cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Effects of Publication Bias on Reported Outcomes of Cervical Disc Replacement and Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: A Meta-Epidemiologic Study.

Background There have been several clinical trials as well as observational studies that have compared the outcomes of different cervical disc replacement (CDR) devices with anterior cervical disc replacement and fusion (ACDF). Although the results of these studies have provided sufficient evidence for the safety of CDR, there is still a lack of consensus in terms of longer-term outcomes, with studies providing equivocal results for the 2 procedures. In the current study, we used a novel methodology, a meta-epidemiologic study, to investigate the impact of study characteristics on the observed effects in the literature on CDR and ACDF. Methods Data were abstracted from available meta-analyses regarding author, study author, year, intervention events, control events, and sample size, as well as year and geographic location of each study within the meta-analyses. We grouped the studies based on median year of publication as well as the region of the submitting author(s). Odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and standard errors of individual studies were calculated based on the number of events and sample size for each arm (ACDF or CDR). Further, results of outcomes from individual studies were pooled and a meta-analysis was conducted. Ratio of odds ratio (ROR) was used to assess the impact of each of these factors on estimates of the study for CDR versus ACDF. Results A total of 13 meta-analyses were analyzed after exclusions. Using the results from 10 meta-analyses, we found that studies published before 2012 reported significantly lower odds of a reoperation after CDR (vs. ACDF), compared with studies published after 2012 (ROR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.38–0.67; P Conclusions These results indicate that there may be a publication bias regarding the year of publication, with earlier studies reporting lower reoperation rates for CDR compared with ACDF.
Type 2: Violent Rapists and Sexual Predators

The police sexual aggressors in this type share the same characteristics. They target male and female victims and lack the self-control to curb their impulsive sexual inclinations. Victims usually are selected opportunistically during a “hunt” for victims who are seen as throwaway sex objects. Violent rapists and serial sexual predators are the most dangerous police sexual aggressors except for serial sexual offenders. They are considered to be “rotten apples”, even in departments known for other forms of police misconduct, mainly for the irrational nature of their crimes that lead to extensive media attention. However, in many instances the police peer group was aware of their sexual misconduct before the bizarre incident that exposed them.
Survey of Dental Researchers’ Perceptions of Sexual Harassment at AADR Conferences: 2015 to 2018:

The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) is committed to providing a collegial, safe, and welcoming environment for all. As part of this effort, we assessed perceptions and experiences related to sexual, gender-based, and non-gender-based harassment among registrants at AADR annual meetings from 2015 to 2018 (n = 10,495); examined demographic factors associated with reported experiences; and identified facilitators and potential solutions concerning these types of harassment. Registrants were emailed an invitation to an anonymous online survey. Demographics were assessed categorically, and response distributions to close-ended survey items were evaluated by these variables. Bivariate analyses of participant demographics were conducted with 8 types of perceived harassment. To determine the demographic distribution of reporters, along with bivariate associations among them, restricted analyses were performed among individuals reporting any type of harassment. Qualitative data analysts conducted content analysis of the open-ended responses to questions asking participants to reflect on the topic. Peer debriefing was used to refine the coding schema. A total of 824 responses were received, of which 172 individuals reported experiencing ≥1 of the 8 types of harassment surveyed. Among those, reports of condescending remarks occurred most frequently (70%). Reported harassment of a more sexual nature was less common by comparison. Reporters of harassment were more likely to be women, members of the AADR/CADR (Canadian Association for Dental Research) divisions, and/or frequent meeting attendees. A total of 229 respondents answered at least 1 of the open-ended questions. While the majority of survey respondents reported no personal experience with harassment at AADR meetings, the fact that 1 in 5 did should be cause for concern. In 2018, AADR introduced a "Professional Conduct at Meetings Policy" delineating unacceptable behaviors, including intimidating or harassing speech and actions. Results of this survey form an important baseline from which its impact may be monitored to ensure that future AADR meetings are respectful, supportive, and safe environments for all.
Digital health technologies, diabetes, and driving (meet your new backseat driver)

Abstract Drivers with diabetes are at significantly greater risk for driver errors and vehicle crashes compared to the background population without diabetes. Hypoglycemia-associated cognitive impairment, which impairs domains critical to driving (e.g., attention, visual perception, psychomotor speed, and executive function), is a critical contributor to diabetes-related driving risk. Naturalistic driving studies, combined with continuous glucose monitors, have objectively linked glucose control to contemporaneous driver safety. In addition, advancements in vehicle technology offer innovative possibilities to use the vehicle as a diagnostic tool, capable of monitoring real-world health, behavior, and safety over extended time frames. Integration of biometrics and wearable sensor-generated data with vehicle systems has opened new avenues for interventions to enhance safety. Further research will be needed to determine how to safely and efficaciously integrate real-time driver-level data with in-vehicle monitoring systems to improve driving safety for people with diabetes.
A Computational Analysis of the Factors Governing the Dynamics of α7 nAChR and Its Homologs

