cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
WE-C-WAB-11: Improved the Accuracy of Prostate Delineation for Ultrasound-Guided CT-Based Treatment Planning in Prostate HDR Brachytherapy: A Pilot Study with MRI Validation

Purpose: In CT‐based prostate High‐Dose‐Rate (HDR) brachytherapy, catheter (needle) placement is commonly performed under the guidance of intra‐operative transrectal ultrasound (TRUS), while treatment planning is based on post‐operative CT images. The main challenge for CT‐based treatment planning is to accurately define target (prostate) volume in CT images due to the poor soft‐tissue contrast. To overcome this limitation, we propose a novel approach that integrates intra‐operative ultrasound‐based prostate volume into treatment planning through TRUS‐CT fusion based on the catheter locations. Methods: Our approach requires acquisition of 3D TRUS prostate images in the operating room right after the HDR catheters are inserted, which takes 1–3 minutes. These TRUS images are then used to create prostate contours. The HDR catheters are reconstructed from the intra‐operative TRUS and post‐operative CT images, and subsequently used as landmarks for the TRUS‐CT image fusion using a fuzzy‐to‐deterministic algorithm. After TRUS‐CT fusion, the TRUS‐based prostate volume is deformed to the CT images for treatment planning. This technique was evaluated through two studies: a prostate‐phantom study and a pilot study with 9 patients undergoing HDR treatment for prostate cancer. The accuracy of our approach is assessed through the locations of 3 implanted fudicial (gold) markers, as well as previous T2‐weighted MR images of patients. Results: For the phantom study, the mean gold‐marker displacement was 0.41±0.11 mm. For the 9 patients, the mean gold‐marker displacement of was 1.09±0.25mm; the prostate volume difference between our approach and the MRI‐based volume was 6.99±0.68%, and the prostate volume Dice Overlap Coefficient was 92.66±1.17%. Conclusion: We have developed a novel approach to improve prostate contours utilizing intra‐operative TRUS‐based prostate volume in CT‐based prostate HDR treatment planning, demonstrated its clinical feasibility, and validated its accuracy with MRIs. This technique will improve prostate delineation, enable accurate dose planning and delivery, and potentially enhance prostate HDR treatment outcome.
Formation of organized nanostructures from unstable bilayers of thin metallic liquids

Dewetting of pulsed-laser irradiated, thin (<20 nm), optically reflective metallic bilayers on an optically transparent substrate with a reflective support layer is studied within the lubrication equations model. A steady-state bilayer film thickness (h) dependent temperature profile is derived based on the mean substrate temperature estimated from the elaborate thermal model of transient heating and melting/freezing. Large thermocapillary forces are observed along the plane of the liquid-liquid and liquid-gas interfaces due to this h-dependent temperature, which, in turn, is strongly influenced by the h-dependent laser light reflection and absorption. Consequently the dewetting is a result of the competition between thermocapillary and intermolecular forces. A linear analysis of the dewetting length scales established that the non-isothermal calculations better predict the experimental results as compared to the isothermal case within the bounding Hamaker coefficients. Subsequently, a computational non-linear dynamics study of the dewetting pathway was performed for Ag/Co and Co/Ag bilayer systems to predict the morphology evolution. We found that the systems evolve towards formation of different morphologies, including core-shell, embedded, or stacked nanostructure morphologies.
Dynamics of Topological Defects in Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes during Catalytic Growth

Nucleation and healing of structural defects in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) studied through reactive molecular dynamics simulations (RMD) and RMD trajectories reveal formation and healing mechanisms of various topological defects on the catalyst surface. A quality percentage of nanotubes is measured by calculating the amount of hexagons per carbon atom relative to the same quantity for a perfect nanotube of the same length. Following this approach, the concentration of defects is estimated for nanotubes grown on catalysts with different sizes and morphologies and for various temperatures and gas-phase densities. From this analysis, we identify specific catalyst morphologies that favor the growth of SWCNTs with low defect concentration. Vacancies, 5–7, and Stone–Wales defects are observed to nucleate distinctly in the tubes depending on the catalyst morphology. We find that a strong interaction between the catalyst surface and the graphitic lattice of the nanotube is absolutely necessary for he...
Graft-versus-host reactions in mice. II. Antagonism between marrow and thymus cells.

Abstract Irradiated (600 R) F1 hybrid mice were grafted with parental thymus and/or marrow cells, and survival time, proliferation, and erythropoiesis in spleen, and content of bone marrow and spleen erythropoietic progenitor cells were determined. Thymus cells alone effected a fatal graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR), and survival times were inversely related to inoculum size. Marrow syngeneic with thymus antagonized this lethal effect. Synergistic splenic proliferation by marrow-thymus cell grafts was observed to be due to enhancement of erythropoiesis and not GVHR. Marrow and spleen progenitor cells were suppressed by grafts of thymus cells alone, but were replenished by marrow-thymus cell mixtures, and were of donor origin. Marrow cells allogeneic with thymus cells failed to protect, to proliferate synergistically, or to replenish progenitor cells. A regimen of cortisol that suppresses antibody formation but not erythropoiesis did not prevent marrow-thymus cell antagonism. Thus, marrow syngeneic with thymus cells antagonizes the GVHR by supplying progenitor cells which are not subject to attack but are stimulated by a small and decreasing host stem cell pool.
Miocene extension in the East Range, Nevada: A two-stage history of normal faulting in the northern basin and range

