cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Media coverage of the 2019 United States Food and Drug Administration ordered withdrawal of vaginal mesh products for pelvic organ prolapse.

On April 16, 2019, the United States Food and Drug Administration announced a withdrawal on sales and distribution of transvaginal mesh products for pelvic organ prolapse. The aim of this study was to asses online user behavior on pelvic-mesh related articles after the withdrawal and to evaluate article accuracy. We used Google Trends© to identify the terms related to pelvic mesh that experienced increased activity after the FDA announcement. The terms were analyzed for worldwide social media engagement (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Reddit) between April 16–19, 2019. The top ten lay press articles shared for each term were evaluated. We also examined the top ten Google search results for each term on June 6, 2019, in the US to evaluate what information was available after peak interest subsided. During peak activity in April, 30 unique articles were identified after the FDA announcement. Two (6.7%) did not mention the April 2019 FDA announcement. Seven (23%) discussed mesh for stress urinary incontinence. After peak interest on June 6, 2019, Google identified 26 unique articles for the four terms. Seven (27%) did not mention the FDA announcement, and 3 (12%) mentioned mesh for incontinence. Internet search patterns and social media behavior following the April 2019 ordered withdrawal on transvaginal mesh for pelvic organ prolapse reveal that some of the most disseminated information did not accurately or thoroughly distinguish the type of mesh discussed. This could lead to negative consequences for other mesh indications in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery.
Case 22-2020: A 62-Year-Old Woman with Early Breast Cancer during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

A Woman with Early Breast Cancer during the Covid-19 Pandemic A 62-year-old woman was evaluated for a mass that had been identified in the left breast during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mammography reve...
Step-index Si-Ge-core silica-cladded optical fibers

Si-Ge alloy-core silica-cladded fibers were drawn at a low temperature to minimize impurity diffusion. The elemental segregation in the as-drawn fibers was overcome by a thermal treatment. The transmission losses of the fibers were calculated as 28 dB/cm at $6.1 \mu \mathrm{m}$ wavelength.
The Focused Neurosurgical Examination During Telehealth Visits: Guidelines During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond.

OBJECTIVE: To provide guidelines to healthcare workers for performing a focused neurological examination via telemedicine during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-2019) pandemic. METHODS: We reviewed our department's outpatient clinic visits after the implementation of a telemedicine protocol in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Crossover rates from telehealth to in-person visits were evaluated and guidelines for performing a telemedicine neurological exam were created based on the consensus of 16 neurosurgical attending providers over a four-month period. RESULTS: From March 23, 2020 to July 20, 2020, some 2157 telehealth visits were performed in our department. Some 26 were converted to in-person visits by the provider request with the most cited reason for conversion being the need for a more detailed patient evaluation. Based on these experiences, we created a graphical tutorial to address the key components of the neurological exam with adaptations specific to the telehealth visit. CONCLUSIONS: In response to the global coronavirus pandemic, telemedicine has become an integral part of neurosurgeons' daily practice. Telemedicine failures remain low but primarily occur due to a need for more comprehensive evaluations. We provide guidelines for the neurosurgical exam during telehealth visits in an effort to assuage some of these issues.
Influenza vaccination in the time of COVID-19: A national U.S. survey of adults.

INTRODUCTION: Decisions about influenza vaccination for fall-winter 2020 were made against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. During May 2020, the authors examined intended vaccination in the next 12 months in relationship to demographic variables, healthcare attitudes, and personal COVID-19 experiences for two samples of adults--those who did not receive influenza vaccine during the prior 12 months, and those who did. METHODS: In May 2020, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted with a national US sample. Participants reported prior influenza vaccination (yes/no during prior 12 months) and anticipated vaccination (yes/no during next 12 months). Covariates included demographic characteristics (e.g., gender, race-ethnicity, political ideology), general beliefs (e.g., benefits of vaccines, altruistic attitudes), and COVID-19 health beliefs and experiences (COVID-19 worry and severity, perception of COVID-19 as a community threat, knowing someone with COVID-19). For each group, hierarchical multivariable logistic regression was conducted with intent to vaccinate as the outcome. RESULTS: Among participants (n = 3502), 47% did not receive influenza vaccine in the prior 12 months and 53% had; 25.5% of non-vaccinators and 91.9% of vaccinators intended future vaccination. For non-vaccinators, odds of intending vaccination was associated with race/ethnicity (Hispanics were more likely to intend than white-NH; AOR = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.23-2.4), greater perceived benefits of vaccination (AOR = 2.19; 95% CI = 1.88-2.54), and perception of COVID-19 as a community threat (AOR = 1.91; 95% CI = 1.49-2.45). For vaccinators, odds of intending vaccination was associated with age (AOR = 1.04; 95% CI = 1.03-1.05), race/ethnicity (Black-NH and Other-NH were less likely to intend than white-NH, AOR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.36-0.999; and AOR = 0.45; 95% CI = 0.24-0.84, respectively), greater perceived benefits of vaccination (AOR = 1.88; 95% CI = 1.45-2.45) and greater perception of collective benefits of vaccines (AOR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.15-1.90). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic may have served as a cue to action for influenza vaccination intention among some prior non-vaccinators whereas intention among prior vaccinators is more related to positive attitudes toward vaccination.
Clergy Who Leave Congregational Ministry: A Review of the Literature:

Since its inception in the 1960s, research on premature (i.e., pre-retirement) clergy attrition from congregational ministry has focused on identifying the factors that precipitate and mitigate min...
Evidence-Based Recommender System for a COVID-19 Publication Analytics Service

The rapid growth of COVID-19 publications has driven clinical researchers and healthcare professionals in pursuit to reduce the knowledge gap on reliable information for effective pandemic solutions. The manual task of retrieving high-quality publications based on the evidence pyramid levels, however, presents a major bottleneck in researchers’ workflows. In this paper, we propose an “evidence-based” recommender system namely, KnowCOVID-19 that utilizes an edge computing service to integrate recommender modules for data analytics using end-user thin-clients. The edge computing service features chatbot-based web interface that handles a given COVID-19 publication dataset using two recommender system modules: (i) evidence-based filtering that observes domain specific topics across the literature and classifies the filtered information according to a clinical category, and (ii) social filtering that allows diverse experts with similar objectives to collaborate via a “social plane” to jointly find answers to critical clinical questions to fight the pandemic. We compare the Domain-specific Topic Model (DSTM) used in our evidence-based filtering with state-of-the-art models considering the CORD-19 dataset (a COVID-19 publication archive) and show improved generalization effectiveness as well as knowledge pattern query effectiveness. In addition, we conduct a comparison study between a manual literature review process and the KnowCOVID-19 augmented process, and evaluate the benefits of our information retrieval techniques over important queries provided by COVID-19 clinical experts.
The Other Side of the Trade‐Off: The Impact of Risk on Executive Compensation

The principal‐agent model of executive compensation is of central importance to the modern theory of the firm and corporate governance, yet the exiting empirical evidence supporting it is quite wea...
Machine learning in introductory astrophysics laboratory activities

A working knowledge of Artificial Neural Networks is rapidly becoming critical for navigating the modern world. Although the last few years have seen an explosion of the use of these tools in research, and there are many do-it-yourself articles on the web, they have not yet filtered down to wide implementation in introductory courses. I report here on my integration of machine learning activities into a general education course on galaxies and cosmology. I describe four lab activities for image classification, and I reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of using these tools in the context of online instruction during the 2020-21 pandemic academic year.
A Method for Correcting Anisotropic Blurs in Magnetic Resonance Images

All magnetic resonance images are blurred as a result of an inherent decay of spin-echo signals during data acquisition due to spatially-varying and object-dependent transverse relaxation. The extent of the blur depends on the transverse relaxation time (T2) of the object and the data acquisition time used. An iterative method that corrects for such object-dependent anisotropic blurs in hydrogen magnetic resonance images is described. The method involves mathematical generation of the components of the spin-echo signals that gives rise to blurs in the images — using initial estimates of the distribution of spin-density and transverse relaxation time — and subtracting those component from the distorted spin-echo signals. Images reconstructed from such corrected signals yield improved estimates of the T2-weighted spin-density distributions. The method was tested on mathematical phantoms.
The 'Forever Problem': Nuclear Waste as Information

Nuclear waste repositories harbor materials that are dangerous for tens of thousands of years, far longer than the normal human planning time span. Disposal facilities such as the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and the halted Yucca Mountain plant offer an uncommon look into the history of long-term transmission and preservation of information. This poster explores concepts relating both to nuclear waste as information in and of itself, communicating through its emissions, as well as ways in which nuclear waste necessitates long-term, human-driven preservation of information. Furthermore, it probes issues regarding the design of systems for information transfer over long time periods, relations between various recent attempts to communicate across great temporal distances, and ethical issues surrounding obligations to warn future generations of hazardous materials.
A Bayesian geostatistical transfer function approach to tracer test analysis

[1] Reactive transport modeling is often used in support of bioremediation and chemical treatment planning and design. There remains a pressing need for practical and efficient models that do not require (or assume attainable) the high level of characterization needed by complex numerical models. We focus on a linear systems or transfer function approach to the problem of reactive tracer transport in a heterogeneous saprolite aquifer. Transfer functions are obtained through the Bayesian geostatistical inverse method applied to tracer injection histories and breakthrough curves. We employ nonparametric transfer functions, which require minimal assumptions about shape and structure. The resulting flexibility empowers the data to determine the nature of the transfer function with minimal prior assumptions. Nonnegativity is enforced through a reflected Brownian motion stochastic model. The inverse method enables us to quantify uncertainty and to generate conditional realizations of the transfer function. Complex information about a hydrogeologic system is distilled into a relatively simple but rigorously obtained function that describes the transport behavior of the system between two wells. The resulting transfer functions are valuable in reactive transport models based on traveltime and streamline methods. The information contained in the data, particularly in the case of strong heterogeneity, is not overextended but is fully used. This is the first application of Bayesian geostatistical inversion to transfer functions in hydrogeology but the methodology can be extended to any linear system.
Interactive Quadruped Animation

