cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endovascular venous thrombolysis in children younger than 24 months.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the technical feasibility and safety of percutaneous endovascular thrombolysis for extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in children Materials and Methods A retrospective chart review of a clinical and imaging database was performed for pediatric patients who underwent endovascular therapy for DVT between January 2010 and July 2013. Indications, techniques, technical and clinical success, and complications were reviewed. Techniques for thrombolysis included catheter-directed therapy (CDT) using alteplase infusion via a multi–side hole catheter, mechanical thrombectomy, and angioplasty. Short-term outcomes were assessed using surgical and imaging follow-up examinations for patency of the targeted vessel. Patients included 11 children (mean age, 9 mo; range, 3 wk–23 mo) who consecutively underwent endovascular thrombolysis for upper extremity (n = 6) or lower extremity (n = 5) DVT. The most common indication was preservation of venous access for future cardiac surgery or medical therapy. Results The most common risk factor was the presence of a central venous catheter (10 of 11 patients). All patients with upper extremity DVT had congenital heart disease. CDT and angioplasty were performed in all patients. Venous patency was established in all patients. A grade III (95%–100%) thrombolysis response was achieved in seven patients, and a grade II (50%–95%) thrombolysis response was achieved in four patients. A major complication of pulmonary embolism occurred in one patient with upper extremity thrombolysis and was managed by intravenous systemic alteplase and heparin. No recurrence of thrombosis was found on average follow-up of 11.8 months (range, 1–41 mo). Conclusions Percutaneous endovascular thrombolysis for extremity DVT is safe and technically feasible in children
Keynote: Event Driven Software Quality

Summary form only given. Event-driven programming has found pervasive acceptance, from high-performance servers to embedded systems, as an efficient method for interacting with a complex world. The fastest research Web servers are event- driven, as is the most common operating system for sensor nodes. An event-driven program handles concurrent logical tasks using a cooperative, application-level scheduler. The application developer separates each logical task into event handlers; the scheduler runs multiple handlers in an interleaved fashion. Unfortunately, the loose coupling of the event handlers obscures the program's control flow and makes dependencies hard to express and detect, leading to subtle bugs. As a result, event-driven programs can be difficult to understand, making them hard to debug, maintain, extend, and validate. This talk presents recent approaches to event-driven software quality based on static analysis and testing, along with some open problems. We will discuss progress on how to avoid buffer overflow in TCP servers, stack overflow and missed deadlines in microcontrollers, and rapid battery drain in sensor networks. Our work is part of the Event Driven Software Quality project at UCLA, which is aimed at building the next generation of language and tool support for event-driven programming.
A comparison of the biological effective dose of 50-kV electronic brachytherapy with (192)Ir high-dose-rate brachytherapy for vaginal cuff irradiation.

Abstract Purpose Advantages for electronic brachytherapy (EBT) of the vaginal cuff include decreased physical dose to the bladder and rectum. Here we compare 192 Ir with EBT using biological effective dose (BED) to account for the different radiobiological effectiveness (RBE) predicted for low-energy x-rays. Methods and Materials Fifteen data sets from five consecutive postoperative endometrial cancer patients treated with EBT were analyzed. Treatment planning was performed using PLATO software. The dose was prescribed as 21 Gy in three fractions to a depth of 0.5 cm. Physical dose, BED 3 , and BED 10 were evaluated for the mucosa, bladder, and rectum. An RBE value of 1.5 was used for BED calculations. Results Mucosal physical dose is 28.4% greater with EBT (36.6 vs. 28.5 Gy, p 10 is increased by 79.1% (55.6 vs. 99.6 Gy, p 3 by 71.5% (118.8 vs. 203.7 Gy, p p p 3 to the rectum and bladder are also reduced but to a lesser extent (13 vs. 8.3 Gy, p p = 0.06, respectively). Conclusions BED takes into account the higher RBE of low-energy photons generated with EBT and provides a more accurate estimate of the biological effect. When using EBT, physical dose may underestimate the biological effect on the vaginal mucosa and overestimate the benefit for the bladder and rectum. Dose adjustment for EBT based on BED should be considered.
Mixing and Turbulence in a Flooding Coastal River

AbstractAn experimental study of turbulence and vertical mixing was carried out in the lower east Pearl River (Mississippi and Louisiana) during a high-discharge period in February and March of 2010. Direct estimates were made of the time-varying profile of turbulent Reynolds stresses (τx/ρ=−u′w′¯) through the water column. From this, both the vertical eddy viscosity (Km) and mean vertical mixing time were calculated, and the water column was shown to be vertically well mixed at all times. Segmenting the stresses into stresses due to river discharge and stresses due to tidal flows shows the coequal nature of each component and highlights the ways they vary in importance during different flow regimes. Two simple turbulence models are examined and compared to the measured mixing parameters.
Presence of Cholesterol in Combined Form in Human Bile.

