cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Essence and Explanation

In Necessary Beings, Bob Hale addresses two questions: What is the source of necessity? What is the source of our knowledge of it? He offers novel responses to them in terms of the metaphysical notion of nature or, more familiarly, essence. In this paper, I address Hale’s response to the first question. My assessment is negative. I argue that his essentialist explanation of the source of necessity suffers from three significant shortcomings. First, Hale’s leading example of an essentialist explanation merely asserts that the nature of an entity explains some necessity, but leaves unexplained how it does so. Second, his essentialist explanation of particular necessities introduces new necessities that remain unexplained. Third, Hale’s version of essentialism presupposes a controversial metaphysical theory of properties, for which he offers no defense.
Unformatted, Certified Scientific Objects

We present an approach for scientific data management systems to apply certificates to scientific objects, which are typically unformatted datasets, to facilitate analysis by climate scientists. Typically, for a program to process data, the program requires cleansed data in a form that supports automatic manipulation. Most systems require that data must adhere to a specific format to achieve that goal. The technique described in this paper takes the opposite approach; instead, any dataset may be imported and manipulated in the system. But upon initial import, however, only a subset of system functions may work with any given dataset. As the data is refined and transformed by system functions, more functions may become compatible. Certificates are associated with objects that pass constraint validation within the system to ensure that they conform to function requirements. The attached object constraints represent invariant properties of the object, which may be used by functions in the system as function preconditions. Furthermore, the functions defined in the system may associate certificates with the newly generated results. Certificates related to function results are effectively function postconditions, which in turn are used to associate certificates with the objects generated in the system. Additionally, attached object certificates reflect the refinement of data into a more pristine version. This paper describes the technique for modeling and enforcing the constraints for data scientists that have similar requirements.
The complex multicellular morphology of the food spoilage bacteria Brochothrix thermosphacta strains isolated from ground chicken

Herein we describe a highly structured, filamentous growth phenotype displayed by an isolate of the food spoilage microorganism Brochothrix thermosphacta. The growth morphology of this B. thermosphacta strain (strain BII) was dependent on environmental factors such as the growth media, incubation temperatures, and the inoculum concentration. Inoculation of cultures in highly dilute suspensions resulted in the formation of isolated, tight aggregates resembling fungal growth in liquid media. This same strain also formed stable, mesh-like structures in 6-well tissue culture plates under specific growth conditions. The complex growth phenotype does not appear to be unique to strain BII but was common among B. thermosphacta strains isolated from chicken. Light and electron micrographs showed that the filaments of multiple BII cells can organize into complex, tertiary structures resembling multistranded cables. Time-lapse microscopy was employed to monitor the development of such aggregates over 18 h and revealed growth originating from short filaments into compact ball-like clusters that appeared fuzzy due to protruding filaments or cables. This report is the first to document this complex filamentous growth phenotype in a wild-type bacterial isolate of B. thermosphacta.
Abstract A36: Developing a novel treatment for advanced ovarian cancer by targeting the c-Met pathway

Approximately one-third of epithelial ovarian tumors exhibit higher levels of c-Met, a receptor tyrosine kinase, activated by Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF). c-Met plays an important role in the growth and metastasis of tumor cells. Increased c-Met expression is associated with decreased survival and resistance to chemotherapy in various tumors. More recently, our team identified c-Met overexpression as a mechanism of resistance to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in ovarian cancer (OC). The c-Met pathway has been explored as a therapeutic target in various solid tumors, and antibodies targeting c-Met have been proposed as novel anticancer agents. This project aims to investigate the effectiveness of a c-Met monoclonal antibody-drug conjugate (c-Met ADC) in OC models. Here we show that the anti-c-Met antibody alone effectively diminishes c-Met signaling (phosphorylation of c-Met and downstream Akt) but does not inhibit OC cell proliferation. In contrast, the c-Met ADC significantly decreases viability and induces apoptosis in c-Met-expressing OC cells. To validate c-Met expression as a predictor of resistance to NACT in OC, we analyzed c-Met expression in matched pre- and post-treatment samples collected from OC patients undergoing treatment with NACT and in a tissue microarray containing 20 ovarian tumors post-NACT. Detectable c-Met was recorded in ~50% of post-NACT specimens. We evaluated the in vitro antitumor activity of c-Met-ADC on the primary cells isolated from patients, before and after NACT, to assess tumor cell sensitivity to c-Met ADC. The results from these studies support the development of c-Met-ADC as a novel treatment for OC. Citation Format: Anusha Chaparala, Wendy M. Swetzig, Anna E. Strohl, Jian-Jun Wei, Daniela Matei, Shohreh Shahabi. Developing a novel treatment for advanced ovarian cancer by targeting the c-Met pathway [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Ovarian Cancer Research; 2019 Sep 13-16, 2019; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(13_Suppl):Abstract nr A36.
Rationale and Design of the National Neuropsychology Network.

