cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tobacco Smoking During Radiation Therapy for Head-and-Neck Cancer Is Associated With Unfavorable Outcome

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of continued cigarette smoking among patients undergoing radiation therapy for head-and-neck cancer by comparing the clinical outcomes among active smokers and quitters. Methods and Materials: A review of medical records identified 101 patients with newly diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who continued to smoke during radiation therapy. Each active smoker was matched to a control patient who had quit smoking before initiation of radiation therapy. Matching was based on tobacco history (pack-years), primary site, age, sex, Karnofsky Performance Status, disease stage, radiation dose, chemotherapy use, year of treatment, and whether surgical resection was performed. Outcomes were compared by use of Kaplan-Meier analysis. Normal tissue effects were graded according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for the Treatment of Cancer toxicity criteria. Results: With a median follow-up of 49 months, active smokers had significantly inferior 5-year overall survival (23% vs. 55%), locoregional control (58% vs. 69%), and disease-free survival (42% vs. 65%) compared with the former smokers who had quit before radiation therapy (p < 0.05 for all). These differences remained statistically significant when patients treated by postoperative or definitive radiation therapy were analyzed separately. The incidence of Grade 3 ormore » greater late complications was also significantly increased among active smokers compared with former smokers (49% vs. 31%, p = 0.01). Conclusions: Tobacco smoking during radiation therapy for head-and-neck cancer is associated with unfavorable outcomes. Further studies analyzing the biologic and molecular reasons underlying these differences are planned.« less
Abundance and distribution of ichthyoplankton in the upwelling zone off Oregon during anomalous El Niño conditions

The abundance and distribution patterns of nearshore ichthyoplankton were investigated during a year of anomalously high sea temperatures off Oregon. Samples collected from 2 to 18 km offshore from April through September of 1983 showed increased occurrences and higher abundances of taxa usually found at distances offshore of 37 km in other years. The dominant species collected, comprising more than half of the total larval fish abundance, was the northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax). Larval anchovy have rarely been collected inshore in previous studies. Many of the dominant taxa normally found inshore, especially osmerids, were present in reduced numbers in 1983. Changes in the hydrographic conditions associated with onshore surface drift and reduced summer upwelling during the 1983 El Nino could explain the distributional patterns observed. The warm inshore waters apparently provided a substantial spatial and temporal expansion of the spawning habitat for E. mordax.
Polymerase chain reaction amplification specificity: incidence of allele dropout using different DNA preparation methods for heterozygous single cells.

Purpose: The purpose was to evaluate methods of DNA preparation in a single cell to determine the ability to amplify and correctly diagnose a targeted gene. Methods: One- or two-cell lymphoblasts (n=100/group), heterozygous for the normal and 4-base pair insertion on exon 11 of the β-hexosaminidase A gene, were collected and prepared under the following conditions: (1) freeze-thaw liquid nitrogen, then boiling (LN2); (2) potassium hydroxide/dithiothreitol, heated to 65°C, followed by acid neutralization (KOH); (3) boiling only (BI); and (4) water only (H2O). Cells were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction using nested primers. Results: The total number of cells amplifying [in brackets] and the cells with amplification for both alleles (heterozygous), the normal allele, or the mutant allele were as follows, respectively: LN2 [38], 11, 16, 11; KOH [97], 91, 5, 1; BI [41], 17, 13, 11; and H2O [85], 41, 16, 28. With two cells per reaction tube the results were as follows: LN2 [85], 53, 14, 18; and KOH [97], 96, 1, 0. Conclusions: KOH lysis was significantly greater than with all other methods (P<0.006) and should be used for single cells. This study also demonstrates the importance of using heterozygous cells to determine the ability to amplify both alleles as a method of quality control for single-cell analysis.
Effects of symmetric and asymmetric modes on transonic aeroelastic characteristics of full-span wing-body configurations

To accurately study the transonic aeroelastic characteristics, it is important to model the full aircraft configuration, including asymmetry. Recently, an accurate method of computing unsteady transonic flows on full-span wing-body configurations was developed using the transonic potential flow theory. In this work, the method is further developed to account for the aeroelasticity of full-span wing-body configurations. This is accomplished by simultaneously integrating the unsteady aerodynamic forces and modal structural equations of the wing-body configurations. To validate the method, aeroelastic computations are made for a wing-body configuration with a rectangular wing. The aeroelastic responses of this configuration are correlated with the responses of a similar isolated wing. The comparisons are favorable. Aeroelastic computations associated with symmetric and asymmetric modes are also made to study the influence of modal asymmetry on responses. This new development is further illustrated by computing aeroelastic characteristics of a typical fighter aircraft. The results from this study will be useful in accurately computing the transonic flutter boundaries of aircraft, including those associated with asymmetric modes.
Meeting the Needs of Disabled Students in the Mainstream.

