cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The evolution of the surgical treatment of chronic pancreatitis.

Objective: To establish the current status of surgical therapy for chronic pancreatitis, recent published reports are examined in the context of the historical advances in the field. Background: The basis for decompression (drainage), denervation, and resection strategies for the treatment of pain caused by chronic pancreatitis is reviewed. These divergent approaches have finally coalesced as the head of the pancreas has become apparent as the nidus of chronic inflammation. Methods: The recent developments in surgical methods to treat the complications of chronic pancreatitis and the results of recent prospective randomized trials of operative approaches were reviewed to establish the current best practices. Results: Local resection of the pancreatic head, with or without duct drainage, and duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection offer outcomes as effective as pancreaticoduodenectomy, with lowered morbidity and mortality. Local resection or excavation of the pancreatic head offers the advantage of lowest cost and morbidity and early prevention of postoperative diabetes. The late incidences of recurrent pain, diabetes, and exocrine insufficiency are equivalent for all 3 surgical approaches. Conclusions: Local resection of the pancreatic head appears to offer best outcomes and lowest risk for the management of the pain of chronic pancreatitis. (Ann Surg 2010;251: 18‐32)
X-ray diffraction patterns from nanocrystalline binary alloys

Abstract X-ray diffraction powder patterns of a random nanocrystalline material containing two atomic species were calculated by evaluation of the Debye function. Atoms of different types were positioned to produce stoichiometric compound, CsCl, and grain boundary segregation in copper-iron alloys. Radial strain fields of the type associated with point or boundary defects were introduced into the structure and the x-ray powder patterns were calculated. Grain boundary defects of different composition than the bulk were introduced and combined with radial strain fields. The diffraction signatures of the “gas-like” and crystalline grain boundaries are calculated and compared.
The fate of certain simple imidazole compounds in the rat.

Abstract Rats were injected intraperitoneally with imidazole, 1-methylimidazole, 4(or 5)-hydroxymethylimidazole, 4(or 5)-imidazolecarboxaldehyde and 4(or 5)-imidazolecarboxylic acid. Products excreted in the urine were determined by paper chromatography and chemical analysis. Imidazole was metabolized to the extent of 25–55%. 1-Methylimidazole was not demethylated. The other three imidazole compounds listed above were interconverted in the rat.
THE ANTI‐WAHHAB? REACTION IN NINETEENTH‐CENTURY AFGHANISTAN*

Au 19 eme siecle, Amīr Sher 'Alī Khān et Amīr 'Abd al-Rahmān publierent en Afghanistan deux pamphlets, « Shihāb-i thāqib » et « Taqwīm al-dīn », contre les doctrines « Wahhabī » qui reformaient l'islam a propos de l'invocation des prophetes et des saints, de la nature de la prophetie et de l'« ijtihād ». Ces doctrines seraient issues de Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhāb ne en 1703. En Inde, Sayyid Ahmad Barelwi et Shah Waliullah s'efforcerent aussi de reformer l'islam vers une orientation soufie. L'analyse des deux pamphlets montre qu'ils refusent a la fois des idees religieuses considerees comme heretiques et qu'ils veulent maintenir la hierarchie politique en Afghanistan
What's so special about slithering serpents? Children and adults rapidly detect snakes based on their simple features

Snakes are among the most common targets of fears and phobias around the world. In visual search tasks, both adults and young children have repeatedly been found to visually detect snakes more rapidly than other kinds of stimuli. An important question that remains unstudied is what accounts for humans’ rapid response to snakes? Here we suggest that specific features of snakes themselves lead to their rapid detection. The results of five experiments suggest that a snake's shape is the crucial factor in their rapid detection.
Colorectal Cancer Screening in Women: The Role of CT Colonography

Colorectal cancer is a preventable disease if precursor adenomatous polyps are detected and removed early. Several screening modalities are available today; yet colorectal cancer remains the third leading cause of cancer death in women, following lung and breast cancer. Less than 40% of all women wh
Some new and known species of Hatschekiidae (Copepoda, Siphonostomatoida) parasitic on Japanese actinopterygian fishes belonging to Ophidiiformes, Beryciformes and Scorpaeniformes, with discussion on the female genital system and the insemination mode in Siphonostomatoida

Nine species of Hatschekiidae are (re-)described from Japanese actinopterygian fishes belonging to Ophidiiformes, Beryciformes and Scorpaeniformes. They are Hatschekia anomalis sp. nov., Hatschekia bifurcata Yamaguti & Yamasu, 1959, H. couardi Nunes-Ruivo, 1954, H. fusiformis Shiino, 1957, H. hoplobrotulae sp. nov., H. multibarbatae sp. nov., H. tenuis (Heller, 1865), Prohatschekia awatati (Yamaguti, 1939), and P. neobythitesi sp. nov. The first species is recovered from an unusual site of the host. In H. couardi and P. awatati the males are described for the first time and the possession of the naked first antennular segment is confirmed in both sexes of these species. The Hatschekiidae have paired seminal receptacles in the female and adopt the eudactylinid type of insemination mode, though exhibiting variation of the insemination procedure. It can be concluded that the insemination modes link up with the female genital system in the Siphonostomatoida.
Heat Transfer Experiments and Correlations for Low-Reynolds-Number Flows of Water in Vertical Annuli