The East Range in northwestern Nevada is a large, east-tilted crustal block bounded by west-dipping normal faults. Detailed mapping of Tertiary stratigraphic units demonstrates a two-phase history of faulting and extension. The oldest sedimentary and volcanic rocks in the area record cumulative tilting of ~30°–45°E, whereas younger olivine basalt fl ows indicate only a 15°–20°E tilt since ca. 17–13 Ma. Cumulative fault slip during these two episodes caused a minimum of 40% extensional strain across the East Range, and Quaternary fault scarps and seismic activity indicate that fault motion has continued to the present day. Apatite fi ssion track and (U-Th)/ He data presented here show that faulting began in the East Range ca. 17–15 Ma, coeval with middle Miocene extension that occurred across much of the Basin and Range. This phase of extension occurred contemporaneously with middle Miocene volcanism related to the nearby northern Nevada rifts, suggesting a link between magmatism and extensional stresses in the crust that facilitated normal faulting in the East Range. Younger fault slip, although less well constrained, began after 10 Ma and is synchronous with the onset of low-magnitude extension in many parts of northwestern Nevada and eastern California. These fi ndings imply that, rather than migrating west across a discrete boundary, late Miocene extension in western Nevada is a distinct, younger period of faulting that is superimposed on the older, middle Miocene distribution of extended and unextended domains. The partitioning of such middle Miocene deformation may refl ect the infl uence of localized heterogeneities in crustal structure, whereas the more broadly distributed late Miocene extension may refl ect a stronger infl uence from regional plate boundary processes that began in the late Miocene.
The S1 Gene From Reovirus Type 1 is Required for Immunosuppression

efficacy of praziquantel in the treatment of 22 patients with Clonorchis/Opisthorchis infections. Tropenmed Parasitol 1981;32:157-60 14. LOscher T, Nothdurft H-D, Priifer L, von Sonnenburg F, Lang W. Praziquantel in clonorchiasis and opisthorchiasis. Tropenmed Parasitol 1981;32:234-6 15. Pungpak S, Bunnag D, Harinasuta T. Clinical and laboratory evaluation of praziquantel in opisthorchiasis. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 1983;14:363-6 16. Pearson RD, Guerrant RL. Praziquantel: a major advance in anthelminthic therapy. Ann Intern Med 1983;99:195-8 17. Stoll NR. Investigations on the control of hookworm disease. XV. An effective method of counting hookworm eggs in feces. Am J Hyg 1923;3:59-70 18. Hartley JPR, Douglas AP. A case of clonorchiasis in England. Br Med J 1975;3:575 19. Sepuya SM. Bithionol therapy in Clonorchis sinensis infestation in Canada [letter]. Can Med Assoc J 1976;115:299 20. Rider JA, Devereaux RG, Moeller HC. Clonorchiasis: treatment with chloroquine phosphate. Gastroenterology. 1967;52:267-71
Eliminating electrification hazards.

One of the most important things in eliminating electrification hazards is the removing of electric charge, especially when a textile material is subjected to rubbing more than once. In this article the electrification of textiles is represented by an equivalent closed circuit. Results of the author's experiments are as follows: (1) Electrification of textiles can be represented by a D. C. circuit. (2) The circuit theory suggests that the generation of static charge on textiles is affected by a series of resistances or by an external electromotive force, and this is proved by the author's experiments. (3) These facts can be used as static eliminators. (4) Static eliminators based on corona works on two types of neutralization.
Optical Measurements of Lung Microvascular Filtration Coefficient Using Polysulfone Fibers

Lung fluid balance, which is governed by the product of net transvascular pressure difference and lung filtration coefficient, can be altered in pulmonary diseases. A simple measurement of the lung filtration coefficient (Kfc) would be clinically useful and has been examined by several researchers. Current methods of determining Kfc include gravimetric measurement in isolated lungs and lymph node cannulation, neither of which can be extended to human use. Optical measurements of protein concentration changes in venous blood can be combined with pressure measurements to calculate Kfc. Blood, though, contains red corpuscles, which tend to absorb and scatter light, obscuring these optical measurements. In this study, an optical system was developed in which a polysulfone filter cartridge was used to remove red blood cells before the filtrate was passed through a spectrophotometer. Absorbance changes caused by changes in concentration of albumin labeled with Evans Blue were monitored at 620 nm after venous pressure was elevated by about 13 cm H2O. Optical measurements of Kfc averaged 0.401 +/- 0.074 (ml/min cm H2O 100 g DLW) for an isolated canine lung. Optical measurements of Kfc (0.363 +/- 0.120 ml/min cm H2O 100 g DLW) were made for the first time in an intact, closed chest sheep in which pulmonary pressure was altered by inflating a Foley balloon in the left atrium. We conclude that absorbance and scattering artifacts introduced by red blood cells can be eliminated by first filtering the blood through polysulfone fibers. Kfc measurements using the optical method are similar to values obtained by others using gravimetric methods. Finally, we have demonstrated that the technique can be used to estimate Kfc in an intact animal.
THE KINETIC AND THERMODYNAMIC INFLUENCE OF FLUORINE VERSUS METHYL SUBSTITUENTS IN METHYLENECYCLOPROPANE REARRANGEMENTS

