cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-Invasive TAPSE/PASP Ratio is Not Predictive of Early Right Ventricular Failure Post LVAD Implantation

Purpose Right ventricular failure (RVF) after LVAD implantation remains difficult to predict. RV-PA coupling assessed by echocardiographic assessment of the ratio of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) to pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) has shown to be prognostic in pulmonary hypertension and HFpEF. However, its utility in predicting RV failure after LVAD implantation has not been studied. We hypothesized that a low TAPSE/PASP ratio would be predictive of RV failure after LVAD. Methods This was a single center retrospective observational study of patients who had first-time continuous flow LVAD implantation between 2012-2018. Pre-implant transthoracic echocardiograms were reviewed for each patient to obtain TAPSE and PASP. The primary outcome was early right ventricular failure defined as need for RVAD, inotrope duration >14 days, and/or pulmonary vasodilator use >48 hours. Differences between definition groups were assessed with two sample t-test. Results are reported as means with standard deviations. Results 254 patients were initially included in the LVAD cohort. Of those, 159 patients had complete echocardiogram data to calculate a TAPSE/PASP ratio. 40 patients (25%) had postoperative RV failure after LVAD implantation, of which 8 (25%) required RVAD. There was no difference in the TAPSE/PASP ratio in the RV failure cohort compared to the non-RV failure cohort (0.36 ± 0.14 versus 0.38 ± 0.18, respectively). However, there was a significant difference in pre-operative TAPSE/PASP ratio in patients who required RVAD compared to patients who did not require RVAD post-operatively (0.52 ± 0.17 versus 0.36 ± 0.14, respectively; p = 0.015). When restricting the definition of RV failure to need for RVAD or inotropes >14 days, there was no difference in the TASPE/PASP ratio between groups (p=0.77). In addition, a lower TAPSE/PASP ratio was associated with higher RA pressure (r= -0.27) and PVR (r= -0.28); however, there was no association between TAPSE/PASP and cardiac output. Conclusion In a single center cohort of continuous flow LVAD patients, TAPSE/PASP as a surrogate for RV-PA coupling is not predictive of early RV failure post LVAD implantation. However, a higher ratio was associated with the need for RVAD. Further study is needed to determine if other metrics assessing RV/PA coupling are predictive of RV failure.
Use of the C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin in clinical radiology

The octapeptide of cholecystokinin (C8-CCK) administered by bolus (20 ng/kg) and by infusion (4 ng/kg/min for 30 minutes) doses produced significant shortening of small bowel transit time. Significantly, fewer side effects occurred with the infusion method. The problems encountered in studies of small bowel motility are discussed.
Using Data Mining to Discover the Preferences of Computer Criminals

Abstract The ability to predict criminal incidents is vital for all types of law enforcement agencies. This ability makes it possible for law enforcement to both protect potential victims and apprehend perpetrators. However, for those in charge of preventing computer attacks, this ability has become even more important. While some responses are possible to these attacks, most of them require that warnings of possible attacks go out in “cyber time.” However, it is also imperative that warnings be as specific as possible, so that systems that are not likely to be under attack do not shut off necessary services to their users. This chapter discusses a methodology for data-mining the output from intrusion detection systems to discover the preferences of attackers. These preferences can then be communicated to other systems, which have features similar to these discovered preferences. This approach has two theoretical bases. One is judgment analysis, which comes from the cognitive sciences arena, and the other is data mining and pattern recognition. Judgment analysis is used to construct a mathematical formulation for this decision to choose a specific target. This formulation allows clustering to be used to discover the preferences of the criminals from the data. One problem is posed by the fact that many criminals may have the same preferences or one criminal may have more than one set of preferences; thus, an individual criminal cannot be identified by this method. Instead we refer to the discovered preferences as representing agents. Another problem is that, while all of the agents are operating in the same event space, they may not all be using the same feature set to choose their targets. In order to discover these agents and their preferences, a salience weighting methodology has been developed. This method, when applied to the events caused by attackers, allows for the discovery of the preferences for the features in the environment used by each of the discovered agents to select a target. Once the target preference of the agents has been discovered, this knowledge can be used to create a system for the prediction of future targets. In order to construct this system, one would use the output of existing intrusion detection systems. This data would be used by automated data-mining software to discover the preferences of the attackers and to warn machines with similar attributes. Because this entire process is automatic, the sites could be warned in “cyber time.”
Optimal area and impedance allocation for maximizing yield and enhancing performance in dual string DACs

The relationships between yield, area, and impedance distribution in 3 different types of dual-string DACs are developed. Optimal area allocation and impedance distribution strategies for maximizing yield and enhancing performance are introduced. Simulation results show that a factor of 2 or more reduction in area for a given yield is possible if typical area/impedance allocations are replaced with an optimal area/impedance allocation.
The Impact of a Business Education on Fiscal Conservatism