Abstract This paper presents heat transfer data and correlations for hydrodynamically developed but thermally developing buoyancy-assisted and -opposed flows of water in vertical annuli at low Reynolds numbers (Re < 104). Data are for forced and mixed laminar flows, forced transitional and turbulent flows, and natural laminar and turbulent flows. A general correlation of the forced upflow data (Re < 104) is obtained by superimposing the correlations developed for forced laminar and transitional flows: NuF = (Nu9 F.L + Nu9 F.Tr)1/9. Similarly, the data for both the laminar and the mixed laminar flows as well as those for natural laminar flow are correlated by superimposing the correlations developed for forced laminar and natural laminar flows: NuL = (Nu3 F.L + Nu3 N.L)1/3. This correlation is in good agreement with the laminar and mixed downflow data, but with a negative sign for NuN.L Although Nu values for natural laminar flow increased proportionally to Ra0.2 q and those for natural turbulent flow incr...
Professionalism in surgery

Russell L Gruen, MBBS, Jyoti Arya, MD, Ellen M Cosgrove, MD, Richard L Cruess, MD, Sylvia R Cruess, MD, A Brent Eastman, MD, FACS, P Jeffrey Fabri, MD, FACS, Paul Friedman, MD, FACS, Thomas D Kirksey, MD, FACS, Ira J Kodner, MD, FACS, Frank R Lewis, MD, FACS, Kathleen R Liscum, MD, FACS, Claude H Organ, MD, FACS, Joel C Rosenfeld, MD, FACS, Thomas R Russell, MD, FACS, Ajit K Sachdeva, MD, FACS, Elvin G Zook, MD, FACS, Alden H Harken, MD, FACS
Unstable germicidal pollutant in rural air.

IN the microthread technique1 the viability of “airborne” microorganisms is studied by assaying their survival when held on ultrafine spider threads freely exposed to the air. The use of this technique as a sensitive detector of air pollution has been described before2.
Energy dependence of the optical-model potential for fast-neutron scattering from bismuth

Neutron differential-elastic-scattering cross sections of bismuth were measured at \ensuremath{\approxeq}0.5 MeV intervals from \ensuremath{\approxeq}4.5 to 10.0 MeV. At each incident energy 40 or more differential values were obtained between \ensuremath{\approxeq}18\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and 160\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. These data were combined with lower-energy results previously reported from this laboratory, and others available in the literature, to provide a detailed data base extending from \ensuremath{\approxeq}1.5 to 10.0 MeV. This data base was interpreted in terms of the conventional optical-statistical model and also using a model which included the surface-peaked real potential predicted by the dispersion relation. Particular attention was given to the energy dependence of the volume-integral-per-nucleon of the real potential, ${J}_{v}$, to see if there was evidence of the Fermi surface anomaly. In the range 3.0\char21{}10.0 MeV, the present study indicates that ${\mathrm{dJ}}_{v}$/dE is essentially constant, with a relatively large negative value of -6.0 to -9.0 ${\mathrm{fm}}^{3}$, depending on the model used in the analysis. Below 3.0 MeV, there is some evidence for a decrease in the magnitude of ${\mathrm{dJ}}_{v}$/dE. However, the effect is very small, and it is only when this trend is combined with considerations of the ${J}_{v}$ values needed to give correct bound-state energies that evidence for the Fermi surface anomaly emerges. ${J}_{v}$ and the geometry of the optical potentials found for $^{209}\mathrm{Bi}$ become equal to those explaining the higher-energy $^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ data at about 10.0 MeV. Since ${\mathrm{dJ}}_{v}$/dE for the latter is smaller in magnitude than that for $^{209}\mathrm{Bi}$, a change in ${\mathrm{dJ}}_{v}$/dE is clearly indicated near 10.0 MeV.
Diabetic groups as defined by ADA and NDDG criteria have a similar aerobic capacity, blood pressure and body composition

Aims/hypothesis. In 1997 the American Diabetes Association (ADA) published new categories for diabetes based on fasting plasma glucose that classified diabetes as a plasma glucose of 7.0 mmol/l, or more, rather than one of 7.8 mmol/l or more, as published previously by the National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG) in 1979. We compared the cardiovascular disease risk factors of subjects classified as having Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus under the NDDG and ADA criteria.¶Methods. We examined a database of approximately 3700 men (40.4 ± 11.5 years old) and distributed them into four categories: normal fasting plasma glucose (NFG) of less than 6.1 mmol/l, impaired (IFG) 6.1 to 7.0 mmol/l, ADA diabetic 7.0 to 7.8 mmol/l and NDDG diabetic of 7.8 mmol/l or more.¶Results. Fasting glucose was 5.2 ± 0.5, 6.4 ± 0.2, 7.3 ± 0.2 and 11.2 ± 2.9 mmol/l for the subjects of the NFG, IFG, ADA and NDDG groups, respectively. Estimated treadmill VO2max was 41.4 ± 8.0, 36.0 ± 7.8, 32.2 ± 7.6, 30.6 ± 7.0 ml · kg–1· min–1 in the NFG, IFG, ADA, and NDDG groups, respectively (NFG and IFG > ADA and NDDG: p < 0.05). The ADA and NDDG groups were also similar for resting and exercise blood pressure and body composition. Triglycerides and total: HDL cholesterol ratios were higher and LDL cholesterol concentration was lower, in the NDDG group than in all other groups (p < 0.05). Total and LDL cholesterol in the ADA and NDDG groups were similar.¶Conclusion/interpretation. The similarities in the aerobic capacities, blood pressure and body composition of the ADA and NDDG groups indicate that the decision to lower the cut-off from 7.8 mmol/l to 7.0 mmol/l blood glucose for the clinical classification of diabetes was appropriate. The ADA and NDDG groups, however, might not have identical risks for cardiovascular disease because of differences between total:HDL cholesterol ratios, circulating HDL cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations. [Diabetologia (2001) 44: 26–32]
Nobel prize recognizes industrial scientists' contribution to pharmacology and medicine

