cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of quality of life among long-term melanoma survivors and non-melanoma controls: a cross-sectional study

Purpose Little is known about specific concerns facing long-term melanoma survivors. The goal of this study was to compare quality of life (QOL) and mental health between long-term melanoma survivors and population controls.
The Ubiquitous Farkas Lemma

Every student of linear programming is exposed to the Farkas lemma, either in its original form or as the duality theorem of linear programming. What most students don’t realize is just how ubiquitous the lemma is. I’ve managed to make a good living by simply trying to express problems in the form of linear inequalities and then examining the Farkas alternative. It stared with my dissertation (under Saul’s supervision) and continues even today. So I could think of no better gift on the occasion of Saul’s birthday than a compilation of some applications of the Farkas lemma. These applications have been pulled together from a variety of different sources.
Black Prometheus: race and radicalism in the age of Atlantic slavery

In 1492, according to Jared Hickman, a cosmic rupture took place, enabling the emergence of the black Prometheus. For Hickman, racialised global modernity makes legible a newly doubled version of t...
Harms of unsuccessful donation after circulatory death: An exploratory study.

While donation after circulatory death (DCD) has expanded options for organ donation, many who wish to donate are still unable to do so. We conducted face-to-face interviews with family members (N = 15) who had direct experience with unsuccessful DCD and 5 focus groups with professionals involved in the donation process. We used qualitative content analysis to characterize the harms of nondonation as perceived by participants. Participants reported a broad spectrum of harms affecting organ recipients, donors, and donor families. Harms included waste of precious life-giving organs and hospital resources, inability to honor the donor's memory and character, and impaired ability for families to make sense of tragedy and cope with loss. Donor families empathized with the initial hope and ultimate despair of potential recipients who must continue their wait on the transplant list. Focus group members reinforced these findings and highlighted the struggle of families to navigate the uncertainty regarding the timing of death during the donation process. While families reported significant harm, many appreciated the donation attempt. These findings highlight the importance of organ donation to donor families and the difficult experiences associated with current processes that could inform development of alternative donation strategies.
Lichen planus affecting the female genitalia: A retrospective review of patients at Mayo Clinic

Background Genital or vulval lichen planus (VLP) may have a disabling effect on a patient's quality of life. Evidence-based management guidelines are lacking for VLP. Objective We sought to review clinical presentation and treatment of patients who received a diagnosis of VLP. Methods The 100 consecutive patients who received a diagnosis of VLP at Mayo Clinic between January 1, 1997, and December 31, 2015, were reviewed retrospectively. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Fisher's exact test and the Wilcoxon rank sum test were used for analysis of categorical and continuous variables, respectively. All statistical tests were 2 sided, with the α level set at .05 for statistical significance. Results The time to diagnosis for 49% of patients was more than 1 year. Three patients (3%) had vulval dysplasia, including invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Sixty-eight patients (68%) had multisite lichen planus disease. Eleven patients (11%) had disease remission. Dermatology was the lead specialty for 9 of these cases of remission. Limitations This was a retrospective, small-cohort study. Conclusion A low frequency of disease remission was seen in patients with VLP. Patients with lichen planus benefit considerably from dermatology consultation. Further research is warranted to establish high-quality, evidence-based guidelines for multidisciplinary management of this challenging disease.
The Space between Us: Social Geography and Politics

The Space between Us brings the connection between geography, psychology, and politics to life. By going into the neighborhoods of real cities, Enos shows how our perceptions of racial, ethnic, and religious groups are intuitively shaped by where these groups live and interact daily. Through the lens of numerous examples across the globe and drawing on a compelling combination of research techniques including field and laboratory experiments, big data analysis, and small-scale interactions, this timely book provides a new understanding of how geography shapes politics and how members of groups think about each other. Enos' analysis is punctuated with personal accounts from the field. His rigorous research unfolds in accessible writing that will appeal to specialists and non-specialists alike, illuminating the profound effects of social geography on how we relate to, think about, and politically interact across groups in the fabric of our daily lives.
Beliefs as inner causes: the (lack of) evidence

Many psychologists studying lay belief attribution and behavior explanation cite Donald Davidson in support of their assumption that people construe beliefs as inner causes. But Davidson’s influent...
Wideband spectrum sensing measurement results using tunable front-end and FPGA implementation

In this work, we implement a wideband spectrum sensing receiver using Analog Devices AD9361 RF frontend that can be tuned to frequencies from 70MHz to 6GHz with 30.72MHz bandwidth. An energy detection based spectrum sensing algorithm is implemented on Xilinx Kintex-7 FPGA in a pipelined architecture in order to continuously obtain data capture from the RF frontend without any missed samples and reduced latency. The wideband spectrum sensing algorithm uses 8192 FFT bins and provides center frequency and bandwidth of up to 8 non-overlapping frequency bands. The proposed architecture provides frequency resolution of 37.5kHz, time resolution of 8.53ms and latency of 8.78ms.
Ana María S. Tarrío, Leitores dos Clássicos. Portugal e Itália, séculos XV e XVI: uma geografia do primeiro humanismo em Portugal

The publication under review documents the exhibition Leitores dos Classicos. Edicoes italianas na transicao do seculo XV para o seculo XVI, held from 6 November 2015 to 30 January 2016 in the Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal (BNP). (…)
Focal epithelial hyperplasia: a multifocal oral human papillomavirus infection.

