cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An analysis on PITC pilot in maternal and child care service centre

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of the provider initiated HIV testing and counseling (PITC) pilot in maternal and child care service centre and to find out problems and solutions in implementing PITC, so as to provide evidence for making strategies and policies for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) control and prevention.Methods The Maternal and Children Health Care Service Centre of Panyu District in Guangzhou was selected as a clinical trial of medical institution,3 outpatient departments for the pilot were chosen,pilot work report and interview results and other information were collected for analysis.Results During the project cycle, 57,309 provider-initiated HIV tests were recommended, and 19,809 (34.57％) were accepted.The number of HIV testing rates in premarital check-up,obstetrics and gynecology clients were 9,817(100.00％),6,157(35.63％) and 3,569(12.37％)respectively.The HIV testing rates of obstetric were higher than those of gynecological,there were significant differences (x2 =3514.723,P＜ 0.01).19,809 people accepted test,3 persons confirmed HIV-positive (0.15％).The main cause of rejecting HIV testing of the patients in obstetrical and gynecological was "think they have no possibility of HIV infection", with proportion of 41％ and 59％ respectively.Obstetrics and gynecology HIV testing rates were compared to those 15 months before,there were significant differences (P ＜ 0.01).ConcIusions It is feasible to implement PITC in maternal and child care service centre,policy support and testing fee are key factors that influence the implementation of PITC. Key words: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS); PITC; Pilot; Effect
Semiconducting High-Entropy Chalcogenide Alloys with Ambi-ionic Entropy Stabilization and Ambipolar Doping

Entropy stabilization is a novel materials-design paradigm to realize new compounds with widely tunable properties. However, almost all entropy-stabilized materials so far are either conducting met...
Phase retrieval for short wavelength orbital angular momentum beams using knife-edge diffraction

Abstract Laser beams operating in high order transverse modes, especially orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes, have been used increasingly in many frontier research areas. The characterization of these laser modes and the related component analysis can be carried out using the retrieved optical phase. However, conventional iterative phase retrieval methods, when applied to pure OAM modes, may fail because their convergence depends on the choice of the initial phase. Here, we present an improved phase retrieval method which can incorporate additional phase information obtained using knife-edge diffraction. Using no additional optics or few optics available in a wide spectral range, this method is particularly suitable for short wavelength lasers such as free-electron lasers (FELs) in the VUV, EUV, and X-ray regimes. This method has been tested using simulated beams, and successfully applied to experimentally generated beams from a HeNe laser and an FEL.
The Role of Trust: Teacher Capacity During School Leadership Transition

The purpose of this research is to examine teachers’ capacities and the role trust plays in the professional lives of teachers during the transition to a new team of three administrators in an elementary school located in a low-income urban community in the U.S. Twenty-seven teachers’ surveys and interviews showed that the transition caused some level of instability and uncertainty; however, teachers had a positive sense of efficacy, social capital, resilience, and emotions. The four themes emerged from the interviews – common goals and vision for students, beliefs in colleagues’ competence, emotional safety and comfort, and being vulnerable with colleagues -- appear to function as conditions to build trust among colleagues. The trusting relationships seem to help teachers withstand the challenging transition by providing a safe space where teachers can learn and grow. Implications for school administrators and district offices were discussed.
Wicking microfluidic approach to separate blood plasma from whole blood to facilitate downstream assays

Separation of blood plasma or serum from blood is essential for accurate analysis. Conventional blood separation requires instrumentation, reagents, and large sample volumes, limiting this process to laboratory environments with trained personnel. Full implementation of effective blood separation and analysis on microliter sample volumes for point of care (POC) diagnostics has proven extremely challenging resulting in a growing market demand, with common challenges such as expensive device fabrication processes or devices being comprised of materials which are not easily disposable. We developed a membrane-based wicking microfluidic device which is made using a simple fabrication process. This device uses a unique 3D flow channel geometry, fabricated in a polycaprolactone-filled glass microfiber membrane, to efficiently separate microliter sample volumes of blood. Colorimetric assay chemistries were integrated to demonstrate utility of these devices in POC diagnostics. The devices are capable of separating both fresh and anticoagulant-treated blood at microscale sample volumes (<15.0 μL). Modifications to the base device are also reported herein which increased sample volume capacity and separation efficiency. Integrated colorimetric assay enabled semi-quantitative detection of conjugated bilirubin in real blood samples (1.0–1.5 mg/dL). These blood separation devices, fabricated on polycaprolactone-filled glass microfiber, enabled effective blood plasma (anticoagulant-treated blood) and serum (fresh blood) separation with microscale sample volumes. Sample volume capacity and separation efficiency are customizable for specific applications and devices can be integrated with downstream assay chemistries to develop complete POC devices that offer blood separation and diagnostics at the same time on a single membrane.
Disciplinary Neoliberalism and the Simulation of Freedom

If we take seriously Francois Debrix’s position in Re-Envisioning Peacekeeping that it is the “disciplinary” part of disciplinary neoliberalism that matters, then we can turn our attention to something that is still largely missing in studies of neoliberalism: an examination of neoliberalism, not on the level of the state and its actors, but on the level of the day-to-day minutiae of neoliberal subjects. Drawing from Baudrillard, Foucault, and Althusser, Debrix uses simulation, discipline, and ideology as analytics through which we can make sense of hegemonic world orders like neoliberalism. He offers provocation and destabilization as methods for disrupting hegemony when he reads the real/visual as simulation rather than as representation. This essay will focus in particular on Debrix’s use of simulation, ideology, and discipline to consider how his deployment of these analytics can help us examine neoliberal subjectivity and its everyday practices understood as freedom. And I will consider the productive and disruptive paths that Debrix’s deployment of visual simulation and destabilization can offer critical IR studies and political theory. I suggest here that we need to consider the ways in which neoliberal subjects do the work of neoliberalism, often understood as techniques or strategies of the state, as they simulate a core requirement of disciplinary neoliberalism: freedom.
Evaluating the Immunomodulatory Profile and Treatment Efficacy of Whole Lung Low-Dose Radiation Therapy (LDRT) in a Preclinical Model of Severe Viral Pneumonia

Purpose/objective(s) Whole Lung Low-Dose Radiation Therapy (LDRT) is currently being tested as a treatment for SARS-CoV-2. Whether LDRT alters the natural history of viral infection, lung microenvironment or host immunity is currently unknown. We developed a preclinical model of severe viral pneumonia using pandemic-strain influenza A virus (IAV) to evaluate potential immunomodulation and treatment efficacy of LDRT. Materials/methods Female BALB/c mice were infected with an intranasal challenge of 2 × 102-2 × 104 PFU of 2009/H1N1 IAV. LDRT was administered at 0.5 Gy or 1.5 Gy x 1 (or sham) 72 hours after IAV challenge. Mice were serially monitored for survival and morbidity (raw lung weight, % weight loss, disease severity index). Acute changes in the lung microenvironment were assayed 72hrs post-LDRT (day 6) with profiling of myeloid/T-cell subsets by cytometry, gene expression by qRT-PCR and histological evaluation of HE P = 0.24], with 100% mortality in all IAV groups. In a less virulent model (2 × 103 PFU), LDRT did not extend survival with significantly shorter survival observed in the IAV/1.5 Gy group [median survival (% mortality): NR (30%) IAV/sham vs 10d (53%) IAV/0.5 Gy vs 9d (87%) IAV/1.5 Gy; P Conclusion In this preclinical IAV model of severe viral pneumonia we did not observe a therapeutic effect of LDRT on survival and morbidity. LDRT did not appear to consistently reduce or reverse IAV-induced inflammatory changes in the lung microenvironment.
Viral Superantigens in Mice and Humans

Adaptive immunity relies on the antigen-specific B cell (BCR) and T cell (TCR) receptors to survey for pathogenic events. Upon recognition of a microbe by these receptors, an immune response is initiated, resulting in the differentiation of the antigen-specific lymphocytes into effector cells, which eliminate the pathogen. According to the IMGT database, there are 23 and 18 functional T cell (TCR) receptors Vβ-families in humans and mice, respectively. The majority of known superantigens (SAgs) are of either bacterial or viral origin, the prototypes being the bacterial pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes and the murine mammary tumor virus (MMTV). While the exogenous virus encoded SAg is critical for the viral infection, the expression of endogenous MMTV SAgs leads to thymic deletion of T cells with the corresponding Vβ-chains, hence rendering the mice resistant to infection by exogenous MMTV encoding SAgs with the same Vβ specificity. During thymic maturation, only T cells that receive signals above a certain threshold survive by undergoing positive selection. Expression of a strong endogenous SAg during the negative selection process often results in thymic deletion of the entire population of T-cell expression TCR Vβ-chains that are reactive to the SAg, while a weak SAg activity leads to partial deletion or anergy of the reactive T cells.
Role of calretinin immunohistochemical stain in evaluation of Hirschsprung disease: an institutional experience

Background: The use of calretinin immunostain (IHC) in the evaluation of rectal suction biopsies for Hirschsprung disease (HD) has been reported by Kapur et al. and others. The first goal of this article is to report our institutional experience with the use of calretinin in specimens for evaluation of HD. The second goal is to describe the pattern of expression of calretinin in the junction of ganglionic-to-aganglionic segment of pull through specimens of patients with a previous diagnosis of HD on suction rectal biopsy. Material and methods: Three pathologists at University of Texas at Houston evaluated 28 rectal biopsy specimens from 2010-2011. The patients’ age ranged from 15 days to 8 years. Twenty-three cases were suction biopsies, and five were rectal full thickness biopsies. Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) stain was performed on at least 80 levels for the suction biopsy specimens. Calretinin immunohistochemical stain was performed on levels 40-42 in all cases, with adequate controls. The H&E slides of nine pull through specimens with a diagnosis of HD on a suction rectal biopsy that was evaluated in this study, were evaluated. Calretinin IHC was performed on the slide(s) showing the junction of aganglionic-to-normal rectum, along with adequate controls. Results: The presence of ganglion cells consistently correlated with calretinin-positive thin nerve fibrils in the lamina propria, muscularis mucosae and superficial submucosa. These nerve fibrils were absent in the aganglionic segments of bowel and in the areas without ganglion cells from the junction of normal with diseased rectum. Calretinin was strongly expressed in the submucosal and subserosal nerve trunks in the ganglionic segment. It had faint expression in the thick nerve trunks from the areas without ganglion cells 1.6-2.5 cm proximal to the normal rectum. No calretinin expression was seen in the nerve trunks in the rest of the aganglionic segment. Conclusion: The pattern of expression of calretinin in rectal suction biopsies in HD and normal rectum coincide with the ones previously described in the literature. Calretinin IHC offered additional diagnostic value in the specimens with inadequate amount of submucosa and rarely seen ganglion cells. The pattern of expression of calretinin in HD pull-through specimens correlates with the rectal biopsy ones. Faint positivity of the thick submucosal and subserosal nerves in the absence of ganglion cells and calretinin positive nerve fibrils, is characteristic of the junction of the aganglionic-to-normal rectum. We are the first ones to document this finding.
/spl mu/-synthesis control for a walking robot

Proposes using two under-actuated robotic systems as two legs of a walking machine. Since the ankle joints of both legs have no actuation, the walking machine remains upright only when it is balanced via a computer-controller. The design of a stabilizing controller for one under-actuated leg, using a /spl mu/-synthesis approach, is explained in detail. The system at the equilibrium can be represented by a non-minimum phase system. The right half plane zero severely limits the achievable closed-loop bandwidth and robustness in modeling errors.
Custom fabrication of freestanding and suspended three-dimensional polymer structures

An atomic force microscope (AFM) is used as a micromanipulator to fabricate freestanding micron diameter wires and bridges in a matter of minutes by pulling polymer materials into fibers. The fabrication procedure appears to have significant application in easier and more rapid prototyping of micro-, nano- and MEMS devices. While fiber pulling technology has advanced to high degrees of perfection, our process represents the first time that a nano-positioning tool has been used to fabricate three-dimensional microstructures with a degree of flexibility and simplicity far exceeding traditional MEMS and microfabrication processing methods. Preliminary efforts at demonstrating the use of the fibers in device fabrication and applications are also presented.
Contract and Innovation: The Limited Role of Generalist Courts in the Evolution of Novel Contractual Terms

In developing a contractual response to changes in the economic environment, parties choose the method by which their innovation will be adapted to the particulars of their context. These choices are driven centrally by the thickness of the relevant market and the uncertainty related to that market. In turn, the parties’ choice of method will shape how generalist courts can best support the parties’ innovation and the novel regimes they envision. In this essay, we argue that contractual innovation does not comes to courts incrementally, but instead reaches the courts later in the innovation’s evolution and more fully fledged than the standard picture contemplates. Highly stylized, the trajectory of innovation in contract we find is this: Private actors respond to exogenous shocks in their economic environment by changing existing structures or procedures to make them efficient under the new circumstances. The innovating parties stabilize their newly emergent practices through a variety of regimes, both bilateral and multilateral, whose goal is to establish the context through which the innovation is implemented. It is only at this point that courts step in when a dispute is presented to them. If contract innovation does indeed reach generalist courts through the mediating institution of these contextualizing regimes, then our argument follows directly: If a central goal of contract adjudication is to enforce the context the parties have provided, then the courts’ willingness to defer to the context the parties give them will put the law more directly in the service of innovation.
Oxygen and Iron Regulation of Iron Regulatory Protein 2

Iron regulatory protein 2 (IRP2) is a central regulator of cellular iron homeostasis due to its regulation of specific mRNAs encoding proteins of iron uptake and storage. Iron regulates IRP2 by mediating its rapid proteasomal degradation, where hypoxia and the hypoxia mimetics CoCl2 and desferrioxamine (DFO) stabilize it. Previous studies showed that iron-mediated degradation of IRP2 requires the presence of critical cysteines that reside within a 73-amino acid unique region. Here we show that a mutant IRP2 protein lacking this 73-amino acid region degraded at a rate similar to that of wild-type IRP2. In addition, DFO and hypoxia blocked the degradation of both the wild-type and mutant IRP2 proteins. Recently, members of the 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG)-dependent dioxygenase family have been shown to hydroxylate hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), a modification required for its ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Since 2-OG-dependent dioxygenases require iron and oxygen, in addition to 2-OG, for substrate hydroxylation, we hypothesized that this activity may be involved in the regulation of IRP2 stability. To test this we used the 2-OG-dependent dioxygenase inhibitor dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG) and showed that it blocked iron-mediated IRP2 degradation. In addition, hypoxia, DFO and DMOG blocked IRP2 ubiquitination. These data indicate that the region of IRP2 that is involved in IRP2 iron-mediated degradation lies outside of the 73-amino acid unique region and suggest a model whereby 2-OG-dependent dioxygenase activity may be involved in the oxygen and iron regulation of IRP2 protein stability.
Evolution of gene expression in the Drosophila melanogaster subgroup

Little is known about broad patterns of variation and evolution of gene expression during any developmental process. Here we investigate variation in genome-wide gene expression among Drosophila simulans, Drosophila yakuba and four strains of Drosophila melanogaster during a major developmental transition—the start of metamorphosis. Differences in gene activity between these lineages follow a phylogenetic pattern, and 27% of all of the genes in these genomes differ in their developmental gene expression between at least two strains or species. We identify, on a gene-by-gene basis, the evolutionary forces that shape this variation and show that, both within the transcriptional network that controls metamorphosis and across the whole genome, the expression changes of transcription factor genes are relatively stable, whereas those of their downstream targets are more likely to have evolved. Our results demonstrate extensive evolution of developmental gene expression among closely related species.
Arginine Maturity Index: Relationship With Other Traits in Peanuts1

Abstract ‘Spancross’, ‘Florunner’, and ‘Florigiant’ cultivars were used to determine the relationship between arginine maturity index (AMI) and other traits in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Samples were taken weekly beginning 73 days after planting in 1973 and biweekly beginning 77 days after planting in 1974. AMI-1 was measured on fresh fruit and AMI-2 was measured on dry seed. The relationship between these two characters was greater than r = 0.85 in each cultivar tested. Both AMI-1 and AMI-2 were positively correlated to percent of other kernels and negatively correlated to pod yield, and percentages of total sound mature kernels, total kernels, dry matter, and mature seed. Among these correlations AMI-pod yield was weakest, whereas AMI-percent of total sound mature kernels was strongest. The quadratic polynomial, Y = a + bx + cx2, was used to fit the distribution curve for each trait. Florunner and Florigiant appeared to have similar patterns in all traits except percent of mature seed, but they diffe...
On Nearly Orthogonal Lattice Bases and Random Lattices

We study lattice bases where the angle between any basis vector and the linear subspace spanned by the other basis vectors is at least $\frac{\pi}{3}$ radians; we denote such bases as “nearly orthogonal.” We show that a nearly orthogonal lattice basis always contains a shortest lattice vector. Moreover, we prove that if the basis vector lengths are “nearly equal,” then the basis is the unique nearly orthogonal lattice basis up to multiplication of basis vectors by $\pm 1$. We also study random lattices generated by the columns of random matrices with $n$ rows and $m \leq n$ columns. We show that if $m \leq c\,n$, with $c \approx 0.071$, then the random matrix forms a nearly orthogonal basis for the random lattice with high probability for large $n$ and almost surely as $n$ tends to infinity. Consequently, the columns of such a random matrix contain the shortest vector in the random lattice. Finally, we discuss an interesting JPEG image compression application where nearly orthogonal lattice bases play an important role.
High velocity aluminum ball collision: photo realistic rendering of polygonal data

The animation shows a simulation of an aluminum ball smashing into an aluminum brick at very high velocity. The simulation data was generated on Sandia National Lab's Red Storm Supercomputer. ParaView was used to export polygonal data, which was then textured and rendered using a commercial 3d rendering package.Using ParaView's co-processing capability, data was captured directly from the memory of the running super computer simulation. We then created a set of seamless fragment surfaces extracted from the underlying cells' material volume fractions. ParaView outputs a sequence of models that are converted to LightWave polygonal object, using NuGraf, a model format conversion program. The objects vary in size, with some objects consisting of close to a billion polygons. Custom software and scripts are used to surface the sequence of objects. The final object sequence is then rendered offline with LightWave 10.0.
A Spectral Method for Unbounded Domains

A spectral method for an unbounded domain is presented. Rational basis functions, which are algebraically mapped Legendre functions, are used for expansion in the radial direction of polar coordinates (r, ?) or (r, ?,z). They satisfy the pole condition exactly at the coordinate singularity and their behavior asr? ∞ is suitable for expanding smooth functions which decay algebraically or exponentially asr? ∞. The method is not stiff when it is applied to initial value problems despite the presence of the coordinate singularity. Solenoidal vector fields are treated efficiently by the toroidal and poloidal decomposition which reduces the number of dependent variables from 3 to 2. Examples include the computation of vortex dynamics in two and three dimensions.
Postnatal rat lung retinoic acid receptor (RAR) mRNA expression and effects of dexamethasone on RAR β mRNA

Retinoids exert multiple effects upon lung differentiation and growth. Although the mechanisms involved are presently poorly understood, increasing evidence points to a central role of nuclear retinoic acid receptors (RAR). The purpose of this study was to determine RAR mRNA expression profile during postnatal alveolarization, compared with the expression in prenatal and adult rat lung, and to describe the effects of dexamethasone (DEX) and oxygen on postnatal lung RAR gene expression. Total RNA was isolated from lungs of Sprague-Dawley rats on prenatal day 19, on postnatal days 1, 3, 7, 10, and 14 of life, and from adults. One subgroup of littermate pups was treated with DEX daily for 3 or 7 days. In a second experiment, rats were exposed to room air or to 95% oxygen for 72 hours, and received either DEX or saline. Northern hybridization showed that the levels of all RAR subtypes in fetal lung were 45% or less of levels at postnatal day 1. The 3.7 kb RAR alpha transcript levels were lower than day 1 on days 10 and 14 (relative to day 1, day 10 = 0.54 +/- 0.05; day 14 = 0.54 +/- 0.08), but there was no change in a 2.7 kb RAR alpha transcript over this time period. By contrast, RAR beta mRNA levels were significantly higher at days 3, 10, and 14 compared with day 1 (day 3 = 1.79 +/- 0.19; day 10 = 1.41 +/- 0.14; day 14 = 1.53 +/- 0.05). Similarly, RAR gamma mRNA expression levels were higher on day 10 (1.45 +/- 0.09), but by day 14 there was no difference from day 1. Adult lung 3.7 kb RAR alpha, 2.7 kb RAR alpha, and RAR gamma were lower than day 1, but RAR beta was significantly greater (3.7 alpha = 0.52 +/- 0.05; 2.7 alpha = 0.49 +/- 0.26; gamma = 0.74 +/- 0.06; beta = 1.63 +/- 0.22). Treatment with DEX prevented the rise in RAR beta mRNA occurring on day 3 and significantly lowered (0.65 +/- 0.06) the amount of RAR beta mRNA in day 7 lung. Exposure of rat pups to oxygen caused an increase in RAR beta mRNA (1.21 +/- 0.03). DEX treatment again decreased RAR beta mRNA in both control (0.55 +/- 0.06) and oxygen-exposed pups (0.67 +/- 0.12). In addition, 2.7 kb RAR alpha mRNA was decreased with the combination of DEX and oxygen exposure (0.63 +/- 0.06). The differential gene expression profiles and the response to DEX and oxygen of the various members of the RAR family suggest that each subtype may have a specific role during the period of alveolarization in rat lung.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Children.

Recent advances in antiretroviral treatment have changed the landscape of pediatric HIV—not only has perinatal treatment markedly diminished HIV transmission rates, but highly active antiretroviral treatments (HAART) have, with few exceptions, transformed HIV into a chronic nonfatal disorder. Antiretroviral therapies are complex and fraught with potential for side effects. The neurologist involved with HIV-infected children should have a firm grasp on the different therapeutic agents used among infected children, especially as regards drug metabolism and indications for treatment.
Amplitude-modulation detection at low- and high-audio frequencies

Estimates of temporal acuity under comparable conditions at low- and high-audio frequencies are rare. The present study used the amplitude-modulation detection paradigm to estimate temporal acuity over a range of audio frequencies from 800 to 12 800 Hz. Amplitude-modulation detection was measured as a function of modulation frequency for bandlimited noise carriers, and the resulting temporal modulation-transfer functions were used to characterize temporal acuity. The most important result from the two experiments reported is that systematic manipulations of carrier upper-cutoff frequency produced estimates of temporal acuity that did not vary from 800 to 12 800 Hz. When the modulated noise bands were filtered after modulation to control for potential spectral cues, the low-pass cutoff of the modulation-transfer function varied with the carrier bandwidth. However, when the standard stimulus was a quasifrequency-modulated (QFM) noise and the signal was an unfiltered, amplitude-modulated noise, the low-pass cutoff of the modulation-transfer function was independent of carrier bandwidth. These results are consistent with a growing body of evidence demonstrating that auditory temporal acuity is constant throughout most of the audible frequency range.
Clinical significance of prolonged QTc interval in Williams syndrome.

s o s l Williams syndrome (WS) is a congenital developmental disorder affecting the connective tissue, neurologic, and cardiovascular (CV) systems in 1 in 8,000 live births. The characteristic features of WS, including facial dysmorphisms, cognitive traits, and CV abnormalities, are known to arise from the deletion of approximately 28 genes on chromosome 7q11.23. Structural CV abnormalities occur most commonly and are present in approximately 80% of all patients with WS, and 93% of those presenting in the first ear of life. The most common CV abnormalities in WS nclude arterial stenoses such as supravalvar aortic stenosis nd peripheral pulmonary arterial stenosis, resulting from hemizygosity of the ELN gene, which encodes elastin. There is also a known increased risk for sudden cardiac death in this population that is 25-fold to 100-fold greater than in the general population. In a review of the published research, Burch et al surmised the sudden death risk o be essentially entirely the result of myocardial ischemia, specially in the setting of concomitant supravalvar aortic tenosis and stenosis of the coronary ostia. Kounis et al proposed that sudden cardiac death in WS may be related to an allergic coronary syndrome secondary to anesthetic exposure, and a recent report by Gupta et al has given credence to that hypothesis. In an attempt to evaluate potential prolongation of the corrected QT (QTc) interval noted on electrocardiography in patients with WS, and to correlate electrocardiographic findings with sudden death, we recently published the experience at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in The merican Journal of Cardiology. In that study, the prevlence of QTc prolongation in patients with WS was 13.6%, ompared to a prevalence of 2% in healthy controls. Death ccurred in 4 patients with WS, 2 of whom had evidence of Tc prolongation. An autopsy on 1 of the patients with QTc rolongation demonstrated no evidence of supravalvar aoric stenosis or stenosis of the coronary ostia; the other atient died at an outside facility, and an autopsy was not erformed. A third patient with QTc prolongation sustained sudden cardiac event but was resuscitated and placed on xtracorporeal membrane oxygenation support with ultiate recovery.
A Parallel Computer Organization and Mechanizations

This paper describes a type of parallel computer organization which can be regarded as lying at one extreme of a spectrum of possible degrees of parallelism. The organization is dominated by two characteristics, namely, one-bit storage per computational cell and single-level logic at each computational step. The organization is directed specifically toward spatial problems, but is demonstrated to be of a general-purpose nature. Mechanizations appropriate to this type of organization are described and some simple examples of spatial computing are presented.
Ion impacts on moving emitters: A convergent theory of anisotropic broadening in high-temperature plasmas

Abstract This paper results from a cross-fertilization of two ideas. The first one is the idea by Seidel: for a radiator with constant velocity Stark broadening is effected by an anisotropic plasma so that in a frame of reference moving with the emitter the line shape depends not only on the radiator speed but on the direction of emission as well. However his calculations had a shortcoming typical for the standard semiclassical theories of Stark broadening: they were intrinsically divergent at small impact parameters. The second idea originates from our previous papers: the convergency of semiclassical theories may be achieved by treating one projection of the dynamic electric microfield more accurately than two other components. The results of the cross-fertilization are the following: (1) our theory of anisotropic broadening is convergent; (2) for a particular case of the Lα line its profile calculated with an allowance for the effects of the anisotropy is significantly narrower than without this allowance. From the practical point of view our results can serve as an improved basis for a novel spectroscopic diagnostics of the effective charge Zeff in tokamak plasmas as well as for measurements of plasma parameters in some laser fusion experiments.
Modification of sawtooth crash behaviour during large error field experiments on the DIII-D tokamak

Externally applied, static, resonant low m=1, n=1 magnetic field perturbations have a strong effect on the behaviour of the sawtooth crash in the DIII-D tokamak. An external coil was used to produce magnetic field perturbations large enough to slow the core plasma rotation and greatly alter the radial electric field profiles but not large enough to induce a locked mode. In these cases the global plasma parameters and the density and temperature profiles remained unchanged; however, the sawtooth oscillation, in particular the sawtooth crash, changed character from resistive in nature to ideal as the static error field increased. The m=1, n=1 resistive MHD internal kink mode normally responsible for the sawtooth crash in DIII-D appears to be stabilized by resonance detuning caused by the combination of the applied static error field and the slower plasma toroidal rotation. The stabilization of the resistive internal kink allowed the plasma to evolve until an ideal mode caused a sawtooth crash. This effect may explain the differences in sawtooth behaviour reported between different tokamaks
Comparisons over time: Temporal trajectories, social comparison, and self‐evaluation

Social comparison information fluctuates over time. We examined how people evaluate their task performance and ability after receiving test feedback specifying not only that they ranked above or below average, but also that their social status was rising, falling, or remaining constant. Participants' self-evaluations were more positive when their social standing was rising over time rather than remaining constant. On the other hand, participants whose status was falling did not evaluate themselves less favorably than those with a constant position in the performance distribution. These reactions to performance feedback were observed on self-evaluations of ability, but not on more even-handed assessments of performance. Implications for social comparison and self-evaluation maintenance theories are discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Review of Fomon's "assessment of growth of formula-fed infants: evolutionary considerations".

To the Editor .— Dr Fomon's February article addresses the important issue of infant diet and growth using an evolutionary approach.1 His main concern throughout the article is the increasing use of breastfed infants as the standard reference population for growth rates despite the higher growth rates of formula-fed infants during the first 3 months. Fomon also criticizes the assumption that breastfeeding represents the most natural, and thus best, way of achieving optimal infant growth, and he should be congratulated for his use of evolutionary theory as a way to provide powerful insights into medical issues.2 In modern urban societies, breastfeeding is a culturally constructed practice and does not represent a “natural analog” to breastfeeding during evolutionary history. Fomon presents data that modern environments are much more sanitized, reducing the …
Changes in thymosin β4 and gonadal function during puberty in boars and gilts immunized against estrone

Thymosin β4, a thymic secretory peptide, may have an important integrative role in gonadal function by promoting the release of gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH). To investigate possible thymic endocrine relationships to gonadal function in swine, serum changes in thymosin β4 were monitored throughout the prepubertal period in gilts and boars immunized against either keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH-controls; gilts 68, boars 6) or KLH conjugated to estrone (anti-E1; gilts 76, boars 6). Immunization was initiated at 5 weeks of age and animals were blood sampled at 4-wk intervals until puberty. Gilts were bred at the second estrus. At 30 (n = 61) and 70 days (n = 83) of pregnancy, ovarian weight, corpora lutea weight and numbers, and fetal numbers were collected. At 24 weeks of age, boars were killed and the weights of testes and accessory glands collected. As boars and gilts matured, serum concentrations of thymosin β4 decreased (P < 0.05) with age. Gilts that attained puberty (estrus) had lower concentrations of thymosin β4(P < 0.05) than animals that demonstrated no estrous activity. No differences were detected between controls or anti-E1 gilts in relation to any reproductive parameters monitored, gonadal steroids or thymosin β4 concentrations. Anti-E1 boars had lower thymosin β4 (P < 0.05) throughout the prepubertal period than controls, and tended to have lower testicular, epididymal, and prostate weights; only seminal vesicle weight was significantly decreased (103.2 ± 21.2 vs. 173.2 ± 15.2 g, P < 0.05). Boars immunized against estrone tended to have lower Leydig cell numbers (P < 0.09) and seminiferous tubule diameter (P < 0.09), but increased Leydig cell size (P < 0.01). A sexually dimorphic response was noted to immunization against estrone, in that thymosin β4 concentrations were decreased in boars, but unchanged in gilts.
β-Endorphin: Lack of correlation between opiate activity and immunoreactivity by radioimmunoassay

Abstract A sensitive radioimmunoassay for human β-endorphin has been developed. When natural human β-lipotropin and various synthetic analogs of β-endorphin were assayed for their immunoreactivity, lack of correlation was found between opiate activity and immunoreactivity. These data suggest that residues 6–15 of β-endorphin are the antigenic determinant.
Erythromycin lacks colon prokinetic effect in children with functional gastrointestinal disorders: a retrospective study

Motilin, a peptide hormone has a direct excitatory effect on circular smooth muscle strips derived from the human colon. Reduced plasma motilin concentration has been reported in adults with chronic constipation. Erythromycin, a non-peptide motilin receptor agonist, induces phase 3 of the migrating motor complex (MMC) in the antro-duodenum and also reduces oro-cecal transit time. A pediatric study has reported an improvement in clinical symptoms of constipation following erythromycin administration, but the effect on colon motility in children has not been formally evaluated. We used colon manometry to study the effect of intravenous erythromycin lactobionate at 1 mg/kg on colon motiltiy in ten children. We selected patients with normal antroduodenal and colon manometry studies that were performed simultaneously. All studies were performed for clinically indicated reasons. We quantified the effect of erythromycin on colon contraction by calculating the area under the curve (AUC). The mean (SE of mean) AUC in the colon during the fasting, post-erythromycin and postprandial phases of the study was 2.1 mmHg/sec (0.35), 0.99 mmHg/sec (0.17) and 3.05 mmHg/sec (0.70) respectively. The AUC following erythromycin was significantly less compared to the fasting phase of the study (p < 0.01). Erythromycin lacks colon prokinetic effect in children with chronic constipation evaluated by colon manometry.
Organisational perception management in sport: The use of corporate pro-environmental behaviour for desired facility referenda outcomes

Abstract The subsidisation of professional sport facilities has inspired deeply contentious debates. In North America, these debates have culminating historically in a vote by referendum. In order to obtain a favourable outcome, sport organisations have relied largely on controversial means, including using the influence of urban regimes, disseminating unreliable economic impact analyses to the public, or using political influence to circumvent the democratic process. In this paper, organisational perception management is proposed as an alternative approach to these tactics. This strategy is defined and illustrated using corporate pro-environmental behaviour in sport to demonstrate professional sport organisations can protect their images, reputations, and identities and obtain favourable referenda outcomes. From this analysis, the Desired Voting Outcomes Framework is presented, illustrating that effective organisational perception management can interrupt anticipated no-voters’ decision-making processes, leading to a reconsideration of voters’ judgments. Furthermore, the organisation's longterm reputation is sustained due, in part, to the perceived legitimacy of referenda. Implications of this framework and directions for future research are discussed.
The effects of architectural change, individualized instruction, and group contigencies on the academic performance and social behavior of sixth graders ☆

Abstract In this study architectural changes, individualized instruction, and group contigencies placed on academic work were applied to the math and language period of an initially disruptive sixth-grade classroom. Within classroom comparisons indicated that individualized instruction with group contingencies sharply increased the academic production of children from all ability levels, significantly improved social behavior, and changed the teacher's mode of instruction and interaction with the children. Individualized instruction alone had lesser effects, while the architectural changes produced no significant changes in the academic or social behavior of the children or in teacher behaviors. Results of the study are discussed in terms of improvement of the intervention procedures, focus on academic programming, and a broadening of the base of behavior modification work.
A New Base-Pairing Motif Based on Modified Guanosines.

Stable even in dimethyl sulfoxide, dimer I does not dissociate to monomers 1 in organic media. The unique base-pairing interaction involving four hydrogen bonds in the readily available compound 1 was characterized by NMR spectroscopy.
Decreased brain stiffness in Alzheimer's disease determined by magnetic resonance elastography.

