cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Yrast decay schemes from heavy-ion + /sup 4/8Ca fusion-evaporation reactions. III. /sup 57,58/Fe, /sup 54,55/Cr, and /sup 57,58/Mn

Fusion-evaporation reactions induced by beams of 25-65 MeV $^{13}\mathrm{C}$, $^{15}\mathrm{N}$, $^{11}\mathrm{B}$, and $^{9}\mathrm{Be}$ on an isotopically enriched $^{48}\mathrm{Ca}$ target have been used to populate high-spin yrast levels in $^{57,58}\mathrm{Fe}$, $^{54,55}\mathrm{Cr}$, and $^{57,58}\mathrm{Mn}$. Measurements consisted of $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray excitation functions, angular distributions, $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ coincidences, and recoildistance and Doppler shift lifetime measurements, from which were deduced the energy levels, $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray branching ratios, most probable spin-parity assignments, and level lifetimes. Comparision is made with a large-basis shell-model calculation.NUCLEAR REACTIONS $^{48}\mathrm{Ca}(^{13}\mathrm{C},xn,yp,z\ensuremath{\alpha})^{57,58}\mathrm{Fe}$, $^{54,\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}55}\mathrm{Cr}$, and $^{57,\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}58}\mathrm{Mn}$; $^{48}\mathrm{Ca}(^{15}\mathrm{N},\ensuremath{\alpha}2n)^{57}\mathrm{Mn}$; $^{48}\mathrm{Ca}(^{11}\mathrm{B},pxn)^{54,55}\mathrm{Cr}$; and $^{48}\mathrm{Ca}(^{9}\mathrm{Be},3n)^{54}\mathrm{Cr}$. $E=25\ensuremath{-}65$ MeV; measured $\ensuremath{\sigma}(E,{E}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}})$ and coin; deduced levels; measured $\ensuremath{\sigma}({E}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}},\ensuremath{\theta})$; deduced ${J}^{\ensuremath{\pi}}$ for highspin levels; measured RDM and Doppler shifts; deduced ${t}_{m}$, ${|M(M1)|}^{2}$, and ${|M(E2)|}^{2}$. Enriched targets, Ge(Li) detectors.
Epidemiology, Disposition, and Treatment of Ambulatory Veterans With Skin and Soft Tissue Infections.

BACKGROUND Most skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are managed in the outpatient setting, but data are lacking on treatment patterns outside the emergency department (ED). Available data suggest that there is poor adherence to SSTI treatment guidelines. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of Veterans diagnosed with SSTIs in the ED or outpatient clinics from 1 January 2005 through 30 June 2018. The incidence of SSTIs over time was modeled using Poisson regression using robust standard errors. Antibiotic selection and incision and drainage (I&D) were described and compared between ambulatory settings. Anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) antibiotic use was compared to SSTI treatment guidelines. RESULTS There were 1 740 992 incident SSTIs in 1 156 725 patients during the study period. The incidence of SSTIs significantly decreased from 4.58 per 1000 patient-years in 2005 to 3.27 per 1000 patient-years in 2018 (P < .001). There were lower rates of β-lactam prescribing (32.5% vs 51.7%) in the ED compared to primary care (PC), and higher rates of anti-MRSA therapy (51.4% vs 35.1%) in the ED compared to PC. The I&D rate in the ED was 8.1% compared to 2.6% in PC. Antibiotic regimens without MRSA activity were prescribed in 24.9% of purulent SSTIs. Anti-MRSA antibiotics were prescribed in 40.1% of nonpurulent SSTIs. CONCLUSIONS We found a decrease in the incidence of SSTIs in the outpatient setting over time. Treatment of SSTIs varied depending on the presenting ambulatory location. There is poor adherence to guidelines in regard to use of anti-MRSA therapies. Further study is needed to understand the impact of guideline nonadherence on patient outcomes.
Correction to: The emotional dimensions of reason‑giving in deliberative forums

In the original publication of the article, the second author’s name was misspelt. The correct name is given in this Correction.
A Row-Column (RC) Addressed 2-D Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (CMUT) Array on a Glass Substrate

This article presents a row-column (RC) capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array fabricated using anodic bonding on a borosilicate glass substrate. This is shown to reduce the bottom electrode-to-substrate capacitive coupling. This subsequently improves the relative response of the elements when top or bottom electrodes are used as the “signal” (active) electrode. This results in a more uniform performance for the two cases. Measured capacitance and resonant frequency, pulse-echo signal amplitude, and frequency response are presented to support this. Biasing configurations with varying ac and dc arrangements are applied and subsequently explored. Setting the net dc bias voltage across an off element to zero is found to be most effective to minimize spurious transmission. To achieve this, a custom switching circuit was designed and implemented. This circuit was also used to obtain orthogonal B-mode cross-sectional images of a rotationally asymmetric target.
Automatic Vector Graphic Organization and Asset Extraction

