cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical presentation and treatment of Macroplastique® urethral exposures: a retrospective case series

Manufacturers of Macroplastique® for urethral bulking have not previously reported exposures as potential complications. This study was aimed at identifying presenting symptoms, management, and outcomes in patients experiencing urethral or bladder exposures. A retrospective case series from 2010 to 2019 was performed in an academic affiliated hospital system. Participants were 18–89 years old and received Macroplastique® urethral bulking for treatment of stress urinary incontinence. Charts were identified through diagnosis and procedure codes relating to injections of urethral bulking agents and foreign bodies in the bladder or urethra. Factors evaluated were patient history and presenting symptoms, diagnostic evaluation, treatment, and outcomes using frequency tables for categorical values and statistical distribution with median and interquartile ranges (IQR) for continuous variables. After review of 1,269 charts, 580 cases met the inclusion criteria and 14 Macroplastique® urethral exposures were identified. The median age at first presentation was 73.5 years (IQR57.5–79.7 years) with 48 months (IQR 22–78 months) as the median time to first presentation after last Macroplastique® injection. The median number of injection sessions was 2 (IQR 1–2.75 sessions) with a medium volume of 4.5 ml (IQR 2.75–9.0 ml). Presenting symptoms included urge incontinence (64.3%), stress urinary incontinence (57.1%), recurrent urinary tract infection (42.9%), urinary urgency (28.9%), urinary frequency (28.9%), urinary retention (14.3%), and interrupted flow (7.1%). Macroplastique® urethral exposures were extracted in 10 patients using blunt, sharp, or electrocautery excision. No complications after excision were identified and improvement in urinary symptoms was observed. Urethral bulking with Macroplastique® can lead to symptomatic urethral exposures.
Pregnancy-specific Adaptations in Leptin and Melanocortin Neuropeptides in Early Human Gestation

INTRODUCTION Pregnancy is characterized by increased appetitive drive beginning early in gestation, yet the central mechanisms underlying this adaptation are poorly understood in humans. To elucidate central mechanisms underlying appetite regulation in early pregnancy, we examine plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leptin and Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) as well as CSF proopiomelanocortin (POMC) as surrogates for brain melanocortin activity. METHODS Plasma leptin, soluble leptin receptor, AgRP, and CSF leptin, POMC, and AgRP were collected from pregnant women before cerclage placement (16.6 ± 1.1 weeks; N = 24), scheduled cesarean section (39.2 ± 0.2 weeks; N = 24), and from nonpregnant controls (N = 24), matched for age and body mass index. RESULTS Plasma leptin was 1.5 times higher in pregnancy vs controls (P = 0.01), but CSF leptin did not differ. CSF/plasma leptin percentage was lower in early pregnancy vs controls (0.8 ± 0.1 vs 1.7 ± 0.2; P < 0.0001) and remained unchanged at term (0.9 ± 0.1), supporting a decrease in leptin transport into CSF in pregnancy. Plasma AgRP, a peripheral biomarker of the orexigenic hypothalamic neuropeptide, was higher in early pregnancy vs controls (95.0 ± 7.8 vs 67.5 ± 5.3; P = 0.005). In early gestation, CSF AgRP did not differ from controls, but CSF POMC was 25% lower (P = 0.006). In contrast, at term, CSF AgRP was 42% higher vs controls (P = 0.0001), but CSF POMC no longer differed. Overall, the CSF AgRP/POMC ratio was 1.5-fold higher in early pregnancy vs controls, reflecting a decrease in melanocortin tone favoring appetitive drive. CONCLUSIONS Pregnancy-specific adaptions in the central regulation of energy balance occur early in human gestation and are consistent with decreased leptin transport into brain and resistance to the effects of leptin on target melanocortin neuropeptides.
In situ characterization of tensile behavior of laser rapid solidified Al–Si heterogeneous microstructures

Heterogeneous Al–Si microstructure comprising of sub-micron-scale Al dendrites and nanoscale Al–Si fibrous eutectic was fabricated by processing as-cast Al-20wt.%Si alloy using laser rapid solidifi...
Close-Call Screening and Shared Decision Making.

Physicians should engage in shared decision making with patients who meet the criteria for annual low-dose CT (LDCT) screening for lung cancer to determine whether LDCT is appropriate.
Software design for low power

It is tempting to suppose that only hardware dissipates power, not software. However, that would be analogous to postulating that only automobiles burn gasoline, not people. In microprocessor, micro-controller, and digital signal processor based systems, it is software that directs much of the activity of the hardware. Consequently, the software can have a substantial impact on the power dissipation of a system. Until recently, there were no efficient and accurate methods to estimate the overall effect of a software design on power dissipation. Without a power estimator there was no way to reliably optimize software to minimize power. Since 1993, a few researchers have begun to crack this problem. In this chapter, you will learn of the progress that has been made and identify ways to minimize the contribution of software to the power dissipation of mixed hardware-software designs.
The roles of social support and family resilience in accessing healthcare and employment resources among families living in traditional public housing communities

