cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: In-hospital demographics report of national data in the United States from 2016 and review of a rapidly-progressive case.

Abstract Background This report highlights a rapidly progressive case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) whose time from symptom onset to death spanned less than two months. We also explore the most recently available in-patient demographics data for discharges with CJD in the United States. Methods We reviewed a CJD case and systematically analyzed a retrospective cohort of CJD discharges using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) to evaluate the existing national data on the status of CJD demographics and dispositions in the United States in 2016. Results An estimated total of 710 hospital discharges with a diagnosis of CJD were seen across the United States in 2016. According to HCUP, the average age of patients was 66.15 ± 11.54 years with 48.6 % female. Average time to intubation from admission to hospital was 4.71 ± 7.32 days with a rate of intubation of 6.34 %. The mean hospital cost was $19,901.25 ± $18,743.48. The rate of in-hospital mortality was 8.45 %. No significant geographical differences were noted (p = 0.49). No significant differences were seen among incidence in specific ethnic groups (p = 0.33) or income quartiles (p = 0.90). Conclusions Our data shows that the incidence of CJD in 2016 appears to be equally distributed among individuals in the United States by demographic categories. Additionally, our case-study from 2019 illustrates an important example for diagnosing a rapidly-progressing case of CJD.
The Value of a Master's Degree to Recreation Professionals

This study assessed the nature of the relationship between earning advanced degrees and career outcomes such as salary, job satisfaction, social capital, and human capital among professionals in th...
Bias-Free Language: LGBTQ + Clients and the New APA Manual

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition) contains significant new information about bias-free language to which scholars must now adhere. Consequently, these c...
Real-world evidence from a University Hospital system regarding the uptake of adjuvant pertuzumab and/or neratinib before and after their FDA approval.

Adjuvant pertuzumab and neratinib are independently FDA-approved for treatment of early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer in combination with or following trastuzumab for one year, respectively. Both agents reduce the risk of recurrence; however, the absolute benefit is modest for many patients with added risk of adverse effects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical use of adjuvant pertuzumab and neratinib in patients with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer. Patients diagnosed with stage I–III HER2-positive breast cancer treated with trastuzumab at four University of Colorado Health hospitals between July 2016 and April 2019 were identified. Patient demographics, cancer stage, treatment, and administration of pertuzumab and/or neratinib were obtained. We identified a total of 350 patients who received adjuvant trastuzumab for stage I–III HER2-positive breast cancer; 253 (73.1%) had tumors that were ≥ T2 or node-positive disease. The rate of adjuvant pertuzumab use increased following FDA approval; pertuzumab was administered to the majority of patients with node-positive HER2-positive breast cancer. The use of adjuvant pertuzumab was associated with younger age, premenopausal status, and node-positive disease. Rates of administration of adjuvant neratinib were lower, with only 15.2% of patients receiving this therapy within 3 months of completing adjuvant trastuzumab. In our cohort of patients treated within a diverse healthcare network, the majority of patients with node-positive HER2-positive breast cancer received adjuvant pertuzumab following FDA approval. The use of adjuvant neratinib was less common, potentially as a result of adverse effects, prolongation of therapy, previous administration of adjuvant pertuzumab, and modest benefit.
Urinary specific gravity measures in the U.S. population: Implications for the adjustment of non-persistent chemical urinary biomarker data.

Abstract Background Urinary biomarkers are often corrected for sample dilution using creatinine, which is influenced by sociodemographic factors and certain health conditions. It is unknown whether these factors similarly influence specific gravity. Objectives To identify predictors of specific gravity and creatinine and compare methods for correcting estimated chemical concentrations for sample dilution using these measures. Methods We assessed predictors of urinary specific gravity and creatinine among NHANES 2007–2008 participants (n = 7257). We corrected concentrations of mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) for dilution using two methods, each applied to both specific gravity and creatinine: correction using a sample mean of the dilution indicator (i.e., specific gravity or creatinine) and covariate-adjusted standardization. We compared distributions and assessed the agreement of uncorrected or corrected concentrations visually using Bland-Altman plots and statistically by Kendall’s τ a . We stratified all analyses by age category (i.e., 6–19 or 20+ years of age). Results Gender, race/ethnicity, body mass index, and height were associated with urinary specific gravity and creatinine. Distributions of corrected MnBP concentrations were comparable for both methods and dilution indicators, but agreement between methods was greater for specific gravity. Additionally, specific gravity- and creatinine-corrected MnBP concentrations had slightly greater agreement with each other when corrected using a covariate-adjusted standardization method. Discussion Specific gravity, like creatinine, is associated with sociodemographic and body composition variables. Accounting for these factors as part of the dilution correction method may be important to minimize bias.
The dynamics of stem water storage in the tops of Earth's largest trees-Sequoiadendron giganteum.