We present a novel method for organizing Bezier bounded geometry based on affine similarity and visual saliency. For this computationally expensive (many-to-many) problem, we propose a highly parallel algorithm, leveraging programmable GPU pipeline, computing pairwise affine transformations to classify Bezier geometry into clusters, where paths in each cluster are affine transforms of each other. Using these clusters, we propose a method to organize paths into meaningful groups, even from complex, unstructured geometry, common in real-world vector art. We propose a function to quantify relative importance of these groups, using attributes such as complexity and frequency of occurrence, resulting in meaningful, reusable assets. Our method is both robust and performant, capable of processing thousands of paths within milliseconds.
3D Carbon-based scaffolds for brain models and tissue engineering

Tissue regeneration is probably the most ambitious aim for the tissue engineering research field. Even more difficult it becomes when we attempt to regenerate a complex organ that we do not fully understand, such as the brain. That is why in recent years we have observed an increased number of approaches that strive to create functional brain or networks in vitro in order to study their properties and develop platforms that can be used for biomedical applications. In this review, we will describe how, among all, carbon-based materials took over all the other materials as the most interesting and promising not only in the electronic industry but also to create 3D functional models of the brain in vitro.
Duplicated Collecting System

Study Objective The objective of this video is to discuss the presentation, evaluation, and treatment of duplicated urinary collecting systems, and to present a case of duplicated ureters with ectopic ureteral implantation at the vaginal introitus. Design N/A Setting N/A Patients or Participants We present the case of a 56 year-old presenting with a history of recurrent urinary tract infections starting in adolescence. She reported symptoms of urinary urgency, frequency, and incontinence. She additionally reported an unclear history of an incidental diagnosis of ureteral anomaly in childhood. Interventions For evaluation of this patient, a computed tomography urogram was performed which revealed a right duplicated kidney with upper ureter inserting into the bladder neck, and lower ureter with unclear course. A voiding cystogram was performed to evaluate for ureteral reflux which was not demonstrated. A renal MAG3 scan was performed and demonstrated differential function between the two right renal moieties but no evidence of obstruction to the outflow tract to either renal moiety. Exam under anesthesia, cystoscopy, and right retrograde pyelogram revealed an ectopic ureteral orifice at the vaginal introitus and mild hydroureter leading to the upper renal moiety. Measurements and Main Results Complete mapping of this patient's right collecting system revealed complete ureteral duplication with the lower renal moiety drained by a normal ureter leading to an orthotopic ureteral orifice and the upper renal moiety draining into a mildly dilated ureter leading to an ectopic ureteral orifice at the vaginal introitus. The patient will subsequently undergo robotic-assisted right ureteroureterostomy and excision of distal ectopic ureter in a combined laparoscopic and vaginal approach. Conclusion Duplicated urinary collecting systems are the most common birth defect related to the urinary tract and can be frequently encountered by the pelvic surgeon. Knowledge of the presentation and workup of these anomalies is important in determining appropriate treatment.
Interruption of the Aggregate Matrix by Geogrid Reinforcement in Resilient Modulus Testing

Inclusion of geogrid in aggregate base materials is an increasingly popular practice in pavement construction. Geogrid reinforcement can improve the performance of pavements by stiffening the base material and decreasing pavement deformations. The objectives of this research were to establish a possible explanation for why laboratory resilient modulus testing is ineffective for assessing improvements in the stiffness of geogrid-reinforced aggregate base specimens and to recommend possible testing solutions. The scope of the research included one aggregate base material and one type of geogrid. Cyclic loading data were used to calculate the resilient modulus on 200-cycle intervals up to 10,000 cycles, and quick shear data were used to calculate the modulus at 2 percent strain after the conditioning period. Specimens with and without geogrid reinforcement were assessed in the testing. As with other studies, the results do not show a significant benefit of geogrid reinforcement on resilient modulus of the tested material. Indeed, specimens reinforced with geogrid had significantly lower dry densities than specimens without geogrid, which suggests that the geogrid interrupted the aggregate matrix. However, the results do show a significant benefit of geogrid reinforcement on modulus at 2 percent strain of the tested material. Because the modulus at 2 percent strain appears to have promise for evaluating the benefits of geogrid reinforcement in aggregate base materials, further research is recommended to correlate this property with typical pavement design inputs.
Peripheral Vascular Disease II: Infrainguinal Disease and Atherectomy

Atherectomy has emerged as a novel endovascular technology for atheroma removal, with both the benefits of surgical endarterectomy and a minimally invasive modality. Atherectomy refers to the endovascular obliteration of atheromatous plaque by cutting, shearing, drilling, or pulverization by sanding, resulting in luminal gain (debulking) and relieving the need for a scaffold or stent placement to obtain long-lasting patency. The debulking effects of its mechanism of action may, theoretically, allow for a more uniform angioplasty with minimal vessel barotrauma and improved luminal gain, thereby, decreasing the risk of plaque recoil and dissection and allowing effective administration of antiproliferative drug to prevent negative remodeling and neointimal hyperplasia. Data to support atherectomy and drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty approach as a primary modality is still lacking. However, ongoing clinical trials studying the implications of atherectomy and DCB are promising. The results from these trials will help in determining the long-term effect. Based on their mechanism of action, atherectomy devices are classified into four categories: Directional atherectomy (DA); Orbital atherectomy (OA); Excimer laser atherectomy (ELA); and Rotational atherectomy (RA). Atherectomy remains one tool in the armamentarium of vascular surgeons for the treatment of patients with peripheral vascular disease.
A bicentric retrospective analysis of clinical utility of 18F-fluciclovine PET in biochemically recurrent prostate cancer following primary radiation therapy: is it helpful in patients with a PSA rise less than the Phoenix criteria?

