cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Employers' views on the fit note.

Results There were 21 participants who were mainly human resources officers and line managers. Employers welcomed the introduction of the fit note and felt that it was an improvement on the sick note. The majority of employers felt the fit note had the potential to promote an earlier return to work, if used properly. The main problems reported were the completion of the fit notes and quality of advice received from general practitioners. Employers felt that the most helpful advice came from fit notes with information on the functional effects of the medical condition. Some employers found return to work decisions problematic. Conclusions The fit note has the potential to promote an earlier return to work. In order for the fit note to achieve its aim, further understanding of the difficulties employers are having when making return to work decisions is important, in order to develop guidance to enable them to provide the practical support employees need to return to work sooner.
Lipomas of the parotid gland

Abstract Parotid gland lipomas are slowly growing, asymptomatic, nontender masses. They are rare lesions and exhibit no unique clinical features. There is no reliable method of establishing a preoperative diagnosis; therefore, treatment must conform to established principles of parotid gland surgery.
Employing high-resolution materials characterization to understand the effects of Pd nanoparticle structure on their activity as catalysts for olefin hydrogenation

Recent developments in nanotechnology have led to the production of new materials with a wide array of applications, particularly in catalysis. Because of their small size, nanoparticles have a maximized surface-to-volume ratio, thus making them attractive targets for use as catalytic structures; however, the number of analytical techniques available to fully characterize materials on such a size scale is quite limited. As a result, a complete understanding of the entire nanoparticle structure remains unclear, especially when considering the active structural motif from which the specific activity arises. Metallic Pd materials have been widely studied due to their immense potential as catalysts for reactions such as olefin hydrogenation and C–C bond synthesis. These materials require surface passivants to act as ligands and stabilize the nanoparticles against aggregation and bulk formation. These ligands have the added value to function as gates that selectively allow reagents to reach the active surface of the Pd nanoparticles for chemical turnover. This accounts for the observed selectivities of the catalysts with the corresponding changes in the turnover frequency values. Here we present a broad overview of recent advances in the use of Pd nanoparticles for the industrially important hydrogenation reaction with a focus on characterizing and understanding the base structural effects that give rise to the catalytic activity.
Radar probing through 600 metres of Zechstein salt

Two radar systems were used to conduct tests in a European salt mine. Both systems obtained very good results. An electromagnetic wave speed of 122 m/ms in salt was measured in this particular mine. Using the first system, Bravo, for long range probing, several areas that appeared to contain many anhydrite stringers and other areas that appeared to have good, clean salt were found. Bravo obtained a maximum range of 592 m. At a few locations the Bravo antennas were moved in azimuth in order to pin-point the location of a particular reflection. At one of these stations, a reflection that corresponded to a known anhydrite stringer was located. With the second system, Foxtrot, which was used for short range, high resolution tests, a primary and a multiple signal were recorded from a known anhydrite layer below the mine's salt floor. At another station, Foxtrot obtained a maximum range of 47 m. The salt used for the Foxtrot tests was not as pure as in other locations within the mine. The authors believe that Foxtrot tests at other locations might yield probing distances up to 70 or 80 m.
Personal and Systems-Level Factors that Limit and Facilitate School Psychologists' Involvement in School-Based Mental Health Services.

The common path through which youth with mental health problems actually receive treatment is the education system. The current study used qualitative methodology to explore why school psychologists are not providing the level of mental health services that children need, leaders in the field call for, and practitioners desire. Thirty-nine school psychologists participated in 11 focus groups; they responded to structured questions regarding the range of mental health services they currently provide, as well as the personal and systemic factors that facilitate and limit their provision of these mental health services. Analysis of themes that emerged across focus groups indicated that school psychologists provide a broad variety of mental health services with an emphasis on group and individual counseling as well as crisis intervention. The factors most often mentioned as prohibiting the delivery of such services included problems inherent to using schools as the site for service delivery, insufficient training, and a lack of support from department/district administration and school personnel. The enabling conditions that emerged most involved perceptions of ample support from administration and school personnel, sufficient integration into the school site, and particular personal characteristics, such as the desire to provide counseling and the ability to maintain personal boundaries. Implications for practitioners, administrators, and trainers are discussed. C � 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Value-Based Design of Software V&V Processes for NASA Flight Projects

Software risk advisory tools have been developed to support Verification and Validation (V&V) processes for NASA flight projects on the Constellation program. The Orthogonal Defect Classification COnstructive QUALity MOdel (ODC COQUALMO) predicts software defects introduced and removed classifying them with ODC defect types, allowing various tradeoff analyses. We have been exploring methods to design and optimize V&V processes with static and dynamic versions of the quality model by integrating it with different risk minimization techniques. These techniques allow “what-if” experimentation to determine the impact of V&V techniques on specific risks and overall flight risk. V&V techniques are quantified from a value-based perspective when the defect model is integrated with machine learning, strategic optimization and JPL’s Defect Detection and Prevention (DDP) risk management method. Results to-date show that the automated methods are practical for flight projects to design higher value V&V processes in shorter time and with fewer resources.
A mathematical theory of capillary exchange as a function of tissue structure

