cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE FINITE LENGTH MODULES FOR THIN -GRADED RINGS

A -graded ring R = is called thin, provided R 0 = K is a skew field and each K–K-bimodule Ri has left and right dimension at most 1. Such rings occur, for example, as fiber products of skew polynomial rings, as numerical skew monoid rings or as factor rings or localizations of generalized Weyl algebras. We show that in case R is (graded) affine with no homogeneous units in nonzero degree, the representation type (finite, “twisted tame infinite,” “twisted wild”) can be read off from the combinatorial structure, that is, from the vanishing of products of homogeneous elements of certain degrees. Those rings R which are of twisted wild representation type admit by our definition a representation embedding from the category of finite dimensional modules over some twisted wild algebra T(K, σ K ⊕τ K) into the category mod R of finite length R-modules. The rings which we call here “twisted tame” come close to twisted versions of string algebras, for which we obtain the classification of the indecomposable finite ...
Predictors of self-sufficiency for the mentally ill in long-term care.

A growing interest of mental health professionals is the community adjustment of former mental hospital patients. Recognition of the influence of environmental factors on adjustment has led to attempts to determine the specific environmental factors that are influential. The present study of 87 former mental hospital patients in long-term care indicates that the type of management practices used, together with the facility director's attitudes toward social services are major predictors of clients celf-sufficiency. Implications for administrators, staff and consultants to long-term care facilities are noted.
Early Outcomes of Pulmonary Valve Replacement With the Mitroflow Bovine Pericardial Bioprosthesis

Background Bovine pericardial valves are often used for pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) in patients with previously repaired congenital heart disease. Attention has recently focused on the safety of the Mitroflow (Sorin Group USA, Arvada, CO) bovine pericardial valve after a national alert describing several cases of sudden valve failure in young patients. In response, we reviewed our experience using the Mitroflow bioprosthesis for PVR. Methods Medical records were reviewed for all patients who underwent PVR using a Mitroflow valve at our center (2008–2013). Results The cohort included 84 patients with a median age of 18.3 years (range, 0.8–62.1 years) and weight of 48.4 kg (range, 5.7–167.8 kg). Indications for surgical intervention included native outflow tract insufficiency (59 patients), valved conduit failure (20 patients), and isolated prosthetic valve failure (5 patients). Median length of stay was 3 days (range, 2–13 days). There were no hospital deaths. Median follow-up was 2.4 years (range, 0.2–5.6 years). Pulmonary valve insufficiency and peak gradient increased with time. At latest follow-up, freedom from insufficiency greater than or equal to a moderate degree was 83%, and freedom from a peak gradient greater than or equal to 50 mm Hg was 92%. Reintervention was required in 4 patients. One patient experienced endocarditis and underwent surgical PVR (0.6 years after initial intervention). Three patients underwent transcatheter treatment for valve stenosis including PVR (at 4.2 and 4.4 years in 2 patients) and balloon valvuloplasty (at 5.2 years in the third patient). Kaplan-Meier freedom from reintervention at 5 years was 81%. Conclusions Early outcomes using the Mitroflow bovine pericardial valve for PVR in children and adults with repaired congenital heart disease appear acceptable and similar to reported outcomes for other tissue valve options. Valve failure from premature structural deterioration was not observed.
A cancellation experiment in a forced turbulent shear layer

Results are presented which demonstrate that it is possible to cancel, using feedback control techniques, the effects of an externally generated disturbance in a fully-developed turbulent two-dimensional shear layer.
Factors Determining In-Hospital or Late Survival after Aortic Valve Replacement

To ascertain incremental risk factors for in-hospital and late mortality of patients undergoing AVR with the bovine pericardial valve, multiple variables were analyzed in a group of 240 patients undergoing AVR between 1977 and 1983. Follow-up totaled 12,023 patient-months (mean, 52.7 ± 1.7 patient-months) and was 100 percent complete. Univariate analysis of incremental risk factors for in-hospital mortality identified the following: age over 60 years (p = 0.015); and advanced preoperative NYHA class (p = 0.003). Multivariate analysis of risk factors for in-hospital mortality identified the following: age (p = 0.038); NYHA class (p = 0.018); and year of operation (p = 0.049). Incremental risk factors for late mortality were identified as age (p = 0.003), year of operation (p = 0.003), concomitant procedure (p = 0.047), and valvular lesion (regurgitation) (p = 0.053). Actuarial survival of patients (±SE) was 87 ± 2 percent, 75 ± 3 percent, and 61 ± 5 percent at 2, 5, and 8.7 years, respectively. The actuarial survival of patients experiencing valve-related events was 62.6 ± 10.1 percent at 8.7 years, compared to 55.4 ± 7 percent for those who did not (p = 0.38). (Chest 1989; 95:38-42)
Improved upper bounds on the expected error in constant step-size Q-learning

We consider fixed step-size Q-learning algorithms applied to finite state and action space, discounted reward Markov decision problems (MDPs). In previous work we derived a bound on the first moment of the Q-value estimation error, specifically on the expected steady-state value of the infinity norm of the error. The goal in both this paper, and the previous, is to maximize a discounted sum of rewards over an infinite time horizon. However, in our previous work, the bound we derived holds only when the step-size is sufficiently, and sometimes impractically, small. In this paper, we present a new error bound that, as before, goes to zero as the step-size goes to zero, but is also valid for all values of the step-size. To obtain the new bound, we divide time into frames such that the probability that there is some state that is not visited within the frame is strictly less than 1: Our error bound is then found by sampling the system one time in every frame.
Synthesis of esters of tetradecanoic acid deuterated at the penultimate carbon: Some general procedures for the synthesis of selectively deuterated fatty acids