Widespread, slightly elevated and confluent nodules are observed throughout the oral mucosa in a young Hispanic girl. Repeated irritation of the soft tissues from a compromised occlusion is an aggravating factor for the spread of these lesions. A diagnosis of focal epithelial hyperplasia, a human papillomavirus infection, is made following histopathologic diagnosis and viral typing. Recognition of this specific type of warts is important in order to avoid the mistaken identification of condyloma acuminata, which may have significant repercussions in the life of a young child. (Pediatr Dent 22:153-154, 2000)
Living in Cities Today

Urban archaeology is a challenging endeavor. Defining urban archaeology is not straightforward. Doing urban archaeology is difficult for various intellectual and practical reasons. Theories employed by urban archaeologists are multifarious and must be as sophisticated and complex as the urban entities in which investigation proceeds. Despite these challenges (or perhaps because of them), urban archaeology is unquestionably a very rewarding and necessary undertaking. Contributions made by urban archaeologists over the past 15 years demonstrate this fact. A recent archaeological survey within the urban corridor between Las Cruces, New Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, is a particular illustration of both the challenges and rewards of urban archaeology.
Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) systems

Abstract: Concerns about climate change and the energy crisis have stimulated interest in developing advanced clean coal energy systems with high efficiency and near-zero emissions. Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology typically has lower emissions and greater fuel flexibility than conventional coal-based power generation technologies. Specifically, IGCC enables effective precombustion CO2 capture with less efficiency reduction than a conventional pulverized coal power plant. In this chapter, the design of major process components, including gasifier, water-gas shift, gas cleanup and gas turbine combined cycle, is described. The emissions control technologies for particulate matter, sulfur, mercury, CO2 and nitrogen oxide used by IGCC systems are summarized. The advantages and limitations of IGCC technology at nominal design and off-design conditions are reviewed. Future trends in improvement of thermal performance and environmental signature are also summarized.
Nonlinear Cochlear Signal Processing and Masking in Speech Perception

There are many classes of masking, but two major classes are easily defined: neural masking and dynamic masking. Neural masking characterizes the internal noise associated with the neural representation of the auditory signal, a form of loudness noise. Dynamic masking is strictly cochlear, and is associated with cochlear outer-hair-cell processing. This form is responsible for dynamic nonlinear cochlear gain changes associated with sensorineural hearing loss, the upward spread of masking, two-tone suppression and forward masking. The impact of these various forms of masking are critical to our understanding of speech and music processing. In this review, the details of what we know about nonlinear cochlear and basilar membrane signal processing is reviewed, and the implications of neural masking is modeled, with a comprehensive historical review of the masking literature. This review is appropriate for a series of graduate lectures on nonlinear cochlear speech and music processing, from an auditory point of view.
Germline Variant in SLCO2B1 and Response to Abiraterone Acetate Plus Prednisone (AA) in New-onset Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC)

There are many treatment options available for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Yet, biomarkers predictive of differential response to treatment are currently unavailable. A recent translational study suggested that SLCO2B1 genotype could predict response to abiraterone acetate for men with advanced prostate cancer. Here, we investigate whether germline variants in SLCO2B1 are predictive of response to first-line abiraterone acetate in men with new mCRPC. Clinical data and samples were analyzed from a prospective prostate cancer registry at the University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT). Genotyping was performed using the Illumina OmniExpress genotyping platform. Primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) on first-line abiraterone acetate in men with mCRPC. We performed a prespecified multivariate Cox regression analysis to assess the independent predictive value of rs12422149 and rs1789693 on PFS on abiraterone acetate. Of 401 men with advanced prostate cancer genotyped, 323 were homozygous wild-type for rs12422149 (80.5%), 74 were heterozygous (18.5%), and 4 were homozygous variant (1.0%). In a multivariate analysis of 79 men treated with first-line abiraterone acetate for mCRPC, men heterozygous for rs12422149 had significantly improved median PFS compared with the homozygous wild-type group (8.9 months vs. 6.3 months; HR, 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.23-0.94; P = 0.03). No significant difference in median PFS was seen by rs1789693 genotype. In this first clinical validation of translational data reported by Mostaghel and colleagues, germline variant alleles in rs12422149 of SLCO2B1 are common and predict improved response to first-line abiraterone acetate in men with mCRPC.
Tied to both sides or asserting a preferred identity? The case of Palestinian citizens of Israel in an intergroup contact setting

