cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Short Communication: Least median of squares and regression through the origin

An exact algorithm is provided for finding the least median of squares (LMS) line for a bivariate regression with no intercept term. It is shown that the popular Program for RObust reGRESSion (PROGRESS) routine will not, in general, find the LMS slope when the intercept is suppressed. A Microsoft Excel workbook that provides the code in Visual Basic is made available at http://www.wabash.edu/econexcel/LMSOrigin.
Current status of adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer: Can molecular markers play a role in predicting prognosis?

Background. Recent clinical trials establish a beneficial effect for adjuvant chemotherapy after surgical resection of the primary tumor (1) as single treatment for patients with colonic cancer and (2) combined with radiation therapy for patients with rectal cancer. Because adjuvant chemotherapy is not universally effective and is associated with toxicity and some degree of risk, it would be desirable to supplement standard pathologic staging criteria to define more precisely the subset of patients at high risk for tumor recurrence who would benefit most from adjuvant therapy. Tumor cell DNA content and cell proliferation measured by flow cytometry were identified as important and independent prognostic factors for patients undergoing curative resection of colorectal cancer
Relational processes in dialogue: The problem of intersubjectivity☆

Abstract Based on the theories of Piaget, Kohlberg, and more recently, Habermas, positive changes in cognitive, moral, and social development are seen to be the result of peer efforts to resolve conflicts through discursive efforts to achieve a consensus. This conflict-consensus model of dialogues is elaborated and analyzed critically. With reference to the philosophical literature on the problem of intersubjectivity, the model is contrasted with empathy and hermeneutic models of the relational processes in dialogue. The needs for future researchers to consider both alternate models of interpersonal processes in dialogue and creative, in addition to consensus, outcomes of dialogue are discussed.
LIGHT-DARK CYCLES AND DIAPAUSE INDUCTION IN PIERIS RAPAE (L.)

Diapause incidence was measured at 17°–20° in cycles of 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, and 36 hours in which light comprised 0, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, and 100% of each cycle. Almost no diapause occurred when light was on for more than 55% of any cycle, and few insects diapaused on cycles of 12. 16, and 36 hours. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG LICHT-DUNKEL-ZYKLEN UND DIAPAUSE-INDUKTION BEI PIERIS RAPAE (L.) Das Auftreten der Diapause wurde bei 18°-20° in 12-, 16-, 20-, 24-, 28-, 32- und 36stundigen Zyklen gemessen, wobei bei jedem Zyklus die Beleuchtung 0, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85 oder 100 v.H. betrug. Fast keine Diapause trat ein, wenn die Beleuchtung bei irgendeinem Zyklus mehr als 55 v.H. betrug; bei 12-, 16- und 36stundigen Zyklen gingen sehr wenige Insekten in die Diapause uber.
Treating Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior in Mentally Retarded Adults:

Three mildly mentally retarded adults who lived in the community were treated for obsessive-compulsive behaviors. The patients were all males who displayed clothes and body checking for extended pe...
Advances in understanding the genetic basis of antimalarial drug resistance

The acquisition of drug resistance by Plasmodium falciparum has severely curtailed global efforts to control malaria. Our ability to define resistance has been greatly enhanced by recent advances in Plasmodium genetics and genomics. Sequencing and microarray studies have identified thousands of polymorphisms in the P. falciparum genome, and linkage disequilibrium analyses have exploited these to rapidly identify known and novel loci that influence parasite susceptibility to antimalarials such as chloroquine, quinine, and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. Genetic approaches have also been designed to predict determinants of in vivo resistance to more recent first-line antimalarials such as the artemisinins. Transfection methodologies have defined the role of determinants including pfcrt, pfmdr1, and dhfr. This knowledge can be leveraged to develop more efficient methods of surveillance and treatment.
Set-valued protocols for almost consensus of multiagent systems with uncertain interagent communication

One of the main challenges in robotics applications is dealing with inaccurate sensor data. Specifically, for a group of mobile robots the measurement of the exact location of the other robots relative to a particular robot is often inaccurate due to sensor uncertainty or detrimental environmental conditions. In this paper, we address the consensus problem for a group of agent robots with uncertain interagent communication. Measurement uncertainty is characterized by balls of radius r centered at the neighboring agents exact locations. We show that the agents reach an almost consensus state and converge to a time-varying ball of radius r and include an analysis approach to the problem based on set-valued analysis. Finally, several illustrative numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed set-valued consensus protocol framework.
A New Factorized Backprojection Algorithm for Stripmap Synthetic Aperture Radar

Factorized backprojection is a processing algorithm for reconstructing images from data collected by synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems. Factorized backprojection requires less computation than conventional time-domain backprojection with minimal loss in accuracy for straight-line motion. However, its implementation is not as straightforward as direct backprojection. This paper provides a new, easily parallelizable formulation of factorized backprojection designed for stripmap SAR data that includes a method of implementing an azimuth window as part of the factorized backprojection algorithm. We compare the performance of windowed factorized backprojection to direct backprojection for simulated and actual SAR data.
Effect of relaxin on mammary development in ovariectomized pregnant gilts.

