cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Temporary Percutaneous Mechanical Circulatory Support Before Transplantation in the 2018 Heart Allocation System

Abstract Objectives This analysis sought to investigate the waitlist and post-transplant outcomes of individuals bridged to transplantation by using temporary percutaneous endovascular mechanical circulatory support (tMCS) through a status 2 designation (cardiogenic shock and exception). Background The 2018 donor heart allocation policy change granted a status 2 designation to patients supported with tMCS. Methods Adult patients in the United Network for Organ Sharing registry after October 18, 2018 who received a status 2 designation for tMCS were included and grouped by their status 2 criteria: cardiogenic shock with hemodynamic criteria (CS-HD), cardiogenic shock without hemodynamic criteria before tMCS (CS-woHD), and exception. Baseline characteristics, waitlist events (death and delisting), and post-transplant outcomes were compared. Results A total of 2,279 patients met inclusion criteria: 68.6% (n = 1,564) with CS-HD, 3.2% (n = 73) with CS-woHD, and 28.2% (n = 642) with exceptions. A total of 64.2% of patients underwent heart transplantation within 14 days of status 2 listing or upgrade, and 1.9% died or were delisted for worsening clinical condition. Among the 35.8% who did not undergo transplantation following 14 days, only 2.8% went on to receive a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). The 30-day transplantation likelihood was similar among groups: 80.1% for the CS-HD group vs 79.7% for the exception group vs 73.3% for the CS-woHD group; P = 0.31. However, patients who met criteria for CS-woHD had 2.3-fold greater risk of death or delisting (95% CI: 1.10-4.75; P = 0.03) compared with CS-HD patients after multivariable adjustment. Pre-tMCS hemodynamics were not associated with adverse waitlist events. Conclusions The use of tMCS is an efficient, safe, and effective strategy as a bridge to transplantation; however, patients with CS-woHD may represent a high-risk cohort. Transition to a durable LVAD was a rare event in this group.
Conformal Mapping to Simulate Nanosecond Pulsed Plasma for Plasma Species Generation in Tip-Tip Geometry

Nanosecond Pulsed Plasmas (NPPs) can effectively generate ionized/excited species in discharges with gas pressures ranging from a few Torr to atmospheric pressures 1 . While many computational studies have examined the glow-regime discharges in parallel plate geometries, few have analyzed the effect of sharpness of the electrode tips in tip-tip geometries. Moreover, simulation studies have found that the tip-tip geometry can efficiently generate large electron densities of ~10 10 cm –3 near the anode, offering a promising way to generate large concentrations of excited species 2 . In this work, we consider the tip-tip geometry by representing the anode and cathode as hyperboloids in prolate spheroidal coordinates 3 . We show how these one-dimensional (1-D) hyperboloids in the z -plane can be conformally mapped onto parallel plate geometries in the w -plane. The 1-D drift-diffusion model is first simulated in the parallel plate geometry ( w -plane) by coupling it to BOLSIG+ to characterize various species concentrations. These results are then translated to hyperbolic space ( z -plane), which we compare to existing tip-tip experimental and simulation results. This gives conformal mapping a distinct advantage in characterizing the effects of sharp tips by simulating the appropriate governing equations to describe NPPs discharges in the parallel plate geometry before accounting for the exact geometric setup, which significantly reduces the computational expense of the simulations 4 .
Human Auditory Physiology Studied with Positron Emission Tomography

Although the past 40 years have seen significant progress in our understanding of the organization of sensory nervous systems in a number of animals, access to the details of human sensory CNS structure and function has been hampered by the lack of noninvasive, high-resolution technology. However, within the last decade, a number of new devices have appeared that provide relatively noninvasive access to the human brain: e.g. CT and MRI for anatomical imaging, and MEG, BEAM, and PET for topographic physiological studies.
The Late-Victorian ‘New Man’ and the Neo-Victorian ‘Neo-Man’

Abstract The New Man was a crucial topic of discussion and a continual preoccupation in late-Victorian feminist writing, precisely because he was more often a wished-for presence than an actual one. Nevertheless, creators of neo-Victorian fiction and film repeatedly project him backwards onto the screen of literary history, representing him as having in fact existed in the Victorian age as a complement to the New Woman. What is at stake in retrospectively situating the New Man – or, as I will call him, the ‘Neo-Man’ – in the nineteenth century, through historical fiction? If one impulse behind fictional returns to the Victorian period is nostalgia, then what explains this nostalgia for The Man Who Never Was? This essay will suggest that neo-Victorian works have a didactic interest in transforming present-day readers, especially men, through depictions of the Neo-Man, which broaden the audience's feminist sympathies, queer its notions of gender relations, and alter its definition of masculinity.
Autonomous Colorimetric Readout for Microfluidic Devices

