cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhancing constraint-based repair of data structure errors that recur using memoization

Data structure repair has been proposed as an error recovery mechanism to increase software resilience when errors happen at runtime for a deployed system. Although substantial work has been done on data structure repair, scalability remains a key challenge and applicability remains rather restricted. We present two constraint-based data structure repair techniques that build on the well-known Korat solver, which introduced an effective backtracking search to find all object graphs that satisfy user given structural properties within the user given bounds. Our baseline technique repairs an erroneous data structure by adapting the Korat search. While this approach is effective for repairing a data structure, it suffers from re-exploration when applied on data structures with similar errors that recur due to a fault in software or hardware that is exercised repeatedly. We introduce memoization to amortize the cost of a Korat search over repeated repairs that overlap in search. Our experimental results show that our memoized technique is effective for repairing data structure errors that recur.
Post-Mastectomy Pain Syndrome: An Up-to-Date Review of Treatment Outcomes.

Summary Background Post-mastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS) is a known debilitating surgical complication. While research on prevention, risk factors, and treatments have been conducted, there remains no cohesive treatment paradigm. The aim of our study is to synthesize the existing evidence on PMPS treatment, which may facilitate the implementation of standardized, effective management strategies. Methods Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, a comprehensive search was developed and translated for MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov. The databases were searched using a combination of free terms, phrase searching, and database-specific controlled vocabulary related to PMPS. All unique records were by two independent reviewers. Publications on chronic (>3 months duration) pain after breast cancer-related surgery were included. Limited case series, case reports, and editorials were not included. Results A total of 3402 articles from the years 1946–2019 resulted from the literature search after deduplication. Twenty-seven articles met final inclusion criteria for analysis, which revealed 10 major treatment modalities: fat grafting, neuroma surgery, lymphedema surgery, nerve blocks and neurolysis, laser, antidepressants, neuromodulators, physical therapy, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and capsaicin. Conclusions In this review, we present a comprehensive assessment of the treatments available for PMPS that may help guide breast surgeons and reconstructive surgeons to employ the most effective treatment strategies for these patients. This review supports the importance of multimodal, multidisciplinary care in improving the management of PMPS.
Diverticular disease

The spectrum of colonic diverticular disease includes asymptomatic diverticulosis, acute and chronic diverticulitis, and diverticular hemorrhage. Most often discovered incidentally on endoscopy or contrast radiography, asymptomatic diverticulosis is best treated by patient education, which focuses on increasing dietary fiber intake. Acute diverticulitis can be managed on either an inpatient or outpatient basis, depending on the severity of the symptoms, with bowel rest and broad spectrum-antibiotics. Surgery is indicated for complications of the acute inflammatory process, including failure of medical treatment, gross perforation, and abscess formation that cannot be resolved by percutaneous drainage. Manifestations of chronic diverticulitis (fistula formation, stricture, and obstruction) are most often treated surgically. Diverticular hemorrhage is most often massive and self-limited. It requires aggressive resuscitation and a thorough evaluation aimed at localizing the bleeding site. Patients whose bleeding stops spontaneously are treated expectantly. Actively bleeding patients whose bleeding site is successfully localized can be initially treated by selective infusion of vasoconstrictive agents. Recurrent or persistent bleeding requires surgical resection.
Bilateral paget disease of the nipple associated with lobular carcinoma in situ: Application of immunohistochemistry to a rare finding

c We report synchronous bilateral Paget disease derived from lobular carcinoma in situ in a 53-year-old woman who underwent bilateral mastectomy. The epidermis of both nipples contained small cells with a moderate amount of pale-staining cytoplasm. The nuclei had fine chromatin and identifiable nucleoli. The cells were strongly immunoreactive with cytokeratin 7 and displayed nuclear estrogen receptor reactivity. The underlying mammary gland showed involvement by lobular carcinoma in situ with pagetoid spread into lactiferous ducts, which was confirmed by lack of immunoreactivity for E-cadherin. (Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2002;126:90‐92)
Development of Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Assays for Detection of Orientia tsutsugamushi or Rickettsia typhi

Sensitive, specific and rapid diagnostic tests for the detection of Orientia tsutsugamushi (O. tsutsugamushi) and Rickettsia typhi (R. typhi), the causative agents of scrub typhus and murine typhus, respectively, are necessary to accurately and promptly diagnose patients and ensure that they receive proper treatment. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assays using a lateral flow test (RPA-nfo) and real-time fluorescent detection (RPA-exo) were developed targeting the 47-kDa gene of O. tsutsugamushi or 17 kDa gene of R. typhi. The RPA assay was capable of detecting O. tsutsugamushi or R. typhi at levels comparable to that of the quantitative PCR method. Both the RPA-nfo and RPA-exo methods performed similarly with regards to sensitivity when detecting the 17 kDa gene of R. typhi. On the contrary, RPA-exo performed better than RPA-nfo in detecting the 47 kDa gene of O. tsutsugamushi. The clinical performance of the O. tsutsugamushi RPA assay was evaluated using either human patient samples or infected mouse samples. Eight out of ten PCR confirmed positives were determined positive by RPA, and all PCR confirmed negative samples were negative by RPA. Similar results were obtained for R. typhi spiked patient sera. The assays were able to differentiate O. tsutsugamushi and R. typhi from other phylogenetically related bacteria as well as mouse and human DNA. Furthermore, the RPA-nfo reaction was completed in 20 minutes at 37oC followed by a 10 minute incubation at room temperature for development of an immunochromatographic strip. The RPA-exo reaction was completed in 20 minutes at 39oC. The implementation of a cross contamination proof cassette to detect the RPA-nfo fluorescent amplicons provided an alternative to regular lateral flow detection strips, which are more prone to cross contamination. The RPA assays provide a highly time-efficient, sensitive and specific alternative to other methods for diagnosing scrub typhus or murine typhus.
Prediction of HIV Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Disadvantaged African American Adults Using a Syndemic Conceptual Framework

