cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In utero intussusception producing ileal atresia and meconium peritonitis with and without free air

Two cases of intestinal atresia due to in utero intussusception are reported. Meconium peritonitis occurred in both cases and in one free air in the peritoneal cavity was also found. Both were managed successfully by resection and end-to-end anastomosis. The intussusceptions were discovered on gross and microscopic examination of the distal ileal segment. These two cases and 33 from the literature are reviewed to determine major features of this seemingly unusual occurrence. The atresia was limited to the ileum and jejunum in all cases and involved the ileum in 77%. The atresia was limited to the gap and fibrous-connecting-cord types in all cases, with the gap type slightly more frequent (57%). In all but 1 of the 35 cases (97%), the intussusceptum was found in the small-bowel segment distal to the atresia; in only 2 were free air and calcium deposits identified at birth on X-ray studies of the abdomen. Prematurity was encountered in only 14% of the 35 cases, suggesting that intussusceptum-induced midgut atresia occurs late in pregnancy. The occurrence of two cases in 2 years in Torrance, California, and three cases in 3 years in Helsinki, Finland, suggest that this occurrence must be more frequent than the sparse incidence reported in the literature would indicate. It is suggested that careful gross and microscopic examination of the small-bowel segment just distal to the atresia be carried out in all cases of jejunoileal atresia of gap or cord types to determine the true incidence and clinical nature of this type of in utero intussusception-induced jejunoileal atresia.
Chapter 28 – Rodent Models of Autosomal Dominant Primary Dystonia

Dystonia is a neurological disorder characterized by sustained muscle contractions that lead to abnormal movements and postures. Genetic rodent models have been generated for DYT1, DYT11, DYT12, and DYT25 dystonias. Although these models do not display overt dystonic phenotypes, they exhibit motor deficits in behavioral tests that are thought to represent indirect measurements of a dystonia-like phenotype. Moreover, these animal models have led to a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of dystonia. In particular, these models have alterations in the dopaminergic and cholinergic systems in the basal ganglia. Furthermore, changes in synaptic plasticity and neurotransmission in the basal ganglia have been elucidated in DYT1 dystonia models. In addition, accumulating evidence has demonstrated an important role for the cerebellum in dystonia. Last, translational studies using animal models of DYT1 dystonia have recently led to a potential novel therapeutic. Genetic rodent models are useful to investigate the pathophysiology of dystonia and develop effective treatment.
Vygotsky and Recent Developments

The writings of Lev Semenovich Vygotsky come from the first few decades of the twentieth century, but they continue to have an impact on education and the social sciences nearly a century later. His ideas and their contemporary implications are outlined in terms of three general themes: a reliance on a genetic, or developmental method; the assertion that human social and psychological functioning is mediated by cultural tools; and a claim that the essential insights into individual mental functioning are to be found in the intermental functioning from which it derives.
Palliation: Treating Patients with Inoperable Biliary Tract and Primary Liver Tumors

This article summarizes the current literature in treatment of unresectable biliary tract and primary liver tumors. Locoregional therapies including radiofrequency ablation, percutaneous ethanol injection, cryoablation, microwave ablation, transarterial chemoembolization, hepatic artery infusion, radioembolization ((90)Y), and bland embolization are discussed and clinical trials compared. Palliative strategies including surgical, percutaneous, and endoscopic techniques to decompress the biliary system and improve symptoms are also summarized. Systemic chemotherapy and sorafenib used in conjunction with locoregional therapies or as sole therapeutic options are discussed.
Religiöse und politische Ursprünge der modernen Technik

Die vorliegende Arbeit ist Teil einerlangeren, in Vorbereitung befindlichen Abhandlung uber „Philosophische Ursprunge der modernen Technik“. Obwohl die okonomischen, wissenschaftlichen und sozialen Ursachen der modernen Technik heute sehr ausfuhrlich diskutiert werden, sind ihre eigentlichen philosophischen Ursprunge bisher nicht eingehend untersucht worden.
Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment of Alveolar Soft-Part Sarcoma: A Review

Importance Alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare, translocation-driven sarcoma of the soft tissues. Alveolar soft-part sarcoma often affects young adults and is characterized by indolent behavior but early evidence of metastatic spread. After recognition of ASPS as a specific entity in 1952, retrospective data indicated prolonged survival in patients with metastases, despite inherent resistance to conventional doxorubicin-based chemotherapy. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors have provided unexpected new treatment strategies for ASPS. Observations This review includes articles published between 1952 and March 1, 2018. With the introduction of new molecular diagnostic tools and therapies, the distinctive features of ASPS have become more evident. The identification and better understanding of molecular pathways activated by the characteristic t(X;17)(p11;q25) translocation and its correspondent chimeric ASPSCR1-transcription factor E3 (TFE3) fusion protein open new paths to drug development. The associations of TFE3 and facilitation of an immunosuppressive microenvironment provide a rationale for exploring treatments that affect the balance between T-effector cells and T-regulatory cells. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as sunitinib, cediranib, and pazopanib, show activity with either tumor responses or disease stabilization in more than 50% of the cases. Given the association of new agents with patient outcomes, it is too early to say whether metastatic ASPS should still be considered incurable in all patients. Conclusions and Relevance The biologic outcomes of the canonical genomic event in ASPS remain under investigation; a better understanding of the tumor microenvironment and the multiple pathways activated in this sarcoma, including unusual bioenergetics, MET signaling, and angiogenesis, should lead to more rational therapy. Basket trials and related prospective studies focusing on the intersection of specific signaling pathways and diseases with unique genomic features, such as ASPS, will provide an understanding of new options for care.
Impact of False Data Detection on Cloud Hosted Linear State Estimator Performance

