cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A phase cycle scheme that significantly suppresses offset-dependent artifacts in the R2-CPMG 15N relaxation experiment

R2-CPMG 15N relaxation experiments form the basis of NMR dynamics measurements, both for analysis of nano-pico second dynamics and milli-micro second dynamics (kinetics). It has been known for some time that in the practical limit of finite pulse widths, which becomes acute when using cryogenic probes, systematic errors in the apparent R2 relaxation behavior occur for spins far off-resonance from the RF carrier. Inaccurate measurement of R2 rates propagates into quantitative models such as model-free relaxation analysis, rotational diffusion tensor analysis, and relaxation dispersion. The root of the problem stems from evolution of the magnetization vectors out of the XY-plane, both during the pulses as well as between the pulses. These deviations vary as a function of pulse length, number of applied CPMG pulses, and CPMG inter-pulse delay. Herein, we analyze these effects in detail with experimentation, numerical simulations, and analytical equations. Our work suggests a surprisingly simple change in the phase progression of the CPMG pulses, which leads to a remarkable improvement in performance. First, the applicability range of the CPMG experiment is increased by a factor of two in spectral width; second, the dynamical/kinetic processes that can be assessed are significantly extended towards the slower time scale; finally, the robustness of the relaxation dispersion experiments is greatly improved.
Parametric four-photon mixing followed by stimulated Raman scattering with optical pulses in birefringent optical fibers

An analysis into the phase matching condition of four-photon mixing in birefringent optical fibers is presented. The analysis yields six independent parametric processes. Some of the associated frequency shifts show a dependence on the fiber birefringence, allowing the authors to obtain constraints under which the parametric Stokes pulse will fall within the Raman gain band to undergo subsequent Raman amplifications. Both polarizations of the pump contribute to the Stokes gain through the stimulated Raman effect. Emphasis is placed on short optical pulses with tradeoffs among frequency shift, pulse walk-off length, and fiber attenuation to yield maximum power conversion to the Stokes frequency. Numerical simulation with a highly birefringent germania-doped silica fiber is used to illustrate the conditions for maximum gain of the Stokes signal. >
The design of a user friendly engineering economy analysis package for a microcomputer

Abstract The design and features of a user friendly engineering economy analysis software package for the Apple II microcomputer is described. The software package is written in Applesoft Basic. An Apple II with 64k RAM, one or two disk drives and a line printer is required to use the software package. The package consists of five complementary programs: (1) Selection of the better of two alternatives using present-worth evaluations. (2) Conventional rate-of-return computations for a single project. (3) Selection from mutually exclusive alternatives using rate-of-return analysis. (4) Optimal capital allocation among several investment opportunities under risk. (5) Probabilistic after-tax economic analysis for a single project. All programs but (4) are based on the time value of money. Program (4) is a chance-constrained optimization model utilizing the Lagrange-multiplier technique. Program (5) implements depreciation, debt/equity financing, and taxes and performs a sequential after-tax Monte Carlo simulation over a specified life-span. The use of this software package does not require any previous computer or programming experience. A menu format is used. The software package allows the user to specify the shapes of the interest and inflation probability distributions on a year by year basis. The user has the option to specify the reinvestment rates. The package presents the results in tables and graphs. User acceptance has been excellent with this software package and this package is well suited for the use in an engineering economy class or for the practicing industrial engineer in industry.
Effect of Ceramide on Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation Toward Adipocytes

Proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha are well known to inhibit adipocyte differentiation. TNF-alpha triggers ceramide synthesis through binding of TNF-alpha to its p55 receptor. Therefore, ceramide is implicated in many of the multiple signaling pathways initiated by TNF-alpha. In breast tissue engineering, it is important to know how to modulate adipocyte differentiation of the stem cells with exogenous additives like ceramide in vitro. We hypothesized that stem cell adipogenesis could be retained in TNF-alpha-treated preadipocytes in which ceramide synthesis was blocked and that exogenous ceramide could inhibit adipocyte differentiation. We first studied the effect of ceramide synthase inhibitor, Fumonisin B2, on the adipogenesis of murine mesenchymal stem cells (D1 cells), treated with TNF-alpha. We then studied the effect of specific exogenous C6-ceramide on D1 cell viability and differentiation. It was found that 1 ng/ml of TNF-alpha significantly inhibited D1 cell adipogenesis. Cells treated with 5 microM of Fumonisin B2 were able to undergo adipogenesis, even when treated with TNF-alpha. High concentrations of exogenous C6-ceramide (>50 microM) had an inhibitory effect, not only on the pre-confluent proliferation of the D1 cells but also on the post-confluent cell viability. High concentrations of C6-ceramide (>50 microM) also inhibited mitotic clonal expansion when D1 cell differentiation was induced by the addition of an adipogenic hormonal cocktail. C6-ceramide at low concentrations (10-25 microM) inhibited lipid production in D1 cells, demonstrated by decreased levels of both total triglyceride content and specific fatty acid composition percentages. Genetic expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma and aP2 in D1 cells was reduced by C6-ceramide treatment. CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) beta levels in D1 cells were reduced by C6-ceramide treatment during early differentiation; PPARgamma and aP2 protein levels were reduced at terminal differentiation. C6-ceramide at lower concentrations also decreased lipid accumulation of differentiating D1 cells. Our results suggest that ceramide synthase inhibitor retains the adipogenic potential of TNF-alpha-treated mesenchymal stem cells, while exogenous ceramide at lower concentrations inhibit the adipogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells. Ceramide, therefore, could be a modulator candidate in breast tissue engineering strategies.
On the problematic origin of the forms: Plotinus, Derrida, and the neoplatonic subtext of deconstruction's critique of ontology

