cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Comparison Between Two Collagen Nerve Conduits and Nerve Autograft: A Rat Model of Motor Nerve Regeneration.

Purpose To compare recovery in a rat model of sciatic nerve injury using a novel polyglycolic acid (PGA) conduit, which contains collagen fibers within the tube, as compared with both a hollow collagen conduit and nerve autograft . We hypothesize that a conduit with a scaffold will provide improved nerve regeneration over hollow conduits and demonstrate no significant differences when compared with autograft. Methods A total of 72 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into 3 experimental groups, in which a unilateral 10-mm sciatic defect was repaired using either nerve autograft, a hollow collagen conduit, or a PGA collagen–filled conduit. Outcomes were measured at 12 and 16 weeks after surgery, and included bilateral tibialis anterior muscle weight, voltage and force maximal contractility , assessment of ankle contracture , and nerve histology. Results In all groups, outcomes improved between 12 and 16 weeks. On average, the autograft group outperformed both conduit groups, and the hollow conduit demonstrated improved outcomes when compared with the PGA collagen–filled conduit. Differences in contractile force, however, were significant only at 12 weeks (autograft > hollow collagen conduit > PGA collagen–filled conduit). At 16 weeks, contractile force demonstrated no significant difference but corroborated the same absolute results (autograft > hollow collagen conduit > PGA collagen–filled conduit). Conclusions Nerve repair using autograft provided superior motor nerve recovery over the 2 conduits for a 10-mm nerve gap in a murine acute transection injury model. The hollow collagen conduit demonstrated superior results when compared with the PGA collagen–filled conduit. Clinical relevance The use of a hollow collagen conduit provides superior motor nerve recovery as compared with a PGA collagen–filled conduit.
Nanotechnology-Enabled Additively-Manufactured RF and Millimeter-wave Electronics

This paper covers examples of state-of-the-art nanotechnology-empowered materials relying on additive manufacturing techniques for the ultra-low-cost fabrication of flexible radio frequency (RF) and millimeter-wave (mm-wave) wireless electronics and sensors. First, a look into the utilization of carbon- based nanomaterial inks such as carbon nanotubes inks for chemical sensing applications is provided, reporting the most sensitive inkjet-printed ammonia and dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) vapor sensors. These sensors are then integrated with very high-performance flexible printed antenna structures for emerging Internet of Skins (IoS) and 5G applications. The focus is then shifted towards the realization of fully inkjet-printed passive devices including Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) capacitors and spiral inductors. Finally, the importance of nanomaterial-based inks is highlighted in the development and fabrication of highperformance fully inkjet-printed 3D interconnects for wireless mm-wave packaging solutions. Conductive silver nanoparticle and dielectric polymer-based inks are utilized to realize this interface between a die and its packaging substrate, opening new doors for the next generation of advanced, high-performance and ultra-low-cost microelectronic manufacturing and packaging solutions.
Motility of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 Allows for Nitrate Reduction in the Toxic Region of a Ciprofloxacin Concentration Gradient in a Microfluidic Reactor

Subsurface environments often contain mixtures of contaminants in which the microbial degradation of one pollutant may be inhibited by the toxicity of another. Agricultural settings exemplify these complex environments, where antimicrobial leachates may inhibit nitrate bioreduction, and are the motivation to address this fundamental ecological response. In this study, a microfluidic reactor was fabricated to create diffusion-controlled concentration gradients of nitrate and ciprofloxacin under anoxic conditions in order to evaluate the ability of Shewanella oneidenisis MR-1 to reduce the former in the presence of the latter. Results show a surprising ecological response, where swimming motility allow S. oneidensis MR-1 to accumulate and maintain metabolic activity for nitrate reduction in regions with toxic ciprofloxacin concentrations (i.e., 50× minimum inhibitory concentration, MIC), despite the lack of observed antibiotic resistance. Controls with limited nutrient flux and a nonmotile mutant (Δflag) sh...
Vitamin C deficiency: rare cause of severe anemia with hemolysis

Historically known to be a disease of sailors and soldiers in the seventeenth and eighteenth century, scurvy is a rare nutritional deficiency in the developed world, but it can still be seen among the alcoholics and the malnourished. We present a case of a 39-year-old alcoholic male who presented with progressive fatigue and diffuse purpuric rash with scattered ecchymosis for 2 months. Blood work was remarkable for hemoglobin of 9.1 g/dl, which further dropped to 7 g/dl over the next few days. He was then found to have hemolysis on lab work. After an extensive workup, the common causes of hemolytic anemia were ruled out, vitamin C level was checked, which interestingly resulted as 0 mg/dl. Supplementation with oral vitamin C resulted in the gradual resolution of hemolytic anemia and rash. Hemoglobin improved to 15 g/dl in 4 weeks, with normalization of vitamin C level. The clinical features of scurvy can easily be confused with conditions such as vasculitis, deep venous thrombosis, and systemic bleeding disorders. Therefore, comprehensive workup up is required prior to the diagnosis. Although rare, being a reversible condition, early diagnosis and treatment of scurvy in high-risk populations cannot be stressed enough.
Regulation of gene expression by N6-methyladenosine in cancer

