cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neuroethology of Acoustic Prey Localization in the Barn Owl

During the 1971 International Ethological Conference in Edinburgh there was a symposium in which Ken Roeder and Niko Tinbergen spoke. Ken said that he studied behavior under the skin, while Niko outside the skin. Indeed, this was the only difference between them, for their ideas and goals of studying natural behavior were very similar.
Unacceptable failure rate of a ceramic-coated posterior cruciate-substituting total knee arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Aseptic loosening is one of the most elusive problems in total knee arthroplasty. We compared the failure rates of posterior cruciate-substituting total knee arthroplasty utilizing implants with hardened surface coating to a previous cohort of patients who underwent the procedure with traditional cruciate-retaining noncoated cobalt-chrome implants. Methods A retrospective study was conducted of 1099 total knee arthroplasties performed from 2009 to 2017. Two hundred forty-nine total knee arthroplasties performed from January 2015 to March 2017 under a single design were reviewed retrospectively and compared to the author’s previous 850 total knee arthroplasties performed from January 2009 to December 2014 under a different design. Results This series demonstrated an alarming debonding of cement in the tibial implant. The resultant failure rate of 6% (P Conclusions Due to the observed excessive failure rate, the authors recommend exercising high levels of caution using this implant with hardened surface treatment until further testing can be ascertained as to the root cause of failure.
Does Surgical Volume and Complexity Affect Cost and Mortality in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery?

Objectives(1) To evaluate whether admission volume and case complexity are associated with mortality rates and (2) evaluate whether admission volume and case complexity are associated with cost per...
Risk Assessment of Rare Events in Probabilistic Power Flow via Hybrid Multi-Surrogate Method

The risks associated with rare events threatening the security of power system operation are of paramount importance to power system planners and operators. To analyze the risks caused by high-impact, low-frequency rare events, an immensely large number of samples are typically required for the Monte-Carlo (MC) method on the high-fidelity power system model to achieve a sufficient accuracy, thereby rendering this approach computationally prohibitive. To handle this problem efficiently, it is desirable to construct a surrogate model for the power system response. However, the straightforward MC sampling of the low-fidelity surrogate can lead to biased results in the low-probability tail regions that are vital to risk assessment. Moreover, a single surrogate is unable to handle the topology uncertainties caused by random branch outages. To overcome these issues, we propose a hybrid multi-surrogate (HMS) method based on the polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) with low-probability tail events reevaluated by the high-fidelity model through a probabilistic analysis. This method improves the computational efficiency of the MC method for rare-event risk assessment by leveraging multi-fidelity models while retaining the desired accuracy. Simulations conducted in three test systems verify the excellent performances of the HMS method.
Optimal Voltage Regulation of Distribution System with Renewable Uncertainty

We propose a robust optimization-based approach for the optimal voltage regulation of a distribution system in the presence of renewable solar uncertainty. The variability in renewable solar is modeled as deterministic but norm-bounded uncertainty. The structure of the uncertainty entering in the optimization problem is exploited to propose a primal-dual gradient dynamics to solve the robust optimization problem. Simulation results are presented involving a realistic three-phase unbalanced IEEE 13-bus distribution test system to demonstrate the applications of the developed framework.
Comparison of a combined MHC tetramer and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) assay with individual MHC-tetramer and IFN-γ ELISPOT assays to monitor cancer immunotherapy

1866 Background: Validation of ex vivo immune monitoring methods is a high priority for the clinical development of novel cancer-immunotherapy strategies. We investigated whether the combination of IFN-γ ICS and tetramer assay resulted in an assay that combines the robustness and quantitative results of MHC tetramer and the functional information derived from IFN-γ enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assays, resulting in a more efficient way to conduct immune-monitoring assays. Methods: Eligible subjects were HLA-A*0201 with a baseline level of MART-126-35-, EBV-BMLF1- and/or CMVpp65-reactive CD8+ T cells above the tetramer assay’s low limit of detection (LLD) of 0.03%. Subjects received no intercurrent therapy. 100 ml of peripheral blood was collected twice separated by at least 15 days. Samples were cryopreserved and analyzed by iTAg MHC Tetramer IFN-γ kit from Beckman Coulter and compared to our standardized gold standard assays of MHC tetramer staining and IFN-γ ELISPOT (Comin-Anduix et al. Clin Ca Res 06). The Pearson coefficient with a 95% confident interval was computed to establish correlation between the assay results. Results: 10 subjects (2 healthy donors and 8 melanoma patients) had EBV-BMLF1, 1 had MART-126-35 and 4 had CMV-pp65-specific cells above the tetramer LLD. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, the combined tetramer-IFN-γ ICS assay reproducibly overestimated the number of antigen-specific T cells by approximately 1 log compared to the results with the tetramer assay alone (mean EBV-BMLF1 tetramer 0.86vs. 5.68 by ICS-tetramer, paired t-test p Conclusion: A modified tetramer-IFN-γ ICS assay can efficiently quantitate circulating antigen-specific T cells. Although results of the tetramer-IFN-γ ICS assay do not correlate with the functional IFN-γ ELISPOT assay, the addition of ICS to the tetramer assay provides specific functional phenothyping information on antigen-specific IFN-γ producing cells in peripheral blood.
Non-Major Peer Mentoring for CS1

