cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nucleus-Specific Expression of GABAA Receptor Subunit mRNAs in Monkey Thalamus

Expression of 10 GABAA receptor subunit genes was examined in monkey thalamus by in situ hybridization using cRNA probes specific for α1, α2, α3, α4, α5, β1, β2, β3, γ1, and γ2 subunit mRNAs. These displayed unique hybridization patterns with significant differences from rodents. α1, β2, and γ2 transcripts were expressed at high levels in all dorsal thalamic nuclei, but expression was significantly higher in sensory relay nuclei—especially the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. Other transcripts showed nucleus-specific differences in levels of expression and in the range expressed. α5 and α4 subunit transcripts were expressed in all nuclei except the intralaminar nuclei. Levels of α2, α3, β1, β3, and γ1 expression were very low, except in intralaminar nuclei. In the reticular nucleus, most subunit transcripts were not expressed, and only γ2 transcripts were consistently detected at modest levels. Thalamic GABAA receptors may be assembled from nucleus-specific groupings of subunit polypeptides.
Fuzzy dependency and its applications in damage assessment and recovery

Fuzzy dependency in a database delineates a loose dependency relationship between two sets of attributes. It describes logical relationships among attributes in a database relation and those relationships can't be fully specified by functional dependencies, which focus on database schema and data organization. This characteristic of the database schema can be used to perform damage assessment and also to build fuzzy recovery model. In this paper, we formally define the concept of fuzzy dependency and introduce several inference rules. Then we focus on recovery from information attacks. An architecture for fuzzy value generation during recovery, based on fuzzy dependency relationships, is also presented. Fuzzy dependency can accelerate the post attack recovery process because it can generate acceptable values for damaged data quicker compared to that in traditional recovery schemes. Although the generated fuzzy values may not offer the absolute accuracy, they are acceptable for many real-time applications, which require prompt response more than the data accuracy.
Progress of the insert coil for the US-NHMFL 100 T multi-shot pulse magnet

Abstract We review insert development for the US-NHMFL 100 T non-destructive short-pulse magnet program. Coil electro-mechanics are presented in the context of the selected materials: CuNb conductor, PBO zylon-fibre, and MP35N, a cobalt-based super-alloy, reinforcement. We present the results of conductor cyclic fatigue testing and explore the data's ramifications. We present the coil geometry, and a new “poly-layer” assembly technique. We review the structure of our small coil test program to evaluate the engineering and materials design.
LITERACY AND THE SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNER

LITERACY AND THE SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNER. Joann Hammadou Sullivan (Ed.) . Greenwich, CT: Information Age, 2002. Pp. xii + 279. $29.95 paper. In this age of Internet plenty, research collections need a justification for presentation in book format. According to the editor's introduction, the main justification for Literacy and the second language learner is to provide a sampling of the range of “possible voices and possible questions that make up the broad and complex field of second language literacy study” (p. xi).
The Framing of Feminists and Feminism in News and Public Affairs Programs in U.S. Electronic Media

This research analyzes the representation of feminists and feminism in media (in part by comparing such representation to that of women) via content analysis of 35,000 hours of ABC, CNN, PBS, and NPR news and public affairs content. Feminists appear rarely and are often demonized. Although they are shown in a personalized and trivialized fashion, though, feminists are so represented less often than “regular” women. Feminists are less often victims, more often have agency, and more often are associated with the goals of the women's movement than regular women. Yet feminists' realm is not that of regular women; feminists are less often associated with day-to-day work/leisure activities of regular women, and more often with public sphere activities including media/the arts and politics.
Core collapse via coarse dynamic renormalization

In the context of the recently developed "equation-free" approach to computer-assisted analysis of complex systems, we extract the self-similar solution describing core collapse of a stellar system from numerical experiments. The technique allows us to sidestep the core "bounce" that occurs in direct N-body simulations due to the small-N correlations that develop in the late stages of collapse, and hence to follow the evolution well into the self-similar regime.
Selling New Orleans to New Orleans Tourism authenticity and the construction of community identity

This article examines the process of tourism authenticity using a case study of the rise of tourism in New Orleans during the first half of the 20th century. Tourism authenticity is a process by which tourist modes of staging, visualization, and experience shape and 'frame' meanings and assertions of local culture and heritage. Empirically, I examine the place promotion efforts of the New Orleans Association of Commerce to 'sell New Orleans to New Orleans', to convince local people that tourism was not only a lucrative economic development strategy but constitutive of civic life and urban culture. I analyze minutes of meetings, reports, and analyses from the Association of Commerce to illustrate how elite conceptions of urban reality were woven into discourses about New Orleans community and authenticity. Theoretically, I show that the study of interplay of place promotion and authenticity construction is a useful strategy for deepening our understanding of the complex intersections of local actions and global processes in the emergence of modern tourism in the United States.
Involvement of DEAD-box proteins in group I and group II intron splicing. Biochemical characterization of Mss116p, ATP hydrolysis-dependent and -independent mechanisms, and general RNA chaperone activity.