Water stored in tree stems (i.e., trunks and branches) is an important contributor to transpiration that can improve photosynthetic carbon gain and reduce the probability of cavitation. However, in tall trees the capacity to store water may decline with height because of chronically low water potentials associated with the gravitational potential gradient. We quantified the importance of elastic stem water storage in the top 5 to 6 m of large (4.2-5.0 m DBH, 82.1-86.3 m tall) Sequoiadendron giganteum (Lindley) J. Buchholz (giant sequoia) trees using a combination of architectural measurements and automated sensors that monitored summertime diel rhythms in sap flow, stem diameter, and water potential. Stem water storage contributed 1.5 to 1.8% of water transpired at the tree tops, and hydraulic capacitance ranged from 2.6 to 4.1 L MPa-1 m-3. These values, which are considerably smaller than reported for shorter trees, may be associated with persistently low water potentials imposed by gravity and could indicate a trend of decreasing water storage dynamics with height in tree. Branch diameter contraction and expansion consistently and substantially lagged behind fluxes in water potential and sap flow, which occurred in sync. This lag suggests that the inner bark, which consists mostly of live secondary phloem tissue, was an important hydraulic capacitor, and that hydraulic resistance between xylem and phloem retards water transfer between these tissues. We also measured tree-base sap flux, which lagged behind that measured in trunks near the tree tops, indicating additional storage in the large trunks between these measurement positions. Whole-tree sap flow ranged from 2,227 to 3,752 L day-1, corroborating previous records for similar-sized giant sequoia and representing the largest yet reported for any individual tree. Despite such extraordinarily high daily water use, we estimate that water stored in tree-top stems contributes minimally to transpiration on typical summer days.
AI-powered Network Security: Approaches and Research Directions

Networks are today a critical infrastructure. Their resilience against attacks is thus crucial. Protecting networks requires a comprehensive security life-cycle and the deployment of different protection techniques. To make defenses more effective, recent solutions leverage AI techniques. In this paper, we discuss AI-based protection techniques, according to a security life-cycle consisting of several phases: (i) Prepare; (ii) Monitor and Diagnose; and (iii) React, Recovery and Fix. For each phase, we discuss relevant AI techniques, initial approaches, and research directions.
Enigma of HIV-1 latent infection in astrocytes: an in-vitro study using protein kinase C agonist as a latency reversing agent

Purging HIV-1 to cure the infection in patients undergoing suppressive antiretroviral therapy requires targeting all possible viral reservoirs. Other than the memory CD4+ T cells, several other HIV-1 reservoirs have been identified. HIV-1 infection in the brain as a reservoir is well documented, but not fully characterized. There, microglia, perivascular macrophages, and astrocytes can be infected by HIV-1. HIV-1 infection in astrocytes has been described as a nonproductive and primarily a latent infection. Using primary human astrocytes, we investigated latent HIV-1 infection and tested phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), a protein kinase C agonist, as an HIV-1-latency- reversing agent in infected astrocytes. Chloroquine (CQ) was used to facilitate initial HIV-1 escape from endosomes in astrocytes. CQ significantly increased HIV-1 infection. But treatment with PMA or viral Tat protein was similar to untreated HIV-1-infected astrocytes. Long-term follow-up of VSV-envelope-pseudotyped HIV-1 infected astrocytes showed persistent infection for 110 days, indicating the active state of the virus.
The Economic Burden of Opioid Poisoning in the United States and Determinants of Increased Costs in Opioid Poisoning

xvii Chapter I: Introduction & Background 1 1.1: Introduction 1 1.2: Specific Aims 3 1.3: Hypotheses 4 1.4: Background 5 1.5: Rationale 16 Chapter 2: Literature Review & Conceptual Frameworks 18 2.1: Systematic Literature Review 18 Methods 18 General Findings 19 Summary of Literature 20 Gaps in the Literature 33 2.2: Conceptual Frameworks 34 Cost of Illness 34 Evaluation of Hospital Costs 41
The Limbic and Visual Cortex in Phylogeny: Further Insights from Anatomic and Microelectrode Studies

In this presentation, I shall summarize the results of our further attempts to learn whether or not the limbic cortex receives significant connections from visual structures. An answer to this question is of basic importance, particularly from the standpoint of primate behavior, because of research which has shown that the limbic system, in addition to olfactory functions, influences hypothalamic and other brainstem mechanisms involved in neurovegetative functions and the expression of emotion. Furthermore, an affirmative answer to this question would help to shed light on the continuing enigma as to how the visual system itself establishes a working relationship with the hypothalamus and thereby influences circadian and other rhythms through variations in the total luminous flux.
Circumscribed Pigmented Lesions Composed of Basilar Melanocytes

Ephelides are small, well-circumscribed pigmented macules found only on sun-exposed skin (1–5). Ephelides are common in individuals with fair skin color (phototypes 1 and 2) (1), especially in combination with blond or red hair. They are not present at birth but usually appear in the first few years of life. However, the tendency to develop ephelides decreases with advancing age. An autosomal dominant inheritance is possible since freckling can be seen in some families over generations (1). Recently, a significant association has been shown between melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene variants and the propensity to develop ephelides (6). The carriers of 1 and 2 MC1R gene variants (there are currently some 27 MC1R gene variants) demonstrated a 3- and 11-fold risk for developing freckles, respectively (both p < .0001). The latter relationships are independent of skin phototype and hair color and are comparable in individuals with and without a history of skin cancer (6).
On the Relation of Open Loop to Closed Loop Properties in Multivarible Feedback Systems

