cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Derived and enhanced compound action potentials at near-threshold levels: Forward masking increases sensitivity of audiograms and tuning curves

Abstract The amplitude of a cochlear nerve compound action potential (CAP) can be increased by forward maskers having levels close to the visual detection threshold of the CAP. This effect, termed enhancement, varies as a function of the frequency of the masker and probe stimulus, and is nonmonotonic with respect to the level of the masker. Other studies using the derived CAP have used a subtraction technique to evaluate the ability of simultaneous maskers having levels near the CAP visual detection threshold to influence the CAP produced by an above threshold tone. The present paper compares audiograms produced by the conventional nonmasked CAP visual detection threshold technique with audiograms produced by both forward masked derived CAPs and forward masked enhanced CAPs. In response to low and middle frequency stimuli, both masked CAP measures produce more sensitive audiograms than does the conventional nonmasking method. Forward masked amplitude tuning curves (TCs) were also produced, comparing the conventional 50% amplitude reduction and 20 μV amplitude reduction methods with TCs obtained with derived and enhanced CAPs. When the same criteria are used, both masked CAP measures result in sharply tuned amplitude TCs that are approximately 60 dB more sensitive than the conventional CAP technique. At near-threshold levels, the properties of forward masked enhanced and derived CAPs appear to be similar.
The PRIME Lab gas ionization detector

Abstract A gas ionization detection system was built for optimal identification of AMS radionuclides, in particular 10 Be and 36 Cl. For 36 Cl, a combination of 1) the difference in arrival times for electrons at two anode plates and 2) a novel split anode plate has led to a reduction in misidentified 36 S. A peak-stabilizing routine incorporated in the data acquisition system has allowed us to run at higher counting rates. Changing to propane gas has reduced random signal amplitude shifts.
Neonatal Morbidity and Mortality After Elective Cesarean Delivery

This article explores the effects of elective cesarean delivery (ECD) at term on neonatal morbidity and mortality. Available data have limitations, and do not provide conclusive evidence regarding the safety of planned ECD versus planned vaginal delivery. Some data suggest an association between ECD and increased neonatal respiratory morbidity and lacerations, and possibly decreased central and peripheral nervous system injury. Potentially increased risks of neonatal mortality with ECD at term may be counterbalanced by risks for fetal demise in ongoing pregnancies. Patients and physicians considering ECD should review competing risks and benefits; further research is needed to inform these discussions.
Trichomonas gallinae: use of solid medium to test survival under various environmental conditions.

Abstract A technique for growing colonies was used to quantitate the viability of cell suspensions of Trichomonas gallinae under different in vitro conditions. Survival in suspensions was followed by colony counts of samples taken at intervals to 12 hr. The 4 diluents studied were (1) distilled H2O, (2) 0.6% NaCl, (3) modified Ringer's, and (4) Krebs-Ringer phosphate. Two temperatures were compared, ambient and 4 C, and both logarithmic and stationary phase cells were used. The most lethal diluent was distilled water regardless of temperature or age of cells, with no viable cells found after 2 hr. Survival in the other diluents was dependent upon temperature and cell age. In saline, stationary cells showed a marked decrease in viability at room temperature when compared to 4 C. Log cells in saline survived less at 4 C than at ambient temperature. In Ringer's, cells of either age survived better at room temperature. Stationary cells in Krebs-Ringer also survived better at room temperature, but results with log cells in this diluent were irregular with no discernible pattern in regard to temperature effect. The phenomenon of cold shock characterized by cell death after chilling was also demonstrated.
Efficient reactivation of latent herpes simplex virus type 1 infection by excimer laser keratectomy in the experimental rabbit ocular model.

Purpose To investigate the role of excimer laser keratectomy as a trigger for the reactivation of latent HSV type 1 (HSV-1) in the New Zealand rabbit ocular model. There are conflicting reports in the current literature about reactivation of HSV-1 after excimer laser photoablation. Methods New Zealand rabbits were inoculated topically with HSV-1 McKrae or W strain in each eye, and culture-positive dendritic keratitis was documented on day 7. After the establishment of latency (21+ days), animals were divided into three groups: group I animals underwent excimer laser photoablation in each eye; group II animals received intrastromal injections of sterile water to act as positive controls (a standard method); and group III animals received no treatment and represented spontaneous shedders. All eyes were swabbed daily from days 1 through 10 and plated on A549 cells. Recovery of HSV-1 on days 1 through 10 postinduction was analyzed to compare the efficiency of the different methods of viral reactivation. Results Reactivation of latent HSV-1 after excimer treatment was observed in nine (45%) of 20 eyes and was equivalent to the rate of reactivation seen in the positive control animals (eight [44.4%] of 18 eyes) (P =.99). Both of these rates were significantly greater than those of the untreated animals (one [5.6%] of 18 eyes) (P =.018). Conclusion Excimer laser keratectomy appears to be an efficient trigger for the reactivation of latent HSV-1 in the New Zealand rabbit ocular model.
Rocking the Cradle: Downsizing the New England Family

Between 1790 and 1840, median completed family size in New England genealogies fell by half. Age at marriage rose only moderately during this period, but the rate of premarital pregnancy plummeted, intervals between births lengthened, and mothers' age at last birth fell to thirty-seven. Analysis of the number of children born to a subset of mothers younger than thirty in various Connecticut and New Hampshire towns c. 1818 suggests that couples' motives for postponing births appear to have been as much cultural as economic.
Clinical, histologic, and immunopathologic features of primary biliary cirrhosis.

