cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Holistic Approach to Pain Management in the Rheumatic Diseases

Pain is the most common symptom of patients with rheumatic disease, and its characteristics can be used to diagnose disease, assess disease activity, inform treatment decisions, and determine treatment response. Pain nevertheless remains one of the most difficult symptoms to evaluate and treat. Understanding the mechanisms of pain in the rheumatic diseases can provide a framework for a holistic approach to guide treatment decisions. In this article, we provide an overview on pain generation in rheumatologic disease, with a focus on rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia, and offer a perspective on treatment. Pain in rheumatic disease can be divided into three categories: inflammation, damage, and pain processing and perception. The contribution of these mechanisms can change during the course of disease and characteristics of different causes of pain can be present at any given time. In view of the diverse mechanisms of pain in the individual patient, a personalized approach of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions can be used to address symptomatology. The division of pain into the three categories of inflammation, damage, and pain processing and perception can provide a useful construct for pain assessment and management in patients with rheumatic disease. Given its complex nature, pain can be treated using a variety of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions. For patients with inflammatory arthritis, the underlying mechanism of pain should be frequently re-assessed and a holistic approach used to manage better this important symptom.
Experimental characterization of damage mechanisms of seamless net-shaped circular pre-form and overlapped stitched composite pipes

Abstract Seamless net-shaped circular composite pipes and overlapped stitched tubes were investigated for three-point and four-point bending to discover deformation mechanisms, damage initiation and propagation. The change in fiber tow angles is the main mechanism of dissipations of energy in seamless tubes. The overlaps were stitched utilizing a zigzag pattern, with a density of 0.0016 stitch/mm2. The tubes’ load-displacement responses were considered as growing from a linear into nonlinear behavior due to two primary factors: (i) ovalization and consequent reduction of moment of inertia of the cross section, and (ii) damage due to plastic deformation and local buckling. Nonlinear behavior in load-displacement response was observed as semi-brittle and brittle hinges (kinks) were formed and developed. In overlapped stitched tubes, damage initiated due to matrix transverse cracks, and propagated to delamination and local buckling as the overlapped stitched zone experienced failure. Ovalization initiates more rapidly in seamless tubes as a result of less circumferential stiffness, compared to the initiation of ovalization in overlapped stitched tubes, but grows slower in seamless tubes as fiber reorientation occurs. The performance of the seamless composite tubes was superior to that of overlapped stitched tubes due to the elimination of debonding, braid breakage and sudden catastrophic failure.
Biodegradable Polymers and Stents: the Next Generation?

Stent design continues to evolve with newer generation of stents aimed at improving clinical outcomes. This review compares different generations of stents with a focus on biodegradable polymers and stents and their potential benefits. Drug-eluting stents (DES) reduce stent thrombosis when compared with bare-metal stents (BMS). However, they are associated with impaired vascular healing/endothelialization and excess very long-term events (beyond 1 year). Much of these events (beyond 1 year) have been attributed to continued inflammation due to the polymer. Biodegradable-polymer drug-eluting stents (BP DES) were designed to overcome this polymer related limitation of first-generation DP DES by combining the benefits of reduced in-stent restenosis seen with DES and the benefits of reduced very-late stent thrombosis and myocardial infarction due to absence of polymer with bare-metal stents (BMS). Earlier generation of BP DES showed superiority over first-generation DP DES but at best non-inferior to second-generation DP DES for clinical outcomes; however, the newer-generation BP DES with ultrathin struts show promise in further reducing clinical outcomes when compared with second-generation DP DES. Whether this is due to the biodegradable polymer or the ultrathin struts continues to be debated. Biodegradable polymer stents in conjunction with ultrathin struts have shown promise as the next generation of DES; however, additional studies and long-term follow-up are needed to confirm these effects.
Statutes That Are Not Static – The Case of the APA

