cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Feasibility of using multiple-dwell positions in 192Ir Leipzig-style brachytherapy surface applicators to expand target coverage and clinical application.

Abstract Purpose Leipzig-style applicators for surface brachytherapy are traditionally used with a single-source dwell position. This study explores the feasibility of using multiple-source dwell positions (“multidwell”) to improve the dose coverage and applicability of Leipzig-style applicators. Methods and Materials A virtual model of the Leipzig-style applicator was commissioned for a model-based dose calculation algorithm (MBDCA) and compared against American Association of Physicists in Medicine working group 186 benchmarking data sets and ionization chamber point measurements. An absolute dosimetry technique based on radiochromic film was used to validate both single-dwell and multidwell plans. Results Dose distributions generated from the MBDCA-based virtual model were consistent with working group data sets, ion chamber measurements, and radiochromic film analysis. In one multidwell configuration, at 3 mm prescription depth, the 80% isodose width was increased to 25 mm, compared with 15 mm in the same dimension for a single-dwell delivery. In the same multidwell configuration, the flatness, measured as >98% isodose line, was more than doubled to 8 mm, compared with 3 mm in the same dimension. For multidwell plans, 2-D planar agreement between radiochromic film and MBDCA exceeded 93% in gamma analysis (3%/1 mm criteria). Submillimeter positional agreement was found, with a total dosimetric uncertainty of 4.5% estimated for the entire system. Conclusions Leipzig-style surface applicators with multiple-source dwell positions have been benchmarked against radiochromic film dosimetry. Results show that the clinically viable coverage area can be increased significantly.
Crowd-sourced data and analysis tools for advancing the chemical vapor deposition of graphene: Implications for manufacturing

Industrial production of graphene by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) requires more than the ability to synthesize large domain, high quality graphene in a lab reactor. The integration of graphene i...
Reconciling markedly discordant values of serum ferritin versus reticulocyte hemoglobin content

OBJECTIVE To determine why serum ferritin and reticulocyte hemoglobin (RET-He), drawn to assess neonatal iron sufficiency, sometimes have markedly discordant results. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective records review of five NICUs over 28 months, identifying all patients with a ferritin and RET-He within 48 h. We examined records of all who had marked discordance (one value >95th % reference interval, the other <5th %). RESULTS Of 190 paired ferritin and RET-He measurements, 16 (8%) were markedly discordant. Fifteen of the 16 discordant samples involved a high ferritin and a low RET-He. In these, low MCV and high %Micro-R, and low MCH and high %HYPO-He were present. In total, 8 of the 15 had laboratory or clinical evidence of an inflammatory process and five had suspicion of infection documented. CONCLUSIONS When ferritin and RET-He were discordant, erythrocyte microcytosis and hypochromasia suggested that the RET-He gave the more accurate interpretation; that iron deficiency was likely present.
Lethal Coalitionary Aggression Associated with a Community Fission in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda.

Many animals engage in aggression, but chimpanzees stand out in terms of fatal attacks against adults of their own species. Most lethal aggression occurs between groups, where coalitions of male chimpanzees occasionally kill members of neighboring communities that are strangers. However, the first observed cases of lethal violence in chimpanzees, which occurred at Gombe, Tanzania in the 1970s, involved chimpanzees that once knew each other. They followed the only observed case of a permanent community fission in chimpanzees. A second permanent fission recently transpired at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda. Members of a large western subgroup gradually ceased associating peacefully with the rest of the community and started behaving antagonistically toward them. Affiliation effectively ended by 2017. Here, we describe two subsequent lethal coalitionary attacks by chimpanzees of the new western community on males of the now separate central community, one in 2018 and the second in 2019. The first victim was a young adult male that never had strong social ties with his attackers. The second was a high-ranking male that had often associated with the western subgroup before 2017; he groomed regularly with males there and formed coalitions with several. Other central males present at the start of the second attack fled, and others nearby did not come to the scene. Several western females joined in the second attack; we suggest that female–female competition contributed to the fission. This event highlighted the limits on protection afforded by long-term familiarity and the constraints on costly cooperation among male chimpanzees.
Histopathology of anastomotic stenosis after total anomalous pulmonary vein connection

We report a case of a 10-month-old girl who was diagnosed with pulmonary vein stenosis after total anomalous pulmonary vein connection repair and underwent release of an anastomotic stenosis. Histopathological examinations of the resected anastomotic tissue revealed intimal hyperplasia at the anastomotic site. Predominant lesion cells were identified as myofibroblasts and had the characteristics of fibroblasts and synthetic smooth muscle cells. These cells could be a useful target for preventing anastomotic stenosis after total anomalous pulmonary vein connection repair.
Brief Report: Prevalence and Severity of Auditory Sensory Over-Responsivity in Autism as Reported by Parents and Caregivers

