cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thrombotic Calcific Mitral Stenosis Morphology of the Calcific Mitral Valve

We compared the morphology of the calcific stenotic mitral valve (CSMV) with noncalcific stenotic mitral valves (NCSMV) removed at surgery; control valves were obtained at autopsy. X-rays of the excised valves permitted localization and quantitation of calcification. A classification of CSMV applicable to noninvasive techniques based on this methodology is presented. Moderate to heavily CSMV had greater weight, volume, specific gravity, weight per area, with smaller orifice size when compared with NCSMV and controls. Leaflet mobility was obliterated in moderate to heavily CSMV, while most NCSMV had some degree of leaflet mobility. Surface morphology was strikingly different in CSMV with 1) surface ulceration, due to eruption of the underlying calcific focus through valvular endothelium, 2) thrombosis in the areas of ulceration ( associated with symptomatic arterial embolization in four patients), 3) whisker formation, filamentous stalks along the line of valve closure. Calcification in the CSMV is viewed ...
Carryover effects in amphibians: Are characteristics of the larval habitat needed to predict juvenile survival?

Carryover effects occur when experiences early in life affect an individual's performance at a later stage. Many studies have shown carryover effects to be important for future performance. However, it is currently unclear whether variation in later environments could overwhelm factors from an earlier life stage. We were interested in whether similar patterns would emerge under the same experimental design with similar taxa. To examine this, we implemented a four-way factorial experimental design with different forestry practices on three species of anurans (each examined in different years) in the aquatic larval environment and terrestrial juvenile environment in outdoor mesocosms in central Missouri, USA. Using Cormack-Jolly-Seber mark–recapture models implemented in program MARK, we investigated whether one environment or both environments best predicted terrestrial juvenile survival. We found only limited evidence of carryover effects for one of three species in one time period. These were the effects...
Industry, corporate, and segment effects and business performance: a non‐parametric approach

The literature investigating the degree to which firm performance is associated with industry or corporate factors has recently been subject to criticism on the grounds of both methodological shortcomings and incomplete interpretation of results. Our research goes beyond these critiques to raise more basic issues concerning the assumptions underlying variance decomposition, the methodology dominating the antecedent literature. Performance data and categorizations from a sample consistent with those employed in the recent literature are analyzed via a new non-parametric methodology. Results here indicate that corporate factors were over an order of magnitude better predictors of business unit profit position than were industry factors—which were found not to have been significant predictors. Further, underlying performance relationships were seen to have shifted over time. A key implication of these results for researchers is that they provide additional evidence that managers can have a strategic influence on business performance. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Revival of Labor and Social Protest Research in France: Recent Scholarship on May 1968

May 1968 in France was one of those events that became instantly a distinct historical moment. Nearly contemporaneously with the events themselves, “May '68” became an object of conscious—and contentious—reflection, research, and analysis. By October 1968, the Bibliotheque nationale had already listed 124 books on the May–June events. The leading scholarly labor and social history journal in France, le mouvement social, immediately prepared a special issue on May 1968. Successive anniversaries have been marked with waves of scholarly and popular articles, books, films, interviews, colloquia, and other commemorative events and gatherings. The graphic depictions of May '68—photographic and other—have become enduring iconographic images that reappear with each anniversary.
Uncertainty growth in Hypo-Elastic Material Models

The purpose of this note is to highlight a new point of concern in the use of hypo-elastic constitutive equations. In particular, it is shown that if there is any uncertainty in the material constants that appear in such equations, it can induce nonmonotone uncertainty growth in the resulting solutions.
A 24-bit multi-functional sensor analog front end employing low noise biasing technique with 8.2nV/√Hz input referred noise

An Analog Front End (AFE) for a multi-functional environmental sensor is proposed. The IC consists of a 8.2nV/VHz input referred noise, 0.22mm area instrumentation amplifier, a 25aC/√Hz, 0.12mm2 charge amplifier, and a 24bit continuous-time delta-sigma ADC, which are designed with a weak inversion biasing technique. The AFE has been fabricated in a 0.18μm CMOS process with 4.5mm2 die area. The current consumption at 2.56kHz output data rate is 2.5mA, reducing to 2μA at 0.01Hz.
Preliminary Sputter-Erosion Characterization of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

This paper presents preliminary results of ion sputter erosion characterization of carbon nanotubes. Relative erosion rates were compared by exposing multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), polycrystalline diamond films, amorphous carbon, and boron nitride to the exhaust plume of a 1.5-kW Hall-effect thruster operating on krypton propellant. Two types of MWNTs were investigated: films composed of vertically aligned tubes and those horizontally laid on the substrate surface. Only diamond films and vertically aligned MWNTs survived erosion by 250-eV krypton ions. The vertically aligned tubes were found to bundle at their tips into nanocones after ion erosion.
Optimization of a Seamless Inlet Liner Using an Empirically Validated Prediction Method

