cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Underdeveloped trabecular bone microarchitecture is detected in children with cerebral palsy using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging

Summary Using high resolution magnetic resonance imaging, we detected severely underdeveloped trabecular bone microarchitecture in the distal femur of children with cerebral palsy who can not ambulate independently vs. typically developing controls. Furthermore, very good short-term reliability of trabecular bone microarchitecture measurements was observed in both groups of children.
Ethical dilemmas in living donor organ transplantation.

Living related donors are an increasing source of organs for transplantation. Although the use of this type of donation is widespread in the United States, the practice of placing donors at risk for injury or illness without physical benefit can create ethical dilemmas for health professionals dedicated to healing and avoiding harm. It is important for transplantation professionals to be familiar with the risks and benefits associated with living donation within their own specialty area. Placing living donation within an ethical framework can allow for careful consideration and guide decision making in each individual case. Drawing upon the literature for examples from several of the transplantation specialty areas, this article reviews some of the risks and benefits associated with living donation and identifies the limits of the utilitarian and casuistic ethical frameworks in guiding decision making in living donation. An ethical framework of virtue-principlism is offered as one which is grounded in an ...
Methods to characterize the recording layer of phase-change media initialized by induction heating

The method to measure the apparent reflectivity with gloss meter is applied to the phase-change optical disks before and after initialization process. The apparent reflectivity measurements for relative large area and the reflectivity measured by optical pick-up are compared. The apparent reflectivity measurements are proven to enough for the characterization of recording layer. The measurement with gloss meter has several advantages of speed, simple structure, low price and etc.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
TH-C-201B-11: Automated Extraction and Reporting of Dose Information from Computed Tomography Examinations

PURPOSE: Exposure to radiation as a result of medical imaging is currently in the spotlight receiving attention from Congress as well as the lay press. While scanner manufacturers are moving towards including effective doseinformation in the DICOM headers of imaging studies there is a vast repository of retrospective CT data at every imaging center which stores doseinformation in a patient protocol image. As such it is difficult for imaging centers to participate in the American College of Radiology (ACR) Dose Registry. METHOD AND MATERIALS: We have designed an automated extraction system to query our PACS archive and parse our CT examinations to extract doseinformation stored in each patient protocol image. First an open‐source optical character recognition (OCR) program processes each protocol image and converts the information to ASCII text. We parse each ASCII file and extract radiationdoseinformation which is stored in a database and queried using an existing pathology and radiology enterprise search tool at our institution. We conducted a validation study to compare the extracted text information with the original patient protocol image. 2108 CT examinations performed at our institution between 2003 and 2010 were randomly selected and processed. Two board‐certified radiologists reviewed the extracted radiationdoseinformation and compared it with the patient protocol image of each study. RESULTS: The pipeline extracts and calculates total DLP with an accuracy of 100%. CONCLUSION: Using this automated extraction pipeline we are able to perform dose analysis on the more than 869000 CT examinations in our PACS archive and generate dose report cards for every patient scanned at our institution. The automated extraction pipeline allows us to be compliant with the ACR reporting guidelines and be more cognizant of radiationdose to our patients thus resulting in improved patient care and management. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: None.
Algorithms for a class of computer-aided design problems: A review

This paper reviews some recent results on algorithms for a class of computer aided design problems arising in control, circuit theory and steel structure design.
The effects of microstructure on the electrocaloric properties of Pb(Zr,Sn,Ti)O3 ceramics

Abstract When an electric field is applied to a dielectric material under adiabatic conditions there is a resultant change in temperature, a phenomenon known as the electrocaloric effect. Compositions in the Pb(Zr,Sn,Ti)O3 system (PZST) have several phases of nearly equal free energy, allowing antiferroelectric (AFE) to ferroelectric (FE) and paraelectric (PE) to ferroelectric (FE) transitions to occur. Data are presented for electrocaloric measurements on AFE materials in the vicinity of the Curie point. The effect of microstructure is reported, and experimental values are related to dielectric properties through thermodynamic relations. Culmination of this work resulted in the largest electrocaloric effect (2.6°K) measured to date for coarse grain material in the PZST system.
A framework for undoing actions in collaborative systems

The ability to undo operations is a standard feature in most single-user interactive applications. We propose a general framework for implementing undo in collaborative systems. The framework allows users to reverse their own changes individually, taking into account the possibility of conflicts between different users' operations that may prevent an undo. The proposed framework has been incorporated into DistEdit, a toolkit for building group text editors. Based on our experience with DistEdit's undo facilities, we discuss several issues that need to be taken into account in using the framework, in order to ensure that a reasonable undo behavior is provided to users. We show that the framework is also applicable to single-user systems, since the operations to undo can be selected not just on the basis of who performed them, but by any appropriate criterion, such as the document region in which the operations occurred or the time interval in which the operations were carried out.
A family of simple C∗-algebras related to weighted shift operators