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) was previously considered a rare disease which was diagnosed almost only at autopsy. Liver biopsy, both surgical and by needle, sometimes assisted by laparoscopy and laboratory data, has led to its more frequent recognition, although it remains one of the less common liver diseases. Immunologic parameters have assumed great diagnostic significance. This has also led to the assumption that immunologic processes are the basis of the pathogenesis of PBC. The next two chapters are devoted to the establishment and clarification of this assumption. In addition, there is some basis for this concept in the clinical and particularly in the pathologic evolution of the disease, to which this chapter is devoted, supplemented by limited immunopathologic data.
Picosecond-pulse radiolysis studies to understand the primary processes in radiolysis

Abstract The use of pulse radiolysis to learn about processes which occur before the beginning of chemical times is discussed. Two examples, the distance distribution of positive and negative ions in n -hexane and the identity of the “dry electron” are discussed in detail. It is shown that the dry electron which reacts is not quasi-free, but instead must be associated with the solvent. Thus, the name “dry electron” is somewhat of a misnomer.
The Potential of Computerized Interactive Training in Manufacturing

Advances in manufacturing technology has fundamentally changed the skill and knowledge requirements of machine operators. Our paper explores the potential training applications of computer-based multimedia or hypermedia environments in advanced manufacturing. We developed a prototype interactive training program for electrodischarge machining (EDM). The EDM Trainer relies heavily on graphic imagery and is based on a graphical direct manipulation design model. Ten highly skilled machinists/tool makers were recruited to evaluate the program. Participants received conceptual questions before and after training. We tracked user interactions with the program and finally, we had them answer a questionnaire. The results indicated that the trainer was effective in helping operators gain explicit conceptual knowledge. Operators were able to use the trainer right away and they took advantage of a variety of navigation links to freely explore the program.
Going for the goal.

A new study shows that activity in the superior colliculus encodes the distance to the goal of the orienting movement, not the particular saccade or saccades used to get there.
The relationship between non-abelian matrix Toda lattices and Ising-type models of statistical mechanics

Abstract We show that the Ising model hamiltonian is a special case of a matrix Toda lattice hamiltonian with operator variables from a Clifford algebra of dimension equal to the size of the lattice.
Quantifying setpoint drift effects in the failure analysis of process control systems

Abstract In process control systems (PCS) both the direction and magnitude of controller setpoint drift (SPD) are stochastic variables. In the conventional failure analysis of PCS only the direction of setpoint drift is under consideration (i.e. setpoint drifts high, setpoint drifts low) and failure model construction is often based on a static description of system operation (e.g. digraphs). Dynamic failure models are used to investigate the relevance of the magnitude of SPD to the failure characteristics of two simple level control systems with: (a) a single proportional controller, and (b) two on/off controllers. The failure models represent the probabilistic system behaviour in continuous time and continuous state space of the controlled variables. Model construction is based on the description of PCS operation by first-order differential equations, with the failed system states regarded as absorbingg states. Analytical expressions for MTTF and asymptotic values of Cdf for failure in different modes are obtained and compared to those obtained from the conventional approach to PCS failure analysis. The results show that: (a) PCS failure characteristics can significantly vary by the changing magnitude of SPD, (b) SPD effects also depend on the type of controller used, controller parameters, system failure margins and dynamics, (c) the convectional approach may overestimate PCS failure due to SPD, and (d) a static description of system operation may not be appropriate for PCS failure analysis, especially if design choices are based on the predicted failure characteristics. Dynamic failure model construction for more complicated types of PCS is discussed.
Treatment strategies for Aspergillus infections.

Abstract Infections caused by Aspergillus species consist of many different disease presentations, ranging from relatively benign asthma in atopic disease to life-threatening systemic invasive infections. The spectrum of disease manifestations is determined by a combination of genetic predisposition, host immune system defects, and virulence of the Aspergillus species. For the purposes of this discussion, we will address three principal entities: invasive aspergillosis, both primary and disseminated, pulmonary aspergilloma, and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. Amphotericin B is the standard of treatment for severe Aspergillus infections, despite the fact that mortality in these patients remains high. Alternative therapies such as combination regimens and itraconazole also have efficacy against Aspergillus infections. We discuss the role of current therapies, the potential role of drugs in development, and the results of ongoing research with combination and immunotherapies.
Metabolism of 3-indolylacetic acid during percutaneous absorption in human skin

