cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Are routine postoperative dilations necessary after primary posterior sagittal anorectoplasty? A randomized controlled trial

Abstract Aim of the Study : For the past four decades, routine daily postoperative anal dilation by parents has been the standard treatment following a primary posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP). However, the clinical benefit of this practice has never been formally investigated. It is known that dilations can have a significant negative psychological impact on patients and families, and therefore, we aimed to study if routine dilations after a PSARP are necessary. Methods : A prospective, single institution randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on patients with anorectal malformations (ARM) at our institution between 2017 and 2019. Patients were randomized to either a dilation or non-dilation group following their PSARP. Inclusion criteria included age less than 24 months and all patients undergoing primary repair of their ARM (except for cloaca). Patient characteristics, type of ARM, presence of colostomy, postoperative stricture, need for a skin level revision (Heineke-Mikulicz anoplasty (HMA)), and need for redo PSARP were recorded. The primary outcome of the trial was stricture formation. The secondary outcome included strictures requiring interventions. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Institutional approval was obtained for this study and informed consents were obtained from all the patients. Results : 49 patients were included in our study. 5 (21%) in the dilation group and 8 (32%) in the non-dilation group developed strictures (p=0.21). Of these, 3 (13%) patients in the dilation group required HMA, and 4 (16%) patients in the non-dilation group required HMA (p=0.72). 4 patients required a redo operation for strictures: 2 in the dilation arm (these patients despite the plan to do dilations, chose not to do them consistently) and 2 in the non-dilation arm (p=0.59). Conclusion : Routine dilations after PSARP do not significantly reduce stricture formation. Based on these results, non-dilation is a viable alternative, and HM anoplasty remains a good back-up plan if a stricture develops. Level of Evidence : Level I
Testing alternative treatments for underused carpool lanes on narrow freeways

Abstract Carpool lanes that are not filled to capacity can spell trouble, particularly when deployed on narrow freeways with only 3 lanes in each travel direction. Two alternative treatments for underused carpool lanes were evaluated with this in mind. Both can boost discharge flows by opening a portion of the carpool lane to all freeway traffic in the vicinity of a bottleneck. The simpler of the two alternatives opens the lane segment on a permanent basis. The other does so intermittently. Both alternatives leave the carpool lane intact on segments well upstream of an active bottleneck. Carpools are thus still enabled to bypass slower-moving queues in a freeway’s regular-use lanes. Both alternatives have previously been proposed, but were yet to be tested. The present tests entail simulations of a real 3-lane freeway. The simulation model was calibrated to roughly match unfavorable conditions presently triggered by the site’s underused carpool lane. Experiments were thereafter performed by varying travel demands parametrically. These tests unveiled why the alternatives are likely to be better options than rescinding the site’s carpool restriction and opening the full length of the lane to all traffic. Simulations also show that, unless the carpool lane is nearly filled to capacity, the alternatives perform better than does the traditional practice of running the lane through a bottleneck. The simpler of the two alternatives performed well when the carpool lane operated at less than two-thirds its capacity. The intermittent treatment was found superior when carpool demands were higher. The savings in Vehicle Hours Traveled (VHT) and People Hours Traveled (PHT) generated by the alternatives were often large. Deploying the simpler alternative under the site’s present-day conditions, for example, was found to reduce PHT and VHT by more than 1,000 (hours) each, over a 5-h period spanning the afternoon rush. These improvements did not come at great cost to carpools. To the contrary, carpools often benefited from the alternative treatments, despite having at times to traverse the site’s bottleneck sans priority. This is because by diminishing regular-lane queues, the alternatives also diminished the deleterious friction effect on carpool-lane speeds. Policy implications for carpool- and other kinds of special-use lanes are discussed.
Locks, Bombs and Testing: The Case of Independent Locks

We present a Defense/Attack resource allocation model, where Defender has some number of “locks” to protect n vulnerable boxes (sites), and Attacker is trying to destroy these boxes, having m “bombs,” which can be placed into boxes. Similar models were studied in game theory - (Colonel) Blotto games, but our model has a feature absent in previous literature. Attackers test the vulnerability of all sites before allocating their resources, and these tests are not perfect, i.e., a test can give plus for a box without a lock and minus for a box with a lock. We describe the optimal strategies for a version of this Locks-Bombs-Testing (LBT) model when locks appear independently in each box with the same probability.
Simulation in nursing students’ preclinical studies — Does the timing of the simulation matter?