This article examines the differences in fiscal conservatism between students enrolled in a college of business and those enrolled as nonbusiness majors. Fiscal conservatism is examined using two constructs: fiscal ideology (a) at a macro level and (b) at a micro level, students' ability to monitor and regulate their personal consumer spending self-control. Further, the authors investigate whether a gender gap exists in regards to these constructs and examine potential ideological and personal spending differences between juniors and seniors to assess the impact a business education might have on these attitudes.Video abstractRead the transcriptWatch the video on Vimeo
Crises in network evolution: three case studies and one proposed solution

Three case studies are used to illustrate the network evolution process. Similarities are extracted showing that network evolution is a series of crises. A crisis is characterized as the inability of a network or its supporting organization to handle its workload because of lack of resources. The case studies also show that the crises follow a natural ordering which allows for their prediction. A new approach called executable models is proposed to help smooth the evolution process. The first case study describes an experimental installation of an integrated voice-data office switching and communication system. The second case study emphasizes the dynamic management problems facing a campuswide cluster of networks installed at Boston University. The third case study deals with the ARPANET. The main conclusion is that one has to emphasize the design for testability through the entire system life cycle. >
Performance of an optical CDMA system with turbo code

In this paper, performance of an optical CDMA system with turbo code is analyzed and simulated. It is assumed that optical channel is an intensity modulated (IM) channel and direct-detection scheme is employed to detect the received optical signal. The modulation scheme used is binary-pulse-position-modulation (BPPM). From the simulation results, it is shown that turbo coding offers considerable coding gain with reasonable encoding/decoding complexity. Also, it is demonstrated that the performance of an optical CDMA system can be substantially improved by increasing the interleaver length for a fixed code rate. The results in this paper can be applied to an optical CDMA system with PPM modulation.
Equitable defective coloring of sparse planar graphs

A graph has an equitable, defective k-coloring (an ED-k-coloring) if there is a k-coloring of V(G) that is defective (every vertex shares the same color with at most one neighbor) and equitable (the sizes of all color classes differ by at most one). A graph may have an ED-k-coloring, but no ED-(k+1)-coloring. In this paper, we prove that planar graphs with minimum degree at least 2 and girth at least 10 are ED-k-colorable for any integer k>=3. The proof uses the method of discharging. We are able to simplify the normally lengthy task of enumerating forbidden substructures by using Hall's Theorem, an unusual approach.
Developmental instability in Brassica campestris (Cruciferae): fluctuating asymmetry of foliar and floral traits

The degree of fluctuating asymmetry of bilateral traits provides a measure of developmental instability, which can be influenced by genetic as well as environmental stress. We studied genetic variation between and within two populations of the mustard Brassica campestris for asymmetry of foliar (cotyledon width) and floral (petal length and width) traits as well as for phenological (germination and flowering) and performance (biomass and flowering) traits. The two populations differed in mean expression of most traits, including asymmetry. However, within-population estimates of genetic variability tended to be lower for asymmetry than other traits. Asymmetry was greater in the population that had lower biomass accumulation and flower production, which supports the idea that population-level asymmetry may be indicative of population-level performance. However, within each population, evidence that performance was negatively correlated with asymmetry was equivocal. Within populations there was little or no concordance among estimates of asymmetry based on different structures, i.e., plants that had highly asymmetrical cotyledons did not tend to have highly asymmetrical petals. The lack of a general buffering capacity at the individual level may be explained by developmental processes (e.g., action of different genes or morphogens) as well as evolutionary processes (e.g., selection on asymmetry of different traits).
Twin-related branching of solution-grown ZnSe nanowires

ZnSe nanowires were grown by the solution−liquid−solid mechanism at 350 °C in either trioctylamine (TOA) or trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) using bismuth nanocrystals as seeds. Approximately half of the nanowires produced in TOA had short ZnSe branches off their sidewall surfaces, whereas nanowires grown in TOPO did not exhibit branching. The ZnSe nanowires with branching grew predominantly in the direction with a large number of {111} twins extending down their length. The branches grew epitaxially from the sidewall surface in the direction with a large concentration of lamellar {111} twins. The absence of sidewall nucleation and branching from ZnSe nanowires grown in TOPO can be explained by the stronger surface passivation from TOPO relative to that of TOA.
Redox chemistry of guanine and 8-oxyguanine and a comparison of the peroxidase-catalyzed and electrochemical oxidation of 8-oxyguanine

Abstract The electrochemical oxidation of guanine and 8-oxyguanine has been studied over a wide pH range in aqueous solution. Guanine is initially oxidized in a
In vivo ligation of CD3 on neonatal scid thymocytes blocks γ-irradiation-induced TCRβ rearrangements and thymic lymphomagenesis