This study assessed the in vitro percutaneous absorption and metabolism of 3-indolylacetic acid after topical dosing to human skin from four sources. The metabolism of the compound during percutaneous absorption was assessed. The absorbed and metabolized chemicals were analyzed by radioactive scintillation counting and thin-layer chromatography: 1.2% +/- 0.04%, 1.4% +/- 0.07%, 3.0% +/- 1.0%, and 0.1% +/- 0.02% of the applied doses permeated through human skin samples from sources A to D, respectively, whereas 3.4% +/- 0.5% to 20.0% +/- 0.2% of the applied doses were retained by the skin. Of the absorbed dose, 2.1% +/- 1.0% to 12.1% +/- 3.5% was present as metabolites in the receptor fluid, and 2.2% +/- 0.5% to 5.2% +/- 0.1% was present as metabolites retained in the skin. Microsomal fractions were prepared from the skin samples, and the actions of these preparations on 3-indolylacetic acid were estimated. 5'-Hydroxyl-3-indolylacetic acid, 5',6'-dihydroxy-3-indolylacetic acid, and 5,6-dihydroxyindole were formed both during percutaneous absorption and by skin microsomal preparations. In addition, the skin samples biotransformed the acid to metabolic indican (3-indoxylsulfuric acid) and to the glucuronide conjugate of indole. The possible functional significance of the metabolism is discussed.
Work in progress — Ethics in humanitarian engineering: A means of assessment

This paper reviews current approaches found in the engineering education literature to assess ethics instruction outcomes. Based on theoretical grounds, we believe that existing approaches are incomplete for use in an ethical framework appropriate for humanitarian engineering, i.e., one that includes not only an ethics of justice, but also an ethics of care. The paper describes an ongoing mixed-methods research study that seeks to assess this broader conception of ethics, and then focuses on one aspect of the study design: a self-report survey instrument adapted from the field of positive psychology.
Premature transition to stable film boiling initiated by power transients in liquid nitrogen

Abstract We have investigated transient pool boiling in liquid nitrogen for a process in which the boiling is initiated by a step-function application of power to a thin wire immersed in the liquid. For such a process we find that a transition to stable film boiling can be observed for power values as low as about 40% of the steady-state peak heat flux. Such a ‘premature transition’ to stable film boiling can occur, even though the maximum observed values attained by the transient heat flux may lie substantially below the steady-state peak heat flux. Heating wires of platinum, copper, and constantan were employed in this investigation. Steady-state measurements are presented for comparison with the transient results, and a demonstration of the inhibition of the premature transition is described using a form of forced convection around the test wire.
Self-Consciousness as the Monitoring of Cognitive States: A Theoretical Perspective

Following a review of introspectionist, dualist, and functionalist theories of self-consciousness, a mind-brain monitoring theory is developed. According to monitoring theory, self-consciousness is one's tacit knowledge that one is experiencing sensations: in particular, that one is imaging sensations or that one is perceiving them. Such knowledge is the phenomenal consequence of neurally monitoring whether one's sensations are centrally innervated images or peripherally innervated percepts. As a corollary of the present theory, dream images are interpreted as unmonitored images. Other hallucinations, which also arise in the absence of self-consciousness, are similarly interpreted. As another corollary, “subconscious” percepts are interpreted as unmonitored percepts. Experimental and clinical evidence in support of these and other corollaries is reviewed.
UNBALANCED DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID SYNTHESIS: ITS ROLE IN X-RAY-INDUCED BACTERIAL DEATH.

Abstract A study has been made of the effects of unbalanced DNA synthesis on subsequent cell physiology and X-ray sensitivity of the polyauxotroph, Escherichia coli strain 15T-A-U- (thymine, arginine, and uracil dependent) with the following results: 1. 1. DNA replication, proceeding to completion in the absence of concomitant protein and RNA synthesis, resulted in a cell population with an enhanced DNA content and with increased resistance to the lethal effects of X-ray exposure. This resistance was expressed as an increase in the shoulder of the dose-survival curve and an increase in the mean lethal dose. 2. 2. Renewal of both protein and RNA synthesis after completion of unbalanced DNA synthesis reversed the resistant state. The presence of both arginine and uracil were required for maximum reversal. When only uracil was added, no change in sensitivity was seen. Addition of only arginine resulted in partial resensitization. 3. 3. Incubation of exponential cells in a medium lacking thymine as well as arginine and uracil led to thymine-less death as well as a sensitization to X-rays. This was characterized by a shift from sigmoidal to exponential killing. 4. 4. Substitution of 5-bromouracil for thymine during unbalanced DNA synthesis did not interfere with the completion of DNA synthesis. Buoyant density-gradient analysis in CsCl showed that only normal and hybrid DNA were present in such cells. Equilibrium centrifugation of DNA obtained from cells incubated with bromo[ 14 C]-uracil provided confirmation that only hybrid DNA was made during the unbalanced DNA synthesis period. Such cells did not exhibit enhanced resistance to X-rays, but to the contrary were more sensitive than the control population.
Abstract P3-14-08: Responses to Subsequent Anti-HER2 Therapy after Treatment with Trastuzumab-DM1 in Women with HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer

Background: Women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) can have clinical responses to multiple lines of anti-HER2 therapy. However, it is unknown whether these patients will derive further clinical benefit following treatment with the novel antibody-drug conjugate trastuzumab-MCC-DM1 (T-DM1), which has significant activity in trastuzumab-refractory breast cancer. Methods: We retrospectively identified patients treated with T-DM1 monotherapy on clinical trials for HER2-positive MBC at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and characterized clinical outcomes during subsequent lines of anti-HER2 therapy. Response was determined by an independent and blinded radiology review using modified RECIST 1.1 criteria without confirmatory scans; patients without radiologic assessment were considered non-responders. Duration of therapy was defined from initiation of therapy until treatment discontinuation, and for patients continuing on therapy, times were censored at date of last visit; analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Results: We identified 23 patients treated on protocol-based therapy with single-agent TDM-1 and report on the 20 patients who had discontinued protocol, and hence, T-DM1 therapy. All patients received trastuzumab in the metastatic setting prior to initiation of T-DM1, with a median number of 6 (range 1-14) prior regimens. Most (75%) were taken off study secondary to progressive disease and the remainder discontinued therapy for toxicity. Of these 20 patients, 75% (15 of 20) received further therapy with or without anti-HER2 agents after concluding T-DM1; reasons for not receiving additional treatment after T-DM1 include death (3) and interruption of therapy due to physician or patient request (2). The majority (12 of 15; 80%) of patients treated beyond T-DM1 received a regimen containing either trastuzumab and/or lapatinib at some point during their course. Partial response to either first-or second-subsequent line(s) of therapy was seen in 5 of 15 (33%) treated patients, including 33% (4 of 12) who received a regimen containing trastuzumab and/or lapatinib (Figure 1). Three patients did not have radiographic assessments; however, all 3 demonstrated clinically stable disease (as determined by review of clinical data) to first treatment after T-DM1. Median duration of therapy to first-subsequent regimen after T-DM1 was 5.5 months. Of the 9 patients that received a second-subsequent regimen, the median duration of therapy to the second-subsequent treatment was 6.4 months. Conclusions: In heavily pretreated HER2-positive MBC patients, prior exposure to T-DM1 does not exhaust the potential benefit of ongoing anti-HER2 therapy with trastuzumab and/or lapatinib-based regimens. Maximum Decrease in Target Lesion Diameter Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-14-08.
ISHTAR, the project: an overview of Inner Shelf Transfer And Recycling in the Bering and Chukchi seas

Abstract ISHTAR was designed to study the impact of interannual variability of physical forcing on the cycle of carbon and nutrients in the shelf waters of the northern Bering and Chukchi seas. Anadyr Water is the nutrient source for high seasonal production in all trophic levels. Variations in transport of this water lead to variations in carbon fixation, deposition, and mineralization.
Data Recording And Processing For Speckle Image Reconstruction

Image reconstruction from astronomical speckle data using the Knox-Thompson algorithm has now been extensively demonstrated as feasible through analysis and computer simulations. Experimental verification of the technique and its implementation for astronomy places stringent constraints on the recording system and requires complex processing algorithms to handle the many experimental details. In this paper we describe a video recording system specifically designed for the requirements of speckle imaging. This system has been built and tested, yielding high quality image reconstructions from a laboratory-atmospheric simulator for a wide range of input light levels and test objects.
Comparative Proteomics Analysis of Barrett Metaplasia and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Using Two-dimensional Liquid Mass Mapping

Esophageal adenocarcinoma, currently the seventh leading cause of cancer-related death, has been associated with the presence of Barrett metaplasia. The malignant potential of Barrett metaplasia is evidenced by ultimate progression of this condition to invasive adenocarcinoma. We utilized liquid phase separation of proteins with chromatofocusing in the first dimension and nonporous reverse phase HPLC in the second dimension followed by ESI-TOF mass spectrometry to identify proteins differentially expressed in six Barrett metaplasia samples as compared with six esophageal adenocarcinoma samples; all six Barrett samples were obtained from the identical six patients from whom we obtained the esophageal adenocarcinoma tissue. Approximately 300 protein bands were detected by mass mappings, and 38 differentially expressed proteins were identified by μLC-MS/MS. The false positive rates of the peptide identifications were evaluated by reversed database searching. Among the proteins that were identified, Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor 2, α-enolase, Lamin A/C, and nucleoside-diphosphate kinase A were demonstrated to be up-regulated in both mRNA and protein expression in esophageal adenocarcinomas relative to Barrett metaplasia. Candidate proteins were examined at the mRNA level using high density oligonucleotide microarrays. The cellular expression patterns were verified in both esophageal adenocarcinomas and in Barrett metaplasia by immunohistochemistry. These differentially expressed proteins may have utility as useful candidate markers of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
Teicoplanin, vancomycin, rifampicin: in-vivo and in-vitro studies with Staphylococcus aureus

Groups of mice infected with 3.3 X 10(8) Staphylococcus aureus via the tail vein were treated three days later with rifampicin (13 mg/kg), vancomycin (33 mg/kg), or teicoplanin (33 mg/kg). Rifampicin was the most effective agent (28 out of 29 survivors). Vancomycin and teicoplanin were of equivalent efficacy (21 of 29 and 24 of 29 survivors, respectively). When intraleucocytic staphylococci were incubated with rifampicin (1 or 20 mg/l), vancomycin (100 mg/l), or teicoplanin (100 mg/l), rifampicin was the most active drug. Vancomycin and teicoplanin were similar.
Reaction of 111Cd7-metallothionein with EDTA. A reappraisal.