My aim in this paper is to draw Plotinus and Derrida together in a comparison of their respective appropriations of the famous “receptacle” passage in Plato's Timaeus (specifically, Plotinus' discussion of intelligible matter in Enneads 2.4 and Derrida's essay on Timaeus entitled “Khōra”). After setting the stage with a discussion of several instructive similarities between their general philosophical projects, I contend that Plotinus and Derrida take comparable approaches both to thinking the origin of the forms and to problematizing the stability of the sensible/intelligible opposition. With these parallels in focus, I go on to explain how examining such points of contact can help us to dismantle the canonical constructs of “Plotinus the metaphysician” and “Derrida the anti-metaphysician” that have obscured important connections between Neoplatonism and deconstruction, and suppressed latent resources within the Platonic tradition itself for deconstructing the dualistic ontology of so-called “Platonic metaphysics.”
Organizing graduate life sciences education around nodes and connections

Biomedical education is currently faced with a number of significant challenges, including the explosion of information and the need to train researchers who can work across traditional disciplinary boundaries. We propose a new integrated model for graduate education in the life sciences that addresses these issues.
Thrombolytic therapy for myocardial infarction: assessment of efficacy by myocardial perfusion imaging with technetium-99m sestamibi.

Abstract Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) sestamibi has been used to evaluate the efficacy of thrombolytic therapy. Improved image quality due to the higher photon energy of Tc-99m and the increased allowable doses of this radiopharmaceutical along with its lack of redistribution makes Tc-99m sestamibi an acceptable imaging agent for such studies. This imaging agent was used for serial quantitative planar and tomographic imaging to assess the initial risk area of infarction, its change over time and the relation to infarct-related artery patency in patients with a first acute myocardial infarction. Twenty-three of 30 patients were treated with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) within 4 hours after onset of acute chest pain. Seven patients were treated in the conventional manner and did not receive thrombolytic therapy. The initial area at risk varied greatly both in patients treated with rt-PA and in those who received conventional therapy. Patients with successful thrombolysis and patent infarct arteries had a significantly greater reduction of Tc-99m sestamibi defect size than patients who had persistent coronary occlusion. Serial imaging with Tc-99m sestamibi could find important application in future clinical research evaluating the efficacy of new thrombolytic agents. Direct measurements of the amount of hypoperfused myocardium before and after thrombolysis could provide rapid and unequivocal results using fewer patients and avoiding the use of “mortality” as an end point. This approach has not yet been widely tested in the clinical arena.
Linking the gaseous and the condensed phases of matter: The slow electron and its interactions

The interfacing of the gaseous and the condensed phases of matter as effected by interphase and cluster studies on the behavior of key reactions involving slow electrons either as reacting initial particles or as products of the reactions themselves is discussed. Emphasis is placed on the measurement of both the cross sections and the energetics involved, although most of the available information to date is on the latter. The discussion is selectively focussed on electron scattering (especially the role of negative ion states in gases, clusters, and dense matter), ionization, electron attachment and photodetachment. The dominant role of the electric polarization of the medium is emphasized.
Process diagnosis using methanogenic Archaea in maize-fed, trace element depleted fermenters

Abstract A mesophilic maize-fed pilot-scale fermenter was severely acidified due to trace element (TE) deficiency. Mainly cobalt (0.07 mg * kg−1 fresh mass (FM)), selenium (0.007 mg * kg−1 FM) and sodium (13 mg * kg−1 FM) were depleted. From this inoculum, three lab-scale flow-through fermenters were operated to analyse micronutrient deficiencies and population dynamics in more detail. One fermenter was supplemented with selenium, one with cobalt, and one served as control. After starvation and recovery of the fermenters, the organic loading rate (OLR) was increased. In parallel, the concentration (Real-Time PCR) of methanogens and their population composition (amplicon sequencing) was determined at the DNA and mRNA level. The parameters Metabolic Quotient (MQ) and cDNA/DNA were calculated to assess the activity of the methanogens. The control without TE supplementation acidified first at an OLR of 4.0 kg volatile solids (VS) * m−3 * d−1 while the singular addition of selenium and of cobalt positively influenced the fermenter stability up to an OLR of 4.5 or 5.0 kg VS * m−3 * d−1, respectively. In the stable process, the methanogenic populations were dominated by probably residual hydrogenotrophic Methanoculleus sp. (DNA-level), but representatives of versatile Methanosarcina sp. were most active (cDNA-level). When the TE supplemented fermenters began to acidify, Methanosarcina spp. were dominant in the whole (DNA-level) and the active (cDNA-level) community. The acidified control fermenter was dominated by Methanobacteriaceae genus IV. Until acidification, the concentration of methanogens increased with higher OLRs. The MQ indicated stress metabolism approximately one month before the TVA/TIC ratio reached a critical level of 0.7, demonstrating its suitability as early warning parameter of process acidification. The development of the cDNA/DNA ratio also reflected the increasing methanogenic activity with higher OLRs. Highest cDNA/DNA values (ca. 2) were obtained at metabolic strain of the methanogens, at the onset of acidification.
Protonation of Nucleic Acid Bases. A Comprehensive Post-Hartree−Fock Study of the Energetics and Proton Affinities