Several studies have shown that the developmental arrest of severe combined immune deficiency (scid) thymocytes during the CD4(-)CD8(-) double negative (DN) to CD4(+)CD8(+) double positive (DP) transition can be overcome by a sub-lethal dose of ionizing radiation (IR). Concurrent with this developmental progression, IR also induces variable (diversity) joining (V(D)J) recombination at T cell receptor (TCR), delta, beta, and gamma, but not alpha loci. In addition, all irradiated scid mice succumb to thymic lymphoma. In this study, we demonstrate that scid neonates treated with anti-CD3 epsilon antibody become more resistant to the development of thymoma upon exposure to IR. It is known that the anti-CD3 epsilon antibody treatment induces T cell progression to the DP stage bypassing TCRbeta rearrangement. We show here that the resistance to tumor development is correlated with a reduction of TCRbeta rearrangements that are induced by IR. However, TCRgamma rearrangements were not altered by the antibody treatment. The particular effect of anti-CD3 epsilon antibody on TCRbeta rearrangements is likely attributed to a decline of the double negative thymocyte subset (DN3), in which TCRbeta rearrangements predominantly occur. These results suggest that the developmental stage of scid thymocytes can influence the effect of IR on TCR rearrangements as well as lymphomagenesis.
Energy-Efficient Context Classification With Dynamic Sensor Control

Energy efficiency has been a longstanding design challenge for wearable sensor systems. It is especially crucial in continuous subject state monitoring due to the ongoing need for compact sizes and better sensors. This paper presents an energy-efficient classification algorithm, based on partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP). In every time step, POMDP dynamically selects sensors for classification via a sensor selection policy. The sensor selection problem is formalized as an optimization problem, where the objective is to minimize misclassification cost given some energy budget. State transitions are modeled as a hidden Markov model (HMM), and the corresponding sensor selection policy is represented using a finite-state controller (FSC). To evaluate this framework, sensor data were collected from multiple subjects in their free-living conditions. Relative accuracies and energy reductions from the proposed method are compared against naive Bayes (always-on) and simple random strategies to validate the relative performance of the algorithm. When the objective is to maintain the same classification accuracy, significant energy reduction is achieved.
Visual abnormalities associated with high-energy microwave exposure.

A 44-year-old man was accidentally exposed to high-energy microwave irradiation. After resolution of facial erythema and iritis, he noted a foreign body sensation and blurring of vision. Ophthalmoscopic examination showed bilateral, small hard drusen. Ancillary tests were consistent with abnormal cone function. Electroretinogram testing revealed a marked decrease in the flicker electroretinogram. Results of D15 and Farnsworth Munsel Hue 100 color tests were abnormal. Two years later, the patient's visual acuity was stable at 20/25 in both eyes; however, results of flicker electroretinogram test remain markedly decreased. Language: en
High‐resolution near‐infrared spectroscopy of water dimer

High-resolution near-infrared spectra are reported for all of the O-H stretch vibrational bands of the water dimer. The four O-H vibrations are characterized as essentially independent proton-donor or proton-acceptor motions. In addition to the rotational and vibrational information contained in these spectra, details are obtained concerning the internal tunneling dynamics in both the ground and excited vibrational states. These results show that, for tunneling motions which involve the interchange of the proton donor and acceptor molecules, the associated frequencies decrease substantially due to vibrational excitation. The predissociation lifetimes for the various states of the dimer are determined from linewidth measurements. These results clearly show that the predissociation dynamics is strongly dependent on the tunneling states, as well as the Ka quantum number, indicating that the internal tunneling dynamics plays an important role in determining the dissociation rate in this complex.
Comparison of Superresolution Algorithms for Radio Direction Finding

The problem of high-frequency radio direction finding (HFDF) has perennially been compounded by the interference effects of multicomponent wavefields. The wavefields are generally produced by ionospheric multipath or cochannel interference from other transmitted signals. Because HFDF sytems must operate on short duration signals and are usually restricted to limited antenna array apertures, modern techniques of superresolution spectral analysis are applied to resolve the constituency of multicomponent wavefields. This paper presents a performance comparison of five superresolution spectral algorithms in solving the HFDF wave interference problem.
Elevated values of tri-iodothyronine in victims of sudden infant death syndrome

gauge. The samples were collected into tubes and centrifuged within 15 minutes after collection. Plasma hemoglobin was then measured spectrophotometrically in every sample. A similar procedure was followed using freshly packed red cells (hematocrit 75%), using the same needle gauges but speeds of only 20 and 50 ml/hour. Controls were obtained by measuring plasma hemoglobinin untransfused specimens. Data were analyzed using the Student t test. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION We found no significant difference in plasma hemoglobin values between control and "transfused" samples, indicating that no significant hemolysis occurred, even at the highest speed tested and using the smallest needle (Table). We conclude that fresh whole blood or packed red blood cells may be transfused through needles of small caliber, even 27 gauge, at relatively high infusion rates without increasing the risk of hemolysis.
The variable ties that bind: Content and circumstance in ethnic processes

