cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiation dose reduction for 3D angiography images in pediatric and congenital cardiology

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of simulated reduced-dose three-dimensional angiography (3DA) on the accuracy and precision of linear measurements derived from 3DA datasets. Background Three-dimensional angiography is performed during X-ray guided interventional procedures to aid diagnosis and inform treatment strategies for children and adults with congenital heart disease. However, 3DA contributes substantially to patient radiation dose and may lead to an increased radiation-induced cancer risk. Methods Reduced-dose patient 3DA images were simulated by adding quantum noise to the 2D projection angiograms, then reconstructing the projection angiograms into the 3DA dataset. Dose reduction in the range 33-72% was simulated. Five observers performed 46 vessel diameter measurements along prespecified axes within 23 vessel segments from 11 patient 3DA datasets. Statistical tests were performed to assess the influence of radiation dose reduction on the accuracy and precision of vessel diameter measurements. Results Vessel diameter measurements were in the range 5.9- 22.7 mm. Considering all vessel segments and observers, the influence of dose level on the accuracy of diameter measurements was in the range 0.02 - 0.15 mm (p .05-.8). Interobserver variability increased modestly with vessel diameter, but was not influence by dose level (p = .52). The statistical test for observer recall bias was negative (p = .51). Conclusions Simulated dose reduction up to 72% did not affect the accuracy or precision of the diameter measurements acquired from 3DA images. These findings may embolden 3DA radiation dose reduction for pediatric and congenital heart disease patients.
The Economic Legacy of Expulsion: Lessons from Post-War Czechoslovakia

This article examines the long-run effects of forced migration on economic development in the origin economy, using Czechoslovakia’s expulsion of three million Germans after WWII. For identification, I use the discontinuity in ethnic composition at the border of the Sudetenland region where Germans lived. Germans had similar characteristics to Czechs, bypassing factors driving effects in other cases of forced migration, such as differences in human capital. The expulsion produced persistent disparities in population density, sector composition and educational attainment. I trace effects to selective initial resettlements and capital extraction following the expulsion, culminating in urban decay and human capital decline.
Detachment fault fluid composition, temperature, and pressure from fluid inclusion analysis in the central Grouse Creek Mountains, Utah

Abstract Fluid inclusions were trapped in sealed microfractures in quartz in quartz-muscovite veins in and near the Red Butte pluton. The pluton lies in the footwall of the Ingham Pass detachment fault in the Grouse Creek Mountain portion of the Raft River-Albion-Grouse Creek metamorphic complex. The veins crosscut all metamorphic fabrics in the country rock and the pluton and postdate the pluton intrusion. The aqueous fluids determined from temperature measurements contain 1.8 to 5.6 wt percent salt as NaCl and 5–21 mol percent CO2. The inclusions homogenized at 185 °C–290 °C though many of the inclusions leaked or decrepitated before homogenization was reached. Pressure estimates made from the CO2 content of the fluids ranged from a high of 210 Mpa near lithostatic pressure to 60 Mpa near hydrostatic pressure. Thermal history determined by Ar-Ar dating of K-feldspar, biotite, and muscovite show that the temperature cooled to 315 °C by 21 Ma near the upper fluid inclusion temperature. Basin and Range normal faulting is dated at 13.4 Ma. The fluid inclusion characteristics compared to lithostatic pressure gradients indicate that the upper plate of the detachment fault had thinned from the maximum of near 15 km at the inception of the fault to about 8 km by the time of entrapment of the fluid inclusions. Pressure as high as lithostatic could have facilitated detachment faulting if the elevated fluid pressure was present during detachment fault displacement.
Global decrease in brain sodium concentration after mild traumatic brain injury.

The pathological cascade of tissue damage in mild traumatic brain injury is set forth by a perturbation in ionic homeostasis. However, whether this class of injury can be detected in vivo and serve as a surrogate marker of clinical outcome is unknown. We employ sodium MRI to test the hypotheses that regional and global total sodium concentrations: (i) are higher in patients than in controls and (ii) correlate with clinical presentation and neuropsychological function. Given the novelty of sodium imaging in traumatic brain injury, effect sizes from (i), and correlation types and strength from (ii), were compared to those obtained using standard diffusion imaging metrics. Twenty-seven patients (20 female, age 35.9 ± 12.2 years) within 2 months after injury and 19 controls were scanned with proton and sodium MRI at 3 Tesla. Total sodium concentration, fractional anisotropy and apparent diffusion coefficient were obtained with voxel averaging across 12 grey and white matter regions. Linear regression was used to obtain global grey and white matter total sodium concentrations. Patient outcome was assessed with global functioning, symptom profiles and neuropsychological function assessments. In the regional analysis, there were no statistically significant differences between patients and controls in apparent diffusion coefficient, while differences in sodium concentration and fractional anisotropy were found only in single regions. However, for each of the 12 regions, sodium concentration effect sizes were uni-directional, due to lower mean sodium concentration in patients compared to controls. Consequently, linear regression analysis found statistically significant lower global grey and white matter sodium concentrations in patients compared to controls. The strongest correlation with outcome was between global grey matter sodium concentration and the composite z-score from the neuropsychological testing. In conclusion, both sodium concentration and diffusion showed poor utility in differentiating patients from controls, and weak correlations with clinical presentation, when using a region-based approach. In contrast, sodium linear regression, capitalizing on partial volume correction and high sensitivity to global changes, revealed high effect sizes and associations with patient outcome. This suggests that well-recognized sodium imbalances in traumatic brain injury are (i) detectable non-invasively; (ii) non-focal; (iii) occur even when the antecedent injury is clinically mild. Finally, in contrast to our principle hypothesis, patients' sodium concentrations were lower than controls, indicating that the biological effect of traumatic brain injury on the sodium homeostasis may differ from that in other neurological disorders. Note: This figure has been annotated.
Determination of the number of clusters by symmetric non-negative matrix factorization