18F-Fluciclovine PET imaging has been increasingly used in the restaging of prostate cancer patients with biochemical recurrence (BCR); however, its clinical utility in patients with low prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels following primary radiation therapy has not been well-studied. This study aims to determine the detection rate and diagnostic accuracy of 18F-fluciclovine PET and the patterns of prostate cancer recurrence in patients with rising PSA after initial radiation therapy, particularly in patients with PSA levels below the accepted Phoenix definition of BCR (PSA nadir +2 ng/mL). This retrospective study included patients from two tertiary institutions who underwent 18F-fluciclovine PET scans for elevated PSA level following initial external beam radiation therapy, brachytherapy, and/or proton therapy. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of 18F-fluciclovine PET and associations of PSA kinetic parameters with 18F-fluciclovine PET outcome. One hundred patients were included in this study. The overall detection rate on a patient-level was 79% (79/100). 18F-Fluciclovine PET was positive in 62% (23/37) of cases with PSA below the Phoenix criteria. The positive predictive value of 18F-fluciclovine PET was 89% (95% CI: 80–94%). In patients with PSA below the Phoenix criteria, the PSA velocity had the highest predictive value of 18F-fluciclovine PET outcome. PSA doubling time (PSADT) and PSA velocity were associated with the presence of extra-pelvic metastatic disease. 18F-Fluciclovine PET can identify recurrent disease at low PSA level and PSA rise below accepted Phoenix criteria in patients with suspected BCR after primary radiation therapy, particularly in patients with low PSADT or high PSA velocity. In patients with low PSADT or high PSA velocity, there is an increased probability of extra-pelvic metastases. Therefore, these patients are more likely to benefit from PET/CT or PET/MRI than pelvic MRI alone.
A Novel Actinobacterial Cutinase Containing a Non-Catalytic Polymer-Binding Domain.

The single putative cutinase-encoding gene from the genome of Kineococcus radiotolerans SRS30216 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli as a secreted fusion protein, designated YebF-KrCUT, where YebF is the extracellular carrier protein. The 294-amino acid sequence of KrCUT is unique among currently characterized cutinases by having a C-terminal extension that consists of a short (Pro-Thr)-rich linker and a 55-amino-acid region resembling the substrate binding domain of poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) depolymerases. Phylogenetically, KrCUT takes a unique position among known cutinases and cutinase-like proteins of bacterial and fungal origin. A modeled structure of KrCUT, although displaying a typical α/s hydrolase fold, shows some unique loops close to the catalytic site. The 39-kDa YebF-KrCUT fusion protein and a truncated variant thereof were purified to electrophoretic homogeneity and functionally characterized. The melting temperatures (Tm) of KrCUT and its variant KrCUT206 devoid of the putative PHB-binding domain were established to be very similar at 50-51°C. Cutinase activity was confirmed by the appearance of characteristic cutin components, C16 and C18 hydroxyl fatty acids, in the mass chromatograms following incubation of KrCUT with apple cutin as substrate. KrCUT also efficiently degraded synthetic polyesters such as polycaprolactone and poly(1,3-propylene adipate). Although incapable of PHB depolymerization, KrCUT could efficiently bind PHB, confirming the predicted characteristic of the C-terminal region. KrCUT also potentiated the activity of pectate lyase in the degradation of pectin from hemp fibres. This synergistic effect is relevant to the enzyme retting process of natural fibres. IMPORTANCE. To date only a limited number of cutinases have been isolated and characterized from nature, the majority being sourced from phytopathogenic fungi and thermophilic bacteria. The significance of our research relates to the identification and characterization of a unique member of microbial cutinases, of name KrCUT, that was derived from the genome of the Gram-positive Kineococcus radiotolerans SRS30216, a highly radiation-resistant actinobacterium. Given the wide-ranging importance of cutinases in applications such as the degradation of natural and synthetic polymers, in the textile industry, in laundry detergents, or in biocatalysis (e.g., transesterification reactions), our results could foster new research leading to broader biotechnological impacts. This study also demonstrated that genome mining or prospecting is a viable means to discover novel biocatalysts as environmentally friendly and biotechnological tool.
Women's Health: A Cultural Perspective

Publisher Summary Many groups of minority women have higher rates of health risks as compared to the majority white women. The chapter discusses the four minority groups of women including, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Hispanic/Latina women, Native American, and African Americans. The major factors that result in deteriorated health conditions among the ethnic group are as follows: (1) gender-role issues, (2) environmental stressors such as racial discrimination, (3) sexism, (4) high-risk health behaviors (smoking, alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyle, and poor diet), and (5) cultural beliefs and practices. The leading causes of death and morbidity in culturally diverse women's groups are similar to those for “majority” white women, but research demonstrates differential rates or impact in “minority” women. Pregnancy, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS are the major health areas of concern in minority women.
The N-Δ(1232) Electromagnetic Transition