Abstract A comprehensive review of the kinetic and thermodynamic influences of methyl and fluorine substituents on the methylenecyclopropane rearrangement is presented. In spite of a superficial similarity of the overall influence of these two substituents, methyl's effect derives largely from the incremental nature of its radical- and alkene-stabilizing, and steric impact, while fluorine's effect derives from its large and non-incremental influence on the strain of cyclopropane coupled with its similarly variable effect on the stability of alkenes and free radicals.
The Magnetoresistance of Bismuth Crystals at Low Temperatures

Using bismuth monocrystals at 4.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, the magnetoresistive behavior of the metal has been investigated in fields ranging to 100 000 gauss. The crystals were mounted transverse to the field with the principal crystalline axis parallel to the specimen axis. It is observed that the magnetoresistance oscillates at twice the frequency of the susceptibility oscillations of the de Haas-van Alphen effect. The resistance oscillation is separated into two frequency components, one twice the other, and each component is related to a group of electrons having a certain effective mass. The group which is thought to be primarily responsible for the de Haas-van Alphen effect produces magnetoresistance oscillations of small amplitude and of the same frequency. The other group yields larger amplitude resistance oscillations of twice this frequency. Resistance minima have been found at fields of 23.2, 12.5, 8.8 and 6.5 kilogauss when the field is perpendicular to a binary axis of the crystal. The results are discussed in terms of the theory of Davydov and Pomeranchuk, and yield a degeneracy temperature of about 210\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K.
On sequential density estimation

We consider the problem of sequential estimation of a density function f at a point x0 which may be known or unknown. Let Tn be a sequence of estimators of x 0 . For two classes of density estimators f n , namely the kernel estimates and a recursive modification of these, we show that if N(d) is a sequence of integer-valued random variables and n(d) a sequence of constants with N(d)/n(d)→ 1 in probability as d → 0, then f N(d) (T N(d) -f(x0) is asymptotically normally distributed (when properly normed). We also propose two new classes of stopping rules based on the ideas of fixed-width interval estimation and show that for these rules, N(d)/n(d) → 1 almost surely and EN(d)/n(d) → 1 as d → 0. One of the stopping rules is itself asymptotically normally distributed when properly normed and yields a confidence interval for f(x0) of fixed-width and prescribed coverage probability.
An epidemiologic study of nosocomial infections in a pediatric long-term care facility

Abstract Objective: To determine the incidence of hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infection in pediatric long-term care facilities. Design: Prospective cohort. Setting: An 87-bed pediatric long-term care facility. Patients: All patients receiving long-term care at Bloorview Children's Hospital during the study period. Results: Infection developed in 40.1% of patients ( n = 456). The nosocomial infection rate per 1000 patient days (mean, 7.84) varied substantially, from 1.66 in May 1988 to 16.37 day in April, 1989. The proportional frequencies of infections were as follows: respiratory, 41.6% (37.0% upper, 4.6% lower); urinary tract, 31.0%; skin, 15.6% (gastric tube site 5.0%, other 10.6%), eyes, 6.4%; gastrointestinal, 3.5%; and other, 1.5%. Of those infections for which an organism was recovered (48.5%), pathogens included Escherichia coli (22.5%), Enterococcus (14.8%), Staphylococcus (14.8%), Streptococcus (11.2%), Klebsiella (10.5%), Pseudomonas (10.1%), Proteus (4.3%), yeast (4.3%), Salmonella (0.7%), Clostridium difficile (0.4%), and other (6.2%). Conclusions: The incidence and nature of infections in pediatric long-term care facilities differs from those in acute care facilities. Physicians should become familiar with the infection rates in the populations whom they treat. Control requires compliance with currently recognized effective strategies as well as innovative practical approaches to respiratory disease. Behavioral problems related to frequent clean, intermittent catheterization in young adults need to be addressed.
Candide: a statistical machine translation system

The Candide project has two objectives. First, we want to develop a fully-automatic, large vocabulary, French-to-English translation system. Second, we want to develop an interactive translator's workstation that will increase the speed and productivity of a human translator. The philosophy of the project is to combine, within a probabilistic framework, both statistical information acquired automatically from bilingual corpora and linguistic knowledge provided by human experts.
The Zone of Social Abandonment in Cultural Geography: On the Street in the United States, Inside the Family in India