Abstract The RNA-catalyzed splicing of group I and group II introns is facilitated by proteins that stabilize the active RNA structure or act as RNA chaperones to disrupt stable inactive structures that are kinetic traps in RNA folding. In Neurospora crassa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the latter function is fulfilled by specific DEAD-box proteins, denoted CYT-19 and Mss116p, respectively. Previous studies showed that purified CYT-19 stimulates the in vitro splicing of structurally diverse group I and group II introns, and uses the energy of ATP binding or hydrolysis to resolve kinetic traps. Here, we purified Mss116p and show that it has RNA-dependent ATPase activity, unwinds RNA duplexes in a non-polar fashion, and promotes ATP-independent strand-annealing. Further, we show that Mss116p binds RNA non-specifically and promotes in vitro splicing of both group I and group II intron RNAs, as well as RNA cleavage by the aI5γ-derived D135 ribozyme. However, Mss116p also has ATP hydrolysis-independent effects on some of these reactions, which are not shared by CYT-19 and may reflect differences in its RNA-binding properties. We also show that a non-mitochondrial DEAD-box protein, yeast Ded1p, can function almost as efficiently as CYT-19 and Mss116p in splicing the yeast aI5γ group II intron and less efficiently in splicing the bI1 group II intron. Together, our results show that Mss116p, like CYT-19, can act broadly as an RNA chaperone to stimulate the splicing of diverse group I and group II introns, and that Ded1p also has an RNA chaperone activity that can be assayed by its effect on splicing mitochondrial introns. Nevertheless, these DEAD-box protein RNA chaperones are not completely interchangeable and appear to function in somewhat different ways, using biochemical activities that have likely been tuned by coevolution to function optimally on specific RNA substrates.
Pseudoseptic arthritis due to acute lipoarthrosis in a systemic lupus erythematosus patient with osteonecrosis.

Acute unexplained monarthritis from which purulent-ap-pearing but sterile synovial ﬂuid is obtained has beendubbed pseudoseptic arthritis (1). A number of entitieshave been described that can present in this manner. Em-pirical therapy for septic arthritis is still indicated in thesepresentations, but can be discontinued when an alterna-tive explanation for the acute condition is identiﬁed. Weencountered a patient with acute knee monarthritis fromwhich we obtained seemingly purulent synovial ﬂuid, butin whom we ultimately demonstrated a process illustrat-ing an unusual mechanism by which such a presentationmight develop.
Articular congruity is associated with short-term clinical outcomes of operatively treated SER IV ankle fractures

Background: With regard to supination-external rotation type-IV (SER IV) ankle fractures, there is no consensus regarding which patient, injury, and treatment variables most strongly influence clinical outcome. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the impact of articular surface congruity on the functional outcomes of operatively treatment of SER IV ankle fractures. Methods: A prospectively generated database consisting of operatively treated SER IV ankle fractures was reviewed. Postoperative computed tomography (CT) scans were used to assess ankle joint congruity. Ankles were considered incongruent in the presence of >2 mm of articular step-off, intra-articular loose bodies, or an articular surface gap of >2 mm (despite an otherwise anatomic reduction) due to joint impaction and comminution. Patients with at least one year of clinical follow-up were eligible for analysis. The primary and secondary outcome measures were the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) and ankle motion. Results: One hundred and eight SER IV fractures met our inclusion criteria. The average duration of follow-up was twenty-one months. Seventy-two patients (67%) had a congruent ankle joint, and thirty-six (33%) had elements of articular surface incongruity on postoperative CT scanning. These two groups were similar with regard to comorbidities and injury and treatment variables. At the time of the final follow-up, the group with articular incongruity had a significantly worse FAOS with regard to symptoms (p = 0.012), pain (p = 0.004), and activities of daily living (p = 0.038). Those with articular incongruity had worse average scores in the FAOS sport domain as well. No significant differences in ankle motion were found between the two groups. Conclusions: In this population of patients with an operatively treated SER IV ankle fracture, the presence of postoperative articular incongruity correlated with inferior early clinical outcomes. Orthopaedic surgeons should scrutinize ankle fracture reductions and strive for perfection to allow for the best possible clinical outcome. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Iterative Training of Dynamic Skills Inspired by Human Coaching Techniques