In this paper we study a family of C*-algebras which occurs naturally in the study of C*-algebras generated by weighted shifts. We show that these algebras are simple modulo the compacts, and while they share many of the properties of uniformly hyperfinite C*-algebras, they are not approximately finite dimensional.
Chiral-symmetry breaking in nonequilibrium systems

Sensitivity of a nonequilibrium chemical system to small symmetry-breaking influences is analyzed in the context of chiral-symmetry breaking. For a hypothetical model system, with realistic kinetic constants, a reaction energy barrier difference of $\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}E}{\mathrm{kt}}={10}^{\ensuremath{-}17}\ensuremath{-}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}15}$ is shown to be sufficient to have a strong chiral selectivity. This is in the range of the estimated energy differences between right- and left-handed molecules due to weak neutral currents.
The morphology and ultrastructure of Gothania (cordaitales) pollen

Large monosaccate pollen grains (Felixipollenites) were macerated from pollen sacs of the Lower Pennsylvanian cordaite Gothania lesliana. The presence of both mature and immature grains provides an opportunity to study stages in post-tetrad pollen development. Immature grains possess a lamellate nexine but lack a saccus. The sexine is constructed of orbicular vesicles that are unevenly distributed over the grain surface. A thin layer of the exine covers the region of the proximal suture during all stages of development, although it may be lost later due to mechanical disruption. Saccus development involves the inflation of the outer portion of the sexine resulting in characteristic endoreticulations on the inner saccus wall. Attachment of the saccus to the corpus distally is variable in mature grains. Variation in suture configuration from monolete to trilete may be due to one or more factors involved in the evolution of gymnospermous pollen. Gothania lesliana pollen represents an early type of cordaite pollen and allows consideration of various trends in saccate pollen evolution.
DESCRIPTIVE AND EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSES OF VARIABLES MAINTAINING SELF-INJURIOUS BEHAVIOR

Independent descriptive (correlational) and functional (experimental) analyses were conducted to determine the extent to which the two methods would yield data supporting similar conclusions about variables maintaining the self-injurious behavior (SIB) of 6 subjects. For the descriptive analyses, subjects were observed in their residences and at training sites at various times each day while observers recorded naturally occurring sequences of specified subject and staff behaviors. The subjects also participated in a day program for the assessment and treatment of SIB, in which they were exposed to functional analyses that manipulated potential maintaining variables in multielement designs. Both sets of data were analyzed via conditional probabilities to identify relevant antecedent and consequent events for subjects' SIB. Using outcomes of the experimental analysis as the standard for comparison, results indicated that the descriptive analysis was useful in identifying the extent to which SIB was related to social versus nonsocial contingencies, but was limited in its ability to distinguish between positive and negative reinforcement (i.e., attention versus escape).
Potential importance of the sexual transmission of non‐A, non‐B hepatitis

To identify previously unrecognized sources for acquiring acute hepatitis B and non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis, we interviewed patients with these types of hepatitis who were reported to two county health departments in the United States and matched control subjects for known and potential risk factors for acquiring hepatitis. Of 218 patients with hepatitis B and 140 patients with NANB hepatitis, 46% and 53%, respectively, had no commonly recognized source for infection. When these patients were compared with control subjects, significantly more patients with hepatitis B had multiple heterosexual partners, accounting for 14% of all hepatitis B infections; more patients with NANB hepatitis either had sexual or household contact with a person who had hepatitis in the past or had multiple heterosexual partners, accounting for 11% of all NANB infections. This is the first study to suggest that heterosexual transmission may play an important role in the spread of NANB hepatitis.
Amplitude enhancement is seen in the cochlear nerve but not at, or before, the afferent synapse.

Abstract The amplitude of the cochlear nerve compound action potential (CAP) produced by a moderate intensity tonal stimulus (S 2 ) can be enhanced when S 2 is preceded by a low intensity S 1 of the same frequency. The presence of S 1 , had no observable influence on the threshold of the CAP to S 2 . Enhancement was not observed in the cochlear microphonics or summating potentials. Deactivation of the contralateral olivocochlear bundle did not influence enhancement. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) was applied to the round window to block cochlear nerve spike activity, resulting in a residual EPSP-like potential, as described in the guinea pig by Dolan et al. (1989). Kainic acid, in turn, eliminated this EPSP-like response. Even though some differences were found in the responses of the gerbil and their guinea pig preparation to TTX and kainic acid, enhancement was not observed in this residual potential. When enhancement was observed at the level of the CAP, it was also observed at brainstem levels. It is suggested that enhancement originates within the cochlear nerve axons.
Direct determination of photoresist composition changes during UV exposure