ABSTRACTResearch shows that individuals with dual identities have the potential to serve as a gateway between the groups represented by their dual identity, reducing bias between opposing sides. Bu...
Hepatic and Cardiac Complications Related to Zika Virus Infection

Major global concerns regarding Zika virus (ZIKV) infection, include microcephaly in neonates and Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults. However, there is evidence for the involvement of other body organs along with neurological disorders. Recent studies indicate that ZIKV like other arboviruses can cause cardiovascular complications, severe liver injury, and coagulation disorders. These possible threats must not be overlooked, and clinicians should be aware of compatible symptoms in patients, so they can manage them properly. The purpose of this review study is to characterize hepato-cardiac complications of Zika virus.
Real-Time Adaptive Machine-Learning-Based Predictive Control of Nonlinear Processes

We present a machine learning-based predictive control scheme that integrates an online update of the recurrent neural network (RNN) models to capture process nonlinear dynamics in the presence of ...
Myeloid Krüppel-Like Factor 2 Critically Regulates K/BxN Serum-Induced Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease, and Kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2) regulates immune cell activation and function. Herein, we show that in our experiments 50% global deficiency of KLF2 significantly elevated arthritic inflammation and pathogenesis, osteoclastic differentiation, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and inflammatory cytokines in K/BxN serum-induced mice. The severities of RA pathogenesis, as well as the causative and resultant cellular and molecular factors, were further confirmed in monocyte-specific KLF2 deficient mice. In addition, induction of RA resulted in a decreased level of KLF2 in monocytes isolated from both mice and humans along with higher migration of activated monocytes to the RA sites in humans. Mechanistically, overexpression of KLF2 decreased the level of MMP9; conversely, knockdown of KLF2 increased MMP9 in monocytes along with enrichment of active histone marks and histone acetyltransferases on the MMP9 promoter region. These findings define the critical regulatory role of myeloid KLF2 in RA pathogenesis.
Flipping the Classroom for a Material and Energy Balances Course: Effect on Student Learning versus Student Perception and Sentiment.

The flipped class method was employed for the Material and Energy Balances course midway through the semester. Surveys to gauge student sentiment were administered mid-semester prior to flipping the classroom, and a post-survey just before the final exam. In addition, exam scores were compared with those from 5 prior semesters. Overall, while the survey results suggest that students had a largely positive experience with the flipped classroom, a high level of skepticism persists among students.
Orbital Bony Reconstruction With Presized and Precontoured Porous Polyethylene-Titanium Implants.

Purpose Complex bony orbital defects are reconstructively challenging due to loss of intraoperative anatomical landmarks and adjacent support. Presized and precontoured porous polyethylene-titanium implants (Medpor Titan 3D Orbital Floor Implant) are designed to reestablish normal orbital floor and medial wall anatomy and are modeled after anatomically averaged orbits. This is the first study to report clinical outcomes with this implant. Methods This retrospective case series reviewed clinical data and outcomes for patients undergoing orbital reconstruction with a presized and precontoured porous polyethylene-titanium orbital implant from January 2016 to June 2018. Results A total of 34 orbits of 33 patients were identified (mean age: 43 ± 16 years, 70% men). Most bony defects were a result of trauma and included large orbital floor deformities (100%), medial wall defects (74%), disrupted inferomedial struts (68%), and broken posterior ledges (82%). Symptomatic diplopia (73%) and enophthalmos (89%, mean: 3.7 ± 2.1 mm) were common preoperatively. Many cases were revisions (44%). Mean follow up was 7.8 ± 6.7 months. All patients had improved globe positioning, enophthalmos, and hypoglobus. Seven patients had persistent postoperative diplopia: 6 responded to prism therapy and 1 required strabismus surgery. One patient required retrobulbar hematoma drainage and 1 patient required implant explantation due to chronic infection. Conclusions Commercially available presized and precon-toured porous polyethylene-titanium implants are useful for complex orbital bony defects and can achieve functional improvements in diplopia, enophthalmos, and extraocular motility with a low incidence of postoperative complications or revisional surgery.
Mystical-type experiences occasioned by ketamine mediate its impact on at-risk drinking: Results from a randomized, controlled trial.

Background:Sub-anesthetic ketamine administration may be helpful for substance use disorders. Converging evidence suggests that the efficacy of ketamine for certain conditions may implicate a subse...
Laboratory Experiment on Gene Subcloning for ChE Students

A laboratory experiment for senior chemical engineering students is described. Students are introduced to basic techniques of molecular biology by performing a subcloning experiment. The experiment requires five laboratory sessions and students are exposed to polymerase chain reaction, plasmid purification, DNA ligation, bacterial transformation, and protein expression. Hands-on experience with these techniques can provide both appreciation for and knowledge of the techniques and processes involved with DNA cloning that a lecture course alone cannot provide.
Introductory Overview to Special Edition –“Building and Leveraging the Innovation Ecosystem and Clusters: Universities, Startups, Accelerators, Alliances, and Partnerships”