The focus of this paper is on HIV sexual risk taking among a community-based sample of disadvantaged African American adults. The objective is to examine multiple factors associated with sexual HIV risk behaviors within a syndemic conceptual framework. Face-to-face, computer-assisted, structured interviews were conducted with 1535 individuals in Atlanta, Georgia. Bivariate analyses indicated a high level of relationships among the HIV sexual risks and other factors. Results from multivariate models indicated that gender, sexual orientation, relationship status, self-esteem, condom use self-efficacy, sex while the respondent was high, and sex while the partner was high were significant predictors of condomless sex. Additionally, a multivariate additive model of risk behaviors indicated that the number of health risks significantly increased the risk of condomless sex. This intersection of HIV sexual risk behaviors and their associations with various other behavioral, socio-demographic, and psychological functioning factors help explain HIV risk-taking among this sample of African American adults and highlights the need for research and practice that accounts for multiple health behaviors and problems.
Effect of Vitamin B6 on Dental Caries in Man

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the observations of immediate pertinence to the influence of vitamin B6 on human cariogenesis, representing selected, predominantly supportive and necessarily tangential information, derived from laboratory, epidemiological, arid clinical studies. Evidence for a relationship between vitamin B6 and dental caries must be regarded as inconclusive for man. Assessment of elements of the oral environment provides limited, circumstantial support for a local protective action, mediated through altered microbial function. A systemic effect—increasing tooth resistance—may also be operative. Epidemiological observations thus far serve largely to stimulate a search for those nutritional components responsible for the extensively documented association between the extent of dental caries and the consumption of refined carbohydrate foods. Increased tooth decay during periods of stress is suggested. Limited clinical trials constitute the present, principal basis for crediting vitamin B6 with possible caries protective capabilities in the human subject.
Plant Oil-Based Polyhydroxyurethanes

The development of novel bio-based polymers from inexpensive and renewable materials has the potential to greatly impact our current economy, the environment, and our energy matrix. The replacement of petroleum-based materials with bio-based counterparts can be greatly advantageous. The advantages of bio-based materials are the ready availability of large quantities of renewable starting materials at insignificant costs, the potential of producing more bio-degradable materials than the virtually indestructible petroleum-based polymers, the possibility of obtaining properties not currently available in commercial petroleum-based products, and their overall intrinsic low toxicity. This chapter presents the reader with an overview of the major accomplishments in bio-based polyurethane research, with a special focus on polyhydroxyurethanes (PHUs). Alternative polyurethane (PU) systems from nonisocyanate sources are briefly described in this chapter, and concluding remarks give a perspective on the future of bio-based PHUs.
Using time series structural characteristics to analyze grain prices in food insecure countries

Two components of food security monitoring are accurate forecasts of local grain prices and the ability to identify unusual price behavior. We evaluated a method that can both facilitate forecasts of cross-country grain price data and identify dissimilarities in price behavior across multiple markets. This method, characteristic based clustering (CBC), identifies similarities in multiple time series based on structural characteristics in the data. Here, we conducted a simulation experiment to determine if CBC can be used to improve the accuracy of maize price forecasts. We then compared forecast accuracies among clustered and non-clustered price series over a rolling time horizon. We found that the accuracy of forecasts on clusters of time series were equal to or worse than forecasts based on individual time series. However, in the following experiment we found that CBC was still useful for price analysis. We used the clusters to explore the similarity of price behavior among Kenyan maize markets. We found that price behavior in the isolated markets of Mandera and Marsabit has become increasingly dissimilar from markets in other Kenyan cities, and that these dissimilarities could not be explained solely by geographic distance. The structural isolation of Mandera and Marsabit that we find in this paper is supported by field studies on food security and market integration in Kenya. Our results suggest that a market with a unique price series (as measured by structural characteristics that differ from neighboring markets) may lack market integration and food security.
Rethinking the Legacy of the Sixties

In 1998, alumni of Yale University organized the symposium “Rethinking Designs of the 60s” to discuss the legacy of architecture's engagement with social issues. My essay reopens the question of this legacy by focusing on the work of activist and eco-pioneer Pliny Fisk. Fisk graduated from the Graduate School of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania in 1971, and his early projects combined emerging theories from its diverse curriculum—advocacy planning, appropriate technologies, and systems thinking—in ways that were not merely pragmatic. His projects from the 1970s and 1980s were also strategies for leveraging social and environmental change that foregrounded the politically radical stakes of this endeavor.
Arms, Anarchy and the Second Amendment