Abstract This article attempts to disentangle the differential effects of content (what group members share) and circumstance (the situations they encounter) on ethnic processes. In contrast to much recent work in ethnic studies that pays attention primarily to the logic and process of boundary construction, the primary focus here is on what lies within the ethnic boundary, on the variable content of ethnic identities and the role content plays in patterns of ethnic persistence and change. The article proposes a typology of group attachments, suggesting that the content of collective identity varies continuously (low to high) along three dimensions: shared interests, shared institutions, shared culture. Ethnic groups vary ‐ within and across groups and over time ‐ in the degree to which each of these constitutes a basis of group attachment and, potentially at least, collective action. Furthermore, this variation has consequences, via interaction effects with circumstance, for patterns of group persistence...
Detection of White Spaces in a Cognitive Radio Architecture

In this paper we consider the use of UHF spectrum that is not allocated to digital TV transmission for unlicensed wireless devices. We model the propagation conditions and calculate the threshold necessary for detection that results in a small probability of creating interference to TV receivers. The threshold depends on the number of wireless devices. We calculated the reduction in threshold possible when multiple devices cooperate to detect the presence of a TV signal.
Improved procedures for the isolation and culture of protoplasts fromSolanum etuberosum

An efficient and convenient procedure for the isolation of protoplasts fromSolanum etuberosum is described. Excised leaves of plants grownin vitro were preconditioned for 3 days in the dark at 4 C. A 16 h enzyme digestion followed with purification by flotation in Babcock bottles produced a mean yield of 12.5 × 106 protoplasts/g fresh weight. Protoplast viability as judged by morphology at the time of isolation was 89%. Liquid preculture for 1 day at 1 × 106 protoplasts/ml was used prior to plating at 1 × 105 protoplasts/ml and gave a mean survival of protoplasts of 43% after 8 days in culture.
Prevalence of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and its Association with Mitral Anular Calcium in Elderly Patients

We investigated the prevalence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) and its association with mitral anular calcium (MAC) detected by Doppler echocardiography in 379 unselected elderly patients in a long-term health care facility. HC was present in 17 of 379 patients (4 percent). Of 17 patients with HC, ten (59 percent) had asymmetric septal hypertrophy, and seven (41 percent) had idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis with resting gradients of 20 to 110 mm Hg across the left ventricular outflow tract. The mean age of patients with HC was 85 ± 7 years compared with 82 ± 8 years in patients without HC (difference not significant). MAC was present in 13 of 17 patients (76 percent) with HC and in 176 of 362 (49 percent) without HC (p (Chest 1988; 94:1295-96)
THE USE OF ANTIVIRAL CHEMICALS TO PROTECT PLANTS AGAINST SOME VIRUSES TRANSMITTED BY APHIDS.

Abstract Antiviral chemicals were tested against aphid-transmitted plant viruses in green-house experiments to determine whether such chemicals act differently against aphid and mechanical transmission of viruses. Sprays of Cytovirin (metabolite of Streptomyces sp.) were less effective against aphid transmission of potato virus Y (PVY) and cucumber mosaic virus than when those viruses were mechanically transmitted. Cytovirin was ineffective against aphid-transmitted pea virus 2 and cabbage virus B. A wetting agent did not increase the effectiveness of Cytovirin. Cytovirin applied to PVY-infected foliage did not interfere with aphid acquisition of PVY and had no direct effect on PVY when fed to viruliferous aphids. Trichothecin (metabolite of Trichothecium roseum Link) reduced PVY infections of tobacco by about one-half when the virus was aphid-transmitted but had no effect on cabbage virus B. Milk failed to prevent aphids from transmitting PVY to tobacco plants.
Pharmacy considerations for the use of IGIV therapy

Purpose. A number of immunoglobulin intravenous (IGIV) products have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are available commercially. Factors that need to be taken into consideration when selecting an appropriate IGIV product are discussed. Summary. Pathogen safety is of particular concern in IGIV products. Manufacturers of IGIV products have introduced different steps to ensure pathogen inactivation and clearance. Physical viral inactivation methods include heat and pasteurization. Chemical viral inactivation methods include acidic treatment, solvent/detergent, and caprylate. Viral removal is accomplished via precipitation, chromatography, or nanofiltration. Pathogen inactivation processes may inadvertently affect IGIV product characteristics, including composition, concentration, purity, and yield, which may, in turn, affect tolerability, efficacy, and convenience of usage. Tolerability of IGIV products is dependent on factors such as volume load, osmolarity, IgA content, and stabilizing agent. For example, sucrose, used as a stabilizing agent in some IGIV products, has been associated with an increased risk of IGIV-induced acute renal failure. The qualities of IGIV products that contribute to convenience of usage for patients and healthcare professionals include liquid formulation, longer shelf life, multiple package sizes, and shorter infusion time. Cost effectiveness of therapy is another important consideration in IGIV product selection. Contributing factors to cost effectiveness include acquisition cost, reimbursement, product preparation, storage, shelf life, and adverse event management. Conclusion. The various IGIV products differ in terms of production process, tolerability, and convenience. Pharmacists should be cognizant of these differences when ordering IGIV therapy for their patients. Additionally, overall cost-effectiveness of therapy should be an important consideration.
Backaction noise produced via cavity-aided nondemolition measurement of an atomic clock state

We use a quantum nondemolition measurement to probe the collective pseudospin of an atomic ensemble in a high-finesse optical cavity. We analyze the backaction antisqueezing produced by the measurement process to show that our protocol could create conditional spin squeezing in the atomic ensemble.
Empirical correlation methods for temporary anions.