An animation system entitled CAT (Cat Animation Tool) has been developed to explore an alternative workflow for novice animation, specifically focusing on quadruped animation. The system adds 3D interaction to the traditional animation pipeline with the intent of easing authoring and thereby widening the authoring audience. Users initially create high-level locomotion by specifying a 3D input curve to which kinematic methods are applied to create locomotion. Subsequently, users layer detailed animation to add expressiveness via 3D input tools. A user study was conducted that indicates embodied motion control decreases the effort required to make complex animation. The results also suggest a proper balance between manual motion specification and automation significantly enhances enjoyment and supports an animator’s creativity.
Why Not a CEO Term Limit

In this Essay, I ask: Why not require a mandatory CEO term limit? My purpose is not to propose a term limit, but rather to ask why CEO term limits are out-of-bounds – not addressed within the corporate governance scholarship – when they have long been advocated for directors and, more recently, public company auditors.The traditional answer has been that CEOs are agents of the corporation, subject to control by the board, which holds primary responsibility for the firm’s business and affairs. Senior officers are largely shielded from outside interference, permitting them to execute consistent, long-term business strategies under board oversight. Variations in governance can be privately ordered among shareholders, directors, and officers, but in most circumstances, corporate law defers to the board in how it directs the CEO.Recent regulation has called that deference into question. New laws – in particular, Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank – regulate director and officer conduct in response to the real possibility that long-term CEOs can control the board (rather than the other way around). Corporate law's traditional deference to private ordering has begun to give way to a new understanding of how shareholders, directors, and officers interact. With that change, there may also be a shift in how officers are controlled – including the possibility of a growing acceptance of regulation, such as a CEO term limit, that supplements or supersedes board oversight.
Use of complementary/alternative therapies by women with advanced-stage breast cancer

This study sought to describe the pattern of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) use among a group of patients with advanced breast cancer, to examine the main reasons for their CAM use, to identify patient's information sources and their communication pattern with their physicians. Face-to-face structured interviews of patients with advanced-stage breast cancer at a comprehensive oncology center. Seventy three percent of patients used CAM; relaxation/meditative techniques and herbal medicine were the most common. The most commonly cited primary reason for CAM use was to boost the immune system, the second, to treat cancer; however these reasons varied depending on specific CAM therapy. Friends or family members and mass media were common primary information source's about CAM. A high proportion of advanced-stage breast cancer patients used CAM. Discussion with doctors was high for ingested products. Mass media was a prominent source of patient information. Credible sources of CAM information for patients and physicians are needed.
Reactive infiltration processing of bulk and fiber-reinforced NiAl

Reactive infiltration processing was investigated in the NiAl system using nickel-powder and nickel-wire preforms. Inhomogeneous microstructures were often obtained with powder preforms which had high surface-to-volume ratio, low permeability and irregular infiltration paths. Homogeneous NiAl could be obtained with nickel-wire preforms which had lower surface-to-volume ratio, higher permeability and regular infiltration paths. NiAl composites reinforced with short molybdenum fibers and long tungsten and sapphire fibers were also fabricated by reactive infiltration.
A Homotopy Algorithm for Solving the Optimal Projection Equations for Fixed-Order Dynamic Compensation: Existence, Convergence and Global Optimality

The purpose of this paper is to present a homotopy algorithm for solving the Optimal Projection Equations. Questions of existence and the number of solutions will also be examined. It will be shown that the number of stabilizing solutions to the given Optimal Projection Equations can be determined and that all solutions can be computed via a homotopic continuation from a simple problem. For an important special case, where the number of inputs or the number of outputs to the system is less than or equal to the dimension of the compensator, there is only one solution to the OPE, thus guaranteeing that globally optimum reduced order controller can be computed.
Differences in intracortical bone remodeling in three aboriginal American populations: possible dietary factors.

Cross sections of intracortical bone revealed differences among three early American populations—Eskimo, Arikara, and Pueblo—in the frequency of a form of remodeling called, here, type II. This remodeling appears to occur exclusively within the walls of haversian canals of well-mineralized osteons. The populations are known to have differed in their nutrition. The Eskimo, with a high-protein diet, exhibited the most frequent type II remodeling, whereas the Pueblo, with a low-protein diet, showed the least. Type II remodeling probably reflects the physiological state of the group. Variation in frequency of classic intracortical bone remodeling was not apparent.
Evidence that the C-terminal domain (CtD) autoinhibits neural repression by Drosophila E(spl)M8.