The role of relaxin in mammary development was studied between days 80–110 of pregnancy in ovariectomized gilts given progesterone to maintain pregnancy. To obtain an objective measurement of lobulo-alveolar (parenchymal) composition, mammary glands were cut in cross-section through the teat, and the area of parenchymal tissue on the exposed face of the gland was determined. Ovariectomy on day 80 or 100 followed by progesterone replacement therapy resulted in a dramatic reduction in the rate of growth of mammary parenchymal crosssection area on days 100 and 110 of gestation, respectively, compared to that in controls. In contrast, progesterone plus relaxin therapy, with highly purified porcine relaxin, restored the mammary parenchymal cross-section area to control values in ovariectomized gilts. Morphometric analysis of mammary tissue on day 110 of pregnancy indicated that both the absence of relaxin after ovariectomy and replacement therapy with porcine relaxin in ovariectomized gilts had little if any e...
Transport of Asian Desert Aerosol to the Hawaiian Islands

Abstract A cloud of aerosol with optical thickness τ ≈ 0.18 (500 nm wavelength), passed over the Hawaiian Islands from late April to early May 1979. Vertical profiles, taken by evaluating the optical extinction coefficient by sun photometry, showed that 80–90% of the aerosol was confined to a 1 km thick layer centered at 3.5–4km altitude. Trajectory analysis at the 500 mb pressure level (∼5 km) indicated that the aerosol probably had its origin in sandstorms in the eastern deserts of Asia nine days before the event. The dust cloud was first observed passing over Japan where sand particles fell out at Nagasaki on 21 April. By the time dust from the sandstone reached Hawaii, it has spread out to ∼1500 km and contained an estimated 1011 g of sand material, mainly in the 0.5 < r < 5.0 μm size range. This episode clearly indicates that substantial quantities of primary aerosol are being transported on global distance scales. The episode is used to obtain a desert aerosol surface particle flux which agrees to a...
Toxic responses in gerbils treated topically with Aflatoxin B, and dimethylformamide

Male and female Mongolian gerbils failed to show observable pathological responses in the liver to topically applied AFB1 and DMF indicating that percutaneous absorption of AFB1 is absent in this species. In males, some responses in weight changes were attributed, proportionally, to increased doses of DMF. Unexplained and currently under investigation is the possibility that AFB1 may have reduced the response of some animals to DMF. This response may relate in some way to the modification of absorption of DMF in the gerbil since AFB1 known to have an influence on cell membranes.
Enhancing Clinical Teaching with Information Technologies: What Can We Do Right Now?.

Effective small-group clinical teaching requires recognizing the challenges posed by clinical settings, mastering certain teaching skills, and responding to the needs of what is often a diverse group of learners. Information technologies can enhance clinical teaching by increasing the amount of relevant clinical information available to learners, allowing for the rapid integration of needed information into the teaching encounter, facilitating information processing within small groups, and helping to compensate for the many discontinuities inherent in today's clinical teaching environment. However, as many clinical teachers look toward future implementations of advanced, totally integrated medical information systems, they often overlook information technologies they have at hand right now--e.g., CD-ROM textbooks--that can measurably enhance their teaching. The author describes the "real-world" use of several available technologies (for example, "bookmarking" MEDLINE access points) and offers suggestions for how they might be used by faculty in clinical settings.
Targeted deletion of Dicer disrupts lens morphogenesis, corneal epithelium stratification, and whole eye development

Dicer, a ribonuclease essential for miRNA processing, is expressed abundantly in developing mouse cornea and lens. We studied the roles of Dicer and miRNAs in eye development by conditionally deleting the Dicer gene in the mouse lens and corneal epithelium. Adult Dicer conditional null (DicerCN) mice had severe microphthalmia with no discernible lens and a poorly stratified corneal epithelium. Targeted deletion of Dicer effectively inhibited miRNA processing in the developing lens at 12.5 day of embryogenesis (E12.5). Lens development initiated normally but underwent progressive dystrophy between E14.5 and E18.5. Microarray analysis revealed activation of P53 signaling in DicerCN lenses at E13.5, consistent with increased apoptosis and reduced cell proliferation between E12.5 and E14.5. Expression of Pax6 and other lens developmental transcription factors were not greatly affected between E12.5 and E14.5 but decreased as the lens degenerated. Our data indicated an indispensible role for Dicer and miRNAs in lens and corneal development.
Right ventricular systolic time intervals: comparison of echocardiographic and Doppler-derived values