One of the key challenges associated with Computer Science I (CS1) curricula is that of student satisfaction which directly translates to success and retention. This challenge is exacerbated at small institutions in which departmental enrollment is low overall. One area that has shown much promise is that in which peer mentors are provided to augment existing lecture and laboratory components in order to better assist the students. This approach has found success at both large and small institutions where student demographics and populations are widely varied. In most implementations, the peer mentor is a departmental student (CS major) who has previously taken and excelled in the course. This does not however, account for those students enrolled in the course as non-majors. At many institutions, the typical CS1 course may count as an elective course necessary for graduation or to fulfill another majors requirements. In this situation, non-major students are often cited as feeling excluded, which then becomes the reason the student does not seek the necessary help that is required to find success within the course. In this work, we propose a non-major peer mentoring implementation to augment existing departmental-level tutoring in order to better assist all student backgrounds. We provide the feedback from the students that motivated this change, as well as the proposed infrastructure necessary for such an implementation to find success. We conclude this paper with analysis of the impact this implementation has had on non-major students in a small liberal arts CS1 course.
Parvoviruses of Vertebrates

Parvoviruses are widespread in many different animal hosts, including invertebrates and vertebrates. They assemble an approximately 25 nm nonenveloped capsid from 60 copies of two or three overlapping capsid proteins, and package a single-stranded DNA genome of around 5000 bases. The genome replicates as a linear molecule, and has palindromic termini that are required for replication, which occurs only in cells in the S phase of the cell cycle, or (in the case of the adeno-associated viruses) in the presence of a helper adenovirus or herpesvirus. The genomes express two large genes, and some also express some smaller open reading frames. One large gene encodes the large as well as smaller versions of proteins that control viral DNA replication (NS1 or Rep), and the other encodes two or three versions of the capsid proteins (VP1, -2, and -3). Virus infection and replication in animals occur in tissues that contain the dividing cells required for DNA replication, and the viruses often show restricted tissue and host tropisms. The diseases resulting from parvovirus infection can range from no disease or even partial replication (adeno-associated virus), or mild to severe and even fatal infections by some autonomous viruses, depending on the virus, the host, and the age of infection.
Altered Capicua expression drives regional Purkinje neuron vulnerability through ion channel gene dysregulation in Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1

Abstract Selective neuronal vulnerability in neurodegenerative disease is poorly understood. Using the ATXN1[82Q] model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), we explored the hypothesis that regional differences in Purkinje neuron degeneration could provide novel insights into selective vulnerability. ATXN1[82Q] Purkinje neurons from the anterior cerebellum were found to degenerate earlier than those from the nodular zone, and this early degeneration was associated with selective dysregulation of ion channel transcripts and altered Purkinje neuron spiking. Efforts to understand the basis for selective dysregulation of channel transcripts revealed modestly increased expression of the ATXN1 corepressor Capicua (Cic) in anterior cerebellar Purkinje neurons. Importantly, lentiviral overexpression of Cic in the nodular zone accelerated both aberrant Purkinje neuron spiking and neurodegeneration. These findings reinforce the central role for Cic in SCA1 cerebellar pathophysiology and suggest that only modest reductions in Cic are needed to have profound therapeutic impact in SCA1.
How much therapy is enough? The dose–response effect and its moderators in a psychology training clinic

Objective The current study aims to sharpen the understanding of the psychotherapy dose-response effect and its moderators in a psychology training clinic. Method Data were extracted from 58 client records. Weekly Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, as well as Outcomes Questionnaire-45.2, administered every fifth session, assessed whether clients achieved reliable change (RC) and clinically significant and reliable change (CSR) during treatment. Survival analyses were conducted to determine the sessions required for 50% of the sample to achieve these outcomes. Multilevel Cox frailty regressions were used to investigate client-and-therapy-based moderators. Results The median time for 50% of the sample to achieve RC was 8-10 sessions and 11 sessions to achieve initial CSR. Past treatment history was a significant moderator of time to achieve RC. Conclusions From a population perspective, psychotherapy is most beneficial to patients early in treatment. Sharper understanding of the number of sessions required to achieve meaningful change can inform practice in training settings.
Survival outcomes after surgical management of sporadic or familial adenomatous polyposis associated duodenal cancer.

Background Duodenal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) patients. In this study, we compare oncologic outcomes between sporadic and FAP-associated duodenal cancer. Methods In this retrospective study, all patients who underwent surgeries between 2000 and 2014 for either sporadic or FAP duodenal cancer were identified. The patients were grouped based on diagnoses and perioperative and survival outcomes were compared. Results A total of 56 patients with duodenal cancer (43 sporadic, 13 FAP) who underwent surgery were identified. Pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) was the most common procedure performed. The overall median survival was 7.5 years (1 year: 92%; 5 years: 58.1%). FAP patients had earlier tumor, node, and metastasis stage, less margin involvement, less perineural, and angiolymphatic invasion but had a comparable survival to sporadic patients. The median survival for FAP duodenal cancer was 7.4 vs 9.6 years for sporadic (P = .97) with similar utilization of adjuvant chemotherapy. Although not statistically significant, PD had an improved median survival compared to segmental duodenal resection (SDR) (9.6 years for PD vs 3.6 years for SDR, P = .17). Non-periampullary location and presence of positive lymph nodes were significant predictors of mortality on multivariate analysis. Conclusions FAP duodenal cancer has no survival advantage compared to sporadic duodenal cancer despite an improved stage of resection with extraampullary lesions having a worse survival.
Coronary Angiography in Patients With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Without ST-Segment Elevation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract Objectives The authors conducted a meta-analysis to study clinical outcomes in patients who underwent early versus nonearly coronary angiography (CAG) in the setting of out-of-hospital car...
Characteristics of cyclists using fitness tracker apps and its implications for planning of bicycle transport systems

Abstract The surge of crowdsourced cycling data from various fitness tracker apps has attracted the attention of transportation planners as it has the potential to provide rapid, cheaper, and high-resolution data for the planning of cycle infrastructure. However, much has been asked on whether the data coming from these fitness tracker apps represent the demographics and trip characteristics of the total cycling population. To explore the question, this study conducted a field intercept survey of 320 cyclists in the city of Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids located in Michigan, United States. The cyclists were categorized into three main groups based on the reported fitness tracker usage namely cyclists using the Strava app, cyclists using other fitness tracker apps and cyclists reported not to use any fitness tracker app. The logistic regression and Bagging (Bootstrapped Aggregating) decision tree were used in the analysis. The survey results suggest that cycling data on cycling activities from the Strava app and other fitness apps can jointly represent different cycling populations by age and gender. As for the trip purpose, a cyclist who reported using cycling fitness tracker apps had higher odds of being on a recreational trip as opposed to a commute trip. This indicates that the fusion of different crowdsourced fitness tracking data alone cannot offset the bias in the trip characteristics despite the observed diversity in demographic characteristics. Consequently, the study emphasizes the need for complementing crowdsourced cycling data emanated from multiple fitness tracker apps with other data sources to capture the travel behaviors of both commuting and recreational riders.
A Short Note on the Relationship of Information Gain and Eluder Dimension.

Eluder dimension and information gain are two widely used methods of complexity measures in bandit and reinforcement learning. Eluder dimension was originally proposed as a general complexity measure of function classes, but the common examples of where it is known to be small are function spaces (vector spaces). In these cases, the primary tool to upper bound the eluder dimension is the elliptic potential lemma. Interestingly, the elliptic potential lemma also features prominently in the analysis of linear bandits/reinforcement learning and their nonparametric generalization, the information gain. We show that this is not a coincidence -- eluder dimension and information gain are equivalent in a precise sense for reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces.
The Art of Euripides: Dramatic Technique and Social Context

Preface 1. Approaching Euripides 2. Problems of genre 3. Dramatic structures: variety and unity 4. The chorus 5. The gods 6. Rhetoric and character 7. Women 8. Euripidean males and the limits of autonomy Conclusion.
THE SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND UPCONVERTING PROPERTIES OF ERBIUM DOPED; YTTERBIUM, ERBIUM CO-DOPED YTTRIUM OXYSULFIDE PHOSPHORS UNDER 808, 980, AND 1560 nm EXCITATION

Bulk yttrium oxysulfide phosphors were prepared using the polysulfide flux method. The morphology and structure was characterized using transmission electron microscopy and x-ray powdered diffraction. Visible emissions occurring near 530 and 550 nm and 660 670 nm consistent with the H11/2, S3/2 → I15/2 and F9/2 → I15/2 transitions, respectively, were observed under 808, 980, and 1560 nm excitation. The upconverting mechanisms excited at 808, 980, and 1560 nm have been investigated in detail. The power dependent behavior of the upconverted emission intensities for singly doped erbium phosphors excited at 808 and 980 nm indicated a two-photon excitation process. Likewise, the ytterbium and erbium co-doped phosphors excited at 980 nm also indicated a two-photon excitation process. Doping with 10% erbium showed the most intense emissions under 808 and 1560 nm excitation. Yttrium oxysulfide co-doped with 15% ytterbium and 3% erbium showed the most intense emissions under 980 nm excitation. Upon 1560 nm excitation, the intensity of the red emission band was significantly enhanced by co-doping erbium with ytterbium. Concentration quenching became apparent when either the concentration of erbium or ytterbium reached 20%.
Judge Friendly's Contributions to Securities Law and Criminal Procedure: "Moderation Is All"

At the close of his Oliver Wendell Holmes Lectures in 1958, Judge Learned Hand, nearing the end of his career, paid tribute to his mentors at the Harvard Law School: "In the universe of truth they lived by the sword; they asked no quarter of absolutes and they gave none."1 The great judge might as well have been speaking of himself. He might have been speaking also of the man, great-judge-to-be, who was soon to join him on the bench of the Second Circuit and who would eventually succeed him as the Sage of Foley Square. For no judge of our time has waged a more unrelenting war against what he once called "the reign of King Absolute" than Henry Friendly.2 The bracketing of the two names, Hand and Friendly, is inevitable. Despite great differences in age, background, and personality, the two had much in common. Both were masters of the language:3 no judge has ever surpassed, and few have equalled, Hand as a writer of expository prose, but Friendly probably comes as close as anyone now on the bench. Both lifted judicial craftsmanship to the level of high art. Both were great "balancers" and great formulators of balancing tests. Both possessed an astonishing versatility, an at-homeness in a wide range of subjects and levels of complexity. Both were keenly aware of the limitations of the judicial office and the deference due other decisionmaking institutions. Both, moreover, as members of an "inferior" federal tribunal, labored under a similar set of constraints. Bound, often tightly, by the decisions of the Supreme Court, hemmed in by the proliferating precedents of their own circuit, rarely exposed to the great constitutional issues of the day, lacking discretionary control over their dockets and therefore condemned to a diet of routine cases presenting narrowly technical or factual issues, both Hand and Friendly had far less room to stretch their wings than high court justices in Washington
Studies on transmural potentials in vitro in relation to intestinal absorption. II. An effect of ouabain on glucose-dependent increment of transmural potential of rat small intestine.

Abstract The dependence on Na + of the active transport of sugar in small intestine, in vitro , was studied by observing the influence of various sugars on the electrical potential difference measured across the wall of everted intestinal sacs. Confirming other reports, the potential difference in rat, hamster and guinea-pig preparations is significantly increased in the presence of sugars known to accumulate against a concentration difference. Also confirming other reports, the potential difference is strongly depressed with serosal ouabain and, to a lesser extent, also with mucosal ouabain in the absence of added sugar. However, it has now been additionally found that the increased potential difference in the presence of sugars as above, is still further enhanced by ouabain. This persistent effect of ouabain is species specific, being clearly evident in rat and, though of lesser intensity, also in guinea-pig, but not in hamster. In the rat the effect is observed with the sugars, d -glucose or 6-deoxy- d -glucose, in jejunal but not in ileal sacs and with d -galactose in ileal but not in jejunal sacs. Comparison of plots of i /ΔPD versus i /(sugar) in the presence and absence of ouabain suggests that ouabain acts as a competitive activator for Na + entrance into the mucosal epithelial cell.
Theory of magnetic deflagration in crystals of molecular magnets

Theory of magnetic deflagration (avalanches) in crystals of molecular magnets has been developed. The phenomenon resembles the burning of a chemical substance, with the Zeeman energy playing the role of the chemical energy. Nondestructive reversible character of magnetic deflagration, as well as the possibility to continuously tune the flammability of the crystal by changing the magnetic field, makes molecular magnets an attractive toy system for a detailed study of the burning process. Besides simplicity, new features, as compared to the chemical burning, include possibility of quantum decay of metastable spin states and strong temperature dependence of the heat capacity and thermal conductivity. We obtain analytical and numerical solutions for criteria of the ignition of magnetic deflagration and compute the ignition rate and the speed of the developed deflagration front.
Developing a sense of purpose in graduating engineers

While some graduating engineers have a highly-developed sense of purpose and direction for their careers and lives, many students are merely aware that they possess valuable technical skills and enjoy working on engineering projects. At Seattle Pacific University, our mission includes not only training technically competent engineers, but also preparing them with a sense of purpose developed from our Christian worldview. To this end, we have added a significant component to our senior design courses that engages students in discussions and reflective writing about their purpose in becoming an engineer. Drawing on the concept of vocation, we examine and discuss ways that an engineer can find significance in his or her career that goes beyond simply having a good job that pays well. We hope that after completing this course, engineering students are better prepared to find a particular career that fits their life goals, graduates will have a better sense of purpose in their work, and practicing engineers are more motivated to make transformational changes in their workplace. This work-in-progress presents our curriculum components and provides an early look at the student outcomes.
Using young adult literature to explore the causes and impact of teen violence

This project addresses the use of young adult literature in the classroom to teach about teen violence. The research questions addressed are: 1. How is violence depicted in young adult literature from post-Columbine (1999) to present day (2009)? 2. How does young adult literature attempt to inform teens about the causes, effects, and warning signs of violence? 3. How do real students respond to the causes, effects, and warning signs of teen violence in young adult literature? The study was conducted in a class of 10 grade Honors English students, who formed six literature circles to read six recent young adult books that addressed teen violence. A variety of qualitative data was collected, including interviews, journal entries, essays, and group presentations. The two major findings were that students could identify causes, warning signs, and effects of teen violence in their books, and they said they now recognize the hazards of bullying.
Integrated photonics for datacenter and server interconnects

In next generation datacenters where dynamic allocation and reconfiguration of resources will be key differentiators, I/O and interconnect networks will become both fundamental enablers - a critical building block, both in terms of performance and cost of operation. The adoption of integrated optical links into future systems however, will in turn also heavily depend on the ability of the optical technology to meet performance and cost targets at the component level. Packaging and integration of optics is even more challenging than electronic circuits. At IBM Research - Zurich, we are currently working on different integration schemes for optical interconnects, based on silicon photonics and polymer waveguide technologies. I will present the approaches we pursue and discuss the current status of the work and results.
Mercury Pollution and Cycling in Aquatic Systems

Publisher Summary Scientists have developed a better understanding of how mercury released into the environment can be transported in the atmosphere and deposited hundreds of kilometers away. Since mercury first became recognized as an environmental contaminant posing a potential hazard to human health, public and government awareness has led to regulations and the elimination of most of the point discharge sources in the developed countries. These measures were expected to decrease the levels of mercury in fish significantly, but this did not occur because of the emissions from natural and anthropogenic sources to the atmospheric cycle. They may be responsible for increasing the environmental mercury levels in the Northern Hemisphere. Even modest additional increases in atmospheric mercury loading can cause the body burdens in fish to increase, and these, in turn, can concentrate up the food chain. Therefore, the transport and dispersal of mercury from anthropogenic sources to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems constitutes a serious enough environmental contamination problem. Because mercury is transported in the atmosphere over long distances, both national and international cooperation is needed to implement an international remedial action plan.
Dynamic Spatial Clustering for Intelligent Mobile Information Sharing and Dissemination

Intelligent Mobile Information Systems support information-centered applications that require support for a large number of distributed mobile users collaborating on a common mission and with interests in a common situation domain. A mobile user operating in the field changes location, consumes resources, investigates situations "on the horizon," and performs other incrementally evolving activities. A mobile user's information needs are therefore continually evolving in a neighborhood of interrelated data centered on the user's current location. Broadcast data dissemination is most effective when each broadcast information packet has multiple interested parties. To maximize the value of multicast dissemination, we dynamically cluster similar user profiles into aggregate user classifications that are served by independent multicast channels of custom information packets. Mobile user locations are also continuously tracked and mapped onto a cartographic representation of the real scenario. Spatial proximity between users is then computed by taking into account real boundaries as described in the cartographic map. Spatial information and spatial relationships among mobile users are then provided to the clustering algorithm with an eventual improved quality of the disseminated data.
Nortriptyline plasma levels and therapeutic response.

Eighteen depressed outpatients were treated for 6 wk with amitriptyline. Clinical improvement was monitored using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale administered by two psychiatrists blind to the tricyclic used for treatment, dosage, and plasma levels. Amitriptyline and its desmethyl metabolite, notriptyline, were assayed twice weekly by gas chromatography-mass fragmentography. For the 17 patients having total tricyclic plasma levels between 0 and 250 ng/ml, there was a negative correlation between the Hamilton score and the mean total tricyclic level (p less than 0.01) and amitriptyline level (p less than 0.005). The mean nortriptyline level did not significantly correlate with the Hamilton score. The 10 patients having mean total tricyclic levels above 95 ng/ml had lower median Hamilton scores at week 3 (p less than 0.025) and at week 6 (p less than 0.0025) than those whose tricyclics were lower. The percentage of recovered patients increases significantly as the plasma levels rise to 250 ng/ml, the maximum plasma level considered in this study.
DNA repeats in the human genome

Repetitive DNA sequences, interspersed through out the human genome, are capable of forming a wide variety of unusual DNA structures with simple and complex loopfolding patterns. The hairpin formed by the fragile X repeat, (CCG)n, and the bipartite triplex formed by the Friedreich’s ataxia repeat, (GAA)n/(TTC)n, show simple loopfolding. On the other hand, the doubly folded hairpin formed by the human centromeric repeat, (AATGG)n, the hairpin G-quartet formed by (TTAGGG)n at the 3’ telomere overhang, and the hairpin G-quartet, and hairpin C+•C paired i-motif formed by the insulin minisatellite \( {\left({\begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {ACA{G_4}}{TGT{G_4}}\\ {TGT{C_4}}{ACA{C_4}} \end{array}}\right)_n}, \) show multiple and complex loopfolding.We have performed high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and in vitro replication to show that unique base-pairing and loopfolding render stability to these unusual structures under physiological conditions. The formation of such stable structures offers a mechanism of unwinding which is advantageous during transcription. For example, the formation of the hairpin G-quartet, and hairpin C+•C paired i-motif upstream of the insulin gene may facilitate transcription. These unusual DNA structures also provide unique “protein recognition motifs” quite different from a Watson-Crick double helix. For example, the hairpin G-quartet formed by (TTAGGG)n at the 3’ telomere overhang is specifically recognized and yeast homologue, may stabilize the human telomere by binding to the multiply folded hairpin G-quartet structures
Predictors of failed attempted abortion with the antiprogestin mifepristone (RU 486).

Summary The experience of 271 patients who received mifepristone (RU 486) in experimental protocols from July 1984 to January 1989 was analyzed by logistic regression methods. The regimen used was the strongest predictor of failure, followed by Quetelet's index and initial B-human chorionic gonadotropin level. The relative risk of failure was 2.3 times with 7-day regimens and 6.3 times with the other regimens that obtained with regimens of 600 mg given once or twice. The relative risk of failure increased with increasing Quetelet's index; women in the top quartile were 2.9 times more likely to fail to abort than were women in the bottom quartile. The risk of failure increased with increasing initial &#x0026;#x000DF;-human chorionic gonadotropin level; those with an initial level > 19,800 mlU/ml were 2.8 times more likely to fail to abort than were women with an initial value ⪯ 6350 mill/ml. Body mass appears to influence the likelihood of abortion with mifepristone. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1990;162:910-7.)
Electron-yield saturation effects in L-edge x-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectra of Fe, Co, and Ni

Saturation effects are determined in x-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectra, acquired by electron yield techniques. It is shown that sum-rule extraction of the number of d holes, orbital moment, and spin moment are affected for Fe, Co, and Ni. In particular, errors in the extracted orbital moment values due to saturation effects can be in excess of 100% and even yield the wrong sign for films as thin as 50 \AA{}. They are significant even for film thicknesses of a few monolayers. Errors for the derived values for the number of d holes and the spin moment are considerably smaller but may be of the order 10--20 %. Correction factors are given for quantities obtained from sum rule analysis of electron yield data of Fe, Co, and Ni as a function of film thickness and x-ray incidence angle.
Carl Schurz as a Student of Modern Foreign Languages

IN 1850 young Schurz rescued his beloved Professor Kinkel of the University of Bonn from the military prison at Spandau, a sensational achievement. Not before arriving in Scotland did they feel free and safe, though the vocabulary of neither one contained the word liberty and its synonym freedom. The only two English words they knew meant something more prosaic and real. As both fugitives were hungry and thirsty, they entered an inn. There they tried to make practical use of all their English, supported by gestures and grimaces, and they succeeded admirably. Still wearing the shaggy disguise in which they had managed their escape from the Prussian police, the two Germans ordered "beefsteak" and "sherry"-two nouns which they kept repeating to the consternation and amusement of waiter and innkeeper. At last, when Schurz threw a gold coin on the table, its meaning struck home. Soon the waiter returned with tempting substantials while slowly and emphatically repeating: "oxtail-soup." The faces of the two odd-looking strangers lighted. Schurz concludes the incident with the following instructive remarks: "This was the first lesson in English. Judging from the similarity with two German words we could well imagine what the word 'ox' and 'soup' signified, but the meaning of the word 'tail' became clear to us only when we saw the contents of the tureen on our plates. We found the soup delicious, and thus our English vocabulary had been enriched by a valuable substantive."'
PHOSPHOLIPID REQUIREMENT OF NA+,K+-ACTIVATED ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATASE FROM RAT BRAIN.

Abstract Na + , K + -activated adenosine triphosphatase was solubilized with deoxycholate from a fraction of rat brain containing fragments of axons, fragmented myelin sheaths, and vesicles of various sizes. The effects of ions and the substrate specificity of the solubilized form of the enzyme were studied. Solubilization of the enzyme resulted in a loss of activity which could be restored by the addition of various phospholipids. By removal of the phospholipids by ammonium sulfate fractionation of the deoxycholate-treated enzyme preparation, it could be shown that the loss of enzyme activity paralleled the loss of phospholipid. Added lecithin increased the activity of enzyme preparations containing little phospholipid. Along with a kinetic study the results strongly suggested that the adenosine triphosphatase requires phospholipid for optimal activity.
Evaluation of Anal Incontinence: Minimal Approach, Maximal Effectiveness

Anal incontinence is a symptom represented by the impaired ability to control the elimination of gas and stool, with an estimated incidence of 2.2 to 7.1% of the population. These numbers likely under-represent the true prevalence because physicians and patients are reluctant to discuss this problem. Evaluation of the patient with anal incontinence requires a fundamental knowledge of the etiologic factors. Careful history and physical examination is essential in every patient and can identify the cause of most cases of incontinence. Incontinence scoring systems are tools that provide objective data regarding the severity and quality of anal incontinence. Supplemental special tests for evaluating incontinence should be aimed at achieving three goals: (1) provide additional and confirmatory information regarding the diagnosis and cause of incontinence; (2) select appropriate treatment; and (3) predict treatment outcome. Numerous studies to evaluate anal incontinence exist; however, the most useful tests to achieve these goals are anal manometry, pudendal nerve terminal motor latency, and anal endosonography, because these studies can identify physiologic, neurologic, and anatomic abnormalities of the anorectum for which there may be effective treatments.
Annual basal area increment and growth duration of Pinus taeda in response to eight years of free‐air carbon dioxide enrichment

Rising CO2 is predicted to increase forest productivity, although the duration of the response and how it might be altered by variation in rainfall, temperature and other environmental variables are not well understood. We measured the basal area of rapidly growing Pinus taeda trees exposed to free-air CO2 enrichment for 8 years and used these measurements to estimate monthly and annual growth. We used these measurements in a statistical model to estimate the start and end of growth in each year. Elevated CO2 increased the basal area increment (BAI) of trees by 13–27%. In most years, exposure to elevated CO2 increased the growth rate but not the duration of the active growth period. With the exception of 1 year following an extreme drought and a severe ice storm, BAI was positively correlated with the amount of rainfall during the active growth period. The interannual variation in the relative enhancement of BAI caused by elevated CO2 was strongly related to temperature and rainfall, and was greatest in years with high vapor pressure deficit. There was no evidence of a systematic reduction in the stimulation of growth during the first 8 years of this experiment, suggesting that the hypothesized limitation of the CO2 response caused by nitrogen availability has yet to occur.
Postflood Disaster Management and the Home Health Nurse: Using Theory to Guide Practice

Few frameworks exist to guide home health nurses during the response and recovery phases of disasters such as flooding. The Double ABCX Model of Family Adaptation is offered as an example of a guiding framework for nurses in postflood management. Phases of the model are linked to the nursing process, and management strategies are applied to individuals and families living in the community. Postcrisis decision-making is detailed through the discussion of nursing diagnoses, interventions, and evaluation. Implications highlight the value of using a theoretical framework to guide practice, develop knowledge, and clarify the home health nurse's role in postflood management.
Developing model-based reasoning in mathematics and science

Abstract It is essential to base instruction on a foundation of understanding of children's thinking, but it is equally important to adopt the longer-term view that is needed to stretch these early competencies into forms of thinking that are complex, multifaceted, and subject to development over years, rather than weeks or months. We pursue this topic through our studies of model-based reasoning. We have identified four forms of models and related modeling practices that show promise for developing model-based reasoning. Models have the fortuitous feature of making forms of student reasoning public and inspectable—not only among the community of modelers, but also to teachers. Modeling provides feedback about student thinking that can guide teaching decisions, an important dividend for improving professional practice.
Design rule checker for sheet metal components using medial axis transformation and geometric reasoning

Abstract A design rule checker is an essential component of design automation and for making design, process planning, and manufacturing concurrent. A set of algorithms is presented for detecting design violations in sheet metal components. Violations occur when holes, slots, or other features are too close to one another. These violations, if undetected during design, increase the design lifecycle of the product. Thus it is essential to detect, if not eliminate, them at the early stages of design. Typically, sheet metal components have a number of features serving various purposes, including ventilation and fastening. As the contour of the parts becomes complicated and the number of features on the sheet metal part increases, it is difficult to check the rules exhaustively because of the possibility of combinatorial explosion. The algorithm presented here uses medial axis transformation to decompose a given domain, thus preventing a combinatorial explosion, and also provides a means to integrate the rule checker with a design advisor.
Treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis with tetrathiomolybdate: results of a double-blind trial

The results of a double-blind trial of tetrathiomolybdate therapy and standard of care, versus placebo and standard of care treatment, in primary biliary cirrhosis patients are presented. Baseline studies of liver function, various safety variables, ceruloplasmin, a liver biopsy for histologic analysis, and for various cytokine analyses were carried out. Patients were observed every 4 months for up to 2 years of treatment by a hepatologist for clinical evaluation and repeat of all the baseline studies except liver biopsy, which was repeated at 2 years. The primary end points were improvement in 2 liver function tests and in 1 inflammatory cytokine. Fifteen placebo patients were followed for an average of 13 months, and 13 tetrathiomolybdate patients were followed for an average of 14 months. The predefined primary end points for efficacy were met. Tetrathiomolybdate was well tolerated. Because tetrathiomolybdate has been shown in numerous animal studies to inhibit autoimmune and inflammatory processes, and because primary biliary cirrhosis is an autoimmune attack on bile ducts, these positive findings on efficacy of tetrathiomolybdate therapy in primary biliary cirrhosis fit with the animal studies and suggest the need for a longer clinical trial to examine transplant-free survival.
Oceanography: A roadmap on ecosystem change

Global models highlight that environmental change in marine ecosystems is caused by multiple stressors. Now a study puts these projections into a biogeographical framework suitable for integration with wider biological understanding and more robust impact assessment.
Velocity distribution on the membrane of a tank-treading red blood cell.