Auditory sensory over-responsivity (aSOR) is a frequently reported sensory feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, there is little consensus regarding its prevalence and severity. This cross-sectional study uses secondary data from the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R; Item 72: undue sensitivity to noise) housed in the US National Institute of Mental Health Data Archives to identify prevalence and severity of aSOR. Of the 4104 subjects with ASD ages 2–54 (M = 9, SD = 5.8) who responded to item 72, 60.1% (n = 1876) had aSOR currently (i.e., point prevalence) and 71.1% (n = 2221) reported having aSOR ever (i.e., lifetime prevalence). aSOR prevalence and severity were affected by age, but there were no associations with sex.
The Mismeasure of Progress: Economic Growth and Its Critics

Recent scholarship on the history of capitalism has emphasized how that system is dynamic and contingent. Change is the one constant in capitalism, but one type of change has functioned as the lead...
1006-P: Progression to Type 2 Diabetes Despite a Baseline Fasting Plasma Glucose ≤ 80 mg/dl in a Population-Based Cohort

Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) concentration is a major predictor of a person’s risk of developing diabetes mellitus (DM). However, we sought to examine characteristics of individuals who develop DM despite a baseline FPG of ≤ 80mg/dL. The Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP) links the medical records of virtually all persons who have resided in Olmsted County, MN, USA between 1966 and present. Electronic laboratory data are available from 2005. Using REP, we identified individuals with ≥ 2 FPG tests from 2005-17, after excluding people who met criteria for DM on/before their first FPG. Those who developed DM (FPG > 125mg/dL) were assigned an event date as the date of their first diagnostic value. Subjects who did not develop DM were censored at their last FPG value on/before Dec 31, 2017. The entire cohort consisted of 44,815 individuals, of whom 3689 (8.2%) developed DM. Although higher baseline FPG was strongly related to development of DM, 2315 had a baseline FPG of ≤ 80mg/dL with 130 (5.6%) developing DM. Within this subset, those who progressed were older at baseline (40 ± 11 vs. 36 ± 12 years, p Disclosure A. M. Egan: None. C. Wood-wentz: None. K. R. Bailey: None. A. Vella: Research Support; Self; Novo Nordisk. Funding National Institutes of Health (DK78646, DK116231, DK126206, K12HD065987)
Abstract 1306: Primary NK cells and luciferase expressing reporter cell lines for use in developing ADCC assays for immuno-oncology drug screening

Immuno-oncology is one of the fastest growing fields in oncology, and cancer immunotherapy in recent years represents a milestone in the treatment of cancer. Natural killer (NK) cells are potent innate effectors capable of targeting and killing virally infected and malignant cells. The use of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting tumor antigens triggers antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) by NK cells, which has shown prominent clinical efficacy in clearing tumors in cancer patients. Therefore, the development of tumor cell targeting mAbs and biologics dictate a clear need for human cell-based models to evaluate antibody efficacy. In this study, human PBMCs and purified NK cells from healthy donors are used to develop an ADCC assay. The NK cells purified from PBMCs are >90% CD45+ CD56+, express high levels of CD16, and NK activation markers such NKG2A, KIR2DL1, NKp44 upon activation. The activated NK cells exhibit both strong direct and antibody-dependent cytotoxicity. Genotyping for FcγRIIIa receptor F and V variant is also performed for cells isolated from different donors, which is the genetic polymorphism that affects ADCC response. In addition, we employ a portfolio of luciferase reporter tumor cell lines to evaluate NK cell direct killing and ADCC targeted killing. These include K562, Wil2S, BT474, A431, A375 parental, and CRISPR edited A375 KRAS mutant cell lines engineered to express luc2 reporter. The commonly targeted cell surface markers, such as CD20, Her2, and EGFR, are highly expressed within this panel of target tumor cell lines. We validate the ADCC assay system through testing the efficacy for some of the well-known mAb biologics such as anti-CD20, anti-HER2, and anti-EGFR. After co-culture of activated primary NK cells with luciferase reporter target cell lines and the addition of dilutions of ADCC and isotype control antibodies, we are able to show target cell specific and dose-dependent killing effects. The luciferase reporter provides great convenience in measuring target cell killing without having to use radioactive 51Cr release assay or pre-label the cells with calcein. This data demonstrates the utility of primary NK cells along with a portfolio of well characterized luciferase reporter tumor cell line to develop “custom” designed ADCC assays for studying NK cell immune response and screening for biological drugs for cancer immunotherapy. Citation Format: Haiyun Liu, Brian Della Fera, John Foulke, Luping Chen, Fang Tian. Primary NK cells and luciferase expressing reporter cell lines for use in developing ADCC assays for immuno-oncology drug screening [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 1306.
Multiple Myeloma Cells Depend on the DDI2/NRF1-mediated Proteasome Stress Response for Survival