Judges interpreting statutes evidence a certain ambivalence whether they are interpreting the texts before them as artifacts whose meaning was fixed as of their date of enactment, or as present-day texts whose meaning may be shaped by subsequent events - whether intervening judicial decisions, or the adoption of new statutes (as distinct from amendments, an easy case) whose instructions bear on the issues they present. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. Natural Resources Defense Council stridently referred the meaning of the Administrative Procedure Act's rulemaking provision back to the political compromise struck at its enactment in 1946; the opinion insisted that judges are not free to vary its terms by common-law improvisations based on their reasoning about the procedural needs of contemporary rulemaking. Motor Vehicle Mfrs' Assn v. State Farm Mutual Auto Ins. Co. almost as impatiently dismissed the argument that judicial standards for reviewing agency rulemakings are those that prevailed when the APA was enacted (equating review of rulemaking with highly permissive review of economic legislation), rather than the "hard look" understandings that had grown up in the 1970s, primarily in the D.C. Circuit. The particular tension has long been a puzzle for administrative law scholars; yet it seems to reflect a general unease about how judges ought best interpret Congress's words as they age. This essay explores that tension, first in the context of thoughts about the judicial-legislative interface appearing in the literature, both today's and yesterday's, and then using the concrete APA example. It argues that in its very occasional forays into the construction of particular statutes, the Supreme Court should accord substantial weight to contemporary consensus the profession and lower courts have been able to develop in interpreting law. The dominant characteristic of particular statutory issues in the Court today is that they are very infrequently, and usually tardily, presented. The Court's certiorari choices, like the contemporary Congress's legislative choices, are driven by the disputes that are live and important at any given moment. If the uncontroversial does not command the Court's attention, it nonetheless becomes a part of the living law known to lawyers advising clients, to Congress choosing its legislative opportunities, to agencies deciding how to make procedural choices, and to lower courts that cannot so easily evade the responsibilities of decision. Were the Court honestly to face the implications of its reservation of authority to choose which statutory issues to consider, it might conclude that its refusal to credit intervening statutory and lower court case-law developments, more than its insistence on a static view of original meaning, profoundly mistakes its proper contemporary role.
A comprehensive mechanistic model of iron metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The ironome of budding yeast (circa 2019) consists of approximately 139 proteins and 5 nonproteinaceous species. These proteins were grouped according to location in the cell, type of iron center(s), and cellular function. The resulting 27 groups were used, along with an additional 13 nonprotein components, to develop a mesoscale mechanistic model that describes the import, trafficking, metallation, and regulation of iron within growing yeast cells. The model was designed to be simultaneously mutually autocatalytic and mutually autoinhibitory – a property called autocatinhibitory that should be most realistic for simulating cellular biochemical processes. The model was assessed at the systems’ level. General conclusions are presented, including a new perspective on understanding regulatory mechanisms in cellular systems. Some unsettled issues are described. This model, once fully developed, has the potential to mimic the phenotype (at a coarse-grain level) of all iron-related genetic mutations in this simple and well-studied eukaryote.
A Dynamic Analysis Security Testing Infrastructure for Internet of Things

IoT devices such as Google Home and Amazon Echo provide great convenience to our lives. Many of these IoT devices collect data including Personal Identifiable Information such as names, phone numbers, and addresses and thus IoT security is important. However, conducting security analysis on IoT devices is challenging due to the variety, the volume of the devices, and the special skills required for hardware and software analysis. In this research, we create and demonstrate a dynamic analysis security testing infrastructure for capturing network traffic from IoT devices. The network traffic is automatically mirrored to a server for live traffic monitoring and offline data analysis. Using the dynamic analysis security testing infrastructure, we conduct extensive security analysis on network traffic from Google Home and Amazon Echo. Our testing results indicate that Google Home enforces tighter security controls than Amazon Echo while both Google and Amazon devices provide the desired security level to protect user data in general. The dynamic analysis security testing infrastructure presented in the paper can be utilized to conduct similar security analysis on any IoT devices.
Investigating Efficacy, Moderators and Mediators for an Online Mathematics Homework Intervention

We report on a randomized controlled trial of an intervention that leverages the availability of laptops for all public-school students in the state of Maine. The intervention, called “ASSISTments,...
Bandgap and strain engineering in epitaxial rocksalt structure (Ti0.5Mg0.5)1−xAlxN(001) semiconductors

Rocksalt structure nitrides emerge as a promising class of semiconductors for high-temperature thermoelectric and plasmonic applications. Controlling the bandgap and strain is essential for the development of a wide variety of electronic devices. Here we use (Ti0.5Mg0.5)1−xAlxN as a model system to explore and demonstrate the tunability of both the bandgap and the strain state in rocksalt structure nitrides, employing a combined experimental and computational approach. (Ti0.5Mg0.5)1−xAlxN layers with x ≤ 0.44 deposited on MgO(001) substrates by reactive co-sputtering at 700 °C are epitaxial single crystals with a solid-solution B1 rocksalt structure. The lattice mismatch with the substrate decreases with increasing x, leading to a transition in the strain-state from partially relaxed (74% and 38% for x = 0 and 0.09) to fully strained for x ≥ 0.22. First-principles calculations employing 64-atom Special Quasirandom Structures (SQS) indicate that the lattice constant decreases linearly with x according to a = (4.308 − 0.234x) A for 0 ≤ x ≤ 1. In contrast, the measured relaxed lattice parameter ao = (4.269 − 0.131x) A is linear only for x ≤ 0.33, its composition dependence is less pronounced, and x > 0.44 leads to the nucleation of secondary phases. The fundamental (indirect) bandgap predicted using the same SQS supercells and the HSE06 functional increases from 1.0 to 2.6 eV for x = 0–0.75. In contrast, the onset of the measured optical absorption due to interband transitions increases only from 2.3 to 2.6 eV for x = 0–0.44, suggesting that the addition of Al in the solid solution relaxes the electron momentum conservation and causes a shift from direct to indirect gap transitions. The resistivity increases from 9.0 to 708 μΩ m at 77 K and from 6.8 to 89 μΩ m at 295 K with increasing x = 0–0.44, indicating an increasing carrier localization associated with a randomization of cation site occupation and the increasing bandgap which also causes a 33% reduction in the optical carrier concentration. The overall results demonstrate bandgap and strain engineering in rocksalt nitride semiconductors and show that, in contrast to conventional covalent semiconductors, the random cation site occupation strongly affects optical transitions.
Continuous Intravenous Flumazenil Infusion Used in Iatrogenic Chlordiazepoxide Overdose in the Setting of Alcoholic Withdrawal Syndrome Management.

