cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What do patients want? Expectations and perceptions of IVF clinic information and support regarding frozen embryo disposition

Objective To describe frozen embryo holders' expectations and perceptions of IVF clinic information, support, and storage fees and their relevance to embryo disposition decision making. Design Qualitative interview study. Setting Three northern California IVF practices. Patient(s) One hundred six families (110 women and 74 men) with an average of six frozen embryos in storage for 5 years. Intervention(s) Three in-depth interviews over 1 year. Main Outcome Measure(s) Thematic analysis of interview transcripts. Result(s) Although embryo holders expected that IVF clinics were under obligation to assist in the disposition decision and would be their main source of information, these expectations did not become manifest until years after embryo cryopreservation. Patients expressed a variety of preferences for the timing, format, and content of information and support, ranging from detailed written information to counselor/advocates that could provide logistical guidance and/or psychologic support. Embryo holders perceived an insufficiently defined infrastructure to facilitate donation to other couples, whereas donating to medical research was seen as less complicated and more likely to be encouraged and supported by physicians and clinics. Although increasing storage fees motivated disposition decision making, they could be interpreted as coercive and/or not reflective of actual clinic costs. Conclusion(s) Frozen embryo–holding patients' expectations of information and support to assist them with disposition decision making and embryo donation suggests that IVF clinics may benefit from a review of their frozen embryo counseling, storage, and disposition policies and procedures.
TU-E-217BCD-06: Cone Beam Breast CT with a High Resolution Flat Panel Detector-Improvement of Calcification Visibility.

Purpose: To investigate the advantage of a high resolution flat panel detector for improving the visibility of microcalcifications (MCs) in cone beam breast CTMethods: A paraffin cylinder was used to simulate a 100% adipose breast. Calcium carbonate grains, ranging from 125–140 μm to 224 – 250 μm in size, were used to simulate the MCs. Groups of 25 same size MCs were embedded at the phantom center. The phantom was scanned with a bench‐top CBCTsystem at various exposure levels. A 75μm pitch flat panel detector (Dexela 2923, Perkin Elmer) with 500μm thick CsI scintillator plate was used as the high resolution detector. A 194 μm pitch detector (Paxscan 4030CB, Varian MedicalSystems) was used for reference. 300 projection images were acquired over 360° and reconstructed. The images were reviewed by 6 readers. The MCvisibility was quantified as the fraction of visible MCs and averaged for comparison. The visibility was plotted as a function of the estimated dose level for various MC sizes and detectors. The MTFs and DQEs were measured and compared. Results: For imaging small (200 μm and smaller) MCs, the visibility achieved with the 75μm pitch detector was found to be significantly higher than those achieved with the 194μm pitch detector. For imaging larger MCs, there was little advantage in using the 75μm pitch detector. Using the 75μm pitch detector,MCs as small as 180 μm could be imaged to achieve a visibility of 78% with an isocenter tissue dose of ∼20 mGys versus 62% achieved with the 194 μm pitch detector at the same dose level. Conclusions: It was found that a high pitch flat panel detector had the advantages of extending its imaging capability to higher frequencies thus helping improve the visibility when used to image small MCs. This work was supported in part by grants CA104759, CA13852 and CA124585 from NIH‐NCI, a grant EB00117 from NIH‐NIBIB, and a subcontract from NIST‐ATP.
A New Reversed Phase HPLC Method for the Determination of Spiramycins I, II and III

Abstract A convenient, reliable reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method, which can be used for both analytical and preparative scale purification, is described for the identification and determination of the three closely-related and difficult to isolate forms of spiramycin.
Public Science and Participatory Policy Development: Reclaiming Policy as a Democratic Project.

Consider the most recent ‘gift’ to the New York State Department of Education policy sector: In December, the chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents, Merryl H. Tisch, announced a new pro...
Comparison of neurologic outcome after deep hypothermic circulatory arrest with alpha-stat and pH-stat cardiopulmonary bypass in newborn pigs.

Abstract Objective: Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest for neonatal heart surgery poses the risk of brain damage. Several studies suggest that pH-stat management during cardiopulmonary bypass improves neurologic outcome compared with alpha-stat management. This study compared neurologic outcome in a survival piglet model of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest between alpha-stat and pH-stat cardiopulmonary bypass. Methods: Piglets were randomly assigned to alpha-stat (n = 7) or pH-stat (n = 7) cardiopulmonary bypass, cooled to 19°C brain temperature, and subjected to 90 minutes of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. After bypass rewarming/reperfusion, they survived 2 days. Neurologic outcome was assessed by neurologic performance (0-95, 0=no deficit and 95=brain death) and functional disability scores, as well as histopathology. Arterial pressure, blood gas, glucose, and brain temperature were recorded before, during, and after bypass. Results: All physiologic data during cardiopulmonary bypass were similar between groups (pH-stat vs alpha-stat) except arterial pH (7.06 ± 0.03 vs 7.43 ± 0.09, P 2 (98 ± 8 vs 36 ± 8 mm Hg, P P = 0.004) and 48 hours (1 ± 2 vs 8 ± 9, P =.1). Also, functional disability was less severe with pH-stat management at 24 hours ( P =.002) and 48 hours ( P =.053). Neuronal cell damage was less severe with pH-stat versus alpha-stat in the neocortex (4% ± 2% vs 15% ± 7%, P P =.04), but not in the hippocampal CA3 region (3% ± 5% vs 16% ± 23%, P =.18) or dentate gyrus (1% ± 1% vs 3% ± 6%, P =.63). Conclusions: pH-stat cardiopulmonary bypass management improves neurologic outcome with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest compared with alpha-stat bypass. The mechanism of protection is not related to hemodynamics, hematocrit, glucose, or brain temperature. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2001;121:336-43)
Mathematical modeling of three-dimensional kinetically-limited laser chemical vapor deposition