SummaryIn the majority of specimens of drainage bile obtained from biliary fistulae in the human patient, cholesterol is present only in the free form unless the bile is contaminated with blood. One case is reported of the occurrence of combined cholesterol in bile draining from a cholecystostomy.
Transformations for simplifying network reliability calculations

All known methods for calculating the connection probability for two vertices of an unreliable network take time exponential in the size of the network. A method is presented for reducing network size by transforming three-terminal subnetworks into Y-shaped networks, thus reducing terminal degrees and possibly creating series combinations which can be reduced to a single edge. Previously defined transformations were approximate, restricted to triangles, and required perfect terminals. The transformations given here are exact, apply to any three-terminal subnetwork with perfect terminals, and permit the inclusion of unreliable terminals which are incident to one external edge. In addition, transformations for reducing certain networks with directed edges, and transformations for eliminating positive failure correlations are discussed.
The Power of Chi Square Tests for Contingency Tables

Abstract The general theory of the asymptotic power of chi square tests requires the evaluation of a non-centrality parameter which is expressed as a vector-matrix vector product. This parameter is evaluated for two of the models associated with r × c contingency tables. This permits the power of such tests to be approximated on a large sample basis. Further considered are some implications of these results for sample design problems.
Familial hematurias: what we know and what we don’t

Over the past 30 years we have learned a great deal about the molecular genetics and natural history of familial forms of hematuria. Our enhanced understanding of these conditions has yet to generate effective therapies for Alport syndrome, the form of familial hematuria associated with end-stage renal disease. This review briefly presents the current state of knowledge about familial hematuria and argues for the organization of clinical therapeutic trials in Alport syndrome.
Relationships between dissociation energies and electrostatic potentials of CNO2 bonds: applications to impact sensitivities

Abstract : New data for nitroalkanes support earlier results lor nitroheterocycles indicating that C-NO2 dissociation energies are related to the computed electrostatic potential maxima on the molecular surfaces above these bond regions. This presumably explains the well-established involvement of the electrostatic potential in impact sensitivity correlations; a second factor in the latter, for unsaturated systems, is the internal charge separation in the molecule. jg p1
Large surface dipole moments in ZnO nanorods.

A self-consistent linear scaling three-dimensional fragment (LS3DF) method is used to study the dipole moments and internal electric fields of large ZnO nanorods. Our ab initio calculations reveal that the ZnO nanorod with unpassivated (1010) side surface has a side surface contribution per Zn–O dimer 10 times larger than the bulk contribution per Zn–O bond. Detailed analysis is used to decompose the total dipole moment into different contributions. It is found that the total dipole moment of a nanorod can be calculated from the different parts with their dielectric screening described by a continuous model. We also show the effect of the dipole moment on the interior electronic structure of the nanorod.
Influence of pH, hardness, dissolved organic carbon concentration, and dissolved organic matter source on the acute toxicity of copper to Daphnia magna in soft waters: implications for the biotic ligand model

The influence of pH, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration, water hardness, and dissolved organic matter (DOM) source on the acute toxicity of copper were investigated with standardized 48-h Daphnia magna toxicity tests. Toxicity tests were conducted according to a four-factor complete factorial design. Nominal factor levels were as follows: pH 6 and 8; DOC, 2.5 and 10 mg/L; hardness, 10, 20, and 40 mg/L as CaCO3; and two DOM sources (collected from the Black River and Edisto River, SC, USA). The experimental design resulted in 24 different factor level combinations. Results indicated that all factors had significant effects on copper toxicity. Furthermore, a strong interactive effect of DOC concentration and pH was detected. Because the biotic ligand model (BLM) has become a widely used tool for predicting toxicity and interpreting toxicity test results, its performance with these data was evaluated. Seventy percent of BLM predictions were within twofold of the observed median lethal concentrations. However, BLM parameters could be adjusted to improve model performance with this data set. This analysis suggested that in soft waters, the CuOH+ complex binds more strongly with the biotic ligand and that the competitive effect of hardness cations should be increased. The results of the present study may have implications for application of the BLM to some types of surface waters. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of BLM performance with all available data should be performed, and necessary updates to model parameters should be made to produce the most robust and widely applicable model.
A fourth order diffusion monte carlo algorithm for solving quantum many-body problems

We derive and numerically implement a fourth order Diffusion Monte Carlo algorithm for solving quantum many-body problems. The method uses a factorization of the imaginary time propagator in terms of the usual local energy and Langevin operators as well as an additional pseudo-potential consisting of the double commutator [EL, [L, EL]]. A new factorization of the propagator of the Fokker-Planck equation enables us to implement the Langevin algorithm to the necessary fourth order. We achieve this by the addition of correction terms to the drift steps and the use of a position-dependent Gaussian random walk. We present exact analytical results for a three dimensional harmonic oscillator and numerical results for a Morse potential. We demonstrate that in the physical case of bulk liquid helium and helium droplets, the systematic step size errors are indeed fourth order over a wide range of step sizes.
Why are converting enzyme inhibitors vasodilators

