cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discovery of a new source of botulinum toxin could have several implications

Botulinum toxin, usually found on the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, has been found for the first time on a strain of Enterococcus in a cow's gut. This has many implications and may prove to be valuable in the treatment of a vast range of therapeutic indications, says Gemma Fromage. It has also raised concerns that in the future, botulinum toxin could end up on an antibiotic resistant strain of Enterococcus
Resident-Specific Morbidity Reduced Following ACS NSQIP Data-Driven Quality Program.

Background The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestone Project for general surgery provided a more robust method for developing and tracking residents’ competence. This framework enhanced systematic and progressive development of residents’ competencies in surgical quality improvement. Study Design A 22-month interactive, educational program based on resident-specific surgical outcomes data culminated in a quality improvement project for postgraduate year 4 surgery residents. Self- assessment, quality knowledge test, and resident-specific American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Quality In-Training Initiative morbidity were compared before and after the intervention. Results Quality in-training initiative morbidity decreased from 25% (82/325) to 18% (93/517), p = 0.015 despite residents performing more complex cases. All participants achieved level 4 competency (4/4) within the general surgery milestones improvement of care, practice-based learning and improvement competency. Institutional American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program general surgery morbidity improved from the ninth to the sixth decile. Quality assessment and improvement self-assessment postintervention scores ( M = 23.80, SD = 4.97) were not significantly higher than preintervention scores ( M = 19.20, SD = 5.26), p = 0.061. Quality Improvement Knowledge Application Tool postintervention test scores ( M = 17.4, SD = 4.88), were not significantly higher than pretest scores ( M = 13.2, SD = 1.92), p = 0.12. Conclusion Sharing validated resident-specific clinical data with participants was associated with improved surgical outcomes. Participating fourth year surgical residents achieved the highest score, a level 4, in the practice based learning and improvement competency of the improvement of care practice domain and observed significantly reduced surgical morbidity for cases in which they participated.
Perioperative considerations for airway management and drug dosing in obese children.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Childhood obesity, a phenomenon that is increasing globally, holds substantial relevance for pediatric anesthesia. In particular, understanding the nuances of airway management and drug dosing in obese children can be daunting. RECENT FINDINGS Respiratory adverse events and challenges in managing the airway may be anticipated. In addition, drug-dosing strategies for the obese child are complex and poorly understood although recent advances have clarified the optimal dosing for anesthetics in these children. SUMMARY Theoretical knowledge, practical skills, meticulous risk stratification and optimal drug regimens are crucial to ensure the safe conduct of anesthesia for obese children.
Repeated hot water and steam disinfection of Pari LC Plus® nebulizers alter nebulizer output

Abstract Currently, cystic fibrosis patients require daily nebulized treatments to achieve optimal lung health. Growth of pathogenic bacteria in patient nebulizers is well known, and disinfection guidelines have been established. In this short communication, we sought to discover what effect, if any, repeated nebulization/disinfection cycles had on nebulizer output. We nebulized saline repeatedly after exposure to boiling water, steam, and alcohol disinfection methods. While alcohol disinfection did not affect nebulizer output, boiling water and steam significantly decreased nebulizer output from baseline, 74.1 ± 5.9% (p = 0.022) and steam 63.6 ± 6.5% (p = 0.0048) after 60 cycles respectively. This decrease in nebulizer output could significantly increase the duration of nebulizer treatment time and negatively impact the burden of care on patients with cystic fibrosis.
Effects of signal bandwidth and noise on individual speaker identification

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of increasing spectral bandwidth from 3 to 10 kHz on individual speaker recognition in noisy conditions (+5, 0, and −5 dB signal-to-noise ratio). Experiment 1 utilized h(Vowel)d (hVd) signals, while experiment 2 utilized sentences from the Rainbow Passage. Both experiments showed significant improvements in individual speaker identification in the 10 kHz bandwidth condition (6% for hVds; 10% for sentences). These results coincide with the extant machine recognition literature demonstrating significant amounts of individual speaker information present in the speech signal above approximately 3–4 kHz. Cues from the high-frequency region for speaker identity warrant further study.
An Assessment of Public Perceptions of Climate Change Risk in Three Western U.S. Cities

AbstractRisk perceptions influence individual and collective action related to climate change, and there is an important gap between public and expert perceptions of climate change risk, especially...
Technology Challenges for SOC Design

Advances in silicon technology have fueled much of the growth in SoC performance and density. Yet these technology advances have not come easily: each new technology generation brings with it a new set of technology related design considerations and challenges. This chapter outlines the major technology issues facing current and future SoC designers. These challenges are divided into issues that influence design, those that influence manufacture and those that relate to affordability. The design issue section outlines problems relating to performance scaling, power management, signal integrity, parametric variability and reliability. The manufacturability section describes issues relating to manufacturing yield and lithography challenges. Finally, the affordability section covers issues relating to rising engineering costs and technology trends. Each topic begins with a summary of the principal issues and trends, followed by a discussion of the associated SoC impact and mitigation strategies.
Cytokines and Brain