Multiple myeloma (MM) cells suffer from baseline proteotoxicity due to an imbalance between the load of misfolded proteins awaiting proteolysis and the capacity of the ubiquitin-proteasome system to degrade them. This intrinsic vulnerability is at the base of MM sensitivity to agents that perturb proteostasis such as proteasome inhibitors (PIs), the mainstay of modern-day myeloma therapy. De-novo and acquired PI resistance are important clinical limitations, adversely affecting prognosis. The molecular mechanisms underpinning PI resistance are only partially understood, limiting the development of drugs that can overcome it. The transcription factor NRF1 is activated by the aspartic protease DDI2 upon proteasome insufficiency and governs proteasome biogenesis. In this work, we show that MM cells exhibit baseline NRF1 activation and are dependent upon DDI2 for survival. DDI2 knock out (KO) is cytotoxic for MM cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Protein structure-function studies show that DDI2 KO blocks NRF1 cleavage and nuclear translocation, causing impaired proteasome activity recovery upon irreversible proteasome inhibition, thereby increasing sensitivity to PI. Add-back of wild-type, but not of catalytically-dead DDI2, fully rescues these phenotypes. We propose that DDI2 is an unexplored, promising molecular target in MM by disrupting the proteasome stress response and exacerbating proteotoxicity.
Health Insurance Status and Psychological Distress among US Adults Aged 18-64 Years

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between psychological distress and aspects of health insurance status, including lack of coverage, types of coverage and disruption in coverage, among US adults. Data from the 2001–2010 National Health Interview Survey were used to conduct analyses representative of the US adult population aged 18–64 years. Multivariate analyses regressed psychological distress on health insurance status while controlling for covariates. Adults with private or no health insurance coverage had lower levels of psychological distress than those with public/other coverage. Adults who recently (≤1 year) experienced a change in health insurance status had higher levels of distress than those who had not recently experienced a change. An interaction effect indicated that the relationship between recent change in health insurance status and distress was not dependent on whether an adult had private versus public/other coverage. However, for adults who had not experienced a change in status in the past year, the average absolute level of distress is higher among those with no coverage versus private coverage. Although significant relationships between psychological distress and health insurance status were identified, their strength was modest, with other demographic and health condition covariates also being potential sources of distress. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Novel method for detecting bitline contact misalignment using quantitative analysis of high-aspect ratio SEM images

Bitline contact misalignment has a negative impact on yield in 20nm and sub-20nm NAND technology, which is typically worse at a wafer's edge than at its center. We hypothesized that photo critical dimensions (CD) and/or registration issues were contributing factors to this misalignment issue, potentially caused by incoming wafer CD, incoming wafer edge topology, and photolithography scanner mismatch. Because traditional optical and electron beam (e-beam) inspection tools cannot detect bitline contact misalignment, which is made even worse with high-aspect ratio (HAR) contacts, production wafers must currently be scrapped for physical failure analysis (PFA) x-section as a means of inline process control and compensation. Detection of bitline HAR contact misalignment requires the ability to resolve the bottom of the contact with the surrounding shallow trench isolation (STI) and silicon structure. In this paper, we show that the preferred approach is to use a high-resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM) capable of HAR imaging.
Visualizing Quasi-Particle Scattering Resonances

The properties of superconductors can to a certain extent be understood within a framework of band theory, similar to the behavior of electrons in solids. However, as Atkinson and McDonald explain on page 57, the response of superconductors to disorder can differ widely from that expected from band theory. Conventional superconductors do not form bound states at defects, whereas unconventional superconductors do. Hudson et al. (page 88) have imaged resonances as a result of such bound states in such unconventional superconductors. Such direct imaging studies should improve our understanding of fundamental mechanisms underlying high-temperature superconductivity.
DTI template-based estimation of cardiac fiber orientations from 3D ultrasound.

Purpose: Cardiac muscle fibers directly affect the mechanical, physiological, and pathological properties of the heart. Patient-specific quantification of cardiac fiber orientations is an important but difficult problem in cardiac imaging research. In this study, the authors proposed a cardiac fiber orientation estimation method based on three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound images and a cardiac fiber template that was obtained from magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Methods: A DTI template-based framework was developed to estimate cardiac fiber orientations from 3D ultrasound images using an animal model. It estimated the cardiac fiber orientations of the target heart by deforming the fiber orientations of the template heart, based on the deformation field of the registration between the ultrasound geometry of the target heart and the MRI geometry of the template heart. In the experiments, the animal hearts were imaged by high-frequency ultrasound, T1-weighted MRI, and high-resolution DTI. Results: The proposed method was evaluated by four different parameters: Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), target errors, acute angle error (AAE), and inclination angle error (IAE). Its ability of estimating cardiac fiber orientations was first validated by a public database. Then, the performance of the proposed method on 3D ultrasound data was evaluated by an acquired database. Their average values were 95.4% ± 2.0% for the DSC of geometric registrations, 21.0° ± 0.76° for AAE, and 19.4° ± 1.2° for IAE of fiber orientation estimations. Furthermore, the feasibility of this framework was also performed on 3D ultrasound images of a beating heart. Conclusions: The proposed framework demonstrated the feasibility of using 3D ultrasound imaging to estimate cardiac fiber orientation of in vivo beating hearts and its further improvements could contribute to understanding the dynamic mechanism of the beating heart and has the potential to help diagnosis and therapy of heart disease.
Introduction to Quantum Physics and Relativity, by Jacob Dunningham and Vlatko Vedral. Scope: textbook. Level: undergraduate