1. The primary action of the converting enzyme inhibitors to prevent the formation of angiotensin II can explain a decrease in peripheral vascular resistance in patients with elevated, but not in those with normal or reduced plasma renin levels. 2. The inhibition of the breakdown of bradykinin will potentiate the vasodilator properties of the endogenously produced peptide. These include direct relaxation of certain vascular smooth muscle, production of vasodilator prostanoids and release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor(s). The greater release of the latter in the kidney could exert a negative feedback on the release of renin. 3. In addition, converting enzyme inhibitors may directly (by a prejunctional effect) and indirectly (by curtailing the production of angiotensin II) reduce the release of noradrenaline in the blood vessel wall. 4. Converting enzyme inhibitors may also directly reduce the responsiveness of vascular smooth muscle to vasoconstrictor stimuli (e.g. alpha-adrenoceptor activation). 5. The different effects of these therapeutic agents may concur to induce peripheral vasodilatation.
Asymptotically Perfect Trivial Global Routing: A Stochastic Analysis

A two-dimensional stochastic model of the global wiring of a VLSI chip in a standard-cell or sea-of-gates design style is defined; prominent in the model is the property that the probability of connecting two pins is solely a function of the distance between the cells containing them. It is also assumed that each net consists of just two pins. A lower bound is placed on the expected size of the chip with the best possible wiring. An upper bound is placed on the expected size of the chip with a trivial (all randomly-oriented "L"s) wiring scheme. If the chip size is m rows by n columns and the size of the average row is /overbar μ/ the sizes of the trivial and perfect routings, expressed as a fraction of the size of the perfect routing, approaches 0 as √2 log (n)/ /overbar μ/ It is also shown that with probability at least 1 - ∊ size increase is no more than √2 log (mn/∊/ /overbar μ/.
Registration completeness and international comparisons of infant mortality.

The physical development of the live born infant is the single most important variable governing its survival: infant mortality among those weighing 2,500 grams (5 1/2 pounds) or less at birth is 17 times the mortality among those weighing more than 2,500 grams at birth. The variation in mortality according to birth weight (or gestation) is greater than for subclasses of color, sex, maternal age, or birth order. Infant mortality in the United States is significantly higher than in a number of other countries e.g., Sweden, Netherlands, Norway. The difference is thought, by some, to be due to underregistration of low birth weight infants in other countries. In this paper, distributions of live births by birth weight for Denmark, England and Wales, New Zealand, and the United States, and infant mortality data for Denmark and the United States are examined. The data do not support a hypothesis of gross underregistration of live born infants in other countries. The results indicate that some index of physical development (birth weight, gestation, or a combination of both) should be included in any appraisal of infant mortality.
Human papillomavirus integration: detection by in situ hybridization and potential clinical application

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are accepted as a necessary cause of cervical neoplasia. However, the benefits of testing simply for high-risk HPV types are limited because of their high prevalence in intraepithelial lesions of all grades, the majority of which regress if left untreated. One factor considered to be of key importance for the progression of intraepithelial lesions to invasive disease is integration of HPV into the host cell genome. Although questions remain about the prevalence of integration amongst pre-invasive lesions, sensitive in situ hybridization techniques utilizing tyramide reagents may aid determination of the significance of HPV infection by enabling routine detection of both high-risk HPV and its physical status. This will provide important data relevant not only to our understanding of the biology of HPV-associated neoplasia, but also potentially to clinical testing for HPV.
Effects of token variability on our ability to distinguish between vowels

Even when the speaker, context, and speaking style are held fixed, the physical properties of naturally spoken utterances of the same speech sound vary considerably. This variability imposes limits on our ability to distinguish between different speech sounds. We present a conceptual framework for relating the ability to distinguish between speech sounds in single-token experiments (in which each speech sound is represented by a single wave form) to resolution in multiple-token experiments. Experimental results indicate that this ability is substantially reduced by an increase in the number of tokens from 1 to 4, but that there is little further reduction when the number of tokens increases to 16. Furthermore, although there is little relation between the ability to distinguish between a given pair of tokens in the multiple- and the 1-token experiments, there is a modest correlation between the ability to distinguish specific vowel tokens in the 4- and 16-token experiments. These results suggest that while listeners use a multiplicity of cues to distinguish between single tokens of a pair of vowel sounds, so that performance is highly variable both across tokens and listeners, they use a smaller set when distinguishing between populations of naturally produced vowel tokens, so that variability is reduced. The effectiveness of the cues used in the latter case is limited more by internal noise than by the variability of the cues themselves.
Exposure in nasal and sinus surgery.