This essay examines the spaces across societies in which persons with severe mental illness lose meaningful social roles and are reduced to “bare life.” Comparing ethnographic and interview data from the United States and India, we suggest that these processes of exclusion take place differently: on the street in the United States, and in the family household in India. We argue that cultural, historical, and economic factors determine which spaces become zones of social abandonment across societies. We compare strategies for managing and treating persons with psychosis across the United States and India, and demonstrate that the relative efficiency of state surveillance of populations and availability of public social and psychiatric services, the relative importance of family honor, the extent to which a culture of psychopharmaceutical use has penetrated social life, and other historical features, contribute to circumstances in which disordered Indian persons are more likely to be forcefully “hidden” in domestic space, whereas mentally ill persons in the United States are more likely to be expelled to the street. However, in all locations, social marginalization takes place by stripping away the subject’s efficacy in social communication. That is, the socially “dead” lose communicative efficacy, a predicament, following Agamben, we describe as “bare voice.”
Does new technology adoption pay? Electronic switching patterns and firm-level performance in US telecommunications

Abstract This paper investigates the impact of new switching technology adoption on firms' performance in the US telecommunications industry. The sample evaluated consists of 40 of the key firms in the local operating sector. Performance is first investigated cross-sectionally for 1987, and then changes in performance between 1978 and 1987 are assessed with respect to changes in technology composition that have taken place during that period. Performance at the level of the firm is measured using data envelopment analysis (DEA), with DEA being used to compute input-conserving and output-augmenting measures of performance. These measures are then regressed against a set of variables capturing the impact of new technology, as well as controlling for other factors. Cross-sectionally, it is found that those firms which have adopted a greater proportion of electronic switching display significantly superior efficiency in resource utilization, though the impact of new technology on output-augmentation is weak. Similar, and stronger, patterns are found when changes in performance over time is evaluated, and new technology adoption, which is generally expected to improve firm-level performance, has had a strong positive impact on firms in the US telecommunications industry.
Silica-based functional fibers with enhanced nonlinearity

Optical nonlinearity observed in silica glass is relatively low among various materials which are optically transparent.
The Epidemiology of Modern Test Score Use: Anticipating Aggregation, Adjustment, and Equating

In his thoughtful focus article, Haertel (this issue) pushes testing experts to broaden the scope of their validation efforts and to invite scholars from other disciplines to join them. He credits ...
Topographic influence on surface winds

Using data collected during 1975–1976 from a meteorological network operating in the vicinity of the Columbia Generating Site approximately 8 km south of Portage, Wis., the influence of the Baraboo Hills on the surface wind field is determined. Half-hour means of wind speed and direction measured at 9 m at three sites were used to compute divergence and vorticity using Bellamy's method. The data were grouped into 18 sectors each 20 deg wide and averages computed for each quantity. Results indicate that for wind directions perpendicular to the eastern edge of the Baraboo Hills, the surface (9m) wind field is significantly perturbed up to 4 km from the bluffs. The largest convergence of 2.1 × 10−4 s−1 occurs with 160 deg wind direction and the largest divergence of 1.2 × 10−4 s−1 with 290 deg wind direction. The maximum anticyclonic vorticity was 1.6 × 10−4 s−1 at 210 deg and the maximum cyclonic vorticity was 1.6 × 10−4 s−1 at 330 deg.
Clinical response and miR-29b predictive significance in older AML patients treated with a 10-day schedule of decitabine

A phase II clinical trial with single-agent decitabine was conducted in older patients (>or=60 years) with previously untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who were not candidates for or who refused intensive chemotherapy. Subjects received low-dose decitabine at 20 mg/m(2) i.v. over 1 h on days 1 to 10. Fifty-three subjects enrolled with a median age of 74 years (range, 60-85). Nineteen (36%) had antecedent hematologic disorder or therapy-related AML; 16 had complex karyotypes (>or=3 abnormalities). The complete remission rate was 47% (n = 25), achieved after a median of three cycles of therapy. Nine additional subjects had no morphologic evidence of disease with incomplete count recovery, for an overall response rate of 64% (n = 34). Complete remission was achieved in 52% of subjects presenting with normal karyotype and in 50% of those with complex karyotypes. Median overall and disease-free survival durations were 55 and 46 weeks, respectively. Death within 30 days of initiation of treatment occurred in one subject (2%), death within 8 weeks in 15% of subjects. Given the DNA hypomethylating effect of decitabine, we examined the relationship of clinical response and pretreatment level of miR-29b, previously shown to target DNA methyltransferases. Higher levels of miR-29b were associated with clinical response (P = 0.02). In conclusion, this schedule of decitabine was highly active and well tolerated in this poor-risk cohort of older AML patients. Levels of miR-29b should be validated as a predictive factor for stratification of older AML patients to decitabine treatment.
An empirical "dependent economy" model for Pakistan

Abstract Pakistan's recent macroeconomic experience has been characterized by rapid growth, relatively low inflation, and the absence of severe balance-of-payments crises, in spite of very large fiscal deficits. This paper addresses the possible role that external inflows, in the form of workers' remittances and concessional lending, may have played in generating these outcomes by conducting counterfactual simulations using an empirically estimated “dependent economy” macroeconomic model.
Ground Shock Resistance of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls

AbstractA simple analytical method has been developed that characterizes plane shock wave propagation through reinforced soil and the dynamic interaction between soil and retaining wall panels. The shock wave attributable to an explosion in the backfill was modeled as a velocity boundary condition at a standoff distance from the wall. The exact solution to this problem was obtained using the Laplace transform method. Full-scale explosive test data from 4.6-m-high and 24-m-wide reinforced soil walls were used to validate the analytical methodology. The accuracy of the analytical method has further been verified by finite-element analysis. The method is adequate for the response analysis of mechanically stabilized embankment walls under ground shock attributable to an explosion in the backfill.
Effect of boron in drinking water on the male laboratory rat.