The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor is a homopentameric ion channel from the Cys-loop receptor superfamily targeted for psychiatric indications and inflammatory pain. Molecular dynamics studies of the receptor have focused on residue mobility and global conformational changes to address receptor function. However, a comparative analysis of α7 with its homologs that cannot trigger channel opening has not been made so far. To identify the residues involved in α7 activation, we ran triplicate 500-ns molecular dynamics simulations with an α7 extracellular domain homology model and two acetylcholine-binding protein homologs. We tested the effect of ligand binding and amino acid sequence on the structure and dynamics of the three proteins. We found that mobile regions identified based on root mean-square deviation and root mean-square fluctuation values are not always consistent among the individual α7 extracellular domain simulations. Comparison of the replica-average properties of the three proteins based on dynamic cross-correlation maps showed that ligand binding affects the coupling between the C-loop and the Cys-loop, vestibular loop, and β1-β2 loops. In addition, the main-immunogenic-region-like domain of α7 went through correlated motions with multiple domains of the receptor. These correlated motions were absent or diminished in α7 homologs, suggesting a unique role in α7 activation.
Sleep Apnea and PTSD

Stopping breathing during sleep has significant negative physiological and psychological effects on both morbidity and mortality contributing significantly to pulmonary, cardiac, endocrine, and cognitive disease. Breathing screeners indicate that 10% of the general population has moderate to severe apnea and 16% milder obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Model-based sensitivity analysis of barometric pressure on cooling capacity measurement of hydronic room fan coil units

The goal of this paper is to quantify the impact of weather-induced and altitude-induced barometric pressure variations on the cooling capacity measurement of hydronic coils in room fan coil units....
R-loops at centromeric chromatin contribute to defects in kinetochore integrity and chromosomal instability in budding yeast.

This study from budding yeast provides mechanistic insights into how accumulation of R-loops at centromeric chromatin perturbs kinetochore integrity and contributes to chromosome instability.
Survey of small local produce growers' perception of antibiotic resistance issues at farmers markets

Abstract Antibiotic resistance (AR) has been identified in bacteria isolated from fresh produce from local farmers markets (FMs). This study determines local produce growers’ awareness and attitude toward AR risks from produce sold at FMs. Surveys were conducted at five FMs in WV, PA, and MI from May-2019 to March-2020. Questions asked include demographic information, awareness and concerns of AR risks, on-farm practice of antibiotics, field rotation between produce and livestock, type of fertilizers, source of irrigation water, and interest to take AR training. Data were analyzed using Chi-square tests of independence in R-software to examine bivariate relationships between categorical variables (P = 0.05). The survey response rate was 41% (76/185) and no location variation (P > 0.05) was observed in answers to each question. There are 92% of participants have heard of AR risks, although AR is their least concerned (28%) risk regardless of the farm size (P > 0.05). There are 70% of respondents believed that AR was caused by use of antibiotics in humans and farms, whereas 43% thought it was caused by AR-bacteria on produce. There are 60% of the respondents used manure or plant compost vs. 30% used chemicals as fertilizers (P 0.05) distributed among municipal (34%), surface (34%), well (34%), and rainwater (39%). There are 29% of the participants using antibiotics to treat their animals compared to 40% that did not. There are 68% of the participants interested in the training of AR prevention, especially for farmers owning 1–24 acres (P
Abstract 15514: Ace Inhibitors, Angiotensin Receptor Blockers, and Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients With Severe Covid-19 Pneumonia

Introduction: Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) 2, is a co-receptor for the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into target cells. The impact of ACE inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) on...
An examination of the influence of mutual CFO/audit firm tenure on audit quality

Abstract This study examines whether the extent of professional relationships between an audit firm and their client’s CFO influences audit quality. If regulators’ concerns that the relationship that develops over time between an audit firm and their client’s CFO impairs auditor judgment are justified, then we should observe a negative relationship between the length of audit firm’s tenure with their client’s CFO and audit quality. The results suggest that mutual audit firm-CFO tenure is associated with lower audit quality measured by the magnitude of discretionary accruals, the reduced incidence of issuance of going-concern audit opinions for distressed companies, and an increased likelihood of the receipt of an Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Release (AAER) from the US. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These affects are concentrated in a subsample of firms with higher levels of corporate governance concerns. These findings have implications for policies related to audit firm rotation. Specifically, the results suggest that regulators need to consider other relationships underlying audit firm tenure, such as the relationships that form between audit firm and client personnel, when evaluating audit firm rotation policies.
A Web-Based Interactive Map to Promote Health-Care Facility Flood Preparedness.