Author(s): Loring, David W; Bauer, Russell M; Cavanagh, Lucia; Drane, Daniel L; Enriquez, Kristen D; Reise, Steven P; Shih, KuoChung; Umfleet, Laura Glass; Wahlstrom, Dustin; Whelan, Fiona; Widaman, Keith F; Bilder, Robert M; NNN Study Group | Abstract: Objective.The National Neuropsychology Network (NNN) is a multicenter clinical research initiative funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH; R01 MH118514) to facilitate neuropsychology's transition to contemporary psychometric assessment methods with resultant improvement in test validation and assessment efficiency.MethodThe NNN includes four clinical research sites (Emory University; Medical College of Wisconsin; University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); University of Florida) and Pearson Clinical Assessment. Pearson Q-interactive (Q-i) is used for data capture for Pearson published tests; web-based data capture tools programmed by UCLA, which serves as the Coordinating Center, are employed for remaining measures.ResultsNNN is acquiring item-level data from 500-10,000 patients across 47 widely used Neuropsychology (NP) tests and sharing these data via the NIMH Data Archive. Modern psychometric methods (e.g., item response theory) will specify the constructs measured by different tests and determine their positive/negative predictive power regarding diagnostic outcomes and relationships to other clinical, historical, and demographic factors. The Structured History Protocol for NP (SHiP-NP) helps standardize acquisition of relevant history and self-report data.ConclusionsNNN is a proof-of-principle collaboration: by addressing logistical challenges, NNN aims to engage other clinics to create a national and ultimately an international network. The mature NNN will provide mechanisms for data aggregation enabling shared analysis and collaborative research. NNN promises ultimately to enable robust diagnostic inferences about neuropsychological test patterns and to promote the validation of novel adaptive assessment strategies that will be more efficient, more precise, and more sensitive to clinical contexts and individual/cultural differences.
Stories of Forgiveness

Miranda Fricker argues that paradigm-based explanations take a more direct and transparent route to the same destination as State of Nature storytelling, offering hypotheses about the basic purpose...
CT Attenuation and Cross-sectional-area Index of the Pectoralis Are Associated With Prognosis in Sarcoma Patients.

BACKGROUND/AIM To identify prognostic imaging biomarkers from staging chest computed tomography (CT) in patients with sarcomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS CT scans for baseline staging, and surveillance 1-year CT scans in patients newly diagnosed with sarcoma were evaluated. Pectoralis muscle area (PMA), pectoralis muscle index (PMI) and pectoralis CT attenuation density (PMT) were measured. Cox proportional-hazard models were used to determine the association with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS There were 147 patients (53.1% male) who were followed for a median 1,414 days (range=219-4851 days). Approximately 47.6% (70/147) of patients progressed and 29.9% (44/147) died. Multivariable Cox-proportional hazards models adjusting for gender, tumor grade and chemotherapy treatment showed that a higher baseline PMT and baseline PMI were associated with increased OS. CONCLUSION Higher baseline PMI and PMT are associated with increased overall survival in patients with sarcoma.
Cooperation and conflict in intra-hospital transfers: A qualitative analysis.

Aim The purpose of this study was to explore the latent conditions of cooperation and conflict in intra-hospital patient transfers (i.e. transfers of patients between units in a hospital). Design Secondary qualitative analysis of 28 interviews conducted with 29 hospital staff, including physicians (N = 13), nurses (N = 10) and support staff (N = 6) from a single, large academic tertiary hospital in the Northeastern United States. Methods A two-member multidisciplinary team applied a directed content analysis approach to data collected from semi-structured interviews. Results Three recurrent themes were generated: (a) patient flow policies created imbalances of power; (b) relationships were helpful to facilitate safe transfers; and (c) method of admission order communication was a source of disagreement. Hospital quality improvement efforts could benefit from a teaming approach to minimize unintentional power imbalances and optimize communicative relationships between units.
Machine gaze in online behavioral targeting: The effects of algorithmic human likeness on social presence and social influence

Abstract Digital platforms increasingly use online behavioral targeting (OBT) to enhance consumers' engagement, which involves using algorithms to “gaze” at consumers—tracking their online activities and inferring their preferences—so as to deliver relevant, personalized messages (e.g., advertisements, recommendations) to consumers. In light of the rising call for algorithmic transparency, this study investigates the effects of algorithmic transparency on consumers' experience of social presence and OBT effectiveness, when the OBT algorithm has low or high level of similarity to humans' conscious mental processes. A one-factor, three-level (no transparency, vs. “observer” algorithm, vs. “judge” algorithm) online experiment with 209 participants was conducted. Results show that for individuals with low anthropomorphism tendency, the “observer” algorithm that did not form meaningful representations of consumers (i.e., low cognitive similarity to humans) reduced social presence, thereby compromising OBT effectiveness. The algorithm that “judged” consumers on meaningful dimensions (i.e., high cognitive similarity to humans) had no such effects. Findings suggest that anthropomorphism, as an important psychological mechanism underlying consumers' interaction with OBT platforms, may be inhibited by algorithmic transparency. Theoretical implications for understanding individuals’ experience with OBT and human-machine communication in general and practical implications for designing algorithmic transparency in OBT practices are discussed.
The new platforms of health care