An enduring feature of the contemporary debate over gun control is the effort to give the debate a constitutional dimension. Opponents of strict government regulation of private firearms invariably claim that regulation cannot be reconciled with the Second Amendment: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." This constitutional argument has been a recurring theme of those in Congress opposed to a national waiting period for handgun sales and of those opposed to restraints on private ownership of military-style assault weapons.
Effect of copulation on estrus duration and ovulation time in goats

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of copulation on estrus duration and ovulation in goats. During the fall season, 14 multiparous Boer does were estrous synchronized with controlled internal drug release (300 mg), maintained in the vagina for 7 days, and received 50 μg of intramuscular GnRH device insertion and 5 mg of natural intramuscular PGF2α at device removal. The does were randomly divided into two equal groups: a treatment group (TRE; n = 7) and a control group (CON; n = 7). The TRE group received two copulas by fertile bucks within the first 4 hours of estrus onset, and the CON group received only mounts by the same males equipped with canvas aprons. Estrus detection was performed every 12 hours after controlled internal drug release removal within the first 24 hours and then every 4 hours for 5 days. Estrus was defined when a doe accepted mounting by the bucks equipped with canvas aprons. Each doe in estrus got the first transrectal ultrasonography at 24 hours after estrus onset and then every 4 hours until all the preovulatory follicles ovulated. Estrus onset for the TRE and CON groups was 40.3 ± 17.4 (mean ± standard deviation) and 43.3 ± 12.2 hours (P = 0.72), respectively. Estrus duration for the same groups was 28.6 ± 5.4 and 36.7 ± 5.3 hours (P = 0.02), respectively. The mean ovulation time for the TRE and CON groups was 31.4 ± 2.2 and 35.7 ± 3.7 hours (P = 0.04), respectively. The proportion of ovulations that occurred after the end of estrus in the TRE group was higher than in the CON group (86% vs. 33%, respectively; P = 0.05). The number of ovulations for the TRE group was 2.1 ± 0.7; for the CON group, there were 2.2 ± 0.5 ovulations (P = 0.92). It was concluded that copulation by a buck at the beginning of estrus reduced estrus duration and hastened the ovulation time in Boer goats.
A Variational Approach to Recovering a Manifold from Sample Points

We present a novel algorithm for recovering a smooth manifold of unknown dimension and topology from a set of points known to belong to it. Numerous applications in computer vision can be naturally interpreted as instanciations of this fundamental problem. Recently, a non-iterative discrete approach, tensor voting, has been introduced to solve this problem and has been applied successfully to various applications. As an alternative, we propose a variational formulation of this problem in the continuous setting and derive an iterative algorithm which approximates its solutions. This method and tensor voting are somewhat the differential and integral form of one another. Although iterative methods are slower in general, the strength of the suggested method is that it can easily be applied when the ambient space is not Euclidean, which is important in many applications. The algorithm consists in solving a partial differential equation that performs a special anisotropic diffusion on an implicit representation of the known set of points. This results in connecting isolated neighbouring points. This approach is very simple, mathematically sound, robust and powerful since it handles in a homogeneous way manifolds of arbitrary dimension and topology, embedded in Euclidean or non-Euclidean spaces, with or without border. We shall present this approach and demonstrate both its benefits and shortcomings in two different contexts: (i) data visual analysis, (ii) skin detection in color images.
Toward an Integrated Paradigm: Further Thoughts on the Three Urbanisms

Toward an Integrated Paradigm: Further Thoughts on the Three Urbanisms Douglas Kelbaugh It is an article of faith that we design the built environ- ment in an ever-changing social, cultural, economic, technological and ecological milieu. Contemporary urban development has responded to these changing factors in ways that might loosely be called “market urbanism.” This term is used here to refer to current conventions and modes of land acquisition, professional planning and design services, government regulation, ﬁnancing, and construction for the thousands of real estate development projects that spring up in places and at times determined by macro and micro market forces and by the decisions of private developers. Most of these projects are small or unremarkable, or both. However, their accumulation inevitably changes the Above: Mixed-use buildings at Stapleton are designed in a background, but contemporary architectural style, and are built to the sidewalk to deﬁne a continuous street wall, with residential and ofﬁce uses above retail shops—a traditional but still compelling, if elusive, urban conﬁguration. Photo courtesy of Calthorpe Associates. face of America in ways that are not planned, organized or self-conscious. Thus, the recent conversion of downtown ofﬁce buildings into hotels and condominiums, or facto- ries and warehouses into residential lofts, has transformed many urban centers. Post-World War II suburbia has like- wise been transformed by a tsunami of subdivisions, gated communities, arterial strips, and retail malls. 1 There are, however, three contemporary paradigms of urbanism that are self-conscious: New Urbanism, Every- day Urbanism, and, to a lesser extent, what I call Post- Urbanism. These three approaches or attitudes (other than New Urbanism, it is hard to call them movements) represent the cutting edge of theoretical and professional activity in Western architecture and urbanism. 2 I contend that all three paradigms are basic and some- what inevitable. Each has its merits and demerits, but not in equal proportion—at least for most American cities at this point in their evolution. This essay examines their overlaps and oppositions, methodologies and modalities, strengths and weaknesses, in the hope of sketching the outline of a more integrated position. Kelbaugh / Toward an Integrated Paradigm
Numerical modeling of surface flow and transport phenomena with applications to Lake Pontchartrain