OBJECTIVES Little is known about how flood risk of health-care facilities (HCFs) is evaluated by emergency preparedness professionals and HCFs administrators. This study assessed knowledge of emergency preparedness and HCF management professionals regarding locations of floodplains in relation to HCFs. A Web-based interactive map of floodplains and HCF was developed and users of the map were asked to evaluate it. METHODS An online survey was completed by administrators of HCFs and public health emergency preparedness professionals in Illinois, before and after an interactive online map of floodplains and HCFs was provided. RESULTS Forty Illinois HCFs located in floodplains were identified, including 12 long-term care facilities. Preparedness professionals have limited knowledge of whether local HCFs were in floodplains, and few reported availability of geographic information system (GIS) resources at baseline. Respondents intended to use the interactive map for planning and stakeholder communications. CONCLUSIONS Given that HCFs are located in floodplains, this first assessment of using interactive maps of floodplains and HCFs may promote a shift to reliable data sources of floodplain locations in relation to HCFs. Similar approaches may be useful in other settings.
Black Legend: The Many Lives of Raúl Grigera and the Power of Racial Storytelling in Argentina

Celebrities live their lives in constant dialogue with stories about them. But when these stories are shaped by durable racist myths, they wield undue power to ruin lives and obliterate communities. Black Legend is the haunting story of an Afro-Argentine, Raul Grigera ('el negro Raul'), who in the early 1900s audaciously fashioned himself into an alluring Black icon of Buenos Aires' bohemian nightlife, only to have defamatory storytellers unmake him. In this gripping history, Paulina Alberto exposes the destructive power of racial storytelling and narrates a new history of Black Argentina and Argentine Blackness across two centuries. With the extraordinary Raul Grigera at its center, Black Legend opens new windows into lived experiences of Blackness in a 'white' nation, and illuminates how Raul's experience of celebrity was not far removed from more ordinary experiences of racial stories in the flesh.
Maternal mumps infection during gestation: Observations on the progeny

Abstract Three cases of maternal infection with mumps virus were serologically documented during gestation. The resultant three progeny failed to exhibit elevated levels in immunoglobulin cord sera. No hemagglutinating antibodies were demonstrable in the sera obtained 9 to 14 months after delivery. In one infant, a skin test for delayed hypersensitivity to mumps virus was positive. All three infants produced specific antibody after the intramuscular injection of 1 c.c. of formalin-killed mumps virus.
Characterization of the Matrix Glass Transition in Carbon-Epoxy Laminates Using the CSD Test Geometry

The mechanical properties of carbon-epoxy laminates display limited viscoelastic behavior when tested in the plane of the laminate for most stacking sequences. While there are certain stacking sequences which display strong matrix dependence, such as a zero degree layup tested in the 90° direction, these layups are not generally used for structural components. It would appear that a need exists for a test geometry which is sensitive to matrix behavior and which can be performed on standard (structural) stacking sequences.
ENSO-controlled rainfall variability records archived in tropical stalagmites from the mid-ocean island of Niue, South Pacific

Niue Island is located in close proximity to the epicenter of the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ), and its rainfall variability is controlled by changes in the phase of the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. Four actively growing stalagmites displaying couplets of light and dark calcite layers were sampled from a flank-margin cave on Niue Island in order to determine the dominant climate factor controlling lamina thickness and establish the usefulness of the stalagmites as archives of ENSO variability records. Couplets counting, AMS radiocarbon assays, and growth rates analysis (mean growth rate: 0.34 ± 0.04 mm/yr for n = 604) support the premise that these couplets are annually deposited and their stalagmites contain records of up to two centuries long. Comparison of band thickness records with instrumental records of air temperature and rainfall kept on the island since 1930 and 1906, respectively, suggests that rainfall variability is the dominant controlling factor. Coherency between the spectral power of the annual layers unraveling periodicities at 2.4 and 5.4 years and that of annual and monsoon rainfall at 2.4–2.7 and 5.2 years corroborates the rainfall control on the band thickness variability of the Niuean stalagmites. Phase lags and amplitude discrepancies between rainfall and stalagmite records are attributed to the impact of torrential rains accompanying cyclones that occasionally struck the island. The excellent agreement between the periodicities prominent in the Niuean stalagmites and those typical of the ENSO phenomenon (2.4 and 4.3–6.0 years) suggests the latter exerts a dominant control on the stalagmite growth rates via rainfall variability. Interdecadal periodicities at 10, 14, and 30 years contained in the Niuean stalagmites spectral power are tentatively attributed to ENSO phase changes driven by the Inter-Decadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO). The Niuean stalagmites, exhibiting relative fast growth rates and prominent layered sequences, hold promise to provide continuous century to millennium-long high-resolution atmospheric records of ENSO history that will complement and expand the sea surface temperature records archived in tropical Pacific corals.
Women's Marital Timing at the Turn of the Century: Generational and Ethnic Differences

This article utilizes accelerated failure time models to estimate the effect of immigration, generation, and ethnicity on timing of first marriage among women living in the United States in 1910. A...
On the Combined Effect of Mean Flow and Acoustic Excitation on Structural Response and Radiation

Numerical experiments in two dimensions are carried out in order to investigate the response of a typical aircraft structure to a mean flow and an acoustic excitation. Two physical problems are considered; one in which the acoustic excitation is applied on one side of the flexible structure and the mean flow is on the other side while in the second problem both the mean flow and acoustic excitation are on the same side. Subsonic and supersonic mean flows are considered together with a random and harmonic acoustic excitation. In the first physical problem and using a random acoustic excitation, the results show that at low excitation levels the response is unaffected by the mean flow Mach number. However, at high excitation levels the structural response is significantly reduced by increasing the Mach number. In particular, both the shift in the frequency response spectrum and the broadening of the peaks are reduced. In the second physical problem, the results show that the response spectrum is dominated by the lower modes (I and 3) for the subsonic mean flow case and by the higher modes (5 and 7) in the supersonic case. When a harmonic excitation is used, it is found that in the subsonic case the power spectral density of the structural response shows a subharmonic (f/4) while in the supersonic case no subharmonic is obtained.
Is the serine protease “charge relay system” a charge relay system?

Summary The catalytic mechanism of the serine proteases as currently conceived specifies that the charge relay system Asp is ionized at pH's where the enzymes are active. This choice is questioned on the basis that external anions are found associated with the charge relay system of both chymotrypsin and subtilisin at pH's below the charge relay system pK, and no evidence has been found for the presence of an associated cation at pH's above the charge relay system pK. An alternative catalytic mechanism is proposed wherein Nδl of the His imidazole is hydrogen bonded to a neutral Asp, and His-Nɛ2 functions to relay a proton from Ser-Oγ to the substrate in a manner analogous to proton transfer in ice.
Allosteric interactions within subsites of a monomeric enzyme: kinetics of fluorogenic substrates of PI-specific phospholipase C.

Two novel water-soluble fluorescein myo-inositol phosphate (FLIP) substrates, butyl-FLIP and methyl-FLIP, were used to examine the kinetics and subsite interactions of Bacillus cereus phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. Butyl-FLIP exhibited sigmoidal kinetics when initial rates are plotted versus substrate concentration. The data fit a Hill coefficient of 1.2–1.5, suggesting an allosteric interaction between two sites. Two substrate molecules bind to this enzyme, one at the active site and one at a subsite, causing an increase in activity. The kinetic behavior is mathematically similar to that of well-known cooperative multimeric enzymes even though this phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C is a small, monomeric enzyme. The less hydrophobic substrate, methyl-FLIP, binds only to the active site and not the activator site, and thus exhibits standard hyperbolic kinetics. An analytical expression is presented that accounts for the kinetics of both substrates in the absence and presence of a nonsubstrate short-chain phospholipid, dihexanoylphosphatidylcholine. The fluorogenic substrates detect activation at much lower concentrations of dihexanoylphosphatidylcholine than previously reported.
Master polytopes for cycles of binary matroids

Abstract Prior work on the cycle polytopes P ( M ) of binary matroids M has almost exclusively concentrated on regular matroids. Yet almost all binary matroids are nonregular, and almost nothing is known about their cycle polytopes. In this paper we introduce a class of binary matroids L k , k ⩾1, the complete binary matroids of order k . We show that the facets of the cycle polytopes P ( L k ) have a rather simple description which may be used to deduce easily some, and in principle all, facets of the cycle polytopes of general binary matroids M . For this reason we call the polytopes P ( L k ) master polytopes . Specifically, we describe two methods by which facets of P ( M ) can be deduced from the facets of certain master polytopes. One method produces a complete description of P ( M ) but is not computationally efficient. The other one produces a subset of the facets of P ( M ) by an efficient lifting procedure.
The subternary system TeAs2Te3SnTe

The system TeAs2Te3SnTe has been investigated by thermal analysis, metallographic, and X-ray procedures. No ternary compounds are formed, but a ternary eutectic exists at 42.0 wt.% Te, 44.0 wt.% As2Te3, 14.0 wt.% SnTe, which freezes at 3.58 ± 0.5 °C. An SnTe-rich crystal is the primary phase of precipitation over about 70% of the compositional fields; a Te-rich solid first freezes out over 23% of the diagram and an As2Te3-rich phase solidifies from melts covering 7% of the area. Secondary crystallization takes place along the binary valleys which originate at each of the three binary eutectics and terminate by intersecting at the ternary eutectic composition and temperature, where solidification is completed for practically all of the alloys in the system.
Novel microRNA correlations in the severely injured.

