cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of artificial neural network in forecasting incidence of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Shanghai

[Objective] To explore the application of artificial neural network approach to forecasting the incident rate of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome(HFRS) in Shanghai. [Methods] Approaches of generalized regression neural network(GRNN) and back propagation(BP) neural network were chosen in the study.The HFRS surveillance data on Shanghai population sero-positivity rate of HFRS antibody,and on density and infection rate of host animal plus meteorological data on Shanghai were treated as training samples,and epidemic trend of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome was forecasted. [Results] Two artificial neural network methods integrated all kinds of surveillance data on hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Shanghai with meteorological data on fitting and forecasting HFRS incidence.GRNN neural network in fitting and prediction was better than BP neural network. [Conclusion] Artificial neural network methods are useful and effective in forecasting the incidence of HFRS in Shanghai,which may remain low in the future.
Monitoring Analysis of HIV/AIDS in Futian District of Shenzhen from 2005 to 2009

[Objective] To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of HIV/AIDS cases in Futian district of Shenzhen from 2005 to 2009, provide scientific basis for control and prevention of AIDS.[Methods]The AIDS data of routine monitoring and sentinel surveillance in Futian district from 2005 to 2009 were analyzed with descriptive epidemiology.[Results]From 2005 to 2009, 658 HIV/AIDS cases were detected in 1 022 540 serum samples in Futian district, in which 63 cases were AIDS patients, and the positive rate was 0.064%. Among 658 HIV/AIDS cases, 85.58% were middle-aged and youth aged from 21 to 40 years, and the ratio of male to female was 3.39∶1. The occupation distribution showed that 502 (76.29%) HIV/AIDS cases were jobless, retirement person or household management, commercial service person. The major transmission route was sexual contact, which accounted for 52.43%. The regional distribution showed that 324 (50.00%) cases were floating population from other provinces. The samples were mainly collected from public security prison, other outpatients and visitors to STD clinic, which 538(81.91%) cases were detected. The positive detection rate of spouse or sexual partner of HIV positive people was the highest (100.00%).[Conclusion]The epidemic situation of AIDS in Futian district was serious. Sexual contact was the major transmission route of HIV/AIDS. Most of HIV/AIDS cases were floating population, jobless, retirement person or household management, commercial service person. The positive detection rate of spouse or sexual partner of HIV positive people was the highest. It is important to strengthen the education of knowledge about AIDS prevention among floating population, spouse or sexual partner of HIV positive people, carry out advisable behavior intervention measures, so as to help the high risk population change their high risk behavior, reduce harm, prevent and control the transmission of AIDS.
Fatostatin blocks ER exit of SCAP but inhibits cell growth in a SCAP-independent manner

Sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) transcription factors are central regulators of cellular lipid homeostasis and activate expression of genes required for fatty acid, triglyceride, and cholesterol synthesis and uptake. SREBP cleavage activating protein (SCAP) plays an essential role in SREBP activation by mediating endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-to-Golgi transport of SREBP. In the Golgi, membrane-bound SREBPs are cleaved sequentially by the site-1 and site-2 proteases. Recent studies have shown a requirement for the SREBP pathway in the development of fatty liver disease and tumor growth, making SCAP a target for drug development. Fatostatin is a chemical inhibitor of the SREBP pathway that directly binds SCAP and blocks its ER-to-Golgi transport. In this study, we determined that fatostatin blocks ER exit of SCAP and showed that inhibition is independent of insulin-induced gene proteins, which function to retain the SCAP-SREBP complex in the ER. Fatostatin potently inhibited cell growth, but unexpectedly exogenous lipids failed to rescue proliferation of fatostatin-treated cells. Furthermore, fatostatin inhibited growth of cells lacking SCAP Using a vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSVG) trafficking assay, we demonstrated that fatostatin delays ER-to-Golgi transport of VSVG. In summary, fatostatin inhibited SREBP activation, but fatostatin additionally inhibited cell proliferation through both lipid-independent and SCAP-independent mechanisms, possibly by general inhibition of ER-to-Golgi transport.
The Effect of Shock Duration on the Dynamic Consolidation of Powders

A recently advanced model for the shock consolidation of powders predicts, for a powder of given distension, the regimes of shock pressure and shock duration expected to yield fully densified compacts of near optimum strength. The model is evaluated in terms of UTS measurements in compacts of rapidly solidified powders of AISI 9310 alloy, shocked to initial shock pressures between 3.6 and 17.9 GPa and to shock durations between 0.23 and 2.1 μs. We find that in powders of distention 1.7, shock durations > 1 μs are required at 10 GPa to properly solidify the melt.
Role of radiotherapy in extracranial metastatic malignant melanoma in the modern era