The results of an ab initio post-Hartree−Fock study of the protonation of all nucleic acid bases are reported. Rare tautomers of guanine and cytosine, which coexist in the gas phase with the major forms, were also included in the study. The geometries of the local minima and transition states were optimized without symmetry restrictions by the gradient procedure at the HF and MP2 levels of theory and were verified by energy second-derivative calculations. The standard 6-31+G(d,p) basis set was used. The single-point calculations have been performed at the MP4(SDTQ)/6-31+G(d,p)//MP2/6-31+G(d,p) and MP2/6-311++G(d,p)//MP2/6-31+G(d,p) approximations. The relative stabilities of the different protonated forms of all nucleic acid bases have been reported. The values of proton affinities (PA) for each base including contributions of rare tautomers and different protonated forms for guanine and cytosine have been calculated. We have shown that the calculated values of proton affinities are very close to the expe...
Rapid generation of fully human monoclonal antibodies specific to a vaccinating antigen

We describe herein a protocol for the production of antigen-specific human monoclonal antibodies (hmAbs). Antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) are isolated from whole blood collected 7 d after vaccination and sorted by flow cytometry into single cell plates. The antibody genes of the ASCs are then amplified by RT-PCR and nested PCR, cloned into expression vectors and transfected into a human cell line. The expressed antibodies can then be purified and assayed for binding and neutralization. This method uses established techniques but is novel in their combination and application. This protocol can be completed with as little as 20 ml of human blood and in as little as 28 d when optimal. Although previous methodologies to produce hmAbs, including B-cell immortalization or phage display, can be used to isolate the rare specific antibody even years after immunization, in comparison, these approaches are inefficient, resulting in few relevant antibodies. Although dependent on having an ongoing immune response, the approach described herein can be used to rapidly generate numerous antigen-specific hmAbs in a short time.
Pagetoid dyskeratosis: A selective keratinocytic response

Pale cells that resemble those of Paget's disease have been found within apparently normal epidermis in a variety of benign papules. Although they have been considered an artifact, they show characteristic premature keratinization. In contrast to other dyskeratotic processes they mature into orthokeratotic squamae. The histopathologic, ultrastmctural and immunocytpchemical features of these cells are illustrated, and the differential diagnosis is reviewed.
Neuropsychological Differences Between College Students with Learning Disabilities and Those with Mild Head Injury

College students with learning disabilities (LD) and those with a history of mild head injury (MHI) are two groups whose learning problems are not adequately addressed. We administered a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological, psychological, and academic achievement tests to college students with learning problems (LD, n = 35; MHI, n = 25) and a control group (n = 22), and completed a series of discriminant function analyses. A combination of six neuropsychological and psychoeducational test variables produced statistically significant differences among the three groups. The instruments were sensitive to LD, MHI, and the differences between them. The students with LD performed poorly on linguistically oriented psychoeducational tests, whereas the students with MHI showed cognitive deficits in visual-spatial skills and in the areas of attention, memory, and novel problem solving. Differential interventions addressing these deficits appear to be indicated.
TIME EVOLUTION OF THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE CALLUS OF FRESH FRACTURES

The temporal evolution of mechanical properties was investigated up to 10 weeks in 240 rat radial osteotomies. After discarding the displaced fractures, the remaining 111 undisplaced fractures were mechanically tested for tensile failure. Analysis of the recorded data versus healing time (tensile failure load, stiffness, energy to failure, displacement to failure) shows that callus tissues behavior proceeds essentially in two steps. A rubbery-like behavior (low strength, low stiffness, large elongation) is observed up to the time of 6 weeks, which is followed by a hard tissue like behavior (high stiffness, small elongation) up to the end of complete recovery. The mechanical parameters change at different rates and reach the values of intact sham bone between 9 and 10 weeks. The stiffness vs time curve has a sigmoid shape with an abrupt increase between the 6th and 7th weeks, whereas the tensile failure load rises steadily. Strength and stiffness are correlated only at the earlier stage of healing.
The Effects of Common Anti-Inflammatory Drugs on the Healing Rat Patellar Tendon