Linear state estimation (LSE) is used to compute the complex voltages of a power system using measurements obtained only from phasor measurement units (PMUs). With the continued addition of PMUs into the grid, classical LSE solvers would have to handle large sets of high-speed data. Furthermore, security threats in the form of false data injection (FDI) attacks must also be considered in the design, which will considerably add to the computational overhead of LSE solvers. Although installing additional computation and communication hardware is a possible solution, such a solution would incur substantial infrastructure and operation costs. In this paper, we explore the design of a cost-effective and scalable cloud hosted LSE (CLSE) solver that also has false data detection (FDD). The proposed CLSE-FDD application exploits GPU parallel processing capabilities for mitigating the performance overhead of FDD to match the operation speed of classical LSE solvers. Results indicate that the GPU based CLSE-FDD application can easily scale in excess of 1,500 PMU installations.
Viscoelastic biomarker for differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesion in ultra- low frequency range

Benign and malignant tumors differ in the viscoelastic properties of their cellular microenvironments and in their spatiotemporal response to very low frequency stimuli. These differences can introduce a unique viscoelastic biomarker in differentiation of benign and malignant tumors. This biomarker may reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies in breast patients. Although different methods have been developed so far for this purpose, none of them have focused on in vivo and in situ assessment of local viscoelastic properties in the ultra-low (sub-Hertz) frequency range. Here we introduce a new, noninvasive model-free method called Loss Angle Mapping (LAM). We assessed the performance results on 156 breast patients. The method was further improved by detection of out-of-plane motion using motion compensation cross correlation method (MCCC). 45 patients met this MCCC criterion and were considered for data analysis. Among this population, we found 77.8% sensitivity and 96.3% specificity (p < 0.0001) in discriminating between benign and malignant tumors using logistic regression method regarding the pre known information about the BIRADS number and size. The accuracy and area under the ROC curve, AUC, was 88.9% and 0.94, respectively. This method opens new avenues to investigate the mechanobiology behavior of different tissues in a frequency range that has not yet been explored in any in vivo patient studies.
Measurement of orexin (hypocretin) and substance P effects on constitutively active inward rectifier K(+) channels in brain neurons.

Electrophysiological experiments in our laboratory have led to the discovery that the cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis in the rat forebrain possess constitutively active inward rectifier K+ channels. Unlike cloned inward rectifier K+ channels, these constitutively active inward rectifier K+ channels were found to have unique properties, and thus were named “KirNB” (inward rectifier K+ channels in the nucleus basalis). We found that slow excitatory transmitters, such as orexin (hypocretin) and substance P, suppress the KirNB channel, resulting in neuronal excitation. Furthermore, it was discovered that suppression of KirNB channels by these transmitters is through protein kinase C (PKC). This chapter describes detailed electrophysiological techniques for investigating the effects of orexin and substance P on constitutively active KirNB channels. For this purpose, we also present a method for culturing nucleus basalis cholinergic neurons in which KirNB channels exist. Then, we describe the procedures through which PKC has been determined to mediate inhibition of KirNB channels by orexin and substance P. There are probably many other transmitters which may produce effects on KirNB channels. This chapter will enable researchers to investigate the effects of such transmitters on KirNB channels and their roles in neuronal functions.
Abstract 126: Phenotypic Features of Murine Models of Cerebral Cavernous Malformations

Introduction: Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM) are hemorrhagic lesions causing stroke and epilepsy. They develop with loss of function of three known genes in endothelial cells (ECs). Mice he...
Low Hemoglobin and Creatinine Clearance Correlate with Worse Overall Survival, Treatment-Related Mortality, and Regimen-Related Toxicities in Patients Receiving Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation with Fludarabine and Melphalan Conditioning

The reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimen consisting of fludarabine and melphalan 140 mg/m2 (Flu/Mel140) has been widely adopted in clinical practice. Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies report up to 10-fold interpatient variability in melphalan exposure. We previously identified low Hgb and/or creatinine clearance (CrCl), both determinants of melphalan PK, as strong predictors of survival and toxicity after high dose melphalan and autologous transplant. We thus hypothesized that these clinical variables could also predict for outcomes after Flu/Mel140 and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Day -6 Hgb was grouped as low or high relative to the median ( The median overall survival (OS) was significantly shorter in patients with a lower Hgb compared to a higher Hgb (113 vs. 2536 days; p=0.004). This difference was due to an increased rate of transplant-related mortality (TRM) (26 (81.3%) versus 11 (36.7%) patients; p=0.0005). The median OS was also worse in patients with lower CrCl (75 vs. 317 days; p=0.003), with a significantly worse TRM (10 (90.1%) versus 27 (52.9%); p=0.0023). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for clinical and prognostic factors found that a higher Hgb predicted for better OS (HR 0.12, 95% CI 0.03-0.52; p=0.004) and TRM (HR 0.13, 95% CI 0.03-0.53); p=0.004). A higher Hgb and CrCl predicted for better OS (HR 0.08, 95% CI 0.01-0.63; p=0.017) and trended towards a decreased rate of TRM (HR 0.16, 95% CI 0.02-1.43; p=0.102). We then analyzed toxicity. In patients with a lower Hgb, the median duration of hospitalization (35 vs. 29 days; p=0.02) and the mean duration of diarrhea (14.6 vs. 7.2 days; p=0.008) were longer. In patients with a lower CrCl, the median duration of hospitalization (40 vs. 29 days; p=0.06) and the mean duration of diarrhea (20.9 vs. 8.6 days; p=0.0009) longer, and the rate of infection was higher (90.9% vs. 49.1%; p=0.02). We show for the first time that lower Hgb and CrCl represent important determinants of toxicity and TRM after Flu/Mel140 and HSCT. These findings are consistent with PK studies showing increased melphalan exposure in patients with low Hgb and CrCl. Our data suggest that consideration of clinical factors that affect melphalan exposure and implementation of PK-directed dosing may be beneficial in achieving optimal outcomes after Flu/Mel140.
Automating GDPR Compliance using Policy Integrated Blockchain

Data Protection regulations, like GDPR, mandate security controls to secure Personal Identifiable Information (PII) of the users which they share with service providers. With the volume of shared data reaching exascale proportions, it is challenging to ensure GDPR compliance in real time. We propose a novel approach that integrates GDPR Ontology with Blockchain to facilitate real time automated data compliance. Our framework ensures data operation is allowed only when validated by data privacy policies in compliance with privacy rules in GDPR. When a valid transaction takes place the PII data is automatically stored off-chain in a database. Our system, built using Semantic Web and Ethereum Blockchain, includes an access-control system that enforces data privacy policy when data is shared with third parties.
Prevalence of and Preoperative Risk Factors for Unplanned Inpatient Admission Following Outpatient Gynecologic Surgery

Study Objective We aimed to identify the prevalence of unplanned inpatient admission following outpatient gynecologic surgery. Additionally, we aimed to identify factors available preoperatively that place patients at higher risk for admission. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Academic medical center. Patients or Participants Women (n=2,373) age 18 and older who underwent scheduled outpatient gynecologic surgery for a benign indication between November 2017 and September 2019. Interventions Gynecologic surgery performed for benign indications. Measurements and Main Results The primary outcome was inpatient admission directly following the index surgery, defined by Medicare as spending two midnights or more in the hospital. Patients who were admitted were older (median age 50 vs 42, p There were 53 (2%) admissions directly following the index surgery. In a multivariate model adjusted for age, cardiopulmonary and pain comorbidities, ASA class, and surgery performed, the following factors were significantly associated with increased odds of inpatient admission: undergoing surgery with urogynecology (aOR 4.0; 95% CI 1.7-9.6) or gynecologic oncology (aOR 3.2; 95% CI 1.3-8.1) as compared to benign gynecology and undergoing intra-abdominal surgery (aOR 10.6; 95% CI 3.2-34.9) or prolapse surgery (aOR 6.8; 95% CI 1.8-26.1) as compared to other vulvovaginal surgery. Conclusion The prevalence of inpatient admissions following outpatient gynecologic surgery for benign indications is low. Patients undergoing surgery with urogynecology or gynecologic oncology were at higher risk for admission, even when adjusted for age, major comorbidities, and surgery performed. Due to the overall low prevalence of the outcome, larger studies are needed to further clarify what places these patient groups at higher risk.
Fuel Conservation Technology Development and Use in Large Transport Category Aircraft