Parents, students, educators, and advocates for the disabled have lob bied for the inclusion of students in regular education settings. Inclusion on a case-by-case basis has occurred, but not always smooth ty. To make this process easier and in keeping with meeting the edu cational and social needs of disabled students, changes must be made.
ACETYLCHOLINE-ACTIVATED CHLORIDE CURRENT IN THE T-84 COLONIC CELL LINE

The stimulation of epithelial chloride secretion by hormones and neurotransmitters involves the activation of apical membrane chloride channels. The regulation of chloride current by acetylcholine in the T-84 colonic cell line was investigated using single-channel patch-clamp techniques. Treatment with carbachol resulted in the stimulation of transient chloride currents in 18 of 32 previously quiescent patches. Lack of resolvable single-channel openings suggests that single-channel conductance is less than 5-pS. Of 18 responsive patches, 4 showed multiple current oscillations. Treatment of the cells with AlF4 – activated sustained chloride currents, suggesting that G proteins are involved. In excised patches, chloride current was markedly sensitive to free Ca2+ concentrations between 500 and 1000 nM. Time-dependent activation and inactivation of chloride current occurred at +60 and –60 mV. These results indicate that the chloride channels responsible for cholinergic activation of chloride conductance in the T-84 colonic cell line are members of the very low conductance family of chloride channels.
Emerging Market Bond Funds: A Comprehensive Analysis

We analyze U.S.-based emerging market bond funds over a ten-year (1996–2005) complete cycle of ups and downs in the dominant emerging bond markets. Emerging market bond funds outperform comparable domestic and global bond funds. The results are robust across both conditional and unconditional models. The funds also provide international diversification benefits to U.S. and international bond and equity portfolios. The funds exhibit persistence in performance and seasonality. Active funds, large funds and funds with high minimum purchases perform better on a total return basis but not on a risk-adjusted basis.
Maximum entropy method of obtaining thermodynamic properties from quantum Monte Carlo simulations

We describe a method of obtaining thermodynamic properties of quantum systems using Bayesian inference maximum entropy techniques. The method is applicable to energy values sampled at a discrete set of temperatures from quantum Monte Carlo simulations. The internal energy and the specific heat of the system are easily obtained as are errorbars on these quantities. The entropy and the free energy are also obtainable. No assumptions as to the specific functional form of the energy are made. The use of a priori information, such as a sum rule on the entropy, is built into the method. As a nontrivial example of the method, we obtain the specific heat of the three-dimensional periodic Anderson model.
Temporal stability of the conjugated species of bisphenol A, parabens, and other environmental phenols in human urine

Human exposure to environmental phenols can be assessed by measuring the urinary concentrations of these compounds or their metabolites. Total concentrations, which include both free and conjugated (i.e., glucuronide and sulfated) species, are usually reported. Because conjugation may reduce the potential bioactivity of the compounds, measuring separately both the concentrations of free and conjugated species can be of interest. Data on the stability of these conjugated species in urine is critical if the concentrations of free and conjugated species are to be compared. Over a period of 6 months, we investigated the stability of the urinary conjugates of eight environmental phenols (bisphenol A, 2-hydroxy-4-metoxybenzophenone or benzophenone-3, triclosan, 2,5-dichlorophenol, methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, propyl paraben, and butyl paraben) at three storage conditions (room temperature, 4 degrees C, and -70 degrees C). After collection, conjugated species appeared to be stable for at least 7 days when the urine was stored at 4 degrees C, and for at least 180 days at -70 degrees C. By contrast, some of the environmental phenol conjugates commenced to degrade within 24 h after collection when the urine was stored at room temperature although the total concentrations remained relatively constant for at least 30 days. These results suggest that if the concentrations of free and conjugated species will be used for exposure assessment purposes, urine specimens collected for analysis of environmental phenols should be kept at room temperature for the shortest possible time after collection.
A haplotype analysis of CYP2E1 polymorphisms in relation to alcoholic phenotypes in Mexican Americans.