Inspired by how humans learn dynamic motor skills through a progressive process of coaching and practices, we introduce an intuitive and interactive framework for developing dynamic controllers. The user only needs to provide a primitive initial controller and high-level, human-readable instructions as if s/he is coaching a human trainee, while the character has the ability to interpret the abstract instructions, accumulate the knowledge from the coach, and improve its skill iteratively. We introduce “control rigs” as an intermediate layer of control module to facilitate the mapping between high-level instructions and low-level control variables. Control rigs also utilize the human coach's knowledge to reduce the search space for control optimization. In addition, we develop a new sampling-based optimization method, Covariance Matrix Adaptation with Classification (CMA-C), to efficiently compute-control rig parameters. Based on the observation of human ability to “learn from failure”, CMA-C utilizes the failed simulation trials to approximate an infeasible region in the space of control rig parameters, resulting a faster convergence for the CMA optimization. We demonstrate the design process of complex dynamic controllers using our framework, including precision jumps, turnaround jumps, monkey vaults, drop-and-rolls, and wall-backflips.
Syllables as signals for 2-day-old infants

Abstract Neonates demonstrated two-stimulus auditory operant discrimination by altering nonnutritive sucking patterns during an 18-min session. Discriminative stimuli were two isolated, repeated syllables, and reinforcers were a recording of mother's adult-directed speech and quiet. During the final 6 min, 16 of 20 subjects ( M age = 55 hours) initiated bursts of sucking relatively more frequently during the syllable which signalled the availability of the recording of mother's voice versus quiet. In addition to providing new evidence of newborn speech perception and learning capacities, the results suggest a useful method for investigating neonatal auditory perception.
Energy Transfer between the Solar Wind and the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere System.

The coupling of energy between the solar wind and the magnetosphere has been studied using many different techniques. Early research used simple statistical methods and cross-correlation analyses. Such work suggested that solar wind-magnetosphere coupling is strongly controlled by the interplanetary electric field (-V × B). Later studies have used more sophisticated techniques such as linear prediction filtering to understand quantitatively the time scales and efficiency of such coupling. In fact, there emerge two distinct aspects and time scales for coupling processes: (1) Directly-driven ionospheric dissipation with response time scales of 10-20 min.; and (2) Storage-release mechanisms involving energy loading in the magnetotail for-1 hour. Very recent research has used nonlinear dynamical models and nonlinear filter techniques to incorporate both directly driven and loading-unloading behavior. The result is that very accurate predictions of magnetosphere-ionosphere response are possible using state-input space reconstruction and “nearest neighbor” nonlinear filters.
Tests of Vote-Buyer Theories of Coalition Formation in Legislatures

Formal theories of “vote-buying” aim to explain legislative coalition building, and lobbying. While anecdotal evidence suggests that something approximating vote-buying occurs, these theories have ...
Emplacement of the Little Chief Stock, Panamint Range, California

The Little Chief Granite porphyry stock of Tertiary age, which is exposed over an area of 11 mi 2 (28.5 km 2 ) and through an elevation range of 6,300 ft (1,920 m), has the form of a steep-sided dome, with contacts that dip mainly from vertical to 60° outward. Along the eastern side of the stock, the contact dips vary locally from 25° outward to 35° inward. The stock is estimated to have a relatively flat floor and is made up of two intrusive phases: a concordant south phase, which preserved ∼3,000 ft (900 m) of overburden, and a crosscutting north phase, whose roof lay very close to the estimated position of the ground surface at the time of intrusion of the stock. Magma for the stock apparently moved upward to levels now located near modern sea level in a narrow, east-trending dike system. It began to spread laterally and upward to form a stock when it reached the almost horizontal contact between crystalline basement rocks and overlying, relatively incompetent, carbonate-rich sedimentary rocks. A contact phase of the granite, which occurs as inclusions, was formed by reaction with dolomitic wall rocks at this time. By the time the magma chamber was 1,000 ft (300 m) thick, extension of the rock had formed a system of westward-dipping normal faults along which rhyolite porphyry dikes were intruded. Continued upward movement of the magma resulted in the formation of a nearly rectangular trapdoor of sedimentary rocks bounded by vertical faults. The trapdoor opened to the west with vertical throws of more than 3,000 ft (900 m) on the western side of the stock and a north-trending hinge line slightly east of the stock. The trapdoor faults offset the earlier normal faults and associated dike swarm. Simultaneously with formation of the trapdoor, a regional system of vertical, north-trending faults formed south and west of the stock; these faults converge on the trapdoor from the south and also offset the earlier normal faults. The magma continued to rise, doming and stretching the wall rocks within the trapdoor, until the roof of the south phase of the stock reached its present position at a modern elevation of about 11,000 ft (3,350 m). The north phase magma continued rising to about 13,000 ft (3,960 m) in elevation, probably venting to the ground surface and, in the process, breaking the trapdoor along an east-trending tear fault that extends east of the stock.
A simple flattener for holding filter papers on planchettes for radioactive counting.