Three-dimensional laser chemical vapor deposition is an important technique in freeform fabrication of microstructures. In order to optimize the system, a mathematical model is developed under kinetically-limited deposition for predicting laser dwell times on the surface scanned by the laser beam in order to fabricate a microstructure with a prespecified geometry. A numerical algorithm is developed based on this model. To demonstrate the applicability of the model, laser dwell times are computed in order to determine the laser scanning pattern for obtaining a parabolic microstructure, such as a microlens.
The design of airlift fermenters for use in biotechnology

(1990). The Design of Airlift Fermenters for use in Biotechnology. Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews: Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 379-396.
Fine structure of the clitellum of the annelid Enchytraeus fragmentosus.

Abstract The clitellum of the annelid worm Enchytraeus fragmentosus was found to consist of two distinctive granular cell types in addition to the cells typically found within the epidermis. One cell type possessed granules containing microtubules. The other cell type had large secretory granules which fused and filled most of the cell. The contents of these granules were established to be responsible for the secretion of the cocoon wall and the nutritive substance surrounding the egg.
Prediction of Chromosome Conformations with Maximum Entropy Principle

The genomes’ three-dimensional (3D) organization is crucial in regulating many biological processes, including gene regulation, DNA replication, and cell differentiation. A high-resolution chromosome structure thus will significantly advance our understanding of these important processes. A major step toward building a structural model of the chromosome is the inventions of chromosome conformation capture methods, 5C and Hi-C, that aim at detecting physical contact frequencies between pairs of genomic loci. However, computational approaches to construct 3D structures that are consistent with these experimental contact frequency measurements remain lacking.We develop a statistically rigorous approach based on maximum entropy principle to determine a least-biased potential energy landscape that reproduces experimentally determined Hi-C contact frequency between genome pairs. The resulting energy landscape supports a knotless chromosome conformation, which has been highly anticipated since complex knotted conformations prohibit the access of gene information for transcription and hinder DNA replication. We further show that the topologically associating domain signal alone also enforces a chromosome structure free of knots. Our results highlight the importance of local interactions in determining the global topology of the chromosome structure. Finally, the derived landscapes for multiple chromosomes support the formation of territories that have long been observed in microscopy experiments. Together with Hi-C experiments, our approach provides a coherent picture of the 3D architecture of the genomes that is consistent with many the available experimental data.
Preparation of mesoporous oxides and their support effects on Pt nanoparticle catalysts in catalytic hydrogenation of furfural

Mesoporous SiO(2), Al(2)O(3), TiO(2), Nb(2)O(5), and Ta(2)O(5) were synthesized through a soft-templating approach by a self-assembled framework of Pluronic P123 and utilized for the preparation of 3-dimensional catalysts as supports. Colloidal Pt nanoparticles with an average diameter of 1.9 nm were incorporated into the mesoporous oxides by sonication-induced capillary inclusion. The Pt nanoparticles supported on mesoporous oxides were evaluated in the hydrogenation reaction of furfural (70 torr furfural and 700 torr H(2) with a balance of He) to study the effect of catalyst supports on selectivity. In the temperature ranges of 170-240°C, the major products of this reaction were furan, furfuryl alcohol, and 2-methyl furan through a main reaction pathway of either decarbonylation or carbonyl group hydrogenation. While Pt nanoparticles with the size ranges of 1.5-7.1 exhibited strong structure-dependent selectivity, various supports loaded with only 1.9 nm Pt nanoparticles produced dominantly furan as a major product. Compared to the inert silica support, TiO(2) and Nb(2)O(5) facilitated an increase in the production of furfuryl alcohol via carbonyl group hydrogenation as a result of a charge transfer interaction between the Pt and the acidic surface of the oxides. The same trend was confirmed on 2-dimensional type catalysts, in which thin films of SiO(2), Al(2)O(3), TiO(2), Nb(2)O(5), and ZrO(2) were prepared as supports. When furfural hydrogenation was conducted (1 torr furfural, 100 torr H(2), and 659 torr He) over Pt nanoparticle monolayers deposited on oxide substrates, only TiO(2) was shown to increase the production of furfuryl alcohol, while other oxides produced furan.
RESPONSE TO NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL HETEROGENEITY: MATERNAL EFFECTS AND SELECTION ON LIFE-HISTORY CHARACTERS AND PLASTICITIES IN MIMULUS GUTTATUS.

