cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comorbidity burden and nonclinical factors associated with sinonasal cancer all-cause mortality.

OBJECTIVE To describe comorbidity burden and nonclinical factors associated with all-cause mortality of sinonasal cancer in the United States. METHODS The National Cancer Database (2004-2013) was queried for adult cases of sinonasal cancer (n = 10,518). Outcome of interest was all-cause mortality. Independent variables included comorbidity score and nonclinical factors such as age, gender, race, facility type, distance to facility, insurance, and income. Survival analysis was conducted via multivariable extended Cox regression with Heaviside adjustments. RESULTS Patients were mostly (79%), male (61%), and mean age of diagnosis was 63.5 years. Approximately one in five patients (18.7%) had a major comorbid condition (Charlson-Deyo score ≥ 1) at diagnosis. After adjusting for clinical factors, increasing comorbidity score was associated with a corresponding increase in hazard of mortality (aHR comorbidity score of 1 = 1.25; 95% CI, 1.16, 1.35), (aHR score of 2+ = 1.61; 95%, CI 1.41, 1.83). Hazard of mortality was also associated with being male (aHR = 1.11; 95% CI, 1.04, 1.17); black (aHR = 1.13, 95% CI, 1.03, 1.24); uninsured (aHR = 1.45; 95% CI, 1.25, 1.68) or on Medicaid (aHR = 1.50; 95% CI, 1.33, 1.69); residence in zip codes with lower median income quartile (aHR < $30,000 = 1.17; 95% CI, 1.06, 1.29); and treatment at community cancer programs (aHR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.01, 1.28). CONCLUSION Comorbid disease is associated with all-cause sinonasal cancer mortality, and after accounting for known clinical factors, significant differences in mortality persist based on disparity-driven, nonclinical factors. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE NA Laryngoscope, 130:1443-1449, 2020.
Geographic variation in amputation rates among patients with diabetes and/or peripheral arterial disease in the rural state of West Virginia identifies areas for improved care

Abstract Objective Amputation is a devastating but preventable complication of diabetes and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Multiple studies have focused on disparities in amputation rates based on race and socioeconomic status, but few focus on amputation trends in rural populations. The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of major and minor amputation among patients admitted with diabetes and/or PAD in a rural, Appalachian state, and to identify geographic areas with higher than expected major and minor amputations using advanced spatial analysis while controlling for comorbidities and rurality. Methods Patient hospital admissions of West Virginia residents with diagnoses of diabetes and/or PAD and with or without an amputation procedure were identified from the West Virginia Health Care Authority State Inpatient Database from 2011 to 2016 using relevant International Classification of Diseases, 9th edition and 10the edition codes. Bayesian spatial hierarchical modeling was conducted to identify areas of high risk, while controlling for important confounders for amputation. Results Overall, there were 5557 amputations among 459,452 hospital admissions with diabetes and/or PAD from 2011 to 2016. The majority of the amputations were minor (61.7%; n = 3430), with a prevalence of 7.5 per 1000 and 40.4% (n = 2248) were major, with a prevalence of 4.9 per 1000. Geographic analysis found significant variation in risk for both major and minor amputation across the state, even after adjusting for the prevalence of risk factors. Analyses indicated an increased risk of amputation in the central and northeastern regions of West Virginia at the county level, although zip code-level patterns of amputation varied, with high-risk areas identified primarily in the northeastern and south central regions of the state. Conclusions There is significant geographic variation in risk of amputation across West Virginia, even after adjusting for disease-related risk factors, suggesting priority areas for further investigation. The level of granularity obtained using advanced spatial analyses rather than traditional methods demonstrate the value of this approach, particularly when risk estimates are used to inform policy or public health intervention.
Dependence of Membrane Tether Strength on Substrate Rigidity Probed by Single-Cell Force Spectroscopy.

Substrate rigidity modulates cell mechanics, which affect cell migration and proliferation. Quantifying the effects of substrate rigidity on cancer cell mechanics requires a quantifiable parameter ...
Arborescent lycopsid periderm production was limited

Late Paleozoic arborescent lycopsids have been thought to have grown from sporelings into large trees through the production of a periderm cylinder, particularly massive in the proximal portion of the trunk and tapering distally, with this rind of bark providing most of their structural support. Here, we argue that physiological limitations would have prohibited the production of thick periderm and test this hypothesis using multiple independent lines of evidence derived from anatomical permineralization and surface impression fossils that allow both direct and indirect measurement of periderm radial thickness. Across all six genera of Pennsylvanian arborescent lycopsids that were investigated, all evidence indicates limited periderm production: typically less than 5 cm, always less than 15 cm, even in trunks that would have reached a meter or more in diameter. The large amount of arborescent lycopsid periderm in Middle Pennsylvanian coals represents taphonomic enrichment rather than a true anatomical signal, complicating interpretation of their biology including biomechanics and early ontogeny.
Modeling User Information Needs to Enable Successful Human-Machine Teams: Designing Transparency for Autonomous Systems

