health response are analysed and finally a list of detailed recommendations to facilitate future disaster/cyclone management and response is provided.
The Year in Heart Failure

In this landmark year for the U.S. healthcare system, during which the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, there have been many notable advances in the area of heart failure (HF) and heart transplantation. In addition to scientific discoveries reviewed here and the publication of important
The Effect of Discrete Pilot Hydrogen Dopant Injection on the Lean Blowout Performance of a Model Gas Turbine Combustor

In view of increasingly stringent NOx emissions regulations on stationary gas turbines, lean combustion offers an attractive option to reduce reaction temperatures and thereby decrease NOx production. Under lean operation, however, the reaction is vulnerable to blowout. It is herein postulated that pilot hydrogen dopant injection, discretely located, can enhance the lean blowout performance without sacrificing overall performance. The present study addresses this hypothesis in a research combustor assembly, operated at atmospheric pressure, and fired on natural gas using rapid mixing injection, typical of commercial units. Five hydrogen injector scenarios are investigated. The results show that (1) pilot hydrogen dopant injection, discretely located, leads to improved lean blowout performance and (2) the location of discrete injection has a significant impact on the effectiveness of the doping strategy.Copyright © 1999 by ASME
Guidelines for buccal smear collection in breast-fed infants

Buccal smear analysis is a noninvasive, fast, and relatively inexpensive diagnostic method. It is used commonly where rapid gender identification is necessary or, more recently, for detection of aneusomy, microdeletion syndromes, and a variety of polymerase chain reaction–based molecular genetic tests. Previously we have shown that maternal cells can contaminate buccal smears taken from breast-fed infants, resulting in difficulty with test interpretation. The aim of this study was to determine optimal timing and technique for buccal smear collection in breast-fed infants in order to avoid diagnostic errors. We analyzed prospectively 50 breast-fed male infants for presence of cells with XX signal pattern from buccal mucosa scrapings at different times after breast feeding. The efficiency of mucosal cleaning on elimination of maternal cells was evaluated by comparing the proportion of XX cells before and after wiping of buccal mucosa with a cotton swab. Maternal cells were present in 23 of 48 (47.9%) samples collected within 5 min of feeding. The proportion of XX signal pattern was significantly (P = 0.001) reduced in samples collected at 30 min (8/48, P = 0.001) and ≥60 min (2/29, P = 0.0002) after feeding. Mucosal cleaning prior to smear collection significantly decreased the number of XX positive samples from 23 of 48 to 10 of 48 (P = 0.002). Buccal smears should not be obtained in nursing neonates until at least 60 min after breast feeding. In addition, prior to sample collection, buccal mucosa should be cleaned thoroughly with a cotton swab applicator. The same guidelines are applicable to older nursing infants. Am. J. Med. Genet. 84:357–360, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Studies on mixed infections. I. Brucellosis and Q fever.

SummaryGuinea pigs exposed simultaneously to B. suis and sublethal doses of C. burnetii developed both brucellosis and Q fever although animals thus infected showed less severe illness than animals infected with B. suis alone. Guinea pigs infected 11 or more days previously with B. suis showed a significant resistance to lethal doses of C. burnetii. This “interference” cannot be explained on the basis of demonstrable immunological factors.
Age-Related Differences in Multiple Measures of White Matter Integrity: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study of Healthy Aging

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures diffusion of molecular water, which can be used to calculate indices of white matter integrity. Early DTI studies of aging primarily focused on two global measures of integrity; the average rate (mean diffusivity, MD) and orientation coherence (fractional anisotropy, FA) of diffusion. More recent studies have added measures of water movement parallel (axial diffusivity, AD) and perpendicular (radial diffusivity, RD) to the primary diffusion direction, which are thought to reflect the neural bases of age differences in diffusion (i.e., axonal shrinkage and demyelination, respectively). In the present study, patterns of age differences in white matter integrity were assessed by comparing younger and healthy older adults on multiple measures of integrity (FA, AD, RD). Results revealed two commonly reported patterns (Radial Increase Only and Radial/Axial Increase), and one relatively novel pattern (Radial Increase/Axial Decrease) that varied by brain region and may reflect differential aging of microstructural (e.g., degree of myelination) and macrostructural (e.g., coherence of fiber orientation) properties of white matter. In addition, larger age differences in FA in frontal white matter were consistent with the anterior-posterior gradient of age differences in white matter integrity. Together, these findings complement other recent studies in providing information about patterns of diffusivity that are characteristic of healthy aging.
Physiological basis for human autonomic rhythms