Abstract This article presents the capabilities of a numerical model, CCHE2D, by using its application to study the response of a highly complex water system, Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, under extreme conditions of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the flood water release from Bonnet Carre Spillway in 1997. The numerical simulations were validated using the field data collected by the US Geological Survey and US Army Corps of Engineers, as well as satellite imagery obtained from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The close agreements obtained with technically acceptable accuracy in both field properties and trends of their spatial and temporal variations fully demonstrated this model's usefulness in predicting the hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and salinity distribution of lakes under extreme flood forcing. This model provides a useful tool for lake water quality management.
The Role of Domain-Specific Disgust Propensity in Behavioral Avoidance and Self-Reported Fainting Symptoms in Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia

Recent research has implicated the role of disgust in avoidance and fainting associated with blood-injection-injury (BII) phobia. While several studies suggest that disgust propensity has a ‘domain...
Transesophageal echocardiographic evaluation of left main coronary artery stent protection during transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

94-year-old man with a history of severe symptomatic aortic stenosis, atrial fibrillation, hyper tension, and left main coronary artery disease presented for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) via the transfemoral approach; written consent was obtained from the patient for presentation of this case. Given his age and comorbidities, a left main coronary stent was placed for his proximal left main coronary disease before TAVI. Technical considerations resulted in the stent protruding into the aortic root at the level of the sinotubular junction. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was performed using a Philips iE33 ultrasound system with an X7-2t TEE probe (Philips Healthcare, Andover, MA) revealing severe aortic valve (AV) stenosis (valve area 0.6 cm 2 by the continuity equation; mean gradient 44 mm Hg; peak gradient 78 mm Hg) with significant calcific degeneration and minimal motion of all 3 coronary cusps; mild aortic regurgitation was noted. The AV annular and sinotubular junction diameters were 23 mm and 25 mm, respectively. Mild-to-moderate tricuspid regurgitation, no mitral valve regurgitation, no significant left ventricu lar wall motion abnormalities, and left ventricular ejection fraction estimated as 66% were also noted. An echodense structure was visible in the aortic root at the level of the sinotubular junction in the midesophageal (ME) long-axis (LAX) view (Fig. 1 and Video 1, Loop 1, see Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/AA/A478) and ME short-axis (SAX) view near the left coronary cusp (Video 1, Loop 2, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links. lww.com/AA/A478); it was also visible with fluoroscopy and consistent with a left coronary ostial stent protruding approximately 0.5 cm into the aortic root. Two-dimensional color-flow Doppler interrogation demonstrated flow through the stent, and real-time 3-dimensional TEE imaging provided additional confirmation of stent protrusion (Fig. 2A). Because the implanted bioprosthetic AV is deployed within the native AV extending below and above the
A Practical Method for the Synthesis of Sialyl α-Glycosides

Addition of 2,4-dimethylbenzenesulfenyl chloride to sialic acid glycal gives crystalline 2-chloro-3-thiosialic acid 3 in 85% yield. Reaction of 3 with sodium thiomethoxide in acetonitrile at 0 °C a...
Conductive polymer as a controlled microenvironment for the potentiometric high-throughput evaluation of ionic liquid cell toxicity

This paper presents both biological and potentiometric evaluations of the cell toxicity of a widely used ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim]BF4), to Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cells (V79 cell line). The innovative potentiometric study takes advantage of the unique properties of conductive polymer polypyrrole (PPY) for the potentiometric evaluation of cell toxicity of [bmim]BF4 to the V79 cells in a real-time, noninvasive and high-throughput manner. The conductive polymer PPY provides a controlled microenvironment that allows the quantitative release of the anions of the ionic liquids into the cells being monitored in real time and noninvasively. Parallel biological assay results showed that V79 cells exposed to [bmim]BF4 usually grew in clusters, and that many small vacuoles could be seen in the cytoplasm. At the 24th hour after the V79 cells had been exposed to the ionic liquid (IL), the half inhibition concentration (EC50) of [bmim]BF4 was around 5 mM. From a cell cycle study performed using a FACScan flow cytometer, it was found that the V79 cells could be partially locked to the G1 phase by [bmim]BF4, which extended the doubling time for cell growth. Comparing with the EC50 values of cadmium chloride and mercury chloride, [bmim]BF4 is not very toxic, but it may have a long-term toxic effect on mammalian cells. Compared to traditional biological in vitro assays, the use of a conductive polymer substrate in combination with a potentiometric sensor array is much more sensitive, faster, and enables a simpler evaluation of chemical cell toxicity. Additionally, it simplifies the study of the reversibility of cell toxicity, i.e., cell recovery, because there is no need to refresh the culture medium since a finite amount of chemicals can be doped and released. We found that the cytotoxicity of [bmim]BF4 at a concentration of less than 6 mM was reversible for the V79 cell line, because cell morphology and proliferation rate returned to normal after the removal of the IL from the culture medium. This finding suggests that the IL [bmim]BF4 could be used as a tool to control mammalian cell proliferation rate.
Local density and gradient-corrected functionals for short-range correlation: Antiparallel-spin and non-RPA contributions