Exposure of photoresists to ultraviolet light results in outgassing of species that have the potential to contaminate surrounding optical surfaces. Of particular concern are silicon-containing products which cannot be cleaned and permanently detune optical coatings. Collection and identification of those species and quantification of the amounts formed is a difficult analytical problem because of the number and variety of products. We describe a general methodology for determining acidolytic decomposition pathways and absolute elemental composition changes induced in photoresists during exposure. Two silicon-containing 193 nm resists that differ in the mode of attachment of trimethylsilyl to the polymer have been investigated. Elemental abundances are measured in post-apply baked, exposed and post-expose baked films by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), thus probing volatile product formation from all photochemical and thermal decomposition pathways. Complementary data on primary thermal acidolytic deprotection pathways during post-exposure bake are obtained by mass spectrometry, enabling SIMS elemental abundance changes to be interpreted. The results show that decomposition of both the polymer protecting groups through room temperature acidolysis and the photoacid generator by photolysis lead to volatile product formation during exposure. Silicon bound through oxygen is acid labile while silicon bound through carbon is not, resulting in very low to no silicon outgassing from the latter polymer. Sulfur-containing products formed from PAGs outgas in significant amounts from the photoresists investigated, supporting recent mass spectrometric observations of sulfur outgassing by R. Kunz and coworkers.
Nonlinear waves in two-fluid flows

Abstract Typically, the interaction of two miscible fluids leads to the formation of segregation patterns in the form of plane concentration waves and two- or three-dimensional voids or clusters. The development of small-amplitude plane travelling waves and the subsequent onset of higher-dimensional instabilities can be elucidated analytically; in addition, numerical methods allow the computation of higher-amplitude solutions. As both direct approaches become costly, although at different amplitude levels, one is tempted to look for a simpler model problem. Therefore, a nonlinear wave equation has been derived for two-dimensional dispersed two-phase flow in fluidized beds near the stability boundary using the Froude number as small parameter. This equation is a two-dimensional perturbation of the Korteweg-de Vries equation containing all low-order terms. It allows to identify the transition point between voids and clusters, and to investigate these two regions for solitary and periodic waves. A Ginzburg-Landau equation is derived to describe transverse perturbations of one-dimensional wavetrains bifurcating at the stability boundary.
The effect of thirst on locomotor light escape in rats

Female rats trained to traverse a runway to escape bright light while thirsty ran faster than ones trained while water-satiated. Taken together with the results of a number of other studies, this observation supports the generalization that hunger or thirst depresses performance on manipulandum escape or avoidance and facilitates performance when locomotion is required for escape or avoidance. We suggest that species-specific defensive reactions elicited by the aversive stimulus interact with the required escape or avoidance response and with food- or water-seeking behavior elicited by deprivation to determine the effect of deprivation on escape or avoidance.
Laparoscopy in the Management of Intersex Anomalies

Intersex anomalies are rare conditions, usually heralded by ambiguous external genitalia. After exclusion of the life-threatening adrenal enzymatic disorders, gender assignment is one of the primary concerns in the management of these newborn infants. Although the diagnosis may be apparent in the majority after the initial physical examination, karyotyping, and radiologic and biochemical evaluation, in a sizeable group, it still may not be obvious. Laparoscopy plays an important role in the management of this latter group, providing the pediatric urologist with the means to perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures simultaneously through a minimally invasive approach.
Toward a more stable blood supply: charitable incentives, donation rates, and the experience of September 11

Although excess blood collection has characterized U.S. national disasters, most dramatically in the case of September 11, periodic shortages of blood have recurred for decades. In response, I propose a new model of medical philanthropy, one that specifically uses charitable contributions to health care as blood donation incentives. I explain how the surge in blood donations following 9/11 was both transient and disaster-specific, failing to foster a greater continuing commitment to donate blood. This underscores the importance of considering blood donation incentives. I defend charitable incentives as an alternative to financial incentives, which I contend would further extend neoliberal market values into health care. I explain my model's potential appeal to private foundations or public-private partnerships as a means for expanding both the pool of blood donors and the prosocial benefit of each act of blood donation. Finally I link my analysis to the empirical literature on blood donation incentives.
Theoretically optimal environmental metrics and their surrogates

Abstract Many environmental pollutants are thought to produce several classes of effects, e.g., morbidity, mortality, property damage. It would be possible to specify a unique theoretically optimal metric for each class of effects. Alternatively a single surrogate metric could be used to represent the combined impact of all classes of effects. Here, the use of surrogates is discussed in the context of regulation of ambient air pollution. It is demonstrated that costs may be associated with the use of surrogates, and that these costs are caused by (1) imprecision in the relationships between the surrogate and each of the theoretically optimal metrics, and (2) reduction in dimensionality of the set of exposure metrics. The factors which govern the magnitude of costs incurred are explored. It is noted that any savings inherent in the operation of simplified systems of monitoring and data management offset to some degree the costs generated by the use of surrogates.
Response of a rigid foundation to a spatially random ground motion

