cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Important sources of variability in clinical studies of neutralizing antibodies against interferon beta.

Abstract Interferon (IFN) beta treatment of relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) stimulates production of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in some patients. However, clinical data supporting the hypothesis that NAbs to IFN beta adversely affect patient outcomes are not consistent across multiple studies or different forms of IFN beta. Only the PRISMS trial has produced data showing a negative impact of NAbs to IFN beta-1a (Rebif®) across multiple study endpoints. No such data are available for IFN beta-1b (Betaseron®) despite completion of a large registry study. Biological factors affecting the development of NAbs to IFN beta include protein structure, product formulation, administration frequency and/or dosing, and patients' immunological responses. Technical factors affecting interpretation of clinical trial data on NAbs include inadequate randomization; differences in the methods used to measure NAbs and in definitions of NAb positivity; selection of NAb-positive patient subpopulations according to titer and duration of NAb response; lack of power to detect differences in patient subgroups; and different trial durations. Given the complexity of NAb studies, it is not possible to generalize from current data regarding the potential impact of NAbs on the clinical efficacy of all IFN beta therapies. Differences between IFN beta products and their specific trials should be considered when evaluating the evidence on this topic.
Near-fatal bleeding from an aberrant subclavian artery following colonic interposition for oesophageal atresia

An unusual complication following colonic interposition for oesophageal atresia is described, where a fistula between an aberrant right subclavian artery and the colon graft caused severe haemorrhage. As in cases of aorto-oesophageal fistulae from foreign body ingestion, we experienced a ‘herald’-bleed before a second near-fatal event. In such cases, the clinical assumption should be that the source of bleeding is a major artery and appropriate resuscitation including preparations for immediate thoracotomy is required. Consideration should also be given to this potential complication when using the mediastinal route for an oesophageal replacement graft.
Spring Wheat Straw Production and Composition as Influenced by Topsoil Removal

Wind and water erosion have resulted in reduced crop productivity and created soil management problems. Management of crop residues can be effective for soil erosion control, but influences of soil erosion on crop residue production is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine total residue production and residue N and P concentration and content for 8 yr as influenced by topsoil removal and additions of N and P fertilizer for a spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-fallow system. Total straw production for the first increment of P increased 14% for 0.00- and 0.06-m soil removal treatments compared with 33% for 0.12- and 0.18-m soil removal treatments. Total straw production was increased more than total grain production with the addition of N and P fertilizer. Total straw production for 0.12- and 0.18-m soil removal treatments needed at least 20 kg P ha -1 and 35 kg N ha -1 to equal or exceed that for 0.00-m soil removal treatment with no fertilizer additions. Total straw N content decreased 33% as soil removal increased from 0.00 to 0.18 m. While total straw P content was considerably less than total straw N content, both decreased about 32% for 0.18 m compared with 0.00-m soil removal treatments. Greater total straw N and P content for the 0.00-m soil removal treatment was due to greater total straw production as well as greater N and P concentrations. Consequently, cycling of N and P may be reduced for eroded soils due to low quantities of residue as well as low N and P concentrations in the residues.
A fast and versatile technique for constrained state estimation

Abstract In situ adaptive tabulation or ISAT based moving horizon estimation (MHE) is suggested as a fast and robust approach for state estimation. Computational issues with a moving horizon constrained state estimation technique like MHE are discussed. Implementation of storage and retrieval approach of ISAT for state estimation is proposed to maintain the accuracy and robustness of MHE, while generating the estimates at a reduced computational cost (∼300 times faster). Comparison with the widely used nonlinear state estimation technique of extended Kalman filtering (EKF) shows better performance using ISAT–MHE. Case studies with nonlinear discrete-time and continuous-time systems are carried out using ISAT, which is tailored for solving the optimal estimation problem.
Signal Transduction in Human Macrophages by gp83 Ligand ofTrypanosoma cruzi:Trypomastigote gp83 Ligand Up-Regulates Trypanosome Entry through the MAP Kinase Pathway

We found that Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigote cloned surface ligand (gp83 trans-sialidase) signals human macrophages to up-regulate parasite entry by inducing tyrosine phosphorylation of MAP kinase. Preincubation of human macrophages with r-gp83 transsialidase significantly enhanced both the percentage of phagocytosed trypanosomes and the number of trypanosomes per cell in a concentration dependent fashion. Incubation of r.gp83 with macrophages induced tyrosine phosphorylation of several macrophage proteins. This enhancement was inhibited by genistein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. The r-trypanosome ligand enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of ERK1 and this enhancement was specifically inhibited by the inhibitor of MAP kinase phosphorylation, PD 98059, or by genistein. PD 98050 or genistein also inhibited the enhancement of trypomastigote uptake by macrophages induced by the r-ligand. These results indicate that T. cruzi uses a novel mechanism to signal cells in the process of trypanosome entry, via a secreted trypanosome ligand which signals macrophages through the MAP kinase pathway.
Cohesive energies of simple ionic and covalent solids