BackgroundTendon injuries that occur at the osteotendinous junction are commonly seen in clinical practice and range from acute strain to rupture. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are often prescribed in the treatment of these conditions, but the effect that these agents may have on the healing response at the bone-tendon junction is unclear.HypothesisIn response to an acute injury at the osteotendinous junction, the healing patellar tendon will have inferior biomechanical properties with administration of anti-inflammatory drugs as compared with acetaminophen and control.Study DesignControlled laboratory study.MethodsA total of 215 Sprague-Dawley rats underwent transection of the patellar tendon at the inferior pole of the patella, which was subsequently stabilized with a cerclage suture. The animals were then randomized into 7 groups and administered 1 of the following analgesics for 14 days ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxen, piroxicam, celecoxib, valdecoxib, or control. At 14 days, all animals wer...
Echocardiographic contrast increases the yield for right ventricular pressure measurement by Doppler echocardiography.

Doppler ultrasound has become accepted as a measurement of right ventricular systolic pressure in patients who have a quantifiable signal from tricuspid regurgitation. This study evaluated the use of intravenous injection of saline solution for echo contrast to increase the percentage of quantifiable tricuspid regurgitant signals in patients who have any detectable tricuspid regurgitation at baseline. Patients underwent a standard Doppler evaluation, followed by a contrast study with the injection of 4 to 6 ml of agitated saline solution into a brachial vein. Baseline and contrast tricuspid regurgitant signals were assessed for quality, quantifiability, and reproducibility of the derived pressures by three observers on two occasions. The average absolute pairwise deviation among the three observers was low: 1.6 mm Hg (standard deviation, 1.4 mm Hg). The intraobserver mean discrepancy was low: 0.03 mm Hg (standard deviation, 2.33 mm Hg). Patients who did not have tricuspid regurgitation ( n = 10) failed to develop such regurgitation during contrast injection. Only eight of 40 patients (200) who had trace or mild tricuspid regurgitation had quantifiable baseline signals, but 34 patients (85%) had quantifiable signals with contrast injection. All patients who had mild to moderate, moderate, or severe tricuspid regurgitation ( n = 10) had quantifiable signals before contrast injection. Of all patients who had any tricuspid regurgitation, 88% had quantifiable signals with contrast injection. Echo contrast was shown to improve the yield of quantifiable signals in patients who had trace and mild tricuspid regurgitation-the patients in whom the signal is least satisfactory at baseline.
Analysis of production lines with general service times and finite buffers: A two-node decomposition approach

Abstract A production line consisting of work stations in series with general process completion times and with finite intermediate buffer storages is considered. Work stations may get blocked due to the limited space in the buffer storages. An approximation method is developed to compute the steady-state distribution of the number of jobs in each work station, from which we can compute the performance measures for the production line. The method decomposes the production line into subsystems of two nodes with general processing times and with a finite buffer storage in between. The first node represents the behavior of the upstream part of the line while the second node represents the behavior of the downstream part of the line. These two-node subsystems are analyzed in isolation within an iterative scheme which relates them to each other. The consistency among the two-node subsystems is achieved by making their throughputs the same. The iterative scheme always converges. The method is general enough to cover a wide range of production lines. It is computationally highly efficient and it has an acceptable error level.
Moving cracks in layered composites

A three-layered composite with a crack spreading in the center layer has been analytically examined to evaluate the effect of material nonhomogeneity on a constant velocity crack. Two different loading characteristics are considered. In the first case, crack motion is maintained by uniform tensile stresses. In the other, crack deformation is caused by anti-plane shear stresses. Galilean transformation and Fourier sine and cosine transforms are used to determine dynamic crack tip stress fields. Standard Fredholm integral equations yield the dynamic stress intensity factors. The results show that the intensity of local dynamic stresses increases or decreases with crack length to layer thickness as a function of the relative magnitudes of the adjoining layer's material properties. Crack speed tends to increase the effect of material nonhomogeneity.
Isotopic remembrance of metabolism past

At the interface of Earth science, chemistry, and biology, scientists are working to interpret the record of biological markers, or biomarkers, retained in natural environments. Although these molecular fossils take many forms, arguably the most useful and durable have lipid character and are amenable to gas-chromatographic separation. Many such compounds are related to extant natural products by distinctive molecular structures and thus can be related to specific taxonomic groups, functions, or processes. Moreover, biomarkers may contain information in their relative abundance of light and heavy isotopes. The isotopes of carbon have been most fully explored (1), but following a decade of advances in compound-specific deuterium analysis (2, 3), the relative abundance of the hydrogen isotopes protium (1H) and deuterium (2H or D) has received increasing attention. Most commonly these analyses are used to track past changes of climate and aridity, enabled by the strong correlation of deuterium content between plant-derived lipids and source water (4–8). In this issue of PNAS, Zhang et al. (9) move in a new direction and lay the groundwork for a proxy of cellular metabolism based on lipid deuterium. They present results from laboratory experiments with bacterial cultures demonstrating that the deuterium content of lipid biomarker compounds is strongly modulated by the central biochemical pathway a cell uses to generate reducing power for biosynthesis. These results suggest that the deuterium content of lipid biomarkers in the geomolecular record may provide a window into the central metabolic pathways active at a given time and place—isotopic remembrance of metabolism past.
Physician-hospital integration and the economic theory of the firm