Good exposure in sinus surgery is possible by the use of a lateral rhinotomy incision. The nose is mobilized and swung to one side. The operation will permit an en bloc removal of the lateral nasal wall and ethmoidal complex and can be extended to expose the frontal sinus. A case is described to illustrate the use of the procedure. The operation is indicated in some cases of advanced chronic sinusitis, benign tumours and cysts, and occasionally for nasal malignancies.
Phase Equilibria in the System La2O3-P2O5

Subsolidus phase equilibria in the system La2O3-P2O5 were established. The system contains six intermediate compounds having molar La2O3:P2O5 ratios of 3:1,7:3,1:1,1:2,1:3, and 1:5. It was found that the 3:1 compound has a phase transformation at 935°C. The 1:2 compound decomposes to a mixture of 1:1 and 1:3 at 755°C. The 1:3 compound melts incongruently to 1:1 and liquid at 1235°C and the 1:5 compound melts congruently at 1095°C. None of the lanthanum phosphates have lower temperature limits of stability.
Budget Deficits, Hyperinflation, and Stabilization in Ukraine, 1991–96

Since gaining independence in 1991, the former Soviet republic of Ukraine has been plagued by persistent fiscal deficits and punctuated periods of rampant inflation. Having few options to cover the fiscal deficit, Ukraine in 1992–94 largely resorted to money creation. The result was that hyperinflation broke out in late 1993, its burden falling mainly on households, but also eroding the capital of state enterprises. Falling revenues and robust expenditures—even in the face of the continuing output collapse—were exacerbated by a policy of lavishing large amounts of cheap credits on state enterprises. This article reviews and analyzes the causes of Ukraine's inflationary impulse, the descent into hyperinflation in 1993–94, its effects, and the subsequent drive to stabilization by 1996. It concludes that a substantial erosion of the inflation tax base by late 1995 propelled the government to pursue stabilization through an IMF-sponsored program of fiscal restraint. A two-year drive to fiscal and monetary stabilization ensued. Stabilization was largely achieved by mid-1996, permitting a currency reform in September.
Development of readout system for carbon nanotube based infrared detector

The emergence of carbon nanotube (CNT) based infrared (IR) detectors has welcomed new opportunities for IR detection for both military and civil applications. This led to research and development of high resolution CNT based IR imaging systems. In this paper, a differential input charge integrator current amplifier was designed to read the photocurrent of CNT based IR detectors. Also, all parts, including readout chip (ROIC), data acquisition card (DAQ card) and PC display, were discussed. With this technology, CNT based IR detector worked in zero bias by the differential input. Meanwhile, experiment tests on the CNT based IR sensors have shown that the least current being detected can reach to 20 pA in this readout system.
Detection of changes in leaf water content using Near- and Middle-Infrared reflectances

A method to detect plant water stress by remote sensing is proposed using indices of near-IR and mid-IR wavelengths. The ability of the Leaf Water Content Index (LWCI) to determine leaf relative water content (RWC) is tested on species with different leaf morphologies. The way in which the Misture Stress Index (MSI) varies with RWC is studied. On test with several species, it is found that LWCI is equal to RWC, although the reflectances at 1.6 microns for two different RWC must be known to accurately predict unknown RWC. A linear correlation is found between MSI and RWC with each species having a different regression equation. Also, MSI is correlated with log sub 10 Equivalent Water Thickness (EWT) with data for all species falling on the same regression line. It is found that the minimum significant change of RWC that could be detected by appying the linear regression equation of MSI to EWT is 52 percent. Because the natural RWC variation from water stress is about 20 percent for most species, it is concluded that the near-IR and mid-IR reflectances cannot be used to remotely sense water stress.
Basal cell carcinoma metastatic to the salivary glands: differential diagnosis in fine-needle aspiration cytology.

A disparate group of salivary gland neoplasms is characterized by small, uniform, hyperchromatic, basaloid cells. This “small blue cell” pattern is most common in non-Warthin's types of monomorphic adenoma, or in adenoid cystic carcinoma. Small cell anaplastic carcinoma (primary or metastatic), metastatic basaloid squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell adenocarcinoma, and metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma are rarely encountered but may present a cytologically similar appearance. We report one female and two male patients (median age = 84 yr) with cutaneous-type basal cell carcinoma (BCC) aspirated from metastatic deposits in the parotid (2 cases) or the submandibular (1 case) gland. One was correctly classified at the time of aspiration, based on a previous history of multiple facial BCC. One was interpreted as carcinoma, the previous history being unavailable at the time of FNA. Smears in these two cases show necrosis and rare keratotic cells. The third case was mistaken for pleomorphic adenoma (PA); the smears showed metachromatic fragments of collagenous tumor stroma that were misinterpreted as the matrix material typical of PA. Similar material was identified in the other two cases. When the “small blue cell” pattern is encountered in salivary gland cytology, one should consider BCC, especially if necrosis is identified. The desmoplastic tumor stroma of BCC may mimic the chondroid matrix of PA. Careful consideration of previous history is very important. Diagn. Cytopathol. 16:247–252, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
NATIONAL TRENDS AND COMPARATIVE OUTCOMES OF CATHETER-DIRECTED THROMBOLYSIS PLUS ANTICOAGULATION VERSUS ANTICOAGULATION ALONE IN THE TREATMENT OF CAVAL DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS

The nationwide acute safety outcomes and the role of catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) in treatment of caval deep vein thrombosis (DVT) are unknown. We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2005 to 2011 to identify all patients admitted with a principal discharge diagnosis of
Missing strength in longitudinal electron response and y-scaling

