cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Influence of International Criminal Law on the Advancement of Prisoners' Rights

The conviction and sentencing of the perpetrators of major atrocities constitutes an affirmation of the values of human life and dignity, trampled by international crimes. This affirmation guided recent development of international law, excluding not only the death penalty, but also inhumane forms of imprisonment. The sentencing and punishment of international criminals has thus become a desirable model for national prison legislation.
Challenges to Religious Freedom in the USA: Some Lessons from Global Crises:

Religious freedom is a focus of controversy in the United States today. The leaders of some religious communities, particularly Evangelicals and Roman Catholics, object to policies that challenge t...
Positionality, Power, and Positions of Power: Reflexivity in Elite Interviewing

There is growing consensus in political science methods literature that positionality is consequential for interview research in variable and important ways. At the same time, however, much of this literature reinforces a categorical distinction between elite and non-elite contexts and participants, and it assumes “elite” to be a static category that presents researchers with discrete challenges that require uniform strategies to address. This article draws on my experience in conducting interviews with more than 100 “elites” to address this divide in two ways. First, I show that the category of elite is not as monolithic as often asserted. Rather, speaking with educated and authoritative individuals is fraught with variable challenges related to positionality. Second, to address these challenges, I argue that researchers must engage in active reflexivity, interrogating the relational effects of positionality across all aspects of research. I focus particular attention on issues of access and interactions within interviews.
The Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway Inhibits the Glucocorticoid Receptor Signaling Pathway in the Trabecular Meshwork

Glucocorticoid-induced glaucoma is a secondary open-angle glaucoma. About 40% of the general population may develop elevated intraocular pressure on prolonged glucocorticoid treatment secondary to damages in the trabecular meshwork (TM), a tissue that regulates intraocular pressure. Therefore, identifying the key molecules responsible for glucocorticoid-induced ocular hypertension is crucial. In this study, Dickkopf-related protein 1 (Dkk1), a canonical Wnt signaling inhibitor, was found to be elevated in the aqueous humor and TM of glaucoma patients. At the signaling level, Dkk1 enhanced glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling, whereas Dkk1 knockdown or Wnt signaling activators decreased GR signaling in human TM cells as indicated by luciferase assays. Similarly, activation of the GR signaling inhibited Wnt signaling. At the protein level, glucocorticoid-induced extracellular matrix was inhibited by Wnt activation using Wnt activators or Dkk1 knockdown in primary human TM cells. In contrast, inhibition of canonical Wnt signaling by β-catenin knockdown increased glucocorticoid-induced extracellular matrix proteins. At the physiological level, adenovirus-mediated Wnt3a expression decreased glucocorticoid-induced ocular hypertension in mouse eyes. In summary, Wnt and GR signaling inhibit each other in the TM, and canonical Wnt signaling activators may prevent the adverse effect of glucocorticoids in the eye.
Abductive Inference, Self-Knowledge, and the Myth of Introspection

Much of the history of psychology can be understood as a debate over what we do when we attribute psychological states to ourselves and to others. In the classic Cartesian view, those activities are quite distinct: We engage an infallible ability—introspection—when examining our own psychological states, but merely speculate when trying to identify the psychological states of others. The American Philosopher, Charles Sanders Peirce dedicated several early papers to a critique of the Cartesian approach. He concluded that attempts at self-knowledge require the same inferential processes that we use when attributing mental states to others, and therefore incur the same logical risks. By pursing these ideas further, we intend to show that self-knowledge results from a special kind of abduction; the inference of behavior states from particular observed behaviors. Such inferences allow us to anticipate yet-unseen patterns of behavior in yet-to-be-manifested circumstances.
Structure and Assembly of Type IV Pilins

This chapter focuses on the contribution of structural biology to the understanding of the type IV pili. Recent reviews cover the developments in research on molecular genetics, regulation of expression and assembly, pilus-mediated surface motility, host responses to pili, and pilus-based vaccines carried out by many laboratories around the world. High-resolution structures of four type IV pilins have been published. In the chapter, the structural details of each pilin subunit are elaborated and compared. Models for pilus filament assembly based on the monomer structures are also discussed. The limited structural information available for pilus assembly proteins is summarized. The chapter is an appropriate venue in which to clarify that type IV pilus filament models are not refined atomic resolution structures of pilus quatenary assemblies. To increase the accuracy and resolution of any type IV pilus assembly model, the model must be rigorously refined against moderate-resolution data for intact pili, such as cryoelectron microscopy reconstructions or complete high-resolution fiber diffraction data sets. These have been challenging to obtain for the very smooth and thin type IV pili. X-ray crystallography on additional pilin subunits, high-resolution electron microscopy reconstructions of intact pilus filaments, and structural biology of additional proteins in the type IV pilus pathway are clearly important next steps for understanding the mechanisms of pilus assembly, retraction, and function.
Efficiently detecting webpage updates using samples