Abstract The award of the 1988 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine to three industrial scientists is a long overdue recognition of the major contributions of drug development to modern medicine. It is no longer necessary for patients to suffer the pain of angina, stomach ulcers and gout; new drugs that have been developed by Nobel laureates Sir James Black, Gertrude Elion and George Hitchings have allowed these very common conditions to be alleviated or cured. Zidovudine (AZT) was the first drug to offer hope to AIDS victims. The following tributes to these scientists are not confined to the retrospective — Jim Black continues to actively research new pharmacological targets; Trudy Elion is presidential appointee on the National Cancer Advisory Board and chairs the Chemotherapy of Malaria Steering Committee of the WHO/World Bank/UNPP special programme in tropical diseases; George Hitchings continues to work as a Consultant at Burroughs Wellcome.
Monte Carlo simulation of nonequilibrium shock fronts

A direct simulation of a shock-tube experiment carried by AVCO (pressure of 1 Torr and velocity of 6.4 km/sec), repeated by Sharma and Gillespie (1990), and used by Park (1988) to develop his two-temperature model, is presented. Results show that the electronic ground state of N2 is not in rotational nor vibrational equilibrium with that of N2(+). Moreover, a two-temperature model is inadequate to describe nonequilibrium flows behind shocks. The role of impurities is examined. It is shown that the effects of a small fraction of H2O are insignificant. Good agreement with the measurements of Sharma and Gillespie is indicated.
Efficient implementations of all-to-all broadcasting in mobile ad hoc networks

In order to ease the challenging task of information dissemination in a MANET, we employ a legend: a data structure passed around a network to share information with all the mobile nodes. Our motivating application of the legend is sharing location information. Previous research shows that a simplistic legend performs better than other location services in the literature. To realize the full potential of legend-based location services, we propose three methods for the legend to traverse a network and compare their performance in simulation. Two of our proposed methods are novel, and the third is an improvement on an existing method. We also evaluate several general improvements to the traversal methods, and describe our way of making the legend transmission reliable. The result is a simple, lightweight location service that makes efficient use of network resources. Beyond using the legend as a location service, we discuss several implementation aspects of providing an efficient all-to-all broadcast operation, including legend reliability, preventing duplicate legends, using a legend in dynamic networks, and working with non-synchronized clocks. We also provide pseudocode for our legend traversal methods to aid implementation.
Healthy Lifestyle Change and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Young Adults Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study

Background—The benefits of healthy habits are well established, but it is unclear whether making health behavior changes as an adult can still alter coronary artery disease risk. Methods and Results—The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) prospective cohort study (n=3538) assessed 5 healthy lifestyle factors (HLFs) among young adults aged 18 to 30 years (year 0 baseline) and 20 years later (year 20): not overweight/obese, low alcohol intake, healthy diet, physically active, nonsmoker. We tested whether change from year 0 to 20 in a continuous composite HLF score (HLF change; range, −5 to +5) is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis (coronary artery calcification and carotid intima-media thickness) at year 20, after adjustment for demographics, medications, and baseline HLFs. By year 20, 25.3% of the sample improved (HLF change ≥+1); 40.4% deteriorated (had fewer HLFs); 34.4% stayed the same; and 19.2% had coronary artery calcification (>0). Each increase in HLFs was associated ...
Structure of the mitotic apparatus and chromosomes after hypotonic treatment of mammalian cells in vitro.

Cultured mammalian cells were exposed briefly to culture media made hypotonic with various dilutions of distilled water. Electron microscopic observations and tubulin immunofluorescence were carried o
Reproducibility of fasting plasma leptin concentration in lean and obese humans.

We determined the reproducibility of plasma leptin levels in 20 healthy subjects (10 men, 10 women; 10 lean, 10 obese) at stable body weight. Blood samples were obtained, after an overnight fast, between 0700 and 0800 on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 19, and 26. Body weights were recorded on the same days. Plasma leptin was measured using a specific radioimmunoassay. The mean ± SE baseline body weights (kg) were 65.8 ± 3.6 (lean) and 96.4 ± 7.1 (obese). The body mass indices (BMI) were 22.9 ± 2.8 kg/m2 (lean) and 32.7 ± 2.2kg/m2 (obese). The mean daily fasting plasma glucose level was 98.7 ± 3.7 mg/dl. Baseline plasma leptin levels (ng/ml) were 5.3 ± 0.75 in lean men, 14.9 ± 4.6 in obese men, 11.2 ± 2.8 in lean women, and 27.1 ± 8.4 in obese women. Fasting leptin levels on days 2 to 26 were highly correlated with the baseline levels on day 1 (r2 = 0.9, P < 0.0001). Body weights remained within 98% - 102% of baseline, whereas intra-individual leptin levels fluctuated between 80% and 120% of baseline values, thro...
Telling Stories and Making Books: Evidence for an Intervention to Help Parents in Migrant Head Start Families Support Their Children's Language and Literacy