As the most abundant mRNA modification in eukaryotic cells, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) has recently emerged as an important regulator of gene expression. m6A modification can be deposited by m6A methyltransferases, removed by m6A demethylases, and recognized by different reader proteins. Numerous lines of evidence have shown that m6A methylation plays critical roles regulating gene expression in development and disease. In this review, we summarize the molecular and cellular function of m6A and highlight some key results which demonstrate the role of m6A in various cancers. Finally, we discuss future directions for research into m6A and its effects in cancer and the potential for targeting RNA modification in cancer treatment.
Designing linked journey maps to understand the complexities of the residential solar energy market

Abstract A journey map is a visual representation of a process undertaken by a person, and is related to product use and human-centered design. Here, we introduce combined (linked) journey mapping techniques and use them to capture a complex system—residential solar panel purchase and installation—from the perspectives of both the homeowner and the installer at the same time. Few studies have analyzed the installer, who we found significantly influences the homeowner's decisions. The advantage of the linked journey map over individual journey maps is that it decreases subjectivity of findings as “pain points” worthy of further study, and modeling can be verified from two or more vantage points. We demonstrate these maps as a semi-formal analytical tool to categorize, parameterize, and unite insights affecting both stakeholders. We gathered data from in-depth interviews with homeowners and installers and built individual journey maps. Then we identified interactions between the two, and merged their two maps to identify points on the journey that create difficulty or frustration. These maps provide comprehensive insight analysis for later surveys and agent-based model creation. We found that post-contract stages were filled with pain points. Both homeowners and installers found the lack of communication between all stakeholders, slow permit processing times and lack of assistance from utilities and housing jurisdictions, and lack of standardization for the permitting process to be painful.
Padding of Multicycle Broadside and Skewed-Load Tests

Multicycle tests achieve test compaction by increasing the number of clock cycles between scan operations and reducing the number of tests. Tests in a compact multicycle test set typically have different numbers of clock cycles between their scan operations. This creates an opportunity to improve the test set by increasing the numbers of clock cycles between the scan operations of the tests, without increasing the number of tests and without exceeding a bound $L$ on the number of clock cycles. Motivated by this observation, this paper studies the padding of multicycle broadside and skewed-load tests for transition faults. After padding, all the tests have $L$ clock cycles between their scan operations. This paper makes several observations and defines new types of multicycle tests that are supported by commercial tools to allow padding to be performed without losing fault coverage. The new types of tests can be used for achieving a higher fault coverage, further test compaction, or an improved test set quality within the bound $L$ . This paper develops padding procedures and presents experimental results for benchmark circuits to demonstrate these effects.
Synthesis and structural characterization of the type-I clathrates K8AlxSn46-x and Rb8AlxSn46-x (x ≃ 6.4-9.7).

Exploratory studies in the systems A-Al-Sn (A = K and Rb) yielded the clathrates K8AlxSn46-x (potassium aluminium stannide) and Rb8AlxSn46-x (rubidium aluminium stannide), both with the cubic type-I structure (space group Pm-3n, No. 223; a ≃ 12.0 A). The Al:Sn ratio is close to the idealized A8Al8Sn38 composition and it is shown that it can be varied slightly, in the range of ca ±1.5, depending on the experimental conditions. Both the (Sn,Al)20 and the (Sn,Al)24 cages in the structure are fully occupied by the guest alkali metal atoms, i.e. K or Rb. The A8Al8Sn38 formula has a valence electron count that obeys the valence rules and represents an intrinsic semiconductor, while the experimentally determined compositions A8Al8±xSn38∓x suggest the synthesized materials to be nearly charge-balanced Zintl phases, i.e. they are likely to behave as heavily doped p- or n-type semiconductors.
Meeting the Demand for Pediatric Mental Health Care.

* Abbreviation: HRSA — : Health Resources and Services Administration Poor access to child and adolescent psychiatrists has long been a concern raised by pediatricians, families, and other stakeholders. Wait times for new appointments can be many months, and families may be required to travel long distances. In the article “The Growth and Distribution of Child Psychiatrists in the United States: 2007–2016” in this issue of Pediatrics , McBain et al1 evaluate whether we have made any progress in expanding the child psychiatry workforce, both in number and distribution. They found that from 2007 to 2016, the number of child psychiatrists increased by 21%, and the number of children in the United States declined slightly. The United States now has 9.75 child psychiatrists per 100 000 children aged 0 to 19. However, they found an eightfold variation in prevalence per 100 000 children among states, ranging from a low of 3.3 in Idaho to a high of 26.5 in Massachusetts. Child psychiatrists are still concentrated in metropolitan areas; 70% of counties do not have one. There are challenges in evaluating how much the increase addresses the shortage. As the authors … Address correspondence to David Axelson, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Children’s Dr, Columbus, OH 43205. E-mail: david.axelson{at}nationwidechildrens.org
Effect of Snake and Ladder Game on Knowledge Regarding Dietary Practices among School Children.

