cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extending the fused-sphere SAFT-γ Mie force field parameterization approach to poly(vinyl butyral) copolymers

SAFT-γ Mie, a molecular group-contribution equation of state with foundations in the statistical associating fluid theory framework, is a promising means for developing accurate and transferable coarse-grained force fields for complex polymer systems. We recently presented a new approach for incorporating bonded potentials derived from all-atom molecular dynamics simulations into fused-sphere SAFT-γ Mie homopolymer chains by means of a shape factor parameter, which allows for bond distances less than the tangent-sphere value required in conventional SAFT-γ Mie force fields. In this study, we explore the application of the fused-sphere SAFT-γ Mie approach to copolymers. In particular, we demonstrate its capabilities at modeling poly(vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl butyral) (PVB), an important commercial copolymer widely used as an interlayer in laminated safety glass applications. We found that shape factors determined from poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(vinyl butyral) homopolymers do not in general correctly reproduce random copolymer densities when standard SAFT-γ Mie mixing rules are applied. However, shape factors optimized to reproduce the density of a random copolymer of intermediate composition resulted in a model that accurately represents density across a wide range of chemical compositions. Our PVB model reproduced copolymer glass transition temperature in agreement with experimental data, but heat capacity was underpredicted. Finally, we demonstrate that atomistic details may be inserted into equilibrated fused-sphere SAFT-γ Mie copolymer melts through a geometric reverse-mapping algorithm.
The Epidemiology of Back Pain in American Children and Adolescents.

STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional survey. OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of back pain in American children and adolescents, with a focus on anatomic region, duration, severity, and treatment patterns, and to investigate for any predictive variables. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA No study has examined the prevalence of back pain in American children and adolescents in the last 15 years. Because the prevalence of back pain varies greatly by country and year of investigation, previous studies are not generalizable. METHODS A United States epidemiologic cross-sectional survey-based investigation was performed in children and adolescents ages 10 and 18 years old, equally split by age and sex, and representing census-weighted distributions of state of residence, race/ethnicity, and health insurance status. Prevalence of back pain was evaluated and described. RESULTS In total, 1236 (33.7%) participants reported experiencing back pain within the last year and 325 (8.9%) reported severe back pain within the last year. Prevalence of back pain increased with age and was significantly more common in females, P < 0.001 for both. Treatment for back pain was sought by 505 (40.9%) of the participants with pain, of which physical therapy was the most common. Invasive procedural treatment (e.g., injections, surgery) were rare and comprised only 61 (1.6%) of study participants. In addition, government insurance and lack of insurance coverage was associated with low treatment seeking behavior compared to private insurance users (P = 0.010 and P = 0.006, respectively). CONCLUSION Despite how commonly it presents, the majority of young patients with back pain do not report procedural treatment such as injections or surgery. However, because many American children and adolescents seek treatment, future research on the etiology, treatment, and prevention of back pain in children and adolescents is essential to reducing a common and financially demanding problem. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4.
Evaluation of myocardial injury markers in the diagnosis of pediatric myocardial injury diseases

Pediatric cardiac injury is common in primary heart disease and secondary systemic diseases. The pathophysiological processes include ischemic injury or direct injury, as well as focal or diffuse myocardial inflammatory lesions. Myocardial injury markers, including myoglobin, creatine kinase isoenzyme muscle B and troponin, are first used for the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome(ACS) in adult, and have greatly improved the efficiency of diagnosis with their sensitivity and specificity. However, due to the very different pathogenesis of myocardial injury in pediatric and adult ACS, as well as the particularity that children are in continuous growth and development, it is necessary to evaluate the value of the myocardial injury markers and their biological reference intervals in pediatrics. (Chin J Lab Med, 2015, 38: 370-372) Key words: Cardiomyopathies; Biological markers; Reference values; Child
Charge Contrast Imaging (CCI) in the Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope: Optimizing Operating Parameters for Calcite

Charge contrast imaging (CCI) is a useful new method for imaging sub-micron features in crystalline materials using the unique gas/ion/electron imaging system of the environmental scanning electron microscope (Griffin, 1997; Doehne, 1998). Crystal growth zoning, microfractures, solution boundaries, and areas of chemical alteration or recrystallization can be imaged in a wide range of materials (Griffin, 2000; Watt, et al. 2000). While not fully understood, charge contrast images reflect differences in the ability of materials to accept, store and discharge deposited electrons from the primary electron beam. These differences are expressed, in turn, as contrasts in secondary electron emission from flat samples (e.g. these contrasts are not related to topography, as is usually the case). Charge contrast appears be related to differences in electronic properties which are often controlled by defect density. CCI is also affected by small-scale physical defects (such as microfractures) which appear to affect the distribution and timing of charge buildup and discharge in the sample (Johansen, et al. 1997).
Psychosocial determinants of colorectal Cancer screening uptake among African-American men: understanding the role of masculine role norms, medical mistrust, and normative support.

