cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What is the prevalence of feeding tube placement errors and what are the associated risk factors

Enteral nutrition, given through feeding tubes to patients with intact gastrointestinal tracts who are unable to eat enough orally to sustain themselves, remains an important component of supportive care. Feeding by a soft, small-bore tube passed through the nose or mouth is a more cost-effective means of providing enteral nutrition than either percutaneously or surgically placed gastrostomy tubes or central venous catheters. However, tube feeding is not without problems. The prevalence of tube placement errors reported in the literature varies from 1.3% to 50% in adults. Transpyloric tubes are difficult to place initially and correct positioning is also difficult to maintain. All types of small-bore tubes dislocate easily, frequently with no outward sign that the dislocation has occurred. Risk factors found to be related to feeding tube misplacement on insertion in adults include altered level of consciousness, altered swallowing mechanisms, and upper airway intubation. Those related to spontaneous tube displacement include altered level of consciousness, upper airway intubation, coughing, tracheal suctioning, and restlessness.
A Review of Outcome Measurements for Voice Disorders

There has been great interest in the medical and associated communities in the development and use of patient-based outcome measures such as quality-of-life and handicap indexes. This area of assessment of initial disability and response to subsequent treatment is especially applicable to the field of laryngology and voice disorders given the limitations of perceptual analysis and objective vocal function studies. In this review, we outline the development and importance of patient-based outcome measures in general, and their application for voice disorders specifically. In addition, several voice-specific instruments are discussed in detail and provided. One of the primary goals of this review is to educate and facilitate the future use of these simple but important patient-based outcome instruments for otolaryngologists who care for patients with voice disorders.
Determinants of specific RNA interference-mediated silencing of human β-globin alleles differing by a single nucleotide polymorphism

A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the sickle β-globin gene (βS) leads to sickle cell anemia. Sickling increases sharply with deoxy sickle Hb concentration and decreases with increasing fetal γ-globin concentration. Measures that decrease sickle Hb concentration should have an antisickling effect. RNA interference (RNAi) uses small interfering (si)RNAs for sequence-specific gene silencing. A βS siRNA with position 10 of the guide strand designed to align with the targeted βS SNP specifically silences βS gene expression without affecting the expression of the γ-globin or normal β-globin (βA) genes. Silencing is increased by altering the 5′ end of the siRNA antisense (guide) strand to enhance its binding to the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). Specific βS silencing was demonstrated by using a luciferase reporter and full-length βS cDNA transfected into HeLa cells and mouse erythroleukemia cells, where it was expressed in the context of the endogenous β-globin gene promoter and the locus control region enhancers. When this strategy was used to target βE, silencing was not limited to the mutant gene but also targeted the normal βA gene. siRNAs, mismatched with their target at position 10, guided mRNA cleavage in all cases except when two bulky purines were aligned. The specific silencing of the βS-globin gene, as compared with βE, as well as studies of silencing SNP mutants in other diseases, indicates that siRNAs developed to target a disease-causing SNP will be specific if the mutant residue is a pyrimidine and the normal residue is a purine.
Taste-Structure Correlation with α-D-Mannose and β-D-Mannose

The so-called ambiguity of taste perception of D-mannose has been traced to actual differences in taste between the two anomers of this substance. Preliminary data indicate strongly that the alpha-anomer is sweet (sucrose-like) and the beta-anomer is bitter (quinine-like). The difference in taste is attributed to the slight difference in structures of the anomers.
Interleukin-3 or erythropoietin induced nuclear localization of protein kinase C beta isoforms in hematopoietic target cells.

Protein kinase C (PKC) has been implicated in the signal transduction pathways for the biological effect of both interleukin-3 (IL-3) and erythropoietin (EPO) in hematopoietic target cells. The goal of this study was to identify specific classical isoforms of PKC and their localization in hematopoietic cells in response to the growth factors, IL-3 or EPO. In addition to murine fetal liver cells as a source of normal erythroid progenitor cells, we have utilized the B6SUt.EP cell line, a non-transformed hematopoietic cell line that requires IL-3 for proliferation, but for which EPO can substitute as a growth factor. With polyclonal antibodies prepared against peptide sequences specific for the alpha, beta I, beta II and gamma isoforms of PKC, we have identified beta I and beta II as the predominant nuclear isoforms in target cells that proliferate in response to IL-3 or EPO.
Two-photon absorption induced stimulated Rayleigh-Bragg scattering

A frequency-unshifted and backward stimulated scattering can be efficiently generated in one-photon-absorption free but two-photon absorbing materials. Using a number of novel two-photon absorbing dye solutions as the scattering media and nanosecond pulsed laser as the pump beams, a highly directional backward stimulated scattering at the exact pump wavelength can be readily observed once the pump intensity is higher than a certain threshold level. The spectral and spatial structures as well as the temporal behavior and optical phase-conjugation property of this new type of backward stimulated scattering have been experimentally studied. This stimulated scattering phenomenon can be explained by using a model of two-photon-excitation enhanced standing-wave Bragg grating initially formed by the strong forward pump beam and much weaker backward Rayleigh scattering beam; the partial reflection of the pump beam from this grating provides an positive feedback to the initial backward Rayleigh scattering beam without suffering linear attenuation influence. Comparing to other known stimulated (Raman, Brillouin, Rayleigh-wing, and Kerr) scattering effects, the stimulated Rayleigh-Bragg scattering exhibits the advantages of no frequency-shift, low pump threshold, and low spectral linewidth requirement.
RATIONAL RADIAL DISTORTION MODELS OF CAMERA LENSES WITH ANALYTICAL SOLUTION FOR DISTORTION CORRECTION