Clustering is an unsupervised machine learning technique that serves to extract patterns in unlabeled datasets by grouping their elements based on a similarity measure. A priori knowledge of the number of clusters is needed in most of the clustering techniques, which is both difficult and necessary for an effective and accurate pattern recognition and latent (not directly observable) feature analysis. Recently, graph based Symmetric Non-negative Matrix factorization (SymmNMF) has been demonstrated to perform better than k-means and spectral clustering. Here, we present a consensus clustering based on robust resampling technique which in conjunction with SymmNMF and Proportion of Ambiguous Clustering (PAC) criterion performs a robust graphical clustering and accurate identification of the number of clusters in several non-convex benchmark datasets.
Behavioral changes during the COVID-19 pandemic in myopic and non-myopic adults

Purpose : The COVID-19 pandemic began in the United States in early 2020, affecting day to day life for adults and children. Secondary to quarantine and lockdown measures, many people have had to spend more time in their home and carry out activities virtually, not only for work, but also for social interactions and daily tasks, such as grocery shopping. Increased time indoors and electronic device use may ultimately impact sleep/wake patterns and, in younger adults, potentially eye growth and myopia progression. Our goal was to compare subjective measures of daily behaviors in myopic and non-myopic adults during the summer COVID-19 pandemic to their behaviors prior to the pandemic. Methods : Adults (ages 40.5±5.5 years, n=66) completed a questionnaire regarding their demographics, ocular history, and behaviors for summer 2020, as well as for before the COVID-19 pandemic. Subjects were asked to estimate the time spent per day on various activities, such as hand held and traditional electronic device use, time spent outdoors, and sleep. Data were analyzed with repeated measures ANOVA for session (COVID-19 vs pre-COVID-19), day of week (weekdays vs weekends), and refractive error group (myopic vs non-myopic). Results : During the COVID-19 pandemic, participants spent more time doing near work compared to pre-COVID-19 (4.5±0.4 vs 4.1±0.3 hours per day, respectively, P=.026). Additionally, on weekdays, participants demonstrated increased electronic device use during COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID-19 (9.9±0.5 vs 8.9±0.5 hours per day, respectively, P=.008). On weekdays, sleep duration significantly increased by 36 minutes during COVID-19 (P .05 for all). For all metrics, there were no significant differences by refractive error group. Conclusions : COVID-19-related quarantine measures changed adults' behaviors compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on self-report, near work and use of electronic devices increased during COVID-19, whereas physical activity and time outdoors were not significantly different compared to pre-COVID-19. There were no differences in behaviors between myopes and non-myopes. Depending on temporal characteristics of artificial light exposure from the reported increase in electronic device use, sleep/wake patterns and circadian rhythm may ultimately be affected.
Quantive Particle Modeling

Publisher Summary Particle modeling is the study of the dynamical reaction of a material body to external forces. The mathematical equations of particle modeling are large systems of nonlinear, second-order ordinary differential equations, rather than small systems of partial differential equations. The feasibility of particle modeling is the result of the availability of modem, digital computer technology. This chapter focuses on quantitative models which have been developed within the past decade. The applications presented require only the availability of a modern scientific personal computer. From the classical, Newtonian point of view, both atoms and molecules exhibit the following behavior. Two molecules, for example, interact only locally—that is, when they are in close proximity to each other. Qualitatively, this interaction is of the following character. If pushed together the molecules repel, if pulled apart they attract, and the repulsive force is of a greater order of magnitude than is the attractive one. A mathematical formulation of this behavior is presented in the chapter. The chapter presents the two numerical methods that are required—(1) the leap-frog method, which is basically a central difference, low-order method which is efficient and easy to program, and (2) a completely conservative method, which conserves differential system invariants. The chapter presents Lennard–Jones potentials and discusses three different parameter sets for each noble gas. The chapter also explores the possibility of simulating the vibrations of diatomic molecular bonds by a classical approach.
The metabolism of injected Na2S35O4

