cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Concurrent Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analyses of Multivariate White Matter Profiles and Clinical Functioning in Pre-Diagnosis Huntington Disease.

BACKGROUND Gray matter (GM) atrophy in the striatum and across the brain is a consistently reported feature of the Huntington Disease (HD) prodrome. More recently, widespread prodromal white matter (WM) degradation has also been detected. However, longitudinal WM studies are limited and conflicting, and most analyses comparing WM and clinical functioning have also been cross-sectional. OBJECTIVE We simultaneously assessed changes in WM and cognitive and motor functioning at various prodromal HD stages. METHODS Data from 1,336 (1,047 prodromal, 289 control) PREDICT-HD participants were analyzed (3,700 sessions). MRI images were used to create GM, WM, and cerebrospinal fluid probability maps. Using source-based morphometry, independent component analysis was applied to WM probability maps to extract covarying spatial patterns and their subject profiles. WM profiles were analyzed in two sets of linear mixed model (LMM) analyses: one to compare WM profiles across groups cross-sectionally and longitudinally, and one to concurrently compare WM profiles and clinical variables cross-sectionally and longitudinally within each group. RESULTS Findings illustrate widespread prodromal changes in GM-adjacent-WM, with premotor, supplementary motor, middle frontal and striatal changes early in the prodrome that subsequently extend sub-gyrally with progression. Motor functioning agreed most with WM until the near-onset prodromal stage, when Stroop interference was the best WM indicator. Across groups, Trail-Making Test part A outperformed other cognitive variables in its similarity to WM, particularly cross-sectionally. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that distinct regions coincide with cognitive compared to motor functioning. Furthermore, at different prodromal stages, distinct regions appear to align best with clinical functioning. Thus, the informativeness of clinical measures may vary according to the type of data available (cross-sectional or longitudinal) as well as age and CAG-number.
Phase-difference on seal whisker surface induces hairpin vortices in the wake to suppress force oscillation

Seals are able to use their uniquely shaped whiskers to track hydrodynamic trails generated 30 s ago and detect hydrodynamic velocities as low as 245 [Formula: see text]m s-1. The high sensibility has long thought to be related to the wavy shape of the whiskers. This work revisited the hydrodynamics of a seal whisker model in a uniform flow, and discovered a new mechanism of seal whiskers in reducing self-induced noises, which is different from the long thought-of effect of the wavy shape. It was reported that the major and minor axes of the elliptical cross-sections of seal whisker are out of phase by approximately 180 degrees. Three-dimensional numerical simulations of laminar flow (Reynolds number range: 150-500) around seal-whisker-like cylinders were performed to examine the effect of the phase-difference on hydrodynamic forces and wake structures. It was found that the phase-difference induced hairpin vortices in the wake over a wide range of geometric and flow parameters (wavelength, wavy amplitude and Reynolds number), therefore substantially reducing lift-oscillations and self-induced noises. The formation mechanism of the hairpin vortices was analyzed and is discussed in details. The results provide valuable insights into an innovative vibration reduction and hydrodynamic sensing mechanism.
Application of Constrained Multi-objective Evolutionary Algorithm in a Compressed-air Station Scheduling Problem

The compressor station is the utility that generates the compressed-air. This paper aims to present the formulation of the operation scheduling optimization problem for a compressor station, and apply a constrained multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, named CMOEA/D-CDP, to solve the problem. For this problem, it can be defined as one of the nonlinear 0–1 mixed integer multi-objective optimization problems due to the decision variables including continuous variables and 0–1 integer variables. In light of the relation between the unit commitment and rotational speed of a compressor station, a special encoding scheme which decreases the dimension of decision variables is proposed to change this nonlinear 0–1 mixed integer multi-objective optimization problem into a nonlinear continuous multi-objective optimization problem. The result obtained by CMOEA/D-CDP is a set of Pareto optimal solutions, which can help a decision maker select a specific preferred solution to guide the production under the different limits of objectives. Experimental results on two typical compressor stations indicate that the proposed encoding scheme shows apparent superiority compared to the normal encoding method.
Femtosecond optical curing of SU-8 photoresist

SU-8 photoresist has been applied to three-dimensional (3D) patterning of photonics, micro/nanoelectromechanical systems and microfluidics. SU-8 photoresist can be patterned by absorption of ultraviolet radiation using a photomask; however, diffraction effects in the bulk resist and the use of a 2D mask limits complex 3D structure design. Direct laser writing (DLW) using multiphoton absorption can produce complex, sub-diffraction limited structures in the resist, but controlling DLW in SU-8 is complicated by many competing processes. Using 100 fs pulses at 1.7 μm, we reliably develop SU-8 photoresist via femtosecond optical curing on glass substrate and avoid competition from two, three, and four photon absorption processes. We verify optical curing of the resist by developing the resist without a post-bake.
Preferences and comfort of maternal fetal medicine fellows in the United States with operative vaginal deliveries

The objective of this study was to determine the current landscape of vacuum and forceps-assisted vaginal delivery (FAVD) preferences and comfort across maternal fetal medicine (MFM) fellows in the...
Pharmacotherapy for Obesity-Trends Using a Population Level National Database.