The common approach to radial distortion is by the means of polynomial approximation, which introduces distortion-specific parameters into the camera model and requires estimation of these distortion parameters. The task of estimating radial distortion is to find a radial distortion model that allows easy undistortion as well as satisfactory accuracy. This paper presents a new class of rational radial distortion models with easy analytical undistortion formulae. Experimental results are presented to show that with this class of rational radial distortion models, satisfactory and comparable accuracy can be achieved.
The radiological evaluation of acetabular fractures in the elderly

We have examined the accuracy of reduction and the functional outcomes in elderly patients with surgically treated acetabular fractures, based on assessment of plain radiographs and CT scans. There were 45 patients with such a fracture with a mean age of 67 years (59 to 82) at the time of surgery. All patients completed SF-36 questionnaires to determine the functional outcome at a mean follow-up of 72.4 months (24 to 188). All had radiographs and a CT scan within one week of surgery. The reduction was categorised as 'anatomical', 'imperfect', or 'poor'. Radiographs classified 26 patients (58%) as anatomical,13 (29%) as imperfect and six (13%) as poor. The maximum displacement on CT showed none as anatomical, 23 (51%) as imperfect and 22 (49%) as poor, but this was not always at the weight-bearing dome. SF-36 scores showed functional outcomes comparable with those of the general elderly population, with no correlation with the radiological reduction. Perfect anatomical reduction is not necessary to attain a good functional outcome in acetabular fractures in the elderly.
β-funaltrexamine antagonizes the discriminative stimulus effects of morphine but not naltrexone in pigeons

Antagonistic actions of the irreversible, μ-selective antagonist β-funaltrexamine (β-FNA) were evaluated in pigeons trained to discriminate among intramuscular injections of morphine (5.6 mg/kg), saline, and naltrexone (10.0 mg/kg). β-FNA administered alone (1.0 or 10.0 mg/kg) failed to mimic the discriminative stimulus effects of morphine or naltrexone. β-FNA attenuated the discriminative stimulus effects of morphine. A three-fold larger dose of morphine was required for complete generalization when pigeons were pretreated with a dose of 1.0 mg/kg β-FNA. A dose of 10.0 mg/kg β-FNA completely antagonized the morphine discriminative stimulus, so that pigeons responded predominantly on the saline key up to doses of morphine that suppressed responding. Doses of β-FNA that attenuated the effects of morphine had no effect on the discriminative stimulus effects of naltrexone. These results demonstrate that, like naltrexone, β-FNA attenuates the discriminative stimulus effects of morphine in pigeons and, at sufficiently large doses, antagonizes morphine in an unsurmountable manner. β-FNA does not, however, share discriminative stimulus properties with naltrexone in these pigeons, and fails to attenuate the discriminative stimulus effects of naltrexone, lending support to the suggestion that naltrexone exerts discriminative stimulus effects under these experimental conditions predominantly by a non-mu opioid mechanism.
Determination of enantiomeric composition of chiral 2-substituted-1,2-glycols via 13C-NMR and HPLC

Abstract By use of 13C analyses and/or HPLC, the diastereomers derived from acetal formation of S(+)-2-propylcyclohexanone and 1,2-glycols may be quantitatively determined.
Detection of colonies of Bacteroides gingivalis by a rapid fluorescence assay for trypsinlike activity

The synthetic fluorogenic compound carbobenzoxy-L-arginine-7-amino-4-me-thylcoumarin amide-HC1 (CAAM) was evaluated for its ability to detect trypsin-like activity in colonies of Bacteroides gingivalis. CAAM fluoresced with all B. gingivalis isolates tested and did not react with other human black-pigmented bacteroides species. The utility of the CAAM test for rapid presumptive identification of B. gingivalis is discussed.
African-American families with chronically Ill children: Oversights and insights

From a critical review of the literature concerning African-American families' management and care of children having chronic illness, we concluded that information on culture-related experiences in such families remains seriously deficient. To present an accurate picture of African-American life as these families manage a child with a chronic illness, more comprehensive and detailed descriptions of family caregiving styles and other experiences are needed.
Electronic absorption spectra of size-selected hydrated electron clusters: (H2O)n−, n=6–50

We report photodestruction spectra for the (H2O)n− clusters (n=6, 11, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 50) in the range 0.7–1.6 eV. The spectra are observed to strongly redshift and narrow with decreasing cluster size, with a concomitant increase in peak intensity. The maxima occur well below the vertical detachment energies for n>20 and almost exclusively result from excitation of a bound–bound transition.
The impact of space electric field research on atmospheric studies