An efficient multi-fidelity optimization methodology for turbofan intake acoustic liners is presented whereby the wall acoustic impedance is used as a design variable, in the frequency domain, to maximize forward fan noise suppression. Two methods are employed to predict the liner attenuation, a low-fidelity method based on solving the duct mode propagation for a treated circular duct with uniform mean flow using an eigenvalue code, and a high-fidelity method based on solving the duct mode propagation and radiation for a realistic inlet and flow using the finite element code ACTRAN. A validation of the prediction methodology is performed using a baseline seamless inlet liner, for which in situ impedance measurements, internal modal measurements, and far-field noise measurements are available. Both methods are then used to create response surfaces of the liner noise attenuation as a function of the liner impedance. The optimal wall impedance can then be extracted from these response surfaces. The speed of the low-fidelity method makes it possible to explore large sections of the design space at each of the target frequencies inexpensively, while allowing identification of wall impedance sub-domains where relative optima can be determined. The high fidelity method is employed on these sub-domains to provide more accurate and complete modeling. An empirically validated impedance model is then used to define a liner construction for a double-layer seamless liner that provides the best match to the optimum wall impedance.
The influence of framing on clinicians' judgments of the biological basis of behaviors

Practicing clinicians frequently think about behaviors both abstractly (i.e., in terms of symptoms, as in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed., DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) and concretely (i.e., in terms of individual clients, as in DSM-5 Clinical Cases; Barnhill, 2013). Does abstract/concrete framing influence clinical judgments about behaviors? Practicing mental health clinicians (N = 74) were presented with hallmark symptoms of 6 disorders framed abstractly versus concretely, and provided ratings of their biological and psychological bases (Experiment 1) and the likely effectiveness of medication and psychotherapy in alleviating them (Experiment 2). Clinicians perceived behavioral symptoms in the abstract to be more biologically and less psychologically based than when concretely described, and medication was viewed as more effective for abstractly than concretely described symptoms. These findings suggest a possible basis for miscommunication and misalignment of views between primarily research-oriented and primarily practice-oriented clinicians; furthermore, clinicians may accept new neuroscience research more strongly in the abstract than for individual clients.
Dispersal of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a Colombian coffee plantation.

Results are presented of a mark/recapture study of phlebotomine sand flies in a Colombian coffee plantation. Maximum recorded distance traveled by the insects was 163 m by one female Lutzomyia shannoni (Dyar), but most individuals were recovered within 100 m of the release point and within 24 h of marking. An unexpectedly high proportion of L. shannoni was found among recaptured sand flies, contrasting with an extremely low recapture rate for Lutzomyia spinicrassa Morales, Osorno, de Osorno & Munoz, a much more plentiful species in the study area.
Hepatitis C Mother-to-Child Transmission

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of chronic liver disease in adults and children, affecting more than 180 million individuals worldwide. Vertical transmission is the primary route of HCV acquisition in children. Studies have not found effective management strategies to reduce risk for transmission. Pediatric HCV infection is different from adult infection in several aspects. This review will provide a comprehensive understanding of the current knowledge of HCV and its impact on pregnant women and infants and will offer specific recommendations for diagnosis and management.
Geometry‐Controlled Photoinduced Charge Separation and Recombination in a Trans‐A2B2‐Functionalized Donor–Acceptor Conjugate Composed of a Multimodular Zinc Porphyrin and Fullerene

A novel trans-A2B2-functionalized multimodular zinc porphyrin (TPA-BT)2ZnP has been synthesized through a multistep sitedirected synthesis as an electron donor for light-energy-harvesting applications. The Zn porphyrin was functionalized by appending two triphenylamine–bithiophene moieties (TPA-BT) at the trans-located meso-positions of the porphyrin ring to improve the electron-donor capability. Facile oxidation of the Zn porphyrin due to electron-rich substituents was evidenced by cyclic voltammetry, and the spectrum of oxidized (TPA-BT)2ZnP was obtained using spectroelectrochemical methods. The donor–acceptor conjugate was subsequently built by coordinating an electron acceptor, C60Im, through metal–ligand axial coordination. The conjugate was characterized by spectral, electrochemical, and computational techniques. The geometry and electronic structure of the (TPA-BT)2ZnP:ImC60 conjugate, deduced from the B3LYP/6-31G* method, revealed the frontier HOMO to be delocalized over the (TPA-BT)2ZnP macrocycle whereas the LUMO was localized on the C60 entity. Free-energy calculations performed according to Rehm–Weller's approach suggested the possibility of the occurrence of photoinduced electron transfer processes from the singlet excited Zn porphyrin to C60. Efficient photoinduced charge separation in the conjugate was demonstrated from studies involving femtosecond transient absorption techniques. The measured rate of charge separation was slightly higher than previously reported donor–acceptor systems formed from simple Zn porphyrin and C60Im due to facile oxidation of (TPA-BT)2ZnP. The charge recombination rate was also found to be faster and this has been attributed to the closely located C60 and triphenylamine entities of (TPA-BT)2ZnP, facilitating through-space charge recombination process. The present study highlights the importance of the 3D organization of the self-assembled donor–acceptor conjugate in governing the speed of electron transfer.
Effects of trauma and PTSD on self-reported physical functioning in sexual minority women.