Despite the growing trend of obesity, the utilization of anti-obesity therapeutic interventions is not robust in the USA. We aimed to analyze the trends of anti-obesity pharmacotherapy using a population level database. We used an electronic health record-derived database (Explorys, IBM Watson Health) to identify adults with obesity (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2), 2010–2019. Annual rates of anti-obesity pharmacotherapy were analyzed. To assess post-bariatric utilization of these medications, the trend of adults with morbid obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m 2) who were newly started on anti-obesity medications after sleeve gastrectomy was also analyzed. Among 11,195,020 adults with obesity, 274,160 (2.4%) were prescribed anti-obesity medications during the study period with an increase from 1.1% in 2010 to 2.9% in 2019 (p < 0.0001). A total of 900 (3.5%) of those with morbid obesity were started on weight loss medications within 5 years of sleeve gastrectomy. Women [odds ratio (OR) 3.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.51–3.58], individuals under 50 years (OR 1.59, CI 1.57–1.60), non-Hispanics (OR 1.12, 1.10–1.14, p < 0.0001), African Americans (OR 1.18, CI 1.16–1.19), Medicaid (OR 1.70, CI 1.67–1.73), and commercial insurance holders (OR 2.46, 2.43–2.49) were more likely to receive anti-obesity pharmacotherapy, p < 0.001 for all comparisons. There has been a modest increase in the prevalence of anti-obesity medications in the last 10 years, but they remain significantly underutilized. Further studies addressing the barriers to anti-obesity pharmacotherapy might help in increasing the utilization of these medications among adults with obesity.
Changes in knee range of motion after large osteochondral allograft transplantations

Abstract Background Our study purpose was to determine if primary osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplant surgeries for large (>4 cm2) single-surface, multisurface, or bipolar articular defects in the knee would be associated with significant gains in knee range of motion (ROM) at ≥1-year follow-up when compared to preoperative ROM. Methods Patients were prospectively enrolled into a dedicated registry to follow outcomes after OCA with or without meniscal allograft transplantation using Missouri Osteochondral Preservation System (MOPS)-preserved allografts. Patients were included if they had surgery to repair at least one osteochondral defect, and when at least one year of ROM data and Visual Analog Scale pain scores were available. Data on complications and reoperations, patient-reported outcome measures, compliance with rehabilitation, revisions, or failures were recorded. Results For patients who met inclusion criteria after OCA surgery (n = 75), overall ROM increased from 127.8 ± 17 degrees preoperatively, to 130.5 ± 14 post-operatively. Non-compliance was the largest factor contributing to postoperative ROM lag or loss. Knee manipulation/lysis of adhesion rates were comparable to rates in TKA and ACL procedures (2.96–4.54% for ACL/TKA, 4% for OCAs in the present study). Conclusion Results suggest that OCA with or without meniscal allograft transplantation in the knee using high-viability grafts, advanced graft cutting and implantation techniques, and procedure-specific rehabilitation protocols can result in consistently successful outcomes in a high percentage (92%) of selected patients. Most patients (95%) can expect to regain, or improve, to “full” functional range of motion (130°) at 1 year after surgery such that highly functional activities can be performed. Level of Evidence: Cohort study; Level III.
A Rational Approach to Business Entity Choice

This Article reinvigorates the entity rationalization movement and will ultimately argue that there are only three necessary entity options: corporations, partnerships, and nonprofit organizations. Part I defines the issue of entity proliferation and, along with the Appendix, presents a state-by-state analysis of the types of legal entities available, an endeavor that has not yet been conducted. The Appendix contains a chart that enumerates each legal entity available in each of the fifty states and the District of Columbia. Part II discusses the problems associated with entity proliferation from the perspective of the public, potential business owners, small business attorneys, and judges. Part III discusses the necessity and utility of several of these entities and ultimately argues for entity rationalization and dictating the steps necessary to address the issues.
Strengthening career adaptation among school teachers in Pakistan: Test of strengths-based career intervention imparted through emotionalized learning experiences.

This study demonstrated that the Exemplary Teaching intervention offered to Pakistan's school teachers through the emotionalized learning experiences (ELE) format fared better than that offered through the teacher-centered methodology as regards the development of career adaptability, teaching self-efficacy, and work engagement from Time 1 to Time 2. Analyses to explore the development of career variables from Time 2 to Time 4 revealed that only the teachers who were offered the ELE intervention effectively engaged in step-by-step career construction over the academic year. Theoretical contributions of the results and implications for offering future career interventions amid COVID-19 are also discussed. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10775-021-09502-2.
The Metaphysics of the Calculus