An effective Lagrangian approach is used to analyze the available exclusive pion electroproduction data in the Δ(1232) resonance region. As expected from studies of inclusive measurements, G* M for the N-Δ electromagnetic transition is falling faster than a dipole up to (at least) a Q 2 of 4 GeV2. At the highest available Q 2, the ratio E2/M1 is found to be small and negative, indicating that the pQCD domain has not yet been reached for this reaction.
A Modified Classifier System Compaction Algorithm

Although classifier systems have displayed performance levels equaling or exceeding those of other techniques on a variety of benchmark classification problems, they usually solve those problems with a very large number of classifiers. In most cases, a large portion of the final classifier set is unneeded or wrong, with behavior masked by the correctly-functioning rules in the system. Wilson described a post-processing procedure for reducing the number of classifiers in an XCSI classifier system while minimizing the impact of the reduction on the performance level of the system as a whole (Wilson 2001). Wilson's procedure was designed for classifier systems that had been highly trained so that the classifiers were general in nature, and that were always correct in their classifiction of test data. In this paper, we describe some different compaction procedures that can be applied to classifier system sets that are less well-trained, that classify some instances incorrectly, or that contain classifiers that are not fully general.
Near-optimal mosaic selection for rotating and zooming video cameras

Applying graph-theoretic concepts to solve computer vision problems makes it not only trivial to analyze the complexity of the problem at hand, but also existing algorithms from the graph-theory literature can be used to find a solution. We consider the challenging tasks of frame selection for use in mosaicing, and feature selection from Computer Vision, andMachine Learning, respectively, and demonstrate that we can map these problems into the existing graph theory problem of finding the maximum independent set. For frame selection, we represent the temporal and spatial connectivity of the images in a video sequence by a graph, and demonstrate that the optimal subset of images to be used in mosaicing can be determined by finding the maximum independent set of the graph. This process of determining the maximum independent set, not only reduces the overhead of using all the images, which may not be significantly contributing in building the mosaic, but also implicitly solves the "camera loop-back" problem. For feature selection, we conclude that we can apply a similar mapping to the maximum independent set problem to obtain a solution. Finally, to demonstrate the efficacy of our frame selection method, we build a system for mosaicing, which uses our method of frame selection.
Significance of echocardiographic left atrial enlargement in aortic stenosis

This study investigated the significance of echocardiographic left atrial enlargement as measured by the left atrial dimension corrected for body surface area in 24 patients with pure aortic stenosis established by cardiac catheterization. Echocardiographic evidence of left atrial enlargement occurred in 11 of 15 patients (73%) with an aortic valve area below 0.8 cm2 and in none of nine patients (0%) with an aortic valve area above 0.8 cm2, p less than 0.0025. All 11 patients (100%) with an enlarged left atrial dimension had an increased diastolic left ventricular dimension, whereas 1 of 13 patients (8%) with a normal left atrial dimension had an increased diastolic left ventricular dimension, p less than 0.00001. The 11 patients (100%) with an enlarged left atrial dimension had increased posterior left ventricular wall thickness, whereas 2 of 13 patients (13%) with a normal left atrial dimension had increased posterior left ventricular wall thickness (p less than 0.0005). These data lead one to conclude that in patients with pure aortic stenosis, echocardiographic evidence of left atrial enlargement as measured by an increased left atrial dimension corrected for body surface area should lead one to suspect severe aortic stenosis.
Solving Stochastic Inverse Problems: A Sparse Grid Collocation Approach

In recent years there has been significant progress in quantifying and modeling the effect of input uncertainties in the response of PDEs using non-statistical methods. The presence of uncertainties is incorporated by transforming the PDEs representing the system into a set of stochastic PDEs (SPDEs). The spectral representation of the stochastic space resulted in the development of the Generalized Polynomial Chaos Expansion (GPCE) methods (Ghanem 1991; Ghanem and Spanos 1991; Ghanem and Sharkar 2002; Xiu and Karniadakis 2002, 2003). This approach requires extensive revamping of a deterministic simulator to convert it into its stochastic counterpart and has issues with scalability when applied to large scale problems. To solve large-scale problems involving high-dimensional stochastic spaces (in a scalable way) and to allow non-smooth variations of the solution in the random space, there have been recent efforts to couple the fast convergence of the Galerkin methods with the decoupled nature of Monte-Carlo sampling (Velamur Asokan and Zabaras 2005; Babuska et al. 2005a,b). The Smolyak algorithm has been used recently to build sparse grid interpolants in high-dimensional space (Nobile et al. 2008; Xiu
Monte Carlo and Quasi-Monte Carlo for Statistics

This article reports on the contents of a tutorial session at MCQMC 2008. The tutorial explored various places in statistics where Monte Carlo methods can be used. There was a special emphasis on areas where Quasi-Monte Carlo ideas have been or could be applied, as well as areas that look like they need more research.
Nucleotide sequence evolution at the kappa-casein locus: evidence for positive selection within the family Bovidae.