Abstract A semi-empirical MO theory of binding energies in AB solids is given. These solids are shown to fall into two classes: highly ionic solids (greater than 92% ionic) with rock salt structures (CN6), and highly covalent solids (0% ionic) with wurtzite or zinc blende structures (CN4). There are a few examples where radius ratio effects enforce CN4. The theory gives good results for the cohesive energies of both ionic and covalent solids. Structures are correctly predicted, except for CdO. The choice of structure is determined by the magnitude of the charging energy for the more metallic element.
Molecular complexes of nitric acid with N2: a post Hartree–Fock quantum mechanical study

The structure of the molecular 1:1 complexes of nitric acid with N2 were optimized at the MP2/6-311G(df,pd) level of theory revealed a nearly linear planar O-H…N hydrogen bonded form and a nonplanar and non-hydrogen bonded form. The global minimum energy structure corresponds to a hydrogen-bonded species: −1.31 kcal/mol at the MP4(SDTQ)/6-311+G(df,pd)//MP2/6-311G(df,pd) and −1.27 kcal/mol at the CCSD[T] and QCISD[T]/6-311+G(df,pd)//MP2/6-311G(df,pd) levels. The nonplanar form is predicted to be a very weakly bonded system at both the MP4(SDTQ)/6-311+G(df,pd)//MP2/6-311G(df,pd) (−0.34 kcal/mol) and at the CCSD[T]/6-311+G(df,pd)//MP2/6-311G(df,pd) (−0.17 kcal/mol) levels of theory. Additionally, a decomposition of the SCF interaction energy was performed.
Selective inhibitory effect of HPMA copolymer-cyclopamine conjugate on prostate cancer stem cells

Abstract Improved treatments for prostate cancer are in great need to overcome lethal recurrence and metastasis. Targeting the tumorigenic cancer stem cells (CSCs) with self-renewal and differentiation capacity appears to be a promising strategy. Blockade of the hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway, an important pathway involved in stem cell self-renewal, by cyclopamine leads to long-term prostate cancer regression without recurrence, strongly suggesting the connection between Hh pathway and prostate CSCs. Here we designed an HPMA ( N -(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide)-based cyclopamine delivery system as a CSC-selective macromolecular therapeutics with improved drug solubility and decreased systemic toxicity. To this end, HPMA and N -methacryloylglycylphenylalanylleucylglycyl thiazolidine-2-thione were copolymerized using the RAFT (reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer) process, followed by polymer-analogous attachment of cyclopamine. The selectivity of the conjugate toward CSCs was evaluated on RC-92a/hTERT cells, the human prostate cancer epithelial cells with human telomerase reverse transcriptase transduction. The use of RC-92a/hTERT cells as an in vitro CSC model was validated by stem cell marker expression and prostasphere culture. The bioactivity of cyclopamine was retained after conjugation to the polymer. Furthermore, HPMA polymer-conjugated cyclopamine showed anti-CSC efficacy on RC-92a/hTERT cells as evaluated by decreased stem cell marker expression and CSC viability.
Two-pion transitions in quarkonium revisited

Two-pion transitions in charmonium and bottomonium are considered with the leading relativistic effects taken into account. It is estimated that the contribution of the chromo-magnetic interaction of the charmed quarks to the amplitude of the decay {psi}(2S){yields}{pi}{pi}J/{psi} is at the level of (15-20)%. This contribution is enhanced by a factor of 3 in the decay {eta}{sub c}(2S){yields}{pi}{pi}{eta}{sub c}, producing a significant modification of the rate and the spectrum in the latter decay. It is also suggested that the peculiar observed spectrum in the decay {upsilon}(3S){yields}{pi}{pi}{upsilon} can be explained by a relative prominence of the relativistic terms, if the leading nonrelativistic quarkonium amplitude is dynamically suppressed. Also discussed are the effects of the final state interaction between the pions.
Energy-efficient secure pattern based data aggregation for wireless sensor networks

Data aggregation in wireless sensor networks eliminates redundancy to improve bandwidth utilization and energy-efficiency of sensor nodes. This paper presents a secure energy-efficient data aggregation protocol called ESPDA (Energy-Efficient Secure Pattern based Data Aggregation). Unlike conventional data aggregation techniques, ESPDA prevents the redundant data transmission from sensor nodes to cluster-heads. If sensor nodes sense the same data, ESPDA first puts all but one of them into sleep mode and generate pattern codes to represent the characteristics of data sensed by sensor nodes. Cluster-heads implement data aggregation based on pattern codes and only distinct data in encrypted form is transmitted from sensor nodes to the base station via cluster-heads. Due to the use of pattern codes, cluster-heads do not need to know the sensor data to perform data aggregation, which allows sensor nodes to establish secure end-to-end communication links with base station. Therefore, there is no need for encryption/decryption key distribution between the cluster-heads and sensor nodes. Moreover, the use of NOVSF Block-Hopping technique improves the security by randomly changing the mapping of data blocks to NOVSF time slots. Performance evaluation shows that ESPDA outperforms conventional data aggregation methods up to 50% in bandwidth efficiency.
THE GINI‐TYPE FUNCTIONS: AN ALTERNATIVE DERIVATION