For the past century, health care measurement and delivery have been centered in hospitals and clinics. That is beginning to change as health measures and increasingly care delivery are migrating to homes and mobile devices. The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated this transition. While increasing access to care and improving convenience, this move toward platforms operated by for-profit firms raises concerns about privacy, equity, and duty that will have to be addressed. In addition, this change in measuring health and delivering health care will create opportunities for educators to expand the settings for training, researchers to conduct studies at enormous scale, payors to embrace lower-cost clinical settings, and patients to make their voices heard.
Investigation of Scale-Dependent Groundwater/Surface-water Exchange in Rivers by Gradient Self-Potential Logging: Numerical Modeling and Field Experiments

ABSTRACT Exchanges of groundwater and surface-water are fundamental to a wide range of water-supply and water-quality management issues but challenging to map beyond the reach scale. Waterborne gra...
Triangular and Rectangular Lattices for Cosecant-Squared-Shaped Beam Reflectarrays

In this letter, we design, analyze, simulate, fabricate, and measure the performance of reflectarrays capable of forming cosecant-squared beam shape. Due to their unique pattern and abrupt change, achieving a cosecant-squared beam is challenging. In our effort, we evaluate the efficacy of a commonly used rectangular lattice and compare it, for the first time, to a triangular lattice. Two linearly polarized reflectarrays, each with 20 λ 0 diameter in size, are fabricated and tested at 20 GHz. Through statistical methods, we quantify the gain agreement between the desired cosecant-squared mask and the measured beam patterns for both rectangular and triangular lattices. We have found that the rectangular lattice conforms better to the cosecant-squared mask at the design frequency of 20 GHz with a root-mean-square error of 6.27 dB. The triangular lattice conforms less, however, it does allow for an increase in gain bandwidth of 6.2% as compared to 4.5% for the rectangular lattice. Measured and simulated patterns are in a good agreement.
Bridge the gap: correlate face mask leakage and facial features with 3D morphable face models

Background Face masks have been proven to be effective in protecting the public against airborne transmitted diseases when fitted appropriately. However, for homemade cloth masks and surgical masks, the fit is often poor, allowing viruses to escape through the gap. Objective This work aims to identify the correlation between the mask leakage, mask configurations, and individual’s facial features. Methods A novel locally morphing 3D face model, and a minimum-energy-based mask deployment model are used to systematically examine the mask fit for a large cohort of exemplars. Results The results show that the mask size and tuck-in ratio, along with selective facial features, especially nose height and chin length, are key factors determining the leakage location and extent. A polynomial regression model is presented for mask fitness based on localized facial features. Significance This study is a complete pipeline to test various masks on a wide range of faces with controlled modification of distinct regions of the face, which is difficult to achieve with human subjects, and provide knowledge on how the masks should be designed in the future. Impact statement The face mask “fit” affects the mask’s efficacy in preventing airborne transmission. To date, research on the face mask fit has been conducted mainly using experiments on limited subjects. The limited sample size in experimental studies makes it hard to reach a statistical correlation between mask fit and facial features in a population. Here, we employ a novel framework that utilizes a morphable face model and mask’s deployment simulation to test mask fit for many facial characteristics and mask designs. The proposed technique is an important step toward enabling personalized mask selection with maximum efficacy for society members.
Therapeutic potential for novel drugs targeting the type 1 cholecystokinin receptor

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a physiologically important gastrointestinal and neuronal peptide hormone, with roles in stimulating gallbladder contraction, pancreatic secretion, gastrointestinal motility and satiety. CCK exerts its effects via interactions with two structurally related class I guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the CCK1 receptor and the CCK2 receptor. Here, we focus on the CCK1 receptor, with particular relevance to the broad spectrum of signalling initiated by activation with the natural full agonist peptide ligand, CCK. Distinct ligand-binding pockets have been defined for the natural peptide ligand and for some non-peptidyl small molecule ligands. While many CCK1 receptor ligands have been developed and have had their pharmacology well described, their clinical potential has not yet been fully explored. The case is built for the potential importance of developing more selective partial agonists and allosteric modulators of this receptor that could have important roles in the treatment of common clinical syndromes. This article is part of a themed section on Molecular Pharmacology of GPCR. To view the editorial for this themed section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2010.00695.x
Role of conization in the detection and treatment of cervical carcinoma in situ.