κ-Casein is a mammalian milk protein involved in a number of important physiological processes. In the gut, the ingested protein is split into an insoluble peptide (para κ-casein) and a soluble hydrophilic glycopeptide (caseinomacropeptide). Caseinomacropeptide is responsible for increased efficiency of digestion, prevention of neonate hypersensitivity to ingested proteins, and inhibition of gastric pathogens. Variation within this peptide has significant effects associated with important traits such as milk production. The nucleotide sequences for regions of κ-casein exon and intron four were determined for representatives of the artiodactyl family Bovidae. The pattern of nucleotide substitution in κ-casein sequences for distantly related bovid taxa demonstrates that positive selection has accelerated their divergence at the amino acid sequence level. This selection has differentially influenced the molecular evolution of the two κ-casein split peptides and is focused within a 34-codon region of caseinomacropeptide.
Genomic imprinting, sibling solidarity and the logic of collective action

Genomic imprinting has been proposed to evolve when a gene's expression has fitness consequences for individuals with different coefficients of matrilineal and patrilineal relatedness, especially in the context of competition between offspring for maternal resources. Previous models have focused on pre-emptive hierarchies, where conflict arises with respect to resource allocation between present and future offspring. Here we present a model in which imprinting arises from scramble competition within litters. The model predicts paternal-specific expression of a gene that increases an offspring's fractional share of resources but reduces the size of the resource pool, and maternal-specific expression of a gene with opposite effects. These predictions parallel the observation in economic models that individuals tend to underprovide public goods, and that the magnitude of this shortfall increases with the number of individuals in the group. Maternally derived alleles are more willing than their paternally derived counterparts to contribute to public goods because they have a smaller effective group size.
Sortase-catalyzed peptide-glycosylphosphatidylinositol analogue ligation.

It is demonstrated that sortase A (SrtA) can catalyze efficient coupling of peptides to GPI analogues with a glycine residue attached to the phosphoethanolamine moiety at the nonreducing end to form GPI-linked peptides. This represents the first chemoenzymatic synthesis of GPI−peptide conjugates and is a proof-of-concept for the potential application of SrtA to the synthesis of more complex GPI-anchored peptides/glycopeptides and GPI-anchored proteins/glycoproteins.
Why are governmental R&D and private R&D complements?

It is well known that government R&D and private R&D have a complementary relationship. However, no previous study has provided an explanation for why that complementary relationship exists. This paper argues that infratechnology is the critical link between governmental and private R&D and that the observed complementarity is the result of technical complementarity at the production level between funding, infratechnology, and knowledge sharing. A theoritical framework based on this argument is developed and examined empirically for supporting evidence. Evidence of technical complementary is found as well as evidence that governmental R&D stimulates the sharing of knowledge.
Androgen excess disorders in women.

Abstract Edited by Ricardo Azziz, John E. Nestler and Didier Dewailly. Philadelphia, Lippencott-Raven, 1997, $152.00/£116.00 (xxv +831 pages), ISBN 0-397-51721-1 .
A BASIC program for nonparametric analyses of proximity matrices

Modern computer technology has made it practical for investigators to utilize a number of statistical techniques for analyzing data with unknown distribution functions. These include the randomization test (Fisher, 1935), the quadratic assignment technique (Hubert & Schultz, 1976), and the bootstrap (Efron, 1979). The first two of these are permutation tests. For two independent random sam­ ples of sizes n and m, the randomization test evaluates the significance of the obtained value of a statistic S against a distribution of values generated by all partitions of the observations into two sets of sizes nand m. If the num­ ber of partitions is large, a random sample of partitions may be used. In the quadratic assignment technique, mul­ tivariate observations in matrix form are collected, and a statistic S is evaluated against a distribution generated by permuting the matrix rows and corresponding columns in one of the two samples. By contrast, bootstrapping in­ volves drawing repeated samples from the two groups and generating a distribution of S-values. The standard devi­ ation of the distribution provides an estimate of the stan­ dard error of S, and the percentile points of the distribu­ tion can be used to set nonparametric confidence bounds for the true value of S. The program described in this report allows these tech­ niques to be used with proximity matrix data frequently collected in psychological research. As an example, con­ sider an experiment in which an investigator is interested in studying how structural knowledge about a topic might change as a result of reading textual material about that topic. Relevant data could be collected by having subjects rate the relatedness of propositions, or of arguments in propositions, drawn from the topic passage. The ratings could be collected from two groups of subjects, one group which rates without reading the passage and a second group which rates after reading the passage (unmatched sample case), or from a single group of subjects which rates both before and after reading the passage (matched sample case). For both cases, the two sets of ratings would be entered into separate ftles as individual subject matrices with the text units as marginal row and column entries, the matrices summed across subjects in each file, and a correlation coefficient computed between corresponding entries in the two total matrices. In this example, the randomization technique generates the distribution of the correlation coefficient under the
Control of PDE Systems with Delays