Publisher Summary This chapter describes and analyzes the interplay of philosophical and technical ideas during several significant phases in the development of the calculus. The background of nonstandard analysis as a viable calculus of infinitesimals that provides a more precise assessment of certain historical theories is discussed in the chapter. The basic ideas of nonstandard analysis are sketched in two sections––a comprehensive development of the theory and a more detailed discussion of the historical issues. Some examples that suffice to give a hint on the way the differential and integral calculus can be developed within the framework of nonstandard analysis are also provided in the chapter. Ordinary analysis deals with finite quantities and penetrates as far as infinity itself. It compares the infinitely small differences of finite quantities; discovers the relations among these differences; and introduces the relations among finite quantities, which are infinite as compared with the infinitely small quantities. The problem of the nature of infinitary notions is still of central importance in the philosophy of mathematics.
Strongly Subspectral Polymeric Series Containing the Cyclobutadiene Moiety

Series of strongly subspectral molecular graphs (i.e. having a preponderance of common eigenvalues) corresponding to conjugated hydrocarbon polyenes containing cyclobutadiene moieties are presented and their HMO electronic/structural properties are studied. Analytical expressions for these series are derived. The first example of strongly subspectral series containing heteroatoms is presented.
Coalescence-induced jumping of nanoscale droplets on super-hydrophobic surfaces

The coalescence-induced jumping of tens of microns size droplets on super-hydrophobic surfaces has been observed in both experiments and simulations. However, whether the coalescence-induced jumping would occur for smaller, particularly nanoscale droplets, is an open question. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that in spite of the large internal viscous dissipation, coalescence of two nanoscale droplets on a super-hydrophobic surface can result in a jumping of the coalesced droplet from the surface with a speed of a few m/s. Similar to the coalescence-induced jumping of microscale droplets, we observe that the bridge between the coalescing nano-droplets expands and impacts the solid surface, which leads to an acceleration of the coalesced droplet by the pressure force from the solid surface. We observe that the jumping velocity decreases with the droplet size and its ratio to the inertial-capillary velocity is a constant of about 0.126, which is close to the minimum value of 0.111 predi...
Organic geochemical evidence for global fires at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary

MANY hypotheses have been advanced to explain the mass extinction at the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary1–3. Recently, Wolbach et al. 4 suggested that massive forest fires were triggered by the impact of a meteorite, and cite as evidence the presence of elemental carbon (mainly soot) from K/T boundaries5. Almost all of the airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) generated by pyrosynthesis are adsorbed, through hydrogen bonding, on the surface of soot, the participate fraction from combustion6,7. Although soot itself is a polymer of polybenzenoid radicals, early termination of polymerization leads to enhanced PAH production. Pyrosynthesis of PAHs is thus favoured by a chemically reducing atmosphere. If there were wildfires, a group of high-molecular-weight parent PAHs characteristic of combustion, predominating over their alkyl homologues8,11, should be present in K/T boundary samples known to contain soot4,5. Here we compare K/T samples from New Zealand, Italy and Denmark to those from above and below the boundary, and find enhanced PAH contents and distribution profiles that reflect a pyrolytic origin. The data thus provide the first detailed organic-molecular evidence for the combustion source of organic carbon at the K/T sites.
In vitro evaluation of reactive astrocyte migration, a component of tissue remodeling in glaucomatous optic nerve head.

In order to improve understanding of remodeling events in the glaucomatous optic nerve head, the migration of optic nerve head astrocytes was studied in vitro. Since elevated intraocular pressure is an important stress factor identified in glaucomatous eyes, optic nerve head astrocytes were incubated under physical stress created by elevated hydrostatic pressure. In addition, they were incubated in the presence of a chemical stimulus, lipolysaccharide (LPS). Migration of reactivated astrocytes in the presence of these stressors was examined using chambers in which cell migration through extracellular matrix-coated pores is only possible following proteolytic digestion of the matrix. We observed that the migratory ability of optic nerve head astrocytes was approximately 4-6 times greater following exposure to elevated hydrostatic pressure or LPS for up to 48 h. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase, protein kinase C, and tyrosine kinase were found to be involved in the signal transduction for activated migration of optic nerve head astrocytes in response to elevated hydrostatic pressure or LPS. In addition, we observed that the stress-induced migration of optic nerve head astrocytes, which is accompanied by proteolytic degradation, resulted in the formation of culture cavities containing mucopolysaccharides. These in vitro findings provide a clearer understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of characteristic tissue remodeling events that occur, in vivo, in the glaucomatous optic nerve head.
Promotion of ripening of `Gebhard' red `d'Anjou' pears by treatment with ethylene