Background: Studies regarding the association between the 4 polymorphisms of CYP2E1(CYP2E1*1D, *5B, *6, and *1B) and alcoholism are inconsistent and inconclusive. The purposeof the present study was to clarify previously discordant studies by haplotype analysis in the Mex-ican American population.Methods: The 4 polymorphisms of CYP2E1 were studied in 334 alcoholics and 365 controls.Genotype, allele, and haplotype frequency comparisons between alcoholics and controls wereassessed. Patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD) at CYP2E1 were determined. Reconstructedhaplotypes were tested for associations with clinical phenotypes (age onset of drinking, Max-drinks, and smoking status).Results: No signiﬁcant associations between the 4 polymorphisms of CYP2E1 and alcoholismwere revealed by single allele tests. High LD was found between the CYP2E1 c2 and C alleles inMexican Americans. Eleven haplotypes were present in the 699 participants. The 6 main haplo-types with frequencies higher than 1% made up 97% of the total halpotypes. The frequency ofsubjects carrying H6 (1C-c2-C-A2) was signiﬁcantly higher in alcoholics than in controls(p = 0.0001). In contrast, the frequencies of H7 (1C-c2-C-A1) and H10 (1C-c2-D-A1) were signif-icantly lower in alcoholics than in controls (p = 0.0072 for H7 and p = 0.0407 for H10). The fre-quency of H6 was signiﬁcantly higher in alcoholics who had late onset of drinking than innonalcoholic controls. Furthermore, the frequencies of H6 haplotype were also consistently higherin groups who had high number of maximum drinks (9 to 32 drinks) than in controls. Whensmokers are excluded, the frequencies of H6, H7, and H9 (1C-c2-D-A2) showed statistically sig-niﬁcant differences between alcoholics and controls (p < 0.05). Moreover, the associationbetween H6 and alcoholism become more robust when smokers are excluded. Furthermore, thefrequency of H1 (1C-c1-D-A2) in alcoholic-smokers was much higher than in alcoholic-nonsmok-ers (p = 0.0028). In contrast, alcoholic-smokers carried less H2 (1C-c1-D-A1) in comparison withalcoholic-nonsmokers (p = 0.0417). The H3 (1D-c2-C-A2) frequency in alcoholic-smokers wasmuch lower than in alcoholic-nonsmokers (p = 0.0042) and control-smokers (p = 0.0363).Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that carrying haplotype H6 might enhance susceptibility todeveloping alcoholism, but possessing the H7 or H10 haplotype appears to decrease this suscepti-bility. The H6, H7, and H9 haplotypes may play certain roles in different clinical phenotypes inMexican American alcoholics. In addition, our data suggest that the H1, H2, and H3 haplotypesare associated with alcohol drinking and smoking. These results support that haplotype analysisis much more informative than single allele analysis. Our ﬁndings clearly indicate the importanceof H6 haplotype in alcohol drinking in Mexican Americans.Key Words: Alcoholism, CYP2E1, Polymorphisms, Haplotype, Mexican Americans.
Spectral analysis and multidimensional stability of traveling waves for nonlocal Allen-Cahn equation

In this paper, the spectrum of linearized operator about a traveling wave for the nonlocal Allen–Cahn equation is estimated and the result is applied to study multidimensional stability of planar waves.
Is Routine Cardiac Catheterization Necessary in the Management of Patients with Single Ventricles Across Staged Fontan Reconstruction? No!

With the advent of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and high-resolution echocardiography, cardiac catheterization is unnecessary in clinical protocols in the “routine” single ventricle patient. Catheterization adds little to clinical care in these cases, and there are significant risks and costs associated with it. Catheterization should be reserved for cases in which noninvasive evaluations are equivocal, conflictory, demonstrate deterioration, or needed for intervention. This article delineates the role of noninvasive evaluations relative to cardiac catheterization in the routine single ventricle patient.
Induction of differentiation and c-jun expression in human leukemic cells by okadaic acid, an inhibitor of protein phosphatases.

Okadaic acid, a protein phosphatase inhibitor, is a strong tumor promoter which activates protein phosphorylation. Because another activator of protein phosphorylation, phorbol esters, stimulates hematopoietic differentiation, we sought to determine whether okadaic acid could also induce the differentiation of the human leukemic cell line U937. Differentiation was assessed by measuring changes in the following: mRNA levels, cell growth, morphology, cell surface markers, and the ability to induce superoxide. We found that okadaic acid treatment of U937 cells induces immediate increases in total cellular levels of both c-junand c-fos mRNAs. Nuclear run-on experiments demonstrate that initial increases are secondary to increases in transcription, whereas latter changes may be secondary to mRNA stabilization. Like phorbol esters, okadaic acid treatment also activates AP-1 enhancer activity and induces the phosphorylation of c-Jun protein. Approximately 6–12 hours after treatment with okadaic acid, mRNA levels of c-myc, p34cdc2, and p58GTA, two cell cycle regulated protein kinases, decrease. Okadaic acid inhibits the growth of U937 cells, induces changes in nuclear morphology, stimulates increases in Mac-1 and Leu 11 surface antigens, and induces these cells to produce superoxide. These changes, taken together, suggest that U937 cells have been induced by okadaic acid to differentiate towards a more mature cell type. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A SKELETAL OSSIFICATION INDEX FOR NEONATAL FOALS