Abstract We consider a special class of control systems governed by infinite dimensional neutral functional differential equations of the form where the linear operator A 0 : D (A 0 ) ⊆ Z → Z generates a C 0 -semigroup on a product space Z of the form Z = T × R n where T is a Hilbert space. We assume A 1 : Z → Z, D : Z → Z and B : R m → Z are bounded linear operators. We show how such systems arise naturally when one includes delays in an actuated system or when one is concerned with sensitivities with respect to delays. Well-posedness of these systems are presented and numerical approximations are discussed. We apply these results to boundary control of PDE systems and illustrate the ideas with a numerical example.
CRACM1 Multimers Form the Ion-Selective Pore of the CRAC Channel

Receptor-mediated Ca(2+) release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is often followed by Ca(2+) entry through Ca(2+)-release-activated Ca(2+) (CRAC) channels in the plasma membrane . RNAi screens have identified STIM1 as the putative ER Ca(2+) sensor and CRACM1 (Orai1; ) as the putative store-operated Ca(2+) channel. Overexpression of both proteins is required to reconstitute CRAC currents (I(CRAC); ). We show here that CRACM1 forms multimeric assemblies that bind STIM1 and that acidic residues in the transmembrane (TM) and extracellular domains of CRACM1 contribute to the ionic selectivity of the CRAC-channel pore. Replacement of the conserved glutamate in position 106 of the first TM domain of CRACM1 with glutamine (E106Q) acts as a dominant-negative protein, and substitution with aspartate (E106D) enhances Na(+), Ba(2+), and Sr(2+) permeation relative to Ca(2+). Mutating E190Q in TM3 also affects channel selectivity, suggesting that glutamate residues in both TM1 and TM3 face the lumen of the pore. Furthermore, mutating a putative Ca(2+) binding site in the first extracellular loop of CRACM1 (D110/112A) enhances monovalent cation permeation, suggesting that these residues too contribute to the coordination of Ca(2+) ions to the pore. Our data provide unequivocal evidence that CRACM1 multimers form the Ca(2+)-selective CRAC-channel pore.
Impact of flat panel-imager veiling glare on scatter-estimation accuracy and image quality of a commercial on-board cone-beam CT imaging system

Purpose: The purposes of this study is to measure the low frequency drop (LFD) of the modulation transfer function (MTF), associated with the long tails of the detector point spread function (PSF) of an on-board flat panel imager and study its impact on cone-beam CT (CBCT) image quality and scatter measurement accuracy. Methods: Two different experimental methods were used to characterize LFD and its associated PSF of a Varian OBI flat-panel detector system: the edge response function (ERF) method and the disk transfer function (DTF) method. PSF was estimated by fitting parametric models to these measurements for four values of the applied voltage (kVp). The resultant PSF was used to demonstrate the effect of LFD on image contrast and CT number accuracy in CBCT images reconstructed from synthetic datasets, as well as, accuracy of scatter measurements with the beam-stop method. Results: The MTFs derived from the measured ERF data revealed LFDs varying from 8% (at 60 kVp) to 10.5% (at 120 kVp), while the intensity of the long PSF tails was found to increase with increasing kVp. The veiling glare line spread functions derived from the ERF and DTF methods were in excellent agreement. Uncorrected veiling glare reduced contrast and the image intensity in CBCT reconstruction, near the phantom periphery (by 67 Hounsfield units in a 20 cm-in-diameter water phantom) and (to a smaller degree) near inhomogeneities. Use of the bow-tie filter mitigated these effects. Veiling glare also resulted in about 10%–15% overestimation of the scatter-to-primary ratio when measured with the beam-stop or beam-stop array method. Conclusions: The long tails of the detector PSF were found to have a modest dependence of beam spectrum, which is reflected on the MTF curve LFD. Our findings show that uncorrected veiling glare can affect quantitative accuracy and contrast in CBCT imaging, based on flat panel imager. In addition, it results in overestimation of the scatter-to-primary ratio, measured with the beam-stop methods.
The Uncertain Future of Managed Care

The fortunes of managed care have taken a sudden downturn. Consider this: the oldest and largest and one of the most respected health maintenance organizations (HMOs), Kaiser Permanente, posted a loss of about $270 million in 1997, its first deficit in more than a half-century of operations. Informed sources predict even higher losses for 1998. Oxford Health Plans, a Connecticut-based, for-profit managed-care company with many middle- and upper-income enrollees in the New York region, saw its stock-market price peak at close to $90 a share in early 1997, only to lose over 70 percent of that value by the year's . . .
Deep-sea bottom photographs show that benthic organisms remove sediment cover from manganese nodules

