cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Review of the Mechanical and Tribological Behavior of Cold Spray Metal Matrix Composites

Cold spray is an effective solid-state process for the fabrication of metal matrix composites where metallic, ceramic, or intermetallic reinforcements are embedded in a metallic matrix. Cold-sprayed metal matrix composites (CS MMCs) enable combining favorable properties of their constituent phases. Combinations of the ductility of metals with the high strength of ceramics or with the creep resistance of intermetallics are two typical examples. Here, we review recent advances in the understanding of the mechanical and tribological behavior of CS MMCs, with particular emphasis on the physical mechanisms and predictive understanding. We start the review with deposition mechanisms, defects, and microstructural features in CS MMCs. We continue the discussion with the mechanical behavior of CS MMCs, including elastic modulus, hardness, strength, ductility, as well as adhesive and cohesive failures. We also explore various aspects of the tribology of CS MMCs, from frictional response to abrasive and erosive wear. We discuss the effect of cold spray parameters and post-spray thermal and mechanical treatments on the microstructure and properties of CS MMCs. We connect experimental findings on the mechanics and tribology of CS MMCs with theoretical frameworks to the extent possible. Finally, we propose several critical unresolved issues in the field as future research directions.
When the Moratorium Expires: Three Quick Steps to Reduce Eviction

Eviction moratoria are set to expire across the country, unemployment is high, and many renter advocates are predicting a â€œtsunamiâ€ of eviction filings In a le
Simulating Polyculture Farming to Tune Automation Policies for Plant Diversity and Precision Irrigation

Polyculture farming, where multiple crop species are grown simultaneously, has potential to reduce pesticide and water usage, while improving the utilization of soil nutrients. However, it is much harder to automate than monoculture. As a first step toward developing automation control policies for polyculture farming, we present AlphaGardenSim, a fast, first order, open-access simulator that integrates single plant growth models with inter-plant dynamics, including light and water competition between plants in close proximity. The simulator approximates growth in a real greenhouse garden at 9, 000X the speed of natural growth, allowing for policy parameter tuning. We present an analytic automation policy that in simulation reduced water use and achieved high coverage and plant diversity compared with other policies, even in the presence of invasive species. Code and supplementary material can be found at https://github.com/BerkeleyAutomation/AlphaGarden.
A single-institution phase I feasibility study of dose-escalated IMRT for non-operative locally advanced esophageal carcinoma.

Background and purpose Radiation dose escalation to improve poor outcomes with chemoradiation in locally advanced esophageal carcinoma is limited in part by increased toxicity. This Phase I study investigates the use of IMRT to improve tolerability of dose escalation. Materials and methods A single-institution, prospective study was conducted between 2007 and 2013 for individuals with inoperable esophageal carcinoma. Gross disease received 60 Gy in 30 fractions and at-risk sites received 54 Gy with simultaneous integrated boost. Concurrent chemotherapy primarily consisted of cisplatin/5-FU. The primary objective was to assess feasibility (<15% rate of grade 4-5 toxicity). Secondary objectives included assessment of overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS), and locoregional (LRR) and distant recurrence. Results Twenty-six patients were enrolled with median follow up of 17.6 months (range 0.1 to 152.0). The majority were AJCC 7th edition Stage III (54%), distal esophagus primary (81%), and adenocarcinoma histology (85%). Twenty-one patients (81%) completed their course of radiation therapy, while only 55% received 2 cycles of concurrent cisplatin/5-FU. One grade 5 and one grade 4 cardiac event occurred, both during chemoradiation and before receiving 50 Gy. The 3-year OS was 48.6% (95% CI: 32.5 to 72.2%) and PFS was 28.5% (95% CI: 14.6 to 55.5%). Half developed distant failure with LRR occurring in 10 patients (38%), isolated in 5 patients. Conclusion While feasibility was demonstrated, toxicity and compliance remained limiting factors with outcomes similar to historical controls. There remains an uncertain role for dose escalation in definitive management of locally advanced esophageal cancer.
Strength and stiffness of interim materials and interim fixed dental prostheses when tested at different loading rates.

Abstract Statement of problem How the loading rate might affect the mechanical properties of interim materials and interim fixed dental prostheses is unclear. Purpose The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the material stiffness, material strength, and structural strength of interim 3-unit fixed dental prostheses fabricated from 3 interim materials when stressed at different loading rates. Material and methods Bar-shaped specimens and anatomically correct interim 3-unit fixed dental prostheses with a modified-ridge lap pontic were fabricated from polyethyl methacrylate resin (Trim) and 2 bis-acrylic composite resins (TempSmart; Integrity) (n=10). Flexural modulus and strength of the bar specimens, representing material stiffness and strength, were determined with a 4-point bend test in a universal testing machine. The structural strength of the prosthesis was assessed from the failure load from a vertical force applied on the occlusal surface of the pontic. Three loading rates, 0.5, 5, or 10 mm/min, were evaluated. Results were statistically analyzed with 2-way analysis of variance and multiple comparisons (α=.05). Results Loading rate and material significantly affected flexural modulus, flexural strength, and structural strength (P Conclusions Polyethyl methacrylate resin had the lowest stiffness among the interim materials tested and did not fracture but excessively deformed at the low loading rate. Dual-polymerizing bis-acrylic composite resin consistently had higher stiffness and material strength and provided higher structural strength than the autopolymerizing bis-acrylic composite resin. Loading rate significantly affected the mechanical properties of polyethyl methacrylate resin (P
Effects of a correspondence-based educational program on prisoner loneliness, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms

This study investigated the effects of participation in a nonaccredited correspondence-based educational program on incarcerated students’ levels of loneliness, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms...
Enacting into Reality: Using User Enactment to Explore the Future of Autonomous Vehicle Design:

Self-driving vehicles have been heralded as a dramatic new advancement in personal mobility. This emerging technology, beyond potentially improving driving safety, also represents a redefined relat...
The “After Time”. How Do We Know What Normal to Plan For?

When I was asked to accept the privilege of writing four columns for disP, the idea of a global pandemic was on my mind before I knew one was coming. I had just finished an article that was eventua...
Traditional or technological? A cross sectional survey of oral contraceptive reminders in young adults.

Abstract Objectives For patients relying only on oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) for pregnancy prevention, timely and correct usage of OCPs is essential. This study describes the prevalence of reminder systems used among our patients, the patient population that uses those reminder systems, and whether the reminder system was effective for the user in terms of not missing pills per pack. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 102 OCP users at 3 individual clinics in the UCLA Health System. To quantify OCP adherence, we used the unit pill pack to indicate one month’s supply of OCPs. Results Majority of patients were young educated individuals who used OCPs for 1 year or longer. 44% of participants used strictly technology-based reminders including alarms, phone applications, and text-based systems. 25% of participants used only traditional reminders, including co-administration with other medications, location placement, and as part of a morning/evening routine. 6% of participants used a combination of technology-based and traditional reminders. 21% of participants did not rely on any reminder system for OCP self-administration. 4% of participants used “Other or Unknown” reminder systems. The majority of participants missed less than 2 pills in their pill pack. Those who relied on technological reminders missed pills more frequently than those who depended on traditional reminders. Conclusion Our results indicate that despite growing prevalence of technology-based reminder systems, traditional reminders are as prevalent as the technology-based ones. There was no difference in the number of missed pills between the two groups. The study is limited by the use of convenience sampling. Our study sheds light on strategies that a majority young and educated patient population might use to increase OCP adherence.
COVID and the Urgency of Parentage Reform

This Essay highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the urgent need to reform outdated and discriminatory parentage laws.
Some new surprises in chaos.

"Chaos is found in greatest abundance wherever order is being sought.It always defeats order, because it is better organized"Terry PratchettA brief review is presented of some recent findings in the theory of chaotic dynamics. We also prove a statement that could be naturally considered as a dual one to the Poincare theorem on recurrences. Numerical results demonstrate that some parts of the phase space of chaotic systems are more likely to be visited earlier than other parts. A new class of chaotic focusing billiards is discussed that clearly violates the main condition considered to be necessary for chaos in focusing billiards.
Probabilistic Infrastructureless Positioning in the Pocket

With the increasing popularity of smart phones, knowing the accurate position of users has become critical to many context-aware applications. In this paper, we introduce a novel Probabilistic Infrastructureless Navigation (ProbIN) system for GPS-challenging environments. ProbIN uses inertial and magnetic sensors in mobile phones to derive users’ current location. Instead of relying on basic laws of physics (e.g. double integral of acceleration equals to displacement) ProbIN uses a statistical model for estimating the position of users. This statistical model is built based on the user’s data by applying machine learning techniques from the statistical machine translation field. Thus, ProbIN can capture the user’s specific walking patterns and is, therefore, more robust against noisy sensor readings. In the evaluation of our approach we focused on the most common daily scenarios. We conducted experiments with a user walking and carrying the phone in different settings such as in the hand or in the pocket. The results of the experiments show that even though the mobile phone was not mounted to the user’s body, ProbIN outperforms the state-of-the-art dead reckoning approaches.
Reduced dimension and reduced rank robust ABF for large sensor count arrays

The generalized sidelobe cancellation (GSC) structure requires a number of auxiliary array correlation matrix inversions proportional to the number of steering directions [H. L. Van Trees, 2002]. The steering invariant sidelobe cancellation (SISC) process achieves reduced complexity, robust adaptive beamforming (ABF) without this proportionality [N. Owsley and N. Tague, March 2003]. This paper extends previous SISC work with implementation considerations, a modification for signal mismatch robustness and comparisons with other reduced complexity ABFs. The comparison metrics are: (1) beam patterns; (2) beamformer response and (3) array gain (AG) time series. The results indicate either the same or improved AG performance relative to other reduced dimension ABF techniques but with lower computational burden.
Administering GBrowse sites with WebGBrowse.