A mathematical theory of the process of the exchange of substances between the blood in the capillaries of a homogeneous tissue and the extracellular space, and between the extracellular space and the cells is developed. An ideal geometry of the tissue is assumed, based to some extent on recent anatomical work concerning the functional distinction between two types of capillaries, the arteriolo-venular and the true capillaries. Equations are developed relating the concentration in the arterial blood to the mean capillary concentration, the concentration at the wall of the capillary in the extracellular space, and the average concentration in the extracellular space, and also relating the cellular concentration to the average extracellular concentration. The solutions of the equations are given for certain special cases and numerical results obtained. It is shown that the average extracellular concentration is a sensitive function of the permeability of the capillary wall and also is strongly influenced by the diffusion coefficient of the extracellular space. Furthermore, it is shown that the speed with which the average extracellular concentration approaches the steady state is largely a function of the permeability of the capillary wall.
Mass transfer in a wetted‐wall column: Turbulent flow

The object of this study has been the measurement of concentration profiles of water vapor in a wetted-wall column with fully developed turbulent pipe flow of air for several positions downstream of the inlet. The air Reynolds number was 25,000. The mathematical formulation of this problem involves the Navier-Stokes equations and the mass transfer equation with a boundary condition of constant concentration at the wall. No attempt has been made toward an analytical solution of this problem, as the exact solution of the turbulence problem has not been developed. Instead, values of the mass and momentum transfer correlation, urh, and urux, have been computed as a function of the radius. The eddy diffusivity for momentum and mass and the local mass transfer rates are shown for engineering purposes.
Models for Reflecting Prior Beliefs of Association in two-way Contingency Tables

In this survey paper, general classes of prior distributions are developed for four sampling models which are designed to reflect prior beliefs about the association structure in a two-way contingency table.These classes, special mixtures of Diriehlet distributions, are used to develop posterior estimates for the cell probabilities.In examples, it is shown how these classes can be used to reflect the vague notion of similarity of a set of binomial probabilities or reflect prior beliefs about bias in a non response problem.
Hearing Hazard from Model Airplanes A Study on Their Potential Damaging Effects to the Auditory Mechanism

An acoustic analysis of model airplane engine noise on hearing indicated that the dB(A) levels exceeded damage risk criteria for short-term exposure. Tem porary threshold shifts (TTS's) were also obtained in three subjects follow ing a brief exposure to the engine noise. All subjects were found to exhibit TTS's at frequencies above 1,000 Hz. These observations add further support to the recommendation that model airplane fliers should wear ear protection.
Bioactive Constituents of the Stem Bark of Mitrephora glabra

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the stem bark of Mitrephora glabra yielded nine compounds, comprising three ent-kaurenoids (1−3), five polyacetylenic acids/esters (4−8), and one aporphine alkaloid, liriodenine (9). The structures of the six new compounds (1−3, 5, 7, and 8) were determined by spectroscopic data interpretation. All compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activities against a panel of cancer cell lines and a battery of microorganisms.
Fixed points and convergence in monotone systems under positive or negative feedback

In this paper, a theorem is discussed that unifies two lines of work in input/output monotone control systems. Under a generalised small-gain hypothesis, it is shown that almost all solutions of closed loops of multiple-input, multiple-output monotone systems are convergent, regardless of whether the feedback is positive or negative. This result is based on a topological argument showing that any monotonically decreasing n-dimensional map that has convergent iterations must have a unique fixed point. The paper also generalises the standard small-gain theorem by replacing the small-gain condition with a weaker hypothesis. An example and simulations are given involving a simple cyclic system under arbitrary feedback.
Transformation of gray level and color images

Image transformations play a major role in image processing, pattern recognition, and computer vision. One of the applications of image transformation is to convert an input image into another one, which can be processed more easily and/or with a better result. Another application is to generate various new sample images from an existing image. Most of the papers dealing with image transformation describe algorithms that can only process binary images, and therefore have limited applications. In this paper, new image transformation algorithms capable of handling gray level and color images are proposed. These algorithms perform the mapping and filling at the same time, while preserving the connectivity of the original image. Also, they keep the continuity of the intensities by assigning the proper value of the neighbors to adequately fill the empty spots. The proposed algorithms can deal with all kinds of images, and are applicable to producing a large number of gray level and color images in a short time, hence, they will be very useful for image processing and pattern recognition.
Voluptuous Devices; Exuberent Materiality toward Energy Austerity

This paper proposes strategies for performance-based architectural devices characterized by a distinct material exuberance. The engineered predictability of typical building systems is challenged in favor of biological performance modes ruled by scales, sweat, and curves rather than shipping, manufacturing, and commerce. In the realm of traditional ceramic hand-making and manufacture, computation and CNC fabrication are two powerful tools which position the craftsman at the helm of a hybrid endeavor for smart materials.
Engineering Victory: Institutional Reform, Informal Institutions, and the Formation of a Hegemonic Party Regime in the Russian Federation