Space measurements of electric fields have provided instrumentation for measuring atmospheric parameters and a better basis for understanding the electrical coupling between the magnetosphere and the atmosphere. Applications of an incoherent scatter radar (developed for ionospheric electric field research) to the measurement of atmospheric winds and turbulence and of Langmuir double probes (also developed for space research) for measurement of atmospheric electric fields are described. The increased knowledge of magnetospheric electric fields has focused attention on the electrical coupling between the magnetosphere and the atmosphere with conclusions that should considerably modify previous physical concepts in both domains.
Caribbean Climate during Pleistocene Ice Ages

IT is a matter of controversy whether during Pleistocene ice ages non-glaciated intermediate and low latitude regions of the Earth were subjected to humid (pluvial)1,2 or to arid climates3–5. We present here data on Pleistocene climates of the Caribbean basin, which may help clarify this question.
A model of safe levels for electrical stimulation

A model that represents a large body of data on safety and damage levels of electrical stimulation is presented. The predictions of the model are consistent with known principals of current flow and known mechanisms of damage around stimulating electrodes. It is proposed that limits on levels of electrical stimulation take into account the location of the electrode relative to the stimulated tissue; these limits can be computed algorithmically from the model. >
Electron detection efficiency of a Nal(Tl) scintillator for electrons and for gamma rays above a few keV

Abstract A technique is developed for the analysis of photoelectron pulse amplitude distributions from gamma rays or electrons of selected energy observed with a GaP first dynode photomultiplier, taking into account the time-spread of photon emission from the Nal(Tl) scintillator. The observed amplitude distribution is decomposed into a unique sum of experimentally based, constructed amplitude distributions (with relative intensities fn), one for each number n of photoelectrons emitted in each detected event. It is experimentally verified that, for unique energy deposition in the scintillator, the pulse amplitude distribution gives rise to a number distribution fn, which is Poisson Pm(n), and also that the loss of detected events above a very low discrimination level is accurately given by the Poisson prediction for events which fail to release even one photoelectron, i.e., Pm(0). For a spectrum of energies actually deposited in the crystal due to various degrees of back-scattering of an impinging electron with given energy, the derived fn distribution below n = 10 is analyzed into a quasi continuum of weighted Poisson distributions. The efficiency loss for any given discrimination level can be obtained from this continuous function. The method is shown to work down to an intrinsic detection efficiency of 10% for very low energy gamma rays and down to at least 5 keV for electrons. Reasons for disagreement between observation and expectation in the range 2.6-5 keV for electrons are discussed.
An adaptive stochastic knapsack problem

Abstract We consider a stochastic knapsack problem in which the event of overflow results in the problem ending with zero return. We assume that there are n types of items available where each type has infinite supply. An item has an exponentially distributed random weight with a known mean depending on its type and the item’s value is proportional to its weight with a given factor depending on the item’s type. We have to make a decision on each stage whether to stop, or continue to put an item of a selected type in the knapsack. An item’s weight is learned when placed to the knapsack. The objective of this problem is to find a policy that maximizes the expected total values. Using the framework of dynamic programming, the optimal policy is found when n = 2 and a heuristic policy is suggested for n > 2 .
Run-off studies demonstrate parallel transport behaviour for a marker of poultry fecal contamination and Staphylococcus aureus

Aims To determine whether poultry litter marker gene LA35 is correlated with pathogens and fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in run-off from poultry litter-amended plots. Methods and Results A rainfall simulator with various vegetative filter strip lengths was employed to evaluate the correlation of a microbial source tracking (MST) marker for poultry feces/litter (the 16S rRNA gene of Brevibacterium sp. LA35 [LA35] measured by quantitative PCR) with pathogens and FIB in run-off. LA35 was correlated with Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp. and Bacteroidales levels. Salmonella was present at low concentration in litter, but became undetectable by qPCR in run-off. Escherichia coli, LA35 and Staph. aureus exhibited mass-based first flush behaviour in the run-off. Conclusions Correlation of LA35 with FIB and pathogens in run-off from poultry litter-amended fields suggest comparable transport mechanisms and that LA35 is a useful tracer for harmful bacteria in the environment released from poultry litter. Significance and Impact of the Study To protect human health, an effective marker for poultry fecal contamination should exhibit similar fate and transport characteristics compared to pathogens. This study is among the first to demonstrate such a relationship in run-off for a MST marker.
NStrace: a bus-driven instruction trace tool for PowerPC microprocessors

NStrace is a bus-driven hardware trace facility developed for the PowerPC® family of superscalar RISC microprocessors. It uses a recording of activity on a target processor's bus to infer the sequence of instructions executed during that recording period. NStrace is distinguished from related approaches by its use of an architecture-level simulator to generate the instruction sequence from the bus recording. The generated trace represents the behavior of the processor as it executes at normal speed while interacting normally with its run-time environment. Furthermore, details of the processor state that are not generally available to other trace mechanisms can be provided by the architectural simulation. There are two main components to the process of generating bus-driven instruction traces: bus capture and trace generation. Bus capture is triggered by a call to a system program that puts a particular address on the bus, then establishes the initial state of the processor by a combination of writing out register values and invalidating caches. A logic analyzer records the bus activity, and from this a file of bus transactions is produced. Trace generation proceeds by driving a processor simulator with these bus transactions and recording the sequence of instructions that results. The processor simulator is an elaboration of that developed for the PowerPC Visual Simulator. We have successfully generated instruction traces for a mix of utility programs and real applications on several microprocessor platforms running several operating systems. The capacity of the bus recording hardware is two million transactions, yielding instruction traces with lengths of the order of one hundred million instructions. This trace facility has been used for a number of studies covering a range of performance issues involving software, hardware, and their interactions.
Risk Preferences and Short-Run Pricing Efficiency