The effect of Cortisol upon the metabolic patterns of S 35 O 4 associated with PAS serum proteins has been studied in 3 groups of rats: (1) with normal livers; (2) with cirrhosis; and (3) with hepatomas induced by 3′-methyl-4-dimethyl-aminoazobenzene and an 8 per cent protein diet. There were no appreciable differences observed in the degree or rate of incorporation nor in the decay slopes of cortisol-treated and untreated animals. Separation of serum albumin and alpha globulins by paper electrophoresis in normal rats also failed to demonstrate any effect of Cortisol pretreatment on the association of S 35 O 4 with these serum protein fractions.
The Influence Of Birth Order On Financial Risk Tolerance

This study examines birth order as a predictor of financial risk tolerance. Three hundred sixty-eight individuals, drawn predominantly from a large university in the Southwestern United States, completed a psychometrically sound financial risk tolerance measure (Grable and Lytton, 1999). The results confirmed previous literature in regard to gender and education as predictors of risk tolerance. However, for the first time, firstborn individuals were shown to be significantly less risk tolerant than later-born individuals. Furthermore, it was shown that later-born males were more likely than the first-born to have a majority of their portfolios allocated in stock; additionally the later-born males were more likely than the later-born females to hold a greater proportion of their assets in stocks.
Translational efficiencies of polyomavirus late mRNA molecules that differ in the sequences of their 5' noncoding late leader exons.

Abstract Mouse NIH 3T6 cells were coinfected with two strains of polyomavirus that differ only in the sequences of their 5' noncoding late leader exons. Polysomes were isolated at late times after infection and probed with oligonucleotides specific for each strain. Results indicate that the sequence of the late leader does not play a role in the translational efficiency of late polyomavirus messages.
Alterations to the Bootstrapping Process within Random Forest: A Case Study on Imbalanced Bioinformatics Data

Class imbalance is a significant challenge that practitioners in the field of bioinformatics are faced with on a daily basis. It is a phenomenon that occurs when number of instances of one class is much greater than number of instances of the other class(es) and it has adverse effects on the performance of classification models built on this skewed data. Random Forest as a robust classifier has been utilized effectively to deal with challenging characteristics of imbalanced bioinformatics datasets. In this study, we seek the answer to the question, do alterations to the bootstrapping process within Random Forest improve its classification performance? Thus, we performed an experimental study using Random Forest with four bootstrapping approaches, including two new novel bootstrapping approaches, across 15 imbalanced bioinformatics datasets. Our results demonstrate that two of the bootstrapping approaches, including one of our proposed approaches, outperform other approaches, however, this difference is statistically insignificant. We conclude that Random Forest is a robust classifier, able to handle the challenge of class imbalance, and can be slightly improved by altering bootstrapping process. To the best of our knowledge, no previous work has studied the effects of multiple bootstrapping processes on the performance of Random Forest in the domain of bioinformatics. In addition, we proposed and implemented the two innovative bootstrapping approaches evaluated in this paper.
High Dose Rate Intraluminal Irradiation in Recurrent Endobronchial Carcinoma

Palliative therapy for previously irradiated patients with symptomatic recurrent endobronchial malignancy is a difficult problem. We have had the opportunity to treat 20 such patients with high dose rate (50-100 rad/min) endobronchial brachytherapy. Eligible patients had received previous high dose thoracic irradiation (TDF ≥90), a performance status of ≥50, and symptoms caused by a bronchoscopically defined and implantable lesion. The radiation is produced by a small cobalt-60 source (0.7 Ci) remotely afterloaded by cable control. The source is fed into a 4 mm diameter catheter which is placed with bronchoscopic guidance; it may oscillate if necessary to cover the lesion. A dose of 1,000 rad at 1 cm from the source is delivered. We have performed 22 procedures in 20 patients, four following YAG laser debulking. Most had cough, some with hemoptysis. Eight had dyspnea secondary to obstruction and three had obstructive pneumonitis. In 12, symptoms recurred with a mean time to recurrence of 4.3 months (range 1-9 months). Eighteen patients were followed-up and reexamined via bronchoscope 1-2.5 months following the procedure; two were lost to follow-up. All had at least 50 percent clearance of tumor, and six had complete clearance; most regressions were documented on film or videotape. In six, the palliation was durable. The procedure has been well tolerated with no toxicity. We conclude that palliative endobronchial high dose rate brachytherapy is a useful palliative modality in patients with recurrent endobronchial symptomatic carcinoma.
Projective remoteness planes

A new axiomatization involving incidence and remoteness of planes with nondivision coordinate rings is introduced and a coordinatization theorem is obtained. A geometric process of splitting points and lines to obtain another plane with the same coordinates is described. It is also shown that a group of Steinberg type is parametrized by a nonassociative ring. The notion of elementary basis sets for an associative ring is introduced and constructions of projective and affine planes are given. A plane with reflections determining a system of rotations is shown to have commutative, associative coordinates.
Preparation and applications of thin film specimens containing grain boundaries of controlled geometry