Chlordiazepoxide is a benzodiazepine that is widely used in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). Flumazenil is a competitive antagonist at the benzodiazepine receptor site and is the drug of choice for the treatment of benzodiazepine overdose. Reversal of benzodiazepine overdose is usually achieved by the use of a flumazenil bolus; however, the continuous infusion has been used when concomitant medical conditions may lead to delayed metabolism of the benzodiazepine involved. We present a patient with AWS, with inadvertent chlordiazepoxide overdose treated effectively with a prolonged flumazenil infusion.
Corporate Governance and Performance of Non-Financial Firms in Nigeria

The study examined corporate governance and the performance of non-financial firms in Nigeria within the canonical correlation analytical framework. The study validated the relationship between set of corporate governance variables and set of firm’s performance variables using relevant data extracted from the firm’s published annual financial statements and various issues of the Nigerian stock exchange fact books spanning 2011-2018. The results from this study provided evidence to prove the existence of a statistically significant association between sets of corporate governance and sets of firm’s performance variables using the Wilks’ Lambda, Pillai’s trace and Lawley-Hotelling trace at the 5 percent significance level and Roy’s Largest root at the 1 percent significance level. The implication of this study is that corporate governance is highly instrumental in improving the performance of non-financial firms in Nigeria. In other words, an improvement in corporate governance indices will inevitably boost the profitability of non-financial firms in Nigeria.
Abstract PO039: Cancer cells educate natural killer cells to a metastasis-promoting cell state

Natural killer (NK) cells have potent antitumor and antimetastatic activity. It is incompletely understood how cancer cells escape NK cell surveillance. Using ex vivo and in vivo models of metastasis, we establish that keratin-14+ breast cancer cells are vulnerable to NK cells. We then discovered that exposure to cancer cells causes NK cells to lose their cytotoxic ability and promote metastatic outgrowth. Gene expression comparisons revealed that healthy NK cells have an active NK cell molecular phenotype, whereas tumor-exposed (teNK) cells resemble resting NK cells. Receptor–ligand analysis between teNK cells and tumor cells revealed multiple potential targets. We next showed that treatment with antibodies targeting TIGIT, antibodies targeting KLRG1, or small-molecule inhibitors of DNA methyltransferases (DMNT) each reduced colony formation. Combinations of DNMT inhibitors with anti-TIGIT or anti-KLRG1 antibodies further reduced metastatic potential. We propose that NK-directed therapies targeting these pathways would be effective in the adjuvant setting to prevent metastatic recurrence. Citation Format: Isaac S. Chan, Hildur Knutsdottir, Gayathri Ramakrishnan, Veena Padmanaban, Manisha Warrier, Juan Carlos Ramirez, Matthew Dunworth, Hao Zhang, Elizabeth M. Jaffee, Joel S. Bader, Andrew J. Ewald. Cancer cells educate natural killer cells to a metastasis-promoting cell state [abstract]. In: Abstracts: AACR Virtual Special Conference: Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2020 Oct 19-20. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2021;9(2 Suppl):Abstract nr PO039.
Post Hemorrhagic Hydrocephalus Management Among NICUs and Associated Comorbidities and Complications

Background: Post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH) remains a major morbidity of premature birth resulting from intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). National consensus guidelines to direct timing of surgical interventions are lacking, and leads to considerable variation in management among NICUs. Early intervention has been shown to improve outcomes, but we hypothesized that timing to intervene affects the comorbidities and complications associated with PHH. Objective: To characterize comorbidities and complications associated with PHH management in a large national inpatient care dataset. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort …
‘Play responsibly’: consumers’ attention to and understanding of warning messages on scratch-off lottery tickets

To explore whether consumers see and understand warning messages on scratch-off lottery tickets, two laboratory observation studies were conducted. In the first study, 64 undergraduates were random...
To See or Not to See: The Constant Conflict Between Promoting Public Access to Information Whilst Maintaining Confidentiality in Student Records