This article focuses on the concepts of ecosystems and clusters, with an emphasis on their importance for building vibrant a vibrant and life science/biopharma industry. We illustrate the underlying principles through work published in academic articles and in the popular press. These are highlighted in brief overviews of several mature and emerging ecosystems in the United States, Europe and Australia. The US perspective is based on our own professional life experiences in Boston, Silicon Valley, San Diego, and Pittsburgh, and, with a shorter preview of Philadelphia where we’ve both done business and have close colleagues. The article ends with a look to the future in a concluding section titled “What’s Coming Next”. It is our attempt to look at the future of digitally enhanced collaborative innovation. This is based on our observations during the first 9 months of the Covid-19 pandemic, social distancing, and working from a distance. We ask, what is the potential impact of these emerging digital technologies on work and advancement of the agenda in the life sciences industries? Will the pandemic transform or disrupt the borders and mode of collaboration of traditional definitions of ecosystems and clusters as we define them today? © 2021 ThinkBiotech LLC. All rights reserved.
Approaches to comprehensive analyses of persistent halogenated environmental contaminants

A series of chromatographic processes has been integrated into an automated sequential procedure that has been specifically developed for uninterrupted purification and fractionation of multiclass organic chemical residues from environmental samples. The effectiveness and general applicability of this sequential cleanup and fractionation procedure were demonstrated by the recovery of 39 chemicals representing a broad range of residue classes from a fortified fish sample. A chromatographic controller under construction is designed to carry out the numerous sample and solvent manipulations in an automated and continuous procedure. Alkali metal hydroxide treated silica gel effectively separated phenols and acids from neutral compounds.
Derived Variables, Proxy Variables, and Time-Dependent Access Functions

In Chapter 3 I introduced the RX knowledge base (KB), a hierarchical collection of medical and statistical objects. The medical objects may be divided into two types called primary attributes and derived variables.
Retention of Ordinal Position Information with Limited and Extended Serial Training

To examine the possibility that position cues are temporal and therefore ineffective early in serial runway training, rats were runway trained on a three-trial series of different rewards. The series was SNP’, where S and P’ refer to series trials that concluded with four sucrose or eight plain Noyes pellets, respectively. The middle trial was never rewarded (N). Early in training, a significant pattern of running slowly on the middle trial and rapidly on the initial and terminal trials had emerged. Transfer tests to series of trials (NNN) never rewarded after this limited training (on Day 19) and later after extended training (Day 39), each gave evidence that the rats relied upon position cues in the tests. The three-trial patterns established before the tests were retained on the three trials of the NNN series. The results suggest the prevalence of position learning, but they work against the idea that position cues are temporal and effective only with extended training.
Sampling and sizing from the atmosphere

Sampling from the atmosphere is carried out mainly to monitor health and nuisance hazards. The air is full of particulates, even in a non-industrial environment, but these are not usually noxious. The unenviable task of the legislator is to balance the needs of industry to pollute the atmosphere against the public demand for clean air. In Britain, the Clean Air Act of 1956 requires the discharge of effluent into the atmosphere to be reduced to a minimum using ‘the best practical means’ and health inspectors have been appointed to enforce this nebulous legislation. In the United States the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards are more precise which makes the in­spectors’ job easier but raises other problems. The EPA standards for ambient air are that the annual geometric mean for particulate matter should not exceed 75μgm-3 and that the maximum concentration should not exceed 260 μg m-3 more than once a year. Now if one compares Mobile, Alabama (124 μgm-3, mean) with New York (105 μgm-3, mean) it would seem that New York should have less difficulty in meeting this standard than Mobile. However, the reverse is true, since Mobile has no particulate matter controls whereas all controls possible have been installed in New York [1].
Cognitive architectures and the challenge of cognitive social simulation

A cognitive architecture is a domain-generic computational cognitive model that may be used for a broad, multiple-domain analysis of cognition and behavior. It embodies generic descriptions of cognition in computer algorithms and programs. Social simulation with multi-agent systems can benefit from incorporating cognitive architectures, as they provide a realistic basis for modeling individual agents (as argued in Sun 2001). In this article, an example of a cognitive architecture will be given, and its application to social simulation will be outlined.
The Allied Health Core Curriculum

ABSTRACT.A core curriculum for allied health can serve as a catalyst for health care reform and address many of the issues identified by the Pew Health Professions Commission, the National Commission on Allied Health, and the National Health Care Skill Standards Project. A review of the recommendations calling for health care reform and outlining the desired knowledge, skills, and values for health care workers offers a basis upon which to design a core curriculum and to understand the core curriculum concept.
MicroRNA-9 promotion of interleukin-6 expression by inhibiting monocyte chemoattractant protein-induced protein 1 expression in interleukin-1β-stimulated human chondrocytes.