Recent studies in plant populations have found that environmental heterogeneity and phenotypic selection vary at local spatial scales. In this study, I ask if there is evolutionary change in response to environmental heterogeneity and, if so, whether the response occurs for characters or character plasticities. I used vegetative clones of Mimulus guttatus to create replicate populations of 75 genotypes. These populations were planted into the natural habitat where they differed in mean growth, flowering phenology, and life span. This phenotypic variation was used to define selective environments. There was variation in fitness (flower production) among genotypes across all planting sites and in genotype response to the selective environment. Offspring from each site were grown in the greenhouse in two water treatments. Because each population initially had the same genetic composition, variation in the progeny between selective environments reveals either evolutionary change in response to environmental heterogeneity or environmental maternal effects. Plants from experimental sites that flowered earlier, had shorter life spans and were less productive, produced offspring that had more flowers, on average, and were less plastic in vegetative allocation than offspring of longer-lived plants from high-productivity areas. However, environmental maternal effects masked phenotypic differences in flower production. Therefore, although there was evidence of genetic differentiation in both life-history characters and their plasticities in response to small-scale environmental heterogeneity, environmental maternal effects may slow evolutionary change. Response to local-scale selective regimes suggests that environmental heterogeneity and local variation in phenotypic selection may act to maintain genetic variation.
Automated external defibrillators in long-term care facilities are cost-effective.

Objective. To assess the cost per life saved of equipping long-term care facilities (LTCFs) with automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Methods. Outcomes for cardiac arrests within LTCFs were retrieved for 1994 to 1997 from a comprehensive out-of-hospital cardiac arrest registry in a mid-sized U.S. city. The total expense for all LTCFs to obtain and maintain AEDs and to educate and maintain staff skill was estimated for a theoretical four-year period. The cost per life saved to the time of hospital discharge was calculated based on an estimated survival rate of 25% of patients found in ventricular fibrillation (VF) with placement of AEDs in LTCFs. A sensitivity analysis that varied survival rates and costs was conducted. Results. Over four years, there were 160 actual arrests in 43 LTCFs, with a hospital discharge survival rate of 2/160. Twenty of 160 presented to emergency medical services in VF. Training costs for four years were $1,225 per AED. Purchase and maintenance expenses for one AED over four...
Modelling default and likelihood reasoning as probabilistic reasoning

A probabilistic analysis of plausible reasoning about defaults and about likelihood is presented. Likely and by default are in fact treated as duals in the same sense as possibility and necessity. To model these four forms probabilistically, a qualitative default probabilistic (QDP) logic and its quantitative counterpart DP are derived that allow qualitative and corresponding quantitative reasoning. Consistency and consequent results for subsets of the logics are given that require at most a quadratic number of satisfiability tests in the underlying propositional logic. The quantitative logic shows how to track the propagation error inherent in these reasoning forms. The methodology and sound framework of the system highlights their approximate nature, the dualities, and the need for complementary reasoning about relevance.
Ostium primum defect in the adult: postoperative follow-up studies.

Twelve adult patients with ostium primum atrial septal defects (incomplete endocardial cushion defect) who underwent surgical repair of their lesions were evaluated in the late postoperative period. All had closure of the low-lying atrial septal defect, with suturing of the mitral valve cleft in 11 patients. Although the patients benefited symptomatically from the surgery, all had residual cardiac murmurs. Postoperative cardiac catheterization and left ventriculography in eight revealed successful closure of the atrial septal defect, but three demonstrated residual mitral insufficiency. In spite of the successful surgical repair in these patients, bacterial endocarditis prophylaxis should be continued in view of the residual murmurs and valvular abnormalities.
Microscopic and Macroscopic Structure of the Precursor Layer in Spreading Viscous Drops

We study the spreading of viscous nonvolatile liquids on smooth horizontal substrates using a phase-modulated interference microscope with sufficient dynamic range to enable the simultaneous measurement of both the inner ("microscopic") length scale and the outer ("macroscopic") flow scale in addition to the intermediate matching region. The resulting measurements of both the apparent contact angle and the lateral scale of the precursor "wetting" film agree quantitatively with theoretical predictions for a van der Waal's liquid over a wide range of capillary numbers.
Opioid regulation of pituitary gonadotropins and prolactin in women using oral contraceptives

To determine the effect of oral contraceptives on endogenous opioid modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, we gave a bolus dose of 10 mg of naloxone intravenously in women using Lo/Ovral-28 oral contraceptives and in normal (control) women during the follicular (days 8 to 9) and luteal (days 21 to 23) phases. Plasma follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and prolactin were measured by radioimmunoassay before and after naloxone at regular intervals. In oral contraceptive users (n = 5) basal plasma follicle-stimulating hormone (3.7 +/- 0.4 mIU/ml) and luteinizing hormone (3.2 +/- 0.5 mIU/ml) levels were significantly lower than in control subjects during both follicular (10.7 +/- 0.9 and 16.7 +/- 2.0) and luteal (7.7 +/- 1.4 and 10.0 +/- 0.9, respectively) phases (p less than 0.05 to 0.001). In contrast the basal plasma prolactin level was significantly higher in oral contraceptive users (25.0 +/- 4.1 ng/ml) than in control subjects during the follicular (11.8 +/- 1.2) and luteal (11.0 +/- 0.8) phases (p less than 0.01). In control subjects, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and prolactin levels did not change significantly after naloxone in the follicular phase, but naloxone elicited a significant synchronous release of luteinizing hormone and prolactin during the luteal phase. In contrast, oral contraceptive users showed increases in luteinizing hormone and prolactin after naloxone that were not significantly different from the basal plasma levels.
Developing systems engineering skills through NASA summer intern project

During the Formulation phases of the NASA Project Life Cycle, communication systems engineers are responsible for designing space communication links and analyzing their performance to ensure that the proposed communication architecture is capable of satisfying high-level mission requirements. Senior engineers with extensive experience in communications systems perform these activities. However, the increasing complexity of space systems coupled with the current shortage of communications systems engineers has led to an urgent need for expedited training of new systems engineers. A pilot program, in which college-bound high school and undergraduate students studying various engineering disciplines are immersed in NASA's systems engineering practices, was conceived out of this need. This rapid summer-long training approach is feasible because of the availability of advanced software and technology tools and the students' inherent ability to operate such tools.
The effect of iron on mammalian cortical neurons in culture.

We added iron in the ferric form to predominantly neuronal, cortical cell cultures, and determined clonazepam-displaceable [3H]diazepam binding, choline acetyltransferase activity, high-affinity [3H]GABA uptake, and glutamic acid decarboxylase activity. Chronic exposure (14 days) to low concentrations (0.01, 0.04, and 0.1 μg/ml) of added ferric iron resulted in a significant decrease in each of the measures studied.
Clopidogrel versus aspirin for secondary prophylaxis of vascular events: a cost-effectiveness analysis ☆

Abstract Purpose Clopidogrel is more effective than aspirin in preventing recurrent vascular events, but concerns about its cost-effectiveness have limited its use. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of clopidogrel and aspirin as secondary prevention in patients with a prior myocardial infarction, a prior stroke, or peripheral arterial disease. Methods We constructed Markov models assuming a societal perspective, and based analyses on the lifetime treatment of a 63-year-old patient facing event probabilities derived from the Clopidogrel versus Aspirin in Patients at Risk of Ischemic Events (CAPRIE) trial as the base case. Outcome measures included costs, life expectancy in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, and events averted. Results In patients with peripheral arterial disease, clopidogrel increased life expectancy by 0.55 QALYs at an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $25,100 per QALY, as compared with aspirin. In poststroke patients, clopidogrel increased life expectancy by 0.17 QALYs at a cost of $31,200 per QALY. Aspirin was both less expensive and more effective than clopidogrel in post–myocardial infarction patients. In probabilistic sensitivity analyses, our evaluation for patients with peripheral vascular disease was robust. Evaluations of stroke and myocardial infarction patients were sensitive predominantly to the cost and efficacy of clopidogrel, with aspirin therapy more effective and less expensive in 153 of 1000 simulations (15.3%) in poststroke patients and clopidogrel more effective in 119 of 1000 simulations (11.9%) in the myocardial infarction sample. CONCLUSION Clopidogrel provides a substantial increase in quality-adjusted life expectancy at a cost that is within traditional societal limits for patients with either peripheral arterial disease or a recent stroke. Current evidence does not support increased efficacy with clopidogrel relative to aspirin in patients following myocardial infarction.
HYPERFINE STRUCTURE OF THE METASTABLE STATE OF SINGLY IONIZED HELIUM-3

The hfs splitting DELTA nu of the metastable state of singly ionized helium-31 is determined by an ion-beam method. The conventional inhomogeneous molecular-beams A and B fields are repl ced by radio-frequency fields nt 13,350 Mc/sec. At this frequency transitions are preferentially induced between the F = 1 component of the 2/sup 2/S/sub 1/2/ state and the short-lived 2/sup 2/P/sub 1/2/ state. All those ions which have made the transltion decay immediately to the ground state. Thus, as the beam passes through such a field, state-selection is accomplished by selective quenching of the f = 1 metastable ions. Two types of detection were used: photoelectric detection of the Lyman-alpha photons emitted in the second state selector, and metastable ion detection by the surface Auger effect. Eightysix determinations of the hfs splitting were made under a range of experimental conditions. The final result is DELTA nu = 1083.35499 .00020 Mc/sec. This value is compared with the theoretical hfs splitting for a point nucleus, which includes the known electrodynamic, relativistic, and reduced-mass corrections, and which may be computed precisely, since the atomic wave function of He/sup 3+/ is hydrogenic and known exactly. The observed hfs splitting is smaller by 186 ppm thanmore » the theoretlcal value. This anomaly is attributed to the effects of finite nuclear and nucleon size, higher order radiative effects, and possibly also to nuclear interaction currents. Estimates are made of some of these effects. The hfss splitting DELTA nu (1s) of the ground state of He/sup 2+/ is estimnted on the basis of the present result to be DELTA nu (1s) = 8885.628 plus or minus 0.013 Mc/sec. The experimental result is also compared with the experimentally determined hfs splitting of the 1s2s (/sup 3/S/sub 1/) state of the He/sup 3/ atom. The ratio of these two quantities yields a precise estimate of the electronic charge density at the nucleus of the 2/sup 3/S/sub 1/ state of the He/sup 3/ atom. The monoenengetic nature of the ion beam has allowed observation of a new molecular beams resonance power sharpening effect. (auth)« less
Cilia in the brain: going with the flow

Cilia are increasingly appreciated regulators of brain homeostasis. Several recent studies examine the cellular and molecular mechanisms of their biogenesis and orientation in ependymal cells.
Telaprevir: hope on the horizon, getting closer.

Standard therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C is effective in 40% to 50% of individuals with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and is associated with significant treatment-related toxicities. Newly developed small molecules that target key enzymes essential for HCV replication are in development. Telaprevir, a peptidomimetic inhibitor of the HCV NS3/4A protease, has shown great promise in early trials and is currently in advanced stages of clinical development. In treatment-naive patients and those with previous treatment failure, the addition of telaprevir to standard interferon and ribavirin therapy is well tolerated and enhances rates of sustained virologic response while shortening the treatment duration. In this report, the current experience using telaprevir to treat chronic HCV infection as monotherapy and in combination with other agents is reviewed.
Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from the Ozonolysis of Cycloalkenes and Related Compounds

The secondary organic aerosol (SOA) yields from the laboratory chamber ozonolysis of a series of cycloalkenes and related compounds are reported. The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of the structure of the hydrocarbon parent molecule on SOA formation for a homologous set of compounds. Aspects of the compound structures that are varied include the number of carbon atoms present in the cycloalkene ring (C_5 to C_8), the presence and location of methyl groups, and the presence of an exocyclic or endocyclic double bond. The specific compounds considered here are cyclopentene, cyclohexene, cycloheptene, cyclooctene, 1-methyl-1-cyclopentene, 1-methyl-1-cyclohexene, 1-methyl-1-cycloheptene, 3-methyl-1-cyclohexene, and methylenecyclohexane. The SOA yield is found to be a function of the number of carbons present in the cycloalkene ring, with an increasing number resulting in increased yield. The yield is enhanced by the presence of a methyl group located at a double-bonded site but reduced by the presence of a methyl group at a non-double-bonded site. The presence of an exocyclic double bond also leads to a reduced yield relative to that of the equivalent methylated cycloalkene. On the basis of these observations, the SOA yield for terpinolene relative to the other cyclic alkenes is qualitatively predicted, and this prediction compares well to measurements of the SOA yield from the ozonolysis of terpinolene. This work shows that relative SOA yields from ozonolysis of cyclic alkenes can be qualitatively predicted from properties of the parent hydrocarbons.
Strategies for Negotiating Preemployment Agreements

Student preemployment agreements are an emerging form ofemployee-sponsoredfinancial support for stu­ dents. Forms offinancial support for students include the preemployment agreement, sign-on bonus~ employ­ ment bonus, scholarship, loan, stipend, and grant. Various professional, legal, and ethical issues are in­ volved in the student-employer negotiation ofthe preemployment agreements. Students may considerji'­ nancial support for education, (ype ofpractice setting, or location offuture employment as primary benefits ofpreemployment agreements. Fieldwork facilities may identify therapist recruitment as the primary goal when offering a financial incentive to a student. Academic fieldwork coordinators may list preserva­ tion ofthe therapist-student relationship or adherence to the fieldwork agreement l-eached between the aca­ demic program and the fieldwork facili~y as a prima­ ry goal. In this article, gUidelines for the practical use ofpreemployment agreements are outlinedfor use by students and professionals in academiC and practice settings.
Efficient Methods for Screening of Metal Organic Framework Membranes for Gas Separations Using Atomically Detailed Models

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) define a diverse class of nanoporous materials having potential applications in adsorption-based and membrane-based gas separations. We have previously used atomically detailed models to predict the performance of MOFs for membrane-based separations of gases, but these calculations require considerable computational resources and time. Here, we introduce an efficient approximate method for screening MOFs based on atomistic models that will accelerate the modeling of membrane applications. The validity of this approximate method is examined by comparison with detailed calculations for CH4/H2, CO2/CH4, and CO2/H2 mixtures at room temperature permeating through IRMOF-1 and CuBTC membranes. These results allow us to hypothesize a connection between two computationally efficient correlations predicting mixture adsorption and mixture self-diffusion properties and the validity of our approximate screening method. We then apply our model to six additional MOFs, IRMOF-8, -9, -10, an...
Gelgard—A new fire retardant for air and ground attack

Viscous water and gels have been proven to be more effective on forest fires than plain water. In 1963 and 1964, a new member of this family of fire retardants was tested. The authors describe the properties and characteristics of the compound, report the results of laboratory and field tests, and compare its effectiveness to that of plain water and other viscosity agents.
Interfacial shear strength and durability improvement by monomeric and polymeric silanes in basalt fiber/epoxy single-filament composite specimens

Silane coupling agent effects in basalt fiber-epoxy systems have been investigated through measurement of the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) in single-fiber composite (SFC) specimens. Three silane were studied: 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) and two polymeric silanes in which dimethoxy- or trimethoxysilane groups are attached via side chains to a polyethyleneimine backbone. Optimal conditions for silane application were standardized. Crosslinking of the deposited silanes is shown to result in decreased interpenetration by the matrix epoxy resin and lower values of IFSS. The polymeric silane with trimethoxy groups was found, as expected, to be inferior to the other two. APS and the polymeric dimethoxysilane gave similar results in improvement of IFSS and its retention after 1 h boiling in water. Monitoring of acoustic emission (AE) during straining of SFC specimens established a one-to-one correspondence between the number of AE events and fiber breaks. Measurement of AE pulse energies provided evid...
FEMALE PSEUDOHERMAPHRODISM WITH PENILE URETHRA, MASQUERADING AS PRECOCIOUS PUBERTY AND CRYPTORCHIDISM.

Female pseudohermaphrodism is characterized by varying degrees of masculinization of wolffian and mullerian derivatives, present at birth, in a gonadal female. Subsequently, other somatic and secondary sexual characteristics deviate toward the masculine and may appear precociously. Typically, the female pseudohermaphrodite at birth has an enlarged nonperforate phallus with a single opening (urogenital sinus) at its base, large, empty scrotum-like labia majora and absent or vestigial labia minora. The urethra and a short vagina open into the urogenital sinus. The cervix, uterus, tubes and ovaries may be fully or incompletely developed. Prostatic elements may be present. Such a combination of virilization and relatively obvious developmental abnormalities of the external genitalia will, on clinical grounds, indicate the necessity of differentiating a female pseudohermaphrodite from a hypospadiac male with sexual precocity and cryptorchidism.
1.27 mu m atomic argon laser parameters in fission-fragment excited He/Ar and He/Ne/Ar gas mixtures

The authors examine the power efficiency of the fission-fragment-excited atomic argon laser operating on the 1.27- mu m (3d'(3/2)/sub 1/-4'/sub p/(3/2)/sub 1/) argon transition as a function of pump power, gas mixture, and pressure. The maximum measured power efficiency was 1.1+or-0.3% for a gas pressure of 1300 torr and a He/Ar ratio of 99.88/0.12. Neon addition to the He/Ar gas mixture increased both the energy deposited in the gas and the energy output without decreasing efficiency for a neon gas fraction of less than 0.5. Small-signal gain and saturation intensity are between 0.15-0.27%/cm and 25-200 W/cm/sup 2/ for pump rates of 7.5-30 W/cm/sup 3/ in He/Ar and He/Ne/Ar gas mixtures. The laser threshold as a function of total pressure and argon concentration is presented. >
Error Resilient Multiple Description Coding Based on Wavelet Tree Coding and EREC for Wireless Networks

In this paper, we propose an integrated error resilient MDC scheme for wireless networks with both packet loss and random bit errors. Two descriptions are first generated independently by using index assignment MDSQ. For each description, multiple bitstreams are then generated based on wavelet trees along the spatial orientations. The spatial-orientation trees in the wavelet domain are individually encoded using SPIHT. Error propagation is thus limited within each bitstreams. However, synchronization words are usually needed to avoid error propagation across multiple independent bitstreams. In order to maintain high compression efficiency robust synchronization, we adopt EREC to re-organize these variable-length bitstreams into fixed-length data slots before multiplexing and transmission. Therefore, the synchronization of the start of each bitstream can be automatically obtained at the receiver. Finally, to alleviate the devastating image degradation resulted from errors in the beginning of the bitstreams, we propose an error concealment technique to both constrain the EREC/MDC decoding and post-process the decoded wavelet coefficients
Crisis and Change: A University Press Environmental Scan

A transcript of the closing keynote address delivered March 6, 2014 at the inaugural Library Publishing Forum in Kansas City, Missouri.
Expression and Regulation of Shark NCX Gene in Transgenic Mouse Heart

Inward currents generated by the mammalian cardiac Na+-Ca2+-exchanger (NCX1.1) have arrhythmogenic potential, especially in the failing heart where expression of NCX is up-regulated. We hypothesize that arrhythmogenesis might be alleviated if NCX were subject to the same cAMP mediated regulation (suppression of Ca2+-influx, but enhancement of Ca2+-efflux on NCX) as found in the native shark ventricle. To test this hypothesis, we created heterozygous transgenic mice that express the shark NCX protein with a myc-tag, under the control of the alpha-myosin heavy chain promoter (α-MHC). The construct was evaluated by expression and functionality prior to production of transgenic lines. The expression of the transgene was confirmed by immunocytochemistry staining using DAPI and myc-FITC antibody on transfected HL-1 cells. Using dual laser confocal microscopy, the pattern of staining was consistent with NCX expression at the protein level. To determine the functionality of the transgene, HL-1 cells were co-transfected with the shark NCX transgene and GFP. GFP positive cells were incubated with Fluo-4 AM and imaged confocally. These cells showed NCX activity in response to withdrawal and readmission of [Na+]o consistent with electrophysiological data of native shark myocytes.Echocardiography and ECG studies on transgenic mice showed no remarkable cardiac phenotype, but analysis of initial voltage-clamp and western blot studies verify robust exchanger currents and expression levels. Our findings show that shark NCX is functional in the transgenic mouse producing no discernable cardiac pathology, but it remains to be determined as yet whether shark NCX can confer anti-arrhythmic properties to the mammalian heart.
Moments of Opportunity: Recognizing Conditions of Ripeness for International Mediation between Enduring Rivals

Some points in time are more favorable for mediation success than others and result from the concatenation of contextual factors that encourage movement toward more cooperative behavior by disputan...
Quality-of-Life Outcomes in the Evaluation of Head and Neck Cancer Treatments

Objectives: To review the published literature to evaluate the design, use of terminology, and interpretation of results in studies using quality-of-life (QOL) instruments to measure differences between head and neck cancer treatments at a point in time or to report changes over time in one or more treatment groups. Data Source: MEDLINE search for subject headings “head and neck neoplasms” (as a main topic) and “quality of life” or “health status” restricted to Englishlanguage sources and a 10-year period from 1989 to 1999. Study Selection: Four hundred forty-five abstracts were reviewed to find articles using an instrument to compare head and neck cancer therapy groups with a QOL outcome (13.7% included). Data Extraction: Two readers reviewed each article to determine how terminology was used, if a scientific study design was used, and if differences or changes in scores were clinically interpreted. Results: Sixty-one articles were reviewed. Forty different instruments were used. Terminology was used inconsistently in 21 (34.4%) of the 61 articles. A scientific study design was used in only 11 (18.0%) of the 61 articles (P,.001). A clinical interpretation of results was given in 16 (26.2%) of the 61 articles (P,.001). Conclusions: While QOL outcomes show promise for assisting with treatment decisions in head and neck cancer therapy, few studies using instruments to measure QOL outcomes are hypothesis driven and clinical interpretations of results are not commonly provided. We recommend that future studies identify the construct to be measured, specify comparator groups and hypotheses a priori, and provide clinical interpretations of results. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2001;127:673-678
The Central Proline of an Internal Viral Fusion Peptide Serves Two Important Roles

The fusion peptide of the avian sarcoma/leukosis virus (ASLV) envelope protein (Env) is internal, near the N terminus of its transmembrane (TM) subunit. As for most internal viral fusion peptides, there is a proline near the center of this sequence. Robson-Garnier structure predictions of the ASLV fusion peptide and immediate surrounding sequences indicate a region of order (beta-sheet), a tight reverse turn containing the proline, and a second region of order (alpha-helix). Similar motifs (order, turn or loop, order) are predicted for other internal fusion peptides. In this study, we made and analyzed 12 Env proteins with substitutions for the central proline of the fusion peptide. Env proteins were expressed in 293T cells and in murine leukemia virus pseudotyped virions. We found the following. (i) All mutant Envs form trimers, but when the bulky hydrophobic residues phenylalanine or leucine are substituted for proline, trimerization is weakened. (ii) Surprisingly, the proline is required for maximal processing of the Env precursor into its surface and TM subunits; the amount of processing correlates linearly with the propensity of the substituted residue to be found in a reverse turn. (iii) Nonetheless, proteolytically processed forms of all Envs are preferentially incorporated into pseudotyped virions. (iv) All Envs bind receptor with affinity greater than or equal to wild-type affinity. (v) Residues that support high infectivity cluster with proline at intermediate hydrophobicity. Infectivity is not supported by mutant Envs in which charged residues are substituted for proline, nor is it supported by the trimerization-defective phenylalanine and leucine mutants. Our findings suggest that the central proline in the ASLV fusion peptide is important for the formation of the native (metastable) Env structure as well as for membrane interactions that lead to fusion.
An effective LED dimming approach

As light emitting diodes (LEDs) have become increasingly accepted as a light source in many applications, the demand for dimming LEDs has also increased. Typically LEDs are supplied with voltage source. Dimming is accomplished by adjusting the average current in the LEDs through pulse width modulation of a switch in series with the load. This paper proposes a technique that uses a current source as the base supply. The average current is adjusted with a switch in parallel to the load. This circuit is shown to be effective in increasing the dimming range of the LEDs.
The Speed of Employer Learning

The employer‐learning literature finds support for statistical discrimination on the basis of schooling. How economically relevant statistical discrimination is depends on how fast employers learn about workers’ productive types. This article is the first to estimate the speed of employer learning. Employers learn quickly. Initial expectation errors decline by 50% within 3 years. This estimate places an upper bound on the contribution of signaling. This bound varies with the speed of employer learning and with discount rate. For a wide range of parameter values, the contribution of signaling to the gains from schooling is less than 25%.
Theoretical and Experimental Particle Size Response of Wafer Surface Scanners

The particle size response of wafer surface scanners is experimentally and theoretically studied. The basis for the theoretical predictions is the angular relative-intensity distributions obtained by three different methods: a numerical solution of Maxwell's electromagnetic wave equations for a polystyrene latex (PSL) sphere on a silicon surface, and two approximate models that superimpose the Mie scattering from the sphere and the Fresnel reflection at the wafer surface. The predicted scattered intensities are averaged over the geometry of the collection optics to yield the theoretical size responses that are compared with the experimental results. The experimental size response calibrations of the Tencor Surfscan models 4000 and 5500 are obtained by using uniformly deposited monodisperse PSL spheres on a bare silicon wafer. There is good agreement between the experimental data and the size response obtained from numerical solutions of Maxwell's equations. Compared to these numerical results, the two app...
Interference networks with local view: A distributed optimization approach

In practice, a node in a network learns the channel through local message passing and obtains a local view of the network. Pure wireless message passing as well as mixed wireless and wireline message passing are considered in this paper. We study the distributed optimization of sum-rate for a class of deterministic interference networks with local view. A connection based utility function is designed for each user to exploit the local knowledge. This utility design turns out to be a potential game with sum-rate as the potential function. For the one-to-many channel with 1.5 wireless rounds of message passing, we show that there is a unique Nash equilibrium and using this strategy, the sum capacity can be achieved. We provide a sufficient condition for which a topology does not have unique Nash equilibrium. Then we consider the scenario that the network size and the users IDs are provided to each user. For various mixed wireless and wireline message passing patterns, including wireline at transmitter/receiver side and sequential/concurrent message passing scheduling, we identify whether a three-user interference network can achieve the sum capacity in a distributed fashion. Compared with the 1.5 pure wireless rounds of message passing, the results show that 2.5 mixed wireless and wireline rounds of message passing can significantly improve the system performance of three-user interference networks. We also derive some sufficient conditions for general K-user interference networks such that the sum capacity can not be achieved based on each user's local view.
International Symposium on Electromagnetic Distance Measurement and Atmospheric Refraction

An International Symposium on Electromagnetic Distance Measurement (EDM) and Atmospheric Refraction was held at Boulder, Colorado, June 23–27, 1969. The symposium was arranged by Special Study Groups 19 and 23 of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) and was sponsored jointly by the American Geophysical Union and the Environmental Science Services Administration. The ESSA Research Laboratories served as hosts. In the opening address, A. Marussi of the University of Trieste, President of the IAG , expressed the theme of the symposium in the following way: ‘In 1959 the first EDM Symposium was held in Washington. The discussions were helpful to change the mental attitude of geodesists; in fact, it completely revolutionized their way of thinking. It helped us over the step from two-dimensional to three-dimensional geodesy, especially with the launching of the first earth satellite in 1957.’
Data parallel dialect of scheme: outline of the formal model, implementation, performance

We outline new functional programming language and stack-based model of implicit parallel execution of programs. The language, called Schemik, is high-level lexically-scoped implicitly-parallel dialect of Scheme. Schemik is designed as an implicitly parallel language, meaning that the parallel execution of programs is done independently of the programmer and each program written in Schemik always produces the same results no matter which parts of the program are executed simultaneously. The execution of programs is formally described by transitions of a particular pushdown automaton working with two stacks. Because of the limited scope of this paper, we just outline key ideas and postpone detailed description to a full version of this paper.
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF LIQUID FOODS—A REVIEW

Theoretical and semi-empirical models for estimating the thermal conductivity (k) of liquid foods are reviewed. Seven models were considered; five, all containing temperature as an independent variable, were selected for their simplicity and apparent accuracy for further study and statistical evaluation. Experimental k values of 158 food samples, such as fruit and vegetable juices, sugar solutions, egg white and dairy products, were obtained from the literature. The model by Riedel (1949) described the data the best, producing the lowest standard error in the estimation of experimental values. Using thermal conductivity of water would give errors almost four times as much as if the Riedel model was used. These semi-empirical models could also be used to estimate average k values in processes where temperature and/or solids content were varying. Theories of thermal conductivity applicable to liquid food systems were reviewed.
Episialin Acts as an Antiadhesive Factor in an In Vitro Model of Human Endometrial-Blastocyst Attachment

Episialin, which is found on the apical membrane of human endometrial epithelium, has been postulated to act as an antiadhesive factor through the steric hindrance generated by its extensively glycosylated structure. The present studies were designed to test this hypothesis in an in vitro model of endometrial-blastocyst attachment. Episialin was expressed in human endometrial carcinoma cells (HEC-1A > RL95-2), and attachment of JAr choriocarcinoma cells to the endometrial cell monolayers was inversely related to episialin expression. Treatment of endometrial monolayers with type III sialidase increased JAr binding, and this increase was suppressed by HMFG1, a monoclonal antibody specific for episialin. The effects of sialidase appear to have resulted from a contaminant protease rather than from a loss of sialic acid residues, because sialidase preparations other than type III were ineffective. After sialidase treatment, conditioned medium from cells treated with type III sialidase contained more episialin than medium from cells treated with other sialidase preparations. Similar attachment-assay results were obtained using O-sialoglycoprotein endopeptidase; after treatment, the increase in JAr binding (>50%) was suppressed by the antiepisialin antibody. These results demonstrate for the first time that episialin acts as an antiadhesive agent in a model of human endometrial-blastocyst attachment.