Abstract Background To assess the role of radiotherapy in metastatic malignant melanoma (MM) patients in modern era. Materials and methods This is a retrospective study of MM patients treated with radiotherapy at Mayo Clinic from 1999 to 2014. Patients with pre- and post-treatment imaging studies (CT, MRI, and/or PET/CT) were assessed for metastasis failure (MF), regional/distant failure, and overall survival (OS). Results In 75 MM patients, 56 and 68 lesions were treated with conventional/hypofractionated radiotherapy (CHRT) and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), respectively. The median doses for CHRT and SBRT were 30Gy and 50Gy, respectively. 1-year MF was 17% (SBRT 6% vs CHRT 31%, p p p p p Conclusions SBRT for extracranial MM exhibited improved MF compared with CHRT, consistent with intracranial radiosurgery data. Though these data are retrospective and subject to selection bias, our findings support the prudent use of SBRT in a select group of favorable, oligometastatic MM patients, and should be discussed as an alternative to surgery and ablation.
Design for Electrical and Computer Engineers: Theory Concepts and Practice

This book is written for students and teachers engaged in electrical and computer engineering design projects, primarily in the senior year. It guides students and faculty through the steps necessary for the successful execution of design projects. The objective is to provide a treatment of the design process with a sound academic basis that is integrated with practical application. The foundation of the book is a strong vision—that a solid understanding of the Design Process, Design Tools, and the right mix of Professional Skills are critical for project and career success. This text is unique in providing a comprehensive design treatment for electrical and computer engineering. Table of contents Part I – The Engineering Design ProcessChapter 1: The Engineering Design Process Chapter 2: Project Selection and Needs IdentificationChapter 3: The Requirements SpecificationChapter 4: Concept Generation and EvaluationPart II – Design ToolsChapter 5: System Design I: Functional DecompositionChapter 6: System Design II: Behavior ModelsChapter 7: TestingChapter 8: System ReliabilityPart III – Professional Skills Chapter 9: Teams and TeamworkChapter 10: Project ManagementChapter 11: Ethical and Legal IssuesChapter 12: Oral PresentationsAppendices ReferencesAppendix A GlossaryAppendix B Component Failure Rate DataAppendix C Manufacturer DatasheetsIndex
GLP-1 agonist associated acute kidney injury: A case report and review.

Diabetes & Metabolism - In Press.Proof corrected by the author Available online since samedi 23 decembre 2017
Unlocking Environmental DNA Derived Gene Clusters Using a Metagenomics Approach

A single gram of soil is predicted to contain more than 10 000 unique bacterial species, and by most estimates, less than 1% of these have been cultured in the laboratory. To circumvent the challenges associated with culturing environmental bacteria, culture-independent natural product discovery strategies are being developed. In these studies, DNA extracted directly from environmental samples (environmental DNA (eDNA)) is cloned into easily cultured bacteria and the resulting libraries are screened for clones that either produce natural products or contain natural product biosynthetic genes. The use of metagenomic libraries to functionally access secondary metabolites encoded in the genomes of uncultured bacteria has been of particular interest to the natural products community because all of the genes required for the biosynthesis of a bacterial natural product, including regulatory and resistance enzymes, are often found clustered on bacterial chromosomes. This chapter includes an overview of the current metagenomic methods relevant to natural product discovery and a brief discussion of those molecules that have been characterized to date using these methods.
Vascular Access Techniques and Closure Devices

Although noninvasive imaging technologies have advanced significantly, invasive angiography remains the gold standard for diagnosis of a number of vascular pathologies. Minimally invasive therapy provided through transarterial and transvenous routes continues to increase for a variety of disease processes including cancer therapy, neurovascular pathology, atherosclerotic vascular disease, congenital vascular malformations, thrombosis, and management of active hemorrhage. Arterial access methods continue to progress by using nonstandard access vessels with a goal to improve patient safety, comfort, and facilitate procedural technical success. Venous interventions are varied and include thrombo-occlusive disease management, venoplasty, and venous access. Complex venous access techniques are often necessary for patients requiring a chronic central venous access. Several arterial access closure devices are currently available for use. Each device utilizes a unique mechanism to obtain hemostasis with a goal of diminishing post-procedural bleeding and reducing procedure time. Patient-specific risk factors and method of hemostasis should be considered to reduce bleeding risk.
Biochemical characterization of natural killer cytotoxic factors.

Earlier studies of the NK lytic mechanism produced evidence for the stimulus secretion model and led to the postulation that lytic mediators are transferred from the effector to the target cell (1). Subsequent work in our laboratory demonstrated that soluble natural killer cytotoxic factors (NKCF) can be detected in the supernatants of effector cells stimulated with NK targets or with lectin (2,3). Further experiments were performed to analyze the functional characteristics of these factors. It was found that NKCF are released from human PBL (4) or murine spleen cells (2) that bear the phenotypic characteristics of NK cells. Release of NKCF is inhibited by some of the same protease inhibitors (5) shown previously to inhibit NK CMC (6). Pretreatment of effector cells with interferon enhances the release of NKCF (7) whereas interferon pretreatment of YAC-1 cells impairs their ability to stimulate release of the factors (8), thus accounting for the dual effects of interferon on NK CMC (9). NKCF lyse only NK sensitive targets (2,4) and YAC-1 variants selected for resistance to NKCF are also resistant to NK CMC (10).
On the Approximation of Hankel Matrices

In this paper we examine the problem of optimal approximation in the 2-norm, of a finite square Hankel matrix by a Hankel matrix of rank one, and provide a necessary and sufficient condition for its solvability.
Poster 157: The validity and reliability of the SENSERite system: a preliminary evaluation.1