For as long as can be remembered, a constant conflict has existed between privacy and publicity. This struggle has been exacerbated in the twenty-first century through the modernization of technology and ease of access to data. This conflict has reached its peak particularly in the context of education research regarding state public schools. Education researchers argue that the ability to conduct research to validate reporting is the foundation of the scientific community. Without the capacity to conduct this research, scientific claims cannot be validated, and research is effectively stifled. The necessity for open and transparent data has been heavily stressed, with advocates arguing that government agencies should make data as accessible to researchers as possible within the bounds of the law and in keeping with the need to protect the privacy of individuals. The question the Author seeks to answer in this Article is: how can a balance be achieved between researchers who acquire data and students who expect their information to be protected? How can both sides benefit? In attempting to remedy this struggle, courts have been forced into determining whether student data-privileged from disclosure under the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act-is available for access by general members of the public and education researchers, alike. In this Article, the Author outlines the history of the right of privacy and public record laws in addition to the latest cases and statutes that shed light on the setbacks that continue to occur as a result of the struggle between public access and confidentiality in student records. The Author's goal is for the Article's policy suggestions to lead to a discussion on how Louisiana can move forward and improve the State's education laws in order to encourage greater education research while ensuring the protection of students' personally identifiable information.
Pancreatic Preprosomatostatin Processing: Isolation and Structure of Intermediates and Final Products of Processing

The advent of recombinant DNA methodology has introduced a situation in which protein structures are being determined indirectly (via deduction from DNA) at a much faster rate than directly by Edman degradation and other protein methods. Deduction of a protein sequence from the DNA is an important first step in structure determination. However, proteins may undergo a wide range of post-translational modifications (1), most of which cannot yet be accurately predicted from the primary structure. These processing events are often crucial for expression of biological activity. Detailed structure determination still requires laborious and time consuming methods.
Gastrointestinal and hepatic manifestations of chronic alcoholism

Chronic alcoholism is a multisystem disease that adversely affects all of the organs of the body. Such adverse effects within the gastrointestinal tract begin immediately after ingestion and continue after absorption within the liver as well as in other organs. The liver is particularly susceptible to alcoholassociated injury as it is the site within the body wherein most of the subsequent metabolism of ethanol occurs. Until the liver has completed this oxidative function however, alcohol is present in the bloodstream and can thus adversely affect other organs. These include the brain, heart, muscles, and gonads. Not only is ethanol toxic per se, but also its metabolism may produce toxic metabolites such as acetaldehyde and acetate. In addition, changes in cellular redox potential occurring as a result of ethanol metabolism can disturb cellular intermediary metabolism at multiple sites. Finally, other alcohols, aldehydes, and organic molecules (collectively termed congeners) in alcoholic beverages may contribute, at least in part, to the pathogenesis of tissue injury produced as a result of ingestion of such beverages. Although the liver is most susceptible, other organs suffer the effects of ethanol as well. We will address these problems in this presentation. It is estimated that there are 9.3-10 million problem drinkers in the adult population of the United States (1). This figure represents 7% of the total adult population age 18 yr and over. In addition to this massive adult problem-drinker population, there are an estimated 3.3 million problem drinkers among
Ras-dependent and Ras-independent effects of PI3K in Drosophila motor neurons.

The lipid kinase PI3K plays key roles in cellular responses to activation of receptor tyrosine kinases or G protein coupled receptors such as the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR). Activation of the PI3K catalytic subunit p110 occurs when the PI3K regulatory subunit p85 binds to phosphotyrosine residues present in upstream activating proteins. In addition, Ras is uniquely capable of activating PI3K in a p85-independent manner by binding to p110 at amino acids distinct from those recognized by p85. Because Ras, like p85, is activated by phosphotyrosines in upstream activators, it can be difficult to determine if particular PI3K-dependent processes require p85 or Ras. Here, we ask if PI3K requires Ras activity for either of two different PI3K-regulated processes within Drosophila larval motor neurons. To address this question, we determined the effects on each process of transgenes and chromosomal mutations that decrease Ras activity, or mutations that eliminate the ability of PI3K to respond to activated Ras. We found that PI3K requires Ras activity to decrease motor neuron excitability, an effect mediated by ligand activation of the single Drosophila mGluR DmGluRA. In contrast, the ability of PI3K to increase nerve terminal growth is Ras-independent. These results suggest that distinct regulatory mechanisms underlie the effects of PI3K on distinct phenotypic outputs.
Response to Comment on IL-15 Prevents Apoptosis, Reverses Innate and Adaptive Immune Dysfunction, and Improves Survival in Sepsis and Comment on IL-7 Promotes T Cell Viability, Trafficking, and Functionality and Improves Survival in Sepsis

We appreciate the comments of Dr. Carrol concerning the work in our manuscript and read with interest his findings on circulating IL-7 and IL-15 concentrations in children with severe bacterial infection, many of whom were HIV positive. Furthermore, Dr. Carrol’s observations regarding increased
Understanding Health Beliefs and Practices in the Cultural Context: Chinese-Born Immigrant Women in the United States