A skeletal ossification index (SOI) was devised to standardize the radiographic evaluation of the carpal and tarsal regions of newborn foals (less than two weeks of age). This index was based on two radiographic views of a carpus and a tarsus. Four grades of cuboidal bone ossification were discerned: Grade 1 foals had some cuboidal bones with no ossification; Grade 2 was assigned when all cuboidal bones had radiographic evidence of some ossification; in Grade 3 the bones were small and round; in Grade 4 the cuboidal bones were shaped like the adult counterparts. Radiographs were taken of 24 neonatal foals of various gestational ages (range, 297–374 days). The relationships between the SOI and two measures of newborn foal developmental maturity, gestationai age and body weight, were assessed. There was no relationship between the sex of the foal and the SOI, but there was a relationship between the SOI and the gestational age (one-tailed Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, r = 0.748) and between the SOI and body weight (r = 0.77) for the 24 foals. For the ten foals with gestational ages less than 320 days, the relationship between body weight and the SOI was significant (r = 0.953), but the relationship between gestational age and the SOI was not significant (r = 0.605). The degree of ossification of the bones of neonatal foals that are born prematurely (< 320 days of gestation) or are “small-for-gestational age” at birth may be incomplete, and we suggest that radiographs of these regions should be made to assess ossification in foals in these two high risk groups.
Improved Theory for Contact Indentation of Sandwich Panels

Core crushing and large face-sheet deflections are incorporated in a theory for contact indentation of sandwich panels. The model is based on the assumption of axisymmetric indentation of an infinite elastic face sheet bonded to an elastic-ideally plastic core on a rigid foundation. After core yielding, the problem is separated into an outer region where the core is elastic and an inner region where the core exerts a constant reactive pressure on the face sheet. The outer region is modeled as a plate on an elastic foundation. The inner region is modeled using small-deflection plate theory, first-order large-deflection plate theory, and membrane theory. The unknown plastic radius is found by matching the boundary conditions for the two regions. The extension of the model to orthotropic face sheets is indicated and demonstrated by examples. The predictions are in close agreement with experiments, which contrasts to previously published models where membrane effects and core crushing were neglected. The model can be used for improved modeling of impact on sandwich panels.
Subject Recruitment Bias: The Paid Volunteer Subject:

To assess the potential bias introduced by subject recruitment procedures, differences in perceptual style, personality, and performance on an auditory selective attention task were investigated fo...
A reciprocal difference equation with maximum

Abstract We consider positive solutions of the following difference equation: We prove that every positive solution is eventually periodic.
Autoradiographic localization of 3H-testosterone or its metabolites in the neonatal rat brain.

The distribution of neurons which concentrate testosterone or its metabolites in the brain of 2-day old female rats was determined using autoradiography. A specific topographic pattern of neurons which concentrate testosterone or its metabolites was obtained similar, but not identical, to the one found in adult male rats. The demonstrated sites of nuclear uptake and retention of testosterone or its metabolites by specific neurons in the neonatal brain probably provide the anatomical substrate for sexual differentiation of the brain.
Measurement of Ultralow Interfacial Tension with Application to Surfactant-Enhanced Alkaline Systems

This paper discusses the dynamic interfacial tension (IFT) variation in a system containing an acidic oil in contact with an alkaline solution which may contain a preformed surfactant. A modified technique similar, in principle, to the sessile drop technique is used for monitoring the dynamic IFT which is in the ultralow range. The technique is then applied for measuring ultralow IFTs in systems consisting of acidic oils and alkaline solutions containing preformed surfactants. The effect of aqueous phase pH, surfactant concentration, and oil phase acid concentration on the dynamic IFT variation in these systems is determined by using this technique.
Preparation of high‐fructose syrup from the tubers of the Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.)

Fructose has recently received much attention due to renewed interest in natural sweeteners. In addition, fructose has some advantages to sucrose in sweetness, solubility, viscosity, and dental health characteristics. Fructose is deposited as storage fructans of the inulin (beta-1,2) type in tubers and rhizomes of the Compositae family. The utilization of the Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) tuber as a source of fructose syrup is discussed. This plant has the potential to produce more sugar per acre than corn or sugar beets. In addition, the artichoke has higher frost resistance and lower heat unit requirements than corn and is somewhat more tolerant to low moisture conditions than sugar beets. A high quality fructose syrup can be produced from artichoke tubers. The extraction step was found to be particularly important since development of adverse colors and flavors must be prevented. The fructans may be acid or enzyme hydrolyzed but the latter method gave a higher quality syrup. Ion-exchange resins and activated charcoal were effective in removing coloring and flavoring materials, and also reduced other noncarbohydrate constituents. Since the enzymatic hydrolysis of the fructans is an attractive alternative to acid hydrolysis, a process was developed for producing and purifying a special beta-fructofuranosidase (inulase) from Saccharomyces fragilis. Inulase has a much higher specificity for fructans than commerically available beta-fructofuranosidase (invertase).
An Experimental Model Investigation of the Opening of a Collapsed Untethered Pulmonary Airway