The ligand substitution reaction of EDTA with Cd7-metallothionein (Cd7-MT) has been reinvestigated. NMR titration of the 111Cd-protein with EDTA showed that the ligand interacts preferentially and cooperatively with Cd2+ ions in the beta-domain cluster. NMR and ultrafiltration kinetic analysis of this reaction using 5.6 mM Cd2+ as 111Cd7-MT and 56 mM EDTA indicated that cadmium-EDTA formed less rapidly than 111Cd peak intensity declined. Spectrophotometric and gel filtration studies of the reaction with 20 microM Cd2+ as Cd7-MT with various concentrations of EDTA revealed biphasic kinetics with much larger rate constants than observed in the NMR experiments. The fraction of total ligand substitution occurring in each kinetic step varied with EDTA concentration. The EDTA concentration dependence of both kinetic steps was consistent with the initial formation of protein.EDTA adducts, followed by their breakdown into products. Kinetic measurements were also made for the reactions of the isolated Cd4-alpha- and Cd3-beta-domains with EDTA. The Cd4 domain reacted with EDTA with biphasic kinetics, in which one Cd2+ was removed rapidly with first-order kinetics, which were zero-order in EDTA. The other three reacted with kinetics like those for the slower step of the holoprotein. Cd3-beta reacted with EDTA like the faster rate process associated with the Cd7-protein. The observed rate constants for the reaction of Cd7-metallothionein with EDTA and the fraction of reaction in the faster rate process were sensitive to protein concentration. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the monomer-dimer equilibrium of the protein controls its kinetic reactivity with EDTA.
Community Effects on Mental Health Outcomes in Subjects With and Without Panic Attacks: Results From a Population-Based Study in San Antonio, Texas

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of variance in mental health outcomes accounted for by census tract in community-dwelling adults with and without panic attacks. Method: This is a secondary analysis of a population-based study (conducted from August 1989 through December 1991) of subjects with and without panic attacks (DSM-III-R criteria) from 18 census tracts in San Antonio, Texas. All subjects completed measures of symptomatology, health care utilization, substance use, and quality of life. Subjects with panic attacks completed measures of panic-related disability and health care utilization, as well as measures of sense of control and secondary mental disorders. Hierarchical modeling was used to estimate the proportion of the variance of each outcome accounted for by census tract. Results: Census tract accounted for less than 4% of the variance in psychiatric symptomatology and quality of life. However, census tract contributed to the proportional variance in panic-related outcomes, accounting for 13% of the variance of mental health utilization for panic symptoms when compared with individual-level variance. Conclusions: The use of more homogeneous levels such as block group could increase the measured multilevel effects found in this study. Studies of disease-specific mental health outcomes in multiple neighborhoods or clinics should consider whether multilevel effects are present.
Brain alcohol detectability increase with repeated administration in humans: a proton spectroscopy study.

Proton MRS was used to detect brain alcohol after repeated alcohol exposure in human subjects. MRS detectability measurements were made after administration of an alcoholic drink (0.6 g/kg alcohol) and after an identical drink administered 6 h later. Between-drink differences in the methyl proton triplet resonance of ethyl alcohol were assessed at statistically equivalent and near-peak blood alcohol concentrations (reflecting brain alcohol concentrations) and statistically equivalent internal standard N-acetyl resonance areas after Drinks 1 and 2, respectively. Brain alcohol detectability was not altered in TE 30-ms spectra but was increased in all five subjects after Drink 2 by an average of 70% in TE 270-ms spectra (P < 0.01). This was accompanied by significant between-drink differences in subjective ratings of alcohol's effects, suggestive of induction of acute alcohol tolerance. These findings suggest increased brain alcohol detectability in TE 270-ms spectra after repeated alcohol exposure that may reflect acute alcohol tolerance.
Simulation of impurity line shapes in a hot, dense plasma