Culturally relevant health beliefs about health, health promotion, and health care practice among Chinese-born immigrant women in the United States were investigated using an ethnographic approach. A convenience sample of 15 Chinese-born immigrant women was recruited and a total of 21 interviews and 22 participant observations were completed. Findings indicate that, these womenâ€™s health beliefs were highly influenced by the traditional Chinese culture; however, their beliefs were also significantly shaped by the immigration. Although sharing beliefs with the other immigrant groups, these women have their unique health beliefs and practices, relevant to the Chinese culture. Findings also indicate that socializing with friends can be an important mechanism through which the Chinese community influences these womenâ€™s health belief and practice. Culturally competent and community based interventions should be developed to promote these immigrant womenâ€™s use of health care services.
Identification of the Toxic Component of Brucella abortus Endotoxin and Its Labeling with Radioactive Chromate

The evidence obtained from immuno-gel diffusion, centrifugation, and toxicity studies employing the serum iron assay proved that most of the toxicity in an ether-water brucella endotoxin preparation lies in the slow-diffusing component identified as the biologically active endotoxin. Subsequent destruction of the slow-diffusing component by acid hydrolysis resulted in a corresponding loss of toxicity. Chromate-51 was found to attach almost entirely on the slow-diffusing biologically active component and, hence, is a valid label for endotoxin derived from smooth Brucella abortus by the ether-water method.
Quantum Monte Carlo Methods for the Nuclear Many Body Problem at Finite Temperature

We discuss quantum Monte Carlo methods for the nuclear many-body problem at finite temperature. The methods allow us to calculate thermal observables in much larger configuration spaces than can be treated by matrix diagonalization methods. Recent applications of the methods include the calculation of level densities and of signatures of the pairing transition in finite hot nuclei.
Numerical integration of the satellites of the outer planets

The formulation of a numerical integration program, used to construct ephemerides for satellites of the outer planets, is described. The equations of motion are derived, including (1) n massive integrated satellites, (2) m massive perturbing planets, (3) J2, J4 oblateness coefficients of the primary and each satellite, and (4) a barycentric coordinate system. Variational equations are also found: (1) 6n initial states and n masses of the integrated satellites, (2) J2, J4 of the primary planet, (3) the mass of the system, and (4) right ascension and declination of the pole. The formulation was used to construct the satellite ephemerides of Saturn for the Voyager mission.
How can we feign sustainability with an increasing population

Attitudes of human societies toward tree plantations can be a critical factor in determining the source of wood supply in the future. Because human populations will expand substantially in the next century, considerable increases in the demands on native forests will occur. Currently, only a limited amount of tree plantations have been established specifically to provide firewood in developing countries. This may be the result, in part, of a world society that has evolved a general preference for pastures, but an aversion to tree plantations. In total, pastureland and tree plantations amount to 26 percent and 1 percent of the world’s land base, respectively. Nevertheless, our actions today will determine whether children in the future collect firewood from natural stands or from tree plantations. It is estimated that a substantial afforestation program could increase the amount of tree plantations to equal 5 percent of the world’s land base by the year 2050. Ten billion dollars (United States) is a rough estimate of the annual costs for such a program (assuming no overhead or administrative costs). Most of the wood needs could be met from tree plantations. However, if the world’s society wants most of its wood in 2050 to come from natural stands (>80 percent), then tree plantations can be limited to just 1 percent of the land base.
Populating databases from multiple sources-the Hubble space telescope paradigm

Summary form only given. The Hubble space telescope (HST) Ingest program reads files representing external database tables of any topology, normalizes or joins the tables to the HST catalog database topology, parses and converts data values, and writes the tuples to the HST catalog. Ingest is driven by translation tables defining the interdatabase mapping and can be altered on-the-fly. Ingest has proven to be a powerful tool in an environment where multiple databases rapidly evolve. >
Structured and Semistructured Interviews

The past few decades have witnessed a rather striking shift toward the increased use of formal structure in the clinical interview process. It has become commonplace to categorize clinical interviews, on the basis of the degree of intrinsic structure imposed by the interviewer, into one of three distinct subtypes: structured, semistructured, and unstructured. Keywords: structured; semistructured; interview; diagnostic; assessment
Handmaidens of the Lord: Pentecostal Women Preachers and Traditional Religion

Elaine J. Lawless. Handmaidens of the Lord: Pentecostal Women Preachers and Traditional Religion. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1988. ISBN 0812212657. Paper, $18.95. ISBN 0812281004. Hardcover, $41.95. Pp. xx+272.
C. G. Ehrenberg and W. F. Hemprich's Travels, 1820–1825, and the Insecta of the Symbolae Physicae

The travels of C. G. Ehrenberg and W. F. Hemprich in Egypt, the Sudan, Abyssinia and the Lebanon between 1820 and 1825 are outlined. The publication of the results of their collecting is summarized, with particular reference to the publication of their Insecta by J.C.F. Klug. A catalogue of the new species-group taxa described by Klug is provided, with notes on their localities.
Towards execution guarantees for stream queries