Abstract Methyl tetradecanoate, deuterated in the penultimate position has been prepared by three synthetic routes. One method in which an oxoester is an intermediate, utilizes the selective reducing properties of sodium borodeuteride and sodium cyanoborodeuteride towards oxo, tosyloxy and ester groups to introduce the deuterium label at only the oxo carbon of the oxoester. The second procedure, introduces a single deuteriumat at the oxo carbon of an oxoester, in a selective deoxygenation step which reduces an intermediate tosylhydrazone with sodium cyanoborodeuteride in acidic dimethylformamide-sulfolane. The third pathway, couples lithium dimethylcuprate (I) to the tosylate derivative of a ω-deuterio-ω-hydroxy methylester, prepared from the half-ester of a dicarboxylic acid. Utilizing suitable modifications, these three methods should be generally applicable in the synthesis of any saturated straight-chain alkanoate, selectively deuterated in the penultimate ( ω − 1) carbon, or at any other carbon in the hydrocarbon chain.
SiC avalanche photodiode array with microlenses

A simple technique to incorporate microlenes with small photodiode arrays is demonstrated and analyzed. Using this method, the fill factor was increased from 2.6% to 22.4% for a two by two array. Simulation results are also shown. The photocurrent with microlens was approximately 8.6 times larger than without the microlens, which is consistent with simulation results.
Effects of nitrogen ion implantation on tribological properties of metallic surfaces

Abstract The subject of the present work is the effects of nitrogen ion implantation on mechanical properties of metallic surfaces commonly encountered in machine building, such as electroplated hard chromium, sacrificial phosphate coating on cast iron, and plasmaface-coated hard molybdenum. A unique aspect of the work is that standard production samples, with no special surface preparation prior to the treatment, were investigated. This makes the present results immediately relevant in a production environment. In the parameter range explored, the treatment resulted in up to 31% wear reduction and 7% friction coefficient reduction for the chromium surface, up to 24% wear reduction and 13% friction coefficient reduction for the phosphate coating, and up to 90% wear reduction (to a tenth of the original value) and 84% surface hardness increase for the molybdenum deposit. The mechanisms responsible for the observed effects are discussed in detail. Trends in dependences on ion dose and energy permit extrapolation of the obtained data. These results demonstrate the applicability of ion implantation to unprepared metallic surfaces, and its readiness for immediate practical use.
Modeling the traffic-safety system

A MODEL IS NEEDED THAT CAN INTERRELATE THE FULL RANGE OF RELEVANT TRAFFIC-SAFETY ACTIVITIES AND PREDICT THEIR CONSEQUENCES IN TERMS OF COLLISIONS, DEATHS, INJURIES, AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. THIS PAPER DEVELOPS A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR A TRAFFIC-SAFETY MODEL AND IDENTIFIES RESEARCH NEEDED TO MAKE THIS FRAMEWORK INTO AN OPERATIONAL MODEL. A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT MAY USEFULLY BE CONCEPTUALIZED AS PROGRESSING THROUGH A SERIES OF PHASES, EACH A PROCESS OF INTERACTION AMONG MANY FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DRIVER, THE VEHICLE, THE ENVIRONMENT IN AND OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE, AND CHANCE. ACCORDINGLY, THE MODEL IS FORMULATED AS A CHAIN OF PHASES, WHERE EACH PHASE HAS ALTERNATIVE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES - CALLED SITUATIONS - WHICH ARE PHYSICALLY OBSERVABLE AND OPERATIONALLY MEANINGFUL. THESE SITUATIONS HAVE CLEAR AND APPARENT RELATIONS TO ACCIDENT LIKELIHOOD OR SEVERITY; REVEAL AT WHAT POINTS AND IN WHAT WAYS THE ACCIDENT CHAIN MAY BE FRUSTRATED; AND CAN BE MEASURED AND EXPRESSED AS INDICES OF PERFORMANCE. /AUTHOR/
Carbon-to-carbon identity proton transfers from propyne, acetimide, thioacetaldehyde, and nitrosomethane to their respective conjugate anions in the gas phase. An ab initio study.