Despite having the highest colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality across all major racial/ethnic groups, African-American men consistently have poor CRC screening rates. Gendered and racia...
Under pressure: comparing in situ and boat tagging methods using time-to-event analyses

With the increase in telemetry studies over the past decade, improving understanding of how different tagging methods influence the probability of presence in a receiver array is important in maximizing the resulting data. Disappearance from the array may be due to mortality from surgery complications, tag loss, predation, or emigration. Internally tagging fish on a boat can cause barotrauma injuries, increased stress from prolonged handling times, or predation after fish have been released back into the water. Conducting in situ internal acoustic tagging at depth of capture removes barotrauma stresses and simplifies the release method, which may improve fish survival and decrease risk of disappearance from the array. In this study, we used 8 years of acoustic tagging data to determine if the tagging method (in situ versus on the boat) influenced the likelihood of a fish being detected 4 and 6 days after the tagging event. At 6 days after tagging, Kaplan–Meier survival curves revealed that the probability of presence for fish tagged on the boat was 66% compared to 90% for fish tagged in situ. Tagging method was the only variable to significantly affect probability of presence based on Cox proportional hazards models, with fish tagged in situ ~ 75% less likely to disappear from the array compared to fish tagged on the boat at both 4 and 6 days after tagging. Examining tagging methods separately, handling time only marginally influenced probability of presence of boat-tagged fish and no variables had a significant effect on probability of presence of in situ tagged fish. In this study, tagging method was the only variable to significantly affect the probability of presence for internally tagged fish. Other factors had little to no influence, but correlation of variables limited what factors could be included in the models. Implanting internal acoustic tags in situ is not a practical method for every species and for every environment, but given the increased probability of presence demonstrated here, we strongly suggest it be considered where applicable.
A comparison of cardiopulmonary bypass versus extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: Does intraoperative circulatory support strategy affect outcomes in pediatric lung transplantation?

Objective Data on adult lung transplantation suggest perioperative benefits of intraoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) compared to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Information regarding their pediatric counterparts, however, is limited. This study compares outcomes of intraoperative ECMO versus CPB in pediatric lung transplantation. Methods We reviewed all pediatric lung transplants at our institution from 2014 to 2019 and compared those supported intraoperatively on ECMO (n = 13) versus CPB (n = 22), plus a conditional analysis excluding re-transplantations (ECMO [n = 13] versus CPB [n = 20]). We evaluated survival, surgical times, intraoperative transfusions, postoperative support, complications, and duration of hospitalization. Results Total time on ECMO support was significantly less than that of CPB support (P = .018). Intraoperatively, the ECMO group required fewer transfusions of fresh-frozen plasma (8.9 [5.8-22.3] vs 16.6 [11.4-39.0] mL/kg, P = .049) and platelets (4.2 [0.0-6.7] vs 8.0 [3.5-14.0] mL/kg, P = .049). When excluding re-transplantations, patients on ECMO required fewer packed red blood cells intraoperatively (12.6 [2.1-30.7] vs 28.2 [14.0-54.0] mL/kg, P = .048). There were no differences in postoperative support requirements, complications, or mortality at one, six, and twelve months. Conclusions Intraoperative ECMO support during pediatric lung transplantation appears to decrease intraoperative transfusion requirements when compared to CPB. Data from additional institutions may strengthen these observations.
Distressed Firm Restructurings and Hedge Funds with Expertise: Saviors or Vultures?

We model restructuring when hedge funds with expertise in navigating distress intervene. Whether hedge funds help distressed firms or act like vultures are two sides of the same coin. Interventions help when firm prospects are bright and assets are not easily redeploy-able. Interventions are vulture like when bankruptcy is costly and fire sale conditions prevail in the market for distressed assets. Positive outcomes are more likely when funds intervene by acquiring equity though acquiring debt is more likely. These effects are the result of systematic changes in expectations and strategies of firms' other claimants in response to hedge fund intervention.
Inhibition and Reading Comprehension in Adolescents with and without Histories of Language Difficulties.

This study sought to determine if the inhibitory construct of executive function (EF) and self-regulation (SR) contributes unique variance to reading comprehension (RC) beyond word recognition/deco...
Association between time of delivery and composite adverse outcomes in pregnancies complicated by hypertensive disorders.