In many situations, the most long-ranged parts of the exchange and correlation holes surrounding an electron cancel one another. Apparently for this reason, local spin density and generalized gradient approximations are more accurate for exchange and correlation together than for either alone. A study is made of the ability of these density functionals, and also the unmodified second-order gradient expansion, to describe various short-range effects in atoms: the correlation contribution to the interacting kinetic energy, the antiparallel-spin correlation energy, and the correction to the random phase approximation. Generalized gradient approximations, constructed with no adjustable parameter from the electron gas of slowly varying density, are found to give results of useful accuracy for real atoms. Prospects are discussed for use of the new functionals to improve the accuracy of electronic-structure calculations. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Abstractive headline generation using WIDL-expressions

We present a new paradigm for the automatic creation of document headlines that is based on direct transformation of relevant textual information into well-formed textual output. Starting from an input document, we automatically create compact representations of weighted finite sets of strings, called WIDL-expressions, which encode the most important topics in the document. A generic natural language generation engine performs the headline generation task, driven by both statistical knowledge encapsulated in WIDL-expressions (representing topic biases induced by the input document) and statistical knowledge encapsulated in language models (representing biases induced by the target language). Our evaluation shows similar performance in quality with a state-of-the-art, extractive approach to headline generation, and significant improvements in quality over previously proposed solutions to abstractive headline generation.
Photochemical redox titrations with tungsten(V)

A titration method has been developed for the determination of micromolar quantities of dichromate, vanadate and hexacyanoferrate(III) with in situ photochemical generation of tungsten(V) as the titrant. Precision of 1–3% was obtained. Spectrophotometric end-points were utilized because of the intense blue color of the titrant (λmax 770nm; emax7.103). Because the titrant reacts with oxygen, a closed, argon-flushed, circulating photolysis apparatus was constructed. Optimal solution condi- tions were investigated ; tungsten reagent must be added as the solid just before titra-tion. An induced reaction between dichromate and glucose was found, but satisfactory linear calibration curves were obtained. With reduced photolytic intensity, 0.2 μeq of dichromate can be determined.
Decoration of dislocations in Bi12SiO20 crystals by annealing in a reducing atmosphere

Abstract Dislocations in Bi 12 SiO 20 (BSO) crystals, annealed in a reducing atmosphere, were directly observed by conventional light microscopy in transmission mode. A one-to-one correspondence between dislocations and etch pits was observed.
Prevalence and Contents of Advance Directives in Patients Receiving Home Parenteral Nutrition.

Background: Ethical issues may arise with patients who receive home parenteral nutrition (HPN) and have a change in their overall health status. We sought to determine the extent of advance care planning and the use of advance directives (ADs) by patients receiving HPN. Materials and Methods: Retrospective review of the medical records of adult patients newly started on HPN at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2012, to determine the prevalence and contents of their ADs. Results: A total of 537 patients met the inclusion criteria. Mean (SD) age at commencement of HPN was 52.8 (15.2) years, and 39% (n = 210) were men. Overall, 159 patients (30%) had ADs. Many mentioned specific life-prolonging treatments: cardiopulmonary resuscitation (44 [28%]), mechanical ventilation (43 [27%]), and hemodialysis (19 [12%]). Almost half mentioned pain control (78 [49%]), comfort measures (65 [41%]), and end-of-life management of HPN (76 [48%]). Many also contained general stat...
Non conventional method for beam steering a quadrifilar helix antenna

Antenna beam steering arrays have been around for many years, while beam steering is important for many applications, it is often limited by space and overall size of the system. In this paper, a design of a beam steering approach is presented that uses a tapered quadrafilar helix with an embedded monopole antenna at the center of the helix structure. The simulation and measurement results show that by varying the phase and amplitude of the embedded monopole antenna the composite beam can be steered 360 degrees in phi and 90 degrees in the theta direction while maintaining good gain. Simulations results are verified with experimental measured data.
Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a clinic-based counseling intervention tested in an ethnically diverse sample of pregnant smokers.

Abstract Objective Rates of cigarette smoking are higher among women who receive obstetric care through publicly funded prenatal clinics. This study compared smoking outcomes for pregnant women (n = 105) who were randomized to receive either usual care (standard cessation advice from the health care provider) or an intervention conducted in the prenatal clinic consisting of 1.5 h of counseling plus telephone follow-up delivered by a masters prepared mental health counselor. Methods Subjects were 105 low income, predominantly Hispanic, pregnant patients in an urban prenatal clinic. Smoking outcomes were assessed at end of pregnancy and 6 months post-partum. Results At follow-up, 28.3% and 9.4% of participants in the experimental intervention and 9.6% and 3.8% of patients in usual care were abstinent at end of pregnancy (p = .015) and 6 months post-partum, respectively (p = .251). Cost of the intervention was $56 per patient and cost to produce a non-smoker at end of pregnancy was $299. Conclusions This model for intervention was cost-effective and was associated with significantly lower smoking rates at end of pregnancy. Practical implications If these findings are replicated, prenatal clinics could offer the option for intensive smoking cessation treatment by training mental health counselors to deliver one extended smoking cessation counseling session.
Antiferromagnetic exchange in two-leg spin-1/2 ladders

Extraction of antiferromagnetic (AF) exchange constants J and J\ensuremath{'} in two-leg spin-1/2 nearest-neighbor (NN) Heisenberg ladders from experimental magnetic spin susceptibility \ensuremath{\chi}(T) data is studied, where J\ensuremath{'} is the NN exchange constant in the rungs and J is that in the legs. Two low-T (T\ensuremath{\ll}J/${\mathit{k}}_{\mathit{B}}$) approximations of Troyer, Tsunetsugu, and W\"urtz [Phys. Rev. B 50, 13 515 (1994)] for \ensuremath{\chi}(T) of the isolated spin-1/2 two-leg ladder with J\ensuremath{'}/J=1 are shown to be accurate to \ensuremath{\sim}10% when extrapolated to T\ensuremath{\sim}J\ensuremath{'}/${\mathit{k}}_{\mathit{B}}$. The variations in the magnetic excitation dispersion relation parameters [which enter the low-T expression of Troyer et al. for \ensuremath{\chi}(T)] for J\ensuremath{'}/J1 are inferred from previous theoretical results. Next, the values of the maxima in \ensuremath{\chi}(T)\ensuremath{\equiv}${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{\mathrm{max}}$ from many numerical calculations in the literature for various nonfrustrated spin-1/2 NN Heisenberg antiferromagnets are considered. The values of the product ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{\mathrm{max}}$${\mathit{z}}_{\mathrm{eff}}$ are found to depend systematically and almost uniqely on an effective magnetic coordination number ${\mathit{z}}_{\mathrm{eff}}$, defined in the text, but are nearly independent of the dimensionality of the spin lattice and of the magnitude of any gap in the magnetic excitation spectrum. This observation allows accurate bounds on the exchange coupling constants in arbitrary quasi-low-dimensional spin-1/2 antiferromagnets to be inferred from experimental ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{\mathrm{max}}$ values. Finally, a mean-field-type expression for \ensuremath{\chi}(T) for arbitrary quasi-low-dimensional spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnets is derived, using the above ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{\mathrm{max}}$ phenomenology as input, which allows the influence of intersystem coupling on \ensuremath{\chi}(T) to be evaluated. These results, and the \ensuremath{\chi}(T) calculations of Barnes and Riera [Phys. Rev. B 50, 6817 (1994)] for isolated two-leg spin-1/2 Heisenberg ladders, are used to analyze the experimental \ensuremath{\chi}(T) data of Azuma et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 3463 (1994)] for the spin-1/2 two-leg ladder compound ${\mathrm{SrCu}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$. The analyses together suggest that J\ensuremath{'}/J\ensuremath{\sim}0.5, contrary to the expectation that J\ensuremath{'}/J\ensuremath{\approxeq}1, and that J is very large (\ensuremath{\sim}2000 K), similar to the value of J in the linear-chain cuprate ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CuO}}_{3}$. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Printing Multistrain Bacterial Patterns with a Piezoelectric Inkjet Printer

Many studies involving interacting microorganisms would benefit from simple devices able to deposit cells in precisely defined patterns. We describe an inexpensive bacterial piezoelectric inkjet printer (adapted from the design of the POSaM oligonucleotide microarrayer) that can be used to “print out” different strains of bacteria or chemicals in small droplets onto a flat surface at high resolution. The capabilities of this device are demonstrated by printing ordered arrays comprising two bacterial strains labeled with different fluorescent proteins. We also characterized several properties of this piezoelectric printer, such as the droplet volume (of the order of tens of pl), the distribution of number of cells in each droplet, and the dependence of droplet volume on printing frequency. We established the limits of the printing resolution, and determined that the printed viability of Escherichia coli exceeded 98.5%.
Transcranial doppler monitoring of cerebral perfusion during cardiopulmonary bypass

Profound hypothermic circulatory arrest and profound hypothermia with continuous low-flow cardiopulmonary bypass are used to facilitate repair of complex congenital heart lesions. Extended periods of profound hypothermic arrest may impair cerebral function and metabolism and produce ischemic brain injury. Low-flow bypass has been advocated as preferable to profound hypothermic arrest with respect to neurologic outcome as it maintains continuous cerebral circulation during repair of heart defects. Several studies have suggested that low-flow bypass produces equal degrees of cerebral injury as corresponding periods of circulatory arrest. Transcranial Doppler sonography has enabled the noninvasive study of cerebral perfusion during operations using either circulatory arrest or low-flow bypass. Although these studies have demonstrated the presence of cerebral perfusion at low perfusion pressures, evidence exists to suggest that cerebral perfusion abruptly ceases at cerebral perfusion pressures of 7 to 9 mm Hg and is unrelated to pump flow rate. Transcranial Doppler sonography is a useful tool for monitoring cerebral perfusion during low-flow bypass, and future studies with this modality may help to develop improved modes of cerebral protection during repair of complex congenital heart lesions.
Microwave oven heating for inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes on frankfurters before consumption.

Microwave oven heating was evaluated for inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes on inoculated and stored frankfurters. Frankfurters formulated without/with 1.5% potassium lactate and 0.1% sodium diacetate were inoculated with L. monocytogenes (1.9 +/- 0.2 log CFU/cm(2)), vacuum-packaged, and stored (4 degrees C) to simulate conditions prior to purchase by consumers. At storage days 18, 36, and 54, packages were opened and placed at 7 degrees C, simulating aerobic storage in a household refrigerator. At 0, 3, and 7 d of aerobic storage, 2 frankfurters were placed in a bowl with water (250 mL) and treated in a household microwave oven at high (1100 W) power for 30, 45, 60, or 75 s, or medium (550 W) power for 60 or 75 s. Frankfurters and the heating water were analyzed for total microbial counts and L. monocytogenes populations. Exposure to high power for 75 s reduced pathogen levels (0.7 +/- 0.0 to 1.0 +/- 0.1 log CFU/cm(2)) to below the detection limit ( 1.5 and 5.9 log CFU/cm(2) from control levels of 1.5 +/- 0.1 to 7.2 +/- 0.5 log CFU/cm(2). Depending on treatment and storage time, the water used to reheat the frankfurters had viable L. monocytogenes counts of <-2.4 to 5.5 +/- 0.5 log CFU/mL. The results indicated that frankfurters should be reheated in a microwave oven at high power for 75 s to inactivate up to 3.7 log CFU/cm(2) of L. monocytogenes contamination.
Further evidence of noradrenergic regulation of rat hypothalamic estrogen receptor concentration: possible non-functional increase and functional decrease.

Abstract The regulation of estrogen receptors by the α2-noradrenergic system was studied. A single injection of the α2-noradrenergic antagonist, yohimbine, caused a biphasic effect on the concentration of cytosol estrogen receptors in the mediobasal hypothalamus and anterior pituitary gland. A short-latency increase was seen at 1.5–3 h, followed by a longer-lasting decrease at 8–16 h. Scatchard analysis revealed that the apparent, short-latency increase is in the concentration of binding sites, not in the affinity of the receptor for [3H]estradiol. The increase in the concentration of cytosol estrogen receptors is not blocked by pretreatment with the α2-noradrenergic agonist, clonidine. In addition, no increase is detected in the concentration of cell nuclear estrogen receptors accumulating in response to a saturating dose of estradiol. Therefore, the apparent increase in the concentration of cytosol estrogen estrogen may not represent a functional increase in receptors. The decrease in the concentration of estrogen receptors, which occurs 8–16 h after yohimbine treatment, is also seen after injection of the α2-nodrenergic antagonist, idazoxan, and is not due to a change in the in vitro rate of association of the receptors with [3H]estradiol. Furthermore, the decrease seems to be a functional decrease in the concentration of receptors capable of cell nuclear accumulation in response to estradiol injection, as indicated by the results of experiments in which the concentration of cell nuclear estrogen receptors was assayed after estradiol injection. These experiments provide further support for the hypothesis that the α2-noradrenergic system, and perhaps specifically the α2-subtype, is involved in decreasin the concentration of es receptors in parts of the brain and pituitary gland. This interaction provides a mechanism by which the environment could regulate the sensitivity of certain neurons to estradiol. However, the finding that the initial increase in the concentration of cytosol estrogen receptors after yohimbine treatment is not followed by the predicted in cell nuclear estrogen receptors after estradiol injections raises questions about the physiological relevance of the apparent increaseunder conditions.
Using CALINE dispersion to assess vehicular PM2.5 emissions

Abstract This paper explores the range of CALINE4's PM2.5 modeling capabilities by comparing previously collected PM2.5 data with CALINE4 predicted values. Two sampling sites, a suburban site located at an intersection in Sacramento, CA, and an urban site located in London, were used. Predicted concentrations are graphed against observed concentrations and evaluated against the criterion that 75% of the points fall within the factor-of-two prediction envelope. For the suburban site, data estimated by CALINE4 produced results that fell within the acceptable factor-of-two percentage envelope. A reverse dispersion test was also conducted for the suburban site using observed and calculated emission factors, and although it showed correlations between the observed values and CALINE4 predicted values, it could not conclusively prove that the model is accurate at predicting PM2.5 concentrations. Although the results suggest that CALINE4 PM2.5 predictions may be reasonably close to observed values, the number of observations used to verify the model was small and consequently, findings from the suburban site should be considered exploratory. For the urban site, a much larger data set was evaluated; however, the CALINE4 results for this site did not fall 75% within the factor-of-two envelope. Several factors, including street canyon effects, likely contributed to an inaccuracy of the emission factors used in CALINE4, and therefore, to the overall CALINE4 predictions. In summary, CALINE4 does not appear to perform well in densely populated areas and differences in topography may be a decisive factor in determining when CALINE4 may be applicable to modeling PM2.5. For critical transportation projects requiring PM2.5 analysis, use of CALINE4 may not be optimal because of its inability to produce reasonable estimates for highly trafficked areas. Additional data sets for CALINE4 analysis, particularly in urban environments, are required to fully understand CALINE4's PM2.5 modeling capabilities.
Comments on the paper “Living cationic polymerization of styrene monomers” by M.-L. Yang, K. Li and H. D. H. Stöver