The unbounded nature of data streams and the low-latency requirements of stream processing present interesting challenges in Data Stream Management System (DSMS) design. Streaming query operators are typically designed to produce results with low latency, as well as to efficiently manage their state. Stream-progress delimitation techniques, such as punctuation, can help query operators achieve these goals. In this work, we look at deriving execution guarantees with respect to result production and state management for complete queries over punctuated streams. These guarantees are derived before query execution. We formalize notions of successful stream processing at an operator level, and extend these definitions to stream queries as a whole. We introduce a framework, punctuation contracts, for analyzing data processing and punctuation propagation from input to output on individual operators. We then use our framework to analyze complete queries and determine, prior to execution, if every valid input is eventually emitted, and no item remains in operator state indefinitely. Finally, we discuss extensions needed to bound query memory requirements; we describe four stream properties that can be used to help understand and quantify memory and CPU usage.
Optimality properties of proportional capacity assignment in message and packet-switched networks

The problem of capacity assignment in message and packet-switched networks is addressed from the standpoint of either (1) minimizing the variance of the delay subject to a constraint on the average delay or (2) minimizing the average delay subject to a constraint on the variance. This is of importance in applications involving voice, real-time data, and/or interactive computing where it is essential that fluctuations in the response time be either minimized or limited. It is shown that the corresponding optimal capacity assignments are proportional ones, and a number of properties of these assignments, including performance vs. capacity tradeoffs and average delay vs. coefficient of variation limitations, are developed. The results are also compared with those for the classical minimum average delay-fixed capacity and minimum capacity-fixed average delay formulations in terms of capacity requirements, average delay, and coefficients of variation. Conditions under which the two sets of capacity assignments may approach each other in optimality are presented.
Images of photoelectrons formed in intense laser fields

Spatial distributions of photoelectrons produced by multiphoton ionization of xenon atoms are recorded by projecting the expanding photoelectron cloud onto a two-dimensional position sensitive detector. The projected image provides a direct view of the squared angular wave functions of the free electrons as well as their energy distribution. The results confirm recent observations that intermediate state resonances with 5f and 4f character establish the dominant ionization paths at low intensity, for short pulse excitation at 640 and 620 nm. At higher intensity more complex superpositions occur with formation of electrons with continuous distributions at low energies.
Phosphorylation-specific prolyl isomerization: is there an underlying theme?

The prolyl isomerase Pin1 is a conserved enzyme that is intimately involved in diverse biological processes and pathological conditions such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease. By catalysing cis–trans interconversion of certain motifs containing phosphorylated serine or threonine residues followed by a proline residue (pSer/Thr-Pro), Pin1 can have profound effects on phosphorylation signalling. The structural and functional differences that result from cis–trans isomerization of specific pSer/Thr-Pro motifs probably underlie most, if not all, Pin1-dependent actions. Phosphorylation-dependent prolyl isomerization by Pin1 remains a unique mode for the modulation of signal transduction. Here, we provide an overview of the plethora of regulatory events that involve this unique enzyme, with a particular focus on oncogenic signalling and neurodegeneration.
Regression analysis of proportions in finance with self selection

Abstract Numerous papers in finance study the conditional mean of some proportion or fraction with a mass point at zero. We argue that most, if not all, of these studies use mis-specified statistical models, especially when firms or individuals choose to not do something for different reasons. To address these issues, we develop a new statistical model, the zero-inflated beta model, and apply it to the analysis of corporate capital structure decisions to demonstrate its applicability.
The bursal and articular sides of the supraspinatus tendon have a different compressive stiffness.

Abstract Objective . To measure the compressive stiffness of the supraspinatus tendon and to determine whether regional difference exists in the bursal and articular side of the tendon. Design . Indentation testing was performed on both the bursal and articular sides of the supraspinatus tendon, focused on the ‘critical area', where rotator cuff tears often occur. Background . When the supraspinatus tendon wraps around the humeral head or is under impingement condition, compressive force on the tendon surface is expected. Therefore, compressive stress has been recently considered to be one of the important factors associated with the cuff tear. The mechanical properties would be essential for analytic modeling of stress distribution. Methods . Indentation tests were performed at 15 locations on the bursal and articular surfaces of the supraspinatus tendon. A mathematical model with exponential relationship was used to describe the measured force–deformation relationship and to calculate the compressive stiffness of the supraspinatus tendon. Results . The over-all initial stiffness on the bursal and articular sides of the tendon was significantly different. On the bursal side, the anterior third had a significantly higher initial stiffness than the other thirds on average. On the articular side, initial stiffness at location 10 mm proximal to the greater tuberosity was significantly higher than the rest on average. Conclusion . The compressive stiffness of the supraspinatus tendon was found to be non-homogenous throughout the structure. Relevance Non-homogenous compressive stiffness of the supraspinatus tendon would affect the load transmission within the tendon, which might be associated with the potential mechanism of tear. Such characteristics needs to be considered when performing finite element modeling of stress fields in the tendon.
Darwinism in technical services: Natural selection in an evolving information delivery environment