The purpose of this note is to propose an alternative and intuitively simpler derivation of the Gini coefficient (in Section l), to show how it can be generalized and how then a number of coefficients (concentration coefficient, Kakwani's progressivity index) are obtained directly from this generalization (Section 2), and finally to use this approach to obtain some Gini relationships (Section 3).
Shifts in nuclear and cytoplasmic nucleic acid content in temperature-synchronized Tetrahymena pyriformis (HSM).

Nuclei were isolated by exposing temperature synchronized Tetrahymena pyriformis (HSM) to Triton-X-100. Cell division synchrony was induced with a repetitive 12-hour temperature cycle (9.5 hours at 13°, 2.5 hours at 29°). Increase in nucleic acid content was biphasic: primarily during the last two hours of the cold period well in advance of the synchronous burst of division and secondarily in the last hour of the warm period. Nuclear RNA content rises almost two hours ahead of cytoplasmic RNA which shows a maximum 0.5 hour before the onset of the warm period. The DNA content reaches a peak 30 minutes later. On the basis of these shifts there appears to be not net synthesis of nucleic acids during cell division. The changes in RNA/DNA of the isolated macronuclei and micronuclei suggest enhanced RNA turnover, loss to the cytoplasm and enhanced ribonuclease activity prior to cell division. Cytoplasmic RNA also appears to be subject to enzymic degradation.
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE USE OF SIMPLIFIED IRT MODELS FOR SCALING AND EQUATING THE TOEFL TEST

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of two alternative item response theory estimation models in the scaling and equating of TOEFL – a modified one-parameter model (M1PL) and a modified two-parameter model (M2PL) – and to compare item scaling and test equating results based on these two alternative models with results based on the three-parameter model (3PL) that is currently being used to scale and equate the TOEFL. The study employed a design in which a typical TOEFL equating was simulated using artificial data. The simulated equatings were compared in terms of correlations between estimated and generating parameters, model-data fit, and concordance of simulated score conversions with conversions based on the generating parameters. The results of the study clearly indicated that the 3PL model performed better than the M1PL and M2PL models on the basis of each of the evaluation criteria. There was also evidence that the M2PL model performed better than the M1PL model, particularly in terms of model-data fit and in the weighted root mean square difference statistics used to evaluate the simulated score conversions. The results of the study also indicated that discrepancies between score conversions based on the M1PL and M2PL model and those based on the 3PL model tended to occur at the lower and upper ends of the score scales. Finally, the results of the study for the 3PL model indicated that while correlations between item parameter estimates and generating parameters tended to be affected by sample size, neither the quality of model-data fit nor the quality of simulated equatings appeared to be sensitive to the different sample sizes used in the study.
Persistent secondary hyperparathyroidism after renal transplantation in children.

Secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPTH) is a frequent complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Renal transplantation corrects the biochemical abnormalities that cause HPTH; however, HPTH persists in some patients. The factors that contribute to the persistence of HPTH after transplantation in children are poorly understood. We examined 57 children who underwent renal transplantation and determined whether baseline clinical and biochemical parameters could predict the persistence of HPTH at 1 year post-transplantation, using multivariate logistic regression. At the time of transplantation, serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were >300 pg/ml in 60%, 150-300 pg/ml in 17%, and 73 pg/ml) persisted in 78% of patients at 6 months and in 56% at 1 year after transplant. Older age at transplantation was the strongest predictor of HPTH at 1 year (OR=1.17, P<0.05). After adjustment for age, other baseline clinical or laboratory parameters were not predictive of HPTH at 1 year. The relationship between older age and persistent HPTH may be explained by longer duration of CKD. Given the potential morbidities associated with persistent HPTH, the role of interventions that would prevent or reverse persistent HPTH post-transplantation requires further investigation.
Fractography of Two-Phase Acrylic Polymers:

Fracture surfaces of two-phase acrylic polymers were examined by reflected light microscopy. In two materials, detailed features were observed which resembled ones previously reported for poly (methyl methacrylate). In addition, a granular microstructure was noted. A material that fractured intergranularly had a lower tensile strength than one that fractured transgranularly.
Size and distribution of the repetitive segments of the Drosophila genome

Abstract The repetitive segments of the middle-repetitive portion of the DNA of Drosophila melanogaster have been found to be 150 base pairs or somewhat less in length. They are distributed throughout the genome. The Drosophila genome contains, on the average, one short, middle-repetitive sequence per approximately 750 base pairs of single copy DNA.
Soleus H-reflex recruitment is not altered in persons with chronic spinal cord injury.