Analysts are paying renewed attention to the economics of price disequilibrium. Some have looked at ways in which disequilibrium prices approach an equilibrium, while others have concentrated on pricing efficiency during disequilibrium periods. In the following, I discuss pricing efficiency and investigate factors affecting it in the short run. I argue that, besides being influenced by such factors as firm concentration and information monopolies, pricing efficiency is influenced by traders' risk preferences, costs, and diversification strategies. Experimental evidence of efficiency determinants is discussed.
SVM training with duplicated samples and its application in SVM-based ensemble methods

Support vector machine (SVM)-based ensemble techniques, such as bagging or boosting, generally involve training SVMs with duplicated samples. A simple derivation illustrates that the same result can be obtained solely by training on those unique samples if a SVM parameter is adjusted, which introduce a faster training algorithm, and provides insights into SVM-based ensemble methods.
Linearly compressed pages: a low-complexity, low-latency main memory compression framework

Data compression is a promising approach for meeting the increasing memory capacity demands expected in future systems. Unfortunately, existing compression algorithms do not translate well when directly applied to main memory because they require the memory controller to perform non-trivial computation to locate a cache line within a compressed memory page, thereby increasing access latency and degrading system performance. Prior proposals for addressing this performance degradation problem are either costly or energy inefficient. By leveraging the key insight that all cache lines within a page should be compressed to the same size, this paper proposes a new approach to main memory compression — Linearly Compressed Pages (LCP) — that avoids the performance degradation problem without requiring costly or energy-inefficient hardware. We show that any compression algorithm can be adapted to fit the requirements of LCP, and we specifically adapt two previously-proposed compression algorithms to LCP: Frequent Pattern Compression and Base-Delta-Immediate Compression. Evaluations using benchmarks from SPEC CPU2006 and five server benchmarks show that our approach can significantly increase the effective memory capacity (by 69% on average). In addition to the capacity gains, we evaluate the benefit of transferring consecutive compressed cache lines between the memory controller and main memory. Our new mechanism considerably reduces the memory bandwidth requirements of most of the evaluated benchmarks (by 24% on average), and improves overall performance (by 6.1%/13.9%/10.7% for single-/two-/four-core workloads on average) compared to a baseline system that does not employ main memory compression. LCP also decreases energy consumed by the main memory subsystem (by 9.5% on average over the best prior mechanism).
Examining Outpatient Treatment Dropout in Adolescents: A Literature Review

This literature review explores the research to date on adolescent mental health treatment drop out. As many as one in five adolescents in the United States has been diagnosed with an Axis-I psychiatric disorder. Adolescents with Axis-I psychiatric disorders face significant short- and long-term consequences if they do not obtain mental health treatment. However, treatment dropout research has focused on child and adult populations with little focus on the unique issues that are likely to impact adolescents. The theoretical underpinnings for understanding adolescent mental health treatment are explored in relation to adolescent psychological development and the therapeutic alliance. The review concludes with suggestions for future research to extend our understanding of adolescent treatment drop out.
A kinetic study of analyte-receptor binding and dissociation for biosensor applications: a fractal analysis for two different DNA systems.

Abstract A fractal analysis of DNA binding and dissociation kinetics on biosensor surfaces is presented. The fractal approach provides an attractive, convenient method to model the kinetic data taking into account the effects of surface heterogeneity brought about by ligand immobilization. The fractal technique can be used in conjunction or as an alternate approach to conventional modeling techniques, such as the Langmuir model, saturation model, etc. Examples analyzed include a DNA molecular beacon biosensor and a plasmid DNA–(cationic polymer) interaction biosensor. The molecular beacon example provides some insights into the nature of the surface and how it influences the binding rate coefficients. The DNA–cationic polymer interaction example provides some quantitative results on the binding and dissociation rate coefficients. Data taken from the literature may be modeled, in the case of binding, using a single-fractal analysis or a dual-fractal analysis. The dual-fractal analysis results indicate a change in the binding mechanism as the reaction progresses on the surface. A single-fractal analysis is adequate to model the dissociation kinetics in the example presented. Relationships are presented for the binding rate coefficients as a function of their corresponding fractal dimension, D f , which is an indication of the degree of heterogeneity that exists on the surface. When analyte–receptor binding is involved, an increase in the heterogeneity of the surface (increase in D f ) leads to an increase in the binding rate coefficient.
The tensile and fatigue deformation structures in a single crystal Ni-base superalloy

Dislocation structures produced in Rene N4 crystals of various orientations deformed in tension and low cycle fatigue (LCF) at 760 and 980 degrees C were examined in order to elucidate the observed differences in stress-strain behavior. Specimens tensile tested at 760 degrees C displayed significant crystallographic orientation dependences in mechanical response but comparable inhomogeneous dislocation structures. LCF specimens of various orientations had comparable cyclic stress-strain curves and generally similar somewhat more homogeneous dislocation structures. Tensile specimens at the higher temperature had comparable mechanical response and corresponding similar quite homogeneous dislocation structures with gamma' faulting; and LCF specimens had orientation-dependent mechanical response but comparable homogeneous loose dislocation networks.
Application of Free Energy Perturbation Calculations to the “Tennis Ball” Dimer: Why Is CF4 Not Encapsulated by This Host?