Introduction: A potential manner to lower the morbidity with the hypertensive disoreders of pregancy is to explore the time of day of delivery.Objective: To compare composite neonatal adverse outco...
The shape of neighborhoods to come: Examining patterns of gentrification and holistic neighborhood change in Los Angeles County, 1980–2010:

The present study examines holistic neighborhood change in Los Angeles County across three decades between 1980 and 2010. Using Census tract data, we conduct a latent class analysis to identify cla...
Application: Solution of a Boundary Value Problem

The two-point boundary value problem $$\begin{array}{*{20}c} { - y'' - \lambda y = 0} \\ {y\left( 0 \right) = y\left( 1 \right) = 0} \\\end{array}$$ (1) occurs, e.g. when we separate the variables in the wave equation $$\frac{{\partial ^2 z}}{{\partial x^2 }} = \frac{{\partial ^2 z}}{{\partial t^2 }}$$ by assuming that $$z\left( {x,t} \right) = y\left( x \right)\exp i\sqrt {\lambda t.} $$ If the boundary conditions are $$\begin{array}{*{20}c} {z\left( {0,t} \right) = z\left( {1,t} \right) = 0,} \\ {z\left( {x,0} \right){\rm{given}}} \\\end{array}$$ the problem can be interpreted in terms of the vibrations of a uniform string, with fixed end-points (x=0, x = 1) and with initial displacement z(x, 0).
Abstract P120: Long-Term Adherence to Heart Healthy Behaviors in Older Adults: A Theory-Based Approach

Despite evidence-based recommendations, long-term adherence to heart-healthy behaviors is generally low in older adults. Many behavioral strategies have induced short term improvements in physical activity, diet adherence, and medication use, but sustained change in health behaviors beyond six months remains a challenge. No single approach seems to result in durable, long-term lifestyle change. We hypothesized that a Social-Ecological Model incorporating Social Cognitive Theory, combined with Diffusion of Innovation would increase long term heart-healthy behaviors in community-dwelling older adults. We conducted a single group study using repeated measures at baseline, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months to evaluate adherence to exercise, diet, and prescribed medications. We evaluated the effects of a two phase theory-based behavioral intervention on overall physical activity, physical performance, fat and sodium intake, prescribed medication use, blood pressure, self-efficacy (exercise, diet, medications), resilience, depression, and pain. Twenty-nine low income seniors with cardiovascular risk factors completed the intervention, which consisted of a 12-week education and initiation phase led by a nurse and lay exercise trainer in the participants’ congregate residence. The second phase focused on motivation and dissemination. Ongoing health behaviors were facilitated by 1) group intervention with social support, 2) extended intervention exposure over 24 months, with twice-weekly exercise classes continued with the lay trainer and within-community champions, 3) eminders and cues, and 4) monthly inoculation visits by healthcare providers to reinforce motivation and target behaviors. Across the study, 50% of the participants consistently attended the classes and engaged in exercise activities. The percentage of individuals participating in at least 10 minutes of exercise per week increased. Although below recommended guidelines, the trend toward greater exercise participation is encouraging given the challenges to adherence noted in this population. In addition we found that outcome expectations for exercise increased significantly (p = 0.05). Dietary intake showed significant decreases in fat consumption (p = 0.001), and medication adherence was consistently strong. Results of the study demonstrate the feasibility of using this model to successfully engage participants within their own environment over 24 months, and to use lay trainers and community champions to sustain the exercise and education intervention with periodic inoculations by healthcare providers. While individual improvements were modest, they nonetheless provide support for the efficacy of theory-based interventions to facilitate long-term adherence to heart-healthy behaviors, and may guide future work to develop and test robust efficacy-enhancing interventions.
11 – Anisotropic Elasticity

This chapter investigates the anisotropic case and develops applications for particular elasticity problems including, torsion and plane problems. The directional-dependent behaviors found in anisotropic solids normally result from particular micro-structural features within the material. Micro features arise in natural and synthetic materials in such a way as to produce a stress–strain response with particular symmetries. This concept is based on the Neumann principle; symmetry in material micro geometry corresponds to identical symmetry in the constitutive response. The elastic stress and displacement distribution around cracks in anisotropic media has important applications in the fracture behavior of composite materials. A crack can be regarded as the limiting case of an elliptical cavity as one axis is reduced to zero. Thus, in some cases the solution to the crack problem can be determined from a corresponding elliptical cavity problem. There exists, however, more direct methods for solving crack problems in anisotropic materials.
Respiratory Infection and Antimicrobial Prescribing: How Well Are the Guidelines Adhered To?

Approximately two million people in the United States (US) are infected annually by organisms that have developed resistance to one or more of the antimicrobials designed to eradicate them. The highest-ranking category of illness for which antibiotics are most commonly overprescribed is respiratory infections (CDC, 2014a). The purpose of this project was to explore current antimicrobial prescribing trends for respiratory infections at an urgent care facility. The ACE Star Model of Knowledge Transformation (Stevens, 2004) was utilized to serve as a guide in conducting this research study. Utilizing the detailed guidelines and treatment criteria for respiratory infections developed by the American College of Chest Physicians, a determination regarding the appropriateness of treatment was made. In this study, the rate of overprescribing at the study site was found to be approximately 22.66% as compared to the national average of 50% (CDC, 2013). Calculating the current prescribing trends and overprescribing rates is the first step in acknowledging the issue within this particular setting. Much more progress needs to be made to address methods and strategies for resolution including the adaptation of a modified antimicrobial stewardship applicable to ambulatory/urgent care settings Regardless of how the resolution to this worldwide problem will come about, it will not happen without multi-disciplinary cooperation. Advanced practice nurses are in a unique position to be able to act as leaders and educators regarding this issue. Table of
NetRad: distributed, collaborative and adaptive sensing of the atmosphere calibration and initial benchmarks