Abstract Schindler-Ivens SM, Shields RK. Soleus H-reflex recruitment is not altered in persons with chronic spinal cord injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004;85:840-7. Objective To determine whether spasticity in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with elevated monosynaptic reflex excitability. Design One-way experimental. Setting Research laboratory. Participants Convenience sample of 9 subjects (8 men, 1 woman) with chronic and complete SCI and 20 persons (14 men, 6 women) with no neurologic impairment. Subjects with SCI exhibited lower-extremity spasticity as indicated by velocity-dependent increased resistance to passive muscle stretch, abnormally brisk deep tendon reflexes, involuntary lower-extremity flexion and/or extension spasms, and clonus. Intervention Soleus H-reflex recruitment curves were elicited in all subjects. Main outcome measures Soleus H-reflex threshold (HTH), gain (HGN), and amplitude (HPP). Results There was no difference between subjects with and without SCI in HTH, HGN, or HPP. Conclusions Spasticity in people with chronic and complete SCI was not associated with increased excitability of the connections between Ia afferent projections and motoneurons. Factors extrinsic to these connections may have a role in spasticity caused by SCI.
New Recording Algorithm For Hopfield Model Associative Memories

A new recording technique for Hopfield-type associative/content address-able memories is proposed. The new technique is based on the finite and exponentially convergent algorithm of Ho and Kashyap[1] for the solution of a system of linear inequalities. Associative neural memories recorded with the proposed algorithm are shown to be superior to those recorded with the Hopfield's outer product and Kohonen's generalized inverse techniques. High capacity, high convergence rates to stored memories, and low convergence rates to false and oscillatory states are characteristics of this new recording algorithm. The issue of stable false and oscillatory states is raised, and it is shown that such states have a direct Boolean logic relationship with the stored memories.
Corpus, creativity, cliché: Where statistics meet aesthetics

Lively originality, in literature and elsewhere, is conventionally associated with the avoidance of cliche and well-worn phrasing. But the relations between cliche, idiom, high-frequency use, and their contribution to literary art, are less predictable (for a discussion of the reiteration of the signifier in the visual rather than verbal medium, namely clipart images, see Dillon 2006). There seems to be no direct correlation between how often a phrase appears in the large corpora of contemporary English and how cliched it is felt to be; and clichedness and idiomaticity seem to be more a matter of perception than of statistical prominence. Conversely, rare collocations are "striking", but this is not sufficient for purposes of literary art. More important than a striking turn of phrase is an apt one (relative to topic, theme, co-text, cumulative aligned structure: the entire integrated design of the poem). Aptness is an aesthetic category, not a statistical one and not reducible to one, since it applies to a particular, indeed, a unique communicative moment. And the apt word or phrase may not be a novel one.
MASS MODELS FOR SPIRAL GALAXIES FROM TWO-DIMENSIONAL VELOCITY MAPS

We model the mass distributions of 40 high surface brightness spiral galaxies inside their optical radii, deriving parameters of mass models by matching the predicted velocities to observed velocity maps. We use constant mass-to-light disk and bulge models, and we have tried fits with no halo and with three different halo density profiles. The data require a halo in most, but not all, cases, while in others the best fit occurs with negligible mass in the luminous component, which we regard as unphysical. All three adopted halo profiles lead to fits of about the same quality, and our data therefore do not constrain the functional form of the halo profile. The halo parameters display large degeneracies for two of the three adopted halo functions, but the separate luminous and dark masses are better constrained. However, the fitted disk and halo masses vary substantially between the adopted halo models, indicating that even high-quality two-dimensional optical velocity maps do not provide significant constraints on the dark matter content of a galaxy. We demonstrate that data from long-slit observations are likely to provide still weaker constraints. We conclude that additional information is needed in order to constrain the separate disk and halo masses in a galaxy.
The market value of control in publicly-traded corporations

This paper tests the hypothesis that the future distribution of payoffs provided by a common stock depends upon whether ownership of the stock also conveys control over the firm's activities. For 26 firms that had two classes of common stock outstanding, the class with superior voting rights traded at a premium relative to the other class. However, in four firms where the ownership structure of the firm also included a class of voting preferred stock, the class of common with superior voting rights traded at a significant discount relative to the class of common with inferior voting rights. The analysis suggests that there are both benefits and costs of corporate control.
Do N(4S) atoms react with alkenes and alkynes

Abstract New results are presented which support an earlier claim from this laboratory that N( 4 S) atoms do not react at significant rates with unsaturated hydrocarbons.
Inhaled insulin for diabetes mellitus