Autonomous readouts that work on colorimetric principles were fabricated inside a microchannel by immobilizing dyes (congo red and phenolphthalein) in a hydrogel matrix. The response time of the readout varied between 20 s and 45 s depending on the dye. To test for reusability, the phenolphthalein containing gels were recycled between acidic and basic solutions at different flow rates (0.1, 0.25 and 0.5 mL/min).
Some reflections on the structure of our knowledge in physics

Publisher Summary The chapter focuses on some reflections on the structure of knowledge in physics. There are two chief kinds of manifestation discussed in the chapter. One has to do with details: a tendency both to concentrate on such matters of detail as allowed of highly formal systematic treatment, and, in treating matters of the latter sort, to subject them to quasitechnical elaboration beyond what, in the present state of knowledge, they can profitably bear. The second principal manifestation lies in the way the efforts of forebears and contemporaries are treated—namely, their work, less in the hope of drawing instructive insight from it, than as a source of doctrines to analyze, contrast, elaborate, or destroy—in any case, to serve as material for the further exercise of technique. Newton found it impossible to codify dynamical theory without presupposing the structures “absolute time” and “absolute space.” A related subtlety concerns the further requirements to be placed on the kinematical map. The concept of motive force, which differs from a purely kinematic concept only in that it involves the mass as a coefficient, is not Newton's central notion of force.
Modeling Fluid Structure Interaction

Abstract : The principal goal of this program is on integrating experiments with analytical modeling to develop physics-based reduced-order analytical models of nonlinear fluid-structure interactions in articulated naval platforms. The critical research path for this effort is defined in the context of transitioning these models into engineering tools for design and analysis of existing and future marine systems. The symbiosis of analysis and experiments provides unique opportunities for advance the state-of-the-art in analytical modeling by directly addressing nonlinear coupling effects, and linking individual terms in the analysis to physical parameters measured in the laboratory. This research is also an excellent vehicle for training a new generation of workers who are adept at understanding fluid-structure interaction problems from both analytical dynamics and experimental fluid dynamics perspectives.
Podcasting Possibilities for Art Education

(2010). Podcasting Possibilities for Art Education. Art Education: Vol. 63, No. 1, pp. 11-16.
The Effect of Calculator Use on College Students' Mathematical Performance

This experiment tested the effect that calculator use had on 200 randomly assigned college students’ mathematical performance. The purposes of the current experiment were twofold: to measure the level of mathematical preparation of current college students, and to test whether calculators improve mathematical performance in such students as it does in precollege students. There was a significant difference in math performance between the two groups, with the calculator group outperforming the no-calculator group. The dozen demographic variables measured did not significantly predict performance. The improved mathematical improvement may not be due to calculators being easy, but rather to the effect of learning experiences. Classroom policies concerning the use of calculators need to be evaluated and possibly changed.
A Man and His Computer: An Issue of Adaptive Fitness and Personal Satisfaction

Today man is living in a natural and social ecology extraordinarily different from that in which he evolved. Computers and communication networks have become an integral part ofour world's texture; in particular, they provide the "nervous system" for a variety of superorganisms among which and within which we live.Paradoxically, even though computers were introduced by man, the technological, commercial, and social superhuman "animals", thanks to their greater evolutionary plasticity, have been more ready than the human individual to take advantage ofthe computer's capabilities. Though this new environment provides us with a rich assortment of external information services and appliances, so far we have not gotten from computers much help in the way ofextending our very selves--nothing comparable, for example, with the deep, intimate empowerment given by literacy.We argue that an extension ofour personal capabilities and an attendant enlargement of our own private information space are possible. The computer, in one ofits many possible impersonations, will provide the additional processing power needed to support these extensions. But material instruments will have to be matched, on the human individual's side, by the acquisition ofnew competencies. Hardware is not really an issue: what is needed is the crafting of a new culture (in the standard sense of 'and integrated set of tools, skills, and traditions'). Thus, we are not thinking as much of a "bionic prothesis" as of a computational literacy culture as naturally integrated with one's person as other acquired cultural habits such as living in a home, playing a violin, or reading a book.The design of a culture is no doubt a delicate engineering task; one that involves both humans and computers will be doubly demanding. In this paper we shall examine and try to arrange some of the pieces of the puzzle: What is desirable? What is possible? Can we identify an evolutionary stable strategy? What are the scientific issues and the technical problems involved? What do we know already? What do have to study next? Who shall do what? Who shall pay for it? Who, if any, will be threatened by it?
Straight-Line Single-Step Optimization of Manipulators with a Variable Cost-Weighting Matrix

Single-step optimization is a suboptimal control strategy that has proved useful in robotic manipulator control. A potential problem with the method is that it requires the numerical solution of a quadratic programming problem for each sampling interval. This computational load can be eliminated by preselecting the direction of the acceleration vector along a known straight line in coordinate space. The optimization problem then becomes one-dimensional and can be solved analytically off-line. The results obtained using the straight line approach, as well as earlier single-step formulations, can be significantly improved by the use of a time-varying weighting matrix in the performance measure. This new approach is presented here and applied to a 2-D.O.F. manipulator.
Self‐Reported Sleep and Nap Habits and Risk of Falls and Fractures in Older Women: The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures

Aim:To test the association between self-reported sleep and nap habits and risk of falls and fractures in a large cohort of older women. Study of Osteoporotic Fractures prospective cohort study. Clinical centers in Baltimore, Maryland; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Portland, Oregon; and the Monongahela Valley, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Eight thousand one hundred one community-dwelling Caucasian women aged 69 and older (mean 77.0). Sleep and nap habits were assessed using a questionnaire at the fourth clinic visit (1993/94). Fall frequency during the subsequent year was ascertained using tri-annual questionnaire. Incident hip and nonspinal fractures during 6 years of follow-up were confirmed using radiographic reports. Five hundred fifty-three women suffered hip fractures, and 1,938 suffered nonspinal fractures. In multivariate models, women who reported napping daily had significantly higher odds of suffering two or more falls during the subsequent year (odds ratio=1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.03-1.69) and were more likely to suffer a hip fracture (hazard ratio (HR)=1.33, 95% CI=0.99-1.78) than women who did not nap daily. Those sleeping at least 10 hours per 24 hours had a higher risk of nonspinal fracture than (HR=1.26, 95% CI=1.00-1.58) and a similar but nonsignificant increased risk of hip fracture to (HR=1.43, 95% CI=0.95-2.15) those who reported sleeping between 8 and 9 hours. Self-reported long sleep and daily napping are associated with greater risk of falls and fractures in older women. Interventions to improve sleep may reduce their risk of falls and fractures. Future research is needed to determine whether specific sleep disorders contribute to these relationships. Language: en
Unequal Incomes, Ideology and Gridlock: How Rising Inequality Increases Political Polarization

Income inequality and political polarization have both increased dramatically in the United States over the last several decades. A small but growing literature has suggested that these two phenomena may be related and mutually reinforcing: income inequality leads to political polarization, and the gridlock induced by polarization reduces the ability of politicians to alleviate rising inequality. Scholars, however, have not credibly identied the causal relationships. Using newly available data on polarization in state legislatures and state-level income inequality, we extend previous analyses to the US state level. Employing a relatively underutilized instrumental variables identication strategy allows us to obtain the rst credible causal estimates of the eect of inequality on polarization within states. We nd that income inequality has a large, positive and statistically signicant
Bone morphogenetic protein-2-impregnated biomimetic scaffolds successfully induce bone healing in a marginal mandibular defect.

Objectives/Hypothesis To test the osteoregenerative potential and dosing of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2)-impregnated biomimetic scaffolds in a rat model of a mandibular defect. Study Design Prospective study using an animal model. Methods Varied doses of BMP-2 (0.5, 1, 0.5, 0.5 in microspheres, 5, and 15 μg) were absorbed onto a biomimetic scaffold. Scaffolds were then implanted into marginal mandibular defects in rats. Blank scaffolds and unfilled defects were used as negative controls. Two months postoperatively, bone healing was analyzed with microcomputerized tomography (microCT). Results MicroCT analysis demonstrated that all doses of BMP-2 induced successful healing of marginal mandibular defects in a rat mandible. Increasing doses of BMP-2 on the scaffolds produced increased tissue healing, with 15 μg demonstrating significantly more healing than all other dosing (P < .01). Conclusions BMP-2–impregnated biomimetic scaffolds successfully induce bone healing in a marginal mandibular defect in the rat. Percentage healing of defect, percentage of bone within healed tissue, and total bone volume are all a function of BMP-2 dosing. There appears to be an optimal dose of 5 μg beyond which there is no increase in bone volume. Level of Evidence NA
Systemic Risk, Reinsurance, and the Failure of Crop Insurance Markets

Without affordable reinsurance, private crop insurance markets are doomed to fail because systemic weather effects induce high correlation among farm-level yields, defeating insurer efforts to pool risks across farms. Using an empirical model of the U.S. crop insurance market, we find that U.S. crop insurer portfolios are twenty to fifty times riskier than they would be otherwise if yields were stochastically independent across farms. We also find that area yield reinsurance contracts would enable crop insurers to cover most of their systemic crop loss risk, reducing their risk exposure to levels typically experienced by more conventional property liability insurers. Copyright 1997, Oxford University Press.
Bayesian regression methodology for estimating a receiver operating characteristic curve with two radiologic applications: prostate biopsy and spiral CT of ureteral stones.