Political scientists examine Vladimir Putin's efforts to ensure political control within a regime structure that is formally democratic. Methods for managing factional infighting, concentrating political resources in the "party of power," United Russia, and to limit electoral competition are specified. A Monte Carlo electoral simulation leads to counter-intuitive conclusions about the impact of proportional-representation rules on electoral processes and outcomes. Conclusions are drawn about the effectiveness of efforts to institutionalize an authoritarian regime in which shared power is vested in a hegemonic party.
Algebraic cycles and algebraic K-theory

‘l’he purpose of this paper is to develop higher algebraic K-theory into a tool for understanding algebraic cycles on a variety. Bloch made the first step: he showed that the group of zero-cycles modulo rational equivalence is Ha(X, L%$) on a nonsingular surface X. Gersten reduced the general statement that H”(X, .%‘J is A”(X), the group of codimension n-cycles modulo rational equivalence, to a conjecture which Quillen proved for nonsingular X. Bloch’s next idea was the relativization of the situation using K-theory. Denote the functor S * H”(X x S, ZJ by &n(X). The question of representability of this functor is interesting. Witness the result of Bloch [4] which says that, for a nonsingular surface X of characteristic zero, the following statements are equivalent:
Records of Bryozoans in the Freshwater Reach of the Hudson River Estuary

We collected statoblasts of the bryozoans Pectinatella magnifica, Lophopodella carteri, and Cristatella mucedo from multiple locations within the Hudson River Estuary and at the confluence of the Mohawk and the Hudson Rivers during benthic invertebrate sampling activities October 2009-November 2011. We identified both P. magnifica and L. carteri at geographically separated locations within the estuary. Although these animals are exclusively freshwater organisms, we found P. magnifica and L. carteri statoblasts in both freshwater and brackish water environments; only P. magnifica is considered indigenous to New York. Based upon the distribution of statoblasts, it is unknown whether C. mucedo is resident in the estuary. However, our findings indicate that the estuary and the Mohawk River have established populations of L. carteri and P. magnifica.
Mutational and pseudomutational effects of 5-bromodeoxyuridine in human lymphoblasts

Abstract We have studied the effects of 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) at two genetic loci in diploid human lymphoblasts cells. In thymidine kinase heterozygotes ( tk +/− ), a 2-h of BrdUrd induced a transient, non-heritable resistance to the thymidine analogue, trifluorothymidine (F 3 TdR). We have called this phenomenon pseudomutation and have shown that affected cells acquire the ability to survive in the presence of F 3 TdR and then, after degradation of F 3 TdR in the medium, return to an apparently normal wild-type state. Our data suggest that BrdUrd incorporation into DNA as a thymidine analogue is responsible for the effect, which we interpret as a temporary loss of thymidine kinase activity. This effect is not seen in tk +/+ homozygotes. In contrast, at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase locus in tk +/− heterozygotes, BrdUrd did not induce a permanent, heritable resistance to 6-thioguanine (gene locus mutation). We detected such mutations only in the tk +/+ homozygote and only at external BrdUrd concentrations considerably higher than those which saturate the uptake of BrdUrd into DNA as a thymidine analogue. We postulate that the reduced TK enzyme levels (30%) in the heterozygote prevent the build-up of a sufficiently high intracellular BrdUrd triphosphate pool to promote the misincorporations as deoxycytidine triphosphate which may be responsible for gene locus mutation.
Changes in Evacuation Decisions Between Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina

Hurricanes cause some of the worst traffic conditions, affecting evacuees' ability to reach safety before they are subjected to high winds, heavy rain, and flooding. This paper is one of the few to use a panel survey to examine similar household decisions over consecutive hurricanes. The study focuses on Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina, which were of similar strength and followed similar paths, and is fairly comprehensive in the number of traffic-related decisions considered. Contingency tables, binary logit models, and Goodman and Kruskal's gamma measure were used to examine the effects of previous decisions on (a) whether to evacuate, (b) day of departure, (c) destination type and location, (d) number of household vehicles taken, and (e) reason for route selection. Through the statistical analyses, it was discovered that (a) to a great extent, citizens made the same decision to evacuate or stay for Katrina as they did for Ivan, and higher incomes were not significant in changing that decision; (b) some evac...
Psychiatric Resident and Attending Diagnostic and Prescribing Practices

This study investigates whether two patient population groups, under resident or attending treatment, are equivalent or different in the distribution of patient characteristics, diagnoses or pharmacotherapy. Demographic data, psychiatric diagnoses, and pharmacotherapy data were collected for 100 random patient charts of psychiatric residents, and were then compared with 100 random patient charts of attending psychiatrists. Student’s t test and chi square analysis suggested no statistically significant differences in the average number of comorbid Axis I diagnoses, percentages of patients with Axis II diagnoses, or major differences in the specific percentages of the 10 most common Axis I diagnoses. Furthermore, there were no statistically significant differences in the average number of psychiatric medications prescribed for pharmacological management of mental illness, or ratios of specific drug classes utilized. There seems to be no major differences in patient characteristics or in the treatment techniques that were utilized.
MAGNETIC ENERGY AND HELICITY IN TWO EMERGING ACTIVE REGIONS IN THE SUN