Purpose Severe injury initiates an inflammatory response that can perpetuate immunological dysfunction, uncontrolled inflammation, and subsequent multisystem organ failure. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have recently been identified as regulators of this inflammatory response. Our study sought to identify the differential expression of unique miRNAs and their correlations with genes of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways, and clinical parameters in the severely injured. Methods Fourteen trauma patients requiring transfusion were prospectively enrolled in this institutional review board–approved study. Inclusion criteria consisted of adult patients deemed clinically to be in hemorrhagic shock necessitating transfusion in the acute phase of their injury care. Peripheral blood samples were obtained after admission to the surgical intensive care unit. Expression of circulating mature miRNA from each patient, as well as from 10 healthy, age-matched controls, was determined and compared using the HiSeq 2500 sequencing system and the R software system. Gene expression of TLR signaling pathways for each patient was examined using custom gene expression polymerase chain reaction arrays. Statistical analyses were performed using general linear models and empirical Bayes methods to determine differential expression and Spearman's nonparametric correlation analysis. Results Subjects were 21–77 years old (mean, 42), 80% male, Injury Severity Score 11–43 (mean, 26), with 11 blunt and 3 penetrating injuries. Three were intubated and 5 received blood products before arrival. Base deficit upon hospital admission was 3 to 20 (mean, 9). All patients required blood transfusion secondary to blood loss sustained during injury. Survival to discharge was 93%. Controls were 27–64 years old (mean, 40) and 60% male. Sequencing analysis revealed 69 differentially expressed miRNAs (P Conclusion Differential expression and correlations between miRNAs, genes of the TLR pathways, and clinical parameters are unique findings in the severely injured and may lead to a greater understanding of the regulation of sterile inflammation after severe injury.
Analysis of planar multibody systems with revolute joint wear

Wear prediction on the components of a mechanical system without considering the system as a whole will, in most cases, lead to inaccurate predictions. This is because the wear is directly affected by the system dynamics which evolves simultaneously with the wear. In addition, the contact condition (regions of contact for the wearing bodies) also depends on the system dynamics and can only be determined in a multibody dynamics framework. In this work, a procedure to analyze planar multibody systems in which wear is present at one or more revolute joints is presented. The analysis involves modeling multibody systems with revolute joints that consist of clearance. Wear can then be incorporated into the system dynamic analysis by allowing the size and shape of the clearance to evolve as dictated by wear. An iterative wear prediction procedure based on Archard's wear model is used to compute the wear as a function of the evolving dynamics and tribological data. The procedure is then validated by comparing the wear prediction with wear on an experimental slider-crank mechanism.
Radiobiological problems in space. An overview.

An overview is presented on radiation problems in space, with emphasis on aspects of major interest for manned space exploration. A classification of the radiation hazards is presented and strategies for their evaluation are discussed. Space radiation problems are compared with characteristic aspects of radiation research in other disciplines, in order to provide further insight into those aspects that are unique to space.
Impact of fathers on risky sexual behavior in daughters: A genetically and environmentally controlled sibling study

Girls receiving lower quality paternal investment tend to engage in more risky sexual behavior (RSB) than peers. Whereas paternal investment theory posits that this effect is causal, it could arise from environmental or genetic confounds. To distinguish between these competing explanations, the current authors employed a genetically and environmentally controlled sibling design (N = 101 sister pairs; ages 18-36), which retrospectively examined the effects of differential sibling exposure to family disruption/father absence and quality of fathering. Consistent with a causal explanation, differences between older and younger sisters in the effects of quality of fathering on RSB were greatest in biologically disrupted families when there was a large age gap between the sisters (thus maximizing differential exposure to fathers), with greater exposure within families to higher quality fathering serving as a protective factor against RSB. Further, variation around the lower end of fathering quality appeared to have the most influence on RSB. In contrast, differential sibling exposure to family disruption/father absence (irrespective of quality of fathering) was not associated with RSB. The differential sibling-exposure design affords a new quasi-experimental method for evaluating the causal effects of fathers within families.
Management of Seizures in the Elderly

Contrary to what most physicians believe, seizures begin most commonly in the older age group (early childhood is the next most common time). In older patients, detailed history may be even more important to differentiate seizures from other transient neurological complaints often seen at that age. Electroencephalography and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain can also be helpful in the diagnosis. As there are now numerous antiepileptic drugs to choose from, potential adverse effects and drug interactions, as well as efficacy, are particularly important in older patients. This review will outline the diagnosis and causes of seizures in the elderly, as well as the clinical trials and side effect profiles that will help guide management decisions in this age group.
Delivering Subject Choice and Quality Assurance in Specialised Disciplines: The University of New England's Model of Subject Delivery at the University of Newcastle.