Background: A descriptive case study evaluated second-year undergraduate nursing students’ perception of simulations, comparing two curricula. Methods: Questionnaires were completed post-simulation by 658 students from the classes of 2013/2014 (old curriculum) and the class of 2015 (new curriculum). Results: The classes of 2013/2014 were more satisfied with the written information than the class of 2015 (mean of 3.83 vs 3.32, p < .001). The classes of 2013/2014 were also better prepared (mean of 3.44 vs 3.12, p < .001). A significant difference was found between the classes of 2013/2014 and 2015 regarding the benefit of the simulation (mean of 3.94 vs 4.16, p < .001). Moreover, the surgical group found simulating with the manikin more beneficial compared to the medical and mental health groups’ experience with role-play (mean of 4.33 vs 4.08 vs 4.11, p < .050). Finally, male students reported simulation as more beneficial than female students (mean of 4.30 vs 4.01, p < .005). Conclusions: Between-class differences emerged when the curriculum changed, and students found simulation with a manikin directly before clinical practice most beneficial.
System management technology for technical maintenance of transport and technological machines

The paper considers the generalized structure of maintenance system, including, in the general case, the protection subsystem, the functional diagnostics subsystem, the test diagnostics subsystem, the maintenance and repair subsystem. The technical implementation of the listed subsystems is possible in the form of tools built into the object and in the form of tools external to the object. For the generalized structure of the transport and technological machines maintenance system, the possible ratios of the volumetric characteristics of built-in and external subsystems are analyzed (using the simplest analytical expression). The possibility of formalizing the control process of a generalized system of technical maintenance of autonomous objects within the framework of a finite-automaton model is discussed. In accordance with this model, it is proposed, first, to consider the on-board maintenance system as an operational automaton; second, each of its subsystems should be considered as a separate internal automaton that implements its own technological algorithm; third, the interaction of the four automata should be organized within the control automaton for the above-mentioned operating automaton. The algorithm for the functioning of this control automaton has been synthesized.
Water, pedagogy, and human security: The influence of Latin American eco-artists

Abstract This article aims to demonstrate how eco-artists in Latin America are paving a new way for us to engage with water, the environment, and extractive industries. It contends that professors and teachers can enrich their curriculum by encouraging students to engage the work of eco-artists. Moreover, educators should design assignments across disciplines that require students to get out and engage with the resources they are trying to study. This effort requires new ways of thinking about teaching, learning, and water. What is at stake? In a very real sense, the future of human life on earth—perhaps pressingly security. Without clean, accessible drinking water, chaos ensues, which can risk the stability of entire regions.
Public Accommodations for LGBTQ Individuals: Current Policies, Pending Debates

This policy brief reviews recent rulings on public accommodations access for transgender and gender-variant students in the school system as well as pending debates within the Supreme Court of the United States. This article opens with a review of current and past policies related to LGBTQ and transgender and gender-expansive adults and youth and the implications of these policies. A discussion related to the protection of the civil and human rights of LGBTQ youth and current advocacy needs follows, with a focus on understanding current educational and mental health issues of queer youth, particularly those who identify as transgender and gender-expansive and the consequences when the basic human and civil rights of this population are not protected. For inclusive and affirmative practice with LGBTQ adults and youth, it is an ethical necessity to understand the trajectory of civil rights and advocate for appropriate policies that will provide the supportive environment required to reduce mental health risks. Implications for practice, future policy development, and advocacy are suggested with a focus on informing and empowering social workers working with gender-variant youth, particularly within the school system.
An Empirical Evaluation of a Vocal User Interface for Programming by Voice

Although Graphical User Interfaces GUIs often improve usability, individuals with physical disabilities may be unable to use a mouse and keyboard to navigate through a GUI-based application. In such situations, a Vocal User Interface VUI may be a viable alternative. Existing vocal tools e.g., Vocal Joystick can be integrated into software applications; however, integrating an assistive technology into a legacy application may require tedious and manual adaptation. Furthermore, the challenges are deeper for an application whose GUI changes dynamically e.g., based on the context of the program and evolves with each new application release. This paper provides a discussion of challenges observed while mapping a GUI to a VUI. The context of the authors' examples and evaluation are taken from Myna, which is the VUI that is mapped to the Scratch programming environment. Initial user studies on the effectiveness of Myna are also presented in the paper.
Enzyme Immunoassay Detection of Nitrosomonas europaea.

An exploratory effort to selectively detect the presence of a nitrifying bacterium, Nitrosomonas europaea, successfully demonstrated the fundamental utility of an enzyme-based immunoassay protocol. The applied polyclonal antibody test seemingly offered a marked improvement over the available analytical options, including plating, activity, and fluorescence immunoassay techniques. Following an initial purification step to enhance overall specificity, this procedure had an apparent lower limit of detection of ∼5 × 106 cells per ml. Tests conducted with activated sludge samples exhibited a distinct difference between nitrifying and nonnitrifying mixed liquors, although the highest Nitrosomonas levels observed (i.e., at 1 to 2% of the overall viable cell density) were relatively close to the latter detection boundary.
Unauthorized Expression: Does 'Hacktivism' Have a Viable First Amendment Defense?