Abstract A study comprising 259 cases of cervical carcinoma in situ has been presented. One hundred and seventy-one patients are being followed after radical conization as the only therapy administered; data on 62 patients who have undergone a second operation (hysterectomy or cervicectomy) have been analyzed. The methods of detection, conization, cytologic preparation and interpretation, along with intensive cytologic follow-up have been outlined. It is our opinion, based upon the data presented in this study, that the vast majority of patients with carcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix can be safely treated through radical conization without regard to the patient's age, parity, or desire for pregnancy.
Using Statistical Evidence to Prove Causality to Non-statisticians

Many writers claim that statistics have become increasingly important in litigation. However, no comprehensive contemporary guide exists for attorneys who want to use statistical data to create effective demonstrative evidence - an issue that is especially important when non-statisticians use statistics to make inferences about causality. In this paper we outline a new theory explaining the perception, comprehension, and recall of quantitative graphs. As an outgrowth of that theory we propose that four cornerstones are essential for inferences of causality in most disciplines: Sufficiency, Necessity, Proximity, and Plausibility. Consistent with this theory, we contend that four hallmarks of causality are critical. These hallmarks show positive evidence of Association, Prediction, and Dose-dependence, as well as negative evidence Ruling Out Alternative Explanations. We close by using recent advances from research in experimental psychology to formulate best-practice examples of how these four hallmarks can be shown in quantitative graphs during litigation.
Regulation of microsomal enzymes by phospholipids: IV. Species differences in the properties of microsomal UDP-glucuronyltransferase

Abstract Modification of the activity of UDP-glucuronyltransferase (UDP-glucuronate glucuronyltransferase (acceptor unspecific), EC 2.4.1.17) by treatment of microsomes with phospholipase A (phosphatide acyl-hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.4) from both Naja naja and Crotalus adamanteus venoms and with p -chloromercuribenzoate has been studied in a variety of species: guinea pig, mouse, rat, beef, rabbit and human. Contrary to reports in the literature that -SH group reagents and phospholipase A inhibit the enzyme, activation of UDP-glucuronyltransferase by these agents was noted in all species examined. Thus, constraint on maximum potential activity is a general property of this enzyme in untreated microsomes from a variety of species. On the other hand, the extent of activation of glucuronyltransferase by treatment of microsomes with phospholipase A or p -chloromercuribenzoate varied with the species studied. In addition to variation in the extent of activation, species differences in the reactivities of the -SH groups associated with UDP-glucuronyltransferase were noted.
Designing part of the future of science and engineering education

Science and engineering are the best all-round educational preparation for the next century. In this paper the author gives his views on the design of the future of science and engineering education for which he believes the goal should include doubling the number of engineering graduates. Engineering educators should adopt the goal, adjust their attitudes, stop the engineering family feuding, and market the profession systemically and systematically. They should accept the obligation of the engineer and personally look about for opportunities to spur youth to an interest and desire to learn engineering. They should support scholarship awards for engineering students. They should cultivate the "seeds" that have been planted by groups who have already embarked on the work to capture more graduates of science and engineering. Engineering educators need to do these things both personally and collectively.
How Business Shapes Law: A Socio-Legal Framework

Much legal scholarship addresses law in terms of norms and incentives that affect business and individual behavior. This Essay reverses the telescope and addresses the mechanisms through which business shapes law. There are two main ways in which business affects law. First, business influences the public institutions (legislatures, administrative bodies and courts) that make and apply law. Second, business creates its own private legal systems, including what is traditionally referred to as lex mercatoria (or private merchant law) and private institutions to enforce it (such as arbitral bodies). These two sources of law, publicly-made and privately-made, interact reciprocally and dynamically. The Essay provides a socio-legal framework for analyzing business’s interactional relationship with law. The Essay argues that to assess the relation of business to law, we must look at three sets of institutional interactions: the interaction among public institutions (legislative, administrative and judicial processes), in each of which business plays a critical role; the interaction of national and transnational institutional processes; and the interaction among these public institutional processes and parallel private rule-making, administrative and dispute settlement mechanisms that business creates. The dynamic, reciprocal interaction of public and private legal systems constitutes the legal field in which economic activity takes place. It is a particularly important time to engage in such analysis in light of the proliferation of privately-made legal systems, including transnational ones, affecting our very concept of law.
Management of life-threatening pulmonary leukostasis with single agent imatinib mesylate during CML myeloid blast crisis