The magnetic energy and relative magnetic helicity in two emerging solar active regions, AR 11072 and AR 11158,are studied. They are computed by integrating over time the energy and relative helicity fluxes across the photosphere. The fluxes consist of two components: one from photospheric tangential flows that shear and braid field lines (shear term), the other from normal flows that advect magnetic flux into the corona (emergence term). For these active regions: (1) relative magnetic helicity in the active-region corona is mainly contributed by the shear term,(2) helicity fluxes from the emergence and the shear terms have the same sign, (3) magnetic energy in the corona (including both potential energy and free energy) is mainly contributed by the emergence term, and(4) energy fluxes from the emergence term and the shear term evolved consistently in phase during the entire flux emergence course.We also examine the apparent tangential velocity derived by tracking field-line footpoints using a simple tracking method. It is found that this velocity is more consistent with tangential plasma velocity than with the flux transport velocity, which agrees with the conclusion by Schuck.
Mechanisms by which transcription can regulate somatic hypermutation.

Mechanisms for somatic hypermutation (SHM) have proven elusive. An actively transcribed substrate was analyzed to elucidate the role of stem–loop structures (SLSs) in SHM. Analysis with a new computer algorithm indicates that the location and mutability of a base are regulated by: (a) the extent to which it is unpaired, (b) the degree to which it is exposed by stabilization of SLSs containing and flanking it, and (c) the level of transcription that drives supercoiling, which creates and stabilizes SLSs containing unpaired bases vulnerable to mutation. New mechanisms are described by which transcription can differentially stabilize SLSs harboring targeted bases and establish specific base exposure patterns. Assuming that transcription levels correlate with the magnitude of superhelicity induced and the lengths of ssDNA forming SLSs, this analysis accounts for the location of all mutable bases during SHM.
The decoupling of damped linear systems in oscillatory free vibration

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to extend classical modal analysis to decouple any viscously damped linear system in oscillatory free vibration. Based upon an exposition of how viscous damping causes phase drifts in the components of a linear system, the concept of non-classically damped modes of vibration is introduced. These damped modes are real and physically excitable. By synchronizing the phase angles in each damped mode, a time-varying transformation is constructed to decouple damped oscillatory free vibration. The decoupling procedure devised herein reduces to classical modal analysis for systems that are undamped or classically damped. This paper constitutes the first part of a solution to the “classical decoupling problem” of linear systems.
Electron-beam damage and point defects near grain boundaries in cerium oxide

Abstract Cerium oxide is a technologically important ceramic with applications in catalysis and potentially as an electrolyte for solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The technological interest is largely due to the behavior of oxygen vacancies in this material. Grain boundaries play an important role in oxygen vacancy diffusion and, although not completely understood, the influence of grain boundaries has been attributed to both a space-charge effect and the segregation of impurities. In this paper, results from spatially resolved electron-energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) near grain boundaries in doped CeO 2 in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) are reported. The data are interpreted as the result of beam damage that varies as the electron beam is scanned across grain boundaries and suggest a spatially varying concentration of oxygen vacancies near the grain boundaries.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in piglets using a polymerized bovine hemoglobin-based oxygen-carrying solution (HBOC-201).

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if the polymerized bovine hemoglobin-based oxygen-carrying solution HBOC-201 is an acceptable substitute for blood in a healthy porcine, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) model. Methods: Ten piglets (15 to 25 kg) were placed on venoarterial ECMO. Four animals received blood-primed ECMO, and 6 animals received HBOC-201–primed ECMO. Hemodynamic variables, urine output, blood gas analyses, complete blood counts, and lactate levels were followed for 6 hours. Data were analyzed using a nonparametric sign test and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: All animals survived the 6-hour ECMO procedure. Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, urine output, and serum lactate levels were not significantly different between groups. Postpriming volume was 176 ± 156 mL in the blood group. None of the animals in the HBOC-201 group required additional volume to maintain target flow during ECMO ( P 2 , and oxygen content between groups were not significantly different. Hematocrit for the HBOC-201 group was significantly ( P Conclusions: HBOC-201–primed ECMO in a healthy porcine model showed similar hemodynamics and equivalent oxygen carrying capacity to blood-primed ECMO. Postpriming volume requirement was decreased significantly in the HBOC group. ECMO using HBOC-201 instead of blood appears promising and warrants further investigation. J Pediatr Surg 37:1387-1392. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
SIMIAN VIRUS 40 T ANTIGEN-INDUCED GONADOTROPH ADENOMAS : A MODEL OF HUMAN NULL CELL ADENOMAS