Although the clinical utility of right ventricular (RV) systolic time intervals (STI) has been well documented, their use is at times limited by an inability to obtain adequate M-mode echocardiographic images of the pulmonary valve. Therefore the relationship between the pulmonary artery Doppler flow tracing and the timing of pulmonary valve opening and closure was investigated to determine if the more readily available Doppler recording could be utilized for determining RV STIs. We compared RV preejection period (PEP), ejection time (VET), and PEP/VET ratio derived from the pulsed Doppler frequency-time curve recorded in the main pulmonary artery with measurements from a simultaneously recorded M-mode pulmonary valve echocardiogram (Echo). The nadir of the late systolic flow reversal, rather than the point at which the frequency spectrum crosses the zero baseline, correlated best with the point of pulmonary valve closure. By the use of this method for determining end-systole, all three Doppler-derived measurements were highly correlated with the values from the pulmonary valve echocardiogram: PEPEcho = 1.01 PEPDoppler - 3.1 (r = 0.990, S.E.E. PEPEcho = 2.7 msec); VETEcho = 0.98 VETDoppler + 10.2 (r = 0.998, S.E.E. VETEcho = 3.3 msec); (PEP/VET)Echo = 0.95 (PEP/VET)Doppler + 0.007 (r = 0.980, S.E.E. (PEP/VET)Echo = 0.012 msec). The Doppler velocity-time curve provides accurate measurement of RV STIs that can be recorded with relative ease compared with the pulmonary valve echocardiogram. This expanded availability of RV STIs permits an improved ability to investigate the hemodynamic determinants of these indices and their relation to the status of the pulmonary vasculature and right ventricular performance.
The action of flexible bridges under wind, II: Buffeting theory

By using the analytical and conceptual format set forth in the first of these two companion papers, the problem of bridge buffeting under natural wind is considered. Again, bridges having vibration modes that are not necessarily simple are dealth with. The buffeting action of random wind forces in the presence of self-excited, or bridge motion-induced, forces is discussed, as are energy considerations associated with bridge stability. A possible explanation is offered for the well-known fact that turbulence in the incident wind often delays the onset of flutter.
Axioms for Guttman scales with unknown polarity

Abstract This note presents two axioms that together are necessary and sufficient for the existence of a Guttman scale when the polarity or direction of scoring for columns in the data matrix is not known in advance. The axioms rely on the fact that a Guttman scale is a special case of a tree.
Sign of the times: testing consumer response to local food signage within a casual dining restaurant.

Abstract The study examines the impact of variations in locally produced food signage on consumer attributes within a casual buffet-style restaurant. A baseline period followed by three treatments were conducted to test signage effects on the constructs of product involvement, servicescape perception, pleasure, perceived product quality and revisit intention. Moderation effects from product involvement were also investigated on the proposed structural paths. Results suggested that the largest effects occurred on the constructs when local identification, farm name, and pictures of the farm were included. Product involvement showed no moderation effects on the proposed relationships. Implications for academics and practitioners were provided as were future research directions.
Vibrational frequencies and structural determination of disilylcarbodiimide

Abstract The vibrational frequencies and corresponding normal mode assignments of disilylcarbodiimide are examined theoretically using the gaussian 98 set of quantum chemistry codes. MP2 and DFT (B3LYP) calculations predict a non-linear structure with C2 symmetry. All normal modes were successfully assigned to one of eight types of motion (N C N asymmetric stretch, N C N symmetric stretch, Si–H stretch, Si–N stretch, H–Si–H bend, SiH3 wag, SiH3 twist, and Si–N⋯N–Si torsion) utilizing the C2 symmetry of the molecule. Uniform scaling factors were derived for each type of motion. Predicted infrared and Raman intensities are reported. Calculated normal mode frequencies for disilylcarbodiimide-d6 are also reported.
6-Aryl-1-azabicyclo [5.4.0] undecanes

Some 6-aryl-6-hydroxy-l-azabicyclo[5.4.0]undecanes and their esters were synthesized as potential cardiovascular agents and analgetics of the proheptazine type, respectively. Also, 6-aryl-1-azabicyclo[5.4.0]undecanes were prepared as rigid structures related to the phenethylamine CNS stimulants.
Body mass index, metabolic factors, and striatal activation during stressful and neutral-relaxing states: an FMRI study

Stress is associated with alterations in neural motivational-reward pathways in the ventral striatum (VS), hormonal/metabolic changes, and weight increases. The relationship between these different factors is not well understood. We hypothesized that body mass index (BMI) status and hormonal/metabolic factors would be associated with VS activation. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare brain responses of overweight and obese (OW/OB: BMI ⩾25 kg/m2: N=27) individuals with normal weight (NW: BMI<18.5–24.9 kg/m2: N=21) individuals during exposure to personalized stress, alcohol cue, and neutral-relaxing situations using a validated, autobiographical, script-driven, guided-imagery paradigm. Metabolic factors, including fasting plasma glucose (FPG), insulin, and leptin, were examined for their association with VS activation. Consistent with previous studies, stress and alcohol cue exposure each increased activity in cortico-limbic regions. Compared with NW individuals, OW/OB individuals showed greater VS activation in the neutral-relaxing and stress conditions. FPG was correlated with VS activation. Significant associations between VS activation and metabolic factors during stress and relaxation suggest the involvement of metabolic factors in striatal dysfunction in OW/OB individuals. This relationship may contribute to non-homeostatic feeding in obesity.
The impact of gender on personal, health and workplace psychosocial risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome A Pooled Study Cohort