Oscillations of arterial pressures, heart periods, and muscle sympathetic nerve activity have been studied intensively in recent years to explore otherwise obscure human neurophysiological mechanisms. The best-studied rhythms are those occurring at breathing frequencies. Published evidence indicates that respiratory fluctuations of muscle sympathetic nerve activity and electrocardiographic R-R intervals result primarily from the action of a central 'gate' that opens during expiration and closes during inspiration. Parallel respiratory fluctuations of arterial pressures and R-R intervals are thought to be secondary to arterial baroreflex physiology: changes in systolic pressure provoke changes in the R-R interval. However, growing evidence suggests that these parallel oscillations result from the influence of respiration on sympathetic and vagal-cardiac motoneurones rather than from baroreflex physiology. There is a rapidly growing literature on the use of mathematical models of low- and high-frequency (respiratory) R-R interval fluctuations in characterizing instantaneous 'sympathovagal balance'. The case for this approach is based primarily on measurements made with patients in upright tilt. However, the strong linear relation between such measures as the ratio of low- to high-frequency R-R interval oscillations and the angle of the tilt reflects exclusively the reductions of the vagal (high-frequency) component. As the sympathetic component does not change in tilt, the low- to high-frequency R-R interval ratio provides no proof that sympathetic activity increases. Moreover, the validity of extrapolating from measurements performed during upright tilt to measurements during supine rest has not been established. Nonetheless, it is clear that measures of heart rate variability provide important prognostic information in patients with cardiovascular diseases. It is not known whether reduced heart rate variability is merely a marker for the severity of disease or a measurement that identifies functional reflex abnormalities contributing to terminal dysrhythmias.
Income Distribution, Communities, and the Quality of Public Education

This paper develops a multicommunity model and analyzes policies that affect spending on public education and its distribution across communities. We find that policies that on net increase the fraction of the (relatively) wealthiest residents in the poorest community are welfare enhancing; policies that decrease this fraction can make all worse off. Appropriately financed policies to (i) redistribute income toward the poorest, (ii) increase spending on education in the poorest community, and (iii) make the poorest community more attractive to relatively wealthier individuals, produce chain reactions in which the quality of education increases and tax rates fall in all communities.
A practical approach for determining burst error distributions for convolutional codes

In evaluating the performance of concatenated error-correction codes, it is useful to know the error statistics at the inner code output. A common inner code is a convolutional code. Methods for characterizing the output error statistics for convolutional codes do exist, but the computational effort required grows exponentially with the constraint length. This paper presents a computationally feasible method for characterizing error statistics output from any convolutional code. Specifically, a technique for determining the error statistics for a k=3, rate /sup 1spl solsub 3/ and a k=7, rate /spl frac12/ convolutional encoder is discussed. An error state diagram is utilized to derive discrete state equations necessary to solve for the transfer function in terms of trellis transition probabilities. Work presented by Best can be manipulated to yield theoretical transition probabilities, but doing so is not computationally practical. Results presented in this paper are based on using empirical trellis transition probabilities in the transfer function. >
Temporal trajectories of phosphorus and pedo-patterns mapped in Water Conservation Area 2, Everglades, Florida, USA

Abstract Documenting local change of soil properties over longer periods of time is critical to assess trends along trajectories. We present two types of temporal trajectories that document change in soil phosphorus (P) and pedo-patterns in Water Conservation Area 2, a subtropical wetland in the Everglades, Florida. Our specific objectives were to (i) quantify the spatial distribution of total P (TP) in floc and topsoil at two time periods (1998 and 2003), (ii) create TP change maps using a crisp, geospatial mapping approach, (iii) analyze relationships between floc/soil TP temporal trajectories and vegetation, and (iv) describe change in pedo-patterns using fuzzy sets to account for the uncertainty inherent in crisp soil property mapping. The median TP in floc was 730 mg kg − 1 in 1998 and increased to a median of 751 mg kg − 1 in 2003; whereas the median in soil was 485 mg kg − 1 in 1998 that decreased to 433 mg kg − 1 in 2003. Floc TP change trajectories varied between 0–990 mg kg − 1 (increase) and 0–2900 mg kg − 1 (decrease); and soil TP change trajectories varied between 0–370 mg kg − 1 (increase) and 0–1439 mg kg − 1 (decrease). Phosphorus-enriched sites were associated with nutrient influx via surface waters and showed linkages to expanding Typha domengensis vegetation. The temporal trajectories of pedo-patterns provided pixel-specific signatures of ecosystem processes such as P enrichment, organic matter turnover, hydrologic shifts, and fire in form of fuzzy membership values. The fuzzy set-based temporal trajectory maps provided a holistic approach documenting shifts in this ecosystem due to external environmental drivers and biogeochemical processes within a 5-year period.