This paper relates the properties of the loop transfer function to the feedback properties of the closed loop system. The relationship is expressed using a parameterization of the singular value decomposition of the loop transfer function. Trade-offs and limits on the specification of these parameters are examined.
Niacin in Amino Acid Metabolism

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses experimental studies analyzing the role of niacin in amino acid metabolism. Spector and Mitchell (1946), using the paired feeding technique demonstrated in the paired-fed groups that incorporation of niacin or tryptophan in the corn-supplemented ration produced slight but statistically greater gains in the young rats at the same level of food consumption. Both niacin and tryptophan produced a somewhat more efficient use of the ration for growth. Salmon (1947) confirmed the findings of Krehl regarding the dual effect of niacin and tryptophan in stimulating rat growth; he could find “no evidence of a specific deleterious effect of corn products in niacin deficient rations.” In addition to corn, other cereals and legumes—namely, polished rice, whole wheat flour, refined wheat flour, whole rolled oats, peanut flour, cow peas, and soy bean flour—were tested for growth inhibition in a manner comparable to the corn-supplemented diets. Although rice contributes less niacin and very little more tryptophan than corn, the best growth rate of all was obtained with rats fed the rice-supplemented diet.
Photographic Techniques of Concern in Metric Bite Mark Analysis

In bite mark analysis concern is expressed for the need to improve the precision in photographic evidence collection procedures. The use of a rigid ruler (which meets federal specifications) for scale, proper camera positioning in relation to the scale, and a method to evaluate the distortion in a two-dimensional print that records a three-dimensional object is suggested. Disregarding these factors makes metric bite mark analysis inappropriate.
Justifications of Inequality: The Normative Basis of Pay Differentials in 31 Nations*

Objectives. We investigate social consensus and dissensus within and between nations in three important justifications for pay differences: family needs, performance on the job, and education/authority. Methods. Data are from 31 nations and 66,777 individual respondents analyzed using structural equation and multilevel regression methods with multiple imputation of missing data. Results. In poor countries, but not in rich, most believe that family needs legitimate higher pay. Within countries—particularly English-speaking ones—low SES groups endorse family needs, but high SES groups reject them. Valuing performance and effort is widespread throughout the world and throughout all segments of society, high and low. Education and authority are widely valued, more in poor nations than in rich, with some demographic differences but few socioeconomic cleavages. Conclusions. There is conflict both within nations and between them as to whether need and education/authority justify unequal pay, but consensus that performance on the job does justify it.
DANIEL: a dynamic acquisition & numerical information environment & language and RIVKA: robust intelligent vector crunching application (virtual instrument)

Standard hard-wired instruments are being replaced with digital systems for data acquisition and signal processing. Traditional operating system and software design principles are not suited to the design of high-performance real-time systems such as virtual instruments. The authors have developed such a system to serve as a neurophysiologic instrument. Classical principles such as the separation of the operating system and the application, error checking, the assignment of operations to the system or application, low level configuration control and machine-independent design, have all been substantially revised. The result is an operating system and virtual instrument uniquely suited to real-world instrument design, yet capable of co-existing with other operating systems. >
The attenuation of GABA sensitivity in the maturing myelin-deficient rat optic nerve.

Abstract GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) can modulate axonal excitability by activating GABAA receptors on some central nervous system axons. The effects of GABA on optic nerve axons decrease significantly during the course of myelination, suggesting that myelination may influence changes in GABA sensitivity. To test this hypothesis, we compared the depolarizing effect of GABA and the GABAA-receptor agonist, muscimol, on optic nerves of myelin-deficient (MD) rats and their unaffected siblings using a modified sucrose-gap technique. Optic nerves from both control and MD rats displayed relatively large GABA-induced depolarizations when studied at an early postnatal period. In both the control and MD rats, the GABA uptake inhibitor nipecotic acid led to a distinct depolarization suggesting endogenous release of GABA. Although the GABA-induced depolarization in the MD rat was significantly greater than that in the control rat at the third postnatal week, the response in the MD rat attenuated with maturation. These results demonstrate that the attenuation of the depolarization induced by GABA and nipecotic acid seen in the normal optic nerve also occurs in the MD rat optic nerve. This suggests that the attenuation of optic nerve sensitivity to GABA is not the result of myelination or interaction with myelin-associated proteins.
Pooling: Should We Care if the FASB Kills It?