Objective Sexual minority women (lesbians, bisexual women, and women who partner with women) experience high rates of trauma exposure, are more likely to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and have high rates of physical health problems compared with heterosexual women. The present study tested whether PTSD may be the mechanism through which trauma exposure affects self-reported physical functioning in this population. Method In a sample of 857 sexual minority women, we examined the association between trauma exposure and worsening physical functioning (measured using the 12-item Short Form Health Survey) 2 years later, whether PTSD mediated this relationship, and if so, which PTSD symptom clusters best accounted for this mediation. Results Results showed that more Criterion A traumatic events experienced (based on DSM-IV) predicted greater decline in physical functioning 2 years later, and PTSD symptoms mediated this relationship, explaining 73% of the total effect. The arousal/reactivity symptom cluster was the only significant mediator, explaining 68% of the total effect. Conclusions Results show that PTSD, and arousal/reactivity symptoms in particular, may be the mechanism through which traumatic events negatively impact self-reported physical functioning. These findings provide further evidence that, for this at risk population, treating PTSD as soon as possible after onset may improve long term physical functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record
Integrating Dream Analysis with Intersubjectivity in Group Psychotherapy

The author discusses her application of Daniel Stern's theories of intersubjectivity to group psychotherapy. The group members were women presenting with issues regarding childhood molestation and/or abuse. From her case notes, she examines the dreams the women discussed in the group treatment setting and illustrates how the group members mutually constructed life narratives, which ultimately created new meanings regarding their lives. Through mutual construction of these narratives, her clients ultimately organized new senses of self, affecting them both interpersonally and intrapsychically.
Russian and Post-Soviet Studies: Politics

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by L. Shevtsova, volume 22, pp. 14733–14735, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd.
AI for Solution Design

Before we explain how AI could be leveraged to dramatically transform the Solutioning phase, it is important to outline the role of this phase across the Service Delivery lifecycle as well as the major personas involved.
Constant linear velocity spiral scanning for real time 4D OCT with visualization in virtual reality (Conference Presentation)

High speed optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems with A-scan rates greater than 100 kHz allow for 4D visualizations in applications such as intraoperative OCT. However, traditional triangle or sawtooth waveforms used to drive galvanometer scanners often have frequency content that exceeds the bandwidth of the scanners, leading to distorted scans. Sinusoidal waveforms used to drive resonant scanners also lead to distorted scans due to the nonlinear scan velocity. Additionally, with raster scan patterns, the scanner needs time to stop and reverse direction in between B-scans, leading to significant acquisition dead time. Continuous scan patterns such as constant frequency spiral scanning or Lissajous scanning no longer have acquisition dead times, but suffer from non-uniform sampling across the imaging plane. We previously introduced constant linear velocity (CLV) spiral scanning as a novel scan pattern to maximize the data acquisition efficiency of high speed OCT systems. While this continuous scan pattern has no acquisition dead time and produces more uniform sampling compared to raster scanning, it required significant processing time. We introduce a processing pipeline implemented using CUDA in C++, which drastically reduces the amount of processing time needed, allowing real time visualization of 4D OCT data. To demonstrate its potential utility, we used CLV scanning with a 100 kHz swept-source OCT system to image retinas of enucleated porcine eyes undergoing mock ophthalmic surgery movements. Additionally, we rendered these volumes in virtual reality (VR) in real time, allowing for interactive manipulation and sectioning.
Ileostomy Retracts Below the Skin

Properly constructed and fully functional ileostomy is paramount for patients’ quality of life and satisfaction. An ileostomy that has retracted below the skin will often cause significant difficulties pouching appropriately leading to severe and debilitating dermatitis, pain, and infections. In addition a retracted ileostomy into the abdominal compartment can cause abscesses and peritonitis. In this chapter we discuss the proper method of delivering an ileostomy and dealing with retraction.
Creativity, Copyright, and Close-Knit Communities: A Case Study of Social Norm Formation and Enforcement

Social norms as a regulatory mechanism often carry more weight than formal law--particularly in contexts when legal rules are gray. In online creative communities that focus on remix, community members must navigate copyright complexities regarding how they are permitted to re-use existing content. This paper focuses on one such community--transformative fandom--where strong social norms regulate behavior beyond copyright law. We conducted interviews with fan creators about their "unwritten rules" surrounding copying and remix and identified highly consistent social norms that have been remarkably effective in policing this community. In examining how these norms have formed over time, and how they are enforced, we conclude that the effectiveness of norms in encouraging cooperative behavior is due in part to a strong sense of social identity within the community. Furthermore, our findings suggest the benefits of creating formal rules within a community that support existing norms, rather than imposing rules from external sources.
Preventing More “Missing Girls”: A Review of Policies to Tackle Son Preference