GBrowse is widely used by biologists to visualize genome annotation. We have developed WebGBrowse to facilitate hosting multiple GBrowse instances specific for different users on the same Web server. WebGBrowse automatically sets up each user-specific GBrowse instance by extracting information from user-supplied data to produce the appropriate configuration. This unit describes installation and administration of WebGBrowse for bioinformaticians who plan to manage local WebGBrowse servers in their institutions.Curr. Protoc. Bioinform. 33:9.14.1-9.14.9. © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: Genome Browser; WebGBrowse; GBrowse; GMOD; visualization; genome; annotation
Solving Large Scale Uncapacitated Facility Location Problems

We investigate the solution of instances of the uncapacitated facility location problem with at most 3000 potential facility locations and similar number of customers. We use heuristics that produce a feasible integer solution and a lower bound on the optimum. In particular, we present a new heuristic whose gap from optimality was generally below 1%. The heuristic combines the volume algorithm and a recent approximation algorithm based on randomized rounding. Our computational experiments show that our heuristic compares favorably against DUALOC.
Infectious complications and ventilation tubes in pediatric cochlear implant recipients

Objectives/Hypothesis At many centers, ventilating tubes (VTs) are placed routinely in otitis-prone pediatric cochlear implant recipients. However, this practice is controversial, as many otologists believe VTs represent a possible route for contamination of the device. Toward better understanding of the safety of VTs, we reviewed our center's infectious complications and their relationship to the presence of tubes. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Methods All patients undergoing cochlear implantation at our institution between 1990 and 2012 were reviewed for complications and their association with the presence of VTs. Results A total of 478 patients (557 ears) were reviewed, representing over 2,978 patient-years of follow-up. In 135 ears (24.2%), a VT was present at time of, or placed at some point after, implantation. The remainder either never had a VT or it had extruded prior to implantation. Overall, 63 complications occurred, of which 17 were infectious. The most common were cellulitis (four), device infection (five), and meningitis (four). Only one occurred while a tube was present, and was a device infection in an ear having a retained VT in place for almost 4 years. No difference was observed in overall rates of infectious complications between the group with VTs and those who never had VTs. Conclusions This series, the largest to date, indicates that infectious complications after cochlear implantation are rarely associated with the presence of VTs, supporting the concept that, overall, VTs are safe in cochlear implant recipients. Close monitoring is essential, including prompt removal of tubes when they are no longer needed. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 2015
Laparoscopic pyeloplasty: the updated McMaster University experience.

Objective: The open Anderson–Hynes procedure has an overall success rate of 90% for ureteropelvic junction obstruction. Laparoscopic pyeloplasty (LP) was developed to reduce morbidity and hospital stay while preserving the excellent results. We report on the results of our experience with laparoscopic pyeloplasty. Methods: Between January 2001 and May 2006, 77 consecutive patients underwent LP performed by one of 4 surgeons at our institution. Patients were reassessed with ultrasound (U/S) or intravenous pyelogram (IVP) at 6 weeks. Diuretic renal scan and U/S or IVP were performed at 6 months, and subsequent follow-up included a U/S or IVP as well as clinical assessment. Patients were assessed for pain and hydronephrosis on radiologic imaging, clearance on diuretic renal scan (T1/2) and differential renal function. Results: We evaluated 73 patients. The mean patient age was 38 years (range 16–71 yr), the mean operating time was 218 minutes (range 110–409 min), and the mean blood loss was 57 mL (range 25–250 mL). Mean hospital stay was 3.0 days (range 2–7 d). The success rate was 90.4%, and failures were mainly due to poor function after surgery (3 patients). Pyelolithotomy was performed concomitantly on 6 patients, which on average extended operative time by 36 minutes. Conclusion: Our success rates are consistent with the LP experience of other centres and are comparable with rates for the open technique. Patients had short hospital stays, and complications were negligible. With experienced surgeons, LP should be the first-line treatment for ureteropelvic junction obstruction.
Did the Classical Gold Standard Lead to Greater Business Cycle Synchronization? Evidence from New Measures

Summary Previous studies have presented findings suggesting that the gold standard may have led to an increase in business cycle synchronization among its member countries. This follows a growing literature which posits that currency unions in general lead to greater synchronization of business cycles. The previous papers on the gold standard, however, suffer from simultaneity problems, and incomplete measures of just how synchronized output gaps are. We accordingly apply two new measures of business cycle coherence which have recently been applied to the modern Euro zone. These measures account both for differences in the sign as well as the amplitude of output gaps, and can be computed on a period-by-period basis, unlike previous metrics. In addition, we employ two other methods which do not allow for time-varying estimation, but have been employed in other studies of output convergence. We find, contrary to the earlier studies, that the classical gold standard did not appear to increase the coherence of business cycles.
Adolescent varicocele: A large multicenter analysis of complications and recurrence in academic programs.