This is a working draft of some legal research on the question of whether political acts of expression done via computers or computer networks (often referred to as hacktivism) could have any viable First Amendment defenses. It analyzes (1) the open access movement and the case of Aaron Swartz; (2) the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and its potential to suppress speech through the criminalization of computer access point restrictions and the chilling effects on cybersecurity research; (3) the First Amendment generally and (a) software-as-speech theory, (b) the functional aspects of software analogized to expressive conduct, (c) the right to access information, and (d) a forum analysis of computers and the Internet. The article suggests that the current application of the CFAA has chilling effects on speech that is of great public concern. Therefore, courts applying the CFAA should no longer brush aside the First Amendment because all computer activity on the Internet is inherently communicative; software is a form of speech and even the functional aspects of software (in certain cases) could be covered by the First Amendment under the principals of expressive conduct; people have fundamental rights to access certain types of information; and certain computer networks are public forums entitling certain expressive behaviors in those forums to constitutional protection.
Nonprescription use of pain relievers by middle-aged and elderly community-living adults: National Survey on Drug Use and Health

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the frequency, distribution, and correlates of nonprescription use of pain relievers by middle-aged and elderly persons in the United States. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data analysis of a national community survey. SETTING: The 2005 and 2006 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. PARTICIPANTS: Ten thousand nine hundred fifty-three respondents aged 50 and older (6,717 aged 50–64 and 4,236 aged ≥65). MEASUREMENTS: Social and demographic variables, detailed assessment of nonprescription use (and abuse) of prescription pain relievers (e.g., acetaminophen with codeine, morphine), substance use, major depression, self-reported medical illnesses, and self-rated health. RESULTS: A small proportion of the sample (1.4%) reported nonprescription use of prescription pain relievers during the previous year. Combinations of acetaminophen and hydrocodone or propoxyphene were the most commonly used drugs. Use was associated with younger age (odds ratio (OR)=2.39, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.31–4.36), American Indian and Alaska native (OR=8.78, 95% CI=2.50–30.85), and use of marijuana (OR=7.07, 95% CI=3.99–12.53). Fewer than 10% of nonprescription users were abusing these medications or dependent upon them. CONCLUSION: In a representative sample of middle-aged and older adults, nonprescription use of prescription pain relievers is relatively uncommon, but the much higher use by middle-aged adults suggests that, as this cohort ages, the problem may increase in elderly people.
Egg yolk emulsion agar, a new medium for the cultivation of Helicobacter pylori.

We developed a new agar, egg yolk emulsion (EYE) agar, for cultivation of Helicobacter pylori. EYE agar contains Columbia agar base (Oxoid), 10% EYE (Oxoid), 1% IsoVitaleX (BBL), and 40 mg of Triphenyleteraxolium chloride (Sigma) per liter. We compared EYE agar with the following agars: (i) brain heart infusion agar-7% horse blood-1% IsoVitaleX (GDW agar; C. S. Goodwin, E. D. Blincow, J. R. Warren, T. E. Waters, C. R. Sanderson, and L. Easton, J. Clin. Pathol. 38:1127-1131, 1985), (ii) brain heart infusion agar-10% horse serum-0.2% charcoal-1% yeast extract-40 mg of triphenyltetrazolium chloride per liter (GLU agar; Y. Glupczynski, M. Labbe, and F. Thiabaumont, p. 3-6, in F. Megraud and H. Lamouliatte, ed., Gastroduodenal Pathology and Campylobacter pylori, 1989), (iii) Columbia agar with 7% lysed horse blood (DM J. C. Dent and C. A. M. McNulty, Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 7:555-558, 1988), and (iv) brain heart infusion agar-10% EYE-1% IsoVitaleX (BHIE agar). H. pylori CFU counts, expressed as average percentages of maximum growth, were as follows: EYE agar, 96; GDW agar. 76; BHIE agar, 57; DM and GLU agar, 23. Colony counts for EYE agar were significantly higher than for GDW agar (P = 0.027), BHIE agar (P = 0.005), DM the EYE agar count was 80%, versus 33% for BBL chocolate medium and 63% for Remel chocolate medium.
Arbitrary Order Operations on Trees

We consider techniques for the large scale parallel execution of algorithms on trees. We show that there is much parallelism in these algorithms, and introduce efficient means to exploit this parallelism. In particular, arbitrary order operations on trees are considered. An execution of a set arbitrary order operations must be equivalent to some sequential execution of a permutation of these operations.
Testing highly integrated wireless circuits and systems with low cost tester: how to overcome the challenge?