Research Findings: In this study, 75 Spanish-speaking preschoolers (M age = 41.43 months, SD = 10.78 months; 30 girls) attending a Migrant Head Start program were randomly assigned to receive the Storytelling for the Home Enrichment of Language and Literacy Skills (SHELLS) in addition to their Head Start services (n = 32) or to continue to receive their typical Head Start services (n = 43). Mothers' language-supporting behavior and home language and literacy environment as well as children's total number of words and total number of different words used during a shared narrative were assessed before and after the intervention. Mothers in the SHELLS group, compared with mothers in the comparison group, were significantly more likely to increase their use of language elicitation strategies and the quality of their home language and literacy environment. Children in the SHELLS group, compared with children in the comparison group, were significantly more likely to increase the number of total words and diffe...
Studying the reach of deterrence: Can deterrence theory help explain police misconduct?

This article reports the first perceptual deterrence study of a sample of police officers. The study investigated the influence of traditional deterrence considerations, extralegal sanctions, and impulsivity on the intention to commit several hypothesized acts of police misconduct. The results were largely consistent with perceptual deterrence findings from samples of college students, experienced offenders, and corporate managers. In particular, this study found that both legal and extralegal sanction threats potentially deter police misconduct. Further, it found that impulsivity diminished the deterrent influence of both sanction forms. The study also found that some of the effects of the explanatory variables depended on whether officers had prior punishment experience. The article discusses the implications of its findings for combating police misconduct and for deterrence research generally.
Spinodal decomposition in ternary alloys

Abstract The Langer theory of spinodal decomposition in binary solutions is extended to the case of ternary alloys. A ternary master equation is obtained from which a system of diffusion equations in the Cahn-Hilliard approximation and equations of motion for the three independent partial structure functions are derived. The latter equations are presented with an approximation to various nonlinear terms and are expressed within the framework of the linear approximation due to Cook.
Fine structure of the hemocytes and nephrocytes of Argas (Persicargas) arboreus (Ixodoidea: Argasidae).

The fine structure of the hemocytes and nephrocytes in Argas (Persicargas) arboreus is described and compared with that of similar cells in other tick species and insects. The hemocytes are of three types: prohemocytes, with a relatively undifferentiated cytoplasm lacking granular inclusions and probably serving as progenitors of the other hemolymph cell types; plasmatocytes, containing abundant mitochondria, cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), and free ribosomes, as well as some small granular inclusions; granulocytes, the predominant cell type in the hemolymph, containing numerous granules of variable electron density and maturity, and pseudopodia-like processes on the cell surface. Plasmatocytes and granulocytes are phagocytic and possibly also have other functions in the tick body. Cells with intermediate features appear to be in a stage of transition from plasmatocyte to granulocyte. Nephrocytes contain vacuoles enclosing fibrillar material, some electrondense granules, and moderate amounts of the active organelles-mitochondria, RER, and ribosomes. The nephrocyte is surrounded by a basal lamina and its plasma membrane infolds to form many deep invaginations coated by a fine fibrillar material. Openings to these invaginations are closed by membranous diaphragms. Coated tubular elements connect the surface invaginations with large coated vesicles, which appear to be specialized for internalization of proteins from the hemolymph. The dense granules may represent an advanced stage of condensation of ingested protein and thus may be lysosomal residual bodies, or they may develop by accumulation of secretory products.
Use of a rhenium cyanide nanomagnet as a building block for new clusters and extended networks.

Derivatives of the single molecule magnet (SMM) {[Re(triphos)(CN)3]4[MnCl]4} (Re4Mn4) {[Re(triphos)(CN)3]4[Mn(CH3CN)]4}(ClO4)4 (2) and {[Re(triphos)(CN)3]4[Mn(ClO4)]3[Mn(CH3OH)(CH3O)]} (3), were prepared by reacting [Et4N][Re(triphos)(CN)3] (1) with Mn(ClO4)2·6H2O. Reaction of sodium dicyanamide, NaN(CN)2, with compound 2 in CH2Cl2 results in the product {[Re(triphos)(CN)3]4[Mn(N(CN)2)]4} (4), in which each Mn(II) site is terminated by a dicyanamide ligand. A similar reaction of compound 3 in CH2Cl2–MeOH solution with LiTCNQ (TCNQ = 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane) leads to the formation of {[Re(triphos)(CN)3]4[Mn(TCNQ-TCNQ)3(Mn(HTCNQ)(CH3O))]} (5) whose structure is best described as a chain of dimers of Re4Mn4 cubes bridged by σ-bonded (TCNQ2)2− linkers with one capping HTCNQ ligand.
Changes in metabolites of the energy reserves in individual layers of mouse cerebral cortex and subjacent white matter during ischaemia and anaesthesia.