Summary Objective After varicocelectomy a wide range of recurrence rates have been reported from 0 to 18%, and rates of post-operative hydrocele formation between 0 and 29%. Controversy exists as to the appropriate approach for varicocele treatment, whether open, laparoscopic, or percutaneous embolization (PE) is best for young men. The literature on treatment of adolescent varicocele is limited to high-volume single surgeon, single institution, or small multi-institution series. Our goal was to evaluate the retreatment and complication rates from numerous institutions to determine more generalizable results. Study design The Faculty Practice Solutions Center database was queried to identify males under age 19 years with a diagnosis and/or treatment of varicocele between January 2009 and December 2012. Patients were followed until December 2013 (1–5 years follow-up) to determine if they had occurrence of outcome variables: retreatment, diagnosis, or treatment of hydrocele. Associations of the variables age, race, insurance type, geographical region, surgeon-volume, and surgical approach, with outcome variables were analyzed using a mixed-effects Cox proportional hazard model. Results Of 6,729 patients with a diagnosis of varicocele, 1,036 underwent open (405), laparoscopic (530), or percutaneous embolization (PE) (101) treatment by 213 physicians. Retreatment rates after open, laparoscopic, and PE treatments were 1.5%, 3.4% and 9.9%, respectively. Race, region, insurance type, and age were not independently associated with outcomes. The incidence of hydrocele after open, laparoscopic, and PE treatments was 4.9%, 8.1%, and 5%, respectively. No approach was independently associated with diagnosis or treatment of hydrocele. Young age was associated with a significantly higher rate of hydrocele formation. For each year of age, there was a 14% decreased rate of hydrocele formation. Discussion Although this series contains the largest cohort of patients, physicians, and institutions, we were limited by the inability to determine actual recurrence rates. Only patients receiving retreatment at the same institution within the 1–5 year follow-up period were captured. As such, the true rate of varicocele recurrence may be higher. The retreatment rate is influenced by the physician's threshold to retreat and the patient's desire to undergo another procedure. Despite its limitations, this is the first study to compare open, laparoscopic, and percutaneous approaches to varicocele treatment. Conclusions Percutaneous embolization has a significantly higher retreatment rate compared with either open or laparoscopic varicocelectomy. Retreatment and hydrocele formation after open and laparoscopic approaches were not significantly different. This supports a surgeon and family choosing an approach based on patient characteristics and surgeon preference.
Money for Nothing: Are Decoupled Agricultural Subsidies Just?

Every year, the US government pays farmers billions of dollars not to grow anything. Especially within urban constituencies, politically and geographically distant from food production centers, these decoupled agriculture subsidies may seem to be unjust uses for public tax dollars. But can any argument be given in favor of such payments? I argue the affirmative by linking decoupled agricultural subsidies to the solution of pressing moral issues: obesity and food deserts. First, I argue that decoupled subsidies offer growers the economic freedom to try to grow fruits and vegetables, and to develop their capacities growing such foods. Such changes to which crops are produced is essential to augmenting availability of fresh produce and thereby addressing food deserts and (partially) obesity. Second, I argue that because food deserts and obesity are actually byproducts of our agriculture and food distribution system, we have a social obligation to adopt policies like decoupled agricultural subsidies to resolve them. The essay closes with considerations about four objections, and my responses to them.
Preparation of Cell Wall Antigens of Staphylococcus aureus.

Abstract Cell walls were prepared from Staphylococcus aureus strains Copenhagen and 263 by high-speed mixing in the presence of glass beads followed by differential centrifugation. Insoluble peptidoglycan complexes were derived from cell walls by extraction of teichoic acid with 10% trichloroacetic acid. Intact teichoic acid was prepared from each strain by digestion of cell walls with lysostaphin and isolated by column chromatography. Soluble glycopeptide (peptidoglycan in which only the glycan has been fragmented) and the stable complex of teichoic acid with glycopeptide were prepared by digestion of cell walls with Chalaropsis B endo-N-acetylmuramidase and were separated by column chromatography. Amino acid and amino sugar contents of walls and subunits of walls were comparable to those reported by others.
An evidence-based medicine approach to the treatment of endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain: placebo-controlled studies.

Abstract Objective Use an evidence-based medicine (EBM) approach to evaluate the evidence regarding efficacy of treatment of endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials (RCT) Design Review of six randomized, controlled trials (Canadian Task Force classification I). Setting University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Patients Three hundred eighty-one women with endometriosis enrolled in placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials. Intervention A MEDLINE search of published medical articles from January 1976, to January 1998. Measurements and Main Results Six placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials were found that addressed the treatment of pelvic pain associated with endometriosis and met validity criteria; one was a study of surgical treatment, two of medical therapies, and three of combined surgical and medical treatments. They clearly show that laparoscopic surgery and medical treatment with medroxyprogesterone acetate, danazol, or nafarelin are more effective than placebo. Evidence for efficacy of leuprolide acetate is weaker. At 6 months, absolute decreases in pain scores are quite similar with surgical or medical treatment. Medical therapy after surgical treatment significantly reduced pain, but six months after it was stopped there was no difference between women treated and not treated postoperatively. Conclusions Although either surgical or medical treatment of endometriosis in women with CPP is clearly indicated, pain relief of 6 or more months' duration can be expected in only 40 to 70% of women with endometriosis-associated CPP.
The finite element method: Is weighted volume integration essential?