Introduction to Quantum Physics and Relativity, by Jacob Dunningham and Vlatko Vedral, London, Imperial College Press, 2010, 240 pp., £50 (paperback), ISBN 978-1-84816-514-4. Scope: textbook. Level...
Comparing Central City Finances Using Fiscally Standardized Cities

AbstractBecause fiscal institutions and arrangements differ widely across US cities, it has until now been very difficult to conduct comparative analysis of spending, revenues, and debt in US cities. This paper describes a new city fiscal dataset, called fiscally standardized cities (FiSCs), that directly addresses the varying roles of municipal governments, counties, school districts, and special districts in the financing of central cities. By taking systematic account of fiscal data for all the major units of government in large cities over a long time period (1977–2012), the FiSC data permit investigation of a wide range of important comparative policy issues for cities. The article describes the methodology used to construct FiSCs, and gives a number of examples to illustrate the potential uses of the FiSC data. For example, it shows how spending comparisons between cities can be fundamentally misleading unless account is taken of the varying roles of overlapping governmental units. It also demonstra...
The Moral Ecology of Markets: Assessing Claims about Markets and Justice

1. Thinking ethically about economic life Part I. Self-interest, Morality, and the Problems of Economic Life: 2. De-moralized economic discourse about markets 3. The moral defense of self-interest and markets 4. The moral critique of self-interest and markets 5. The four problems of economic life Part II. The Moral Ecology of Markets: 6. The market as an arena of freedom 7. The moral ecology of markets 8. Implications.
The relationship between functional status and judgment/problem solving among individuals with dementia

Judgment and problem solving are required when completing activities of everyday living such as writing checks, responding appropriately to strangers, and keeping track of appointments. Damage to the brain, including that caused by certain subtypes of dementia, is associated with the loss of function in judgment and problem solving (Auning, et al., 2011; Fellows and Farah, 2005; Fellows and Farah, 2007; Wallis and Rich, 2011). While the linkage between a decline judgment and problem solving and a decline in functional activities is intuitive, no studies have examined this relationship among individuals with one of the most serious neurodegenerative conditions in older adults, that of dementia. When health care professionals suspect that a decline in judgment and problem solving accompanies a decline in functional status in this population, a targeted specialized assessment of judgment and problem solving may not always be conducted due to time constraints, lack of resources or insufficient expertise. If an empirical relationship between functional status and judgment and problem solving can be documented, it may stimulate health care professionals to obtain a detailed assessment of judgment and problem solving in individuals when declining functional status is noted during a routine examination. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if an empirical relationship exists between judgment and problem solving and functional status and the extent demographics (including dementia subtype) and cognition (mental status and executive function) may moderate that relationship in individuals with dementia.
Mentoring and Advising

Mentorship refers to the development of a relationship between a more experienced individual (the mentor) with a less experienced individual (the mentee or protege). The role and expectations of the mentor in the development of the junior faculty member’s academic relationship is extremely important. As such, this chapter discusses the expectations of the mentor, mentee, and the mentor-mentee relationship.
A novel methodology for radiative transfer in a planetary atmosphere. I - The functions a exponent m and b exponent m of anisotropic scattering

The original problem of anisotropic scattering in an atmosphere illuminated by a unidirectional source is replaced by an analogous formulation where the incident light is omnidirectional. A radiative-transfer equation for the omnidirectional case is obtained in which the direction of illumination plays no role and the source-function analog, Sobolev's (1972) source function Phi exponent m, contains only a single integral term. For radiation incident on the top or the bottom of the atmosphere, this equation involves the functions b exponent m and h exponent m, respectively, with m corresponding to the order of the harmonic component of the scattered radiation field; these two functions are shown to be only one through some simple reciprocity relations. The transfer problem is then reformulated for the function a exponent m, in which case the source-function analog (Sobolev's function D exponent m) involves incident direction.
A teleoperated unmanned rotorcraft flight test technique

NASA and the US Army are jointly developing a teleoperated unmanned rotorcraft research platform at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center. This effort is intended to provide the rotorcraft research community an intermediate step between wind tunnel rotorcraft studies and full-scale flight testing. The research vehicle is scaled such that it can be operated in the NASA Langley 14- by 22-foot subsonic tunnel or be flown freely at an outside test range. The authors briefly describe the system's requirements and the techniques used to combine the various technologies present in the system to meet these requirements. They also discuss the status of the development effort. >
Modeled Sources, Transport, and Accumulation of Dissolved Solids in Water Resources of the Southwestern United States.

Anning, David W., 2011. Modeled Sources, Transport, and Accumulation of Dissolved Solids in Water Resources of the Southwestern United States. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(5):1087-1109. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00579.x Abstract: Information on important source areas for dissolved solids in streams of the southwestern United States, the relative share of deliveries of dissolved solids to streams from natural and human sources, and the potential for salt accumulation in soil or groundwater was developed using a SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes model. Predicted area-normalized reach-catchment delivery rates of dissolved solids to streams ranged from <10 (kg/year)/km2 for catchments with little or no natural or human-related solute sources in them to 563,000 (kg/year)/km2 for catchments that were almost entirely cultivated land. For the region as a whole, geologic units contributed 44% of the dissolved-solids deliveries to streams and the remaining 56% of the deliveries came from the release of solutes through irrigation of cultivated and pasture lands, which comprise only 2.5% of the land area. Dissolved-solids accumulation is manifested as precipitated salts in the soil or underlying sediments, and (or) dissolved salts in soil-pore or sediment-pore water, or groundwater, and therefore represents a potential for aquifer contamination. Accumulation rates were <10,000 (kg/year)/km2 for many hydrologic accounting units (large river basins), but were more than 40,000 (kg/year)/km2 for the Middle Gila, Lower Gila-Agua Fria, Lower Gila, Lower Bear, Great Salt Lake accounting units, and 247,000 (kg/year)/km2 for the Salton Sea accounting unit.
Parallel Branch-and-Bound for Chemical Engineering Applications: Load Balancing and Scheduling Issues

Branch-and-prune (BP) and branch-and-bound (BB) techniques are commonly used for intelligent search in finding all solutions, or the optimal solution, within a space of interest. The corresponding binary tree structure provides a natural parallelism allowing concurrent evaluation of subproblems using parallel computing technology. Of special interest here are techniques derived from interval analysis, in particular an interval-Newton/generalized-bisection procedure. In this context, we discuss issues of load balancing and work scheduling that arise in the implementation of parallel BB and BP, and describe and analyze techniques for this purpose. These techniques are applied to solve problems appearing in chemical process engineering using a distributed parallel computing system. Results show that a consistently high efficiency can be achieved in solving nonlinear equations, providing excellent scalability. The effectiveness of the approach used is also demonstrated in the consistent superlinear speedup observed in performing global optimization.
Democracy, Knowledge, and the Hidden Economy of Athens

Abstract The economic growth of Classical Athens was fueled largely by the aphanes or “hidden” wealth of the elite, who surreptitiously sheltered their money in non-landed investments in order to avoid both the disesteem of their aristocratic peers and the liturgical obligations imposed by the common people. Therefore, as much as the economic success of Athens was promoted by democratic institutions that encouraged the dispersal of knowledge, it was also furthered by the desire of members of the elite to suppress knowledge of their wealth in order to circumvent both traditional, pre-democratic values (privileging landed wealth) and novel democratic institutions (liturgies).
High-Temperature Jet Spray Reactor for the Preparation of Rare Earth Oxides by Pyrolysis: Computer Simulation

A new type of high-temperature jet spray pyrolysis (SP) reactor is investigated in this article as part of studies on the preparation of rare earth oxides at Northeastern University (NEU), Shenyang, China. The jet spray reactor examined here is a horizontal, tubular reactor conveying the hot products of the combustion of methane and oxygen with a converging–diverging jet section in an arrangement that provides for inspiration of LaCl3 solution to pyrolyze to La2O3 with the hot gas. The present article is concerned with a computer simulation using a computational fluid dynamic model to develop the velocity, temperature, and pressure profiles in the jet reactor since direct measurement is difficult. The article includes brief comments on a room-temperature model designed to examine the flow characteristics of the jet SP reactor. It was found that the velocity decreased at first, and then it increased near the jet throat. The highest velocity occurred at the throat of jet SP reactor where the LaCl3 enters the unit. Along the reactor axis, the temperature decreases with distance from the gas inlet. The lowest temperature zone was near the wall before the throat of the reactor due to wall heat losses. The temperature was estimated to be close to 1700 K at the throat of the reactor, and it was about 1300 K toward the exit of the reactor. It was shown that a reaction would take place mainly in the throat and in the vicinity of first contact between gas and induced spray. A negative pressure was produced as gas passes through the converging–diverging throat of the jet SP reactor that causes the LaCl3 solution to enter the throat of the reactor. While the investigations of this type of reactor are at an early stage, the results look promising. NEU continues to investigate this approach for the preparation of La2O3 based on high-temperature testwork and physical modeling techniques.
Elliptic equations, principal eigenvalue and dependence on the domain

We consider a general second order uniformly elliptic differential operator L and also the set θ of all open sets (not necessarily smooth) in the unit ball of ℝn. We define a metric d in this space (up to an equivalence relation ∼) that makes the space (θ/ ∼,d) a complete metric space. We show that the principal eigenvalue and eigenfunction of L are continuous with the metric d. Similar results are obtained for the solutions of the equation Lv = ƒ.
Acute colonic pseudoobstruction

Acute colonic pseudoobstruction (ACPO) is a clinical condition of acute large bowel obstruction without mechanical blockage. ACPO occurs most often in hospitalized patients with serious underlying medical and surgical conditions. ACPO is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of ACPO is not completely understood but likely results from an imbalance in the autonomic regulation of colonic motor function. Metabolic or pharmacologic factors, as well as spinal or retroperitoneal trauma, may alter the autonomic regulation of colonic function, leading to excessive parasympathetic suppression or sympathetic stimulation. This imbalance results in colonic atony and pseudoobstruction. Early recognition and appropriate management are critical to minimizing morbidity and mortality. The mortality rate is estimated at 40% when ischemia or perforation occurs. The best documented treatment of ACPO is intravenous neostigmine, which leads to prompt decompression in the majority of patients after a single infusion. In patients failing or having contraindications to neostigmine, colonoscopic decompression is the active intervention of choice. Surgery is reserved for those with overt peritonitis or perforation.
Evidence-based medicine knowledge, attitudes, and skills of community faculty.

CONTEXT: As medical schools turn to community physicians for ambulatory care teaching, assessing the preparation of these faculty in principles of evidence-based medicine (EBM) becomes important. OBJECTIVE: To determine the knowledge and attitudes of community faculty concerning EBM and their use of EBM in patient care and teaching. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey conducted from January to March of 2000. SETTING: A clinical campus of a state medical school; a midwestern city of a half-million people with demographics close to national means. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparisons of community faculty with full-time faculty in perceived importance and understanding of EBM (5-point scale), knowledge of EBM, and use of EBM in patient care and teaching. MAIN RESULTS: Responses were obtained from 63% (177) of eligible community faculty and 71% (22) of full-time faculty. Community faculty considered EBM skills to be less important for daily practice than did full-time faculty (3.1 vs 4.0; P<.01). Primary care community faculty were less confident of their EBM knowledge than were subspecialty community or full-time faculty (2.9 vs 3.3 vs 3.6; P<.01). Objective measures of EBM knowledge showed primary care and subspecialty community faculty about equal and significantly below full-time faculty (P<.01). Thirty-three percent of community faculty versus 5% of full-time faculty do not incorporate EBM principles into their teaching (P<.01). CONCLUSIONS: Community faculty are not as equipped or motivated to incorporate EBM into their clinical teaching as are full-time faculty. Faculty development programs for community faculty should feature how to use and teach basic EBM concepts.
Nonpolarized memory T cells

Abstract Nonpolarized T cells, defined as memory T cells that are deficient in the production of T helper 1 (Th1) or Th2 cytokines, are now receiving overdue attention. Predominantly of a lymphoid-tissue-homing phenotype, they comprise a memory T-cell pool for efficient secondary immune responses, as well as a CXC-chemokine receptor 5 (CXCR5) + T-cell subset specialized to provide help for B cells. Thus, the conventionally overlooked, nonpolarized T-cell population is proving to have diverse activities important to immune function.
Biochemical reaction engineering and biochemical reactors

Abstract Biochemical reactors provide a fascinating assortment of new challenges to the reaction engineer. These arise because of the characteristics of the reactants, catalysts, and the reaction networks involved. Especially important are genetic controls of cell metabolism and structure/function/activity relationships in enzyme catalysis. Several examples are discussed which illustrate the implications of these and other biological fundamentals in biochemical reaction analysis and design.
Diaziquone, 2,5-diaziridinyl-3,6-biscarboethoxyamino-1,4-benzoquinone, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid kinetics.

Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) kinetics of diaziquone, 2,5-diaziridinyl-3,6-biscarboethoxyamino-1,4-benzoquinone (AZQ), were evaluated after intravenous injection in patients with implanted Ommaya reservoirs. After a 30-min infusion plasma disappearance was very rapid, with a disposition half-life of 2 to 6 min and an elimination half-life of 25 to 35 min. Area under the concentration-time curve for CSF was 22% to 42% of the corresponding plasma area. Based upon total plasma AZQ concentration, volume of distribution for AZQ was 2.0 to 10.0 l/m2. Plasma binding of AZQ was 79% in one normal subject. When the effect of plasma binding is considered, distribution volumes are more plausible and it appears that free plasma AZQ is completely available to the CSF. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1982) 31, 650–655; doi:10.1038/clpt.1982.90
Asymptotically Optimal Group Rank Tests for Location

Abstract The asymptotic efficiency of a simple group rank test is examined in the case of testing that the location parameter of a symmetric distribution is zero against the alternative it is positive. Asymptotic optimality is shown subject to a condition on the density function. Efficiencies in relation to the sample mean and the sign test are found in several cases.
Isochromosome 12p mosaicism (Pallister‐Killian syndrome): Newborn diagnosis by direct bone marrow analysis

A patient who exhibited the phenotype of the Pallister mosaic aneuploid syndrome was cytogenetically diagnosed in the newborn period by bone marrow analysis. A 47,XY,i(12p) karyotype was observed in 100% of the metaphases from direct bone marrow preparations, while phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated bone marrow was 23% isochromosome positive. Initially, 10% of metaphases from a peripheral blood culture were isochromosome positive, but at 2 months of age all metaphases examined were cytogenetically normal. Serial fibroblast cultures were 75%, 100%, and 28% positive, respectively. The isochromosome was also present in all metaphases examined from lung tissue and testes. This karyotypic pattern supports a theory that tissue-limited mosaicism may result from selection due to differing developmental potentials of certain karyotypes in various tissues.
Gramodendrine, a bipiperidyl-indole alkaloid from Lupinus arbustus subsp. calcara tus

Abstract A new bipiperidyl-indole alkaloid, gramodendrine, was isolated from Lupinus arbustus subsp. calcaratus . Its structure was determined from spect
Influence of mineral supplementation on 2,3-dihydroxypyridine toxicity in Angora goats

To study the effect of mineral supplementation on 2,3-DHP toxicity, 16 mature Angora wethers were randomly allocated to four treatment groups (M, DM, D and C). Two hours after the morning feeding; group M received a mineral mixture of 2 g of Fe2(SO4)3 · 7H20, 2 g of MgSO4 · 7H20 and 2 g of ZnSO4 · 7H20 intraruminally in 80 mL of water; group DM received a similar mineral mixture plus 6 g of 2,3-DHP (DHP chelated with metal ions), group D received 6 g of 2,3-DHP in 80 mL of water and group C received 80 mL of water. In group D, two animals died within 24 h of receiving DHP and the other two animals were sacrificed to prevent suffering. Ruminal concentration of DHP was approximately 18 × higher in group D than in group DM (2.8 vs. 0.16 mmol L−1; P < 0.05) 4 h following treatment. Plasma DHP concentration, 6 h post treatment, was lower in group DM than in group D (15.2 vs. 85.9 nmol mL−1, P < 0.05). Urinary excretion of 2,3-DHP was much faster in group DM than in group D (P < 0.05). Plasma triiodothyronine in group D was lower (110 vs. 211 ng dL−1; P < 0.05) than in group DM. It appears that mineral supplementation prevented 2,3-DHP toxicity. Faster urinary excretion of chelated 2,3-DHP suggests that 2,3-DHP must be chelated to be efficiently transported and cleared by the kidney.
Beccaria and Situational Crime Prevention

This article compares Beccaria’s and Situational Crime Prevention’s (SCP) claims across six dimensions. Both perspectives question harsh penalties, embrace crime reduction as a goal, and view some ...
Microfabricated differential mobility spectrometry with pyrolysis gas chromatography for chemical characterization of bacteria.

A microfabricated drift tube for differential mobility spectrometry (DMS) was used with pyrolysis-gas chromatography (py-GC) to chemically characterize bacteria through three-dimensional plots of ion intensity, compensation voltage from differential mobility spectra, and chromatographic retention time. The DMS analyzer provided chemical information for positive and negative ions simultaneously from chemical reactions between pyrolysis products in the GC effluent and reactant ions of H+(H2O)n and O2-(H2O)n in air at ambient pressure. Authentic standards for chemicals formed in the pyrolysis of bacteria showed favorable matches with plots from py-GC/DMS analysis and were supported by py-GC/MS results. These and other yet-unidentified constituents provided a means to distinguish Escherichia coli from Micrococcus luteus. A Gram-positive spore former (Bacillus megaterium) was distinguished by an abundant peak for crotonic acid evident in positive and negative ions and not observed with M. luteus. In contrast, ...
Numerical analysis of ignition transients in solid rocket motors

A model to analyze the unstready multidimensional turbulent flow in the head-end, star slot section of a solid rocket motor during the ignition transient is developed. The present paper examines the fluid dynamic aspects of the starting transient. A finite-difference solution of the unsteady, compressible, full Navier-Stokes equations, together with a two-equation k-epsilon turbulence model, is obtained utilizing the MacCormack explicit, predictor-corrector technique. Computed results for the flow in the slot are compared with experimental data obtained in cold flow tests of a scaled model of the Space Shuttle SRM head-end, star grain section. The agreement between the calculated flowfield and existing experimental data is very good.
How violent are fast controls, III

Abstract For (coupled systems of) partial differential equations for which nullcontrol is possible in arbitrarily short time, the ‘standard’ blowup rate for the control cost is exponential in 1 / T . It is shown how to derive this rate for a variety of systems, including the thermoelastic system with control restricted to a small patch in the domain and to a single component (thermal, displacement, or velocity).
Irrigation induced change in vegetation and evapotranspiration in the Central Valley of California

Landscape changes in the Central Valley of California, USA, have been dramatic over the past 100 years. Irrigated agriculture has replaced natural communities of California prairie, riparian forest, tule marsh, valley oak savannah, and San Joaquin saltbrush. This paper addresses the implication of vegetation change on evapotranspiration as a consequence of these changes. It was found that an increase in irrigated agriculture and a 60% reduction in the aerial extent of native vegetation has not produced significant changes in the moisture transfer to the atmosphere. The apparent reason for this result is that irrigated agriculture has substituted one actively transpiring surface for another and, therefore, has not significantly altered the transpiration flux of the landscape.
A new Peruvian species of chiropterophilous Couepia (Chrysobalanaceae)

Couepia dolichopoda, a new bat-pollinated species from Amazonian Peru, is described and compared withC. longipendula, its nearest relative.
Parasitism of Cranberry Roots By Tetylenchus Joctus Thorne 1)