Abstract The widths and positions of spectroscopic lines of neutral, hydrogen- and heliumlike argon impurities in a dense, hot hydrogen plasma are reported. The calculations employed an integrated two-step model in which the atomic positions evolved through a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation using several different effective pair potentials and the electronic structure arose from calculations on an ArH n cluster. Integrating the resulting level shifts over an MD trajectory produced the desired line profile. We compare against other calculations in the realm of 1000 eV temperature and densities 0.25–8 g/cm 3 and present results for low temperature (10 eV).
Left ventricular function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The presence or absence of left ventricular dysfunction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been debated for decades. I have reviewed the following evidence pertaining to this topic: (1) left ventricular pathologic abnormalities; (2) the methods used to determine left ventricular performance; (3) specific abnormalities of left ventricular function as revealed by systolic time intervals, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, ejection fraction, isovolumic indices, and left ventricular function curves; and (4) pertinent experimental data. The bulk of the evidence indicates that the clinical symptoms of left-sided failure are unreliable in those with obstructive disease of the airways and that the great majority of patients have normal left ventricular function, once other causes are excluded. A small group of patients have some abnormalities in left ventricular performance, but these have not been clinically significant The ultimate importance of such abnormalities awaits future investigation.
Double lip and double lip with blepharochalasis (Ascher's syndrome)

Abstract A double lip is an anomaly which may be either congenital or acquired. The upper lip is involved more often than the lower, although on occasion both may be involved. Surgical intervention, when indicated, produces good functional and cosmetic results. The association of double lip, blepharochalasis, and nontoxic thyroid enlargement is eponymically referred to as Ascher's syndrome.
Education not training: the challenge of developing professional autonomy

The aims of this paper are first, to differentiate between education and training, emphasizing the importance of the former in the professional education of occupational therapists; and second, to outline some of the possible threats to professional autonomy. A focus on training may result in a level of education that cannot sustain professional autonomy. However, the establishment of proscribed and detailed, nationally controlled educational standards may also limit a profession. The latter may occur when cost-containment is a major societal concern, focusing educational standards on training and measurable outcomes of professional practice. Copyright © 2000 Whurr Publishers Ltd.
Interspecies extrapolation of pharmacokinetics

The purpose of this paper is to use physiologically based pharmacokinetic models to demonstrate that if toxic response is a function of the time profile in physiological time of the concentration of the toxic moiety in the target tissue, then the appropriate interspecies scaling law for toxic compounds which are metabolically deactivated is mg kg −1 per unit of physiological time (mg kg −1 pt −1 ). At low dose rates this metric is approximately equivalent to mg kg −0.75 day t-1 . For reactive metabolites which are spontaneously deactivated, an approximate interspecies scaling law is mg kg −1 day −1 .
Tandem mass spectrometry with ultrahigh mass accuracy clarifies peptide identification by database retrieval.

A platform was developed to analyze MS/MS spectra from large peptides with low part-per-million mass accuracy, including a commercial-grade software suite. Termed Middle Down Proteomics, this platform identified 7454 peptides from 2−20 kDa (1472 unique) from 555 proteins after 23 LC-MS/MS injections of Lys-C digests of HeLa-S3 nuclear proteins. Along with greatly increased confidence for both peptide identification (expectation values from 10−89 to 10−4) and characterization (up to 18% of peptides were modified in some LC-MS/MS runs), fragmentation data with <2 ppm accuracy enabled error tolerant and routine multiplexed database searching–all clearly demonstrated in this study.
A dose computation model for 241Am vaginal applicators including the source‐to‐source shielding effects

A dose computation model has been developed for the determination of dose distributions around vaginal plaque applicators containing encapsulated 241Am sources. Encapsulated sources of 241Am emit primarily 60-keV photons which have a half-value layer thickness of 1/8 mm of lead. This makes possible highly effective in vivo shielding of normal tissues at risk, by placing thin lead shields at appropriate places on the applicator. However, self-absorption of photons in the source material itself is intense, requiring bulky sources of about 1 cm diameter. These sources also produce considerable source-to-source shielding which must be taken into account in dose calculations. Our dose computation model for a single source employs three-dimensional integration of dose contributions from volume elements of the source including the effects of absorption and scattering of photons in the source material, titanium encapsulation, and water. An empirical correction to Berger's data on buildup factors of point, isotropic sources is made to account for the effects of anisotropic photon emission by cylindrical 241Am sources. The second part of our dose computation model takes into account source-to-source shielding effects on both primary and scattered photons for the vaginal plaque geometry. The results of the model have been verified for accuracy by comparisons with extensive dosimetry measurements using lithium fluoride thermoluminescent dosimeters.
Torsion of the Retroperitoneal Kidney: Uncommon or Underreported?