In developing finite element equations for steady state and transient diffusion-type processes, weighted volume integration is generally assumed to be an intrinsic requirement. It is shown that such finite element equations can be developed directly and with ease on the basis of the elementary notion of a surface integral. Although weighted volume integration is mathematically correct, the algebraic equations stemming from it are no more informative than those derived directly on the basis of a surface integral. An interesting upshot is that the derivation based on surface integration does not require knowledge of a partial differential equation but yet is logically rigorous. It is commonly stated that weighted volume integration of the differential equation helps one carry out analyses of errors, convergence and existence, and therefore, weighted volume integration is preferable. It is suggested that because the direct derivation is logically consistent, numerical solutions emanating from it must be testable for accuracy and internal consistency in ways that the style of which may differ from the classical procedures of error- and convergence-analysis. In addition to simplifying the teaching of the finite element method, the thoughts presented in this paper may lead to establishing the finite element method independently in its own right, rather than it being a surrogate of the differential equation. The purpose of this paper is not to espouse any one particular way of formulating the finite element equations. Rather, it is one of introspection. The desire is to critically examine our traditional way of doing things and inquire whether alternate approaches may reveal to us new and interesting insights.
Third or greater penetrating keratoplasties: indications, survival, and visual outcomes.

PURPOSE The purposes of this study were to report the indications, graft survival, risk factors for graft failure, and visual outcomes for third or greater penetrating keratoplasties (PKP). METHODS Six years of Wills Eye Institute Cornea Service charts (2000-2005) were retrospectively reviewed to identify all patients who had undergone three or more PKPs. Graft survival rates by initial diagnosis and risk factors for graft failure were analyzed. RESULTS Forty-five patients who had three or more PKPs were identified. The total number of grafts identified in these 45 patients was 152, including 45 third PKPs, 11 fourth, three fifth, two sixth, and one seventh. The most common indication for the initial PKP was pseudophakic bullous keratopathy in 18 of 45 patients (41%) followed by Fuchs dystrophy (seven of 45 patients [16%]) and stromal dystrophies (five of 45 patients [11%]). Approximately half of third grafts (24 of 45 [53%]) and one fourth of fourth grafts (three of 11 [27%]) survived at the last follow-up visit with a median follow up of 4.3 years for the third grafts and 8.4 years for the fourth grafts. One-, 2-, and 5-year graft survival rates were 89%, 78%, and 53% for the third grafts and 73%, 73%, and 64% for the fourth grafts, respectively. The median survival time for the third graft was 12.8 years in Fuchs dystrophy, 5.2 years in herpetic keratitis, 4.0 years in keratoconus, 3.0 years in pseudophakic bullous keratopathy, 2.3 years in iridocorneal endothelial syndrome, and 2.0 years in stromal dystrophies. There is no statistically significant difference between groups (P = 0.46). Risk factor analysis on the third grafts showed that previous glaucoma procedures and corneal neovascularization are statistically significant risk factors for graft failure (P = 0.04 and 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSION Over 50% of third and fourth grafts were clear at 5 years postoperatively. Outcomes of third grafts were better in patients with Fuchs dystrophy, keratoconus, and herpetic keratitis. Absence of previous glaucoma surgery and/or corneal neovascularization is associated with better outcomes of multiple PKPs.
Non-viral siRNA delivery to the lung

SiRNAs exert their biological effect by guiding the degradation of their cognate mRNA sequence, thereby shutting down the corresponding protein production (gene silencing by RNA interference or RNAi). Due to this property, siRNAs are emerging as promising therapeutic agents for the treatment of inherited and acquired diseases, as well as research tools for the elucidation of gene function in both health and disease. Because of their lethality and prevalence, lung diseases have attracted particular attention as targets of siRNA-mediated cures. In addition, lung is accessible to therapeutic agents via multiple routes, e.g., through the nose and the mouth, thus obviating the need for targeting and making it an appealing target for RNAi-based therapeutic strategies. The clinical success of siRNA-mediated interventions critically depends upon the safety and efficacy of the delivery methods and agents. Delivery of siRNAs relevant to lung diseases has been attempted through multiple routes and using various carriers in animal models. This review focuses on the recent progress in non-viral delivery of siRNAs for the treatment of lung diseases, particularly infectious diseases. The rapid progress will put siRNA-based therapeutics on fast track to the clinic.
Incorporating the Impact of Learning in Assessing the Effectiveness of Cellular Manufacturing