Intelligent autonomous systems are quickly becoming part of everyday life. Efforts to design systems whose behaviors are transparent and explainable to users are stymied by models that are increasingly complex and interdependent, and compounded by an ever-increasing scope in autonomy, allowing for more autonomous system decision making and actions than ever before. Previous efforts toward designing transparency in autonomous systems have focused largely on explanations of algorithms for the benefit of programmers and back-end debugging. Less emphasis has been applied to model the information needs of end-users, or to evaluate what features most impact end-user trust and influence positive user engagements in the context of human-machine teaming. This study investigated user information preferences and priorities directly by presenting users with an interaction scenario that depicted ambiguous, unexpected, and potentially unsafe system behaviors. We then elicited what features these users desired most from the system to resolve these interaction conflicts (i.e., what information is most necessary for users to trust the system and continue using it in our described scenario). Using factor analysis, we built detailed user typologies that arranged and prioritized user information needs and communication strategies. This typology can be adapted as a user model for autonomous system designs in order to guide design decisions. This mixed methods approach to modeling user interactions with complex sociotechnical systems revealed design strategies which have the potential to increase user understanding of system behaviors, which may in turn improve user trust in complex autonomous systems.
A framework to simulate CT images with tube current modulation

Tube current modulation (TCM) is routinely implemented in clinical CT imaging. By modifying the x-ray tube current as a function of patient attenuation, image quality can be made more consistent and radiation dose can be better managed. Optimal TCM settings depend on the scan protocol and the physical characteristics of the patient. This study was undertaken to develop a realistic TCM model and integrate it into a scanner-specific CT simulation platform, allowing for faithful emulation of CT scans with TCM and optimization of TCM methods. The developed model adjusts the mAs for each projection based on attenuation estimated from two localizers, a strength parameter similar to the implementation of one major CT manufacturer (Siemens CARE Dose 4D), and imposed tube power limits. To demonstrate the utility of this framework, a virtual imaging trial was conducted to characterize image quality as a function of TCM strength. Three XCAT phantoms (BMIs at 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile) were imaged at five TCM strengths, using a CT configuration based on the geometry and physics of a commercial scanner (Siemens Definition Flash). Noise magnitude was measured in each reconstructed CT slice, average noise magnitude was calculated in lungs and bones, and RMSE, PSNR, SSIM, and contrast were computed in the lungs. The TCM strength which minimized noise increased with phantom BMI, suggesting that optimal TCM settings will differ for patients of different sizes. This study demonstrates the first incorporation of TCM into a scanner-specific virtual imaging trial platform and its application to patient-specific optimization.
Tobacco Cessation in Destination Therapy Ventricular Assist Device Patients: Results of an International Survey

Purpose Several studies report the negative consequences of tobacco smoking on ventricular assist device (VAD) patient outcomes, but it is not a contraindication for VAD implantation in destination therapy (DT) patients. This international survey seeks to assess the importance of smoking cessation in DT VAD recipients, as well as center support and strategies in place to achieve cessation Methods A survey was created using Survey Monkey® and sent to VAD centers worldwide. The survey consisted of 37 multiple-choice and open response questions. Results Of the 47 respondents, 18 (38%) centers implanted 50 per year. Twenty-four (83%) larger-volume centers implant all patients indicated for DT regardless of smoking status, while five (17%) do not implant current smokers. Conversely, 14 (78%) smaller-volume centers implant all patients, while three (17%) do not implant current smokers, and one does not implant previous smokers. Twenty (69%) larger centers offered cessation programs prior to implant, as did 14 (78%) smaller centers. Twenty-three (79%) respondents from larger centers and 11 (61%) from smaller centers believed bridge-to-transplant (BTT) patients were more likely to achieve cessation than DT patients. Sixteen (55%) respondents from larger centers and 11 (61%) from smaller centers thought their center provides adequate support for cessation programs. Smaller centers were more likely to believe that tobacco smoking should be a deciding factor in DT evaluations (50% vs 21%, p = 0.055). Conclusion The importance of smoking cessation in DT VAD patients and the adequacy of center support varies by program. A considerable number of centers believed that tobacco smoking should be a deciding factor in DT evaluations. Open discussion regarding the role of tobacco cessation prior to LVAD implant should be encouraged. External confounder and sampling bias may affect these results, so further studies should be conducted for validation.
Mechanism of Action of Peripheral Nerve Stimulation