Abstract Objectives: To establish the concurrent validity and reliability of the SENSERite computerized ankle proprioception analysis system and to determine and compare proprioceptive acuity (thresholds). Design: Within-groups, repeated-measures design with randomized sequence and control group. Setting: A university research laboratory. Participants: 10 healthy younger adults; 41 older adults (22 nonfallers, 14 fallers, 3 adults with stroke, 1 with peripheral neuropathy [PN], 1 with Parkinson’s disease [PD]). Interventions: Instrument validity was determined by comparing the system’s performance with a validated goniometer measure. Instrument reliability was determined by repeatedly measuring the established angles for the 5 different positions: neutral, inversion, eversion, plantarflexion, and dorsiflexion. In addition, proprioceptive acuities of the participants were measured by the SENSERite system. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), and independent t tests. Main Outcome Measures: Composite proprioceptive acuity thresholds from the 5 position sense tests. Results: Excellent clinical goniometer and SENSERite correlation (ICC=.99, P P Conclusions: The SENSERite system is a valid and reliable instrument to measure ankle proprioception in the normal and pathologic populations. Persons with either a history of falls or neurologic impairments may or may not show diminished ankle proprioception.
Mode-I fracture toughness and surface morphology evolution for contaminated adhesively bonded composite structures

Abstract This study explores the effect of environmental contamination level on mode-I failure and fracture surface evolution of adhesively bonded composite joints. We examined a common adhesive/adherend material system (Hysol EA9394/Hexcel IM7-G/8552) exposed to a typical aviation hydraulic fluid (MIL-PRF-87257) at varying contaminant concentrations . The macroscopic bond line fracture toughness measurement by double cantilever beam test exhibited a progressive deterioration with increasing contaminant concentration. Even a trace level (3 µg/cm 2 ) resulted in a 15% reduction of average bond line strength and 30% drop in bond line toughness. An Arrhenius-type correlation between interface toughness and contaminant concentration was observed, with potential to predict the bond line toughness deterioration level. Increasing the contaminant concentration changed the fracture surface morphology from ductile-to-brittle failure mode, driven by diminished plasticity within the adhesive layer . Finite element method employing cohesive surfaces was also utilized to rationalize the experimentally observed trends. The combined experimental and numerical results suggest that the bond line contamination deteriorates the interfacial toughness through two mechanisms: (i) weakening the interfacial bonding strength, and thereby reducing the intrinsic interfacial toughness, and (ii) shielding the plastic energy dissipation within the adhesive layer, and leading to a reduction in the overall effective bond line toughness.
High-resolution streamline models of flow in fractured porous media using discrete fractures: Implications for upscaling of permeability anisotropy

Abstract This paper reviews the equivalent permeability tensor concept for flow in 2D fractured porous media and adds new fundamental insight from a series of systematic flow simulations. Flow models with discrete fractures based on complex analysis methods (CAM), scaled for permeability anisotropy, provide unique, high-resolution examples of streamline deflection and delays or gains in the time-of-flight due to the presence of fractures in fractured porous media. The results of our study provide guidance for advanced studies of flow in fractured porous media, with immediate practical conclusions for drainage studies of geothermal and hydrocarbon reservoirs. The practical implications of the new model tool and improved understanding of flow in fractured porous media are not limited to applications in energy extraction projects in fractured reservoirs. The flow of igneous melts through the Earth's crust, and ore formation in natural (hydraulic) fracture systems, commonly preserved in exhumed Precambrian Cratons, may equally well benefit from the same techniques. Such applications may need added terms to account for thermal effects (not developed further in our present study). Nonetheless, the multidisciplinary nature of flow studies in fractured rock bodies warrants a concise expose of our discrete fracture flow models, with instructive examples that may serve to open up new insights in a variety of application areas.
ELECTROMAGNETIC PROCESSES IN χEFT

Nuclear electromagnetic currents derived in a chiral-effective-field-theory framework including explicit nucleons, Δ isobars, and pions up to N2LO, i.e. ignoring loop corrections, are used in a study of neutron radiative captures on protons and deuterons at thermal energies, and of A=2 and 3 nuclei magnetic moments. With the strengths of the Δ-excitation currents determined to reproduce the n-p cross section and isovector combination of the trinucleon magnetic moments, we find that the cross section and photon circular polarization parameter, measured respectively in n-d and processes, are significantly underpredicted by theory.
A chromosomal inversion predicts the expression of sex steroid-related genes in a species with alternative behavioral phenotypes

In white-throated sparrows, a chromosomal rearrangement has led to alternative phenotypes that differ in sex steroid-dependent behaviors. The rearrangement has captured the genes estrogen receptor alpha and 5-alpha reductase, making these genes strong candidates for mediating the behavioral phenotypes. We report here that of the two genes, expression of estrogen receptor alpha mRNA differs between the morphs and predicts behavior to a much greater extent than does expression of 5-alpha reductase mRNA. Differentiation of estrogen receptor alpha, therefore, is likely more important for the behavioral phenotypes. We also found that in some brain regions, the degree to which testosterone treatment affects the expression of steroid-related genes depends strongly on morph. A large morph difference in estrogen receptor alpha mRNA expression in the amygdala appears to be independent of plasma testosterone; this difference persists during the non-breeding season and is detectable in nestlings at post-hatch day seven. The latter result suggests a substrate for organizational effects of hormones during development.
Crisis, Collapse, Militarism and Civil War: The History and Historiography of 18th Century Iran: Axworthy, Michael, ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 247 pp., $74.00, ISBN 978-0190250324. Publication Date: July 2018