We are currently building a NetRad prototype system to be deployed in southwestern Oklahoma, consisting of four mechanically scanned X-band radars atop small towers, and a central control site (later to be decentralized as the number of radars increases) known as the System Operations and Control Center (SOCC). The SOCC consists of a cluster of commodity processors and storage on which the Meteorological Command and Control (MC&C) components execute. NetRad radars are spaced approximately 30 km apart from each other and together scan an area of 80km x 80km and up to 3 km in height. In this paper, we overview the radar calibration process, as well as the initial benchmark execution times of the software modules we will demonstrate at DCOSS.
A Cramer type large deviation result for Student's t-statistic

Let X, X1, X2,... be independent and identically distributed random variables with a finite third moment, and let Tn be the Student's t-statistic. This paper shows that limn→∞P(Tn>x)/P(tn>x)=1 holds uniformly in 0≤x≤o(n1/6), where tn has a t-distribution with n−1 degrees of freedom. An example is also given to show that a finite third moment is necessary for this result.
cAMP-induced Auditory Supporting Cell Proliferation is Mediated by ERK MAPK Signaling Pathway

Sensorineural hearing deficiencies result from the loss of auditory hair cells. This hearing loss is permanent in humans and mammals because hair cells are not spontaneously replaced. In other animals such as birds, this is not the case. Damage to the avian cochlea evokes proliferation of supporting cells and the generation of functionally competent replacement hair cells. Signal transduction pathways are clinically useful as potential therapeutic targets, so there is significant interest in identifying the key signal transduction pathways that regulate the formation of replacement hair cells. In a previous study from our lab, we showed that forskolin (FSK) treatment induces auditory supporting cell proliferation and formation of replacement hair cells in the absence of sound or aminoglycoside treatment. Here, we show that FSK-induced supporting cell proliferation is mediated by cell-specific accumulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in avian supporting cells and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. By a combination of immunostaining and pharmacological analyses, we show that FSK treatment increases cAMP levels in avian auditory supporting cells and that several ERK MAP inhibitors effectively block FSK-induced supporting cell proliferation. Next, we demonstrate by Western blotting and immunostaining analyses the expression of several ERK MAPK signaling molecules in the avian auditory epithelium and the cell-specific expression of B-Raf in avian auditory supporting cells. Collectively, these data suggest that FSK-induced supporting cell proliferation in the avian auditory epithelium is mediated by increases of cAMP levels in supporting cells and the cell-specific expression of the ERK MAPK family member B-Raf in supporting cells.
Surface-nano-texturing by aluminum-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon

Aluminum-induced crystallization (AIC) of amorphous silicon (a-Si) has been studied extensively to produce large poly-Si grains for electronic and photovoltaic applications such as thin-film transistors, solar cells, and display panels. This paper reports a novel use of AIC of a-Si technique in nano-scale surface-texturing for tribological applications. Various nano-textured samples were fabricated by using AIC of a-Si technique employing different a-Si thickness and annealing conditions. The crystalline properties of these nano-textured surfaces (NTSs) were then characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and atomic force microscope (AFM). The adhesion and friction properties of the NTSs and a smooth Si surface were studied by a Triboindentor. These characterizations show that the nano-textures on the NTSs were poly-silicon crystallites and the NTSs significantly reduced the adhesion and friction forces compared to the smooth surface. Both texture height and density were found to affect the adhesion and friction performances of the NTSs.
Synthesis of communication protocols: survey and assessment

Eleven methods for the synthesis of communication protocols are described. Based on particular features of the synthesis process, these methods are classified and compared. In particular, it is noted that interactive methods allow flexibility in the design process; as a result, communication patterns are not prespecified but may be constructed interactively. Methods that only consider the synchronous mode of behavior of communicating entities exclude a wide range of real-life protocols. Methods that make no reference to service requirements do not guarantee the semantic correctness of the synthesized protocol and therefore require the application of a semantic verification procedure. Most methods concentrate on the synthesis of the control part of the protocol entities, which mainly consists of the exchange of synchronization messages. The data part is not adequately treated by any of the synthesis methods. Other than the exchange of synchronization messages, some methods have been extended to deal with unreliable media by synthesizing error-recovery patterns. Some new research directions for enhancing the applicability of the synthesis approach to the design of real-life protocols are obtained. >
Pilot study of coronary atherosclerotic risk and plaque burden in HIV patients: 'a call for cardiovascular prevention'.