Due to resource constraints, Web archiving systems and search engines usually have difficulties keeping the local repository completely synchronized with the Web. To address this problem, sampling-based techniques periodically poll a subset of webpages in the local repository to detect changes on the Web, and update the local copies accordingly. The goal of such an approach is to discover as many changed webpages as possible within the boundary of the available resources. In this paper we advance the state-of-art of the sampling-based techniques by answering a challenging question: Given a sampled webpage that has been updated, which other webpages are also likely to have changed? We propose a set of sampling policies with various downloading granularities, taking into account the link structure, the directory structure, and the content-based features. We also investigate the update history and the popularity of the webpages to adaptively model the download probability. We ran extensive experiments on a real web data set of about 300,000 distinct URLs distributed among 210 websites. The results showed that our sampling-based algorithm can detect about three times as many changed webpages as the baseline algorithm. It also showed that the changed webpages are most likely to be found in the same directory and the upper directories of the changed sample. By applying clustering algorithm on all the webpages, pages with similar change pattern are grouped together so that updated webpages can be found in the same cluster as the changed sample. Moreover, our adaptive downloading strategies significantly outperform the static ones in detecting changes for the popular webpages.
X-Ray Binaries in Globular Clusters

X-ray binaries in globular clusters provide a powerful tool for the exploration of the evolution of compact binaries and their host globular clusters. Recent x-ray and optical studies of these systems have yielded long-sought binary periods and fundamental properties for two sources (in NGC 6624 and M 15). It appears that tidal capture formation of compact binaries in globular clusters can proceed by several different routes and lead to exotic systems such as the white dwarf-neutron star binary with an 11-minute period recently discovered in NGC 6624. Combined with previously reported long-term periods for several globular cluster (and field) x-ray sources, this suggests again that many of these systems may in fact be hierarchical triple systems. The prospects for forming these in the dense cores of clusters undergoing core collapse is discussed, and searches for color gradients in the cores of globular clusters showing cusps in their central surface brightness distribution are presented. A program to test for the high central density of binaries (and triples) expected in cusp clusters by searching for diffuse line emission from their constituent cataclysmic variables is briefly described. Finally, the case for globular cluster disruption and the formation of galactic x-ray burst source is reviewed in light of recent developments.
The Evolution of Dependable Computing at the University of Illinois

The University of Illinois has been active in research in the dependable computing field for over 50 years. Fundamental ideas have been proposed and major contributions made by researchers at the University of Illinois in the areas of error detection and recovery, fault tolerance middleware, testing and diagnosis, experimental evaluation and benchmarking of system dependability, dependability modeling, and secure system design and validation. This paper traces the origins of these ideas and their development within the University of Illinois, as well as their influence upon research at other institutions, and outlines current research directions.
The pedagogical use of Twitter in the university classroom

Social media is revolutionizing how we think and communicate. For educators, the pressing question is centered not so much around if technology should be used in the classroom or when it should be used, but what type should be used in the classroom. My purpose for this study was to discover how Twitter might be used pedagogically to assist students in communication, collaboration, and participation within an ecology of practice which views New Media through the lens of the classical canons of rhetoric. Using a qualitative approach, data was gathered from personal interviews, academic Twitter feeds, course websites, instructors’ blogs, and published scholarly research. Because it is an easily accessible, free service that provides an alternative to Facebook and host to a number of free applications and tools, Twitter has been suitably used for pedagogical and rhetorical purposes within the university classroom.
Uremic pericarditis: a report of 30 cases and review of the literature.

Case series Patient: Male, 71 • Male, 69 • Female, 49 Final Diagnosis: Uremic pericarditis Symptoms: — Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Hemodialysis Specialty: Nephrology Objective: Rare disease
Contribution of the lymph antigens to the MHC II self-peptidome (APP2P.102)

Thymic MHC class II peptide presentation shapes the CD4+ T cell repertoire. Conventional migratory dendritic cells (cDC) participate in this process by presenting peripheral self antigens to the developing thymocytes after migration to the thymus. To evaluate the contribution of cDC in central tolerance we analyzed their HLA-DR1 eluted peptidome. Over 3000 peptides with a prediction score above identity, were sequenced. Peptides derived from both intracellular and extracellular sources displayed a snap shot of the HLA-DR1-restricted self peptidome presented under physiological conditions. Processing enzymes responsible for generating these peptides were identified and included cathepsins, metalloproteases, calpains and caspases among others. Comparative analysis between the HLA-DR1 eluted peptidome and naturally processed peptides found in the human lymph identified peptides that shared common sequences, common N or C terminal cleavage site, and few peptides that completely overlapped, indicating that peptides found in biological fluids can contribute to the overall MHC-II peptidome presented by cDC. HLA-DR1 binding affinity and HLA-DM sensitivity was evaluated for several of the mapped peptides. Peripheral injection of the eluted peptides in HLA-DR1 mice identified their role in CD4+ thymocytes selection. Altogether our data indicate that peptides found in biological fluids can shape the thymic T cell repertoire and contribute to the generation of central tolerance.
Physical activity and energy intake selectively predict the waist-to-hip ratio in men but not in women