MARINE geologists, geochemists, biologists and other oceano-graphers have studied manganese nodules since they were first reported by Murray and Renard1 in 1891. Much has been learned (see ref. 2 for a recent review) but many aspects of their formation and growth are open to question. The Environmental Research Laboratory of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has sponsored a multi-university, multi-disciplinary investigation to determine the environmental impact of manganese nodule mining. As part of the benthic baseline study of the Deep Ocean Mining Environmental Survey (DOMES), approximately 10,000 bottom photographs have been taken. I wish to report a close examination of 365 prints taken on one lowering of the camera near latitude 14°17.5′N, longitude 126°15.4′W at a depth of about 4,500m.
Cephalometric landmark clarity in photostimulable phosphor images using pseudo-color and emboss enhancements

Objective The conspicuity of cephalometric landmarks may be improved by pseudo color and emboss enhancements of 8 and 16 bit photostimulable phosphor (PSP) cephalograms reviewed by orthodontists.
Family Care of the Elderly: Stress, Appraisal, and Coping

Using retrospective survey design, data were collected from 72 family caregivers of cognitively competent, noninstitutionalized elderly family members. A parent-care task list designated the strain encounter, and a visual analogue scale measured stress. The Ways of Coping Index measured emotion- and problem-focused coping behavior. Appraisal was measured by choosing one option from a four-item questionnaire. Findings, after analysis of variance and regression procedures, indicated that caregivers used a combination of problem- and emotion-focused behaviors in coping with parent-care situations classified as strains, particularly when they were appraised as "must be accepted or gotten used to. " Use of emotion-focused coping was somewhat greater as stress increased, and the use of problem-focused coping was greater when the situation was appraised as amenable to some type of action.
Deficiency of dihydroxy acid dehydratase in the mitochondria of the iv-I mutants of Neurospora crassa

The isoleucine-valine requiring mutants of Neurospora crassa which map at the iv-1 locus lack, or have a very low level of activity for, the enzyme dihydroxy acid dehydratase in the mitochondrial fractions derived from them. This enzyme is, however, present in the soluble fractions of the mutant homogenates. The enzyme is present in both mitochondrial and soluble fractions from homogenates of wild-type and from homogenates of iv mutants blocked at other steps in the isoleucine-valine pathway.
A modified posicast method of control with applications to higher-order systems

The theory of Posicast control,1?3 by using a delayed step or steps, permits deadbeat step response from a very lightly damped system. The original development deals primarily with second-order systems, proposes a delay line technique for application of the second step, notes that use of this technique leaves the basic system underdamped, then proposes use of the delay line in a feedback path to damp load disturbances, and finally proposes the use of a tapped delay line for higher-order systems.
Dielectric Properties of Polyelectrolyte Multilayers

A relatively new technique based on the sequential adsorption of oppositely charged polymers affords the fabrication of multilayer thin films with controlled molecular architectures. In this work, we report the first study on the impedance and dielectric characteristics of multilayer films created by the sequential adsorption of layers of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and sulfonated polystyrene (SPS). We show large changes in the dielectric characteristics of these films with changes in temperature, moisture content, and deposition conditions. In particular, large increases in the conductivity and dielectric “constant” as the temperature and moisture content are increased were interpreted in terms of a change in the mobility and effective concentration of small ions in the film. A small but nonnegligible concentration of such ions was found to be incorporated into these films at a level that depends on the solution processing parameters such as the pH and salt content.
Characterization of nanostructured magnetic materials

One of the basic problems of characterizing magnetic nanocomposites is to get information about the statistical distribution of the defects, and shape, and size of the particles. It is desirable to use quick, reliable and inexpensive magnetic methods. Information is usually obtained from the measurements of the DC remanence loop and switching field distribution (SFD), and the application of Preisach type hysteresis models. The discrete Fourier transform of the DC remanence curve is directly related to the SFD, and its application is illustrated on the example of magnetic nanocomposites of Fe particles embedded into a ZnO matrix, prepared by reaction milling.
ELEMENTARY INTERACTIONS IN SPACES WITH TORSION

Abstract Parallel transfer is generalized to allow for the existence of a local gauge group. In spaces with torsion such a group may be introduced in a natural way and physically interpreted as a generalization of the electromagnetic gauge group. It is possible to construct simple theories of this type which correctly represent the isospin symmetries of the known fields. According to the program here proposed the local connection of microspace is restricted by the symmetries of the observed fields; the dynamics is then determined by the curvature of space, just as in the known macroscopic limit. In the models here considered the discrete groups are not discussed and all conservation laws are exact.
Evolution of a Surprise Snowfall in the United States Midwest

Abstract On Friday, 10 December 1982, a modest, yet unforecasted snowfall occurred in a band extending from the Ohio valley states eastward to western New York State. Aside from this case study representing a crucial forecasting problem, the scientific issues suggested by the results of this examination are especially intriguing. The precipitation was associated with neither a surface cyclone nor an obvious surface front. Although the precipitation began in the vicinity of quasi-geostrophic ascent, the details of the precipitation pattern are better explained by the atmosphere's susceptibility to moist slantwise convection. Additionally, the ascent associated with this precipitation event during its later stages in Illinois was pan of an elevated thermally direct frontal circulation. The relatively strong ascent on the warm side of this frontal circulation was likely assisted by the low moist symmetric instability in the same region. The synoptic-scale flow pattern played a role in the evolution of this p...
Current trends in diabetes therapy