In parts of Asia, the South Caucasus, and the Balkans, son preference is strong enough to trigger significant levels of sex selection, resulting in the excess mortality of girls and skewing child s...
Angular-Momentum Biased Circulator With Locally Generated Modulation

This article presents a novel type of time-modulated magnetless circulators, where modulation is generated locally at each modulated element through a network of local oscillators instead of a central source and a complex distribution network based on phase shifters and filters. The design follows the angular-momentum approach, and the modulation signals are generated from three cross-coupled oscillators interconnected through transmission lines in a ring topology to phase lock and attain the necessary phase difference of 120°. The oscillators are interwound with the circulator circuit by designing them to operate in a differential mode, in contrast to the common mode of the circulator circuit, allowing natural isolation between the RF and modulation paths. Two prototypes were built to test the design. An initial preliminary printed-circuit-board prototype was fabricated to test the common-differential mode topology with modulation signals generated off the board. The design was tested at 1.78 GHz, showing isolation of more than 20 dB, insertion loss of 5.5 dB, 2.6% bandwidth, and power handling of 21 dBm. A final prototype was fabricated to test a fully autonomous circulator, with the modulation signals generated locally at each modulated tank. The final design was tested at 1.65 GHz, showing isolation greater than 20 dB, insertion loss of 5.3 dB, 4.8% bandwidth, and power handling of 25.52 dBm. The results open a path for a new class of autonomous time-modulated devices without the need for complicated modulation networks and with an ability to incorporate a large number of modulated elements.
Parents' early representations of their children moderate socialization processes: Evidence from two studies.

Difficult infants are commonly considered at risk for maladaptive developmental cascades, but evidence is mixed, prompting efforts to elucidate moderators of effects of difficulty. We examined features of parents' representations of their infants - adaptive (appropriate mind-mindedness, MM) and dysfunctional (low reflective functioning, RF, hostile attributions) - as potential moderators. In Family Study (N = 102), we tested parents' appropriate MM comments to their infants as moderating a path from infants' observed difficulty (negative affect, unresponsiveness) to parents' observed power assertion at ages 2-4.5 to children's observed and parent-rated (dis)regard for conduct rules at age 5.5. In father-child relationships, MM moderated that path: for fathers with low MM, the infants' increasing difficulty was associated with fathers' greater power assertion, which in turn was associated with children's more disregard for rules. The path was absent for fathers with average or high MM. In Children and Parents Study (N = 200), dysfunctional representations (low RF, hostile attributions) moderated the link between child objective difficulty, observed as anger in laboratory episodes, and difficulty as described by the parent. Reports of mothers with highly dysfunctional representations were unrelated to children's observed anger. Reports of mothers with average or low dysfunctional representations aligned with laboratory observations.
Is there a difference in treatment effect of different intra-articular drugs for temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis? A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Abstract A systematic review based on the PRISMA guidelines was conducted to investigate and compare treatment with hyaluronic acid (HA), corticosteroids, and blood products in patients with temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA). The MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for articles published until September 25, 2019. Articles met the inclusion criteria if they reported patients with TMJOA, a comparison group, and a follow-up period of at least 6 months. The mean and standard deviation for TMJ pain and maximum mouth opening (MMO) were reported. Nine studies involving 443 patients were included. Injectables and Ringer’s lactate solution or normal saline were reported to significantly improve TMJ pain and MMO. Regarding TMJ pain, two studies showed a significant superiority of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF)/platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections with or without arthrocentesis over HA, but HA showed a significant improvement compared to corticosteroids. For MMO, no injectable was found to be superior to Ringer’s lactate or a normal saline control, but arthrocentesis + PRP resulted in MMO improvement compared to arthrocentesis + HA. Overall, all injectables in conjunction with arthrocentesis were efficient in alleviating pain and improving MMO in TMJOA patients; however, a meta-analysis was not possible due to heterogeneity across studies.
Aqueous Mn-Zn and Ni-Zn Batteries for Sustainable Energy Storage

Energy storage is a key hurdle for the transition of electrical systems to sustainable solar and wind power. Massive deployment of solar and wind with energy storage is needed for significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, requiring manufacturing scales on par with the global automobile industry. Here we review the materials chemistry of rechargeable aqueous Mn-Zn and Ni-Zn because they have outstanding characteristics of sustainability, cost, and safety. Mn cathodes are found to be evolving rapidly under recent research, to potentially offer a breakthrough in cost, and to remain mostly untested at large scale. The limiting chemical processes are (1) the Zn anode cycle life, and (2) the Zn-ion crossover through the separator, for both of which recent research is presented.
“It’s not a deaf thing, it’s not a black thing; it’s a deaf black thing”: a study of the intersection of adolescents’ deaf, race, and STEM identities