Pulmonary leukostasis is a rare but serious and often fatal complication of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in blast crisis and acute myeloid leukemia. Treatment options are limited for these patients. Imatinib mesylate (STI-571, Gleevec, Novartis) is a potent and selective inhibitor of the BCR-abl tyrosine kinase, the molecular abnormality that causes CML. The case of a 74-year-old man with a history of CML who presented in myeloid blast crisis with pulmonary leukostasis characterized by increasing dyspnea, hypoxemia, fever, and impending respiratory failure is reported. The patient was treated with single agent imatinib mesylate (IM) with rapid decrease in his white blood cell count (WBC) and marked improvement in his respiratory status. No electrolyte abnormalities consistent with tumor lysis syndrome were observed. IM may be an effective single agent therapy for pulmonary leukostasis in patients with CML blast crisis who are at the risk for tumor lysis.
PSYCHOANALYTIC CONTROVERSIES: The pressing need to increase research in and on psychoanalysis

(2006). Psychoanalytic controversies: The pressing need to increase research in and on psychoanalysis. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis: Vol. 87, No. 4, pp. 919-936.
Effects of a diluted geothermal brine on growth and elemental content of tomato and sugar beet

Abstract Sugar beets and tomatoes growing in pots were irrigated with a 10 or 1% dilution of a geothermal brine that was a facsimile of brines from the Niland area of the Imperial Valley, Calif. For comparison, 10 and 1% dilutions of a salt solution, containing the same amount of sodium and calcium as the brine, were also used to irrigate plants. As expected, growth in 10% brine and salt significantly reduced dry matter production, and salt toxicity was evident at both concentrations. Tissue concentrations of potassium and bromine support the hypothesis that these elements are involved in ionic balance in the plants. Uptake of iron and zinc, components in the brine, was increased by 10%. Chromium and copper, which are not in brine, increased in sugar beets, as did chromium in tomatoes, when grown in high salt or brine. Displacement from the exchange complex, pH changes, or disruption of soil organic matter or chloride‐ligand formation may explain these findings. The growth of sugar beets in high salt conc...
Dissecting Neural Responses to Temporal Prediction, Attention, and Memory: Effects of Reward Learning and Interoception on Time Perception

Temporal prediction (TP) is needed to anticipate future events and is essential for survival. Our sense of time is modulated by emotional and interoceptive (corporal) states that are hypothesized to rely on a dopamine (DA)-modulated "internal clock" in the basal ganglia. However, the neurobiological substrates for TP in the human brain have not been identified. We tested the hypothesis that TP involves DA striato-cortical pathways, and that accurate responses are reinforcing in themselves and activate the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed the involvement of the NAc and anterior insula in the temporal precision of the responses, and of the ventral tegmental area in error processing. Moreover, NAc showed higher activation for successful than for unsuccessful trials, indicating that accurate TP per se is rewarding. Inasmuch as activation of the NAc is associated with drug-induced addictive behaviors, its activation by accurate TP could help explain why video games that rely on TP can trigger compulsive behaviors.
Magnetotelluric response of laterally inhomogeneous and anisotropic media

The lack of agreement between magnetotelluric field measurements and the calculations based on essentially two‐dimensional models with either anisotropy or lateral inhomogeneity necessitates a more complex model of the earth than has been previously considered. The Galerkin finite‐element method is applied to a two‐dimensional structure with a tensor conductivity. The importance of considering conductivity as a tensor is illustrated by a model consisting of an anisotropic, conducting dike embedded in an anisotropic half‐space. This model can be distinguished from an isotropic model by the nonvanishing diagonal elements of the impedance tensor, the ellipticity indices, and the skew.
Constructing the Call Graph of a Program

The proliferation of large software systems written in high level programming languages insures the utility of analysis programs which examine interprocedural communications. Often these analysis programs need to reduce the dynamic relations between procedures to a static data representation. This paper presents one such representation, a directed, acyclic graph named the call graph of a program. We delineate the programs representable by an acyclic call graph and present an algorithm for constructing it using the property that its nodes may be linearly ordered. We prove the correctness of the algorithm and discuss the results obtained from an implementation of the algorithm in the PFORT Verifier [1].
Experimental autoimmune glomerulonephritis in chickens. II. Adoptive transfer of disease with mononuclear cells.

Autoimmune glomerulonephritis was induced in donor chickens by immunization with chicken, human, turkey or bovine glomeruli. Lymphocytes from the kidneys of each group and the spleen of donors immunized with chicken glomeruli were isolated and injected intravenously into six-week old syngeneic SC chickens. The disease was transferred to bursectomized/non-bursectomized recipients by cells from donors immunized with chicken and bovine glomeruli but not by cells from chickens immunized with human and turkey glomeruli. The transferred disease correlated with interstitial infiltrates in donors. No antibody was detected on the glomerular basement membrane or in the circulation of any recipients. Glomerulonephritis in this model can be transferred by specifically sensitized T lymphocytes alone without antibody. This new pathogenic process may play an important role in the development of glomerulonephritis in other animal models as well as in man, where minimal or no immune deposits are observed despite glomerulo...
Separation of partition inequalities with terminals