Abstract Pears (Pyrus communis L., `d'Anjou'), `Gebhard' red strain, harvested at commercial maturity with flesh firmness (FF) of 64.5 N, did not ripen normally at 20°C even though the chilling requirement had been met by storage at −1°C. Treating fruit with 100 μl l−1 ethylene at 20°C for 3 days, followed by 14 days of a simulated transit period at −1°C, induced normal ripening at 20°C, with a climacteric-like rise in ethylene production, fruit softening, and reduction of extractable juice. Fruit did not ripen under these conditions without the ethylene treatment. A 3 day treatment with 100 μl l−1 ethylene readily induced pulp tissue to convert 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) to ethylene, regardless of the length of chilling. Tissue conversion of ACC to ethylene was also induced by holding fruit at −1°C for 2 months or longer. ACC synthase activity was induced only by ethylene treatment, and did not increase until the fruit had been transferred to 20°C for 3 days. Promotion of normal ripening in `Gebhard' red `d'Anjou' pears by ethylene treatment could be primarily attributed to the coordinate induction of ACC to ethylene conversion and ACC synthase, followed by increasing ACC synthase activity at 20°C.
Centripetal spread of endothelial cell mitotic activity in the artery leading to a rapidly growing tumor

Vascular proliferation and growth have been attributed either to biophysical forces in the vessel lumen or to chemical mediators. In this study growth and endothelial cell tritiated thymidine uptake in the spermatic artery of the rat during early growth of the Walker 256 carcinoma in the testicle were examined. Testicular blood flow was measured with radioactive microspheres; radioautography following administration of tritiated thymidine was employed to define the endothelial cell labeling index; angiography was employed to assess the diameter of the spermatic artery lumen; and the mass of the artery was determined directly. Endothelial proliferation in the spermatic artery was increased on the second day, simultaneous with rather than subsequent to a significant increase in blood flow to the testicle. Moreover, endothelial cell thymidine uptake began to decline well before the blood flow through the artery reached a maximum. A gradient in endothelial cell proliferation and in lumen diameter of the spermatic artery became apparent during tumor growth; the increase in both lumen diameter and endothelial cell thymidine uptake in the spermatic artery occurred first in the portions nearest the testicle and spread centripetally throughout the length of the artery over several days. Because the spermatic artery is an end artery, without branches and without a normal change in internal diameter, and because the increase in blood flow must have occurred throughout the length of the artery at the same time, we conclude that factors other than those related to an increase in blood flow were primarily responsible for the increase in endothelial cell turnover. These observations make a chemical messenger, perhaps moving retrogradely through cell-to-cell contact, the most likely candidate as the responsible mediator.
Influence of age and obesity on protein metabolism in rat epididymal adipose tissue and liver

3H-leucine incorporation and translation of ribosome-bound mRNA were examined in adipocytes, adipose and liver tissues of male Sprague Dawley and Fischer rats ranging in age from 1.5–24 months and 6.32 months, respectively. 3H-leucine incorporation into isolated fat cell protein and mRNA within polysomes, isolated from adipose and liver tissue homogenates, were translated in a liver pH 5 enzyme cell-free system. Protein synthesis and translation of ribosome-bound mRNA declined significantly with age in the liver and adipose tissue, by 40% at 18 months in Sprague Dawley rats, and by 50% at 24 months in Fischer rats. In the very old rats of both strains (24 to 32 months), there was a paradoxical enhancement (18.30%) in protein synthesis and protein synthetic activity of the ribosomes in adipose and liver tissues compared to the mature rats. This enhancement was associated with an apparent increase in fat cell number. The biphasic responses in tissue protein synthetic activity of the ribosomes coincided with a fractional shift from polysomea to monosomes. The paradoxical effects of extreme aging could relate to recruitment of newly differentiated, highly active adlpocytes in the fat depot. The recruitment may be triggered by cell enlargement associated with chronic obesity and/or extreme aging.
Shaping Tokyo: Land Development and Planning Practice in the Early Modern Japanese Metropolis:

From the mid-nineteenth century, Japanese elites experimented with foreign planning concepts and transformed their cities to respond to the demands of modernization. Even though they faced similar situations, knew about established European techniques, and had large open spaces available, they established planning practices that were different from those of their foreign counterparts, building on the country’s own urban history and form, particularities in landownership, development needs, urban planning techniques, and design preferences. This article highlights, first, key issues of landownership, urban form, and urban development in the Edo period (1603—1867) and provides an overview of the urban transformation of Tokyo concentrating on the era from the early Meiji period (1860s) to the reconstruction after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. It then examines the elements set up in the overview more closely through the study of three areas of Tokyo between the 1860s and the 1920s. The article highlights t...
Information dissemination by insiders in equilibrium

Abstract This paper generates an equilibrium explanation for partial disclosure of information by an insider to privileged associates. In our model, prices are set by competitive market makers in anticipation of trading volume, but not affected by the actual number of trades. Liquidity demand is not perfectly inelastic, but rather liquidity traders are sensitive to trading costs through a reservation price. Because profits from liquidity traders are bounded, the feasibility of an equilibrium depends on the balance between the number of associates, the precision of information and the number of liquidity traders. Partially, rather than fully, disclosing information alters this balance by limiting the informational advantage of individual associates. If the number of associates is exogenous, partial disclosure prevents market failure. If the insider chooses the number of associates, partial disclosure allows him to serve more associates but still increase total associate profits.
Using kinetic typography to convey emotion in text-based interpersonal communication