Background: The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) has emerged as an important risk factor for several chronic diseases, but little quantitative information exists about its relation with energy intake and expenditure in men and women. Objective: We examined the relative role of energy intake and physical activity as determinants of WHRs in men and women, after adjustment for body mass index (BMI) and other likely confounding factors. Design: In the context of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), 16433 women and 11 520 men aged 30-82 y, apparently healthy and from all over Greece, were examined between 1994 and 1999. Anthropometric measurements were taken, a validated semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire was administered, and time-weighted occupational and leisure activities were assessed. The WHR was regressed, separately for men and women, on energy intake and energy expenditure after age and BMI were controlled for. Results: Results for women and men differed. In women, neither energy intake nor energy expenditure was associated with the WHR in any way other than that mediated through BMI. In contrast, in men, higher energy intakes and higher energy expenditures were associated significantly, and largely independently of BMI, with higher and lower WHRs, respectively. Conclusions: Because the WHR is an important predictor of several cardiovascular and other chronic diseases, documentation of a strong effect of physical activity on the WHR selectively in men may provide a partial explanation of how the effect of physical activity is mediated and why physical activity is more effective in men than in women in reducing disease risk.
Does carbon dioxide play a role in retrolental fibroplasia

The proper evaluation of bone age in children has long been neglected in pediatric publications. For example, the 1979 edition of Nelson9s Textbook of Pediatrics still carried scanty information which dated back to 1943. Similarly, the other major pediatric textbooks provided no references later than 1962. Greulich and Pyle9s hand-and-wrist atlas of 1959, commonly used by radiologists today, is also outdated, for children of this generation do mature earlier than those of the last generation did.
Nuclear Reactions and Neutrinos in Stellar Evolution

Much of the material discussed in this review represents a summary of some chapters in a monograph I am writing (Arnett, 1974); a more detailed discussion will be found there.
The modified differencing method for the set partitioning problem with cardinality constraints

Abstract The set partitioning problem requires partitioning a set of n numbers into K subsets so that the difference between the maximum and minimum subset sums is minimized. This paper investigates the problem with the additional constraint that the subset cardinalities should be as balanced as possible. It modifies the differencing method of Karmarkar and Karp to ensure that the cardinality of each subset is either ⌈ n K ⌉ or ⌊ n K ⌋. The modified algorithm preserves the asymptotic quality of the differencing method, that is, the difference between the maximum and minimum subset sums does not exceed n−c log n, almost surely.
Myocardial contrast echocardiography in coronary artery disease: Potential applications using venous injections of contrast

The feasibility of studying myocardial perfusion with myocardial contrast echocardiography using intra-aortic or intracoronary injections of contrast medium has been established both in animal models and humans. However, the assessment of myocardial perfusion using venous injection is dependent on the availability of contrast agents that can opacify the left ventricular myocardium following a venous injection. Such agents are currently being evaluated in animal models. Using data from left atrial injections of contrast, this review briefly highlights the principles that govern the study of myocardial perfusion from venous injections of contrast. The value of such an approach in the setting of chronic coronary artery disease and acute myocardial infarction is discussed.
The idea of power politics: The sophistic foundations of realism

(1995). The idea of power politics: The sophistic foundations of realism. Security Studies: Vol. 5, Roots of Realism, pp. 194-247.
Composition- and Annealing-Dependent Properties of Ba(Bi,Tl)O3-δ

Abstract Solid solutions of BaBiO 3 doped with thallium to give BaBi 1- x Tl x O 3-δ were prepared at 800°C and annealed at 425°C under either argon, air, or oxygen. All samples with x ≤ 0.4 showed an increase in the semiconducting band gap that was accompanied by a decrease in the room temperature diamagnetism, regardless of annealing conditions. Samples with x ≤ 0.4 also exhibited orthorhombic symmetry, rather than monoclinic, as for the parent BaBiO 3 . For compositions centered around BaBi 0.5 Tl 0.5 O 3-δ , however, the resistivity, susceptibility, and structural data were dependent upon the annealing conditions. Insulating behavior and strong diamagnetism (-6.15 × 10 -7 emu/g) were observed for the argon-annealed sample, which had δ = 0.84 and possessed tetragonal symmetry with a = 6.0724 and c = 8.9101 A. The air-annealed sample had a value of δ = 0.46, was a semiconductor or semimetal with a transition to metallic behavior at 73 K, and exhibited moderate room temperature diamagnetism (-3.17 × 10 -7 emu/g) and an orthorhombic unit cell with a = 6.0713, b = 6.1123, and c = 8.5790 A. Oxygen annealing gave a material with δ = 0.0 that was weakly semiconducting and weakly diamagnetic at room temperature (-0.35 × 10 -7 emu/g), and possessed a tetragonal unit cell with a = 6.0778 and c = 8.5418 A. These results are interpreted in terms of the extent and possible ordering of the oxygen vacancies and/or metal atoms.
Estimating simulation metamodel parameters for unexpected shop floor real time events