Between 2001 and 2010 six research groups conducted coordinated multi-year, prospective studies of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders in US workers from various industries and collected detailed subject-level exposure information with follow-up symptom, physical examination, electrophysiological measures, and job changes. Objective. This analysis of the pooled cohort examined the incidence of dominant-hand carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in relation to demographic characteristics and estimated associations with occupational psychosocial factors, adjusting for confounding by personal risk factors. Methods. 3,515 participants, without baseline CTS, were followed up to 7 years. Case criteria included symptoms and an electrodiagnostic study consistent with CTS. Adjusted hazard ratios were estimated in Cox proportional hazard models. Workplace biomechanical factors were collected but not evaluated in this analysis. Results. Females were at elevated, though statistically non-significant, risk for CTS (HR=1....
Borrelia Genomes in the Year 2000

All analyzed members of the spirochete genus Borrelia contain a linear chromosome about 910 kbp long. The complete sequence of the B. burgdorferi B31 genome predicts that its chromosome carries essentially all of this organism’s housekeeping genes. In accordance with these bacterial species’ obligatory parasitic lifestyle, its genes encode enzymes that are capable of only a minimal metabolism, in which all nucleotides, amino acids, fatty acids and enzyme cofactors must be scavenged from the host. In addition to the chromosome, all Borrelia isolates examined carry multiple linear and circular plasmids with lengths between 5 and 200 kbp. The plasmids, which account for over 600 kbp in isolate B31, carry very few genes with homology to genes outside of the Borrelia genus. But they do carry numerous predicted lipoprotein genes, many of which are have been shown to be or are expected to be outer surface proteins. Ten of the linear plasmids have strikingly low protein coding potential for bacterial DNA. These plasmids have enjoyed numerous past duplicative rearrangements, which have resulted in the presence of a substantial fraction of the DNA that appears to be currently undergoing mutational decay, presumably because it is no longer under selection for function.
Actions, Factions, and Interactions: Newsworthy Influences on Supreme Court Coverage*

Objectives We test whether Supreme Court media coverage (in terms of both overall volume and specific frames) is driven by Court actions, by factional battles on the Court, by the Court's interaction with other governmental actors, or by all three. Methods We link elements of the Spaeth Supreme Court Database and real-world Supreme Court and political events to Associated Press media coverage of the judicial branch over a nearly three-decade span. Content analysis of the media coverage is performed and empirical relationships between decisions, events, and coverage are analyzed using error correction modeling. Results We find that overall coverage of the Court is driven by the ideological nature of decisions rendered and by judicial retirements. Legal coverage of the Court is driven by issues of constitutionality. Political coverage of the Court is driven by majority size and judicial retirements. Conclusions The findings speak to the newsworthiness of Court action, factional battles on the Court, and moments where the Court interacts with outsiders. Elements of all three shapes the types of stories journalists tell and the ways in which said stories are told.
Postoperative external beam radiation therapy and concurrent cisplatin followed by carboplatin/paclitaxel for stage III (FIGO 2009) endometrial cancer.

Abstract Objective The optimal adjuvant therapy in advanced endometrial cancer is controversial. One regimen is concurrent external beam pelvic irradiation (RT) and cisplatin, then carboplatin/paclitaxel. This study reports an institutional experience using this approach in stage III (FIGO 2009) endometrial cancer. Methods Patients with stage III (FIGO 2009) endometrial cancer who underwent total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy at a single institution from 01/2004 to 12/2009 were identified retrospectively. Those treated with adjuvant RT/cisplatin, followed by carboplatin/paclitaxel comprised the study population. Results Of the 40 eligible patients, 7 (18%) were stage IIIA and 33 (82%) IIIC. Nineteen patients (48%) were ≥60years of age. Twenty-three (58%) had ≥50% myometrial invasion, 30 (75%) lymphovascular invasion, 11 (28%) cervical stromal invasion, and 5 (12%) positive peritoneal cytology. Histology was endometrioid in 32 (80%), serous in 6 (15%), and clear cell in 2 (5%). At a median follow-up of 49months, the 5-year freedom from relapse was 79% and overall survival 85%. The 5-year rate of vaginal recurrence was 3%, non-vaginal pelvic recurrence 3%, para-aortic recurrence 11%, peritoneal recurrence 5%, and other distant recurrence 11%. Thirty-one patients (78%) were able to complete the planned RT/cisplatin and 4cycles of carboplatin/paclitaxel. Acute grade 3 toxicity occurred in 10 patients (4 neutropenia, 2 anemia, 1 fatigue, 2 diarrhea). No late toxicity was grade ≥3. Conclusion These favorable outcomes corroborate those of RTOG 9708. Until prospective data that compare adjuvant therapy regimens mature, concurrent chemoradiation should be strongly considered in stage III endometrial cancer.
Kaolin Particle Film and Water Deficit Influence Malbec Leaf and Berry Temperature, Pigments, and Photosynthesis