The cell of origin of human null cell pituitary adenomas is disputed. Although these tumors, by definition, do not produce any of the anterior pituitary hormones in vivo, they have been shown to express gonadotropin subunit genes, release gonadotropin hormones in vitro, and express the gonadotroph-associated transcription factor steroidogenic factor-1. However, they demonstrate variable responses to releasing hormones in vitro, raising questions about their origin from differentiated gonadotrophs or pluripotent stem cells. In this set of experiments, transgenic mice carrying a temperature-sensitive mutant (TSA58) of simian virus 40 T antigen driven by human FSHβ regulatory elements were produced. These animals developed slow growing, multifocal pituitary nodules that demonstrated secretion of FSH with serum FSH levels 10-fold higher in male transgenic animals and 5-fold higher in female transgenic animals than those in nontransgenic controls. Anterior pituitary pathology progressed from diffuse gonadotrop...
Should land and capital be taxed at a uniform rate

If jurisdictions are allowed to tax land and capital separately, they tax only land, because capital taxation distorts the allocation of mobile capital. To exploit absentee owners, however, jurisdictions tax land beyond the efficient level. As absentee ownership increases throughout the economy, land taxation results in greater inefficiency. To alleviate the inefficiency of overtaxing land, the higher-level government intervenes to require jurisdictions to tax both capital and land at a uniform rate, because the desire to attract capital lowers the tax rate. Uniform taxation of land and capital, or property taxation, thus may be more efficient than separate taxation. JEL Classification: H21, H71 Est-ce que la terre et le capital devraient etre taxes d’une maniere uniforme? Si on permettait aux diverses juridictions de taxer capital et terre separement, elles taxeraient seulement la terre parce que la fiscalite imposee au capital cree des distorsions dans l’allocation du capital mobile. Mais, pour exploiter les proprietaires absents, les diverses juridictions imposent un fardeau fiscal sur la terre qui va au dela de ce que l’efficacite commande. A proportion que la propriete absente se developpe dans l’economie, la fiscalite imposee a la terre devient source de plus en plus grande inefficacite. Pour reduire cette inefficacite attribuable a la sur-taxation de la terre, le niveau senior de gouvernement intervient pour forcer les juridictions juniors a taxer capital et terre au meme taux, parce que le desir d’attirer le capital reduit le taux de taxation. Il se peut donc que la taxation uniforme de la terre et du capital, ou de la taxation sur la propriete, soit plus efficace que des taux d’imposition differents.
The Influence of Information Linkage on User Acceptance of a Knowledge Management System (KMS) in Small to Mid-size Enterprises (SME)

A concern relevant to the viability of a knowledge management system (KMS) implementation may well be: at what point is there adequate information packets and links among them to achieve value to the user? A closely associated statement may wonder if the size of a company or the number of knowledge workers in the company may or may not be sufficient to generate enough links. This paper uses a realist research approach to study how the mechanism of adding links among stored packets of information in a KMS, impacts the outcome of user acceptance. The paper's context will specifically analyze KMS in small to mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) and attempt to determine whether there is a measurable point (tipping point) where the extent of links is such that the user community will value and accept the system
Versatile FET nonlinear transfer function generator elements

A simple, high-performance method of generating nonlinear transfer functions useful in the production of limiters and linearizers has been discovered. This technique uses GaAs MESFETs in a passive configuration similar to that used for MMIC switches and attenuators. The resulting FET nonlinear generator elements (NLGEs) are readily adjustable over a wide range of both magnitude and phase transfer characteristics and have displayed wide bandwidth performance and excellent thermal stability. FET NLGEs have been applied in both reflective and transmissive networks. A near-perfect hard limiter has been produced using an FET NLGE which introduces less than a 5 degrees phase change. Linearizers using FET NLGEs have been tested at L-, C-, and Ku-bands and have provided a reduction in total intermodulation distortion products greater than 10 dB at the 2- and 3-dB output power backoff points over a bandwidth of up to 15%. >
Zone Electrophoretic Studies of Proteins and Glycoproteins of Bovine Serum and Synovial Fluid

Summary1) Zone electrophoresis of 13 bovine sera yielded a mean concentration of 3.37 ± .29 g (42%) albumin, 1.19 ± .10 g (15%) alpha globulin, 1.23 ± .15 g (15%) beta globulin and 2.28 ± .49 g (28%) gamma globulin/100 ml. Serum protein-bound hexose was 124 mg/100 ml or 1.53 ± .12% of the mean serum protein concentration of 8.08 g/100 ml. Zone electrophoretic separation showed albumin to contain 7 ± 4%, alpha globulins 51 ± 6%, beta globulins 23 ± 4% and gamma globulins 20 ± 5% of the protein-bound polysaccharide. 2) Twenty-one synovial fluids from the same animals had a mean concentration of .90 ± .27 g (50%) albumin, .24 ± .08 g (14%) alpha globulins, .29 ± .10 g (16%) beta globulins and .37 ± .11 g (21%) gamma globulin/100 ml. Synovial fluid protein-bound hexose was 36 ± 11 mg/100 ml or 1.98 ± .46% of the mean synovial fluid protein of 1.80 g/100 ml. Zone electrophoretic separation showed albumin to contain 10 ± 5%, alpha globulins 49 ± 8%, beta globulins 28 ± 5%, and gamma globulins 14 ± 4% of the pro...
Granulocyte-macrophage stimulating factor (GM-CSF) increases circulating dendritic cells but does not abrogate suppression of adaptive cellular immunity in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receiving chemotherapy