Objective Enhanced IL-6 expression plays an important role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). MCPIP1 is a novel post-transcriptional regulator of IL-6 expression and is targeted by miR-9. We investigated the MCPIP1 expression in OA cartilage and explored whether targeting of MCPIP1 by miR-9 contributes to enhanced IL-6 expression in OA.
The Banach-Mazur Game

Around 1928, the Polish mathematician S. Mazur invented the following mathematical “game.” Player (A) is “dealt” an arbitrary subset A of a closed interval I0. The complementary set B = I0 - A is dealt to player (B) The game 〈A, B〉 is played as follows: (A) chooses arbitrarily a closed interval I1 ⊂ I0; then (B) chooses a closed interval I2 ⊂ I1; then (A) chooses a closed interval I3 ⊂ I2; and so on, alternately. Together the players determine a nested sequence of closed intervals In, (A) choosing those with odd index, (B) those with even index. If the set ∩ In has at least one point in common with A, then (A) wins; otherwise, (B) wins.
Effects of Prebiotic Supplementation on Bone Mineral Metabolism and Weight in Humans

The ability of prebiotics to enhance calcium absorption and bone mineralization has become an important rationale for their use. This chapter reviews the key human studies related to this potential effect and considers the role prebiotics may play in bone health. In addition, it discusses recent evidence that prebiotics may be beneficial in weight management. Finally, it considers potential applications of prebiotics in nutritional planning, especially for children and adolescents.
The postal network: a versatile interconnection topology

The postal network is an interconnection network that possesses many desirable properties which are important in network design and applications. It includes hypercubes and Fibonacci cubes as its special cases. The postal network can also be considered as a flexible version of the hypercube which relaxes the restriction on the number of nodes and thus makes it possible to construct multicomputers with arbitrary sizes. Basically, the postal network forms a series (with series number /spl lambda/) that is based on the sequence N/sub /spl lambda//(n)=N/sub /spl lambda//(n-1)+N/sub /spl lambda//(n-/spl lambda/), where n is the dimension and N/sub /spl lambda// (n) represents the number of nodes in an n-dimensional postal network in series /spl lambda/. In this paper; we study topological properties of postal networks and relationships between different postal networks. One application of postal networks is also shown in implementing barrier synchronization using a special spanning tree called a postal tree.
The effect of surface dissolution on fatigue deformation and crack nucleation in copper and copper 8% aluminum single crystals

Abstract The effect of surface dissolution on fatigue deformation and crack nucleation in copper and copper-aluminum single crystals has been studied. It is shown that surface dissolution during cyclic deformation results in an increase in fatigue life, delay in crack initiation, an increase in slip offset height and density, and blunting of slip band cracks. Transmission electron microscopy studies of near surface areas of copper specimens shows that dissolution disrupts the normal cyclic deformation generated dislocation substructure in these regions suggesting surface softening. A model of interaction between emerging strained metal associated with dislocations and the dissolution process is suggested to explain observed results.
Calculation of total dielectronic recombination rate coefficient for heliumlike iron

Abstract Dielectronic recombination rate coefficients for Fe XXV are calculated at electron temperatures between 0.6 and 10 keV. The calculations have been performed in the intermediate coupling scheme using the multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock-Slater atomic model. The intermediate resonance states considered are ¦1 s 2lnl''LSJ >, with n = 2, 3, and 4 and all possible values of l and l'. ft]∗|Present address: Department of Physics, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61761, USA.
The basis of chromatin fiber assembly within chromosomes studied by histone-DNA crosslinking followed by trypsin digestion.

To determine the structural basis of chromatin assembly that leads to chromosome formation in mitosis, crosslinks were introduced by formaldehyde between contiguous components within chromosomes. Crosslinked stable products were then observed by electronmicroscopy after non-cross-linked portions were briefly digested by trypsin to unfold chromosomes. — When the DNA-histone crosslink was the primary product, trypsin readily unfolded the whole chromosome structure while preserving the 250 A unit chromatin fiber intact; only a single unit fiber was tracked within the centromere region connecting the arms of each chromatid. When a histone polymer was formed by a prolonged formaldehyde crosslinking, trypsin digestion gave rise to chromatin fibers interacting with others at certain distances, and the typical chromosome structure remained unchanged. Regardless of the degree of crosslinking, there were neither thick supercoiled unit fibers nor proteinaceous cores. — These results suggest that the fiber connection may represent, to some extent, the interacting sites of folded chromatin fibers in situ within chromosomes, and also that the 250 A unit fibers are the sole, highest structural basis in chromosomes. Since virtually no appreciable histone digestion took place in the crosslinked chromosomes, the observation that even after DNA-histone crosslinking the fiber interacting sites were accessible to trypsin preferentially over other portions, may be consistent with our recent results that the exposed, lysine-rich tails of histones represent such interacting sites.
Synthesis and structure of a double-layered perovskite and its hydrate, K2SrTa2O7·mH2O (m = 0, 2)

