cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, Structure, Dynamic Properties, and Indenyl Transfer Reactions of {AlMe2(THF)(indenyl)}2SiMe2

The reaction of Li2SBI (SBI = Me2Si(1-indenyl)2) with 2 equiv of AlMe2Cl in Et2O, followed by treatment with THF, affords {AlMe2(THF)(indenyl)}2SiMe2 (1), which is isolated as a ca. 1/1 mixture of rac and meso isomers, from which rac-1 is obtained by crystallization from toluene. An X-ray crystallographic analysis establishes that rac-1 exists as the 1,3 isomer, i.e., (1-{AlMe2(THF)-1-indenyl)}(3-{AlMe2(THF)}-1-indenyl)SiMe2, in the solid state. NMR studies establish that in toluene-d8, rac-1 exists as a 2/1 mixture of 1,3 and 1,1 Al−indenyl isomers which interconvert rapidly on the NMR time scale at room temperature. Rac-1 undergoes slow isomerization to a 1/1 rac/meso mixture (3 days, 23 °C, benzene) and also undergoes slow partial disproportionation by ligand redistribution (28% conversion, 2 days, 23 °C, benzene). Compound 1 (1/1 to 1.4/1 rac/meso mixture) reacts with Zr(NMe2)4 and Hf(NMe2)4 under mild conditions to yield (SBI)Zr(NMe2)2 in >90% NMR yield (rac/meso = 4.5/1) and rac-(SBI)Hf(NMe2)2 in 61...
Radiation Properties of Oxygen-Enhanced Normal and Inverse Diffusion Flames

Radiative heat transfer in oxygen-enhanced inverse flame configurations is an important area of study for fundamental combustion research and for terrestrial and spacecraft fire safety. Motivated by this, heat flux distributions, total radiative heat loss and spectral radiation intensities were investigated experimentally for oxygen-enhanced normal and inverse laminar ethane diffusion flames with increasing heat release rates. The oxygen mole fraction in the oxidizer was varied as 21%, 30%, 50%, and 100% with coflowing normal and inverse flame burners used to stabilize the flames. The inverse diffusion flames were essentially nonluminous while the normal diffusion flames with identical heat release rates were highly luminous. Oxygen enhancement led to reduced flame lengths, increased luminosities and increased total radiative heat loss and spectral radiation intensities for both normal and inverse diffusion flames. Using flame length as the characteristic length parameter, the normalized radiative heat flux distributions for flames approximately collapsed together, further establishing the effectiveness of the single point radiant output measurement technique. Radiative heat loss fractions of normal and inverse diffusion flames with varying oxygen concentrations in the oxidizer are compared. The radiation spectra of all flames included significant contributions from gas radiation from carbon dioxide and water vapor and the radiation spectra of the high oxygen concentration flames included contributions from soot radiation.
The Effect of Culture on the Responsiveness of Firms to Institutional Forces

Institutional theory suggests that firms imitate their peers when deciding to enter a foreign market in order to gain legitimacy and cope with uncertainty. There is little investigation, however, o...
Informed consent for genetic research.

Background Rapid technological advances in genetic research and public concern about genetic discrimination have led to anticipatory safeguards in the informed consent process in the absence of legal examples of proven discrimination. Despite federal and state regulations to restrict access to personal health information, including genetic information, institutional review boards have required the addition of language to informed consent documents that warns about the risks of discrimination with participation in genetic research. Objective To determine the reasons that families refused consent for their infant's participation in a study evaluating a genetic cause of respiratory distress syndrome. Design Survey conducted between February 1, 2002, and March 31, 2003. Setting Academic, tertiary free-standing children's hospital. Participants A convenience sample of 465 families were approached for consent. The 135 families who refused consent were surveyed. Main Outcome Measures Reasons for refusal. Results Of the nonconsenting families, 79% spontaneously and specifically identified institutionally required language in our consent form concerning the risk of denial of access to health insurance and employment as the primary reason for refusal; 97% indicated that their fears resulted directly from language in our consent form. Only 20% of families who refused consent cited inadequate time to consider the study. Conclusions The institutionally required description of risk of genetic discrimination due solely to participation in genetic research was the primary reason for refusal to consent in this cohort. Information about federally and institutionally mandated protections for confidentiality of participants in genetic research should be included in the informed consent document to balance the description of hypothetical risks and more accurately inform subjects.
Switched multiple instruction, multiple data stream processing

A new architecture is proposed for the effective use of program memory in highly parallel applications. This architecture is particularly suited (but not limited) to being built with standard microprocessors. This architecture utilizes a combination of the state switching idea of the SIMD organization and the multiple data stream idea of MIMD organizations. Through scheduling, the program segments are broadcast at the times required to achieve efficient utilization of the parallel processing array. Relationships are developed to determine, for a given application, if this architecture is more cost effective than comparable SIMD and MIMD organizations.
Report on Investigation into the Failure of Two 100-MW. Turbo-generators:

It has often been said of engineering that ‘Progress is made by solving the problems resulting from the making of progress’.This paper describes the investigations made following the failure of two generators each of 100 MW. capacity installed in the Richard L. Hearn Generating Station at Toronto of The Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario. The author details some general considerations affecting the design of alternator rotors, the selection of materials used, past troubles which had to be avoided, reasons for certain features incorporated in the original design and modified as the result of the failures, and safeguards introduced into current practice to avoid the possibility of a repetition of the failures.
Towards a Redefinition of Feminist Translation Practice

This article explores the ways in which translation can be engaged at the service of the ’feminine’ through an examination of feminist-identified translation and an attempt to redefine the term ‘fe...
Measurements in the field of a spark excited compressible axisymmetric jet

Acoustic phase (ensemble) averaged measurements were performed in a constant temperature, axisymmetric, Mach 0.6 jet of air. These measurements show that the noise directly radiated by the coherent structure in the jet flow field was responsible for the directivity of the acoustic field.
Effect of SSN-induced PDN noise on a LVDS output buffer

As the semiconductor nanotechnology process progresses, advanced devices achieve high performance by reducing parasitic effects, including logic variations caused by noise at SSN input and outputs (I/O), and output bufferpsilas timing variations caused by switching I/O banks (SSN-TV). This paper presents these timing variations by studying the LVDS output jitter of a 65-nm wire-bond FPGA device in the presence of SSN. By using differential signaling, the effect of inductive coupling can be significantly reduced, allowing the PDN effect to be observed more clearly. Due to the PDN resonance effect, the LVDS output jitter reaches maximum (peak) when the transient current in the PDN oscillates at the resonance frequency. This study shows that output jitter peaks not only when the SSN is at the resonance frequency but also when it is at half the resonance frequency.
Description and Ecology of A New Cavernicolous, Arachnophilous Thread-legged Bug (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Emesini) from Kartchner Caverns, Cochise County, Arizona

A new cavernicolous, arachnophilous thread-legged bug ( Phasmatocoris labyrinthicus sp. nov. ; Reduviidae: Emesini) is described from Kartchner Caverns, a limestone cavern in Kartchner Caverns State Park near Benson, Arizona, USA. Cavernicolous emesines are recorded from caves in many parts of the world and are distributed across several genera, but are generally uncommon. P. labyrinthicus shows no obvious troglomorphy but ecological evidence suggests it is, at minimum, a cave-limited troglophile. The species seems to be low-humidity intolerant, due to its occurrence in a cave within a desert region, effectively confines the population to the cave, and the species may thus actually be troglobitic by default. Arachnophily in emesines is more common, including in Phasmatocoris Breddin, but has been previously documented in only a single cavernicolous species, Bagauda cavernicola Paiva, reported from India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. However, unlike P. labyrinthicus , B. cavernicola is apparently not morphologically adapted for its arachnophilous association. P. labyrinthicus is the only known troglophilic emesine that is also a morphologically adapted and behaviorally functional arachnophile. The only other known cavernicolous Phasmatocoris ( P. xavieri Gil- Santana, Alves, Barrett and Costa) is recorded from a sandstone cave in Brazil. P. xavieri exhibits morphological features indicative of a potentially arachnophilous habit, but its ecology has not been studied. Adults of P. labyrinthicus share characteristics with the species Phasmatocoris praecellens Bergroth, P. minor McAtee and Malloch, P. xavieri , P. spectrum Breddin, and P. rapax McAtee and Malloch. Phasmatocoris is primarily a Neotropical genus and the discovery of P. labyrinthicus represents a significant range extension for the genus, being the first Nearctic species identified, with its geographically nearest relative an undescribed species from Mazatlan, Mexico, over 1,000 km to the south.
Increased Susceptibility to Murine Hepatitis Virus Infection by Treatment with Iron Salts

SummaryThe administration of ferric ammonium citrate to newborn mice enhanced their susceptibility to MHV. Intraperitoneal inoculation of a chelating agent, EDTA, protected a significant proportion of newborn animals against MHV but only when administered shortly after birth.
The distribution of network states during residence times in product form queueing networks

Abstract Product form queueing networks are so named because their equilibrium state probabilities have a simple product form. This simple form has lead to computationally efficient techniques for obtaining solutions of these networks. Recent work on the probability of network states at those instants when a customer completes service at a service center (departure instants) or arrives at a service center (arrival instants) has revealed a similar product form. The arrival instant result provides a simple, intuitive explanation of the Mean Value Analysis solution technique for product form networks with First-Come-First-Served service centers. In this paper we derive the distribution of network states seen by a particular customer while resident at a particular service center. This distribution too has a relatively simple product form. We use this information to explain in an intuitive way the MVA solution technique for a more general class of network, those containing load independent Processor Sharing and last-Come-First-Served-Preemptive-Resume service centers. It is hoped that, just as the intuitive explanation of the response time formula for FCFS centers has led to approximation techniques for non-separable FCFS centers, this new information may provide approximation techniques for non-separable centers with other scheduling disciplines such as preemptive and non-preemptive priority.
Magnetic resonance spectroscopic measurement of cellular thiol reduction-oxidation state

Chromatographic and magnetic resonance spectroscopic measurements of thiol reduction-oxidation state in chemically constructed samples show close analytical agreement. This result, coupled with the synthesis of new probe molecules allowing greater sensitivity and lower toxicity, supports the development of an NMR method for non-invasive thiol redox measurement, an important variable in the response of tumors to radiation and chemotherapy.
Subiendo una escalera hacia atrás: la construcción del sujeto otro en El Lugar sin límites de José Donoso. El caso de la Japonesita.

La sola mirada de la descripcion del prostibulo de la Japonesita, le indica al lector el espacio de deterioro con el que se va a encontrar. El solo hecho de que el prostibulo se este hundiendo, magnifica la sensacion de perdida, de ser un espacio que se encamina a la extincion. Se trata de un espacio contrapuesto: mientras la casa de Don Alejo y sus parras suben hacia al cielo, el burdel baja, se va hundiendo. Con esto se crea una estetica de la “fuga” que implica una cambio de signos y de orden social . Segun vaya hundiendose la casa, mas avanza hacia otra esfera del mundo: entre mas avancen las parras hacia el pueblo, mas se va imponiendo un cambio de signos. Mi propuesta es buscar nuevas formas de ver este espacio donosiano de los Olivos, de alli que mi ascender por la escalera de espaldas es mostrar como la representacion de los personajes olvidados de esta novela, la Japonesita y el Pancho –normalmente estereotipados como lo deforme y lo decadente–,adquieren una realidad diversa. De este modo, los monstruos en esta novela, vienen a ser una representacion positiva en la medida en que mi lectura pretende subvertir la vision que un Prospero tiene de Caliban. La novela El lugar sin limites permite que lo excluido y omitido por la institucion del orden patriarcal/ terrateniente /omnipresente finalmente aparezca. Si bien es cierto todo lo relacionado con el mundo transvesti es considerado como marginal, en esta novela se nos muestra como parte de un orden: es el gesto limite de la organizacion social de “Los Olivos”.
An experimental and theoretical study of radial acoustic resonance in a cylindrical cavity

Forced resonant radial oscillations in a shallow cylindrical cavity are studied both experimentally and theoretically. The excitation is provided by a piston of approximately half the cavity diameter in one of the end-faces. For the small driving amplitudes considered, it is found that, despite extremely thin viscous and thermal boundary layers, the resonant response is dominated by dissipation rather than non-linearity. In this case the experimental results compare very favourably with a linear theory which has to take into account the boundary layers on the cylinder as well as on the end walls.
Sex differences in survival after acute myocardial infarction in patients with diabetes mellitus (Worcester Heart Attack Study).

Abstract Background Women with diabetes mellitus are at particularly high risk for coronary heart disease-related morbidity and mortality compared with men with diabetes mellitus. However, recent data comparing hospital and long-term outcomes in women with diabetes mellitus and men hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are scarce. The objectives of our multi-hospital observational study were to examine sex differences and temporal trends (1975–99) in hospital and long-term case-fatality rates (CFRs) in patients with diabetes mellitus and AMI from a population-based perspective. Methods A community-wide study of residents of the Worcester, Mass, metropolitan area who were hospitalized with confirmed AMI was conducted. Data were collected in 12 1-year periods between 1975 and 1999. The study sample consisted of 1354 men and 1280 women with diabetes mellitus. Results Overall hospital CFRs were significantly greater for women with diabetes mellitus (21.3%) than for men with diabetes mellitus (14.9%). Between 1975 and 1999, hospital CFRs declined from 39.2% to 17.5% for women and from 18.9% to 9.5% in men. In examining long-term survival patterns for as long as 10 years after hospital discharge, there were no significant sex differences in long-term survival rates after adjustment for a limited number of known potentially confounding factors. Conclusions Hospital death rates after AMI in men and women with diabetes mellitus have declined in the last 2 decades. The gap in hospital CFRs between men and women with diabetes mellitus has decreased considerably with time, although women have a higher risk of dying after AMI than men. Patients with diabetes mellitus continue to represent a high-risk group who will benefit from enhanced surveillance efforts and increased use of effective cardiac treatments.
Presence and possible site of action of secretin in the rat pituitary and hypothalamus

Secretin-like immunoreactivity was detected in extracts of several rat brain structures by radioimmunoassay, most notably in the pituitary, hypothalamus, pineal and septum. Its localization to these structures suggested that it might play a role in neuroendocrine events similar to its structural homolog vasoactive intestinal peptide. Dose-related stimulations (MED, 10(-7) M) of prolactin (PRL) release were observed after incubation of synthetic secretin with dispersed, cultured pituitary cells from male and ovariectomized (OVX) female rats. In OVX females, i.v. infusion of a high dose of secretin (10 micrograms) resulted in a significant elevation of PRL levels. Doses of secretin as low as 0.1 micrograms when administered into the third cerebroventricle were capable of significantly inhibiting PRL release in both males and OVX females, suggesting an ultrashort-loop, negative feedback of secretin. Secretin can now be added to the growing list of putative PRL-releasing agents.
Experimental study of the cross-polarization characteristics of rectangular microstrip antennas

The cross polarization characteristics of rectangular patch antennas are studied experimentally. Data are presented showing the dependence of the copolarization to cross-polarization ratio on the aspect ratio in both the E and H planes. Three substrate thicknesses are included und the variation with resonant frequency is examined.
The permeability of nonhuman primate vaginal epithelium: a freeze-fracture and tracer-perfusion study.

The lining of the vaginal mucosa in primates is a keratinized stratified squamous epithelium. As in other structurally similar epithelia, one function of the vaginal epithelium is to provide a barrier between the external environment and the underlying tissues. The vaginal lining is aglandular and the source of true vaginal fluid has been suggested to be the intercellular channels of the epithelium. On the other hand, other structurally similar epithelia have been shown to have a barrier to the movement of water-soluble molecules through these channels. In the present study, we have examined the permeability of rhesus monkey vaginal epithelium to lanthanum and horse-radish peroxidase. Both tracer molecules penetrated the intercellular channels in the lower layers of the epithelium, but were excluded from the channels at and above the granular layer. Neither tracer penetrated significantly between cells at the free surface of the epithelium and usually did not penetrate between cells in the upper layers to any degree from the cut edges of the biopsy. These results are consistent with tracer studies in other structurally similar epithelia and strongly suggest that the upper layers of vaginal epithelium present a barrier to the movement of water-soluble molecules through the intercellular channel system. Freeze-fracture analysis of the epithelium revealed gap junctions and desmosomes between cells in the lower layers, but the former disappear in the upper layers. Unlike other keratinizing epithelia that have been described, random intramembranous particles do not disappear from the plasma membranes of the fully differentiated cells. Fracture planes through the upper layers reveal particle-free lamellae in the intercellular spaces, supporting the idea that intercellular lipids may be one of the components that limits the permeability of the intercellular spaces in this epithelium.
A Periodic Plasma Waveguide Accelerator

The increasing cost of synchrotrons and storage rings has given new interest in the search for new methods of acceleration. The primary goal of this search is very large accelerating fields, because the cost of an accelerator to reach TeV energies is dominated by costs that scale with length. Very large electric fields are possible in plasmas and in lasers and many geometries are being studied that make use of plasmas, lasers, or combinations of them. In a plasma accelerator, the plasma can have several different functions. It may act as a medium for the propagation of accelerating electric-field waves. In addition, these waves may also act as a source of the energy needed to accelerate particles. Accelerators using various waves in plasmas have been built and studied in many laboratories. The device proposed here is an attempt to separate the two functions of providing a medium and providing an energy source. A relatively low-energy electron beam is used as a non-neutral plasma only to make a slow-wave medium for the propagation of an externally generated wave. The wave is a TM electromagnetic wave and the device may be thought of as a conventional electron linear accelerator with the evacuated more » volume and metallic envelope replaced by the electron beam. A separate second beam, which may be electrons or heavier particles, is accelerated. The application in mind here is a single-pass collider. « less
Simulation studies of multiple dipole neuromagnetic source localization: model order and limits of source resolution

Numerical simulation studies were performed using a multiple-dipole source model and a spherical approximation of the head to determine how the resolution of simultaneously active neuromagnetic sources depends on source modeling assumptions (i.e., number of assumed dipoles), actual source parameters (e.g., location, orientation, and moment), and measurement errors. Forward calculations were made for a series of source configurations in which the number of dipoles, specific dipole parameters, and noise levels were systematically varied. Simulated noisy field distributions were fit by multiple dipole models of increasing model order (1,2, . . ., 6), and alternative statistical approaches (i.e., percent of variance, reduced chi-square, and F-ratio) were compared for their effectiveness in determining adequate model order. Limits of spatial resolution were established for a variety of multisource configurations and noise conditions. Implications for the analysis of empirical data are discussed. >
Anonymization models for directional location based service environments

Location based services (LBS) aim to deliver information based on a mobile user's location. However, knowledge of the location can be used by an adversary to physically locate the person, leading to the risk of physical harm, as well as possible leakage of certain personal information. This has serious consequences on privacy. The concept of location k-anonymity has been proposed to address this. Under this notion of anonymity, the adversary only has the knowledge that the LBS request is originating from a region containing at least k people, and therefore cannot individually distinguish the user. However, the existing anonymity models ignore the movement information of mobile users, assuming that it has no impact on privacy. Thus, existing work cannot ensure complete privacy while serving advanced type of LBS requests that require information about direction as well as speed of motion. We denote such LBS services as directional LBS. The key observation we make in this paper is that, in addition to the user's location, the user's movement direction should also be considered to ensure true anonymization. In this paper, we extend the notion of location k-anonymity by incorporating user's moving direction into the anonymization process while serving directional LBS. Specifically, our anonymization methods generalize both location and direction to the extent specified by the user. Our experimental results demonstrate that such anonymization can be achieved with marginal increase in computational cost when compared to the traditional location k-anonymity, while providing increased anonymity.
Diffraction scatterings at high energy and possibility of new Regge-trajectories

The shrinking diffraction peak in p-p scattering and the non-shrinking diffraction peak in pi /sup plus or minus /-p scattering are discussed with respect to the validity of the Regge pole concept and possible new Regge trajectories that are not as yet established. Predictions are made concerning the diffraction peak for K/sup plus or minus /-p scattering. (C.E.S.)
Central nervous system metastases in patients with high-risk breast carcinoma after multimodality treatment

BACKGROUND The current study was performed to determine the incidence of central nervous system (CNS) metastases and to examine associated disease characteristics in a group of patients with locally advanced breast carcinoma (LABC) or inflammatory breast carcinoma (IBC) treated at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX). METHODS Seven hundred sixty-eight patients treated with multimodality therapy between 1982 and 2000 in any of 6 neoadjuvant trials were eligible for the current study. Five hundred ninety-two patients (77%) had LABC, and 176 (23%) had IBC. CNS disease was defined as the presence of brain metastases or leptomeningeal disease. Time to detection of CNS disease and overall survival were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier product-limit method, and differences were evaluated using log-rank tests. RESULTS The median patient age was 48 years. Most tumors were classified as T4 lesions (58%) and exhibited lymph node involvement (78%). Fifty-one percent of all tumors had positive hormone receptor status. At a median follow-up duration of 9.5 years, 61 patients (8%) had developed CNS metastases, with the CNS representing the first site of recurrence for 38 of these 61 (63%). Characteristics associated with the development of CNS metastases over time included negative hormone receptor status (P = 0.03), Grade 3 disease (P = 0.01), and larger tumor size (P = 0.02). The median time to detection of CNS metastases was 2.3 years. Ten patients (16%) remained alive after treatment for CNS metastases. The median survival from the time of diagnosis of CNS metastases was 8 months. CONCLUSIONS CNS metastases from breast carcinoma were relatively uncommon and were strongly associated with more aggressive clinical presentation. Survival from the time of diagnosis of such metastases generally was short. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Plasma ammonia levels in very low birth weight preterm infants

The mean plasma ammonia level at birth of 36 very low birth welght infants (≤32weeks of gestation) was 71±26 μ mol/L (121±45 μ g/dl), which is similar to the mean level in preterm infants born at ≥32 weeks of gestational age. Plasma ammonia levels declined to 42±14 μ mol/L (72±24 μ g/dl) at 7 days of age; mean ammonia levels at 14, 21, and 28 days of age were similar to that at 7 days of age and to the mean plasma ammonia level of 14 healthy term infants at birth (45±9 μ mol/L (77±16 μ g/dl)).
Modulation of CD28 expression with anti–tumor necrosis factor α therapy in rheumatoid arthritis

Objective The immune system of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by the accumulation of CD4+ T cells deficient in CD28 expression and the up-regulation of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα). Previous in vitro studies have shown that TNFα induces transcriptional silencing of the CD28 gene. Because reduced expression of CD28 in T cells compromises immunocompetence, we examined whether CD28 expression is reduced in patients with RA in vivo and whether the reduction is related to TNFα. Methods Patients with RA and age-matched individuals were recruited. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stained for CD3, CD4, CD8, CD28, TNF receptor I (TNFRI), and TNFRII, and analyzed by quantitative flow cytometry. The number of CD28 and TNFR molecules was monitored in a subgroup of patients with RA undergoing treatment with anti-TNFα. Results In addition to higher frequencies of CD28null T cells, patients with RA had significantly reduced numbers of CD28 and TNFRI molecules on CD4+,CD28+ T cells. Normal expression could be restored in vitro by overnight culture, suggesting that CD28 in patients was modulated by exogenous factors. In contrast, treatment with TNFα in vitro resulted in further down-regulation. CD28 expression was normalized in patients undergoing TNFα-neutralizing therapy. Conclusion Overproduction of TNFα in RA induces a global down-regulation of CD28 in CD4+ T cells and may cause reduced sensitivity to costimulatory signals in T cell responses.
Wave response during hydrostatic and geostrophic adjustment. Part II: Potential vorticity conservation and energy partitioning

Abstract This second part of a two-part study of the hydrostatic and geostrophic adjustment examines the potential vorticity and energetics of the acoustic waves, buoyancy waves, Lamb waves, and steady state that are generated following the prescribed injection of heat into an isothermal atmosphere at rest. The potential vorticity is only nonzero for the steady class and depends only on the spatial and time-integrated properties of the injection. The waves contain zero net potential vorticity, but undergo a time-dependent vorticity exchange involving latent and relative vorticities. The energy associated with a given injection may be partitioned distinctly among the various wave classes. The characteristics of this partitioning depend on the spatiotemporal detail of the injection, as well as whether the imbalance is generated by injection of heat, mass, or momentum. Spatially, waves of a scale similar to that of the injection are preferentially excited. Temporally, an extended duration injection preferent...
Caculator Watches as Data Entry Devices: The Fundamental Things Apply as Time Goes by

Performance comparisons were made among three “calculator watch” devices that employed different technologies for data input. These included hardware keys, software keys, and figural recognition. Although the figural recognition device supposedly required the least training to operate, other factors reduced its utility considerably. Specifically, entry rates were slower for this device and error rates higher than for the other two types of devices. Data entry rates were also compared to those possible for other modes of entry, including unconstrained methods.
Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology of surgically confirmed cystic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: a Mayo Clinic experience.

Introduction Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) cytology is widely used to evaluate solid and cystic pancreatic lesions preoperatively. Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) are typically solid, but when they are cystic, differentiation from other pancreatic cystic neoplasms can be challenging. We examined cases of cystic PanNETs (cPanNETs) from 3 Mayo Clinic Hospitals focusing on the EUS-FNA cytology. Materials and methods A total of 21 EUS-FNA cases of cPanNETs with histology confirmation were identified from the Mayo Clinic Health System database. The patients’ demographic data, clinical, radiological, and EUS characteristics were obtained. EUS-FNA cytology and surgical pathology were reviewed. Results Among the 21 patients with cPanNETs, only 2 of 21 cases had suggestion of cPanNET on preoperative imaging (computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging). On EUS, most cPanNETs (16/ of 21) had ≥1 high-risk stigmata or worrisome feature per the Sendai Consensus guidelines. None of the cases had an elevated carcinoembryonic antigen level. EUS-FNA cytology was positive or suspicious for cPanNET in 15 of 21 cases (71.4%). Immunohistochemical stains of neuroendocrine markers were performed on all the positive or suspicious cases and showed positivity for ≥1 neuroendocrine marker. All cases had surgical resection and the diagnosis of cPanNET was confirmed on each case. Conclusions Although computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging has a low specificity for detecting cPanNETs, high-risk features on EUS and low carcinoembryonic antigen levels should raise the suspicion for cPanNET. EUS-FNA cytology along with immunohistochemical stains has a high accuracy in establishing the preoperative diagnosis of cPanNET.
P04.55. Examination of a staff massage break at a safety net hospital

Purpose Workplace stress has been linked with health consequences and poor work performance. “Burnout” or mental exhaustion can lead to health conditions including impaired sleep and depression. Health care providers are especially prone to workplace stress. Therapeutic programs, like massage, in the workplace can be influential in supporting workers exposed to high levels of physical and mental stress.
A randomized trial comparing lung-volume-reduction surgery with medical therapy for severe emphysema.

Background Lung-volume-reduction surgery has been proposed as a palliative treatment for severe emphysema. Effects on mortality, the magnitude and durability of benefits, and criteria for the selection of patients have not been established. Methods A total of 1218 patients with severe emphysema underwent pulmonary rehabilitation and were randomly assigned to undergo lung-volume-reduction surgery or to receive continued medical treatment. Results Overall mortality was 0.11 death per person-year in both treatment groups (risk ratio for death in the surgery group, 1.01; P=0.90). After 24 months, exercise capacity had improved by more than 10 W in 15 percent of the patients in the surgery group, as compared with 3 percent of patients in the medical-therapy group (P Conclusions Overall, lung-volume-reduction surgery increases the chance of improved exercise capacity but does not confer a survival advantage over medical therapy. It does yield a survival advantage for patients with both predominantly upper-lobe emphysema and low base-line exercise capacity. Patients previously reported to be at high risk and those with non-upper-lobe emphysema and high base-line exercise capacity are poor candidates for lung-volume-reduction surgery, because of increased mortality and negligible functional gain.
Determination of the hydrodynamic parameters of an underwater vehicle during small scale, nonuniform, 1-dimensional translation

The hover and tight maneuvering regime of an underwater vehicle is difficult to characterize hydrodynamically. Characterization in a reliable model is necessary for successful control of the vehicle during task performance. A 1-dimensional system identification procedure for this regime is described. The experimental set up is simple and noncritical. The analysis is performed by minimizing the error between the trajectories of the vehicle and several numerical models during a free decay. Minimization is controlled by the Nelder-Meade simplex algorithm. Agreement with the work of other researchers is strong. The procedure is flexible and may be extended to coupled models with 4 degrees of freedom. >
Power structures and regional development banks

This paper examines the experience of developing countries in the three major regional financial institutions, the Inter-American, Asian, and African Development Banks. In the Inter-American Development Bank, members from developing countries have secured both influence and resources; in the Asian Development Bank they have secured resources but little influence; in the African Development Bank they have influence but limited resources. This variation can be explained by the different issue area power structures within which the banks function. The Inter-American Development Bank has functioned within a hegemonic structure. The dominant power, the United States, pursued long-term political objectives and accepted considerable autonomy for developing countries within the Bank. The Asian Development Bank has functioned within a bipolar structure with Japan playing an increasingly important role. As a normal power, Japan has pursued tangible economic interests and has constrained the behavior of the Asian Development Bank. Until the late 1970s the African Development Bank functioned in a multipolar structure that largely excluded nonregional countries. This exclusion made it impossible to generate substantial resources. Experience in the regional development banks suggests that a hegemonic structure can offer weaker states both resources and influence provided that the milieu goals of the dominant power are not violated.
Joint Report of the Fourth International Workshop on Lymphocyte Alloantigens of the Horse, Lexington, Kentucky, 12–22 October 1985

Summary. The workshop consisted of 12 monthly cell exchanges of full-sibling families among the 10 participating laboratories. A total of 33 parents, 52 offspring and five unrelated horses were typed by each laboratory using local antisera. The raw data were submitted for central analysis before any identification of the animals was revealed. Confidence derived from the consistent agreement between the laboratories on the assignment and segregation of the first 10 ELA-W specificities led to the removal of the W (workshop) notation and acceptance of full status as locus A antigens. The seemingly supertypic W11 specificity, however, remained unchanged. Ten additional specificities were seen to segregate with the ELA system, suggesting either splits of previously described specificities or products of linked loci. The workshop (W) notation was given to the 10 specificities W12-W21, befitting their status as specificities under study. The previously described ELY-1.1 specificity, characterized by segregation independent from the ELA system, was confirmed along with a new specificity, ELY-1.2, which behaves as an allele of ELY-1.1. For informative families, the two specificities showed codominant expression and appeared to constitute a closed, autosomal system. The ELY-2.1 specificity was confirmed to segregate independently from the ELA-A and ELY-1 loci.
Some clues and pitfalls in the diagnosis of acromegaly.

ABSTRACT Objective To describe a case of acromegaly in a young woman using oral contraceptives who had nonspecific symptoms and persistent hyperphosphatemia and to analyze the reasons for delay in diagnosis. Methods A 31-year-old woman underwent evaluation for failure of menstrual flow to resume after discontinued use of oral contraceptives. Clinical and laboratory findings are summarized, and atypical manifestations of acromegaly are discussed. Results The patient complained of weight gain, acne, and increased facial hair growth, and laboratory tests showed a low estradiol level and hyperinsulinemia. “Postpill amenorrhea” and polycystic ovary syndrome were considered possible diagnoses. During subsequent endocrinology consultation, hyperphosphatemia was present on three occasions during a 7-month period. Hormonal studies for evaluation of pituitary function revealed increased insulin-like growth factor-I and growth hormone (GH) levels. Acromegaly was suspected, and the increased GH level failed to suppress after a glucose load. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a pituitary macroadenoma with suprasellar extension. Visual field testing showed bitemporal abnormalities. Transsphenoidal resection successfully removed the GH-producing tumor, and hormone replacement therapy was initiated postoperatively. Conclusion The textbook presentation of GH excess is a late feature of acromegaly. The diagnosis in a young woman can be easily missed when clinicopathologic findings are not classic and the picture is further clouded by factors such as oral contraceptive use. Features may also resemble polycystic ovary syndrome, a more common condition in women of childbearing age. This case also illustrates that hyperphosphatemia, overlooked in this patient, can precede the full-blown clinical manifestations of acromegaly and serve as a subtle clue to the underlying disease. Awareness of these situations and screening for high GH levels in patients with unexplained, persistent hyperphosphatemia are advisable for making an early correct diagnosis and providing appropriate therapy. (Endocr Pract. 2004;10:348-352)
Combination of 5-flucytosine and capsule-binding monoclonal antibody in the treatment of murine Cryptococcus neoformans infections and in vitro

The efficacy of combination therapy with 5-flucytosine and an IgG1 monoclonal antibody to Cryptococcus neoformans capsular glucuronoxylomannan was studied in vitro with J774. 16 murine macrophage-like cells and in vivo in murine cryptococcal infection. The combination of 5-flucytosine and IgG1 was more effective in reducing the numbers of C. neoformans colony-forming units in vitro and in vivo than either agent alone.
Organizing a mucosal defense

Gastrointestinal associated lymphoid tissue can be divided into loosely organized effector sites, which include the lamina propria and intraepithelial lymphocytes, and more organized structures, such as mesenteric lymph nodes (LNs), Peyer's patches (PPs), isolated lymphoid follicles, and cryptopatches (CPs). These organized structures in the gastrointestinal tract have been hypothesized to play the role of primary lymphoid organ, supporting the extrathymic development of T lymphocytes (CPs), secondary lymphoid organs involved in the induction of the mucosal immune response (PPs), and tertiary lymphoid structures whose function is still under debate (isolated lymphoid follicles). The most widely studied lymphoid structure found in the small intestine is the PP. PPs are secondary lymphoid structures, and their development and function have been extensively investigated. However, single lymphoid aggregates resembling PPs have been also described in humans and in the murine small intestines. These isolated lymphoid follicles have both germinal centers and an overlying follicle-associated epithelium, suggesting that they also can function as inductive sites for the mucosal immune response. This review compares and contrasts the development and function of the four main organized gastrointestinal lymphoid tissues: CPs, isolated lymphoid follicles, PPs, and mesenteric LNs.
Routing Ambulances to Designated Centers Increases Access to Stroke Center Care and Enrollment in Prehospital Research

Background and Purpose—Emergency medical services routing of patients with acute stroke to designated centers may increase the proportion of patients receiving care at facilities meeting national standards and augment recruitment for prehospital stroke research. Methods—We analyzed consecutive patients enrolled within 2 hours of symptom onset in a prehospital stroke trial, before and after regional Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services implementation of preferentially routing patients with acute stroke to approved stroke centers (ASCs). From January 2005 to mid-November 2009, patients were transported to the nearest emergency department, whereas from mid-November 2009 to December 2012, patients were preferentially transported to first 9, and eventually 29, ASCs. Results—There were 863 subjects enrolled before and 764 after emergency medical service preferential routing, with implementation leading to an increase in the proportion cared for at an ASC from 10% to 91% (P<0.0001), with a slight decrea...
Large-Scale Modes in a Rotating Atmosphere with Radiative–Convective Instability and WISHE

Abstract A highly simplified parameterization of diabatic processes is applied to linearized equations on a equatorial beta plane. The diabatic processes include moist convection, cloud–radiation interactions (CRI), and wind-induced surface heat exchange (WISHE). The precipitation rate is assumed to increase linearly as the vertically averaged saturation deficit decreases. The modeled modes are Matsuno’s normal modes, that is, Kelvin waves, mixed Rossby–gravity waves, Rossby waves, and inertio–gravity waves, and an additional mode called here a slow moisture mode. All of the Matsuno modes are damped and remain stable even when CRI and WISHE are turned on. Their phase speeds do not vary much from Matsuno’s adiabatic values except for very long wavelength Kelvin and Rossby modes, for which the phase speeds are reduced compared to the adiabatic values. The slow moisture modes are stationary and unstable under CRI, while WISHE causes them to propagate. Under CRI and WISHE together the slow moisture modes are ...
On the application of quasi-wavelet expansions to open dielectric waveguide problems

A recent technique for the analysis of open dielectric guiding structures has introduced a spectral-domain integral equation, in which the unknown function does not have a compact support but is square-integrable over the entire real line. To solve this integral equation by the method of moments, a quasi-wavelet Hermite-Gaussian expansion is proposed as an entire-domain basis, and some of its properties are discussed. It is shown that a small number of these entire-domain basis functions can provide quite fast numerical convergence. >
Dietary therapy slows the return of hypertension after stopping prolonged medication.

This study asks whether prolonged antihypertensive therapy will "cure" a substantial percent of rigorously treated hypertensive patients and whether nutritional change will add an antihypertensive effect and reduce the relapse rate. Of 584 eligible patients normotensive while receiving therapy, 496 were randomized into control and discontinued-medication groups with and without dietary intervention. At 56 weeks, 50% of those who were no longer receiving medication remained normotensive by study criteria. Randomization either to weight-loss group (mean loss of 4.5 kg [10 lb]) or to sodium-restriction group (mean reduction of 40 mEq/day) increased the likelihood of remaining without drug therapy, with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.17 for the sodium group and 3.43 for the weight group. Highest success rates were in the nonoverweight mild hypertensives with sodium restriction (78%) and the overweight mild hypertensives who were reducing their weight (72%). These data demonstrate that weight loss or sodium restriction, in hypertensives controlled for five years, more than doubles success in withdrawal of drug therapy. ( JAMA 1985;253:657-664)
Wavelength-dependent collagen fragmentation during mid-IR laser ablation.

Mid-infrared free-electron lasers have proven adept in surgical applications. When tuned to wavelengths between 6 and 7 μm, such lasers remove defined volumes of soft tissue with very little collateral damage. Previous attempts to explain the wavelength-dependence of collateral damage have invoked a wavelength-dependent loss of protein structural integrity. However, the molecular nature of this structural failure has been heretofore ill-defined. In this report, we evaluate several candidates for the relevant transition by analyzing the nonvolatile debris ejected during ablation. Porcine corneas were ablated with a free-electron laser tuned to 2.77 or 6.45 μm—wavelengths with matched absorption coefficients for hydrated corneas that respectively target either tissue water or protein. The debris ejected during these ablations was characterized via gel electrophoresis, as well as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, micro-Raman and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. We find that high-fluence (240 J/cm2) ablation at 6.45 μm, but not at 2.77 μm, leads to protein fragmentation accompanied by the accumulation of nitrile and alkyne species. The candidate transition most consistent with these observations is scission of the collagen protein backbone at N-alkylamide bonds. Identifying this transition is a key step toward understanding the observed wavelength-dependence of collateral damage in mid-infrared laser ablation.