The present study investigated the effect of snake and ladder game on knowledge regarding dietary practices among school children. The objectives of the study were to assess the level of knowledge regarding dietary practices among school children before and after administering the snake and ladder game, to evaluate the effectiveness of snake and ladder game on dietary practices among school children and to find out the association between the pretest knowledge with selected demographic variables. Pre-experimental one group pretest posttest design was selected. A total of hundred students of 10-11 years were selected from De Paul Public School, Nazareth Hill Kottayam using simple random sampling technique. The tools used for the study were baseline proforma and structured knowledge questionnaire. The results of the study revealed that 12% of the children had poor, 74% average and 14% good knowledge regarding dietary practices before the intervention. The posttest result revealed that none had poor, 3% average and 97% good knowledge regarding dietary practices. The value of arithmetic mean in the posttest was 20.43 and the mean value in the pretest was 13.54. The paired t test used to measure the effectiveness of the snake and ladder game for imparting knowledge gave the result t =24.71, (df.99) at 0.05 significance level. Thus snake and ladder game was effective in imparting knowledge regarding dietary practices. The chi-square tests showed that pretest knowledge regarding dietary practices and variables birth order of the child, type of family and age was not associated. The knowledge regarding dietary practices was associated with sex of the child and socio-economic status of the family.
Indoor Air Quality and Passive E-cigarette Aerosol Exposures in Vape-Shops

INTRODUCTION Direct emissions of nicotine and harmful chemicals from electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have been intensively studied, but secondhand and thirdhand e-cigarette aerosol (THA) exposures in indoor environments are understudied. AIMS AND METHODS Indoor CO2, NO2, particulate matter (PM2.5), aldehydes, and airborne nicotine were measured in five vape-shops to assess secondhand exposures. Nicotine and tobacco-specific nitrosamines were measured on vape-shop surfaces and materials (glass, paper, clothing, rubber, and fur ball) placed in the vape-shops (14 days) to study thirdhand exposures. RESULTS Airborne PM2.5, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and nicotine concentrations during shop opening hours were 21, 3.3, 4.0, and 3.8 times higher than the levels during shop closing hours, respectively. PM2.5 concentrations were correlated with the number of e-cigarette users present in vape-shops (ρ = 0.366-0.761, p < .001). Surface nicotine, 4-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-4-(3-pyridyl)butanal (NNA), and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) were also detected at levels of 223.6 ± 313.2 µg/m2, 4.78 ± 11.8 ng/m2, and 44.8 ± 102.3 ng/m2, respectively. Substantial amounts of nicotine (up to 2073 µg/m2) deposited on the materials placed within the vape-shops, and NNA (up to 474.4 ng/m2) and NNK (up to 184.0 ng/m2) were also formed on these materials. The deposited nicotine concentrations were strongly correlated with the median number of active vapers present in a vape-shop per hour (ρ = 0.894-0.949, p = .04-.051). NNK levels on the material surfaces were significantly associated with surface nicotine levels (ρ=0.645, p = .037). CONCLUSIONS Indoor vaping leads to secondhand and THA exposures. Thirdhand exposures induced by e-cigarette vaping are comparable or higher than that induced by cigarette smoking. Long-term studies in various microenvironments are needed to improve our understanding of secondhand and THA exposures. IMPLICATIONS This study adds new convincing evidence that e-cigarette vaping can cause secondhand and THA exposures. Our findings can inform Occupational Safety and Health Administration, state authorities, and other government agencies regarding indoor air policies related to e-cigarette use, particularly in vape-shops. There is an urgent need to ensure that vape-shops maintain suitable ventilation systems and cleaning practices to protect customers, employees, and bystanders. Our study also demonstrates that nicotine can deposit or be adsorbed on baby's clothes and toys, and that tobacco-specific nitrosamines can form and retain on baby's clothes, highlighting children's exposure to environmental e-cigarette aerosol and THA at home is of a particular concern.
Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Promoting Kinases

Nonalcoholic hepatitis (NASH) is the progressive inflammatory form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Although the mechanisms of hepatic inflammation in NASH remain incompletely understood, emerging literature implicates the proinflammatory environment created by toxic lipid-induced hepatocyte injury, termed lipotoxicity. Interestingly, numerous NASH-promoting kinases in hepatocytes, immune cells, and adipocytes are activated by the lipotoxic insult associated with obesity. In the current review, we discuss recent advances in NASH-promoting kinases as disease mediators and therapeutic targets. The focus of the review is mainly on the mitogen-activated protein kinases including mixed lineage kinase 3, apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and p38 MAPK; the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress kinases protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase and inositol-requiring protein-1α; as well as the Rho-associated protein kinase 1. We also discuss various pharmacological agents targeting these stress kinases in NASH that are under different phases of development.
Healthcare Workers and Burnout During COVID-19 Pandemic