Vascular torsion in a renal allograft after placement in the retroperitoneum is rare and has only been reported twice in the literature. It is an extrinsically mediated process that occurs at the vascular pedicle resulting in graft compromise and potential loss. Rapid diagnosis and immediate surgical intervention may salvage allograft function. Herein, we present a unique case of a 42-year-old male that developed renal allograft torsion following a second kidney transplant placed in the retroperitoneum. Immediate detorsion did not resolve allograft dysfunction, and a biopsy revealed acute cellular mediated rejection. After antithymocyte globulin treatment, allograft function was salvaged. A review of the current literature shows that the incidence, morbidity, and long term allograft function of intraperitoneal and extraperitoneal torsion are different. As such, torsion of the retroperitoneal kidney demonstrates encouraging allograft salvage rates. Only the third case reported to date, this serves as a contribution to the growing body of literature in retroperitoneal renal torsion and reviews the risks, medication considerations, diagnostic tests, and treatment modalities in a unique disease process.
Modulating Diseased Skin with Tissue Engineering: Actinic Purpura Treated with Apligraf

background. Actinic purpura (AP) is an important medical issue and quality of life issue in the elderly. Current treatment of AP is limited to prevention of cutaneous aging. objective. To assess the utility of tissue engineered skin (Apligraf, Organogenesis, Canton, MA) as a tissue modulator in diseased skin and as treatment for AP. methods. A thin partial-thickness section of AP was removed from the forearm of an elderly gentleman and replaced with fenestrated Apligraf. Healing, durability and cosmetic outcome were assessed. results. Apligraf-treated skin healed rapidly with good clinical “take.” Lack of new skin tears and resultant erosions or ulcer formation suggests improved durability of the Apligraf-treated area occurred. conclusion. These results suggest that tissue engineered skin modulates aged dermal tissue to behave in a more sturdy fashion. Furthermore, in selected cases Apligraf may represent a treatment option for AP.
What is Global Engineering Education For? The Making of International Educators

Leading educators who have made risky career commitments to international engineering education have often experienced challenges beyond the boundaries of home countries that made them critical analysts of their work and identities. This panel introduces the unique research process that helped sixteen educators make visible how their goals and motivations extend far beyond the commonly invoked image of global competence as a new skill. Short presentations follow from five contributors to the recently-published What is Global Engineering Education For?: The Making of International Educators. Their accounts of struggles and successes highlight the difficulties in moving international and global engineering education from the margins to the core of engineering curricula. Subsequent open discussion invites commentary from all present about strategies for maximizing the extent to which students gain access to international and global engineering education and genuinely confront and rethink assumptions and career trajectories born in home countries.
Trace element data for reference carbonate rocks

Abstract The reference carbonate rocks GFS 401, GFS 402, NBS 1a, NBS 1b, and NBS 1014 (all limestones), together with GFS 400, GFS 403, and NBS 88a (all dolostones), have been analyzed by emission spectrometric methods. Data for the trace elements Ag, Al, B, Ba, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Si, Sn, Sr, Ti, V, Y, Zn and Zr found by this technique have been tabulated, together with some previously reported results obtained by other workers.
FLIPPERS AND PINNIPED PHYLOGENY: HAS THE PROBLEM OF CONVERGENCE BEEN OVERRATED?

The phylogenetic relationships of the major groups of pinnipeds are of longstanding controversy. According to prevailing paleontological opinion, pinnipeds comprise two distinct lineages of independent terrestrial carnivoran origin, A logical correlate of this view is that an enormous degree of convergence accounts for the striking resemblances of these groups. It has been generally supposed that derived similarities common to pinnipeds are independently acquired adaptations to a highly constraining environment. This has not been adequately substantiated. Moreover, considerable evidence favors a contrary conclusion. Acceptance of convergence necessarily rests on demonstration that taxa possessing characters suspected to be convergent are in fact not mutal nearest allies. In the absence of such phylogenetic information, shared derived characters are indicative of common ancestry irrespective of whether they are deemed “functionally important.” Given meager support for the proposition that pinnipeds are related to different terrestrial lineages, it is currently more judicious to regard the group's origin as monophyletic. In addition to the presumed prevalence of convergence, biogeography, the high degree of morphological divergence of phocids, and the aberrant nature of phocines have improperly contributed to acceptance of independent pinniped origins.
Highly Tailored Computational Electromagnetics Methods for Nanophotonic Design and Discovery

The use of computational electromagnetics (CEM) techniques has greatly advanced nanophotonics. The applications of nanophotonics in turn motivates the development of efficient highly tailored algorithms for specific application domains. In this paper, we will discuss some specific considerations in seeking to advance CEM for nanophotonic design and discovery, with examples drawn from the design of aperiodic nanophotonic structures for on-chip information processing applications.
An analysis of strain localization and wave propagation in plastic models of beams at failure

This paper presents an analysis of localized failures in Timoshenko beams/rods. Standard elastoplastic models are considered first. A spectral analysis of the linearized problem shows the instability of the viscous problem and the ill-posedness of the inviscid rate-independent problem in the presence of strain softening. The consequences of the ill-posedness are illustrated by obtaining the exact solution of wave propagation in a simply supported beam and observing its lack of physical significance: the failure of the beam occurs with no energy dissipation. Finite element solutions of the problem are presented, exhibiting the characteristic pathological mesh-size dependence in these conditions. The lack of a localized dissipative mechanism in these models is identified as the main cause of these inconsistencies, regardless of the length scale present in the problem (namely, the thickness of the beam). To solve these difficulties, we formulate the so-called localized models, incorporating these localized dissipative mechanisms in the form of strong discontinuities in the generalized displacements, leading naturally to the classical notion of plastic hinges. These models consider a localized softening law between the bending moment and the rotation jump. The model problem of wave propagation in a simply supported beam is then reexamined in this context, arriving again at the exact modal solution. This solution recovers its physical significance (the breaking of the beam is modeled with a non-zero energy dissipation), illustrating the well-posedness of the problem and the regularizing effects introduced by the localized models. The comparison of this exact solution with finite element solutions of the problem allows to evaluate the approximation properties of the numerical techniques, showing now the required objective energy dissipation with respect to the mesh size.
Stable range one for exchange rings