We present free energy calculations on the encapsulation of CH4, CHCl3, and CF4 in a dimeric organic host in CHCl3 as solvent. While we can qualitatively reproduce the fact that CHCl3 is observed to be bound only weakly by the host, our calculations predict that the binding of CF4 is only slightly disfavored over the binding of CH4. This is in contrast to experimental results, where no indication of CF4 encapsulation could be found (see note added in proof).
The Evaluation and Management of Refractory Neurogenic Overactive Bladder

Patients with neurologic disease commonly develop overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms of urgency, frequency, and/or urge incontinence that remain bothersome despite oral pharmacologic therapy. Management of refractory OAB in the neurogenic population is a complex issue with no uniform treatment strategy. When treatment fails or patients generally are dissatisfied with the adverse effects of oral therapy, available options include sacral neuromodulation, percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS), botulinum toxin injections, and lower urinary tract reconstruction such as augmentation cystoplasty. A thorough knowledge and understanding of available and emerging treatment options for neurogenic detrusor overactivity is paramount to assisting clinicians in choosing an appropriate treatment. This article reviews the non-pharmacologic treatment options for neurogenic OAB, mainly botulinum toxin, neuromodulation, and lower urinary tract reconstruction, and discusses important relevant studies.
Relevance and rigor in premedical education.

Despite sweeping changes in scientific knowledge, requirements for admission to medical school have remained virtually unchanged for many decades. Dr. Jules Dienstag writes that he supports greater efficiency and a tighter focus on science that “matters” to medicine.
Nucleotide composition of the RNA from RD-114 virions.

Abstract The 70S and 4S RNA components of a C-type oncornavirus, RD-114, released from a human rhabdomyosarcoma cell line (RD) after transplantation in a kitten, were analyzed for nucleotide constituents. Minor nucleotides were detected only in the 4S RNA populations, and two of these nucleotides were identified as 5,6-dihydro-UMP and pseudo-UMP. The base composition of the RD-114 70S RNA differs from that of the 70S RNA from RD-FeLV (the virus released from the RD cell line after deliberate infection with a feline leukemia virus).
Effect of Reduction of Supplementary Dietary Vitamins on the Stress Response of Channel Catfish lctalurus punctutus

— The influence of reduced amounts of supplemental vitamins on the stress response of channel catfish lctalurus punctatus was determined. Fish were fed diets with reduced levels of supplemental vitamin C, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine or thiamine, or with reduced amounts of the total vitamin supplement typically added to catfish feed. Fish were confined for 6 h and blood samples taken at 0, 1 and 6 h of confinement and 12 h after release. Plasma chloride and osmotic pressure were consistently stable throughout the experiment and were not influenced by the diet or the stress imposed. Cortisol concentrations were elevated at 1 and 6 h of confinement but recovered to preconfinement concentrations 12 h after release. The cortisol response varied in some of the groups; however, no consistent effects due to the vitamin concentrations were observed. The lack of supplemental vitamins in the food did not impair the ability of the fish to mount or maintain cortisol secretion. The feed ingredients may contain enough vitamins to support cortisol synthesis or the fish may be acquiring sufficient additional vitamins from the pond environment or from intestinal bacteria.
Determinants of genocide fear in a rural Texas community: a research note.

Data were collected via a questionnaire administered to females 15-44 years of age and their most significant male partner from a 7% stratified random sample in Waller County, Texas. Analysis revealed that five independent variables combined explained 19% of the variance in race genocide fear (R2 = .19; p less than .01). The most important predictors of genocide fear were sex (Beta = .33; p less than .001) and education (Beta = .14; p less than .01).
Evidence of central modulation of bladder compliance during filling phase

Aims Bladder compliance is one expression of the pressure and volume relationship as the bladder fills. In addition to passive elements, autonomous micromotional detrusor activity contributes to this relationship. In the mouse cystometric model, compliance pressure contributes to voiding expulsive pressure. During attempts to isolate the detrusor contractile component of this filling pressurization, we found that compliance reversibly diminishes under conditions which remove central control from the micturition cycle. Methods Ten mature female mice underwent constant infusion pressure/flow cystometry under urethane anesthesia, and five awake mature female mice underwent constant infusion pressure cystometry. Following baseline cystometry, all mice were anesthetized with isoflurane to abolish the micturition reflex, and cystometry conducted with manual emptying of the bladders. Animals were then allowed to recover from isoflurane to re-establish the micturition reflex, and cystometry again conducted. The urethane group was also studied immediately post-mortem. Repeated measures comparisons of cystometric parameters were made across conditions. Results Compliance reversibly decreased in all mice with the abolishment of micturition responses by isoflurane anesthesia. A similar decrease was observed immediately post-mortem in the urethaned mice. Bladder filling and voiding were not different between the intact micturition segments of the testing. Conclusions Enhanced compliance in mice with intact micturition responses suggests that autonomous micromotional activity is suppressed by central processes during normal filling. Since afferent activity during filling is also determined by the relationship between bladder pressure and volume, a feed-forward afferent signal conditioning mechanism may exist, creating novel therapeutic targets for urinary dysfunctions. Neurourol. Urodynam. 31:30–35, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Renal arteriovenous fistulasecondary to metastatic tumor