Deaf students are under-enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors, making it important to explore how and why deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students connect (or fail to connect) with STEM. Engaging students in informal STEM with attention to how such experiences interact with their identities has the potential for broad impact on supporting DHH adolescents’ entry into STEM areas of postsecondary study and later into STEM careers. We explored the intersectionality of DHH minority racial/ethnic high school students’ identities and how it relates to their connection to STEM during a summer program and throughout the following school year. We report on three case studies, followed by a cross-case analysis. Participants were DHH high school students from underrepresented minority racial/ethnic groups. Our case studies were of one female and two male students. Data sources included a battery of surveys assessing scientific sensemaking, affinity toward STEM, and reading ability, as well as a focus group during summer STEM camp, individual interviews the following school year, and observations of photographs taken during camp by volunteers working at the camp. We pinpoint instances of connection to and disconnection from STEM in our three cases. Cross-case analysis implicates a need for applied learning opportunities that overcome language-related barriers for American Sign Language (ASL) users. They also suggest a role for STEM-relevant mentorship that is sensitive to adolescents’ intersectional identities, particularly employing adult mentors with whom adolescents can identify. Finally, findings suggest that adolescents are attempting to connect STEM with their everyday lives, particularly their career aspirations. Importantly, our three cases were better able to apply STEM to the real world and career goals in an informal summer STEM camp than in their formal science, math, and engineering classrooms. We discuss implications for curriculum, instruction, and teacher preparation.
COVID-19 patients with obesity at risk for worse outcomes despite younger age and fewer inflammatory derangements.

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral pulmonary infection that can progress to cytokine storm syndrome because of widespread dysregulated inflammatory response. Many patients at risk for severe COVID-19 manifestation have been identified as those with preexisting conditions of pulmonary origin, as well as conditions that impair appropriate immune response, such as obesity. Objectives The aim of this study is to describe the manifestation, clinical course, and inflammatory biomarker milieu of COVID-19 in patients with obesity. Setting University Hospital Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, 600 patients who were positive for COVID-19 were stratified by World Health Organization (WHO) obesity class and their presenting symptoms, disease biomarkers, demographics, and outcomes (intubation rate, intensive care unit [ICU] admission, length of stay [LOS], and mortality) were investigated. Results Age was inversely related to obesity class; patients of obesity class III presented 12.9 years younger than patients of normal weight (P Conclusion Patients with obesity were more likely to present to the hospital at a younger age, with reduced levels of COVID-19 related biomarker disturbances, and increased LOS and ICU admission rates, although were not at increased risk for mortality.
ATRX Loss in Glioma Results in Epigenetic Dysregulation of Cell Cycle Phase Transition

ATRX, a chromatin remodeler protein, is recurrently mutated in H3F3A-mutant pediatric glioblastoma (GBM) and IDH-mutant grade 2/3 adult glioma. Previous work has shown that ATRX-deficient GBM cells show enhanced sensitivity to irradiation, but the etiology remains unclear. We found that ATRX binds regulatory elements of cell cycle phase transition genes in GBM cells, and there is a marked reduction in Checkpoint Kinase 1 (CHEK1) expression with ATRX loss, leading to early release of G2/M entry after irradiation. ATRX-deficient cells exhibit enhanced activation of master cell cycle regulator ATM with irradiation. Addition of the ATM inhibitor AZD0156 doubles median survival in mice intra-cranially implanted with ATRX-deficient GBM cells, which is not seen in ATRX-wildtype controls. This study demonstrates that ATRX-deficient high-grade gliomas (HGGs) display epigenetic dysregulation of cell cycle phase transitions, which opens a new window for therapies targeting this unique phenotype.
An Adaptive Data Distribution Model for Distributed Databases Based on Empirical Measurement of Local and Global Database Transactions

This paper presents an adaptive distribution model which is used to periodically revise data distribution to ensure efficient transaction processing. The model is based on database statistics of transaction workload and network through-put which are obtained by empirical means.
Tissue-engineered heart valve leaflets: does cell origin affect outcome?