Methode d'obtention de la reponse dynamique d'une fondation rigide etendue sur un demi-espace elastique lorsqu'elle est soumise a un mouvement du sol variant spatialement incluant a la fois des effets deterministes et aleatoires. Description des resultats numeriques pour une fondation carree rigide et pour un mouvement du sol caracterise par une fonction de coherence spatiale particuliere. Les resultats obtenus indiquent que le mouvement du sol spatialement aleatoire produit des effets similaires aux effets deterministes du passage d'une onde incluant la reduction des composantes de translation de la reponse aux hautes frequences et la creation d'un balancement
Biglycan Modulates Osteoblast Differentiation and Matrix Mineralization

MC3T3-E1 cell-derived clones expressing higher (S) or lower (AS) levels of biglycan were generated and characterized. The processes of cell differentiation and matrix mineralization were accelerated in S but delayed in AS, indicating that BGN modulates osteoblastic cell differentiation. Introduction: Biglycan (BGN), a member of the small leucine-rich proteoglycan family, is one of the major proteoglycans found in bone and has been implicated in bone formation. In this study, the effects of over- or underexpression of BGN on osteoblastic cell phenotypes and matrix mineralization were studied. Materials and Methods: MC3T3-E1 cells were transfected with vectors containing the BGN cDNA in a sense or antisense orientation to generate clones expressing higher (S clones) or lower (AS clones) levels of BGN. MC3T3-E1 cells and those transfected with an empty vector (EV) were used as controls. The levels of BGN synthesized by these clones were evaluated by Western blot analysis. Cell growth was analyzed by cell counting and cell differentiation by the gene expression patterns of several osteoblastic markers using quantitative real-time PCR. The abilities of these clones to form mineralized matrices were evaluated by in vitro and in vivo mineralization assays. Furthermore, the clones were treated with BMP-4 and their responsiveness was assessed. Results: The cell growth in these clones was unaffected; however, osteoblast differentiation was significantly accelerated in S clones and suppressed in AS clones. The in vitro matrix mineralization in S clones was significantly enhanced but severely impaired in AS clones. When transplanted into immunodeficient mice, S clone transplants exhibited larger areas of lamellar bonelike matrices, whereas only minute amounts of woven bone-type structure was found in AS transplants. The response to BMP-4 was higher in S clones but poorer in AS clones compared with that of controls. Conclusions: BGN modulates osteoblast differentiation, possibly by regulating BMP signaling, and consequently matrix mineralization.
An organometallic approach to the synthesis of high nuclearity Mo-Fe-S clusters as potential models for the iron-molybdenum cofactor of nitrogenase

Reaction of the [Fe2S2(CO)6]2− dianion with molybdenum reagents produces a number of high-nuclearity Mo-Fe-S carbonyl clusters with Fe/Mo ratios ≥5, as well as a variety of new Fe-S carbonyl clusters. The former are particularly relevant as models or precursors to models for the iron-molybdenum cofactor [FeMo-cofactor] of nitrogenase. General strategies for the synthesis of FeMo-cofactor models are briefly reviewed, and the structures of clusters produced in the [Fe2S2(CO)6]2−/Mo systems examined to date are described.
A Simple Sol–Gel Synthesis of Superconducting MgB2 Nanowires

The discovery of superconductivity in the binary boride MgB2 with a transition temperature (Tc) of near 39 K, [1] has sparked intense interest in this compound. This interest is in part due to the high Tc compared to other bimetallic compounds, and the fact that traditional solid-state synthesis routes can be used to prepare this compound. Traditional synthesis routes have been employed for the preparation of crystals, thin films, macroscopic wires, and tapes of this material. Although solid-state synthesis methods using elemental Mg and B have been successful in producing bulk MgB2 phases, the preparation is made difficult by the large differences in vapor pressure between Mg and B, and also the high reactivity of Mg towards O, which requires these reactions to be performed under carefully controlled conditions, since doping or contamination of the MgB2 phase affects the superconducting transition temperature. It is of fundamental and applied interest to study the effect of size on the superconducting nature of MgB2. Till now there have been only a few reports of the synthesis of MgB2 nanowires [10–12] or other MgB2 nanostructures. [13,14] Most of these synthesis methods are multistep, involving a vapor-transport process, mechanical alloying, or pyrolysis of MgB2 nanoparticles formed in situ. However, a soft-chemical synthetic approach, which allows more control over the stoichiometry and nanostructure morphology of this potentially important material, is long overdue. Here we report a simple, high-yield bulk synthesis that produces pure MgB2 nanowires that show a superconducting Tc of 38.6 K. Our technique utilizes roomtemperature sol–gel chemistry followed by pyrolysis in a controlled atmosphere of diborane (B2H6) and N2 under ambient pressure. The sol–gel technique is an attractive synthetic method since its flexibility allows for optimization of the synthesis. The MgB2 nanowires were synthesized in two steps. Initially a precursor gel was obtained by mixing the magnesium bromide and sodium borohydride reagents in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Pyrolysis of this gel under a diborane–N2 atmosphere yielded a black powdery product. The powder X-ray diffraction pattern of the black product shows the presence of the MgB2 phase (see Supporting Information, Fig. S1) while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the product was predominately nanowires. Use of other magnesium halides, such as MgCl2 or MgI2, also yielded nanowires under similar reaction conditions; however, the yield of the nanowires in the product was reduced compared to when using MgBr2. The chemical reaction can be written as:
The accumulation of gallium-67-labeled leukocytes in rat cardiac allografts.