Is the FASB justified in eliminating the popular pooling-of-interests method? © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Magnetically Assisted Filtration for Solid Waste Separation and Concentration in Microgravity and Hypogravity

Development of efficient means for the recovery of valuable resources from solid waste materials is a critical requirement for future advanced life-support systems that will be needed to support long-duration manned missions in space. Of particular importance are technologies that may be used in hypogravity and microgravity environments. Gradient magnetically assisted fluidized-bed (G-MAFB) technology, which uses magnetic forces to compensate for the absence of gravity, is under development to serve as an operating platform for fluidized-bed and related operations in the space environment. In this study, the G-MAFB is used as a renewable filter in which granular ferromagnetic filtration media are magnetically consolidated into a packed bed. The filtration media attains a substantially different structure from that of an ordinary packed bed, when consolidated under the influence of the magnetic field gradient. This directly influences filtration rates. The fully loaded bed is then regenerated by magnetically controlled fluidization, thereby releasing a concentrated slug of solids, which may be further processed by a variety of treatment schemes. Filtration experiments have shown that G-MAFB-based methods can successfully separate suspended inedible plant biomass waste particles from a recirculating liquid stream. A mathematical model that describes the filtration process in the G-MAFB is presented. Correlations for estimation of the accumulation and detachment coefficients, based on hydrodynamic conditions and geometry of the filtration system, have also been developed. Model predictions are compared with experimental results obtained in the G-MAFB while operated under Earth's gravity conditions (1 g). The experimental data are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.
Generation of Cross-Polarized Degenerate Photon Pairs in Dispersion-Shifted Fiber

We generate degenerate-frequency, cross-polarized photon pairs for the first time in dispersion-shifted fiber using dual-frequency, orthogonally-polarized pump pulses. A ratio of coincidence to accidental-coincidence counts near 20 is obtained.
Heightened Flexor Withdrawal Responses in Subjects With Knee Osteoarthritis

Abstract Patients with osteoarthritic (OA) knee pain often present with impaired muscle activation and function that may be attributed in part to hyperexcitability of flexion withdrawal reflexes (FWRs). The aim of this study was to investigate alterations in the excitability of FWR in individuals with knee OA and its potential associations with impaired quadriceps activation (QA) and subjective reports of pain. Twenty subjects with and 20 without knee OA (age, 45 to 75 years) participated. Impaired QA was determined in OA subjects during maximal volitional contraction of the quadriceps. FWRs were tested in isometric conditions using electrocutaneous stimulation applied at the medial foot at 1× and 2× FWR threshold and surface electromyographic recordings obtained from tibialis anterior (TA) and biceps femoris (BF). Joint torques at the hip, knee, and ankle were calculated and normalized to body mass. FWR threshold was significantly diminished in OA versus the control group ( P P = .002) and BF at suprathreshold stimulation ( P = .0006). Impaired QA was found in 4 of 20 OA subjects but was not correlated to FWR threshold or pain levels. Peak joint torques were diminished in the OA versus the control group ( P Perspective Increased excitability of FWRs was evident in subjects with chronic knee osteoarthritis, including those subjects without resting pain, but was not associated with impaired QA. Management strategies for this patient population must consider altered pain processing in addition to addressing impairments found at the knee.
Liquid Water Distribution Obtained from Coplanar Scanning Radiometers

Abstract Field trials have been carried out in the Boulder, Colorado area of a method of determination of cloud liquid-water distribution by inversion of brightness temperature data obtained from a pair of microwave radiometers spaced about 8 km apart and sunning in a coplanar mode through clouds located between them. In the absence of precipitation, the liquid water distribution in the cloud was retrieved with reasonable accuracy. In cases where precipitation was present, it had developed by the ice crystal process, and nearly all the liquid was in the form of rain below cloud base. For this condition the radiometer data was interpreted in terms of a distribution of rainfall rates.
Rank tests for a class of semi-Markov models with censored matched pairs☆

Abstract Semi-Markov models are used in a study of censored, matched pairs. A partial likelihood function is obtained in the presence of univariate censoring for a class of semi-Markov models. A test statistics is derived for testing treatment effects of matched-pairs based on this partial likelihood function. Some directions for further generalization are also outlined.
More on recombination and selection in the modifier theory of sex-ratio distortion.

Abstract G. Maffi and S. D. Jayakar suggested a model for the two-locus control of sex determination in the mosquito Aedes aegypti (1981, Theor. Pop. Biol.19, 19–36). This model was extended to multiple alleles and analyzed in mathematical detail by S. Lessard (1987, Theor. Pop. Biol.31, 339–358). The model supposes that males are “Mm” and females “mm” but the transmission from males is controlled by a second gene with alleles Ai. We show that in addition to the equilibrium in which mAi in females, MAi from males and mAi from males all have the same frequencies, a second class of polymorphic equilibria exists and can be stable. The former class was shown by Lessard to be stable for intermediate and/or loose linkage. The new class of equilibria may be stable for tight linkage under the conditions that preclude stability of the former. We also develop the theory of linkage modification from the neighborhood of the new equilibrium. Successful modifiers of recombination may either reduce or increase the recombination fraction with the outcome depending on the linkage of the modifier to the major genes.
Data Audit as a Way to Prevent/Contain Misconduct