This study relied on theories of family resilience to examine and differentiate the roles of community social support and family resilience in regards to access and utilization of healthcare and employment resources for public housing residents. The study assessed 234 public housing residents and used structured regressions to test the role of family resilience, internal and external community social support on outcomes associated with economic mobility. Results suggest that external community social support is associated with increased access to and use of health and employment resources. Additionally, residents with higher levels of resilience sought social support from outside of their communities to a greater degree, thereby increasing their access and use of resources. Increases in internal community support were associated with increases in external community support, but alone, limited access to and use of resources. Implications of the findings for policy, interventions, and future research are discussed.
Patrilocal cell-cell interactions: sevenless captures its bride

Development of the R7 neuron in the compound eye of Drosophila requires an inductive interaction between the R8 photoreceptor cell and the bipotential R7 precursor cell. Two transmembrane proteins mediate this induction: sevenless (sev), a receptor tyrosine kinase expressed on the apical surface of the R7 precursor cell, and its ligand, the bride of sevenless protein (boss) on the apical membrane of the R8 neuron. The boss protein, with its large extracellular domain and seven transmembrane segments, is an unusual ligand for a receptor tyrosine kinase, and its internalization into the R7 cell following interaction with sev is particularly intriguing.
Hemifacial hypertrophy. Review of the literature and addition of four cases.

Abstract Four cases of hemifacial hypertrophy, two in males and two in females, all with right-side involvement, are reported. The 69-year-old patient in Case 1 is the oldest reported. It appears that in some cases hemifacial hypertrophy is not incompatible with long life. The pedigree of the patient in Case 1 suggests that the anomaly may have resulted from a somatic mutation which occurred early in embryonic life. Histologic examination of the biopsy specimen in Case 1 demonstrated that the enlargement resulted from an increased number of cells rather than an increase in cell size. Premature eruption of maxillary incisors, as in Case 4, has not been reported in earlier literature. Differential diagnosis of lesions which appear superficially similar is facilitated by the unique unilateral distribution of dental anomalies, bone disparity, and soft-tissue asymmetry in hemifacial hypertrophy.
Vibrio cholerae: Measuring Natural Transformation Frequency

Many bacteria can become naturally competent to take up extracellular DNA across their outer and inner membranes by a dedicated competence apparatus. Whereas some studies show that the DNA delivered to the cytoplasm may be used for genome repair or for nutrition, it can also be recombined onto the chromosome by homologous recombination: a process called natural transformation. Along with conjugation and transduction, natural transformation represents a mechanism for horizontal transfer of genetic material, e.g., antibiotic resistance genes, which can confer new beneficial characteristics onto the recipient bacteria. Described here are protocols for quantifying the frequency of transformation for the human pathogen Vibrio cholerae, one of several Vibrio species recently shown to be capable of natural transformation.
Hydrogen Spectra, Molecular Association and Orbital Radii in the Solar System

A relationship between the average orbital radii of the planets and their satellites in the solar system and the spectra of atomic and molecular hydrogen is identified and investigated. In this model, stimulated radiative association resonances develop early on in the disk of the protosun that cause the disk to cool at only certain radii, with each radius depending on a specific photon energy in the atomic hydrogen spectrum. The planets then evolve from the relatively cool rings that are formed. Similar activity occurs in the formation of the satellite systems of the giant planets. The present investigation deals with the mechanism that generates rings from which the planets are formed. It does not deal with the evolution of the rings into planets. Many characteristics of the solar system are explained including the sizes of the orbital radii of the planets and their satellites, the tilt of Uranus's axis, the positions of the asteroid and Kuiper belts, the source of the scattered Kuiper belt objects, the positions of Saturn's main rings and the rings of Uranus, Jupiter, and Neptune. It also shows that a commonality exists in the structures of the solar system and the planetary systems that can be attributed to the common process that initiated their evolution.
A Review of The Arts and Emergent Bilingual Youth: Building Culturally Responsive, Critical and Creative Education in School and Community Contexts, Edited by Sharon Verner Chappell and Christian J. Faltis

It is not often enough that you read a book in the field of education and finish it with a deep sense of hope. Sharon Verner Chappell and Christian J. Faltis, two well-respected teacher educators w...
Developmental time of Parabemisia myricae (Kuwana) (Hom., Aleyrodidae) in different seasons and a degree-day model.