The presence of proinflammatory cytokines in normal central nervous system (CNS) tissues remains an area of controversy (1). Several cytokines have been demonstrated in the normal CNS, and among them, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin-1 (IL-1), transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) have been studied in detail. The functions of TNF-α, IL-1, and TGF-β in the context of neuroinflammation have been described in detail elsewhere in this chapter; therefore, in this section, we will discuss only the potential roles these cytokines have in CNS development and physiological functions.
Evaluation of Athletes with Back or Leg Pain

Low back pain (LBP) with or without leg pain in athletes is a significant cause of lost playing time. While the differential diagnosis of LBP in athletes is broad, a thorough history and physical examination are necessary to narrow the differential diagnosis and guide a clinician toward the correct diagnosis. Routine imaging is indicated in the setting of persistent LBP despite conservative treatment, with lumbar spine radiographs being the first line of imaging. The need for further advanced imaging to identify the correct diagnosis – such as MRI and/or CT scan– is determined as clinically warranted. The initial differential diagnosis for LBP in athletes includes orthopedic as well as non-orthopedic etiologies that must all be considered. Orthopedic pathologies discussed in this chapter include musculo-ligamentous injuries, degenerative disc disease, lumbar disc herniation, spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis, and sacral stress fracture.
P338 Coin vs battery – imaging of foreign bodies

A previously well 2 year old female presented to a peripheral emergency department following the ingestion of a foreign body. Her parents reported witnessing her swallow a coin, 2 days prior to presentation. She subsequently developed 24 hours of non-bilious vomiting followed by epigastric pain and decreased oral intake. The child was referred to a tertiary centre for review. On physical examination the child was alert but lethargic with tachycardia to 164 and a fever of 38.9 degrees. She had no drooling, increased work of breathing or stridor. Auscultation revealed equal air entry, normal heart and bowel sounds. Abdomen was soft, non tender without distension. She was treated with antipyretics and chest and abdominal imaging was arranged. AP chest radiograph and plain abdominal images revealed a circular 2 cm radiopaque object located in the stomach. On review by radiology the object appeared to have a ‘halo sign’, a feature consistent with button batteries. Given the uncertain origin of the object and potential for complications associated with button battery ingestion our patient was fasted for an endoscopy. Endoscopy revealed two 10 cent coins sitting in the gastric antrum with localized erosions and erythema. These were successfully removed with a Roth net and the patient was discharged the same day. Foreign body (FB) ingestion/inhalation most commonly occurs in children aged between six months and three years. The most common objects are coins, reported in up to 88% of cases. (1) FB ingestion usually only requires imaging followed by clinical observation. Coins are unlikely to cause complications, whereas button batteries pose a risk of metal poisoning, burns, oesophgeal strictures, perforation, tracheooesophgeal and aorto-oesophgeal fistula and haemorrhage.(2) One study revealed that 14% of children with oesophageal FBs were asymptomatic on presentation, highlighting the need for imaging. Recommended investigations include AP and lateral neck, AP and lateral chest and abdominal radiographs. (4) The sensitivity of plan films in detecting a battery was 80.4%, specificity 79.1% with an overall accuracy of 79.8%. The same study demonstrated that stacking two coins on top of each other lead to high rates of misidentification as batteries with an overall accuracy below 60%. (1) Importantly this study used artificially produced images which therefore did not include soft tissues and bony structures which could prevent accurate identification. This case highlights the importance of accurate identification of foreign objects and the need for high clinical suspicion of FB.
Estimating the infection fatality risk of COVID-19 in New York City, March 1-May 16, 2020

During March 1-May 16, 2020, 191,392 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases were diagnosed and reported and 20,141 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths occurred among New York City (NYC) residents. We applied a network model-inference system developed to support the City9s pandemic response to estimate underlying SARS-CoV-2 infection rates. Based on these estimates, we further estimated the infection fatality risk (IFR) for 5 age groups (i.e.
Probing High-Pressure Structural Evolution in Polyurea with In Situ Energy-Dispersive X-ray Diffraction and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Polyurea, an elastomer with a phase-segregated microstructure, has been proven as an effective coating in defense applications. To gain a more complete understanding of the high-pressure atomic-lev...
Effects of Social Factors and Team Dynamics on Adoption of Collaborative Robot Autonomy