The expensive ATE platform is very flexible and adequate for complex devices but costly. The upgrade cost is high enough if we like to cover a wide range of applications. We debate the best strategy in order to keep the test cost a small fraction of the total RF IC cost. This panel will focus on how the design for test at the board level is the key solution to cover a wide range of applications in the same test platform. It allows one to measure parameters impossible to measure with existing ATE. By using design for test at board level we avoid modification of the RF chip and confrontation with the designer. It is flexible and application or product oriented. The design for test can even allow testing of RF devices in a mixed signal or a digital tester.
A Measurement of the Information Value in Transport Processes

The problem of the cost/benefit evaluation at ITS implementation stands for one of the key questions during the system planning. As all the intelligent transport systems are based on the intensive exploitation of information, the question of information value is of a significant meaning. One approaches the problem in a various manners, mostly yet by calculation of the economic effects "post factum". But this method is of low convenience and usefulness, as it may rely mostly on the experience, which brings always some errors resulted by the solutions and circumstances uniqueness. In the paper there are discussed evaluation approaches based on subjective value assessment and probabilistic decision model, in which a value of information is measured as the effect of it influence on decision choice, with considering the probabilities of a given decision circumstances. Obviously, this method have to be applied "ante-factum".
The plasma environment during particle beam injection into space plasmas. I - Electron beams. II - Charge-neutral beams

A realistic electrostatic simulation model is used to investigate the plasma environment in the near vicinity of a spacecraft during the injection of electon beams from the spacecraft. The model is described, and the cases of injection into vacuum and into a low-density plasma are addressed. The relationship of the two-dimensional results to the purely field-aligned one-dimensional simulations is discussed. The dependence of the results on the ambient plasma density is investigated. Then, the properties of a charge-neutral beam and the plasma response are examined for the case where the beam has nonzero velocity components parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field. The parameters used in the simulation are described, and the properties of the beam injection into the vacuum and in the case where a plasma is present are given.
Our Experience of the Sky and Star Knowledge

We often hear that we live in a “global community” in which we are linked together across the Earth. The links we usually consider are materialistic – financial transactions, Internet services, trading of goods from distant continents. Yet we are also linked in a more profound way, as citizens of the Earth, surrounded by the planets of the solar system and the dazzling constellations of the night sky (Fig. 1.1). Before international trade and before the Internet, humans looked up at the night sky and traded tales and theories of what it all means. Many of the tales endure in oral tradition, in mythology, and in more subtle forms.
On a Class of Bilinear Pseudodifferential Operators

We provide a direct proof for the boundedness of pseudodifferential operators with symbols in the bilinear H&#xf6;rmander class , . The proof uses a reduction to bilinear elementary symbols and Littlewood-Paley theory.
Competence and Burnout in Family Child Care Providers

Competence and burnout among human service professionals, including recent studies on burnout among teachers in child care centers, have received a great deal of attention. However, few studies have examined the interconnection between competence and burnout in family child care providers. Using a sample of 226 family child care providers, this study identifies the variables or combination of variables that contribute to competence and burnout in this population. Findings indicate that age and educational level of provider, use of lesson plans, perceived adequacy of space, and satisfaction with equipment and materials are significantly related to competence, burnout or both. Implications for improving competence and diminishing burnout in family child care providers are discussed.
Lattice QCD Current Status and Goals at One Teraflops

Through numerical simulations over the past decade we have made significant progress toward solving quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the widely accepted theory of the strong interactions. Quantitatively respectable results are beginning to emerge. We are also gaining new qualitative insights into the workings of the theory that will assist in the design and analysis of experiment. I give a few examples of recent progress in lattice QCD and discuss goals and prospects for computations using the coming generation of teraflops-scale supercomputers.
Bifurcations from stationary to periodic solutions in a low-order model of forced, dissipative barotropic flow

The considered investigation is concerned with periodic solutions in the context of a forced, dissipative, barotropic spectral model truncated to three complex coefficients with constant forcing on only the intermediate scale. It is found that determining a periodic solution of this three-coefficient model also reduces to finding the algebraic roots of a real polynomial. In the derivation of this polynomial, a class of hydrodynamic spectral systems is described for which a periodic solution might be similarly specified. The existence of periodic solutions of the three-coefficient model is controlled by the roots of the stability polynomial of the basic stationary solution, which represents the simplest response to the constant forcing. When the forcing exceeds a critical value, the basic solution becomes unstable. Owing to the nature of the roots of the stability polynomial at critical forcing, bifurcation theory guarantees the existence of a periodic solution.
Surgical treatment of atrial septal defects: Open versus closed technics

Abstract Twenty-two patients with atrial septal defects have now been operated on by the direct vision technic utilizing the rotating disc oxygenator. The operative morbidity and mortality has been less than when closed technics were employed. Postoperative catheterization studies have demonstrated the superiority of the open technic in that all patients so far studied have shown complete closure of their defects.
A Dynamic Network Perspective of Chronic Pain

We briefly summarize recent advances regarding brain functional representation of chronic pain, reorganization of resting state brain activity, and of brain anatomy with chronic pain. Based on these observations and recent theoretical advances regarding network architecture properties, we develop a general concept of the dynamic interplay between anatomy and function as the brain progresses into persistent pain, and outline the role of mesolimbic learning mechanisms that are likely involved in maintenance of chronic pain.
Alu-mediated phylogenetic novelties in gene regulation and development