Iran’s short eighteenth century remains a black hole in the historiography, as nearly every single contribution to Michael Axworthy’s timely edited volume will remind you. Indeed, the eighteenth ce...
25 years of development of Mn porphyrins — from mimics of superoxide dismutase enzymes to thiol signaling to clinical trials: The story of our life in the USA

We have developed Mn porphyrins (MnPs) initially as mimics of superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes based on structure–activity relationships. Several cationic Mn porphyrins, being substituted with ca...
Managing Urology Consultations During COVID-19 Pandemic: Application of a Structured Care Pathway.

Abstract Objective To describe and evaluate a risk-stratified triage pathway for inpatient urology consultations during the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. This pathway seeks to outline a urology patient care strategy that reduces the transmission risk to both healthcare providers and patients, reduces the healthcare burden, and maintains appropriate patient care. Materials and Methods Consultations to the urology service during a 3-week period (March 16 to April 2, 2020) were triaged and managed via one of 3 pathways: Standard, Telemedicine, or High-Risk. Standard consults were in-person consults with non COVID-19 patients, High-Risk consults were in-person consults with COVID-19 positive/suspected patients, and Telemedicine consults were telephonic consults for low-acuity urologic issues in either group of patients. Patient demographics, consultation parameters and consultation outcomes were compared to consultations from the month of March 2019. Categorical variables were compared using Chi-square test and continuous variables using Mann-Whitney U test. A P value Results Between March 16 and April 2, 2020, 53 inpatient consultations were performed. By following our triage pathway, a total of 19/53 consultations (35.8%) were performed via Telemedicine with no in-person exposure, 10/53 consultations (18.9%) were High-Risk, in which we strictly controlled the urology team member in-person contact, and the remainder, 24/53 consultations (45.2%), were performed as Standard in-person encounters. COVID-19 associated consultations represented 18/53 (34.0%) of all consultations during this period, and of these, 8/18 (44.4%) were managed successfully via Telemedicine alone. No team member developed COVID-19 infection. Conclusion During the COVID-19 pandemic, most urology consultations can be managed in a patient and physician safety-conscious manner, by implementing a novel triage pathway.
Study of Co 57 with the Fe 56 ( He 3 , d ) and Fe 56 ( He 3 , d γ ) Reactions

About 65 levels in $^{57}\mathrm{Co}$ were populated by the $^{56}\mathrm{Fe}(^{3}\mathrm{He},d)$ reaction. The angular distributions of deuterons leading to many of these states were obtained with a split-pole magnetic spectrograph. In many cases, comparison of these angular distributions with distorted-wave Born-approximation calculations permitted both the determination of the angular momentum of the transferred proton and the transition strength. These results are compared with previous work. Coincidences between deuterons and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays from the $^{56}\mathrm{Fe}(^{3}\mathrm{He},d\ensuremath{\gamma})$ reaction were also studied to obtain the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ decay of some levels in $^{57}\mathrm{Co}$. The possibility of pairs of closely spaced levels, which has been suggested as an explanation for the discrepancies in some spin and parity assignments, is also investigated. Theoretical calculations are briefly compared with some of the existing experimental results on excited states in $^{57}\mathrm{Co}$. Finally, the question of which states in $^{57}\mathrm{Co}$ are analogs of low-lying states in $^{57}\mathrm{Fe}$ is discussed.
Code Status Assessment and Documentation in Inpatient Psychiatry: A Call for Increased Training

Objective: This study aimed to characterize psychiatry residents’ opinions, knowledge, training needs, and practices around code status assessments (CSAs) in inpatient psychiatry at one institution...
Pannexin1: Role as a Sensor to Injury Is Attenuated in Pretype 2 Corneal Diabetic Epithelium