As automation becomes more prevalent, the fear of job loss due to automation increases [22]. Workers may not be amenable to working with a robotic co-worker due to a negative perception of the technology. The attitudes of workers towards automation are influenced by a variety of complex and multi-faceted factors such as intention to use, perceived usefulness and other external variables [15]. In an analog manufacturing environment, we explore how these various factors influence an individual's willingness to work with a robot over a human co-worker in a collaborative Lego building task. We specifically explore how this willingness is affected by: 1) the level of social rapport established between the individual and his or her human co-worker, 2) the anthropomorphic qualities of the robot, and 3) factors including trust, fluency and personality traits. Our results show that a participant's willingness to work with automation decreased due to lower perceived team fluency (p=0.045), rapport established between a participant and their co-worker (p=0.003), the gender of the participant being male (p=0.041), and a higher inherent trust in people (p=0.018).
Assessing Trends in Physician Assistant Student Depression Risk, Suicidal Ideation, and Mental Health Help-Seeking Behavior.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to assess how physician assistant (PA) student depression risk, suicidal ideation, and mental health help-seeking behaviors change during didactic training and the relationship between depression risk and demographic factors. METHODS Data were obtained through an anonymous online survey sent to didactic students in 7 PA programs during orientation and again at midpoint of the didactic year. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-testing, and one-way ANOVA analyses were used to assess trends in patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) scores over the 6-month time period. The PHQ-9 is the module of the PHQ that measures severity of depression risk. RESULTS The orientation survey response rate was 82.7% (287/347) and the midpoint survey response rate was 62% (217/350). Analysis revealed that mean PHQ-9 scores increased significantly from 2.49 to 6.42 (p < 0.001) from orientation to midpoint of the didactic year, with 18.9% of students having scores of 10 or greater at midpoint compared to 4.5% at orientation. Thoughts of self-harm and/or suicidal ideation in the past 2 weeks also increased from 3.5% to 7.4% during the same time frame. Additionally, students' likelihood of seeking mental health help decreased between orientation and midpoint despite the concurrent increases in depression risk and suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION Rising PHQ-9 scores indicated an increased risk of major depression among didactic-year PA students. Further research on early screening methods and factors that encourage help-seeking behaviors may serve to inform programs about how to create learning environments that mitigate depression risk and promote wellbeing during professional training.
Modeling system dynamics of affect and contextual performances using state space models

Current research often captures a static representation of phenomena at work. However, individuals and the environments in which they act are dynamic systems, where the processes should be modeled in order to better understand the system dynamics of how variables interact with one another. The current paper uses a state space modeling approach that models the dynamics and processes of such systems. Specifically, data were collected in an organization over several weeks in regards to affect, organizational citizenship behavior, and counterproductive work behavior in order to model the interplay of these variables in situ. Furthermore, we ran a simulation in an attempt to understand this application in a hierarchical model. Results from both the field data and simulation indicate a wide variability in parameters for individuals. Implications and future avenues of research are discussed.
Use of Conditional Simulation, Mechanical Theory, and Field Observations to Characterize the Structure of Faults and Fracture Networks

We present a method that links physical theory for the origin of a fracture system to field observations. The method generates simulations of a physically-based stochastic model that are conditioned on field observations. Two examples using stochastic models that are qualitatively based on elasticity theory are presented. The first is a three-dimensional model of small left-lateral strike-slip faults based on cohesive zone fracture mechanics and conditioned on surface trace maps. The second is a two-dimensional stochastic model of a strata bound fracture network conditioned on well test data.
Using Broad Cognitive Models to Apply Computational Intelligence to Animal Cognition

The field of animal cognition (comparative cognition, cognitive ethology), the study of cognitive modules and processes in the domain of ecologically relevant animal behaviors, has become mainstream in biology. The field has its own journals, books, organization and conferences. As do other scientists, cognitive ethologists employ conceptual models, mathematical models and sometime computational models. Most of these models, of all three types, are narrow in scope, modeling only one or a few cognitive processes. This position chapter advocates, as an additional strategy, studying animal cognition by means of computational control architectures based on biologically and psychologically inspired, broad, integrative, hybrid models of cognition. The LIDA model is one such model. In particular, the LIDA model fleshes out a theory of animal cognition, and underlies a proposed ontology for its study. Using the LIDA model, animal experiments can be replicated in artificial environments by means of virtual software agents controlled by such architectures. Given sufficiently capable sensors and effectors, such experiments could be replicated in real environments using cognitive robots. Here we explore the possibility of such experiments using a virtual or a robotic vole to replicate, and to predict, the behavior of live voles, thus applying computational intelligence to cognitive ethology.
Review of lithium-ion technology

Summary form only given as follows. The lithium-ion technology began to receive increased attention in 1990 when Sony Energytech announced the development of a lithium-ion cell. Sony reported their cell, consisting of a carbon anode capable of intercalating lithium ions and a LiCoO/sub 2/ cathode, delivered an energy density of 115 Wh/kg at an operating voltage of 3.6 V and was capable of 1200 deep discharge cycles. Although work on this technology had been in progress for over a decade, the level of effort worldwide accelerated after this announcement. The emphasis has been on carbon materials capable of reversibly intercalating lithium ions, transition metal chalcogenides capable of lithium ion insertion, and electrolytes, both liquid and polymeric, having a high room temperature conductivity and able to withstand the high voltages generated by these systems. The status of research in lithium-ion technology is reviewed, with the major emphasis on carbons for use as intercalation anodes. >
Physician variation in perceived barriers to personal health