Gas-phase acidities of CH3Y (Y: NO, C⋮CH, CHNH, and CHS), barriers to the identity proton-transfer CH3Y + CH2Y- ⇄ CH2Y- + CH3Y, as well as geometries and charge distributions of CH3Y, CH2Y- and the transition states of the proton transfers were determined by ab initio methods at the MP2/6-311+G(d,p)//MP2/6-311+G(d,p), B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p), and BPW-91/6-311+G(d,p) levels of theory. The acidities were also calculated at the CCSD(T)/6-311+G(2df,2p) level. To make more meaningful comparisons, the same quantities for previously studied systems (Y: H, CHCH2, CHO, CN, NO2) were recalculated at the levels used in the present work. The geometric parameters as well as the group charges indicate that the transition states for all the reactions are imbalanced, although there is no correlation between the degree of imbalance and the π-acceptor strength of the Y group. Based on multi-parameter correlations with the field (σF), resonance (σR), and polarizability effect (σα) substituent constants, the contributions of ea...
Malignancy arising in extragonadal endometriosis. A case report and summary of the world literature

A case of clear cell carcinoma arising in endometriosis of the retroperitoneum is presented. It occurred 5 years after supracervical hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and following 4 years of estrogen therapy. The literature concerning malignancy developing in extragonadal endometriosis has been reviewed and is summarized as follows: 1) 45 cases have been compiled, of which 32 were carcinomas and 13 sarcomas; 2) adenocarcinoma was the most common histologic type, although virtually every tumor of mullerian derivation has been described; 3) the typical patient was nulliparous and perimenopausal; 4) the rectovaginal septum was the most common site, and in general the frequency of malignancy in a given site parallels the frequency of endometriosis in that location; 5) simultaneous tumors of the uterus or ovary were present in seven cases (15%); 6) prognosis appeared affected by site and histologic type; 7) a history of prior pelvic irradiation to effect castration was present in three (9%) of the patients with adenocarcinoma; and 8) four (12%) of the patients with adenocarcinoma were subjected to exogenous estrogens or estrogen-secreting ovarian tumors. Cancer 40:3065-3073, 1977.
On the decay of solutions of the generalized Benjamin-Bona-Mahony equation

On etudie le comportement des solutions du probleme aux valeurs initiales: u t +u x +u p u x −u xxt =0 (x∈R,t>o),u(x,0)=φ(x)(x∈R) p>0 entier. On suppose p>4. Alors il existe δ>0 tel que si |φ| 1 +|φ|'| 1 +∥φ∥ 5 0 et x∈R, ou A ne depend pas de x ou t
Site-directed Mutagenesis of Diphosphoinositol Polyphosphate Phosphohydrolase, a Dual Specificity NUDT Enzyme That Attacks Diadenosine Polyphosphates and Diphosphoinositol Polyphosphates

Abstract Diphosphoinositol polyphosphate phosphohydrolase (DIPP) hydrolyzes diadenosine 5′,5‴-P1,P6-hexaphosphate (Ap6A), a Nudix (nucleosidediphosphate attached-moiety “x”) substrate, and two non-Nudix compounds: diphosphoinositol pentakisphosphate (PP-InsP5) and bis-diphosphoinositol tetrakisphosphate ((PP)2-InsP4). Guided by multiple sequence alignments, we used site-directed mutagenesis to obtain new information concerning catalytically essential amino acid residues in DIPP. Mutagenesis of either of two conserved glutamate residues (Glu66 and Glu70) within the Nudt (Nudix-type) catalytic motif impaired hydrolysis of Ap6A, PP-InsP5, and (PP)2-InsP4 >95%; thus, all three substrates are hydrolyzed at the same active site. Two Gly-rich domains (glycine-rich regions 1 and 2 (GR1 and GR2)) flank the Nudt motif with potential sites for cation coordination and substrate binding. GR1 comprises a GGG tripeptide, while GR2 is identified as a new functional motif (GX 2GX 6G) that is conserved in yeast homologues of DIPP. Mutagenesis of any of these Gly residues in GR1 and GR2 reduced catalytic activity toward all three substrates by up to 95%. More distal to the Nudt motif, H91L and F84Y mutations substantially decreased the rate of Ap6A and (PP)2-InsP4 metabolism (by 71 and 96%), yet PP-InsP5 hydrolysis was only mildly reduced (by 30%); these results indicate substrate-specific roles for His91and Phe84. This new information helps define DIPP's structural, functional, and evolutionary relationships to Nudix hydrolases.
Thiophosphorylated proteins in chromaffin cells are chromaffin vesicle matrix proteins.

Abstract Bovine adrenal chromaffin cells were incubated with inorganic thiophosphate, using a protocol similar to experiments with inorganic phosphate, in order to determine the source of previously observed thiophosphoproteins. Incubation of cultured cells with [35S]thiophosphate resulted in its incorporation into cell constituents within 2 min. SDS PAGE of the treated cells showed incorporation of label into a broad 97–121 kDa band that was evident after 5 min of treatment and increased progressively to the 40 min exposure limit. Monolayers of chronically treated cells were fractionated into subcellular constituents. The only particulate fraction containing radiolabelled proteins was the chromaffin vesicle fraction. Two-dimensional electrophoresis of the treated cells and isolated chromaffin vesicles showed a majority of proteins in the acidic region of the first dimension gel. A fluorogram of the gel revealed two regions of radiolabelled proteins at acidic and neutral regions of the 2-D gel. These were within the boundaries of the 97–121 kDa band. The thiophosphorylated proteins were released as soluble proteins upon osmotic or freeze-thaw lysis of the vesicles. Chromaffin vesicles isolated from either cultured cells or adrenal medulla tissue were energized by 2 mM ATP but not by the analog adenosine 5′-O-(3-thiotriphosphate). The 97–121 kDa proteins in intact or lysed vesicles prepared from adrenal medulla tissue were not thiophosphorylated by either inorganic thiophosphate or adenosine 5′-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) in the presence or absence of energization by ATP. Nearly complete loss of radiolabel from matrix proteins treated with chondroitinase ABC suggests that it is a component of vesicle proteoglycans. The results demonstrate that chromaffin vesicle matrix proteins are rapidly and intensely thiophosphorylated in cultured chromaffin cells but not in isolated vesicles. The data suggest that phosphorylation must play an important role in the normal function of these vesicle proteins.
An approach on the mode-I fracture toughness anisotropy for materials with layered microstructures