The effects of kaolin particle film on traits of commercial interest in the red-skinned winegrape cultivar Malbec (Vitis vinifera L.) were evaluated over three growing seasons by measuring the surface temperatures of leaves and clusters, leaf-level assimilation, leaf and berry pigment composition, and yield of vines grown under differing severities of water deficit with and without a foliar coating of particle film. The vines were irrigated with a standard or reduced amount of water and grown under arid field conditions with high solar radiation. Particle film increased the concentration of total monomeric anthocyanins in berries each year and the ratio of anthocyanins to soluble solids at harvest in two out of three years. The particle film did not alleviate differences in anthocyanin concentration between east- and west-exposed clusters. In vines under reduced irrigation, particle film decreased the cumulative minutes that surface temperatures exceeded 30°C between mid-July through harvest in east- but not west-exposed berries and in east-exposed leaves. Leaves with particle film had lower midmorning rates of assimilation, lower chlorophyll-a to chlorophyll-b ratio, and a higher ratio of chlorophylls to carotenoids than leaves without particle film. Decreased assimilation was unrelated to the magnitude of leaf reflectance of visible light. Particle film did not affect yield components or fruit maturity, indicating that net primary productivity was sufficient to ripen fruit to maturity. These results demonstrate that foliar particle film can facilitate the accumulation of anthocyanins in deficit-irrigated Malbec under warm, arid conditions with high solar radiation.
Response of Two Semiarid Grasslands to a Second Fire Application

Prescribed fire was used in two semiarid grasslands to reduce shrub cover, promote grass production, and reduce erosional loss that represents a potential non‐point-source of sediment to degrade water quality. This study measured transported soil sediment, dynamics in soil surface microtopography, cover of the woody shrub, grass, and bare ground cover classes, and soil fertility measured by nitrogen-mineralization potentials for the respective cover classes over a 9-year period during which 2 fires occurred. In general, the effects of two drought periods were equal to or greater than the effects of fire on the measured parameters. Following the second fire at the grama grass-dominated site, the number of live junipers was significantly lowered (P , 0.001). Fire consumed grass and shrub cover, which created the potential for greater transport of sediment and loss in soil surface elevation. Soil fertility under shrubs was significantly higher than soil fertility under grasses in both grassland sites before and after the first fire; however, that highly significant pattern was not present after the second fire for about 2 years at both sites. This suggests that the reestablishment of a natural fire frequency would likely dampen the well-documented pattern of greater soil fertility under shrub islands relative to grass islands. Repeat use of prescribed fire may keep shrub cover in check and promote fundamental changes in soil processes within semiarid grasslands, but its value must be weighed against the increased potential for erosion following fire.
The transformation of infrared background modulation noise into equivalent detector noise

Abstract A general model of an isotropic background is discussed. The mean and mean square values are derived. A specific background model is described based on the Gaussian random amplitude Poisson distributed wave. This random radiance function is then transformed through the characteristics of the radiometer into equivalent detector internal noise.
End-to-end predictability in real-time push-pull communications

Push-pull communications is a real-time middleware service that has been implemented on top of a resource kernel operating system. It is a many-to-many communication model that can support multi-participant real-time applications. It covers both "push" (publisher/subscriber model) and "pull" (data transfer initiated by a receiver) communications. Unlike the publisher/subscriber model, different publishers and subscribers can operate at different data rates and also can choose another (intermediate) node to act as their proxy and deliver data at their desired frequency. We specifically address end-to-end predictability of the push-pull model. The scheduling mechanisms in the OS, the middleware architecture and the underlying network QoS support can impact the timeliness of data. We obtain our end-to-end timeliness and bandwidth guarantees by using a resource kernel offering CPU reservations and the use of a guaranteed bandwidth network (DARWIN) between push-pull end-points. We formally analyze the problem of choosing an optimal proxy location within a network. We discuss our implementation of this system and carry out a detailed performance evaluation on an integrated RT-Mach-Darwin testbed at Carnegie Mellon. Our results open up interesting research directions for the scheduling of computation and communication resources for the applications using the push-pull service. The push-pull framework can easily be incorporated in an RT-CORBA Event Service model.
A novel prognostic scoring system to predict late outcome after percutaneous balloon valvotomy in patients with severe mitral stenosis

Abstract We developed a prognostic scoring system to predict the outcome of follow-up after balloon mitral valvotomy. The system incorporates seven variables before valvotomy: age, New York Heart Association class, fluoroscopic calcification, echocardiographic score, cardiac rhythm, mitral regurgitation, and mitral valve area. Each variable was coded with either 0 or 1 and a total score was between 0 and 7. The study included 150 patients with a mean follow-up of 33 ± 24 months. In patients with scores of 0-1, 2-3, 4-5, and 6-7, the estimated cardiac event-free survival rate was 97%, 94%, 86%, and 68%, respectively, at 1 year; 95%, 88%, 74%, and 47%, respectively, at 3 years; and 92%, 82%, 61%, and 30%, respectively, 5 years after valvotomy ( p = 0.0001). The hazard risk ratio for cardiac events was 1.7 times greater for every step up of the score ( p = 0.0001). Our scoring system provides a simple but effective method to predict late outcome of balloon mitral valvotomy. (Am Heart J 1997;134:772-8.)
Dystrophin expression in a Duchenne muscular dystrophy patient with a frame shift deletion