Objective Physicians’ personal health habits are associated with their counseling habits regarding physical activity. We sought to examine physicians’ own barriers to a healthy lifestyle by level of training and gender.
Non-clamped partial nephrectomy: techniques and surgical outcomes

OBJECTIVE • To describe our technique of partial nephrectomy (PN) without vascular clamping with perioperative and short-term data to determine the safety, impact on renal function and oncological efficacy of this approach. PATIENTS AND METHODS • We performed a retrospective review of 952 PNs done at our institution between 1987 and 2009. Patients undergoing ex vivo PN with auto-transplantation, patients with Von Hippel-Lindau disease and patients with incomplete follow-up information were excluded from the analysis. • The four-variable modification of diet in renal disease equation was used to calculate estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). • The percentage change in eGFR at 1 year was compared between the two groups. RESULTS • The analysed cohort comprised 116 PNs done with renal vascular clamping (group A) and 192 PNs done without clamping (group B). The median tumour size was slightly larger in group B than in group A (3.0 vs 2.8 cm, P = 0.002). • There was no difference in preoperative eGFR (P= 0.304) or the prevalence of solitary kidney (P= 0 . 69 ). • Median estimated blood loss was 300 mL higher in the unclamped group (P< 0.001) and was associated with a higher rate of transfusion (P= 0 . 001 ). There was no difference the positive margin rate or rate of recurrence (P = 0.60). • The median percentage change in eGFR was a 12.3% decrease for group A and a 9.8% decrease for group B at 1 year (P = 0.037). In the subset of patients with solitary kidneys, the median change in eGFR was a 21% decrease in group A and a 4.4% decrease in group B at 1 year (P = 0.027). • The rate of complications was similar in groups A and B (11.2 vs 9.9%, P= 0.72). There were no perioperative deaths. CONCLUSIONS • Partial nephrectomy can be safely performed without vascular clamping in appropriately selected patients. • Although PN without vascular clamping is associated with higher estimated blood loss, it is also associated with better preservation of renal function without compromising oncological efficacy, as evidenced by the solitary kidney cohort.
Optimization of Sintering Parameters for Nitride Transmutation Fuels

One mission of the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) is to develop transmutation fuels (i.e. fuels capable of having their transuranic elements transmuted to a shorter-lived isotopes) in order to close the nuclear fuel cycle, thereby reducing: the U.S. inventory of civilian plutonium, the waste stored in geologic repositories, and the cost of nuclear waste management. Actinide mononitrides are potential transmutation fuel materials due to favorable properties such as high melting point, excellent thermal conductivity, high fissile density, suitability towards reprocessing, and good radiation tolerance'. In order to avoid the difficulties of working with actinide bearing materials, we have performed a processing study on ZrN. ZrN is isostructural (i.e. NaCl structure) with actinide nitrides, and is therefore a good surrogate compound. Furthermore, ZrN is a diluent in so-called "non-fertile" fuels, i.e. containing no uranium. The effects of sintering were investigated by varying both the sintering atmosphere and temperature in order to determine the effect on important properties such as density and nitrogen stoichiometry. The density and stoichiometry values were then compared to hardness and microstructure on similar samples. The results of these studies are presented in the context of the various issues associated with the design and fabrication of actinide-bearing nitride fuel forms.
CAP37, a neutrophil granule-derived protein stimulates protein kinase C activity in endothelial cells

CAP37 is a multifunctional protein isolated from human neutrophils with important implications in host defense and inflammation. It is antimicrobial, mediates monocyte chemotaxis, and binds endotoxin. The interaction of neutrophils with endothelial cells is a central feature in inflammation. The object of this study was to determine whether CAP37, a neutrophil-derived protein, could regulate vascular endothelial cell protein kinase C (PKC), an important signaling enzyme. We found that CAP37 stimulated endothelial PKC activity in both a time- and dose-dependent fashion. This stimulation was comparable in magnitude to that evoked by phorbol myristate acetate. A monospecific antiserum against CAP37 inhibited CAP37-induced PKC activity. To establish a structural basis for this activity, overlapping peptides, based on the sequence of native CAP37 were synthesized. Maximum PKC stimulation was evoked by a peptide corresponding to amino acids 95-122 of native CAP37. This domain was distinct from the antibiotic and endotoxin binding domain of the molecule, which resides between amino acids 20 and 44. These data demonstrate that CAP37 can alter endothelial cell PKC and suggest that CAP37 may play a role in neutrophil-endothelial interactions.
An all-at-once reduced Hessian SQP algorithm for frequency domain optical tomography