Given a graph with n nodes each of them having labels equal either to 1 or 2 (a node with label 2 is called a terminal), we consider the (1,2)-survivable network design problem and more precisely, the separation problem for the partition inequalities. We show that this separation problem reduces to a sequence of submodular flow problems. Based on an algorithm developed by Fujishige and Zhang the problem is reduced to a sequence of O(n^4) minimum cut problems.
Esophageal Bezoar Resulting From Enteral Feedings

Esophageal bezoars are rare but are known to occur in patients with structural or functional abnormalities of the esophagus. Additionally, sucralfate and casein containing enteral feeding formulas have been implicated in the formation of esophageal bezoars, particularly in the setting of decreased esophageal pH. We present a case in which a patient with functional impairment of the esophagus related to myasthenia gravis developed an esophageal bezoar. Gastroesophageal reflux, altered esophageal pH, and direct instillation of feeding formula through a rent in the feeding tube were additional factors likely leading to bezoar formation in this patient. Endoscopic examination revealed puttylike material consistent with coagulated enteral feeding formula. An esophagram demonstrated a large bezoar filling the middle and distal thirds of the esophagus. The conditions predisposing to bezoar formation and the proposed mechanisms are discussed. We also summarize the reported cases of esophageal bezoars related to enteral feeding formula, sucralfate, or both.
Non-maximally decimated filter bank-based single-carrier receiver: a pathway to next-generation wideband communication

We present the design of a wideband digital modem based on non-maximally decimated filter bank (NMDFB) with perfect reconstruction (PR) property. The PR-NMDFB contains an analysis filter bank (AFB) and a synthesis filter bank (SFB) whose efficient polyphase forms are named as polyphase analysis channelizer (PAC) and polyphase synthesis channelizer (PSC). The waveform being processed is the legacy square root Nyquist-shaped quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). In contrast to orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems, the shaped QAM transmission has much superior performance properties in throughput, peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), and synchronization. We will show the PR-NMDFB is capable of efficiently performing several key tasks of a digital receiver with dramatic workload reduction. This includes digital filtering, carrier recovery, and symbol timing recovery. Moreover, the nature of NMDFB allows the signal processing to operate a significantly reduced sample rate, which is a desired characteristic for replacing current FIR implementation in wideband systems.
A human cDNA encoding the 110-kDa A subunit of RNA polymerase II transcription factor elongin

A full-length cDNA encoding a human homolog of the approx. 110-kDa subunit (elongin A; El A) of the RNA polymerase II transcription factor, elongin, was isolated and sequenced. Comparison of the open reading frames of the human el A cDNA and the previously characterized rat El A cDNA [Aso et al., Science 269 (1995) 1439-1443] indicates that they are 84% conserved in nucleotide sequence and encode 84% identical proteins.
Tunneling spectroscopy in superconducting Ba1−xKxBiO3: Direct evidence for phonon-mediated coupling

Abstract Tunneling measurements have been performed on bulk samples of Ba1−xKxBiO3 (x=0.375) using the natural, surface oxide as the tunnel barrier and an In thin film counterelectrode. High bias conductance and second derivative measurements show reproducible features in the energy range 10 to 65 meV which are characteristic of phonon effect as seen in conventional superconductors. The structures appear at energies which correspond to peaks in the phonon density of states as measured by inelastic neutron scattering and Raman spectroscopy. Estimates of the electron-phonon coupling strength, λ, and the average phonon frequency, , from the tunneling data indicate that phonon mediated pairing is responsible for superconductivity in this compound. Strong lifetime broadening effects are observed in the gap-region conductance of these junctions indicating gapless superconductivity for samples with concentration, x=0.375.
Old ice in rock glaciers may provide long-term climate records

Anyone who spends much time above the treeline has probably seen rock glaciers and paused to wonder about them. Their curious and occasionally spectacular forms (Figure 1) occur in alpine and polar regions throughout the world, yet much remains uncertain about how they develop. A core of ice recently recovered from a rock glacier in the Absaroka Mountains of northwestern Wyoming vividly illustrates several important aspects about rock glaciers. At least some rock glaciers are a form of debris-covered glacier, and original isotopic stratigraphy may be preserved within their ice. Perhaps most interesting of all, the core of some rock glaciers is composed of layered ice that can be drilled and recovered, and some of this ice is exceptionally old.
Isolation of prostacyclin from whole blood

A method was developed for the isolation of prostacyclin (PGI2) from whole blood in a fraction suitable for high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation of PGI2 and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α (6-K-PGF1α). Prostacyclin was stabilized in whole blood by rapidly raising the pH to 10 with Na2CO3 and cooling the samples to 0°C. Under these conditions, 2.9% hydrolysis was observed after 20 min. Reverse phase extraction columns were used to directly extract both PGI2 and 6-K-PGF1α from the alkaline plasma with recoveries of greater than 95% using an acetonitrile/2mM Na2B4O7, pH 10, 4060 elution solvent mixture. An additional 1.7% hydrolysis was found during the column extraction procedure. Final separation of PGI2 and 6-K-PGF1α was performed with HPLC using an alkaline solvent system. This method is capable of rapidly and efficiently extracting and separating PGI2 and 6-K-PGF1α from whole blood or plasma. It introduces less than 5% hydrolysis of PGI2, thus providing a means of applying highly sensitive 6-K-PGF1α assays to the determination of PGI2 levels in physiological samples.
Understanding political pricing of labor services: The Davis-Bacon Act