A temporary anion is a short-lived radical anion that decays through electron autodetachment into a neutral molecule and a free electron. The energies of these metastable species are often predicted using empirical correlation methods because ab initio predictions are computationally very expensive. Empirical correlation methods can be justified in the framework of Weisskopf–Fano–Feshbach theory but tend to work well only within closely related families of molecules or within a restricted energy range. The reason for this behavior can be understood using an alternative theoretical justification in the framework of the Hazi–Taylor stabilization method, which suggests that the empirical parameters do not so much correct for the coupling of the computed state to the continuum but for electron correlation effects and that therefore empirical correlation methods can be improved by using more accurate electronic structure methods to compute the energy of the confined electron. This idea is tested by choosing a ...
Biological Half-life of Endogenous PMS Following Hysterectomy and Studies on Losses in Urine and Milk

Two Shetland ponies were hysterectomized on the 96th day of pregnancy. Nine blood samples were drawn from mare 209 over a 56-day period, and 8 samples were drawn from mare 294 over a 51-day period. On the basis of assay of these sera, the half-life of pregnant mare serum (PMS) in mare 209 was estimated to be 6.0 days: in mare 294 the estimate was 6.55 days. Comparing these data with earlier information on the half-life of PMS in the gelding, it is concluded that the ovaries of the mare do not play a significant role in metabolism of the hormone. The peak in concentration of PMSin the blood may be maintained for 40 days during normal pregnancy, and after the decline in activity begins it takes 9–18 days for the level of hormone to be reduced one half. Thus, it appears that PMS is slowly entering the blood from the endometrial cups during this period of decline. Concurrent samples of blood, urine and/ or milk were obtained from 7 pony mares 63–128 days pregnant. It is estimated that excretion of hormone acc...
Different paths from powerlessness to empowerment: A dramatistic analysis of two eating disorder therapies

Using dramatistic analysis, this study examines the rhetorical elements of two therapies designed to help women cope with eating disorders. It found that each therapy has the same key terms, but they serve different functions and encourage different interpretations. The representative anecdotes implicit in each discourse were superficially alike, but closer inquiry showed one to be a quasi‐religious narrative and the other to be mainly secular. The featured pentadic elements likewise varied, as did the respective philosophical orientations of each therapy's discourse.
Flocking-based distributed terrain coverage with dynamically-formed teams of mobile mini-robots

We consider the problem of distributed terrain coverage within an unknown environment by teams of mobile, resource-cosntrained mini-robots. Previous research on this topic mainly focuses on multiple robots that cover the environment individually while sharing limited information about ther actions using local heuristics. However, these methods do not address the issue of dynamically building robot teams and restructuring the team formations based on the operational constraints within the environment. In this paper, we combine a flocking-based mechanism for robot team formation with a utility-based mechanism that enables robots to change teams to dynamically to improve the coverage of the environment. We have tested our techniques empiracally on accurate models of e-puck robots on the Webots simulator within different environments. Our experimental results show that our team-based coverage technique performs significantly better in terms of coverage, by about 25%, and slightly better in terms of redundancy in area covered, than comparable distributed terrain coverage strategies for resource-constrained mini-robots.
Is Being Wild About Harry Enough? Encouraging Independent Reading at Home

The authors address the “whys” and “hows” of encouraging independent reading at home. Practical tips that teachers can give to parents are provided.
Identification and In Vivo Characterization of NvFP-7R, a Developmentally Regulated Red Fluorescent Protein of Nematostella vectensis

Background In recent years, the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis has emerged as a critical model organism for comparative genomics and developmental biology. Although Nematostella is a member of the anthozoan cnidarians (known for producing an abundance of diverse fluorescent proteins (FPs)), endogenous patterns of Nematostella fluorescence have not been described and putative FPs encoded by the genome have not been characterized.
Some Observations on the Function of a Scientific Exhibit

The following observations on the function of a scientific exhibit and the nature of the public for which it is designed were delivered at the opening of the Hall of the Biology of Man in The American Museum of Natural History on March 20, 1961. I hope the reader will bear in mind that the theme of my comments might under different circumstances have been enlarged, although I think I have given the essence of what I had to say. And I hope that no reader will assume for a minute that, in touching on the ideas I have, I am suggesting they are the only ones to engage the careful consideration of an exhibit planner. As a final explanation, I have kept the text as it was spoken to an audience and have made no alterations to convert it into a “written” piece for publication.
The differential effects of short-time glutaraldehyde treatments on light-induced thylakoid membrane conformational changes, proton pumping and electron transport properties

Chemical cross linking reagents have found much use in probing membrane structure, both as specific modifying agents of the protein or lipid moieties of the membrane; and to stabilise membranes for structural analysis. One of the most widely used of these compounds is glutaraldehyde, which reacts primarily with free amine groups to form a Schiffs base, although there are complicating side reactions.
Pitting phosphate transport inhibitors against vascular calcification.