Purpose. Pharmacokinetic and safety data related to the use of inhaled insulin for the management of diabetes mellitus are discussed. The various pulmonary insulin delivery systems under development are also reviewed. Summary. Several pharmaceutical companies are developing pulmonary insulin delivery systems. These products fall into two main groups: solution and drug powder formulations, which are delivered through different patented inhaler systems. Exubera, a rapid-acting insulin in powder form, has been studied extensively in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The AERx Insulin Diabetes Management System delivers a liquid form of human insulin. Preliminary data indicate that patients converting from insulin injections to this system showed higher compliance to therapy, demonstrated by improved glycemic control. Other pulmonary insulin delivery systems, including ProMaxx, AIR, Spiros, and Technosphere, are also under investigation. In humans, inhaled regular insulin is more rapidly absorbed than insulin from the subcutaneous injection site. The efficiency of inhaled insulin is lower than that of subcutaneous injection because pulmonary delivery of insulin involves some loss of drug within the inhaler or mouth during inhalation. A concern of many clinicians is the possibility of long-term effects from the intraalveolar deposition of insulin within the lung, since insulin is known to have growth-promoting properties. The long-term safety of these products has not been established. Conclusion. Several inhaled insulin products are under development. If these products receive marketing approval, the pulmonary delivery of insulin may offer patients with diabetes an alternative to repeated insulin injections.
Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Strain 2019 Produces a Biofilm Containing N-Acetylneuraminic Acid That May Mimic Sialylated O-Linked Glycans

Previous studies suggested that nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI) can form biofilms during human and chinchilla middle ear infections. Microscopic analysis of a 5-day biofilm of NTHI strain 2019 grown in a continuous-flow chamber revealed that the biofilm had a diffuse matrix interlaced with multiple water channels. Our studies showed that biofilm production was significantly decreased when a chemically defined medium lacking N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid) was used. Based on these observations, we examined mutations in seven NTHI strain 2019 genes involved in carbohydrate and lipooligosaccharide biosynthesis. NTHI strain 2019 with mutations in the genes encoding CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid synthetase (siaB), one of the three NTHI sialyltransferases (siaA), and the undecaprenyl-phosphate α-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase homolog (wecA) produced significantly smaller amounts of biofilm. NTHI strain 2019 with mutations in genes encoding phosphoglucomutase (pgm), UDP-galactose-4-epimerase, and two other NTHI sialyltransferases (lic3A and lsgB) produced biofilms that were equivalent to or larger than the biofilms produced by the parent strain. The biofilm formed by the NTHI strain 2019pgm mutant was studied with Maackia amurensis fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated and Sambucus nigra tetramethyl rhodamine isocyanate (TRITC)-conjugated lectins. S. nigra TRITC-conjugated lectin bound to this biofilm, while M. amurensis FITC-conjugated lectin did not. S. nigra TRITC-conjugated lectin binding was inhibited by incubation with α2,6-neuraminyllactose and by pretreatment of the biofilm with Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization—time of flight mass spectometry analysis of lipooligosaccharides isolated from a biofilm, the planktonic phase, and plate-grown organisms showed that the levels of most sialylated glycoforms were two- to fourfold greater when the lipooligosaccharide was derived from planktonic or biofilm organisms. Our data indicate that NTHI strain 2019 produces a biofilm containing α2,6-linked sialic acid and that the sialic acid content of the lipooligosaccharides increases concomitant with the transition of organisms to a biofilm form.
A low-cost programmable pulse generator for physiology and behavior.

Precisely timed experimental manipulations of the brain and its sensory environment are often employed to reveal principles of brain function. While complex and reliable pulse trains for temporal stimulus control can be generated with commercial instruments, contemporary options remain expensive and proprietary. We have developed Pulse Pal, an open source device that allows users to create and trigger software-defined trains of voltage pulses with high temporal precision. Here we describe Pulse Pal’s circuitry and firmware, and characterize its precision and reliability. In addition, we supply online documentation with instructions for assembling, testing and installing Pulse Pal. While the device can be operated as a stand-alone instrument, we also provide application programming interfaces in several programming languages. As an inexpensive, flexible and open solution for temporal control, we anticipate that Pulse Pal will be used to address a wide range of instrumentation timing challenges in neuroscience research.
Image analysis methods for tagged MRI cardiac studies

Tracking of magnetic resonance (MR) tags in myocardial tissue promises to be an effective tool in the assessment of myocardial motion. The amount of data acquired is very large and the measurements are numerous and must be precise requiring automated tracking methods. We describe a hierarchy of image processing steps that estimate both the endocardial and epicardial boundaries of the left ventricle and also estimate the spines of radial tags that emanate outward from the left ventricular cavity. The first stage determines the position of the myocardial boundaries for each of 128 rays emanating from the origin. To counter the deleterious effects of noise and the presence of the tags when determining the boundary positions we use nonlinear filtering concepts from mathematical morphology together with a prion knowledge related to boundary smoothness to improve the estimates. The second stage estimates the tag spines by matching a template in a direction orthogonal to the expected tag direction. We show results on tagged images and discuss further research directions. 1.
Transient thermal mixing following sudden transverse injection of a fluid

Memory, S. B., and Rose, J. W., "Free Convection Laminar Film Condensation on a Horizontal Tube with Variable Wall Temperature," International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 34, No. 11, 1991, pp. 2775-2778. Lee, W. C., Rahbar, S., and Rose, J. W., "Film Condensation of Refrigerant 113 and Ethanediol on a Horizontal Tube—Effect of Vapor Velocity," Journal of Heat Transfer, Vol. 106, No. 3, 1984, pp. 524-530. Karimi, A., "Laminar Film Condensation on Helical Reflux Condensers and Related Configurations," International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 20, No. 11, 1977, pp. 1137-1144.
Technical failures in female sterilization using the tubal ring: a case-control analysis.