Analysis of the retinal defects of a CK2 phosphomimetic variant of E(spl)M8 (M8S159D) and the truncated protein M8* encoded by the E(spl)D allele, suggest that the nonphosphorylated CtD “autoinhibits” repression. We have investigated this model by testing for inhibition (in “trans”) by the CtD fragment in its nonphosphorylated (M8-CtD) and phosphomimetic (M8SD-CtD) states. In N+ flies, ectopic M8-CtD compromises lateral inhibition, i.e., elicits supernumerary bristles as with loss of N signaling. This antimorphic activity of M8-CtD strongly rescues the reduced eye and/or bristle loss phenotypes that are elicited by ectopic M8SD or wild type M8. Additionally, the severely reduced eye of Nspl/Y; E(spl)D/+ flies is also rescued by M8-CtD. Rescue is specific to the time and place, the morphogenetic furrow, where “founding” R8 photoreceptors are specified. In contrast, the phosphomimetic M8SD-CtD that is predicted to be deficient for autoinhibition, exhibits significantly attenuated or negligible activity. These studies provide evidence that autoinhibition by the CtD regulates M8 activity in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. genesis 48:44–55, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A comparison of rates of depletion and recovery of noradrenaline stores of peripheral and central noradrenergic neurones after reserpine administration: importance of neuronal activity

Abstract 1 The noradrenaline (NA) content of various peripheral sympathetic neuroeffector organs and brain was measured at various times after different doses of reserpine administered to the rat. 2 About a 25% reduction in the NA content of the heart was observed 24 h after 0.005 mg/kg reserpine. Two to ten times more reserpine was needed to obtain an approximately similar degree of depletion in the salivary gland and vas deferens; 0.1 mg/kg produced almost complete depletion in the heart and salivary gland, whereas 5 mg/kg was needed to deplete the vas deferens of its NA content. 3 The NA content of the brain and superior cervical ganglion was lowered by 20 to 30% in 24 h only when the reserpine dose was raised to 0.1 mg/kg, and 5 to 10 mg/kg was required to obtain over 95% depletion. 4 The rates of recovery of cardiac and salivary gland NA stores, after about 80 to 100% depletion by low and high doses of reserpine, were almost identical. About 50% restoration occurred in 7 to 15 days after a single dose of 0.1 mg/kg reserpine. 5 The superior cervical ganglion, the NA content of which was fully depleted by 10 mg/kg, showed almost complete recovery in about 7 days. 6 Transmural stimulation of the left atrium of the guinea-pig for 30 min (5 Hz for 30 s/min), or exposure of the atrium to reserpine (5 μg/ml) for 30 min, caused modest but statistically insignificant reduction in tissue NA content. However, stimulation in the presence of reserpine 5 μg/ml for 30 min produced about 50% depletion of NA. 7 In vitro reduction in NA content caused by reserpine plus transmural stimulation, was even more pronounced after treatment of the isolated vas deferens of the rat with tetraethylammonium. 8 It is suggested that different rates of depletion following in vivo administration of reserpine are mainly due to variation in neuronal activity of different sympathetic neuroeffector organs.
Changes in Carbohydrate and Phosphorus Content of Potato Tubers during Storage in Nitrogen

SUMMARY When potatoes are stored in nitrogen at low temperatures, starch decomposition, release of starch-bound phosphorus, and accumulation of inorganic phosphorus are less than during storage in air. Although there is a complete suppression of sugar accumulation, evidence is presented that the starch removed appears as substances, probably end-products of anaerobic glycolysis, that are volatile at the temperatures used to determine percent dry weight. The decreases in starch-bound phosphorus are balanced by a corresponding increase in inorganic phosphorus in both air-stored and nitrogen-stored potatoes. The decrease in the phytic acid phosphorus in air-stored tubers can be accounted for largely as an increase in the fraction containing phosphoproteins, nucleic acids, and phospholipids, whereas the corresponding loss of phytic acid phosphorus in nitrogen-stored tubers appears largely in the fraction containing nucleotide coenzymes and hexose phosphates. The significance of these findings is discussed in terms of the requirements for high-energy phosphate derived from the respiratory process and needed for biosynthesis.
Nickel Complexes of a Bulky β-Diketiminate Ligand

Nickel(II) chloride forms a complex with tetrahydrofuran, NiCl2(THF)1.5, that can be used to prepare nickel chloride complexes of a bulky β-diketiminate ligand LMe. [LMeNiCl]2 and LMeNiCl2LiTHF2, which have tetrahedral geometries in the solid state, are in equilibrium with three-coordinate LMeNiCl. Thermodynamic parameters for the equilibrium between [LMeNiCl]2 and LMeNiCl are ΔH = 51(5) kJ/mol and ΔS = 116(11) J/(mol·K). LMeNiCl forms a tetrahydrofuran complex with a binding constant of 1.2(2) M-1 at 21 °C. The chloride complexes were used to generate a three-coordinate nickel(II)−amido complex. This amido complex, LMeNiN(SiMe3)2, is compared with LMeMN(SiMe3)2 (M = Mn, Fe, Co) (Panda, A.; Stender, M.; Wright, R. J.; Olmstead, M. M.; Klavins, P.; Power, P. P. Inorg. Chem. 2002, 41, 3909−3916). Trends in the metrical parameters of the three-coordinate LMeMII amido compounds are similar to the trends in three-coordinate LtBuMII chloride compounds (Holland, P. L.; Cundari, T. R.; Perez, L. L.; Eckert, N. A....
Separation of diastereomers, structural isomers, and homologs of η5-cyclopentadienylcobalt and dinuclear molybdenum complexes by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography using deoxygenated solvents