See related article, pages 905–912 Vascular calcification is widespread in patients with coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, and diabetes, but by far the most severe and extensive vascular calcification is in those with end-stage renal disease, especially those with the longest exposure to hemodialysis. Their coronary calcification scores on electron beam CT scanning are often an order of magnitude greater than in ordinary CAD patients. The severity of their vascular calcification closely relates to the duration of hemodialysis; after a decade of dialysis, even pediatric patients are affected.1 Histopathologically, these calcium deposits are located primarily in the medial layer, unlike atherosclerotic calcification, which is located within the intimal lesions. This and other differences suggest that the two forms may have different underlying mechanisms. Although it remains controversial whether vascular calcification promotes plaque destabilization, it is clear that arterial rigidity contributes to hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, and heart failure, in part because of increased aortic impedance, as seen in experimental models that use aortic banding to produce heart failure. This is likely the reason that patients with chronic renal disease most often die of cardiovascular complications. This clinical phenomenon offers important mechanistic clues about vascular calcification, as recognized by Giachelli and colleagues at University of Washington. As a result of their interdisciplinary work, they were aware that bone biologists routinely treat their osteoblast cultures with phosphate supplements, usually in the form of beta-glycerophosphate, and that phosphate supplements accelerated osteoblast mineralization. Together with the knowledge that end-stage renal disease patients almost uniformly have both elevated serum phosphate and extensive vascular calcification, this observation raised the possibility that hyperphosphatemia may be a …
Heat transfer and pressure drop for nitrogen flowing in tubes containing twisted tapes

Heat transfer and pressure-drop studies were made on a series of electrically heated tubes containing full-diameter, full-length twisted tapes. The A nickel tubes had a nominal inside diameter of 0.4 in. (10.1 mm.) and a heated length of 12 in. (30.5 mm.). Nitrogen at 200 lb./sq.in. gauge (14.6 atm.) was the working fluid, and the tests covered the Reynolds number range from 20,000 to 200,000. Twist ratios, defined as the ratio of the tube length per 180 deg. twist to the tube diameter, were varied from 2.5 to 14. The effect of tube wall-to-gas temperature ratio was studied for values of up to 1.8 and the heat flux was varied from 104 to 105 B.t.u./hr. · sq.ft. (3 × 104 to 3 × 105 w./sq.m.). The results were compared with the results of previous heat transfer and pressure-drop studies and were generally found to be in good agreement. An empirical correlation was developed for the heat transfer results that accounts for the effects of twist ratio, wall-to-gas temperature ratio, and tube length and includes most of the previous single-phase results.
Analysis of Van de Graaff ion source with Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy

Abstract A radio frequency (RF) ion source is utilized at the University of Massachusetts Lowell accelerator facility to produce a plasma from which positive ions are extracted and then accelerated. The interior surface of the source becomes contaminated with a dark coating after several hundred hours of usage which reduces the current output of the source. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) was employed to analyze the constituents of this coating. Procedures have been carried out to etch chemically this film and to refurbish the ion source.
Lactic Bulk Culture System Utilizing Whey-Based Bacteriophage Inhibitory Medium and pH Control. III. Applicability to Cottage Cheese Manufacture

Abstract A phosphated whey medium prepared from fresh cottage cheese whey was as effective as phosphated whey media prepared from Swiss cheese whey in supporting development of lactic cultures. Activity of cultures in the phosphated acid whey medium with pH control was higher than in commercial phage inhibitory media or reconstituted nonfat dry milk without pH control. Cultures propagated in the acid whey medium were used successfully to manufacture cottage cheese. Acid production in the vat was faster and more reliable, and cutting times were shorter than when a conventional medium was used, but the products were comparable. Approximately 80% of the lactose in the culture was consumed compared to 9% in a phosphated acid whey medium not under pH control.
Effect of tumor bulk on local control and survival of patients with T1 glottic cancer.