Critical to the survivability of any organization utilizing large turbine powered aircraft in a commercial setting is the ability to provide reliable service at a competitive cost. In the cost competitive market that such businesses find themselves in today, a very real advantage, both from an economical cost and environmental cost, is to explore ways to reduce the amount of jet fuel used during aircraft operation. While the development of more efficient aircraft has always been a key developmental improvement of aircraft since Orville and Wilbur Wright's flights in 1903, it was not until the Energy Crisis of 1973 that serious research and development of such technologies for large aircraft took on new importance. Critical to these efforts have been technological developments that make aircraft more efficient, either through active or passive systems that reduce an aircraft fuel consumption and also decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Discussion will include efforts to reduce aerodynamic drag, increasing engine fuel burn efficiency, and technologies that change the basic operation of the aircraft with an eye to fuel usage reductions. Several of these improvements are now commonplace among aircraft builders and aircraft operations, while others proved to be either too complex to be fielded by aircraft operators, or not effective enough to justify their development or implementation cost. Developments in the advance of aircraft fuel efficiency have continued since then. With current global efforts to combat climate change, these efforts for fuel efficiency, and thus a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, have taken on a new importance. As such, current trends and technology developments will also be discussed, as well as an emphasis on future developments.
Oil and Conflict: What Does the Cross-Country Evidence Really Show?

This paper examines the effect of oil abundance on political violence. First, we revisit one of the main empirical findings of the civil conflict literature that oil abundance causes civil war. Using a unique panel dataset describing worldwide oil discoveries and extractions, we show that simply controlling for country fixed effects removes the statistical association between oil reserves and civil war in a sample of more than 100 countries over the period 1930-2003. Other macro-political violence measures, such as coup attempts and irregular leader transitions, are not affected by oil reserves either. Rather, we find that oil-rich nondemocratic countries have a larger defense burden. To further address the problems of endogeneity and measurement error, we exploit randomness in the success or failure of oil explorations. We find that oil discoveries do not increase the likelihood of violent challenges to the state in the sample of country-years in which at least one exploratory well is drilled, and oil discoveries increase military spending in the subsample of nondemocratic countries. Similar results are obtained on a larger sample which includes country-years without oil exploration while controlling for selection based on the likelihood of exploration using propensity score matching. We suggest a possible explanation for our findings based on the idea that oil-rich nondemocratic regimes effectively expend resources to deter potential challengers.
Efficacy of medical and ablation therapy for inappropriate sinus tachycardia: A single-center experience.

BACKGROUND Effective therapy for inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST) remains challenging with high rates of treatment failure and symptom recurrence. It is uncertain how effective pharmacotherapy and procedural therapy are long-term, with poor response to medical therapy in general. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed all patients with the diagnosis of IST at a tertiary academic medical center from 1998 to 2018. We extracted data related to prescribing patterns and symptom response to medical therapy and sinus node modification (SNM), assessing efficacy and periprocedural complication rates. RESULTS A total of 305 patients with a formal diagnosis of IST were identified, with 259 (84.9%) receiving at least one prescription medication related to the condition. Beta-blockers were the most commonly used medication (n = 245), with a majority of patients reporting no change or worsening of symptoms, and poor response was seen to other medication classes. Improvement was seen significantly more often with ivabradine than beta blockers, though the sample size was limited (p = .003). Fifty-five patients (18.0% of all IST patients), mean age 32.0 ± 9.1 years, underwent a SNM procedure, with an average of 1.8 ± 0.9 procedures per patient. Acute symptomatic improvement (<6 months) was seen in 58.2% of patients. Long-term complete resolution of symptoms was seen in 5.5% of patients, modest improvement in 29.1%, and no long-term benefit was seen in 65.5% of patients. CONCLUSIONS Among all medical therapies, there were high rates of treatment failure or symptom worsening in over three-quarters of patients in our study. Ivabradine was most beneficial, though the sample size was small. While most patients receiving SNM ablation for IST perceive an acute symptomatic improvement, almost two-thirds of patients have no long-term improvement, and resolution of symptoms is quite rare. AV node ablation with pacemaker implantation following lack of response to SNM offered increased success, though the sample size was limited.
Predicting the Future With Social Media

In recent years, social media has become ubiquitous and important for social networking and content sharing. And yet, the content that is generated from these websites remains largely untapped. In this paper, we demonstrate how social media content can be used to predict real-world outcomes. In particular, we use the chatter from Twitter.com to forecast box-office revenues for movies. We show that a simple model built from the rate at which tweets are created about particular topics can outperform market-based predictors. We further demonstrate how sentiments extracted from Twitter can be further utilized to improve the forecasting power of social media
Learning dynamics by computational integration of single cell genomic and lineage information

Abstract A goal of single cell genome-wide profiling is to reconstruct dynamic transitions during cell differentiation, disease onset, and drug response. Single cell assays have recently been integrated with lineage tracing, a set of methods that identify cells of common ancestry to establish bona fide dynamic relationships between cell states. These integrated methods have revealed unappreciated cell dynamics, but their analysis faces recurrent challenges arising from noisy, dispersed lineage data. Here, we develop coherent, sparse optimization (CoSpar) as a robust computational approach to infer cell dynamics from single-cell genomics integrated with lineage tracing. CoSpar is robust to severe down-sampling and dispersion of lineage data, which enables simpler, lower-cost experimental designs and requires less calibration. In datasets representing hematopoiesis, reprogramming, and directed differentiation, CoSpar identifies fate biases not previously detected, predicting transcription factors and receptors implicated in fate choice. Documentation and detailed examples for common experimental designs are available at https://cospar.readthedocs.io/.
Sobre los barcos de la vez, la vista en arpón y otros pasajes oscuros en los entremeses quevedianos