Abstract Studies on the known compound, K2SrTa2O7, and its hydrate are reported. A method for preparing single-phase samples is presented. Rietveld structural refinement of X-ray powder diffraction data verify that K2SrTa2O7 is an n = 2 member of the Ruddlesden–Popper series; K2SrTa2O7 was refined on the body-centered tetragonal space group I4/mmm with a = 3.9768(1) A and c = 21.7062(6) A. This compound readily hydrates in air to form K2SrTa2O7·2H2O. Structural analysis on a primitive tetragonal cell (P4/mmm), where a = 3.9599(1) A and c = 12.7568(3) A, shows that on intercalation of water the staggered perovskite layers of K2SrTa2O7 shift to an eclipsed configuration.
Modeling of Transient Tissue Temperatures and Biotransport of Vasodilators During Localized Heating

Thermally induced large blood flow increases have been extensively observed in muscle. However, no one has attempted to study the physiological mechanisms that under these phenomena. If the mechanisms are fully understood, it may be possible to noninvasively, thermally control blood flow, thus controlling tissue temperature, during hyperthermia treatments. The present study applies a compartmental model of the pharmacokinetics/dynamics coupled with a one-dimensional Pennes bio-heat-transfer equation to study the local thermoregulation in tissue subjected to heating. Temperature responses to different applied power levels have been simulated. The simulations are seen to generate similar temperature profiles to those observed in the previous in vivo experiments. This implies that the coupled pharmacokinetic/dynamic and 1D energy balance models developed here capture the essence of the links between tissue temperature and blood flow oscillations and the activities of the vasoactive substances. Thus, it appears that such pharmacokinetic/dynamic models can provide a fundamental basis for coupling the tissue temperature distributions to blood flow oscillations—as opposed to using the ad hoc time delays used in the original investigations. Results from this study provide a promising, physiological basis for coupling blood flow increase with localized heating, which can be used as a guideline for the design of physiological experiments to identify the key vasoactive agents present during heating. In addition, once the key vasodilators are identified and the corresponding biochemical pathways are fully understood, research can then proceed to find a way to thermally control blood flow for the purpose of enhancing the efficacy of noninvasive thermal therapies.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Creativity and chronic disease. Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943).

Rachmaninov's exceptionally large hands may have been a manifestation of Marfan's syndrome. With his long, tapering fingers, the tall and slender pianist could easily play his own concertos, which demanded an unusually long reach at the keyboard. The gene for Marfan's syndrome has now been identified.
COACH: A tutor based on active schemas

The Coach system, a computer simulation of a human tutor, was constructed with the goal of obtaining a better understanding of how a tutor interprets the student's behavior, diagnoses difficulties, and gives advice. Coach gives advice to a student who is learning a simple computer programming language. Its intelligence is based on a hierarchy of active schemas that represent the tutor's general concepts and on more specific information represented in a semantic network. The coordination of conceptually guided and data-driven processing enables the Coach system to interpret student behavior, recognize errors, and give advice to the student. Le systeme Coach, une simulation informatique ? un tuteur humain, a ete construit dans le but ? obtenir une meilleure comprehension de la facon dont un tuteur interprete le comportement de ľetudiant, decele les difficultes, et conseille. Coach donne des conseils a un etudiant qui apprend un langage de programmation simple. Son intelligence est basee sur des schemas actifs hierarchises qui representent les concepts generaux du tuteur, et sur une information plus specifique representee dans un reseau semantique. La coordination du traitement guide par les concepts et du traitement guide par les donnees permet au systeme Coach ? interpreter le comportement de ľetudiant, de reconnaitre les erreurs, et de conseiller ľetudiant. Mots cles: conseil, Coach, langage de programmation, EIAO (ICAI), enseignement intelligent assiste par ordinateur, schema, simulation, tuteur.
New Concepts in Projection Mask Aligners

A new concept (the annular field optical system) makes it possible to avoid the extreme complexity of conventional projection mask alignment objectives. This has been done in a new, extremely simple, all-reflecting optical system that consists of two, concentric, spherical mirrors. A monolithic block consisting of three mutually perpendicular plane mirrors is used to fold the system into a configuration that makes possible an inherently synchronous, simple scanning arrangement. Partially coherent illumination is used to increase the effective MTF without decreasing the depth of focus.
The Quantification of Physiologically Relevant Cross-Shear Wear Phenomena on Orthopaedic Bearing Materials Using the MAX-Shear Wear Testing System