Abstract A novel welding and annealing method for the convenient production of thin film specimens containing different types of controlled grain boundary structures has been developed. Bicrystals containing controlled grain boundaries in their midplane were produced by welding single-crystal thin films together face-to-face. Polycrystals containing columnar grains of only two crystal orientations were produced by annealing the previous bicrystals. Polycrystals with columnar grains of only three orientations were produced by extensions of the method in which films of three orientations were welded together and annealed. The types of grain structures which can be obtained by these techniques are described, and the potential uses of such specimens are discussed.
Iduronic Acid-Containing Glycosaminoglycans on Target Cells Are Required for Efficient Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important human respiratory pathogen, particularly in infants. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) have been implicated in the initiation of RSV infection of cultured cells, but it is not clear what type of GAGs and GAG components are involved, whether the important GAGs are on the virus or the cell, or what the magnitude is of their contribution to infection. We constructed and rescued a recombinant green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing RSV (rgRSV) and used this virus to develop a sensitive system to assess and quantify infection by flow cytometry. Evaluation of a panel of mutant Chinese hamster ovary cell lines that are genetically deficient in various aspects of GAG synthesis showed that infection was reduced up to 80% depending on the type of GAG deficiency. Enzymatic removal of heparan sulfate and/or chondroitin sulfate from the surface of HEp-2 cells also reduced infection, and the removal of both reduced infection even further. Blocking experiments in which RSV was preincubated with various soluble GAGs revealed the relative blocking order of: heparin > heparan sulfate > chondroitin sulfate B. Iduronic acid is a component common to these GAGs. GAGs that do not contain iduronic acid, namely, chondroitin sulfate A and C and hyaluronic acid, did not inhibit infection. A role for iduronic acid-containing GAGs in RSV infection was confirmed by the ability of basic fibroblast growth factor to block infection, because basic fibroblast growth factor binds to GAGs containing iduronic acid. Pretreatment of cells with protamine sulfate, which binds and blocks GAGs, also reduced infection. In these examples, infection was reduced by pretreatment of the virus with soluble GAGs, pretreatment of the cells with GAG-binding molecules, pretreatment of the cells with GAG-destroying enzymes or in cells genetically deficient in GAGs. These results establish that the GAGs involved in RSV infection are present on the cell rather than on the virus particle. Thus, the presence of cell surface GAGs containing iduronic acid, like heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate B, is required for efficient RSV infection in cell culture.
Activist efforts of the Center for Media and Democracy to affect FCC policy for video news releases

Abstract The study reviews FCC policy about identifying the source of video news releases (VNRs) and looks at the activist efforts of the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) to affect policy. The FCC rules about VNR use are clear: stations are not obligated to identify the source of footage taken from video news releases if there are no sponsorship issues (payment for placement) unless VNRs concern political or controversial issues. The basic argument is whether source identification of VNR material should be self-regulated by journalists or regulated by the government as advocated by the CMD. The study looks at efforts of the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) to affect the practice of public relations through pressure to regulate video news releases by examining discourse and calls for action on the CMD Web site, responses by other organizations including the Radio and Television News Directors Association (RTNDA), and resulting FCC actions in order to examine the role of activism in the VNR debate. It found CMD efforts influenced the debate by serving an issues activation and agenda-setting function that resulted in news coverage and triggered an FCC investigation of VNR use, but was not successful in the attempt to change policy.
SYNTHESIZING ROBUST ACTIVE VISION SYSTEMS: A COMBINED ROBUST IDENTIFICATION/μ–SYNTHESIS APPROACH

Abstract Recent hardware advances have rendered active vision a viable option for a diverse spectrum of applications ranging from MEMS manufacture to assisting individuals with disabilities. However, there are relatively few instances where these techniques have been successfully applied in uncontrolled environments. This can be traced to the fragility of active vision systems designed using classical methods. In this paper we show how a combination of robust identification and control synthesis techniques can be brought to bear on this problem. These results are experimentally validated using a robotic head.
A Pore Resistance Model and the Effect of Electrical Conductivity on Electroporation

Electroporation is an elegant means to gain access to the cytoplasm, and to deliver molecules into the cell while simultaneously maintaining viability and functionality. In this technique, electric pulses are applied to transiently permeabilize the cell membrane. Biologically active agents, such as DNA, RNA, and amino acids, can then enter the cell to perform tasks such as gene and cancer therapy. Despite wide applications, electroporation faces significant challenges to achieve simultaneous high delivery efficiency and cell viability. Addressing such challenges requires the development of good fundamental understanding and a quantitative prediction capability, and the current work is a step toward this goal.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
A Logarithmic Frequency Allocation Algorithm for Wideband Discrete Frequency Pulse Trains

It is shown that signal waveforms utilizing discrete frequency modulation (DFM) which are generated using a narrowband or frequency shift algorithm have ambiguity sidelobe distortion which is caused by the approximation of time compression by frequency shift. A logarithmic frequency allocation algorithm is presented which couches the signal design problem in terms of band and step ratios, rather than in terms of bandwidth and frequency steps, and is consistent with the wideband formulation of the ambiguity function. The algorithm makes use of the same basic code generating sequence used for narrowband frequency allocation, but the resulting signal will have invariant ambiguity sidelobe positions for any receiver realization in the delay-time compression plane.
Clinical inactivity among pediatricians: prevalence and perspectives.