Text-based interpersonal communication tools such as instant messenger are widely used today. These tools often feature emoticons that people use to express emotion to some degree. However, emoticons still lack the ability to communicate the details of an emotional response, such as the speaker's tone of voice or intensity of emotion. In this paper, we hypothesize that kinetic typography - text that moves or changes over time - can address some of this problem by enhancing emotional qualities of text communication using its dynamic and expressive properties.This paper presents a study showing that a small sample of designers can create kinetic effects that end-users could employ to consistently convey emotion. In the study, three designers prepared 24 kinetic examples expressing four different emotions. We found that the examples were rated quite consistently by 66 participants. These findings provide a preliminary indication that designers can create predefined kinetic effects which can be applied to a variety of textual messages, and that these effects will reliably convey a particular emotional intent. The findings from this study inform design guidelines for designing an instant messaging client that uses kinetic typography presentation.
Influences of anisotropic tissue structure on reentrant circuits in the epicardial border zone of subacute canine infarcts.

Excitation in the epicardial border zone of 3-5-day-old canine infarcts was mapped with an array of 192 bipolar electrodes during sustained ventricular tachycardia. Reentrant circuits were found in which activation occurred around long lines of apparent conduction block based on the criterion that excitation on opposite sides of the lines occurred with marked disparity in time. When the lines of apparent block were functional (i.e., occurred only during tachycardia and not during sinus rhythm or ventricular pacing) they were oriented parallel to the long axis of epicardial muscle fiber bundles. Isochrones distal to the lines were oriented parallel to them because widely separate sites within these isochrones were activated nearly simultaneously. This suggested that excitation not only occurred around the lines of block but also slowly across them. This slow activation occurred transverse to the long axis of the myocardial fibers and therefore might result because of the anisotropic tissue properties. To test this hypothesis, the epicardial border zone was stimulated during sinus rhythm through electrodes around its margin and at the center of the recording array. Activation transverse to the myocardial fibers in regions where lines of block occurred during tachycardia was slow, whereas it was rapid parallel to fibers' orientation. During tachycardia electrograms along the lines of apparent block had long durations and were fractionated, a characteristic that can also result from activation transverse to the myocardial fiber long axis. Therefore, we propose that the parallel orientation of the muscle bundles in the epicardial border zone is an important cause of ventricular tachycardia because activation transverse to myocardial fibers is sufficiently slow to permit the occurrence of reentry.
Maintenance of alpha-ketoglutarate and succinate oxidation in E-deficient liver homogenates by alpha-tocopherol, a tocopherol metabolite, menadione and diphenylphenylenediamine.

RATS on a Torula yeast diet deficient in vitamin E and factor 3 show a metabolic disturbance in liver slices, termed respiratory decline, 1–2 weeks prior to succumbing to necrotic liver degeneration1. Dietary supplementation of vitamin E as well as intraportal injection of the vitamin prevents the disturbance, whereas dietary factor 3 (and also selenite) alleviates the decline without, however, preventing it fully. The effects following dietary, intraportal, and in vitro application of a number of antioxidants have been analysed. A tocopherol metabolite2 as well as diphenylphenylenediamine3 are effective, in vitro, in preventing the respiratory failure of liver slices. While mitochondria of the deficient livers show an accelerated diminution of succinate oxidation in the presence of dinitropyridine nucleotide4, homogenates of such livers, in previous work, did not show decline with glucose as substrate and optimal supplements of adenosine triphosphate and dinitropyridine nucleotide1. In this communication, a different homogenate system is described which shows respiratory decline with α-ketoglutarate or succinate as substrates. The preventive effects, in vitro, of tocopherol, the tocopherol metabolite (kindly supplied by Dr. Eric J. Simon of New York University College), menadione and diphenylphenylenediamine are demonstrated.
An Assessment of Motor Music Skill Development in Young Children

The purpose of this research was to describe the characteristics of motor music skill development in children aged three to six. Variations in development were also examined in relation to age, sex, race, community size, and previous musical instrument experience. Data were gathered via administration of the Motoric Music Skills Test (MMST) to 808 children selected from seven eastern Kansas communities. Measures of central tendency and variability for each age group indicated that the skills tested by the MMST improve with increases in chronological age. Inferential statistical procedures included a canonical analysis to reduce the number of independent variables, followed by a multiple analysis of variance. Race, community size, and previous musical instrument experience were not significantly related to test performance, and no interactions were discerned among the variables.
Quality measurement and improvement in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.