— The distribution of glucose, glycogen, ATP, P-creatine and inorganic phosphate was measured in layers I, III, IV, V and VI of cerebral cortex and subjacent white matter of mouse brain. ATP, P-creatine and inorganic phosphate were evenly distributed in all regions examined, whereas levels of glucose and glycogen were higher in white matter than the average for the other layers. Anaesthesia increased levels of glucose and P-creatine in layers I and V and subjacent white matter (other layers were not examined). Anaesthesia doubled the level of glycogen in molecular layer I with lesser increases in layers III, IV, V and VI, but with no change in white matter from the unanaesthetized control value. The metabolic rates in the individual layers were estimated from the rates of expenditure of energy reserves during total ischaemia. In non-anaesthetized mice, white matter had a higher metabolic rate than either layer I or V. Anaesthesia reduced the metabolic rates in all layers; however, the largest reduction occurred in subjacent white matter (86 per cent), with reductions of 54 per cent and 76 per cent respectively in layers I and V.
Compositions of singular integral operators

Abstract The composition of two Calderon-Zygmund singular integral operators is given explicitly in terms of the kernels of the operators. For φ ϵ L 1 ( R n ) and e = 0 or 1 and ∝ φ = 0 if e = 0, let Ker(φ) be the unique function on R n + 1 homogeneous of degree − n − 1 of parity e that equals φ on the hypersurface x 0 = 1. Let Sing(φ, e) denote the singular integral operator Sing (φ, e)f(x 0 , x) = lim δ → 0 ∝∝ ¦y 0 ¦ ⩾ δ f(x 0 − y 0 , x − y), Ker (φ)(y 0 , y) dy 0 dy , which exists under suitable growth conditions on ƒ and φ. Then Sing( φ , e 1 ) Sing( ψ , e 2 ) f = −2 π 2 (∝ φ )(∝ ψ ) f + Sing( A , e 1 , + e 2 ) f , where A(x)= lim δ→0 ∫∫ δ⩽|λ|⩽δ−1 |λ+1| ϵ 1 +ϵ 2 n |λ| ϵ 2 θ(x+λ(x−y))ψ(y)dλdy (with notation ¦t¦ 0 a = ¦t¦ a and ¦t¦ 1 a = ¦t¦ a sgn t ). This result is used to show that the mapping ψ → A is a classical pseudo-differential operator of order zero if φ is smooth, with top-order symbol ω 0 (x,ϵ)=−πiθ(ϵ)∫θ(x−y) sgn y·ϵdy if ϵ 1 =1 , =−2θ(ϵ)∫θ(x−y) log |y·ϵ|dy if ϵ 1 =0 where θ(ξ) is a cut-off function. These results are generalized to singular integrals with mixed homogeneity.
Hypertext versus Boolean access to biomedical information: a comparison of effectiveness, efficiency, and user preferences

This study compared of two modes of access to a biomedical database, in terms of their effectiveness and efficiency in supporting clinical problem solving and in terms of user preferences. Boolean access, which allowed subjects to frame their queries as combinations of keywords, was compared to hypertext access, which allowed subjects to navigate from one database node to another. The accessible biomedical data were identical across system versions. Performance data were collected from two cohorts of first-year medical students, each student randomly assigned to either the Boolean or the hypertext system. Additional attitudinal data were collected from the second cohort. At each of two research sessions (one just before and one just after their bacteriology course), subjects worked eight clinical case problems, first using only their personal knowledge and, subsequently, with aid from the database. Database retrievals enabled students to answer questions they could not answer based on personal knowledge alone. This effect was greater when personal knowledge of bacteriology was lower. There were not statistically significant differences between the two forms of access, in terms of problem-solving effectiveness or efficiency. Students preferred Boolean access over hypertext access.
Hopf bifurcation in a solid avascular tumour growth model with two discrete delays

In this paper the model of solid, avascular, uniformly proliferating tumour growth with two independent time delays is presented and analysed. The model considers two main cellular processes: proliferation and apoptosis. The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of time delays on the Hopf bifurcation when one of delays is used as a bifurcation parameter.
Drain contact boundary specification in windowed Monte-Carlo device analysis

To accurately analyze hot-carrier transport in a reasonable CPU time, a device analysis algorithm has been developed to couple the drift-diffusion model and the Monte Carlo (MC) method. In this algorithm, since the MC method is applied only in a portion of the device which is called the window, where to place the window boundaries in the device is extremely important for accurate simulations. To overcome the difficulties of window drain contact specification, the criterion of equivalent current collection has been defined, and an expression for calculating the drain contact length has been derived. The approach has been verified by good agreement between the simulation results and the experimental measurements. >
Tunicamycin-mediated depletion of insulin receptors in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Tunicamycin, an antibiotic that inhibits protein glycosylation, elicited a rapid depletion of insulin binding activity at the surface of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Disappearance of insulin receptors occurred more rapidly in the presence of tunicamycin than when protein synthesis was inhibited by cycloheximide and was accompanied by a diminution in sensitivity of the adipocytes to the acute effects of insulin and anit-insulin receptor antibody on hexose uptake and metabolism.
LOCAL ENERGY DECAY FOR SOLUTIONS OF MULTI-DIMENSIONAL ISOTROPIC SYMMETRIC HYPERBOLIC SYSTEMS

The local decay of energy is established for solutions to certain linear, multidimensional symmetric hyperbolic systems, with constraints. The key assumptions are isotropy and nondegeneracy of the associated symbols. Examples are given, including Maxwell's equations and linearized elasticity. Such estimates prove useful in treating nonlinear perturbations.
Detecting single-abasic residues within a DNA strand immobilized in a biological nanopore using an integrated CMOS sensor