Have you ever felt stuck? Or rather unmotivated and unsatisfied at your work? Maybe you do not feel like being a doctor anymore, but the fear of what will you do after; scares you more. Or maybe, you do wish to continue your medical practices but feel rather tired and let down at most times. In either scenario, you are not alone.Several healthcare workers feel underappreciated and suffer from lack of enthusiasm for work, feelings of cynicism towards life and low sense of personal accomplishment, in short, they feel “Burnt out”. Burnout is on the rise in medical fraternity. Established professionals, residents in training, to young medical school trainees beginning their careers in medicine, none can escape from the brunt of burnout. Long working hours and increasing burden of bureaucratic tasks make the medical profession a tedious one. Continued exposure to human suffering and death introduces cynicism towards life and its purpose. Constant need to becompassionate to patients and their family members require immense mental and emotional fortitude.However, with an increase in violence against the medical fraternity,[5] a typical doctor begins to question the sanctity of the profession and feels unappreciated.
Partial Averaging and Resonance Trapping in a Restricted Three-Body System

Based on the value of the orbital eccentricity of a particle and also its proximity to the exact resonant orbit in a three-body system, the Pendulum Approximation (Dermott & Murray 1983) or the Second Fundamental Model of Resonance (Andoyer 1903; Henrard & Lemaitre 1983) are commonly used to study the motion of that particle near its resonance state. In this paper, we present the method of partial averaging as an analytical approach to study the dynamical evolution of a body near a resonance. To focus attention on the capabilities of this technique, a restricted, circular and planar three-body system is considered and the dynamics of its outer planet while captured in a resonance with the inner body is studied. It is shown that the first-order partially averaged system resembles a mathematical pendulum whose librational motion can be viewed as a geometrical interpretation of the resonance capture phenomenon. The driving force of this pendulum corresponds to the gravitational attraction of the inner body and its contribution, at different resonant states, is shown to be proportional to e^s, where s is the order of the resonance and e is the orbital eccentricity of the outer planet. As examples of such systems, the cases of (1:1), (1:2) and (1:3) resonances are discussed and the results are compared with known planetary systems such as the Sun-Jupiter-Trojan asteroids.
“If We Could Just Sit down and Talk”: Fathers’ Partnerships with Educational Professionals

Family-professional partnerships are an important predictor of student success for children with and without disabilities. However, little is known about the perspectives of fathers of children wit...
Impact of Navigation on 30-Day Outcomes for Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery.

Study DesignRetrospective database study.ObjectiveNavigation has been increasingly used to treat degenerative disease, with positive radiographic and clinical outcomes and fewer adverse events and ...
Binding Affinity Determines Substrate Specificity and Enables Discovery of Substrates for N-Myristoyltransferases

Kinetic parameters (kcat and Km) derived from the Michaelis–Menten equation are widely used to characterize enzymes. kcat/Km is considered the catalytic efficiency or substrate specificity of an en...
Resúmenes de trabajos clínicos. VI Congreso AEXMUN

Genetica de la longevidad / Genetica del rechazo del trasplante de medula osea / Contribucion del sistema Hh / Genetica de la respuesta inmunitaria contra vacunas.
Chapter 7 Specification and estimation of simultaneous equation models

Publisher Summary The simultaneous equation models are the most remarkable development in econometrics. Econometric research has led to further developments and applications of these statistical models. This chapter discusses the specification for the estimation of simultaneous equation models. The most important set of identification conditions—namely coefficient restrictions, involves determining whether a sufficient number of instruments are available. It has recently been proved that the other type of identification restrictions used in linear simultaneous equation models—namely covariance restrictions, are most easily understood in terms of instrumental variables. In terms of estimation almost all consistent estimators are either instrumental variables estimators or asymptotic approximations to them. The original maximum likelihood estimator (FIML) proposed for the simultaneous equation model is an instrumental variable estimator; other estimators rely on asymptotic approximations to the basic likelihood equations. The chapter discusses exogeneity tests and specification tests in reference to the simultaneous equation model. The nonlinear simultaneous equation model is also discussed in the chapter.
"Are You an Immigrant?": Identity-Based Critical Reflections of Teaching Intercultural Communication.

This chapter examines the negotiated experiences of a female international faculty of color teaching an intercultural communication course from the lens of intersecting cultural identities in the context of a prominently White institution in the United States.
Robust Nonparametric Confidence Intervals for Regression‐Discontinuity Designs

In the regression-discontinuity (RD) design, units are assigned to treatment based on whether their value of an observed covariate exceeds a known cutoff. In this design, local polynomial estimators are now routinely employed to construct confidence intervals for treatment effects. The performance of these confidence intervals in applications, however, may be seriously hampered by their sensitivity to the specific bandwidth employed. Available bandwidth selectors typically yield a “large” bandwidth, leading to data-driven confidence intervals that may be biased, with empirical coverage well below their nominal target. We propose new theory-based, more robust confidence interval estimators for average treatment effects at the cutoff in sharp RD, sharp kink RD, fuzzy RD, and fuzzy kink RD designs. Our proposed confidence intervals are constructed using a bias-corrected RD estimator together with a novel standard error estimator. For practical implementation, we discuss mean squared error optimal bandwidths, which are by construction not valid for conventional confidence intervals but are valid with our robust approach, and consistent standard error estimators based on our new variance formulas. In a special case of practical interest, our procedure amounts to running a quadratic instead of a linear local regression. More generally, our results give a formal justification to simple inference procedures based on increasing the order of the local polynomial estimator employed. We find in a simulation study that our confidence intervals exhibit close-to-correct empirical coverage and good empirical interval length on average, remarkably improving upon the alternatives available in the literature. All results are readily available in R and STATA using our companion software packages described in Calonico, Cattaneo, and Titiunik (2014d, 2014b).
Control and Measured Performance of a Passive Off-Peak Storage System

The energy consumptions in two similar townhouses were monitored over the 1985-86 heating season to gain field experience with the concept of passive off-peak storage. In one of these all-electric passive solar residences, a constant off-peak charge of a brick wall by embedded electrical wires provided a base load while the comfort requirements were met by conventional convectors. The second building was used as a reference building and had an identical mass wall but without the embedded electrical wires. Two separate analyses, with similar very cold weather showed: (1) a 10 to 40% reduction in baseboard energy consumption during the on-peak period; (2) a 30 to 80% reduction in baseboard energy consumption during the high demand hours of the day. From December to February the storage accounted for 46 to 79% of the average daily heating load of the test units.
thermochronology of isotopically zoned micas: Insights from the southwestern USA proterozoic orogen

Abstract We have used three different 40 Ar 39 Ar laser microprobe methods to explore the distribution of radiogenic 40 Ar in 1.0–1.5-mm biotite crystals from the ca. 1680 Ma Horse Mountain monzogranite of central Arizona. Incremental heating of two single crystals with a defocused laser beam produced flat age spectra with near-plateau ages of ∼1190 Ma, showing no indication of intracrystalline 40 Ar inhomogeneity. In contrast, total fusion of twenty-five biotite fragments (∼ 100 pm) yielded apparent ages ranging from 1006.7 to 1212.0 Ma. Detailed age mapping in the {001} plane of two crystals, with the laser focused to a minimum spot size, confirms that the age dispersion in the fragment data reflects the existence of 200 m.y. age gradients in single crystals. The two mapped crystals display very different age distribution patterns that suggest radiogenic 40 Ar loss through two mechanisms: volume diffusion on a scale comparable to that of the grain radius, and more rapid diffusion along discrete zones of high crystal defect density. Simple inverse modeling of the overall age dispersion in the two mapped crystals and the fragment population is consistent with the development of the observed age gradients by slow cooling at an average rate of ∼0.5 K/m.y. The Horse Mountain results, as well as previously published studies, indicate that conventional, incremental heating of hydrous phases can homogenize intracrystalline gradients in 40 Ar, thereby masking important details of the thermal history of analyzed samples. In contrast, detailed isotopic mapping studies offer a wealth of information, and will become more powerful with continued improvement in the spatial resolution of 40 Ar 39 Ar laser microprobes. Total-fusion studies of crystal fragment populations can be readily automated, making them less labor-intensive than mapping studies. Our preliminary experiment on a limited Horse Mountain fragment population suggests that this procedure has great potential as a reconnaissance tool for thermal history research.
Telecommunication Pricing: Smart Versus Dumb Pipes

This chapter examines the economic impacts of service‐based discrimination on the market for telecommunication services. It analyzes a market with discrete consumer types, who may or may not be uniformly ordered with regards to their preferences for various services. The chapter examines two models, each with two types of consumers. In the first model, consumer preferences are uniformly ordered across services. In the second one, this ordering is not uniform. For these two models, the chapter compares all three surpluses‐producer, consumer, and social‐under smart pipes with that under dumb pipes. The chapter identifies circumstances in which smart pipes surprisingly lead to a higher consumer surplus. It sheds light on the issue of neutrality with respect to different services that use the same communication network. Finally, the chapter discusses why the wisdom that smart pipes increase profits may not hold when consumer types are ordered nonuniformly.
Enterprise-scale cloud migration orchestrator

With the promise of low-cost access to flexible and elastic resources, enterprises are increasingly migrating their existing workloads into the Cloud. Yet, the heterogeneity of the workloads and existing configuration of legacy IT infrastructure make it challenging to enable a one-click, seamless migration process. There are multiple tools available for migrating servers based on their existing configurations and multiple ways of dealing with data synchronization (post migration). In this paper, we present a Cloud Migration Orchestrator (CMO), based on business process management (BPM) approach to provide a systematic framework to automate and coordinate migration activities. CMO coordinates the process of migration, starting from discovery, provisioning, network configuration, execution of migration, cutover and validation. CMO integrates multiple migration technologies, to support different migration scenarios. We present and discuss our results from a preliminary deployment of CMO to migrate 25 VMware instances and discuss how this approach improves the effectiveness of migration, and seamlessly coordinates activities required to be executed.
Feedback symmetrization of nonlinear systems

The feedback symmetrization problem for nonlinear systems is studied. It is shown that this problem is solvable if and only if certain equations are solvable. Once the solutions of the equations are available, a feedback law which solves the problem can easily be constructed. >
Anesthesia for children with pericardial effusion: a case series

Summary Objectives and aims: To review the anesthetic management of children requiring surgical intervention for pericardial effusion, determine the nature and frequency of complications and define risk factors that predict perioperative risk. Background: Anesthesia in the presence of a pericardial effusion may be associated with significant hemodynamic compromise particularly during induction. However, the literature specifically concerning children is limited to a single-case report. Methods: A retrospective case review of children undergoing general anesthesia for surgical treatment for pericardial effusion between 1999 and 2008 at a single institution. Results: Sixty-five children underwent 79 general anesthetics for surgical treatment for pericardial effusion. Median age was 4 years (2 weeks–16 years), and median weight 15 kg (range, 2.5–96 kg). Fifty-five children (84%) developed effusions following cardiac surgery. The commonest induction agent was ketamine (25/65, 38%), and the majority of children (52/65, 80%) were intubated and ventilated for the procedure. Seven children (11%) suffered from eight major complications, and 14 children (22%) suffered from a minor complication. Major complications were more common in children with preoperative tachypnoea (P = 0.01) and cardiac tamponade on preoperative echocardiogram (ECHO) (P = 0.001). Preoperative hypoxia had a sensitivity of 92% and a positive likelihood ratio of 5.2 (95% CI 1.5–17.5) for predicting all complications. Conclusions: Anesthesia for pericardial effusion in children was associated with an adverse physiological event in one-third of children. Major complications may be predicted by preoperative tachypnoea and cardiac tamponade on preoperative ECHO, and all complications may be predicted by preoperative hypoxia. The anesthetic technique included a variety of induction agents, and we cannot recommend a particular approach.
Phanerozoic trends in brachiopod body size from synoptic data

Body size is one of the most studied phenotypic attributes because it is biologically important and easily measured. Despite a long history of study, however, the pattern of body-size change in diverse higher taxa over the Phanerozoic remains largely unknown because few relevant data sets span more than a single geological period or provide comprehensive, global coverage. In this study, we measured representative specimens of 3414 brachiopod genera illustrated in the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. We applied these size data to stage-resolved stratigraphic ranges from the Treatise and the Paleobiology Database to develop a Phanerozoic record of trends in brachiopod size. Using a model comparison approach, we find that temporal variation in brachiopod size exhibits two distinct modes—a Paleozoic mode of size increase and a post-Paleozoic mode indistinguishable from a random walk. This transition reflects a change in the identities of the most diverse brachiopod orders rather than a shift in mode within any given order. Paleozoic size increase reflects a small, persistent bias toward the origination of new genera larger than those surviving from the previous stage and is identifiable as a statistically supported trend in three orders representing both Class Strophomenata (Order Productida) and Class Rhynchonellata (orders Atrypida and Spiriferida). Extinction exhibits no consistent bias with respect to size. The shift in evolutionary mode across the end-Permian mass extinction adds to long-standing evidence from studies of diversity and abundance that this biotic catastrophe suddenly and permanently altered the evolutionary history of what was, until that time, the most diverse animal phylum on Earth.
Transformation of Iris into Lens in vitro and its Dependency on Neural Retina

Upon lentectomy of adult newt eyes, the dorsal iris epithelium produces a cell population that develops into a new lens. The tissue transformation can be completed not only in the isolated lentectomized eye cultured as a whole, but also in the isolated newt normal dorsal iris combined with the retina of frog larvae in vitro. In this study, 93% of such cultures produced lens tissue made up of newt cells. Well-differentiated lens fibre cells were formed which showed positive immunofluorescence for gamma crystallins. When the isolated dorsal iris epithelium was cultured under the same conditions, well-differentiated lens tissue was again formed in 95% of the cases, suggesting that iris epithelial cells and not iris stromal cells are responsible for lens formation. In contrast, the combination of newt ventral iris with frog retina did not produce any newt lens tissue. No lens tissue was produced when the dorsal iris was cultured with newt spleen or lung, although a considerable number of iris epithelial cells became depigmented. Isolated normal dorsal iris or normal dorsal iris epithelium cultured alone infrequently produced a population of depigmented cells but failed to form lens tissue. On the basis of the present and earlier data, it is concluded that in Wolffian lens regeneration in situ, interaction of the iris epithelial cells with the retina plays a decisive role. However, it is suggested that the iris epithelial cells may have an inherent tendency towards lens formation, and that the factor(s) from the retina facilitates the realization of this tendency, rather than instructing the cells to produce lens. The reported experiments provide the first direct evidence for the existence of cellular metaplasia by demonstrating transformation of fully differentiated iris epithelial cells into lens cells.
Anti-aircraft fire control and the development of integrated systems at Sperry, 1925-40

The dawn of the electrical age brought new types of control systems. Able to transmit data between distributed components and effect action at a distance, these systems employed feedback devices as well as human beings to close control loops at every level. By the time theories of feedback and stability began to become practical for engineers in the 1930s, a tradition of remote and automatic control engineering had developed that built distributed control systems with centralized information processors. These two strands of technology, control theory and control systems, came together to produce the large-scale integrated systems typical of World War II and after. >
Cognitive abilities of adolescent Turner's Syndrome Patients

The association of deficits in spatial abilities and lower Performance IQ (PIQ) scores in Turner's Syndrome Patients (TSPs) has been studied since 1962. Conflicting results have been reported with regard to the nature of their spatial ability deficits. This study examines the nature of the cognitive and spatial abilities in TSPs of normal intelligence. A neuropsychological battery of standardized tests was administered over a two-month period to 14 TSPs, aged 13–19 years. These patients had been served medically in the Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, University of Michigan Medical Center, since childhood. Patient scores were compared to the test battery's standardized norms by univaraite t -tests. No differences were found in the Wechsler subtest scores previously used to measure spatial abilities (Block Design, Object Assembly, WISCR). TSPs excelled in verbal abstract reasoning and verbal comprehension ( p p t -tests did not reveal differences in these spatial measures when the sample was divided into Bright (110+) and Average (109-80) Verbal IQ (VIQ) groups. Although their PIQs were within the average range, the TSPs VIQs were significantly higher ( p p
Enforced Disappearances in Colombia: A Plea for Synergy between the Courts

Currently, thousands of people each year become the victims of enforced disappearance in Colombia. There is growing pressure for the national courts to prosecute perpetrators, deterring others who might commit the crime, and for intervention by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) and the International Criminal Court (ICC). Enforced disappearance was chosen as the paradigmatic crime for this article because it vividly demonstrates the incapacity of the State to respond to the offense and the need for international intervention. The IACHR and the ICC each fulfil different fundamental purposes and both are needed at this time in Colombia. To prevent jurisdictional conflicts, the two tribunals must exercise comity towards one another. As the IACHR has already tried cases, this article proposes that the ICC should use the IACHR's jurisprudence as a frame of reference when judging a case's admissibility under its own Complementarity Principle (Art. 17), and also with regards to certain evidentiary standards and victim procedures.
Differential Performance on the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test.

The Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (EOWPVT) is a screening instrument used to derive an estimate of general verbal intelligence. The purpose of this paper is to present five clinical case studies of children with depressed performance on the EOWPVT to illustrate differential performance outcomes that are not attributable to a single causal factor (i.e., general verbal intelligence). It is proposed that the utility of the EOWPVT, from a qualitative and analytic perspective, may provide more than just a measure of general verbal intelligence.
Identification of extrastriatal dopamine D2 receptors in post mortem human brain with [125I]epidepride

The regional distribution of striatal and extrastriatal dopamine D2 receptors in human brain was studied in vitro with (S)-N-[(1-ethyl-2- pyrrolidinyl)methyl]-5-[125I]iodo-2,3-dimethoxybenzamide, [125I]epidepride, using post mortem brain specimens from six subjects. Scatchard analysis of the saturation equilibrium binding in twenty-three regions of post mortem brain revealed highest levels of binding in the caudate (16.5 pmol/g tissue) and putamen (16.6 pmol/g tissue) with lower levels seen in the globus pallidus (7.0 pmol/g tissue), nucleus accumbens (7.2 pmol/g tissue), hypothalamus (1.8 pmol/g tissue), pituitary (1.3 pmol/g tissue), substantia innominata (1.0 pmol/g tissue), and amygdala (0.87 pmol/g tissue). Of note was the presence of dopamine D2 receptors in the four thalamic nuclei studied, i.e. anterior nucleus (1.0 pmol/g tissue), dorsomedial nucleus (0.96 pmol/g tissue), ventral nuclei (0.72 pmol/g tissue), and pulvinar (0.86 pmol/g tissue), at levels comparable to the amygdala (0.87 pmol/g tissue) and considerably higher than levels seen in anterior cingulate (0.26 pmol/g tissue) or anterior hippocampus (0.36 pmol/g tissue). The frontal cortex had very low levels of dopamine D2 receptors (0.17-0.20 pmol/g tissue) while the inferior and medial temporal cortex had relatively higher levels (0.31-0.46 pmol/g tissue). Inhibition of [125I]epidepride binding by a variety of neurotransmitter ligands to striatal, ventral thalamic and inferior temporal cortical homogenates demonstrated that [125I]epidepride binding was potently inhibited only by dopamine D2 ligands. The present study demonstrates that dopamine D2 receptors are present in basal ganglia, many limbic regions, cortex and in the thalamus. The density of thalamic D2 receptors is comparable to many limbic regions and is considerably higher than in cortex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Noninvasive screening for coronary atherosclerosis and silent ischemia in asymptomatic high-risk populations