Developmental time of the whitefly Parabemisia myricae was measured outdoors in full sunlight on potted lemon trees. Cohorts of whiteflies that were oviposited on 14 Dec 1982, 27 Jan 1983, 8 Apr 1983, 15 Jul 1983, and 9 Sep 1983 took 105, 88, 52, 40, and 32 days, respectively, for 50 % of the adult whiteflies to emerge. Another cohort of whiteflies also oviposited on 9 Sep 1983 and reared on plants in a shaded location within several meters of the concurrent cohort reared on plants in full sunlight developed 5 days faster (total 27 days) than their full-sunlight counterparts. Egg to 50 % adult emergence data for whiteflies reared in full sunlight and previously published data were best fit by a degree day model using a 12.8 °C lower developmental threshold, a 30.6 °C upper threshold (vertical cutoff) and a thermal constant of 265 degree-days. Developmental times of whiteflies in full sunlight predicted by the model were within 14 % of observed developmental times. However, the whiteflies reared in shade developed 26 % faster than the model predicted. The model needs to be verified in commercially grown citrus. Zusammenfassung Die Entwicklungszeit von Parabemisia myricae (Kuw.) (Horn., Aleyrodidae) in unterschiedlichen Jahreszeiten und die Erstellung eines Tagesgrad-Modells Es wurden die Entwicklungszeiten von Parabemisia myricae auf eingetopften Zitronenbaumen im Freiland unter voller Besonnung ermittelt. Kohorten von Eiern der Weisen Fliege, abgelegt am 14. Dez. 1982, 27. Jan. 1983, 8. April 1983, 15. Juli 1983 und 9. Sept. 1983, benotigten 105, 88, 52, 40, und 32 Tage, bis 50% Adulte geschlupft waren. Eine weitere Kohorte Eier vom 9. Sept. 1983, auf Pflanzen im Schatten, einige Meter entfernt von den besonnten abgelegt, entwickelte sich 5 Tage schneller (total 27 Tage) als die der Sonne ausgesetzten Tiere. Ein Tagesgrad-Modell mit 12.8 °C Entwicklungsnullpunkt, 30.6 °C obere Schwelle (vertikaler Abbruch) und 265 Tasgesgrade Temperatursumme beschrieb die Zeiten vom Ei bis 50 % Adultenschlupf der besonnten Tiere dieses Versuches sowie vorherig publizierte Daten am besten. Die vom Modell vorausgesagten Entwicklungszeiten lagen innerhalb von ± 14% der beobachteten Werte der besonnten Tiere. Im Schatten entwickelten sich die Tiere jedoch 26 % schneller als vorausgesagt. Das Modell mus in kommerziellen Zitrusplantagen verifiziert werden.
Backbone modifications in cyclic peptides : conformational analysis of a cyclic pseudopentapeptide containing a thiomethylene ether amide bond replacement

NMR and X-ray crystallographic studies have shown that cyclic pentapeptides of the general structure cyclo(D-Xxx-Pro-Gly-Pro-Gly) possess beta- and gamma-turn intramolecular hydrogen bonds. As part of our continuing series surveying the compatibility of various amide bond replacements on peptide structure, we have synthesized cyclo(D-Phe-Pro psi[CH2S]Gly-Pro-Gly). The pseudopeptide was prepared by solid phase methods and cleaved from the resin by a new procedure involving phase transfer catalysis using K2CO3 and tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate. Cyclization was carried out with the use of DPPA, HOBt, and DMAP to afford the product in 69% yield. The conformational behavior of the pseudopeptide was analyzed by 1H and 13C (1D and 2D) NMR techniques. The backbone modification replaced the amide bond that is involved in a gamma-turn intramolecular hydrogen bond in the all-amide structure. In CDCl3, the pseudopeptide adopted the same all-trans conformation as its parent, although the remaining beta-turn hydrogen bond was weaker according to delta delta/delta TNH measurements. In DMSO-d6, the all-trans conformer and a second conformer were observed in a ratio of 55:45. These conformers, which slowly interconverted on the NMR time scale, could be separately assigned; peaks due to chemical exchange were readily distinguishable by the ROESY technique as reported earlier by others. 13C and ROESY experiments suggested the minor conformer contained one cis amide bond at the Gly1-Pro2 position. Thus, both the location and type of amide surrogate are important determinants affecting the compatibility of the replacement with a particular conformational feature.
Education in Urban Communities in the United States: Exploring the Legacy of Lawrence A. Cremin

Lawrence A. Cremin is generally considered one of the most important historians of education in the United States in the second half of the twentieth century. The author of numerous books and monographs, Cremin's magnum opus was the three-volume work, American Education: The Colonial Experience, 1607-1783; American Education: The National Experience, 1783-1876; and American Education: The Metropolitan Experience, 1876-1980. 1 Lawrence A. Cremin, American Education: 1607-1783 (New York, 1970) L. Cremin, American Education: The National Experience, 1783-1876 (New York, 1980); L. Cremin, American Education: The Metropolitan Experience, 1876-1980 (New York, 1988). In that work Cremin not only examined the various types of formal schooling available in the United States, but also described the numerous social, economic, political, and cultural institutions involved in the education of the American people. Cremin defined "education" broadly as "the deliberate, systematic, and sustained effort to transmit, evoke...
A low temperature (Tdep ⩽800 °C) chemical vapor deposition process for the deposition of device-quality epitaxial silicon

Abstract A system has been developed that permits the deposition of device quality epitaxial silicon films at low temperatures. Using this system, epitaxial layers have been grown that have a minority-carrier lifetime of about 0.5 ms; the highest value reported for any low temperature silicon epitaxial process.
First-principles calculations of second- and third-order elastic constants for single crystals of arbitrary symmetry