We introduce in this work a PDE-constrained approach to optical tomography that makes use of an all-atonce reduced Hessian Sequential Quadratic Programming (rSQP) scheme. The proposed scheme treats the forward and inverse variables independently, which makes it possible to update the radiation intensities and the optical coefficients simultaneously by solving the forward and inverse problems, all at once. We evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme with numerical and experimental data, and find that the rSQP scheme can reduce the computation time by a factor of 10 to 25, as compared to the commonly employed limited memory BFGS method.
Quetiapine in nine youths with autistic disorder.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of quetiapine in adolescents suffering from autistic disorder (AD). Methods: This was a 12-week, open-label study, for which medically healthy patients with AD between the ages of 10 and 17 years were eligible. Quetiapine treatment was gradually increased over the first 6 weeks of the study, to a total daily dose of 300 mg/day. Doses could then be increased to a maximum daily dose of 750 mg/day. Outcome measures included the Children's Psychiatric Rating Scale (CPRS) and the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scale. Results: Nine (9) males were enrolled. Six (6) patients had previously been treated with other psychotropic agents. Although improvements in several symptom domains were observed on quetiapine, only 2 patients met a priori criteria for response ("much" or "very much improved" on the Clinical Global Impressions—Improvement Scale). In addition, only these same 2 patients' parents/guardians chose to continue quetiapine pharmacothera...
Recombinant Thermus aquaticus RNA polymerase for structural studies.

Advances in the structural biology of bacterial transcription have come from studies of RNA polymerases (RNAPs) from the thermophilic eubacteria Thermus aquaticus (Taq) and Thermus thermophilus (Tth). These structural studies have been limited by the fact that only endogenous Taq or Tth RNAP, laboriously purified from large quantities of Taq or Tth cell paste and offering few options for genetic modification, is suitable for structural studies. Recombinant systems for the preparation of Taq RNAP by co-overexpression and assembly in the heterologous host, Escherichia coli, have been described, but these did not yield enzyme suitable for crystallographic studies. Here we describe recombinant systems for the preparation of Taq RNAP harboring full or partial deletions of the Taq β′ non-conserved domain (NCD), yielding enzyme suitable for crystallographic studies. This opens the way for structural studies of genetically manipulated enzymes, allowing the preparation of more crystallizable enzymes and facilitating detailed structure/function analysis. Characterization of the Taqβ′NCD deletion mutants generated in this study showed that the β′NCD is important for the efficient binding of the σ subunit, confirming previous hypotheses. Finally, preliminary structural analysis (at 4.1 A resolution) of one of the recombinant mutants revealed a previously unobserved conformation of the β-flap, further defining the range of conformations accessible to this flexible structural element.
Annual cycle and interannual variability of ecosystem metabolism in a temperate climate embayment

We have studied the net and gross metabolism of Tomales Bay, a temperate climate estuary in northern California. Tomales Bay has proved to be heterotrophic, implying that the bay oxidizes a subsidy of organic carbon from outside the system, in excess of inorganic nutrients supplied to it from outside and in addition to material cycling within it. Net organic oxidation releases dissolved inorganic nutrients, and the system exports these dissolved inorganic products. Dissolved inorganic phosphorus is exported to the ocean via mixing and constitutes the most direct record of net ecosystem production (NEP). Excess dissolved inorganic nitrogen is lost to denitrification. Excess dissolved inorganic carbon largely results in alkalinity elevation and hydrographic export of alkalinity due to sulfate reduction. The negative NEP of this system results in little release of CO2 to the atmosphere, because of this alkalinity elevation. A major purpose of the study was to ascertain the relative importance of various sour...
Effect of inhibitors of arachidonic acid metabolism on α-aminoisobutyric acid transport in human lymphocytes☆

Abstract The role of arachidonic acid metabolism (or metabolites) in the modulation of α-aminoisobutyric acid transport in resting and concanavalin A-stimulated human peripheral blood lymphocytes was evaluated using previously characterized inhibitors of arachidonic acid metabolism. Nordihydroguairetic acid (a nonselective antioxidant), 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid (an inhibitor of lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase activities), indomethacin and acetylsalicylic acid (selective cyclooxygenase inhibitors), and 1-benzylimidazole, Ro-22-3581 and Ro-22-3582 (thromboxane synthetase inhibitors) proved to be potent inhibitors of amino acid transport activity in normal resting and lectin-activated lymphocytes at concentrations known to decrease thromboxane A 2 production. The rank order of effectiveness of these various inhibitors compared favorably with their relative potencies as inhibitors of thromboxane B 2 synthesis under the same conditions, as determined by radioimmunoassay. Inhibitory effects noted were not due to overt cytotoxicity and seemed to involve changes primarily in the V max and not the K m of the transport process. Drug-induced alterations in the magnitude of concanavalin A binding were not observed. These results suggest that the activity of amino acid transport systems can be influenced by certain arachidonic acid metabolites, probably thromboxanes, in both stimulated and unstimulated lymphocytes. In addition, these findings may provide a partial explanation for the observation that inhibitors of thromboxane formation prevent lymphocyte mitogenesis [J. P. Kelly, M. C. Johnson and C. W. Parker, J. Immun. 122 , 1563 (1979)].
Nuclear relaxation rates for 3He adsorbed on zeolite