Abstract An associative ring R with identity is called an exchange ring if RR has the exchange property introduced by Crawley and Jonsson (1964). We prove, in this paper, that an exchange ring R has stable range 1 in the following three cases: (1) primitive factors of R are Artinian; (2) R is of bounded index of nilpotence; (3) idempotents of R are central. Also it is shown that, for exchange rings, bounded index of nilpotence implies primitive factors are Artinian and that, for modules with the finite exchange property, cancellation from direct sums is equivalent to the fact that the endomorphism ring of the cancellable module has stable range 1.
Genetic and historical relationships among geothermally adapted Agrostis (bentgrass) of North America and Kamchatka: evidence for a previously unrecognized, thermally adapted taxon

Agrostis species have been known to evolve ecotypes rapidly in response to unusual edaphic conditions. The geographic distribution of Agrostis taxa in Lassen Volcanic National Park (California) and Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming) in the United States and the Valley of the Geysers (Kamchatka Peninsula) in Russia suggests that Agrostis scabra might have independently evolved morphologically similar ecotypes several times. We used RAPDs to show that, contrary to expectation, the thermal populations are not independently evolved, but instead constitute a single taxon that currently has four names. A UPGMA including the four thermal and nine nonthermal Agrostis taxa showed that the thermal cluster divides into geographically distinct subclusters, but that two morphologically distinct thermal taxa do not cluster independently. Even though currently confused with the thermal populations, nonthermal A. scabra is not closely related. An analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed significant differentiation between the thermal populations and the nonthermal species sampled in this study. Splitting a hypothesized thermal operational taxonomic unit (OTU) into its components (geographically separated populations) does not greatly affect the partitioning of variation among OTUs. All thermal populations therefore should be assigned to the same taxon, but its taxonomic rank cannot be determined at this time.
Scheduling to minimize weighted earliness and tardiness about a common due-date

Abstract This paper examines the problem of sequencing a set of independent jobs on a single processor so as to minimize the sum of weighted absolute deviations of job completion times about a specified due-date. In contrast with prior research on this topic, no restriction is imposed on the due-date. The resulting problem is known to be computationally difficult. It is shown that the solution to this problem can be derived from solutions to different subproblems. Properties of these subproblems are identified and used to develop exact algorithm of pseudo-polynomial complexity. The same algorithms are modified to yield a fully polynomial approximation scheme with a constant performance guarantee. The paper also discusses interesting special cases which are amenable to easier solutions.
Gap-junctional communication in normal and neoplastic prostate epithelial cells and its regulation by cAMP

Gap-junctional communication and expression of gap junction-forming proteins were investigated in normal human prostate epithelial cells and in several malignant prostate cell lines. In comparison with normal cells, gap-junctional communication in malignant cells, as assayed by the transfer of 443-Da fluorescent tracer Lucifer yellow, was either reduced or not detected. Malignant cells expressed mRNA transcripts for connexin (Cx) 43, whereas normal cells expressed mRNA transcripts for Cx32 and Cx40. In both normal and malignant cells, gap-junctional communication was enhanced twofold to fivefold by treatment with forskolin, an agent known to increase intracellular levels of cAMP. Immunocytochemical staining with a Cx43-specific antibody revealed that in malignant cells this enhancement correlated with the number of gap junctions and occurred without any qualitative or quantitative alteration in Cx43 mRNA or protein. Moreover, western blot analyses showed that both control and forskolin-treated malignant cells expressed only one form of Cx43. Our data suggest that gap-junctional communication in both normal and malignant prostate cells may be regulated by hormones that work via a cAMP-dependent signal transduction pathway. Thus, both normal and malignant cells offer a new experimental model system in which interactions between a hormonal form of cellular communication and intercellular communication mediated via gap junctions can be studied.
Agglomerations and Strategic Tax Competition

Evidence outside the tax arena suggests that firms earn rents in the presence of agglomerations, which could lessen the mobility of firms in the agglomeration. If so, then governments might be able to extract a portion of rents from businesses through higher tax rates without as much concern about capital fleeing the jurisdiction. Strategic interaction may also be affected by the presence of agglomerations if capital mobility is affected. This article empirically examines how local governments set sales and property tax rates, while considering tax competition and one specific measure of agglomerations. Results indicate that local governments behave as strategic complements, impose higher tax rates in jurisdictions with more establishments (or urbanization economies), and are less likely to mimic other governments' tax policies if their jurisdiction is agglomerated.