In this paper, we demonstrate the application of a novel current-measuring sensor (CMS) customized for nanopore applications. The low-noise CMS is fabricated in a 0.35μm CMOS process and is implemented in experiments involving DNA captured in an α-hemolysin (α-HL) nanopore. Specifically, the CMS is used to build a current amplitude map as a function of varying positions of a single-abasic residue within a homopolymer cytosine single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) that is captured and held in the pore. Each ssDNA is immobilized using a biotin-streptavidin linkage. Five different DNA templates are measured and compared: one all-cytosine ssDNA, and four with a single-abasic residue substitution that resides in or near the ~1.5nm aperture of the α-HL channel when the strand is immobilized. The CMOS CMS is shown to resolves the ~5A displacements of the abasic residue within the varying templates. The demonstration represents an advance in application-specific circuitry that is optimized for small-footprint nanopore applications, including genomic sequencing.
Retrograde transneuronal degeneration of optic fibers and their terminals in lateral geniculate nucleus of Rhesus monkey

Abstract In Rhesus monkey, the optic nerve fibers and their boutons were studied at 5, 14, 49, 79 and 180 days following ablation of the occipital lobe. Retrograde transneuronal degeneration in optic nerve terminals appeared as early as 14 days but lacked a uniform pattern. In some terminals, mitochondrial changes and/or smooth membranous proliferation were common. In others, depletion of synaptic vesicles was more pronounced. Rarely, these terminals were seen to undergo bulbous enlargement and to contain stacks of neurofilaments. Lamellated osmiophilic profiles and dense bodies together with glycogen particles were often encountered in late stages of degeneration. This irregular pattern of degeneration contrasted with the uniform filamentous change that the terminals are known to undergo when the optic nerves are severed. The reason for the lack of a consistent and synchronous degenerative pattern was attributed, mainly, to the difference in rate and severity of axonal reaction in geniculate neurons. Six months after the occipital lobectomy, swollen nerve fibers larger than the largest normal fibers were present, both in the geniculate nucleus and in the optic nerves proper. They displayed diverse changes and contained complex structures. They were similar to the altered fibers described in certain toxic neuropathies. The pathomechanism of retrograde transneuronal degeneration in retinal fibers was not clear; however, the phenomenon of ‘dying-back’ was invoked to explain this type of degeneration.
Protecting client privacy with trusted computing at the server

Current trusted-computing initiatives usually involve large organizations putting physically secure hardware on user machines, potentially violating user privacy. Yet, it's possible to exploit robust server-side secure hardware to enhance user privacy Two case studies demonstrate using secure coprocessors at the server.
Electromagnetic wave excitation and propagation in continuous coal mining tunnels

This paper presents findings of our full-wave simulation study of electromagnetic wave propagation properties in typical underground continuous coal mining tunnel environments. It discusses different wave mechanisms involved as well as several different novel wave-launching concepts such as water-filled dielectric rod antenna, ceiling bolt monopole array, and end-fired array on the arm of cutting drum.
Detection of breast cancer on screening mammography allows patients to be treated with less-toxic therapy.

OBJECTIVE. Therapy for breast cancer is accompanied by acute and chronic toxicity. Little research has been conducted to determine the impact of the mode of breast cancer detection on the likelihood of receiving different types of treatment. The objective of this study was to determine whether detection of breast cancer on screening mammography is associated with less-toxic therapy.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The study group for this retrospective cohort study consisted of 992 women with invasive breast cancer detected on screening mammography (n = 460) or at physical examination (n = 532) at a single institution between 1990 and 2001. To address the generalizability of study findings, we compared the characteristics of study participants with those diagnosed with breast cancer in a population-based mammography registry.RESULTS. The patients whose breast cancer was detected on screening mammography more frequently had lymph nodes free of metastases (84% vs 58%, p < 0.0001), had smaller tumors (1.5 vs 2.9 cm, p...
Supplemented Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) Improves Performance Measures in the Emergency Department

Abstract Background: Emergency Department (ED) crowding is well recognized, and multiple studies have demonstrated its negative effect on patient care. Study Objectives: This study aimed to assess the effect of an intervention, Supplemented Triage and Rapid Treatment (START), on standard ED performance measures. The START program complemented standard ED triage with a team of clinicians who initiated the diagnostic work-up and selectively accelerated disposition in a subset of patients. Methods: This retrospective before–after study compared performance measures over two 3-month periods (September–November 2007 and 2008) in an urban, academic tertiary care ED. Data from an electronic patient tracking system were queried over 12,936 patients pre-intervention, and 14,220 patients post-intervention. Primary outcomes included: 1) overall length of stay (LOS), 2) LOS for discharged and admitted patients, and 3) the percentage of patients who left without complete assessment (LWCA). Results: In the post-intervention period, patient volume increased 9% and boarder hours decreased by 1.3%. Median overall ED LOS decreased by 29 min (8%, 361 min pre-intervention, 332 min post-intervention; p p p
Effects of long-term exposure to silver or copper on growth, bioaccumulation and histopathology in the blue mussel Mytilus edulis

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the long-term accumulation of either silver or copper from low concentrations in seawater by blue mussels, Mytilus edulis . Mussels raised from eggs in the laboratory to the age of 2·5 months (approximately 4·5 mm in length) were continuously exposed to 0, 1, 5 and 10μg/liter of either silver (nitrate) or copper (chloride) and sampled at 12, 18 and 21 months for growth studies, measurements of metal accumulation and histopathological examination. Whole-body soft tissues were analyzed for the presence of both silver and copper, as background levels of copper in the incoming seawater averaged 2–4 μg/liter. Mussels exposed to silver had accumulated significant amounts of silver only at the highest test concentration (10 μg/liter Ag) after 12 months, but at 18 and 21 months significant levels were accumulated at all three test concentrations. Mussels exposed to copper accumulated significant amounts of copper at 5 and 10 μg/liter Cu after all three sampling periods, but not at 1μg/liter. Silver-exposed animals also accumulated significantly greater amounts of copper than control animals. In a comparative study, field-collected juvenile mussels (approximately 16·1 mm in shell length) and adult mussels (approximately 53·4 mm in shell length) were exposed for 12 months to 0, 5, 25 and 50 μg/liter silver only and subsequently sampled for metal-accumulation analyses and growth measurements. Juvenile mussels accumulated significant amounts of silver at all test concentrations, with the exception of mussels exposed to 5 μg/liter Ag for 6 months. Copper accumulation in the silver-exposed juveniles was significant only at 50 μg/liter Ag after 6 months, but at all test concentrations after 12 months. Adult mussels exposed to silver accumulated significant levels of both silver and copper, but at somewhat lower levels than juveniles. In the growth study, silver had no effect on laboratory reared mussels at the highest concentration of 10 μg/liter tested, whereas copper at 10 μg/liter did appear to affect growth as early as 4 months after the start of experimental exposure. Field-collected juvenile mussels did show inhibition in growth after 6 months' exposure to 25 and 50 μg/liter Ag, with some growth occurring after 12 months. Adults also showed inhibition in growth after 6 months but not at 12 months. Histopathological examination of mussels exposed to either 5 or 10 μg/liter of copper for 18 months showed changes in the digestive diverticula, gastrointestinal tract, reproductive tract and muscle tissues. These changes were more noticeable in mussels exposed to 5 μg/liter Cu than in those exposed to 10 μg/liter. Mussels exposed to silver for 21 months showed yellowish to black particulate deposition in the basement membrane and connective tissue of the various organs and tissues. Silver deposition increased with increasing test concentration.
Minimal broadcast networks

Broadcast refers to the process of information dissemination in a communication network whereby a message, originated by one member, is transmitted to all members of the network. A minimal broadcast network is a communication network in which a message can be broadcast in minimum time regardless of originator. This paper describes several classes of minimal broadcast networks. An algorithm is presented which constructs minimal broadcast networks which have approximately the minimum number of lines possible.
Usability of residential thermostats: Preliminary investigations

Abstract Residential thermostats control 9% of the total energy use in the United States and similar amounts in most developed countries; however, the details of how people use them have been largely ignored. Five parallel investigations related to the usability of residential thermostats were undertaken. No single investigation was representative of the whole population, but each gave insights into different groups or usage patterns. Personal interviews revealed widespread misunderstanding of thermostat operation. The on-line surveys found that most thermostats were selected by previous residents, landlords, or other agents. The majority of occupants operated thermostats manually, rather than relying on their programmable features and almost 90% of respondents reported that they rarely or never adjusted the thermostat to set a weekend or weekday program. Photographs of thermostats were collected in one on-line survey, which revealed that about 20% of the thermostats displayed the wrong time and that about 50% of the respondents set their programmable thermostats on “long term hold” (or its equivalent). Low-income families were visited and their thermostats photographed. Even though 85% of the respondents declared that they use programming features to automatically raise or lower the temperature, the photos indicated that 45% were in hold. Laboratory tests were undertaken to measure usability of thermostats. A measurement protocol was developed and a metric was created that could quantitatively distinguish usability among five thermostats. This metric could be used to establish minimum levels of usability in programmable thermostats and other energy-using devices with complex controls.
Optical pulse propagation at negative group velocities due to a nearby gain line

For a pulse with carrier frequency detuned less than an atomic plasma frequency but outside a narrow Lorentzian gain line, the group velocity will be negative. Unlike propagation at the center of an absorption line, the energy velocity is approximately equal to the group velocity, and is also negative. We show that a classical Gaussian pulse with such a carrier frequency will propagate at the negative group velocity for many atomic plasma wavelengths, before dispersion deforms the pulse shape. The peak of the transmitted pulse leaves the gain medium before the peak of the incident pulse enters, i.e., the pulse is transmitted superluminally. For a sufficiently long medium the exit pulse is well resolved from a comparison pulse traveling through an equal distance of vacuum. There is no conflict with causality, as numerical simulations with a switched-on Gaussian demonstrate. We propose an experiment to observe this kind of propagation by sending a pulsed probe beam through a Xe gas cell pumped to achieve inversion.
Sinus rhythm electrocardiogram identification of basal-lateral ischemic versus nonischemic substrate in patients with ventricular tachycardia

Purpose Sinus rhythm (SR) electrocardiogram (ECG) features in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) and ventricular tachycardia (VT) have been described. ECG characteristics that distinguish nonischemic VT substrate from prior myocardial infarction (MI) have yet to be determined. We aimed to identify ECG differences between patients with basal-inferolateral scar due to NICM versus prior MI.
Quantitative N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of an anti-DNP and an anti-DNP-p-aminobenzoylglutanmate antibody light chain preparation using high pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry☆