The number of applications for peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) in the pain management field is ever-growing. With the increasing number of clinical applications for peripheral nerve stimulation, the purpose of this article is to review the mechanism of action surrounding PNS, the recent literature from January 2018 to January 2021, and pertinent clinical outcomes. The authors searched articles identified from PubMed (January 2018–January 2021), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases (January 2018–January 2021), and Scopus (January 2018–January 2021) databases, and manually searched references of identified publications. Broad MeSH terms and Boolean operators were queried in each search, including the following terms and their respective synonyms: peripheral nerve stimulation, mechanism of action, biochemical pathway, and pain pathway. 15 consensus articles were selected for in-depth review and inclusion for qualitative analysis. PNS may activate and modulate higher central nervous system (CNS) centers, including the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, somatosensory cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and parahippocampal areas. Neuromodulatory effects from PNS may also extend into the spinal columns. Also, PNS may lead to changes in endogenous neurotransmitters and affect the plasticity of NMDA pathways.
Perceived Quality of Video Enhanced for the Visually Impaired

Enhancement of video images was proposed as an aid for the visually impaired, and was shown to be effective using the Adaptive Enhancement algorithm in optical simulations (Peli and Peli, 1984), and in computational simulations of static images (Peli, et al., 1991).
Sensitivity Analysis and Parameter Estimation for an Approximate Analytical Model of Canal-Aquifer Interaction Applied in the C-111 Basin

Abstract. The goal of this study was to better characterize parameters influencing the exchange of surface water in south Floridaâ€™s C-111 canal and Biscayne aquifer using the analytical model STWT1. A three-step model evaluation framework was implemented as follows: (1) qualitative parameter ranking by comparing two Morris method sampling strategies, (2) quantitative variance-based sensitivity analysis using Sobolâ€™s method, and (3) estimation of parameter posterior probability distributions and statistics using the Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimator (GLUE) methodology. Results indicated that the original Morris random sampling method underestimated total parameter effects compared to the improved global Morris sampling strategy. However, parameter rankings from the two sampling methods were similar. For the STWT1 model, only four out of the six parameters analyzed were important for predicting water table response to canal stage and recharge fluctuations. Morris ranking in order of decreasing importance resulted in specific yield (ASY), aquifer saturated thickness (AB), horizontal hydraulic conductivity (AKX), canal leakance (XAA), vertical hydraulic conductivity (AKZ), and half-width of canal (XZERO). Sobolâ€™s sensitivity indices for the four most critical parameters revealed that summation of first-order parameter effects was 1.0, indicating that STWT1 behaved as an additive model or negligible parameter interactions. We estimated parameter values of 0.07 to 0.14 for ASY, 11,000 to 14,300 m d -1 for AKX, 13.4 to 18.3 m for AB, and 99.8 to 279 m for XAA. The estimated values were within the range of values estimated using more complex methods at nearby sites. The Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency and root mean square error for estimated parameters ranged from 0.66 to 0.95 and from 4 to 7 cm, respectively. This study demonstrates a simple and inexpensive way to characterize hydrogeological parameters controlling groundwater-surface interactions in any region with aquifers that are highly permeable without using standard pumping tests or canal drawdown experiments. Hydrogeological parameters estimated using this approach could be used as starting values in large-scale numerical simulations.
Training for Individual Differences in Lie Detection Accuracy

Although technology has a vital role to play in the detection of potential terrorists, human lie detectors are also important in follow-up interviews and in situations where technology is not useable. Over the last ten years, researchers have become more sophisticated in designing experimental scenarios for use in lie detection research. In addition, more nuanced and specific descriptions of the behavioral clues to deception have been reported. Using more rigorous experimental protocols to examine the effectiveness of training programs to increase lie detection accuracy has resulted in several encouraging results. The importance of various protocol considerations in designing such training studies, and the importance of individual difference variables such as variation in lie detection accuracy at the start of the training, motivation to improve in lie detection, and the role of personal values in accurate lie detection are reviewed. Constraints in applying this information in the security context are also discussed. Keywords: lie detection; deception; training; testing; individual difference
Lifetimes of the 9s and 8p levels of atomic francium

We use time-correlated single-photon counting techniques on a sample of $^{210}\mathrm{Fr}$ atoms confined and cooled in a magneto-optical trap to measure the lifetimes of the $9{S}_{1∕2},\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}8{P}_{3∕2}$, and $8{P}_{1∕2}$ excited levels. We populate the $9{S}_{1∕2}$ level by two-photon resonant excitation through the $7{P}_{1∕2}$ level. The direct measurement of the $9{S}_{1∕2}$ decay through the $7{P}_{3∕2}$ level at 851 nm gives a lifetime of $107.53\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.90\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ns}$. We observe the decay of the $9{S}_{1∕2}$ level through the $8{P}_{3∕2}$ level at 423 nm and the $8{P}_{1∕2}$ level at 433 nm down to the $7{S}_{1∕2}$ ground level, and indirectly determine the lifetimes of these to be $83.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ns}$ and $149.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ns}$, respectively.
Theoretical Study of pm–pm^−1l Spectra*

Theoretical calculation of energy levels and spectra ab initio are described for transitions of the type pm–pm−1l, especially 3pm–3pm−13d transitions in the Ar i and Cl i isoelectronic sequences. Strong changes of wavefunction composition occur in going from neutral atoms to ions as a result of collapse of the 3d wavefunction; for m = 2 and 6 these take the form of coupling changes, and for m = 3–5 they take the form of changes of parentage composition. Abnormally low Ti v 3p6–3p54d intensities are explained as an interference effect in evaluation of the dipole radial integral.
The Tecton Proof System