Abstract Rationale and Objectives The authors evaluated two Bayesian regression models for receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of continuous diagnostic outcome data with covariates. Materials and Methods Full and partial Bayesian regression models were applied to data from two studies (n = 180 and 100, respectively): (a) The diagnostic value of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels (outcome variable) for predicting disease after radical prostatectomy (gold standard) was evaluated for three risk groups (covariates) based on Gleason scores. (b) Spiral computed tomography was performed on patients with proved obstructing ureteral stones. The predictive value of stone size (outcome) was evaluated along with two treatment options (gold standard), as well as stone location (in or not in the ureterovesical junction [UVJ]) and patient age (covariates). Summary ROC measures were reported, and various prior distributions of the regression coefficients were investigated. Results (a) In the PSA example, the ROC areas under the full model were 0.667, 0.769, and 0.703, respectively, for the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups. Under the partial model, the area beneath the ROC curve was 0.706. (b) The ROC areas for patients with ureteral stones in the UVJ decreased dramatically with age but otherwise were close to that under the partial model (ie, 0.774). The prior distribution had greater influence in the second example. Conclusion The diagnostic tests were accurate in both examples. PSA levels were most accurate for staging prostate cancer among intermediate-risk patients. Stone size was predictive of treatment option for all patients other than those 40 years or older and with a stone in the UVJ.
A Compact Manually Actuated Micromanipulator

This letter reports a compact, versatile, and user-friendly micromanipulator that uses an elastically deformable silicon microtweezer to grab microentities, and a micrometer head for rotational manual actuation. The micro-/macroconnection is achieved via a graphite interface that results in a compact and portable design and placement on most translation stages. The system which can operate in both air and liquid, and transport objects between the two media, has a wide range of applications. We demonstrate but a few of them, including in situ construction of microstructures in 3-D, isolation and placement of individual microparticles on designated spots on sensors, on-demand microcontact printing of microparticles, and manipulation of live stem cell spheres.
Development of the School Support Scale for Low-Income Mothers in College.

Purpose: Student-mothers from low-income families are three times as likely to drop out of college as female students without children. Yet, the economic and social benefits of postsecondary educat...
Opioid withdrawal signs and symptoms in children: Frequency and determinants

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to, in a pediatric population, describe the frequency of opioid withdrawal signs and symptoms and to identify factors associated with these opioid withdrawal signs and symptoms. Background Opioids are used routinely in the pediatric intensive care population for analgesia, sedation, blunting of physiologic responses to stress, and safety. In children, physical dependence may occur in as little as 2–3 days of continuous opioid therapy. Once the child no longer needs the opioid, the medications are reduced over time. Methods A prospective, descriptive study was conducted. The sample of 26 was drawn from all patients, ages 2 weeks to 21 years admitted to the Children's Hospital of Richmond pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and who have received continuous infusion or scheduled opioids for at least 5 days. Data collected included: opioid withdrawal score (WAT-1), opioid taper rate (total dose of opioid per day in morphine equivalents per kilogram [MEK]), pretaper peak MEK, pretaper cumulative MEK, number of days of opioid exposure prior to taper, and age. Results Out of 26 enrolled participants, only 9 (45%) had opioid withdrawal on any given day. In addition, there was limited variability in WAT-1 scores. The most common symptoms notes were diarrhea, vomit, sweat, and fever. Conclusions For optimal opioid withdrawal assessments, clinicians should use a validated instrument such as the WAT-1 to measure for signs and symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Further research is indicated to examine risk factors for opioid withdrawal in children.
Removing distortions from charge balance functions

Charge balance functions provide insight into critical issues concerning hadronization and transport in heavy-ion collisions by statistically isolating charge/anticharge pairs that are correlated by charge conservation. However, distortions from residual interactions and unbalanced charges cloud the observable. Within the context of simple models, the significance of these effects is studied by constructing balance functions in both relative rapidity and invariant relative momentum. Methods are presented for eliminating or accounting for these distortions.
Alternators in read/write atomicity

The alternator problem requires that in legitimate states no two neighboring processes are enabled and between two executions of a process, its neighbors execute at least once. In this paper, we present a solution for the alternator problem that has the following properties: (1) If the underlying topology is arbitrary and the program is executed in read/write atomicity then it is stabilizing fault-tolerant, i.e., starting from an arbitrary state, it recovers to states from where its specification is satisfied, (2) If the underlying topology is bipartite and the program is executed in the concurrent execution model then it provides stabilizing fault-tolerance and maximal concurrency, (3) If the underlying topology is linear or tree then the program provides both these properties, and (4) The program uses bounded state if the network size is known. To our knowledge, this is the first alternator program that achieves these properties.
Splenocytes from copper-deficient mice are low responders and weak stimulators in mixed lymphocyte reactions