Abstract High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is being used as an analytical and preparative tool for the characterization and isolation of a series of air-sensitive organometallic compounds. Reversed phase chromatography with octadecylsilyl-modified silica (ODS) as a stationary phase and polar mobile phases saturated with argon are employed in the separation of products.
Microbiological stability of wastewater sludges from activated sludge systems

Abstract Proposed United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations require that processed sludge, prior to disposal, must meet certain pathogen-reduction requirements. The present study was conducted to evaluate reductions in pathogen-indicator bacteria in the sludges of six wastewater plants. Five of the plants use extended aeration and oxidation ditches; the other is a trickling filter plant. Fecal coliform, fecal streptococcus, and Salmonella were measured on all sludge samples. Temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, volatile suspended solids (VSS), and total suspended solid were also measured. The fecal coliform log reductions/g VSS for all the extended aeration and oxidation ditch plants were greater than 1·76. They varied from a log reduction of 1·76 to 4·21. The fecal streptococci reductions for the same sludge were generally lower than the fecal coliform reductions. The variations in the fecal streptococci log reductions in different plant sludges were from 0·87 to 2·73. The Salmonella log reductions varied from 1·39 to 4·7 and paralleled the fecal coliform reductions. The bacterial reductions were related to the plant design parameters. A longer storage of sludge usually produced a larger log reduction of the indicator bacteria. Generally, the extended aeration and oxidation ditch plants were meeting the proposed EPA class B Pathogen reduction criteria, a two-order reduction.
The specific suppression of contact sensitivity

The ability of 2, 4, 6 trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced regulatory cells to modulate the generation of contact sensitivity (CS) to picryl chloride has been studied. We have confirmed that such suppressor cells can modulate CS and have extended these observations to demonstrate that suppressor factors, liberated by suppressor cells in supernatants, can limit the generation of CS. We have also confirmed that hapten-coupled membrane products can induce tolerance to PCI. The investigation of the properties of the suppressor factors has revealed that they are hapten-specific and bear H2 coded specificities.
Effects of focused selective attention tasks on event-related potentials in autistic and normal individuals.

Event-related potentials (ERPs) and behavioral responses were recorded from autistic and normal subjects under two focused selective attention conditions. In each condition, subjects were presented with an identical stimulus paradigm--a random sequence of 50 msec sounds and flashes occurring at interstimulus intervals ranging between 0.5 and 1.5 sec. The sequence consisted of rare auditory (12.5%), rare visual (12.5%), standard auditory (37.5%) and standard visual (37.5%) stimuli. In the focal auditory condition, subjects pressed a button to the rare auditory target, and in a focal visual condition, they pressed a button to the rare visual stimuli. When normal subjects detected target stimuli in a given attended modality, all stimuli in the attended modality produced enhanced negative ERP responses at frontal electrode sites (i.e., auditory Nde, Ndl, and Nc; visual N270 and Nc) and enhanced positive ERP responses at posterior electrode sites (i.e., P3b and visual P400). In the autistic subjects, in contrast, all auditory and visual attention-related negativities recorded in the auditory and visual focused attention tasks were not in evidence. P3b was significantly diminished in size. The results suggest that abnormalities in the neurophysiological mechanisms of selective attention may underlie the cognitive deficits in autism. The present report and its companion papers are the first reports of the neurophysiological correlates of selective attention in autism.
Two-trait selection response with marker-based assortative mating

Marker-based assortative mating (MAM) – the mating of individuals that have similar genotypes at random marker loci – can increase selection response for a single trait by 3–8% over random mating (RM). Genetic gain is usually desired for multiple traits rather than for a single trait. My objectives in this study were to (1) compare MAM, phenotypic assortative mating (PAM), and RM of selected individuals for improving two traits and (2) determine when MAM will be most useful for improving two traits. I simulated 20 generations of selecting 32 out of 200 individuals in an F2 population. The individuals were selected based on an index (SI) of two traits and were intermated by MAM, PAM, or RM. I studied eight genetic models that differed in three contrasts: (1) weight, number of quantitative trait loci (QTL), and heritability (h2) for each trait; (2) linkage of QTL for each trait; and (3) trait means of the inbred parents of the F2. For SI and the two component traits, MAM increased short-term selection response by 5–8% in six out of the eight genetic models. The MAM procedure was least effective in two genetic models, wherein the QTL for one trait were unlinked to the QTL for the other trait and the parents of the F2 had divergent means for each trait. The loss of QTL heterozygosity was much greater with MAM than with PAM or RM. Consequently, the advantage of MAM over RM dissipated after 5–7 generations. Differences were small between selection responses with PAM and RM. The MAM procedure can enhance short-term selection response for two traits when selection is not stringent, h2 is low, and the means of the parents of the F2 are equal for each trait.
Polybenzyl Polymer from Reaction of Benzyl Salicylate and Phosphorus (V) Chloride: Chromatographic Purification and Degree of Polymerization from 1H-NMR Spectrum