Background: The occurrence of multi-directional sliding motion between total knee replacement bearing surfaces is theorized to be a primary wear and failure mechanism of ultra-high molecular weight poly(ethylene) (UHMWPE). To better quantify the tribologic mechanisms of this cross-shear wear, the MAX-Shear wear-testing system was developed to evaluate candidate biomaterials under controlled conditions of cross-shear wear. Method of approach: A computer controlled traveling x-y stage under a 3 degree-of-freedom statically loaded pin is used to implement the complex multi-directional motion pathways observed during TKR wear simulation. A MHz collection of dynamic x-y friction was available on all six environmentally controlled stations. The functionality of this testing platform was proven in a 100,000 cycle, 11.6 MPa, wear test using 15.0 mm diameter polished stainless steel spheres against flat GUR4150 UHMWPE. A five-pointed star wear pattern was used to incorporate the physiologically relevant cross-shear sliding conditions of stop/start, 50mm∕s entraining velocity and five crossing angles of 72°. Using normalized volumetric reconstruction of the resulting surface damage, a direct quantitative relationship between linear and cross-shear surface damage intensity was obtained. Results: Cross-shear surface damage volume loss was found to be 2.94 (±0.88) times that associated with linear sliding under identical tribologic conditions. SEM analysis of linear wear damage showed consistent fibril orientation along the direction of sliding while cross-shear wear damage showed multi-directional fibril orientations and increased surface roughness. Significant increases in discrete crossing-point friction coefficients were recorded throughout testing. Conclusions: This scientific approach to quantifying the tribologic effects of cross-shear provides fundamental wear mechanism data that are critical in evaluating potential biomaterials for use as in vivo bearings. Relevant multi-axis, cross-shear wear testing is necessary to provide quantifiable measures of complex biomaterials wear phenomena.
Gas-rich Dwarfs from the Second Palomar Sky Survey. I. Catalog and Characteristics

This project is a visual search for field dwarf galaxies using Second Palomar Sky Survey photographic plates. A morphologically selected sample of 310 objects yielded 145 detections of true dwarfs within a redshift search window of 0 to 10,000 km s-1. We confirm the low-mass, dwarf nature of the same by comparison of luminosity, isophotal size, H I mass and H I profile width distribution of other dwarf samples. The goal of this project is to use these newly discovered dwarf galaxies to map large-scale structure as a test of biased galaxy formation. Initial indicators are that the large-scale distribution of dwarf galaxies is identical to that of bright, high-mass galaxies, in contradiction to theory using biasing. The full analysis of the sample will be reported in the final paper of our series.
Changes in polarimetric parameters associated with the polymerization of flagellin into flagellar filaments

Filaments of bacterial flagella are composed of protein subunits, the flagellins, whose molecular weight ranges between 30,000 and 50,000 daltons depending on the bacterial species from which they are obtained. X-ray diffraction patterns (Astbury et, al., 1955; Burge, 1961; Swanbeck and Forslind, 1964; Champness and Lowy, 1968) and infrared absorption spectra (Beighton et, al., 1958) of such flagella suggest the presence of α-helix. Recently, the investigation of flagellin structure by polarimetry has provided additional evidence for the presence of α-helix (Koffler et, al., 1966; Klein et, al., 1967; 1967a; 1968). This paper, is a report on changes in polarimetric parameters that occur when flagellin molecules undergo a transition between the solubilized and polymerized states. These changes appear to result from changes in helical structure as well as changes due to aggregation.
Effects of phosphate-buffered saline concentration and incubation time on the mechanical and structural properties of electrochemically aligned collagen threads.

A key step during the synthesis of collagen constructs is the incubation of monomeric collagen in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) to promote fibrillogenesis in the collagen network. Optimal PBS treatment conditions for monomeric collagen solutions to induce gelation are well established in the literature. Recently, a report in the literature[1] showed a novel method to fabricate highly oriented electrochemically aligned collagen (ELAC) threads which have orders of magnitude greater packing density than collagen gels. The optimal PBS treatment conditions for induction of D-banding pattern in such dense and anisotropic collagen network are unknown. This study aimed to optimize PBS treatment of ELAC threads by investigating the effect of phosphate ion concentration (0.5×, 1×, 5× or 10×) and incubation time (3, 12 or 96 hours) on the mechanical strength and ultrastructural organization by monotonic mechanical testing, small angle X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy. ELAC threads incubated in water (No PBS) served as the control. ELAC threads incubated in 1× PBS showed significantly higher extensibility compared to 0.5× or 10× PBS along with the presence of D-banded patterns with a periodicity of 63.83 nm. Incubation of ELAC threads in 1× PBS for 96 hours resulted in significantly higher ultimate stress compared to 3 or 12 hours. However, these threads lacked D-banding pattern. TEM showed no significant differences in the microfibril diameter distribution of ELAC threads treated with or without PBS. This indicates that microfibrils lacked D-banding following electrochemical alignment and the subsequent PBS treatment induced D-banding by reorganization within microfibrils. It was concluded that incubation of aligned collagen in 1× PBS for 12 hours results in mechanically competent, D-banded ELAC threads which can be used for the regeneration of load bearing tissues such as tendons and ligaments.
Grid harvest service: a performance system of grid computing