Epithelial wound healing is essential to repair the corneal barrier function after injury and requires coordinated epithelial sheet movement over the wounded region. The presence and role of pannexin1 on multilayered epithelial sheet migration was examined in unwounded and wounded corneal epithelium from C57BL/6J (B6) control and diet-induced obese (DiO) mice, a pretype 2 diabetic model. We hypothesize that pannexin1 is dysregulated, and the interaction of two ion-channel proteins (P2X7 and pannexin1) is altered in pretype 2 diabetic tissue. Pannexin1 was found to be present along cell borders in unwounded tissue, and no significant difference was observed between DiO and B6 control. However, an epithelial debridement induced a striking difference in pannexin1 localization. The B6 control epithelium displayed intense staining near the leading edge, which is the region where calcium mobilization was detected, whereas the staining in the DiO corneal epithelium was diffuse and lacked distinct gradation in intensity back from the leading edge. Cells distal to the wound in the DiO tissue were irregular in shape, and the morphology was similar to that of epithelium inhibited with 10Panx, a pannexin1 inhibitor. Pannexin1 inhibition reduced mobilization of calcium between cells near the leading edge, and MATLAB scripts revealed a reduction in cell-cell communication that was also detected in cultured cells. Proximity ligation was performed to determine if P2X7 and pannexin1 interaction was a necessary component of motility and communication. While there was no significant difference in the interaction in unwounded DiO and B6 control corneal epithelium, there was significantly less interaction in the wounded DiO corneas both near the wound and back from the edge. The results demonstrate that pannexin1 contributes to the healing response, and P2X7 and pannexin1 coordination may be a required component of cell-cell communication and an underlying reason for the lack of pathologic tissue migration.
Stature and pubertal stage assessment in American boys: The 1988-1994 Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Abstract Purpose: To describe current stature and pubertal development in North American boys, and to compare these measures with measures observed approximately 30 years ago. Methods: We analyzed data (i.e., height, weight, and Tanner Stage) from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), conducted between 1988–1994, and compared it to the National Health Examination Survey, Cycles II and III (HES II/III), conducted from 1963–1965 and 1966–1970. The surveys included physical examination and questionnaire components, employed cross-sectional designs, and are nationally representative. We used logistic regression to calculate median age at onset of pubertal stages. Results: NHANES III included 2481 boys aged 8 to 18 years. HES II comprised 3010 boys aged 8–11 years and HES III comprised 3514 boys aged 12–17 years. The mean heights of the oldest boys in both surveys did not differ significantly; however, at younger ages, boys in the more recent survey were taller (average height difference among those aged 8–14 years was 2.0 cm). Boys in NHANES III were also heavier and had higher body mass index than those in HES II/III. The median estimated ages of onset of pubertal stages in NHANES III were 9.9, 12.2, 13.6, and 15.8 years for genital stages 2–5, respectively, and 11.9, 12.6, 13.6, and 15.7 years for pubic hair stages 2–5, respectively. For some stages, the median estimated age of onset of puberty was earlier among boys in NHANES III than among those in HES III. Conclusions: Differences in mean height at young ages, but not at older ages, suggest that the rate of growth among boys in NHANES III was faster than that of boys in the earlier surveys. This finding, coupled with the finding of earlier ages of onset of some pubertal stages, suggests that boys of this generation may be maturing more rapidly than did boys in the past.
Teaching and Doing: The Role of Law School Clinics in Enhancing Access to Justice

Deborah Rhode has provided a compelling critique of law schools for their failure to embrace a justice mission and inculcate in students the professional value of providing pro bono service to the poor. Her analysis assumes the basic belief that we as a society must strive to make legal assistance available to the poor in both criminal and civil cases, and that law schools have been complicit in the pervasive denial to the poor of access to justice. The primary obligation to provide legal services to the poor resides with the government, and to a lesser extent, with the legal profession, not with law schools. Nevertheless, law schools do have some obligation to contribute to the solution of the crisis in access to justice, and it seems obvious that the obligation is best accomplished by law school clinics assisting low-income individuals and communities that are underserved or have particular difficulty obtaining lawyers because of the nature of their legal problems. Clinical legal education has been focusing on legal services for the underserved and on the justice mission of law schools for years. Those who built clinics a little more than three decades ago and those who funded them saw, like Rhode, a large, unmet need for legal
On the Possible Contribution of WC Stars to Isotopic Anomalies in Cosmic Rays and Meteorites

Potential contributions of WC stars to isotopic anomalies in cosmic rays and meteorites are considered. If the Casse-Paul (1982) hypothesis concerning the origin of the excess of 22Ne in the galactic cosmic rays (GCR) is correct, then other detectable anomalies in the GCR should occur. Wolf-Rayet stars make interesting amounts of 26A1 (Dearborn and Blake 1985) which may account, at least in part, for the gamma-ray observations of Mahoney et al. (1984). K-shell x-ray emission is expected from 59Co created in the decay of 59Ni made in the core helium burning s-process. In addition WC stars could be the source of meteoritic anomalies; the case of 107Pd/107 Ag is especially interesting.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Gastroesophageal reflux, when excessive, causes a variety of injuries to the esophagus and adjacent organs: only local injuries to esophagus (­gastroesophageal reflux disease—GERD), and their consequences are dealt with here. Discussed is the definition of GERD, diagnosis, epidemiology, pathogensis, natural history, risk factors, management, complications, and how various facets of the disease give rise to disordered deglutition. In dealing with all aspects of GERD, a major emphasis is placed on prevention or reversal of severe disease, key to which is good medical management, not only by pharmacologic therapy, but also by providing the patient with education and insight into anatomical, functional, and lifestyle aspects of their disease, and how any specific adverse risk factors in their particular case can be minimized or abolished. The roles of neuromuscular abnormalities, transient lower sphincter relaxations, hypotensive sphincters, and hiatus hernia, in exposing the esophagus to impaired clearance of a noxious refluxate, with consequent mucosal injury, are summarized. Beyond these, and potentially increasing tissue injury, are numerous additional risk factors, comorbid conditions, and adverse effects of a number of drugs commonly used in treating other illnesses. Existing drug therapies for GERD (antacids, histamine antagonists, proton pump inhibitors, sucralfate) are examined in detail, and emerging pharmacotherapies are briefly reviewed. Endoscopic and surgical therapies are examined elsewhere in this volume.
Diffraction corrections to GO backscattering from a perfectly conducting 3-D rough surface