We developed an essentially two-dimensional planar benchtop model of an untethered collapsed airway to investigate the influence of fluid properties (viscosity, mu and surface tension, gamma) and the structural characteristics (effective diameter, D, longitudinal tension, T, and fluid film thickness, H) on airway reopening. This simplified model was used to quantify the relationship between wall deformation and meniscus curvature during reopening. We measured the pressure (P) required to move the meniscus at a constant velocity (U), and found the dimensionless post-startup pressure (PD/gamma) increased monotonically with the capillary number (Ca = microU/gamma). Startup pressures depend on the fluid viscosity and piston acceleration, and may significantly increase reopening pressures. Consistently stable steady-state pressures existed when Ca > 0.5. D was the most dominant structural characteristics, which caused an increase in the post-startup pressure (P) for a decrease in D. An increase in H caused a slight decrease in the reopening pressure, but a spatial variation in H resulted in only a transient increase in pressure. T did not significantly affect the reopening pressure. From our planar two-dimensional experiments an effective yield pressure of 3.69 gamma/D was extrapolated from the steady-state pressures. Based on these results, we predicted airway pressures and reopening times for axisymmetrically collapsed airways under various disease states. These predictions indicate that increasing surface tension (as occurs in Respiratory Distress Syndrome) increases the yield pressure necessary to reopen the airways, and increasing viscosity (as in cystic fibrosis) increases the time to reopen once the yield pressure has been exceeded.
Propagation of Partially Coherent Electromagnetic Beams through Multilayered Stratified Media

We present a theory of propagation of electromagnetic beams of any state of coherence and polarization through a stratified medium. We illustrate how coherence and polarization properties of a beam may change on such propagation.
Existence of voting-market equilibria

Abstract We show the existence of an equilibrium in a model where private goods are allocated by markets and the public good (bad) is allocated by majority rule voting.
Memory Complaints in Older Adults: Prognostic Value and Stability in Reporting over Time.

Objective:The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the prognostic value of subjective memory complaints in 156 cognitively intact community-dwelling older adults with a mean age of 83 years.Methods:Participants were assessed for subjective memory complaints, cognitive performance, functional status, and mood at annual evaluations with a mean follow-up of 4.5 years.Results:Subjective memory complaint at entry (n = 24) was not associated with impaired memory performance and did not predict memory decline or progression to incipient dementia. Memory complaints were inconsistent across examinations for 62% of participants who reported memory problems.Conclusion:Memory complaints by older adults are inconsistent over time. Memory complaints’ value as a research criterion for selecting people at risk of dementia is weak among community-dwelling older adults. Age, length of follow-up, and other population characteristics may affect the implication of self-reported memory problems.
Approximating the Electron-Phonon Coupling Constant in Superconductors from Thermodynamic Data

A method is discussed for estimating the electron-phonon coupling constant λep from the jump in heat capacity at the superconducting transition which can be enhanced above the BCS value by strong coupling effects. Although based on a simple model of the superconducting state, reasonable agreement is found with published experimental data for a variety of crystalline superconductors, none of which is strongly anisotropic.
Chaotic inflation as an attractor in initial-condition space.

We study the evolution of scalar field inhomogeneities in the preinflationary phase of an inflationary universe. We decompose the scalar field configuration in Fourier modes and consider initial conditions in which more than one mode is excited. We find that the long-wavelength modes are stable against perturbations due to short-wavelength excitations and that chaotic inflation results even if at the initial time the short waves contain most of the energy density.
Quant1les of the Anderson-Darling statistic

Anderson and Darling introduced the statistic W2n for use in testing the hypothesis that a random sample of size n came from a population with a specified continuous distribution function. Lewis provided a table of values of the cumulative distribution of W2n for small sample sizes. A more accurate and slightly enlarged reconstruction of this table, useful to applied statisticians, is provided.
SYNTHESIS OF ALKYL N-CYANO-N-SUBSTITUTED CARBAMATES AND N,N-DISUBSTITUTED CYANAMIDES1

Abstract The reactions of S,S' methyl cyanodithioimidocarbonate with potassium hydroxide in alkyl or benzyl alcohol furnished the O-alkyl and benzyl O-potassium cyanoimidocarbonates (1–5). The reaction of the potassium salts (1,3, or 4) with a 10% excess of alkyl, allyl or benzyl halides afforded the unknown titled carbamates (6–17). The reaction of 2 with 10% excess benzyl bromide or 5 with 10% excess methyl iodide gave the same product, N-benzyl-N-methyl cyanamide (18). The reactions of 2 with 10% and 55% excess allyl bromide afforded N-allyl-N-methyl cyanamide (19) and N,N-diallyl cyanamide (20), respectively. The reaction of 3 with 28% excess of allyl iodide furnished N-allyl-N-propyl cyanamide (21). Possible mechanisms and supporting NMR, IR and mass spectra data are discussed.
Capacity of the store-regulator in maintaining iron balance