Abstract Transient nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation times have been carried out as a function of temperature and pressure on 3 He adsorbed on two types of commercial zeolite. In addition, the number of atoms adsorbed on unit weights of zeolite was determined by spin counting. Mechanisms for spin-spin relaxation were provided by dipole interactions among helium spins and spin-lattice relaxation was probably due to atomic motion.
A lift-and-project cutting plane algorithm for mixed 0-1 programs

We propose a cutting plane algorithm for mixed 0---1 programs based on a family of polyhedra which strengthen the usual LP relaxation. We show how to generate a facet of a polyhedron in this family which is most violated by the current fractional point. This cut is found through the solution of a linear program that has about twice the size of the usual LP relaxation. A lifting step is used to reduce the size of the LP's needed to generate the cuts. An additional strengthening step suggested by Balas and Jeroslow is then applied. We report our computational experience with a preliminary version of the algorithm. This approach is related to the work of Balas on disjunctive programming, the matrix cone relaxations of Lovasz and Schrijver and the hierarchy of relaxations of Sherali and Adams.
Assessment of rapid ejaculation: Review of new and existing measures

This paper summarizes the measurement problems inherent to the assessment of rapid ejaculation, focusing on the inadequacy and lack of universally accepted specific criterion sets defining the dysfunction. Six methodologies are examined, including self-report, clinician judgment, omnibus sexuality inventories, self-administered rapid ejaculation questionnaires, and stopwatch assessment. The clinical and scientific methods used to assess this dysfunction are critically reviewed and discussed. This paper also provides suggestions for broadening the focus of future research in rapid ejaculation from primarily ejaculatory latency, control, and distress to relevant quality-of-life parameters.
Electron paramagnetic resonanace of the photoexcited triplet state of electron—donor—acceptor complex crystals: Naphthalene—tetrachlorophthalic anhydrides

The EPR spectra and kinetics of the photoexcited triplet state of naphthalene—tetrachlorophthalic anhydride (N—TCPA) complex crystals are reported. The phosphorescent state of N—TCPA is naphthalene-like with 10% charge-transfer character at 4.2 K. Detailed temperature and orientational studies show that donors and acceptors reorientate along the stack axis at very low temperatures (20 K and below) to gain a maximum overlapping (X-trap). The activation energy of the detrapping process is 60 ± 10 cm−1. At higher temperatures (50 K and above), the state of the system is best described as an excitation jumping between a localized state and a thermally accessible higher delocalized state (exciton). The activation energy of the excitation jumping is 150 ± 10 cm−1. The upper limit of the average time spent in the exciton state is 8 × 10−10 s. The transient studies yield the triplet population and decay rate constants of N—TCPA complexes which differ from those of uncomplexed naphthalenes. The difference is attributed to the excitation to CT singlet state followed by intersystem crossing in different pathways.
Vegetation cover mapping from NOAA/AVHRR

Abstract The visible and near infrared channels, Ch1 and CH2 respectively, on the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) provide daily information for monitoring changes in vegetation and crops. Data from these channels are used to create a normalized vegetation index (NVI) that is sensitive to changes in green leaf biomass and is represented mathematically by: NVI = CH 2 − CH 1 CH 2 + CH 1 Operational products generated at NOAA include full-scale 1-km resolution images of the NVI covering areas viewed in a single swath of the polar-orbiting NOAA satellite. Global scale NVI images are also produced by compositing over a seven-day period, saving the maximum NVI created daily for each local array (resolution of 15 km at the equator to 30 km at the poles). Such seven-day mapping reduces the effect of cloud contamination. The global vegetation indices are used by foreign and U.S. government agencies for operational and experimental purposes such as assessment of crop conditions, monitoring potential desert locust breeding grounds, forest fire danger models, and monitoring range lands for forage availability. Examples include changes in the NVI in the Lake Chad vicinity, 1981–1982 and 1984; western United States NVI; and seasonal variations of the NVI in the Sahel using the global operational data base, 1982–1983.
Elastic String in a Random Potential