Boron is required by certain higher plants, but its role in animal systems has not been determined (NICHOLAS and EGAN 1975). A maximum safe level of 5 mg B/L in livestock drinking water has been proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (1973). However, no maximum safe level has been set for public water supplies (EPA 1975). Boron can occur in surface waters due to industrial uses and negligible quantities are removed during sewage treatment (WAGGOT 1969). In a brief survey of waters in the Great Basin, GREEN and WEETH (1977) found concentrations of boron in a number of samples to exceed the safe maximum suggested for livestock by EPA (1973).
Sensitivity Limitations Due to Aliased High Frequency Phase Noise in High Channel-Count TDM Interferometric Arrays

We present an analysis and experimental data on the effects of high frequency phase noise in time division multiplexed sensor arrays. It is shown that for large arrays this effect can be a dominate source of noise. Results on a 64 channel TDM system are discussed.
An equilibrium relationship for shear velocity and apparent roughness lenght in aeolian saltation

Abstract An equilibrium relationship between shear velocity and apparent surface roughness is established for aeolian saltation. Velocity profiles of wind over blowing sand were digitized from eleven published data sets. The 106 profiles were analyzed to obtain estimates of shear velocity and apparent surface roughness lenghts. These values were used to test Charnock's relationship for suitability in aeolian environments. The results indicate that z 0 = 0.0091 u ∗ 2 /g . Modifying Charnock's model to describe wind over an equilibrium saltation field yields z 0 − (2D 50 /30) = 0.0252 (u ∗ −u ∗t ) 2 /g . The latter result is used to demonstrate that the focal point concept proposed by Bagnold stems from the increase in apparent roughness with increased shear velocity. The results demonstrate an excellent example of threshold-controlled equilibrium in dynamic systems.
A comparison of longitudinal and transverse approaches to ultrasound-guided axillary vein cannulation

Abstract Objective The axillary vein is an easily accessible vessel that can be used for ultrasound-guided central vascular access and offers an alternative to the internal jugular and subclavian veins. The objective of this study was to identify which transducer orientation, longitudinal or transverse, is better for imaging the axillary vein with ultrasound. Methods Emergency medicine physicians at an inner-city academic medical center were asked to cannulate the axillary vein in a torso phantom model. They were randomized to start with either the longitudinal or transverse approach and completed both sequentially. Participants answered questionnaires before and after the cannulation attempts. Measurements were taken regarding time to completion, success, skin punctures, needle redirections, and complications. Results Fifty-seven operators with a median experience of 85 ultrasound procedures (interquartile range, 26-120) participated. The frequency of first-attempt success was 39 (0.69) of 57 for the longitudinal method and 21 (0.37) of 57 for the transverse method (difference, 0.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.12-0.51 [ P = .001]); this difference was similar regardless of operator experience. The longitudinal method was associated with fewer redirections (difference, 1.8; 95% CI, 0.8-2.7 [ P = .0002]) and skin punctures (difference, 0.3; 95% CI, −2 to +0.7 [ P = .07]). Arterial puncture occurred in 2 of 57 longitudinal and 7 of 57 transverse attempts; no pleural punctures occurred. For successful attempts, the time spent was 24 seconds less for the longitudinal method (95% CI, 3-45 [ P = .02]). Conclusions The longitudinal method of visualizing the axillary vein during ultrasound-guided venous access is associated with greater first-attempt success, fewer needle redirections, and a trend of fewer arterial punctures compared with the transverse orientation.
Dynamics of mitral regurgitation during nitroglycerin therapy: a Doppler echocardiographic study

Seven patients with decompensated chronic heart failure and functional mitral regurgitation were studied before and during administration of nitroglycerin at a mean dose of 42 micrograms/min (range 20 to 90 micrograms/min). Forward aortic flow obtained by pulsed Doppler increased significantly from 35 +/- 8 to 45 +/- 9 ml/beat (p less than 0.001) and correlated well with the cardiac output measured by thermodilution technique (r = 0.8). Whereas regurgitant mitral volume calculated from the difference between echocardiographic total stroke volume and forward aortic flow decreased significantly from 19 +/- 9 to 3 +/- 3 ml/beat (p less than 0.001), peak velocity of mitral regurgitant flow increased from 4.1 +/- 0.9 to 4.4 +/- 1.0 m/sec (p less than 0.05). The decrease in effective mitral regurgitation area derived from a modified Gorlin formula average 80%. Accordingly, in patients with decompensated chronic heart failure and functional mitral regurgitation, nitroglycerin decreases mitral regurgitant area substantially, and thus almost abolishes mitral regurgitation despite an increase in systolic pressure gradient between left ventricle and atrium. Moreover, the increase in forward flow can be entirely accounted for by the reduction in mitral regurgitant flow.
Symmetry Classification of the One­Dimensional Second Order Equation of a Hydrodynamic Type