There is evidence that iron stores alter iron absorption to meet body iron needs. In this study, quantitative aspects of this regulation of iron balance are examined. Two male subjects, one with low and one with average iron stores, were given additional dietary iron over 500 days. Changes in iron stores were monitored by plasma ferritin measurements, and the ferritin estimate of stores was validated at the end of the study by bleeding to the point of iron deficiency. The subject with low iron stores increased his ferritin by 39 micrograms/L or 0.8 mg/day, whereas the subject with average iron stores had no significant change. It is concluded that the mechanism by which stores regulate food iron absorption has a capacity of about 1 mg/day, sufficient to meet usual physiological needs, with the exception of pregnancy, as well as the ability to resist increase in stores above normal despite an iron rich diet.
Companson and Diagnosis of Large Replicated Files

This paper examines the problem of comparing large replicated files in a context in which communication dominates the cost of comparison. A low-cost checking matrix is proposed for comparison of these replicated files. The checking matrix is composed of check symbols generated by a divide-and-conquer encoding algorithm. The matrix allows for detection and diagnosis of disagreeing pages with very little communication overhead. In contrast to a previous O(N) proposal, the storage requirement for the checking matrix is O(log N), where N is the number of pages in the file. The matrix can be stored in main memory without the need for extra accesses to disk during normal updates of pages.
Straggling and particle identification in silicon detectors

Abstract The distribution functions for the straggling of charged particles in silicon detectors are given in a comprehensive graphical form. Approximate quantum mechanical corrections have been applied to the Vavilov functions. A simple identification procedure for use with a digital computer is described.
The elucidation of the human mitochondrial genome: a historical perspective.

The progressive unraveling over the past fifteen years of the structure and function of the human mitochondrial genome, taken as a prototype of all vertebrate mitochondrial genomes, has been marked by a series of startling discoveries. The history of these developments is one in which prediction often turned out to be wrong, and in which solidly established dogmas were violated. The unique features of this genome have forced a revision of our ideas about the universality of the genetic code and of the decoding mechanism, the minimal structural requirements for rRNA, tRNA and mRNA function and the mode and control of gene expression.
Meaning/ful Work and Organizational Communication: Questioning Boundaries, Positionalities, and Engagements

As organizational communication scholars, we routinely orient ourselves to organizations as places of work while often ignoring the diverse forms of communicative work and communication about our working lives that underpin such locales. In this essay, we consider how the study of meaningful work problematizes the boundaries of organizational communication. Specifically, we reflect on how definitions of meaningful work are very much caught up in our contemporary milieu. Organizational communication scholars, then, must be willing and able to work within and across traditional boundaries, perhaps redefining them in the process. We illustrate these claims in three parts. In the first part, we consider the rise of communication work and how it calls into question common notions of meaningful work. In our second section, we argue that what counts as meaningful work often stems from the raced, classed, and gendered assumptions guiding our practice. Finally, in part three, and with these elements of our milieu in mind, we describe ways in which scholars can begin to investigate meaningful work by examining tensions between description and prescription and microlevels and macrolevels of discourse and experience to uncover the strategies and tactics available to individuals as they craft meaningful working lives.
Narrow-band imaging without optical magnification for histologic analysis of colorectal polyps.

Background & Aims The ability to determine colorectal polyp pathology by endoscopy could reduce the risks of polypectomy and the cost of pathologic evaluation. This study evaluated the ability of the Olympus Exera 180 high-definition colonoscope (Olympus America, Inc, Center Valley, PA), with narrow-band imaging, to predict colorectal polyp histology. Methods A library of 320 endoscopic photographs with correlated histologic information was used to identify endoscopic features associated with adenomatous and hyperplastic histology. These features were tested in a prospective study of 451 consecutively identified colorectal polyps. Polyps were observed endoscopically and assigned a designation of high or low confidence. The primary end points were the predictive value of high-confidence endoscopic interpretations of adenoma and hyperplastic histology for polyps 5 mm and smaller in size. Results Endoscopic predictions of adenoma and hyperplastic histology were made with high confidence for 80% and 83% of cases, respectively. High-confidence predictions were more likely than low-confidence predictions to be correct ( P Conclusions Introduction of confidence levels to the endoscopic interpretation of colorectal polyp histology allows sufficient accuracy for the use of the Exera narrow-band imaging system in the identification of distal hyperplastic polyps that do not need resection, as well as to plan postpolypectomy surveillance without pathologic evaluation of polyps 5 mm in size or smaller.
Efficient state representation for symbolic simulation