Examples of divergence between the intended (stated) and actual consequences of government intervention in the marketplace abound. In this paper, two legislative attempts to specify wage rates on government contracts are analyzed. The Davis-Bacon Act has been successful in forcing government contractors to pay the prevailing union wage rate. In contrast, the Walsh-Healey Act has been ineffective in establishing minimum wage scales on most government contracts. Analysis indicates that the success of one and the failure of the other is due to differences in enforcement costs, special interest group support, the concentration of opposition, and the narrower scope of Davis-Bacon.
Position-restricted grammar forms and grammars

This paper deals with the question of canonical types for grammar forms and grammars. A grammar (form) is called position restricted of type (m1,?,mn+ 1) if n?2, each m1 is a nonnegative integer, and each production is either of the type ?0 ? u, u a terminal word, or ?0?w1?1w2?wn?nwn+1, where each ? is a variable and each wi is a terminal word of length mi. Thus a grammar (form) is position restricted if all productions in it but the terminal ones have the same relative position of terminals and variables. The main results are as follows. Each grammar form G1 is equivalent to a grammar form G2 of any desired position-restricted type (m1,?,mn,0), with the interpretation grammars of G2 of position-restricted type (m1,?,mn,0) being sufficient to define all languages in L(G1). The above result is no longer true if the position-restricted type is such that mn+1?1. The second main result is that each context-free language is defined by a grammar G of any desired position-restricted type.
Non-Photolithographic Methods for Fabrication of Elastomeric Stamps for Use in Microcontact Printing

This paper describes several methods that generate patterned relief structures for casting the elastomeric stamps required in microcontact printing (μCP). The relief structures include the following: (1) patterns etched in thin films of silver (200 nm thick) with printed SAMs of hexadecanethiolate as resists; (2) patterned polymeric structures assembled on the surface of a thin film of silver (or gold) that has been patterned with SAMs of hexadecanethiolate; and (3) polystyrene microspheres assembled on a flat surface. Commercial diffraction gratings were also useful as masters. Microcontact printing with poly(dimethylsiloxane) stamps cast from these relief structures was used in combination with selective wet etching to generate patterns in thin films of silver and gold. Although some of these techniques used photolithography once in fabricating the initial masters, they could produce patterns more complex than those on the initial masters. These procedures provide a convenient route to moderately compl...
Tissue sealing device associated thermal spread: A comparison of histologic methods for detecting adventitial collagen denaturation

Thermal spread (thermal tissue damage) results from heat conduction through the tissues immediately adjacent to a hyperthermic tissue sealing device. The extent of such heat conduction can be assessed by the detection of adventitial collagen denaturation. Several histologic methods have been reported to measure adventitial collagen denaturation as a marker of thermal spread. This study compared hematoxylin and eosin staining, Gomori trichrome staining and loss of collagen birefringence for the detection of collagen denaturation. Twenty-eight ex vivo porcine carotid arteries were sealed with a commercially available, FDA-approved tissue sealing device. Following formalin fixation and paraffin embedding, two 5-micron tissue sections were hematoxylin and eosin and Gomori trichrome stained. The hematoxylin and eosin-stained section was evaluated by routine bright field microscopy and under polarized light. The trichromestained section was evaluated by routine bright field microscopy. Radial and midline adventitial collagen denaturation measurements were made for both the top and bottom jaw sides of each seal. The adventitial collagen denaturation lengths were determined using these three methods and statistically compared. The results showed that thermal spread, as represented by histologically detected collagen denaturation, is technique dependent. In this study, the trichrome staining method detected significantly less thermal spread than the hematoxylin and eosin staining and birefringence methods. Of the three methods, hematoxylin and eosin staining provided the most representative results for true thermal spread along the adjacent artery.
A zero PSA slope in posttreatment prostate-specific antigen supports cure of patients with long-term follow-up after external beam radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer.