The method of homogeneous deformation was combined with first-principles total-energy calculations to provide a general method for determining second- and third-order elastic constants for single crystals of arbitrary symmetry. Lagrangian strain tensors characterized by a single strain parameter are applied to the crystal lattice and the elastic strain energy is calculated from first principles. Second- and third-order elastic constants are obtained from a polynomial fit to the calculated energy-strain relation. Fitting the energy-strain relation, rather than the stress-strain relation, provides a more robust procedure and enables the use of certain first-principles codes where the stress tensor cannot be determined directly. To illustrate the method and to compare with previous work, we calculated the complete set of second- and third-order elastic constants for silicon (cubic lattice). Our results provide better agreement with experimental data than results from previous first-principles calculations. To demonstrate the use of the method for lower-symmetry crystals, second- and third-order elastic constants for $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-quartz (trigonal lattice) were calculated and reasonable agreement was obtained with experimental results. Our method is general and can be applied to crystals with low symmetry and/or low yield strength where experimental determination of the third-order elastic constants is difficult.
Growth and Foliar Nitrogen Status of Four Plant Species Exposed to Atmospheric Ammonia

A chamber study was conducted to evaluate the growth response and leaf nitrogen (N) status of four plant species exposed to continuous ammonia (NH3) for 12 weeks (wk). This was intended to evaluate appropriate plant species that could be used to trap discharged NH3 from the exhaust fans in poultry feeding operations before moving off-site. Two hundred and forty bare-root plants of four species (Juniperus virginiana (red cedar), Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis (thornless honey locust), Populus sp. (hybrid poplar), and Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass) were transplanted into 4- or 8-L polyethylene pots and grown in four environmentally controlled chambers. Plants placed in two of the four chambers received continuous exposure to anhydrous NH3 at 4 to 5 ppm while plants in another two chambers received no NH3. In each of the four chambers, 2 to 4 plants per species received no fertilizer while the rest of the plants were fertilized with a 100 ppm solution containing 21% N, 7% phosphorus, and 7% potassium. The results showed that honey locust was the fastest-growing species. The superior growth of honey locust among all species was also supported by its total biomass, root, and root dry matter (DM) weights. For all species there was a trend for plants exposed to NH3 to have greater leaf DM than their non-exposed counterparts at 6 (43.0 vs. 30.8%; P = 0.09) and 12 wk (47.9 vs. 36.6%; P = 0.07), and significantly greater (P <or=0.05) leaf N content at 6 (6.44 vs. 3.67%) and 12 wk (7.05 vs. 3.51%) when exposed to NH3. Numerically greater leaf DM due to NH3 exposure was also consistently measured in poplar at both sampling periods. Hybrid poplar, as well as honey locust and reed canary grass, deposited 1.5 to 2-fold greater N in their leaves than red cedar tissues as a result of NH3 exposure compared to non-exposed plants. Regardless of the effect of NH3 on foliar color and damage score of the plants, the increase of foliar N content (g 100 g-1 of fresh foliage weight) after NH3 exposure at 6 and 12 wk was 0.45 and 0.87 for grass,1.25 and 1.34 for locust, and 2.67 and 6.09 for poplar. However, only honey locust likely benefited from ambient NH3 as indicated by its consistent leaf color quality and lower damage score, compared with other species that were adversely affected by atmospheric NH3.
Alkali-metal doping of polyacetylene model compounds : α,ω-diphenylpolyenes

Abstract In the solid state, both 1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene ( DP4 ) and 1,8-diphenyl-1,3,5,7-octatetraene ( DP8 ) are electroactive upon reduction with alkali metals to the dianions DP4 = and DP8 = . Highest conductivities are achieved with potassium metal and DP8 = when mixtures containing neutral DP8 are employed. These compounds serve as models for segmented polyacetylene and provide support for a bipolaron hopping mechanism for interchain charge transfer in n-doped polyacetylene.
Reactive spark plasma sintering (SPS) of nitride reinforced titanium alloy composites

Abstract Coupled in situ alloying and nitridation of titanium–vanadium alloys, has been achieved by introducing reactive nitrogen gas during the spark plasma sintering (SPS) of blended titanium and vanadium elemental powders, leading to a new class of nitride reinforced titanium alloy composites. The resulting microstructure includes precipitates of the δ-TiN phase with the NaCl structure, equiaxed (or globular) precipitates of a nitrogen enriched hcp α(Ti,N) phase with a c/a ratio more than what is expected for pure hcp Ti, and fine scale plate-shaped precipitates of hcp α-Ti, distributed within a bcc β matrix. During SPS processing, the δ-TiN phase appears to form at a temperature of 1400 °C, while only hcp α(Ti,N) and α-Ti phases form at lower processing temperatures. Consequently, the highest microhardness is exhibited by the composite processed at 1400 °C while those processed at 1300 °C or below exhibit lower values. Processing at temperatures below 1300 °C, resulted in an incomplete alloying of the blend of titanium and vanadium powders. These δ-TiN precipitates act as heterogeneous nucleation sites for the α(Ti,N) precipitates that appear to engulf and exhibit an orientation relationship with the nitride phase at the center. Furthermore, fine scale α-Ti plates are precipitated within the nitride precipitates, presumably resulting from the retrograde solubility of nitrogen in titanium.
Accuracy of Ultrasound-Guided versus Unguided Pes Anserinus Bursa Injections