Physicians and hospitals are pioneering new and more coordinated organizational forms under pressure from market competition. Arms-length "doctor's workshop" relationships are yielding to integrated delivery systems and contractual delivery networks. This article analyzes organizational change in health care through the conceptual lens of institutional economics, defined broadly as including agency theory, transactions cost economics, and the dynamic capabilities view of the firm. These theoretical frameworks highlight three distinct functions of organization under managed care: coordination, governance, and innovation.
Dating, archaeology and human fossils from the Middle Stone Age levels of Die Kelders, South Africa

Abstract Die Kelders Cave 1, on the southwestern coast of South Africa, preserves a rich Later Stone Age (LSA) occupation and a thick series of Middle Stone Age (MSA) layers below. Limited excavation of the MSA layers has yielded numerous lithic artifacts and faunal remains, and nine human teeth. Sedimentologial and faunal evidence suggests that the MSA levels accumulated under comparatively cool, mesic conditions, probably at the beginning of the Last Glaciation (isotope stage 4). The MSA artifact assemblage consists overwhelmingly of quartzite debitage. Elongate flakes are fairly common; systematic retouch is extremely rare. The high frequency of silcrete artifacts in some of the lower units may signal the Howiesons Poort variant of the MSA, although diagnostic backed and truncated pieces are absent. The animal bones come from rodents, insectivores and other small creatures that were probably introduced mainly by owls, as well as from larger mammals and seabirds that were probably introduced mainly by humans. This latter component resembles the Klasies River Mouth MSA fauna in the abundance of eland relative to wild pigs, the dominance of penguins over flying birds, and the absence of fish. At both Die Kelders and Klasies River Mouth these features tentatively suggest that MSA hunter-foragers exploited animal resources less effectively than their LSA successors. Although the Die Kelders MSA human teeth tend to be somewhat larger, they are morphologically similar to modern African homologues, and they exhibit several features that tend to distinguish modern Africans among other populations. These teeth may be added to the small fossil sample that attests to the morphological modernity of the MSA inhabitants of southern Africa.
Application of ion-exclusion and ion-exchange techniques in preparing α,β-dihydroxyisobutyramide and α,β-dihydroxyisobutyric acid from acetol via the cyanohydrin synthesis☆

Abstract The techniques of ion-exclusion and ion-exchange have been exploited to obtain substantial yields of α,β-dihydroxyisobutyramide and α,β-dihydroxyisobutyric acid, respectively, following acid hydrolysis of acetol cyanohydrin.
A multivariate normal law for Turing’s formulae

This paper establishes a sufficient condition for Turing’s formulae of various orders to have asymptotic multivariate normality. As an application, a consistent estimator of the tail under a discrete power tail model is also described.
Towards the design of an intrinsically graphical language

Coding a large and diversified graphics application system is a difficult task. We suggest an approach to this problem in which programs are built up using Objects (e.g., Classes, Modules) newly generated or drawn from a library. Each Object has an Aid which supports an interactive dialogue with the programmer resulting in the insertion of the appropriate references to the Object into the developing code. An Aid can display graphical Objects and accept sketching and picture editing. An Association capability allows the programmer to generate code corresponding to the displayed graphical material. The Association can be literal, with numerical values being inserted, or symbolic, with variable arguments inserted. A Programming System that is so structured implements an Intrinsically Graphical Language because the code can be “written” using both textual and graphical dialogues.
Broad wavenumber turbulence measurements during neutral beam injection on the DIII-D Tokamak

Density fluctuation measurements covering a wavenumber range relevant to ITG, TEM and ETG type instabilities (k⊥ ρi ≈ 0.2→ 10) are compared during Ohmic and neutral beam injection (NBI). These short time duration NBI perturbations modified the background temperature as well as the density fluctuation behaviour but had little effect on the background density. It is found that both the measured and calculated responses to these perturbations varied with wavenumber supporting the need for broad wavenumber comparisons. The experimentally measured fluctuation changes and calculated growth rates (from the linear gyrokinetic code GKS) show qualitative similarities to each other at low and intermediate k while the comparison at high k is inconclusive.
Safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of common laparoscopic procedures