Abstract Purpose : To evaluate the effect of tumor bulk in relation to various tumor-related prognostic factors and treatment-related variables on local control and survival of patients with T1 N0 M0 squamous cell carcinoma of the glottis. Materials and methods : In 114 patients with T1 squamous cell carcinoma of the glottic larynx who were irradiated with curative intent, we determined the effect of tumor bulk in relation to mucosal extent (stage and anterior commissure involvement), histologic differentiation and various radiation factors, especially overall treatment time on local control and survival. Tumors were classified retrospectively as small surface lesions or bulky tumors. Seventy-seven patients had small lesions and 37 had bulky tumors. The anterior commissure was involved with cancer in 43 patients. The overall duration of irradiation ranged from 39 to 64 days. The median follow-up time was 6 years (range 5–24 years). Results : The 5-year actuarial local control rate for all patients was 82% after radiotherapy and 92% after salvage laryngectomy. On univariate analysis, bulky tumors and tumors involving the anterior commissure showed an adverse effect on local control, whereas the overall duration of irradiation had a borderline significance. The actuarial local control rate was 91% for small tumors and 58% for bulky tumors ( P =0.0002), 88% when the anterior commissure was not involved and 67% when the anterior commissure was involved ( P =0.01) and 89% when radiation was given in less than 50 days and 73% when irradiation exceeded 50 days ( P =0.06). On multivariate analysis, tumor bulk was the only significant factor that affected local control ( P =0.02). The 5-year actuarial survival for all patients was 73% and the disease-free survival was 92%. Conclusion : This study shows that tumor bulk has a highly significant effect on the radiation control of T1 glottic cancer. Patients who had bulky tumors had lower local control and disease-free survival rates than those patients who had small tumors.
Integrated quantum well intersub-band photodetector and light emitting diode

The authors propose and demonstrate the integration of a quantum well intersub-band photodetector (QWIP) and a light emitting diode (LED) for making large two-dimensional focal plane arrays for thermal imaging applications. The newly developed QWIP technology is combined with the well established LED technology both based on GaAs and related epitaxially grown alloys, such as AlGaAs and InGaAs.
The central role of oxygen on H+-irradiated Lu2SiO5 luminescence

Abstract The behavior of self-trapped defects (STDs) in ion-beam irradiated Lu 2 SiO 5 (LSO) crystal has been investigated via temperature-dependent radioluminescence (RL) measurements. Production of oxygen vacancies is the major effect of H + irradiation on luminescencent properties of this phosphor. Luminescence centers for self-trapped exciton (STE) and self-trapped hole emission are assigned to oxygen vacancies and oxygen ions, respectively. Ion-induced structural damage modifies the thermal stability of the STDs and creates perturbed STEs. A striking effect of ion irradiation is the approximate factor-of-two enhancement of STE RL intensity that results from implantation of only a thin (∼250 nm) surface layer of LSO. This enhancement is attributed to ion-beam modification of a surface dead layer.
Modification of Targets and Processes for Conversion of 99Mo Production from High- to Low-Enriched Uranium

As part of the U.S. nonproliferation effort, we are investigating the conversion of the production of fission-product 99Mo from use of high-enriched uranium (HEU) to low-enriched uranium (LEU). Successful conversion from HEU to LEU (<20% 235U) requires an irradiation target that contains 5 times more uranium but minimizes changes to target geometry and processing. The LEU target being developed uses thin foils of uranium metal that can be removed from the target hardware for dissolution and processing. This paper describes our recent successes in target fabrication, irradiation, and processing. Target fabrication has been improved by (1) heat-treating the uranium foil to produce a random, small-grain structure and (2) electrodepositing zinc and nickel fission-fragment barriers onto the foil. These fission-fragment barriers have been found to be stable during transport of the targets following irradiation. Recent irradiation tests have shown that the concept is sound. Progress was also made in broadening i...
The neuroscience of remote memory

Recently, there has been renewed interest in the organization and neurobiology of remote memory, and the pace of work in this area has accelerated. Yet the recent literature does not suggest that a consensus is developing, and there is disagreement about both facts and their interpretation. This article undertakes a comprehensive review of the three kinds of evidence that have been most prominent in recent discussion: studies of retrograde amnesia in memory-impaired patients who have well-characterized lesions, neuroimaging of healthy volunteers, and work with experimental animals including lesion studies, imaging and mouse genetics. The available evidence tells a coherent story and leads to some straightforward conclusions about the neuroscience of remote memory.
The electrocardiographic and vectorcardiographic findings in idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis

Abstract 1. 1. The electrocardiogram and vectorcardiogram are usually abnormal in cases of idiopathic hypertrophic aortic stenosis. ST-T abnormalities are most frequently seen, but P-wave and QRS abnormalities are also seen. The P-wave abnormalities suggest left atrial enlargement and intraauricular block. The QRS abnormalities resemble those of left ventricular hypertrophy, but may also mimic those of myocardial infarction in a variety of locations. 2. 2. It is concluded that there is no uniform conduction abnormality associated with this lesion.
The influence of biotic drivers on North American palaeorecords: alternatives to climate

Biotic causes of changes in palaeorecords are discussed as a counterbalance to the (over) emphasis on climatic drivers in the interpretation of palaeoecological change. Biotic and climatic drivers are considered as competing hypotheses with particular reference to the importance of early-Holocene drought in the northern central grassland region of North America. It is concluded that the observed patterns are explained better by grazers than by the direct effects of climatic variation. The elevation of biotic factors as competing hypotheses with climate will require new conceptual and methodological approaches to palaeoecology in North America.
Dilute solution properties of randomly branched poly(methyl methacrylate)