Parasitisme de racines de Vaccinium macrocarpon ("Cranberry") par Tetylenchus joctus Thorne. Des boutures enracinees de Vaccinium macrocarpon se trouvant dans une terre sterilisee furent infectees artificiellement par un nombre determine de Tetylenchus joctus. Ces nematodes s'etaient fortement multiplies apres 6 mois. La nutrition de ces nematodes fut examinee sur des racines de "cranberry" cultivees sur agar dans des boites de petrie. Le mode de nutrition et le comportement du nematode pendant la nutrition sont decrits et illustres.
Measurements from neutrino and charged lepton scattering

Abstract This review presents selected results from neutrino and charged-lepton deep inelastic scattering. Electroweak results are reported for ν - e and ν - N scattering. Neutrino structure functions and QCD analyses are also presented and compared to charged-lepton scattering. Finally, a brief review is given of the HERA deep-inelastic scattering results.
Providing direct care nurses research and evidence-based practice information: an essential component of nursing leadership.

staffileno b.a. & carlson e. (2010) Journal of Nursing Management 18, 84–89 Providing direct care nurses research and evidence-based practice information: an essential component of nursing leadership Aims This commentary describes the reasons, strategies and benefits of providing direct care nurses with research and evidence-based practice (EBP) education. Background A component of nursing leadership is to provide nurses opportunities for professional growth and development, yet this can be challenging during a time when resources are constrained and need to be used wisely. Evaluation Our research and EBP education programmes have been evaluated qualitatively, as well as by the number of research/EBP projects implemented. Key issues Providing direct care nurses with support and additional education empowers them to seek, critically appraise and integrate research findings into their daily patient care. Conclusions Direct care nurses, who participated in our programme, demonstrated a strong desire to learn about research and EBP so they could practice using evidence-based care with confidence, thus transitioning from a ‘tradition-based’ care approach to an evidence-based way of providing care as the standard for nursing practice. Implications for Nursing Management Providing a dedicated time for additional education sends a clear message that research and EBP are important elements embedded in patient care. The organisation, then, is seen as an environment that emphasizes the value of research and EBP at the unit and organisational level.
The vaccines for children program: Policies, Satisfaction, and Vaccine Delivery

Abstract Objectives: Characterize the Vaccines for Children (VFC) programs in Minnesota and Pennsylvania, assess providers' satisfaction with each state's program, and examine changes in doses administered in the public sector since implementation of the VFC. Methods: Primary care providers participating in the VFC in Minnesota and Pennsylvania were surveyed. Doses administered were based on data from the National Immunization Survey. Outcome measures included satisfaction, ease of use of VFC, doses of immunizations administered through public health departments, and overall immunization coverage for the two states. Results: Most participating providers in each state (80% to 94%) reported overall satisfaction with the VFC. Pennsylvania physicians were less satisfied with quarterly ordering of immunizations than were Minnesota providers with monthly ordering (56% vs 80%, p Conclusions: The VFC appears to increase the numbers of poor and uninsured children who receive necessary childhood immunizations within their medical homes. Providers are generally satisfied with the program.
Chaos-based cryptography: a brief overview

Over the past decade, there has been tremendous interest in studying the behavior of chaotic systems. They are characterized by sensitive dependence on initial conditions, similarity to random behavior, and continuous broad-band power spectrum. Chaos has potential applications in several functional blocks of a digital communication system: compression, encryption and modulation. The possibility for self-synchronization of chaotic oscillations has sparked an avalanche of works on application of chaos in cryptography. In this paper, chaos-based cryptography is discussed from a point of view which the author believes is closer to the spirit of both cryptography and chaos theory than the way the subject has been treated recently by many researchers.
APPLICATION OF A CONTINUOUS CENTRIFUGAL FLUIDIZED BED DRIER TO THE PREPARATION OF QUICK-COOKING RICE PRODUCTS

Parameters developed previously for preparing several quick-cooking rice varieties using a small batch centrifugal fluidized bed drier (“CFB”) were adapted to a continuous unit which was operated at rates of 20–60 lb/hr of dried instant type rice products. Minor equipment modifications were made to handle the slightly sticky cooked rice being fed into the continuous drier. High heat transfer rates were obtained with an air flow of 3000 fpm at 132°C across the lo-inch diam × 100-inch long drier cylinder rotating at 270 rpm to give a centrifugal force of about 10 times gravity. A 5-min drying time was possible. The process was applied satisfactorily to long-, medium- and short-grain rice varieties. Bulk densities and rehydration characteristics were controlled to meet prescribed recipe directions for consumer use. The CFB process should reduce water usage and energy consumption by minimizing treatment times. Total product cost should be favorable for consumer markets.
Varenicline's adverse events. Choice of summary statistics: relative and absolute measures.

Our 2012 meta-analysis of cardiovascular related serious adverse events associated with varenicline use has had more than 12 000 online full text viewings.1 In this article we drew attention to an earlier widely publicised meta-analysis,2 which differed from ours in its outcome definition and choice of summary statistic. We restricted outcomes to treatment emergent adverse events in active and placebo arms, whereas the earlier study allowed differential outcome follow-up by arm,2 which extended beyond the …