Laparoscopic surgery has been shown to offer superior surgical outcomes for most abdominal surgical procedures. However, there is hardly any evidence on surgical outcomes with patient risk stratification. This study aimed to compare outcomes of common laparoscopic and open surgical procedures for varying illness severity. A retrospective analysis of surgical outcomes for six commonly performed surgical procedures including cholecystectomy, appendectomy, reflux surgery, gastric bypass surgery, ventral hernia repair, and colectomy was performed using the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) Clinical Database/Resource Manager (CDB/RM). The 3-year discharge data for the six commonly performed laparoscopic surgical procedures were analyzed for outcome measures including observed mortality, overall patient morbidity, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, 30-day readmissions, length of hospital stay, and hospital costs. In this study, 208,314 patients underwent one of six common surgical procedures by either the open or the laparoscopic approach. Overall, the laparoscopic approach showed significantly lower mortality, reduced morbidity, fewer ICU admissions and 30-day readmissions, shorter hospital stay, and significantly reduced hospital costs for all the procedures. At stratification by illness severity, the laparoscopic group showed better or comparable surgical outcomes across all the illness severity groups. However, the observed mortality was comparable for the minor and moderate severity patients between laparoscopic and open surgery for most procedures. The 30-day readmission rate for major/extreme severity patients was comparable between the two groups for most surgical procedures. This study demonstrated the superiority of laparoscopy over conventional open surgery across all illness severity risk groups for common surgical procedures. The results in general show that laparoscopic surgery is safe, efficacious, and cost-effective compared with open surgery and suggest that laparoscopic surgery should be the procedure of choice for all common surgical procedures, regardless of illness severity.
Present and future standard specimens for surface-finish metrology (Summary Only)

The accurate measurement of surface finish requires standard specimens to calibrate and check the operation of the measuring instruments. This is true both for profiling techniques such as the stylus and area averaging techniques such as light scattering. For profiling stylus instruments, the international standard ISO 5436 has enumerated four types of standard specimens which may be classified as step height specimens, periodic roughness specimens, random roughness specimens, and specimens for checking probe tip resolution. A draft of a related U.S. standard uses the same taxonomy. For light scattering instruments, the use of standard specimens are discussed in the ASTM standard for total integrated scatter. In addition, several ad hoc standard specimens have been used in an interlaboratory comparison of instruments that measure the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). Our group has developed a series of specimens, known as standard reference materials (SRMs), for calibrating stylus profiling instruments. We are also in the process of developing a series of profile specimens for calibrating the linearity of BRDF instruments. Both types of specimens have sinusoidal profiles and are discussed in turn.
Phospholipases. II. Enzymatic hydrolysis of lecithin: effects of structure, cholesterol content, and sonication.

Hydrolysis of unsonicated liposomes of egg lecithin catalyzed by several phospholipases is markedly activated by addition ofn-alkanols [Jain & Cordes,J. Membrane Biol.14:101 (1973)]. Further pursuit of these systems has established that several factors, including higher temperatures, increasing unsaturation of fatty acyl chains of the substrate, incorporation of cholesterol into the liposomes, and sonication, reduce the concentration ofn-hexanol required to elicit maximal activation for enzymatic hydrolysis. Moreover, sonication or incorporation of cholesterol into lecithin liposomes reduces from C8 to C7 and C6, respectively, the chain length of that alcohol eliciting maximal activation. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that sonication and increasing cholesterol content lead to liposomes which have a diminished thickness of the hydrocarbon region compared to that for unmodified liposomes derived from the same lecithin.
Practical and low-overhead masking of failures of TCP-based servers

This article describes an architecture that allows a replicated service to survive crashes without breaking its TCP connections. Our approach does not require modifications to the TCP protocol, to the operating system on the server, or to any of the software running on the clients. Furthermore, it runs on commodity hardware. We compare two implementations of this architecture (one based on primary/backup replication and another based on message logging) focusing on scalability, failover time, and application transparency. We evaluate three types of services: a file server, a Web server, and a multimedia streaming server. Our experiments suggest that the approach incurs low overhead on throughput, scales well as the number of clients increases, and allows recovery of the service in near-optimal time.
Some new classification rules for c univariate normal populations

In this paper we propose classification rules with respect to the mean, variance, and the coefficient of variation for c(≥2) univariate normal populations. Two different approaches to the problem have been studied (a) where the probability of correct classification is at least a pre-assigned number p*(l/c ≤ p* < 1), and (b) where the probability of correct classification has to be evaluated. For the two approaches (a) and (b), classification rules with respect to the mean have been studied when the c populations have (i) common known variance, (ii) common unknown variance. The classification rules of approach (b) in the case of common known or unknown variance is also valid when the variances are not all equal and are known or unknown. Classification rules with respect to the coefficient of variation are also given for the two approaches when the population parameters are unknown. Classification rules with respect to the variance for the two approaches are explored when the means are unknown. In each case of approach (b), the classification rule has been shown to possess a certain optimum property. Dans cet article, nous proposons de nouvelles regles de classification, quant a la moyenne, la variance et le coefficient de variation de c(≥2) populations normales a une dimension. Deux approches differentes au probleme sont etudiees: (a) La probabilite d'une classification correcte etant au moins egale a un nombre p*(l/c ≤p* l), et (b) La probabilite d'une classification correcte devant ětre evaluee. Pour les deux approches (a) et (b), les regles de classification quant a la moyenne sont etudiees quand les a populations ont (i) une variance commune qui est deja connue, (ii) une variance commune qui est inconnue. Les regles de classification pour (b) sont aussi valides dans le cas de variances connues ou inconnues qui ne sont pas toutes egales. Les regles de classification quant au coefficient de variation sont aussi donnees pour les deux approches quand les parametres de la population sont inconnus. Des regles de classification pour les deux approches a l'egard de la variance sont recherchees quand les moyennes sont inconnues. Il est demontre que la regle de classification possede une certaine propriete optimale dans tous les cas de 1'approche (b).
Medical Comorbidities Should Not Deter the Application of Laparoscopic Fundoplication