BACKGROUND We previously reported the successful creation of tissue-engineered valve leaflet constructs and the implantation of these autologous tissue leaflets in the pulmonary valve position in a lamb model. The optimal cell origin for creating these valve leaflets remains unclear. This study was designed to compare dermal with arterial wall myofibroblasts as the cells of origin for the leaflet constructs. METHODS AND RESULTS Mixed cell populations of endothelial cells and fibroblasts were isolated from ovine femoral arteries or subdermis and then expanded in vitro. A synthetic biodegradable polymer scaffold was then seeded with the cultured cells. The tissue scaffold was composed of a polyglactin woven mesh sandwiched between two nonwoven polyglycolic acid mesh sheets, which measured 3x3 cm in size and 3.2 mm in thickness. The cell-seeded polymer construct was implanted to replace one pulmonary valve leaflet in the same juvenile animal from which the cells had originally been obtained. Using cardiopulmonary bypass, the right posterior leaflet of the pulmonary valve was completely resected and replaced with an autologous engineered valve leaflet. In group D (n=5), the cells were obtained from subdermis, and in group A (n=4), they were obtained from the arterial wall. Eight to 10 weeks after leaflet implantation, the animals were killed, and the implanted valve leaflets were examined histologically, biochemically, and biomechanically. The dimensions of each tissue-engineered leaflet (TEL) were compared with those of the two remaining native valve leaflets to obtain a growth index. A 4-hydroxyproline assay was performed to evaluate collagen content. Leaflet tensile strength was evaluated in vitro by using a Vitrodyne V-1000 mechanical tester. Factor VIII and elastin stains were performed to histologically assess the presence of endothelial cells and elastin, respectively. In all animals, the TEL persisted in the pulmonary valve position after 8 to 10 weeks, and all polyglycolic acid polymer had been degraded. Group A leaflets had a higher growth index (0.86+/-0.11) than group D (0.41+/-0.08) (P<.05). Macroscopically, the group D leaflets appeared thicker and contracted. Histologically, elastic fibers were more abundant in group A than in group D. Total collagen content and biomechanical testing showed no differences between groups. Leaflets from both groups had positive staining for factor VIII on the surface, confirming growth of endothelial cells to cover the TEL. CONCLUSIONS Autologous TEL derived from vascular fibroblasts seem to develop functionally and morphologically like the native valve leaflets in the pulmonary circulation. Use of arterial myofibroblasts for the creation of TEL seems preferable to dermal fibroblasts with current tissue culture conditions.
Escherichia Coli: Pathogenic Strains

Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) Keywords: enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC); enteroinvasive E. coli; enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC); enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC); escherichia coli; pathogens, bacterial
Financial Characteristics of Businesses in Bankruptcy

The Business Bankruptcy Project is a five-year empirical study of about 3,200 business cases originally filed in Chapter 7, Chapter 11 and Chapter 13 in 23 judicial districts during 1994. This first report focuses on financial and demographic data, creating a statistical profile of the businesses in bankruptcy. The data reported in this paper include assets, debts, solvency, corporate or individual debtor type, classification of industries, number of employees, and reasons for filing; the data are reported in the aggregate, by chapter of filing, and by district. These data are used to test a number of hypotheses about the operation of the business bankruptcy system. The report also reveals anomalies in the system, such as certain large debtor companies that file no bankruptcy schedules at all. The sample is marked by its diversity, which includes a large number of small businesses and a small number of large businesses. Among the business debtors are a surprising number of natural persons in Chapter 11, a procedure designed around a corporate template. Across all three chapters there is substantial overlap of consumer and business debt, with many business debtors reporting a combination of business and personal reasons as triggers for their bankruptcy filings. Financially, the sample as a whole is solvent, with more than 25% of Chapter 11 business debtors claiming balance-sheet solvency. The social impact of bankruptcy is emphasized by its effect on employees. Although many of businesses are small by most measures, extrapolation from the reported data suggest that as many as 2 million employees a year find their employers going into bankruptcy. Real estate companies are prominent in Chapter 11, and more than half of them claim to be solvent.
Terrorism Knowledge Discovery Project: A Knowledge Discovery Approach to Addressing the Threats of Terrorism

Ever since the 9–11 incident, the multidisciplinary field of terrorism has experienced tremendous growth. As the domain has benefited greatly from recent advances in information technologies, more complex and challenging new issues have emerged from numerous counter-terrorism-related research communities as well as governments of all levels. In this paper, we describe an advanced knowledge discovery approach to addressing terrorism threats. We experimented with our approach in a project called Terrorism Knowledge Discovery Project that consists of several custom-built knowledge portals. The main focus of this project is to provide advanced methodologies for analyzing terrorism research, terrorists, and the terrorized groups (victims). Once completed, the system can also become a major learning resource and tool that the general community can use to heighten their awareness and understanding of global terrorism phenomenon, to learn how best they can respond to terrorism and, eventually, to garner significant grass root support for the government’s efforts to keep America safe.
Neural-Memory Based Control of Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) with Flapping Wings

This paper addresses the problem of wing motion control of flapping wing Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs). Inspired by hummingbird's wing structure as well as the construction of its skeletal and muscular components, a dynamic model for flapping wing is developed. As the model is highly nonlinear and coupled with unmeasurable disturbances and uncertainties, traditional strategies are not applicable for flapping wing motion control. A new approach called neural-memory based control is proposed in this work. It is shown that this method is able to learn from past control experience and current/past system behavior to improve its performance during system operation. Furthermore, much less information about the system dynamics is needed in construction such a control scheme as compared with traditional NN based methods. Both theoretical analysis and computer simulation verify its effectiveness.
Bootleggers, Baptists, and Political Entrepreneurs: Key Players in the Rational Game and Morality Play of Regulatory Politics