Abstract The light chians of specifically purified antibodies to DNP-bovine gamma globulin (DNP-BGG) and DNP- p -aminobenzoylglutamate-BGG (DNP-ABG-BGG) were isolated and their N-teminal amino acid sequences were determined. The amino acid compositoni at each locus of the N-terminus was quantitatively determined for 20 steps using high pressure liquid chromatography-mass sepctrometry to identify the amino acid phenylthiohydantoin derivatives isolated at each step from the automatic protein sequencer. In this manner it wa observed tha the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the anti-DNP antibody light chain preparation wa at most loci essentially the same as that of the anti-DNP-ABG antibody light chain. It was also observed that voth antibody L-chains were equally structurally heterogenous, having a region near the N-terminus exhibiting hypervariability in teh manner previously descrived for other rabbit L-chains. The variability and sequence homology between the two L-chain preparations are discussed in light of the composite sequence data published for other rabbit anti-hapten L-chains.
Evaluation of a contract breeding management program in Ohio dairy herds: Test day summary and economic measures

Abstract A field study was conducted to assess the impact of a contract breeding program that was offered by a breeding co-operative and featured tail chalking and daily evaluation of cows for insemination by co-operative technicians; dairy employees no longer handled estrous detection and insemination activities. From early 2002until mid-2004, herd-level test day summary records related to production and reproduction were obtained for 32 herds identified as well-managed client herds of the breeding co-operative. Using analyses that controlled for other predictors and random herd-level effects, average days to first service were less by 13 days ( P =0.0037) and estrous detection rate was greater by 12% ( P =0.0011) for program than for non-program herds. Although first service conception rate was slightly less and the program herds used 0.34 more services per conception ( P =0.1488) than non-program herds, the program herds averaged 16 fewer days before pregnancy ( P =0.028). Test day summary information and representative estimates of feed, milk, and semen prices were used in a spreadsheet-based model to estimate a partial budget annuity value for an average cow in each herd on each test day. Value of an average cow from a contract herd did not significantly differ from a non-contract herd, even though the analyses suggested an economic benefit for the program herds; the modeling did not, however, account for costs of the program implementation. Additional analyses did not find any significant associations between technician and on days to first service, first service conception rate, estrous detection rate, services per conception, or days open.
Cognitive and Metacognitive Activity in Mathematical Problem Solving: Prefrontal and Parietal Patterns

Students were taught an algorithm for solving a new class of mathematical problems. Occasionally in the sequence of problems, they encountered exception problems that required that they extend the algorithm. Regular and exception problems were associated with different patterns of brain activation. Some regions showed a Cognitive pattern of being active only until the problem was solved and no difference between regular or exception problems. Other regions showed a Metacognitive pattern of greater activity for exception problems and activity that extended into the post-solution period, particularly when an error was made. The Cognitive regions included some of parietal and prefrontal regions associated with the triple-code theory of (Dehaene, S., Piazza, M., Pinel, P., & Cohen, L. (2003). Three parietal circuits for number processing. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 20, 487–506) and associated with algebra equation solving in the ACT-R theory (Anderson, J. R. (2005). Human symbol manipulation within an 911 integrated cognitive architecture. Cognitive science, 29, 313–342. Metacognitive regions included the superior prefrontal gyrus, the angular gyrus of the triple-code theory, and frontopolar regions.
Social anxiety symptoms and drinking behaviors among college students: the mediating effects of drinking motives

The impact of social anxiety on negative alcohol-related behaviors among college students has been studied extensively. Drinking motives are considered the most proximal indicator of college student drinking behavior. The current study examined the mediating role of drinking motives in the relationship that social anxiety symptoms have with problematic (alcohol consumption, harmful drinking, and negative consequences) and safe (protective behavioral strategies) drinking behaviors. Participants were 532 undergraduates who completed measures of social anxiety, drinking motives, alcohol use, harmful drinking patterns, negative consequences of alcohol use, and protective behavioral strategy use. Our results show that students with higher levels of social anxiety symptoms who were drinking for enhancement motives reported more harmful drinking and negative consequences, and used fewer protective behavioral strategies. Thus, students who were drinking to increase their positive mood were participating in more problematic drinking patterns compared with students reporting fewer social anxiety symptoms. Further, conformity motives partially mediated the relationship between social anxiety symptoms and negative consequences. Thus, students with more symptoms of social anxiety who were drinking in order to be accepted by their peers were more likely than others to experience negative consequences. Clinical and research implications are discussed.
Pseudosymmetry with Z′ = 4 in 1,3-propanesultone at 100 K

The asymmetric unit of the low-melting title compound, C 3 H 6 O 3 S, contains four molecules at low temperature. The conformations of two of the five-membered rings are envelopes, one has the half-chair conformation, and the fourth is intermediate between an envelope and a half-chair. S=O distances range from 1.424 (2) to 1.436 (2) A, S-O distances from 1.582(2) to 1.587 (2) A, and S-C distances from 1.760(3) to 1.776 (3) A. The crystal structure contains approximate centers, 2 1 screw axes, and translations. Above 180K, the compound exists as a polymorph in which these symmetry operations are exact, and Z' = 1.