INTRODUCTION. During their careers, physicians may have periods of clinical inactivity for a variety of reasons. Concerns have been raised about the impact of clinical inactivity on the growing physician workforce shortage. It is unknown how these periods of clinical inactivity impact physician competence and patient safety. With this study we sought to determine the rates of clinical inactivity, the duration of periods of inactivity, professional activities during those periods, and the perspective of pediatricians regarding future requirements of competency for return to clinical practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS. A random sample of 6757 American Board of Pediatrics diplomates aged ≤65 years received a structured questionnaire by mail. The survey explored the prevalence of and reasons for clinical inactivity and perspectives on the return to clinical practice. Clinical inactivity was defined as a period of absence of ≥12 months from any direct or consultative clinical care. RESULTS. The response rate was 74%. Of respondents, 88% (n = 4176) were currently engaged in pediatric clinical care. Twelve percent (n = 554) indicated that they had experienced a period of clinical inactivity lasting ≥12 months. Women were more likely than men (16% vs 7%) to have had periods of clinical inactivity. Controlling for gender, generalists were no more likely than subspecialists to report a past period of clinical inactivity. More than one third of the respondents (n = 1672 [36%]) agreed that pediatricians who return from clinical inactivity after >1 year should undergo a competency evaluation. CONCLUSIONS. Almost 1 in 8 pediatricians has suspended clinical care for ≥1 year, and a similar proportion of respondents were inactive at the time of our survey. Currently, all of these physicians may maintain both their licensure and board certification during these periods. The impact of clinical inactivity on patient care and patient safety is unknown.
Endothelin Type A Receptor (ETA) Expression Is Regulated by HOXA10 in Human Endometrial Stromal Cells

Endothelin type A receptor (ETA) is a member of the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors. Our laboratory conducted a microarray screen that identified ETA as target of HOXA10 transcriptional control in endometrium. Here, we confirm HOXA10-regulated ETA expression in endometrium. Endometrial biopsies were obtained from fertile reproductive-age individuals, and first trimester decidual samples were obtained at the time of elective termination. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to identify ETA protein in endometrium as well as first trimester decidua. ETA was expressed in endometrial stromal cells throughout the menstrual cycle. ETA was also highly expressed in first trimester decidual cells. The regulatory relationship between HOXA10 and ETA was established by transient transfection analysis. The human endometrial stromal cell line (HESC) and the human endometrial epithelial cell line (Ishikawa) were transfected with pcDNA/HOXA10, HOXA10 small interfering RNA (siRNA), or respective controls. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to determine expression levels of HOXA10 and ETA in each group. ETA gene expression increased 9-fold (P < .05) after pcDNA/HOXA10 transfection of HESC. ETA was not regulated by HOXA10 in Ishikawa cells. We conclude that ETA is expressed in normal endometrium and decidua. Expression of this receptor is regulated by an essential mediator of endometrial receptivity, HOXA10. ETA may enhance the proliferative potential of endometrial cells in a manner similar to that seen in vascular smooth muscle cells. ETA likely acts as a molecular mechanism by which HOXA10 promotes stromal cell growth and prostaglandin production in both the implantation window and decidua.
Cross-protective immunity to influenza A viruses

Antigenic changes in influenza virus occur gradually, owing to mutations (antigenic drift), and abruptly, owing to reassortment among subtypes (antigenic shift). Availability of strain-matched vaccines often lags behind these changes, resulting in a shortfall in public health. In animal models, cross-protection by vaccines based on conserved antigens does not completely prevent infection, but greatly reduces morbidity, mortality, virus replication and, thus, viral shedding and spread. Such immunity is especially effective and long-lasting with mucosal administration. Cross-protective immunity in humans is controversial, but is suggested by some epidemiological findings. 'Universal' vaccines protective against all influenza A viruses might substantially reduce severity of infection and limit spread of disease during outbreaks. These vaccines could be used 'off the shelf' early in an outbreak or pandemic, before strain-matched vaccines are available.
Routing and Wavelength Assignment in All-Optical Networks with Multicast Traffic

This paper considers multicast routing and wavelength assignment (MCRWA) in a wide area all-optical network. We present static and dynamic MCRWA algorithms, and evaluate their blocking performance under various fanout splitting policies. Through simulations and comparisons with a lower bound, we demonstrate that dynamic MCRWA can perform significantly better than its static counterparts. We then quantify the throughput gain due to link sharing in multicasting, and the performance penalty that would be suffered by considering each multicast request as multiple unicast connection requests. We also present an analytical model for estimating the blocking performance of the static MCRWA algorithms. The performance improvement with multifiber networks and with wavelength conversion are also investigated.
Paradoxical timing of the circadian rhythm of sleep propensity serves to consolidate sleep and wakefulness in humans