Conventional performance evaluation mechanisms focus on dedicated systems. Grid computing infrastructure, on the other hand, is a shared collaborative environment constructed on virtual organizations. Each organization has its own resource management policy and usage pattern. The non-dedicated characteristic of Grid computing prevents the leverage of conventional performance evaluation systems. In this study, we introduce the grid harvest service (GHS) performance evaluation and task scheduling system for solving large-scale applications in a shared environment. GHS is based on a novel performance prediction model and a set of task scheduling algorithms. GHS supports three classes of task scheduling, single task, parallel processing and meta-task. Experimental results show that GHS provides a satisfactory solution for performance prediction and task scheduling of large applications and has a real potential.
Strongly consistent access algorithms for wireless data networks

In wireless data networks such as the WAP systems, the cached data may be time-sensitive and strong consistency must be maintained (i.e., the data presented to the user at the WAP handset must be the same as that in the origin server). In this paper, we study the cached data access algorithms in such systems. Two caching algorithms are investigated. In Algorithm I, Pull-Each-Read, whenever a data access occurs, the client always asks the server whether the cached entry in the client is valid or not. In Algorithm II, Callback, the server always invalidates the cached entry in the client whenever an update occurs. Analytic models are proposed to evaluate the performance of these algorithms. Our studies show that Algorithm II outperforms Algorithm I if the data access rate is high and the access pattern is irregular. We also design an adaptive mechanism to effectively switch between the two algorithms to take advantages of both algorithms. We also apply the single-level cached data access algorithms for the multi-level cache hierarchy. Our study indicates that with appropriate arrangement, strongly consistent cached data access for wireless Internet (such as WAP) can be efficiently supported.
Colonic enteric nervous system analysis during parenteral nutrition

Introduction Parenteral nutrition (PN) is a necessary therapy used to feed patients with gastrointestinal dysfunction. Unfortunately, PN results in intestinal atrophy and changes to host immune function. PN may also induce additional effects on gut motility that we hypothesized would result from changes in the enteric nervous system.
Simulation calculations of cardiac virtual cathode effects

Abstract The anisotropic bidomain model has been used to perform computer simulations of cardiac tissue stimulated externally. Virtual cathode distances,Rvc, are found to be affected by type of stimulation and the degree of conductance between the extracellular domain and the ground provided by, for example, a saline bath. For no such conductance, hyperpolarizing blocking regions develop in the longitudinal direction of propagation. These regions are much reduced by even a small conductance to ground. They do not occur for transmembrane stimulation. They result in much reducedRvcsizes in the longitudinal direction even in the presence of some ground conductance, and negativeRvcvalues for no such conductance.
Absence of a Sex Difference in Algorithms for Spatial Problem Solving.

Abstract Pairs of stimuli taken from a pscyhometric measure of spatial aptitude were shown to 36 college men and 32 college women. The stimuli in pairs were (a) either identical or mirror images, and (b) presented in orientations that differed by 0–135 deg. Individuals judged, as rapidly as possible, if the stimuli in a pair would be identical or mirror images if presented at the same orientation. Replicating previous work, there was a sex difference in the speed with which problems were solved. Of greater interest was the fact that men and women were quite alike in the frequency with which they used different algorithms to solve the problems. Most individuals solved the problems using an algorithm in which an individual encodes the stimuli in working memory, mentally rotates one stimulus to the orientation of the other, compares both determine if they are identical, and responds. Two variants of this algorithm were also used by some subjects. In one variant, if comparison revealed that the stimuli were dissimilar, individuals did not respond immediately but continued processing until a self- imposed deadline was reached. In another variation, subjects only rotated the comparison stimuli when their orientations exceeded a critical angle.
Renal Crescentic Alpha Heavy Chain Deposition Disease: A Report of 3 Cases and Review of the Literature

Heavy chain deposition disease (HCDD) is a comparatively recently described entity characterized by glomerular and tubular basement membrane deposition of monoclonal heavy chains without associated light chains. To our knowledge, review of the literature shows only 24 previously reported cases of HCDD with unequivocal evidence of monoclonal heavy chain deposition in the kidney using immunofluorescence microscopic and electron microscopic studies. The predominant heavy chain subtype was γ. There has been a single case of μ HCDD and 2 previously reported cases of α HCDD. In this report, we describe 3 additional cases of α HCDD, all with a crescentic pattern of injury and one of which was associated with cutis laxa. We compare their clinicopathologic features with all previously reported cases of HCDD.
Carambola (Averrhoa carambola L.).

Abstract: The carambola (Averrhoa carambola L.) has been cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions for hundreds of years. The fruits are berries that originate from the ovary of the flower and usually have four to six fins (five being the most common). The fins of the fruit give it a star-shaped appearance, hence its other name: star fruit. This chapter describes the factors that contribute to or detract from carambola’s postharvest quality, characterized by texture, appearance, flavor and aroma components. The roles of harvest maturity and postharvest treatments, particularly ethylene and 1-methylcyclopropene, are discussed.