Abstract Dietary copper deficiency was produced in C58 and C67BL mice to investigate the role of copper in lymphocyte function. Mice fed a diet low in copper (-Cu) developed signs of copper deficiency, anemia and hypoceruloplasminemia, compared to control mice fed the same diet with supplemental copper in the drinking water (+Cu). Splenocytes from eight-week-old mice, -Cu and +Cu, were compared as to their ability to respond to and to stimulate allogeneic cells in one-way mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR). Splenocytes from -Cu C58 mice demonstrated a significantly decreased MLR response when stimulated by splenocytes from either C57BL or BALB/c mice. A novel observation was made when testing the ability of inactivated lymphocytes as stimulators in MLR. Splenocytes from -Cu mice, both C58 and C57BL, stimulated allogeneic controls less effectively (38% and 24%, respectively) compared to corresponding splenocytes from +Cu mice. These results suggest that chronic dietary copper deficiency decreases lymphocyte reactivity. Furthermore, these data support the hypothesis that copper deficiency has altered cell surface determinants associated with MLR reactivity.
Torsional oscillation of a non-homogeneous anisotropic tube of finite length

Abstract This paper treats the torsional vibrations in a finite circular tube of an anisotropic inhomogeneous material. The general solution for the problem is obtained. Both free and forced torsional vibrations of tubes can be treated as special cases of the problem. The values of the natural frequencies including the higher modes are computed for such geometrical parameters as the ratio of the radii of a tube and the length. Also, the values of natural frequencies in terms of the various values of the parameter of anisotropy are calculated. It is interesting to note that the presence of the central hole in a tube has no effect upon the natural frequencies of the rigid mode, but for the case of nodal modes the natural frequencies change with the thickness of the tube.
Determination of Parameters Responsible for Pharmacokinetic Behavior of TCDD in Female Sprague–Dawley Rats

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is the most toxic member of a class of planar and halogenated chemicals. Improvements in exposure assessment of TCDD require scientific information on the distribution of TCDD in target tissues and cellular responses induced by TCDD. Since 1980, several physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models for TCDD and related compounds have been reported. Some of these models incorporated the induction of a hepatic binding protein in response to interactions of TCDD, the Ah receptor, and DNA binding sites and described the TCDD disposition in a biological system for certain data sets. Due to the limitations of the available experimental data, different values for the same physical parameters of these models were obtained from the different studies. The inconsistencies of the parameter values limit the application of PBPK models to risk assessment. Therefore, further refinement of previous models is necessary. This paper develops an improved PBPK model to describe TCDD disposition in eight target tissues. The interaction of TCDD with the Ah receptor and with hepatic inducible CYP1A2 were also incorporated into the model. This model accurately described the time course distribution of TCDD following a single oral dose of 10 μg/kg, as well as the TCDD concentration on Day 3 after six different doses, 0.01, 0.1, 0.3, 1, 10, and 30 μg TCDD/kg, in target tissues. This study extends previous TCDD models by illustrating the validity and the limitation of the model and providing further confirmation of the potential PBPK model for us in optimal experimental design and extrapolation across doses and routes of exposure. In addition, this study demonstrated some critical issues in PBPK modeling.
Differential responses of Equus caballus and Equus asinus to infection with two pathogenic strains of equine infectious anemia virus.

Most in vivo studies with equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) have been performed in horses and ponies (Equus caballus) with little published information available detailing the clinical responses of donkeys (Equus asinus) to infection with this virus. Consequently, donkeys were inoculated with two strains of EIAV (EIAVPV and EIAVWY) which have been documented to produce disease in E. caballus. Four ponies, 561, 562, 564 and 567 and two donkeys, 3 and 5 were infected with EIAVPV and one horse (94-10) and one donkey (4) were infected with EIAVWY. Although the horse and ponies all experienced clinical signs of disease, which in some cases were severe, the donkeys remained asymptomatic throughout a 365-day observation period, except for mild transient reductions in platelet counts. The results from serological assays, virus isolation from plasma and detection of plasma-associated viral RNA by RT-PCR, indicated that initial replication of EIAVPV and EIAVWY was lower in donkeys than in horses and ponies. This conclusion was confirmed using competitive RT-PCR, in which viral RNA levels in the plasma of EIAVPV-infected ponies was up to 100,000-fold higher than in infected donkeys during the first 20 days postinfection (dpi). Similar results were obtained in the EIAVWY-infected animals, in which viral RNA burdens in the donkey at 20 dpi were 1000-fold less than in the horse. However, infection of donkey and horse monocyte-derived macrophage cultures with EIAVPV demonstrated that these cells in vitro were equally susceptible to virus-induced cytopathic effects and yielded similar levels of progeny virus. This result suggests that factors other than host cell permissiveness mediate the clinical differences observed between horses and donkeys infected with EIAVPV or EIAVWY. # 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Stability Analysis of a Thyristor DC-DC Converter

Stability of a dc-dc converter where the average value of the output voltage is maintained constant is investigated. Simplified equations are developed for the average value of the output during sampling periods. The converter is modeled as a chopper pulsewidth modulated (CPWM) system and stability conditions are derived. By simulation, the accuracy of the results is verified.
On the tendency of Spontaneous Crystallisation in Supersaturated Solutions and undercooled melts