Objective To compare the accuracy of ultrasound (US)-guided versus unguided pes anserinus bursa injections in a cadaveric model. Design Single blind, prospective study. Setting Academic institution procedural skills laboratory. Participants Twenty-four unembalmed, unpaired adult cadaveric lower extremity specimens. Methods A single investigator performed 12 US-guided and 12 unguided pes anserinus bursa injections using colored liquid latex into 24 unembalmed adult cadaveric lower extremity specimens. The order of the injection techniques was randomized. The specimens were subsequently dissected by a co-investigator blinded to the injection technique used for each injection. Main Outcome Measures The injections were graded for accuracy as follows: accurate (all injectate contained within the pes anserinus bursa), accurate with overflow (injectate within the pes anserinus bursa, but also located in adjacent structures), or inaccurate (injectate not within the pes anserinus bursa). The accuracy of the 2 approaches was compared using Pearson χ 2 test with Williams' correction for the small sample size ( P = .05). Results The accuracy rate was 92% (11 of 12 specimens) in the US-guided condition and 17% (2 of 12 specimens) in the unguided condition. One US-guided injection was considered accurate with overflow, whereas 4 unguided injections were accurate with overflow. The US-guided injection technique was significantly more accurate than the unguided technique (Williams-corrected χ 2 = 12.528, P Conclusions Despite its superficial location, unguided pes anserinus bursa injections rarely place the injectate within the pes anserinus bursa, whereas US-guided pes anserinus bursa injections have a high degree of accuracy. Therefore, clinicians should consider using US-guidance for diagnostic or therapeutic pes anserinus bursa injections when indicated.
Comparative chromosome banding studies of nondormant alfalfa germplasm

A cytogenetic investigation was conducted on four historically putatively distinct nondormant alfalfa germplasm sources, African, Chilean, Peruvian, and Indian tetraploid alfalfa [Medicago saliva ssp. saliva (L.) L. & L.; 2n = 4r = 32J. C-banding, image analysis, and cluster analysis was used to test the hypothesis that chromosome structure differed among the four nondormant alfalfa populations. Cytogenetic analyses revealed polymorphisms for heterochromatic DNA in the number and location of constitutive heterochromatic DNA both within and among genotypes. However, this variability did not prevent recognition of homologous chromosomes. Karyotypes of Peruvian and Indian populations were developed. The reference African population was used to compare the karyotypes of Peruvian and Indian populations as well as the previously published Chilean population. In general, the number of heterochromatic DNA bands was similar for the African, Chilean, and Peruvian populations; however, the Indian population had significantly fewer heterochromatic bands than the other three. Cluster analysis based on all eight chromosomes yielded no clear separation of the nondormant alfalfa populations possibly because of the lack of chromosomal rearrangements, similar genetic backgrounds of the initial introductions, intercrossing of the different sources, genetic drift during maintenance, andlor common genetic backgrounds of the original parental germplasm sources.
Coherent optical transients in a three-level atomic system

We analyze the transient response induced by a resonant, weak probe laser in a three-level V-type system driven by a strong, resonant coupling laser. The Rabi oscillation of the probe transition contains two frequencies determined by the coupling laser, and the ratio of the two-frequency components can be controlled by a time delay between the probe and the coupling laser. In particular, when both lasers are turned on simultaneously, the optical nutation with the frequency approximately equal to the Rabi frequency of the coupling laser is dominant; when the probe laser is turned on well after the steady state is reached for the coupling transition, the Rabi oscillation of the probe transition still occurs, and the oscillatory frequency is approximately equal to half of the Rabi frequency of the coupling laser. When both the probe and the coupling lasers are strong, the mutual interaction of the two fields and the atomic system may revive the optical nutation with each other.
Environmental Action as Context for Youth Development.

This study explored the practices of teachers, nonformal science educators, community organizers, youth program managers, and other educators facilitating youth participation in local environmental action, as well as the experiences of some of the youth involved. We conducted narrative interviews with 33 educators facilitating youth environmental action in communities throughout the United States and group interviews with 46 youth participating in nine environmental action programs in New York State. Through interpretation of educators' stories and youths' reflections, we discovered strong parallels with theory and empirical research in the youth development literature suggesting environmental action is a valuable context for positive youth development.
The functions operating on multiplier algebras

Let 1 < p < ∞ with p ≠ 2. Let G denote one of the groups Tn, Rn, or Zn. We show that only entire functions operate in certain algebras of multipliers on Lp(G).
The Pathogenesis of Spontaneous Cardiac Rupture

Twenty patients with cardiac rupture were compared with suitable control groups. In each ruptured heart there was an acute coronary artery occlusion and a recent, transmural myocardial infarction which was unprotected at the site of rupture by scar or anastomotic circulation. Clinically, rupture usually occurred during the first two weeks of an acute infarction in a hypertensive patient with no previous history of old infarction or congestive failure; persisting hypertension or excessive effort usually preceded rupture. The role of an increased intraventricular pressure in the pathogenesis of cardiac rupture has therapeutic implications.
A framework for investigating language-mediated interaction with machines

Abstract The models of language that underlie most programming and query language experimentation are generally too weak to deal adequately with the linguistic processes involved. A more powerful model can be derived from linguistic theory, that supplements the formal description of languages by describing their communicative aspects as well. Such a model is outlined in the paper and its components are exemplified by corresponding phenomena in natural languages and programming languages.
SNAP-Tag-Reactive Lipid Anchors Enable Targeted and Spatiotemporally Controlled Localization of Proteins to Phospholipid Membranes.