The Tecton Proof System is a new verification system designed to support construction of large and complex proofs, using novel user interface methods and extensive automation. We first describe the main features of the user interface, including the use of tabular formats for ordinary logical formulas and Hoare formulas, graphical proof representations, and hypertext links between related parts of large proofs. In the area of proof automation, we describe the inference mechanisms used by the Tecton inference engine and the integration of a decision procedure for a subclass of Presburger Arithmetic into the inference mechanisms. Through its combination of user interface features and automated deduction capabilities, Tecton provides the kind of support necessary for building libraries of verified software and hardware components.
Does Voting by Mail Increase Participation? Using Matching to Analyze a Natural Experiment

Would holding elections by mail increase voter turnout? Many electoral reform advocates predict that mail ballot elections will boost participation, basing their prediction on the high turnout rate among absentee voters and on the rise in voter turnout after Oregon switched to voting by mail. However, selection problems inherent to studies of absentee voters and Oregon give us important reasons to doubt whether their results would extend to more general applications of voting by mail. In this paper, we isolate the effects of voting in mail ballot elections by taking advantage of a natural experiment in which voters are assigned in a nearly random process to cast their ballots by mail. We use matching methods to ensure that, in our analysis, the demographic characteristics of these voters mirror those of pollingplace voters who take part in the same elections. Drawing on data from a large sample of California counties in two general elections, we find that voting by mail does not deliver on the promise of greater participation in general elections. In fact, voters who are assigned to vote by mail turn out at lower rates than those who are sent to a polling place. Analysis of a sample of local special elections, by contrast, indicates that voting by mail can increase turnout in these otherwise low-participation contests.
Impact of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction on left atrial volume and function: a volumetric analysis.

Aims Diastolic dysfunction may result in elevation of left ventricular (LV) and atrial pressures, resulting in left atrial (LA) remodelling. We examined the effects of LV diastolic dysfunction on LA volume and function. Methods and results We measured LA volume and function in 83 patients with normal LV systolic function. The LV diastolic function grade was defined using traditional Doppler measures of diastolic function. LA volumes were measured using the ellipsoid method. Maximum LA volume (Volmax) was indexed to the body surface area. The passive filling, conduit and active emptying volumes were estimated and corrected for indexed LA Volmax. Indexed LA Volmax was strongly associated with LV diastolic function grade (Spearman P 19.7 mL/m2 predicted diastolic dysfunction with 97% sensitivity and 96% specificity. Compared with normal controls, corrected passive filling and conduit volumes were lower, and corrected active emptying volume was higher in patients with Grade I diastolic dysfunction (0.38 vs. 0.51, P = 0.02; 1.65 vs. 3.29, P < 0.001; 0.59 vs. 0.44, P = 0.001), resulting in a similar corrected total emptying volume (0.97 vs. 0.96, P = ns). Patients with higher grades of diastolic dysfunction, however, had lower corrected passive filling, conduit, active, and total emptying volumes. Conclusion LA remodelling occurs in patients with LV diastolic dysfunction and LA volume expressed the severity of diastolic dysfunction. Initially, the LA compensates for changes in LV diastolic properties by augmenting active atrial contraction. As the severity of diastolic dysfunction increases, this compensatory mechanism fails as atrial mechanical dysfunction sets in, resulting in lower total atrial emptying volume.
Crossing Over: Interdisciplinary Research on “Men who do Women’s Work”

This commentary discusses three themes that are addressed by this collection of articles on men in female-dominated occupations: (1) the characteristics of men who cross over into female-dominated occupations; (2) how men fare in university programs where they are in the minority; and (3) the on-the-job advantages and disadvantages that accrue to men who do women’s work. Suggestions are made for additional research, and the importance of interdisciplinary approaches is emphasized.
Rare cause of ureteral obstruction

This report presents bilateral ureteral obstruction due to possible ureteritis in a bone marrow transplant patient with resurgence of BK virus after hemorrhagic cystitis. This is believed to be the first description of this type of ureteral obstruction. The presented case includes the management plan.
Quality Research Performance: Issues of Splitting, Cloning, Citing, Significance, and Judging

(1996). Quality Research Performance: Issues of Splitting, Cloning, Citing, Significance, and Judging. The Professional Geographer: Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 103-105.
A dual task investigation of pilots' skill level

Performances of instructor pilots and student pilots were compared in a dual task paradigm combining a ground controlled approach (GCA) as the primary task and memory search as the subsidiary task. In the first experiment the difference in subsidiary task performance between single and dual conditions was greater for a group of students in the middle phase of T-37B training than for a group of experienced instructor pilots. Between-group differences on the search task were restricted to the y-intercept of the function relating reaction time to memory set size. It was concluded that the effect of experience on the type of flight task examined here is to reduce the processing demands of encoding and (or) responding. In the second experiment a group of student pilots who had just completed T-37B training was run in the same task to determine the sensitivity of the dual task to less disparate amounts of flying experience. The difference in memory search performance between single and dual conditions for the l...
Single-sensor processing and sensor fusion for GPR and EMI data