Background: Advanced cancer and chemotherapy are both associated with immune system suppression. We initiated a clinical trial in patients receiving chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer to determine if administration of GM-CSF in this setting was immunostimulatory.
Clipping and Coiling of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms Among Medicare Beneficiaries, 2000 to 2010

Background and Purpose—Endovascular coiling therapy is increasingly popular for obliteration of unruptured intracranial aneurysms, but older patients face higher procedural risks and shorter periods during which an untreated aneurysm may rupture causing subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We assessed trends in clipping and coiling of unruptured intracranial aneurysms, outcomes after clipping and coiling of unruptured intracranial aneurysms, and in SAH among Medicare beneficiaries. Methods—Using 2000 to 2010 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review data, we identified 2 cohorts of patients admitted electively for clipping or coiling of an unruptured aneurysm: (1) utilization cohort (2000–2010): patients ≥65 years enrolled ≥1 month in a given year and (2) outcomes cohort (2001–2010): patients ≥66 years of age enrolled in Medicare for ≥1 year. We calculated rates of clipping, coiling, and SAH per 100 000 Medicare beneficiaries. We tested for trends in the risk of in-hospital mortality and complications, discharge de...
Thermal Effects in Current Feedback Operational Amplifiers in Bipolar Technology

This paper presents an analysis of the of self-heating on the key performance parameters of the high speed current feedback operational amplifiers (CFOA) designed using SOI bipolar transistors. The analysis shows that the frequency response of the open-loop transimpedance and common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) of the CFOA is highly affected by the dynamic self-heating induced errors. A large- signal step response of the CFOA in the closed-loop configuration, can have a large thermal tail due to the static self-heating effects. These thermal effects are studied using the conventional topology of the CFOA and different topologies of the CFOA are identified to mitigate such effects. The classical and optimized CFOA circuits are simulated to demonstrate the thermal effects using the vertical bipolar inter-company (VBIC) model in the SPECTRE simulator.
Antibodies to chromosome 21 coded cell surface components block binding of human α interferon but not λ interferon to human cells

Abstract Antisera raised against a human × mouse hybrid cell line containing human chromosome 21 as its only human chromosome, block induction of an antiviral state by human α interferon (IFN-α), block induction of (2′-5′)oligoisoadenylate synthetase ((2′-5′)A synthetase), and block binding of 125 I-labeled and 35 S-labeled recombinant, human IFN-αA, but not 125 I-labeled IFN-ψ, to cell surface receptors. The data presented clearly demonstrate that the cell surface receptors for IFN-α and IFN-λ are different, and provide independent evidence of the role of a chromosome 21 coded cell surface molecule in the pathway to the generation of the antiviral state.
Internal ionization during alpha decay: A new theoretical approach

A new theoretical treatment of the problem of orbital-electron ejection during $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ decay is described. The internal-ionization probability appears as the special zero-impact-parameter trajectory in a generalized impact-parameter formulation of the binary-encounter approximation described recently by the author. The probability of internal ionization during \ensuremath{\alpha} decay of $^{210}\mathrm{Po}$ is calculated for the $1s$, $2s$, $2p$, $3s$, $3p$, and $3d$ subshells in the daughter Pb atom. Markedly improved agreement with experimental results is found.
Allografts Surviving for 26 to 29 Years Following Living-Related Kidney Transplantation: Analysis by Light Microscopy, In Situ Hybridization for the Y Chromosome, and Anti-HLA Antibodies

We studied seven patients aged 14 to 40 years who received living-related kidney transplants and had allograft survivals of 26 to 29 years. The blood urea and creatinine were either within normal limits or marginally elevated. Histopathologic examination showed only mild mesangial expansion, interstitial fibrosis, and arteriosclerosis. Immunoperoxidase staining with anti-HLA antibodies or in situ hybridization with a Y chromosome probe showed persistence of donor tubular epithelium and vascular endothelium within the graft. Recipient-derived glomerular cells were seen in one case, and interstitial lymphocytic infiltrates were seen in all cases. A review of the clinicopathologic data available for these cases indicated that both central and peripheral immunologic mechanisms contributed to the maintenance of prolonged graft survival. This extended survival was independent of six antigen matching, downregulation of donor HLA antigen expression, and ingrowth of host epithelium/endothelium into the allograft.
BRCAPRO Validation, Sensitivity of Genetic Testing of BRCA1/BRCA2, and Prevalence of Other Breast Cancer Susceptibility Genes

PURPOSE: To compare genetic test results for deleterious mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2 with estimated probabilities of carrying such mutations; to assess sensitivity of genetic testing; and to assess the relevance of other susceptibility genes in familial breast and ovarian cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data analyzed were from six high-risk genetic counseling clinics and concern individuals from families for which at least one member was tested for mutations at BRCA1 and BRCA2. Predictions of genetic predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer for 301 individuals were made using BRCAPRO, a statistical model and software using Mendelian genetics and Bayesian updating. Model predictions were compared with the results of genetic testing. RESULTS: Among the test individuals, 126 were Ashkenazi Jewish, three were male subjects, 243 had breast cancer, 49 had ovarian cancer, 34 were unaffected, and 139 tested positive for BRCA1 mutations and 29 for BRCA2 mutations. BRCAPRO performed well: for the 150 probands wit...
Transient bilateral ovarian enlargement associated with large retroperitoneal lymphoma