[1] High-frequency radio wave diffraction by a perfectly conducting arbitrarily shaped smooth surface is considered analytically. The results of solving the integral equation for surface currents at a gentle surface, when multiple scattering and surface shadowing can be neglected, are presented. The diffraction corrections to GO values of the surface currents were obtained (up to the second order of the small parameter ∼1/k, where k is the wave number of the incident EM wave) depending on the local angle of incidence, surface curvatures, and their space derivatives. It is shown that diffraction caused by the local surface curvature results not only in small corrections to the GO currents, but also gives rise to the surface current components orthogonal to those induced by the incident wave in the local GO limit. These general results are applied to the specific problem of backscattering from a Gaussian statistically rough surface at normal incidence. The diffraction corrections to the GO statistically averaged backscattering cross sections, HH/VV polarization ratio (which is equal to unity in the GO limit) and cross-polarization coefficient are obtained as functions of the 2nd (surface slope variances) and 4th (surface curvature variances) moments of the surface roughness power spectra. It is shown that diffraction results in the appearance of the cross-polarized component in the backscattered field, which is equal to zero in the GO limit.
Classification of two-link failures for all-optical networks

Studies the relationship between failure localization and the properties of link restoration algorithms for mesh networks through an examination of recovery from multiple failures.
Design and Analysis of Aging Studies

The sections in this article are: 1 Stability and Change in Mean Levels 1.1 Cross-Sectional Designs 1.2 Longitudinal Designs 1.3 Cross-Sequential Designs 1.4 Demonstrating Stability of Mean Levels 1.5 Elaborations of the Basic Design 1.6 Representativeness and Attrition in Longitudinal Studies 1.7 Screening for Clinical Conditions 2 Stability and Change in Individual Differences 2.1 Potential Problems in the Measurement of Rank-Order Stability 3 Advanced Topics in Design and Analysis of Aging Studies 3.1 Changes in Variance and in Structure 3.2 Biomarkers and Functional Age: Flawed Concepts 3.3 Growth Curves and Age Changes 3.4 Survival Analysis and the Identification of Risk Factors 3.5 Correlates of Change 3.6 Causal Inferences from Observational Data 4 Some Considerations for the Design of Longitudinal Studies 4.1 Combining Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Designs 4.2 Combining Hypothesis-Driven and Exploratory Research 4.3 Creative Exploitation of the Data
Descent and mixing in the 1999–2000 northern polar vortex inferred from in situ tracer measurements

[1] In situ measurements from the Lightweight Airborne Chromatograph Experiment (LACE) and the Airborne Chromatograph for Atmospheric Trace Species (ACATS-IV) taken during the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) are used to examine the descent and mixing in the 1999–2000 northern stratospheric polar vortex. LACE was flown twice on an in situ balloon platform, in November 1999 just after the vortex formed and in March 2000 near the end of the vortex lifetime. The aim of this paper is to use simple models of vortex transport to try to explain the changes seen in the long-lived tracers measured by LACE between the two vortex flights. It is the high precision and long-term accuracy of the observations that allow small differences in the data from a number of species obtained on different flights to be used to infer transport processes. Changes in tracer profiles as a function of height or potential temperature can be attributed, to first order, to descent in the vortex. A calculation which used six tracers shows that the total descent was a strong function of potential temperature, from 200 K in the middle stratosphere to 50 K in the lower stratosphere over the nearly 4-month period between flights. Observed changes in long-lived tracer-tracer correlations require a mixing process to have occurred since descent alone cannot change the correlations. Two simple models of mixing are used to examine the tracer correlation changes. One model simulates entrainment of midlatitude air across the vortex edge with relatively efficient mixing within the vortex. A second model simulates the effect of differential descent and subsequent efficient mixing within a vortex that is entirely isolated from the midlatitudes. It is shown that the differential descent and mixing calculation produces results which are much more consistent among all the tracer correlations compared to the results from midlatitude entrainment. The unique sensitivity of SF6 as a tracer of mesospheric air makes it an outlier in both the descent and mixing calculations. The inclusion of a small fraction of air from the mesosphere is necessary to bring the SF6 mixing and descent calculations into agreement with the other tracers. The conclusions regarding descent and descent rates in the vortex are consistent with other modeling studies. The results indicate that mixing of midlatitude air into the winter vortex is not a significant contributor to the observed ozone changes in the 1999/2000 season.
«CYTOKINES, VIRAL INFECTIONS AND MUCOSAL IMMUNITY» 2

Infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is characteristically associated with airway inflammation in early infancy. Elegant historical information is available to suggest that both full term and prematurely born neonates exhibit inflammatory responses with a conspicuous predominance of eosinophils. In addition, erythema toxicum, a common benign exanthem observed in normal neonates is characterized by self resolving cutaneous infiltrates of eosinophils. Recent studies in vitro have shown that RSV can modulate the biological function of basophils and eosinophils, by inducing release from infected respiratory epithelial cells of chemokines with discrete target-cell selectivity. Infection with RSV has been shown to induce the syntheses of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, GM-CSF, IL-1, MIP 1α, RANTES, IFN-β, TNF-α, TGF-β1 and β2 by the epithelial cells. Synthesis of IL-4, IFN-γ, IL-3, IL-2, IL-5, and IFN-α, appear to be conspicuously absent by epithelial cells after RSV infection. However, these cytokines are often detected in the respiratory secretions secondary to the activation of T cell subsets TH1 or TH2. Based on the available evidence it appears that mucosal infections initiate release of soluble mediator(s) in sequential patterns from cells in mucosal epithelium; cytokine and chemokine release results in recruitment of other cellular elements to mucosal epithelium which in turn, release other proinflammatory or immunoregulatory cytokines; regulation of immune response (development of IgE, IgA, or acquisition of oral tolerance), and expression of cell surface receptors such as MHC Class I or II, ICAM-1, E-Selection, VCAM-1, and other adhesion molecules may be determined by the nature of cytokine cascades generated. The clinical outcome and the magnitude or quality of immune response is influenced by the nature and the temporal sequence of mediators released secondary to epithelial cell-antigen interaction at the mucosal sites. Thus, the outcome of viral-mucosal tissue interaction may express as (1) mucosal and systemic immunity and protection against disease, (2) mucosal and/or systemic disease, or (3) oral tolerance. The soluble mediators released as the result of cell- virus interaction at the mucosal surface may be the most crucial factors in the subsequent outcome of infection and the development of immune response or immunopathology at the mucosal surfaces.
High-resolution study of xenon autoionization using direct vacuum-ultraviolet laser excitation

A new, direct vacuum-ultraviolet laser-excitation method is used to study the single-photon autoionization of xenon atoms in the 5p6→5p5 ns′[1/2]10 (14⩽n⩽52) and 5p6→5p5 nd′[3/2]10 (16⩽n⩽78) autoionizing Rydberg series. Fano profile parameters for both series are reported over the entire range of observed states. From analysis of the nd′ series an ionization potential Td=108 370.82±0.05 cm-1 is obtained. This agrees well with a previously reported limit of 108 370.8±0.2 cm-1.
Identification and characterization of high and low affinity binding sites for growth hormone in rabbit liver.

The specific binding of rat (r) and rabbit (rb) [l25I]iodo-GH was studied in liver membrane preparations isolated from male, virgin female, late pregnant, and midlactating rabbits. Scatchard plots of dose-response displacement curves were consistently nonlinear and suggested the existence of at least two classes of binding sites for both GHs. The average binding affinity constants (Ka) for rGH on the low affinity (1.7 × 108 M-1) and high affinity sites(s) (1.0 × 1010 M-1) were similar to those for the rbGH. Displacement of [125I]iodo-rGH with preparations of GH, PRL, and placental lactogen (PL) from different species demonstrated that the potencies and slopes of the dose-response curves varied considerably, indicating that the displacement activities of many hormones differ at the two sites. Neither the potencies nor the slopes of the dose-response curves correlated with the growth-promoting activities of the various hormones. On the bases of parallelism and potency, rbGH, equine GH, and bovine (b) PRL we...
The relative energetic contributions of dominant P1 pocket versus hydrogen bonding interactions to peptide:class II stability: Implications for the mechanism of DM function

Peptides are bound to MHC class II molecules by an array of hydrogen bonds between conserved MHC class II protein side-chains and the peptide backbone and through interactions between MHC protein pockets and peptide side-chain anchors. The crystal structure of murine I-A(k) protein with peptide shows a network of electrostatic interactions with the P1 aspartic acid anchor and an arginine in the P1 pocket that are thought to constitute the major stabilizing interaction between peptide and MHC. In this paper, have explored the relative energetic contribution of this dominant P1 pocket interaction with that made by a genetically conserved hydrogen bond which is formed by the beta 81 histidine residue and the main chain of the bound peptide. We have performed peptide dissociation experiments using antigenic peptides or variants that have altered side-chain interactions with the I-A(k) P1 pocket using either native I-A(k) or I-A(k) proteins mutated to disrupt the N-terminal hydrogen bond. The results demonstrate that the N-terminal hydrogen bonds in I-A(k) complexes make highly significant energetic contributions to the kinetic stabilities comparable to or greater than the energetic contribution of highly favorable P1 pocket interactions. Hence, we conclude that the kinetic stability of MHC class II:peptide complexes critically depends on two quite distinct molecular interactions between peptide and MHC located at the peptide's amino terminus. We discuss these results in light of the proposed mechanism for DM function.
Parental Monitoring: Association With Adolescents' Risk Behaviors