THE use of a ‘Millipore’ chimney and filter paper provides a convenient means of collecting radioactive material for measurement of its activity. A major disadvantage of this system arises from the curling of these papers by the precipitated materials and the allied difficulties of fitting them in the planchette. The use of doubly gummed ‘Scotch’ tape provides only a partial solution to this problem, and if the material on the filter paper is to be analysed chemically afterwards, the tape adhesive may interfere. The use of liquid adhesives and, in the case of ‘Millipore’ filters, of solvents also does not solve this problem. The amount of collected material is limited by the point at which the precipitate will flake and not hold to the paper. Recently we devised a simple spring mechanism to hold the paper in the carriers.
Potassium-related humoral transmission of overdrive suppression*

The contribution of potassium to the suppression which follows overdrive (overdrive suppression) was studied in isolated canine hearts perfused in vitro . Complete atrioventricular block was produced by ligating the His bundle. The electrical activity of the ventricles was recorded with locally implanted electrodes. Coronary sinus potassium concentration [K]cs was measured before, during and after 1 to 10 min drives. The collected coronary sinus effluent was reoxygenated and was used to perfuse in vitro Purkinje fiber strands isolated from the same ventricles. The following results were obtained: (1) during fast drive there was an initial K loss and after the drive (associated with a temporary suppression of pacemaker activity) a net K uptake; (2) Purkinje fiber strands isolated from the ventricle and perfused in vitro in all instances underwent a decrease in the spontaneous rate when exposed to the effluent collected during the first minute of overdrive; (3) when the Purkinje fibers were bathed in the coronary sinus effluent collected after the drive, spontaneous activity usually increased and in no instance decreased; (4) adding atropine to the effluent did not alter the observed changes in automatic discharge; and (5) increasing [K] o in fresh perfusate over the range found in the coronary sinus effluent caused a similar slowing of the Purkinje fiber activity. It is concluded that an increase in [K] o contributes to overdrive suppression which follows short but not long drives. The humoral transmission of overdrive suppression is thus only related to an increase in coronary potassium concentration.
T-structures, T-functions, and texts

Abstract The theory of 2-structures [see, e.g., [4] , [5] , [6] ] provides a convenient framework for investigating various mathematical structures encountered in computer science. This paper investigates a subclass of 2-structures, called T-structures, which turned out to be important in the investigation of basic properties of 2-structures [see Ehrenfeucht and Rozenberg (1992) ]. We prove that T-structures are a natural generalization of linear orders; in particular, we prove that a T-structure can be represented by two linear orders. Based on this result, the notion of a text is introduced which generalizes the notion of a word as used in formal language theory. A text may be seen as a word with a “structure” spanned on it; this structure may be a tree, but it may also be more general than a tree. Basic properties of the class of texts corresponding to trees are investigated.
Effects of insulin-dependent diabetes on learning and memory efficiency in adults

Previous work with elderly adults with maturity-onset non-insulin-dependent diabetes has demonstrated the presence of significant learning and memory deficits which are correlated with the degree o...
A new model for prenatal brain damage. I. GABAA receptor activation induces cell death in developing rat hippocampus.

Premature infants are at exceptionally high risk for hypoxic–ischemic insults and other traumatic events that result in permanent brain damage. However, no current models adequately mimic these events. An emerging concept is that the major excitatory drive in immature neurons is derived from depolarizing responses following activation of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptor, resulting in the opening of voltage-sensitive calcium channels. While calcium-mediated signal transduction is trophic in developing neurons, excessive calcium entry is a major mediator of excitotoxicity. We report that exogenous activation of GABAA receptors by muscimol in newborn rats increases cell death in the hippocampus. The effects are region specific, persistent, and greater in males. Muscimol-induced damage is prevented by pretreatment with diltiazem, an L-type voltage-sensitive calcium channel blocker. Results using hippocampal cultures parallel those observed in vivo, indicating that the effects are mediated directly in the hippocampus. Existing models of pediatric hypoxic–ischemic brain damage focus on the effects of glutamate in the postnatal day 7 rat, because it is considered analogous to the newborn human. This makes the newborn rat analogous to the late gestational human. Ischemia in newborn rats induces GABA release and we propose that treatment with muscimol mimics the cell death cascade induced by hypoxia–ischemia in premature human infants.
Ribonucleotide composition of the genetic code.

Abstract Randomly-mixed polynucleotides were found to direct the incorporation of different amino acids into protein. Using this technique the ribonucleotide composition of the RNA code corresponding to fifteen amino acids was determined. A minimum coding ratio of three nucleotides per amino acid was demonstrated. Two coding units corresponding to leucine were found; thus a part of the code was shown to be degenerate.
Vortex detection in a simulated supercell thunderstorm

Vortex detection software has been developed and applied to the detection of swirling flow in a numerically simulated supercell thunderstorm. The software is used to identify vortex cores, providing insight into the internal structure of the simulated storm. Copyright © 2007 Royal Meteorological Society
Lack of oncogenic effect of the H-viruses for hamsters.