Die Tendenz einer ubersattigten Losung zur spontanen Kristallisation, wie sie der Anderung der freien Energie beim isothermen Ubergang vom Zustand der Ubersattigung in den gesattigten Zustand bei der Temperatur T entspricht, ist durch den Ausdruck (TsT)λs/Ts gegeben. (Ts = Sattigungstemperatur der Losung, λs = Losungswarme des betreffenden gelosten Stoffes) Ein ahnlicher Ausdruck, namlich (TmT) λ/Tm gilt fur die spontane Kristallisation unterkuhlter Schmelzen. Messungen an einigen ubersattigten Losungen ergaben, das der Ausdruck (TsT) λs annahernd konstant ist; dies zeigt offenbar, das die spontane Kristallisation unter vergleichbaren experimentellen Bedingungen begunstigt ist, wenn die Anderungen der freien Energie in den Systemen in den Systemen ungefahr gleich ist.
Temporal summation of 500-Hz tones and octave-band noise bursts in infants and adults

A visually reinforced operant procedure was employed to obtain 2-point threshold-duration functions in 7-month-old infants and adults in two experimental paradigms. In Experiment 1, thresholds were determined for 10- and 100-msec, 500-Hz tones and octave-band noise bursts presented in quiet and noise backgrounds. Threshold-duration functions were significantly steeper for infants than for adults under all experimental conditions, and did not differ in slope as a result of differences in either stimulus bandwidth or masking noise. In Experiment 2, thresholds for trains of brief 500-Hz tone pulses were examined in infant and adult subjects. Infant functions were adult-like for integration of multiple-pulse stimuli, suggesting that the traditional, long-term process of temporal summation is mature by 7 months of age. Differences between the present results and those previously obtained for 4-kHz stimuli appear to be consistent with the view that different mechanisms are involved in the detection of low- and high-frequency signals.
Peace Operations and the Prevention of Genocide

This article discusses the potential and limitations of peace operations in the prevention of genocide. Peace operations encompass a wide range of military and police actions with nontraditional military goals, typically taken under multilateral auspices. These operations have grown in number and complexity in recent years, and current trends point to their playing an ever-growing role with respect to genocide prevention. Despite some progress, there are several significant obstacles to ensuring that peace operations reliably contribute to the prevention of mass atrocities. These include international political dissension, capacity constraints, limits of the military option, and demands of the post-conflict period. If properly designed and resourced, however, peace operations can be an important tool for genocide prevention.
Interpreting properties of microbicide drug delivery gels: Analyzing deployment kinetics due to squeezing

Prophylactic efficacy of topical microbicidal drug delivery formulations against HIV may depend upon their abilities to coat and be retained on epithelial surfaces where infection begins. Rheological and surface properties play paramount roles in governing coating. While fundamental fluid mechanical studies of epithelial coating mechanisms have begun, their results have not previously addressed questions of practical value to formulators in the pharmaceutics community. The present theoretical study began this process. We focused upon squeezing flows of seven vaginal gels which are models for future microbicides or a candidate formulation in clinical trials. Each formulation is based upon one of three different macromolecules: cellulose, polyacrylic acid (PAA), or carrageenan. We addressed: (1) properties with greatest influence on squeezing flow; (2) alterations of properties to improve measures of coating dynamics; and (3) effects of polymer concentration and temperature on coating dynamics. We found that yield stresses dominated flows of PAA gels, and that surface slip, while small, significantly influenced coating by cellulose gels. Decreases in consistency, increases in shear-thinning, and increases in temperature led to thinner coatings. Details of altered coating rates depended upon parameter values and time. Specific polymer concentration effects differed between cellulose and PAA gels, though trends were similar.
An Optimization Strategy for Maximizing Coordinate Measuring Machine Productivity, Part 1: Quantifying the Effects of Operating Speed on Measurement Quality

The ability to quickly obtain precise dimensional information about manufactured parts is vital for any successful mass production operation. Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs) can be used to obtain dimensional measurements, but the effects of structural vibrations often limit the speed at which measurements can be obtained. In this, the first of two papers, the effects of operating speed on CMM measurement quality are illustrated, and the factors affecting measurement speed are then analyzed through an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) study. Results of the illustration and ANOVA show that as operating speed increases, the quality of the measurements obtained decreases, and that the individual axes of the prismatic CMM structure experimentally evaluated react differently to measuring speeds. Also given are results that show the trade-off between measurement time and quality and indicate the existence of optimal operating speeds for certain values of measurement quality. A model is then developed that describes the relationship between measurement speed and measurement quality for use in the optimization strategy presented in Part 2 of this paper.
Synthetic Hyperspectral Radiances for Retrieval Algorithm Development

Accurate synthetic radiances for realistic scenarios are crucial to the development of retrieval algorithms for use with current and next generation hyperspectral sensors. We present our methods for generating and verifying synthetic hyperspectral radiances.
The Geography of Personal Name Forms

The geographic distribution of formal and informal names is considered. Given names are variable and bearers may identify themselves with one name form or another (e.g., William, Will, Billy, Bill, W. T., “Skip”). The form of name chosen by state legislators was classified as formal or informal and the proportions of each were plotted by state. Three regions are identified by their relative use of name formality: the Northeast, where formal names are the rule, the South, centering on Arkansas, where informal names are common, and the West, also characterized by informal names. The West is divided between the Mountain and Pacific states, with large numbers of informal names and the states which they surround, which tend toward formal names. Some states, especially those of the Midwest, do not participate in this process. Indiana and South Carolina are exceptions to the general patterns. Informal names presume to create solidarity between legislators and voters. The South and West are apparently less formal...
Convergence of multisensory inputs in Xenopus tadpole tectum.