Abstract In order to better understand assembly line system dynamic behavior and provide a basis for developing effective production controls, three unexpected real time events are studied, including sudden machine breakdown at a work station, parts supply shortage and high priority job order processing. Short term system performance is evaluated by dynamic response variables associated with assembly time and work in process (WIP) inventory. Simulation is used as the modeling tool, and the results are further described by mathematical metamodels for overall system behavior. The system transients can be adequately represented by first order exponential functions, and satisfactory results are also obtained for expressing simultaneous occurrence of dynamic events by combined metamodels using linear additivity. A procedure is proposed for the development of dynamic metamodels. For a given system, only a limited number of simulation runs should be made in advance to estimate the metamodel parameters. Using the resultant application program that only contains the metamodels, whenever an event occurs, without running simulation a user can instantaneously predict the consequence in a specified time period by an estimation to the number of assembly products to be finished late.
Effects of Dietary Vitamin E Level and Unsaturation of Fatty Acids on Chick Immune Responses

We reported previously that supplemental vitamin E enhances disease resistance and antibody titers and depresses bursal prostaglandin (PG) E2 in chicks. In order to determine if dietary fat composition alters PG response and interacted with vitamin E, tallow or vegetable oil high in n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids were added to a cornsoybean meal chick diet. Comparisons were made among control cockerels and those fed diets containing safflower or corn oils or beef tallow at 3, 6 or 9% with each of these diets supplemented with 0 or 300 mg of all-rac-a-tocopheryl acetate (dla-tocophery1 acetate). In the first experiment chick antibody titers to sheep red blood cells were markedly stimulated by 6% tallow without added vitamin E. Unexpectedly, supplemental vitamin E depressed antibody titers only in the 6% tallow group. Dietary fat and supplemental vitamin E altered bursal but not splenic PGE2 values independent of inoculation. Overall, the combination of tallow and vitamin E supplementation vitamin E suppre...
Performance evaluation of computerized treatment planning systems for radiotherapy: external photon beams

A program for verifying the accuracy of any computerized treatment planning system for radiotherapy requires the use of suitable tests. A representative protocol for performing such an evaluation for external photon beams is given. Data are presented documenting the need for such a protocol. An important benefit of carrying out a verification protocol as outlined is that the user appreciates the limitations of the system as well as the most appropriate ways in which to operate the system to insure accurate data in unusual geometries.
THE HUMAN EFFECTS OF UNDEREMPLOYMENT

More and more workers in the United States are unable to use their educational background on the job. Such underemployment has been documented but not fully explored or analyzed. This paper examines the effects of underemployment on 32 low-level clerical workers, comparing their educational backgrounds with their attitudes and behaviors. Higher education produces increased job dissatisfaction, higher turnover rates, reduced job involvement, impaired co-worker relations, and more emphasis on future aspirations. However, clerical workers of all educational backgrounds are prone to feelings of overqualification and complaints about the nature of workplace control. I relate these findings to existing theories on underemployment.
ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING AND BLACK MALE JOBLESSNESS IN U.S. METROPOLITAN AREAS

This paper assesses, for the 1970-1980 period, the statistical effects on black male joblessness of four dimensions of the recent restructuring of the U.S. economy: ( I ) the geographical pattern of overall employment growth and decline, (2) the decline of central city manufacturing employment, (3) the deconcentration of employment opportunities, and (4) the shift from the "Fordist" to more flexible modes of production. The analysis focuses on 45 metropolitan communities-1 1 SCSAs and 34 SMSAs-and relies on data from two machine readable census files: County Business Patterns and Public Use Micro Data Samples, Three analytical techniques are employed: cluster analysis, to identify groups of metropolitan communities with similar economic restructuring experiences; confirmatory discriminant analysis, to identify which elements of economic restructuring statistically distinguish the groups of metropolitan areas uncovered in the cluster analysis; and OLS regression, to determine how well the dimensions of eco...
DIFFUSION OF URBAN MODELS: A CASE STUDY

The analysis of diffusion through the academic landscape of models of internal patterns of cities, as published in “The Nature of Cities” (Harris and Ullman, 1945) in simplified, generalized, and comparative cartodiagrams of concentric zones, sectors, and multiple nuclei, is based on records of 128 citations of the basic article in periodicals and on 309 reproductions of the models in books. The half-life of periodical citations of the article was reached in 1974, 29 years after publication. The half-life of reproduction of the models in books occurred eight years later in 1982, but the peak year was 1995, with 20 new republications.
Gravitational radiation from first-order phase transitions.