Purpose: To test patient acceptance and reproducibility of the 3D magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) brain exam using a soft vibration source, and to determine if MRE could noninvasively measure a change in the elastic properties of the brain parenchyma due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Materials and Methods: MRE exams were performed using an accelerated spin-echo echo planar imaging (EPI) pulse sequence and stiffness was calculated with a 3D direct inversion algorithm. Reproducibility of the technique was assessed in 10 male volunteers, who each underwent four MRE exams separated into two imaging sessions. The effect of AD on brain stiffness was assessed in 28 volunteers, 7 with probable AD, 14 age- and gender-matched PIB-negative (Pittsburgh Compound B, a PET amyloid imaging ligand) cognitively normal controls (CN−), and 7 age- and gender-matched PIB-positive cognitively normal controls (CN+). Results: The median stiffness of the 10 volunteers was 3.07 kPa with a range of 0.40 kPa. The median and maximum coefficients of variation for these volunteers were 1.71% and 3.07%. The median stiffness of the 14 CN− subjects was 2.37 kPa (0.44 kPa range) compared to 2.32 kPa (0.49 kPa range) within the CN+ group and 2.20 kPa (0.33 kPa range) within the AD group. A significant difference was found between the three groups (P = 0.0055, Kruskal–Wallis one-way analysis of variance). Both the CN+ and CN− groups were significantly different from the AD group. Conclusion: 3D MRE of the brain can be performed reproducibly and demonstrates significantly reduced brain tissue stiffness in patients with AD. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2011;. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Guidance Scheme for Supercircular Re-Entry of a Lifting Vehicle

A guidance scheme is proposed for atmospheric re-entry of a manned lifting vehicle at supercircular velocities. An automatic niultivariable terminal control scheme (lambda matrix control) would be used during the critical supercircular portion of the re-entry to bring the vehicle to a prescribed altitude, circular speed, and horizontal flight path direction. From this point a predictor corrector scheme (either manual or automatic) would be used to guide the vehicle to the vicinity of the desired landing site. Some numerical results using lambda matr 'x control are given which demonstrate its terminal control effectiveness n the presence of large density deviations.
Measurement Of Noise Sources In P-Surface Channel Charge Coupled Device (CCD) Multiplexers For Infrared Focal Plane Arrays

AbstractThe noise performance of a 32 channel p- surface channel CSD multiplexer for an infraredfocal plane array was measured at room temperature and at 160 K. Theoretical calculationswere made of the contributions from kTC noise, dark current noise, and interface state trap-ping noise. The calculated results agree well with the experimental values. The noise of theon -chip source follower output stage was below the 900 rms holes noise floor established forthe measuring system by the sample and hold. The calibration of the equipment was checked bycomparing the theoretical and measured noise values for optically injected charge carriers.The agreement was better than 10 %. We measured 1 to 2 times theoretical kTC noise with thepotential equilibration input. The design goal for these devices was a temp8ral noise volt-age of 15 pV (3500 rms noise holes) referenced to the input. Cooled to 160 K we measured anoise voltage of 16 pV (3750 rms noise holes referenced to the input. The spatial or fixedpattern noise was much larger: 12 mV (2.9x10 rms noise holes) referenced to the input.IntroductionThis paper is divided into 5 sections. First, we describe the architecture and opera-tion of the multiplexer. Second, we describe our noise measurement equipment and procedure,and our device characterization measurements. Third, we make theoretical calculations of theexpected noise values. Fourth, we discuss the experimental measurements on the devices andfifth, we compare the theoretical and experimental results.Description of the multiplexerThelmultiplexer used in these experiments is a four -phase p- surface channel CCD multi-plexer. The device consists of 32 parallel inputs which are multiplexed to a single serialoutput.Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the parallel to serial multiplexing performedby the CCD shift register. The signals to be multiplexed are applied to the input gates.
Ultraviolet observations of Mars and Saturn by the TDIA and OAO-2 satellites

Ultraviolet photometric and spectrophotometric observations of Mars and Saturn, obtained from two earth-orbiting satellites, are discussed. High-resolution data reveal no definite absorption features in the spectra of either planet. In order to reconcile the absence of a prominent absorption in the Mars data near 2150 A with preliminary Viking measurements of NO, this gas must be preferentially concentrated at high Martian altitudes. Broadband photometry from OAO-2 shows that atmospheric dust from the great dust storm of 1971-1972 on Mars reduced the ultraviolet geometric albedo by a factor of 3 at the height of the storm. Atmospheric energy deposition appears to be an important mechanism of the storm dynamics. The combined Saturn data indicate that NH3 is not the absorber that influences the UV spectrum of Saturn. The possibility that H2S is the absorber is investigated.
Anti-Intercept Margins of Relay-Augmented Data Links

A quantitative measure of the anti-intercept improvement (or margin) of a relay data net is described. It is assumed that the link relays are located to obtain the maximum anti-jam advantage against a line-of-sight jammer. The anti-intercept margin is defined as the ratio of the respective spatial power densities available to the intercept receiver when no relay and relays are used, and can be as large as 10-20 dB. It is shown that the relay anti-intercept (AI) margin for a spatially uniform jamming field intensity is lower than for a single jammer environment, and requires the same form of relay spacing needed to maximize the AI margin in the absence of jamming. It is also shown that operation in a lossy medium offers an opportunity for enhancing anti-intercept capability. A measure of overall AI performance that illustrates this enhancement is discussed.