Abstract We propose that some of the missing strength in the longitudinal electron response in nuclei results from changes in the electromagnetic form factor in medium. In the chiral bag model the virtual γ-ray couples partly through vector mesons, partly directly to quarks in the bag. In the low momentum region, where the former is important, if the vector meson mass decreases in medium as we argue then there will be a decrease in the form factor. Net effects from this are not large, however. At higher momenta q ∼1 GeV/ c the form factor is dominated by the direct coupling to the quarks. This does not seem to change appreciably for densities up to nuclear matter density. Thus, experiments, such as y -scaling, which look chiefly at these higher momenta will not see much change in the nucleon properties.
React: A tool for the analysis of complex transitional behavior matrices

The interactions which characterize natural processes and social behaviors are of the utmost importance in social scientific research. However, the analysis of sequential behavior traditionally has been extraordinarily complex, if not completely impossible. In this paper the authors describe a general interactive computer program specifically designed for this class of problems. The program facilitates the rapid computation of multidimensional crosstabular analyses which can serve to model the social interactions and Markov type sequences. In addition an exposition of multivariate uncertainty statistics, appropriate to these problems and included in the system, is given. Methods for determining the sources and degree of predictability in sequential processes are discussed. It is suggested that many previously intractable research problems in the behavioral sciences can be easily accommodated by this system. An application to the coding and prediction of schizophrenic interpersonal interaction is demonstrated. The program's functional characteristics, compatability requirements, and availability are described.
A More Convenient Form of the Equations for the Response of a Transmission Line Excited by Nonuniform Fields

This correspondence presents a more compact form of the equations of Taylor et al. [1] for the response of a two-wire transmission line excited by a nonuniform electromagnetic field.
Synthesis of Early Transition Metal Porphyrin Halide Complexes: First Structural Characterization of a Vanadium(III) Porphyrin Complex

A general method for the preparation of early transition metal porphyrin halide complexes using a porphyrin dianion, (THF) 2 Li 2 (POR) (POR=OEP, TTP; OEP=octaethylporphyrinato, TTP= meso-tetra-p-tolylporphyrinato), and the appropriate metal halide complex, MX n (MX n =VCl 3 (THF) 3 , TiCl 4 (THF) 2 , TiCl 3 (THF) 3 , MoCl 4 (CH 3 CN) 2 , WCl 4 ), is described. The structure of (TTP)V III Cl-THF (2-THF) has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis
Effect of disorder on the frequency-dependent dielectric constant of a composite material

We evaluate, by an analytic-simulation method, the frequency-dependent dielectric constant ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{e}$(\ensuremath{\omega}) of a composite material consisting of spherical inclusions with a frequency-dependent dielectric constant ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{1}$(\ensuremath{\omega}), distributed with varying degrees of randomness, in a matrix characterized by a frequency-independent dielectric constant ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{2}$. The form of ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{1}$(\ensuremath{\omega}) is given by a Drude model, as would be appropriate for metallic inclusions. We have previously applied the method to liquidlike disorder [Kumar and Cukier, J. Phys. Chem. 93, 4334 (1989)]. Here we consider disordered lattices, vacancy lattices, size-distributed liquids, and a more realistic Drude function appropriate to silver in a glass matrix. We find that the line shape Im${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{e}$(\ensuremath{\omega}) is broadened by the allowance for the electrostatic interactions among the inclusions in comparison with the Maxwell-Garnett prediction. The degree of broadening depends on the kind and amount of disorder. The method is more efficient than the customary lattice-sum approach, which utilizes Ewald sums, and yields results in close agreement with the latter.
Discussion of “Empirical Design Rules for Effective Utilization of Orthotropic Decks” by Roman Wolchuk

The author’s statement that there is no stress-strain proportionality of welded connections because there are residual stresses that are at the yield point at the weld toes or in the weld, and therefore that linear-elastic analysis is not applicable at such locations, is in error as worldwide research has shown in published experimental fatigue studies of welded steel details provided in detailed National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) reports (Fisher et al. 1970, 1974; Keating and Fisher 1986) and several books (Fisher 1984; Barsom and Rolfe 2001; Maddox 1991; Fisher et al. 1998; Gurney 2006). These results are also incorporated into design specifications around the world (every edition of the AASHTO standards from 1974 to the current version (AASHTO 2002); every edition of the AASHTO LRFD bridge design specifications from 1994 to the current version (AASHTO 2012); every edition of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) specification from 1978 to the current version [AREMA 2014; British Standards Institution 1980; European Convention for Constructional Steelwork (ECCS) 1985; European Committee for Standardization (CEN) 2006; Japanese Society of Steel Construction 1993]). There is no cumulative plasticity at these welded details as the author implies in Fig. 3 of the paper; plasticity mostly occurs at gross section yielding. At the weld toe section, the residual stresses are in equilibrium on the cross section, and the surrounding material remains elastic under subsequent dead and live loads. The flowwithin the high tensile residual stress region at the weld toe is contained by the surrounding, primarily elastic, material, which prevents cumulative plasticity at these regions. This has been verified in the experimental and analytical studies cited previously. Accordingly, the nominal elastic stress in the gross section is used for fatigue design, without any explicit consideration for the local residual stresses, which are implicitly considered by experimentally obtained fatigue resistance curves. This approach to fatigue design has been accepted universally; the phenomenon of metal fatigue was formally acknowledged in the 1860s (Barsom and Rolfe 2001; Bannantine et al. 1990). Only loads that create yielding on the entire cross section, such as that which occurs in cyclic hysteresis loops (or gross section yielding), as applied in seismic loading, redistribute the residual stress states. This does not occur in the orthotropic deck, nor in other welded bridge elements,which are designed for nominal elastic stresses under service conditions. Measurements on full-scale orthotropic decks and other bridge members have verified this finding in the laboratory and in the field (Fisher 1984; Connor and Fisher 2000; Tsakopoulos and Fisher 2005a, b; Connor et al. 2003). These measurements have also verified the analytical evaluation of orthotropic decks (Fanjiang et al. 2004).
Metabolic-epigenetic coupling in osteoclast differentiation