Politics makes strange bedfellows, including alliances of profiteers and moralists who lobby for the same regulations, but for vastly different reasons. Whether such coalitions promote alcohol prohibition (as did the bootleggers and Baptists to whom similar “unholy alliances” are likened), tobacco restrictions, NAFTA, or climate-change policies, political entrepreneurs are the glue that holds them together.
Soluble Amylose Cornstarch Is More Digestible than Soluble Amylopectin Potato Starch in Rats

In liquid enteral formulations, high molecular weight soluble starches may be able to replace glucose and low molecular weight glucose polymers that have high glycemic indices. Male rats were fed either commercial cornstarch, dextrose, modified soluble potato (70-75% amylopectin) starch, or modified soluble amylomaize-7 (70% amylose) starch for 4 wk. Body weights did not differ among the groups. Food consumption was significantly higher in the two modified starch-fed groups than in the two control groups. Commercial cornstarch, dextrose, modified potato starch and modified amylomaize-7 starch were 100 +/- 0, 100 +/- 0, 69.0 +/- 1.0 and 91.5 +/- 0.8% digestible, respectively (n = 9, mean +/- SEM). The modified potato starch-fed group deposited the least fat, protein and energy. In both modified starch-fed groups, liver weights were significantly greater than in the two control groups. In food-deprived rats, serum free fatty acid concentrations in the modified potato starch-fed group were significantly higher than in the two control groups, and serum glucose concentrations were significantly higher in the two modified starch-fed groups than in the controls. The insulin to glucagon ratios were significantly lower in the modified potato starch-fed and amylomaize-7 starch-fed groups than in the dextrose-fed control group. Serum protein concentrations, measured after food deprivation, were significantly lower in the modified potato starch-fed group than in the other three groups. Gluconeogenesis from fermentation products might account for the high serum glucose concentrations in the two experimental groups. These data indicate that only the modified amylomaize-7 starch may be useful in the development of food products for liquid nutritional supplements because of the high digestibility and the low resultant insulin levels.
Aqueous organometallic reactions of rhodium porphyrins: equilibrium thermodynamics

The reactivity and equilibrium thermodynamic studies of tetra-p-sulfonatophenyl porphyrin rhodium hydride ([(TSPP)Rh–D]−4) with CO, aldehydes and olefins that produce formyl, α-hydroxyalkyl and alkyl complexes have been explored in water and compared with the related reactions in non-aqueous media.
Characterization of the ischemic process by regional metabolism.

Abstract The myocardial cell requires energy for contractile activity and for the work of internal maintenance. With the onset of ischemia mechanical performance is compromised. If the ischemia is severe and persistent, the energy necessary to maintain the internal milieu proves inadequate and cell death ensues. Ischemic heart disease is a regional phenomenon with normal and abnormal cell metabolism occurring side by side. The ischemic cell demonstrates hemodynamic, electrical and biochemical instability; its passage from a state of reversible to irreversible injury may persist for as long as 7 days and offers an opportunity to introduce interventions that may protect it and reduce ultimate infarct size. There is as yet no adequate objective means for predicting the mass of infarcted tissue. However, studies of regional metabolism, if properly conducted, may help define the adequacy of coronary vascular reserve and characterize the ischemic process. Current techniques utilize a myocardial pacing stress to induce an ischemic response. Although virtually every metabolic pathway is disrupted by severe ischemia, the assay of selected metabolites in arterial and coronary venous blood samples has provided information of diagnostic significance.
Characterization of [3H]tryptamine binding sites in brain

Abstract [ 3 H]Tryptamine binds with high affinity to sites on rat brain membranes. The sites have the characteristics of tryptamine receptor recognition sites. These sites are widely distributed among rat brain regions with the highest density occurring in the cerebral cortex, striatum and hippocampus. The site is also found in human cerebral cortex. The binding site is localized mainly to the synaptosomal fraction. Drug competition studies indicate that the [ 3 H]tryptamine binding site is distinct from serotonin receptors. Drugs that are potent inhibitors of [ 3 H]tryptamine binding include tetrahydro-β-carboline, quipazine, phenylethylamine, amphetamine, p-chloroamphetamine and methamphetamine.
The association of sleep-disordered breathing with objectively-assessed risk of falls