Abstract An approach based on the theory of fracture mechanics and in consideration of microscopic fracture events is proposed to evaluate the Mode-I fracture toughness anisotropy for materials with layered microstructures. Three mechanisms, the relative weakness of interfaces, crack path deflection and delamination toughening, are considered to contribute to the anisotropy of fracture toughness. The degree of anisotropy in fracture toughness depends on the fracture mechanisms involved. The strongest anisotropy is expected when all the three mechanisms come into effect. Using the present approach, the anisotropy of Mode-1 fracture toughness for aluminium alloys with layered grain structures is evaluated. The predicted results are in agreement with those experimentally determined. The rationality of the present approach provides a way to estimate the short transverse toughness values from the in-plane toughness and the corresponding fracture behaviour.
The Hydrophilic Domain of Small Ankyrin-1 Interacts with the Two N-terminal Immunoglobulin Domains of Titin

Little is known about the mechanisms that organize the internal membrane systems in eukaryotic cells. We are addressing this question in striated muscle, which contains two novel systems of internal membranes, the transverse tubules and the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Small ankyrin-1 (sAnk1) is an ∼17-kDa transmembrane protein of the SR that concentrates around the Z-disks and M-lines of each sarcomere. We used the yeast two-hybrid assay to determine whether sAnk1 interacts with titin, a giant myofibrillar protein that organizes the sarcomere. We found that the hydrophilic cytoplasmic domain of sAnk1 interacted with the two most N-terminal Ig domains of titin, ZIg1 and ZIg2, which are present at the Z-line in situ. Both ZIg1 and ZIg2 were required for binding activity. sAnk1 did not interact with other sequences of titin that span the Z-disk or with Ig domains of titin near the M-line. Titin ZIg1/2 also bound T-cap/telethonin, a 19-kDa protein of the Z-line. We show that titin ZIg1/2 could form a three-way complex with sAnk1 and T-cap. Our results indicate that titin ZIg1/2 can bind sAnk1 in muscle homogenates and suggest a role for these proteins in organizing the SR around the contractile apparatus at the Z-line.
What differences make a difference

Four years ago The Hastings Center initiated a “pluralism project.” That project gave the Center staff a chance to explore one swath of the theoretical literature concerning how members of democratic regimes ought to think about and respond to the differences among themselves. Much of that literature, produced by philosophers like Charles Taylor, Martha Nussbaum, and John Kekes, is wonderfully articulate about difference in general. But it is nearly silent about how particular categories of difference actually make a difference in the lives of particular individuals negotiating particular institutions.
Venturi meter with separable diffuser.

Venturi meter with separable diffuser and radial outward step at transition from throat to diffuser, noting effect of step on efficiency
Benefits and Challenges of Dual-Earning: Perspectives of Successful Couples

The purpose of this study was to discover the benefits and challenges derived from the dual-earner lifestyle for couples who successfully balance family and work. The data for the study are part of...
Mt. Pelée, martinique: may 8 and 20, 1902, pyroclastic flows and surges

Abstract The distribution, stratigraphic relationships and fragmental components of the May 8 and 20, 1902, pyroclastic flows from Mt. Pelee, Martinique, together with eyewitness accounts, suggest the following explanation for those eruptions. The eruptions were vertically directed magmatic (perhaps initiated phreatically), and contained abundant juvenile lithics from congealed magma of the dome and neck. This resulted in a two-part eruption column having (1) a dense, lithic-charged part which collapsed into the crater and flowed out of a pre-existing notch in its side, giving rise to pyrochlastic flows, and (2) a magmatically derived column containing gases, juvenile vitric material and crystals which largely by-passed the neck and dome and escaped into the atmosphere. All of the energy of the flows was apparently focused through the notch. They emerged fully turbulent and flowed down Riviere Blanche. Gravity segregation of large and abundant fragments soon resulted in a dense, high-concentration, poorly fluidized block-and-ash flow confined to the valley, leaving above a fully turbulent, high-energy ash-cloud surge. As the ash-cloud surge moved down the mountain, it continued to expand outward. The process of gravity segregation continued as the ash-cloud surge expanded, resulting in secondary block-and-ash underflows. Toward St. Pierre, the secondary block-and-ash flows developed on a gently sloping upland surface 100 m or more above the valley of Riviere Blanche. The turbulent, fragment-depleted surges above the secondary block-and-ash flows maintained sufficient energy to devastate the landscape outward to about 3000 m, including St. Pierre. The surges refracted around obstacles and in one place, moved up a small valley in a direction opposite to the main flows.
Anisotropy-driven long-range order in ultrathin ferromagnetic films.