Abstract To delineate characteristics of women predisposing to sterilization technical failures, we performed an analysis of 20 technical failures that occurred during tubal ring procedures and 80 control ring procedures matched on planned surgical approach and study site. None of the women had recently been pregnant (interval procedures). The odds ratios (ORs) were elevated for women wearing an IUD in the three months prior to sterilization (OR = 5.0, 90% confidence interval [CI] 2.2, 11.2) and for women with a history of spontaneous abortion (OR = 4.3, 90% CI 1.8, 9.8). A history of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and/or current evidence of PID was strongly associated with technical failure (X 2 = 25.0, p
An auditory integrational problem with associated language disability in an adult mental patient.

A disorder of auditory integration associated with a language disability was identified and treated in a young adult male committed to a mental hospital with a history of mental retardation and lac...
Solution of the Navier-Stokes equations by the spectral-difference method

The Jacobi polynomial collocation method is extended to two and three dimensions by superimposing the individual one-dimensional expansions. Two innovative ideas are introduced in this article. The first is the cornerless/edgeless computational grid, and the second is the modified compressibility method, which is an iterative pressure solver. To evaluate the new method's applicability in solving the Navier-Stokes equation, the lid-driven cavity flow problem was solved. Two configurations were considered, the square cavity and the rectangular cavity with an aspect ratio of 2. A comparison of the center-line velocity profiles from two- and three-dimensional simulations at a Reynolds number of 1000 is provided for each of the configurations. The center-line velocity comparisons showed good quantitative agreement with previous studies. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A 1.4 GHz MMIC Active Cold Noise Source

A GaAs MMIC active cold load for a wearable microwave radiometer is presented. A design procedure capable of achieving a minimum noise temperature at a specific bias point is described. A measured equivalent noise temperature of less than 90 K from 1.3 GHz to 1.5 GHz while maintaining an input return loss greater than 28 dB is demonstrated.
Connectionist Models of Language Production: Lexical Access and Grammatical Encoding

Theories of language production have long been expressed as connectionist models. We outline the issues and challenges that must be addressed by connectionist models of lexical access and grammatical encoding, and review three recent models. The models illustrate the value of an interactive activation approach to lexical access in production, the need for sequential output in both phonological and grammatical encoding, and the potential for accounting for structural effects on errors and structural priming from learning.
PROBABILISTIC CYCLIC FATIGUE OF COMPOSITE STRUCTURES

Methods and corresponding computer codes are discussed for probabilistically evaluating composite structural fracture under cyclic fatigue. The progressive fracture of a composite structure under cyclic fatigue is simulated via an innovative approach independent of stress intensity factors and fracture toughness parameters. A computer code is utilized for the simulation of composite structural damage and fracture. Structural degradation response is assessed probabilistically during cyclic fatigue. The effects of design variable uncertainties on structural damage characteristics are quantified via the Fast Probabilistic Integrator (FPI). Damage progression is computationally simulated with increasing number of cycles. Responses analyzed probabilistically include the number of cycles to failure and the damage energy release rate. Effects of constituent material uncertainties on the response are computed to assess probabilistic failure. The Cumulative Dist-ribution Function (CDF) of the response is evaluated. The sensitivities of the cumulative probability for the failure to uncertainties in influential design variables are evaluated. The method is demonstrated for a polymer matrix composite specimen under tensile load. Design implications with regard to damage progression and damage tolerance of composite structures are examined.
Hunter to Gatherer and Back: Immunological Synapses and Kinapses as Variations on the Theme of Amoeboid Locomotion

The immunological synapse was initially defined as a stable cell-cell junction composed of three concentric supramolecular activation clusters (SMACs) enriched in particular components: a central SMAC with clustered antigen receptors and kinases, a peripheral SMAC rich in β2 integrin adhesion molecule LFA-1, and a distal SMAC marked by a critical tyrosine phosphatase. In the past year the SMACs have each been identified with functional modules of amoeboid motility, and the stability of the immunological synapse has been revealed as a reconfiguration of the motile apparatus from an asymmetric hunting mode, a kinapse, to a symmetric gathering mode, the synapse. The genetic control of this process involves actinomyosin regulators PKCθ and WASp. Crtam is involved in postsynaptic polarity in early kinapses prior to cell division. It is unlikely that the immune system is unique in using symmetrization to stop migration without inactivating motile machinery.
Soft‐palate reconstruction with a “SCARF” superior‐constrictor advancement‐rotation flap