En las ultimas decadas, animados por la aparicion de ediciones criticas que presentan textos fiables, los investigadores han prestado mayor atencion a la obra dramatica de Quevedo, especialmente a sus entremeses. Los multiples estudios que se les han dedicado nos permiten una mejor comprension de conjunto, de los recursos escenicos que utilizo don Francisco, y nos han permitido superar una interpretacion reduccionista de sus textos dramaticos que limitaba su valor a los aspectos linguisticos y de creacion verbal. Pese a todo, quedan pasajes puntuales de dificil comprension que todavia necesitan de una explicacion cabal. El presente trabajo pretende aclarar seis de dichos pasajes: dos se encuentran en el en Entremes primero de Barbara , dos en el Entremes de la destreza, otro en el Entremes de los enfadosos y el ultimo en el Entremes de la venta .
National Trends and Disparities in the Diffusion of Laparoscopic Surgery for Children in the United States

Background: Laparoscopic surgery has become the standard of care for many surgical treatments. The diffusion of laparoscopy has been investigated for adult patient populations but is still unknown ...
SPACING IN MOJAVE DESERT PLANT COMMUNITIES. II. PLANT SIZE AND DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS

(1986). SPACING IN MOJAVE DESERT PLANT COMMUNITIES. II. PLANT SIZE AND DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS. Israel Journal of Botany: Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 109-120.
Dispatching equal-length jobs to parallel machines to maximize throughput

We consider online, nonpreemptive scheduling of equal-length jobs on parallel machines. Jobs have arbitrary release times and deadlines and a scheduler's goal is to maximize the number of completed jobs (Pm | rj,pj=p |∑1−Uj). This problem has been previously studied under two distinct models. In the first, a scheduler must provide immediate notification to a released job as to whether it is accepted into the system. In a stricter model, a scheduler must provide an immediate decision for an accepted job, selecting both the time interval and machine on which it will run. We examine an intermediate model in which a scheduler immediately dispatches an accepted job to a machine, but without committing it to a specific time interval. We present a natural algorithm that is optimally competitive for m=2. For the special case of unit-length jobs, it achieves competitive ratios for m≥2 that are strictly better than lower bounds for the immediate decision model.
Food reward in the obese and after weight loss induced by calorie restriction and bariatric surgery

Increased availability of tasty, energy-dense foods has been blamed as a major factor in the alarmingly high prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease, even in young age. A heated debate has started as to whether some of these foods should be considered addictive, similar to drugs and alcohol. One of the main arguments for food addiction is the similarity of the neural mechanisms underlying reward generation by foods and drugs. Here, we will discuss how food intake can generate reward and how behavioral and neural reward functions are different in obese subjects. Because most studies simply compare lean and obese subjects, it is not clear whether predisposing differences in reward functions cause overeating and weight gain, or whether repeated exposure or secondary effects of the obese state alter reward functions. While studies in both rodents and humans demonstrate preexisting differences in reward functions in the obese, studies in rodent models using calorie restriction and gastric bypass surgery show that some differences are reversible by weight loss and are therefore secondary to the obese state.
Luzin’s theorem for charges

A charge in the Euclidean space R m is an additive function defined on the family of all bounded BV sets equipped with a suitable topology. We define derivatives of charges and show that each measurable function defined on R m is equal almost everywhere to the derivative of a charge.
Spatial and temporal variability in host use by Helicoverpa zea as measured by analyses of stable carbon isotope ratios and gossypol residues.

Summary 1. A high dose ⁄ refuge strategy has been adopted in the USA to manage the risk of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) resistance in target pests such as the cotton bollworm (CBW), Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) in transgenic Bt cotton Gossypium hirsutum L. Structured refuges, consisting of non-Bt cotton, have been a mandated part of this strategy to produce non-selected insects that are temporally and spatially synchronous with insects from the Bt crop, diluting Bt resistance alleles through mating. However, the bollworm is highly polyphagous and exploits a large number of crop and weedy hosts concurrently with Bt cotton.
Graptolites from the Wheeler and Marjum Formations (Cambrian, Series 3) of Utah

Specimens from the Wheeler and Marjum Formations of Utah comprising an elongate stipe with freely projecting conical thecae are described as dithecoid graptolites, the first reported from these units. The Wheeler Shale specimens, assigned to Archaeolafoea monegettae (Chapman, 1919), provide the first record of Archaeolafoea Chapman, 1919 from the Cambrian of Laurentia and show clear fusellar structure in backscattered electron images, confirming a graptolite affinity for this taxon. Mastigograptus sp., described on the basis of a single well-preserved specimen from the Marjum Formation, shows for the first time in a Cambrian mastigograptid an arrangement of thecae similar to that known for Ordovician representatives of the genus.
Two-dimensional orders of finite representation type