Abstract Formation of renal arteriovenous fistula secondary to carcinoma is an uncommon clinical finding and is usually associated with hypernephroma. A rare case of fistula formation secondary to metastatic bronchiolar carcinoma is presented and discussed.
Effects of Type of Atomization and Processing Temperatures on the Physical Properties and Stability of Spray‐Dried Flavors

Type of atomization (centrifugal wheel and spray nozzle) and processing temperatures (2 different sets of inlet and exit temperatures) of spray drying were investigated for their influence on the physical properties and oxidative stability of encapsulated orange off in a modified starch matrix. The former determined particle size and surface oil, whereas the intter affected density (both absolute and bulk) and moisture content. Total off retention did not depend on either parameter. Processing temperatures had an effect on shelf life as they influenced parameters that determine oxygen porosity of the matrix. Le type d'atomisation (roue centrifuge et buse de pulverisation) et les temperatures du procede (2 series de temperatures en entree et en sortie) du sechage par pulverisation sont etudies pour leur influence sur les proprietes physiques et la stabilite oxydative d'huile d'orange encapsulee dans une matrice d'amidon modifie. Le type d'atomisation determine la taille des particules et l'huile en surface tandis que la temperature influence la densite et la teneur en eau.
An Empirical Analysis of a Keynesian Investment Theory Using Brazilian Firm Level Panel Data

This study utilizes a Post Keynesian theoretical model of investment behavior and firm-specific data from Brazilian firms to examine the role that sales, sales growth, financing costs, and internal cash flow play in the investment decisions of firms. In a broad sense, our results are similar to earlier studies that have found some inconsistencies in the relationship between either sales or cash flow and firm investment. Our study suggests even a model based on the Keynesian investment theory will not accurately predict firm behavior in chaotic economic and financial conditions. However, it can provide a foundation for such decisions.
Sums of adjoint orbits and L2-singular dichotomy for SU(m)

Abstract Let G be a real compact connected simple Lie group, and g its Lie algebra. We study the problem of determining, from root data, when a sum of adjoint orbits in g , or a product of conjugacy classes in G, contains an open set. Our general methods allow us to determine exactly which sums of adjoint orbits in su ( m ) and products of conjugacy classes in SU ( m ) contain an open set, in terms of the highest multiplicities of eigenvalues. For su ( m ) and SU ( m ) we show L 2 -singular dichotomy: The convolution of invariant measures on adjoint orbits, or conjugacy classes, is either singular to Haar measure or in L 2 .
160 FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ECTO-5′-NUCLEOTIDASE (ECTO-5′-NT) POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE HUMAN LYMPHOCYTES

Human T and B lymphocytes, separated into ecto-5′-NT positive and negative populations with goat antl-5′-NT antibodies and the fluorescence-activated cell sorter, were characterized in functional assays. Ecto-5′-NT− T cells proliferated as well as, or better than, ecto-5′-NT+ T cells after stimulation with phytohemagglutinin or in a mixed lymphocyte reaction. Ecto-5′-NT− T cells also provided more help for pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-stimulated immunoglobulin synthesis than ecto-5′-NT+ T cells. Therefore, the inability of ecto-5′-NT deficient lymphocytes from patients with immunodeficiency diseases to respond in these assays cannot be attributed solely to their reduced ecto-5′-NT activity. In contrast, ecto-5′-NT+ T cells proliferated in response to ten-fold lower doses of phorbol esters than ecto-5′-NT+ T cells, suggesting that ecto-5′-NT+ T cells may utilize unique biochemical pathways of cellular activation or may have a preferential ability to respond to certain stimuli. Ecto-5′-NT positive and negative B cells were tested for the ability to synthesize IgM and IgG after stimulation with PWM and Epstein Barr virus. Although both groups of cells synthesized IgM, the synthesis of IgG was restricted to the ecto-5′-NT+ sub-population. These data provide the first direct evidence that ecto-5′-NT is a marker for the functional maturation of human B cells and demonstrate that ecto-5′-NT is different from other human B cell surface antigens such as IgD, Leu 8, and HB-4 which are lost as B cells mature.
Methodology Review: Item Parameter Estimation Under the One-, Two-, and Three-Parameter Logistic Models