We have studied numerically the dynamics of a directed elastic string in a two-dimensional array of quenched random impurities. The string is driven by a constant transverse force and thermal fluctuations are neglected. There is a transition from pinned to unpinned behavior at a critical value ${\mathit{F}}_{\mathit{T}}$ of the driving force. At the transition the average string velocity scales with the driving force. The scaling is equally well described by a power law ${\mathit{v}}_{\mathit{d}}$\ensuremath{\sim}(F-${\mathit{F}}_{\mathit{T}}$${)}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\zeta}}}$, with \ensuremath{\zeta}=0.24\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1, or by a logarithm, ${\mathit{v}}_{\mathit{d}}$\ensuremath{\sim}1/ln(F-${\mathit{F}}_{\mathit{T}}$). The divergence of the velocity-velocity correlation length at threshold is characterized by an exponent \ensuremath{\nu}=1.05\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1.
Optimal Decisions for Organ Exchanges in a Kidney Paired Donation Program

The traditional concept of barter exchange in economics has been extended in the modern era to the area of living-donor kidney transplantation, where one incompatible donor-candidate pair is matched to another pair with a complementary incompatibility, such that the donor from one pair gives an organ to a compatible candidate in the other pair and vice versa. Kidney paired donation (KPD) programs provide a unique and important platform for living incompatible donor-candidate pairs to exchange organs in order to achieve mutual benefit. In this paper, we propose novel organ allocation strategies to arrange kidney exchanges under uncertainties with advantages, including (i) allowance for a general utility-based evaluation of potential kidney transplants and an explicit consideration of stochastic features inherent in a KPD program; and (ii) exploitation of possible alternative exchanges when the originally planned allocation cannot be fully executed. This allocation strategy is implemented using an integer programming (IP) formulation, and its implication is assessed via a data-based simulation system by tracking an evolving KPD program over a series of match runs. Extensive simulation studies are provided to illustrate our proposed approach.
Effect of clothing weight on body weight.

In clinical settings, it is common to measure weight of clothed patients and estimate a correction for the weight of clothing, but we can find no papers in the medical literature regarding the variability in clothing weight of adults with weather, season and gender. Fifty adults (35 women) were weighed four times during a 12-month period with and without clothing. Clothing weights were determined and regressed against minimum, maximum and average daily outdoor temperature. The average clothing weight (±s.d.) throughout the year was significantly greater in men than in women (1.2±0.3 vs 0.8±0.3 kg, P<0.0001). The average within-person minimum and the average within-person maximum clothing weights across the year were 0.9±0.2 and 1.5±0.4 kg for men, and 0.5±0.2 and 1.1±0.4 kg for women, respectively. The within-person s.d. in clothing weight was 0.3 kg for both men and women. Over the 55 °C range in the lowest to the highest outdoor temperatures, the regressions predicted a maximal change in clothing weight of only 0.4 kg in women and 0.6 kg in men. The clothing weight of men is significantly greater than that of women, but there is little variability throughout the year. Therefore, a clothing adjustment of approximately 0.8 kg for women and 1.2 kg for men is appropriate regardless of outdoor temperature.
Two-Dimensional Contact on an Anisotropic Elastic Half-Space

The formalism of Eshelby et al. and Stroh is used. The approach of analytic function continuation is employed to investigate the half space contact problem with various mixed boundary conditions applied to the half space. A key point of the solution precedure suggested is its dependence on a general eigenvalue problem involving a Hermitian matrix. This eigenvalue problem is analogous to the one encountered when investigating the behavior of an interface crack. As an application, the interaction between a dislocation and a contact strip is solved
Thin Film Deposition using Atmospheric Pressure Microplasmas

Summary form only given. It is desirable to use atmospheric pressure plasmas for thin film material processing because of the lower facility costs compared to vacuum processing and the possibility to operate continuous rather than batch processes. However, several major concerns exist in attempting to use atmospheric pressure plasmas for the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of thin films. These include: 1) the creation of stable non-thermal plasma discharges, 2) discharge uniformity and size, and 3) particle formation. In this research we address these issues with reference to the use of DC and RF microplasmas for the atmospheric pressure PECVD (APPECVD) of hydrogenated amorphous carbon film a-C:H from H2, CH4 precursors.
Global transcriptomic analysis of Cyanothece 51142 reveals robust diurnal oscillation of central metabolic processes

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic organisms and are the only prokaryotes known to have a circadian lifestyle. Unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacteria such as Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 produce oxygen and can also fix atmospheric nitrogen, a process exquisitely sensitive to oxygen. To accommodate such antagonistic processes, the intracellular environment of Cyanothece oscillates between aerobic and anaerobic conditions during a day–night cycle. This is accomplished by temporal separation of the two processes: photosynthesis during the day and nitrogen fixation at night. Although previous studies have examined periodic changes in transcript levels for a limited number of genes in Cyanothece and other unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacteria, a comprehensive study of transcriptional activity in a nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium is necessary to understand the impact of the temporal separation of photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation on global gene regulation and cellular metabolism. We have examined the expression patterns of nearly 5,000 genes in Cyanothece 51142 during two consecutive diurnal periods. Our analysis showed that ≈30% of these genes exhibited robust oscillating expression profiles. Interestingly, this set included genes for almost all central metabolic processes in Cyanothece 51142. A transcriptional network of all genes with significantly oscillating transcript levels revealed that the majority of genes encoding enzymes in numerous individual biochemical pathways, such as glycolysis, oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, and glycogen metabolism, were coregulated and maximally expressed at distinct phases during the diurnal cycle. These studies provide a comprehensive picture of how a physiologically relevant diurnal light–dark cycle influences the metabolism in a photosynthetic bacterium.
Congenital Obstruction of the Posterior Urethra1