Osteoclasts are required for bone resorption. A new study in mice indicates that osteoclast differentiation is stabilized by DNA methylation at Irf8 (encoding interferon regulatory factor 8) mediated by DNA methyltransferase 3a (Dnmt3a), which suppresses Irf8 gene expression. The activity of Dnmt3 in osteoclasts requires elevated oxidative metabolism.
Recent tests of x-ray spectrometers using polycapillary optics

Polycapillary optics provide a promising approach for coupling highly-divergent x-ray emission or inelastic scattering to high-resolution crystal analyzers. We present recent results looking at the application of polycapillary collimators to emission spectrometers. The first application uses a collimating optic and a flat crystal to provide a tunable x-ray fluorescence detector. At high-flux synchrotron radiation sources there is sufficient flux (~10 13 ph/sec) to allow application of X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) to ppb concentrations if the fluorescence signal can be isolated from an intense background. The polycapillary based analyzer easily achieves the 6 background reduction needed for such measurements. It has the additional advantage of being confocal, only collecting the signal from a small volume at the optic focus, effectively eliminating background from sample substrates, windows, or air scattering. Second, the same type of analyzer can be used for higher-resolution emission spectroscopy if operated close to 90° Bragg angle, and we report results of the commissioning of a user-available instrument suitable for few-eV resolution emission spectroscopy, including the demonstration of roughly order-of-magnitude improved measurement times compared to use of a traditional, single spherically-bent crystal analyzer. As part of this effort, we have developed a process for enhancing the integral reflectivity of Si analyzer crystals through plastic deformation at high temperatures.
Detection of MLV-like gag sequences in blood samples from a New York state CFS cohort

A blinded study was undertaken to determine whether XMRV or MLV-like virus could be detected in peripheral blood from 40 adult subjects divided into three groups: severely ill with CFS, recovered from CFS, and a control group lacking a CFS diagnosis at any time. All patients in the“severe CFS” group currently meet Fukuda criteria. “Recovered CFS” subjects had scores on the SF-36 survey instrument that were significantly lower than the healthy control group, according to Hotelling’s T2 test. Blood was collected in EDTA tubes and cDNA and DNA made from PBMCs. Plasma was incubated with LNCaP cells that were subsequently passaged. Nested PCR with USB Hot-Start IT FideliTaq was performed with gag primers. Any PCR products of expected sizes were sequenced. Samples were tested for mouse contamination with primers to IAP and/or mouse mitochondrial DNA. gag sequences were detected in both severe and recovered CFS subjects’ blood as well as in some healthy controls. gag sequences could be amplified from genomic DNA from LNCaP cells of some subjects after 4 or 6 subcultures following incubation with certain subjects’ plasma, indicating the presence of infectious virus in blood. All gag sequences detected in this cohort were more similar to the MLV-like sequences reported by Lo et al. (2010) than to the XMRV sequences reported by Lombardi et al. (2009). Detection of gag sequences in whole blood genomic DNAs that were negative for mouse IAP and mitochondrial DNA provides strong evidence for infection of humans with MLV-like viruses.
Effect of microhabitat on fitness components of larval tiger salamanders, Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum.

Survivorship and growth of larval tiger salamanders, Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum, in the White Mountains of east-central Arizona were compared in six microhabitats using field enclosures during summers, 1983–85. Microhabitats were vegetated and nonvegetated shallows, surface, middle, and bottom horizontal layers of limnetic areas, and the vertical limnetic water column. Initial enclosure densities (0.025 larvae per 1) were identical among microhabitats. Three enclosures were placed in each microhabitat in two ponds. Larval survivorship and growth were usually greatest in vegetated shallows in lowest in middle and bottom limnetic enclosures, despite several population dieoffs. Lower fitness, as reflected in survivorship and growth, in these latter enclosures was correlated with lower food levels, temperatures, and oxygen concentrations in deeper limnetic areas. Relative fitness varied greatly between years while food levels, temperatures, and oxygen concentrations within microhabitats remained relatively constant indicating additional factors affected fitness. Disparities in fitness between microhabitats apparently affect habitat use patterns of larvae.
EVALUATION OF VIDEOTAPED AND LIVE THEATRE AUDITIONS