The contribution of the circadian pacemaker and the sleep homeostat to sleep tendency and consolidation was quantified by forced desynchrony of the sleep-wake cycle from the circadian pacemaker in eight men who lived in time-isolation for 33-36 days. Analysis of 175 polygraphically recorded sleep episodes revealed that the circadian pacemaker and the sleep homeostat contribute about equally to sleep consolidation, and that the phase relationship between these oscillatory processes during entrainment to the 24-h day is uniquely timed to facilitate the ability to maintain a consolidated bout of sleep at night and a consolidated bout of wakefulness throughout the day.
Cs137 metabolism in Blatta orientalis at various temperatures

1. 1. The effect of temperature on Cs137 metabolism in the oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis, was studied following a single ingestion of the isotope. 2. 2. The extension of biological half-time resulting from lowering of temperature was greater than could be predicted from the reduction in metabolic rate which accompanied lowering of temperature. 3. 3. The retention of Cs137 in the 10°C environment was in particular greater than would be expected from the retention of Cs137 in the 20–30°C temperature range.
A reevaluation of the effect of auxin on phospholipids in pea stem segments

Abstract Auxin has been reported to substantially alter concentration and fatty acid composition of phospholipids in elongating pea ( Pisum sativum L. cv. Feltham First) stem segments. To further investigate this phenomenon, phospholipid composition of cv. Alaska pea segments treated with the auxin 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) for 30 or 60 min was analyzed. The amount of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) was lower in 2,4-D-treated segments at 30 min, but by 60 min, the amount was comparable to controls. Quantitative differences in phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylinositol (PI) were not significant. Auxin did not affect phospholipid fatty acid composition. Auxin did not inhibited the incorporation of [ 14 C]acetate or [ 3 H]choline into the major phospholipids. These results suggest that effects of auxin on phospholipid metabolism are transient, and that shifts in fatty acid composition do not universally occur in response to auxin treatment.
The preparation and some properties of ferricinium trichloroferrate(II) and ferricinium tribromoferrate(II)

Abstract The preparation and characterization of ferricinium trichloroferrate(II) and ferricinium tribromoferrate(II) are reported. The first salt crystallizes in the form of square, thin, platelets of d = 1.654 g/cm 3 . Its unit cell was determined to be orthorhombic with a = 14.49 A, b = 14.52 A, c = 13.38 A and Z = 8. The second salt crystallizes in the form of thin parallelopiped platelets of d = 1.964 g/cm 3 . Its unit cell was determined to be also orthorhombic with a = 9.92 A, b = 13.96 A, c = 11.79 A and Z = 4.
Empyema Complicating Successful Lung Transplantation

Objective To assess the prevalence and etiology of empyema complicating successful lung transplantation. Design Retrospective review. Setting University medical center transplant service. Patients All recipients (n = 392) of single-lung, double-lung, and heart-lung transplantation between May 1984 and April 1997. Results Of the 392 transplant recipients, empyema was documented in 14 patients (3.6%) at a mean time (± SD) of 46 days after transplantation (range, 14 to 167 days). Of these 14 recipients with empyema, 4 recipients (28.6%) died of infectious complications related to empyema. Empyema was seen secondary to Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and saprophytic organisms; however, there was no predominance of a particular organism recovered from the empyemic fluid (χ 2 = 0.53; p = 0.75). The development of empyema was not related to whether the transplant was performed secondary to a septic or nonseptic lung disorder (χ 2 = 1.06; p = 0.67), nor was it related to the type of transplant procedure performed ( ie, single-lung, double-lung, or heart-lung allografts; χ 2 = 4.39; p = 0.30). Conclusion Empyema, a relatively uncommon complication of lung transplantation, is not related to the type of allograft received or to whether the recipient had a septic or a nonseptic lung disorder. If empyema does occur, the mortality associated with this infection is substantial.
Electric-field dependence of the intersubband optical absorption in a semiconductor quantum well

Abstract We present theoretical results of intersubband linear optical absorption in the conduction band of a GaAsAlGaAs quantum well with an applied electric field taking into account the field dependent linewidth. Our analysis is based on the one electron density matrix formulation with intrasubband relaxation processes due to polar optical phonon scattering and tunneling of electrons. We show that (a) for an increasing electric field the absorption peak corresponding to the transition of states 1 → 2 is shifted higher in energy and (b) the peak amplitude increases if the Fermi level is fixed and decreases if the electron density in the well is fixed when an increasing electric field is applied. The linewidth broadening also reduces the peak absorption amplitude.
I srael and Alef‐Bet

Book reviewed in this article: Alina: A Russian Girl Comes to Israel: Mira Meir On Eagles' Wings and Other Things: Connie Colker Steiner A lef-Bet: A Hebrew Alphabet Book: Michelle Edwards
Nearly simultaneous observations of the conjugate polar cusp regions