Abstract Background: Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has dramatically improved the life expectancy of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prompting increasing concerns related to chronic management. Suggestions of greater cardiovascular risk, partially related to recently proposed HAART-induced dyslipidemia and glucose intolerance, amplify these concerns. At this time, further corroboration of the emerging evidence for increased coronary risk, as well as complimentary estimates of coronary artery atherosclerotic burden, would be valuable to practicing physicians. Methods: Seventeen HIV patients on HAART (all from the same HIV clinic population) without coronary artery disease (CAD) were referred to Preventive Cardiology for treatment of dyslipidemia (‘referred group'). Upon entry, they underwent computed tomography (CT) of the coronary arteries. Subsequently, the referred group was matched (1:4) for age, gender and traditional risk to non-HIV non-CAD subjects (matched group, n =68) from the University of Illinois CT database. A serial review of 90 subjects from the original HIV population was sampled to determine general cardiovascular risk. Results: Thirteen (76%) of the 17 referred patients revealed the presence of coronary calcium compared with 63% in the matched HIV seronegative controls ( P =0.18). Log-transformed median calcium score was 2.93±2.3 in the referred group versus 1.97±2.5 in the matched group ( P =0.09). Fifty one percent of the overall population smoked cigarettes, 11% were diabetic (30% diagnosed pre-HAART and 70% post-HAART) and 30% were hypertensive (33% diagnosed pre-HAART and 67% post-HAART). Conclusions: In a particularly dyslipidemic subgroup of HIV subjects without known CAD we found evidence for atherosclerosis in three-quarters based on coronary calcium. Further, in this population of HIV patients on HAART, we found an enhanced prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk. This pilot study encourages the development of preventive strategies in this population.
Optimal ordering policies for a product that perishes in two periods subject to stochastic demand

This paper considers the problem of computing optimal ordering policies for a product that has a life of exactly two periods when demand is random. Initially costs are charged against runouts (stockouts) and outdating (perishing). By charging outdating costs according to the expected amount of outdating one period into the future, a feasible one period model is constructed. The central theorem deals with the n-stage dynamic problem and demonstrates the appropriate cost functions are convex in the decision variable and also provides bounds on certain derivatives. The model is then generalized to include ordering and holding costs. The paper is concluded with a discussion of the infinite horizon problem.
Comparison of different maximum likelihood estimators in a small sample logistic regression with two independent binary variables

In order to examine the bias of the estimate of the log odds ratio in a 2 × 2 contingency table, Walter computed the entire distribution of the estimated log odds ratio using various small sample sizes. This is equivalent to computing the distribution of the estimated parameter b1 in a logistic regression with one independent binary variable. In this paper, the distributions of the estimated parameters b1 and b2 for two independent binary variables are computed for some small sample logistic regressions using six different estimation methods based on maximum likelihood. These estimates are then compared to the true parameter values. The best estimation method depends on the frequency of the outcome of interest and on whether the bias or mean square error is considered more important.
Treatment of Leptomeningeal Metastasis With Intraventricular Administration of Depot Cytarabine (DTC 101): A Phase I Study

• Depo cytarabine (DTC 101 [formerly identified as Depo/Ara-C]) is a slow-releasing, depot formulation in which cytarabine is encapsulated within the aqueous compartments of microscopic (DepoFoam) particles. A phase I trial of DTC 101, given intraventricularly, was conducted in patients with leptomeningeal metastasis. Nine patients were given 1 to 7 cycles of DTC 101 in doses ranging from 25 to 125 mg that were administered via an Ommaya reservoir into the lateral ventricle. The dose-limiting toxic reaction was encephalopathy that occurred at the 125-mg dose level. All toxic episodes but one were transient and reversible, with the total duration of toxicity lasting from 1 to 7 days. The ventricular concentration of free cytarabine released from DTC 101 into cerebrospinal fluid decreased biexponentially with an initial half-life of 7.2±1.7 (±SEM) hours and a terminal half-life of 140±49 hours. The cerebrospinal fluid was cleared of malignant cells within 3 weeks of initial therapy in five of six cytologically evaluable patients. The duration of response ranged from 2 to more than 14 weeks, with a median of over 11 weeks. In conclusion, DTC 101 appears to be a pharmacologically attractive agent for use against leptomeningeal metastasis. The toxic episodes that occur with this therapy are well tolerated by patients.
Voter Model on Signed Social Networks

Online social networks (OSNs) are becoming increasingly popular and are generating great interest in the study of the influence diffusion and influence maximization with applications to online viral marketing. Existing studies focus on social networks with only friendship relations, whereas the foe or enemy relations that commonly exist in many OSNs, e.g., Epinions and Slashdot, are completely ignored. In this study, we make the first attempt to investigate the influence diffusion and influence maximization in OSNs with both friend and foe relations, which are modeled using positive and negative edges on signed networks. In particular, we extend the classic voter model to signed networks and analyze the dynamics of influence diffusion of two opposite opinions. We first provide systematic characterization of both short-term and long-term dynamics of influence diffusion in this model and illustrate that the steady state behaviors of the dynamics depend on three types of graph structures, which we refer to a...
Effect of antenatal glucocorticoid administration on insulin-like growth factor I and II levels in hypoplastic lung in nitrofen-induced congenital diaphragmatic hernia in rats.