Introduction Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication offers significant improvement in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptom severity and frequency. This study was undertaken to determine the impact of preoperative medical comorbidities on the outcome and satisfaction of patients undergoing fundoplication for GERD.
Music Metadata in a New Key: Metadata and Annotation for Music in a Digital World

Not only are music recordings now primarily digital and able to be readily produced, edited, and mashed up, but entirely new metadata frameworks, encoding systems, and data models such as XML, FRBR, METS, and MPEG are being developed to cope with the needs of diverse user communities. Moreover, systematic annotations of the structure and details of musical pieces are increasingly common. This paper surveys the current state of knowledge with regard to annotation and metadata related to recorded music.
2-Undecanone and 2-tridecanone in field-grown onion

A field study was conducted to investigate the impact of soil amendments on concentrations of two volatile organic compounds, 2-undecanone and 2-tridecanone, in onion bulbs. The soil in five plots was mixed with sewage sludge, five plots were mixed with yard waste compost, five plots were mixed with laying hen manure each at 15 t acre−1, and five unamended plots that never received soil amendments were used for comparison purposes. Plots (n = 20) were planted with onion, Allium cepa L. var. Super Star-F1 bulbs. Gas chromatographic/mass spetrometric (GC/MS) analyses of mature onion bulbs crude extracts revealed the presence of two major fragment ions that correspond to 2-undecanone and 2-tridecanone. Soil amended with yard waste compost enhanced 2-undecanone and 2-tridecanone production by 31 and 59%, respectively. Soil amended with chicken manure enhanced 2-undecanone and 2-tridecanone production by 28 and 43%, respectively. Concentrations of 2-undecanone and 2-tridecanone were lowest in onion bulbs of pl...
A cutting and scheduling problem in float glass manufacturing

This paper considers a cutting and scheduling problem of minimizing scrap motivated by float glass manufacturing and introduces the float glass scheduling problem. We relate it to classical problems in the scheduling literature such as no-wait hybrid flow shops and cyclic scheduling. We show that the problem is NP-hard, and identify when each of the problem's components are polynomially solvable and when they induce hardness. In addition, we propose a simple heuristic algorithm, provide its worst-case performance bounds, and demonstrate that the bounds are tight. When the number of machines is two, the worst-case performance is 5/3.
Kinetic Analysis of Solution‐Precipitation During Liquid‐Phase Sintering of Alumina

Densification controlled by solution-precipitation during liquid-phase sintering was analyzed for the aluminamagnesium aluminosilicate glass system. As a model system for liquid-phase sintering, narrowly sized alumina powders and up to 20 vol% magnesium aluminosilicate glass samples were isothermally sintered at 1550° to 1650°C. Densification rate increases with increasing liquid content and sintering temperature but decreases with increasing density. For samples with >15% grain growth, the densification rate during the solution-precipitation stage of sintering was proportional to (particle size)−2 and thus interface reaction-controlled. Activation energies ranged from 270 to 500 kJ/mol over the relative density range of 66% to 96%, respectively. The low activation energy is attributed to densification by particle rearrangement, whereas the higher activation energy is due to densification controlled by interface-reaction-controlled solution-precipitation. Intermediate activation energies are attributed to simultaneous densification by the two mechanisms.
Incorporation of mannose into rhodopsin in isolated bovine retina.

Abstract Isolated bovine retinas incorporated radioactive mannose into a light-sensitive protein with the chromatographic properties of rhodopsin. Incorporation was linear for at least 3 hr after a lag period of about 0·5 hr. Opsin was also labeled and could be converted to visual pigment with 9- cis retinal. All the incorporated label was released by acid hydrolysis and co-chromatographed with mannose on paper using two different solvent systems. Mannosyl transfer to endogenous acceptors was demonstrated using a particulate enzyme from bovine retina. However, neither opsin nor rhodopsin was found to be labeled. The product appeared to be one of the minor labeled components found in rod outer segments prepared from retinas incubated with radioactive mannose, possibly and oligosaccharide-lipid complex.
Parallel machine scheduling subject to auxiliary resource constraints