Research misconduct is frequently in the media headlines. There is consensus among leading experts on research integrity that the prevalence of misconduct in research is at least 1%, and shoddy work may even go over 5%. Unfortunately, misconduct in research impacts all walks of life from drugs to human subject protections, innovations, economy, policy, and even our national security. The main method of detecting research misconduct depends primarily on whistleblowers. The current regulations are insufficient since dependence on whistleblowers manifests itself as an accidental hit or miss. No other endeavor in our society depends on such a poor system of discovery of misconduct to remedy it. Nearly a quarter of a century ago, I proposed data audit as a means to prevent/contain research misconduct. The audit has to protect the creative process and be non-obtrusive. Data audit evaluates the degree of correspondence of published data with the source data. The proposed data audit does not require any changes i...
IS DUODENAL METAPLASIA A CONSEQUENCE OF HELICOBACTER PYLORI(HP) ASSOCIATED GASTRITIS IN CHILDREN? 694

IS DUODENAL METAPLASIA A CONSEQUENCE OF HELICOBACTER PYLORI(HP) ASSOCIATED GASTRITIS IN CHILDREN? 694
The relationship between impulsivity, aggression, and impulsive-aggression in borderline personality disorder: an empirical analysis of self-report measures

Impulsivity has been repeatedly identified as a key construct in BPD; however, its precise definition seems to vary especially regarding the overlap with aggression. The term impulsive–aggression, also generally seen as central to an understanding of BPD, seems to address itself to the interface between the two, but has itself been used inconsistently in the literature, sometimes having reference to a unitary phenotypic dimension, and at other times suggesting some combination of distinct traits. This study examined the relationship between multiple measures of impulsivity, aggression, and impulsive–aggression in a BPD sample (N = 92) in order to clarify the relationship between these measured constructs in this clinical population. Results show little relationship between measures of aggression and impulsivity in BPD, with measures of impulsive–aggression correlating strongly with measures of aggression only. Implications of the present results for future research and clinical work with BPD are discussed. The construct of impulsivity has been repeatedly identified as a key domain in research with borderline personality disorder (BPD); however, the precise definition of this key construct varies, especially in the degree to which forms of aggression are involved. This study explores the empirical overlap between multiple measures of impulsivity, aggression, and impulsive–aggression in BPD patients to shed light on the issue from a measurement perspective. This investigation is particularly important given recent interest in
Relation of preschool sex-typing to intellectual performance in elementary school.

Children who had been observed in preschool when 3 yr. old using an observation schedule (Fagot & Patterson, 1969) consisting of 28 play behaviors were assigned interest scores on the basis of percent of time spent in the various activities. Masculinity scores were then computed on the basis of percentage of significantly preferred sex-typed behaviors. Several years later when one group was approximately 6 yr. old and the other group was approximately 10 yr. old, these same children were given the Children's Embedded-figures Test and rated by their own teachers on intellectual performance. Sex differences were present in the Embedded-figures Test with boys making fewer errors, but only on one variable, music, was there a significant teachers' rating. The relationship of preschool interest patterns to elementary school academic achievement and projected career choices suggested that the play choices in preschool have different meanings for boys and girls and therefore different consequences for later achie...
Geomagnetic Disturbance and Velocity of Slow-Drift Solar Radio Bursts

A POSSIBLE relation between Type II (slow-drift) bursts of solar radio noise and occurrence of geomagnetic disturbance has been suggested by Maxwell, Thompson and Garmire1,2 and by Roberts3. Excitation of plasma oscillations by an outward-moving stream of particles that later reaches the Earth provides a model consistent with radio observations and with the known relations between solar flares and geomagnetic disturbance. According to this model, as the particle stream moves outward, radiation is induced at the plasma frequency (or at the critical frequency) at locations in the solar corona of progressively lower density. Thus the observed rate of decrease of frequency can be related to a velocity, if some model of coronal density is assumed4. Further, we might expect that particles with high velocity at great heights would be more likely to escape from the solar atmosphere and to cause geomagnetic disturbance than those decelerated to low velocity at large heights. Hartz5 has concluded from frequency drifts deduced from observations at single fixed frequencies that such a relation does indeed exist.
Lead and strontium isotopes in volcanic rocks from northern Honshu, Japan

Isotopic compositions of lead and strontium and concentrations of lead, uranium, thorium, rubidium, and strontium were measured in a suite of volcanic rocks, ranging from basalt to rhyodacite in composition, and in granite and gabbro xenoliths from a traverse across northern Honshu. The observed 238U/204Pb (μ) ratio ranges from 2.4 in tholeiitic basalt at the east end of the traverse to 11.6 in alkalic basalt from the west end. The isotopic composition is slightly less radiogenic to the west. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios of most of the samples fall within the range observed in oceanic basalts, but the granite xenolith and the rhyodacite are slightly more radiogenic.
A cross-linguistic investigation of cues to vowel length perception