Abstract The first dose of insulin was administered to a diabetic patient in January 1923. Since then, although important insights into the nature of diabetes and its treatment with insulin have accrued, a method of treatment which produces continuous euglycemia for all patients has not yet been developed. Moreover, strict dietary adherence and skilful use of insulin regimens are still vital to the treatment of all insulin-requiring patients. This article will briefly review insulin treatment, including the use of human insulin and infusion devices, from the point of view of a physician with a clinical pharmacology orientation.
On Hölder solutions of the integro-differential Zakai equation

The existence and uniqueness of solutions of the Cauchy problem to a stochastic parabolic integro-differential equation is investigated. The equation considered arises in a nonlinear filtering problem with a jump signal process and continuous observation.
Diversified business groups and corporate restructuring in China

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the roles different ownership structures, the joint effect of related and unrelated diversification strategies, and previous performance levels have on the restructuring strategies of such firms.Design/methodology/approach – Annual reports of publicly traded firms in the two Chinese stock exchanges are used to collect data. Multiple regression and ANOVA analysis are used to examine the impact of ownership structure types, match between diversification strategies, and previous performance on the change of business scopes of the sample business groups.Findings – Compared to other ownership types, government owned business groups tend to increase their business scope during asset restructuring, while private business groups tend to decrease their scopes through divestitures and spinoffs. Poor previous performance is also found to be negatively related to change in business scopes. The “match” between related and unrelated diversification strategies of the business groups ...
19 TREATMENT OF UNCOMPLICATED URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS WITH VARIOUS DOSES OF AMOXICILLIN

On 182 occasions college coeds with acute, uncomplicated (UTIs), documented by >105 of the same bacteria in two consecutive urine cultures, were randomly treated with amoxicillin 3 gm., single dose (83); 3 gm. double dose at 12 hour intervals (70); and 250 mg. t.i.d. for 10 days (29). Clinical cure rates at one week post therapy in single dose group was 88.0%, double dose group 80.0%, and in 10 day group, 100%. At four weeks post therapy in the single dose group, bacteriological cure rate was 68.7%, reinfections 19.3%, relapse 4.8% and persistence of infection 7.2%; in the double dose group, bacteriological cure rate was 71.4%, reinfection 7.1%, relapse 12.9%, and persistence of infection 8.6%; in 10 day group, bacteriological cure rate was 82.8%, reinfection 3.8%, relapse 3.4%, and no persistence of infection. Conventional Amoxicillin therapy appeared superior to single and double dose; however, the differences were not statistically significant. Single dose appeared easy, safe and practical in acute, uncomplicated UTIs of young women. The drug was tolerated well in all pateints. Complete blood counts, blood chemistries and transaminase enzymes remained normal.
Via filling: Challenges for the plating process for conveyorised production

Copper filling of laser drilled blind micro vias (BMV's) is now the standard production method for high density interconnects. Copper filled BMV's are used as solder bump sites for IC packaging where the filling process enables the required interconnect density and provides the surface to ensure reliable solder attachment. For “smart phone” production use of multiple lamination and typically 10 layers of stacked copper BMV filling is now the preferred technology, this is also known as the “any layer” filling process.
Toward a Dynamic-Thermodynamic Assimilation of Satellite Surface Temperature in Numerical Atmospheric Models

An assimilation technique is described in which satellite-observed surface skin temperature tendencies are used in a model surface energy budget so that the predicted rate of temperature change in the model more closely agrees with the satellite observations. Both visible and infrared GOES satellite data are used in the assimilation. The technique is based on analytically recovering surface moisture from similarity expressions derived from an evapotranspiration residual obtained as a difference between the unadjusted model evapotranspiration and the satellite-inferred evapotranspiration. The technique has application in regional-scale models where surface parameters such as root zone moisture, soil moisture, etc., are unknown. It is assumed that the largest error in the surface energy budget is in the evapotranspiration term. Two tests are given for the technique, first, a one-dimensional test against FIFE data and, second, a three-dimensional test over Oklahoma. In these cases the technique appears to correctly adjust the model response to agree better with observations.
Guestworkers and Exploitation

Are guestworker programs exploitative? Egalitarian and neoclassical theories of exploitation agree that they always are. But these judgments are too indiscriminate. Privileged guests are the exception, and the exception points toward a more sensitive standard for identifying exploitation. This more sensitive standard, the sufficiency theory of exploitation, is used to analyze several guestworker programs. Even when guestworker programs are exploitative, it is argued that the unfairness should be tolerated if the exploitation is modest, not severe, and if the most likely nonexploitative alternative worsens the plight of the disadvantaged.
On a Problem Concerning a Central Storage Device Served by Multiple Terminals

A storage or processing device with a fixed number of cells in considered. If a chance-mechanism selects which of M persons is to transmit an element of message to the device, the probability is found that the device will be filled without a complete message having been introduced into it. This probability should be useful in determining the “optimum” number of persons who can use the device. The problem is treated as one in an M-dimensional random walk.