Previous studies suggest that despite their intuitive appeal, cellular manufacturing systems are only effective in a batch production environment under a limited set of conditions. However, these studies have not taken into account the potential for productivity improvements unique to shops organized around product and work groups. Improvements that yield processing time reductions and rapid movement down the learning curve may offset the limited flexibility that typically compromises the performance of cellular shops. This paper demonstrates that if a cellular shop can yield even marginally greater reductions in processing times than a job shop, it can outperform the job shop under conditions previously thought to be unfavourable to a cellular shop. Learning curve theory is used to show that this can be achieved at modest levels of output and also under conditions not typically associated with cellular shop configurations.
Ultrastructural analysis of chromosome translocation-induced neurol tube defects

O’SHEA, K. S. Ultrastructural analysis of chromosome translocation-induced neurcd tube defects. BRAIN RES BULL 16(6) 833-844, 1986.-Neural tube closure defects occurred in 33% of the embryos obtained from matings of male mice heterozygous for a reciprocal chromosome translocation (T(2;4)lSn) with normal female CFLP mice. Light and electron microscopic obse~ations of neur~pi~e~um and mesench~e in affected embryos indicated two distinct types of anomalies occurred. The first consisted of neuroepithe~~ h~~~phy and neural tube closure defects. These defects most frequently affected the midbrain and hindbrain, but occasional defects of the lumbosacrai neural tube were also observed. Unlike the highly organized, pseudostratified neuroepitheiium in control embryos, neuroepithehal ceils became stratified and formed cell islands with secondary iumina within the wall of the neural tube. The second condition was associated with a reduction in neuroepithelial thickness, considerable neuroepithelial and neural crest cell death, basal lamina alterations and premature invasion of the neuroepithelium by subjacent endothelial cells. In both cases, the cephalic mesenchyme cells, rather than their normal steliate appearance, were markedly elongated in shape and reduced in area. The number of cell-cell contacts between mesenchymal cells was also reduced signiIIc.antly. These results are discussed in light of recent theories regarding the role of mesenchyme and extracelhdar matrix in neurulation,
Discovery of the lomaiviticin biosynthetic gene cluster in Salinispora pacifica

The lomaiviticins are a family of cytotoxic marine natural products that have captured the attention of both synthetic and biological chemists due to their intricate molecular scaffolds and potent biological activities. Here we describe the identification of the gene cluster responsible for lomaiviticin biosynthesis in Salinispora pacifica strains DPJ-0016 and DPJ-0019 using a combination of molecular approaches and genome sequencing. The link between the lom gene cluster and lomaiviticin production was confirmed using bacterial genetics, and subsequent analysis and annotation of this cluster revealed the biosynthetic basis for the core polyketide scaffold. Additionally, we have used comparative genomics to identify candidate enzymes for several unusual tailoring events, including diazo formation and oxidative dimerization. These findings will allow further elucidation of the biosynthetic logic of lomaiviticin assembly and provide useful molecular tools for application in biocatalysis and synthetic biology.
Do Infants Have Religion? The Spiritual Lives of Beng Babies

Anthropologists have neglected a significant dimension to religion by ignoring the spiritual lives of a society's youngest members. In Cote d'lvoire, Beng infants are said to lead a profoundly spiritual existence. Indeed, until the age of five or so, Beng children are said to live at least part of the time in the spiritual other world (wrugbe) they inhabited before being reincarnated. Exploring both ideology and praxis, the author probes the consequences for the daily experiences and care of Bang babies, including umbilical cord care, enemas, crying, adornment, naming, personality development, and infant disease and death. The author concludes by considering the implications of a full-blown treatment of infants for the practice of anthropology.
Benefits and Potential Problems Associated with Effective Data-Sharing Consortia.

This chapter investigates the benefits and potential problems associated with participating in formal inter-institutional data-sharing organizations.
ACCURACY OF SURVEY QUESTIONS FOR GERIATRIC URINARY INCONTINENCE

AbstractPurpose: Risk factors, natural history, consequences, therapeutic responses and costs are all likely related to type of urinary incontinence, for example stress or urge. Yet few epidemiologic type specific data are available and only 1 study has been validated urodynamically. We compare the accuracy of a typical questionnaire used in a large epidemiologic study with the criterion standard of multichannel video urodynamic testing.Materials and Methods: The questionnaire was administered before urodynamic testing to 132 subjects 65 years old or older, of whom 80% were women, all were mobile and none was severely demented. Responses to questionnaire items were compared to the criterion standard, singly and in combination, using a total of 4 a priori and post hoc strategies, including a computerized regression tree program.Results: Overall, no analytic strategy correctly classified more than 67% of patients and none accurately classified even a single type of incontinence, including stress incontinenc...
Infrared spectroscopy of perdeuterated protonated water clusters in the vicinity of the clathrate cage.