The exon 45 deletion is a common dystrophin gene deletion. Although this is an out-of-frame deletion, which should not allow for protein synthesis, it has been observed in mildly affected patients. We describe a patient with an exon 45 deletion who produced protein, but still had a severe Duchenne muscular dystrophy phenotype. RT-PCR analysis and cDNA sequencing from the muscle biopsy sample revealed that the exon 45 deletion induced exon skipping of exon 44, which resulted in an in-frame deletion and the production of dystrophin. A conformational change in dystrophin induced by the deletion is proposed as being responsible for the severe phenotype in the patient. We feel that the variable clinical phenotype observed in patients with the exon 45 deletion is not due to exon splicing but may be the result of other environmental or genetic factors, or both.
Conjunctival metastasis as initial sign of disseminated cutaneous melanoma

Abstract Purpose To describe a patient with conjunctival metastasis as the initial manifestation of metastasis from a cutaneous melanoma. Design Single interventional case report. Methods A 48-year-old woman with a history of cutaneous axillary melanoma developed a rapidly growing conjunctival mass. Subsequent systemic evaluation disclosed asymptomatic liver metastasis. The conjunctival lesion was resected. Results Histopathologic evaluation of the conjunctival tumor disclosed an epithelioid cell melanoma located in the conjunctival stroma, without appreciable junctional activity, compatible with metastatic melanoma. Conclusions Conjunctival metastasis from cutaneous melanoma can rarely be the initial manifestation of disseminated melanoma.
Synthesis of 7-amino-4-trifluoromethyl-2-(1H)-quinolinone and its use as an antenna molecule for luminescent europium polyaminocarboxylates chelates

Abstract 7-Amino-4-trifluoromethyl-2-(1H)-quinolinone (cs124-CF3), has been synthesized and found to be an effective antenna molecule (or sensitizer) for europium, but not terbium, luminescence. Specifically, cs124-CF3 has been covalently attached to the chelates diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid (DTPA) and triethylenepentamine-hexanoic acid (TTHA). When bound to europium, excitation in the absorption band (
Strategic architectural flexibility

Most projects commit to a set of required features and (at best) a most-likely budget and schedule for developing them. This means that, even before the changes start coming, there is roughly a 50% chance that the most-likely budget and schedule are insufficient, and the project is headed for an overrun. Planning for change in a development project is essential. But how much should be invested in architectural flexibility to accommodate this? Too little will incur a high risk of costly late changes and architecture breakage; too much may not leave enough time to implement a sufficient set of critical capabilities. We have been using and refining a model based approach to assist in determining an appropriate degree of architectural flexibility by introducing a modularity factor for the software architecture based on the core capabilities and a set of anticipated changes. This experience has helped us identify the critical success factors for strategically applying architectural flexibility within tight constraints such as cost, quality, or a fixed schedule. We elaborate the critical success factors, present a case study of their application, and their relation to recent research results in such areas as strategic design.
SOME ASPECTS OF QUANTUM THEORY OF ADSORBED HELIUM FILMS

The main purposes of this paper are to provide background information for the theoretical papers that follow by Schick, Novaco and Woo and to review some recent developments in areas that these papers will not cover.
Dynamic tainting for deployed Java programs

Dynamic tainting is a powerful technique that has been used to detect computer attacks, generate test cases analyze data scopes, and protect memory. However, existing tainting techniques suffer from excessive runtime overheads that can be as high as 30 to 50 times, making them unsuitable for applications in deployed systems. The goal of our work is to provide as efficient and low-overhead tainting framework that can be used in deployed environments. To accomplish this goal, we propose to implement framework that supports dynamic tainting as a feature of a Java Virtual Machine (JVM). In this approach, the tainting code can be injected by the JVM without needing to instrument the source code. It can also support customizable and configurable tainting. The overhead of tainting can be controlled by sampling and different tainting granularity. For example, the framework can taint all the data as needed when the workload is low. It can also taint only a subset of interesting data to reduce the overhead. Ultimately, we envision that our proposed framework will be instrumental in various dynamic monitoring methodologies including runtime verification.
High-frequency trading in a limit order book

The role of a dealer in securities markets is to provide liquidity on the exchange by quoting bid and ask prices at which he is willing to buy and sell a specific quantity of assets. Traditionally,...
Anterior uveitis secondary to type II essential cryoglobulinemia

Background The purpose of this report is to describe the association of severe anterior uveitis with type II essential cryoglobulinemia.
Study of the metabolic conversion of imipramine and desipramine to N‐nitrosodesipramine by bacteria using a nitrogen‐selective GC analysis