Randomly branched poly(methyl methacrylate) samples were prepared by copolymerization with different amounts of ethylene dimethacrylate. The molecular weight distributions, radius of gyration distributions, and intrinsic viscosity distributions were measured by size exclusion chromatography with refractive index, multiangle light-scattering, and viscosity detectors. The effect of branching on the radius of gyration was compared with the effect on the intrinsic viscosity. It was found that the intrinsic viscosity contraction factor gi scales with the radius of gyration contraction factor g, with the exponent, ϵ, having a value in the range 0.8–1.0. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Perception of left and right by a feed forward net

In studying the ability of feed forward networks to perform perceptual tasks, we train a network to master a specific task, that of deciding whether a given object is to the left or to the right of another object. We discuss in general terms such issues as architecture, drilling, generalization, abstraction, learning from small examples, and versatility.
A cappadocian speculation.

IN 1925, F. Hrozny discovered the source of the “Cappadocian” tablets near the village of Kultepe (38° 44′ N, 35° 34′ E). These cuneiform tablets provide a foundation for study of the pre-Hittite (circa 1940 BC to 1740 BC) network of Assyrian merchant colonies in Bronze Age Anatolia1. Bilgic2 has published the names of 119 towns active in this exchange, as evidenced by their citation on a tablet. The exact location of most of these sites is not known, and historical and archaeological investigations would be greatly facilitated if they could be found. We have used Bilgic's compilation to estimate the geographical position of several of the towns, in the sense of Bunge3, which is conditional on several assumptions. We invoke assumptions to enhance the analysis by applying the leverage obtained from geographical theory. We assume, for example, that mathematical models based on contemporary (largely western) data have a temporally and geographically invariant structure and can be applied to the Cappadocian situation. Our approach differs from several previous attempts1,2,4, to which it should be considered complementary rather than competitive. For example, we do not require the existence of itineraries; the mere mention of two town names on the same tablet is taken to define a relation between these towns. We recognize that one of the simplest geographical relations is distance and attempt to convert the tabular data into geographical distances. If this is possible then it is an almost routine matter to convert these distances into relative positions. Thus it may be possible to specify the actual locations of the towns; that is, to predict their latitude and longitude. The simplest model asserts that places which are mentioned together frequently are probably closer together than are places which are not mentioned together frequently. This spatial decay is similar to the temporal decay of linguistic relations postulated in glottochronology5, or of isotopic changes used in radiocarbon dating6. Our procedure attempts to estimate spatial, rather than temporal, origins and can be considered the geographical equivalent to these methods. It also has comparable limitations. We know of no previous use of the procedure presented here.
TWO PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS IN MEDIA AUDIENCE BEHAVIOR

In this article Dr. Wiebe explores the apparent paradox between two facts: television programs in the United States are regarded by many as at best trivial and at worst vulgar and even harmful; but these programs continue to enjoy huge audiences. The explanation, according to the author, lies not in commercial pandering to debased sensibilities, but in two psychological facts less easily susceptible of remedy: reluctance to cope with "the other"; and resistance to demands for change except under conditions not ordinarily created by the mass media. Gerhart D. Wiebe is Dean of the School of Public Communication at Boston University.
Characteristics of Rhodamine WT and Fluorescein as Adsorbing Ground‐Water Tracers

Fluorescent dyes are being used as adsorbing ground-water tracers for conducting solute transport studies for adsorbing organic chemicals (e.g., pesticides). In this research, the ability of two fluorescent dyes (rhodamine WT and fluorescein) to mimic the adsorptive behavior of two herbicides (atrazine and alachlor) with alluvial aquifer sands was evaluated. Laboratory studies (batch and column) indicated the following order of increasing adsorption: fluorescein, atrazine, alachlor, and rhodamine WT. Thus, the use of fluorescein and rhodamine WT as adsorbing ground-water tracers was observed to delimit the appearance of the atrazine and alachlor (fluorescein appeared before and rhodamine WT after the herbicides). Several adsorption characteristics of the fluorescent dyes differed from those commonly observed for pesticides. The levels of adsorption for the dyes were several orders of magnitude greater than predicted from empirical relationships based on Kow and foc. The presence of divalent cations was observed to increase the level of rhodamine WT adsorption. The rhodamine WT breakthrough curves were not of the conventional sigmoidal shape but instead leveled off at a C/CO value of 0.5 for a number of pore volumes prior to increasing again towards a C/CO value of 1.0. These characteristics indicate that the adsorptive mechanisms for the fluorescent dyes differed from the adsorptive mechanisms for most pesticides. These variations in fundamental adsorptive mechanisms raise concerns as to the transferability of the results of this research (fluorescein and rhodamine WT delimiting the appearance of atrazine and alachlor) to other subsurface media.