Differential gene expression lies at the heart of biology and is responsible for all developmental processes, including the growth and differentiation of cells. Perhaps even speciation could be defined as a change in differential gene expression over evolutionary time. The present work is a phylogenetic study of four Alu elements known to have gene regulatory functions in the human. The four elements have been shown to regulate the parathyroid hormone (PTH) gene via a negative calcium-response element, the hematopoietic cell-specific FcϵRI-γ receptor gene via a cis-acting positive/negative regulatory element, the CNS-specific nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α3 gene via a cis-acting positive/negative control element, and the T-cell-specific CD8α gene via a complex transcriptional regulator. The four Alu elements that impact differential gene expression were found to be differentially distributed among seven primate species (human, chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, baboon, rhesus, and macaque) in a way that is congruent with an accepted phylogeny of these species. The results establish a link between gene regulation and the divergence of primates. This evolutionary variation in gene regulation also suggests a novel experimental system to study the very complex transcriptional regulation of gene expression, by studying side-by-side the regulation of the same gene from two primate species that differ in the cis-acting regulatory elements of the gene.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Patterns of Failure and the Case for Aggressive Locoregional Management

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and aggressive subtype. This study analyzes the patterns of failure in patients with IBC treated at our institution. We retrospectively analyzed the records of 227 women with IBC presenting between 1997 and 2011. Survival analysis was used to calculate overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival. Competing risk analysis was used to calculate locoregional recurrence (LRR). A total of 173 patients had locoregional-only disease at presentation (non-MET). Median follow-up in the surviving patients was 3.3 years. Overall, 132 (76.3 %) patients received trimodality therapy with chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy. Three-year OS was 73.1 % [95 % confidence interval (CI) 64.9–82.4]. Cumulative LRR was 10.1, 16.9, and 21.3 % at 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively. No variable was significantly associated with LRR. Fifty-four patients had metastatic disease at presentation (MET). Median follow-up in the surviving patients was 2.6 years. Three-year OS was 44.3 % (95 % CI 31.4–62.5). Twenty-four (44.4 %) patients received non-palliative local therapy (radiotherapy and/or surgery). For these patients, median OS after local therapy was 2 years. Excluding six patients who received local therapy for symptom palliation, the crude incidence of locoregional progression or recurrence (LRPR) was 17 % (4/24) for those who received local therapy compared with 57 % (13/23) for those who did not. For non-MET patients, LRR remains a problem despite trimodality therapy. More aggressive treatment is warranted. For MET patients, nearly 60 % have LRPR with systemic therapy alone. Local therapy should be considered in the setting of metastatic disease to prevent potential morbidity of progressive local disease.
Effect of Macrochelidae (Acarina: Mesostigmata) on House Fly Production From Dairy Cattle Manure

Caged areas of intact calf pen manure with the mite population undisturbed produced 61% to 67% fewer house flies ( Musca domestica Linnaeus) than did areas with the mites destroyed by Kelthanc® (l, l-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethanol) when 20,000 fly eggs were added to each area. Outdoor piles of dairy cattle manure with the mite population undisturbed produced 31% to 45% fewer house flies than did piles with the mites destroyed by Kelthane, when 50,000 fly eggs were added to each pile. Indoor caged piles of fresh dairy cattle manure to which 20,000 house fly eggs were added produced 94% fewer flies when 200 Macrocheles museaedomestieae (Scopoli) and 200 Glyptholaspis confuse (Foa) were added than did piles to which no mites were added. Similar reductions in fly production in the presence of the mites resulted when 20,000 and 60,000 eggs and fresh manure were added to the piles 3 weeks later. Addition of 60,000 eggs to indoor caged piles of fresh dairy cattle manure, to which were added 200 M. muscaedomesticae and 200 G. Confusa , resulted in 83% fewer house flies than were produced from piles with no mites. The reductions in numbers of house flies by the mites were large compared to the actual fly production from manure but were small compared to the potential production of flies from the numbers of eggs added.
Studies on the biological disposition of diethylstilbestrol in rats and humans

Studies were conducted to elucidate the processes involved in the biological disposition of diethylstilbestrol (DES). The apparent biological half‐life of [ 14 C] DES decreased with increasing age in immature rats. The half‐life of DES In adult rats (14 min) was reached between the 15th and 25th day after birth. Comparison of the intestinal absorption of [ 14 C] DES and [ 14 C] DE5 monoglucuronide showed the unconjugated drug to be absorbed much more rapidly. Hydrolysis of the conjugate took place in the lower intestine, and this permitted the drug to undergo enterohepatic cycling. Placenta/transfer of [ 14 C] DES was studied in pregnant rats at mid and late gestation. The drug and its metabolites were restricted in their movement from mother to fetus, and relatively low fetal levels were found. Only 0.0006% of the maternal dose of DES was found as the unchanged drug in each fetus at 90 min after drug administration. Conjugated metabolites were found in the fetus just prior to birth but not in the 13‐day‐...
Metastability of gold-carbonyl cluster complexes, Au N (CO) M -