Bilateral ovarian enlargement may reflect benign or malignant processes of the ovary. Benign causes of ovarian enlargement include luteomas, tumors such as mature cystic teratomas, fibrothecomas, cystadenomas and rare conditions including capillary hemangioma and massive edema of the ovaries. Ovarian malignancies include epithelial, stromal and germ-cell tumors. Primary malignancies that may exhibit metastases to the ovaries include gastrointestinal, breast and soft tissue tumors such as lymphoma. We present an unusual case in which a patient presenting with weakness and mild lower abdominal and pelvic pain was noted at sonography to have bilaterally enlarged ovaries with features similar to those of massive ovarian edema as described previously, which has been associated with venous and lymphatic obstruction. Subsequent computerized tomography (CT) imaging depicted a large retroperitoneal tumor, CT-guided biopsy of which revealed diffuse large B cell lymphoma. The patient responded well to chemotherapy with significant shrinkage of the tumor, and reappearance of normal findings on ovarian sonography. This case demonstrates that bilaterally enlarged ovaries may be the first clinical evidence of a large retroperitoneal tumor and that in such cases CT imaging may be warranted.
The Rain-Forest Ecosystem as a Resource for Hunting and Gathering

Journal of Museum Management and Curatorship 8:5-9. Collier, Donald 1990 My Life with Exhibits at Field Museum, 1941-76. Unpublished manuscript (in the author's possession). McManus, Paulette M. 1989 Oh, Yes, They Do: How Museum Visitors Read Labels and Interact with Exhibit Texts. Curator 32:174-189. Murdin, Lynda 1990 "Director's Gone Disney" Claims South Ken Union. Museums Journal 90(6):8-9. Museum News 1990 Context and Commitment. Vol. 69, No. 5, pp. 66-70. Nature
Feasibility study of electrocardiographic and respiratory gated, gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance angiography of pulmonary veins and the impact of heart rate and rhythm on study quality.

Background: We aimed to assess the feasibility of 3 dimensional (3D) respiratory and ECG gated, gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) on a 3 Tesla (3 T) scanner for imaging pulmonary veins (PV) and left atrium (LA). The impact of heart rate (HR) and rhythm irregularity associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) on image and segmentation qualities were also assessed. Methods: 101 consecutive patients underwent respiratory and ECG gated (ventricular end systolic window) MRA for pre AF ablation imaging. Image quality (assessed by PV delineation) was scored as 1 = not visualized, 2 = poor, 3 = good and 4 = excellent. Segmentation quality was scored on a similar 4 point scale. Signal to noise ratios (SNRs) were calculated for the LA, LA appendage (LAA), and PV. Contrast to noise ratios (CNRs) were calculated between myocardium and LA, LAA and PV, respectively. Associations between HR/rhythm and quality metrics were assessed. Results: 35 of 101 (34.7%) patients were in AF at time of MRA. 100 (99%) patients had diagnostic studies, and 91 (90.1%) were of good or excellent quality. Overall, mean ± standard deviation (SD) image quality score was 3.40 ± 0.69. Inter observer agreement for image quality scores was substantial, (kappa = 0.68; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.46, 0.90). Neither HR adjusting for rhythm [odds ratio (OR) = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.98,1.09; p = 0.22] nor rhythm adjusting for HR [OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 0.20, 7.69; p = 0.81] demonstrated association with image quality. Similarly, SNRs and CNRs were largely independent of HR after adjusting for rhythm. Segmentation quality scores were good or excellent for 77.3% of patients: mean ± SD score = 2.91 ± 0.63, and scores did not significantly differ by baseline rhythm (p = 0.78). Conclusions: 3D respiratory and ECG gated, gadolinium enhanced MRA of the PVs and LA on a 3 T system is feasible during ventricular end systole, achieving high image quality and high quality image segmentation when imported into electroanatomic mapping systems. Quality is independent of HR and heart rhythm for this free breathing, radiation free, alternative strategy to current MRA or CT based approaches, for pre AF ablation imaging of PVs and LA.
Approximate performance analysis of turbo codes with fixed interleavers

The weight spectrum of a turbo code is useful in deriving its performance bounds. Due to the randomness and large size of the interleaver, it is extremely difficult to obtain the exact weight spectrum. In the past, the average weight spectrum, averaged over all interleavers, was used in deriving the bounds. By introducing several limiting factors, we are able to derive an approximate weight spectrum for turbo codes with fixed interleavers. The complexity of the algorithm grows only linearly with the size of the interleaver.
Data strobe timing of DDR2 using a statistical random sampling technique

This paper presents a new way to tackle critical bus cycle timing issues related to DDR/DDR2 bus operations using a statistical random sampling technique. The technique allows a pure standard cell based design which is inherently area, power and design time efficient compared to existing solutions proposed in the literature. The proposed design employs a statistical random sampling technique to measure and correct the duty cycle of a clock to produce source synchronous signals and to adjust the phase of the incoming strobe to correctly capture data. The proposed circuits are used to interface Samsung K4T51163QB_D5 DDR2 chips to a massively parallel processing logic ASIC chip, targeted to IBM Cu-08 90 nm technology. The proposed design is a fully digital solution based on standard cell components and does not require any custom designed component. This makes it extremely design time efficient and portable across most ASIC and FPGA technologies.
Doing Business In..: A Class Exercise for International Accounting.