Abstract The first simultaneous (within 6 min) observations of the low altitude polar cusp regions in the conjugate hemispheres are reported here based on two events detected by the DMSP-F2 and F 4 satellites within the same geomagnetic local time sector. It is found that the electron spectra in the cusp are identical in the opposing hemispheres. In one case the observed latitudinal location and extent of the cusps are the same at the two hemispheres. However, in the other case the location of the equatorward boundary of the cusp regions differs by about 2° with drastically different spatial features. It is also found that in one of the events the plasma sheet electron precipitation regions overlap with the cusp regions at lower latitude in both hemispheres. The poleward boundary of these overlapping regions is located at the same latitude on either hemisphere, suggesting that this is the latitude of the last closed field line and that the cusp electrons are present on both closed and open magnetic field lines.
Magnetic switch for integrated atom optics

A magnetic waveguide structure allows switching of neutral atoms between two guides. The switch consists of lithographically patterned current-carrying wires on a sapphire substrate. By selectively sending current through a particular set of wires, we select the desired output port of an incoming beam. We utilize two different magnetic-guiding schemes to adiabatically manipulate the atom trajectory.
Theory, development, and applicability of the surface water hydrologic model CASC2D

Numerical tests indicate that Hortonian runoff mechanisms benefit from scaling effects that non-Hortonian runoff mechanisms do not share. This potentially makes Hortonian watersheds more amenable to physically based modelling provided that the physically based model employed properly accounts for rainfall distribution and initial soil moisture conditions, to which these types of model are highly sensitive. The distributed Hortonian runoff model CASC2D has been developed and tested for the US Army over the past decade. The purpose of the model is to provide the Army with superior predictions of runoff and stream-flow compared with the standard lumped parameter model HEC-1. The model is also to be used to help minimize negative effects on the landscape caused by US armed forces training activities. Development of the CASC2D model is complete and the model has been tested and applied at several locations. These applications indicate that the model can realistically reproduce hydrographs when properly applied. These applications also indicate that there may be many situations where the model is inadequate. Because of this, the Army is pursuing development of a new model, GSSHA, that will provide improved numerical stability and incorporate additional stream-flow-producing mechanisms and improved hydraulics. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The efficacy of interventions to reduce adolescent childbearing in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

This study reviews the scope and quality of existing literature regarding the interventions to reduce adolescent childbearing in low- and middle-income countries and compiles findings concerning their effectiveness. A total of 737 studies published between 2000 and 2011 were reviewed; 19 were identified as meeting eligibility criteria. Studies were included that: evaluated program effects on adolescents and young people, either as the primary target population or as a subset of a broader target group; evaluated an intervention intended to reduce adolescent fertility or generate improvements on a related outcome; and reported childbearing-related outcomes. Evidence indicates that a variety of interventions may be successful at reducing fertility, including school-based programs, health counseling, and cash transfers. An overview of evaluation efforts to date is provided, and potential best practices are highlighted. Conclusions are that funding for adolescent fertility initiatives should be directed toward programs for which a sound evidence base exists, such as cash transfers or other interventions that encourage school enrollment, and that programs of unknown effectiveness should be conducted in tandem with rigorous evaluation.
GONADOTROPIC HORMONE: CLINICAL APPLICATION OF EXTRACTION METHODS FOR ASSAY PURPOSES1

THE TWO MAIN obstacles which must be overcome to make possible an accurate assay of non-pregnancy urinary gonadotropic hormones are: a), a reliable assay end-point, and b), a satisfactory concentration method. The first obstacle has been satisfactorily removed (I) with the thorough investigation of the immature rat uterus and ovary as end-points for the assay of gonadotropic hormones. Overcoming the second is of primary concern at this time. The reports of efforts in this direction are legion, indicating the general dissatisfaction with the concentration methods now extant. For the routine assay of large numbers of urine specimens from many different patients, any urine concentration method must meet the following prerequisites: a), It must be simple, in order that large quantities of individual specimens may be handled, b), It must concentrate the active fraction many times; because of the low content of some urines, the gonadotropic activity of from 500 cc.
Pulmonary Artery Aneurysm and Coronary Artery Disease in the Clinical Presentation of Watson Syndrome

In 1967, Watson described children in three families with pulmonary valve stenosis, dull intelligence, short stature, and cafe-au-lait spots. We present the case of an undiagnosed adult with coronary artery disease, the Watson syndrome characteristics, and a pulmonary artery aneurysm secondary to pulmonic stenosis.
Optimization of microdermabrasion for controlled removal of stratum corneum

Microdermabrasion has been shown to increase skin permeability for transdermal drug delivery by damaging or removing skin's outer layer, stratum corneum. However, relationships between microdermabrasion parameters and effects on the stratum corneum barrier have not been developed. In this study, we determined the effect of microdermabrasion crystal flow rate, time, and suction pressure applied in both static and dynamic modes on the extent of stratum corneum removal from excised porcine skin. In addition to controlling the depth of tissue removal by microdermabrasion parameters, we also controlled the area of tissue removal by applying a metal mask patterned with 125- or 250-μm holes to selectively expose small spots of tissue to microdermabrasion. We found that the extent of stratum corneum removal depended strongly on the crystal flow rate and exposure time and only weakly on pressure or static/dynamic mode operation. Masking the skin was effective to localize stratum corneum removal to exposed sites. Overall, this study demonstrates that optimized microdermabrasion in combination with a mask can be used to selectively remove stratum corneum with three-dimensional control, which is important to translating this technique into a novel method of transdermal drug delivery.
On information and ancillarity in the presence of a nuisance parameter