The kinematics of an area-conserving tank-treading disk-shaped red blood cell membrane is studied using the stream function method suggested by Secomb and Skalak (Q. Jl Mech. appl. Math. 35, Pt 2, 233–247, 1982). Two simple area-conserving velocity fields are superimposed to satisfy the continuity condition at the curved edges of the disk. A differential equation for the trajectory of any material point of the membrane is derived. The requirement of synchrony of the cycle for all membrane points leads to an integral equation which determines a magnitude function. An approximate solution is made possible by assuming small trajectory deflections.
(η6‐2‐Bromo‐1,1′‐biphenyl)tricarbonylchromium

The title compound, [Cr(C12H9Br)(CO)3], crystallizes in the triclinic space group P\bar1 with close Br⋯Br separations. These contacts, along with several other factors, influence the (Ph)C—C(o-BrC6H4) dihedral angle of 58.82 (6)°. The typical piano-stool coordination about the Cr atom is in excellent agreement with the results of density functional theory calculations.
Remarks on "Floating Bodies in Neutral Equilibrium"

This note offers historical comments on mathematical life in the city of Lwow, and points out that the paper cited in the title contains a solution of Problem 19 in “The Scottish Book”, prepared just prior to World War II in the “Scottish Cafe” located in that city.
Roper resonance and πN phase shift in the Skyrme model with defect

Abstract The quantum fluctuations of the two-phase Skyrme soliton model of the nucleon is formulated. The p-wave π N phase shift and the Roper to π N decay width are calculated as a function of the equlibrium defect radius R 0 . It is found that there is a preferred region of R 0 between 0.4 and 0.5 fm where the experimental width can be fitted. It is also found that the region of R 0 between 0.1 and 0.36 fm should be excluded in the model due to its instability against small oscillations.
Effect of Notonectids (Hemiptera: Notonectidae) on Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae): Predation or Selective Oviposition?

The density of the aquatic, predatory bugs Notonecta hoffmani and N. kirbyi was manipulated in stock troughs in the Santa Ynez Valley, Calif., to assess the predator's effect on mosquito larvae. Each trough was divided in half by a wooden partition, and notonectids were removed from one half and retained in the other. Over a 3-month sampling period very few large mosquito larvae or mosquito pupae were found on the side of the trough where notonectids were present, whereas large densities were observed on the side where notonectids were absent. To ensure that this was not an artifact of the side of the trough chosen for notonectid addition or removal, the predators were changed from one to the other. The same result was obtained. Although it is well known that notonectids are voracious predators of mosquito larvae, the experimental results can be adequately explained by selective mosquito oviposition. This hypothesis was supported by laboratory experiments in which adult mosquitoes laid the fewest eggs in tubs containing notonectids. Laboratory and field experiments also demonstrated that notonectids may disrupt mosquito egg rafts, but no evidence of a reduction in subsequent hatching success was obtained. These results point out the danger of making conclusions about predation merely by observing predator and prey distributions. They also draw attention to the need for more information about the effect of predators on prey behavior, particularly if a predator is being considered as a biological control agent.
Salvage hypospadias repairs

Aim: Review of our experience and to develop an algorithm for salvage procedures in the management of hypospadias cripples and treatment of urethral strictures following hypospadias repair. Methods: This is a retrospective review of hypospadias surgeries over a 41-month period. Out of a total 168 surgeries, 20 were salvage/re-operative repairs. In three children a Duplay repair was feasible, while in four others a variety of single-stage repairs could be done. The repair was staged in seven children - buccal mucosal grafts (BMGs) in five, buccal mucosal tube in one, and skin graft in one. Five children with dense strictures were managed by dorsal BMG inlay grafting in one, vascularized tunical onlay grafting on the ventrum in one, and a free tunical patch in one. Three children were treated by internal urethrotomy and stenting for four weeks with a poor outcome. Results: The age of children ranged from 1.5-15 years (mean 4.5). Follow-up ranged from 3 months to 3.5 years. Excellent results were obtained in 10 children (50%) with a well-surfaced erect penis and a slit-like meatus. Glans closure could not be achieved and meatus was coronal in three. Two children developed fistulae following a Duplay repair and following a staged BMG. Three repairs failed completely - a composite repair broke down, a BMG tube stenosed with a proximal leak, and a stricture recurred with loss of a ventral free tunical graft. Conclusions: In salvage procedures performed on hypospadias cripples, a staged repair with buccal mucosa as an inlay in the first stage followed by tubularization 4-6 months later provides good results. A simple algorithm to plan corrective surgery in failed hypospadias cases and obtain satisfactory results is devised.
Archaeometry using the Cornell TRIGA reactor

A collaborative program between Archaeology and Nuclear Science and Engineering (NS&E) at Cornell University has been established. Neutron activation analysis using the 500 kW TRIGA reactor at NS&E is used to analyze Etruscan pottery samples from the excavations at La Piana, near Siena, Italy. This is a progress report for the Etruscan project, and preliminary results from the statistical analysis of the data are presented.
Artificial neural networks: an econometric perspective ∗

(1994). Artificial neural networks: an econometric perspective. Econometric Reviews: Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 1-91.