As in many areas, performance of landmine detection algorithms is judged in terms of detection and false alarm rates. For the landmine detection problem, it is often the case that detectors satisfy one requirement at the cost of poor performance with regard to the other. It is widely accepted that single sensors cannot simultaneously achieve both high detection rates and low false alarm rates, since every sensor has its advantages and disadvantages when dealing with a large variety of landmines, from large metal-cased mines to small plastic-cased mines. Thus, in this paper we consider two types of sensors, EMI and GPR. In its most common instantiation, time-domain EMI is essentially a metal detector and thus detects mines with high metal content as well as metal debris in the environment. More advanced EMI systems have begun to show potential for the discrimination of such debris from mines. GPR is also used for landmine detection since it can detect and identify low-metallic subsurface anomalies. In our previous work, we have shown that Bayesian detection approach can be applied to EMI data and provide promising results. In this paper, we present results that indicate that statistical signal processing technique applied to GPR data can also yield performance improvements. Theoretical results are verified by data collected with a developmental mine-detection system, which consists of co-located metal detectors and GPR sensors. Thus, in addition to discussing individual sensor data processing, we also present result of data fusion of both the EMI and the GPR data using the detection system.
Maintenance of retinoid metabolism in human retinal pigment epithelium cell culture.

Abstract If transplantation of cultured retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) or iris pigment epithelium (IPE) is to be successful in the treatment of ocular disease, it is imperative to demonstrate that these cells can perform all of their necessary metabolic functions. Unfortunately, a critical function of the RPE, retinoid metabolism, is often lost rapidly in culture. We have examined whether or not nonspecific proteolytic enzymes commonly used in cell isolation and serial passaging may be responsible for this loss of function, and we have investigated novel isolation and passaging techniques which can alleviate this loss of retinoid metabolism. RPE cells were obtained from human donor eyes by enzymatic and nonenzymatic methods. Cells were cultured either on control tissue culture inserts or on inserts coated with a layer of thermally responsive poly(N -isopropylacrylamide-co-cinnamoylcarbamidemethylstyrene). Upon confluence, cells were detached either by trypsinization or by lowering dish temperature. Retinoid metabolism of cells was assessed after isolation and culture by incubating membrane fractions with3H-all- trans -retinol. Retinoid metabolism was also measured in freshly isolated IPE, corneal endothelium (CE), an RPE cell line (D407), and two hepatocyte cell lines (Hepa 6 and HepG2). Membrane fractions from cells isolated nonenzymatically or using collagenase/hyaluronidase formed 11- cis -retinol, retinal isomers and retinyl esters. Retinoid metabolism of RPE cells freshly isolated by trypsinization showed no 11- cis -retinal and little 11- cis -retinol formation. Nondamaged cells cultured on thermally responsive surfaces detached in sheets upon temperature change. They showed metabolism similar to that of cells freshly isolated by nonenzymatic means. After trypsinization, confluent cultures dissociated into individual cells, but these cells showed poor retinoid metabolism, including no detectable retinyl esters or 11-cis -retinoid isomers. IPE, CE and Hepa 6 did not show any retinoid metabolism. D407 and HepG2 produced retinals, but not the 11- cis isomer. RPE cells isolated using trypsin lose the ability to form critical intermediates in the visual cycle. Collagenase/hyaluronidase or nonenzymatic cell isolation techniques enable these functions to be maintained. After cell culture, thermally responsive surfaces allow nonenzymatic cell detachment and excellent maintenance of retinoid metabolism.
Concurrent coupling of atomistic and continuum models at finite temperature

A concurrent multiscale method for coupling discrete (atomistic) and continuum models at finite temperatures is presented. Motion of atoms is governed by an inter-atomic potential and is represented by molecular dynamics. A thermo-mechanical continuum defined by standard differential equations of conservation of momentum and heat transport is used. The coupling is performed by an interface region where the two models overlap. The phonon spectrum of the discrete region is divided into a low frequency part which is transferred to the continuum model as mechanical waves, and a high frequency component which is modeled in the continuum as diffusive heat transport. Seamless mechanical coupling is ensured by imposing weak compatibility of displacements in the interface region. The method is implemented in 1D and full bi-directional thermal and mechanical coupling is demonstrated in thermodynamic equilibrium and in non-equilibrium.
Deletion analysis defines distinct functional domains for protein-protein and nucleic acid interactions in the ORF1 protein of mouse LINE-1