SUMMARY This note shows that concepts of ancillarity in the presence of a nuisance parameter suggested by Andersen (1970) and Basawa (1981) are equivalent for exponential families of distributions. Some illustrative examples are given and the relation to Fisher's information is discussed.
Urinary Telomerase and Its Possible Role As a Marker for Bladder Cancer

Voided urine from patients with bladder cancer and from control patients with either hematuria or with no urologic conditions were examined for telomerase activity in order to explore the possibility that this activity could be used as a marker for the detection of bladder cancer. This assay was found to have an overall sensitivity in detecting bladder cancer of 85% (88/104) with 79% (23/29) grade 1 tumors, 84% (32/38) grade 2 tumors, 87.5% (28/32) grade 3 tumors, and 100% (5/5) carcinoma in situ testing positive. This compared favorably with urinary cytology which had an overall sensitivity of 51% and sensitivities of 13%, 44%, 82%, and 100% for grades 1, 2, 3 tumors and carcinoma in situ, respectively. The specificity of telomerase in patients with benign causes of hematuria was 66%, and in normal volunteers without urologic conditions, it was 100%. Assessment of nuclear matrix protein suggested comparable sensitivity and specificity. Evaluation of bladder tumor antigen showed less sensitivity for low-grade disease and less specificity, as it was influenced by inflammation and instrumentation. Telomerase thus seems to be a means whereby low-grade tumors may be detected in examination of voided urine and may offer an advantage in monitoring for recurrent disease.
Opportunistic scheduling for wireless systems with multiple interfaces and multiple constraints

We consider a scheduling problem for packet based systems with time-varying channel conditions. Designing scheduling mechanisms that take advantage of time-varying channel conditions, which are different for different users, is necessary to improve system performance; however this has to be done in a way that provides some level of fairness among the users. Such scheduling mechanisms are termed opportunistic. We generalize the opportunistic scheduling mechanisms in the literature on two fronts. First, we formulate and solve an opportunistic scheduling problem with multiple general long term QoS constraints and a general system objective function. We call the solution of this opportunistic scheduling problem a generalized water filling solution. Then, we generalize this problem to include multiple interface systems in which several users can be served simultaneously. Apart from the long term QoS constraints specified by each user, multiple interface systems are constrained with other physical limitations imposed by the system. Our main contribution is to show that the structure of the optimal opportunistic scheduling policy is carried over to the problem with general constraints and multiple interfaces. We also study the stability of the multiple interface systems and propose a throughput optimal scheduling rule for such systems.
Bilirubin conjugation by hepatic microsomes from adult male guinea pigs

Abstract Adult male guinea pigs (350–500 g) were sacrificed and washed-liver microsomes were isolated by high-speed centrifugation. The microsomes were incubated in the presence of bilirubin, uridine diphosphoglucuronic acid, and Tris buffer at 37 °C under nitrogen. The incubates were then diazotized and subjected to a quantitative extraction procedure on Chromosorb G. Conjugation rate is optimal at about pH 8, and slows considerably after 60 min of incubation. Magnesium was not necessary and high concentrations inhibited conjugation. Matched controls without UDPGA were routinely necessary since 3–4% of diazotizable material from such control incubates appeared in the conjugate fraction, indicating significant substrate contamination. Data from 30- and 60-min incubations indicate a corrected conjugation rate of 20 to 30 μg per gm equivalent of liver per hour.
Restricted dietary chloride with sodium bicarbonate supplementation for Holstein cows in early lactation.

Abstract Over 2 wk, beginning 3 wk postpartum, daily changes of feed and water intake and milk production and composition were monitored in 25 cows allotted randomly among four dietary treatment groups differing in sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and ad libitum supplementation by salt block. The basic complete diet was 54% corn silage, 27% shelled corn, and 16% soybean meal, dry basis. The four dietary treatments were control, .42% chloride; low, .10% chloride; low plus salt block, complete ration same as low with ad libitum salt block consumption; and control plus .7% sodium bicarbonate. Differences were consistently significant only for electrolyte concentrations in blood serum, urine, and feces of cows fed the low diet. In blood serum, chloride declined from 96.4 ± 3.5 to 83.4 ± 4.5 meq/liter, and serum total carbon dioxide rose from 28.4 ± 1.9 to 36.9 ± 2.6 meq/liter. Anion gap increased from 19.0 ± 2.9 to a high of 23.4 ± 3.5 meq/liter in blood serum at day 11. Metabolic derangements of cows fed the low diet may be summarized as subclinical primary hypochloremic, secondary hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis.