cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ultrasound frame rate requirements for cardiac elastography: experimental and in vivo results.

Abstract Cardiac elastography using radiofrequency echo signals can provide improved 2D strain information compared to B-mode image data, provided data are acquired at sufficient frame rates. In this paper, we evaluate ultrasound frame rate requirements for unbiased and robust estimation of tissue displacements and strain. Both tissue-mimicking phantoms under cyclic compressions at rates that mimic the contractions of the heart and in vivo results are presented. Sinusoidal compressions were applied to the phantom at frequencies ranging from 0.5 to 3.5 cycles/sec, with a maximum deformation of 5% of the phantom height. Local displacements and strains were estimated using both a two-step one-dimensional and hybrid two-dimensional cross-correlation method. Accuracy and repeatability of local strains were assessed as a function of the ultrasound frame rate based on signal-to-noise ratio values. The maximum signal-to-noise ratio obtained in a uniformly elastic phantom is 20 dB for both a 1.26 Hz and a 2 Hz compression frequency when the radiofrequency echo acquisition is at least 12 Hz and 20 Hz respectively. However, for compression frequencies of 2.8 Hz and 4 Hz the maximum signal-to-noise ratio obtained is around 16 dB even for a 40 Hz frame rate. Our results indicate that unbiased estimation of displacements and strain require ultrasound frame rates greater than ten times the compression frequency, although a frame rate of about two times the compression frequency is sufficient to estimate the compression frequency imparted to the tissue-mimicking phantom. In vivo results derived from short-axis views of the heart acquired from normal human volunteers also demonstrate this frame rate requirement for elastography.
PSYOP and Persuasion: Applying Social Psychology and Becoming an Informed Citizen.

This project teaches students about persuasion techniques, especially as governments use them. Most project examples came from the work of the U.S. military's modern Psychological Operations division. Social psychology students (a) reviewed influence techniques; (b) examined posters, leaflets, and other persuasion tools used in World War II, the Gulf War, Kosovo, and Afghanistan; (c) pondered legal and ethical issues related to persuasion campaigns; and (d) considered the differences between persuasion and propaganda. Finally, students considered ways to innoculate themselves against unwanted influence attempts.
The Jacobson radical of row-finite matrices

The purpose of this paper is to give a necessary and sufficient condition for an element to be a member of the Jacobson radical of the ring of all row-finite matrices over a ring R, a problem proposed by Nathan Jacobson in his book, Structure of Rings (p. 23). Let R be a ring. The set of all row-finite matrices whose entries are elements of R shall be denoted by R,, . The Jacobson radical of R shall be denoted by N(R). E. NI. Patterson has shown that N(R,) 2 [iV(R)lw and that N(R,) = [N(R)lw if and only if N(R) is a right-vanishing ring. Let ~1 aij /I be an element of [N(R)],,, and let m be a positive integer. I f each of k and p is a positive integer let gi,,,,, = upp and let d,,&l be the quasi-inverse of %m~ . Suppose that n is a positive integer which is not greater than m and that gLkp and d,,” have been defined as elements of J\‘(R) for all positive integers k and p. Let
The production of oxysterols in bile by activated human leukocytes

Oxysterols are naturally occurring intermediates in the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids, the major route for elimination of cholesterol. Additionally, they are important signaling agents, particularly in control of cholesterol synthesis; however, some species also are cytotoxic and carcinogenic. Oxysterols in plasma, contained in oxidized low-density lipoprotein, are strongly correlated with atherosclerosis. Oxysterols are found in infected human bile and the oxysterol content in gallstones correlates with bacterial DNA in the stones. Here we demonstrate that human leukocytes, activated by the presence of bacterial lipopolysaccharide, are able to oxidize cholesterol to a variety of oxysterols, including species known to be carcinogenic.
Protograph-Based Raptor-Like LDPC Codes for Rate Compatibility with Short Blocklengths

This paper presents a new class of rate-compatible LDPC codes, protograph-based Raptor-like (PBRL) codes. The proposed PBRL codes are jointly decodable with an iterative belief propagation decoder. As with Raptor codes, additional parity bits can be easily produced by exclusive-or operations on the precoded bits, providing extensive rate compatibility. This paper provides a design procedure that optimizes this class of rate- compatible LDPC codes. The new PBRL codes outperform 3GPP rate-compatible turbo codes with the same short blocklength at high SNR and show no sign of an error floor at the FER region of $10^{-7}$.
TESTS OF INDEPENDENCE FOR BIVARIATE SURVIVAL DATA

We propose two test statistics based on the covariance process of the martingale residuals for testing independence of bivariate survival data. The first test statistic takes the supremum over time of the absolute value of the covariance process, and the second test statistic is a time-weighted summary of the process. We derive asymptotic properties of the two test statistics under the null hypothesis of independence. In addition, we derive the asymptotic distribution of the weighted test and construct optimal weights for contiguous alternatives to independence. Through simulations, we compare the performance of the proposed tests and the inner product of the Savage scores statistics of Clayton and Cuzick (1985, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series A 148, 82-108). These demonstrate that the supremum test is generally more powerful with comparatively little power loss relative to their test when Clayton's family alternative holds, and the weighted test is more powerful when the weight is appropriately chosen.
Induction androgen deprivation plus prostatectomy for stage T3 disease: Failure to achieve prostate-specific antigen-based freedom from disease status in a phase II trial

Abstract Objectives There is interest in treating prostate cancer with induction androgen deprivation prior to radical prostatectomy. Data on long-term prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based survival analyses among patients treated with neoadjuvant hormonal therapy (NHT) and prostatectomy are limited. In 1991 we instituted a pilot study for T3 disease based on endorectal coil magnetic resonance imaging (eMRI), mandatory negative laparoscopic nodal dissection prior to hormonal manipulation, and prostatectomy followed by pathologic and PSA-based outcome determinations. Methods Of 26 patients, 21 had negative laparoscopic lymphadenectomy followed by 4 months of NHT (leuprolide ± flutamide) prior to radical prostatectomy. eMRI was performed at the time of diagnosis and following hormonal treatment. Serum PSA was determined at 3-month intervals. Prostatectomy specimens were evaluated by 3-mm whole-mount step sections. Results Prior to prostatectomy, biochemical response was documented in all patients and downsizing was observed by eMRI in 57%. Pathologic downstaging to a lower stage (T2c or lower) was achieved in 48%. However, the actuarial 3-year freedom from biochemical relapse rate was only 24%. Conclusions Using laparoscopy to exclude node-positive patients and 4 months of NHT appears to result in pathologic and initial biochemical evidence of regression. These factors have not translated into improved freedom from biochemical relapse among patients with Stage T3 disease treated with NHT and prostatectomy. Recent data strongly suggest a beneficial effect in patients with clinical T2 disease treated with NHT and radical prostatectomy. The NHT and radical prostatectomy approach appeared to offer no clear advantage when compared with PSA-based benchmarks achieved with conformal irradiation or NHT followed by external beam treatment among patients with clinical T3 disease.
The Role of BCS (Biopharmaceutics Classification System) and BDDCS (Biopharmaceutics Drug Disposition Classification System) in Drug Development

Biopharmaceutics Classification System and Biopharmaceutics Drug Distribution Classification System are complimentary, not competing, classification systems that aim to improve, simplify, and speed drug development. Although both systems are based on classifying drugs and new molecular entities into four categories using the same solubility criteria, they differ in the criterion for permeability and have different purposes. Here, the details and applications of both systems are reviewed with particular emphasis of their role in drug development. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 102:34–42, 2013
Influence of fertilizer on southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella, infestation and damage to field corn

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers have differing effects on southwestern corn borer (SWCB). Diatraea grandiosella Dyar, densities and damage to field corn, Zea mays L. Nitrogen fertilization of corn is associated with an increase in number of stalks infested and girdled by corn borers, while addition of P has the opposite effect. When combinations of N and P were applied, there were no significant differences in SWCB infestation or damage from plots receiving no fertilizer. The effect of combinations of N and P on SWCB were intermediate to either element alone. RESUME Influence des engrais sur la contamination des champs de mais par Diatraea grandiosella et sur l'importance des degâts qui en resultent Nous avons etudie les correlations entre l'utilisation d'engrais azotes et phosphates d'une part, l'infestation et l'alimentation de D. grandiosella sur mais en champs d'autre part. Les formules d'engrais comparees etaient: pas d'engrais, 90 et 179 kg N/ha sans P, 45 et 90 kg P/ha sans N, et les combinaisons de ces deux teneurs en N et P. La contamination etait plus elevee dans les lots ayant recu de l'azote que dans ceux traites sans N, mais la presence d'azote n'a pas reduit le decapage des tiges et la verse dus a l'alimentation larvaire. A l'inverse, les lots n'ayant recu que du phosphore avaient des pourcentages plus faibles de tiges contaminees par D. grandiosella et ainsi decapees et versees, que ceux qui n'avaient pas recu P. Il n'a pas eu de differences significatives dans les contaminations ou les degats entre les lots ayant recu differentes combinaisons de N et P, et les effets de ces combinaisons sur l'insecte etaient intermediaires a ceux de N et P seuls.
Hierarchies of whiteness in the geographies of empire: Thomas Thistlewood and the Barrets of Jamaica

Shows how a racial solidarity between whites in colonial Jamaica during slavery developed, but covered class differences between whites. Author examines the differences between the lesser-white, socially mobile settlers, and the upper plantocracy. She looks especially at social-structural factors, in particular genealogy and reproduction, that separated upper plantocratic families and dynasties, with connections with Britain, e.g. through absentee plantation owners, from less wealthy white settlers, that obtained intermediate positions as overseers, and generally were single males. She relates this further to the context with a white minority and a majority of slaves, and with relatively less women than men among the whites, that influenced differing reproductive patterns. The upper-class tended to achieve white marrying partners from Britain, alongside having children with slaves or people of colour, while lower-class whites mostly reproduced only in this last way. Author exemplifies this difference by juxtaposing the family histories and relationships, and relative social positions of Thomas Thistlewood, an overseer who came alone, and had an intermediate position, and the upper-class wealthy Barrett family, who were large land and slave owners, and established a powerful white dynasty in Jamaica, with British connections, over centuries, and that also included, sidelined, coloured offspring.
Differential humoral and cellular immunoreactivity to saline-and detergent-extracted filarial antigens

The immunoreactivity to saline- and detergent-extracted filarial antigens of 31 Haitian subjects exposed to or infected with Wuchereria bancrofti was analysed. Cellular reactivity, monitored by blastogenesis in vitro, was significantly greater to a soluble extract of Brugia pahangi than to a detergent-extracted antigenic preparation. In contrast, serum antibody levels against the detergent extract were significantly higher. These differences were consistently observed in symptomatic, microfilaraemic, and asymptomatic/amicrofilaraemic groups of patients. These patterns of immunoreactivity may reflect intrinsic differences between the 2 antigenic preparations in terms of composition or their mode of presentation to the host immune system.
Seasonal deposition patterns of acidic ions and ammonium to the lichen Ramalina menziesii tayl. in southern California

Abstract Seasonal deposition patterns as indicated by water leachable ions (NO3−, NH42+, SO42−, PO43−, H+, F− and Cl− from the lichen Ramalina menziesii were investigated at 2-week intervals over 50 weeks at a polluted and control site in southern California. During interstorm periods accumulation of leachable ions occurred with the highest levels found at the end of extended summer drought periods. Leachable NO3− was always the ion in highest concentration and the ions NH4+, H+ and Cl−1 were found in intermediate concentration. During summers all ions except Cl−1 were consistently higher at the polluted site than at the control site.
Gastrointestinal side effects in liver transplant recipients taking enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium vs. mycophenolate mofetil.

In the setting of liver transplantation, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) may be used as an adjuvant therapy for immunosuppression to prevent graft rejection; however, its use may be limited due to severe gastrointestinal (GI) side effects. In contrast, enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) may be associated with less severe side effects and hence better tolerability. We compared the side effects of EC-MPS to MMF in liver transplant patients in a de novo study (Study I-randomized, prospective, double-blinded) and a conversion study (Study II). In both studies, the severity of GI symptoms was assessed at various time points using the Gastrointestinal Symptoms Rating Scale (GSRS) survey, a validated survey of GI symptoms (abdominal pain, reflux, indigestion, diarrhea, and constipation). In Study I, the symptoms of 30 recipients receiving EC-MPS (n = 15) were compared to 15 recipients receiving MMF. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) of the total GSRS scores and symptom syndrome subscores revealed no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the two medications over time. A conversion study (Study II) with 29 participants, however, showed that over time, all GI symptoms improved significantly (p < 0.001) when the patients were treated with EC-MPS instead of MMF.
Determination of vitamin A acid in human plasma after oral administration.

Abstract A quantitative method is described for detecting vitamin A acid in human plasma after oral administration. Levels of vitamin A acid ranging between 112 and 329 μg./ 100 ml. were obtained, while vitamin A alcohol levels ranged between 33 and 63 μg./ 100 ml. Both antimony trichloride spectra and direct spectra obtained with this method are presented. Some of the difficulties in determining vitamin A acid quantitatively are discussed.
Improving the stability and optical properties of germanane via one-step covalent methyl-termination

Germanane is a two-dimensional material that represents a promising alternative to graphene for applications in electronics and optoelectronics. Here, Jiang and colleagues demonstrate that germanane’s optical properties can be improved by methyl-termination instead of hydrogen.
Determining the Effects of Different Cross-Bridge States on the Rate of Calcium Dissociation from Troponin C Mutants in Rabbit Ventricular Myofibrils

The molecular events required for thin filament activation and deactivation in cardiac muscle are generally thought to be in rapid equilibrium. Stopped-flow measurements obtained with reconstituted thin filaments suggest that the rate of Ca2+ dissociation from cardiac TnC can be modulated by myosin S1 binding to actin and is not always rapid, but approaches the rate of mechanical relaxation at 15oC. To further probe the effects that myosin contributes to thin filament deactivation, we have utilized rabbit ventricular myofibrils as a more physiological biochemical system to examine the kinetics of Ca2+ dissociation from TnC. Incorporating a fluorescent TnC (C35S, C84S, T53C) labeled with IANBD into the myofibrils allows us to follow both the rates of Ca2+ dissociation from TnC, as well as what we think is cross-bridge (CB) detachment, through a change in IANBD fluorescence from TnC. However, CB detachment is only reported by the wild type TnC construct when there is no Ca2+ on the thin filament, while in the presence of ATP, Ca2+ dissociation is no longer observed. CB detachment can be observed in the presence of Ca2+ when Ca2+ binding to TnC is inactivated by D65A TnC. Additionally, the rate of Ca2+ dissociation from TnC can be observed when CBs are detached (presence of ATP) by the Ca2+ sensitizing mutations V44Q or L48Q TnC, but not when Ca2+ binding is desensitized by D73N TnC. Thus, weak and strong binding states of the thick filament differentially influence those of the thin filament within the cardiac myofibril, and are not necessarily in rapid equilibrium.
Sendust films for high temperature processing

Sendust, permalloy, and cobalt-zirconium films were subjected to heat treatments at temperatures up to 800°C. The sendust films had the most thermally stable magnetic properties. Using orienting magnetic fields during deposition gave a well defined anisotropy in the sendust films. High r.f. forward power had an annealing effect during deposition while negative substrate bias tended to decrease the coercivity. Ar pressure during deposition had little effect on the coercivity but moment density decreased with increased pressure. Target to substrate distance hardly affected the magnetic properties. Thinner films had lower coercivity than thicker films probably due to stresses in the thicker films.
Comparison of cutting rates among single-patient-use and multiple-patient-use diamond burs.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the volumetric cutting rates of 6 cylindrical-shaped single-patient-use and 2 cylindrical-shaped multiple-patient-use diamond burs using a machinable ceramic material. The degree of wear among burs from each type was also compared using scanning electron microscopy. Materials and Methods Six types of single-patient-use diamond burs and 2 types of multiple-patient-use diamond burs with similar cylindrical shape and dimensions were selected. Five burs of each type were evaluated using a high-speed handpiece mounted on a custom testing device. Using a 6-mm cutting length of each bur, 20 cuts, each 12.2-mm long, were made at exactly one half the diameter of the bur. Mean volumetric cutting rate through the ceramic substrate for Cuts 1 through 20 was calculated for each bur type in cubic millimeters prepared per second. A repeated measures analysis of variance (α= 0.05) and post hoc one-way analysis of variance with Scheffe's test was used to compare cutting rates among bur types for Cuts 2, 10, and 20. The topography of one bur from each group was evaluated with scanning electron microscopy after Cut 2 and again after Cut 20. Results For Cut 2, the mean cutting rates ranged from 3.3 to 5.3 mm3/s. The mean cutting rates for all bur types decreased approximately 20% by Cut 20. Bur type and length of use significantly influenced cutting rate (p < .002). However, only one type of single-patient-use diamond bur had a significantly lower mean cutting rate after Cuts 2, 10, and 20, compared with other single- and multiple-patient-use diamond burs. Scanning electron microscopy showed all burs exhibited wear of diamond particles, as well as loss of diamond particles and binder. Conclusions Five of six single-patient-use diamond burs had mean volumetric cutting rates through a ceramic that were similar to 2 multiple-patient-use diamonds for as many as 20 cuts. The gradual reduction in cutting rate during the 20 cuts for all bur types was a result of bur wear.
Identification of Nuclear Dicing Bodies Containing Proteins for MicroRNA Biogenesis in Living Arabidopsis Plants

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important for regulating gene expression in muticellular organisms. MiRNA processing is a two-step process. In animal cells, the first step is nuclear and the second step cytoplasmic, whereas in plant cells, both steps occur in the nucleus via the enzyme Dicer-like1 (DCL1) and other proteins including the zinc-finger-domain protein Serrate (SE) and a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) binding-domain protein, Hyponastic Leaves1 (HYL1). Furthermore, plant miRNAs are methylated by Hua Enhancer (HEN1) at their 3' ends and loaded onto Argonaute1 (AGO1). However, little is known about the cellular basis of miRNA biogenesis. Using live-cell imaging, we show here that DCL1 and HYL1 colocalize in discrete nuclear bodies in addition to being present in a low-level diffuse nucleoplasmic distribution. These bodies, which we refer to as nuclear dicing bodies (D-bodies), differ from Cajal bodies. A mutated DCL1 with impaired function in miRNA processing fails to target to D-bodies, and an introduced primary (pri)-miRNA transcript is recruited to D-bodies. Furthermore, bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) shows that DCL1, HYL1, and SE interact in D-bodies. On the basis of these data, we propose that D-bodies are crucial for orchestrating pri-miRNA processing and/or storage/assembly of miRNA-processing complexes in the nuclei of plant cells.
Dielectric function and collective modes of two-dimensional interacting bosons.

We present a theoretical study of the dielectric response and collective excitations of a two-dimensional system of bosons interacting via a dipolar interaction. The model is designed to simulate the situation occurring in semiconductor double quantum well systems under strong electric fields perpendicular to the layers. The field produces a net polarization of photoexcited electron and hole carriers and favors the appearance of long-lived polarized excitons. This gas of interacting point dipoles shows interesting features and we study the effects of low dimensionality and statistics. Well-defined density-fluctuation excitations appear at low temperatures with a linear dispersion relation at long wavelengths. The low dimensionality of the system gives rise to an effective long-ranged potential with only a faster power-law decay.
A new type of functional group differentiation in palladium-catalyzed reactions

Abstract Products of palladium-catalyzed ethynylations of various 2-bromoallyl acetates show that the formation of α-vinylpalladium intermediates, instead of π-allylpalladium complexes, is preferred in such substrates.
SU‐E‐T‐480: Can PTV Density Be Overridden for SBRT Lung Planning?

Purpose: To demonstrate a PTV density overridden method that may reduce planned MU while still delivering sufficient dose to the tumor for SBRT lung planning. Methods: The tumor motion inside the planning target volume (PTV) during treatment changes the density distribution inside the PTV. The worst case scenario occurs when CTV fills the PTV at the same moment, so the PTV density becomes the same as the CTV density. Our hypothesis is that the MU calculated with appropriate PTV density should be sufficient for delivering the prescription dose to the tumor. To find support for this, the plan MU with the PTV density assigned as 0.8g/cm3 were recalculated using Pinnacle planning software for twelve patients. Three of those patients had four CTV structures copied and manually placed at the border of the PTV. The new CTV density was overridden to 1g/cm3 and the density of the PTV, excluding new CTV, was overridden to 0.2 g/cm3. The plans were recalculated using the MU from the PTV density overridden plan. Each new plan with the CTV coverage and dose distribution was compared to the plan with the original density. Results: MU was reduced by more than 10% for three patients whose CTV sizes were smaller than 1.2cc. For the remaining patients, MU was reduced by an average of 3%. Without considering density redistribution due to tumor relocation, the new CTVs of those three patients only had 58%, 74%, and 47% of their volumes receiving the prescription dose. However, the coverage of the CTVs increased to 95% in average if density redistribution was applied. The prescription isodose line changed with the CTV location. Conclusion: This work finds support for a significant reduction in MU for very small CTV lung SBRT plan, while still delivering sufficient dose to the tumor.
Theophylline therapy in asthmatic children: single-dose studies

SummaryTheophylline is still the corner-stone of long-term bronchodilator therapy in children with chronic bronchial asthma in the U.S.A., hence the importance of selecting aprepar-ation which will achieve therapeutic plasma levels with a minimum of side-effects when a convenient form is complied with in a practical regimen.A theophylline solution (‘Theolair”) was evaluated in single-dose clinical studies in 16 children with reversible chronic obstructive airway disease {asthma). Theophylline blood levels, pulmonary function clinical parameters and side-effects were monitored serially over a 6-hour period following a single dose (5 mg/kg) of the preparation. Fifteen minutes after the dose the mean plasma theophylline concentration was 8.5 μg/ml which was double the initial baseline level. Mean levels of 10 μgjml were reached at ± hour and maintained for about 2 hours. Meanpeak concentrations of 11.28 μg/ml were achieved at 1 hour. Levels at 6 hours were significantly higher than baseline and very close to...
Stress-coping abilities of individuals high and low in jealousy.

A review of experimental research on jealousy showed further research is required to understand the concept beyond a listing of basic differences in self-report. An analogue study of the coping abi...
A case–control study of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphisms in cervical carcinogenesis

Abstract Objectives. Polymorphisms in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene are thought to be associated with a varying risk of cervical dysplasia. The purpose of this trial was to study the role of the two common functional MHTFR polymorphisms in a large multiracial population at risk for cervical dysplasia and cancer. Methods. This is a nested case–control study of 376 subjects obtained from cohorts enrolled in an ongoing prospective cervical carcinogenesis protocol. Cases included invasive cancers ( n = 51), and high ( n = 50) and low ( n = 50) grade dysplasia. There were 225 normal controls. Functional MTHFR 677C→T and 1298A→C genotypes were identified. Follow-up cytology data were reviewed for the control subjects from the time of study entry until August 2004. Results. There is a significant racial difference in allele frequency of the 677C→T polymorphism ( P Conclusions. We confirm a significant difference in the 677T allele frequencies among racial groups. However, there is no association of either the 677C→T or 1298A→C polymorphisms in cervical carcinogenesis. There is no role of the combined polymorphism effect in cervical cancer or evidence of prediction for future Pap abnormalities.
Spring transpiration of three desert species

Abstract Transpirometer data which are not corrected for weight differences show that sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) loses more water per plant per minute than does rabbitbrush ( Chrysothamnus nauseosus albicaulis (Nutt.) Hall & Clem.) on a dry site. With corrections for dry leaf weight differences, the reverse is true. Rabbitbrush transpires more rapidly on a dry site per gram of dry weight than does sagebrush. On wet sites, sagebrush and horsebrush ( Tetradymia canescens D.C.) transpire more rapidly than on dry sites in spring. The dry weight of leaves is a more desirable reference for transpiration rate than is leaf area which is used for broad-leaved plants. Deep shade causes an abrupt decrease in the transpiration rate of sagebrush over the full sun rate. After seven minutes in shade, the plant does not immediately regain its full sun transpiration rate when restored to full sunlight.
Blastomycosis of the eyelid.

Abstract Background: Published reports indicate that eyelid involvement occurs in approximately 25% of patients with systemic blastomycosis and that mortality exceeds 60% in untreated patients. The purpose of this study is to investigate this purportedly frequent association. Methods: The Medical Diagnostic Index of the Mayo Clinic was used to identify patients who were treated for blastomycosis from 1976 through 1993. The medical records of affected patients were reviewed. Results: Of 79 patients with blastomycosis, only 1(1.27%; 95% confidence interval, 0.03%-6.85%) had eyelid involvement. The diagnosis of systemic disease was established in this patient after biopsy of the eyelid lesion, and the infection responded satisfactorily to treatment with itraconazole. Conclusion: Contrary to previous reports, eyelid involvement with systemic blastomycosis is uncommon.
The Augmented Latent Class Model: Incorporating Additional Heterogeneity in the Latent Class Model for Panel Data

Abstract Marketing researchers have actively sought to account for the heterogeneity in households’ preferences and responses to marketing-mix elements (e.g., price, promotion) when analyzing scanner-panel data. This is because not doing so biases response coefficient estimates that can potentially alter the conclusions drawn from such analyses. In this article, the authors present an extension to the latent class model (LCM) that accounts for additional heterogeneity by allowing households’ preferences to be a continuous mixture of segment-level preferences. The authors show how their model generalizes the LCM by the mere addition of S + 1 parameters, where S refers to the number of segments. Because a limitation of the traditional LCM is that it does not adequately account for heterogeneity in responses across households, the authors’ model mitigates this criticism leveled at the LCM. They then compare their model with the traditional LCM and the equivalent continuous mixture (random-effects) models in ...
Can elephants fly? Drucker and governmental reform

The purpose of this article is to explore and evaluate Peter Drucker’s ideas on governmental reform, responsibilities, and management. Through an examination of his writings, as well as the work of a number of public administration scholars, Drucker’s views are analysed and assessed in the context of recent public management literature. The article situates Drucker as a de facto public choice theorist, given his advocacy of privatization and his minimalist position on government, in general. Although he is an internationally‐renowned management theorist, Drucker’s views on the public sector are found wanting on both the theoretical and practical levels. The article concludes that governmental reform is far more complex than Drucker seems to realize, and that it requires a healthy respect for democratic values and the public interest, as well as the principles and practices of modern management.
Relation between chronic gastritis, non-cardia gastric cancer, and Helicobacter pylori: experience of a county hospital in China

Relation between chronic gastritis, non-cardia gastric cancer, and Helicobacter pylori: experience of a county hospital in China
Spatial and Temporal Structure of Receptive Fields in Primate Somatosensory Area 3b: Effects of Stimulus Scanning Direction and Orientation

This is the third in a series of studies of the neural representation of tactile spatial form in somatosensory cortical area 3b of the alert monkey. We previously studied the spatial structure of >350 fingerpad receptive fields (RFs) with random-dot patterns scanned in one direction (DiCarlo et al., 1998) and at varying velocities (DiCarlo and Johnson, 1999). Those studies showed that area 3b RFs have a wide range of spatial structures that are virtually unaffected by changes in scanning velocity. In this study, 62 area 3b neurons were studied with three to eight scanning directions (58 with four or more directions). The data from all three studies are described accurately by an RF model with three components: (1) a single, central excitatory region of short duration, (2) one or more inhibitory regions, also of short duration, that are adjacent to and nearly synchronous with the excitation, and (3) a region of inhibition that overlaps the excitation partially or totally and is temporally delayed with respect to the first two components. The mean correlation between the observed RFs and the RFs predicted by this three-component model was 0.81. The three-component RFs also predicted orientation sensitivity and preferred orientation to a scanned bar accurately. The orientation sensitivity was determined most strongly by the intensity of the coincident RF inhibition in relation to the excitation. Both orientation sensitivity and this ratio were stronger in the supragranular and infragranular layers than in layer IV.
School Discipline at a Crossroads: From Zero Tolerance to Early Response:

Dramatic incidents of school violence have thrust school discipline to the forefront of public consciousness. Despite a dramatic increase in the use of zero tolerance procedures and policies, there is little evidence demonstrating that these procedures have increased school safety or improved student behavior. Moreover, a punitive disciplinary climate may make any attempt to include more students with behavioral problems a cause for conflict between general and special educators. A preventive, early response disciplinary model increases the range of effective options for addressing violence and disruption across both general and special education. Ultimately, the effectiveness of any disciplinary system may be judged by the extent to which it teaches students to solve interpersonal and intrapersonal problems without resorting to disruption or violence.
Tabu search based behavioural synthesis of low leakage datapaths

In this work, we propose two search-based approaches based on the tabu search to explore the solution space for low leakage power data-paths. The first approach explores different schedules. The second approach simultaneously searches for schedules and mappings that dissipate low leakage power. Our approaches identify data-paths which dissipate up to 40% lesser leakage power than those synthesized using traditional heuristics. Tabu search finds significantly better solutions at the cost of a moderate increase in computation time.
Ontologies for Behavior

Summary: Although dozens of biological ontologies have been created and deployed, relatively little attention has been given to using ontologies to represent behavior. Ontologies for two different behavior systems are described here. One ontology was a translation of a published ethogram, and the second was coded from video clips in a comparative study of jumping spider courtship. Availability: http://mesquiteproject.org/ontology/
Similarity Laws for Stressing Heated Wings

It will be shown that the differential equations for a heated plate with large temperature gradient and for a similar plate at constant temperature can be made the same by a proper modification of the thickness and the loading for the isothermal plate. This fact leads to the result that the stresses in the heated plate can be calculated from measured strains on the unheated plate by a series of relations, called the "similarity laws." The application of this analog theory to solid wings under aerodynamic heating is discussed in detail. The loading on the unheated analog wing is, however, complicated and involves the novel concept of feedback and "body force" loading. The problem of stressing a heated box-wing structure can be solved by the same analog method and is briefly discussed.
Images of mind: A window to the brain

The authors of Images of the Mind have made a significant contribution to our understanding of the brain through imaging technology. The book is well written, timely, beautifully illustrated and conveys a sense of history. It will appeal to alay audience as well as a professional audience.
Comparison of Computational and Quasi-Static Solutions of Phase Change With Heat Generation

In this paper, we investigate the effects that the volumetric heat generation has on the movement and steady-state location of a solid-liquid phase change front in melting and freezing processes. Volumetric heat generation enhances melting and impedes freezing. This phenomenon occurs in nuclear, geologic, cryogenic and material processing applications. We compare the results from a FLUENT computational model with analytical results of a quasi-static solution of the governing equations. These models are applied for constant surface temperature boundary conditions and various volumetric heat generation values in cylindrical plane wall and spherical geometries. The quasi-static method results in an exact steadystate solution which shows that the location of the phase change front is inversely proportional to the square root of the volumetric heat generation. This method is valid for Stefan numbers less than one and the computational results for this regime give excellent agreement with the analytical model, thereby validating the technique and solutions. For the sake of comparison, we also plot the analytical model and computational results for Stefan numbers of one and greater. The quasi-static analytical solution converges more rapidly to the steady-state value than the computational solution. As expected, at longer time intervals, both the analytical and computational solutions converge to the exact steady-state solution.
Discussion of Chapters 8 and 9

This discussion addresses itself to the developmental and psychological factors in adolescent girls that contribute to conception and to the decision to bear a child.
A microsecond-pulse-length, frequency-stabilized virtual-cathode oscillator using a resonant cavity

Experiments at the microsecond pulse length have demonstrated that the virtual-cathode oscillator generates narrowband (0.3% bandwidth) microwave pulses when the virtual cathode is surrounded by a resonant cavity and is driven by an appropriate electron beam. This result is a significant departure from the behavior of a free-running virtual-cathode oscillator where the frequency depends on the (current density)/sup 1/2/. The long-pulse experimental results are described. >
Estimating V̄s(30) (or NEHRP Site Classes) from Shallow Velocity Models (Depths < 30 m)

The average velocity to 30 m (V s (30)) is a widely used parameter for classifying sites to predict their potential to amplify seismic shaking. In many cases, however, models of shallow shear-wave velocities, from which V s(30) can be com- puted, do not extend to 30 m. If the data for these cases are to be used, some method of extrapolating the velocities must be devised. Four methods for doing this are described here and are illustrated using data from 135 boreholes in California for which the velocity model extends to at least 30 m. Methods using correlations be- tween shallow velocity and V s(30) result in significantly less bias for shallow models than the simplest method of assuming that the lowermost velocity extends to 30 m. In addition, for all methods the percent of sites misclassified is generally less than 10% and falls to negligible values for velocity models extending to at least 25 m. Although the methods using correlations do a better job on average of estimating V s(30), the simplest method will generally result in a lower value of V s(30) and thus yield a more conservative estimate of ground motion (which generally increases as V s(30) decreases).
Electric displacement as the fundamental variable in electronic-structure calculations

Finite-field calculations in periodic insulators are technically and conceptually challenging, owing to fundamental problems in defining polarization in extended solids. Although significant progress has been made recently with the establishment of techniques to fix the electric field E or the macroscopic polarization P in first-principles calculations, both methods lack the ease of use and conceptual clarity of standard zero-field calculations. Here we develop a new formalism, in which the electric displacement D, rather than E or P, is the fundamental electrical variable. Fixing D has the intuitive interpretation of imposing open-circuit electrical boundary conditions, which is particularly useful in studying ferroelectric systems. Furthermore, the analogy to open-circuit capacitors suggests an appealing reformulation in terms of free charges and potentials, which dramatically simplifies the treatment of stresses and strains. Using PbTiO3 as an example, we show that our technique enables full control over the electrical variables within the density functional formalism.
Constituents from the stem wood of Euphorbia quinquecostata with phorbol dibutyrate receptor-binding inhibitory activity

Bioassay-guided fractionation of an EtOAc extract of the stem wood of Euphorbia quinquecostata using a phorbol dibutyrate receptor-binding assay system as a monitor yielded four inhibitory isolates (1-4), inclusive of one new compound, 17-hydroxyingenol 20-hexadecanoate (1), and three previously known compounds, ingenol 20-hexadecanoate (2), ent-16 alpha,17-dihydroxyatisan-3-one (3), and ent-3 beta,16 alpha,17-trihydroxyatisane (4). Also isolated from this extract were 10 constituents inactive in this bioassay, namely, 2,2'-dihydroxy-4,6-dimethoxy-3-methylacetophenone (5), a new structure, and nine known compounds identified as ent-13S-hydroxyatis-16-ene-3, 14-dione; 2-hydroxy-4,6-dimethoxyacetophenone (xanthoxylin); 2-hydroxy-4,6-dimethoxy-3-methylacetophenone; 6-hydroxy-7-methoxycoumarin; lupeol acetate; beta-sitosterol; sitosterol beta-D-glucopyranoside; 6,7,8-trimethoxycoumarin; and 3,3',4'-tri-O-methyl-4-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1"'-->6")-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]ellagic acid. The structures of compounds 1 and 5 were established by chemical and spectroscopic methods.
Robust Optimization in Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy Reduces Dose Variation Due to Setup Uncertainty and Anatomy Change

Results: For the 59 images analyzed, the template-based matching algorithm was able to localize the GTV on only 74.6% (44/59) of the SE images vs. 94.9% (56/59) of the DE images (p Z 0.004). For 3 cases, the algorithm was unable to localize the GTVon both the SE and DE images. In the 12 cases in which the algorithm localized the GTVon the DE image but not on the SE image, 8 of the GTVs were < 5 cc in volume (pZ 0.39). Median vector differences in the position of the GTV centroids for the template-based match and the “ground truth” images were 0.5 mm (95% CIZ 0.3 mm, 1.0 mm) for SE images, versus 0.6 mm (95% CIZ 0.4 mm, 1.0 mm) for DE images (p Z 0.63). Conclusions: While the accuracy is comparable, DE imaging provides a higher tracking rate than SE imaging using a template-based matching algorithm on kV planar images for patients with lung tumors. By combining such an algorithm with DE imaging, this approach has the potential to allow for accurate and reliable real-time, markerless-motion tracking of lung tumors. Author Disclosure: A.M. Block: None. R. Patel: E. Research Grant; Varian Medical Systems. J. Panfil: E. Research Grant; Varian Medical Systems. J. Breunig: None. M. Surucu: None. M.M. Harkenrider: None. J.C. Roeske: E. Research Grant; Varian Medical Systems.
Extending EBG to term-rewriting systems

We show that the familiar explanation-based generalization (EBG) procedure is applicable to a large family of programming languages, including three families of importance to AI: logic programming (such as Prolog); lambda calculus (such as LISP); and combinator languages (such as FP). The main application of this result is to extend the algorithm to domains for which predicate calculus is a poor representation. In addition, many issues in analytical learning become clearer and easier to reason about.
Greenhouse gas mitigation policies and the transportation sector: The role of feedback effects on policy effectiveness

The US transportation sector is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As such, policymakers and stakeholder groups have proposed a number of policy instruments aimed at reducing these emissions. In order to fully evaluate the effectiveness of these policies, policymakers must consider both the direct responses associated with policy actions, and the indirect responses that occur through complex relationships within socioeconomic systems. In cases where multiple policy instruments are employed, these indirect effects create policy interactions that are either complementary or competing; policymakers need to understand these interactions in order to leverage policy synergies and manage policy conflicts. Analysis of these indirect effects is particularly difficult in the transportation sector, where system boundaries are uncertain and feedback among systems components can be complicated. This paper begins to address this problem by applying systems dynamics tools (in particular causal loop diagrams) to help identify and understand the role of feedback effects on transportation-related GHG reduction policies. Policymakers can use this framework to qualitatively explore the impacts of various policy instruments, as well as identify important relationships that can be later included in quantitative modeling approaches.
A large deviations perspective on the efficiency of multilevel splitting

We analyze the performance of a multilevel splitting method for rare event simulation related to one recently proposed in the telecommunications literature. This method splits promising paths into subpaths at intermediate levels to increase the number of observations of a rare event. In our previous paper (1997) we gave sufficient conditions, in specific classes of models, for this method to be asymptotically optimal; here we focus on necessary conditions in a general setting. We show, through a variety of results, the importance of choosing the intermediate thresholds in a way consistent with the most likely path to a rare set, both when the number of levels is fixed and when it increases with the rarity of the event. In the latter case, we give very general necessary conditions based on large deviations rate functions. These indicate that even when the intermediate levels are chosen appropriately, the method will frequently fail to be asymptotically optimal. We illustrate the conditions with examples.
Canonical Equation K 46 for the Stieltjes Transform of Normalized Spectral Functions of Tridiagonal and Jacobi Random Matrices

In this chapter, we study the distribution of the eigenvalues of tridiagonal random matrices of large dimension. The statement of the problem and the method for its investigation go back to the original work [Gir54].