This paper is motivated by scheduling photolithography machines in semiconductor manufacturing wherein reticle requirements are the auxiliary resource constraints. As the problem is NP hard, two different heuristic solution approaches are developed. The performance of our network-based mathematical model and heuristics are evaluated through an extensive set of problem instances. The best performing heuristic method typically produces solutions that are 1.72% above optimal. If this method is used as the seed solution for a Tabu search-based post processing algorithm, schedules that are 0.78% above the optimal solution, on average, are possible.
Mapping in the cloud

Michael P. Peterson integrates cartographic principles with web-based mapping practices in Mapping in the Cloud. In 23 chapters that alternate between theory and practice, this book broadly overvie...
Urodynamic evaluation as neurologic test of sacral cord function

The use of urodynamic evaluation as a diagnostic tool for evaluating subtle neurologic lesions involving the second, third, and fourth segments of the sacral spinal cord is redefined. Six illustrative cases are presented.
An expert system approach to malfunction diagnosis in chemical plants

Abstract An efficient knowledge-based system approach to malfunction diagnosis in chemical processing plants is discussed. The approach involves a hierarchical diagnostic structure in which the nodes represent specific malfunction hypotheses. Instead of being a static collection of knowledge, the hierarchy is a collection of small individual specialists coordinated to arrive at an overall di Each specialist contains compiled and qualitative domain knowledge for evaluating the malfunction hypothesis. This malfunction hierarchy is particularly effective in handling multiple symptom and multiple malfunction situations. Conclusions are based on a working prototype system which has been built and tested to demonstrate the computational methodology.
Structure and dynamics of tosylchymotrypsin at pH 7 examined by tritium NMR spectroscopy

3H-NMR spectroscopy of specifically tritiated and tritiated/deuterated derivatives of tosylchymotrypsin has been used to examine the behavior of the tosyl group in this protein at pH 7. The presence of several tritiated isotopomers complicates analysis of experiments and extensive computer simulations of T1 relaxation, line widths, and various nuclear Overhauser experiments for the collection of tritiated species present in the samples were used to the interpret the observations made. These analyses suggests that the tosyl group of tosylchymotrypsin at pH 7 is largely retained within the substrate specificity pocket observed in the crystal structure. This outcome is in strong contrast to the situation observed at pH 4, where the tosyl group is mobile enough to be found outside the specificity pocket an appreciable fraction of the time, and may be the result of protein association at pH 7.
On the propagation of stoneley waves in liquid media with diatomic microstructure

The paper examines propagation of plane longitudinal waves on the plane surface separating two liquid inviscid elastic media with diatomic microstructures. After establishing the constitutive equations of the four constituents, equations of motion are solved by appeal to four quasi-potential functions. Fulfillment of the conditions of a perfect contact at the interface provides the characteristic equation of the problem which, in contrast to the conventional solution and in agreement with seismological observations, indicates the dispersion of the Stoneley waves. An example involving relaxed bonds between the constituent media is analyzed in more detail and illustrated by a graph.
Adhesion of glow discharge polymers

Various reaction parameters in a propylene glow discharge polymerization were investigated with the objective of synthesizing films having good adhesion to metal and glass substrate. Monomer flow rate (at a constant pumping efficiency) was found to exert a significant effect on the quality of polymer adhesion to substrates. Good adhering polymeric films were obtained only at high flow rates where the deposition rate decreases with an increase in monomer flow rate. This observation applied also to ethylene, propane, allyl bromide, and ϵ-caprolactam. Transmission electron microscopy of the freshly deposited polymer films indicated a defect-free structure of the polymer surface obtained at high flow rates. The polymer surface obtained at low flow rates had a bead structure superimposed by uniformly placed circular defects.
Comparison of six on-line identification algorithms

This paper discusses six popular parameter identification algorithms developed mainly for linear discrete-time dynamic systems. They are namely the Crosscorrelation technique, the first and second Stochastic Approximation methods, the Maximum Likelihood method, the Maximum a-posteriori probability filter, and the extended Kalman filter. Their computational properties are compared and their convergence is tested on two fourth order discrete-time systems. An overall evaluation of the methods is also presented.
Unsupervised Named Entity Transliteration Using Temporal and Phonetic Correlation

In this paper we investigate unsupervised name transliteration using comparable corpora, corpora where texts in the two languages deal in some of the same topics --- and therefore share references to named entities --- but are not translations of each other. We present two distinct methods for transliteration, one approach using an unsupervised phonetic transliteration method, and the other using the temporal distribution of candidate pairs. Each of these approaches works quite well, but by combining the approaches one can achieve even better results. We believe that the novelty of our approach lies in the phonetic-based scoring method, which is based on a combination of carefully crafted phonetic features, and empirical results from the pronunciation errors of second-language learners of English. Unlike previous approaches to transliteration, this method can in principle work with any pair of languages in the absence of a training dictionary, provided one has an estimate of the pronunciation of words in text.