Maximal orders of finite representation type over complete local rings of dimension two and of characteristic zero are classified. This completes the classification begun in [1] for the case that R is a power series ring in two variables.
An orientation method for central projection programs

Abstract A centrally projected image is based on an object, a viewpoint and a viewer orientation. The programs reported to date which calculate centrally projected images require all of these as input. Instructions for the programs usually suggest that the hypothetical observer face toward the center of the object. There are two major problems with this: (1) there may be no clear way of defining the “center”, and (2) an orientation chosen in this manner may result in parts of the object lying behind or to the side of the observer and hence being invisible or severely distorted under the projection. This paper describes an algorithm for calculating a viewing direction which will render visible the entire object whenever this is possible, and will furthermore minimize distortion in the projected image.
Effect of direct liquid water injection and interdigitated flow field on the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Proper water management is vital to ensuring successful performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The effectiveness of the direct liquid water injection scheme and the interdigitated flow field design towards providing adequate gas humidification to maintain membrane optimal hydration and alleviating the mass transport limitations of the reactants and electrode flooding is investigated. It is found that the direct liquid water injection used in conjunction with the interdigitated flow fields as a humidification technique is an extremely effective method of water management. The forced flow-through-the-electrode characteristic of the interdigitated flow field (1) provides higher transport rates of reactant and products to and from the inner catalyst layers, (2) increases the hydration state and conductivity of the membrane by bringing its anode/membrane interface in direct contact with liquid water and (3) increases the cell tolerance limits for excess injected liquid water, which could be used to provide simultaneous evaporative cooling. Experimental results show substantial improvements in performance as a result of these improvements.
Evolution of thin-film morphologies in metals during ion beam bombardment

The evolution of thin-film morphologies during ion beam bombardment has been examined by a combination of experimental and molecular dynamics simulation methods. Surface roughness, stress and domain growth in amorphous and nanocrystalline films were investigated. The experiments provide support for the model of radiation-induced viscous flow. The coefficient of radiation-induced viscosity deduced from the experiments is insensitive to both the particular material and the irradiation particle. The computer simulations, using molecular dynamics, reveal that while flow may be caused by local melting of nanometer-sized regions along the track of the ion, in some cases the simple creation of point defects is sufficient to explain radiation-induced stress relaxation.
Gradual Change Reliability Sensitivity Design for Tool Based on Measured Information

It brings certain error to reliability design of mechanical components that now most reliability design aiming at establishing pure theoretical mathematical model, without considering arbitrary distribution and variation rules of parameters. In this paper, the variation rules of strength and load effect are studied, the computational method of gradual change reliability is given. By combining the theory of reliability design with the method of sensitivity analysis, the restrictions on random variable distribution types are loosen, the gradual change reliability sensitivity design method with arbitrary distribution parameter is proposed based on the measurement information. Under the circumstance that knowing the first four order moments of basic random parameter, reliability sensitivity design with arbitrary distribution parameter can be brought about by using computer program, which provides the theoretical basis for structural design and life forecast of mechanical components.
Estimation in the Truncated Normal Distribution

Abstract Charts are presented which can be used to simplify estimation of μ and σ in the case of sampling from a singly truncated normal distribution when (a) the point of truncation and the number of observations in the truncated portion are known, (b) the number of observations in the truncated portion is not known. A somewhat different iteration procedure for case (a) than given by other writers is suggested and an example is given.
Impairment of endothelium-dependent arterial relaxation by lysolecithin in modified low-density lipoproteins.

ATHEROSCLEROSIS in animals and humans is associated with an unresponsiveness of arteries and arterioles to endothelium-dependent vasodilators1–3—agents acting on smooth muscle indirectly by stimulating the release from endothelial cells of a vasodilator principle (endothelium-derived relaxing factor)4. Altered vasomotor regulation in atherosclerosis could partly reflect an injurious action of abnormal lipoproteins on endothelium5,6. Recently, 'cell-modified' or 'oxidized' low-density lipoprotein (EC-LDL) has received increasing attention because of its potential cytotoxic and atherogenic properties7. We report here that arteries exposed to EC-LDL in vitro show an endothelium-dependent vasoregulatory impairment closely resembling that of atherosclerotic arteries. Our results indicate that transfer of lysolecithin from EC-LDL to endothelial membranes produces a selective unresponsiveness to receptor-regulated endothelium-dependent vasodilators.
Intermolecular vibrational coherence in the bacteriochlorophyll proteins B777 and B820 from Rhodospirillum rubrum.