This paper surveys the techniques used in item re sponse theory to estimate the parameters of the item characteristic curves fitted to item response data. The major focus is on the joint maximum likelihood esti mation (JMLE) procedure, but alternative approaches are also examined. The literature shows that both the theoretical asymptotic properties and the empirical properties of the JMLE results are well-established. Al though alternative approaches are available, such as Bayesian estimation and marginal maximum likelihood estimation, they do not appear to have an overwhelm ing advantage over the JMLE procedure. However, the properties of these alternative techniques have not been thoroughly studied as yet. It is also clear that the properties of the item parameter estimation techniques are inextricably intertwined with the computer pro grams used to implement them.
Cognitive simulation modeling on the VAX-11

The ability of the VAX-11 to serve as both a real-time and a large-memory-space machine is described. The issue of how to do cognitive simulation work on the VAX-11 is addressed.
PlanetFlow: maintaining accountability for network services

PlanetFlow is a network auditing service that maintains comprehensive, permanent accountability for all traffic generated by PlanetLab services, in accordance with common Internet practice and the terms of the PlanetLab Acceptable Use Policy. PlanetFlow audits the usage of PlanetLab network resources in order to facilitate the resolution of complaints, limit liability, and minimize problematic behavior.The current implementation of PlanetFlow consists of a low overhead flow classifier, an autonomously managed distributed database, and a publicly accessible Web interface. PlanetFlow currently processes up to 4 TB of generated traffic per day, and incurs negligible CPU and storage overhead.
FORMATION OF PEPTIDE BONDS IN SPACE: A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF FORMAMIDE AND ACETAMIDE IN Sgr B2(N)

Extensive observations of acetamide (CH3CONH2) and formamide (NH2CHO) have been conducted toward Sgr B2(N) at 1, 2, and 3 mm using the Submillimeter Telescope (SMT) and the 12 m antenna of the Arizona Radio Observatory. Over the frequency range 65–280 GHz, 132 transitions of acetamide have been observed as individual, distinguishable features, although in some cases they are partially blended. The unblended transitions in acetamide indicate VLSR = 63.2 ± 2.8 km s −1 and ΔV1/2 = 12.5 ± 2.9 km s −1 , line parameters that are very similar to that of formamide (NH2CHO) and other organic species in Sgr B2(N). For formamide, 79 individual transitions were identified over the same frequency region. Rotational diagram analyses indicate the presence of two components for both species in Sgr B2(N). For acetamide, the colder component (Eu < 40 K) exhibits a rotational temperature of Trot = 17 ± 4 K and a column density of Ntot = 5.2 ± 3.5 × 10 13 cm −2 ; the higher energy component has Trot = 171 ± 4 K and Ntot = 6.4 ± 4.7 × 10 14 cm −2 . In the case of formamide, Trot = 26 ± 4 K and Ntot = 1.6 ± 0.7 × 10 14 cm −2 for the colder component with Trot = 134 ± 17 K and Ntot = 4.0 ± 1.2 × 10 14 cm −2 for the warmer region. The fractional abundances of acetamide are f (H2) = 1.7 × 10 −11 and 2.1 × 10 −10 for the cold and warm components, and in formamide, f (H2) = 5.3 × 10 −11 and 1.3 × 10 −10 . The similarity between the abundances and distributions of CH3CONH2 and NH2CHO suggests a synthetic connection. The abundance of acetamide, moreover, is only a factor of three lower than that of formaldehyde, and very similar to acetaldehyde and ketene. CH3CONH2 is therefore one of the most abundant complex organic species in Sgr B2(N), and could be a possible source of larger peptide molecules, as opposed to amino acids.
Effect of prior orbital decompression on outcome of strabismus surgery in patients with thyroid ophthalmopathy.

Abstract Purpose: To compare strabismus surgery outcomes of patients who have had prior orbital decompression for thyroid ophthalmopathy with those of patients who have not had decompression. Methods: The records of all patients operated on by the author for strabismus related to thyroid ophthalmopathy were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Fifty patients were included in this study. Seventeen patients had previously undergone orbital decompression, and 33 patients had not. Seventy-six percent of patients who had had orbital decompression had a good or excellent outcome compared with 91% of those who had not had orbital decompression. Patients in the orbital decompression group had an average of 1.4 operations compared with 1.2 in the no-decompression group. The average numbers of muscles operated on were 3.1 in the decompression group and 1.9 in the no-decompression group. Patients who had been decompressed were more than 4 times as likely to require surgery for both a horizontal and vertical deviation than patients who had not been decompressed. Conclusions: Patients with thyroid ophthalmopathy who have had orbital decompression have a lower success rate of surgery for strabismus, more frequently need correction for both horizontal and vertical deviations, and have more muscles operated on than patients who have not had orbital decompression. The need for orbital decompression in patients with Graves' disease is reflective of a worse degree of orbitopathy. In addition, ocular changes from decompression surgery may interfere with a successful result from strabismus surgery. (J AAPOS 2000;4:102–5)
Toys as an Aspect of the Physical Environment: Constraints and Nature of Relationship to Development.

The role of the physical, as distinguished from the social, environment is discussed as a major factor in influencing child development. That the child's physical world is critical must be establis...
The metabolic disposition of acifran, a new antihyperlipidemic agent, in rats and dogs.