BECAUSE the H1 and RV2 viruses are somewhat similar in size to members of the oncogenic papova group, there has been considerable speculation about whether they, too, might have an oncogenic property. Toolan1 first reported that H-1 virus had not produced tumours in a small group of aged “mongoloid-type” hamsters injected at birth with H-1. Later, Kilham and Maloney3 noted that neoplasms had not been found in any of the species inoculated with RV when newborn, except for a few benign odontogenic tumours.
Wavefunctions in the crossover between random-matrix ensembles

Eigenfunctions of random matrices that interpolate between the basic random matrix ensembles (orthogonal, unitary) display long-range correlations, in contrast to eigenfunctions of real or fully complex random matrices. We describe and quantify these correlations and discuss how they can be tested using microwave cavities.
Facilitating the transition from school to work: An empirically based prescription for handicapped youth

Abstract This article reports on a case study of a community-based agency that provided vocational services to handicapped youth and the experiences of personnel in two local school districts, following the implementation of an interagency agreement. From these experiences a prescription is offered for facilitating the transition from school to work.
Functions of Repetition in the Conversations of Preschool Children

Abstract Two studies were conducted in which immediate verbal repetitions of preschool children by their peers were recorded and coded into categories of communicative intent. In the first study, 50 preschoolers ranging in age from 3 to 6 years were observed in their classroom during free play. The most frequently scored conversational categories were matching a claim, countering a claim, and agreeing. In the second study, six pairs of 4- and 5-year-old children matched by sex, age, and verbal ability were videotaped during free play, and their repetitive utterances were coded using the same category system. These results replicated the first study in terms of the functions of the repetitions. No sex differences were found in the use of repetitions. Results showed that verbal repetition was infrequently but consistently used to negotiate verbal claims. Preschool children are also beginning to use contingent queries, a prominent use of immediate repetition in adult speech.
Species differences in the properties of mammalian transcobalamin II

Abstract 1. 1. Striking differences in physical and immunologic properties of transcobalamin II (TC II) in six mammalian species were noted. 2. 2. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of TC II suggested the presence of isoproteins in several species. 3. 3. A microfine precipitate of silica (Quso), adsorbed TC II directly only from human and canine plasma. TC II in some species appears to be associated with a high molecular weight constituent of plasma, resulting in the TC II being unavailable to bind to Quso. Quso should therefore not be used to assay TC II in the plasma of all species without prior validation.
Oxidative modification of lens crystallins by H2O2 and chelated iron.

Abstract Crystallins are the soluble structural proteins that constitute approximately 90% of the dry mass of the eye lens. The present study attempts to elucidate possible mechanisms whereby the H 2 O 2 present in the eye could contribute to the oxidative modification of lens crystallins. The data indicate that exposure of solutions of crystallins to H 2 O 2 and EDTA-chelated iron leads to covalent crosslinking of polypeptides, loss of intrinsic protein fluorescence, and the generation of a novel flurophor emitting in the 420 nm range. These changes closely mimic oxidative modifications that occur in lens proteins in vivo. Exposure of the proteins to H 2 O 2 in the absence of chelated iron failed to generate detectable levels of these modifications. These findings are contrasted with earlier studies of lenses in organ culture where H 2 O 2 alone produced marked damage while the further addition of chelated iron protected the lenses from oxidation.
Studies on alpha albumin in nervous tissue. II. Topographical distribution in normal tissue.

Abstract An extensive survey of human nervous tissue revealed that α-albumin is present in the neuraxis of the majority of cases studied. Its presence seems not to be related to age for it has been found in a newborn as well as in a patient aged 77 years. α-Albumin may occur in the nervous tissues regardless of the cause of death, sex, and of the nature of systemic disease. α-Albumin is most commonly found in the white matter of the spinal cord and in the median white matter of the brain, notably the corpus calosum and fornix and also the periventricular white matter. It is not demonstrable in cerebrospinal nerves but in the intracranial portions of cranial nerves. Some possible explanations for this distributional pattern are offered.
Stereo disparity computation using Gabor filters