Symbolic simulation is attracting increasing interest for the validation of digital circuits. It allows the verification engineer to explore all, or a major portion of the circuit's state space without having to design specific and time-consuming test stimuli. However, the complexity and unpredictable run-time behavior of symbolic simulation have limited its scope to small-to-medium circuits. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to symbolic simulation that reduces the size of the BDDs of the state vector while maintaining an exact representation of the set of states visited. The method exploits the decomposition properties of Boolean functions. By restructuring the next-state functions in their disjoint support components, we gain a better insight in the role of each input variable. Consequently, we can simplify the next-state functions without significantly sacrificing the simulation accuracy. Our experimental results shows that this approach can be used in effectively reducing the memory requirements of symbolic simulation while surrendering only a small portion of the design's state space.
Rehabilitation for survivors of pediatric brain tumors: our work has just begun

CNS tumors are the second most common childhood cancer, and survival rates for children with these tumors have increased over the last few decades. Children are often treated with a combination of neurosurgery, chemotherapy and cranial radiation. Both the tumors and these therapies can lead to cognitive challenges, decreased social participation or coping, and physical dysfunction, which can impede a child’s ability to complete daily activities and participate in his or her environment. This review describes these late effects in the framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, and discusses the few studies that have attempted to improve children’s functioning in their environment beyond just survival.
The organization of the pudendal nerve in the male and female rat.

Mature male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study to compare the organization of the pudendal nerve in the two sexes. Experiments included incubating the cut pudendal nerve in diamidino-2-phenylindole HCl (DAPI), fast blue (FB), or horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and injecting individual perineal muscles with these substances. In both sexes, incubation of the pudendal nerve labelled two motoneuron nuclei in the L5-L6 segments of the spinal cord. These nuclei are the dorsomedial (DM) and dorsolateral (DL) cell columns described by Schroder (J. Comp. Neurol. 192:567-587, 1980). In agreement with previous studies, there were significantly more neurons in both nuclei in the male than in the female and the neurons were larger in the male. In both sexes, the DL and DM nuclei were characterized by a longitudinal dendritic structure. The DM nucleus also had numerous dendritic bundles extending across the midline, linking the DM nuclei bilaterally. Pudendal nerve afferent neurons were located in the L6 and S1 dorsal root ganglia. In the male, the afferent neurons were larger and more numerous. In both sexes, labelled pudendal afferent fibers in the spinal cord were located in the dorsal columns, the medial half of Lissauer's tract, the extreme medial edge of the dorsal horn, both ipsilaterally and contralaterally, and in a large terminal field in the dorsal gray commissure. No labelled afferents were seen in the intermediate or ventral gray. Perineal muscle injections established that there was no difference between males and females in the number of motoneurons innervating the external anal or urethral sphincters. In the female, urethral sphincter motoneurons accounted for almost all the DL motoneurons, and anal sphincter motoneurons accounted for almost all the DM motoneurons. The ischiocavernosus and bulbospongiosus muscles are vestigial in the female rat. In the male, neurons innervating the anal sphincter and bulbospongiosus muscles were intermingled in the DM nucleus. In contrast, in the DL nucleus, the urethral sphincter neurons were located in the lateral portion of the nucleus and the ischiocavernosus neurons were located in the medial portion.
Statistical mechanics of correlated energy landscape models for random heteropolymers and proteins

Abstract We study the role of correlations in the energy landscape of heteropolymers and proteins, specifically their role in the glass transition in random heteropolymers and the folding transition in minimally frustrated proteins. In the context of the glass transition, a correlated landscape results in a more gradual freezing into basins of extensive entropy, while not completely destroying the first-order jump in the order parameter until below a certain density. Quantities such as the glass transition temperature and the probability distribution of overlaps q are quantitatively similar to the results for an uncorrelated landscape or random energy model (REM), while the number of searchable basins at the glass transition (the Levinthal search) is significantly modified. For proteins, correlations provide a way to induce a funnel topography onto the energy landscape by the selection of a sequence with a particularly low energy configuration. The folding transition is weakly first order. The position of the transition state ensemble in the model is in accord with recent experimental results on denaturant effects on kinetics of small proteins.
Urogenital complaints and female sexual dysfunction (part 1).

ABSTRACT Introduction Sexual dysfunction and dyspareunia are common complaints in women with urological disorders. Aim To provide a comprehensive review of sexual dysfunction related to common hypersensitive/hyperactive urogenital disorders including interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS), overactive bladder (OAB) with and without incontinence, and high-tone pelvic floor muscle dysfunction and the appropriate treatment strategies. Methods A medical literature search using several related terms including sexual dysfunction, dyspareunia, IC/PBS, OAB, urinary incontinence pelvic floor dysfunction, and levator ani muscle spasm. Main Outcome Measures Review of the medical literature to identify relation between sexual dysfunction and common urological disorders in women and to describe appropriate treatment strategies to improve the women's quality of life. Results A thorough review of sexual dysfunction in urological disorders and their related treatments modalities including: behavioral, pharmacological, and nonpharmacological therapies. Conclusions Sexual dysfunction is a common, underestimated, and untreated complaint in women with urologic disorders. Identifying sexual complaints and treating the underlying etiologies can result in significant improvement in a woman's quality of life. This process requires a focused, multidisciplinary approach tailored to meet the needs of women with urogenital complaints. Wehbe SA, Whitmore K, and Kellogg-Spadt S. Urogenital complaints and female sexual dysfunction (part 1).
FcγRIIa ligation induces platelet hypersensitivity to thrombotic stimuli.