Abstract One to eight days following transplantation, host peripheral blood leukocytes were labeled in vitro with 67 Ga and injected into rats with heterotopic cardiac isografts and allografts. The labeled cells accumulated progressively in the rejecting allografts with peak accumulation occurring at the height of histologically definable rejection activity. There was a minimal accumulation of labeled cells in the isograft immediately postoperatively which correlates with the histologically identifiable mild inflammatory response secondary to operative ischemia. Radioactively labeled host leukocytes thus may serve as useful tracers for the in vivo demonstration and quantitation of the cellular events associated with the rejection reaction.
The effect of vinyl monomer grafting on the water sorption kinetics and equilibria in cellulose

Wood pulp cellulose was grafted with styrene and a number of other vinyl monomers using the mutual radiation technique. The effects of the level of grafting, type of monomer, and the grafting conditions on the water sorption equilibria and kinetics were determined. Styrene was studied in considerable detail. Styrene grafting reduced the equilibrium water content but water diffusivities increased as a consequence of styrene grafting. Conversely, the grafting of polar monomers such as acrylonitrile, ethyl acrylate, and acrylic acid led to somewhat higher water regains but to decreased diffusion constants. The swelling conditions used during the mutual grafting process with styrene significantly affected the grafting rates and the properties of the resulting grafts. For example, the equilibrium water contents at the same level of grafting, was a function not only of percent graft but also of the specific swelling conditions. These moisture regains were inversely related to the density of the grafted fibers. These results are discussed in terms of the conformation of the grafted side chains which is determined by the various grafting conditions.
In Search of Killer Amendments In the Modern U.S. House

Numerous studies have examined the incidence of killer amendments in Congress, but most of these studies have been either case specific, focusing on the legislative maneuverings around a single issue or bill, or temporally limited, focusing on strategic activity in only one or two Congresses. In this article, we present the beginning of a comprehensive research agenda for the systematic study of killer amendments. Using roll-call data from the 83d through the 108th U.S. House (1953–2004), we identified those bills that (a) were successfully amended and (b) subsequently went down to defeat, a necessary condition for the existence of a killer amendment. We then examined these cases in greater detail, using both spatial analyses and case studies. Our analysis uncovered five cases, four of which are new, that appear to have the characteristics of true killer amendments, thus setting the stage for future analyses across time and legislative chambers and bodies.
Physical‐Chemical Methods For Control Of Algal Species And Composition In Algal Culturing Facilities

The bivalve molluscs Crassostrea virginica and Mercenaria mercenaria require species of algal food for growth. Successful commercial culture of the hard clam and American oyster in a controlled environment depends on an ability to grow desirable species. Three methods are described for the selective culture of Thalassiosira pseudonana, a desirable bivalve food, in the presence of a contaminant species Phaeodactylum tricornutum, an undesirable food. The first method takes advantage of differences in cell wall characteristics between the two types of algae. Cultures of T. pseudonana contaminated with 34% and 60% P. tricornutum (by cell numbers) treated with ultrasonic waves yielded growing cultures of T. pseudonana which were free of P. tricornutum when 100% T. pseudonana were treated with ultrasonic waves they showed no growth and normal growth respectively. The second method involves manipulation of nutrient levels in a mixed culture of Thalassiosira pseudonana and Phaeodactylum tricornutum to eliminate one or other species from the culture. The third method utilizes a harvesting reseeding technique to maintain a relatively constant concentration of the slower growing species in a semi-continuous mixed species culture containing Carteria chuii and Thalassiosira pseudonana. The results are integrated into a two loop algal culturing process. One loop consists of a seed culture utilizing a small percentage of the influent water and a larger mass algae culture. The mass algae loop is continuosly inoculated with new seed from the seed loop in sufficient quantities so that desirable species out compete undesirable species. Water entering the seed loop is purified by an ultrasonic treatment process so that undesirable species may be eliminated from the seed cultures.
Marine adhesives: Amino acid content of Balanus eburneus adhesive

Abstract The adhesive secreted by the barnacle Balanus eburneus has been analyzed to ascertain its amino acid content. The chromatographic data indicated the presence of 17 amino acids. Their proportions, compared to the hexosamine content of the adhesive, point to the presence Of glycoproteins.
Enslaved Malagasy and 'Le Travail de la Parole' in the Pre-Revolutionary Mascarenes

Malagasy speakers probably formed the single largest native speech community among slaves dispersed into the western Indian Ocean between 1500 and 1900. In the eighteenth-century Mascarenes, Malagasy parlers (dialects) served as a contact language, understood both by persons born in Madagascar and by those with no direct ties to the island. Catholic missionaries working in Bourbon and Ile de France frequently evangelized among sick and newly disembarked Malagasy slaves in their own tongues, employing servile interpreters and catechists from their ecclesiastical plantations as intermediaries in their ‘work of the word’. Evangelistic style was multilingual, in both French and Malagasy, and largely verbal, but was also informed by Malagasy vernacular manuscripts of Church doctrine set in Roman characters. The importance of Malagasy in the Mascarenes sets the linguistic environment of the islands off in distinctive ways from those of Atlantic slave societies and requires scholars to rethink the language and culture history of the western Indian Ocean islands, heretofore focused almost exclusively on studies of French and its creoles.
Bronchoalveolar lavage in the diagnosis of lipoid pneumonia

Lipoid pneumonia (LP) is an uncommon entity with the characteristic radiographic features and histologic findings of alveoli filled with vacuolated, lipid-laden histiocytes. We questioned whether bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) could be useful in the confirmation of LP. We examined lipid stains (oil-red O) in BAL specimens from 18 cases, representing a variety of pulmonary disease states, and compared them with an index case of confirmed LP. The index case of LP had a history of chronic intranasal use of mentholated petrolatum with subsequent x-ray findings of progressive air bronchograms. Positive histochemical confirmation (oil-red O) performed on frozen sections of transbronchial lung biopsy was obtained. Eleven of the non-LP cases had no intracellular staining of BAL macrophages with oil-red O stain, whereas the index case of LP exhibited markedly positive intracytoplasmic staining of macrophages for lipid. The remaining seven cases showed minimal to mild lipid staining with only one other case having moderate staining. This study demonstrates that BAL macrophages from patients with a variety of pulmonary states and without suspected LP do not demonstrate significant staining for intracellular lipids, in contrast with the expected strong positivity of LP. Lipid staining of BAL specimens, although not entirely specific, may be a preferred method for confirming the diagnosis of LP, thereby avoiding more invasive procedures.
The Richmond Theater Fire: Early America's First Great Disaster. By Meredith Henne Baker. (Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 2012. Pp. x, 317. $39.95.)

On December 26, 1811, the Richmond Theater burned to the ground during a performance, and of the 648 or so people in attendance, seventy‐two died. Examining this tragedy in The Richmond Theater Fir...
Oriented preparations of free-floating asymmeterial cells or cell constituents by their inclusion in extruded fibers.

If asymmetrical free-floating cells or cell elements are mixed with a material which can be extruded as a fiber, a preparation can be made in which the long axes are parallel to one another. For example, a 10% polyvinyl alcohol (Du Pont Elvanol 71-30) solution is mixed with a cell suspension, and extruded through a nozzle (60-300 β in diameter) into an aqueous solution of sodium sulfate (4%) and borax (0.2%). The resulting fiber is then lifted out, stretched and dried, after washing if necessary.
Regenerative Performance of the NASA Symmetrical Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Design

The NASA Glenn Research Center is developing both a novel cell design (BSC) and a novel ceramic fabrication technique to produce fuel cells predicted to exceed a specific power density of 1.0 kW/kg. The NASA Glenn cell design has taken a completely different approach among planar designs by removing the metal interconnect and returning to the use of a thin, doped LaCrO3 interconnect. The cell is structurally symmetrical. Both electrodes support the thin electrolyte and contain micro-channels for gas flow-- a geometry referred to as a bi-electrode supported cell or BSC. The cell characteristics have been demonstrated under both SOFC and SOE conditions. Electrolysis tests verify that this cell design operates at very high electrochemical voltage efficiencies (EVE) and high H2O conversion percentages, even at the low flow rates predicted for closed loop systems encountered in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications. For UAVs the volume, weight and the efficiency are critical as they determine the size of the water tank, the solar panel size, and other system requirements. For UAVs, regenerative solid oxide fuel cell stacks (RSOFC) use solar panels during daylight to generate power for electrolysis and then operate in fuel cell mode during the night to power the UAV and electronics. Recent studies, performed by NASA for a more electric commercial aircraft, evaluated SOFCs for auxiliary power units (APUs). System studies were also conducted for regenerative RSOFC systems. One common requirement for aerospace SOFCs and RSOFCs, determined independently in each application study, was the need for high specific power density and volume density, on the order of 1.0 kW/kg and greater than 1.0 kW/L. Until recently the best reported performance for SOFCs was 0.2 kW/kg or less for stacks. NASA Glenn is working to prototype the light weight, low volume BSC design for such high specific power aerospace applications.
Base-Calling of Automated Sequencer Traces Using Phred. II. Error Probabilities

Elimination of the data processing bottleneck in high-throughput sequencing will require both improved accuracy of data processing software and reliable measures of that accuracy. We have developed and implemented in our base-calling program phred the ability to estimate a probability of error for each base-call, as a function of certain parameters computed from the trace data. These error probabilities are shown here to be valid (correspond to actual error rates) and to have high power to discriminate correct base-calls from incorrect ones, for read data collected under several different chemistries and electrophoretic conditions. They play a critical role in our assembly program phrap and our finishing program consed.
An Analysis of Verbs in Financial News Articles and their Impact on Stock Price