Using a new model of subject delivery, the University of New England (UNE–Armidale, Australia) offers specialist subjects at partner or host institutions. The model is a modified version of distance education. It is designed to meet the needs of on-campus students who wish to study a subject that their university is unable to offer as a full internal program. Students are enrolled as students of the partner institution, but the content of the courses, the teaching and assessment are the responsibility of UNE staff. The model is attractive to students and to tertiary administrators of both the host and provider universities. For students the model offers greater subject choice and flexibility; for tertiary administrators at the host institution there is built-in quality assurance and continuity of subject offerings, and for UNE an opportunity to develop a new market for distance education and to ensure the survival of low enrolment specialist language subjects
Relationship of Auditory Distortion Test Results to Speech Discrimination Through Flat vs. Selective Amplifying Systems

Thirty adult subjects with high frequency hearing loss were given speech discrimination tests under conditions of flat and selective amplification. It was hypothesized that performance for the two ...
Cephalic arch stenosis in dialysis patients: review of clinical relevance, anatomy, current theories on etiology and management

Arteriovenous hemodialysis fistulas (AVFs) serve as a lifeline for many individuals with end-stage renal failure. A common cause of AVF failure is cephalic arch stenosis. Its high prevalence compounded with its resistance to treatment makes cephalic arch stenosis important to understand. Proposed etiologies include altered flow in a fistulized cephalic vein, external compression by fascia, the unique morphology of the cephalic arch, large number of valves in the cephalic outflow tract and biochemical changes that accompany renal failure. Management options are also in debate and include angioplasty, cutting balloon angioplasty, bare metal stents, stent grafts and surgical techniques including flow reduction with minimally invasive banding as well as more invasive venovenostomy with transposition surgeries for refractory cases. In this review, the evidence for the clinical relevance of cephalic arch stenosis, its etiology and management are summarized.
The Peace Dividend and Defense Conversion in the Context of Corporate Restructuring

The peace dividend typically is conceptualized as the transfer of dollars from defense to domestic, social needs. This Perspective redefines the peace dividend in terms of the conversion of talent, expertise, and technologies from the production of weaponry to commercial products and processes, which will have positive effects overall on the American economy. The dynamic of this conversion is specified in terms of corporate reorganization among American military industrial firms (MIFs) in existing and strategic industries such as electronics, as well as new growth sectors such as environmentally conscious industries.
Antineoplastic drug effects on spermatogenesis studied by velocity sedimentation cell separation

Abstract Separation of various mouse spermatogenic cells by the velocity sedimentation technique was used to study the following: physicohistological cell separation; kinetics of differentiation; cell types which incorporate thymidine, uridine and l -leucine; and the effect of four antineoplastic agents on the biosynthesis of DNA, RNA and protein by selected spermatogenic cell types. Linear regression analysis of median spermatogenic cell volumes vs sedimentation velocities gave a log slope of 1.71 ± 0.31 and a correlation coefficient of 0.99 ± 0.19. Nine spermatogenic cell types were separated by velocity sedimentation, and tentatively identified by kinetics of thymidine labeling and morphologic identification. From the kinetic studies, the mean duration of the three major spermatogenic stages was estimated. Thymidine was incorporated by spermatogonia; uridine was utilized by early elongated spermatids; and l -leucine was incorporated by late elongated spermatids, spermatogonia, round spermatids, zygotene and pachytene cells. The effects of four oncolytic agents (cytosine arabinoside, vincristine, cyclophosphamide and procarbazine) on the uptake of thymidine by spermatogonia, uridine by early elongated spermatids, and l -leucine by late elongated spermatids were studied 1 hr after a single dose. Each drug was administered ip at the maximally tolerated dose. Cytosine arabinoside resulted in an immediate but reversible effect on thymidine utilization by spermatogonial cells. Vincristine decreased the incorporation of all three substrates. Cyclophosphamide caused an immediate inhibition of DNA and RNA synthesis by the spermatogonia, and early elongated spermatids. Procarbazine resulted in a decrease in the utilization of each substrate.
Technologies to support future military robotics requirements

This paper takes a look at future requirements for military robotic systems, and translates those requirements to the appropriate technologies that must evolve to support mission operations. The effort capitalizes upon the Integrated Concept Team (U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command) requirements database and applies a technology assessment database to formulate a technology roadmap for help in extended long range planning.
Fuel-cycle analysis of early market applications of fuel cells: Forklift propulsion systems and distributed power generation

Forklift propulsion systems and distributed power generation are identified as potential fuel cell applications for near-term markets. This analysis examines fuel cell forklifts and distributed power generators, and addresses the potential energy and environmental implications of substituting fuel-cell systems for existing technologies based on fossil fuels and grid electricity. Performance data and the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model are used to estimate full fuel-cycle emissions and use of primary energy sources. The greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of fuel-cell forklifts using hydrogen from steam reforming of natural gas are considerably lower than those using electricity from the average U.S. grid. Fuel cell generators produce lower GHG emissions than those associated with the U.S. grid electricity and alternative distributed combustion technologies. If fuel-cell generation technologies approach or exceed the target efficiency of 40%, they offer significant reduction in energy use and GHG emissions compared to alternative combustion technologies.
JGR‐Solid Earth and Planets editor Seth A. Stein