We consider the stochastic background of gravity waves produced by first-order cosmological phase transitions from two types of sources: colliding bubbles and hydrodynamic turbulence. First we discuss the fluid mechanics of relativistic spherical combustion. We then numerically collide many bubbles expanding at a velocity v and calculate the resulting spectrum of gravitational radiation in the linearized gravity approximation. Our results are expressed as simple functions of the mean bubble separation, the bubble expansion velocity, the latent heat, and the efficiency of converting latent heat to kinetic energy of the bubble walls. A first-order phase transition is also likely to excite a Kolmogoroff spectrum of turbulence. We estimate the gravity waves produced by such a spectrum of turbulence and find that the characteristic amplitude of the gravity waves produced is comparable to that from bubble collisions. Finally, we apply these results to the electroweak transition. Using the one-loop effective potential for the minimal electroweak model, the characteristic amplitude of the gravity waves produced is h≃1.5×10^-27 at a characteristic frequency of 4.1 × 10^-3 Hz corresponding to Ω∼10^-22 in gravity waves, far too small for detection. Gravity waves from more strongly first-order phase transitions, including the electroweak transition in nonminimal models, have better prospects for detection, though probably not by LIGO.
A phenol-extracted bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid.

IN the course of extraction of highly polymerized bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid from Brucella abortus cells first killed with 0.5 per cent phenol and then exposed to sodium deoxycholate, it was discovered that phenol treatment alone results in the recovery of material high in content of deoxyribonucleic acid. The acid isolated by this phenol procedure proved to possess specific transforming activity. Its breakdown products exerted selective effects upon bacterial population changes1,2 ; they also reduced the LD50 of pneumococci for mice2 and enhanced phagocytosis in vitro (Pomales-Lebron, A., Braun, W., and Stinebring, W., unpublished results); they also stimulated the growth of lymphosarcoma cells in mice. The polymerized material produced antibodies that appear to show a specificity for the deoxyribonucleic acid molecule3. In view of these diverse biological effects, additional details regarding the phenol extraction procedure and some characteristics of the resulting material will be presented here.
Infinitely many solutions of a semilinear problem for the Heisenberg Laplacian on the Heisenberg group

The thesis consists of four papers which all regard the study of critical point theory and its applications to boundary value problems of semilinear elliptic equations. More specifically, let Ω be a domain, and consider a boundary value problem of the form -L u + u = f(x,u) in Ω, and with the boundary condition u=0. L denotes a linear differential operator of second order, and in the papers, it is either the classical Laplacian or the Heisenberg Laplacian defined on the Heisenberg group. The function f is subject to some regularity and growth conditions.Paper I contains an abstract result about nonlinear eigenvalue problems. We give an application to the given equation when L is the classical Laplacian, Ω is a bounded domain,and f is odd in the u variable.In paper II, we study a similar equation, but with Ω being an unbounded domain of N-dimensional Euclidean space. We give a condition on Ω for which the equation has infinitely many weak solutions.In papers III and IV we work on the Heisenberg group instead of Euclidean space, and with L being the Heisenberg Laplacian.In paper III, we study a similar problem as in paper II, and give a condition on a subset Ω of the Heisenberg group for which the given equation has infinitely many solutions. Although the condition on Ω is directly transferred from the Euclidean to the Heisenberg group setting, it turns out that the condition is easier to fulfil in the Heisenberg group than in Euclidean space.In paper IV, we are still on the Heisenberg group, Ω is the whole group, and we study the equation when f is periodic in the x variable. The main result is that also in this case, the equation has infinitely many solutions.
Adrift at the Margins of Urban Society What Role Does Neighborhood Play

We quantify how social detachment (measured as neither working nor attending school) of low-income African-American and Latino young adults relates to their teen neighborhood conditions. Data come ...
Decreased Adrenal Responsiveness in Hypothermic Patients

We have performed ACTH simulation tests in a total of 14 subjects who were hypothermic at the time of initial presentation. Plasma cortisol values were measured before and 1 h after an iv dose of 25 U synthetic ACTH. The cortisol response was depressed in these subjects, with a mean rise of 32% and an absolute mean rise of 5.0 microgra/dl. There appeared to be a temperature threshold effect, with only minimal responses observed below 32 C. A subgroup of 5 patients with sluggish responses to ACTH while hypothermic (mean cortisol rise, 12.5%) were retested after warming and responded normally (mean rise, 166%). Thus, ACTH stimulation tests may be misleading in the hypothermic patient and should be performed only after body temperature has returned to normal.
Peptide Coupling in the Presence of Highly Hindered Tertiary Amines

Previously, 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine (collidine), due to steric shielding around the N-atom, was found to be an efficient base for effecting peptide segment coupling via azabenzotriazole-based onium-style coupling reagents. A number of even more highly hindered bases, including 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyridine, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-(dimethylamino)pyridine, triisopropylamine, and N-tert-butylmorpholine, have been compared with collidine in such reactions. Some of the newer bases showed advantages in terms of convenience in handling and maintenance of configuration during segment coupling processes, although dramatic differences based on steric effects were not observed. On the basis of results with a number of test peptides and many base-coupling reagent combinations, it was noted that most efficient results are obtained if 1 equiv of HOAt is present as an additive during the coupling process. For rapid activation of onium-style coupling reagents during stepwise solid-phase coupling reactions, the stronger base 2...
Compositional Space Parametrization for Miscible Displacement Simulation