Abstract A polybenzyl polymer which formed in the reaction of benzyl salicylate and phosphorus (V) chloride originates from the self-condensation of benzyl chloride catalyzed by the phenyl-phosphorodichloridate (I). A chromatographic procedure for purification of the polybenzyl polymer has been developed. Equations for calculating degree of polymerization from 1H-NMR spectra of polybenzyl polymers are derived on the basis of the presence of CH2Cl terminal groups. Generalized structural formulas which delineate the difference between linear and branched polybenzyl polymers are proposed. Relationships between the idealized polybenzyl polymers and maximum degrees of polymerization are suggested.
True N conversion factor for diet and excreta in evaluating protein quality

True N conversion factor (F t ) of thermally processed red kidney beans, rat feces and rooster excreta were determined based on Kjeldahl nitrogen and amino acid composition. F, of processed beans ranged from 5.63 to 5.67, F t , of feces from rats fed the beans ranged 5.43 to 5.62, and F t , of excreta from roosters fed the beans ranged 3.06 to 4.18. The conventional N conversion factor (F c ) of 6.25 overestimated the protein intake and output, and underestimated the protein quality of the beans. The difference of NPR (also AAS, EAAI, ALV, C-PER, PER, P-PER, and RNPR) values calculated by F c and by F t depends on the ratio F c /F t , of the beans. The difference of TDP (also TDAA, BV and NPU) values calculated by F c and by F t is mainly dependent on the ratio F t of diet/F t of feces (excreta). F c and F t , have a mixed effect on AAS TDP and AAS TDAA .
Evaluation of autonomic function in the autonomic disorders

There are numerous tests of autonomic function [6] of variable sensitivity and specificity [7]. The studies listed in Table I comprise a reasonable compromise. The test battery provides an evaluation of postganglionic sudomotor, cardiovagal and adrenergic function [6]. Using these and related tests, certain insights have been gained in the dysautonomias. It is also possible to generate a composite autonomic score that combines and grades sudomotor, adrenergic and cardiovagal failure [5]. The use of autonomic studies in human subjects has generated significant insights into the dysautonomias.
Objective image alignment for three-dimensional reconstruction of digital autoradiograms

Autoradiography can generate large quantities of information related to brain metabolism, blood flow, transport across the blood-brain barrier, neurotransmitter-receptor binding and other aspects of brain function. Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of digitized autoradiograms provides a mechanism for efficient analysis of function, in detail, over the entire brain. 3D reconstructions of the mean and variance can be obtained by superimposing data from similar experiments, leading ultimately to 3D reconstructions of differences with statistical tests of significance. Image registration is essential for reconstruction, and this article reports two independent algorithms for coronal image alignment that have been successfully implemented in computer programs. The first algorithm superimposes the centroids and principal axes of serial images; the extent and direction of the translation and rotation required for each image is obtained from an analysis of the inertia matrix of that image. The second algorithm matches the edges of structure features in serial-adjacent images, from analyses of the cross-correlation function of each pair of adjacent images. The cross-correlation method requires a great deal more computation than the principal axes method, but it can align damaged sections not reliably treated by the principal axes method. The methods are described in detail, and a quantitative assessment of the registration of non-identical images is considered.
Cephalic kinetics of intra-arterially injected lidocaine

Abstract The intravenous injection of 3 mg./kg. of lidocaine into the facial artery resulted in internal carotid artery blood levels between 5 and 7 μg/ml. 15 seconds thereafter. Internal and external jugular vein blood levels exceeded 30 μg/ml. at the same time. When the same amount of lidocaine was injected into the facial vein, carotid blood levels were less than 3 μg/ml., peaking at 30 seconds. Concentrations of the local anesthetics in the jugular vein peaked at 15 seconds, exceeding 35 μg/ml. The feasibility of local anesthetic drugs reaching the cerebral circulation through a retrograde pathway was indicated, suggesting that this mechanism may be the route for some of the untoward reactions observed after the injection of local anesthetics in the head and neck area.
Phase 2 trial of prolonged administration of oral topotecan in platinum/taxane-refractory ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancers.