Abstract The paper contains a symmetry classification of the one–dimensional second order equation of a hydrodynamical type L(Lu)+λLu=F (u), where L ≡ ∂ t+u∂ x. Some classes of exact solutions of this equation are given.
Rural Physician Satisfaction: Its Sources and Relationship to Retention

This study uses survey data to identify areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction for primary care physicians working in rural areas across the country. It also identifies the specific areas of satisfaction associated with longer retention within a given rural practice, as well as the characteristics of individuals, practices, jobs, and communities associated with the areas of satisfaction that predict retention. Study subjects comprised a sample of 1,600 primary care physicians who moved to nonmetropolitan counties nationwide during the years 1987 through 1990, with oversampling of those who moved to federally designated health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). Physicians serving in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) were excluded. Sixty-nine percent of the eligible subjects returned completed mail questionnaires in 1991. Analyses for this study were limited to the 620 primary care physicians who worked more than 20 hours per week in towns of fewer than 35,000 population; who were neither in the military nor the NHSC; and who were not in urgent care, emergency room, or full-time teaching positions. Analyses revealed that the areas of rural physicians' greatest satisfaction were their relationships with patients, clinical autonomy, the care they provided to medically needy patients, and life in small communities. Physicians were least satisfied with their access to urban amenities and the amount of time they spent away from their practices. Retention was independently associated only with physicians' satisfaction with their communities and their opportunities to achieve professional goals. Retention was also marginally related to physicians' satisfaction with their earnings. Among the areas of satisfaction not related to retention were satisfaction with autonomy, access to medical information and consultants, and the quality of doctor-patient relationships. In a subsequent series of analyses of the factors that predict the three areas of satisfaction that were associated with retention (satisfaction with the community, professional goal attainment, and earnings), a variety of physician, work, and community factors were identified. These findings reveal that specific features of rural physicians, their work, and their communities predict each of the various aspects of satisfaction and that only certain aspects of satisfaction predict rural physicians' retention. There are no magic bullets to make rural physicians satisfied in all ways. Nevertheless, there are identified approaches to elevate the specific aspects of rural physicians' satisfaction important to their retention. Programs to improve the satisfaction of rural physicians should focus on those areas of satisfaction that predict longer retention and other important outcomes.
A very linear noncontact displacement measurement with a hall-element magnetic sensor

Two very linear methods for noncontact position measurement are described. They are based on a relative movement between a Hall-element magnetic sensor and a constant gradient static magnetic field. One method depends on measuring the radial component of the field along a bar magnet at a definite distance from the axis of symmetry. The linearity achieved is approximately 0.1 percent over 75 percent of the magnet length. In the second method, the sensor measures the axial field between two opposing axially magnetized discs. In both methods the output signal is symmetrically opposite with respect to the travel midpoint.
The Development of Psychological Well-Being Among First-Year College Students

The first year of college constitutes a time of substantial transition for incoming students. For many traditional-age students, adjusting to college can include tasks that are as mundane as doing one’s own laundry for the first time, or as complex as finding meaning in one’s life and deciding on a future career. Clearly, students vary greatly in their ability to cope with and adjust to these new challenges, and some students face far more challenges than others. Those who adapt effectively to their new social and academic environment are much more likely to persist in college and ultimately earn a degree (Tinto, 1993). As a result, a great deal of attention has been paid to improving college students’ first-year experience (for an extensive review, see Upcraft, Gardner, & Barefoot, 2004). A potentially important resource for successfully accomplishing this life transition is positive psychological functioning, otherwise known as psychological well-being (PWB). As Ryff (1989) has demonstrated, the skills and perceptions that comprise PWB are crucial for successfully engaging in meaningful relationships, navigating one’s environment, and realizing one’s fullest potential throughout the lifespan. In other words, PWB is important not only for students making the transition to college, but also for individuals at any age. This study explores the factors associated with PWB among incoming college students and the experiences that contribute to changes in PWB during the first year. CoNCeptuAl FrAmework
Tertiary Pacific Plate Motion Deduced from the Hawaiian-Emperor Chain