A solution to the correspondence problem for stereopsis is proposed using the differences in the complex phase of local spatial frequency components. One-dimensional spatial Gabor filters (Gabor 1946; Marcelja 1980), at different positions and spatial frequencies are convolved with each member of a stereo pair. The difference between the complex phase at corresponding points in the two images is used to find the stereo disparity. Disparity values are combined across spatial frequencies for each image location. Three-dimensional depth maps have been computed from real images under standard lighting conditions, as well as from random-dot stereograms (Julesz 1971). The algorithm can discriminate disparities significantly smaller than the width of a pixel. It is possible that a similar mechanism might be used in the human visual system.
The effect of fibrin clot inhibitors on the immunomodulatory efficacy of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Objective To determine if there is a difference in clinical outcomes among non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients taking fibrin clot-inhibiting (FCI) medications (aspirin, clopidogrel, or warfarin) while receiving Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy compared with their counterparts not taking anticoagulation. Materials and Methods Our Investigational Review Board-approved database was queried for patients who received an induction course of BCG from 2001 to 2011. The analysis included 224 patients with a minimum of 3 months of follow-up. Recurrence-free survival (RFS), cystectomy-free survival, overall survival, and disease-specific survival were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method stratified by FCI status. Logistic regression was used to predict the initial response rate to BCG and progression by FCI status. Results Of the 224 patients analyzed, 68, 19, and 23 patients were taking aspirin, clopidogrel and warfarin, respectively, at BCG induction. No specific FCI was associated with differences in cystectomy-free survival, overall survival, disease-specific survival, or the likelihood of progression at recurrence. Neither warfarin nor clopidogrel affected RFS. Patients taking aspirin trended toward increased RFS, although this was not statistically significant ( P = .058). Multivariate analysis showed aspirin use was associated with an increased initial response to BCG (odds ratio, 2.41; P = .031) Conclusion Contrary to the postulated inhibitory molecular effect of FCI on BCG-binding activity, this study did not substantiate a significant impact on BCG efficacy of the concomitant use of these medications during BCG induction. The observation that aspirin use potentiates an increased initial response to BCG may warrant further analysis.
Transvaginal sonographic diagnosis of sigmoid diverticulitis

The development of the transvaginal technique has allowed for high-resolution, detailed evaluation of the female pelvis. Although not previously emphasized, gut pathology can also be recognized with this technique. We report two cases of sigmoid diverticulitis which were prospectively diagnosed using endovaginal sonography. In both patients, pelvic sonogram was the first imaging study performed for evaluation of nonspecific abdominal pain.
Hubble Space Telescope communications and data handling

The communications and data handling system of the HST are described in detail. Consideration is given to observation scheduling, commanding, telemetry, scientific data collection, spacecraft data handling systems, and the use of the TDRSS and NASCOM data network. The science instruments control and data handling subsystem is presented in schematic form.
Complications following gastrointestinal bleeding and their impact on outcome and death.

Background Bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal tract is one of the most common life-threatening morbidities encountered by gastroenterologists. A mathematical model has been developed to gain insights into how, after an initial event of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, complications can accumulate in individual patients and expose them to an increased risk of death. Methods The occurrence of complications and possible death after gastrointestinal bleeding are simulated using a Markov chain model. Results The accumulation of complications in an individual patient is influenced by the length of time a patient remains vulnerable to the probability of developing new complications. The model illustrates how the initial bleeding episode sets the stage for the occurrence of subsequent complications and how each subsequent complication increases in an exponential manner the risk for additional complications. Because of such a pattern, complications tend to cluster in a group of patients who run into an ever-increasing risk of multiple complications. Although the majority of patients go through their initial bleeding episode without ever experiencing any secondary complication, in a subset of patients the initial complication sets in motion a vicious cycle with frequently more than one consecutive complication after the initial gastrointestinal bleed. Conclusion The key to the successful management of a patient with gastrointestinal bleeding is to stop such a vicious cycle as early as possible, as each progression within the cycle renders the probability of additional complications more likely and its reversal more difficult.
A viscoelastic flow instability near the solid body rotation limit

Abstract Global linear stability analysis of the creeping flow of an Oldroyd-B liquid, confined between eccentric cylinders co-rotated at equal angular speeds Ω , is performed using a submatrix-based transformation algorithm [K. Arora, R. Sureshkumar, J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 104 (2002) 75]. The eccentricity parameter ɛ is defined as the ratio of the distance between the cylinder centers to the average gap width d . In the limit as ɛ → 0 and for narrow gaps, the base flow corresponds to a solid body rotation. A flow instability is predicted even when ɛ ≪ 1. For sufficiently large values of the solvent to total viscosity ratio β , the most dangerous disturbance is time-periodic with frequency ≈ 0.1 Ω / δ , where δ denotes the ratio of d to the inner cylinder radius. The critical Weissenberg number We c , defined as the product of the fluid relaxation time and the characteristic shear rate at the onset, obeys a scaling law of the form We c ɛ 2 δ 1/2 = K where K is an O (1) constant that is dependent on β . This scaling is explained based on the effect of the variation in ɛ on the convection of the stress perturbations by the base flow. Predictions of We c are in qualitative agreement with the onset Weissenberg number for a time-dependent secondary flow experimentally reported for non-shear thinning viscoelastic polymer solutions [I.M. Dris, E.S.G. Shaqfeh, J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 80 (1998) 1].
Children with diabetes compared to peers: depressed? Distressed? A meta-analytic review.