1. The metabolic disposition of the antihyperlipidemic agent acifran (AY-25, 712) was determined in rats and dogs. The synthesis of 14C-labelled acifran is described.2. Serum levels of 14C and acif...
Efficacy of the CHADS2 scoring system to assess left atrial thrombogenic milieu risk before cardioversion of non-valvular atrial fibrillation

The CHADS 2 scoring system was found to be a good predictor for risk stratification of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. The effectiveness of this scoring system in assessing thrombogenic milieu before direct-current cardioversion has not yet fully been established on a large scale. In this study, data from 2,369 consecutive patients in whom transesophageal echocardiography was performed for screening before direct-current cardioversion from 1999 to 2008 were analyzed. Left atrial (LA) or LA appendage (LAA) thrombogenic milieu (spontaneous echo contrast, sludge, and thrombus) was investigated. The results were correlated with CHADS 2 score findings. The mean age was 66 ± 13 years, and the ratio of men to women was 2.2:1. CHADS 2 scores of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were present in 11%, 25%, 30%, 22%, 8%, 3%, and 1% of the studies, respectively. The prevalence of LA or LAA sludge or thrombus increased with increasing CHADS 2 scores (2.3%, 7%, 8.5%, 9.9%, 12.3%, and 14.1% for scores of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 or 6, respectively, p = 0.01). In a multivariate model, an ejection fraction ≤20% was the best predictor of LA or LAA sludge or thrombus (odds ratio 2.99, p 2 scores in patients who underwent transesophageal echocardiography–guided cardioversion. Giving more value to echocardiographic findings, such as the left ventricular ejection fraction, and its different levels (especially an ejection fraction ≤20%) might improve the precision of the CHADS 2 scoring scheme to predict thrombogenic milieu in the left atrium or LAA as a surrogate to cardioembolic risk in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Formal analysis of Kerberos 5

We report on the detailed verification of a substantial portion of the Kerberos 5 protocol specification. Because it targeted a deployed protocol rather than an academic abstraction, this multiyear effort led to the development of new analysis methods in order to manage the inherent complexity. This enabled proving that Kerberos supports the expected authentication and confidentiality properties, and that it is structurally sound; these results rely on a pair of intertwined inductions. Our work also detected a number of innocuous but nonetheless unexpected behaviors, and it clearly described how vulnerable the cross-realm authentication support of Kerberos is to the compromise of remote administrative domains.
Linear Scaling Local Correlation Extensions of the Standard and Renormalized Coupled-Cluster Methods

This chapter reviews our recent effort toward extension of the local correlation approach, termed “cluster-in-molecule” and abbreviated as CIM, to the coupled-cluster (CC) theory with singles and doubles (CCSD) and CC methods with singles, doubles, and non-iterative triples, including CCSD(T) and the completely renormalized CR-CC(2,3) approach. The resulting CIM-CCSD, CIM-CCSD(T), and CIM-CR-CC(2,3) algorithms are characterized by the linear scaling of the CPU time with the system size, the use of orthonormal orbitals in the CC subsystem calculations, the explicit and natural parallelism, the high efficiency of the CIM-CC system and CC subsystem calculations, and the purely non-iterative treatment of local triples corrections. By comparing the results of the canonical and CIM CC calculations for normal alkanes and water clusters, it is demonstrated that the CIM-CCSD, CIM-CCSD(T), and CIM-CR-CC(2,3) approaches accurately reproduce the corresponding canonical CC correlation and relative energies, while offering savings in the computer effort by orders of magnitude. The difficulties with achieving similarly high accuracies in local CC calculations that employ basis sets with diffuse functions are addressed by suggesting a new variant of the CIM-CC theory whose performance is illustrated by the CIM-CCSD calculations for water clusters, as described by the basis sets as large as 6-311++G(d, p).
Wnt signaling and stem cell control

Wnt signaling has been implicated in the control over various types of stem cells and may act as a niche factor to maintain stem cells in a self-renewing state. As currently understood, Wnt proteins bind to receptors of the Frizzled and LRP families on the cell surface. Through several cytoplasmic relay components, the signal is transduced to s-catenin, which then enters the nucleus and forms a complex with TCF to activate transcription of Wnt target genes. Wnts can also signal through tyrosine kinase receptors, in particular the ROR and RYK receptors, leading to alternative modes of Wnt signaling. During the growth of tissues, these ligands and receptors are dynamically expressed, often transcriptionally controlled by Wnt signals themselves, to ensure the right balance between proliferation and differentiation. Isolated Wnt proteins are active on a variety of stem cells, including neural, mammary and embryonic stem cells. In general, Wnt proteins act to maintain the undifferentiated state of stem cells, while other growth factors instruct the cells to proliferate. These other factors include FGF and EGF, signaling through tyrosine kinase pathways.
Four-wave mixing in Si 3 N 4 -clad silicon-on-insulator waveguides for the mid-infrared region

We introduce novel SOI waveguides with a Si 3 N 4 top cladding for nonlinear photonics in the mid-infrared wavelength region. We demonstrate continuous-wave frequency conversion via four-wave mixing and obtain a conversion bandwidth of over 300 nm.