The mechanism of cationic polymerization of styrene monomers leading to well defined polymers proposed by Yang, Li and Stover is criticized. The growth does not occur on the “colorless nondissociated ion pair” represented as polarized covalent species but includes dynamic equilibration between covalent species and carbocations. In addition, ligand exchange between 1-phenylethyl bromide and SnCl4 leads to the formation of Lewis acids with much more labile Sn-halide bonds. The observed colors are due to the generation of side products, presumable indanyl cations, and not to the alleged propagating free ions.
Stephanbeckia plumosa (Liabeae: Compositae): A new genus and species from southern Bolivia

Material from southern Bolivia, recently collected by Stephan Beck, is described as a new genus and species, Stephanbeckia plumosa (Compositae: Liabeae). Both morphological and molecular data place the genus in the broadly interpreted subtribe Paranepheliinae, but clearly distinct from other members. It differs morphologically by its small size, deciduous plumose pappus, lack of paleae, and compressed bicostate achenes. A key to the genera of the Liabeae is provided.
Effect of chain unsaturation on the structure and thermotropic properties of galactocerebrosides

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and x-ray diffraction have been used to study the effect of increasing chain-unsaturation on the structure and properties of the hydrated cerebrosides N-stearoyl, -oleoyl, and -linoleoyl galactosylsphingosine (NSGS, NOGS, and NLnGS, respectively). DSC of hydrated (70 wt% water) NSGS shows an endothermic transition at 85 degrees C (delta H = 18.0 kcal/mol NSGS) and a broad exothermic transition at 40–60 degrees C, the latter being dependent upon the previous cooling rate. X-Ray diffraction patterns recorded at 21, 61, and 86 degrees C provide evidence for interconversions between metastable and stable crystalline NSGS bilayer phases. The properties of the unsaturated-chain cerebrosides are more complex. Hydrated NOGS shows a single endothermic transition at 44.8 degrees C (delta H = 11.5 kcal/mol NOGS). However, incubation of NOGS at 49 degrees C for 24 h results in a second transition at 55.5 degrees C. By cycling NOGS between 0 and 49 degrees C complete conversion into this higher melting phase (delta H = 12.1 kcal/mol NOGS) is achieved. X-ray diffraction confirms a bilayer phase at all temperatures and delineates the conversions between a crystalline phase at 21 degrees C (bilayer period d = 56.5A), a second crystalline phase at 47 degrees C (d = 69.9A), and a liquid crystalline phase at 59 degrees C (d = 52.0A). The more unsaturated NLnGS shows two transitions, a sharp transition at 28 degrees C (delta H = 8.0 kcal/mol NLGS) and a broad, low-enthalpy transition at 42 degrees C (delta H = 0.4 kcal/mol NLGS). Again, incubation between the two transitions leads to a single transition at 44 degrees C (delta H = 9.3 kcal/mol NLGS). X-ray diffraction demonstrates conversions between two crystalline bilayer phases (d = 55.2A and d = 68.4A), and a liquid crystalline bilayer phase (d = 51.8A). Thus, increased unsaturation in the amide-linked fatty acyl chain of cerebrosides results in decreased chain-melting temperatures (NSGS greater than NOGS greater than NLnGS) and has marked effects on their structural properties.
Deeper Into Divorce: Using Actor–Partner Analyses to Explore Systemic Differences in Coparenting Conflict Following Custody Dispute Resolution

Divorce is an inherently interpersonal experience, yet too often adults' reactions to marital dissolution are investigated as intrapersonal experiences that unfold outside of the relational context in which they exist. This article examines systemic patterns of interpersonal influence between divorced parents who were randomly assigned to either mediate or litigate a child custody dispute in the mid-1980s. Reports of coparenting conflict and nonacceptance of the divorce were assessed 5 weeks after the dispute settlement, 13 months after the settlement, and then again 12 years later. One hundred nine (N = 109) parents provided data over this 12-year period. Fathers reported the highest initial levels of conflict when their ex-partners were more accepting of the divorce. Mediation parents reported decreases in coparenting conflict in the year after dispute settlement, whereas litigation parents reported increases in conflict. Litigation parents evidenced the greatest long-term increases and decreases in coparenting conflict. Mediation is a potent force for reducing postdivorce conflict, and this article highlights the usefulness of adopting a systemic lens for understanding the long-term correlates of marital dissolution.