The low-frequency vibrational coherence in the bacteriochlorophyll (BChl)-containing subunit proteins B777 and B820 from the LH1 light-harvesting complex isolated from Rhodospirillum rubrum G9 exhibits rapidly damped modulation components arising from intermolecular, formally nonbonding interactions between the BChl macrocycle and polar groups in the surrounding detergent or protein. The vibrational coherence observed in the monomeric B777 system resembles that observed previously with BChl in acetone because it contains a pair of broad overlapping line shapes with a mean frequency of 191 cm-1, but the 10:1 intensity ratio of the librational and translational components is distinctive of the motions of the polar head groups in the nonionic detergent micelle that solvates the BChl macrocycle. In contrast, the vibrational coherence observed with the dimeric B820 complex is almost 20 times weaker in intensity and exhibits narrower line shapes and lower average frequencies than observed in B777. The structure...
A multivariate analysis of the determinants of physician utilization

Abstract This study examines the determinants of health services utilization among 2168 households in five New York and Pennsylvania counties. The purpose is to identify sub-population groups with relatively homogeneous patterns of health service use behavior and to determine for each the relative importance of various predictors, categorized into three broad dimensions—the need for care, predisposing factors and enabling factors. A two stage approach using multivariate analysis technique is employed. Overall, the proportion of expenses paid by health insurance, Medicare, social class and the physician-population ratio in the country where health services are recieved are found to be important predictors of health services use. The significance of these and other predictors varies, however, from one subgroup to the next. The analytical strategy employed proves to be helpful both in understanding the differential patterns of health services utilization in subpopulations and in indentifying impediments to health care. Moreover, the predictive models of physician utilization are formulated.
Brief Stability preserving interpolation methods for the synthesis of gain scheduled controllers

Synthesis of gain scheduled controllers for nonlinear plants often requires that a parameter-varying controller be generated from a finite set of linear time-invariant controllers. We propose interpolation methods for this task with the property that stability of the linearized closed-loop system is preserved for all values of the scheduling parameter. In addition, slow-variation arguments are presented that establish local stability of the nonlinear closed-loop system with gain scheduled controller.
Degradation of the diarylpropane lignin model compound 1-(3′,4′-diethoxyphenyl)-1,3-dihydroxy-2-(4′'-methoxyphenyl)-propane and derivatives by the basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium

The white rot basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium metabolized 1-(3′,4′-diethoxyphenyl)-1,3(dihydroxy)-2-(4′'-methoxyphenyl)-propane (XII) in low nitrogen stationary cultures, conditions under which the ligninolytic enzyme system is expressed. 3,4-Diethoxybenzyl alcohol (IV), 1,2(dihydroxy)-1-(4′-methoxyphenyl)ethane (XX) and anisyl alcohol were isolated as metabolic products indicating an initial α, β bond cleavage of this dimer. Exogenously added XX was rapidly converted to anisyl alcohol, indicating that XX is an intermediate in the metabolism of XII. Fungal cleavage of the α, β bond of 1-(3′-4′-diethoxyphenyl)-1-(hydroxy)-2-(4′'-methoxyphenyl)ethane (XI) also occurred, indicating that a γ hydroxymethyl group is not a prerequisite for this reaction. P. chrysosporium also metabolized 1-(4′-ethoxy-3′-methoxyphenyl)-2,2(dihydroxy)-2-(4′'-methoxyphenyl)propane-1-ol (XIII). The major products of the degradation of this triol included 4-ethoxy-3-methoxybenzyl alcohol (III) and 2-hydroxy-1-(4′-methoxyphenyl)-1-oxoethane (XXI). The nature of the products formed indicates that this triol is also cleaved directly at the α,β bond. The significant difference in the nature of the products formed from the diaryl propane (XII) and the triol (XIII), however, suggests that XIII is not an intermediate in the major pathway for the degradation of XII. Metabolites were identified after comparison with chemically synthesized standards by GLC-mass spectrometry.
SU-FF-J-22: An Image Based Statistical Shape Model and Its Application in Radiotherapy Margin Design

Purpose: A novel imaging based model is proposed to describe the stochastic nature of the shape and location of a volume of interest (VOI). Based on the VOIs in sequential patient images, the model can predict the probability that a specific point will belong to the VOI. An application of the model is in customized radiotherapy margin design. Methods: N sequential patient images taken on‐board or online contain all VOI information immediately before or during the treatment sessions. Typically these images are already registered in the radiation device coordinates, a signed distance transform (SDT) will be applied to the VOI boundary in each image to generate a distance map d(r). The sign of d(r) indicates whether the point r is inside (negative) or outside (positive) the VOI. The VOI shape/location random variation around its mean will propagate through SDT into d(r). It is reasonable to assume that d(r) is Gaussian and its measured values are independent from each other. Consequently, t = μ(r) − d(r) s(r) obeys Student's t‐distribution, with N − 1 degrees of freedom. Here d(r) μ(r), and s(r) are the sample mean, the expected mean, and sample variance of d(r). By definition of level‐set theory, before any more measurement, a point belongs to the expected VOI if and only if μ(r) ⩽ 0. The probability that a point x belongs to the VOI can be estimated by Pr VOI (r) = Pr (μ(r) ⩽ 0) = Pr (t ⩽ −d(r) / s(r)) . When the VOI is clinical tumor volume (CTV) we can use Pr VOI (r) to design our radiation field margin after a cut‐off coverage probability p is specified. All points in space with Pr VOI (r) ⩾ p are included as part of the expected CTV. Thus we effectively generated a planning tumor volume (PTV). Conclusion: The model has been tested on real clinical cases. The results show that it is robust and easy to use. The customized probability/imaging based non‐uniform margin obtained through this model should be extremely useful in image guided radiation treatment.
Change in social ties and subsequent mortality in rural elders