LINE-1, or L1, is a non-LTR retrotransposon in mammals. Retrotransposition of L1 requires the action of two element-encoded proteins, ORF1p and ORF2p. ORF2p provides essential enzymatic activities for the reverse transcription and integration of a newly transposed copy of L1, whereas the exact role of ORF1p is less well understood. The 43 kDa ORF1p copurifies as a large complex with L1 RNA in extracts of human and mouse cells. Mouse ORF1p purified from Escherichia coli binds RNA and single-stranded DNA in vitro, exhibits nucleic acid chaperone activity, and is capable of protein-protein interaction. In this study we create a series of deletions in the ORF1 sequence, express the truncated proteins and examine their activities to delineate the region of ORF1p responsible for these different functions. By both yeast two-hybrid analysis and GST pull-down assay, the protein-protein interaction domain is defined as a coiled-coil domain that encompasses about one third of the protein near its N terminus. Based on data obtained with UV-cross-linking, electrophoretic mobility-shift assay and an annealing assay, the C-terminal one third of ORF1p is both necessary and sufficient for nucleic acid binding and to promote annealing of complementary oligonucleotides. Separation of these activities into different domains of ORF1p will facilitate detailed biochemical analyses of the structure and function of this protein and understanding of its role during L1 retrotransposition.
Structure in the optical absorption spectrum of the solvated electron

Abstract The optical absorption spectrum of the solvated electron in ethanol has been determined again to establish whether a report of observed structural features by Vannikov and Marevtsev, which appears to be discordant with earlier data, can be sustained. Our data do not reveal such structural features, and are, furthermore, in significant disagreement with the general contour of the absorption band reported by these authors.
Quantum-mechanical tunneling in thin films of chlorophyll a

Abstract Thin dielectric films of chlorophyll a deposited onto a tin electrode by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique were investigated with regard to quantum-mechanical tunneling and Schottky emission conductivity mechanisms. The films exhibited conduction characteristics in which the current was directly proportional to the applied voltage, but independent of temperature, in the region 50–500 mV. From a consideration of the nature of the conduction it is concluded that tunneling is the most likely conduction mechanism in this voltage range. At higher voltages, the conduction data is consistent with tunneling, Schottky emission or Frenkel-Poole conduction mechanisms. The significance of tunneling in thin films of chlorophyll with respect to photosynthesis is discussed.
Griffiths effects and quantum critical points in dirty superconductors without spin-rotation invariance: One-dimensional examples

We introduce a strong-disorder renormalization group (RG) approach suitable for investigating the quasiparticle excitations of disordered superconductors in which the quasiparticle spin is not conserved. We analyze one-dimensional models with this RG and with elementary transfer matrix methods. We find that such models with broken spin rotation invariance generically lie in one of two topologically distinct localized phases. Close enough to the critical point separating the two phases, the system has a power-law divergent low-energy density of states (with a nonuniversal continuously varying power law) in either phase, due to quantum Griffiths singularities. This critical point belongs to the same infinite-disorder universality class as the one-dimensional particle-hole symmetric Anderson localization problem, while the Griffiths phases in the vicinity of the transition are controlled by lines of strong (but not infinite) disorder fixed points terminating in the critical point.
Systematic approach to pediatric ocular trauma

Purpose of reviewThe aim of this article is to evaluate and review the scientific literature on pediatric ocular trauma from the past several years. Recent advancements have recognized mechanisms of injury that may be unique to children, require different treatment course than adults, and raise mult
Is formation of visible channels in a phospholipid bilayer by botulinum neurotoxin type B sensitive to its disulfide

Botulinum neurotoxin, produced by Clostridium botulinum as a ∼150-kDa single-chain protein, is nicked proteolytically either endogenously or exogenously. The ∼50- and ∼100-kDa chains of the dichain molecule remain held together by an interchain disulfide bridge and noncovalent interactions. The neurotoxin binds to receptors of the target cell and is internalized by endocytosis. Thereafter, a portion of the neurotoxin, the ∼50-kDa chain, escapes to the cytosol, where it blocks neurotransmitter release. Botulinum neurotoxin serotype B is released by the bacteria primarily as an unnicked single chain. We reduced this unnicked protein and used its binding to ganglioside in a lipid layer to produce helical tubular crystals of unnicked botulinum neurotoxin type B in its disulfide-reduced state. The helical arrangement of the neurotoxin allowed determination of the structure of the molecule using cryo-electron microscopy and image processing. The resulting model reveals that neurotoxin molecules formed loops extending out from the surface of the bilayer and bending toward a neighboring loop. Although channels have been seen with disulfide-linked neurotoxin (Schmid, Robinson, and DasGupta (1993) Direct visualization of botulinum neurotoxin-induced channels in phospholipid vesicles, Nature364, 827–830), no channels were seen here, a finding which suggests that the reduced, unnicked neurotoxin is incapable of forming a visible channel.
Sources of Nutritional Information for Menu Development And Modification