The natural mechanisms that direct proteins to membranes are typically complex, requiring multiple steps and accessory components. It would be advantageous to develop simplified methods to direct proteins of interest to phospholipid membranes in a single step. Here we report a modular method for membrane localization of proteins by using chemically modified phospholipid anchors capable of covalent attachment to O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (SNAP-tag) fusion proteins. To our knowledge, this is the first use of SNAP-tag reactions to modify benzylguanine-functionalized lipid membranes. We demonstrate that photocaged lipid precursors enable light-triggered spatial and temporal control over protein localization. The anchoring system is compatible with cell-free expression, allowing for genetic targeting of proteins to lipid membranes of giant unilamellar vesicles. This technique can be used to control membrane curvature effects, similar to what has been previously observed with certain membrane-bound...
EVIDENCE OF PAIR-BREAKING BY PrBa IN Y1−yPryBa2Cu3O7

Abstract Microwave surface impedance, neutron diffraction, and electron spin resonance data provide evidence that the magnetic pair-breaking defect associated with Pr in Y 1− y Pr y Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7 is Pr on the Ba site, not on the rare-earth site.
Interference and the Persistence of Articulatory Responses

An experimental test of the effect of phonological interference on short-term recall was conducted using non-English phonological sequences which were easily pronounceable. Subjects were normal spe...
A method for mapping intralocus interactions influencing excessive alcohol drinking.

Excessive alcohol (ethanol) consumption is the hallmark of alcohol use disorders. The F1 hybrid cross between the C57BL/6J (B6) and FVB/NJ (FVB) inbred mouse strains consumes more ethanol than either progenitor strain. The purpose of this study was to utilize ethanol-drinking data and genetic information to map genes that result in overdominant (or heterotic) ethanol drinking. About 600 B6 × FVB F2 mice, half of each sex, were tested for ethanol intake and preference in a 24-h, two-bottle water versus ethanol choice procedure, with ascending ethanol concentrations. They were then tested for ethanol intake in a Drinking in the Dark (DID) procedure, first when there was no water choice and then when ethanol was offered versus water. DNA samples were obtained and genome-wide QTL analyses were performed to search for single QTLs (both additive and dominance effects) and interactions between pairs of QTLs, or epistasis. On average, F2 mice consumed excessive amounts of ethanol in the 24-h choice procedure, consistent with high levels of consumption seen in the F1 cross. Consumption in the DID procedure was similar or higher than amounts reported previously for the B6 progenitor. QTLs resulting in heightened consumption in heterozygous compared to homozygous animals were found on Chrs 11, 15, and 16 for 24-h choice 30% ethanol consumption, and on Chr 11 for DID. No evidence was found for epistasis between any pair of significant or suggestive QTLs. This indicates that the hybrid overdominance is due to intralocus interactions at the level of individual QTL.
Home from the war : Vietnam veterans : neither victims nor executioners

The reissuing of Robert Jay Lifton's moving and important 1973 study of Vietnam veterans can serve as a timely reminder of how easily and how much we forget. Lifton's study, furthermore, raises the question of what we as a society have learned from the pain, guilt, and rage of these men, and from our own unease over a small, undeclared war that we lost. Lifton's work is based on two years5 intensive participation in weekly "rap groups55 with veterans that met in the New York office of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War. This program, which he initiated in 1970, was part of an effort by participants to make sense of their experience, and to deal with the "numbing55 response that so many had adopted as a defense against acceptance of guilt. Lifton takes care to point out that the 400 men involved in his rap sessions and interviews were in no sense representative of all Vietnam veterans; most had seen active duty, and most came to articulate a clear antiwar position on their return. Similarly, Lifton himself is neither a dispassionate "phantom researcher,55 nor the remote psychiatrist in the traditional doctor-patient relationship. (He indeed argues against both stances.) His purpose is instead that of raising the important "question of the significance of an important change undergone by a relatively small group of men for a larger change in human consciousness55 (p. 21). Thus, the study must be read at three intertwined levels: for what it tells us about the troubled veterans who are still with us, for what it tells us about the war and its implications for the larger society, and (most impor tant) for what it tells us about psychological insight, transformation, and growth. Indeed, the difficulty in reading and absorbing what Lifton has to say stems from the complex interplay of these three themes. The study is dense, sometimes repetitious, and difficult to follow in a linear way. Recent statistics on Vietnam veterans present an alarming picture. We already knew, at war's end, about the 57,692 casualties and the 300,000 wounded. We now are confronted with an estimated 40 percent unem ployment rate among this group, as well as a figure of 41 percent who have either served or are serving time in jail. Estimates on suicides, on problems from Agent Orange, and on alcoholism are equally stark. Lifton5s extensive quotations and analysis help to show why this is so, and why such statistics only hint at the debilitating psychological burden
1,1-Dimethylhydrazine-induced diuresis