Case Presentation: A 46-year-old man with a past medical history significant for morbid obesity (body mass index of 66), hypertension, tobacco use, and dyslipidemia presented to an outside hospital with a non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and was transferred for coronary angiography. Femoral arterial access was obtained for an uncomplicated percutaneous intervention (PCI) with the use of unfractionated heparin and a glycoprotein IIB/IIIA inhibitor. After successful PCI of the right coronary artery with drug-eluting stent implantation, the femoral arteriotomy was closed without complication. Two hours after the completion of the procedure, the patient experienced ventricular fibrillation and respiratory arrest requiring prolonged resuscitation with a subsequent hematocrit level noted to be 12.5%. The patient was resuscitated with fluid and blood products. Emergent angiography showed no active iliofemoral contrast extravasation and a widely patent coronary stent. An abdominal CT scan without contrast confirmed the diagnosis of a retroperitoneal hemorrhage. Unfortunately, the patient experienced recurrent ventricular fibrillation, and he died despite additional resuscitative efforts. Cardiac catheterization is one of the most common invasive procedures performed in the United States.1 Although the benefits of cardiac catheterization remain great, the large number of procedures performed coupled with infrequent but potentially significant complications make the cardiac catheterization laboratory an important environment in which to constantly strive to improve quality. Although optimal patient outcomes remain paramount, state and national regulatory requirements, public reporting, and payers' interests in both outcomes and cost raise the importance of quality measurement and improvement in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.2 Minimal requirements for quality monitoring in the cardiac catheterization laboratory vary with individual state regulatory practices. As an example, in Massachusetts, data elements are collected and reported as mandated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, The Joint Commission, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and mandated participation in the American College …
Predicting detection limits of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and bioanalytical techniques in general

The detection limit is one of the most important performance parameters for bioanalytical techniques. Here we present a generic method to estimate the detection limit of biomolecular assays based on a step-by-step analysis of the assay procedure. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is used here as an example; however, much of the information presented in this article may be applied to other types of biomolecular assays and analytical techniques. A clear understanding of what affects the detection limit can help researchers to evaluate different bio-analytical techniques properly, and to design better strategies to optimize and achieve the best analytical performance.
Sorption of water vapor by starch. Thermodynamics and structural changes for dextrin, amylose, and amylopectin

Water vapor sorption isotherms of a commercial dextrin prepared by dry acid treatment, amylose recrystallized from n-butanol, and amylopectin precipitated from methanol were determined at various temperatures in the range of 10–40°C. The differential thermodynamic functions for water vapor sorption on the various materials were calculated, and B.E.T. constants were determined. A striking characteristic of the thermodynamic functions is the strong similarity for amylopectin and amylose. A model for the sorption is proposed. X-ray patterns for the starch samples equilibrated with water vapor at various relative pressures of water vapor were determined. The major changes are explicable on the basis of intramicellar swelling. As the relative pressures increase, the crystalline patterns gradually fade and disappear. However, some new spacings appear with increased sorption in amylose and amylopectin. These spacings are explained on the basis of the formation of transitory lattices during the swelling of the starch crystallites.
The role of multiple opioid receptors in the potentiation of reward by food restriction

Chronic food restriction and weight loss were previously shown to produce a naltrexone-reversible facilitation of perifornical lateral hypothalamic self-stimulation. In the present study, high affinity receptor-selective antagonists were used to determine the particular opioid receptor type(s) that mediates the facilitation of reward by food restriction. Separate groups of food-restricted and ad libitum fed rats were used to conduct i.c.v. dose-response studies with TCTAP (mu), norbinaltorphimine (kappa), and naltrindole (delta). The highest dose of naltrindole (50.0 nmol) raised self-stimulation threshold independently of feeding condition. This suggests that delta opioid activity is involved in self-stimulation under basal conditions and may explain previous findings that high systemic doses of naloxone or naltrexone reduce self-stimulation. The highest doses of TCTAP and norbinaltorphimine (5.0 and 50.0 nmol, respectively) reversed the lowering of self-stimulation threshold produced by food restriction while having no effect on thresholds of ad libitum fed rats. These results suggest that state-dependent mu and kappa opioid activity facilitate reward. Since food restriction is known to increase the rewarding effect of food and drugs of abuse, the opioid mechanism identified in the present study may mediate adaptive behavior and, under some circumstances, pathological behavior. The possible relation of state-dependent opioid activity to Anorexia Nervosa, binge eating, and the high comorbidity of eating disorders and substance abuse is discussed.
Characterization of Black Locust Floral Fragrance

ABSTRACT The floral fragrance headspace of living Robinia pseudoacacia was trapped on Tenax tube cartridges using air as the carrier. After solvent elution, the major components identified using GC/MS were δ-3-carene (54.6%), linalool (21%), (Z)-β-farnesene (3.0%) and anthranilate aldehyde (3.9%).
Perceived Risk of Burglary and Fear of Crime Individual- and Country-Level Mixed Modeling

Given the scarcity of prior studies, the current research introduced country-level variables, along with individual-level ones, to test how they are related to an individual's perceived risk of burglary (PRB) and fear of crime (FC), separately, by using mixed-level logistic regression analyses. The analyses of 104,218 individuals, residing in 50 countries, showed that country-level poverty was positively associated with FC only. However, individual-level variables, such as prior property crime victimization and female gender, had consistently positive relationships with both PRB and FC. However, age group and socioeconomic status were inconsistent between those two models, suggesting that PRB and FC are two different concepts. Finally, no significant difference in the pattern of PRB and FC was found between a highly developed group of countries and a less developed one.
First Report of Fusarium redolens Causing Root Rot of Soybean in Minnesota.