An obstruction more or less complete, due to the presence of abnormal valves or folds in the posterior urethra has occasionally been described in the literature. The condition has always been regarded as one of great rarity. The great majority of the cases has been recognized only at autopsy, the diagnosis made during life having had no relation to the lower urinary tract. On reviewing the records of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, twelve cases not previously reported have been found, in which the diagnosis has been confirmed by instrumental methods, operation or autopsy. It seems probable, therefore, that the condition is considerably more frequent than would be inferred from the attention given it in the past. The earliest mention of the condition found in the literature is in the work of Langenbeck on Lithotomy, published in 1802. Thirty years elapsed before the subject was again referred to by Velpeau (1832), who described several anatomical specimens in which there were present in the posterior urethra valve-like folds which he felt might be of clinical importance. Tolmatschew, in 1870, was the first to give a comprehensive discussion of the subject and recognized the condition as a pathological entity. But these were all chance autopsy findings and it was not until 1912 that the first clinical diagnosis of valvular obstruction of the posterior urethra was made, this case being operated by one of us at this hospital. This and three other similar cases were reported before the Johns Hopkins Medical Society in November, 1913.
Real-Time Signal Processing Data Acquisition Subsystem

A digital signal processing sub-system has been developed for a coherent carbon dioxide laser radar system at Lincoln Laboratory's Firepond Research Facility. This high-resolution radar is capable of operating with a variety of waveforms; hence, the signal processing requirements of the sub-system vary from one application to the next, and require a sub-system with a high degree of flexibility. The primary function of the Data Acquisition sub-system is to provide range-Doppler images in real-time. Based on this objective, the sub-system must have the ability to route large amounts of digitized data at high rates between specialized processors performing the functions of data acquisition, digital signal processing, archiving, and image processing. A distributed processing design approach was used and the hardware design implemented was configured using all off-the-shelf commercially available products. The sub-system uses a high speed 24 MB/sec central bus and associated processor acting as the hub of the system. Attached to the bus is a large RAM memory buffer. Also attached to the central bus are individual processors which interface to specialized peripherals, performing the tasks of digitizing, vector processing, imaging, and archiving. The software for the complete Data Acquisition and Signal Processing sub-system was developed on a Digital Equipment MicroVAX II TM computer. Software developed for the completed system is coded mostly in a high level language to promote flexibility, modularity, and reducing development time. Some microcode had to be used where speed is essential. All Software design, development, and testing was done under VMS TM .
Nature's Participatory Psyche: A Study of Consciousness in the Shared Earth Community

The dominant tradition in Western culture has constructed an idiosyncratic view of nature and consciousness, one that relationally impoverishes both humankind and the rest of the natural world. Psyche, consciousness, and mind are typically thought to exist exclusively in humans (or just our brains); nature is deemed merely an object, resource, or lower life-form. Guided by hermeneutic phenomenology and critical psychology, this ecopsychological study offers a mutually enhancing alternative: An often unnoticed but ever-presencing, nondual, participatory fellowship of being can be experienced as the psyche, consciousness, or mind of nature—and as our deeper psyche as well. Such transpersonal realizations can foster health and well-being in the shared Earth community, but are often defensively disparaged because they subvert our ego-centered conventions. Empirical evidence from lived experience is presented in dialogue with psychological insights from existential phenomenology, systems theory, Buddhism, Gary...
Eros Plus Massacre: An Introduction to the Japanese New Wave Cinema

The decade of the 1960s encompassed a "New Wave" of films whose makers were rebels, challenging cinematic traditions and the culture at large. The films of the New Wave in Japan have, until now, been largely overlooked. Eros plus Massacre (taking its title from a 1969 Yoshida Yoshishige film) is the first major study devoted to the examination and explanation of Japanese New Wave film. Desser organizes his volume around the defining motifs of the New Wave. Chapters examine in depth such themes as youth, identity, sexuality, and women, as they are revealed in the Japanese film of the sixties. Desser's research in Japanese film archives, his interviews with major figures of the movement, and his keen insight into Japanese culture combine to offer a solid and balanced analysis of films by Oshima, Shinoda, Imamura, Yoshida, Suzuki, and others.