By means of Monte Carlo simulations, we study the onset of ferromagnetic order in ultrathin films, modeled as classical Heisenberg ferromagnets with spins in one outer layer subject to anisotropy of easy-axis character. We present results for the dependence of the transition temperature on the anisotropy strength for the monolayer; these are in very good accord with an approximate formula produced by an earlier renormalization-group study [Phys. Rev. B 38, 12015 (1988)]. We also provide results for the dependence of the transition temperature for films up to six layers in thickness.
Fundamental Frequency Modeling for Speech Synthesis Based on a Statistical Learning Technique

This paper proposes a novel multi-layer approach to fundamental frequency modeling for concatenative speech synthesis based on a statistical learning technique called additive models. We define an additive F0 contour model consisting of long-term, intonational phrase-level, component and short-term, accentual phrase-level, component, along with a least-squares error criterion that includes a regularization term. A back-fitting algorithm, that is derived from this error criterion, estimates both components simultaneously by iteratively applying cubic spline smoothers. When this method is applied to a 7,000 utterance Japanese speech corpus, it achieves F0 RMS errors of 28.9 and 29.8 Hz on the training and test data, respectively, with corresponding correlation coe.cients of 0.806 and 0.777. The automatically determined intonational and accentual phrase components turn out to behave smoothly, systematically, and intuitively under a variety of prosodic conditions.
Alterations in epithelial glycocalyx of rabbit uteri during early pseudopregnancy and pregnancy, and following ovariectomy

Pseudopregnant, pregnant, and ovariectomized rabbits were utilized to study hormonal mediation of uterine epithelial surface negativity and glycocalyx morphology, and to seek local effects of blastocysts at sites of implantatioN. A loss of surface negativity [polycationic ferritin (PCF) binding] by day 6 of pregnancy or pseudopregnancy was noted, accompanied by alterations in epithelial glycocalyx. Uteri from estrous animals, or ovariectomized animals receiving oil or estradiol injections, bound PCF and exhibited a "globular" glycocalyx. Uteri from day 6 pseudopregnant or pregnant animals, or ovariectomized animals receiving progesterone injections, did not bind PCF or exhibit a globular glycocalyx. Both PCF binding and the globular character of the epithelial glycocalyx were sensitive to neuraminidase and trypsin treatment, suggesting sialoglycoprotein contribution to surface negativity. Implanting blastocysts had no detectable local effect on surface negativity, but did induce local reduction of epithelial glycocalyx at sites of implantation. Results of this study suggest that uterine epithelial glycocalyx alterations during the preimplantation period reflect a general response to progesterone stimulation, primarily qualitative in nature, related to the acquisition of receptivity to ovo-implantation.
Redeeming IPC as a performance metric for multithreaded programs

Recent work has shown that multithreaded workloads running in execution-driven, full-system simulation environments cannot use instructions per cycle (IPC) as a valid performance metric due to non-deterministic program behavior. Unfortunately, invalidating IPC as a performance metric introduces its own host of difficulties: special workload setup, consideration of cold-startand end-effects, statistical methodologies leading to increased simulation bandwidth, and workload-specific, higher-level metrics to measure performance. This paper explores the non-determinism problem in multithreaded programs, describes a method to eliminate non-determinism across simulations of different experimental machine models, and demonstrates the suitability of this methodology for performing architectural performance analysis, thus redeeming IPC as a performance metric for multithreaded programs.
Neocarzinostatin chromophore-DNA adducts: evidence for a covalent linkage to the oxidized C-5′ of deoxyribose

The nonprotein chromophore of neocarzinostatin forms a variety of adducts with DNA. The predominant adduct recovered from nuclease digests of chromophore-treated poly(dA-dT). poly(dA-dT) is a compound with structure chromophore-d(TpApT). Mild acid hydrolysis of this compound released free adenine, while snake venom exonuclease (pH 6.5) released 5'-dTMP leaving in both cases adducts of slightly altered chromatographic mobility. These results eliminate adenine and 5'-dTMP as possible sites of covalent chromophore attachment. Electrophoresis data suggest that the adduct is not a phosphotriester. At pH 8.6, chromophore-d(TpApT) spontaneously hydrolyzed, releasing chromophore and 3'-dTMP, leaving a modified d(ApT) which contained deoxyadenosine-5'-aldehyde. Deoxyadenosine-5'-aldehyde was released from the modified d(ApT) by snake venom exonuclease, and identified by a series of derivatizations including 1) mild oxidation to deoxyadenosine-5'-carboxylic acid, 2) NaBH4 reduction to deoxyadenosine, and 3) formation of a hydrazone with phenylhydrazine. Since deoxyadenosine-5'-aldehyde cannot exist as such in the chromophore-d(TpApT) adduct, we suggest that the chromophore may be covalently attached to the C-5' of deoxyadenosine as a phosphorylacetal or similar structure. Hydrolysis of the chromophore-acetal bond at pH 8.6 would leave a phosphorylhemiacetal on C-5', which would be expected to spontaneously decompose to yield the observed 3'-phosphate and 5'-aldehyde groups.
A Large, Population-Based Study of 2009 Pandemic Influenza A Virus Subtype H1N1 Infection Diagnosis During Pregnancy and Outcomes for Mothers and Neonates