Multiple Fusarium species have been found in association with soybean (Glycine max) plants exhibiting root rot in the United States (3). Soybean plants that lacked apparent foliar symptoms, but exhibited 2- to 5-mm brown, necrotic taproot lesions and lateral root necrosis were observed in Minnesota in one field each in Marshall and Otter Tail counties in July of 2007, as well as in one field in Marshall County in July of 2008. Sampling was conducted as part of a study investigating root rot in major soybean-production areas of Minnesota. Plants were arbitrarily dug up at the R3 growth stage. Root systems were washed, surface disinfested in 0.5% NaOCl for 3 min, rinsed in deionized water, and dried. Fusarium isolates were recovered from root sections with necrotic lesions embedded in modified Nash-Snyder medium (1). One resulting Fusarium colony from one plant per county was transferred to half-strength acidified potato dextrose agar (PDA) and carnation leaf agar (CLA) to examine morphological characterist...
Residual strength of shock loaded RMI 38644

The influence of shock loading on the residual strength of RMI 38644 has been examined. Shock loading below 70 kbar resulted in a reduction in the residual/terminal strength. This decrease is thought to be due to the interaction of the planar shock wave and the initial microstructure. It is proposed that at low pressures the passage of the shock wave results in the reversion of athermal omega. Higher shock pressures yield increased dislocation densities and consequently higher yield strengths.
Note on the Transmutation Function for Deuterons

We consider the effect of the finite size and ready polarizability of the deuteron on the probability of transmutations involving the capture of the neutron. These have as a consequence that the Coulomb repulsion of the nucleus is less effective than for alpha-particles or protons, and that the corresponding transmutation functions increase less rapidly with deuteron energy. We treat the collision by the adiabatic approximation and obtain quantitative results for this energy dependence which are in good agreement with experiment.
Size at birth, infant growth, and blood pressure at three years of age.

Objectives Our aim was to determine the extent to which infant growth—in weight-for-length—from birth to 6 months is associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP) at 3 years and to determine whether this association varies with birth size. Study design In 530 children from the prospective cohort Project Viva, we measured birth length and 6-month weight and length with research standard instruments and SBP at age 3 years with a Dinamap automated recorder. We derived weight-for-length z-scores (WFL-z) and analyzed data with mixed effects regression models. Results The mean (SD) WFL-z was 0.47 (0.75) at birth and 0.70 (0.96) at 6 months. Mean (SD) SBP at 3 years was 91.7 (9.4) mm Hg. After adjusting for confounding variables and birth WFL-z, child SBP was 1.0 mm Hg (95% CI 0.2, 1.8) higher for each z-score increment in 6-month WFL-z. The SBP of children in the lowest birth WFL-z quartile and the highest 6-month WFL-z quartile was 5.5 mm Hg (95% CI 2.6, 8.4) higher than that of children in the highest birth and lowest 6-month WFL-z quartiles. Conclusions More rapid increase in weight-for-length, a measure of adiposity, in the first 6 months of life is associated with higher early childhood SBP, particularly in children who are thin at birth.
Enhancing supervised learning algorithms via self-organization

A neural network processing scheme is proposed which utilizes a self-organizing Kohonen feature map as the front end to a feedforward classifier network. The results of a series of benchmarking studies based upon artificial statistical pattern recognition tasks indicate that the proposed architecture performs significantly better than do conventional feedforward classifier networks when the decision regions are disjoint. This is attributed to the fact that the self-organization process allows internal units in the succeeding classifier network to be sensitive to a specific set of features in the input space at the outset of training. >
Authoritarianism and Attitudes Toward the Environment

Two studies of authoritarianism and environmental attitudes were under-taken. The first, a field study, found the opponents of a proposed riverside power plant to be less authoritarian and more environmentally concerned than supporters of the plants establishment. Overall, right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) correlated -.51 with environmental concern. The second study replicated this finding within a college sample, using a validated measure of environmental concern, the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) scale. NEP correlated -.54 with RWA. It is concluded that the relationship between authoritarianism and environmental concern is presently strong. Prospective explanations for this relationship revolve around the theoretical nature of authoritarianism.
Stabilization of novel organouranium compounds by the bulky 1,3-bis(trimethylsilyl)cyclopentadienyl ligand