Nearly all linear island and seamount chains on the Pacific plate are parallel to small circles generated about either a Hawaiian pole at 72° N., 83° W. or an Emperor pole at 17° N., 107° W. The rates of rotation of the Pacific plate relative to the Hawaiian melting (hot) spot are calculated from age data from the Hawaiian-Emperor chain. Extrapolation of the known age progression along the Hawaiian chain yields a 27-m.y. estimate of the age of the Hawaiian-Emperor bend; however, recent radiometric ages from Koko seamount in the southern Emperor chain indicate that the Hawaiian-Emperor bend is 42 to 44 m.y. old. The Pacific plate apparently moved slowly, if at all, relative to the Hawaiian melting spot from about 20 to 42–44 m.y. ago. The rates of rotation calculated are 1.3° per m.y. about the Hawaiian pole (0 to 20–25 m.y.), The proposed rotational motion of the Pacific plate relative to the Hawaiian melting spot can be used to predict ages of seamounts and islands in other chains if the various melting spots are fixed with respect to one another. Almost all ages from other chains are consistent with the rotational model except for two K-Ar ages from the Austral chain. The proposed rotational motion of the Pacific plate can be used to reconstruct a paleomagnetic polar path of the Pacific plate if the melting spots are fixed with respect to the spin axis. The melting-spot polar path agrees well with the Late Cretaceous and limited Neogene paleomagnetic data. However, an extension of this polar path through the Late Cretaceous based on the Line Islands appears to be inconsistent with existing paleomagnetic data. The assumption that melting spots are fixed relative to the spin axis (and therefore the equator) can be tested by comparing the equatorial belt of high sedimentation with the sediment distribution predicted by the rotational-plate motion model. Almost every Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) site presently located just north of the equator has its highest sedimentation rate at the time when the melting-spot motion model predicts that it was located at the equator. An equatorial sedimentation model adapted after Winterer (1972) is combined with the melting-spot motion model to generate a predicted isopach map of the post-middle Eocene equatorial sediments. The resulting isopach map is remarkably similar to the Ewing and others (1968) map of actual isopachs determined by seismic profiling. No data at present require motion of the Hawaiian melting spot relative to the spin axis. The tectonic histories of Japan and the Aleutians appear to reflect the proposed discontinuities of Pacific plate motion.
ThE rOlE Of ThE SElf iN PErSPECTivE-TakiNg aNd EMPaThY: EaSE Of SElf-SiMulaTiON aS a hEuriSTiC fOr iNfErriNg EMPaThiC fEEliNgS

When judging their empathic reactions for another person, people may rely on a relatively effortless, self-based heuristic: the ease with which they can imagine themselves in the other person’s position. We present four studies showing that observers are more empathic to the extent that they can easily imagine themselves in the target’s position, across a wide variety of need domains. Furthermore, we find that use of this “ease of self-simulation heuristic” (ESS), like other judgment heuristics, is conditioned by certain predictable factors: when deliberate attempts are made to take the perspective of the target person (Study 1), when the target’s needs are ambiguous (Study 2), and when the observer’s ability to engage in more effortful perspective-taking processes are constrained by performing a cognitively demanding second task (Study 3). In the discussion, we evaluate our findings in light of contemporary theorizing on the role of the self in perspective-taking and empathy.
Predicting the Scenic Quality of Forest Road Corridors

The use of scenic beauty maps to select scenic road corridors rests on two assumptions, which were tested in experiments using color slides of forest scenes. One experiment showed that the scenic quality of an individual scene did not depend on whether the scene was presented to observers as representing a general area or as part of a sequence of views from a road. The second experiment showed that the overall scenic beauty of a short sequence of slides representing a section of road could be predicted by the mean scenic beauty of the individual scenes within the sequence.
A blueprint for an office-based emergencies course.

We describe the development and implementation of an office-based emergencies course for podiatric medical students. The program included a didactic session along with clinical skills stations incorporating task trainers, high-fidelity simulators, and a standardized patient. We tailored the course to the level of the junior podiatric medical student. The primary goal of this program was to provide a review on how to handle selected office-based medical emergencies. This course focused on complications of common chronic medical conditions, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and hypertension, along with other unexpected emergencies, such as altered mental status, seizure, and syncope. In developing such a course, it is important to keep in mind the level of the learner and resources such as faculty availability and the facilities available for teaching. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 102(4): 343–349, 2012)
Immunologic injury and atherosclerosis.

Injury to the arterial wall is probably a primary causative factor in arteriosclerosis (Anitschkow, 1933; Duff, 1935; Rossle, 1944; Hass, 1955; Taylor, 1955; Waters, 1955; Constantinides, 1965; Minick et al., 1966; Haust, 1971; Minick and Murphy, 1973). Injury, the resulting inflammation, and subsequent repair may favor the deposition and accumulation of blood-borne lipid at the site of injury. Therefore, it is essential for our understanding of human arteriosclerosis to discover the causes of injury and the nature of the local reactive changes that may be important in man. In this regard Dr. McMillan (this publication) reminded us earlier that the reaction of arterial mesenchyme to syphilitic injury could lead to atherosclerosis. Moreover, rheumatic injury to the aorta, heart valves, and coronary arteries can lead to atherosclerosis of these structures (Zeek, 1932; Murphy, unpublished observations, 1973). Data obtained from clinical observations and from experiments indicate that immunological injury plays an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatic cardiovascular disease (Murphy, 1960) and also may be important in the pathogenesis of syphilitic cardiovascular disease (Chesney, 1926). Finally, immunological reactions are known to cause release of vasoactive substances that may alter vascular permeability and thereby favor deposition of blood-borne lipid in the arterial wall (Kniker and Cochrane, 1965; Cochrane, 1971). Thus, an immunological response to many antigens including those in infecting microorganisms, vaccines, antibiotics, and other drugs, foods, and tobacco, as well as immunological response to substances in one’s own tissues may be an important causative factor in an even greater amount of arterial disease in man, some of which may evolve as athero-arteriosclerosis.
A nested set approach for building recursive XML tree structures from relational databases

Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a popular format for the interchange of data between disparate, heterogeneous systems. However, when hierarchical data is exchanged between relational database management systems (RDBMSs), the full expressive power of XML is often ignored. A major factor is the inability of RDBMSs to manipulate hierarchical data, such as an organization chart. We address this by replacing traditional link tables with a nested set approach, which has several benefits: SQL queries may be used to extract data subtrees and perform aggregate functions on them; nested set data may be converted to and from the hierarchical XML form; and the hierarchical structure is explicitly included with the data. It is important for servers to be able to manipulate subtrees quickly and efficiently in order to fill data requests from their clients. In this paper, we adapt a nested set approach to include recursive, hierarchical XML data. An algorithm is presented to use nested set information to restore the original XML document without requiring the entire tree to be reconstructed by a procedural language, and it is tested and evaluated with a prototype application. Our approach allows two relational systems to efficiently exchange subtree data as XML hierarchical data instead of merely using XML as a wrapper around relational data.
Robust control theory of linear time-varying multidimensional dynamical systems

Aspects of the problem of robust control theory and mathematical modelling and simulation of large time-varying multidimensional dynamical systems are treated. Such systems can also include certain nonlinear control theory problems with respect to construction and synthesis of feedback control laws. In order to accomplish a large-scale computer simulation of such systems, it is necessary to treat both discretized and continuous version. >
A functional polymorphism in the monoamine oxidase A gene promoter

We describe a new polymorphism upstream of the gene for monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), an important enzyme in human physiology and behavior. The polymorphism, which is located 1.2 kb upstream of the MAOA coding sequences, consists of a 30-bp repeated sequence present in 3, 3.5, 4, or 5 copies. The polymorphism is in linkage disequilibrium with other MAOA and MAOB gene markers and displays significant variations in allele frequencies across ethnic groups. The polymorphism has been shown to affect the transcriptional activity of the MAOA gene promoter by gene fusion and transfection experiments involving three different cell types. Alleles with 3.5 or 4 copies of the repeat sequence are transcribed 2–10 times more efficiently than those with 3 or 5 copies of the repeat, suggesting an optimal length for the regulatory region. This promoter region polymorphism may be useful as both a functional and an anonymous genetic marker for MAOA.
An 8 – 18 GHz wideband SiGe BiCMOS low noise amplifier

In this paper, an 8 – 18 GHz wideband low noise amplifier (LNA) with an active balun fabricated in a 0.13-µ m SiGe BiCMOS technology was presented. The LNA achieves 16-dB of gain with 1.5 dB variation over the 8GHz to 18 GHz frequency band and a matched input with less than −9 dB of reflection. The minimum noise figure (NF) is 5 dB at 8GHz and increases to 6 dB at 18GHz. The measured IIP3 is −15-dBm with 17 mA total current consumption from 2.2V supply.
An Analytical Model for Primary User Emulation Attacks in Cognitive Radio Networks

In this paper, we study the denial-of-service (DoS) attack on secondary users in a cognitive radio network by primary user emulation (PUE). Most approaches in the literature on primary user emulation attacks (PUEA) discuss mechanisms to deal with the attacks but not analytical models. Simulation studies and results from test beds have been presented but no analytical model relating the various parameters that could cause a PUE attack has been proposed and studied. We propose an analytical approach based on Fenton's approximation and Markov inequality and obtain a lower bound on the probability of a successful PUEA on a secondary user by a set of co-operating malicious users. We consider a fading wireless environment and discuss the various parameters that can affect the feasibility of a PUEA. We show that the probability of a successful PUEA increases with the distance between the primary transmitter and secondary users. This is the first analytical treatment to study the feasibility of a PUEA.
Trends in Prokaryotic Evolution Revealed by Comparison of Closely Related Bacterial and Archaeal Genomes

In order to explore microevolutionary trends in bacteria and archaea, we constructed a data set of 41 alignable tight genome clusters (ATGCs). We show that the ratio of the medians of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitution rates (dN/dS) that is used as a measure of the purifying selection pressure on protein sequences is a stable characteristic of the ATGCs. In agreement with previous findings, parasitic bacteria, notwithstanding the sometimes dramatic genome shrinkage caused by gene loss, are typically subjected to relatively weak purifying selection, presumably owing to relatively small effective population sizes and frequent bottlenecks. However, no evidence of genome streamlining caused by strong selective pressure was found in any of the ATGCs. On the contrary, a significant positive correlation between the genome size, as well as gene size, and selective pressure was observed, although a variety of free-living prokaryotes with very close selective pressures span nearly the entire range of genome sizes. In addition, we examined the connections between the sequence evolution rate and other genomic features. Although gene order changes much faster than protein sequences during the evolution of prokaryotes, a strong positive correlation was observed between the "rearrangement distance" and the amino acid distance, suggesting that at least some of the events leading to genome rearrangement are subjected to the same type of selective constraints as the evolution of amino acid sequences.