Seth A. Stein, one of the editors of the Journal of Geophysical Research—Solid Earth and Planets, says that his approach to editing the journal is based on the premise that authors, reviewers, and editors are all drawn from the same community: the journal's readers. “We all want JGR to publish interesting papers of the highest possible quality. Each of us believes that the papers we review are improved by our comments. It follows, although it is a little harder for most of us to accept, that our own papers generally contain better science and are more useful to readers as a result of reviews,” Stein told Eos. Stein, an associate professor of geological sciences at Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.), is one of the seven editors of JGR—Solid Earth and Planets for 1987 and 1988 (see box). His specialties are tectonophysics and seismology.
Faculty renewal: modeling the impact of the end of mandatory retirement in the University of California medical schools.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act was amended in 1986 to remove age-determined mandatory retirement for nearly all employees. The present study was prompted by the concern that if medical school faculty failed to retire, there would be no positions available for new faculty. The author used 1984-85 data on both tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty of the five medical schools of the University of California (UC) to make projections, over 20 years, of faculty age distributions and available positions, at several possible growth rates and delays in retirement age. Association of American Medical Colleges data on all U.S. medical school faculty in 1980 were used to show that the UC data were not exceptional. Acknowledging the various assumptions used in manipulating the data and the need to examine longitudinal data on faculty age, growth, turnover, and retirement to make more realistic projections, the author demonstrates that the impact of delaying retirement by several years would be minimal. Because of this conclusion and also the inevitable aging of the faculty resulting from the slowed growth of medical schools, academic institutions should pay more attention to maintaining the vitality and productivity of their individual faculty members, regardless of age.
Comparing protein–ligand interactions in solution and single crystals by Raman spectroscopy

By using a Raman microscope, we show that it is possible to probe the conformational states in protein crystals and crystal fragments under growth conditions (in hanging drops). The flavin cofactor in the enzyme para-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase can assume two conformations: buried in the protein matrix ("in") or essentially solvent-exposed ("out"). By using Raman difference spectroscopy, we previously have identified characteristic flavin marker bands for the in and out conformers in the solution phase. Now we show that the flavin Raman bands can be used to probe these conformational states in crystals, permitting a comparison between solution and crystal environments. The in or out marker bands are similar for the respective conformers in the crystal and in solution; however, significant differences do exist, showing that the environments for the flavin's isoalloxazine ring are not identical in the two phases. Moreover, the Raman-band widths of the flavin modes are narrower for both in and out conformers in the crystals, indicating that the flavin exists in a more limited range of closely related conformational states in the crystal than in solution. In general, the ability to compare detailed Raman data for complexes in crystals and solution provides a means of bridging crystallographic and solution studies.
A theoretical study of the structure of shocked water

Abstract The extended reference interaction site method is used to calculate the structure of water behind a shock front. The competing effects of increased density and temperature modify the correlation functions in a manner that is qualitatively consistent with both expectation and recent experimental results.
Clinical neuropsychology 1970-1990: a personal view.

Abstract In 1970, I assessed the status of a “new discipline”, clinical neuropsychology, and optimistically predicted growth and expansion over the next decades. A current assessment in 1990 indicates that the dramatic increase in the number of clinical neuropsychologists and in the scope and magnitude of their professional functioning far exceeds my expectations of two decades ago. Further, there is every indication that clinical neuropsychology will continue to be a challenging, vital, and expanding profession.
Reasoning: Source of Variability in the Boothroyd and Dewhurst Assembly Time Estimation Method

This paper evaluates the effect of making a subjective decision in a design for assembly time analysis. An example is found in the first set of questions for estimating handling time of a part the user chose “parts are easy to grasp and manipulate” as opposed to “parts present handling difficulties”. The subjectivity is explored through a study of assembly time estimates generated by a class of mechanical engineering students in the time analysis of a clicker pen based on the Boothroyd and Dewhurst estimation method. The assembly times calculated by the class ranged from a minimum of 23.64 seconds to a maximum of 44.89 seconds (range of 21.25 seconds). This large range in results serves as motivation in determining the effect that answering a subjective decision has on the resulting assembly time estimate. Initial results indicate that not answering the first level of subjective questions will result in assembly time estimate within 15% of the time had the subjective question been answered. The probability density plots of the time estimates also indicates that 63% of the time, the estimated assembly time without making the subjective decision will fall within the normal distribution had the subjective decision been made. This provides evidence that there is an opportunity to reduce the amount of subjective questions that a user must answer to estimate the assembly time of a product.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Some observations on the properties of hemoglobin MMilwaukee-1☆