Intraperitoneal injections of 80–100 mg/kg of UDMH produced a marked diuresis in rats. Injections of 10 mg per rat resulted in diuresis only when given by the intracerebral route. Although there are significant alterations in the excretory pattern of electrolytes, serum and brain electrolyte levels did not appear to be appreciably altered at the time corresponding to onset of convulsions. Injected ADH is functional in UDMH-treated rats and the action of nicotine tartrate suggests the presence of a functioning neurohypophyseal system. The diuresis can be reversed by appropriate doses of vitamin B6. Hydrazine, monomethylhydrazine, and UDMH produce diuresis in rats. Symmetrical dimethylhydrazine, even at high doses does not; thus a free amino group appears to be necessary for diuretic activity in this series of hydrazines.
Rational Expectations and Monetary Policy in a Simple Macroeconomic Model

I. Rational expectations and the optimal monetary instrument, 92.—II. The Fed's advantage in stabilizing the economy when the private sector has the same information, 96.—III. Information differences between the Fed and the private sector, 98.—IV. Conclusions, 101.
Synthesis of a radiolabeled charged melatonin receptor ligand

The synthesis of the first permanently charged melatonin receptor ligand: N-[2-(2-trimethylammoniumethyleneoxy-7-methoxynaphthyl)ethyl]propionamide iodide (2a, TMEPI) and its carbon-14 analog (2b, 14 C-TMEPI) are described. The ligands can serve as tools to elucidate the mechanism of melatonin receptor regulation. Both compounds 2a and 2b are synthesized in 8 steps. The radiochemical yield and purity of 2b are 99.6 and 99.8% respectively, with specific radioactivity of 7.6 mCi/mmol.
Fundamental studies of tungsten alkylidene imido monoalkoxidepyrrolide complexes.

Two diastereomers of the monoalkoxidepyrrolide (MAP) species, W(NAr)(CH2)(Me2Pyr)(OR*) (1; Ar = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl, Me2Pyr = 2,5-dimethylpyrrolide, OR* = (R)-3,3′-dibromo-2′-(tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy)-5,5′,6,6′,7,7′,8,8′-octahydro-1,1′-binaphthyl-2-olate), were generated through addition of R*OH to W(NAr)(CH2)(Me2Pyr)2. The unsubstituted tungstacyclobutane species, W(NAr)(C3H6)(Me2Pyr)(OR*) (2), was isolated by treating the mixture of diastereomers of 1 with ethylene. An X-ray study revealed 2 to have a trigonal bipyramidal structure in which the imido and phenoxide ligands are in axial positions. A variety of NMR experiments were carried out on 1 and 2. The major findings are the following: (i) the methylidene ligands in the two diastereomers of 1 rotate readily about the W═C bond (k = 2−7 s−1 at 22 °C); (ii) NMR studies are consistent with 2 breaking up to give an intermediate alkylidene/ethylene complex, (R)- and (S)-W(CH2)(C2H4); and (iii) the ethylene in the (R)-W(CH2)(C2H4) intermediate can rot...
Comments, with reply, on "Spectral domain computation of characteristic impedances and multiport parameters of multiple coupled microstrip lines" by V.K. Tripathi and H. Lee

The commenter argues the question of whether it is possible to normalize currents and voltages simultaneously, as implied by a relationship used in the above-titled paper (see ibid., vol.37, no.1, p.215-222, 1989). In their reply, the authors identify two main issues raised in the comments, one dealing with the definition and meaning of characteristic impedance for general multiconductor systems and the other dealing with the computation of the elements of the line mode impedance matrices. They attempt to clarify both issues. >
Dermatoses of pregnancy

Several reported dermatoses of pregnancy have not survived the scrutiny of time and thus including them in current classification schemes does not serve any useful purpose. This review resolves issues in the existing conflicting literature.
Laser sclerectomy and 5-FU controlled-drug-release biodegradable implant for glaucoma therapy

Laser sclerectomy, a simple filtering procedure performed to alleviate high intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients, was taught to offer longer lasting effect and therefore improve the patient's outcome when compared with the standard trabeculectomy procedure. Recent clinical trials have shown that this was not the case and pharmacologic wound healing modulation is also required with this new procedure. Five-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is useful as an adjunct treatment for glaucoma filtering surgery. However, efficacy depends upon maintaining sustained drug levels, currently achieved by repeated daily injection of the drug for several weeks. To overcome this limitation, we designed a biodegradable implant for the sustained release of 5-FU. After laser sclerectomy, the implant is inserted through the same 1 mm wide conjunctival snip incision and positioned below the open channel. Implantation takes less than a minute. The implant releases the drug for over 15 days and totally biodegrades in less than 100 days. The combined laser surgery and implantation procedure show great potentials for the treatment of glaucoma.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The psychological representation of musical pitch in a tonal context