Abstract This study investigated the perception of a vocalic length contrast from a cross-linguistic perspective. Native speakers of three languages with a phonemic vowel length contrast (Thai, Japanese, and German) and of one language without such a contrast (Spanish) were presented with three series of vowel continua ranging from a short to a long vowel. All listeners performed a categorial AXB forced-choice task. The stimuli in the first series differed in duration only, those in the second series contained in addition a falling f0 from 260 to 180 Hz over each of the vowels. The third series contained conflicting cue stimuli in which the spectral cues remained that of the short vowel throughout the continuum while the long comparison vowel had different spectral properties. The results indicate that, based on durational cues alone, listeners’ judgment of vowel length varied with language background. Furthermore, the vowel length judgments of all listeners, regardless of language background, were influenced by spectral cues. Only Japanese listeners exploited fundamental frequency as cue to vowel length. The results suggest that patterns of co-occurrence of phonetic properties in the native language as well as intrinsic cue salience determine cue exploitation.
Heat pulse transmission from sodium fluoride into helium I

Heat pulse transmission across a NaF-He I interface reveals behavior not observed at a He II interface. Longitudinal and transverse crystal modes are resolved at the detector with the longitudinal pulse exhibiting a unique characteristic structure. The detected longitudinal pulse appears with an initial overshoot lasting about 100 nsec and a reduced rear portion lasting the duration of the input pulse. The initial overshoot component echoes repeatedly between opposite surfaces of the crystal, and is indicative of the small transmission predicted by the acoustic mismatch theory. No echoing of the rear portion has been observed, and apparently the rear portion has a different coupling process at the interface. For the transverse pulse, a change in shape and a delay in arrival time are noted upon transmission into liquid, suggesting that certain portions of the pulse are not transmitted. Measurements of the amplitude dependence of the various pulses are made, and compared with a model having a frequency-selective coupling at the interface.
A note on the estimation of binomial probabilities

Abstract I am concerned with the admissibility under quadratic loss of certain estimators of binomial probabilities. The minimum variance unbiased estimator is shown to be admissible for Pr(X = 0) and Pr(X = n), but it is inadmissible for Pr(X = k), where 0 < k < n. An example is given of an admissible maximum likelihood estimator (MLE). It is conjectured that the MLE is always admissible.
Implementing OSA model instances in Ada

Object-oriented Systems Analysis (OSA) [EKW92] is an analysis model whose purpose is to provide a way for analysts to capture and record real-world, system-application information. To produce software, OSA model instances must be mapped into code using some programming language. This paper shows how to map OSA model instances into production-quality Ada code. The technique uses templates that directly and efficiently support OSA concepts. We give basic templates, show how to map OSA concepts directly into the templates, and explain and discuss efficiency considerations. We illustrate our ideas with two sample applications.
Electromigration in Al/Cu thin films with polyimide passivation

Abstract The relative electromigration performances of Al-Cu conductor stripes with various combinations of sputtered quartz and polyimide passivation above and below the conductor were compared. A vertical structure with polyimide above and sputtered quartz below the conductor proved to be the best. A model is constructed where it is shown that passivation defects are important in the reliability of thin film conductor stripes.
E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Smurf1 Mediates Core-binding Factor α1/Runx2 Degradation and Plays A Specific Role in Osteoblast Differentiation

Osteoblast differentiation and bone formation is stimulated by bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 and its downstream signaling molecules Smad1 and -5 and the osteoblast-specific transcription factor core-binding factor alpha1 (Cbfa1). Proteolytic degradation of Smad1 and Cbfa1 is proteasome-dependent, and intracellular concentrations of Smad1 and Cbfa1 are enhanced by inhibition of the 26 S proteasome. Smad1 degradation is mediated by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Smurf1 (Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 1), but the specific E3 ligase responsible for Cbfa1 degradation has not been identified. Because Cbfa1 interacts with Smad1, whose degradation is mediated by Smurf1, we examined the effect of Smurf1 on Cbfa1 degradation in osteoblast precursor cells. Smurf1 interacts directly with Cbfa1 and mediates Cbfa1 degradation in a ubiquitin- and proteasome-dependent manner. Because Smurf1 controls the intracellular concentrations of several key molecules in the bone formation cascade, we examined the effect of a mutant form of Smurf1 in osteoblasts and found that expression of mutant Smurf1 markedly enhanced osteoblast differentiation. Smurf1 therefore appears to be an important regulatory factor in osteoblast differentiation and a potential molecular target for identification of bone anabolic agents.
Treatment of Spinal Synovial Cysts