Smaller gold-cluster anions, typified by Au 7 - , adsorb multiple CO molecules in a high-pressure, room-temperature flow-reactor, tending toward previously unknown saturation compositions, Au7(CO) 4 - . The weakness of the gold-carbonyl adsorption bond is evidenced indirectly by the high CO partial pressure required and more directly by the high probability of fragmentation in the field-free flight region of the reflectron-type time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The analysis of this metastability reveals that the actual distribution fN,M of products Au7(CO) M - in the reactor may be highly non-statistical, e.g. with only even-M species present.
The rate of increase not the amplitude of cytosolic Ca2+ regulates the degree of prolactin secretion induced by depolarizing K+ or hyposmolarity in GH4C1 cells

Depolarizing K+ and medium hyposmolarity caused striking rises in both cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and prolactin (PRL) secretion in GH4C1 cells, which were completely blocked by removal of medium Ca2+. However, the increase in [Ca2+]i and PRL secretion induced by hyposmolarity was clearly slower than that induced by K+. Although there was a good correlation between the zenith of PRL secretion and [Ca2+]i induced by various intensities of K+ or hyposmolarity, the regression slopes were significantly different between the K+- and hyposmolarity-induced changes (P<0.01). There was a good correlation between the maximum rate of change in PRL secretion and that of the increase in [Ca2+]i when the data from the 2 secretagogues were combined (r=0.994, P<0.001, N=9). We suggest that the rate of increase in [Ca2+]i may be more important than the amplitude of [Ca2+]i in stimulating PRL secretion.
Mail‐man: A knowledge‐based mail assistant for managers

Although several collaborative office systems have been developed recently to provide synchronous communication support for managerial work, they have not capitalized on electronic mail (E‐mail), an existing asynchronous office communication technology widely used by managers. This is because E‐mail technology has yet to incorporate intelligent characteristics and flexibility to support different office functions, which can enable it to adapt to the changing and uncertain environment of managerial work. This article addresses the conceptual and technological issues involved in development of E‐mail to support managerial work with MAIL‐MAN, a knowledge‐based E‐mail system unified with other office applications to model and support managerial work.
Ultrashort pulse generation by molecular modulation

This PhD Tutorial describes a new source of coherent radiation, with a spectrum extending over many octaves of optical bandwidth. We demonstrate collinear generation of mutually coherent spectral sidebands, ranging in wavelength from 2.94 μm in the infrared to 195 nm in the ultraviolet. The pulse energies are above 1 mJ/10 ns pulse for each of the nine central sidebands. The essence of our technique is the adiabatic preparation of a macroscopic molecular ensemble in a single vibrational superposition state. When this is achieved, coherent molecular motion modulates laser light and produces a wide frequency modulated (FM)-like spectrum, which allows subfemtosecond pulse compression. We use this source in two experiments: (1) we demonstrate the generation and detection of amplitude and frequency modulated light with a 90 THz modulation frequency; and (2) we demonstrate coherent control of multiphoton ionization on a few-femtosecond timescale, under conditions where photoionization requires eleven photons of the lowest frequency and five photons of the highest frequency of the spectrum. Our experiments demonstrate good mutual coherence of the generated sidebands and suggest a possibility of sub-cycle optical field shaping. This is a first step towards studying subfemtosecond atomic and molecular dynamics.
Studies on the Distribution of Cholinesterases: Activity in the Human and Dog Heart

Extract: The distribution and postnatal variation of cholinesterase (ChE) activity were studied in 25 human and 25 dog hearts. The observed distribution pattern is remarkably constant. In dog hearts, the pattern is as follows: sinus node (SN) > left atrium (LA) > right atrium (RA) > right ventricle (RV) ≃ left ventricle (LV). The average acetylcholinesterase (AcChE) activities as expressed in international units per g wet tissue are: 1.66 (SN), 1.14 (LA), 0.70 (RA), 0.22 (RV), and 0.21 (LV). In human hearts, the AcChE distribution follows the pattern of RA > LA > RV ≃ LV with corresponding average activities of 1.70, 1.38, 0.51, and 0.44 IU. The postnatal variation of ChE activity is most pronounced in the RA of the heart in both species. The average AcChE activity in the RA of the newborn puppies is 0.51 IU as compared with 2.27 IU in newborn infants. In the adult heart, however, the average atrial AcChE activity is nearly identical (1.02 IU) in both species. An additional difference is the large (34–64%) contribution of butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) to the total activity in dog hearts whereas the contribution of BuChE is small (7–15%) in human hearts. Speculation: The relative AcChE activities and the distribution of this enzyme seem to follow the vagal innervation of the various parts of the heart. The low enzyme activities observed in the newborn puppies correlate well with histochemical and functional studies indicating incomplete development of the vagal innervation of the heart in this species at birth. In newborn babies, however, the vagal innervation of the heart is reportedly fully developed and the heart is markedly sensitive to vagal stimuli. The high AcChE activity present in the human heart at birth is compatible with these observations. Moreover, a decline of AcChE activity with age may represent a postnatal maturation process of the parasympathetic system of the heart which has not yet been appreciated.
Combinatorial Assembly of Developmental Stage-Specific Enhancers Controls Gene Expression Programs during Human Erythropoiesis