Abstract In this series of experiments, evidence was found for a complex psychological representation of musical pitch. The results of a scaling study, in which subjects judged the similarities between pairs of tones presented in an explicitly tonal context, suggest that musical listeners extract a pattern of relationships among tones that is determined not only by pitch height and chroma, but also by membership in the major triad chord and the diatonic scale associated with the tonal system of the context. Multidimensional scaling of the similarity ratings gave a three-dimensional conical structure around which the tones were ordered according to pitch height. The major triad components formed a closely related cluster near the vertex of the cone; the remaining diatonic scale tones formed a less closely related subset farther from the vertex; and, the nondiatonic tones, still farther from the vertex, were widely dispersed. The results also suggest that, in the psychological representation, tones less closely related to the tonality are less stable than tones closely related to the tonality, and that the representation incorporates the tendency for unstable tones to move toward the more stable tones in time, reflecting the dynamic character of musical tones. In the similarity ratings of the scaling study, tones less related to the tonality were judged more similar to tones more related to the tonality than the reverse temporal order. Furthermore, in a delayed recognition task memory performance for nondiatonic tones was less accurate than for diatonic tones, and nondiatonic tones were more often confused with diatonic tones than diatonic tones were confused with nondiatonic tones. These results indicate the tonality-specific nature of the psychological representation and argue that the perception of music depends not only on psychoacoustic properties of the tones, but also on processes that relate the tones to one another through contact with a well-defined and complex psychological representation of musical pitch.
SU‐FF‐J‐46: Determination and Validation of a 4D Trajectory for Respiration‐Induced Real‐Time Tumor Motion Tracking

Purpose: To model the tumor trajectory non‐invasively by modeling the instantaneous tumor position using the “average” tumor position derived from a 4D CT scan. A real‐time motion‐synchronized idealized moving treatment couch was used to validate the trajectory dosimetrically. Methods and Materials: In this study, we consider data from 7 patients who underwent a 4D CT scan ‐ 5 lungtumors and 2 pancreas tumors. The CTimages were retrospectively sorted according to phase, and the tumor contoured by a physician. The tumor's trajectory was modeled parametrically, using a 5‐term Fourier series to fit individual coordinate trajectories. These were then combined to yield a continuous 3D tumor trajectory. Compensation of this trajectory was modeled using a moving treatment couch with idealized dynamics. To validate the compensation, both a 7‐beam conformal plan, and a 7‐beam IMRT plan were ran for both the original and compensated tumor volumes for each patient. Results: The RMS residual error for the fitted trajectories averaged 0.41 ± 0.22 mm, with a corresponding average tumor motion amplitude of 9.7 ± 5.3 mm. For patients with motion amplitudes greater than 5 mm, the average improvement in the 100% dose coverage between end‐inhale and end‐exhale was 24.3% for the 3D conformal plan, and 31.1% for the IMRT plan. Tumors with motion amplitudes less than 4 mm saw improvements in the 100% dose coverage of less than 1% for 3D conformal plans, and 8.2% for IMRT plans. Conclusion: High‐resolution tumor trajectories can be established with a 4D CT scan, and the tumor position can be sampled at a rate comparable to fluoroscopy tracking of implanted markers. Tracking and compensation using this technique has been shown to greatly improve the dose coverage and conformality for both 3D conformal and IMRT plans in comparison.
Implementing Insurance Market Reforms Under The Federal Health Reform Law

Lost in the rhetoric about the supposed government takeover of health care is an appreciation of the inherently federalist approach of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This federalist tradition, particularly with regard to health insurance, has a history that dates back at least to the 1940s. The new legislation broadens federal power and oversight considerably, but it also vests considerable new powers and responsibilities in the states. The precedents and examples it follows will guide federal and state policy makers, stakeholders, and ordinary citizens as they breathe life into the new law. The challenges ahead are formidable, and the greatest ones are likely to be political.
Methods of evaluating N-dimensional integrals with polytope bounds

Abstract Three algebraic methods of evaluating integrals of the form, I=∫…∫P(X N ) ∑ i=1 K H a i0 + ∏ i=1 N a ij X i dx 1 ,…, dx N , where H(x) is the unit Heaviside function and P(xN) is a polynomial in the N integration variables are described. Emphasis is placed on computer implementation of the integration techniques.
Generic composition and distributional patterns of Agromyzidae from India (Diptera : Agromyzidae)

Abstract An analysis of the distributional patterns of Indian Agromyzidae is attempted. Out of the 26 genera known 19 have been recorded from India. An analysis of the distributional patterns and generic composition of the following 19 genera is given: Acromyza Fallen, Japanagromyza Sasakawa, Melanagromyza Hendel, Tropicomyia Spencer, Ophiomyia Drashnikov, Phytobia Lioy, Cerodontha Rondani, Calyfomyia Hendel Amauromyza Hendel, Liriomyza Mik, Lemurimyia Spencer, Paraphylomyza Hendel, Pseudonapomyza Hendel, Napomyza Westwood, Indonapomyza Singh & Ipe, Phtomyza Fallen, Cromatomyia Hardy and Phytagromyza Hendel.
North Carolina orthodontists' Medicaid provider status is associated with perceived problems with Medicaid.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Im JL, Phillips C, Lee J, Beane R. The North Carolina Medicaid program: participation and perceptions among practicing orthodontists. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2007;132:144.e15-8.e21. Level of Evidence Level 3: Other evidence. Strength of Recommendation Grade Not applicable. Purpose/Question To determine North Carolina orthodontists’ level of participation in Medicaid, their perceptions of Medicaid and its beneficiaries, and whether there are any differences between practitioners who do and do not accept new Medicaid patients. Source of Funding Supported in part by the US government, NIH grant R01 DE005215 “Influences on Stability Following Orthognathic Surgery.” No information was provided by the authors regarding the other support. Type of Study/Design Cross-sectional study.