Abstract Objectives Preclinical and clinical data have demonstrated the importance of schedule in optimizing the cytotoxic potential of topotecan, one of the most active agents in ovarian cancer. The availability of oral topotecan permits the exploration of the clinical utility of prolonged treatment programs employing this drug. Methods Patients with platinum/taxane resistant ovarian and primary peritoneal cancers were treated with oral topotecan at an initial fixed dose of 1.5 mg/day for 5 days, followed by a 2-day break, with treatment continued on this schedule until disease progression or unacceptable toxicities. Results Seven patients (median age 61) were entered into this phase 2 trial before further enrollment was discontinued due to the development of excessive side effects (grade 3: fatigue (n = 3); emesis (n = 1), thrombocytopenia with bleeding (n = 1). Two additional patients noted grade 2 fatigue. Four patients experienced reductions in hemoglobin concentrations >4.0 g/dl from baseline during treatment, with two patients requiring red cell transfusions and two receiving recombinant erythropoietin. Three patients developed grade 3 neutropenia, while there were no episodes of ≥grade 2 diarrhea. Three patients exhibited biological evidence of an anti-neoplastic effect of therapy (>50% declines in serum CA-125 levels). Conclusion Despite the strong theoretical appeal (as well as limited biological evidence of activity in platinum/taxane-refractory disease) associated with prolonging exposure of cycling ovarian cancer cells to topotecan, the specific oral regimen employed in this trial was associated with excessive bone marrow suppression, especially treatment-induced anemia, resulting in an unacceptable incidence of severe fatigue.
Constrained node placement and assignment in mobile backbone networks

This paper describes new algorithms for mobile backbone network optimization. In this hierarchical communication framework, mobile backbone nodes (MBNs) are deployed to provide communication support for regular nodes (RNs). While previous work has assumed that MBNs are unconstrained in position, this work models constraints in MBN location. This paper develops an exact technique for maximizing the number of RNs that achieve a threshold throughput level, as well as a polynomial-time approximation algorithm for this problem. The approximation algorithm carries a performance guarantee of 1 over 2 and we demonstrate that this guarantee is tight in some problem instances.
BLOOD PRESSURE RESPONSES OF ADOLESCENT MALES TO EXERCISE

This study was undertaken to characterize the blood pressure (BP) response of healthy adolescent males to dynamic exercise and its significance in the detection of hypertension. BP and pulse were recorded with an automatic doppler monitor (Arteriosond) in 529 black adolescent males ages 13 to 17, at rest and following submaximal running exercise on three different days, for a total of 27 BP measurements for each boy. Hematocrit, hemoglobin type, lead load, urine protein excretion, and urine osmolality (u/osm) were measured. Multiple regressions and canonical analyses were performed. Weight was correlated with BP more than height or age. None of the boys with elevated BP had proteinuria. Boys with S hemoglobin had the lowest u/osm. BP varied directly with hematocrit. Systolic BP (SBP) increased with exercise an average of 40 mm. Hg. Diastolic BP (DBP) after exercise fell in 84% of the subjects, remained unchanged in 2% and increased in 14%. There was no correlation between exercise DBP or SBP and resting pressures. Obese boys who had the highest resting DBP had a greater drop in DBP than non-obese boys with lower resting DBP. Therefore, dynamic exercise doesn't uncover hidden hypertension. Those youngsters with obesity and/or higher BPs should not necessarily be excluded from dynamic exercise.
Introductory Molecular Orbital Theory: An Honors General Chemistry Computational Lab as Implemented Using Three-Dimensional Modeling Software.

In this study, a computational molecular orbital theory experiment was implemented in a first-semester honors general chemistry course. Students used the GAMESS (General Atomic and Molecular Electronic Structure System) quantum mechanical software (as implemented in ChemBio3D) to optimize the geometry for various small molecules. Extended Huckel calculations were also performed using ChemBio3D, and the results were then used to develop molecular orbital theory descriptions of the bonding. Both quantitative (posttest results) and qualitative (online student evaluations) data were used in the assessment of student learning.
Pelvic pneumography in the diagnosis of endocrine and gynecologic disorders in children.

Diagnosis of disorders of sexual differentiation and development in children is frequently difficult and often requires exploratory laparotomy. Pelvic pneumography is a safe, simple, nonsurgical technique for outlining pelvic anatomy. In 15 patients studied, pneumography established the presence of an ovarian tumor in one of 5 children with precocious puberty, demonstrated absence of a uterus in 2 patients with amenorrhea and in one with multiple anomalies, outlined enlarged ovaries in 2 of 3 suspected cases of the Stein-Leventhal syndrome, and demonstrated normal female pelvic structures in a patient with ambiguous external genitals.
Biomolecule Raman spectral temporal flux from resting bacillus spores in deionized water matrix

Raman microspectroscopy and principal component analysis are used to decipher unique biomolecular information by monitoring the effect of residence time of Bacillus spores suspended in deionized water. Suspensions of viable spores of Bacillus anthracis Sterne (BA), Bacillus atrophaeus (BG), and Bacillus thuringiensis were prepared and spectrally monitored from initial deposition (time zero) and intermittently for seven days. Questions addressed include if spectral variations are significant with bacterial species and residence time under non-germination conditions, is the discrimination capability affected, and are there markers indicating pre-germination activity. Clear spectral distinction for the spore suspensions was observed with respect to residence time, however, when the residence time data were combined, discrimination analyses showed significant overlap between the BA and BG spores. Temporal spectral analyses at select wavenumbers suggest an increase in pre-germination activity from the freshly suspended to one day suspensions.
Whispering Gallery Mode Resonators for Rapid Label-Free Biosensing in Small Volume Droplets