Reconstruction of hemi-soft-palate defects after tumor resection is usually done by means of a regional flap, free-tissue transfer or a prosthesis. These options vary in complexity and have a number of shortcomings. A local myomucosal flap was designed that employs a superior-constrictor advancement-rotation flap (SCARF) to achieve circumferential closure of the velopharynx and to re-establish its valvular sphincteric function. Ten patients underwent a SCARF reconstruction of the velopharynx after 35% to 65% of the soft palate was resected. All patients reestablished normal velopharyngeal function without significant phonatory or deglutitive disability. Two patients did require a second-stage reinforcement of the suture line after partial dehiscence. The SCARF reconstruction of the soft palate is simple, fast, and reliable and there is no significant donor site morbidity. Patients resume oral intake earlier than standard reconstructive approaches. The SCARF can be done transorally, which allows for primary resection and discontinuous neck dissection. These factors facilitate short hospitalization and effective use of resources.
Pipeline interleaving and parallelism in recursive digital filters. II. Pipelined incremental block filtering

For pt.I see ibid., vol.37, no.7, p.1099 (1989). Block implementation and fine-grain pipelined block implementation of recursive digital filters are discussed. A new technique of incremental output computation is introduced which requires a linear complexity in block size. Based on the clustered look-ahead and incremental output computation approaches, incremental block-state structure is derived for block implementation of state-space filters of multiplication complexity linear in block size. The incremental block-state structure is also extended for the multirate recursive filtering case. The techniques of scattered look-ahead, clustered look-ahead, decomposition, and incremental output computation are combined to introduce several pipeline stages inside the recursive loop of the block filter. Deeply pipelined block filter structures are derived for implementation of direct-form and state-space-form recursive digital filters. The multiplication complexity of these pipelined block filters is linear with respect to the block size and logarithmic with respect to the number of loop pipeline stages, and the complexities due to pipelining and block processing are additive. >
Racial differences in liver inflammation and fibrosis related to chronic hepatitis C

Abstract Background & Aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is more prevalent in black compared with white Americans. However, the natural course of HCV in black patients has not been defined. Methods: We performed a retrospective comparison of initial liver tests, HCV genotype and viral load, and liver histology findings in 87 black and 136 white American chronic hepatitis C patients who were evaluated at the University of Maryland between 1995 and 1998. The liver biopsy examinations were interpreted by using the Knodell Histologic Activity Index (HAI) criteria. Results: Black HCV patients were older (46.3 vs. 43.3 yr; P = 0.004) and were more likely to be infected with HCV genotype 1 (95% vs. 75%). The modes of HCV transmission, estimated duration of HCV infection, and prevalence of alcohol abuse were similar in the 2 groups. Yet, black patients had lower mean total HAI scores (7.6 vs. 8.7; P = 0.021), periportal hepatocyte necrosis scores ( P = 0.021), and liver fibrosis scores ( P = 0.049). In keeping with less hepatic necroinflammatory activity, black patients had a lower mean serum alanine transaminase (ALT) level (85.5 vs. 122.7; P = 0.002). Black patients also had lower serum iron levels ( P = 0.009). There were no racial differences in the prevalence of increased iron studies and hepatic iron loading. Conclusions: Black chronic HCV patients have milder liver necroinflammation and fibrosis than white patients with similar HCV duration. These differences in liver histology were not explained by a variance in hepatic iron loading.
Extramedullary compared with intramedullary implants for intertrochanteric hip fractures: thirty-day outcomes of 4432 procedures from the ACS NSQIP database.

Background: For more than thirty-five years, the sliding hip screw, an extramedullary implant, has been the standard treatment for the stabilization of intertrochanteric fractures. Over the last decade, intramedullary implants have replaced extramedullary implants as the most commonly used type of implant in the United States for the treatment of this condition, without strong evidence of superior outcomes. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study with use of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database. Patients seventy years of age or older who had sustained an intertrochanteric fracture treated with extramedullary or intramedullary implant during 2009 to 2012 were identified. General surgical outcomes were compared between implant types, with adjustment for demographic data and comorbidities. Results: A total of 4432 patients were identified; 1612 (36.4%) were treated with an extramedullary implant, and 2820 (63.6%) with an intramedullary implant. The rates of the composite outcomes “serious adverse events” and “any adverse events” did not differ by implant type. The mean postoperative length of stay was shorter for patients treated with an intramedullary implant compared with those treated with an extramedullary implant (5.4 compared with 6.5 days; p < 0.001). Operation time, operating room time, and the rate of hospital readmission did not differ by implant type. Conclusions: These results reinforce the results of previous randomized trials, demonstrating little difference in rates of general surgical adverse events between implant types. The present study presents an important departure from previous trials in its finding that patients treated with intramedullary implants have, on average, a shorter postoperative length of stay (by 1.1 days). The finding may negate the perceived excess cost associated with intramedullary treatment. Limitations regarding the ACS NSQIP database include a lack of detail regarding fracture subtype, outcomes beyond thirty days, and orthopaedic-specific outcomes. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
QOSME: QOS management environment