Thermodynamic equilibrium computations are the most time-consuming part of a compositional flow simulation. We describe a compositional space parameterization approach for dealing with gas injection displacement processes. This tie-line-based parameterization can be used to replace existing compositional simulation methods completely. We illustrate our approach using numerical examples of challenging multi-component miscible gas injection problems.
SAAF: small‐angle neutron scattering data analysis using analytical functions

SAAF is a tool for analyzing small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) data using analytical model functions. It is implemented in Perl and uses Gnuplot as its engine for curve fitting and data display. A set of standard models is provided with the program. New models are easy to implement at the user level. One of its features is the ability to perform de-smearing on data sets with variable and convoluted instrument resolutions. For SANS experiments, data de-smearing is often required, especially for data with small neutron scattering vector (Q) values or sharp scattering features. On time-of-flight instruments, the uncertainty in Q is a convolution of the contributions from neutrons with different wavelengths and beam intensities. SAAF is designed to take such Q resolution into account for data de-smearing. The program is part of the tool set offered at the EQ-SANS diffractometer at the Spallation Neutron Source. It is available in source form and is portable to multiple computer platforms.
Comparison of double antibody and solid-phase radioimmunoassays

Abstract Two commonly used radioimmunoassay (RIA) procedures, double antibody assay and solid-phase assay, have been compared using the same reagents and conditions. Mouse hemoglobulin—horse anti-mouse hemoglobulin system was chosen for this study. The antibody was found to have more binding capacity in soluble form than in the Sepharose-bound form. The inhibition curves in both the assay systems were shifted to higher inhibitor concentration at higher control binding levels. At 40% control binding level, the double antibody RIA was found to be 2.7 times more sensitive than the solid-phase RIA. The reason for this most probably lies in the lower binding capacity of the Sepharose-bound antibody which necessitates the use of higher amounts of the antibody to reach 40% control binding.
Solving weighted Max-Sat optimization problems using a Taboo Scatter Search metaheuristic

In the last three decades, many researchers have focused on the Satisfiability problem and on many of its variants, in particular, on the Weighted Maximum Satisfiability problem (Max-W-Sat). The latter is known to be difficult to solve, due to a high number of local minima present in its search space. In this Work, we present a metaheuristic based on Taboo search (TS) procedure that makes use of the Scatter search (SS) paradigm. Our objective is to support a TS by a SS add-on to explore the influence of a population and combination strategies on the ability of generating high quality solutions.
The use of an attachment system for overlay prostheses

The attachment system presented offers a prefabricated pin and post technique or use of a plastic pattern in a metal casting. Both provide the advantages of positive retention, stress-breaking effect, ease of maintenance, clinical or laboratory activation, and simplicity of technique. Both have the disadvantages of nonadjustable retention, nonparallelism of post portion to root axis, and unknown long-term effect. The casting system is the preferred method because of its accurate fit and smaller occlusal height.
Quality of marriage: a comparison between golden wedding couples and couples married less than fifty years

The quality of marriage is investigated for a sample of 79 couples living in a midwestern comprehensive retirement community. These 158 older, middle-class men and women are healthy and average 74.8 years of age. Marital length averages 41 years, and 34.8 percent have celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Marital quality, morale, and sexual behavior are not significantly different for golden wedding couples than for couples married less than 50 years. Couples married less than 50 years spend more time socializing with other couples each week than do those who have passed the 50 year mark; they also have higher levels of sexual interest, and are more likely to have been previously married. All of these couples are happily married, have high morale, and most are still sexually active (62.8 percent).
The Q-switched ND:YAG laser effectively treats tattoos in darkly pigmented skin

background Laser therapy for removal of cosmetic tattoos has been proven efficacious in lighter skin. Few studies have been reported using the Q-switched neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser to treat tattoos in darkly pigmented or type VU skin, however. objective To report results using the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser to remove tattoos from type VI skin. methods Eight darkly pigmented patients had 15 amateur tattoos treated with the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. Treatments numbered three or four on average and were given at 8-week intervals. Results were rated by the patients and by a panel of four physicians. results Eight of 15 tattoos were rated as 75–95% cleared after therapy. Another five tattoos were 50% cleared. Two tattoos were only 25% cleared, but underwent only two treatments. None of the patients reported any changes in texture of their skin post therapy. Thirteen of 15 tattoos were removed without any change in the color of the involved skin. The other two tattoos were removed with only slight lightening of the skin. conclusion When treating patients in whom there is a significant risk for keloid scarring or destruction of natural pigment as a consequence of tattoo removal, the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser appears to be an excellent choice of therapy.
Functional outcome after minor injury: Does level of care matter?