Gene-distal enhancers are critical for tissue-specific gene expression, but their genomic determinants within a specific lineage at different stages of development are unknown. Here we profile chromatin state maps, transcription factor occupancy, and gene expression profiles during human erythroid development at fetal and adult stages. Comparative analyses of human erythropoiesis identify developmental stage-specific enhancers as primary determinants of stage-specific gene expression programs. We find that erythroid master regulators GATA1 and TAL1 act cooperatively within active enhancers but confer little predictive value for stage specificity. Instead, a set of stage-specific coregulators collaborates with master regulators and contributes to differential gene expression. We further identify and validate IRF2, IRF6, and MYB as effectors of an adult-stage expression program. Thus, the combinatorial assembly of lineage-specific master regulators and transcriptional coregulators within developmental stage-specific enhancers determines gene expression programs and temporal regulation of transcriptional networks in a mammalian genome.
Inhibitory RNA ligand to reverse transcriptase from feline immunodeficiency virus

High-affinity, high-specificity RNA ligands for reverse transcriptase from feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) were isolated from an RNA library by the SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment) procedure. The selected RNA ligands bound to FIV reverse transcriptase with dissociation constants in the nanomolar range. One of the ligands was a potent inhibitor of the RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity of both the recombinant and the virion-derived FIV reverse transcriptase. It also inhibited the reverse transcriptase from an FIV mutant that is resistant to 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT). The inhibition of FIV reverse transcriptase was competitive with respect to template-primer and noncompetitive with respect to deoxyribonucleoside 5'-triphosphates. This ligand was specific for the FIV enzyme and did not inhibit other reverse transcriptases tested (avian myeloblastosis virus, Moloney murine leukemia virus, and human immunodeficiency virus type 1).
Incident beam effects in medium-energy backscattered electron diffraction.

We have examined the angular distributions of medium-energy (500--1500 eV) elastically backscattered electrons from bulk Cu(001) and Ni(001) crystals and from pseudomorphic Cu on Ni(001). The observed diffraction features are largely governed by forward scattering of the outgoing electrons, and incoming beam scattering appears to play a relatively minor role. This conclusion is reached by comparing these angular distributions with theoretical angular distributions, and with those obtained via angle-resolved Auger electron and x-ray photoelectron diffraction spectroscopies involving electrons of comparable kinetic energies. We find that the three experimental techniques yield very similar results, indicating that incident beam effects and the mode of excitation play a minor role. In the calculations, we have both included and neglected incident beam diffraction. By including incoming beam diffraction, we have for simplicity ignored the phase relationship between incoming and outgoing beams. The result is that inclusion of incoming beam scattering does not particularly improve the level of agreement between theory and experiment relative to calculations which neglect incoming beam diffraction. Moreover, the level of agreement between experiment and theory is quite good for the simpler theory which only treats outgoing electron scattering. Finally, we find that azimuthal-angle medium-energy backscattered electron diffraction scans for pseudomorphic Cu/Ni(001) are not as sensitive to elastic overlayer strain as are polar-angle scans. The latter measurement provides a highly sensitive method of measuring strain which is quite straightforward to interpret.
The Demand for Higher Education in Puerto Rico.

Abstract Enrollment models are estimated for three Puerto Rico university systems. The opportunity cost and benefit to education are both measured as expected wage rates, a formulation which appears appropriate given the island's historically high unemployment rates. From the consumption function literature support is found for short-term, rather than a future oriented, decision framework to underlie the models. The models also include variables to test a market segmentation hypothesis. The empirical estimates mostly have good statistical properties, and the hypothesis that the universities are not substitutes for one another is accepted. The study also replicates findings that explain student decisions to undertake higher education in terms of reward motivated behavior. The higher education demand function can be identified since universities in Puerto Rico generally finance their expansion by long-term loans and bond issues, rather than through tuition hikes.
Periodic solutions of second-order differential equations with discontinuous nonlinearity

We study periodic solutions of homogeneous second-order differential equations with discontinuous nonlinearity. For equations that have chaotic solutions, we determine the value of the spatial entropy with respect to periodic solutions.
The Prion Hypothesis of Parkinson’s Disease