Abstract The development and utilization of the 1,2 (1,3-bis(trimethylsilyl)cyclopentadienyl ligand (referred to as Cp″) by Professor M.F. Lappert has resulted in the preparation, isolation and X-ray characterization of several novel organolanthanide and -actinide compounds. This presentation will report the results of our X-ray structural studies of the following organouranium compounds: Cp″ 2 UCl 2 (I), Cp″ 2 U(BH 4 ) 2 (II), and Cp″ 2 U(OAr) 2 (III) where OAr = 2,5 -dimethylphenoxide. Compound (I) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with unit cell parameters a = 27.037(9), b = 7.084(3), c = 22.327(9) A, and β = 131.83(4)°. Final agreement factors of R = 0.020 and R w = 0.026 were obtained for 1701 observed reflections. The uranium atom resides on a crystallographic two-fold axis. The only unique UCl bond length is 2.579(2) A. The average UC distance is 2.72(1) A. Compound (II) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with unit cell parameters a = 27.731(9), b = 7.138(4), c = 22.561(9) A, and β = 132.45(5)°. The final R factor was 0.026 for 1199 observed reflections. (II) is isostructural with (I). The BH − 4 is coordinated to the uranium atom in a tridentate fashion. The UH bond lengths are in the range of 2.37–2.42 A. Compound (III) crystallizes in the triclinic space group P 1 with unit cell parameters a = 10.236(5), b = 10.830(6), c = 19.767(7) A, and α = 90.25(4), β = 92.20(4), and γ = 103.09(6)°. The final agreement factor was 0.039 for 4518 observed reflections. The UO bond distances are 2.12(6) and 2.109(6) A. A detailed discussion of the crystal and molecular structure of the above compounds will be presented and comparisons made with other organoactinide compounds already in the literature.
A method of atmospheric density measurements during Shuttle entry using UV laser Rayleigh scattering

A detailed study is described of the performance capabilities and the hardware requirements for a method in which ambient density is measured along the Space Shuttle flight path using on-board optical instrumentation. The technique relies on Rayleigh scattering of light from a pulsed, ultraviolet, ArF excimer laser operating at a wavelength of 193 nm. The method is shown to be capable of providing direct measurements of ambient density with an uncertainty of less than 1 percent and with a spatial resolution of 1 km, over an altitude range from 50 to 90 km. In addition, extensions of this concept are discussed that allow measurements of the shock wave location and the density profile within the shock layer. Two approaches are identified that appear to be feasible, in which the same laser system is used for the extended measurements as that required for the ambient density measurements.
Strategies of thermoregulation and foraging in two vespid wasps,Dolichovespula maculata andVespula vulgaris

D. maculata, the white-faced hornet, stabilized (regulated) thoracic temperature (T Th) over wide ranges of ambient temperature (T a), whileV. vulgaris, the common yellowjacket, regulatedT Th poorly. The hornets also maintained a higherT Th than the wasps, sometimes heating 38°C aboveT a. Attacking individuals of both species had higherT Th than those either leaving or returning to the nest from foraging. The hornets, who are primarily hunters of live prey, showed peak activity near dawn, and they were as active atT a=2°C as at 20°C. Being able to regulate theirT Th and fly at the lowT a should enhance their ability to capture small insects that are usually torpid at theseT a. The yellowjacket wasps, on the other hand, who are scavengers as well as hunters, did not leave the nest at 2°C; their activity decreased greatly with decreasingT a. Differences in the foraging technique of the two vespids may be related to their different abilities to thermoregulate.
Web Service versus Distributed Objects: A Case Study of Performance and Interface Design

Web services are promoted as a new model for distributed systems, yet many skeptics see them as simply a poor implementation of traditional remote procedure calls (RPC) or distributed objects. Previous comparisons, which show Web services to be significantly slower than RPC, are biased because they use a RPC communication style and ignore the document-oriented style that is recommended for Web services. We compare the straightforward design and implementation of a small file server application implemented using proxy-based RMI and document-oriented Web services. We show that Web services outperform RMI when accessing multiple/deeply nested files, especially over high-latency networks. However, the automatically generated Web service interfaces are awkward to use, so we develop a technique for wrapping the Web service to make it as easy to use as the distributed object implementation. This case study provides a more detailed comparison of the relationship between Web services and distributed objects.
Excitation of ''atoms'' by fast particles in the high-momentum-transfer limit

Several years ago Potapov showed that in the high-momentum-transfer limit the leading contribution to the differential cross section for excitation of hydrogen atoms by fast electrons comes from the second-Born term, and not the first-Born term, if the proton is treated as infinitely massive. In this paper further insight into the origin of this remarkable result is provided. I discuss, in the high-momentum-transfer limit, the excitation of an ''atom'' composed of two particles of arbitrary masses m/sub 1/ and m/sub 2/. In the case that m/sub 1/ = infinity, a simple heuristic derivation of the second-Born differential cross section is given. For m/sub 1/ finite it is found that there are two competing mechanisms for producing excitation; one corresponds to the first-Born and the other to the second-Born term. Both the first- and second-Born terms have a ''near singularity'' at the ''critical'' mass m/sub 1/ = infinity; these near singularities radically alter the asymptotic dependence of the matrix elements on the momentum transfer and cause the second-Born term to dominate over the first-Born term at the critical mass. Away from the critical mass, however, the second-Born term may not dominate over the first-Born term.