Abstract Background. The metric used to measure the importance of trauma systems has been survival, which may not be the most appropriate measure for the less severely injured. Functional outcome is used to compare patients with minor injury treated at various levels of trauma center care. Methods. Patients ≥ 18 years of age with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≤ 9 within the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) from 1994 to 2001 were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine association between functional outcome and level of trauma center care. Functional outcome was measured at discharge by the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and dichotomized as independent/independent with device versus dependent with partial or total help for each subset of the FIM (feeding, locomotion, and expression). Gender, age, shock, comorbidities, and acute intoxication were analyzed as potential confounders. Admitting level I and II trauma centers were compared to all other hospitals (level III, IV, undesignated). Analyses of penetrating and blunt trauma patients were performed separately. Results. There were 257,533 patients with minor injury in the NTDB. Mean age was 46.7 years and mean ISS was 5.2. 14% with penetrating injury; 51.3% were admitted to level I or II centers. Age, gender, comorbidities, shock, and acute intoxication were not significant confounders. In patients with penetrating trauma, treatment at a higher level trauma center was associated with a greater likelihood of independent feeding and mobility. Results are expressed as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals for independence in each FIM. Conclusions. In patients with minor penetrating injuries, treatment at a higher level trauma center is associated with improved functional outcome at discharge. Further study is needed to determine the length of impairment, restriction to specific injuries, and whether specific practices at higher centers are responsible for the improved outcome. TABLE—ABSTRACT P99 . Mechanism of injury Feeding Mobility Expression Total FIM ISS ≤ 9 Penetrating 2.5(1.1, 5.6) 1.7(1.1, 2.6) 1.8(0.6, 5.7) 1.6(1.1, 2.5) Blunt 0.9(0.6, 1.4) 0.9(0.7, 1.1) 1.1(0.7, 1.8) 0.9(0.8, 1.2)
Visibility of a simple polygon

Abstract The hidden line problem in the plane is studied and an optimal algorithm for finding the visibility polygon of a point inside or outside a simple polygon is given. The algorithm uses only one stack, instead of three as used in a previously known algorithm by El-Gindy and Avis (J. Algor. 2, 1981, 186–197). As a result, the algorithm is simpler to implement and easier to understand and its correctness can be easily verified.
Isolation and characterization of granulocyte lysosomal proteins and study of their effects on the clotting system

Lysosomes (granules) of rabbit PMN leukocytes were extracted with either HCl or H2SO4, and the extracts were chromatographed over Sephadex to separate protein constituents. Some of the low molecular weight cationic proteins homogeneous on SDS PAGE (8% and 12.5% gels) were characterized by electrophoretic mobility in acid gels and by amino acid analysis. A 3,700 dalton polypeptide, rich in arginine and cysteine, prolonged the partial thromboplastin time of normal plasma. In low concentration, this protein shortened the clotting time of pure fibrinogen by thrombin. In high concentration this lysosomal cationic protein precipitated fibrinogen from solution; no fibrinopeptides were released to suggest cleavage of fibrinogen. Fibrinolytic protease activity was detected in crude H2SO4 extracts but not in crude HCl extracts. Two separate plasminogen activators, differing from kallikrein or prekallikrein, were isolated from the H2SO4 lysosomal extract and were partially characterized; neither exhibited proteolytic activity on fibrinogen free of plasminogen.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome

G uillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is characterized by rapidly progressive symmetric paralysis. The presenting symptoms are often most prominent in the proximal lower extremities and subsequently advance to involve the upper extremities. Bilateral facial weakness is common as well. Areflexia typically develops early in the course of the syndrome. Features suggestive of an alternative diagnosis include significant asymmetry, brisk muscle stretch reflexes, prominent sensory signs, and sphincter disturbances. Essential confirmatory studies include cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, which typically demonstrates a progressive rise in protein level with little or no pleocytosis, and nerve conduction studies, which demonstrate conduction slowing and prolongation of late responses and distal latencies, findings compatible with a demyelinating process. Spinal fluid protein and nerve conduction studies can be normal early in the course of the syndrome, but typically become abnormal if repeated over the subsequent days or weeks. In cases of diagnostic uncertainty, imaging studies of the spine and brain can be useful in excluding a central nervous system (CNS) abnormality [3]. GBS typically develops in otherwise healthy individuals, and there are no known genetic susceptibilities. A history of an antecedent self-limited infectious illness can frequently be elicited. GBS has been de scribed in association with HIV seroconversion; these cases are typically indistinguishable from “idiopathic” GBS, except for a modest CSF pleocytosis. Several other forms of acute inflammatory polyradiculoneuropathy have been described. These include Fisher syndrome, in which ophthalmoparesis and ataxia are particularly prominent, acute pandysautonomia, and a predominantly sensory form. GBS variants in which the primary immune attack appears to be directed against axons have been
Distribution of Specialized Care Centers in the United States