Distributed multimedia applications are sensitive to the Quality of Service (QoS) delivered by underlying communication networks. For example, a video conference exchange can be very sensitive to the effective network throughput. Network jitter can greatly disrupt a speech stream. The main question this thesis addresses is how to adapt multimedia applications to the QoS delivered by the network and vice versa. Such adaptation is especially important because current networks are unable to assure the QoS required by applications and the latter is usually unprepared for periods of QoS degradation. This work introduces the QoS Management Environment (QoSME) that provides mechanisms for such adaptation. The main contributions of this thesis are: (1) Language level abstractions for QoS management. The Quality Assurance Language (QuAL) in QoSME enables the specification of how to allocate, monitor, analyze, and adapt to delivered QoS. Applications can express in QuAL their QoS needs and how to handle potential violations. (2) Automatic QoS monitoring. QoSME automatically generates the instrumentation to monitor QoS when applications use QuAL constructs. The QoSME runtime scrutinizes interactions among applications, transport protocols, and Operating Systems (OS) and collects in QoS Management Information Bases (MIBs) statistics on the QoS delivered. (3) Integration of QoS and standard network management. A Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agent embedded in QoSME provides QoS MIB access to SNMP managers. The latter can use this feature to monitor end-to-end QoS delivery and adapt network resource allocation and operations accordingly. A partial prototype of QoSME has been released for public access. It runs on SunOS 4.3 and Solaris 2.3 and supports communication on ATM adaptation layer, ST-II, UDP/IP, TCP/IP, and Unix internal protocols.
A multidomain hub anchors the chromosome segregation and chemotactic machinery to the bacterial pole

The cell poles constitute key subcellular domains that are often critical for motility, chemotaxis, and chromosome segregation in rod-shaped bacteria. However, in nearly all rods, the processes that underlie the formation, recognition, and perpetuation of the polar domains are largely unknown. Here, in Vibrio cholerae, we identified HubP (hub of the pole), a polar transmembrane protein conserved in all vibrios, that anchors three ParA-like ATPases to the cell poles and, through them, controls polar localization of the chromosome origin, the chemotactic machinery, and the flagellum. In the absence of HubP, oriCI is not targeted to the cell poles, chemotaxis is impaired, and a small but increased fraction of cells produces multiple, rather than single, flagella. Distinct cytoplasmic domains within HubP are required for polar targeting of the three ATPases, while a periplasmic portion of HubP is required for its localization. HubP partially relocalizes from the poles to the mid-cell prior to cell division, thereby enabling perpetuation of the polar domain in future daughter cells. Thus, a single polar hub is instrumental for establishing polar identity and organization.
Multiuser detection of quasisynchronous CDMA signals using linear decorrelators

A linear decorrelator detector is proposed for a quasisynchronous code-division multiple-access (QS-CDMA) cellular system. It is assumed that each of N users has a Global Positioning System (GPS) generated local clock and attempts to transmit synchronously with the other users in its cell. The base station thus receives N signature waveforms which are approximately synchronized, but with a small timing error due to local oscillator drift, Doppler shifts, and variable distances from the mobiles to the base. The residual timing offset is discretized, and a decorrelator is constructed which attempts to reject the multiuser interference vectors corresponding to the set of possible offsets. A noncoherent version of the decorrelator detector is presented, along with a maximum-likelihood scheme for synchronizing to the desired signal. Bounds and analytical results for the bit-error rate (BER) are obtained for various interferer conditions.
Rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker

The ivory-billed woodpecker, thought to be extinct, has been discovered living in the bottomland forest of the Mississippi River in Arkansas. Wilcove explains that the survival of this bird was due to preservation of the unique bottomland ecosystem, not to conservation directed at the species itself. He also notes that, although this discovery may spark hope for other scarce or extinct species, in general the rate of extinction of existing birds contues to be tragically high.
The flux of radioactive label through components of the serotonergic system following the injection of [3H]tryptophan: product--precursor anomalies providing evidence that serotonin exists in multiple pools.

— Rats were given an intravenous injection of 100 μCi of l–[3H]tryptophan and were killed between 5 and 180 min post–injection. Brains were dissected into seven areas, and specific activities were determined for major components (tryptophan, 5–hydroxytryptophan. serotonin and 5–hydroxy–indoleacetic acid) and detectable minor components (tryptamine, 5–methoxytryptamine. 5–hydroxyindo–lepyruvic acid, and 5–hydroxytryptophol) of serotonergic metabolism. The minor components represented small amounts of the total radioactivity with respect to the four major components. Anomalies in the product–precursor relationships for 5–hydroxytryptophan and serotonin, as well as for serotonin and 5–hydroxyindoleactic acid, suggest intraneuronal compartmentation of serotonin.