BACKGROUND Pregnant women were at increased risk for serious outcomes of 2009 pandemic influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (influenza A[H1N1]pdm09) infection, but little is known about the overall impact of the pandemic on neonatal and maternal outcomes. METHODS We identified live births that occurred from 1 July 2008 through 31 May 2010 in 5 Kaiser Permanente regions. Pregnant women were considered to have influenza if they had a positive result of a laboratory test for influenza virus or if they received a diagnosis of influenza during a period in which seasonal influenza virus or A(H1N1)pdm09 was the predominant circulating virus. RESULTS There were 111 158 births from 109 015 pregnancies involving 107 889 mothers; 368 pregnant women (0.3%) received a diagnosis of influenza due to seasonal virus, and 959 (0.9%) received a diagnosis of influenza due to A(H1N1)pdm09; 107 688 did not receive an influenza diagnosis. Pregnant women with influenza due to A(H1N1)pdm09 were more likely than women with seasonal influenza infection to be hospitalized within 30 days of the diagnosis (27% vs 12%; odds ratio [OR], 2.84 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 2.01-4.02]). Pregnant women with A(H1N1)pdm09 who started antiviral treatment ≥2 days after the diagnosis were significantly more likely to be hospitalized than those who started antiviral treatment <2 days after diagnosis (OR, 3.43 [95% CI, 1.55-7.56]). Mothers with seasonal influenza virus infection had an increased risk for having a small-for-gestational-age infant (OR, 1.59 [95% CI, 1.15-2.20]). CONCLUSIONS In this large, geographically diverse population, A(H1N1)pdm09 infection increased the risk for hospitalization during pregnancy. Late initiation of antiviral treatment was also associated with an increased risk for hospitalization.
Validity and reliability of a dietary stages of change measure among economically disadvantaged African-American adolescents.

Abstract Purpose. To examine the construct validity and 2-month test-retest reliability of a staging measure for assessing readiness to consume five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables among economically disadvantaged African-American adolescents. Design. Longitudinal survey. Setting. Youth services agencies serving low-income communities in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Subjects. African-American adolescents (N = 390) aged 11 to 14 years. Measures. Self-report measures of stage of change and fruit and vegetable consumption. Analysis. Correlation analysis and analysis of covariance were used to examine, cross-sectionally, whether fruit and vegetable consumption differed by stage of change (validity assessment). Correlation analysis and Cohen's kappa (κ) were used to assess the degree of association and level of agreement between stages longitudinally (test-retest reliability assessment). Results. Fruit and vegetable consumption was moderately correlated with stage of change (r ≥ .5...
Towards biomimetic stereo vision

Though much is known about how binocular neurons in the primary visual cortex respond to stereo imagery, there has yet to be a consensus on how these responses are actually used to compute stereo disparity, the difference in the position of an object between the right image and left image in a stereo pair. We describe a new theory for neural stereo disparity computation using a reformulation of the well-known binocular energy model as an energy response of complex continuous wavelets. These wavelets are used to detect disparity phase interference (DPI), local sinusoidal patterns created in the frequency spectrum when a pair of stereo images are added together. The magnitude of disparity can be approximated mathematically from the frequency of the DPI. Once the disparity is determined for each object, the 3D localization of the object can occur. Describing the binocular complex cell responses with the wavelet transform offers a powerful means of analyzing information content in images, and is highly amenable to the detection of DPI. We believe that this technique represents a promising step towards biomimetic stereo vision.
Spanwise flow and the attachment of the leading-edge vortex on insect wings

The flow structure that is largely responsible for the good performance of insect wings has recently been identified as a leading-edge vortex. But because such vortices become detached from a wing in two-dimensional flow, an unknown mechanism must keep them attached to (three-dimensional) flapping wings. The current explanation, analogous to a mechanism operating on delta-wing aircraft, is that spanwise flow through a spiral vortex drains energy from the vortex core. We have tested this hypothesis by systematically mapping the flow generated by a dynamically scaled model insect while simultaneously measuring the resulting aerodynamic forces. Here we report that, at the Reynolds numbers matching the flows relevant for most insects, flapping wings do not generate a spiral vortex akin to that produced by delta-wing aircraft. We also find that limiting spanwise flow with fences and edge baffles does not cause detachment of the leading-edge vortex. The data support an alternative hypothesis-that downward flow induced by tip vortices limits the growth of the leading-edge vortex.
Reduced Thermal Sensitivity of a Fiber-Optic Gyroscope Using an Air-Core Photonic-Bandgap Fiber

A 6.5-fold reduction in thermal sensitivity is demonstrated experimentally in a fiber-optic gyroscope made of a 235-m length of quadrupolar-wound air-core fiber, compared to the same gyro operated with a similar coil of conventional (SMF28) fiber. This result is in good agreement with the theoretical value of 6.6 and the value of 7.5 expected from independent thermal measurements carried out on short pieces of the same fibers
The consequences of fear.