A GC method using dual nitrogen selective and flame ionization detectors was developed for the determination of N-nitrosodesipramine using N-butyryldesipramine as the internal standard. The precision of the method was found to be +/- 5.0% and the accuracy was +/- 4.9%. The method could be used to detect 10 ng/ml of N-nitrosodesipramine in bacterial cultures. When desipramine and sodium nitrite were incubated with aerobic or anaerobic bacteria, the nitrosamine level was found to be 10-300 times higher than the controls. When imipramine and potassium nitrate were incubated with a mixed anaerobic culture, the level of N-nitrosodesipramine was found to be 4.5 times higher than the control.
Recollections of Menarche: Communication Between Mothers and Daughters Regarding Menstruation

The nature of the communication between mothers and daughters at the time of menarche was examined in an attempt to determine the kinds of messages about menstruation that mothers tend to pass on to their daughters. The sample consisted of 138 women who ranged in age from 26 to 60 years (mean age = 43.2) at the time of the interviews. They were interviewed by 138 students enrolled in Psychology of Women classes taught by the first author. Participants were asked questions regarding their education about menstruation and their experience with menstruation. The content of the responses were analyzed for information about the quality and quantity of mother–daughter communication. The majority of daughters reported that communication with their mothers about menstruation was negative in tone. Eight types of negative messages were identified, including one labeled the “grin-and-bear-it” message. Two cases are presented to illustrate how the “grin-and-bear-it” message is related to the traditional feminine gender role and how it might negatively affect a woman's relationship with her mother and with other women.
Circadian variation in blood pressure: Implications for the elderly patient

In most people, blood pressure (BP) displays a characteristic diurnal pattern, with a decline during sleep and a sharp increase around the time of awakening. The early morning surge in BP is synchronous with an increase in the risk of catastrophic cardiovascular events, including acute myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac death, and stroke. Although most clinical investigations have centered on modulating or even preventing the morning surge, emerging data suggest that it may be important to avoid nocturnal hypotension, especially in elderly patients and in those with established atherosclerotic disease. Considerable evidence has been accumulated to suggest that excessive lowering of BP at night (whether naturally or through the use of antihypertensive medications) can result in untoward ischemic phenomena, including silent cerebral damage (Binswanger's disease) or ophthalmologic symptoms (eg, anterior ischemic optic neuropathy). Controlled-onset extended-release verapamil, through its unique delivery system, tends to diminish the morning BP surge, whereas it preserves a normal nocturnal BP decline; its effect on preventing early morning cardiovascular catastrophes (while preserving relatively normal nocturnal BP) is currently being tested in a large, international clinical trial.
The End of 'Civil Rights' as We Know it?: Immigration and Civil Rights in the New Millenium

This Article considers how emerging critical scholarship contributes to our understanding of the civil rights implications of immigration law and its enforcement. It further analyzes how immigration generates, and will continue to generate, new civil rights controversies in the United States for the foreseeable future. The nation has only begun to appreciate how Mexican migration has impacted the entire nation, not just the southwestern portion of the country, and contributed to the creation of new civil rights controversies. For example, the ability to obtain a driver's license has civil rights implications for undocumented Mexican immigrants. Civil rights issues associated with border enforcement, language regulation, cultural difference, and notions of equal citizenship and full membership, in all likelihood will continue to arise. Importantly, the nexus between immigration and civil rights has tightened as the overlap between immigrant and minority status grew after Congressional repeal of the discriminatory national origins quota system in the federal immigration laws in 1965. Put differently, the great majority of today's immigrants are people of color. Civil rights remedies must adapt to ensure that discrimination on the basis of citizenship status does not effectively amount to racial discrimination. To further complicate matters, increasing rates of interracial marriage, accompanied by growing numbers of mixed race people, contributes to new and different civil rights concerns. Consequently, if truly committed to the antidiscrimination norm, civil rights law must change to address the nation's changing racial demographics. In short, this Article contends that the United States is bound to see the end of civil rights -- and civil rights law -- as we know it today.
756 Can Right Ventricular Failure Associated with LVAD Insertion Be Avoided

Background: Acute right ventricular failure (ARVF) can occur as a result of myocardial infarction, myocarditis, or postcardiotomy. Devices including implantable right ventricular assist devices (RVAD) and short-term microaxial devices offer improved hemodynamic support in this syndrome. Although the prognosis of ARVF has historically been grim, few studies have examined outcomes in the era of mechanical circulatory support. In this study, we describe our experience with mechanical right ventricular support in patients with ARVF. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of our institutional database. Sixteen consecutive patients underwent implantation of right-sided assist devices for ARVF between November 2005 and November 2010. Data were collected on the ARVF patients, including 30-day mortality, duration of support, and successful weaning rate. Results: Ten recipients were male and the mean age was 50.5 years (14 to 68 years). Etiology of ARVF included RV infarction (n56), myocarditis (n52), post-LVAD (n52), postheart transplant (n55), and post-cardiotomy (n51). Devices implanted included Thoratec IVAD and PVAD (n55), Impella RD 5.0 (n510), and Impella RP (n51). The mean duration of support ranged from 1 to 107 days (mean 24 days). Ten patients (62.5%) were successfully weaned, while six (37.5%) died during device therapy. No patients went on to transplantation. The 30-day mortality rate was 44% overall, with no difference between different etiologies of ARVF. Conclusions: ARVF continues to be associated with a high mortality rate, regardless of underlying etiology. Mechanical support with RVAD and microaxial devices can offer temporary support during acute hemodynamic compromise, allowing the RV to recover in many cases. Most patients who are successfully weaned will survive to hospital discharge. Our experience supports ongoing use of mechanical circulatory support in ARVF.
Results: A Comparison of Chemical Dependency Treatment Outcomes When Clients Are Given Full Choice

Two current chemical dependency research questions are investigated in this study: Is one form of treatment demonstrably superior to another, and, if given complete choice, will clients select a tr...
Dmitri Shostakovich Catalogue: The First Hundred Years and Beyond by Derek C. Hulme

The fourth edition of Derek C. Hulme's Dmitri Shostakovich Catalog corrects, updates, and expands the third edition, while maintaining the same basic content and format. Previous omissions are now ...
Medical Liability and the Neonatologist

Medical malpractice litigation is a fact of life. The American tort system is outcomes based, and a poor outcome often leads to a medical malpractice lawsuit. Neonatologists practice in a complex setting that deals with critically ill infants at a high risk for complications and poor outcomes. Understanding the components of medical malpractice, recognizing areas of risk, and practicing within a system of prospective risk management can go a long way to not only reduce the risk of litigation but also improve patient safety and ultimately patient outcomes.
Dietary supplements and disease prevention — a global overview

Dietary supplements are widely used and offer the potential to improve health if appropriately targeted to those in need. Inadequate nutrition and micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent conditions that adversely affect global health. Although improvements in diet quality are essential to address these issues, dietary supplements and/or food fortification could help meet requirements for individuals at risk of deficiencies. For example, supplementation with vitamin A and iron in developing countries, where women of reproductive age, infants and children often have deficiencies; with folic acid among women of reproductive age and during pregnancy; with vitamin D among infants and children; and with calcium and vitamin D to ensure bone health among adults aged ≥65 years. Intense debate surrounds the benefits of individual high-dose micronutrient supplementation among well-nourished individuals because the alleged beneficial effects on chronic diseases are not consistently supported. Daily low-dose multivitamin supplementation has been linked to reductions in the incidence of cancer and cataracts, especially among men. Baseline nutrition is an important consideration in supplementation that is likely to modify its effects. Here, we provide a detailed summary of dietary supplements and health outcomes in both developing and developed countries to help guide decisions about dietary supplement recommendations.
Positive solution of third order periodic boundary value problem

Third order periodic boundary value problem, u+ρ3u=f(t,u),0≤t≤2π,u(i)(0)=u(i)(2π),i=0,1,2, is studied by using the method of lower and upper solutions and Schauder fixed point theorem when f is a Caratheodory function. It is proved that the problem has a solution if and only if there exists a lower solution α(t) and an upper solution β(t) with β′+ρβ≤α′+ρα, where ρ∈(0,1/3).
Conservation of pathogenic mycoplasma antigens

The protein profiles of different mycoplasmas are generally species-specific; however, several pathogenic species share certain biologic properties and/or virulence factors. We compared species of human, avian and animal origin to determine if there was evidence for conservation of key antigens. Log-phase cultures of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, M. genitalium, M. gallisepticum and M. pulmonis were subjected to SDS-gel electrophoretic analysis. Protein profiles were compared with silver-stained gels. To examine antigenic cross-reactivity, Western blots were prepared by transferring separated proteins to nitrocellulose filters and incubating these with homotypic and heterotypic antisera. Localization of cross-reacting antigens was done by immunoradioautography using 125I-labeled antiglobulins. Several two-way cross-reactions were observed among M. pneumoniae, M. genitalium, and M. gallisepticum; M. pulmonis shared no significant cross-reactions with the other three species. Preliminary evidence suggests that the cross-reactivity was due to conservation of certain antigenic determinants, although the overall protein composition of the four species was different.
The State of Cataloging Research: An Analysis of Peer-Reviewed Journal Literature, 2010–2014

ABSTRACTThe importance of cataloging research was highlighted by a resolution declaring 2010 as “The Year of Cataloging Research.” This study of the peer-reviewed journal literature from 2010 to 2014 examined the state of cataloging literature since this proclamation. The goals were to determine the percentage of cataloging literature that can be classified as research, what research methods were used, and whether the articles contributed to the library assessment conversation. Nearly a quarter of the cataloging literature qualifies as research; however, a majority of researchers fail to make explicit connections between their work and the missions of their libraries.
Gender, Abjection, and Coming of Age: Games, Dolls, and Stories

With Stevenson’s Treasure Island and Burnett’s A Little Princess, Jenkins reveals tensions between cultural scripts of gender and alternative constructions of self as well the value of abjection in reaching psychic maturity. Treasure Island and A Little Princess illustrate experimentation with as-if identities through literary transference and recognition of abjection’s creative possibility. Jenkins shows how readers may construct their own scripts that include abjection to acknowledge, employ, and celebrate their own marginalized experiences; consequently, literature enables more mature and nuanced understandings of identity and the complexities of cultural values by sublimating abject energy and desire.