Platelets are known for their important role in hemostasis, however their significance in other functions, including inflammation and infection, are becoming more apparent. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are known to have circulating IgG complexes in their blood and are highly susceptible to thrombotic events. Because platelets express a single receptor for IgG, we tested the hypothesis that ligation of this receptor (FcγRIIa) induces platelet hypersensitivity to thrombotic stimuli. Platelets from SLE patients were considerably more sensitive to thrombin compared to healthy volunteers, and this correlated with elevated levels of surface IgG on SLE platelets. To test whether FcγRIIa ligation stimulated thrombin hypersensitivity, platelets from healthy volunteers were incubated with buffer or heat-aggregated IgG, then stimulated with increasing concentrations of thrombin. Interestingly, heat-aggregated IgG–stimulated platelets, but not buffer-treated platelets, were hypersensitive to thrombin, and hypersensitivity was blocked by an anti-FcγRIIa monoclonal antibody (mAb). Thrombin hypersensitivity was not due to changes in thrombin receptor expression (GPIbα or PAR1) but is dependent on activation of shared signaling molecules. These observations suggest that ligation of platelet FcγRIIa by IgG complexes induces a hypersensitive state whereby small changes in thrombotic stimuli may result in platelet activation and subsequent vascular complications such as transient ischemic attacks or stroke.
Low-frequency characterization of MEMS-based portable atomic magnetometer

Atomic magnetometers based on absorption or polarization rotation of light in an alkali vapor have recently demonstrated sensitivities rivaling those of superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) [1]. Miniaturization of such devices containing vapor cells fabricated with micro—electro—mechanical (MEMS) technology has been the focus of development for the better part of the last decade. In this paper, we describe a portable magnetometry system with a sensitivity below 50 fT/√Hz at 100 Hz. The atomic magnetometer consists of a microfabricated sensor head that is fiber coupled to a control module consisting of a laser and electronics. We describe the construction of this system and present the results of sensitivity measurements with an emphasis on identifying and characterizing the source of 1/f (flicker) noise. This portable magnetometer system was developed to measure magnetocardiograms (MCG) of human subjects inside a shielded environment [2].
A hierarchical algorithm for limited-angle reconstruction

The authors describe and demonstrate a hierarchical reconstruction algorithm for use in noisy and limited-angle or sparse-angle tomography. The algorithm estimates the object's mass, center of mass, and convex hull from the available projections, and uses this information, along with fundamental mathematical constraints, to estimate a full set of smoothed projections. The mass and center of mass are estimated using a maximum-likelihood (ML) estimator derived from the principles of consistency of the Radon transform. The convex hull estimate is produced by first estimating the positions of support lines of the object from each available projection and then estimating the overall convex hull using ML or maximum a posteriori (MAP) techniques. The position of two support lines from a single projection is estimated using either a generalized likelihood ratio technique for estimating jumps in linear systems or a support-width penalty method that uses Akaike's model-order estimation technique. >
Arbitral Power and the Limits of Contract: The New Trilogy

An excerpt from the introductory paragraphs of the article: “The American law of arbitration has for some reason been replete with what we have become accustomed to call ‘trilogies’—and the last two terms of the U.S. Supreme Court have curiously continued that pattern. Once again the Court has handed us three leading cases on closely related themes—and these decisions have turned out in fact to be in many ways the most interesting of the lot [referring to Stolt-Nielsen, Rent-A-Center, and Conception]. All three amount to extended riffs on the Question of Questions, the scope of arbitral power: And so the Court has continued to dip its finger into this rich mixture—compounded of notions of judicial review, ‘arbitrability,’ ‘separability,’ competence/competence, and the preemption of state law—all of our hard-earned lore and learning is there. Undoubtedly for the moment the greatest salience will be with respect to arbitration clauses in contracts of adhesion entered into by consumers and employees—and yet this recent jurisprudence has the potential of sweeping far more broadly. It seems reasonably clear that these cases will continue to generate endless discussion. Things now seem curiously muddled: If our law of arbitration now no longer seems to have any clear unifying theme, any fil conducteur, this suggests that private adjudication—rather than presenting us as it once did with a coherent and self-contained body of doctrine—has become a hostage to a game played out on a larger stage, a pawn of wider, systemic “political” concerns. And so—yet another untoward result — these cases will require the reevaluation of what seemed, for a while, to constitute comfortably settled certainties. Here is at least one step in that direction.”