Background Spinal synovial cysts are a known cause of back pain and radiculopathy. With the advent of high-resolution imaging techniques, synovial cysts are increasingly diagnosed. There are a variety of treatment options for these lesions. Methods A systematic literature review of published articles reporting outcomes after nonsurgical and surgical management of spinal synovial cysts was performed. Results There were 51 published studies regarding the treatment of synovial cysts identified. Treatment modalities include observation, steroid injections, percutaneous cyst aspiration, hemilaminectomy or bilateral laminectomy with and without instrumented fusion, and minimally invasive cyst excision. Conclusions Based on review of the treatment modalities and outcomes, recommendations for the management of patients with synovial cysts are proposed. Observation can be considered in cases where there is no intractable pain. High-risk surgical patients with intractable pain may consider corticosteroid injection or percutaneous cyst aspiration; however, the failure rate of such a procedure approaches 50%. Patients with intractable pain are candidates for surgical resection of the symptomatic cyst. In cases of significant neurologic deficit, motor weakness, back pain, multiple synovial cysts, or spondylolisthesis, bilateral laminectomy and instrumented fusion may offer the best long-term outcome.
Doppler-echocardiographic evaluation of left atrial contribution to left ventricular filling in mitral stenosis at rest and during exercise.

Abstract The onset of atrial fibrillation in patients with mitral stenosis (MS) is frequently associated with clinical deterioration. Whether this is related solely to the rapid heart rate that occurs with untreated atrial fibrillation or to the loss of synchronized atrial contraction is unclear. Over the past 20 to 30 years, some investigators have suggested that atrial contraction is critical for adequate left ventricular (LV) filling, while others have concluded that in MS, active atrial contraction augments LV filling very little. 1–4 Using 2-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography, we quantified the contribution of atrial contraction to LV filling in patients with MS in normal sinus rhythm. We have confirmed our preliminary findings 5 in a larger group of patients and additionally studied a subset of patients in sinus rhythm both at rest and during upright bicycle exercise.
Measurement of Greenhouse Gas Flux from Agricultural Soils Using Static Chambers

Measurement of greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes between the soil and the atmosphere, in both managed and unmanaged ecosystems, is critical to understanding the biogeochemical drivers of climate change and to the development and evaluation of GHG mitigation strategies based on modulation of landscape management practices. The static chamber-based method described here is based on trapping gases emitted from the soil surface within a chamber and collecting samples from the chamber headspace at regular intervals for analysis by gas chromatography. Change in gas concentration over time is used to calculate flux. This method can be utilized to measure landscape-based flux of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane, and to estimate differences between treatments or explore system dynamics over seasons or years. Infrastructure requirements are modest, but a comprehensive experimental design is essential. This method is easily deployed in the field, conforms to established guidelines, and produces data suitable to large-scale GHG emissions studies.
Dantrolene Mediates Vasorelaxation in Cerebral Vasoconstriction: A Case Series

Cerebral vasoconstriction syndromes such as vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and trauma, or Call–Fleming syndrome are difficult to treat, and can lead to substantial disability and death. Dantrolene, a ryanodine receptor antagonist, inhibits intracellular calcium release from the sarco-endoplasmic reticulum. We examined the effect of dantrolene on middle cerebral artery (MCA) blood flow velocities as measured by transcranial Doppler (TCD). Three consecutive patients with elevated MCA TCD velocities receiving dantrolene (2.5 mg/kg i.v. q6h) were retrospectively reviewed. Average MCA peak systolic, mean flow velocities, and the pulsatility index (PI) before and after the dantrolene infusion were compared within patients. Systemic physiological parameters (blood pressure, heart rate, central venous pressure, intracranial pressure, body temperature, and cooling water temperature) were retrospectively collected 6 h before and after the dantrolene infusion. MCA peak systolic velocities (mean ± SE) for the three patients were 297 ± 3, 248 ± 8, and 268 ± 19 cm/s before dantrolene and 159 ± 9, 169 ± 8, and 216 ± 12 cm/s after dantrolene. Average mean flow velocities showed the same trend. Interestingly, the PI increased slightly from 0.6, 0.52, and 0.67 before dantrolene, to 1.17, 0.71, and 0.77 after dantrolene. Systemic physiological parameters remained stable in all three patients. Dantrolene attenuated cerebral vasoconstriction as measured by TCD without altering systemic physiological parameters. This suggests that intracellular calcium release from ryanodine channels in smooth muscle might play a role in vasospasm. A prospective study is underway to test this hypothesis.
Diffuse scattering provides material parameters and electron density profiles of biomembranes.

Fully hydrated stacks of DOPC lipid bilayer membranes generate large diffuse x-ray scattering that corrupts the Bragg peak intensities that are used in conventional biophysical structural analysis, but the diffuse scattering actually contains more information. Using an efficient algorithm for fitting extensive regions of diffuse data to classical smectic liquid crystalline theory we first obtain the compressional modulus $B={10}^{13}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{erg}∕{\text{cm}}^{4}$, which involves interactions between membranes, and the bending modulus ${K}_{c}=8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{erg}$ of the membranes. The membrane form factor $F({q}_{z})$ is then obtained for most values of ${q}_{z}$ up to $0.8\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The electron density profile $\ensuremath{\rho}(z)$ is obtained by fitting models to $F({q}_{z})$. Constraining the models to conform to other measurements provides structural quantities such as area $A=72.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{2}$ per lipid at the interface.
SRP: adapting to life in the chloroplast