Context. Contemporary threats to adolescents9 health are primarily the consequence of risk behaviors and their related adverse outcomes. Identifying factors associated with adolescents9 risk behaviors is critical for developing effective prevention strategies. A number of risk factors have been identified, including familial environment; however, few studies have examined the impact of parental monitoring. Objective. To examine the influence of less perceived parental monitoring on a spectrum of adolescent health-compromising behaviors and outcomes. Design. Survey. Setting. A family medicine clinic. Participants. To assess eligibility, recruiters screened a sample of 1130 teens residing in low-income neighborhoods. Adolescents were eligible if they were black females, between the ages of 14 and 18 years, sexually active in the previous 6 months, and provided written informed consent. Most teens (n = 609) were eligible, with 522 (85.7%) agreeing to participate. Main Outcome Measures. Variables in 6 domains were assessed, including: sexually transmitted diseases, sexual behaviors, marijuana use, alcohol use, antisocial behavior, and violence. Results. In logistic regression analyses, controlling for observed covariates, adolescents perceiving less parental monitoring were more likely to test positive for a sexually transmitted disease (odds ratio [OR]: 1.7), report not using a condom at last sexual intercourse (OR: 1.7), have multiple sexual partners in the past 6 months (OR: 2.0), have risky sex partners (OR: 1.5), have a new sex partner in the past 30 days (OR: 3.0), and not use any contraception during the last sexual intercourse episode (OR: 1.9). Furthermore, adolescents perceiving less parental monitoring were more likely to have a history of marijuana use and use marijuana more often in the past 30 days (OR: 2.3 and OR: 2.5, respectively); a history of alcohol use and greater alcohol consumption in the past 30 days (OR: 1.4 and OR: 1.9, respectively); have a history of arrest (OR: 2.1); and there was a trend toward having engaged in fights in the past 6 months (OR: 1.4). Conclusions. The findings demonstrate a consistent pattern of health risk behaviors and adverse biological outcomes associated with less perceived parental monitoring. Additional research needs to focus on developing theoretical models that help explain the influence of familial environment on adolescent health and develop and evaluate interventions to promote the health of adolescents.
Cytochemical localization of acid phosphatase in ocelli of the seastar Patiria miniata during recycling of photoreceptoral membranes

The amount and distribution of the lysosomal enzyme acid phosphatase in ocelli of seastars (Patiria miniata) in a 24-hour light-dark cycle were studied by a standard cytochemical technique. The enzyme was found in the Golgi apparatus, GERL, and primary and secondary lysosomes of sensory and pigmented supportive cells. We conclude that photoreceptoral membrane of the sensory microvilli is resorbed inthe day by incorporation into pinocytotic vesicles and saccules and degraded in the late day and at night in the secondary lysosomes. Photoreceptoral membrane of microvilli abscised into the ocellar cavity in the day is probably recycled by phagocytosis and digestion in secondary lysosomes of the supportive cells, and perhaps to a lesser extent in the corneal cells. We speculate that recaptured molecules, including photopigment, are returned, in some unknown way, to the distal ends of the sensory cells where the receptoral microvilli are regenerated in the dark. Pinocytotic vesicles may provide stored membrane.
Analysis of three different junction temperature estimation methods for AC LEDs

Abstract Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) operating on alternating current (AC) are gaining popularity in lighting applications. The junction temperature of an LED significantly influences the performance and reliability of the product. Although there are many proven methods for estimating the junction temperature of direct current (DC) LEDs, only a few methods have been proposed for AC LEDs. Two recently proposed methods, the voltage drop method for AC LEDs and the rms current recovery method, indicated different thermal resistance values for the identical LED package. This discrepancy in thermal resistance values is due to the junction temperature rise in the first half cycle that is not accounted for in the rms current recovery method. The peak emission wavelength shift is another approach used in DC LEDs to estimate junction temperature. This method was used to estimate junction temperature for AC LEDs. The measured junction temperature results were compared to results obtained using the voltage drop method for AC LEDs. The junction temperature estimated using the two approaches agree.
The Po´lya algorithm on convex sets

Abstract It is shown that there exist closed, convex sets in R n for which the best p -norm approximations to a fixed element of R n fail to converge as p → ∞. Furthermore, it is shown that even if the best approximations converge, they need not converge to the strict best uniform approximation.
Raghunathan’s conjectures for SL(2, R )

In this paper I give simple proofs of Raghunathan’s conjectures for SL(2,R). These proofs incorporate in a simplified form some of the ideas and methods I used to prove the Raghunathan’s conjectures for general connected Lie groups.
Lower critical dimension of the random-field Ising model

A new argument is given for a lower critical dimension ${d}_{l}=2$ for the Ising model in a random magnetic field. It forms the basis for a proof that the three-dimensional model exhibits long-range order at zero temperature and small disorder. This settles the controversy between the values ${d}_{l}=2$ and ${d}_{l}=3$.
Performance enhancement of p-channel InGaAs quantum-well FETs by superposition of process-induced uniaxial strain and epitaxially-grown biaxial strain

We have developed a device architecture for p-channel InGaAs quantum-well field-effect transistors (QW-FETs) that incorporates uniaxial strain through a self-aligned dielectric stressor. For the first time, we demonstrate substantial enhancement in the transport characteristics of p-channel InGaAs QW-FETs through the combination of compressive uniaxial strain and compressive epitaxially grown biaxial strain. Up to 36% increase of intrinsic transconductance has been observed in devices with 2 µm gate length.