Article terms can move stock prices. By analyzing verbs in financial news articles and coupling their usage with a discrete machine learning algorithm tied to stock price movement, we can build a model of price movement based upon the verbs used, to not only identify those terms that can move a stock price the most, but also whether they move the predicted price up or down.
The Tibet question through the looking glass of Taiwan: comparative dynamics and sobering lessons

This paper evaluates the Tibet question through the looking glass of Taiwan, by considering four dimensions of comparative dynamics between the two cases of Taiwan and the Tibetan government-in-exile (TGIE) in relation to China: territorial, economic, ethnic and cultural. Of the four, the paper argues, Taiwan has high convergence with China in the economic, ethnic and cultural dimensions, and managed divergence in the territorial dimension. The TGIE, on the other hand, has high divergence with China in all four dimensions: territorial dispute, economic incongruence, ethnic estrangement, and cultural gulf. Further, the TGIE is ideologically and sentimentally charged by this divergence and thrives by exploiting it. It therefore should have few incentives to see the lessons of Taiwan applied in resolving the Tibet question.
Frequency response masking approach for designing filter banks with rational sampling factors

A general structure for two-bank filter banks with rational sampling factors is proposed. Several design cases are examined to illustrate the feasibility of our approach. To achieve high precision as well as reduce the implementation cost, the rational filter banks are integrated with a frequency response masking technique. Comparison with M-stage octave filter banks based on audio spectral separation is also given to illustrate the performance of the proposed system.
Plasma depletion layer: Magnetosheath flow structure and forces

Abstract. The plasma depletion layer (PDL) is a layer on the sunward side of the magnetopause with lower plasma density and higher magnetic field compared to the corresponding upstream magnetosheath values. In a previous study, we have validated the UCLA global (MHD) model in studying the formation of the PDL by comparing model results, using spacecraft solar wind observations as the driver, with in situ PDL observations. In this study, we extend our previous work and examine the detailed MHD forces responsible for the PDL formation. We argue that MHD models, instead of gasdynamic models, should be used to study the PDL, because gasdynamic models cannot produce the PDL on the sunward side of the magnetopause. For northward (IMF), flux tube depletion occurs in almost all the subsolar magnetosheath. However, the streamlines closest to the magnetopause and the stagnation line show the greatest depletion. The relative strength of the various MHD forces changes along these streamlines. Forces along a flux tube at different stages of its depletion in the magnetosheath are analyzed. We find that a strong plasma pressure gradient force along the magnetic field at the bow shock and a pressure gradient force along the flux tube within the magnetosheath usually exist pushing plasma away from the equatorial plane to deplete the flux tube. More complex force structures along the flux tube are found close to the magnetopause. This new, more detailed description of flux tube depletion is compared with the results of Zwan and Wolf (1976) and differences are found. Near the magnetopause, the pressure gradient force along the flux tube either drives plasma away from the equatorial plane or pushes plasma toward the equatorial plane. As a result, a slow mode structure is seen along the flux tube which might be responsible for the observed two-layered slow mode structures. Key words. Magnetospheric physics (magnetosheath; solar wind-magnetosphere interactions). Space plasma physics (numerical simulations studies)
Deafness-Related Decreases in Glycine-Immunoreactive Labeling in the Rat Cochlear Nucleus

There is increasing evidence of activity-related plasticity in auditory pathways. The present study examined the effects of decreased activity on immunolocalization of the inhibitory neurotransmitter glycine in the cochlear nucleus of the rat after bilateral cochlear ablation. Specifically, glycine-immunoreactive puncta adjacent to somatic profiles were compared in normal hearing animals and animals deafened for 14 days. The number of glycine-immunoreactive puncta surrounding somatic profiles of spherical and globular bushy cells, glycine-immunoreactive type I stellate multipolar cells, radiate neurons (type II stellate multipolar cells), and fusiform cells decreased significantly. In addition, the number of glycine immunopositive tuberculoventral (vertical or corn) cells in the deep layer of the dorsal cochlear nucleus also decreased significantly. These results suggest that decreased inhibition reported in cochlear nucleus after deafness may be due to decreases in glycine.
Severe refractory autoimmune hemolytic anemia with both warm and cold autoantibodies that responded completely to a single cycle of rituximab: a case report.