Background It is not clear from the literature whether children with diabetes have more psychological difficulties than their peers.
Fault Location in Gas Insultated Conductors Using Magnetic Sensors

A new technique is described for fault location within gas insulated conductors which are commonly used in above-ground compact substations. When a fault occurs between an enclosed conductor and the outer sheath, locally strong magnetic fields develop on the outside at the flashover point. To exploit-this phenomenon, small permanent magnet sensors are mounted on flexible fiberglass tapes at regular intervals and demagnetized with a "degaussing" coil. The tapes are attached to the outside surface of the outer conductor prior to the occurrence of a fault. The external field magnetizes the sensors, leaving behind a permanent record of the fault location. At a later time, the magnetic sensors can be removed from the conductor and "read" to determine the fault position. A primary advantage of this technique is that the method can be implemented on existing equipment without cutting or drilling into the pressurized enclosure. In the text, a complete instrumentation system is described which results in the measurement and retention of a local magnetic flux density as low as 0.5 mT. The paper also contains data from successful laboratory demonstration. tests using actual flashovers in SF6 insulated conductors.
Cui Honorem Honorem

I see by the announcement in the April 1 issue (which I assume is no joke) that the all-male AGU awards committees have upheld the traditions of their (male) colleagues of years past and once again ignored the contribution of our female colleagues in the presentation of awards. I do not question the qualifications of the awardees, but I do believe there are many of equal standing to those chosen and many of these equals are female. Could there be a selection bias in the nominating procedure? Are strong nominations being written for female candidates? Perhaps the awards committees should take an active role in ferreting out potential awardees so there is a more even mix of candidates.
Differential response of human and rodent cell lines to chemical inhibition of the repair of potentially lethal damage.

We have examined the effects of several classes of metabolic inhibitors on the repair of potentially lethal damage in density-inhibited cultures of two rodent and two human cell systems which differ in their growth characteristics. Aphidicolin, 1-β-d-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) and hydroxyurea showed no effect on PLD repair, whereas the effects of 9-β-d-arabinofuranosyladenine (ara-A) and 3-aminobenzamide (3-AB) were cell line dependent. For example, 3-AB suppressed PLD repair almost completely in CHO cells, but showed no inhibitory effects in human diploid fibroblasts. These results indicate that inhibitors of DNA replication and poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis are not efficient inhibitors of cellular recovery in irradiated cells and, moreover, that such effects may be cell line dependent.
Effects of proportion of positive instances upon concept learning.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of varying proportion of positive instances in the stimulus sequence over a wide range (0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8). The results showed that number of trials to criterion generally increased as proportion of positive instances decreased. The function for number of errors was convex, however, reaching a maximum at 0.4 and decreasing toward the extremes. Detailed examination of the data disclosed that Ss in the 0.1 and 0.2 conditions were learning the probabilities and adopting a strategy of “when in doubt say no.” The effects were attributed in part to variation in information rates as proportion of positive instances changed and in part to differences in difficulty of utilization of information from positive and negative instances.
Optimization of reverse-flow, two-temperature, dilute-acid pretreatment to enhance biomass conversion to ethanol

A reverse-flow, two-temperature dilute-acid prehydrolysis process of commercial yellow poplar sawdust using two percolation reactors was designed to simulate countercurrent flow of the biomass solids and prehydrolysis liquor, and to exploit the xylan biphasic kinetics. Lower temperatures (150–174°C) are initially applied to hydrolyze the easily hydrolyzable xylan, and higher temperatures (180–204°C) are applied to hydrolyze the remaining xylan. Two reactors were used to optimize each temperature range, using varying concentrations of sulfuric acid from 0.073–0.73 wt% and reaction times. Yields of soluble xylose, as high as 97% of theoretical, expressed as monomeric and oligomeric xylose, have been achieved with only 2.9% of the xylan being degraded to furfural, at concentrations of total potential sugar between 2.4 and 3.7 wt% before flashing. Depending on the combined severity of the acid concentration, residence time of the solids and liquor, and temperature of prehydrolysis, 81–100% of the hemicellulose, 3–32% of the glucans, and up to 46% of the Klason lignin could be solubilized. The lignocellulosic substrate produced from the pretreatment is readily converted to ethanol at a yield of approx 91% of theoretical, with ethanol concentrations of up to 4.0 wt% in 55 h via a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process. In terms of xylose recovery and ethanol production level and rate, the present results are far superior to those previously reported using a single-temperature, dilute-acid pretreatment.
The response of competitors to announcements of bankruptcy: An empirical examination of contagion and competitive effects