This paper looks at technical services from an evolutionary theory perspective. Basic evolutionary theory concepts, such as natural selection and the Red Queen and how they are applicable to libraries and the library profession are examined. Specifically, the paper includes a discussion of the nature of change and the relationship between organizational change in libraries and changes in the information delivery landscape, why traditional technical services organizational structures no longer fit current needs, what the ideal technical services organization for the current times might be, and what is being done at Cornell to adapt.
Synthesis of highly strained terpenes by non-stop tail-to-head polycyclization

Non-stop carbocationic polycyclizations of isoprenoids have been called the most complex chemical reactions occurring in nature. We describe a strategy for the initiation of tail-to-head polycyclization that relies on the sequestration of the counteranion away from the carbocation, which allows full propagation of the cationic charge. If the anion is mobile, Coulombic forces hold this species in close proximity to the carbocation and cause preemptive termination through elimination. Anion sequestration is crucial for effecting the biomimetic synthesis of complex and unstable terpenes, including the highly strained funebrenes. This study illustrates the deleterious role of the counterion in tail-to-head carbocationic polycyclization reactions, which to the best of our knowledge has not been rigorously explored. These observations are also expected to find use in the design and control of cationic polycyclization along biosynthetic pathways that have previously been inaccessible in bulk solvent.
How to investigate neurovesical dysfunction in children with anorectal malformations.

ABSTRACT Purpose Neurovesical dysfunction (NVD) is common in children with anorectal malformation (ARM). NVD is mainly related to tethered cord or iatrogenic injury but how to investigate it is still debated. We evaluate the usefulness of routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and urodynamics (UDS) for ARM. Materials and Methods A total of 89 children were screened for sacral, spinal or urological anomalies using sacrum x-ray, MRI, renal and spinal ultrasound, uroflowmetry and/or 4-hour voiding observation. UDS was performed in 60 patients with suspected NVD. Mean ± SD followup was 9.8 ± 5.2 years. Results Of the 89 patients 29 presented with urinary tract anomalies. The prevalence of sacral (53 cases) and spinal cord (54) anomalies was no different between patients with low, intermediate and high ARM. Spinal cord tethering was present in 13 patients with a normal sacrum x-ray. NVD was found in 31 of the 89 patients (hyperreflexia 21 and hypo-areflexia 10), and was associated with sacral and spinal anomalies in 23, occult spinal dysraphism without bone lesion in 3 and sacral anomalies in 5. The incidence of NVD was 40% of cases with low and 51% with high ARM. Conclusions Because tethered cord occurs in children without sacral anomalies as well as in those with low ARM, we recommend evaluation of all patients using MRI. When MRI is positive UDS should be performed. We agree with a previous suggestion to evaluate all males with rectourethral fistula and females with cloaca malformations. Finally we recommend a noninvasive evaluation for all other children and UDS when neurogenic dysfunction is suspected.
Soldering index for minimal coverage retainers

The soldering index serves to record the precise alignment of the separate parts of a fixed partial prosthesis as positioned on the abutments. The use of an all-acrylic resin index is not as accurate as a plaster index. When impression plaster is used alone, it is difficult to place minimal coverage retainers such as inlays back into the index. This article describes a simple method that may overcome the difficulty without sacrificing the dimensional accuracy inherent in a plaster index.
Calcitonin response in circulating human lymphocytes.

The concentration of cAMP increases in human mononuclear leukocytes after exposure to salmon calcitonin (SCT). This response is lost when the cells are separated into adherent (monocytic) and nonadherent (lymphocytic) cells, al-though the appropriate response to prostaglandin E2 remains in both groups. Adherent and nonadherent cells, each cultured alone for 16 h, do not regain the SCT response. Coculturing adherent and nonadherent cells together for 16 h restores the SCT response in the lymphocytes. The addition of a cyclooxygenase inhibitor to this culture system prevents development of the SCT response. The SCT response may be induced in nonadherent cells by culturing them for 16 h in medium previously conditioned by the growth of mixed mononuclear leukocytes. (Endocrinology 113: 1568, 1983)
Donor-acceptor strengths in substituted pyridine complexes of trifluoroborane and tribromoborane

Abstract Molecular complexes of some 3- and 4-substituted pyridines with trifluoro- and tribromoborane have been synthesized and characterized. Infrared and proton magnetic resonance spectra are reported. The11B NMR chemical shifts were measured. With an individual haloborane, there is little change in the value of the chemical shift among the substituted pyridine bases indicating little difference in the stability of the complexes. The 3- and 4-cyanopyridine adducts were found to be slightly less stable than the 3-halopyridine adducts. The change in the electron density within the pyridine ring as a result of adduct formation is discussed.
Role of central mu-opioid receptors in the modulation of nitric oxide production by splenocytes