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: To examine sources of nutritional information used in menu development and modification by quick-service, midscale and upscale chain restaurants. The objective of this preliminary investigation was to determine and compare sources of nutritional information used by quick-service, midscale and upscale chain restaurants. The pre-test instrument was evaluated and completed via a pilot study involving members of the population. Content validity and clarity were established. The instrument was sent to all 309 members of the population, directors of product research and development for U.S.-based restaurant chains with the greatest annual volume. A total of 105 (34.0%) usable responses was obtained: quick-service (37.1%); midscale (27.6%); upscale (24.8%); and corporations representing more than one industry segment (10.5%). For quick-service chains results indicated the most frequent sources utilized for nutritional expertise were: external laboratory company for nutritional analysis (82.1%); corporate quality assurance department (64.1%); in-house registered dietitian, RD. (28.2%); external consultant (25.6%); and American Heart Association, AH. A (15.4%). Sources for midscale chains were: corporate quality assurance department (51.7%); external laboratory (41.4%); in-house RD. (17.2%); AH.A. (10.3%); and external consultant (10.3%). Upscale chains utilized: corporate quality assurance department (73.1%); external laboratory (57.7%); external consultant (26.9%); A.H.A. (15.4%); and in-house R.D. (11.5%). Sources utilized by corporations representing more than one industry segment were: corporate quality assurance department (45.5%); external laboratory (36.4%); external consultant (18.2%); and in-house R.D. (9.1%). Collectively, the two top sources of nutritional information utilized were corporate quality assurance departments (64.0%) and external laboratories (63.0%), while 20.0% of the chains have their own R.D. However, 28.0% of the quick-service restaurant corporations employ R.D.s. It is critical for R.D.S in various roles to increase interactions with restaurant operators to promote accurate nutritional information and healthful eating alternatives for consumers away from home.
Least area Seifert surfaces and periodic knots

Abstract It is shown that if a nontrivial knot K in S 3 has genus g and is invariant under a smooth action of a cyclic group C m of order m which fixes a simple closed curve disjoint from K , then K is the boundary of an invariant Seifert surface of genus g . As a corollary one has that m ⩽2 g +1. The proof utilizes the theory of least area surfaces in 3-manifolds.
A customer contact measurement model: an extension

This paper validates the customer contact measurement model by performing a replication using three different sample groups. The impact of customer, managerial, and cultural differences is examined. Findings indicate that all validation groups use similar variables when defining the customer contact construct. The measurement model is robust when compared to US customer and managerial validation groups. However, the applicability across culture is questioned.
Incipient oxidation kinetics of alloy 617 and residual stress of the oxide scale formed in air at temperatures between 850 and 1000 °C

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate incipient oxidation of alloy 617 in air in the temperature range of 850–1000 °C. Alloy 617 exhibited a two-stage oxidation kinetics and followed Wagner’s parabolic law. The activation energy for the first stage and the second stage are 271.2 and 318 kJ/mol, respectively. The transition time between the two stages decreased as the oxidation temperature increased. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that the oxide phase is chromium oxide, Cr 2 O 3 , over the entire temperature range. The results of residual stress measurements showed that the grown-in stresses of the scale are tensile in nature. This may be due to the crystallite coalescence during the growth of the oxide. The measured residual stress of the substrate decreases with increasing oxidation temperature which may be attributed to the formation of pores or voids within the substrate after exposure to high temperatures.
The treatment of gastric cancer with combined surgical resection and chemotherapy.

A series of 156 patients with gastric cancer during a 15-year period were reviewed retrospectively to determine the effectiveness of combined surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. The patients were divided into a 9-year prechemotherapy period and a 6-year chemotherapy period. Review of the data revealed an increase in the incidence of distant disease. The utilization of surgery as the only mode of treatment declined. Combination surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy utilization increased. Comparison of survival for surgery vs. adjuvant chemotherapy, expressed as percentage of survivors for each year, revealed an increase at 1 and 2 years with no difference at 3 years for all stages. A similar comparison for patients with regional spread showed an increase at 1,2, and 3 years with no difference thereafter. The 5-year survival was 5% for both groups. The data has suggested that surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy increases 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates but does not affect the longterm results.
Political development and foreign policy: The case of India

(1966). Political development and foreign policy: The case of India. Journal of Commonwealth Political Studies: Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 216-230.
C−H Bond Amination from a Ferrous Dipyrromethene Complex

In this Communication, we report an intramolecular C−H bond amination reaction of a dipyrromethene ferrous complex with organic azides. Monitoring of the spectral changes (variable-temperature NMR and UV−vis) of the FeII complex reveals no buildup of an intermediate during conversion of the starting material into the nitrene-inserted product. The rate-determining step appears to be azide addition to the 14-electron FeII complex, hinting at the potential that these and related platforms may have to effect atom- and group-transfer processes.
The Relative Contribution of Emotional Competence and Cognitive Ability to Individual and Team Performance