Abstract We find, like [Lang, L.H.P., Stulz, R.M., 1992. Contagion and competitive intra-industry effects of bankruptcy announcements: An empirical analysis, Journal of Financial Economics, 32(1), 45–60], that large firm bankruptcies generate a dominant contagion effect. A value-weighted portfolio of competitors' stocks experiences a significant loss of 0.56% in the three days centered around the Chapter 11 announcement. This represents an average loss of $3.32 for all the competitors combined for every dollar lost by the bankrupt firm. In addition, we find that small firm bankruptcies also generate a dominant contagion effect among smaller sized competitors; an equally-weighted portfolio of all competitors has a significant 0.12% drop. In a new approach to separate the contagion and competitive effects, we compare the stock price reactions of competitors who themselves subsequently file for bankruptcy in the next three years (candidates for contagion effect) with those who do not do so (candidates for competitive effect). As expected, candidates for contagion effect experience a significant, negative three-day stock price reaction of −4.68%. However, contrary to expectations, candidates for competitive effect also have a significant, negative return (−0.49%), suggesting that the competitive effect is weak at best since it is dominated by the contagion effect even in this sample. Other procedures to identify candidates for competitive effect generally yield similar findings. Finally, we analyze competitors' stock price reactions based on selected characteristics (e.g., industry concentration, and leverage), with similar results as before. One explanation for the failure to detect a competitive effect is that the impact may already have been incorporated in stock prices prior to the filing for Chapter 11. Consistent with this explanation, we find significant positive stock price reactions by competitor stocks for the hundred days prior to the bankruptcy announcement.
Trichomonas vaginalis orchitis with associated severe oligoasthenoteratospermia and hypogonadism

Trichomonas vaginalis is a fairly common cause of vaginitis in the sexually active woman. It is an important consideration in the differential diagnosis of the at risk man with urethral symptoms. We report a novel case of T. vaginalis orchitis detected during evaluation for severe oligoasthenoteratospermia and hypogonadism. CASE REPORT A 35-year-old male presented for infertility evaluation after he and his wife had practiced unprotected intercourse for 1 year without success. He had undergone 3 previous semen analyses, which revealed severely low sperm concentration and 0% motility. His wife was 37 years old and had normal menses and a normal hysterosalpingogram. Neither had previously achieved a pregnancy. Medical and surgical history were unremarkable. Physical examination was notable only for bilaterally soft, atrophic testes measuring 1.5 cc on the right and 4 cc on the left side. Penis, epididymides, vasa deferentia and bilateral cord structures were normal. Laboratory analysis was notable for an initial testosterone of 1.8 ng/ml (normal 2 to 8). Follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and prolactin were normal, as was the initial urinalysis. Semen analysis showed a sperm concentration of less than 100,000/ml with 0% motility, 0% normal forms and no pyospermia detected. Transrectal ultrasound demonstrated no evidence of ejaculatory duct obstruction. Cystic fibrosis testing revealed the presence of 1 copy of the 5T variant but was otherwise unremarkable. The patient had a normal 46,XY karyotype. Y chromosome testing was unremarkable. Four weeks later the patient underwent testicular sperm extraction. Right testis wet preparation showed rare nonmotile but normal appearing sperm (fig. 1) and motile flagellates (fig. 2). Left testis wet preparation demonstrated no flagellates and occasional nonmotile sperm. Immediate postoperative urinalysis revealed Trichomonas. Final pathological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of right T vaginalis orchitis. The patient and his wife were treated with oral metronidazole. Repeat urinalysis 2 weeks later was normal. Semen analysis at 6 months showed 20% motile forms with the concentration still at less than 100,000/ml.
Increased Hospital and Emergency Department Utilization by Individuals with Recent Criminal Justice Involvement: Results of a National Survey

BACKGROUND Individuals involved with the criminal justice system have increased health needs and poor access to primary care.
Evaluating the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from a lightweight plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in a regional context

Life cycle assessment provides a comprehensive framework to evaluate the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from electrified vehicles (EVs) and their potential for GHG reduction as they gain market share. The magnitude of EVs? contribution will depend on the specific combinations of fueling strategies and the other vehicle technologies adopted. For instance, the GHG emissions from plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs) could increase life cycle emissions if the vehicle is driven in a region with a high carbon grid. Also, vehicle lightweighting with lighter, high strength materials decreases use phase emissions but can increase emissions throughout the material production process. This research develops a method to evaluate life cycle emissions from a lightweight PHEV for use in diverse electric fueling regions. A life cycle model is constructed using: 1) Autonomie, a vehicle simulation software, 2) GREET, a vehicle and fuel cycle model, and 3) eGrid, a database with regional information about the US electric power sector. The life cycle analysis demonstrates the importance of considering vehicle production emissions when using energy intensive materials to reduce mass from a vehicle, since life cycle GHGs for the 10% lightweight carbon fiber vehicle are higher than the baseline steel vehicle. However, as a higher percentage of steel is replaced with carbon fiber, total life cycle GHGs decrease. Regional impacts of the electric grid are shown to be significant, with the potential to decrease life cycle emissions by more than four times the reductions possible with the best-case lightweight scenario.
Leydig cell hyperplasia mimickingtesticular neoplasm

Patients with extragonadal seminoma are at high risk of developing a primary testicular neoplasm many years after the initial diagnosis and therapy. Therefore, long-term follow-up is critical in the proper management of these patients. We present the first case of Leydig cell hyperplasia, mimicking a testicular neoplasm, 21 years after diagnosis and treatment of extragonadal seminoma.