Previous studies have shown that administration of morphine results in alterations of splenic macrophage nitric oxide production. The present studies were conducted to determine the subtype of opioid receptor involved in the modulation of macrophage nitric oxide production. Moreover, the present work was directed at determining whether nitric oxide production is regulated through opioid receptors in the central nervous system (CNS) or via opioid receptors found directly on splenocytes. The study shows that intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of the mu-selective opioid agonist, DAMGO, to rats dose-dependently increases the production of nitric oxide by splenocytes stimulated with toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST-1). The effect of DAMGO is blocked by prior i.c.v. administration of N-methylnaltrexone. In contrast, i.c.v. administration of the kappa-selective agonist, U69,593, and the delta-selective agonist, DPDPE, have no significant effect on the production of nitric oxide. Furthermore, the in vitro administration of DAMGO, DPDPE, or U69,593 to splenocytes cultures does not significantly alter the production of nitric oxide by splenocytes. In addition, the present work shows that elevation of nitric oxide production by i.c.v. administration of DAMGO produces functional changes in splenic lymphocytes. Collectively, these results indicate that mu-opioid receptors within the CNS are involved in the regulation of splenic nitric oxide production.
An Assessment Program Using Standardized Clients to Determine Student Readiness for Clinical Practice

Objective. To develop, implement, and review a competence-assessment program to identify students at risk of underperforming at advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) sites and to facilitate remediation before they assume responsibility for patient care. Design. As part of the standardized client program, pharmacy students were examined in realistic live client-encounter simulations. Authentic scenarios were developed, and actors were recruited and trained to portray clients so students could be examined solving multiple pharmacy problems. Evaluations of students were conducted in the broad areas of knowledge and live performance. Assessment. Measurements included student-experience survey instruments used to evaluate case realism and challenge; videos used to determine the fidelity of standardized clients, and clerkship performance predictions used to identify students who required individual attention and improvement prior to clerkship courses. Conclusions. The assessment program showed promise as a means of discriminating between students who are prepared for APPEs and those at risk for underperforming.
Host genetic diversity enables Ebola hemorrhagic fever pathogenesis and resistance

Existing mouse models of lethal Ebola virus infection do not reproduce hallmark symptoms of Ebola hemorrhagic fever, neither delayed blood coagulation and disseminated intravascular coagulation nor death from shock, thus restricting pathogenesis studies to nonhuman primates. Here we show that mice from the Collaborative Cross panel of recombinant inbred mice exhibit distinct disease phenotypes after mouse-adapted Ebola virus infection. Phenotypes range from complete resistance to lethal disease to severe hemorrhagic fever characterized by prolonged coagulation times and 100% mortality. Inflammatory signaling was associated with vascular permeability and endothelial activation, and resistance to lethal infection arose by induction of lymphocyte differentiation and cellular adhesion, probably mediated by the susceptibility allele Tek. These data indicate that genetic background determines susceptibility to Ebola hemorrhagic fever.
A framework for the efficient Petri net simulation of real-time systems

An efficient approach for the development and simulation of Petri net models of real-time systems is discussed. The approach is based on perturbation analytical techniques. Specifically, a variation of the standard clock approach, called the iterative standard clock, is used to efficiently simulate multiple experiments in a single computer run. >
A task analysis of hemispheric functioning

Abstract Three sets of variables that have been suggested for predicting hemispheric specialization were examined. These included the pictorial or verbal nature of the stimuli, whether the stimuli were matched or not and the relative difficulty of the experimental tasks. The results indicated that (a) the left hemisphere processed the difficult, sequential tasks more efficiently even if those tasks involved pictures and (b) that 13-yr old subjects were as fast as adults in performing the simpler, holistic tasks but were not as facile with the more difficult, sequential tasks. The results highlight the need to consider carefully the information processing requirements of the experimental task before deciding which hemisphere might be specialized for a specific task.
Excess volumes and ultrasonic speeds for (3,6-dioxaoctane + n-heptane)☆

Abstract Excess molar volumes VmE and ultrasonic speeds are reported for (3,6-dioxaoctane + n-heptane) at 298.15 K, and are used to calculate isentropic compressibilities and the differential coefficients ( ∂V m E ∂p ) s . The results are compared with those obtained previously for other (ether + n-heptane) mixtures and their interpretation in terms of the Flory theory is examined.
Inhibition of mitochondrial fatty acid elongation by antibodies to 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase

Antibodies to pig heart 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase inhibited almost completely and in a parallel fashion thiolase and the acetyl-CoA-dependent fatty acid elongation system present in an acetone powder extract of pig heart mitochondria. This finding leads to the conclusion that mitochondrial fatty acid elongation occurs by reversal of fatty acid oxidation. Several lines of evidence point to the thiolase-catalyzed condensation reaction as the rate-limiting step in the formation of elongated products. However, the accumulation of hydroxy acids suggests the enoyl-CoA reductase activity is limiting in the synthesis of saturated fatty acids.