The relative contributions of emotional competence and cognitive ability to individual and team performance, team-member attitudes, and leadership perceptions were examined. Focusing on emotional competencies, we predicted that, although both cognitive ability and emotional competence would predict performance, cognitive ability would account for more variance on individual tasks, whereas emotional competence would account for more variance in team performance and attitudes. We also predicted that emotional competence would be positively related to team attitudes and to both leader emergence and effectiveness. Using a sample of undergraduate business majors who completed tasks alone and as members of teams, our results generally supported the hypotheses. Implications for the reach and impact of work relating emotional competencies to performance are offered.
Loving to Straighten Out Development: Sexuality and ‘Ethnodevelopment’ in the World Bank’s Ecuadorian Lending

Gender staff in the World Bank -- the world's largest and most influential development institution -- have a policy problem. Having prioritised efforts to get women into paid employment as the ȁ8cure-allȁ9 for gender inequality they must deal with the work that women already do -- the unpaid labour of caring, socialisation, and human needs fulfilment. This article explores the most prominent policy solution enacted by the Bank to this tension between paid and unpaid work: the restructuring of normative heterosexuality to encourage a two-partner model of love and labour wherein women work more and men care better. Through a case study of Bank gender lending in Ecuador I argue that staff are trying to (re)forge normative arrangements of intimacy, a policy preference that remains invisible unless sexuality is taken seriously as a category of analysis in development studies. Specifically, I focus on four themes that emerge from the attempt to restructure heteronormativity in the loan: (1) the definition of good gender analysis as requiring complementary sharing and dichotomous sex; (2) the Bank's attempt to inculcate limited rationality in women such that they operate as better workers while retaining altruistic attachments to loved ones; (3) the Bank's attempt to inculcate better loving in men, such that they pick up the slack of caring labour when their (partially) rational wives move into productive work, and; (4) the invocation of a racialised hierarchy resting on the extent to which communities approximate ideals of sharing monogamous partnership. Aside from providing clear evidence that the world's largest development institution is involved in micro-processes of sexuality adjustment alongside macro-processes of economic restructuring, I also critique the Bank's sexualised policy interventions and suggest that they warrant contestation.
Bias dependence of mode dynamics in a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser

Results are presented showing the effect of bias current on mode competition in the large-signal modulation response of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser. The overshoot and turn-on delay between the LP/sub 01/ and LP/sub 11/ modes are observed to be strongly dependent on the bias current relative to the individual mode threshold currents in both experiments and simulations.
Recent advances in operative dentistry for children.

A review of articles on operative technics that can be used with children which have been written during the past ten years reveals that most authors consider silver amalgam as the filling material of choice for restorations in deciduous teeth. The authors also agree that a modified type of cavity preparation should be em­ ployed for these teeth. Because of dif­ ferent training and teaching backgrounds as well as differing individual experiences and philosophies, however, complete agreement does not exist as to the manner in which the cavity preparations should be modified in order to compensate for the inherent anatomic variations in de­ ciduous teeth, and at the same time to enhance the qualities of the silver amalgam restoration. This is especially true with regard to the Class II cavity preparation. Nu­ merous methods for the preparation of such cavities in deciduous teeth have been reported in the literature, as well as a variety of suggestions and admonish­ ments with regard to the depth, width, shape and form which the cavity prepara­ tion should assume.1;8 It is little wonder that many dentists find themselves in a dilemma as to which preparation they should employ. The 1951 report of a committee ap­ pointed by the American Academy of Pedodontics to study the principles of proximoocclusal cavity preparations for deciduous molar teeth, and the research projects which have been conducted at various dental schools during the past few years have done much to solve the prob­ lem and place the Class II cavity prepara­ tion for deciduous teeth on a more
Ocean bottom seismometer detection of earthquakes on the Gorda Rise near 41.5° north

The spatial and temporal distribution of microearthquake activity associated with the southern section of the Gorda Rise was monitored during a three week period using an array of four ocean bottom seismometers (OBS's) located at 41.5° N, 127.5° W on the rise axis. Sixty-two events were detected, of which roughly half occurred during a seismic swarm following an event of magnitude 4.9 that was well-recorded on land. A total of eighteen earthquakes could be located, seventeen of which originated from the valley floor, walls, and crestal mountains while the remaining event was located to the east of the rise in the Gorda plate. Well-constrained focal depths for four earthquakes ranged from roughly 4 to 12 km. Depths in excess of 10 km for two of the events provide strong evidence for the absence of a shallow steady-state magma chamber beneath the slow-spreading portion of the Gorda rise. Most of the events are believed to be the result of uplift of the crustal blocks comprising the valley walls. Four events located at an offset of the rise near 41.5° N may be related to strike-slip movement on a developing transform fault. Two of the events that occurred during the survey were large enough to be detected and located by land-based instruments. Comparison of these locations with the OBS locations indicates that well-recorded events having magnitudes of at least 4.5 are routinely mislocated 40–50 km to the east of their actual locations in this area while lower magnitude, poorly recorded earthquakes may have significantly larger location errors.