Introduction: Mixed warm and cold autoimmune hemolytic anemia runs a chronic course with severe intermittent exacerbations. Therapeutic options for the treatment of hemolysis associated with autoimmune hemolytic anemia are limited. There have been only two reported cases of the effective use of rituximab in the treatment of patients with mixed autoimmune hemolytic anemia. We report a case of severe mixed autoimmune hemolytic anemia that did not respond to steroids and responded to four weekly doses of rituximab (one cycle). Case presentation: A 62-year-old Caucasian man presented with dyspnea, jaundice and splenomegaly. His blood work revealed severe anemia (hemoglobin, 4.9 g/dL) with biochemical evidence of hemolysis. Exposure to cold led to worsening of the patient’s hemolysis and hemoglobinuria. A direct antiglobulin test was positive for immunoglobulin G and complement C3d, and cold agglutinins of immunoglobulin M type were detected. A bone marrow biopsy revealed erythroid hyperplasia. A positron emission tomographic scan showed no sites of pathologic uptake. There was no other evidence of a lymphoid or myeloid disorder. Initial therapy consisted of avoidance of cold, intravenous methylprednisolone and a trial of plasmapheresis. However, there was no clinically significant response, and the patient continued to be transfusion-dependent. He was then started on 375 mg/m 2 / week intravenous rituximab therapy. After two treatments, his hemoglobin stabilized and the transfusion requirement diminished. Rituximab was continued for a total of four weeks and led to the complete resolution of his hemolytic anemia and associated symptoms. At the patient’s last visit, about two years after the initial rituximab treatment, he continued to be in complete remission. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of mixed-type autoimmune hemolytic anemia that did not respond to steroid therapy but responded completely to only one cycle of rituximab. The previous two reports of rituximab use in mixed autoimmune hemolytic anemia described an initial brief response to steroids and the use of rituximab at the time of relapse. In both of these case reports, the response to one cycle of rituximab was short-lived and a second cycle of rituximab was required. Our case report demonstrates that severe hemolysis associated with mixed autoimmune hemolytic anemia can be unresponsive to steroid therapy and that a single cycle of rituximab may lead to prompt and durable complete remission.
Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Phosphate (PDHb) Phosphatase in Brain: Activity, Properties, and Subcellular Localization

The activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphate (PDHb) phosphatase in rat brain mitochondria and homogenate was determined by measuring the rate of activation of purified, phosphorylated (i.e., inactive) pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHC), which had been purified from bovine kidney and inactivated by phosphorylation with Mg . ATP. The PDHb phosphatase activity in purified mitochondria showed saturable kinetics with respect to its substrate, the phospho-PDHC. It had a pH optimum between 7.0 and 7.4, depended on Mg and Ca, and was inhibited by NaF and K-phosphate. These properties are consistent with those of the highly purified enzyme from beef heart. On subcellular fractionation, PDHb phosphatase copurified with mitochondrial marker enzymes (fumarase and PDHC) and separated from a cytosolic marker enzyme (lactate dehydrogenase) and a membrane marker enzyme (acetylcholinesterase), suggesting that it, like its substrate, is located in mitochondria. PDHb phosphatase had similar kinetic properties in purified mitochondria and in homogenate: dependence on Mg and Ca, independence of dichloroacetate, and inhibition by NaF and K-phosphate. These results are consistent with there being only one type of PDHb phosphatase in rat brain preparations. They support the validity of the measurements of the activity of this enzyme in brain homogenates.
Cardiovascular responses to labor and delivery.

Summary A survey of the changes in the maternal circulation during labor, delivery, and the first hour post partuin has been undertaken. The parameters of heart rate, blood pressure, cardiac output, and stroke volume were recorded. The observed changes in heart rate and blood pressure are in general agreement with previous reports. However, those of cardiac output and stroke volume are not. The findings suggest that under ordinary conditions, the cardiac output may not be significantly altered during labor, whereas immediately post partum it may be diminished. The over-all picture would suggest that labor and delivery have an effect on the circulation similar to a bout of mild exercise with a return toward basal conditions immediately thereafter.
Thinking outside the box: Statistical inference based on Kullback-Leibler empirical projections

Suppose that X is a random vector with probability distribution P and suppose that P denotes a proposed model that involves interesting parameters and relationship between variables. We consider statistical inference procedures for the case where PeP constructed as follows: let hðPÞ denote the parameter of the distribution Q 2 P that minimizes a Kullback–Leibler (K–L)-type discrepancy KðQ; PÞ between Q and P. We take hðPÞ to be the parameter of interest. The estimate of hðPÞ, when it exists, is defined by ^ h ¼ hð ^
The use of alcohol by lesbians: a review and research agenda

This article reviews the literature on alcohol use by lesbians. Comparisons of data on lesbians and women from the general population show that lesbians tend to drink more than other women; that rates of drinking do not decline with age as is true for general population women; and that even when levels of drinking are equivalent between lesbians and general population women, lesbians report greater difficulties related to alcohol consumption. Differences in sampling techniques and differences in definitions of drinking among the papers made comparisons of results difficult. These issues are discussed and recommendations are made concerning standardization of data collection.
NAD(P)H Oxidase–Dependent Self-Propagation of Hydrogen Peroxide and Vascular Disease

Excessive production of reactive oxygen species in the vasculature contributes to cardiovascular pathogenesis. Among biologically relevant and abundant reactive oxygen species, superoxide (O2·−) an...