Prior studies assessing social ties and mortality risk in older persons have not considered the dynamic nature of social ties, health, and functional status in this age group. We evaluated the association between change in social ties (assessed in 1982 and 1985) and subsequent mortality through 1993 in a population-based cohort of 2,575 rural persons ages 65-102 years. The same summary measure of social ties was constructed for both interviews and included marital status, number of close friends and relatives, church attendance, and membership in a group. Compared with persons reporting higher levels of social ties at both interviews, a decrease to a low level of social ties was associated with an increased mortality risk for both men [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2-2.7] and women (HR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.5-3.0). Lower levels of social ties at both interviews were also associated with greater mortality risk in men (HR = 2.2: 95% CI = 1.5-3.1) and women (HR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.6-2.9), whereas an increase to a higher level of social ties was not associated with subsequent mortality risk. Adjustment for age, education, smoking status, cognitive function, onset of a major illness, change in physical function, change in self-perceived health status, and change in depressive symptoms eliminated the association between loss of social ties and survival, but both men (HR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.5-3.5) and women (HR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.2-2.6) reporting low levels of social ties at both interviews remained at elevated risk. The lack of an association between loss of social ties and mortality risk after adjusting for demographic, health, and functional status variables indicates that these are either confounding or intervening variables in a social ties and mortality association. In contrast, sustained low levels of social ties appear to influence mortality risk independent of these same variables and imply that continued social isolation may be a more important determinant of mortality risk than recent changes in social ties.
Tutorial T3: Error Resilient Real-Time Embedded Systems: Computing, Communications and Control

Real-time embedded systems encompassing computing, communications and control are pushed towards always operating close to their limits of performance under virtually all operating conditions, for reasons of maximizing throughput per watt or just throughput, making the hardware susceptible to transient errors and noise due to reduced operating margins. In addition, the effects of process variations, electrical degradation and thermal hot-spots introduce additional concerns compounding the overall error resilience problem. In this tutorial, we present key resilience issues with the digital and mixed-signal/RF processing, control and sensor subsystems of real-time embedded systems. First, failure mechanisms and associated fault models are discussed for both permanent failures as well as transient errors particularly in the light of the adaptive nature of such systems (vis.a. vis. low power operation). Next, off-line testing and diagnosis of digital, analog and mixed-signal/RF circuits and subsystems is discussed, covering both catastrophic defects as well as parametric failure conditions. Advanced methods for postmanufacture tuning of digital and analog/RF devices to maximize manufacturing yield and field reliability are presented. Issues related to testing and tuning of adaptive systems with analysis of test cases are also analyzed. Finally, we present on-line testing methods for robustness of the complete embedded system to transient errors and induced noise. Applications to linear as well as nonlinear control of such real-time systems are discussed. We use a robotic system with a video sensor to illustrate the core concepts.
Defect interactions with stepped CeO2/SrTiO3 interfaces: Implications for radiation damage evolution and fast ion conduction

Due to reduced dimensions and increased interfacial content, nanocomposite oxides offer improved functionalities in a wide variety of advanced technological applications, including their potential use as radiation tolerant materials. To better understand the role of interface structures in influencing the radiation damage tolerance of oxides, we have conducted atomistic calculations to elucidate the behavior of radiation-induced point defects (vacancies and interstitials) at interface steps in a model CeO2/SrTiO3 system. We find that atomic-scale steps at the interface have substantial influence on the defect behavior, which ultimately dictate the material performance in hostile irradiation environments. Distinctive steps react dissimilarly to cation and anion defects, effectively becoming biased sinks for different types of defects. Steps also attract cation interstitials, leaving behind an excess of immobile vacancies. Further, defects introduce significant structural and chemical distortions primarily at the steps. These two factors are plausible origins for the enhanced amorphization at steps seen in our recent experiments. The present work indicates that comprehensive examination of the interaction of radiation-induced point defects with the atomic-scale topology and defect structure of heterointerfaces is essential to evaluate the radiation tolerance of nanocomposites. Finally, our results have implications for other applications, such as fast ion conduction.