Rapid biosensing requires fast mass transport of the analyte to the surface of the sensing element. To optimize analysis times, both mass transport in solution and the geometry and size of the sensing element need to be considered. Small dielectric spheres, tens of microns in diameter, can act as label-free biosensors using whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonances. WGM resonances are sensitive to the effective refractive index, which changes upon analyte binding to recognition sites on functionalized resonators. The spherical geometry and tens of microns diameter of these resonators provides an efficient target for sensing while their compact size enables detection in limited volumes. Here, we explore conditions leading to rapid analyte detection using WGM resonators as label-free sensors in 10 μL sample droplets. Droplet evaporation leads to potentially useful convective mixing, but also limits the time over which analysis can be completed. We show that active droplet mixing combined with initial binding rate measurements is required for accurate nanomolar protein quantification within the first minute following injection.
Interaction between JCV large T-antigen and |[beta]|-catenin

Expression of the JCV early protein T-antigen in transgenic mice leads to the development of cerebellar primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs). In light of earlier reports on the association of JCV with PNETs in humans and the involvement of the Wnt signaling pathway in the development of cerebellar tumors, we investigated the interplay between T-antigen and β-catenin, the key protein of the Wnt pathway. Our results demonstrate the physical interaction of T-antigen with β-catenin through the central domain of T-antigen spanning residues 82–628, and the C-terminus of β-catenin located between amino acids 695 and 781. The association of T-antigen with β-catenin elevates the level of β-catenin in the cells due to increased in the stability of the protein. In the presence of T-antigen, β-catenin was found in the nuclei of cells, suggesting that the interaction of β-catenin with T-antigen facilitates its nuclear import. In cells expressing mutant T-antigen with no nuclear localization domain, β-catenin was found in the cytoplasm. Coexpression of T-antigen with β-catenin increased the transcription of the c-myc promoter, a known downstream target of β-catenin, and artificial promoter whose activity is β-catenin dependent. These observations ascribe a new oncogenic pathway for T-antigen, and offer an alternative mechanism for the deregulation of the Wnt pathway through stabilization of β-catenin upon its association with the viral oncoprotein.
Convergence and Applications of a Gossip-Based Gauss-Newton Algorithm

The Gauss-Newton algorithm is a popular and efficient centralized method for solving non-linear least squares (NLLS) problems. In this paper, a multi-agent distributed version of this algorithm is proposed to solve general NLLS problems in a network, named Gossip-based Gauss-Newton (GGN) algorithm. Furthermore, we analyze and present sufficient conditions for its convergence and show numerically that the GGN algorithm achieves performance comparable to the centralized algorithm, with graceful degradation in case of network failures. More importantly, the GGN algorithm provides significant performance gains compared to other distributed first order methods.
Analysis of steady-state segment storage utilizations in a log-structured file system with least-utilized segment cleaning

The steady-state distribution of storage utilizations of segments in a log-structured file system with least-utilized (greedy) segment cleaning is found using analytic methods. Furthermore, it is shown that as the number of segments increases, this distribution approaches a limiting continuous distribution, which is also derived. These results could be useful for preliminary performance analysis of LFS-type system designs prior to the development of detailed simulation models or actual implementation.
Effect of Simple Anthracite Pneumoconiosis on Lung Mechanics

A respiratory questionnaire was administered to 20 miners with simple anthracite coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) and ten normal subjects. Lung function studies which included lung mechanics and small airways disease measurements were also performed. Seventeen of the miners admitted to having symptoms of bronchitis. No significant differences were demonstrated between the two groups for vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and three seconds (FEV3), midmaximal flow rate (FEF25-75%), and peak flow rate (PEFR). A significant decrease in the maximum expiratory flow rate at 50 percent of vital capacity (V max50%) was detected; however, this was not evident when the flow rate was corrected for lung volume. Also, there were no significant differences in lung volumes, diffusing capacity (DCO) and diffusion coefficient (DCO/TLC). The mean static expired compliance (Cstate) was significantly increased in the anthracite miners, but no difference in specific compliance (Cstate/FRC) could be demonstrated. Also, no significant differences were detected in the mean values of any of the tests of small airways disease. There is little evidence of significant alterations in lung mechanics or small airway narrowing in miners with simple anthracite pneumoconiosis.
Hypergeometric functions and elliptic curves

We provide uniform formulas for the real period and the trace of Frobenius associated to an elliptic curve in Legendre normal form. These are expressed in terms of classical and Gaussian hypergeometric functions, respectively.
RNA transcriptional biosignature analysis for identifying febrile infants with serious bacterial infections in the emergency department: a feasibility study.

ObjectivesTo develop the infrastructure and demonstrate the feasibility of conducting microarray-based RNA transcriptional profile analyses for the diagnosis of serious bacterial infections in febrile infants 60 days and younger in a multicenter pediatric emergency research network.MethodsWe designe