There is increasing evidence to suggest that insulin-like growth factors (IGF) I and II play a crucial role in fetal lung development. Expression of IGF-I and II has been demonstrated to be predominant during fetal life and decreases prior to birth. Antenatal glucocorticoids are reported to improve lung immaturity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of antenatal glucocorticoid administration on IGF-I and II expression in nitrofen-induced congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) in rats. A CDH model was induced in pregnant rats following administration of 100 mg nitrofen on day 9.5 of gestation (term = 22 days). Dexamethasone (0.25 mg/kg) was given intraperitoneally on days 18.5 and 19.5 of gestation. Cesarean section was performed on day 21. The fetuses were divided into three groups: I, normal controls; II, nitrofen-induced CDH; and III, nitrogen-induced CDH with antenatal dexamethasone treatment. mRNA was extracted from whole lung and a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to evaluate the relative amounts of IGF I and II mRNA. Levels of mRNA were expressed as a ratio of the band density divided by that of β-actin, a housekeeping gene known to be expressed at a constant level. Immunohistochemistry using anti-rat IGF I and II antibody was also performed in each group. Levels of IGF I mRNA were significantly increased in group II (0.50 ± 0.08) compared to group I (0.34 ± 0.10) or group III (0.32 ± 0.06) (P < 0.05). Levels of IGF II mRNA were also significantly increased in group II (0.95 ± 0.20) compared to group I (0.42 ± 0.07) or group III (0.31 ± 0.09) (P < 0.05). Strong IGF I and II expression was observed in the hypoplastic CDH lung (group II), mainly in the bronchiolar epithelium. IGF I and II expression in group I and III lungs was either absent or weak. The finding of significant reductions in IGF I and II mRNA and protein levels in dexamethasone-treated CDH lung suggest that dexamethasone may accelerate the fetal stage of lung development.
FURTHER STUDIES WITH TOXIC SERUM EXTRACTS OF HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCI

1. The same Streptococcus hemolyticus organisms may be subjected to extraction six times in 2 days with untreated inactivated serum with no loss in potency of the later extracts when the organisms are kept frozen solid during the night between the extractions. 2. The serum extract toxins of hemolytic streptococci can be preserved without deterioration for at least 6 months if kept frozen solid. 3. No toxins stronger than those containing 10 units per cc. for mice have been prepared. Reasons for thinking that this is due to the saturation of the serum with the toxin at this point are given. 4. Half saturation with (NH(4))(2)SO(4) precipitates out practically all of the hemotoxin in a preparation. 5. Serum extracts were made from strains of hemolytic streptococci other than the Gay strain and attempts were made to correlate the virulence and toxin production from each strain. No such correlation could be established. 6. The principal pathologic finding in mice inoculated with the streptococcus serum extract toxin is a marked degeneration of the tubular epithelium of the kidney.
Geochemical impacts of carbon dioxide, brine, trace metal and organic leakage into an unconfined, oxidizing limestone aquifer

An important risk at CO2 storage sites is the potential for groundwater quality impacts. As part of a system to assess the potential for these impacts a geochemical scaling function has been developed, based on a detailed reactive transport model of CO2 and brine leakage into an unconfined, oxidizing carbonate aquifer. Stochastic simulations varying a number of geochemical parameters were used to generate a response surface predicting the volume of aquifer that would be impacted with respect to regulated contaminants. The brine was assumed to contain several trace metals and organic contaminants. Aquifer pH and TDS were influenced by CO2 leakage, while trace metal concentrations were most influenced by the brine concentrations rather than adsorption or desorption on calcite. Organic plume sizes were found to be strongly influenced by biodegradation.
The Impact of Structural Prescriptions on Joint Venture Survival

Prior research on joint ventures using both legal and strategic perspectives provides several transaction cost‐based prescriptions for structuring joint ventures to minimize the threat of opportunistic behavior by venture partners. However, the effects of these prescriptions on the subsequent survival of the alliance are largely untested. Using survey data from senior managers responsible for alliance participation to explore these relationships, results show that many of the prescriptions that impact venture formation also impact survival, but in a somewhat different and more complex manner than previously thought. Managers desiring to influence the long‐term survival of a joint venture should focus on the factors that best fulfill their goals for the partnership. By clarifying these issues we seek to inform our understanding of how the transaction cost‐based prescriptions influence alliance survival, enhance managers’ ability to capture the gains from this potentially valuable strategic tool, and raise important considerations for future research.
Asymptotic analysis of pattern-theoretic object recognition

Automated target recognition (ATR) is a problem of great importance in a wide variety of applications: from military target recognition to recognizing flow-patterns in fluid- dynamics to anatomical shape-studies. The basic goal is to utilize observations (images, signals) from remote sensors (such as videos, radars, MRI or PET) to identify the objects being observed. In a statistical framework, probability distributions on parameters representing the object unknowns are derived an analyzed to compute inferences (please refer to [1] for a detailed introduction). An important challenge in ATR is to determine efficient mathematical models for the tremendous variability of object appearance which lend themselves to reasonable inferences. This variation may be due to differences in object shapes, sensor-mechanisms or scene- backgrounds. To build models for object variabilities, we employ deformable templates. In brief, the object occurrences are described through their typical representatives (called templates) and transformations/deformations which particularize the templates to the observed objects. Within this pattern-theoretic framework, ATR becomes a problem of selecting appropriate templates and estimating deformations. For an object (alpha) (epsilon) A, let I(alpha ) denote a template (for example triangulated CAD-surface) and let s (epsilon) S be a particular transformation, then denote the transformed template by sI(alpha ). Figure 1 shows instances of the template for a T62 tank at several different orientations. For the purpose of object classification, the unknown transformation s is considered a nuisance parameter, leading to a classical formulation of Bayesian hypothesis- testing in presence of unknown, random nuisance parameters. S may not be a vector-space, but it often has a group structure. For rigid objects, the variation in translation and rotation can be modeled through the action of special Euclidean group SE(n). For flexible objects, such as anatomical shapes, higher-dimensional groups such as a diffeomorphisms are utilized.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Fault prognostics using dynamic wavelet neural networks

Modern industry is concerned about extending the lifetime of its critical processes and maintaining them only when required. Significant aspects of these trends include the ability to diagnose impending failures, prognosticate the remaining useful lifetime of the process and schedule maintenance operations so that uptime is maximized. Prognosis is probably the most difficult of the three issues leading to condition-based maintenance (CBM). This paper attempts to address this challenging problem with intelligence-oriented techniques, specifically dynamic wavelet neural networks (DWNNs). DWNNs incorporate temporal information and storage capacity into their functionality so that they can predict into the future, carrying out fault prognostic tasks. Such fundamental issues as the network structure, learning algorithms, stability analysis, uncertainty management, and performance assessment are studied in a theoretical framework. An example is presented in which a trained DWNN successfully prognoses a defective bearing with a crack in its inner race.
Examination of Various Soldered Surfaces and Electronic Components by Confocal Microscopy

The unique advantages of confocal microscopy are used to explore four cases of interest: (i) voids in solder (depth and surface texture determined), (ii) steam vs ambient aged solder coupons (significant differences detected), (iii) integrated circuit construction (sub‐surface contamination by µm‐size particles observed) and (iv) circuit boards and solder pads (non‐destructive optical sectioning through no‐wash flux layers). It is shown that confocal microscopy strongly complements SEM (scanning electron microscopy); SEM alone presents an incomplete description of a solder surface and in fact can sometimes produce misleading results.
Far-UV and extreme-UV observations of SS Cyg and U Gem from Voyagers 1 and 2

Recent studies of dwarf novae in the UV and X-ray regions have suggested that much of the energy produced in a dwarf nova is emitted in the far-UV and extreme-UV regions (100–1,200 A). We report here on observations of SS Cyg and U Gem obtained with the Voyager UV spectrometers (UVS) in the 500–1,200 A region. SS Cyg has been detected in quiescence at a flux level of 9 × 10−13erg cm−2 s−1A−1at 1,000 A. U Gem was not detected in quiescence. No emission shortward of the Lyman limit (912 A) is detected in either star. Observational upper limits to the extreme-UV flux in the 540–740 A band from SS Cyg and U Gem correspond to 2 × 10−13erg cm−2 s−1A−1. A far-UV (λeff= 1,050 A) light curve for an outburst in SS Cyg is presented. The slope of the far-UV flux distribution during the rise to maximum is observed to be correlated with the UV brightness. The nature of this correlation supports the suggestion that the outburst begins at the outer edge of the accretion disk and moves inward. The far-UV flux distributions of SS Cyg and U Gem in outburst were found to be remarkably similar, both exhibit a substantially flatter (Fλ∝ λ −0.5) distribution than that observed in the IUE–UV (Fλ∝ λ−2.3). This result is contrary to current disk models which predict a continued rise in flux in the far-UV. Evidence for a wind in the Lyman lines of hydrogen is seen in SS Cyg. No evidence of a wind was observed in U Gem.
Dreams in Dissociative Disorders

This article reports on a survey of dream characteristics of 48 patients with a variety of dissociative disorders. For most of these disorders, recovery of repressed memories was the most frequent distinctive dream event. For patients with Multiple Personality Disorder, many other phenomena occurred including alters appearing as dream characters, alters who could orchestrate dream content, and even, rarely, integration occurring within a dream. The strong potential of these dream characteristics to facilitate the therapy of dissociative disorders is discussed.
Embolization of the gastroduodenal and right gastric arteries prior to radioembolization with glass microspheres: is it always necessary?

Purpose Prior to radioembolization with yttrium-90 (Y90), it is standard practice to coil embolize the gastroduodenal (GDA) and right gastric (RGA) arteries to mitigate complications from non-target delivery of radioactive microspheres to the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study is to evaluate the necessity of prophylactic embolization of the GDA and RGA prior to radioembolization with glass microspheres (extended shelf-life). Materials and Methods Consecutive patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or liver metastases undergoing radioembolization with extended shelf-life glass microspheres were studied. Extended shelf-life microspheres were chosen secondary to their increased embolic load over standard glass microsphere dosimetry. The rate and location of RGA/GDA coil embolization during planning angiography was recorded. After Y90 treatment, clinical follow-up was performed at 1-month and every 3 months thereafter. Results 134 patients with HCC or liver metastases were treated with extended shelf-life glass microspheres. Neither the GDA nor the RGA were coil embolized in 68.6% (n=92) of patients. The RGA was coil embolized in 26.1% (n= 35) of patients, and the GDA was coil embolized in 14.2% (n=14) of patients. Two patients (1%) developed gastrointestinal ulcers, both of which healed with conservative therapy. In one case, retrospective analysis of the angiogram demonstrated a small gastric vessel that was overlooked by the interventional radiologist. The microcatheter was placed proximal to the RGA at the time of treatment, resulting in non-target delivery of radioactive microspheres. The other patient developed an ulcer after 6 weeks of being asymptomatic; biopsy did not reveal microspheres. The ulcer healed with conservative measures. Conclusion Y90 radioembolization with glass microspheres using the extended shelf-life dosimetry model is minimally embolic. This study shows that coil embolization of the GDA and/or RGA may not be mandatory to mitigate GI complications. Rather, prophylactic embolization of these vessels should be at the IR’s discretion, taking into consideration blood flow dynamics and catheter infusion position.
A central crack element in fracture mechanics

Crack tip elements integrated with finite element methods are commonly used to determine the two-dimensional crack tip stress fields in fracture mechanics. In this paper a new element is presented which leads to highly accurate and economical solutions. This central crack element is arbitrary in shape, contains the entire crack and treats mixed mode fields. Numerical examples are presented where this element was used in conjunction with the global-local finite element method to illustrate the accuracy and efficiency of the central crack element.
Methionine and sulfur amino acid requirement in the preruminant calf.

Abstract Five quantities of dietary methionine were tested in 20 male Holstein calves (6 to 27 days of age) fed milk replacers (diluted to 13% solids) as the only feed in a two-period changeover design. Amounts of methionine in diets were 1.86, 2.48, 3.10, 3.72, and 4.34 g/16 g nitrogen ingested. Of the 20% crude protein in replacer diets, 75% was from milk sources and 25% from a crystalline amino acid mixture which varied in methionine and nonessential amino acids glycine and glutamate. Daily gains were small during the experiment but were less on most methionine than for other treatments. Digestibilities of dry matter and crude protein averaged 83 and 66%. They were higher in period 2 (18 to 27 days) than in 1 (6 to 15 days) and lower on highest methionine than other diets. Most methionine also caused the greatest fecal excretion and the highest concentration of urea nitrogen in plasma. The expected linear increase in methionine of plasma after needs were met was replaced by plateauing at highest dietary methionine. Optimum methionine intakes, predicted from regression analyses of daily gains, nitrogen retention, and concentrations in plasma methionine, ranged from 2.75 to 2.95 g/16 g ingested nitrogen. All diets contained 1.05 g cystine per 16 g nitrogen, so if cystine can replace up to 55% of the methionine needs as for the other species, the need for total amino acids containing sulfur in the baby calf is 3.8 to 4.0 g/16 g nitrogen. Three days on diets appeared sufficient for predicting methionine requirements from methionine of plasma.
A histochemical study of the ontogeny of catecholamine-containing axons in the chick embryo heart

Abstract Catecholamine histochemistry was used to study the development of the adrenergic innervation of the chick embryo heart. In ventricles superfused with α-methyl-norepinephrine, fluorescent axons were found as early as the 11th day in ovo . In untreated embryos the first fluorescent axons were found in the right atrium on the 12th day and the right ventricle on the 14th day. During the next 2 weeks, the density of innervation increased and reached adult levels 7 days after hatching. Adrenergic fibers contact the chick embryo heart during the third week in ovo and there is little delay between morphological and functional innervation.
Analytic Methods for Fuel-Cycle Safety Studies

Battelle-Northwest (BNW) is conducting safety studies of the following nuclear fuel cycle operations: reprocessing, transportation of radioactive material, decommissioning of facilities, and waste management. Various methods and depths of analysis are used in these studies, but all involve safety quantification in terms of risk, relating probabilities and consequences of potential accidents. This paper describes the methods used for these safety studies. Highlighted are areas in which BNW contributions have extended the analytic methods: 1) a risk-based fault-tree analytic method for identification, preliminary evaluation, and screening of potential release sequences; 2) improved treatment of deposition and resuspension in airborne transport of radionuclides; and 3) groundwater transport models of radionuclide chains in soil columns, including the effects of convection, difusion, sorption, and generation and decay. Areas needing additional development are identified.