Our modern world is a risky place and evokes many well-founded fears. But these fears themselves create a new risk for our health and well-being that needs to be addressed
Analysis of Max-Product via Local Maxifiers

In this paper we study convergence of the max-product (MP) algorithm on general graphs with cycles. Our analysis follows analogously to that given for the convergence of the sum-product algorithm. We do not work with Gibbs measures but instead we introduce and work with local maxifiers. The contributions of this paper include: reformulation of the MP algorithm on cyclic graphs as max-marginalization on an associated computation tree; existence of local maxifiers and proof that uniqueness of the local maxifier is sufficient for convergence of MP; a Gibbsian theory of local maxifiers and interpretation as operators; an example of non-uniqueness which does not exhibit a phase transition like its Gibbs measure counterpart; and insights into the limitations of Dobrushin-type uniqueness conditions
High speed architectures for two-dimensional state-space recursive filtering

A description is given of 2-D state-space filter algorithms, and two VLSI architectures for high-speed applications are proposed. The advanced state update architecture trades increased throughput rate and a simple input-output scheme for increased hardware. The technique is based on block processing. The state update matrix is changed by recursive multiplications, and the advanced state vector can be calculated. This architecture is a two-dimensional systolic array. It can process one pixel during each multiplication/addition clock period with a regular line-by-line scanning method. To achieve very high speed, the global speedup architecture is utilized by exploiting the inherent spatial concurrency. This architecture consists of a number of column array processors. Based on the computational independence between the samples along the diagonal lines in a first-quadrant 2-D system, it works on multiple columns of images concurrently. The architecture is very modular and flexible. The throughput rate can be very high and is adjustable by changing the number of column processors. Different high-speed architectures for image processing are compared. >
Multi-path arrival estimates using simulated annealing: application to crosshole tomography experiment

In the analysis of crosshole tomography data, the first step is to estimate the arrival time and amplitude of the multi-path arrivals which comprise the received signal. Normally algorithms such as matched filter are used to determine the arrival times. However, when the bandwidth of the signal is small, this method cannot resolve closely spaced arrivals. We, therefore, investigate the performance of a simulated annealing algorithm in estimating the amplitude scaling factors and delay times of the separate arrivals in a signal composed of closely spaced arrivals with added noise. The algorithm is applied to field data collected during a crosshole tomography experiment conducted in sea ice. >
IMF Programmes in Emerging Countries

This paper provides an empirical analysis of IMF-supported stabilization programmes in 19 emerging countries during the period 1971–1997. The results of the empirical analysis suggest the following. First, compared to nonprogramme countries, emerging programme countries have been engaged in macroeconomic policies that would lead to balance of payments crises. Second, results regarding programme participation show that emerging program countries have been involved in IMF programmes recurrently. Third, these countries' macroeconomic policies have not been improved significantly even during programme years. Fourth, as countries receive subsequent programmes, they seem to implement increasingly inconsistent macroeconomic policies during interprogramme years, which may imply moral hazard.
Blood Pressure Variability and Classification of Prehypertension and Hypertension in Adolescence

OBJECTIVE. There is little information in pediatrics on the persistence of the prehypertension and hypertension classifications or on the progression of prehypertension to hypertension. This study aimed to examine those issues. METHODS. An analysis of data from the National Childhood Blood Pressure database was conducted to examine the longitudinal blood pressure outcomes for adolescents classified after a single measurement of blood pressure. Adolescent subjects (N = 8535) for whom serial single blood pressure measurements were obtained at intervals of 2 years were identified. Subjects were stratified according to blood pressure status at the initial measurement, as having normotension, prehypertension, or hypertension. RESULTS. Among subjects designated as having prehypertension (n = 1470), 14% of boys and 12% of girls had hypertension 2 years later. Among subjects designated as having hypertension, 31% of boys and 26% of girls continued to exhibit hypertension, and 47% of boys and 26% of girls had blood pressure values in the prehypertensive range. Regression models showed no significant effect of race on blood pressure changes but significant effects of initial BMI and changes in BMI. CONCLUSIONS. These data indicated that the rate of progression of prehypertension to hypertension was ∼7% per year. Prehypertension can be predictive of future hypertension and may benefit from preventive interventions, especially lifestyle changes.
Antitrypanosomal Activities of Fluoroquinolones with Pyrrolidinyl Substitutions

Fluoroquinolones with pyrrolidinyl substitutions were tested against Trypanosoma brucei and mammalian cells. Bulky substituents at C-7 or a 1-2-bridging thiazolidine ring increased antitrypanosomal activity and selective toxicity. These compounds trap protein-DNA complexes and inhibit nucleic acid biosynthesis in trypanosomes, characteristics of topoisomerase II inhibition.
Influence of calcium supplements on the occurrence of cardiovascular events.

Purpose The current literature on the effects of calcium supplementation on cardiovascular health is reviewed. Summary A comprehensive literature search identified reports on 13 observational studies and 9 clinical trials pertaining to calcium supplement use and the risk of adverse outcomes such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke; cardiovascular events were not primary endpoints of any of the reviewed studies, most of which focused on the effects of calcium use on bone health. Several large cohort studies by researchers in Australia, France, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere have found no significant associations between moderate calcium supplementation and adverse cardiovascular outcomes in otherwise healthy individuals; in some studies, calcium use appeared to confer preventive benefits. However, evidence from other studies suggests that increased calcium supplementation may be associated with an increased risk of MI, as well as a possible link between elevated serum calcium levels and carotid artery plaque buildup. In general, the studies of calcium use and cardiovascular health published to date have had important limitations (e.g., small samples, homogeneous study populations, reliance on self-reported data, lack of or inadequate controlling for established CVD risk factors), and the findings should be interpreted with caution. Conclusion The results of studies on the influence of calcium supplements on the cardiovascular system have been varied. Overall, the benefits of calcium supplementation, including the positive effects on bone health, appear to outweigh the theoretical risk of increased cardiovascular events.
Investigating the application of web-based simulation principles within the architecture for a next-generation computer generated forces model