Abstract Hemoglobin MMilwaukee-1 ( α A 2 β 67 2 Glu ) is one of three known M hemoglobins in which the hemes of the β-polypeptide chains are in the ferric form and hence only the α-chains undergo reactions with oxygen. The structural basis of hemoglobin MMilwaukee-1 differs from that of the other two β-substituted M hemoglobins: in these, as well as in the two α-substituted M hemoglobins, tyrosine replaces the normal proximal (F8) or distal (E7) heme-linked histidine. Certain properties of hemoglobin MMilwaukee-1 differed significantly from those of other M hemoglobins with β-chain substitutions: (1) the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin MMilwaukee-1 was decreased, and (2) hemoglobin MMilwaukee-1 appeared to be more stable to denaturation by heat and by sodium benzoate. Like the other β-substituted M hemoglobins, hemoglobin Mmilwaukee-1 had a marked Bohr effect. Comparison of the properties of the five (three β- and two α-chain substituted) different M hemoglobins suggests that (1) the amino acid substitutions of the M hemoglobins alter the oxygen affinity of the oxygen reactive chains perhaps by inducing different tertiary or quaternary structures in the molecule and (2) that reactions of the α-chains with oxygen leads to the change in the ionization of the C-terminal residues of the β-chains which is responsible according to Perutz and his associates for one-half of the Bohr effect of normal hemoglobin.
Volumetric properties of aqueous 1-1 electrolyte solutions near and above the critical temperature of water II. Densities and apparent molar volumes of LiCl(aq) and NaBr(aq) at molalities from 0.0025 mol·kg−1 to 3.0 mol·kg−1, temperatures from 604.4 K to 725.5 K, and pressures from 18.5 MPa to 38.0 MPa

A vibrating-tube densitometer was used for measuring differences in densities between water and LiCl(aq) and NaBr(aq) at molalities from 0.0025 mol·kg−1 to 3.0mol·kg−1, at temperatures from 604.4 K to 725.5 K, and pressures from 18.5 MPa to 38.0 MPa. The density differences and the derived apparent molar volumes are tabulated.
Amplification of the immune response by agonistic antibodies

During the last seven years, more than 1000 munine monoclonal antibodies (mAb) have been made which react with human leucocyte differentiation antigens. International workshops have extensively evaluated these mAb; over 25 differentiation antigens have been identified and included in an international WHO-approved nomenclature(1-3), called clusters of differentiation (CD). These are identified by both serological and biochemical analyses. In this article Ed Clark and Jeff Ledbetter summarize a subset of these mAb specific for differentiation antigens that, as agonists, induce activation, growth, or differentiation of lymphocytes.
STIMULATION OF G-CSF GENE EXPRESSION IN THE MACROPHAGE CELL LINE BY CONTACT WITH EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX PROTEINS AND A PRE-B LEUKAEMIA CELL LINE

Abstract In order to scrutinize the adherence-dependent interactions for induction of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in peripheral monocytes/macrophages, a sensitive reporter gene assay was constructed using the mouse macrophage cell line transfected with the mouse G-CSF promoter region in conjunction with the luciferase gene as a reporter. With this system, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) showed a markedly positive response. Among the extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, both fibronectin (FN) and vitronectin (VN) markedly induced luciferase activity, but others did so to a much lesser extent. Among the synthetic peptides having Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequences, only FLEPP with multiple RGD significantly induced luciferase activity. Pretreatment of the cells with anti-integrin α6, αM, β1 and β2 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) significantly reduced the LPS-induced responses and anti-α1, α2 and β3 mAbs to a lesser extent, and anti-α5, α6, αM, β1 and β2 mAbs blocked the FN-induced response. In the cell-to-cell interactions, a significantly positive increase was observed by direct contacting of this cell line with a G-CSF-dependent promyelocytic leukaemia cell line, known to stimulate the induction of G-CSF to the stromal cells. Its effect was mostly blocked by pretreatment with anti-intergrin α5, αL, β1 and β2 and anti-ICAM-1 mAbs. These results indicate that there are several pathways via the cell-to-ECM and cell-to-cell interactions triggering the induction of G-CSF in the macrophages.
Fast handover in cellular networks with femtocells

With the advent of femtocells in cellular networks, the inter-cell handover process will become more complex, frequent and time-sensitive. The legacy handover procedures in 3G and LTE systems were originally designed for handovers between macrocells whose base stations are part of the mobile core networks. The use of the public internet to connect the femtocell base station with the mobile core network will contribute to higher latency if such legacy handover procedures are employed over femtocells. This makes the legacy handover procedures slower, and in most cases inefficient. In the absence of a specific standardized procedure that involves femtocells, rather than using existing procedures designed to handle handovers between macrocells, we propose a new Prefetch-based Fast Handover procedure that is designed to overcome the drawbacks introduced by the usage of the public internet for message paths between femtocell base stations and the mobile core network. The new procedure can be introduced into the existing LTE infrastructure with few modifications to the femtocell base station architecture, and the core network packet flows. The proposed procedure simplifies and speeds the handover procedure at the cost of consuming more network resources at the femtocell base station.