We report infrared predissociation spectra of size-selected D+(D2O)n clusters in the size range n = 18−24 for comparison to previous studies of the corresponding H+(H2O)n species (Shin, J.-W.; Hammer, N. I.; Diken, E. G.; Johnson, M. A.; Walters, R. S.; Jaeger, T. D.; Duncan, M. A.; Christie, R. A.; Jordon, K. D. Science 2004, 304, 1137). For n = 18−20, two “free” OD stretch bands are observed and assigned to D2O molecules in acceptor−acceptor−donor (AAD) and acceptor−donor (AD) hydrogen bonding arrangements. Only the AAD band is observed for the n = 21 perdeuterated species. This behavior is identical to that observed previously for the corresponding H+(H2O)n clusters. Similar to the all-H protonated species, the AD “free” OD stretch band is also absent for the perdeuterated n = 22 cluster but returns for clusters larger than n = 22. Like the H+(H2O)n systems, the perdeuterated clusters have no spectral band in the lower frequency range where the signature of the hydronium cation is predicted. These obse...
Synthesis and anti‐inflammatory activity of fluorinated benzamides

Six fluorine-containing N-substituted benzamides were synthesized, and their physical constants were determined. Their acute toxicity was determined, and LD50 values are given. The compounds were screened for anti-inflammatory activity using a modification of the rat-paw edema method. None of the compounds showed activity comparable to hydrocortisone acetate or indomethacin. However, two of the compounds showed sufficient activity to warrant further study.
Oscillatory exchange coupling: RKKY or quantum-well mechanism?

The exchange coupling in multilayers of iron and chromium is calculated in the local spin density approximation, as a function of the Fe magnetic moment. We find a short-period and a long-period oscillation, which we attribute to a harmonic of the short period. For small moments, the interlayer coupling is found to be bilinear in the Fe moments, as assumed in RKKY theory. For moments appropriate to real iron the coupling tends to saturate, as assumed in quantum-well models, demonstrating that the quantum-well model more correctly describes the real iron-chromium system, though both models give correct periods of the oscillation.
Avoidance by grazers facilitates spread of an invasive hybrid plant

Biological invasions greatly increase the potential for hybridization among native and non-native species. Hybridization may influence the palatability of novel hybrids to consumers potentially influencing invasion success; however, the palatability of non-native hybrids relative to the parent species is poorly known. In contrast, studies of native-only hybrids find they are nearly always more palatable to consumers than the parent species. Here, I experimentally demonstrate that an invasive hybrid cordgrass (Spartina) is dramatically less palatable to grazing geese than the native parent species. Using field and aviary experiments, I show that grazing geese ignore the hybrid cordgrass and preferentially consume native Spartina. I also experimentally demonstrate that reduced herbivory of the invasive hybrid may contribute to faster spread in a California estuary. These results suggest that biological invasions may increase future opportunities for creating novel hybrids that may pose a greater risk to natural systems than the parent species.
Detection of malaria liver-stages in mice infected through the bite of a single Anopheles mosquito using a highly sensitive real-time PCR

We describe a highly sensitive real-time PCR to detect and measure the development of the liver-stages of malaria parasites in mice infected with sporozoites ranging in number from 25 to more than 164,000, using the same reaction conditions. Furthermore, this assay detects and measures parasite loads in the livers of mice exposed to the bite of a single malaria-infected Anopheles mosquito. This unique method should greatly facilitate studies aimed at evaluating very precisely the efficacy of anti-malarial experimental drug treatments and vaccination regimens in conditions of infection resembling those found in the field.
On the reliability of stochastic systems

In this note we consider the problem of computing the probability R(t0 = P(X(t) > Y(t) for 0 < t ⩽ t0), where X(t) and Y(t) are stochastic processes. This extends some of the existing results to the case of stochastic processes. Related estimation problems are also considered.
Altered estrogen receptor system in estrogen-unresponsive human endometrial adenocarcinoma cells.

Abstract Previous studies from our laboratories demonstrated that cells from a human endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line (Ishikawa) responded to estradiol whereas cells from another endometrial cancer line (HEC-50) did not. In an attempt to identify factors responsible for the observed estiogen insensitivity we compared the characteristics of the estradiol receptor (ER) systems in Ishikawa and HEC-50 cells. Saturation analyses of cytosolic estrogen binders were performed over a 0.1–70nM range of [3H]estradiol concentrations. Equilibrium dissociation constants and number of binding sites were determined by graphic analysis of Scatchard plots or computed by applying Fourier-derived affinity spectrum analysis (FASA) of the binding data. No significant differences were noted in the dissociation constants (Kd approx. 0.6 nM) or number of binding sites (approx. 6–10 fmol/mg protein) for the single binder that could be evaluated by the graphic method in cytosol from the two cell lines. However, 2 binders in Ishikawa cells (Kd approx. 0.2 and 6 nM) could be detected by the FASA method; the higher affinity binder in HEC-50 cells could not be clearly demonstrated. Structural differences in the specific estrogen binders which might distinguish HEC-50 from Ishikawa cells or normal endometrial tissue were investigated by using the anti-ER monoclonal antibody JS 34/32. Interaction of the antibody with [3H]estradiol binders ofestrogen-responsive cells and tissue was evident from the formation of labeled complexes that were shown to sediment faster in glycerol density gradients and could be immunoprecipitated with Protein A attached to Sepharose beads. In contrast, the antibody did not recognize labeled specific binders in the HEC-50 cells. Furthermore, [3H]estradiol receptors in Ishikawa cells could be transformed into a species that exhibited increased hydrophilicity, evident from its binding to DNA-cellulose, whereas binders from HEC-50 could not. These results indicate that the lack of responsiveness of HEC-50 cells to estrogens might be due to structural or functional alterations in the ER protein resulting in a loss of its capability to undergo estrogen-directed conformational changes required for biological activity.
MO‐B‐224C‐01: Action Levels for IMRT QA