Introduction Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with decrements in cognitive function. Recent data show that impairments in cognition impact the risk of falls. We sought to determine if the presence of SDB affects the risk of falling as assessed by gait tasks in Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study participants. Materials and methods Adult subjects (n = 476), selected from an employed-population sample of adults in 1988, were polysomnographically-assessed for SDB-characterized by the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI, events/h) – and also had gait evaluations. Gait was assessed with: (1) the Timed Up & Go task, and; 2) the Timed Up & Go task while counting backwards by 3’s (Timed Up & Go-CB). To test whether SDB was associated with prolonged times of gait tasks indicating an increased risk of falling, linear models regressed gait task times on AHI with adjustments for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). Results 476 subjects had an opportunity to complete the Balance and Gait Tasks; 2 subjects who were physically unable to complete the tasks and 16 subjects who used an assistive device during the tasks were excluded from the analysis. The 458 remaining subjects (46% female) were an average 65 (range: 45–82) years old at the time of testing. Both Timed Up & Go (mean 11 ± 2 s) and Timed Up & Go-CB (mean 13 ± 6 s) demonstrated prolongations of times to completion with age, BMI and AHI. After adjusting for the number of correct subtractions and errors committed, age, gender and BMI, there was a statistically significant relationship between increasing AHI and increased Timed Up & Go-CB time to completion; for every 10 point increase in AHI there was a 2.2 s increase in completion time (p < 0.001). In addition, the difference in seconds between the time to complete Timed Up & Go-CB and Timed Up & Go (mean 1.9 ± 5.0 s) was significantly associated with the increased AHI (1.9 s increase per 10 event/h increase in AHI) after multivariable adjustments (p < 0.001); i.e., the additional cognitive burden of counting backwards while performing the gait task was associated with significantly greater reductions in Timed Up & Go performance in subjects with more severe SDB. Conclusion More severe SDB is associated with decrements in gait tasks performance, particularly the dual-task Timed Up and Go Counting Backwards. SDB-related lower cognitive reserve may lead to worse gait performance and, therefore, possibly a higher risk for injurious falls. Acknowledgements Funding support from NIH grants R01HL62252, 1R01AG036838–01A1, and 1UL1RR025011.
Measurements of pKa and hydrogen-bond strengths of some organosilicon- and organogermanium-substituted pyridine N-oxides

Abstract The results of pKa measurements on 4-substituted pyridine N-oxides show that organosilicon and organogermanium substituents are responsible for a decreased basicity relative to the tert-butyl derivative and the unsubstituted compound. No such effect is shown in the 3-substituted compounds. The results of hydrogen-bonding studies on the 4-substituted pyridine N-oxides (using methanol and phenol as acids) show that the organometallic substituents are responsible for a decreased basicity relative to the tert-butyl derivative, but not when compared to the unsubstituted compound. The effect of changing experimental conditions on the nature of the pyridine N-oxide moeity is discussed.
Atomic forces between noble gas atoms, alkali ions, and halogen ions for surface interactions

The components of the physical forces between noble gas atoms, alkali ions, and halogen ions are analyzed and a data base developed from analysis of the two‐body potential data, the alkali–halide molecular data, and the noble gas crystal and salt crystal data. A satisfactory global fit to this molecular and crystal data is then reproduced by the model to within several percent. Surface potentials are evaluated for noble gas atoms on noble gas surfaces and salt crystal surfaces with surface tension neglected. Within this context, the noble gas surface potentials on noble gas and salt crystals are considered to be accurate to within several percent.
Large-eddy simulations of turbulent flow for grid-to-rod fretting in nuclear reactors

Abstract The grid-to-rod fretting (GTRF) problem in pressurized water reactors is a flow-induced vibration problem that results in wear and failure of the fuel rods in nuclear assemblies. In order to understand the fluid dynamics of GTRF and to build an archival database of turbulence statistics for various configurations, implicit large-eddy simulations of time-dependent single-phase turbulent flow have been performed in 3 × 3 and 5 × 5 rod bundles with a single grid spacer. To assess the computational mesh and resolution requirements, a method for quantitative assessment of unstructured meshes with no-slip walls is described. The calculations have been carried out using Hydra-TH, a thermal-hydraulics code developed at Los Alamos for the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light water reactors, a United States Department of Energy Innovation Hub. Hydra-TH uses a second-order implicit incremental projection method to solve the single-phase incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. The simulations explicitly resolve the large scale motions of the turbulent flow field using first principles and rely on a monotonicity-preserving numerical technique to represent the unresolved scales. Each series of simulations for the 3 × 3 and 5 × 5 rod-bundle geometries is an analysis of the flow field statistics combined with a mesh-refinement study and validation with available experimental data. Our primary focus is the time history and statistics of the forces loading the fuel rods. These hydrodynamic forces are believed to be the key player resulting in rod vibration and GTRF wear, one of the leading causes for leaking nuclear fuel which costs power utilities millions of dollars in preventive measures. We demonstrate that implicit large-eddy simulation of rod-bundle flows is a viable way to calculate the excitation forces for the GTRF problem.
Local microcomputer networks and their impact on computer science education

Advances in computer science and semiconductor technology have combined to create what now generally is recognized as the computer revolution. Three features of this revolution are examined as to their impact on computer science education: 1) the reduction of the cost threshold to gain access to computation, 2) the avaliability of dedicated processors for real-time computation, and 3) the existence of local computer networks in which the nodes are stand-alone microcomputers that share information and expensive peripheral devices. It is argued that major benefits such as decreased cost/performance ratios, enhanced flexibility and freedom from obsolescence accrue to computer science programs using such microcomputer networks versus a central host computer using interactive timesharing.