The discovery of alpha-synuclein's prion-like behaviors in mammals, as well as a non-Mendelian type of inheritance, has led to a new concept in biology, the "prion hypothesis" of Parkinson's disease. The misfolding and aggregation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) within the nervous system occur in many neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease (PD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), and multiple system atrophy (MSA). The molecular basis of synucleinopathies appears to be tightly coupled to α-syn's conformational conversion and fibril formation. The pathological form of α-syn consists of oligomers and fibrils with rich in β-sheets. The conversion of its α-helical structure to the β-sheet rich fibril is a defining pathologic feature of α-syn. These kinds of disorders have been classified as protein misfolding diseases or proteopathies which share key biophysical and biochemical characteristics with prion diseases. In this review, we highlight α-syn's prion-like activities in PD and PD models, describe the idea of a prion-like mechanism contributing to PD pathology, and discuss several key molecules that can modulate the α-syn accumulation and propagation.
A proposed mode for triple-DES encryption

We propose a new mode of multiple encryption—triple-DES external feedback cipher block chaining with output feedback masking. The aim is to provide increased protection against certain attacks (dictionary attacks and matching ciphertext attacks) which exploit the short message-block size of DES. The new mode obtains this protection through the introduction of secret masking values that are exclusive-ORed with the intermediate outputs of each triple-DES encryption operation. The secret mask value is derived from a fourth encryption operation per message block, in addition to the three used in previous modes. The new mode is part of a suite of encryption modes proposed in the ANSI X9.F.1 triple-DES draft standard (X9.52).
Minimal increase in larval and adult performance of the biological control agent Oxyops vitiosa when fed Melaleuca quinquenervia leaves of different nitrogen levels

Abstract Leaves from the invasive tree Melaleuca quinquenervia containing a range of nitrogen levels were fed to neonate and adult Oxyops vitiosa to determine the influence of plant nutrition on insect survival, growth, development, and fecundity. Larvae fed the low-fertilizer leaves (30 g/11.4-liter pot; 15–9–12, N–P–K) had less than one half the survival (30±5.0%) of larvae fed the high-fertilizer (90 g/pot) leaves (65±10.4%). Additionally, the biomass of prepupae, pupae, and adults was each significantly greater (each 1.15-fold) in larvae fed leaves from the high-fertilizer level. However, fecundity was not influenced by these fertilizer treatments. The effect of five fertilizer treatments (30, 90, 135, 180, and 225 g/pot) applied to M. quinquenervia on O. vitiosa larval survival, growth, development, and feeding efficiency was determined in a second experiment. These results indicated that slight increases occurred in food consumption and biomass when larvae were fed leaves from the lowest and highest fertilizer treatments, respectively. Little if any evidence of compensatory feeding or increased food utilization efficiency was found on the low-nitrogen leaves. The results suggest that in mass rearing activities increased production of weevils will occur in high-fertilized (90 g/pot) treatments due to increased larval survival. However, adult fecundity will not be affected by fertilizer treatment. Several qualities of this species contribute to its success as a biological control, namely the adults are long-lived, which enables individuals to bridge periods when suitable leaves are available, and both larval and adult performance are apparently little affected by a wide range of nitrogen levels.
Haydn’s sensibility

Recent interpretations of both Haydn’s personality (as a man) and his musical style (or ‘persona’) have focused on the two opposed categories earnestness and wit . The present essay adds a third category on both sides of the equation: sensibility (German Empfindsamkeit ), and argues that it is equally important. The various meanings of sensibility are laid out and their applicability to Haydn discussed, including his rich and varied relationships with lovers and intimate friends. The problematics of the possible correlations between an artist’s personality and his style are discussed; it is argued that, contrary to recent theories of their separation into different domains, these are in fact closely related. Sensibility was a central aspect of mid- and late 18th-century aesthetics, both in ideas about ideal human behavior, and in prose fiction, opera and drama, etc. — as well as instrumental music (Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach). In Haydn’s case, not surprisingly, it has so far been located in genres destined...
Instructional systems development in the schools

The authors of this commentary take exception to several points made in an article that appeared in the most recent issue of this journal (ETR&D, Vol. 38, No. 2). Following this explanation of their concerns is a reply by the authors of the original article.
Time Resolved Fluorescence Microscopy to Visualize the Dynamics of Optoinjection

We develop a time resolved fluorescence microscopy system to image the dynamics of optoinjection produced by the delivery of a highly focused pulsed Nd:YAG (λ=532nm, 6ns) laser microbeam to the cell membrane of PtK2 cells.
Evolution of the ionosphere

Studies were made of the electron density profiles at various stages of atmospheric evolution, with the assumption that the atmospheric composition has changed due to the gradual increase of oxygen while the nitrogen level has remained constant. The result of model calculations indicates that when the oxygen content is less than about 1% of the present earth's atmosphere level, the major ions in the F2 region will change from O(+) to N(+). The maximum number density of N(+) ions reaches approximately 10 million per cu cm because of the absence of a rapid loss mechanism for N(+). The height of the N(+) ion density peak is much lower than the height of the F2 layer peak of the current ionosphere.