Each intensity‐modulated radiation therapy(IMRT) field includes many small, irregular, and asymmetric fields that completely obscure the relationship between monitor unit (MU) setting and radiationdose. Uncertainty and inaccuracy of dose delivery with IMRT is primarily attributed to the leaf positioning accuracy, modeling of radiation output for small field sizes, modeling of beam penumbra, and the dose outside the IMRT field. Dose‐difference distribution, distance‐to‐agreement (DTA), and a numerical gamma index are often used to evaluate the quality of agreement between measured and calculated dose distributions for the IMRT fields. The tolerance limits based on these indices for IMRT QA are often not adequate because all these methodologies do not account for space‐specific dose uncertainty information. In other words, single tolerance criterion is applied to all test points even when dose uncertainty is significantly different from point to point. At any given point, the dose uncertainty depends on different levels of dose and gradients from multiple small beams rather than that of the overall dose profile. Therefore, new methodologies are needed that determine dose uncertainties based on the dose level and gradient information of each small field. In IMRT, it is sometimes difficult to have agreement between calculation and measurement of dose at all points in a 3‐D dose distribution. A disagreement at a few points does not necessarily lead to negative overall result if other comparable points are well within the established tolerance limits. We will describe a new approach in establishing tolerance limits and action levels for IMRT QA that will ensure delivery of prescribed radiationdose within an acceptable limit of 5%. Educational Objectives: 1. To describe the uncertainties in IMRT planning and delivery. 2. To describe the impact of spatial and dosimetric uncertainties on the IMRTdose distribution. 3. To describe the limitations of current methodologies of establishing tolerance limits for IMRT QA. 4. To describe new methodologies for establishing tolerance limits for IMRT QA.
Medication Abortion within a Student Health Care Clinic: A Review of the First 46 Consecutive Cases.

Abstract Objective: Medication abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol has been available in the United States since 2000. The authors reviewed the first 46 medication abortion cases conducted at a university-based student health care clinic to determine the safety and feasibility of medication abortion in this type of clinical setting. Participants: Female patients presenting for medication abortion at a student health care clinic between October 1, 2006, and April 1, 2009. Methods: Retrospective consecutive case review. Results: Successful completion not requiring uterine aspiration occurred in 85% of the cases that were not lost to follow-up. Six cases (15%) required uterine aspiration for completion: 3 underwent uterine aspiration only; 3 had aspiration after failing an additional dose of misoprostol. Only 1 patient visited the emergency room. There were no hospitalizations. Conclusions: Medication abortion services in a student health care clinic are safe and feasible. However, additional treatmen...
False negative rate. A misnomer, misunderstood and misused.

By rigorous statistical standards, the expression false negative rate is a misnomer because the concept of "rate" is associated with the rapidity of change of phenomena per unit of time or other variable (e.g., temperature). Uncertainty about the term false negative rate resulted in the introduction of similar but equally dubious expressions, including false negative fraction and miss rate. The statistically correct term in the practice of cytopathology is false negative proportion because we have here a fraction in which the numerator (number of false negative cases) is a part of the denominator (number of true positive cases plus number of false negative cases). This is the classic definition of the term proportion.
Diel biogeochemical processes and their effect on the aqueous chemistry of streams: A review

Abstract This review summarizes biogeochemical processes that operate on diel, or 24-h, time scales in streams and the changes in aqueous chemistry that are associated with these processes. Some biogeochemical processes, such as those producing diel cycles of dissolved O 2 and pH, were the first to be studied, whereas processes producing diel concentration cycles of a broader spectrum of chemical species including dissolved gases, dissolved inorganic and organic carbon, trace elements, nutrients, stable isotopes, and suspended particles have received attention only more recently. Diel biogeochemical cycles are interrelated because the cyclical variations produced by one biogeochemical process commonly affect another. Thus, understanding biogeochemical cycling is essential not only for guiding collection and interpretation of water-quality data but also for geochemical and ecological studies of streams. Expanded knowledge of diel biogeochemical cycling will improve understanding of how natural aquatic environments function and thus lead to better predictions of how stream ecosystems might react to changing conditions of contaminant loading, eutrophication, climate change, drought, industrialization, development, and other factors.