Asymptomatic subjects at risk for adverse cardiovascular events, based on clinical risk models, are further risk-stratified by noninvasive imaging of coronary atherosclerosis and silent ischemia. Coronary atherosclerosis can be detected by imaging coronary artery calcification (CAC). CAC scores more than 400 are associated with a higher cardiac event rate. Silent ischemia can be detected by stress perfusion imaging employing single photon emission CT or positron emission tomography. Asymptomatic type 2 diabetics and those with advanced kidney disease represent high-risk populations. Asymptomatic diabetics with high CAC scores have a higher prevalence and extent of silent ischemia than those with low scores. The greater the extent of CAC, the worse the outcome. For asymptomatic chronic kidney disease patients, the larger the extent of stress perfusion abnormalities, the higher the cardiac mortality rate. New molecular imaging approaches for assessing myocardial metabolism and detecting vulnerable coronary plaques hold promise for risk stratification.
Visual acuity at two phases of the menstrual cycle

Visual acuity, as accessed through letter identification, was investigated at two phases of the menstrual cycle (ovulation and menstruation). Reduced acuity was found at the time of ovulation. This finding is inconsistent with previous studies that have employed detection tasks and found increased sensitivity at ovulation. An analysis of the impact of the specific task on the visual system and the interaction of task with cycle phase provides a resolution to this apparent inconsistency.
A Cleavage-resistant Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor Exhibits Dysregulated Cell-surface Clearance

Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (u-PAR) binds urokinase plasminogen activator (u-PA) and participates in plasminogen activation in addition to modulating several cellular processes such as adhesion, proliferation, and migration. u-PAR is susceptible to proteolysis by its cognate ligand and several other proteases. To elucidate the biological significance of receptor cleavage by u-PA, we engineered and expressed a two-chain urokinase plasminogen activator (tcu-PA) cleavage-resistant u-PAR (cr-u-PAR). This mutated receptor was similar to wild-type u-PAR in binding u-PA and initiating plasminogen activation. However, cr-u-PAR exhibited accelerated internalization and resurfacing due to direct association with the endocytic receptor α2-macroglobulin receptor/low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein in the absence of the enzyme·inhibitor complex of tcu-PA and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (tcu-PA·PAI-1). cr-u-PAR-expressing cells had enhanced migration compared with wild-type u-PAR-expressing cells, and cr-u-PAR was less sensitive to chymotrypsin cleavage as compared with wt u-PAR. Our studies suggest that these mutations in the linker region result in a rearrangement within the cr-u-PAR structure that makes it resemble its ligand-bound form. This constitutively active variant may mimic highly glycosylated cleavage-resistant u-PAR expressed in certain highly malignant cancer-cells.
Fatal pneumonia in an adult due to respiratory syncytial virus.

• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in adults are generally mild, and no fatalities in uninstitutionalized adults have been reported. To our knowledge, we document herein the first case of fatal RSV pneumonia in a previously healthy elderly woman living at home, in whom complement fixation titers against RSV rose from less than 1:8 to reach 1:256 at death. Cytoplasmic inclusions characteristic of RSV were detected at autopsy. (Arch Intern Med1987;147:791-792)
Second-order approximation to the variance of a proportion

The second-degree Taylor polynomial for a ratio is used to derive approximations to the means, variances, and covariances of proportions.
Vibrational spectra and bonding in nitrocyclopropane

Raman spectra of nitrocyclopropane were recorded from 4000 to 30 cm−1 for the liquid and solid states. Infrared spectra were recorded from 4000 to 180 cm−1 for vapor phase and matrix isolated states. The low frequency torsional mode is located at 101 cm−1 in the liquid state (102 cm−1 in the solid state) and correlates well with the 84 cm−1 value for the vapor phase which is predicted on the basis of a torsional combination band in the infrared vapor phase spectrum. The calculated barrier to internal rotation for the vapor phase is 1645±50 cm−1, 4.70±0.15 kcal mol−1. A vibrational assignment is proposed for the first time and it supports structural arguments that there is significant pseudo-conjugation between the cyclopropane ring orbitals and the substituent NO2 group. Finally, a detailed temperature study reveals no appreciable spectral change; hence, nitrocyclopropane appears to exist as a single Cs conformer over the range −173 to 100°C.
A comparative study of cultural influences on financial reporting in the U.S. and The Netherlands

Abstract This paper argues that financial reporting and its regulation have multiple purposes reflecting each country's social, cultural, and political environments. Thus, the original idea of harmonization as moving towards uniformity in accounting standards across countries may not be achieved as long as social, cultural, and political differences exist across countries. An alternative approach is a reconcillation strategy where an agreement is reached on basic recognition and measurement criteria and on a framework that enables users to reconcile financial statements from different countries while it also satisfies those countries regulatory requirements. To support this argument, the paper presents evidence from a comparison of financial reporting in the U.S. and the Netherlands within their respective cultures and an analysis of annual reports of a matched sample of American and Dutch publicly listed companies.