Study objective As a recommended strategy for optimally managing critical illness, regionalization of care involves matching the needs of the target population with available hospital resources. The national supply and characteristics of hospitals providing specialized critical care services is currently unknown. We seek to characterize the current distribution of specialized care centers in the United States. Methods Using public data linked with the American Hospital Association directory and US Census, we identified US general acute hospitals providing specialized care for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (≥40 annual primary percutaneous coronary interventions reported in Medicare Hospital Compare), stroke (The Joint Commission certified stroke centers), trauma (American College of Surgeons or state-designated, adult or pediatric, level I or II), and pediatric critical care (presence of a pediatric ICU) services. We determined the characteristics and state-level distribution and density of specialized care centers (centers per state and centers per state population). Results Among 4,931 acute care hospitals in the United States, 1,325 (26.9%) provided one of the 4 defined specialized care services, including 574 STEMI, 763 stroke, 508 trauma, and 457 pediatric critical care centers. Approximately half of the 1,325 hospitals provided 2 or more specialized services, and one fifth provided 3 or 4 specialized services. There was variation in the number of each type of specialized care center in each state: STEMI median 7 interquartile range (IQR 2 to 14), stroke 8 (IQR 3 to 17), trauma 6 (IQR 3 to 11), pediatric specialized care 6 (IQR 3 to 11). Similarly, there was variation in the number of each type of specialized care center per population: STEMI median 1 center per 585,135 persons (IQR 418,729 to 696,143), stroke 1 center per 412,188 persons (IQR 321,604 to 572,387), trauma 1 center per 610,589 persons (IQR 406,192 to 917,588), and pediatric critical care 1 center per 665,282 persons (IQR 441,525 to 942,254). The national distribution patterns differed for each type of specialized care center. Conclusion The distribution of specialized care centers varies across the United States. These observations highlight unanswered questions about the regional organization of specialized care in the United States.
Fermi surface study of CeSb in the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases

Abstract We report a de Haas-van Alphen effect study of CeSb in the intermediate-field antiferromagnetic phase and in the high-field ferromagnetic phase. The experimental results are discussed in the light of the p-f mixing model and a new weak coupling model based on a band structure calculation with localized f orbitals.
Single-neuron labeling and chronic cochlear pathology. II. Stereocilia damage and alterations of spontaneous discharge rates

The spontaneous discharge rates (SRs) sampled from auditory-nerve fibers in cases of chronic cochlear pathology are often abnormally low [17]. The application of intracellular labeling techniques to noise-exposed ears makes it possible to accurately correlate fiber populations showing SR abnormalities with the cochlear locations from which these responses originate. The correlations reveal that a decrease in the mean rates of spontaneous discharge is typically associated with selective loss of the tallest row of stereocilia from the inner hair cells. In cochlear regions where virtually all of the tall stereocilia are missing from the inner hair cells, the maximum rates of spontaneous discharge are less than 1/3 normal values. We suggest that the loss of tall stereocilia causes the decrease in SR because much of the resting current in the inner hair cell normally flows through the stereocilia membrane. Thus, the loss of that membrane leads to a hyperpolarization of the inner hair cell which, in turn, decreases the spontaneous release of vesicles at the synapse. An interpretation is also suggested for the "compression" of the SR distribution commonly seen among high-frequency neurons in normal animals [9].
Visualizing likelihood density functions via optimal region projection

Abstract Effective visualization of high-likelihood regions of parameter space is severely hampered by the large number of parameter dimensions that many models have. We present a novel technique, Optimal Percentile Region Projection, to visualize a high-dimensional likelihood density function that enables the viewer to understand the shape of the high-likelihood region. Optimal Percentile Region Projection has three novel components: first, we select the region of high likelihood in the high-dimensional space before projecting its shadow into a lower-dimensional projected space. Second, we analyze features on the surface of the region in the projected space to select the projection direction that shows the most interesting parameter dependencies. Finally, we use a three-dimensional projection space to show features that are not salient in only two dimensions. The viewer can also choose sets of axes to project along to explore subsets of the parameter space, using either the original parameter axes or principal-component axes. The technique was evaluated by our domain-science collaborators, who found it to be superior to their existing workflow both when there were interesting dependencies between parameters and when there were not.
The possible role of inorganic thiophosphate as a prebiotic phosphorylating agent

It is proposed that inorganic thiophosphate was a versatile and highly reactive constituent of the primitive earth. Some of the ramifications of this assumption with regard to prebiotic chemistry stem from the dual nature of thiophosphate as the most superior nucleophilic agent and an energy rich phosphate. The Michael addition of thiophosphate to acrylonitrile yieldsS-cyanoethylphosphorothioate in high yield. This compound in turn can be used to phosphorylate 2′-deoxythymidine in organic solvents and in the solid state. A mixture of 5′ and 3′-dTMP were identified via chromatography, elementary analysis and NMR spectroscopy.