The integration of multisensory information takes place in the optic tectum where visual and auditory/mechanosensory inputs converge and regulate motor outputs. The circuits which integrate multisensory information are poorly understood. In an effort to identify the basic components of a multisensory integrative circuit, we determined the projections of the mechanosensory input from the periphery to the optic tectum and compared their distribution to the retinotectal inputs in Xenopus laevis tadpoles using dye-labelling methods. The peripheral ganglia of the lateral line system project to the ipsilateral hindbrain and the axons representing mechanosensory inputs along the anterior/posterior body axis are mapped along the ventrodorsal axis in the axon tract in the dorsal column of the hindbrain. Hindbrain neurons project axons to the contralateral optic tectum. The neurons from anterior and posterior hindbrain regions project axons to the dorsal and ventral tectum, respectively. While the retinotectal axons project to a superficial lamina in the tectal neuropil, the hindbrain axons project to a deep neuropil layer. Calcium imaging showed that multimodal inputs converge on tectal neurons. The layer specific projections of the hindbrain and retinal axons suggest a functional segregation of sensory inputs to proximal and distal tectal cell dendrites, respectively.
Obsidian Hydration Rate Development

Since the seminal work of Friedman and Smith [1] obsidian hydration dating (OHD) has undergone several important stages of development and refinement. This paper will summarize the history of research and developments as to elucidate some areas for future research. Archaeologists have taken a pragmatic and empirical approach towards OHD and hydration rate determination. They would like OHD to become an absolute chronometric technique. Geochemists and material scientists have sought to understand the hydration process from an environmental, chemical and thermodynamic perspective. As suggested by the literature, obsidian hydration appears to be a diffusion, reaction and dissolution process dependent on the chemical and thermal history of the hydration environment. Although there appear to be certain central tendencies, however, there are discrepancies between empirical archaeologically-derived data and theoretical models. California offers a rich data base for synthesis and testing of hydration models. There are over 25 natural obsidian sources many of whose chemical and physical properties have been measured by Ericson [2]. Obsidians have been distributed aboriginally as artifacts into diverse environments. Intensive excavations, underwritten by extensive land development, have contributed to development of a number of source-specific hydration rates for single sources. Reanalysis of the California data warrants future examination to advance our understanding of obsidian hydration dating on a world wide basis.
Decline in rheumatoid vasculitis prevalence among US veterans: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

Objective To examine trends in the prevalence of rheumatoid vasculitis in a national US population comprising both hospitalized and ambulatory patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods In this serial cross-sectional study, we analyzed data on hospitalized and ambulatory patients spanning 22 years (1985–2006) and 10 years (1997–2006), respectively, to determine the prevalence of rheumatoid vasculitis, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision. Our search encompassed data collected on a predominantly male study population during 10 million hospitalizations and outpatient visits, and included annual data on >37,000 RA patients. To test for a decrease in rheumatoid vasculitis prevalence, breakpoint analysis was performed using stepwise Chow and Durbin-Watson tests. Results There was a clear decline in the prevalence of rheumatoid vasculitis, and this decline remained evident even after accounting for a decreased number of hospitalizations among RA patients. Peak prevalence occurred among hospitalized patients in the 1980s, and prevalence gradually declined throughout the 1990s. Furthermore, simultaneous breakpoints representing a significant drop in rheumatoid vasculitis prevalence between the years 2000 and 2001 were demonstrated for both inpatients (P < 0.000) and outpatients (P < 0.003). The prevalence of vasculitis dropped 53% among inpatients and 31% among outpatients between 2000 and 2001. Conclusion Our results demonstrate a significant decline in rheumatoid vasculitis prevalence after 2000 in this nationwide sample of hospitalized and ambulatory patients. The clear, consistent drop in prevalence provides an opportunity for the formulation of causal hypotheses, including consideration of the impact of biologic agents used to treat RA, on rheumatoid vasculitis.
Ocular Morbidity in Very Low Birth-weight Infants With Intraventricular Hemorrhage