Theatre auditions by 24 high school seniors were evaluated under two conditions. Four judges ranked the live auditions, while five evaluated videotapes of the same performance. Correlations between the two sets of assessments indicated considerable agreement across methods of evaluation, though they were not equivalent to one another. Videotapes could be useful as a screening device, serving to limit the number of individuals to be seen in live audition in an adjudication program.
Lack of discriminant value of dyspepsia subgroups in patients referred for upper endoscopy

Abstract Background: The subdivision of undiagnosed patients with dyspepsia into symptomatic subgroups (ulcerlike, dysmotilitylike, refluxlike, and nonspecific) may give a clue to the underlying cause; however, the value of this approach in practice is unclear. This study aimed to determine the discriminant value of dyspeptic symptoms and combinations of these symptoms. Methods: A consecutive sample of 820 outpatients (median age, 62 years; 47% male) completed, before endoscopy, a validated questionnaire that measured 46 gastrointestinal symptoms. Results: Of patients with functional dyspepsia (n = 162), 17% had ulcerlike, 9% dysmotilitylike, and 16% refluxlike dyspepsia alone; 31% fell into two or more symptom subgroups; and 27% had nonspecific symptoms. A similar distribution of the dyspepsia subgroups was observed in patients without functional dyspepsia. Younger age, female gender, frequent upper abdominal pain, no (or sometimes) pain relief with antacid use, and infrequent vomiting were predictive of functional dyspepsia vs. all other diagnoses (at a specificity of 80%, the sensitivity was 60%). The dyspepsia subgroups were poor discriminators in a separate model for functional dyspepsia vs. all other diagnoses (at a specificity of 80%, the sensitivity was only 43%). Conclusions: The dyspepsia subgroups, as currently defined, appear to have little clinical utility and may be an inappropriate way of classifying dyspepsia.
Geographic Variation in the Fishing Bat, Noctilio leporinus

Based on study of 388 specimens of Noctilio leporinus from throughout the range of the species, three geographic areas of differentiation can be recognized. One is the rim of the Caribbean Basin where the bats are large in size and, although variable in color, usually have a distinct but pale middorsal stripe. The appropriate name for these bats is Noctilio leporinus mastivus (Vahl). The second area includes the Guianas and the Amazon Basin where the bats are small in size, dark in color, and often without a pale middorsal stripe. For these bats the earliest name appears to be Noctilio leporinus leporinus (Linnaeus). The third area includes eastern Bolivia and the drainage basin of the Rio Parana south of the Brazilian Highlands and north of latitude 30° S where individuals tend to be the largest and palest of the species. The earliest name for these bats appears to be Noctilio leporinus rufescens Olfers.
Heat Storage Within the Earth System

Abstract Observations of the earth's heat budget provide a real-world constraint on the radiative forcing which is simulated in global climate change models. Assessments, such as the IPCC, would more effectively depict changes over time in the climate system by using a heat balance perspective in order to diagnose the earth's radiative imbalance. This commentary describes this approach and presents reasons such an assessment is valuable.
Abstract C57: The expression of 2′-5′ oligoadenylate synthetase in prostate cancer and its effect on prostate cancer cell cycle

Abstract 2-5 oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS) is an IFN inducible enzyme that is part of innate immune response. During viral infections 2′-5′ OAS is activated by viral dsRNA or cellular RNA with significant double strand structure to synthesize 2-5 oligoadenylates (2-5A) from ATP; which in turn activates RNaseL, the latent ribonuclease. RNAseL degrades infectious RNA which imparts antiviral protection to the cell. OAS-RNaseL system also degrades cellular RNA and inhibits protein synthesis. The role of RNAseL as a tumor suppressor has been studied in prostate cancer cell lines and has been linked to hereditary prostate cancer (HPC). However HPC accounts for less than 9% of the overall prostate cancer incidence but the role of RNAseL in sporadic prostate cancer has not been established. Since OAS1 is the rate limiting enzyme in RNaseL activation, we therefore hypothesized that OAS could potentially act as tumor suppressor in the context of sporadic prostate cancer. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was performed on human prostate cancer and normal prostate tissue to determine the expression of OAS1. RT-PCR and western blot was performed to detect the expression of OAS1 in LNCaP, DU145 and PC3 cell lines. Two alternative approaches were then used to investigate the effect of OAS1 on cell survival and its potential mechanism of action: OAS1 was over-expressed in LNCaP whereas it was silenced in DU145 cells. Cell cycle and apoptosis was quantitated by FACS analysis and the expression of key regulatory genes was determined by qRT-PCR and western blot analysis. Results: Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that OAS1 expression is high in the normal prostate but decreased progressively with stage in prostate cancer. OAS1 was not expressed in LNCaP cells but its expression was high in DU145 and PC3 prostate cancer lines. Overexpression of OAS1 in LNCaP cells induced apoptosis and G1 arrest that was associated with increased p53, BAX and p21 expression. Alternatively, silencing of OAS in DU145 cells led to an increase in S phase and G2 cell population with a concomitant decrease in apoptosis. Conclusion: Our prostate cancer cell line and prostate cancer tissue data strongly suggest that OAS1 is a candidate tumor suppressor that could be used as a potential biomarker for prostate cancer. Moreover, our previous study had shown a link between OAS1 polymorphism and prostate cancer incidence. Collectively data suggest the role of immune/inflammatory pathway in prostate cancer progression. Citation Format: Sanjay Kumar Mandal, Jaideep Chaudhary. The expression of 2′-5′ oligoadenylate synthetase in prostate cancer and its effect on prostate cancer cell cycle [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Prostate Cancer Research; 2012 Feb 6-9; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(4 Suppl):Abstract nr C57.
The effects of locomotion on respiratory muscle activity in the awake dog.