The signal recognition particle (SRP) has evolved in chloroplasts to include new components, new ways of recognizing targeting substrates and new capabilities that prevent aggregation of protein-targeting substrates or even rescue substrates from an aggregated conformation. Unique attributes of chloroplast SRP are focused toward localizing a single family of nuclear-encoded chlorophyll-binding proteins to thylakoid membranes and suggest that the successful migration of this gene family to the nucleus was tied to evolutionary adaptations in chloroplast SRP.
Some observations on the subfibrillar structure of collagen fibrils as noted during treatment with NKISK and cathepsin G with mechanical agitation

We observed the structure of collagen fibrils in rat tail tendons after treatment with NKISK and cathepsin G. NKISK is a pentapeptide that has been previously shown to bind fibronectin, while cathepsin G is a serine protease that cleaves fibronectin but not type I collagen. In tendons treated with NKISK, fibrils were seen to extensively dissociate into smaller-diameter subfibrils. These subfibrils were homogeneous in diameter with an average diameter of 26.3 ± 5.8 nm. Similar, although less extensive, dissociation into subfibrils was found in tendons treated with cathepsin G. The average diameter of these subfibrils was 24.8 ± 4.9 nm. The ability of NKISK and cathepsin G to release subfibrils at physiological pH without harsh denaturants may enhance the study of the subfibrillar structure of collagen fibrils.
Perceptions and Functions of Play and Real Fighting in Early Adolescence

The hypothesis is tested that adolescent boys' (mean age of 12.8 years) intrasexual rough-and-tumble play (R&T) is used for dominance and intersexual R&T is used to establish heterosexual relationships. In Study 1, boys' observed R&T was related to both dominance and aggression. In the first half of the school year, R&T occurred primarily between males, possibly to establish dominance. In the second half of the year, both boys and girls engaged in R&T, possibly to establish heterosexual relationships. Counter to the hypothesis, observed aggression increased across the year. In Study 2, youngsters viewed taped R&T bouts in which they were participants or nonparticipants. Participant, more than nonparticipant, males saw R&T as related to dominance whereas participant, more than nonparticipant, females saw it as playful.
Nano-detectors using molecular circuits operating at THz frequencies

We proposed two scenarios for signal encoding and transmission in molecular circuits that can be used for standoff detection of biological and chemical agents: One is based on the characteristic vibrational behavior of molecules and clusters and the other is based on their molecular electrostatic potentials. It is proposed that these two scenarios can be used for molecular signal processing and transfer in molecular sensors; theoretical demonstrations using state of the art and precise computational techniques are presented for these two paradigms. The molecular electrostatic potential in the neighborhood of a molecule has very well defined zones of positive and negative potential that can be manipulated to encode information. On the other hand, vibrational modes of long molecules can be used to transfer signals between distances not accessible by standard fabrication techniques. In additions, the development of molecular amplifiers allows us to transfer signals through the nano-micro interface needed to pass the information to the macroscopic world. These scenarios allow extremely lower energies, higher speeds, and higher integration densities than in any other technology. Thus, the use of these two low-power consumption and extremely large bandwidth approaches allow us to operate at the THz range, the natural operation frequency of biological and chemical species. A review of our search for other scenarios for coding, processing and transport of information for sensing detection are provided.
A conserved F-box gene with unusual transcript localization.

Drosophilapartner of paired (ppa), which encodes an F-box protein that targets the Pax transcription factor Paired (Prd) for degradation, has the striking property that its mRNA is expressed in a striped pattern with a characteristic registration relative to the striped expression of prd in early embryos. Localized expression of F-box genes was not expected because F-box proteins generally have multiple substrates. We hypothesize that the patterned mRNA expression of Drosophila and zebrafish ppa homologs may reflect constraints resulting from the localized expression of their degradation substrates. To begin to test this idea, we wished to determine whether patterned mRNA expression is commonly observed among F-box genes, or whether it might be peculiar to ppa and its homologs, or even specific to Drosophila. We examined embryonic expression of all predicted F-box genes in Drosophila and found that mRNAs of 21 out of 23 predicted F-box genes are expressed uniformly in early Drosophila embryos, whereas ppa and CG4911 mRNAs are patterned, CG4911 being expressed at the positions of gastrulation folds. We also identified and tested expression of ppa in zebrafish, which has two highly conserved homologs, ppaA and ppaB, and found that both are expressed during embryogenesis and have enriched mRNA expression in regions including the neural tube, the head, and the fin buds. Despite being unusual in having localized transcripts, we found that the Drosophila and zebrafish homologs interact with the expected Drosophila components of the cellular degradation machinery – Skp1 (SkpA) and Rbx1 (Roc1a) – suggesting that the Ppa proteins are indeed functional F-box proteins. We conclude that patterning of ppa mRNA could reflect a constraint on ppa function that is not common among F-box genes. Electronic supplementary material to this paper can be obtained by using the Springer LINK server located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00427-002-0222-7.