International accounting is taught in the curriculum of about one-third of the largest institutions in the US. Within the context of this course, many instructors will attempt to cover a diverse array of business topics while integrating financial reporting standards worldwide. This breadth of topics is frequently challenging in obtaining a cohesive set of knowledge for the enrolled students. The use of a research paper documenting the business practices within a particular country and the subsequent presentation to either the international accounting class or preferably a larger audience can serve as a tool for organizing students’ understanding of the breadth of the material and having individual students present a deeper depth of understanding within the selected country.
A Study of Refraction of Waves in Prismatic Channels

A procedure is presented for preparing refraction diagrams and computing wave heights in shallow water using the Stokes wave equations and for determining wave heights in cases of extreme refraction (wave crests perpendicular to the bottom contours). The method is checked by observation of waves in a prismatic channel.
PD-1 pathway-mediated regulation of islet-specific CD4+ T cell subsets in autoimmune diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a CD4 + T cell-driven autoimmune disease resulting from the destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. Clinical evidence and studies in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice suggest that insulin is a major autoantigen. With this in mind, we developed insulin B 10-23 :IAg7 tetramer reagents to track insulin-specific CD4 + T cells in mice and interrogate the role of Programmed death-1 (PD-1) for peripheral tolerance. PD-1 is a T cell inhibitory receptor necessary to maintain tolerance and prevent T1D in NOD mice. PD-1 pathway inhibitors are increasingly used in the clinic for treating malignancies, and while some patients benefit, others develop adverse autoimmune events, including T1D. We therefore sought to understand the role of PD-1 in maintaining islet-specific tolerance in diabetes-resistant strains. B6.g7 mice express the same MHC Class II allele as NOD mice, have predominantly naive insulin-specific CD4 + T cells in the periphery, and remain diabetes-free even after PD-1 pathway blockade. Here, we examined the trafficking potential of insulin-specific CD4 + T cells in NOD and B6.g7 mice with or without anti-PD-L1 treatment, and found that PD-L1 blockade preferentially increased the number of CD44 high CXCR3 + insulin-specific cells in NOD but not B6.g7 mice. Additionally, we investigated whether pancreatic islets in NOD and B6.g7 mice expressed CXCL10, a lymphocyte homing chemokine and ligand for CXCR3. Anti-PD-L1 treated and control NOD mice had detectable CXCL10 expression in the islets, while B6.g7 islets did not. These data suggest that islet tolerance may be in part attributed to the pancreatic environment and in the absence of pancreas inflammation, chemotactic cytokines may be missing. This, together with our previous data showing that PD-1 pathway blockade preferentially affects effector but not anergic self-specific T cells has implications for the use of checkpoint blockade in treating tumor patients. Our work suggests that determining tumor- and self-specific CD4 + T cell activation status (naive, effector or anergic) prior to initiation of immunotherapy would likely help to stratify individuals who would benefit from this therapy versus those who might have adverse effects or incomplete tumor control.
Therapeutic Use of Mitomycin C for Urological Conditions: Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract Introduction Mitomycin C offers a wide range of potential clinical uses in various disciplines, including urological diseases. As experimentally proven the effect of mitomycin C can be partly explained by its antifibrotic properties exerted on different target organs as well as its anticarcinogenic properties. We systematically reviewed the clinical applications of mitomycin C in the urological literature and comment on its safety, efficacy and long-term outcomes. Methods We searched the MEDLINE® database, Cochrane Library® Central Search and Web of Science™ using the search terms mitomycin C and clinical applications. Peer reviewed clinical, experimental and review articles published in the English language that included mitomycin C and urological conditions were identified and screened between 2000 and 2014. Results Our search resulted in 13 peer reviewed published articles that fit our criteria, including 2 randomized, controlled trials, 2 prospective studies, 3 retrospective studies, 1 meta-analysis, 3 reviews and 2 in vitro studies. The majority of studies detailed the clinical use of mitomycin C in various urological conditions. Information was extracted from studies that discussed the safety, efficacy and long-term outcomes of mitomycin C across each urological disease. Conclusions This systematic review details the different therapeutic applications of mitomycin C and comments on its safety, efficacy and long-term outcomes in urological diseases and conditions. This review also provides a useful guide for urologists to become familiar with the potential therapeutic roles of mitomycin C in the treatment of different urological diseases.