Abstract Using 6 chronically-instrumented awake dogs, we characterized the response of the respiratory muscles to mild and moderate treadmill exercise in terms of (1) the magnitude and timing of the EMGs of the costal and crural diaphragm, triangulars sterni and transverse abdominal muscles, and (2) the concomitant changes in esophageal ( Pe ) and gastric ( Pg ) pressures during treadmill exercise. Dogs wore a bivalved breathing mask which constrained breathing frequency and prevented some of the exercise-induced hypocapnia. Inspiratory and chest expiratory muscle EMGs increased linearly with a 1.5-fold tidal volume ( Vt ) change during exercise. Abdominal muscle recruitment occured during most exercise levels and exhibited (1) phasic activity coincident with footplant and (2) tonic activation evidenced by a baseline shift in Pg and EMG activities. During control, inspiratory and expiratory flow preceded the onset of respiratory muscle EMG activity, but during exercise, electrical activation of these muscles coincided with the onset of mechanical flow. We conclude that phasic and tonic activation of expiratory muscles during exercise in the dog is significantly influenced by both respiratory and locomotory requirements. These patterns of expiratory muscle recruitment may assits inspiration by lengthening inspiratiry muscles through decrement in end-expiratory lung volume and by passive recoil of the rib cage and abdominal compartments.
Assessing the relative stabilities of engineered hemoglobins using electrospray mass spectrometry.

Abstract An ion trap mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray source was used to examine the relative thermodynamic stabilities of various hemoglobins with respect to both tetramer dissociation and hemin dissociation. The results demonstrated that the stability of hemoglobin molecules can be differentiated by the amount of applied collision-induced dissociation (CID) energy necessary to break up the intact tetramer into its constituent globins. The stability of the intact tetramer was affected by single mutations in the β-globins. The stabilities of the constituent hologlobins were assessed via trap CID of selected ions. The results demonstrated the importance of the contributions of the hologlobin components to the stability of the intact tetramer. Genetic fusion of two α-globins, through the introduction of a single glycine residue between the C-terminus of one α-chain and the N-terminus of the second, significantly increased the stability of the hemoglobin pseudo-tetramer. Chemical crosslinking of the β-globins in addition to genetic fusion of α-globins further stabilized the hemoglobin molecule. A dihemoglobin molecule produced by the genetic fusion of two di-α-globins with a flexible linker demonstrated a decreased stability relative to the corresponding monohemoglobin.
Autophagy in the eukaryotic cell.

The major cellular pathways for protein and organelle turnover are autophagy and proteasome-mediated degradation. These processes are important to maintain a well-controlled balance between anabolism and catabolism in order to have normal cell growth and development. They play an essential role
Spectral and Fermi surface properties from Wannier interpolation

We present an efficient first-principles approach for calculating Fermi surface averages and spectral properties of solids, and use it to compute the low-field Hall coefficient of several cubic metals and the magnetic circular dichroism of iron. The first step is to perform a conventional first-principles calculation and store the low-lying Bloch functions evaluated on a uniform grid of k points in the Brillouin zone. We then map those states onto a set of maximally localized Wannier functions, and evaluate the matrix elements of the Hamiltonian and the other needed operators between the Wannier orbitals, thus setting up an “exact tight-binding model.” In this compact representation the k-space quantities are evaluated inexpensively using a generalized Slater-Koster interpolation. Owing to the strong localization of the Wannier orbitals in real space, the smoothness and accuracy of the k-space interpolation increases rapidly with the number of grid points originally used to construct the Wannier functions. This allows k-space integrals to be performed with ab initio accuracy at low cost. In the Wannier representation, band gradients, effective masses, and other k derivatives needed for transport and optical coefficients can be evaluated analytically, producing numerically stable results even at band crossings and near weak avoided crossings.
An analog memory circuit for spiking silicon neurons

A simple circuit is described that functions as an analog memory whose state and dynamics are directly controlled by pulsatile inputs. The circuit has been incorporated into a silicon neuron with a spatially extensive dendritic tree as a means of controlling the spike firing threshold of an integrate-and-fire soma. Spiking activity generated by the neuron itself and by other units in a network can thereby regulate the neuron's excitability over time periods ranging from milliseconds to many minutes. Experimental results are presented showing applications to temporal edge sharpening, bistable behavior, and a network that learns in the manner of classical conditioning.