With a heavy emphasis on distribution and reuse, web-based simulation portends a dramatic shift in the application of simulation as a problem-solving technique and decision-support tool. Next-generation simulation systems of all kinds should be evaluated and constructed with an appreciation of the potential paradigm shift that web-based simulation represents. Fiscal constraints indicate that next-generation computer generated forces (CGF) models will be used to support a wide range of missions, unifying|and replacing|a variety of CGF systems currently in existence. We describe the evolution of web-based simulation and derive a collection of modeling principles that characterize our vision of the web-based simulation future. We examine these principles in terms of their implications for next-generation CGF systems.
Study of a staggered fourth‐order compact scheme for unsteady incompressible viscous flows

The objective of this paper is the development and assessment of a fourth-order compact scheme for unsteady incompressible viscous flows. A brief review of the main developments of compact and high-order schemes for incompressible flows is given. A numerical method is then presented for the simulation of unsteady incompressible flows based on fourth-order compact discretization with physical boundary conditions implemented directly into the scheme. The equations are discretized on a staggered Cartesian non-uniform grid and preserve a form of kinetic energy in the inviscid limit when a skew-symmetric form of the convective terms is used. The accuracy and efficiency of the method are demonstrated in several inviscid and viscous flow problems. Results obtained with different combinations of second- and fourth-order spatial discretizations and together with either the skew-symmetric or divergence form of the convective term are compared. The performance of these schemes is further demonstrated by two challenging flow problems, linear instability in plane channel flow and a two-dimensional dipole–wall interaction. Results show that the compact scheme is efficient and that the divergence and skew-symmetric forms of the convective terms produce very similar results. In some but not all cases, a gain in accuracy and computational time is obtained with a high-order discretization of only the convective and diffusive terms. Finally, the benefits of compact schemes with respect to second-order schemes is discussed in the case of the fully developed turbulent channel flow. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Grain Boundary Curvatures Measurements in Annealed Yttria‐Stabilized Zirconia (3Y‐TZP) and Their Relation to Mean Grain Size

It was determined that the mean grain boundary radius of curvature r¯b in 3 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia isothermally annealed without and with a DC electric field E0∗ = 18 V/cm was uniquely proportional to the mean linear intercept grain size d¯, the proportionality constant α = 3/2 being in accord with the Rios-Fonseca stereological model.
Impact of Organic Coatings on Frictional Strength of Organically Modified Clay

AbstractOrganic matter is frequently encountered in both naturally occurring and engineered particulate media. Charged functional groups in the organic matter can lead to cation exchange within the clay interlayer, which results in the formation of an organic coating on the clay surfaces and alters the interfacial frictional regime in the soil mass. This study investigated the triaxial shear frictional behavior of montmorillonite particles coated with a controlled organic phase composed of quaternary ammonium cations. Through cation exchange, organic cations were loaded onto the clay’s interlayer exchange sites, with control on the density of organic coverage and structure of the organic cation. Results demonstrated that increasing the total organic carbon content of the clay resulted in increasing frictional resistance regardless of whether the increase in carbon content was attributable to increased density of organic loading, increased cation size, or increased cation tail length. Concentrating organic...
Relation of obesity to neural activation in response to food commercials

Adolescents view thousands of food commercials annually, but the neural response to food advertising and its association with obesity is largely unknown. This study is the first to examine how neural response to food commercials differs from other stimuli (e.g. non-food commercials and television show) and to explore how this response may differ by weight status. The blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging activation was measured in 30 adolescents ranging from lean to obese in response to food and non-food commercials imbedded in a television show. Adolescents exhibited greater activation in regions implicated in visual processing (e.g. occipital gyrus), attention (e.g. parietal lobes), cognition (e.g. temporal gyrus and posterior cerebellar lobe), movement (e.g. anterior cerebellar cortex), somatosensory response (e.g. postcentral gyrus) and reward [e.g. orbitofrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)] during food commercials. Obese participants exhibited less activation during food relative to non-food commercials in neural regions implicated in visual processing (e.g. cuneus), attention (e.g. posterior cerebellar lobe), reward (e.g. ventromedial prefrontal cortex and ACC) and salience detection (e.g. precuneus). Obese participants did exhibit greater activation in a region implicated in semantic control (e.g. medial temporal gyrus). These findings may inform current policy debates regarding the impact of food advertising to minors.
Comparison of redigel, petrifilm, spiral plate system, isogrid, and aerobic plate count for determining the numbers of aerobic bacteria in selected foods

The numbers of aerobic bacteria from chicken, ground beef, ground pork, shelled pecan, raw milk, thyme, and flour (20 samples from each food) were determined by four alternative viable cell count methods (Redigel, Petrifilm, Spiral Plate System, and Isogrid) to ascertain the effectiveness of these methods in providing viable cell counts compared with the widely used Aerobic Plate Count (APC) method. The results indicated that all five methods were highly comparable (r=0.97 and higher, with the exception of Petrifilm versus Spiral Plate System, which was 0.88) and exhibited a high degree of accuracy and agreement. Thus, the four alternative methods were found to provide accurate aerobic bacterial counts of foods compared with the APC method.