Purpose To document ocular outcomes and prevalence of ocular disease in very low birth-weight infants with intraventricular hemorrhage. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the records of all surviving very low birth-weight infants (1,500 g or less) admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of our institution during 1992 and 1993. Of 252 survivors, 74 had complete ophthalmologic examinations at a mean adjusted age of 11 months. Of these 74 infants, 38 had intraventricular hemorrhage. Chi-square and multivariate analysis were used for statistical testing, in controlling for race, sex, and birth weight, and for other disease processes associated with prematurity. Results Of 38 infants with intraventricular hemorrhage, strabismus occurred in 14 (37%), esotropia in 12 (32%), and exotropia in two (5%). Of the 20 infants with grades III and IV intraventricular hemorrhage, 11 (55%) had esotropia; none had exotropia. Infants with grades III and IV intraventricular hemorrhage were at significantly greater risk for the development of esotropia than were infants with less severe or no hemorrhage (odds ratio, 5.0; P = .04). Mean adjusted age at diagnosis of strabismus was 8.5 months. Infants with periventricular leukomalacia (odds ratio, 6.3; P = .036) and neonatal seizures (odds ratio, 7.3; P = .019) were at significantly greater risk of developing optic atrophy. Conclusions Very low birth-weight infants with more severe neurologic morbidity are at significant risk for development of esotropia and optic atrophy. Ophthalmologic screening of all very low birth-weight survivors may allow earlier diagnosis and intervention for these at-risk infants.
Methylation of adenine residues in bacteriophage T2 DNA containing cytosine in place of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine.

Abstract It has been previously shown that uP1 mutants, derived from phage T2 gt rP1 , determine an altered form of the phage-induced DNA methylase. The uP1 enzyme methylates two- to threefold more adenine residues on phage DNA than does the wild-type methylase. The question of whether the presence of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (HMC) in T2 DNA plays a role in determining methylase specificity was investigated. A triple amber mutant was constructed which is defective in the synthesis of the enzymes, deoxycytidine triphosphatase (dCTPase) and deoxycytidylate hydroxymethylase (dCMP-HMase) as well as in the ability to degrade completely host DNA (genes 56, 42, and 47, respectively). In host cells lacking an amber suppressor ( su − ), the mutant is shown to synthesize DNA which contains cytosine (C) in place of HMC. This C-containing DNA has the same level of N 6 -methyladenine (MeAde) as observed in the HMC-containing DNA of T2 gt rP1 ; in contrast, the HMC-containing DNA produced by T2 gt uP1 phage had two- to threefold more MeAde. Furthermore, the T2 am 42, 47, 56 and T2 gt rP1 DNAs behaved similarly as substrates for in vitro methylation by extracts of phage-infected cells. These data indicate that the 5-hydroxymethyl group on HMC does not interfere with the activity of the wild-type DNA methylase, nor does it enhance the activity of the uP1 enzyme.
Excision and autogenous revascularization of an infected aortic stent graft resulting from a urinary tract infection.

Commerically manufactured stent graft devices for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1999. Since that time, these devices have been increasingly used to treat AAAs in the United States. Because these devices are packaged within a sterile sheath delivery system, thereby shielding the graft material from potential contamination at the time of implantation, it is generally held that these devices are less susceptible to prosthetic infection than are conventionally placed aortic grafts. This report describes a case of prosthetic infection of an aortic stent graft that became infected because of a urinary tract infection.
Use of insulin-sensitizing agents in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Objective: To review the subject of polycystic ovary syndrome and the therapeutic use of insulin-sensitizing agents in patients with this endocrinopathy. Methods: We present background information on this disorder and summarize the pertinent published literature. Results: Polycystic ovary syndrome affects approximately 7.5% of reproductive-age women in the United States. Although specific diagnostic criteria for this condition have not been established, the presence of three major factors--chronic anovulation, hyperandrogenemia, and clinical signs of hyperandrogenism--has been proposed as essential for consideration of the diagnosis. A high ratio of serum luteinizing hormone to follicle-stimulating hormone is found in 60 to 75% of women with this syndrome. Treatment with metformin may yield heterogeneous responses in differing populations with polycystic ovary syndrome, but most studies have shown evidence of restoration of ovulatory cycling. In addition, weight loss and decreases in free and total testos...
A Measure Of The Trade‐Off Between Responsiveness and Nondictatorship for Arrovian Social Welfare Functions

If individuals are never indifferent between distinct alternatives then for any transitive-valued social welfare function satisfying IIA, and any fraction t, either the set of pairs of alternatives that are socially ordered without consulting more than one individual's preferences comprises at least the fraction t of all pairs, or else the fraction of pairs that have their social ordering determined independently of everyone's s preferences exceeds, or is very close to, 1 −t. The Pareto criterion is not imposed. (There is also a version of this result for the domain of preferences that admit indifference.)
Predicting the Peritoneal Absorption of Icodextrin in Rats and Humans Including the Effect of α-Amylase Activity in Dialysate.

BackgroundContrary to ultrafiltration, the three-pore model predictions of icodextrin absorption from the peritoneal cavity have not yet been reported likely, in part, due to difficulties in estima...