Abstract Purpose To determine whether the rate of change in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in patients treated with external beam radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer improves our ability to define which patients are likely to be cured of their disease. Methods and materials Patients treated between 1987 and 1995 at the University of California, San Francisco and the University of Michigan for localized prostate cancer with external beam radiotherapy and without hormonal ablation were evaluated for this study. The PSA slope was calculated for 199 patients who were disease free by the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology consensus definition for at least 4 years and at last follow-up. Patients were categorized into groups defined by no increase, minimal increase, modest increase, and a definite increase in change in PSA level, corresponding to slopes of ≤0.0, >0.0–0.1, >0.1–0.5, and >0.5 ng/mL/y, respectively. Results Fifty-four percent of the patients displayed a non-increasing PSA (Group 1), 23% had a minimal increase (Group 2), 17% had a modest increase (Group 3), and 6% had a definite increase (Group 4). Patients with a non-increasing PSA slope had a significantly longer time to nadir (median 47.8, 31.6, 29.9, and 23.3 months for Groups 1–4, respectively, p = 0.0001) and a lower median PSA nadir (median 0.30, 0.40, 0.55, and 1.00 ng/mL for Groups 1–4, respectively, p = 0.0006). Conclusion On the basis of PSA kinetics, we believe that a group of patients can be defined who appear to be cured of localized prostate cancer (i.e., have a zero slope). These patients have a lower and later PSA nadir, as well as a more substantial proportional effect of external beam radiotherapy on their PSA level. Patients with a definite increase in PSA slope are erroneously labeled disease free by the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology consensus definition.
A simple demand function for higher education

Because of the shrinking pool of high school graduates and college-age students, there are renewed interests in college enrollment projections. Based on a proposition of human capital theory that an increase in the expected rate of return to education brings more people to schools, a simple demand function for college enrollments may be constructed. Following Levine, Koshal, Koshal, and Lindley [NYEconomic Review, Fall 1988, pp. 3-18], it is viewed that each prospective student makes an investment in oneself as human capital. In addition, the cost of such investments, the availability of resources for financing education, and economic conditions may also influence such investment decisions. The demand for enrollment in higher institutions is measured by college enrollment rates (CERs), which are obtained by dividing total college degree enrollments by the sum of high school graduates in the current and three preceding years. CER is principally determined by real per capita personal income (INC), the cost (price) of college education, which is measured by a weighted average of tuition and room and board charged by public and private colleges (COST), state's rate of unemployment (UNEMP), and dummy variables to account for qualitative factors (DUM). It is expected that both the INC and UNEMP variables have positive signs, and the COST variable to have a negative sign. To estimate the demand for college enrollments in Mississippi, the CER is regressed on the independent variables, using data for the 1965-86 period. The regression results are:
Administration and environment considerations in computer-based sports-concussion assessment.

Computer-based testing has become a vital tool for the assessment of sport-related concussion (SRC). An increasing number of papers have been published on this topic, focusing on subjects such as the purpose and validity of baseline testing, the performance of special populations on computer-based tests, the psychometric properties of different computerized neurocognitive tools, and considerations for valid and reliable administration of these tools. The current paper describes several considerations regarding computerized test design, input and output devices, and testing environment that should be described explicitly when administering computer-based cognitive testing, regardless of whether the assessment is used for clinical or research purposes. The paper also reviews the conclusions of recent literature (2007–2013) using computer-based testing for the assessment of SRC, with special attention to the methods used in these studies. We also present an appendix checklist for clinicians and researchers that may be helpful in ensuring proper attention to factors that could influence the reliability and validity of computer-based cognitive testing. We believe that explicit attention to these technological factors may lead to the development of standards for the development and implementation of computer-based tests. Such standards have the potential to enhance the accuracy and utility of computer-based tests in SRC.
Evolving clinical problems with Streptococcus pneumoniae: Increasing resistance to antimicrobial agents, and failure of traditional optochin identification in Chicago, Illinois, between 1993 and 1996☆

Infections due to multidrug-resistant pneumococci are a growing concern. Through December 1995, over 85% of isolates recovered from our patients in Chicago, Illinois, were fully susceptible to penicillin, and only a rare resistant strain was recovered from blood or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In December 1995, we began to observe bloodstream infections due to Streptococcus pneumoniae with penicillin MICs that represented either intermediate or full resistance to penicillin. S. pneumoniae isolated between January 1, 1993, and December 31, 1996, were tested against 11 different antimicrobial agents. There were 158 from blood or CSF, and 303 from other (primarily respiratory) sources. During 1996, 46% of our total S. pneumoniae isolates were no longer fully susceptible to penicillin, representing a threefold increase from the previous year's experience. In isolates from blood and CSF, more than 90% of strains had been fully susceptible to penicillin through 1995, but since the start of 1996, 29% of our invasive isolates were no longer fully susceptible to penicillin. During 1996, vancomycin was the only currently approved agent that was active against all recovered isolates. We also noted two isolates during 1996 where optochin testing did not accurately identify strains as S. pneumoniae. A major problem with multidrug-resistant S. pneumoniae causing both respiratory and invasive diseases appears to have now reached the Chicago area. Laboratories need to be aware of a continued increase in antimicrobial agent resistance exhibited by this pathogen, as well as potential difficulties that can be encountered using traditional laboratory identification methods.